Police allows Shami to join DD after 3hr grilling
KOLKATA:INDIA pacer Mohammed Shami got a temporary relief from Kolkata Police on Wednesday to join his Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Daredevils (DD) following a three-hour interrogation.
Facing summons from Kolkata Police after his wife had filed multiple cases including those of infidelity and domestic violence, Shami was held back here after Delhi’s IPL fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on April 16.
“We have got no objection in Shami joining his IPL side. But if need be, we will call him again,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Praveen Tripathi said.
Shami was grilled for over three hours. “We can call him anytime but at this point of time, we don’t find it is necessary. He’s fully cooperating in this case,” Tripathi added.
Shami’s elder brother Hasib Ahmed was also interrogated separately. The fast bowler is expected to join his franchise n Bengaluru for April 21 fixture.
RAHUL’S START
This will be a battle between KXIP’S exciting batting and SRH’S penetrative bowling. Not just Gayle, it’s the KXIP opener KL Rahul who’s looked in redhot form, blazing his way to swift starts and if Karun Nair, Aaron Finch and Yuvraj Singh come good, the home team can look to dominate any attack. The 26-year-old Rahul scored the fastest-50 in IPL’S history, with a 14-ball 50 against Delhi Daredevils and has been playing his shots with gay abandon. He was also involved in an opening-wicket partnership of 96 runs with Gayle against Chennai Super Kings that set up KXIP’S win.
WHILE YUVRAJ HAS STRUGGLED INITIALLY, HE SHOWED GLIMPSES OF HIS PAST IN THE PREVIOUS MATCH.
YUVRAJ OF OLD
While Yuvraj has struggled initially, he showed glimpses of his past in the previous match and while he lacks in a bit of confidence, the team management has been backing him to come good. It may actually be a matter of time before he does so.
KXIP have been led remarkably by Ashwin. Even while in their defeat to Bangalore, Ashwin kept fighting and along with the 17-year old Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rehman, KXIP will go for wickets in their eight overs. They would need the other bowlers to chip in because SRH too bat deep.
With Shikhar Dhawan, Wridhiman Saha, Williamson, Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan in their rank, SRH have the batting to shift gears and on a pitch like the PCA Stadium, runs will flow.
The balance of the game hangs heavily on SRH bowlers. If Bhuvneshwar can pick a couple with the new ball, they have matchwinning spinners like Rashid Khan and Sakib Al Hasan to fall back upon. By adding Siddharth Kaul and Billy Stanlake, SRH have a set of five bowlers who the captain can rely on to pick wickets against any side.