Had a chat with Anil Kumble about what the team is looking for from me: Jhye Richardson

IPL 2021: COVID setback behind him, Devdutt Padikkal looks to continue stupendous run

Royal Challengers Bangalore opener Devdutt Padikkal is raring to go and is hoping to make a mark in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The southpaw suffered a huge setback when he contracted COVID but he is now completely fit and ready to take part in the tournament. With the setback behind him, Padikkal is hopeful of replicating his stupendous form from the domestic circuit. The stylish left-handed batsman contracted the virus on 22nd March but has completely recovered now and has already started his practice session with RCB teammates. "COVID was a setback. I wish that it didn't happen but that's something I couldn't control...I had to accept the way it was and just make sure that I kept myself fit so that when I come back I can be ready for the game," he said in a video posted by the RCB Twitter handle. "Right now I am completely fine, most importantly I am able to move around well, I am able to react to balls and that's the most important part...in IPL you always have to be ready, you always have to be 100 per cent in every situation. Unless you are 100 per cent, you can't really push yourself,” Padikkal added. Padikkal was in exceptional form during the previous edition of the competition. Playing his first season as an IPL player, Padikkal finished as RCB’s leading run-getter with 473 runs in 15 matches which included five classy half-centuries. He continued his rich vein of form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he scored 218 runs in 6 matches. It wasn’t the end as Padikkal finished the Vijay Hazare Trophy as the second-highest run-scorer just behind Prithvi Shaw. "...last IPL was amazing for me. It was such a great experience and exposure for me, the opportunities I got and the fact that I was able to contribute to the side is all that matters in the end. "Mushtaq Ali was decent, not up to what I was expecting and in Vijay Hazare I was just looking to get back into my rhythm and focus on what I am doing and really improve my game every time I went out to bat. "It was really great to have the runs behind me, so coming into IPL, I know that I am confident," Padikkal said. After missing the opening encounter against the defending champions Mumbai Indias, Padikkal in all likelihood will take part in his side’s second game against the Kolkata Knight Riders slated to be played on 18th April. The southpaw is gearing up to open with Virat Kohli once he is presented with the opportunity. In the absence of Padikkal, it was Washington Sundar who opened the batting with Kohli against MI. "Definitely, it's something new...I am definitely looking forward to that," he said. Besides a certain Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, RCB also boasts of some power-packed performers in their ranks. Glenn Maxwell who was bought at a hefty sum in the auctions looked in sublime touch during the opening match and his form will be crucial to RCB’s chances as the tournament progresses. Padikkal is hoping to learn and pick their brains. "...batting with them (seniors) just takes pressure of you. They are so good at what they do and they just make your job easier, know exactly what to do in every situation. So, it's important that I just make sure I am learning as much as possible," he said. The second wave of COVID-19 has forced the organisers to conduct the tournament behind closed doors. Padikkal is hopeful of the fact that the situation will improve and the fans can come back to the stadiums. "It's definitely better with the fans because the energy they bring to the ground is something unimaginable. It would have been better with the fans in the ground and hopefully sooner than later it will happen."

I have fulfilled my dream: Avesh Khan on picking up MS Dhoni's wicket

Delhi Capitals fast bowler Avesh Khan has expressed his delight after picking up MS Dhoni’s priced wicket during the first match between the two sides in Mumbai. Avesh cleaned up Dhoni to dismiss the former India captain for a second-ball duck. “Mahi bhai’s wicket is my dream wicket. I’ve fulfilled that dream and I’m very happy about it. It’s also that he hasn’t played cricket in a while, he hasn’t been playing matches, so our plan was to initially maintain pressure on him, and I got the wicket because of the pressure,” said Avesh said in a video shared by Delhi Capitals. DC had a positive start to the campaign after winning the match by 7 wickets against CSK as they chased down a tricky total of 189. Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan began the proceedings in a brilliant fashion as the two put 138 for the first wicket. Shaw continued his aggressive batting style that he has been doing for quite a long time and scored a 38-ball 72. Dhawan held the other end well and notched up 85 off 54 balls during the course as DC went over the line with more than an over to spare. Earlier, CSK who were batting first lost a couple of early wickets but Suresh Raina and Moeen Ali resisted well to get the side back on track. Raina who was making a comeback to the IPL in this match after he had opted out of the previous edition scored a half-century. A late surge from Sam Curran helped CSK put 188/7 in 20 overs. Curran scored a quick-fire 15-ball 34. CSK will now take on Punjab Kings on April 16 in Mumbai while DC will lock horns with Rajasthan Royals at the same venue on April 15.

IPL 2021: Zaheer Khan reveals why Hardik Pandya didn't bowl against RCB

Defending champions Mumbai Indians narrowly lost their opening encounter against the Royal Challengers Bangalore and it had to boil down to the fact that captain Rohit Sharma was handcuffed and despite having Hardik Pandya in the XI, he didn’t had the leverage to bowl him. Despite Rahul Chahar and Trent Boult going for runs, he had to stick with only five options which hindered MI’s chances in the end. More than a tactical blunder, opening batsman Chris Lynn felt that the defeat was largely due to executional errors. Meanwhile it must be noted that Hardik didn’t look in the best of shapes while fielding and had to settle with two underarm throws from the deep which clearly suggested a niggle in the shoulders. Hardik bowled consistently during the T20I series against England and only bowled in the final match during the ODI series. Meanwhile MI’s Director of Cricket Operations, Zaheer Khan clarified that not bowling Hardik was part of the workload management. "Hardik, as a whole package, is always of great value," MI's Director of Cricket operations, Zaheer Khan, said. "It was a workload related thing in the previous game. He bowled nine overs in the England series. In consultation with the physio, we had to take that approach. There was a little bit of a shoulder concern but it is not worrisome. You will see him bowl very soon. The timeline you will have to ask the physio. In terms of Hardik the bowler coming in this tournament, we are confident that he will be chipping in with the ball in his hand as well." Zaheer also added the fact that Rohit has some options up his repertoire. Kieron Pollard will be used as an all-rounder as the tournament progresses and Hardik will also bowl whenever he is available and feels that he can chip in. "Pollard is our sixth bowling option," he mentioned. "He is consistent, he is an experienced campaigner. "Whenever Hardik is available, he will start bowling, he will be our bowling option as well. In that department, we are not very concerned. You have to just adapt and adjust. This year's format is a different format. So from that point of view, we need to have that adaptability and flexibility around the squad as well, with not playing in your home grounds, which is what we accept and plan accordingly for the season ahead." Quinton de Kock who missed the opening encounter as he was in quarantine will be back for the next encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders. They will definitely have a selection headache especially given the fact that Lynn looked in good touch during the opening encounter and feel short of a well-deserved half-century by just a solitary run. "We will take the decision closer to the game," Zaheer said. "Lynn is a pro. You've seen his press conference and his dressing room chat as well. He is a good character to have around the dressing room, joking about everything. He was jokingly saying that "am I going to get the next game or no? As professional athletes you have to be prepared, you have to align yourself with how the team management is thinking. Communication is going to be the key. So on the communication part, we are going to be clear. When you're part of a good team, a champion side, you have to wait for your opportunities and that's something that the whole group is aware of. "We are very excited with Marco as well. When you see a youngster like Marco going out there and making an impact. We have all been there, in our first games, it is a big occasion. Now he has managed to relax because he made a good comeback in that game." MI have started off their IPL 14 campaign in Chennai against the RCB. They will play four more matches here before shifting their base to Delhi for the next four games.

We have a very destructive batting unit: Eoin Morgan

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan has said that the Kolkata team has a destructive batting line up. The KKR youngsters Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi took on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers in their opening match on Sunday and hammered them all around to park to help the side post 187/6 in 20 overs. "One of the many strengths we have within our squad is two of the most talented guys in the country opening the batting for us," Morgan said at the post-match virtual media conference. Hailing Tripathi’s batting, Morgan said that the right-handed batsman played beautifully while also put weight behind wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Andre Russell’s batting abilities. "Tripathi today at No. 3 played beautifully, and the middle-order we have is extremely versatile. When Dinesh plays like that or Andre plays the game he can play, you're going to see a very destructive batting unit that has potential to win you matches." Talking about Rana and his performance in the opening match, the skipper said that the left-handed batsman’s aggressive stroke play helped the side to post a good total. "He played really aggressively and always took a positive option, which really did set up our batting innings,” Morgan said. KKR restricted SRH to 177/5 eventually to win the match by 10 runs. They will now play MI in Chennai on Tuesday.