Noticias

New Delhi, July 23 (Ians) Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli might have scored exhilarating centuries in the ongoing Test series against West Indies but the Team management missed a crucial aspect of nurturing the upcoming prodigies of World cricket keeping in mind the next cycle of the World Test Championship (Wtc).

Following Australia’s emphatic win over India in the Wtc 2023, it was a perfect opportunity for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (Bcci) to give chance to young guns who had proven their mettle in the domestic setup.

Also with the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane being closer to the end of their careers, it was the right time for the Team management to give to players having minimal international experience against the weak West Indies side.

However, nothing of this happened and a full-strength squad was picked for the West...

New Delhi, July 19 (Ians) Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed on Wednesday said Indian cricket team will look to win gold in what would be their official debut at the Asian Games.

He commented on the fact that cricket is being represented in having the chance to win a yellow metal is a matter of great pride.

This is the second time the men’s cricket team will play in a multi-sport event. The Indian men’s cricket team played at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in a 50-over format. The matches, however, were not accorded international status and were recorded as List A games.

“Our tournament starts for us from the quarter-final stages. All the teams would be good and well prepared. We hope for the gold medal for the country,” Shahbaz Ahmed told a YouTube channel ‘Cricket Basu’.

The Bcci last week announced a 15-member Indian men’s cricket...

Rourkela, June 17 (Ians) Hockey Jharkhand, Le Puducherry Hockey and Hockey Punjab registered victories in their respective matches on Day 6 of the 13th Hockey India Junior Men’s National Championship 2023 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, here on Saturday.

In the first match of the day, Hockey Jharkhand defeated the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 8-1 in Pool F. Navin Kerketta scored a brace and gave a solid start to Hockey Jharkhand. Abhishek Tigga (18′), Atish Dodrai (23′), Deepak Soreng (24′), Sukhnath Guria (49′), Shet Topno (53′) and Flabius Tirkey (55′) scored one goal each to affirm the necessary lead against their opponents. In reply, Anand Y (15′) scored the only goal for the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu.

In the second match of the day, Le Puducherry Hockey defeated Goans Hockey 5-2 in Pool F. Pravin Kumar scored a hat-trick for Le Puducherry Hockey. Keerthivasan (32′) and captain V. Vimal (34′) also scored one goal each to maintain the acquired lead.

Rourkela (Odisha), June 16 (Ians) Hockey Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Hockey registered wins in their respective pool matches on Day 5 of the 13th Hockey India Junior Men’s National Championship 2023 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, here on Friday.

In the first match of the day, Hockey Madhya Pradesh beat Kerala Hockey 14-0 in Pool A. Mohammad Zaid Khan, Ali Ahmad, Mohd Konain Dad, Captain Ankit Pal (15′), Md Kareem Mansuri (29′), Shreyas Dupe, and Kashif Khan (57′) featured on the scoresheet for Hockey Madhya Pradesh.

In Pool B, Chhattisgarh Hockey beat Hockey Andhra Pradesh 13-3 in the second match of the day. The goalscorers for Chhattisgarh Hockey were Karan Lakra, Arjun Yadav (7′), Vishnu Yadav, Captain Tarun Yadav (38′), Sandeep Kumar, and Sonu Nishad (47′). Meanwhile, Kavuru Pardha Sai (18′), Nadiminti Akhil Venkat (36′), and Giduturi Sai (48′) scored for Hockey Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier on Thursday, Hockey Punjab defeated Assam Hockey 16-0 in Pool G. Arshdeep Singh opened the...

New Delhi, May 14 (Ians) Prabhsimran Singh’s brilliant maiden century, followed by spin domination of Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar led Punjab Kings to a convincing 31-run win over Delhi Capitals in Match No. 59 of Ipl 2023 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, here on Saturday.

Opener Prabhsimran’s maiden Ipl century (103 off 65) guided Punjab Kings to a competitive 167/7 in 20 overs. Punjab were struggling at 45/3 but Prabhsimran stitched a vital stand of 72 runs off 54 balls for the fourth wicket with Sam Curran to get them out of trouble. On the other hand, Ishant Sharma was the most successful bowler for Delhi Capitals with his 2-27.

In reply, despite having solid Power-play, Delhi Capitals struggled against spin choke, implemented by Harpreet (4-30) and Chahar (2-16) and suffered another loss in the season.

With this win, Punjab moved up to the sixth position in the points table with six victories in 12 matches and kept their playoffs hopes alive,...

New Delhi, May 13 (Ians) Prabhsimran Singh’s maiden century, followed by clinical efforts from bowlers helped Punjab Kings beat Delhi Capitals by 31 runs in Match No. 59 and knock them out of the playoffs race in the ongoing season 2023 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, here on Saturday.

Opener Prabhsimran Singh’s brilliant maiden Ipl century (103 off 65) guided Punjab Kings to a competitive 167/7 in 20 overs. Punjab were struggling at 45/3 but Prabhsimran stitched a vital stand of 72 runs off 54 balls for the fourth wicket with Sam Curran to get them out of trouble. On the other hand, Ishant Sharma was the most successful bowler for Delhi Capitals with his 2-27.

Chasing a fighting total, Delhi Capitals were off to a flying start, scoring 65/0 after six overs courtesy of Warner’s attacking approach. Warner came out all guns blazing hitting Rishi Dhawan for back-to-back boundaries in the very first over.

The Australian didn’t spare...

New Delhi, May 13 (Ians) Delhi Capitals won the toss and opted to bowl first against Punjab Kings in Match No 59 of Indian Premier League (Ipl) 2023 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, here on Saturday.

Delhi Capitals skipper David Warner said that Ripal Patel will miss this game.

“We will have a bowl. It is going to be a slow, low surface, it is not going to change much. There might be some dew later on. The last game was not a good one but winning 4 out of 5 was quite good. The boys have come out with a lot of freedom and a clear mind. The crowd has come out and supported us. We have got the same 16, Ripal goes out and another pacer comes in,” said Warner at the toss.

On the other hand, the Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings brought in Sikandar Raza for Bhanuka Rajapaksa.

“We would have bowled too but we are batting first,...

New Delhi, May 12 (Ians) Time and again, it’s been the batting, which has let Delhi Capitals (DC) down in the ongoing Ipl 2023 and the David Warner led side will look to sort it out when they face a desperate Punjab Kings (Pbks) in the Match No 59 of the season at Arun Jaitley Stadium, here on Friday.

Both teams are coming off crushing defeats in their last matches respectively. Delhi lost to Chennai on a spin-friendly Chepauk track while Punjab Kings suffered a last-ball defeat against Kkr at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

The Capitals are placed at the bottom of the table with eight points from 11 matches and even if they win their next three matches, it will only take them to 14 points, which might not be enough to earn them a place in the top four.

The Australian duo of captain Warner and coach Ricky Ponting would certainly want more...

Kolkata, May 9 (Ians) Kolkata Knight Riders’ all-rounder Andre Russell expressed that the fearless batting displayed by Rinku Singh has helped alleviate the pressure as the duo sealed a thrilling victory against Punjab Kings (Pbks) at Eden Gardens.

Chasing 180, Kolkata needed 26 needed in two overs, Russell delivered big time smashing Sam Curran for 3 sixes in the 19th over to bring down the equation to just 7 of the last 6 balls.

Pbks pacer Arshdeep Singh held his nerves and created immense pressure as Russell was run out in the penultimate ball trying to sneak in a cheeky signal. With 2 needed off the final ball, Rinku found the fine-leg boundary and pulled off the nail-biter with a five-wicket victory.

“I wanted to finish the game off, but we have a finisher this year in Rinku. He had told me what if the ball beats you, should we go for the run? I said for sure,...

New Delhi, May 9 (Ians) Simon Doull believes that Punjab Kings (Pbks) seamer Sam Curran failed to perform well under pressure during the team’s Ipl 2023 encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders (Kkr).

He said that the tactic used by the English all-rounder to deliver a slower ball ended up having a negative outcome.

With Kolkata requiring 26 off 12 balls, Curran conceded 20 runs as Russell smacked back-to-back maximums. After a dot ball, he went for another six and finished the over with a single, leaving 6 runs for the final over to win.

However, fighting over from pacer Arshdeep Singh created immense pressure and Russell was run out in the penultimate ball trying to sneak in a cheeky signal. With 2 needed off the final ball, Rinku Singh swiped the last ball wide of fine leg for a four to seal the thriller against Punjab Kings on Monday night.

“He (Sam Curran) was the Player of the World Cup.

new delhi, may 9 (ians) Kolkata Knight Riders kept their play-off chances alive as they walked out of the Eden Gardens with a Ipl 2023 win over the Punjab Kings by 5 wickets.

Batting first, the Kings set a target of 180 runs, led by a 57-run performance by captain Shikhar Dhawan. Chasing, the Kkr captain too top scored for his team as Nitish Rana hit 51 runs off just 38 deliveries.

Rana got out in the 16th over but the Kkr finishers Andre Russell and Rinku Singh made them win the thriller that stretched to the last ball. This win helps Kolkata rise to 5th on the table, proving they’re still in the fight for a playoff berth while Punjab falls to 7th place with the same win-loss record but a worse run rate.

Andre Russell had an impactful 42-run performance in the latter half of the game, hitting three sixes in four balls...

Mohali, May 4 (Ians) Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan said his aim while making a terrific 75 against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (Ipl) 2023 match at the Is Bindra Pca Stadium was that whatever deliveries were coming in his arc, he had to go for it.

Kishan slammed a terrific 75, helped by seven fours and four sixes at a strike-rate of 182.93 while sharing a match-winning partnership of 116 for the third wicket with Suryakumar Yadav to help Mumbai chase down 215 and beat Punjab Kings by six wickets.

“The wicket was too good to bat on and I kept for 20 overs so I knew how the wicket was playing. And when you are chasing you need to keep the momentum. Whenever it was in the arc I was going to go for it,” he said after the game ended.

Though the duo fell in the back end of the chase, Tilak Varma...

Mohali, May 4 (Ians) After chasing down 215 against Punjab Kings to win by six wickets in Ipl 2023, Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma heaped praise on Suryakumar Yadav, pointing out that getting runs behind square is a strength point which he utilised very well in Mohali.

Suryakumar was all class in his whirlwind 66 off 31 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes at a strike-rate of 212.9, leaving no area untouched with his trademark innovative shots while sharing a match-winning partnership of 116 for the third wicket with Ishan Kishan to help Mumbai chase down 215 with seven balls to spare.

“Look, he (Suryakumar) has been doing that for the last couple of years. Batted brilliantly. To play behind the wicket, that’s his strength and he utilised it really well. Surya and Kishan batted brilliantly and good finish by Tim and Tilak,” said Rohit in the post-match presentation ceremony.

He was also in praise of Kishan,...

Mohali, May 3 (Ians) Ishan Kishan slammed a terrific 75 while Suryakumar Yadav brought out his wide array of shots in a whirlwind 66 as the duo shared a 116-run partnership for the third wicket to help Mumbai Indians chase down 215 and beat Punjab Kings by six wickets at the Is Bindra Pca Stadium on Wednesday.

Though the duo fell in the back-end of the chase, Tilak Varma and Tim David kept the attack going to complete the chase with seven balls to spare. The win also means Mumbai have ten points and have gone past Punjab to be at sixth position in the points table.

Mumbai were dealt with a big blow in the opening over as Rohit Sharma danced down the pitch to flay over off-side against Rishi Dhawan. But the top-edge flew to the fielder in the deep, resulting in his dismissal for a three-ball duck.

Ishan got going by...

Mohali, May 3 (Ians) When Punjab Kings, after being put in to bat first, posted 214/3, thanks to Liam Livingstone’s scintillating 82 off 42 balls and Jitesh Sharma continuing his good form to be unbeaten on 49 off 27 balls, while sharing a 119-run stand for the fourth wicket, it seemed Mumbai Indians were on the backfoot.

After conceding 69 runs in the last five overs, Mumbai were even further pushed backwards when Rishi Dhawan dismissed Rohit Sharma for a three-ball duck in the first over and lost Cameron Green in the last over of power-play.

But Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav had other ideas at the Is Bindra Pca Stadium on Wednesday. In front of a vociferous crowd, Kishan slammed a terrific 75 while Suryakumar brought out his innovative array of shots in a whirlwind 66 as the duo shared a match-winning partnership of 116 for the third wicket to help Mumbai Indians chase down 215 and beat Punjab Kings by six wickets.

Lucknow, April 15 (Ians) Stand-in captain Sam Curran and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada picked 3-31 and 2-34 respectively as Punjab Kings restricted Lucknow Super Giants to 159/8 in 20 overs in Match 21 of Ipl 2023 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.

For Lucknow, captain K.L. Rahul top-scored with 74 off 56 balls in an innings during which he was unable to attack as wickets fell from the other end. Lucknow had 49/0 in Power-play but made only 62/4 in middle overs and faltered in the end as Punjab picked four wickets while conceding only 48 runs in the last five overs.

With dew setting in, Punjab are in an advantageous position at the halfway mark. On a greenish pitch with some bare patches, Kyle Mayers began by sweeping Matt Short for a six over deep backward square leg. Arshdeep Singh got some good bounce while Rabada hit Rahul on his gloves.

Mohali, April 14 (Ians) Defending champions Gujarat Titans were on course to chase down 154 comfortably, thanks to Shubman Gill’s serene 67 off 49 balls, laced with seven fours and a six.

With seven runs needed off the final over on Thursday night, after Arshdeep Singh conceded only six runs in the 19th over, Gill survived a run-out chance, before Sam Curran uprooted his off-stump on the very next ball, bringing sudden tension into the match.

Curran then nailed two back-to-back yorkers, and David Miller completed the second run with a desperate dive. With four runs needed off the last two balls, Rahul Tewatia calmly finished off the chase by moving across and scooping a full ball from Curran over a short fine leg for four to seal the deal for Gujarat with a ball to spare.

After leading Gujarat to their 11th victory out of 12 chasing attempts, Tewatia said his success as...

Mohali, April 14 (Ians) Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya did not expect their clash with Punjab Kings to be a close affair after restricting their opponents to a small total and said they will go back to the drawing board to analyse the reason for that.

Opener Shubman Gill notched up his second half-century of Ipl 2023 while fast bowler Mohit Sharma marked his comeback in the tournament with a stellar spell to lead the way for Gujarat Titans to beat Punjab Kings by six wickets at the Is Bindra Pca Stadium on Thursday.

Mohit Sharma shone through with his 2-18 in four overs as he led a clinical bowling performance from Gujarat to restrict Punjab to 153/8.

The defending champions were on course for a comfortable chase, thanks to Gill’s serene 67 off 49 balls. With seven runs needed off the final over, after Arshdeep Singh conceded only six runs in the 19th,...

Mohali, April 14 (Ians) Opener Shubman Gill notched up his second half-century of Ipl 2023 while fast bowler Mohit Sharma marked his comeback in the tournament with a stellar spell to lead the way for Gujarat Titans to beat Punjab Kings by six wickets at the Is Bindra Pca Stadium on Thursday.

Thursday’s victory is Gujarat’s third win of the ongoing season and takes them to third place on the points table, while Punjab were handed their second loss of the tournament. Mohit, a previous Purple Cap winner in the Ipl, was a net bowler for Gujarat in clinching their maiden title last year.

On Thursday, he shone through with his 2-18 in four overs, bowling slower balls and maintaining tight lines. Mohit also bowled 12 dot balls, as he led a clinical bowling performance from Gujarat to restrict Punjab to 153/8.

The defending champions were on course for a comfortable chase,...

Mohali, April 13 (Ians) Opener Shubman Gill notched up his fifth half-century against Punjab Kings since his entry into the Ipl fold to lead the way for a six-wicket victory for Gujarat Titans at the Is Bindra Pca Stadium on Thursday.

After pacer Mohit Sharma made a stellar comeback to the tournament with 2-18 and led a clinical bowling performance from Gujarat in restricting Punjab to 153/8, the defending champions were on course for a comfortable chase, thanks to Gill’s serene 67 off 49 balls, laced with seven fours and a six.

With seven runs needed off the final over, Gill survived a run-out chance, before Sam Curran uprooted his off-stump on the very next ball, bringing sudden tension into the match. After Curran nailed two back-to-back yorkers, David Miller completed the second run with a desperate dive.

With four runs needed off the last two balls, Rahul Tewatia finished off the chase...

Mohali, April 13 (Ians) Hardik Pandya returned to captain Gujarat Titans as the defending champions won the toss and elected to bowl first against Punjab Kings at the Is Bindra Pca Stadium on Thursday.

Both teams are into this game after facing defeats in their last match. While Gujarat lost to Kolkata Knight Riders as Rinku Singh hit five sixes on the last five balls, Punjab went down to Sunrisers Hyderabad despite captain Shikhar Dhawan making 99 not out in a batting masterclass.

“Just looks like a good wicket, and from whatever I’ve seen it’s good to chase. Was a one-in-a-million defeat (to Kolkata). We are the kind of team that takes it with a smile. Played good cricket until that last over. It happens. It’s a fresh game. We’ll come out and smile, and throw some punches,” said Hardik, who missed the game against Kolkata due to being unwell.

Kozhikode (Kerala), April 10 (Ians) There were goals galore in the Super Cup 2023 tie on Monday when Jamshedpur Fc registered a 5-3 victory against Fc Goa in Group C at the Ems Corporation Stadium, here.

Trailing by an early goal, Jamshedpur returned with a vengeance to hold a vice-like grip over the proceedings thereafter and always held the upper hand despite spirited efforts by the Goa side.

The Group C contests witnessed a total of 14 goals on Monday as Atk Mohun Bagan routed Gokulam Fc 5-1 in the day’s first match at the same venue.

Fc Goa took the lead when goalkeeper Tp Rehenesh lost the ball just outside the box in the sixth minute. Having received the opportunity, Iker Guarrotxena didn’t waste time to pass the ball to Noah Sadaoui, who was in an advantageous position and the winger skillfully hammered the ball in.

However, Fc Goa’s celebrations didn’t last long.

Hyderabad, April 9 (Ians) Rahul Tripathi blasted an unbeaten 74 and added 100 runs for the unfinished third-wicket partnership with skipper Aiden Markram (37 not out) as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Punjab Kings by eight wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.

Tripathi smacked his 74 off 48 deliveries and Markram smashed 37 off 21 deliveries as they raised 100 runs for the third wicket off 51 balls as Sunrisers Hyderabad scored 145/2 in 17.1 overs chasing a modest score of 143/9 in 20 overs built on an unbeaten 99 by Pbks skipper Shikhar Dhawan. The Pbks innings was destroyed by rookie leg spinner Mayank Markahde who claimed his first four-fer with a 4-15.

This was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first win this season after defeats in their first two matches. Pbks suffered their first defeat after two wins.

Sunrisers Hyderabad got off to a modest start as they managed 34/1 in the Power-play. At the same time, Punjab Kings were 41/3.

The fact that...

Hyderabad, April 9 (Ians) Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and elected to field first against Punjab Kings in Match 14 of India Premier League (Ipl) 2023 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Sunday.

Sunrisers have made two changes in their squad with Heinrich Klaassen and Mayank Markande coming into the playing XI.

“We’ll bowl first. We are happy to chase. Looks like a good surface. Hopefully, we can bowl well upfront. To the eye, it looks a lot better. The atmosphere has been pretty calm, you can’t fix anything in a day technically. Hopefully, we can get our first win. Two new caps are Klaasen and Mayank Markande, excited for them,” said Srh skipper Aiden Markram at the toss.

Punjab Kings made one change, Matt Short coming in for Bhanuka Rajapaksa.

“We wanted to bat first. We’d like to put a big total. We have a good team environment.

New Delhi, April 8 (Ians) Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar stated that Gujarat Titans’ five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in the season opener of Ipl 2023 showed him that the Hardik Pandya-led side are capable of defending their title in the ongoing season.

Manjrekar also cited that the light team atmosphere created by Pandya and head coach Ashish Nehra has helped the players bring their A-game every time they step on the pitch.

Gujarat will be aiming to make a hat-trick of victories when they host Kolkata Knight Riders at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

“Hardik is a successful captain because he does not take the game too seriously. Also, Ashish Nehra takes care of the tactical side and that is the reason why this team really seems to be playing as a unit. They proved it by winning the title last season and this season they beat Csk...

Guwahati, April 5 (Ians) Rajasthan Royals (Rr) have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Punjab Kings (Pbks) in Match 8 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (Ipl) here at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Both teams will take the field with no changes in their line-ups.

After winning the toss, Rr captain Sanju Samson said that some dew is expected and will look to use the opportunity to bowl first. “The players have gotten used to the conditions. We are going in with the same side,” Samson said.

On the youngsters in the squad, the Rr skipper said: “Very happy to see them grow. (Yashasvi) Jaiswal and (Riyan) Parag have grown a lot learning from the experienced guys.”

On the other hand, Pbks captain Shikhar Dhawan said: “We all know the dew comes. We also wanted to bowl first. It is alright. We are used to it. Let’s go day by day.

New Delhi, March 26 (Ians) Star India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was on Saturday promoted to A+ Grade in the Bcci’s annual player contracts for the men’s team for the 2022-23 season, joining Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah in the highest category.

Apart from Jadeja, other all-rounders Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya were promoted to Grade A, from B and C respectively, while Kl Rahul was dropped from A to B.

On the other hand, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav have moved up to Grade B from C, a Bcci media release said.

Pacer Shardul Thakur was dropped from Grade B to C, while Kuldeep Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, and Ks Bharat are all newly-contracted players in Grade C.

Veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma, who were previously in Grade B, have not been given contracts, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar,...

Thiruvananthapuram, March 20 (Ians) Haryana’s Krishan Kumar stepped up the pace approaching the halfway mark and topped the men’s 800m in the Indian Grand Prix 1 at the Laxmibai National College of Physical Education here on Monday.

In clocking 1:47.26, his second-best time over the distance, the Armyman met the Asian Games qualifying standard of 1:49.05 in the event organised by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

Krishan Kumar, the National Games silver medallist, also owed it to Madhya Pradesh 18-year-old Parvej Khan, who ran a hard first 300m and set the pace for the taller Krishan Kumar to utilise to his advantage.

Parvej, who finished third in race A in 1:51.10, missed out on a podium place as Prakash Balu Gadade won race B in 1:50.56 and claimed the silver medal, the AFI informed in a report on its official website.

The men’s 5000m saw three Uttar Pradesh...

Ahmedabad, Feb 1 (Ians) A sensational maiden T20I century by Shubman Gill (126 not out off 63) followed by a dominating performance by the bowlers led India to a massive 168-run win in the third and final T20I and 2-1 series victory over New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Wednesday.

Gill, who didn’t have much success in the first two games, put on a batting show, smashing the Black Caps’ bowlers all-round the world’s largest cricket stadium. Apart from Gill, the likes of Rahul Tripathi (44 off 22), Hardik Pandya (30 off 17) and Suryakumar Yadav (24 off 13) also made vital contributions with the bat.

Chasing a mammoth total, New Zealand were off to a disastrous start as Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya ripped through their top order. A couple of superb reflex catches by Suryakumar Yadav at slips also helped India’s cause.

The likes of Finn Allen (3) and Devon Conway...

Ahmedabad, Feb 1 (Ians) A historic maiden T20I century by opener Shubman Gill (126 not out off 63) followed by a dominating performance by bowlers powered India to a clinical 2-1 series victory over New Zealand with a massive 168-run win in the third and final T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium, here on Wednesday.

In terms of run margin, the 168-run win is India’s biggest win in T20 Internationals. It was also the biggest margin of victory in a game played between two full-member nations.

Gill, who didn’t have much success in the first two games, put on a batting show, smashing the Black Caps’ bowlers all-round the park at the world’s largest cricket stadium. Apart from Gill, the likes of Rahul Tripathi (44 off 22), Hardik Pandya (30 off 17) and Suryakumar Yadav (24 off 13) also made vital contributions with the bat.

Chasing a mammoth total, New Zealand were off to...

New Delhi, Feb 1 (Ians) Former India cricketer and ex-coach Anil Kumble has named Arshdeep Singh and Ishan Kishan as the upcoming stars of India who will carry the baton forward.

Arshdeep made his T20I debut against England in July last year and has featured in 25 matches since then, claiming 39 wickets so far. In the same year, the left-arm fast bowler marked his Odi debut against New Zealand in November.

On the other hand, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan scored a double Odi hundred against Bangladesh last year that saw him enter the record book. He made history by becoming the seventh batsman in one-day international cricket to hit a double-century and the fastest to achieve the feat.

Speaking on the new episode of ‘Legends Lounge’ on JioCinema, Kumble named Arshdeep Singh as his choice for the bowler and Ishan Kishan as batsman. “Having worked closely with someone like Arshdeep, it’s wonderful...

New Delhi, Jan 31 (Ians) Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir believes that apart from variations in pace, it is equally important for left-arm fast-bowler Arshdeep Singh to sort out his issue of bowling no-balls.

Arshdeep had made his T20I debut against England in July 2022, picking 33 wickets in 21 matches during the year at an average of 18.12, strike rate of 13.30 and economy rate of 8.17.

He also stepped up admirably in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence to pick ten wickets for India in the Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia and even earned a nomination for Icc Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year award.

But he has been leaking runs in his recent T20I appearances, with his economy rate in T20Is since the T20 World Cup ended standing at 10.24. “You gonna have something different up your sleeves whether it’s a slower one or a slower bouncer. Some kind of variation.

New Delhi, Jan 22 (Ians) The International Cricket Council (Icc) on Sunday unveils the schedule for announcing the winners of the coveted Icc Awards 2022, starting from Monday, January 23.

After shortlists for the 13 individual awards were announced last month, the Icc Voting Academy and hundreds of thousands of global cricket fans submitted their selections to identify the best performers from a year which included the Icc Women’s Cricket World Cup, the Icc Men’s T20 World Cup, and a host of other international contests.

Before the individual prize-winners are announced, including the iconic Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Icc Men’s Cricketer of the Year and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for Icc Women’s Cricketer of the Year, the Icc will reveal five Teams of the Year, specially selected by the independent panel of media representatives that make up the Icc Voting Academy.

Monday will see the Icc Men’s...

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 14 (Ians) Though India have already clinched the Odi series against Sri Lanka by winning the first two matches in Guwahati and Kolkata, the Rohit Sharma-led side will be aiming for a clean sweep at the Greenfield International Stadium here on Sunday.

For Sri Lanka, who have been outwitted in the matches at Guwahati and Kolkata despite showing some fight, ending the tour on a high with a victory will be on their minds.

In India’s build-up to the 2023 Odi World Cup, to be held in the country in October and November, they have done fairly well. Rohit, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli did very well with the bat in Guwahati.

At Kolkata, wicket-keeper-batter K.L. Rahul showed that he can be a reliable batter at number five when he shared vital stands with Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav in acing a chase of 216.

With the series already in the bag,...

New Delhi, Jan 13 (Ians) Attacking opener Prithvi Shaw was on Friday called up to the India T20I squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, while K.S. Bharat was named as wicketkeeper for the Odi squad.

Shaw (23) has been in brilliant form in the domestic circuit, recently hitting 379 in a Ranji Trophy game match against Assam.

As per a Bcci release, K.L. Rahul and Axar Patel are unavailable due to family commitments, with the selection committee naming Bharat and Shahbaz Ahmed as their replacements in the Odi squad.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya will continue to lead the T20I side which has a familiar group of players, who featured in the series against Sri Lanka. The senior duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continue to be left out of the T20 setup and they will only be present in the Odi squad.

Sanju Samson, who got injured...

Guwahati, Jan 9 (Ians) After a 2-1 T20I series win against Sri Lanka, India are all set to turn their focus towards ODIs against the Dasun Shanaka-led side, with the series kickstarting from Aca Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.

With the series all set to mark the start of a crucial year as the Odi World Cup will be held in India in October-November, the hosts’ have been hit hard by a late pull-out of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah as a precautionary measure, thus extending his delay into playing competitive cricket since suffering a reoccurrence of back injury in September 2022, which also saw him miss Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

At the same time, there is some cheer for India as captain Rohit Sharma is back to lead the side since he sustained a left thumb injury during the Odi series in Bangladesh in December 2022. Alongside him, Virat Kohli,...

New Delhi, Jan 9 (Ians) India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match Odi series against Sri Lanka, starting in Guwahati from Tuesday.

As per an official statement from the Bcci, Bumrah, who was set to join the team in Guwahati ahead of the Odi series, will need some more time to build bowling resilience.

It added that the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure, with no replacement being named in Bumrah’s absence, further delaying the competitive cricket comeback of the right-arm fast-bowler.

Bumrah, 29, was not a part of India’s original Odi squad for the series against Sri Lanka announced on December 27. But he was included in the squad for the three-match series on January 3.

“The pacer has undergone rehabilitation and has been declared fit by the Nca. He will be joining the Team India Odi squad soon,” the Bcci had said at that time.

Rajkot, Jan 7 (Ians) Suryakumar Yadav’s blistering unbeaten century (112 not out off 51 balls) and collective dominating performance by bowlers powered India to an impressive 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka with a convincing 91 run-win over in the third and final T20I at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, here on Saturday.

With his beautiful wristy shots, Suryakumar made the opponent team feel like he isn’t from the same planet, treating every bowler with disdain to power India to a mammoth total of 228/5 in 20 overs. Apart from Suryakumar, Shubman Gill played a decent knock (46 off 36) while Rahul Tripathi gave India some quickfire runs in the Power-play with his 35 off 16.

Chasing a huge total, the Sri Lankan side was under tremendous pressure but openers Pathum Nissanka (15) and Kusal Mendis (23) gave Sri Lanka a solid start of 44 runs with a flurry of strokes against Indian fast bowlers.

With pacers going for runs,...

Rajkot, Jan 7 (Ians) Suryakumar Yadav’s blistering unbeaten century (112 not out off 51 balls) and dominating performance by bowlers helped India thrash Sri Lanka by 91 runs in the third and final T20I and clinch three-match series 2-1 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, here on Saturday.

With his beautiful wristy shots, Suryakumar made the opponent team feel like he isn’t from the same planet, treating every bowler with disdain to power India to a mammoth total of 228/5 in 20 overs. Apart from Suryakumar, Shubman Gill played a decent knock (46 off 36) while Rahul Tripathi gave India some quickfire runs in the Power-play with his 35 off 16.

In reply, openers Pathum Nissanka (15) and Kusal Mendis (23) gave Sri Lanka a solid start but they failed to build on it and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The likes of Dasun Shanaka (23), Dhananjaya de Silva (22) and Charith Asalanka (19) got starts but couldn’t score big...

Rajkot, Jan 7 (Ians) India captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bat first against Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I of the series at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, here on Saturday.

Despite losing the last game, India didn’t make any changes as skipper Hardik said that his side needs to focus on playing good cricket and don’t think much about the past result.

“We’ll bat first. Looks like a good track, the last time we played here, the ball did a bit, we might get more swing in the night. I don’t drag things (speaking about the last match), we just need to focus on playing good cricket in this game,” said Pandya at the toss.

“We were not at our best in the last game, but we still stretched the match until the end. No changes for us,” he added.

Pune, Jan 6 (Ians) Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has slammed left-arm fast-bowler Arshdeep Singh for bowling five no balls in his two-over spell during the hosts’ 16-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the second T20I at Pune.

Arshdeep, who returned to Indian colours after missing the opening T20I in Mumbai due to an illness, had a torrid time with the ball in Pune, conceding 37 runs off just the two overs he bowled against Sri Lanka and even gave away no-balls three consecutive times in his first over of the match.

“As a professional, you can’t be doing this. We often hear that today’s players say, things aren’t in our control. Not bowling no ball is in your control. What happens after you deliver the ball, what the batsman does, is another thing. Not bowling a no ball is definitely in your control,” said Gavaskar when...

Pune, Jan 6 (Ians) India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid have come in support of young left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh after he bowled five no-balls and conceded 37 runs in two overs in India’s 16-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the second T20I of the three-match series here.

But former India opener Gautam Gambhir said the pacer should not have been included in the squad as he returning from a two-month-long injury break.

Arshdeep conceded a hat-trick of no-balls in his first over and then gave away two more in the 19th over of the innings that he bowled. The young pacer was coming back from an injury and was included in the side at the expense of Harshal Patel,

He looked totally off-colour and struggled for rhythm in the two overs he bowled. Both Pandya and Dravid dismissed it as an off-day for the youngster.

“You can have a good day,...

Pune, Jan 6 (Ians) India head coach Rahul Dravid asked everyone to be patient with young players in his team who will have off days once in a while and will end up impacting the outcome of the match, picking up unwanted records in the process.

Youngsters like the team like Arshdeep Singh, Shubman Gill, Shivam Mavi and Rahul Tripathi had an off-day as India went down to Sri Lanka by 16 runs in the 2nd T20I here on Thursday night, leaving the three-match series evenly poised 1-1.

Arshdeep bowled five no-balls in the second T20I against Sri Lanka at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Thursday night, becoming only the second bowler after Hamish Rutherford to bowl so many no-balls in a T20 international match involving Icc full member countries.

He also ended up conceding 37 runs in two overs as Sri Lankan opener Kusal Mendis took full advantage...

Pune, Jan 5 (Ians) In a match of fluctuating fortunes, India’s Axar Patel and Suryakumar matched Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis and Dasun Shanaka fifties for fifties but in the end the hosts fell short by 16 runs in the second T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (McA) Stadium, here on Thursday.

With the bat dominating the ball on a true pitch on which bowlers were rewarded for putting in extra effort, Shanaka hammered 56 off 22 deliveries after Mendis had blazed away to 52 off 31 as Sri Lankans capitalising on wayward and ineffective Indian bowling to post 206/6 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first by Hardik Pandya who won the toss.

Chasing a big target, Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav rescued India from a precarious 34/5 to help them make a match of it before they fell short. Axar came up with sensational batting, blasting a half-century in 20 balls while Yadav scored...

Mumbai, Jan 4 (Ians) Team India wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson has been ruled out of the remainder of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Samson hurt his left knee while attempting to field a ball near the boundary ropes during the 1st T20I at the Wankhede Stadium here.

He was taken for scans and a specialist opinion this afternoon by the Bcci Medical Team and has been advised rest and rehabilitation.

The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Jitesh Sharma as replacement for Samson, the Bcci said in a statement on Wednesday.

India play the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Pune on Thursday.

India’s updated squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (Vc), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi,...

Mumbai, Jan 4 (Ians) Captain Hardik Pandya knew India were in for a tough task defending a modest total of 162 against Sri Lanka in the first T20I match at the Wankhede Stadium, here on Tuesday.

The major concerns were about the young bowling unit as it looked a bit thin after Arshdeep Singh was made unavailable as he had not fully recovered from the injury he suffered in the previous match.

Pandya took the responsibility himself to give India a superb start with the new ball and also inspired debutant Shivam Mavi with a promise to back him even if he got hit initially. The skipper’s tactics and encouraging words worked like magic as India fought back to beat Sri Lanka by two runs in a last-over thriller to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

After Deepak Hooda and Axar Patel had shared a quickfire unfinished 68-run...

Mumbai, Jan 3 (Ians) Shubman Gill and Shivam Mavi, who were part of the India colts team that won the 2018 Under-19 Cricket Cup in New Zealand, on Tuesday made their debut for senior men’s team of the country, in the first T20I against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium here.

Gill opened the India innings with Ishan Kishan while medium pacer Mavi came in place of Arshadeep Singh, who was unavailable, as the selectors continued to test youngsters after resting seasoned players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, K.L Rahul and Rishabh Pant.

On Tuesday, Mavi was handed his India cap by skipper Hardik Pandya while vice-captain Suryakuamr Yadav gave the cap to Gill, during the pre-match warm-up and practice before the toss.

The first indication of this came when Mavi stepped up to mark his run-up during practice while Arshdeep Singh did not do so.

Shubman Gill has played red-ball cricket for India,...

Mumbai, Jan 3 (Ians) Opener Shubman Gill and pacer Shivam Mavi were handed their India debut as Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to field in the opening T20I of the three-match series at the Wankhede Stadium, here on Tuesday.

Shanaka said the reason behind bowling first was that they expect the dew to play a big role in the second innings.

“Going to bowl first. The dew factor will be there later. We were doing well in T20Is except for the World Cup. We are following the routines. Got the same batting line-up as our last game,” Shanaka said at the toss.

India skipper Hardik Pandya was okay with the situation and said he wanted to bat first anyway. He said Mavi got his chance because pacer Arshdeep Singh was not available.

“We were going to bat first, to be honest,” Hardik said. “I...

Mumbai, Jan 2 (Ians) Hardik Pandya — the India captain for the upcoming T20 series against Sri Lanka and who is expected to take over the role on a permanent basis — on Monday assured the young players in his side that he “will back them to the core and will give them all the support that they need to excel” for the national team.

Pandya will be leading a new-look Indian team in the three-T20I series against Sri Lanka starting from the first match at the Wankhede on Tuesday, which will not have the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, K,L Rahul and Rishabh Pant, all of whom have been rested following the tour of Bangladesh.

It is a totally different squad from the one that Rohit Sharma led to the semi-finals against England with only Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel from the playing XI that lost the semis being retained.

So, skipper Rohit Sharma and chief coach Rahul Dravid have to shoulder a lot of blame for the Indian team facing the peril of further debacles in the build-up to the 50-over World Cup following its recent debacles in white-ball cricket in the last couple of months.

India had started the calendar year 2022 by losing three away ODIs to South Africa and are now facing a similar debacle in Bangladesh, having lost two consecutive matches to their neighbours and staring at a 3-0 humiliation. In between, India also lost to England in the semifinals of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

The team has struggled in all departments of the game and there are question marks on many of the decisions taken by the team management.

Rohit’s captaincy and Dravid’s coaching have been static, whereas in white-ball cricket, it has got to be dynamic. That is the reason...