Five KKR players kick off training camp in Navi Mumbai

March 27

The Kolkata Knight Riders have hit the ground running in the lead-up to IPL 2021, with five of their players - Varun Chakaravarthy, Rahul Tripathi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Sandeep Warrier and Vaibhav Arora - attending a preparatory camp at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

The five players reported to practice after having finished their mandatory seven-day quarantine at the team hotel and took part in light warm-up and batting, bowling, and fielding sessions under the supervision of assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. A number of other Knight Riders players are currently serving their quarantine period in the hotel, as per the BCCI's guidelines, and will start training soon.

Chakravarthy, whose last appearance in a competitive match was during IPL 2020 in November in the UAE, was recently picked for the T20I series in Australia and against England in Ahmedabad, but missed out owing to a shoulder injury and then below-par fitness levels, respectively.

The Knight Riders, who are scheduled to kick off their campaign on April 11 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai, will play their league games across four cities also including Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. Nayar was confident that the diverse skill-sets of the players, including recent India debutant Prasidh Krishna, would ensure a good season for the franchise.

"The likes of Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill and Prasidh Krishna have done it time and again in the past," Nayar told kkr.in. Prasidh, especially, who is now doing it at the international arena. I feel it was quite important for him to go on a big stage as this will give him a lot of confidence."

Nayar admitted that though the IPL's return to India was likely to enthuse the players, no matches at home for any of the eight franchises this time was the "only con" in this edition of the IPL.

"As a cricketer whenever you play in India, you grow a lot more. Coming and playing at Eden Gardens is something that we take pride in and we enjoy," Nayar said. "To be honest, not playing at Eden Gardens despite playing India is going to be the only con, if I could say so."

Kumble confirms Shami 'fit to go' for Punjab Kings
The Punjab Kings coach Anil Kumble says their pacer Mohammed Shami is back to full fitness after suffering a wrist injury during the Adelaide Test against Australia last December. "He is fine as far as I know," Kumble told Sportstar on Friday. He added that Shami might draft into the playing XI for the Kings' first game itself against the Rajasthan Royals on April 12.

"He is coming to the bio-bubble for the quarantine and he will be out in a few days," Kumble said. "I know he hasn't played any matches since his injury but he is good to go. We are really looking forward to him playing a few practice games and then getting ready for the first game."

After returning home following the injury, Shami had started light training at the NCA in Bengaluru last month. Shami had played all 14 games and picked up 20 wickets for the erstwhile Kings XI Punjab team during the last edition of the IPL in the UAE.

Mumbai Indians unveil new jersey
The five-time champions will wear a new jersey for the upcoming season, created by designers Shantanu & Nikhil. According to a Mumbai Indians release, the jersey captures the composition of the 5 basic elements of the universe - earth, water, fire, air and sky, each signifying the essence of the team.

"The jersey reflects how Mumbai Indians has been built over the years resonating Stability, Cohesion, Confidence, Compassion and Exploration," the release said. The defending champions begin their 2021 campaign on April 9 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

March 24

IPL 2021 will see the Chennai Super Kings don a new jersey, with straps of camouflage added on the shoulders, bordered with gold bands, and three stars emblazoned above the franchise logo.

A Super Kings release on Tuesday said the camouflage is a tribute to India's armed forces, where their captain MS Dhoni holds the position of honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, having also trained with the Parachute Regiment in 2019.

The gold bands, meanwhile, signify the "high standards set by the team both in terms of consistency and fair play - CSK won the IPL fair play award six times in 11 seasons". The three stars denote the three IPL titles won by the Super Kings in 2010, 2011 and 2018, with them having qualified for the playoffs in 10 seasons and the final eight times.

"It has been on our mind for some time now to find ways to raise awareness about the significant and selfless role of the armed forces. The camouflage is an appreciation of their service… they are the true heroes," Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan said.

March 12

Damien Wright, the 45-year-old former fast bowler with the experience of coaching in Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh, has been signed up as the bowling coach of the Punjab Kings for the 2021 season of the IPL.

Wright, who started his 123-game first-class career in 1997-98 for Worcestershire, played representative cricket till 2011, including for Australia A, and turned to coaching after quitting the game. In the T20 league circuit, he has worked with the Hobart Hurricanes and the Melbourne Stars in the BBL in the past.

The Punjab Kings, who have overhauled their side as well as their name - after being Kings XI Punjab for 13 seasons - had former South African pacer Charl Langeveldt as their designated bowling coach last season, with a list of support staffers that includes Anil Kumble, Andy Flower, Jonty Rhodes and Wasim Jaffer.