LISTEN: Full script of Episode 163 of Spodcast where we discuss Sourav Ganguly's appointment as Delhi Capitals adviser, Dipa Karmakar reaching vaults final at Artistic Gymnastics World Cup and more

Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as adviser of the Delhi Capitals for the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League. In his new role, Ganguly will work closely with the team’s head coach Ricky Ponting. Speaking about his new role, Ganguly said, “I am very pleased to come on board with the Delhi Capitals. Having known the Jindals and the JSW Group for years, I am now excited to be a part of their latest sports venture. I am really looking forward to working with the players and the support staff.” The Delhi Capitals have never won the IPL and are looking to turn around their fortunes this year. Delhi Capitals chairman Parth Jindal said, “Sourav is one of the most astute minds in world cricket. A lot of what we see in Indian cricket today was born because of Sourav. His aggression, positivity and never say die attitude are traits we want the Delhi Capitals team to imbibe. It is truly an honour that Sourav has chosen Delhi as his IPL team. I have no doubt that our team will benefit immensely from his experience, guidance and advice. Sourav has been like family to me and I am deeply humbled to have him as an adviser.” After retiring from cricket, Ganguly has been an administrator for more than five years now, and is the current President of the Cricket Association of Bengal. However, he denied that his role as adviser with the Delhi team could lead to a conflict of interest. He explained, “There is absolutely no conflict of interest. I resigned from the IPL governing council earlier. I have spoken to the CoA too before committing myself to the role.” He said contributing in technical matters and strategy is what excites him the most. He told PTI, “I am feeling very excited. Always wanted to return to cricket. You can say I am a happy man. Yes, I was the captain of KKR. But this role is totally different from that. Playing on the field is different from providing inputs sitting in the dugout. As a captain, I also had to execute the plans on the field. But this time the onus is on the cricketers to perform.” In badminton news, Indian shuttlers Subhankar Dey and Riya Mookerjee advanced to the men’s and women’s singles quarterfinals respectively of the Swiss Open in Basel on Thursday. The doubles and mixed doubles teams also qualified for the round of eight. Dey won a hard-fought victory over fifth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia. After a match that went on for one hour and 11 minutes, Dey prevailed 12-21 22-20 21-17. He will face reigning Olympic champion and two-time All England champion Chen Long of China in the next round. In the women’s draw, Riya Mookerjee qualified for the quarterfinals after her opponent from Canada, Michelle Li, retired hurt. Mukherjee was leading 18-16 at the time. She will take on the top-seeded Chen Yufei of China in her next match. In women’s doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy won 21-14 21-17 over Nadia Fankhauser of Switzerland and Iris Tabeling of the Netherlands to enter the quarterfinals. In mixed doubles, MR Arjun and K Maneesha defeated fellow Indians Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki 21-16 16-21 21-15 in a hard-fought 55-minute match to advance to the quarterfinals. Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar qualified for the vault finals at Artistic Gymnastics World Cup the after finishing third in the qualifying round. 25-year-old Dipa, who had finished fourth in the event at 2016 Rio Olympics, performed a higher difficulty Handfront 540 vault for the first time in the competition. She finished with 14.466 and 14.133 points in the two qualifying round vaults for an average of 14.299. American gymnast Jade Carey took the top spot in the qualifying round with an average score of 14.70 while Alexa Moreno of Mexico finished second with 14.533.The top eight finishers qualify for the final that will be held on Saturday. Gymnastics Federation of India vice president Riyaz Bhati praised Dipa, saying, “It’s a good performance by Dipa. Let us hope that she stands on the podium after Saturday’s final and take one more step towards Olympic qualification.” Some startling news for Indian cricket fans. Kolkata Police charged bowler Mohammed Shami in dowry and sexual harassment cases yesterday. An ANI report stated that a charge sheet has been filed in Alipore police court against Shami under IPC 498A, that pertains to dowry harassment and 354A, which pertains to sexual harassment. Shami’s wife Hasin Jahan had accused him of sexual offenses and domestic violence in March 2018, after exposing his alleged extra-marital affair publicly. She had also lodged an FIR with Kolkata Police for the same. Jahan had also accused him of match-fixing but the BCCI gave Shami a clean chit after an investigation. After that investigation, Shami made a strong comeback to the Indian team. He bowled superbly during India’s tour of Australia and during the home series against Australia. Shami was handed a Grade A central contract by BCCI and is a strong contender for India’s squad for the 2019 World Cup.