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Delhi Capitals
Cricket Australia is yet to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Mitchell Starc for his IPL stint with Delhi Capitals, the franchise said on Monday, but remains hopeful the lead pacer will join the squad before their tournament opener on April 1. In a media interaction, Delhi Capitals Axar Patel, cricket director Venugopal Rao and head coach Hemang Badani fielded multiple questions on the availability of their pace spearhead. Starc had taken 14 wickets in 11 games last season. "We are waiting to get the NOC from Cricket Australia. Once we get that, we will know when he will join us," said Badani. "We are in constant touch with CA. He has been bowling, he had a bowled few days back. Unless Cricket Australia signs off on him that he is fit to play, there is little a franchise can do," said the coach when asked if the delay in issuing NOC was due to fitness or workload management. Sitting next to him, Rao added: "He is coming, it is just a question of getting the NOC from Cricket
An all-rounder himself, Axar Patel on Monday became the latest Indian cricketer to criticise the Impact Player rule in the IPL with a blunt "I don't like it" response before insisting that it hurts the growth of his tribe. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya have spoken against the Impact Player rule, which allows teams to substitute anyone in the playing XI with one of the five listed substitutes at any point of the match. It was introduced in 2023 and will stay until at least 2027. In 2024, Rohit had said that he was not a fan of the strategic rule saying it hampered the development of all-rounders in Indian cricket while the following season, Hardik said it had become to difficult pick an all-rounder in the side unless he was equally good with both bat and ball. Responding to a PTI query seeking his views on the rule, the Indian T20 vice-captain too weighed in on the subject ahead of his second season as Delhi Capitals captain. "I don't like this rule as I am all rounder myself ...
Ashutosh Sharma doesn't feel the pressure of performing on a grand stage like the IPL and remains focussed on finishing more games for Delhi Capitals in 2026 than the last season. In his first season for DC, Impact Player Ashutosh began the tournament with a bang, smashing 31-ball 66 not out to pull off a thrilling win over LSG. However, he and his team and were not able to ride the initial momentum created in the tournament, failing to make the play-offs. Speaking to PTI, Ashutosh spoke about his preparation for his third season in the IPL beginning on March 28. "The preparation is going very well. We have attended 3-4 pre-season camps. My role would be similar to last year, finishing games for the team at number 6 or 7. I want to win as many games as possible," said Ashutosh, who rose to prominence with his exploits for Punjab Kings in 2024. The 27-year-old from Madhya Pradesh who plays domestic cricket for Railways surprisingly doesn't feel the pressure when he is playing in fr
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Friday issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and Kamindu Mendis to participate in the IPL 2026 after the trio successfully completed its physical performance tests. Pacer Chameera and opener Nissanka are part of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming edition of the IPL, while all-rounder Kamindu Mendis has been retained by the Sunrisers Hyderabad. "Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wishes to announce that players who have requested to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be issued only upon successfully passing SLC's mandatory Physical Performance Test," the governing body said in a statement. "At present, SLC is conducting an eight-week specialized physical training program for all nationally contracsed players. This initiative aims to enhance players' physical performance standards in preparation for upcoming international assignments. "Accordingly, Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and Kamindu Mendis ha