Wife Prithi Narayanan reveals family health emergency behind R Ashwin's withdrawal from IPL 2021

IPL 2021: MI vs CSK Preview- Rejuvenated Mumbai Indians look to continue dominance against CSK

The biggest rivalry of IPL returns as the defending champions Mumbai Indians is all set to lock horns against the Chennai Super Kings in the 27th match of the competition. The five-time champions returned to winning ways against the Rajasthan Royals and will be upbeat ahead of the El-Classico of IPL. They have a superior head to head record against the yellow brigade and will look to continue their insane run against the three-time champions. Both teams had contrasting seasons last time around but the MS Dhoni-led CSK have found their feet in the tournament so far and looks like the team to beat so far. They have accepted their limitations and have forged a unit that is capable of beating any team on their day. However with Mumbai Indians as the opponent who is the only team in the tournament with a better head to head record against the CSK will be wary of the fact that a slight hiccup might allow MI to end their winning momentum. After starting the tournament with a disappointing defeat, CSK has bounced back strongly winning five on the bounce. Mumbai Indians haven’t been in their best of forms in the tournament so far and after losing 3 out of their first 5 matches, the defending champions found their lost mojo against the Royals, winning the encounter quite convincingly in the end. CSK on the other hand is coming off five consecutive victories. They have been clinical in the tournament so far and will to carry on the winning juggernaut. Match Details Match: MI vs CSK, 27th Match, Indian Premier League 2021 Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021 Time: 7:30 PM Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Pitch and Toss The first three matches at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi has produced belters besides having some sort of help for the bowlers. Chasing has been an easier option on this ground with the team batting first not managing to score big. The spinners might get some assistance from the surface. Dew is unlikely to play a part in this game. The team winning the toss shouldn’t have any hesitations putting the opposition in. All in all, we should be in for a classic high scoring encounter. Team News and Match-ups Mumbai Indians As of now there has been no injury reported in the Mumbai Indians camp and they are likely to depend on the match-ups while choosing their XI ahead of the match. They seems to have a settled unit but they have also relied on match-ups and have included players depending upon players in the opposition squad. As far as the Mumbai Indians are concerned they have lacked the consistency from Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah this season. Boult in particular hasn’t managed to do what he did so brilliantly in the previous season. The left-arm pacer hasn’t managed to provide breakthroughs in the powerplay. However, his match-up against Faf du Plessis could be a well-contested one as stats suggest that Du Plessis have struggled against Boult. He has scored only 34 runs in 36 deliveries facing bowled, getting dismissed on a couple of occasions. MS Dhoni has struggled against leggies and Rahul Chahar could well be an option if the CSK skipper comes out to bat in the middle overs. Probable XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult Chennai Super Kings Just like the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings is expected to get the full squad available for selection. They have formed a settled unit and it will be interesting to see what tactics they employ against a top team. They don’t have the greatest of records against MI which should force the CSK think tank to make decisions out of the box. Ravindra Jadeja has been a superstar for the Yellow brigade in this edition so far and whatever he has touched has turned to goal. His performance against the Royal Challengers Bangalore can be rated as one of the finest performances by any cricketer in a single game. 37 runs in one over, then bagging three crucial wickets, catching, run out and just the aura which he carried on the field. Jadeja has troubled MI skipper Rohit Sharma in the past and it won’t be a surprise if Dhoni decides to hand over the ball to Jaddu in the powerplay against the likes of Rohit Sharma. The MI skipper has had a few problems against left-arm spinners and it should be an interesting match-up. Probable XI: Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir Fantasy XI Wicket-keeper- Quinton de Kock Batsmen- Faf du Plessis, Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suryakumar Yadav All-rounders- Ravindra Jadeja Bowlers- Deepak Chahar, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bunrah, Jayant Yadav

Virat Kohli is the most professional player I've ever seen: Simon Katich

Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Simon Katich has lavished praise on captain Virat Kohli and said the right-handed batsman is still keen on learning. “Virat still wants to learn, though, and is always asking if we can see anything that might improve his game, but a player of his caliber, there is not a lot wrong with his game," Katich said. Moreover, Katich further added that Kohli is the most professional player that he has seen. “What I learned very quickly is that Virat is probably the most professional player I've ever seen, and that is saying something when you think about the era of Australian cricket I played in (2001-2010),” he said. "Whether that is in the gym or with his nutrition or all the recovery and rehab work you do, he leaves no stone unturned. A lot of players do that but he takes it to the nth degree," the former Australian player added. RCB have tasted some success in this edition of the IPL after winning five of the 6 games that they have played so far and are placed at number three spot in the points table. The Virat Kohl-led side will now play Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Shikhar Dhawan pledges Rs 20 lakh donation, individual award money to fund Oxygen supplies

Indian and Delhi Capitals opener Shikhar Dhawan has finally come forward to give back to the people with a donation of Rs 20 lakh and all monetary value of his individual awards go forward in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League to help in the funding Oxygen supplies in the country. "I will be making a donation of ₹20 lakhs, plus money from all post-match individual performance awards that I receive from the IPL 2021 towards Mission Oxygen to help fund the requirement of oxygen," Dhawan said in his statement released on Twitter. "Over the years, I have received incredible love and support from all of you, for which I am eternally grateful. It's now my turn to give back to the people of this country. He also thanked the frontline workers for putting brave efforts in the face of a deadly pandemic and suggested people adopt Covid appropriate behaviour such as the washing of hands and wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing. "I would like to thank all the tireless frontline workers for their incredible service. We are forever in your debt. I also urge everyone to observe all health protocols - wear a mask, sanitize and maintain social distancing. Please step out only when necessary. Together, we will win," he added. The BCCI along with franchises and players have faced criticism for an act of overlooking the disaster unfolding in the county in the form of a Covid-19 pandemic that is killing as many as more than 3,000 people on daily basis.

IPL 2021: Jaydev Unadkat pledge to donate 10 percent of his IPL salary

Rajasthan Royals left-arm pacer Jayden Unadkat jas pledged to donate ten percent of his IPL salary in order to procure oxygens and help in the medical resources as India fight the second wave of coronavirus. With more than 3.50,000 cases being reported on a daily basis, the medical teams are facing huge challenges. After Pat Cummins, Brett Lee, Sachin Tendulkar and Shreevats Goswami, Unadkat has come forward and has promised to donate 10 per cent of his salary. “I am contributing 10% of my IPL salary towards providing essential medical resources for those in need. My family will make sure it reaches the right places. Jai Hind!” Unadkat wrote on his Twitter handle. “I would like to share something that I have been feeling over the last couple of weeks. Our country is going through a lot of distress and for that matter, I know how privileged we are in this position to play cricket. I know how painful a personal loss can be and how worrying it can be to witness your close friends fighting for their lives. I have been through both,” Unadkat said. Four Australian players have pulled out of the tournament midway while Ravichandran Ashwin and umpire Nitin Menon among Indians have also opted to aid their family in the time of crisis. Unadkat feels that they are in a privileged position to play cricket and it just three-hour distraction in these testing times. He urged everyone to stay safe and make sure that we can fight the pandemic together. “Yet, I am not saying it is right or wrong to play cricket at the moment but honestly, it is difficult to stay away from family and friends in this situation. All I feel is that this game brings a much-needed distraction in these uncertain times. It brings joy to many. My heart goes out to those affected in these times. Please stay strong. Let us all come together, contribute and help each other in whatever way we can,” Unadkat further added. Earlier in the day Punjab Kings batsman Nicholas Pooran also pledged to pay a part of his salary towards India’s fight against COVID-19. He made the declaration in a video posted on his Twitter handle and urge everyone else to donate whatever in their capacity. ‘Although many other countries are still being affected by the pandemic, the situation in India right now is particularly severe. I will do my part to bring awareness and financial assistance to this dire situation,’ Pooran said.