Shane Watson calls Covid-19 situation in India 'tragic', backs IPL to bring joy to people's lives

IPL 2021 | 'Hero' Pat Cummins does not see IPL cancellation as answer to India's Covid-19 crisis

Days after donating $50,000 into the PM CARES fund to help India in the fight against the covid-19 pandemic, Australian pacer Pat Cummins has said that cancelling the remainder of the ongoing edition of the IPL is not the answer to India’s health crisis. "I don't think ending the IPL is the answer," said Cummins, who represents the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, in an interview with WION and “We are doing everything we can to make sure we don't take any resources out of the front line. I don't think so (it's the answer),” he added. Instead, he said that the IPL can influence people in staying at their homes in the evening hours and may well help authorities in avoiding situations of crowding in public. "Of course there's an aspect that playing every night for three-four hours hopefully contributes to people staying home as it has been a hard routine for them and we can help them get through each day," he added. Having asked what led to him contributing to the PM Cares, Cummins said that the team owner Sharukh Khan and many of his Knight Riders teammates have contributed generously for the cause and hence he thought it was the way to go about helping the people in India. “Just chatting with a couple of guys here at Kolkata Knight Riders and they have been really generous in their donation to the PM CARES fund over the last year. Shahrukh (Khan) donated himself and that is the way to go,” Cummins said. Pat Cummins contribution to the PM Cares fund earned him high praise from the people and commentators on social media for having a great heart and coming in for people’s cause in one of the toughest time.

One match wouldn’t spoil our team environment: DC fielding coach Kaif

Delhi Capitals fielding coach Mohammad Kaif believes that the team is full of players who can perform under pressure and be true match winners for their side. “Delivering under pressure is a crucial part of the IPL. You may bat as well as you want in the nets and may plan as much as you want. But when it comes to a pressure situation, how well do you play and how you come out of it as a match-winner is a real test of the character,” Kaif said in a video uploaded by the Delhi Capitals on their official Twitter account. We have such players who can come out of that situation very well. You name the player and he is a match-winner,” added the 40-year-old. Saying that his team is an experienced unit, Kaif claimed, “One match haven’t spoiled anything for us. We are a happy bunch and we have always maintained that if we lose we lose as a team and when we win, we win as a team only.” The Delhi Capitals lost by a solitary run against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their previous encounter. The Capitals will be up against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. While KKR are coming on the back of a victory, Kaif still feels, “Any team can beat the other team on their day.” Kaif further went on to say that executing the plans in the middle is going to be the key. “To win each match you need to play well. We plan everything in various meetings but execution plays a very important role in how you deal with the nerves on a given day under pressure,” he said.

IPL 2021 | Rajasthan Royals pledge Rs 7.5 crore fund to help India fight Oxygen shortage

Amid mounting criticism for continuing to play in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League in India while the country is grappling with a massive health crisis, the Rajasthan Royals have extended monetary support of Rs 7.5 crore to help in the fight against the raging Covid-19 pandemic. All the players along and the team management including the owners have come up with a fundraising plan in association with the Rajasthan Royals Foundation and British Asian Trust, which was founded by Prince Charles. The move has been made to aid the Indian government in tackling the dire need for oxygen and the acquisition and distribution of oxygen concentrators across the country. "BAT works closely with the Indian Government on many initiatives – especially in the area of skills and education. The Trust’s founder, Prince Charles, launched an emergency "Oxygen for India" appeal, which is currently focused on the acquisition and distribution of oxygen concentrators, devices that can provide the enriched gas straight from the air, to treat patients when hospital supplies are under strain," the franchise said in a statement. Although it’s a contribution with a pan-India objection, the Royals have said that the initial focus will be given to the state of Rajasthan—the home state of the franchise. "The funds raised by Rajasthan Royals will help pan India, with an initial focus on the state of Rajasthan, where the RRF, Chaired by Ranjit Barthakur, has numerous initiatives it continues to support. Having the team owners and its players come together has enabled this initiative to reach the scale it has, providing aid to tackle the current crisis and help people get the single most pressing necessity at this time - Oxygen,” Royals said in a statement. India has been reporting more than 3 lakh cases every day for the last week and the death toll from the novel Coronavirus has surged past the worrying 2 lakh-mark.

IPL 2021: Paul Reiffel to continue officiating after unable to fly out

Former Australian cricketer and one of the most reputed umpires going around the circuit, Paul Reiffel almost found himself in hot waters when he had a close shave in a bid to return to Australia midway through the IPL. He had withdrawn his name from the list of officials and decided to fly back to Australia. However within minutes after leaving the bio-secure bubble on Wednesday, Reiffel realised that he can’t fly out of India after stringent rules put in by the Australian government in context with the severe condition in India due to the second wave of COVID-19. He will now officiate in the rest of the tournament before leaving for his home country with the rest of the Australian contingent. Concerned with the rising COVID cases in India. Reiffel had decided to fly back early keeping in mind that he could be stranded in the nation. He managed to arrange travel to Sydney from Doha which was the same option that was used by Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson when they pulled out of the tournament recently. “I tried to, but the flight through Doha, I wasn’t able to go through as an Australian. They shut the avenue off. I know a couple of the guys got back that way through there, but the avenue was closed so I had to stay. Yesterday I was booked to go, but it got cancelled. I thought I’d take the opportunity when I could, because you don’t know what’s going to happen later on,” Reiffel was quoted as saying from his Ahmedabad hotel. Had Reiffell left the protected environment of the bio-bubble, he had to quarantine himself in order to officiate in the rest of the tournament again. However, he was lucky that he was within the premises of the bio-bubble and admitted that he was just 10 minutes away from leaving the bubble. “I was 10 minutes away from leaving the bubble, so I’m very lucky,” Reiffel said. Before signing up as an umpire in the IPL, Reiffel knew that it wasn’t going to be easy with an immense surge in the COVID cases in India. However, he couldn’t refuse the lucrative offer from IPL after mentioning that opportunities to work were few and far between due to the pandemic. “It’s how I make a living. In these COVID times I haven’t umpired a lot so any opportunity to get some work, you take it. You know any travel can end up any which way. It’s how I make a living. To knock back work, you just can’t afford to. You have to look at everything and try and weigh it up. When I accepted and it all started, it was a very different landscape. It escalated pretty quickly but that’s what happens with COVID. It happens quickly and a lot of the times you can’t see it happening,” Reiffel said. He also lamented the fact that it is a very different India which he is not used to seeing. With many people having different opinions on the IPL. Reiffel said that it was a very tough call whether to suspend the league, especially in these troubled times. The IPL has at least made the viewers forget all the sorrows even if for three hours. “It’s a whole lot more quiet than usual, it’s a bit unusual for India. There’s still people about but it’s very quiet, there’s a lot of people at home. It’s hard to tell what life’s like. It’s just the hotel and cricket.” “I have read a lot of people have different opinions but cricket in India is such a massive thing. For it to be suspended would be such a massive thing to do over here. They’re keeping it going – a lot of people are enjoying it,” Reiffel concluded.