Bumrah injury fears allayed by official

Mumbai, March 25

Allaying fears about India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s shoulder injury, a BCCI official said there were no major concerns since the scans have come clear. A vital cog in India’s World Cup plans, Mumbai Indians’ Bumrah landed awkwardly on his left shoulder while fielding during Sunday’s IPL contest against Delhi Capitals, causing concern in the Indian camp. The national team relies heavily on Bumrah, who has earned the reputation of being the world’s best bowler in death overs. The Gujarat pacer did not come out to bat in Sunday’s match, which added to the concerns about his injury. However, a BCCI official said Bumrah’s injury was not serious in nature. “Bumrah had some shoulder scans done in the morning and BCCI was kept in the loop. His scan reports were okay. The tests that were done were all those recommended by BCCI,” the official said.

Will retire when time comes, says Yuvraj

Mumbai: Yuvraj Singh’s cricketing future has been a topic of discussion for some years now but the player said that he would be the first one to bid adieu when he feels that his time is up. “When the time comes, I will be the first one to hang my boots,” Yuvraj said after MI’s 37-run defeat against Delhi Capitals in their IPL opener. “The last two years, have been up and down (for me). And I could not decide on what to do,” said the 37-year-old. The veteran left-hander spoke to Sachin Tendulkar, who could relate with his situation as to how he felt when he was at the business end of his career. “I have been speaking to Sachin Tendulkar as well and he has gone through that time when he was 38-39 years old and how he felt. Talking to him makes things easier for me,” he signed off. — PTI

‘IPL players should be allowed to vote wherever they are’

• New Delhi: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said Indian cricketers criss-crossing the country to play the ongoing IPL should be allowed to cast their votes in the upcoming general elections at cities where they might be when polling is held in their respective constituencies. Ashwin’s request came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tagged several sports personalities including him, Shikhar Dhawan, Dipa Karmakar, Hima Das and Sakshi Malik on twitter, urging them to create awareness for higher voting. “I would also like to request you @narendramodi sir to enable every cricketer playing in the IPL to be allowed to cast their votes from whichever place they find themselves at,” Ashwin wrote in response to the Prime Minister’s tweet. — PTI