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South Africa. (Photo Source: Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images) South Africa are desperate to be able to avoid the embarrassing qualification scenario for the all-important upcoming 50-overs World Cup, scheduled to be played in India later this year, around October and November. Surprisingly though, they are still not certain if they will be able to even participate in the upcoming World Cup, let alone play. This is because they are still quite behind the required amount of qualification points to be successfully recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), to feature in the mega event. How can South Africa still 'automatically' qualify? South Africa's hunt for an automatic World Cup qualification got a major boost on Sunday, January 29, 2023, when the Proteas managed a stupendous run-chase against England in the second ODI, in Bloemfontein. South Africa won the match by 5 wickets, courtesy some brilliant batting display from the batters even though the

Wasim Jaffer (Photo Source: Twitter/Punjab Kings) Despite cementing his spot as an opener in the ODI set-up, Shubman Gill has struggled massively in the shortest format of the game. Against New Zealand in the ongoing T20I series, the 23-year-old has scored only 18 runs in two matches and thus, his position in the playing XI is currently under threat. With Prithvi Shaw on the bench, who can give Men in Blue a cracking start up in the order, Gill's spot might come under question. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer too believes that the U19 World Cup-winning skipper Shaw can replace Gill due to the Mumbai batter's tremendous form at the moment. The 44-year-old also mentioned that even though Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tripathi are struggling to find form, he is not concerned about them. “If India consider a change, maybe Prithvi Shaw could come in for Shubman Gill because he is in a good form and is better suited for T20 cricket. But otherwise, I'm not concerned a lot about I

Meg Lanning of Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) It may be my fifth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup , but trust me, the excitement bubbling under the surface in the lead-up never goes away.  For one, it will be the first time, I and most of the squad have been to South Africa, and while we can’t wait to drink in the culture, we still have a job to do. Not that it will come as a shock, but there is a title to defend, so sightseeing will have to wait.  A new country brings new challenges, most notably adjusting to the conditions. There is just over a week between our flight and our opener against New Zealand in Paarl on February 10. But the one thing we have proven over the years is that our most valuable weapon is adaptability, both in training and on the field.   Our squad has gone through a period of change since the last World Cup, but I think that is a positive. We are constantly evolving and we have great flexibility in our team at the moment both with bat and ball. 

hardik Pandya and Indian Cricket Team. (Photo Source: BCCI) The pitch curator of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow has reportedly been sacked after it provided excessive turn for the spinners during the second T20I between India and New Zealand. The visitors made 99 runs in their 20 overs, and the Men in Blue chased the target of 100 runs with just one ball to spare. Out of 39.5 overs in which 200 runs were scored, 30 overs were bowled by the spinners. It also turned out to be a record for most overs bowled by spinners in a T20I. After the hosts won the game, skipper Hardik Pandya called the pitch a ‘shocker.’ “To be honest, it was a shocker of a wicket. Both the games we have played on so far. I don't mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets are not made for T20. Somewhere down the line the curators or the grounds that we are going to play in should make sure they prepare the pitches earlier," said Pandya after the match.

Nazmul Hassan. (Photo Source: Twitter) Nazmul Hassan, the Bangladesh Cricket Board President, on Monday stated that the organisation has serious doubts about hosting the next edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Even though they have already finalised the dates of the tournament (January 6 to February 17), the plan might get scrapped because of the general election in Bangladesh.  The BCB officials also mentioned that they don’t want the tournament to clash with Big Bash League (BBL), SA20 and ILT20 because it then gets difficult for the franchises to sign top-quality players. Thus, they are currently looking to change the dates but as per Nazmul Hassan, they haven’t been successful so far.  “We are not getting the slot for the next BPL and it is nearly impossible to bring out a slot. We have got one but we might need to have a gap in between if there is a general election where the security personnel will be needed,” Nazmul told reporters at the Sylhet International

Rajasthan Royals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Barkatullah Khan Stadium in Jodhpur might get the green light to host their first Indian Premier League game in the upcoming edition of the tournament. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, this is for the first time that the tournament will be hosted on a pan-India basis and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) wants to take advantage of that and spread the game in various parts of the state. As per Indian Express, the top officials of RCA have orally communicated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about their desire to host a few matches in the city and a decision about it will soon be made. The Roger Binny-led organization will send a team to assess the ground and the facility and if proven worthy, it will get the positive nod. “It’s a verbal request. We have been told that RCA has rejuvenated the stadium, and have asked us if we can consider Jodhpur as a new venue for a few IPL games. The board will take a call on it only

Suresh Raina (Photo Source: Twitter) IPL Legends Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, Robin Uthappa, Anil Kumble, Parthiv Patel, and Scott Styris discuss the greatest players in IPL history on ‘Legends Lounge’ Who are the greatest players in Indian Premier League history? Well, this is a debate that will rage on every season. Nevertheless, some of the finest players the league has seen to date got together on TATA IPL ‘All-Time GOATs,’ a new episode of ‘Legends Lounge’, available on JioCinema, to discuss all those who have had the maximum impact.  The panel comprised of Chris Gayle, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Robin Uthappa, Anil Kumble, and Scott Styris.  Gayle, the swashbuckling left-hander from the West Indies, was a unanimous choice for the greatest overseas batsman. Universe Boss, as he’s known, laid down the gauntlet for anyone objecting. “Come on, of course it’s me. Anyone object, put two boxing gloves down and I can punch it out!,” he said. The group later threw up names such as

Wasim Jaffer (Photo Source: Twitter) Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer has stated that the pitch for the third T20I, to be played at Ahmedabad on February 1, will be a much better than the one used in the second game at Lucknow's Ekana Cricket Stadium. The second T20I was a low-scoring thriller, with neither of the two teams managing to score runs on a track that was sluggish and offered plenty of turn. Batting first, New Zealand could only manage to score 99/8. India eventually won the game by six wickets but sealed the victory only on the penultimate ball of the chase. I feel Ahmedabad will have better batting conditions : Wasim Jaffer  “I feel Ahmedabad will have better batting conditions. I feel it will be a good game. I’ll be surprised if there is so much spin because generally we get to see a lot of good games in Ahmedabad. Probably a score around 160-170 is what I am expecting and the pitch to play a lot better compared to the last two games," the 44-year-old

Dwayne Bravo and Ambati Rayudu. (Photo Source: Twitter) JioCinema’s Hindi panelists had another round of conversation on ‘Legends Lounge’, a JioCinema original featuring stalwarts of the game including Suresh Raina , RP Singh, Parthiv Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Robin Uthappa and Aakash Chopra. The group had a light-hearted take to rapid-fire questions posed by host, Aakash Chopra.  Chopra first asked everyone to name the most stylish player in the IPL, which saw the panel discuss KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers, and Yuvraj Singh. When it came to the most selfless player, the panel unanimously agreed on MS Dhoni. Patel jokingly referred to himself as the most selfless player, saying, “I used to do the work I was given which was to hit hard in the first six overs and then get out and come back to the pavilion.” There was a sigh from Uthappa when the question veered around the most fashionable player. He said it was a tough call before zeroing in on Virat Kohli. Ojha and Singh chos

Sri Lankan Cricket Team. (Photo Source: BCCI) Sri Lankan cricket is staring down a massive overhaul with a major shake-up in the selection committee in the near future. Pramodya Wickramasinghe, the chairman of the selection committee is likely to face the axe after an abysmal white-ball tour of India that concluded earlier this month. It wasn't a long time ago when the Lankan Lions roared on the international stage, defeating Pakistan to claim the Asia Cup title in Dubai in September last year. However, things have gone downhill ever since as the Islanders undeformed in the T20 World Cup in Australia. While a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign raised concerns over the consistency of the players, the recently concluded white-ball tour of neighbors India further compounded their woes. An abysmal whitewash in the ODI series at the hands of the Indians raised alarm bells in the Sri Lankan camp, but Pramodya Wickramasinghe retaliated with the team's achievements ever since

Travis Head. (Photo Source: Mark Brake - CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images) Australia's middle-order talisman Travis Head is looking to take a leaf out of England's explosive approach against the spinners in the upcoming Test series against hosts India in February. The southpaw is looking to better his red-ball average in the subcontinent, which took a massive dent after a few disappointing outings during his previous tours of Asia.  While the likes of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne have been doing the bulk of the scoring at the top of the order, Travis Head has reveled in the role of the enforcer, taking the attack to the opposition bowlers. However, the southpaw remembers his struggles against the slower bowlers during his last visit to the subcontinent and is looking at Ben Stokes-led  England for inspiration. “Watching the way England played in Pakistan, I’ve probably looked back and wasn’t as positive as I’d like to be against spin in those series. I feel li

Deepak Hooda. (Photo Source: Twitter) The veteran cricketer Dinesh Karthik believes that the team management should promote Deepak Hooda up in the batting order as he doesn’t identify himself as a finisher in the shortest format of the game. He has done tremendously well batting at number three for Lucknow Super Giants in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League and Karthik believes that it his ideal position in T20Is. Interestingly, he hit his only international century when he got an opportunity to bat at number three against Ireland in the second T20I of the series (June 28, 2022). Even though he proved himself in that position, the team management continued to back him as a finisher but the cricketer hasn’t been able to prove himself in that position as of now. Karthik believes that it is a big challenge for him as he fancies himself to take on the opponent in the powerplay. Thus, he mentioned that even though the 27-year-old was decent in the series against Sri Lanka,

Rishabh Pant. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH/AFP via Getty Images) The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy is all set to begin on February 9 at Nagpur and India’s hero from the last edition, Rishabh Pant is going to miss the series because of the injuries he suffered during a major car accident on December 30, 2022.  The cricketer is currently admitted at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai and has gone through multiple surgeries in the meantime. As reported earlier, the southpaw can miss up to 18 months of cricket and thus, might be out of the upcoming ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup next year. Meanwhile, Pant’s teammate from the Delhi Capitals franchise, Marcus Stoinis has shared a heartfelt message for the cricketer and prayed that he recovers soon and also mentioned that they will miss seeing Pant in the upcoming series. “One player definitely missed this season badly and it is Rishabh Pant he is unfortunately not with the team. I wish he will recover soon and come ba

Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: Twitter) Virat Kohli has returned to his best after a poor run that lasted for almost two years. The 34-year-old was sensational in the T20 World Cup in Australia and also managed to score three centuries in his last nine ODI matches. However, the Delhi-born cricketer is yet to display his form in Test cricket. He could not do much in the two-match series against Bangladesh and thus, there’s a reason to worry at the moment, especially with Australia touring India for a four-match series, starting February 9. Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly , however, has backed the cricketer and expects him to do well in the longest format of the game as well. The 50-year-old mentioned that the Indian cricket team depends on him in Test cricket and  therefore, he needs to step up and deliver again. “Virat Kohli is doing good. He has done well against Bangladesh and Srilanka. He has to do well at Test Cricket also because the Indian cricket team

Sourav Ganguly. (Photo Source: PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images) Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has said that the idea of organising the Women’s Premier League originated in his tenure and it finally came into being in the last few months, with the BCCI announcing the media rights and the fees that each franchise has paid to own and operate a team in the league. The 50-year-old stated that women’s cricket has a lot of potential in India and thus, he believes that the tournament will not end up having five teams only. He mentioned that in the coming years, more franchises will join and make it a grand success.  “We together have done the brainstorming during the time when I was BCCI president. I was President, Rajeev Shukla was VP, Jay Shah was Secretary, Arun Dhumal was Treasurer. We did this planning at that time, and now it was implemented. That has to be done. I am not surprised about Women's IPL as in India cricket has a big portion. And in the coming days, I do

Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) England's red-ball captain Ben Stokes has been named the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the year 2022 on the back of his scintillating displays as an all-rounder. Stokes changed the dynamics of Test cricket in 2022. Ever since he took over the responsibility as England’s Test captain, the 31-year-old along with red-ball coach Brendon McCullum, he introduced the idea of playing an aggressive brand of cricket even in the longest format of the game, which eventually gave England plenty of success in red-ball cricket in 2022. In the year 2022, England’s talismanic all-rounder scored 870 runs at an average of 36.25 and also picked up 26 wickets at an average of 31.19. In addition to this, Stokes led the team to nine wins in 10 Tests, completing series victories over New Zealand (3-0) and South Africa (2-1) at home, beating India in the one-off (postponed) Test to level the series 2-2, and also found success away from home, when t

Babar Azam and Nat Sciver. (Photo Source: Twitter) Pakistan's all-format skipper Babar Azam has bagged the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Award for a second consecutive time after yet another prolific year with the bat. The no.1 ODI batter in the world amassed 679 runs from nine matches at an incredible average of 84.87 with three centuries to his name. While Babar Azam's captaincy in the longest format of the game came under scrutiny after a woeful home record in 2022, the batting ace led from the front in the 50-over format. Apart from his prolific run with the bat, which saw him breach the 50-run mark on eight occasions in nine matches, Pakistan lost just one ODI under his tutelage in 2022. His swashbuckling century against Australia in the second ODI in Lahore in March 2022 was one of the highlights of the year as he guided his side to a memorable victory with his fastest century in the format. He also registered an unbeaten ton in the series finale to clinch th

Kieron Pollard (Photo Source: Twitter) The upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will witness the return of veteran Windies all-rounder Kieron Pollard after he was named as a replacement pick by the Multan Sultans. The replacement draft, which took place on Wednesday, January 25, allowed PSL teams to name two supplementary players for the upcoming edition. Kieron Pollard, who hasn't featured in the PSL since 2019 was picked by the Multan Sultans during the replacement draft, which took place via a conference call. Apart from the addition of two supplementary players, the teams were also allowed to name partial replacements for players who weren't available for the entirety of the tournament. While the tall Windies all-rounder was snaffled by the Multan side, Haris Sohail was picked by his former side Peshawar Zalmi after returning to the ODI team for the first time since 2020. Saud Shakeel, who has been impressive for the national team in Tests ever since m

Sanjay manjrekar. (Photo Source: Fiona Goodall-ICC/ICC via Getty Images) India thrashed New Zealand in the third and final ODI in Indore to complete a whitewash in the three-match series. The win was set up by the two Indian openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma's record-setting opening stand. Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was all praise for the veteran Indian opener after his impact in the series finale. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma ended his century drought after compiling his 30th ODI ton, matching Aussie legend Ricky Ponting's record. He was at his aggressive best in the series finale, smashing the Kiwi bowlers to all parts of the ground. Ex-Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar showered praise on the Indian skipper, not only for his century but also for his approach at the crease. "I like this Rohit Sharma, in this T20s as well. This is the way to play. 100s have to be incidental, they have to be the byproduct of the way which you play and when India sets

Rahul Dravid. (Photo Source: SURJEET YADAV/AFP via Getty Images) While the ODI team gears up for India's third and final match of the series against the Kiwis on Tuesday, January 24, the Indian head coach Rahul Dravid has clarified his stance on releasing players for the ongoing Ranji Trophy. He confirmed that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will not be taking part for their domestic teams as it could hamper their preparations for the much-anticipated series against Australia. Several ex-cricketers and experts reckoned that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should participate in the Ranji Trophy matches since they were rested from the T20I series against the Kiwis. The suggestion was made so that the senior cricketers could maintain their fitness and rhythm ahead of the Border-Gavskar Trophy.  However, former Indian skipper and current head coach Rahul Dravid revealed that the senior cricketers will remain in the Indian camp since the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals

Rahul Dravid (Photo Source: Twitter) Rahul Dravid was asked a series of questions when he arrived for the pre-match press conference for the third and final ODI between India and New Zealand. He was asked about the wicketkeeper situation in the team as well to which, the head coach gave a very calm response. India is set to face New Zealand in the third and final ODI in Indore on Tuesday. It is a dead rubber since India have already clinched the series with an unassailable lead. India were simply too good for the visitors in both the matches and showed their dominance in all departments of the game. Rahul Dravid, Team India head coach, spoke to the media ahead of the game where he was asked some tough questions. One reporter asked whether the Indian team is looking for a Dravid-like keeper for the upcoming World Cup.  Rahul Dravid replied, “We are always looking for a wicketkeeper-batsman, there is no question about it. I think since MS Dhoni, in white-ball cricket, the days of

Shubman gill bowing. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images) Shubman Gill , the young batting sensation of Indian cricket has shown some exceptional performances in with his bat in recent times. With a century each against Bangladesh in Tests, Sri Lanka in ODIs and a double century against New Zealand in the first ODI in Hyderabad, the 23 years old has almost cemented his place in the team and is being considered as one of the key players for India in future. Meanwhile, R. Sridhar , who was team India’s fielding coach from 2014 to 2021, recalled an incident involving Shubman in his recently launched book named ‘Coaching Beyond: My days with the Indian Cricket team’ when the India batter was slightly reluctant to put in the hard yards while fielding during the Test series against England in 2021 at home. The excerpt from Sridhar's book also talks about how the former fielding coach motivated the young batter. In his book, Sridhar also mentions how the current gen

Coach Darren Lehmann of Australia. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann has picked Ashton Agar as the second spinner on the upcoming India tour where they will be playing four Tests. Nathan Lyon is set to lead the spin-bowling attack but Lehmann feels Agar can make an impact just like how Steve O'Keefe on their tour in 2017. The left-arm spinner had picked 12 wickets in the Pune Test that was a rank-turner and helped Australia beat India. Lehmann was the head coach of the team then and feels finger spinner will do better in India on spin-friendly surfaces. Todd Murphy and Mitchell Swepson are the other spinners in the 18-member squad that is set to tour India. " Having been there, I’m probably more inclined to play finger spinners. It just gets through the air quicker and some spin and some don’t. The leg-spinners sometimes spin it too much, if that makes sense… (for finger spinners) some skid on and you get beaten on the inside an

Steve Smith (Photo Source: Twitter) The ongoing season of the Big Bash League (BBL) has received a massive boost with the Australia players picked for India tour set to be available for the finals' week. The likes of Steve Smith, David Warner among others will be featuring in the playoffs for their respective teams if they make it to the top five in the points table. Only Smith's Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers have confirmed their qualification so far. The players were expected to leave after the league stage in order to take their flight to India for the upcoming four-match Test series. But according to The West Australian, the Test team will not be leaving the country until January 31 that has allowed them to play in the BBL. Also, no extra match fees will be paid to the cricketers for playing a few extra games. Australia to hold special training clinic for few players Meanwhile, Cricket Australia is set to hold a special training clinic for the few India-bound pla

Mohammad Rizwan (Photo Source: ASIF HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images) Pakistan's T20I opener Mohammad Rizwan has admitted that it gets embarrassing for him at times to play a role of anchor in the shortest format. His strike-rate in the shortest format has time and again come under the scanner. Rizwan has been criticised by the experts as well for not upping the ante from the start of the innings. However, he has revealed that he takes up the anchor role only when the team asks him to do it. The Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter is currently featuring for the Comilla Victorians in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He is batting at four in the competition and has stated that the whenever he is picked by a team to play in T20 Leagues, he is asked to play an anchor's role in order for the other batters to play around him. " It is very difficult role (anchor role in shortest format) and sometimes it looks very embarrassing. What my experience says and what I know is that whene

Sarfaraz Khan with his father (Photo Source : Twitter) Sarfaraz Khan’s father Naushad has narrated how Sarfaraz touched his heart by saying him a heartwarming line. Khan has been on the rise in domestic cricket and has been scoring runs for fun. He has become a key batter for Mumbai and is a vital cog in the Mumbai line-up in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. He has been knocking on the Indian Test team door for quite a while now but hasn’t been called up to the team. Khan has scored over 500 runs at an excellent average and has helped Mumbai a lot to win games in the Ranji Trophy this season. Over the past three seasons of the Ranji trophy , Sarafraz has amassed over 2000 runs. As a result, there is a lot of talk around him being in the Test squad in spite of vacancies opening up in his preferred spot. The cricketer has played with a number of great cricketers till now in his career but his father narrated a story when the Mumbai batter played with the fellow Mumbai-mate, Arjun, who al

India team celebration. (Photo Source: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images) India and Australia will take the center stage in the four-match Test series (Border-Gavaskar Trophy), starting February 9. The last time when Australia toured India for a Test series was back in 2017 and it was the Men in Blue who stood tall, grabbing the series 2-1. As the Aussies bid to defeat India, they have picked a formidable 18-member squad for the tour. Mitchell Starc will not feature for the first Test due to a finger injury but is expected to be available for the rest of the games. Australia have handed a maiden Test call-up to off-spinner Todd Murphy and the management have also included speedster Lance Morris in the team. However, ace leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who was hoping to find a place on the side, has not been picked. The hosts, on the other hand, have announced their squad for the first two Tests. Jasprit Bumrah is still nursing his back injury and is not part of the 17-member team. Ind

Sunil Gavaskar . (Photo Source: WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images) India thumped New Zealand in the second ODI at Raipur thanks to a breathtaking performance by their bowlers in the first innings, which set up a comfortable eight-wicket victory for the hosts. Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar coined a new nickname for India's dashing opener Shubman Gill during an entertaining chat following the series-clinching victory. New Zealand were blown away by the Indian pace attack in the decisive second ODI at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, the 50th Indian venue to host an international fixture. The Kiwis lost half their side just after the conclusion of the first powerplay and managed to set a below-par target of 109 runs for the home side. The Men in Blue got off to a rollicking start on the back of another solid opening stand between skipper Rohit Sharma and youngster Shubman Gill. Although Rohit was dismissed after his brisk half-century, Gill ensured there we

Indian Team LLC. (Photo Source: Facebook/Irfan Pathan ) West Indian legend Chris Gayle, former Indian all-rounder and English spinner Monty Panesar have confimed that they will be playing in the third edition of Legends League Cricket Master, which will kickstart on February 27 and will conclude on March 8. Dilhara Fernando and Asghar Afghan also comfirmed thier participation in the upcoming tournament. The second season of the tournament was a success AND witnessed some exceptional performances from the legends. Irfan Pathan was one most one of the most successful players in the second edition of the league, scoring 225 runs and taking 11 wickets in seven matches. Monty Panesar also put his name in one of the most successful bowlers of the season, taking 12 wickets in seven matches. "I am looking forward to playing LLC masters, we got lots of love from the fans in India during the season 2. Hope we are able to take the game forward from season 2," Panesar said. Carrib

Babar Azam and Shahid Afridi. (Photo Source: Twitter) Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi believes that the Men in Green can consider appointing a separate captain in the shortest format of the game. The talks of removing Babar Azam as Pakistan skipper have been making the headlines for quite some time now, as many former cricketers have asked the top-order batter to rethink the captaincy. Afridi stated that Babar Azam needs to improve as a captain. The 45-year-old also mentioned that he is against the idea of having three separate captains for three formats and thus, Babar can continue to lead in Test and ODI cricket and the team management can appoint someone new in T20I cricket. “Win and loss are part and parcel of the game, but one shouldn’t fear loss. If experiments lead to a loss, it’s not a big deal. That gives you experience. Babar needs to improve a lot as a captain. I am not in the favour of having three captains for three different formats. What can be done is that

Mark Butcher. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images) Former England cricketer Mark Butcher believes that 'Mankad' in club cricket will lead to a lot of chaos and carnage in club cricket. Run-out at the non-striker’s end, formerly known as 'Mankading', has been making news headlines quite often these days. Everytime, there is a run out at the non-striker's end or an attempt of the same, the social media starts buzzing. The debate of run-out at the non-striker's end started in the IPL (2019) when India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ran Jos Butler out at the non-striker’s end in game between Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Rajasthan Royals. Millions of people watched the game and it sparked a debate on social media whether or not it was in the spirit of the game. Almost all the former players and cricket experts had a say on the same and opined their thoughts. Cricket expert and former England batter Mark Butcher has shared his

Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan. (Photo Source: Instagram/Shubman Gill) Indian skipper Rohit Sharma recently got in conversation with two latest entrants of the ODI 200s club, Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill. Gill has settled all the doubts regarding his position in the team as he has been getting good starts and the youngster is converting those into big hundreds. The right-hander was in staggering form again against New Zealand as he slammed a double century in the first ODI of the series to become the fifth Indian to achieve the landmark. He settled in well and was making valuable partnerships and accelerated at the end to made sure India reached a good score. After the match, Rohit Sharma, Gill and Kishan indulged in a hilarious conversation where they were seen pulling each other’s legs.  “Ishan, you scored 200 and didn’t play 3 matches," Rohit cheekily told Kishan. However, the latter had a witty reply for his Mumbai Indians companion as he said: “Bhaiya captain toh aap h

Shubman Gill (Photo Source: Twitter/BCCI) Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar hailed youngster Shubman Gill after his scintillating double century in the first ODI against New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday January 18. The opener smashed 19 boundaries and nine sixes during his tantalising innings and courtesy of his remarkable knock, the Men in Blue posted 349 runs on board after 50 overs and eventually won the first ODI by 12 runs. Gavaskar, who was calling the game from the commentary box, was mighty impressed by the young cricketer and appreciated Gill’s maturity which was vivid enough throughout the course of his marathon innings. Addressing it as an unbelievable knock, the Little Master stated that Gill batted like a young man who seemed to have a 35-year-old head on his shoulders. “It was an unbelievable innings. Innings of a young man who seems to have a 35-year-old head on his shoulder. The way he paced his innings, the way h