<p>The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to commence on Friday but franchises might have to go ahead with their respective season openers without their full-strength squads. With COVID-19 protocols and mandatory quarantine in place, some of the key players from each franchise will be missing the first match.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Let us take a look at the list of names who will be missing the first match of their respective franchise.</p>

<h2>Mumbai Indians</h2>

<p>The defending champions are set to miss key opener Quinton de Kock and pacer Adam Milne. The two overseas players landed in India early this week and are yet to complete their seven-day quarantine. The duo won’t be available for IPL 2021 opener on Friday.</p>

<h2>Delhi Capitals</h2>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/vvs-laxman-to-wion-delhi-capitals-captaincy-will-help-rishabh-pant-reach-his-potential-376136" hreflang="en">VVS Laxman to WION: DC captaincy will help Rishabh Pant</a></strong></p>

<p>Fast bowling duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje will be missing Delhi Capitals’ opening match against Chennai Super Kings on April 10. The South Africa pacers are undergoing quarantine for a week and are likely to be a part of the playing XI in DC’s match on April 15 versus Rajasthan Royals. Axar Patel, who had tested positive for COVID-19, is also expected to miss DC’s first match.</p>

<h2>Royal Challengers Bangalore</h2>

<p>Australian spinner Adam Zampa will be an absentee from RCB’s season opener due to his marriage. Whereas New Zealand opener Finn Allen will also miss the match due to the mandatory seven-day quarantine period.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Chennai Super Kings</h2>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-mi-vs-rcb-virats-royal-challengers-to-lock-horns-with-rohits-mumbai-indians-376154" hreflang="en">IPL 2021, MI vs RCB: Preview, probable XI and stats</a></strong></p>

<p>South African pacer Lungi Ngidi will miss CSK’s season opener similar to Delhi Capitals’ Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada. The Proteas pacer is undergoing a mandatory seven-day quarantine after arriving in India early this week.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Rajasthan Royals</h2>

<p>England pacer Jofra Archer will miss a few matches due to his finger injury. However, there aren’t any more absentees from the RR squad and the Sanju Samson-led outfit will have their full-strength squad sans Archer available.</p>


The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to commence on Friday but franchises might have to go ahead with their respective season openers without their full-strength squads.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to commence on Friday but franchises might have to go ahead with their respective season openers without their full-strength squads. With COVID-19 protocols and mandatory quarantine in place, some of the key players from each franchise will be missing the first match. Let us take a look at the list of names who will be missing the first match of their respective franchise. Mumbai Indians The defending champions are set to miss key opener Quinton de Kock and pacer Adam Milne. The two overseas players landed in India early this week and are yet to complete their seven-day quarantine. The duo won’t be available for IPL 2021 opener on Friday. Delhi Capitals ALSO READ: VVS Laxman to WION: DC captaincy will help Rishabh Pant Fast bowling duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje will be missing Delhi Capitals’ opening match against Chennai Super Kings on April 10. The South Africa pacers are undergoing quarantine for a week and are likely to be a part of the playing XI in DC’s match on April 15 versus Rajasthan Royals. Axar Patel, who had tested positive for COVID-19, is also expected to miss DC’s first match. Royal Challengers Bangalore Australian spinner Adam Zampa will be an absentee from RCB’s season opener due to his marriage. Whereas New Zealand opener Finn Allen will also miss the match due to the mandatory seven-day quarantine period. Chennai Super Kings ALSO READ: IPL 2021, MI vs RCB: Preview, probable XI and stats South African pacer Lungi Ngidi will miss CSK’s season opener similar to Delhi Capitals’ Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada. The Proteas pacer is undergoing a mandatory seven-day quarantine after arriving in India early this week. Rajasthan Royals England pacer Jofra Archer will miss a few matches due to his finger injury. However, there aren’t any more absentees from the RR squad and the Sanju Samson-led outfit will have their full-strength squad sans Archer available.

From Rabada to Archer - Key players set to miss first IPL 2021 match of their teams

<p class="MsoNormal">Delhi Capitals spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will start as hot favourites in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, set to start on Friday. The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians are eyeing a hat-trick of IPL wins after winning their fifth trophy in the year 2020. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Analysing Mumbai Indians, Ashwin said that while every team has its area of strength, MI’s experience and power-packed line-up make them stand out from their competitors. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“Every team is strong, and I am not making a diplomatic statement. But I definitely think Mumbai has got a powerful and experienced squad. Mumbai will always start as favourites in this competition. I think Mumbai is the team to beat,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-mumbai-indians-team-preview-a-dream-hat-trick-on-cards-for-rohit-sharma-and-co-375947" hreflang="en">IPL 2021, MI - Team Preview: A dream hat-trick on cards for Rohit and Co.?</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">While lavishing praises on Mumbai Indians, Ashwin also backed his side Delhi Capitals to carry the confidence of last season. The veteran spinner backed DC to perform well in the 14<sup>th</sup> edition of the cash-rich tournament.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“Good (On DC’s chances), well-balanced one. Last year, our batting did not come well together. It was understandable due to lockdown and all that. But this year, in the kind of form in which Rishabh is, definitely that (team’s batting) also will get sorted out,” he stated.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“We have a good chance. But if you see the last few years, it is not always about the top two or three sides. Every team picks players judiciously and have good balance and options. The IPL is in a new caravan model, so conditions also will play a part,” Ashwin added.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/vvs-laxman-to-wion-delhi-capitals-captaincy-will-help-rishabh-pant-reach-his-potential-376136" hreflang="en">VVS Laxman to WION: DC captaincy will help Rishabh Pant</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The IPL 2021 is set to be kick-started on April 9 with Mumbai Indians locking horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener in Chennai.<o:p></o:p></p>


Delhi Capitals spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will start as hot favourites in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, set to start on Friday.

Delhi Capitals spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said that defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will start as hot favourites in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, set to start on Friday. The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians are eyeing a hat-trick of IPL wins after winning their fifth trophy in the year 2020. Analysing Mumbai Indians, Ashwin said that while every team has its area of strength, MI’s experience and power-packed line-up make them stand out from their competitors. “Every team is strong, and I am not making a diplomatic statement. But I definitely think Mumbai has got a powerful and experienced squad. Mumbai will always start as favourites in this competition. I think Mumbai is the team to beat,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. ALSO READ: IPL 2021, MI - Team Preview: A dream hat-trick on cards for Rohit and Co.? While lavishing praises on Mumbai Indians, Ashwin also backed his side Delhi Capitals to carry the confidence of last season. The veteran spinner backed DC to perform well in the 14th edition of the cash-rich tournament. “Good (On DC’s chances), well-balanced one. Last year, our batting did not come well together. It was understandable due to lockdown and all that. But this year, in the kind of form in which Rishabh is, definitely that (team’s batting) also will get sorted out,” he stated. “We have a good chance. But if you see the last few years, it is not always about the top two or three sides. Every team picks players judiciously and have good balance and options. The IPL is in a new caravan model, so conditions also will play a part,” Ashwin added. ALSO READ: VVS Laxman to WION: DC captaincy will help Rishabh Pant The IPL 2021 is set to be kick-started on April 9 with Mumbai Indians locking horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the season opener in Chennai.

Powerful and experienced squad: R Ashwin feels Mumbai Indians are hot favourites in IPL 2021

<p>Rishabh Pant arguably has been the biggest gainer in Indian cricket over the last six months. After having gone through a rough patch, getting dropped by the Indian team across formats, the young southpaw made a roaring comeback in the national team by winning matches against Australia and England.</p>

<p>Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor and former Indian batsman VVS Laxman, in an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, talked about Rishabh Pant, his traits, how the youngster has evolved with experience in the world of cricket and more.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>After not being named in the playing XI for Adelaide Test, Rishabh Pant found his place back in the team in Melbourne as Team India began a turnaround for ages in the series.</p>

<p>In three matches, Pant ended up as the highest run-scorer for India with 274 runs as the Ajinkya Rahane-led side scripted history and won the Border-Gavaskar series for the second time on the trot. Pant was the hero among many heroes for Team India and continued his rich run of form against England in the home series. Now, the southpaw will be seen leading Delhi Capitals in the absence of regular skipper Rishabh Pant.</p>

<p>Delighted with Pant’s career graph in the last six months, VVS Laxman said that the biggest difference in his game has the maturity and ability to access the situation without throwing his wicket away. Laxman lavished rich praise on Pant’s wicket-keeping as he said his work behind the stump comes as the most positive thing out of many.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/anil-kumble-to-wion-selection-headache-a-good-thing-for-punjab-kings-375722" hreflang="en">Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings</a></strong></p>

<p>“I always felt that Viru (Virender Sehwag) was a dangerous batsman who always posed threat to the opposition bowlers because he had the ability to not only hit loose deliveries for boundaries for success, but also good deliveries will be dispersed outside the boundary. I think it's more to do with his mindset. And for me, the biggest difference is how mature Rishabh Pant has become since the Sydney second innings not because he always had the shot, he always had that mindset, but now is much better prepared as far as understanding the situation and assessing the situation without compromising on his strength. And that's a very lethal combination, you know, because that will lead you to win a lot more matches and to become more consistent. And the more consistent a player of calibre of Rishabh Pant is, the more matches, he will win for his team, whichever team and whichever format is playing in,” Laxman told WION in an exclusive interview.</p>

<p><img alt="Laxman" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="59faae3a-e3bc-48ab-9a16-a125586742ec" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_94C2FX.jpg" /></p>

<p>Laxman feels the opportunity to captain Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021 and extra responsibility will help Pant enhance his potential while taking his performance a notch above.</p>

<p>“I just believe that the maturity and the understanding of the situation as drastically improved in Rishabh Pant's game. The other huge difference is the way he has kept. And that for me has been the biggest positive this home season because the way he kept on challenging wickets in Test matches in Chennai and Ahmedabad shows that not only as you become more confident about his batting and winning matches, while batting, but also is become very confident behind the stumps, you know that really augurs well for Indian cricket. And I think sky is&nbsp;the limit for Rishabh Pant and I'm sure that he will go out and you know, sort of embrace this opportunity of leading the Delhi capitals team because when you have that extra responsibility on your shoulder, I'm sure that that will enhance his potential and performance. And that's something which I'm sure every fan of his is looking forward to,” the former Indian batsman said.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/riley-meredith-shahrukh-khan-surprise-packages-who-can-take-ipl-2021-by-storm-375897" hreflang="en">Meredith, Shahrukh: Surprise packages who can take IPL 2021 by storm</a></strong></p>

<p>Despite losing a crucial player in Shreyas Iyer, Delhi Capitals, the runners-up of IPL 2020, head into a fresh season with a bundle of domestic talents. Be it experience or youth, DC are packed with a plethora of domestic players starting from Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin to Prithvi Shaw, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Axar Patel among others. Not to forget Rishabh Pant. The overseas players just bolster the DC squad and make them one of the strong contenders for the IPL trophy.</p>

<p>A strong domestic core is&nbsp;key in a tournament like IPL and Laxman feels every franchise have understood the importance of investing in quality Indian players.</p>

<p>“It's not only Delhi, I think it's all the franchise, which invests in a lot of Indian players. Some players blossom and become more experienced and the more international cricket you play for the country. I think the more experience you get, the more confidence you get because of that exposure. So I think a lot of franchises understand the fact that it's important to invest in quality Indian players, and they become your market players, while the overseas players come in, to just fill in the gaps, you know, whichever skillset is lacking from the Indian talent pool, that's when you get in your overseas players to fill in the gaps,” Laxman explained.</p>

<p><img alt="Laxman" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fca7b5d4-883c-477c-b892-d1bed4c47928" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_XZ9VE.jpg" /></p>

<p>“I think it's a good mix of the Indian talent and overseas experienced staff, and whichever team gels well, it's not only about the skill set, it's not only about the talent, but it's also about understanding each other's role understanding that you know, as a team, you have to go out and play together, not as individuals, and whichever team does that will have more results going in their favour. So I think the franchise understand and that's why auction becomes a big, big element in winning the tournament, you know because whatever you do on the auction table, will decide your future when the tournament comes,” he concluded.</p>

<p>Delhi Capitals start their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings on April 10 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai where Pant will be seen locking horns with his mentor and former Indian captain MS Dhoni.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With you and us together,<br />
It's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%F0%9D%99%8A%F0%9D%99%A7%F0%9D%99%96%F0%9D%99%A3%F0%9D%99%9C%F0%9D%99%9A%F0%9D%99%8A%F0%9D%99%A7%F0%9D%99%89%F0%9D%99%A4%F0%9D%99%A9%F0%9D%99%9D%F0%9D%99%9E%F0%9D%99%A3%F0%9D%99%9C?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#𝙊𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙊𝙧𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜</a> 🧡<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OrangeArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OrangeArmy</a>, we are ready for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a>! Are you? <a href="https://t.co/SOoU21yykp">pic.twitter.com/SOoU21yykp</a></p>
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers/status/1375780231403859970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Whereas Laxman’s Sunrisers Hyderabad will be in action on April 11 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai.</p>


Rishabh Pant arguably has been the biggest gainer in Indian cricket over the last six months. After having gone through a rough patch, getting dropped by the Indian team across formats, the young southpaw made a roaring comeback in the national team by winning matches against Australia and England.

Rishabh Pant arguably has been the biggest gainer in Indian cricket over the last six months. After having gone through a rough patch, getting dropped by the Indian team across formats, the young southpaw made a roaring comeback in the national team by winning matches against Australia and England. Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor and former Indian batsman VVS Laxman, in an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, talked about Rishabh Pant, his traits, how the youngster has evolved with experience in the world of cricket and more. × After not being named in the playing XI for Adelaide Test, Rishabh Pant found his place back in the team in Melbourne as Team India began a turnaround for ages in the series. In three matches, Pant ended up as the highest run-scorer for India with 274 runs as the Ajinkya Rahane-led side scripted history and won the Border-Gavaskar series for the second time on the trot. Pant was the hero among many heroes for Team India and continued his rich run of form against England in the home series. Now, the southpaw will be seen leading Delhi Capitals in the absence of regular skipper Rishabh Pant. Delighted with Pant’s career graph in the last six months, VVS Laxman said that the biggest difference in his game has the maturity and ability to access the situation without throwing his wicket away. Laxman lavished rich praise on Pant’s wicket-keeping as he said his work behind the stump comes as the most positive thing out of many. ALSO READ: Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings “I always felt that Viru (Virender Sehwag) was a dangerous batsman who always posed threat to the opposition bowlers because he had the ability to not only hit loose deliveries for boundaries for success, but also good deliveries will be dispersed outside the boundary. I think it's more to do with his mindset. And for me, the biggest difference is how mature Rishabh Pant has become since the Sydney second innings not because he always had the shot, he always had that mindset, but now is much better prepared as far as understanding the situation and assessing the situation without compromising on his strength. And that's a very lethal combination, you know, because that will lead you to win a lot more matches and to become more consistent. And the more consistent a player of calibre of Rishabh Pant is, the more matches, he will win for his team, whichever team and whichever format is playing in,” Laxman told WION in an exclusive interview. Laxman feels the opportunity to captain Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021 and extra responsibility will help Pant enhance his potential while taking his performance a notch above. “I just believe that the maturity and the understanding of the situation as drastically improved in Rishabh Pant's game. The other huge difference is the way he has kept. And that for me has been the biggest positive this home season because the way he kept on challenging wickets in Test matches in Chennai and Ahmedabad shows that not only as you become more confident about his batting and winning matches, while batting, but also is become very confident behind the stumps, you know that really augurs well for Indian cricket. And I think sky is the limit for Rishabh Pant and I'm sure that he will go out and you know, sort of embrace this opportunity of leading the Delhi capitals team because when you have that extra responsibility on your shoulder, I'm sure that that will enhance his potential and performance. And that's something which I'm sure every fan of his is looking forward to,” the former Indian batsman said. IN PICS | Meredith, Shahrukh: Surprise packages who can take IPL 2021 by storm Despite losing a crucial player in Shreyas Iyer, Delhi Capitals, the runners-up of IPL 2020, head into a fresh season with a bundle of domestic talents. Be it experience or youth, DC are packed with a plethora of domestic players starting from Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin to Prithvi Shaw, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Axar Patel among others. Not to forget Rishabh Pant. The overseas players just bolster the DC squad and make them one of the strong contenders for the IPL trophy. A strong domestic core is key in a tournament like IPL and Laxman feels every franchise have understood the importance of investing in quality Indian players. “It's not only Delhi, I think it's all the franchise, which invests in a lot of Indian players. Some players blossom and become more experienced and the more international cricket you play for the country. I think the more experience you get, the more confidence you get because of that exposure. So I think a lot of franchises understand the fact that it's important to invest in quality Indian players, and they become your market players, while the overseas players come in, to just fill in the gaps, you know, whichever skillset is lacking from the Indian talent pool, that's when you get in your overseas players to fill in the gaps,” Laxman explained. “I think it's a good mix of the Indian talent and overseas experienced staff, and whichever team gels well, it's not only about the skill set, it's not only about the talent, but it's also about understanding each other's role understanding that you know, as a team, you have to go out and play together, not as individuals, and whichever team does that will have more results going in their favour. So I think the franchise understand and that's why auction becomes a big, big element in winning the tournament, you know because whatever you do on the auction table, will decide your future when the tournament comes,” he concluded. Delhi Capitals start their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings on April 10 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai where Pant will be seen locking horns with his mentor and former Indian captain MS Dhoni. With you and us together, It's #𝙊𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙊𝙧𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 🧡#OrangeArmy, we are ready for #IPL2021! Are you? pic.twitter.com/SOoU21yykp — SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) March 27, 2021 × Whereas Laxman’s Sunrisers Hyderabad will be in action on April 11 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai.

VVS Laxman to WION: Delhi Capitals captaincy will help Rishabh Pant reach his potential

<p>Sunrisers Hyderabad have always punched above their weights when it comes to performing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Showing sheer consistency, teamwork and hunger to win matches, Sunrisers Hyderabad are hailed as one of the most consistent sides in the history of IPL. However, they last won the coveted trophy in the year 2016 and since then, the ultimate glory has been evading the Hyderabad franchise.</p>

<p>Ahead of the IPL 2021, Sunrisers Hyderabad bolstered their squad at the auction table without tinkering with their core players. SRH added the likes Kedar Jadhav, J Suchith and Mujeeb ur Rahman to their team while replacing Mitchell Marsh, who pulled out at the last moment, with Jason Roy, as they eye another season of glory in India’s cricket carnival – the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.</p>

<p>Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor and one of the legends of the game, VVS Laxman, in an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, talked about the SRH squad, bio-bubbles, the role IPL has played in the growth of Indian cricket and much more.</p>

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<p>SRH headed into the IPL 2021 auction with just INR 10.75 crore. With a small purse at a mini-auction, the Hyderabad outfit made some shrewd picks while roping in the likes of experienced Indian all-rounder Kedar Jadhav, Afghanistan’s mystery spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman and left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchit. They later had another addition in Jason Roy after Mitchell Marsh pulled out of the tournament due to personal reasons.</p>

<p>Laxman believes SRH have a perfect blend of youth and experience, well capable of setting the stage on fire. While saying Hyderabad have got all the bases covered, Laxman added that they have a variety of players who can perform in different conditions on offer in India.</p>

<p>“It was a very quiet auction for us because we just required to pick up the players because we already had 22 in our squad. And because we knew that the tournament was going to happen in India in the summer, well, there will be a lot of help for the spinners and Mujeeb is an exceptional talent and also we got Suchit. Kedar Jadhav, he bolsters our middle order with his experience, batting for so many times in the IPL and also for India and winning matches,” Laxman told WION in an exclusive interview.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/anil-kumble-to-wion-selection-headache-a-good-thing-for-punjab-kings-375722" hreflang="en">Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings</a></strong></p>

<p>“But overall, we are very happy and confident that we've covered all the bases and that's one of the important aspects a franchise takes into account at the start of the. I think that's why we are very happy that we've covered all the bases While there are a lot of experienced international players in our squad, but there are also a lot of talented players who just showcased their talent in the last year's IPL but I feel that they are much more mature, they're much more experienced compared to last year. And I'm sure that they will also set the stage on fire and I believe that we've got a lot of options at our disposal is just about playing the best combination against a particular opposition and in a particular condition. And then just playing to our potential if we do that, I'm sure the results will go in our favour,” the former Indian batsman, who has more than 10,000 runs for India in Tests and ODIs, explained.</p>

<p><img alt="VVS Laxman" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9abeaa98-b1a1-44c0-955e-95303a1fd9c5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Laxman.JPG" /></p>

<p>But how tricky was the task at the auction table when franchises were unaware of the venues and conditions that will be on offer during the IPL? Laxman feels despite all the challenges, Sunrisers Hyderabad have a plethora of options and variety available at their helm. With matches in Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru, the former Indian batsman feels Hyderabad have all the ingredients to win the battle of match-ups and create their playing XIs based on who they are playing against in the IPL.</p>

<p>“You pick a squad where you can go and perform in various conditions. It's not that you pick a sport only to suit your home condition. And I think that that's where we are very confident because the options are available in both batting and bowling department, which can perform in various condition. We're going to play in four venues starting with Chennai, then Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. And I believe that they got various options and various combination for these four venues.</p>

<p>“It depends which team you're playing against because in T20 cricket, I believe, that matchup play a big part. While we don't want to create insecurity in the minds of our players, because we are one team that gives a long rope to whichever player is invested in. But I think matchups play a very important and integral part of T20. Cricket so based on the opposition you're playing against, I think we got enough options in our squad you know, to challenge them. So overall we are very happy that we have covered all the bases irrespective of which when you are going to play the match on or which conditions we're going to confront we are very confident that they got enough players who can perform in those conditions,” Laxman explained.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Intensity, a lot of intensity was at display in our first practice match yesterday 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OrangeOrNothing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OrangeOrNothing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OrangeArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OrangeArmy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> <a href="https://t.co/dx5nmZJCVM">pic.twitter.com/dx5nmZJCVM</a></p>
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers/status/1380024315337318401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The last six months have been a roller-coaster ride when it comes to Indian cricket. Starting from IPL 2020 in the UAE to the tour of Australia and then hosting England for full-fledged tour, players involved in all three events have been part of the bio-secure bubble for months while being able to spend just a few days with families in the six-month time frame. The debate surrounding mental health have picked up and Laxman feels while it is extremely tough for athletes to stay inside bubbles for months, it is like a sacrifice to do be able to live your dream.</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/riley-meredith-shahrukh-khan-surprise-packages-who-can-take-ipl-2021-by-storm-375897" hreflang="en">In pics- Meredith, Shahrukh: Surprise packages who can take IPL 2021 by storm</a></strong></p>

<p>“It was quite tough and challenging, while I was part of the bubble in UAE, during the IPL 2020. But it's crazy for the Indian team and other international teams and other sports as well, you know, because it's never easy to stay in a bubble. And the Indian team players who play all the formats have been in bubbles since August, last year, till now, you know, at the end of the England series, and now they will be joining the franchise for the IPL. I think it's definitely a tough ask from each and every individual,” Laxman quipped.</p>

<p>“But I think this is the new normal ways to be safe. If you have to continue to do what you love the most, which is play the sport. I think you have to be part of the bubble level because it's safe for all the stakeholders, but it's a lot of sacrifices, especially players who have their families who have young family have to make a huge sacrifice. But I think they are ready to do that because they love what they're doing. And they are professionals,” the SRH mentor added.</p>

<p><img alt="VVS Laxman" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0976188c-97e8-4cfe-8b13-74ca7a9c77e3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Laxman-1.JPG" /></p>

<p>While the Indian team scripted history in Australia and also won across formats against England at home, the emergence of young players and their ability to win matches for the country have left the cricketing world in awe. Laxman said it is due to the exposure in IPL that the youngsters are so confident when they play for India and against world-beaters.</p>

<p>The story of SRH pacer Thangarasu Natarajan makes the sport special but the way the likes of Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur among others have performed in the last six months, credit was automatically given to the IPL and strong roots of Indian cricket and the Rahul Dravid-led NCA.</p>

<p>“IPL is a tournament which gives the opportunity to talented players, gives an opportunity for a youngster to realize their dream. As a Sunrisers mentor and as a franchise, we are very proud whenever a player maximizes his potential in the last season. It was a Natarajan who went on to realize his dream of playing for the country, but a lot of other youngsters in SRH who are equally talented. And eventually, they will also realize their dream of playing for the country.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-srh-pacer-t-natarajan-reveals-precious-ms-dhoni-advice-from-last-season-375883" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: T Natarajan reveals precious MS Dhoni advice from last season</a></strong></p>

<p>"And I just feel that the endeavour as far as a franchise is concerned is to pick players who are not only skilful, who are not only talented and have got the potential to win matches and tournaments for the franchise, but also who are very committed to the team you know and to create an environment in the dressing room which is very important, because that is one of the challenges of being part of IPL tournament because very quickly, and in a very short span of time you have to have everyone gelling with each other, and that camaraderie and that bonding is very important if you have to play as a unit and win matches as a unit. And that's why this story is one story where talent meets an opportunity and he grabs it both the hands and realize his dream and hope that a lot more youngsters from the SRH family will continue to realize that dream,” Laxman said.</p>

<p><img alt="Dhoni-Natarajan" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f2047261-be98-48eb-a542-28f38a95f38a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Dhoni-Natarajn.JPG" /></p>

<p>Laxman cited his example of being left overawed while making his debut in South Africa in 1996 but added that is no more the case when it comes to young players as IPL has given them the confidence and exposure of rubbing shoulders with world-class players.</p>

<p>“You know, there's also a lot of importance given to Ranji Trophy, and the List-A matches be it Syed Mushtaq Ali or Vijay Hazare Trophy. But I think the biggest talking point over the last four months has been the bench strength of the Indian cricket team. You know, I think one of the historical wins for India has been the one we recently achieved in Australia. And one of the main reasons is the IPL. There's no doubt about it,” Laxman said.</p>

<p>“The biggest difference, and I've experienced that in my career, when I made my international debut in South Africa in 1996. That was the first time I was playing in front of 45,000 people and I was overawed by the big location, and you're playing against quality bowlers from South Africa. But what IPL is done is for a period of two to one months, it allows the uncapped, talented Indian players to rub shoulders with the best in the world, you know, not only from India but from the world. And when that opportunity of understanding the game learning from the best will sort of enhance&nbsp;the growth and progress as a professional cricketer. And that's what IPL has done,” he explained.</p>

<p>Further elaborating on his point, Laxman said that IPL has played a major role in boosting the bench strength of the Indian cricket team - which is at an all-time high.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“You can see the Brisbane Test match where India were without Virat Kohli and a frontline Test bowling attack. They had a bowling attack, which was probably just four or five Test matches experienced as far as the international cricket was concerned. But the way they carried the&nbsp;responsibility and the way they delivered when it mattered, shows that how much IPL has helped them to develop as&nbsp;cricketers.</p>

<p>“The partnership between Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, they're playing in Test match cricket for first time&nbsp;and to play against Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and also Nathan Lyon and to bat in that fashion is just because of the confidence they got playing in IPL. So I feel as a lot of positives and one of the reasons why Indian bench strength&nbsp;is strong is because of the youngsters participating in IPL without undervaluing the structure, the systems of the BCCI where the age group level cricket. India A and India Under-19 are given a lot of importance, the role of NCA - all played a part but I feel from the confidence level point of view IPL has made a big impact on these youngsters,” Laxman concluded.</p>

<p>Sunrisers Hyderabad open their IPL 2021 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai on April 11.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-schedule-team-wise-full-fixture-list-date-time-and-venues-368637" hreflang="en">IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad for IPL 2021: </strong>David Warner (Captain), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (WK), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (WK), Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Kedar Jadhav, Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Jason Roy, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman</p>


Sunrisers Hyderabad have always punched above their weights when it comes to performing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Showing sheer consistency, teamwork and hunger to win matches, Sunrisers Hyderabad are hailed as one of the most consistent sides in the history of IPL.

Sunrisers Hyderabad have always punched above their weights when it comes to performing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Showing sheer consistency, teamwork and hunger to win matches, Sunrisers Hyderabad are hailed as one of the most consistent sides in the history of IPL. However, they last won the coveted trophy in the year 2016 and since then, the ultimate glory has been evading the Hyderabad franchise. Ahead of the IPL 2021, Sunrisers Hyderabad bolstered their squad at the auction table without tinkering with their core players. SRH added the likes Kedar Jadhav, J Suchith and Mujeeb ur Rahman to their team while replacing Mitchell Marsh, who pulled out at the last moment, with Jason Roy, as they eye another season of glory in India’s cricket carnival – the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor and one of the legends of the game, VVS Laxman, in an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, talked about the SRH squad, bio-bubbles, the role IPL has played in the growth of Indian cricket and much more. × SRH headed into the IPL 2021 auction with just INR 10.75 crore. With a small purse at a mini-auction, the Hyderabad outfit made some shrewd picks while roping in the likes of experienced Indian all-rounder Kedar Jadhav, Afghanistan’s mystery spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman and left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchit. They later had another addition in Jason Roy after Mitchell Marsh pulled out of the tournament due to personal reasons. Laxman believes SRH have a perfect blend of youth and experience, well capable of setting the stage on fire. While saying Hyderabad have got all the bases covered, Laxman added that they have a variety of players who can perform in different conditions on offer in India. “It was a very quiet auction for us because we just required to pick up the players because we already had 22 in our squad. And because we knew that the tournament was going to happen in India in the summer, well, there will be a lot of help for the spinners and Mujeeb is an exceptional talent and also we got Suchit. Kedar Jadhav, he bolsters our middle order with his experience, batting for so many times in the IPL and also for India and winning matches,” Laxman told WION in an exclusive interview. ALSO READ: Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings “But overall, we are very happy and confident that we've covered all the bases and that's one of the important aspects a franchise takes into account at the start of the. I think that's why we are very happy that we've covered all the bases While there are a lot of experienced international players in our squad, but there are also a lot of talented players who just showcased their talent in the last year's IPL but I feel that they are much more mature, they're much more experienced compared to last year. And I'm sure that they will also set the stage on fire and I believe that we've got a lot of options at our disposal is just about playing the best combination against a particular opposition and in a particular condition. And then just playing to our potential if we do that, I'm sure the results will go in our favour,” the former Indian batsman, who has more than 10,000 runs for India in Tests and ODIs, explained. But how tricky was the task at the auction table when franchises were unaware of the venues and conditions that will be on offer during the IPL? Laxman feels despite all the challenges, Sunrisers Hyderabad have a plethora of options and variety available at their helm. With matches in Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru, the former Indian batsman feels Hyderabad have all the ingredients to win the battle of match-ups and create their playing XIs based on who they are playing against in the IPL. “You pick a squad where you can go and perform in various conditions. It's not that you pick a sport only to suit your home condition. And I think that that's where we are very confident because the options are available in both batting and bowling department, which can perform in various condition. We're going to play in four venues starting with Chennai, then Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. And I believe that they got various options and various combination for these four venues. “It depends which team you're playing against because in T20 cricket, I believe, that matchup play a big part. While we don't want to create insecurity in the minds of our players, because we are one team that gives a long rope to whichever player is invested in. But I think matchups play a very important and integral part of T20. Cricket so based on the opposition you're playing against, I think we got enough options in our squad you know, to challenge them. So overall we are very happy that we have covered all the bases irrespective of which when you are going to play the match on or which conditions we're going to confront we are very confident that they got enough players who can perform in those conditions,” Laxman explained. Intensity, a lot of intensity was at display in our first practice match yesterday 🔥#OrangeOrNothing #OrangeArmy #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/dx5nmZJCVM — SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 8, 2021 × The last six months have been a roller-coaster ride when it comes to Indian cricket. Starting from IPL 2020 in the UAE to the tour of Australia and then hosting England for full-fledged tour, players involved in all three events have been part of the bio-secure bubble for months while being able to spend just a few days with families in the six-month time frame. The debate surrounding mental health have picked up and Laxman feels while it is extremely tough for athletes to stay inside bubbles for months, it is like a sacrifice to do be able to live your dream. IN PICS | In pics- Meredith, Shahrukh: Surprise packages who can take IPL 2021 by storm “It was quite tough and challenging, while I was part of the bubble in UAE, during the IPL 2020. But it's crazy for the Indian team and other international teams and other sports as well, you know, because it's never easy to stay in a bubble. And the Indian team players who play all the formats have been in bubbles since August, last year, till now, you know, at the end of the England series, and now they will be joining the franchise for the IPL. I think it's definitely a tough ask from each and every individual,” Laxman quipped. “But I think this is the new normal ways to be safe. If you have to continue to do what you love the most, which is play the sport. I think you have to be part of the bubble level because it's safe for all the stakeholders, but it's a lot of sacrifices, especially players who have their families who have young family have to make a huge sacrifice. But I think they are ready to do that because they love what they're doing. And they are professionals,” the SRH mentor added. While the Indian team scripted history in Australia and also won across formats against England at home, the emergence of young players and their ability to win matches for the country have left the cricketing world in awe. Laxman said it is due to the exposure in IPL that the youngsters are so confident when they play for India and against world-beaters. The story of SRH pacer Thangarasu Natarajan makes the sport special but the way the likes of Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur among others have performed in the last six months, credit was automatically given to the IPL and strong roots of Indian cricket and the Rahul Dravid-led NCA. “IPL is a tournament which gives the opportunity to talented players, gives an opportunity for a youngster to realize their dream. As a Sunrisers mentor and as a franchise, we are very proud whenever a player maximizes his potential in the last season. It was a Natarajan who went on to realize his dream of playing for the country, but a lot of other youngsters in SRH who are equally talented. And eventually, they will also realize their dream of playing for the country. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: T Natarajan reveals precious MS Dhoni advice from last season "And I just feel that the endeavour as far as a franchise is concerned is to pick players who are not only skilful, who are not only talented and have got the potential to win matches and tournaments for the franchise, but also who are very committed to the team you know and to create an environment in the dressing room which is very important, because that is one of the challenges of being part of IPL tournament because very quickly, and in a very short span of time you have to have everyone gelling with each other, and that camaraderie and that bonding is very important if you have to play as a unit and win matches as a unit. And that's why this story is one story where talent meets an opportunity and he grabs it both the hands and realize his dream and hope that a lot more youngsters from the SRH family will continue to realize that dream,” Laxman said. Laxman cited his example of being left overawed while making his debut in South Africa in 1996 but added that is no more the case when it comes to young players as IPL has given them the confidence and exposure of rubbing shoulders with world-class players. “You know, there's also a lot of importance given to Ranji Trophy, and the List-A matches be it Syed Mushtaq Ali or Vijay Hazare Trophy. But I think the biggest talking point over the last four months has been the bench strength of the Indian cricket team. You know, I think one of the historical wins for India has been the one we recently achieved in Australia. And one of the main reasons is the IPL. There's no doubt about it,” Laxman said. “The biggest difference, and I've experienced that in my career, when I made my international debut in South Africa in 1996. That was the first time I was playing in front of 45,000 people and I was overawed by the big location, and you're playing against quality bowlers from South Africa. But what IPL is done is for a period of two to one months, it allows the uncapped, talented Indian players to rub shoulders with the best in the world, you know, not only from India but from the world. And when that opportunity of understanding the game learning from the best will sort of enhance the growth and progress as a professional cricketer. And that's what IPL has done,” he explained. Further elaborating on his point, Laxman said that IPL has played a major role in boosting the bench strength of the Indian cricket team - which is at an all-time high. “You can see the Brisbane Test match where India were without Virat Kohli and a frontline Test bowling attack. They had a bowling attack, which was probably just four or five Test matches experienced as far as the international cricket was concerned. But the way they carried the responsibility and the way they delivered when it mattered, shows that how much IPL has helped them to develop as cricketers. “The partnership between Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, they're playing in Test match cricket for first time and to play against Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and also Nathan Lyon and to bat in that fashion is just because of the confidence they got playing in IPL. So I feel as a lot of positives and one of the reasons why Indian bench strength is strong is because of the youngsters participating in IPL without undervaluing the structure, the systems of the BCCI where the age group level cricket. India A and India Under-19 are given a lot of importance, the role of NCA - all played a part but I feel from the confidence level point of view IPL has made a big impact on these youngsters,” Laxman concluded. Sunrisers Hyderabad open their IPL 2021 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai on April 11. ALSO READ: IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad for IPL 2021: David Warner (Captain), Kane Williamson, Jonny Bairstow (WK), Manish Pandey, Sreevats Goswami (WK), Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Kedar Jadhav, Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Virat Singh, Jason Roy, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman

VVS Laxman to WION: IPL biggest game-changer for Indian cricket

<p>Neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona made any signings in the January transfer market so we’re unlikely to see any new faces when they face each other in ElClasico on Saturday. Yet, there will be a new, and at the same time very familiar face in the stands: Joan Laporta, Barca’s recently elected president who previously held the post between 2003 and 2010.</p>

<p>Laporta is therefore no stranger to the spectacle of ElClasico. The Barcelona-born lawyer enjoyed many memorable ElClasico victories during his first spell, including a famous 6-2 win for the&nbsp;<i>Blaugrana</i>&nbsp;at the Santiago Bernabeu in Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge back in 2009. Barca’s ElClasico record during Laporta’s first tenure as president was positive: seven wins, two draws and just five defeats in 14 LaLiga encounters.</p>

<p>Other unforgettable ElClasico moments for Laporta’s Barcelona included a last-gasp winner from Xavi Hernandez at the Bernabeu in 2004; Ronaldinho dismantling&nbsp;<i>Los Blancos</i>&nbsp;almost single-handedly in 2005 (a match which also happened to be the ElClasico debut of a certain Lionel Messi); 19-year-old Messi’s hat-trick in the dramatic 3-3 draw at the Camp Nou in 2007, and the 2009/10 home and away double win thanks to goal from Messi, Pedro and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/laliga-special-the-great-assist-providers-of-el-clasico-376290" hreflang="en">LaLiga Special: The great assist providers of El Clasico</a></strong></p>

<p>His return to the ElClasico stage also means that Laporta will cross paths with Florentino Pérez once again, the Real Madrid president since 2009 and who previously held the role between 2000 and 2006. Images of the two presidents sitting side by side during some of the most intense ElClasico matches of the 2000s are fresh in the memory for most fans of these two clubs, even if more than a decade has now passed since Laporta stepped aside in 2010. Laporta and Pérez have always maintained a respectful relationship and a serious rivalry, and went head-to-head in seven ElClasico fixtures: Laporta’s Barcelona won five, while Perez’s Real Madrid came out on top just twice.</p>

<p>Having only taken over the Barcelona presidency in March, Laporta is yet to mould the squad to his liking and he’ll surely look to compete with Pérez and Real Madrid for the biggest names in this summer’s transfer market. Yet he’ll already be as determined as ever to win another ElClasico and to enjoy the bragging rights in club football’s biggest rivalry.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/laliga-will-go-down-to-the-wire-real-madrids-karim-benzema-ahead-of-el-clasico-376303" hreflang="en">LaLiga will go down to the wire: Real Madrid's Karim Benzema ahead of El Clasico</a></strong></p>

<p>Laporta has always enjoyed injecting a bit of humour into the rivalry too. He went as far as launching his most recent presidential election campaign by installing a huge advertisement just yards from the Santiago Bernabeu in central Madrid.&nbsp;<i>“Ganas de volver a verso,</i>” it read in Spanish… ‘Keen to see you again.’</p>

<p>This Saturday night, Laporta will finally get his wish and come face to face with Real Madrid once again as Barcelona president, albeit in new surroundings at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium. The first of what looks to be many reunions with Barca’s biggest rivals.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/lionel-messi-is-unbelievable-barcelonas-pedri-ahead-of-el-clasico-376304" hreflang="en">Lionel Messi is unbelievable: Barcelona's Pedri ahead of El Clasico</a></strong></p>

<p>Watch ElClasico live this Sunday at 00.30 am on Facebook Watch</p>


Neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona made any signings in the January transfer market so we’re unlikely to see any new faces when they face each other in ElClasico on Saturday.

Neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona made any signings in the January transfer market so we’re unlikely to see any new faces when they face each other in ElClasico on Saturday. Yet, there will be a new, and at the same time very familiar face in the stands: Joan Laporta, Barca’s recently elected president who previously held the post between 2003 and 2010. Laporta is therefore no stranger to the spectacle of ElClasico. The Barcelona-born lawyer enjoyed many memorable ElClasico victories during his first spell, including a famous 6-2 win for the Blaugrana at the Santiago Bernabeu in Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge back in 2009. Barca’s ElClasico record during Laporta’s first tenure as president was positive: seven wins, two draws and just five defeats in 14 LaLiga encounters. Other unforgettable ElClasico moments for Laporta’s Barcelona included a last-gasp winner from Xavi Hernandez at the Bernabeu in 2004; Ronaldinho dismantling Los Blancos almost single-handedly in 2005 (a match which also happened to be the ElClasico debut of a certain Lionel Messi); 19-year-old Messi’s hat-trick in the dramatic 3-3 draw at the Camp Nou in 2007, and the 2009/10 home and away double win thanks to goal from Messi, Pedro and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. ALSO READ: LaLiga Special: The great assist providers of El Clasico His return to the ElClasico stage also means that Laporta will cross paths with Florentino Pérez once again, the Real Madrid president since 2009 and who previously held the role between 2000 and 2006. Images of the two presidents sitting side by side during some of the most intense ElClasico matches of the 2000s are fresh in the memory for most fans of these two clubs, even if more than a decade has now passed since Laporta stepped aside in 2010. Laporta and Pérez have always maintained a respectful relationship and a serious rivalry, and went head-to-head in seven ElClasico fixtures: Laporta’s Barcelona won five, while Perez’s Real Madrid came out on top just twice. Having only taken over the Barcelona presidency in March, Laporta is yet to mould the squad to his liking and he’ll surely look to compete with Pérez and Real Madrid for the biggest names in this summer’s transfer market. Yet he’ll already be as determined as ever to win another ElClasico and to enjoy the bragging rights in club football’s biggest rivalry. WATCH: LaLiga will go down to the wire: Real Madrid's Karim Benzema ahead of El Clasico Laporta has always enjoyed injecting a bit of humour into the rivalry too. He went as far as launching his most recent presidential election campaign by installing a huge advertisement just yards from the Santiago Bernabeu in central Madrid. “Ganas de volver a verso,” it read in Spanish… ‘Keen to see you again.’ This Saturday night, Laporta will finally get his wish and come face to face with Real Madrid once again as Barcelona president, albeit in new surroundings at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium. The first of what looks to be many reunions with Barca’s biggest rivals. WATCH: Lionel Messi is unbelievable: Barcelona's Pedri ahead of El Clasico Watch ElClasico live this Sunday at 00.30 am on Facebook Watch

El Clasico - Back for more: Joan Laporta comes face to face with Real Madrid once again

<p class="MsoNormal">The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is set to kick-start on Friday. While the matches will be played behind closed doors amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in India, the question that has been bugging the fans is whether there will be an opening ceremony ahead of IPL 2021?<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">IPL opening ceremony has been a regularity before the tournament officially kickstarts. However, in IPL 2020, there was no opening ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">With IPL 2021 being held in challenging times and with strict restrictions, there will be no opening ceremony this time as well with the tournament starting directly with the season opener between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore directly.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-what-is-new-what-has-changed-who-is-in-who-is-out-ten-things-different-this-time-376268" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: What is new, what has changed, who is in, who is out? Ten things different this time</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">However, top BCCI officials such as Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah among others and members of Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) will be attending the opener between MI and RCB in Chennai on Friday.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“This year’s IPL Opening ceremony for the first time shall have representation from the Differently abled governing council members. Jay Shah, the Secretary of the BCCI, has extended an invitation to the office bearers of the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI),” twitted the association’s official Twitter handle.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Even media will not be allowed to cover IPL 2021 from the venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the restrictions may be lifted if the situation around the virus eases down.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-to-imran-tahir-five-oldest-players-in-ipl-2021-375933" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni to Imran Tahir: Five oldest players in IPL 2021</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“Owing to the health and safety concerns, media personnel will not have access to the stadium to cover the games or team practice sessions,” the BCCI said in a release.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“If health and safety conditions are more favourable later in the season, media may be allowed to access the stadiums to cover the tournament. Such an announcement will be made in due course,” the BCCI statement read.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>LIVE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/IPL2021-Live-Score-Mumbai-Indians-MI-Royal-Challengers-Bangalore-RCB-Chidambaram-Stadium-Chennai-Today-Live-match-updates" hreflang="en">IPL 2021, MI vs RCB, Live Updates</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl">Catch full coverage of IPL 2021 here!</a></o:p></p>


The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is set to kick-start on Friday. While the matches will be played behind closed doors amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in India, the question that has been bugging the fans is whether there will be an opening ceremony ahead of IPL 2021?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is set to kick-start on Friday. While the matches will be played behind closed doors amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in India, the question that has been bugging the fans is whether there will be an opening ceremony ahead of IPL 2021? IPL opening ceremony has been a regularity before the tournament officially kickstarts. However, in IPL 2020, there was no opening ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic. With IPL 2021 being held in challenging times and with strict restrictions, there will be no opening ceremony this time as well with the tournament starting directly with the season opener between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore directly. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: What is new, what has changed, who is in, who is out? Ten things different this time However, top BCCI officials such as Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah among others and members of Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) will be attending the opener between MI and RCB in Chennai on Friday. “This year’s IPL Opening ceremony for the first time shall have representation from the Differently abled governing council members. Jay Shah, the Secretary of the BCCI, has extended an invitation to the office bearers of the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI),” twitted the association’s official Twitter handle. Even media will not be allowed to cover IPL 2021 from the venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the restrictions may be lifted if the situation around the virus eases down. IN PICS | From MS Dhoni to Imran Tahir: Five oldest players in IPL 2021 “Owing to the health and safety concerns, media personnel will not have access to the stadium to cover the games or team practice sessions,” the BCCI said in a release. “If health and safety conditions are more favourable later in the season, media may be allowed to access the stadiums to cover the tournament. Such an announcement will be made in due course,” the BCCI statement read. LIVE: IPL 2021, MI vs RCB, Live Updates Catch full coverage of IPL 2021 here!

IPL 2021: Will there be opening ceremony ahead of tournament opener? - All you need to know

<p>After finishing as the runner-up of the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, the Delhi Capitals will start their 14th&nbsp;edition of the IPL in Mumbai on Saturday,&nbsp;against Chennai Super Kings at the&nbsp;Wankhede Stadium.&nbsp;Delhi Capitals will look to go one up and lift the trophy for the first time. DC's new skipper Rishabh Pant is looking forward to defeating his mentor and former Indian captain MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in what will be his captaincy debut in the cash-rich T20 tournament.</p>

<p>Speaking ahead of their opening match, Head Coach Ricky Ponting and Captain&nbsp;Rishabh Pant expect to achieve a better result this season.</p>

<p>"The CSK have got a good squad of players and they've got lots of flexibility and a lot of options. But we've got a great squad as well and we want to build on last season. I have said to the boys that it's not about last season, but there are a lot of positives that we can take from the way we have played in the last couple of seasons. Although we've got a slightly different squad, we expect to play better as a group and achieve some better results. So, for us, Chennai Super Kings is just game one. We need to approach it with the right attitude and play well. Hopefully, win that game and move onto the second game. But we know that we'll have to play well to win," said Ponting.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-cricketers-hit-sixes-at-taking-jibes-at-dhoni-and-dhawans-gully-cricket-376296" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: Cricketers hit sixes at taking jibes at Dhoni and Dhawan's gully cricket</a></strong></p>

<p>The Australian added that Suresh Raina, who missed the last season, will make a big difference to the CSK outfit this year, "The Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. They have got a great leader and a great squad of players. They have always managed to play consistent cricket. Last year, they were probably disappointed with the way their season worked out, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Suresh Raina wasn't there for the entire tournament. He comes back to the squad this year, which is almost like a new recruit for them."</p>

<p>The Delhi Capitals&nbsp;Captain Rishabh Pant expressed that it will be very special for him to lead an IPL team for the first time in a match against MS Dhoni's side, "It will be extra special to walk out for the toss with MS Dhoni tomorrow. This will be the first time that I will be leading an IPL team and the first match is against Mahi bhai. I have learned a lot from him, and I have gained a lot of experience from him. Hopefully, I can use this experience against him, and we can win this match. That's what I am looking forward to."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-what-is-new-what-has-changed-who-is-in-who-is-out-ten-things-different-this-time-376268" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: What is new, what has changed, who is in, who is out? Ten things different this time</a></strong></p>

<p>Pant added that the Delhi Capitals squad, for the IPL 2021, has a great mix of experience and youth, "I have been talking to the senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane about the fields we can set and other strategic decisions for the team. I have been talking to Ricky and our Bowling Coach James Hopes as well. There's a good mix of seniors and juniors in our squad and I think with the help of Ricky, we can do something different this year."</p>

<p>The DC head coach said that all players are hungry to perform and are ready for another challenge in the IPL, "I am really happy about how our last 10-11 days have gone. There will be certainly no excuses from us about how we perform in Game 1. We've got a great group of players, who are hungry and excited for another challenge for us as a franchise and a team. So, I am excited to see how the boys play tomorrow."</p>

<p>Pant expressed that he is just looking to keep things simple in his first match as Skipper in the IPL.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-rabada-to-archer-key-players-set-to-miss-first-ipl-2021-match-of-their-teams-376238" hreflang="en">From Rabada to Archer - Key players set to miss first IPL 2021 match of their teams</a></strong></p>

<p>"I haven't thought about the fact that it's my first match as Captain in the IPL. I am just going to keep things simple and give my 100 percent. You get a good idea about setting fields as a wicketkeeper and now as Captain I will be making the changes in the field directly. So, there's not going to be much of a difference for me," said Pant.</p>


After finishing as the runner-up of the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, the Delhi Capitals will start their 14th edition of the IPL in Mumbai on Saturday, against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium.

After finishing as the runner-up of the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, the Delhi Capitals will start their 14th edition of the IPL in Mumbai on Saturday, against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium. Delhi Capitals will look to go one up and lift the trophy for the first time. DC's new skipper Rishabh Pant is looking forward to defeating his mentor and former Indian captain MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in what will be his captaincy debut in the cash-rich T20 tournament. Speaking ahead of their opening match, Head Coach Ricky Ponting and Captain Rishabh Pant expect to achieve a better result this season. "The CSK have got a good squad of players and they've got lots of flexibility and a lot of options. But we've got a great squad as well and we want to build on last season. I have said to the boys that it's not about last season, but there are a lot of positives that we can take from the way we have played in the last couple of seasons. Although we've got a slightly different squad, we expect to play better as a group and achieve some better results. So, for us, Chennai Super Kings is just game one. We need to approach it with the right attitude and play well. Hopefully, win that game and move onto the second game. But we know that we'll have to play well to win," said Ponting. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: Cricketers hit sixes at taking jibes at Dhoni and Dhawan's gully cricket The Australian added that Suresh Raina, who missed the last season, will make a big difference to the CSK outfit this year, "The Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. They have got a great leader and a great squad of players. They have always managed to play consistent cricket. Last year, they were probably disappointed with the way their season worked out, but I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that Suresh Raina wasn't there for the entire tournament. He comes back to the squad this year, which is almost like a new recruit for them." The Delhi Capitals Captain Rishabh Pant expressed that it will be very special for him to lead an IPL team for the first time in a match against MS Dhoni's side, "It will be extra special to walk out for the toss with MS Dhoni tomorrow. This will be the first time that I will be leading an IPL team and the first match is against Mahi bhai. I have learned a lot from him, and I have gained a lot of experience from him. Hopefully, I can use this experience against him, and we can win this match. That's what I am looking forward to." ALSO READ: IPL 2021: What is new, what has changed, who is in, who is out? Ten things different this time Pant added that the Delhi Capitals squad, for the IPL 2021, has a great mix of experience and youth, "I have been talking to the senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane about the fields we can set and other strategic decisions for the team. I have been talking to Ricky and our Bowling Coach James Hopes as well. There's a good mix of seniors and juniors in our squad and I think with the help of Ricky, we can do something different this year." The DC head coach said that all players are hungry to perform and are ready for another challenge in the IPL, "I am really happy about how our last 10-11 days have gone. There will be certainly no excuses from us about how we perform in Game 1. We've got a great group of players, who are hungry and excited for another challenge for us as a franchise and a team. So, I am excited to see how the boys play tomorrow." Pant expressed that he is just looking to keep things simple in his first match as Skipper in the IPL. ALSO READ: From Rabada to Archer - Key players set to miss first IPL 2021 match of their teams "I haven't thought about the fact that it's my first match as Captain in the IPL. I am just going to keep things simple and give my 100 percent. You get a good idea about setting fields as a wicketkeeper and now as Captain I will be making the changes in the field directly. So, there's not going to be much of a difference for me," said Pant.

It will be extra special: Rishabh Pant looking to defeat MS Dhoni-led CSK on IPL captaincy debut

<p class="MsoNormal">Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday reacted to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments in which he linked rape and sexual violence to how women dress. The former captain of the Pakistan cricket team has been under fire for his recent comments and has been accused of being a “rape apologist” by Human right groups in Pakistan. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Ashwin, who has always been a vocal character, took to social media platform Twitter as he schooled Khan by urging everyone to “do better parenting”. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">After denouncing crimes against women and children, Khan had said that sexual violence was a result of "increasing obscenity", adding it was a product of India, the West and Hollywood movies.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“Let’s do better parenting please. ‘Today will determine our tomorrow’s’,” tweeted Ashwin on Friday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let’s do better parenting please🙏🙏.<br />
“Today will determine our tomorrow’s”. <a href="https://t.co/MnDtUVvCLd">https://t.co/MnDtUVvCLd</a></p>
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1380492471059107843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Khan had recently denounced crimes against women and children but triggered controversy by linking rape and sexual violence to how women dress. The Oxford-educated Khan blamed “fahashi” (vulgarity) for the rise in rape cases in Pakistan while suggesting women cover up to prevent “temptation”. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“This entire concept of purdah (covering up or segregating) is to avoid temptation, not everyone has the willpower to avoid it," Khan had said.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The Pakistan PM added, "in any society where vulgarity is prevalent, there are consequences."<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">However, his comments irked the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Not only does this betray a baffling ignorance of where, why and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors, who, as the government must know, can range from young children to victims of honour crimes," the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a statement.</p>

<h2 class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Here's how Ashwin's comments were lauded by netizens:</o:p></h2>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Savage Anna 💯</p>
— Prateek Shrivastava (@PrateekFrom_Ind) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrateekFrom_Ind/status/1380492695987097604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wow. Absolutely destroyed him Ash 🔥 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/wJutLHioZa">https://t.co/wJutLHioZa</a></p>
— AD (@cricadharsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricadharsh/status/1380496499734323201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bowled him <a href="https://t.co/LV9l7etNmv">https://t.co/LV9l7etNmv</a></p>
— Jash Parekh` (@JashParekh16) <a href="https://twitter.com/JashParekh16/status/1380495180499804160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hear hear Ashwin. <a href="https://t.co/IPnUhCTM91">https://t.co/IPnUhCTM91</a></p>
— Ketaki Golatkar (@Golty) <a href="https://twitter.com/Golty/status/1380493358875967490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Word! <a href="https://t.co/xhmmYO0s95">https://t.co/xhmmYO0s95</a></p>
— Sourav Sinha (@sourav_sinha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sourav_sinha/status/1380492796977508355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Pakistan is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women in terms of safety and equality.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, Ashwin will be seen playing for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, starting April 9.<o:p></o:p></p>


Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday reacted to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments in which he linked rape and sexual violence to how women dress.

Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday reacted to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments in which he linked rape and sexual violence to how women dress. The former captain of the Pakistan cricket team has been under fire for his recent comments and has been accused of being a “rape apologist” by Human right groups in Pakistan. Ashwin, who has always been a vocal character, took to social media platform Twitter as he schooled Khan by urging everyone to “do better parenting”. After denouncing crimes against women and children, Khan had said that sexual violence was a result of "increasing obscenity", adding it was a product of India, the West and Hollywood movies. “Let’s do better parenting please. ‘Today will determine our tomorrow’s’,” tweeted Ashwin on Friday. Let’s do better parenting please🙏🙏. “Today will determine our tomorrow’s”. https://t.co/MnDtUVvCLd — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) April 9, 2021 × Khan had recently denounced crimes against women and children but triggered controversy by linking rape and sexual violence to how women dress. The Oxford-educated Khan blamed “fahashi” (vulgarity) for the rise in rape cases in Pakistan while suggesting women cover up to prevent “temptation”. “This entire concept of purdah (covering up or segregating) is to avoid temptation, not everyone has the willpower to avoid it," Khan had said. The Pakistan PM added, "in any society where vulgarity is prevalent, there are consequences." However, his comments irked the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "Not only does this betray a baffling ignorance of where, why and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors, who, as the government must know, can range from young children to victims of honour crimes," the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a statement. Here's how Ashwin's comments were lauded by netizens: Savage Anna 💯 — Prateek Shrivastava (@PrateekFrom_Ind) April 9, 2021 × Wow. Absolutely destroyed him Ash 🔥 🔥 https://t.co/wJutLHioZa — AD (@cricadharsh) April 9, 2021 × Bowled him https://t.co/LV9l7etNmv — Jash Parekh` (@JashParekh16) April 9, 2021 × Hear hear Ashwin. https://t.co/IPnUhCTM91 — Ketaki Golatkar (@Golty) April 9, 2021 × Word! https://t.co/xhmmYO0s95 — Sourav Sinha (@sourav_sinha) April 9, 2021 × Pakistan is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women in terms of safety and equality. Meanwhile, Ashwin will be seen playing for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, starting April 9.

Do better parenting: R Ashwin ignites Twitter with rebuke to Pak PM Khan for rape remarks

<p class="MsoNormal">Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 opener between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indian in Chennai on Friday, Virat Kohli has opened up about his bonding with the Bengaluru-based franchise. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Kohli has revealed that despite not winning a single trophy, the thought of leaving RCB has never crossed his mind while adding that it was impossible to “recreate” the feelings and bonding at RCB with any other franchise. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"There are a couple of other teams who have great fan bases but I think we are a team who get a lot of support and adulation wherever we play because we play a certain brand of cricket. We will play our heart out, we might not be composed enough in many difficult situations in the past but there has never been a shortage of passion, commitment, intensity.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Trending:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-rahul-dravids-angry-side-leaves-virat-kohli-in-surprise-376306" hreflang="en">Watch: Rahul Dravid's 'angry' side leaves Virat Kohli in surprise</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"A lot of fun on the field and me as an individual have never felt that I wanna move away from the system just because I haven't won a title. That happens because things have been so organic, this cannot be created anywhere. This cannot be manufactured in a way that people are forcing me to play, and I am forcing the management to keep me, there has never been a conversation like that. So, things have been very organic. The respect, the care and the enjoyment I feel here, I don't think I can recreate anywhere else. The experience has been magical," Virat Kohli said in a video posted by RCB.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">After ending their IPL 2020 season in playoffs, RCB snapped the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian among others as they look to end their trophy drought in the cash-rich T20 tournament.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"It feels surreal. Honestly, it doesn't feel like we went away for too long as there was a lot of cricket in between as well but yeah, very excited that we are playing in India again.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-mi-vs-rcb-chepauks-pitch-report-chennais-weather-prediction-and-venue-stats-all-you-need-to-know-376301" hreflang="en">IPL 2021, MI vs RCB: Chepauk's pitch report, Chennai's weather prediction and venue stats - All you need to know</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Although in a different way, in a different setting. I am very optimistic and yes I have a good feeling this time around," Virat Kohli said in a video posted by RCB," Virat Kohli had said while joining the RCB bio-bubble in Chennai.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">RCB take on MI in the first match of IPL 2021 in Chennai on Friday.<o:p></o:p></p>


Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 opener between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indian in Chennai on Friday, Virat Kohli has opened up about his bonding with the Bengaluru-based franchise.

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 opener between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indian in Chennai on Friday, Virat Kohli has opened up about his bonding with the Bengaluru-based franchise. Kohli has revealed that despite not winning a single trophy, the thought of leaving RCB has never crossed his mind while adding that it was impossible to “recreate” the feelings and bonding at RCB with any other franchise. "There are a couple of other teams who have great fan bases but I think we are a team who get a lot of support and adulation wherever we play because we play a certain brand of cricket. We will play our heart out, we might not be composed enough in many difficult situations in the past but there has never been a shortage of passion, commitment, intensity. Trending: Watch: Rahul Dravid's 'angry' side leaves Virat Kohli in surprise "A lot of fun on the field and me as an individual have never felt that I wanna move away from the system just because I haven't won a title. That happens because things have been so organic, this cannot be created anywhere. This cannot be manufactured in a way that people are forcing me to play, and I am forcing the management to keep me, there has never been a conversation like that. So, things have been very organic. The respect, the care and the enjoyment I feel here, I don't think I can recreate anywhere else. The experience has been magical," Virat Kohli said in a video posted by RCB. After ending their IPL 2020 season in playoffs, RCB snapped the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian among others as they look to end their trophy drought in the cash-rich T20 tournament. "It feels surreal. Honestly, it doesn't feel like we went away for too long as there was a lot of cricket in between as well but yeah, very excited that we are playing in India again. ALSO READ: IPL 2021, MI vs RCB: Chepauk's pitch report, Chennai's weather prediction and venue stats - All you need to know "Although in a different way, in a different setting. I am very optimistic and yes I have a good feeling this time around," Virat Kohli said in a video posted by RCB," Virat Kohli had said while joining the RCB bio-bubble in Chennai. RCB take on MI in the first match of IPL 2021 in Chennai on Friday.

Experience has been magical: Virat Kohli talks about his bonding with RCB ahead of IPL 2021

<p class="MsoNormal">Former India captain Rahul Dravid has left everyone surprised with his new never-seen-before angry avatar including current Indian captain Virat Kohli. Featuring in an advertisement, Dravid can be seen getting angry at others from his car stuck in traffic. Dravid is seen even saying "Indiranagar ka gunda hun main" (I am an Indirinagar goon). <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Featuring in an ad for a Bengaluru-based credit card bill payment platform where actor Jim Sarbh is seen saying "it is like saying Rahul Dravid has anger issues" while referring to the benefits offered by the platform. Dravid then appears shouting at everyone and even breaking the side-mirror of a car standing next to him.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Commenting on the ad, India skipper Kohli wrote: "Never seen this side of Rahul bhai."</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/vvs-laxman-to-wion-ipl-biggest-game-changer-for-indian-cricket-376128" hreflang="en">VVS Laxman to WION: IPL biggest game-changer for Indian cricket</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Never seen this side of Rahul bhai 🤯🤣 <a href="https://t.co/4W93p0Gk7m">pic.twitter.com/4W93p0Gk7m</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1380451732690411521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Kohli gearing up for IPL 2021</h2>

<p>Meanwhile, Kohli will be seen in the opening match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for his side Royal Challengers Bangalore against defending champions Mumbai Indians in Chennai on Friday. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"I truly believe that we have to focus on our skills and our strengths as a side. Mumbai, obviously, is a champion team they know how to win this competition, we know the strength of their team so if focus too much on that then we are not gonna focus on what we can do.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-royal-challengers-bangalore-team-preview-can-captain-kohli-guide-rcb-to-maiden-trophy-375940" hreflang="en">IPL 2021, RCB - Team Preview: Can captain Kohli guide team to maiden trophy?</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"At the end of the day, you are playing cricket which is played on the day at the moment and you could be better than any other guy in the world at that moment," Kohli said in a video posted by the RCB on their official Twitter handle. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Coming up against Mumbai is always an exciting challenge. Last year, we had two exciting games and we won one and they won the second one which was obviously close and they came through because they have such a strong team. The first one was a cliff-hanger as well big scores and Super Over. We expect a great game to start off the IPL. I can't think of a more exciting or highly skilled intense game to start off the IPL," he added.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>


Former India captain Rahul Dravid has left everyone surprised with his new never-seen-before angry avatar including current Indian captain Virat Kohli. Featuring in an advertisement, Dravid can be seen getting angry at others from his car stuck in traffic.

Former India captain Rahul Dravid has left everyone surprised with his new never-seen-before angry avatar including current Indian captain Virat Kohli. Featuring in an advertisement, Dravid can be seen getting angry at others from his car stuck in traffic. Dravid is seen even saying "Indiranagar ka gunda hun main" (I am an Indirinagar goon). Featuring in an ad for a Bengaluru-based credit card bill payment platform where actor Jim Sarbh is seen saying "it is like saying Rahul Dravid has anger issues" while referring to the benefits offered by the platform. Dravid then appears shouting at everyone and even breaking the side-mirror of a car standing next to him. Commenting on the ad, India skipper Kohli wrote: "Never seen this side of Rahul bhai." ALSO READ: VVS Laxman to WION: IPL biggest game-changer for Indian cricket Never seen this side of Rahul bhai 🤯🤣 pic.twitter.com/4W93p0Gk7m — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) April 9, 2021 × Kohli gearing up for IPL 2021 Meanwhile, Kohli will be seen in the opening match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for his side Royal Challengers Bangalore against defending champions Mumbai Indians in Chennai on Friday. "I truly believe that we have to focus on our skills and our strengths as a side. Mumbai, obviously, is a champion team they know how to win this competition, we know the strength of their team so if focus too much on that then we are not gonna focus on what we can do. ALSO READ: IPL 2021, RCB - Team Preview: Can captain Kohli guide team to maiden trophy? "At the end of the day, you are playing cricket which is played on the day at the moment and you could be better than any other guy in the world at that moment," Kohli said in a video posted by the RCB on their official Twitter handle. "Coming up against Mumbai is always an exciting challenge. Last year, we had two exciting games and we won one and they won the second one which was obviously close and they came through because they have such a strong team. The first one was a cliff-hanger as well big scores and Super Over. We expect a great game to start off the IPL. I can't think of a more exciting or highly skilled intense game to start off the IPL," he added.

Watch: Rahul Dravid's 'angry' side leaves Virat Kohli in surprise

<p>Social media campaigns have&nbsp;already taken the internet by storm ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021&nbsp;and the cricketers are not untouched by the virality. All in good humour but especially players from overseas have not shied away from taunting legendary MS Dhoni and eccentric Shikhar Dhawan on social media. It just goes on to show that the coming two months of IPL 2021 will be filled with unlimited entertainment.</p>

<p>After Dream11 shared a video of the #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai campaign starring MS Dhoni who is seen bowling at a street cricket match and managing to dismiss his opponent, Ab de Villiers requested MSD to bowl and not keep. ‘Definitely prefer you bowling than keeping. New role?’ – a suggestion from a competitive standpoint from two&nbsp;wicketkeepers.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> Definitely prefer you bowling than keeping, new role? 😉 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamHaiTohMazaaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamHaiTohMazaaHai</a> <a href="https://t.co/QfblmD0YuQ">https://t.co/QfblmD0YuQ</a></p>
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17/status/1380049369567698944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Faf du Plessis, Dhoni’s CSK teammate reminds him of plans to go for bike rides on Mahi’s bike, We all know that MSD is a fan of bikes and has an awesome collection, Faf just wants to benefit as a teammate. &nbsp;- @msdhoni When are we taking your bikes out for a ride? You Promised We're a TEAM after all :P #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai #Whistlepodu</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-will-there-be-opening-ceremony-ahead-of-tournament-opener-all-you-need-to-know-376291" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: Will there be opening ceremony ahead of tournament opener? - All you need to know</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> When are we taking your bikes out for a ride? You Promised😀<br />
We're a TEAM afterall :P <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamHaiTohMazaaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamHaiTohMazaaHai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Whistlepodu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Whistlepodu</a> <a href="https://t.co/DFdHep5S3n">https://t.co/DFdHep5S3n</a></p>
— Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) <a href="https://twitter.com/faf1307/status/1380061438958444546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>In another video Shikhar Dhawan was seen making space to cricket on the terrace, he tagged his teammates Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin, Shreyas Iyer and Kagiso Rabada showcasing the importance of comradery as Delhi Capitals challenges for their first IPL trophy, he said Team hai toh zindagi hai. Aur jab saare dost ek saath ho, toh zindagi kamaal hai.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Team hai toh zindagi hai. Aur jab saare dost ek saath ho, toh zindagi kamaal hai. <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiCapitals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiCapitals</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RishabhPant17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RishabhPant17</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KagisoRabada25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KagisoRabada25</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashwinravi99</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShreyasIyer15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShreyasIyer15</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamHaiTohMazaaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamHaiTohMazaaHai</a> <a href="https://t.co/vnWwZzbVbO">https://t.co/vnWwZzbVbO</a></p>
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) <a href="https://twitter.com/SDhawan25/status/1380037693170708480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>In the tweet where Shikhar Dhawan tagged his teammates, Ben Stokes tweets ‘Great warm-up’. As Ben Stoke’s Rajasthan Royals looks eager to match up against Shikhar Dhawan's Delhi Capitals again, &nbsp;it is sure that Ben is genuinely challenging Shikhar for a matchup in the days to follow.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Great warm up <a href="https://twitter.com/SDhawan25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SDhawan25</a>! Let’s do this <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rajasthanroyals</a> 🙌🙌 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamHaiTohMazaaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamHaiTohMazaaHai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Dream11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dream11</a> <a href="https://t.co/BsmDLSSmGh">https://t.co/BsmDLSSmGh</a></p>
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/1380068040562335747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Jos Butler surely had a trick up his sleeve, he taunted Shikhar Dhawan when he was seen clearing his terrace of clothes, kept out to dry in order to play cricket with his friends to which the English gloveman poked - &nbsp;Didn't know you had such a massive wardrobe.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-what-is-new-what-has-changed-who-is-in-who-is-out-ten-things-different-this-time-376268" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: What is new, what has changed, who is in, who is out? Ten things different this time</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Didn't know you had such a massive wardrobe!!😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamHaiTohMazaaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamHaiTohMazaaHai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Dream11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dream11</a> <a href="https://t.co/o15SmhiwXC">https://t.co/o15SmhiwXC</a></p>
— Jos Buttler (@josbuttler) <a href="https://twitter.com/josbuttler/status/1380073817926737920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>As if the Englishmen were not enough, even compatriot Ashwin jibed at the southpaw to clear his terrace too - My terrace is great for building cricket too @SDhawan25, please help clear it!!&nbsp;. @DelhiCapitals @RishabhPant17 @ShreyasIyer15 &nbsp;#TeamHaiTohMazaaHai @dream11</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My terrace is great for building cricket too <a href="https://twitter.com/SDhawan25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SDhawan25</a> , please help clear it!!😁😁 . <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiCapitals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiCapitals</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RishabhPant17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RishabhPant17</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ShreyasIyer15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShreyasIyer15</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamHaiTohMazaaHai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamHaiTohMazaaHai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Dream11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dream11</a> <a href="https://t.co/R64zDdU8pM">https://t.co/R64zDdU8pM</a></p>
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1380080717116375042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Social media campaigns have already taken the internet by storm ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and the cricketers are not untouched by the virality.

Social media campaigns have already taken the internet by storm ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and the cricketers are not untouched by the virality. All in good humour but especially players from overseas have not shied away from taunting legendary MS Dhoni and eccentric Shikhar Dhawan on social media. It just goes on to show that the coming two months of IPL 2021 will be filled with unlimited entertainment. After Dream11 shared a video of the #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai campaign starring MS Dhoni who is seen bowling at a street cricket match and managing to dismiss his opponent, Ab de Villiers requested MSD to bowl and not keep. ‘Definitely prefer you bowling than keeping. New role?’ – a suggestion from a competitive standpoint from two wicketkeepers. @msdhoni Definitely prefer you bowling than keeping, new role? 😉 #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai https://t.co/QfblmD0YuQ — AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) April 8, 2021 × Faf du Plessis, Dhoni’s CSK teammate reminds him of plans to go for bike rides on Mahi’s bike, We all know that MSD is a fan of bikes and has an awesome collection, Faf just wants to benefit as a teammate. - @msdhoni When are we taking your bikes out for a ride? You Promised We're a TEAM after all :P #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai #Whistlepodu ALSO READ: IPL 2021: Will there be opening ceremony ahead of tournament opener? - All you need to know @msdhoni When are we taking your bikes out for a ride? You Promised😀 We're a TEAM afterall :P #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai #Whistlepodu https://t.co/DFdHep5S3n — Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) April 8, 2021 × In another video Shikhar Dhawan was seen making space to cricket on the terrace, he tagged his teammates Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin, Shreyas Iyer and Kagiso Rabada showcasing the importance of comradery as Delhi Capitals challenges for their first IPL trophy, he said Team hai toh zindagi hai. Aur jab saare dost ek saath ho, toh zindagi kamaal hai. Team hai toh zindagi hai. Aur jab saare dost ek saath ho, toh zindagi kamaal hai. @DelhiCapitals @RishabhPant17 @KagisoRabada25 @ashwinravi99 @ShreyasIyer15 #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai https://t.co/vnWwZzbVbO — Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) April 8, 2021 × In the tweet where Shikhar Dhawan tagged his teammates, Ben Stokes tweets ‘Great warm-up’. As Ben Stoke’s Rajasthan Royals looks eager to match up against Shikhar Dhawan's Delhi Capitals again, it is sure that Ben is genuinely challenging Shikhar for a matchup in the days to follow. Great warm up @SDhawan25! Let’s do this @rajasthanroyals 🙌🙌 #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai @Dream11 https://t.co/BsmDLSSmGh — Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) April 8, 2021 × Jos Butler surely had a trick up his sleeve, he taunted Shikhar Dhawan when he was seen clearing his terrace of clothes, kept out to dry in order to play cricket with his friends to which the English gloveman poked - Didn't know you had such a massive wardrobe. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: What is new, what has changed, who is in, who is out? Ten things different this time Didn't know you had such a massive wardrobe!!😂#TeamHaiTohMazaaHai @Dream11 https://t.co/o15SmhiwXC — Jos Buttler (@josbuttler) April 8, 2021 × As if the Englishmen were not enough, even compatriot Ashwin jibed at the southpaw to clear his terrace too - My terrace is great for building cricket too @SDhawan25, please help clear it!! . @DelhiCapitals @RishabhPant17 @ShreyasIyer15 #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai @dream11 My terrace is great for building cricket too @SDhawan25 , please help clear it!!😁😁 . @DelhiCapitals @RishabhPant17 @ShreyasIyer15 #TeamHaiTohMazaaHai @dream11 https://t.co/R64zDdU8pM — Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) April 8, 2021 ×

IPL 2021: Cricketers hit sixes at taking jibes at Dhoni and Dhawan's gully cricket

<p class="MsoNormal">Mumbai Indians head into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 as firm favourites to defend their title. Having won the IPL trophy a record five times, the Rohit Sharma-led outfit is looking stronger than ever and are likely to give major headaches to their opposition. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">After having a flawless IPL 2020, Mumbai Indians made slight changes to their squad in the auction table and bolstered it with the likes of James Neesham, Piyush Chawla, Adam Milne among others.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Mumbai Indians arguably have the most settled and power-packed squad among all IPL franchises. Their move to invest in the likes of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik and Krunal Pandya have worked wonders – which now makes their core team.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/anil-kumble-to-wion-selection-headache-a-good-thing-for-punjab-kings-375722" hreflang="en">Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The presence of Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard only make them a scarier side to compete against. Not to forget the young and flamboyant Ishan Kishan. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Bumrah’s link-up with Kiwi pacer Trent Boult not only give Mumbai Indians the needed experience with the ball but also provides them variety and a world-class skill-set. The prospects of Marco Jansen and Arjun Tendulkar will only excite the MI fans even more. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">In the spin department, Rahul Chahar will have Piyush Chawla to compete for a spot whereas Krunal Pandya would be the go-to option when it comes to left-arm spin.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Mumbai Indians are hot favourites to make it a hat-trick of IPL wins and there won’t be a single eyebrow raised if they go on to achieve the iconic feat.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-ms-dhoni-to-imran-tahir-five-oldest-players-in-ipl-2021-375933" hreflang="en">From MS Dhoni to Imran Tahir: Five oldest players in IPL 2021</a></strong></p>

<h2 class="MsoNormal"><strong>Mumbai Indians, IPL 2021 Squad</strong><o:p></o:p></h2>

<p class="MsoNormal">Rohit Sharma (c), Kieron Pollard, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar<o:p></o:p></p>


Mumbai Indians head into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 as firm favourites to defend their title. Having won the IPL trophy a record five times, the Rohit Sharma-led outfit is looking stronger than ever and are likely to give major headaches to their opposition.

Mumbai Indians head into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 as firm favourites to defend their title. Having won the IPL trophy a record five times, the Rohit Sharma-led outfit is looking stronger than ever and are likely to give major headaches to their opposition. After having a flawless IPL 2020, Mumbai Indians made slight changes to their squad in the auction table and bolstered it with the likes of James Neesham, Piyush Chawla, Adam Milne among others. Mumbai Indians arguably have the most settled and power-packed squad among all IPL franchises. Their move to invest in the likes of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik and Krunal Pandya have worked wonders – which now makes their core team. ALSO READ: Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings The presence of Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard only make them a scarier side to compete against. Not to forget the young and flamboyant Ishan Kishan. Bumrah’s link-up with Kiwi pacer Trent Boult not only give Mumbai Indians the needed experience with the ball but also provides them variety and a world-class skill-set. The prospects of Marco Jansen and Arjun Tendulkar will only excite the MI fans even more. In the spin department, Rahul Chahar will have Piyush Chawla to compete for a spot whereas Krunal Pandya would be the go-to option when it comes to left-arm spin. Mumbai Indians are hot favourites to make it a hat-trick of IPL wins and there won’t be a single eyebrow raised if they go on to achieve the iconic feat. IN PICS | From MS Dhoni to Imran Tahir: Five oldest players in IPL 2021 Mumbai Indians, IPL 2021 Squad Rohit Sharma (c), Kieron Pollard, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan, Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, James Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar

IPL 2021, Mumbai Indians - Team Preview: A dream hat-trick on cards for Rohit Sharma and Co.?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to commence from April 9 with the final of the mega T20 tournament scheduled to be played on May 30. The IPL 2021 season opener will be played between defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai after the BCCI made a few tweaks in the scheduling for IPL 2021.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to commence from April 9 with the final of the mega T20 tournament scheduled to be played on May 30. The IPL 2021 season opener will be played between defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai after the BCCI made a few tweaks in the scheduling for IPL 2021. In the 14th edition of IPL, each franchise will play at four venues during the league stage and all matches will be played at neutral venues and no team will play at their home venue. Out of the 56 league matches, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata & Bengaluru will host 10 matches each while Ahmedabad and Delhi will host 8 matches each. Ahead of IPL 2021, let us take a look at the team-wise complete fixture list of the 14th edition of the tournament: 🚨 BCCI announces schedule for VIVO IPL 2021 🚨 The season will kickstart on 9th April in Chennai and the final will take place on May 30th at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. More details here - https://t.co/yKxJujGGcD #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/qfaKS6prAJ — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 7, 2021 × ALSO READ: IPL 2021 schedule announced: Narendra Modi Stadium to host playoffs and final - check full fixtures Chennai Super Kings: IPL 2021 Full Fixture List 10-04 - CSK v DC, Mumbai, 7.30 pm 16-04 - Punjab Kings v CSK, Mumbai, 7.30 pm 19-04 - CSK vs Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai, 7.30 pm 21-04 - KKR vs CSK, Mumbai, 7.30 pm 25-04 - CSK vs Royal Challengers, Mumbai, 3.30 pm 28-04 - CSK vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi, 7.30 pm 01-05 - Mumbai Indians vs CSK, Delhi, 7.30 pm 05-05 - Rajasthan Royals vs CSK, Delhi, 7.30 pm 07-05 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs CSK, Delhi, 7.30 pm 09-05 - CSK vs Punjab Kings, Bangalore, 3.30 pm 12-05 - CSK vs KKR, Bangalore, 7.30 pm 16-05 - CSK vs Mumbai Indians, Bangalore, 7.30 pm 21-05 - Capitals vs CSK, Kolkata, 7.30 pm 23-05 - RCB vs CSK, Kolkata, 7.30 pm Delhi Capitals: IPL 2021 Full Fixture List 10-04 – Mumbai – CSK vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 15-04 – Mumbai – RR vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 18-04 – Mumbai – DC vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 20-04 – Chennai – DC vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 25-04 – Chennai – SRH vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 27-04 – Ahmedabad – DC vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 7.30 pm 29-04 – Ahmedabad – DC vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 02-05 – Ahmedabad – Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 08-05 – Ahmedabad – KKR vs Delhi Capitals, 3.30 pm 11-05 – Kolkata – Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 14-05 – Kolkata – RCB vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 17-05 – Kolkata – Delhi Capitals vs SRH, 7.30 pm 21-05 – Kolkata – Delhi Capitals vs CSK, 7.30 pm 23-05 – Kolkata – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, 3.30 pm. Rajasthan Royals: IPL 2021 Full Fixture List 12-04 – Mumbai – Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 15-04 – Mumbai – Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 19-04 – Mumbai – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 22-04 – Mumbai – RCB vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 24-04 – Mumbai – Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 29-04 – Delhi – Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, 3.30 pm 02-05 – Delhi – Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30 pm 05-05 – Delhi – Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, 7.30 pm 08-05 – Delhi – Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 11-05 – Kolkata – Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 13-05 – Kolkata – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 16-05 – Kolkata – Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3.30 pm 18-05 – Bangalore – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 22-05 – Bangalore – Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm. Kolkata Knight Riders: IPL 2021 Full Fixture List 11-04 – Chennai – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 13-04 – Chennai – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 18-04 – Chennai – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 3.30 pm 21-04 – Mumbai – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, 7.30 pm 24-04 – Mumbai – Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 26-04 – Ahmedabad – Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 29-04 – Ahmedabad – Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 03-05 – Ahmedabad – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 7.30 pm 08-05 – Ahmedabad – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals, 3.30 pm 10-05 – Bangalore – Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 12-05 – Bangalore – Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 15-05 – Bangalore – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 18-05 – Bangalore – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 21-05 – Bangalore – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30 pm. Royal Challengers Bangalore: IPL 2021 Full Fixture List 09-04 – Chennai – Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 7.30 pm 14-04 – Chennai – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs RCB, 7.30 pm 18-04 – Chennai – RCB vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 3.30 pm 22-04 – Mumbai – RCB vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 25-04 – Mumbai – CSK vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3.30 pm 27-04 – Ahmedabad – Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 7.30 pm 30-04 – Ahmedabad – Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 7.30 pm 03-05 – Ahmedabad – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 7.30 pm 06-05 – Ahmedabad – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 09-05 – Kolkata – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 7.30 pm 14-05 – Kolkata – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 16-05 – Kolkata – Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3.30 pm 20-05 – Kolkata – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 23-05 – Kolkata – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, 7.30 pm. Sunrisers Hyderabad: IPL 2021 Full Fixture List 11-04 – Chennai – SRH vs KKR, 7.30 pm 14-04 – Chennai – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs RCB, 7.30 pm 17-04 – Chennai – Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 7.30 pm 21-04 – Chennai – Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30 pm 25-04 – Chennai – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 28-04 – Delhi – Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 7.30 pm 02-05 – Delhi – Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30 pm 04-05 – Delhi – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 07-05 – Delhi – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings, 7.30 pm 09-05 – Kolkata – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 7.30 pm 13-05 – Kolkata – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm 17-05 – Kolkata – Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 7.30 pm 19-05 – Bangalore – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 21-05 – Bangalore – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30 pm. Mumbai Indians: IPL 2021 Full Fixture List 09-04 – Chennai – Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 7.30 pm 13-04 – Chennai – KKR vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 17-04 – Chennai – Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 7.30 pm 20-04 – Chennai – DC vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 23-04 – Chennai – Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 29-04 – Delhi - Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, 3.30 pm 01-05 – Delhi – Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, 7.30 pm 04-05 – Delhi – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 08-05 – Delhi – Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 10-05 – Bangalore – Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 7.30 pm 13-05 – Bangalore – Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, 3.30 pm 16-05 – Bangalore – Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 20-05 – Kolkata – RCB vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 23-05 – Kolkata – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, 3.30 pm Punjab Kings: IPL 2021 Full Fixture List 12-04 – Mumbai – RR vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 16-04 – Mumbai – Punjab Kings vs CSK, 7.30 pm 18-04 – Mumbai – DC vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 21-04 – Chennai – Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 3.30 pm 23-04 – Chennai – Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, 7.30 pm 26-04 – Ahmedabad – Punjab Kings vs KKR, 7.30 pm 30-04 – Ahmedabad – Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 7.30 pm 02-05 – Ahmedabad – Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, 7.30 pm 06-05 – Ahmedabad – RCB vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 9-05 – Bangalore – CSK vs Punjab Kings, 3.30 pm 13-05 – Bangalore – Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, 3.30 pm 15-05 – Bangalore – KKR vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 19-05 – Bangalore – SRH vs Punjab Kings, 7.30 pm 22-05 – Bangalore – Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 7.30 pm.

IPL 2021 Schedule: Team-wise full fixture list, date, time and venues

<p class="MsoNormal">Delhi Capitals are one of the franchises that are yet to win an Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. While they finished as the runners-up in IPL 2020 in the UAE, DC would be looking to go all the way in the 14<sup>th</sup> edition of IPL under the captaincy of young and exciting Rishabh Pant.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Shreyas Iyer’s injury comes as a massive blow to DC and with the regular skipper out for the season, Pant has been given the charge to lead an extremely strong squad on paper. While Iyer’s absence does shake up the team combination a bit, the Delhi outfit has a variety of skill-sets in their squad, well capable of filling Iyer’s boots. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan’s good run of form leading into the cash-rich tournament comes as a welcome sign for DC ahead of the tournament and fans would be hoping to see the duo go all guns blazing.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/riley-meredith-shahrukh-khan-surprise-packages-who-can-take-ipl-2021-by-storm-375897" hreflang="en">Surprise packages who can take IPL 2021 by storm</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Ajinkya Rahane is likely to bat at number three in Iyer’s absence and it could result in Steve Smith missing out from the playing XI for the majority part of the season. However, it would be tough for Ricky Ponting-coached outfit to bench quality player like Smith in every match. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The quality and exuberance of Shimron Hetmyer and an in-form Rishabh Pant would excite DC fans and the duo has all the abilities to win matches for their side single-handedly. Marcus Stoinis following Hetmyer and Pant makes the team balance even more lethal, something which was witnessed by all in IPL 2020.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">With Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra to follow, DC have the perfect mix and variety in the spin department. A left-arm spinner, off-spinner and wrist-spinner, DC have ticked all the boxes when it comes to spinning the web around the batters.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/list-of-five-major-records-rcb-captain-virat-kohli-can-break-in-ipl-2021-375916" hreflang="en">List of five major records RCB captain Virat Kohli can break in IPL 2021</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje was one of the key reasons behind DC’s success last season. Even though the South African pacers are likely to miss the opening match, they are expected to lead the pace bowling duties throughout the season.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Chris Woakes and Tom Curran provide options to strengthen the batting and bowling unit with their quality. Whereas Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are likely to battle for a single spot in the XI.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Overall, the Delhi Capitals look extremely well-balanced on paper and are expected to qualify for the playoffs. Anything less than that would be a major disappointment.<o:p></o:p></p>

<h2 class="MsoNormal">Delhi Capitals: Squad<o:p></o:p></h2>

<p class="MsoNormal">Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant (c &amp; wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings<o:p></o:p></p>


Delhi Capitals are one of the franchises that are yet to win an Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. While they finished as the runners-up in IPL 2020 in the UAE, DC would be looking to go all the way in the 14th edition of IPL under the captaincy of young and exciting Rishabh Pant.

Delhi Capitals are one of the franchises that are yet to win an Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. While they finished as the runners-up in IPL 2020 in the UAE, DC would be looking to go all the way in the 14th edition of IPL under the captaincy of young and exciting Rishabh Pant. Shreyas Iyer’s injury comes as a massive blow to DC and with the regular skipper out for the season, Pant has been given the charge to lead an extremely strong squad on paper. While Iyer’s absence does shake up the team combination a bit, the Delhi outfit has a variety of skill-sets in their squad, well capable of filling Iyer’s boots. Openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan’s good run of form leading into the cash-rich tournament comes as a welcome sign for DC ahead of the tournament and fans would be hoping to see the duo go all guns blazing. IN PICS | Surprise packages who can take IPL 2021 by storm Ajinkya Rahane is likely to bat at number three in Iyer’s absence and it could result in Steve Smith missing out from the playing XI for the majority part of the season. However, it would be tough for Ricky Ponting-coached outfit to bench quality player like Smith in every match. The quality and exuberance of Shimron Hetmyer and an in-form Rishabh Pant would excite DC fans and the duo has all the abilities to win matches for their side single-handedly. Marcus Stoinis following Hetmyer and Pant makes the team balance even more lethal, something which was witnessed by all in IPL 2020. With Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra to follow, DC have the perfect mix and variety in the spin department. A left-arm spinner, off-spinner and wrist-spinner, DC have ticked all the boxes when it comes to spinning the web around the batters. IN PICS | List of five major records RCB captain Virat Kohli can break in IPL 2021 The pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje was one of the key reasons behind DC’s success last season. Even though the South African pacers are likely to miss the opening match, they are expected to lead the pace bowling duties throughout the season. Chris Woakes and Tom Curran provide options to strengthen the batting and bowling unit with their quality. Whereas Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are likely to battle for a single spot in the XI. Overall, the Delhi Capitals look extremely well-balanced on paper and are expected to qualify for the playoffs. Anything less than that would be a major disappointment. Delhi Capitals: Squad Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

IPL 2021, Delhi Capitals - Team Preview: Can DC end trophy drought under Rishabh Pant's captaincy?

<p>‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle on Wednesday joined the Punjab Kings squad after finishing his mandatory seven-day quarantine ahead of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, starting April 9. The West Indies opener is one of the key players for the Punjab outfit and the KL Rahul-led outfit would be hoping for a fruitful season from the veteran.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Punjab Kings took to social media platform Twitter to post a video of Gayle while providing the update of him completing the quarantine ahead of the lucrative T20 tournament. In the video, Gayle is seen breakdancing on Michael Jackson’s famous song ‘Smooth Criminal’.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="in">Quarantine da khatam khel, bahar aa gaye tuhadde favourite - Chris Gayle 🕺🥰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/henrygayle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@henrygayle</a> <a href="https://t.co/rrDHPZ3lvQ">pic.twitter.com/rrDHPZ3lvQ</a></p>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1379749702610997253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Gayle has played as many as 132 IPL matches while scoring a staggering 4772 runs at a strike rate of 150.11. The left-handed batsman, who batted at number three for the Punjab franchise in IPL 2020, has amassed six centuries and 31 half-centuries in the tournament while blasting 349 sixes.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-waited-for-this-opportunity-shahrukh-khan-aims-to-make-it-big-for-punjab-kings-in-ipl-2021-374299">Exclusive: 'Waited for this opportunity' - Shahrukh Khan aims to make it big for Punjab Kings in IPL 2021</a></strong></p>

<p>Last season, Gayle missed the first half of IPL but came back strong in the second half wherein he scored 288 runs in seven matches at an average of 41.44.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Gayle is also set to face stiff competition from new recruits Dawid Malan, Moises Henriques, Fabian Allen for the overseas slot in the batting order.</p>

<p>Punjab Kings’ Head of Cricket Operations, Anil Kumble, in an exclusive interview with WION, talked about the selection headache as he explained how Punjab Kings planned for the auctions for the 14th edition of the tournament.</p>

<p>“What we needed was some experience in the all-round department, somebody who's played here before somebody who's been a part of winning teams. I mean, Moises brings that experience to the squad. Fabian, again is an exciting young all-rounder from West Indies, we all know, the power-hitting that they bring to the table and in this format, he's done exceptionally well is he's a young all-rounder. So it's nice to have him based on conditions obviously, you know, he's a very good left-hand spinner and then really hits the ball hard. And Dawid Malan brings experience and somebody who can sort of give support to the Indian batters that we have,” Kumble told WION.</p>

<p><strong>FULL INTERVIEW:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/anil-kumble-to-wion-selection-headache-a-good-thing-for-punjab-kings-375722">Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>“So we wanted a steady, someone who you can depend on. And then the firepower of Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen as a foreigner. Plus Moises and Dawid Malan sort of give you the comfort of you know them really free KL Rahul more so I think that's the kind of options that we wanted we're really glad that we got those. We also wanted a young Indian power-hitting batsman like a Shahrukh Khan. I'm really excited as he really hits the ball hard and it's good to have him as well in the squad. Like I mentioned it's all about having all bases covered and I think we have a pretty strong you know squat to choose from,” the former India captain and also the head of ICC’s Cricket Committee concluded.</p>

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<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/list-of-five-major-records-rcb-captain-virat-kohli-can-break-in-ipl-2021-375916" hreflang="en">List of five major records RCB captain Virat Kohli can break in IPL 2021</a></strong></p>

<p>Punjab Kings open their IPL 2021 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Monday (April 12) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle on Wednesday joined the Punjab Kings squad after finishing his mandatory seven-day quarantine ahead of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, starting April 9.

‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle on Wednesday joined the Punjab Kings squad after finishing his mandatory seven-day quarantine ahead of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, starting April 9. The West Indies opener is one of the key players for the Punjab outfit and the KL Rahul-led outfit would be hoping for a fruitful season from the veteran. Punjab Kings took to social media platform Twitter to post a video of Gayle while providing the update of him completing the quarantine ahead of the lucrative T20 tournament. In the video, Gayle is seen breakdancing on Michael Jackson’s famous song ‘Smooth Criminal’. Quarantine da khatam khel, bahar aa gaye tuhadde favourite - Chris Gayle 🕺🥰#IPL2021 #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings @henrygayle pic.twitter.com/rrDHPZ3lvQ — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 7, 2021 × Gayle has played as many as 132 IPL matches while scoring a staggering 4772 runs at a strike rate of 150.11. The left-handed batsman, who batted at number three for the Punjab franchise in IPL 2020, has amassed six centuries and 31 half-centuries in the tournament while blasting 349 sixes. ALSO READ: Exclusive: 'Waited for this opportunity' - Shahrukh Khan aims to make it big for Punjab Kings in IPL 2021 Last season, Gayle missed the first half of IPL but came back strong in the second half wherein he scored 288 runs in seven matches at an average of 41.44. Meanwhile, Gayle is also set to face stiff competition from new recruits Dawid Malan, Moises Henriques, Fabian Allen for the overseas slot in the batting order. Punjab Kings’ Head of Cricket Operations, Anil Kumble, in an exclusive interview with WION, talked about the selection headache as he explained how Punjab Kings planned for the auctions for the 14th edition of the tournament. “What we needed was some experience in the all-round department, somebody who's played here before somebody who's been a part of winning teams. I mean, Moises brings that experience to the squad. Fabian, again is an exciting young all-rounder from West Indies, we all know, the power-hitting that they bring to the table and in this format, he's done exceptionally well is he's a young all-rounder. So it's nice to have him based on conditions obviously, you know, he's a very good left-hand spinner and then really hits the ball hard. And Dawid Malan brings experience and somebody who can sort of give support to the Indian batters that we have,” Kumble told WION. FULL INTERVIEW: Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings “So we wanted a steady, someone who you can depend on. And then the firepower of Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen as a foreigner. Plus Moises and Dawid Malan sort of give you the comfort of you know them really free KL Rahul more so I think that's the kind of options that we wanted we're really glad that we got those. We also wanted a young Indian power-hitting batsman like a Shahrukh Khan. I'm really excited as he really hits the ball hard and it's good to have him as well in the squad. Like I mentioned it's all about having all bases covered and I think we have a pretty strong you know squat to choose from,” the former India captain and also the head of ICC’s Cricket Committee concluded. × IN PICS | List of five major records RCB captain Virat Kohli can break in IPL 2021 Punjab Kings open their IPL 2021 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Monday (April 12) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Watch: Punjab Kings' Chris Gayle dances out of quarantine ahead of IPL 2021

<p class="MsoNormal">The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to host its seventh Apex Council meeting on April 16. The major points on the agenda for the Apex Council meeting are the ICC T20 World Cup in India, the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, FTP for international women’s cricket, domestic season among others. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">There are as many as 14 discussions points on the agenda for the seventh Apex Council ‘special meeting’. Besides the mentioned points, discussions on Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association and representation by Telangana Cricket Association and appointment of support staff for women’s team. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Notice is hereby given that the 7th Apex Council Meeting (Special Meeting) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India ("BCCI) will be held on the 16th of April, 2021," read the letter from BCCI secretary Jay Shah to the members, accessed by WION.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-has-back-up-plans-for-t20-world-cup-in-india-interim-ceo-geoff-allardice-375878" hreflang="en">ICC has back-up plans for T20 World Cup in India: Interim CEO Geoff Allardice</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Moreover, Bihar Cricket Association’s (BCA) organization of a T20 league despite BCCI’s warning is also to be discussed in the Apex Council meeting. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Women’s cricket in India has been a topic of debate among cricket fans. While there’s no clarity about international women’s FTP, the BCCI will also hold talks around the matter while also discussing the appointment of support staff for the Indian women’s cricket team.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-srh-pacer-t-natarajan-reveals-precious-ms-dhoni-advice-from-last-season-375883" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: SRH pacer T Natarajan reveals precious MS Dhoni advice from last season</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Furthermore, talks surrounding the affiliation of the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) will also take place. An update on NCA RFP, IPL digital RFP will also be provided in the Apex Council meeting, set to be held on April 16.<o:p></o:p></p>


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to host its seventh Apex Council meeting on April 16. The major points on the agenda for the Apex Council meeting are the ICC T20 World Cup in India, the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, FTP for international women’s cricket, domestic season among others.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to host its seventh Apex Council meeting on April 16. The major points on the agenda for the Apex Council meeting are the ICC T20 World Cup in India, the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, FTP for international women’s cricket, domestic season among others. There are as many as 14 discussions points on the agenda for the seventh Apex Council ‘special meeting’. Besides the mentioned points, discussions on Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association and representation by Telangana Cricket Association and appointment of support staff for women’s team. "Notice is hereby given that the 7th Apex Council Meeting (Special Meeting) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India ("BCCI) will be held on the 16th of April, 2021," read the letter from BCCI secretary Jay Shah to the members, accessed by WION. ALSO READ: ICC has back-up plans for T20 World Cup in India: Interim CEO Geoff Allardice Moreover, Bihar Cricket Association’s (BCA) organization of a T20 league despite BCCI’s warning is also to be discussed in the Apex Council meeting. Women’s cricket in India has been a topic of debate among cricket fans. While there’s no clarity about international women’s FTP, the BCCI will also hold talks around the matter while also discussing the appointment of support staff for the Indian women’s cricket team. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: SRH pacer T Natarajan reveals precious MS Dhoni advice from last season Furthermore, talks surrounding the affiliation of the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) will also take place. An update on NCA RFP, IPL digital RFP will also be provided in the Apex Council meeting, set to be held on April 16.

BCCI Apex Council meeting on April 16 with T20 WC, women's cricket FTP, 2028 Olympics on agenda

<p>Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19, days ahead of the start of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While Sams tested positive for the dreaded virus, opener Devdutt Padikkal returned negative and has joined the squad.</p>

<p>According to a statement by RCB, the Australian all-rounder arrived in India on April 3 and had a negative COVID-19 test report at that time. Sams’ report on April 7 came positive and the RCB player is currently in isolation at a medical facility.</p>

<p>“Daniel Sams checked into the team hotel in Chennai on April 3rd, with a negative COVID report on arrival. His report from the 2nd test on 7th April came positive. Sams is currently asymptomatic and he is currently in isolation at a designated medical facility,” RCB said in a statement.</p>

<p>“Royal Challengers Bangalore medical team is in constant touch with Daniel Sams and continue to monitor his health and abide by the BCCI protocols."</p>

<p>Sams was traded to RCB this season from his previous franchise Delhi Capitals. The 28-year-old became the second player from the Bengaluru franchise to test positive after Padikkal.</p>

<p>"Devdutt Padikkal, has joined the team on 7th April 2021 with negative reports for Covid-19 as per BCCI protocols. RCB medical team was in constant touch with Devdutt to ensure his safety and well-being," the franchise stated in a separate release.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bold Diaries: Devdutt Padikkal joins the RCB camp after testing negative for COVID-19. He’s healthy, feeling better and raring to go. Here’s a message to all RCB fans from Devdutt.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBold</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreChallengers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreChallengers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> <a href="https://t.co/BtVszNABJW">pic.twitter.com/BtVszNABJW</a></p>
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets/status/1379667755482243073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>While Sams has played only three IPL matches with his tournament debut coming for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020.</p>

<p>The 14th edition of IPL has been hit hard by COVID-19 with a number of groundstaff at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, broadcast crew event management officials and a few cricketers including the likes of Axar Patel, Nitish Rana testing positive for the dreaded virus early.</p>

<p>IPL 2021 is set to start from April 9, behind closed doors in India.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>


Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19, days ahead of the start of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19, days ahead of the start of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While Sams tested positive for the dreaded virus, opener Devdutt Padikkal returned negative and has joined the squad. According to a statement by RCB, the Australian all-rounder arrived in India on April 3 and had a negative COVID-19 test report at that time. Sams’ report on April 7 came positive and the RCB player is currently in isolation at a medical facility. “Daniel Sams checked into the team hotel in Chennai on April 3rd, with a negative COVID report on arrival. His report from the 2nd test on 7th April came positive. Sams is currently asymptomatic and he is currently in isolation at a designated medical facility,” RCB said in a statement. “Royal Challengers Bangalore medical team is in constant touch with Daniel Sams and continue to monitor his health and abide by the BCCI protocols." Sams was traded to RCB this season from his previous franchise Delhi Capitals. The 28-year-old became the second player from the Bengaluru franchise to test positive after Padikkal. "Devdutt Padikkal, has joined the team on 7th April 2021 with negative reports for Covid-19 as per BCCI protocols. RCB medical team was in constant touch with Devdutt to ensure his safety and well-being," the franchise stated in a separate release. Bold Diaries: Devdutt Padikkal joins the RCB camp after testing negative for COVID-19. He’s healthy, feeling better and raring to go. Here’s a message to all RCB fans from Devdutt.#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/BtVszNABJW — Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 7, 2021 × While Sams has played only three IPL matches with his tournament debut coming for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2020. The 14th edition of IPL has been hit hard by COVID-19 with a number of groundstaff at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, broadcast crew event management officials and a few cricketers including the likes of Axar Patel, Nitish Rana testing positive for the dreaded virus early. IPL 2021 is set to start from April 9, behind closed doors in India.

IPL 2021: RCB all-rounder tests positive for COVID-19, Devdutt Padikkal joins squad

<p class="MsoNormal">Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Team India pacer T Natarajan has recalled MS Dhoni’s advice to him about managing his fitness and bowling variations and revealed how the tips from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain helped him grow in his career.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Dhoni was one of Natarjan’s 16 wickets in IPL 2020 in what was a breakthrough season for the left-arm pacer. Natarajan further talked about why he didn’t celebrate after dismissing India’s most iconic captain in IPL 2020.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“I pitched one in the slot and he hit me for a big six — 102 metres or something,” Natarajan told ESPNCricinfo, referring to the match between SRH and CSK on October 13.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“The next ball I got his wicket (and didn’t celebrate) — I was just thinking about that previous ball. After coming back to the dressing room, though, I was happy,” he further said.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-has-back-up-plans-for-t20-world-cup-in-india-interim-ceo-geoff-allardice-375878" hreflang="en">ICC has back-up plans for T20 World Cup in India: Interim CEO Geoff Allardice</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DidYouKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DidYouKnow</a>: It was <a href="https://twitter.com/Natarajan_91?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Natarajan_91</a>'s<br />
dream to get Dhoni's wicket!<br />
<br />
And he fulfilled it yesterday! Way to go, Nattu! 👏🏻👏🏻<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OrangeArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OrangeArmy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeepRising?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KeepRising</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/4piXkdIuuG">pic.twitter.com/4piXkdIuuG</a></p>
— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers/status/1316401103961907202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The left-arm pacer, who went on to make his India debut across formats after IPL 2020, revealed what Dhoni told him after the match.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">“After finishing the match, I also had a chat with him. Speaking to somebody like Dhoni itself is a big thing. He spoke to me about fitness and encouraged me, saying that I will keep getting better with experience. He said, use slow bouncers, cutters, and variations like that. It has been useful for me,” he said.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Monday paved the way for IPL 2021 in the COVID-19-ravaged Mumbai as they gave green signals to the franchises to practice post 8pm and travel back to their respective hotels amid night curfew.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/overseas-players-give-up-on-mental-health-sourav-ganguly-says-indians-more-tolerant-in-bubble-life-375857" hreflang="en">Overseas players 'give up on mental health,' Sourav Ganguly says Indians more tolerant in bubble life</a></strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Due to the massive surge of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai and Maharashtra, the state government on Sunday announced “Break the Chain”, under which section 144 and night-curfew from 8pm to 7am on weekdays has been imposed on entire Maharashtra, including Mumbai.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal">IPL 2021 is set to kick-start from April 9.<br />
<o:p></o:p></p>


Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Team India pacer T Natarajan has recalled MS Dhoni’s advice to him about managing his fitness and bowling variations and revealed how the tips from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain helped him grow in his career.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Team India pacer T Natarajan has recalled MS Dhoni’s advice to him about managing his fitness and bowling variations and revealed how the tips from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain helped him grow in his career. Dhoni was one of Natarjan’s 16 wickets in IPL 2020 in what was a breakthrough season for the left-arm pacer. Natarajan further talked about why he didn’t celebrate after dismissing India’s most iconic captain in IPL 2020. “I pitched one in the slot and he hit me for a big six — 102 metres or something,” Natarajan told ESPNCricinfo, referring to the match between SRH and CSK on October 13. “The next ball I got his wicket (and didn’t celebrate) — I was just thinking about that previous ball. After coming back to the dressing room, though, I was happy,” he further said. ALSO READ: ICC has back-up plans for T20 World Cup in India: Interim CEO Geoff Allardice #DidYouKnow: It was @Natarajan_91's dream to get Dhoni's wicket! And he fulfilled it yesterday! Way to go, Nattu! 👏🏻👏🏻#OrangeArmy #KeepRising #IPL2020 pic.twitter.com/4piXkdIuuG — SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) October 14, 2020 × The left-arm pacer, who went on to make his India debut across formats after IPL 2020, revealed what Dhoni told him after the match. “After finishing the match, I also had a chat with him. Speaking to somebody like Dhoni itself is a big thing. He spoke to me about fitness and encouraged me, saying that I will keep getting better with experience. He said, use slow bouncers, cutters, and variations like that. It has been useful for me,” he said. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Monday paved the way for IPL 2021 in the COVID-19-ravaged Mumbai as they gave green signals to the franchises to practice post 8pm and travel back to their respective hotels amid night curfew. ALSO READ: Overseas players 'give up on mental health,' Sourav Ganguly says Indians more tolerant in bubble life × Due to the massive surge of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai and Maharashtra, the state government on Sunday announced “Break the Chain”, under which section 144 and night-curfew from 8pm to 7am on weekdays has been imposed on entire Maharashtra, including Mumbai. IPL 2021 is set to kick-start from April 9.

IPL 2021: SRH pacer T Natarajan reveals precious MS Dhoni advice from last season

<p>The rebranded Punjab Kings went to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction with the biggest purse and signed up some of the biggest names in the world of T20 cricket. With a well-settled squad and much-needed firepower at their helm, Punjab Kings would be looking to end their trophy drought and lift the coveted trophy in the 14th edition of the tournament, starting April 9.</p>

<p>In an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, Anil Kumble, Director of Cricket Operations at Punjab Kings and the Chairman of ICC’s Cricket Committee, talked about the Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2021, auction plans, signing big-name players such as Dawid Malan and Jhye Richardson, bio-secure bubble and much more.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League will be held just within six months of the previous edition of the lucrative T20 tournament, which was held in the UAE. With the players and coaching staff coming together after a brief gap, Kumble feels it has given a sense of continuity when it comes to team bonding and chemistry within the squad.</p>

<p>“Yes, it does give you some sort of continuity. As you're aware, last year was the first time that I got involved with this team. And, the entire support staff was new, the captain was new. I thought we had a really good campaign. Unfortunately, the points table doesn't reflect that. But, you know, we sort of did really well as a unit. And to have this competition again, within a span of six months, it doesn't seem like we've been away from each other. So when I met, players who sort of came from last year to this year, the retained players, it felt as though we had not left the bubble at all,” Kumble, who has a staggering 619 Test wickets for India, told WION in an exclusive interview.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/anilkumble1074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anilkumble1074</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/mayankcricket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mayankcricket</a>: Thinking about hitting another 💯 vs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RR</a>? 😉<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://t.co/7F6FNCCRq0">pic.twitter.com/7F6FNCCRq0</a></p>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1379343121218166784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bio-secure bubbles have become a crucial part of an athlete’s life since the COVID-19 pandemic left the entire world stunned. With rising cases of COVID-19 across the nation, bio-bubbles will play a crucial role in ensuring IPL 2021 is conducted without any hitch. Kumble explained the experience of being in the bio-bubble for previous edition of IPL while revealing Punjab Kings have appointed a sports psychologist while keeping the mental well-being of everyone associated with the franchise in mind.</p>

<p>“See, for the first time, we sort of got into a bubble last year, for the first time in the IPL for everyone, it was the first time it was very different last year, because as you're aware, you know, for six months, nobody had sort of done anything. They were at home locked down, with no access to facilities, no access to training.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“So when we started last year, it was new to all of us. So we had to tread really, really carefully in terms of understanding what it takes to be a part of this. And, and I think, there were a lot of learnings from, from the experience that we had last year, and of course, from there on, you know, for me, this is a second bubble, but then the players have been in multiple other bubbles, whether it has been their international commitments or domestic commitments. So the players are used to it,” Kumble said.</p>

<p>“But having said that, what we have done as a leadership unit, as this year is to engage with a sports psychologist who's a part of our squad, and over the last two weeks that we've been a part of this bubble. The first week, of course, we were in quarantine, in isolation in our respective rooms, and post that we've been on the ground. So it's been a great help interacting with him, having a few team chats, and also individually connecting with him. So it's wonderful to have that experience and the expertise within the group. So that is something that we wanted to address. And I'm glad that we have, we have a professional on board,” India’s highest Test wicket-taker added.</p>

<p><img alt="Kumble" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c65bc37c-8afb-4880-b9d4-3f1d21cc3d04" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Kumble-2_1.JPG" /></p>

<p>Punjab Kings roped in the likes of Dawid Malan (INR 1.5 crore), Jhye Richardson (INR 14 crore), Riley Meredith (INR 8 crore), Moises Henriques (INR 4.2 crore), Jalaj Saxena (INR 30 lakh), Shahrukh Khan (INR 5.25 crore), Utkarsh Singh (INR 20 lakh), Saurabh Kumar (INR 20 lakh) in the IPL 2021 auction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The KL Rahul-led outfit snapped the world’s number one T20I batsman – Malan – for his base price while also spending big on the likes of Jhye, Allen and Meredith.</p>

<p>So what was Punjab Kings’ plan ahead of the IPL 2021 auction?</p>

<p>“The idea was to, of course, fill the gaps that we require. But at the same time, make sure that we have enough experience with the batting, plus some firepower in the bowling and make sure that we have some young, exciting talent who are extractors who could be game-changers. And that's something that we wanted to focus on,” Kumble explained.</p>

<p>“So I think overall, you pick a squad, not worrying too much about where you're going to play. You want them to adapt to any condition. And that's the kind of squad that you want to choose from. And we are happy with the existing squad and I'm really happy with the way things have come along so far.</p>

<p>“What we needed was some experience in the all-round department, somebody who's played here before somebody who's been a part of winning teams. I mean, Moises brings that experience to the squad. Fabian, again is an exciting young all-rounder from West Indies, we all know, the power-hitting that they bring to the table and in this format, he's done exceptionally well is he's a young all-rounder. So it's nice to have him based on conditions obviously, you know, he's a very good left-hand spinner and then really hits the ball hard. And Dawid Malan brings experience and somebody who can sort of giving support to the Indian batters that we have,” Kumble elaborated.</p>

<p><img alt="Kumble" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dbd45973-3587-4748-961e-0ec78d9e3ca0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Kumble-3_0.JPG" /></p>

<p>“So we wanted a steady, someone who you can depend on. And then the firepower of Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen as a foreigner.</p>

<p>“For us, plus Moises and Dawid Malan sort of give you the comfort of freeing&nbsp;KL Rahul more so I think that's the kind of options that we wanted we're really glad that we got those. We also wanted a young Indian power-hitting batsman like a Shahrukh Khan, I'm really excited as he really hits the ball hard and we wanted to look at that it's good to have him as well in the squad. Like I mentioned it's all about having all bases covered and I think we have a pretty strong you know squad&nbsp;to choose from,” he added.</p>

<p>In IPL 2020, Punjab Kings – then Kings XI Punjab – played some exciting cricket. While a couple of Super Overs, umpiring calls, and close matches, went against the outfit they caught the eyeballs with an impressive winning run in the later phase of the tournament. They had finished sixth after winning six matches and losing 8 out of their 14 games in the tournament.</p>

<p>With IPL 2021 being held in India but with a catch – no teams would be playing in their home stadium. The new regularities do bring new challenges into the scene but Kumble reckons players’ experience in playing in different conditions will come into play while adding the upcoming edition of the T20 tournament will also produce close matches considering every team is equally balanced on paper.</p>

<p><img alt="Kumble" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e1521e6-871a-424a-9bb6-730b982ede8b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Kumble-1_1.JPG" /></p>

<p>“Last year, I thought we really had a good squad we started off really well. We were a bit unlucky in some of the matches with the kind of cricket we played. I didn't I didn't mean the points table. But then I thought the kind of cricket that we played at the beginning of the IPL was really solid.</p>

<p>“Unfortunately, the results didn't go away a couple of close calls, Super Overs. I mean, I thought we were the most exciting team in the IPL because we played a lot more Super Overs and created that kind of an environment, you know, close finishes. So, yes, as you said, we came really, really close. And I was really proud of the team with the way we bounced back after six losses, you know, one out of seven and then to win five in a row. And yes, we sort of fell short towards the end. But that's the IPL. But we are really proud of the way we played, we were that close to qualifying and we believe that all matches are going to be tough. All the teams are equally balanced,” Kumble said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The mains had their 👀 glued on the practice match today 👌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/anilkumble1074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anilkumble1074</a> <a href="https://t.co/GACe5zGESS">pic.twitter.com/GACe5zGESS</a></p>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1378701680749895681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>“And as you said, the conditions are going to be fine. You can say neutral. But you know more. I think most of the players have played in all these venues. The four venues that we are going to play in, in all the players have played there. We know the conditions. So yes, you can call the neutral. But yeah, the conditions are probably the same for football teams. So all the players understand that,” he concluded.</p>

<p>Punjab Kings start their IPL 2021 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on April 12 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:'yes';font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:'Times New Roman';
font-size:11.0000pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>


The rebranded Punjab Kings went to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction with the biggest purse and signed up some of the biggest names in the world of T20 cricket.

The rebranded Punjab Kings went to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction with the biggest purse and signed up some of the biggest names in the world of T20 cricket. With a well-settled squad and much-needed firepower at their helm, Punjab Kings would be looking to end their trophy drought and lift the coveted trophy in the 14th edition of the tournament, starting April 9. In an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, Anil Kumble, Director of Cricket Operations at Punjab Kings and the Chairman of ICC’s Cricket Committee, talked about the Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2021, auction plans, signing big-name players such as Dawid Malan and Jhye Richardson, bio-secure bubble and much more. × The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League will be held just within six months of the previous edition of the lucrative T20 tournament, which was held in the UAE. With the players and coaching staff coming together after a brief gap, Kumble feels it has given a sense of continuity when it comes to team bonding and chemistry within the squad. “Yes, it does give you some sort of continuity. As you're aware, last year was the first time that I got involved with this team. And, the entire support staff was new, the captain was new. I thought we had a really good campaign. Unfortunately, the points table doesn't reflect that. But, you know, we sort of did really well as a unit. And to have this competition again, within a span of six months, it doesn't seem like we've been away from each other. So when I met, players who sort of came from last year to this year, the retained players, it felt as though we had not left the bubble at all,” Kumble, who has a staggering 619 Test wickets for India, told WION in an exclusive interview. .@anilkumble1074 to @mayankcricket: Thinking about hitting another 💯 vs #RR? 😉#SaddaPunjab #IPL2021 #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/7F6FNCCRq0 — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 6, 2021 × Bio-secure bubbles have become a crucial part of an athlete’s life since the COVID-19 pandemic left the entire world stunned. With rising cases of COVID-19 across the nation, bio-bubbles will play a crucial role in ensuring IPL 2021 is conducted without any hitch. Kumble explained the experience of being in the bio-bubble for previous edition of IPL while revealing Punjab Kings have appointed a sports psychologist while keeping the mental well-being of everyone associated with the franchise in mind. “See, for the first time, we sort of got into a bubble last year, for the first time in the IPL for everyone, it was the first time it was very different last year, because as you're aware, you know, for six months, nobody had sort of done anything. They were at home locked down, with no access to facilities, no access to training. “So when we started last year, it was new to all of us. So we had to tread really, really carefully in terms of understanding what it takes to be a part of this. And, and I think, there were a lot of learnings from, from the experience that we had last year, and of course, from there on, you know, for me, this is a second bubble, but then the players have been in multiple other bubbles, whether it has been their international commitments or domestic commitments. So the players are used to it,” Kumble said. “But having said that, what we have done as a leadership unit, as this year is to engage with a sports psychologist who's a part of our squad, and over the last two weeks that we've been a part of this bubble. The first week, of course, we were in quarantine, in isolation in our respective rooms, and post that we've been on the ground. So it's been a great help interacting with him, having a few team chats, and also individually connecting with him. So it's wonderful to have that experience and the expertise within the group. So that is something that we wanted to address. And I'm glad that we have, we have a professional on board,” India’s highest Test wicket-taker added. Punjab Kings roped in the likes of Dawid Malan (INR 1.5 crore), Jhye Richardson (INR 14 crore), Riley Meredith (INR 8 crore), Moises Henriques (INR 4.2 crore), Jalaj Saxena (INR 30 lakh), Shahrukh Khan (INR 5.25 crore), Utkarsh Singh (INR 20 lakh), Saurabh Kumar (INR 20 lakh) in the IPL 2021 auction. The KL Rahul-led outfit snapped the world’s number one T20I batsman – Malan – for his base price while also spending big on the likes of Jhye, Allen and Meredith. So what was Punjab Kings’ plan ahead of the IPL 2021 auction? “The idea was to, of course, fill the gaps that we require. But at the same time, make sure that we have enough experience with the batting, plus some firepower in the bowling and make sure that we have some young, exciting talent who are extractors who could be game-changers. And that's something that we wanted to focus on,” Kumble explained. “So I think overall, you pick a squad, not worrying too much about where you're going to play. You want them to adapt to any condition. And that's the kind of squad that you want to choose from. And we are happy with the existing squad and I'm really happy with the way things have come along so far. “What we needed was some experience in the all-round department, somebody who's played here before somebody who's been a part of winning teams. I mean, Moises brings that experience to the squad. Fabian, again is an exciting young all-rounder from West Indies, we all know, the power-hitting that they bring to the table and in this format, he's done exceptionally well is he's a young all-rounder. So it's nice to have him based on conditions obviously, you know, he's a very good left-hand spinner and then really hits the ball hard. And Dawid Malan brings experience and somebody who can sort of giving support to the Indian batters that we have,” Kumble elaborated. “So we wanted a steady, someone who you can depend on. And then the firepower of Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen as a foreigner. “For us, plus Moises and Dawid Malan sort of give you the comfort of freeing KL Rahul more so I think that's the kind of options that we wanted we're really glad that we got those. We also wanted a young Indian power-hitting batsman like a Shahrukh Khan, I'm really excited as he really hits the ball hard and we wanted to look at that it's good to have him as well in the squad. Like I mentioned it's all about having all bases covered and I think we have a pretty strong you know squad to choose from,” he added. In IPL 2020, Punjab Kings – then Kings XI Punjab – played some exciting cricket. While a couple of Super Overs, umpiring calls, and close matches, went against the outfit they caught the eyeballs with an impressive winning run in the later phase of the tournament. They had finished sixth after winning six matches and losing 8 out of their 14 games in the tournament. With IPL 2021 being held in India but with a catch – no teams would be playing in their home stadium. The new regularities do bring new challenges into the scene but Kumble reckons players’ experience in playing in different conditions will come into play while adding the upcoming edition of the T20 tournament will also produce close matches considering every team is equally balanced on paper. “Last year, I thought we really had a good squad we started off really well. We were a bit unlucky in some of the matches with the kind of cricket we played. I didn't I didn't mean the points table. But then I thought the kind of cricket that we played at the beginning of the IPL was really solid. “Unfortunately, the results didn't go away a couple of close calls, Super Overs. I mean, I thought we were the most exciting team in the IPL because we played a lot more Super Overs and created that kind of an environment, you know, close finishes. So, yes, as you said, we came really, really close. And I was really proud of the team with the way we bounced back after six losses, you know, one out of seven and then to win five in a row. And yes, we sort of fell short towards the end. But that's the IPL. But we are really proud of the way we played, we were that close to qualifying and we believe that all matches are going to be tough. All the teams are equally balanced,” Kumble said. The mains had their 👀 glued on the practice match today 👌#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #IPL2021 @anilkumble1074 pic.twitter.com/GACe5zGESS — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 4, 2021 × “And as you said, the conditions are going to be fine. You can say neutral. But you know more. I think most of the players have played in all these venues. The four venues that we are going to play in, in all the players have played there. We know the conditions. So yes, you can call the neutral. But yeah, the conditions are probably the same for football teams. So all the players understand that,” he concluded. Punjab Kings start their IPL 2021 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on April 12 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Anil Kumble to WION: With new additions, Punjab Kings got all bases covered at auction

<p>Punjab Kings have been eyeing the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy for long&nbsp;and with an eye to end the title jinx, the rebranded outfit would be heading into the 14th edition of the tournament after strengthening the squad at the auction table. With new additions in the team with the likes of Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Shahrukh Khan among others, Punjab Kings are looking at a selection headache for the upcoming edition of the lucrative T20 tournament.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anil Kumble, the Director of Cricket Operations at Punjab Kings, in an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, talked about the selection headache for the KL Rahul-led outfit while also sharing the plans for the auction.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Punjab Kings signed a few big-name players in the world of T20 cricket during the 2021 auction. While they got the world’s number one T20I batsman Dawid Malan, surprisingly, for his base price, they broke the bank for the Australian troika of Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith and Moises Henriques. Additionally, they capped an impressive auction by signing some eye-catching domestic talents in the likes of Jalaj Saxena, Shahrukh Khan, Utkarsh Singh and Saurabh Kumar.</p>

<p>“I think people sort of tend to discuss the actual money spent on a particular player, whether that particular player is actually that valuable. I think in the overall scheme of things like I mentioned, it was a small auction, where the interest on one particular player or two particular players would be, you know, more than two or three franchises wanting that particular player. So, as I mentioned, we wanted to create some sort of options for us to have the firepower and some pace,” Kumble told WION in an exclusive interview.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“And that's why we looked at Riley Meredith. And we believe that somebody of his pace, raw pace, as somebody who can ball that consistently more than 145 kilometres per hour, we felt that that's something that we wanted as an option.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Kumble" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0b413d7-0572-4b8c-8d18-a69e6666b9d7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Kumble-2_2.JPG" /></p>

<p>“Yes, you know, when you look at the money spent, you sort of think, ‘Oh, no, he hasn't played for Australia’ (at that point in time). Why are they spending so much as I mentioned in a small auction, it's very difficult to gauge the actual value that goes into picking a player, Jhye Richardson, we felt that, he could obviously support Mohammed Shami, our lead bowler, and if you can get someone bowling in difficult periods, like the powerplay, middle overs, and he's useful with the bat as well.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“See, sometimes you sort of pick players from the auction looking at this year. But you may also want to keep your mind for the following year, as well. We don't know what the rules are going to be. I think it's important to keep that kind of a vision for the future as well. So we felt Jhye, with his ability to swing the ball at pace, will be able to pick up wickets in the powerplay and of course at the dead, so those two will certainly add a lot of value to the already, you know, good base attack that we have and the experience of Shami and Chris Jordan, along with all the Indian youngsters who have done exceptionally well in domestic cricket,” he added.</p>

<p>“Last year, Arshdeep was really good for us. Ishan Porel and Darshan Nalkande have been really good at the domestic level. So we believe that we have a good bowling unit that we can sort of rotate and make sure that there are no skills we lack you know.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Jitthe machaaenge sadde Kings dhoom, ae hain unha da 😍 team room 💥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaddaPunjab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaddaPunjab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PunjabKings?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PunjabKings</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> <a href="https://t.co/FPYn9U2Pcu">pic.twitter.com/FPYn9U2Pcu</a></p>
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PunjabKingsIPL/status/1378304846487490562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The new additions to the squad bring a fresh selection headache for Kumble and Co. in the IPL 2021 auction. With different venues to play the tournament in India, Punjab Kings would be looking to utilize their bench strength and maximize the skills of the players.</p>

<p>“Yeah, it is. It's a good thing to have (selection headache), as I said, Digvijay, it's all about having your options, not necessary that all of them will play all the matches. You know, it's very difficult to have that.</p>

<p>“What we needed was some experience in the all-round department, somebody who's played here before somebody who's been a part of winning teams. I mean, Moises brings that experience to the squad. Fabian, again is an exciting young all-rounder from West Indies, we all know, the power-hitting that they bring to the table and in this format, he's done exceptionally well is he's a young all-rounder. So it's nice to have him based on conditions obviously, you know, he's a very good left-hand spinner and then really hits the ball hard. And Dawid Malan brings experience and somebody who can sort of give support to the Indian batters that we have,” Kumble said.</p>

<p>“So we wanted a steady, someone who you can depend on. And then the firepower of Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen as a foreigner. Plus Moises and Dawid Malan sort of give you the comfort of you know them really free KL Rahul more so I think that's the kind of options that we wanted we're really glad that we got those. We also wanted a young Indian power-hitting batsman like a Shahrukh Khan. I'm really excited as he really hits the ball hard and it's good to have him as well in the squad. Like I mentioned it's all about having all bases covered and I think we have a pretty strong you know squat to choose from,” the former India captain and also the head of ICC’s Cricket Committee concluded.</p>

<p>Punjab Kings start their IPL 2021 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on April 12 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.</p>


Punjab Kings have been eyeing the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy for long and with an eye to end the title jinx, the rebranded outfit would be heading into the 14th edition of the tournament after strengthening the squad at the auction table.

Punjab Kings have been eyeing the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy for long and with an eye to end the title jinx, the rebranded outfit would be heading into the 14th edition of the tournament after strengthening the squad at the auction table. With new additions in the team with the likes of Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Shahrukh Khan among others, Punjab Kings are looking at a selection headache for the upcoming edition of the lucrative T20 tournament. Anil Kumble, the Director of Cricket Operations at Punjab Kings, in an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, talked about the selection headache for the KL Rahul-led outfit while also sharing the plans for the auction. × Punjab Kings signed a few big-name players in the world of T20 cricket during the 2021 auction. While they got the world’s number one T20I batsman Dawid Malan, surprisingly, for his base price, they broke the bank for the Australian troika of Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith and Moises Henriques. Additionally, they capped an impressive auction by signing some eye-catching domestic talents in the likes of Jalaj Saxena, Shahrukh Khan, Utkarsh Singh and Saurabh Kumar. “I think people sort of tend to discuss the actual money spent on a particular player, whether that particular player is actually that valuable. I think in the overall scheme of things like I mentioned, it was a small auction, where the interest on one particular player or two particular players would be, you know, more than two or three franchises wanting that particular player. So, as I mentioned, we wanted to create some sort of options for us to have the firepower and some pace,” Kumble told WION in an exclusive interview. “And that's why we looked at Riley Meredith. And we believe that somebody of his pace, raw pace, as somebody who can ball that consistently more than 145 kilometres per hour, we felt that that's something that we wanted as an option. “Yes, you know, when you look at the money spent, you sort of think, ‘Oh, no, he hasn't played for Australia’ (at that point in time). Why are they spending so much as I mentioned in a small auction, it's very difficult to gauge the actual value that goes into picking a player, Jhye Richardson, we felt that, he could obviously support Mohammed Shami, our lead bowler, and if you can get someone bowling in difficult periods, like the powerplay, middle overs, and he's useful with the bat as well. “See, sometimes you sort of pick players from the auction looking at this year. But you may also want to keep your mind for the following year, as well. We don't know what the rules are going to be. I think it's important to keep that kind of a vision for the future as well. So we felt Jhye, with his ability to swing the ball at pace, will be able to pick up wickets in the powerplay and of course at the dead, so those two will certainly add a lot of value to the already, you know, good base attack that we have and the experience of Shami and Chris Jordan, along with all the Indian youngsters who have done exceptionally well in domestic cricket,” he added. “Last year, Arshdeep was really good for us. Ishan Porel and Darshan Nalkande have been really good at the domestic level. So we believe that we have a good bowling unit that we can sort of rotate and make sure that there are no skills we lack you know.” Jitthe machaaenge sadde Kings dhoom, ae hain unha da 😍 team room 💥#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/FPYn9U2Pcu — Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 3, 2021 × The new additions to the squad bring a fresh selection headache for Kumble and Co. in the IPL 2021 auction. With different venues to play the tournament in India, Punjab Kings would be looking to utilize their bench strength and maximize the skills of the players. “Yeah, it is. It's a good thing to have (selection headache), as I said, Digvijay, it's all about having your options, not necessary that all of them will play all the matches. You know, it's very difficult to have that. “What we needed was some experience in the all-round department, somebody who's played here before somebody who's been a part of winning teams. I mean, Moises brings that experience to the squad. Fabian, again is an exciting young all-rounder from West Indies, we all know, the power-hitting that they bring to the table and in this format, he's done exceptionally well is he's a young all-rounder. So it's nice to have him based on conditions obviously, you know, he's a very good left-hand spinner and then really hits the ball hard. And Dawid Malan brings experience and somebody who can sort of give support to the Indian batters that we have,” Kumble said. “So we wanted a steady, someone who you can depend on. And then the firepower of Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran and Fabian Allen as a foreigner. Plus Moises and Dawid Malan sort of give you the comfort of you know them really free KL Rahul more so I think that's the kind of options that we wanted we're really glad that we got those. We also wanted a young Indian power-hitting batsman like a Shahrukh Khan. I'm really excited as he really hits the ball hard and it's good to have him as well in the squad. Like I mentioned it's all about having all bases covered and I think we have a pretty strong you know squat to choose from,” the former India captain and also the head of ICC’s Cricket Committee concluded. Punjab Kings start their IPL 2021 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on April 12 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings

<p>ICC interim CEO Geoff Allardice has said that the world governing body has back-up plans ready for the T20 World Cup in India later this year but hasn’t activated those plans yet. Allardice comments come at a time when India is battling with a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ICC T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in October-November in India – which is reporting over a lakh case daily for the past few ways. Amid the pandemic, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is scheduled to start from April 9 (Friday) behind closed doors.</p>

<p>"We are certainly proceeding with the event as planned," Allardice said during a virtual media round-table.</p>

<p>"Plan B we have, but we haven't activated those plans yet. We are working with the BCCI, we do have backup plans that can be activated if the time comes," he added.</p>

<p>Allardice was named ICC’s interim CEO after Manu Sawhney was sent on “leave” after coming under the scanner for his conduct during an internal investigation.</p>

<p>"Cricket is being played in a number of countries at the moment and we are learning from all of them.</p>

<p>"We have been talking to others sports bodies about what they are doing, we are in a good shape at the moment but acknowledge that the world is changing at a rapid rate.</p>

<p>"We have also got the World Test Championship final coming up in two months' time, but we are proceeding with both as planned," he said.</p>

<p>The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which hosted IPL 2020, could be one of the back-up venues for the T20 World Cup should the situation demand a move.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With PTI inputs)</em></p>


ICC interim CEO Geoff Allardice has said that the world governing body has back-up plans ready for the T20 World Cup in India later this year but hasn’t activated those plans yet.

ICC interim CEO Geoff Allardice has said that the world governing body has back-up plans ready for the T20 World Cup in India later this year but hasn’t activated those plans yet. Allardice comments come at a time when India is battling with a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. The ICC T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in October-November in India – which is reporting over a lakh case daily for the past few ways. Amid the pandemic, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is scheduled to start from April 9 (Friday) behind closed doors. "We are certainly proceeding with the event as planned," Allardice said during a virtual media round-table. "Plan B we have, but we haven't activated those plans yet. We are working with the BCCI, we do have backup plans that can be activated if the time comes," he added. Allardice was named ICC’s interim CEO after Manu Sawhney was sent on “leave” after coming under the scanner for his conduct during an internal investigation. "Cricket is being played in a number of countries at the moment and we are learning from all of them. "We have been talking to others sports bodies about what they are doing, we are in a good shape at the moment but acknowledge that the world is changing at a rapid rate. "We have also got the World Test Championship final coming up in two months' time, but we are proceeding with both as planned," he said. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which hosted IPL 2020, could be one of the back-up venues for the T20 World Cup should the situation demand a move. (With PTI inputs)

ICC has back-up plans for T20 World Cup in India: Interim CEO Geoff Allardice

<p>Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman has moved up seven places to No.12 in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for batsmen.</p>

<p>Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman played an ODI knock for the ages against South Africa in Johannesburg last week Sunday, where he scored 193 runs in 155 balls before being run out in the last over: breaking the record for the highest score in an ODI innings when batting second. His performance catapulted him up to 7 places to the 12th in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for batsmen.&nbsp;</p>

<p>From the South African camp, Rassie van der Dussen’s innings of 123 not out and 60 in the first two ODIs against Pakistan helped him up to a career-best 22nd place. South African captain Temba Bavuma’s 92 in the second match against Pakistan also has helped him to a career-best 88th place with the bat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In bowlers, South African Anrich Nortje started the series against Pakistan with figures of 4-51 and 3-63 to move to a career-best 73rd place with 427 points. His compatriot, Haris Rauf took five wickets in the first two ODIs to gain 71 places to 143rd with the ball.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">South Africa's <a href="https://twitter.com/KagisoRabada25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KagisoRabada25</a> enters the top five in the latest <a href="https://twitter.com/MRFWorldwide?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MRFWorldwide</a> ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings for bowling.<br />
<br />
Full list: <a href="https://t.co/sipiRJgcGu">https://t.co/sipiRJgcGu</a> <a href="https://t.co/cMJgeoYFDS">pic.twitter.com/cMJgeoYFDS</a></p>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1379712655980593152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the T20I format of the game, Kiwi debutant Finn Allen smashed a 71 from 29 balls in the rain-affected third match against Bangladesh to move into the world’s top 100 of the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings for batsmen. His teammate, Tim Southee remains the top-ranked seamer in sixth place, up to a career-best 669 points after taking 3-15 in the final match against Bangladesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gerhard Erasmus led Namibia to a 3-0 series victory over Uganda and his unbeaten 62 in the first match helped him up to 66th place, his country’s top-ranked batsman. His team-mate Craig Williams struck 81 in the final match which helped him gain 33 places to 147.</p>

<p>Riazat Ali Shah totalled 56 runs in the series, and is Uganda’s highest ranked batsman in 135th place, with a career-best 269 points. Bernard Scholtz remains Namibia’s highest-ranked bowler in 51st place, after taking four wickets in the series in the T20I format with the ball.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the&nbsp;ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, Kraigg Brathwaite was the major mover with the bat up 21 places to 43rd. &nbsp;He is at his highest points tally since August 2019. Oshada Fernando’s second innings unbeaten 66 helped him gain 11 places to 61. Jason Holder held on to top place in the all-rounder rankings owing to his innings of 30 and 71 not out plus 2-39 against Sri Lanka.&nbsp;</p>


Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman has moved up seven places to No.12 in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for batsmen. Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman played an ODI knock for the ages against South Africa in Johannesburg last week Sunday, where he scored 193 runs in 155 balls before being run out in the last over: breaking the record for the highest score in an ODI innings when batting second.

Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman has moved up seven places to No.12 in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for batsmen. Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman played an ODI knock for the ages against South Africa in Johannesburg last week Sunday, where he scored 193 runs in 155 balls before being run out in the last over: breaking the record for the highest score in an ODI innings when batting second. His performance catapulted him up to 7 places to the 12th in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for batsmen. From the South African camp, Rassie van der Dussen’s innings of 123 not out and 60 in the first two ODIs against Pakistan helped him up to a career-best 22nd place. South African captain Temba Bavuma’s 92 in the second match against Pakistan also has helped him to a career-best 88th place with the bat. In bowlers, South African Anrich Nortje started the series against Pakistan with figures of 4-51 and 3-63 to move to a career-best 73rd place with 427 points. His compatriot, Haris Rauf took five wickets in the first two ODIs to gain 71 places to 143rd with the ball. South Africa's @KagisoRabada25 enters the top five in the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings for bowling. Full list: https://t.co/sipiRJgcGu pic.twitter.com/cMJgeoYFDS — ICC (@ICC) April 7, 2021 × In the T20I format of the game, Kiwi debutant Finn Allen smashed a 71 from 29 balls in the rain-affected third match against Bangladesh to move into the world’s top 100 of the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings for batsmen. His teammate, Tim Southee remains the top-ranked seamer in sixth place, up to a career-best 669 points after taking 3-15 in the final match against Bangladesh. Gerhard Erasmus led Namibia to a 3-0 series victory over Uganda and his unbeaten 62 in the first match helped him up to 66th place, his country’s top-ranked batsman. His team-mate Craig Williams struck 81 in the final match which helped him gain 33 places to 147. Riazat Ali Shah totalled 56 runs in the series, and is Uganda’s highest ranked batsman in 135th place, with a career-best 269 points. Bernard Scholtz remains Namibia’s highest-ranked bowler in 51st place, after taking four wickets in the series in the T20I format with the ball. In the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, Kraigg Brathwaite was the major mover with the bat up 21 places to 43rd. He is at his highest points tally since August 2019. Oshada Fernando’s second innings unbeaten 66 helped him gain 11 places to 61. Jason Holder held on to top place in the all-rounder rankings owing to his innings of 30 and 71 not out plus 2-39 against Sri Lanka.

Fakhar Zaman's incredible knock helps him climb up the ICC ODI Player Rankings

<p>FIFA on Wednesday banned the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) with immediate effect due to “undue third-party interference”. Until the suspension is lifted, Pakistan’s national and club teams would not be eligible to take part in international competitions, the world governing body announced on Wednesday.</p>

<p>The election of Faisal Saleh Hayat as the federation’s president in 2015 and following allegations of vote-rigging led to a halt in the sport in Pakistan.</p>

<p>To resolve the matter, a high court-appointed administrator took charge of the Pakistan Football Federation but that was in violation of FIFA statutes regarding political interference.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/foden-hands-man-city-late-advantage-against-dortmund-375838" hreflang="en">Foden hands Man City late advantage against Dortmund</a></strong></p>

<p>"The Bureau [of the Fifa Council] took this decision as a result of the fact that the PFF offices and its accounts remain in control of a court-appointed administrator, which constitutes a violation of the PFF obligations to manage its affairs independently and without influence from any third parties in accordance with the FIFA Statutes," Fifa said in a statement.</p>

<p>"The suspension will be lifted once the PFF offices and access to the PFF accounts are returned to the PFF."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/vinicius-double-puts-real-madrid-on-top-against-liverpool-375835" hreflang="en">Vinicius double puts Real Madrid on top against Liverpool</a></strong></p>

<p>Moreover, with the FIFA ban, none of the PFF”s members or officials can benefit from developmental grants or training courses from FIFA or Asian Football Confederation (AFC).</p>

<p>Pakistan’s men national team hasn’t played a match since 2015 with their FIFA rank being at an all-time low of 200. Notably, there is no professional league in the country.</p>

<p>Hayat is set to appeal the verdict in Lahore High Court next Tuesday in a bid to re-take charge of the PFF.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>


FIFA on Wednesday banned the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) with immediate effect due to “undue third-party interference”. Until the suspension is lifted, Pakistan’s national and club teams would not be eligible to take part in international competitions, the world governing body announced on Wednesday.

FIFA on Wednesday banned the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) with immediate effect due to “undue third-party interference”. Until the suspension is lifted, Pakistan’s national and club teams would not be eligible to take part in international competitions, the world governing body announced on Wednesday. The election of Faisal Saleh Hayat as the federation’s president in 2015 and following allegations of vote-rigging led to a halt in the sport in Pakistan. To resolve the matter, a high court-appointed administrator took charge of the Pakistan Football Federation but that was in violation of FIFA statutes regarding political interference. ALSO READ: Foden hands Man City late advantage against Dortmund "The Bureau [of the Fifa Council] took this decision as a result of the fact that the PFF offices and its accounts remain in control of a court-appointed administrator, which constitutes a violation of the PFF obligations to manage its affairs independently and without influence from any third parties in accordance with the FIFA Statutes," Fifa said in a statement. "The suspension will be lifted once the PFF offices and access to the PFF accounts are returned to the PFF." ALSO READ: Vinicius double puts Real Madrid on top against Liverpool Moreover, with the FIFA ban, none of the PFF”s members or officials can benefit from developmental grants or training courses from FIFA or Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Pakistan’s men national team hasn’t played a match since 2015 with their FIFA rank being at an all-time low of 200. Notably, there is no professional league in the country. Hayat is set to appeal the verdict in Lahore High Court next Tuesday in a bid to re-take charge of the PFF.

FIFA bans Pakistan Football Federation with immediate effect over 'third-party interference'

<p>The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sourav Ganguly has said triggered a controversy by saying England, Australia and West Indies players “give up” on mental health while adding Indian players are better at handling it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The former Indian captain’s comments created a social media storm as he said that Indians are more tolerant than overseas players while citing Australia’s refusal to tour South Africa. Many players have highlighted the importance of mental well-being including Indian captain Virat Kohli, who said players were “cooked” in bio-secure bubbles.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli said last month that players were being "cooked" in bio-secure bubbles while England's policy of rotating and resting tour squad members has been criticised by pundits but defended by players.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/anil-kumble-to-wion-selection-headache-a-good-thing-for-punjab-kings-375722" hreflang="en">Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings</a></strong></p>

<p>Ganguly’s comments come just before the start of the Indian Premier League which will see players spending eight weeks in a bio-secure environment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I feel we Indians are a bit more tolerant than overseas (cricketers)", Ganguly told a promotional event late Tuesday, while acknowledging the pressures all players endure.</p>

<p>"I've played with a lot of Englishmen, Australians, West Indians, they just give up on mental health," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"In the last six to seven months, with so much cricket going on in the bio-bubble, it's so tough.</p>

<p>"Just going from the hotel room to the ground... it's an absolutely different life."</p>

<p>While talking about the postponement of Australia’s tour of South Africa in March, Ganguly said that while there is a COVID-19 scare, people have to train themselves mentally to overcome the challenges.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Look at the Australian team, they were supposed to go to South Africa for a Test series after India played there. They refused to go there."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-2-key-foreign-players-to-miss-delhi-capitals-opening-match-vs-chennai-super-kings-375665" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings</a></strong></p>

<p>He added: "And always there's this scare of COVID. 'Hope it's not me the next time'. You have to stay positive, you have to train yourself mentally. All of us have to train ourselves mentally so that only good will happen. It boils down to training."&nbsp;</p>

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<h2>Here's how netizens reacted to Sourav Ganguly's comments on mental health:</h2>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sourav Ganguly needs to be spoken to for his comment on mental health. Has he not read about the suicides? It’s irresponsible coming from a board that needs to lead by example, especially when cricketers are now constantly battling mental fatigue in between several bio bubbles.</p>
— Arjun (@ArjunNamboo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArjunNamboo/status/1379695025525649410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/SGanguly99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SGanguly99</a> - please read before you make any more comments anywhere about mental health. <a href="https://t.co/xrA1LKDmFk">https://t.co/xrA1LKDmFk</a></p>
— Srinivas R (@srini_r_twit) <a href="https://twitter.com/srini_r_twit/status/1379605723940724742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🚨 Long thread 🚨<br />
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Recently in an interaction, Ganguly Sir talked a bit about Mental Health and bio bubbles. While we are aware of what he said, here is a thread of thoughts on the impact of what he said according to my understanding.</p>
— Urvi Shah (@unikurvi) <a href="https://twitter.com/unikurvi/status/1379481814226542595?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pretty poor from Sourav Ganguly, pretty much the epitome of a countryman from a very divided nation though that he can take such an abject view of mental health. "Tolerance" plays no part and I would remind him several Indian players were reprimanded on the Aus tour for bubble</p>
— Thomas Roper (@tomroper87) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomroper87/status/1379507422436466690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Quite a comment from Sourav Ganguly: “I feel we Indians are a bit more tolerant than overseas (cricketers). I’ve played with a lot of Englishmen, Australians, West Indians. They just give up on mental health.”</p>
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) <a href="https://twitter.com/the_topspin/status/1379502149852336128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The IPL, to be held in six cities without spectators, will take place against the backdrop of a new surge in cases in India from April 9.</p>


The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sourav Ganguly has said triggered a controversy by saying England, Australia and West Indies players “give up” on mental health while adding Indian players are better at handling it.

The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sourav Ganguly has said triggered a controversy by saying England, Australia and West Indies players “give up” on mental health while adding Indian players are better at handling it. The former Indian captain’s comments created a social media storm as he said that Indians are more tolerant than overseas players while citing Australia’s refusal to tour South Africa. Many players have highlighted the importance of mental well-being including Indian captain Virat Kohli, who said players were “cooked” in bio-secure bubbles. Kohli said last month that players were being "cooked" in bio-secure bubbles while England's policy of rotating and resting tour squad members has been criticised by pundits but defended by players. ALSO READ: Anil Kumble to WION: Selection headache a good thing for Punjab Kings Ganguly’s comments come just before the start of the Indian Premier League which will see players spending eight weeks in a bio-secure environment. "I feel we Indians are a bit more tolerant than overseas (cricketers)", Ganguly told a promotional event late Tuesday, while acknowledging the pressures all players endure. "I've played with a lot of Englishmen, Australians, West Indians, they just give up on mental health," he added. "In the last six to seven months, with so much cricket going on in the bio-bubble, it's so tough. "Just going from the hotel room to the ground... it's an absolutely different life." While talking about the postponement of Australia’s tour of South Africa in March, Ganguly said that while there is a COVID-19 scare, people have to train themselves mentally to overcome the challenges. "Look at the Australian team, they were supposed to go to South Africa for a Test series after India played there. They refused to go there." ALSO READ: IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings He added: "And always there's this scare of COVID. 'Hope it's not me the next time'. You have to stay positive, you have to train yourself mentally. All of us have to train ourselves mentally so that only good will happen. It boils down to training." × Here's how netizens reacted to Sourav Ganguly's comments on mental health: Sourav Ganguly needs to be spoken to for his comment on mental health. Has he not read about the suicides? It’s irresponsible coming from a board that needs to lead by example, especially when cricketers are now constantly battling mental fatigue in between several bio bubbles. — Arjun (@ArjunNamboo) April 7, 2021 × @SGanguly99 - please read before you make any more comments anywhere about mental health. https://t.co/xrA1LKDmFk — Srinivas R (@srini_r_twit) April 7, 2021 × 🚨 Long thread 🚨 Recently in an interaction, Ganguly Sir talked a bit about Mental Health and bio bubbles. While we are aware of what he said, here is a thread of thoughts on the impact of what he said according to my understanding. — Urvi Shah (@unikurvi) April 6, 2021 × Pretty poor from Sourav Ganguly, pretty much the epitome of a countryman from a very divided nation though that he can take such an abject view of mental health. "Tolerance" plays no part and I would remind him several Indian players were reprimanded on the Aus tour for bubble — Thomas Roper (@tomroper87) April 6, 2021 × Quite a comment from Sourav Ganguly: “I feel we Indians are a bit more tolerant than overseas (cricketers). I’ve played with a lot of Englishmen, Australians, West Indians. They just give up on mental health.” — Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) April 6, 2021 × The IPL, to be held in six cities without spectators, will take place against the backdrop of a new surge in cases in India from April 9.

Overseas players 'give up on mental health,' Sourav Ganguly says Indians more tolerant in bubble life

<p class="MsoNormal">Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was left surprised by how DC snapped up Steve Smith on the cheap for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While Ponting hinted that Smith is not a definite starter in the DC playing XI, he said that the Australian batsman will have added motivation given he was released by Rajasthan Royals and mega-auction is approaching next season. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Ponting revealed that Smith’s name wasn’t discussed during the auction strategy as they thought the Aussie would be too expensive for them. However, IPL 2021 auction left the former Aussie skipper surprised. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"I'm not really sure how we got him so cheap," Ponting told cricket.com.au this week ahead of the 2021 tournament, which starts on Friday.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"It was quite clear that a lot of other teams had more money than us going into the auction. A lot of other teams released more players, so they got a lot of their salary cap back.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"So going into the auction, we hadn't really spoken a lot about Smithy. His name did come up in some of the strategy stuff, but … we just thought 'we're getting outbid', simple as that. So we hadn't put that much time into it.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"I was on the phone at home actually watching the auction live and talking to our owners as it was all happening. And that one bid came from us, and it was one bid and bang! Sold to Delhi Capitals.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"It was actually quite remarkable how it turned out because that sort of class doesn't come around all the time and that sort of experience doesn't come around all the time."<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">While Smith will bring extensive experience along with him, he sees himself in a battle to start for DC in IPL 2021. With only four overseas players allowed, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Marcus Stonis have done enough to find their names on the team sheet. Smith will have to battle the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes and Tom Curran for the fourth overseas squad in the playing XI.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"I think the fact that he's been released from the franchise that he's been at for a long time will make him a bit hungry as well this year," he said.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"So, if he gets an opportunity with us – I think it will be in the top three somewhere – if he gets an opportunity, I'm sure he'll have a great year for us.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"I caught up with him (recently), he's very, very keen to go out there and perform well.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Obviously the other side of that is there's a big auction again next year, so if he happens to have a really good IPL this year, then I'm sure that that price is going to go up for the coming season.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"(It's) great to have him as a part of our squad. As I said – even if he doesn't play, for instance, to have someone like that around with his sort of knowledge on the game and the T20 game, will be great for our group. I can't wait to work with him again.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"When you get a chance to play in a competition like that, which is as strong as it is, it can't hurt you, that's for sure. You can take so much from it because you're playing against the best players in the world for eight weeks in a row."<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">DC will start their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.<o:p></o:p></p>


Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was left surprised by how DC snapped up Steve Smith on the cheap for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While Ponting hinted that Smith is not a definite starter in the DC playing XI, he said that the Australian batsman will have added motivation given he was released by Rajasthan Royals and mega-auction is approaching next season.

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting was left surprised by how DC snapped up Steve Smith on the cheap for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. While Ponting hinted that Smith is not a definite starter in the DC playing XI, he said that the Australian batsman will have added motivation given he was released by Rajasthan Royals and mega-auction is approaching next season. Ponting revealed that Smith’s name wasn’t discussed during the auction strategy as they thought the Aussie would be too expensive for them. However, IPL 2021 auction left the former Aussie skipper surprised. "I'm not really sure how we got him so cheap," Ponting told cricket.com.au this week ahead of the 2021 tournament, which starts on Friday. "It was quite clear that a lot of other teams had more money than us going into the auction. A lot of other teams released more players, so they got a lot of their salary cap back. "So going into the auction, we hadn't really spoken a lot about Smithy. His name did come up in some of the strategy stuff, but … we just thought 'we're getting outbid', simple as that. So we hadn't put that much time into it. "I was on the phone at home actually watching the auction live and talking to our owners as it was all happening. And that one bid came from us, and it was one bid and bang! Sold to Delhi Capitals. "It was actually quite remarkable how it turned out because that sort of class doesn't come around all the time and that sort of experience doesn't come around all the time." While Smith will bring extensive experience along with him, he sees himself in a battle to start for DC in IPL 2021. With only four overseas players allowed, the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Marcus Stonis have done enough to find their names on the team sheet. Smith will have to battle the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes and Tom Curran for the fourth overseas squad in the playing XI. "I think the fact that he's been released from the franchise that he's been at for a long time will make him a bit hungry as well this year," he said. "So, if he gets an opportunity with us – I think it will be in the top three somewhere – if he gets an opportunity, I'm sure he'll have a great year for us. "I caught up with him (recently), he's very, very keen to go out there and perform well. "Obviously the other side of that is there's a big auction again next year, so if he happens to have a really good IPL this year, then I'm sure that that price is going to go up for the coming season. "(It's) great to have him as a part of our squad. As I said – even if he doesn't play, for instance, to have someone like that around with his sort of knowledge on the game and the T20 game, will be great for our group. I can't wait to work with him again. "When you get a chance to play in a competition like that, which is as strong as it is, it can't hurt you, that's for sure. You can take so much from it because you're playing against the best players in the world for eight weeks in a row." DC will start their IPL 2021 campaign against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.

Getting released by RR will make Steve Smith hungry for IPL 2021: Delhi Capitals' Ricky Ponting

<p>Mumbai Indians scout and wicket-keeping consultant Kiran More on Tuesday tested positive for COVID-19. According to a statement by Mumbai Indians, the former India wicket-keeper is currently asymptomatic and has been isolated.</p>

<p>The franchise has followed all the health guidelines by the BCCI and the MI medical team will continue to monitor More's health.</p>

<p>"Mumbai Indians’ scout and wicket keeping consultant Mr. Kiran More has tested positive for Covid-19," Mumbai Indians said in a statement.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/residents-near-wankhede-stadium-appeal-maharashtra-cm-to-shift-ipl-2021-venue-375675" hreflang="en">Residents near Wankhede Stadium appeal Maharashtra CM to shift IPL 2021 venue</a></strong></p>

<p>"Mr. More is currently asymptomatic and has been isolated. Mumbai Indians and Kiran More have followed all the BCCI health guidelines. The MI medical team will continue to monitor Mr. More’s health and abide by the BCCI protocols. (2/3)</p>

<p>"We would like to remind our fans to be safe and follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviours in these difficult times," the five-time IPL winning franchise added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-2-key-foreign-players-to-miss-delhi-capitals-opening-match-vs-chennai-super-kings-375665" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings</a></strong></p>

<p>Earlier, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Devdutt Padikkal and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Nitish Rana had tested positive but their reports have since come negative. Even some of the groundstaff at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai have also tested positive.</p>

<p>Mumbai Indians are currently based in Chennai for their IPL 2021 matches.</p>


Mumbai Indians scout and wicket-keeping consultant Kiran More on Tuesday tested positive for COVID-19. According to a statement by Mumbai Indians, the former India wicket-keeper is currently asymptomatic and has been isolated.

Mumbai Indians scout and wicket-keeping consultant Kiran More on Tuesday tested positive for COVID-19. According to a statement by Mumbai Indians, the former India wicket-keeper is currently asymptomatic and has been isolated. The franchise has followed all the health guidelines by the BCCI and the MI medical team will continue to monitor More's health. "Mumbai Indians’ scout and wicket keeping consultant Mr. Kiran More has tested positive for Covid-19," Mumbai Indians said in a statement. ALSO READ: Residents near Wankhede Stadium appeal Maharashtra CM to shift IPL 2021 venue "Mr. More is currently asymptomatic and has been isolated. Mumbai Indians and Kiran More have followed all the BCCI health guidelines. The MI medical team will continue to monitor Mr. More’s health and abide by the BCCI protocols. (2/3) "We would like to remind our fans to be safe and follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviours in these difficult times," the five-time IPL winning franchise added. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings Earlier, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Devdutt Padikkal and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Nitish Rana had tested positive but their reports have since come negative. Even some of the groundstaff at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai have also tested positive. Mumbai Indians are currently based in Chennai for their IPL 2021 matches.

IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians' Kiran More tests positive for COVID-19

<p>The ICC on Tuesday celebrated the power of cricket on communities across the world this International Day of Sport for Development and Peace in announcing the regional winners of the ICC Development Awards 2020 in what has been an incredibly challenging year for the members.</p>

<p>Across four categories, 20 regional winners from 17 countries whose inspiring stories represent how cricket continued to be a driving force for change and a sport for all – even in an unprecedented year. From Peru to Malaysia, Namibia to Italy, Kuwait to Nepal, ICC Associate Members continued their work to grow the game: empowering individuals and reaching out to new communities through innovation, determination and with great passion. There are numerous incredible examples of how cricket assisted the COVID-19 relief effort in countries across the world.</p>

<p>The regional winners identified below will be put forward as the ICC Development Awards global nominees, with four winners to be announced via the ICC channels on 20 April.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/residents-near-wankhede-stadium-appeal-maharashtra-cm-to-shift-ipl-2021-venue-375675" hreflang="en">Residents near Wankhede Stadium appeal Maharashtra CM to shift IPL 2021 venue</a></strong></p>

<h2>ICC Development Initiative of the Year</h2>

<p>Namibia, Argentina, Nepal, Vanuatu and Italy are the regional winners in the Development Initiative of the Year category, showcasing how cricket is becoming accessible to more people than ever before. Watch the video here.</p>

<p>During lockdown, Cricket Namibia created professional development opportunities for its workforce, players, and coaches to foster excellence. Seven admin staff completed 27 academic courses, including in project management, marketing, risk management and leadership. Coach education programmes were also a high priority, with 281 coaches completing courses at various levels.</p>

<p>Cricket Argentina designed 17 free courses in Spanish to develop 257 more coaches, umpires and scorers in 2020. Coaches who were a part of the programme went on to establish three new clubs. The course material was made available to the rest of the region, and seven other Spanish-speaking countries benefitted from the initiative to help engage people in their local language.</p>

<p>With COVID-19 restrictions lifted and cricket returning to Nepal, around 2000 women and 1900 men featured in local tournaments in the country, providing the opportunity to engage new sponsors and broadcasters during the national events.</p>

<p>Vanuatu Cricket livestreamed the Women’s T20 Grand Finals for the first time ever amassing 350,000 views. The exposure led the national team to visit COVID-19 impacted development programmes to engage and attract more women to participate with the set-up of four brand new teams.</p>

<p>The CricketMania campaign delivered by Cricket Italy to promote the sport has become a game-changer for the sport in the country, bringing cricket to a much wider range of 11-18 year olds through schools, clubs and sport body networks than before. The recognition created by the campaign resulted in cricket being included in the National School Games list, enabling Cricket Italy to reach 8797 secondary schools and 8868 high schools.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-2-key-foreign-players-to-miss-delhi-capitals-opening-match-vs-chennai-super-kings-375665" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings</a></strong></p>

<h2>100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year</h2>

<p>The 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative regional winners recognise five engaging programmes for girls and women, with an emphasis on inclusivity and empowerment. Watch the video here.</p>

<p>Cricket Brazil awarded 14 professional central contracts to the women’s national team, becoming the first Associate Member to fully contract the women’s team before the men’s, raising the status of the game in Brazil and benefitting 2000 girls who play regularly.</p>

<p>The Danish Cricket Federation identified that if they wanted to bring more young women into cricket, they had to speak to them in their language, and listen to what they wanted. They therefore partnered with young female micro-influencers on Instagram to connect with new audiences. The energy and passion they brought into the social media campaign was carried over into online digital coaching sessions for new recruits and revitalised the ecosystem where 50 women attended the first kick-off cricket session.</p>

<p>In Nigeria, the Girls Aspire initiative uses cricket as a tool for girls’ empowerment and socio-cultural change. Ijeoma Okigbo, a journalist, took what she had learnt from an ‘introduction to cricket’ course to a school in Gauraka, Niger State, and coached junior girls from underprivileged backgrounds. The 50 girls, who have gained confidence and respect, have become part of a cricket community.</p>

<p>Samoa International Cricket Association’s Healthy Nanas programme is an initiative delivered in partnership with the Australian Government as part of the Team Up project. It offers women and girls a platform to participate in sport and ensure a healthy lifestyle, while also serving as a safe space to network and discuss issues in their personal lives and community – be it domestic violence, finance or health.</p>

<p>In Malaysia, players were ambassadors for #GirlsForGoals and #Cricket4WomensAid, where they supported online fundraising for survivors of domestic abuse and spoke of how sports had transformed their lives. The Cricket Adiwira entry-level programme provided the opportunity for women and girls to play, setting themselves the target of 128 students playing in each of the 269 participating schools, with at least half of them female.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ipl-2021-fascinating-stats-from-tournament-history-375646" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: Fascinating stats from tournament history</a></strong></p>

<h2>Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year</h2>

<p>Bhutan, Uganda, Indonesia, Italy and Peru have been recognized for their outstanding work in using cricket as a vehicle for social change or development within communities from all corners of the world. Watch the video here.</p>

<p>In 15 of Bhutan’s cricket communities, players, coordinators, coaches, and office staff volunteered at hospitals, quarantine facilities and call centers preparing meals, delivering food and patrolling to ensure people followed protocols to assist with the COVID-19 response effort.</p>

<p>The Uganda Cricket Association helped those within their network most impacted by COVID-19 including 100 school teachers to provide them food and financial assistance whilst they were unable to work due to the ongoing lockdown.</p>

<p>Cricket Indonesia’s goal was to promote the healthy messages set out by the Government and ensure that cricket was positioned as a leader in Indonesian society. This was delivered through a webinar series, social media engagement, videos of how to play cricket at home and the distribution of free masks in the office’s local community.</p>

<p>Cricket Italy partnered with Treedom to help offset 11,000kg CO2 emissions produced by the Member’s operations by formally planting 200 trees in Cameroon.</p>

<p>Peru aimed to inspire movement and connection, whilst promoting the well-being of young people during lockdown. What began as a WhatsApp group for children aged 4-14 to exercise at home, expanded to Zoom classes and an online summer academy for older students, as well as a teacher training course.</p>

<h2>ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year</h2>

<p>Promotion of cricket activities in emerging nations and engaging fans is incredibly important to grow the sport and five worthy regional winners are being celebrated for their innovative work in 2020. Watch the video here.</p>

<p>Vanuatu Cricket, with a following of only 12,000 on their Facebook Page utilized their digital platforms to reach over 16 million people through livestreaming of the Vanuatu T10 Blast and The Women’s T20 Grand Final. The results of this initiative meant more people were able to engage with Associate cricket, capitalising on the opportunity presented by COVID-19’s impact on the availability of live sport.</p>

<p>The fun and engaging #TrainAtHome digital campaign focused on the best of the United States’ national team players and support staff bringing simple, effective cricket skills-based drills to the homes of fans to encourage them to keep active whilst staying safe during lockdown, resulting in 1.2 million Twitter impressions.</p>

<p>The Fairway Super Series aimed at providing competition for promising junior cricketers ahead of national squad selection, replicated a modern T20 franchise event with Jersey Cricket Board delivering an online draft and match highlights to help the promotion of the event. Highlights of the four-team event reached a wide audience and raised the visibility of the teams’ charitable partners.</p>

<p>Cricket Namibia delivered a two-month campaign in celebration of being crowned an ICC Development Award winner in 2019, consisting of social media posts and radio messages. It reached over 300,000 people, grew fan engagement for the men’s national team and Cricket Namibia‘s brand.</p>

<p>Finally, Kuwait engaged one of the Middle East’s top digital media companies via a sponsorship programme where Kuwait Cricket’s social media channels are professionally managed with a comprehensive engagement programme of daily posts and updates to help create heroes within the cricket community.</p>

<p>ICC General Manager – Development, William Glenwright said: “The ICC Development Awards are a recognition of the work that provides people and communities the opportunity to engage with our incredible sport, with 20 brilliant programmes in 2020 celebrated.</p>

<p>“During a year where so many lives and communities were impacted in different ways - and on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace - it is inspiring to share, the stories of the regional winners that helped people to feel connected with and participate in physical activity during a time where traditional cricket activity was so heavily restricted.</p>

<p>“We are extremely proud of what the Members achieved in 2020.Their innovative approach to delivering cricket and their unrelenting commitment to growing a sport for all, focusing on inspiring more women and girls in particular to get involved at all levels is something they should all be proud of. I look forward to seeing which four entries will be crowned global winners on 20 April.”</p>


The ICC on Tuesday celebrated the power of cricket on communities across the world this International Day of Sport for Development and Peace in announcing the regional winners of the ICC Development Awards 2020 in what has been an incredibly challenging year for the members.

The ICC on Tuesday celebrated the power of cricket on communities across the world this International Day of Sport for Development and Peace in announcing the regional winners of the ICC Development Awards 2020 in what has been an incredibly challenging year for the members. Across four categories, 20 regional winners from 17 countries whose inspiring stories represent how cricket continued to be a driving force for change and a sport for all – even in an unprecedented year. From Peru to Malaysia, Namibia to Italy, Kuwait to Nepal, ICC Associate Members continued their work to grow the game: empowering individuals and reaching out to new communities through innovation, determination and with great passion. There are numerous incredible examples of how cricket assisted the COVID-19 relief effort in countries across the world. The regional winners identified below will be put forward as the ICC Development Awards global nominees, with four winners to be announced via the ICC channels on 20 April. ALSO READ: Residents near Wankhede Stadium appeal Maharashtra CM to shift IPL 2021 venue ICC Development Initiative of the Year Namibia, Argentina, Nepal, Vanuatu and Italy are the regional winners in the Development Initiative of the Year category, showcasing how cricket is becoming accessible to more people than ever before. Watch the video here. During lockdown, Cricket Namibia created professional development opportunities for its workforce, players, and coaches to foster excellence. Seven admin staff completed 27 academic courses, including in project management, marketing, risk management and leadership. Coach education programmes were also a high priority, with 281 coaches completing courses at various levels. Cricket Argentina designed 17 free courses in Spanish to develop 257 more coaches, umpires and scorers in 2020. Coaches who were a part of the programme went on to establish three new clubs. The course material was made available to the rest of the region, and seven other Spanish-speaking countries benefitted from the initiative to help engage people in their local language. With COVID-19 restrictions lifted and cricket returning to Nepal, around 2000 women and 1900 men featured in local tournaments in the country, providing the opportunity to engage new sponsors and broadcasters during the national events. Vanuatu Cricket livestreamed the Women’s T20 Grand Finals for the first time ever amassing 350,000 views. The exposure led the national team to visit COVID-19 impacted development programmes to engage and attract more women to participate with the set-up of four brand new teams. The CricketMania campaign delivered by Cricket Italy to promote the sport has become a game-changer for the sport in the country, bringing cricket to a much wider range of 11-18 year olds through schools, clubs and sport body networks than before. The recognition created by the campaign resulted in cricket being included in the National School Games list, enabling Cricket Italy to reach 8797 secondary schools and 8868 high schools. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year The 100% Cricket Female Cricket Initiative regional winners recognise five engaging programmes for girls and women, with an emphasis on inclusivity and empowerment. Watch the video here. Cricket Brazil awarded 14 professional central contracts to the women’s national team, becoming the first Associate Member to fully contract the women’s team before the men’s, raising the status of the game in Brazil and benefitting 2000 girls who play regularly. The Danish Cricket Federation identified that if they wanted to bring more young women into cricket, they had to speak to them in their language, and listen to what they wanted. They therefore partnered with young female micro-influencers on Instagram to connect with new audiences. The energy and passion they brought into the social media campaign was carried over into online digital coaching sessions for new recruits and revitalised the ecosystem where 50 women attended the first kick-off cricket session. In Nigeria, the Girls Aspire initiative uses cricket as a tool for girls’ empowerment and socio-cultural change. Ijeoma Okigbo, a journalist, took what she had learnt from an ‘introduction to cricket’ course to a school in Gauraka, Niger State, and coached junior girls from underprivileged backgrounds. The 50 girls, who have gained confidence and respect, have become part of a cricket community. Samoa International Cricket Association’s Healthy Nanas programme is an initiative delivered in partnership with the Australian Government as part of the Team Up project. It offers women and girls a platform to participate in sport and ensure a healthy lifestyle, while also serving as a safe space to network and discuss issues in their personal lives and community – be it domestic violence, finance or health. In Malaysia, players were ambassadors for #GirlsForGoals and #Cricket4WomensAid, where they supported online fundraising for survivors of domestic abuse and spoke of how sports had transformed their lives. The Cricket Adiwira entry-level programme provided the opportunity for women and girls to play, setting themselves the target of 128 students playing in each of the 269 participating schools, with at least half of them female. WATCH: IPL 2021: Fascinating stats from tournament history Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year Bhutan, Uganda, Indonesia, Italy and Peru have been recognized for their outstanding work in using cricket as a vehicle for social change or development within communities from all corners of the world. Watch the video here. In 15 of Bhutan’s cricket communities, players, coordinators, coaches, and office staff volunteered at hospitals, quarantine facilities and call centers preparing meals, delivering food and patrolling to ensure people followed protocols to assist with the COVID-19 response effort. The Uganda Cricket Association helped those within their network most impacted by COVID-19 including 100 school teachers to provide them food and financial assistance whilst they were unable to work due to the ongoing lockdown. Cricket Indonesia’s goal was to promote the healthy messages set out by the Government and ensure that cricket was positioned as a leader in Indonesian society. This was delivered through a webinar series, social media engagement, videos of how to play cricket at home and the distribution of free masks in the office’s local community. Cricket Italy partnered with Treedom to help offset 11,000kg CO2 emissions produced by the Member’s operations by formally planting 200 trees in Cameroon. Peru aimed to inspire movement and connection, whilst promoting the well-being of young people during lockdown. What began as a WhatsApp group for children aged 4-14 to exercise at home, expanded to Zoom classes and an online summer academy for older students, as well as a teacher training course. ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year Promotion of cricket activities in emerging nations and engaging fans is incredibly important to grow the sport and five worthy regional winners are being celebrated for their innovative work in 2020. Watch the video here. Vanuatu Cricket, with a following of only 12,000 on their Facebook Page utilized their digital platforms to reach over 16 million people through livestreaming of the Vanuatu T10 Blast and The Women’s T20 Grand Final. The results of this initiative meant more people were able to engage with Associate cricket, capitalising on the opportunity presented by COVID-19’s impact on the availability of live sport. The fun and engaging #TrainAtHome digital campaign focused on the best of the United States’ national team players and support staff bringing simple, effective cricket skills-based drills to the homes of fans to encourage them to keep active whilst staying safe during lockdown, resulting in 1.2 million Twitter impressions. The Fairway Super Series aimed at providing competition for promising junior cricketers ahead of national squad selection, replicated a modern T20 franchise event with Jersey Cricket Board delivering an online draft and match highlights to help the promotion of the event. Highlights of the four-team event reached a wide audience and raised the visibility of the teams’ charitable partners. Cricket Namibia delivered a two-month campaign in celebration of being crowned an ICC Development Award winner in 2019, consisting of social media posts and radio messages. It reached over 300,000 people, grew fan engagement for the men’s national team and Cricket Namibia‘s brand. Finally, Kuwait engaged one of the Middle East’s top digital media companies via a sponsorship programme where Kuwait Cricket’s social media channels are professionally managed with a comprehensive engagement programme of daily posts and updates to help create heroes within the cricket community. ICC General Manager – Development, William Glenwright said: “The ICC Development Awards are a recognition of the work that provides people and communities the opportunity to engage with our incredible sport, with 20 brilliant programmes in 2020 celebrated. “During a year where so many lives and communities were impacted in different ways - and on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace - it is inspiring to share, the stories of the regional winners that helped people to feel connected with and participate in physical activity during a time where traditional cricket activity was so heavily restricted. “We are extremely proud of what the Members achieved in 2020.Their innovative approach to delivering cricket and their unrelenting commitment to growing a sport for all, focusing on inspiring more women and girls in particular to get involved at all levels is something they should all be proud of. I look forward to seeing which four entries will be crowned global winners on 20 April.”

ICC celebrates the positive impact of cricket on communities during an unprecedented 2020

<p>With the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai set to host 10 matches of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, starting April 9, local residents near Marine Drive have urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to change the venue amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the state including the capital Mumbai – the worst affected city.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a letter to CM Thackerey, a local resident from D Road – just across the Wankhede Stadium – have urged the authorities to shift IPL 2021 matches from the iconic venue as it is located in a residential area.</p>

<p>On Monday, a large number of people were seen standing outside a team hotel near Nariman Point in a bid to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricketers. And the local residents are fearing that incidents like this could help the dreaded virus to spread.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-2-key-foreign-players-to-miss-delhi-capitals-opening-match-vs-chennai-super-kings-375665" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings</a></strong></p>

<p>Notably, DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai isn’t hosting any IPL 2021 matches with the iconic Wankhede Stadium being the host of all 10 games in the city.</p>

<p>Ashit Shroff, a resident of D-Road across Wankhede Stadium, who is also a member of the Marine Drive Residents' Association, has raised concern on behalf of all the residents regarding their health amid the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>

<p>The resident, in his letter which has been duly received by the Maharashtra government on e-mail, said that loud noises and strong lighting affect the senior citizens living in the area while also saying that matches are bound to create parking issues for the D-Road residents. &nbsp;</p>

<p>He added, "On one hand, the city is deeply affected by COVID-19, and the state government is compelled to restrict religious and social activities like marriages, deaths, etc and contrary to this in these difficult times an IPL Cricket match of such a magnitude lasting over several days is permitted."</p>

<p>"We urge change in the location of IPL match to DY Patil stadium or any other venue which is in a non-residential area," he appealed.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ipl-2021-fascinating-stats-from-tournament-history-375646" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: Fascinating stats from tournament history</a></strong></p>

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<p>In the letter, the residents have raised the concern of fans gathering outside the stadium and hotels to see the cricketers passing in their busses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Sunday issued a guideline for the fresh restrictions amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state including night curfew from 8pm to 7am on weekdays under their ‘Break the Chain’ initiative.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the authorities have cleared the deck for IPL franchises to practice post 8pm given all the bio-bubble protocols are followed strictly.</p>

<p>Mumbai is due to host 10 IPL 2021 matches at the Wankhede Stadium and nine of them are to start at 7:30 pm. The first game at the Wankhede is due on April 10 between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals.</p>


With the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai set to host 10 matches of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, starting April 9, local residents near Marine Drive have urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to change the venue amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the state including the capital Mumbai – the worst affected city.

With the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai set to host 10 matches of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, starting April 9, local residents near Marine Drive have urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to change the venue amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the state including the capital Mumbai – the worst affected city. In a letter to CM Thackerey, a local resident from D Road – just across the Wankhede Stadium – have urged the authorities to shift IPL 2021 matches from the iconic venue as it is located in a residential area. On Monday, a large number of people were seen standing outside a team hotel near Nariman Point in a bid to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricketers. And the local residents are fearing that incidents like this could help the dreaded virus to spread. ALSO READ: IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings Notably, DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai isn’t hosting any IPL 2021 matches with the iconic Wankhede Stadium being the host of all 10 games in the city. Ashit Shroff, a resident of D-Road across Wankhede Stadium, who is also a member of the Marine Drive Residents' Association, has raised concern on behalf of all the residents regarding their health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The resident, in his letter which has been duly received by the Maharashtra government on e-mail, said that loud noises and strong lighting affect the senior citizens living in the area while also saying that matches are bound to create parking issues for the D-Road residents. He added, "On one hand, the city is deeply affected by COVID-19, and the state government is compelled to restrict religious and social activities like marriages, deaths, etc and contrary to this in these difficult times an IPL Cricket match of such a magnitude lasting over several days is permitted." "We urge change in the location of IPL match to DY Patil stadium or any other venue which is in a non-residential area," he appealed. WATCH: IPL 2021: Fascinating stats from tournament history @CMOMaharashtra pic.twitter.com/L0i4HxClCk — ASHIT SHROFF (@ashroff17) April 2, 2021 × In the letter, the residents have raised the concern of fans gathering outside the stadium and hotels to see the cricketers passing in their busses. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on Sunday issued a guideline for the fresh restrictions amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state including night curfew from 8pm to 7am on weekdays under their ‘Break the Chain’ initiative. However, the authorities have cleared the deck for IPL franchises to practice post 8pm given all the bio-bubble protocols are followed strictly. Mumbai is due to host 10 IPL 2021 matches at the Wankhede Stadium and nine of them are to start at 7:30 pm. The first game at the Wankhede is due on April 10 between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals.

Residents near Wankhede Stadium appeal Maharashtra CM to shift IPL 2021 venue

<p class="MsoNormal">In what comes as a huge blow to Delhi Capitals, the pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are set to miss DC’s opening fixture of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Rabada and Nortje arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday and will now undergo a week of quarantine before joining the squad for the lucrative T20 tournament. The South African pace duo was retained by Delhi Capitals following a terrific show in IPL 2020 in the UAE, where they ended up as runner’s up.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Delhi Capitals' fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje arrived at the team hotel in Mumbai on Tuesday," the franchise said in a statement.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ipl-2021-fascinating-stats-from-tournament-history-375646" hreflang="en">IPL 2021: Fascinating stats from tournament history</a></strong><o:p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">"Rabada and Nortje will be in quarantine for one week," it added.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">The South African players, who are part of IPL 2021 and participated in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Pakistan, left on Monday to join their respective IPL franchises. As a result, they will miss the final ODI between South Africa and Pakistan. <o:p></o:p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">Earlier, DC appointed youngster Rishabh Pant as the skipper of their side for IPL 2021 after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/maharashtra-government-clears-deck-for-ipl-allows-franchises-to-practice-after-8pm-at-wankhede-stadium-375542" hreflang="en">Maharashtra government clears deck for IPL, allows franchises to practice after 8pm at Wankhede Stadium</a></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal">DC would be looking to take another step in IPL and bag their maiden IPL trophy as the cricketing world gear up for the mega festival, starting from April 9.<o:p></o:p></p>


In what comes as a huge blow to Delhi Capitals, the pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are set to miss DC’s opening fixture of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10.

In what comes as a huge blow to Delhi Capitals, the pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are set to miss DC’s opening fixture of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 10. Rabada and Nortje arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday and will now undergo a week of quarantine before joining the squad for the lucrative T20 tournament. The South African pace duo was retained by Delhi Capitals following a terrific show in IPL 2020 in the UAE, where they ended up as runner’s up. "Delhi Capitals' fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje arrived at the team hotel in Mumbai on Tuesday," the franchise said in a statement. Watch: IPL 2021: Fascinating stats from tournament history "Rabada and Nortje will be in quarantine for one week," it added. The South African players, who are part of IPL 2021 and participated in the ongoing three-match ODI series against Pakistan, left on Monday to join their respective IPL franchises. As a result, they will miss the final ODI between South Africa and Pakistan. Earlier, DC appointed youngster Rishabh Pant as the skipper of their side for IPL 2021 after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury. ALSO READ: Maharashtra government clears deck for IPL, allows franchises to practice after 8pm at Wankhede Stadium DC would be looking to take another step in IPL and bag their maiden IPL trophy as the cricketing world gear up for the mega festival, starting from April 9.

IPL 2021: 2 key foreign players to miss Delhi Capitals' opening match vs Chennai Super Kings

<p>Pakistan opening batsman Fakhar Zaman's astonishing innings of 193 could not prevent South Africa winning the second one-day international by 17 runs in Johannesburg on Sunday.</p>

<p>Pakistan seemed to have no chance when they slumped to 205 for seven in the 38th over in reply to South Africa's 341 for six at the Wanderers Stadium. But Fakhar's assault took them to 324 for nine.</p>

<p>With only his team's bowlers to keep him company, the left-handed Fakhar, who was on 97 when Faheem Ashraf was the seventh man out, went on all-out attack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In all, he hit 18 fours and ten sixes in a 155-ball innings before being run out in the last over by a direct hit from long-off as he was trying for a second run.</p>

<p>With wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock seemingly gesturing for Aiden Markram to throw to the bowler's end, Fakhar slowed down and was surprised when the ball hit the stumps at the batsman's end when he was a metre or more short, ending his bold counter-attack.</p>

<p>"It was one of the best innings I have seen in my life," said Pakistan captain Babar Azam.</p>

<p>"It was an incredible innings, probably the best I have come across," said South African captain Temba Bavuma. "Everything he tried came off."</p>

<p>Fakhar, who made a ODI double century against Zimbabwe in 2018, was named man of the match.</p>

<p>"I tried my level best," he said.&nbsp;"That's my game.</p>

<p>"The wicket was really good, the boundaries were very short and the run rate was going up. I was just hitting the ball."</p>

<p>Fakhar admitted he was taken by surprise by his dismissal. "I was looking at Haris Rauf because I thought the run-out would be at his end. It was my own fault," he said at the post-match press conference.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>- Productive partnerships -</h2>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>South Africa's win levelled the three-match series.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The hosts will be without five of their Indian Premier League-contracted players for the deciding match in Centurion on Wednesday.</p>

<p>De Kock, Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller hit half-centuries after South Africa were sent in.</p>

<p>The South African innings was in dramatic contrast to their effort in the first match at Centurion, when they lost four wickets inside the first 15 overs, with Pakistan going on to win by three wickets off the last ball.</p>

<p>Early moisture in the pitch again made batting tricky but South Africa put together a succession of productive partnerships.</p>

<p>De Kock (80) and Aiden Markram (39) put on 55 for the first wicket before Bavuma (92) and De Kock added 114 for the second wicket.</p>

<p>It set a platform for Van der Dussen to hit a blistering 60 off 37 balls as he and Bavuma put on 101 for the third wicket.</p>

<p>Given the freedom to play his shots from the start, in contrast to his century in Centurion when he had to rebuild the innings, Van der Dussen hit six fours and four sixes.</p>

<p>Miller slammed an unbeaten 50 off 27 balls.</p>

<p>Babar, who made a century in the first match, again looked in sublime form as he cruised to 31 off 33 balls after the early loss of Imam-ul-Haq.</p>

<p>But he was undone by the pace of Anrich Nortje, mistiming a pull shot off Nortje's fourth ball.</p>

<p>Nortje followed up with two more quick wickets as Pakistan slipped to 85 for four.</p>

<p>Shadab Khan, Asif Ali and Faheem Ashraf offered brief support but the match looked to be well beyond Pakistan's reach when Faheem was seventh out, with 137 runs still needed.</p>

<p>But that was without reckoning on Fakhar.</p>


Pakistan opening batsman Fakhar Zaman's astonishing innings of 193 could not prevent South Africa winning the second one-day international by 17 runs in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Pakistan opening batsman Fakhar Zaman's astonishing innings of 193 could not prevent South Africa winning the second one-day international by 17 runs in Johannesburg on Sunday. Pakistan seemed to have no chance when they slumped to 205 for seven in the 38th over in reply to South Africa's 341 for six at the Wanderers Stadium. But Fakhar's assault took them to 324 for nine. With only his team's bowlers to keep him company, the left-handed Fakhar, who was on 97 when Faheem Ashraf was the seventh man out, went on all-out attack. In all, he hit 18 fours and ten sixes in a 155-ball innings before being run out in the last over by a direct hit from long-off as he was trying for a second run. With wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock seemingly gesturing for Aiden Markram to throw to the bowler's end, Fakhar slowed down and was surprised when the ball hit the stumps at the batsman's end when he was a metre or more short, ending his bold counter-attack. "It was one of the best innings I have seen in my life," said Pakistan captain Babar Azam. "It was an incredible innings, probably the best I have come across," said South African captain Temba Bavuma. "Everything he tried came off." Fakhar, who made a ODI double century against Zimbabwe in 2018, was named man of the match. "I tried my level best," he said. "That's my game. "The wicket was really good, the boundaries were very short and the run rate was going up. I was just hitting the ball." Fakhar admitted he was taken by surprise by his dismissal. "I was looking at Haris Rauf because I thought the run-out would be at his end. It was my own fault," he said at the post-match press conference. - Productive partnerships - South Africa's win levelled the three-match series. The hosts will be without five of their Indian Premier League-contracted players for the deciding match in Centurion on Wednesday. De Kock, Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller hit half-centuries after South Africa were sent in. The South African innings was in dramatic contrast to their effort in the first match at Centurion, when they lost four wickets inside the first 15 overs, with Pakistan going on to win by three wickets off the last ball. Early moisture in the pitch again made batting tricky but South Africa put together a succession of productive partnerships. De Kock (80) and Aiden Markram (39) put on 55 for the first wicket before Bavuma (92) and De Kock added 114 for the second wicket. It set a platform for Van der Dussen to hit a blistering 60 off 37 balls as he and Bavuma put on 101 for the third wicket. Given the freedom to play his shots from the start, in contrast to his century in Centurion when he had to rebuild the innings, Van der Dussen hit six fours and four sixes. Miller slammed an unbeaten 50 off 27 balls. Babar, who made a century in the first match, again looked in sublime form as he cruised to 31 off 33 balls after the early loss of Imam-ul-Haq. But he was undone by the pace of Anrich Nortje, mistiming a pull shot off Nortje's fourth ball. Nortje followed up with two more quick wickets as Pakistan slipped to 85 for four. Shadab Khan, Asif Ali and Faheem Ashraf offered brief support but the match looked to be well beyond Pakistan's reach when Faheem was seventh out, with 137 runs still needed. But that was without reckoning on Fakhar.

Fakhar's 193 in vain as South Africa beat Pakistan by 17 runs

<p>Zinedine Zidane believes Real Madrid are being underrated ahead of the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Madrid have endured a patchy season but remain alive in the Champions League and La Liga, with the gap to Atletico Madrid down to three points with nine games left.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And if they can overcome Liverpool, they will have a semi-final to come against either Chelsea or Porto and be within sight of a 14th European triumph.</p>

<p>"I think my team has been underestimated," said Zidane in a press conference on Monday.&nbsp;"I trust my team a lot and I know what it can give. But we can't change what people think. We can only work day by day and while there is still a chance, we never give up.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are going to fight for everything. We have had difficult moments this season and now we are better but it doesn't mean anything tomorrow."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Zidane raised the possibility of Eden Hazard being involved in the first leg in Madrid on Tuesday, even though the Belgian has missed the last three weeks with a pelvic injury. Hazard trained at Valdebebas on Monday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We have talked a lot about this, Hazard has to be calm. The important thing is that he has recovered," said Zidane. "If the player is well, I want him with the team. We are going to do things little by little and we'll see what happens."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Madrid will be without their captain Sergio Ramos, who injured his calf on international duty last month with Spain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ramos played a key role as Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the Champions League final in 2018, after his challenge forced Mohamed Salah to be substituted in the first half. &nbsp;</p>

<p>"I know Sergio, he is a teammate, a friend," said Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez. "It's a shame, nobody likes to be injured in moments as important as this and even more so when you know Sergio, who is the captain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I'm sure that not just Salah but everyone from Liverpool will want to take revenge and win the game, just like us."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Liverpool bounced back from their defeat in Kiev by winning the Champions League and Premier League over the next two seasons but, like Madrid, they have wavered since, falling behind Bayern Munich and Manchester City.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We don't think about the past," said Zidane. "It's a big game for them and it's a different game from the final in Kiev. We're preparing for a different game."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are at a club where every day, every minute we live with pressure," added Nacho. "We know how to handle it, we try to use it in the best possible way, which is to lift a trophy at the end of the season."&nbsp;</p>


Zinedine Zidane believes Real Madrid are being underrated ahead of the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool on Tuesday. Madrid have endured a patchy season but remain alive in the Champions League and La Liga, with the gap to Atletico Madrid down to three points with nine games left.

Zinedine Zidane believes Real Madrid are being underrated ahead of the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool on Tuesday. Madrid have endured a patchy season but remain alive in the Champions League and La Liga, with the gap to Atletico Madrid down to three points with nine games left. And if they can overcome Liverpool, they will have a semi-final to come against either Chelsea or Porto and be within sight of a 14th European triumph. "I think my team has been underestimated," said Zidane in a press conference on Monday. "I trust my team a lot and I know what it can give. But we can't change what people think. We can only work day by day and while there is still a chance, we never give up. "We are going to fight for everything. We have had difficult moments this season and now we are better but it doesn't mean anything tomorrow." Zidane raised the possibility of Eden Hazard being involved in the first leg in Madrid on Tuesday, even though the Belgian has missed the last three weeks with a pelvic injury. Hazard trained at Valdebebas on Monday morning. "We have talked a lot about this, Hazard has to be calm. The important thing is that he has recovered," said Zidane. "If the player is well, I want him with the team. We are going to do things little by little and we'll see what happens." Madrid will be without their captain Sergio Ramos, who injured his calf on international duty last month with Spain. Ramos played a key role as Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the Champions League final in 2018, after his challenge forced Mohamed Salah to be substituted in the first half. "I know Sergio, he is a teammate, a friend," said Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez. "It's a shame, nobody likes to be injured in moments as important as this and even more so when you know Sergio, who is the captain. "I'm sure that not just Salah but everyone from Liverpool will want to take revenge and win the game, just like us." Liverpool bounced back from their defeat in Kiev by winning the Champions League and Premier League over the next two seasons but, like Madrid, they have wavered since, falling behind Bayern Munich and Manchester City. "We don't think about the past," said Zidane. "It's a big game for them and it's a different game from the final in Kiev. We're preparing for a different game." "We are at a club where every day, every minute we live with pressure," added Nacho. "We know how to handle it, we try to use it in the best possible way, which is to lift a trophy at the end of the season."

Zidane: Nobody should write off Real Madrid

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