Sam Curran ruled out of T20 World Cup

British Health Minister hopeful for Ashes to take place this summer

Great Britain's Health Minister Greg Hunt has revealed that it is ultimately in the hands of the touring party i.e. England Mens’ team on what do they decide regarding their demands for a full-fledged Ashes to take place this Summer in Australia. Taking to Skye News Australia, Hunt said, "Ultimately, it's always in the hands of the touring party, but we've been working to be flexible and practical.” “On the one hand, we have to make sure that we have safety arrangements as per Australian conditions. On the other hand, to be practical and flexible to give that touring party every chance of coming here and to have the Ashes played this summer,” he added, giving indications that Australia would have to curb its very strict Covid rules for families of English players to be able to travel. The Ashes is not just about rivalry and traditions, but also involve a huge amount of money for Cricket Australia, as much as A$200 million and thus CA doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned for the series to continue and also pave way for a fruitful BBL 11 as well. "We have had regular and positive discussions with the ECB over the past six months on providing conditions which will allow players from both teams to perform at their best during the Ashes summer," CA said in a statement. "The health and wellbeing of both squads while ensuring the tour proceeds in a safe manner is a priority and we especially thank our government partners for all their support in this regard,” it added.

Want to become a finisher like MS Dhoni: Ripal Patel

Delhi Capitals’ new recruit Ripal Patel who made his IPL debut against Chennai Super Kings in Dubai on Monday aspires to become a “finisher” like former India captain MS Dhoni. The wicket-keeper batsman has taken the team over the line on a number of occasions and Ripal strives to replicate the same. “I started playing cricket watching Mahi bhai and I am looking to become a finisher like him,” Patel was quoted as saying in a release issued by his franchise DC. The youngsters get the opportunity to interact with the senior players after the match and Patel was lucky enough to have a chat with MS. “After the game, I asked him how he finishes every match, how he thinks on the field and what goes on in his mind while chasing a score. We had a good chat and he gave me a lot of confidence,” he added. Ripal scored 18 off 20 in his debut innings for DC as the Rishabh Pant-led side etched a win against CSK by 3 wickets in the last over in a close encounter while chasing a target of 137 in 20 overs. Both Chennai and Delhi have qualified for the playoffs in this edition of the IPL. The Super Kings will now take on Punjab Kings on Thursday while the Capitals will lock horns with RCB on Friday in Dubai.

Virat Kohli is obsessive, wants to be the best: David Wiese

India skipper Virat Kohli’s century drought isn’t coming to an end. Though, the right-handed batsman has been among some runs but the fans are still waiting for his 71st international ton. Former South Africa player David Wiese who has shared the dressing room with Kohli during his time with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL has put his weight behind the batsman and said that Virat is someone who strives to be the best and that is the best quality that a sports person can have. "Virat is just obsessive, he wants to be the best and he would not stop until he is the best and that for me, is his biggest quality. He is probably one of the best in the world but he still wants to improve. He is already a legend of the game but that is not good enough for him. He wants to become better, he has got a passion for the game. In training, he would spend hours and hours, working on different things. He has never been content, he is always looking to improve,” Wiese told ANI in an interaction organised by the International Cricket Council. Kohli is presently leading the RCB in the on-going IPL and has been in decent touch in the UAE leg so far. In the five matches that he has played, the RCB skipper has notched up a couple of fifties in the second phase of the competition. Virat is one of the most successful batsmen in the world and holds numerous records to his name. Kohli is the first Indian batsmen to score seven double tons in Test cricket. Apart from this, he also holds the record for scoring the fastest ODI century by an Indian batsman. He will now lead the Indian team in the forthcoming World T20 in UAE and Oman which will be his last assignment as a skipper in the T20Is as he would be stepping down from the post after the conclusion of the tournament.

WATCH | SRH sensation Umran Malik gets emotional after receiving family’s special message

Umran Malik, the 21-year old Sunrisers Hyderabad sensation, who left the world cricket thunderstruck by his sheer pace in his debut match against Kolkata Knight Riders, got emotional after watching a video message from his family. The young talent from Jammu and Kashmir who consistently bowled above 145 kmph and also broke the 150 barrier, received a special message from his family members including his parents, sister and friends. A part of that video was first released by his teammate Rashid Khan on his Twitter. Later, on 5 October, the entire video was shared by the official Twitter handle of Sunrisers Hyderabad. In the video, his proud parents can be seen sending prayers and best wishes for him. Umran Malik is the fourth player from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the Indian Premier League. Before him, Parvez Rasool, Rasikh Salam and Abdul Samad have played in the IPL. Umran Malik made his debut when his franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad had little to lose as they were already out of the tournament. While defending 116, they left no stone unturned in making it difficult for KKR to chase the modest target. Umran returned with 0-27 as KKR took the game home by six wickets.