BY SACNILK

Ahead of the first of the three-match ODI series which begins Friday at the SCG, Australia captain Aaron Finch has heaped rich praise on Virat Kohli, saying the Indian skipper doesn't have "many chinks in his armour" and is probably the best one-day player of all time. ## Finch played under Kohli for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the recently concluded 13th edition of the Indian Premier League where the latter scored 466 runs in 15 matches. However, he looked far from his best in IPL 2020 where RCB reached the playoffs.## "If you look at his record it's second to none. It really is remarkable. I think what we have to keep in mind is that we have to keep looking to get him out", Finch said on Thursday about Kohli who averages close to 60 in all ODIs and 50 in 50-over matches in Australia.## "When you go away from that and you look to contain players you can miss a trick there. There's not too many chinks in his armour", said Australia's limited-overs skipper. ## "He's probably the best one-day player of all time so it's about sticking to our plans and being really committed in that regard", he added.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The sporting world mourned the loss of legendary Argentinean footballer Diego Maradona, famously known for his infamous "Hand of God", who died due to a heart attack at the age of 60. ## Football and the world of sports has lost one of its greatest players today.Rest in Peace Diego Maradona! You shall be missed. pic.twitter.com/QxhuROZ5a5— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 25, 2020 ## Big big loss! Our childhood star who gave us so many memories to cherish & celebrate. Saddened to hear about the demise of The legend #diegomaradona. You will live on in hearts & memories. pic.twitter.com/hyHbdSKqqi— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) November 25, 2020 ## Arguably one of the greatest sportsman of all time. Saddened to hear about the passing away of the great Diego Maradona. My heartfelt condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/L7ewMHOnnJ— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) November 25, 2020 ## So sad to hear about legendary Diego Maradona passing away. Always been a huge inspiration for all sportsmen. His legacy will always stay. #Maradona #Legend pic.twitter.com/t6ewLiVJP9— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) November 25, 2020 ## Hand of god has been laid to rest.Rest in peace .LEGEND 🙏🏻🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/He7vHUC9it— Paras Khadka (@paras77) November 25, 2020 ## Such sad news of the passing of an icon and a legend. A man who defined an era and brought joy and inspiration to many millions around the world. Rest In Peace Diego Maradona.— Kumar Sangakkara (@KumarSanga2) November 25, 2020 ## Not many in Sport can say they inspired a generation ... But the greatest inspire many generations ... That’s exactly what #DiegoMaradona did ... THE GREATEST ... #RIPDiego— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 25, 2020 ## My hero no more ..my mad genius rest in peace ..I watched football for you.. pic.twitter.com/JhqFffD2vr— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) November 25, 2020 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday, has nominated Indian captain Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin for the Men's Player of the Decade Award which will be announced soon. Apart from Virat and Ashwin, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, AB de Villiers, and Kumar Sangakkara have also been nominated in this category. ## Virat Kohli is the only player who has been nominated in the all five categories announced by ICC. In the Men's ODI Player of the Decade category, former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and run-machine Rohit Sharma also found a place alongside Kohli, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Starc, AB de Villiers, and Sangakkara.## For the Test cricketer of the decade awards, Kohli got nomination along with 6 others including Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson. Kohli with Rohit also featured in the Men's T20I Player of the Decade category, which also included Rashid Khan, Imran Tahir, Aaron Finch, Malinga, and Chris Gayle.## Kohli, who averages more than 50 in all formats, has already amassed 70 international hundreds and is only behind Ricky Ponting (71) and Sachin Tendulkar (100). He is third in the list of leading run-scorers of all time with 21,444 runs, behind Ponting (27,483) and Tendulkar (34,357).## Kohli has also been nominated in the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade category along with MS Dhoni and 7 others. The final winners will be decided on the basis of the number of votes a player receives.## In the women's category, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami are the two Indians who got the nominations for the Women's ODI Player of the Decade while Mithali is the only Indian to feature in the Women's Player of the Decade. ## Soon... 👀 pic.twitter.com/9zO6mmw9o8— ICC (@ICC) November 24, 2020 ## List of nominations:## Men's player of the decade: Virat Kohli (India) Ravichandran Ashwin (India), Joe Root (England), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Steve Smith (Australia), AB de Villiers (South Africa), and Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka).## Men's ODI Player of the Decade: Virat Kohli (India), Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Mitchell Starc (Australia), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Rohit Sharma (India), MS Dhoni (India), and Kumara Sangakkara (Sri Lanka).## Men's Test Player of the Decade: Virat Kohli (India), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Steve Smith (Australia), James Anderson (England), Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka), and Yasir Shah (Pakistan).## Men's T20I Player of the Decade: Virat Kohli (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Imran Tahir (South Africa), Aaron Finch (Australia), Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Chris Gayle (West Indies), and Rohit Sharma (India)## Women's Player of the Decade: Ellyse Perry (Australia), Meg Lanning (Australia), Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Mithali Raj (India), and Sarah Taylor (England).## Women's ODI Player of the Decade: Meg Lanning (Australia), Ellyse Perry (Australia), Mithali Raj (India), Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), and Jhulan Goswami (India).## ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade: Virat Kohli (India), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand), Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan), MS Dhoni (India), Anya Shrubsole (England), Katherine Brunt (England), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), and Daniel Vettori (New Zealand).## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Indian cricket team has not a big fan of changing jerseys as quickly as the other teams, but whenever this happens, it has always been a trend shatter among the fans of men in blue. Among team India's jerseys, their iconic 1992 World Cup jersey remains a big hit to date and has a great recall value among fans even in the modern era. ## Ahead of their first ODI against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney on November 27, the Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue is set to turn the clock back and go retro, by donning a jersey similar to the one worn in 1992.## Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan gave a sneak peek into the national side's new jersey supporting the sponsors of MPL Sports and BYJU's. "New jersey, renewed motivation. Ready to go", Dhawan wrote while sharing a selfie wearing a new jersey. ## New jersey, renewed motivation. Ready to go. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/gKG9gS78th— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) November 24, 2020 ## Talking about Dhawan's own form, the left-hander is coming from scoring a plethora of runs in the recently-concluded IPL 2020 edition. The Delhi Capitals (DC) opener became the first-ever batsman in the tournament history to slam successive tons. Overall, he finished with 618 runs, at 44.14 and a strike-rate of 144.73, to end as the second-highest run-getter after KL Rahul. ## Dhawan will have an extra responsibility in the limited-overs series in which India will miss the service of vice-captain Rohit Sharma who also ruled out of the first two tests against Australia due to a hamstring injury. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Amid the tough competition for the opening slot, the first-choice opener, Rohit Sharma has left this decision on the team management and said that he will be happy to bat wherever the team wants him to bat in the forthcoming 4-match Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia. ## "I will be happy to bat wherever the team wants me to but I don't know if they would change my role as an opener. I am sure the guys already in Australia must have figured out what are options when Virat leaves and who are the guys who will open the innings. Once I reach there, I will probably have a clearer idea of what’s going to happen", Rohit said PTI. ## Rohit, who is currently sweating hard in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to regain full fitness, will be India's key player once Virat Kohli returns after the first Test. Adding to the rivalry between both teams, the Test series will also be crucial in determining the standings at the ICC World Test Championship points table. ## Also Read - Hamstring is Fine But I Absolutely Needed To Be Clear in Mind That There is No Stone That is Left Unturned: Rohit Sharma ## "Once you have your basics strong, you can work around that and build your technique, That's how you prepare. Mentally, I am prepared and I have had enough setbacks in my career where I have had long lay-offs due to injury and due to form. I know how to come back and bounce back from that. For me, being out for three, six, or one month, really doesn't matter. What matters to me is the process", he added. ## India and Australia are slated to square off against each other in three ODIs, three T20Is, and four Tests. The tour will commence with the three-match ODI series, beginning on November 27 followed by T20Is.## The first Test between the two powerhouses of the game will begin from December 17 at the Adelaide Oval and this will be a day-night contest. India is the defending champions of the prestigious Border-Gavaskar trophy. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

There was a massive controversy over team India's star batsman, Rohit Sharma's non-inclusion in all three India squads for the forthcoming Australia tour, but now, the vice-captain of the limited-overs format has cleared the air and said that he was in regular touch with BCCI regarding his injury. ## "Hamstring is absolutely fine. Just started the process of getting it nice and strong. Before I play the longer format, I absolutely needed to be clear in mind that there is no stone that is left unturned, that's probably the reason, I'm at the NCA. So for me, it was not a concern what x, y, or z was talking about like whether he would make it to Australia", Rohit told news agency PTI as stated by Cricbuzz. ## Rohit Sharma had missed a few matches for Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates due to his hamstring injury. He was also not included in the India squads announced on October 26 for the Australia tour. ## However, hours after Rohit's omission, he was seen practicing in a video posted by Mumbai Indians on social media which led experts like Sunil Gavaskar to question transparency regarding player injuries. Though Rohit was included in the Test squad later, he cleared the misconceptions about the injury and the subsequent confusion over the Australia series. ## "I don't know what was going on, to be honest, and what all were people talking about. But let me put this on record, I was constantly communicating with BCCI and Mumbai Indians".## Rohit confirmed that while he was feeling a lot better, he was still not a 100% fit - which meant that he couldn't risk being part of the white-ball series down under. "Of course, there is still some work that needs to be done on my hamstring. That's why I didn't go to Australia for the white-ball leg as there are back-to-back games. Around 6 games in 11 days", he said, on the upcoming ODI and Twenty20 series.## "So I thought if I get to work on my body for 25 days, I can probably go and play the Test matches. So it was an easy decision for me and I don't know why it became so complicated for others", he said.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Former Australian captain and one of the greats of cricket, Allan Border banks on the players like Virat Kohli to keep the Test cricket. In the growing threat of frenchise cricket around the world, Border belives that teams like India, England, and Australia are much needed for the survival of the oldest format of the game. ## "It is up to players like (Virat) Kohli and teams like India, England, and Australia to keep Test cricket alive from the growing threat of franchise cricket", said Border. ## Talking about the forthcoming Test series between Australia and India, Border said that Kohli's absence after the first test will "favour" Australia and boost their chances as he thinks that the result of the 4-match Test series will be 2-1 to Australia. ## Virat Kohli, who is expecting his first child with Anushka Sharma will return to India after the first test in Adeliede. Border thinks that the return of Kohli is a big 'out' for India who is the current holder of the Border-Gavasker trophy. ## "Very confident of Australia's chances, especially when playing in Australia. The one thing that is in Australia's favour is Virat Kohli playing only the first Test. I think that is a big 'out' for India. He is irreplaceable at the moment as a batsman and a leader. Should be 2-1 to Australia", he added. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The final standings in the ongoing World Test Championship will now be decided by the percentage of points won by a team, the ICC announced on Thursday (November 19).## As per the new standings, Australia has leapfrogged India and moved to the top spot in the World Test Championship table. Australia has a points percentage of 0.822, while India with a points percentage of 0.75 has moved down to No. 2.## The ICC board has approved the recommendation from the ICC Cricket Committee, headed by Anil Kumble, which suggested the change in the points system considering that several series have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.## Current Standings: SNTeamsSeries PlayedPts ContestedPts WonPts % 1. Australia 3 360 296 82.22 2. India 4 480 360 75 3. England 4 480 292 60.83 4. New Zealand 3 360 180 50 5. Pakistan 3.5 420 166 39.52 6. Sri Lanka 2 240 80 33.33 7. West Indies 2 240 40 16.67 8. South Africa 2 240 24 10 9. Bangladesh 2.5 180 0 0 ## "Both the Cricket Committee and Chief Executives Committee supported the approach of ranking teams based on completed matches and points earned as this reflects their performance and doesn't disadvantage teams that have been unable to compete all of their matches through no fault of their own", said ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney.## "We explored a whole range of options, but our members felt strongly that we should proceed as planned with the first-ever World Test Championship Final in June next year", he added.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that MPL Sports, an e-sports platform, will the new kit sponsor and official merchandise partner of the Indian cricket team on Tuesday (November 17).## The three-year deal between BCCI and MPL Sports will be starting with India's upcoming tour of Australia and it is from November 2020 to December 2023. As per the new deal, Men's, Women's, and the Under-19 Indian cricket teams will be sporting MPL Sports designed and manufactured jerseys.## "The partnership leads us to a new frontier for Team India and for sports merchandising in the country. We look forward to working with a young Indian brand like MPL Sports to tap the potential that this sphere holds. This partnership aims at facilitating access to high-quality Indian cricket fan merchandise, including the coveted Indian cricket team jersey for cricket fans not just in the country but globally", Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI said.## Earlier, the BCCI had invited bids for team kit sponsor and official merchandising partner rights through a tender process after Nike's four-year deal came to an end in September this year.## "We are delighted to announce the dawn of a new era for Indian cricket with the appointment of MPL Sports as the kit sponsor for the Indian men's and women's national cricket team until 2023. We look forward to MPL Sports adding a new chapter to the team's kit, and bring Official BCCI licensed merchandise within easy and convenient reach for the billion-plus fans who cheer for Team India", Sourav Ganguly, BCCI President said.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Amid the ongoing talks regarding the change in the captaincy of India's limited-overs side, former India cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has come out in support of current Indian captain Virat Kohli and defended him by saying that the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper cannot be blamed for the franchise's poor performances. ## Recently, former Kolkata Knight Riders' captain, Gautam Gambhir had slammed Virat Kohli after RCB failed to break the jinx of winning the trophy yet again at this year's IPL. Gambhir said that it is time for Kohli to quit RCB's captaincy. He also opined that instead of Kohli, Rohit Sharma, who just won the 5th IPL title as captain for Mumbai Indians, should be given India's limited-overs captaincy. ## Disagreeing with Gambhir's statement, Chopra said that though Rohit is outstanding as the captain, he should not be given the leadership of the national side based on his success in the IPL. He asked if Rohit will win those trophies with the RCB team, which is there with Kohli?## "Gautam Gambhir believes that it is the nation's misfortune if Rohit Sharma is not made the Indian T20I captain because he is the most successful captain in the IPL", Chopra said in a video posted on his Facebook page.## Also Read - Rahul Dravid Bats For T20 Cricket To Become an Olympic Sport## "But I have a question that if Rohit was given the RCB team, which is there with Kohli, will he have won two, three or four out of the five titles MI have won? Rohit as a captain is outstanding, I love him to bits but can the Mumbai Indians' success story be equated with India, that is my question. Just because Kohli's team does not do well, does it mean that is Kohli's fault", he added.## Akash Chopra who represented India in 10 Tests and scored 437 runs with 2 half-centuries, said that he doesn't see any change in captaincy at the moment as India isn't scheduled to play many matches in the shortest format of the game at the moment. ## "They cannot make him the captain now, however much you may try. I know it is not fair, I know it is tough but this is what it is. It cannot happen now as there is a simple reason for that. There are not too many T20 matches at the moment. Let us wait for some time, let us be cool, he cannot become the captain now. Kohli is the captain currently and I don't feel that there is going to be a captaincy change in this team now", Akash stated.## ICYDK, Rohit Sharma has been rested for the limited-overs series (3 ODIs & 3 T20Is) against Australia starting from November 27 to gain full fitness. However, he has been added to the Test squad which will see Virat Kohli missing the last three matches as he has granted paternity leave. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Former India captain and the current head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Rahul Dravid said that he is certainly set for the expansion of the T20 game and has batted for the shortest format of cricket to become an Olympic sport. ## Dravid, who recently participated in the virtual book launch of a new book "A New Innings", hosted by Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale and cricket analyst Simon Hughes, however, added that for cricket to succeed in Olympics, it will need a certain kind of facility.## "I think it will be great if the T20 format of the game can become an Olympic sport. Obviously, it will come with its challenges. Also, cricket is a game that requires a certain kind of facility for it to be successful", Rahul Dravid said during the virtual seminar as quoted by ANI.## Giving the example of the recently concluded 13th season of the Indian Premier League, the legendary cricketer said that the major reason behind the success of the IPL 2020 was the quality of pitches that were on display throughout the season.## "We have seen in the just-concluded IPL, the success of IPL was on large part due to the quality of wickets… if you can get all of that right and get the facilities in place then why not. I am certainly for the expansion of the T20 game. If it is possible, cricket should endeavor to try and get into the Olympics", Dravid added.## Also Read - Rohit Sharma Should be The Indian T20 Captain: Michael Vaughan## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Former England captain, Michael Vaughan has applauded Rohit Sharma after the Mumbai Indians' skipper led his side to record 5th Indian Premier League title win on Tuesday (November 10) night when the team beat Delhi Capitals by five wickets in the final of IPL 2020 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. ## Riding on Rohit's 51-ball 68 runs innings, Mumbai chased down a target of 157 runs. The all-round performance from the team members led them to become the most successful franchise of the T20 tournament with five IPL titles in their kitty now. It was Rohit's 6th IPL title as a player. ## Appreciating the vice-captain of the Indian team, Vaughan took to Twitter and backed Rohit Sharma for Indian T20 captaincy, "Without question, Rohit Sharma should be the Indian T20 captain .. fantastic man manager & leader .. & he knows exactly how to win T20 games .. it would also give Virat chance to take a breather and just be the player .. it's works for all other teams around the world ..#IPL2020", he tweeted. ## Without question Rohit Sharma should be the Indian T20 captain .. fantastic man manager & leader .. & he knows exactly how to win T20 games .. it would also give Virat chance to take a breather and just be the player .. it’s works for all other teams around the world ..#IPL2020— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 10, 2020 ## Speaking to Cricbuzz Live, Vaughan said, "I believe India would be a better T20 team with Rohit Sharma as captain". Giving the reason behind his choice of Rohit as T20 captain, he said that Rohit Sharma as T20I captain will ease pressure from Virat Kohli and will allow him to play more as a player and focus on ODI and Test leadership. ## The Rohit Sharma-led side remained the most successful team in the season with 10 wins from 15 games they played in the 56-day long contest. MI is now the only second team after Chennai Super Kings to successfully defend the title. Dhoni's CSK had done it in IPL 2010 and 2011 while now MI has done it in 2019 and now 2020. ## Successfully breaking the jinx of winning the titles only in odd years, the Mumbai side has now clinched the title in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020 under Rohit's leadership.## Also Read - Virat Kohli To Return India After The First Test Against Australia; Rohit Sharma Included In Test Squad ## Stay tuned...