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11 injuries in 36 months: A timeline of Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul’s fragile bodies!

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Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul’s repeated string of injuries is pulling India down.

Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul's

Ravindra Jadeja is 35, KL Rahul 31; their total number of injuries since 2021 accounting to 11. Yes, that’s how fragile their bodies have been over the last three years. Jadeja and Rahul are, at present, missing more matches for India than actually playing, and it’s hurting India to a certain extent. Their unfortunate streak of injuries is not only unsettling the team combination but also robbing youngsters of a longer run in the Playing XI. In the last three years, Jadeja has been injured five times, while Rahul’s count goes up to eight, which makes for a big worrying sign.

Is it age catching up? Is playing non-stop cricket acting as a deterrent? Possibly. But there is no running away from the fact that their bodies are wearing down. As Jadeja and Rahul are set to miss the second Test against England starting Friday – and potentially more – we take a look at the long list of injuries the two India stars have endured since 2021.

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Ravindra Jadeja

Thumb injury (January to March ’21): During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, Ravindra Jadeja dislocated his thumb while batting in the Sydney Test. Jadeja copped a blow on his left thumb when a shooting delivery from Mitchell Starc took off and struck him. The scans later suggested a fracture, which kept Jadeja out of the home series against England.

Forearm injury (November ’21 to February ’22): Jadeja was dropped from the second Test against New Zealand due to a swollen forearm, discovered via scans. Jadeja was understood to be out of action for a long period and ended up missing the tour of South Africa before returning for the home Tests against Sri Lanka.

Rib injury (May to June ’22): After a rough time as Chennai Super Kings captain, Jadeja was ruled out for the remainder of the IPL 2022 due to a bruised rib. He picked up the injury while fielding against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He returned for the rescheduled fifth Test between India and England from the year before but his setback woes didn’t end there.

 Knee injury (August ’22 to February ’23): Catastrophe hit Indian cricket as Jadeja damaged his knee during the Asia Cup and had to stay out for action for the next six months after needing surgery. He missed the T20 World Cup, tour of Bangladesh, home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, before making his much-awaited comeback in the Test series against Australia having undergone the grind for Saurashtra in Ranji Trophy.

Hamstring (January ’24): Jadeja was ruled out of the 2nd Test against England after pulling his hamstring on Day 4 of the series opener against England in Hyderabad. He returned to the NCA, and shared a picture of it with the caption ‘Home for the next few days’, which significantly hurts his chances playing the remaining four matches.

KL Rahul

Wrist strain (January ’21): Ahead of the third Test in Sydney, Rahul strained his wrist and was ruled out of the 2020/21 BGT. He had not played the first two Tests either, and had to return to the NCA having played no part in India’s famous series win.

Appendicitis (May ’21): In the middle of the IPL, KL Rahul had to undergo surgery for appendicitis. Ahead of Punjab Kings’ IPL 2021 clash against Delhi Capitals, the franchise released a statement saying he was suffering from acute appendicitis. Rahul had scored 331 runs from 7 innings before his time in the tournament was cut short

Thigh strain (November ’21): Rahul was ruled out of the two-Test series against New Zealand at home due to a thigh strain.

Groin/sports hernia (June ’22): The day before leading India against South Africa in a home T20I series, Rahul was pulled out due to what appears to be a groin injury. It flared to become a sports hernia which needed Rahul to undergo surgery. He returned after a long injury layoff in August, a month before the Asia Cup.

Thigh injury (May ’23): KL Rahul was ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2023 after injuring his thigh while chasing the ball. The nature of the injury was so severe that it cost Rahul three months of action, meaning he had to miss the World Test Championship final, the tour of West Indies and Ireland.

Quadriceps injury (January ’24): After recovering well and showing some exemplary form in the World Cup and Asia Cup and the tour of South Africa, Rahul is back on the shelf after he complained of pain in his right quadriceps, ruling him out of the Vizag Test against England.

This Article was originally published on hindustantimes!

SA20: Joburg Super Kings keep race to the playoffs alive

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Joburg Super Kings

Cape Town [South Africa], January 30 (ANI): Faf du Plessis won the battle of the captains in his duel with Kieron Pollard to reignite the Joburg Super Kings’ SA20 campaign at a drenched Newlands on Monday evening.
Du Plessis struck an unbeaten 50 off 20 balls to lead JSK to a 10-wicket victory after the campaign at a drenched Newlands. the match was reduced to eight overs per side. A two-hour downpour had interrupted MI Cape Town’s innings after the completion of the powerplay.
Leus du Plooy magnificently played his supporting role with 41 not out off 14 balls as the Super Kings also earned an invaluable bonus point for chasing down the revised target of 98 in just 5.4 overs.
Du Plessis and Du Plooy were magnificent from the outset with the latter kick starting the run chase in the most dramatic fashion with a lap shot over fine leg for six off Nuwan Thushara’s very first delivery.
From there on, the pair were virtually unstoppable as the MI Cape Town bowlers struggled to maintain their lines and lengths as light drizzle began to fall.
Earlier, MI Cape Town had their innings stalled after reaching 44/1 at the conclusion of the Power Play.
The home side lost two further wickets after the restart with veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir (2/13) claiming the scalps of both Liam Livingstone and Rickelton in the same over.
But Pollard was determined to get his team to a competitive total with the big West Indian striking four sixes in his 10-ball 33 not out to lift MI Cape Town to 80/3 – which was later revised to 97 after the Duckworth-Lewis Stern (DLS) calculations.
JSK now leapfrogs both MI Cape Town and Pretoria Capitals into the fourth and final playoff spot on 13 points, with two matches still remaining.

MI Cape Town dropped to sixth place with nine points but still remains in the hunt for the playoffs with two matches against the Pretoria Capitals left.
“When there is rain, you are a bit challenged and limited with the options,” said JSK captain Du Plessis.
“The first over of the innings set the tone for us, takes a brave man to hit that first ball for six, the intent was key.”
Meanwhile, Pollard was philosophical in defeat but believed his team was still capable of reaching the playoffs.
“Sometimes you have no control over certain things and that’s one of them. You had to maximize the 2 overs. Having said that, these things happen and we have no control over that,” he said.
“At the end of the game we have to have a Win, you have to take it on the chin and regroup because in a couple of days, we have a game.

This article was published on ANI News.

Also Read- Khelo India Games creates a big community: Tokyo Olympian Varun Thakkar

Khelo India Games creates a big community: Tokyo Olympian Varun Thakkar

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Khelo India

Tokyo Olympian sailor Varun Thakkar was spotted in the crowd during events at the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 Tamil Nadu, cheering on the young wrestlers as the wrestling action began at the Rajarathinam Stadium in Chennai.
The 2018 Asian Games bronze medalist also enthusiastically reacted on every pass and penalty corner as he witnessed the men’s hockey final where Odisha beat Madhya Pradesh 4-0 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium.

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“I think the Khelo India Youth Games is a huge stepping stone for budding athletes. It gives a lot of opportunities for scouts to see young talents play at such a high level,” mentioned Varun.
Varun paired up with KC Ganapathy to represent Team India at the Skiff – 49er Event in Sailing at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The duo also finished 5th with 48 net points in the men’s skiff 49er event at the Hangzhou Asian Games, held last year.
“I would say this is a great initiative by the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India. And I also congratulate the Tamil Nadu government for such a superb organisation of the games. It was very nice to witness the wrestling and hockey action. The energy level and excitement of these athletes is tremendous,” Varun added.
Speaking about the community-building aspect of the games, Varun said, “I think the most important thing about the games is the big community it creates. There are so many States competing and there is audience representation from all these States too. The constant cheerings from the stands to the friendships building, I think this is a great environment to be in for all these guys to come together.
“The Khelo India games is a boon for sports in India and the message goes out to every nook and corner of the country to give more impetus to choose a professional career in sports.”

This article was published on ANI News.

Live score of India vs England, First Test Day 1: England openers off to a fast start, India looking for quick wickets!

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Live score and updates for the first test between India and England can be found here. The match is taking place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Day 1.

England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday. In a surprising move, England decided to include three spinners in their lineup. On the other hand, India, led by Rohit Sharma, stuck with their tried and tested combination.

This match marks the first time the two teams have met in India since 2021, when the hosts made a remarkable comeback after losing the first Test in Chennai, ultimately winning the series 3-1. Axar Patel, who made his debut in that series, impressed everyone by taking 27 wickets in just three Tests.

While India will be without the services of Virat Kohli for the first two Test matches, England will also be missing 19-year-old Shoaib Bashir, who only received his visa on Wednesday and is expected to join the team over the weekend.

India vs England Live Score: ENG 9/0 in 2 overs

FOUR! The bowler overpitched on the stumps, allowing Crawley to effortlessly drive the ball through midwicket, securing the first boundary of the day. Another FOUR! Although not as full as the previous delivery, Crawley confidently drives the ball straight down the ground, adding four more runs to the scoreboard.

10:14 AM

India vs England Live Score: 

Bumrah will commence the proceedings for India. He delivers a precise first ball to Crawley, a length ball just outside the off stump. Crawley decides to leave it, shouldering arms.

Crawley attempts a punch drive on the third ball, but unfortunately, it goes straight to the fielder at cover.

10:13 AM

India vs England Live Score: Teams

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach

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10:11 AM

India vs England Live Score: ENG opt to bat

Ben Stokes: We are gonna have a bat. It’s typical conditions in India, you are not quite sure what you are going to get. We will try to post a big score on the board. The preparation has been really good. We know the challenge that India presents, not only to us but every team that comes here. They are an incredibly successful side. We have got Hartley making his debut, Rehan is playing his second Test, but they have got a great leader in Jack Leach to lead them. I have got full confidence in everyone. We picked a XI that we thought is going to give us the best chance of winning. Woody is that X-factor bowler.

Rohit Sharma: We would have batted as well. Looks dry. Whether we bowl or bat first, we have the skills and we got the guys to do the job for us. Hopefully we can turn out well. A good series, I am playing for the first time – five Test matches. The guys are excited. It’ll be challenging but we are up for it. We have played in these conditions before. We know what to expect and what we need to do, it’s all about executing your skills, backing yourself and being brave enough to take the opportunity. We’ve got three spinners and two seamers – Bumrah, Siraj, Axar, Ashwin and Jadeja. It was a tough one (to leave out Kuldeep Yadav), we thought a lot about it. Axar, whenever he had played, he has done well and bats really well in these conditions. He got some really good score the last time we played against Australia. Probably the reason we went with Axar.

10:11 AM

India vs England Live Score: Hello and Welcome!

Hello and welcome to our live blog for the highly anticipated first Test between India and England. Stay with us as we provide comprehensive match analysis throughout the day, covering every aspect of this thrilling Test match.

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This article is sourced from dnaindia!

Under-19 World Cup: The hunt begins for India’s next Virat Kohli!

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Can the India Under-19 batch of 2024 join the prestigious class of 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022?

Earlier this week, a young man from Karnataka grabbed the consciousness of the average Indian cricket fan, upstaging even Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Not yet 19, Prakhar Chaturvedi ripped the record books to shreds, scoring a monumental unbeaten 404 in the final of the all-India Under-19 tournament for the Cooch Behar Trophy. That his exploits came in the title clash, and against Mumbai who received a dose of their own medicine, brought it into starker focus.

Chaturvedi might be the current Under-19 flavour, but don’t be surprised if more names grab the limelight in the next three weeks. Names like Uday Saharan. Arshin Kulkarni. Aravelly Avinash. Musheer Khan. Raj Limbani. Saumy Pandey.

These are among the young men tasked with leading India’s charge at the Under-19 World Cup, starting in South Africa today (January 19). Saharan is the skipper, Kulkarni and Avinash have already bagged IPL contracts, the others have gradually made their presence felt over the last few months, ready to take on the world even as Chaturvedi, who missed out on World Cup selection, eyes a graduation to a more senior level in domestic cricket – he has already been picked in the Under-23 side and could make his Ranji Trophy debut in the next few weeks.

The World Cup is the showpiece event at the Under-19 level, but as Rahul Dravid took great pains to point out during his four-year stint as the India Under-19 and ‘A’ coach between 2015 and 2019, it is no more than a means to an end. “I am not a big fan of judging these boys on the basis of results alone,” he told this writer not long into his tenure. “A few years down the road, few will remember whether someone was a part of the Under-19 World Cup-winning squad. They will only truly be recognised when they make the senior side and perform; that must be the ultimate goal, not just winning the Under-19 World Cup.”

It’s hard to fault Dravid’s philosophy but try telling an Under-19 kid approaching the biggest tournament of his life that it doesn’t really matter if he comes home victorious or not.

Like they have for the last several editions, India will approach this latest World Cup as among the strong favourites to go all the way. Perhaps not as strong as in the past, primarily because the pandemic scuttled domestic age-group cricket for two full seasons and therefore prevented the natural progression of the Under-16 cricketers who would have organically advanced to the Under-19 team, but still strong enough that other teams will cast a wary eye on them. India have made the finals in each of the last four editions, winning in 2018 and 2022, and while the pressure of history might weigh on Saharan and his boys, it shouldn’t really impact their performances when they get out on the park.

One of the reasons why India remain a dominant force at the junior level too is the quantum, and quality, of cricket they are exposed to from Under-16s upwards. There is so much organised cricket, much of it by the BCCI itself, that one would have to be extraordinarily unlucky to not get enough opportunities or to slip through the cracks. Greg Chappell, the Australian legend, once told me that India’s Under-19 lads are ‘almost finished products’ by the time they play for the country at that level because they have played so much so regularly compared to players in other countries, not least his own. It speaks to the robustness and vibrancy of the system which, contrary to popular public opinion, doesn’t merely pander to the high and the mighty.

This season alone, in the lead-up to the Under-19 World Cup, the inter-state one-day Vinoo Mankad Trophy was followed by a Challenger Series, then a quadrangular tournament featuring two Indian teams alongside Bangladesh and England. The boys then travelled to the UAE for the Asia Cup, where they lost in the semifinals to Bangladesh, and arrived in South Africa more than three weeks before their first World Cup encounter, playing the hosts and Afghanistan in a tri-series in which they remained unbeaten.

The quality of opportunities, therefore, better prepares them to tackle the challenges a tournament like the World Cup will throw up. None of these is a guarantee for success, needless to say – one need not look beyond the senior team for validation of that assertion – but if Saharan’s boys emulate Yash Dhull’s Class of ’22 and hold the trophy aloft on February 11 in Benoni, it won’t be by accident, you know.

This article was originally published on Hindustantimes news!

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IND vs AFG: Rohit Sharma Erases Doubts Over His T20 World Cup Spot With Record 5th T20I Hundred

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Rohit’s pedigree and hitting ability when set was on full display as he found the boundary, and the stands, almost at will.

India were 22/4 inside four overs but judging by the way Rohit Sharma was going after two successive ducks, there was hardly any circumspection in his approach. The Indian captain could have easily got out for a single-digit score – even a third zero on the trot – but rode his luck and exploded as the innings went on. His fifth T20I hundred, the most by anyone in the format, would have brought much relief for him and the selectors. It would have put to rest any doubts, if there were any in the first place, about his spot for the ICC T20 World Cup.

When the selectors brought back Rohit and Virat Kohli for the series against Afghanistan, they couched it as a necessity due to the unavailability of the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. But there was no doubt that the selectors were getting cold feet over picking a squad that didn’t include the two veterans – even though the youngsters who had been given opportunities since the last World Cup in the format had done hardly anything wrong.

They have displayed a fearless approach with the bat, which was often missing earlier, but is imperative for success in the format. Kohli has definitely read the memo and perished first ball taking on the bowling on a pitch that was not a featherbed early on, with the ball sticking in the pitch and bouncing a bit more from short of a length.

India being in such strife played into Rohit’s hands in a way. With the impressive Rinku Singh for company, it allowed, or rather forced him, to rein himself in for a while.

The run rate was less than six an over till the halfway mark of the innings, but once the impressive left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmad and Azmatullah Omarzai were through their initial spells and leg-spinner Qais Ahmad was off, the second line of the Afghan attack was a few notches lower in standard and experience.

Rohit reached his fifty in 41 balls, rather pedestrian by T20 standards, but he had begun to cut loose by then. Left-arm spinner Sharafuddin was dispatched for two consecutive sixes, the second one an uncharacteristic reverse-sweep that took the Indian skipper’s strike rate beyond 100.

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is not the biggest of grounds, and with the fast outfield, the two got into the act. India have made the conscious decision to target 200 when batting first, regardless of the situation they find themselves in initially. The onslaught also proves that one doesn’t need to go berserk from the start, as India has been doing of late.

Rohit’s pedigree and hitting ability when set was on full display as he found the boundary, and the stands, almost at will. The lack of experience showed as there were frequent no-balls, both for height and width, as well as wides. The skipper was literally playing with the field and unleashing shots such as the reverse-pull, which don’t find a place either in the coaching manual or Rohit’s usual repertoire. Debutant seamer Mohammad Saleem was targeted for special treatment and went for 43 in three overs, Rohit taking him for a four and a six off consecutive balls. It clearly rattled the bowler as he responded with a high full toss.

Omarzai has a bright future with both ball and bat and Karim Janat has quite a bit of international experience but showed that anyone can go for runs in the death overs as the two batsmen cut loose.

Rohit’s second fifty took merely 23 balls and he later came to bat in the two Super Overs as well to hit a few more lusty blows. It confirmed his ticket to the United States and the Caribbean in the summer, but it remains to be seen at whose expense and to what effect, as India aims to end the major ICC trophy drought that has now lasted more than a decade.

This article was originally published on Indianexpress.

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IND vs. AFG: The first international match used two sets of Super Over!

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IND vs. AFG: India has secured the series 3-0.

Following a record-breaking century by skipper Rohit Sharma and a fantastic batting effort by Afghanistan batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz, skipper Ibrahim Zadran and Gulbadin Naib, it took two Super Overs to separate both the sides as India beat Afghanistan by 11 runs after the match and the first Super Over ended in a tie here at Bengaluru during the third T20I on Wednesday. India has secured the series 3-0. 

In the chase of 213 runs, Afghanistan started with positive intent, with openers Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz scoring at a rate of nine runs per over. 

Afghanistan reached the 50-run mark in 5.5 overs. Afghanistan ended the powerplay at 51/0 in six overs, with Zadran (29*) and Gurbaz (22*) unbeaten. Afghanistan ended the first half of their innings with a bang, smashing Shivam Dube for 18 runs, including two fours and a six. 

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Afghanistan was 85/0, with Gurbaz (44*) and Zadran (38*) unbeaten. India got their first breakthrough in the next over, removing Gurbaz for 50 off 32 balls, with three fours and four sixes. Afghanistan was 93/1 in 11 overs. With Zadran hitting Washington Sundar for a six, Afghanistan reached the 100-run mark in 12.1 overs. 

Zadran reached his fifty in 41 balls, with four boundaries and a six. Sundar helped India earn a comeback into the game, getting Zadran (50) and Azmatullah Omarzai (0) on successive deliveries, reducing Afghanistan to 107/3 in 12.4 overs. 

Mohammed Nabi and Gulbadin Naib kept hitting despite these two quick wickets. The duo hit Avesh Khan for 20 runs in the 14th over, with two sixes and a four. Nabi’s two sixes helped Afghanistan get 17 runs from Kuldeep’s next. At the end of 15 overs, the match was even, at 145/3, with Nabi (19*) and Naib (20*) unbeaten. 

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Afghanistan reached the 150-run mark in 15.2 overs. Bishnoi’s 16th over was also hit for 17 runs, including two fours and a six by Nabi. Afghanistan needed 51 runs in four overs. The all-rounder Nabi’s entertaining cameo off 34 in 16 balls, with two fours and three sixes is ended by Sundar. 

Afghanistan was 163/4 in 16.2 overs after Avesh Khan plucked a catch at deep point. Karim Janat was run out for just two. Afghanistan was 167/5 in 17.1 overs. Wickets kept falling for Afghanistan as Najibullah Zadran was dismissed for five runs. Avesh Khan took the wicket while Virat took the catch. 

Afghanistan was 182/6 in 18.2 overs. Afghanistan needed 19 runs in six overs. Smashing Mukesh Kumar for a four and a six, Naib brought down the equation to three runs in the final ball. The match ended in a tie, with Afghanistan finishing at 212/6, with Naib (55* in 23 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) and Sharafuddin Ashraf (5*) unbeaten. Sundar (3/18) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Avesh and Kuldeep took a wicket each. Afghanistan batted first in the Super Over and set a target of 17 runs for India after the Super Over was bowled by Mukesh Kumar. 

India managed to take the equation to two runs in one ball and the Super Over as well ended in a tie. Rinku was sent by Rohit to run on the final ball of the Azmatullah Omarzai bowled over, but only one run was made.In the second Super Over, Rohit and Rinku Singh came out to bat against Fareed Ahmed. 

With a four and six by Rohit, India managed 11 runs but lost two wickets, taking the target to 12 runs. Ravi Bishnoi came to bowl for India and got Mohammed Nabi on the first ball. After a single, Bishnoi also removed Gurbaz, winning the game by 11 runs. Earlier, a record-breaking century by skipper Rohit Sharma and a half-century by Rinku Singh helped India reach a massive 212/4 in 20 overs following an early loss of wickets against Afghanistan in the third T20I at Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Opting to bat first, India had a bad start as they lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and star batter Virat Kohli for a golden duck on back-to-back balls by Fareed Ahmed in the third over. Jaiswal’s catch was picked by Mohammed Nabi for just four runs while Ibrahim Zadran caught Virat at mid-off to reduce India to 18/2 in 2.4 overs.

Afghanistan was all over the India batters as Azmatullah Omarzai removed Shivam Dube for just one after being caught behind by Rahmanullah Gurbaz. In the fifth over, Sanju Samson was out for a golden duck after being caught by Nabi, giving Fareed his third wicket. India was 22/4 in 4.3 overs.

Then the pair of skipper Rohit and Rinku Singh joined forces to help India gain recovery.

At the end of the powerplay in six overs, India was 30/4, with Rinku (2*) and Rohit (13*) unbeaten.The eighth over by Saleem Saifi gave away 14 runs, including two sixes by Rohit. India reached the 50-run mark in 8.4 overs.

Halfway through the innings, India was 61/4, with Rohit (27*) and Rinku (19*) unbeaten.

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In the 12th and 13th overs, Rohit and Rinku gathered a lot of runs, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Qais Ahmad were smashed for 16 runs each, with Rohit hitting two fours and two sixes and Rinku getting a six.

India reached the 100-run mark in 13.2 overs.

Rohit reached his 30th T20I fifty in 41 balls, with five fours and three sixes.

At the end of 15 overs, India was 109/4, with Rohit (55*) and Rinku (36*) unbeaten. The 16th over by Saleem gave away 22 runs, including two fours and a six.

The 19th over bowled by Azmatullah yielded 22 runs for India, including two fours and a six by Rohit and a six by Rinku. Rohit brought up his 5th T20I century, most by a batter in the format.

The final over by Karim Janat leaked 36 runs as Rohit smashed a four and two sixes and Rinku’s three sixes came on the final three balls.

India finished at 212/4, with Rohit (121* in 69 balls, with 11 fours and eight sixes) and Rinku (69* in 39 balls, with two fours and six sixes) unbeaten. Both combined to form a 190-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Faheem (3/20) was the pick of the bowlers for Afghanistan.

This article was originally published on DNA India!

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Praggnanandhaa Defeats World Champion Ding Liren at Tata Steel Masters to become India No 1

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Thanks to the win, Praggnanandhaa also leapfrogged over five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand as the country’s top-ranked chess player in the FIDE’s live ratings.

Indian teenager Praggnanandhaa defeated reigning World Champion Ding Liren in a fourth round clash at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee on Tuesday.

Thanks to the win, Praggnanandhaa also leapfrogged over five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand as the country’s top-ranked chess player in the FIDE’s live ratings with a rating of 2748.3, while Anand is at 2748. (FIDE discloses the published ratings at the start of each month).

Pragg became the second Indian after Anand to defeat a reigning world champion in classical chess.

laying with black pieces, Pragg had the advantage on the board from the start. This was his first win in four rounds at the Tata Steel chess event this year after three draws. Coincidentally, Praggnanandhaa had also defeated Ding at the same event with black pieces in 2023, on January 17. Back then, Ding was the World No 2 and was preparing to compete at the Candidates tournament.

At Wijk aan Zee, Ding is playing in a rare tournament after taking the world championship crown last year by defeating Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Meanwhile, Gukesh, who last year had become the first Indian to overhaul Anand as India No 1 in 36 years in the FIDE published ratings, lost his encounter with Anish Giri.

The third Indian player in the fray, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi was held to a draw by Jorden Van Foreest.

Thanks to his victory, Giri is now on top of the leaderboard heading into the first rest day at the Tata Steel Masters chess event. Pragg is third in the standings with Vidit seventh and Gukesh in 10th spot.

This article was originally published on Indianexpress.

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India vs. Afghanistan: Virat Kohli’s cameo in Indore suggests that he intends to avoid waiting around!

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India vs. Afghanistan: On Sunday, in his first T20I since the 10-wicket semifinal loss to England at the 2022 World Cup in Adelaide, Virat Kohli seems determined to prove there are more strings to his bow.

India’s Virat Kohli walks off the ground after his dismissal during the 2nd T20I cricket match between Afghanistan and India, at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. (PTI)

The scorecard will show 29 off 16 balls, hardly much for a player of Virat Kohli pedigree, but how he batted and got out seemed to suggest he was willing to go against his nature to fit into the new brand of T20 batting that India is trying to embrace.

Kohli, even in the shortest international format, is known more as an accumulator at the start of his innings, before he showcases his rich repertoire of strokes and going into overdrive as the innings reaches its climax. When he first comes in, the most characteristic feature of his batting is his speed between the wickets that keeps the scoreboard moving and gets him into the rhythm of the game.

On Sunday, in his first T20I since the 10-wicket semifinal loss to England at the 2022 World Cup in Adelaide, Kohli wasn’t going to play the waiting game. He was in the middle in the first over itself, replacing Rohit Sharma, and was back before the Powerplay got over. But the former captain, for once, wasn’t playing the situation or the target but trying to prove that there were more gears to his batting which can be activated even early on in a race.

The first ball Kohli faced, from left-armer Fazalhaq Farooqi, was driven firmly to mid-on. The second, from mystery spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman, was a length ball outside off, which was lofted over mid-off for a boundary. No need for the niceties of having a look or rotating strike. The last ball of the same over was met by an uncharacteristic slog-sweep wide of long-on. That it was a full ball well outside off-stump indicated that the shot might well have been a premeditated one.

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Whenever Kohli’s prowess in the T20 format is discussed, the straight six he hit off a hard-length ball from Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf during the World Cup game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground comes up. Now, Naveen-ul-Haq is no Rauf, but there’s history between him and Kohli, and the latter rekindled memories with a flat-bat shot over the bowler’s head off a much wider ball that landed just inside the boundary.

There were a few ungainly hoicks and aerial shots that one doesn’t associate with the batting technician that Kohli is, but it reflected the message he was trying to send about his utility in the format.

Mujeeb was handsomely cover-driven to the fence, bisecting the off-side ring, when the bowler offered width on a full ball. There was not much of asking-rate pressure at this moment, when Kohli set his sights on Naveen again. The medium pacer was slog-swept across the line, as if he was a spinner, to the long-on boundary. The next ball, Kohli tried to clear mid-off but failed.

All this while, Yashasvi Jaiswal was going full throttle at the other end, and Kohli seemed intent on showing that he could keep pace. Much talk about the return of Kohli and Rohit to the T20 fold surrounds their strike rates, but he seems determined to prove there are more strings to his bow.

This Article was originally published on Indian Express!

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Dhruv Jurel Among 16 Men Squad, Announced For First Two Test Against England

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22-year-old Dhruv Jurel earned his maiden call-up as a backup wicketkeeping option as BCCI announced India’s squad for the first two Tests England.

Dhruv Jurel

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday evening named a 16-man squad for the first two Tests against England which begins from January 25 onwards, 22-year-old Dhruv Jurel earned his maiden call-up as a back-up wicketkeeping option as Ishan Kishan, who had reportedly taken a break from cricket citing mental fatigue, has not been named.

The squad also does not include veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami as he continues to recover from the ankle injury he incurred during the 2023 ODI World Cup campaign in November last year. He was optimistic about returning to the Test squad, but the selectors probably wanted him to take further rest as a precautionary move ahead of the final stages of the series against England.

Besides Shami, the fast-bowling line-up does not have Prasidh Krishna, who featured in both the games in the Test series in South Africa, picking just two wickets for 130 runs. It was earlier reported on Friday that the pacer had picked up a quadriceps injury on Day 1 of Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy clash against Gujarat in Ahmedabad.

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Avesh Khan, meanwhile, has retained his place in the squad. On the back of his performance for India A during the South Africa tour, he was added to the main squad ahead of the match in Cape Town. Avesh hence joins the likes of vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar to form a familiar-looking strong pace attack for India while the spin combination comprises of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.

Dhruv Jurel

The surprise in the squad has been the addition of Uttar Pradesh cricketer Jurel, who will be a back-up wicketkeeper to KL Rahul, who kept wickets in both the match of the Test series in South Africa, and KS Bharat. The youngster was a part of the India A team that played two matches against their South African counterparts in December last year. Jurel scored 69 in the second match at Benoni and in the first round group game of the Ranji Trophy, he scored 63 for Uttar Pradesh against Kerala. The 22-year-old, who had made his First-Class debut last year against Vidarbha, has so far made 790 runs from 15 matches at an average of 46 with a hundred and five fifties in the domestic circuit.

This will be India’s third assignment in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle and first at home. They had earlier won the two-match series in West Indies 1-0 after the second game was drawn, while they held hosts South Africa to a 1-1 draw in a two-match series earlier this year.

India’s squad for first two Tests vs England: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan

This article is part of Hindustan Times publication.

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