Not thinking ahead of myself, first target is IPL’s second leg: Natarajan on T20 World Cup

Bubble to bubble transfer on cards for Sri Lanka players returning from England: Report

The Sri Lanka players who were there on the tour of England will enter another biosecure bubble upon arrival in the country, PTI reported citing a Sri Lanka Cricket official. The report further said that players went through a round of RT PCR test in the UK before they boarded the flight back home and they will enter the next bubble only after another round of Covid-19 testing. “The Sri Lankan team will reach Colombo today itself and enter another bubble after one round of RT PCR test. Even after completion of tour on Sunday, the team had an RT PCR test in UK before boarding the flight,” a Sri Lanka Cricket official told PTI. “Since the India series is starting in a week no one is going home. It’s bubble to bubble transfer. However if anyone tests positive, usual protocol of testing and isolation would follow,” he added. The issue got contentious as three England players and four support staff have tested positive for Covid-19 after conclusion of the series against Sri Lanka. India under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan, and coach Rahul Dravid are staying put in Colombo for a three-match ODI and an equally longer T20I series. The first ODI of the series will be played in Colombo on July 13.

England name squad with 9 uncapped players to face Pakistan after Covid-19 crisis in camp

England have named a completely new 18-men squad for the ODI series against Pakistan after the entire squad that played the series Sri Lanka was forced into isolation due to Covid-19. The squad has as many as nine uncapped players, the ECB said in its statement while the likes of James Vince, Jake Ball, Saqib Mahmood have made their comebacks into the England ODI side. All-rounder Ben Stokes, who injured his hand in the IPL earlier this year has made his way back into the side as the captain while the head coach Chris Silverwood who was supposed to take a break will be the head coach of the side. "We're in unprecedented territory, in terms of replacing an entire squad and management team, and I'm very proud of how everyone has come together in order to get it done - both those within the ECB and from the county game,” Ashley Giles, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket said in a statement. "It's a great opportunity to play on the biggest stage, and for most of the players selected it's not necessarily something they would have been expecting 24 hours ago.” England squad Ben Stokes (C), Jake Ball, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Phil Salt, John Simpson, James Vince, Danny Briggs, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Tom Helm, Will Jacks

Suryakumar Yadav promises same old approach against 'completely different challenge' in Sri Lanka

With the well-established batsmen of the Indian white-ball sides being in England for the Test series, the upcoming series against Sri Lanka offers a near perfect opportunity for players such as Suryakumar Yadav to press forward their claims in the side. Yadav has been a prolific run-getter in the Indian domestic cricket but he rose through the ranks on the back of the bulk of runs for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He has formed a formidable batting lineup of Mumbai that never relents attacking the opposition bowler and so far Yadav has not shied away from unleashing the same pattern in his short international career. Now, as Yadav is eyeing a probably long stint with the Indian side, he is all but ready to do what he has been doing best with the bat. He has said that the approach of his batting will be very similar to what it has been and it won’t be dependent on his batting position against Sri Lanka. “I think I have been doing the same thing that I have been doing for my franchise back in the IPL. Even in my debut series, I did not do anything different. I have been enjoying that (attacking) role really well in whatever position they tell me to bat. I will stay the same. I will just go out there and express myself like I always do. I enjoy doing that,” Yadav said from Colombo, where the India side is putting up for the series. He started his T20 career with a characteristic six off Jofra Archer and stamped his authority on the game with crisp timing and immaculate placements. He hit a berserk fifty against England on debut and followed with another substantive score to help India clinch the series. However, he said that the series against Sri Lanka will be a different proposition and he will look forward to starting from scratch. He conceded the pressure of expectations he brings with himself but expressed confidence in using it to his own and India’s good effect. "I think that was a completely different challenge. Like for a batter, every time you go in or play a different game, you start from scratch. So this also I've to start from zero. This is a different series, but the challenge remains the same - I've to go out and perform the same way I did. So the pressure will be there because if there's no pressure, there's no fun. It'll be a great challenge and I am really looking forward to it,” Yadav added. Yadav also downplayed the inexperience in the India squad in the backdrop of comments made by Sri Lanka’s world-cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who had called the Shikhar Dhawan-led side a ‘second-string’ Indian team. Yadav said that the team is not bothered about outside opinion and that their goal from the series is to take away positives and play series with the right spirit. "Not really [thinking about it]," Suryakumar said. "Everyone is completely focused. The way the practice sessions are going, the way the game went yesterday, it's going completely fine and we're really excited about the challenge. We're not thinking about that. We're just here to have some fun, enjoy this series completely and take a lot of positives from here,” Yadav added. The ODI series between India and Sri Lanka will commence on July 13 in Colombo and the rest of other ODIs and a subsequent T20 series too will be played in Colombo only.

Mithali Raj attains top spot in ICC Women’s ODI player rankings

India captain Mithali Raj has regained the top spot in the ICC rankings for women’s in ODIs after she had a brilliant run with the bat against England in the recent fixtures. The right-handed batter who became the top run-scorer in women’s cricket recently struck three half-centuries against England on the trot. “Mithali Raj had started the tour in eighth position but her series-topping aggregate of 206 runs has helped her reclaim the top position, which she had last occupied in February 2018. The first time she reached number one position was in April 2005,” a statement from the ICC read. It was England’s Janette Brittin who attained the number one position for the first time in 1984 and the last time in 1995. Apart from this, New Zealand’s Debbie Hockley has been the only cricketer in women’s cricket to take number one spot more than 10 years apart. She first achieved the feat in 1987 and then in 1997 for the final time. Apart from Raj, India opener Smriti Mandhana is also in the top ten list for the batters in women’s cricket. She is at number 9 position at the moment. Mithali is followed by Lizelle Lee and Alyssa Healy at number two and three respectively. The right-handed batter’s unbeaten 75 in the last ODI handed India a win by 4 wickets while chasing 220 in Worcester.