The interest in former MLB superstar Albert Pujols becoming a manager continues as a third team has been reported to be looking at the 11-time All-Star to fill their manager role.

It was previously reported that the Angels were first interested in Pujols as he played there from 2012-21. Los Angeles just let go of manager Ron Washington and interim manager Ray Montgomery after the season ended. After the Angels, the Orioles popped up as an option for Pujols to become their manager. Baltimore fired Brandon Hyde back in May.

As of Monday, the Padres have become the third team tied to Pujols, Kevin Acee of the reported. San Diego manager Mike Shildt retired from the role after the Padres' playoff exit to the Cubs. Acee reported that the Padres plan to speak with Pujols.

Pujols doesn't have any MLB managerial experience since retiring after the 2022 season. He remained in the baseball world, though, as he's acted as a special assistant to the Angels since '23, while also working as an analyst for MLB Network. He managed Leones de Escogido, a team based in his home country of the Dominican Republic, and led them to titles in the Dominican Winter League and Caribbean Series this year. He is also set to be the manager for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic next year.

Angels reportedly stopped discussions with Pujols amid other MLB teams showing interest

Shortly after the report came out on Monday regarding the Padres' interest in interviewing Pujols for their manager role, the reported that the Angels are now stopping talks with their former player.

The Post noted that the two sides had differing opinions on "coaches, resources and compensation" leading to the discussions ceasing. Pujols was the Angels' top option for the position, though, especially with his history being with the team and the fact that he still works as a special assistant for the organization.

At 41 years old, there was a strong chance the 2025 season could be Max Scherzer’s last. But, he doesn’t think so.

The three-time Cy Young award winner started in Game 7 of the World Series for his Blue Jays vs. the Dodgers on Saturday night. He pitched 4.1 innings, notching three strikeouts with four hits, one right and one batter walked. When Scherzer walked off the mound in the fifth inning, was that his last time pitching in MLB? He would say no.

“The only thing I can say is it's going to take some time to give a full answer to that but there is no way that was my last pitch,” Scherzer said after the game, via ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

Scherzer was playing on a one-year contract in Toronto, meaning he’ll become a free agent this offseason. A team will have to be willing to sign the veteran ace in order for his career to continue. It could be an interesting offseason for Scherzer.

The Blue Jays failed to give Scherzer his third World Series ring on Saturday night after they lost 5-4 to the Dodgers in 11 innings. The Blue Jays ultimately lost on a heartbreaking double play in the 11th, and that came after pinch runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa was mere inches away from what would have been a walk-off game-winning run in the ninth inning. It was a tough loss for all of Toronto.

ICC and member boards confronted with difficult questions in coming months

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Mar-2020With the COVID-19 pandemic locking the world down, the ICC, like all global sports organisations, has been busy working on contingency plans for their events this year: the men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be hosted in Australia later this year, the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) and the new ODI League – the pathway for teams to qualify for the men’s 2023 ODI World Cup – which was scheduled to start from May.ESPNcricinfo understands the ICC has already started jotting down early back-up plans but these aren’t concrete yet, as the pandemic remains a fluid situation. But below are some of the options under consideration.Will the 2020 T20 World Cup be cancelled?As of now, the ICC is not considering what would be the worst-case scenario. But in the event that the tournament cannot take place this year, a more feasible option could be pushing the event to next year and defer the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled in India next October, to 2022.Cricket Australia’s chief executive Kevin Roberts sounded optimistic about the event going ahead as per schedule (in Australia in October-November), but in case it does not, the biggest challenge the organisers could face will be the absence of free space to accommodate the tournament later in the year in Australia. Immediately after the T20 World Cup, Australia are scheduled to host Afghanistan for a one-off Test in late November followed by a four-Test and three-match ODI series against India which is scheduled to stretch until January 2021.Another option the ICC might think of exploring is utilising the gap year that is 2022 which currently does not have an ICC global event. But for that alternative, the ICC along with Cricket Australia and BCCI, the hosting boards for the next two T20 World Cups, would need to sit down and carve out an alternate window which then would need to be synced with the larger Future Tours Programme (FTP).What happens to the WTC?India occupy the top slot on the WTC points table, but a 2-0 defeat in New Zealand recently has thrown the race wide open. But now, many series that form part of the WTC will need to be adjusted and deferred. Bear in mind the first cycle is due to end next March, with the final scheduled at Lord’s in June. What happens if there is not enough time to accommodate all the series each of the nine teams are supposed to play (six each)?Will the top two teams, in terms of WTC points table currently, play the final when cricket resumes? Or should the WTC model be reworked to restore parity? It will not be easy given several teams have barely played one series so far under the WTC. Should the WTC final then be deferred to allow all teams play equal number of series to stand an equal chance to make the summit? That would have implications for the second edition of the WTC which was meant to be played from 2021-23. More likely, the current FTP, which runs until 2023, will need to be re-looked at in its entirety.India and Australia are the top two sides on the World Test Championship table•Getty ImagesWhat about the Cricket World Cup Super League – scrap it?The ODI Super League is scheduled to be played between May 1 this year and March 31, 2022, serving as the qualification pathway for the 2023 World Cup. There are 13 teams, including the 12 Test-playing countries along with Netherlands, who will play eight series over a two-year cycle on a home-and-away basis against mutually-agreed opponents. The Super League was put in place to add context to ODI cricket. The administrators will need to decide if it should be postponed altogether, or reduce the number of series when cricket resumes.The most drastic step, which cannot be ruled out, is doing away with the Super League. In such a scenario the qualification process for the 2023 World Cup would need to be reworked.When will the ICC decide on these matters?There is no cut-off date yet chalked out by the ICC. The issue is listed on the agenda for the ICC quarterly meetings scheduled for May 8 to 10, potentially in Dubai based on government regulations, when the chief executives committee and the ICC board are scheduled to meet in person.

We discuss the pros and cons of each of the potential replacements

Sruthi Ravindranath13-Jan-2021Jalaj SaxenaSaxena, now 34, has been waiting to make the step up to the highest level for a really long time. The offspinning-allrounder is a first-class veteran with 123 matches to his name, matches in which he has scored 6334 runs and picked up 347 wickets, putting up outstanding numbers year after year. He’s hit over 500 runs in six out of the last eight Ranji Trophy seasons, and has taken over 40 wickets in three out of the last five seasons. Saxena seemed to have fallen off the selectors’ radar after being kept out of the India A frame for nearly six years, but returned to play against England Lions and South Africa A in 2019. He made 138 runs in four games then, with highest of 61* and picked up nine wickets.In his favour: With R Ashwin as the primary spinner, Jadeja usually plays as the second spinner and a lower-middle order batsman. Of the options, Saxena probably comes closest to being as versatile as Jadeja is, and might be the best fit in Jadeja’s absence.Against him: Saxena’s experience is definitely a plus point, but would India prefer a younger player? Also, if Ashwin is fit, would they want a second off spinner? Saxena’s performances have certainly not dipped over the years, and most recently, he returned 3 for 13 in Kerala’s opening Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match, playing after nearly a year. But seeing that he has been in and out of the ‘A’ side, one wonders if the selectors want to turn to him again or not.Axar PatelThe left-arm spinner picked up 27 wickets in six matches in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season, and also made handy contributions with the bat in Gujarat’s run to the semi-final. A regular in the India A teams for a while now, Patel has 134 wickets and 1665 runs in 39 first-class games.In his favour: He’s played for India and has been a regular in the IPL and in the frame for the Indian white-ball sides, known for his match-winning cameos and monstrous hits in the shorter formats, and also has one first-class century and 13 half-centuries to his name. Patel, almost 27 now, also provides the left-arm spin option and has grown as a strike bowler, especially in the shorter formats, having added new dimensions to his bowling over the years. Knowledge of playing in home conditions in Gujarat might also come in handy for the two Tests scheduled to be played at the new stadium in Ahmedabad.Against him: Lack of first-class games at home. While he comes with international experience, having played 38 ODIs and 11 T20Is, will Patel’s lack of red-ball experience – 15 Ranji games in the last three seasons – have an impact on his selection? It does seem like he has been slotted in as a short-format player, and not one for the waiting game.Jayant Yadav has the experience of playing England in home Tests•AFPJayant YadavFour wickets on his India debut. The first India No. 9 to hit a Test century. Just when his international career was about to take off, Yadav hit a roadblock with a finger injury, and eventually fell out of favour after playing four Tests across 2016 and 2017. He returned to the domestic circuit for the 2018-19 season and picked up ten wickets in six games for Haryana, and in the 2019-20 season picked up nine wickets in just two games.In his favour: He’s a more-than-useful lower-order batsman besides being a specialist spinner, with 2172 first-class runs – including a career-best 211 – and 162 wickets. There’s a fair bit of ability there, not to mention Test-playing experience.Against him: Injuries have denied him game time in the last few years – he’s played just eight Ranji matches in the last couple of seasons. He doesn’t have the weight of recent performances on his side, even if reputation and ability are very much on his side.Shahbaz NadeemPerhaps the best left-arm spinner in India for the past many years, Nadeem is perhaps the No. 1 candidate to slot in for Jadeja even if he isn’t quite the batsman some of the others are. Nadeem has 443 first-class wickets, 83 of which have come for India A at an average of under 30. After years of picking up wickets by the sacksful across formats, Nadeem was rewarded with a Test debut against South Africa at home in 2019 – his only Test so far – where he finished with match figures of 4 for 40.In his favour: He’s featured regularly for India A and has impressed across the world, and his class is beyond doubt. Since 2017, he has picked up 75 wickets in 18 matches – there’s form on his side too, even though he isn’t getting any younger at 31.Against him: He is a specialist bowler, with a first-class batting average of 14.64. Not quite the bowling allrounder one would ideally want to replace Jadeja with.

The allrounder has impressed for Brisbane Heat after paying his own way back into the game

Alex Malcolm10-Jan-2021They say it takes years to become an overnight success, and that certainly is the case for Brisbane Heat allrounder James Bazley.The 25-year-old Bazley burst into the BBL this season with two outstanding innings in his first two games, scoring 31 not out and 49 not out against the Hobart Hurricanes prompting queries about where he had been hiding.Bazley was hiding in plain sight, having spent three years in the Queensland and Cricket Australia pathways plus a brief spell with the Hurricanes in the 2016-17 season before slipping out of the system at 22.Three years later, having continued to pursue his dream of being a full-time professional cricketer outside the system, and out of his own pocket, he’s finally reaping the rewards.”You get so much coaching in the system that it was to my detriment a little bit when I was a young player,” Bazley told ESPNcricinfo.”I probably listened to too many people all the time. That’s just a natural thing. That’s a young player and they’re trying to help you. So obviously there are no hard feelings or anything there. But it was just a really good lesson for me to learn. You need to know how to coach yourself and work out your processes because at the end of the day that’s how you find a game that you can trust because you know what works and you’ve trusted it.”The BBL is not Bazley’s first taste of professional cricket. He played 13 matches for the Cricket Australia XI between 2014 and 2016, when the CA XI was used as a pathway program for emerging domestic players. That included a T20 against the touring South Africans and a first-class match against West Indies where he made 50 and took four wickets, including bagging Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo. He also played 11 List A matches when the CA XI was included in Australia’s domestic 50-over competition as a seventh team, made up of young players who were not selected by the six states.The concept was controversial and has since been abandoned. Bazley played in the two largest defeats in Australian domestic 50-over cricket history of 279 runs and 246 runs, where the youngsters were mauled by the likes of Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, and Shaun Marsh.”I got thrown in there and so did a lot of other young players,” Bazley said. “And it kind of was a bit of sink or swim. For me, I felt like I probably wasn’t quite ready. I felt good enough but I was super young and wasn’t quite ready there and it’s almost like as soon as you don’t perform in those matches then it becomes your own mental battle in your own head about knowing whether I might not be good enough anymore, because I haven’t performed.

“I was basically training as a full-time cricketer without being professional, without getting paid obviously, and then I just had to try and go and do some work around it.”

“Then you worry about the Queensland team not picking you because they’ve seen you not perform there. But I was 20, 21 years old. There are very few players who can really be a dominant cricketer at that age. Looking back now, I’ve made it a good thing because I’ve kept working hard after those years of disappointment and losing my contract and getting back into grade cricket. I’ve made it work because I’ve chosen to make it work.”Bazley’s relationship with Marnus Labuschagne was the catalyst for his return to professional cricket. The pair had grown up together playing junior representative for Queensland and bonded on an interstate trip. When Bazley was contracted to Queensland at 19 he was forced to move from his family home on the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane, and he moved in with the Labuschagne family and stayed for three-and-a-half years.The pair moved out when Labuschagne got married, but Bazley has re-entered the family recently.”I’ve lived with Marnus again, this year, in the Covid period,” Bazley said. “And his lovely wife Rebekah of course who is an absolute legend as well.”The trio are bonded by their strong faith. “My Christian faith has definitely helped me through those years of struggle and disappointment,” Bazley said. “It has given me perspective and hope that I can keep pursuing something I love and I’m passionate about.”That passion drove Bazley, through Labuschagne’s urging, to link up with Labuschagne’s batting coach Neil D’Costa after he lost his contract. He flew to Sydney out of his own pocket to see him.”I used to fly down to him a couple of times in the winter,” he said. “He was just really good for my batting and my training habits and some purpose. He just really taught me how to believe in myself. He didn’t really change my batting much. He just taught me how to believe in myself and he believed in me. So we’ve created a really good partnership.”D’Costa advised him to link up with manager Dean Kino who has also been a source of guidance for both Bazley and Labuschagne. Bazley trained with strength and conditioning coach Louis Ellery and sought counsel from sports psychologist Alan Mantle to help create good routines and visualisation processes.James Bazley takes a wicket against West Indies: ‘I felt good enough but I was super young and wasn’t quite ready’•Getty Images and Cricket Australia”I was basically training as a full-time cricketer without being professional, without getting paid obviously, and then I just had to try and go and do some work around it,” Bazley said. “I was just really professional and structured the last three years, being off-contract, and that’s all paid off in a way.”He has been doing disability support work to bring some balance to his life away from cricket.Bazley’s break came this season when the Heat re-signed him, six years after first adding him as a rookie. He repaid the faith with a four-wicket haul and 158 in grade cricket for Redlands and applied the same mental approach on his BBL debut.”I think the biggest thing for me, being able to play grade cricket and perform well this year, I’ve just created some processes and some routines that I’ve just started to really trust,” he said.”For me then stepping into the Big Bash, I just decided that if it works in grade cricket then why can’t it work in Big Bash. There’s no reason it can’t work. I think that’s been really helpful for me. I haven’t changed anything.”That’s helped me relax and be more comfortable. With the bat in those high-pressure situations, it’s the same thing, I just go through my pre-ball routine, yeah I’m feeling the pressure, but I just know that I give myself the best chance to just watch the ball and play it.”Bazley is now hoping for more opportunity with the ball having bowled just four overs in the tournament, despite feeling it is his strong suit.”It’s funny actually, after that first game I batted pretty well and didn’t bowl and everyone thought I was a batter but I’m probably even a bowling allrounder to be fair,” Bazley said. “But I’m trying to be a genuine allrounder. We’ve got a lot of allrounder’s in our team so I’ve just got to be patient with ball. The overs will come I’m sure.”Bazley is still dreaming big despite the rollercoaster ride to this point.”I’d love to play all formats,” Bazley said. “I’d love to play for Queensland in 50-over and Shield cricket. I’d love to go and play for Australia at some point but it’s just about trying to perform well wherever you’re playing.”

When is the best time to take a Power Surge? And will the X-factor become a factor?

Matt Roller17-Dec-2020New-ball impactPerhaps the most significant feature of the BBL season to date has been the success that new-ball bowlers have had, which has in turn impacted the changes in the powerplay’s structure. With the initial powerplay reduced to only four overs rather than the usual six, teams have scored at a sedate 6.61 runs per over in that phase of the game, despite only two fielders being permitted outside the 30-yard circle.James Faulkner, the medium-fast left-armer, has been the most destructive quick with the new ball, taking four wickets in the first powerplay in six overs and demonstrating that pitches have offered something for the seamers early on, with good carry and bounce as well as some seam movement. As a result, teams have generally found themselves struggling for early runs, and many have tried to minimise damage rather than maximise scoring in the first four overs.Over-by-over scoring rates across the last two BBL seasons•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe fourth over in particular has seen scoring rates plummet to 6.23 runs per over, often due to No. 3 or No. 4 batsmen looking to get into the middle overs unscathed following early wickets. Other over-by-over trends have included a significant spike in 15th-over run rates – largely due to the Power Surge being taken – plus a rise in the 11th and a fall in the 20th. The sample size is very small, so it is not worth reading much into them at this stage, and the data also includes rain-reduced games.To surge or not to surge?The majority of teams batting first have looked to use the Power Surge when they have two set batsmen at the crease to maximise their scoring, and have looked to use it to give their innings some impetus before the traditional ‘death’ overs. In the first innings, the most popular time to take the Surge has been the 15th over (four times), with teams also taking it in the 12th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 19th on one occasion each.In run chases, there has been less of a pattern. Two teams have not taken the Surge at all in the chase: Melbourne Stars, when cruising to victory against Brisbane Heat, and Melbourne Renegades, who were bowled out after 10.4 overs against Sydney Sixers, while Adelaide Strikers held theirs back as long as possible in their comfortable win against Hobart Hurricanes.Generally, teams have been more cautious in using the Surge in the run chase, perhaps fearing that it will upset the flow of the game by forcing both teams to attack. In the season opener, the Sixers made 18 without losing a wicket in their two Surge overs, but having scored 69 for 0 in the seven preceding overs, that actually represented a slight slowdown, not least after James Vince had hit the first ball of the Power Surge for six.”The Surge and when we took it, from a batting point of view, maybe changed the momentum a little bit,” Vince said after the Sixers’ eventual defeat. “I thought their guys bowled two good overs, and it gave them a bit of a lift… it kind of got them back into the game.”ESPNcricinfo LtdConversely, Sydney Thunder timed their Surge brilliantly against the Heat, with Ben Cutting and Daniel Sams exploiting the field restrictions to take 27 off two overs. That turned the required equation from 77 off 42 balls into a significantly easier 50 off 30, and they went on to win with seven balls to spare.Overall, teams have scored an average of 10.24 runs per over in the Surge, losing a wicket every 10.5 balls, with spin (12.4 economy rate) significantly more expensive than seam (9.73). The Sixers have made the highest total in the Surge to date, with 32 for the loss of one wicket against the Renegades.Bonus point bonanzaChris Lynn admitted on air that he hadn’t thought about the bonus point during the Heat’s comprehensive loss against the Stars – when the point was all they could really have hoped for – but the Bash Boost has played at least some role in how chasing teams have gone about things.The Renegades’ blow-out defeat against the Sixers saw them actively and openly targeting the bonus point, with a target of 76 after ten overs looking significantly more achievable than 206 in 20 once they had slipped to 16 for 3 after 2.4 overs. They were ultimately unsuccessful, but their players and coaching staff maintained that their plan was a good one.The Renegades were bowled out for 60 looking to secure a bonus point against the Sixers•Getty Images”How often do you see teams chasing a really high score when they’re 20 for 3 after three overs?” said Benny Howell. “You might look bad if it goes wrong and you’re bowled out early, but you still lose the game, and at least you’re trying to get something from it. I think it was the right decision, we just didn’t execute at all well.”Meanwhile, the prospect of a bonus point seemed to influence the Thunder’s thinking in their chase against the Heat, even though they ultimately fell short. From 23 for 3 after three overs, their first target was 80 after ten overs for the bonus point, and 99 more in the final ten overs.Rather than consolidating and hoping to take the game deep, the injured Alex Ross decided to swing for the hills once the ten-over mark was in sight, leaving nine required off the tenth to seal the point. Mujeeb Ur Rahman then bowled a tight over for the Heat, taking a wicket and conceding only two runs, but the attacking mentality instilled by the halfway target meant the required rate was never unassailable.In the first nine games, the point has gone to the winning team six times, the losing team twice, and been shared once – in the no-result between the Stars and the Scorchers.Will X-factor become a factor?The first seven games of the season saw no X-factor players used, perhaps due to conservatism among captains and coaches, or maybe on account of the collective unavailability of several overseas signings and Australia A players, meaning the nominated 12th and 13th players were often grade cricketers.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the eighth game, both the Strikers and the Hurricanes used a substitute to bring in a batsman for a spinner on a pitch that was not conducive to spin: Matthew Short for Danny Briggs, and Mac Wright for Johan Botha. In the ninth, the Stars did the same after their rookie legspinner Tom O’Connell’s first over was smashed, deciding to back the part-time left-arm spin of Nic Maddinson and strengthening their batting through Ben Dunk.It remains to be seen whether replacements now become commonplace. Their timing in the match means that teams have to admit making a mistake in selection very early in a game: while substitutions are regular in other sports, the timing is equivalent to a football manager taking a player off inside 25 minutes.And while squad depth may be less of an issue as the season goes on, it may be that this rule is better suited to a competition with significantly bigger squads. It is easy to imagine Sunrisers Hyderabad bringing Mohammad Nabi in for Jason Holder after realising a pitch was slower than anticipated, for example, but the impact that a fringe local player will have on a game is likely to be negligible.The early verdict9:36

What is the thinking behind the BBL’s new rules? Trent Woodhill tells us

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo’s Newsroom, Trent Woodhill – the BBL’s player acquisition and cricket consultant, and the man behind the tweaks – clarified that the intention was to avoid “lull” periods in the middle overs, maintain fans’ interest even in one-sided games, and provide extra scrutiny on coaches and captains in their decision-making.Clearly, it will be easier to form a judgement after a full season rather than the first week of games, but the rule changes have been a qualified success in creating talking points and making the pattern of T20 games less predictable than spikes in run rates at the start and end of an innings. On one hand, the middle overs have generally provided more excitement, with middle-order batsmen given additional responsibility and the chance to attack in the Power Surge; on the other, the initial four-over powerplays have generally been quieter and more predictable than the old six-over version.There is some reason to believe that the rules will come into their own as the BBL goes on. Bonus points should reduce the likelihood that net run rate will decide qualification and potentially throw up some intriguing scenarios, while improvements in player availability could bring the X-factor replacements into the picture. The rule changes alone were never likely to arrest the slump in interest in the BBL, but they have certainly added intrigue and altered the rhythm of the game as intended.

India’s batting coach talks game-plans for T20s, and how and where strike rates matter in the shortest format

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Mar-20213:26

Vikram Rathour – ‘As far as we are winning games I’m okay with whatever strike rates batsmen have’

Having never played the format, how easy or difficult is it for you to be a coach in T20s. You do have experience as a coach in franchise cricket and in domestic cricket, having done that in the IPL and with Himachal Pradesh and Punjab?
See, I am not really teaching them how to play a cover drive or a pull shot. For me, the discussions are on game-plans, on decision making, on handling pressure, having the right temperament, or reading the situations well. And for that, whether I have played that game or not, I don’t think it is that important. That is my thinking.My job with them is (to help them with) what bowlers to pick, what areas to look to hit. And if they are doing certain things, what are their thoughts and why they are doing it – that is the area I focus on more actually.Related

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Five T20Is against England. Which are the main questions you have jotted down for this series from the batting unit’s perspective?
The [T20] World Cup is in India, so I just want the batting unit to get settled basically. By the time we finish this series, we should know, ‘this is the team which is going to play the World Cup’. So hopefully that will happen in this series. I am already sure that there wouldn’t be too many changes anyway, because we are a pretty settled unit at the moment. But in case somebody loses form or somebody gets injured, as a batting unit you just want to get settled now.Isn’t there still a spot, the wicketkeeper-batsman, as a back-up to KL Rahul, still up for grabs?
KL has done really well as a wicketkeeper-batsman. He has been a superb cricketer, he has batted really well, he has kept reasonably well. Now Rishabh [Pant] (is) back in form and doing well, let’s see how it goes. Once this situation comes, what the team management is looking to do, that’ll happen on the day of the game and how this series goes.”KL has been a superb cricketer,” says Vikram Rathour.•Associated PressYou said game-plan is one thing you need to figure out. You are playing England, one of the best and most aggressive batting units – they bat deep and they play (hard) from ball one. India’s (batting) approach has been different with a top order comprising Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli. They all bat virtually in a similar style – they like to bat deep, their strike rates, too, are similar. How much of the ongoing strike rate debate do India need to adapt to?

You are looking to win a game. If you are chasing, strike rate doesn’t mean anything actually. You are looking to finish a game and chase a target – whether you do it in 10 overs or 20 overs, you are looking to win the game. Batting first, at times, yeah. If the conditions are good you need to be looking to put a par score on board. As far as our T20 (batting) is concerned we have been doing that pretty consistently. So I’m not really, really concerned; I mean as far as we are winning games and we are putting par scores and chasing targets, I’m okay with whatever strike rates they are going at.Can’t India afford to go (hard) from ball one, considering that you bat pretty deep?

Hmm…Yes. Somebody like Rohit has a very set game-plan and he has been extremely successful following that game-plan. So I would not really want him to change that. He is somebody who takes his time initially, gets set first, and then goes scores big. That has worked well for us. That has worked well for him. So I absolutely find no reason to change that at this point.

“I’m not really, really concerned; I mean as far as we are winning games and we are putting par scores and chasing targets, I’m okay with whatever strike rates they are going at.”Vikram Rathour

That’s Rohit. But I’m talking about the middle order, where you have Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant?

Yeah, that will depend. If both of them are playing and if you get a good start, so they are the guys who will go from ball one. Those are the guys who are capable of doing that. That’s the discussion we have been having: what the team requires at that point. If your team requires you to score 12 an over you should be able to do that, and if your team requires you to get 6 runs an over and win the game, you should be able to do that as well. So you need to be able to adapt to both situations, and that is what a good game-plan is.And equally be able to adapt with bating positions as well?

Batting plans, again, in T20, yes, depending on what kind of start of you have had, how many overs are left, so that is one format where you need to be very flexible with your batting plans or batting order. Anybody could be on at any point of time in the batting unit. That is the kind of mindset you need to have.

The young fast bowler was among the finds of the IPL. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched for him to make his Test debut in England

Vishal Dikshit25-May-2021MS Dhoni had not batted in a competitive match in over five months when he walked out in the Chennai Super Kings’ opening game of this year’s IPL, against the Delhi Capitals. The Super Kings had just five overs left and Avesh Khan, the 24-year-old Capitals fast bowler, was wary of placing five fielders in the circle against Dhoni; he wanted mid-on and mid-off on the boundary. His captain, Rishabh Pant, convinced him otherwise. “Even if he hits a six, it’s fine with me,” Pant said.Khan says he derived a mountain of confidence from Pant’s advice. He accurately pounded in two back-of-a-length deliveries and Dhoni chopped on for a duck when he swung at the second ball, which moved away a little.Related

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Three IPLs on, Avesh Khan fulfils 'dream' of taking MS Dhoni's wicket

Chetan Sakariya, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel are the finds of the curtailed IPL

In the second over of that game, Khan’s first this season, he had trapped Faf du Plessis, among the best Super Kings batters in the last few years, with a skiddy inducker. By the time the IPL was suspended in early May, Khan’s list of 14 dismissals included the names of Virat Kohli, Jonny Bairstow, Suryakumar Yadav and Nicholas Pooran, and he was joint second on the wicket-takers’ list with Chris Morris, behind Harshal Patel.With this showing, Khan has vaulted himself into the second rung of India’s premier fast bowlers, as reflected in his being picked as one of three standby quicks for the WTC final and the five Tests against England.

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Born and brought up in Indore, Khan was spotted at 13 by former India batter Amay Khurasiya at an Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association trial from out of nearly 500 boys. Khan, who played for the Indore Colts Cricket Club then, stood out for Khurasiya because he was “nippy” and had good bounce, two qualities that mark his bowling even now.Khan accounted for Faf du Plessis’ wicket in the first over he bowled this IPL, then had Dhoni chop on to the stumps in the 16th for a duck in the same match•BCCI/IPLKhan’s emergence is a result of relentless effort over the last couple of years. He has been part of several India A tours – to New Zealand in 2020, the West Indies in 2019, and at home against the England Lions and South Africa A in 2019. He was also an India net bowler during the 2019 World Cup.In recent times he has added a higher level of fitness and more specific skill sets to his armoury. When he was with the India Test squad in Chennai during the England series earlier this year, Khan rang his personal dietician and his Madhya Pradesh Ranji Trophy trainer. He weighed 90kg then, and said to them that he wanted to shed some weight before the IPL. They advised him to get to about 85kg.Khan started immediately, putting in place different diet plans for match days, training days and rest days, and generally becoming more mindful than before of what he was eating during the day. As required, he shed five kilograms over two months. The leaner version of Khan was meaner too, as batters found out in the IPL.Khan says he had been raring to go for the last couple of tournaments but didn’t get chances to play because the Capitals had a pace-heavy bowling attack, with Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Ishant Sharma in the line-up. Khan made sure he would be ready for whenever his turn arrived. Leading up to the 2021 season, he tried to perfect three deliveries – yorkers, slower balls and bouncers.”You can’t bowl the same kind of deliveries again and again in the IPL,” he says, “because as bowlers if we are watching videos of batsmen, they are also watching our videos to plan.Khan’s best Ranji Trophy season to date has been 2018-19, when he averaged five wickets per game over seven matches•Shailesh Bhatnagar”I thought if I practise these [deliveries] every day, my muscles and mind will react and remember them.”I would also think of match situations. At the start of my run-up, I was clear about which ball to bowl. If my plan was to bowl a yorker, I’d focus only on that while running in, and similarly for a slower one.About ten days before their IPL opener, the Capitals management informed Khan he would feature in the opening game in the absence of late arrivers Rabada and Nortje, and because Sharma and Umesh Yadav were carrying niggles.”I told myself, ‘This is the time to perform and show my talent.’ I knew that the moment I had been preparing for for the last few years had finally arrived, so I didn’t want to lose this opportunity. My mindset was to do well in the first game, because that would confirm my spot for the next two games as well.”ESPNcricinfo LtdKhan’s game plan was to rely on yorkers in the death overs for the flatter pitches in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and to bowl more slower balls on the sluggish tracks in Chennai. “We used to see the pitches and in Chennai I didn’t bowl yorkers also because of the size of the ground. I bowled cutters there,” he says.He followed his 2 for 23 against the Super Kings with the middle-order wickets of Shivam Dube, David Miller and Riyan Parag of the Rajasthan Royals in a 3 for 32 in Mumbai. In his first game in Chennai, he took 2 for 15 in two overs against the Mumbai Indians. The game after that, he made decisive breakthroughs as the Capitals bounced back defending 159 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, with the wickets of Jonny Bairstow, Virat Singh and Vijay Shankar.In his three games in Ahmedabad, he took a wicket each, keeping things relatively tight. “The wickets were flatter so yorker was the main option because batsmen were connecting with the slower ones more easily,” he says.According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Khan bowled 15 yorkers this IPL for just 11 runs, and 13 of those came in the death overs.Even after Rabada came into the XI to lead the Capitals’ attack, the management kept Khan on, given the value he was offering. They used him in all three phases of the game, and at times threw him in at the deep end – in the last overs of the powerplay and of the innings. Khan, with hours of meticulous preparation behind him, shone like never before.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the powerplay, he was among the six most economical bowlers in the tournament, conceding only 6.50 per over. In the middle overs he was the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers, with seven dismissals and an economy rate of 7.33. In the death overs, the most brutal phase for bowlers, his economy rate of 9.10 was again among the top six.No wonder Khan made an impression on the likes of Ian Bishop.

Avesh Khan.

— Ian bishop (@irbishi) May 11, 2021