The great Virat Kohli feels one has to be at his absolute best to face a high quality bowling attack like Pakistan's. The Indians have won their last three ODIs against Pakistan but the last one was played during the 2019 World Cup. I feel bowling is their strength. And they've got some really impactful bowlers that can change the course of the game anytime based on their skill set. So, you have to be at your absolute best to face them, he told Star Sports. Kohli has been in decent form in ODIs lately, having scripted 554 runs in 13 matches in the format since last December at a commendable average of 50.36. Talking about his approach lately, Kohli said, I only try to understand how I can better my game. Every day, every practice session, every year, every season, this is what has helped me play this well for so long and to perform for my team. "I don't think you can perform consistently without that mindset because if your performance is your only goal, then you can be satisfied
Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan has termed Virat Kohli as a world-class player and very well knows the kind of planning it requires to bowl to the master batter. India and Pakistan will square off in the ongoing Asia Cup here on Saturday. And ahead of the marque clash, Pakistani bowlers are working tirelessly to prepare and counter Kohli's threat. "He (Kohli) is a world-class player, definitely. You have to plan a lot to face him," Shadab told Star Sports on the sidelines of the tournament. Kohli slammed an unbeaten 53-ball 82-run knock against Pakistan in a group match of the ICC T20 World Cup at Melbourne last year to guide India to a convincing four-wicket win over their arch-rivals. Recalling that knock, Shadab said, "The kind of batsman that Virat Kohli is, the way he has performed against us, even in the last match at the (2022 T20) World Cup, I don't think that if any other batsman in the world was in that situation, could have done that to our bowling line-up. "And, the
This has come as a shot in the arm, as Viacom 18 already has the digital rights for the IPL
Ishan Kishan is set to play the wicketkeeper-batter role in the absence of K L Rahul but question remains over the left-hander's batting slot going into the Asia Cup opener against Pakistan on September 2. The temptation will be to hand Kishan the opening position with Rahul not available for the first two games of the continental event. He had opened the innings in India's last ODI series against the West Indies along with Shubman Gill, and made a good impression. Kishan made 184 runs in that series from three matches, averaging 61.33 and his scores read 52, 55 and 77. But it was a rather straightforward move as Rohit Sharma was given a rest during the ODIs against the West Indies. Now that Rohit has returned to the side and will occupy one opening slot, the Indian think-tank will have to put in a thought as to where to accommodate Kishan. Opening is also Kishan's most successful slot in the batting order as he had made double hundred there against Bangladesh last year. Former
Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif has cast doubts over KL Rahul's fitness for the entire Asia Cup
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has said that if India's top three don't throw their wickets away, it would be their game to lose against Pakistan
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on Wednesday said the massive 238-run win over Nepal in the Asia Cup opener will give his side confidence ahead of their blockbuster clash against arch-rivals India on Saturday. Pakistan crushed minnows Nepal by a huge margin of 238 runs here in a Group A match to make a winning start to the Asia Cup. Pakistan will now travel to Sri Lanka for the much-anticipated match against India to be played in Pallekele. "This game was good preparation for the India game because it gave us confidence. We want to give 100 per cent every match, hope to do that there as well," Babar said after the end of the match. Babar smashed 151, his 19th ODI century while Iftikhar Ahmed (109 not out) hit his maiden ODI ton to power Pakistan to an imposing 342 for six after opting to bat. Babar was involved in two crucial partnerships after a sedate start -- first stitching 86 runs with Mohammad Rizwan (44 off 50) and then sharing an whirlwind 214 runs for the fifth wicket with ..
The multiple battles against Pakistan in Asia Cup will test the character and personality of the players in the Indian team, feels all-rounder Hardik Pandya. India gets their Asia Cup campaign underway against arch-rivals Pakistan in Pallekele on Sunday. Both teams can play each other as many as three times if they reach the final. Ahead of India's opening game, Pandya spoke about the intensity of an Indo-Pak clash. "It's an event which I've seen how it checks your character and personality, and at the same point in time, you can see in how deep waters you can swim. So, for me, all these factors excite me a lot, he told Star Sports. A lot of emotions are attached by fans. For us, it is about playing a good team, playing a match against a very good side who has done very well in the recent past." Pandya also mentioned that fixtures against teams like Pakistan involve making calculated decisions and not getting carried away by emotions. "We try to keep the outside noise outside and
Babar Azam hit 151 against Nepal in the opening match of Asia Cup 2023. It rang the danger bells for Team India. The two arch-rivals clash on Saturday, September 02, in Babar's next game
Asia Cup 2023 will mark the return of the ODI format, preceding the 50-over World Cup. Check squads of all six teams, key players to watch out here
Rohit Sharma traded caution with aggression to add a different dimension to his batting and the Indian skipper is happy with the results even if it means not getting those daddy hundreds. At the end of the 2019 World Cup, Rohit had scored 27 hundreds but in the last four years he could add only three more centuries to his tally. The captain largely believes that this is because of the high-risk game he has adopted. "I wanted to take more risks, which is why my numbers are slightly different now," Rohit told PTI during an exclusive interview. "My (ODI) strike-rate (during this period) has increased but the average has dipped a bit. This is exactly what our batting coach (Vikram Rathour) was telling me, You have scored big runs because of the way you batted all these years and in the last few years, it (big runs) has not happened because you are taking risk," the skipper added. Rohit is the only player to have scored three double hundreds -- 209 (vs Australia, 2013), 264 (vs Sri Lank
Team India coach Rahul Dravid said at a press conference here that KL is progressing well from the niggle he picked after recovering from his injury and will be under NCA supervision till September 4
Will Indian openers survive Shaheen Afridi's opening spell or whether Kuldeep Yadav spins the web around Babar Azam once again? Here are the top battles to watch out for in Asia Cup 2023
He may have flopped in his audition at No 4 slot in India's ODI batting line-up but the explosive Suryakumar Yadav says he is determined to "crack the code" of making runs in the game's "most challenging" format. The world No 1 T20 batter and a vital cog for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Suryakumar found it tough to provide India solidity in ODIs in their build-up to the World Cup, failing to record a single half-century in 20 matches between February 2022 and August 2023. In his last assignment in the Caribbean, Suryakumar was pushed down to No 6 and with the preferred No 4 choice Shreyas Iyer returning to the national team for the Asia Cup, it is possible that 'Sky' would have to stick to his new role. The right-handed batter is a part of the 18-member squad for the Asia Cup and looks set to make the World Cup team too, but he knows he has to turn the tide in his favour. "I feel the role which will be given to me, I will try to maintain that role, and if it's a changed role I will t
This Asia Cup will see many youngsters face the test of international cricket in a multi-lateral ODI format, having shone in their bilateral and league matches so far. But few are primed to shine
Shadab Khan said that whether or not Virat Kohli will handle all Pakistan bowlers, will be decided on match day in the Asia Cup 2023
Pain, often excruciating, was Shreyas Iyer's constant companion as he dealt with a back injury, and when it refused to subside even after undergoing surgery, he "panicked" thinking that his career could be on the line. Prior to the surgery, Iyer was suffering, so much so that he "wasn't even able to "express myself properly" about what he was going through. However, the 28-year-old stylish batter eventually recovered and returned to the Indian team for the upcoming Asia Cup. Now that he is back, he is taking it one step at a time. Recalling the days of his struggles because of the injury, Iyer told the BCCI: "To be precise, I had this nerve compression, basically a slip disc, which was compressing the nerve, and the pain was going all the way down to the bottom of my tiny toe. And, it was horrendous then. "I was in excruciating pain. I wasn't able to express myself properly about what I'm going through. "But yeah, this was the feeling that I was having then and it was hard to ...
Former captain of Indian women's cricket team Mithali Raj on Sunday said Men in Blue' have a big opportunity to lift the ICC World Cup in home conditions later this year. The global showpiece event will be played in India across October and November, and the hosts are aiming to bag another World Cup after winning it in 1983 and 2011. As an Indian cricket fan, I would want India to play in the final. It is a big opportunity. We are the host nation and the conditions are in our favour. "If they (team) do well, we will get another opportunity to lift the World Cup, Mithali, who was here to witness the Women's Premier League final, told reporters. Mithali, the highest run-scorer in WODIs with 7805 runs, said women's cricket has a lot of potential to grow in the valley. For past two to three years, the BCCI has been making lot of efforts to promote the women's game and women players. "The WIPL this year has also gone well and it is good for the sports profile. We hope that many player
Laxman did not accompany the men's team to Ireland because of prior commitments at the National Cricket Academy while Kanitkar was interim coach of the India women's team at the Women's T20 World Cup
The top five Indian batters in the list include heavyweights of the game like Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni. But the last two names are of Delhi boys which might surprise people