IPL https://www.cricketwinner.com IPL Sun, 22 Dec 2024 17:24:33 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html https://github.com/jpmonette/feed en Copyright © 2024 Cricket Winner. All Rights Reserved. <![CDATA[Ajinkya Rahane in contention for a captaincy role with KRR: Reports]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/ajinkya-rahane-in-contention-for-a-captaincy-role-with-krr-reports/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/ajinkya-rahane-in-contention-for-a-captaincy-role-with-krr-reports/ Mon, 02 Dec 2024 05:45:12 GMT

As per growing speculation, Mumbai's Ranji Trophy captain Ajinkya Rahane has emerged as a potential candidate to lead the KKR franchise in the IPL 2025 season. The 36-year-old was omitted from the leadership position from his domestic Mumbai side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. 

However, given his experience at the highest level, Rahane's leadership capabilities are still held in high regard.

See also: Suryakumar Yadav ready to play in SMAT and Vijay Hazare Trophy

Speculation around Rahane leading the Kolkata Knight Riders

Rahane was bought by the KKR for an impressive amount of Rs 1.5 crore in the Jeddah mega-auction. From what we understand from a source in TOI, Rahane is being considered over Venkatesh Iyer as a viable captaincy candidate for the three-time IPL champions. 

"Yes, at the moment it's 90% confirmed that Ajinkya will be the new KKR captain. He was bought by KKR specifically for the purpose of being a viable captaincy option."

If this development becomes a reality, then it would surely be seen as a surprising move from the Shahrukh Khan-owned KKR since the franchise was vying to appoint the all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer as a captain initially who was bought for a whopping Rs 23.75 crore in the mega auction.

Rahane was previously removed as the Mumbai captain in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament as the MCA preferred to have the in-form Shreyas Iyer for the job instead. However, it will be an ironic turnaround for Rahane if he becomes the captain of KKR, and while doing so he will replace Shreyas in the process who led the Kolkata-based outfit to the title last year. 

Rahane is no longer a part of the Indian setup across formats but under his leadership, the national side went on to achieve some significant milestones that are still etched in the chapters of India's glorious cricket history. 

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<![CDATA[Lalit Modi issues grave allegations on five-time IPL champions; Exposes their alleged role in fixing]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/lalit-modi-issues-grave-allegations-on-five-time-ipl-champions-exposes-their-alleged-role-in-fixing/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/lalit-modi-issues-grave-allegations-on-five-time-ipl-champions-exposes-their-alleged-role-in-fixing/ Wed, 27 Nov 2024 06:54:32 GMT

Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has launched a scathing attack on the five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and also mounted serious accusations of potential auction-fixing charges against former BCCI president N. Srinivasan.

Lalit revealed that the moment he started unraveling his infamous fixing plot, Srinivasan had reportedly turned against him. At present, Lalit has leveled two serious allegations against Srinivasan. 

His first allegation centers around Srinivasan's alleged role in influencing the 2009 mega-auction in which he pressured the other franchises to keep away from Andrew Flintoff. And in his second allegation, Lalit exposes how Srinivasan attempted to influence the outcome of the game in his side's favor by appointing Chennai-based umpires.

Lalit Modi gifts Andrew Flintoff To N Srinivasan (CSK)

In a recent interview, Lalit highlighted how the former BCCI secretary played a key role in manipulating the auction to ensure Andrew Flintoff was picked by CSK only. At Srinivasan's request, Modi confessed that he had advised the other teams secretly not to pick Freddie Flintoff. 

"Pick out everything—auction rigging. I gave Flintoff to Srinivasan. No doubts about it; every team knew about it. Srinivasan wasn’t going to let the IPL happen. He was a thorn in our Board. Yes, we told everybody not to pick ‘Flintoff.’ Yes, that I did—because Srinivasan said he wanted it."

See also: Youngest IPL signee Vaibhav Suryavanshi lands in serious controversy

Manipulation plot to appoint Chennai umpires for home games

If that wasn't enough, Srinivasan went a step further to interfere in yet another aspect of the game. He tried to have Chennai-based umpires officiate the home games for CSK so as to ensure that the critical decisions go in his team's favor. Modi labeled this move as "indirect fixing" in his recent interview and spoke at length on how Srinivasan turned out to be a thorn in his side during the formative years of the cash-rich league.

"At first, I didn’t think much about it. But when I realized he was putting a Chennai umpire on a Chennai game, it became an issue for me. That’s called indirect fixing. When I started exposing those things, he went totally against me. When everybody started going back-to-back, he was also a member of the board. He was a big adversary of mine. I went up against him, and he did many things. Umpire fixing—he accused me of it, and I accused him right back. He would change the umpire."

CSK is one of the most successful teams in the IPL with five title under their belt. Under Dhoni's flamboyant and esteemed leardership the Chennai-based outfit soared to new heights. However, the franchise did come under fire when the world first became aware of its role in match-fixing and was subsequently banned as a result for two years in 2016 and 2017. 

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<![CDATA[Watch: Fleming and Dravid choose same IPL legend for IPL auction]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/fleming-and-dravid-choose-same-ipl-legend-for-ipl-auction/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/fleming-and-dravid-choose-same-ipl-legend-for-ipl-auction/ Mon, 25 Nov 2024 15:02:15 GMT

Legendary New Zealand captain and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming and former Indian captain and head coach Rahul Dravid revealed the same name when asked about the top pick of one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction.

Jeddah is hosting the two-day mega auctions for the IPL 2025. The opening day experienced some record signings. 

Watch: Jasprit Bumrah gets a special name from Aussie commentators

Fleming and Dravid revealed their choices

Recently, the present IPL coaches were asked about their top choices for one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction. While the Rajasthan Royals’ new head coach Rahul Dravid named some big players, one of his names matched with the CSK head coach Stephen Fleming. 

Dravid and Fleming named former Indian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Suresh Raina as their top pick if one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction. 

IPL Legend: Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is a familiar name in the Indian Premier League who ended his career as a legendary cricketer. The left-handed batter previously held the record for most runs in the IPL for a long time. He was the first batter in IPL history to score 5000 runs. 

Apart from the 2016 and 2017 seasons, where the CSK were suspended along with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for two seasons, Raina served for the Yellow Army. In the IPL 2016 and 2017 seasons, Raina served for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions. He ended his IPL career with 5528 runs in 205 matches with an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73 with one century and 39 half-centuries. 

Raina also scored 842 runs in 24 matches for the CSK in the now-defunct Champions League T20 (CLT20) with the help of one century and five half-centuries. He was the first Indian to record a century in the CLT20.

Despite last time playing in 2021, Raina still holds the record for most runs by a CSK batter with 5529 runs in 200 matches (average 33.10 and strike rate 138.91), including two centuries and 38 half-centuries. 

Moreover, Raina took 110 catches for CSK and 109 catches in his IPL career. Currently, he is the record holder for the most catches for CSK and second most catches in the IPL history. 

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<![CDATA[IPL Auction 2025: Remaining purse details and player slots for each team]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/ipl-auction-2025-remaining-purse-details-and-player-slots-for-each-team/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/ipl-auction-2025-remaining-purse-details-and-player-slots-for-each-team/ Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:38 GMT

As all the Indian Premier League teams officially announced their player retentions on Thursday, a clearer picture has come ahead of the 2025 auction. While 46 players were retained by the 10 teams, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals used up the full quota of six retentions as well.

Notably, Punjab Kings retained the least number of players, with two uncapped players. Hence, they will go into the IPL 2025 auction with the biggest purse among all teams as well. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals will go into the auction with just Rs. 41 crore left after having retained six players, including five capped players as well.

IPL 2025 Auction Purse

Five-time IPL title winner Chennai Super Kings have Rs. 55 crore in their purse while Mumbai Indians have Rs. 45 crore as well. Defending Champions Kolkata Knight Riders have Rs. 51 crore in their kitty, Rajasthan Royals have Rs. 41 crore and  Sunrisers Hyderabad have Rs. 45 crore ahead of the IPL auction as well. While Gujarat Titans have Rs. 69 crore in their name, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a huge Rs. 83 crore as well. Delhi Capitals have Rs. 73 Crore whereas Punjab Kings have a whooping Rs. 110.5 crore as well and Lucknow Super Giants have Rs. 69 crore as well.
 
 
 
 
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction is all set to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. After the 10 franchises announced their retained players in October, they will now buy the other players in the mega auction to finalize their squads for the upcoming edition.

 

Slots left for each team

However, each team can have a maximum of 25 players and a minimum of 18 players on the squad as well. Meanwhile, a maximum of eight overseas players can be there in a squad as well. And, Punjab Kings, having retained just two players, can have the maximum number of players (23) as well.

 

Slots left for each team (overseas in bracket)

Chennai Super Kings have left 20 slots with 7 overseas. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have 22 slots left with 8 overseas. While Sunrisers Hyderabad have 20 slots left with 5 overseas, Mumbai Indians too have the same slots left with 8 overseas. Delhi Capitals have 21 slots left with 7 overseas while Rajasthan Royals have left 19 slots, including 7 overseas as well. Punjab Kings have 23 slots left with 8 overseas as well. Kolkata Knight Riders have 19 slots left with 6 overseas whereas Gujarat Titans have 20 slots left with 7 overseas as well. Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants have 20 slots with 7 overseas as well.
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<![CDATA['My retention wasn't about money', Rishabh Pant speaks out on leaving Delhi Capitals]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/my-retention-wasn-t-about-money-rishabh-pant-speaks-out-on-leaving-delhi-capitals/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/my-retention-wasn-t-about-money-rishabh-pant-speaks-out-on-leaving-delhi-capitals/ Tue, 19 Nov 2024 11:26:52 GMT

Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant is arguably the in-demand name in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. He clarified that his departure from Delhi Capitals was not due to any disagreement with the franchise regarding his retention fee. Pant responded after Sunil Gavaskar suggested that he might have left the franchise due to a dispute over his retention fee. However, Pant confirmed this wasn't true.

Star Sports shared a video ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, Sunil Gavaskar said that sometimes players may leave their franchises to understand their true value in auction. As Pant's case isn't the same, Gavaskar expects that the wicketkeeper batter will be targeted by Delhi once again in the Auction.

See Also:- Daniel Vettori to attend IPL Auction amid First BGT Test

Sunil Gavaskar talks about Pant returning to Delhi Capitals

"Delhi would certainly want Rishabh Pant back in the squad. Sometimes when a player is to be retained, there is talk between the player and franchise about the fees that is expected. As you can see, some of the players who have been retained by the franchise, they've gone for more than what the No. 1 retention fee would've been. Maybe there was some disagreement over there (fees). "My feeling is Delhi would definitely want Pant back because they need a captain as well. If Rishabh Pant is not in their squad then they have to look for a new captain,".

Reacting to the video, Pant said his departure from the franchise wasn't about money.

"My retention wasn't about the money for sure that I can say," Rishabh Pant said in his reply to the post on X, formerly Twitter.

Rishabh Pant is expected to have all 10 franchised bidding for him. But as per the purse, he will likely join Punjab Kings, Lucknow Supergiants, or Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Even his return to DC via RTM can be ruled out.

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<![CDATA[BCCI confirms dual Marquee player sets for IPL 2025 auction in Jeddah]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/bcci-confirms-dual-marquee-player-sets-for-ipl-2025-auction-in-jeddah/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/bcci-confirms-dual-marquee-player-sets-for-ipl-2025-auction-in-jeddah/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 08:34:07 GMT

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially confirmed that the IPL 2025 mega auction will feature two sets of marquee players, reviving a format last seen in the 2018 and 2014 auctions. The marquee player lists will consist of 8–9 players each, providing franchises with a pool of high-caliber cricketers to kickstart their squad-building strategies. The auction is scheduled for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, marking a historic milestone for the tournament.

IPL 2025 mega auction to feature Two Marquee player lists

This exciting development has reignited the anticipation among franchises and fans, especially as marquee players like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, and Mitchell Starc are expected to headline the lists. Each marquee player has set a base price of INR 2 crore, and the BCCI predicts that teams will spend a significant portion of their budget, around 30–50%, on acquiring these top-tier athletes.

See Also: Afghanistan Women gear up for historic T20 clash in Australia

BCCI engages franchises for Marquee suggestions

In a collaborative move, the BCCI has invited franchises to suggest additional names for the marquee player lists, with the deadline for submissions closing on November 12. This approach aims to ensure that the auction caters to the specific needs and aspirations of the teams, making it a more inclusive process.

A total of 1,574 players have registered for the IPL 2025 auction, including 1,165 Indian cricketers and 409 overseas talents. The official order of the marquee player lists is expected to be revealed in the coming days, adding another layer of suspense and excitement.

With Jeddah hosting the mega auction, the IPL continues to expand its global footprint. Fans are eagerly awaiting the event, which promises to deliver high-stakes bidding wars as teams vie for the best players to strengthen their lineups for the 2025 season.

The combination of marquee lists, franchise involvement, and a stunning international venue ensures that this year’s mega auction will be one for the history books.

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<![CDATA[Why Joe Root and Ben Stokes face a likely ban from the 2027 IPL season]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/why-joe-root-and-ben-stokes-face-a-likely-ban-from-the-2027-ipl-season/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/why-joe-root-and-ben-stokes-face-a-likely-ban-from-the-2027-ipl-season/ Fri, 08 Nov 2024 05:24:02 GMT

England Test captain and all-rounder Ben Stokes has marked himself unavailable for the mega auction for a second straight season in a row. The decision comes as the star all-rounder wants to prolong his red-ball career over franchise cricket. As per current IPL regulations, any overseas player opting out of the mega auction will automatically be ineligible for selection in the next year's IPL season. 

Such has been the case with Ben Stokes. As per the player registration list unveiled by the BCCI, there has been no mention of Stokes' name in that list which effectively keeps him out of action till 2027. 

What are these stringent measures introduced now by BCCI?

Traditionally, the BCCI offered a lot of flexibility to the overseas players to omit mega auctions and rather make inroads via mini auctions which would often result in hefty contracts. Stokes, in particular, benefitted the most from this practice. After skipping the 2022 IPL mega auction, Stokes made an entry in the 2023 IPL season and by doing so attracted a whopping contract worth Rs. 16.25 crore bid from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the mini-auction.

But as the current situation stands, such leeway is now being taken away by the governing authority. This move has been put in place to discourage overseas players from entering the mini-auction at potentially higher bids. Moreover, the screws have been further tightened by the BCCI which will now hand a two-year ban to any player who withdraws after being picked up in the auction. These measures have been reinstated in a bid to foster consistency and dependability within the franchises.

What does the future hold for Stokes & Root? 

Both Stokes and Root will miss out on the upcoming IPL season and will continue to wait on the sidelines till the year 2027. Stokes has been a key asset in the IPL marketplace with his ongoing valuation expected to range between Rs 15-20 crore. Root, on the other hand, was picked for his base price of Rs. 1 crore at the 2023 IPL auction and played three matches for Rajasthan Royals, scoring 10 runs and bowling two overs without picking a wicket. The English duo will have to enter through a likely mini-auction format as per the current regulations.   

See also: WPL 2025 retention names revealed; T20 WC winner released

 

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<![CDATA[Reports: Wriddhiman Saha bids farewell to all forms of cricket, May skip IPL next year]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/reports-wriddhiman-saha-bids-farewell-to-all-forms-of-cricket-may-skip-ipl-next-year/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/reports-wriddhiman-saha-bids-farewell-to-all-forms-of-cricket-may-skip-ipl-next-year/ Mon, 04 Nov 2024 05:33:45 GMT

In a major turn of events, Indian wicketkeeper batter Wriddhiman Saha announced his retirement from all forms of cricket through a social media post on Twitter. This shocking development was made public on Sunday, Saha, aged 40, is currently representing his side Bengal in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. The veteran wicket-keeper hints to his fans that this will be the last domestic season of his career.

Saha predominately lived under the shadows of the star wicket-keeper MS Dhoni but still went on to make sporadic international appearances for India in 40 Tests and nine ODIs. He made these limited opportunities count and played some noteworthy knocks for his side across formats. After MS Dhoni, Saha was considered India's go-to option for a wicket-keeper-batter in red-ball cricket for quite some  

In his overall Test career, the Bengal wicket-keeper batter amassed 1353 runs which included three centuries making him the second player after MS Dhoni and Rishab Pant to hold the most number of Test centuries as a wicket-keeper batter. 

See Also: R Ashwin breaks Anil Kumble's 18-year-old record at Wankhede

Saha’s emotional tweet on X

On Sunday, Saha took to his X handle (formerly Twitter) to announce that he will no longer feature for his first-class side in domestic cricket. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude for being associated with the game for this long and extended his vote of thanks to everyone who was involved in nurturing him during his cricketing career.

Speculations are also rife that Saha may not feature in the upcoming IPL season. As per reports, the 40-year-old has not enrolled himself for the meg auction which is expected to be held later this month. Although a public announcement is yet to be made regarding his participation in the IPL, experts suggest that an announcement may come soon just before the auction kicks off. 

Saha has not been retained by his franchise Gujarat Titans (GT) this year and hence there is a high possibility that we may not see him in action anymore in the IPL. In addition to representing GT for three years, Saha has also represented five more franchises in his IPL career which include Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

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<![CDATA[Agartala likely to be KKR's second home venue for IPL 2025]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/agartala-likely-to-be-kkrs-second-home-venue-for-ipl-2025/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/agartala-likely-to-be-kkrs-second-home-venue-for-ipl-2025/ Sat, 02 Nov 2024 07:53:50 GMT

The famous Eden Gardens in Kolkata is all set to undergo a massive makeover in 2025 before the T20 World Cup 2026. For the same reason, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders may have to move their base to some other place for a few if not all the matches. And, Tripura becomes the frontrunner as it could host the IPL as well.

KKR to play a few games at Narsingarh

Notably, the construction for the international cricket stadium at Narsingarh started way back in 2017 for an estimated cost of INR 185 crore and the stadium is now nearly ready to host matches as well. Tripura Cricket Association secretary Subrata Dey also confirmed that the stadium will be ready by February 2025 as well. He also confirmed that the stadium could host KKR or some other state as well.

“IPL chairman Arun Kumar Dhumal recently visited the proposed international stadium at Narsingarh on the outskirts of the state capital. He said if the stadium’s is ready before February next year, it could be made second home ground of KKR or some else other state will get the benefit,” Subarta was quoted as saying by News18.

SEE ALSO: Watch: Rohit Sharma's Playful 'Rohit Bhai RCB Me Aa Jao Yaar' Query Goes Viral

TCA secretary hopeful of hosting KKR games

“Since it is a golden chance to host IPL matches at the proposed stadium, we have summoned a reputed construction agency to expedite work and get it completed by February 2025. The TCA will review the construction work and if the agency fails to meet the deadline, we will terminate it and engage a new firm to complete the remaining work,” he further added.

However, the deadline to set up the stadium was 22 months but it has taken seven years since the project started as well. The TCA has also asked the firm to finish the rest of the work in the stipulated time as he is assured of hosting at least two of KKR’s games next year as well.

“If we could complete the stadium’s work by February next year, I am confident of hosting at least two IPL matches of KKR at Narsingarh International Cricket Stadium”, he said.

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<![CDATA[Reports: Franchises expected to cut loose in search of a new captain]]> https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/reports-franchises-expected-to-cut-loose-in-search-of-a-new-captain/ https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/reports-franchises-expected-to-cut-loose-in-search-of-a-new-captain/ Sat, 02 Nov 2024 06:39:26 GMT

As all 10 franchises gear up to lock horns in the upcoming mega auction in Riyadh later this month, most of their quest will be centered around looking for a new captain. The Indian wicketkeepers featuring the likes of Rishab Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer will also be in contention in this year’s mega auction race. 

As many as four IPL franchises have released their respective captains ahead of the grand Riyadh auction. Faf has been released by RCB, KL Rahul released by LSG, Pant released by DC, and Iyer released by the defending champions KKR to name a few. With sweeping changes expected across the horizon, we highlight some common problems the franchises are expected to encounter in this forthcoming auction. 

Common headaches for all franchises ahead of the IPL auction

As we have now learnt, teams have expressed their desire to let go of their captains. The exit of the past skippers will undoubtedly leave a power vacuum. KKR, RCB, LSG, and DC will be without their former captains who performed remarkably well for them over the years. The gap can also result in decreased performance and impact on the field as well as off-the-field relationships between the players and the coaching staff. In other words, with new talent onboard, success may not always be guaranteed as the players and the management need to starch from scratch while forging new relations. 

Besides, the departure of other veteran players like Pant or Iyer can leave the team vulnerable on the biggest of stages. Iyer, who was the winning captain of KRR last year comes with a lot of experience and the franchise could have certainly benefitted from him once again in the next season. However, the arrival of a fresh captain can potentially change the dynamics and the composure of the KKR team for the worse. 

While some teams are on the lookout for fresh talent to lead their side, others are also gearing up to find match-winners in the form of wicket-keepers such as Rishab Pant and KL Rahul.  The franchises will have a lot of tough decisions to make as we fast approach the mega auction so don't be surprised if they make any move out of the ordinary.  

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