Page 173 - India Cricket Team

Asia Cup: Sourav Ganguly says number 4 position won't make much difference

Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Monday said India have a lot of options for the No 4 position in their ODI side, and stressed that one position alone will not win important tournaments like the World Cup. Ganguly said the team management should zero in on one player and give him a long rope at the No 4 slot. India has enormous talent. I keep hearing about this...we don't have this or that but we have too much and that is the problem that we cannot decide. "The No 4...Rahul (Dravid), selectors and Rohit (Sharma) need to decide that this is my No 4 and I will continue with him'. One batting slot does not make much of a difference, Ganguly told the media here while being appointed as the brand ambassador of the real estate company Casagrand. Downplaying the debate over the No 4 position, Ganguly said any player can be fitted there. Number four is just a number and anybody can fit in. I started in the middle-order in one-day cricket and went on to open because I was asked to by Sachi

Asian Games: Ruturaj Gaikwad to lean on lessons from captain cool MS Dhoni

Ruturaj Gaikwad feels leading a side is a complicated affair but he will try to make it simple like his Chennai Super Kings skipper M S Dhoni when he captains India at the Asian Games next month. Gaikwad will captain a side full of youngsters in Hangzhou with the main team busy with World Cup preparations at the same time. "Leadership role is a very complicated thing to be honest. What Mahi bhai (Dhoni) always says is to take it one game at a time, don't worry about the future. "Everyone creates hype and whatever it is. I am not the kind of person who tracks social media and hear things about what anyone is saying about me. "I think this is one of the traits that I have learned at CSK. I am pretty much clear about giving my best in the field, coming back home, chilling with my friends," he told reporters after India's 33-run win over Ireland in the second T20 on Sunday. The right-hander, who warmed up the bench for the major part of the West Indies tour, is getting to open in the

Asia Cup 2023: BCCI reveals India squad; Tilak gets call-up, Chahal dropped

Tilak Varma found a place in the squad and Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are back in the team as well with Rahul still struggling with the niggle

IND vs IRE: Tough to pick Playing 11, a great headache to have - Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is very happy that the younger crop of players in the national team are not carrying the excess baggage of expectations which could be a hindrance towards fulfilling their true potential. Bumrah on Sunday earned his first series victory as skipper with a young team that comfortably beat Ireland by 33 runs in the second T20 International with Rinku Singh announcing his arrival in 'Blue' with a belligerent 21-ball-38. "It is very pleasing. It is tough to pick an XI. It's a great headache to have. Everyone is eager. Everyone is confident. All of us wanted to play for India," Bumrah said at the presentation ceremony after his team's win in the second game. "Eventually, everyone has to work their way up. If you play with a baggage of expectation, you are under pressure. You have to keep those expectations aside. You are not doing yourself 100 percent justice if you are playing with so many expectations," he added. Player of the Match Rinku was happy that his hard work of

Suryakumar the loose end Indian needs to tie before World Cup: Manjrekar

Terming Suryakumar Yadav "a big temptation", former India player Sanjay Manjrekar on Sunday said deciding on the prolific T20I batter's selection is "one loose end" the home team will need to tie up before the ODI World Cup. While Suryakumar has been dominating the T20 format for a while now, he has not quite lived up to the expectations in the 50-over game, the World Cup of which will be hosted by India in October-November. Speaking to Star Sports, Manjrekar shared his opinion on whether Suryakumar should play in the tournament. "I think most issues seem to address that the batter is in pretty good form. India of course have to ponder on the Suryakumar Yadav case because 50 overs cricket is not quite making the same impact but he will be such a big temptation on a big stage when he walks in with just 15-17 overs left in the innings, can be a game changer. "So that is an issue India need to sort of finalise whether they want , Suryakumar Yadav, so that is one loose end they need to

India skipper Haramanpreet Kaur says no regret over her Dhaka outburst

Indian women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur said on Sunday that she has no regret over her temperamental outburst during the third ODI against Bangladesh last month in Dhaka. Harmanpreet was banned for two matches after she smashed the stumps over the umpire's decision to give her out. Later in the post-match presentation, she had also termed the umpiring "pathetic" during the bilateral series. Following the ban, Harmanpreet will miss India's first two T20I matches at the Hanghzou Asian Games in September-October. "I will not say that I regret anything because at the end of the day as a player you want to see that fair things are happening. As a player, you always have the right to express yourself and what you're feeling," she was quoted as saying by The Cricket Paper during the Women's Hundred. Harmanpreet is playing for Trent Rockets in the tournament. "I don't think I said anything wrong to any player or any person. I just said what happened on the field. I don't reg

IRE vs IND 1st T20 Playing 11: Prasidh, Rinku make debut in shortest format

Pacer Prasidh Krishna and IPL sensation Rinku Singh got their debut India cap. While Prasidh already made his debut in ODI cricket, this would be Rinku's first match for India.

IRE vs IND T20s full schedule, match timings (IST), squads, live streaming

The live telecast of India vs Ireland series will be available on Sports 18 channel while fans can watch the live streaming on Jio Cinema.

IRE vs IND 1st T20 Highlights: India win Bumrah's comeback match by 2 runs

India vs Ireland 1st T20 Live Updates: Just when it got interesting with two quick wickets for Ireland, rain came in and did not buzz. The match was eventually called off. India won by 2 runs on DLS

IRE vs IND T20s: Know India's head coach and support staff on Ireland tour

Sitanshu Kotak and Sairaj Bahutule are the head coach and bowling coach of India respectively on the team's Ireland tour for three T20 internationals

Boom Boom is back! Bumrah makes India comeback after long injury break

Jasprit Bumrah underwent surgery in March 2023, and after four months of rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, he made India comeback as a captain.

World Cup: Shastri, Sandeep Patil back Tilak Varma for Indian middle-order

Former stars Ravi Shastri and Sandeep Patil on Friday batted for the inclusion of the talented Tilak Varma in India's middle-order for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2023. The mega event will be held in India from October 5 to November 19. Shastri said the 20-year-old Varma is at an advantageous position because he is a left-hander. Speaking on Star Sports, Shastri said, "I'm very impressed with Tilak Varma. Very, very impressed. And I want a left-hander. So, if I'm looking for a left-hander in the middle order, like Yuvraj Singh and before that was Suresh Raina at five, I would really look in that direction (of Varma). "Sandy (Sandip) and MSK (Prasad) have been selectors, and if I was a selector along with my panel, I would be looking at that current form, looking at how he's getting his runs. "So, when I look at the way he has got his runs over the last three months, whether it was for Mumbai Indians, for India, whether it was handling pressure, opposition, or different situatio

Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan best for middle-order, feels Saba Karim

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has backed Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan as the best replacement options at number 4 and 5 if the first-choice players are not fit in time for the Asia Cup and World Cup. India are expected to announce the squad for the Asia Cup in a few days and it remains to be seen if the preferred choices in Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul make the cut. The selectors should take KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer into consideration they can be included in the team if they are fit. But the wait has not ended, the team will be announced on the 20th from what I know, they have the time until then, Karim told the media during a chat organised by Jio Cinema. But if they are not fit, Ishan Kishan is a good option against Rahul since he can bat as an opener and in the middle-order, he added. While Karim named three players for the No 5 slot, he said senior batter Suryakumar would be his first preference. If Shreyas Iyer is not fit, you have 2-3 options to pick from, in Tila

Why does Ashwin find it difficult to be friends with his Indian teammates?

R Ashwin underlined the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a major factor behind the "lack of friendship" between players

IRE vs IND: First two T20Is is complete sell-out, informs Cricket Ireland

The Indian team's global popularity does add financial muscle to emerging cricket boards as Cricket Ireland realised after all tickets for the first T20 Internationals were sold out. "The first and second Men's T20 Internationals between Ireland and India are now sold out, with the third match selling quickly," Cricket Ireland posted in its website. All the matches will be held at 'The Village' Malahide Cricket Club Ground which has an official capacity of 11,500. India have won all their five previous T20Is against Ireland since the MS Dhoni-led side defeated them by eight wickets in a World Twenty20 group fixture in England in 2009. Ireland then went on to host Team India twice in a two-match T20I series in 2018 and 2022 which were held at the same venue here. Want us to make an impression: Lorcan Tucker ============================= The Paul Stirling-led side's wicketkeeper-batter Lorcan Tucker said they are aware of the big challenge and looking forward to make a big ...

Very easy to criticise for T20I series loss on social media: R Ashwin

The critical analysis of India's loss to the West Indies in the T20I series has not gone down well with veteran cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin who feels there were several positives as well despite the defeat. India lost the closely-contested T20I series 2-3 after winning the Test and ODI series, but losing to a side that failed to qualify for the Super 12s during the 2022 T20 World Cup, has critics targeting Hardik Pandya's side. "Obviously, after losing the series, many of them are criticising (the team) and (are) upset. It's understandable. But we can see this loss from two perspectives. Many players did well for India," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel. Ashwin felt it's not easy for any youngster to go and perform on foreign soil straightaway. "It is very easy to criticise the team on social media since they lost to a side that did not qualify for the last T20 World Cup (Super 12) and the 50-over World Cup (in India this year). In all countries, there will be some innate secre

IND, PAK will struggle to match power hitting skills of other teams: Latif

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif believes that Asian teams including Pakistan and India will find it tough to match the power hitting skills of other teams in the upcoming ODI World Cup. In an interview to the Cricket Baaz Youtube channel on Wednesday, Latif said the likes of England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa would bring something new with their approach in the 50-over showpiece scheduled in India from October 5-November 19. The one area where I feel Asian teams will struggle to match these sides are particularly in the middle overs when a fast strike rate is required even in 50-overs, said the former wicket-keeper batter. "The English, Australian and New Zealand batters have turned to reverse sweep and switch shots against the spinners into something very lethal nowadays. He also noted that England in particular were also well versed in using their spinners in the middle overs. A bowler like Adil Rashid or someone like Moeen Ali buy their wickets whereas our ..

Ireland T20Is: With Jitesh Sharma hot-on-heels, time running out for Samson

The national selection committee's patience with the profligate Sanju Samson could be soon running out as Jitesh Sharma's presence in the 15-member squad for Ireland T20s puts the Rajasthan Royals skipper's place in the side under scanner. The Indian squad for the series, save skipper Jasprit Bumrah, who is treating this event as a fitness test for the ODI World Cup, comprises Asian Games-bound players mostly and that in turn creates a slightly tricky situation. With scores of 12, 7 and 13 in the three games that he batted in the five-match T20 series against West Indies, Samson has himself invited trouble and one shouldn't be surprised if Jitesh dons the big gloves and plays as a designated finisher during the Ireland series beginning on Friday. The 29-year-old from Maharashtra is likely to be India's first-choice keeper ahead of Prabhsimran Singh in the upcoming Asian Games and before an important event, it is only fair that he gets to play a few international games to settle his

World Cup: Ravi Shastri bats for three left-handers in India's middle-order

Former head coach Ravi Shastri feels three left-hand batters in the top seven will bolster India's middle-order ahead of the Asia Cup and subsequent ODI World Cup at home. Shastri said India can have two more left-handed batters alongside all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. "There are three other positions where I think two left-handers have to come in. Now, this is where the selectors' role comes in because they are watching. They know who's the guy who's hot. If Tilak Varma is hot, bring him in. If you think (Yashasvi) Jaiswal is hot, bring him in," Shastri told Star Sports. Two right-handers, K L Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, are expected to make a comeback from injury in the Asia Cup beginning August 31, making it tougher for the management to include three left-handers in the playing eleven. Shastri also backed Ishan Kishan to come good. "If you have persisted with Ishan Kishan for the last six to eight months, and he's going to keep wickets, he comes in, in any case. But, get two ...

Rishabh Pant: Wicketkeeper on way to recovery, bats in recreational game

The return of Rishabh Pant to top-flight cricket is keenly awaited, and the wicketkeeper batsman dropped some positive signals when he batted for a few balls during a recreational event on India's Independence Day. Pant has been out of action after suffering multiple injuries in a horrific car accident on the Dehradun-Delhi highway in December last year. In a fan video shared on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Pant was seen stepping out to hammer the ball out of the ground, and roars of onlookers accompanied the shot. The little shimmy down the pitch might have come as a confidence booster for the batter as well because the crash had affected his knee the most. Pant, who has been recuperating at the NCA, visited a sporting facility near Bengaluru to take part in the Independence Day celebrations organised by the JSW Foundation. During the function, Pant exhorted people to keep enjoying sports. Once you keep growing older, you stop loving the game. One of the reasons is