One of the most anticipated domestic T20 cricket tournaments in India, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy marks its return after a long nine-month wait when it kicks off on January 10. The 2021 edition is set to see some of the finest Indian talents of the shortest format taking the centre stage in a 38-team event which will be played across Bangalore, Kolkata, Vadodara, Indore, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu in the group-stage. The competition will then move to Ahmedabad for the knockout round.

Defending champions Karnataka, whose roster boasts of some real match-winners, will take the field against Jammu and Kashmir in the inaugural game. Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy provides the players a perfect stage to lay a foundation, and like every other year, there are a few who will be under the spotlight. Here we throw a beam on three of them:

Devdutt Padikkal - Karnataka

Young and adroit, top-order batsman Devdutt Padikkal was instrumental in Karnataka’s success in the 2019/20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, topping the run-scoring chart by quite a margin, accumulating 580 runs at an average of 64.44 and a strike rate of 175.75. Once again under the scanner, the 20-year-old is coming at the back of an exhilarating stint in the Indian T20 League and will once again look to leave a positive mark as the 2021 T20 World Cup looms. He will arguably be the one to keep a keen eye on.

Suryakumar Yadav - Mumbai

The captain of Mumbai team, Suryakumar Yadav was the third-highest run-scorer in the previous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 392 runs in 11 matches at an average and strike rate of 56.00 and 168.96 respectively. Yadav’s stocks rose so significantly in the Indian T20 League 2020 that he missed out on his maiden national team call for the Australia T20I series only by a whisker. Another such performance in the upcoming tournament and the selectors will be forced to at least consider him for the T20I series against England, which begins shortly after the conclusion of the competition.

Ravi Bishnoi -  Rajasthan

Playing in his first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, 20-year-old Ravi Bishnoi is no stranger to big games, having performed exceptionally well in the 2020 Indian T20 League for Punjab, picking 12 wickets during the tournament. Bishnoi rose into the province after topping the wicket-taking tally with 17 scalps during the ICC Under 19 World Cup last year. It was after this performance that he got his maiden Indian T20 League contract and he went on to play all of Punjab’s 14 games in the competition. Now turning up for Rajasthan, Bishnoi will once again look to assert an authority to soar his reputation even further.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @devdpd07

It has been a nightmarish season for Chennai in the 2020 edition of the Indian T20 League. From having two of their star players in Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh out even before the first match to facing their first-ever failure to make the playoffs, it’s been a rough road for the three-time champions.

However, there’s still a chance to go out with a bang, in their final match of the season on Sunday against a Punjab side that has to win and, thanks to a negative NRR, win big to assure their playoff spot.

Chennai to finally end their misery or go out with a bang?

Chennai is currently placed at the bottom of the table, which is a very rare sight in the Indian T20 League. This season, they have won just five matches and have 10 points from 13 games played. However, while exiting the season with a win will be a positive takeaway, they will have still won only six matches this season, which is the least matches won in an Indian T20 League season by Chennai.

Chennai at different venues in Indian T20 League 2020
Venue	Played	Won	Lost	Win %
Abu Dhabi	3	1	2	33.33
Dubai	7	4	3	57.14
Sharjah	3	0	3	0

Sunday’s match against Punjab will be the last game for Chennai this season and the last time these two teams met. On that occasion, Chennai defeated Punjab by a 10-wicket margin. That was at Dubai, where Chennai have the highest winning percentage, winning four of their seven games played. However, Sunday’s match will be held at Abu Dhabi, where they have a 33 percent win record this season.

Players to watch:

Chennai �?Sam Curran

While this Indian T20 League season was not a good one for Chennai, they sure have one positive takeaway and that is the outstanding performance of Sam Curran, who has been a highly impressive all-rounder for them. He has scored 186 runs off 141 balls faced at a strike rate of 131.91 for this season and batted at various positions as per the requirement of the team.

Apart from his batting, he has contributed with his bowling as well. With 13 wickets scalped this season, he is the leading wicket-taker for Chennai in Indian T20 League. He has bowled most of his overs in Powerplay and been economical but it's not where he shines, having only picked up three wickets in that phase of the innings, while 62 percent of his total wickets have come during the death overs (16-20), where he has been the leading wicket-taker for Chennai, scalping eight wickets and has the second-best bowling SR in death overs after Dwayne Bravo (min 30 balls). Who better to watch out for in their final match of the season than Curran then?

Punjab �?Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi has been a revelation for Punjab this season, picking up 12 wickets - the second-most by a bowler this season. However, he has been a bit under par in the last six matches, going wicketless in three matches. Let us see what has changed as the season has progressed.

Ravi Bishnoi First 7 vs Last 6 matches
First 7 matches	Metrics	Last 6 matches
8	Wkts	4
26.5	Avg.	31.25
7.85	Econ	6.25
20.25	SR	30
3	0w	3
2	3w+	0

He has picked up four wickets at an economy of 6.25 but failed to produce a three-wicket innings in the last six innings. Moreover, his average has increased from 26.5 in the first seven matches to 31.25 in the last six matches.

Bishnoi will therefore be one to keep an eye on in this critical match for Punjab, along with fellow spin twin Murugan Ashwin, both of whom, it has to be said, have been pivotal in Punjab��s success so far.

Stats to watch out for:

2: Times Chris Gayle has been dismissed by Karn Sharma in four balls faced

4: Number of sixes required by Chris Gayle to become the leading six-hitter for Punjab in the Indian T20 League

5: Wickets needed by Mitchell Santner to complete 100 T20 wickets

15: Runs needed by Ruturaj Gaikwad to complete 1000 T20 runs

23: Runs required by Nicholas Pooran to reach 3000 T20 runs

107: Runs required by KL Rahul to 2000 runs for Punjab, will be the first Indian and 2nd overall to reach this milestone

Writer’s pick

While Chennai are no doubt the sentimental favourites, it'd take a brave soul to bet against a stout Punjab side that's chomping at the bit to earn their playoff pass on the night, and so Punjab it is.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain

In a flash, the 2020 Indian T20 League has gone by and we are now in the final week of the league stage of the campaign.

So far, by my reckoning, three teams - Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore - are looking well clear of the rest of the teams but the fight for the fourth spot is well and truly on, with multiple teams in contention for that final place in the playoffs.

While it will take a collective effort from the team to get across the finish line, there are a few players who could be the difference between winning and losing for their teams. Here’s my list of the players who could be the game changers for their teams this Saturday:

Kolkata �?Pat Cummins

When Kolkata shelled out INR 15.5 crores for Pat Cummins, they were expecting to get a strike bowler who could pick wickets in tandem with Sunil Narine. However, he has struggled to pick wickets this season and currently has only three in 10 matches. What Pat has certainly surprised everyone with is his ability with the bat. He has 130 runs this season, including a brilliant 50 against a strong Mumbai bowling lineup. But, at the end of the day, he was brought in to pick wickets, which he hasn’t been able to do. He still has four matches to turn his and Kolkata’s quickly tanking season around and I back him to be able to do that, starting against Delhi on Saturday.

Delhi �?Shikhar Dhawan

In the early part of the season, Shikhar Dhawan was consistently scoring 20s and 30s but was failing to convert those starts into big scores. But that hasn’t been the case lately. Over his last four matches, Dhawan has scored 333 runs and batted through the innings thrice. He also became the first man to hit back-to-back centuries in the Indian T20 League, doing it in Delhi's win over Chennai and then in a tough loss against Punjab. Dhawan has found his touch right at the business end of the tournament, and with Prithvi Shaw struggling, I think his good form is even more crucial to Delhi moving forward.

Ravi Bishnoi - Punjab

One of the primary reasons why I love the Indian T20 League is the opportunity it presents to young Indian players to rub shoulders with the best cricketers on the planet. One player that I'm particularly interested in is Punjab's young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. He was sensational in the Under-19 World Cup and he’s been brilliant this season, bowling economical spells and picking up timely wickets for his team. What I like about him is he has this feisty attitude and he’s not afraid of being hit and will stay true to his style even if the opposition is targeting him.

Rashid Khan �?Hyderabad

Speaking of feisty leg-spinners, few are as good and as aggressive as Rashid Khan. 11 wickets so far this season doesn’t truly reflect his value to the team. He’s bowling at a tremendous economy rate of 5.52 and an average of just 19.63. The other seven teams have recognised that Rashid is the spearhead of the Hyderabad bowling attack and it’s futile to go after him, which explains his ridiculous economy rate this season. Despite his form, Hyderabad are well off the pace in the race for a playoff spot. They have four matches to salvage this season and they are going to need a big contribution from their ace if they are to pull off the improbable.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Hyderabad

Almost midway through the season, and the cream of the crop has risen to the top in the Indian T20 League campaign. But if you are still struggling with your fantasy side, here are a few picks to help you through the rest of the week:

Player: Suryakumar Yadav

Team: Mumbai

Mumbai's top-order batsman, Suryakumar Yadav has found his element and is yet again his team’s leading runscorer of the season. The Mumbai-native has been stellar since signing for the team in 2018 and after a tough couple of matches, announced his return to form with back-to-back sensational knocks against Rajasthan and Delhi. Mumbai will up against Kolkata, Suryakumar’s former side, and a struggling Punjab side this week so expect Yadav to be amongst the runs in both matches.

Player: Rahul Tewatia 

Team: Rajasthan

It’s hard to think of a player having a bigger impact on their team than Rahul Tewatia is having for Rajasthan. The all-rounder has become a key contributor for his side with both bat and ball and has been instrumental in all their victories so far this season. The 27-year-old has 159 runs with the bat and five wickets with the ball in what is quickly turning into an MVP-calibre season. Tewatia has become a must-have in your fantasy roster.

Player: Shreyas Iyer

Team: Delhi

Shreyas Iyer has been a terrific captain for Delhi this season, but the talented batsman is also coming good with the bat of late with a couple of brilliant knocks in his last few outings. Against Kolkata, Iyer played an incredible knock of 88 off 38 balls, leading his side to a mammoth win and in his last outing against his hometown side, Mumbai, the 25-year-old scored 42 off 33 on a tough batting surface. Iyer is peaking at the right time for Delhi and could be a great addition to your team.

Player: Ravi Bishnoi 

Team: Punjab

A star at the under-19 World Cup and now the Indian T20 League, youngster Ravi Bishnoi is quickly emerging as one of the best new finds in the league this season. The 20-year-old has picked up four wickets in his last two matches and is quickly climbing the list of the leading wicket-takers of this season. Bishnoi's impact of late is comparable to that of Bangalore’s Yuzvendra Chahal who has consistently answered his team’s call when they are in the hunt for a wicket or two. Pick the youngster in your team.

Player: Anrich Nortje

Team: Delhi 

Speedster Anrich Nortje has been the perfect partner for the leader in the race for the Purple Cap, Kagiso Rabada. The South African has picked up eight wickets at a good economy rate of 7.21 and is one of the key reasons for Delhi's incredible start to the campaign. With teams refraining from going after Rabada, their strategy to target Nortje has resulted in wickets for the pacer. If you are in the hunt for a wicket-taker, take a gamble on Nortje.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @rahultewatia02

Hyderabad bounced back to winning ways on Thursday, riding on the back of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow's 160-run opening wicket stand to beat Punjab by 69 runs.

After having won the toss and elected to bat, skipper David Warner decided to set a score on the board, a decision that worked wonders. Cruising alongside his partner in crime, Jonny Bairstow, Warner finally set the momentum for Hyderabad, putting 201/6 on board. And while their batting was top notch on the day, their bowling contingent oozed similar confidence, as four of their six bowlers maintained an economy of under eight, with Rashid Khan, as one can expect, topping the chart by picking three wickets for 13 in four overs, which is now his best bowling figure in the Indian T20 League.

Punjab got off on a wrong foot, and while Nicholas Pooran gave them a hope, the others crumbled like a house of card to hand Hyderabad their third-biggest win (by runs) of the Indian T20 League. 

That said, here are a few talking points from the game:

Warner and Bairstow finally off the mark

Openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow were often criticized for letting it loose this season. In fact, prior to tonight’s game, the duo had jotted a mere 154 runs in five innings (18 vs Bangalore, 24 vs Kolkata, 77 vs Delhi, 1 vs Chennai, 34 vs Mumbai), a figure that is even less than what they accumulated at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.

This was the duo’s first 100-run partnership against Punjab and fifth in the Indian T20 League. Warner and Bairstow got off to a strong start and went on to score 58 runs in the power play overs; the highest they have accumulated in the ongoing edition thus far.

Partners	Runs	Wkt	Opposition	Ground	Match Date
JM Bairstow, DA Warner	185	1st	v Bangalore	Hyderabad (Deccan)	31-Mar-19
DA Warner, JM Bairstow	160	1st	v Punjab	Dubai (DSC)	08-Oct-20
DA Warner, JM Bairstow	131	1st	v Kolkata	Hyderabad (Deccan)	21-Apr-19
DA Warner, JM Bairstow	118	1st	v Kolkata	Kolkata	24-Mar-19
DA Warner, JM Bairstow	110	1st	v Rajasthan	Hyderabad (Deccan)	29-Mar-19

Table: Highest partnership between Warner and Bairstow in Indian T20 League

Riding on their 160-run opening wicket stand - the duo’s second-highest partnership in the competition - Hyderabad went on to score 201/6 in 20 overs, which is now the fourth time the one-time league winners have scored 200 or more runs against Punjab in the Indian T20 League.

Bairstow may feel gutted for missing out on a century by three runs, but Warner achieved something to rejoice. A 40-ball 52 was his 11th half-century against Punjab, and in doing so, he became the first player to score 50 fifth-plus scores in the Indian T20 League (46 half-centuries and four centuries). 

Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	100	50	50+
DA Warner	132	132	4933	4	46	50
V Kohli	182	174	5545	5	37	42
SK Raina	193	189	5368	1	38	39
RG Sharma	194	189	5109	1	38	39
AB de Villiers	159	147	4550	3	35	38

Table: Players with most 50+ scores in Indian T20 League 

Bishnoi and Arshdeep: The needed spark in the dark

While the likes of Sheldon Cottrell, Mohammad Shami and Glenn Maxwell were hit across the park, there was something positive about Punjab’s bowling line-up, as youngster Ravi Bishnoi continued to wreak havoc with the ball. It was the 20-year-old who got put a dent in the Warner- Bairstow partnership, dismissing both the openers in a single over. He was at it once again in the 18th over, this time dismissing Abdul Samad.

The youngster did concede 29 runs in his three overs, but he more than made up for it by picking three important wickets.

It certainly was a night to forget for the senior bowlers, but rightfully not for a certain Arshdeep Singh. Apart from playing his part in dismissing Samad, the 21-year-old left-arm seamer got himself two wickets while maintaining an economy of 8.25; lowest amongst the Punjab bowlers.

Nicholas Pooran: More of the same, please?

Nicholas Pooran had a rather forgettable outing in the first innings, dropping Samad at the long-off in what was a not-so-difficult catch. Samad had a good connection with the bat off Ravi Bishoi's ball but lacked the power. And while the elevation was flat, Pooran could only manage to tip it off for a boundary.

But as Punjab struggled to get going with the bat, Pooran gave the team a renewed hope, hitting a quick-fire 17-ball 50 to bring his side right in the game. By the end of the eight over, Punjab were 63/3, but all that changed as Warner decided to bring Samad into attack. An act of sweet revenge was on card as Pooran went no to smash 28 runs in his over. And in the midst, he scored the fastest half-century of the ongoing edition. Overall, it is now the second-fastest 50 for Punjab in the Indian T20 League, behind KL Rahul's 14-ball half-century he scored against Delhi in 2018.

Player	Balls	Match	Venue	Date
KL Rahul	14	Punjab vs Delhi	Chandigarh	08-Apr-18
N Pooran	17	Punjab vs Hyderabad	Dubai	08-Oct-20
DA Miller	19	Punjab vs Rajasthan	Sharjah	20-Apr-14
KL Rahul	19	Punjab vs Chennai	Chandigarh	05-May-19
V Sehwag	21	Punjab vs Chennai	Mumbai	30-May-14
GJ Maxwell	21	Punjab vs Hyderabad	Sharjah	22-Apr-14

Table: Fastest 50 for Punjab in Indian T20 League (by balls faced)

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / @IndianT20League

Bangladesh youth side registered a sensational win in the finals of the under-19 World Cup to grab their maiden title at any level in a World Cup. Bowling India out for 177, Bangladesh fought through a terrific spell from Ravi Bishnoi to come out on top in the end and hand India youth side their first defeat in the World Cup. 

Here are few moments from the game where India faltered which tilted the balance to Bangladesh's way.  

The middle-order collapse

India had a strong start to their innings despite losing Divyansh Saxena early. Tilak Varma and Yashasvi Jaiswal put on a 94-run partnership to drive India to 103 before Tanzim Hasan Sakib dismissed the no.3 batsman. Jaiswal was later dismissed on 88 but even then India were on 156/4 and fairly well-placed to make a decent total. 

However, Siddhesh Veer fell first ball and the lower middle-order collapsed like a heap of cards with no resilience. From 156/3 at one point, India lost seven wickets for 21 runs to give Bangladesh huge momentum heading into the innings break.

India's middle-order hadn't been tested a lot in this World Cup with the big runs coming from Jaiswal and Saxena. The lack of time in the middle showed as Bangladesh used their bowlers cleverly to run through the strong Indian side.

Holding back Tyagi and Bishnoi

If India started their innings well, Bangladesh did even better. Against Kartik Tyagi and a wayward Sushant Mishra, the Bangladesh openers laid a strong foundation. Once the opening stand of 50 was broken, India climbed back into the game through Ravi Bishnoi whose googlies had Bangladesh in a spin.

Bishnoi grabbed four wickets in the space of nine overs between the 8th and 17th and Bangladesh lost Parvez Hossain Emon who retired hurt. At this point, India were well ahead in the game. By the start of the 21st over, half of Bangladesh's side were dismissed with the team score on 85. 

Instead of persisting with Bishnoi to do more damage, captain Priyam Garg changed his end and the leg-spinner failed to generate as much impact since. Tyagi, the strike bowler, wasn't brought back until the 26th over when Akbar Ali and Parvez Hossain had started re-building strong. 

With the clouds gathering, India should have attacked with their strike bowlers early to create a breakthrough and get ahead in the DLS equation.

Extras

Bangladesh were helped in a fairly easy run-chase by some ill-discipline from the Indian bowlers. Parvez Hossain and Akbar Ali made forties but no other Bangladesh batsman had scored over 20 with only one making double digits. But they had an able 12th man in Extras, who scored 33 runs, helped by as many as 19 wides from the Indian bowlers. 

The pacers, in particular, were guilty of giving too many freebies. Sushant Mishra was lucky to be in the attack after his first spell where he sent down two beamers. He bowled four wides and two no-balls in all. Tyagi and Akash Singh added five wides apiece in their spells. 

The extra runs relieved any pressure that Bangladesh were facing from Bishnoi. That they allowed India to make their mistakes was evident when Akbar Ali was content to not score for 22 balls at a stretch towards the end. The series of dots was broken when Akash sent down three wides in an over.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @cricketworldcup

It's an all-Asian final in South Africa in the 2020 edition of the ICC under-19 World Cup as four-time champions India take on new finalists Bangladesh at Potchefstroom on Sunday. India and Bangladesh in the finals have been lop-sided affairs at all levels and India are favourites to win a fifth title on Sunday. They will, however, face stiff resistance from a few Bangladesh players. We have them, and a few Indian players in the list of players to watch out for in the finals. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal

With 312 runs in 5 matches at an average of 156 including two centuries, Yashasvi Jaiswal has clearly been the batsman of the tournament. India's left-handed opener has combined tenacity with flair and managed to be rock solid at the top for India in the tournament. In five matches against the Bangladesh youth side since the last youth World Cup, Jaiswal has 164 runs at an average just over 30. He has also been dismissed a couple of times by Rakibul Hasan, making this an interesting battle to watch out for in the finals.

Read | U-19 World Cup: Twitter reacts to India’s thumping win over Pakistan

Mahmudul Hasan Joy

Bangladesh's saviour at the top of the order and clearly their batsman of the World Cup has been Mahmudul Hasan Joy. The no. 3 batsman was the architect of Bangladesh's triumph over New Zealand in the semi-finals, scoring a fine century in a tricky run-chase to take his team home. Mahmudul has 164 runs in 5 matches against India youth side since the last World Cup and it includes a brilliant century (109), a knock he would love to repeat in the finals.

Divyaansh Saxena

India's two biggest run-scorers in the tournament have both been openers. While Jaiswal has hogged headlines for his brilliant run of form, Saxena has been an able partner, putting up brilliant partnerships and acting as the dedicated second-fiddle. He has scores of 55 and 37 against the Bangladesh youth side in the two matches he has played against them. Breaking the Indian opening pair will be one of Bangladesh's biggest tasks on Sunday.

Read | India vs Pakistan U-19 World Cup: Factors that helped India triumph

Rakibul Hasan

With 11 wickets in five matches at an average of 8.45, Rakibul Hasan, the left-arm spinner has been Bangladesh's bowler of the tournament in their run to the finals. The left-arm spinner snared five for 19 in the match against South Africa in the quarterfinals and picked up the massive wicket of Ollie White in the semis against New Zealand where he bowled three maidens in his ten-over spell that went for just 35. The spinner has dismissed Jaiswal twice in youth ODIs and will be key for the Tigers to test India's in-form opener.

Bangladesh created their own bit of history against New Zealand by qualifying for an U19 World Cup final for the first time.

Relive their superb all-round team performance. #U19CWC | #FutureStars pic.twitter.com/9k5ojRhGLu

�?Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) February 8, 2020

Kartik Tyagi

Even if Ravi Bishnoi is India's top wicket-taker in the tournament and fourth in the list of most wicket-takers this World Cup, Kartik Tyagi has been the standout bowler for them. The seamer has been exceptional with his execution of the yorkers and ability to deliver under pressure. He was instrumental in India's surge to the finals, bowling his team to an unlikely win against the Aussies after the batting floundered. Tyagi has 11 wickets this World Cup at an average of 10.91 and will be backed to run through Bangladesh's batting line-up, much like Pakistan's pace attack did earlier in the tournament.

Read | Predicting India’s chances at the U19 World Cup Finals

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @cricketworldcup