BCCI might allow two retention & two RTM ahead of mega auction, bidding for new teams likely on October 17

Fear had gripped in during the first half of the tournament says KKR head coach Brendon McCullum

The second phase of IPL 2021 is set to begin from 19th September after the virus had breached through the bubbles during the first phase of the tournament forcing the authorities to suspend the tournament indefinitely. Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum stated that the team was paralysed by fear when covid affected the first half of the tournament. Varun Chakravarthy, the off-spinner who has become an integral part of the KKR set-up was the first one to test positive for the virus followed by fast bowler Sandeep Warrier. The tournament was eventually postponed indefinitely in May. The two-time champions, Kolkata Knight Riders had a forgettable time in the first half of the tournament and are currently occupying the 7th spot in the points table. They need to play out of their skin in the second half of the competition to harbour any hopes of making it through to the last four. “In regards to the tournament which is upcoming (second half of the IPL phase), we can end it right. We can take the game on and we’re in a situation where we need things to go our way,” McCullum was quoted as saying by the KKR website. “We need to hit the ground running, challenge one another privately, support one another publicly and try and get the best out of one another in the next 4-5 weeks. Who knows where we can go with this. “There were sometimes throughout the season when I just felt we were being paralysed a little bit by fear,” he further added. India was going through very tumultuous times during the first half of the tournament as the virus was sweeping away thousands across the country. McCullum who took IPL by storm back in 2008 during the inaugural season, feels that KKR can get rid of their disappointment from the first phase and come back stronger in UAE. “I wasn’t able to free the guys up enough to understand that and that’s sort of a challenge for me. But it is also a good challenge for the guys as well that they need to push the envelope of their own thinking as well. “Hopefully we will be able to strip away a bit of the angst which had built up in the first part of the season, just go out there and try and enjoy ourselves. “That’s the ambition that I have got for the franchise and hence why I am unapologetic and unrelenting in my belief that we need to play a braver style of play,” he said.

The team has worked immensely on fitness and skills says Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana, the Indian women’s team opening batter has heaped praises on her side for improving massively since their shattering defeat at the hands of Australia in the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup final. She has stated that India will be more competitive during the upcoming multi-format series against the Australian colts which also includes their first pink-ball Test. The tour will comprise of three ODIs and as many T20Is besides that solitary Test match. The limited-overs series will kick off on September 21 while the Test match will be played from 30th September to 3rd October. When the two teams last contested against each other, it was the T20 World Cup final where the hosts produced a thoroughly dominating performance thrashing India by 85 runs. “The team has grown massively (since the T20 World Cup),” Mandhana told ‘The Scoop podcast’. Having finished their 14-day hard quarantine on Monday, the Indian women’s team is gearing up for the series. The Indian women’s didn’t play any matches whatsoever for close to a year which helped the players sort out their technical problems and come out stronger “COVID was a big break after the T20 World Cup and a lot of girls had a chance to go back and understand more about their games, where they lack as an individual and come back stronger,” Mandhana said. “The whole team has worked on their fitness and skills…we are still getting into a rhythm of playing matches continuously but the last five, six months we have been playing cricket and now we are getting back into the match mindset. Hopefully, the series goes well for the whole team” India reached Australia for the multi-format tour straight from England. Five of the Indian players also played in The Hundred tournament in June-July. Mandhana also featured in the tournament. The stylish left-hander said that Australia will be a difficult team to beat at home and the team needs to start enjoying batting on bouncy wickets. “We all love playing against Australia because they are one of the best teams in the world and quite competitive,” Mandhana said. “When it comes to Australia, you’re a bit more pumped because of the level of competitiveness the Australian team, it just rubs off on us and we also start being extra competitive.” Mandhana remains the only Indian woman batter to smash a century in Australia. The opening batsman smashed 102 in 2016 aged just 16 years old. Mandhana said that the bounce in Australia is true and feels everyone will loving batting in conditions Down Under. “Australian wickets have a true bounce and I think everyone loves batting in Australia. No one will tell you they don’t like batting in Australia,” Mandhana said.

Had to give up on IPL 2021 with World T20, Ashes lined up: Chris Woakes

England pacer Chris Woakes has said that it was due to the workload that he had to give up on the IPL 2021 which will resume on September 19 in the UAE. The right-hander added that he wasn’t really sure that he is going to be a part of the World T20 2021 squad for England. “My inclusion in the World Cup squad, I didn’t know was going to happen, especially a couple of months ago. The IPL has been rescheduled and thrown on to the end of our summer,” Woakes was quoted as saying by ‘The Guardian’. The right-handed player said that he would have loved to be a part of the IPL but it would have been “too much” in a short period of time with the World Cup and Ashes lined up after the cash-rich league. “With the World Cup and the Ashes, it would have been too much in a short space of time. I would have loved to have been part of the IPL but something has to give,” Woakes who plays for Delhi Capitals in the IPL said. Delhi Capitals had roped in Ben Dwarshuis as a replacement for Woakes. The IPL 2021 had to be suspended earlier on May 4 after there were instances of Covid-19 cases within the franchises and the tournament will now begin again on Sunday with MI taking on CSK. The IPL’s remaining fixtures will be followed by the World T20 2021 that is scheduled to begin on October 17 and conclude on November 14. The tournament will be co-hosted by UAE and Oman.

Gary Kirsten not looking to make a comeback as India coach

Gary Kirsten has said that he is not looking to take up India’s head coach position. The Indian coaching staff is slated to get revamped after the World T20 2021 as the contracts of head coach Ravi Shastri and other coaches will end as soon as the tournament concludes. “Not at this stage. I'm involved in a business called CoachED (www.coachedcricket.com) which focuses on providing access to online coaching certification for coaches in academies, schools and associate countries,” Kirsten said during a conversation with Timesnownews.com. Kirsten has worked with Virat Kohli during stint as a coach of Team India as well as in RCB. Talking about the Indian captain, the former South Africa batsman lauded Kohli’s “fantastic job” as a skipper. “I have really only done one season with him as captain. He is doing a fantastic job for his country. Like any young captain, with more experience and understanding of what it takes, he has got better and better. The are many fantastic match-winners in the Indian team, currently,” he said. Kirsten was Team India’s coach when the side lifted the 50-over World Cup in 2011 under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. This was the second instance after 1983 when India were crowned champions in a one-day World Cup tournament.