IPL CORNER

India will be looking for a solid captain for future in this IPL: Shastri

The IPL-15 is an opportunity to unearth a “solid” future captain for the Indian cricket team, former national team head coach Ravi Shastri said on Tuesday.

“Virat is not being captain anymore, but Rohit has also been outstanding especially in white ball. India will be looking at who will be captaining the team (in future) -- there is Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul. India will be looking for a solid captain for the future and here is the opportunity,” Shastri said on Tuesday during a press conference. “Last IPL we saw Venkatesh Iyer, no one had heard of him and by the time it got over he was in Indian team. So you expect the unexpected. Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya remains tight-lipped on his return to bowling but the whole country will be “very closely watching” his every move in the upcoming IPL,” believes Shastri. “One think I can say is that they would be watching the fast bowling department more than anything else as they are going to Australia in four months’ times after the IPL,” Shastri said.

“IPL is one of the greatest leagues in the world, and it’s also one of the greatest physios in the world, because, before the IPL auction everyone wants to get fit, because everyone wants to play in the IPL,” Shastri said.

Faf commands respect: Virat Kohli
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) veteran Virat Kohli says Faf du Plessis’s solid leadership skills was a key reason that they planned to grab his services for the upcoming IPL edition. “Getting Faf at the auctions for us, the plan was very clear. We need a leader in the change room who commands a lot of respect. Commands not demands, because he has been there done that,” Kohli said in video posted by RCB’s twitter handle.

He’s got amazing attitude: Ashwin on Samson
Praising 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter and RR skipper Sanju Samson, Ravichandran Ashwin said he has a great attitude for the game and will definitely get better in future. “He’s always open for discussion, open to opinions around the game,” he added. “Sanju has got the vantage point as a wicketkeeper to judge the game with all the angles,” Ashwin further said.

Taskin not to replace Wood at LSG
Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed, who was approached by Indian Premier League (IPL) side Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement for injured England quick Mark Wood, will not participate in the cash-rich league, the country’s cricket board (BCB) has said. Bangladesh Cricket Board has refused to give Taskin the No-Objection Certificate to take part in the IPL as it clashes with the ongoing tour of South Africa.

‘Have high hopes from Sarfaraz Khan this time’
Former opener Wasim Jaffer has stated that he has high hopes for Sarfaraz Khan in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition. According to Jaffer, Sarfaraz could get a chance to bat at No.3 or 4 for Delhi Capitals (DC), where he can make a bigger impact.

Need KL Rahul ‘the batter who leads’
Lucknow Super Giants will need KL Rahul the batter who also leads the team instead of the captain who also bats in the upcoming IPL edition, the head of team’s think-tank Gautam Gambhir made his expectations loud and clear on Tuesday.