No loss of 'Dilli' in Kevin Pietersen; rooting for former franchise in IPL 2020 final

Ind vs Aus: CA interim CEO Nick Hockley saw Virat Kohli's absence very early

The Interim CEO of Cricket Australia Nick Hockley has said that he expected Virat Kohli will not play full series against Australia well before time. He said that when the star couple Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma announced the news of their pregnancy, he believed that the likelihood of Indian captain missing the Test leg of the series was also on the cards. He expressed his excitement at the prospect of Virat Kohli making it into the limited-overs series of the tour. Hockley called Virat Kohli one of the absolute superstars of the game and said that his decision to spend time with family should be respected. "We're thrilled Virat is coming out for three ODIs, three T20s, the first-ever day-night Test against India and we have to respect the fact he wants to be there for the birth of his first child. Clearly, (he is) one of the game's absolute superstars. We're looking forward to seeing him here for seven out of the 10 matches," Hockley said to Sydney radio station SEN. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia expects a surge in demand for tickets from fans who have been denied the chance to watch the game from grounds. Local governments are easing up the restrictions that were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic and CA is gearing up to host a sizable number of spectators in all grounds that will host matches between India and Australia. Virat Kohli was granted paternity leave to return to India to see his wife who will be expecting the first child of the couple. In his absence, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is likely to lead the side while his absence from the batting lineup will boost the chances for the likes of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul to push hard for a slot in the middle order of the Test batting line up. Powered by Froala Editor

IPL 2020 | Kieron Pollard rates IPL final 'biggest thing' after World Cup final

There is no doubt about the quality of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the eyes of cricket stars and commentators and the Mumbai Indians star Kieron Pollard has added one more feather in the IPL’s cap, calling its final the biggest game after a world cup final. Therefore, Pollard has asked his teammates to understand the magnitude of an IPL final and to enjoy it. “Obviously, no crowds in this final, but enjoy the magnitude of it. It is an IPL final, it’s the biggest thing after the World Cup final,” Pollard said to his franchise Mumbai Indians in a video posted on Twitter. Although Pollard called the magnitude of the game as huge, he also suggested his teammates to remain focussed and treat the game as one of normal games so that they handle pressure that an IPL final brings with it. Pollard is an IPL legend and has played four finals with Mumbai side and the men in blue have been able to clinch the title on all four occasions. “The name of the game is pressure, in a final. Everyone takes that pressure. You want to win and not commit a mistake, but at the end of the day, you have to try to take the finals as a normal game. Just go out there, enjoy yourself and the atmosphere,” Pollard added. The Mumbai Indians are set to take on the Delhi Capitals tonight in a bid to defend the IPL title. They are side rich in experience but on the other hand, the Capitals have never played an IPL final and will face an uphill task of unseating the defending champions under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.

Ind vs Aus: Up to 30,000 fans to be allowed in stadiums, says Cricket Australia

International cricket is set to return to pre-covid phase as Cricket Australia has decided to allow spectators on the ground in the upcoming series against India. However, the number of fans to be allowed in stadiums have been capped as per the guidelines of the local health administration. The iconic Sydney Cricket Ground ( SCG) which has been selected by the board to host two ODIs and two T20s along with the Pink Test scheduled from January 7, 2021, will host up to 30, 000 spectators which is roughly 50 per cent of its seating capacity. Manuka Oval in capitals Canberra, which will host an ODI and T20 each has been mandated to host only 6,000 spectators for the limited-overs matches. The Adelaide Oval where a highly-anticipated series will begin with a day-night Test has been restricted to seat up to 50 per cent of its capacity which is up to 27,00o cricket fans. Cricket Australia is expecting fans to be much more interested in the Adelaide Test, as the Indian skipper Virat Kohli is set to return home after completion of this test to see his wife who will be expecting the couple’s first child. For the historical Boxing Day Test which starts on December 26 every year, the Victorian government has mandated for the presence of only 25,000 audiences per day. However, Cricket Australia has expressed optimism that they will be allowed to host more fans in the stadium with the improvement in the coronavirus situation in Melbourne. Another test venue to host the last Test match of the series-- Gabba in Brisbane has been allowed to host 30,000 fans in the stands which is roughly 75 per cent of the current seating capacity of the ground. Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO Nick Hockley has said that he expects an ‘unexpected demand for tickets of the series against India. The Indian team will start their campaign with One-Day format on November 27 at the SCG.

DC cool it off with Bhangra before first ever finale in their history

Having made it to the finals for the first time ever in their history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Delhi Capitals (DC) are upbeat and are enjoying this success with a lot of off the field activities to cool down the pressure before the big match against defending champions Mumbai Indians. Showing one such activity, a video was posted by the official Tw2itter handle of the Delhi Capitals in which skipper Shreyas Iyer could be seen doing the Bhangra with senior pro and probably the most energetic man in the team Shikhar Dhawan and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who is seen copying the moves of the two Indian boys. "When you realize you'll be playing Delhi's maiden @IPL final tomorrow #YehHaiNayiDilli #Dream11IPL #MIvDC @Address_Hotels @ShreyasIyer15 @SDhawan25 @MStoinis," the team captioned the video. But this is not the first time that Bhangra has been the taste of the town as far as Delhi Capitals are concerned, neither is this the only time that they are in the jolly mood. Even after losing the qualifier and one day before the second qualifier, the boys from Delhi were in the best of their spirits with once again captain Iyer taking the lead by imitating Marcus Stoinis. Now all eyes would be on the final in Dubai and Delhi, which has lost the previous three games against Mumbai, would be looking to have the last laugh, while on the other hand, Mumbai would look to put the last nail in the coffin and seal a historic 5th title and become the first-ever team to defend a title in the IPL.