State bodies prefer Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy over Ranji Trophy

I back Kohli’s comments on Rohit injury: CAC chief Madan Lal

Chief of Cricket Advisory Committee, an independent agency set up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for appointing selectors and coaches of the Indian teams, Madan Lal has backed Indian captain Virat Kohli on the matter of Rohit Sharma’s injury. Lal, a former World Cup-winning team member from the 1983 World Cup believes that skipper and coach must be kept in the loop regarding any players’ injury. “Whatever Virat Kohli said in his press conference that is absolutely correct, I back him for the same because clarity with the captain is a must as the leader runs the team. Both coach and captain should be aware of what is happening with their players,” Lal was quoted as saying in TOI. Speaking about Rohit’s injury, the 69-year-old said that that the kind of communication right now happening in the team is not ideal. “Only Rohit or his franchise (Mumbai Indians) can answer why he played for the franchise when he was just 70 percent fit. I think that communication in the team should be on a good level. The kind of communication which is required is not happening, there should be clarity regarding what is happening,” Lal said. Saying that last time around, India was benefitted because of David Warner and Steve Smith not playing, which have been exposed with its bowling lineup. He also suggested what can be done to avoid the hammering that the Indian bowlers have been receiving. “Wicket-to-wicket bowling should be done in my point of view but at this time, the problem is that Indian bowlers are struggling to take wickets early on. We are also not fielding well and that is not ideal as the bowlers always need the support of their fielders,” he added.

Son, I Was Scoring 100s Before You Were Born: Afridi Lashes Out in LPL

A very ugly exchange of words took place in the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL). The players involved in the spat, or the spats, since their were two such instances, were Pakistani legend Shahid Afridi, the same country's pacer Mohammed Amir, and young Afghan seamer Naveen ul Haq. During the sixth match of the league, featuring Kandy Tuskers and Galle Gladiators. The first altercation happened during the 18th over of the second innings of the match. In an over where a boundary was hit by Amir off Naveen, the latter seemed to use some salty language against the former. Then, just after the end of the match when Naveen, representing Tuskers, got into a heated exchange of words with Amir, playing for the other side. Even the teammates of the 21-year old Afghan, including former Indian pacer Munaf Patel, tried to desist him from continuing his barrage, but the youngster didn't heed the advice. The second part of the drama happened immediately after that when the players of the two teams were shaking hands. When Afridi, playing in the same team as his compatriot Amir, came face-to-face with Naveen, he seemingly asked the youngster what happened. The reply of Naveen was, apparently, so disrespectful that Afridi had to remind the Afghan player how senior he is. "Son, I was scoring 100s in international cricket before you were born," the man known as Boom Boom Afridi reportedly told the younger man. The video and pictures of the incident are circulating on Twitter. People on the social media site seem to be unimpressed by the actions of Naveen and are telling him to be more respectful. As far as the match is concerned, Tuskers came out on top, beating Gladiators by 25 runs. Danushka Gunathilkaka scored 82 off 53 balls to take his team to a total of 197. In reply Gladiators could only get to 172.

Shahrukh Khan, Knight Riders bet big on USA-based Major Cricket League

Taking its ambitions to take the game into different parts of the world, the Knight Riders Groups which is owned by Sharukh Khan and Juhi Chawla among others have decided to invest in the Major League Cricket (MLC) that is scheduled to take off in 2022. The investment by the group will enable USA Cricket in running a league comprising six teams. The investment in the MLC will be the third strategic investment by the group in the game as it also knows the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise in the Indian Premier League along with the Trinidad Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League. The CEO of KKR, Venky Mysore said that the group was keen on the prospect of the development of Cricket in the United States and that the latest investment is an extension of its plans for global expansion of the game. He also heaped optimism that the experience of running two franchises in the two different leagues will help the group in playing a ‘broader role’ for the success of the Major Cricket League. “We feel fortunate to have been consistently recognized as one of the best franchises in T20 cricket and have become one of the fastest-growing sports brands in the world. As T20 cricket expands internationally, we are flattered by the regular inbound requests to play a major role in growing the sport abroad. We have had a keen interest in the developments in the United States and our expansion into the U.S. is consistent with our long-term strategy. We look forward to the new challenge of building cricket in the world’s most sophisticated sports and media market and we believe that we can bring a huge amount of expertise to help make Major League Cricket realize the potential that it undoubtedly has,” Mysore said. Shahrukh Khan said that the expansion of the Knight Riders brand has always been the agenda paramount for the group and they have been watching the potential of UAS as a market for the development of a T20 league. Sharukh, too, said that the MLC holds great potential for the future of Cricket in the US and he also emphasized the role the Knight Riders group will play for its success. “For several years now, we have been expanding the Knight Riders brand globally and closely watching the potential for T20 cricket in the USA. We are convinced that Major League Cricket has all the pieces in place to execute on its plans and we look forward to making our partnership an enormous success in the coming years,” Sharukh Khan said. The MLC was scheduled to take off in 2021 but now has been delayed to 2022 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The USA Cricket had made its intentions clear back in 2018 about the league and had asked for the Request of Proposal. "This is an exciting time for cricket in the United States with the formation of our new Board of Directors, USA Cricket's pending recognition as an ICC approved National Federation and the performance of our athletes on the field of play," This RFP continues on the positive momentum as we seek to build a successful and sustainable league domestically,” USA Cricket chairman Paraag Marathe had said in 2021.

I thrive under pressure: Iyer rings warning bells for Australia

India middle-order batsman, Shreyas Iyer said that he likes pressure and rather thrives in it. He further said that although the first two games have not gone according to the plan, he is sure to bounce back in the third one. “I thrive under pressure and it motivates me to go against them,” Iyer said on the eve of the third and final ODI in Manuka Oval, Canberra. The Mumbai-born was overwhelmed by the Aussie plan of getting him out on the short ball. “I am really happy that they are coming up with a plan (against me). I feel it (a short leg and leg gully) helps to take advantage and score more runs and make the best use of it,” said India’s number four batsman,” Iyer said. “I feel overwhelmed and take it as a challenge,” he added. “It’s all about the mindset that you need to adjust. How you need to place yourself on the wicket. Rather than bending down too much (during stance), you stand upright. It easier to pick up the short one.” Talking about his skyward dismissal in the first game, when Josh Hazlewood bowled a well-directed bouncer to him, the 26-year-old said, “I knew that the short ball was going to come. I got in two frames of mind, thinking of pulling, and at the same time, I had this uppercut shot. I got stuck in between two thoughts and couldn’t play the shot.” Indian bowlers have been at the receiving end of some blazing innings from the Kangaroos, the Delhi Capitals captain in IPL defended them saying that the bowlers have had quite a workload in the IPL, hence it was difficult for them to adjust to Australian conditions and the change in the Kookaburra too affected their game. “The amount of workload, staying in quarantine, it plays on your mind. They are world-class bowlers and they will come back strong. I really believe in them and I am happy with the kind of work (effort) they are doing (at nets).” he said.