Category: Cricket

India has scored two wins in a row against England in their ODI series at home. This series is seen as a warm-up for the upcoming Champions Trophy, starting in less than two weeks. Captain Rohit Sharma has returned to his best form, but one decision by the coaching staff has raised some eyebrows.

In both matches held in Nagpur and Cuttack, India won by four wickets. However, the coach made a surprising choice by sending left-handed batter Axar Patel to bat at No. 5 instead of the more experienced KL Rahul. Fans on social media expressed their confusion, and former cricketer Dodda Ganesh criticized this strategy.

Ganesh took to X (formerly Twitter) to question this decision, saying, “Axar Patel at No. 5 again? I’m shocked. Why would you send a strong batter like KL Rahul to No. 6? If the team has a poor start, would you really feel comfortable sending Axar to bat on a tricky pitch? This experiment makes no sense!”

In the first match, Ganesh had also raised concerns about Rahul being moved down. He tweeted: “KL Rahul performs best at No. 5, yet the team keeps moving him down the batting order. It’s ridiculous. What’s the point of sending Axar to No. 5?”

Regarding their performances, Axar had a good run, scoring 52 runs in Nagpur and 41 not out in Cuttack, and also took a wicket in both games. Meanwhile, KL Rahul, batting at No. 6, only made 12 runs in total. Rahul has batted at this position just two other times in his career, scoring 54 runs overall at an average of 18.

India’s cricket captain, Rohit Sharma, thrilled fans at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack with an explosive innings of 119 runs against England on Sunday. He hit his 32nd One Day International (ODI) century in just 76 balls, helping India to successfully chase down the target. Rohit hammered 12 fours and 7 sixes during his knock.

After Rohit got out, Axar Patel came in to bat, and this sparked a conversation by cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar about new cricket rules. In March 2022, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) changed a rule allowing batters to cross when a ball is caught in the air. Now, if a batter gets out caught, only the new batter coming in will face the next delivery. Gavaskar questioned why this rule was changed and suggested that the MCC should include people with international playing experience, like former cricketers Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting, in their decision-making.

Gavaskar argued that for any cricket rule to change, there should be a good reason behind it. He pointed out that the MCC has made several changes over the last few years for valid reasons, such as banning saliva during the COVID-19 pandemic and clarifying the rules around “Mankading.” However, he questioned the need for changing the crossing rule, suggesting that it was an important part of the game’s excitement.

In Cuttack, India’s cricket team surprised everyone by only using two main fast bowlers in their match against England. Hardik Pandya joined the bowling attack early, around the sixth over. India had quite a few spin bowlers to choose from with Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Varun Chakravarthy. In fact, England faced quite a lot of spin in their first ten overs of batting.

England ended their innings with a total of 304 runs, but this was still the lowest score at the Barabati Stadium since 2011. At one point, they were looking strong, reaching 200 runs for the loss of just 3 wickets by the 35th over. However, they slowed down, which hurt their chances of a big finish. Two reasons for this included their struggle to score when the ball wasn’t coming fast, and Jadeja’s great bowling, which stopped their run flow.

Ravindra Jadeja was the star for India, taking 3 wickets for 35 runs. While other bowlers were giving away runs, Jadeja was accurate and tricky with his spin. He bowled different kinds of balls that made it hard for the batsmen. Not only that, but he also got rid of England’s important players, Ben Duckett and Joe Root.

Duckett, who was looking very strong, got out at a critical moment. Jadeja made him play a wide ball that he couldn’t resist, leading to an easy catch for Hardik Pandya.

Joe Root fell to a surprising delivery from Jadeja. It was a slow ball that didn’t leave him any chance to hit a big shot. When Joe tried to drive the ball, it went straight to Virat Kohli, leading to one of the simplest dismissals in his career.

These key wickets changed the game’s flow. Duckett seemed ready to score big when he got out, and that seemed to shake England’s confidence. Even though it wasn’t a difficult pitch to bat on, Jadeja’s skills shone through, making him the difference-maker for India.

India’s bowling wasn’t perfect that day. England scored 181 runs off fast bowling and 121 runs off spin. Although Chakravarthy took a wicket, neither Axar Patel nor he bowled tightly. But Jadeja’s performance gave India the edge they needed to win the day.

Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian cricket team, made his fans super happy by scoring a century against England in the 2nd ODI in Cuttack. He hit his hundred in just XX balls, proving all his critics wrong. After struggling to find his form, Rohit played like his usual powerful self, showing he can still dominate. This was Rohit’s first ODI century since he scored against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup and his first international century since scoring 103 against England in Dharamsala last year.

Rohit had a tough time recently, even getting out without scoring in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the last match in Nagpur, he got out trying to play a fancy shot. But against England, Rohit was on a mission to silence his critics. With people questioning his future, hitting a century was perfect timing, especially with the Champions Trophy coming up. The last time India won it, Rohit had just started opening the batting and played big roles in matches. They need him to do the same this time around to win two ICC trophies in a row.

From the moment Rohit faced his first delivery, it was clear he was back in form. Although the ball stayed low, he defended it well. Soon after, he hit his first four with a lucky edge. If that wasn’t enough to show he was back, he then smashed a six with a great shot. The crowd and commentators knew he was ready to shine again.

Rohit kept going strong. He hit his 58th ODI fifty by cutting the leg-spinner, Adil Rashid, and showed no signs of slowing down. Chasing a target of 305 runs, Rohit and Shubman Gill formed a solid partnership, adding 136 runs as openers. Rohit was in control, but things slowed down a bit when Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli got out.

Batting on 88, Rohit hit his sixth six off Mark Wood, and then another one when he was at 96, reaching his century with style. He celebrated simply by raising his bat and then hitting a reverse sweep for another four runs shortly after.

Ryan Rickelton, a wicket-keeper batsman from Johannesburg, South Africa, is thrilled to join the Mumbai Indians (MI) cricket team for his first Indian Premier League (IPL) season. He looks forward to learning from famous players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.

Rickelton recently helped MI Cape Town win their first SA20 title by scoring a quick 33 runs off 15 balls. At the IPL auction, he was bought by Mumbai Indians for ₹1 crore, which is approximately $120,000. He expressed his excitement, saying, “I’ve always wanted to play in the IPL, and MI is a fantastic team. I can’t wait to start!”

During the past season, he was the top scorer in the SA20, accumulating 336 runs in just eight games with an impressive strike rate of 178.72. This achievement followed his remarkable performance of 259 runs in a Test match against Pakistan earlier this year.

Rickelton noted, “Playing alongside stars like Rohit, Hardik, and Jasprit will be an amazing learning experience for me.” He credits his recent success to the supportive environment created by the MI coaching staff, especially bowling coach Mitchell McClenaghan, who plays a crucial behind-the-scenes role in developing players.

He also highlighted the talent of young South African players and how opportunities like the SA20 help them grow. “Having mentors from abroad and different coaching styles has really helped us improve our games,” he added.

With high hopes for this season, Rickelton is ready to make the most of his IPL debut.

UP Warriorz have chosen Deepti Sharma, a talented all-rounder, as their new captain for the third season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Deepti has been part of the UP team since the very first season and will be taking over the captaincy from Alyssa Healy, who can’t play this year due to an injury.

The exciting news was shared by former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina, who is also from Uttar Pradesh, during a live show while India played a match against England in Cuttack.

This season, the WPL will have matches in Lucknow, which is the home ground for the UP Warriorz. They will play against the Gujarat Giants on March 3, the Mumbai Indians on March 6, and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 8 at their home stadium.

In their first season, UP Warriorz made it to the playoffs, and now, under Deepti’s leadership, they aim to do even better.

Deepti is excited about being named captain. She said, “I feel honored to lead the UP Warriorz, which is from my home state. We have a strong team, and I am sure we will give our fans an entertaining game this season. I can’t wait to play in Lucknow and hope to inspire young female athletes.”

Jinisha Sharma, the Director of Capri Sports and team owner, expressed her confidence in Deepti. She said, “Deepti is a top player in Indian cricket, and we are happy for her to lead us this season. Her sharp mind and skills make her the perfect captain for our team. We believe she will help us play fearless and exciting cricket, making our fans proud.”

The UP Warriorz will start their WPL Season 3 journey against the Gujarat Giants on February 16 in Vadodara.

Jemimah Rodrigues, a star player for Delhi Capitals (DC), is excited and determined to win the Women’s Premier League (WPL) trophy this season. DC has finished as runners-up in the last two seasons, losing to Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rodrigues wants to change that this year.

“We have played well and been consistent,” she said. “I believe we can finally win and lift the trophy this time. We’re working hard as a team to achieve this.”

Rodrigues has a simple way of getting ready for matches. She practices different situations she might face, whether that’s hitting aggressively or staying steady while batting. She also works on her powerful shots by using heavier cricket balls.

At 24, Rodrigues has scored 381 runs in 18 WPL matches, with an impressive strike rate of 143.82. She believes the WPL is crucial for the growth of women’s cricket in India. “Playing against the best makes us all better players,” she explained. “The more competitive matches we have, the more we learn to handle pressure. The excitement for women’s cricket is definitely increasing in India.”

Rodrigues mentioned that she has a close friendship with DC captain Meg Lanning and has learned a lot from her. “I watched her during the World Cup, and she is very competitive and positive. When we finally talked, I was surprised at how friendly she is. She’s aggressive on the field, which helps lead the team,” she said.

The Delhi Capitals will kick off their WPL 2025 campaign against Mumbai Indians on February 15 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara.

In the second match of the series against England at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, India made two important changes to their team. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy received his first ODI cap from star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer held onto his spot despite the return of famous player Virat Kohli.

Kuldeep Yadav, who just came back to play cricket after surgery, was rested for this game, giving Chakravarthy a chance to shine. The Tamil Nadu spinner wowed the selectors with his excellent performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the recent T20 series against England, where he took 14 wickets in five games and won the Player of the Series award.

With the Champions Trophy just around the corner, Chakravarthy’s selection puts him in a good position for a spot on that team. However, Indian captain Rohit Sharma mentioned that it’s now up to the 33-year-old spinner to prove himself.

Chakravarthy made history by becoming the second oldest Indian to play his first ODI at 33 years and 164 days, following Farookh Engineer, who did so at 36 years and 138 days in 1974.

As for Virat Kohli, he was back after a knee injury and replaced Shubman Gill at the one down position, while Rohit Sharma opened the batting with Iyer following him.

Teams:
– England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood.
– India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy.

David Bedingham, a cricketer for South Africa and the Sunrisers Eastern Cape team, found himself in a funny situation recently. He had two big events planned for the same weekend: his wedding to his fiancée, Jenna van Niekerk, and the SA20 final where his team was playing for a championship.

Originally, the wedding was set, but then the Sunrisers won enough games to reach the finals, so Bedingham had to change his wedding date. Thankfully, he pushed the wedding to the next day after the final.

Unfortunately for Bedingham, the Sunrisers lost the final to MI Cape Town. He got out early in the game when a teammate, Kagiso Rabada, took his wicket. The Sunrisers struggled to score runs, and MI Cape Town’s strong players like Ryan Rickleton and Dewald Brevis helped their team win by 76 runs.

Earlier, Bedingham spoke to reporters about how his wedding and the game were conflicting. He mentioned that his soon-to-be wife joked about hoping the team would lose, so they could stick to their wedding plans. Bedingham missed his own bachelor party because his team was busy playing in the playoffs, and his father took his place at that event.

Despite the tough loss, Bedingham’s family promised to make sure he got to the wedding on time. In the end, the Sunrisers couldn’t win their third championship title as MI Cape Town played brilliantly in the final match.

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.