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Send SOS to Pujara, Zaheer: Sourav Ganguly

January 20, 2014

SOS_to_PujaraKolkata, Jan 20: India need Cheteshwar Pujara and Zaheer Khan in their one-day line up, former captain Sourav Ganguly said on Sunday as India began their New Zealand tour with a defeat in Napier.

Criticising Ishant's selection, Ganguly felt India leaked too many runs even as they had the "world's best" one-day batsman in Virat Kohli.

"I feel selectors should think about two players - Cheteshwar Pujara and Zaheer Khan. Pujara is the most-needed batsman in these conditions. He has adjusted well in the Test mould and I'm sure he will do well in the ODI format," Ganguly said.

"Similarly Zaheer is must-needed in the bowling attack. If he can bowl 30 overs in Tests, why can't he do that for 10 overs?" he asked.

Questioning the selection of the lanky pacer who conceded eight runs per over in the first ODI on Sunday, Ganguly quipped "Ishant Sharma remains to be an enigma to me."

"He is the seniormost Indian bowler with experience. But he has been inconsistent under pressure as Mohammad Shami has become the backbone of Indian bowling. He's no doubt the find of Indian cricket as I've said earlier," he said.

Ganguly hoped that Bengal pacer Ashoke Dinda will make a comeback after his Ranji performance this season.

"I hope Dinda will get a chance this year. He is good in his length and line."

Ganguly also hailed Kohli who scored his 18th century to keep India in the hunt in their chase of 293 before being bundled out for 268 to trail 0-1 in the five-ODI series.

"He is no doubt the best one-day batsman in the world at the moment. He has scored runs in all parts of the world. But the target proved too much in such conditions. In India, it would have been easy," Ganguly told a Bengali news channel.

Bengal might be staring at an innings defeat against Maharashtra in their Ranji semifinals in Indore, but the city's favourite cricket icon said Laxmi Ratan Shukla should not lose heart after their commendable performance in the Ranji season.

"It's really unfortunate, the match seems to have gone out of their hand. It seems toss became crucial. But they should rejoice about their performance this season. Hope they go forward from here," he said.

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News Network
February 13,2020

Feb 13: Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were buried in a private funeral service in Southern California last week, multiple outlets reported late Tuesday.

Citing Kobe Bryant's death certificate, Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV reported the remains of the former Lakers star and his daughter were transferred to Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary in Corona del Mar. Kobe and Brianna were laid to rest in a private ceremony there last Friday.

According to KTTV, the death certificate cited Kobe's cause of death as "blunt trauma" sustained in a "commercial helicopter crash." It also said his death was "rapid."

Corona del Mar is a community within Newport Beach, where the Bryant family lives.

Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were among nine people killed when the helicopter they were in crashed on a hillside in Calabasas, Calif., northwest of Los Angeles, on Jan. 26. Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56; his wife, Keri; and their daughter Alyssa, 14 -- who played on the same club basketball team as Gianna Bryant -- also were killed. Christina Mauser, a 38-year-old who was the top assistant coach of the Mamba girls basketball team, was also killed in the accident, as were Sarah Chester, 45; her daughter Payton Chester, 13; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.

A public memorial service for the Bryants will be held Feb. 24 at Staples Center, beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

While the date -- 2/24 -- conveniently falls between two Lakers' home games, it still could have been chosen symbolically. Gianna -- one Kobe and Vanessa' four daughters -- wore No. 2 on her basketball jersey while Kobe was No. 24 for part of his 20-year-tenure with the Lakers, and his retired jerseys -- he also wore No. 8 -- hang at Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Times reported that "entry is expected to be severely restricted" at the venue despite Staples Center's capacity of about 20,000.

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Agencies
February 13,2020

New Delhi, Feb 13: Sanjiv Chawla, a key accused in the match-fixing scandal involving former South African cricket team captain Hansie Cronje in 2000, was extradited from the UK on Thursday, Delhi Police said.

The 50-year-old British national, accompanied by a crime branch team from London, reached IGI Airport this morning, a senior officer said.

He is likely to be taken to the crime branch office for questioning, he added.

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Agencies
August 3,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: The finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 will be played on November 20, the sources within the BCCI confirmed on Sunday.

The IPL's governing council met earlier today, and it has also been decided that the evening matches will start at 7:30 pm, half an hour earlier than usual.

Jay Shah, the secretary of BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and Arun Dhumal, treasurer of BCCI did not attend the IPL's governing council meeting.

"The tournament will run for 51 days, usually the IPL should go on for 49 days as per the constitution, however in the meeting it has been decided that we will go to Supreme Court for conducting the IPL in 51 days," sources within the BCCI said.

"As the tournament is running for 51 days, we will get the chance to play fewer doubleheaders, there would be just 10 double headers, evening matches will start at 7:30 and the afternoon matches will start at 3:30. 

The matches will be played across three venues at Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah as travelling here by road is easier and bio-secure environment can be maintained," he added.

The IPL's governing council also confirmed that Women's IPL will also go on and four teams would be participating in it.

"When it comes to women's IPL, there would be four teams and the matches would be played at the time of playoffs for men's IPL," the source said.

The source within the BCCI also said that the governing council would be meeting again to discuss the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all the franchises that need to be followed in the IPL.

The governing council meeting discussed the quarantine measures along with the standard operating procedures (SOP), bio bubble training facilities, stay and travel of the players.

Issues related to the broadcaster, shifting, and scheduling of the tournament, and DXB app to be downloaded for players and other officials were also discussed as well.

A few days earlier, the IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel had confirmed that the 13th edition of the mega event will commence on September 19 in the UAE.

This year's IPL was slated to commence from March 29 but the tournament was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had also confirmed receiving the official Letter of Intent from the BCCI to host the 2020 edition of the IPL.

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