INDW vs SAW: Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur ruled out of T20I opener against South Africa | Cricket News – Times of India

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LUCKNOW: India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out of the opening women’s T20 International of the three-match series against South Africa here due to an injury, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said on Friday.
Harmanpreet suffered a hip-flexor injury while batting in the fifth ODI against the same opponents on Wednesday.
The series opener will be held on Saturday.
“She (Harmanpreet) is out of tomorrow’s match and rest of the update on her condition will be given by the medical team,” Mandhana, a left-handed opener, said during a virtual pre-match press conference.
India were outplayed by South Africa in the women’s ODI series with the visitors pocketing the rubber 1-4.
But Mandhana said the ODI series is a thing of the past as their focus shifts to the T20 rubber.
“We will try to forget the ODIs and focus on the T20 series. Yes, the ODI series was a disappointment but we need to forget that and move ahead. Some new faces have come in the team, so we need to think fresh,” Mandhana said.
“We had a discussion on how to go about our preparation, what went wrong in the ODI series and how to go forward. We now need to concentrate on the T20s. We are now looking at the ODI series as a preparation for T20 series.”
The Indian women were very sloppy in the field during the ODI series and Mandhana stressed on working on that aspect of the game.
“We have been in the process in the last 3-4 years. Few catches haave dropped in the ODis, but we need to get on with a fresh mind in the T20 series and leave behind the ODI series disappointment,” she said.
She also pointed out that the spinners, India’s biggest strength, need to pull up their socks in the T20 series.
“Spinners are our biggest stregnth. Definitely, they (spinners) were not bad but inconsistent in their bowling (in the ODI series). But if we keep pitching the ball in the same same areas, it will become difficult for batters,” Mandhana said.

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Absolutely magical: Bumrah shares pics with wife Sanjana, thanks fans for love | Off the field News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: India pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who recently tied a knot with sports presenter and anchor Sanjana Ganesan, on Friday thanked his fans for the love and support the couple has received this week.
The premier fast bowler on Friday shared adorable pictures with his wife and described the feeling of getting hitched as “nothing short of absolutely magical”.
“The last few days have been nothing short of absolutely magical! We are so grateful for all the love & wishes we’ve received. Thank you,” Bumrah tweeted.

Bumrah had earlier shared adorable pictures from the wedding ceremony and the cricketer termed the date (March 15) as one of the happiest days of their lives.
When India lost the third T20I against England on Tuesday, Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh said the hosts will wear a different look once pacer Bumrah returns to the squad.

Earlier this month, ANI had reported that Bumrah had asked for some days off as he was getting married. “He informed the BCCI that he is getting married and has taken the leave to help in preparations for the big day,” the source had said.
The 27-year-old Bumrah played two Tests in the four-match series against England and he returned with four wickets. Bumrah was rested for the second Test against England in Chennai and he returned wicketless in the third Test as spinners did a majority of the work. India won the Test series 3-1.
Meanwhile, both teams will now meet in the fifth T20I on Saturday which will be played at the same venue.



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T Natarajan passes fitness test, back in dugout | Cricket News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: India’s left-arm yorker sensation Thangarasu Natarajan has passed his fitness Test and joined the team during the fourth T20 International against England in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The 29-year-old, who impressed one and all in Australia by making his debut across all formats, had a shoulder injury as well as a knee niggle that had ruled him out of the first couple of games of the five-match series.
“Natarajan has passed all the mandatory fitness tests including YoYo and 2km run. He had flown into Ahmedabad a few days back but had to undergo mandatory hard quarantine since he was not a part of the bubble,” a senior BCCI official told PTI.
“Today, his quarantine got over and he could sit in the dugout. He will certainly be available for selection in the next game also and for the 50 over games,” he said.
Natarajan was brilliant during India’s T20 series win in Australia and was also given a Test cap in Brisbane where he got three wickets in the first innings.

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BCCI plans T20I series against South Africa, New Zealand before T20 World Cup | Cricket News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) will be squeezing in a couple of bilateral T20I series in October to help the Indian team prepare for the T20 World Cup. TOI has learnt that the board is in talks with South Africa and New Zealand in this regard.
“South Africa and New Zealand are scheduled to come to India to play a couple of T20I series before the World Cup. The modalities are to be finalized. The board is aware that the team needs to be in touch with the format before the Cup starts,” a senior BCCI official said.
India and South Africa already have an agreement to play a series in India to compensate for the cancelled series in March last year. India don’t have any T20Is scheduled after the ongoing series against England.
They are slated to travel to England for the World Test Championship final and a five-Test series after the IPL. India come back from England in mid-September. There are doubts over the the Asia Cup too as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will host the remainder of the Pakistan Super League.
India will also host New Zealand for a Test series after the T20 World Cup. The Indian team will then travel to South Africa for a full tour in December-January

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BCCI keeps option of having crowd for IPL’s later stages open | Cricket News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: With the Indian cricket board (BCCI) and the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) deciding to hold the last three T20 Internationals against England behind closed doors in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases, it looks clear that whatever chances the Indian Premier League (IPL) had of attracting crowds in the later stages are dissipating fast. Even then, the BCCI is keeping its options open.
While the BCCI had said in an official statement on March 7 earlier that the tournament will be held behind closed doors to begin with, it had said a decision to allow crowds for the later stages would be taken later.
On Monday, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal reiterated to IANS that crowds will not attend IPL games but added that the BCCI has still kept the option of having crowds for the later stages of the tournament.

“The initial phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was without crowds only, it was already decided,” said Dhumal while speaking to IANS.
Asked if there are chances of any crowds in the later stages of the tournament, he said, “It will depend on the situation”, and said that the board is yet to take a final call thus keeping the option open.

The IPL games are going to be held at six venues and no team will play at home. The first phase of league games comprising 20 matches will be held in Chennai and Mumbai while the action for the next batch of league games 16 in number will be held in Ahmedabad and Delhi.
The league action will then move to Bengaluru and Kolkata for the last 20 league matches.
The playoffs will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The massive crowd in the T20 International series, especially in the second T20I, caused a bit of concern in the wake of a rise in Covid-19 cases.
“India is due to host the T20 World Cup later this year. There is a lot at stake. Anything untoward now, even if a few cases crop up, it can have an impact on the tournament. It can create some problems,” said an official in the know of things.
The Indian board had earlier said in statement, “The fixtures of the tournament have been mapped in a way that every team will travel only three times during the league stage, thus reducing commute and minimising risk. The VIVO IPL this year at home will be played behind closed doors to begin with and a call on allowing spectators will be taken at a later stage of the tournament.”

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ISL’s success should inspire other sports to start their calendar: Sourav Ganguly | Football News – Times of India

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MUMBAI: BCCI president and ATK Mohun Bagan co-owner Sourav Ganguly said that the uninterrupted conduct of the Indian Super League should inspire other sports to start their calendars.
The ISL-7 concluded in Margao, Goa on Saturday.
“The ISL has shown to the world that India can host long format sports events even in the most challenging times. This should inspire many other sports in India now to kick-start their full calendar,” said Ganguly.
The former India cricket captain expressed his appreciation on the success of an uninterrupted ISL, terming it “a new benchmark for the Indian sports industry.”
“The successful completion of Hero Indian Super League in these challenging times is indeed a new benchmark for the Indian sports industry,” said Ganguly.
The ISL organisers, Football Sports Development Limited, had put in place stringent health and safety protocols to conduct the first major live sports event in India amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The season saw FSDL deliver uninterrupted footballing action in Goa by setting up 18 bio-bubbles across 14 hotels, housing 1600 people and conducting close to 70000 RT-PCR tests.
The ISL is estimated to have invested close to Rs 17 crore in maintaining the bio-bubbles.
Commending the organisers, Ganguly said, “It was a mammoth task undertaken by the organisers, considering the uncertainties surrounding initially. Must say, a job well done when you look back at the last 6 months.”
While kick-starting ISL on November 20 last year, FSDL chairperson Nita Ambani had said, “It has taken a lot of courage, determination, and planning to bring football back into our lives, in these pandemic times.”
The 11-team ISL season 7 recorded 298 goals scored in 115 games (an increase of 20 games from previous season) with Mumbai City FC winning both the League Winners Shield and ISL champions trophy.
FSDL also invested approximately Rs 20 crore on rentals and creating infrastructure at eight training pitches for the clubs and refurbishing the three playing grounds at Fatorda Stadium, GMC Stadium Bambolim and Tilak Maidan in Goa to organise the top football league in India.

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Opportunities come but we will see where it goes, Sourav Ganguly keeps it open-ended on joining politics | Cricket News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: BCCI President Sourav Ganguly kept his cards close to his chest amid mounting speculation that he might take the political plunge ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections, saying he will see “where it goes” amid the “opportunities” coming his way.
Ganguly, who is still resting at his Kolkata residence post his angioplasty after minor heart attacks, knows how there has been a speculation of him joining politics, more specifically the BJP, ahead of the eight-phase elections from March 27 to April 29.
“We will see where it goes, what opportunities come in the way, we will take it from there,” Ganguly told ‘India Today’ when asked what’s next after cricket administration.
Ganguly said his life has been full of surprising twists and turns and he has never really had a clue about what’s coming next for him.
“When I first became India captain, I didn’t expect it as Sachin (Tendulkar) was captaining. I probably wouldn’t have got it had Sachin not resigned.
“Similarly, when I became BCCI president, I didn’t know the minute before I would be the BCCI president. That’s the way my life has been…So we will see where it goes,” he said.
According to him, opportunities need to be considered factoring in various aspects of someone’s life.
“Opportunities come and you get influenced by a lot of things, your family, lifestyle, work, health, we will see where it goes,” he didn’t give away anything despite saying a lot of things.
He laughed off the attention that he gets in his home city Kolkata, crediting it to his friendly demeanour.
“I am fortunate to get so much attention. I don’t seek it and I go about doing my job. I lead a normal life in this city. I speak to people, talk to them and that’s my nature.
“I am a very friendly sort of a person with no hang ups. I don’t take to heart what people say. Because I am a popular person, I don’t believe that I have to be unreachable.
“I lead my life because at the end of the day it’s life and that’s why people are fond of me over here.”
Risk element factored in while not allowing crowds in IPL
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Ganguly said allowing crowd in the IPL would have been a bigger logistical issue compared to letting in limited fans during the recently-concluded Test series versus England.
The BCCI has announced that no crowds will be allowed at the venues — Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad — where the matches will be played with no home games for any franchise.
“We have planned it well and we are doing it in clusters. There will be three chartered flights (at the max) for every team. Hopefully, we will be able to manage.
“During England tour, teams have only two domestic chartered flights (Chennai to Ahmedabad and next will be Ahmedabad to Pune),” Ganguly told the channel.
“The numbers are much less but fingers crossed as it’s a huge tournament, the BCCI did it successfully in Dubai and hopefully, we can do it this time as well,” he added.
He didn’t say when would the BCCI consider having crowds back for the IPL.
“Don’t know yet, depends on situation. Dubai also was the same,” he said referring to the 2020 IPL in the UAE.
“It’s slightly different from bilateral. If you open up for crowd (in IPL) with teams practising outside the stadiums, you expect crowds to get closer to practising teams during IPL, so that could be a risk,” he said with a note of caution.

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India women’s team to play one-off Test against England | Cricket News – Times of India

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MUMBAI: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah announced that India women’s team will play a one-off Test against England later this year.
It will be India women’s first game in the longest format of the game since November 2014 when the Indian players took on South Africa. India and England had earlier played a one-off Test in 2014 where the Mithali Raj-led side emerged victorious by six wickets.
“On the occasion of #InternationalWomensDay, I’m pleased to announce that #TeamIndia @BCCIWomen will play a one-off Test match against @ECB_cricket later this year. The women in blue will be donning the whites again,” Jay Shah tweeted.

Meanwhile, the India women’s side is currently locking horns with South Africa in the three-match ODI series. In the first ODI, Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt scored their respective half-centuries to help South Africa women’s team thrash India by eight wickets.
Chasing a target of 178 runs, South Africa got off to an impressive start, with openers Lee and Wolvaardt scoring regular boundaries. The duo proved to be too good for the hosts’ bowlers, who struggled to restrict the batters from scoring runs.
Lee and Wolvaardt continued their scintillating performance and took the team over the 100-run mark in the 26th over. Both showed no signs of a struggle and kept adding runs to the scoreboard, taking South Africa closer to the victory.
In the 38th over, Jhulan Goswami handed India the first breakthrough as she got hold of Wolvaardt (80). Sune Luus then came to bat but failed as Goswami dismissed her as well. However, the comeback was too late for the Indian side as South Africa easily got over the line in the 41st over.
Earlier, Mithali Raj top-scored with a knock of 50 runs as India posted a score of 177/9 in the allotted fifty overs against South Africa.



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Sunil Gavaskar is an icon and inspiration for generations to come: Viv Richards | Cricket News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: West Indies great Vivian Richards on Saturday termed former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar an “icon and inspiration” for the generations to come.
Gavaskar, the former India skipper, on Saturday celebrated the 50th anniversary of his Test debut. Richards congratulated the former Indian cricketer on a “spectacular career”.
“Congratulations to Sunil on his 50th anniversary of a spectacular career debut. The man is an icon & an inspiration for generations to come. Thankful to have had the opportunity to dismiss him on my debut. Important catches mean a lot in making good results you know,” Richards tweeted.

Earlier in the day, BCCI felicitated Gavaskar for his contribution to Indian cricket as secretary Jay Shah honoured the batting great during the lunch break on day three of the fourth Test between India and England at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Gavaskar made his Test debut on March 6, 1971, against West Indies in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Over his career, Gavaskar went on to break many batting records and established himself as one of the finest batsmen to ever play the game.

India toured the West Indies during the 1970-71 cricket season for a five-Test series. The series turned out to be one of the most memorable ones as India won their first-ever Test series against the West Indies.
India, led by Ajit Wadekar, emerged victorious 1-0 in the five-match series and Gavaskar finished as the leading run-scorer, registering four centuries including one double ton. In his career, Gavaskar played 125 Tests and 108 ODIs for India. He was also a part of wins in the 1983 World Cup win and in 1985 World Championship of Cricket.



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Sunil Gavaskar felicitated on 50th anniversary of Test debut | Cricket News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: Former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar was on Saturday felicitated by the BCCI on the 50th anniversary of his Test debut.
The 71-year-old former skipper received a commemorative Test cap from BCCI Secretary Jay Shah during the lunch break on day three of the fourth and final Test between India and England at the Narendra Modi Stadium here.
“Celebrating 50 glorious years of the legendary former #TeamIndia Captain Mr. Sunil Gavaskar’s Test debut today,” the BCCI tweeted.

Shah also posted pictures of the brief ceremony on his official Twitter handle.
“Join me in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Shri Sunil Gavaskar Ji’s Test debut for India. It is indeed a momentous occasion for all Indians and we are getting to celebrate it at the world’s largest cricket facility Narendra Modi Stadium,” he wrote.

A veteran of the game, Gavaskar featured in 125 Tests, 108 ODIs between 1971-1987, amassing 10,122 and 3,092 respectively. He was also a part of the 1983 World Cup-winning side.
Gavaskar held the record for scoring most tons in Test cricket until Sachin Tendulkar surpassed his tally in 2005.
In his debut match against the West Indies, Gavaskar notched up half centuries in both innings, scoring 65 in the first and remaining unbeaten on 67 in the second essay.
India won that game by seven wickets and the went on to win the series 1-0.



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