IPL 2020: Rishabh Pant undergoes fitness test; no clarity on return yet

IPL 2020 | Watch: AB de Villiers vows to steal Virat Kohli's bats

All the franchises in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League have used social media efficiently to bring the fans into the game after the coronavirus pandemic made them organise the event remotely, without any involvement of fans. The Royal Challengers Bangalore has tried to bridge the gap between the fans and the stare of the team and the captain Virat Kohli. In a video that the franchise shared on its Twitter handle, it was Virat Kohli- up and close on social media to his fans. The star right-hander showcased his own cricket kit and explained the relations he has with different forms of cricketing apparatus. Kohli made public his choice of gloves, pads, and all other protective equipment and that he is too keen on their use depending on playing conditions. He has too many(10) pairs of batting gloves in his kit bag and Kohli said that as the temperatures in the UAE have been hot and humid, he needs all these pairs of gloves to bat free of sweating hands. Virat Kohli has been an ambient supporter of Test cricket and he did not miss the chance to express his love for the longest form of the game even while showcasing his batting gears in a short video. He showed his thigh guard which had a kit number and Kohli was quick to clarify that the number mentioned on the guard was his test kit number and not the ODI’s or T-20’s. Kohli expressed his sincerity with very equipment and said that he carries each one of those in his playing kit while he comes for training in the field. He reasoned that having all the necessary equipment in the kit on-field helps him to do ‘one thing or the other’ in the training session. Kohli, like all batsmen, accessories a lot of bats with him on any tour, and that he also loves getting new pairs of pads before any new tournament. On his new red-colored pads which he uses in IPL, Kohli said that he gets a fresh one each season because the IPL happens only once a year. On the point of the number of bats in his playing kit, Kohli said that he likes to carry as many as possible and as the IPL is a long tournament, more so due to the pandemic that has forced them to stay in the UAE for three months, Kohli was not shy of showing off the quality of bats he uses. He also showed the two bats that are close to the best he likes using in a game. After introducing the whole of his kit, he also introduced an essential part of his training session with the RCB-- AB De Villiers, without whom Kohli can’ practice. Pulling his leg, ABD also showed a part of the kit bag that was not sown until then in video and suggested that Kohli keeps his bat hiding in those pockets to stop people that also includes himself from stealing his bat.

Breaking: Misbah-ul-Haq resigns as Pakistan's chief selector

After an eventful and unsuccessful year serving the dual role of the head coach and the chief national selector of Pakistan’s men senior team, Misbah-ul-Haq is all set to give up from his role ai the national selection committee. However, he will remain the head coach of the Pakistan men’s team and the announcement is due via a press conference scheduled today. Misbah who was one of the most successful captains of the Pakistan team was appointed for the dual role in September last year in order to bring solidity and stability in the support staff of the seniors team. He was appointed for these roles for a period of three years and it is still unclear on the way forward for both him and the Pakistan Cricket Board. There is a lack of clarity behind the reasons that prompted Misbah to consider resignation from the post of chief selector but few media reports have suggested that the implementation of a new code of ethics implemented by the PCB to address the rising challenges of conflict of interests had made his dual role untenable. When the board had implemented this code of ethics, it seemed that the board had no problems with Misbah holding two posts in the national team setup and rather his tenure with the PSL franchise Karachi Kings as their head coach was under the scanner. Misbah had a one-year contract with the franchise but the implementation of the ethics code will stop him from continuing.

IPL 2020: MS Dhoni gesture forces umpire Paul Reiffel to change decision; Twitter reacts

The Indian Premier League is a tournament of very high intensity and it does not spare even the best of players with immense calmness on the field. The tournament has seen players who otherwise remain calm and collected in the field losing all of their cool and reacting in manners unbecoming of them. The latest edition of such an incident happened when the captain of Chennai Super Kings MS Dhoni joined his teammate Shardul Thakur to start a heated argument against one of the on-field umpires Paul Reiffel to ultimately influence his decision. In the fifth ball of the 19th over in the Sunrisers Hyderabad's attempt to chase 167 runs set by CSK, Shardul Thakur attempted to bowl a wide yorker away from the arc of batsman Rashid Khan but the ball was clearly outside the reference line marked for the wide ball. Replays showed former Australian cricketer turned umpire Reiffel was in the motion of extending his arms to signal wide before both Shardul Thakur and MS Dhoni objected to it and Reiffel changing his decision midway through his signal. While there is nothing wrong when it concerns the laws of cricket, it cannot be neglected that the decision might have been prompted due to the protests from the legendary captain and his bowler Shardul Thakur. The Section 2.12of the IPL match playing condition says: "Umpire’s decision: An umpire may alter any decision provided that such alteration is made promptly. This apart, an umpire’s decision, once made, is final." This is not the first instance of MS Dhoni losing his cool over an umpiring decision. In the last season, Dhoni was agitated on the failure of on-field umpires to call no-ball for a delivery that was clearly above waist height against the Rajasthan Royals and had walked onto the pitch from the dugout to have a heated discussion with the umpires.

IPL 2020 | CSK vs SRH: Hyderabad turn up rusty for MS Dhoni's Chennai experiments

Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 167/6 in 20 overs (Shane Watson 42, Ambati Rayudu 41; Sandeep Sharma 2-19, Natarajan 2-41, Khaleel Ahmed 2-45) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 147/8 in 20 overs (Kane Williamson 57; Dwayne Bravo 2-25) by 20 runs. Chennai Super Kings gave Sunrisers Hyderabad a taste of their own medicine to pocket a much-needed 20-run victory in the 29th match of the Indian Premier League. The foundation was laid purposefully by the under-fire batsmen while their attack clicked in unison as well to take care of a par 167, Kane Williamson's tranquil 57 notwithstanding. Ravindra Jadeja was deservedly adjudged the Man-of-the-Match for his all-round exploits which enabled the yellow jerseys to their third win in eight games on Tuesday, October 13 at the Dubai International Stadium. Spin the king as tracks deteriorate The constant exploitation is taking a toll on the sand-based decks, though you bet the spinners aren't complaining. The ball gripping to whizz past the edges or miscued swats landing into bucket hands has been a recurring spectacle of late. Both the captains drafted an extra specialist tweaker to optimize the squad balance in line with the foresaid dynamics, with Abhishek Sharma paving way for Shahbaz Nadeem in SRH while Piyush Chawla replacing Narayan Jagdeesan in CSK. Revitalized CSK mean business Having pasted just enough numbers on the board, CSK turned up the heat in defence. Opener David Warner's gung-ho swipe recoiled onto the pad before lobbing towards Sam Curran in his follow-through. Manish Pandey jetted off in the pursuit of a quick single only to be nabbed a yard short by Dwayne Bravo's rocket throw. Lynchpins Jonny Bairstow and Williamson had calmed the tides to an extent when Ravindra Jadeja cleaved in between the former's gates on 23, poking SRH into a mare's nest at 59/3. Williamson special rues lack of support However, zen-master Williamson proved the silver lining in SRH's cloud. He twice caressed Jadeja inside out along the turn before glancing Dwayne Bravo neatly to the fine-leg rope. The equation reading 75 off 36, Priyam Garg bit the dust off Karn Sharma, his almighty slog discovering cow corner to precision. CSK took the proceedings by the scruff of the neck forthwith as Bravo removed Vijay Shankar and Williamson botched a one-kneed tonk into Shardul Thakur's lap at mid-wicket off the seasoned leggie. Rashid Khan kindled the glimmer of hope with a six and a four but departed hit wicket soon after to leave SRH with nowhere to hide. Shahbaz Nadeem spooned an awkward jab to offer Bravo his second scalp as CSK lurked from the dark shadows to resurrect their veering campaign back on track. Curran punt lends CSK a fiery headstart The rust hadn't yet shaken off despite the tournament nearing half-way mark, and CSK were liable to pull the rabbit out of the hat in order to reverse their dwindling fortunes. The engine room found merit in utilizing Sam Curran's spunk at the top as Faf du Plessis jaunted to the crease with a new partner in tow. While Sandeep Sharma's away-slanter had the right-hander nicking behind for a rare first golden duck since 2014, Curran did his job to the T. He tore into Khaleel Ahmed, slamming the kitchen sink at a rank loosener to collect four over point before depositing an off-cutter into the sightscreen. Nimble-witted Sandy in the house The smiles in CSK's camp were only getting bigger with every boundary that flayed from the youngster's willow, albeit Sharma put on display how he's stood the test of time against raging pinch-hitters. He painstakingly hovered around the middle-stump channel bowling from over the wicket, refusing Curran the space to freewheel his arms. He then switched sides, plying his trade from round to knock over the off-stump as the southpaw played the wrong line to depart for an exciting 31. Watto-Rayudu perish in quick succession Amidst all the chatter of CSK stonewalling in the middle-phases, one-drop Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu shared a lively 81 to ensure not a speck of momentum was frittered away. While Watson cherished the rub of the green as three potential chances went begging, lady luck seemed to be holding some personal grudges against Rayudu, who nailed a waist-high full-toss straight down long-off's throat to exit for a well-compiled 41. Watson certainly wasn't destined to another miracle as a swooping Manish Pandey latched onto his cue-ended hoist. Jadeja owns both finesse and power While MS Dhoni sparkled to deceive, Ravindra Jadeja got the placement spot on with a couple of cute dabs through backward point. Dwayne Bravo swung for the hills to contribute zilch, though the left-handed dasher stoking a quickfire 25 off 10 balls helped CSK finish in a position of strength. In hindsight, that late blitz was quite instrumental in bandaging CSK's ghastly wounds and injecting a syringe of glucose into their ailing framework. What's next in store? Having reverted to type tonight, CSK would love to remain in this proactive zone against hot favourites Delhi Capitals in the latter of Saturday's doubleheader on October 17. SRH have a four-day window to plug the chinks in their armour before they meet Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, October 18.