Author: Kashish Chadha

M Ibrahim Momand confirmed that the Taliban government has banned the telecast of IPL in Afghanistan citing potential instances of girls dancing at the grounds and visiting stadiums barred hair.  https://twitter.com/IbrahimReporter/status/1439629807134904326 The news of banning the tournament due to the presence of women at stadiums comes only days after the brutally extremist and deeply conservative regime in Afghanistan indicated that women’s cricket will be completely banned in the country in their reign. Last week, Afghanistan’s newly-appointed sports chief Bashir Ahmad Rustamzai refused to comment whether women will be allowed to play any of the 400 sports that will continue under the Taliban…

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, following his omission from India’s 15-member squad, promising wicketkeeper-batsman said he was looking forward to playing in the World Cup, but now that it is not the case, he is focused on ensuring he leads Rajasthan Royals from the front.  Credit: India TV News “As the cliché goes, selection is not in a player’s control, so it is very important to stay focused on what you can control and where you are as a player. You need to have that maturity in your thinking,” the 26-year-old stated.  Samson, who made his comeback to the T20I side back in early 2020…

SRK may seem one defeat away from being out of the playoffs race at this stage, but their skipper feels there is still a glimmer of hope that they can resurrect their standings and secure a berth in the top 4. The Sunrisers managed to win only one of their seven matches during the Indian leg of the competition before a Covid-19 outbreak inside different teams’ bubbles led to its suspension. The team also had a controversial change in their captaincy, with Williamson replacing regular skipper David Warner at the leadership post after 2018. Warner was not only removed from captaincy duties…

New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa will play away against India for the hosts’ extended 2021-22 home season that will kickstart in November and spread over to the end of June next year. The Indian team will play four Tests, three ODIs and 14 T20Is against these opponents either side of their all-format tour of South Africa in December-January. The Kiwis will be the first ones to arrive and will play three T20Is on November 17, 19 and 21 in Jaipur, Ranchi and Kolkata, before also contesting two World Test Championship fixtures with the hosts from November 25-29 and December 3-7 in Kanpur and Mumbai, respectively. …

On Monday, England national team opted out of the limited-overs tour to Pakistan due to security concerns and potential extra fatigue to their cricketers after playing in an excessively restricted environment within the Covid-19 pandemic since last year. The men’s team’s short two-match T20I series that was due to be played out on October 13 and 14 in Rawalpindi was called off by the ECB amid fears around the “mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff.” “We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region (to Pakistan) and believe that going ahead will add further pressure…

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and fast-bowling all-rounder Andre Russell showcased top form with the ball as KKR bundled out RCB for just 92 in a comprehensive nine-wicket victory to resume their campaign in IPL 2021. Thanks to their excellent bowling, the two-time champions made a fantastic start to the UAE leg of the competition, securing an easy win this Monday. Chakravarthy and Russell were the star of the show as they ran through the RCB batting line-up and set up the game for their team. RCB captain Virat Kohli opted to bat first and not long from there on he was left…

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt lashed out at perceptions built around MS Dhoni since the the IPL 2020. Dhoni has led the Kings to three Premier League titles and is regarded as one of the most destructive limited-overs players in the game. But a major dip in the legend’s returns with the bat since last year has given birth to claims that his presence is now holding CSK back as a side. Dhoni made only 200 runs from his 14 games of IPL 2020 with a strike-rate of only 116.27. During the Indian leg of IPL 2021, the limited-overs giant struck just 37 runs from…

Two bottom-placed teams will resume their campaign in the Indian Premier League 2021 with an encounter against each other on Tuesday in Dubai. The Kings are the more vulnerable of the two sides, with only three wins and five losses from their first eight matches of the competition. KL Rahul-led side are sixth and need to win a minimum of five of their remaining six matches during the league stage. They Royals’ case is not that different, just that they have played seven matches and not eight. They are currently fifth in the standings, having won three but lost four games during the Indian leg. Just like PBKS, RR…

The UAE leg of the Indian Premier League will be Virat Kohli’s last as captain for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the 32-year-old has confirmed on Sunday ahead of KKR clash. https://twitter.com/RCBTweets/status/1439635618846281728 However, Kohli added that he will continue to be with the Royal Challengers as a specialist batsman heading into the new three-year cycle of the league, starting from the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League. “I want to be able to be committed to the responsibilities that I am fulfilling and I felt I needed the space to be fresh, to regroup and be absolutely clear in how…

Despite making the worst possible start with the bat, Chennai Super Kings came out triumphant over defending champions in a low-scoring first game of the UAE leg of the IPL 2021 in Dubai on Sunday. The Kings were 7/3 by the end of the third over and 24/4 at the completion of the powerplay, and yet the three-time winners clinched an encouraging come-from-behind win by 20 runs, a significant margin of victory in T20 cricket. On a Dubai track with some decent grass cover, MS Dhoni and co. surprisingly decided to bat first after winning the toss and for the early phase…