IPL 2021: RCB hands debut to Madhya Pradesh star Rajat Patidar

After winning the toss, Royal Challengers Bangalore decided to throw a rabbit out of their hat as they introduced Rajat Patidar, a Madhya Pradesh batsman in their opening match of the IPL 2021 against Mumbai Indians. Patidar was picked by the team in this year’s IPL mini-auction.  
Patidar, 27, has been in great form in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy where he hit a century and a half-century in his last two games. Over the years, the Indore born has been a mainstay in the MP team, playing 36 First Class and 37 List A games. In the T20 he has a decent average of 34 and a great strike rate of 143 which could be a great feature in the latter half of the game. 

Along with Patidar, New Zealand paceman Kyle Jamieson, who was the biggest buy for the Challengers from Bangalore has also been handed the IPL debut cap as expected. Glenn Maxwell, a traveller in the IPL so far will be donning the red and gold for the first time as well. 

In the game being played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, RCB’s Virat Kohli has won the toss and decided to bowl first. The MI too have played two debutantes for them in Australian Chris Lynn and South Africa’s uncapped Marco Jansen.

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BCCI must preserve sanctity of bio-secure bubbles to prevent IPL 2021 from imploding

The cash-rich Indian Premier League that gets organised with much fanfare by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has returned to India after a year-long break. Back in 2020, when the BCCI had decided to retreat from the country, India was in mid of the ‘first wave’ of Covid-19 pandemic and was reporting an average of 30,000 new covid cases daily. Ironically, now, when the BCCI has brought its marquee event back to where it belongs, the novel Coronavirus is back as well, with a far more serious and rapidly spreading ‘second wave.’ India is currently reporting a record number of cases every day and the April 9, when the first game of the 14th edition is scheduled to be played, the infection count has gone as far as 1,31,000 new cases. After showing signs of settling down in the last months of 2020 and early January, the Covid-19 outbreak took another surge across the country. The number of cases is being reported in record number every day and most of all, the big cities, where the matches have been scheduled to take place have found to be the hotspots once again. Hence, an understated issue that could well be an inflexion point for the tournament and the BCCI is the issue of groundsmen, who will be commuting from the respective homes in the cities that are reporting cases at large numbers. 10 groundsmen test positive in Wankhede The players and match officials have been in bio-secure bubbles but that is not the case with the groundsmen at all the venues. Reportedly, it is leading to the spread of fear among players and franchises which eventually could well be a point to ponder for both the BCCI and franchises. The BCCI should have planned proactive measures for times when the number of cases in host cities will become insurmountable. By the shreds of evidence that have appeared in the public domain, the BCCI and the IPL governing council seem to be a far way off from any substantial efforts to combat the effect of a widespread and community transmissible Covid-19 on the league. These are unprecedented times and the great game of cricket has not gone unscathed from the chaos and disruptions that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought upon all of us. However, cricket governing bodies have not lost their nerves and have found ways to tackle the challenges coming up trumps by hosting matches under difficult circumstances. Organisation in 2020 vs 2021 To its credit, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) came well prepared for the 13the edition of the Indian Premier League back in 2020, although it came at the cost of shifting the league out of India. The move was significant as it established BCCI’s willingness to host its flagship campaign which has emerged as its principal cash cow over the years. Also, the move to host it outside of India was taken with the view that bio-secure bubbles were sacrosanct for the tournament to go as per their revised plans. There were some hiccups in the days leading up to the tournament when staff members and players of the Chennai Super Kings tested positive for the novel coronavirus after their arrival in the UAE. However, they were assigned isolation and the spread of the virus was controlled before it could jeopardize other franchises and consequently, the whole tournament. The preparation of the last edition of the league, and some turbulence with respect to the CSK Covid-19 saga should have worked as a valuable lesson for the BCCI on the path of hosting the tournament, but this time in India. On the contrary, the BCCI and the IPL governing council have been found napping as the cases of novel Coronavirus among franchise members and players are mounting. No 'bubble' for Padikkal? Take the latest example of Devdutt Padikkal’s induction into the Royal Challengers Bangalore. According to ESPNcricinfo, the left-hander had tested positive for the infection at his home in Bengaluru, and as per the franchise officials, he underwent isolation for 10 days before barking on a rod journey to Chennai and joining his teammates at the RCB. Even if the BCCI were to believe the words of franchise officials on its face value, the rule of undergoing a quarantine of seven days should not have been exempted for him as he was not coming in from a bubble. Reportedly, the exemption to Padikkal has exposed BCCI and IPL management to some pertinent questions from the other franchises officials who have not been allowed to get into bubbles without passing the prerequisite tests. The franchises have also sought BCCI’s response on whether the RCB management has given any written undertaking taking the responsibilities of any bubble breach by the induction of Padikkal. Lessons from the PSL There is an example next door for the BCCI to learn if they have forgotten their own hard-earned ones. The Pakistan Super League got cancelled as there was an outburst of cases among players from different franchises. Later, it was revealed that players and officials were allowed or they found a way around to flout all Covid-19 related guidelines leading to the creation of porous bio bubbles. There will be flare-ups and that’s understood given the fickle behaviour of the virus and failure of all organisations including the WHO on its containment. But, what is worrisome that the BCCI has not been as vigilant as it should have been to enforce discipline over franchise officials. BCCI needs to go back to do the basics right which laid the foundation for the IPL. The board had decided that franchises will be treated equally and they will be allowed to spend an equal amount of money for players and other resources and only that equality will create a fair competitive environment for franchises. Had it not been done, India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, who currently owns the Mumbai Indians franchise would have bought all the franchises and created a league of his own. BCCI needs to outline and stress the sanctity of bio-secure bubbles to all franchises and corresponding officials. If they can’t create a free and fair environment where players and franchises can prosper in these testing times of Covid-19, players opting out of league midseason can’t be ruled out which will be only bad news for both the quality of the IPL and the prestige of the BCCI which they flaunted so much after carrying out a successful tournament last year in UAE.

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Curators, ground staff to be accommodated at KSCA

The spike in COVID-19 cases in the country has become a cause of concern for everyone. There have been positive cases within the IPL franchises as well. RCB’s Devdutt Padikkal and Daniel Sams, KKR’s Nitish Rana, DC’s Axar Patel, MI’s scout and wicket-keeping consultant Kiran More and several ground staffs at the Wankhede Stadium tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the tournament's first game As a precautionary measure, the BCCI had earlier picked up six cities to host the IPL 2021 edition and Bengaluru being one of them. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host as many as 10 IPL matches this year. The KSCA has already begun to take necessary measures. Around 18-20 ground staff will be moving to the dormitory at the stadium around April 25 while the curators are likely to stay in the lodging facility at the sports centre. The KSCA Secretary Santosh Menon has said that the authorities will ensure that the environment is secure. "We will ensure that the environment is as secure as possible. But we have to understand that the ground staff cannot be restricted to their rooms,” he said. Menon further added that it is difficult to restrict them in the rooms because of the nature of their work. “The nature of their work is such that they will have to work outside, albeit within the stadium premises. Apart from the main pitches, they will also have to work on the practice pitches at the 'B' ground, especially once the teams arrive in Bengaluru. Also, they cannot go back to the rooms each time for food and refreshments. We will have to work around the circumstances to ensure maximum safety,” he added.

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IPL 2021 | CSK vs DC Match Preview: Fight of supremacy between the master and his disciple

Needless to say, a few people were shocked when Rishabh Pant was announced as captain of the Delhi Capitals, a young, brash talent who made his name at the franchise due to some scintillating power hitting abilities. Having said that, there were a bunch of people who always wanted a wicket-keeper batsman to lead the team, with a calm head on his shoulders and Dhoni like swagger behind the stumps. With IPL fixtures already out, that optimistic bunch would just love to see Pant begin his new innings in Delhi colours against the man sitting on the top of the Everest that Pant has to climb, or the one he wishes to ascent. Even the Uttarakhand born himself admitted that it was a great opportunity for him to begin his captaincy stint against the man from whom he has learnt so much. So it is going to be a battle between a disciple and his pedagogue, between a student and his favourite master and also between a team which enjoyed its best in the last season against the one which had its worst season in the history of the tournament. It is Delhi vs Chennai after all. Delhi to miss its elite South African pace battery The best part of Delhi’s last year’s campaign was its bowling. The two South African pacers in Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, who took 52 wickets between them, will be out of the first game due to quarantine protocols. They weren’t just quick, but accurate as well, ranging between the economy rate of 8-8.5 in dead UAE pitches. But with them not being able to play (still in their seven-day quarantine), the Delhi team would have to rely upon backup pacers such as Tom Curran and Chris Woakes or at least one of them. With the inclusion of Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma getting back his full fitness, the worry somewhat seems to be deflected, but it still isn’t the same team without the two big, scary quicks. The all-round way to Chennai victory For Chennai Super Kings to make headway into this game and also into the tournament, their all-rounders need to fire. With Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo in their ranks, the Yellow Army possibly have the best armoury of the people who can do the damage with both bat and ball, and this is without counting a certain Krishnappa Gowtham. Picking the eleven is not going to be an easy task for MS Dhoni, the skipper, but that is a headache that he would like to carry throughout the tournament, instead of being forced to make do with a sub-par squad last season. All the all-rounders are also great finishers giving the top order batsmen like Ambati Rayudu, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Suresh Raina. It was in the batting that CSK lost most of its matches last season and they would surely like to improve, from the very first game this season. Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals: Match Details Match Number-02 Date and Time: April 10, 07:30 pm IST, 02: 00 PM GMT Venue: Wankhede Stadium Broadcast and Live Stream; Star Sports and Hotstar Pitch Report With all the attention grabbed by rising cases of Covid-19 in Mumbai, the pitch has been a less talked feature in the tie-up. Historically a batting wicket, Wankhede has been a good sporting pitch, especially with the bounce on offer. If the bowlers are able to generate it and get just a hint of early swing, they can benefit from the wicket as well. Although the average first innings score at the beach facing stadium has been around 174, the teams batting first have won only 47 per cent of the games, suggesting that chasing has been the favourite flavour for the ground. Weather and Toss The weather is supposed to be clear in the evening with temperatures ranging below 30 degrees, giving an ideal condition for playing the game of bat and ball. Also, the fact that not much dew is expected, losing the toss might not be a bad option. However, the team winning the toss would surely bowl first. Team News Delhi Capitals The Capitals would most likely go with a safety-first approach and hence only one among Curran and Woakes would be making the XI. Axar Patel would miss the game giving Amit Mishra an opportunity to get a go-ahead. In all probability, Steve Smith, Sam Billings and Marcus Stoinis will complete the foreigners’ quartet. Prithvi Shaw is coming off a good domestic season thus him getting a game is also a certainty. Strongest XI Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Marcus Stoinis, Steve Smith, Sam Billings, Rishabh Pant (c/wk), Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma Chennai Super Kings Head to head Chennai have a 15-8 advantage over Delhi and in the very first game of this season, they would like to test the last season runner-ups. With Lungi Ngidi unavailable, the chances of Dwayne bravo getting game time are more. Sam Curran, Moeen Ali and Faf du Plessis are most likely to fill in the remaining three foreigners’ quota. A surprise pick in the playing eleven could be KM Asif, the body-builder turned all-rounder from Kerala, who bowled a heavy ball and troubled the batsmen in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year. But him playing ahead of Gowtham could be a difficult prospect. Strongest XI Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Krishnappa Gowtham/Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar Dream XI/ Fantasy XI Sam Billings, Rishabh Pant (VC), Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ravindra Jadeja, Marcus Stoinis(c), Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur