New Replacements in KKR and SRH

image: RCB

In KKR, Gurkeerat Singh will be replacing Rinku Singh for the forthcoming 14th edition of IPL, which will begin on the 9th of April.

Rinku Singh, the 23-year-old Uttarpradesh batsmen, will be unavailable for the entire season due to his knee injury. Kolkata Knight Riders issued the statement on Saturday. He made his debut in IPL in 2017 and played a total of 11 IPL games.

Gurkeerat Singh, the 30-year-old Punjab all-rounder, played 41 IPL matches since his debut in 2012. In his IPL career, he played for King XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

KKR acquired Gurkeerat Singh for 50 Lakhs, his base price. He played at least two matches a season, except in 2018. In which, he scored 511 runs including two half-centuries and he also picked two wickets in 2016.

image: SRH Twitter

Jason Roy, a 30-year-old, English batsmen signed up for Sunrisers Hyderabad replacing Mitchel Marsh. Marsh opted out of IPL due to personal reasons.

Jason Roy made his debut in 2017 with Gujarat Lions in IPL and later joined the Delhi Daredevils in the 2018 edition. During the Auction, no team bid for him. During the England tour of India, he played beautiful innings and made the limelight again fall back on him.

In IPL, Roy has played a total of eight matches and scored 179 runs. He signed Sunrisers Hyderabad for his base price of two crores.

Axar Patel tests positive for coronavirus

image: ESPNcricinfo

Axar Patel, a 27-year-old Delhi capitals all-rounder in the upcoming 14th edition of the Indian Premier League tests positive for the coronavirus today.

On his arrival, the player submitted a negative test report before joining the team in Mumbai for practice sessions. But on the second test after arrival, he tested positive for the virus. The player is in a secure bio-bubble during his sessions over time.

The player is currently in isolation according to the BCCI procedure and the players who are in contact with him will be tested again for the virus. 

The team has already missed their captain due to a shoulder injury in an ODI match against England and they also miss their star all-rounder who performed well in the previous season.

Currently, the team is practising in Barbourne Stadium, Mumbai. The stadium officials have barred access to outsiders in the areas where the team is accessing.

Axar Patel is the second player after Kolkata Knight Riders player Nitish Rana contracted the virus in Mumbai. Rana went into twelve days of extended quarantine and joined the team later after testing negitive.

The Delhi Capitals team is going to miss two important players ahead of the IPL. These players helped the team to win crucial matches in the last two year and took the teams to qualifiers and finals. The team might struggle to fill the gap with other players.

Here is the official announcement from Delhi Capitals

🚨 UPDATE 🚨

Delhi Capitals all-rounder #AxarPatel has tested positive for COVID-19. He had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on Mar 28, 2021, with a negative report. His report from the second COVID test, came positive. pic.twitter.com/CjRKlfzvWR

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 3, 2021

RGIC Stadium as backup option for BCCI

image: NDTV

As the coronavirus cases are soring in Maharashtra, BCCI has already kept the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (RGIC) at Hyderabad as the backup option in case if necessary, reported CricTracker.

If you carefully observe the IPL schedule, the teams only need to travel thrice during the tournament. The schedule is designed in such a way that teams require to move less compared to normal IPL.

As of now, no team has received a message from BCCI to move from Mumbai to Hyderabad, reported by ESPNCricinfo.

The coronavirus cases are rising daily in Maharashtra, during the press meet, Chief Minister said, complete lockdown of the state is inevitable if, the COVID-19 cases are increasing at an alarming rate with no alternate solution in sight.

BCCI is confident that players will be fine under the protocols and bio-bubbles. Even though the matches will be played behind closed doors, the state government might object to the match being played if, the state is in lockdown.

If any of the state government is forced to cancel the matches at any of the venues in the schedule, the matches are immediately shifted to Hyderabad.

Eight groundsmen at Wankhede Stadium test positive

image: BCCI

Sports Star reported that eight groundsmen at the Mumbai Wankhede Stadium tested positive for the coronavirus just a week ahead of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.

Out of 19 members who are tested, eight of them were tested positive. Three of them were confirmed on March 26th and the remaining five members tested positive on the 1st of April.

Recently, the Maharastra government announced that the Lockdown is imminent if the coronavirus cases are continued to surging in the state.

In this situation, the BCCI has to take stricter action towards the virus protocols of the players. Even though the spectators are not allowed to watch the game, the threat of virus contracting to the players is high.

In my view, the matches will be played as planned with a lot of caution towards the virus. If the Maharastra government forced BCCI, the matches will be played elsewhere with the same schedule.

Watch RCB Head Coach Simon say about his role in auction

During the IPL auction time, the Australian government and Indian government requires a two-week mandatory quarantine on each side. So the RCB management and the team head coach Simon worked online during the auction times.

 He shares, how his family appreciated the efforts of the team management by allowing him to take part in crucial team meeting through zoom calls from Australia even in awkward timings.

And he explained how the team got ready for the auction by placing the scouting team to search the players for the Auction.

You can watch the video here.

AB de Villiers joins the RCB team in Chennai

 AB de Villers joins the team just before a week for practice sessions in Chennai. The team is scheduled for their first match on the 9th of April 2021 against the Mumbai Indians.

Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for the semi-finals despite losing to Sunriser Hyderabad, an important match on the league stage and lost again to the same team in the eliminators.

This year the is expected to do well unlike the previous year. 

Mr. 360 has posted on his Instagram saying that he is joining the team.

Loving the form @imVkohli .. I’m all packed to join the team pic.twitter.com/6rBIV3T3EH

— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) March 29, 2021

The Royal Challengers Bangalore team released a video of the skipper joining them in Chennai.

Josh Hazelwood to stay out of 14th edition of IPL

image: CSK twitter

Australian cricketer, Josh Hazelwood has dropped out of the 14 edition of IPL. The player supposed to play for Chennai Super Kings for this season has taken this decision, as he is in either bio bubble or quarantine for the last 10 months playing cricket for CSL or for his country.

He said I want to get ready physically and mentally at home for the next year to cricket.com.au. As there is a T- Twenty world cup and Ashes tournament ahead for the player for 12 months after completing the IPL.

Hazlewood didn't play many matches for the Super Kings last year. He just played in only three matches as they lined up their bowling with domestic options alongside all-rounders Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo for the most part.

He joined the list of players who are missing the tournament.

 Chennai Super Kings official Twitter page tweeted that he would be missed this year.

Will be missing some Josh this #Summerof2021! Hoping for some aussome action soon in #Yellove! #WhistlePodu 💛 🦁 pic.twitter.com/cTRGbFvHP7

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 1, 2021