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From Satchit Bhogle, India

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013

What the IPL has done is give us more choice in our loyalties© Associated Press
So, the IPL rolls on again, ready, as every year, to be hailed and derided in equal measure. I must confess I am a huge fan of the IPL for creating a league system where we are given the freedom to choose the team we support based on the style of cricket we enjoy, and am quite surprised to see so many condemning it with such alarming ferocity.I find little reason to denounce either the IPL or the people involved in it. What the IPL has done is give us more choice in our loyalties. Earlier, there was only India, and though I am young, and have seen strong Indian sides play, for decades on end, India dragged its feet through one loss after another, and cricket fans in India had to support them with pessimism and reluctance.Now, we have eight teams (soon to be ten) and one has a range of teams to pick from, to pin one’s loyalties to. Unlike in the past, we can pick teams we can identify with, whose style of cricket we enjoy (and to be sure, in two short years, each of the eight teams has evolved its distinct identity), and not face the guilt of betraying one’s country.Of course, people from Mumbai are more likely to support their home team, as I do, but they suffer no censure for supporting Bangalore (some mock supporters of Kolkata for being in either the “Dada cult” or the “Shah Rukh cult”).The IPL also provides an invaluable platform for youngsters to showcase their talent. Earlier, players would scratch away in second-tier Ranji teams, ignored by even the proverbial three men and a dog (and most importantly, the selectors, who would sit with a languorous eye hovering between Mumbai and Delhi), in the hopes of being a part of the lucky eleven to live a comfortable life playing the game they love.It was harder than any competitive exam [11 “seats” for more than a million aspirants? Can the Indian Institute of Technology entrance exam even compare?], and yet we now begrudge these players for receiving “obscene” sums of money, now that their value has been recognised. It is a trifling sum compared to the salaries of film stars and bigshot corporate honchos, and yet no one criticises them on such a regular basis.The truth is, we are overwhelmed by our desire for wealth and fame, and so despise anyone achieving them, like the proverbial crabs in a bucket. Desire resides in every breast, yet, hypocritically, its acknowledgment is taboo. Let he who sinneth most cast the first stone. Thus, in our frenzy to denounce, we heap abuse on players and commentators, on those who believe what they are saying and on those who don’t indiscriminately.The commentator too is possessed by desire; two desires, in fact. One is the desire for purity, the other for the assurance of his job, and different commentators possess these in different measure. Thus, each tries to circumvent the system; avoid saying cringe-worthy terms like “DLF Maximum” and “Citi Moment of Success”, while resigned in the knowledge that he has to, sooner or later. Don’t we all make small allowances in our jobs for tasks we find distasteful?As an aside, I don’t know how much this branding of cricket terms is actually benefiting companies; there exists such a vehement and unanimous dislike for it that I imagine it can do only harm to their public perception. Or is there no such thing as bad publicity? We all hate this commercialisation of cricket, to lesser or greater degree, but it is not a perfect world. One wishes one could do away with ads constantly blaring at us, but we cannot, and without the ads, cricket cannot run at the high standards we have come to expect from it.For a cricket tournament to be successful, it has to be popular and reach out to a wide audience. But, a TV channel will not feature it unless it is popular, or has potential, and it will not be popular unless it is broadcast and promoted well. This is a vicious cycle, and can only be broken with money being produced by one or the other side. We, as viewers, are not loth to part with our money if we are receiving quality entertainment, but this entertainment’s quality is supported by its sponsorship by XYZ. As long as certain basics are maintained, like not sacrificing the precious first ball of an over on the altar of the commercial break, commercialisation can be tolerated.

Varun Aaron may have had a tough first day of Test cricket, but his pace and other attributes could serve him well in more helpful conditions

S Aga22-Nov-2011 Varun Aaron has been recognised for his sheer pace, something he accepts as a “compliment”. In his first day of Test cricket, one of the fastest bowlers in India called it a tough day at the office, stopping short of saying that the Wankhede pitch was not as seamer-friendly as predicted.Aaron had replaced Umesh Yadav, the highest wicket-taker in Kolkata Test in the second Test that helped India seal the series. At the outset of that match, Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of selectors, indicated that if India won the series at Eden Gardens they could think of blooding new faces like Aaron.Aaron was already a familiar face in the Indian dressing room, having toured with the ODI squad in England. He had worked with the Indian bowling coach Eric Simons, who is part of the Delhi Daredevils coaching staff, the IPL team Aaron represents. Incidentally, Aaron made his ODI debut at the Wankhede last month against England and impressed with three wickets.By his own admission, Aaron was a little anxious to begin with today. Adrian Barath crashed Aaron’s second delivery to the cover boundary. Over the rest of the day, across four spells with the old and new balls, Aaron toiled hard to make an impression. Did he make one?If you measured in terms of wickets, his slate today was clean. Was there a striking image of an aggressive fast bowler who rattled the batsmen? No. Apart from a few deliveries, bowled intermittently, Aaron did not actually create a feeling of awe.
Still, there is something about Aaron, a lean, muscular man of 22, who looks a shade of the young Malcolm Marshall, although his favourite bowler is Andy Roberts, in his unkempt cropping of facial hair that just about passes off as a beard. And just like those Caribbean legends, Aaron can bowl 140-plus kph consistently.A month ago, he cleaned up the England tail in an ODI to restrict the visitors to a small total. In the longer form, it is all about endurance. The challenge for the fast bowlers on both sides in this series has been the slowness and the flatness of the pitches. No fast bowler, except Yadav, has found it easy to get an upperhand on the batsmen.Today was no different. The pitch had good bounce, yet it was pretty slow as Aaron’s first delivery, 135kph, failed to carry to MS Dhoni. The slowness only allowed the Windies top order to play their strokes at leisure. Barath even charged Aaron a few times, comfortable in his mind about the ball not breaching his defence. Yet, India’s new-ball pair, used the crease and managed to create some movement.With Aaron’s ability to bowl at peak speeds, reverse swing could have been handy weapon. But according to Aaron, the pitch is yet to break, thereby not allowing the ball to be roughed up – essential to create the drag responsible for reverse swing. The lack of breeze and the disappearance of moisture early on in the morning meant that both Ishant Sharma and Aaron could not induce any swing.These are the impediments bowlers in India have been forced to deal with. It is especially demanding on the likes of Ishant, Yadav and Aaron, who are at various stages of graduation in international cricket. Aaron and Yadav are clearly far from being finished products. Aaron struggled today when he slipped the new ball a few times down the leg side in addition to bowling innocuous deliveries angled away from the right-handers.”The first ball got out of shape and it was not really good,” Aaron said of his first spell in Test cricket. “It (the first ball) was just coming on to the bat really easily.” The lack of swing only added to his woes. “May be the odd ball would get beaten but it would not happen regularly,” Aaron said, sounding helpless.It is too early to judge or write off Aaron. India’s fast bowling roster is no enviable bunch like in the case of England, South Africa and even Australia. Yet, steadily with the emergence of Yadav and Aaron along with Ishant, there is promise. Put them alongside the experienced Zaheer Khan, and the cunning Praveen Kumar, the Indian bowling looks enterprising.For the moment Aaron is not bothered about what is to come. Asked about the one thing he took away from the first day in Test cricket, Aaron replied: “Work really hard in Test cricket and each spell has to be at the same intensity.”

Cricinfo got a ticket to find out what sort of buzz the IPL generated

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan19-Apr-2008

Anticipatory buzz: The Anil Kumble circle outside the ground was the beehive of most of the buzz. It became tough to navigate through the area at noon and by 5pm, Queens Road was partly blocked. It was obvious the numbers would match any one-dayer though it
was also evident that there wasn’t going to be too much of a partisan element to the cheering.Twelve years ago few Bangaloreans would have even imagined a day which could rival the excitement that surrounded the India-Pakistan World Cup clash but the response here was threatening to approach it. Not many had their faces painted, fewer carried the tri-colour. Signs
showing fours and sixes, though, were generously distributed.Entry time: It’s usually not too much of a hassle entering the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The queues are well set out and very few security men rough you up. Mobile phones aren’t a problem and the frisking is usually nothing more than a quick run-through. What all this means is
that the smart ones can sneak their cigarettes in.Exit time: A no-contest meant people gradually trickled out of the stadium, reducing traffic hassles. Less than half the crowd was left at the end of the match and it meant a far smoother flow of people. There was parking available right next to the stadium at Cubbon Park and the road connecting the two was turned in to a pedestrian one for the night. A few corporates had arranged buses for their employees but there was no arrangement by the organisers as such (something they could probably think of with 11pm finishes.)What the fans got: Vijay Mallya might have been gutted with the show his side put up but the alcohol sales would have brought a big smile. The sale of liquor – mostly around the corporate boxes – was something regular cricket fans were not used to and the scenes there appeared out of an American sports movie.It was difficult to get water but the beer flowed at a McCullum-esque rate in the more expensive stands. The security personnel around these stands had it good and were often seen stationed right next to the liquor booths with glasses in hand. Priced reasonably, it was set out in stalls, along with wine and vodka, behind the stands, though it required some to walk some distance before they could get back to their seats. The best part was the clear signboards at every corner. A hot day ensured plenty of sales and also had the spectators heading to the restrooms. Though they seemed to have been set up in haste, the restrooms were occasionally inadequate but largely useable. The women’s sections were relatively cleaner and had large mirrors placed in them as well. A scuffle broke out in one of the stands and more of those could see the alcohol sales being more closely monitored.The higher-priced tickets had food included in their charge and spectators were able to enjoy a good quality buffet-style dinner. The caterers started serving food – which included three types of rice, roti, vegetable and chicken curries and kebabs – during the first innings, which somewhat lessened the rush at the break, and most spectators returned to their seats to cheer for their side while shovelling into their stomachs.Atmosphere: Bangaloreans used to the slew of rock concerts
would have hoped for a better sound system but the intensity levels
matched the big nights at Palace Grounds, where the bands play.
Bollywood numbers blared out frequently but the crowd really got going
with a few Kannada songs that played later in the day (interestingly
coinciding with the home team’s dismal show). The quality of fireworks
– dazzling the audience for more than five minutes – matched the ones
that light up the Sydney skyline on New Year’s day and the lighting
sat well with the grand scale of the event.Crowd support: European football teams talk of the distinct
edge they get in home games (with the crowd acting as the extra
player) but it will take a while for these teams to develop such a
following. Only once, when Sunil Joshi came on to bowl, did the crowd
actually egg him along fervently on a night when the home side weren’t
really distinguishable from the visitors.

McCullum’s sixes were applauded (much more than they would have been
if New Zealand were playing India) and Sourav Ganguly received big
cheers after his wickets. So cosmopolitan is Bangalore’s crowd that
visiting teams are bound to find pockets of support every time and
nothing symbolised it more than a group of fans who took their shirts
off and swirled it above their heads the moment Ganguly was on strike.No dull moment: Unlike in a Test match, though, the spectators
had plenty of chance to get involved. Every good move by the Bangalore
side was followed by the Redskin girls twirling their hips (and
pom-poms). It took a while for them to realise when to cheer (the
spontaneity came only towards the end) and it was hilarious to see
them jiving to Kannada numbers. The crowd, though, swung with them all
night. The girls cheering the Kolkata side had much more work on the
night (McCullum ensured that with 13 sixes and 10 fours) and
some even got the fans to synchronise with their movements.Score? What score? Somebody needs to ferret out the digital
scoreboard that’s usually installed at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The
manual scoreboard was hardly visible and the giant screen stopped
working mid-way through the second innings. This was hardly a match
when the scores needed to be closely monitored but come a nail-biter
and the crowd may just be a bit confused.

Kings are better placed, but neither team can afford more slip-ups if they want to stay afloat

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2023Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals have no option but to win each of their last three games to finish on 14 points, and then hope that several other results fall in place for them to qualify. One way for that to happen is if Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians win most of their games, leaving the other teams on 12 or 13 points. Then Capitals can qualify even without net run-rate coming into play.However, a defeat on Saturday will eliminate them from the tournament.Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings have one extra win compared to Capitals in as many games. That means they can still go up to 16 points, which could be enough for direct qualification without getting caught up in NRR complications. However, depending on how other results go, they could miss out despite getting to 16.If they lose to Capitals, Kings will have to win their last two, finish on 14, and then hope that several other results go their way to help them qualify. That could happen if Titans and Super Kings win most of their matches, leaving other teams on 14 to battle it out for two spots. That means Kings will have to focus on their victory margins as well, given they currently have a very negative NRR.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians derrotou o Botafogo-SP por 4 a 1 nesta quarta-feira (14), fora de casa, pela oitava rodada do Campeonato Paulista. Os gols do Timão foram marcados por Romero (2x), Wesley e Yuri Alberto. Leandro Maciel, aos 40 minutos da primeira etapa, anotou para os mandantes.

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Apesar da vitória, os comandados de António Oliveira permanecem na última posição do grupo C, com nove pontos conquistados. O Botafogo-SP, por sua vez, estacionou nos oito pontos e está na lanterna do grupo D.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

O primeiro tempo foi marcado por muita disputa e pouco futebol. Jogando fora de casa, o Corinthians teve um pênalti marcado a seu favor nos primeiros minutos de partida. Maycon, responsável pela cobrança, parou em João Carlos. No rebote, Romero aproveitou vacilo da zaga para marcar de cabeça. Em desvantagem, os mandantes igualaram o placar com Leandro Maciel.

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O segundo tempo foi de domínio do Timão, que marcou três vezes. Romero, de cabeça, Wesley e Yuri Alberto, nos minutos finais, foram às redes pela equipe do Parque São Jorge.

➡️O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

Na próxima rodada, o Corinthians encara o Palmeiras, fora de casa, no domingo (18), às 18h (de Brasília), pela nona rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

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✅ BOTAFOGO-SP 1 X 4 CORINTHIANS
Campeonato Paulista – Primeira fase – Oitava rodada

Data e horário:Quarta-feira, 14 de fevereiro de 2024, às 21h35 (de Brasília)
Local:Estádio Santa Cruz, em Ribeirão Preto (SP)
Árbitro: Fabiano Monteiro dos Santos
Assistentes: Anderson José de Moraes Coelho e Evandro de Melo Lima
Cartões amarelos:Wallison e Pedro Rodrigues (Botafogo-SP); Caetano e Wesley (Corinthians)
Cartões vermelhos:-

⚽ ESCALAÇÕES

BOTAFOGO-SP
João Carlos; Lucas Dias, Bernardo e Wallison; Matheus Barbosa, Negueba, Maciel e Jean; Baggio, Patrick e Jonas. Técnico: Paulo Gomes.

CORINTHIANS
Cássio; Léo Mana, Félix Torres, Gustavo Henrique e Caetano; Raniele, Maycon e Garro; Ángel Romero, Wesley e Yuri Alberto. Técnico: António Oliveira.

Tudo sobre

Campeonato PaulistaCorinthiansFutebol Nacional

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted there is a chance they will not be able to register their new signings ahead of their La Liga opener.

Laporta admits Rashford's registration not guaranteedBarca have resolved issue with Ter StegenPresident not concerned despite lingering uncertaintyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Barcelona president has expressed concern that new signing Rashford may not be registered in time for the club's La Liga season opener against Mallorca. Speaking to , Laporta was optimistic about the registration process but acknowledged there is an element of doubt. Laporta confirmed that goalkeeper Joan Garcia can now be registered following a resolution in the standoff with Marc-Andre ter Stegen over his injury status, but he admitted that there may be issues for the other players still to be added.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The registration issues stem from La Liga's Financial Fair Play rules, which have been a recurring challenge for the Catalan club. The club need to generate salary space to register new signings and renewed players. A key step in this process was the resolution of the drama surrounding Ter Stegen, whose back injury and refusal to certify a long-term absence had complicated the registration of his new goalkeeping teammate, Garcia. Ter Stegen's recent decision to sign a medical document has cleared the way for Garcia.

Barcelona have a deadline of the end of August to register all their players for the new season, meaning that even if Manchester United loanee Rashford cannot play this weekend, he could be added to the squad later.

WHAT LAPORTA SAID

On player registrations, Laporta said: ""We're working to make it happen. With Marc's decision, we have the option of registering Joan Garcia, and we're working on the rest. This week we'll have news, hopefully good news, to see if we can register them before La Liga starts. And if we can't, we have time.”

He also praised the German goalkeeper, saying: “We're looking forward. Marc is our captain, I think he's been excellent. What was left has been resolved. He said some sincere words, I think, and I think the fans needed this, to see the captain leading the way. He's been with Barca for 12 seasons, won a Champions League, and besides being an excellent goalkeeper, he's an excellent person, and I'm especially happy that he's the captain.”

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Barcelona will begin their La Liga campaign on August 16 with an away fixture against Mallorca. They are working to finalise the registrations of Rashford and other players before the deadline. The resolution of the Ter Stegen saga and the ability to register new players will provide a much-needed boost as the team aims to build on their previous season's success.

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O último sábado ficou marcado na história do Olivinha. O ala-pivô completou 500 jogos pelo Flamengono NBB e fez questão de se declarar ao clube após alcançar esta marca histórica.

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+Veja as chuteiras que 20 craques vão usar na Copa do Mundo 2022

– Esse jogo 500 foi como se fosse o jogo número um. A vontade, a disposição e a raça que coloco dentro de quadra são as mesmas. Venho todos os dias aqui pensando que é o meu primeiro jogo pelo Flamengo, que eu tenho uma torcida que está me apoiando do início ao final do jogo. Eu tento representar eles da melhor maneira possível, e hoje foi mais um jogo que deu tudo certo para gente. Saímos daqui com a vitória e eu pude ter alguns lances dos que eu mais gosto de fazer dentro da quadra, que é tentar salvar as bolas quase que impossíveis – declarou Olivinha, após Flamengo vencer o Caxias por 80 a 69 no Maracanãzinho:

+Gabigol diz que zagueiro do Flamengo é o mais difícil que já enfrentou: ‘Muito bom’

– Eu estou ficando velho para caramba já. Mas, para mim, foi bastante especial, sem dúvida nenhuma, esse jogo 500. Principalmente, por ser com a camisa do Flamengo, que é o clube do meu coração. Já falei isso para todo mundo e vou repetir isso sempre pela história que eu venho construindo aqui. Poder realizar o jogo 500 dentro da minha casa, na frente da torcida e sair daqui com uma vitória foi bastante especial. Fui homenageado com uma camisa número 500, grande, que eu vou ter que arrumar um espaço dentro de casa – completou.

Por conta da marca histórica, o jogador vem recebendo diversas homenagens nas redes sociais. Pelo Flamengo, Olivinha é bicampeão Mundial, bicampeão da América, hexacampeão do NBB, bicampeão do Super 8 e decacampeão estadual.

5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ vezes Olivinha 🏀

A personificação do que é ser Flamengo em quadra. O Deus da Raça é o jogador que mais atuou na história do NBB. Ídolo maior do #FlaBasquete, é símbolo de energia, vibração e suor. É um prazer inenarrável te ver com o Manto Sagrado, craque! pic.twitter.com/gIfcLeKlua

— Time Flamengo (@TimeFlamengo) November 19, 2022

Como have announced the signing of Nicolas Kuhn from Scottish club Celtic after a standout 2024-25 season under head coach Brendan Rodgers.

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Nicolas Kuhn joins Como on a four-year dealGerman winger was signed after his impressive spell with CelticCesc Fabregas delighted with Como's latest signingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Como released an official statement confirming the signing of the 25-year-old winger from Celtic. Fabregas was delighted with the signing as the winger brings creativity and intensity – just what the Spaniard was looking for to bolster his squad for the upcoming season. Kuhn expressed that he is excited to be at Como and can't wait to hit the ground.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Kuhn was scouted by Como after his exceptional performance in Scotland where he scored 21 goals and provided 15 assists in 51 games, helping the club clinch all the domestic accolades. The German winger has been reportedly signed for €20 million, which is an exceptional deal for the Scottish club, who signed him for €4m last year.

WHAT FABREGAS SAID

Speaking to the club's official media, Como's head coach said: "Nico is sharp, technical, and understands space really well. He brings creativity and intensity—qualities that fit exactly how we want to play. He’ll give us something different in Serie A."

Kuhn, who is excited to move to Italy, said: "I’m really excited to be here. I had a long chat with the coach and I can’t wait to get out on the pitch, familiarise myself with the stadium and play in front of our fans. The decision was easy: the project is ambitious, and I want to be part of it, doing my best to help the team grow and achieve increasingly important goals. The city is beautiful — a real film set! I’m happy to start this new adventure in such a beautiful place."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR COMO?

Como's transfer activity has been exceptional in this summer window. The Italian club were able to retain their most prized asset, Nico Paz, who is said to snub a move to Real Madrid should the opportunity arise. The signing of Jesus Rodriguez and Jayden Addai from Real Betis and AZ further showcases the club's seriousness to compete on a higher level.

The Italian club are set to face Lille in a pre-season friendly on 18 July.

Seamers share nine wickets but wet weather and bad light hold up victory push

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2023Durham need 10 wickets on the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash against Leicestershire to wrap up their Division Two title-winning season with a victory at Seat Unique Riverside.The hosts were frustrated by a wet outfield and bad light in their bid to clinch their seventh win of the season within three days. Play eventually got underway after lunch in the afternoon, where Durham managed to claim the remaining four wickets of the Leicestershire first innings for 143 as Ben Raine finished with season-best figures of 5 for 51 and Vishwa Fernando 4 for 40.Durham enforced the follow-on with a huge lead of 314 runs, but overcast conditions worsened in Chester-le-Street to prevent the hosts from inflicting further damage on the visitors as only 22.4 overs were possible on day three.After day two of the contest was halted prematurely due to heavy rain, play on day three was delayed due to a wet outfield, prompting an early lunch. The action resumed at 1.30 pm with the visitors on 96 for 6 and Ben Cox and Tom Scriven at the crease, only for another stoppage for bad light to halt proceedings after four overs.On their return to the field, Raine struck with his second ball pinning Scriven lbw for 11 to claim his first five-wicket haul of the season.Durham continued to capitalise on advantageous bowling conditions when Matthew Potts, substituted into the side for Paul Coughlin following the culmination of England’s ODI series against Ireland, bowled Chris Wright with a delivery that kept low.Will Davis went down swinging against the Division Two champions. He scored three boundaries in a row from one Jonathan Bushnell over, including a six over long-on, before he tried one blow too many and missed a straight one from Fernando that cannoned off his back leg.The left-arm seamer wrapped up the innings with his fourth wicket removing Josh Hull, dismissing the visitors for 143 with a deficit of 314.Durham skipper Scott Borthwick enforced the follow-on, but his side’s attempts to make inroads into the Leicestershire second innings were blighted by bad light. The umpires eventually called time with Leicestershire 13 without loss, although they still trail the hosts by 301 in their bid to avoid an innings defeat on the final day of the campaign.

Oval Invincibles captain Dane van Niekerk has been ruled out of the remainder of the Women’s Hundred with a fracture on her right thumb.She suffered the injury during Invincibles’ win over Manchester Originals and scans revealed an intra-articular fracture that will require surgery, Invincibles said in a statement.New Zealand’s Suzie Bates will take over captaincy in van Niekerk’s absence. Invincibles are expected to announce a replacement player soon.”I’m very sad to be ruled out of the tournament,” Van Niekerk said in a statement. “I felt like I was hitting my stride in the game against the the Originals so to get injured in the same match is incredibly frustrating.”Van Niekerk will stay with the team for the competition. “I’ll stay with the group to offer Suzie and the team all the support I can,” she said. “I am very grateful to everyone that offered me their kind wishes after I missed the Superchargers game – it means a great amount.”Van Niekerk played two matches, scoring 2 against Welsh Fire before hitting 42 off 23 against the Originals. She then missed the game against Northern Superchargers with injury.With just one win in four matches, out of which one was abandoned due to rain, the Invincibles, who have won both the previous editions of the Women’s Hundred, are currently sixth on the points table.Bates deputised as Invincibles captain four times last season, when van Niekerk was left out of the side. Under previous regulations, teams were permitted four overseas players in their squad and three in the XI, and van Niekerk was omitted in four group games as a result.