Wednesday 8 April 2020

Sunil Gavaskar Thinks Virat Kohli's Gestures Have Helped Build Team Spirit

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that a lot of credit goes to former captain M.S. Dhoni and current skipper Virat Kohli for the Indian team and the way they have been doing.

He said, "The Indian team has a lovely system of rewarding its players especially in home matches. As most Indian cricket followers know, during the Indian domestic international season, both teams travel in a special chartered flight from one venue to the next. The flight also carries the technical TV crew who have to rig the cables for the next game. There are limited seats in business class and the captains, coaches and managers of the teams get these. It is here that those Indian players, who have done well in their previous game, get to sit there as a reward rather than the economy class behind.”

Sunil Gavaskar further said that MS Dhoni hardly ever sat in the business class while travelling on flights when he was the leader. He used to love to seat with the people behind the scenes - the cameramen and the sound engineers and others. Even current India captain Virat Kohli also sat in the economy class to give his seat to the bowlers who had done well for India and led them to a win. With these simple gestures, they have gone a long way as captains which certainly helped them building the team spirit as well.

In fact, Virat Kohli has time and he also maintained how much he feels proud to lead this side. He again said that the culture they have been able to build over the last few months was phenomenal. He also added that the transition state started when he became the captain for the first time and to lead these players is an honour and a privilege for Kohli as well.

Shane Warne has a say on Virat Kohli

Veteran Australia spinner Shane Warne said that Viv Richards is the greatest batsman he has ever seen, but India captain Virat Kohli is "pushing that conversation".

"Viv is the best batsman I have ever seen. Sachin (Tendulkar) and (Brian) Lara are the two best batters I have played with and now across all formats Virat is just the best. It is tough to think anyone is better than Viv but Virat is pushing that conversation," Warne said.

Shane Warne also said that Australia batsman Steve Smith should not be burdened with the captaincy role now and he should just play the way he has been playing after returning from the ban due to ball-tampering scandal. He also helped Australia retaining the Ashes.

"If Tim Paine can make runs, he should continue as captain. I want Smith to bat as much as he can with no more distractions," Warne said. "Paine has to make runs. I feel Steve should be allowed to bat till the rest of his career, not other distractions."

Shane Warne also chose Smith, Kohli and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson as the top three batters at the moment, saying that Steve Smith is his favourite Australian batsman from the current circuit. However, the veteran has said that he is open to coaching Australia in the future.

The 50-year old, considered as the best leg-spinner the game has ever seen, is the mentor of Rajasthan Royals, a franchise of the Indian Premier League and he led this team to the first-ever IPL title in 2008. He further picked up Mark Taylor as the best captain he has played under as well.

Shane Warne added, "Would also love to coach an IPL team down the line but at the moment I am happy mentoring Royals. I am never saying no to anything."

Dilip Vengsarkar talks about MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli

Dilip Vengsarkar is considered as one of India’s better chairman of selectors for his ability to identify talents and he always knew that Virat Kohli has exceptional talent when he first saw him in his early days. His tenure as chairman of the national selection committee between 2006-08 is often considered as a benchmark as he backed Kohli and promoted Mahendra Singh Dhoni to captaincy as well.

“Selecting talent was my forte. I will tell you something. You might be good at spotting talent but what you do after spotting is very important. If someone is talented, you have to induct him and give him chances,” Vengsarkar told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Vengsarkar thinks that he was able to do justice to the chairman’s post because he spent a lot of time as head of BCCI’s now-defunct Talent Research Development Wing that helped to find the talents like MS Dhoni. Moreover, he picked a young Kohli for the Emerging India team’s tour of Australia too.

“I have watched a lot of U-16 and U-19s as TRDW chairman and watched Virat a lot during his junior cricket days. So when I became chairman of selection committee, we picked him for an Emerging Tour of Australia. I was there and when I saw him bat, I knew he is ready for big-time cricket,” Vengsarkar recalled.

However, there is a funny story about how Mahendra Singh Dhoni, inducted into the TRDW scheme. As it was the policy of having only U-19 players and Dhoni was 21 years old at that time. It was on the insistence of former Bengal captain Prakash Poddar, who went to watch a U-19 match in Jamshedpur as part of Vengsarkar’s TRDW team where Bihar (now Jharkhand) were playing a Ranji one-day game and it took place at a ground adjacent to the Keenan Stadium.

There, a few balls flew into the playing arena outside the stadium which made Poddar very curious and he went to search for this as to who was hitting it this big. It was none other than MS Dhoni who was hitting those big shots. But he had already surpassed the qualifying age for TRDW. Then Vengsarkar, on Poddar’s insistence, decided that a talented player like Dhoni should get the chance. Even, he has immense respect for the late Jagmohan Dalmiya, who actually started the TRDW scheme which eventually became defunct after he lost the elections.

To stay updated with all the Cricket News, Live Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

Tuesday 7 April 2020

Pat Cummins Prioritises T20 World Cup Over IPL

As the novel coronavirus pandemic has brought the world into a standstill, all the sporting events have cancelled for the time being. The 13th edition of Indian Premier League is no less. This was earlier scheduled to begin from March 29 but the BCCI postponed it until April 15 amid this situation and they are looking a second window for this league in October-November this year but this can only take place if ICC cancels this year’s ICC T20 World Cup.

However, Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins would like to play in the T20 World Cup at home over IPL where he would enter as the costliest foreign buy. Cummins became the most expensive foreign buy in the cash-rich league’s auction in December when Kolkata Knight Riders bought him with a whopping Rs 15.50 crore for his services.

"The T20 World Cup is something we've spoken about for the best part of two or three years. The (ODI) World Cup in 2015, that was absolutely a career highlight for me and I wasn't even playing in the final. I'd love to see that go ahead," Pat Cummins was quoted as saying by the 'Australian Associated Press'.

He further added, "That's probably the big tournament this year for international cricket ... I'd love for that to happen in a perfect world and if I was to be really greedy, I'd love for the IPL to happen as well."

However, there is a still question mark on the future of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League yet after it was postponed to April 15 amid this situation. With coronavirus cases continuing to increase globally, it is unlikely the league will be played anytime soon. Moreover, former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has said that the IPL should be played behind the closed dorrs since not only the players but also many people are attached with the league and it should take place before the T20 World Cup which is scheduled to take place in October-November.

Kevin Pietersen Proposes IPL to Play Behind Closed Doors

The novel coronavirus pandemic may have postponed or cancelled all sporting activities for the time being but former England captain Kevin Pietersen still hopes that the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) should take place the moment there is a window of opportunity. He also proposed a "condensed" league which can be played behind closed doors as the fans shouldn't be risked amid this situation and the sponsors will be happy too. The former star batsman expressed his views on Star Sports' show Cricket Connected.

"Let's say July/August is the earliest, I do truly believe the IPL should happen. I do believe it is the kick-start to the cricket season. I think every single player around the world is desperate to play the IPL," Kevin Pietersen said.

The much-awaited IPL is important not only for players and franchises but also for the people who work behind the scenes and several people are connected with this league.

He further added, "There could be a way in which to get some money into the franchises, into the economy by having a situation where you use maybe three venues which are completely closed to fans and the players can still go out and play the tournament in three weeks or in four weeks.

Earlier, the league was scheduled to begin on March 29 but has been postponed until April 15. However, seeing the current situation, the chances of the league taking place is near to impossible. Kevin further added that the IPL should take place the moment they get clearances from all the authorities on that matter since it's not only about the Mumbai Indians, or a Dhoni or a Virat Kohli, there are a lot of people who are making their livelihood through this league.

However, India are currently in 21-day lockdown nationwide and the decision on this matter can only be taken after this ends.

To stay updated with all the Cricket News, Live Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

Hanuma Vihari Names Rohit Sharma as Best ODI Opener

With the global pandemic coronavirus outbreak has brought the world into a standstill, all the sports events have cancelled or postponed all over the world. Moreover, India are currently in a 21-day in lockdown. Amid this situation, Indian cricketers have taken to social media to interact with fans and also spreading awareness like maintaining social distance, staying at home etc. and with this, their time spends also.

Even many of them come online with their teammates or sometimes with any former player too to interact on cricket and many other things. Recently India batsman HanumaVihari took to Twitter and did a Q&A session where he named Sachin Tendulkar as his favourite cricketer. However, he gave a diplomatic answer while naming the best captains as he named both current India captain Virat Kohli and former India captain MS Dhoni for the same.

However, for the best opener in ODIs, the Test batsman chose ODI vice-captain Rohit Sharma. However, earlier, former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody had said that if he had given a choice he would love to have David Warner and Rohit Sharma open the innings for him in T20 cricket because Rohit is considered a sone of the best openers in recent time.

While replying to a question on Twitter, Moody wrote: "Tough call, but I would be more than happy with @davidwarner31 and @ImRo45."

On the other hand, recently Kevin Pietersen and Rohit chatted together on Instagram where Rohit spoke on various topics from recent situation to IPL. He also said that he hoped to play in the IPL this year once the situation gets better but also added that as of now the focus should be on the current situation now.

However, Kevin Pieterson interviewed Virat Kohli also in the Instagram live session where Kohli not only spoke about on his life on and off the field, but also revealed that he loves to bat with MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers.

Monday 6 April 2020

Virat Kohli Enjoys Batting With MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers the Most

India are currently in a 21-day lockdown and athletes are trying their best to spread awareness through their social media. Even some of them also come online and interact with fans as well. India captain Virat Kohli is no less. Recently while speaking to former England batsman and IPL teammate Kevin Pietersen during an Instagram live session, he shared many things including his favourite batting partner.

"I enjoy batting with those who can run fast with me. So it has to be MS when we play for India together and AB when we play in the IPL for RCB. We don't even talk while we are batting," he said.

He also spoke about his food habit. Ohli has turned into veg for two years now and he revealed the reason as well. Earlier he told this transformation has helped him become stronger as well.

Virat Kohli shared, "In 2018, during the tour of South Africa, I got a cervical spine issue. I could barely feel my little finger and I couldn't sleep as the body was acidic, my stomach started pulling calcium from my bones and my bones got weaker. I cut down uric acid from my body and I left meat. That is the best decision I have made in my life. I have never felt better waking up. Now I can play 3 games a week and can recover within a day after a Test match and go on another."

India captain further said that his favourite format is Test cricket and considers England tour in 2014 was the lowest point in his career. India failed to do well at that time. However, from that to today, lots of changes have taken place and India are considered as one of the best teams in the world now.

He also shared the secret of his nickname Chiku. He got the nickname from a coach in the Ranji Trophy when he used to have big cheeks then. In 2007, he got his hair cropped and his cheeks and ears stood out. He got the name from a cartoon character - the rabbit in the comic book Champak. And the rest was done by MS Dhoni who made this famous from behind the stumps.

To stay updated with all the Cricket News, Live Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

PM Discusses COVID-19 Lockdown With Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to India's top sportspersons which included cricket stars such as current captain Virat Kohli, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and batting great Sachin Tendulkar, amid a nationwide 21-day lockdown to combat the rapidly-growing global pandemic - COVID-19. A total of 49 athletes, along with sports minister Kiren Rijiju, were present in the video call.

"Of these, 12 have been given three minutes each to speak and present their view," a sports ministry source said to the PTI without revealing the names of the chosen athletes.

COVID-19 has stopped all the cricketing activities in the world and there is no clarity when these will normally resume. The much-awaited Indian Premier League is among the events suspended till April 15.

When Sourav Ganguly was asked about the video conference, he said, "Yes, I will be joining our Honourable via video call. But I cannot tell you what will be discussed."

The ministry source has said that the athletes have been requested to spread awareness on this matter like social distancing and other things through their social media accounts.

"PM will ask them to pass across the message of maintaining the lockdown. He will urge them to post videos to keep people occupied," the source further revealed.

Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli, others who are taking part include World Cup-winning former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, former speedster Zaheer Khan, all-rounder Yuvraj Singh and KL Rahul.

Except for cricketers, there were other sports persons also in the video call which included Olympic silver medallist shuttler P V Sindhu, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, chess wizard Viswanathan Anand, sprinter Hima Das, boxing stars MC Mary Kom and Amit Panghal, wrestler VineshPhogat, and teenage shooting sensation Manu Bhaker. The pandemic has caused more than 50 deaths in India, and in the world, the death toll has crossed 50,000 so far.

However, India' are currently in a 21-day lockdown to restrict the spread of the deadly coronavirus which will end on April 14.

Pat Cummins Hopes IPL Can Go Ahead

Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins hopes the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) can be played now also as it is now too late because of the coronavirus pandemic and he thinks the Twenty20 World Cup will go ahead as per schedule later this year.

However, Pat Cummins is IPL's most expensive overseas player after the Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for a whopping $2.18 million in the players' auction in December. His record-breaking auction will have to wait now, as the start of the much-awaited tournament, has been postponed until April 15 which was earlier scheduled for March 29.

"They obviously haven't cancelled it or anything like that yet. It's still a bit of a holding pattern so we're in contact with our teams every few days," Pat Cummins told reporters in a video conference on Friday. "Obviously everyone is still really keen for it to go ahead, but the priority is to minimise risk of (the virus) spreading. The last I spoke to (franchise officials), they said they're still really confident and hopeful it (the IPL) will be on at some stage."

He also felt that Australia were rather lucky that this came towards the end of their international season. However, he thinks the sports world would return to normal again before the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November and Australia's home series against India as well.

"The World Cup is still six-seven months away, and the big India tour is still eight-nine months away. Lots of things can change," he said. "The T20 World Cup is something we've spoken about for the best part of two or three years."

The speedster further added, "The (ODI) World Cup in 2015, that was absolutely a career highlight for me and I wasn't even playing in the final. I'd love to see that go ahead. That's probably the big tournament this year for international cricket ... I'd love for that to happen in a perfect world and if I was to be really greedy, I'd love for the IPL to happen as well."

To stay updated with all the Cricket News, Live Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

IPL Can Surely Wait Now, Thinks Suresh Raina

The novel coronavirus has brought the world into a standstill which cancelled every sports event including the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. However, the IPL can wait as of now since millions of lives are at risk, thinks veteran India batsman Suresh Raina. However, Raina has already donated Rs 52 lakh, one of the highest donations among elite sportspersons as well. As far as the IPL is concerned, this is suspended for the time being.

"Life is most important at this point of time. IPL can surely wait. We all need to follow the government guidelines on lockdown else we all face the consequences. When life gets better, we can think about the IPL. So many people are dying at the moment, we need to save lives," Raina told PTI in an exclusive interview.

While spreading awareness on the matter, everyone is staying home and he is also staying home during the ongoing 21-day lockdown nationwide. Last week, their second child, son Rio was born. Had the situation was normal, he would have played for Chennai in the IPL.

He again said, "I am relaxing in the lockdown, cooking and spending time with the kids. There is so much more to life than cricket, moments like these make you realise that. With this lockdown, people should realise the importance of being down to earth. At this time, three-meals-a-day matter much more than the size of your house and car, what you wear doesn't matter. What you and your workers in the house are doing is the same. You are eating and feeding them at the same time.”

Raina last played in the competitive game was in the IPL final last year. He was busy preparing for the 2020 edition in Chennai before the IPL pushed back until April 15. The tournament was also supposed to be MS Dhoni's comeback event as well.

"It was a nice camp. I was there for two months but then this happened. Got to spend some time with Dhoni. He was batting so well in the nets, he had the hunger of a youngster. In one session, he batted for three hours at a stretch," shared Suresh Raina.

For more update visit Cricadium

Friday 3 April 2020

Rajasthan Royals Has a Say on IPL 2020

The global coronavirus pandemic has brought the world into a standstill which witnessed the cancellation of every event and the upcoming Indian Premier League is no less. Earlier it was decided to begin from March 29 but later postponed to April 15 and now it is on the verge of cancellation.

However, Rajasthan Royals CEO Ranjit Barthakur said on Wednesday that a shortened IPL with just Indian players would be good at this time. But he also said that a final call on the matter will be taken later. He shared the team’s wish even as the number of positive cases and death toll due to the global pandemic continued to increase across the world.

The BCCI has not taken any decision on the 13th edition of IPL, as there is a travel restriction on foreigners' entry to India. Moreover, India are currently in a 21-day lockdown to fight against the virus. Amid this situation, the event seems unlikely to go ahead until and unless BCCI brings some change and think about an alternate window later in the year as well.

"We are open to a shortened tournament with only Indian players, at the end of the day it is the Indian Premier League," Barthakur told PTI.

Moreover, the RR executive said that they are confident that the BCCI will do something on this matter in future, expected post-April 15.

"Earlier we could not think of an Indians-only IPL but now there is enough quality to choose from. It is better to have an Indians-only IPL than not at all,” Barthakur added.

The global pandemic has so far infected over 850,000 people worldwide while taking the lives of over 42,000. Over 1600 positive cases have been registered across India with more than 40 deaths.

The economic upheaval caused by the pandemic has led the pay cut of the players in many nations as well. However, BCCI has not taken any decision on this yet and The cricket board in England announced a 61 million pound package amid this financial implications.

To stay updated with all the Cricket News, Live Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

IPL owners to wait for April 14?

The global pandemic - coronavirus outbreak has brought the world into a standstill where all sporting events across the globe have either been suspended or cancelled. Even the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is no less as it is also uncertain as India are under a 21-day lockdown. However, the IPL franchises have decided to have their next meeting only after the government comes up with a fresh advisory on April 14.

While speaking to IANS, an official of one of the franchises said that it wouldn’t make any sense to have meetings when the league is uncertain, citing that there will be a clarity once the lockdown ends and a fresh advisory is issued about the league.

"We last met the BCCI officials at the HQ and after that the next meeting was called off as it was clear that a clarity from the government on the situation with regards to the pandemic is a must. Now that our 21-day lockdown comes to an end on April 14, we will get clarity on how things stand and if we will need any further steps in that direction to fight COVID-19. Once that clarity is got, we can all sit down and chalk out the road ahead. The owners will meet only after the fresh advisory comes," the official said.

Moreover, IPL without foreign players was also an option as the lockdown is going on around the world but many opposes since it will decrease the interest as well.

"Why do you think the October-November window is being looked at? It is because we want a full IPL with the foreign stars. Even if the international border lockdown stays for six months, the foreign players would be free to come down by then. Yes, every franchise is free to voice their opinion, but let me tell you that would be the last option as a lot of the grandeur that comes with the IPL will then be lost," the official said.

On the other hand, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma among others said that as of now IPL is not a priority. It can be played later. To combat the novel coronavirus should be the priority now for everyone.

Gautam Gambhir comments on MS Dhoni’s 2011 world-cup winning six

April 2 is memorable for India for the last 9 years as MS Dhoni-led Team India won the world cup for the second time in 28 years. Dhoni hit the winning six and did the job against Sri Lanka. Since then everyone celebrate on this day.

However, former India opener Gautam Gambhir on Thursday bashed at those who only celebrating M.S. Dhoni's six to win the 2011 World Cup, citing that it was won by the whole team and not just one final six.

"Dhoni finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd! India lift the World Cup after 28 years!" said Ravi Shastri after Dhoni led India to a win in the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium with a huge six off Sri Lanka speedster NuwanKulasekara.

With that win, India had fulfilled the long-cherished dreams of batting great Sachin Tendulkar, who had all the batting records apart from winning the World Cup. He had waited 22 years to lift the trophy.

However, ESPNCricinfo tweeted "the shot that sent millions of Indians into jubilation" with a photo of the moment.

In reply, Gambhir said: "Just a reminder @ESPNcricinfo: #worldcup2011 was won by entire India, entire Indian team & all support staff. High time you hit your obsession for a SIX."

The veteran left-hander had scored 97 in that crunch situation while MS Dhoni, who had promoted himself to No 4, smashed an unbeaten 91 as India won the final by six wickets.

"A World Cup won by Indians, for India & with India!" Gambhir later tweeted.

Gambhir has released Rs one crore out of his MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) Fund towards the relief efforts amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. Before that, the BJP MP had also said that his foundation, Gautam Gambhir Foundation, has given food packets to poor people in his constituency in New Delhi. East Delhi which has a large number of daily wagelabourers as many failed to make arrangements for their food due to the 21-day lockdown nation-wide.

To stay updated with all the Cricket News, Live Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

Thursday 2 April 2020

Yuvraj Singh comments on Ganguly, Dhoni and Kohli

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh recently shared his views on many things – from current squad to who had helped him in his time. He said that the current pool of players give more priority to the IPL instead of Test cricket. He even said that now youngsters do not respect their seniors the way they used to do in their times.

He further added that IPL offers big money and it takes away the focus from the youngsters too. Even he also said that if anyone would interact with the youngsters they will realize how they behave. He also added that Sourav Ganguly is the best captain as MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli didn't support him as much as Ganguly did in his cricketing career.

"I have played under Sourav (Ganguly) and had a lot of support from him. Then Mahi (MS Dhoni) took over. It’s a difficult choice to make between Sourav and Mahi. I have more memories of time under Sourav because of the support he gave me. I didn’t have that kind of support from Mahi and Virat (Kohli)," Yuvraj Singh told Sportstar

Yuvraj also backed youngsters like Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw, saying there's too much scrutiny on them whenever they fail to deliver. He also said that he has been constantly in touch with Rishabh and refers to Prithvi Shaw as a great talent. However, he thinks lot of expectations from them causing this failure and he also said that the youngsters need some time to grow as they are future of Indian cricket.

"Coaches and seniors have to be in touch with them constantly and tell them there are certain things they can’t do on and off the field. Work harder on their fitness. They really need guidance because they are at a fragile stage. They can either become great players or their careers could break. If they make a mistake they should be told it is not acceptable. I have gone through that stage."

To stay updated with all the Cricket News, Live Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

Yuvraj Singh Supports Shahid Afridi in Fight against COVID-19

As the novel coronavirus outbreak brought the whole world into a standstill, everyone are trying to stay at home. Celebrities, including sportspersons urged people to stay at home and donate as much as possible for the needy amid this situation. Recently former India all-rounder has joined hands with former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi to help those underprivileged in this crunch situation

Taking to Twitter, Yuvraj Singh wrote: "These are testing times, it's time to lookout for each other specially the ones who are lesser fortunate. Lets do our bit, I am supporting @SAfridiOfficial& @SAFoundationN in this noble initiative of covid19. Pls donate on donatekarona.com #StayHome @harbhajan_singh"

Along with him, another veteran India player, Harbhajan Singh had also praised Afridi for the impressive social work he was doing in these tough circumstances. Afridi donated disinfectant soap, material and food to the needy in Pakistan.

Harbhajan Singh praised Shahid Afridi's gesture and said: "Great work for humanity Shahid Afridi. May god bless us all... more power to you... praying for world's wellbeing -- Nanak naam chardikalaterebhaanesarbat da bhala."

On the other hand, former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis thanked his doctor wife and the rest from the fraternity for being the real heroes in this hard time and saving the lives.

Taking to Twitter, Waqar added: "Scary feeling when @DrFaryalWaqar leaves for the hospital in the morning but also very Satisfied when she returns.. I can PROUDLY say my wife is a HERO.. Keep fighting girl??#EmergencyPhysician #Corvid_19."

More than 1,200 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been registered in India so far and 32 people have already died in this as well. The virus has cancelled all the sporting events across the globe which included the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League too. Rohit Sharma recently said that this year Indian Premier League can wait as of now amid the crunch situation of coronavirus pandemic.

To stay updated with all the Cricket News, Live Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

Anil Kumble Contributes to Funds, Joins Fight Against COVID-19

Former India captain and veteran spinner Anil Kumble on Tuesday joined the other cricketers and helped India fight the coronavirus pandemic as the former leg-spinner contributed to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund as well Karnataka Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

"To bowl out #Covid19India we all need to come together and fight this battle. I have made my humble contributions to #PMCaresFund #PMNRF and #CMReliefFund. Please do #StaySafeStayHome," Kumble said in a tweet, wihout wanting to disclose the amount.

Earlier in the day, India opener Rohit Sharma donated Rs 80 lakh to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Rohit said that he has donated Rs 45 lakh to Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), Rs 25 lakh to Chief Minister's Relief Fund for Maharashtra, Rs 5 lakh to Zomato Feeding India and Rs 5 lakh towards welfare of stray dogs. As well.

The 32-year-old also shared a tweet with his views. "Let's get behind our leaders and support them," he tweeted while tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray there.

On the other hand, India captain Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma have also contributed to support the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Chief Minister's (Maharashtra) Relief Fund in the ongoing battle. A source in the industry had said to IANS that Virat and Anushka have donated Rs 3 crore together for the cause.

Indian women's team ODI captain and veteran Mithali Raj also donated Rs 10 lakh for the fight against coronavirus. Mithali gave Rs 5 lakh to the Prime Ministers Fund and Rs 5 lakh to the Chief Minister's Assistance Fund of the Telangana government as well. Along with her, some other women cricket players have also contributed towards the cause.

More than 1,400 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus have been registered so far in India and 48 people have already lost their lives because of this virus.

For more updates visit Cricadium

Wednesday 1 April 2020

Rohit Sharma Donates a Huge Amount

India opener and the limited-overs deputy Rohit Sharma on Tuesday donated Rs 80 lakhs to fight against the coronavirus pandemic which brought the world into a standstill. He said that he has donated Rs 45 lakhs to Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), Rs 25 lakhs to Chief Minister's Relief Fund for Maharashtra, Rs 5 lakhs to Zomato Feeding India and Rs 5 lakhs towards welfare of stray dogs as well.

Rohit further said that we all need our country back on feet and the responsibility is on us. "Let's get behind our leaders and support them," he shared the tweet while tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in his post.

On the other hand, Captain Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma have also donated an undisclosed amount to support the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Chief Minister's (Maharashtra) Relief Fund in the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, a source in the industry said to IANS that both Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have jointly donated Rs 3 crores for the noble cause.

Apart from them, other members of the Indian cricket team which included Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and a few, have also donated to fight against the global pandemic. More than 1,200 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been registered in India so far and 32 people have already died in this as well.

The virus has cancelled all the sporting events across the globe which included the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League too. Rohit Sharma recently said that this year Indian Premier League can wait as of now amid the crunch situation of coronavirus pandemic.

"We should first think about the country. The situation needs to get better first then we can talk about the IPL. Let life get back to normal first," Rohit Sharma said.

Lakshmipathy Balaji reveals a secret of MS Dhoni

The outbreak of the coronavirus witnessed that the Chennai Super Kings training camp being cancelled, and former India captain and the skipper of CSK MS Dhoni returned home from the training session in Chennai. But CSK bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji said that he looked very intense during his training sessions even though it wasn’t sure that he is making a comeback in the national team or not.

"Dhoni was looking good, fit. He focused on training just like he always does and was as normal as he has always been. He trained like the way he did last year or 2 years ago. There is nothing that changes when it comes to his preparation. His routine, his mindset, everything is the same," Balaji told indiatoday.in.

"Dhoni was focussed on getting ready for the IPL. He is that kind of a person who always takes it one moment at a time," he further added.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the country to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. This has put the question mark on the fate of the Indian Premier League as well.

While the BCCI is confident that they can manage to host the league even if it starts from the first week of May, the area of concern is the entry of the foreign players who will take part in the league as visa restrictions are there.

The Sports Ministry has made it clear that the fate of this year’s IPL can be decided only after the government decides something after April 15, keeping in mind the crunch situation due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma recently said that this year Indian Premier League can wait as of now amid the crunch situation of coronavirus pandemic, which has so far infected more than 1100 people in India and taken more than 30 lives so far. This is not only claiming lives but brought the world into a standstill as well.

BCCI give another time for IPL?

As the coronavirus outbreak cancelled all the sporting events in the world, it didn’t leave the cash-rich tournament Indian Premier League as well. The 13th edition of the IPL was earlier scheduled to begin from March 29 but eventually postponed to April 15. Now, it is on the verge of cancellation as well. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that the tournament could take place at the October-November if the upcoming ICC t20 World Cup wouldn’t take place.

"So, if the ICC does go ahead and decides to postpone the T20 World Cup due to the current scenario, only then we can look at the October-November window because even if a six-month border closedown is ordered by every country from say now, it ends by the start of October. But again, for that, the spread of the coronavirus needs to be stopped and things must come under human control. In short, there will have to be a lot of maths," the official said.

"Again, it would be the last step for the ICC to push the T20 World Cup from 2020 to 2022 because there is no window in 2021. So, at the moment, it is all a bit too far-fetched to be honest. But yes, the October-November window has been spoken about for the IPL, but a lot of external factors need to fall into place for that to become a reality," he again added.

When contacted, an ICC official said that the T20 World Cup is not yet postponed as there is no talks going on around this matter. On the other hand, Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts had earlier said that he hopes the T20 World Cup could take place according to the schedule.

More than 1,200 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been registered in India so far and 32 people have already died in this as well. Amid this situation, hosting IPL wouldn’t be possible too.

For more updates visit Cricadium

Tuesday 31 March 2020

Wasim Jaffer Reveals a Secret of MS Dhoni

Former India captain MS Dhoni certainly knows how to be in the news. Despite being away from the action for nearly a year, continues to be in the limelight around the globe. However, he recently came in the news but for a different cause.

When he began his journey in December 2004, nobody including him, thought that he would go on to become one of the most successful cricketers and one of the celebrated captains of the game. In fact, like other players who come from small cities, Dhoni also had small ambitions and dreams as well.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer, who recently engaged in a chat with fans shared that he shared dressing room with MS Dhoni during his early days, recalled that all Dhoni wanted was to "make 30 lakh from playing cricket" so that he could live a peaceful life in Ranchi. Jaffer, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket earlier this month, was interacting with his fans on social media site Twitter.

Replying to a fan's question there, who asked him his "favourite memory with MS Dhoni", Jaffer wrote: "In his 1st or 2nd year in the Indian team, I remember he said, he wants to make 30 lakhs from playing cricket so he can live peacefully rest of his life in Ranchi".

MS Dhoni, who last played for India in July 2019 in the semi-final of ICC Cricket World Cup where India lost to New Zealand and knocked out of the tournament, was supposed to return to the game with the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) which was earlier scheduled to begin from March 29.

However, the much-awaited league was later postponed until April 15 due to the increasing number of COVID-19 affected cases in the country. To restrict the spread of the virus, the country is currently under a 21-day complete lockdown as well. Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic has put a question mark on the future of the IPL 2020 where the cancellation of the league for this year is expected as well.

For more updates visit Cricadium

IPL 2020 Likely to be Cancelled, Same Teams Will Continue Next Year: Report

The 13th edition of Indian Premier League 2020 is likely to be called off due to the current situation surrounding COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in India, as per the report in the Indian Express. The mega auction, which was scheduled to take place before IPL 2021, will also be postponed by a year and all the franchises will retain the same teams they have for this year’s IPL and they will be given an option to pick or drop players as well.

"We will inform the franchises once we get final confirmation from the Indian government, the same season can continue next season,” Indian Express quoted a source in the IPL administration as saying.

This year’s IPL was actually scheduled to begin on March 29, but later it was pushed back to April 15. However, with India reporting more than a 1000 positive cases due to the novel coronavirus, that seems the 13th edition of IPL wouldn’t take place or it is highly unlikely to be played here. Moreover, from Tuesday, the 21-day lockdown is going on nation-wide which is scheduled to run till mid-April as well.

However, the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had earlier said that a shortened version of the tournament could be played while assuring that the safety of the players was important. The board had also donated Rs. 51 crore for the coronavirus relief fund of Prime Minister in the country as well.

Notably, the BCCI had earlier met the IPL franchises on March 14 to discuss the situation where it was decided that the tournament was pushed back till April 15. However, the board is yet to officially update on the current situation. The report said that the BCCI are waiting for an announcement about visas from the Indian government and sports ministry before officially making a decision on the IPL.

For more updates visit Cricadium

Gautam Gambhir Donates Rs 1 Crore to Fight against COVID-19

Former Indian opener and Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir recently donated Rs. 1 Crore to PM Funds for the fight against Coronavirus. He said that he has released the amount out of his MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for the relief efforts in this crunch situation.

"It is time that all resources of the country be directed towards fighting COVID-19. Have released INR 1 Crore from my MP LAD fund towards relief efforts. Have also donated one month's salary towards the Central Relief Fund. United we stand!!" said Gambhir.

Earlier, Gautam Gambhir had said in a statement that his foundation has distributed food packets to poor people in his constituency. The statement also added that during the lockdown, 2,000 packets of food were being prepared and distributed by the foundation as well, so that no one needs to worry about food at this tough time.

On the other hand, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also shared that he has donated Rs one crore from his MPLAD fund. Taking to Twitter, Rijiju added: "I am depositing the amount now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call to all BJP MPs to give Rs 1 crore from their MPLADS Fund to the National Relief Fund in fight against coronavirus."

Currently, more than 1000 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported across the country and the pandemic virus has taken more than 25 lives. Globally, the pandemic has taken around 30,000 lives so far as well. To fight against this virus, India are in a 21-day lockdown. Because of this, the upcoming IPL is going to cancelled as well, , as per the report in the Indian Express.

However, all the franchises will retain the same teams they have for this year’s IPL and they will be given an option to pick or drop players as well.

For more updates visit Cricadium

Monday 30 March 2020

Ravi Shastri has a say on Virat Kohli

Head coach Ravi Shastri says that India captain Virat Kohli is the "boss" of the team who knows how to lead from the front in each and every game.

"The captain is the boss, I always believe that," Shastri said this on the Sky Sports Podcast while replying to a question of Nasser Hussain. "The job of the coaching staff is to prepare the guys in the best possible way to get out there and play positive, brave, fearless cricket.”

He further added that the captain doesn’t go to each player and talk to them as it is his job. Even he said that other players are there to share the burden and leave the captain in the middle to do his job.

Ravi Shastri also gave the credit to Virat Kohli for the improvement which he brought in the team in fielding and fitness. He has set the bar so high that actually helps the player to do well in every game.

Shastri further added, "When you talk about fitness, the leadership comes from the top and it came from Virat. He is not a guy to mess around. He woke up one morning and said 'if I want to play this game, I want to be the fittest player in the world and compete against the best in all conditions' and he let his body go through one hell of a lot."

Shastri revealed the secret of Kohli’s fitness as well where he said that it was not the training but the sacrifices he made with his diet and also the way he looked at life helped him do better with every passing game. Currently, the Indian team is on a forced break due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and also the 21-day nation-wide lockdown.

However, India last played against New Zealand where they won the five-match T20I series by 5-0 but failed to win the ODI and Test series. Their home series against South Africa got cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

For more updates visit Cricadium

Jos Buttler Hopeful of a Shortened IPL

England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, hopes to get a shortened version of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year amid this coronavirus pandemic. This year the IPL was scheduled to begin from March 31 but later it was postponed to April 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic and now it could be cancelled as well.

As India are in a three-week lockdown, there is now uncertainty if the organisers will be able to decide the further steps and start the tournament after April 15.

"No news at the moment. We saw, initially, that it was going to be postponed. It's very hard to see this changing in the immediate future, so I don't see that as a possibility at the moment," Jos Buttler said in a Skysports podcast. "Obviously, it's such a massive tournament for world cricket, so hopefully some of it can go ahead -- perhaps a shortened tournament."

More than 700 cases have been reported so far in India and nearly 20 deaths due to the novel coronavirus. Not only in India, but this has also been the case in most parts of the world as the virus has led to a freeze on sporting activities all around the world.

While India's home ODI series against South Africa had to be postponed due to the threat over the virus, The ODI series between Australia and New Zealand has also been cancelled where they played there first ODI in an empty stand as well. Other sports tournaments have also been cancelled after the Sports Ministry's order came a week ago to stop all the sporting activities across the globe.

For more updates visit Cricadium

India Need MS Dhoni's Experience in T20 World Cup, Thinks His Childhood Coach

MS Dhoni should be in the squad of India's T20 World Cup even if he does not play the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), due to the coronavirus outbreak, says his childhood coach Keshav Banerjee.

The IPL, which was earlier decided to take place from March 31, had already been postponed to April 15 and now it could be cancelled after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in India which began Wednesday to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.

India head coach Ravi Shastri had told IANS last year that the IPL will play a key role to decide the future of Dhoni, who will turn 39 in July. However, he had started practising with his team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai but later it was postponed too after the IPL was pushed back.

"In a World Cup, you need experience. Rishabh Pant is still learning and KL Rahul as a keeper for a World Cup, I don't think that's the best idea when Dhoni is available for selection," Banerjee told IANS from Ranchi.

"We all know what Dhoni brings to the table. The bowlers speak about it all the time. Sure, he was ready for the IPL and he hasn't played since the World Cup but I have spoken to him and I have seen him practice in Chennai, he never looked like he was away for so long," he further said.

He further added that Dhoni is very cool and he did not see him worried or anything. He wore that smile which can be helpful as well. However, legends like Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag have said that it will be difficult for Dhoni to return to the fold.

"This Indian team still needs him in a World Cup. Behind the wicket, he is an asset and in the middle, he still binds the innings together," Banerjee added, backing his student who led India to 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 50-over World Cup titles apart from winning the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy as captain.

Fight Not Easy, Request all to Maintain Social Distancing, Says Virat Kohli

Indian Govt. has imposed a 21-day lockdown in India while some Indian citizens are following that properly. Indian team captain Virat Kohli has made an appeal to all the people to strictly follow the rules that have been set by not just the government, but also medical experts to fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak across the globe.

Taking to Twitter, Kohli said: "Hello, I am Virat Kohli. Today I am speaking to you not as an India player, but as a citizen of the country. What I have seen in the last few days -- people moving in groups, not abiding by curfew rules, not following lockdown guidelines -- it shows that we are taking the fight very lightly. But this fight is not as easy as it looks or feels.”

He further added, "I wish to request everyone to please maintain social distancing and follow it. Also, we should follow the directives given by the government and just for once think how you would feel if due to your negligence someone in your family gets affected by the virus. Please follow the experts as they are working very hard. It will only be successful when we follow our duties rather than going out in groups and breaking rules. This for me is an act against the country's well-being. So now, I along with all of you wish to see things improve and please follow the directives of the government. Jai Hind!”

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the country to restrict the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic which has already taken several lives around the world. He said that this could be an important step to fight coronavirus here. He also added that saving lives is the priority now. He even said that if the citizens of India don't follow the rules lockdown for the coming 21 days, the nation will go back 21 years and several families will be devastated.

For more updates visit Cricadium

Friday 27 March 2020

Virat Kohli Urges People to Stay At Home

India captain Virat Kohli has requested everyone to "stay at home" for the next 21 days as social distancing is the only option available right now which can stop novel coronavirus from spreading. India under the lockdown from Tuesday midnight for the next 21 days as the Govt. try to stop the spread of novel coronavirus which has affected nearly 700 people in the country so far and has taken over 10 lives as well.

"As our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji just announced, the whole country is going into a lockdown starting midnight today for the next 21 days. My request will remain the same, PLEASE STAY AT HOME. Social distancing is the only cure for COVID-19", Kohli tweeted.

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar has also requested everyone to stay at home as "this simple task can save millions of lives" so far across the globe.

"Simple things are often the hardest to do, because they require consistent discipline & determination. Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked us to stay home, stay safe for 21 days. This simple task can save millions of lives. Let's all unite in this war against COVID-19," Sachin Tendulkar tweeted.

Former India captain as well as the current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has also urged people to stay indoors as this is the only option left amid this crunch situation.

"To my fellow countrymen, to the citizens around the world, these are very testing times in our lives but we will fight it. Listen to what every state government says, listen to what every health department says. Listen to the directives of the central government as they say staying at home is important. Be safe and be isolated. Most importantly, be sensible. Don't try out things believing that nothing is going to happen to you," he said.

For more update visit Cricadium

Rohit Sharma thinks IPL can wait

India opener Rohit Sharma thinks the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) can wait till the current situation gets better, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation-wide 21-day lockdown which started from Tuesday. In an Instagram chat with India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Rohit shared this. However, he has led Mumbai Indians to their fourth-title last year and also said that after the situation gets better then India can think about hosting the cash-rich tournament.

The IPL was scheduled to start on March 29 but later has been suspended till April 15. However, keeping the present situation in mind, it could get pushed back again or even cancelled for the time being as well.

"Everyone wants to know about the IPL. As cricketers, we all want to play. But we should see the situation. I don't decide about the IPL, but the we should first think about the country. The situation needs to get better first then we can talk about the IPL. Let life get back to normal first, and for that all of us have to be disciplined," Rohit Sharma said.

Rohit Sharma has out of action for quite some times now because of his injury. He was rested for India's home series against South Africa which got postponed due to the coronavirus. In New Zealand, India won the T20 series by 5-0 but lost the ODI series by 3-0 and Test series by 2-0 as well.

Chahal also spoke about the series where he said that he bowled decent but he was missing a winning spell for long despite getting 2-3 wickets. He even said that he goes to sleep at 5 A.M. in the morning and gets up at 2 P.M. now and also spend time with family as well amid this lockdown.

For more update visit Cricadium

Ben Stokes still preparing for IPL despite the COVID-19 outbreak

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has said that he has been preparing for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which has been suspended due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. IPL, which was earlier supposed to start from March 29, has been pushed back until April 15. But due to the three-week lockdown, the chances of getting cancelled is high.

"At the moment my next competitive cricket is going to be in the IPL," Stokes told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I have to get my head round that I am playing even though in the back of my mind I know I am probably not. I have to build up and get myself physically in a position that if it does happen, I am good to go.

"I cannot take three weeks off and expect the body to be ready for 20 April because it doesn't work like that. It might happen and if it does, I don't want to be behind," he further added.

On the other hand, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) believes that the IPL can still be played if things gets better by April end and the first game can be played by the first week of May.

While speaking to IANS, a BCCI official said that it is currently very difficult to predict the future of the IPL but the board can still conduct the league like the way the tournament was taken out to South Africa. But for that, the first match needs to be played by the first week of May.

The Sports Ministry has said that the fate of the 13th edition of the IPL can be decided only after the government after April 15, keeping in mind the situation amid the coronavirus outbreak. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has also said that it is only the BCCI which will decide everything on cricket.

Thursday 26 March 2020

No Cricket Till June 2020 ICC Confirms

The International Cricket Council has taken the decision that all the matches that were scheduled to play until June 2020 has been postponed and will be subject to review. The decision was taken by seeing the current global situation which is affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Till now globally 4.62,800 have been affected coming in contact with this virus and 20,922 are dead due to this virus.

International Cricket Council (ICC) events that have been postponed:

Here are all the T20 World Cup 2021 qualifying events that have been postponed by the ICC.

  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A – Asia - Host Kuwait; 16 – 21 April
  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub- Regional Qualifier– Africa – Host South Africa; 27 April – 3 May
  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A – Europe - Host Spain; 16 - 22 May
  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier C – Europe - Host Belgium; 10 - 16 June
  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B – Asia - Host Malaysia; 26 June – 2 July
  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B – Europe- Host Finland; 24 - 30 June
The T20 World Cup 2020 is also scheduled this year in the month of October and November whose fate also depends upon the situation presently around the world.

On the other hand, the Indian cricket board is also facing difficulty in deciding the future of the IPL 2020. It was rescheduled to be held from 15th April but now the country is locked down till 14th April and IPL cannot take place from 15th April.

To stay updated with all the Cricket News & Fixtures, Live Cricket Score, Match Prediction, Match Analysis, and much more interesting blogs, follow Cricadium.

Kane Williamson Salutes Health Workers In An Open Letter

The New Zealand Captain wrote an open letter and lauds the services of the doctors, nurses and caregivers who are serving the country in the global pandemic. Till now 262 coronavirus cases have been reported in New Zealand and globally 4.62,800 have been affected coming in contact with this virus and 20,922 are dead.

Kane Williamson in his letter saluted them for serving the country at this point of time and said every citizen of the country is behind them. Here’s the letter by Kane Williamson:


“Dear doctors, nurses and caregivers,

Events of the past few days have made it clear we're living through a health crisis the likes of which we've never seen. There will no doubt be times in the coming days when the scale of what we're facing will seem overwhelming.

We're so grateful you have our backs. People talk about the pressure sportsmen and women are under to perform, but the truth is we get to do something we love every day for a living. We play games. Real pressure is working to save lives. Real pressure is going into work each day while putting your own personal safety on the line for the good of others.

BLAC

It's an enormous responsibility that can only be carried out by the best kind of people: those who put the greater good ahead of all else. As Blackcaps, we know how amazing it feels to have the support of a country behind you. In that same vein, we need you to know you're not alone. We want you to know that there's a whole country behind you.

In that same vein, we need you to know you’re not alone. We want you to know that there’s a whole country behind you.

We will get through this and you are a big reason why,”

Kane Williamson and his team was touring Australia and then as the virus started to spread globally very rapidly many international series were called off and after the 1st ODI, the series against Australia was called off.

Wednesday 25 March 2020

Sri Lanka Cricket helps government is crisis, donated LKR 25 million

Sri Lanka cricket came forward to help the government fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the island country. The board donated a sum of 25 million Lankan rupees to the government.

Donation from SLR

A press release issued by the Sri Lanka Cricket board on Sunday announced that a grant of LKR 25 million will be given to the government of the country immediately. The release read, "Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has taken a decision to grant a sum of LKR 25 million to the Government to help its efforts toward combating the Covid-19 pandemic, which has created a national health crisis. Accordingly, the grant will be handed over to the Government immediately.”

It further added that the board is ready to provide its assistance to the government in such crisis. "Sri Lanka Cricket, whilst understanding the gravity of the ongoing health problem, has also taken several other steps to provide its fullest assistance to the Government in order to combat the crisis.

SLR happy to help government

Meanwhile Sri Lanka Cricket also cancelled all domestic cricket tournaments in the country till further notice in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The release also added this information saying, "SLC has already postponed all domestic cricket tournaments, until further notice, while have asked our players, (first class and national) and also employees to remain indoors, during this troubled time, obeying government directives.”

It also mentioned how the players are trying to promote public safety through social media and helping to aware the fans. The board requested everyone related to the board to take proper precaution to fight the situation. "Whilst, the SLC also wishes to request our valued stakeholders, such as the member clubs, District and Provincial Associations to take all precautionary steps to ensure that they remain safe at this moment of time."

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa thanked the board for the act. "Thank you to @OfficialSLC for the grant of 25 million lkr to assist the govt. in its battle against #COVID19. The support flowing in from all ends has been overwhelming. We also thank all the individual players who have come forward in offering support. #TogetherWeCan #COVID19SL"

For more updates visit Cricadium

Future of IPL has decided

The coronavirus pandemic has affected everything not only in the country but also across the globe. Several sports event has been postponed which included the 13th edition of the IPL as well. The BCCI pushed back its start from March 31 to April 15 due to the outbreak of pandemic coronavirus. However, they believe that it can still be played if things come under control by April end and the first game can take place by the first week of May.

A BCCI official further said that while it looks very difficult now to predict the fate of the IPL, they can think a pattern when the tournament was taken out to South Africa. But for that, the first match need to be played by the first week of May.

"The latest we can wait is till the end of April. If the first game isn't played by the first week of May then it will be almost impossible to have the league this year. Even if we have to wait till end of April to follow all the procedures, we can take a cue from the South Africa edition and conduct the league successfully. If you remember, that was the shortest IPL with 59 games played over 37 days and we can do the same. But certain measures will have to be taken," the official added.

However, the official again said that logistics could pose an issue and so the tournament should be played in a state like Maharashtra as it has four international stadiums available as well.

The official further explained, "You cannot travel around the country in such a scenario. If we get the necessary permissions, we will have to stick to a place like Maharashtra where we have three stadiums in Mumbai and a stadium in Pune."

For more update visit Cricadium

Tuesday 24 March 2020

IPL’s Future Decided Over Conference Call

The future of the 13th edition of the IPL will be decided over a conference call between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises on Tuesday. They will discuss what to be done next there. Earlier, on March 13, the BCCI had decided to push back the IPL till April 15 due to the COVID-19 outbreak all over the world and in the country. Earlier it was about to begin on March 29.

“BCCI and IPL franchise to have a conference call on coming Tuesday to discuss the process and further way of IPL 2020,” a BCCI source told ANI.

Meanwhile, the BCCI had also asked all their employees to work from home as the COVID-19 has been affecting people and it spreads rapidly day by day. The total number of affected cases in India has now reached 300, including 32 foreigners as well, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

“BCCI office has closed so no meeting can be held there similarly no meeting can be held in the hotel so they have opted conference call,” the source added.

The disease has taken more than 10,000 lives globally. Coronavirus has affected not only everyone’s lives but also sporting events across the globe which not only included the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League but also several international series as well. However, no decision took place yet as the situation has not changed much in the last few days due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

India currently reported near 300 positive cases and four deaths for COVID-19 so far. While all the foreign visas have already been put on hold till April 15, the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has said that a “truncated IPL” can happen where a minimum 17 days already lost as well.

To stay updated with all the IPL News, IPL Live Score, IPL Prediction, IPL Match Analysis, and much more interesting IPL blogs, follow Cricadium.

Venkatapathy Raju comments on MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is one of those cricketers who know how to be in the limelight. While his records and calibre speak for him, it is not unknown that he has been out of the action ever since India lost to New Zealand in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

However, the upcoming Indian Premier League was about to play the key role for him as many said his performance will decide whether he will be in the T20 World Cup squad or not.

Recently, Venkatapathy Raju, who became a part of the national selection committee headed by DilipVengsarkar told Sportstar about how they picked up MS Dhoni and his cricketing career.

“Well, the guiding principle of the panel was simple - only consistent performers and match-winners will be considered for selection. We could do this because we watched most of the matches with focus on certain fringe players, who could go on to play for India. This is where the India-A series

concept really helped us,” he admits.

He further said that there were reasons for giving him the captaincy. At that time, the seniors came after a long break so they thought it would be better to give him the captaincy.

However, he thinks every player has to keep performing – be it domestic, India-A series or any other competitive cricket. This is to prove to yourself, not to others.

“Playing international cricket is never easy. It demands a different level of fitness and skills. For that, you have to be in the thick of it. I remember how I struggled coming back into Indian team after a three-year gap because of the totally different kind of intensive training in the Indian team as compared to playing Ranji or other first-class tournaments,” he signed off.

For more updates visit Cricadium

Javed Miandad loves Virat Kohli’s batting

Former Pakistan cricket legend Javed Miandad loves to see Virat Kohli's batting and said that the India captain his favourite batsman, citing his record "itself tells a lot". The former Pakistan captain has picked him as his favourite because of his "classy" batting.

While speaking on his YouTube channel about the talent and depth present in the current Indian set up, Miandad praised the squad, especially Virat Kohli for his stunning stats and the way he achieved them and continue to do so.

"I was asked who is the best in the Indian cricket team, so I choose Virat Kohli," Miandad said. "I don't have to say much, his performance itself tells a lot. People have to admit this as stats are visible.”

"Virat performed really well in South Africa; even on an uneven wicket, he scored a hundred. You cannot say he is scared of fast-bowlers or he cannot play on bouncy pitches or he doesn't play spinners well," he further added.

Javed Miandad, who had scored 8832 runs in 124 Tests and 7381 runs in 233 ODIs for Pakistan, said that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli make batting look so easy. They have been doing wonders with the bat.

He further added, "He is a clean hitter. Look at his shots, it feels so good to watch him bat. He has class."

Currently, the coronavirus threat has become a major concern that has affected the entire world. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation citing the people of the country to practice "Janta Curfew" on Sunday (March 22) to fight against the novel COVID-19. In a video shared by Anushka Sharma on Instagram, along with India captain Virat Kohli has requested the people of the country to stay safe by doing self-isolation during these tough times. Anushka Sharma further added that the only way to stop the spread of coronavirus is by "acting together".