T20 Blast: Kent sign Afghan leggie Qais Ahmad

Kusal Perera wants his team to play fearless brand of cricket in the Bangladesh tour

Newly appointed Sri Lankan limited overs skipper for the upcoming tour of West Indies wants his side to play a fearless brand of cricket and make sure that the young bunch are completely unafraid. Kusal Perera who has made a name for himself across formats courtesy his sublime hiting prowess was named the skipper of the limited overs side after several big names were dropped from the squad. The likes of Dinesh Chandimal, Angelow Mathews were dropped from the squad. The Islanders have slipped to 9th in the Latest T20I rankings and the team management has decided to refurbish the team and include some new faces. Given the aggressive approach he takes on most occasion Perera will also like his team to play aggressive and fearless cricket. "We have to fearless cricket to win matches," he said, a day after his appointment as a skipper was confirmed. "You can't be fearful about losing. If you're worried about your place, you aren't going to give 100%. What I'm going to tell the players is to go and give it everything. If we play fearlessly even when we are practicing, then you will be able to play the same way in a match. That's what I've told the team. If we are fearful, we will fall even further. I'm trying to build a culture where the players have a lot of confidence,” he further explained. The southpaw has lacked the consistency but has already smashed some of the greatest knocks in world cricket. His knock of 153 in the final innings of a Test match against South Africa is regarded as one of the finest knocks since the inception of the game. He also smashed the second-fastest half-century in ODI’s when he achieved the feat in a mere 17 deliveries against Pakistan in 2015. "I really like to play fearless cricket personally, and that's where my success has been. Whenever I've played with fear, it hasn't worked for me. I want everyone else to play like that. You can't guarantee that you will go right playing this way, but the chances of things going well are greater,” Perera said. "But you have to practice well to instill that fearlessness. Because if you are 100% certain about the shot you're playing, you can play without fear. You need to understand your strengths and weaknesses. Where does the ball need to be for me to hit it? Will I get myself in trouble by hitting there? You need to have that understanding. If you're a bowler, you need to know which ball can get you a wicket, and which will help you bowl a dot. These things help you play fearlessly. As a fielding unit, you have to carry that same ethos as well, and I have big hopes for the upcoming Bangladesh series about our fielding,” the wicket-keeper batsman further added.

Sangakkara lauds Sakariya, Parag; considers them as future India prospects

The Indian Premier League’s 2021 season, though suspended for the time being is still keeping Chetan Sakariya amongst the most discussed players. Kumar Sangakkara, his team director from the Rajasthan Royals praised the youngster calling him a revelation of the season. "Chetan Sakariya was a revelation," said the former Sri Lanka captain in a webinar organised by the Royals on May 13. "He's had a tough year since January so far and our love and prayers are with him. His attitude and ability to build pressure and of course his skill. It's wonderful to have him in the side,” added Sangakkara pointing out how the Saurashtra player first lost his bother early this year and then his father to Covid-19 just recently. Sakariya took seven wickets in seven games for the Royals and bowled both with the new ball and at the death. Talking about other youngsters from the Royals side, Sanga praised the trio of Anuj Rawa, Yashwshvi Jaiswal and Mahipal Lomror. “We have Anuj, Yash, Mahipal, three youngsters who have been with the franchise for a long time and I was very impressed by all three of them,” he said. The coach further emphasised that although the Under-19 star Jaiswal did get a lot of opportunities in the middle, Delhi wicket-keeper batsman Rawat could not get to bat, even when he made it to the XI against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which was the last game of the suspended season for the Royals. “Mahi worked really hard in the nets to put his hand up for selection. Those three boys were just outstanding for us,” added the former President of the MCC. Talking about another exciting prospect for the Royals team, Sangakkara, who himself represented Sri Lanka for a record 404 ODIs, 134 Tests and 56 T20Is felt that Assam’s Riyan Parag has it in him to get selected for Team India. "Riyan Parag is also a very, very special player. He's got a huge amount to contribute not just to Rajasthan Royals, but also Indian cricket in the future. He's a very special talent that needs care, nurturing and development,” the 43-year old said.

Shreyas Iyer starts rehabilitation, could be considered for T20 World Cup

Stylish young batsman Shreyas Iyer has started his rehabilitation process after undergoing shoulder surgery. In a video posted from his official Twitter handle, Iyer shared a video where he can be seen getting into fitness drills slowly and steadily. Iyer who is ruled out of the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka had a realistic chance of captaining the Indian side in the absence of stalwarts. However, given the strict COVID protocols, Iyer have to miss out on the tour to the island nation. Lack of match time might prove to be his nemesis when the selectors sit down to pick the squad for the T20 World Cup slated to be held in India in October-November. However, a report in Hindu suggests that the BCCI have spoken with the team management and the selectors on Iyer and his possible return in the T20 World Cup. This will give Iyer ample time to fully recover before the mega event. Iyer sustained a shoulder injury during the limited-overs series against England at home and have not taken part in any competitive cricket since then. He underwent a surgery which also ruled him out of the entire IPL. However with the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League suspended indefinitely, he might return for the second leg if and when it takes place. The Delhi Capitals skipper underwent shoulder surgery on 9th April and was expected to take three months to recover. With the series in Sri Lanka lined up in July, it wouldn’t have been possible for Iyer to force his way back into the team.

Indian players have smoother introduction to international cricket : Amir

Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has once again lashed out at the team management and selectors for getting players in the side who have technical flaws. The left-arm pacer further quoted the examples of Indian players like Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya and said that they looked pretty ready to play at the highest level. “Look at Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya, they looked ready and primed for international cricket when they made their debuts and did not look to need much advice or coaching at all,” he said. He further explained that playing several years at the domestic and IPL level has helped these cricketers groom for international cricket. “They have played several years of domestic cricket and the IPL and that makes their introduction into international cricket much smoother,” Amir added. The left-handed cricketer bid adieu to the game in December last year citing differences with the team management and is now seeking the British citizenship as he is eligible for it. Amir was capped 36 times in Tests for Pakistan while playing 61 ODIs and 50 T20Is for the side. He has scalped 119 Test wickets while has 81 dismissals in ODIs and 59 scalps in T20Is to his name. He was slapped with a five-year ban in 2010 for being involved in a spot-fixing scandal in England and made a return back to international fold in 2016.