Category: Cricket

Amid concerns about Jasprit Bumrah’s injury and if India could have handled his workload better during their recent five-Test tour of Australia, former captain Kapil Dev has urged people not to compare cricket in his era to today’s game. This comment came after his former teammate Balwinder Singh Sandhu criticized the idea of managing players’ workloads.

Kapil said, “Please don’t compare my time with Bumrah’s. You can’t compare different generations. Today’s players score 300 runs in one day, which we couldn’t do back then.”

Although India lost the series 3-1, Bumrah was the top bowler, taking 32 wickets in five matches at an incredible average of 13.06. He achieved three five-wicket hauls and was awarded Player of the Series. Sadly, Bumrah couldn’t play the last innings of the Sydney Test due to a back injury.

Sandhu also spoke about Bumrah’s situation and said that bowling around 150 overs in five matches is not a big deal. He explained that Bumrah bowled in shorts bursts and that the average of 16 overs per innings or 30 overs per match isn’t excessive. Sandhu added, “Workload management is nonsense. I come from a time when players listened to their own bodies, not to anyone else. I don’t agree with this idea at all.”

On this day in 2018, New Zealand celebrated a big win over Pakistan, taking home a 183-run victory in the third One Day International (ODI) at the University Oval in Dunedin. Fast bowler Trent Boult was the star of the day, taking 5 wickets for just 17 runs, which helped bowl Pakistan out for only 74 runs. New Zealand’s win gave them a 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

New Zealand started their innings by batting first, but things looked shaky at first when opener Colin Munro got out quickly. Captain Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill, who scored 45 runs, worked hard to rebuild the innings. Williamson played great, scoring 73 runs, and Ross Taylor added 52 runs to help the team reach a total of 257 runs, getting all out in the last over. Rumman Raees and Hasan Ali from Pakistan stood out with the ball, each taking three wickets.

When Pakistan batted, they faced early trouble from Trent Boult. His amazing bowling took out key players Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Hafeez, leaving Pakistan struggling at just 2 runs for 3 wickets. Boult’s skill made it very hard for the Pakistani batsmen to score runs.

Pakistan’s trouble increased as they fell to 32 for 8, almost breaking the record for the lowest score in ODI history. Lower-order batsmen Mohammad Amir and Rumman Raees tried to hold on, scoring 14 and 16 runs, but it was not enough. Finally, Pakistan was bowled out for just 74 runs in 27.2 overs, the lowest score by a visiting team in New Zealand.

Boult’s incredible performance of 5 wickets for 17 runs is a reminder of his talent, especially after he had taken 7 wickets against West Indies just weeks before. The third ODI in Dunedin will always be remembered for Boult’s brilliant swing bowling that destroyed Pakistan’s batting lineup. His outstanding effort earned him the Player of the Match award and helped New Zealand secure the series victory.

A little over a year ago, Karun Nair tweeted a heartfelt message: “Dear cricket, give me one more chance.” At that time, many were puzzled about why he was dropped from the Indian cricket team. Nair had made history back in 2016 by scoring a triple century against England, yet he found himself off the radar. As his name faded from discussions about cricket, even his state team, Karnataka, seemed to forget him. However, that tweet was just the beginning of his comeback.

Fast forward 13 months, and Karun Nair is back! He has recently scored 664 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, helping his new team, Vidarbha, reach the semifinals. Nair has been on fire with his batting, scoring four centuries in a row and making headlines for not getting out at all during the tournament! His scores tell the story: 112, 44, 163, 111, 112, and 122. This feat is special: it’s the most runs scored in List A cricket without getting out.

With star players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling in Tests, the Indian selectors are now keeping an eye on Nair. There are talks about whether he’ll be picked for the upcoming Champions Trophy or the Test tour to England.

Reflecting on the tough times, Nair said, “For six or seven months, I didn’t play cricket. I spent three hours traveling every day just to practice. I was really emotional during that time, but I focused on improving my skills.”

Nair found hope when Abey Kuruvilla, a former India player, helped him join Vidarbha. “I just wanted a chance, and I grabbed it,” he remarked.

Recently, he also had a great season in County cricket and has been performing well in the Ranji Trophy. Karun Nair hasn’t forgotten his dream of playing for his country again. “I know I need to keep scoring runs to get back into the Test team,” he said.

Mumbai (India) – The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) kicked off a week of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the Wankhede Stadium with a big event honoring former captains of the Mumbai cricket team, for both men and women. This celebration took place at the stadium and attracted many cricket legends, including Sunil Gavaskar. Gavaskar was part of the Indian team that played the first Test match at Wankhede Stadium against the West Indies back in 1974. He shared his feelings about the stadium: “It’s great to be back at this iconic place that has given Indian cricket so many amazing moments. I love Wankhede Stadium, and I owe my success to the support I received from MCA since my school days,” he said.

The ceremony was attended by MCA President Ajinkya Naik, Vice President Sanjay Naik, Secretary Abhay Hadap, and several other key members of the association. Many other cricket stars like Sanjay Manjrekar, Wasim Jaffer, and Chandrakant Pandit were also present, all of whom have made significant contributions to Mumbai cricket. The Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai was celebrated for their support of local cricket as well.

Throughout the week, exciting cricket matches were played between teams from the MCA, the Sports Journalists Association, Consul Generals, and IAS Officers. In the first match, the MCA team won by just five runs against the Sports Journalists. Later, the IAS Officers triumphed over the Consul Generals by 20 runs.

Speaking at the event, MCA President Ajinkya Naik said, “The 50th anniversary of Wankhede Stadium is very important to us. We want to celebrate our cricket history and inspire the next generation of young players.”

The celebrations will continue during the week, with plans to honor the groundsmen and organize a health camp for them. On January 15, the MCA will host a special lunch for the groundsmen and honor the members of the Mumbai team that played the first match at Wankhede 50 years ago. Former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli also shared his memories of scoring two double centuries against England at Wankhede Stadium. He wished all young cricketers the best, saying, “I have many beautiful memories here.”

This article was created from a news agency feed without any changes.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) got together in Mumbai on Saturday to pick the team for an upcoming five-match T20I series against England. This squad has some exciting news, including veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami coming back after 14 months away from the team. Dhruv Jurel has also been selected as the backup wicketkeeper, behind the main choice, Sanju Samson.

However, there are some big names missing from the team. Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were not included. Pant used to be India’s top wicketkeeper and played in the T20 World Cup last year, but now Sanju Samson appears to have taken over that role after scoring consecutive centuries in T20I matches last year.

Gill has previously captained India in a T20I series after the World Cup and was the vice-captain in another series against Sri Lanka. But to everyone’s surprise, Axar Patel has been named the new vice-captain for this T20I series.

Reports say that Pant, Gill, and Jaiswal are being rested to recover after a tough five-match Test series in Australia. They might still play in the ODI series against England next month and the Champions Trophy coming up.

Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj is also taking a break for workload management after a rigorous campaign in Australia. Mayank Yadav has been left out due to a back injury that kept him from playing in the T20I series against South Africa last year.

Faf Du Plessis, the 41-year-old captain of the Jo’Burg Super Kings, recently talked about how he keeps performing well as a cricketer. As his team gets ready to play against MI Cape Town in their first game of the SA20 season, Du Plessis shared some secrets to his success.

He mentioned that he has changed the way he practices and plays. “Batting has changed a lot for me in the last few years. I’m always trying to get better, whether it’s my batting or how I train,” he said. His hard work is showing: in the last three years, he has scored over 4,100 runs in T20 matches, averaging 36.32 with four centuries and 32 fifties. Just last year, he hit a record 1,502 runs, his best ever in a single year.

Faf keeps fit despite playing in many leagues. He says that he approaches his training in a smarter way now. “I understand my body better now,” he explained. Young players often think they need to do a lot to stay fit, but Du Plessis believes it’s about using time wisely. He does things like ice baths and pays attention to his nutrition and sleep. “When I was younger, I could go out and then perform the next day without any worries, but I can’t do that now.”

Du Plessis embraces this change and says it motivates him to look for small ways to improve so he can compete with younger athletes. “You have to evolve, and that keeps me driven,” he concluded.

Shaun Pollock, a famous cricketer from South Africa, is talking about a change in cricket rules to help bowlers. He believes that the current rules about what counts as a “wide” ball are too strict. When batters suddenly move in their stance, bowlers sometimes end up being punished for throwing a wide ball, which isn’t fair.

Pollock, who is part of the ICC Cricket Committee, said, “I want to give bowlers a little more freedom when it comes to wides. If a batter jumps to one side at the last moment, it shouldn’t always be the bowler’s fault.” He feels that bowlers should know where they can aim their balls before they start running up to bowl.

He explained, “A bowler needs to have a clear plan in mind, and it’s tough to change that at the last moment.” They are planning to discuss this further to make the rules fairer for bowlers.

Pollock also shared his thoughts about the SA20 league, saying it has improved a lot, similar to how the IPL has grown. “South African cricket really needed this boost to create excitement,” he added.

When talking about the upcoming Champions Trophy, Pollock mentioned that South Africa has players with lots of experience in different conditions, especially from playing in the IPL. This experience will help the team perform better.

However, Pollock expressed concern that some players may choose to play in T20 leagues instead of representing their countries. “It’s important for players to play for their national teams whenever they can,” he said. Still, he understands that players need to earn money, especially while they can.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma didn’t play well in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, leading India to lose the Test series against Australia for the first time in 10 years. Fans and experts believe that both players should return to domestic cricket, like the Ranji Trophy, to regain their form since they haven’t played there in a long time.

After the series, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar shared his thoughts on the “icon culture” in Indian cricket. He explained how this culture can be harmful to the team. He believes that when star players perform poorly, it affects everyone else, and this has happened before, like during the 2011-2012 season when India lost all four tests to England and Australia.

Kohli only scored 190 runs in 9 innings, while Rohit had a tough time with just 31 runs in 5 innings. Rohit even chose to sit out the Sydney Test due to his poor performance. Manjrekar pointed out that the issue is that people hold onto emotional attachments to big players, making it hard to make logical decisions about them.

He suggested that selectors (the people who choose who plays) have a bigger impact on the team than the coach does. He criticized the current management for not being honest about dropping players when needed, instead covering it up to avoid backlash. Manjrekar emphasized that it’s more important for the team’s success than for the reputation of individual players.

He called on everyone — past players, the media, and fans — to prioritize Indian cricket over individual star players, just like Australia does. They don’t wait for a player to retire and will drop them if they aren’t performing well.

In Paarl, South Africa, former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik praised young South African bowler Kwena Maphaka, calling him a “gem” for the national team. Maphaka, who is just 18 years old, impressed everyone by taking 21 wickets during the ICC U19 World Cup last year. He made his debut for the Proteas in all formats during the home series against Pakistan from December to January.

So far, Maphaka has played one Test match, two One Day Internationals (ODIs), and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). In those matches, he has shown great talent, with three Test wickets at an average of 30, five ODI wickets at an average of 24.40, and three T20I wickets. He has played for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and was recently bought by the Rajasthan Royals for ₹1.50 crores.

Ahead of the Paarl Royals’ first game in the third season of SA20 against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Karthik said that when he first saw Maphaka play, it felt like he was a bowler who could really test opponents. Karthik mentioned that players often have to survive his first spell, which is not an easy task. “Kwena can handle pressure and has grown into a talented cricketer. He is special and needs to be protected,” Karthik said.

Karthik advised Maphaka to take care of his body as he gets older so he can keep playing at his best. He believes that the SA20 tournament is a fantastic chance for Maphaka to show what he can do and help his team win.

Karthik is the first-ever Indian player to join the league and retired from international cricket last year. He had a successful career, scoring 3,463 runs in 180 matches with one century and 17 fifties.

South Africa has won their last seven Test matches, making it to the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC) against Australia. However, former captain Shaun Pollock believes South Africa isn’t the favorite to win this time. South Africa last won a big ICC trophy way back in 1998, and since then, they’ve faced many heartbreaks in knockout games. They’ve reached the semifinals of various tournaments but haven’t claimed another title.

Just eight months ago, South Africa lost to India in the final of the T20 World Cup. Now, they’re back for a shot at the WTC title on June 11 at Lord’s Cricket Ground in England, where they will face a strong Australian team. Australia recently beat India and is known for their impressive game.

Pollock thinks it’s going to be tough for South Africa to win against the defending champions. He believes Australia is playing better right now and notes that winning the toss and bowling first at Lord’s can be important.

Despite injuries to star players, South Africa hasn’t lost a Test match since January last year. Under captain Temba Bavuma, the team has shown great spirit and skill. Pollock praised the batting lineup for scoring many centuries and adapted well even without some big names.

Pollock also shared his thoughts on the SA20 T20 tournament, saying that not every game needs to have huge scores to be interesting. The conditions and match situations can lead to unexpected results. He enjoys seeing bowlers perform well and believes that thrilling games don’t always require high scores.

In short, South Africa has a chance, but they will need to play their best to beat a strong Australian team in the final.