Cricket Buzz: BCCI recommends Ashwin for Arjuna award

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was named the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s best player in the 2012-13 season, has been recommended for the Arjuna award this year.

"Yes, Ashwin has been recommended for the Arjuna award before the April 30 deadline. No other cricketer has been recommended (for the national sports awards)," said Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI General Manager (Game Development).

Virat Kohli was the cricketer who won the award last year.

A total of 46 cricketers, including women, have been conferred the sporting honour.

Ashwin became the fastest bowler in 80 years to complete 100 wickets in his 19th Test against the West Indies, at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, last November. It was also the farewell game of Sachin Tendulkar.

The 27-year-old Chennai-born tweaker eclipsed the previous Indian record of off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna, reaching the 100-wicket mark in one fewer Test.

Ashwin, who is also a useful batsman, has taken 104 wickets in Tests, 106 in 79 ODIs and 25 in the same number of T20 internationals.

- Please click NEXT for more

Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Morne Morkel has been reprimanded for breaching the Indian Premier League's code of conduct by using "insulting language" during his team's match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

"Morkel admitted to the level 1 offence (Article 2.1.4) of using insulting language during the match," according to a statement from the tournament organisers.

The Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers in a thriller at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The statement added: "For Level 1 breaches of the IPL Code of Conduct, the Match Referee's decision is final and binding."

In another game, Shane Watson of Rajasthan Royals was fined $20 000 for maintaining a slow over rate during the Chennai Super Kings innings.

- Please click NEXT for more...

Chris Lynn's screamer of a catch in the IPL match against Royal Challengers Bangalore took the Twitter world by storm, with fans pouring out their amazement over the acrobatic effort which sealed a two-run win for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Lynn's brilliant effort on the boundary line generated quite a buzz on the social media network, making his name on among the top 10 trends of the day.

"T 1462 -Chris Lynn of KKR ipl team has taken one of the most sensational catches ever .. just unimaginable !!" wrote Superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

- KKR hero Lynn says happy he 'could catch that one'

"what a catch by chris lynn. to recover after slipping and complete it that way makes it one of the most stunning catches in the #PepsiIPL," added commentator Harsha Bhogle.

Theirs was among a deluge of reactions to Lynn's superhuman effort after initially slipping near the boundary rope.

Most fans declared it the 'catch of the century'.

"For degree of difficulty, awareness and composure, Chris Lynn's catch will be hard to beat. Magnificent," tweeted former cricketer Ian Bishop, who is now a commentator.

"Chris Lynn slips, on the ground, he arches back, takes a blinder AND falls inches before the line. Most unbelievable recovery of all time," wrote actor Rahul Bose.

- Please click NEXT for more...

Besides, the thrilling match was top of the Twitter charts for the most talked about game so far followed closely by Kings XI Punjab's mammoth chase versus Chennai Super Kings.

By virtue of their steady start and their rabbit-out-of-the-hat win last night, Kolkata Knight Riders have been the most mentioned team on Twitter so far. Chennai are a close second thanks to their champion-like performances in the last two matches.

- Photos from the match

Virat Kohli is the most talked about IPL player, but overnight, Glenn Maxwell's incredible performances in the IPL's first got him to the second position, while Lynn cracked the top 10 list with his out-of-the-world catch.

On the all-time Twitter follower charts, Kohli has overtaken Mahendra Singh Dhoni due to a great run on the pitch in recent months and will be the first active international cricketer player to break the three million follower count.

- Please click NEXT for more...

Sri Lanka appointed former captain Marvan Atapattu as the interim head coach of their cricket team on Friday following Paul Farbrace's resignation earlier this week.

Atapattu, 43, will be in charge of the team for their tour of Ireland and England starting next month and the subsequent home series against South Africa.

Farbrace resigned to become England's assistant coach after guiding Sri Lanka to the World Twenty20 title in Bangladesh earlier this month.

Fielding coach and former off-spinner Ruwan Kalpage will be Atapattu's deputy for the two series, the cricket board said.

"We made these appointments to get out of the current situation. We have not, at this point of time, thought of going for a foreign coach," SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said.

"However, we are looking at hiring a consultant coach familiar with English conditions and pitches to help the two coaches during the tour," he said.

Sri Lanka will leave for Ireland on May 2 to play two One-Day Internationals in Dublin on May 6 and 8 before moving to England to play a series of two tests, five One-Day Internationals and a one-off Twenty20 International.