THE HIMALAYAN MAIL JAMMU Q FRIDAY Q JANUARY 22, 2021 11 Red-carpet welcome for Rahane as Kings XI Punjab retain 16 players for this year’s IPL NEW DELHI, JANU- Chris Gayle, Deepak ARY 21: Kings XI Punjab Hooda, Mandeep Singh, victorious Indian team arrives home head coach Anil Kumble on Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz MUMBAI/NEW Covid pandemic. Wednesday said that they Khan, KL Rahul, Nicholas DELHI, JANUARY 21: In his society, residents are building a solid side for Pooran, Prabhsimran Chants of 'aala re aala and videographers jostled the 2021 edition of the In- Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ajinkya aala' headlined a to capture the moments dian Premier League (IPL) Chris Jordon, Darshan red-carpet welcome for and the unassuming bats- while keeping the core Nalkande, Harpeet Brar, Is- Ajinkya Rahane as the man posed happily for group of players intact. han Porel, Mohammed stand-in captain, along them. KXIP retained 16 mem- Shami, Ravi Bishnoi and with coach Ravi Shastri and Rahane was then greeted bers of their IPL 2020 Murugan Ashwin. some other members of the in a traditional manner as squad and the likes of Glenn Released players: Glenn team, returned to the coun- he walked towards the en- Maxwell and Sheldon Cot- Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, try on Thursday after In- trance of the building. trell have been released Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Jimmy dia's epic triumph in Aus- Dhol tasha is usually from the squad. Neesham, Hardus Viljoin, K the plan is to fill those gaps into this season as well. We tralia. played to celebrate special "After yesterday's historic Gowtham, Karun Nair, Ja- in the coming auction so believe that this group The chants (meaning achievements and during Test victory in Australia, we gadeesha Suchith, Tejinder that we will be a solid team along with whoever we will here comes our Ajinkya) joyous occasions. are all excited about the re- Singh. KXIP had finished going into the 2021 IPL," pick in the auction will be were heard amid the beat- his village in Tamil Nadu's awaited the reticent bats- An injury-ravaged India sult, having said that it is the IPL 2020 season at the Kumble said in a video able to turn things around ing of the traditional dhol Salem. The players from man after he drove straight beat Australia by three also that time of the year sixth spot under the leader- posted by the KXIP's official for the side. It is important tasha and showering of Chennai, including veteran to his housing society in wickets in the series-decid- where IPL preparations ship of KL Rahul. Punjab is Twitter handle. for us to look to keep the flower petals at Rahane's off-spinner Ravichandran suburban Matunga, where ing fourth Test in Brisbane kick-start for the new sea- yet to win the IPL title and "The plan was to keep the squad similar and hope for a residential complex. Ashwin, rookie Washington residents had made elabo- on Tuesday to clinch the son 2021 IPL. So today, we the side has made it to the core team and make sure better performance in the Besides Rahane and Sundar and bowling coach rate preparations to accord rubber 2-1 and retain the have retained 16 players out finals in 2014. But they suf- that players who are part of coming season," he added. Shastri, also arriving in Bharat Arun are currently their hero a royal welcome. Border-Gavaskar Trophy. of the 25-member squad fered a loss to Kolkata the last season continue KXIP's retained players: Mumbai were star batsman in Dubai and are expected Rahane was welcomed Stepping in after the cata- that we had last season. So, Knight Riders. Rohit Sharma, pacer to reach the country on Fri- with the beats of dhol, while strophe in Adelaide in the Shardul Thakur and opener day morning. others showered the crick- absence of Virat Kohli, Ra- Prithvi Shaw, while Bris- On arrival in Mumbai, eter with flower petals. hane led by example with a bane Test hero Rishabh Rahane, Shastri, Rohit, Rahane was also joined classic century in the sec- We have to be at our absolute Pant landed in the national Shardul and Shaw were fe- by his wife and two-year- ond Test at Melbourne, capital early in the morn- licitated by Mumbai Cricket old daughter in the celebra- guiding India to a series- ing. Association officials, in- tion. levelling victory. best against India, says Root T Natarajan, who was cluding president Vijay Soaking in the carnival- There was no looking originally picked as a net Patil and apex council like atmosphere, Rahane back after that as Rahane GALLE, JANUARY 21: to fully expect to win that bowler but became the first members Ajinkya Naik, acknowledged the love and inspired a heavily-depleted India’s come-from-behind series - but we have a lot of Indian cricketer to make his Amit Dani and Umesh adulation showered on him Indian team to an unbeliev- series win over Australia hard work to do before we international debut across Khanvilka. by the people of the city, able series triumph against was a “great advert” for Test get there (with the second all three formats during the Rahane also cut a cake to many of whom waited for a full-strength Australian cricket and his side will Test against Sri Lanka).” same tour, landed in Ben- celebrate the team's win. his team at the airport team that possessed the have to be at their “absolute England had won the first galuru and then took off for However, more surprises wearing masks amid the world's best bowling attack. best” to challenge them at Test against Sri Lanka by home, said England captain seven wickets. Joe Root. Star players Ben Stokes An injury-hit India, who and Jofra Archer, who were Captain Rani rescues India with late strike were also missing some star rested for the series against BUENOS AIRES, chief coach Sjoerd Marijne. players like skipper Virat Sri Lanka, are expected to JANUARY 21: The Indian “Today players got the Kohli, registered a three- be named in the England women’s hockey team chance to show their best wicket win in the series-de- squad for the India tour. wasted a number of penalty and these are players who ciding fourth Test to clinch “India showed great fight, in Chennai on February 5. character and resilience and The Test series will be fol- “You speak to any side in corner chances before skip- normally don’t get a chance the four-match series 2-1, a the world, those two guys per Rani Rampal’s fourth- to make the 18-member month after facing the ig- depth in their squad for lowed by five T20Is and guys to come in and per- three ODIs. coming back into it would quarter strike helped the squad so it’s good they are nominy of being bowled out give the squad a huge boost visitors salvage a 1-1 draw able to get international ex- for their lowest-ever score form the way they did. “I expect India to be full of “As a cricket fan watching confidence. They are a very and it’s certainly the case for against Argentina’s junior posure. of 36 at Adelaide. us,” said Root. “It was a fantastic series Test cricket it was a great good team and know how to side here. It was a second It is also good for the core “We (will be) excited to to watch from start to finish advert for the game and for get the best out of their con- straight draw for the Indian group that we are getting to see them back in and team following a 2-2 result try more players and see with some brilliant cricket us going out to India it ditions. We are going to around the squad. Hope- in the tour-opener. how different combinations played,” Root told reporters makes that tour even more have to be at our absolute fully they are full of energy India began on an attack- work,” he added. on the eve of England’s sec- exciting now.” best but that is an exciting and ready to go when they ing note, earning a penalty “We created enough op- ond Test against Sri Lanka England will tour India to prospect for us,” Root said. ceeded in converting the penalty corners in the play four Tests, beginning They will be going there get here.” corner in the very first last one for a 1-0 lead in the course of the game and portunities to score more here. minute but Gurjit Kaur’s 13th minute. eventually succeeded in and this is an area we need powerful drag was saved by While India created drawing level in the 58th to keep working on. We the Argentine goalkeeper. plenty of opportunities to minute when a powerful in- have a break of two days be- 50% attendance for England Tests likely India won another score in the second and jection by Navneet Kaur fore our next game against penalty corner in the fifth third quarters by making a was well received and pow- the Argentina B team and NEW DELHI, JANUARY 21: In- “As of now, we are likely to allow 50 In the new stadium at Ahmedabad, minute, but Deep Grace number of circle penetra- erfully struck by Rani. we look forward to the chal- dian cricket board (BCCI) officials are percent spectators for the four Test which can accommodate over one lakh Ekka’s shot went wide.