Cricket

1091 days ago

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Cheteshwar Pujara Sets His Eyes Win World Test Championship For India

London, August 25 - Team India's star Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara is having an excellent time in England where he has been the performer in the County Championship 2022 and Royal London One-Day Cup 2022 so far. ## Pujara is captaining the Sussex side which will play the Semi-Final match of Royal London tournament on August 30, in-between, Pujara got some time off to interact with his fans on Twitter. During a fun Twitter session yesterday (August 24), the number 3 batter of the Indian Test side took questions from his fans about his recent success and other stuff. ## Since Pujara is playing only Test cricket as far as the international matches are concerned, the biggest tournament for him is the ICC World Test Championship. One of the fans asked him what are his goals in his remaining career. ## The question read, "What are your goals for the rest of your career?", To which, Pujara gave a measured answer while also revealing his dream goal. "I like being in present and don't set too many goals for the future but winning the WTC title is one", he replied.## I like being in present and don't set too many goals for the future but winning the WTC title is one https://t.co/bOe2VsfkUX— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) August 24, 2022 ## Meanwhile, talking about Pujara's performance in Country season 2022, he is currently the second highest run-getter with 1094 runs in 13 innings in Division Two. He has the highest average of 109.40 and is the only batter with a 100+ average this season. Apart from that, he has also scored 5 hundred. ## On the other hand, in the Royal London Cup 2022, Pujara is again the second-best batter with 614 runs in 8 matches at 102.33 average, again highest, and the strike rate of 116.29, which is unlike Pujara. On top of that, he has also scored 3 hundred, playing a massive role in helping Sussex to reach Semi-Final. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1566 days ago

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Jasprit Bumrah, And Ravindra Jadeja Return As BCCI Announces Team India Squad For WTC Final And England Tests

New Delhi, May 7, 2021: Pacer Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja returned to the Indian Test squad as the All-India Senior Selection Committee picked the squads for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final and the five-match Test series against England.## Speedster Mohammad Shami also returned to the 20-member squad while all-rounder Hardik Pandya and hard-hitting opener Prithvi Shaw have been left out. The squad has three opening options in Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Mayank Agarwal along with KL Rahul - subject to fitness clearance.## The selectors have also named Wriddhiman Saha as the second keeper - once again subject to fitness clearance after he was one of the players who contracted the Coronavirus just before the suspension of IPL 2021. Hanuma Vihari, who missed the home Tests against England, also back in the squad. ## India's squad - Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).## Standby players - Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla## Schedule - ## 18th – 22nd June WTC Final vs NZ, Southampton## 4th – 8th August 1st Test vs England, Nottingham## 12th – 16th August 2nd Test vs England, London (Lord's)## 25th – 29th August 3rd Test vs England, Leeds## 2nd – 6th September 4th Test vs England, London (Oval)## 10th – 14th September 5th Test vs England, Manchester## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1587 days ago

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Hardik Pandya And Shubman Gill Among The Gainers As BCCI Announces Annual Contract List

All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been promoted to Grade A (INR 5 Cr) from Grade B (INR 3 Cr) in the annual contract list released by BCCI on Thursday (April 15) for the time period of October 2020-September 2021. Among the top gainers, Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, who played a vital role in the series win down under, have been a Grade C (INR 1 Cr) contract along with Axar Patel, who was handed his Test cap during the recently concluded series against England. ## Shardul Thakur, who made an impact in India's incredible tour Down Under, has also seen a jump and promoted to Grade B from C while Bhuvneshwar Kumar's lengthy injury and India's growing list of fast bowlers has seen him demoted to Grade B from A. The leg-spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have also slipped down the contract pecking order, both getting Grade C from B. Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav, the two Grade C white-ball players who are now out of favor, have not been given a contract. ## A total of 28 players have been given annual contracts this time, out of them - Grade A to 10 players, Grade B to 5, and Grade C to 10 while Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah have retained their A+ contract (INR 7 cr). ## Check out the full list -## Grade A+ (INR 7 Cr) - Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah## Grade A (INR 5 Cr) - Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma## Grade B (INR 3 Cr) - Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur, Mayank Agarwal## Grade C (INR 1 Cr) - Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari, Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1644 days ago

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IPL 2021 Auction: Top Buys | Complete Team Squads

The mini players' auction for the Indian Premier League 2021 took place in Chennai on February 18. A total of 57 players were sold to all eight franchises of which 22 are overseas players and 35 Indian players. ## South African all-rounder, Chris Morris grabbed the gold and becomes the most expensive buy in the history of IPL auction. He has been picked by Rajasthan Royals in INR 16.25 Crores. New Zealand's new sensation Kyle Jamieson also went big and picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore in INR 15 Crores. RCB also bought Australian all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell in INR 14.25 Crores.## How's that for numbers 💥💥Here are the 🔝5️⃣ buys in the @Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/SPagm8laZo— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## Among the Indian players, Krishnappa Gowtham got the highest price as Chennai Super Kings snatched him in INR 9.25 Crores. He also becomes the most expensive uncapped player in the IPL history. Punjab Kings picked the most number of players with 9 players. ## Here is the list of today's buys and complete team squads - ## 1. ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (RCB) ## Squad: Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (wk), Josh Philippe (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Pavan Deshpande, Washington Sundar, Daniel Sams, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini## Today's buys: Glenn Maxwell (INR 14.25 Cr), Kyle Jamieson (INR 15 Cr), Sachin Baby (INR 20 L), Rajat Patidar (INR 20 L), Mohammed Azharuddeen (INR 20 L), Suyash Prabhudessai (INR 20 L), K.S. Bharat (INR 20 L), Daniel Christian (INR 4.80 cr)## Slots to fill: 3 [Overseas - 0]## Purse Remaining: INR 35 L## Base Price - INR 75 LacSold for - INR 15 CrKiwi 🇳🇿 pacer Kyle Jamieson heads to @RCBTweets 😎🤙🏻@Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/eReICVL0Bu— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 2. CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (CSK) ## Squad: MS Dhoni (c&wk), Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, N. Jagadeesan (wk), Robin Uthappa, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, R. Sai Kishore, Mitchell Santner, KM Asif, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi, Josh Hazlewood## Today's buys: Moeen Ali (INR 7 Cr), K Gowtham (INR 9.25 Cr), Cheteshwar Pujara (INR 50 L), M Harisankar Reddy (INR 20 L), K. Bhagath Varma (INR 20 L), C Hari Nishanth (INR 20 L)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 2.55 cr## After a three-team bidding war, K Gowtham joined @ChennaiIPL for INR 9.25 Cr. ⚡️⚡️@Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/DO5IMJOOV3— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 3. RAJASTHAN ROYALS (RR) ## Squad: Sanju Samson (c&wk), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Kartik Tyagi## Today's buys: Chris Morris (INR 16.25 cr), Shivam Dube (INR 4.40 Cr), Mustafizur Rahman (INR 1 cr), Chetan Sakariya (INR 1.20 Cr), Liam Livingstone (INR 75 L), KC Cariappa (INR 20 L), Kuldip Yadav (INR 20 L), Akash Singh (INR 20 L)## Slots to fill: 1 [Overseas - 0]## Purse Remaining: INR 13.65 cr## Base price - INR 75 LacSold for - INR 16.25 Cr@rajasthanroyals win the bidding war to bring @Tipo_Morris on board. 🔥🔥@Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/m5AMqKE1Dy— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 4. PUNJAB KINGS (PBKS) ## Squad: KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Prabsimran Singh, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Harpreet Brar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Darshan Nalkande, Chris Jordan## Today's buys: Dawid Malan (INR 1.5 cr), Jhye Richardson (INR 14 cr), Shahrukh Khan (INR 5.25 cr), Riley Meredith (INR 8 cr), Moises Henriques (INR 4.20 Cr), Jalaj Saxena (INR 30 L), Utkarsh Singh (INR 20 L), Saurabh Kumar (INR 20 L), Fabian Allen (INR 75 L)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 18.80 cr## Riley Meredith makes merry at the #IPLAuction & moves to @PunjabKingsIPL for INR 8 Cr. 👏👏@Vivo_India pic.twitter.com/MZYW9Mczlv— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 5. MUMBAI INDIANS (MI) Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anmolpreet Singh, Aditya Tare (wk), Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Jayant Yadav, Anukul Roy, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohsin Khan## Today's buys: Adam Milne (INR 3.20 Cr), Nathan Coulter-Nile (INR 5 cr), Piyush Chawla (INR 2.40 Cr), James Neesham (INR 50 L), Yudhvir Charak (INR 20 L), Marco Jansen (INR 20 L), Arjun Tendulkar (INR 20 L)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 3.65 cr## Coming your way at 150 kmph 🔥💙#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPLAuction @AdamMilne19 pic.twitter.com/cD7tfm4fZG— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) February 18, 2021 ## 6. SUNRISERS HYDERABAD (SRH)## Squad: David Warner (c), Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Sreevats Goswami (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Priyam Garg, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, Jason Holder, Virat Singh, Mitchell Marsh, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T. Natarajan, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed## Today's buys: Kedar Jadhav (INR 2 Cr), Jagadeesha Suchith (INR 30 L), Mujeeb-ur-Rahman (INR 1.50 Cr)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 6.95 cr## .@JadhavKedar joins @SunRisers for INR 2 Cr. @Vivo_India #IPLAuction— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 7. KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (KKR)## Squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Rinku Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Tim Seifert (wk), Varun CV, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Prasidh Krishna, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Sandeep Warrier## Today's buys: Shakib Al Hasan (INR 3.20 Cr), Sheldon Jackson (INR 20 L), Harbhajan Singh (INR 2 Cr), Vaibhav Arora (INR 20 L), Karun Nair (INR 50 L), Ben Cutting (INR 75 L), Venkatesh Iyer (INR 20 L), Pawan Negi (INR 50 L)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 3.20 cr## .@KKRiders bring @Sah75official on board for INR 3.2 Cr. @Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/VvolLQsVv2— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## 8. DELHI CAPITALS (DCS) ## Squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Prithvi Shaw, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Pravin Dubey## Today's buys: Steve Smith (INR 2.20 Cr), Umesh Yadav (INR 1 cr), Ripal Patel (INR 20 L), Vishnu Vinod (INR 20 L), Lukman Meriwala (INR 20 L), M Siddharth (INR 20 L), Tom Curran (INR 5.25 Cr), Sam Billings (INR 2 Cr)## Slots to fill: 0## Purse Remaining: INR 2.15 cr## .@stevesmith49 moves to @DelhiCapitals for INR 2.20 Cr. @Vivo_India #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/gDoNb1frkV— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) February 18, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1674 days ago

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BCCI Announces India Squad For The First Two Tests Against England

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday (January 19) announced the India squad for the first two home Tests against England. Captain Virat Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, and fast bowler Ishant Sharma return to the 18-member India squad for the first two Tests which will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. ## Virat Kohli, who had flown back to Mumbai after the first Test against Australia to attend his first child's birth, will be returning to lead the side. Ishant Sharma, who has recovered from his side strain injury and is currently representing Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, will lead a four-pronged pace attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur.## All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who recently lost his father, has got some good news as he has been named to the squad. After playing the white-ball leg Down Under, the 27-year-old was left out from the Test squad to work on his fitness and bowling long spells. ## Some of the prominent names to have missed out in the first two tests due to injuries are Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari, Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammad Shami are yet to attain full fitness. The only player dropped on the basis of performance is the 21-year-old opener, Prithvi Shaw. The selectors have also opted to leave out T Natarajan, who made an impressive debut in the just-concluded Brisbane Test having stayed on as a net bowler.## Squad - Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya (VC), KL Rahul, Hardik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur## The All-India Senior Selection Committee has also picked five net bowlers and five players as standbys. Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Saurabh Kumar are the net bowlers while KS Bharat, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Rahul Chahar, and Priyank Panchal has been named as standbys. ## The first of the 4-match Test series will be played from 5 to 9 February while the second test is scheduled from 13 to 17 February. The third and fourth Test will be played at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad. The third Test will be a day-night test scheduled from 24 to 28 February with the last Test from 4 to 8 March.## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1745 days ago

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Virat Kohli To Return India After The First Test Against Australia; Rohit Sharma Included In Test Squad

Team India captain, Virat Kohli who is expecting his first child with Anushka Sharma in January is all set to miss the last three Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Test series starting from December 17 against Australia. ## At the selection committee meeting held on October 26th, 2020, Virat Kohli had informed the BCCI about his plans to return to India after the first Test in Adelaide. The BCCI has granted paternity leave to the Indian captain. He will return after the first Test against Australia in Adelaide. ## On the other hand, Rohit Sharma who was left out from all three squads in the initial team selection has been included in the Test squad after BCCI received a medical update of his fitness. However, BCCI has decided to rest him for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia to regain full fitness. ## The Selection Committee also has added Sanju Samson as an additional wicket-keeper to India’s ODI squad while Varun Chakravarthy who was included in the T20 squad has been ruled out of the series owing to a shoulder injury. ## Ishant Sharma who has been undergoing his rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru will be added to India's Test squad once he fully recovers and gains sufficient match fitness. Thangarasu Natarajan gets his maiden India call-up after an impressive IPL 2020 season. He has been included in the T20I squad.## The revised squads are as below:## Team India T20I squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (vice-captain and wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, T Natarajan.## Team India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (vice-captain & wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper).## Team India Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohd. Siraj.##

Cricket

1759 days ago

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BCCI Announces Tests, ODIs, And T20Is Squads For Australia Tour; Rohit Sharma Not Named

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Monday (October 26) have announced the team India's squads for the Tests, ODIs, and T20Is for the Australia tour. The regular vice-captain in white-ball cricket, Rohit Sharma hasn't been named in any of the squads due to the injury along with Ishant Sharma. ## The Senior Selection Committee headed by Sunil Joshi have named 28 players that'll feature across the three formats in Australia. Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma's progress, a BCCI media release states, will continue to be monitored by a medical team.## KL Rahul has been named in India's Test squad for the forthcoming four-Test Border-Gavaskar series against Australia at the end of the year. Rahul is joined by fellow Test returnee Kuldeep Yadav while seamer Mohammed Siraj gets a call-up in an 18-member Test squad.## India is going with full packed pace attack in Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah along with Navdeep Saini, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj. BCCI has also announced that 4 additional bowlers - Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kartik Tyagi, Ishan Porel, and T. Natarajan - will travel with the Indian contingent.## NEWS - Four additional bowlers - Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kartik Tyagi, Ishan Porel and T. Natarajan - will travel with the Indian contingent.The BCCI Medical Team will continue to monitor the progress of Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma. #AUSvIND— BCCI (@BCCI) October 26, 2020 ## Test Squad: Virat Kohli (C), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohd. Siraj. ## Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who limped out of IPL 2020 with a leg injury, will not be part of the traveling contingent to Australia. The swing bowler, who has been beset by injury problems since the start of 2018, had been named in the 50-over squad for the series against South Africa which was eventually called off due to the Coronavirus pandemic.## Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw have been axed from the ODI squad after their poor run in the ongoing IPL. They have also been removed from the T20I squad as well. KL Rahul will be Virat Kohli's deputy in ODIs and T2OIs. ## ODI Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (vc&wk), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur.## Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy who has been impressive in the IPL 2020 has received his maiden India call-up for the three T20Is. The Tamil Nadu player picked up a five-wicket haul against Delhi Capitals on Saturday and has overall taken 12 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.05. He replaces Kuldeep Yadav as the fourth spinner in the 16-man squad.## Rohit Sharma's absence has also given Mayank Agarwal a spot in the shortest format for the very first time. The 29-year-old opener has lit up the IPL this season scoring almost 400 runs in the 10 games he has played so far with a hundred. Hardik Pandya also returns for the limited-overs series. ## T20I Squad: Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (VC & WK), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy. ## India will start their tour on November 27 with three T20Is, followed by three ODIs and four Tests later on. India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia when they toured down under in 2018-19 and now, will have a chance to retain the Border-Gavaskar series. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1776 days ago

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"Privileged And Blessed To Have Completed 10 Yrs As An Indian Cricketer" - Cheteshwar Pujara

Indian Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is one of the all-time players who has earned a reputation as a perfect tailormade Test player which has made him a strong pillar of the Indian cricket team in the longest format of the game. ## Having made his debut in 2010, Cheteshwar Pujara has completed 10 years as an Indian cricket today. During this time, the stylist right-hander had scored 5840 runs in 77 Tests at an average of 46.19 with 18 hundred and 25 half-centuries.## On completing 10 years, the 32-year old took to Twitter and thanked the people who have supported him in this journey and also wished his wife Puja a happy birthday. ## "Truly privileged and blessed to have completed 10 yrs as an Indian cricketer. Growing up playing cricket in Rajkot all those years back, under the watchful eyes of my father, I would never have imagined the journey would bring me here....(continued...)", Pujara wrote on Twitter. ## "....Thank you for all the support and wishes. Look forward to contributing lots more to the team! P.S. Coincidentally, today also happens to be the wife's birthday, so Puja has ensured I will never forget this date", he added. ## ....Thank you for all the support and wishes. Look forward to contributing lots more to the team!P.S. Coincidentally, today also happens to be the wife's birthday, so Puja has ensured I will never forget this date 😀#grateful #blessed #10years #lotsmoretogo— cheteshwar pujara (@cheteshwar1) October 9, 2020 ## Pujara made his first appearance in the red balls format against Australia at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on 9 October 2010. While he failed in the first innings, he made his chance count in the second innings by top-scoring 72 as the hosts gunned down a fourth-innings target of 207 successfully. ## The number 3 batsman of team India, played a vital part role in India's first-ever Test series win against Australia in Australia in 2018-19. He clubbed 521 runs in four Tests with three centuries, averaging 74.43 and was awarded man of the series for his once in a lifetime performance during the series. ## And now, after almost two years, the eyes will be on him when India will tour Australia to play 4 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 3 T20Is starting from November this year. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1841 days ago

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Virat Listen To Advice But He Will Always Play His Natural Game: Cheteshwar Pujara

Team India skipper Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara have been two of the strongest pillars of the Indian test side for quite some time now. These two, however, are completely different from each other in terms of the batting approach but are the most important players for the team. ## Virat and Pujara like to play with each other. Despite the fact that Virat likes to dominate the opposition while Pujara grinds them out, both make one of the most successful pairs in test cricket. The duo has accumulated 2894 runs together with 7 hundred and 14 fifty-plus partnerships and an average of 47.44 in 62 innings together. ## Cheteshwar Pujara who bats at number 3 says that he likes to bat with Virat Kohli because he is a very positive player and likes to play his shots which takes the pressure off him. Speaking to Harsha Bhogle in Cricbuzz in Conversation episode, Pujara said - ## "I enjoy batting with Kohli because he's a positive player. Once he's at the crease, I know that bowlers will try and take his wicket because they feel that they can get him out early".## "But his approach is different, he'll be positive. If he gets a half-volley on the first ball, he'll try and hit it for a four. So the scoreboard is moving, there's not much pressure on my side because the opposition is thinking that they'll have to pick Virat's wicket and he's playing positive", he added. ## "Their focus is shifting to Virat and I can be relaxed at the other end. There have been times where because their [opposition's] focus is on Virat, I get some extra loose balls."## When asking about what they discussed at the crease while batting, to which Pujara said, "As soon as he comes he will ask what are they (the opposition) trying to do, how the ball is swinging. If it's a left-arm seamer, what are the angles he is using, whether he's trying to bowl an inswinger or an away swinger? There's a lot of communication."## Pujara also revealed that they like to help each other when any of them makes a mistake the other one will go to him and tell what should be done apart from building up the partnership. He also said that even though Virat will listen to the advice he will still play his natural game. ## "There are times where he would've played a cover drive when the ball is on the fifth or sixth stump, and I'll go and communicate to him that this is too wide. He plays his natural game, no doubt about that but he's ready to listen to that advice. Because if the ball is too wide for a cover drive, he also understands that it is not in his zone so he doesn't need to play that".## "But he will play a cover drive on the ball which is on the off-stump or fourth stump, but if it is on the fifth stump, he will listen. He will tell me 'yeah I didn't play that well", Pujara added.## As the coronavirus pandemic has put a break on the cricket, Pujara will have to wait till December when team India will tour Australia. However, Virat Kohli will be in action rather soon in the 13th edition of the IPL which is scheduled to be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

2357 days ago

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Rishabh Pant Gets Grade A Central Contract

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been given an A grade contract after finding himself without a contract last time while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan who were in the A+ category have been dropped to A in latest central contract released by BCCI's Committee of Administrators (CoA).## Murli Vijay found himself without a contract this time around. He was dropped from the Test series during the England tour after his poor runs. However, he was brought back into the team for Australia tour but soon was dropped again as his poor show with the bat continued and hence, he will be without any central contract for the upcoming season.## Some of the players like Axar Patel, Karun Nair, Parthiv Patel and Jayant Yadav who all had contracts in the previous cycle have been left out of the current one while Khaleel Ahmed and Hanuma Vihari who have been awarded the central contract for the first time and have earned a Grade C contract.## Wriddhiman Saha, who had a Grade A contract last time sees himself drop down two categories to Grade C after missing a large part of cricket due to injury. He is currently out from the Test. Dinesh Karthik too dropped a category to Grade C.## Grade A+ (INR 7 Cr):## Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah## Grade A (INR 5 Cr):## Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant## Grade B (INR 3 Cr):## KL Rahul, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya## Grade C (INR 1 Cr):## Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Hanuma Vihari, Khaleel Ahmed, Wriddhiman Saha## Women's contract## The highest wicket-taker in ODIs, Jhulan Goswami who has been retired from T20Is, moved to Grade B while Poonam Yadav earned Grade A contract. All-rounders Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, and D Hemalatha have been awarded a Grade C contract for the first time.## Grade A (INR 50 Lakhs):## Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Poonam yadav## Grade B (INR 30 Lakhs):## Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues## Grade C (INR 10 Lakhs):## Radha Yadav, D Hemalatha, Anuja Patil, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mansi Joshi, Punam Raut, Mona Meshram, Arundhati Reddy, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Taniya Bhatia, Pooja Vastrakar## Follow for more...

Cricket

2381 days ago

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First Class Cricket And Ranji Trophy Should Be Given More Importance Financially - Pujara

There is something about touring Australia that brings out the best of a player. Cheteshwar Pujara who is enjoying perhaps the best time of his career is the best and latest example of that. There was so much talk about Virat Kohli before the tour Down Under but Pujara became the hottest topic out of the blue. He not only became the highest run-getter of the series but also the way he played was something that no one couldn't stop himself praising India's number 3 Test batsman who played more than a thousand balls in 4-match Test series. He became an overnight star in Australia.## After a successful tour, many players might have preferred rest but not Pujara who returned to guide Saurashtra to the Ranji Trophy final, only to be lost to Vidarbha in the final. In an exclusive chat with Times of India, the 31-year old spoke about the challenges playing in Australia, the importance of the Ranji Trophy and many more.## Excerpts from the interview:## Have your feats in Australia sunk in?## It was a special series for me personally as well as the team. All the players said that this is the most special overseas win. We have a young team and none of the team members had the experience of winning an overseas Test series. But we want to get better and stay at No.1. We don't want to get carried away.## When you landed in Australia, people were looking at Virat Kohli as the main batsman and suddenly you stood up and dominated the series...## Everything changed after the first innings (in Adelaide). Whenever you go for a big tour, preparation is important. I prepared very well. Then I just tried to execute my skills and I knew what the bowlers could do because I had been there in 2014. I had faced Lyon, Starc, and Hazlewood in 2014. Cummins was the only new addition to their bowling lineup. But I had faced him in India in 2017 too. I knew their strategies and what line and length they would bowl.## I just wanted to bat normally. We were in deep trouble in the first Test when we were 40 for 4. I thought something special is needed to win this Test and I knew that I just had to bat through the first two sessions and didn't think about anything else. And when we lost Ashwin, I thought that I would have to accelerate at some point since I was batting with tailenders. I was really pleased with the kind of shots that I played.## You played more positively...## The situation demanded that. When you are batting with the tail, you always have to play your shots. There is a perception about me that I don't play too many shots, but I try and not play them until the situation demands.## Did you make technical changes to your stance and grip?## Not my grip, but some changes to my stance and some other things. I don't want to talk about them because bowlers will prepare accordingly and plan.## Your father was unwell during the Australia series and was undergoing a heart procedure. How tough was it for you to focus?## Before the surgery, our family doctor told me not to worry about anything and to just focus on cricket. Dr. Patil was the guy who did his bypass five years ago. He assured me that there wouldn't be any complication in his procedure. My father too asked me to just focus on my game. I was lucky that my wife was there with him. She also told me to just focus on my game as we had an important game the next day (Sydney Test). I was confident that he will be fine. But when I was walking in to bat on day one, it was not easy. I was waiting for the end of the day so that I could quickly message my wife and check on him. I am glad I could still focus. Luckily, I am a tough cricketer mentally.## Can you tell us how tough it is to play in Australia?## They're very strong. They're well aware of all the conditions and their bowlers always have a very good plan to get the batsman out in their conditions. So, they're well-prepared and they know what they're doing. Even their crowd will always support them.## Even their media...## Yes ... everything. Even their media is always supporting their team. If you make any error, they always let the opponents know. So, as an Indian player, if there's something wrong, or even if there is a minor discussion in the team, and if their media person gets to know, then they'll always go behind that player. It's part of their strategy, which we understand. There's a little bit of sledging which is going on. But luckily, I'm someone who doesn't get affected. In fact, I get motivated when they try and sledge me.## Do you remember any instance when the Aussies tried to intimidate you?## There were many instances but I remember the first Test. Nathan Lyon and Tim Paine tried to sledge me. They almost felt that the game was over when we were 40 for four, they thought that we'll be bowled out for 150-160. And even later on, I think in the third or fourth Test, they were trying to sledge me but at the same time, they started laughing in the end. Lyon came and told me: 'Aren't you bored of batting now? You've scored so many runs.'## Is that Lyon remark the best sledge?## Yes. I never thought that he'll say such a thing. And then when we were playing against Australia in the third Test in Ranchi in 2017, one of the players came and told me 'Now if you don't get out, we'll have to ask for wheelchairs.' I was batting on 170-plus. That's the best sledge I remember from an Aussie player.## Josh Hazlewood said that yours was the most precious wicket for the Aussies, and not Kohli's. What's your reaction to that?## I wasn't following any of their comments. I got to know after the Test that he had said that. I had mixed feelings. Hazlewood probably said I'm a prized wicket because I was performing well. He had bowled against me even in India in 2017 and knew that getting me out was challenging. It was a special comment. But as a cricketer, you have mixed feelings because you also want your players to play well.## After your performance in Australia, where does all the talk about intent and strike rate go?## People have realized what's required to perform well in Test cricket. People started appreciating the way I was batting, not just the Indian team management. Everyone has realized that there are different methods of playing this format. And because of white ball cricket, there have been players who've been playing many shots ... they've been very aggressive. I still respect that. When talking about intent and strike rate was going on, I just kept believing in myself, in my ability. I actually don't get worried about what people are saying. Sometimes you just need to do the right thing for the team.## This mindset of batting long, how did you inculcate that from so early on in your career?## If I've won matches for any first-class team or the Indian team and contributed in a winning cause, you know that this is how games can be won, so you become even more confident. If you see Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, they have been very classical. Obviously, Tendulkar was a different player, he liked to dominate, but there have been other players who have played Test cricket the way it has been played. Even Tendulkar, when the situation demanded, has scored just 50 runs in 150 balls, so there is nothing wrong in that. You just need to understand what situation you are playing in and bat accordingly.## You are part of a side whose captain is very aggressive. You are someone who is very calm. Is there a risk of a personality clash?## Not at all. Ultimately, he (Kohli) also understands what is required to win. Many times I've given him suggestions and he has been more than willing to accept them. He might have a different personality but that's his nature and that is how he should be. There's nothing wrong in that. He can behave the way he wants to as long as he respects the game. He hasn't been disrespectful to anyone else. Sledging is something which he likes at times. And there is nothing wrong in that. He also respects my nature.## How do you react when you see guys like Rishabh Pant playing the shots he does?## I laugh about it. Sometimes I get worried and say 'what is he trying to do?' But over a period of time, I've realized that you still need to respect them and their style because Pant has come from white-ball cricket and we'll have to give him some time to understand that if you want to play Test cricket, yes, you have to be attacking, which is his natural game, but at the same time, understand what is the right time to attack and when he cannot.## Growing up, your dad was really strict with the way you played. Do you ever regret that being too technically correct has sometimes not helped you establish yourself in white-ball cricket?## Not at all. My father always used to tell me to play according to the merit of the ball. And it's not as if I wasn't allowed to play any lofted shots. But he made sure that if I played a lofted shot, I had to execute it in a manner where it goes over the top. It should not just pop up in the air where someone can take a catch even in a practice session. Not many people have seen my white-ball cricket. But the moment I play lofted shots, I always execute it in the manner where I get a four or a six. But in Test cricket, it is not required as you are taking extra risk and risking giving your wicket away.## Your father has often spoken about how flawlessly he has seen you bat in the nets. It's his wish that the world should see you bat like that. Would you say your performance in Australia fits the description that your father talks about?## Not completely. I have many more things to show the world. Obviously, I have been working hard on my game. I am still young and I am very sure that it will come at some point. What my father has been telling me has motivated me. It gives me a lot of confidence because sometimes you start doubting yourself. But my father is the one who has always had faith in me and he told me that the world hasn't seen you the way I have seen you. So don't doubt yourself. At some point I thought because he is my dad he keeps motivating me then I started hearing things from other big coaches and then I feel what my dad is saying could be right.## Speaking of technique, coach Ravi Shastri recently said that you were left out of the Birmingham Test in England because there was a slight problem with your stance, something that can happen if you are playing continuously in county cricket.## I don't discuss technical things much. The reason why I was not scoring many runs in county cricket was different. The kind of wickets I was playing on, if you look at the scorecard, the average score was 180- 200 and even other batsmen didn't score runs. There was one game where we had Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Adam Lyth, almost a Test line-up and we won despite getting bowled out for 50. County cricket is different especially when you play for Yorkshire up north in April and May. The conditions are so challenging that you might not get a 50 but a useful 30-40 could be crucial. There were times I also got bad decisions. If your time is not right people start thinking 'oh, he hasn't scored runs in county cricket.' But people are not there to watch what is happening over there. It is very easy to say things from a distance.## How has county cricket helped you? Do you feel other Indian batsmen should be encouraged to play in the county to improve their game? County cricket has been really helpful for me personally. Now whether it should be encouraged, I don't know. I support it because if that's done, it will be very good, especially for our Test cricket. But when the IPL is going on most of our players are playing the tournament. And when IPL finishes it becomes difficult for players who are playing all formats because of workload issues. But if players who are just playing the Test format have time then I am sure they should go and participate in county cricket. Even white-ball specialists who aspire to play Tests should play in county cricket because it needs good technique to score consistently because the conditions that you play in are really challenging.## You came back from Australia and immediately joined the Saurashtra Ranji team. Do you see a player growing up with the kind of culture you have cultivated for yourself?## I see many young talented players with a lot of commitment to domestic cricket. The importance of Ranji Trophy might have decreased a bit because of the IPL but at the same time, I've seen many players who want to play Ranji, perform well, be recognized for the Indian team, whether it's red-ball cricket or white-ball cricket. A classic example is Mayank Agarwal and Vihari (Hanuma) who have come from Ranji and performed well at the international level.## I always look forward to playing for Saurashtra because of the team atmosphere. Also, because that is where I started playing cricket. I became a Test player just by playing for Saurashtra. Whenever I get an opportunity, I never miss it.## Will you inculcate the same values in your daughter as your dad inculcated in you?## It is a tough call. But I will be a little more balanced. I will be strict for sure. But at the same time, with all the knowledge, I can strike the right balance. I have always had this argument with my father that 'you don't allow me to celebrate any festival and if we have to go out, you don't allow me because you feel I have to rest'. Over a period of time, he realized that you have to switch off somewhere. You should be focused on the game but when there are no games, you need to have a hobby or play a different sport. Now I play badminton and TT. It is important to have the right balance and that is what I'll teach my daughter.## What's your view on the Dukes ball vs the SG Test vs the Kookaburra issue?## I think we should stick to the SG ball in India because in our domestic cricket we play with the SG ball and the player gets used to playing with this ball, whether he is a batsman or bowler. You know what it does with the new ball, with the old ball. So I don't think we should change at all. The debate was on the quality of the ball. The BCCI has communicated with SG and during the semifinals, we got a different quality of the ball. They worked on it and it is better now.## For the kind of pressure that a young cricketer goes through these days, Rahul Dravid wants them to have a back-up career. What is your take?## I completely agree. Now when you see that the young generation is well educated, even the young cricketers are well educated, not just in India, but overseas too. If you are educated, it helps you think better in this game and education is something that I always loved. I am not a graduate, but I want to do an MBA at some stage.## The World Test Championship will begin later this year. Do you think it will revive interest in Test cricket? How excited are you about this?## Not just me. I have spoken to other players and all of them are very excited. We have already started discussing the format and points system. We don't have all the details, but we have already discussed about the various possibilities. I am sure Test cricket will get a lot of importance going forward with all the boards thinking about the survival of Test cricket. That is the purest format of the game and it will survive. I have no doubt about it.## Should a player who plays only in Test cricket and does not play IPL get a higher contract?## I agree. I have read things and I am assuming that that is the way forward to promote Test cricket. But at the same time, I also feel that First Class cricket and Ranji Trophy should be given more importance financially. I don't know what should be the right structure, but players should get enough money even in domestic cricket because that is where Test cricketers are produced and if we can take good care of players playing in Ranji, we will produce more Test players.## Support from the wife?## When we got engaged, she (Puja) did not know anything about cricket. She didn't know who I was. Her knowledge of the game has improved a lot and my father and she can discuss it a lot now. As her knowledge has improved, she has become very supportive.## Batting philosophy?## As a batsman, you should not have any thoughts. If you can have a blank mind, you can execute your skills better. Yoga has helped me to reach that stage where I'm thoughtless when I bat or even if I have thoughts, I ensure that they are positive.## Follow for more...

Cricket

2417 days ago

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India Creates History Ended 71-Year Old Drought

It was a historic day for the Indian cricket that ended 71-year old drought under the captaincy of Virat Kohli by winning a Test series in Australia for the first time and. India won the 4-match Test series by 2-1 and became the first Asian country to win a Test series Down Under. However, India will be disappointed as they couldn't finish Test series with a win as the 4th Test ended up drawn after rain washed out 5th and final day at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney on 7 January 2019.## It was a series where India dominated the Aussies throughout the series. However, Australia bounced back with a win in Perth after losing in Adelaide, but apart from that they never look to win or even drawn the series, it was India who dictates terms. For Virat Kohli It was his by far biggest achievement and it should be as none of the other Indian captains could able to do what this Indian team has done.## It was 12th instance India played a Test series in Australia and 11 previous occasions, either they lost or drawn the series. Take a look at the results of each tour -## 1947/48 - Australia (4-0)## 1967/68 - Australia (4-0)## 1977/78 - Australia (3-2)## 1980/81 - Drawn (1-1)## 1985/86 - Drawn (0-0)## 1991/92 - Australia (4-0)## 1999/00 - Australia (3-0)## 2003/04 - Drawn (1-1)## 2007/08 - Australia (2-1)## 2011/12 - Australia (4-0)## 2014/15 - Australia (2-0)## 2018/19 - INDIA* (2-1)## Team India also became the only 5th visiting side to win a Test series in Australia after England, West Indies, South Africa, and New Zealand. England is the only team who has beaten Australia more than 10 times in their own backyard.## Visiting sides winning series in Australia:## England (13 times)## West Indies (1979/80, 1984/85, 1988/89 & 1992/93)## New Zealand (1985/86)## South Africa (2008/09, 2012/13, 2016/17)## India (2018/19)## It was India's 6th series win in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries where only South Africa is the only remained country India hasn't won a Test series.## Series wins in 'SENA' countries for India:## 3-1 in NZ, 1967/68## 1-0 in Eng, 1971## 2-0 in Eng, 1986## 1-0 in Eng, 2007## 1-0 in NZ, 2008/09## 2-1 in Aus, 2018/19## One can talk about the strength and depth of Australia, who missed Steven Smith and David Warner, but one can't question the hard work and discipline shown by the Indians. The No.1 Test side has shown the great character under the difficult circumstances. Cheteshwar Pujara, India's no.3 batsman looked in form of his life who went on to score 521 runs in 7 innings that helped him win Man of the series. In the first Test where India was in deep trouble at 41/4 and Pujara played a sublime 123-runs knock that actually became the difference between the two sides. He scored 3 centuries in the series and has impressed everyone with his sheer determination.## On the other hand, if Pujara setup the innings it was the bowlers who converted them into results. India's pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Ishant Sharma looked as lethal as you ever seen. Bumrah has been go to man for Virat who has been by far the best bowler of the series with 21-wickets.## India overcomes their familiar mistakes in batting point of view where they depended on individual performances of Virat Kohli that cost them series lose against South Africa and England. Against Australia they done everything right where batsmen scored runs along with Kohli and bowlers were at their usual best.## Follow for more...