Sep 1: Royal Challengers Bangalore has named Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa as a replacement for his compatriot Kane Richardson, who pulled out of the IPL starting September 19 in the UAE.


Richardson opted out of the tournament to be with his wife for the birth of his first child.

"We're thrilled to welcome Adam Zampa in RCB colours. He replaces Kane Richardson. Let's #PlayBold Adam Zampa." RCB tweeted on Monday night.

"The RCB family is excited for Kane and his wife who are expecting the birth of their first child and respect his decision to pull out of the tournament," it added.

Zampa joins the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Moeen Ali and Pawan Negi, strengthening the team's spin attack.

"We are disappointed to not have Kane's skills with us this IPL, as he was certainly on top of his game," RCB team director Mike Hesson said.

"However, once we found out Kane and Nyki's baby was due during the IPL, it's an exciting time, and we were fully supportive of Kane wanting to be at the birth of their first child.

Hesson felt Zampa also gives the side "extra options if conditions suit spin as expected during the tournament."

This will be Zampa's second stint in the IPL as he earlier played for the Rising Pune Supergiant.

The 28-year-old went unsold at the auction last year while Richardson was bought for Rs 4 crore by RCB.

Both Richardson and Zampa are currently in England as part of Australia's squad for the white-ball tour.

The two teams are slated to play three T20Is and as many ODIs between September 4-16.

The 13th edition of IPL was shifted out of India due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Mainpuri/Muzaffarnagar/Deoria (UP) (PTI): Seven people were killed and three others injured in separate road accidents in Mainpuri, Muzaffarnagar and Deoria districts of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Wednesday.

All incidents took place on Tuesday night.

In Mainpuri, three persons, including a couple, were killed near the Shitala Devi Temple on Devi Road under Kotwali police circle when a pickup vehicle hit a motorcycle head-on, Superintendent of Police Ganesh Saha said.

The victims, Dharmendra Singh (50), his wife Baby (48), both residents of Ferozabad, and Sanjay Singh (40) of Tavepur village, were on the two-wheeler and were on their way to attend the cremation of a relative when the incident took place.

According to police, the pickup and a Wagon R car were attempting to overtake each other when the former went out of control and rammed into the motorcycle, killing all three riders on the spot. Police rushed to the scene and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination, Saha added.

In Muzaffarnagar's Charthawal town, a 30-year-old woman, identified as Imrana, was killed while another woman was injured after a speeding car hit them on Rajbaha Road.

Circle Officer Ravishankar said the victims were walking when the car struck them, throwing Imrana into a canal. She was declared dead by the doctors.

Following the incident, villagers staged a protest demanding action against the driver, who fled the spot without the vehicle. Police said efforts are underway to trace and arrest the accused.

In another incident in Deoria district, three persons were killed, and two others seriously injured when a car crashed into a tree in the Baghochghat area late Tuesday night, police said.

The accident occurred near Haji Market when a Bihar-registered Swift car coming from Pakaha went out of control and rammed into a roadside tree, leaving the vehicle badly mangled.

Police said five people were travelling in the car. Three of them died on the spot, while two injured persons were admitted to Maharshi Devaraha Baba Medical College in Deoria.

The deceased have been identified as Karan Kushwaha, a resident of Gopalganj district in Bihar, and Pintu Kumar of Dulharpur village under Phulwaria police station. The identity of the third deceased is yet to be established.

The injured have been identified as Govind Kushwaha (18) of Sisai village in Kushinagar and Bhola Srivastava alias Sonu (22). Police said the occupants had visited a relative's place in Kushinagar and were returning after attending a wedding function when the accident occurred.

Station House Officer Anil Tiwari said police had to use a gas cutter to rescue the victims trapped inside the vehicle.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and further legal proceedings are underway, he added.