Have played nearly 500 games for India, can speak to any player be it Iyer or Kohli: Ganguly
Kolkata: His nearly "500 international match experience" gives him the right to speak and guide any player "be it Shreyas Iyer or Virat Kohli", BCCI president Sourav Ganguly hit back at his detractors who made loose allegations of Conflict of Interest against the former India captain.
Before Delhi Capitals' first game of this season, skipper Shreyas Iyer gave an interview to Star Sports where he spoke about contributions from head coach Ricky Ponting and Ganguly (who was a mentor at DC in 2019) in helping him evolve as a successful player and captain.
However, his critics insinuated that Ganguly as BCCI president is helping a franchise captain where he was a mentor, which is a case of Conflict of Interest, something he vehemently denied.
While Iyer had clarified that he was referring to the 2019 season, Ganguly on the day put forth what he thought about the unnecessary controversy.
"I had helped him (Iyer) last year. I may be the Board president, but don't forget that I've played 500 matches (424 matches) for India, so I can speak to a young player and help him, be it, Shreyas Iyer or Virat Kohli. If they want help, I can," Ganguly said during a promotional event.
An irate Iyer, not too amused with the controversy, on his part, had tweeted his clarification.
"As a young captain, I am thankful to Ricky and Dada for being a part of my journey as a cricketer and captain last season. My comment ...... was to emphasize my gratitude towards the role they both have played in my personal growth as a captain," the DC captain had said.
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RCB to play five IPL 2026 home matches in Bengaluru, two in Raipur
Bengaluru (PTI): Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five of their home matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here and the remaining two fixtures at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in the upcoming IPL, the franchise said on Tuesday.
The announcement ended doubts about whether the IPL 2025 winners would be able to play at their home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, following the stampede that killed 11 fans after RCB's maiden title win.
Since that tragic indecent, the venue has not hosted any major domestic matches including the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy or even the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20.
"This significant development comes after months of hard work and close coordination across all concerned authorities with a common goal of bringing the games back to home ground for the fans," RCB said in a release.
"RCB extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of Karnataka, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the Karnataka Police for their unwavering guidance, cooperation and support in facilitating the hosting of matches in Bengaluru."
"The collective efforts to ramp up infrastructure and safety measures in time for the IPL season have ensured that the defending champions will play the majority of their home games in their home ground," the franchise added.
The franchise said that the two "home matches" in Raipur will be as "per prior commitment."
RCB CEO Rajesh Menon said the fans deserve to watch their team compete at home.
"The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is more than just our home ground it is where our identity as a team truly comes alive," he said.
"The energy our fans bring to Bengaluru has always been a driving force for our players, inspiring them through every phase of the game. Our fans have stood by us unconditionally, and they deserve the opportunity to watch their team compete at home."
"After detailed discussions and completing the necessary due process around permissions, we are pleased to confirm that RCB will play five matches in Bengaluru. We sincerely thank the Government of Karnataka, the KSCA, and the Karnataka Police for their support in making this possible," Menon added.
