Danijones

‘I get death threats’: Simon Doull opens up on backlash for criticising Virat Kohli | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Former New Zealand fast bowler and commentator Simon Doull made a startling revelation regarding his criticism of Virat Kohli‘s strike-rate.Doull emphasised that despite having said “thousand good things” about the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain, he has experienced negative consequences for voicing his critiques.While Doull has often praised the Indian batsman’s skills and achievements, he found that pointing out areas for improvement, such as strike-rate, can lead to backlash from passionate fans.“I see a phenomenal player, a player who should be dominating more than what he was. That’s what I talk about (when I mention) his strike rate. I felt that he was afraid to get out because he was worried about what is behind him rather than (saying), ‘I’m so good’. It is the same thing I said about Babar and I had a chat with him after I talked about it in Pakistan and he said that his coaches told him the same thing. What I loved about (Kohli) this year was the intent to hit sixes,” said Doull on Cricbuzz.He stated that his main point has always been that Kohli shouldn’t have to worry about getting out, and that it was probably one of the few negative comments he has made about the former RCB captain.“He is too good to worry about getting out and that was always my point. I have said a thousand great things about Virat Kohli but I say one thing negative or construed to be negative, and I get death threats. That’s the shame of it,” he said.“There has never been an issue and I would never have a reason to have personal problems. When I look at the game and the way it has moved, particularly with the impact sub, a strike rate of 130-135 didn’t cut it any more,” he said.Kohli finished the IPL 2024 as the highest run-getter with 741 runs in 15 matches including a century and five fifties. He scored at an average of 61.75 and with a strike rate of 154.69 as an opener.

‘To my boys, my team, my champs…’: Shah Rukh Khan’s million-dollar praise for KKR | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

NEW DELHI: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Wednesday congratulated the “stars” of his team, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), for their outstanding performance in the IPL 2024 final, where they clinched the championship trophy for the third time.KKR triumphed in the latest edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a dominating eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a completely one-sided final on Sunday.As the principal owner of the team, Shah Rukh also expressed his gratitude to the fans who patiently waited 10 long years for this win. “Love you all and don’t let the dancing stop! Also, so happy and thankful for each and every KKR fan and I hope all around the world youngsters learn that tough times don’t last…” he wrote in a lengthy post on his social media handles. The 58-year-old actor expressed his gratitude to the KKR coaching staff and management in his post. He specifically acknowledged the contributions of Gautam Gambhir, the team’s mentor, Abhishek Nayar, the assistant coach, and Chandrakant Pandit, the head coach.“To my boys… my team… my champs… ‘these blessed candles of the night’… My Stars…of KKR. I cannot do a lot of things and you cannot do them all either…but together we manage most of them. That’s what @KKRiders stood for.“Simply being together. Beyond the ability and guidance of @GautamGambhir….the earnestness of Chandu, the love of @abhisheknayar1 & leadership of @ShreyasIyer15… the dedication of @rtendo27, Bharat Arun, @1crowey & @Numb3z.”KKR is a team that’s not built on hierarchy but “pure respect for collaboration”, he said.“GG (Gambhir) said if u can’t support a single vision as a team… u are leading to a division in the team. Each player understood that. Young and old. The Trophy is not a testament of having the best players in the team… but a proof of each player being the best for the team. Boys you are all made of Star stuff!! Finally Tough and Happy teams do! Korbo…Lorbo…Jeetbo….Always. See u all at the stadia in 2025,” Shah Rukh wrote.Shah Rukh, who was hospitalized last week in Ahmedabad due to a heat stroke following his attendance at an IPL match of his team at the Narendra Modi Stadium, was overjoyed when KKR emerged victorious in IPL 2024.During the final match at Chennai’s Chepauk Stadium, the actor wore a mask for most of the game but removed it when the team was on the brink of securing the coveted title, displaying his excitement.Accompanied by his wife Gauri Khan and children Aryan, Suhana, and AbRam, Shah Rukh was present at the final match.KKR, co-owned by Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta, clinched its first IPL title in 2012, followed by another win in 2014.(With PTI inputs)

Do Rohit Sharma’s men have enough to end ICC title drought? – India TV

Danijones5 months ago08 mins

Image Source : GETTY Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid during the Asia Cup 2023 in Colombo in September 2023 Indian cricket team will once again enter the T20 World Cup 2024 as title favourites despite heartbreaking exits in the recent ICC events. Rohit Sharma is set to lead a strong 15-member squad for the ninth edition of the tournament in the USA and West Indies starting on June 1. Team India last played a T20I game against Afghanistan in January this year where they needed a super over to defend 212 runs in Bengaluru. But, the Men in Blue rank first in the current ICC T20I team rankings and are tipped to mount a strong title challenge in a 20-team tournament. With the squad finalised and players starting their final preparations with a training camp in New York, let’s analyse Team India’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ahead of the World Cup 2024. Strengths – Unassailable batting unit The majority of the selected players, especially batters, displayed remarkable form in the recently concluded Indian Premier League 2024 and will be under focus as team India’s biggest strength in the upcoming World Cup. Virat Kohli emerged as the highest run-scorer as he continues to show brilliant form in white-ball cricket. Kohli further changed his approach in the IPL 2024 by maintaining a strike rate over 150 and hitting the second-highest 38 sixes. Kohli’s form has also led many to suggest the batter should open with skipper Rohit at the World Cup. Rohit struggled for consistency in the IPL 2024 despite finishing as the leading run-getter for his Mumbai Indians franchise. Both Rohit and Kolhi will be leading the strong batting lineup which consists of the world’s no.1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav, in-form wicketkeeper batters Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant, and youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal. Image Source : BCCI/IPLVirat Kohli during the IPL 2024 Weaknesses – Lack of finishers Despite strong form in the IPL 2024, none of the selected members made it to the final of the tournament and notably struggled to display consistency after the selection for the World Cup. Shivam Dube displayed remarkable hitting skills in the first half of the season but registered only 46 runs in five innings in May. With fit-again Hardik Pandya returning to T20I setup, Dube’s role as middle-order batter or finisher is not clear at the moment. Dube’s form and a lack of finishers in the current squad might be an early red flag for the management. All-rounders Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja were not convincing enough with their finishing touches in the recent IPL 2024 and that is likely to get exposed if the top-order fails to impress. India’s other weakness is the lack of international cricket heading to the World Cup. Having last played T20Is against Afghanistan in January, the team faces Bangladesh in the only warm-up game scheduled on June 1. All participating players were heavily involved in the recent IPL but haven’t played together as a unit for quite some time. Opportunities – Dube and Samson to step up Indian squad for the World Cup is well-balanced with experience and potential. Yashasvi Jaiswal witnessed a rapid rise in red-ball cricket during the England series and now has the best chance to make a similar impact in white-ball cricket as well. It will be interesting to see if Rohit and Rahul Dravid go with either Rishabh or Sanju for the wicketkeeping role as both impressed in the recent IPL. Samson was slightly ahead in terms of stats and might get a nod to don the wicketkeeping gloves. Image Source : BCCI/IPLShivam Dube during the IPL 2024 Samson and Dube are set to feature in their maiden World Cup and have a perfect opportunity to shine and cement their places in the Indian team. Both displayed their versatility in playing positions and skills to adapt to playing conditions accordingly with mature batting in IPL 2024 and will be eager to carry that momentum in the World Cup. Threats – What if Jasprit Bumrah fails to replicate IPL 2024 form? Speaking about India’s bowling, the management surprisingly picked only three pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh and four strong spin options. Bumrah did what he does best in the IPL 2024 by taking 20 wickets in 13 innings at a notable economy rate of 6.48. Bumrah’s heroics didn’t save Mumbai Indians from finishing at the bottom but his impact made Indian cricket team fans feel safe going into the ICC tournament. Arshdeep picked 19 wickets but at an economy rate of over 10 and Siraj bagged 15 wickets in 14 innings. India will be in serious trouble if Bumrah fails to carry his red-hot form in the World Cup, as India face very limited bowling options. So, a well-fortified batting unit to a lack of finishers to over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah sums up the analysis of team India ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

T20 World Cup 2024: Final chance for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to give India an ICC Trophy after 13 years

Danijones5 months ago08 mins

It’s tough to find two cricketers who are so different from each other yet so closely intertwined by the same thread of fate as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Rohit’s initiation into top-flight cricket came at the idyllic Belfast in 2007 and Kohli’s a year later at the more conventional Dambulla. Another intriguing chapter of this journey together will potentially come to an end next month in the stunning Caribbean Isles. The next T20 World Cup is in 2026, to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, but Rohit would be touching 40 then and Kohli would be 38. The 50-over version is a further one year away. It’s hard to see them playing in any of those, considering the increasingly strike-rate oriented nature of the game. So, both Rohit and Kohli will want to leave the stage with the winner’s medal around their neck next month. Should they achieve that, it would be their second each after the 2007 T20 World Cup (Rohit) and the 2011 50-over showpiece (Kohli). And it will be a perfect send off for two players who have had an immeasurable impact on India’s white-ball fortunes in the last 17 years. However, the Kohli-Rohit story is not one of bromance. It’s based more on mutual respect and the awareness that they should not step into each other’s space. Kohli has talked about the admiration he has had for Rohit since the very beginning of their careers. “I was filled with curiosity about a player. People kept on saying – ‘This is one player who is rising rapidly’. I used to wonder that even though I am a young player, no one talks about me, then who is this player. “But when he (Rohit) stepped out to bat, I was all quiet. It was amazing to watch him play. In fact, I haven’t seen a player time the ball better than him,” Kohli had said in ‘Breakfast With Champions’. Contrasting in nature, their batting has been high art for the masses to which they added a dash of modernity later. Of the two, Kohli is the more all-format batter, who has adapted more fluently with the changing face of the game. He has scored in every corner of the cricketing world in a show of consistency that was rarely witnessed after the halcyon days of Sachin Tendulkar. While Rohit built his own edifices in white-ball formats, the Mumbai-man remained a reluctant visitor in Test cricket’s elite corridors for the better part of his career. A move up to the opener’s role helped Rohit unshackle himself a bit in Tests in the later part of his career. But for now, Kohli and Rohit will have to lean on their vast experience in T20 cricket to fuel India’s run in the World Cup. Rohit will certainly open and if his approach in last year’s World Cup and in the just-concluded IPL can be taken as a sign, the skipper will continue his selfless, aggressive approach. Herein, Rohit has an inherent advantage. His natural big-hitting abilities will help him pursue his batsmanship without many improvisations. That one-legged pull of his is a cosy meeting point between elegance and malevolence. But Kohli’s game is slightly different. He can pull off those occasional big hits — a swat-flick six or a flat-bat smash over bowler’s head. A quick rewind to his pick-up shot off Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf during the 2022 T20 World Cup will vouch for that. Still, there is a sore point. Kohli has often struggled to score off spin, especially against the left-arm variety. His career strike-rate against slow bowlers hovers around mid-120s in T20s. Several times, it has impeded his progress in the middle innings but during this year’s IPL, he seemed to have found a solution. He brought out the slog-sweep against spinners, and it had a healthy influence on his strike-rate as Kohli made 260 runs from 188 balls and struck 15 sixes against them. His strike-rate against spin touched 139, a marked improvement from his overall IPL strike-rate of 124. “It was me mentally putting myself in that situation. I did not practice that at all,” he explained. “I know I can hit it because I have played that shot a lot in the past. So, I just felt like I needed to take a bit more risk,” Kohli said of his new approach against spin. This might come in handy for him in the T20 World Cup where the pitches are expected to become progressively slow, increasingly bringing spinners into the game. Beyond the realm of cricket, the two veterans’ final charge at an ICC trophy — personally and for the team — would be a captivating sight. For the fans, this World Cup would be about drinking it in as much as they can because once this duo leaves the stage, there will be an immense emptiness.

T20 World Cup: ‘Gonna be fun,’ says Ravindra Jadeja on playing cricket in New York for first time

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

India coach Rahul Dravid with captain Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja before leaving for New York to participate in the T20 World Cup 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI Following Team India’s first training session ahead of their ICC T20 World Cup opening clash, star allrounder Ravindra Jadeja said it will be fun playing cricket in New York. The ICC T20 World Cup will be played in the West Indies and the USA from June 1 to 29. Men in Blue will also play Bangladesh in their only warm-up game on June 1 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to their official social media handle and shared and shared a glimpse of their first training session in the US. In the video, Jadeja sounded hopeful before the start of the mega tournament. “First time we gonna play cricket in New York, it’s gonna be fun,” Jadeja said in the video.The strength and conditioning coach of Team India Soham Desai said the players have eased their routines after reaching New York. “We came in the day before yesterday and we just eased into our routines here, the players are just getting used to the time zone. Today we are having our first ground session…,” Soham said. 📍 New York Bright weather ☀️, good vibes 🤗 and some foot volley ⚽️ Soham Desai, Strength & Conditioning Coach gives a glimpse of #TeamIndia‘s light running session 👌👌#T20WorldCuppic.twitter.com/QXWldwL3qu — BCCI (@BCCI) May 29, 2024 Meanwhile, India pacer Jasprit Bumrah said, “we have not yet played cricket, came here for a team activity today. Hopefully, it will be good. The weather is really good, so we are looking forward to it.” The Men in Blue vice-captain and allrounder Hardik Pandya said, “very exciting to be here in New York, has a good vibe, bright sun out.” “I heard the cricket is growing here in the U.S., so we are really excited and the first day here was amazing, so very excited for the few days coming up,” Suryakumar Yadav further added. India will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Meanwhile, the most-awaited blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will take place on June 9. They will later play tournament co-hosts USA (June 12) and Canada (June 15) to wrap up their Group A matches. In the tournament, India will be aiming to end their ICC trophy drought, having last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Since then, India has reached the 50-over World Cup final in 2023, semifinal in 2015 and 2019, the title clash of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023, T20 WC final in 2014, semifinals in 2016 and 2022 but failed to secure a big ICC trophy. India squad for T20 World Cup: 15-member squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.

T20 World Cup: Selector, head coach take field for nine-man Australia in warm-up match against Namibia

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

Australian head coach Andrew McDonald as among the support staff members who took field for Australia in their warm-up fixture against Namibia. | Photo Credit: AP Short of players, a nine-man Australia needed as many as four support staff members on the field, including chief selector and head coach, in their T20 World Cup warm-up against Namibia but that did not change the expected outcome of the game. Australia won the game by seven wickets with impressive performances from David Warner (54 not out off 21 balls), fit again Josh Hazlewood (2/5) and leg-spinner Adam Zampa (3/25). They chased down Namibia’s 119 with 10 overs to spare. With the likes of Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell given extra time at home following the two-month long IPL, chief selector and former captain George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald were among the support staff who were forced to take the field. 46-year-old fielding coach Andre Borovec also took the field alongside Bailey when skipper Mitchell Marsh opted to bowl against Namibia. When Marsh and Hazlewood went back to the dressing room, McDonald and 49-year-old batting coach Brad Hodge had to step on the field. Hazlewood, playing hist first game in three months, looked in good rhythm. “Obviously, we didn’t have a full quota of players but the guys who played, probably a few of us needed to coming off a big layoff,” Hazlewood told cricket.com.au after the game on Tuesday. “I know a number of the bowlers were coming off a long break which is pretty unusual in our system, but it’s good to get out there, playing is always different to training. “The wicket looked a little bit tough early, a little bit slow, which is probably what we’re going to encounter here in the West Indies. “So a nice hit out, got the result and we move onto the West Indies in a few days.” Australia Test and ODI skipper Cummins, Head and Starc were part of the IPL final played in Chennai on Sunday.

Hardik Pandya joins Team India in New York, starts training on ‘national duty’ for T20 World Cup

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

Flamboyant India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has reached the USA and he straightaway started training with the Indian team. Hardik, who had a tough IPL season, didn’t travel with the first batch of players but he has reached the New York and posted photos of the first training session on social media. Hardik Pandya has started training with other Indian players ahead of T20 World Cup.(X-Image/@hardikpandya7) Team India has started the preparations for the mega ICC event and focused on bringing the trophy back home. India won the inaugural T20 WC title in 2007 under MS Dhoni’s leadership but have been eluded from the title since then. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Pandya, who has been going through a lean patch, will be Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the T20 WC. He posted a few photos on social media. “On national duty,” the Indian all-rounder captioned the post. The 30-year-old had a forgettable IPL campaign with Mumbai Indians. He was traded by the five-time champions ahead of the season and was also named captain of the franchise which irked the fans as they were not happy with Rohit Sharma’s sacking from the captaincy duties. Pandya was booed by the fans on several venues and faced heat on social media too. Nothing went as planned for him on his homecoming to MI after two years as they finished at the bottom of the points table. He also struggled with the bat and scored just 216 runs in 14 matches but managed to regain his bowling form in the second half and claimed 11 wickets in IPL 2024. There was speculation throughout the season that MI’s dressing room was a divided house due to the change of guard. Rohit will now captain the national side with Pandya as his deputy in the mega ICC event. Meanwhile, Rohit had a decent IPL 2024 season with the bat, scoring 417 runs at an average of 32.07 and a strike rate of 150. He scored a century and fifty, with the best score of 105*. India will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Meanwhile, the most-awaited blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will take place on June 9. They will later play tournament co-hosts USA (June 12) and Canada (June 15) to wrap up their Group A matches. Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more.Explore now !. Stay updated with the latest cricket news, T20 World Cup 2024 updates, and match highlights. Explore the World Cup Schedule 2024, track the World Cup Points Table, follow Virat Kohli’s performance, and stay ahead with the stats on World Cup Most Wickets and World Cup Most Runs on the Hindustan Times website and app. News / Cricket News / Hardik Pandya joins Team India in New York, starts training on ‘national duty’ for T20 World Cup

Aryna Sabalenka Eases At Rain-swept French Open, Alize Cornet’s Career Ends

Danijones5 months ago07 mins

Aryna Sabalenka eased into the French Open second round at a rainswept Roland Garros on Tuesday as Novak Djokovic prepared to begin his title defence, confident his Grand Slam pedigree will help turn around his lacklustre season. Australian Open champion Sabalenka, a semi-finalist in Paris in 2023, over-powered Russian teenager Erika Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in just 68 minutes under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier. World number two Sabalenka fired 27 winners past the 100th-ranked Andreeva and broke serve five times in a dominant display. “I’m trying to do well on clay, it is tough conditions here but I enjoy playing here and I’m just trying to bring my best tennis every time — whatever the surface,” said Sabalenka. The Belarusian has made at least the last four at her past six Grand Slams and is expected to be Iga Swiatek’s toughest rival in the Pole’s bid for a fourth French Open title. Heavy rain caused play on the outside, uncovered courts to be delayed by five hours and by 6 pm local time only nine of the scheduled 40 matches had been completed. World number one Djokovic, seeking a fourth Roland Garros title and record-extending 25th major, is enduring his worst run since 2018. Djokovic, 37, has not won a title in 2024 and has yet to make a final with semi-final spots at the Australian Open and Monte Carlo Masters his best performances. He also suffered the indignity of being accidentally hit on the head by a metal water bottle in Rome which caused nausea and dizziness. In Geneva last week, where he was knocked out by Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Djokovic said he had been suffering from a stomach problem. “They are rather bumps on the road,” said Djokovic, who watched his long-time rival and 14-time champion Rafael Nadal bow out of the tournament against Alexander Zverev on Monday. When asked to elaborate further on his difficulties so far this season, Djokovic opted for discretion. “Various things have been happening in the last couple of months, but I don’t want to get into it. I don’t want to open Pandora’s Box.” On Tuesday, Djokovic will take on French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the world number 142 who hasn’t won a match on the main tour this year. Two-time runner-up Casper Ruud, who won clay-court titles in Barcelona and Geneva in the build-up to Roland Garros, cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Brazilian qualifier Felipe Meligeni Alves. “It’s great to be back here at Roland Garros,” he said. “Hopefully I can make it another good year here.” Ruud was beaten in straight sets by Novak Djokovic in last year’s final following a one-sided loss to Rafael Nadal in the 2022 showpiece. He also lost the 2022 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz. Frenchwoman Alize Cornet’s career ended with a straight-sets defeat by Zheng Qinwen in her record-extending 69th consecutive Grand Slam appearance. Cornet was no match for China’s Australian Open runner-up Zheng, losing 6-2, 6-1. She made her debut at Roland Garros as a 15-year-old in 2005 and has not missed a Grand Slam tournament since the 2006 US Open. ‘Cried watching Rafa’ Cornet reached a career-high ranking of 11th in 2009 and enjoyed a surprise run to the 2022 Australian Open quarter-finals. “I already cried yesterday watching Rafa,” said a tearful Cornet after seeing Nadal lose what was likely his last match at the French Open on Monday. Over on Court Suzanne Lenglen, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina powered into the second round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Belgian Greet Minnen. Kazakh world number four Rybakina is the only player to defeat Swiatek on clay this season, in the Stuttgart semi-finals in April. Also due on court in the men’s singles is Argentine qualifier Roman Andres Burruchaga who has sporting success in the blood. His father Jorge famously scored the winning goal for Diego Maradona’s Argentina in the 1986 World Cup final against West Germany. Ranked at 144, the 22-year-old is making his Grand Slam debut and takes on Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. Topics mentioned in this article

T20 World Cup 2024: Attracting America — long night’s journey into day

Danijones5 months ago07 mins

And so to America, where the deer and the antelope play, and soon so too will India and Pakistan and 18 other countries in the T20 World Cup. Sixteen of the 55 matches will be played in the US, the idea being as much to take cricket to that nation as to mobilise dollars from there. The US recently beat Bangladesh in a T20 series — the first time they have beaten a Test nation. They are led by wicket-keeper Monank Patel who played Under-19 cricket for Gujarat which should cause some excitement here. In the inaugural match, US play Canada; symbolic, because these countries played the first-ever international back in 1844. Cricket was an American game then, but lost out to baseball following the Civil War a couple of decades later. Why did this happen? Tom Melville, in his history of cricket in America (The Tented Field) quotes the scholar Melvin Adelman as saying that baseball, with its shorter, rapid transition structure and alternating periods of excitement and dramatic pauses provided Americans with a cultural expression that cricket, with its traditional structural limitations couldn’t duplicate. Melville himself sums it up more succinctly: “Cricket failed in America because it never established an American character.” The International Cricket Council sees the US (and China, possibly) as the final frontier, and have been trying to attract an American audience to the sport. To get youngsters interested in a team sport beyond American football, baseball and basketball might be a tall order. Yet, unlike in the past, the vehicle being used this time is T20, shorter, quicker, more focused, without drawn games, and involving baseball-style hitting. Perhaps there’s hope. Obvious choice Cricket returns to the Olympics at Los Angeles in 2028, and the T20 format will be the obvious choice to attract Americans. There are some five million Indians in the US. But to depend on the expatriate community alone to popularise the sport might be wishful thinking — it will merely remain a niche sport identified with a particular people. Rather like snowkiting or underwater hockey. Yet, as Joseph O’Neill pointed out in Netherland, his novel about (among other things) cricket in America, “the communal phenomenon of New York cricket is underwritten by the same agglomeration of unspeakable individual longings that underwrites cricket played anywhere — longings concerned with horizons and potentials lost long ago, tantalisms that touch on the undoing of losses too private and reprehensible to be acknowledged to oneself. (Is) what we see, when we see men in white take to a cricket field, men imagining an environment of justice?” Nostalgia a spur Nostalgia is a spur. After all, it was nostalgia that caused Englishmen to play the game in their colonies, introducing it to the locals. But the conditions that existed then causing a section to imitate the conquerors, or work their way into their good books no longer obtain. Microsoft Chairman Satya Nadella who played some cricket in his youth and now owns a team in the Major League Cricket (introduced last year, with four teams from the IPL) says, however, “Cricket was a big sport in the US. I hope it comes back.” The motivations now are less complicated. In any case, cricket cannot be too fussed about the ethnicity of its sponsors; the Indian’s dollar is just as powerful. The ICC cannot be unaware of a bonus should American money enter the sport — it will mean a diminishing of India’s domination. India’s money, television, audience and passion have ensured a uni-polar world in cricket. They call the tune now, and the cricketing world has been dancing to it. This is not unusual — when England and Australia ruled, they called the shots. The enormity of cricket’s task can be gauged from the US response to soccer. The country hosted the World Cup in 1994 (and will co-host in 2026). Since then they have been in every World Cup except in 2018. The women’s game has been popular, but the progress of the men’s, after its rebirth (Major League Soccer was established in 1993), has been slow. Only 5% named soccer as their favourite sport, up from three in the 1990s. Cricket has adapted itself to America. But will America adapt itself to cricket?

Twenty20 World Cup countdown: South Africa has the firepower to pass the Group D test

Danijones5 months ago08 mins

In The Hindu’s countdown to the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which commences in the West Indies and USA on June 2, we take a look at the teams in Group D. South Africa: A second-string South African side was swept 0-3 in the T20I series against West Indies a few days ago. The arrival of powerful reinforcements — Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs, to name a few — gives the T20 World Cup squad far greater depth. Quinton de Kock, who has retired from ODI and Test cricket, is a familiar face at the top of the order. The poor form of de Kock and lead pacer Anrich Nortje, however, is cause for concern. Tristan Stubbs. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar Key player: Tristan Stubbs: With a strike rate of 190.90 and an average of 54 for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, Stubbs excelled as a specialist finisher. The squad: Aiden Markram (Capt.), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Tristan Stubbs. Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka has won all three of its T20I series held this year, albeit against weaker teams (Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe). The team is led by experienced all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who missed the IPL due to an injury. In Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, the Lankans have two quality spinners primed to exploit slow pitches in the West Indies. Sri Lanka will hope that death-over bowling specialist Matheesha Pathirana recovers quickly from a hamstring strain. Kusal Mendis. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar Key player: Kusal Mendis: The 29-year-old opener will be entrusted with giving SL a flying start. His role is especially crucial given that the batting line-up lacks big hitters. The squad: Wanindu Hasaranga (Capt.), Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, and Dilshan Madushanka. Bangladesh: The Tigers had a major slip in the build up to the T20 World Cup, losing 1-2 to World No. 19 United States of America in a T20I series last week. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and coach Chandika Hathurusinghe rely on the same set of players to come good in this mega event. The unit’s lack of power-hitters is out of sync with modern T20 best practices. A warm-up match against India on June 1 serves as the last chance to get the house in order. Mustafizur Rahman | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini Key player: Mustafizur Rahman: A career-best six for 10 against USA proved that the left-arm seamer remains a valuable T20 asset. Mustafizur’s ability to deliver yorkers is particularly useful in the death overs. The squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (Capt.), Taskin Ahmed, Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmud Ullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Tanvir Islam, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Netherlands: Known to consistently punch above its weight, Netherlands earned its spot in this tournament by virtue of finishing in the top-eight of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. That campaign included a 13-run win over South Africa in the Super 12 phase, which effectively knocked the Proteas out of the competition. Netherlands will miss the services of former SA international Roelof van der Merwe and batter Colin Ackermann, both of whom have chosen English county commitments over National duty. Netherlands batsman Max O’Dowd | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam Key player: Max O’Dowd: The Auckland-born opener is the standout batter. In the recent Tri-Nation T20I series involving Ireland, Netherlands, and Scotland, O’Dowd finished as the highest run-scorer. The squad: Scott Edwards (Capt.), Aryan Dutt, Bas de Leede, Kyle Klein, Logan van Beek, Max O’Dowd, Michael Levitt, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Teja Nidamanuru, Tim Pringle, Vikramjit Singh, Viv Kingma, and Wesley Barresi. Nepal: Nepal qualified for the 2024 T20 WC by entering the final of the ICC’s Asia region qualifiers in November last year. Nepal had previously appeared in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. Apart from the recent five-match T20 leg against West Indies A, Nepal has not got the chance to test its mettle against quality oppositions. Nepal captain Rohit Paudel | Photo Credit: AFP Key player: Rohit Paudel: Facing a West Indies A attack which included Obed McCoy, Oshane Thomas, and Roston Chase, captain Paudel showed his class with scores of 112, 71 n.o. and 82. The squad: Rohit Paudel (Capt.), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, K.C. Karan, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, G.C. Pratis, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, and Kamal Singh Airee.