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MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has avoided being hit with demerit points after the pitch for the pink-ball test between India and England was rated as "average" despite the match lasting only two days. Venues can be suspended for a year if they pick up five demerit points and for two years if they pick up 10. A "below average" rating by the International Cricket Council's match referee brings one point, a "poor" rating brings three while the lowest rating of "unfit" comes with five. Demerit points remain active for a rolling five years. India won the third test inside two days after 30 wickets tumbled in five sessions on a turning track at the new stadium, which is the world's biggest cricket venue with a capacity of seating 132,000 people. Former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath was the match referee for the four-match series, which the hosts won 3-1. England collapsed for 81 in their second innings, and neither side reached 150 runs in what ... » Learn More about ICC rates Ahmedabad pitch for two-day test match ‘average’

AHMEDABAD, India: England speedster Jofra Archer risks missing the one-day series against India and first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after skipper Eoin Morgan said the bowler's elbow injury has worsened and needs attention. Archer missed the final Test against India with the injury, but returned for the Twenty20 series, claiming a career-best 4-33 in the fourth match in Ahmedabad. India, who had prevailed in the preceding Test series, won the Twenty20 series 3-2 on Saturday (Mar 20). Asked about Archer's availability for the three-match ODI series beginning on Tuesday, Morgan told a video conference: "Not quite sure yet. I think we're going to wait until tonight and tomorrow to see how Jofra has pulled up." "He's clearly had a progressive injury that has become worse and does need attention," Morgan added. "It'll be over to our medical team and hopefully the decision that Jofra comes to will be the best for us in the long term." Archer, 25, is expected to ... » Learn More about Cricket: England’s Archer doubtful for ODIs and IPL with elbow injury

AHMEDABAD, India: England fast bowler Jofra Archer will miss the one-day series against India and the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) next month after his elbow injury deteriorated, the English cricket board said on Sunday. Archer missed the final test against India with the injury but returned for the Twenty20 series, claiming a career-best 4-33 in the fourth match in Ahmedabad. India, who prevailed in the preceding test series, won the Twenty20 series 3-2 on Saturday. "Jofra Archer is returning to the UK for further management and investigation of his right elbow injury," the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement after naming a 14-man squad for the ODI series. "Jofra's elbow issue has deteriorated over the course of the T20 International series and made it increasingly challenging for him to maintain performance levels. "As a consequence, Jofra will miss the start of this year's Indian Premier League," the ECB added. Archer, 25, is expected ... » Learn More about Injured Archer ruled out of India ODI series, IPL start

LONDON: Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the remaining two one-day internationals against England after injuring his left shoulder in Tuesday's opener, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday. The game's governing body said the 26-year-old, who captains the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, is also likely to miss part of the IPL season. "Shreyas Iyer is out of the remaining #INDvENG ODIs," the ICC tweeted. "The batsman was sidelined after he suffered a shoulder injury in the first match while fielding and is likely to miss part of the IPL as well." Iyer sustained the injury diving to stop a shot by England opener Jonny Bairstow. The Board of Control for Cricket in India tweeted that he had "subluxated his left shoulder." A subluxation is a partial dislocation. The IPL will begin in Chennai on April 9 and will be played at six venues, initially without spectators. India's Rohit Sharma was also hit on the right elbow when batting ... » Learn More about Cricket: India’s Iyer to miss England ODIs, doubtful for IPL start, ICC says

It took a few minutes for Vignesh Sundaresan and Anand Venkateswaran to realise that they’d parted with US$69.3mil (RM287.35mil) for a digital artwork stored in a JPEG file, coincidentally securing their place in art history. “We weren’t sure we won,” said Venkateswaran, describing the nerve-racking final moments of the online auction for a collage of 5,000 images by the artist known as Beeple. “We kept refreshing the page.” The March 11 auction at Christie’s in London immediately made Beeple’s artwork one of the most expensive pieces ever sold by living artists, joining a well-known swimming pool painting by David Hockney and an iconic stainless steel rabbit sculpture by Jeff Koons. Venkateswaran said he and his friend and business partner, Sundaresan, both in their 30s, are still coming to terms with their landmark purchase. They’ve also had to cope with outside concerns that the transaction could have been a convoluted scheme to inflate the value of the pair's investment ... » Learn More about How two friends made art history buying a US$70mil digital work

New Delhi (AFP) - The much-delayed Indian Premier League starts on Saturday (Sept 18) without its customary glitz and glamour, but the Twenty20 tournament is expected to be a welcome relief to cricket fans during the coronavirus pandemic. The short-form extravaganza normally starts in March but along with other major international sporting events was postponed as countries went into virus lockdowns. It was then moved to the United Arab Emirates as cases rose in India. All the eight teams have been in strict, bio-secure "bubbles" since landing in the UAE, with the competition set to kick off when defending champions Mumbai Indians take on Chennai Super Kings in Abu Dhabi in Sept 19. There will be no gala opening ceremony for the world's richest T20 league, and the games will be played behind closed doors at three venues including Dubai and Sharjah. Yet president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sourav Ganguly, expects a surge in viewership for the 13th ... » Learn More about Cricket: No cheerleaders, no fans – IPL pares down glitz for Covid era

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Delhi Capitals spinner Axar Patel has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the start of their Indian Premier League campaign next week, the team said on Saturday. Delhi, coached by Australian batting great Ricky Ponting, said the 27-year-old Axar had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on Sunday with a negative report. "His report from the second COVID test, came positive," the 2020 IPL finalists said in a statement. "He is currently in isolation at a designated medical care facility." Left-arm spinner Axar, who made a successful test debut for India against England recently, was the second cricketer to test positive before the IPL after Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Nitish Rana. Participants will have to stay in restricted health environment for this year's IPL, which will be played across six venues, initially without spectators, from Friday. Delhi are scheduled to open their IPL campaign against the Chennai Super Kings on April 10 at Mumbai's ... » Learn More about Cricket-Delhi’s Axar tests positive for COVID-19 ahead of IPL

MUMBAI: Spin star Axar Patel has tested positive for coronavirus and been put into isolation, his team said Saturday as the Indian Premier League battles new pandemic fears days ahead of its start. IPL organisers are nervously watching a surge in coronavirus cases across India as 10 ground staff at the stadium where Patel's team play their first match on Apr 10 have also tested positive, reports said. Patel, who took four five-wicket hauls in the Test series against England last month, was found to have the coronavirus after joining his Delhi Capitals side as they prepare for the new IPL tournament. He checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on Mar 28 "with a negative report", the Capitals said in a statement. "His report from the second COVID test, came positive. He is currently in isolation at a designated medical care facility," the team added. All eight teams, packed with the main cricket stars from around the world, have been put into secure bio-bubbles ahead of the ... » Learn More about Cricket: India spin star Patel tests positive for coronavirus ahead of IPL

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood has decided to opt out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and rest up for a crowded schedule of international cricket culminating with the Ashes at the end of the year. The 30-year-old fast bowler was scheduled to play a second season for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, which is being played across six venues, initially without spectators, from April 9-May 30. "It's been a long 10 months in bubbles and quarantine at different times, so I decided to have a rest from cricket and spend some time at home and in Australia in the next two months," Hazlewood told cricket.com.au. "We've got a big winter ahead too. The West Indies is going to be a long tour, with Bangladesh (T20 tour) potentially thrown on the end of that. "Then potentially the T20 World Cup leading into the Ashes, so it's a big 12 months ... and I want to give myself the best chance to be mentally and physically ready for that. "That's the decision I've ... » Learn More about Hazlewood opts out of IPL to rest up for Ashes

CHENNAI : More than 2.3 million people in India reportedly have received Covid-19 vaccinations as of Wednesday, the 12th day since the country launched its “world’s biggest inoculation program” that plans to vaccinate 300 million population from high-risk groups by the end of July. The program is nonetheless doubted by observers, who believe the government’s poor management ability will lead to failure with its ambitious target. India is “100 percent unable” to achieve the goal given local people’s distrust of the vaccines and possible supply shortage, Tian Guangqiang, assistant research fellow with the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday. In India, home to 1.4 billion people, is under pressure over the death of nine health workers while administering inoculation as the vaccines raised public concerns about the vaccine’s safety. The authorities said that the deaths were not due to the ... » Learn More about India can’t vaccinate 1.4B folk – expert