Cricket blog

It has been more than a month since India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The 11-year wait for the ICC trophy ended after the Men in Blue defeated South Africa in the final, but the team was stuck in Barbados for three days due to Hurricane Beryl. Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, arranged a special flight for the team and the media personnel to return home. The flight AIC24WC brought the heroes home. The players and the support staff enjoyed their 16-hour-long flight. A Star Sports producer, who was travelling with the team, revealed interesting details of the events. “I don’t think anyone slept for more than six hours. Players met the members of the press. Star Sports enginners were also part of the flight. Rahul Dravid left his seat in the Business Class and came to the Economy Class to sleep,” the producer said as quoted by Hindustan Times. “I heard Rohit Sharma scolding somebody but in a light-hearted style. Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant had a dicussuion with media. There wa...

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has decided to leave Royal Challengers Bengaluru after a flop show in IPL 2024. He has unfollowed the franchise on Instagram, giving a clear indication that he is willing to play for a new franchise in IPL 2025. He was a regular for the team over the last few years and has played good knocks. In 10 innings, Maxwell managed to score just 52 runs for RCB in IPL 2024. He took a break from the matches due to mental fatigue but returned after a while. Maxwell couldn’t contribute, and the RCB paid a heavy price for trusting his abilities as the franchise failed to end their title drought. He hasn’t been able to prove himself in the cash-rich league, and some of the former players have labelled him as the most overrated player in the tournament’s history. Despite being one of Australia’s consistent performers in white-ball cricket, Maxwell hasn’t shown his class in IPL. 🚨 Glenn Maxwell Unfollowed #RCB on Instagram #IPL2025 #CricketTwitter p...

Hardik Pandya is currently in Sri Lanka for the T20I series, while his son Agastya Pandya is in Serbia with the all-rounder’s ex-wife Natasa Stankovic. Agastya turned four on July 30, and Hardik posted an emotional wish for his son. Agastya was born on July 30, 2020. Hardik posted a video in which Agastya can be soon copying his father. The father and son were also seen playing Jenga. In the caption, Hardik even called Agastya his “partner in crime”. “You keep me going every single day! Happy birthday to my partner in crime, my whole heart, my Agu. Love you beyond words,” Hardik captioned the post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hardik Himanshu Pandya (@hardikpandya93) Hardik and Natasa parted ways after four years , and the couple announced the news on social media on July 18. Natasa has returned to her home in Serbia , and she recently shared pictures of her day out with Agastya. Hardik was expected to become Team...

Since Virat Kohli ‘s retirement in T20I’s, there has been much debate over who could replace the star India batter. Youngsters Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad have emerged as potential candidates, showcasing their impressive stroke play. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has weighed in on the ongoing debate, stating that the team management should consider including both batters in the playing XI, given their immense talent. While Uthappa feels that Gaikwad is slightly more consistent, he also highlighted Gill’s perfect blend of elegance and power. “Both Ruturaj and Shubman Gill are terrific batters who have impressed everyone eith their game. While Ruturaj may be slightly more consistent statistically, Shubman Gill offers valuable versatility, blending touch and power in his game. Ultimately, it’s a tough choice between the two, as they are both undeniably talented players who could significantly benefit the team,” stated Uthappa on Sony Sports. “Given that both players a...

MS Dhoni was battling fitness issues in the Indian Premier League 2024, leading to speculations that he would not return in the next season. No one knows about his plans as the legendary cricketer has a habit of revealing his decisions at the last moment. According to Cricbuzz, Dhoni has spoken about his future with the owner of Chennai Super Kings, N Srinivasan. His association with the five-time champions will depend on the number of retentions allowed by the BCCI. If the number of retained players is five or six, Dhoni could play in the league. In 2018, the franchises were permitted to keep five players for the season, but it was brought down to four in 2022. A final call on a number of retentions for IPL 2025 will be taken soon. Dhoni will be automatically retained if he decides to play for one more season. He led the team to their fifth title in 2023 but left the captaincy before the start of the 17th season, giving the captain’s armband to Ruturaj Gaikwad. The team faile...

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Wrist spinner Ravi Bishnoi claimed 3-26 as India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets with nine balls of the rain-reduced second T20 game remaining to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Bishnoi got support Sunday from left-arm spinner Axar Patel (2-30), while pacers Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh shared four wickets, as Sri Lanka was restricted to 161-9 in 20 overs. Rain impacted the game twice – first, when the start was delayed by 45 minutes without any overs lost. Later, it stopped the game for another 70 minutes with India at 6-0 halfway through the first over of its chase. On resumption, the match was shortened to eight overs with a target of 78 runs under the DLS method. That left India needing 72 runs off 45 balls. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 30 off 15 balls, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav hit a 12-ball 26. Hardik Pandya smacked 22 not out off nine balls, as India powered to 81-3 in 6.3 overs. India won the first T20 ...

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Wrist spinner Ravi Bishnoi claimed 3-26 as India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets with nine balls of the rain-reduced second T20 game remaining to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Bishnoi got support Sunday from left-arm spinner Axar Patel (2-30), while pacers Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh shared four wickets, as Sri Lanka was restricted to 161-9 in 20 overs after having to bat first. Rain impacted the game twice – first, when the start was delayed by 45 minutes without any overs lost. Later, it stopped the game for another 70 minutes as India began its chase. On resumption, the match was shortened to eight overs with a target of 78 runs under the DLS method. India had scored 6-0 initially, leaving the equation of 72 off 45 balls. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 30 off 15 balls, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav hit a 12-ball 26. Hardik Pandya smacked 22 not out off nine balls, as India powered to 81-3 in 6.3 overs. India wo...

The ODI and Test captain of India, Rohit Sharma , returned to Mumbai after a vacation with his family following Men in Blue’s win in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. During his break, Sharma traveled to London to watch the Wimbledon semifinals and then flew to the United States with his family. However, Sharma looked confused at the airport parking lot. The 37-year old is known for his forgetfulness. This has been observed by many on numerous occasions, both during matches and off the field. For instance, he once forgot the team’s decision after winning the toss in a T20I against New Zealand. Rohit didn’t remember that he kept the coin toss in his pocket. After returning from vacation, Rohit realized he had forgotten to check the bag counts. He then informed his staff, “There should be 7 bags.” Sitting in his car, he realized his mistake and corrected himself, saying, “There should be 8 bags.” Rohit Sharma again forgot how many bags😂😂 Kitane bag the Rohit bhai 7 ya 8🤣 pic.twitt...

Riyan Parag  was on the field, and Gautam Gambhir was in the dugout. The first India vs Sri Lanka T20I in Pallekele promised an emotive, Insta-worthy spectacle. The player-coach duo did not disappoint, as their animated expressions and reactions during this match, which marked a new era in Indian T20 cricket, captivated fans. Suryakumar Yadav, India’s new T20I captain, deserves credit for a strategic decision. With Sri Lanka needing 56 runs off the final 24 balls, Yadav opted to hand the ball to Riyan Parag rather than using the remaining overs from India’s premier pacers, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh. In his fourth appearance for India, Riyan Parag bowled a masterful spell to close out the match against Sri Lanka. Despite this being only his second over in international cricket – having previously bowled one over for five runs against Zimbabwe – Parag performed like a seasoned pro, taking three crucial wickets in just eight balls. Parag delivered a...

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Fast bowler Richard Ngarava took four wickets and ripped through Ireland’s top order to put Zimbabwe in command after day three Saturday of their one-off cricket test. Zimbabwe started the day on 12 without loss but Ireland took regular wickets, including four from Andy McBrine, who swept through the tail as the visitors slipped to 197 all out, leaving Ireland 158 to claim victory. The home side was in control as it headed out to bat in the final innings but its top order completely fell apart as Ngarava claimed four wickets inside eight overs. Ireland was 33-5 when rain saved it from a worse fate with 21 overs left in the day. Ireland still needed 125 runs to win but with just five wickets in hand at Stormont Cricket Ground. Before Zimbabwe wiped out its 40-run first-innings deficit, Joylord Gumbie nicked Craig Young to Andy Balbirnie in the slips. Fellow opener Prince Masvaure departed three balls later, sending an inside edge behind. Craig Ervi...

Shoaib Malik doesn’t want to represent Pakistan again. Malik made himself available but was not given a chance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Malik said that he has enjoyed every moment of his association with the national team in the past. While he hasn’t retired from T20Is, he doesn’t want to keep himself in contention for selection. “I am satfied with my career. I am not interested in representing Pakistan anymore. I have retired from Test and one-day formats and the one is remaining. I like playing in the leagues,” he told Cricket Pakistan. Malik has often lambasted Babar Azam for his captaincy. He feels Babar should focus on giving his best as a batter. “Ups and downs are a part of life. He needs to stay strong but I am not fond of his captaincy. Babar should just play as a player. This is my opinion. He can do wonders for the team if he plays as a player. I feel he should stay away from leadership.” Malik last played a T20I for Pakistan against Bangladesh in November 202...