Category: Sports

Mumbai Indians coach Charlotte Edwards expressed her frustration over controversial run-out decisions that led to their two-wicket loss against Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League. After a tight match that went down to the last ball, three key run-out calls stirred up debate about the rules.

In the match, the third umpire, Gayathri Venugopalan, ruled three Delhi players – Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, and Shikha Pandey – as not out, even though the LED stumps lit up when the ball first touched the wickets. Edwards said, “It’s hard to stay calm when such decisions can change the game’s result. We just need to move on and prepare for the next match.”

Former India captain, Mithali Raj, also felt the decisions should have favored Mumbai. According to WPL rules, the game considers a wicket broken as soon as the LED lights flash. However, in these cases, the umpire looked at a later moment when the bails were fully dislodged.

The confusion began in the 18th over with Pandey. Her bat was over the crease line when the LED stumps lit up, but she was ruled not out based on the next frame. Later, Radha and Arundhati faced similar calls that went in favor of Delhi, allowing them to secure a victory just as the game ended.

Mumbai’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, showed frustration but did not protest against the rulings. Former RCB director Mike Hesson also voiced his disbelief, stating that the rules should have led to different outcomes.

Despite this, there were positive performances too. Nat Sciver-Brunt scored 80 runs and partnered well with Harmanpreet until their big showings were interrupted. Edwards said they could have scored more runs, which might have changed the game’s result. She also praised Shafali’s performance.

Even with some star players unavailable, veteran Shikha was proud of her team’s achievement in bowling out Mumbai. “To beat a strong team like MI is amazing,” she said.

As they prepare for their next match against Gujarat, Edwards wants her team to sharpen their skills to bounce back.

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his thoughts on the idea of ‘superstars’ in Indian cricket. He believes that players should be down-to-earth and relatable to everyday people. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin said, “It’s important to bring things back to normal in Indian cricket. We should not support the idea of players being superstars or celebrities.”

He emphasized that cricketers are just sportspersons, not actors. “We need to be someone the common people can connect with” he added. Instead of focusing on personal achievements, Ashwin highlighted the importance of team success. He used famous players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as examples. He said that when they score runs, it should feel like part of a regular routine rather than a big deal. “Our goals should be bigger than just individual achievements.”

Ashwin also raised some questions about the Indian team for the upcoming Champions Trophy, especially about having five spinners in the squad. He thinks this may be too many for playing in Dubai. He commented, “Five spinners in Dubai? I think we might have too many.”

He recognized the importance of all-rounders like Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja and mentioned Hardik Pandya’s role in the team. “Axar and Jadeja are great all-rounders, along with Hardik,” Ashwin explained. If Varun Chakravarthy is included as a spinner, they might need to drop a fast bowler or another spinner to make room for him.

India will start their Champions Trophy journey on February 20 against Bangladesh in Dubai, and they will play against Pakistan on February 23.

Indian cricketer Shardul Thakur has been performing really well in the Ranji Trophy for his team, Mumbai. He played an important role in helping Mumbai win against Haryana in the quarter-finals. Even though Mumbai lost unexpectedly to Jammu & Kashmir in the last league match, Shardul stood out by scoring fifties in both innings.

During that game against Jammu & Kashmir, Shardul had the chance to share the dressing room with India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, who was back to play after taking a break. Shardul talked about his conversation with Rohit and how he stays positive even when he’s not scoring many runs.

Rohit had a tough time scoring runs in recent matches against New Zealand and Australia. However, he surprised everyone by scoring a fantastic 119 runs off just 90 balls in the second ODI against England, helping India chase down 305 runs successfully.

Shardul, who is both a friend and teammate of Rohit, praised him a lot. He said Rohit never loses his confidence, no matter how many runs he scores or misses. When they talked during the Ranji game, Rohit told Shardul that he just needed one good inning to get back on track.

“He told me, ‘I know the runs aren’t coming now, but all I need is just one innings. Then, runs will come automatically again,’” Shardul shared.

Shardul dismissed worries about Rohit’s form and believed that his recent outs were just bad luck. “In the ODI against England, he looked really comfortable. He did not seem out of form at all. It’s just a matter of luck. His batting style makes him a very dangerous player,” Shardul said.

Shardul also mentioned that even though Rohit didn’t score well in the domestic game, he looked assured and confident during practice. He reminded everyone that being an opener is tough, especially against new fast bowlers. He believes we shouldn’t doubt Rohit, considering how many matches he has helped India win over the years.

Jos Buttler, the captain of the England cricket team, has responded to comments made by former Indian coach Ravi Shastri and ex-England captain Kevin Pietersen. They claimed that England didn’t train enough during their recent tour of India, suggesting they only had one practice session throughout a series where they lost all three matches.

Buttler disagreed with this statement, saying, “I’m not sure that’s quite true.” He mentioned that England’s tour started with a five-match T20 series, which began on January 22. He explained that they have had a long trip with many travel days. While there were a few times they didn’t train, they’ve done plenty of practice sessions throughout their time in India.

England has faced tough times, losing four consecutive ODI series since their early exit from the 2023 World Cup and winning only four out of 14 ODIs during this challenging period. Buttler acknowledged that his team struggled against a strong Indian side, but he believes their confidence is intact.

He said, “We want to win games to build confidence. It’s better to win than to lose.” Buttler recognizes that India is currently one of the best teams in ODI cricket and sees a glimmer of hope for his team. “We haven’t performed at our best, but that gives us something to aim for. We know we can improve and become a dangerous team in the upcoming Champions Trophy,” he added.

When it comes to facing spin bowlers, Buttler remains positive. While England struggled against India’s spinners, he has “no concerns” about his team’s ability to handle spin in future matches, emphasizing, “We simply have to be better.” He trusts in his players’ abilities, highlighting Joe Root as one of the best players against spin bowling in the world.

After India’s loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, the BCCI introduced strict rules, including limits on family travel for players. According to the new guidelines, family members can only travel with players for two weeks if the tour lasts 45 days or more. However, this won’t apply during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, where the tournament lasts only 20 days. India’s first match is on February 20 against Bangladesh, followed by a highly anticipated game against Pakistan on February 23 and a final group match against New Zealand on March 2. If India reaches the final, it will be on March 9.

Even though the team will be in Dubai for 24 days starting February 15, family members won’t be allowed to join the players during the tournament. The BCCI has made it clear that if players want their families to accompany them, they must pay for it themselves. A senior player asked about bringing family along, but his request was denied. The BCCI is strict about this rule, and it seems unlikely any exceptions will be made at this point.

The only players who could potentially be involved in this situation are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, as they are the most senior players on the team. Kohli’s wife, Anushka, has been present at most matches, while Rohit’s wife, Ritika, recently had their second child. The BCCI has confirmed that, as of now, families will not be traveling with players during the Champions Trophy.

In a recent press conference, Rohit Sharma accidentally let slip some details about the family travel rules, indicating that the players are discussing this sensitive issue internally.

Influencer and entrepreneur Ranveer Allahbadia has found himself in hot water after an episode of Samay Raina’s show, “India’s Got Latent.” Ranveer asked a contestant a question that many people thought was inappropriate, leading to a big backlash online. Thousands of social media users criticized him, and he reportedly lost about 8,000 followers.

The situation grew even worse for Ranveer when popular cricketer Virat Kohli was seen unfollowing him on Instagram, which got people talking even more about the incident.

Beyond just social media complaints, an FIR (First Information Report) has been filed against Ranveer, Samay Raina, and others involved with the show. Assam police have summoned them for questioning because they received a complaint alleging that some discussions on the show were sexually explicit and hurt public decency.

In light of the backlash, Ranveer publicly apologized for his comments. The episode in question has been taken down from YouTube, and Samay has decided to remove all videos related to “India’s Got Latent” from his channel.

Ranveer said, “Everything that is happening has been too much for me to handle. My only goal was to make people laugh and enjoy.” He promises to cooperate fully with the authorities.

The Assam police are continuing their investigation, and they have sent a team to Mumbai to look into the matter further.