Category: Sports

Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets with 4 balls to spare.

The yellow army cruised to victory after 5 straight losses against the men in blue!

Dream11 IPL 2020 kick started with the mother of all clashes. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the final over after losing 5 consecutive matches in the past tournament. Dhoni’s Super Kings put up a brilliant show on a Saturday night to win over the IPL 2019 winners. It was the skipper’s 100th win for the CSK franchise since the inception of IPL in 2008.

After 437 days of no cricket, Dhoni returned with a bang. After recently retiring from International cricket, he looked fitter than ever.

Picture courtesy : Business Standard

With empty stands, no display of placards and banners, it was odd not just for the players but the audience as well. The governing body did make an attempt to replicate the atmosphere by playing pre-recorded audio of fans hooting from previous matches, but it didn’t create much of a difference.

Correct decisions made by the winning captain turned the match in their favour with splendid batting performance by Ambati Rayudu (former MI player) and Faf du Plessis. Faf also contributed with 3 out-of-the-world catches down the part. Sam Curran also displayed an all-round show with both, bat and the ball.

The “opening match jinx” continued for MI as this loss was their 8th consecutive loss at their opening match. The last time they won their opening match was back in 2012 when the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was still playing for the franchise.

“Something for us to learn. Still early days in the tournament where momentum is important. A few things for us to learn in this game, we did make a few mistakes. Hopefully we’ll rectify those and come out smarter in the next game” – Rohit Sharma, the losing captain, at the post match presentation.

Picture courtesy : Inside Sport

Mumbai Indians are known to bounce back, for they’ve won all 4 titles after losing the first few matches. However, Shaikh Zayed Stadium is the one with biggest dimensions. So hitting some shots here isn’t easy like back home at Wankhede in Mumbai.

The match started with Dhoni winning the toss and putting Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians to bat first. The grassy pitch told that there’s something for the new ball. An average scoring game with 160-180 runs was on the charts.

The new normal… (at the toss)

Picture courtesy : Instagram/@iplt20

MI’s skipper opened the innings with a boundary alongside Quinton de Kock. But they got out cheaply at 12(8) and 33(20) respectively. At the end of 10 overs, everyone felt that Mumbai can take the total to 180-190. But after the De kock departed at 121/3, no partnership was built. Suryakumar Yadav 17(16) and Saurabh Tiwary 42(31) tried to carry on the momentum only to be put down by the bowlers in yellow. Saurabh, who was picked against Ishan Kishan was bang on business. Hardik Pandya with SR 140 and Pollard with SR 129 did hit a couple shots in the park. They made their intentions clear and targeted Lungi Ngidi to do so.

The wickets kept toppling for MI as they put 162 on board at the loss of 9 wickets. Clearly, 15-20 runs short of what they should be with such a great batting line up. They lost 7 wickets in the second half of the second innings with 3 in the death overs. Scoring just 2 runs off the final ball, Mumbai Indians put up 162 for 9 on board with CSK to chase it down at the asking rate of a little above 8 runs per over.

Mumbai Indian’s Rohit Sharma in action

Picture courtesy : Gulf News

Meanwhile, CSK’s bowlers kept impressing. They kept hitting the right line and lengths. CSK took advantage of the pitch and the outfield. It was a Faf-ulous show for Faf du Plessis took 3 brilliant catches at the boundary to dismiss Tiwary, Hardik and Rahul Chahar. While in his lucky headband, Sam Curran joined the party and took 2 catches to dismiss Rohit early in the innings and then SKY. Sam also played decently with the ball to give CSK a breakthrough by taking de Kock’s wicket who seemed dangerous in the powerplay. Bringing back Piyush Chawla to the franchise also proved to be a good pick. He dismissed Rohit early on in the innings with his smart bowling.

In the second innings, Mumbai came back hard. They attacked early and dismissed both the openers Murali Vijay and Shane Watson in the first 12 balls itself. Perhaps, Vijay was plumbed off James Pattinson, result of bad decision by the on-field umpire S. Ravi.

Ambati Rayudu and Faf du Plessis took control of the match. Both of them hit half centuries to chase down the scoreboard. They put up a good partnership of more than 100 runs. This shows the strength in Chennai’s batting line up and the way these two batsman controlled the innings speaks volumes. Panic and CSK don’t go hand in hand. The Captain’s coolness sweeps through the players.

Picture courtesy : India Today

Mumbai Indians could have beaten Rayudu early on if they hadn’t missed opportunities after opportunities. Rohit’ team failed to field tightly and kept falling short of catches. They also gave away easy runs with sloppy fielding. This in turn helped CSK build their inninings. The men in blue couldn’t build any pressure on the batters.

After Rahul Chahar’s unorthodox bowling approach, Rayudu got out after making 71 runs from 48 balls. The gun of CSK Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat when his team needed just 29 of 18 balls. Hitting the gaps well, he got off the mark with the boundary. He was soon plumbed by Krunal Pandya who pitched the outside outside off stump.

We could see Dhoni warming up in the stands and to our surprise, with less than 3 overs to go, Sam Curran was put up the order. Was it for the left and right hand combination with Faf or was it Dhoni just being Dhoni, always giving youngsters a chance to become better cricketers?

“One thing we haven’t done is giving a chance to Jadeja and Curran to come up the order and express themselves which is what we did today. It was a psychological thing of saying that okay, we have batsmen down, so we’ll send one or two of them up to hit a few” – M.S. Dhoni, the winning captain at the post match presentation.

Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the best bowler in the world right now, also fell prey to Chennai’s batting line up. He had started his spell with 4 dot balls but ended up giving 43 runs in his quota of 4 overs. Bumrah was given the 19th over to show some luck. The first ball to Curran went for a six and just the next ball was caught at covers. The English youngster departed after making 18 runs off 6 balls with one 4 and two 6s under his belt.

Picture courtesy : Business Standard

Faf’s half century came up on the 4th ball of the over. Playing with a strike rate of 119, that was Faf’s 13th IPL half century so far. Dhoni was new to the crease. The first ball that he faced could have been the last ball he faced that match if Dhoni hadn’t taken the DRS. He was caught behind but as a keeper himself, Dhoni knew that the noise was not from bat touching the ball. The next ball was a dot ball but hadn’t CSK sealed it already?

Just two balls in the final over were enough to clinch the game. The yellow army had a convincing win over the Mumbai Indians whose losing streak in the opening match continued.

Picture courtesy : Instagram/@iplt20

Rayudu was rightly awarded the man of the match award for his brilliant batting performance. He will turn 35 next week is the 8th member of the CSK squad to be 35 or plus and yet, the spirits are as high as they can get.

“I kept training in the lockdown. It was a stop-start but I was really eager” – Ambati Rayudu, MOM, at the post match presentation.

Match Summary :

Chennai Super Kings 166/5 (19.2)

Playing XI – Murali Vijay, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, M.S. Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar, Piyush Chawla and Lungi Ngidi.

Mumbai Indians 162/9 (20)

Playing XI – Rohit Sharma (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Saurabh Tiwary, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, James Pattinson, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah

Winning team – Chennai Super Kings

Man of the Match – Ambati Rayudu

CRED Power Player of the Match – Quinton de Kock

Dream11 Game Changer – Faf du Plessis

Unacademy Let’s Crack it Sixes – Ambati Rayudu

Altroz Super Striker of the Match – Quinton de Kock

The El Clasico of the cash-rich league may have come to an end but we are looking forward to another thriller between Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab which is just a few hours away from now.

Picture courtesy : Inside Sport

Is it going to be Shreyas Iyer’s young blood or KL Rahul’s sheer passion for the game? Leave a comment down below and let us know who you will be supporting tonight!

Top Debutants to watch out for Dream11 IPL 2020!

The field where opportunity meets talent.

Being a part of our Indian Cricket Team has always been a dream of every cricketer and to support this honorable moment, the Indian Premier League has always acted as a milestone for all the young around the world. Be it the fast bowler Umesh Yadav (debuted in 2010) or youngest debutants in the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant who made sprawling entries in the Indian Cricket Team, IPL has always been a great platform for youngsters.

Left to right : Umesh Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw
Picture courtesy: Maalaimalar news website

Here are the top debutants for Dream11 IPL 2020 who are sure to win our hearts :

● Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals) –
Coming from a substandard background in Uttar Pradesh, this 18 year old boy is now a part of the Royal family. Yashasvi Jaiswal is a left handed batsman signed by Rajasthan Royals for Rs. 2.4Cr. He is the youngest (age of 17) cricketer in the world to score a double century List A cricket. He scored 203 vs Jharkhand during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20. He was also the highest run scorer for the Under- 19 World Cup in 2018. It will be exciting to watch Yashasvi play alongside the veterans in UAE.

Yashasvi jaiswal at post match ceremony after scoring an century against pakistan in U19 Worldcup 2020.

Picture courtesy: TOI website

● Devdatt Paddikkal (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – A 20 year old cricketer from Kerala, Devdatt Paddikkal is known as the run machine in the Indian Domestic Cricket teams. In the last seasons of Vijay Hazare trophy and Syed Mushtak Ali trophy, no batsman scored more than Devdatt Panddikkal. He was the highest scorer in the Karnataka Ranji trophy as well. Devdatt was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for 2019 Indian Premier League. Succumbed to injuries, Devdatt couldn’t play in the last season. Coming in at number 4, we hope to see Devdatt play and contribute along with star batsmen Ab de Villiers, Aaron Finch Finch the skipper Virat Kohli.

● Ravi Bishnoi (Kings XI Punjab) – Ravi Bishnoi, last seen in the U-19 World Cup in 2018 where he took the highest number of wickets, could become a key weapon for Kings XI on the slow UAE wickets. Bishnoi was bought by the Mohali franchise for a massive amount of Rs.2 Crore to add this 20 year old youngster to thier side. While the IPL is a different level of competition that adds a lot of pressure on players, Bishnoi can be a very valuable addition to the Kings XI den if he creates the same magic as he did in South Africa. “I will take whatever comes. But yes, I would like to get Steve Smith out. He is the No1 Test batsmen and he plays spin very well.” said Ravi Bishnoi.

Ravi bishnoi while bowling.

Picture courtesy : Sportzwiki

● Tom Banton (Kolkata Knight Riders) – Tom Banton, the 22year old English player is supposedly inpired by Kevin Pietersen’s game who loves to play a variety of unorthodox shots. Banton is a wicket keeper batsman bought by the Knight Riders for a whopping Rs.1Cr. With Chris Lynn gone, Baton shall play a crucial role opening the innings for KKR. Baton represented Brisbane Heat for Australia’s Big Bash League last year. He scored 223 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 177, with 3 half-centuries to his name. “England batsman Tom Banton is very exciting to watch and can be the X-factor for his side in IPL 2020” said KKR mentor David Hussy.

● Daniel Sams (Delhi Capitals) – As a replacement Jason Roy, Daniel Sams was picked up by Delhi Capitals on 27th August’20. Sams had picked up 30 wickets for Sydney Thunders in the last season of Big Bash League. After Rashid Khan, Sams was the highest wicket taker in the 2019-20 edition.

● Kamlesh Nagarkoti (Kolkata Knight Riders) – After playing a very important role in India’s U-19 World Cup win in 2018, Nagarkoti had got a chance to make his debut in IPL in 2018 when KKR bought him for Rs.3.2 crores. Unfortunately, he suffered a back injury and had to leave the team. This 20 year old all-rounder is most likely to make his debut this year with KKR. In an interview he spoke about his injury, comeback and his relationship with U-19 batchmates and the overwhelming support that he has received from the Kolkata franchise.

Flying Nagarkoti.

Picture courtesy: Times now

Some more players making their IPL debut this year are :

Indians : Priyam Garg and Virat Singh for SRH, Darshan Nalkande for Kings XI Punjab, Sai Kishor and Ruturaj Gaikwad for Chennai Super Kings, and Kartik Tyagi for Rajasthan Royals.

U19 Worldcup 2018 champions with their trophy.

Picture courtesy: Times of india.

Australians – Alex Carey for Delhi Capitals and Chris Green for Kolkata Knight Riders.

West Indies – Sheldon Cottrell for Kings XI Punjab.

There will be competition. There will be pressure. There will be opportunities but jumping on the right opportunity at right time will decide the destiny of the players.

Let us know who are your favourite debutants for the upcoming edition of Dream11 IPL 2020!

Bidding a hard good-bye…

Check out the following list of players who are likely to miss Dream11 IPL 2020

Cricket is not just a game of bat and ball but an emotion for all Indian fans. Cricket matches bind the entire family in one room eagerly watching the game. Laughing, screaming, fighting and all the superstitious we follow for our favorite team to win. Now it’s time for the most intensive, interesting and awaited T20 tournament which is about to begin in 5 days.

Since past 12 years we have been watching IPL and enjoying to the core. Every year people wait eagerly for this game to happen but since 2020 there was nothing, we could name GOOD that we heard. IPL was most likely to be cancelled because of the pandemic. Talking about which, it has affected each one us extensively. Amid all this issue IPL is one fantastic news for us. The days of us celebrating little joys are going to be back.

The tournament is all set to begin with safety measures advised by the governing bodies mainly ICC (International Cricket Council), BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and ECB (Emirates Cricket Board).Adding some cinnamon to your tea, rumor has it that many players have pulled out their names due to personal reasons.

It surely breaks our heart to not see our favorites playing. Still trying to keep a count on our players here is some detailed information that could pin the bubble :

1. Suresh Raina – After announcing his retirement on 15th August’20, the yellow army was all pumped up to watch Raina play the upcoming season of IPL. His contribution has always been great, right from strengthening the middle order to tight fielding. It’s sad to know that Raina’s uncle was “slaughtered to death” in Punjab’s Pathankot making the cricketer unavailable for the tournament.

“Suresh Raina has returned to India for personal reasons and will be unavailable for the remainder of the IPL season. Chennai Super Kings offers complete support to Suresh and his family during this time,” team CEO Kasi Viswanathan said in a tweet from the Super Kings handle.

2. Harbhajan Singh – Harbhajan Singh will probably miss the entire season of IPL 2020. Owning to personal reasons, he was permitted by the CSK management to reach UAE a little later as scheduled for other players of the team. The rest of the team reached Dubai on 21st August. Bhajji was expected to join them 1st September onwards. But, the turbantor has finally decided to miss the upcoming season of IPL. Known for his ‘doosra’, and taking crucial wickets, Harbhajan’s absence will be felt.

Picture courtesy : Cricket Times.

3. Lasith Malinga – It won’t be new for Mumbai Indians to play IPL without Slinga-Malinga. Due to personal reasons, the Yorker King will miss the Dream11 IPL 2020 in UAE.

According to the franchise website, the owner of Mumbai Indians, Akash Ambani was found saying, “Lasith is a legend and a pillar of MI’s strength. There is no denying the fact that we will miss Lasith’s cricketing acumen this season. However, we understand Lasith’s need to be in Sri Lanka with his family during this time”.

4. Harry Gurney – Suffering a shoulder injury, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ medium pacer has pulled himself out from the upcoming season of IPL. Gurney played decently enough in the last season for KKR. He took 7 wickets out of the 8 matches he played and received MOM (Man of the Match) award for picking up 2 wickets against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur. Bowling with an economy of 6.25, Gurney gave away just 25 runs in his spell of 4 overs.

5. Chris Woakes – Bought by Delhi Capitals for 1.5 Cr., the English all-rounder has decided to give IPL a miss this year. Woakes believes that he needs to “recharge his batteries” and focus on his career with the National team. The South-African fast bowler Anrich Nortje will serve as Woakes’ replacement.

6. Jason Roy – England opener Jason Roy will also not play for IPL’s 13th edition due to personal reasons. The Delhi Capitals player scored just 150 runs in his eight games. Daniel Sams, uncapped player from Australia will be replacing Jason Roy.

“The IPL is a huge platform for any cricketer, and back home, we all follow the tournament extremely closely every year,” Sams told the Delhi Capitals website. “I feel fortunate to be a part of it this year, and I’m thankful to the Delhi Capitals management for giving me this opportunity. I can’t wait to join the rest of the players in the UAE.”

Picture courtesy : News18

7. Kane Richardson – After announcing the birth of his first child, Kane Richardson has also pulled himself out of this season’s IPL. Understandably, he wants to spend quality time with his wife and child. Royal Challengers Bangalore wished the pacer for welcoming new life. Another Australian pacer Adam Zampa is likely to be Kane’s replacement.

All the above mentioned players are sure to be missed for this season of IPL.We hope to see them next year after winning their personal battles and coming back on the field stronger than ever before.

Let us know in the comments whose performance you’ll miss the most this season!

How Covid-19 turned the IPL 2020 Upside Down

Everything’s changing except the spirit of the game

With the outburst of the novel coronavirus, IPL 2020 has turned out not only to be the most awaited one but also the most unique season ever. Amid all the controversies of the IPL being held or not, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced some changes in the game keeping the safety of the players a major priority.  

The most bizarre change in the history of the IPL is the season taking place in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), and not in India.

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@IPL

Though the interim changes are applicable for this season, we all someway wished to be a part of the stands and cheer for our players on the ground.

Earlier, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) was willing to fill up 30-50% seats of the stadiums with spectators, and was waiting for the BCCI’s nod and approval from the UAE Government. Considering the current situations worsening by every passing day, the latter did not agree with the presence of the audience in the stadiums. Conclusively, this year we will be watching the IPL like this:

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@IPL

This year, as mentioned in the last blog by my colleague, the concept of a bio-bubble has been introduced in the IPL. Let’s see how it works.

Another change that the players need to adopt to is that of being in a ‘bio-bubble’. In layman’s language, a bio-bubble means an area or an environment which is completely secluded or sealed off from the rest of the entire world. The players will travel in bubbles as an isolated unit. They are tested for COVID-19 before entering the bubble. Only when the players and the support staff members test negative, they are sent into the bubble, where they are further quarantined and are supposed to stay inside the bubble. This concept helps in minimizing the risk of physical interaction of the players from the outside world, in turn, minimizing the risk of spreading the coronavirus among the members in the bubble.

Moreover, we shall now see how the pandemic has changed the major rules of the game for this season of IPL:

  • No use of Saliva – A total ban on use of saliva to shine the ball has been issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Considering the new adjustments on the field with which the players will be completely unfamiliar, the ICC has decided to be a little lenient on the violations. The player will be given two warnings per innings if found violating the above stated rule, whereas the third violation will result in a penalty of 5 runs. In such cases, the umpires need to sanitize the ball before the game resumes.
  • Local Umpires – Considering the ongoing pandemic and the restrains on logistical challenges and international transit, local umpires from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Officials and the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Officials will be encouraged to take over.
  • Extra DRS Review – An extra unsuccessful DRS (Decision Review System) for each team, in each innings of a match, will be provided considering the less experienced local umpires at times. In this way, the number of unsuccessful appeals per innings for each team will rise up. The Match Referees will be supported when processing Code of Conduct breaches, and a neutral Elite Panel match referee will conduct any hearing remotely via virtual meetings.
  • Covid-19 Replacements – Player(s) showing covid-19 symptoms or worse can be replaced; they can have replacements as concussion substitutes. This decision has been taken keeping in mind the unpredictability of the symptoms and the spread of the coronavirus.

On addition to the interim rules, there are many protocols that need to be followed to minimize the spread of coronavirus, the major one being the testing of the players and the staff members every fifth day of the tournament, for safety measures. If any player/staff member is found breaking the rules of staying in the bio bubble, he/she will have to self-isolate himself/herself for five days and shall return by resulting negative in the two Covid-19 tests.

“There could be minor changes to this protocol depending on the feedback from the teams but there will not be any compromise on players and team officials’ safety” –  BCCI Official

No cheering of the fans in the stadiums.
Picture courtesy: Twitter/@IPL

The empty stands of the stadiums are to be used as extended dressing rooms of the players. Even team meetings can take place there while making sure that social distancing is conveniently followed by the players.

This year, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is playing an equivalent important role as the BCCI’s. The ECB is making sure not to give any opportunity of grievance to the BCCI or the ICC and is being very strict with the rules and the safety measures of the game.

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@IPL

The players have completed their 14-days quarantine in the UAE and have started practicing on the grounds.

Since the fourteen days quarantine for both the teams are over, both the teams are coming to the facility at the same time, so we’ve extended the facility where we have two ovals for both the teams so that they can practice at the same time. – Navdeep Arneja, Venue Manager, Abu Dhabi Sports Council

One rule that I personally feel should have been made noticeable enough is to entirely ban handshaking. It has been a formal way of meeting and greeting the opposite teams by handshaking every player. This rule should be omitted for the safety of the players and an alternative should be brought in; glimpses of the teams of their past IPL matches can be displayed, legendary moments of the IPL can be shown, etc. In this way, the memories will be cherished by both the players and the fans watching on their televisions/streaming partners. The fun and mesmerizing view of the jam-packed stadiums will be a sight that everybody’s going to miss this time.

Picture courtesy – Jagran English Official Website, Dainik Jagran

Even though the pandemic drastically changed the rules of an entire sport, it still couldn’t succeed in stopping the tournament from taking place. This shows how high the spirit of cricket is, in India and around the world. We all wished to be a part of the game by being present in the stadiums. I know there’s a lot that you all will be missing this time. Do tell us in the comments what will you be missing and cherishing the most this season.

Dream11 IPL 2020, the bubble game.

Greater the set-back, stronger the come-back.

Along with chasing the target runs, another challenge to the players for the upcoming season of IPL is to fight the ongoing pandemic. Keeping the guidelines in mind, the spectators are not allowed to visit the stadium. Commencing from 19th Sept’20 in UAE, all the cricketers will definitely miss the energy in the stands.

Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar feels, “It will be odd initially to play in empty stadiums as in India the crowd can act as a 12th man for the home team.”

Empty stands
Picture courtesy : Twitter/@iplt20

As a surprise, the franchise officials have decided to flash a pre-recorded video of the audience cheering in the stadium. This will be done so after every boundary is scored and a wicket is lost.

“The stadiums will be empty as everyone is looking to ensure that health protocols and bio-bubble regulations are strictly followed. So, it was decided that while some teams will record the reactions of cheerleaders, which will be played out for every four, six or wicket, other teams have decided to create small videos of fans cheering for them and those will be played out while the cricketers are battling it out in the middle,” the official said to a reporter from ANI.

Nevertheless, the excitement shall keep rising indoors too. Listening to the IPL 2020 Rap/Theme song “Aayenge hum wapas” (We will return) makes an attempt to pump up the energy in all houses which will soon turn into stadiums. The song was sung by rapper KR$NA (real name Krishna Kaul) and composed by Pranav Ajayrao Malpe. It will be inspiring to watch how the players as well as the audience cope up with the new normal.

While the sportsmen have been training rigorously ahead of the 13th edition, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council is working to keep things safe for the teams.

Venue manager Navdeep Arneja stated, “We have created two ovals for both the teams to practice simultaneously. No one from outside will be allowed to go inside and we will ensure that we are in a bubble environment.”

Sanitizing the ground for safety of the players and ground staff is the primary concern
Picture courtesy : Twitter/@AbuDhabiCricket

Due to rapid spread of coronavirus, it is made mandatory for all players and staff to undergo a six-day quarantine after reaching UAE. This ensures safety of other players. As per UAE government, players from all countries also need to furnish a COVID-19 negative certificates.

However, cricketers from England and Austraila are exempted from quarantining because they’re already in a bio-bubble from 4th September. They shall reach UAE via a charter plane on 17th September making them available for the opening matches of their respective teams.

“It is very clear from BCCI SOP that each and every player has to go through quarantine (in UAE). However, the players from England and Australia would already be in a bio-bubble as they would be playing the series there. If they continue to remain in that bio-bubble and we can send a charter plane then they are as secure as other players” explained Sanjeev Churiwala, Chairman of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Virat kohli addressing his team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on a virtual meet.
Picture courtesy : Twitter/@Royal Challengers Bangalore

Playing in front of the home crowd has always been special for it is a moment of pride and enthusiasm. Sadly, this year the matches in the league stage will not be played in the round-robin format because the hosts, I.e. UAE has made only three stadiums functional.

For the league stage, 24 matches will played at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, 20 matches in the Sheikh Zayed Stadium at Abu Dhabi, and the remaining 12 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium located in Sharjah.

The opening match of this IPL season will take place in Abu Dhabi where the defending champions Mumbai Indians will face the runners-up of IPL 2019 Chennai Super Kings.

The action will then shift to Dubai on 20th September where Delhi Capitals will play against Kings Xl Punjab followed by the third match on 21st Sept between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the same venue.

Sharjah will host its first Dream11 IPL 2020 match on 22nd September when Rajasthan Royals will play against Chennai Super Kings.

There will be 10 double-headers, with the first match at 3:30pm (IST) and the second match starting at 7:30 pm (IST) in all cases. The finals are expected to be on 10th November. The venue for the same will be announced in the upcoming weeks. Here is the complete fixture for Dreams11 IPL 2020:

Dream11 IPL 2020 Schedule Part 1
Picture courtesy : IPLT20 official website

Dream11 IPL 2020 Schedule Part 1
Picture courtesy : IPLT20 official website

The Women’s IPL is set to take place between 1st November and 10th November. Due to overlapping with the Big Bash League, the squads, schedule and venue is yet to be announced for WIPL 2020.

Right from the virtual welcome meets, to social distancing norms to being secured in a bio-bubble environment, all the IPL teams are set to begin the chase. Are you too?

Dream11 – fulfilling dreams of the IPL 2020

Dream 11 bags Title sponsorship for IPL 2020!

Indian Premier League being the biggest cricket premier league around the world, catches attention of all the entertainment broadcasters and brands for marketing. Consecutively, audience show eagerness to know the sponsors and partners of IPL 2020.

Picture courtesy : Deccan Herald

After the outbreak of novel coronavirus and anti-China sentiments prevailed in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended the title sponsorship of IPL 2020 from the Chinese tech-giant VIVO. After this, it became very difficult for sponsors to come on board majorly because there shall be no spectators on the stands so no revenue will be generated from tickets sales.

Fantasy gaming platform Dream11 is the proud title sponsor for the IPL this season. Dream11 (Sports Technologies Pvt. Ltd.) is an Indian company with its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Journey of Dream11

Picture courtesy : News18

Why VIVO is not a tittle sponsor of IPL 2020?

Vivo Communication Technology Pvt. Ltd. popularly known as Vivo is a Chinese company that designs and develops smartphones, smartphone accessories, and online services. Vivo had signed a five year deal (2018-2022) with IPL of Rs.440 crore per year.

Due to Galwan stand–off between Indian and Chinese troops, Indian Government decided to ban many Chinese manufacturing products and to promote local, Indian products in the market. This led BCCI take away the sponsorship rights from Vivo this year. Another reason is the economic crisis caused by the havoc of Covid–19 pandemic, leading Vivo to negotiate the sponsoring amount with the BCCI.

However, BCCI was confident to have another title sponsor on board for this year’s IPL edition.

“Suspension of IPL title sponsorship with VIVO just a blip, not a financial crisis.” – Sourav Ganguly, BCCI President

Sourav Ganguly in one of the board meetings.

Picture courtesy: The Week

Before finalizing Dream11, some of the Indian contenders for the title sponsorship of IPL 2020 were:

• Patanjali – Our very own Yoga guru, social activist and business tycoon Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali is one of the Indian brands which earlier showed keen interest in sponsoring the IPL 2020.

“We are considering the IPL title sponsorship for this year since we want to give the Patanjali brand a global marketing platform.” a spokesperson, Patanjali

• Unacademy – The online education technology company Unacademy was also looking for the title sponsorship rights of IPL 2020. The company has 100% Indian investment and is already a part of the official partners line-up of IPL.

• Amazon – Amazon is one of the biggest e-commerce giants in the world, as well as in India. Amazon’s aim was not publicity but the need to be in competition with its rivals ranging from Flipkart to Jio in the Indian market.

• Paytm – The digital wallet service provider Paytm is also a part of the official sponsor panel of IPL. They were planning to get onboard as a title sponsor of IPL this year.

Contenders for sponsorship title for IPL 2020.

Picture courtesy : The Week

Owners and Sponsors of IPL teams:

• Delhi Capitals (DC) – Delhi Capital is owned by GM Rao-owned GMR Group. The team’s principal sponsors include JSW Groups, Ebix Cash and Lotus Herbals.

• Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) – Under the banner of ‘KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited’, the franchise is jointly owned by Bollywood actress Priety Zinta, Ness Wadia (Wadia Group), Mohit Burman (Dabur India Ltd.), The Oberoi Group and Karan Paul (Apeejay Surrendra Group).The title sponsor of Kings XI Punjab is Ebix Cash.

• Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – The two-time champions team KKR is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan (under the banner Red Chillies Entertainment) and Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla & her husband Jay Mehta (under the banner of Mehta Group). The principal sponsor of KKR is Mobile Premier League (MPL).

• Rajasthan Royals (RR) – Winners of the inaugural season in 2008, the Royals are jointly owned by Amisha Hathiramani, Manoj Badale, Lachlan Murdoch, Ryan Tkalcevic and Australian cricketer
Shane Warne who was also a part of the RR squad in the first few years of the IPL. Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra owned RR with her husband Raj Kundra from 2009 to 2015. Raj was banned in 2015 by the Supreme Court of Indian after spot-fixing case in a match against Chennai Super Kings. Rajasthan Royals’ kit manufacturers and other sponsors are Alcis Sports, TV9 Bharatvarsh and a sanitary napkins brand by the name of Niine.

Picture courtesy : Amar Ujala

• Mumbai Indians (MI) – Mumbai Indians, 4 time title winners, is owned by India’s biggest conglomerate Reliance Industries of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani. The team is managed by his wife Neeta Ambani. Mumbai Indian’s principal sponsors are Samsung and Colors.

• Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – The team is owned by media baron Kalanithi Maran of the Sun TV Network. With JK Laxmi Cement as the title sponsor, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s principal sponsors are Ralco Typres, Jio, TCL, Valvoline, Dream11 and Nerolac.

• Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) – Bought by Vijay Mallya in 2008, RCB is now solely owned by Indian alcoholic beverage company United Spirits and is named under its brand Royal Challenge. RCB’s principal sponsor is Muthoot Fincorp.

• Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – The 3-time Champions team was initially owned by former BCCI president N. Srinivasan by means of his position as vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements Ltd. In January ’15, the Supreme Court of India made an amendment in the BCCI’s constitutional clause which disallows board officials to have commercial interests in IPL and Champions League T20. After which, the franchise is now completely owned by a separate company known as Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd. CSK’s principal sponsors for this year are Muthoot Group of Finance, India Cements, Gulf Oil, Nippon Paint, Clear Anti-dandruff shampoo and Jio Digital Life.

Suresh Raina from Chennai Super Kings playing against Delhi Capitals in a match from Vivo IPL 2019

Picture courtesy : Instagram/@iplt20

IPL is one of the biggest cricket league in the world and it is every company’s dream to invest in it. This time due to the suspension of Vivo as the title sponsor, Dream11 has taken a surprise entry to become the new title sponsor of IPL 2020. We are all curious to know if Vivo will make a comeback next year or Dream11 will continue its dream sponsorship rights or we will have a new partner on board. But for now, let’s catch up with all the cricketing action starting in about a week!

Stay tuned for all the fun!

Dream11 Women’s Indian Premier 2020? YES! IT’S HAPPENING!

Post Men’s IPL, Women’s IPL is all set to create a excitement amongst the people around the globe.

Dream11 Women’s IPL 2020 will be bigger and better! Throughout the lockdown, what people missed the most other than going out was outdoor sports tournament. With Men’s IPL buzzing every year, Women’s Indian Premier League is racing up.

The coronavirus pandemic saddened everyone as it crashed all hopes for any cricketing action to take place. Initially, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) President Sourav Ganguly assured us that we will have IPL 2020 with slight delay and some changes in the schedule. But increasing cases in India left everyone guessing.

Team Supernova along with team Trailblazer on the pitch during Women’s IPL 2019
Source: Twitter

“Due to the evolving global health concerns regarding Covid-19 and lockdown measures implemented by the Government of India to contain the spread of the pandemic, the IPL Governing Council of the BCCI has decided that the IPL 2020 Season will be suspended till further notice,” said BCCI secretary Jay Shah in a statement released on 16th April’20.


Inaugurated as an impromptu match in 2018, Women’s IPL picked up in 2019 with 3 teams playing in round-robin format. The three teams Supernovas, Trailblazers and Velocity were lead by Harmanpreet Kaur, Smrithi Mandhana and Mithali Raj respectively. HP’s out-of-the-world fielding in the first innings followed by a brilliant knock of 51 runs from 37 balls led her team lift the trophy. They won the match with 4 wickets to play.

Smriti Mandhana, captain of Trailblazers along with Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of Supernovas at the toss for the final match held at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, India on 6th May’19.
Source: Twitter

The concept of Women’s IPL to give change to young, local talent just like the other gender. The entire cricket fraternity stands in support of young girls and women coming forward and showcasing their talent which is not restricted to anchoring. This is to do with smashing sixes all over the park.

According former Indian women’s captain, Jhulan Goswami, “Women’s IPL will be a bigger achievement for our country this year.”

It’s sad that the audience will not get to visit the stadium but the Wisden and Vogue is commendable. We now have women heroes too in the likes Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Ellyse Perry, Amelia Kerr and many more.

Women’s IPL this year will be held from 1st Novemeber to 10th November at same locations as that of men’s cricket. The schedule isn’t out yet (as of 10th September) but we are sure to see some action. The good news is that instead of 2 or 3, we will have 4 teams this year to make the women’s tournament all the more exciting.

To catch all the action, tune into Star Sports network in India or live stream your favourite matches on Disney+Hotstar.