Page 17 - Indian Cricket

No long-term worries, we tried out three-seamer option: Rohit Sharma

India stared at elimination in the Asia Cup after their six-wicket loss to Sri Lanka here on Tuesday but captain Rohit Sharma said there are no long-term worries as they were experimenting with three seamers in view of the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. Rohit said the back-to-back losses in the Asia Cup -- the first against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday -- will teach the team how to find answers before the ICC event in October-November. "I was happy with three seamers. Unfortunately Avesh hasn't turned up well in the fitness tests. He didn't respond well because he was quite sick. Ideally the combination we would play is four seamers, but three seamers was something we wanted to try before the World Cup," Rohit said at the post-match presentation. "We need to find answers as a team, like where we are with five bowlers. We know now where we stand with this combination. "No long term worries, we have lost only two games back to back. Since the last World Cup, we haven't lost t

Avesh Khan out of remainder of Asia Cup, Deepak Chahar drafted in

Pacer Avesh Khan has been ruled out of the remainder of the Asia Cup due to fever related illness, a senior BCCI official confirmed the development on Tuesday. Seamer Deepak Chahar, who was in stand by for the tournament, has been drafted in. "Avesh has fever and he has also got sinus related problems which has escalated post illness. It will not be possible for him to take further part in the tournament. Deepak Chahar is already there and he will be drafted in THE main squad," a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Avesh has been in poor form since the tour of West Indies and the Indian team management's worries increased after he was hit for 50-plus runs by Hong Kong batters. He was ruled out of the Pakistan game due to fever but coach Rahul Dravid had expected him to get fit for the remaining games. With Avesh's sinusitis problems surfacing, the medical team had no option but to rule him out. However in Chahar, India has a very potent swing bowler, who has

Knee surgery successful, will start rehab soon, says Ravindra Jadeja

Injured India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Tuesday gave an update on his "successful" right knee surgery and said he would start his rehabilitation soon. The 33-year-old being ruled out of the ongoing Asia Cup due to a "serious" knee injury was first reported by PTI. "The surgery was successful. I will start my rehab soon and try to get back to soon as I can," the star all-rounder wrote on Instagram with photographs from the hospital. "There are many people to thank for their support and involvement - BCCI, my teammates, support staff, physios, doctors and the fans. Thank you to everyone for your kind wishes," he added. Jadeja played a key role in India's five-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup opener and also played India's match against Hong Kong before being ruled out ahead of the Super 4 stage. Terming the surgery a major one, a senior BCCI official had earlier ruled him out for an indefinite period. But Team India head coach Rahul Dravid was non-committal on whether

India vs Pakistan: It was Chetan Sharma back then, it's Arshdeep Singh now

Arshdeep Singh can do with a warm hug from Chetan Sharma. Not from the current chairman of national selection committee but the wiry, whippy Chetan Sharma, who instead of becoming the "toast" had become the virtual "roast" of the nation 36 summers back just like it happened with Punjab lad on fateful Sunday night. Coincidentally, in case of Chetan, that match was also played in the UAE but not at the newly-constructed gigantic concrete structure that Dubai International Stadium is but the more informal Sharjah Cricket Stadium where VIP ticket holders could eavesdrop on the adjacent dressing room chatter or drop in a handwritten note with a landline number. Chetan intended to bowl a yorker to Javed Miandad, who was the 'King of Sharjah' back then and it became a full-toss. Back in those Doordarshan days, it used to be basic coverage and only now that IPL matches have been shown live from at Sharjah Stadium, we realise that it is a ridiculously small ground where sixes can be hit for

Cricketing fraternity supports Arshdeep Singh over dropped catch backlash

The cricketing fraternity has come out in support of India's Arshdeep Singh over his dropped catch of Pakistan batter Asif Ali, who went on to apply the finishing touches in their Super Four match

Only MS Dhoni texted me after I left Test captaincy, says Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli recalled the time when he left Test captaincy in January 2022 and said that former Indian skipper MS Dhoni was the only person who texted him after his decision

Suryakumar Yadav sizzles in India's big win, team enters Asia Cup Super 4

India were not at their best but Suryakumar Yadav was, his 26-ball 68 paving the way for the defending champions' 40-run victory over Hong Kong and entry into the Super 4 of the Asia Cup here on Wednesday. Suryakumar's scintillating knock lifted a sedate India to 192 for two, the Mumbaikar easily overshadowing Virat Kohli's fluent half-century after Hong Kong opted to bowl first. Hong Kong were off to a good start with the bat, but the 193-run target proved to be too much for them, ending at 152 for five in the stipulated 20 overs. Suryakumar orchestrated the carnage while Kohli made an unbeaten 59 from 44 balls, his first international fifty in more than six months, as India amassed 78 runs in the final five overs. Arshdeep Singh (1/44) gave the breakthrough, while Ravindra Jadeja effected a direct hit to remove skipper Nizakat Khan and then dismissed their top-scorer Bahar Hayat (41) to derail their chase. Hong Kong's scoring rate dropped considerably after the powerplay, with j

India, Pakistan fined for slow-over rate in their Asia Cup 2022 opener

India and Pakistan have been fined 40 percent of their match fees for maintaining a slow over-rate in their opening Group A match of the Asia Cup. Jeff Crowe of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions after Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam's sides were ruled to be two overs short of their respective targets after time allowances were taken into consideration. "In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time," said the ICC in a statement. "Both captains pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing." On-field umpires Masudur Rahman and Ruchira Pilliyaguruge, third umpire Raveendra Wimalasiri and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel levelled the charges. India had won the high-profile game by five wickets, courtes

Asia Cup 2022: Kohli sweats it out ahead of match against Hong Kong

Virat Kohli might have got out after getting a decent start against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022, but he is leaving no stone unturned to gear up for the next clash in the showpiece event

Will Kohli continue playing shortest format for India post T20 World Cup?

Who will blink first? Will it be BCCI or will it be Virat Kohli? Kohli the T20 batter is playing from his memory but it is now quite evident that his methods are not working quite well enough for him in this short-duration-high impact game. Nor is it allowing the Indian team to make optimal use of its resources. The 20's or 35's are coming but not at a strike-rate of 150 (it was 102 plus against Pakistan on Sunday). So can Kohli be dropped from the T20 World Cup squad? Not even in your wildest of imagination even if he isn't scoring runs at a breakneck pace. But can Kohli continue playing for India in this format post the T20 World Cup in Australia? Well, even if the people, who are in decision making positions know the answer, they won't spell it out. That is a question that has been doing rounds of the corridors of Indian cricket since the 'Desert Debacle' last year when India made a pre-mature exit from the T20 World Cup . That was Kohli's last tournament as India's T20 captai

National Sports Day: Quotes, significance and top 20 Indian sports players

National Sports Day is celebrated globally to honour the sportspersons, traditional sports, sportsmanship and national sports teams. Read this article to know more about the day

Asia Cup 2022: India vs Pakistan; Who has better chances of winning

India will play against Pakistan today in the Asia Cup 2022. Who has better chances of winning? Will India be able to avenge its World T20 2021 defeat? Read this article to know everything

India-Pakistan clash at Asia Cup draws huge interest from advertisers

From Dream11, Big Basket, Samsung, LIC, Mondelez and Thumps Up, a cross-spectrum of advertisers have signed up for the big match and tournament

Asia Cup 2022: Groups, schedule, venue, team list and full squad

Asia Cup 2022 will be played in Dubai and Sharjah from August 27 to September 11. Read this detailed article to know about the venues, groups, and full squad and schedule

Indian coach Rahul Dravid tests positive for Covid-19 ahead of Asia Cup T20

Days before India's opening campaign in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the UAE, the team has suffered a big blow with a report saying that head coach Rahul Dravid has tested positive for Covid-19

India, Pakistan receive boost in ICC ODI Rankings after recent clean sweeps

Following their 3-0 win over Zimbabwe in the three-match series in Harare, Team India ODI ranking has received a boost, moving to 111 rating points and third place overall

Bowlers were tested, held their nerves: KL Rahul after win over Zimbabwe

Following his side's 13-run win against Zimbabwe in the third and final ODI, Indian skipper KL Rahul said that the bowlers were tested but they held their nerves

KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant can be all-format captains India: Saba Karim

Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim believes that star players KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant could be the all-format captain for the country in future

Skipper KL Rahul needs game time, push the limits in remaining ODIs

Skipper KL Rahul would hope to get some valuable batting time as the Indian team is expected to recalibrate its goals to create some challenge for itself in the remaining two ODIs against Zimbabwe. The gulf between the two teams would always make these kind of bilateral contests lopsided but bigger goal for the 'Men In Blue' would be to push the limits. The immediate target for the side would be to try and bat first in case Rahul wins the toss in Saturday's second ODI. The early start on a bouncy track and sufficient nip in the air would pose some challenge for the batters. There won't be any Jimmy Anderson or Josh Hazkewood in operation but even then battling the conditions would be a good test for Rahul and his players. Deepak Chahar had pointed out after the first game that there is little help for the bowlers during the second session and the only time there's some challenge for batters is the first hour of the match. Before facing the might of Shaheen Shah Afridi in Asia Cup,

'Knew I will comeback': Deepak Chahar post India's win against Zimbabwe

After India clinched a thumping 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first ODI, pacer Deepak Chahar said that he knew that he will be makeing a comeback in this three-match ODI series.