Category: Sports

Yograj Singh, the father of famous cricketer Yuvraj Singh, criticized former Pakistani cricketers for their harsh comments about the current Pakistan cricket team. This criticism came after the team failed to reach the next stage of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is being held in Pakistan for the first time since 1996.

Pakistan lost its initial matches against New Zealand and India and was eliminated from the tournament quickly. The team, led by Mohammad Rizwan, faced harsh words from many former players, including legends like Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad. Akram and others expressed disappointment in the players’ performance and even mocked their food choices during matches, specifically a large plate of bananas that was offered to the players.

Yograj Singh responded strongly, saying that Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, another former star, should be embarrassed for criticizing the team without trying to help. He suggested that if they really cared, they should return to Pakistan and work with the players to make the team better.

Yograj Singh also offered to coach the Pakistan team himself, saying he could help them become a winning team in just one year. He mentioned that building a strong team requires serious hard work and dedication. He believes that if Akram or other famous players really wanted to help improve the team, they would organize training camps instead of just earning money from commentary.

Pakistan, the defending champions, will play their final match of the tournament against Bangladesh on February 27.

Legendary Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram criticized the national team’s performances after their disappointing losses in the Champions Trophy. Pakistan was already out of the tournament after losing to New Zealand and India.

After the game against India, the team needed Bangladesh to win against New Zealand to have any chance of moving forward. But Bangladesh lost, leaving the team’s hopes in tatters.

Akram expressed his frustration, especially highlighting the team’s strange eating habits. During a drinks break, players were given a plate full of bananas. “Even monkeys wouldn’t eat that many bananas!” he exclaimed. He pointed out that if Imran Khan, the team’s former captain, had seen this, he would have been very upset.

Akram also criticized the bowlers, saying their performance was the second worst in the tournament. In the last five matches, Pakistan’s bowlers took only 24 wickets, averaging 60 runs per wicket. This is worse than both Oman and the USA, which is not good for such a talented team.

He urged the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to question the team’s selection choices, mentioning that players like Khusdil Shah and Salam Agha did not seem able to take wickets. Akram had been warning for weeks about the squad’s weaknesses, but the PCB chairman insisted they had chosen the best team.

IPL 2025

New Delhi: Venkatesh Iyer, a player for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has said he is ready to be the captain if he gets the chance in IPL 2025. Although he has never been a captain before, he believes being a leader is more important than just having a title.

The KKR team hasn’t chosen a captain yet for this season, which starts with a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens. Previous captain Shreyas Iyer led KKR to victory in IPL 2024 but has moved to Punjab Kings in a big auction.

Venkatesh told ESPNcricinfo, “I am definitely ready. Captaincy is just a label. I think being a leader is what counts more.” He emphasized that a leader should set a good example both on the field and off it. He mentioned he is already doing this with his team in Madhya Pradesh, even though he is not the captain there.

“I might not be the captain of the MP team, but my teammates respect my opinions. I believe everyone, no matter if they are new or experienced, or regardless of how much they earn, should be free to share their thoughts. It’s important to have an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up,” he added.

Venkatesh joined KKR in 2021, was let go last year but was bought back for a large sum of ₹23.75 crore after a bidding competition with RCB. He has played 51 matches for KKR, scoring a total of 1,326 runs.

Pakistan’s cricket team is facing big changes after losing to India in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which looks like it will end their chance of advancing. Legendary Indian player Sunil Gavaskar expressed his surprise at how little backup players Pakistan has, despite the country’s ability to produce great talent.

So far in the tournament they are hosting, Pakistan has lost two matches: one to New Zealand by 60 runs, and another to India by six wickets. Gavaskar mentioned that Pakistan’s current team might struggle against even a second-string Indian team. “A B team would be really tough to beat Pakistan in their current form,” he said.

In the game against India, Pakistan batted first but could only score 241 runs and got all out in 49.4 overs. India chased down the score in just 42.3 overs, thanks to Virat Kohli’s remarkable unbeaten 100 runs. After New Zealand’s win over Bangladesh, it became clear that Pakistan would be eliminated in the first round of the Champions Trophy.

Gavaskar pointed out that Pakistan’s batters lacked aggression. For example, Mohammad Rizwan hit a boundary on his first ball, but the team didn’t change their slow approach. He found it surprising that nothing seemed to go right for them.

Their performance was further impacted by the absence of Fakhar Zaman, a key opener, who was replaced by Imam-ul-Haq, who managed to score only 10 runs. Gavaskar noted that it’s unusual for a country known for its cricket talent to lack good replacements. He mentioned how Pakistan used to have players with great instinct, even if they didn’t always follow traditional techniques.

Gavaskar questioned why Pakistan is struggling to find talented players and said Pakistan cricket should learn from India’s success. India has produced many young stars thanks to the IPL, which helps players gain experience and eventually join the national team. Pakistan needs to think about how to rebuild its cricket talent.

During the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 match against Pakistan in Dubai, Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma made history. He became the fastest opening batter in One Day Internationals (ODIs) to reach 9,000 runs. Rohit, who is 37 years old, achieved this milestone when he scored his first run in the match.

With this single run, Rohit joined an exclusive group of just six openers who have scored over 9,000 runs in ODIs, including legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Chris Gayle. Rohit is now the fastest among them, achieving the 9,000-run mark in just 181 innings. Previously, Sachin Tendulkar held the record, reaching this milestone in 197 innings.

In the match against Pakistan, Rohit scored 20 runs off 15 balls but was out when bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi with a fast yorker.

Rohit has more than 11,000 runs in ODIs, making him one of the best players ever. He reached this 11,000-run mark in 261 innings, the second-fastest after his teammate Virat Kohli. Rohit has broken records before, becoming the fastest opener to 8,000 runs in ODIs in 2023.

Overall, Rohit has over 15,000 runs as an opener in all types of cricket, ranking him seventh on the all-time list. He has hit 44 centuries, just behind David Warner and Sachin Tendulkar.

In this match against Pakistan, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, scoring 241 runs. Kuldeep Yadav stood out for India, taking three wickets to help dismiss Pakistan.

Pakistan is ready to face India in a crucial Champions Trophy match on Sunday in Dubai. After losing their first game to New Zealand, Pakistan, led by Mohammad Rizwan, needs a win to stay in the tournament. Right now, they are at the bottom of Group A. Meanwhile, India started strong with a win against Bangladesh and is currently second in the group.

Due to political issues, India is not playing in Pakistan, but all the matches are taking place in Dubai. Even though Pakistan is the host country, they are traveling to Dubai for this game, which some fans see as giving India a home advantage since India’s players have already played there.

Aaqib Javed, the coach of Pakistan, disagrees with this view. He believes that his team has the edge because they have been playing in the UAE for years, especially in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He said, “India doesn’t have any advantage. Our players know this ground well.”

He also mentioned the excitement of a Pakistan-India match, saying that the crowd’s energy is incredible. Whether the players do well or make mistakes, the crowd will react strongly. He told the players to focus on the game and not worry about what the crowd thinks.

Looking at the teams’ history, Pakistan has won 73 matches against India, while India has won 57. However, Pakistan has lost all six of their recent games against India since 2018. In the Champions Trophy history, they have faced each other five times, with Pakistan winning the last match in the 2017 final by 180 runs.

Rohit Sharma’s retirement rumors are back, as former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar thinks Rohit probably won’t play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. He shared this on the eve of India’s important game against Pakistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is crucial for India’s chance to reach the semifinals.

On an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar said he doubts Rohit will be around for the 2027 World Cup, hinting that the Champions Trophy might be his last tournament. He believes Rohit should enjoy his game against Pakistan without thinking it’s a farewell, but rather focus on showcasing his skills.

“I feel that if Rohit has decided he won’t continue, it’s unlikely that he will play in the 2027 World Cup. This could very well be the last tournament for him,” Manjrekar explained. He wants Rohit to play freely, tapping into his batting talent rather than treating it like a goodbye match.

Rohit Sharma had a strong start in the Champions Trophy. In India’s first match against Bangladesh, he scored 41 runs off 36 balls, helping India win by six wickets. Before the match, he downplayed any worries about his form after he had an impressive century in a recent ODI series against England.

“During the 2023 World Cup in India, fans really admired Rohit for being a selfless captain. He could have scored a hundred but chose to give the team a good start instead,” Manjrekar added.