IPL-14: Formidable MI aim for hat-trick, Kohli aims to break RCB deadlock behind "closed doors"
Chennai: Rohit Sharma has a legacy to defend, Virat Kohli would be looking to create one while a "been-there-done-that" Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems ready to pull off a fresh trick when the Indian Premier League starts here on Friday, cooped up in a bio-bubble as a raging pandemic wreaks fresh havoc.
Two editions of IPL within a space of five months isn't an ideal situation for all the stakeholders.
But for the fans at large, exhausted by the second wave of COVID-19 with cases going past the one lakh mark daily, watching towering sixes, toe-crushers and new talents unearthed will be a welcome diversion in the next seven weeks.
The opening encounter will be between defending champions Mumbai Indians and under-achievers Royal Challengers Bangalore here and the big-hitters on both sides will ensure that necessary fireworks will be there even if fans are absent from the stands thanks to the pandemic.
The virus has cast its shadow on the league in the build-up stage with some positive cases among both players and support staff. But with a strict bio-bubble in place for the games, the BCCI would be hoping for a smooth run just like the previous edition in the UAE.
If one looks at the bigger picture, the 14th edition of IPL assumes greater significance as it is being held in a T20 World Cup year and that too in the sub-continent.
If Kohli will keep a 'Hawk Eye' on the performances of his probable list of players, it won't be any different for an Eoin Morgan or a Kieron Pollard, who would also be preparing for the mega-event while giving it their all for their respective franchises.
For Rohit, the most successful captain in the 'IPL Universe' with an unprecedented five titles, he could well walk away with a sixth trophy and the first title hat-trick of this league.
Mumbai Indians, perhaps in the near two decade existence of Twenty20 format, is a side that will be remembered for its aura.
If Rohit fails, then Quinton de Kock will certainly succeed. If both fail, Ishan Kishan and Surya Kumar Yadav could scare the daylights out of the opposition.
And if the top-order is blown away, then the indomitable Pandya brothers (Hardik and Krunal) will be on the rivals' case.
On the outfield, Kieron Pollard will save those extra runs apart from the trademark big hits always expected of him and also bring in the change of pace suited for the Chennai track.
Trent Boult, with his swing, and Rahul Chahar, with his googlies, will also test the batsmen.
Mumbai Indians can only lose on their bad days and on good days, they are going to be a nightmare as England captain Michael Vaughan has already warned.
Rohit's opposite number is the national captain, who is ready to open once again but the squad composition of RCB doesn't inspire the highest confidence.
Glenn Maxwell has again been picked for a bomb and New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson has been made an overnight multi-millionaire by the franchise despite him being untested on Indian dust-bowls.
Devdutt Padikkal will be in his second season with teams analysing him way more and Yuzvendra Chahal seems to have lost his mojo.
Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini do not inspire the highest confidence in in white ball cricket at least despite their gutsy performances in Australia early this year.
Amid all this, Dhoni will be quietly smiling and may be planning differently as it will be a placid Wankhede where CSK will be playing Delhi Capitals instead of sluggish Chepauk on Saturday.
The return of seasoned Suresh Raina, which opens up an option to play Imran Tahir in most games, and the presence of Moeen Ali and Sam Curran as floating all-rounders gives CSK a better look than last time.
Dhoni's faith in uncapped Krishnappa Gowtham also needs a bit of validation.
As Dhoni brings on his years of IPL leadership experience, his ardent "fan" and "disciple" Rishabh Pant is ready to chart his own destiny as a Delhi Capitals leader while taking inspiration from his illustrious senior's captaincy.
Pant 2.0 after his Gabba heroics is the most confident man in Indian cricket currently and with a batting line-up that has Prithvi Shaw, Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer along with the experience of Steve Smith and Ajinya Rahane, Capitals would like to finish one better than last time.
Kagiso Rababda and Anrich Nortje's cobtribution will be as important as Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Axar Patel's bowling.
Sunrisers Hyderabad is one of the most low profile teams which has been known for on-field exploits. A superb assortment of foreign players comprising the prolific David Warner in batting and world's best T20 bowler Rashid Khan along with Kane Williamson, Jason Holder, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy makes them a contender.
Kolkata Knight Riders would expect that Andre Russell gets his six-hitting prowess back while Varun Chakravarthy is more than a one-season wonder.
Eoin Morgan, the best white ball international skipper on view, would look for a settled batting order while praying that Sunil Narine isn't again called for a suspect action.
For Punjab Kings, the owners would hope that change in the name brings about a change in luck but a lot would depend on skipper KL Rahul's performance.
He wouldn't mind another 'Orange Cap' while Mohammed Shami would like to make a roaring comeback in international cricket. Chris Gayle, in between, is sure to provide entertainment but the team is certainly not title contender to start with.
For Rajasthan Royals, the absence of Jofra Archer first up will certainly rob them off initial momentum and with another wobbly Indian line-up under an inconsistent Sanju Samson at the helm, the heavy-lifting is going to be done by Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Morris.
Still, a play-off berth looks highly unlikely as of now.
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South Korea's impeached President Yoon detained in massive law-enforcement effort
Seoul (AP): South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was detained in a massive law enforcement operation at the presidential compound Wednesday, defiantly insisting the anti-corruption agency didn't have the authority to investigate his actions but saying he complied to prevent violence.
In a video message recorded before he was escorted to the headquarters of the anti-corruption agency, Yoon lamented the “rule of law has completely collapsed in this country.”
Yoon, the country's first sitting president to be apprehended, had been holed up in the Hannam-dong residence in the capital, Seoul, for weeks while vowing to “fight to the end” the efforts to oust him. He has justified his declaration of martial law Dec. 3 as a legitimate act of governance against an “anti-state” opposition employing its legislative majority to thwart his agenda.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials said Yoon was brought into custody about five hours after investigators arrived at the presidential compound and about three hours after they successfully entered the residence, in their second attempt to detain him over his imposition of martial law.
A series of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, were seen leaving the presidential compound with police escorts. Yoon was later seen stepping out of a vehicle after arriving at the agency's office in the nearby city of Gwacheon. Following the questioning, Yoon was expected to be sent to a detention centre in Uiwang, near Seoul.
What's next?
Yoon could be held in custody for weeks.
The anti-corruption agency, which is leading a joint investigation with the police and the military over whether Yoon's martial law declaration amounted to an attempted rebellion, has 48 hours to request a court order for a formal arrest on a charge of attempting a rebellion, and if it fails to do so, Yoon will be released. If Yoon is formally arrested, investigators can extend his detention to 20 days before transferring the case to public prosecutors for indictment.
Yoon's presidential powers were suspended when parliament impeached him on Dec. 14. The impeachment case now rests with the Constitutional Court, which could formally remove Yoon from office or reject the case and reinstate him.
The scene at the compound
As they began the detention operation in the early morning, the anti-corruption investigators and police officers engaged in an hourslong standoff at the compound's gate with presidential security forces but otherwise encountered no meaningful resistance.
Some police officers used ladders to climb over rows of buses placed by the presidential security service near the compound's entrance, and then the investigators began moving up the hilly compound.
The investigators and police later arrived in front of a metal gate with a gold presidential mark that's near Yoon's residential building. Some officers were seen entering a security door on the side of the metal gate, joined by one of Yoon's lawyers and his chief of staff. The presidential security service later removed a bus and other vehicles that had been parked tightly inside the gate as a barricade.
Despite a court warrant for Yoon's detention, the presidential security service had insisted it's obligated to protect the impeached president and fortified the compound with barbed wire and rows of buses blocking paths.
The preparations and the concerns
South Korea's acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, issued a statement early Wednesday urging law enforcement and the presidential security service to ensure there are no “physical clashes.”
Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which drove the legislative campaign that led to Yoon's impeachment on Dec. 14, said Yoon's detention is the “first step toward restoring constitutional order, democracy, and realizing the rule of law.”
As investigators moved up the hillside compound, lawmakers from Yoon's People Power Party held a rally in nearby streets, decrying the efforts to detain him as unlawful.
The National Police Agency met with field commanders in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province in recent days to plan their detainment efforts, and the size of those forces fueled speculation that more than a thousand officers could be deployed. The agency and police had openly warned that presidential bodyguards obstructing the execution of the warrant could be arrested.
Yoon's lawyers have claimed that the detainment warrant issued by the Seoul Western District Court was invalid. They cited a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge — which would be Yoon. They also claimed that the anti-corruption agency had no legal authority to investigate rebellion allegations.
“I am truly appalled to see illegalities upon illegalities upon illegalities being carried out and procedures being forcefully conducted under an invalid warrant,” Yoon said in the video released before his detention. “I do not acknowledge the investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials. As the president, who is responsible for upholding the constitution and legal system of the Republic of Korea, my decision to comply with such illegal and invalid procedures is not an acknowledgment of them, but rather a willingness to prevent unfortunate and bloody incidents.”
Yoon's supporters and critics have held competing protests near the residence — one side vowing to protect him, the other calling for his imprisonment — while thousands of police officers in yellow jackets closely monitored the tense situation.
What led to this
Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops around the National Assembly on Dec. 3. It lasted only hours before lawmakers managed to get through the blockade and vote to lift the measure. The opposition-led assembly voted to impeach him on rebellion charges Dec. 14.
The Constitutional Court held its first formal hearing in the impeachment case on Tuesday, but the session lasted less than five minutes because Yoon refused to attend. The next hearing is set for Thursday, and the court will then proceed with the trial whether or not Yoon is there.
