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IPL Central: Kieron Pollard fined for showing dissent

The IPL is still a batsman's game on Twitter
IPL Central March 25, 2019

Kieron Pollard was fined 25 percent of his match fee by referee Javagal Srinath after he was found to have breached the IPL's Code of Conduct during the final against Chennai Super Kings. Pollard admitted to the Level 1 breach for showing dissent at an umpire's decision. Presumably, this sanction had do with events in the last over of Mumbai Indians' innings, bowled by Dwayne Bravo, when umpire Nitin Menon ruled two consecutive wide calls in Super Kings' favour. Pollard responded by setting up in his stance at the wide marker outside off stump for the next ball, and then walking further into the off side and withdrawing from the stance as the bowler ran in. Following this, the game was held up as both Menon and square-leg umpire Ian Gould reprimanded Pollard.

For Level 1 breaches, the decision of the match referee is final and binding.

May 9

It's the Ramadan month, and playing a high-energy, high-stakes game like the IPL Eliminator can't be easy for people observing the customary fast. Like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, Sunrisers Hyderabad's Afghan imports.

They finished up at the wrong end of the result against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday night, but Shikhar Dhawan, the Capitals opener who was a part of the Hyderabad franchise till last season, made it a point to catch up with his former mates after the game and send out a heart-warming message.

May 7

Twitter India XI - IPL 2019's greatest hits

Who have been the most popular cricketers of IPL 2019 so far? Twitter India has named its XI of the tournament, a list of the most mentioned players on the social media platform. It's quite the dream team, and most of the players you'd expect there are in it.

"India's cricket superstars make up a majority of the list with MS Dhoni topping the charts, in what is turning out to be another successful season for Chennai. Andre Russell made this season his own, and fans on Twitter echoed that. We're waiting to see how the conversation unfolds in the play-off stage," Rahul Pushkarna, Twitter's Asia Pacific head of content partnerships, said.

There are just three overseas players in a batting-heavy line-up, with Russell and Hardik Pandya the only two seam-bowling options - who needs bowlers when you've assembled such a big-hitting powerhouse, eh?

Jadhav out for CSK - Fleming

Kedar Jadhav has been ruled out of the IPL after he picked a shoulder injury in Chennai Super Kings' final league match on Sunday in Mohali. That news was revealed by Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming while having a chat with the host broadcaster during Qualifer 1.

Jadhav had hurt his left shoulder while attempting to save four overthrows in the outfield and did not return to the field in the match against Kings XI Punjab. Even two days ago, Fleming had strong doubts over Jadhav's recovery and on Tuesday he confirmed the player was ruled out.

"Well, he is out for us. And then it is just about being accurate with that assessment . He was going through the scans and working with Patrick Farhart so there's obviously with one eye now on the World Cup and getting him fit. But from our point of view he is certainly out of the tournament."

May 6

MS Dhoni returns to Ranchi to cast his vote

Despite a packed IPL schedule, Chennai Super Kings captain took time away from the league and returned to his hometown Ranchi on Monday to cast his vote in India's general elections on Monday. Dhoni's Super Kings will face Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians in the first qualifier at Chepauk on Tuesday.

May 5

Bravo plans a song for MS Dhoni

When he's not playing cricket, Dwayne Bravo can usually be found involved in a few musical or entertainment projects. His repertoire includes a brief appearance in a Tamil film, and more recently, the song "Asia", where he sang about players from Asia, including Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

He already has a project in his sights for IPL 2020: a song for Dhoni, his captain at Chennai Super Kings.

"I'm promoting my song "Asia" now, and working on a couple of songs for the summer. For IPL 2020, I'll be doing a special tribute song for MS Dhoni," Bravo said in an interview to The Hindu.

It's a tribute to the captain who advised Bravo to "Never be scared of failures. Always trust the process, and as long as you prepare well and be honest to yourself, everything will take care of itself."

Unadkat takes the high road

Rajasthan Royals crashed out of the IPL playoffs race with a loss to Delhi on Saturday, and on of their members, Jaydev Unadkat, the franchise's third-highest wicket-taker this season was at the receiving end of trolling on Twitter, in response to his non-cricket related post.

Unadkat, however, chose the high road. In response to a comment suggesting he should enroll in a cricket academy and learn how to bowl, Unadkat replied:

May 4

RCB players bond over general-knowledge quiz

When the IPL isn't going your team's way, how can you mix things up to keep your team upbeat?

Rajasthan Royals coach Paddy Upton recently said that improv theatre is a great way to reduce players' inhibitions, but over at Royal Challengers Bangalore, head coach Gary Kirsten uses another method - general knowledge quizzes - to assist in team bonding.

According to AB de Villiers in his latest column in Times of India, Kirsten organised a quiz for the Royal Challengers squad members on Tuesday after they were eliminated from playoff contention. Kirsten divided the players and support staff into teams of six, and asked questions varying from "Who was the first man to run a four-minute mile?" to "Who was India's first Test captain?."

The quiz was won by the team captained by team physiotherapist Evan Speechley, and de Villiers said that the evening had 'plenty of laughter.'

(PS. The answers are Roger Banniser and CK Nayudu, respectively)

May 3

AB de Villiers believes nothing can match the IPL when it comes to the quality of the cricket. Not even the World Cup.

"Nothing comes close to the IPL, to be honest," de Villiers told Livemint on the sidelines of a promotional event in Delhi. "I know I am sitting in India and busy playing in the IPL, so it's easy to say. But I have played in quite a few [tournaments] now across the world. I think it's better than the World Cup. It's the most incredible tournament to be part of. It wasn't always the case. The first five years were nowhere close to where we are now. It's so intense, so fast, and the following is just incredible."

De Villiers' side in the IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore, though are out of the race for the playoffs, with one match to go. After losing their first six games of the season, Royal Challengers made a recovery of sorts by winning four of the next five but that wasn't enough.

"It hasn't been our greatest season but the nature of T20 cricket is unpredictable at times," he said. "Look at a team like Kolkata Knight Riders, who have the player of the tournament at the moment in their team-- they have lost six in a row. It's difficult to predict what's going to happen but we are on a roll, and, normally, momentum plays a huge part for the teams that end up winning the IPL."

With Smith back home, Rahane handed Royals reins again

Ajinkya Rahane has been handed back the Rajasthan Royals captaincy for their last IPL 2019 group-stage game, following Steven Smith's departure for Australia to be a part of the team's World Cup preparations.

Smith took charge after Rahane had led Royals to six losses in their first eight games of the season. The team did better after the change, winning three games, losing one and getting a point from the washout against Royal Challengers Bangalore to get to 11 points from 13 games. Currently placed fifth, Royals are not quite out of the race for the only vacant spot in the playoffs, but must beat Delhi Capitals in Delhi on Saturday and hope for other results to go their way to have a chance.

Rahane had an average time with the bat when he was captain, but has since scored an unbeaten 105, 39 off 34 and 34 off 21.

May 2

How Tahir challenges Dhoni and Watson's fitness levels

Thirteen games into his season, Chennai Super Kings' spin-bowling ace Imran Tahir is at No. 2 on the bowling charts, with 21 wickets. And perhaps each of those wickets has resulted in a wild, signature, celebratory run from Tahir. His older, creakier team-mates, it seems, might not have shared in the bulk of those celebrations. Here's his captain MS Dhoni on the matter, following Super Kings' victory over Delhi Capitals (a few laughs guaranteed):

May 1

Warner keeps his promise to Moody

Australian opener David Warner came into IPL 2019 on the back of indifferent form in the Global T20 Canada, Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). To add to his troubles, an elbow injury had cut short his stint in Bangladesh, but after surgery Warner marked his return to action with a chart-topping 692 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 12 innings at an average of 69.20 and strike-rate of 143.86. He has topped 500 runs in each of his last five seasons in the IPL.

In his column for the Times of India, Sunrisers' mentor VVS Laxman revealed that Warner had promised head coach Tom Moody that he would score 500 runs this season.

"What can I say about Davey? He has had a turbulent last year or so, made worse by an elbow injury, and we were a little apprehensive at the start of the season that he might be a bit rusty. But Davey was truly outstanding. When the schedule was out, we all knew that he would be available for 12 games. We were in the middle of a shoot in Hyderabad when Davey messaged head coach Tom Moody, promising us 500 runs for the season. It was no empty boast. It's one thing to set goals, but the determined manner in which Davey chased it down was wonderful to watch. He eventually signed off with 692 runs, one of the main reasons why we are in with a shot at the play-offs. Davey is fortunate that he has tremendous mental resolve and, in his wife Candice, a very strong support system."

Varun Chakravarthy out of remainder of IPL 2019

Multiple injuries have sidelined Kings XI Punjab and Tamil Nadu mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy from the rest of IPL 2019. Varun had sustained a shoulder injury while playing for his club Vijay CC in Chennai in February and was subsequently ruled out of the 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then recovered sufficiently to make his IPL debut for Kings XI against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 27, but it was a performance he would like to forget. He was smashed for 25 runs by Knight Riders' Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn in his first over in the IPL - a new record.

To add to his woes, Varun then suffered a finger fracture during Kings XI's visit to Chennai last month. The team management expected Varun to recover in time for the latter half of the tournament, but he hasn't been able to do so. Consequently, Varun's maiden IPL stint has been cut short and he has returned to Chennai.

In the IPL auction earlier this year, Varun earned 42 times his base price of INR 20 lakh and became the joint-highest-paid player.

Smith says his goodbyes

Rajasthan Royals captain Steven Smith is done with IPL 2019. It's now on to the World Cup and his Australia comeback for him. Before heading off, he had some words of thanks and encouragement to share with his Royals team-mates. Here's what he had to say:

April 30

Sunrisers say goodbye to Warner

Sunrisers Hyderabad bolstered their chances of a top-four finish with a 45-run win against Kings XI Punjab in Hyderabad on Monday. They also bid farewell to one of the stars of this season - David Warner. Warner, along with other Australian World Cup squad members playing in the IPL, will return home to prepare for the showpiece event.

Warner had a phenomenal season, scoring 692 runs, and his 81 against Kings XI was his eighth half-century of the tournament in 12 innings, to go with his century against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The celebrations were quiet, as Warner was due to leave soon after the game ended, but he did advise his team-mates to stay humble and to "keep putting your best foot forward". And, in an Instagram post, he thanked the team for the support over the last year, when he was banned after being found guilty of ball-tampering at Newlands.

View this post on Instagram

I can not express my gratitude enough to the @sunrisershyd family for your support, not just this season but also for the last year. It's been a long time waiting but it was great to be back amongst the boys. Owners, support staff, players, social media team and the fans thank you very much for welcoming me back with open arms. I thoroughly enjoyed being back out there swinging that willow. Good luck to the guys for the rest of the tournament and finish. #family #orangearmy #humbull #hashtag

A post shared by David Warner (@davidwarner31) on

April 28

Rohit Sharma fined for breaching Code of Conduct

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma was fined 15 percent of his match fee following their defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. Rohit accepted the sanction for a breach of section 2.2 of the IPL's Code of Conduct, which pertains to conduct that brings the game into disrepute.

There was no official confirmation of the incident that led to the fine, but Rohit's reaction after being given out - wherein he tapped his bat into the stumps at the non-striker's end as he walked by the umpire - is believed to be the offence. Rohit was given out lbw and was visibly displeased when the review showed that the impact was umpire's call.

This is Rohit's second sanction of the season, the previous one being a INR 12 lakh (approx. $17,300) fine for slow over-rate.

Ashok Dinda hits back at RCB for 'irresponsible' tweet

Ashok Dinda has taken more than 400 first-class wickets, and has played 22 limited-overs games for India, but fans have tended to associate him with a tendency to bowl expensive spells in the IPL. Even though he hasn't featured in the IPL since 2017, his name continues to ring out in social media, and trolls on Twitter have lately been welcoming bowlers to the "Dinda Academy" whenever they have leaked runs in the death overs.

This not unusual tale of tasteless trolling, however, took an unexpected turn when Royal Challengers Bangalore, one of the five IPL teams Dinda has played for, joined in the Dinda-baiting. Umesh Yadav had been a regular target of Dinda comparisons on Twitter, and Royal Challengers' official handle tweeted "Dinda Academy? What's that?" when the fast bowler picked up three wickets against Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday night.

The tweet disappeared, and an apology followed.

But the damage was done, and on Sunday Dinda responded, calling out Royal Challengers for being "irresponsible".

April 27

The straighter ball is my strength - Krunal Pandya


After bowling a stifling spell of 3-0-7-2 on a raging turner against Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians allrounder Krunal Pandya has revealed that his strength is in fact the straighter ball.

Krunal's first wicket was of Ambati Rayudu, who played for the turn in the fifth over but the delivery Krunal bowled from around the wicket went straight with the arm and knocked the top of middle and leg stumps.

"You have to remember, I spin the ball but that [one] I didn't," Krunal told his brother Hardik Pandya on iplt20.com. "The straighter ball that I bowl, that's my strength. Just before that second ball, that ball spun, so I guess that was there at the back of his (Rayudu's) mind that the ball will spin but that ball just went with the arm.

"On this wicket, I was trying to bowl back of length because I knew the wicket is helping me. I was just trying to bowl in right areas and the wicket was helping me because some of them were spinning and some of them went straight."

Krunal added that he relished bowling on the turning track at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. "Most of the games you play at Wankhede, and suddenly when you see these kind of wickets, you feel happy about it, that it will help," he said.

April 26

Steven Smith is known to be nimble enough on the cricket pitch but in a viral video doing the rounds of social media, the Rajasthan Royals captain seems to be quite at ease with his moves off the field too. A clip, released by one of the telecom companies that also sponsors the Royals franchise, has Smith dancing alongside team-mates Ajinkya Rahane and Ben Stokes. If Royals ever hold a dance-off to decide on their captain, we know who would win. An Cricday staffer was quick to also point out that it was the most use Smith had made of his operated-on elbow since coming to the IPL.

April 25

Dale Steyn ruled out of remainder of the IPL

South Africa and Royal Challengers Bangalore fast bowler Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL with "inflammation in his shoulder". Steyn had missed Royal Challengers' match against Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday night with what captain Virat Kohli called a "niggle" at the toss, but it has now emerged that the bowler cannot take any more part in the tournament.

"Dale Steyn has been prescribed with ample rest due to inflammation in his shoulder. On account of state of his health, Dale will not be available to take part further in the ongoing season of IPL," Sanjeev Churiwala, chairman of Royal Challengers said. "The team will deeply miss his energy and presence around. We wish him a speedy recovery and all the luck for all future endeavours."

Royal Challengers won both the matches Steyn played for them as he took two wickets each against Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. Steyn himself was an injury replacement for Royal Challengers after Nathan Coulter-Nile pulled out of the tournament with a stiff back.

Steyn had been named in South Africa's 15-man squad for the World Cup but it is unclear yet how much time he will take to recover.

April 23

South African fast bowler Beuran Hendricks has replaced Alzarri Joseph, the injured West Indies quick, in the Mumbai Indians squad for the remainder of the IPL.

Joseph, who was picked as a replacement for Adam Milne, was ruled out of the tournament after he dislocated his right arm and suffered a tear while fielding in a match against Rajasthan Royals earlier this month. Joseph's maiden IPL stint had lasted a week - he returned an IPL record 6 for 12 on debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but went wicketless in the next two matches, even conceding 53 off four overs against Royals.

Hendricks, who was part of the South Africa side for the limited-overs home series against Pakistan recently, will join Mumbai for a second IPL stint. He had been a part of the Kings XI Punjab squad in the 2014 and 2015 editions.

Mumbai, who are third on the points table, will play their next match against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on Friday.

KKR give Karthik and Uthappa time off to find rhythm

Teams have their own methods of dealing with pressure and hard losses. In the case of Kolkata Knight Riders, who find their season unravelling with a series of defeats, a handful of players have been given time off to regroup. Five of them, including captain Dinesh Karthik and senior batsman Robin Uthappa, decided to train in Mumbai under the watch of Abhishek Nayar, mentor of the Knight Riders' academy. The other three players in the group were batsman Nikhil Naik and pacers Shrikant Mundhe and Prithvi Raj.

Knight Riders, who have suffered five consecutive defeats, are languishing in the bottom half of the IPL 2019 table and the lack of runs from Karthik and Uthappa have added to their problems. Uthappa has scored 220 runs from nine matches, including a fifty, at 31.42 and a strike rate of 119.56. Karthik, meanwhile, has a tally of 117 runs after ten matches with only one fifty. Naik and Raj have played one match each this season, while Mundhe has been on the bench all along.

The players will join the team on Wednesday in Kolkata, a day before the home match against Rajasthan Royals.

Kane Williamson out of Super Kings clash

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson has returned to New Zealand following the death of his grandmother and will not be available for the side's clash against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on Tuesday. He is likely to rejoin the squad ahead of Sunrisers' next match against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on April 27.

In his absence, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is set to take over captaincy again. Bhuvneshwar had led the side in five games earlier this season after Williamson had been unavailable due to a shoulder injury.

Williamson's return to action coincided with Sunrisers snapping their three-match losing streak against Super Kings in Hyderabad last week. Sunrisers went on to win their next game too, against Kolkata Knight Riders at home. They are currently fourth on the points table, with five wins in nine games.

Mohammad Nabi or Shakib Al Hasan is likely to replace Williamson on a sluggish Chepauk track and bolster a spin attack that already includes Rashid Khan and Shahbaz Nadeem.

April 22

#10YearChallenge for Kohli and Steyn

As soon as Dale Steyn bowled Suresh Raina for a first-ball duck with a searing yorker on Sunday evening, the fast bowler ran to his Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli and picked him up in celebration. It was a familiar sight - Steyn and Kohli celebrating in Royal Challengers colours - and gave the two a rush of nostalgia after nearly 10 years.

Kohli acknowledged the #10YearChallenge post of the two of them being shared on social media: "I want everyone to look at this - me and Dale Steyn on the left in 2010 and me and Dale Steyn on the right in 2019," Kohli said on iplt20.com.

"Feels amazing to be able to celebrate with this man after 10 years. And we would never have thought after parting ways in 2010 doing the same thing in Chinnaswamy all over again."

Steyn responded to Kohli saying: "It's fantastic [to be back at RCB]. That photo, you're right, it brings back some good memories, it's nostalgic."

April 21

Ashwin fined for Kings XI's slow over-rate

Despite all the concern around IPL games dragging on too long this season, the problem persists, and Kings XI Punjab's R Aswhin is the latest to be fined for the same. He was fined INR 12 lakh (USD 17000 approx) following his side's defeat to Delhi Capitals. Kings XI had to bowl second after losing the toss, and the dew did not help their cause.

This IPL season over rates have been put in focus with several matches spanning more than four hours. As per the IPL playing conditions, a match needs to be over in roughly 200 minutes. Royal Challengers Bangalore's AB de Villiers was the latest to speak out against flagging over rates, suggesting a reduction in the innings break from 20 minutes to 10 minutes could be the way to hurry teams along.

April 19

Kings XI's Henriques out 'for a period of time'

The injury to Moises Henriques, during warm-ups before what was to be his first match of the season, has implications beyond just that match. Henriques is unlikely to return to the field anytime soon, and Kings XI Punjab can't even get a replacement because the injury took place in the second half of the tournament.

While Henriques is not yet ruled out of the rest of the IPL, he is out "for a period of time".

"Moises Henriques obviously injured himself after being named in the side a couple of days ago," Kings XI coach Mike Hesson said on the eve of their game against Delhi Capitals in Delhi. "His injury is going to rule him out for a period of time. So that's unfortunate."

No replacement either, because "You can't have a replacement after seven games through injury. So there will be no replacement sought."

Kings XI are struggling with a spate in fitness issues, the prime one right now being Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who injured his shoulder when diving during their last match, but they were hopeful he would play the game on Saturday. "Mujeeb has made good progress," Hesson said. "He is certainly not in as much pain as he was a couple of nights ago. So he will likely train with us today and we will make a decision after that."

The injury concerns don't end there. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been out with a broken finger for a while now. They can get an Indian replacement for Varun if they want, but they are unlikely to press for that. "CV Varun has been out for a long time for injury," Hesson said. "We are hoping that everybody will be able to make a contribution during the rest of the IPL."

April 18

Manage IPL workloads smartly - Karthik to World Cup-bound players

Dinesh Karthik, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain and India's designated back-up wicketkeeper for the 2019 World Cup, believes it's imperative for the tournament-bound squad members to focus on their workloads and fitness between IPL games - and not during them.

Ahead of Knight Riders' game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Karthik said that India's squad members should maintain their fitness levels by keeping an eye on their workout schedules between games, and not pick and choose matches to play during the rest of the IPL.

"In my books, I don't think you should leave it to the players to pick and choose IPL matches," Karthik said. "How I see it is, it's not the matches that are the problem. Bowlers are delivering only four overs, and batsmen are facing only 25-30 balls and fielding.

"But what's key to it is the time between two games. Like travel, recovery time, hitting the gym or what you're putting in your mouth."

Ashish Nehra, the Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling coach, also said that it would be wrong to assume that World Cup-bound players wouldn't give their 100% in the field in fear of picking up injuries.

"Hold themselves back [in the IPL]? That would be wrong thinking," Nehra said. "I don't think any international cricketer will do that. When you're playing the IPL, this is international cricket only. If ball is there, players will dive. This debate is always there, but what's the guarantee that you don't get injured in the IPL but pick up an injury two days before the first World Cup game? "

Pant will play 'at least three World Cups' - Ponting

Ricky Ponting is "surprised" that wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has not been picked in India's 15-man squad for the World Cup. Ponting believes that Pant, whom he shares a dressing room with at the IPL for Delhi Capitals, will, however, go on to play "at least three World Cups."

"Yes, I was surprised when he was left out of the Indian squad," Ponting said. "One thing we know about Indian cricket is that there is a lot of depth in batting and this time Rishabh has missed out. Knowing what he is like and the talent he has, I would be surprised if he doesn't play in at least three World Cups before his career is over."

When asked if Pant could have been left out because he throws away starts or doesn't show enough patience, Ponting said: "I don't think he's impatient, he is a very smart player. I think he sums up situations and conditions really well. But they obviously have their reasons for not picking him and I am not going to comment on that."

Tahir and Rashid reveal reasons behind celebrations

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Rashid Khan and Chennai Super Kings' Imran Tahir are famous not just for their googlies, but also for their trademark celebrations. The legspinning duo caught up following Sunrisers' win in Hyderabad to discuss each other's celebrations.

"You play against world-class players and perform well, it gives me happiness," Tahir told Rashid on iplt20.com. "So I show my happiness with that celebration. Neither my family nor I know what I do with that celebration."

Meanwhile Rashid, who is known for his unique index finger-spinning celebration, revealed why it was not on display after he dismissed Suresh Raina and Kedar Jadhav.

"If it's bowled or caught behind then I do that celebration," Rashid said. "I did not get the chance today as both the wickets were off reviews. There was a 50-50 chance so I couldn't do the celebration. But I always try to celebrate that way every time I get a wicket because my nephews like it and they ask me to do that celebration."

April 17

BCCI ombudsman issues summons to Sourav Ganguly

Justice DK Jain, the BCCI ombudsman, has asked Sourav Ganguly to appear before him on April 20 for a hearing on the alleged conflict of interest matter that cropped up when Ganguly, the president of Cricket Association of Bengal, took up an advisory role with IPL side Delhi Capitals for the ongoing season.

The Delhi franchise will host Kings XI Punjab in the capital the same evening.

Shortly after three West Bengal residents - Ranjit Seal, Bhaswati Santua and Abhijeet Mukherjee, who have all been summoned as well - wrote to the ombudsman asking how Ganguly could wear multiple hats, Cricday had reported that Justice Jain, who also serves as the BCCI's ethics officer, had asked Ganguly for an explanation and Ganguly, in turn, had promised to send his reply by April 7.

Since then, PTI reported, the former India captain has refuted the charges in a written affidavit through his legal counsel.

Although Ganguly's case might not fall under the direct, indirect, tractable or intractable conflicts as defined in the new BCCI constitution, Justice Jain is likely to pay close attention to clause 38 (4), which states that a person cannot hold two positions of the 16 listed simultaneously. The 16 positions include: "any person who is governance, management or employee of a franchisee", and "office bearer of a member (association)".

Ashwin shows off his bhangra moves

It was not just R Ashwin's batting and bowling skills that were on full display on Wednesday night, but also his dancing skills. His Kings XI Punjab team-mates Sam Curran and Chris Gayle had previously impressed the Mohali crowd with their moves, but it was the captain's turn this time, as he broke into an impromptu bhangra to the peppy rhythm of the dhol after his match-winning efforts in Kings XI's 12-run win over Rajasthan Royals.

The Chennai boy decided to ditch the kuthu and go full Punjabi instead:

April 16

Varun Chakravarthy sidelined by injury

Varun Chakravarthy, Kings XI Punjab's mystery spinner who earned 42 times his base price at the auction in December, has been sidelined with a finger injury. A Kings XI statement said it was a finger fracture - though which finger was not specified - that he picked up "during the visit to Chennai earlier in the month". Kings XI played CSK at Chepauk on April 6.

Varun has played just the one game so far in the IPL, and it was a performance he would probably like to forget. He was carted for 25 runs by Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn in his first over in the IPL - a new record.

Kings XI's CEO Satish Menon said the franchise was hoping Varun recovered quickly enough to have a second go this IPL. "It's unfortunate that Varun picked up the injury. But these things happen in cricket," Menon said. "We have great faith in his abilities and we can only hope that he recovers soon."

April 13

Virat Kohli fined for slow over-rate

Royal Challengers Bangalore's first win of the season came with some bitterness for captain Virat Kohli, who was fined INR 12 lakh (approx. $17,300) for maintaining a slow over-rate after putting Kings XI Punjab in to bat on Saturday. It was Kohli's first over-rate offence of the season and the fine was imposed by match referee Prakash Bhatt. Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were previously fined for their first offences.

A second offence over-rate would result in a fine of INR 24 lakh (approx. $34,600) for the captain and of INR 6 lakh (approx. $8,650) or 25% of the match fee from every other player in the team, whichever is lesser. A third offence will cost the captain INR 30 lakh (approx. $43,370) and a ban from the team's next game, while each player in the XI will be fined INR 12 lakh (approx. $17,300) or 50% of the match fee, whichever is lesser.

J Suchith replaces Harshal Patel at Capitals

Left-arm spinner J Suchith has joined the Delhi Capitals squad as a replacement for Harshal Patel, who had injured his arm and was then ruled out of IPL 2019.

Suchith was part of the title-winning Mumbai Indians side in 2017; he was actually on the field for that game as a substitute fielder and the last ball was hit to him with Rising Pune Supergiant needing four runs to win.

The 25-year old was a regular member of the Karnataka T20 team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year and has a total of 37 wickets from 47 innings in the shortest format, along with an economy rate of 7.26.

De Villiers and RCB looking for 'seventh heaven'

After Royal Challengers Bangalore lost six out of six games in IPL 2019, AB de Villiers said that the side had "ran out of excuses long ago". They now face Kings XI Punjab in Mohali, where the hosts are on a seven-match winning streak. De Villiers, though, was hopeful of a turnaround to give the RCB fans something to cheer about.

"You can criticise our batting, and say we have not been consistent enough," he wrote in his column for the Times of India. "You can criticise our bowling, and say we have not exercised control in critical periods. You can criticise our fielding, and say it has been unquestionably poor.

"Fair enough; at RCB, we ran out of excuses long ago. However, to be fair, no one should question our commitment.

"Yes, we have lost six in a row, but we still have eight matches to play; that's eight chances to realise our potential and show what we can do, eight opportunities to put a smile back on the faces of our fantastically loyal supporters.

"In ancient cosmological systems, specifically according to Talmudic and Muslim eschatology (matters dealing with the end of the world), there are seven layers of heaven with the seventh and most exalted being the abode of God and the angels. Hopefully, our seventh match will become our seventh heaven."

April 12

Dale Steyn in the house

Dale Steyn will bolster the bowling reserves of Royal Challengers Bangalore. The South African veteran will replace injured Australian fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile, who is suffering from a stiff back.

Steyn is expected to be available for selection from their ninth league fixture, against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 19. His selection will mark his return to the league after a gap of two seasons - he last played for Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016, turning out in only one match.

He is also set to return to the franchise he played 28 matches for between 2008 and 2010, picking up 27 wickets. Steyn had pulled out of the IPL 2017 auction, as he recovered from a career-threatening shoulder injury, but went unsold in the 2018 and 2019 IPL auctions.

Coulter-Nile had missed the first few weeks of IPL 2019 because of his international commitments, with Australia taking on Pakistan in an ODI series in the UAE. With the ODIs having ended on March 29, he was expected to have joined the Royal Challengers squad in the first week of April - along with team-mates Marcus Stoinis, while Ashton Turner linked up with Rajasthan Royals - but was later expected to join the squad on April 13.

Royal Challengers will hope Steyn can provide a boost to a languishing campaign that has seen them remain winless after six games. The franchise's next match is on April 13, against Kings XI Punjab.

April 11

KKR sign Australia quick Kelly as Nortje's replacement

Kolkata Knight Riders have signed 24-year-old Western Australian fast bowler Matthew Kelly as a replacement for the injured Anrich Nortje.

The right-arm quick has played just 16 first-class matches and five List A games for Western Australia, since making his state debut in 2017. He's also played 12 T20s for Perth Scorchers, where he has taken 19 wickets at an impressive economy of 7.43. He came in for special praise for his death bowling.

Kelly is a bustling fast bowler, who Mark Waugh, the former Australia selector, felt "could do the job for Australia" at the World Cup if any of their first-choice picks didn't recover from injuries. He is expected to link up with Knight Riders ahead of their upcoming home-fixture against Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

April 10

Harshal Patel ruled out of IPL 2019

Harshal Patel, the Delhi Capitals fast bowler, is set to miss the remainder of the 2019 IPL season. Cricday understands Harshal has an arm injury.

Harshal has played two games for Capitals this season. He picked up 2 for 40 in the tied match against Kolkata Knight Riders - which Capitals won via the one-over Eliminator - in Delhi, and finished with figures of 0 for 37 in the 14-run defeat to Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.

The 28-year-old Harshal was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise from 2012 to 2017, and has played for Delhi since the 2018 season.

Is there room for a fit-again Williamson in Sunrisers XI?


A shoulder injury has restricted Kane Williamson to just one appearance in IPL 2019 so far, but he's now fit and available for selection.

Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody's tweets on Tuesday confirmed that both Williamson and Khaleel Ahmed, the paceman, have recovered from their injuries, but that might now create a selection headache for Sunrisers, who have been led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in Williamson's absence.

David Warner and Jonny Bairstow have done exceedingly well at the top of the batting order, Mohammad Nabi has had a big effect on three of the four games he has turned out in, and Rashid Khan is a sure-starter. Who does Williamson replace then?

A Sunrisers insider agreed that there is a dilemma: "We replaced Shakib [Al Hasan] with Nabi, and Nabi has done well. If Nabi goes out, Shakib comes back. Warner and Bairstow are clicking. We have Rashid. So Williamson has to sit out for team balance."

It could, however, be a blessing in disguise for Williamson, who needs to be fit for the upcoming World Cup. And he will get his chance, as the source confirmed to Cricday, because "both Bairstow and Warner will leave by the end of April to join the World Cup teams, so Williamson will play".

Departures and arrivals - Dhoni style

For those complaining about slow over-rates during the IPL and their sleep schedules going off gear, the players don't have it much better. Worse, perhaps. The watching public can switch off after the game and sleep. The players have their post-match meetings, celebrations if you're Chennai Super Kings, and the travel back to the team hotel. And then there might be an early-morning flight out. It's no wonder that players try to catch their forty winks at other times. Even if the bed is the floor of an airport lounge and the pillow a kit bag. And even if you're MS Dhoni.

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After getting used to IPL timing this is what happens if u have a morning flight

A post shared by M S Dhoni (@mahi7781) on

That's only during departures, though. Because when Dhoni arrives in a new city, this is what he's greeted with.

The city doesn't matter. Dhoni is a hero wherever he goes

April 9

Question mark over Rohit's fitness

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma had an injury scare ahead of his side's match against Kings XI Punjab. While training on the match eve, at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit fell on the ground near the square boundary because of what looked like a hamstring or thigh issue with his right leg. He was immediately tended to by the team physio Nitin Patel, before he got up and gingerly walked back to the pavilion with Patel. The injury did not look very serious though; Rohit walked up the stairs to the dressing room without any support.

AB targets fielding in RCB's 'Groundhog Day' season

Royal Challengers Bangalore's six-match losing streak is like Groundhog Day, AB de Villiers says. Writing in the Times of India, he compares RCB's dismal start to the season with the Hollywood film in which Bill Murray, playing a TV weather forecaster, lives the same day repeatedly and is unable to change the outcome even when he knows what's going to happen. "At RCB in the 2019 IPL, for some reason, we are being condemned to live through the same day over and over again; we have played six matches and lost six matches. How? Why?"

He then points to the team's fielding as the weak spot. "After our most recent defeat, at home to Delhi Capitals on Sunday, when we were unable to defend 149 on a slow wicket, I happened to sit next to Gary Kirsten on the bus, as we left the stadium and drove past thousands of our disappointed supporters," de Villiers wrote. "The head coach asked me what I was thinking. I replied: 'More often than not, in cricket, you can assess the state of a team by the way they field. Each player is a batsman or a bowler, and it is understandable that their primary focus is on batting or bowling… but every player is also a fielder and, in my view, you need a collective hunger and desire to operate as a strong unit in the field.'

"Maybe that's where we are failing. Our fielding in this tournament has been very poor, and we simply can't afford to be dropping multiple chances in every match. Instead, we must stay positive and stay together..and somehow find a way to get a win and to escape Groundhog Day."

April 8

Chris Lynn's visiting a casino

3.2 Kulkarni to Lynn, FOUR, more luck for KKR! Length ball coming in at the batsman who is cramped for the room, gets an inside edge that hits the leg stump, the stumps light up but the bails don't dislodge, and to added to the misery, this has raced towards the fine leg boundary. Should have been runs, but the umpire signals byes

Chris Lynn should have been out for 13 off 12 in Kolkata Knight Riders' chase of Rajasthan Royals' 139 for 3 on Sunday, but as Cricday's ball-by-ball commentary noted, he survived being 'bowled' because the bails didn't dislodge. And his team even got four runs in the bargain. Lynn ended up with 50 off 32 in what turned out to be a romp, as Knight Riders won by eight wickets with 6.1 overs to spare, but the amazing luck he enjoyed meant the setting for the victory celebrations suggested itself.

"I always like to ride my luck," Lynn told Harry Gurney on iplt20.com. "It is a T20 game and I like to go hard in the first six overs. After I inside edged it, I heard a second noise and I thought, 'He's either going to catch it, or the bail's going to come off'. But I got lucky. I told the umpire, I saw him put up byes, so I went down and he actually changed it. I'm happy to ride that luck. I might actually go to a casino tonight if there's one here!"

Gurney himself was on IPL debut, and it turned out pretty special, with 2 for 25 in four overs, the wickets of Jos Buttler and Rahul Tripathi, and the Man of the Match award. And just in the afternoon, Gurney had been feeling more than a little nervous.

"I was a little bit nervous at the hotel this afternoon, a few butterflies," he said. "I always am for the first game in any competition I'm playing, but once I arrived at the ground and started warming up, I was fine. Obviously really happy with how it went."

April 7

Alzarri Joseph's 'unbelievable' IPL debut

An injury to Adam Milne had brought Alzarri Joseph into the Mumbai Indians squad, and Lasith Malinga's premature departure to Sri Lanka gave him a spot in the XI against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. If the build-up to Joseph's IPL debut had a touch of serendipity to it, his performance on the night was nothing short of a fairytale. With returns of 6 for 12 in Hyderabad, the young West Indies quick broke the 11-year-old record for the best figures in the tournament, and set up an unlikely win for his side. He termed it an "unbelievable" experience but did not seem too overwhelmed by the occasion.

"It's [personal milestones] not something I play for, really," Joseph said after the match. "I only play for wins, not the limelight. It's a good feeling, but I want to win this tournament. I couldn't have asked for anything better, so I really cherish this moment."

The right-arm pacer stressed that "the pitch wasn't the easiest to play on," so Mumbai had a chance defending 136. "As long as we got stuck into them, got a few early wickets. We knew we could be in [with a chance]," he said.

Although his six-for included the prize wickets of David Warner - the season's top-scorer was also Joseph's maiden IPL wicket - the in-form Vijay Shankar, and Rashid Khan, it was No. 10 batsman Siddarth Kaul's scalp that Joseph valued most.

"Because that gave us the win," Joseph said. "My aim is to do my best to win games for my team. Not really personal performances but just put my whole effort in for the team."

April 6

"I know I'm special," Andre Russell said, without a hint of immodesty, after his staggering swing-and-smash hit-sixes-for-fun innings took Kolkata Knight Riders to an unlikely win over Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Knight Riders are weaving their dreams around their big man, Dre Russ, and now word has reached the Caribbean too, just in time for the World Cup.

Cricday

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