New Delhi, March 20 (Nasheman News) Delhi Capitals’ pacer Ishant Sharma wants to take wickets than just bowling well in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The fast bowler, picked for Rs 1.10 crore in the auction, feels this Delhi team has the arsenal to go all out and win the title. The team has the perfect combination of fast and spin bowlers, he said.

Remarking that he has high ambitions for this season, Ishant said, “I am focused on taking more wickets, not just bowling well. Of course, it (wickets) depends on how well you bowl, but the most important thing is you use your good performance by helping the team in taking important wickets.

“Delhi Capitals has some great bowling options for IPL 2019. With the likes of Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada in the team, I think we have one of the best bowling lineups this time. We have some good all-rounders along with great spinners and that shall help in restricting teams from scoring freely,” the 30-year-old said.

Speaking on his return to Delhi, Ishant said he is extremely happy to represent his hometown in the IPL. “I have played for different teams in the IPL. But it makes me immensely happy to be able to represent Delhi Capitals this season. Being a Delhi boy, it is a great chance for me to represent my home side and my most important target is to make the Capitals win the coveted title,” said the lanky bowler.

“It will be crucial for us to start well against the Mumbai Indians in their home ground. We know the crowd will be behind them, but our team has enough experience to tackle the pressure and perform against a strong lineup. We are all looking forward to playing our first match of the new season.”

The Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi Capitals will begin their season against Mumbai Indians on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. They will be playing their first home match on Tuesday as they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.

Kolkata, March 20 (Nasheman News) Despite losing the home ODI series 2-3 to Australia, the Virat Kohli-led Team India is considered the favourites for the upcoming World Cup. However, chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav believes two other teams also have the capability to shine in the showpiece event, starting May 30 in England and Wales.

Kuldeep has said that India have a chance to clinch the trophy but should be aware of England and Pakistan as the two teams which also have some quality players in their side. 

The spinner also felt that playing in home conditions will be an advantage for England.

“We definitely have the chance to bring the World Cup home. Apart from us I think all the other teams are really strong,” Kuldeep was quoted as saying by Sports Tak.

“But I feel England has a strong batting lineup as compared to the other teams. They will be playing in home conditions. I think Pakistan will also perform well in the World Cup looking at the way they have been performing,” the 24-year-old opined.

“So I think England and Pakistan will be the ones to watch out for,” he added.

Playing in their last ODI series before the World Cup 2019, India recently suffered a shocking loss to Australia at home. Looking at thier recent ODI perfomences, however, cricket pundits still believe the Men in Blue will be the title favourites.

By Baidurjo Bhose (10:46) 

[Nasheman news] New Delhi An injury can change a sportspersons career graph overnight and not many would know that better than India and Sunrisers Hyderabad wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha. From being a Test regular to watching Rishabh Pant take the coveted spot after the Bengal player suffered a shoulder injury, Saha has seen it all.


Speaking to IANS, Saha not only acknowledged the fact that Pant has grabbed his opportunity with both hands, but also said that he always believes that the team is the priority and the success of the team comes before individuals.

Back in the thick of things and Saha wants to go out and showcase his talent all over again in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League.

“Injuries can happen at any time and someone will come in. The person who comes in will obviously look to give it his best and Rishabh has done just that. 

“Team is the priority and I want the team to do well and also I feel Rishabh has done well and proved himself. Now it is on the selectors to decide how they are looking at things going forward,” Saha said.

“Have been out of the game for a while and I had a good prep with the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Having played that I feel good and I know that the IPL is an opportunity to establish myself as a good IPL always makes people take note of you,” he smiled.

Asked if he was in talks with the team management post the injury and while undergoing rehab, Saha said: “I met the team after the operation when I was in England. After that when I was at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) the team management kept a check through the trainers at the NCA.”

While he is making a return to top-level cricket with the IPL, another Sunrisers player, who will be in the spotlight, is Australia opener David Warner. 

The batsman is set to make a return to the IPL this year after missing the previous season due to the 12-month ban he suffered for his involvement in the Sandpaper Gate. 

Saha for one is excited to have the opener back in the squad.

“There is no doubt that Warner is a champion player. The team is definitely looking forward to having him take the field for us. A player like him doesn’t come everyday and it is an honour to be playing with him.

“While I have also played against him, getting to know him from up close and seeing how he prepares for games and his work ethics also makes you a better player,” he said.

While Warner was away, the IPL got to see the tactical acumen of Kane Williamson and the Kiwi batsman impressed all with his captaincy skills. Saha believes that the best part about Williamson is his cool and composed nature and that allows the Kiwi to make quality calls.

“He is a brilliant captain and keeps a very cool head and that is inspiring. He is an outstanding person who is always there to help you both on and off the field. He is very welcoming and you can go up and chat with him at any point in time,” he revealed.

Even as Saha looks to make a return to top flight cricket, he remembers what M.S. Dhoni once told him. 

“Personally had last spoken to MS bhai when I was part of the team with him. But I remember one thing he always told me. He said that I should focus on backing my basic strength. 

“He insisted that if the path I took from day one has got me till here, I should keep looking to follow just that and not change anything. I follow that to the hilt,” he signed off.

New Delhi, March 19 Nasheman News : The schedule of the group stages of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is out with all eight teams playing seven home matches at their respective home venues.


The schedule is balanced in terms of afternoon matches/weekend matches and travel. The board has factored the 2019 Lok Sabha elections dates/phases in the respective states and cities and clearance thereof.

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai in the IPL opener, which will begin on March 23.

The schedule of this year’s edition has been released in parts by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls that would be a staggered process in seven phases stretched across April and May. 

Earlier, the BCCI announced the schedule of the first 17 matches that will be played during the two-week period from March 23 to April 5 across the eight home venues of the respective franchises.

All teams are playing a minimum of four matches with the newly-christened Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) playing five matches in that phase. 

Every team was assigned a minimum of two home and two away matches with DC given three home matches.

FULL SCHEDULE:

March 23 Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 

Match 24

4 p.m. – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

8 p.m. – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals

Match 25 Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab 

March 26 Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings 

March 27 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab 

March 28 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians 

March 29 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals 

March 30 

4 p.m. – Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians 

8 p.m. – Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

March 31 

4 p.m. – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

8 p.m. – Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals 

April 1 Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Capitals 

April 2 Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 

April 3 Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings

April 4 Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad 

April 5 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

April 6

4 p.m. Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab

8 p.m. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians 

April 7

4 p.m. – Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals

8 p.m. – Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders

April 8 Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

April 9 Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders

April 10 Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab

April 11 Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings

April 12 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals

April 13

4 p.m. Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals

8 p.m. Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

April 14

4 p.m. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings

8 p.m. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals

April 15 Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

April 16 Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals

April 17 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings

April 18 Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians

April 19 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

April 20

4 p.m. Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians

8 p.m. Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab

April 21

4 p.m. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders

8 p.m. Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings bengaluru

April 22 Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals

April 23 Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

April 24 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab

April 25 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals

April 26 Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians

April 27 Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

April 28

4 p.m. Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

8 p.m. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians

April 29 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab

April 30 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals

May 1 Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals

May 2 Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

May 3 Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders

May 4

4 p.m. Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals

8 p.m. Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

May 5

4 p.m. Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings

8 p.m. Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Biratnagar, Nepal, Mar 19 (Nasheman News) Defending champion India are all set to face challenge from Bangladesh in the semifinal match of the SAFF Women’s Championship to be played at the Sahid Rangashala Stadium here on Wednesday in Biratnagar, Nepal.
Maymol Rocky’s side heads into the encounter on the back of victories against Maldives (6-0) and Sri Lanka (5-0) in the group stages and the coach feels that her wards are focused on the job at hand.
“The girls are in good shape ahead of the semifinal,” she told. “On Monday, the emphasis was on recovery and we had a couple of fun activities as well. Then, we followed it up with a heavy session in
training and the players are focused on and ready for the match,” Maymol stated.
The team has been together since December last year and has played international fixtures in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Turkey along with the inaugural Hero Gold Cup in India, before travelling to Nepal. As they look to inch closer towards their fifth straight SAFF crown, the coach hailed the effort shown by the players during this period.
“I highly appreciate the girls for the work they have put in. I’m sure they must be missing home and travelling for so long can take its toll. I’m happy that these youngsters are so focused!” she said,
before adding, “Football keeps all of us united and so does the honour of representing the country.”
In the last meeting between the two sides, it was India that finished on top with a 7-1 scoreline at the 2020 Olympic Qualifiers Round 1 in November 2018 in Myanmar. “The previous result is not on our minds.

This is a knockout fixture, so it will be a different ballgame,” declared Maymol.

The last two matches at the SAFF Championship have seen India seize the initiative in attack right from the word go, with the first goals coming in the first 10 minutes of the games on both occasions. The coach feels that their opponents will be wary of the same and it will make the match more exciting.
“I’m sure the match will interesting and good to watch. We will play our attacking game and even if we do not get an early goal, we will get them sooner or later. Bangladesh will come out strong and the
girls will respond too and go all guns blazing,” Maymol stated.

New Delhi, Mar 19 (Nasheman News) : Transforming its commitment to discovering potential, championing dreams, Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday launched its first cricket academy in the United Kingdom.
The Star Cricket Academy based at Reed’s School in Surrey joined hands with Rajasthan Royals to relaunch the facility as the ‘Rajasthan Royals Academy’, according to a statement.

The facility at Reed’s has a state-of-the-art cricket centre named the Jarrett Centre. It is an indoor cricket training centre run by former professional batsman Siddharth Lahiri, along with his team of elite coaches including former England international and mentor to the academy, Keith Medlycott.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the academy, Manoj Badale, Lead owner RR said, “Education and sports go hand in hand, which helps in building strong characters and leaders. Rajasthan Royals Academy is a great way to engage the youth, develop talent, and potentially find the stars of the future.”

England cricketer Jos Buttler, who is playing for RR in the cash-rich cricket league, said, “I am delighted that Rajasthan Royals are launching an academy in the UK. There is so much talent here and the learnings that can be transferred from the IPL and Indian cricket in general are immense.”

The state of the art facility at Reeds has an exclusively built cricket centre called the Jarrett Centre. It is an indoor cricket training centre run by Sid Lahiri along with his team of international coaches that include Ollie Pope (England & Surrey), Ryan Patel (Under 19 England, Surrey pro), Amar Virdi (Surrey) and Alex Milton (Worcestershire).
?It feels great to be laying the foundations for the future careers of so many cricketers. I am honoured to have Rajasthan Royals on board who have always been keen on providing opportunities to young talent. We are thrilled to be starting on this new journey and are hopeful of producing cricket superstars from the Rajasthan Royals Academy,? said Sid Lahiri, Academy Director-Rajasthan Royals Academy.

New Delhi, March 18 (Nasheman News) :  The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the perfect platform for youngsters to showcase their skills and impress the global audience. In the last 11 years, the IPL has seen some quality players make a mark.

With less than a week left for this year’s league to start, it will once again be interesting to see which players rise to the challenge against the best in the business.

IANS takes a look at five mystery spinners who are expected to make a mark this season:

Varun Chakarvarthy

All eyes will be on this mystery spinner as Kings XI Punjab bagged him in the auction in Jaipur for a whopping Rs 8.4 crore – 42 times his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Playing for Tamil Nadu, Varun bagged 22 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has six variations in his kitty: off-break, leg-break, flipper, top-spinner, carrom ball and the googly. 

The 27-year-old shot into limelight in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2018, scalping nine wickets from 10 matches, with a decent economy rate of 4.7. Looking at his record, Varun is expected to give batsmen a difficult time.

Mujeeb ur Rahman

Apart from Varun, KXIP have another mystery spinner in Mujeeb ur Rahman. The Afghan spinner had a dream debut season in IPL 2018, bagging 14 wickets in the 11 matches he played. The right arm off-break bowler bowled with an average of 20.64 and an economy rate of just under seven. 

Rahman also bowls some unbelievable googlies and under the guidance of his skipper Ravichandran Ashwin, who is an experienced off-spinner himself, the Afghan bowler is expected to only get better with every outing.

Kuldeep Yadav

He has been a part of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the national team for a while, but reading Kuldeep Yadav is a difficult task even now. 

The chinaman bowler, retained by the Knights, was one of their best bowlers, picking 18 wickets from 16 games. But the management would want Kuldeep to keep things a little tighter as he was slightly expensive with an economy of 8.14.

KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik will certainly expect the 24-year-old to replicate his show in this edition of the IPL, and alongwith Sunil Narine, Kuldeep is expected to forge a deadly combination.

Washington Sundar

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be banking on young right-arm off-spinner Washington Sundar to play perfect second fiddle to India’s limited-overs leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. 

At 19, Sundar is presumed to be one of India’s next generation players. He had a good start to the league in 2017 and had scalped 8 wickets from 11 games, with a decent economy of 6.16.

The Tamil Nadu boy however, faltered in the second season as he managed just four wickets from seven games in 2018 with a poor economy. Sundar will look to leave it behind and start afresh in this year’s league. 

RCB have shown faith in the youngster and picked him for Rs 3.20 crore in the auctions, and Sundar will surely look to perform to the expectations of the franchise.

Mahipal Lomror

Another name to watch out for will be Rajasthan Royals’ Mahipal Lomror. 

Little known in the cricketing world before now, Lomror gained recognition based on his performances in India’s Under-19 campaign during the World Cup in 2016. In the six games, Lomror scalped seven wickets with an impressive economy of 3.74.

The 19-year-old didn’t get much chance to showcase his talent in IPL after featuring in just two games for the Royals last year. 

However, given his record, Lomror will definitely be a spinner to watch out for. With the players having little knowledge about Lomror, the young spinner can certainly use the surprise element to his advantage.

B

[Nasheman news] New Delhi They have been an integral part of India’s journey to the top of the ladder in Test cricket, but the next two months will see Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli fight it out as both teams look to win the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).


While Kohli has led RCB for a while now, this will be Rahane’s second season as RR captain and head coach Paddy Upton is excited to have the calm and cool ‘Jinx’ (as Rahane is fondly called) at the helm of affairs.

Speaking to IANS, Upton made it clear that while comparisons were a part and parcel of any sport, both Rahane and Kohli were unique in their own ways and the way Jinx reads situations and his teammates, is what makes him succeed.

“You get players who are naturally big-pictured and strategically minded individuals and they make good on-field captains and then you get some who are very good people leaders and inspire other players. Each captain brings a different quality with their leadership which then needs to be balanced by other senior players. 

“Rahane has his own unique way of reading and understanding the game and dealing with people. His personality is very different from that of Virat Kohli so they have their own unique strengths,” he said.

Rahane was elevated to the captain’s role last season after Steve Smith was suspended, due to the Sandpaper Gate. This season will see the India batsman take charge for the second time. 

Asked if there would be added pressure on the captain since the team did well under him in 2018, Upton feels otherwise.

“I think it will actually be less pressure as the first time you have to adjust a lot more and now there is more comfort so I feel he will be more at home.”

Coming back to Smith, the former Australia skipper is already with the team and Upton is excited to have him not just as a solid bat in the middle-order, but also as someone who will keep helping the youngsters in the RR unit.

“Smith is a seriously good player. He knows how to pace an innings or set the chase. He will be hungry and looking to get back into the groove as early as possible. I feel he will be the perfect support for Rahane in helping with decision-making. Exciting to have him back in the middle-order,” he said.

Two other players who will be looking to play an integral role in this edition if RR are to go on and lift the trophy are Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler. Upton says that he is banking on them to make it count.

“Every player in the XI is important and then you have some who are match winners. Ben Stokes is one of them. We want to create a culture which will give him the best possible chance to fire as often as possible. This will be my first season with him.

“Jos has been very successful not just for England or in the IPL. He has done well for almost all teams he has played for. He is a class-player and he is going to have a minimum of 35 quality bowlers bowling at him and I don’t think they can keep him quiet,” he explained.

While RR has done well as a unit constantly, the trophy has eluded them post their maiden triumph in 2008 and Upton believes that the team will be working towards improving in all possible areas to increase the chances of lifting the coveted title.

“Each year we are looking to pay more attention to what we call the 1 per cent-ers. Just to be in constant search to do whatever possible to give us the best chance to succeed. Luck is a factor in T20 cricket and one individual can make the difference. Looking to constantly improve. We have some new plans and ideas so looking to be positive.

“We have got a slightly more older/senior players than previous years. But that isn’t by design. The philosophy is to give people opportunities to flourish won’t change,” he said.

A chat with the head coach of RR remains incomplete without a mention of team ambassador Shane Warne and Upton says he is looking forward to having the leg-spinner around. 

“I have never worked with Shane before. Looking to meet him and build the relationship so that we can extract the best out of that mind for the players,” he concluded.

Nasheman News : The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) met ICC chairman Shashank Manohar in Mumbai on Monday and decided that the Indian board will work with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for the next six months on a trial basis.

Speaking to media , sources in the know of developments said that the board was willing to work with NADA for a period of six months, but the agency would be allowed to collect only 10 per cent samples for testing.

“The Indian board has agreed to try and work with NADA for the next six months and then decide on the road ahead. 

“Trust has been an issue and that needs to be gained with quality work from the agency. The agency will collect only 10 per cent samples for testing. 

“The board feels that with the 2022 Commonwealth Games in sight, India would like to field the women’s team in the event at Birmingham and this is a move aimed at that direction,” the source said.

While the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to remain compliant to the WADA directives, the BCCI had reservation on dealing with NADA.

ICC CEO David Richardson in February spoke on the need to get the differences between the BCCI and NADA sorted. 

“We are trying to help the BCCI sort out the issue with WADA and NADA. We think cricket should be in the 2028 Olympics, but it’s not going to happen unless we are a unified sport.

“At this stage, we need to convince the BCCI that it is a good thing for cricket to be in the Olympics from all aspects,” he had said.

However, the BCCI officials present at the last ICC chief executive meeting had made it clear that WADA must name a different testing agency as they did not trust NADA, thanks to mistakes the agency had made.

[Nasheman news]New Delhi  Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting believes that Rishabh Pant is perfect for playing the role of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s deputy in the upcoming World Cup, slated to begin on May 30 in England and Wales.

With the 15-member squad still to be picked for the showpiece event, Ponting has said some good knocks for the Delhi Capitals would make Pant the favourite.

Notably, Pant was subjected to “Dhoni, Dhoni” chants in Mohali during the fourth One-Day International between India and Australia after the stumper missed a couple of stumping chances. 

“I think it’s actually a big job for me and the coaches when he comes in, to make him forget what’s happened in the last few days. He’s probably lucky it happened in the last couple of games. It would have been hard to play all five games under that kind of pressure. Now he’s back in a competition where he has dominated in the past,” Cricbuzz quoted Ponting as saying.

“If he can win a couple of games for us then everything will be forgotten. I can’t see anyone better than him as a second wicketkeeper in that Indian World Cup squad,” he added.

Pant has been termed as Dhoni’s successor but the Delhi boy hasn’t received much opportunities with the presence of the experienced stumper. 

However, with Dhoni likely to retire after the World Cup, the Delhi lad would get more opportunities to showcase his talent.