Visa curbs over Covid-19 force foreign players to miss IPL till April 15

India has reported 60 positive cases in the outbreak which has led to over 4,000 deaths globally.

No foreign player will be available for this year's IPL till April 15 due to visa restrictions imposed by the government to contain the novel coronavirus threat, a top BCCI source told PTI on Thursday, casting fresh doubts on the fate of the event.

"The foreign players who play in the IPL come under the Business Visa category. As per the government's directive, they can't come till April 15," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The government issued fresh advisory with a ban on all existing foreign visas, except a few categories like diplomatic and employment, till April 15 in the wake of new positive cases of novel coronavirus in the country.

India has reported 60 positive cases in the outbreak which has led to over 4,000 deaths globally.

The fate of the IPL itself will be decided on March 14 at the event's Governing Council meeting in Mumbai.

"All decisions will be taken by the GC in Mumbai," the source said.

Having the IPL, starting March 29, played in empty stadiums is an option being explored.

IPL 2020 champions' prize money to be cut as Indian cricket hit by slowdown

In a circular sent to all IPL franchises, the BCCI has notified that instead of a whopping Rs 20 crore, the IPL champion team will now receive Rs 10 crore only.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to implement strict cost cutting measures with the notable decision being the halving of IPL 2020 champions' prize money.

In a circular sent to all IPL franchises, the BCCI has notified that instead of a whopping Rs 20 crore paid earlier, the IPL champion will now receive Rs 10 crore only.

"The financial rewards have been reworked as a part of the cost cutting measures. The champions will get Rs 10 crore instead of Rs 20 crore. The runners-up will get Rs 6.25 crore from earlier Rs 12.5 crore," according to news agency PTI.

"The franchises are all in good health. They also have multiple ways like sponsorships to bolster their income. Hence the decision on prize money taken," a senior BCCI source told PTI.

Other cost cutting measures implemented by BCCI

A state association hosting IPL games will get Rs 1 crore each with franchises and BCCI contributing Rs 50 lakh each.

It has also been learnt that mid-level BCCI employees won't be allowed to avail business class on flights for travel to Asian countries (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE) where the flying time is less than 8 hours.

IPL and franchises brand valuation

According to Duff and Phelps annual IPL Brand Valuation report 2019, the overall brand value of the Indian Premier League has increased by 7 per cent (after considering currency fluctuations) from 6.3 billion dollars in 2018 to 6.8 billion dollars in 2019.

Mumbai Indians continued to top the charts for the fourth time with an 8.5 per cent increase in brand value at Rs 809 crore.

Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore recorded an 8 per cent decrease in brand value to reach Rs 630 crore and Rs 595 crore, respectively.

Months ahead of Tokyo Olympics, WADA suspends India's dope testing lab

The NDTL has been instructed to stop all testing procedures with immediate effect and all the samples need to be safely moved to an accredited lab.

Business Standard : The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the accreditation of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) for six months in what could be a massive blow to anti-doping movement in the country with less than a year left for Tokyo Olympics.

It is understood that National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) can still carry on with sample collection (blood and urine) but will have to get it tested by a different WADA accredited laboratory outside India during the suspension period of NDTL.

"This suspension has been imposed due to non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) as identified during a WADA site visit," WADA stated in a media release on its website.

The WADA also stated that it's Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG) initiated a disciplinary proceedings with regards to status of WADA accredited laboratories.

"In May 2019, disciplinary proceedings were initiated by WADA's Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG) and subsequently carried out by an independent Disciplinary Committee, which was mandated to make a recommendation to the Chair of the WADA Executive Committee regarding the status of the laboratory's accreditation. This process is now complete," WADA informed.

The NDTL has been instructed to stop all testing procedures with immediate effect and all the samples need to be safely moved to an accredited lab.

"The suspension, which took effect on 20 August 2019, prohibits the NDTL from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and blood samples.

"During the period of suspension, samples that have not yet been analyzed by the NDTL; samples currently undergoing a confirmation procedure; and any samples for which an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) has been reported, must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory. This is in order to ensure continued high-quality sample analysis, which also helps preserve athletes' confidence in this process and the wider anti-doping system," it stated.

The suspension came into effect from August 20 but NDTL can appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne in the next 21 days.

Byju's to replace Oppo on Team India jersey after West Indies tour

BCCI will continue to receive the same amount from Byju's and will be at no loss for the entire duration of the deal.

From September onwards, Team India will have a new brand name on their jerseys.

Chinese mobile-maker Oppo will be replaced by Byju's, the Bangalore-based educational technology and online tutorial firm.

Team India will sport Oppo logo on their jerseys till the West Indies tour which commences from August 3 and ends on September 2.

Once, South Africa tour of India begins from September 15, Byju's will takeover the jersey.

In March 2017, Oppo had won the Indian team sponsorship rights for a five-year period, i.e. till March 2022 for a whopping amount of Rs 1079 crores, outbidding Vivo mobiles' Rs 768 crore bid.

However, according to a Times of India report, Oppo has now decided to exit the space because it finds the value at which it acquired the rights in 2017 to be "extremely high" and "unsustainable".

The report further says that BCCI will continue to receive the same amount from Byju's and will be at no loss for the entire duration of the deal which runs till March 31, 2022.

Oppo was paying BCCI Rs 4.61 crore per bilateral match and Rs 1.56 crore for an ICC event match.

Before that, STAR India used to pay Rs 1.92 crore per bilateral match and Rs 61 lakh for an ICC match.

Business Standard

Selectors are wrong, Gill, Rahane must be in team for West Indies: Ganguly

Gill has already expressed his disappointment at not being picked in the squad for the limited overs series in the Caribbean.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday questioned the omission of veteran Ajinkya Rahane and young Shubman Gill from the ODI squad for the tour of West Indies, urging the selection committee to be consistent with their policies.

An inconsistent Kedar Jadhav has been retained while Gill, who has been adjudged man-of-the-series in the five List A games in the West Indies, scoring 218 runs.

Ganguly took to Twitter to take a dig at the selectors stating the main agenda should be picking the best possible team and not making people happy.

"Time has come for Indian selectors to pick same players in all formats of the game for rhythm and confidence.. too few are playing in all formats ..great teams had consistent players ..it's not about making all happy but picking the best for the country and be consistent @bcci," Ganguly tweeted.

"Here are many in the squad who can play all formats ..surprised not to see Shubman Gill. Rahane in the one day squad," he added.

Gill has already expressed his disappointment at not being picked in the squad for the limited overs series in the Caribbean.

The MSK Prasad-led selection committee picked India's squads for the T20I, ODI and Test squads for the tour of West Indies on Sunday.

Barring left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, no other Indian player features in all 3 formats for the West Indies tour.

Business Standard

BCCI annual contracts: Dhawan, Bhuvi demoted; Pante gets category A deal

Senior opener Shikhar Dhawan and pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar were on Thursday dropped from the highest category of central contracts for India players.

Acknowledging Rishabh Pant's consistent performance, the BCCI has rewarded the young wicketkeeper-batsman with a grade A retainership while demoting senior opener Shikhar Dhawan from the elite A plus category in the latest list of Central Contracts.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the annual contracts late on Thursday night, handing retainership to 25 cricketers in four groups of A plus (Rs 7 crore), A (Rs 5 crore), B (Rs 3 crore) and C (Rs 1 crore).

(Business Standard)

Last year 26 players were handed contracts.

Not only Dhawan but pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has also been dropped from the highest-paying category and now only three players -- skipper Virat Kohli, limited overs deputy Rohit Sharma and premier pacer in all formats speedster Jasprit Bumrah -- figure in the elite category.

While left arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed and batsman Hanuma Vihari are new entrants in the C group.

Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Vijay Shankar, who have made impression in Tests and limited overs respectively, have not been included in the list since they do not meet the criteria of having played either three Tests or eight ODIs.

It seems to be curtains for veterans Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina, who have been dropped from the list after being in A and C group in last year's list. They are no longer in reckoning for national team.

The biggest gainer is 21-year-old Pant, who wasn't a part of the last year's list but directly made it to the A group with 10 others.

Pant is expected to be a first choice in all formats once MS Dhoni retires. He was rewarded for being the first Indian keeper to score Test hundred in England and Australia.

Chinaman Kuldeep, who has become India's frontline spinner in all three formats, has been promoted to A from the B category.

The notable loser was Dhawan, who has had dip in form in last six months in ODIs. He was also dropped from the Test squad before the Australia series.

Bhuvneshwar also lost out on A plus category as he is no longer an all- format certainty.

The same logic was applied to Cheteshwar Pujara as he was retained in A category contract.