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    IPL Teams OK With Curtailed Season, Expecting Rise in Viewership

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    Times of Sports
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    IPL 2020 updates
    IPL 2020

    BCCI will have to cross several hurdles to make IPL a reality in the extraordinary circumstances that have arisen due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the franchises are maintaining a positive outlook and won’t mind even a curtailed season.

    The potential window for IPL is from September to November and with Cricket Australia saying the prospect of staging T20 World Cup this year is “unrealistic”, the chances of staging the event have become brighter. Still, a lot of complications will have to be dealt with including zeroing in on venue(s) and ensuring biosecure environment.

    No Issues With Curtailed Season

    Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia says the venue will be decided based on availability of adequate infrastructure. “Considering the current situation, there are too many complications in hosting the T20 World Cup with 16 teams. Organising the IPL won’t be easy too. It has to be at a place which has adequate infrastructure, both on and off the field,” Wadia told PTI.

    While Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) CEO Venky Mysore had recently said that he is against tinkering with the IPL format, Wadia has no such issues. “I am sure BCCI is putting all its efforts towards a full IPL but we have no issues even with a curtailed one. We have to be aware of the situation we are in and optimise ourselves,” he said.

    No Issues With Shifting IPL Out of India

    Wadia stressed on the importance of being flexible including the eventuality of organising the league outside of India. “IPL has also been a very forward looking and flexible tournament and that has to be maintained during the COVID situation. Going back to 2009, within one month we switched from India to South Africa,” he said.

    UAE has already offered to host the event while Sri Lanka too has expressed its interest.

    It’s a decision, Wadia said, that will be taken after mutual consent of the team owners.

    “We would need adequate number of hotels in that place, so that we are able to quarantine players if needed. Whether in India or abroad, there has to be enough infrastructure,” he said.

    Sahara Park NewLands
    Sahara Park NewLands

    Not Everyone on The Same Page

    A unnamed top official of an IPL team wants BCCI to announce the dates as soon as possible and is also against a shortened tournament

    “I don’t understand what the BCCI is waiting for. They should have announced the dates by now. Whether August-September or September-October (if the World Cup doesn’t happen). Talk to the UAE board and go ahead. They can even consider Bahrain and Muscat and expand the league’s presence further, ICC delaying the decision has left it in a dilemma and also the BCCI,” the official said.

    More Viewership

    With the cricket loving public starved of action, Wadia believes there will be a spike in IPL viewership and so attracting sponsors will not be a problem.

    “If it is a shorter tournament then automatically it would depend on the number of games. If there are the usual 14 league games, you are getting an X value from a sponsor, it will change if there are lesser number of games,” he said.

    “Having said that, a lot of sponsors might be happy to see the IPL happening even if it is shorter. It gives them a lot of publicity. In my humble opinion, the IPL might happen with a larger audience base purely based on the assessment that world has been through so much and the world needs that outlet,” he added.

    He also dismissed the fear that due to the financial crisis triggered by coronavirus pandemic, sponsors will stay away. “…I don’t see any difficulty in attracting sponsors. Today there are too many variables but tomorrow if the IPL dates are announced, I don’t see why sponsors won’t come forward, given the viewership might increase,” said Wadia.

    A source close to Chennai Super Kings said the COVID-19 though feels the financial crisis will have an impact.

    “It will have an impact surely, how much? I am not too sure. In one way, TV will be a great advertisement for sponsors. Basically, it is a question of money available with them at that time. It is not the usual scenario,” he opined.

    “Sponsors will come to the teams only after the IPL dates are announced,” he added.

    Expanding Brand IPL

    However, another team official reckons that that this could be an opportunity to to make IPL even a bigger brand.

    “Individual sponsorship is hardly the main part of our revenues, the main revenue comes from the the BCCI’s central pool. Keeping that issue aside, this is the best opportunity for brand IPL. You have an IPL in September-October, then the auction in December-January and then IPL again in April-May. Eight months you will be talking IPL,” he said.

    “The BCCI is not seeing that. India is not going to be safe before November, better to take the call now and do it elsewhere,” the official added.

    Also read : IPL 2020 Fixtures BCCI Planning to Stage The Event From September 26 With Finals on November 8

    IPL 2020 Fixtures : BCCI Planning to Stage The Event From September 26 With Finals on November 8

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    Times of Sports
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    vivo ipl cup
    vivo ipl cup 2020

    BCCI has reportedly fixed a window for conducting IPL this year as it has began planning for the annual league after it was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    IPL could get underway from September 26 with the final on November 8.

    While a formal decision regarding this is yet to be made, the BCCI has held informal discussions with the franchises.

    According to Mumbai Mirror, the tournament may be held in limited venues. Mumbai was the board’s first choice because of the infrastructure but since the coronavirus situation in Maharashtra has gotten worse, it has been forced to rethink.

    Should the September-November window be final, the likely venues could be in South India viz. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. There won’t be any issue of stadium sizes as the matches are planned to be played behind closed doors.

    However, all this depends on whether the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to get underway from October 18 in Australia, gets cancelled this year. Several media reports claim that Cricket Australia isn’t too keen on hosting the global event and is rather more interesting in the bilateral series against India.

    Another hurdle that IPL may be to cross is Asia Cup. A decision regarding the biennial event is yet to be made and should it be held this year, the IPL will have to be a truncated event.

    While BCCI is against the tournament this year, the daily reports that not everyone inside the board holds that view.

    Meanwhile, the Indian cricket board is also taking into account the additional cost of creating a bio-secure environment in its budgeting for IPL 13. The BCCI may have to book an entire hotel rather than rooms apart from implementing strict personal hygiene measures and keeping chartered flights on standby.

    Also read : BCCI Called-Off India Tour of Sri Lanka And Zimbabwe Amid COVID-19 Threat

    Danielle Wyatt Reveals How She First Met Sachin Tendulkar and His Son Arjun Tendulkar

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    Times of Sports
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    Danielle Wyatt Reveals How She First Met Sachin Tendulkar and His Son Arjun Tendulkar
    Danielle Wyatt Reveals How She First Met Sachin Tendulkar and His Son Arjun Tendulkar

    England cricketer Danielle Wyatt recently spoke about how she and Sachin Tendulkar‘s son Arjun became close friends.

    The two have been photographed together numerous times and have been known to share banter across social media.

    “So, I first met Sachin and Arjun at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Maybe 2009 or 2010 when I was with MCC young cricketers and they were training in the nets. Literally I went to the nets and said hello and introduced myself saying I am Danni etc,” Wyatt told cricket.com.

    “Arjun would have been 10 years old back then, he was so small. There is a photo somewhere on Google. I bowled to him that day, he was very good.

    “Since then whenever I bump into Sachin or Arjun or whenever they come to Lord’s to train, I go to the nets and ask him (Arjun) to bowl the new ball to me. But he is getting very quick now.

    “He always says I will bounce you and knock your head off so I don’t like him bowling to me anymore. He is getting too dangerous to face!

    “They are a lovely family. Arjun’s mom is also lovely. Recently, I bumped into Sachin in Australia during the World Cup. It is nice to see them whenever I see them.”

    Wyatt also spoke about her social media back and forths with India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, saying that the two have never actually met each other but she finds his social media antics funny.

    “I have never met Chahal. We follow each other on Instagram and have some good friendly banter towards each other. He is a fantastic bowler and he is absolutely funny on social media too.”

    Sachin Tendulkar Recalls First Memory With Yuvraj Singh

    Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar admires Yuvraj Singh‘s six hitting ability as Yuvi completed one year of his retirement today (June 10).

    One of India’s finest all-rounders, Yuvraj featured in 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is for India. He donned the India colours for the last time in 2017 as an indifferent form and injury issues forced him out of national reckoning.

    Why This Sushant Singh Rajput Aping MS Dhoni Video Going Viral After Bollywood Actor’s Death

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    Times of Sports
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    Sushant Singh Rajput Aping MS Dhoni Video
    Sushant Singh Rajput Aping MS Dhoni Video

    ”Dafnane Se Pehle, Ek Baar Dekh Lo Kahin Kirdar Mein Toh Nahin Hai, Acha Kalakar Hai” (Please look closely before sending him to the grave, he is a good actor), that is what was being said when Bollywood actor died on Sunday, sending the whole nation – which is already suffering, into mourning – that was the impact 34-year-old Sushant Singh Rajput had on the people of this country.

    Sushant – who became an overnight sensation after the success of MS Dhoni – The Untold Story – was found hanging from his house in Bandra on Sunday. It was later revealed that the actor was receiving treatment for depression.

    Among all the videos that are circulating on the social space since his demise, there is one video that has caught the attention of the fans and is going viral. It is a clip which shows how perfectly Sushant had picked up the mannerisms of the cricketer – even the touching of the sleeve and wiping off the sweat – Sushant does it frame by frame and that is winning the internet.

    “And he got every nuance of the batting so perfectly. Every small detail of Dhoni’s batting he captured. Like that shrug of the left shoulder and the way he pulls the left shirt sleeve, he got that right,” Dhoni’s manager Arun Pandey.

    Here is the video:

    Without a doubt, Sushant was considered to be among the finest actors in the country and hence the piece of news of his death had sent the entire nation into mourning.

    Chennai Super Kings Expecting Full-Fledged IPL 2020

    The second-best franchise CSK is hoping to play a full-fledged regular season of the Indian Premier League.

    Despite frequent discussions around the future of the 13th season of Indian Premier League, the BCCI hasn’t been able to find a confirmed slot for the cash-rich league after it was suspended in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Considering the ongoing unprecedented global crisis and uncertainty regarding the future, planning any kind of live event is no mean task. It is due to the same reason that IPL 2020 is yet to find a new slot in cricket’s busy calendar.

    Also read : List of 47 Interesting MS Dhoni Career Records in All formats

     

     

    Cricket Australia Consider Hosting ICC T20 World Cup 2020 as “Unrealistic”

    By
    Times of Sports
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    List of T20world cup winners
    ICC T20 World Cup

    The future of ICC T20 World Cup 2020 and Indian Premier League 2020 continues to play hide and seek as a recent development hints against the former being conducted this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Cricket Australia Chairman Earl Eddings considered hosting a world event amidst a global crisis as “unrealistic”.

    It is worth mentioning that IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel had recently opened up on BCCI waiting for an official announcement on the [postponement of the] T20 World Cup before finalizing the schedule for the 13th season of the cash-rich league.

    With the October-November window being considered to host either of the two spectacular events, a confirmed decision shouldn’t take much time as the global body is likely to meet in the near future.

    Cricket Australia consider hosting ICC T20 World Cup 2020 

    “While it hasn’t been formally called off this year, or postponed, trying to get 16 countries into Australia in the current world, where most countries are still going through COVID spiking, I think it’s unrealistic, or it’s going to be very, very difficult.

    “The ICC are having meetings as we speak, it’s a bit of a movable feast at the moment,” Eddings was quoted as saying by the reporters.

    As Eddings mentioned, inviting players from 16 countries and hosting them in a bio-secure environment calls for daunting logistical challenges for Cricket Australia.

    Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison allowing up to 10,000 spectators in venues with a seating capacity of less than 40,000 had given hopes regarding the World Cup being played on its scheduled time. Having said that, CA Chairman’s latest statement speaks of the otherwise.

    Earlier, Cricket Australia had sent a letter to the International Cricket Council expressing their interest in hosting the T20 World Cup next year.

    Kemar Roach Rules Out On-Field Friendship with Jofra Archer During England Tour

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    Times of Sports
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    Roach rules out on-field friendship with Jofra Archer
    Roach rules out on-field friendship with Jofra Archer

    West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach has pointed out how sweat is a rare phenomenon in England’s “chilly weather”. Having said that, the 31-year old right-arm bowler remained confident of finding ways to shine the ball amidst ban on saliva.

    “The atmosphere out here is pretty chilly so there’s not much sweat that you can produce. There’s plenty of other ways to shine the ball. No saliva’s allowed so it’s pretty tough but we’re coming up with some ways that we can probably get a good gloss onto the ball.

    “It takes a lot more practice but we’re going to keep working at it and then we’ll see what’s the best way going forward,” Roach was quoted as during a video conference.

    Also read : England vs West Indies 2020 Full Fixtures Announced: International Cricket Set to Return in UK From July 8

    Kemar Roach rules out on-field friendship with Jofra Archer

    Roach, who is on his third tour of England, has previously picked 19 wickets in five Tests at an average of 31.68, an economy rate of 3.65 and a strike rate of 52.

    With this being the first time when West Indies will face England pacer Jofra Archer in Test matches, fans are looking forward to see him playing against his native country.

    Roach, who spoke highly of Archer’s skills and his decision of representing England, ruled out any scope of on-field “friendships and stuff”. Laying emphasis on winning, Roach admitted to be looking forward to the intriguing battle with Archer.

    “Jofra [Archer] has made his decision and I think he’s done a fantastic job so far in his career but obviously there’s no friendships and stuff in this series. It’s all about winning and playing hard cricket so when we come up against Jofra I think we’ll devise a fantastic plan to counter him. I’m looking forward to that battle and we as a team are doing the same.

    “I saw him as a youngster in domestic cricket back home in Barbados. I always thought he was talented and he has shown that over the years. He came over here and he has done a fantastic job and I want to wish him all the best for his career,” Roach said.

    Also read : Jofra Archer Predicts Corona Virus in 2014 Check out the Tweet

    Report : Chennai Super Kings Expecting Full-Fledged IPL 2020

    By
    Times of Sports
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    Chennai Super Kings
    Chennai Super Kings(CSK)

    The second-best franchise CSK is hoping to play a full-fledged regular season of the Indian Premier League.

    Despite frequent discussions around the future of the 13th season of Indian Premier League, the BCCI hasn’t been able to find a confirmed slot for the cash-rich league after it was suspended in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Considering the ongoing unprecedented global crisis and uncertainty regarding the future, planning any kind of live event is no mean task. It is due to the same reason that IPL 2020 is yet to find a new slot in cricket’s busy calendar.

    CSK expecting full-fledged IPL 2020

    There is no hiding to the fact that a clear window for IPL 2020 will be available if the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 gets postponed. Considering Cricket Australia’s desire of hosting the world event next year and claiming it to happen this year as “unrealistic“, there are fair chances of IPL replacing the T20 World Cup.

    If IPL 2020 manages to acquire the October-November slot, a potential challenge for the BCCI would be to conduct a full-fledged season. If a source close to Chennai Super Kings is to be believed, the franchise is expecting the BCCI to conduct a full season and not make any change in the format.

    “CSK will be okay with whatever decision the BCCI takes but then they wouldn’t much tinkering of the format. They would want a full-fledged IPL,” the source was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

    Super Kings, who made a comeback into the tournament after a two-year ban in 2018, won that season before ending as runners-up last year. Having won three titles (all under Mahendra Singh Dhoni), Chennai are the second-best franchise after Mumbai Indians who have won four titles (all under Rohit Sharma).

    Also read : Dhoni reveals the true face of his IPL franchise CSK

     

    Kuldeep Yadav Explains Why He And Yuzvendra Chahal Do Not Regularly Feature Together in India XI

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    Times of Sports
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    Kuldeep Yadav Yuzvendra Chahal
    Kuldeep Yadav Yuzvendra Chahal

    Post the 2019 ODI World Cup, the sight of India fielding two of their top wristspinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal together in a playing XI has become rare. The duo had formed a lethal partnership in India’s run-up to the ODI World Cup last year where they would tie down the opposition in the middle overs with some tight bowling and ability to take wickets.

    However, the trend has since changed after some unfavourable results.

    Explaining the change in strategy, Kuldeep says the decision depends on team combination.

    “Wrist spin is not that easy. Chahal and I have bonded well for years. After the World Cup we haven’t played together because it depends on the selection and team combination. You’ve got to be flexible with the team’s requirements,” Kuldeep told The Times of India.

    The chinaman has time and again talked about the influence of MS Dhoni on his bowling as the veteran constantly guides him and other bowlers from behind the stumps. Dhoni hasn’t played competitive cricket for almost a year now and has that reflected on Kuldeep’s bowling?

    Of course. Mahi bhai has always guided me, because the wicketkeeper is always the best judge of the bowler. Someone like Mahi bhai is experienced and has an idea about how a batsman plays. All of this is teamwork. Just because Mahi bhai hasn’t played after the World Cup, I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I don’t need to say if I was dependent on him. I can just work towards bettering my craft and as I said, it’s teamwork,” the 25-year-old said.

    There has been a lot of debate around the saliva ban in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. And Kuldeep reckons that the ban will affect both the pacers and spinners and the habit will be hard to give up.

    “It (saliva ban) will be difficult for every bowling unit. It will affect both fast bowlers and spinners because when you get a good shine on the ball, as a spinner it helps you get drift in the air. Not using saliva will be challenging because we have been using it since childhood. It is an instinctive reaction when you get the ball in your hand. Changing that habit will be a challenge,” Kuldeep, who has 167 wickets across formats, said.

    During the lockdown period, the spinner has been observing videos of his bowling and has identified few things which he will work around.

    “We needed a break, but this has been too long. Safety comes first. If you are not active in your profession, you tend to miss it. I have been watching a lot of videos of my bowling. There are a few fine things that I have noticed, and I will work around these small observations,” he revealed.

    Irfan Pathan Picks the Best Batsman to Bat at No.3 Position For India on Comparing Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni

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    Times of Sports
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    Virat or Dhoni who is best to bat at No.3 position for India
    Virat or Dhoni who is best to bat at No.3 position for India

    Former Team India cricketer Irfan Pathan has expressed his thoughts on how Virat Kohli has the better technique to bat at number 3 for Team India ahead of former Indian skipper MS Dhoni.

    Pathan further claimed that Dhoni himself decided to demote himself from that position, in which he made his mark in international cricket for India after making his ODI debut in 2004.

    “But MS had all the chance to bat at No. 3, he didn’t. Look, I really believe that if you compare Virat and Mahendra Singh Dhoni batting at No. 3, I still feel Virat has a better technique,” Pathan said at a TV show.

    Previously, Gautam Gambhir had said that Dhoni could have smashed more records and scored more runs only if he had batted at No. 3.

    However, ‘Mahi’ batted 16 innings at No. 3 in ODIs for the Men In Blue and smashed 993 runs at an average of 82.75. This is also the highest average among all the positions he has batted at in the ODI format.

    “There’s nothing that I am taking away from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, obviously he has been an absolute legend of the game. Everyone has their own opinion. I will still take Virat any day,” Pathan further said.

    MS Dhoni Runs by Batting position

    POSITIONS INNINGS RUNS AVERAGE BEST 50/100 STRIKE RATE NOT OUTS
    1 2 98 49 96 1/0 86.73 0
    3 16 993 82.75 183* 6/2 99.7 4
    4 30 1358 56.58 109* 12/1 92.82 6
    5 83 3169 50.3 134 18/4 86.16 20
    6 129 4164 47.32 139* 30/1 83.82 41
    7 34 940 44.76 139* 6/2 93.72 13
    8 3 51 17 20 0/0 62.2 0
    TOTAL 297 10773 50.58 183* 73/10 87.56 84

     

    Dhoni also played a majority of his cricket at No. 6, scoring 4164 runs at 47.31.

    The 38-year-old has over-all played 350 ODIs, smashing 10,773 runs at 50.57 with 10 hundred and 73 half-centuries.

    Since India’s semi-final exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 against New Zealand in August last year, MSD hasn’t featured for the Men In Blue.

    The 13th edition of the IPL was supposed to act as a stepping stone for Dhoni to showcase his worth and forge his way back into the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

    Due to the coronavirus outbreak, BCCI decided to postpone the kick-off the IPL 2020 until further notice.

    MS Dhoni Record at No 3

    One crucial thing that’s always in the debate is MS Dhoni’s batting average at No.3, as the legendary wicket-keeper batsman was brilliant at No.3 during his early days of Cricket.

    • MS Dhoni average at No.3 in ODIs is 82.75 in 16 Innings.
    • Also, while playing at No.3, he remained unbeaten four times in the 15 innings.
    • He pushed himself to No.6 on the team’s need, after becoming the captain of the team.
    • The shift from Dhoni as a player to Dhoni as a captain is neatly depicted in this book. It is a must-read and easy-to-read book on Dhoni’s cricketing journey.
    • Most importantly, Dhoni moving down the order allowed Virat Kohli to bat at No.3, and what happened next is history.
    • MS Dhoni’s high score in ODI of 183* off 145 balls also came at No.3 during a successful chase against Sri Lanka.
    • It is the second-highest score in ODI while chasing.

    Also read : “He Obviously Needs to Play. If He Does, He Should for India” : Irfan Pathan on Dhoni

    WATCH : Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina And Shikhar Dhawan Thank CISF For Their Service

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    Times of Sports
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    Sachin Tendulkar Suresh Raina Shikhar Dhawan Thank CISF
    Sachin Tendulkar Suresh Raina Shikhar Dhawan Thank CISF

    Sachin Tendulkar Thanked CISF

    India cricketing superstar Sachin Tendulkar thanked the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel for putting their lives at risk and serving the nation during the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the country.

    CISF’s official Twitter account shared a video posted by Sachin Tendulkar and captioned the tweet saying, “We express our humble gratitude to the legendary cricketer, Bharat Ratna @sachin_rt for his kind words of encouragement motivating our personnel who are at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19. Thank you so much”.

    Suresh Raina’s Tweet 

    Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan also shared video messages for CISF. Suresh Raina in the video thanked the force for serving the country during this tough time and thanked them for taking care of cricketers whenever they play matches in the country.

    CISF’s official Twitter handle tweeted the video captioned it saying, “Thank you @ImRaina for your kind words. Your words of encouragement are a great source of Inspiration for CISF personnel who are at the forefront in the battle against COVID-19. We are equally proud of your achievements”.

    Shikhar’s Message

    Shikhar Dhawan, in his message, also thanked the CISF for helping the country during this crisis and asked the CISF personnel to make sure that they take proper care of themselves as well while serving the nation.

    CISF shared his message on Twitter as well and wrote, “Thank you @SDhawan for your kind words. This will definitely motivate and encourage #coronawarriors of #CISF to continue their service with utmost dedication and sincerity. Thank you so much”.

     

     

    Gary Kirsten Recalls the Seven Minutes Interview Session to Land Himself as India coach

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    Times of Sports
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    Gary Kirsten interview moment with BCCI
    Gary Kirsten : 2011 World cup winning team coach

    Kirsten said that he had received a mail for an interview from Gavaskar, who was part of the coach selection panel. “I got an email from Sunil Gavaskar – would I consider coaching the Indian team,” Kirsten recalled.

    “I thought it was a hoax. I never even answer it. He sent me another email, and said, ‘Will you come for an interview?’. I showed it to the wife, and she said, ‘They must have the wrong person’.

    “So it was a bizarre entry into the whole thing, and rightly so. I mean, I had no coaching experience or anything,” he said.

    Kirsten said when he landed in India for the interview, he met the then captain Anil Kumble and both laughed at the prospect of him being in contention for the position.

    “I went for the interview, it was a bizarre experience in many ways because I kind of arrived at the interview and I see Anil Kumble, who’s the current Indian captain, and he says, ‘What are you doing here?’. I said, ‘I have come for an interview to coach you!’.

    “So we kinda laugh about it. It was quite a laughing matter.”

    Talking about the interview, Kirsten said he had gone unprepared. It was, however, current India coach Ravi Shastri, who was in the selection panel at that time who helped break the ice.

    WATCH Gary Kirsten addresses media after World Cup win

    Gary Kirsten Interview Session with BCCI

    The former Proteas opener said all it took was seven minutes, “I am in this board meeting with these BCCI officials, and it was quite an intimidating environment; the secretary of the board said, ‘Mr. Kirsten, would you like to present your vision for the future of Indian Cricket?’, and I said, ‘Well, I don’t have one.’ No one had asked me to prepare anything for it. I had just arrived there,” Kirsten said.

    “Ravi Shastri, who was on the committee, said to me, ‘Gary, tell us, what did you guys as the South African team do to beat the Indians?’.

    “I thought it was a great ice-breaker because I could answer it and I answered it in about two-three minutes without saying strategies that we kind of probably use to this day.

    “He was suitably impressed, as was the rest of the board because three minutes later I had been in the interview about seven minutes the secretary of the board slides across a contract to me,” he added.

    When he was handed the contract, he said it had outgoing coach Greg Chappell’s name on it.

    “(I) pick up the contract, and the first page, I am looking for my name frantically, and I can’t see my name, but I see Greg Chappell’s name, who was the previous coach.

    “So I slide the contract back and I say, ‘Sir, I think you have given me your previous coach’s contract. He kind of looks at it a little bit perturbed, and takes out a pen from his pocket, scratches out his (Chappell) name, and writes my name on it,” he said.

    As for Kirsten, he went on to become one of the most successful Indian coaches of all time. He guided the Men in Blue to the top of the Test rankings in 2009, and then to the World Cup title two years later.

    Also read : MS Dhoni’s 2011 World Cup Winning Team Had 7-8 Players Who Started Their Careers Under me: Sourav Ganguly

    KL Rahul a Very Good Player; Can’t Wait For India Series: Steve Smith

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    Times of Sports
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    Steve Smith praises KL Rahul

    K.L. Rahul is the Indian batsman who has impressed Steve Smith the most, the prolific Australian cricketer has said.

    Smith was answering his fans on Instagram and when asked about which player has impressed him the most, the ace batsman said: “KL Rahul. Very good player!”

    The former Australian skipper also said he cannot wait for India’s proposed tour later this year, which he expects to be an “awesome” series.

    The first Test of the much-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy is scheduled to be played at Gabba followed by matches at Adelaide Oval, MCG and the SCG starting December 3.

    “Can’t wait. Going to be awesome,” said the 31-year old.

    Dhoni as “legend” and  Virat Kohli is a “freak” : Smith 

    Smith also rated Ravindra Jadeja as the best fielder going around and termed M.S. Dhoni as “legend”. Smith said Virat Kohli is a “freak” when it comes to batting ability.

    Rating the 2015 World Cup win as his best moment so far, Smith also picked his 144 at Birmingham in the first Ashes Test as his favourite Test knock till date.

    Steve Smith mention Dhoni as “legend” and  Virat Kohli is a “freak”

    He added he loved watching Mark Waugh play and when quizzed for a batting tip, he said: “Know how you want to play watching the ball as close and as late as possible.”

    Smith also said the Indian Premier League (IPL) is his favourite tournament. “Tough to beat the IPL. Playing with and against the best players from around the world.”

    The Australian batter also spoke on Pakistan batting sensation Babar Azam, saying the recently appointed ODI captain has a lot of time when he is batting.

    “Very good player, he has a lot of time when he is batting.”

    Smith also said Rahul Dravid is a perfect gentleman and “a seriously good player.” Mohammad Amir is the most skillful bowler Smith said he has faced.

    Also read : KL Rahul Reveals the Toughest Bowler to Keep Wickets in Twitter Q&A Session

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