10 crore’s cheerleader! Sehwag critics Glenn Maxwell’s outing in IPL 2020

Former India cricketer and cricket expert Virender Sehwag criticized Australian all-rounder and Kings XI Punjab’s top buys this season, Glenn Maxwell for not performing as per the expectations of the team and fans in the IPL 2020. Taking a dig at his dismal performance, Sehwag called the Australian as a 10 crore cheerleader.

Speaking in the latest episode of his social media show 'Viru ki Baithak', Sehwag said, “Glenn Maxwell. This 10 crore cheerleader proved very costly for Punjab. His IPL routine for the last few years has been of shirking from work but this season he broke that record as well. This is what you call a highly paid vacation.”

The Nawab of Najafgarh’s this episode was based on player reviews and in the segment where he discussed those players who had come as big names and were paid hefty cheques but could not deliver. Along with Maxwell, he named Aaron Finch and Dale Steyn as well.

Maxwell, who was brought by the Kings XI Punjab for a whopping Rs 10.75 crore in this year’s auction after his brilliant showing in the Australian T20 competition, the Big Bash, could only score 108 runs in 13 matches. His strike rate of 101.88 and an average of 15.42 was seemingly unpleasant.

It is being expected that the Big Show might be released by the Kings before the 2021 Mega Auctions.

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Krunal Pandya stopped at Mumbai Airport on suspicion of carrying gold

Mumbai Indians all-rounder Krunal Pandya was stopped by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) team at the Mumbai International Airport on his arrival from the United Arab Emirates. The reason for such a development as per reports is the suspicion that the cricketer might be carrying undisclosed gold and other valuables. “Krunal Pandya stopped by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at the Mumbai International Airport over suspicion of being in possession of undisclosed gold and other valuables, while returning from UAE,” The News agency ANI quoted sources as saying. The Baroda born was returning after a successful campaign with the Mumbai Indians which won its fifth IPL title defeating Delhi Capitals in the finals. Krunal, 29, senior among the Pandya brothers was one of the lynchpins of the Mumbai Indians set up but could not deliver according to expectations. However, he played all the 167 games in the tournament and was one of the two players when Mumbai hit the winning runs in the finals against the Delhi Capitals in Dubai. His younger brother Hardik has flown with the 35 member Indian contingent to Australia for the full-fledged tour which includes three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is along with four Tests.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah bullish on hosting ICC World T20 next year

After successfully hosting the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) amid coronavirus outbreak, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has its eyes set on successfully organising another marquee event. Secretary Jay Shah has said that the board will leave ‘no stone unturned’ in its efforts to host the ICC World T20 scheduled to take place in November-December next year. Earlier, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had to postpone the tournament planned for this year due to the pandemic but the tournament is set to be organised in India next year as per the preplanned schedule. "The BCCI will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the health and safety of everyone concerned in this showpiece event is taken care of," ICC quoted him as saying in one of its statements. Shah said that the current times are unprecedented for the cricketing world and the BCCI is committed to innovation and adaptation to restore the proper functioning of the game. He also said that all 15 teams that are planned to take part in the tournament will get a taste of warm Indian hospitality when they will be touring the country for the T20 World Cup. "While we are determined to provide a rich cricket-viewing experience, I would also like to assure the ICC and Member Boards that India is known for its warm hospitality and we will make you feel at home,” Shah added.

Michael Vaughan gives Virat Kohli-less India no chance against Australia

Indian Skipper Virat Kohli will return home after the first Test match between Australia and India starting December 17 in Adelaide and the jury is out on the Indian team if they can step up their game in absence of their captain and the best batsman in the lineup. Although Indian team has a promising batting lineup that comprises batsmen like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, former England Captain Michael Vaughan has predicted an easy win for the Aussies in the upcoming Test series. However, Vaughan has supported Kohli on his decision to be with family when his wife will be expecting the birth of their first child. India had won the last Test series played between the sides in 2018-19 which is named after the legends of the game-- Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border. Cheteshwar Pujara had batted supremely through the series and ended the series scoring three centuries in a four-match Test series. Indian bowlers too, were on the money and they had outbolwed their Australian counterparts that consisted of an experienced trio of Josh Hazlewoodm, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc and perpetually proving Nathan Lyon.

IPL 2020 registers 28% jump in viewership compared to last edition

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League which finished on November 10 witnessed a surge in viewership by 28 per cent as compared to the number of viewers the league had in the previous edition, a per a PTI report. The world was eagerly waiting for the IPL to take place this year after the event was postponed indefinitely by the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI)due to ragin coronavirus pandemic in the country at that time. The chairman of the IPL Governing Council has also commended the efforts of Dream11 which chipped in with the sponsorship of the league after the board and the earlier sponsor VIVO got into a spat following increased anti-china sentiment in the country. "With Dream11 coming on board as the title sponsor for IPL 2020, we are happy to see a digital sports brand like Dream11 increasing fan engagement through fantasy sport.It's equally heartening to see how Dream11 has integrated its users in all Dream11 IPL match activations. The match countdown, Dream11 Champion Fans wall and the virtual guest box have all been brought about to bring the fans to the forefront," PTI quoted Brijesh Patel as saying. The Mumbai Indians were the most dominant side in the IPL 2020 and fittingly, they lifted the widely-celebrated trophy on November 10 by defeating the Delhi capitals. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has said that the tournament will be moved back to India next year and will be played in the usual time period of April-May.