Tag: Sports

Another desert storm at Sharjah!

Rajasthan Royal’s Tewatia shines as he makes his first IPL 50 to beat Kings XI Punjab by 4 wickets.

What a crazy match that was? 449 runs in 39.3 overs! This is IPL. This is T20 cricket for you.

Dream11 IPL 2020’s 9th match between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) was as thrilling as it could get. Sharjah Cricket Stadium being one of the shortest grounds for the ongoing tournament is a nightmare for bowlers. Mayank Agarwal’s (KXIP) century couldn’t be this exciting but Rahul Tewatia (RR) had our jaws dropped. From zero to hero, he has proved his worth.

Happy dug-out of Rajasthan Royals.

Picture courtesy : NDTV Sports

KL Rahul (KXIP’s skipper) came out to bat with Mayank Agarwal after putting to bat first by Steve Smith captaining Rajasthan Royals. The pitch seemed more favorable to batsmen so the Royals felt it would be better to chase down the total. And with Jos Butler returning, any score on the board was gettable.

Kings XI openers were off to a great start. KL and Agarwal have played together for Karnataka at domestic level which is why their coordination was on point. The two of them took quick runs by running between the wickets and also hit the ball for boundaries time and again.

Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul out in the middle.

Picture courtesy : Cricket Addictor

The 100th 6 of IPL 2020 was hit by Agarwal off Unadkat at 2.5 overs. It was 66 meters long. In the next over, Jofra Archer was given the new ball for he could bowl with a lot of variations. KL welcomed him with 3 back to back boundaries. 50 runs came up for Kings XI in the fifth over with another boundary by Agarwal. Both the batsmen played brilliantly scoring 60 runs in the power play with no loss of wickets. The highest score in the power play record was broken last night after surpassing Mumbai Indians’ 59/1.

The opening partnership kept building up. KL hit aerial shots being in the perfect position to do so and Mayank hit the gaps very well. Soon Mayank reached his 7th IPL fifty with a six off 26 balls. A couple more runs and another 6 in the next ball bought up 100 for Kings XI Punjab. That was 84 meters long. This also meant that the partnership has also hit a century off 54 calls. More than half of the innings was underway.

The lush green and fast outfield supported the batters for they were playing at a run rate of more than 10 per over. A target of 220 (minimum) was the projected score.

The KXIP skipper reached his 17th IPL 50 off 35 balls in the 12th over. He started slow but now had joined the party with hitting sixes all over the park. He maintains the highest strike rate of 369.2 in ‘the slot’ (length of the pitch) vs seamers in this season. He surely is a KLassic hitter with Mayank Agarwal playing all shots (reminds us of Mr. 360) including the famous Nataraj shot played by Kapil Dev and what a ground to play such a shot at!

These two lads out there had the absolute freedom to hammer but they kept their innings under control. They rotated strike soon after hitting boundaries for simple reasons like – they didn’t want to drain themselves and hit a loose shot and wanted the bowler and fielding unit to get annoyed of changing line and length and fielding positions for these 2 batsmen. Nevertheless, they broke another record of scoring not only the highest partnership in all IPL but also highest opening partnership at 183 runs.

Agarwal scored his maiden IPL hundred with a boundary. He did so in just 45 balls. He hit 10 4s and 7 6s.This was the 8th fastest IPL century. The first one is by his teammate Chris Gayle who scored a 100 from just 30 balls against Pune Warriors Sahara in 2013. Agarwal’s century is also the 2nd fastest century by an Indian in IPL after Yusuf Pathan who played for Rajasthan Royals back in 2010. He did so against Mumbai Indians in 37 deliveries.

Mayank Agarwal celebrating his century.

Picture courtesy : My Khel

A good 16th over by Ankit Rajoot bought things under control for it costed just 6 runs. And bang! Here comes the breakthrough they worked for. Mayank walked back to the dugout scoring 106 runs off 50 balls. He batted everywhere but a badly timed shot made the ball land safely in Sanju Samson’s hands.

The new man in Glenn Maxwell was expected to play unorthodox shots like Agarwal and score quick runs. But Rajpoot compelled KL to change his game and produce shots instead of playing his natural game. This led to KL hitting a slower ball and getting caught by Shreyas Gopal at third man. The skipper played a slow innings scoring 69 off 54 balls. But this had the orange cap get back on his head from Faf du Plesis (Chennai Super Kings). Whereas, Rajpoot was the only cheapest bowlers from the Royals side and yet had the economy of more than 9 runs per over.

Next, Nicholas Pooran played a couple of good cricketing shots. He continued where KL and Agarwal left off. And set a mammoth target of 223 runs for the Rajasthan Royals to chase down at the run rate of 11+ per over.

With openers Jos Buttler and Steve Smith, the intentions were made clear. They wanted to go big every over and they never put their heads down. Mohammad Shami, a great rhythmic bowler fell prey to Smith’s straight head and good footwork which had the ball sailing towards the boundary rope. But Buttler had to depart in the 3rd over, Cottrell’s second after making 4 runs off 7 balls.

The new man in Sanju Samson hit a 6 off the 2nd ball he faced off Cottrell. He too continued from where he had left against the Chennai Super Kings.

Sanju Samson, what a player he is. I have said for a long time and I think Sanju Samson is probably one of the most exciting players I have seen for a long time. I am surprised that he is not playing all forms of cricket for India, said Shane Warne, former Australian spinner, former RR captain and current brand ambassador for Rajasthan Royals on Instagram live session done by the franchise.

The Kings XI fielded exceptionally well because such was the urgency. Smith and Sanju kept dealing in boundaries. At the end of 4 overs, KXIP were 40/0 whereas RR were 44/1. Speaks volumes on how desperate are the Royals to win each game they go out to play.

Sanju Samson and Steve Smith out in the middle.

Picture courtesy : India Today

Samson hit his 100th 6 in IPL which also bought up 50 for Rajasthan Royals in the 5th over. Sanju had now scored 880 runs for his franchise since 2018. By the end of 6th over, we also witnessed a budding partnership of 50 runs from 24 balls. The score was 69/1 at the end of power play. Another highest of IPL.

It is rightly said that records are meant to be broken.

The 8th over was given to leggie Murugan Ashwin. And what happened on his third ball has widened our eyes. Samson pulled over deep mid-wicket where Pooran leaped full over the ropes to flick the ball inside, just a millisecond before falling on the ground. He saved 4 runs for his team and what an effort! He received a standing ovation from their fielding coach Jonty Rhodes. He definitely can’t get a better student!

“That’s the best I have seen,” Kevin Pietersen said on air.

“This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!!” tweeted Sachin Tendulkar.

The next over by James Neesham was full of drama too. The Royals were battling the huge total in a convincing manner. Smith reached his 10th IPL half century. The next ball, 100 was up for the batting side. And just the next ball, Smith was caught by Shami at deep cover. He had to depart with 50 runs off 26 balls. At this stage, the Kings XI had not only broken the partnership but also the momentum for the opposition.

The best and the worst thing was that Samson was yet out on the crease. After M.S. Dhoni’s retirement, Samson could be a huge prospect for the Indian Cricket Team because Samson can keep wickets too. In this innings, Samson effortlessly found the slot and kept hitting the ball. On the other end, Rahul Tewatia kept struggling. He was expected to play a cameo here, instead, he took singles which added pressure on Samson. They together could be a part of a record breaking run chase.

Sometimes the teams get too obsessed with the lefty and righty combination. May be this was the reason to promote Tewatia before Robin Uthappa. Consequently, the Royals management didn’t send their best batters up the order. Which is very crucial because you want your best players facing maximum deliveries. Good fielding by the Kings XI kept building pressure and this made sure that Tewatia’s singles to go in vain.

Tewatia scored in single digits even after facing 20 odd balls. Out of no where, he hit a 6 off Ravi Bishnoi in the 15th over. This must have relived Tewatia but he had to go through the same trajectory back to back for his team to win. In the next over, Glenn Maxwell was hammered for sixes by Samson. With Samson’s 15th maximum this season, 150 was up for RR. The partnership also reached 52 of 39 balls. This was just a glimmer of hope for the Royal fans.

Now I am better. The worst 20 balls I have ever played. The dugout knows I can hit the ball long. I knew I had to believe in myself. It was a matter of one six – said Rahul Tewatia at the post match presentation ceremony.

Shami came back hard in his third over, taking a wicket of Samson on the first ball itself. There was no pace in the ball which led to no contact and an easy catch for KL behind the wickets. A splendid innings of 85 off 42 balls came to an end. With the set batsman walking back, the Jaipur based franchise seemed hopeless for they had to make 51 runs in the last three overs.

This feeling of hopelessness and wasting a lot of deliveries sparked a light in Tewatia. With the old ball to Cottrell, Tewatia hit 4 sixes! You read it right! 4 sixes in a row. One of them went straight out of the park. Strong emotions from both the dug outs. We were on the edge of our seats, especially former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh

Thanks for missing out on one ball – said Yuvi who hit record-making six 6s off Stuard Broad at 2007 T20 World Cup

The fifth ball was a dot ball. Great comeback by Cottrell but at what cost? It was a relief particularly for Yuvraj Singh but the damage had been done. The last ball also went racing for 5th six in that over. Tewatia transformed his strike rate from 60 to 160, real quick.

Rahul Tewati hitting back to back sixes.

Picture courtesy : The Times of India

The 19th over to Shami was a big blow for both the teams. It involved 2 wickets of Robbie at 9(4) and Tewatia at 53(31) on the first and last ball respectively but it also included 3 sixes, one of them from the new man Jofra Archer. Pushing the Royals to chase down just 2 runs from the last over, the viewership on the digital platform reached a whopping 5.4million.

The last over was given to leggie Ashwin at a very wrong time. He bowled out Riyan Parag for a duck on his second ball googly. Next ball went for a 4, closing the game for the Royals. They won by 4 wickets with 3 balls to spare.

The Kings XI skipper played a great innings the other day, inspite of another 100 from the lion’s den, the show belonged to Rahul Tewatia. This is the most dramatic cameo IPL has ever witnessed and highest successful run chase. Sanju Samson was awarded the Man of the Match award for his crucial knock of 85 runs.

I was hitting it well since the past one year. So I was just sticking to my routine and feeling confident. I am happy to win a few games – Sanju Samson at the post match presentation ceremony.

Pooran’s gravity defying catch was not enough for Tewatia to lose his hope and lose his nerve. Sad day out for Anil Kumble for his team did everything right yet ended on the losing side.

We have to keep our chin up and come back stronger – said KL Rahul, skipper of Kings XI Punjab at the post match presentation ceremony.

Match Summary :

Kings XI Punjab 223/2 (20)

Playing XI – KL Rahul (C & WK), Mayank Agarwali, Karun Nair, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Sarfaraz Khan, James Neesham, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammad Shami and Sheldon Cottrell.

Rasjasthan Royals 226/6 (19.3)

Playing XI – Steve Smith (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Sanju Samson, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Tom Curran, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Ankit Rajpoot and Jaydev Unadkat.

Winning team – Rajasthan Royals (by 4 wickets and 3 balls to spare)

Points Table – Rajasthan Royals at #2 and Kings XI Punjab at #3

Man of the Match – Sanju Samson

Dream11 Game Changer – Mayank Agarwal

Altroz Super Striker of the Match – Mayank Agarwal

Unacademy Let’s Crack it Sixes – Sanju Samson

CRED Power Player of the Match – Steve Smith

This mysterious game came to an end in favour of the men in pink but we have another nail-biter coming up in a couple of hours.

Will the Royal Challengers Bangalore come back stronger or will the Mumbai Indians continue their winning streak? Great action coming up. Stay tuned!

KL Rahul’s century sails victory for Kings XI Punjab against Royal Challengers Bangalore!

Happy Kings XI dugout for beating RCB with a huge margin of 97 runs.

Kannur Lokesh Rahul. What an innings by this young man! He stole the show with his KLassic power strokes making 132* off 69 balls. After putting on to bat first by Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Kings XI Punjab skipper KL Rahul played an anchor role to take his team towards victory.

KL Rahul opened the innings alongside Mayank Agarwal. Both of them got to a decent start. They batted throughout the power play and built a partnership of 57 runs in 7 overs after which Agarwal was bowled out by Yuzvendra Chahal. Agarwal contributed 26 runs off 20 balls.

Chahal strikes early, dismissing Agarwal

Picture courtesy : Instagram/@iplt20

Another partnership was built up between the skipper and the left handed Nicholas Pooran. They added 57 runs off 37 balls. This gave Pooran the license to hit biggies but failed terribly as the ball safely landed in Ab de Villiers’ hands at mid-off. Pooran badly executed the over pitched delivery by Shivam Dube.

Glenn Maxwell came in at number 4. Chahal was put to bowl for an interesting contest between the two lads. Maxi and Chahal have played 8 innings against each other out of which the leggie has dismissed Maxi on 5 occasions. However, Maxwell sneaked a single of Chahal’s only delivery to him, which was also Chahal’s last over for the innings. Anyway, Maxwell had to walk back cheaply in the next over off Dube. The Australian batter scored just 5 runs off 6 balls before he was caught by Aaron Finch at covers.

Karun Nair was the new man to support his captain playing beautifully on the other end. Nair scored 15 off 8 balls that he faced, for he gave maximum strike to his Kannada companion.

Rampant Rahul was playing exceptionally well. He hit his 17th IPL 50 in 36 balls, 68% of those runs came in 4s and 6s. Being the quickest runner that he is, he took runs in singles and doubles without getting tired. His performance on Dubai’s batting pitch was above par. The RCB bowlers struggled to dismiss him for when he played a loose shot, he was dropped by Virat Kohli twice (83 and 89 respectively) at the boundary between 6 balls.

Quite honestly I was nervous but I knew if I spend time in the middle, hit a few balls from the middle of the bat, it will all settle down. – KL Rahul at the post match presentation ceremony.

A few more stylish shots kept the scoreboard ticking. The Kings XI touched 150 runs in the 18th over. And then it was KL’s show for he scored his 2nd IPL century with a boundary over short third man. He took off his helmet and appreciated the applauses from his team mates and owners and did the “I don’t hear anything” celebration. KL Rahul has certainly, shut the noise with his hundred.

KL Rahul celebrating his century in style

Picture courtesy : Business Standard

Consequently, the wicket-keeping opener set a standard for all batsmen. KL completed 2000 IPL runs in 60 innings beating master blaster Sachin Tendulkar (63), which is the fastest by any Indian batsman. KL’s 132* is the highest score in IPL by any Indian and any Captain. The rightly admired leader of the pack is also the current holder of the orange cap with 153 runs, given to the batsman with highest runs in the tournament.

Playing with a strike rate of over 190, KL Rahul made sure that all the bowlers are punished and made RCB pay the price for winning the toss. While Umesh Yadav and Dale Steyn were brutally punished, the young boys Dube and Navdeep Saini controlled the run rate. Chahal gave his best giving away just 25 runs and picking a wicket of Mayank Agarwal in his quota of 4 overs.

Yet, the Royal Challengers had a mammoth total of 207 runs to chase.

The second innings started with left handed Devdutt Padikkal and right handed Aaron Finch. After a great debut in the first match, Paddikal was caught out after making just one run from 2 balls in the first over by Sheldon Cottrell. The new batsman Joshua Philippe was plumbed for a duck in the next over by Mohammed Shami. Virat Kohli, in at 4, fell prey in the 3rd over. The pressure built up on the skipper made him play big shots leading to mistakes. He was caught by Ravi Bishnoi after making just 1 run from 4 balls.

Virat Kohli’s early dismissal turned out to be fatal for RCB

Picture courtesy : Twitter/@RCBTweets

A partnership was forming between ABD and Finch. Finch was caught leg before wicket but a review by RCB at the right time changed the original decision by the on-field umpire. With 2 great batsmen at the crease, the pressure was on the young bowler Bishnoi. His first over turned out to be very expensive for he gave 2 extras and 3 boundaries, totaling at 15 runs. Perhaps, Bishnoi with a big heart came back stronger and bowled Finch for 20 runs off 21 balls. Murugan Ashwin on the other end dismissed ABD for 28 runs off 18 balls. Both these batsmen were looking very dangerous but the spinners had their work done.

Ravi Bishnoi celebrating Finch’s wicket.

Picture courtesy : Twitter/@KingsXIPunjab

The score was 60 for 5 at the end of 9 overs. The next 5 wickets also fell down in the following 8 overs. The total was too big for the tailenders to chase down. After ABD was dismissed, just three 4s were hit by the RCB batsman. Whereas, KL Rahul had single handedly hit thirteen 4s and four 6s in his innings. He never lost his balance in doing so.

All in all, a very bad day for RCB especially the skipper for dropping catches and getting dismissed for just a run. Virat will have a few things to think about before his next game against Mumbai Indians, who are returning after a huge win over Kolkata Knight Riders.

I take brunt of it, I dropped some chances. Maybe if we had restricted them under 180, we would not be under pressure from ball 1 in the chase. – Virat Kohli at the post match presentation ceremony

With Anil Kumble alongside, the Kings XI Punjab are on top of the points table with +2.43 net run rate. Special mention to the captain for hitting in the gaps and playing with a straight bat, rousing us with the sweet noise of the bat and ball. Rightly deserved, he was lauded with awards at the post match presentation including the Man of the Match award.

Mohammad Shami and KL Rahul posing with their coloured caps for taking highest wickets and scoring highest runs, respectively, in the tournament so far.

Picture courtesy : Twitter/@KingsXIPunjab

Match Summary :

Kings XI Punjab 206/3 (20)

Playing XI – KL Rahul (C & WK), Mayank Agarwali, Karun Nair, Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Sarfaraz Khan, James Neesham, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammad Shami and Sheldon Cottrell.

Royal Challengers Bangalore 109/10 (17)

Playing XI – Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli (C), AB de Villiers, Josh Philippe (WK), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav, Dale Steyn, and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Winning team – Kings XI Punjab (by 97 runs)

Man of the Match – KL Rahul

Dream11 Game Changer – KL Rahul

Altroz Super Striker of the Match – KL Rahul

Unacademy Let’s Crack it Sixes – KL Rahul

CRED Power Player of the Match – Sheldon Cottrell

Unquestionably, a perfect day for the Preity Zinta owned Kings XI team. But, it also happened to be one of the darkest days for the entire cricket fraternity. We lost Dean Jones earlier in the day. All the players wore a black band on their sleeves to show respect to our beloved Prof. Deano. The cricket world will never forget Australia’s greatest batter and fielder who set the bar for generations to come.

As the showman Prof. Deano was, the show must go on. With just a few hours remaining for another interesting match between the experienced, Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings and the youngest captain Shreyas Iyer’s Delhi Capitals.

Dean Jones

Picture courtesy : The Indian Express

Who’s your pick for tonight? Let us know in the comments below!

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!

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!

Indian Premier League 2020, but in UAE? 😳


Dream11 IPL 2020 is back in action, but at what cost?

The Dream11 Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 13th edition is witnessing the most enthusiasm and excitement amongst the players and viewers from all over the world. The change in location from India to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is quite upsetting for the Indian audience. Nevertheless, the passion for cricket has always been never-dying!

Picture courtesy : Dream11 on Instagram

Dream11 Title Sponsor of IPL 2020.

Picture courtesy : Dream11 on    Instagram


There are a total of eight teams playing for the 13th edition of IPL. The franchisees with their respective captains are:

1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) playing under India’s former captain, captain cool M.S. Dhoni.
2. Delhi Capitals (DC) under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, the youngest captain this season.
3. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) under debut captain KL Rahul.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) shining under Dinesh Kartik
5. Mumbai Indians (MI) led by India’s stand-in captain, Rohit Sharma.
6. Rajasthan Royals (RR) under the captaincy of Australia’s greatest, Steve Smith
7. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head by India’s current skipper, Virat Kohli
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) under another Australia’s greatest player, David Warner.


All Skipper’s Of Dream11 IPL 2020
Picture courtesy : sportsmonks.com/


Mumbai Indians, the defending champions who claimed the Vivo IPL 2019 title lift the trophy 4th time in the last season. They will face the runners-up Chennai Super Kings for the inaugural match on 19th September which is to be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Dhoni’s yellow army has won the title three times and have come 2nd for five times since the inception of IPL in 2008.


As per statistics report of the Times of India, CSK has the highest winning percentage of 60.61. Just after them is Mumbai Indians, with 57.22% winning ratio. Delhi Captials stands the lowest chance with the winning ratio of 42.7%.


With too many changes in the squad, KXIP is unlikely to perform well in the tournament. However, when IPL took place in UAE in 2014, although partially (due to General Elections in India), Kings XI were runners-up. We never know if they might get lucky this season but Brad Hogg isn’t on the same page.

“They are too much up and down. That’s why Kings XI are going to finish last,” Hogg feels.


KXIP who are yet to get their hands on the coveted trophy, got off to a great start in the past two seasons under the captaincy of Ravichandran Ashwin. With KL Rahul leading the side this season, it’s yet another change which may or may not work in their favour.


Speaking of champions and runner ups, the current Indian skipper’s team RCB has been always been at the loosing end too. They usually finish in 2nd half I’d the points table. They’ve never lifted the trophy but have been runners-up twice.


Needless to say, the ongoing pandemic has played a huge role. The upcoming season will prove to be a challenge for everyone right from players to ground staff and from journalists to viewers as well.


Here are some drastic changes that we shall witness:

1. Empty stands

It’ll be a totally different experience for players with no spectators in the stands. The constant hooting, cheering, display of placards & banners by the sightseers add to the fabulous ambience of the stadium. It will be disheartening not just for the players but the audience as well. Truly the new normal, the one we don’t approve of!

Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE to host 12 league matches of Dream11 IPL 2020
Picture courtesy : Twitter/@sharjahstadium

Economically too, this idea doesn’t sound good! No spectators means no revenue generated by ticket sales. This may burn a huge hole in the sponsors’ pockets.

2. Concussion substitutes

For the first time in the history of IPL, we shall see concussion substitutes meaning; replacement of an injured or ill player from the team.

Another sad news for the audience is that since the nation-wide lockdown in India, there has been no update on the All-Stars Match. In order to raise money for charity, BCCI had earlier announced to organize an All-Stars Match before the commencement of IPL’s 13th edition.

We haven’t decided the names of the teams for the All-Stars game but there will be a team of overseas players from the IPL. It will be an annual affair – BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said after the IPL Governing Council’s meeting on 27th January’20.


The competition was to be held between a team from South and West i.e. comprising players from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) versus another team from North and East which will include players from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Delhi Capitals (DC).


Keeping all worries at bay, the first match in the men’s league stage is between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings.


From left – Rohit Sharma, Captain of Mumbai Indians with M.S.Dhoni, Captain of Chennai Super Kings
Picture courtesy : Instagram/@TimesOfIndia


We are sure to see some action for the Women’s IPL too starting on 1st November. The players are gearing up. The audience, too, is eagerly waiting for this league to commence on such a high note. With just 10 days to go, our enthusiasm is sky high!


Let us know how excited you are in the comments below 😬