Tag Archives: cricketer-turned-commentator

“They will need a good internet connection” – Former India opener’s hilarious take on Mumbai Indians’ requirements at the IPL 2026 auction

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Former India opener Aakash Chopra has opined that the Mumbai Indians (MI) would just relax at the IPL 2026 auction. He highlighted that the five-time champions don’t have much money left in their purse and don’t need too many players either. Ad MI have a 20-member squad, including seven overseas players, heading into the IPL 2026 auction. They have an available budget of ₹2. 75 crore and can buy at most five players, including one overseas. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the cricketer-turned-commentator stated light-heartedly that the Mumbai Indians would need a good internet connection at the auction. “What all will Mumbai need? Firstly, they don’t have much money. They have only ₹2. 75 crore left with them. I feel, on the auction day, they will need a good internet connection. They will need a good playlist. You can make a good group with friends, where you can chat,” he said. (4: 30) Ad Trending Ad Chopra added that the MI think tank would sit leisurely and watch the other franchises buy their players. “After that, you can check out a few reels on Instagram. They will need only these three or four things. Good coffee, good water, good food, and keep one leg over the other and watch everyone else because Mumbai don’t need anything. Mumbai is ready,” he observed. Ad The Mumbai Indians traded in Sherfane Rutherford, Shardul Thakur and Mayank Markande and traded out Arjun Tendulkar ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. They released eight players, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman (₹2 crore) being the most expensive among them. “They needed a guy who could bat down the order” Aakash Chopra on Mumbai Indians’ acquisition of Sherfane Rutherford ahead of IPL 2026 auction In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the Mumbai Indians addressed their middle-order concerns by trading in Sherfane Rutherford. Ad “They don’t have a lot of money, but they don’t need to shop. This is a very happy place to be. The entire team is already ready. They needed a guy who could bat down the order and they got that by acquiring Sherfane Rutherford. If they want anyone up the order, you find Will Jacks with Ryan Rickelton there,” he said. Ad The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player added that Shardul Thakur’s acquisition gives MI an ideal backup for the injury-prone Deepak Chahar. “At times, it seemed like Deepak Chahar has an injury issue and if they could get another senior fast bowler, so they said Shardul Thakur has come. Palghar Express has come for ₹2 crore. So you get him as an option and he knows these conditions,” Chopra observed. Aakash Chopra highlighted that the Mumbai Indians might have let Karn Sharma go, but have acquired Mayank Markande, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman being released, considering Allah Ghazanfar’s likely availability. To conclude, the analyst noted that MI would rely on their scouting team to onboard some relatively unknown players at the auction. × Feedback Why did you not like this content? Clickbait / Misleading Factually Incorrect Hateful or Abusive Baseless Opinion Too Many Ads Other Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Get real-time updates on IPL 2025, live scores, IPL Prediction, match schedule, points table, Result & squad -CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS Edited by Kartik Iyer.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-they-will-need-good-internet-connection-former-india-opener-s-hilarious-take-mumbai-indians-requirements-ipl-2026-auction

“It’s been ages since he has played” – Aakash Chopra on KKR’s potential releases ahead of IPL 2026 auction

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Former India player Aakash Chopra has suggested that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should consider releasing South African pacer Anrich Nortje ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Highlighting Nortje’s frequent injury woes, Chopra pointed out that the seamer has played very little cricket over the past few years.

KKR, the defending champions, finished eighth in IPL 2025. Nortje was one of the franchise’s major purchases in the IPL 2025 auction but featured in only two matches throughout the season.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra expressed his views on KKR’s potential player releases. He said, “The biggest release point will be Venkatesh Iyer. The big story is that they gave more than ₹23 crore, and in the end, it seemed like too much money had been spent. If they release Venkatesh Iyer, straightaway ₹23.75 crore will get released, you will get around ₹5 crore more, and you will be in a very good space.”

Chopra didn’t recommend stopping there. He added, “If you release Anrich Nortje, he is worth ₹6.50 crore. I am saying he should be released because Anrich Nortje has been a gun bowler, but when does he play? You won’t remember when was the last time you saw Anrich Nortje playing. There are too many injuries. It’s been ages since he has played.”

In IPL 2025, Venkatesh Iyer managed only 142 runs at a below-par average of 20.29 in seven innings, while Anrich Nortje picked up just one wicket, conceding runs at an economy rate of 11.85 in his two appearances.

Chopra also opined that KKR might consider releasing Spencer Johnson. The pacer was bought for ₹2.80 crore and was expected to be a replacement for Mitchell Starc, but Chopra observed, “He didn’t do anything special in the matches he played, and he didn’t get too many chances to play as well.”

On the subject of Ajinkya Rahane’s future with KKR, Chopra described the decision as a “tough one.” He said, “He is actually a good captain, but if he is not opening, a place doesn’t get created in the XI. If you keep him with you this year as well, you should make him the captain, but if you do that, will you actually do the right thing?”

Moreover, Chopra suggested that KKR might also think about releasing Umran Malik. Although the speedster was acquired for just ₹75 lakh, he did not play a single game in IPL 2025.

With several key players underperforming or sidelined due to injuries, KKR’s strategy ahead of the IPL 2026 auction will be crucial as they look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign.

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https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-it-s-ages-since-played-aakash-chopra-kkr-s-potential-releases-ahead-ipl-2026-auction

“Rohit Sharma has scored double centuries” – Former India cricketer’s huge statement on Smriti Mandhana ahead of Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final

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Former India cricketer Reema Malhotra has urged Smriti Mandhana to score a double century in the Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final against Australia. She highlighted that Rohit Sharma has played multiple such knocks in ODIs.

India will face Australia in the second semi-final of the Women’s World Cup 2025 in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, October 30. Mandhana will potentially open with Shafali Verma, who has been added to the squad as a replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal.

During an interaction on the Star Sports show *Game Plan*, Malhotra was asked whether Pratika’s absence would put additional pressure on Mandhana. She responded, “Rohit Sharma has scored double centuries in ODIs. Smriti has to do the same thing. She has to score a century for herself and a century for Pratika. The responsibility will be there. However, it’s something that is not in anyone’s hands.”

The former India all-rounder noted that the left-handed opener has scored a double century in junior cricket and that the Women in Blue need her to replicate that effort now.

“You have the bat in your hand and the 50 overs in front of you. You are scoring 110-120, score a little more than that. Smriti has to play 50 overs and she can do that. She was the first player to score a double century in domestic cricket. If she could do it then, India need it now,” Malhotra observed.

With 365 runs at an average of 60.83 in seven innings, Smriti Mandhana is the highest run-getter in the Women’s World Cup 2025. She has amassed 996 runs at an average of 49.80 in 20 ODI innings against Australia.

### “This is not the Smriti Mandhana of 2024” – Reema Malhotra on opener’s potential battle with Ashleigh Gardner

In the same interaction, Reema Malhotra was asked about Smriti Mandhana’s potential battle with Ashleigh Gardner in the Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final.

“She has played Gardner exceptionally well in the last few matches. Whether it’s a left-arm spinner or an off-spinner, this is not the Smriti Mandhana of 2024. This is Smriti 2.0, who has worked on it. She plays all the shots. So I don’t think it will be a challenge,” she replied.

The cricketer-turned-commentator was also asked about Mandhana’s potential contest with Sophie Molineux, considering the left-arm spinner had dismissed the Indian vice-captain in the league game between the two sides.

“It will be challenging, but Smriti gave her wicket to Molineux after scoring runs. I think Smriti only hit 15 to 16 runs in her first over. I feel the approach will be the same here. Whichever Australian bowler comes, you will have to attack them. If you allow any Australian bowler to get on top of you, they will bowl their entire 10 overs at one spot,” Malhotra responded.

To conclude, Reema Malhotra recalled Meg Lanning saying that Australia were out of plans when Harmanpreet Kaur was smashing them in the Women’s World Cup 2017 semi-final. She expressed hope that Alyssa Healy or Tahlia McGrath, whoever captains Australia, will have similar words for Mandhana and Harmanpreet in the post-match presentation of the Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final.

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**About the author**
Kartik Iyer is a cricket writer at Sportskeeda with four years of professional experience. He writes news articles for the platform and always strives to deliver authentic and accurate content by obtaining information only from credible sources.

Kartik developed a liking for cricket in his childhood and has been following the sport ever since. He supports Team India as they represent the country, and his all-time favorite cricketer is Rahul Dravid, admiring the former batter’s impeccable technique and approach towards the game.

He has written over 5,500 articles for Sportskeeda and has strong knowledge of SEO and journalism guidelines, evidenced by his readership close to 12 million. Kartik holds a B. Tech degree and enjoys watching sports other than cricket in his free time.

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