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Yuvraj Singh has said that Virat Kohli is a “very special kid” and that he had learnt a lot from the early years of Kohli’s career. “Since the time he has joined the Indian team, I saw his work ethic and I wished and wondered why I didn’t have that work ethic when I was his age,” Yuvraj said during his first media conference on returning to India after receiving treatment in the USA for a rare cancer.Kohli has come to represent the most promising face of Indian cricket currently and was even appointed vice-captain ahead of Gautam Gambhir for the recent Asia Cup. At the start of the 2000s, after he made his ODI debut for India, it was Yuvraj who belonged in those shoes. He was asked as to what his advice would be to Kohli to prevent him from repeating the mistakes Yuvraj himself may have made ten years ago.As the question ended, a grin broke out on Yuvraj’s face and his reply in Hindi was completely tongue-in-cheek. “” roughly translates as a description of Kohli being both the next big thing in cricket as well as quite a character.More seriously, Yuvraj said that Kohli was a “very special kid” and “really talented”. “Actually I have learnt a lot from him,” Yuvraj said. “His work ethic is brilliant, his focus is immense. Since the time he has joined the Indian team, I saw his work ethic and wished and wondered why I didn’t have that work ethic when I was his age.” Yuvraj said he talked a lot to Kohli because he had realised that for an Indian cricketer, early success made his 20s “a very vulnerable age.” “When you get success in your 20s, you can get vulnerable and it can affect your focus. So I try and help him with whatever I can… at times you have to keep him in check, under control sometimes.”Kohli’s tally of 11 ODI centuries in 85 ODIs over a four-year period was “a phenomenal record,” according to Yuvraj. He said he wished he could have had such a record, “but unfortunately I batted down the order, but he is a very special player in the making.” Yuvraj was happy to see Kohli being made India vice-captain at a young age and said, “I hope he goes up the ladder stronger and stronger. I am very happy for his success.”Edited by Abhishek Purohit

Match facts

Sunday, April 15, Bangalore
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Johan Botha will need to lead the young spinners to counter the Royal Challengers batsmen•Associated Press

Big picture

Both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals have lost two consecutive games. In their last outing, Royal Challengers suffered a freak loss at the hands of Albie Morkel in Chennai, while Royals failed to put enough runs in Kolkata. For both teams, their last defeats have come in away games* and therefore, Royal Challengers playing in Bangalore would hold an edge.The venue is not the only difference between the teams. Royal Challengers have a far more potent line up of international players – Indian and foreign. Compare that to Royals and they have Ankeet Chavan, Ashok Menaria, Amit Singh and Shreevats Goswami to challenge Daniel Vettori, Saurabh Tiwary, Zaheer Khan and Virat Kohli. Man to man, there is a massive gap in experience. However, the Royals have fought hard, even in their losses and at the helm, they have a relaxed Rahul Dravid who has been a part of a number of upset wins in his career.In the last game played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Muttiah Muralitharan and Vettori derailed Delhi Daredevils’ chase with incisive spells. Royals have used a combination of spinners in their last two games. They might want to keep it that way and not allow any pace to Royal Challengers’ ensemble of stroke makers. For the home side, Tillakaratne Dilshan will struggle to find a place in the eleven.

Players to watch

Virat Kohli had a forgettable outing in his last game but he still managed to score 57 runs, not fluent, but still important runs. He is known to be a fierce competitor and he would quickly want to acquit himself from the ignominy of bowling that 28-run over.If Johan Botha opens the bowling, which he often does, his duel with Chris Gayle could decide the rest of the game. He has bowled with control in the four games, but has managed to pick up only two wickets. Just one big wicket here and his captain wouldn’t complain.

2011 head-to-head

Last year, Royal Challengers demolished the Royals in Jaipur by nine wickets, courtesy of a 44-ball 76 from Gayle. The other match in Bangalore was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Stats and trivia

• Johan Botha has bowled 13 balls to Chris Gayle in IPL and has given away 21 runs. Four off them in overthrows and another four off a dropped catch.
• Cheteshwar Pujara has played six innings for Royal Challengers and has scored 51 runs.
• Royal challengers have played Royals seven times and hold a 4-3 advantage.
  

  Quotes

  ” We had about 40 runs [in last two overs]. We thought even if they get 20 runs off Virat, they will have 20 runs to get. Unfortunately that over went for 29 runs (sic. 28), so they had about 15 runs to get [off the last over].”

  “We are trying to make them [young Indian bowlers] learn as quickly as possible. We have not been outclassed at all. Credit to youngsters who are fighting hard. We just hope to come over the line soon”
  April 14: 13:40 GMT The article earlier stated that RCB won their home game. This has been corrected.

Michael Dighton has resigned as Canada’s coach after being in charge of the side for eight months. Dighton accompanied the team on a preparation camp for the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Sri Lanka, the World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE and Canada’s tour of Namibia during his tenure.Cricket Canada vice president Vimal Hardat said he was disappointed to lose a coach with the calibre of Dighton. “[We] understand his reasons [for resigning] and thank him for his contribution to Cricket Canada. We wish him all the best in the future,” Hardat said.Cricket Canada’s CEO Doug Hannum said that the board will need to find a replacement quickly as Canada look to qualify for the 2014 T20 Cricket World Cup and the 2015 Cricket World Cup. “[A replacement will be found] well in time for the national team’s trip to Scotland in July. We are certainly focussed on putting our best foot forward to get ourselves into the next World Cup cycle and a new coach will be an integral part of that.”Dighton who hails from Queensland has represented Netherlands, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Tasmania and Western Australia. He took charge of Canada’s team in October 2011 but they failed to qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 being played in Sri Lanka in September this year.

While Pakistan’s decision to leave Saeed Ajmal was a ‘costly miss’, it was their lapses in the field, once again, that let them down in the final ODI against Sri Lanka, according to captain Misbah-ul-Haq. Pakistan looked to be on top in the match on Monday, after reducing Sri Lanka to 138 for 6 in a chase of 248, but Angelo Mathews and a number of lower-order cameos won the match and series for the hosts in a thrilling last-over finish.”I think we were about 15-20 runs short, yet were in a better position,” Misbah said after the game. “Again there were too many fielding lapses and in my opinion this was the difference.” Pakistan had put two catches down, and missed several run outs during the course of the chase.”In the end Mathews took the game away from our hands,” he said. “[Jeevan] Mendis played an excellent innings, even [Nuwan] Kulasekara can bat a bit. We know that Mathews is a very good allrounder, he can finish the game. We thought that if we got Mathews out the game was ours.”Pakistan had not played their premier spinner, Ajmal, opting to play three seamers instead. The conditions prompted this decision, Misbah said. “I think given the conditions [we made that choice], the ball swings in the evening … It’s a difficult decision to make, regarding the balance of the team. If we play two regular spinners, we miss the third seamer. Leaving out Ajmal though was a costly miss.”Off the three seamers who played, Sohail Tanvir impressed, taking three wickets – including those of the Sri Lanka openers – for 42. On the contrary, in a game where none of his team-mates went at over 4.80 an over, Mohammad Sami leaked 75 runs from 9.4 overs for no wicket – this was the most expensive spell for a Pakistan bowler in an ODI in Sri Lanka. Bowling the final over, with Sri Lanka needing 15, Sami bowled a length delivery that Mathews dispatched over long-on for six, and followed up with a short of a length ball on off stump that was punched through point for four.However Misbah, while praising Tanvir’s effort, still extented support to Sami. “He [Tanvir] showed good control. In the death overs he used good variety and he really was our strength.”Sami was in good form coming into this game. He bowled well in the Twenty20s and the first one-dayer. Anyone can have a bad day. He was a bit unlucky.”Another big name not in Monday’s playing XI was Younis Khan, one of Pakistan’s senior batsmen. Younis, Misbah said, was happy to sit out for the cause of the team. “He was out of form. He’s always for the team. He said it was okay to give someone else a chance. Besides, before the Tests it’s good for him to get some time off.”Pakistan will now play three Tests on the tour, with the first one beginning in Galle on Friday. The last time Pakistan had lost a Test series was in July-August 2010, when they were beaten by England in England. His team, Misbah said, would do well to remember this fine recent record. “We need to forget about the one-dayers and start afresh. We have done well in Test matches in the last two years. We need to recall those performances and start afresh.”

Since taking over as Pakistan captain in mid-2010 when the team was in disarray after the spot-fixing scandal, Misbah-ul-Haq has converted the side into a powerful Test outfit. Pakistan drew or won the next seven series, but Sri Lanka have finally handed Misbah his first Test series defeat as captain.”A loss is a loss and whenever you have a lost a series, it’s not good for the team,” Misbah said, after the draw in Pallekele that confirmed a 1-0 series defeat. “We were hoping for a better result after we lost the first game. Everybody tried well, the team fought hard but then you may say that we were not lucky enough to win again. That happens, but I am really happy with the effort that everybody put in.”Despite the defeat, Misbah wasn’t too downcast. “The positive is the way the young guys have performed. A plus for us is the way Asad Shafiq batted; Azhar Ali is becoming a real strong lad for us. In difficult situations both these players performed well for us. The way Adnan Akmal played today with a fractured finger is a good sign. Junaid Khan is a big plus. After the first game Hafeez’s form became good, he batted well with Taufeeq Umar.”Misbah had a special word of praise for Junaid, who got the ball to move both ways and troubled Sri Lanka’s batsmen throughout the series. “It wasn’t easy especially on the SSC wicket and on this wicket also after the first day it was almost flat. The way he bowled, his bowling sense, was really good. He bowls his outswingers and inswingers to the batsmen and surprises them with bouncers sometimes. It’s good to have this sort of bowler in the side especially on wickets that are not suited for him. He’s a big find for us.”Junaid ended with 14 wickets in the series, a contrast to his fast bowling colleagues, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Sami, who collectively could pick up only two wickets. “We have to look for some others to really help us in the fast bowling department,” Misbah said. “Unfortunately it wasn’t a good series for other fast bowlers they were a bit unlucky they could not just pick wickets, that’s why we could not finish the Test matches. We have to improve our bowling department and our catching. We were not good even in the one-day series and even in the Test series.”When asked whether there would be any backlash back home because Pakistan had lost the series, Misbah said, “You can’t control it, there are some guys who are always looking for negatives, but I am really happy the way the team fought back. Winning and losing is part of the game, we were really nowhere in the first game. There is a psychological advantage for our team we played both the last two games with real good control. It’s a real positive for me, [though] I don’t how the people feel about that.”

Ireland squad for World Twenty20

William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Max Sorensen, Stuart Thompson, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

Uncapped 21-year-old allrounder Stuart Thompson has been included in an otherwise experienced 15-member Ireland squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, in which only Thompson, Tim Murtagh and Max Sorensen haven’t played in a previous World Cup or World Twenty20. The team will be led by William Porterfield.Ireland Coach Phil Simmons said that representing Ireland will be a big opportunity for Thompson, who is part of the Ireland XI team that is currently playing South Africa A at home. “He’s done well at A team level and in the few senior games he’s played this year,” Simmons said. “It’s up to him to push and cement his place in the squad.”Simmons also expressed satisfaction at the composition of the team. “Everybody has been there before and knows what’s expected of them,” he said. “It’s good for the younger players who will learn how we do things and how we proceed at tournaments.”The Ireland squad will be without the services of John Mooney, who was ruled out because of a serious finger fracture. Simmons said that losing Mooney a day before team selection was a serious blow. “It’s disappointing for both John [Mooney] and the team. He’s suffered two finger injuries and this latest one won’t heal in time for the start of the tournament. He’s been a major part of the team for the last 3 or 4 years and it’s disappointing we have to go without him.”This will give others other an opportunity to push for his place and stake a claim. We have guys who can come in and fill the spot and if selected can hopefully fill the role of John Mooney.”Ireland are placed in Group B with Australia, whom they play on September 19 in Colombo, and West Indies.

The Trinidad & Tobago sports minister has said that allrounders Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, and spinner Sunil Narine, will play for T&T in the Champions League T20 this October instead of their respective IPL teams, in contrast to previous seasons. However, their team affiliation at the tournament is likely to be debated further before being confirmed, with the franchises expected to fight for the three players.Pollard was part of Mumbai Indians’ winning squad in 2011, while Bravo played for Chennai Super Kings. Both franchises have qualified for the CLT20 again this year. Narine played for T&T last year, but has also made it through with Kolkata Knight Riders in his maiden IPL season, in which he was named player of the tournament.According to , Anil Roberts, the minister of sport, said an agreement had been reached with the three players to turn out for their national team and not their IPL franchise. CLT20 rules allow players to pick the team they wish to play for and in the past players had chosen their IPL franchises, which then compensated the players’ home teams.However, the Knight Riders team director, Joy Bhattacharjya said on Twitter that the franchise’s chief executive, Venky Mysore, had indicated Narine would play for his IPL franchise.Roberts said the players were close to signing a Memorandum of Understanding and following that the details of the individual contracts would be worked out. “All three players have said they want to play for Trinidad & Tobago. The government of Trinidad & Tobago have said they will match their fees, so that they will not lose anything.”We want the best team. Some of the Indian teams, the owners are obviously a bit upset because they would love to have Sunil Narine, Pollard and Bravo but I told them quite upfront that we are being professional, that we are not holding anything in secret. We are not going to wait until the last minute and then steal the players from under them.”Roberts also said he had spoken to the franchises to explain the government’s position. “I also explained to them, because some of them are quite upset … I said, ‘please for a moment, just picture Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar or [Suresh] Raina deciding or contemplating to play for a club ahead of India. I don’t think that would even be a choice. I don’t think they would even be able to set foot in their land of their birth if ever they even consider disappointing their countrymen and their country by playing for club for money’.”So while they may be upset, I tell them I am very sorry they are upset, but the [T&T] population wants our best players, the government wants our best players. The players want to play for Trinidad & Tobago and they will play for Trinidad & Tobago.”T&T topped their qualifying group in part thanks to the performances of Narine and fellow spinner Samuel Badree, but narrowly failed to qualify for the semi-finals. T&T will play the qualifying tournament again this year.

Mahela Jayawardene has confirmed he will step down from the captaincy at the end of Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia – a move he had hinted at for some months now. Jayawardene’s second stint at the helm began in January, when he was called in to replace Tillakaratne Dilshan. The fifth ODI on January 23 in Hobart will be his final match as captain.Vice-captain Angelo Mathews is the most likely successor, and Jayawardene said his decision to step down was largely borne from a desire to assist Mathews with leadership in Mathews’ first phase as captain. Jayawardene will continue to be available for selection in all forms of cricket.”I took over the captaincy for 12 months and that ends after this series, so I don’t want to continue to captain Sri Lanka after this tour. This will be my last,” Jayawardene said on the eve of the first Test. “I was going to wait until the end of the series but I thought I might as well do it now, having had a chat to the selectors.”Jayawardene had resigned from the captaincy in 2009 after four years in the job, and was reinstalled by the selectors after Dilshan’s leadership had proven unsuccessful. The team had had a poor stretch of results since the 2011 World Cup, amid financial distress for the board and administrative tumult in Sri Lanka Cricket’s first election in seven years.Jayawardene’s leadership appeared to restore Sri Lanka’s on-field fortunes almost immediately, when they performed creditably in the ODI tri-series in Australia in February. Since then he has also led the side to a home win against then No.1-ranked Test side England, making a critical 180 to set up victory in March, before earning Sri Lanka their first Test series win in three years, in July. Sri Lanka then advanced to the final of the World Twenty20 under his watch, matching the runners-up medals they had also earnt in the 2007 World Cup, during Jayawardene’s first stint at the helm.”I hope I don’t get any more SOS calls from them later on,” he said. “This year has been brilliant. I’ve enjoyed and what I’ve achieved.”Angelo Mathews is the most likely successor to Mahela Jayawardene•Manoj Ridimahaliyadda

Mathews has been considered for the captaincy as far back as April 2011, when Kumar Sangakkara resigned from the job. Dilshan was considered the safer alternative then, given Mathews’ youth and inexperience, but he has become a much more mature player since and has also had a successful brush with leadership in the Sri Lanka Premier League. Mathews was made vice-captain in all forms in July 2011, and has more recently been named Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 captain. If he succeeds Jayawardene, he will be Sri Lanka’s fourth Test captain in 24 months.”I think Angelo is the one everyone has earmarked and I think he’s good enough. If you see some of the other captains while they were young, you’ve got [Graeme] Smith, [Stephen] Fleming and a few others around – maybe the first few years will be tough for them, but they’ll grow into the job. I think maybe if Angelo gets the opportunity, the transition will be much easier for him because he’ll have Kumar, myself and Dilshan around him in tough situations. We can build him through that period and after that he’ll be on his own.”Sri Lanka are light on Tests in 2013, thanks to five Tests being removed from their calendar next year, and a home series against Bangladesh will be the new captain’s first assignment at the helm. The Champions Trophy looms later in the year however, as well as an ODI tri-series in the West Indies and a full away tour against Pakistan in December.”We don’t have a lot of cricket next year – not many big tours,” Jayawardene said. “So it will be a nice easy start for Angelo if he takes over.”

Scorecard
Cameron White finished not out on 88•Getty Images

Cameron White led Victoria out of trouble with an unbeaten 88 after Gary Putland struck three times in one over to give South Australia the upper hand early on the first day in Melbourne. At stumps, the Bushrangers had reached 6 for 259, with John Hastings at the crease on 14 alongside White, who had earlier combined with Peter Handscomb for an important 131-run partnership for the sixth wicket.White was within sight of what could become only his second first-class century in four seasons, his most recent one having come two years ago this week, for Australia A against the touring England side in 2010-11. He and Handscomb steered Victoria out of the trouble they found themselves in at 5 for 83, after Putland got rid of Chris Rogers, Glenn Maxwell and David Hussey in one over.Rogers played on for 39, Maxwell was lbw to an inswinger for a duck and Hussey (29) was taken at slip, before White and Handscomb came together. The innings hadn’t started well for Victoria either, as Chadd Sayers picked up the early wickets of Ryan Carters and Aaron Finch to leave the Bushrangers at 2 for 14 having been sent in.Handscomb was put down at slip on 13 but fought on to reach 69 before he became another victim for Putland, who finished the day with 4 for 48 from 26 overs.