All posts by n8rngtd.top

Wade and D’Arcy Short added an opening stand of 203 as the Strikers were left to settle for third place and a spot in the Knockout final

The Report by Andrew McGlashan26-Jan-2020A breathtaking century by captain Matthew Wade helped the Hobart Hurricanes time their run into the BBL finals just right as they secured a spot in the Eliminator by overcoming the Adelaide Strikers in a high-scoring match of more than 400 runs.Wade and D’Arcy Short added 203 for the first wicket with Wade finishing on a magnificent unbeaten 130 off 61 balls, which, at one stage, looked set to threaten Marcus Stoinis’ recent BBL record of 147.Matthew Wade was in blistering form•Getty Images

However, the Strikers – who could have clinched second place with victory – gave the chase a terrific attempt led by Phil Salt as he looked capable of matching Wade. However, the impressive Nathan Ellis again shone at the death while James Faulkner showed his experience when it mattered.The outcome means that the Strikers will host the knockout match at the Adelaide Oval on February 1 while the Sydney Sixers have earned a spot in the Qualifier against the Melbourne Stars and two chances to reach the final. The Hurricanes’ opponents, the Brisbane Heat away or Sydney Thunder at home, would be known on Monday after the final regular-season match between the Heat and the Melbourne Renegades.Wade’s masterclassWade, who has hit a purple patch in the last week, looked in the mood early on and by the end of the powerplay had 38 off 19 balls with the Hurricanes going at ten an over. It was the eighth over, which would become Billy Stanlake’s only one of the innings, where the Strikers began to really lose control as Wade fed off a leg-side line in an over that cost 22. Though he had gone for 21 before the final ball of the over, it might have been different for Stanlake if Jono Wells had managed to hold Wade at deep square-leg on 57. The Strikers’ go-to bowler, Rashid Khan, was also taken for consecutive sixes before Wade brought up his hundred from 48 balls after reaching 99 with a bottom-handed flick over the ropes off Peter Siddle.Short plays second fiddleIt is little surprise that the Hurricanes’ season has come together as they’ve got Wade and Short back in harness after their respective international duties. Short made a duck in his game after the India tour (although he took a five-wicket haul) and did not quite look in his best form for most of this innings, but showed maturity by playing in Wade’s slipstream and not giving it away. In a mark of the contrasting innings, Short’s fifty and Wade’s hundred both took 48 deliveries but Short got some rewards late on as he struck three sixes in the space of four balls to take the total over 200. The last two overs from the Strikers only went for 15 but a lot of damage had been done.A sprinkling of SaltAlthough they could secure second spot, overall there was less pressure on the Strikers than the Hurricanes and they were able to approach a tough chase with a degree of freedom knowing a home knockout match was theirs even in defeat. Salt was dropped second ball – a sitter to George Bailey at point, who managed to maintain his sense of humour (his career now has at least one more game) – and raced out of the blocks to put the Hurricanes’ bowlers under the pump. At the end of the powerplay, the Strikers were ahead in the comparison at 1 for 66. With the halfway mark of the innings approaching, they had kept the required rate around 11 but attempting to clear the popular deep midwicket area, Salt picked out Short, who had previously given him a life in the same spot on 43.Nerves at the deathWhen Scott Boland removed Travis Head – the ball rolling up his leg and back into the stumps – the Strikers surged again as Alex Carey and Wells took 25 off the next seven deliveries. By the start of the 17th over, they needed 48 off 24 balls with a set Carey and in-form Wells in the middle. However, Clive Rose bravely held back his first delivery of the over and Wells missed his sweep, and then it was over to Ellis and Faulkner to close out. Ellis’ first ball of the 18th was swung for six by Khan but his next was a pinpoint yorker, which earned an lbw. He went for just six off the next four deliveries, and then Faulkner used all his variations to concede five off the penultimate over, leaving Ellis with 22 to defend from the last.

He played 48 international matches and was the Man of the Match in his last Test, in 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2020Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has retired from international and first-class cricket, making the announcement on Friday via Twitter. Ojha remembered his “memorable” IPL journey too in a retirement letter he tweeted, effectively putting an end to his career across formats.”It’s time I move on to the next phase of my life. The love and support of each and every individual will always remain with me and motivate me all the time,” he tweeted.Ojha played 48 international matches – 24 Tests, 18 ODIs and six T20Is – from 2008 to 2013. In his last game for India, a Test against West Indies in 2013 which was Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell match, Ojha finished with match figures of 10 for 89 and was named the Man of the Match. Overall, he took 113 Test wickets at an average of 30.26, 21 in ODIs and 10 in T20Is at an economy rate of 6.28.”To be an Indian cricketer and represent the country at the highest level was always a dream I cherished as a youngster,” Ojha said in a letter he posted on Twitter. “I fall short of words to describe how fortunate I have been to have lived, dream and earned the love and respect of my fellow countrymen. For a sportsperson, there cannot be a greater reward.” Ojha started his domestic career with Hyderabad in 2005 and made his international debut in an ODI against Bangladesh in 2008. In 2015 he left Hyderabad to ply his trade as a professional player in the domestic circuit and represented Bengal in 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. In 2017, he returned to Hyderabad, but for only one season before switching to Bihar for whom he played three one-day matches and one first-class game at the end of 2018.He ended his first class career with 424 wickets from 108 matches at an average of 28.60, with 23 five-fors and three 10-wicket match hauls. In 50-over games he had 123 wickets from 103 games and another 156 wickets from 142 T20s.In the IPL, he represented Deccan Chargers from 2008 to 2011 and Mumbai Indians from 2012 to 2015. In 2009 he helped the Chargers lift the trophy with 18 wickets, and even ended as the highest wicket-taker in 2010 with 21 scalps, when the Chargers lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the third-place playoff.”My eventful career has witnessed many ups and downs. Over the time, I have realized that the legacy of a sportsperson is not just the outcome of his hard work and dedication, but also the faith and guidance bestowed upon by the association (team management), teammates, coaches, trainers, and the fans. Their belief fills you with a strong sense of purpose and belonging.”I have been a part of the Hyderabad Cricket Association for close to 14 years, and the incredible experience I have gained will have an everlasting impact. I would like to express my gratitude to all the members of the Association who have supported me through these years.”Ojha also thanked the Cricket Association of Bengal, the Bihar Cricket Association, the two IPL franchises he represented and many of his former team-mates.”My humble salute to all my seniors and teammates from whom I draw immense inspiration, and who have helped me to strive to be a better sportsperson. I am very thankful to Mr. V.V.S. Laxman for mentoring me like an elder brother, Mr. Venkatapathy Raju for being the role model I always looked to emulate, Mr. Harbhajan Singh for being a constant adviser and Mr. M.S. Dhoni for providing me with the honorable opportunity to wear the Indian Cap.”I extend my regards to my contemporaries Mr. Rohit Sharma and Mr. Manoj Tiwary who have shared many eventful moments with me. My Hyderabad teammates – Mr. Amol Shinde, Mr. M.P. Arjun, Mr. Alfred Absolom and Mr.P.S Niranjan have been an integral and inseparable part of my journey. My utmost gratitude to Mr. Arjun Yadav who was the first captain I played under during my Ranji Trophy debut and also Mr. Kanwaljit Singh who coached me during the early phases of my career.”Lastly, I am certain that looking back at my career will always fill me with a sense of pride. The most memorable moments would be receiving my Test Cap from Mr. Sachin Tendulkar and accomplishing the feat of taking 100 test wickets. I hope to continue contributing towards the growth of Indian Cricket in every capacity possible.”

South Africa’s captain has only praise for her side after falling narrowly short in rain-affected game

Annesha Ghosh at the SCG05-Mar-2020After going down to Australia in a thrilling, rain-shortened semi-final at the T20 World Cup, South Africa captain South Africa captain Dane van Niekerk made it clear she would “rather lose than get a free pass” into the tournament’s final.Van Niekerk’s views came in the wake of a five-run defeat for her side, having been set a DLS-calculated chase of 98 in 13 overs, with Australia having batted a full 20 overs to put on a competitive 5 for 134. Only hours earlier, the washed-out first semi-final had facilitated Group A-toppers India’s qualification into their first T20 World Cup final, at the expense of England, and heightened concerns the second match in the double-header at the SCG would end similarly.With rain forecast through the evening, the requirement of a minimum of 10 overs a side for the semi-final to yield a result kept defending champions Australia on tenterhooks. The hosts’ innings had only just ended when a heavy spell of rain arrived, forcing a 40-minute delay and eating into the overs available for the South Africa chase. As with India, a washout in their semi-final would have propelled South Africa into Sunday’s final on the basis of group position.ALSO READ: ‘Hope there’s going to be a rule change’ – Knight on reserve days“I am not going to sit and lie and say, ‘You don’t think about it,'” van Niekerk said, when asked if her team had been thinking about the possibility of qualifying for the final via a washout. “I have to give credit to the groundstaff; they did absolutely everything to keep us on the park. And we are here to play cricket. I’d rather lose than get a free pass into the World Cup final.”Before the game, van Niekerk had unequivocally lined herself up on the side of the debate that argued in favour of reserve days for world tournament knockouts. “To lose out because of weather is probably not ideal,” she said on Wednesday. “And I don’t think it should be like that. I believe in the future, semi-finals and finals should definitely have reserve days.”Merit, and not the elements, eventually decided the outcome of closely contested Australia v South Africa face-off. Laura Wolvaardt revived a flagging chase with an enterprising 27-ball 41 not-out after coming in at No. 5, with South Africa teetering at 3 for 24 in the fifth over. By the end of the ninth over, the required run rate had peaked at 10.75 runs an over, but two fours from Wolvaardt in the 10th injected much-needed impetus into the chase. Vitally, an outcome in the game was by now guaranteed.With 32 needed off the last three, Wolvaardt kept South Africa in the hunt with an array of picture-perfect drives and straight-batted brisk hits, even as she lost partners at the other end and another incoming round of drizzle started titling the odds in Australia’s favour. A six off the last ball of the 12th over reduced the equation to 19 off the last over, which eventually proved five runs too many for South Africa to alter their winless record against Australia in international cricket.For van Niekerk, though, the character in Wolvaardt’s fightback – and through the tournament where South Africa won three out of their four completed league games – stood out as a highlight of their campaign.”I don’t have to [do anything to keep her confidence up],” van Niekerk said. “She is a smart kid. First of all, she loves the game of cricket. The fact that she gave up medicine to play cricket, that says a lot. She loves cricket, she just wants to bat all the time, and gets upset if she doesn’t bat.”She gets upset when she sits on the side and it showed in this World Cup. She wanted to be out there. She apologised for not getting the last runs [laughs]. She couldn’t have done anything more. She’s been brilliant; she’s my pick of the tournament as well.”Laura Wolvaardt played a stunning innings•Getty Images

With the big-hitting Chloe Tryon coming in as low as No. 6, questions over the order of the line-up lingered after South Africa came up short again – for the second time across the three most-recent world tournaments, their semi-final in the 2017 ODI World Cup also having ended in “heartbreak”.But van Niekerk defended the batting order. “No. I feel like Sune [Luus] and Wolfie did really well,” she said. “They changed the momentum in the middle and then at the back end of the innings. I was still quite confident when Chloe went out there even with the last over; it’s three hits away, especially for somebody with her power.”She miscued a full toss; nine out of ten time she would hit that probably on top of the roof. That’s the nature of the game. It’s never easy to come in and just swing away, no matter how strong you are. Chloe came in at the right time. I think the second half of the last over was bowled in brilliantly. That stopped the momentum a bit.”On the eve of the semi-final, van Niekerk had backed her team – “the best” South Africa have had in a while – to make the final, even though she had conceded they were “babies” compared to four-time champions Australia. But the chasm in experience between the No. 1-ranked team and South Africa ultimately cost them another shy at a maiden title.”They are experienced in knockout games,” van Niekerk said. “Let’s be honest, we’ve only been in three [semi-finals]; they’ve played countless. I have to give them credit, their plans were spot on. The way they started their tournament [losing to India], to where they are now – it tells you about the quality of their team.”You can never write off the No. 1 team in the world, and they showed tonight why they are, and why they came back. At one stage, it was our game to win, and theirs to lose. [They] turned the tables again. It comes with experience, and confidence. I believed they are the deserved No. 1 team at the moment.”

Lack of cricket could increase player availability for fledgling league

George Dobell12-Jun-2020Organisers of the Euro T20 Slam are aiming to stage the competition in Ireland this year. That is despite potential complications linked to Covid-19 and the fact that the inaugural edition of the competition, which features six city-based franchise teams, was postponed in 2019 due to financial concerns.But the organisers – who are also responsible for the Global T20 Canada – remain hopeful that they may be able to take advantage of the lack of cricket elsewhere in the world and are scheduling it to run with a start date of August 20, with the intention of Malahide hosting all games. A final decision is expected to be taken on June 18.Last year’s Euro Slam cancellation came days after the GT20 had run into financial difficulties, which included the non-payment of player wages. However, it is understood that the GT20 is unlikely to run this year, due to the Canadian government’s coronavirus-related restrictions and the costs associated with flying in international cricketers and keeping them in isolation.The Euro Slam is planned to feature two sides from each of Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands. While it looks likely to coincide with the CPL season, it is possible the lack of cricket elsewhere will increase the availability of players. If English counties are not playing at the time – or are only playing red-ball cricket – their players could certainly appear in the Euro Slam.Daniel Vettori, Lance Klusener, Mark Ramprakash and Herschelle Gibbs were among the head coaches announced for the competition last year. Rashid Khan, Dale Steyn, Eoin Morgan, Babar Azam and Faf du Plessis were among the players.

Craig and Jamie Overton blasted half-centuries before Somerset’s bowlers cleaned up again

ECB Reporters Network09-Aug-2020A maximum of 120 overs was deemed a sensible first-innings limit to protect bowlers during the Bob Willis Trophy. But Somerset needed no additional conditions to give their players a break after sending down only 75 to beat Northamptonshire by 167 runs at Wantage Road.A kamikaze match was completed on the second evening with Northants losing 6 for 6 in 24 balls to be hustled out for 154. An improvement on 67 all out in the first innings, and development is indeed the aim for Northants in this truncated season.Victory is the only currency for Somerset after so many near-misses in the County Championship in recent seasons and they again showed their ruthless streak with the ball, probing away enough to find the home batsmen wanting in their ability to consistently leave outside off stump.Jamie Overton took 4 for 26, completing a jolly fine day after slugging 68 from 43 balls either side of lunch – the highest score of the match – to ensure Somerset once again claimed momentum at the change of innings. It was most necessary too after his side were 53 for 6 trying to build on a first-innings lead of 99.A target of 322 seemed a world away for Northants and although they enjoyed a better session to tea – reaching 104 for 3 with Ricardo Vasconcelos making an attractive 52 – a run of wickets never seemed far away. Losing Vasconcelos four balls into the evening session ended any realistic hope.The end was brutal. Charlie Thurston gloved Jamie Overton down the leg side trying to pull. Adam Rossington also tried to pull, missed and was given leg before – although replays indicated height and line should have been considerations for Rob Bailey.Jack Brooks found Gareth Berg’s outside edge and he was held at first slip for a fourth-ball duck and next ball a full delivery trapped Ben Sanderson lbw and this time there was absolutely no debate. Blessing Muzarabani’s stroke to survive the hat-trick was effective if not typically advised.Craig Overton belts down the ground•Getty Images

Brooks ended the match with a fourth wicket and completed a fine game having struck a momentum-shifting 36 from No. 11 on the first afternoon and later run out Vasconcelos.The denouement was fitting for a game played a breakneck speed. After 21 wickets on the first day Somerset simply decided to strap in for the ride on the second morning. But instead of merely bracing themselves for the bumps down the mountain, they floored the accelerator and whacked 160 in 25 overs to lunch.The aggressive tactic was a response to their precarious position – leading by only 152 with four wickets in hand. The lower order broke free and Craig Overton and Roelof van der Merwe swung successfully to add 67 in 51 deliveries.Craig Overton struck three sixes – hoisting Berg over long-on then flicking him beyond square leg and playing the same shot against Sanderson. His brother Jamie then saw the bet and raised him by one with a pair of pulls, a vicious smear over long-off and a hoick that just cleared deep midwicket as 48 runs came in 37 balls after lunch to push Somerset out of sight.Northants also decided that positivity was required to have a sniff of the target and Vasconcelos struck six fours in 10 balls to reach his half-century. But in the over after tea, he poked at a ball from Josh Davey some two feet outside off stump and was taken at second slip.The same dismissal – albeit from a much tighter line that demanded a stroke – removed Ben Curran. Emilio Gay fell in very similar fashion, held at first slip feeling for one from Jamie Overton that could definitely have been left alone.Rob Keogh tamely lobbed a return catch to Brooks trying to work a full outswinger to leg and the final six wickets fell in the time it takes to drive from Minehead to Watchet.

Ryan Stevenson’s career-best 4 for 71 keeps Hampshire in contest

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2020Ryan Stevenson and Martin Andersson recorded career-bests for their respective sides as Middlesex and Hampshire fought out an absorbing first day of their Bob Willis Trophy encounter at Radlett.Devon-born seamer Stevenson, recalled for only his sixth first-class game, took 4 for 71, doubling his first-class wicket tally in the process, but Andersson, a man with just eight first-class matches behind him, hit 92 to take the hosts to 252 all out.Liam Dawson, Keith Barker and James Fuller were also among the wickets, seemingly justifying Sam Northeast’s decision to bowl first, but James Harris took two wickets to leave the visitors 27 for 2 in reply after a seesaw day of action.Northeast’s decision to field raised eyebrows given their hosts opted for two spinners on a pitch expected to turn late in the match.However, in humid conditions and thanks to some early seam movement, it didn’t take the visitors’ attack long to reward their captain’s faith. In just the third over Barker bowled Sam Robson for a duck with a beauty which clipped the top of off stump.Nick Gubbins, fresh from his hundred in the win over Surrey also didn’t stay long. The left-hander got away with one top edge hook over the slips, only to play the shot again in the same over and hole out to Felix Organ at fine leg, so giving Fuller a wicket against his former county. And when the Stevenson got in on the act for the first time, trapping home skipper Stevie Eskinazi for 18, Middlesex were struggling at 41 for 3.That was Andersson’s cue to enter the fray and he played positively from the off, steadying the ship in the company of opener Max Holden either side of the lunch interval.Holden was dropped at slip by Ian Holland off the luckless Barker early in the afternoon, but the drop wasn’t costly as the same combination accounted for the left-hander for 36 shortly afterwards – a wonderful catch taken just millimetres from the turf to end a stand of 44.Andersson was given his one life on 23 when Dawson spilt a difficult chance at slip and he went on to make the most of his reprieve, reaching 50 from 71 balls with eight fours. He found a staunch ally in wicketkeeper John Simpson, who after a sticky start hit Barker for three successive fours.Dawson dropped Simpson on 26, but like Holland earlier atoned soon afterwards to give Stevenson a second wicket and end a stand of 93 for the fifth wicket. Dawson, back from England ODI duty then struck with the ball having Harris taken at slip off the last ball before tea.Six more boundaries took Anderson past his previous best of 83 against Lancashire at Old Trafford last September and to within touching distance of a maiden first-class hundred, but he came up eight short when Fuller trapped him lbw.Tom Helm and Nathan Sowter added useful runs for the eighth wicket before Stevenson returned to dismiss the latter and Thilan Walallawita off successive balls to cap his excellent day.Helm ensured a second batting point by striking Dawson for a towering straight six, but Dawson had him caught and bowled later in the same over.With 14 overs left to bat, Hampshire looked set to get to the close unscathed before Harris found the edge of Organ’s bat and Sowter took a sharp catch at second slip.Barker was sent in as nightwatchman, but that plan backfired when Harris struck a second time with one that splayed the stumps, leaving the match intriguingly poised ahead of day two.

According to a statement from the board, he was dismissed for “acts of serious misconduct.”

Firdose Moonda27-Aug-2020Cricket South Africa have fired former CEO Thabang Moroe with immediate effect, almost nine months after he was suspended in December 2019. Moroe was sacked after an independent forensic investigation revealed he had “committed acts of serious misconduct.” He is expected to challenge this outcome in court.This brings to three the total number of former CSA staff who are contesting their dismissals. Former chief operating officer Naasei Appiah, who was fired earlier this month and former head of sales and sponsorship Clive Eksteen, who was fired in June, have taken their cases to the labour court and the commission for conciliation, mediation, and arbitration respectively.Kugandrie Govender, who was named acting CEO last Wednesday, will continue in the position while CSA search for a more permanent solution. Govender replaced Jacques Faul, who stood down last Monday, after being in the position since Moroe was suspended. Faul has returned to his role as CEO of the Titans franchise.The conclusion of Moroe’s matter brings to an end only part of the administrative crisis at CSA. The organisation is also without an elected president after Chris Nenzani resigned three weeks before his term was due to end and have lost one of their five independent directors after Steve Cornelius stood down last week. Those positions will be filled at CSA’s AGM which is due to take place on September 5.What is unclear is whether the full forensic audit which resulted in Moroe’s being sacked will be made available to CSA’s members’ council (the body made up of the 14 provincial presidents with the highest decision-making powers) or to the public. In July, Nenzani said that “key parts,” of the report would be made public but CSA have not indicated if that remains the case.That means, for now, the exact reasons for Moroe being sacked have not been listed by CSA, who only confirmed that Moroe’s offences were serious enough to warrant immediate dismissal, without the need for a disciplinary hearing.It is believed financial misdemeanors form part of the concerns against Moroe. Along with the revocation of the accreditation of five journalists, misuse of CSA’s step-in rights over provincial unions which led to the Western Province Board being disbanded and CSA’s increasingly poor relationship with the South African Cricketers Association (SACA), Moroe’s position was deemed untenable and he was dismissed without CSA holding a disciplinary hearing. CSA made the decision to sack Moroe after two meetings in which Moroe was afforded a chance to offer explanations over the findings of the investigation.”Mr Thabang Moroe was offered sufficient opportunity to provide representations to the independent forensic auditors and to the Board regarding the allegations of misconduct, which opportunity he failed and/or refused to utilise,” CSA’s statement on Thursday read.Having now sacked Moroe, CSA will be able to stop paying his salary, which amounted to R356,000 per month (US$20,877) and which Moroe has been receiving throughout his suspension.Moroe was confirmed CSA CEO in July 2018, on a three-year contract which would have run until 2021. Prior to that, Moroe acted in the role for 10 months following CSA’s parting of ways with Haroon Lorgat, who replaced Faul, who was, at the time, acting CEO after Gerald Majola was sacked. That means that all three of CSA’s last permanent CEOs have left the organisation in acrimonious circumstances which speak to the governance challenges that have plagued CSA over much of the past eight years.In that time, South African cricket has been through four Test captains and four national men’s coaches and has tried to get a franchise T20 competition off the ground, initially without success and then, in 2018, without a television rights or sponsorship deal. The Mzansi Super League (MSL), which has been played for the last two years and broadcast on state television, was due to attract a deal with pay-television provider this summer but that appears unlikely now and the tournament could be postponed altogether. With South Africa’s national teams (men’s and women’s) awaiting the season’s fixtures and the FTP up in the air, difficult days lie ahead for cricket in this country, with no obvious solutions in sight.CSA were due in parliament last Friday to answer questions relating to the forensic investigations, transformation and governance but their appearance was postponed because the forensic audit was not ready to be presented. Now that Moroe has been fired on the basis of the independent audit, CSA may be forced to begin the process of engagement, first with the sports ministry and then with other stakeholders.

Middle-order balance is at stake, but they’ll be hoping their youth investment pays off

Sruthi Ravindranath11-Sep-20204:47

Who’ll be the breakthrough star for Rajasthan in this IPL?

Where they finished in 2019: Seventh, with only five wins in 14 matchesPotential XI : Jos Buttler, Robin Uthappa/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith (capt.), Ben Stokes, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Ankit Rajpoot/ Varun AaronBatting: Royals have retained their core of big overseas names and spent their money on young Indian talents like they’ve done in previous editions. There were quite a few standout individual performances in their dismal 2019 season but they rarely clicked as a collective. They will be keen to pin down batting positions and roles from the outset, although they have the option to keep the top six fluid.The in-form Jos Buttler will take up one of the the opening spots and is likely to have the experienced Robin Uthappa or the young Yashasvi Jaiswal as his partner. Their captain Steven Smith has the penchant to stay at the crease and see off tricky chases, while a lot more will be expected from the mercurial Sanju Samson.Most importantly, their middle order looks rather fragile without Ben Stokes, who is yet to confirm his IPL availability. While teenager Riyan Parag showed glimpses of promise last season, they might have trouble filling the middle-order hole left by Stokes if he opts out. Stokes will be hard to replace as they do not have a like-for-like replacement for him in their squad, but they do have David Miller as another overseas batting option. And perhaps Tom Curran can fill some of the hole at a push.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bowling: Royals are well stocked in the fast-bowling department but there seems to be a lack of variety with their overseas options: Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Andrew Tye and Oshane Thomas are all right-arm quicks, and Archer will be the first choice for the starting XI. Their spin unit is also a bit one-dimensional, with three Indian wristspinners in the mix.Shreyas Gopal, who shone in Royals’ otherwise disappointing season last year, impressed in the middle overs and powerplay and should play a big role for them this time around too, especially if the UAE tracks are on the slower side.As for the Indian quicks, adapting to the conditions and executing their variations – where they failed last year – will be key. Young talents like Kartik Tyagi and Akash Singh are waiting in the wings.Young player to watch out for: The franchise has unearthed a number of young talents over the years and this time they’ve invested in India Under-19 players. Tyagi was picked up by Royals for INR 1.3 crore at the auction. The 19-year-old, who regularly registers upwards of 140kmph, impressed at the 2020 U-19 World Cup, picking 11 wickets in six games, including a memorable 4 for 24 against Australia. He has been training under Royals’ fast bowling development coach Steffan Jones and was also part of a preparatory camp in Nagpur earlier this year. He will be keen to showcase his express pace and ability to nail yorkers if given a chance on the big stage.Coaching staff: Andrew McDonald (head coach), Amol Muzumdar (batting coach), Sairaj Bahutule (spin bowling coach) and Rob Cassell (fast bowling coach).