IPL 2021: Brian Lara backs Mumbai Indians as the favourites for the Classico

The wait is finally over and the second half of the 14th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick off later today with arch-rivals Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings locking horns against each other at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Despite CSK’s dominance in the first half of the season, former West Indies great Brian Lara feels that MI will start the 2nd half of the tournament as favourites given their excellent form in UAE. MI won their 2nd successive title in UAE back in 2020.

While CSK is currently at the 2nd position in the points table with 5 wins from 7 games, MI occupy the 4th spot with 4 wins from 7 games. After a below-par performance in the 2020 edition, CSK bounced back strongly in the first leg of the 14th season until the tournament was abrupted owing to covid-19.

“The fact that Mumbai Indians left Chepauk with a little bit of success, I think that will give them the confidence they need. They are going back to the UAE where they won the IPL 2020. For me, they are going to start favourites.

Their confidence is going to be high just from the fact that they have got good memories of playing in the UAE. I think they can get the better of CSK,” Lara was quoted as saying in cricket.com’s show Man vs Machine.

Kiwi speedster Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack and will continue to their two frontline pacers but Lara feels that Aussie quick Nathan Coulter-Nile will be the third pacer.

“You want a third seamer in the UAE. It’s very hot. You expect the pitches to be dry and turn a bit. Nathan Coulter-Nile for me is always a good choice with the ball and he also fills the gap with the bat. Their dilemma is whether to go with a double spin or go in with a third seamer. I’ll have to see the conditions in the UAE to make that decision, but Coulter-Nile will be my choice,” Lara said.

While Lara feels that CSK won’t have the same dominance which they had in Indian conditions, he does feel that good all-round attributes in the team could bring them glory in the tournament.

“They might have been the unhappiest team when it was curtailed in May. They have changed up a few players and I feel they have a more all-round team, especially getting Moeen Ali in,” the former West Indies captain said.

“I don’t think they’ll have the same dominance but definitely (will be) one of the qualifiers when the tournament gets to that stage. They will have to work hard in the UAE to get the same success. I believe the team is well gelled, the success they have had in the first half of the tournament is going to serve them well moving forward,” he added.

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We got to keep lifting our standards against MI - Stephen Fleming ahead of Classico

The 14th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is back and nothing could get better than a restart with arch-rivals Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings locking horns against each other. Chennai Super Kings chief coach Stephen Fleming feels that it will be a fresh start and playing in UAE will sport a unique challenge to them after an impressive start to the season. CSK are currently occupying the 2nd spot in the points table with 10 points in 7 games. “We just want to start well again but also remembering the work that it took to get a bit of form and to get those wins. It’s all about the mindset, people coming together and almost treating it like a fresh start for another tournament. “There are guys coming in from the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) and international cricket and that’s the beauty of the IPL, they come with great experience and tie them all together. I’m really happy with the work that is being done here. I’m looking forward to it," Fleming was quoted as saying by the CSK TV ahead of the el-Classico of IPL. Chennai Super Kings struggled in the 2020 edition failing to qualify for the very first time in the history of IPL. However, they came back strongly in the 14th season until the tournament was halted abruptly due to some of the players from respective camps testing positive for covid-19. When asked how the new players have adjusted to the needs of the side, the former New Zealand skipper said, “The style of play, the way the new players adjusted into the side and then getting a game plan that suits the players and the balance that we had. So, that was by design… which is always nice when it comes off. The way we batted and the aggressive nature in which we batted and took the opposition on and that was something that was lacking in the first half in Dubai last time. The confidence through that was good and the all-round balance was good to see,” Fleming said. Just before the 14th season was suspended indefinitely, both teams met in a cliffhanger and it was a stunning knock from the blade of Kieron Pollard which led MI to a record run-chase of 219. He smashed 87 of 35 deliveries to help MI script a historic win. Over the years, these two teams have been involved in several intense battles. However, when it comes to head to head battle, MI have a significant advantage over CSK, especially in recent years. While Mumbai have won 5 of their last 6 encounters against CSK, they have a 19-13 advantage overall. Speaking on the MI vs CSK battle, Fleming said, “We finished the first half of phase 1 with a loss where Pollard played one of the great IPL innings. Mumbai does play well against us, so we got to keep lifting our standards. From a coaching point of view, you want that game underway so that you know what to work on and just exactly where the team’s at. So, we’re looking forward to it as always and it’s a good encounter."

Stuart Broad ready to tour Australia for Ashes but feels it's understandable if others back out

Veteran England speedster Stuart Broad is ready to board the flight for Australia for the slated Ashes tour later this year but would totally accept if any other player pulls out of the tour due to the stringent bio-bubble measures at place for the tour of Australia. Several English players have raised their concern about the quarantine rules at place in Australia. The strict bio-bubble protocols have created a stir among English players and it is even speculated that some of the top players might opt out of the greatest battle in cricketing history. Speaking on the same Broad said, “If you ask me if I would be happy to get on a plane to Australia in November, I would say yes. I am working tirelessly to get there. I don’t feel there will be a postponement. In my mind, it is 100 per cent clear that an England team of some description will embark on the tour. But if another player called me and told me they couldn’t commit, I would totally accept it. “My entire focus at the moment is getting myself ready physically for what I am resigned to being the most unusual of Ashes tours. There is obviously a lot going on at the executive level to negotiate acceptable arrangements for the England team and my message to our bosses at the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) is simple: Give us the best possible chance to be mentally strong come January with the environment that is created," Broad was quoted as saying in his column for The Mail on Sunday. The Ashes has been the most closely fought series in the most traditional format and is one if the oldest sporting competitions all across the globe. To opt-out of a tour of that stature won’t be easy for the players but with covid making things very difficult for the players mentally, we could actually see key players missing out the series. “Let’s try to make it as comfortable as possible for us because if you go somewhere like Australia and have to bunker down, you won’t enjoy being in one of the greatest places on earth - and aren’t going to win at cricket either,” Broad added. England cricketers had demanded the presence of their family members during the long tour but with the evolving covid protocols in Australia, it might not allow the presence of the family members. However Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive Nick Hockley is still working closely with the country’s federal and state governments to make a way for the English families to accompany them for the tour Down Under. “It is now just a couple of weeks away from a squad being selected but players can’t sign up to something unless they know what they are signing up for. Everyone has to make their own decision and Ashley Giles, England’s director of cricket, has made it clear a player’s chances of selection in the future will not be harmed if they opt out in these circumstances," added Broad. “The ECB have tried to keep us as informed as possible with the information that they are getting from Cricket Australia. It’s just that minimal detail has been available. I don’t think anyone can say hand on heart that we won’t be living in a bubble out there and that will be extremely challenging. Over my career, I’ve played three or four Test matches with flu or heavy colds, and you can get through, but with Covid, it rules you out completely. “Catch it during the second Test of five say, and you will most likely miss the rest of the series given the length of isolation period required and the time then needed to build up match fitness," Broad concluded. The Ashes is slated to begin on 8th October 2021.

Mitchell McClenaghan feels players cannot be questioned for the cancelation of Pakistan tour

Out of favour Kiwi fast bowler, Mitchell McClenaghan has come in support of his nation who has been under the pump after the decision to cancel the tour of Pakistan abruptly on the day of the scheduled start of the three-match ODI series which was supposed to be followed by a five-match T20I series. McClenaghan was reacting to a tweet by Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez who took a dig at New Zealand cricket via his Twitter handle. Hafeez had thanked the Pakistani security personnel for making safe arrangements for New Zealand contingent to fly out of Pakistan and sarcastically questioned why there was no threat today despite going via the same route and having the same security. "Thanks to the security of Pakistan forces to make arrangements to @BLACKCAPS to reach at airport Safe & Sound. Wonder same route & same security but no threat today???," Hafeez had tweeted. McClenaghan in his reply wrote "Come now, bro. This has a bad taste to it. Don't blame the players or the organisation blame our government. They have only acted on the advice they have received. I'm absolutely certain these young men all wanting to prove themselves wanted to play. they had no choice.” The New Zealand contingent consisting of 34 personnel including 21 players reached UAE in the wee hours of Sunday. 21 of them will be returning home through the course of next week while the rest will join the national team for the T20 World Cup slated to start from 17th October in UAE and Oman. New Zealand was slated to play a three-match ODI series and a five-match T20I series in Pakistan after a span of 18 years. They arrived in Pakistan on September 11 for the eight white-ball matches. However, New Zealand cricket abandoned the tour just hours before the start of the opening ODI in Rawalpindi citing security threats.

Virender Sehwag still optimistic of Devdutt Padikkal breaking into the T20 World Cup squad

Former Indian opener and arguably the most destructive batsmen of his time, Virender Sehwag is of the opinion that young opening talent Devdutt Padikkal still has an outside chance of making it to the T20 World Cup squad if he performs well for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the remaining 7-8 matches. Barring Padikkal, Sehwag named three other batsmen who he will be watching with intent during the 2nd half of the tournament. “My first choice will be Ishan Kishan followed by Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul and Sanju Samson. These four I will be intently watching. I have loved Devdutt's batting and if I have to pick one amongst the four, he is my man,” Sehwag was quoted as saying by PTI. “Who knows, if he does well, he might be drafted in as that Indian top-order for the T20 World Cup,” he further added. Padikkal had a dream start to his IPL career in 2020 when he amassed 473 runs in 15 matches, finishing as the leading run-getter for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in that season. He kept up the good work even in domestic cricket scoring runs consistently before earning a maiden national call-up for the tour of Sri Lanka. Padikkal struggled against the quality Sri Lankan spinners and didn’t quite return with impressive scores. Padikkal did struggle in Colombo which was one of the toughest conditions during the tour of Sri Lanka but he is a good player against spin. Before this season was suspended midway, Padikkal had struck 195 runs in 6 matches which included a sensational century against the Rajasthan Royals. Sehwag is confident of the fact that he will come good in the second half of the IPL. "100%. We have around seven matches minimum left for the teams. That means you still have a platform to perform and those who are on the fringes could still impress the Indian selectors who would be watching the tournament closely. "Since ICC allows a window to change teams, I will not be surprised if there are some changes in the original squad," Sehwag said. The second half of the Indian Premier League kicks off later today (September 19) with arch-rivals Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings locking horns against each other. Padikkal will return to action with RCB’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday (20th September).