Malan predicts IPL will resume in September after the Test-series against England
Former England cricketer Dawid Malan predicts the remainder of the IPL can resume in September after the five-test series between India and England gets over. The ongoing Indian Premier League has been suspended due to tensions between India and Pakistan. However, this is not the first time IPL has been suspended mid-way through. During the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2021, the tournament was halted and resumed in September later in the year. Malan stated while speaking on Al Arabiya, “If it doesn’t happen in India or Sri Lanka in a week like that, I suppose they will start in September. They got a massive Test series coming up against England in a few months, and the IPL has to finish before that or start after that; logistically, it is quite a headache for the organizers. I guess they have to wait and see how next week plays out in terms of the safety concerns of players and people of both countries.” The five-match Test series is beginning on 20th June makes it one of the earliest starts for India in the English summer, with their last two Test tours mostly being played in the months of August. The five Tests will be played at Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford and the Oval from 20th June to 4th August.
Virat wants to retire from Test cricket also; BCCI reportedly asks him to rethink
Virat has told the BCCI that he wishes to retire from Test cricket ahead of the England Test series, but top officials have asked him to reconsider his decision! According to a report by The Indian Express, Kohli’s decision came just days after Rohit Sharma decided to retire from Test cricket. According to media reports, the selectors will be meeting in a few days to determine the squad for the five-match Test series against England, and if both Virat and Rohit are not available, they will have a huge task at hand. The report further claimed that Kohli has been contemplating retirement since the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where his disappointing show earned him a lot of criticism. “He has made up his mind and has informed the board that he is moving on from Test cricket. The BCCI has urged him to rethink as the crucial England tour is coming up. He is yet to revert on the request,” sources told the Indian Express. If Kohli doesn’t change his mind, and with Rohit out of the picture, it will leave India with a largely inexperienced middle-order to join forces with KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, and Rishabh Pant later down the order. Besides, the team will be left without the guiding hands of two veterans who, between them, have led the Test team for nearly 11 years till now. Kohli became India’s Test captain in December 2014, followed by Rohit in February 2022.
Harry Kane wins first career title as Bayern Munich becomes Bundesliga champion
The ‘curse’ has finally been over. Harry Kane can now celebrate his first career title after Bayern Munich became Bundesliga champion for the 34th time with a little help from Freiburg on Sunday. Freiburg drew with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 to leave Bayern an unassailable eight points clear of the 2024 champion with two rounds of the German league remaining. Kane had never won a title in a career of runner-up finishes and individual top scorer awards with Tottenham and England, leading some to speak of a “curse” against a player considered one of the world’s best forwards. Kane was ready to celebrate Saturday when Bayern looked set to win 3-2 in Leipzig. But Yussuf Poulsen equalized with the last kick of the game for Leipzig to draw 3-3 and postpone Bayern’s party for one day at least. “Next week, Harry!” teammate Thomas Mller wrote on Instagram. He didn’t have to wait that long. Leverkusen played without conviction in Freiburg, knowing that second place was already secured and that it only had a mathematical chance of defending its title with Bayern having a far superior goal difference. Maximilian Eggestein fired the home team ahead before the break and an own-goal from Piero Hincapie after it put Freiburg firmly in control. It is Bayern’s record-extending 34th German championship including the first for the club in 1932. All the others came after the Bundesliga’s formation in 1963.
