Kings XI Punjab likely to name Murali Vijay as captain

Vijay was bought by the franchise ahead of the last season in 2015 and has played 17 games so far for Punjab. © Cricaction

Kings XI Punjab are likely to name M Vijay as their captain for the rest of the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, according to a report on New Indian Expresson Saturday (April 30).

David Miller, the current captain, has struggled with bat and as captain so far in the tournament. Punjab are currently at the bottom of the table with just one win from six games.

Vijay was bought by the franchise ahead of the last season in 2015 and has played 17 games so far for Punjab. This season, he has scored 143 runs in six games, while Miller has accumulated just 76 runs from six games so far.

"It was purely a management decision because we wanted Miller to play with freedom," a source said. "He is our best batsman and as everyone can see it, he is struggling to cope with the added responsibility. With the play-off place still up for grabs, we thought that it was the right time to change captains. Maybe that can infuse new enthusiasm and energy into the side.

"He (Vijay) is a Test regular and has seen great success. Moreover, as a senior player, he has always given valuable inputs. We believe that he will come in handy in this crucial time."

The trend to drop a foreign player isn't new in the tournament. Ricky Ponting, named as captain of Mumbai Indians, dropped himself and handed the reins of the side to Rohit Sharma. Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews too have faced the axe and were asked to hand over leadership duties to Indian players.

Punjab had a great run in the 2014 edition where, after 11 wins in the group stages, they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the final. However, they weren't able to replicate the same form in the 2015 edition and finished at the bottom of the table with just three wins from 14 games.

India to host T20 WC for the Blind

The tournament will feature 48 matches and will be played on league-cum-knockout format across India. © Agencies

India will host the second edition of the Twenty20 World Cup for the Blind from November 12-27 later this year, the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) said in a statement on Friday (April 29).

The tournament will feature 48 matches and will be played on league-cum-knockout format across India.

Australia, Bangladesh, England, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Nepal have confirmed their participation.

India, led by Shivamogga lad Shekar Naik, had clinched the inaugural T20 World Cup in Bengaluru in 2014.

Public interest litigation kills Jaipur's IPL hopes

State sports minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar, who had put in his heart and soul in getting the matches to Jaipur, was obviously very disappointed. © BCCI

This was bound to happen. This city, which was undergoing an euphoria following the BCCI's decision to grant three IPL matches to Sawai Mansingh Stadium here, suddenly experienced the sinking feeling when it was announced that Mumbai Indians have preferred Visakhapatnam as their second home.

The decision followed a PIL filled at the Rajasthan High Court, which is still pending. The HC, after hearing the PIL on April 27, had asked the Rajasthan government to file its reply on May 3. On the same day, the Supreme Court had dismissed a plea by Maharashtra and Mumbai cricket associations against shifting the matches out of the drought-hit state.

The IPL governing council, understandably, felt there was too much uncertainty and any decision after May 3 would leave them with too less a time to prepare. Perhaps wisely, it decided to act before it was too late.

State sports minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar, who had put in his heart and soul in getting the matches to Jaipur, was obviously very disappointed. "I knew in the morning itself that we are going to lose these matches," he told TOI on Friday .

Want to go to the next level: Shikhar Dhawan

"I am just giving myself a little more time and trying not to take unnecessary risks." © BCCI

Shikhar Dhawan is slowly getting into the groove in the IPL. He has got a couple of half-centuries after hitting a lean patch in the World T20 and the initial phases of the IPL. But the swashbuckling opener , who has been signed up by the Professional Manage the Professional Management Group, says that he has made a some "strategic adjustments" to his game and is hoping to be more consistent. During an exclusive chat with TOI, Dhawan also spoke about how he has learnt to cope with difficult times, his camaraderie with friend and statemate Virat Kohli, and his expectations going into a long season of Test cricket after the IPL.

Excerpts:

You had a great Asia Cup final, but your form dipped a bit in the World T20. What exactly went wrong and how are you addressing it?

It's true that I wasn't as consistent as I should have been, but I don't think there was anything specific that went wrong.The demands of T20 cricket are such that you have to go for the bowling right from the beginning and that sometimes brings about your downfall. I don't think it's a technical flaw, there were a few strategic adjustments that needed to be done and I have tried to do it.

What strategic adjustment are you talking about?

I am just giving myself a little more time and trying not to take unnecessary risks. And in the few years of international cricket I have played, I have seen highs and lows and have tried to learn from those. I feel this was one such phase and I have learnt my lessons and trying to get better.

Have you set a goal for yourself going forward?

Yes, my aim is to be more consistent. I won't say I have played poorly, but I believe that there is scope for improvement. I want to go to another level as a batsman and for that, consistency is required.

You have a fantastic opening partner in David Warner in your IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both of you are attacking batsmen. Can you talk about how the two of you go about your job?

It's fun batting with him. Yes, we have similar styles and when he is at his attacking best, I am happy to play second fiddle and vice versa. We do keep talking about our games and look to learn from each other. But both me and Warner are at that stage of our careers where we know what is suitable for us. Something that goes brilliantly with his batting might not suit me, so it's not about getting influenced by each other's style.

With an underperforming middle-order, is the pressure a little too much on you and Warner in IPL?

I don't think so. The middle-order is coming good more often than not. Eoin Morgan played well the other day, somebody else comes up with an impressive performance on another occasion. The team has started to play well and I hope we will do well in the tournament.

Two of your bowlers, Mustafizur Rahman and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are bowling exceptionally well ...

You're right. It's almost impossible to read Mustafizur's cutter. He has a brilliant yorker as well and he really looks a great prospect for the future. Bhuvi, too, has been very consistent, hitting the right lengths and making it difficult for the batsmen.

India's Test captain Virat Kohli is your friend.How do you see his success and do you take inspiration from his performances?

It's Virat's self-belief. He has been there for eight years in international cricket and he is bringing his experience into play. The way he played in the World T20 and now in the IPL, it's evident that he is super-confident. Yes, we are very good friends -he is a fitness freak, just like me, and the two of us often work out together at the gym.We know each other's games well and it's more of a give-and-take, where he points out certain things about my game and I do the same.

There's a long season of Test cricket ahead after the IPL. The competition will be tough for the opener's slot. How difficult is it for you to shuttle between formats?

It is not easy if you are going straight from T20s to Tests. If you are playing T20 cricket for a while, your muscle memory will make you play certain shots that you would probably avoid in Test cricket. But I think we have a bit of time before we go to West Indies. So I will keep the conditions in West Indies in mind and prepare.

Your wife was recently seen cheering you from the stands. How important is the role of family to keep you stable in such a competitive world?

You know there's a saying, `happy wife, happy life'. The family has a big influence on me, my daughters, my son and of course my wife, they are always there for me to keep me going through the good and bad times.

What do you expect from your association with PMG?

I am happy that they have signed me -they are senior players in the market and I am sure it will be a long and fruitful association.

Steven Smith ton in vain as Lions secure last-ball win

Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum added 72 in the powerplay to set up Lions' chase © BCCI

Steven Smith's maiden Twenty20 (T20) ton went in vain as blistering efforts from Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum helped Gujarat Lions register a three-wicket win over Rising Super Supergiants. Steven Smith's 54-ball 101, along with solid contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (53) and MS Dhoni (30 not-out off 18) helped Pune post a formidable total of 195 for 3 after they were asked to bat first. Gujarat Lions rode on Dwayne Smith's 37-ball 63 and his 93-run association with McCullum (43) to get off to a blazing start in the chase. However, the finish was closer than they would have expected. They lost quick wickets in the middle overs and in the death, but managed to get over the line off the last ball.

Gujarat's victory, their sixth in seven games, helped them consolidate top spot in the points table. The loss was the Supergiants' fifth in seven games and also their second in as many matches against the Lions.

Only nine runs came off the first two overs in the chase before McCullum got stuck into Albie Morkel, scoring three fours and a six in an over that yielded 24 runs, to get Gujarat going in the chase. Dwayne Smith too, hit the straps soon after, taking a liking to Ashok Dinda and Thissara Perera as the half-century stand came up in only 25 deliveries. Ravichandran Ashwin, brought on for the final over of the powerplay, conceded 10, while Dwayne Smith had a lucky break when Perera couldn't hold on to a tough catch. Gujarat amassed 72 runs in the powerplay, their third 70-plus score during the fielding restrictions for them. It was also the highest powerplay score in this edition of the IPL.

The McCullum-Smith alliance was eventually ended when the former, in his attempt to sweep Rajat Bhatia, top-edged the ball to Albie Morkel to depart for a 22-ball 43. However, Dwayne Smith soon brought up his fifty, off 28 deliveries, taking the total to 112 for 1 at the half-way stage.

It was imperative that Pune picked up a wicket or two to pull things back and they managed one when Dwayne Smith, looking to guide a Perera delivery to the off-side, got an inside edge onto the stumps. They could have had another had Suresh Raina not put in a full-length dive to save himself from being run out. A lull followed as Gujarat had to do without a boundary for 25 deliveries. But Dinesh Karthik did manage a few in the overs to follow, bringing down the equation to 49 off the last five overs.

The third-wicket pair raised a half-century stand before Karthik's outing came to an end, when his attempted loft went awry and found Rahane at deep mid-wicket. Murugan Ashwin conceded only four in the 18th over, which left Gujarat needing 20 off the last two. Dwayne Bravo chased a wide one off Ashok Dinda and managed a boundary off the first ball in the penultimate over. But an attempt to repeat the shot resulted in his departure off the next delivery. Ravindra Jadeja was run out without scoring when he tried to sneak a bye but a four and a couple off the last two deliveries meant that Gujarat needed nine off the final over.

James Faulkner started with a boundary off the first ball and Perera, who was handed the ball for the all-important over, bowled a wide and then conceded a single. But Pune kept the fight on as Raina was bowled for 34 and Ishan Kishan was run out soon after. But a poor throw by Rahane from long-off, resulted in two runs off the penultimate delivery. A wicket or a dot was needed for a Super Over to come into picture, but that was not to be as Faulkner managed to put the ball away to long-on to clinch victory.

Earlier, Rahane looked as solid as ever at the top of the order, but Pune suffered an early setback as Saurabh Tiwary, asked to open in the absence of Faf du Plessis, was run out courtesy a superb bit of fielding by Raina. Steven Smith, who came in next, kept himself busy by by running the quick singles and twos. On a greenish wicket, the Gujarat new-ball bowlers were guilty of erring in their lines and were made to pay as Steven Smith and Rahane put on a steady partnership.

Shivil Kaushik, the left-arm chinaman bowler, on his IPL debut, bowled an interesting first over. The 20-year-old, with an action similar to Paul Adams, the former South African spinner, got a couple to hurry on to Rahane, troubling the senior pro. However, he also bowled a few short deliveries, one of which Steven Smith was able to put away, as the second-wicket pair raised a half-century stand off 33 deliveries. While Jadeja, bowled a tight couple of overs, Kaushik leaked runs. The young spinner also overstepped when he had Steven Smith bowled, giving the Australian a lucky break. To add insult to injury, the next ball was dispatched over the long-off boundary for the first six of the innings.

Steven Smith went on to bring up a half-century off 29 balls and the total crossed 100 in the 12th over, with the pair providing an ideal platform for a flourishing finish to the innings. A six and a four off consecutive deliveries for Steven Smith, off Faulkner, took the partnership past 100, Pune's first in the IPL, before Rahane registered a 43-ball fifty. However, Rahane had to depart soon after, run-out at the non-striker's end after being turned down for a quick single. The dismissal though did not have any bearing on the scoring rate, which in fact got a further boost when Steven Smith and Dhoni bludgeoned a flurry off sixes off the spinners.

Bravo too did not have the best of times with the ball or on the field as Steven Smith and Dhoni raised a half-century stand off 28 deliveries. In the final over Steven Smith registered his maiden T20 hundred in style, with a boundary off Bravo, before being bowled off the next delivery. The last-ball specialist that Dhoni is, finished the over with a boundary to power Pune to a sizeable total. As many as 51 runs were scored in the last four overs while none of the Gujarat bowlers, barring Dhawal Kulkarni, had an economy rate of less than nine. But it counted for little as the Lions eventually went past Pune's total.

Brief scores: Rising Pune Supergiants 195/3 in 20 overs (Steven Smith 101, Ajinkya Rahane 53, MS Dhoni 30*; Dwayne Bravo 1-40) lost to Gujarat Lions 196/7 in 20 overs (Dwayne Smith 63, Brendon McCullum 43, Suresh Raina 34; Ashok Dinda 2-40) by 3 wickets.

IPL, 2016 Live Cricket Score of Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 14th Match

Live Score Updates

Mumbai Indians 171/4 (18.0 Ovs)

Hardik Pandya  2 (3)

Royal Challengers Bangalore 170/7

Kane Richardson  3-0-26-1

Mumbai Indians won by 6 wkts

© IPL

Victory for MI: 

Kieron Pollard provided the finishing otuches with a quickfire 40 as MI romped home with six wickets and more than two overs to spare. It was a much-needed victory for MI who were languishing at the bottom of the points table after their previous loss. And once again, the match was won by the team batting second. It is almost becoming too easy to predict now.

Rohit falls: 

Rohit Sharma went after Iqbal Abdulla, hitting him for a four and a six before playing one shot too many and holing out to long off. With the chase getting stiff, MI's hopes rested on the big hitting prowess of Pollard and Buttler.

Rayudu falls: 

After adding 76 with Rohit Sharma in quick time, Rayudu fell trying to hit Shahbaz Nadeem over mid wicket. It was the end of a useful stand for MI and one that could be the opening RCB sought desperately.

Partnership: 

Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu got MI back on track after the early wicket through a brisk stand. The duo looked largely untroubled against all the bowlers on a pitch that was helping the stroke-makers.

Parthiv falls early: 

The opener tried to pull Kane Richardson but only managed to top edge it to point. MI lost an early wicket in a stiff chase.

RCB finish with 170: 

Travis Head and Sarfaraz Khan ensured that RCB did get that final flourish. MI conceded a little too many in the last couple of overs as RCB ended up with a competent total. With dew playing a factor, MI would still fancy their chances in the chase though.

Meandering along: 

Travis Head and Sarfraz Khan shared a brisk little stand that ensured that RCB didn't drift away too much from a good score but they were still searching for that one big over that would push them towards a score of 170

Krunal Pandya shines: 

Greater bowlers have struggled to contain these two but Krunal Pandya had an unforgettable moment when he had both Kohli and AB de Villiers in the same over. Kohli fell while trying to clear long off while ABD was out stumped after a swing and miss.

McClenaghan vs Rahul: 

There was a mini battle between the duo that captivated onlookers. McClenaghan hit Rahul on the helmet with a sharp bouncer and followed it up with a couple more that had Rahul weaving away. In the next over though, Rahul decided to give back and smashed McClenaghan for a couple of sixes and a four. Just when you thought that the batsman was winning the contest, McClenaghan had Rahul pushing away at one angled away and had him caught at slip.

Toss and Teams: MI opt to bowl

Teams chasing have won most of the matches so far in this edition of the IPL. Going by that trend, MI begin with a slight edge having won the toss. They have one change, bringing in Pollard for Guptill while RCB went in with as many as six changes. - Travis Head in for Gayle. Kane Richardson in for David Wiese. Stuart Binny in for Parveez Rasool. Iqbal Abdullah in for Chahal. Varun Aaron for Srinath Aravind.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli(c), Shane Watson, AB de Villiers, Travis Head, Sarfaraz Khan, Kedar Jadhav(w), Stuart Binny, Kane Richardson, Iqbal Abdulla, Varun Aaron, Harshal Patel

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Parthiv Patel(w), Ambati Rayudu, Hardik Pandya, Jos Buttler, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Harbhajan Singh, Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah

Build-up: 

Welcome all! In his column for a news daily today, AB de Villiers rued the loss his side had to suffer against Delhi the other day. But at the same time the South African maintained that his team knew what was required to be successful in IPL-9. RCB's loss against Delhi the other day made it clear that the tournament is as open as it could be and despite having a plethora of stars in their ranks, Kohli's men cannot claim to be invincible.

Mumbai's plight is no different. However, their management looks more decorated than the players. Still the team packs enough punch to live up to the tag of defending champions. It's time they start performing as a unit, especially their batting which has failed on every occasion except during their sole win against Kolkata. Gayle won't be a part of the line-up as he has flown back to be with his partner for the birth of their child. In fact, our correspondent Gokul Gopal informs us that RCB are likely to make quite a few changes. Travis Head might be in for Gayle, he was seen knocking around. Kane Richardson was marking his run-up. Even Varun Aaron is marking his run-up.

Mustafizur works hard on his skills, his work ethic is fantastic: VVS Laxman

"He has the variations and precision, but you also have to have the ability to execute that when you are under a lot of pressure," Laxmain said. © BCCI

For all the superlatives VVS Laxman throws around in praise, he offers a valid backing when he calls Mustafizur Rahman the 'X-factor' in the Sunrisers Hyderabad team. In less than a year, since making his international debut, Mustafizur has managed to make heads turn in a way few have. No left-armer has managed to do that in his debut season since Mohammad Amir. The validation of his performance has been such that he has managed to keep Trent Boult, a player who was vying for the spot of the best bowler in world cricket alongside Mitchell Starc last year, on the bench.

The 20-year-old's rise has coincided with the coming of age of Bangladesh cricket, which included back-to-back wins against Pakistan, India and South Africa in One-Day Internationals. Not only did he manage to breakthrough in a pace bowling line-up comprising of Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Al-Amin Hossain and Mushrafe Mortaza, but also helped his side win matches, single-handedly. Having played only 24 international matches so far, he has already made a strong case for himself as the best pacer to emerge from his country.

What lies beyond his innumerable variations, is his nagging accuracy. With the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Barinder Sran in the side, Sunrisers Hyderabad have had the luxury of making Mustafizur their go-to man in the death overs.

Having worked with him closely for the last couple of weeks, Laxman says, "He has the variations and precision, but you also have to have the ability to execute that when you are under a lot of pressure.

"Lot of good talented cricketers aren't able to do that when they are under pressure. Whereas, Mustafizur does that regularly. He is very confident. His work ethic is fantastic. He is a street-smart bowler. He works hard on his skills. That is why I think he will be successful not only in the first year of international cricket, but for a long time in his career," the Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor explains what makes the left-armer special.

Not only has the Satkhira bowler helped his national side win matches, but also made them believe that they could take on the best in world cricket without the feeling of inferiority. Laxman credited Chandika Hathurusingha, the head coach, for changing the fortunes of a side that, for more than a decade since getting Test status, had to deal with the 'minnows' tag.

For all his exploits, Mustafizur is yet to win a major title. In Sunrisers' quest to lift their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy, the 20-year-old Bangladesh bowler could be a vital cog.

"For someone who has not even completed even one year in international cricket, to have the kind of expertise in doing the kind of thing he is doing is fantastic to see," Laxman concludes.

After Pathans, Pandya brothers make Baroda proud

Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya became the first pair of Indian siblings to play for the same team in the T20 league. © BCCI

Nearly a decade ago, the Pathan brothers (Irfan and Yusuf) took the Indian cricket by storm and became the most-talked about siblings when they represented India together in the same team. On April 16, Pandya brothers repeated the feat during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya became the first pair of Indian siblings to play for the same team in the T20 league.

While Hardik was picked up by Mumbai Indians (MI) last year for Rs 10 lakh, Krunal was bought for Rs 2 crore this year. "It was a special moment when Krunal joined me in the Mumbai squad. We always dreamt of playing together," Hardik told Times of India. Though younger to Krunal, Hardik got the opportunity to play for India in World T20 this year. "I was excited to see Hardik in the Indian blue jersey and now that we are playing in the same IPL team, I feel very proud," said 25-year-old Krunal.

But their journey to fame and success wasn't easy. The family plunged into financial crisis after their father Himanshu Pandya, an automobile loan agent, suffered a heart attack in 2011. Spending on cricket became tough with their annual income dipping to just Rs 4 lakh then.

"We used to come to the ground in car as it was difficult to carry two cricket kits on one two-wheeler. So many thought that we have enough money. But only we knew how we filled petrol worth just Rs 100 and brought extra fuel in a bottle to keep the car running," Krunal recalled.

Former India keeper Kiran More spotted the brothers' talent when they were brought to his academy. "They were called Maggi brothers as they used to survive on noodles when they couldn't afford to have full meal," More said.

They finally got some financial stability when Hardik began playing in the Baroda Ranji team in 2013.

But happy days are back again for the Pandyas who are close to buying a plush penthouse on the Old Padra Road. "We shifted our base from Surat to Vadodara 19 years ago so that my sons get better cricketing facilities.And, our sacrifices paid off," said Himanshu.

Rejuvenated Sunrisers Hyderabad look to snap Gujarat Lions' winning streak

David Warner's unbeaten 90 gave Sunrisers their first win of IPL 2016 © Cricaction

After a week's hiatus, Gujarat Lions return to their home turf to take on a Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday (April 21). So far, the script has unfolded perfectly for the new franchise from Rajkot with three wins in as many matches. With Ravindtra Jadeja set to return to the side, Gujarat Lions will be bolstered in their bid to maintain the winning streak.

Dale Steyn bowled for a long period in the nets, but the team composition may not give scope for the South African pacer to get into the playing XI.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, have rejuvenated their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 campaign following a comprehensive win over Mumbai Indians, the defending champions. Yet, there is a lot to work on for the David Warner-led side as they look to enter the top four on the points table. 

To top the list of concerns is the form of Shikhar Dhawan, who has scored 16 runs in three matches this season, and 59 runs in the last 7 Twenty20 games. His early dismissal has put pressure on a batting order that doesn't have an experienced middle order to bank upon. 

However, VVS Laxman, Sunrisers Hyderabad's coach, has defended the southpaw and said, "His form is not a worry. But we want him to do well. He is an exceptionally good player and a match winner. Whenever he plays well, he influences the result of the team."

Invariably, it has been the bowlers and Warner who have bailed the side out. Against an in-form team like Gujarat Lions, who are the only unbeaten side in the tournament so far, they will need to bring out their A game. Deepak Hooda, secured for INR 4.2 crore, is yet to showcase his big-hitting prowess. In the absence of Yuvraj Singh, Hooda striking form could be of prime importance for Sunrisers. The likes of Ashish Reddy and Bipul Sharma have also chipped in and impressed the Sunrisers hierarchy, but the team will need the senior players to put in the bulk of the performances as the tournament progresses.

While Sunrisers Hyderabad are yet to figure out the pitch and weather conditions, going by the first match, the wicket is expected to stay true and dew isn't likely to play a part. With the match set for an evening start, teams might opt to field after winning the toss.

When: Gujarat Lions vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, April 21, 2016, Match 15, 08:00 PM IST

Where: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot

What to expect: The temperature will hover from 34 degrees Celsius to 27 degree Celsius, with humidity around 34%

Team News: 

Gujarat Lions: 

While Jadeja is set to return to the side, the team management hasn't revealed who he could come in place of. Apart from drafting in Jadeja, Gujarat Lions are unlikely to tinker with a winning combination.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Kane Williamson is still recovering from hamstring injury. The team is yet to get the reports of his medical test. The Sunrisers are expected to field the same side that beat Mumbai Indians, for Thursday's clash.

What they said:

VVS Laxman: In T20, especially IPL, momentum is a big thing. The first two matches were really disappointing as we were not able to execute our plans. It's great to have the first win and the boys are really confident for the match against Gujarat tomorrow. We just want to play to our strengths in this competition.

Praveen Kumar on Suresh Raina: We have played a lot of cricket together. I know him since our childhood. The best part is that whatever comes to his mind, he immediately implements it without thinking much about the results. That is positive. His game reading is good. He knows when to bowl, whom to bowl and he makes his plans

Did you know?

- Gujarat Lions have won their first three matches in IPL. Chennai Super Kings are the only other team to win more in a stretch from debut - four.

- Moises Henriques has scored 45 runs in three innings at a strike of 83.33. In all his three innings so far, he has scored below a-run-a-ball.

- Aaron Finch has scored fifty in his first three matches of this season's IPL. No batsman has yet scored four in the first four matches in a single season.

- Sunrisers score at 10.24 in the last five overs, only Royal Challengers Bangalore have a better run rate in the same period.

- The Gujarat Lions bowlers conceded the second least percentage of boundaries (14.64%) after Kolkata Knight Riders' 13.64%.

- Sunrisers spinners are yet to take a wicket in this year's IPL.

Squads

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Ricky Bhui, Trent Boult, Moises Henriques, Deepak Hooda, Abhimanyu Mithun, Siddarth Kaul, Mustafizur Rahman, Naman Ojha, Karn Sharma, Tirumalsetti Suman, David Warner, Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra, Ashish Reddy, Bipul Sharma, Ben Cutting, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Eoin Morgan, Vijay Shankar, Barinder Sran, Aditya Tare, Kane Williamson

Gujarat Lions: Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum, Ravindra Jadeja, James Faulkner, Dwayne Bravo, Aaron Finch, Dale Steyn, Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Karthik, Andrew Tye, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pravin Tambe, Praveen Kumar, Pradeep Sangwan, Shadab Jakati, Paras Dogra, Ishan Kishan, Eklavya Dwivedi, Shival Kaushik, Sarbjit Ladda, Umang Sharma, Akshdeep Nath, Jaydev Shah, Amit Mishra

Aaqib Javed steps down as UAE head coach

Aaqib Javed has resigned as UAE coach ending a four-year association © Cricaction

Aaqib Javed has resigned from his role as the United Arab Emirates Cricket Head Coach effective May 31st 2016.

Aaqib joined UAE Cricket as Head Coach in March 2012 and has experienced the successes of guiding the UAE to qualify for the 2014 U19 World Cup, the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, overseeing the UAE gain T20I and ODI status, as well as the recent qualification to compete in the 2016 ACC Asia Cup.

Emirates Cricket CEO David East said: "Aaqib has been a great influencer amongst the (UAE) players and coaching team during his 4 year tenure. He has been integral to Emirates Cricket senior mens appearance on the international stage at four high profile ACC and ICC tournaments, as well as our senior men's securing ODI and T20I status. We sincerely thank Aaqib for his commitment and efforts and wish him the very best with his future endeavours."

"I would like to thank the Emirates Cricket Board, its CEO David East, and the extended team for an exciting and rewarding 4 years. It has been a pleasure. We have experienced a very successful 4 years and I am very happy with the outcomes. I express very special thanks to the ICC Academy for their support and services (and) I believe UAE Cricket is very lucky to have the access to the world class facilities offered (at the Academy). During my tenure I have been fortunate to have worked with such great Associate cricketers; including Khurram Khan, Saqib Ali, Shaiman Anwar and many more. I see an exciting future for UAE Cricket and wish them good luck and I am really excited with the next chapter of my coaching career," said Aqib Javed.

Emirates Cricket will appoint Aaqib's replacement swiftly. "We will shortly announce the process for the recruitment of the Head Coach, and subsequently appoint an assistant coach." added East.

Hong Kong's Irfan Ahmed suspended after ICC anti-corruption breach

© Cricaction

Irfan Ahmed, the Hong Kong all-rounder, has been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for two and a half years for breaching the anti-corruption code of conduct, the governing body announced on Thursday (April 20). The 26-year-old will not be allowed to play any form of cricket until May 4, 2018.

Ahmed failed to report suspect approaches made to him between January 2012 and January 2014 to the ICC. During the hearing, he accepted the charges laid against him and decided not to appeal against the decision.

Ronnie Flanagan, the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Unit, said this will give a timely reminder to all involved. "This penalty should act as a reminder to all Participants of the need to comply with their obligations under the Code at all times, and in particular the requirement to report corrupt approaches to the ACU without any delay," he said. "It is pleasing to note that the investigation upon which these charges were founded originated from information that had been disclosed to the ACU.

"This is a clear and welcome demonstration that participants now more and more fully realise their own responsibilities in combating this scourge on the game through prompt and diligent reporting as required by the Code.

"However, it is also indicative of the worrying trend that those intent on corrupting the game are increasingly focusing their activities on Associate Member cricket and that the sport therefore needs to ensure that it is appropriately resourced and protected in that area.

"Finally, I would also like to thank the Hong Kong Cricket Association (and all of its officials and players) for the cooperation that has been afforded to the ACU's investigation during this period."

He has played six One-Day Internationals and eight Twenty20 Internationals since his debut for Hong Kong in 2008.

Rahul Johri appointed BCCI CEO

© Agencies

Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on Wednesday (April 20) that Rahul Johri has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Johri was last serving as Discovery Networks Asia Pacific's Executive Vice-President and General Manager for South Asia and had stepped down from the position earlier this year. He will take on his new role starting June 1, 2016 onwards, reporting to the Honorary Secretary BCCI and will be based at the board's Mumbai office. 

Johri brings with him immense experience and knowledge on board and will be responsible for the smooth functioning of operations, stakeholder management and building robust strategies for further promoting the sport. He will be the first person to hold such a position in BCCI.

Commenting on the appointment, BCCI President, Shashank Manohar, said, "We are pleased to have Rahul with us and are sure his vast experience and knowledge will benefit the board. His vision, guidance and support will contribute towards the successful working of the BCCI."

BCCI Secretary, Anurag Thakur said, "We welcome Rahul aboard and wish him luck for his new role at BCCI. In the past one year, BCCI has undertaken various initiatives aimed towards transforming the working of BCCI in order to make the functioning more robust. This endeavor is another initiative of the board aimed in the same direction and will mark as one more milestone towards strengthening the professional working of the BCCI."

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Rahul Johri, said, "I am honored at the opportunity to serve millions of Indian cricket fans. It will be my utmost endeavor to contribute to the Indian cricket. I am thankful to the President and Honorary Secretary of the BCCI for bestowing such faith in me. I look forward to everyone's support to fulfill this tremendous responsibility."

With over 20 plus years of experience in the media industry, he was last associated with Discovery Networks for 15 years and for the past eight years was leading South Asia operations.

IPL, 2016 Live Cricket Score of Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 13th Match

Live Score Updates

Kolkata Knight Riders 141/4 (17.1 Ovs)

Suryakumar Yadav  11 (9)

Kings XI Punjab 138/8

Mohit Sharma  3.1-0-29-0

Kolkata Knight Riders won by 6 wkts

No jitters: 

Despite the loss of three wickets following Uthappa's dismissal, there was no cause for alarm for KKR. They cruised to a six-wicket win hardly breaking a sweat.

Openers dominate: 

KKR's openers Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa provided yet another good start for the team and broke open the chase with their blistering stand. Uthappa was the more aggressive of the duo and racked up a quick fifty before becoming the first wicket to fall after a stand of 82.

Marsh holds firm: 

Maxwell's switch hit found the man at cover and Axar Patel failed to connect well off an attempted big hit soon after. It was one-way traffic at one end but Shaun Marsh continued to hold firm and was one of the main reasons why KXIP went past the 100-run mark on a pitch that was aiding a bit of turn.

Sunil Narine was economical once again in his four overs, conceding only 22 and picking up two wickets.

Spin strikes: 

Following the dismissal of Vijay, Sunil Narine and Yusuf Pathan struck in quick succession as well. KXIP's innings was going nowhere. A lot depends on Marsh and Maxwell now.

Early squeeze: 

Things haven't gone all too well for KXIP. After being put in to bat, Vohra was accounted for by Morne Morkel. However Murali Vijay and Shaun Marsh steadies the ship but they weren't able to force the pace.

Vijay was done in by a superb googly from Piyush Chawla leaving KXIP under a lot of pressure.

Toss and Teams: Unchanged KKR opt to bowl

Teams:

Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): Manan Vohra, Murali Vijay, Shaun Marsh, David Miller(c), Glenn Maxwell, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Axar Patel, Kyle Abbott, Mohit Sharma, Pardeep Sahu, Sandeep Sharma

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Robin Uthappa(w), Gautam Gambhir(c), Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Morne Morkel

Build-up: 

It's Match 13 of the Indian Premier League and it pits the resurgent Kings XI Punjab up against the in-form, Kolkata Knight Riders. David Miller's men have got their confidence back after a convincing victory over MS Dhoni's Pune outfit. On the other hand, Gambhir and his merry men can join Gujarat Lions at the top of the table with a win tonight. It's still early stages of the tournament as yet and both teams will look to sustain momentum - going into the latter half of the tournament.

After losing their first two games, KXIP roared back into contention with a comprehensive win over the Supergiants. The bowling was disciplined and the openers then set-up the perfect base. The middle-order floundered a bit, but Glenn Maxwell, was at hand to steer them home. Having logged in their first points, KXIP will look to further boost their tally tonight. Having said so, it isn't an easy task. Up against them are a team that comprises of seasoned campaigners. With two wins out of three, Kolkata have settled down well, the batting has been polished while the bowlers have taken to their task with aplomb. On paper, they boast of the better team, but this is T20 cricket and reputations count for little.

Mumbai Indians' lack of batting stability abetting their downfall

Rohit Sharma has failed to shine apart from the one good knock against KKR © BCCI

With three losses out of four games, Mumbai's start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 season closely resembles the starts they had in the previous two editions. In the 2014 season, Mumbai's record was L.L.L.L.L.W in their first six games while in 2015, they started with L.L.L.L.W.L in their first few matches before gaining momentum. 

One of the the main reason for Mumbai Indians' shoddy start has been their inability to identify the right combination and the injury to Lendl Simmons came as a further dent.

Rohit Sharma, Simmons, Parthiv Patel, Jos Buttler, Mitchell McClenaghan, Hardik Pandya, Martin Guptill - that's as many as seven batsmen that Mumbai Indians top-order has juggled with in their last four games. Of the lot, only Rohit and Rayudu have registered fifty+ scores. That Rohit scored 84 in the one game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), out of the total of 103 that he has so far, means that the skipper too hasn't been as consistent as he would have hoped for.

After Simmons, who played only the first game, was ruled out of the tournament Parthiv and Rohit opened twice, while Guptill replaced the skipper in their previous game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In their matches so far, Mumbai Indians have had only one half-century stand for the opening wicket - 53 against KKR - while the rest of the opening partnerships have all been single-digit scores.

Hardik Pandya was tried at No. 3 for three matches in a row and all he could manage were scores of 9, 9 and 2. Rayudu's promotion to three in the previous match was a sound decision as the 30-year-old, playing his 100th IPL game, registered his 12th 50+ score, seven such coming while batting at the one-drop position. Apart from the half-century, Rayudu also came up with a couple of fighting 20s, following top-order collapses. With an ability to anchor the innings and shift gears as and when required, Rayudu, who has been with Mumbai Indians throughout his IPL career, seems the best fit at the No. 3 position.

Ricky Ponting, the Mumbai Indians coach, has an explanation for the disparity in the numbers. "The problem with our line-up in the last few games, especially with Rohit deciding to open the batting, we didn't really have a specialist number three batsmen. Even international players like Pollard or Buttler, we wanted them to bat in a position where they are accustomed to. Buttler bats at number five for England and Pollard usually bats at number five or six for his country. So, we didn't have a specialist number three batsman. Rayudu also has excelled when he has batted at number 6. He has won games while batting for us there. So we didn't want to shake that up and we gave Hardik a chance at number 3."

However, Mumbai Indians do have problems when it comes to other batting positions. Buttler, who has been used at No. 4 and No. 5, hasn't made much of an impact, barring his blistering knock of 41 off 22 deliveries against KKR. Pollard, in the three matches that he has batted - twice at No. 6 and once at No. 5 - has failed to go past one. That the likes of Harbhajan Singh and Krunal Pandya have had to come up with quick-fire cameos to propel the team to totals of some respectability does not augur well for Mumbai's top-5, who between them have only scored 365 runs in the four matches. That's an average of 91.25 per game.

Buttler's continued inclusion has meant that Corey Anderson, who has scored 379 runs in the IPL and averages close to 32 with three half-centuries, is still waiting for his turn in this current edition. Ponting, however, justifies the selection of Buttler and hints that the England wicketkeeper-batsman might get an extended leash. "Buttler was out early in the first game but played a match-winning innings in the second game. I think he was unlucky to get out in the last two games. So he hasn't had much luck. He is a match winner. We have seen in the T20 World Cup and we will definitely stick with Buttler for a while."

The coach, however, does not rule of the possibility of Anderson featuring in the upcoming games. "Corey is a very good player but we cannot fit all those middle-order batsman into the one side. MI's success over the years has been having two foreign fast bowlers in the side and to play the two foreign fast bowlers, you got to take a call on who the two batsmen are going to be and we've made the call that both Buttler and Pollard probably suited the roles that we required in our team, more so than Corey Anderson did. But we know that if Buttler or Pollard happen to not be playing to their potential, then Anderson can come in and dominate the IPL as he has shown in the past."

Amongst the totals that Mumbai Indians have posted or chased so far, only once have they crossed the 150 mark in this edition. The top-5's combined contributions in the totals of 121, 188, 143, 142, are 46, 177, 60, 82 respectively. Percentage wise, that's 38.02, 94.15, 41.95, 57.74 for those four games, and if the two half-centuries are discounted, then the top order's contribution seems even more meagre. 

A horses for courses policy is something that most teams have employed, and it is no different with Mumbai Indians. However, that has also meant that there has been constant shifting and changing of positions, be it at the top or the lower order. Ponting agrees with the fact that the various changes could be one of the reasons for Mumbai's indifferent start to the season.

"If you look back to the last half of last season, when we were winning a number of games in a row, we didn't really change the combination much at all. The team remained pretty much the same. A lot of it (changes) have been forced as well, with the way we've tinkered and made changes for this tournament so far. But ideally, as a coach and captain, you don't want to be making many changes," says Ponting. "You want all your guys fit and available for selection, and when you pick them, hopefully the role that you give them to play, they play that for you. But if they can't play that role, then you got to look at other guys that can come in and play certain roles."

A settled line-up is that which gives most teams early momentum at the start of the tournament. That Mumbai Indians have not been able to identify one, especially with the batting order, has been the main reason for their poor beginning in IPL 2016. How soon they identify the players and what roles they would best fit into remains to be seen, but doing so quickly would be at the top of their wish-list at present. 

The captain and the coach have time and again stressed that Mumbai would rather not pull off late miracles like they did in the last two seasons. But, going by how their current season is progressing, such a scenario might come into picture again, and this time, it may turn out to be third time unlucky.

Mumbai Indians hope to put battered campaign back on track

© BCCI

Smarting from losses in their previous games, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they face off against each other in the 14th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 at the Wankhede stadium on Wednesday (April 20). Mumbai Indians, who are yet to win a single game at home this season, have already suffered three losses - two in home games - while their sole victory so far came against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The match will be Mumbai's penultimate game at Wankhede, with the IPL games being moved out of Maharashtra in May. RCB, who will be playing their first away game this edition, have a win and a loss apiece.

Mumbai's insipid batting has meant that the defending champions are languishing at the bottom of the table. The top-order is to blame for the poor showing in their defeats so far and skipper Rohit Sharma had no qualms in admitting that after their recent loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). "We did not score enough runs in all the three games that we lost. The only game we won, we chased 180-plus and one of the batsmen batted through the innings," Rohit said, stressing that the top order has been a let-down. 

While the likes of Ambati Rayudu and Krunal Pandya have put on a couple of impressive shows, losing early wickets in most of their games has resulted in lack of good platforms for the middle order to capitalise. The early wobbles have left them looking at consolidating the innings more often than not.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians bowlers, especially their overseas seamers, have fought hard and come up with good performances despite not having great totals to defend. Mitchell McClenaghan has been the pick of the bowlers and has spearheaded the attack well in the absence of Lasith Malinga. His New Zealand pace-bowling colleague, Tim Southee, looked a touch rusty in his first two matches before hitting the straps by registering his best IPL figures (3-24) against SRH. Meanwhile, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya haven't made much of an impact, while Harbhajan Singh has been expensive in his last couple of outings. They will have to pull up their socks as the margin for error against RCB's star-studded batting line-up is pretty minimal.

The last time Mumbai Indians played against RCB at Wankhede, the bowlers were taken to the cleaners by an AB de Villiers's 360 degree master-class and a record 215-run stand between the South African and Virat Kohli. Come Wednesday, Mumbai will be wary of these two, who are in red-hot form having registered two back-to-back fifties apiece. That RCB have the best batting line-up in the tournament is a well-known fact and they proved just that when they posted a massive 227 against SRH in their opening game, with the likes of Shane Watson and Sarfaraz Khan also coming good with the bat. They looked on course to a similar total against Delhi Daredevils, but they could not come up flourishing finish to their innings, and Kohli attributed it to some tight bowling from Delhi as much as lack of execution from the batsmen.

In the bowling department, Watson has been doing a fine job, as has Parvez Rasool to an extent, but there is huge scope of improvement when it comes to the rest of the bowlers. Adam Milne, Sreenath Aravind and David Wiese, who all played one game each, have turned out to be expensive, while Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal have also leaked runs. Although it could be said that the pitches at the Chinnaswamy stadium were loaded heavily in favour of the batsmen, the same might also be the case at Wankhede, which means that the bowlers would have to be as disciplined.

When: MI vs RCB, 14th Match - April 20 at 20:00 IST

Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

What to expect: A high of 32 degree Celsius and humidity close to 70%. In the previous two games at Wankhede, Mumbai Indians batted first and struggled quite a bit on wickets that had some assistance for the bowlers early on. If a similar pitch is on offer for the upcoming game, toss might play an important factor. Dew is also likely to play a part in the later stages.

Team News:

Mumbai Indians:

While the bowling unit looks a bit settled, batting is where Mumbai Indians are facing plenty of issues. The injury to Lendl Simmons has hurt the batting combination of the two-time champions, who have struggled to identify the right positions for the batsmen. Martin Guptill, who played against SRH in the place of Kieron Pollard, did not have a great IPL debut, while Jos Buttler, barring his knock against KKR, hasn't been at his best in his maiden IPL campaign. Rayudu's promotion to Number 3 appeared a good move, but Mumbai Indians haven't hit upon the ideal combination yet. 

Pollard suffered a bout of food poisoning, which kept him out for the previous game. Ricky Ponting, the MI coach, mentioned that he is fit for this game, but he also hinted that Guptill is likely to retain his place and that Rohit would, in all likelihood, bat down the order. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya's form hasn't been all that great and MI could look at bringing in an extra batsman.

Royal Challengers Bangalore:

Kohli and the think-tank do not have too many problems as far as the batting is concerned as they seem to have identified their batting order. However, they will be without Chris Gayle, who is flying back home for the birth of his child. This means that Watson could partner Kohli at the top of the order while Travis Head, the Australia batsman, could be handed his IPL debut. 

It's the bowling that has been giving them a headache or two, and in the absence of Mitchell Starc, RCB do not have that player who can double up as their wicket-taker and a containing option. They have already tried out Adam Milne and David Wiese, with both options not working as well as they would have liked. Aravind, who had replaced Stuart Binny, also did not have a good outing in the last game and it remains to be seen if RCB revert to the bowling combination they had for their first game.

Did you know: 

AB de Villiers averages 60.60 and has a strike rate of 157.81 for RCB against MI in IPL with one century.

Teams chasing have won 11 out of 13 T20s in Wankhede this year. In this edition of IPL, teams chasing have won 11 out of the first 12 matches.

In his last 10 T20s, Hardik Pandya has managed 38 runs at a strike rate of 82.86 and has taken six wickets at an economy rate of 10.41 in 25 overs.

Quotes:

Our batting hasn't been good enough. The guys are aware that they haven't been playing good enough. We have been able to make comebacks in few games but we haven't been able to dominate the game from the outset. That's what we want to do in the next game. And if we can do that against RCB who are a very good side then hopefully the boys can take confidence from that: Ricky Ponting

I am excited to play here. I wish I don't get a chance as I want our top order, which is in good form, to do the damage. But if I do get a chance then I will play according to the situation. Senior players like Virat Kohli and Gayle have given me inputs and have advised me: Sarfaraz Khan

Teams:

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Unmukt Chand, Shreyas Gopal, Kishore Kamath, Mitchell McClenaghan, Hardik Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Deepak Punia, Ambati Rayudu, Lendl Simmons, Tim Southee, Vinay Kumar, Corey Anderson, Jos Buttler, Marchant de Lange, Harbhajan Singh, Siddhesh Lad, Lasith Malinga, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Nitish Rana, Jitesh Sharma, Nathu Singh, Suchith, Akshay Wakhare

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Abu Nechim, Samuel Badree, Yuzvendra Chahal, Praveen Dubey, Travis Head, Kedar Jadhav, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Lokesh Rahul, Sachin Baby, Vikas Tokas, David Wiese, Varun Aaron, Sreenath Aravind, Stuart Binny, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Iqbal Abdulla, Akshay Karnewar, Vikramjeet Malik, Adam Milne, Harshal Patel, Kane Richardson, Shane Watson.

Nepal clinch series win over Namibia

"It is an amazing feeling to have International Cricket back at home and we are thrilled to have managed to finally win in front of our fans," Khadka. © Cricaction

Paras Khadka, the Nepal captain, scored a magnificent hundred (94-ball 103) to take his side home in a thrilling encounter against Namibia. Playing in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League, Nepal hosted Namibia in a two-match series and clinched it 2-0 on Tuesday (April 19).

Just over a year after the devastating earthquake, which killed thousands of people, ICC joined hands with the Cricket Association of Nepal to conduct the World Cricket League in Nepal for the first time. It turned out to be a masterstroke as more than 10,000 people came to witness their local heroes in action.

Having won the first One-Day International (ODI) by a comfortable margin of 5 wickets, Nepal were made to sweat in the second game. Khadka inserted the opposition in and the idea seemed to have backfired as Namibia's openers, Stephen Baard and Zane Green added 95 runs for the first wicket.

However, once the partnership was broken, Namibia slipped to 167/7 before some late-order striking from Sarel Burger and JP Kotze gave them some respectability. With the ball, Nepal showed good composure by pulling things back after the dangerous opening stand. Sandeep Lamichhane, Basant Regmi and Shakti Gauchan scalped two wickets apiece.

The target was not stiff and Nepal started cautiously, but soon found themselves two down with the score reading 37. Khadka walked in at No. 4 and stepped on the gas straightaway, carting a four and a six off his third and fourth balls respectively.

Sharad Vesawkar, the in-form batsman for Nepal, who had notched up a fifty in the first match, gave his skipper excellent company and together the pair stitched a 167-run stand for the third wicket. They seemed to be cruising with Khadka bringing up his century in the 41st over and Nepal needing just 36 runs at the time.

But like the Namibia innings, once the partnership was broken, Nepal lost a bunch of wickets and found themselves needing 6 runs off the final over with three wickets in hand. The one good thing though was the presence of Vesawkar, who kept a calm head and took them over the finishing line with a ball to spare.

Nepal were placed at the eight spot in the World Cricket League Championship, but with the two wins have jumped up to the fifth position. The wins will keep them in good stead to qualify for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and eventually the 2019 World Cup.

Khadka appreciated the home support after the match, "It is an amazing feeling to have international cricket back at home and we are thrilled to have managed to finally win in front of our passionate home fans. We want to thank all those who put in efforts to organise these matches in Kathmandu and hope it is stepping stone for good things in the future."

He also went to applaud his team, "The team put in a lot of effort, so hats-off to the boys for pulling off our first win. We have to keep working hard from here to challenge other teams in the WCLC."

The final round of World Cricket League matches will be played next month between Papua New Guinea and Kenya.