Mumbai Indians bowling specialist Lasith Malinga is replaced with Australian pacer James Pattinson for IPL 2020. After CSK’s Suresh Raina it’s Malinga who requested unavailability for the season for personal reasons and wants to be with family back home in Sri Lanka.
Lasith Malinga replacement:
As soon as the announcement Mumbai Indians (MI) signed Australian speedster James Pattinson as a replacement for Malinga for season 13 of the tournament.
Lasith Malinga will miss this season’s #Dream11IPL with Australian speedster James Pattinson replacing him.
“James is the right fit for us and adds to our pace attack options available at hand especially for the conditions we will play in this season in UAE,” the club said in a statement.
“Lasith is a legend and a pillar of MI’s strength. There is no denying the fact that we will miss Lasith’s cricketing acumen this season. However, we fully understand Lasith’s need to be in Sri Lanka with his family during this time.
Mumbai Indians are founded on the values of ‘One Family’ and for us, the members of our squad and their wellbeing will always hold utmost importance. We welcome James to our One Family.” it added.
Lasith Malinga plays a key role in many matches to move Mumbai Indians towards victory. The Yorker king originally from Sri Lanka plays for Mumbai Indians since 2008.
He became their leading bowler in this format and leading bowler in the competition in terms of wickets taken. Sachin Tendulkar, the ex-Mumbai Indians captain, described Malinga as an important cog in the Indians’ game plan after the retirement of captain Shaun Pollock, who represented the team in the first season.
He won the Purple Cap award (most wickets) in the fourth season of the Indian Premier League with 28 scalps in 16 matches.
IPL 2020 is scheduled to play in UAE from September 19 with finals planned on November 10. After a lot of hurdles, BCCI decides to host the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League in UAE.
Why IPL 2020 Hosts by UAE?
Owing to the increase in the COVID-19 pandemic, BCCI pushed to shift the IPL 2020 to UAE. Emirates Cricket Board(ECB) announces the rules and precaution measures to be followed in UAE to play IPL 2020.
According to this, the franchises are restricted to carry a limited number of persons along with the players.
Abu Dhabi Cricket and the Zayed Cricket Stadium are taking all possible precautions to ensure the preparation for the IPL 2020 goes off without a hitch.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Two teams – Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders – are based in the capital city and using the stadium for training and practice purposes.
Precaution measures By UAE:
Workers in full hazmat suits regularly disinfect the area and patrol the site where players have to practice. When one team leaves, the area is fully sprayed before the other is allowed in.
“The protection of the players and staff is paramount,” Matt Boucher, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Cricket, said.
Matt Boucher, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Cricket
“There are 16 brand new world-class grass net surfaces here, which is an amazing proposition for us to offer both Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders.
“We’ve also taken the liberty to enclose a full-size AstroTurf football pitch for all their aerobic fitness training and fielding drills and the ICC-accredited Tolerance Oval.”
The site is seen as an extension of the quarantine zone of the team hotel, such as the level of care taken to ensure the area remains disinfected.
“The whole air bridge facility is completely private and exclusive for team usage. Nobody from outside the permitted team members is allowed inside Zone 1,” said Boucher.
“It is a strictly monitored and completely fenced off single-access quarantine facility. Only players and support staff of the practicing team are allowed inside that site at a certain time.
“We’re extremely grateful to all the relevant parties at the Government of Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Sports Council for allowing our Abu Dhabi hosted teams to use this amazing private practice facility.”
The IPL is set to begin on September 19. However, the schedule for the tournament is yet to be announced.
After Pakistan and West Indies, England now hosts Australia(England vs Australia), Schedule has been released by England. England continues to host teams as a busy home summer continues for the world champions.
After successfully hosting the West Indies and Pakistan, England is now set to host Australia in a limited-over series consisting of three T20Is and as many ODIs before the players head to the UAE for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 or continue their campaign in the Vitality T20 Blast in England.
Australia will end their six-month-long break from cricket as they will first take on an in-form England in a T20I series starting Friday, September 4 before locking horns in the ODI series in what promises to be a cracker of a tour.
While the T20I series will be held at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, the three-match ODI will be hosted by Old Trafford in Manchester.
England vs Australia Schedule:
T20 Schedule:
Match
Date
Venue
Time
1st T20I
England v Australia
Friday, 4 September
The Ageas Bowl
10:30 PM
2nd T20I
England v Australia
Sunday, 6 September
The Ageas Bowl
6:45 PM
3rd T20I
England v Australia
Tuesday, 8 September
The Ageas Bowl
10:30 PM
ODI Match Schedule:
Match
Date
Venue
Time
1st ODI
England v Australia
Friday 11 September
Emirates Old Trafford
5:30 PM
2nd ODI
England v Australia
Sunday 13 September
Emirates Old Trafford
5:30 PM
3rd ODI
England v Australia
Wednesday 16 September
Emirates Old Trafford
5:30 PM
Squad Details:
England Squad (T20I): Eoin Morgan (Middlesex, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Sam Billings (Kent), Jos Buttler (Lancashire, wkt), Sam Curran (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Mark Wood (Durham)
Australia is expected to announce its squad soon for the England tour. While the expected players to get participate in ODI and T20’s against England are as follows:Australia squad: Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (VC), Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam
Deepak Chahar, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week along with 12 other Chennai Super Kings (CSK) members, announced on Tuesday that he is recovering well and is trying his best to keep fit.
Last Friday, the CSK training camp was rocked by the dreaded coronavirus as Chahar along with a few net bowlers, some members of CSK’s digital/social media team, and a CSK team official, too, had tested positive.
After the virus scare, Suresh Raina’s exit from the tournament owing to “personal reasons” created quite a stir as well.
Deepak Chahar Recovered:
The 28-year-old seamer took to social media on Tuesday to calm down the tension around the subject. “Hello everyone, thank you so much for your wishes and prayers. I’ve recovered well and hopefully be in action soon. One more thing, never miss your leg day no matter where you are and what condition you are,”Chahar’s tweet said.
Thank you all for your love and prayers 🙏..I am better now and trying my best to keep myself fit..hopefully you will see me in action very soon..
Keep showering your love ❤️and never miss your leg day 😁#ipl#legday#ipl2020#recoverypic.twitter.com/MXetVO7vob
CSK’s CEO Kasi Viswanathan told PTI that apart from the 13, all the other players and support staff have tested negative for coronavirus in the tests carried out on Monday.
“All others, apart from the 13, have tested negative for COVID-19. They will have to undergo another test on Thursday, September 3. We are likely to start training on Friday, September 4,” Viswanathan told PTI.
“Deepak and Ruturaj [Gaikwad] will complete their 14-day quarantine and then join training after two negative tests as per protocol.”
Franchises and Broadcaster show their interest in hosting warm-up games before the opening match in IPL 2020.
With less than 3 weeks away from the IPL 2020 the schedule has not been released officially. Usually, the IPL schedule will release prior to a month of the tournament.
This year IPL has been scheduled to begin from September 19 in UAE after a lot of hurdles due to the coronavirus pandemic. The delay in schedule makes that IPL fans to worry about the certainty of hosting IPL in UAE.
In addition to that, nearly 12 CSK players have been found to affected by COVID-19 after reaching UAE.
IPL Warm-up Games?
Franchises Are In Need Of Warm-up Games:
According to a report, the majority of the franchises want a warm-up game before the tournament opener on September 19.
“Having some competitive warm-up games will be good for the tournament,” a leading franchise executive has told.
Another franchise CEO has also expressed his “100 percent support to the idea of warm-ups.”
Two other franchisees have in-fact told that “warm-ups are the only way to get players back in the tournament mode right from day one” as they have not set foot on a cricket field for more than five months.
Broadcaster Too Interested in Warn-up Games:
Even the broadcaster Star is in favor of holding warm-up games. Although Star refused to comment, those in the know said that “they are in the favour of the idea and are also keen on their broadcast as it will help build anticipation for IPL.”
The Indian Premier League is scheduled to start on September 19 which matches to be played across three venues in UAE—Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai.
All the teams have hit the ground running with the exception of Chennai Super Kings whose 13 staff members and 2 players have tested positive of Covid-19.
Most of the cricketers haven’t played a game for more than five months and are desperate to get some match practice before the multi-million dollar league begins.
CSK Suresh Raina answers to the rumors and clarifies the actual reason behind his sudden return to India from UAE. After completing the camp in Chennai CSK players moved to UAE to get part in IPL 2020.
After reaching UAE Suresh Raina left to India on August 29 which arises multiple rumors from different angles. Earlier Suresh Raina said that due to personal reasons he left for India which coincides with the merciless attack on his Uncle’s family in Punjab.
Raina Dhoni Fight?
After he left UAE many rumors start to spread regarding his non-participant in IPL 2020. One of the top rumors most of them believed and also that was started by one of the senior journalists Sumanth C Raman is “Dhoni Raina Fight”.
Many comments that though they(Dhoni & Raina) announced their retirement at the same time (August 15) they start to have a different opinion in CSK camp at Chennai.
Suresh Raina Answers To Rumors:
In an exclusive interview to Cricbuzz, the 33-year-old dismisses reports of there being a rift between him and Chennai Super Kings and refers to N Srinivasan’s comments about him as a “father scolding his son”.
Raina also reveals to have been concerned about his young family back home in the wake of the unfortunate incident involving his uncle while hinting that he might end up returning to the IPL camp.
Source: CSK official twitter Account
“It was a personal decision and I had to come back to my family. There was something that needed to be addressed immediately on the home front,”Raina told Cricbuzz.
There have been various reports suggesting a rift between the IPL’s second-highest run-getter and the CSK team management but the former India cricketer denied them, terming his decision to quit CSK camp a ‘tough’ one.
Suresh Raina Points CSK as His Second Family:
“CSK is my family too and Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) is very important to me and this was a tough decision. There is no issue between CSK and me,” Raina added.
Raina, who has represented CSK in all 10 seasons the franchise has been a part of the IPL, said he is looking forward to playing IPL for the next four-five years.
“Nobody will just turn their back on Rs 12.5 crore and walk away without a solid reason. I might have retired from international cricket but I’m still young and I am looking forward to playing for them in the IPL for the next 4-5 years,” Raina added.
“I have a young family back home and I was concerned about the fact that if something happened to me,” Raina said. “My family is most important to me and I am really concerned about them during these times. I haven’t seen my kids for more than 20 days, even after coming back, since I am in quarantine.”
Raina’s Family Attacked:
Raina had tweeted seeking help from the government and police after his close relatives were attacked in Pathankot.
“The Pathankot incident was horrible and has really been very disturbing for everyone in our family. And it was my responsibility to come back and take care of them. But since I’ve returned, I’ve been in quarantine here. So, I still have to go meet my parents and my bua who are all in great distress,” the 33-year-old added.`
Till date we don’t know what exactly had happened that night & who did this. I request @PunjabPoliceInd to look into this matter. We at least deserve to know who did this heinous act to them. Those criminals should not be spared to commit more crimes. @capt_amarinder@CMOPb
13 CSK personnel including two cricketers had tested positive for Covid-19 giving rise to question marks on the bio-secure bubble in the UAE, but Raina said the BCCI doing is a commendable job for everyone’s security.
“The team management and BCCI are doing a very commendable job keeping everyone safe. This has never been done before and it’s new for everyone. It’s a highly secure environment and no one without access can move anywhere. We were all inside our rooms with no human interaction and there was a test every 2 days,” Raina said.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday announced CRED as an official partner of the Indian Premier League(IPL) 2020. Earlier BCCI announces that Unacademy will join the sponsor club after Dreram11.
After VIVO’s decision of pulling out of the IPL 2020 title sponsor, many companies get in to bag the title sponsor. Finally Dream11 bags the 2020 title sponsor.
In addition to Dream11 and Unacademy, CRED jointly sponsors the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League 2020. CRED is a Bangalore based credit card bill payment platform. The 13th IPL is scheduled to be held in UAE from September 19 to November 10.
At the end of every game, CRED will reward the Payer of the Match where the 100th or the highest bill-payer during each match will win ₹100,000 in prize money, said the company’s statement.
“IPL 2020 is kicking off the festive season this year, and at CRED we wanted to make the party extra special for millions of cricket lovers tuning in. As much as cricket is about discipline and strategy, it’s also a rewarding experience for players and viewers. By making credit card bill payments equally delightful, we are incentivizing every credit card-holder watching the matches to make digital payments, clear debt and improve their credit scores,”said Kunal Shah, Founder & CEO, CRED.
IPL 2020 Schedule:
The 13th edition of the IPL will be played for 53 days, from September 19 to November 10, across three venues in the UAE — Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai. This time, both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half-an-hour earlier than usual.
Back to first-class cricket after a long physical issue cutback, Mumbai Indians’ Hardik Pandya says it is essential to appreciate the forthcoming IPL 2020 in UAE alongside the rules regardless of the impact of the continuous COVID pandemic.
“More excited than nervous because a good 10 months I have been training and looking forward to playing so the portion where the nervousness comes or the pressure comes has gone away. I am just more excited to be on the field and implement what I have worked on with regards to my training part, the practice sessions,” Hardik told ANI.
Only recently was there a scare with a few members of the Chennai Super Kings unit tested positive? Hardik feels every player should just stick to the basics.
“For me, it is just simple. Follow what the health officials say and follow what the team management says. I let the professionals do their work and if they say that we should look after certain things, I think we should just follow that and be on track. I realised one thing during these seven days of isolation that we have all been working hard for a long time. But one person can ruin everyone’s hard work over the last 3-4 months. So, we are only focusing on cricket right now because MI is taking care of the rest.
“I feel we are in one of the best franchises which any player can be in. I know a lot of things have happened with other franchises, but the way MI has looked after us, the way they have followed the protocols, our testing started 20 days before we were even planning to fly. So, for us, we didn’t feel that scared as we had the MI management looking after that factor and we were only focusing on our game. Credit goes to MI for that,” he said.
“Back of the mind, we have to clear one thing out that we have to get back to cricket. Obviously follow the protocols and from the mind frame point of view, we have to get back and focus on the game. Lots of things will be going around, but as cricketers, we will have to focus on our sport because we are here to play and enjoy.”
Touching on the fact that the IPL will be played without fans, Hardik likened it to Ranji Trophy matches.
“It will be a different experience, but we have all played Ranji Trophy without fans and T20 cricket without fans. So, for me, as a cricketer, the only thing we focus on when we go in is the ball, or the player, or whatever is happening with the XI players. Obviously the fans add to the cheering part and the support, but for us when we are playing, we don’t see much difference.
“For me, I don’t think much will be different as we have played in the past without fans. I and my brother were talking during the COVID time and we were discussing that for the fans, the IPL will be a cherry because no one has seen cricket for a while and people have been in difficult times. So this will be a stress relief for everyone as they will sit at 8 pm and watch the IPL for two months. So, everyone will get that satisfaction that something nice is happening. The fans will enjoy it,” he explained.
Hardik, who had been out of action due to back injury, had a successful operation after the 2019 ODI World Cup says he has been working hard on his fitness and taking good care of his back as well.
“To be honest, I look after my back now as well. But it is just that if I was 7/10 fit before, now with the back surgery and all, if I want to be the same or better than before, I had to increase my fitness one level. Throughout the COVID period and even before that, I was focusing to ensure that if without surgery I was at a level with my fitness, I had to be one level up.
“I know one thing that if you are fit, then things turn out pretty well. The focus was always to get one level up. As you said, I need to do two things, so I keep that in mind. The trainers and all have helped me big time. Luckily I have got the right people in my life who have guided me pretty well,” he said.
So has he contemplated picking one format over another considering the workload of an international cricketer?
“It is completely dependent on how my body reacts. I have not decided anything and right now the number of months I have been out, I just want to keep playing sport as much as I can. But obviously there are my physios and trainers to take that call. Whichever opportunity I get, I will go out and play,” he said.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has replaced Australian pacer Kane Richardson with spinner Adam Zampa as they announced the signing of the leg-spinner late on Monday ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 scheduled to kick-start from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Richardson, who was sold to the Bangalore outfit for $533,333 in the IPL auction in December, is expecting his first child to be born during the lucrative T20 tournament.
Why Kane Richardson Replaced?
RCB team director Mike Hesson expressed his disappointment in missing out on Richardson’s skills in IPL but congratulated the Aussie pacer and his wife Nyki for the exciting time ahead while adding they fully support and understand Richardson’s decision of skipping IPL 2020.
On Zampa, Hesson said he will provide another quality and cover to Yuzvendra Chahal while giving extra options if conditions assist spinners as expected during the tournament.
“We are disappointed to not have Kane’s skills with us this IPL, as he was certainly on top of his game. However, once we found out Kane and Nyki’s baby was due during the IPL, it’s an exciting time, and we were fully supportive of Kane wanting to be at the birth of their first child.
When looking at our squad for UAE conditions we felt it was an opportunity to bring in another quality leg spinner in Adam Zampa to provide cover for Chahal and also give us extra options if conditions suit spin as expected during the tournament.”
Zampa Gets in For Kane Richardson
Zampa will add to Bangalore’s already impressive spin department which consists of the likes of Chahal, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, and Moeen Ali.
Both Richardson and Zampa are in the UK as part of Australia’s 21-man squad for three T20I and as many ODIs against England.
IPL 2020 is scheduled to commence from September 19 with the final slated to be held on November 10 in the UAE.
Indian former cricketer Suresh Raina explains the actual reason behind his return to India from UAE. Raina recently announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15 followed by MS Dhoni’s retire announcement.
Suresh Raina Left UAE:
CSK official twitter handling page announced that Suresh Raina won’t be a part of IPL 2020 and he left to India for personal reasons on August 29.
Suresh Raina has returned to India for personal reasons and will be unavailable for the remainder of the IPL season. Chennai Super Kings offers complete support to Suresh and his family during this time.
After this announcement, Raina fans went depressed as they won’t able to see their “China Thala” in the yellow jersey. And many rumours have started to flood in twitter regarding this soon Raina made it official via Twitter.
“What happened to my family is Punjab was beyond horrible. My uncle was slaughtered to death, my bua & both my cousins had severe injuries. Unfortunately, my cousin also passed away last night after battling for life for days. My bua is still very very critical & is on life support,” Raina said on Twitter.
Raina also added that “Till date, we don’t know what exactly had happened that night & who did this. I request @PunjabPoliceInd to look into this matter. We at least deserve to know who did this heinous act to them. Those criminals should not be spared to commit more crimes. @capt_amarinder @CMOPb”
Till date we don’t know what exactly had happened that night & who did this. I request @PunjabPoliceInd to look into this matter. We at least deserve to know who did this heinous act to them. Those criminals should not be spared to commit more crimes. @capt_amarinder@CMOPb
According to police, three to four members of the notorious “Kale Kachhewala” gang had come with an intention to loot, attacked Ashok Kumar and his family members at their house in Thariyal village near Madhopur of Pathankot. At the time of the attack, they were sleeping on the terrace of their house.
Ashok Kumar suffered head injuries and died on the same night, police said. Confirming Kumar’s death, Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police Gulneet Singh Khurana had earlier said he had no confirmation about the victim’s relationship with the cricketer.
Indian women’s cricket team opener Shafali Verma expresses her emotional feeling to play in the Women’s T20(WT20) Challenge. Shafali opened the statement after BCCI confirmed the Women’s tournament in UAE.
Shafali Verma Excites To Play WT20:
After the loss in the T20 WC finals against Australia, the Indian women’s team has not yet played any matches amid COVID lockdown.
Shafali, who is the youngest player ever (female or male) to play the World Cup finals, said that she is looking forward to meeting all her teammates. “Very excited to once again play in the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge. Plus looking forward to meeting all my teammates after a while,”Shafali tweeted.
Very excited to once again play in the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge. Plus looking forward to meeting all my teammates after a while. @BCCIWomen@IPL 🙂 https://t.co/yqrQI1OQvA
On Sunday, the BCCI had confirmed that the Women’s T20 Challenge will take place in the UAE and will comprise of three teams with four matches to be played during the IPL Playoff week.
Many Indian stars such as Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Smriti Mandhana, and Veda Krishnamurthy have welcomed the move of going ahead with the Women’s T20 Challenge.
Australian Women Cricketers Slams India’s Decision:
Some of Australia’s top women’s cricketers Monday blasted a decision by India to schedule its T20 Challenge during the Big Bash League as a “huge shame” and “sad for the game”.
That would see it clash with the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), widely considered the top women’s Twenty20 tournament. Which is due to be held between October 17 and November 29.
It would effectively mean Indian players will not be available for the WBBL. While overseas stars face having to pick between the competitions.
India ODI women’s team skipper Mithali Raj and star batter Smriti Mandhana praised the just-retired Mahendra Singh Dhoni, calling the two-time World Cup-winning captain “an inspiration and institution in himself”.
Dhoni, the only captain to have won all the ICC trophies, retired from international cricket on Saturday, more than a year after he last played for India — the lost World Cup semifinal against New Zealand.
Mithali Raj Praised MS Dhoni:
“Dhoni is an inspiration and institution in himself. He literally walks the talk, he is the dream of every small-town boy who aspires to play for the country and achieve it all,”Mithali said in a video posted by the BCCI on its official Twitter handle.
“Respect, fame, and the love of people, I particularly admired him for his nerves of steel, innate calm and cool visage even under difficult situations.
“And of course his inimitable style, whether it is batting or wicket-keeping.”
Dhoni, who made his ODI debut in 2004, played 350 ODIs, 90 Tests and 98 T20I matches for India.
The Indian women’s team veteran added, “That helicopter shot, outside of any cricketing textbook, is a testament of his originality, talent, and self-belief. There will never be another like him. MS Dhoni is a legend etched in time forever.”
Mandhana also heaped praise on Dhoni:
“I still remember the way Dhoni sir walked out to bat in the 2011 World Cup final. The confidence on his face was something which I got inspired,” Mandhana said in another video uploaded by the cricket board.
“I am sure he has inspired everyone around him to be a better cricketer, a leader and most importantly a better human being. Thank you for your contribution Dhoni sir,”she added.
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting praised MS Dhoni by pointing that there was a big difference in the leadership abilities between him and MS Dhoni.
“He [MS Dhoni] never seems to let his emotions get the better of him, which is a really good trait in a leader — as hard as I tried when I was on the field, I could never quite stay in complete control of my emotions.” Ricky Ponting told news.com.au.
