BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal backs two-week isolation period before India’s tour of Australia 2020-21
There is no hiding to the fact that the novel COVID-19 pandemic has affected the cricket calendar in a significant manner. While the biggest T20 league in the Indian Premier League has already been postponed indefinitely, the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia might also get delayed.
Other than these two premier tournaments, another intriguing fixture involving the Indian players is India’s tour of Australia which is slated to follow the T20 World Cup.
Considering the financial aspect of the tour, it not happening will see Cricket Australia incurring losses in the range of $300m. It was due to the same reason that Cricket Australia had put forward the prospect of playing a five-Test series without spectators at the Adelaide Oval.
In a recent interaction with Nine Entertainment, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) treasurer Arun Dhumal pointed out how confirming the fixtures at this point in time is difficult for both the boards. Dhumal also hinted at finances playing a role in deciding the number of Test and white-ball matches.
“Once we are sure when cricket will resume, then only will we be able to make a final call on that [fixtures]. That discussion [on five Tests] took place before the lockdown. If there is a window available it would be up to the boards to decide whether they wanted to go for a Test match or maybe two ODIs or maybe two T20s.
“Given the revenue loss they [Cricket Australia] will have on account of lockdown, post-lockdown they will want to have revenue and revenue most likely will come from ODIs or T20s much more than a Test match,” Dhumal was quoted as saying by Nine Entertainment.
Arun Dhumal backs two-week isolation period
Despite frequent discussions between the boards and administrators, there still remains a lot of uncertainty regarding when the sport will resume primarily due to the ongoing global crisis.
Most recently, England fast bowler Mark Wood was affirmative about self-isolating for two week before cricket resumes in England. The same will be done to make sure that all people involved in a match are of sound health and are not showing any coronavirus symptoms.
Opening up on a similar note, Dhumal backed the notion of Indian players self-isolating in Australia for over a fortnight before the tour of Australia.
“There is no choice, everyone will have to do that [self-isolate]. You would want to resume the cricket. Two weeks is not that long a lockdown.
“That would be ideal for any sportsman because when you are in quarantine for such a long period, then going to another country and having a two-week lockdown it would be a good thing to do. We’ll have to see what the norms are post this lockdown,” Dhumal said.
Jos Buttler expresses admiration for MS Dhoni The English wicket-keeper batsman recently eulogized the legendary Indian cricketer.
England and Rajasthan Royals wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler admits feeling the pressure while playing as an overseas player in the Indian Premier League.
Speaking in an interaction with Lancashire cricket, 29-year old Buttler talked about how being among four overseas players in an IPL XI brings its own pressure.
“It was one of pressures you have to learn, especially in India, as an overseas player, you are one of the four in the team and you know the other four who are not playing are also world class players. So you are under pressure to perform
“So, that’s been a great learning curve. One of the things I came out with from the first IPL is to just learn to deal with the chaos,” Buttler was quoted as saying.
Buttler, who made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2016, scored 255 runs in 14 matches at an average of 23.18 and a strike rate of 138.58.
In 31 IPL matches in the next three seasons (one for Indians and two for Royals), the right-hand batsman scored 1,131 runs at an average of 40.39 and a strike rate of 153.88 including nine half-centuries.
Jos Buttler expresses admiration for MS Dhoni
Buttler, who has in the past admired veteran India wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni, once again eulogized the 38-year old player and considered watching him as a “great lesson”.
“MS Dhoni has always been a big idol of mine and chaos is always going around him, people wanting a bit of him, the cricket and the noise. It is such a great lesson to just watch him and see first hand how to manage all that thing if you have to perform at the top level and perform in those crunch moment, that certainly has been one of the massive pluses,” Buttler added.
It is worth mentioning that 31 out of Buttler’s 252 international outings have come with Dhoni being in the opposition team. In his idol’s presence, Buttler has scored 715 runs across formats at an average of 31.08 and a strike rate of 92.02 including five half-centuries.
Top seven Cricket World Cup winning Iconic moments
The 12th edition of the ICC cricket world cup had been won by the English team in 2019. This is the first time that England has won the cricket world cup. This was the first time that the winner of the final match is declared on the basis of maximum boundary count.
There are 12 World Cup tournaments being held till date. Australia is the most success country which won 5 World Cups. India & West Indies are the only two countries which have won the world cup 2 times each.
India won the World Cup in 1983 and 2011, while West Indies won in 1975 and 1979. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the other two countries that have won the World Cup in 1992 and 1996 respectively. England is the only country which lost 3 finals and hosted the world cup 5 times.
Following are the top seven iconic cricket world cup final moments
Viv Richards’ hundred in the 1979 world cup final
In 1979, one of the supreme team of the world which had spectacular group of players won the world cup. Clive Lloyd and co lifted the World Cup trophy and proved that West Indies though is small in population but is big when it comes to cricket. West Indies established the top position in the world. Courtesy: Sir Vivian Richards.
A majestic 138 not out from Richards against England in the final is still moment to cherish for some audience. The West Indies were four down at 99, Richards came to the crease and ended up helping them to 286. With the lower order collapsing, Richards on other hand finished the innings with a bang. It proved a big target for England and sealed their second World Cup win.
Viv Richards’ hundred in the 1979 world cup final
Kapil Dev’s catch in 1983 world cup final
India gave a meager target of 184 for Caribbean Kings. West Indies were on the course to lift third World Cup win until Viv Richards got himself out. Vivian Richards’ was already the man in form for West Indies. He completely dominated the bowlers of India but hooked one off Madan Lal, only to mistime it.
The ball pushed away towards the mid-wicket fence. Indian captain Kapil Dev, was already deployed at short mid-wicket, he ran backwards. A run of a few yards and Kapil bagged it over his shoulder. Kapil made it look simple. What followed was distrust at first and then it was mayhem. The King was back in the pavilion. Indian team left the big sigh of relief.
Kapil Dev’s catch in 1983 world cup final
Gatting’s reverse sweep in 1987 world cup final
English fans are still waiting for their side to win the first ever World Cup win. This might not be the case if it were not for Mike Gatting’s dismissal in 1987! The world cup final of 1987 took place at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens against Australia.
England held their Ashes rivals to 253. They looked to be on course for victory. Chasing Australia’s target, Mike Gatting and Bill Athey were cruising to a win at 135-2. It was Aussie captain decided to bowl his left-arm off-spin. Facing the first delivery, Gatting opted to go for daring reverse sweep. He made contact with the ball but only managed to deflect it via his own shoulder, letting Australia wicketkeeper Greg Dyer to take it. Gatting’s wicket proved costly, England lost their wickets consecutively and felt seven runs short of their target.
Gatting’s reverse sweep in 1987 world cup final
Akram’s swing destroys Englishmen
Wasim Akram, fondly known as ‘Swing of Sultan’ was the mastermind behind Pakistan’s victory in 1992 world cup final against England. Akram was a bowler equipped with skills to beat the batsmen both in the air and off the wicket. He showed his class in this final not only with the bowl but with the bat too. Akram hit a quick 33 and gave England to chase 241 at the MCG, Australia.
In the reply, England slipped to 69-4 but thanks to Allan Lamb and Neil Fairbrother who fixed the early damage a stand of 72 for fifth wicket. However, Akram on other side put paid to any shine of hope England to conquer the trophy. The left-arm seamer dismissed Lamb and new batsman Chris Lewis in two successive deliveries. This was the most iconic moment for the Green Army. Pakistan went on to win the match by 22 runs, permitting captain Imran Khan to lift the trophy.
Akram’s swing destroys Englishmen
When Sri Lanka stunned Australia
‘March 17, 1996’, this date will be carved on Sri Lankan cricket fans’ hearts. It was the world cup final between Australia and Sri Lanka. This was the day when Sri Lanka team led by Arjuna Ranatunga shocked not only Australia but the entire world to lift the world cup. Coming to the big final after defeating India and England, Sri Lanka looked in formidable shape.
In the final against Australia, Sri Lankan bowlers restricted Kangaroos at 241. Aravinda de Silva, claimed three wickets in nine overs. In a return, Sri Lanka lost two wickets at just 23 runs. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, Aravinda de Silva, who impressed first with the ball stood strong in front of Aussies. He scored the most crucial ton of his career. His knock of 107 took helped Lankan lions to win the world cup. Aravinda was awarded with Man of the Match.
When Sri Lanka stunned Australia
Gilchrist’s ‘squash’ secret
Australia’s wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist wasn’t in the form of his life during the 2007 world cup. Somebody has said it right, “Big players rise on big occasions”, these words hold true for this man.
In 2007, Gilly was struggling with his grip because his bottom hand proved to be too commanding for him to avoid silly wickets. Batting coach of OZ Bob Meuleman suggested him to pleat a squash ball in left glove to keep the last few fingers away from gripping the bat. This worked, and how? His knock of 149 led Australia to complete a hat-trick of World Cups.
Adam Gilchrist in 2007 world cup
Dhoni ‘finishes off in style’, Sachin wins it
India lifted its second World Cup trophy after a 28-long wait, a historic moment itself. A blistering century from Mahela Jayawardene and quick-fire innings from Thisara Perera gave India a target of 275 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai in 2011 ICC world cup final. India got a shaky start with Sachin and Sehwag returning to the pavilion at low score. Gautam Gambhir’s 97 made him unsung hero of the match. But it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who played a captain’s knock of 91 and finishing off the final by banging Nuvan Kulasekara for a six. One more memorable moment of the final was bowing out as a champion on home turf was the fairytale finish to Sachin Tendulkar‘s World Cup career.
One more interesting thing happened during this match. Not only did India win its second World Cup but the toss was also done twice. When Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara called ‘heads’, Mahendra Singh Dhoni misheard him due to the noise at Wankhede. Assuming he won the toss, Dhoni had elected to bat. However, Sangakkara mediated and both the skippers decided to go for another toss.
Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli: Who is better? Jasprit Bumrah answers
Yuvraj Singh was a popular slow left-arm orthodox for team India. However, on Sunday, he was seen throwing bouncers and yorkers to India’s No.1 pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The two were engaged in an Instagram live session playing a ‘rapid-fire’ round.
Jasprit Bumrah was provided 5 seconds to answer each question. And Yuvraj Singh ensured that it took him more than that to answer. He threw tricky questions after questions to put Bumrah in a tight spot. When Jasprit refused to answer, Yuvraj pushed hard for an answer.
The first question was rather straightforward – “Virat Kohli or Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will be your fitness idol?”
“Zlatan. Not my fitness idol but he is my idol in general,” Bumrah answered.
However, the very next question put Jasprit in a quandary.
“Who do you think is the best batsman? Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar,” Yuvraj asked.
“Yuvi pa, look it’s been only 4 years I have been playing international cricket. I am giving you a long answer. I am not experienced enough to judge them. Virat Tendulkar or Sachin Kohli. I am in no position because they have played a lot more cricket than me,” Bumrah replied.
“I am not asking for your autobiography here. You were told the rules of the round clearly. You needed to answer each question in less than 5 seconds. I want a clear answer. Between them, who is your favourite,” Yuvraj said, cornering Bumrah.
“This is like asking me to choose between you and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni). Everybody is the same for me. I have equal respect for all of you” Bumrah said.
When Yuvraj pushed him, Bumrah finally revealed, “Paaji (Tendulkar) has lots of fans across the world. Let me pick paaji.”
Yuvraj moved on to another tricky question – “Yuvraj Singh or MS Dhoni. Who is your favourite middle-order batsmen?”
However, this time around, Jasprit wasn’t going to answer.
“Yuvi pa, I have grown up seeing you and Mahi bhai (Dhoni) winning matches together for India. Why are you asking me such questions?” Bumrah said, “See, all the players who have mentioned here are my favourites. I can’t choose between them. Growing up, I was a fan of both of you.”
“Do you remember the Cuttack ODI where you registered your highest one-day score? The entire dressing room was elated that day because, for me, I grew up feeling happy whenever you both stitched a partnership together. It’s a genuine answer I can’t pick one,” he said.
Lastly, Yuvraj Singh quipped about
“Who do you think is a better off-spinner? R Ashwin or Harbhajan Singh,” Yuvraj asked.
“Why so many controversial questions for me? I have played with Ash (Ashwin). But I have grown up seeing Harbhajan Singh. So Bhajju pa, it is,” Bumrah answered.
Andre Russell on missing IPL and 'all the good vibe' in India
Due to the spread of live threatening corona virus, globally all activities has been pushed to halt. The most awaited 13th edition of Indian Premier League also face the same fate as BCCI suspend the IPL till further notice.
In that series CSK’s Ambati Rayudu Picks Favourite IPL Team Between CSK and Mumbai Indians. West Indies all-rounder and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cricketer Andre Russell said that the coronavirus situation is preventing him from doing what he does best.
“It’s not a situation that anyone would want to be in. It is affecting the whole world, and it is affecting me, preventing me from hitting those sixes and do what I do best,” said Russell while speaking on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.
Nothing can keep @Russell12A away from his favourite sport 🏏💪🤩
Can you hit him for a SIX if he’s bowling at this pace? 😂
Russell also added that he is missing the cash-rich event. He even asked everyone to stay safe as that is the only thing that can be done.
“I would have been in India right now enjoying the atmosphere and all the good vibes there, but we have to stay as safe as we can at the moment,” he added
The 32-year-old cricketer confessed that he gets the “most goosebumps” while playing in the IPL, even more than playing at home in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
“Let me confess something, IPL is where I get the most goosebumps. I get that in the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) as well, but when it comes to playing in the IPL, especially at Eden Gardens, there is no comparison to that crowd,” said Russell.
“When I walk out before facing a ball, the welcome I get is love, and yes it puts pressure on me. But it’s a good kind of pressure,” he added.
The batsman had made his IPL debut with Delhi Daredevils in 2012, but due to limited opportunities and injuries, he was restricted to a handful of games in the first two editions. Currently, he is one of the biggest stars of the league with KKR.
Harbhajan Singh demands bowler-friendly wickets in case use of saliva gets banned
Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh has put human life over cricket when asked about whether the 13th season of the Indian Premier League should take place or not in the wake of the novel COVID-19.
Apart from affecting the cricketing schedule in a huge manner, the novel COVID-19 pandemic has also possessed a drastic doubt on one aspect of the game, i.e., the customary way of shining the ball with sweat or saliva.
“I do not know what decisions the government and BCCI take on the future of IPL. Honestly, even if IPL doesn’t happen for the first time in 13 years I think that is fine. We can’t force to have cricket seeing the serious situation we all are in. Human life comes first, cricket can wait,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Harbhajan, who readily agreed to play IPL 2020 without spectators a month ago, was slated to represent Chennai Super Kings in the biggest T20 league around the world.
Harbhajan Singh demands bowler-friendly wickets
There is no hiding to how the global pandemic has affected cricketing schedules at the highest level. In addition to the scheduling changes, cricket might also have to do away with an age-old practice of shining the ball with saliva considering the potential danger it possesses.
Accepting that the ban on saliva will be followed for some time, Harbhajan demanded for bowler-friendly wickets to make sure that balance between the bat and the ball stays intact.
“I think the ban on saliva and sweat will be here to stay. It will be very, very difficult for bowlers. In this scenario, pitches should be made [in a way] that a bowler can get some help. I mean if a bowler cannot even shine the ball to improve his bowling, he should at least not be given paata [flat] wickets,” Harbhajan said.
Speaking on similar lines, Australia all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne also urged players to “make sacrifices” to make sure that the sport resumes in the near future. It is worth mentioning that noted Australian sports manufacturer Kookaburra have come up with a cricket ball shine polish as a replacement of human saliva to shine the ball.
Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik is among the few cricketers who have played for as many as seven franchises in the cash rich league.
Considering him representing Delhi Capitals twice (2008-10 and 2014), Karthik has had to change teams eight times in 13 years. Karthik, who was named as the captain by Knight Riders in 2018, considers his current team as the Best IPL franchise.
“KKR is, without doubt, the best franchise I have played for and I feel honoured to lead this team. In my first year at KKR, we did very well, we almost made it to the final but lost in semis.
“It was a great season, we had a lot of young guys and we did our best to push forward the result. I need to do something special and help them cross the line,” Karthik was quoted as saying by Times of India.
Dinesh Karthik gives reason behind wanting to play IPL 2020
Had it not been for the novel COVID-19 playing spoilsport, Karthik would have been leading Kolkata in IPL 2020. Being asked about the future of the tournament, Karthik expressed his interest in playing IPL 2020 to learn from two limited-over greats of the game.
“One of the reasons why I want this IPL to happen is to be able to work with Brendon [McCullum] and Eoin Morgan. These are the two people I genuinely want to rub shoulders with. I can learn so much from these two people. A coach can do more in IPL. He can get into the tactical part of the game and help the leaders to formulate the plan,” Karthik said.
McCullum, who had represented Knight Riders twice (2008-10 and 2012-13), was roped in as head coach ahead of IPL 2020 auction. Morgan, who had played for KKR in 2011 and 2013, was included for his second stint as a batsman in IPL 2020 auction.
Decided to Forget all About Social Distancing: Sachin Tendulkar Recalls First-ever Desert Storm
Every Indian cricket fan who has seen Sachin Tendulkar bat in his prime vividly remembers his twin hundreds in 3 days against Australia in the Coca Cola Cup in Sharjah in 1998. On April 22, 1998, Sachin hit a magnificent hundred to drive India into the final of the tri-series even after the Indian chase was interrupted by a ferocious Desert Storm. In a recent chat-show, Sachin revealed the emotions he went through as the storm hit the stadium and his subsequent feeling at the revised target.
Sachin felt that he felt frustrated at the revised target and all the calculations went for a toss when 4 overs were reduced with just 9 runs deducted from India’s target.
“We went inside the dressing room thinking of the new revised target, what it would be. Eventually (when play resumed) we had 46 overs but if I’m not mistaking only 8-9 runs were deducted from the target so I was quite upset. When we plan a chase we do it according to the full quota of overs and suddenly 4 overs are taken out and only 9-10 runs are deducted That is where your calculations go for a toss,” Sachin recalled on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected’.
Mind you, Sachin’s hundred was not enough for India to win the game but it was more than sufficient for the Men in Blue to earn a place in the final against the same opponent 2 days later, by leaving behind New Zealand on account of a higher run-rate.
However, Sachin said that he was ready to hold on to Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist in order to survive the storm as it was a totally new experience for him.
“This was my first ever experience. I had never seen a desert storm like that. When I saw that, the first thought was that I was gonna get blown away by this. Adam Gilchrist was standing right behind me. The storm was so strong that I decided to forget about all social distancing and was ready to hold on to him because if the storm blows me away then at least there will be an 80-90 kilos Adam Gilchrist with me, so I was thinking literally like that, that’s when the umpires decided to leave the field,” Sachin said.
Sachin duly made amends for the previous match by smashing another hundred in the final as India beat Australia to lift the trophy.
Virat Kohli, arguably the greatest batsman in modern-day cricket, has been setting the bar for following generations. Kohli’s ability with the bat sets him apart from the rest and his thirst for triumph has seen him making the unreal also look very real.
Virat Kohli has grown alongside the IPL, turning from a tenacious teenager to a modern great in twelve years. Kohli has been with Royal Challengers Bangalore since the first season when RCB acquired his services for Rs 20 lakh.
Despite having a mediocre start to IPL, the current India skipper slowly gained ground and established himself as the best in the world in few years time.
Kohli’s brilliance with the bat can be justified by the records he owns in IPL. One of them being the record of scoring most runs in the tournament’s history as Kohli has amassed 5412 runs with an average of 37.84.
However, Virat Kohli has failed to own an IPL title as a captain despite having an enviable record as a batsman in the league and being only the fourth skipper to lead an IPL side for more than 100 matches.
“You mean IPL? I don’t really care whether I am judged on this or not”
The words were spoken by Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli in response to criticism over his captaincy in the cash-rich league. Kohli has indeed been unable to emulate his success at the international level as the skipper of the Indian team when it comes to the Indian Premier League.
Matches as captain – 110 Won – 49 Win% – 47.16 IPL titles – 0
Virat Kohli has a win percentage of 47.16 with 49 wins and 55 losses with the RCB. If we look at his record as a captain, it’s statistically visible that Kohli holds lowest win percentage among players who have captained an IPL team in 100 or more matches. MS Dhoni has the highest win percentage of 60.11 as skipper followed by Rohit Sharma who has a win percentage of 58.65.
India’s most-successful Test captain has struggled, to say the least, in the IPL since he took over the reign of RCB 7 years ago. Many cricket experts and former cricketers have also written off Kohli as a skipper for his underwhelming performance as a leader in the IPL.
But the most baffling issue is that RCB as a team has always boasted of some solid cricketers who are proven performers at different levels. So much so, that it has one of the biggest fan bases among the franchises that are part of the T20 league.
Gautam Gambhir had fired the first salvo when he said Kohli has been lucky to have captained so long in the IPL.
“I don’t see him as a shrewd captain, I don’t see him a tactful captain (tactician). While Virat Kohli the batsman is an absolute master, Virat Kohli the captain is an apprentice. He has loads to learn. Rather than blaming the bowlers, he should take the blame on himself,” Gambhir said.
Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar spoke about the match-fixing era in the squad and how he would not have listened to Wasim Akram if he had approach him regarding the same. Earlier Shoaib Akhtar has named Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar as one of the “greatest batsman of all time”.
Shoaib Akhtar is known for his aggressive and fast bowling. The speedster who has said he ready to share the knowledge he has for the game is now open to coach Indian bowlers.
Akhtar, in an interview on social networking app Helo, said, “I will definitely. My job is to spread knowledge. What I have learned is (ilm) knowledge and I will spread it. I will produce more aggressive, fast and more talkative bowlers than the current ones who will tell-off the batsmen in a way that you will enjoy a lot”.
The Indian pacers namely Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Umesh Yadav are currently in form and are one of the best fast bowling units in the world.
“I had seen him but didn’t know how big a name he was in India. In Chennai, I got to know that he was known as a God in India. Mind you, he is a very good friend of mine. In 1998, when I bowled as fast as I could, the Indian public celebrated with me. I have a big fan following in India,” Akhtar said.
Akhtar is known to be vocal about his thoughts and does not feel shy from expressing it. He was recently part of the controversy when he had slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its advisor Tafazzul Rizvi. However, the former cricketer said that he stands by his words.
He had also said that the PCB had wasted the talent of Imran Nazir. He felt the cricketer was more talented than Virender Sehwag, but he fizzled away after a bright start.
“I don’t think Imran Nazir had the brain that Sehwag had. I don’t think Sehwag had the talent that Imran Nazir had. Nazir had more talent, there is no comparison with regards to talent. We tried to contain him a little,” Akhtar was quoted as saying on a TV show by Cricket Pakistan.
Ben Stokes to run half marathon to raise funds for health workers
England’s World Cup-winning all-rounder Ben Stokes will run his maiden half marathon on Tuesday to raise funds for a charity and hospitals battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a video message posted on Instagram, Stokes said he was inspired by three men calling themselves the ‘Cricket Garden Marathon Team’, who ran full marathons in their own backyards, to run and raise funds for Britain’s National Health Services (NHS) and the Chance to Shine foundation.
“(A half marathon) is always been something that I’ve thought about doing a but never really got around to ever doing it,” Stokes said.
“Obviously we’ve been in lockdown so I thought what a great opportunity to go out and if I’m going to do it I might as well try and raise some funds,” he added.
Admitting that the furthest he has ever run is 8km, the 28-year-old hopes his effort will encourage people to donate to the page set up by the Cricket Garden Marathon team.
“I will be hopefully inspiring people to make some donations towards the Cricket Garden Marathon, I’m just trying to add some more funds to what they’ve managed to do.
Stokes added that the Chance to Shine foundation is very close to his heart as it works to provide all children the opportunity to play, learn and develop through cricket.
“They are supporting NHS and are also supporting Chance to Shine which is obviously got a very close attachment to cricket, which is what I am.”
Cricketers have been doing their bit to help the needy in the ongoing crisis.
Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel opens up on awards received by Ricky Ponting during IPL 2019
Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel has revealed that he had doubts after being released by Kings XI Punjab ahead of IPL 2019. Patel, who had made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2013, represented Kings XI in 68 IPL matches till 2018.
Speaking in an Instagram live session with Capitals, Patel talked about how his first couple of days at Delhi were different and how he eventually went on to adjust well with the players.
“I was skeptical at first because I had spent five years at the Punjab franchise, and I didn’t know where my future would lie. But when I was picked up by Delhi Capitals, I was really excited because the team had so many players I had played with before.
“It was a bit different in the first couple days when I joined the pre-season camp, but it took me no time to adjust into the team due to the mood in the squad,” Patel was quoted as saying.
Delhi Capitals’ Axar Patel opens up on awards received by Ricky Ponting during IPL 2019
In the 14 T20s that Patel played for Capitals in IPL 2019, he picked 10 wickets at an average of 36.40, an economy rate of 7.13 and a strike rate of 30.60. The limited opportunities with the bat that he got saw Patel scoring 110 runs at an average of 18.33 and a strike rate of 125.
Patel, who played for DC under his India and India A teammate in Shreyas Iyer, opened up about how the 25-year old skipper gives freedom to his bowlers and remains patient on the field.
“I’ve played with Shreyas at India A also, and when I came to Delhi Capitals, it was really easy for me because we bond really well. On the field, he gives freedom to his bowlers, and lets you adjust the fields. He is quite patient as well, and I have really enjoyed playing under him,” Patel said.
In a fresh development, Patel revealed how head coach Ricky Ponting used to give separate ‘Man of the Match’ awards to players who contributed well during the last season of the Indian Premier League.
“Ricky [Ponting] would give a separate Man of the Match Award in the dressing room for someone who used to contribute to the team. I ended up winning it five times, and it ended up being a good recognition for me personally, and it felt good to have contributed to the team’s victories,” Patel added.
