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The retention lists of all ten franchises for the <keyword id="6354831" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League" source="Orion">Indian Premier League</keyword> (<keyword id="6354312" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="IPL" source="Orion">IPL</keyword>) season next year were finally unveiled on Thursday, with several big names like Jos Buttler, Aiden Markram, Glenn Maxwell, Faf Du Plessis, KL Rahul, Rishabh <keyword id="19900230" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pant" source="keywords">Pant</keyword>, <keyword id="19904097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shreyas-iyer" source="keywords">Shreyas Iyer</keyword> etc being let go by their respective franchises. The surprising retentions and releases by all ten franchises have laid down the foundation for what could be an exciting, fun and record-breaking auction later this year. Let us look at several takeways from the auction: <h2>Several captaincy options available</h2> With the release of IPL winning skipper Shreyas Iyer from Kolkata Knight Riders (<keyword id="19924483" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kkr" source="keywords">KKR</keyword>), Rishabh Pant from Delhi Capitals (DC) and KL Rahul from Lucknow Super Giants, three top-class Indian captaincy options are available. <h2>Auction could be defined by wicketkeepers pulling double/triple duties</h2>The announcement of retention lists have seen many wicketkeeping options being released by their respective franchises, including Pant (from DC), KL (from LSG), Ishan Kishan (from Mumbai Indians) and Jos Buttler (from Rajasthan Royals). With all of them having captaincy experience at various levels, including international <keyword id="1521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cricket" source="Orion">cricket</keyword> in case of Pant, KL and Buttler, several teams could go after them. Their experience and strong records as wicketkeepers and top-order batters, particularly opening except for Pant, will help teams find a captain, wicketkeeper and an opener in just one player and save them plenty of money. <h2>No English players retained? Could withdrawing/not playing full season be a cause?</h2> No England players have been retained by franchises this team around. Various stars players like Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Harry Brook, Phil Salt, Will Jacks etc have been let go. These players missed out some part of their season due to international commitments, while Harry Brook pulled out due to personal reasons. England batter Jason Roy pulled out of IPL ahead of this season due to personal reasons. These all developments damaged the team balance at times, with several teams dependent on their overseas talent. Has the habit of not honouring contracts and missing matches caused this move? The hammer strikes at auction could answer this question. <h2>Caribbean power trusted ahead of mega auction</h2>Four of current top West Indies stars, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre <keyword id="20287010" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="russell" source="keywords">Russell</keyword> and Sunil Narine have been retained by their respective franchises. Pooran has dominated the T20 run charts this year, scoring a record-setting 2,251 runs in 68 matches with a century and 15 fifties at a strike rate of 160.90. Hetmyer is one of the best finishers in T20 circuit and Rajasthan Royals trusts in his abilities. Russell (222 runs in nine matches and 19 wickets) and Narine (488 runs and 17 wickets) have also been reaped rewards for their title winning performances last season and their loyalty to KKR brand. While seven West Indies talents have been released, namely, Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford, Kyle Mayers, Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph and Rovman Powell, the four modern-day T20 greats keeping their spots safe with the franchise shows how much trust franchise has in Caribbean power. And who knows, the released names could get brought using right-to-match card or find a new home at a higher price. <h2>Another setback for Ishan Kishan?</h2> Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) placed their trust in Indian core, consisting of skipper Hardik Pandya, former captain Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, 360-degree hitter Suryakumar Yadav and young left-hander Tilak Varma. It was expected that Ishan could retain his place, given his youth and experience with the franchise. Aged just 26, he had spent seven seasons with the franchise and did reasonably well. However, after being brought for Rs 15.25 crores ahead of 2022 season, the price tag seemed to have caught up with Kishan. In next 44 matches for the franchise till the 2024-season-end, Kishan scored 1,192 runs in 43 innings at an average of 28.98, with just seven fifties. While these numbers are not bad, it could be debatable that he did not deliver as per expectations, with 19 scores being below 20. In the 2024 season, he could score just 320 runs at an average of just over 22, with just a fifty to his name. After being excluded from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) central contract this year after not participating for red-ball cricket, this is another big setback for Kishan, who has not been considered for international cricket despite participating and doing well in red-ball tournaments like Buchi Babu Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy recently. <h2>DC era 2.0 on cards?</h2> With wicketkeeper-batter and biggest superstar of the franchise, Pant released from the franchise and looking for a new franchise as per several media reports, Delhi Capitals could be moving to their 2.0 era, placing trust in young, under-the radar names like Axar Patel (235 runs with two fifties and 11 wickets in 2024), Tristan Stubbs (378 runs with three fifties and three wickets), Abhishek Porel (327 runs with two fifties) and Kuldeep Yadav (16 wickets at an average of 23.25) after good performances last year. Franchise has also released big time stars like David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Anrich Nortje, Prithvi Shaw. Could this be the start of a new era for DC? Only time will tell. <h2>Shreyas Iyer joins unfortunate list of captains</h2>The IPL winning captain Shreyas Iyer has been let go after winning the title for his franchise KKR this year, their first in a decade and overall third. While many argue his batting stats of 351 runs in 14 innings with two fifties at a strike rate of 146.86 could be a reason behind his release, the other half of the story is that the in-form KKR top-order did not leave the middle-order with much to do. His recurring fitness issues, which caused him to miss 2023 season, also could be a reason. Irrespective of what the reason could be, one thing is for sure, Iyer is up there with likes of Adam Gilchrist (released by Deccan Chargers in 2011 after title win in 2009, semifinal finish in 2010), David Warner (released by Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of 2022 season despite 2016 title win and multiple playoff finishes) as one of the most unluckiest captains in IPL. <h2>Strong faith in Indian uncapped/inexperienced stars</h2>The franchises have been extremely bold this time around, opting to release experienced, household Indian/overseas names and placing their trust in several Indian uncapped/inexperienced players. Out of a total of 46 players retained across all franchises, 36 players are Indian. Out of these, 10 players are uncapped Indians stars. These players are Abhishek Porel, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Yash Dayal. Also, out of other 24 capped Indians, 13 players have played less than 30 international matches and eight have played 10 or less international games for India. Of these 24 uncapped players, no one has all format experience for India and only two have Test cricket experience, Dhruv Jurel and <keyword id="20022019" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajat-patidar" source="keywords">Rajat Patidar</keyword>. Notably, it is Jurel, who has just played international matches for India, who has received the biggest pay hike, going from Rs 20 lakh this season to Rs 14 crores next season. <h2>End of 'KGF' era for Royal Challengers Bengaluru?</h2> With stars like Faf and Maxwell released, it could spell the end of 'Kohli, Glenn, Faf' (KGF) era for <keyword id="20282652" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rcb" source="keywords">RCB</keyword>, which lasted from 2022-24. During this phase, they all scored heavily for RCB. Despite a lull in 2022 season, Virat scored 1,721 runs in 45 matches and innings at an average of 44.12, with three centuries and 13 fifties. Skipper Faf also scored 1,636 runs in 45 innings at an average of 38.05, with a strike rate of 146.99 and 15 fifties to his name. Maxwell sits at the third spot with 1,266 runs at an average of 28.77 and a strike rate of over 159, with 12 half-centuries in 50 innings. The only player that came closer to the trio was Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who made 796 runs in 44 matches and 42 innings at an average of 29.48, with three fifties. If RCB had Virat-AB de Villiers-Chris Gayle in 2010s, KGF dominated the RCB batting numbers in 2020s. When RCB starts rebuilding their side from scratch in the auction, they would have a huge task in hand of finding one or two highly popular, capable and consistent foreign stars to help Virat unleash the carnage in a "Play Bold" avatar. Also, with the Rajat Patidar being retained for 11 crores, RCB might have made it clear that he could be the next big Indian batter the franchise invests in. His exceptional spin abilities have made a lot of difference for the side. Ever since he was brought by the franchise in 2021 for Rs 20 lakh, Patidar has played 27 matches, scoring 799 runs at an average of 34.73 with a strike rate of 158.84 and having registered a century and seven fifties. A complete list of retained players is as follows: <ul><li>Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni</li><li>Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel</li><li>Gujarat Titans: Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders: Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni</li><li>Mumbai Indians: Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma</li><li>Punjab Kings: Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh</li><li>Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma</li><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head.</li></ul>

From spotlight on uncapped stars to big releases, a look at key takeways from latest IPL retention lists

<ul><li><keyword id="6422069" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-gaming">Online gaming</keyword> is growing in India by leaps and bounds. The pandemic has given the industry a further boost.</li><li>During the past few months, many homegrown gaming platforms have seen unprecedented growth.</li><li>Founded in 2018, <keyword id="7087972" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mobile-premier-league">Mobile Premier League</keyword> has also witnessed a good growth, with many of its users coming from Tier II and Tier III cities.</li><li><keyword id="6176095" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhishek-Madhavan">Abhishek Madhavan</keyword>, VP, Growth and Marketing, MPL tells us about the platform's journey so far and how its plans to grow its presence further.</li></ul> The online gaming industry in India is booming. Even before the pandemic hit, and people took to online games, the Indian gaming industry was growing at a healthy speed. <keyword id="906162" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="mobile-gaming">Mobile gaming</keyword> in India has been growing at a rapid rate due to development as well as smartphones becoming more affordable. According to Statista, the market value of mobile gaming in India was estimated to reach about $405 million by 2022. The number of mobile phone gamers was anticipated to be around 628 million by 2020 according to the forecast. Another report by investment bank Maple Capital Advisors titled Gaming – India Story stated that by 2024, the overall gaming industry in India is set to be valued at $3,750 million. The lockdown, while hitting most industries hard, has come as a boost for the Indian gaming industry. In the past few months, we have seen people not just take to offline games to spend time with family, a lot of them are enjoying their me-time playing different kinds of online games. Made-in-India games like Ludo King have witnessed an unprecedented growth, not just in India but even outside India. One such gaming platform that has witnessed an unprecedented growth during these last few months is Mobile Premier League (MPL). Not only is MPL sponsoring teams in leagues like IPL, it recently made news when it announced that it will be the presenting sponsor for <keyword id="8654765" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bigg-boss-2020">Bigg Boss 2020</keyword>. The platform is also witnessing a huge demand from smaller cities. Currently, it has over 40 million registered users in India and around 3 million registered users in Indonesia. Having Sequoia, Go Ventures, Times Internet, RTP Global, BeeNext, Venture Highway as its investors, the startup has raised a total of $40.5 million till date. We recently caught up Abhishek Madhavan, VP, Growth and Marketing, MPL to understand the factors that have led to his growth and their plans for the future. Excerpts: Q) The lockdown has come as a blessing in disguise for the gaming industry. What kind of growth has MPL witnessed in the last few months? We witnessed 3-4x overall growth over this period. Number of games played per day for some of our popular titles like WCC increased by 400%. We also saw that new users coming onto our platform played 3-4 different games on average. Q) There has been an overall increase in people taking up gaming from smaller cities. What kind of growth have you witnessed coming in from smaller cities and what are the factors that have accelerated this growth? MPL has always had a substantial presence in Tier II and Tier III cities across the country. A lot of the growth of gaming in smaller cities can be attributed to 4G data and smartphones easily available to more people. We also foresee more growth in this regard as internet and smartphone penetration increases across the country. One of our first digital sports scholars, VS Rathanvel is from Coimbatore and he won the first Chess Mahayudhorganised by MPL in July 2019. The runner-up in the same competition was Ankit Rajpara, who is from Mehsana in Gujarat. Q) What is your revenue model right now? What kind of increase have you seen in in-app purchases in recent months? Are you witnessing people from smaller cities also spend money on gaming? MPL is a gaming platform and we charge a platform fee for paid contests/tournaments. All our games are also available for free. We have seen an increase in our users participating in paid contests and tournaments. Q) How have you been marketing your platform? We just partnered with Kolkata Knight Riders and its sister franchise in the Caribbean- Trinbago Knight Riders - as their principal sponsor. Recently, we even sponsored the Irish Men’s Cricket team for the ODI series against England. These are some of our current marquee brand marketing activities. We also command a good presence in television and digital advertisements and we ensure that the messaging is simple, honest and that it resonates with our audience. Q) Where do you think the next phase of growth for MPL will come from? We are a platform, with a variety of games and content cutting across categories. We will look to add more games from various game developers. Our live-streaming feature for audio and video has also picked up so we are excited about that as well. Q) Where does India rank when it comes to growth in online gaming? Esports has taken off in the country and we have even won a Bronze medal in the Asian Games 2018, where they had esports for the first time. We have a lot of talent in gaming and esports and with the industry becoming mainstream, we can hope to do better on the world stage. Q) What is your vision for MPL? We aim to become a one-stop shop platform for gamers and game developers. We already have 50+ games on our app and have over 15 gaming studios as our developer partners. We want to work with more and more indigenous game developers and give them a platform to showcase their games to our user base. The more the number of quality games, the more our users will have a great experience on the platform.

Mobile Premier League wants to give a boost to indigenous game developers by showcasing their games to its wide set of audience

Bollywood superstar <keyword id="1671" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shah-Rukh-Khan">Shah Rukh Khan</keyword> is now also the proud owner of <keyword id="2892607" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Trinidad-Tobago-franchise">Trinidad &amp; Tobago franchise</keyword> in the <keyword id="1559325" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Caribbean-Premier-League">Caribbean Premier League</keyword> (CPL). 
 
His company Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd -along with Kolkata Knight Riders co-owners Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta -has invested in the franchise and CPL’s next edition is scheduled to start from June 20 to July 26. 
 
With T&amp;T, Khan has become the first owner of an Indian Premier League team to own an overseas cricket franchise. 
 
“This is in line with our vision to expand globally. We are thrilled to become part of the cricketing tradition of Trinidad &amp; Tobago. The passion for franchise cricket in the Caribbean is evident with the success of CPL and we hope to bring all the best practices of KKR to the T&amp;T franchise," Khan told Times of India. 
 
KKR, which won IPL in 2012 and 2014, have been ranked the most valuable team with a brand value of $86 million (over Rs 500 crore). 
 
Meanwhile, KKR's chief executive Venky Mysore told TOI, "KKR has been fortunate to be recognised as one of the most professionally managed franchises in IPL. 
 
That experience has encouraged us to expand globally .The idea is to replicate our success in the CPL, keeping the growing interest in this (T20) format in mind." 
TOI reported Trinidad &amp; Tobago has a population of about 1.3 million, with people of Indian origin comprising almost 38%, making them the single largest ethnic group. 
 
“If Khan's attempt to tap the Indian expat audience turns out to be successful, the game will move entirely to a new level," added Mysore. 
Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Samuel Badree and Kevon Cooper are a part of T&amp;T, including Kamran Akmal and Johan Botha. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Shah Rukh Khan now owns a team in the Caribbean Premier League!

The <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword>’ squad is positive that they surely have the grit to repeat IPL 2013 and 2015 wins in this season of the IPL as well. 
 
Today’s IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders will be an important one for the former team as they lost to debutants Rising Pune Supergiants in the previous one by nine wickets. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/ShahRukh-Khans-Kolkata-Knight-Riders-are-all-set-to-fire-up-IPL-9-Have-a-look-atthe-star-squad/articleshow/51742365.cms">Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to fire-up IPL 9. Have a look at the star-squad</a> 
 
The onus will lie on skipper Rohit Sharma to lead by example as Mumbai Indians sure didn’t play like defending champions in their last match. 
 
And if Sunil Narine, who went back to the Caribbean after his father’s demise, returns today, he could prove a showstopper for Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Here-is-your-complete-guide-on-where-to-go-in-Kolkata/articleshow/51779614.cms">If you’re in Kolkata to watch the IPL matches, here’s what else you could do when not at the stadium</a> 
 
Also, the Knight Riders have an amazing bowling line-up and if Mumbai Indians want to open their score, the batsmen will have to come up with serious strategy. 
 
Well, when you have Sachin Tendulkar as a mentor and Ricky Ponting as head coach, the over-flow of talent is surely expected to hit bull’s eye. 
 
Here is the squad 
 
 
(Images: Indiatimes, cricinfo)

This Mumbai Indians’ squad, is more powerful than ever before, with Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting on their side

Put through the wringer in the <keyword id="19906063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL" source="keywords">IPL</keyword>, can <keyword id="20752044" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bowlers" source="keywords">bowlers</keyword> hope to breathe a bit easy in the <keyword id="19921630" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="T20-World-Cup" source="keywords">T20 World Cup</keyword> next month? The genesis of this question lies in the transformation that T20 batting underwent in the latest edition of the IPL. The 250-mark was breached only once in the league till this season, but teams went past that point eight times in the just-concluded edition. Many of the <keyword id="20570219" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="batters" source="keywords">batters</keyword> who led that revolution, such as Australian Travis Head and West Indian Andre Russell, will be seen in action in the ICC showpiece in the Americas next month. So, it's quite natural for fans to expect another batting waltz. But their approach cannot be as one-dimensional in the World Cup as it was in the IPL for a variety of reasons. To begin with, teams will not have the luxury of an Impact Player in the World Cup. So, they will have to be ready to switch to an attritional style of <keyword id="19919646" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cricket" source="keywords">cricket</keyword> as and when the situation demands. Mitchell Starc underlined that point after playing a big role in guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title. "There is an Impact Player Rule here (in IPL) and not in the T20 World Cup. You are going to rely more on your all-rounders. You cannot put your batting all-rounder at No. 8, like you did in the IPL. "I don't think that you'll see these kind of high scores in the T20 World Cup, purely because there will be one batter less," said Starc. In the earlier part of the IPL, Chennai Super Kings used Shivam Dube, a pace bowling all-rounder, exclusively as a batter through the Impact Player rule, though he usually walked in at No. 4 or 5 in place of a bowler. Dube produced a couple of match-winning knocks against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Knight Riders. But in the World Cup, the left-hander will have to showcase his bowling skills too to get a slot in the eleven as vice-captain Hardik Pandya plays a similar role and remains the first-choice. Skipper Rohit Sharma has made that bit quite clear already. "I will be expecting if we need Shivam to ball a few overs, he will. Same with Hardik, he has come and bowled whenever needed. All-rounders must do that whatever their role is," he had said after the announcement of India's squad. However, that's just one part of the story. The batters will also have to negate pitches that will be very different from the ones they got used to in the IPL. "The West Indian pitches are no longer what they used to be in the '80s or in the '90s. They are now slower, and at times gripping," a veteran curator told PTI. "I am sure the bowlers, particularly spinners, will have much more say than in the IPL, especially from the second week of the tournament. "India have included four spinners in their squad. It was maybe because of the nature of the pitches in the <keyword id="19921633" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Indies" source="keywords">West Indies</keyword>. Hence, I don't think we may see all those 250 totals there," he added. In the USA, only Florida has prior experience in hosting high-profile cricket matches. New York and Texas are bracing for their maiden foray into the sport Will that have an impact on the scoring rate? "Yeah! it can be as initially the teams might be looking to assess the pitch and other conditions. I think these drop-in pitches that are being used in some of these venues are more consistent than the natural pitches. So, we may see a few high scores in that round," he said. David Warner, who has immense experience in playing international and franchise cricket in the West Indies, concurred. "The pitches in the Caribbean being dry, the ball will get roughed up and it's going to spin. I don't think they're going to be as compact as they are here (in the IPL). The lacquer on the ball is staying longer (in IPL) and hence it's not getting chewed up and hence very little turn on offer. "I've played a lot of cricket over there and played in the CPL (Caribbean Premier League). The wickets tend to get lower and slower," Warner pointed out. The average run-rate in this IPL was a whopping 9.56, the highest ever in the history of the tournament, and the average score remained upwards of 180. The average first innings score in Hyderabad was in the vicinity of 230. However, the stadiums in the West Indian islands are cut from a different cloth as some statistics will reveal. The average T20 score in Antigua is a dawdling 123 and at Barbados it is 138. It is even bleaker in Guyana at 124, at 115 in Trinidad and at 118 in St. Vincent. Gros Islet tops the chart with a princely 139. By the look of things, the bowlers are set to be royalty in T20 at least for a month. 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Far from IPL, bowlers set to lord over batters in T20 World Cup

<keyword id="20593546" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BCCI-Secretary" source="keywords">BCCI Secretary</keyword> <keyword id="19930802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jay-Shah" source="keywords">Jay Shah</keyword> says the 'Impact Player' rule, which has divided opinions in the ongoing IPL, can be revisited if that's what the stakeholders want given that it was introduced as a "test case". The impact player rule has had a heavy bearing on the ongoing edition with teams crossing 250-run mark as many as eight times so far. Players, coaches as well as experts have pointed out the challenges which the impact player rule poses to the bowlers, saying that it allows teams to have extended batting line-ups. India captain <keyword id="19899523" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rohit-Sharma" source="keywords">Rohit Sharma</keyword> has stated that the rule hurts all-rounders as they are not getting enough bowling opportunities. "Impact player rule was brought in as a test case. On the bright side, it is providing additional playing opportunities to two <keyword id="20619603" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-players" source="keywords">Indian players</keyword>," he said in an interaction with select media at the BCCI office here on Thursday. "Isn't it important that two Indian players are getting a chance? The game is also becoming more competitive," he added. Shah said all stakeholders will sit down in a meeting likely to be held after the <keyword id="19921630" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="T20-World-Cup" source="keywords">T20 World Cup</keyword> to decide on it. "But still, if the players feel that this is not alright we will speak on it. However, no one has said anything about it yet. After the IPL and the World Cup, we will have a meeting and decide," he said. "After the World Cup, we will consult with players, franchise and broadcasters and decide about the future course. It's not a permanent rule nor am I saying we will move past it," he added. Shah said India's T20 World Cup-bound players for the Caribbean and the USA, who are currently busy with the IPL, need no rest as competition is perfect preparation ahead of the mega event. "Why do you want to rest players? This is (as good as a) practice session, you cannot get any better opportunity (to prepare) than this," Shah said. "There is a cosmopolitan team in front of you, one team has a bowler from New Zealand, the other has a bowler from Australia and the next one has a bowler from Sri Lanka," he added. Shah said IPL is the best way to prepare for the Indian players as a Jasprit Bumrah gets a chance to gauge a marauding batter like Travis Head well ahead of the World Cup. "If we rest a bowler he won't get a chance to bowl at Travis Head. When (Jasprit) Bumrah will bowl to Travis Head, he will understand where to bowl to him and how. There is no better opportunity," he said. Focussing on women's cricket" Shah said the focus has also been on improving women's cricket by adding more fixtures to their calendar. "Women's cricket is going on full fledged and it is being managed no less than men's cricket. There is a World Cup in Bangladesh so we have maintained our bilateral relationship and played a series," Shah said. "We have put our focus 51 per cent on women's cricket and 49 per cent on men's because we are doing good in men's cricket so we are taking women's cricket on priority (basis). Their match fees has also increased so they have income as well," he added. However, Shah said there is no possibility of an increase in the number of teams for the Women's Premier League. "Let it be five teams for now. The media and sponsorship rights are set for five years and adding more teams will only create issues for them. The franchises have to sustain as well," he said. 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IPL's impact player rule implemented as test case, can be revisited: Jay Shah

Cricket <keyword id="41288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Indies" source="Orion">West Indies</keyword> (CWI) on Monday recalled star batter <keyword id="3237385" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shimron-hetmyer" source="Orion">Shimron Hetmyer</keyword> for their upcoming three-match ODI series against <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> at home, starting Thursday at Kensington Oval. <keyword id="4484238" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="hetmyer" source="Orion">Hetmyer</keyword> hasn't featured for the West Indies side in almost a year but earns a recall on the back of a solid season in the Indian Premier League with the Rajasthan Royals that netted a total of 299 runs from 13 innings. The left-hander hasn't played an ODI for the Caribbean side in two years, with Hetmyer's last appearance in a 50-over match coming against Australia in July 2021. The 15-member squad was named following a four-day camp at Kensington Oval held to prepare the white-ball players for the upcoming ODI Series, as well as the five-match T20I Series that follows. The selectors also recalled left-handed batter <keyword id="4747807" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shimron" source="Orion">Shimron</keyword> Hetmyer and fast bowler <keyword id="6975266" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="oshane-thomas" source="Orion">Oshane Thomas</keyword>. Fast bowler Jayden Seales and leg-spinner <keyword id="5872777" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yannic-cariah" source="Orion">Yannic Cariah</keyword> have been included following their rehabilitation from surgery while left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie has also been included, following his recovery from injury. The Kensington Oval hosts the first two matches in the three-match ODI Series on Thursday and Saturday. The teams then will move to Trinidad for the third and final ODI at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on August 1. Chief selector and West Indies great Desmond Haynes said he was looking forward to the ODI series against India and is confident that Hetmyer and Thomas will perform well. "We welcome Oshane and Shimron back into the group. Both have played at the international level before, with some success, and we believe they will fit well into the set-up. Oshane brings pace and is a potential wicket-taker with the new ball. Shimron's style of batting will offer a lot, especially in the middle stage of the innings and he is also a potential 'finisher', Haynes said in an official statement released by CWI. Regulars Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder are unavailable for the series while wicket-keeper batter <keyword id="3484029" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shai-hope" source="Orion">Shai Hope</keyword> has once again been named captain for the three matches. West Indies failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup this year, finishing outside the top two in the recently concluded ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. West Indies squad: Shai Hope (c), Rovman Powell (vc), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Dominic Drakes, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair and Oshane Thomas. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/after-smartwatches-the-next-wave-of-wearables-may-be-led-by-smart-rings/articleshow/102081592.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/after-smartwatches-the-next-wave-of-wearables-may-be-led-by-smart-rings/articleshow/102081592.cms" target="_blank">After smartwatches, the next wave of wearables may be led by smart rings</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/netflix-india-ends-password-sharing-outside-households/articleshow/101976844.cms">Netflix India ends password sharing outside households – Here’s how it will work</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-5-z-flip-5-galaxy-watch-series-6-and-more-set-to-launch-july-end/articleshow/101538049.cms">Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, Galaxy Watch Series 6 and more set to launch July-end</a>

West Indies strengthen squad with Shimron Hetmyer, Oshane Thomas for India ODIs

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A yacht linked to oligarch Roman Abramovich changed hands hours after <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> invaded Ukraine. </li><li>Abramovich appears to have transferred it to his associate, David Davidovich, The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/08/abramovich-linked-yacht-in-netherlands-changed-hands-on-day-of-ukraine-invasion?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld">reported</a>.</li></ul>On February 24, the day that Russia <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mariupol-mayor-estimates-number-residents-killed-russia-invasion-2022-4">invaded</a> Ukraine, a $40.3 million superyacht named the <keyword id="13577947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aquamarine" source="Orion">Aquamarine</keyword> changed owners, according to an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/08/abramovich-linked-yacht-in-netherlands-changed-hands-on-day-of-ukraine-invasion?CMP=twt_a-world_b-gdnworld">investigation</a> The Guardian published Friday.Based on public records, Roman Abramovich transferred ownership of the Aquamarine to an associate, the businessman David Davidovich, the outlet reported. Forbes has <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/david-davidovich/?sh=e6e27d46b274">called</a> Davidovich "Abramovich's much lower-profile right-hand man."The Guardian tracked the yacht's apparent ownership swap through two companies, MHC Jersey Ltd, which is registered in New Jersey, and an entity called Norma Investments, which is listed in the British Virgin Islands. Abramovich was thought to be in charge of Norma Investments, but mere hours after Russia attacked Ukraine, Davidovich became the owner, per securities filings previously reported by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fabramovich-investment-vehicle-shifted-control-shortly-after-russia-invaded-ukraine-11647380381">Wall Street Journal</a>.The Guardian reported that Norma Investments is the only listed shareholder in MHC Jersey Ltd, per New Jersey public records. MHC Jersey Ltd is also the owner of the Aquamarine yacht, per MarineTraffic. The Aquamarine is currently dry-docked Vlissingen, a port in the Netherlands, and while Dutch <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-luxury-yachts-oligarch-seized-impounded-netherlands-dutch-shipyards-putin-2022-4">authorities seized 14 yachts on Wednesday</a>, representatives declined to comment to The Guardian if the Aquamarine was among them. Compared to Abramovich's megayachts, the <keyword id="11949139" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="eclipse" source="Orion">Eclipse</keyword> and the <keyword id="13450384" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="solaris" source="Orion">Solaris</keyword>, the Aquamarine is modest: it comes in at 164 feet. The Eclipse is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roman-abramovich-eclipse-yacht-2011-8">536 feet</a>, and the Solaris is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-oligarch-roman-abramovich-superyacht-scenic-cruise-turkey-solaris-sanctions-2022-4">460 feet</a>.The $600 million Solaris and the $700 million Eclipse <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cruise-operator-turkey-roman-abramovich-accused-breaching-sanctions-laws-2022-4">are docked in Turkey</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sanctioned-russian-oligarch-owns-yachts-caribbean-authorities-2022-4">two other yachts are in the Caribbean</a>. All appear to be on the run from sanctions.The UK, EU, and Canada have sanctioned Abramovich, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the US not to sanction him, saying that Abramovich could potentially be a peace negotiator, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-president-asked-biden-not-to-sanction-abramovich-to-facilitate-peace-talks-11648053860">reported</a>. He has reportedly assisted with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-oligarch-roman-abramovich-peace-talks-prisoner-exchanges-evacuation-routes-2022-4">prisoner exchanges and escape routes</a>.Davidovich told The Guardian in a statement that he could "confirm that I am the owner of MHC Jersey Ltd and the Aquamarine yacht," as well as the majority owner in Norma Investments, and said he did not think the Aquamarine was subject to sanctions.Representatives for Abramovich told The Guardian that he is not the ultimate beneficiary of MHC Jersey.The Aquamarine is currently moored for repairs at Damen Shiprepair, where an anonymous source told the Guardian it was "generally understood that it had been Abramovich's yacht," the outlet reported. The source added that the vessel went into Damen in November 2021 but that no one but its existing crew has worked on it since March 10, when Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK.In addition to his status as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/roman-abramovich-sanctions-oleg-deripaska-russian-oligarch-billionaires-2022-3">a Russian oligarch</a>, Abramovich is known as the owner of Chelsea FC, the English Premier League soccer team, which he bought in 2003. Last month, he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-oligarch-roman-abramovich-will-sell-english-club-chelsea-fc-2022-3">announced</a> plans to sell the club amid sanctions, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/02/sports/soccer/chelsea-roman-abramovich.html">apparently</a> for $2.5 billion, the New York Times reported.

One of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s more ‘modest’ superyachts changed ownership on the same day Russia invaded Ukraine

Jamaica, Apr 28 () Flamboyant West Indies opener Chris Gayle has called his former teammate Ramnaresh Sarwan "worse than coronavirus", accusing the Guyanese of plotting his exit from Caribbean Premier League outfit Jamaica Tallawahs. The big-hitting Gayle, who has since moved to St. Lucia Zouks, blamed Sarwan for an alleged fallout with Tallawahs franchise, which did not retain him for the 2020 season after playing for them as a marquee player last year. The opener claimed that Sarwan was behind his ouster as the former middle-order batsman wanted to take control of the franchise. "Sarwan, you are worse than the coronavirus right now," Gayle said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel. "What transpired with the Tallawahs, you have a big part to play because you and the owner are like this (very close). You were the one at my last birthday party here in Jamaica, giving big speech about how far we have come." Sarwan is the assistant coach of Jamaica Tallawahs. Continuing his ballistic attack on his former West Indies teammate, Gayle went on, "Sarwan, you are a snake. You are so vindictive. You are so immature. You still stabbing people in the back. "When are you planning to change? Don't even consider seeing the 'Universe Boss' and saying 'Yo Chris' because I am telling you this straight up, that's it." Gayle played his first four CPL seasons with Tallawahs before turning out for St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the next two seasons respectively. He returned to Tallawahs the previous season as a marquee player before his alleged fall-out with the franchise. AH AH KHSKHS

You are worse than coronavirus, Gayle calls out former teammate Sarwan

The chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, <keyword id="6360722" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword>, has made an investment from his personal funds in <keyword id="322457" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="KyaZoonga">Kyazoonga</keyword>, the <keyword id="3404016" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="e-ticketing-start-up">e-ticketing start-up</keyword>. The start-up aims to use the undisclosed funds to stretch into international markets including the United States, West Asia, Pakistan and the Caribbean Islands. 
 
"We have our own IP and ticketing technology platform that enabled us to scale up domestically," Kyazoonga founder Neetu Bhatia told ET. "We largely focus on sporting and entertainment events, not really movies. That's how we differentiate ourselves from the existing players in the market," said the MIT graduate. 
 
Domestically, Kyazoonga has ticketed the Indian Premier League and the Pro Kabaddi League, while on international levels it has ticketed the ICC Cricket World Cup and the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. It is also likely to be a ticketing partner for the Rio 2016 Olympics. 
 
Launched in 2007, its competitors include names like Mera Events and BookMyShow. 
 
<a href="http://pixr8.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/maxresdefault.jpg">Image source</a>

Kyazoonga, the e-ticketing start-up, has found an investor in Ratan Tata

In terms of ambition, the Champions League T20 was to be the perfect tool to showcase, and popularise, franchise cricket. It was modelled on the UEFA Champions League, with clubs from cricketing nations teaming up for a short T20 event. But into its sixth edition, it hasn't delivered on the promise front. The <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> in India is still the benchmark, and the involvement of international teams somehow fails to pique interest among fans who get behind their local franchises (a reason to include a fourth Indian team). From September 13, however, up until October 4, the disappointments of the England tour will be forgotten, and cricket's shortest format will once again drum up the entertainment before the home season in India gets under way. 
 
In many ways, the timeframe set apart for the Champions League is about perfect for a T20 competition. The IPL lasts two months; back-to-back games in the middle of the Indian summer making it an annual TV soap opera. The expectancy of home advantage is less; teams from South Africa, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand make it a more global event, and the chance to see several international players, who could soon be seen being snapped up by several franchises in next year's IPL. The Champions League then is the IPL's poorer cousin, but the unpredictable nature of the competition could make it for interesting viewing. 
 
Chhattisgarh's Raipur International Cricket Stadium will host the six qualifiers featuring Lahore Lions (Pakistan), Mumbai Indians (India), Northern Knights (New Zealand) and Southern Express (Sri Lanka), before the main league kicks off with games scheduled in Hyderabad, Mohali and Bangalore. Gocricket.com takes a look at the teams making up the competition: 
 
Kolkata Knight Riders: The IPL champions gained direct entry into the league stages by virtue of their title triumph a few months ago, but have been hampered by injuries to Morne Morkel and <keyword id="258312" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Chris-Lynn">Chris Lynn</keyword>, who have been ruled out of the tournament, as was Shakib Al Hasan, serving a disciplinary sanction by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The Indian domestic season was over before the IPL meaning several Indian players will be without practice, a situation that forced <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/yusuf-pathan/30001/4096">Yusuf Pathan</a>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/piyush-chawla/30001/4089">Piyush Chawla</a>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/manvinder-bisla/30001/27013">Manvinder Bisla</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kuldeep-yadav/30001/4133">Kuldeep Yadav</a> to undergo a boot camp in South Africa. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gautam-gambhir/30001/4043">Gautam Gambhir</a>, the inspirational two-time IPL-winning captain, however, is back playing franchise cricket after a nightmarish return to the Indian team on the England tour. Gambhir would have to brush aside that traumatic experience to lead his troops. 
 
Perth Scorchers: Like KKR, Perth Scorchers triumphed at the Big Bash League, but like the Indian franchise, they too come into the tournament with a depleted squad. Simon Katich was their leading run-getter but is not available, nor is Shaun Marsh, who was injured. The franchise will rely heavily on <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mitchell-marsh/1001/27022">Mitchell Marsh</a>, who is coming off a successful trip with the Australian team in Zimbabwe. 
 
Dolphins: Winners of South Africa's domestic T20 competition, Dolphins make their Champions League bow under former South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Morne van Wyk, who has previously turned out for KKR. With <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/david-miller/8001/8076">David Miller</a> opting to play for Kings XI Punjab, the Dolphins squad will miss the services of their explosive batsman, but <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kyle-abbott/8001/29036">Kyle Abbott</a>'s presence in the bowling line-up gives them some international quality. 
 
Barbados Tridents: The 2014 Caribbean Premier League champions will be without <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/dwayne-smith/26001/10043">Dwayne Smith</a>, Shoaib Malik and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kieron-pollard/31001/10060">Kieron Pollard</a> but still have enough quality to surprise bigger teams. Zimbabwe's hard-hitting ODI captain <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/elton-chigumbura/11001/11033">Elton Chigumbura</a>, James Franklin and <keyword id="1319274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dilshan-Munaweera">Dilshan Munaweera</keyword> will bolster the batting, while Ravi Rampaul will lead the bowling attack. 
 
Kings XI Punjab: KXIP turned out to be the surprise package of the IPL and despite falling short of a maiden title, turned heads with their all-round performances. Despite an injury to Sandeep Sharma, who was a revelation with the new ball, the KXIP line-up screams quality under the astute leadership of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/george-bailey/29001/26015">George Bailey</a>. Add to that the explosive batting order comprising <keyword id="7567" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Virender-Sehwag">Virender Sehwag</keyword>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/glenn-maxwell/29001/36006">Glenn Maxwell</a>, David Miller and Thisara Perera. 
 
Hobart Hurricanes: Bailey's absence from the Hurricanes has given discarded Australian wicketkeeper-batsman <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/tim-paine/1001/1088">Tim Paine</a> a chance to step up. Former Pakistan captain <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shoaib-malik/7001/7011">Shoaib Malik</a> will give the side important advice about playing on subcontinent surfaces, while Chennai Super Kings' pace bowling duo – Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus – would know a thing or two about their former team. Aiden Blizzard and Ben Dunk add muscle to their batting order. 
 
Cape Cobras: After falling two runs short of the Ram Slam T20 title, Cape Cobras will be out to go one better at the Champions League with a team full of South Africa's top players. Justin Ontong has at his service the class of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/hashim-amla/8001/8034">Hashim Amla</a>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/jp-duminy/8001/8053">JP Duminy</a> and Vernon Philander, and their most successful domestic spinner, Dane Piedt. Veterans Justin Kemp and Robin Peterson are sure to lift the team with their all-round skills. 
 
Chennai Super Kings: CSK are out to emulate Mumbai Indians by attempting a second title. Free from international duty, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/26001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> will look to his franchise to give his much-criticised captaincy a boost. Their all-round T20 skill under the Indian captain makes them one of the most feared sides in the competition. 
 
Besides the sure-shot contenders, four teams will contest the qualifying stages with two of them set to go through: 
 
Mumbai Indians: The defending CLT20 champions had to endure a difficult IPL but emerged late to snatch fourth place to earn a shot at a title defence. For majority of the competition, MI suffered by failing to field the right combinations and captain Rohit Sharma's absence means fellow seniors like Kieron Pollard, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/harbhajan-singh/31001/4008">Harbhajan Singh</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/lasith-malinga/31001/9036">Lasith Malinga</a> will have to step up. Star signing Corey Anderson's lack of form was a subject of great debate during the competition, but his game-changing 94 against Rajasthan Royals proved how dangerous the side could be with the big players firing. 
 
Lahore Lions: Pakistan's T20 champions had to endure a difficult passage into India with a visa delay, but on match day, their quality is set to leave an impact on the competition. The absence of Pakistani players from the IPL means the Lions will lend additional charm to the event, and the team is full of quality with six Pakistan internationals – <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ahmed-shehzad/7001/7070">Ahmed Shehzad</a>, Umar Akmal, Nasir Jamshed, Aizaz Cheema, Wahab Riaz and captain Mohammad Hafeez. 
 
Nothern Knights: <keyword id="13837" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Daniel-Vettori">Daniel Vettori</keyword>'s withdrawal from the competition wouldn't affect the side that already boasts of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kane-williamson/6001/6071">Kane Williamson</a>, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, BJ Watling and Ish Sodhi, the fulcrum of the revival in New Zealand cricket. Scott Styris brings in years of experience, most importantly of having played in India on several occasions. 
 
Southern Express: Without Lasith Malinga and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/tillakaratne-dilshan/9001/9034">Tillakaratne Dilshan</a>, the Sri Lankan side does look weak but expect them to fight tooth and nail. The familiarity with conditions in the subcontinent will make them a force to reckon with.

CLT20: Another Shot At Winning Over The IPL Faithful

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image">Elsa/Getty Images</div></div></div>Things aren't looking good for the U.S. men's national team heading into the 2014 World Cup. 
They're in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/world-cup-groups-2014-6">one of the tournament's most difficult groups</a> with Germany (the 2nd-ranked team in the world), Portugal (Cristiano Ronaldo's team), and Ghana (the team has knocked the U.S. out of two straight World Cups). 
To make matters worse, the U.S. travels to Brazil with question marks along the back line (who's the left back?), in the midfield (will Jermaine Jones stay disciplined in front of the back-four?), and up front (can Jozy Altidore score for the first time in 2014?).
Getting out of the group is a monumental task that no one seems to be betting on.
But optimism is one of the defining characteristics of the American personality. So if there is an argument to be made that the U.S. will make it out of the so-called Group of Death, we're going to make it with gusto.
Here it is.
<h2>1. Step One: The U.S. beats Ghana, because Ghana isn't actually that good.</h2>
Ghana eliminated the U.S. in their final group stage game in 2006, and then knocked the Americans out in extra time of a Round of 16 game in 2010.
The 2010 loss, where Asamoah Gyan scored the game-winning goal in the 93rd minute, was particularly painful:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">BI</div></div></div>
While the history here is intimidating, the current Ghana team is not, or at least not as intimidating as past incarnations. 
Ghana comes into Brazil with just as many question marks as the U.S.
They're ranked 38th in FIFA's rankings - the lowest they've been since October of 2009. If you don't like FIFA's rankings (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fifa-world-rankings-formula-is-flawed-2013-10">we don't</a>), Nate Silver's SPI metric has Ghana at #27, sandwiched between Greece and Nigeria.
Some of the team's best players are coming off up-and-down club seasons. Michael Essien only started a handful of games at AC Milan. Asamoah Gyan (the guy who scored the goal above) left the Premier League to play in the United Arab Emirates. Kevin-Prince Boateng hasn't scored a goal for Schalke since February 1st.
There are only six defenders on the entire 23-man Ghana roster, and everyone seems to think the back line could be a problem against high-level international competition.
Ghana will still present problems to the U.S. going forward, but there's reason to be optimistic that the Americans can get three points of out this opening game on June 16.
<h2>2. Step Two: The U.S. ties Portugal, because Cristiano Ronaldo is (maybe) hurt and they're playing in the middle of a jungle.</h2>
Portugal says <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2648203/Cristiano-Ronaldo-nursing-two-injuries-ahead-World-Cup-Portugal-star-remains-doubt.html">Cristiano Ronaldo is hurt</a>. He has a thigh injury and knee tendinitis, according to the team. We're still willing to bet he's going to be good to go on June 22. But if he's slowed or out entirely, everything changes for the U.S.
The U.S. has a hole at left back and a tendency to get out of their defensive shape, making Ronaldo the absolute worst player they could possibly come up against. If he's not there, the U.S.'s chances of grabbing a point go up ... because he can do anything like this:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">ESPN</div></div></div>
The U.S. has another thing going for them in this game - the conditions.
This game will be played in Manaus, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-manaus-2014-4">a jungle outpost in the middle of the Amazon</a> that every team in the World Cup wanted to avoid. It's oppressively hot and humid, and the trip there is a long slog. There were also reports a few months ago that the unpredictable conditions were <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/mar/19/manaus-pitch-damaged-england-world-cup-2014">making it difficult to grow an even playing surface</a>.
All of this is good for the U.S. 
American players, specifically MLS players, are used to traveling distances that European players find absurd. The chief complaint from European players who come to MLS is always that the coast-to-coast travel demands are brutal.
Since the MLS season runs through the summer (Europe's offseason), a lot of these American players have experience playing in the extreme heat of places like Dallas, Los Angeles, and Houston. Even places like Philly, Chicago, and New York can get as hot as Manaus in the meat of the MLS season.
The U.S. spent World Cup qualifying playing on the hilly pitches of the Caribbean and the hostile, hot atmospheres of central America. They're used to bad conditions. If there's a team that's going to be effected by the demands of Manaus, it's Portugal.
<h2>3. Step Three: The U.S. doesn't get destroyed by Germany, because Germany isn't peaking right now.</h2>
The shakiest step yet!
If the U.S. beats Ghana and ties Portugal, and Germany wins its first two games against those teams, the U.S. can still lose to Germany and get out of the group on goal difference.
The only caveat is that the U.S. can't get blown out by Germany.
The good news for the U.S. is that Germany doesn't look like the juggernaut that they did a few months ago.
Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinstiger missed the team's last game due to injury. Defender Marcel Schmeltzer, a presumed starter, didn't make the final 23-man roster. The only true striker on the team is Miroslav Klose, who's 36. It looks like they'll play a strikerless, false-9 formation in Brazil - something they haven't tested in major competition.
They're still one of the favorites to win the whole thing, but there are now at least a few questions around the team. Right? Right.
Getting out of the group the realistic best-case scenario for the U.S. in Brazil. And it's not as far-fetched as you'd think.

Here's The Best-Case Scenario For The US At The World Cup

&#xa0;<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>The 2015-16 El Niño has <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">likely reached its end</a>. Tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures, trade winds, cloud and pressure patterns have all dropped back to near normal, although clearly the event's impacts around the globe are still being felt.Recent changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures have been comparable to the decline seen at the end of the 1998 El Niño, although temperatures remain warmer than at the end of the most recent El Niño in 2010. Models suggest that ocean cooling will continue, with little chance of a return to El Niño levels in the immediate future.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>The 2015-16 El Niño will go down as one of the three strongest El Niño events since 1950. Every El Niño is different, but typically the stronger the event, the greater its global impact. The 2015-16 El Niño was no exception, with wide-ranging effects felt around the world.El Niño also added to the globe's warming trend, making <a href="https://theconversation.com/2016-is-likely-to-be-the-worlds-hottest-year-heres-why-59378">2015 the world's hottest calendar year on record</a>. Early indications are that 2016 could be hotter still.So as El Niño fades, let's take stock of its impacts worldwide.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><h2>Africa</h2>Drought meant that <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/business/news/farmers-owe-banks-r125bn-as-crops-wither-1971244">South African food production</a> was around six million tonnes below normal levels - the lowest since 1995.In Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, maize prices were at least 50% higher than usual, with drought unlikely to break until rains in summer 2016-17. In the <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/not-so-rainy-season-drought-southern-africa-january-2016">driest areas of Zimbabwe</a>, more than 75% of crops were lost. In May 2016, Zimbabwean national parks put wildlife up for sale in a bid to save animals from drought.The <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/chocolate-prices-to-rise-as-el-nino-brings-big-dry-to-west-africa/news-story/7b68da82787af93e2557435638699c47">cost of chocolate</a> hit a four-year high as a result of drought and lost production in the world's major cocoa producer, Ivory Coast.Drought also affected Ethiopia, Somalia, Swaziland, Zambia and parts of Madagascar, with more than 10 million Ethiopians in need of food aid.In December 2015, <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5282e.pdf">Rift Valley fever</a> was reported in East Africa. The disease is associated with heavy rainfall providing a fertile breeding ground for the mosquitoes that carry the virus.In Tanzania, <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/el-nino-induced-floods-ravage-east-africa/a-19245333">heavy rain destroyed crops and food reserves</a>, while in Kenya <a href="http://www.unocha.org/el-nino-southern-africa">heavy rains aggravated cholera outbreaks</a>. In May 2016, landslides in Rwanda cost many lives and heavy rains damaged infrastructure and hundreds of homes.<h2>The Pacific region</h2>El Niño is often, but not always, associated with <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-the-indian-ocean-and-el-nino-join-forces-things-can-get-hot-and-dry-48969">drought in Australia</a>. But the drying influence of the 2015-16 El Niño was initially tempered somewhat by very warm temperatures in the Indian Ocean. From April to August, above-average rainfall fell over parts of inland Western Australia, New South Wales and eastern Victoria.But by spring, the Indian Ocean was helping El Niño, resulting in Australia's third-driest spring on record, limiting growth at the end of the cropping season. A record early heatwave in October further <a href="http://www.farmonline.com.au/news/agriculture/cropping/grains/el-nio-hammers-wheat-crop/2745601.aspx">reduced crop production in the Murray-Darling Basin</a>.However, the lack of heavy rains in the north and west meant <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mining-australia-elnino-idUSKCN0S601W20151012">reduced downtime for mining</a>.The northern wet season produced a record-low three tropical cyclones in the Australian region. The previous record was five, which happened in 1987-88 and again in 2006-07 - both El Niño years.Fewer clouds and less tropical rain contributed to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/coral-bleaching">most severe coral bleaching</a> event on record for the Great Barrier Reef.The combination of heat and low rainfall brought a very early start to the fire season, with more than 70 fires burning in Victoria and around 55 fires in Tasmania during October. Dry conditions in Tasmania also resulted in hundreds of fires being started by dry lightning in mid-January 2016. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/fires-in-tasmanias-ancient-forests-are-a-warning-for-all-of-us-53806">fires damaged large areas of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area</a>, including areas of rainforest and bogs, which may not have seen fire for centuries.In Papua New Guinea, <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-papua-new-guinea-faces-worsening-drought-a-past-disaster-could-save-lives-46390">drought and frost led to crop failures and food shortages</a>. Staple sweet potato crops in the highlands were severely damaged by August frosts - the result of El Niño reducing night-time cloud cover - which also destroyed wild plants that are usually eaten as a backup source of food.Vanuatu, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga experienced <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/12/14/el-nino-warning-bells-ringing-oxfam">worsening drought</a>. Islands closer to the Equator such as Kiribati and Tuvalu had intense rain causing flooding, as well as higher sea levels due to warmer waters and weaker trade winds.<h2>Asia</h2>In the Philippines, drought was declared in 85% of provinces. Indonesia experienced its worst drought in 18 years. <a href="https://theconversation.com/indonesia-fires-threaten-to-send-even-modest-climate-ambitions-up-in-smoke-49155">Forest fires caused poor air quality</a> over vast neighbouring areas including Singapore, Malaysia, southern Thailand and the southern Philippines.In the Mekong Basin, delayed monsoon rains reduced rice production, with significant reductions in Vietnam. In Thailand, severe water shortages led to water rationing and delayed rice planting. The Thai government <a href="http://time.com/3960462/thailand-drought/">lowered its forecast for rice exports</a> by two million tonnes. This led to some African countries increasing their imports, fearing a price rise.<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-28/malaysian-palm-oil-production-to-worsen-on-el-nino-mistry-says">Palm oil prices rose</a> as supplies became limited due to drought in Malaysia and Indonesia. In April 2016, a heatwave set national temperature records for Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.Northern parts of China experienced drought in 2015. Heavy rainfall in southern China persisted through the second half of 2015, with flooding and landslides recorded along the Yangtze River Valley. China's December-to-February rainfall was approximately 50% above normal. In May 2016, heavy rain caused <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1949392/torrential-rains-claim-eight-lives-southern-chinas-guangdong">flooding and landslides in China's Guangdong province</a>.In India, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-03/india-is-suffering-one-of-its-worst-droughts-in-decades">below-average monsoon rains</a> in June to September led to reduced rice, corn, cotton and sugar output in 2015. Below-average rainfall between October and December also affected India's wheat harvest. Major water shortages emerged in some areas, including Mumbai - the result of two years of failed rains.Indian Premier League cricket matches were relocated from Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur due to water restrictions. Record heat affected the north and west of the country in May, setting a <a href="http://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-sets-new-heat-record-temperatures-soar">new national record of 51?</a> in Phalodi.Conversely, some <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/12/10/before-and-after-satellite-imagery-of-the-historic-flooding-in-chennai-india/">southern parts of India had exceptionally wet conditions</a>, with record-breaking rains and widespread flooding in Chennai in November and December. The city received over 300mm of rainfall on December 1, 2015; the wettest day in more than a century.<h2>South and Central America</h2>Peru experienced widespread flooding and mudslides in early 2016, with heavy rain leaving more than 5,000 people homeless. In Ecuador, flooding and landslides damaged properties and affected shrimp production.More than 150,000 people were evacuated from <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35184793">flooded areas in Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina</a> in December 2015. Some experts have linked El Niño flooding to outbreaks of <a href="http://who.int/hac/crises/el-nino/22february2016/en/">mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika virus</a>.In January 2016, Argentina experienced its worst locust plague since 1954, following heavy rains and warm temperatures. Heavy rains returned to Argentina and Paraguay in April 2016, causing large agricultural losses.In contrast, <a href="http://latincorrespondent.com/2016/02/el-nino-wreaks-havoc-in-colombia/">Colombia experienced drought and forest fires</a>, which caused severe damage to crops and pushed up food prices, leading to malnutrition in some areas. In November 2015, the United Nations warned that 2.3 million people would need food aid in Central America.The Caribbean also experienced drought; Cuba had its most severe dry season in 115 years; Barbados, Dominica, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Barbuda and Saint Lucia experienced water shortages, with the latter declaring a national emergency. The Dominican Republic experienced serious agricultural losses.Brazil had a particularly high number of forest fires during 2015, exacerbated by ongoing drought conditions in the Amazon region. Drought in Brazil and Colombia (and Indonesia) meant <a href="https://weather.com/science/environment/news/el-nino-weather-damages-coffee-crops">coffee prices soared</a> as dry conditions affected all the major coffee-producing countries.In contrast, excess rain in northeast Brazil flooded crops, leading to rises in the sugar price worldwide.<h2>North America</h2>In California, many hoped that El Niño would bring relief from five years of drought. But despite some regions getting heavy rain more typical of El Niño, leading to mudslides, El Niño failed to end the long-term dry.In the southeast and south-central United States, rainfall was above normal. Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Missouri received three times its normal rainfall during November and December 2015.<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-17/crabs-carpet-california-beaches/7420956">Warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures</a> offshore meant warm water species such as sea snakes, red tuna crabs and hammerhead sharks were found on Californian beaches.For information on the current and forecast state of ENSO, keep an eye on <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">the Bureau's ENSO Wrap-Up</a>.<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div></div></div></div><a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-cook-269168">Alison Cook</a>, Climatologist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a>; <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-b-watkins-2818">Andrew B. Watkins</a>, Manager of Climate Prediction Services, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a>; <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/blair-trewin-3692">Blair Trewin</a>, Climatologist, National Climate Centre, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a>, and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/catherine-ganter-259928">Catherine Ganter</a>, Senior Climatologist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/el-nino-is-over-but-has-left-its-mark-across-the-world-59993">original article</a>.<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div></div></div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/weather-system-in-a-box-2016-3">This is a weather system in a box</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="E0dTNpMTE6pr_yrk_cImaAg0baJy6XE7" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

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