BCCI

The second leg of IPL 2021 resumes in the UAE on Sunday. Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has become the most extravagant T20 league in the world. But the women's version of the league has been confined to three editions of an exhibition tournament named "Women's T20 Challenge" since 2018. This year's edition has been postponed due to Covid-19 with no decision on re-scheduled dates.

The legendary spinner might not accept the offer. And the post may go to either VVS Laxman or some foreign recruit. Two days after Indian skipper Virat Kohli announced he will step down from T20 captaincy duty after the ICC T20 World Cup, a major reshuffle in the upper echelons of Team India management seems imminent.

He went on to say that "India did not respect this series and they did not respect Test cricket either in flouting Covid guidelines ahead of the fourth Test". India's assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the series-decider sending tremors down the Indian dressing room and ultimately leading to the cancellation of the match.

To date, no exact details of the series or the final Test have been given either by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) or the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). However, there is a lot of speculation since then. And the latest one is that the ECB has now written to the world cricket governing body, ICC, to decide the fate of the cancelled fifth Test at Old Trafford; further indicating that the two cricket boards are far from settling the issue.

India lead the series 2-1 after four Tests. "In lieu of the strong relationship between BCCI and ECB, the BCCI has offered to ECB a rescheduling of the cancelled Test match. Both the Boards will work towards finding a window to reschedule this Test match," said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a statement. The BCCI along with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had earlier jointly decided to call off the fifth Test scheduled at Old Trafford in Manchester.

The development comes on the back of intense discussions between the Indian cricket board (BCCI) and the ECB after India's assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar returned a positive Covid-19 test on Thursday. It is also learnt that more than one India player had expressed concerns about taking the field in talks between the BCCI and the team management over the last two days.

Quoting a report, cricketaddictor.com said on Thursday that, "Team India skipper Virat Kohli might have his captaincy on the line when he leads the Indian team in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Kohli has come under the scanner multiple times of late, particularly regarding his failure to win an ICC event despite having a strong squad."

This comes days after members of the coaching staff -- head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar -- had tested positive for Covid-19 and were sent into isolation. "The ECB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are involved in a meeting at the moment," confirmed a BCCI source to IANS on Thursday evening, the eve of the Test.

Dhoni will work closely with India team head coach Ravi Shastri during the competition, said Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah during the announcement of the India squad in a press conference. Off-spinner R Ashwin makes a return to India team in white-ball cricket after four years. The main squad comprises 15 members while there are three standbyes.

"Covid-19 is something that can happen to anyone. Besides, the United Kingdom government has removed restrictions and opened movement. So, people are allowed to move freely," said a top Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official to IANS. The trio will miss attending the fifth and final Test to be played at Old Trafford, Manchester from September 10-14.