Category: Sports

Last Sunday was an exciting match between Varun Chakravarthy and New Zealand, where the Kiwi batsmen struggled to figure out the Indian spinner’s tricky deliveries. The upcoming match this Sunday has higher stakes, with New Zealand needing to adjust their strategy.

Chakravarthy took 5 wickets for 42 runs, which might make it seem like an easy win, but it was a tough game. New Zealand has some skilled batters who can hit big shots, but facing mystery spin can be confusing. When England played Chakravarthy before the Champions Trophy, many of their batters didn’t know how to tackle him. They often swept, but it didn’t go well for them.

New Zealand tried to play safe, but the pitch was slow, and they couldn’t keep up with the scoring rate. When their star batter, Kane Williamson, had to take risks, he was out, which hurt their chances. “The pitch wasn’t as bad as people thought; it did spin a bit, which made it harder for batsmen. I owe my five wickets to my teammates too,” Chakravarthy said.

If New Zealand thinks the pitch will grip less this time, they might attack more. But if it’s similar to last week, it could be tricky again. “It’s easier to read a wrist spinner in daylight. He’s a great bowler, and we need a plan to score against him,” said New Zealand coach Gary Stead.

Rachin Ravindra could really help if he stays longer at the crease. With experience playing at Chepauk, he has the shots to handle spin. Daryl Mitchell is also good at dealing with spinners. The team may consider moving Michael Bracewell up the order because he can hit long.

All batters will have their own game plans, and good communication during the match is vital. “We’re ready to take on this challenge; India has good spinners,” Stead added.

On the other hand, Chakravarthy knows the Kiwis will be better prepared this time. As a mystery spinner, he needs to keep changing and being patient. “On slow pitches, the ball turns slowly, so you have to be patient and wait for opportunities,” he explained.

Matt Henry’s Injury Concern: New Zealand bowler Matt Henry landed awkwardly on his shoulder during the semi-final against South Africa and is uncertain for the final. “We’ve done some scans, and we’ll do our best to get him ready. He’s sore, but hopefully, he’ll be fine,” said Stead. Henry has taken ten wickets in the tournament, including five against India. If he can’t play, Jacob Duffy might take his place.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made some important appointments in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Rajeev Shukla, who is the vice-president of the BCCI and a member of the Indian Parliament, will now represent India on the ACC’s Board of Directors. Additionally, Ashish Shelar, the former treasurer of the BCCI and a senior member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will serve as an Executive Board Member.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia announced this news on Friday and expressed his confidence in Shukla and Shelar’s abilities. These appointments come after Jay Shah, the current BCCI Secretary, took on the role of Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Because of this new job, Shah had to step down from his position on the ACC Board.

Saikia extended the board’s best wishes to both Shukla and Shelar, stating, “We wish both of them a successful tenure as the ACC works towards promoting and developing cricket in Asia.”

This is an important time for the ACC as they are preparing for a leadership change. Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi will soon be the head of the ACC, marking a new era for cricket in Asia. Shukla and Shelar’s roles are expected to help strengthen India’s influence in the ACC.

Through these new roles, the BCCI aims to continue shaping the future of cricket in Asia, reinforcing its leadership in the sport around the world

New Zealand’s bowling team has played a big part in their journey to the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy. They are set to face India on Sunday, but there’s some worry about their star bowler, Matt Henry. He got hurt while catching a ball during the semi-final against South Africa in Lahore.

New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, shared some good news: “He managed to bowl again, which is positive. We’ve done some tests, and we’ll do our best to have him play in the final. We’re still unsure at the moment.”

In their earlier match of the tournament, New Zealand lost to India by 44 runs, but Henry made a strong impression, taking 5 wickets for 42 runs. He even got out some top Indian players like Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. Henry has been very successful against India in his career and is currently the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, with 10 wickets at an average of 16.70 and an economy rate of 5.32.

Coach Stead added, “He’s a bit sore from landing on his shoulder, but we hope he will be alright.”

Henry’s Increasing Power

Matt Henry started as a bowler who shines with the new ball, but he has now become a big threat no matter when he bowls. According to ESPNCricinfo, he is tied for the most wickets in the last ten overs of ODI cricket, with 25 wickets in 20 matches, and he has a great economy rate of 6.79.

Since 2023, Henry has one of the best bowling averages of 12.36 among bowlers who have bowled at least 200 balls between the 40th and 50th overs. He has taken a total of 136 wickets across all formats, making him the highest wicket-taker since 2023. Other famous bowlers like Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah follow him in the rankings.

The best way to enjoy cricket is to watch Sachin Tendulkar bat. Don’t believe it? Just ask Shane Watson! When Watson saw Tendulkar hit a straight drive during a cricket match, it took him back 15 years. The crowd at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara was excited to see Tendulkar perform like a pro in a match between India Masters and Australia Masters during the International Masters League (IML) 2025.

Even though Watson (110 runs) and Ben Dunk (132 runs) helped Australia Masters win by 95 runs, everyone was buzzing about Tendulkar’s incredible batting. He scored a quick 64 runs in just 33 balls, which included seven fours and four amazing sixes. The best moment was when he hit a straight six off bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, which Watson called the “shot of the night.”

Watson said, “We won the match, but Sachin played the best shot. That straight drive took me back in time instantly. The boys were cheering silently. His shots were so good, especially that straight six and the cover drive. Sachin looked so happy after hitting them.”

The IML is giving fans a chance to see some of cricket’s greatest players back on the field, with the final match happening in Raipur on March 16. Watson enjoyed playing in the tournament and spoke highly of it. “It’s so much fun to be back, playing against Sachin and sharing the field with my friends from the Australian team. The quality of cricket is fantastic. If people at home aren’t entertained, I don’t know what will entertain them!”

Chasing a target of 270 runs, India Masters were bowled out for 174, with Xavier Doherty taking five wickets for just 25 runs.

Team India is going to the final of the Champions Trophy 2025 after an exciting four-wicket victory over Australia on Tuesday. Virat Kohli was the star of the match, making a fantastic 84 runs in the chase for 265 runs. He received great support from Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and KL Rahul.

The real hero of the day was Hardik Pandya. He scored a quick 28 runs when India needed them the most, hitting three huge sixes and one four. His powerful batting changed the game and helped India secure the win. The match became very tense towards the end, and the Indian players were really nervous.

In a fun video shared on Instagram, Hardik was seen chatting with Axar Patel, trying to ease the tension. Hardik said, “I was smiling. I knew I would hit those sixes. I could tell everyone in the dressing room was a bit tense, but I was calm inside.”

Axar joked about the nervousness in the dressing room, saying, “We were thinking about running twos and singles, hoping Hardik and Rahul would keep the game going.” KL Rahul, who scored an important 42 runs without getting out, added that Hardik’s runs helped reduce the pressure on him. He said, “Hardik hit those crucial sixes, and it made my job easier. I’m really happy we won!”

With this victory, India is set to play New Zealand in a thrilling final for the Champions Trophy title!

Reverse swing is a powerful tool for fast bowlers. It became harder to use after the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned saliva because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mohammed Shami, India’s leading fast bowler, shared his worries about this rule after India won against Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final. He believes saliva is important for getting reverse swing back into the game. “We are trying to reverse swing, but without saliva, it’s tough. We hope they will let us use it again,” Shami said after India’s win in Dubai.

In One Day Internationals (ODIs), reverse swing is rare now since there are always two new balls, which makes it tougher for fast bowlers, even before the saliva ban. Shami was a key player for India in the semi-final, taking 3 wickets for 48 runs in 10 overs, helping India win by four wickets.

Shami’s role is especially crucial because star bowler Jasprit Bumrah is injured. On Tuesday, Shami was one of just two fast bowlers in the team, along with Hardik Pandya, who is more of an all-rounder. “I’m working on my rhythm to help the team more. It’s a big responsibility when we are short of proper fast bowlers,” Shami said. He is leading the pace attack in the Champions Trophy, sharing the new ball with either Harshit Rana or Pandya. While Rana is still learning at the international level, Pandya doesn’t usually bowl 10 overs regularly.

With eight wickets in the tournament so far, Shami has stepped up in Bumrah’s absence. He acknowledged that being the main pace bowler is tough but is determined to give his best for India. “When you’re the main bowler and the other is an all-rounder, you have to take the lead and take wickets,” Shami explained.

Virat Kohli once again showed his amazing skills in a crucial match as he scored 84 runs, helping India reach the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. India had to chase down a target of 265 runs against Australia, and Kohli played a key role in making it happen. Although he was close to scoring his 25th century, he didn’t let that stop him from playing an excellent innings filled with control and focus.

After the match, Kohli shared that big games inspire him. “I love playing cricket. As long as I enjoy batting, everything else will fall into place,” he said. Kohli emphasized the importance of hard work and being prepared for important matches. He believes that when you focus on teamwork and play well under pressure, it feels great.

Despite some early challenges with quick wickets, other players like Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and KL Rahul joined Kohli to build important partnerships and help India smoothly reach the target. “It feels fantastic when teammates step up. Hardik made key shots at tense moments, and KL finished the game strongly. Each of us contributed to this win. The team is in a good place,” Kohli noted.

Now, India awaits the winner of the semi-final match between South Africa and New Zealand, who scored an impressive 362 runs in their game in Karachi. India previously defeated New Zealand in the group stage.

On Monday, during India’s semifinal match against Australia in the 2025 Champions Trophy held at Dubai International Stadium, a surprising moment happened involving Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. Rahul showed his frustration when Kohli got out just 16 runs away from his second century of the tournament.

Before batting, Rahul had a talk with Kohli, suggesting that Kohli should focus on rotating the strike since he was already settled at the crease. Rahul wanted to take the riskier shots. When Rahul came in to bat at No. 6, India needed 86 runs to win in 90 balls. After dealing with some early pressure, Rahul managed to score quickly with three fours after the last drinks break.

Unfortunately, during the 43rd over, Kohli didn’t stick to their plan and ended up getting out. This left Rahul visibly upset, leading to his viral reaction of “Maar raha tha na.”

Rahul explained, “I told him to stay there and just rotate the strike because hitting was harder for me. If he got out, it would have been tougher for us.”

Kohli, who later got the Player of the Match for scoring 84 runs, admitted he made a mistake. He explained that he usually sticks to a plan and aims to finish the game quickly, but things don’t always go as expected, especially depending on the conditions of the pitch.

On this day in 2021, Kieron Pollard made history by hitting six sixes in one over during the first T20I match against Sri Lanka at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. He became only the third player ever to do this in international cricket, joining Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh. Pollard’s amazing achievement was even more exciting since it happened right after Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya took a hat-trick in his last over, dismissing three West Indies players in a row.

Sri Lanka batted first and scored 131 runs for 9 wickets in 20 overs. Pathum Nissanka was their best player, scoring 39 runs. The West Indies bowlers, especially Obed McCoy, who took 2 wickets for 25 runs, did a good job keeping the Sri Lankan batting under control.

The West Indies started strong, with openers Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons putting up 52 runs in just 19 balls. Lewis scored 28 runs, and Simmons added 26. But then, Dananjaya changed the game with a stunning hat-trick in the fourth over, taking out Lewis, Chris Gayle, and Nicholas Pooran in consecutive deliveries. Suddenly, the West Indies went from a great position at 52 without losing a wicket to 52 for 3.

Pollard didn’t let this faze him. In the sixth over, he faced Dananjaya and unleashed a fierce attack. He hit six sixes in that over! He started with a powerful shot over midwicket, followed by another huge hit straight over the sightscreen. Then he blasted one over long-off, and the next sailed over wide long-on. Even with one hand off the bat, he sent the fifth ball flying over the leg-side boundary. Finally, he flicked the last ball over deep midwicket.

This incredible display made Pollard part of an elite group, being only the third batsman to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket and the second in T20 matches. Earlier, Herschelle Gibbs did it in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup against the Netherlands, and Yuvraj Singh did it in the first-ever ICC World T20 against England the same year.

Pollard scored a rapid 38 runs off just 11 balls, turning the game back in favor of the West Indies. Although he got out soon after, Jason Holder helped secure the win by scoring 29 not out, finishing the chase at 134 for 6 in just 13.1 overs, hitting the winning six.

“I just had to come out and back myself. It was something the team needed. I didn’t see the hat-trick, I only heard. But I still had to come out and do what the team required at that point in time. After the third six, I felt it was possible. I went for it and it paid off,” Pollard said after his amazing performance. For Sri Lanka, it was a wild game, filled with excitement from Dananjaya’s hat-trick to the disappointment of giving up six sixes in two overs.