[Nasheman news] New Delhi India skipper Virat Kohli spoke about the need to manage the workload of players during the Indian Premier League (IPL), keeping in mind the upcoming World Cup. He said this during the Test series against West Indies in October 2018.

While the issue surfaced during the meeting between the SC-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) and the team management during the second Test of the Windies series in Hyderabad in October 2018, there wasn’t any clarity on the issue. 

But speaking to IANS, CoA chief Vinod Rai has cleared the confusion among not just players but also some of the IPL franchises, which had said they weren’t briefed on managing workload of the Indian stars by the Indian board. 

“The BCCI (as a team) is keeping a watch on the matter and will speak to the franchises at the right time. We have a team, which is keeping track of this,” he said.

Interestingly, former India skipper MS Dhoni recently remarked that he did not see any reason why players be rested during the IPL.

“Bowling four overs won’t make you tired. The four overs actually keeps you at your best, you are bowling yorkers, bowling the variation and playing under pressure. I feel bowlers can still play the whole of IPL. But what they need to manage is what they eat, when they sleep and wake up.

“I would like them to be at their best when it comes to the skill factor. I always felt IPL was the best time to get in shape because I had a lot of time. I was playing only three and a half hours every third day and it gave me time to spend in the gym,” the Chennai Super Kings skipper said.

Speaking to IANS, a senior BCCI official said it was a situation that needed clarity. “A player is paid Rs 5-7 crore. They are your main guys and know their workload. Is it not incumbent on them as players to be responsible and decide whether club comes first for them or the country, if the theory of excessive workload is correct. If their load is huge, should not they prioritise the country over the club earnings?” he remarked.

India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar recently spoke about the need of looking at workload management during the second half of the IPL. “That’s there in our minds. It will come into play after the first half of IPL, six-seven matches, then we can know how we can approach the second half of IPL and what we need to do to remain fit for the World Cup. There isn’t a surety for anything. Yes, there is something which is mind. If I feel I am tired, then I can take rest. Of course, it’s up to the franchise,” he said.

“I am sure they will cooperate with each and every player because the World Cup is a very important for us and the BCCI may also talk to them,” the pacer said. 

[Nasheman news] New Delhi This series was billed as the last chance for India to experiment with their ODI squad before going into the 2019 World Cup in England, starting May 30. But coming into the last game of the series at the Ferozeshah Kotla against Australia on Wednesday, Virat Kohli and boys will also have pride at stake with the series level at 2-2.


Losing an ODI series at home will definitely not be ideal preparation for a team touted as one of the favourites to win the World Cup.

The series started with the home team showing complete domination in the first two games, before Aaron Finch and boys made a comeback with a quality win in Ranchi. But not done with registering just a win, the Aussies showed that they are here to make a statement as they chased down India’s total of 358 with 4 wickets in their kitty. 

Ashton Turner was the star of the show for sure as he hit an unbeaten 84 off just 43 balls to take the visitors home at the PCA Stadium on Sunday. But more than the loss to Australia, it was the inability to defend 358 that will give Kohli sleepless nights. Yes, there was due on the outfield under lights and that made bowling difficult for India’s wrist spinners, but then, they are professionals and must cope with conditions on offer.

While the bowling left a lot to be desired, the opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan augurs well for the team going into the showpiece event. While the two had looked a little out of sync in the previous games, Rohit (95) and Dhawan (143) showed that the top-order is in for business. 

But the question mark over the no.4 slot remains unsolved and former India skipper Sourav Ganguly rightly said that the spot is still up for grabs as Ambati Rayudu failed to drive home the advantage this series.

The Mohali ODI can’t be counted as the top two batted till the 31st over and after that it was more about swinging the bat to glory. But it will be interesting to see if Kohli continues to push KL Rahul in at no.3 and comes in himself at the fourth spot. The move didn’t work in the fourth ODI as the platform was set for the batsmen to go for the kill and it was more about smashing the ball than building an innings.

Another area that needs to be looked at is the spot of the wicket-keeper. While all is good till MS Dhoni is around, Rishabh Pant left a lot to be desired with his glovework in Mohali. Two stumpings that should have been completed with utmost ease were missed, let alone Pant’s failure to handle the low bounce at times. While it is no worry at present as Dhoni is only resting for these two games, it is a matter that will need immediate attention if Dhoni indeed walks into sunset post the World Cup.

The pace bowling department might enjoy some little movement upfront with some rain in the air in the Capital. But even without that, the fast bowling department has done its job and they will once again look to hold fort at the Kotla. 

The Indians decided to give training a miss on Tuesday and that shouldn’t be too much of a worry as the boys have been playing non-stop. The wicket at the Kotla is once again expected to be a high scoring one with turn coming into the game in the second half.

For the Australians, it will be about once again showing the world that this team has regrouped well and mean business going into the World Cup. With the likes of Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc not even part of the squad, this is ominous signs. 

To come down to India and challenge the Men in Blue in almost every game is no mean feat and they will once again look to sign off on a high because after all, the Indians are touted as one of the favourites to win the trophy.

Squads: India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rishabh Pant (Wicket-Keeper), Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja.

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (Captain), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Turner, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (Wicket-Keeper), Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa, D’Arcy Short.