Top Stories: Things that made news in the cricket world today

CSK take a sly dig at Sanjay Manjrekar’s ousting from BCCI commentary panel

• Former India cricketer-turned- commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has been removed by the BCCI commentary panel.
• Manjrekar, who played 37 Tests and 74 ODIs in his India career which spanned from 1987-1996 and made a total of 4,037 international runs with 5 centuries.
• Chennai Super Kings decided to take a dig at the commentator, bringing in his infamous ‘bits and pieces’ comment into their jibe.
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Sunil Gavaskar backs BCCI’s decision of suspending IPL 2020

• In an unprecedented move, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended the thirteenth edition of the Indian Premier League.
• The IPL was scheduled to start on March 29 in Mumbai.
• BCCI’s decision to postpone the IPL’s start is drawing praise from all over and former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
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Shoaib Akhtar lambastes Chinese for causing Coronavirus outbreak

• China, Italy, and Iran are three of the worst-hit countries because of Coronavirus.
• The spread of this disease has also brought the sporting events across the globe to a standstill.
• Akhtar was also not happy with this outbreak causing the ongoing PSL matches to be played in empty stadiums.
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Lockie Ferguson tests negative for Coronavirus; free to travel back to New Zealand

• Ferguson, who returned to international cricket after a lengthy injury layoff, complained of a sore throat at the end of the first ODI.
• Earlier, Australia fast bowler Kane Richardson missed the first ODI after he complained of being unwell.
• The remaining two ODI matches and the T20I series between the two sides were postponed to a later date due to the increasing threat of coronavirus.
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Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia calls for cancellation of IPL

• Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Friday that it would suspend the IPL 2020 until April 15.
• Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia on Friday spoke to the officials of BCCI at length about the decision of postponing the league for now.
• If the IPL gets cancelled then it would be a huge financial loss for all the franchise and their owners.
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Three closed stands de-sealed and opened at the MA Chidambaram Stadium

• The three stands – I, J, and K –  at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai have been finally de-sealed and opened.
• Those three stands wore a deserted look as fans were not allowed to seat there in the last few years.
• The three stands that have a combined capacity of over 12,000 but were closed for the last eight years.
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IPL 2020 could be cancelled if April 20 deadline missed

• The coronavirus outbreak could take more toll on the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year.
• The pandemic has affected sporting events all across the globe.
•  Almost all the big sporting events have been called off to make sure that coronavirus does not spread.
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Shahrukh Khan optimistic about the commencement of IPL 2020

• Sports events around the world have taken a major hit thanks to the rising threat of the pandemic that is the novel coronavirus.
• The IPL governing council held a meeting with the franchise owners on Saturday to discuss the issue.
• Khan hoped for the virus to eventually subside and pave way for the IPL to take centre stage.
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Virat Kohli comes out with a message to spread awareness about Coronavirus

• Several scheduled tournaments have been cancelled in order to prevent the virus from spreading by allowing mass gatherings.
• Indian Premier League which was supposed to begin on March 29 March has now been suspended till April 15.
•  Indian Captain Virat Kohli finally had his say after the two ODIs against South Africa were cancelled and postponed.
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Australia vs New Zealand: Players opt not to shake hands after the match

• The two strode out to play the first ODI and the stage was set for a cracking battle between the arch-rivals.
• The entire Sydney Cricket Ground was empty and no spectators were allowed.
• In the video uploaded by Cricket Australia on Twitter, it can be seen none of the players from either side are shaking hands.
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‘I will be surprised if Jaydev Unadkat is not picked in the Indian team’ – Cheteshwar Pujara

• The caravan of the Ranji Trophy 2019-20 season ended with Saurashtra finally laying their hands at the coveted trophy.
• One of the major reasons why Saurashtra was able to restrict Bengal for 381 was because of another lion-hearted effort by their skipper Jaydev Unadkat.
• Unadkat, meanwhile, hasn’t played for the national side since featuring in a T20I against Bangladesh in 2018.
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