Karnataka clinch eighth Ranji Trophy title

March 13, 2015

Mumbai, Mar 13: Defending champions Karnataka clinched their eighth Ranji Trophy title as they thrashed their southern opponents Tamil Nadu by an innings and 217 runs on the last day of the Ranji Trophy cricket tournament final at the Wankhede stadium on Thursday.

The R Vinay Kumar-led side always had the upper hand in the five-day encounter after bundling out Tamil Nadu for 134 in the first innings and then amassing 762 runs courtesy a triple century by middle-order batsman Karun Nair (338).

Ranji Trophy titleChasing an imposing 628, Tamil Nadu were shot out for 411 in 107.5 overs in the final session of the fifth day's play.

Starting the day on 113 for three, Tamil Nadu saw resilient centuries from Vijay Shankar (103) and Dinesh Karthik (120) but the writing was on the wall after their departure.

Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal (4-126) wrecked the Tamil Nadu batting order with his four scalps. Skipper R Vinay Kumar, who became the joint leading wicket taker this season, ended with two wickets, along with Sreenath Aravind.

But the real hero for Karnataka was the 23-year-old Nair, who deservedly got the man-of the-match award for his maiden triple ton in first-class cricket.

The innings also saw centuries from Lokesh Rahul (188) and R Vinay Kumar (105 not out) as Karnataka did enough to bat just once.

For Tamil Nadu, wicketkeeper-batsman Karthik notched up his 23rd first class century and his 112-ball knock laced with 21 fours and a six, while Shankar made a fluent 103 (164b, 18x4).

Earlier, overnight batsman Baba Aparajith (68) and Vijay Shankar looked poised for a big score, as they batted sensibly. Tamil Nadu however lost Aparajith in the 21st over of the day thanks to a brilliant catch from wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa behind the stumps to get rid of him.

The 20-year old added 32 runs to his overnight score of 36 and his 227 minutes at the crease produced 11 fours. He forged a 112-run stand with Vijay Shankar for the fourth wicket.

His departure brought Karthik to the crease, who set an aggressive tone to the Tamil Nadu innings only witness a sorry end to a brave campaign.

Karthik, who hadn't scored a single run in the first 20 balls he faced, unleashed a flurry of boundaries.

The 29-year old had just three singles to his credit when he notched up his half-century. His run-a-ball 53 comprised 11 fours and a six.

The seasoned cricketer, who missed out in the first innings due to a poor umpiring decision, struck three boundaries in the 68th over off Sharath.

Shankar, despite playing the second fiddle, struck a few shots of his own to usher his century.

The 24-year old who had shared a century stand with Aparajith for the fourth wicket, combined with Karthik to add 115 runs for the fifth wicket.

With Tamil Nadu proceeding, well, Karnataka skipper R Vinay Kumar took the new ball in the 81st over which provided the much-needed breakthrough for the holders.

Shankar miscued a pull shot and Vinay Kumar pouched the ball off his own bowling.

R Prasanna (8) too didn't last much as he was caught at second slip off H S Sharath in the 88th over.

Tamil Nadu were 378/6 at tea, trailing behind Karnataka's first innings lead of 628 by 250 runs.

They lost Karthik in the first ball off the second over after the tea, diminishing the hopes of avoiding an innings defeat.

Karthik, who had escaped a caught behind due to a no-ball from Sreenath Aravind in the 91st over, played an inside-out shot and was caught at deep cover by Aravind off Gopal.

Aswin Crist was stumped off Gopal two overs later, with Tamil Nadu reeling at 379/8. Malolan Rangarajan hung around sometime playing a couple of strokes to delay the inevitable but was caught at slips off Aravind. His 77-ball 33 yielded six fours.

Prasanth Parameswaran, who was injured on the third day while fielding, did not come into bat.

Karnataka got a cash prize of Rs 2 crore while the runners-up Tamil Nadu received a cash prize of Rs 1 crore.

Brief scores:

Tamil Nadu 134 and 411/9 (Dinesh Karthik 120, Vijay Shankar 103, Aparajith 68; Shreyas Gopal 4-126, Vinay Kumar 2-43, Sreentah Aravind 2-52)

Karnataka (1st innings) 762 all out (Karun Nair 328, Lokesh Rahul 188, Vinay Kumar 105 not out; Laxmipathy Balaji 3-120, Malolan Rangarajan 3-183).

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said the Women's IPL or the Challenger series, as it is better known, is "very much on", ending speculation about the parent body not having a plan for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team.

The men's IPL will be held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date yet to be locked in) in the UAE due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in India. The women's IPL will also be fit in to the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.

"I can confirm to you that the women's IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also," Ganguly told PTI ahead of the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.

The BCCI president, who is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on waiver of the cooling-off period to continue in the position, did not divulge details but another senior official privy to the development said that women's Challenger will be held during the last phase of IPL like last year.

"The women's Challenger series is likely to be held between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that," the source said.

The former India captain also said that the centrally contracted women players will have a camp which has been delayed due to the prevailing situation in the country.

"We couldn't have exposed any of our cricketers -- be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous," Ganguly said.

"The NCA also remained shut because of Covid-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that," he added.

The BCCI's cricket operations team is chalking up a schedule where Indian women are likely to have two full-fledged white-ball series against South Africa and the West Indies before playing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand. 

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News Network
March 12,2020

New Delhi, Mar 12: No foreign player will be available for this year's IPL till April 15 due to visa restrictions imposed by the government to contain the novel coronavirus threat, a top BCCI source told PTI on Thursday, casting fresh doubts on the fate of the event.

"The foreign players who play in the IPL come under the Business Visa category. As per the government's directive, they can't come till April 15," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The government issued fresh advisory with a ban on all existing foreign visas, except a few categories like diplomatic and employment, till April 15 in the wake of new positive cases of novel coronavirus in the country.

India has reported 60 positive cases in the outbreak which has led to over 4,000 deaths globally.

The fate of the IPL itself will be decided on March 14 at the event's Governing Council meeting in Mumbai. "All decisions will be taken by the GC in Mumbai," the source said.

Having the IPL, starting March 29, played in empty stadiums is an option being explored.

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News Network
June 19,2020

Jun 19: The BCCI is open to reviewing its sponsorship policy for the next cycle but has no plans to end its association with current IPL title sponsor Vivo as the money coming in from the Chinese company is helping India's cause and not the other way round, board treasurer Arun Dhumal said on Friday. Anti-China sentiments are running high in India following the border clash between the two countries at Galwan valley earlier this week. The first skirmish at the India-China border in more than four decades left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. Since then, calls have been made to boycott Chinese products.

But Dhumal said Chinese companies sponsoring an Indian event like the IPL only serve his country's interests.

The BCCI gets Rs 440 crore annually from Vivo and the five-year deal ends in 2022.

"When you talk emotionally, you tend to leave the rationale behind. We have to understand the difference between supporting a Chinese company for a Chinese cause or taking help from Chinese company to support India's cause," Dhumal said.

"When we are allowing Chinese companies to sell their products in India, whatever money they are taking from Indian consumer, they are paying part of it to the BCCI (as brand promotion) and the board is paying 42 per cent tax on that money to the Indian government. So, that is supporting India's cause and not China's," he argued.

Oppo, a mobile phone brand like Vivo, was sponsoring the Indian cricket team until September last year when Bengaluru-based educational technology Byju's start-up replaced the Chinese company.

Dhumal said he is all for reducing dependence on Chinese products but as long as its companies are allowed to do business in India, there is no harm in them sponsoring an Indian brand like the IPL.

"If they are not supporting the IPL, they are likely to take that money back to China. If that money is retained here, we should be happy about it. We are supporting our government with that money (by paying taxes on it)."

"If I am giving a contract to a Chinese company to build a cricket stadium, then I am helping the Chinese economy. GCA built the world's largest cricket stadium at Motera and that contract was given to an Indian company (L&T)," he said.

"Cricketing infrastructure worth thousands of crores was created across country and none of the contract was awarded to a Chinese company."

Dhumal went on to say the BCCI is spoilt for choice when it comes to attracting sponsors, whether Indian or Chinese or from any other nation.

"If that Chinese money is coming to support Indian cricket, we should be okay with it. I am all for banning Chinese products as an individual, we are there to support our government but by getting sponsorship from Chinese company, we are helping India's cause."

"We can get sponsorship money from non-Chinese companies also including Indian firms. We can support our players any way but the idea is when they are allowed to sell their products here, it is better that part of money comes back to the Indian economy."

"The BCCI is not giving money to the Chinese, it is attracting on the contrary. We should make decision based on rationale rather than emotion," he added.

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