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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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