Category: Cricket

In New Delhi, India, 19-year-old cricket star Sam Konstas dreams of becoming a player in all formats of the game. Even after missing two Tests against Sri Lanka, he remains determined. Sam made his debut in front of a full crowd at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test against India, scoring a brilliant 60 runs in his first innings, showing he has the talent to succeed.

Sam doesn’t want to limit himself to just Test matches; he wants to play in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 matches as well. He admires Travis Head, a top player, and learns from him about how to approach the game. “I want to test myself and become an all-format player one day,” Sam said.

In his first Test, Sam surprised everyone with his unique shot-making skills, even hitting a remarkable ramp shot against pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, which turned out to be the first six in Test cricket after 4,000 days! Sam showcased many different shots in his second Test in Sydney, which got the selectors to consider him for the Sri Lanka tour. However, they decided to bring Travis Head to the top of the lineup instead.

Sam went home after the first Test but used the time to learn from experienced players like Steve Smith and Travis Head. He wants to improve his sweeps and reverse sweeps, which are important shots in cricket.

As he hopes to be selected for the World Test Championship final against South Africa, Sam remembers how he and his brothers used to pretend to be famous English bowlers while playing cricket in their backyard. “I remember playing the Ashes series with my brothers, pretending to be Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson,” he said. He looks forward to playing in that historic series one day.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently revealed the “Champions Ring” to celebrate the Indian cricket team’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. This wonderful event took place during the annual Naman Awards on February 1. In a video shared on Twitter, the rings were shown, featuring the players’ names and numbers, with an Ashoka Chakra symbol in the middle. Surrounding the Chakra are the words: “India T20 World Champions 2024”.

The BCCI posted, “Presenting #TeamIndia with their CHAMPIONS RING to honor their perfect World Cup journey! Diamonds may last forever, but this victory will always be cherished by a billion fans. These memories will resonantly ‘Ring’ with us forever.”

At the ceremony, nine players from the 15-member squad who played in the thrilling final against South Africa were present. However, veteran player Virat Kohli was missing because he was playing a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi on the last day of the game. Kohli had been a star in the final, scoring 76 runs off 59 balls.

Captain Rohit Sharma shared his feelings about winning the World Cup, saying, “Honestly, it took me a while to realize we’ve won the World Cup. After we arrived in Mumbai, it hit us what we actually did. In Barbados, we were stuck for days because of a hurricane, so we couldn’t go out and celebrate right away.”

India won the final even when South Africa only needed 30 runs off the last five overs. The end of the match was full of emotion, with players like Hardik Pandya, Rohit, Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah shedding tears. This win marked India’s first major trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy. Remarkably, it was the same group of players who had previously dominated the 2023 World Cup at home but lost to Australia in the final. Rohit, Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja have since retired from T20Is.

Steve Smith is back in top form! The captain of the Australian cricket team showed everyone how to bat against spin bowlers on Day 2 of the match. He scored 120 runs without being out, hitting 120 runs off 239 balls. His teammate, Alex Carey, also played brilliantly, scoring 139 runs off just 156 balls. Together, they built a great partnership, adding 239 runs for the third wicket.

With this century, Smith has now hit 36 centuries in Test cricket, tying for fifth on the all-time list with Indian legend Rahul Dravid and England’s Joe Root. He has made 17 centuries as Australia’s captain, placing him fourth in that category. Ricky Ponting holds third with 19 centuries, Virat Kohli has 20, and former South African captain Graeme Smith leads with 25 centuries.

This is Smith’s second century in this series and his fourth in the last five Test matches, after not scoring a century for 12 games. He made 101 against India in Brisbane before this amazing performance.

At the end of Day 2, Australia scored 330 runs for 3 wickets, leading Sri Lanka by 73 runs. Sri Lanka got all out for 257 runs. The partnership started after Usman Khawaja got out shortly after lunch, when the score was just 91 runs for 3 wickets. Smith was on 23 runs when an umpire’s decision ruled him lbw (out), but he successfully challenged that call, showing he wasn’t out.

He hit his 36th Test century with a boundary shot against Kamindu Mendis, and then they quickly passed Sri Lanka’s total. Carey hit two fours in one over as he raced to his hundred off just 118 balls, going past Smith’s score.

On February 7, Captain Steve Smith put on a dazzling display of batting skills against Sri Lanka’s spin bowlers, alongside Alex Carey, as both players scored unbeaten centuries. Their fantastic partnership helped Australia reach a strong total of 330 runs for three wickets on day two of the second test in Galle. Smith scored 120 runs, marking his second century in a row in this series, while Carey made an impressive 139 runs—both filled with 22 fours and 3 sixes.

The pair played well together, combining for an amazing 239-run partnership for the fourth wicket at a fast rate of almost four-and-a-half runs per over, keeping Australia on track for a 2-0 series win. Earlier, Sri Lanka was all out for 257 runs, with Kusal Mendis left not out at 85. Matthew Kuhnemann helped get Sri Lanka’s last batsman out, finishing with three wickets.

Australia’s bowlers Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon also took three wickets each. Kusal Mendis, batting at number seven, outshined Dinesh Chandimal to become Sri Lanka’s top scorer in their first innings.

Travis Head began the Australian innings with a quick 21 runs but was caught out after an edge landed in the hands of Sri Lanka’s captain, Dhananjaya de Silva. Marnus Labuschagne was out lbw for just four runs, and Smith survived a close lbw call soon after. He was on 23 runs when another lbw appeal was made, but it was overturned on review, showing the ball had hit him outside the off-stump.

Peiris then got Usman Khawaja out after lunch, but Smith and Carey teamed up well, especially since Carey had stepped up to bat at number five due to Josh Inglis being injured. Smith’s pulled shot off Kamindu Mendis brought up his 36th test century, and soon Australia had passed Sri Lanka’s score. Carey hit two boundaries off Jayasuriya in one over to reach his century in just 118 balls, eventually outscoring Smith.

This report has been drafted from an automated news feed without any text changes.

Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, is having a tough time with his batting. This year, he has played 16 innings across all formats of cricket but only scored 166 runs. His performance in Test cricket has been especially poor, with his average dropping below 25 for the first time in his career.

Rohit tried to make a comeback in the Ranji Trophy after almost ten years but didn’t do well, scoring only 3 and 28 runs in his two innings. Fans were hoping for a better show from him in the ODI series against England, especially since he has been a great player in this format for many years. However, during the first ODI in Nagpur, Rohit only faced 7 balls before getting out for just 2 runs.

This was his seventh single-digit score in his last ten international innings. Former India player Suresh Raina mentioned that the pitch was good for Rohit to score runs, but Rohit didn’t take his time to adjust and ended up making a mistake.

With less than two weeks to go before India plays Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy, Rohit’s batting is a concern for the team. Raina believes if Rohit can score runs in the last two ODIs, he will be a stronger captain in the big tournament.

In the first ODI, India won thanks to excellent bowling from Ravindra Jadeja and newcomer Harshit, along with good batting from Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill. But there are concerns about another star player, Virat Kohli, who missed the game due to a sore knee. Raina noted it’s important for Kohli to be fit so the top three players can play together before the Champions Trophy.

India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill has eased worries about Virat Kohli’s knee injury. He said that Kohli will be ready to play in the second ODI against England in Cuttack on February 9. Kohli missed the first match in Nagpur because his right knee was swollen after a fitness test showed he wasn’t ready to play. Shreyas Iyer stepped in for him after India’s win, while Gill moved up to the No. 3 batting spot.

India won the first match by four wickets, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. After the game, Gill explained that Kohli’s injury is minor and not serious. “When he woke up today, his knee was swollen, but he was fine in practice yesterday. There’s nothing to worry about. He will definitely be fit for the next game,” said Gill.

Kohli, 36, rarely misses matches due to injury, so his absence was surprising. Gill performed well at No. 3, scoring 87 runs off 95 balls, helping India chase down the target after some early wickets fell. He said that moving to the No. 3 position wasn’t too challenging for him because he usually bats there in Test matches.

“I play at No. 3 in Tests, so it wasn’t a big change. But the game situation is different. If early wickets fall, you need to adjust. If the openers do well, you keep up the momentum. That’s how I approached it,” Gill explained.

With the second ODI coming up, Kohli’s return will strengthen India’s batting lineup as they aim to win the series.

Cricket fans were sad on Thursday when Rohit Sharma said Virat Kohli could not play in the first ODI against England in Nagpur. Virat hurt his knee the night before, so Yashasvi Jaiswal took his place and made his debut.

Kohli’s injury comes after he struggled in the recent Tests against New Zealand and Australia, and also didn’t score well in the Ranji Trophy. Before the game, Kohli was seen with a bandage on his right knee and was trying to see if he could play. He jogged a little, did some stretches, and looked unsure while touching his knee.

Before this, the last time Kohli missed a match due to injury was in 2022 when he had back pain and couldn’t play a Test match against South Africa. Many fans were upset because he played poorly against Australia, often getting out to simple catches. Fans started to worry about his performance and batting style.

Even with these issues, lots of fans came to see him play at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. They were especially excited for Thursday’s game because Kohli is just 94 runs away from becoming the third player ever to score 14,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara have done that before. If Kohli achieves this, he will be the fastest player to reach this milestone.

Get ready, cricket fans! India will face England in the first One Day International (ODI) match at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur this Thursday. The second match will happen at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday, and the third match is set for February 12 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

India’s team for this series is the same as the one that played in the ICC Champions Trophy but with one change: Varun Chakaravarthy will replace Jasprit Bumrah. Also, England’s star player Joe Root is back in the ODI squad for the first time since 2023, making the tournament even more exciting!

Match Streaming Information:
– Where to Stream: You can watch the matches live on Disney+ Hotstar.
– Where to Watch on TV: The games will be shown on Star Sports 1 (HD & SD), Star Sports 1 Hindi (HD & SD), Star Sports 1 Tamil (HD & SD), Star Sports 1 Telugu (HD & SD), and Star Sports 1 Kannada (SD).

Schedule for India vs England ODI Series:
– February 6, Thursday: 1st ODI at VCA Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur – 1:30 PM IST
– February 9, Sunday: 2nd ODI at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack – 1:30 PM IST
– February 12, Wednesday: 3rd ODI at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad – 1:30 PM IST

India’s Squad:
– Rohit Sharma (Captain)
– Shubman Gill
– Shreyas Iyer
– Yashasvi Jaiswal
– Virat Kohli
– Rishabh Pant
– KL Rahul
– Ravindra Jadeja
– Axar Patel
– Washington Sundar
– Arshdeep Singh
– Harshit Rana
– Kuldeep Yadav
– Mohammed Shami
– Varun Chakaravarthy

Don’t miss any of the action!

After being away from international cricket for more than 20 years because of apartheid, South Africa returned to the game in late 1991. India led the way in welcoming them back. In their first One-Day International series in November 1991, South Africa impressed everyone, showing that cricket was still alive and well in their country. Although India won that series 2-1, South Africa got their payback four months later, winning their first World Cup match against India in 1992.

By October 13, 2000, when South Africa and India met in the semifinals of the ICC KnockOut Trophy in Nairobi, both teams were looking to regain their glory and win back their fans’ trust. South African captain Hansie Cronje had just been involved in a match-fixing scandal, which deeply affected the cricket scene in both countries.

India had lifted its spirits with a stunning victory over Australia in the quarterfinals, thanks to young stars Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan. But South Africa, the defending champions, were determined to show their strength. South Africa had won the first ICC KnockOut Trophy in 1998 and was looking to add another title.

In the semifinals, South Africa faced a tough challenge from India. India had strong players, including Sourav Ganguly, who was brilliant with the bat. He played a fantastic inning, scoring 141 runs and leading India to a high score of 295 runs.

In response, South Africa struggled to keep up with the required run rate. Zaheer Khan struck early, taking crucial wickets and putting South Africa on the back foot. Indian bowler Anil Kumble also did well, taking important wickets and controlling the game.

Despite efforts from players like Mark Boucher, who scored 60 runs, South Africa couldn’t recover. They were all out for 200 runs, losing by 95 runs and allowing India to enter the finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1985.

Match Summary:
– India: 295 runs in 50 overs (Sourav Ganguly 141, Sachin Tendulkar 39, Rahul Dravid 58, Yuvraj Singh 41; Allan Donald 2-34, Jacques Kallis 2-71)
– South Africa: 200 all out in 41 overs (Jonty Rhodes 32, Mark Boucher 60, Lance Klusener 29; Zaheer Khan 2-27, Anil Kumble 2-28, Sachin Tendulkar 2-32)
– Player of the Match: Sourav Ganguly

The Gujarat Giants have picked Ashleigh Gardner, an Australian all-rounder, as their new captain for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in 2025. Gardner takes over from her teammate Beth Mooney, who was the previous captain.

Gardner is a star in Australian cricket, having won the Belinda Clark Award twice. She helped Australia win a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and was named Player of the Tournament at the 2023 T20 World Cup held in South Africa. Since the WPL started, Gardner has been an important player for the Gujarat Giants, scoring 324 runs and taking 17 wickets over the last two seasons.

“I am truly honored to be named captain of the Gujarat Giants,” Gardner said. “I love being part of this team, and I cannot wait to lead such a talented group this season. We have a great mix of young and experienced players, along with lots of Indian talent. I’m excited to work hard and make our fans proud!”

Michael Klinger, the team’s head coach, believes Gardner will be a great captain. “She is a fierce competitor who knows the game very well. Her ability to inspire others makes her the perfect choice to lead the Giants,” he said. Klinger also thanked Mooney for her leadership and shared that she will now focus on being the wicketkeeper and a key batsman.

Last year, the Gujarat Giants struggled, finishing at the bottom of the league with only two wins in eight matches. They are hoping for a better season with Gardner at the helm.