Page 30 - Cricket

'I am in pain': Kapil Dev appeals BCCI to help ailing Anshuman Gaekwad

Former cricketer and India coach Anshuman Gaekwad, aged 71, has been receiving treatment at King's College Hospital in London for the past year

Sachin Tendulkar best batter to bowl to, says England legend James Anderson

England fast bowling great James Anderson, who is into his final few days as an international cricketer, enjoyed his battles against Sachin Tendulkar the most over the course of his remarkably long career. Anderson, who is playing his 188th Test for England against the West Indies at Lord's, will retire after the game. Even though Anderson dismissed Tendulkar on nine occasions, he could not have a set plan against the Indian master blaster. The best batter I would have to say is Sachin Tendulkar, Anderson told Sky Sports when asked about the toughest batter he bowled to. I don't remember having a specific game plan against Sachin Tendulkar. Once he came on, I would just think that I cannot bowl a bad ball here, he was that kind of player. He was a key for India as well. If you get him out in India, the whole atmosphere, in the ground changes. He was such a big wicket, Anderson said. Like Tendulkar, who represented India for 24 years, Anderson has set a telling example for fast ..

India take series lead over Zimbabwe with all-round show in third T20

Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad produced high-quality knocks before the bowlers did their part as India outplayed Zimbabwe by 23 runs in the third T20 here on Wednesday. Gill (66 off 49), Yashasvi Jaiswal (36 off 27) and Gaikwad (49 off 28) propelled India to 182 for four against Zimbabwe after the visitors opted to bat on a fresh pitch. Zimbabwe were never really in the run chase despite an entertaining effort from number four Dion Myers (65 not out 49), ending at 159 for six in their stipulated 20 overs. Washington Sundar, who is likely to play a bigger role in India's T20 set-up after the retirement of Ravindra Jadeja, struck thrice while Avesh Khan took a couple of wickets. The fourth T20 of the five-match series will be staged here on Saturday, July 13. After a loss in the series opener, India have restored normal service with back-to-back victories. After Avesh Khan bounced out opener Wessly Madhevere in the second over, the wickets kept falling for the home team. However,

Rahul Dravid declines Rs 2.5 crore bonus for 2024 T20 World Cup victory

ICC T20 World Cup: Rahul Dravid requested his bonus be reduced to align with the Rs 2.5 crore given to other support staff, including bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and batting coach Vikram Rathore

Chapter closed but not fully: Warner teases return for Champions Trophy

David Warner has declared his international career a "closed chapter" but at the same time, the Australian batting great won't mind padding up in the Champions Trophy next year should he be selected, something that has been described as an "emergency option" by his ODI captain Pat Cummins. Warner retired from ODIs after Australia's World Cup-winning run in November last year, while his last Test was against Pakistan in January. His final T20I came against India on June 24 at the shortest format's recently-concluded global showpiece . "Chapter closed!! It's been an unbelievable experience to play at the highest level for such a long period. Australia was my team. The majority of my career was at the international level. It's been an honour to be able to do this. 100+ games in all formats is my highlight," Warner wrote in an Instagram post on Monday. "I will continue to play franchise cricket for a while, and I am also open to playing for Australia in the Champions trophy if selected,

'Kirsten, Gillespie given free hand by PCB to turn fortunes of Pak cricket'

In the wake of Pakistan's dismal showing in the T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday gave head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie a free hand to turn the fortunes of the team, according to sources. Pakistan lost to newcomers USA and arch-rivals India in the Group stages of the World Cup to be eliminated from the competition held in the USA and the Caribbean. Naqvi met the white-ball and red-ball coaches, where Kirsten and Gillespie shared their plans for the national team. According to the PCB, Naqvi told both the coaches that he had full confidence in them and they would get full backing from the cricket board. "Kirsten was blunt in laying down his concerns about the white-ball team based on the World Cup," said a PCB source. Both the head coaches told the PCB chairman that they wanted to set clear guidelines about the fitness levels required to be considered for Pakistan team selection. "Naqvi told them they should do whatever is ...

SLC refutes claims of drinking party in team hotel during recent World Cup

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board on Tuesday described a media report which claimed that its players were involved in a drinking party inside team hotel during the recent T20 World Cup as "entirely false, fabricated, and baseless". A weekend newspaper had on July 7 claimed that the Sri Lankan players had a drinking party inside the team hotel before the match against South Africa, which the islanders lost by six wickets in New York on June 3. "Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wishes to issue the following clarification regarding an inaccurate article titled 'Drinking Party Inside Team Hotel Before South Africa Match?' published in a weekend newspaper on July 7th and subsequently circulated on social media. "SLC categorically and strongly refutes the contents of the article and confirms that no such incidents, as described, have occurred. Therefore, SLC states unequivocally that the news report is entirely false, fabricated, and baseless," the SLC said in a statement. Sri Lanka secured only one .

James Anderson makes peace with retirement ahead of final Test match

James Anderson has made peace with his impending England retirement even if the evergreen seamer believes he is bowling as well as he ever has done. Anderson, who turns 42 this month, was told by England's management team in April that they would be moving on from him this summer as they look toward the future. Despite his age, Anderson warmed up for his 188th and final Test appearance against the West Indies at Lord's which starts Wednesday with a seven-wicket haul for Lancashire last week. Anderson, whose 700 Test wickets are a record for a non-spinner, insisted he is excited for what the future holds after agreeing to remain with England's red-ball side for the rest of the summer as a fast bowling mentor. I feel like I'm still bowling as well as I ever have, Anderson said. But, I knew it had to end at some point. Whether it's now or in a year or two. The fact it's now is something I've got to deal with and accept. The last couple of months I've made peace with that. I can ...

Abhishek's ton powers India to 100-run win over Zimbabwe; levels series 1-1

Chasing a massive 235-run target the visitors got off to a poor start losing opener Innocent Kaia for 4 in the first over as Mukesh Kumar gave India an early breakthrough

Shukla hits back at Thackeray, says cannot prioritise one city over another

The BCCI cannot prioritise one city over another when it comes to organising important finals, said board's vice-president on Friday in response to Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray's demand. Following a massive turnout during Indian cricket team's T20 World Cup victory parade on Marine Drive to the Wankhede Stadium, Thackeray had urged BCCI to not "take away" any final match from Mumbai. "Yesterday's celebration in Mumbai is also a strong message to the BCCI... Never take away a World Cup final from Mumbai!, Thackeray had written on X. "It is BCCI's policy that where the final should take place. It cannot always be given to a particular city, Shukla told PTI on Friday. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai hosted the 2023 ODI World Cup semifinal whereas the world's largest stadium in terms of sitting capacity, in Ahmedabad, was the venue for the final. "There has been a final match -- 1987 World Cup -- in Kolkata also, and Kolkata is considered as Mecca. So it can't be decided that it

Rohit, Suryakumar's banter on 'The Catch' captivates Maharashtra Assembly

Cricket outshone politics in Maharashtra Legislature on Friday as Rohit Sharma and other T20 World Cup winning team members from the city were honoured at the Vidhan Bhawan. When Suryakumar Yadav, who took the incredible match-defining catch in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa rose to speak, those in the Central Hall, including ministers and legislators, chanted in unison that he speak on the catch. Catch basla hatat (the catch just landed in my hands), Suryakumar said in Marathi, to loud cheers from the audience. He then went on to give a replay of sorts, gesturing with his hands on how he took the catch. The team captain Rohit Sharma who spoke after Suryakumar, said, Surya just now said that the ball sat in his hands. It is good that the ball sat in his hands or else I would have made him sit (out of the team). In his Marathi speech, Rohit said, It was a dream to bring the World Cup back in India. We waited 11 years for this. In 2013, we had won the ICC Champions ...

T20WC: Logistical hassle surrounds Caribbean's first ICC event in 14 years

The recently-concluded T20 World Cup, which was the first ICC men's event in the Caribbean in 14 years, was a success on many fronts but the logistical challenges involved in staging the massive event in the region caused a lot of discomfort to the game's stakeholders, including the players and fans. Cricket West Indies reaped the benefits of hosting the big-ticket competition that gave the governing body financial security for the foreseeable future. The ICC fulfilled its vision of hosting a World Cup in a region outside the big three (India, Australia, England). The locals fans were also thrilled to see top-flight cricket being played in the Caribbean after a long time but the same could not be said about the overseas fans who had to take great pains to watch their teams in action. Before the caravan moved to the Caribbean for the Super 8s, the talk around the games in co-host USA was mainly around the undercooked drop-in pitches in New York. Logistical issues began to crop up onl

India among most active nations for Meta's Threads; active users hit 175 mn

India is one of the most active countries for Threads, which has notched over 175 million monthly active users globally, according to social media giant Meta. The update assumes significance as it marks the completion of nearly one year since Meta officially launched rival to Twitter (now X). "With a 175 million actives, we're seeing Threads become a place where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. India is one of the most active countries for Threads globally," Meta said in a release. In India, some of the most popular tags and topics on Threads are centred around film, TV and OTT content, celebrity-related conversations and sports. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads has over 175 million monthly active users as the social media giant asserted that Threads was launched with the belief that "everyone has something valuable to say". "It's been a year now, and we're seeing it become a place where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ide

Indian cricket team remains stranded in Barbados due to severe hurricane

The victorious Indian cricket team remains stranded in Barbados after a Category 4 hurricane hit the Caribbean islands here in the wee hours of Monday, delaying its departure back home by at least another day. The Rohit Sharma-led side has stayed put in a five-star hotel since its triumph over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final here on Saturday. As per the forecast, life-threatening winds and storm lashed Barbados and nearby islands on Monday. The country, with a population of close to three lakh, has been in a lockdown since Sunday evening. The main international airport is shut until further notice with water and electricity supply also getting disrupted. "Like you people, we are also stuck here. First we need to see how to get the players and everyone out of here safely and then we will think about the felicitation upon arrival in India," said BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who got here ahead of the big final. The squad, along with top BCCI officials including Jay Shah, was supp

Both Houses of Parliament laud Indian cricket team's T20 World Cup win

Both Houses of Parliament on Monday congratulated the Indian cricket team for winning the T20 World Cup. In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla said the country's youngsters and sportspersons would derive inspiration from the victory. Birla congratulated the team led by Rohit Sharma on the feat. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar lauded the team for the historic win. "Such historic accomplishments inspire every citizen to dream big, work hard and achieve eminence," Dhankhar said. The Chair also lauded the South African cricket team for a spirited fight during the T20 World Cup final in Barbados on Saturday. India lifted the T20 World Cup after a 17-year gap, beating South Africa by seven runs in the final on June 29.

From shy child to cricket legend: Inside Jasprit Bumrah's life journey

Jasprit Bumrah's neighbour, a senior journalist, wrote an emotional post for the India star after his stunning performance in the T20 World Cup Final in Barbados

New head coach to take charge from Sri Lanka series, says Jay Shah

The Indian cricket team will have a new head coach from the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting later this month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on Monday but did not reveal who has been finalised to succeed the outgoing Rahul Dravid. Former opener Gautam Gambhir is expected to succeed Dravid as the India head coach. The Cricket Advisory Committee has also conducted the interviews for the high-profile job and short-listed Gambhir and former India women's coach W V Raman. The appointment of a selector will also be made soon, said Shah, who is in the Caribbean with the India squad that won the T20 World Cup title on Saturday, beating South Africa by seven runs in the final. "Both coach and selector appointment will be made shortly. CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. VVS Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but new coach will join from Sri Lanka series," Shah tld select media, referring to the Zimbabwe tour

BCCI announces Rs 125 crore prize money for Indian team for T20 WC triumph

BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Sunday hailed India's epochal title win in the T20 World Cup and announced a prize money of Rs 125 crore for the team for its monumental feat in the just-concluded ICC showpiece. India defeated South Africa by seven runs in a tense final at Bridgetown, Barbados, to land their second world title in the T20 format. Under the exceptional leadership of Rohit Sharma, this team has shown remarkable resolve and resilience, becoming the first team in the history of the ICC T20 World Cup to win the tournament unbeaten, said Shah in a statement. "They have faced and silenced their critics with stellar performances time and again. Their journey has been nothing short of inspirational, and today, they join the ranks of the greats. Shah later took to social media to announce a cash reward of Rs 125 crore for the team. "I am pleased to announce prize money of INR 125 Crores for Team India for winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024," Shah wrote on 'X' "The team has

Attracting Netravalkars

Mumbai-born software engineer-turned-international cricketer Netravalkar embodies the hardworking Indian immigrants who make the US their home through talent, grit, and hard work

How the Bumrah-Hardik duo could lock T20 World Cup title for India

Rohit Sharma captains a potent lineup as the magical duo of Bumrah and Pandya team up for their first full World Cup campaign, poised to bring home the T20 title for India.