THE HIMALAYAN MAIL JAMMU Q THURSDAY Q APRIL 29, 2021 11

Travelling back home is a small issue compared KKR's floundering batting faces to situation outside IPL bubble: Ponting NEW DELHI, APRIL On the one-run defeat to strong Delhi Capitals test 28: Australian players RCB, Ponting said, "Our NEW DELHI, APRIL Ahmedabad, on Tuesday. might be a bit apprehensive last game went to a Super 28: Kolkata Knight Riders' Chasing 172 for a win, the following the suspension of Over and against RCB, we floundering batting will be Capitals were struggling at flights from India but Delhi lost by one run. That can put to test once again as Capitals' head coach Ricky only hold you in good stead 92 for 4 but Hetmyer they look to build a winning Ponting said it's a 'small is- when the bigger comes at upped the ante in company momentum against a star- sue' when compared to the the backend. We have got of his captain and another studded Delhi Capitals in chaos triggered by the sec- three games in four days, left-hander Pant as the duo their Indian Premier ond wave of COVID-19 in- we have to take our learn- smashed explosive half- League match, in Ahmed- fections in India. ings." centuries but only to go abad, on Thursday. Australia, on Tuesday, "The team is disap- down in a last-ball thriller. KKR's batting woes em- suspended all direct pas- pointed but also proud how Russell too looked in his anate right from the top senger flights from India boys fought. We will not elements when he smashed until May 15 due to the 'very overanalyse." with the highly talented Chennai Super Kings significant' spike in COVID- DC will next take on Shubman Gill continuing bowlers all around the park 19 cases in India. Kolkata Knight Riders his poor run -- 89 runs from in his 22-ball 54 but only in Australian Prime Minis- (KKR), in Ahmedabad, on six outings. a losing cause. It remains While their bowling, es- ter Scott Morrison also Thursday. to be seen who among the pecially the 'master-ap- leading run getter Shikhar ine to open with Rahul Tri- made it clear that cricketers number of people in India In the wake of the un- New Zealand pacer Kyle Caribbean duo wins the prentice' spin duo of Sunil Dhawan (265 runs), Prithvi pathi, something that was competing in the IPL will who got enjoyment by precedent health crisis, In- Jamieson, who was bought battle on Thursday. Narine and Varun Shaw, and the suggested by the legendary have to make their 'own watching IPL ." dia and DC spinner by RCB for 15 crore, said he After Ravichandran Ash- Three Australian players Ravichandran Ashwin de- Chakravarthy, have done an dangerous Rishabh Pant, Sunil Gavaskar. arrangements' to return didn't handle the pressure win's pulling out, the Capi- have exited the tournament cided to take a break from excellent job in restricting KKR can't afford any more The top-order reshuffle home. that comes with a high price tals' bowling got a boost amid the escalating health the tournament to be with the oppositions, KKR's top- slip-up if they want to con- may be the way forward as "There have been revela- tag too well initially. from Ishant Sharma who crisis, while Mumbai Indi- his family. order batting has hurt them tinue their ascent in the IPL the likes of Morgan, Andre tions that our government "I kind of ignored it a little cleaned up the in-form De- has made as far as Aus- ans batsman Chris Lynn re- "It is a really strange feel- bit in my mind and thought the most. points table. Russell and Dinesh Karthik quested Cricket Australia to ing amongst our team right Chasing an easy 124 First-up, Morgan will looked to have found their vdutt Padikkal with a tralians in India returning it would be fine, and I tried peach of a delivery en route to Australia. No doubt there arrange for a chartered now. We are very aware of to focus on things I could against Punjab Kings in have to fix the Gill conun- mojo in the middle. to a tidy 1/26. have been few distractions, flight to take them home af- what's happening outside control...in the first couple their last match, KKR's top- drum. With scores of 15, 33, Thursday's clash will see KKR batting will be put but the travel side for us and ter the event is over. and in India at the moment. of weeks going through the order cut a sorry figure to be 21, 0, 11 and 9, the opener a mini battle between the to test against the likes of Australians who are here is The BCCI has already as- Obviously, our hearts go out Australia series we were at 17 for 3 inside three overs has failed to impress, ex- Caribbean duo of Russell only a small issue," Ponting sured that it will make to every single person that's playing, I didn't handle the before skipper Eoin Mor- tending his poor run of and Shimron Hetmyer who Ishant, Kagiso Rabada and said in a virtual press con- arrangements for the return struggling with COVID-19 magnitude of the situation gan led from the front to form from the England will be anxious to do well young gun Avesh Khan, ference after his side lost to of the foreign players once in the Indian society," as best I could," he said. snap their four-match los- Test series. after the Capitals suffered while the spin duo of Amit Royal Challengers Banga- the tournament ends. Ponting said. "It (the price tag) cer- ing streak. It would not be a bad an agonising one-run de- Mishra and Axar Patel will lore by one run. A second wave of COVID- "We have had our one tainly isn't on my mind any- Against a DC batting line- ploy to drop Gill down the feat against Royal Chal- also look to make an im- "On daily basis, we are 19 pandemic has swept In- player leave as well, more. Yeah the first month, up boasting tournament's order and bring back Nar- lengers Bangalore, in pact. thinking about what's hap- dia and the country is Ravichandran Ashwin left probably six weeks after the pening outside and we un- recording over 3 lakh daily to be with his family so that auction were tough and I derstand how blessed we cases for the past few days, is affecting, we are talking guess I have learnt from are to be doing what we are leaving the health infra- about it more than most that which will hold me in Mumbai look to overcome doing. Hopefully, there are a structure in shambles. teams are." good stead." middle-order woes against RR Indian sprinters on verge of NEW DELHI,APRIL (187) despite being incon- 28: Defending champions sistent. Mumbai Indians will look And the likes Shivam missing Olympic qualifier to sort out their middle-or- Dube, David Miller and NEW DELHI,APRIL India will also field der woes and bring their , would have to 28: Star sprinters Hima teams in the men's campaign back on track support the top-order by Das and Dutee Chand 4x400m in the event to be when they take on an incon- chipping in with much- might miss the Olympic held in Chorzow, Silesia, in sistent in needed contributions. qualifying World Athletics Poland. an IPL game, in New Delhi, All-rounder Chris Mor- Relays in Poland on May 1 The top eight teams from on Thursday. ris (9 wickets and 48 runs) and 2 as the Indian team's the World Athletics Relays MI are coming into the has blown hot and cold and connecting flight to Ams- will automatically qualify match after suffering back- will again be under pres- terdam has been suspended for the Tokyo Olympics. to-back losses, the last one sure to deliver his high following the record-shat- The women's 4x400m being a nine-wicket defeat price tag.Left-arm pacer against Punjab Kings in Chetan Sakariya (7 wick- tering spike in the country's relay team has pulled out of (65 runs), hasn't fired in even as Hardik plays solely COVID-19 case load. the event as more than two Chennai and need to start ets) has been a revelation, the Delhi leg afresh. unison so far. as a batsman. while the experienced duo The women's 4x100m members are unfit. The middle-order can Mumbai, however, and the men's 4x400m re- The Indian mixed The -led of (4 wick- Rajasthan have lost thrice pummel any good attack might play Adam Milne in ets) and Mustafizur Rah- lay teams were to board a 4x400m relay team has al- into submission on any place of Jayant Yadav. KLM flight to Amsterdam ready qualified for the in the tournament so far man (4 wickets) have been that our team may not be like Frankfurt from where and will seek to build on the given day and Sharma Rajasthan, on the other decent. The three left-arm in the wee hours on Thurs- able to take part in the they can proceed to Tokyo Olympics after would hope for their batting hand, have a lot of issues to day but the Dutch govern- reaching the final during six-wicket win over Kolkata pacers along with Morris, World Relays. Many Euro- Poland. We are also trying Knight Riders in the previ- to click on Thursday when ponder over, particularly however, need to be con- ment has suspended flights pean countries have sus- for any connecting flight to the 2019 World Champi- the action shifts to the Feroz in the absence of key for- from India effective Mon- onships in Doha. ous match. sistent. pended flights from India. Dubai or any other West Mumbai skipper Rohit Shah Kotla ground in New eign players – Jofra Leg-spinner Rahul day evening. So, we may be stuck and Asian city." The AFI was hopeful of Delhi. Archer, , Liam The Athletics Federation the women's 4x100m relay Sharma (201 runs) has got Tewatia has got just one there is a high possibility S Dhanalakshmi, who starts but hasn't played a In the bowling depart- Livingstone and Andrew wicket from five games, of India is trying to book an that the team may not go had beaten Dutee in the fi- team qualifying for the up- ment, pace duo of Trent Tye. alternate flight available to coming Olympics in Tokyo. big knock and the Mum- while , an- for the event," a top AFI of- nal of women's 100m baikar would be itching to Boult (6 wickets) and RR are yet to have a set- other leggie, has gone any European city en route ficial said. sprint in the Federation The World Relays will be Jasprit Bumrah (4 wickets) tled opening combination. to Silesia in Poland where the first major interna- get one as would be his wicket-less in the two "But still we are trying, Cup last month, was also opening partner Quinton have been exceptional, par- They tried games he has played. the event will be held. There talking to the government named in the team, along tional event for Indian ticularly at the death. (42 runs) and Yashasvi is no direct flight to Poland sprinters since the Asian De Kock (47 runs). Tewatia's role would be and to our embassies if with Archana Suseendran, But Mumbai's middle-or- Leg-spinner Rahul Cha- Jaiswal (22 runs) at the top crucial if the Royals aim to from India. they can help our athletes Himashree Roy and AT Athletics Championships in har (9 wickets) and Krunal but both failed to convert "There is a serious doubt Doha in April 2019. der, which boasts of hard- contain the MI batting line- to fly in any European city Daneshwari. hitting batsmen like (3 wickets) have also been their starts. up, keeping in mind Amit Suryakumar Yadav (154 impressive and will again Englishman Mishra's performance for runs), Ishan Kishan (73 need to play their parts to would need to score big to Delhi. Will Aussie IPL stars get flights home? runs), Hardik Pandya (36 perfection. compliment his skipper The dew won't be a factor runs), Krunal Pandya (29 Pollard is used as the Sanju Samson, who is the on Thursday as it is an after- NEW DELHI, APRIL mier League franchises Board's COO Hemang nouncement, the fear of be- fifth or the sixth bowler team's leading run-scorer 28: A chartered flight to who are effectively con- Amin said on Tuesday in a ing locked out drove the runs) and Kieron Pollard noon game. bring back Australian tracting the players. letter addressed to the likes of to take cricketers after the IPL in There's certainly a conver- players. an early flight back to Aus- India is under considera- sation to be had about Any such chartered flight tralia along with Kane IPL 2021: Jadeja is Most Valuable Player tion, the country's players that," he added. would require the approval Richardson and Adam NEW DELHI, APRIL at the top of the MVPI table; union said on Wednesday "They're not simple of the Australian govern- Zampa. 28: Ravindra Jadeja's ex- all-rounders, who can con- even as sports minister things to organise, as you'd ment and Colbeck said no Mumbai Indians' Aus- plosive all-round perfor- tribute with both bat and Richard Colbeck made it imagine. If we can try to decision has been taken on tralian batsman Chris Lynn mance for CSK against RCB ball, can be seen in a cluster clear that such a move has find a seamless approach to this matter as yet. had also said that he hoped has catapulted him to the at the top of the table. not yet been cleared by the get them home safely that's "There aren't any deci- Cricket Australia to top of the MVPI table in the Highly paid IPL players government Down Under. something between us and sions that have been made arrange a chartered flight ongoing IPL. aren't currently providing Australian Cricketers' CA and our players that yet with respect to (ap- for those who have stayed With a MVPI of 332, enough value for money as Association (ACA) chief we'll work on." proval for a charter flight back. Jadeja streaks ahead of DC's evident from their high Todd Greenberg said The BCCI has already as- for) the cricketers," Col- As of now, the IPL still Shikhar Dhawan (MVPI: Paisa Vasool Index (PVI). Cricket Australia will talk sured the IPL's foreign re- beck told ABC radio. has 14 Australian players, 277) and RCB's Harshal Pa- PVI is calculated by divid- to the IPL franchise owners cruits that their safe return "One of the reasons for including big names like tel (279). ing the player's cumulative on this arrangement but home will be its responsi- the pause was to give our Steve Smith (Delhi Capi- Jadeja's 37 runs-in-one- US$ earning by his cumula- conceded that it will not be bility once the tournament hotel quarantine a little bit tals), David Warner (Sun- over hammering of Harshal tive MVPI; the lower the a simple thing. ends on May 30. India is of space because of the load Risers Hyderabad) and Patel helped him snatch the PVI, the more value for "That's one of the conver- facing an explosion of we've seen out of India," he Cummins. top spot. money the player offers. sations we're having with COVID-19 cases and the said. Ricky Ponting (DC) and Recall that the Most Valu- Currently the players per- Cricket Australia at the mo- nation's health infrastruc- As a second wave of Simon Katich (Royal Chal- able Player Index (MVPI) forming well and offering ment about whether or not ture has been severely COVID-19 infections bat- lengers Bangalore) are collapses a player's batting, best value for money in- that's something that's strained dealing with lakhs tered India, the Australian among the high-profile bowling and fielding perfor- clude Harshal Patel (PVI of available to us," Greenberg of daily new cases. government on Tuesday Australian coaches, while mance into a single index 36; costs RCB only $36 per said on 2GB radio as "Be rest assured that the suspended air travel with iconic former players such based on run equivalence. run), Avesh Khan (PVI 156), quoted by Sydney Morning tournament is not over for the country besides asking as Matthew Hayden, Brett Think of MVPI as the to- Jonny Bairstow (496), Faf Herald. BCCI till each one of you players to make their 'own Lee and Lisa Sthalekar are tal 'runs equivalent' that a the player is performing. IPL games, bowlers have du Plessis (380) and Dev- "We can also work with has reached your home, arrangements' for return. part of the tournament's player contributes; the With many low-scoring tended to displace batsmen dutt Padikkal (53). all the owners of the Pre- safe and sound," the Indian Even before that an- commentary team. higher the MVPI, the better