BY SACNILK

The Kolhi we all know and the Kohli who was 10 years back, there have a lot been changed. Every youngster needs support and Kohli was lucky enough to have MS Dhoni when he started his international career. However, the ranked 1 batsman didn't take much time to show his class at the big stage but it was crucial for him that someone like Dhoni has always his back.## The current India captain in an interview given to 'India Today', expressed his gratitude towards the former captain MS Dhoni for his support in the difficult time and now, as the role has reversed, he is not going to back down from supporting veteran despite the recent criticism Dhoni has faced.## "It's unfortunate to see so many people going after him. For me, loyalty matters the most," Kohli's words showed his reverence for his first international captain. When I walked into the team he had the option of trying someone else after a few games, although I grabbed my chances for me to get that kind of backing, it was very crucial for me. Also, he gave me an opportunity to bat at No 3 because not many youngsters get to play at No 3," the skipper recalled his formative days in international cricket", Kohli said.## Even when Kohli is the captain of the ship, he has never hesitated to talk to Dhoni in crunch match situations and that where Kohli believes that they have a lot of respect for each other.## "It's just about the field placements and bowling changes and we say you know the angles, you know the pace of the pitch and that's why there is so much of trust and respect between the two of us. He is one person, who literally knows the game inside out. He understands the game from 'Ball 1 to Ball 300 (50 overs) on the field. I won't say it a luxury to have him but I am fortunate to have a mind like that from behind the stumps," Kohli said.## While the World Cup squad of India has announced, Virat Kohli feels that this is the most balanced team they could have picked. "We are very happy with 15 that we have. This is the most balanced side we could have thought of because everyone is in a good space".## The skipper said that the atmosphere in the dressing room is pretty chilled and relaxed. He himself along with MS Dhoni and vice-captain Rohit Sharma has made sure that the dressing room is in good shape.## "I think the whole management group, the way they have handled the entire group, it creates a good environment where everyone is relaxed. Our change room is like a living room, chilled out with everyone relaxed. "Indian team has to be paramount and everyone and players responded in a very positive manner right from the management, myself, Mahi bhai being the senior most guy and everyone. There is one goal and everyone is in sync with that goal." While the World Cup now occupies his mind space, he said that he doesn't need to switch buttons as the intensity always remains the same," He said.## Talking about the pressure of the World Cup Kohli said, "In 2011, I was not involved in a lot of things, was not involved in a lot of meetings, the pressures that come along. At this point in time, it's going to be different. Even in 2015, I wasn't involved to an extent where I had to be part of everything that is going on.## "To understand the magnitude of a tournament like this from a captain's point of view is a different ball game. I won't say that I will look to do something different just because its a World Cup. Fortunately, I am in the mindset, I don't have to pick myself up for a series, because I always have the same intensity and drive to take the team over the line".## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Not long ago Mohammed Shami was not even part of India's ODI set-up and was nowhere close to the World Cup squad. But as it is said, "You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming", Mohammed Shami's journey perfectly fit in this who will now be the part of India's World Cup squad and likely to lead the pace attack along with Jasprit Bumrah.## However, the path hasn't been easy for Shami whose career has been affected by injuries. Hence, he has been in and out from ODIs. But his recent form in white ball cricket has forced the selectors to get him in the 15-member squad. Since October 2018, Shami has picked up 22 wickets in 13 ODIs, the joint-most for an Indian fast bowler along with Bhuvneshwar.## "If you have seen in the last 18 months, I have continuously worked on my fitness and have been constantly trying to improve my game, on what will be better for my team. Yes, I was a bit heavy after my injury and didn't play ODIs for an extended time. But I have played ODIs recently, especially in the last six months there have been some outstanding changes in my life," Shami said on Monday (April 15) during a press conference ahead of Kings XI Punjab's match against Rajasthan Royals.## World cup in England & Wales will be Shami's second after the World cup 2015 in Australia & New Zealand as a player. In the previous edition, he was the second highest wicket-taker for India after Umesh Yadav (18) and 4th overall with 17 wickets in 7 matches. But injuries ruled him out from the ODIs after the tournament. Now, he is fully fit and running hard.## "I am happy with whatever I have achieved. I lost so much of weight, my body has that flow now and the rhythm, I feel, is similar to when I started (my career). I will try to maintain the same rhythm in the future for the World Cup. Like you've seen, there's a lot of difference (with my bowling) when compared to before, say three years back. I have done a lot of hard work, I've worked with the coaches and the confidence that I got with the Indian team, backing me when I was trying to improve my fitness levels, the management, the NCA, they all backed mine with all their heart. I was also dedicated to taking on the fitness challenge in front of me, I accepted that and the result is now in front of you," he added. ## Shami believes that his confidence has only increased after the successful World Cup 2015 for him. "I'm very happy that I have got a second chance in a World Cup. As far as performance is concerned, the way I had performed in 2015, how I approached it with confidence, I am hoping that there's increased confidence in me. And whatever confidence that I have, in terms of my performance in the last seven-eight months, I want to carry that confidence and put my best foot forward for my team."## All the Indian players including Shami who get selected in World Cup squad are playing in Indian Premier League. Shami who is leading the Kings XI Punjab is the leading wicket-taker for his side. He believes that IPL is good for the World Cup preparations. "Playing these matches (in the IPL) help in terms of fitness and mental preparation. It's a challenging tournament before the World Cup and the IPL is very helpful in the preparation, mentally and physically."## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Ambati Rayudu who was India's number 4 before the start of the Indian Premier League 2019 has been dropped from the World Cup 2019 squad as the BCCI has announced the 15-member squad on Monday (April 15). ## KL Rahul who was dropped from the ODI set up after the controversial talk show incident has been included in the 15-member squad as a backup opener for Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. Ravindra Jadeja also rewarded for his brilliant all-round form in IPL 2019. Dinesh Karthik will be as a backup wicketkeeper for MS Dhoni. Rishabh Pant also was discussed in the meeting but selectors go with the experience of Dinesh Karthik.## "Definitely a case where we debated in length. We all were in unison that either pant or DK will come in only when Mahi is injured. In an important game, wicket keeping is also important. That’s the reason we went with Dinesh Karthik" - MSK Prasad said## Ambati Rayudu who was the first choice at number 4 but his recent form including IPL has been really poor and that cost him his spot. Vijay Shankar or Dinesh Karthik likely to bat at number 4. ## "We did give a few more chances to Rayudu but Vijay Shankar gives three dimensions. He can bat, if the conditions are overcast he can bowl, plus he is a [good] fielder," MSK Prasad said added.## The selectors have included three genuine pacers along with Hardik Pandya. Mohammed Shami who has shown brilliantly form in white ball cricket in recent time has given a chance into the World Cup squad. The other two pacers are Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will be two guanine spinners. Both have been brilliant for India in the last one and a half year.## India’s squad: Virat Kohli (Capt), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami## India will start their World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

MS Dhoni is the only captain in the history of the IPL who has won 100 or more matches as CSK captain. However, among the top 10 most successful captains in IPL, Rohit Sharma has the best win percentage. ## Here is the list of TOP 10 captains with most wins in IPL SNPlayerMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 1. MS Dhoni (CSK, RPS) 184 107 76 0 1 58.46 2. Gautam Gambhir (DD, KKR) 129 71 57 1 0 55.42 3. Rohit Sharma (MI) 113 66 43 4 0 60.17 4. Virat Kohli (RCB) 120 55 58 3 4 48.70 5. Adam Gilchrist (DC, KXIP) 74 35 39 0 0 47.29 6. Sachin Tendulkar (MI) 51 30 21 0 0 58.82 7. Shane Warne (RR) 55 30 24 0 1 55.45 8. David Warner (DD, SRH) 56 29 26 1 0 52.67 9. Virendra Sehwag (DD, KXIP) 53 28 24 0 1 53.77 10. R Dravid (RR, RCB) 48 22 26 0 0 45.83 ## DC - Deccan Chargers## Note - Data as of 21 October 2020.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Indian Premier League has seen so many captains over the last 12 years. Some have been so successful and become the synonym of success while some couldn't make their mark at the biggest stage. It is often said that a captain is as good as a team but sometimes, a good captain makes a team look good with his smart moves during the game.## In IPL, a few captains have been able to change that scenario and have been so successful with even an ordinary team. Now, the question should be raised who is the best captain among them? Well, for that we need to look back at the records.## Here is the list of TOP 5 most successful captain in IPL (accroding to win %, 50+ matches):## 1. MS Dhoni (CSK, RPS) - Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn't need the second introduction. He is the only captain in IPL to win 100 matches as captain. There are only a few captains in the world who have been as successful as MS Dhoni. He is the only captain in the world who has won T20I World Cup, 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy as captain and without a doubt has one of the smartest minds in cricket.## Chennai Super Kings has become a brand in the IPL and MS Dhoni is probably the biggest reason for that. He is captaining CSK since the first season (2008) and has led his side winning the title on three occasions while four times CSK has been runner-up in nine seasons they have played. There is no other team being as successful as CSK and Dhoni without a doubt is the main reason for it.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2008-19 174 104 69 0 1 60.11 ## 2. Sachin Tendulkar (MI) - The legend of the game and arguably the greatest batsman after Sir Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar is one of only two Indian players who has won player of the tournament award in IPL. He was the first ever captain for Mumbai Indians and captained for three years.## However, Mumbai Indians couldn't win during Tendulkar's captaincy period but he led MI to the finals in 2010 only to lose against Chennai Super Kings. One of the icon players, Sachin Tendulkar was the player of the tournament in 2010.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2008-11 51 30 21 0 0 58.82 ## 3. Rohit Sharma (MI) - Mumbai Indians is probably the only team who has dominated Chennai Super Kings and has been the most successful team since Rohit Sharma has taken the captaincy in 2013. The team has seen some great players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shaun Pollack but they couldn't take the team to glory until Rohit takes the charge.## Since 2013, Mumbai Indians has won three titles in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Rohit Sharma also has similarities of Dhoni who keep his head calm under pressure and that helped him become one of the most successful captains in IPL history.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2013-19 104 60 42 2 0 58.65 ## 4. Shane Warne (RR) - The first ever captain to lift an IPL Trophy, Shane Warne took an ordinary team Rajasthan Royals to glory. A team without star players has its name in the history book. Shane Warne showed the world that even without star players can reach the heights. However, 2008 success is alone standing glory for RR as they could never repeat the same kind of success again.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2008-11 55 30 24 1 0 55.45 ## 5. Gautam Gambir (DD, KKR) - Gautam Gambhir started his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils. And soon become captain after the first season. However, he couldn't be successful with DD as captain. Time changes and he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011 and immediately given the captaincy. In his first attempt as KKR captain, he led his side to playoffs.## KKR's 2011 performance was enough to prove Gambhir's potential as captain and didn't take a long time to convert his potential into glory. In 2012 and 2014, Gambhir led KKR to title triumph and became KKR's most loved face. There is no doubt Gambhir has been the Piccaso of KKR's IPL journey.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2009-18 129 71 57 1 0 55.42 ## Note - Data as of 13th May 2019 ## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

With the World Cup, 2019 is just one and a half months away from taking place in England and Wales, all the teams are looking for the best combination for the mega event. After West Indies announced their squad on Wednesday (April 24), all ten teams have named their squad for the mega event. The deadline for submitting the team squad was 30th April. A few days ago New Zealand became the first to announce their team for the 12th edition of ICC's biggest tournament.## This time, the tournament will be played as Round-robin league where all ten teams will play against each other at least once. The top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals which are scheduled to play on 9th and 11th of July whereas final will be played on 14th July.## Here Is The Complete Schedule Of The World Cup 2019 Match No.Date & TimeTeamsVenue 1st May 30, Thu, 3:00 PM England vs South Africa Kennington Oval, London 2nd May 31, Fri, 3:00 PM Windies vs Pakistan Trent Bridge, Nottingham 3rd Jun 01, Sat, 3:00 PM New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 4th Jun 01, Sat, 6:00 PM Afghanistan vs Australia County Ground, Bristol 5th Jun 02, Sun, 3:00 PM South Africa vs Bangladesh Kennington Oval, London 6th Jun 03, Mon, 3:00 PM England vs Pakistan Trent Bridge, Nottingham 7th Jun 04, Tue, 3:00 PM Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 8th Jun 05, Wed, 3:00 PM South Africa vs India The Rose Bowl, Southampton 9th Jun 05, Wed, 6:00 PM Bangladesh vs New Zealand Kennington Oval, London 10th Jun 06, Thu, 3:00 PM Australia vs Windies Trent Bridge, Nottingham 11th Jun 07, Fri, 3:00 PM Pakistan vs Sri Lanka County Ground, Bristol 12th Jun 08, Sat, 3:00 PM England vs Bangladesh Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 13th Jun 08, Sat, 6:00 PM Afghanistan vs New Zealand The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton 14th Jun 09, Sun, 3:00 PM India vs Australia Kennington Oval, London 15th Jun 10, Mon, 3:00 PM South Africa vs Windies The Rose Bowl, Southampton 16th Jun 11, Tue, 3:00 PM Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka County Ground, Bristol 17th Jun 12, Wed, 3:00 PM Australia vs Pakistan The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton 18th Jun 13, Thu, 3:00 PM India vs New Zealand Trent Bridge, Nottingham 19th Jun 14, Fri, 3:00 PM England vs Windies The Rose Bowl, Southampton 20th Jun 15, Sat, 3:00 PM Sri Lanka vs Australia Kennington Oval, London 21st Jun 15, Sat, 6:00 PM South Africa vs Afghanistan Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 22nd Jun 16, Sun, 3:00 PM India vs Pakistan Old Trafford, Manchester 23rd Jun 17, Mon, 3:00 PM Windies vs Bangladesh The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton 24th Jun 18, Tue, 3:00 PM England vs Afghanistan Old Trafford, Manchester 25th Jun 19, Wed, 3:00 PM New Zealand vs South Africa Edgbaston, Birmingham 26th Jun 20, Thu, 3:00 PM Australia vs Bangladesh Trent Bridge, Nottingham 27th Jun 21, Fri, 3:00 PM England vs Sri Lanka Headingley, Leeds 28th Jun 22, Sat, 3:00 PM India vs Afghanistan The Rose Bowl, Southampton 29th Jun 22, Sat, 6:00 PM Windies vs New Zealand Old Trafford, Manchester 30th Jun 23, Sun, 3:00 PM Pakistan vs South Africa Lord's, London 31st Jun 24, Mon, 3:00 PM Bangladesh vs Afghanistan The Rose Bowl, Southampton 32nd Jun 25, Tue, 3:00 PM England vs Australia Lord's, London 33rd Jun 26, Wed, 3:00 PM New Zealand vs Pakistan Edgbaston, Birmingham 34th Jun 27, Thu, 3:00 PM Windies vs India Old Trafford, Manchester 35th Jun 28, Fri, 3:00 PM Sri Lanka vs South Africa Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street 36th Jun 29, Sat, 3:00 PM Pakistan vs Afghanistan Headingley, Leeds 37th Jun 29, Sat, 6:00 PM New Zealand vs Australia Lord's, London 38th Jun 30, Sun, 3:00 PM England vs India Edgbaston, Birmingham 39th Jul 1, Mon, 3:00 PM Sri Lanka vs Windies Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street 40th Jul 2, Tue, 3:00 PM Bangladesh vs India Edgbaston, Birmingham 41st Jul 3, Wed, 3:00 PM England vs New Zealand Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street 42nd Jul 4, Thu, 3:00 PM Afghanistan vs Windies Headingley, Leeds 43rd Jul 5, Fri, 3:00 PM Pakistan vs Bangladesh Lord's, London 44th Jul 6, Sat, 3:00 PM Sri Lanka vs India Headingley, Leeds 45th Jul 6, Sat, 6:00 PM Australia vs South Africa Old Trafford, Manchester 1st Semi-Final Jul 09, Tue, 3:00 PM TBC vs TBC (1 v 4) Old Trafford, Manchester 2nd Semi-Final Jul 11, Thu, 3:00 PM TBC vs TBC (2 v 3) Edgbaston, Birmingham Final Jul 14, Sun, 3:00 PM TBC vs TBC Lord's, London ## Here Are The Teams' Squad For The World Cup:## New Zealand squad - Kane Williamson (C), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (WK), Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor## Australia squad - Aaron Finch (C), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (WK), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa## India squad - Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (WK), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami## Bangladesh squad - Mashrafe Mortaza (C), Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim (WK), Shakib Al Hasan (VC), Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Mithun, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mosaddek Hossain, Abu Jayed## England squad - Eoin Morgan (c), Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, James Vince, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood## Sri Lanka squad - Dimuth Karunaratne (C), Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Perera (wk), Kusal Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Malinda Siriwardana, Angelo Mathews, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep## South Africa squad -Faf du Plessis (C), JP Duminy, David Miller, Dale Steyn, Andile Phehlukwayo, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Quinton de Kock, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Hashim Amla, Tabraiz Shamsi.## Pakistan Squad - Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Hasnain## Afghansistan Squad - Gulbadin Naib (C), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman## West Indies Squad - Jason Holder (c), Andre Russell, Ashley Nurse, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo, Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen, Kemar Roach, Nicholas Pooran, Oshane Thomas, Shai Hope, Shannon Gabriel, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

It was another night when Andre Russell's assault was on peek. With 53 runs needed in 3 overs, most of the batsmen would have given up but not Andre Russell who proved this target a child's play for him. His 13-ball 48* powered Kolkata Knight Riders to an unlikely win with 5 balls to spare over Royal Challengers Bangalore.## The cricket world expressed their thoughts on Andre Russell's brutal striking via Twitter## Speechless. #RCBvKKR #VIVOIPL2019— Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) April 5, 2019 ## WINDIES TEAM FOR 2019 WORLD CUP@Russell12A and any other 10...📸 @KKRiders.#KKRvRCB #AndreRussell #VIVOIPL2019 #IPL2019 #westindies #Cricket #WorldCup2019 pic.twitter.com/R7cu9hkncT— Brian Lara (@BrianLara) April 5, 2019 ## Sheesh! #DreRuss Where can you bowl to him 🤷‍♂️— Brendon McCullum (@Bazmccullum) April 5, 2019 ## Any asking rate is child’s play for Andre Russell . What a victory ! #RCBvsKKR— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 5, 2019 ## That was unreal from Andre Russell #RCBvKKR— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) April 5, 2019 ## .@Russell12A 👌🏻#DreRuss— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) April 5, 2019 ## Andre Russell in 2019 IPL:Game 1: 4 SixesGame 2: 5 SixesGame 3: 6 SixesGame 4: 7 Sixes207 runs in 77 Balls (22 Sixes)Seems like he is following a pattern of hitting sixes!#RCBvKKR #IPL2019 #AndreRussell— Sacnilk Sports (@SacnilkSports) April 5, 2019 ## ANDRE THE GIANT!!!!!! What a beast !!!!!! What am I seeing?!?! #AndreRussell #RCBvKKR 🤪🏏🦖— Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) April 5, 2019 ## And you guys in the Dugout who said game/set/& match......u may know your cricket but you don’t know @Russell12A !!! WOW u CHAMPION. This calls for Wine my MuscleMan!— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 5, 2019 ## Have never seen anyone smash the cricket ball like @Russell12A does !! Incredible Batting Congratulations @KKRiders on the victory #RCBvKKR @iamsrk pic.twitter.com/DIX3DIYtzx— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) April 5, 2019 ## RUUUUUSSSSEEEEELLLLL @Russell12A Take a Bow 🙇‍♂️ @IPL @KKRiders vs @RCBTweets— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 5, 2019 ## Has to be the scariest in world cricket #DreRuss— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 5, 2019 ## The calm in the #KKR camp even when the asking rate is going past 15 rpo is unnerving. Russell ka bhi DNA Test karvao....how’s it possible to hit so many sixes with such consistency?? 🙏🤔 #KKR #RCBvKKR— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) April 5, 2019 ## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Team India retained the ICC Test Championship Mace for the third consecutive years after topping the ICC Test Rankings on the cut-off date of 1 April. After the historic series win against Australia, India made sure that Test Championship Mace isn't going anywhere soon.## Virat Kohli led Team India will be awarded 1 million dollars for retaining number one spot with 116 points while New Zealand and South Africa will be given 5 Lakh dollars and 2 Lakh dollars for securing number two and three positions with 108 and 105 points respectively.## “Retaining the ICC Test Championship Mace once again is something we are all really proud of. Our team has been doing well across formats but it gives us extra pleasure to come out on top of the Test rankings. We all know of the importance of Test cricket and of how only the best can prosper in the format," Virat Kohli said.## “Our team has a lot of depth and I am sure this will stand us in good stead once the ICC World Test Championship commences later this year. That is again something we are really looking forward to as it adds more context to Test match cricket,” he added.## On the other hand, New Zealand skipper was all pumped up as his side reaches to number two for the first time in their history of test cricket. New Zealand has shown great consistency since the last year and beat England at home before a historic series win against Pakistan in UAE. Their most recent series win came against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at home.## “It’s an awesome achievement for our side to finish second in the ICC Test Team Rankings and as a team, we should be very proud. It’s come off the back of a lot of hard work and perseverance; not just by the eleven guys on the field, but the entire squad and support staff.## “It’s been especially pleasing to see the consistency we’ve shown in the longest form of the game over a decent period of time. We’re now all really looking forward to the ICC World Test Championship getting underway and the added context the competition will bring,” Williamson said.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Royal Challengers Bangalore is searching for the first win of VIVO IPL 2019 after the two back to back defeats against Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. They will look to turn things around when they will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday 31st March at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.## Interestingly, RCB has included 17-year old Prayas Ray Barman in the playing XI against Sunrisers. It is Barman's debut match of the Indian Premier League.## Who is Prayas Ray Barman## Prayas Ray Barman is a Right-arm leg break googly bowler from West Bengal. He is just 16 and a half-year-old and becomes the youngest player to make his debut in IPL. He is also one of the three players who was born in the 21st century and has played in the IPL after Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rasikh Salam. Prayas Ray Barman came in the spotlight after his impressive Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018-19 and was the leading wicket-taker for Bengal with 11 wickets in 9 matches.## What happened in auction## Prayas Ray Barman's base price was 20 Lakh INR but such was his demand that some franchise were showing interest to grabbed the teenager but it was Royal Challengers Bangalore who got him in INR 1.5 Crore.## Youngest debutants in IPL:## 16y 157d Prayas Ray Barman## 17y 011d Mujeeb-ur-Rahman## 17y 177d Sarfaraz Khan## 17y 179d Pradeep Sangwan## 17y 199d Washington Sundar## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

In a nail-biting finish of a thriller between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians at Chinnaswamy stadium, Bangalore on 28th March saw Indians win the match despite de Villiers fighting knock of 70* off 41 balls. But the result could have been different if there wasn't an umpiring error that cost RCB match.## With RCB needed 7 runs off the last ball, Malinga ended overstepping which was not picked by the on-field umpire S Ravi. It was showed on the giant screen only after the players shook hands post the game. After watching the incident on the big screen, Virat Kohli could not stop himself but to criticize the umpire S Ravi in the post-match presentation ceremony.## "We are playing at the IPL level and not playing club cricket. The umpires should have had their eyes open. That is a ridiculous call at the last ball. If it is a game of margins, I don't know what is happening. They should have been more sharp and careful out there," said Kohli.## Mumbai Indians went on to win the match by 5-runs as Shivam Dube could only gather a single off the last ball. But skipper Rohit Sharma to criticize the umpire as he didn't seem to be happy with the standard of umpiring at the big level.## "I just got to know when we crossed the rope. Somebody just told me it was a no-ball. These kind of mistakes are not good for the game of cricket, it's pretty simple, the over before that. Bumrah bowled a ball which wasn't a wide ball. Those are game-changers," said Rohit.## Well, in between the no-ball controversy, Mumbai Indians managed to win their first match of the VIVO IPL 2019. While RCB loses their second consecutive match after losing the season opener to Chennai Super Kings.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the arbiter of the laws of the game, have released a statement regarding Ashwin's 'Mankad' run out of Jos Buttler in the match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. The statement states that the spirit of the game wasn't violated during the incident.## Ravichandran Ashwin, the captain of Kings XI Punjab, dismissed Jos Buttler by removing the bails at the non-striker's end even before releasing the ball. Buttler who was batting on 69, adjudged out because of the MCC's law 41.16 that deals with the issue of a non-striker leaving his/her ground early.## The law states, if the non-striker is out of his/her ground from the moment the ball comes into play to the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the bowler is permitted to attempt to run him/her out. Whether the attempt is successful or not, the ball shall not count as one in the over.## If the bowler fails in an attempt to run out the non-striker, the umpire shall call and signal Dead ball as soon as possible.## MCC found Kings XI Punjab's skipper within the law and said that the spirit of the game wasn't violated. Ashwin too said after yesterday's match in the press conference that he didn't plan to do 'Mankad' Buttler.## "Look, it was very instinctive. On my part, it was very instinctive. It was not planned or anything like that. It's there within the rules of the game. I don't understand where the spirit of the game comes, naturally, if it's there in the rules it's there".## After yesterday's incident, Ashwin got criticized by some of the former players who found the incident against the 'spirit of the game'.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Rajasthan Royals were cruising towards the victory with Jos Buttler at the other end was in full flow before a controversial decision changed the game in Kings XI Punjab's favor.## In the 13th over of the innings, Ravichandran Ashwin was bowling with Buttler at the non-striker end. Ashwin then stopped before delivering the ball even as Buttler walked out of the crease, Ashwin without giving him any warning took the bails off and affect the dismissal. Buttler, not surprisingly, was furious as he was walking to the pavilion.## Twitter-verse put their opinion on the controversial decision and expressed their thoughts on the dismissal of Buttler.## In a sport where sledging opponents, bouncers aimed at hitting batsmen, not walking after nicking, claiming a grounded catch are all common occurrences.... a phrase like 'againt the spirit of the game' has no meaning.#mankad #ashwin #RRvKXIP— Nikhil Naz (@NikhilNaz) March 25, 2019 ## Controversy @irbishi ... what to make of it all #Mankad #RRvsKXIP— Scott Styris (@scottbstyris) March 25, 2019 ## Well the fair play award isn’t going to Mohali this year....— Sam Billings (@sambillings) March 25, 2019 ## The more you see this the worse it looks .. @josbuttler is still in his crease as @ashwinravi99 is in his delivery position .. Warning or not this is very very Poor from the Skipper ... in time I think he will look back and regret this .. #IPl https://t.co/LcRI12x2EZ— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 25, 2019 ## The Laws state it’s OUT ... Still doesn’t mean I like it at all ... just think it’s a bad look for the game ... I would prefer a 1 warning rule then after that it’s a free for all ... only my opinion so don’t abuse please ... or you can if you want .. I am not arsed #OnOn #IPL— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 25, 2019 ## Law is above The Mythical Spirit of The Game. Don’t fret. Don’t frown. #Ashwin #Buttler #RRvKXIP #IPL— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 25, 2019 ## If you nick the ball, you should walk. That’s the Spirit of the Game. How many actually walk though??? Think 🤔 #Ashwin #Buttler #RRvKXIP #IPL— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 25, 2019 ## It’s within the laws of the game but Jos Butler should have been warned by Ashwin before that. Very Surprised ! Remember Ashwin doing the same in an international game where Sehwag withdrew the appeal.— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) March 25, 2019 ## Ashwin, that’s shocking behaviour! Very disappointed to see that.— Jason Roy (@JasonRoy20) March 25, 2019 ## I can’t believe what I’m seeing!! @IPL Terrible example to set for young kids coming through. In time I think Ashwin will regret that.— Eoin Morgan (@Eoin16) March 25, 2019 ## Follow for more...