Danijones

All-Rounder Saad Bin Zafar To Lead Canada In T20 World Cup 2024

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

Canada will make its maiden appearance in the Men’s T20 World Cup with all-rounder Saad Bin Zafar, a player of Pakistani origin, set to lead the side in the showpiece event to be held in the Americas. The side, comprising mostly of Indian and Pakistani origin players, is placed in Group A alongside co-hosts USA, India, Pakistan and Ireland. Canada will play its first match against the US in Dallas on June 1, with the side then set to face Ireland on June 7, Pakistan on June 11, and India on June 15. Canada had defeated Bermuda in October last year in the ICC T20 World Cup Americas Region Final, a double round-robin format, for a berth in the T20 World Cup. The Canadians had failed to make it to the global event in the eight previous editions of the T20 World Cup. Saad, 37, who is also a left-arm spinner and has played 38 T20I, is one of the most experienced players in the Canadian side, with top-order batter Aaron Johnson and left-arm seamer Kaleem Sana also expected to feature heavily in the playing XI. The side is coached by former Sri Lankan and Canadian international Pubudu Dassanayake, who took over the reins in 2022. Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, and Dilpreet Bajwa are the only three players in the side under the age of 30. “Aaron Johnson’s explosive hitting will be critical at the top of the order, as will Kaleem Sana’s pace bowling when Canada is in the field. The all-round skills of Bin Zafar, Thaker, and Dilon Heyliger will be vital to Canada’s hopes of winning on the biggest stage,” said a Cricket Canada statement. Squad: Saad Bin Zafar (C), Aaron Johnson, Dilon Heyliger, Dilpreet Bajwa, Harsh Thaker, Jeremy Gordon, Junaid Siddiqui, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur (wk), Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Rayyankhan Pathan, Shreyas Movva (wk). Reserves: Tajinder Singh, Aaditya Varadharajan, Ammar Khalid, Jatinder Matharu, Parveen Kumar. PTI AM AM APA Topics mentioned in this article

India women beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets in third T20I, take 3-0 unassailable lead | Cricket News

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: India continued their dominance in the women’s T20I series, securing an unassailable 3-0 lead by convincingly defeating Bangladesh by seven wickets in the third match held in Sylhet.Opting to field first, captain Harmanpreet Kaur‘s decision proved astute as India’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, limiting Bangladesh to 117/8.In reply, India’s openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma exhibited superb batting, constructing a formidable 91-run partnership in just 12.1 overs.Shafali’s explosive innings of 51 off 38 balls and Mandhana’s solid 47 off 42 balls propelled India towards victory, despite their eventual dismissals. Though Ritu Moni and Nahida Akter secured crucial wickets, India had already inflicted significant damage.Despite Bangladesh’s aggressive start, racing to 44 for no loss in the initial six powerplay overs, India’s bowlers regrouped after the dismissal of Dilara Akter, who blazed away to 39 off 25 balls.Dilara’s batting prowess was evident as she negotiated the Indian bowlers effectively, contributing to Bangladesh’s brisk start at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.Despite trailing 0-2 in the series, Bangladesh displayed determination to salvage the contest, especially after their disappointing performance two days earlier.With the T20 World Cup looming, Bangladesh aimed to solidify their middle-order, an area that had posed challenges. Despite Dilara’s efforts, Bangladesh suffered a setback with the run-out of Murshida Khatun (9) by the combination of Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh.In a significant turn of events, medium pacer Renuka Singh, the standout performer from the series opener, struck a crucial blow against Bangladesh.Her deceptive slower delivery on the leg side caught Dilara’s gloves, deflecting the ball to the wicketkeeper, Ghosh, despite the batter’s attempt to play it aggressively over square leg. This unexpected dismissal dealt a setback to the home team’s momentum as the Indian bowlers sought to establish control.By the 10th over, Bangladesh stood at 66 for two, with captain Nigar Sultana and Sobhana Mostary at the crease. However, a lapse in running between the wickets led to Sobhana’s dismissal for 15 off 20 balls, failing to beat Renuka’s accurate throw to the stumps.The momentum further shifted in India’s favor when Fahima Khatun was adjudged lbw off Shreyanka Patil’s first delivery. The dismissal came as Fahima attempted a sweep but missed the line completely, resulting in a swift end to her innings.(With PTI inputs)

India beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets, take 3-0 unassailable lead

Danijones8 months ago04 mins

A dominant India grabbed an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match women’s T20I series as they pummelled Bangladesh by seven wickets in the third match in Sylhet on May 02. After their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted to field first looking at the cloud cover and a mild breeze, India’s bowlers dished out another disciplined performance to restrict Bangladesh to 117/8, which the visitors overhauled with nine balls to spare. When they came to bat, openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put on 91 runs in just 12.1 overs to take India closer to a series win. Shafali got out after a 38-ball 51, hitting eight fours, while Mandhana found form as she struck 47 off 42 balls with the help of five boundaries and a six. Ritu Moni took a blinder off her bowling to dismiss Shafali while Nahida Akter accounted for Mandhana. But the damage was done. Earlier, the decision to bowl first did not yield the desired result immediately, as Bangladesh raced to 44 for no loss in the six powerplay overs. However, the Indian bowlers tightened the screws on the home team batters after the dismissal of Dilara Akter, who blazed away to 39 off 25 balls. The hosts’ brisk start was largely due to the batting of Dilara Akter who struck a few boundaries and negotiated the Indian bowlers without much difficulty early on at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Trailing 0-2 in the five-match series, Bangladesh looked determined to give a better account of themselves and keep the rubber alive, two days after being shot out for 119 at the same venue. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, the objective is to finalise their middle-order, which has been having some difficulty. Even as Dilara kept the scoreboard moving at a fair clip, Bangladesh lost their first wicket when Murshida Khatun (9) was run out by the Deepti Sharma-Richa Ghosh combo. The star performer of the series opener, medium pacer Renuka Singh dealt a big blow on Bangladesh when her slower delivery on the leg side made contact with Dilara’s gloves on its way to Ghosh, even as the batter looked to hit it hard over the square leg region. The soft dismissal hurt the home team as the India bowlers looked to settle into a nice rhythm. At the end of the 10th over, Bangladesh were 66 for two, with their captain Nigar Sultana and Sobhana Mostary in the middle. A poor example of running between the wickets led to the dismissal of Sobhana (15 off 20 balls), the diving batter failing to beat Renuka’s throw at the striker’s end. Fahima Khatun was out the first ball, given lbw off Shreyanka Patil after the new batter shuffled across to sweep the ball but missed the line completely.

‘Leaving Rinku Singh out of T20 World Cup team toughest thing’: Apologetic Ajit Agarkar finds no fault in KKR batter | Crickit

Danijones8 months ago05 mins

BCCI chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said leaving Rinku Singh out of India’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup was one of the toughest decisions. India announced their squad on Tuesday (April 30) for the world event slated to take place in the USA and West Indies in June this year. The squad has a good mix of youth experience, but the non-selection of Rinku, one of India’s top performers in T20Is in the lead-up to the IPL, became one of the biggest talking points. India’s Rinku Singh plays a shot(BCCI Twitter) The 26-year-old Aligarh left-hander, who captured the cricketing world’s imagination with five sixes in an over during the previous IPL, made way for Shivam Dube in the main national squad while his name ended up being among the reserves. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Two days after naming the squad, Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma answered queries from reporters in a press conference held in Mumbai. Agarkar said Rinku didn’t do anything wrong. The selectors couldn’t pick the dynamic left-hander in the final 15 as they wanted more bowling options. “(Not picking Rinku Singh) the toughest thing that we have to discuss. Rinku hasn’t done anything wrong, nor has Shubman Gill. It’s about the combinations. We are not quite sure about the conditions. So we wanted to have enough (bowling) options. We have picked a couple of wrist spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, to give Rohit more options. There’s Axar (Patel), a bowling all-rounder. It’s just unfortunate,” Agarkar said on Thursday. ‘Not Riku Singh’s fault that he has missed out’: Agarkar News agency PTI quoted a BCCI source privy to the developments in the selection meeting to claim that Rinku may have paid the price of the Impact Player rule in the IPL, which prevented him from having many opportunities with the bat in this IPL for his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. The Impact Player rule has allowed every IPL franchise to field an extra batter when they are batting and replace him with a bowler later. As a result, Rinku, who has made a name for himself as a finisher, has played only 82 balls in 9 matches in IPL 2024, scoring 123 runs at a strike rate of 150. KKR have not needed his finishing skills in most of the matches this year as their openers, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine, have been doing the bulk of the scoring. Agarkar, however, said the decision to leave out Rinku had nothing to do with him. It was because of the combination the team management wanted to find the right balance in the USA and West Indies. “I don’t think it has anything to do with him. It’s not Rinku Singh’s fault that he has missed out. With two keepers who are both terrific batters, there’s already an extra batter sitting. So we thought of having an extra bowling option. Rinku is a travelling reserve; that’s how close he was, it’s a little tough on him but at the end of the day, you can only pick 15,” Agarkar said. India start their campaign in the T20 World Cup against Ireland on June 5.

Was vice-captaincy point of discussion? Chief selector Ajit Agarkar spills beans on Hardik Pandya’s form ahead of T20 WC – India TV

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

Image Source : BCCI/IPL BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar spoke at length about Hardik Pandya and his form in IPL 2024 for the Mumbai Indians Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and Indian skipper Rohit Sharma addressed the press conference in Mumbai on Thursday, May 2 following the T20 World Cup 2024 squad announcement. The questions ranged from being about Rinku Singh’s absence to the reason for picking four spinners in the squad of 15 and about Hardik Pandya’s form, who has been chosen as vice-captain. Agarkar was asked if there was any discussion regarding the vioce-captaincy and the former India pacer denied it while elaborating on Hardik’s form. “Not really, nothing discussed as regards to vice-captaincy. Form, I mean you want all guys to be in good form. I think he [Hardik] has come after a long-ish layoff but the good part is he has gotten through all the games so far for MI. We have got a month and a little bit [more] till we play our first game. We know he is doing that and the hope is that he keeps building on that form. “As long as he is fit, we know what he brings, the balance he gives to the team. I don’t think there’s a replacement for things he can do as a cricketer at the moment, especially when it comes to the way he bowls really gives balance. I think it’ll give Rohit options to play different combinations. So it’s his fitness for us is critical and so far, fortunately, he’s gone okay in this IPL,” Agarkar added while Rohit beside him nodded. Hardik hasn’t had the best of outings in IPL 2024 leading the Mumbai Indians as he has scored 197 runs in 10 matches averaging 22, at a strike rate of 150. With the ball too, Hardik has had a mixed-0bag taking just six wickets in the competition at an economy of 11. As Agarkar said, Hardik is invaluable to the balance of the side and both the captain and the team management will hope to see the Mumbai Indians skipper slowly building up to his best.

‘Nothing new to me, it’s…’: Rohit Sharma on his return to T20 captaincy | Cricket News

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Seasoned Rohit Sharma exuded confidence while embracing the familiar mantle of T20 captaincy, stating that it’s nothing new to him and it’s a part of his life during the media interaction post India’s T20 World Cup selection in Mumbai on Thursday.His words resonate with the calm assurance of someone well-versed in leadership’s ebbs and flows.Undeterred by the weight of responsibility, Rohit’s demeanour suggests a seasoned player ready to navigate the challenges ahead.“I was captain. Not being captain and then again captain. It’s part of life. Not everything will go your way. It’s been a great experience. Before in my life, I was also not captain and played under different captains. It’s nothing to me. I have always tried to do what’s required as a player and I have tried to do that in the last 1 month,” Rohit told reporters on his return to T20 captaincy.Rohit stressed upon the fact that the team management particularly looked at middle-order hitting since our top-order has been good.“Don’t know how the pitch will be in the USA. We are playing in the West Indies but at different venues. You have to look at the opposition combinations as well. One thing that we looked at was middle-order hitting. Our top-order hitting has been alright, not that bad.We wanted someone to play that role in the middle overs freely, without worrying about who is bowling. Shivam Dube was the guy who showed this in IPL. Again, no guarantee what our playing XI will be like. Will decide based on practice and the combination of our opposition,” Rohit added.With a past adorned by numerous captaincy stints, he steps back into the role with an air of nonchalance, as if slipping into a comfortable pair of shoes. Rohit’s return is not just a reinstatement; it’s a reaffirmation of his capability to steer the team through the choppy waters of T20 cricket with aplomb.

'Some Players Going To T20 World Cup On Reputation': Ex-India Stars Unhappy Over Rinku Singh's Snub

BCCI Breaks Silence On Rinku Singh’s T20 World Cup Exclusion, Says “He Has Done…”

Danijones8 months ago03 mins

There has been a lot of discussion over BCCI’s decision to not include Rinku Singh in the 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. The explosive batter showed brilliant promise in IPL 2023 and then followed it up with impressive performances for the Indian cricket team in T20Is. However, he was included in the reserves and Shivam Dube was rewarded for his form in the ongoing IPL 2024. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar finally opened up about the decision and said that it is not because Rinku did anything wrong. In the press conference held on Thursday, Agarkar said that the decision was taken keeping the team composition in mind and as a result, an all-rounder like Axar Patel was preferred. “”It’s probably the toughest thing we have had to discuss. He has done nothing wrong, not even Shubman Gill for that better. It’s about combinations. There are a couple of wrist spinners included to give Rohit more options. It’s just unfortunate. He’s in the reserves, so that tells you how close he came into being in the 15. But at the end of the day you can only pick 15 players in the squad,” Agarkar said. Agarkar also opened up about Hardik Pandya’s role as well as his appointment as vice-captain. “Nothing discussed regards to vice captaincy. He has come agfter a longish layoff. He has gotten through all the games for MI and we have got another month and a little bit till we play our first game. Hope is that he builds on that form. There’s no replacement on what he brings to the team, especially with the ball. His fitness is critical and so far he has gone well in the IPL,” the BCCI chief selector explained. India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024:Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah. Reserves:Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan Topics mentioned in this article

SRH vs RR Live Score, IPL 2024: Yuzvendra Chahal Close To Becoming First Indian Bowler To Achieve Massive T20 Feat

Danijones8 months ago01 mins

SRH vs RR Live: Squads – Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (c), Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Donovan Ferreira, Kunal Rathore, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, Rovman Powell, Shubham Dubey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Abid Mushtaq, Nandre Burger, Tanush Kotian, Keshav Maharaj. SunRisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (c), Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Sanvir Singh, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Agarwal, T. Natarajan, Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Upendra Singh Yadav (wk), Umran Malik, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Travis Head, Jaydev Unadkat, Akash Singh, Jhathavedh Subramanyan.

CSK, PBKS – The Hindu

Danijones8 months ago02 mins

Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said the pitch getting easier to bat in the second innings and the rival spinners winning the middle-overs battle in the first essay proved crucial in his side’s loss to Punjab Kings. “They got good purchase and we just got stifled through the middle overs… we were muddled and inaccurate with bat and ball, ” Fleming said on Wednesday. “Every match we played has been wet. Our spinners have had no impact because they could not turn the ball.” Backing Rahane He also backed Ajinkya Rahane’s timid approach in the PowerPlay. “I thought he was good. He was probably too aggressive in terms of what he was trying to do. We have to pause to see what a good score is. If you’re three for 30 then the game is pretty much over. We have an assessment period which we want those two (openers) to do. So, we’re fine with the role Rahane plays,” Fleming added. Rossouw lauds skipper Curran PBKS batter Rilee Rossouw lauded skipper Sam Curran’s brave call to give the penultimate over to leg-spinner Rahul Chahar with M.S. Dhoni on strike. “I’ve got to give credit to Sam. He took the gamble and it came off beautifully. That’s not something we see every day in cricket.”

“How many IPL hund’How many IPL hundreds you scored’: AB de Villiers slams data-driven pundits for criticising Virat Kohli’s IPL strike ratereds you scored’: AB de Villiers slams data-driven pundits for criticising Virat Kohli’s IPL strike rate | Cricket News

Danijones8 months ago06 mins

NEW DELHI: Former South Africa AB de Villiers has strongly criticized cricket analysts who rely heavily on data for their assessment of players. He particularly targeted their criticism of Virat Kohli‘s strike rate outside the powerplay during the ongoing Indian Premier League.Kohli has been in exceptional form this season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, amassing 500 runs at a strike rate of 147 and an impressive average of 77, placing him second on the list of top scorers.Despite Kohli’s stellar performance, he has faced consistent scrutiny for his strike rate against spinners, particularly in the middle overs. However, de Villiers, who previously played alongside Kohli for RCB, disagrees with this assessment.De Villiers hailed Kohli as one of the game’s finest players, emphasizing that it’s unwise for data-driven pundits to critique such a stalwart.“Virat Kohli catching criticism about his strike rate it’s been going on for too long and I am sort of fed up with that now. I am frustrated to say the least. This guy is one of the best players to have ever played the game of cricket. He is incredible in the IPL, he plays a certain role for RCB,” the South African said on his YouTube channel.“I have pretty much enough of data-driven pundits who keep criticising this man (Kohli) when you don’t have the knowledge of the game. How many games you played? How many IPL hundreds you scored?“All the people who talk about strike rates and not playing spin well are the ones talking about this stuff. For me, it’s about winning the games for the team and there is a reason why you have done it for 15 years, you have done this day in and day out, you have won games for your teams.”De Villiers feel Kohli has nothing to prove to anyone, and should just concentrate on his game.“I am quite sure that if you haven’t been been in that situation yourself, to sit and talk about the game, it’s not quite the same thing. For me, people can talk about their assumptions day in and day out but those who have done day in and day out, they know what’s happening and it’s a kind of muscle memory for me now.“His strike rate, by the way, this season is even better than the record-breaking season he had not so long ago (2016 season). So, I don’t know where the criticism is coming from. He is batting like a dream at the moment,” he said.De Villiers’ support came after Kohli had lashed out at his critics following his 44-ball unbeaten 70 in RCB’s nine-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad in their previous game.The former South African batter, however, feels Kohli is best suited at the No.3 position for RCB.“Virat has successfully batted with a proven formula that has brought victories for the team. The rest of the squad — including the coach and captain — need to strategise around Virat’s successful approach. Personally, I still believe Virat is best suited for number three in the batting order.“Though he loves opening and has an incredible record doing so, batting him at three would optimise this team’s lineup with Will Jacks and Faf (du Plessis) opening. Putting Virat at three would give the openers the best opportunity to get off to a fast start,” he added.(With PTI inputs)