Wicketkeeper-batsman Shreevats Goswami was the first player to win the Indian T20 League Emerging Player of the Year honour. He won the award while representing Team Bangalore in the 2008 edition.

Goswami won the award after scoring 82 runs (including a half-century) followed by four dismissals (two caught, two stumpings) in four matches. He featured for Bangalore in the first three seasons of the Indian T20 League before going on to represent Kolkata, Rajasthan and Hyderabad in the competition.

Rohit Sharma is second on the list of Indian T20 League Emerging Player of the Year awardees. The current Mumbai skipper was given the honour for his pivotal performances in Team Deccan’s charge to win the 2009 edition. Rohit hit 362 runs in 16 matches and grabbed 11 wickets. This was his best return as a part-time bowler.

The likes of Saurabh Tiwary (2010), Iqbal Abdulla (2011) and Mandeep Singh (2012) went on to win the honour in the next three editions.

Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman is the only overseas player to win the Indian T20 League Emerging Player of the Year award. The pacer claimed the honour for his haul of 17 wickets in 16 matches in his debut campaign in 2016. Rahman’s exploits proved handy as his Hyderabad team would go on to win the league title.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who won the Orange Cap last season, also returned home as the Indian T20 League Emerging Player of the Year. 

The 25-year-old slammed 635 runs at an average of 45.35 in the 2021 edition, with a century and four fifties to his name. He hit a 27-ball 32 in the 2021 final against Kolkata and capped off a fine season with a winners medal.

Indian T20 League Emerging Player of the Year: Complete list

Player	Edition
Shreevats Goswami	2008
Rohit Sharma	2009
Saurabh Tiwary	2010
Iqbal Abdulla	2011
Mandeep Singh	2012
Sanju Samson	2013
Axar Patel	2014
Shreyas Iyer	2015
Mustafizur Rahman	2016
Basil Thampi	2017
Rishabh Pant	2018
Shubman Gill	2019
Devdutt Padikkal	2020
Ruturaj Gaikwad	2021

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / ISHARA S. KODIKARA

With rising cases of COVID-19 in different camps, BCCI had finally taken the decision to suspend the Indian T20 League 2021 indefinitely.

The season was almost done with 50 per cent of its operations before the latest wave of the Covid-19 virus put the tournament at risk of being discontinued. A host of overseas players, especially England and Australian players, had left the tournament midway either due to injury or to escape the strict bio-bubble restrictions.

May 9: 3:00 PM: Rajasthan's Chetan Sakariya loses father to COVID-19

Rajasthan's Chetan Sakariya is bereaved after his father Kanjibhai Sakariya, 42, lost his battle with COVID-19. The 23-year-old uncapped bowler rushed to his hometown of Vartej in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat following the suspension of the Indian T20 League 2021 to take care of his ailing father. Sakariya's father, also a diabetic, had tested positive during the season and was admitted last week.

Team Rajasthan and the Saurashtra Cricket Association have taken to Twitter to offer their condolences.

It pains us so much to confirm that Mr Kanjibhai Sakariya lost his battle with Covid-19 earlier today.

We're in touch with Chetan and will provide all possible support to him and his family in this difficult time.

�?Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 9, 2021

Everyone in SCA conveys heartfelt sympathies to @Sakariya55 on sad demise of his father and pray the Almighty to give enough strength to everyone in his family to bear the loss and grant eternal peace to departed noble soul. #rip pic.twitter.com/ZCh5X1jFGM

�?Saurashtra Cricket (@saucricket) May 9, 2021

May 8: 2:00 PM: India pacer Prasidh Krishna tests COVID-19 positive

Kolkata pacer Prasidh Krishna has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in quarantine in his home town Bengaluru, a BCCI source said on Saturday.

The 25-year-old fast bowler was named as the four standbys by the BCCI for the World Test Championship final and the Test series in England.

Krishna is now the fourth player from the franchise after Varun Chakravarthy, Sandeep Warrier and Tim Seifert to test positive for the coronavirus.

May 8: 7:30 AM: Kolkata's Tim Seifert tests positive for COVID-19

Kolkata batsman Tim Seifert has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not be travelling back to New Zealand on the charter flight with New Zealand's Indian T20 League players, support staff and commentators. Seifert failed both his pre-departure PCR tests and as a result will be taken into quarantine.

The opening batsman, currently in Ahmedabad, will be flown to Chennai where he will undergo treatment in the same hospital where Australian Michael Hussey, the Chennai batting coach, is being treated before returning to New Zealand.

May 5: 3:00 PM: Eight English players return home

As many as eight England players landed at London's Heathrow airport on Wednesday, April 5 after the Indian T20 League 2021 was suspended indefinitely. This includes Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Jason Roy and Curran brothers Sam and Tom. The likes of Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan and Chris Jordan will leave in the next 48 hours.

The players who have arrived will now have to quarantine in government-approved hotels for 10 days.

May 4: 8:00 PM: Michael Hussey tests positive for COVID-19

After bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji, Chennai batting coach Michael Hussey has tested positive for COVID-19. According to ANI, the Australian will be tested again, with the franchise hoping that the earlier result was a false positive. Earlier, L Balaji had tested positive for the virus, along with a member of the travel staff. 

May 4: 4:00 PM: Cricket Australia delivers their statement

Hours after the Indian T20 League 2021 was indefinitely suspended, Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association delivered a joint statement, saying that while they are in constant touch with the BCCI for the safety and wellbeing of all the Australia, they respect the decision of their government to pause travel from India until at least May 15. This means that all the Australians who are a part of the Indian T20 League will have to wait.

According to ESPNCricinfo, the likes of Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Ricky Ponting, Simon Katich amongst other Australians are expected to join the commentator Michael Slater in the Maldives.

Australian Cricket will throw its support behind the India COVID-19 Crisis Appeal by partnering with the @ACA_Players and @unicefaustralia to raise much needed funds.

Donate to UNICEF Australia’s India COVID-19 Crisis Appeal: http://t.co/JWpslbtY2j pic.twitter.com/E0CMow6h8z

�?Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) May 2, 2021

"Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association understand the decision of the BCCI to indefinitely postpone the 2021 Indian T20 League for the safety and wellbeing of all participants.

"CA is in direct contact with the BCCI as they work through plans to ensure the safe accommodation and repatriation of Australian players, coaches, match officials and commentators back home to Australia.

"CA and the ACA respect the decision of the Australian Government to pause travel from India until at least May 15 and will not seek exemptions.

"CA and the ACA thank the BCCI for their efforts and cooperation for the safe repatriation of all participants at the league."

May 4: 1:00 PM: BCCI suspends Indian T20 League 2021 indefinitely

According to reports, the move was confirmed by Indian T20 League chairman Brijesh Patel, who informed that the decision was taken for the safety of all stakeholders.

“The Indian T20 League has been suspended for the time being. We spoke to everyone from teams, broadcasters and all those who were involved in it. It was decided to defer the Indian T20 League, especially looking at the sentiment and current situation in the country," BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told The Indian Express

"For us players�?health is paramount and BCCI will always keep safety first. We will meet again soon and decide when we can conclude this edition, we will have to see when is the next window available,�?Shukla added.

UPDATE: The Indian Premier League Governing Council (IPL GC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an emergency meeting has unanimously decided to postpone IPL 2021 season with immediate effect.

Details - http://t.co/OgYXPj9FQy pic.twitter.com/lYmjBId8gL

�?IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2021

May 4: 12:35 PM: Wriddhiman Saha and Amit Mishra test positive for COVID-19

Team Hyderabad's wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha and Team Delhi spinner Amit Mishra become the latest Indian T20 League players to test positive.  

#IPL2021: @SunRisers' @Wriddhipops and @DelhiCapitals' @MishiAmit test positive for COVID-19#WriddhimanSaha #AmitMishra #SunrisersHyderabad #DelhiCapitals #COVID�?9 pic.twitter.com/Y0AjVI1lyD

�?TOI Sports (@toisports) May 4, 2021

COVID-19 now strikes Sunrisers Hyderabad with wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha testing positive. The entire team has been in isolation since yesterday.

�?Venkata Krishna B (@venkatatweets) May 4, 2021

May 4: 10:00 AM: Chennai vs Rajasthan match on May 5 to be rescheduled

After the Kolkata vs Bangalore Indian T20 League match didn't take place on May 3, the Chennai vs Rajasthan match will now be rescheduled as well after Chennai bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji was tested COVID-19 positive on Monday.

As per the Board's Standard Operating Procedure, the entire Chennai team has been forced into hard quarantine for six days in which the players and staffs have to return three negative RT-PCR reports.

"Tomorrow's match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium between CSK and RR will be rescheduled as per SOP rules," a senior BCCI official told PTI.

"As Balaji was in contact with the players, all of them have gone into hard quarantine. They are supposed to be tested every day," the official added.

May 4: 12:30 AM: Will Indian T20 League be shifted to Mumbai?

In order to minimize the risk of more Covid-19 cases, the BCCI is reportedly planning to stage the rest of the ongoing Indian T20 League campaign in Mumbai.

It would mean the Indian T20 League would ditch its two-venue caravan model and reverting to the BCCI's original plan, when it was working out the tournament schedule, of having Mumbai as the hub.

The plan, should it be implemented, will ease travel and bio-bubble restrictions for players, especially those from New Zealand and England who will resume their international assignments in June. 

May 3: 9:30 PM: Delhi players to isolate in Ahmedabad hotel

Team Delhi have been asked to isolate themselves at their hotel in Ahmedabad following Kolkata's two players testing positive and their subsequent tie against Bangalore being cancelled.

There is no clarity yet on whether the squad - led by Rishabh Pant - can train on Tuesday as the Kolkata contingent is currently in a five-day quarantine.

May 3: 9:30 PM: Mumbai and Hyderabad skip practice

Defending champions Mumbai and Hyderabad, scheduled to play on May 4, Tuesday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, skipped their practice following news of five ground-staff members testing positive for Covid-19.

Rohan Jaitley, the president at the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association, has meanwhile assured that all testing has been done as per the standard operating procedures put in place by the Indian T20 League, and is confident that the Hyderabad vs Mumbai fixture scheduled for Tuesday evening will be held without any hiccups.

May 3: 5:15 PM: Will the Australians opt out?

Former Australia opener and Indian T20 League commentator Michael Slater has lashed out at the Australian government, particularly the Prime Minister Scott Morrison, for imposing a travel ban till May 15.

Slater is the latest Australian international to make his way out of India amidst the surge in Covid-19 cases, but is currently in the Maldives, given citizens returning to Australia from India could face imprisonment for five years.

If our Government cared for the safety of Aussies they would allow us to get home. It's a disgrace!! Blood on your hands PM. How dare you treat us like this. How about you sort out quarantine system. I had government permission to work on the IPL but I now have government neglect

�?Michael Slater (@mj_slats) May 3, 2021

Slater's tone perhaps captures the entire Australian contingent's current anxious mood. Earlier, Rajasthan's Andrew Tye and Bangalore's Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson returned home after announcing their intent to skip the remainder of Indian T20 League 2021. Team Kolkata mentor David Hussey, in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), had stated that the Australian players are nervous about returning home but also pragmatic with regard to the ongoing competition.

"Everyone is sort of a bit nervous about whether they can get back into Australia. I dare say there will be a few other Australians a bit nervous about getting back into Australia," Hussey, a former Australia international, told the SMH.

Should all the Australians across roles move out, it would be a big blow to the tournament. Key Australian recruits include David Warner (Hyderabad), Glenn Maxwell (Punjab), Pat Cummins (Kolkata), Marcus Stoinis and Steve Smith (both Delhi), Ricky Ponting (Delhi head coach), Damien Wright (Punjab bowling coach), David Hussey and Brett Lee (commentators). Many of these have been reported to be currently exploring their options to either continue their stay in India or a make a way back home to Australia via connecting flights.

May 3: 4:45 PM: Five DDCA ground staff test positive

Five ground staff members from the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), who reportedly were at duty for the Rajasthan vs Hyderabad game on Sunday, have tested positive.

According to a DDCA official, there are chances that the staff may have come into contact with players from either team during the first of Sunday's double-header fixtures.

It’s confirmed that five DDCA ground staff tested Covid positive. They were on duty on the ground on the last IPL Match (RR vs SRH) at Kotla [Arun Jaitley Stadium]. Since they were on ground duty, there are chances that they must have come in contact with players and team staff,�?the DDCA official was quoted as saying by InsideSport.

May 3, 3:45 PM: Three Chennai management members test positive, and now negative

Three members of the Chennai management team, who earlier tested positive for Covid-19, have now returned with negative test results as per a report by Times of India.

Chief executive officer Kasi Viswanathan, bowling coach and former India pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji, and a team bus cleaner are the persons in question with Balaji, who was in the dugout during Chennai's heart-breaking loss to Mumbai on Saturday, believed to have taken a fresh test on Monday morning to rule out the possibility of a false positive test.

Rapid antigen tests on Monday afternoon revealed all three are now clear of the virus, raising questions over the nature of how tests are conducted.

However, It is understood that none of the players have been affected and have returned with negative results following the latest round of tests.

May 3, 1:20 PM: Kolkata pair Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier test Covid-19 positive

Kolkata's Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier have returned with a positive Covid-19 test in the third round of testing. Due to this, the fixture between Kolkata and Bangalore has been postponed. Earlier, the players recently left the bio-bubble through the official green channel to carry out a scan on their injuries and it is believed that they got exposed there.

Media release �?a href="http://twitter.com/IPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@IPL�?pic.twitter.com/kkTStkp8Wx

�?Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) May 3, 2021

Australian all-rounder Pat Cummins, who is currently ill, has tested negative along with other players and staff.

April 29: Zampa terms Indian T20 bio-bubble 'most vulnerable'

Australian spinner Adam Zampa slams the Indian T20 League, stating the current bio-bubble is the 'most vulnerable' he has been a part of.

Speaking to Sydney Morning Herald, the Bangalore player felt the 2021 edition should have been held in UAE, the venue for the previous season. "We've been in a few (bubbles) now, and I feel like this is probably the most vulnerable. I just feel like because it's India, we're always being told about the hygiene over here and being extra careful... I just felt like it was the most vulnerable," Zampa said.

April 23: Axar Patel re-joins Delhi camp after completing 20-day quarantine

Delhi's Axar Patel, who was the second homegrown player to test positive for Covid-19, completed his 20-day quarantine and has re-joined the team camp. The all-rounder, who attended Wednesday's training session, said that he is enjoying the best moment of his life since his Test debut but is not pushing too hard at the moment.

"I have started batting and bowling practice, but I haven't pushed too hard during training. I have spoken to the doctors about how I should go about my training, and I am carrying out my practice according to their suggestions," Axar said.

That smile tells a story

Welcome back to the field, @akshar2026 #YehHaiNayiDilli #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/tWX57z0Iho

�?Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 23, 2021

April 17: Bangalore's Daniel Sams completes recovery, joins team bio-bubble

Daniel Sams, who tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month, has made a complete recovery and joined Team Bangalore's bio-bubble, the Virat Kohli-led side confirmed in a statement.

Official statement:

Daniel Sams is out of quarantine and has joined the RCB bio-bubble today with two consecutive negative reports for COVID-19.

RCB medical team was in constant touch with Sams and has declared him fit to join the team after adhering to all the BCCI protocols.#PlayBold #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/0none9RQ7l

�?Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 17, 2021

April 14: Delhi pacer Anrich Nortje tests Covid-19 positive

After Axar Patel, Team Delhi's South African pacer Anrich Nortje has tested positive for the coronavirus. Nortje had travelled to India on April 6, along with compatriot Kagiso Rabada and the duo was in quarantine. While Nortje entered the hotel with a negative result, his second result has come positive ahead of Delhi's clash with Rajasthan. 

April 7: Team Bangalore's Daniel Sams latest to test Covid-19 positive 

Team Bangalore all-rounder Daniel Sams has tested positive for the Covid-19 in his second test after arriving in India. The 28-year-old Australian is asymptomatic and currently in isolation at a designated medical facility. He will miss the first few matches of Indian T20 League 2021.

Official Statement: Daniel Sams checked into the team hotel in Chennai on April 3rd, with a negative COVID report on arrival. His report from the 2nd test on 7th April came positive. Sams is currently asymptomatic and he is currently in isolation at a designated medical facility.

�?Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 7, 2021

April 6: Team Mumbai talent scout Kiran More tests Covid-19 positive

Former India wicket-keeper and Team Mumbai's talent scout Kiran More tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday. The 58-year-old is asymptomatic and has been isolated from the rest of the Mumbai team.

Official Statement:

Mumbai Indians�?scout and wicket keeping consultant Mr. Kiran More has tested positive for Covid-19. #MumbaiIndians #MI #OneFamily (1/3) pic.twitter.com/Szoweg0MrZ

�?Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 6, 2021

As a precautionary measure, the Mumbai squad has gone into quarantine and skipped the training session on Tuesday. All members of the franchise tested again and are now awaiting the results.

March 22: Devdutt Padikkal becomes third player to test positive for Covid-19

Team Bangalore opener Devdutt Padikkal became the third cricketer from the Indian T20 League to have tested positive for the coronavirus on March 22. The 20-year-old batsman was quarantining at his home before he joined Bangalore's bio-bubble on April 7 after recovering from the virus. According to Indian T20 League Covid protocols, all players who have tested positive need to get two clear tests in a row after quarantining for at least ten days, and then another test on arrival at the team hotel.

Bold Diaries: Devdutt Padikkal joins the RCB camp after testing negative for COVID-19. He’s healthy, feeling better and raring to go. Here’s a message to all RCB fans from Devdutt.#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/BtVszNABJW

�?Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 7, 2021

April 3: Several Wankhede Stadium ground staff test Covid-19 positive

As many as 10 members of the ground staff and a plumber at the Wankhede Stadium tested positive ahead of the upcoming edition of the high-profile T20 league. The stadium is slated to host 10 matches this season, with the first match scheduled to be held on April 10 between Delhi and Chennai. Meanwhile, BCCI has kept Hyderabad and Indore on standby if the situation goes out of control in Mumbai.

April 3: Delhi all-rounder Axar Patel tests positive for Covid-19

Team Delhi all-rounder Axar Patel became the second player to test positive for the virus. Patel had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on March 28 after arriving with a negative Covid-19 report, but his second test came positive. The 27-year-old immediately isolated himself at a designated medical care facility. He will miss Delhi's opening encounter against MS Dhoni-led Team Chennai on April 10.

UPDATE

Delhi Capitals all-rounder #AxarPatel has tested positive for COVID-19. He had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on Mar 28, 2021, with a negative report. His report from the second COVID test, came positive. pic.twitter.com/CjRKlfzvWR

�?Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 3, 2021

March 22: Kolkata's Nitish Rana first player to test Covid-19 positive in Indian T20 League bio-bubble

Kolkata star batsman Nitish Rana was the first cricketer to test positive for Covid-19 ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian T20 League. The southpaw had joined the Kolkata camp on March 21st after returning a negative Covid test. However, the 27-year-old tested positive for the coronavirus on March 22 and was placed in isolation as per the Indian T20 League Covid protocols. Rana later returned with a negative Covid-19 test and joined the Kolkata team training sessions after an extended 12-day quarantine.

Nitish Rana joined his teammates last evening, after two consecutive negative results for Covid-19

Having just beaten the virus, he urged everyone to stay safe and take all necessary precautions against Corona virus.@NitishRana_27 #KKRHaiTaiyaarhttp://t.co/G6aVZigXQT

�?KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 3, 2021

March 27: Team Mumbai 'Icon' Sachin Tendulkar tests positive for Covid-19

Team Mumbai icon Sachin Tendulkar tested positive for Covid-19, few days after leading the India Legends to the Road Safety World Series title by beating Sri Lanka Legends in the finals. 

The 47-year-old took to Twitter to reveal the news and further stated that he quarantined himself at home as advised by the doctors.

pic.twitter.com/dOlq7KkM3G

�?Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 27, 2021

Tendulkar was later admitted to the hospital as a precautionary measure on April 2.

Featured photo: Twitter / IPL

Bangalore batsman Devdutt Padikkal, on Thursday, April 22, became the third-youngest player in the history of the Indian T20 League to score a century. The 20-year-old scored an unbeaten 101 off 52 balls as Bangalore defeated Rajasthan by 10 wickets to win their fourth game of the 2021 Indian T20 League.

At 20 years and 289 days, Padikkal sits third in the list of youngest centurions in the league. The current Hyderabad batsman, Manish Pandey scored an unbeaten 114 in 2009 when he was 19 years and 253 days. Rishabh Pant, at the age of 20 years and 218 days, scored 128* against Hyderabad in 2018. Meanwhile, Padikkal is now the youngest player to score a ton in the Indian T20 League during a chase. He surpassed Quinton de Kock (23y 112d) when the South African scored 108 against Bangalore in 2016.

While Padikkal is now the fifth Bangalore player to score a century in the Indian T20 League, he is the first player from his team to do so against Rajasthan.

Padikkal was explosive right from the very beginning and made the likes of Riyan Parag and Rahul Tewatia his prey. Amongst all the bowlers he faced during his century, he hit Parag for 12 runs in four balls and Tewatia for 19 runs in seven balls. Here’s the detailed bifurcation of who he hit the most. 

Devdutt Padikkal vs Rajasthan bowlers
Bowler	Runs	Balls	Boundaries	Strike Rate	Balls/Boundary	Run %
Chetan Sakariya	19	12	3	158.33	4.00	18.81%
Chris Morris	14	8	2	175.00	4.00	13.86%
Mustafizur Rahman	23	14	4	164.28	3.50	22.77%
Rahul Tewatia	19	7	3	271.42	2.33	18.81%
Riyan Parag	12	4	2	300	2.00	11.88%
Shreyas Gopal	14	7	3	200	2.33	13.86%

Padikkal’s partnership of 181 runs with his captain Virat Kohli is the highest partnership in the league while chasing. The previous best was 144 between Gurkeerat Singh and Shimron Hetmyer for the fourth wicket against Hyderabad in 2019. It is also the second-highest partnership in the league by an Indian pair. Punjab’s KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal still hold the record with a partnership of 183 runs against Rajasthan.

Padikkal and Kohli’s effort guided Bangalore to a 10-wicket win which is their fourth victory by this margin. No other team has managed to match the feat on more than two occasions. While Padikkal left no stones unturned, Kohli did his job with mere perfection too and became the first player to reach the 6000-run mark in the history of the Indian T20 League.

Featured photo: Twitter / IPL

From Deepak Chahar’s match-winning spell against Kolkata to Glenn Maxwell finding his form, SportsAdda’s brand ambassador Brett Lee addressed several talking points that surfaced during the second week of the 2021 Indian T20 League.

In a candid chat with Manish Batavia, the former Australian pacer first explained what makes Deepak Chahar a quality bowler in the Indian T20 League. Chahar was Chennai’s best bowler during their 18-run win over Kolkata, picking four wickets while conceding just 29 runs.

“It was an absolutely brilliant piece of fast bowling,�?said Lee. 

“When we talk about Deepak Chahar it is not the express pace over that 145 kmph bracket, but it doesn’t have to be because he has got that shape, he has got that swing, he has got that length and he had the ball on a string. It came off the hand beautifully and his seam position was impeccable.  He got the ball nibble a little bit. So when the ball nibbles of the seam, you are destined to take wickets.�?/span>

The curious case of Glenn Maxwell

For someone who failed to hit a six during the entirety of the Indian T20 League last year, the rejuvenation in Glenn Maxwell’s form has been a sheer treat, to say the least. The Australian all-rounder has already bettered his last year’s tally in just three innings and judging by the form he is in, it is safe to say that there’s more to come.

“I’ll try to work out why Maxwell has been so successful with this franchise. Nothing changed with his technique. He might be a little bit more closed off than he was last year in terms of front foot. His hips position now is in alignment in terms of facing towards the umpire,�?explains Brett Lee. 

“Apart from that, I think Maxwell is thriving in an environment where he is not the ‘big show�? He is still an important player but now he is playing in a squad that has got Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. So I think all the pressure is off Maxwell now. 

“Normally in the other teams, he has been the main man, he has to score runs, he has got to step up. But when you throw Kohli and de Villiers, they are the guys with all the spotlight. So Maxwell can come under the radar and play his natural game. He is relishing the fact that he is in an environment that allows him to express himself.�?/span>

Age-defying Devdutt Padikkal

Bangalore opener Devdutt Padikkal scored his maiden Indian T20 League century on Thursday, April 22 against Rajasthan. The funny thing that is floating around the internet is the fact that on the same date exactly 10 years back, Chris Gayle scored his maiden Indian T20 League century, with the West Indian remaining not out along with Virat Kohli.

22nd April 2011:
Chris Gayle scored his maiden IPL hundred.
RCB won the game.
Gayle and Virat Kohli remained Not Out in the chase.

22nd April 2021:
Devdutt Padikkal scored his maiden IPL hundred.
RCB won the game.
Padikkal and Virat Kohli remained not out in the chase.

�?Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 22, 2021

Lee, for one, is impressed by the 20-year-old’s style and has said that he hasn’t seen a guy that well at the age of 20.

“You see he is a different player from Gayle. Yes, they are both left-handers, but play a different style. Gayle is more aggressive, hits sixes while Padikkal has got beautiful timing. 

“Up until his century, he had 36 runs in two innings, but that was a good 36. He looked like he was in good form. You go back to last season where he scored 400-plus runs so you know his track record is good. I haven’t seen a guy that well at the age of 20 ever.�?/span>

KL Rahul’s class is permanent

KL Rahul has been amongst runs in the Indian T20 League but has been criticised for playing at a rather substandard strike rate. In his four innings so far this season, only once has he managed to strike at a rate of over 180, but Lee says Rahul is a much better player than what the stats show.

The outcome of those three knocks by KL Rahul:

61 (51) @ 119.60 - DC chased down 196 with 10 balls to spare
63 (52) @ 121.15 - CSK chased down 179 without losing a wicket
69 (54) @ 127.77 - RR recorded the highest IPL chase (224)

�?Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) April 18, 2021

“We all know KL Rahul can score runs quickly. I think back maybe three or four years ago he got a fifty in 14 balls so there is no reason why he can’t score runs quickly. He has got the technique to do it, he has got the mindset, but I think this slower strike rate is because he is trying to bat through the entire innings. He is probably thinking I need to bat deep, I need to go through the 14-15 overs to set the platform for the team. 

“But you know you can’t soak up too many balls. He is a much better player than what the stats show so I’m not concerned about KL Rahul because his class is permanent.�?/span>

Team Bangalore opener Devdutt Padikkal has become the third cricketer from the Indian T20 League to have tested positive for the global virus. The news comes just a day after Delhi all-rounder Axar Patel had contracted the virus, resulting in him missing his team's opening game Chennai on April 10.

As reported by the Times of India, the young opener is under quarantine and is in a 'race against time' to be fit for Bangalore's first game against Mumbai on Friday, April 9 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. . This could be a huge blow for the Virat Kohli-led team given the form he was in. The 20-year-old had scored 737 runs from seven Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at an average of 147.40. He showed glimpses of his talent in last year's edition of the Indian T20 League, rightfully winning the ‘Emerging Player�?award in his debut season.

It is said that Padikkal was set to open for Bangalore alongside Virat Kohli, but if he is to miss the opening games, Bangalore might have to look for decent alternatives. 

The 14th edition of the Indian T20 League came under the scanner when as many as 10 members of the ground staff at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai tested positive for the global virus. While there are reports that BCCI may look to change the venue, Mumbai is still very well in the existing plan for the time being. Reports have it that Hyderabad and Indore are kept on standby as options if the situation goes out of control in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Padikkal's name is third in the list of players who have contracted the virus just before the Indian T20 League. Before Axar Patel's report broke in, Kolkata batsman Nitish Rana had contracted the virus in late March. He has since joined his teammates in training after returning with a negative test.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @devdpd07

Team Bangalore have been a mystery package all along in the Indian T20 League. Despite having some of the greatest talents in their squad, the Virat Kohli-led team has always fallen short of glory, thus earning the moniker of perennial underachievers.

With seven wins in their first 10 games of the 2020 edition, Bangalore seemed to be on course for a confident title challenge. But they came stumbling down in the latter half of the tournament, losing out in the eliminator.

Virat Kohli and co. begin their 2021 season against defending champions Mumbai, and considering the influx of talented overseas players, the three-time finalists would appear confident of breaking the jinx this time around.

Team Bangalore squad

As a sign of a squad overhaul, Bangalore released 10 players - the likes of Aaron Finch, Chris Morris, Moeen Ali, Dale Steyn, and the now-retired Parthiv Patel. The team entered the February auctions with a purse of Rs 35.40 crore and went on a spending spree of Rs 35.05 crores.

New Zealand Kyle Jamieson is #NowARoyalChallenger!

A huge warm welcome to the RCB #ClassOf2021.

Price: 1️⃣5️⃣CR#PlayBold #BidForBold #WeAreChallengers #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/AZAn3HeeYx

�?Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) February 18, 2021

The team retained 12 players, including Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Devdutt Padikkal, and broke the bank to sign New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson (Rs 15 crore), Australian all-rounders Glenn Maxwell (Rs 14.25 crore) and Dan Christian (Rs 4.8 crore).

Team Bangalore squad for Indian T20 League 2021: Virat Kohli (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Finn Allen (wicketkeeper), AB de Villiers (wicketkeeper), Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kane Richardson, Harshal Patel, Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Kyle Jamieson, Daniel Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, K.S. Bharat

Team Bangalore strength and weakness

Strengths:

At the onset, it is quite clear that Bangalore have one of the most formidable batting resources going into the 14th edition of the T20 extravaganza. With skipper Virat Kohli set to open for his team this season and Glenn Maxwell’s addition to the mix, cricket fans are in for a marvelous treat of some batting fireworks.

While the top-order seems particularly intangible, Maxwell and Dan Christian’s arrival will bolster the middle-order firepower as batters between #4 - #7 registered 821 runs in the 2020 season - the second-lowest of all teams.

Weakness:

One of the persisting areas of concern for Bangalore has been their fast bowler conundrum. Despite splashing the cash on Kyle Jamieson, the Kiwi pacer’s inexperience on Indian tracks and Mohammed Siraj’s tendency to return with an expensive spell is yet another sign that Virat Kohli’s men should have bid for a recognized pace bowler to headline their bowling attack.

Kane Richardson - who skipped the previous season for paternal reasons and also the travel restrictions due to the pandemic - returns to the fold and his recent tally of seven wickets in the T20I series against New Zealand could offer a minimal respite to Bangalore’s woes.

Who can be the highest run-scorer for Team Bangalore?

Devdutt Padikkal broke Bangalore’s massive dependence on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the batting department, as he smashed 473 runs to finish as the team’s leading run-getter for the 2020 season. This season, however, Glenn Maxwell is expected to be the chief hard-hitter for the franchise. An explosive batsman on his day, Maxwell tallied 379 runs in Big Bash League 2020-21 and will look to put the ghosts of his disastrous 2020 season - 108 runs in 13 games - to rest this time around.

Who can be the highest wicket-taker for Team Bangalore?

While the limelight will be directed towards Kyle Jamieson, Bangalore will depend on their homegrown talents in Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj to spell trouble for opposition batters in the 2021 Indian T20 League. Siraj scalped 11 wickets last term and is 10 wickets away from completing 100 wickets across T20s. The 27-year-old commands an economy rate of 8.52 in the first innings in the competition and Virat Kohli will be eager to see the pacer showcase his true potential in the latest edition.

Where will Team Bangalore finish in Indian T20 League 2021?

As unpredictable as they are, it is safe to say that Bangalore should at least qualify for the playoffs stage of Indian T20 League 2021. Deploying a perfect strategy around the bowlers will be the major piece of the puzzle for Virat Kohli, given there won’t be much to ponder upon from the batting point of view.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Manjunath Kiran

Mumbai captain Prithvi Shaw made a strong case for a comeback in the Indian cricket team set-up after he became the first player to score more than 800 runs in a single edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. 

The 21-year-old reached the milestone in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Uttar Pradesh. 

Shaw scored 73 runs off just 39 balls to take his tally to 827 runs in eight matches at a staggering average of 165.40. He has smashed four centuries this season, including an unbeaten 227 against Puducherry in the group stage which made him only the eighth Indian to score a double century in senior 50-over cricket. 

The Mumbai opener had surpassed Mayank Agarwal's record for most runs in one season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the semi-final match against Karnataka. 

Most runs in a single edition of Vijay Hazare Trophy

Player	Team	Matches	Runs	HS	Average	SR	100s	50s	Season
Prithvi Shaw	Mumbai	8	827	227*	165.40	138.29	4	1	2020/21
Devdutt Padikkal	Karnataka	7	737	152	147.40	97.96	4	3	2020/21
Mayank Agarwal	Karnataka	8	723	140	90.37	107.91	3	4	2017/18
Devdutt Padikkal	Karnataka	11	609	103*	67.66	81.09	2	5	2019/20
Dinesh Karthik	Tamil Nadu	9	607	118	86.71	102.01	2	4	2016/17

Shaw was recently dropped from the Indian team after a poor run of form in the Tests against Australia Down Under. The Bihar-born cricketer had scored a duck and four runs during the first Test against Australia in December. He also had a horrible Indian T20 League last year playing for the Delhi franchise. 

Meanwhile, Mumbai defeated Uttar Pradesh by six wickets to win the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.

This is Mumbai's fourth Vijay Hazare Trophy title and their first since the 2018/19 season. Interestingly, the Shaw-led side won all matches they played in the tournament this season. 

Feature image courtesy: Twitter/MumbaiCricAssoc

Two new Indian T20 League teams are set to be auctioned in the month of May as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looks to make the cash-rich T20 tournament a 10-team affair from 2022.

The BCCI officials, including president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, had a meeting on Saturday to discuss the aforementioned topic which was approved by the Indian T20 League governing council earlier in the year.

"The 10 team IPL will roll on from next year and the bidding process and finalisation of the new franchises will be completed by the month of May this year," a senior BCCI source privy to the developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity. 

"Once the teams are finalised, they can start their operational work which takes considerable time," the source added. 

Meanwhile, in other development, the same source confirmed that young openers in Prithvi Shaw and Devdutt Padikkal will have to wait for their chances as they will not be picked for India’s three-match ODI series England, which starts on March 23. He confirmed that none of the senior players have opted to rest.

"The team is expected to be announced tomorrow. Neither skipper Virat Kohli nor his deputy Rohit Sharma has opted for rest. There aren't many surprises as we prepare for World T20," the influential official informed. 

"They have done exceedingly well but will have to wait for their turn," he said. 

There was also an update over India’s Women’s cricket team as the source said that they will tour Australia later in the year and will follow it up with a short series against New Zealand before the 50-over World Cup.

"Our women's cricket is as much important as our men's game. We are playing a Test match in England, our first in 6 years and then we have twin tours followed by World Cup. Our girls have a packed schedule," the source added.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu  Sarkar

One of the most anticipated domestic T20 cricket tournaments in India, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy marks its return after a long nine-month wait when it kicks off on January 10. The 2021 edition is set to see some of the finest Indian talents of the shortest format taking the centre stage in a 38-team event which will be played across Bangalore, Kolkata, Vadodara, Indore, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu in the group-stage. The competition will then move to Ahmedabad for the knockout round.

Defending champions Karnataka, whose roster boasts of some real match-winners, will take the field against Jammu and Kashmir in the inaugural game. Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy provides the players a perfect stage to lay a foundation, and like every other year, there are a few who will be under the spotlight. Here we throw a beam on three of them:

Devdutt Padikkal - Karnataka

Young and adroit, top-order batsman Devdutt Padikkal was instrumental in Karnataka’s success in the 2019/20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, topping the run-scoring chart by quite a margin, accumulating 580 runs at an average of 64.44 and a strike rate of 175.75. Once again under the scanner, the 20-year-old is coming at the back of an exhilarating stint in the Indian T20 League and will once again look to leave a positive mark as the 2021 T20 World Cup looms. He will arguably be the one to keep a keen eye on.

Suryakumar Yadav - Mumbai

The captain of Mumbai team, Suryakumar Yadav was the third-highest run-scorer in the previous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 392 runs in 11 matches at an average and strike rate of 56.00 and 168.96 respectively. Yadav’s stocks rose so significantly in the Indian T20 League 2020 that he missed out on his maiden national team call for the Australia T20I series only by a whisker. Another such performance in the upcoming tournament and the selectors will be forced to at least consider him for the T20I series against England, which begins shortly after the conclusion of the competition.

Ravi Bishnoi -  Rajasthan

Playing in his first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, 20-year-old Ravi Bishnoi is no stranger to big games, having performed exceptionally well in the 2020 Indian T20 League for Punjab, picking 12 wickets during the tournament. Bishnoi rose into the province after topping the wicket-taking tally with 17 scalps during the ICC Under 19 World Cup last year. It was after this performance that he got his maiden Indian T20 League contract and he went on to play all of Punjab’s 14 games in the competition. Now turning up for Rajasthan, Bishnoi will once again look to assert an authority to soar his reputation even further.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @devdpd07

This is the sixth in a series of features where we will be taking a detailed dive into the various factors that stood out during the course of the Indian T20 League 2020 season.

Just like previous editions, we saw some fine young talents turning the heat on in the recently concluded Indian T20 League season as well.

"One of the things I most enjoy is keeping an eye on budding talents," said Lee.

"To that end, this year's Indian T20 League offered up some tantalising prospects for the future. We saw Padikkal's consistency shine through for Bangalore as he ended up as their highest run-scorer. Then there was Ruturaj Gaikwad finally coming good once let out on a longer leash by Chennai. As the old guard eventually bows out, these are some of the names I see shining bright in the years to come."

So, here we take a look at some of those youngsters and how they performed during the course of the tournament.

Devdutt Padikkal and his consistency

Everyone had a lot of expectations from the 20-year-old at the beginning of the season. He had scored heaps of runs across all formats in domestic cricket prior to the Indian T20 League and he didn't let anyone down when he got the opportunity to open for Bangalore in this tournament as well. 

Padikkal not only scored a fifty on his debut but also went on to give consistent returns at the top of the order throughout the season, which saw him becoming the highest run-getter for Bangalore as well. By the end of the season, Padikkal had 473 runs to his name at an average of 31.53 and these runs included five scores of fifty or more.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and his mature knocks

The 23-year-old batsman from Maharashtra didn't get the same kind of backing in the first half of the season from Chennai as Padikkal got from his team. However, he showed what he is capable of when he was given his chance to open the innings in the last few matches.

Gaikwad went on to score 199 runs at an average of 99.50 in his last four innings combined and that included three consecutive fifties as well. All of these three half-centuries turned out to be match-winning knocks for Chennai. The best part about his knocks was the maturity with which he played. Gaikwad remained unbeaten in two out of these three occasions and thus guided his team over the line.

Kartik Tyagi's pace and impeccable yorkers

Kartik Tyagi's bowling numbers in this season -- nine wickets at an average of 40.77 -- might not appear to be that impressive but it would be harsh to judge the youngster based just on these numbers. Tyagi bowled regularly at speeds of over 140 kph and thus troubled a lot of batsmen with his pace and hard lengths.

The 20-year-old also showed an exceptional ability to bowl accurate yorkers. He had already done that in the U-19 World Cup earlier this year, but it takes immense confidence and courage to do that consistently against quality international batsmen on this stage.

Arshdeep Singh and his accuracy

He is another young pacer who impressed in this edition of the Indian T20 League. The left-arm seamer played eight matches for Punjab and picked up nine wickets at an impressive strike-rate of 16.55. Arshdeep performed well both with the new ball and in the death, but his most impressive quality was his accuracy of line and length.

He kept teasing the batsmen with good length deliveries in the off-stump channel in the powerplay overs and when it came to bowling in the death, he executed the yorkers beautifully as well. Arshdeep doesn't have the same pace as someone like Tyagi but he showed what a bowler can do with accurate lengths and clever use of angles.