Fit-again, de Grandhomme & Wagner among New Zealand players vaccinated ahead of England tour

MI coach Shane Bond credits bowlers for hard-fought success; lauds highly-talented DC squad

The Mumbai Indians have shed the tag of slow starters in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League with splendid performances against the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Sunrisers Hyderabad. They were not always ahead in those two games but bowlers bowled exceedingly well in the middle overs and the Mumbai Indians team ‘scrapped’ hard to win those close games. The team is not looking forward to giving up on that tactics ahead of the clash against the Delhi Capitals. “We have got to get out there and scrap and fight for everything. That’s why we have won two of the games and taken the other one down to the last ball. It’s because we have done that. And, we are going to have to do that again tomorrow,” Mumbai’s bowling coach Shane Bond said in the video shared by the franchise on its Twitter timeline. “We know that the wicket here is tricky, but we have got experience on it. So, hopefully, that will hold us in good stead in what will be another good game.” Speaking highly of the Capitlas side, Bond commenced the side as a very talented one who has made another impressive start in this season. He added the Mumbai have been able to come stronger against them in the recent past and that the match-ups between the two sides have also been enthralling. “They are a team that’s highly talented last year, and played outstanding cricket and started the season well again, particularly with the bat. I think they were all particularly close games last year. We probably played some of our best cricket against Delhi. They certainly deserved their place in the final and have started the season strongly again and have a really well-balanced team. We take a lot of confidence. We know we are a team that match up very well against them,” Bond added. Bond lauded his bowling attack for coming back stronger and stronger after early onslaughts by the batting teams in the last two games. He said that spinners are being successful in tightening their grips on the match while the likes of Bumrah and Boult are not allowing teams to get away with too many run sat the back end of the innings. "We are always well planned and we have attacked their players in different ways and we will do the same. In the last couple of games, the teams have got a good start against us, our spinners have done a brilliant job in the middle. Teams are scoring 20-25 runs of the last five overs which is a real credit to our bowlers. They are really clear about what they want to do," Bond further said. The Delhi Capitals have travelled to Chennai after playing their first three games in Mumbai while the Mumbai Indians have stayed in Chennai for some more time after their three games. The contest between the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals will pit Rohit Sharma, the most successful captain in IPL against Rishabh Pant, who is just starting to grow as a leader of the pack in the Capitals squad.

Don't want to restrict my shots, says Sanju Samson after subpar performance in consecutive games

Rajasthan Royals new skipper Sanju Samson began the IPL 2021 campaign with a fine hundred against the Punjab Kings while chasing 222 in 20 overs. While the wicket-keeper batsman started off the tournament with a bang, Samson has lost his touch. He has scored only 5 runs in the last two outings for RR. Sanju failed to leave a mark in the clash against Chennai Super Kings after he was dismissed for just 1 by Sam Curran after miscuing a stroke and giving an easy catch to Dwayne Bravo stationed at mid on. But the right-hander is of the opinion that the IPL is all about risk-taking shots and the batsmen can succeed on some occasions while can fail on the others to execute them. "Yeah, actually it keeps on happening in this format of the game. I think IPL definitely demands a lot of risk-taking shots. And I said before when I succeeded, I took a lot of risks. That's why I scored a hundred. So, it depends actually on the day, the mindset you are coming with," Samson said at the post-match press conference. Samson further said that he would like to continue to bat in the same way and won’t resist himself from going for his strokes. "Actually, I don't want to restrict my shots, I want to keep on playing my shots and keep on batting the way I love to bat actually. So, I'm also accepting a lot of failures on the way,” he added. RR suffered a defeat against Chennai Super Kings on Monday by 45 runs after they failed to chase down a target of 189 runs and were restricted to 143/9 in 20 overs. Jos Buttler top-scored for RR with 49 off 35 while Moeen Ali was the pick of the bowlers for CSK after he returned with figures of 3/7 in 3 overs. RR will now face Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday in Mumbai.

IPL 2021 | MS Dhoni is and will remain an asset for Chennai Super Kings: CSK CEO

The Chennai Super Kings have bounced back strongly after facing a heavy loss in their first game of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League. However, they have not seen their leader MS Dhoni coming to the party yet in this season. Dhoni had gone out cheaply in the game against the Delhi Capitals, whereas in the game against the Royals, he batted at the number six position. There have been calls from experts and forme players demanding Dhoni to bat higher up the order and also that he has become a liability for the team as runs have started to dry up. Replying to stern criticism of Dhoni, the CEO of the CSK franchise, Kashi Vishwanathan has said that Dhoni was and will continue to be an asset for the men in yellow. He also clarified that Dhoni’s decision to bat lower down the order has been taken in view of having other in-form players after consultation with the team management. “See, he plays for the team. To bat at the position he has preferred is something, MS has taken in consultation with the team management. He plays to the situation in the best interest of the game. I am sure if need be he and the team management might decide to play him up the order. But that is for them to decide. He has played only 2 innings so far & I am sure he will come up with big knock performances… CSK needs its captain more than ever before. He is an asset and will always remain so," says CSK CEO. The Super Kings have won two out of their games this season and have found new heroes in Moeen Ali, Sam Curran.

Gabba to get Billion dollar revamp for 2032 Olympics

Come July 2021 and Brisbane might be celebrating the win of hosting rights for the 2032 Olympics. As the city was already been chosen as a preferred bidder by the International Olympic Council (IOC) in February, the Australian authorities are planning for a rebuild worth a Billion Australian dollars (USD777 million) for the iconic cricket stadium, The Gabba. Situated in the Brisbane suburb of Woolloongabba, this Queensland stadium is the biggest in the state. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that the stadium would most likely see the capacity of the stadium boosted from 42,000 to 50,000 as part of a renovation to cost. Saying that every game needs a home, Palaszczuk went on to add, "The Gabba has been home to our sport since 1895. A home for the 2032 Olympic Games could be its crowning glory." The plans of refurbishing include connecting the stadium to a new railway station under construction via a pedestrian plaza. "The Gabba is one of the most important, iconic and historic cricket grounds in Australia and we are delighted that the Queensland Government has agreed to a major redevelopment should Brisbane win the right to host the 2032 Olympic Games," Nick Hockley, the interim CEO of Cricket Australia, said. The Gabba was the talk of the town in India as it was there that the Indian team defeated Australia for the first time in more than 30 years to win the Test series 3-1 with a second-string team. The ground is also most likely to host the first game of the upcoming Ashes. The 2020 Olympics, which has been deferred to July this year will take place in Japan. While the 2024 Games would take place in Paris, France, the 2028 Olympics, where Cricket might feature would be held in Los Angeles US.