Cricket

1880 days ago

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Top five players with the longest one-day international cricket careers

On June 26, 2020, former team India captain Mithali Raj has completed 21 years of her international cricket career. She began her journey with a sublime hundred on debut against Ireland in 1999 and her juggernaut is still going strong even after 21 years. ## Mithali Raj has the longest international career among the women player and only woman with 20+ years of career. But when it comes to an ODI career, Mithali is right up there after the legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. ## Here we are taking you through top 5 players with the longest ODI career whether its men or women:## 1. Sachin Tendulkar (22 years, 91 days) - Sachin Tendulkar does not need any introduction. The man who inspired the current generation to make a career in cricket has the longest runs in the one-day internationals. He started his ODI journey on 15 November 1989 against Pakistan at Jinnah Stadium which lasts long for more than 22 years as his last ODI outing came also against Pakistan at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka. During his long ODI career, the master blaster played 463 ODIs and scored 18426 runs at an average of 44.83. To get those runs, he scored 49 hundred including a double hundred against South Africa and 96 half-centuries. The legendary batsman broke many records in his career and left many to break in which a few are, the highest number of matches, the highest number of runs, most hundred and half-centuries. ## 2. Sanath Jayasuriya (21 years, 184 days) - Arguably one of the greatest batsmen Sri Lanka has ever produced, Sanath Jayasuriya was naturally an attacking batsman who liked to dominate bowlers from the very first ball. The left-hander took the crease for the first time on 26 December 1989, almost a month after Sachin Tendulkar began his ODI journey against Australia at Melbourne which ended on 28 June 2011 against England at Kennington Oval. He played 445 ODIs and scored 13430 runs at an average of 32.13 with 28 hundred and 68 half-centuries. ## 3. Mithali Raj (21 years, 00 days)* - The only current player with more than 21 years of career, Mithali Raj has been one of the greatest woman cricketers in the history of cricket. She started her journey with a sublime hundred on debut against Ireland on 26 June 1999 and still going strong. Mithali was just 16 and a half-year-old when she made her ODI debut which was going to be written in history books. So far, Mithali Raj has played 209 ODIs and has scored 6888 runs at an impressive average of 50.64 with 7 hundred and 53 half-centuries. The former India captain is the only player among the top 10 leading run-getters in women ODIs to have 50+ average. She is also the most capped woman ODI player. Mithali has a real chance to break Sachin's record for the longest ODI career as she is eyeing 2021 world cup and beyond. ## 4. Chris Gayle (20 years, 288 days)* - Naturally an attacking batsman, Chris Gayle has been a revolution in ODI cricket. He may not look technically a good batsman but his hand-eye coordination and ability to hit the ball hard is enough to threaten the bowlers. He made his ODI debut against India on 11 September 1999 at Toronto CSCC and has played 300 ODIs so far in which he has made 10480 runs at an average of 37.70 with 25 hundred and 54 half-centuries. Gayle is one of the two players who has scored a double hundred in the world cup. ## 5. Javed Miandad (20 years, 272 days) - A batting maestro who scripted a few unrealistic victories for Pakistan, Javed Miandad was a synonym of spirit and spunk in the Pakistan cricket. Miandad will forever be remembered for his six off the last ball of Chetan Sharma in the Austral-Asia Cup final in Sharjah in 1986. He made his ODI debut against West Indies on 11 June 1975 at Edgbaston and played 233 ODIs and scored 7381 runs at an average of 41.47 with 8 hundred and 50 half-centuries. His last ODI outing came against India in the 1996 world cup at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Miandad has been hailed as one of the best batsmen Pakistan has ever produced. ## Note - stats as of 26 June 2020.## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1887 days ago

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Top 5 fielders with the most number of catches in the IPL history

Fielding used to be one of the most underrated things in world cricket. But ever since T20 cricket has introduced, the fielding standards have gone to a different level all-together. Nowadays, the fitness level of the players has no match and the fielders are capable of pulling the superman efforts in the fields. ## There is a phrase 'catches win matches' which is perhaps more relevant these days than ever before. Fielders are always on their toes and do not hesitate to make acrobatic efforts to convert half-chances into full. The Indian Premier League is being one of the best T20 tournaments in the world has only raised the standard of the fielding where we have seen some stupendous fielding and catching efforts over the years. ## Here, we are bringing you the top five fielders with the most number of catches in the history of the IPL. let's have a look (list does not include wicket-keepers) - ## 1. Suresh Raina (102 catches) - The key player for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Suresh Raina is one of the best fielders India has ever produced and helmed amongst the best in the world. Perfectly suited for the shortest format, Raina is getting better with age. Leaving the spectators in owe with his stupendous skills in the field, he has taken some of the great catches for his franchise Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions over the years. With 102 catches in 193 matches, Raina has taken the highest number of catches and sitting comfortably at the number one position. Known as Mr. IPL for his all-round ability, the 33-year old is the second on the list of players with most runs in the IPL with 5368 runs.## 2. AB de Villiers (84 catches) - AB de Villiers over the years has proved that he is not only a great batsman but also a fielder who has changed the course of the game with his superhuman efforts in the fields. He is one of the few players whose fitness is next level. With 84 catches in 154 matches for Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore, the South African is at number 2 among the top fielders in the IPL. He is one player the current generation looks up to him as an idol. AB with his incredible fielding and catching has shown the world how important fielding is in cricket. ## 3. Rohit Sharma (83 catches) - Not termed as one of the best fielders in the world, but one can trust his safe pair of hands when he is on the field. A very elegant batsman and pleasing to watch, Rohit Sharma has shone many times that he too can grab catches out of nowhere. With 83 catches in 188 outings Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians, the Mumbai Indians' captain is in top three among the highest catch takers in the tournament history. Often termed 'lazy' while batting, Rohit is improving catching skills and getting better in the field with each passing day. Talking about his captaincy, he is the most successful captain in the IPL with 4 titles to his name for Mumbai Indians. He is also one of the most successful batsmen and is on number among the leading run-getters. ## 4. Kieron Pollard (82 catches) - A typical current West Indian player who believes in hitting the ball long at the same time remain on top when it comes to fielding. Kieron Pollard might have had off days with bat and ball but when he is on the field, he hardly had disappointed his team. From stopping the unstoppable to pulling off one-handed screamers at the boundary rope, Pollard has been one of the most impressive catchers in the history of the IPL. The 6 feet 4 inches tall has taken 82 catches in 148 matches for Mumbai Indians. With his power-hitting and part-time bowling skills with an incredible athleticism in the field, Pollard has been a vital player for Mumbai Indians over the years. It will be very hard to replicate some of his catches even for the best amongst the best. ## 5. Dwayne Bravo (74 catches) - One of MS Dhoni's trusted players in the IPL, Dwayne Bravo has never left a chance to entertain the fans with his smirky dance moves along with taking some of the breathtaking catches at the boundary line. Very much similar to Pollard, Bravo has made some of the most difficult catches look effortlessly easy. With 74 catches in 134 matches, the 36-year old Trinidadian is on the fifth place among the players with most catches in the IPL. A very effective batsman lower down the order and one of the leading wicket-takers in the T20 cricket, Bravo has been a valuable asset for every team he has played. ## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1919 days ago

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Wisden Announced Top 5 Test Spells Of The 2000s

The Bible of cricket, Wisden announced the top 5 greatest spells of Test cricket of the 2000s on Sunday, May 17. The list includes some of the greatest bowlers of all-time. ## Below is the list of TOP 5 best spells of the 2000s -## 5. Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan, 6-11 vs New Zealand) - The fastest bowler of all-time, Shoaib Akhtar has been included in the list for his deadly spell of 6 for 11 against New Zealand at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore in 2002. Akhtar proved to be too hot to handle for the New Zealand batsmen who surrendered against the Rawalpindi Express. ## From his 6 wickets, 5 of them were the stump-honing yorkers at the speed over 90mph. His spell was enough to shoot New Zealand out at just 73 runs in the first innings on a pitch where Inzamam-ul-Haq scored a triple hundred (329) and Imran Nazir a Test hundred (127) as Pakistan post a mammoth total of 643. Shoaib Akhtar did not bowl in the second innings but it was just a matter of time before Pakistan completed a massive win of an innings and 324 runs. ## 4. Dale Steyn (South Africa, 5-23 vs India) - Subcontinent pitches have always been a nightmare for the pace bowlers unless there is some help for them. When South Africa toured India in 2008, everyone had thought that India would dominate the Proteas. However, Dale Steyn had some other plans. His spell of 5 for 23 in the second Test at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad has been remembered as one of the greatest spells by a pacer in the subcontinent condition. ## It was the magic of his spell that India was bowled out at just 76 in the first innings. All his 5 wickets were classic Steyn. 2 of them were of Virendra Sehwag who was coming in the match with the confidence of the triple century (319) in the first Test that ended up drawn at Nagpur, and the second wicket of Rahul Dravid. Both wickets were bowled out on nearly unplayable deliveries. Because of his spell, South Africa won the match by an innings and 90 runs. India won the third test and drawn the series. Dale Steyn was the second-highest wicket-taker after Harbhajan Singh of the 3-match series with 15 wickets. ## 3. Glenn McGrath (Australia, 5-53 vs England) - In his mid-30s but still good enough to made batsmen dance on his tunes, Glenn McGrath was always been tough to pick at any stage. In the first Test of the Ashes 2005 at the Lord’s, his home away from home, clueless England surrendered against the might McGrath. ## After bowling Australia out at 190 in the first innings, England was a happy side until McGrath turned their happiness into sadness with his not so pacy but swinging spell at the Home of Cricket. Apart from Kevin Pietersen's fifty, no other batsmen could do much against McGrath as England managed to score only 155 in the first innings. Australia batted well in the second innings and set a target of 419 runs for England to win. McGrath took 4 wickets in the second innings as well as the target proved to be too big for England. Australia won the opening test of the Ashes 2005 by 239 runs and go 1-0 up in the series. ## 2. Harbhajan Singh (India, 8-84 vs Australia) - When the world number 1 Australia toured India in 2001, they were reasonably favorite to win the Test series, and unsurprisingly, they begin the series with an easy win of 10-wickets in Mumbai. India was under a lot of pressure to prove themselves in front of their home crowd. In the second Test at Eden Gardens that was going to be written in history books, Australia again had the upper hand at the end of the first innings of each team before VVS Laxman pulled off one of the greatest knocks of the Test cricket of all-time. ## Laxman's marathon knock of 281 and his partnership with Rahul Dravid (180) of 376 for the fifth wicket proved to be a series changing moment. With the help of these two knocks, India set a target of 383 runs for Australia to win that proved too big for the Aussies to win. However, if Laxman and Dravid were the stars in batting, Harbhajan Singh had his match with the ball. He took 6-wickets in the first innings and then spun Australia with 7-wickets in the second innings as India won the match by 171 runs and level the series 1-1 before going into the third and final Test.## Both the teams were well prepared for the series decider so was Harbhajan Singh who was going to write his own script. To the start of the third Test, Australia batted fairly well with the help of Matthew Hayden's double century (203) as they got 391 in the first innings at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Harbhajan Singh however, was in his own zone as he took 7-wickets in the first innings. India then responded very well with the bat after the half-centuries from SS Das, S Ramesh, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, and masterclass hundred from Sachin Tendulkar (126) as India got 501 in response.## Now, the stage was set for Harbhajan Singh to show his skills once again in the series that he has already made his own. He took 8 wickets in the second innings and stopped Australia at 264. India chased the target with 2-wickets in hand and won the hard-fought series with the scoreline of 2-1. Harbhajan Singh awarded player of the series for 32 wickets in 3 matches. ## 1. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka, 8-70 vs England) - A magician who would trouble any batsman on any day and on any pitch with his spin bowling, Muttiah Muralitharan, the legend, turned out to be too hot for England to handle. In the third and final Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England were chasing 325 to win the match and series. ## In pursuit of 325, England was marching very well and things were looking dark and blank for Sri Lanka before Muralitharan lightened a hope for the Lankans. From 84 for none, in the space of 22 overs, Muralitharan had dismissed the entirety of England’s top six. It was some top six, too. Trescothick, Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, and Andrew Flintoff all had no idea against Muralitharan who started to turn the things very quickly. In no time, England was reduced to 125-6 from 84-0. The remaining last 4 couldn't do much as England bowled out on 190. Sri Lanka won the match by 134 and drawn the series. ## After looking at Muralitharan spinning English batsmen, Geoffrey Boycott perfectly summed up the challenge facing England’s batsmen that day at Trent Bridge by saying "I really don’t know how you score off Murali at the moment, surviving is pretty difficult”. ## Muttiah Muralitharan's that spell of 8-70 has been declared the greatest Test spell of the 2000s by the Cricketers' Almanack' or the 'Bible of cricket' Wisden. ## Stay tuned...

Bollywood

1934 days ago

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World laughter day: Top 5 must-watch Bollywood comedy movies

Today the world is celebrating World laughter day. The importance of this day is even more nowadays as the world is currently going through a health crisis called coronavirus. The coronavirus pandemic is not only affecting people physically and financially but it has also started affecting people mentally. ## Today, we are bringing you the top five best comedy Bollywood movies (according to IMDb ratings) to make you cheer amid the ongoing tension.## 1. Gol Maal (1979) - The 1979 release Gol Maal is the highest rated Bollywood comedy movie on IMDb with 8.6 ratings. It was directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee with Amol Palekar, Utpal Dutt, and Bindiya Goswami in key roles. Legendary Amitabh Bachchan made a guest appearance. The film won several awards including the Best Actor to Amol Palekar and the Best Comedian to Utpal Dutt at Filmfare Awards. Gol Maal was later remade in 4 other languages between 1981 to 2013. ## 2. Angoor (1982) - Angoor was one of the best comedy films of the 80s era. It was directed by legendary Gulzar Saab. Angoor is a remake of the film Do Dooni Char (1968). It starred Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma in the dual role. Deven Varma won the best comedian award in the 30th Filmfare Awards. The film was critically acclaimed and successful at the box office. ## 3. Hera Pheri (2000) - One of the best films of the 20th century, Hera Pheri was released on 31st March 2000. It was directed was the national award winner Priyadarshan. The film starred the golden trio of Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty in prominent roles. Paresh Rawal won several awards for his role as Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (Babu Bhaiya). Over the years, the film went on to become a cult classic and was voted the best Bollywood comedy film of all-time in an online poll by The Indian Express. A sequel to this film was released in 2006 as Phir Hera Pheri.## 4. Andaz Apna Apna (1994) - Another film which garnered a lot of praise for the hilarious timing of comedy. Andaz Apna Apna was directed by 3-time national award winner Rajkumar Santoshi. The film starred Aamir Khan and Salman Khan along with Raveena Tandon and Karisma Kapoor. Paresh Rawal and Shakti Kapoor added an extra flavor. Despite not becoming a big hit, the film received a lot of appreciation. ## 5. Bheja Fry (2007) - Bheja Fry was a comedy film directed by Sagar Ballary and starred Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Sarika, Milind Soman and Ranvir Shorey in lead roles. It was critically acclaimed and was a hit at the box office even though it was a small budgeted film.## Stay tuned...

Cricket

1991 days ago

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5 interesting facts about the Indian women’s T20I skipper Harmanpreet Kaur

Indian women's T20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur becomes the first Indian female captain to lead the team in Women's T20 World Cup final after booking their final date with the six times finalist Australia. It will be India's first appearance in the Women's T20 World Cup final. Before this, India have reached the semi-final 3 times but failed to make to the top 2 each time.## Indian team have high hopes from their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur who will also be celebrating her 31st birthday on the occasion of the Women's day as well as the final of the T20 World Cup 2020 on March 8. So far she has been quite as far as her batting concern but one can expect from her to rise on the biggest occasion of her life. ## Harmanpreet Kaur has proved herself in the past. During the ODI World Cup 2013, she scored a brilliant hundred against strong England side. Though India lost the match Kaur got a lot of appreciation for her fantastic knock. Kaur's biggest knock of her career came against Australia in the semi-final pf ODI World Cup 2017 when she blasted 171 runs and knocked Australia out of the tournament. ## Here are 5 interesting facts about the Indian Women's T20 skipper -## - She made her captaincy debut against Pakistan in the final of Asia Cup 2012.## - She is the only Indian woman cricketer to score a century in T20Is.## - She became the first Indian to play in a foreign T20 league after signing for the Sydney Thunder in WBBL in 2016. ## - In 2017, she became the first Indian to sign a deal in the Kia Super League for Surrey Stars.## - She considers former Indian opener Virender Sehwag and current Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane as her idols.## If India wins the final against Australia, Harmanpreet Kaur will become the only second Indian captain after Mahendra Singh Dhoni to lift the T20 World Cup. Dhoni led India to glory in the inaugural edition of the Men's T20 World Cup in 2007. ## Follow for more...

Cricket

2148 days ago

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Top 5 Fastest Centuries In Women T20Is

Australia's wicketkeeper batter, Alyssa Healy slammed the second-fastest century in women's T20 internationals against Sri Lanka on October 2 at North Sydney Oval, Sydney in the 3rd and final T20I. Healy, who became the first player to play 100 T20Is as a pure wicketkeeper in women's cricket, scored her century off just 46 balls to down Sri Lanka.## West Indies' hard-hitter batter, Deandra Dottin holds the record of the fastest hundred in women's T20Is which she scored against South Africa in 2010 which was also the first hundred in women's T20I cricket. It was Healy's first century in T20Is. She scored unbeaten 148 off 61 balls including 19 fours and 7 sixes.## Here are the Top 5 fastest centuries in women's T20Is -## 1. Deandra Dottin (West Indies, 38 balls) - Deandra Dottin is the first woman player to hit a century in T20Is. In the World Cup 2010, one of the most powerful batters in women's cricket, Dottin took South African bowlers apart and slammed the fastest century off just 38 balls. She remained unbeaten as she made 112 off 45 balls with the help of 7 fours and 9 huge sixes. With the help of her power pact performance, West Indies downed South Africa and won the game by 17-runs.## 2. Alyssa Healy (Australia, 46 balls) - Undoubtedly one of the most dangerous T2O batters, Healy has not only scored the second-fastest hundred but also she is now the highest individual run-scorer in women's T20I innings. Her unbeaten 148 off 61 balls helped Australia to post second consecutive 200+ scores while batting first as they reached 226 just the lose of 2 wickets. Sri Lanka always looked under pressure and never looked to chase this total as they could only manage 94 for loss of 7 wickets in their 20 overs. Australia won the game with a massive margin of 132-runs and take the series 3-0.## 3. Tammy Beaumont (England, 47 balls) - An English opener and a classy right-hander, Tammy Beaumont has scored a 47-balls hundred against South Africa in 2018 in Taunton. With the help of Beaumont's century, England piled on a massive total of 250 in 20 overs. It was the highest team total at that time and 3rd highest overall. Beaumont made 116 off 52 balls including 18 fours and 4 sixes and scripted England's massive win of 121-runs.## 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (India, 49 balls) - Harmanpreet is the first and only India woman player to have a century to her name. The captain of the India team in the T20 format, Kaur, scored her century off just 49 balls against New Zealand at Providence in November 2018. She got 103 off 51 balls with 7 fours and 8 sixes as India made 194 for 5 while batting first. New Zealand fight back with the effort of Suzie Bates but eventually fell short of the target as India completed the 34-runs win.## 5. Danielle Wyatt (England, 52 balls) - A specialist T20 player, Danielle Wyatt downed India total of 198 single-handedly in Mumbai, March 2015. She scored impressive 124 off 64 balls with 15 fours and 5 sixes and chased down India total for the loss of 7 wickets with 8 balls to spare. She reached to her hundred off just 52 balls which was the second-fastest at that time. ## *Stats till October 2, 2019## Follow for more...

Cricket

2165 days ago

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Top 5 Batsmen With Most Runs In An Ashes Series

If you wondered that Steve Smith doesn't have any weakness, well, just for your information he averages only 30.68, least among the fab four (Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root, Kane Williamson) in the 4th innings of the Test matches. And just to confirm, his fourth innings' venom again came to hunt him in the 5th Test in the ongoing Ashes series as he could manage to score only 23 off 53 balls in the chase of 399.## It was one of those rare days when Smith failed to score. For the records, it was the first under 50 runs score for him after scoring 10 successive 50+ scores in the Ashes. Well, there was something about his batting that Though he got out cheaply he finished the Ashes 2019 with 774 runs in just 7 innings. Australia retained the Ashes for the first time since 2001 in England. However, Australia couldn't win the series as it finished 2-2 with one game ended as drawn, the number one ranked Test batsman showed his class.## Smith's 774 runs in the series are now at the number five in among the top run-getter in a single Ashes series. During his short innings of 23 runs, he surpassed Sir Alastair Cook's 766 runs in 2010-11 in Australia.## Here is the list of the Top 5 highest run-getter in a single Ashes series:## 1. Sir Donald Bradman (974 Runs) - An average nearly 100 in Test cricket, Sir Donald Bradman was the real batting maestro. In 1930, he made the Ashes by his own with his masterful batting. In the 7 innings of the 5 matches, Sir Bradman aggregated 974 runs at an average of 139.14 with 4 hundred. His highest score (334) also came in that series. It was such his magic that Australia won the Ashes 2-1 after losing the first Test against the host nation.## 2. Wally Hammond (905 Runs) - Wally Hammond was England's giant in the age of Sir Don Bradman. It is saying that WG Grace, Jack Hobbs, Walter Hammond, and Don Bradman are the greatest batsmen of all-time cricket has ever known. Two years before Bradman's Ashes, Wally Hammond was on the same run of success. 905 runs in 9 innings at an average of 113.12 with 4 centuries, Wally Hammond single-handedly won the Ashes 4-1 against the host nation.## 3. Mark Taylor (839 Runs) - On his first England tour, the classy left-hand batsman was the show stopper of the series in 1989. He simply didn't put a foot wrong in that Ashes and made 839 runs in 11 innings of 6 matches at an average of 83.90 with 2 centuries and 5 half-centuries. His highest score in the series was 219 as Australia clinched the Ashes 4-0.## 4. Sir Donald Bradman (810 Runs) - Six years later his not so forgettable England tour in 1930, Sir Donald Bradman was again at his very best on home soil. He scored 810 runs in 9 innings at an average of 90 with 3 hundred and a fifty. It was a closely fought series which Australia won by 3-2.## 5. Steve Smith (774 Runs) - Steve Smith is the only modern-day batsman whose records are closer to Sir Donald Bradman than anyone else. He was under pressure to perform well as he was making his comeback in Tests after facing one year of a ban on the ball-tampering scandal in 2018 in South Africa. And against all odds, he looked unmovable at the crease.## He played only 7 innings in this Ashes and without anyone's surprise, he by far looked the best batsman of the series and made 774 runs at an average of 110.57 with 3 hundred and 3 half-centuries. The series ended with the result of 2-2 but Australia retained the Ashes and Smith played a significant part in that.## Follow for more...

Cricket

2254 days ago

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Top 5 Fastest Centuries In ODI World Cup History

England captain Eoin Morgan slammed a 57-ball hundred against Afghanistan in match number 24 of World Cup 2019 at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester on Tuesday (June 18). This is the 4th fastest hundred in World Cup history. His innings was cut short by Gulbadin Naib after hammering 148 off just 71 balls.## Here is the list of TOP 5 fastest centuries in World Cup ## 1. Kevin O'Brien (IRE, 50 balls) - Ireland's all-rounder Kevin O'Brien has a record for the fastest century in World Cup. In 2011 against England, O'Brien smashed a 50-ball century and helped Ireland to chase down 328 with 5 balls to spare. He smashed 113 off 63 balls including 13 fours and 6 sixes against the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Graeme Swann.## 2. Glenn Maxwell (AUS, 51 balls) - Australian hard hitter Glenn Maxwell took Sri Lankan bowlers apart in Sydney in 2015. Australia scored 376 batting first and beat Sri Lanka convincingly at the end by 64 runs. But it was Maxwell who was the architect of his side's big win. He got out after smashing 102 off 53 balls including 10 fours and 4 sixes.## 3. AB de Villiers (SA, 52 balls) - South African star and one of the greats of the game, AB de Villiers pummeled West Indies in a group match in 2015 when he blasted 162 off just 66 balls including 17 fours and 8 gigantic sixes in Sydney. Windies bowlers had no idea what was happening to them. South Africa scored a huge total of 408 in 50 overs and West Indies could only manage 151 in 33.1 overs and suffered a massive 257-runs defeat.## 4. Eoin Morgan (ENG, 57 balls) - It was England's skipper Eoin Morgan's day at Old Trafford, Manchester. He created a new world record for maximum sixes in an ODI inning as he hit 17 sixes en route to his breathtaking 148 off just 71 balls against hapless Afghanistan. It was another example of England's aggressive brand of cricket that make them favourites to win this year's World Cup. Hot favourites and hosts England eventually piled up 397/6 in 50 overs after opting to bat first and Afghanistan started their innings with a lot of pressure of huge total and hence, they could never recover from that and lost by 150-runs.## 5. Matthew Hayden (AUS, 66 balls) - Australian legend Matthew Hayden slammed a 66-balls hundred against South Africa in 2007. It was the fastest hundred at that time in the World Cup history. Australia piled 377 on after opting to bat first. Hayden scored 101 off 68 balls including 14 fours and 4 sixes. South Africa started their chase with a bang as Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers added 160 for the first wicket in just 21 overs. But once AB got out, Africa lost the momentum and bundled out on 294 in 48 overs and lost by 83-runs.## Follow for more...

Cricket

2274 days ago

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Top 5 Fastest Fifty In World Cup History

The ODI World Cup 2019 finally begins on May 30 with the encounter between the host England and South Africa. World Cup is a tournament which comes in every 4 years and therefore, everyone wants to do something special whenever they get an opportunity.## In previous World Cups, there have been many brilliant performances in both the batting and bowling department. As a batsman, it is always nice to score runs and when they come quickly it becomes even more special. Scoring fastest fifty is one such thing that gives a batsman immense pleasure as well as confidence.## Here are the top 5 fastest 50s in World cup cricket:## 1. Brendon McCullum (NZ, 18 balls) - Former New Zealand's captain and one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world holds the record of the fastest fifty in World Cup history. The knock came against England in the World Cup 2015 when he battered his own record with a sizzling 18-ball fifty in the group stage. England set a target of 124 which New Zeland chased down in just 12.2 overs with 8 wickets in hand. Brendon McCullum was the chief architect in that assault as scored 77 off just 25 balls including 8 fours and 7 sixes.## 2. Angelo Mathews (SL, 20 balls) - Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews hit the second fastest fifty in World Cup when he took on Scotland at Hobart in 2015. Mathews slammed a 20-ball fifty as Sri Lanka set a target of 364 for the helpless Scotland who couldn't offer any challenge as lost the match by a massive margin of 148 runs. Mathews scored 51 off 21 balls including one four and 6 sixes.## 3. Brendon McCullum (NZ, 20 balls) - Brendon McCullum batted down the order to provide the much-needed finishing touch to New Zeland and he did exactly same against Canada in Gros Islet in 2007. New Zeland, though scored massive and put a total of 363 with the help of century from Lou Vincent and a quick fire 52 off 21 balls from McCullum. McCullum's fifty came in just 20 balls with the help of 5 sixes and a four. New Zeland won the match comprehensively by 114-runs.## 4. Mark Boucher (SA, 21 balls) - One of the finest wicketkeeper-batsman of all-time, Mark Boucher hit a 21-ball fifty against the Netherlands in the same match in which Herschelle Gibbs hit 6 sixes in an over and became the first batsman to do in ODIs. Though Gibbs was adjudged man of the match Boucher played a blinder knock of 75 off 31 balls including 9 fours and 4 sixes. South Africa won that match by 221 runs.## 5. Brendon McCullum (NZ, 22 balls) - In the 1st semi-final, South Africa set a target of 298 (DLS) in 43 overs for New Zeland to reach the final for the first time. It was a tricky target and also the pressure of the big match was there but such was McCullum's carnage who came out to bat with all guns and smashed the third fastest fifty of the tournament in just 22 balls. He smashed 25 runs off Dale Steyn's over. However, McCullum got out in the 7th over after scoring 59 off 26 balls Grant Elliott (84*) and Corey Anderson (58) made sure McCullum's effort doesn't go in vain. New Zeland won the match by 4-wickets with just one ball remaining and booked their ticket for the final for the first time.## Note - Mark Boucher also scored 22-ball fifty against West Indies in the World Cup 2007.## Follow for more...

IPL

2297 days ago

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IPL 2019: 5 Indian Emerging Players Of The Tournament

Indian Premier League 2019 has come into its last week. With a lot of entertainment in the last one and a half month, the 12th edition of the tournament has emerged one of the best in its history. There have been so many great performances in this period that make this tournament a successful one.## IPL is all about emerging young talents. It is the platform where young players showcase their skills and talent they possess. The 12th edition is no different from that where young players compete with big ones and impressed everyone with their performances.## Here we will take the list of five Indian players who have impressed and showed the skills of competing with the world's best players on the biggest stage.## 1. Riyan Parag (RR) - Riyan Parag is just a 17-year old from Guwahati, Assam (India). There is something about the right-hand batting all-rounder that makes him a watch me out player. His calmness and maturity he has shown under pressure, speak for him. One of the stars in India's U-19 World Cup triumph last year, Parag became the youngest player in IPL history to struck his maiden fifty. In 5 innings of 7 matches, he has scored 160 runs with an average of 32 and has taken 2 wickets. Although Rajasthan Royals failed to make to the playoffs, Parag is one of the contenders to win the Emerging player of the tournament award. ## 2. Shubman Gill (KKR) - Already having the experience of playing at the International level, Shubman Gill is definitely the future of Indian cricket. One of the key reasons for Kolkata Knight Riders' failure that they didn't play Gill at the top order in the first leg of the tournament. They did rectify their error and give him chance to open the innings and he didn't let them down. In 13 innings of 14 matches, Gill has scored 296 runs with an average of 32.88. The 19-year old Firozpur, Punjab has the potential to become the next big thing in Indian cricket.## 3. Shreyas Gopal (RR) - Well, in the era of wrist spinners Shreyas Gopal is another edition in that list. He is has had a dream season where he finished on 3rd in the leading wicket-takers of the tournament (excluding playoff matches) with 20 wickets in 14 matches. He is one of the only few bowlers to take Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers' wicket in the same innings and he has done that on three occasions.## 4. Khaleel Ahmed (SRH) - Khaleel Ahmed's strength is the pace and accuracy. Currently, he is probably the best left-arm pacer in India. He has already taken 17 wickets 8 matches so far in IPL 2019. The 21-year old from Tonk, Rajasthan, Khaleel Ahmed was the member of India squad of U-19 World Cup 2016. Though he has had an ordinary tournament but did enough to make it to the Indian Premier League 2018. He is one of the main contenders for the emerging player award this time around.## 5. Rahul Chahar (MI) - Another player from Rajasthan who according to some former players, will seeing playing for India very soon. At Wankhede where the pitch does not offer much for the spinners and generally has been good for the batting, Rahul Chahar has been impressive for Mumbai Indians despite not getting enough purchase for the deck. Although he has taken 10 wickets in 10 matches, his economy (7.17) has been brilliant this season.## Follow for more...

IPL

2305 days ago

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Top 5 Fastest Hundreds In IPL

In T20 cricket, outstanding performances are often quickly forgotten because of the frenetic rate at which they come. It is one of the criticisms of this format but what about those performances which the scenario of seeing this game. It can be the quickest format but some of the batting performances are hard to forget.## Well, there can be nothing better stage than the Indian Premier League to remember such brilliant knocks. On 28 April 2019, Hardik Pandya played one of the memorable knocks (91 off 34 balls) but unfortunately, he missed out his maiden T20 century by just 9 runs. He missed but his knock will be remembered as one of the finest knocks in IPL history. Here we will take the list of top five fastest centuries of IPL history.## 1. Chris Gayle (30 balls, RCB vs PWI, 2013)## When you are talking about T20 cricket and not talk about the universe boss, it's unfair. On 23 April 2013, Chris Gayle scored the fastest century in any form of professional cricket. It also remains the highest score of this format. His knock actually broke many records, Most sixes in a T20 inning (17), the highest score by a team (263) and so on; the records kept tumbling during Gayle's knock, and his team ended up winning by a massive margin. Chris Gayle went on to score 175 off just 66 balls.## 2. Yusuf Pathan (37 balls, RR vs MI, 2010)## Yusuf Pathan holds the record of the fastest century in IPL by an Indian player. After his knock, Shane Warne (RR captain then) described it one of the best knocks in his 21-years of career. Pathan's 100 off 37 balls in Mumbai in 2010 was a remarkable achievement considering his team were floundering in a chase of 213. Pathan hit eight sixes and nine fours and nearly pulled off what would have been a stunning victory.## 3. David Miller (38 balls, KXIP vs RCB, 2013)## Another batsman who considers as a T20 specialist. David Miller pulled off something remarkable against Royals Challengers Bangalore. When he came to the crease, Kings XI Punjab was needed 140 in 12.2 overs but his destructive knock of 101 off 38 balls actually finished the game with two overs to spare.## 4. Adam Gilchrist (42 balls, DC vs MI, 2008)## To chased down 154 against Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, Adam Gilchrist needed just 12 overs to breeze past the home side. He hit 10 sixes and 9 fours in his knock of 109 off 47 balls which is the 4th fastest century in the history of the Indian Premier League.## 5. AB de Villiers (43 balls, RCB vs GL, 2016)## There are a few batsmen who look as exciting as AB de Villiers when in full flow. His ability to play the shots all-around the park makes the most dangerous batsman in T20 cricket. In 2016, against the Gujrat Lions, AB de Villiers smashed 129 off 52-balls. He paired with Virat Kohli, probably the best two best limited-overs batsmen in the world at the time. The duo struck record 229-runs partnership in RCB's mammoth total of 248. AB hit 12 sixes and 10 fours in his electrifying knock.## Follow for more...

IPL

2322 days ago

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Top 5 Most Successful Captain In IPL History

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...