BY SACNILK

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Saturday (February 20), announced the team India squad for the 5-match T-20 International series against England. Suryakumar Yadav, who was knocking on the door for a long time, earned his maiden call-up with the backing of his solid record and recent form in IPL. ## Ishan Kishan also included in the T20 squad for the first, hours after blitzing away to a spectacular 173 off just 94 balls in Jharkhand's Vijay Hazare fixture against Madhya Pradesh. Rahul Tewatia also called up after his successful run in the IPL 2020. ## Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the limited-overs series while Ravindra Jadeja, who is still recovering from his injury, has also been left out of the squad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar makes a T20I comeback. Varun Chakravarthy, who was set to make his T20I debut against Australia before injury ruled him out, also included for the T20I series against England. ## Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (VC), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur.## The first of the 5-match series will be played on March 12. All five matches are scheduled to be played at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Team India and England players have reached Ahmedabad where the third of 4 match Test series will be played. Both the teams have begun training at the refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera which is the largest cricket stadium in the world with a seating capacity of 1,10,000 people at a time. ## The stadium was closed in 2015 for reconstruction and next week's Test between India and England, the third of the ongoing series, will be the first international to be played at the ground since November, 2014. While both the teams are gearing up to the challenge, some of the players of both teams are impressed to see the new Motera stadium and tweeting pictures and videos of the ground. ## England's pacer Stuart Broad was one of the first to acknowledge the beauty of Motera stadium and posted a video of the ground heading for his training session. "1st look at Cricket’s Cricket bat and ball largest stadium 🏟 110,000 capacity pretty impressive", the video captioned. ## 1st look at Cricket’s 🏏 largest stadium 🏟 110,000 capacity pretty impressive 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/TvkPmti8y5— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) February 19, 2021 ## England all-rounder Ben Stokes quote-tweeted a video by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which showed England pacers doing sprints. "Some stadium this is… and a bit of local music to help get through to the end", wrote Stokes on his Twitter account as the PA system played Vande Mataram.## Some stadium this is......and a bit of local music to help get through to the end 🎵 🎵 🎵 https://t.co/FTrS8sTWHJ— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) February 19, 2021 ## Indian players too weren't behind to admire the stadium and gym facility established at the Motera stadium. Wicketkeeper-batsman tweeted a picture of his with skipper Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, and local lad Axar Patel in the gym, "Great to have our first gym training session with the team at the new Motera stadium".## "Fantastic to be at the new facility in Motera, great to see such world-class facilities for cricket in Ahmedabad. Looking forward to taking the field here on 24th", added Pant.## Great to have our first gym training session with the team at the new Motera stadium @BCCI #Motera #RP17 #17 pic.twitter.com/3c4cEkrVxn— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) February 19, 2021 ## Kuldeep Yadav also catches the beauty of the stadium and Tweeted a picture of him with Rohit Sharma, batting coach Vikram Rathor, K Gowtham along with the stadium. "What a brilliant stadium @GCAMotera Great work done by everyone associated with building this facility. It will be an amazing experience to play here. @JayShah @mpparimal @GCAMotera". ## What a brilliant stadium @GCAMotera Great work done by everyone associated with building this facility. It will be an amazing experience to play here. 🏟️👌🏻 @JayShah @mpparimal @GCAMotera pic.twitter.com/RAk2D75KrR— Kuldeep yadav (@imkuldeep18) February 20, 2021 ## Talking about the 3rd Test, it will be a day-night Test with both team level at 1-1 after the first two matches. It will be a must-win game for England to keep their hopes alive to qualify for the final of the ICC World Test Championship. India, on the other hand, has to make sure that England doesn't win either of the next two tests and they win at least one match to qualify for the final, to be played against New Zealand. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The mini players' auction for the Indian Premier League 2021 took place in Chennai on February 18. A total of 57 players were sold to all eight franchises of which 22 are overseas players and 35 Indian players. ## South African all-rounder, Chris Morris grabbed the gold and becomes the most expensive buy in the history of IPL auction. He has been picked by Rajasthan Royals in INR 16.25 Crores. New Zealand's new sensation Kyle Jamieson also went big and picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore in INR 15 Crores. RCB also bought Australian all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell in INR 14.25 Crores.## How's that for numbers 💥💥Here are the 🔝5️⃣ buys in the @Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/SPagm8laZo— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## Among the Indian players, Krishnappa Gowtham got the highest price as Chennai Super Kings snatched him in INR 9.25 Crores. He also becomes the most expensive uncapped player in the IPL history. Punjab Kings picked the most number of players with 9 players. ## Here is the list of today's buys and complete team squads - ## 1. ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (RCB) ## Squad: Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (wk), Josh Philippe (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini## Today's buys: Glenn Maxwell (INR 14.25 Cr), Kyle Jamieson (INR 15 Cr), Sachin Baby (INR 20 L), Rajat Patidar (INR 20 L), Mohammed Azharuddeen (INR 20 L), Suyash Prabhudessai (INR 20 L), K.S. Bharat (INR 20 L), Daniel Christian (INR 4.80 cr)## Slots to fill: 3 [Overseas - 0]## Purse Remaining: INR 35 L## Base Price - INR 75 LacSold for - INR 15 CrKiwi 🇳🇿 pacer Kyle Jamieson heads to @RCBTweets 😎🤙🏻@Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/eReICVL0Bu— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 2. CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (CSK) ## Squad: MS Dhoni (c&wk), Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, N. Jagadeesan (wk), Robin Uthappa, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, R. Sai Kishore, Mitchell Santner, KM Asif, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Josh Hazlewood## Today's buys: Moeen Ali (INR 7 Cr), K Gowtham (INR 9.25 Cr), Cheteshwar Pujara (INR 50 L), M Harisankar Reddy (INR 20 L), K. Bhagath Varma (INR 20 L), C Hari Nishanth (INR 20 L)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 2.55 cr## After a three-team bidding war, K Gowtham joined @ChennaiIPL for INR 9.25 Cr. ⚡️⚡️@Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/DO5IMJOOV3— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 3. RAJASTHAN ROYALS (RR) ## Squad: Sanju Samson (c&wk), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Kartik Tyagi## Today's buys: Chris Morris (INR 16.25 cr), Shivam Dube (INR 4.40 Cr), Mustafizur Rahman (INR 1 cr), Chetan Sakariya (INR 1.20 Cr), Liam Livingstone (INR 75 L), KC Cariappa (INR 20 L), Kuldip Yadav (INR 20 L), Akash Singh (INR 20 L)## Slots to fill: 1 [Overseas - 0]## Purse Remaining: INR 13.65 cr## Base price - INR 75 LacSold for - INR 16.25 Cr@rajasthanroyals win the bidding war to bring @Tipo_Morris on board. 🔥🔥@Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/m5AMqKE1Dy— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 4. PUNJAB KINGS (PBKS) ## Squad: KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan## Today's buys: Dawid Malan (INR 1.5 cr), Jhye Richardson (INR 14 cr), Shahrukh Khan (INR 5.25 cr), Riley Meredith (INR 8 cr), Moises Henriques (INR 4.20 Cr), Jalaj Saxena (INR 30 L), Utkarsh Singh (INR 20 L), Saurabh Kumar (INR 20 L), Fabian Allen (INR 75 L)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 18.80 cr## Riley Meredith makes merry at the #IPLAuction & moves to @PunjabKingsIPL for INR 8 Cr. 👏👏@Vivo_India pic.twitter.com/MZYW9Mczlv— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 5. MUMBAI INDIANS (MI) Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare (wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan## Today's buys: Adam Milne (INR 3.20 Cr), Nathan Coulter-Nile (INR 5 cr), Piyush Chawla (INR 2.40 Cr), James Neesham (INR 50 L), Yudhvir Charak (INR 20 L), Marco Jansen (INR 20 L), Arjun Tendulkar (INR 20 L)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 3.65 cr## Coming your way at 150 kmph 🔥💙#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPLAuction @AdamMilne19 pic.twitter.com/cD7tfm4fZG— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) February 18, 2021 ## 6. SUNRISERS HYDERABAD (SRH)## Squad: David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Sreevats Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Virat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed## Today's buys: Kedar Jadhav (INR 2 Cr), Jagadeesha Suchith (INR 30 L), Mujeeb-ur-Rahman (INR 1.50 Cr)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 6.95 cr## .@JadhavKedar joins @SunRisers for INR 2 Cr. @Vivo_India #IPLAuction— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 7. KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (KKR)## Squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Tim Seifert (wk), Varun CV, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Sandeep Warrier## Today's buys: Shakib Al Hasan (INR 3.20 Cr), Sheldon Jackson (INR 20 L), Harbhajan Singh (INR 2 Cr), Vaibhav Arora (INR 20 L), Karun Nair (INR 50 L), Ben Cutting (INR 75 L), Venkatesh Iyer (INR 20 L), Pawan Negi (INR 50 L)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 3.20 cr## .@KKRiders bring @Sah75official on board for INR 3.2 Cr. @Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/VvolLQsVv2— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 8. DELHI CAPITALS (DCS) ## Squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Prithvi Shaw, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Pravin Dubey## Today's buys: Steve Smith (INR 2.20 Cr), Umesh Yadav (INR 1 cr), Ripal Patel (INR 20 L), Vishnu Vinod (INR 20 L), Lukman Meriwala (INR 20 L), M Siddharth (INR 20 L), Tom Curran (INR 5.25 Cr), Sam Billings (INR 2 Cr)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 2.15 cr## .@stevesmith49 moves to @DelhiCapitals for INR 2.20 Cr. @Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/gDoNb1frkV— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The wicketkeeper-batsman of team India, Rishabh Pant has been voted the inaugural winner of the ICC Men's Player of The Month award. He finished ahead of England's skipper Joe Root and Ireland's Paul Stirling in the voting. ## The fearless left-hander played two match-defining innings against Australia, scoring 97 in Sydney to ensure a draw before his unbeaten 89* in Brisbane led India to a famous series win down under. ## "Pant's heroics in the final two tests against Australia will be folklore stuff, particularly given the circumstances: the strength of opposition and the extraordinary level of expectations from his fans", said journalist and ICC Voting Academy member Mona Parthsarathi. "With these knocks Pant has given a life lesson too – that success comes to those who WILL and DARE". ## A month to remember Down Under for @RishabhPant17 and India 🌏Congratulations to the inaugural winner of the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award 👏📝 https://t.co/aMWlU9Xq6H pic.twitter.com/g7SQbvukh6— ICC (@ICC) February 8, 2021 ## The 23-year-old wasn't selected in the India side for the first Test in Australia, but the impact of his January performances impressed, not just for their quality but for their contrasting styles.## "Rishabh played contrasting knocks in tall chases in Sydney and Brisbane. His counter-punching 97 at the SCG raised visions of a successful chase of 407, while at the Gabba, he batted with great maturity and saw the team home against a top-class attack", VVS Laxman told the ICC. ## On the other hand, South African pacer, Shabnim Ismail has won the ICC Women's Player of the Month award, finishing ahead of Pakistan's Diana Baig, and team-mate, Marizanne Kapp. Ismail took seven wickets in the ODI series against Pakistan to play a big part in the Proteas' 3-0 series win.## First South African to take 100 T20I wickets ✅First ICC Women’s Player of the Month award winner ✅Well done on an amazing January, Shabnim Ismail! 🇿🇦📝 https://t.co/nypfCuQvHg pic.twitter.com/CClKhKrAGP— ICC (@ICC) February 8, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The second Test match between India and England is all set to be played in the presence of spectators at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. On Tuesday (February 2), the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association announced that it will allow 50% spectators for the 2nd Test to be held between 13th and 17th February 2021.## However, the stadium in Chepauk will be shut for the crowd for the first Test of the four-match series. "In view of the Government announcement that 50% occupancy would be allowed in stadia, #TNCA will allow 50% spectators for the second Test between India and England. The first Test will be played behind closed doors without spectators", a tweet from the official Twitter handle of TNCA stated. ## UPDATE: In view of the Government announcement that 50% occupancy would be allowed in stadia, #TNCA will allow 50% spectators for the second Test between India and England.The first Test will be played behind closed doors without spectators.More➡️ https://t.co/KjGnw8yRMz pic.twitter.com/xXmu56GJ8u— TNCA (@TNCACricket) February 2, 2021 ## The upcoming series against England will be India's first international assignment at home since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series will be important for both the teams that are eyeing the final of the ICC World Test Championship set to be played at Lord's in July. ## After Australia's tour of South Africa canceled, India would need to beat England by a margin of 4-0, 3-0, 3-1, 2-0, or 2-1 to book a place in the final of WTC, for which, New Zealand has automatically qualify after Australia and South Africa series canceled. For England to qualify, they would need to win at least three Tests out of the four in India.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Wednesday (January 27), announced the introduction of the ICC Player of the Month awards which will recognize and celebrate the best performances of both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year.## An independent ICC Voting Academy comprising former players, broadcasters, and journalists from around the world, will team up with fans to vote for the ICC Men's Player of the Month and ICC Women's Player of the Month.## Among the nominated players, 5 Indian players featured in the list who played a key role in India's back-to-back Test series win in Australia after the recently concluded 4-match Border-Gavaskar series. They are Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, T. Natarajan, Rishabh Pant, and Ravichandran Ashwin along with other nominees, such as Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Joe Root (England), Steve Smith (Australia), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Nadine de Klerk (South Africa), and Nida Dar (Pakistan).## "The ICC Player of the Month is a great way to connect with fans of the sport and celebrate performances of their favorite players through the year. It gives us all an opportunity to acknowledge world-class performances on the field by male and female cricketers and they have been in abundance throughout January", ICC General Manager – Cricket, Geoff Allardice said in a statement. ## The nomination and voting process:## The three nominees for each of the categories will be determined by the ICC Awards Nominations Committee based on on-field performances and overall achievements during the period of that month (the first to the last day of each calendar month.)## This shortlist is then voted for by the independent ICC Voting Academy and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprising prominent members of the cricket family including senior journalists, former players, and broadcasters.## The Voting Academy will submit their votes by email and will retain a 90% share of the vote. Subsequently, on the 1st day of each month, fans registered with the ICC will be able to submit votes via the ICC website and will have a 10% share of the vote. Winners will be announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels.## Last year, ICC celebrated the ICC Awards of The Decade which show Indian captain, Virat Kohli winning the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Decade. Virat also bagged the ICC men's ODI Player of the Decade award for his prolific record in the 50-over format. Read more here## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

While the world cricket fraternity showering praises to the young Indian team who registered a famous Test series win down under, businessman Anand Mahindra has announced to gift the Mahindra Thar SUV to six members of the winning Indian team. ## Youngsters like Shubman Gill, Mohammad Siraj, T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, and Navdeep Saini, proved their mettle on the tour of Australia and played a huge role in India's 2-1 Test victory. And now, they are getting much deserving praised and gifts from all over the world. ## Complementing their hard work, grit, and resolve, Mahindra made the announcement on Twitter. He announced that these SUVs will be given from his own account - at no expense to the company. He stated that the reason behind this gift is "to exhort young people to believe in themselves & 'Take the road less traveled'." ## "Six young men made their debuts in the recent historic series #INDvAUS (Shardul’s 1 earlier appearance was short-lived due to injury)They’ve made it possible for future generations of youth in India to dream & Explore the Impossible", Mahindra wrote on Twitter. ## "Theirs are true ‘Rise’ stories; overcoming daunting odds in the pursuit of excellence. They serve as an inspiration in all arenas of life. It gives me great personal pleasure to gift each of these debutants an All New THAR SUV on my own account—at no expense to the company", he added. ## "The reason for this gift is to exhort young people to believe in themselves & ‘Take the road less traveled.’ Bravo Mohammed, Shardul, Shubhman, Natarajan, Navdeep & Washington! I now plead with @Mahindra_Auto to get them their THARS on priority", he stated. ## The reason for this gift is to exhort young people to believe in themselves & ‘Take the road less traveled.’ Bravo Mohammed, Shardul, Shubhman,Natarajan,Navdeep & Washington! I now plead with @Mahindra_Auto to get them their THARS on priority. 😊 (3/3)— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 23, 2021 ## Notably, among these six players, Shubman Gill, Mohammad Siraj, T Natarajan, Washington Sundar, and Navdeep Saini had made their debuts in the 4-match series against Australia while Shardul Thakur had only one match experience before the series. ## Mohammed Siraj was the leading wicket-taker for India for 13 wickets in 3 matches. He ended up taking a five-wicket haul in the last match at Gabba, Brisbane. His contribution helped India become the first team in 32 years to beat Australia in a Test in Brisbane.## Shubman Gill, on the other hand, impressed everyone with his eye-catching batting against the Aussie's bowlers. He ended the series with 259 runs in 3 matches with 2 half-centuries including a sublime 91 in the second innings of the Brisbane Test. His innings actually paved the way for India to chased down 324 on the last day of the match. ## It was back to back Test series win for India down under and they are the only Asian team to win the Test series in Australia. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2021 auction, each of the 8 franchises has released some of their players as Wednesday (January 20) was the last day to submit the players' list to BCCI. Among the big overseas players released by the teams ahead of the auction set to take place in Februry, Steve Smith, Lasith Malinga, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Chris Morris are prominant names. ## Chennai Super Kings, which finished second last in the IPL 2020, have released Kedar Jadhav, Harbhajan Singh, and Murali Vijay while Suresh Raina who didn't play in the IPL 2020 due to personal reasons, has been retained by the team. ## Here is the complete list of released and retained players and the remaining purse - ## Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ## The three-times champions, CSK have released six players from their squad ahead of the auction, among them, Shane Watson, who retired from all forms of cricket after the last season of IPL, is the only foreigner to have not been retained by the MS Dhoni-led side## Released: Kedar Jadhav, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson, Monu Singh, Piyush Chawla, Murali Vijay## Remaining Squad: MS Dhoni (c), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Narayan Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, Josh Hazlewood, R Sai Kishore, Sam Curran## Purse Remaining: INR 22.9 cr## Slots Remaining: 7 (1 overseas)## Mumbai Indians (MI) ## The most successful team of the IPL history with 5 titles to their name, Mumbai Indians have shown faith in Indian players and released almost their entire foreign pace battery apart from Trent Boult ahead of the 2021 IPL auction. The franchise has retained only three other foreign players - Kieron Pollard, Quinton de Kock, and Chris Lynn ## Released: Mitchell McCleneghan, James Pattinson, Lasith Malinga, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sherfane Rutherford, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai Singh## Remaining Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Mohsin Khan, Saurabh Tiwary, Trent Boult## Purse Remaining: INR 15.35 cr## Slots Remaining: 7 (4 overseas)## Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ## Royal Challengers Bangalore who is searching for their maiden IPL title, have released 10 players - most by any team ahead of the auction. Surprisingly, the Virat Kohli-led side has released Umesh Yadav and Chris Morris from their squad and retained both Adam Zampa and the player he replaced last season, Kane Richardson. ## Released: Chris Morris, Aaron Finch, Moeen Ali, Isuru Udana, Dale Steyn, Shivam Dube, Umesh Yadav, Pawan Negi, Gurkeerat Mann, Parthiv Patel## Remaining Squad: Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Devdutt Padikkal, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Joshua Philippe, Pavan Deshpande, Shahbaz Ahamad, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson## Purse Remaining: INR 35.7 cr.## Slots Remaining: 13 (4 overseas)## Rajasthan Royals (RR) ## Rajasthan Royals, who finished last in the IPL 2020, will be led by a new captain, Sanju Samson after the franchise opted to release Steve Smith ahead of the IPL 2021 auction. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan great, Kumar Sangakkara will join the team as the Director of Cricket.## Released: Steve Smith, Ankit Rajpoot, Oshane Thomas, Akash Singh, Varun Aaron, Tom Curran, Anirudha Joshi, Shashank Singh## Remaining Squad: Sanju Samson (c), Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Kartik Tyagi, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anuj Rawat, David Miller, Manan Vohra, Robin Uthappa## Purse Remaining: INR 34.85 cr.## Slots Remaining: 8 (3 overseas)## Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) ## Kings XI Punjab have released two of their most expensive buys - Glenn Maxwell and Sheldon Cottrell ahead of the 2021 IPL auction which has allowed them to go big in the auction with INR 53.20 crores remaining in their purse. Among foreign players, they have also released James Neesham, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Hardus Viljoen, apart from four Indians. ## Released: Glenn Maxwell, Karun Nair, Hardus Viljoen, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Sheldon Cottrell, Jimmy Neesham, Krishnappa Gowtham, Tajinder Singh## Remaining Squad: KL Rahul (c), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel## Purse Remaining: INR 53.2 cr.## Slots Remaining: 9 (5 overseas)## Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ## Two-times champions, KKR will go into the auction with a 17-member squad after releasing only 5 players including Tom Banton and Chris Green as the two foreigners ahead of the auction. ## Released: M Siddharth, Nikhil Naik, Siddhesh Lad, Chris Green, Tom Banton## Remaining Squad: Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan (c), Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Ali Khan, Tim Seifert## Purse Remaining: INR 10.85 cr.## Slots Remaining: 7 (1 overseas)## Delhi Capitals (DCs) ## Delhi Capitals have released five players including three foreigners from their squad that reached the final last season. They have only one wicketkeeper - Rishabh Pant - retained in the side after having released Alex Carey. ## Released: Alex Carey, Keemo Paul, Sandeep Lamichhane, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Sharma, Jason Roy## Remaining Squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Prithvi Shaw, R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Daniels Sams, Anrich Nortje, Pravin Dubey, Chris Woakes## Purse Remaining: INR 12.8 cr.## Slots Remaining: 6 (2 overseas)## Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ## SRH, who finished 3rd in the last season, have released only five players including Billy Stanlake and Fabian Allen who didn't play a single game for the team in 2020. Yarra Prithviraj, who had come in as a replacement for Bhuvneshwar Kumar last season after the veteran pacer had suffered an injury early in the tournament, has also been released. ## Released: Sanjay Yadav, B Sandeep, Billy Stanlake, Fabian Allen, Yarra Prithviraj## Remaining Squad: David Warner (c), Abhishek Sharma, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shreevats Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Abdul Samad, Mitchell Marsh, Jason Holder, Priyam Garg, Virat Singh## Purse Remaining: INR 10.75 cr.## Slots Remaining: 3 (1 overseas)## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday (January 19) announced the India squad for the first two home Tests against England. Captain Virat Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, and fast bowler Ishant Sharma return to the 18-member India squad for the first two Tests which will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. ## Virat Kohli, who had flown back to Mumbai after the first Test against Australia to attend his first child's birth, will be returning to lead the side. Ishant Sharma, who has recovered from his side strain injury and is currently representing Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, will lead a four-pronged pace attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur.## All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who recently lost his father, has got some good news as he has been named to the squad. After playing the white-ball leg Down Under, the 27-year-old was left out from the Test squad to work on his fitness and bowling long spells. ## Some of the prominent names to have missed out in the first two tests due to injuries are Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari, Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammad Shami are yet to attain full fitness. The only player dropped on the basis of performance is the 21-year-old opener, Prithvi Shaw. The selectors have also opted to leave out T Natarajan, who made an impressive debut in the just-concluded Brisbane Test having stayed on as a net bowler.## Squad - Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya (VC), KL Rahul, Hardik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur## The All-India Senior Selection Committee has also picked five net bowlers and five players as standbys. Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Saurabh Kumar are the net bowlers while KS Bharat, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Rahul Chahar, and Priyank Panchal has been named as standbys. ## The first of the 4-match Test series will be played from 5 to 9 February while the second test is scheduled from 13 to 17 February. The third and fourth Test will be played at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad. The third Test will be a day-night test scheduled from 24 to 28 February with the last Test from 4 to 8 March.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Not many have given India, not even an edge to win a Test match at Brisbane which has been (not anymore) Australia's fortress for 32 years. Cricket experts were not wrong (before Gabba breached) by predicting the result though as it was an inexperienced Indian team that was left to fight with injuries, abuses, and without their best batsman and bowlers. On the other hand, Australia played their full-strength squad. ## And now, after grueling 5 days of TEST cricket, the YOUNG INDIA led by Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammed Siraj have not only breached Australia's fortress but also give India memorable back to back series win down under. Surely, it was a sight to behold when Rishabh Pant sealed the greatest overseas win for India with a boundary off Josh Hazlewood. ## We are all overjoyed at the success of the Indian Cricket Team in Australia. Their remarkable energy and passion was visible throughout. So was their stellar intent, remarkable grit and determination. Congratulations to the team! Best wishes for your future endeavours.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2021 ## EVERY SESSION WE DISCOVERED A NEW HERO.Every time we got hit, we stayed put & stood taller. We pushed boundaries of belief to play fearless but not careless cricket. Injuries & uncertainties were countered with poise & confidence. One of the greatest series wins!Congrats India. pic.twitter.com/ZtCChUURLV— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 19, 2021 ## Just a remarkable win...To go to Australia and win a test series in this way ..will be remembered in the history of indian cricket forever ..Bcci announces a 5 cr bonus for the team ..The value of this win is beyond any number ..well done to every member of the touring party..— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) January 19, 2021 ## WHAT A WIN!!! Yessssss. To everyone who doubted us after Adelaide, stand up and take notice. Exemplary performance but the grit and determination was the standout for us the whole way. Well done to all the boys and the management. Enjoy this historic feat lads. Cheers 👏🏼🇮🇳 @BCCI pic.twitter.com/CgWElgOOO1— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 19, 2021 ## You don't just play & love test cricket for nothing. Brilliant game. Congratulations India on the win, & Australia for a great series! #Testcricket #AUSvIND— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) January 19, 2021 ## Incredible Test & series win for India have not seen a bold, brave & boisterous Asian team on a tougher tour of Australia. No adversity could stop them, frontline players injured, & won after a remarkable turn around from the depths of 36 all out, inspiring for others.kudos India— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) January 19, 2021 ## What a Test match! The depth of Indian Cricket is scary. @RishabhPant17 , sweet number 17. Well played young man. #testcricket at its very best— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) January 19, 2021 ## This is why test cricket is the best challenge for a cricketer.. well done @BCCI .. what a game. Brilliant series to watch. Cricket was a winner today 👍— Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay) January 19, 2021 ## India had many players injured, but what has been injured more has been the Australian arrogance & pride.The test series has been like a movie with every member of Indian Team being a hero & some of them Superheroes.Spiderman Spiderman tune churaya dil ka chain @RishabhPant17 pic.twitter.com/5psVFjp5Ww— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 19, 2021 ## Unbelievable test series win by @BCCI ! Every test match was exciting to watch! #IndiavsAustralia— Harry Kane (@HKane) January 19, 2021 ## Congrats to the Indian cricket team @BCCI That’s one of the best series wins I can ever remember on Aust soil & to do it after being bowled out for 36, plus a depleted squad-shows tremendous character, resilience, courage & belief. Just fantastic @RaviShastriOfc @ajinkyarahane88— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) January 19, 2021 ## Remarkable. Injuries galore, absent players, & beating Australia at their fortress at the Gabba. This has been the most remarkable test series victory I’ve watched in my experience. India’s depth of talent, heart and character must forever lift an entire nation. Congratulations.— Ian bishop (@irbishi) January 19, 2021 ## Class of 2016 Under 19. Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar. Class of 2018 Under 19. Shubman Gill.— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 19, 2021 ## No longer the Gabbatoir. This is history.— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 19, 2021 ## https://t.co/14uoKzPQdj.innings! Rishabh pant and India have conquered the fortress,been a brilliant series but got to say post that 36 all out debacle,not having Kohli & battling with all the injuries including Bumrah,Ashwin etc,India have achieved the unthinkable. #AUSvsIND— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) January 19, 2021 ## Fortress breached.!!! What a win down under.. Tiranga ucha rahe humara..!!!well done boys for the grit, determination, attitude..heads held high.. @BCCI #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/6mS2DfxsQh— Harleen Kaur Deol (@imharleenDeol) January 19, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

From losing his father days after reaching Australia with the national team to becoming a household name, Mohammed Siraj has been nothing short of a revelation in the Test series between India and Australia. In the absence of the main bowlers, Siraj took the responsibility on his shoulder and not only registered his maiden fifer in just his 3rd test but also put India in a position where they can win the match and series. ## The 26-year old was given a standing ovation while returning back to the pavilion after cleaning Australia's tail in the second innings at Brisbane, Gabba. Millions around the world are doffing their hats at Siraj. The youngster was racially abused at two venues but that did not deter his motivation.## A standing ovation as Mohammed Siraj picks up his maiden 5-wicket haul.#AUSvIND #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/e0IaVJ3uA8— BCCI (@BCCI) January 18, 2021 ## Former India opener, Virendra Sehwag lauds Siraj's performance on this tour and said that he as a player has really grown up on this tour. "The boy has become a man on this tour. Siraj, Leader of the attack in his first Test series and he has led from the front. The way newcomers have performed for India on this tour will be etched in memories for a long long time. Will be fitting if they retain the trophy", Sehwag tweeted. ## The boy has become a man on this tour. Siraj, Leader of the attack in his first Test series and he has led from.the front. The way newcomers have performed for India on this tour will be etched in memories for a long long time. Will be fitting if they retain the trophy. pic.twitter.com/8bRvMI1iwR— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 18, 2021 ## Not only Sehwag, but players around the world heaped praise on India's new bowling star - ## Wonderful moment for Mohammed Siraj. Deserving in so many ways but even more so because of what he’s been through the last few months. His father would be so proud. And that big beaming smile from Thakur. You’d get emotional no matter who you were supporting! #AUSvsIND— Isa Guha (@isaguha) January 18, 2021 ## It’s no consolation, or small consolation. But given Mohammed Siraj lost his dad while in Australia and choose to stay on tour, you have to feel very pleased for him that he has ended the series with his first 5 wicket haul in test cricket.— Ian bishop (@irbishi) January 18, 2021 ## Mohammed Siraj has been so impressive on this Australian tour . Bowled with a Lot of heart . Congratulations on your First Test 5 wicket haul 🖐 My best wishes for a fantastic future ahead !— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) January 18, 2021 ## Lost his father. But chose to stay in Australia. Got racially abused....but didn’t let that affect him.Became the leader of the attack in only his third Test. And he’s taken a five-for. Love and respect for you Siraj. 👏👏 #AusvInd— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 18, 2021 ## Since 2010, India A have played 52 first-class matches, THE MOST by any team. Siraj has played 16 A team matches, Saini 14, Vihari 12, Agarwal 10, Gill 8, Shaw 5 and Pant 4. That’s why they are able to compete in the absence of some senior cricketers. #AusvInd— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) January 18, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and his actress wife Anushka Sharma have been blessed with a baby girl on Monday (January 11). Virat Kohli took to social media and announced the birth of their first child. ## "We are thrilled to share with you that we have been blessed with a baby girl this afternoon. We thank you for all your love, prayers, and good wishes. Anushka and the baby are both healthy and we are feeling beyond blessed to start the new chapter of our lives," Virat Kohli said in a social media post. ## ♥️ pic.twitter.com/js3SkZJTsH— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 11, 2021 ## The baby was born at a private hospital in Mumbai. Kohli and Anushka, who got married in December 2018, had announced their pregnancy together on social media on August 27. ## Kohli had come back from Australia after playing the first Test in Adelaide last month to be with his Bollywood actress wife and has been by Anushka's side through the final days of her pregnancy. Virushka had been regularly posting pictures of Anushka's progress on social media before she went into labor.## Stay tuned...