November 5, 2024
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"It's good news for Punjab as well as India": Aakash Chopra on Arsdeep Singh's performance | Cricket

Rajasthan Royals win the see-saw battle against Punjab Kings; Hetmyer shines with bat | Cricket

Danijones010 mins

Mullanpur [India], : A determined and entertaining knock by Shimron Hetmyer helped Rajasthan Royals secure a three-wicket win over Punjab Kings in a last over thriller during the Indian Premier League at Mullanpur Stadium on Saturday. It was Punjab Kings second defeat on their home turf. HT Image RR continue to be on the top of points table with five wins and a loss and 10 points. PBKS are in the eighth spot, with two wins and four losses. Unlock exclusive access to the story of India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! In the run-chase of 148 runs, Rajasthan openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tanush Kotian started off well, taking precautions and not hitting too many big hits. Jaiswal in particular, took his time on the crease, hoping to find some form and runs. At the end of six overs and the powerplay, RR were 43/0, with Jaiswal and Kotian unbeaten. 50 runs were up for RR in 7.1 overs. The 56-run stand between the two ended with Kotian’s stumps castled by Liam Livingstone He scored 24 off 31 balls. RR were 56/1 in 8.2 overs. At the end of 10 overs, RR were 66/1, with skipper Sanju Samson joining Jaiswal . Samson hit Livingstone for a four and six. Jaiswal could not get his half-century. Kagiso Rabada got his first wicket and Harshal Patel took a catch at third man to remove the left-hander for 39 in 28 balls, with four boundaries. RR were 82/2 in 11.2 overs. Samson also gave away his wicket, as he was trapped leg-before-wicket by Rabada for 18 in 14 balls, with a four and six. RR were 89/3 in 13.2 overs. Youngsters Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel took RR to the 100-run mark in 15.1 overs. With some tight bowling, PBKS bowlers had managed to put pressure on RR. Though Parag tried to accelerate scoring with a six, Arshdeep got him caught near the boundary for 23 in 18 balls. RR were 113/4 in 16.2 overs. Just a few balls later, Harshal Patel dismissed Dhruv Jurel as well, for just six runs. Shashank Singh took a catch to reduce RR to 115/5 in 17.2 overs. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell took off a considerable amount of pressure in the see-saw battle with Hetmyer scoring a six and four in the 18th over, leaving RR with 20 runs to chase in 12 balls. Powell started the next over with two fours. However, he was caught behind by Jitesh Sharma, giving Sam Curran a wicket. He was gone for 11 in five balls. RR were 136/6 in 18.3 overs. Curran got Keshav Maharaj caught by Liam Livingstone on the final ball for just one. RR needed 10 runs in the final over. Arshdeep Singh was sent to bowl and he delivered two yorkers, but conceded a six on the third ball. Hetmyer took a double, bringing down the deficit to two runs in two balls. Hetmyer hit the winning boundary on the second-last ball, ending the innings at 152/7 in 19.5 overs. Hetmyer scored a magnificent 27 in 10 balls and was unbeaten with Trent Boult who was yet to open his account. Rabada and Curran were the top bowlers for PBKS. Earlier, fiery spells from Avesh Khan and Keshav Maharaj kept the wickets falling at regular intervals while a cameo from Ashutosh Sharma powered Punjab Kings to a respectable 147/8 in their 20 overs. After being put to bat first, PBKS started off cautiously, with openers Atharva Taide and Jonny Bairstow not taking a lot of risk against the new ball trio of Trent Boult, Avesh Khan and Kuldip Sen. Avesh got his first wicket in the powerplay, removing Taide for 12-ball 15, with two fours. He was caught by Kuldip at short third man. PBKS were 27/1 in 3.4 overs.Prabhsimran Singh and Bairstow took PBKS through the remainder of the powerplay without any further loss. Aet the end of six overs, PBKS were 38/1 after the powerplay. However, just after the powerplay ended, Prabhsimran threw his wicket, gifting an easy catch to Dhruv Jurel and Yuzvendra Chahal his 198th IPL wicket. e Bairstow’s poor run in IPL continued, as he gave Shimron Hetmyer some easy catching practice at cover region. Keshav Maharaj got him for just 15 runs in 19 balls, with only one boundary. PBKS were 47/3 in seven overs. Sam Curran joined Jitesh Sharma. PBKS reached the 50-run mark in nine overs. Jurel just could not be kept out of action as he ran from deep mid-wicket to take a fine catch, removing Curran for six off ten balls. Maharaj got his second wicket. PBKS were 52/4 in 9.3 overs. At the end of 10 overs, PBKS were 53/4. At the other end was now Shashank Singh, the uncapped Indian batter who had emerged as PBKS’ hero in the previous two matches. However, tight bowling from Royals’ managed to keep the batter silent, as Kuldip got his wicket for just nine runs in nine balls. Liam Livingstone joined Jitesh at the other end. Both upped the attack, smashing Kuldip for 17 runs in the 16th over, including two sixes and a four. 100 runs were up for Punjab in 16 overs. Avesh cut short their promising partnership at just 33 runs, removing Jitesh for 29 in 24 balls, with a four and two sixes. Riyan Parag took an easy catch. The next player was the ‘Impact Player’ Ashuotsh Sharma. He made his intentions clear by smashing Chahal for a six, but Livingstone was run out on the very next ball for 21 in 14 balls, with two fours and a six. The penultimate over by Avesh relieved some pressure for Punjab, as Ashutosh smashed two sixes and got 18 runs from it, taking the score to 141. The final over bowled by Boult produced only six runs and the wicket of Ashutosh on the final ball. PBKS ended their innings at 147/8 in their 20 overs, with…

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Uganda's Frank Nsubuga set to become oldest player at this year's T20 World Cup | Cricket News

Uganda’s Frank Nsubuga set to become oldest player at this year’s T20 World Cup | Cricket News

Danijones02 mins

NEW DELHI: Ugandan off-spinner Frank Nsubuga is poised to etch his name in cricketing history as the oldest player to grace the T20 World Cup stage, at a remarkable 43 years of age.The Uganda Cricket Association made headlines on Monday by unveiling their 15-member squad for the prestigious tournament, marking Uganda’s debut in the main round of the competition. Brian Masaba assumes the leadership mantle for the squad, with Riazat Ali Shah appointed as his deputy.Uganda’s journey to the T20 World Cup has been a tale of perseverance and triumph, culminating in their commendable second-place finish in the Africa Qualifiers Regional Final, securing their rightful place among cricketing elites on the global stage.Their campaign kicks off on June 3 in Guyana, where they will lock horns with Afghanistan in a Group C encounter. Joining them in this group are formidable opponents like New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the host nation, West Indies.This daunting challenge presents an opportunity for Uganda to showcase their talent and make a mark in the cricketing fraternity, embodying the spirit of resilience and determination that defines their journey to the T20 World Cup.Uganda squad: Brian Masaba (c), Riazat Ali Shah (vc), Kenneth Waiswa, Dinesh Nakrani, Frank Nsubuga, Ronak Patel, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Bilal Hassun, Fred Achelam, Robinson Obuya, Simon Ssesazi, Henry Ssenyondo, Alpesh Ramjani and Juma Miyaji.Reserve players: Ronald Lutaaya and Innocent Mwebaze.(With PTI inputs)

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‘Don’t know which mathematical situation we're talking about…': Hardik Pandya on MI qualifying for IPL play-offs

‘Don’t know which mathematical situation we’re talking about…’: Hardik Pandya on MI qualifying for IPL play-offs

Danijones07 mins

Mumbai Indians shrugged off a four-match losing streak by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets to keep their slender hopes of staying alive in IPL 2024. Yes, you read that right! MI still have a chance of making it to the play-offs. Their captain, Hardik Pandya, however, is not so sure about the absurd mathematical calculations. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya “I don’t know which mathematical situation we’re talking about, but at the same time, you want to focus on playing good cricket,” Hardik said in the post-match presentation when asked by former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar about MI’s chances of making it to the next round. This was MI’s first win in five matches. But the emphatic win was enough to help them rise above the last position to No.9 in the IPL 2024 points table. Apart from MI, there are three other teams – Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings – on 8 points. All of them have played a match less than the five-time champions. Then there are the Delhi Capitals with 10 points and Chennai Super Kings, SRH and Lucknow Super Giants with 12 points. These are seven teams MI can either catch or beat, provided the results of other matches go their way. Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, with 16 points each, are way ahead in the play-off race. Let’s look at how the stars need to align for MI to make it to the playoffs MI have two matches left against Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants. To make it to playoffs, they have first to make sure to win both matches. However, the job won’t end there as they have to rely on other teams’ results to advance in the tournament. It would be crucial for them that current leaders Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals finished the league stage in the top 2 positions. Meanwhile, the result of Sunrisers vs Super Giants is also going to be crucial for MI as the loser of the tie has to lose all the remaining matches and finish with 12 points. CSK also have to lose their three remaining matches to keep MI’s playoff hopes alive by finishing the league at 12 points. Meanwhile, it will be crucial for MI that the remaining teams, who are currently placed at the bottom four, don’t get over 12 points. However, even after all that, Hardik and Co. have to rely on the NRR with multiple teams staying on the 12 points to move ahead in the tournament. Suryakumar powers MI’s emphatic win over SRH MI won the toss and elected to field first. SRH lost wickets at regular intervals from the beginning and it was knocks from Travis Head (48 in 30 balls, with seven fours and a six) and skipper Pat Cummins (35* in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) that took SRH to 173/8 in their 20 overs. In the run chase, MI lost their top order early and was reeling at 31/3. It was then that Suryakumar (102* in 51 balls with 12 fours and six sixes) and Tilak Varma (37* in 32 balls, with six fours) launched a counter attack which guided MI to a win with 16 balls left. Suryakumar took home the ‘Player of the Match’ honour. MI is at the ninth spot with four wins and eight losses, giving them eight points. SRH is at fourth with six wins, five losses and 12 points. “I think we were quite good with the ball today, still reckon 10-15 runs extra, but nevertheless, the way batters batted was brilliant,” Hardik said. “My bowling, I do the stuff, I do. I like to bowl in the right areas, I bowl according to the situation. Today, it was nipping around, and that worked. “SKY was unbelievable. More than him getting runs, him putting so much pressure on bowlers that even other batters get loose balls. He breaks you. He’s evolved. Lucky to have him in my team. Hope to have many more such innings,” he added.

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IPL 2024 | Rahul, Langer's backing motivated me: LSG batter Badoni

IPL 2024 | Rahul, Langer’s backing motivated me: LSG batter Badoni

Danijones07 mins

Ayush Badoni of Lucknow Super Giants drives Mukesh Kumar of Delhi Capitals in the IPL match at Ekana stadium in Lucknow on April 12, 2024. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Young Lucknow Super Giants batter Ayush Badoni credited skipper KL Rahul and coach Justin Langer for keeping faith in him despite his disappointing run early in the ongoing IPL season, saying their support helped him perform against the Delhi Capitals, albeit in a losing cause. The 24-year-old Badoni struck an unbeaten 55 off 35 balls to help resurrect LSG’s innings and post a competitive 167 for 7, a target which the Delhi Capitals achieved in 18.1 overs here on Friday. “The start of the season was not good but I was doing well at the nets. So I am thankful to KL Rahul and Justin Langer for backing me and giving me chance,” Badoni said at the post-match press conference. “While I was batting I was just thinking of taking the game deep and then attack because if we bat till 20 overs we can score 150 plus. I think we were 20 runs short. “I was quite motivated because I was batting well at the nets so I was just backing myself, I was just waiting for the knock which came today.” Badoni said he shares a good bonding with both the skipper and coach and that has helped him in improving his game. “I spoke a lot to KL Rahul and he backs me everytime. He tells me you are best player and you can finish well. I also share a good bonding with Justin. I went to Australia last year and there also he made learn a few things and improved my game,” he said. “I went to Australia in September last which was facilitated by LSG where we had a training camp with Justin for 10 days and that helped me a lot.” Badoni said DC spinner Kuldeep Yadav (3/20) turned out to be match-winner. “Kuldeep was bowling well. He broke our momentum,” he said. DC assistant coach Pravin Amre believes Jake Fraser-McGurk’s whirlwind knock in his debut IPL appearance helped the team to chase down the target easily as he grabbed his opportunity with both hands. The 22-year-old Australian struck a belligerent 55 off 35 deliveries which included five massive sixes. “It was tremendous innings by Jack because he was batting very well at the nets. We have got that he has that X-factor, the ability to strike the sixes and he also got five sixes. That’s was this format is all about and we were doing well in the last 2 games but we were not crossing the line. “So we wanted some impact on the game. We have talent but it’s important to deliver and I think Jack has got that talent and he can be dangerous in this format,” he said. “Jack got the opportunity today and he grabbed it with both hands. It is important for a good talent to perform on the ground because there is vast difference is performing at the nets and in a match.” Amre also credited Prithvi Shaw (32 off 22) for giving them a good start. “As an opener he (Shaw) has got a role to play, winning the powerplay is also critical. As a a coaching staff we want him to play at least 30 balls because if he plays 30 balls we have more chance to win. “In 22 balls he got 32 and that was also important because we were chasing and his experienced partner (David) Warner got out and that also allowed Jack to settle down. But he being more consistent is good for him as well for the team also.” Amre also lauded spinners Kuldeep and Axar Patel, who dominated in the crucial middle overs. “We are forgetting Kuldeep’s contribution. He bowled a dream ball to dismiss Nicholas Pooran. Axar also bowled well in the middle overs giving away just 25 runs off his 4 overs. We took the control of the game after powerplay and all credit goes to our spin department.”

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India vs England Women 1st T20 Match Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds

India vs England Women 1st T20 Match Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds

Vann Hiso03 mins

Get to Know Who will win IND-W vs ENG-W 1st T20 2023 Match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, Playing 11, Dream11, Live score & winning percentage. MATCH: India vs England Women DATE: Dec 06, 2023TIME: 19:00 IST / 13:30 GMTVENUE: Wankhede Stadium – Mumbai, India TOURNAMENT: India vs England Women 1st T20 2023 India vs England Women Betting Tips Smriti Mandhana will fancy her chances of scoring big in the first T20I. She can be backed as India women top batter.England will rest hopes on star batter Nat Brunt, who has good experience of playing in these conditions. Brunt is our pick for England top batter.India women have more quality and depth in batting and they are likely to hit more boundaries. India vs England Women TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. India vs England Women 1st T20 Match Prediction & Betting TipsIndia women will face England women in the 1st T20I of the three match series. The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and will start at 7:00 PM IST on December 6. IND-W vs ENG-W, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Pitch ReportThe wicket will be good for cricket. There will be some movement on offer with the new ball it won’t last long. It is a high scoring ground and we should see runs flow in the first T20I. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for India vs England Women 1st T20, 2023

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Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes Today Match Prediction & Live Odds - BBL 2023

Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes Today Match Prediction & Live Odds – BBL 2023

Vann Hiso05 mins

Get to Know Who will win SCO vs HUR, Big Bash League 2023 Match and toss Prediction with Head to Head stats, Playing 11, CBTFJSK Tips, Live score & winning percentage. MATCH: Perth Scorchers vs Hobart HurricanesDATE: Dec 20, 2023TIME: 13:45 IST / 8:15 GMTVENUE: Perth Stadium – Perth, Australia TOURNAMENT: Big Bash League (BBL) 2023  Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes Betting Tips Aaron Hardie hit 20 runs from 15 balls from number three against Melbourne Stars and the 24 year old Australia international is our tip for Perth Scorchers’ highest run scorer against Hobart Hurricanes. Jason Behrendorff took 3/28 and produced a maiden in Match 7, he is a strong choice for Perth Scorchers’ top wicket taker on Wednesday.Matthew Wade will take on the opposition bowlers from the first ball and the opener is our pick for Hobart Hurricanes’ highest run scorer in this game. Nathan Ellis has over 150 wickets in this format with six 4-wicket hauls across his career. We are backing him to be Hobart Hurricanes’ top wicket taker against Perth Scorchers.With a strike-rate of 8.00 so far in the tournament, we recommend selecting Jason Behrendorff to take over 1.5 wickets in this clash. Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. SCO vs HUR T20 Match Prediction & Betting Tips, BBL 2023 Match 9 of the 2023-24 Big Bash League sees Perth Scorchers take on Hobart Hurricanes in Perth on Wednesday evening. The Scorchers first game of the campaign was abandoned after 6.5 overs due to a poor pitch but they then beat Melbourne Stars by 7 wickets. Hobart Hurricanes lost their only match to Sydney Sixers. Read on as we preview this BBL fixture. The match gets underway at the Perth Stadium at 19:15 local time. The comfortable win over Melbourne Stars shows that Perth Scorchers are going to be just as strong as they have been in previous seasons in this year’s BBL. Their bowling attack is particularly strong and we expect to see another victory for the Scorchers in this game. Hobart Hurricanes may have got off to a disappointing start against Sydney Sixers but they have plenty of talent throughout their team and if they have a good day could well cause some problems for Perth Scorchers. Getting a win in Perth will be a tough assignment though. SCO vs HUR Match Toss PredictionTeams batting second have a marginally stronger record in this format at this ground and with the conditions unlikely to change much at all over the duration of the match we expect both skippers to want to field first. SCO vs HUR Pitch ReportAlthough the average T20 score dipped to 140 at the Perth Stadium, we can expect a good batting pitch with a par score in the region of 165-170 on Wednesday. Perth Weather ReportThe temperature will be in the high 20s throughout this evening game. There will be cloud cover and moderate humidity levels throughout. Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds, and match prediction for Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes, BBL 2023

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India Women vs New Zealand Women, ICCWWC__T20, Today Match Prediction

India Women vs New Zealand Women, ICCWWC__T20, Today Match Prediction

Vann Hiso04 mins

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : India Women vs New Zealand Women𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : Oct 04, Friday𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 19:30 PM IST​​𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : ICC Womens T20 World Cup, 2024 India Women and New Zealand Women begin their 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup adventure on Friday afternoon in Dubai. India Women vs New Zealand Women TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. IND-W vs NZW Match Prediction & Analysis By the time this game begins, we will already have enjoyed three matches in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup but the arrival of an India side in any global tournament is one not to miss! This is particularly the case in this T20 World Cup as India Women will be one of the best if not the best supported sides in the UAE. They have a mission to achieve as well after a disappointing showing in 2022 where they did not make the final and were knocked out in the semis. TEAMS PREVIEW India Preview Although it is Australia Women who come into this tournament as most pundit’s first choice, India Women are not too far behind and we expect them to field their best XI in this game as they look to get off to a winning start. New Zealand Preview With their male counterparts proving themselves adept at producing some excellent performances at major tournaments over the last decade, New Zealand Women have struggled to really make an impact against the best teams. However, with New Zealand Men now seemingly going through a period of transition, now is the time for the White Ferns to step up! Weather Conditions There will certainly be no rain interrupting this contest in Dubai with the players on both sides likely to be fielding in temperatures of over 32 degrees. Humidity levels will move around in between 50 and 60% but will not rise much higher than this even during the evening. IND-W vs NZW Pitch Report The Dubai International Cricket Stadium should have a fair bit of pace in the wicket which will encourage the stroke-makers in both line-ups to really play their shots. Whoever bats first will be looking to post a total of at least 150 to give themselves a real chance of beginning this campaign with a victory.

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Watch: Virat Kohli spotted shopping in Lahore during his U-19 days | Cricket News

Watch: Virat Kohli spotted shopping in Lahore during his U-19 days | Cricket News

Danijones02 mins

Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) draft schedule for the 2025 Champions Trophy reportedly lists Lahore as the venue for all matches of Team India, and while it remains uncertain if the BCCI will get permission to travel across the border for the tournament, fans in Pakistan are already excited about it, especially in anticipation of watching batting legend Virat Kohli play on Pakistan soil. The three venues where PCB is planning to host the two-week tournament are Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.Since the news broke, a video of Virat shopping in Lahore during his under-19 days has resurfaced on social media. Watch Video The video clip dates back to 2006 when the India U-19 team travelled for a bilateral series in Pakistan.Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara and Piyush Chawla, who can be seen in the video, were also part of the team. If the Indian government allows the team to travel for the 2025 Champions Trophy, it will the first visit by an Indian team to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.There is also possiblity of BCCI demanding a hybrid model, which was followed for the Asia Cup hosted by Pakistan last year, when India played all their matches in Sri Lanka.

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T20 World Cup 2024: Where to Watch India vs Bangladesh warm-up Match

T20 World Cup 2024: Where to Watch India vs Bangladesh warm-up Match

Danijones04 mins

India and Bangladesh will lock horns with each other in the warm-up game of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Saturday, June 1 at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York. The game will serve as the preparation for the T20 extravaganza for both teams who will look to get used to the conditions before the main event begins. India arrived in the USA on May 26 and got engaged in a few practice sessions ahead of the encounter to get themselves ready for the competition. All the members of the Indian squad have arrived in the country barring star batter Virat Kohli who will link up with the team soon ahead of the fixture. However, his participation in the game is still under question. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s first warm-up game against the US got washed out. However, they haven’t had a memorable time heading into the event having faced an embarrassing 1-2 loss in the T20I series against the US who beat a full-member nation for the first time in their cricketing history. Despite the game being a warm-up fixture, the contest promises to be a mouth-watering affair given the recent battles between the two sides. Notably, India and Bangladesh share a great rivalry in the cricketing world having contested in some of the memorable encounters over the years. The Men in Blue have an upper hand over the Bangla Tigers, having beaten them on 12 occasions out of the 13 matches played between the two teams. Despite the results ending heavily in favour of India historically, the two teams have been in involved in numerous close encounters in recent times. The most memorable one being the 2016 T20 World Cup fixture where India beat Bangladesh by one run in a thrilling finish. The previous edition of the tournament also witnessed a thrilling game between the two teams as India narrowly managed to beat Bangladesh in a rain-marred encounter. Hence, fans will be eagerly anticipating another close fixture between the two sides to prepare them well for the World Cup. Hence, fans are expected to stay glued to their television or other devices to witness the epic encounter. When to watch live streaming of ICC T20 World Cup 2024 matches? The India vs Bangladesh warm-up game of the T20 World Cup 2024 will begin at 8:00 PM (IST) on Saturday, June 1. Where to watch live streaming of India vs Bangladesh warm-up match? Star Sports Network has the telecasting rights for the entire T20 World Cup 2024 and hence will be telecasting the game. On the other hand, live streaming of the match will be available on Disney+Hotstar. Published By: Rishabh Beniwal Published On: May 31, 2024

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'Shreyas Iyer was groomed as India captain after Rohit Sharma, not Hardik Pandya or Jadeja': Ex-BCCI chief selector

‘Shreyas Iyer was groomed as India captain after Rohit Sharma, not Hardik Pandya or Jadeja’: Ex-BCCI chief selector

Danijones06 mins

Shreyas Iyer was being groomed as the next Indian captain after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, said former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad. Iyer, a regular in all three formats not too long ago, is going through a challenging phase after losing his central contract for 2024-25 for not playing in the Ranji Trophy despite the board’s orders. The talented right-hander has not been at his absolute best with the bat in IPL 2024 either, having scored 257 runs in 10 matches. But his captaincy has been superb. Kolkata Knight Riders sit at No.2 in the IPL points table with seven wins in 10 matches and stand a good chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Shreyas Iyer(AFP) Prasad said Iyer was groomed for the leadership role, unlike Hardik Pandya or Ravindra Jadeja. He has a better chance of succeeding at the highest level when he gets the opportunity. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! “Shreyas Iyer, unlike Hardik Pandya or Ravindra Jadeja has been groomed (as a captain). He has come through a system,” Prasad told Rev Sports. The former India keeper-batter said Iyer was ahead of Rishabh Pant when the selection committee looked at options to prepare for the post-Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma era. Prasad said Iyer had a pretty good record while captaining India A. “If you go back to the stats, in the last two years, when we were at the helm, Shreyas Iyer led the side (India A). I think out of 10 series that India A played, we won 8. In the majority of those series, Shreyas led the side. He has been in and around as captain. He has been groomed for that particular slot. We felt that post Virat, post Rohit Sharma, you needed someone to lead the side that’s when we started thinking about Shreyas Iyer or Rishabh Pant. But even ahead of Pant was Iyer as a captain,” he added. Iyer first big leadership exposure came in 2018 when Gautam Gambhir quit as the Delhi Capitals captain midway through the season and handed over the reins to a young Iyer. Prasad said Iyer was fortunate to start his leadership career under Ricky Ponting, who was the head coach of DC. “He was fortunate enough to get to lead Delhi Capitals under Ricky Ponting. The grooming process began there. It was unfortunate that DC could not hang on to Iyer as Rishabh stepped into his shoes and did reasonably well. The best part was that he moved away from DC so that KKR could give him captaincy responsibility.” After a shoulder injury in early 2021, the right-hander couldn’t take part in the first leg of IPL 2021 and eventually lost the captaincy to Rishabh Pant for the whole season. He was released and picked up by KKR in the mega auction ahead of IPL 2022. Prasad said Iyer has shown signs of maturing into a very good leader. “He is slowly maturing into a very good leader. It’s very important at the start of your captaincy career to have a good team management. That’s what he’s getting from KKR. He is young, and they are going to invest in him. In the next two or three years, we will see Shreyas evolve into a wonderful captain.”

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