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Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell Make 50s As West Indies Hammer Nine-Man Australia By 35 Runs

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

Fifties by Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell helped West Indies outpunch a nine-man Australia by 35 runs in their warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup in Port of Spain, Trinidad. As it happened in their first training match against Namibia, the Aussies fielded only nine players against the Windies. Selector George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald filled the remaining two spots while fielding. Batting first, West Indies rode on fifties by Pooran (75), skipper Powell (52) and an unbeaten 47 off 18 balls by Sherfane Rutherford to raise 257 for 4 in 20 overs. In reply, Josh Inglis (55) led Australia’s reply and there were a 39 by Ellis and numerous 20s as Australia finished at 222 for seven. Earlier, Australia had Tim David, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis and Ashton Agar as bowlers, and all went for plenty. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh, recuperating from an injury, refrained from bowling, though he later batted. West Indies innings was built around fine partnerships between Pooran and Johnson Charles (40), who milked 90 runs for the second wicket and a 63 for the unbroken fifth wicket between Rutherford and Shimron Hetmyer (18). The absence of skipper Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green and Travis Head was felt as they are yet to join the squad. They are spending a few extra days at home after a taxing campaign in the recently concluded IPL. Namibia beat PNG Namibia defeated Papua New Guinea by three runs under the DLS method. Batting first, PNG were restricted to 109 for seven in 20 overs, and Namibia were 93 for six in 16.5 overs when the skies opened up in Tarouba. But they were three runs ahead in the DLS calculations at that stage. At Dallas, the match between the Netherlands and Canada was abandoned without a ball being bowled. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

“Whether Gautam Gambhir Becomes Coach Or Ashish Nehra…”: Ex-India Star’s Clear Message

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

File photo of Gautam Gambhir© AFP There has been a lot of speculation over the selection of Indian cricket team’s new head coach. Rahul Dravid’s tenure as coach will come to an end after the T20 World Cup 2024 and the BCCI have already started discussions with some potential candidates. Reports suggested that Gautam Gambhir was the front-runner for the job with Ashish Nehra also in the fray. As of now, it seems like the BCCI are keen of appointing an Indian coach and reports claimed that not many foreign coaches have applied for the position. Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that whoever becomes the next coach should work on bringing “everyone together” in the side. “If I say it properly, it is a speculation, which is doing rounds…the biggest thing a coach can do is to bring everyone together, so that team plays together. So, whether Gautam becomes coach or Ashish Nehra, or whosoever gets the opportunity, hope they do better than what others before them did,” he told PTI. Harbhajan ruled himself out of the head coach race stating that he has a young family and the appointment will be a huge commitment for him. “I don’t think I will be able to give that much time. At this stage of my life I have a young family and I need to be around them and look after them. Yes, when the right time comes, I will put my foot forward and say I am ready for it,” he said. Meanwhile, Rinku Singh opened up about missing out on T20 World Cup 2024 selection. “Yes, anyone feels a little bad if he is not selected despite good performance. However, this time I could not get selected due to the team combination. It is okay, one should not think too much about things that are not in one’s hands. Yes, I was a little upset in the beginning. Whatever happened is fine. Whatever happens happens for good. Rohit Bhaiya did not say anything special. He only said that just keep working hard. There is a World Cup again after two years. There is no need to worry too much. This is what he said to me,” Rinku said in an interview with Dainik Jagran. Topics mentioned in this article

“No Retentions But 8…”: KKR CEO’s Offbeat Advice For Next IPL Auction

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

KKR defeat SRH to clinch IPL 2024 title© AFP The IPL 2024 season came to a close with Kolkata Knight Riders claiming the title after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in a somewhat one-sided final. This year’s competition was the last in the three-year cycle and that means a mega-auction will take place ahead of IPL 2025. There will be a major shift in the tournament once again with teams allowed to retain just a handful of players and the majority of the cricket going under the hammer. However, reports claimed that IPL owners are discussing slight tweaks to the rules and KKR owner Venky Mysore even came with an interesting suggestion. In a video posted by famous cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle on his YouTube channel, he revealed that Venky Mysore came up with a suggestion that there should not be any retentions and teams should have 8 Right To Match (RTM) cards which will result in retentions at market price. The last mega-auction took place ahead of the IPL 2022 where all teams were allotted a purse of Rs 90 crore and were allowed to retain a maximum of 4 players. However, it came with the condition that the teams could retain a maximum of 3 Indian players and not more than 2 overseas players. Earlier, former Indian cricket team batter Ambati Rayudu suggested that IPL winners should receive an extra 2-3 retention spots in these mega auctions. However, he did not find a lot of support and former England skipper Kevin Pietersen did not agree with his suggestion. “And maybe, you know, the winner should get an extra 2-3 spots or maybe those who reached the final. They should get that because they deserve it, they played a brilliant season, so maybe they should take an extra 2-3 spots in terms of retention,” Rayudu said on Star Sports. Topics mentioned in this article

England Overwhelm Pakistan In Final T20I Match Before World Cup Defence

Danijones7 months ago05 mins

Reigning champions England produced a fine all-round display as they beat Pakistan by seven wickets at The Oval on Thursday in their last competitive match before they begin the defence of their Twenty20 World Cup title. England restricted Pakistan to a modest 157 after winning the toss, with leg-spinner Adil Rashid, the player-of-the-match taking 2-27 from his maximum four overs. They then made a rapid start to their chase as Phil Salt (45) and skipper Jos Buttler (39) shared a blistering opening stand of 82 inside seven overs. Harry Brook ended the game with a six off paceman Haris Rauf, the pick of the Pakistan attack with 3-38, as England finished on 158-6 to win with more than three overs to spare. Victory gave England a 2-0 triumph in a four-match T20 series where games at Headingley and Cardiff were both washed out without a ball bowled. “We have worked hard in training and there is a good feeling around the squad,” Buttler told Sky Sports. Buttler was leading England after his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child following his dashing 84 in the hosts’ 23-run win in the second T20 at Edgbaston. “It would have been nice to get two more games in to expose a few guys to different situations,” Buttler added. “But we have really good experience in the group and a lot of guys have been playing in the IPL (Indian Premier League), so we are not short of cricket.” Both England openers launched Naseem Shah for huge sixes before Salt holed out off Rauf for a quickfire 45. Earlier, Pakistan had been well-placed at 59-0 after losing the toss at an overcast Oval. But they slumped to 86-5, the collapse starting when captain Babar Azam was caught at slip for a brisk 36 off fast bowler Jofra Archer. “It went well for five or six overs but then I got out,” said Azam. “The middle order needs to step up. “We need to sort out those things for the World Cup. We have a few injuries but there are a lot of positives. Our play is good in patches.” Pakistan were also undone by a disciplined England attack, with Rashid telling reporters: “As a unit I thought we bowled exceptionally well. I know they (Pakistan) got off to a great start, but that’s T20 cricket.” Rashid was also enthused by the sight of injury-prone quicks Archer and Mark Wood, who took wickets with sharp bouncers, bowling in tandem. “Jof and Woody, when you watch them bowl it is exciting,” he said. “Seeing the ball zip off the pitch, the keeper taking it really high and it’s exciting to have two quality, world-class bowlers in our squad.” England launch their T20 World Cup campaign against Scotland in Barbados on June 4, with 2009 champions Pakistan in action two days later against co-hosts the United States in Dallas. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

England vs Pakistan 4th T20I Live Score and Latest Updates

Danijones7 months ago01 mins

England vs Pakistan 4th T20I Live Score and Latest Updates© AFP England vs Pakistan 4th T20I Live Score: Pakistan slumped to 91/5 before rain stopped play in the fourth and final T20I against England. The match had resumed after some light showers. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan gave Pakistan a brisk start after they were put to bat first in London. Babar hit 36 off 22 while Rizwan scored a 16-ball 23 as Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid and removed them in the space of five balls. Earlier, England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field. The first and the third England vs Pakistan T20Is were washed out due to rain. The second T20I of the four-match series was won by England. (LIVE SCORECARD) Here are the LIVE Updates of England vs Pakistan 4th T20I from London Topics mentioned in this article

Suspense Over Virat Kohli’s Absence From T20 World Cup Training Ends. Internet Says “GOAT Is Coming”

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

Star batter Virat Kohli was a notable absentee from India’s first training session ahead of the T20 World Cup. Team India, led by captain Rohit Sharma, trained in New York earlier this week with a light cardio session. The Indian team also hit the nets on Thursday, but there were no signs of Kohli at any of the sessions so far. After Kohli did not travel with the team to the Big Apple, multiple reports emerged on social media, claiming that the former India captain had asked for a break from the BCCI following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League. It had also been reported that Kohli would miss India’s warm-up game against Bangladesh on June 1. Amid suspense around Kohli’s absence, the star batter was spotted at the Mumbai airport on Thursday night. In a viral video, Kohli interacted with the paparazzi outside the airport, and also signed autographs for fans. Virat Kohli giving autograph to fans at the airport. Nice Gesture by King Kohli pic.twitter.com/FPRvP0FaBv — Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) May 30, 2024 VIRAT KOHLI HAS LEFT FOR THE USA. – The GOAT of T20 World Cups is coming…!!!pic.twitter.com/EpSnUHx3zw — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 30, 2024 VIRAT KOHLI ON THE WAY TO NEW YORK…!!!! – It’s time to rule the T20I WC again. pic.twitter.com/oXmII9D0An — Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 30, 2024 Virat Kohli giving autographs to young fans at the airport before leaving for New York. What a man #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/5D8S98CKtt — Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) May 30, 2024 It was expected that Kohli would travel to New York with the first batch of players after RCB’s elimination from the IPL. However, he was nowhere to be seen in the photos and videos shared on social media. The 35-year-old has been the backbone of India’s batting line-up since the last decade. His records at the ICC events are spectacular. In the last ODI World Cup in 2023, he broke legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s famous record after amassing 765 runs in the single edition of the tournament to clinch the Player of the Tournament accolade. The right-handed batter, who is also the highest run-getter in T20Is, will eye to replicate his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 form in the T20 extravaganza after finishing the cash-rich league as the top run-scorer. The 35-year-old will play a crucial role in India’s campaign in the tournament. (With IANS Inputs) Topics mentioned in this article

T20 World Cup: Rishabh Pant Back In Nets For Team India, Says ‘Really Enjoying It’

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has attended his first net session with the team in New York ahead of the T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1. Pant has returned to the Indian team after nearly 17 months for the showpiece event. He made his return to competitive cricket in April in the Indian Premier League and also led his side Delhi Capitals. He not only played the full season, but also kept wickets, after recovering from multiple injuries sustained in a horrific car crash. In IPL 2024, he scored 446 runs, including three half-centuries, and finished as the highest run-getter for the franchise. He batted at a strike rate of 155.40 in the middle order. Commenting on his return to the Indian squad, the 26-year-old said he missed his teammates during his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and is enjoying being back with the team. “This is the one thing I missed a lot. Getting back on the field with the Indian jersey on, it is a different feeling altogether. I think seeing the teammates and meeting them again, spending time, having fun with them, enjoying having conversations, really enjoying it,” Pant said in a video posted by BCCI on X. “We are used to playing in certain countries but this is a different prospect. It has opened up a different channel for sport because I feel cricket is growing around the world and getting the exposure in a country like the US would be nice for cricket as well as USA cricket, I guess,” he added. Pant further said he is getting used to the conditions and that the sun shines a little brighter here in the US, and there are new pitches. “So just getting used to conditions over here and let us see how it goes. Hopefully, I make it count and make it better from here,” he concluded. India will take on Ireland in their T20 World Cup opening match in New York on June 5 before the high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Says Strategy In Place For T20 World Cup, Urges Fans To Fully Back Team

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that the team has a strategy in place for the T20 World Cup and appealed to supports and fans to back the team irrespective of whether it wins or loses matches. With two days left before the commencement of the tournament in the USA and the West Indies, Pakistan are gearing up for the marquee event. They are currently touring England for a four-match T20I series. Ahead of the 4th T20I to be played in London on Thursday, Naqvi made an appeal to the fans to support the team through the tournament. “Support the team and assure them that we [the fans] are with you [the team] whether you win or lose. I just want to request one thing which we really need for the next four weeks. Let us all support our players,” the PCB chairman told the media in London, according to Geo News. The first and the third T20I matches of the ongoing series were washed away due to rain without a ball being bowled. In the second T20I England took a 1-0 lead with skipper Jos Buttler’s 84-run blitz playing a pivotal role. Pakistan have tweaked their team combination during their series against Ireland and England. Unlike other teams, who have opted to bring in more spinners, Pakistan decided to name a pace-laden 15-player squad for the tournament. With the combination undergoing constant changes, Naqvi was asked about Pakistan’s combination for the World Cup. He affirmed that a strategy is in place and the players need to give their best on the field. “Overall, a strategy is in place that they don’t have to panic and give their best [on the field],” Naqvi noted. Pakistan are placed in Group A and will play their first match against the co-hosts USA on June 6 at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas. Pakistan Squad for T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Former World Cup-Winning Captain Ricky Ponting Predicts Travis Head To Be ‘Highest Run-Scorer’ Of T20 WC

Danijones7 months ago05 mins

Former Australia World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting predicted that Baggy Greens star opener Travis Head will be the highest run-scorer of the upcoming T20 World Cup. Ahead of the marquee event starting on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies, Travis Head has been enjoying a purple patch with the bat. Ponting has backed Head to emerge as the top run-getter in the highly anticipated tournament. He believes that the southpaw’s performance over the past couple of years in all formats of cricket has been of the highest quality. “My prediction for the leading run-scorer will be Travis Head. I just think everything he’s done, whether it be red-ball or white-ball in the last couple of years, has been of the highest quality. I think he’s playing fearless cricket at the moment,” Ponting said in the ICC Review Podcast. In last year’s ODI World Cup, Australia showed faith in him by including Head in the squad despite carrying an injury. Head was added to the playing XI when he regained fitness and repaid the management’s faith by scoring a ton in his comeback match. He also won the Player of the Match award in the semi-final and the final of the tournament. In the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), Head featured for Sunrisers Hyderabad and emerged as the highest run-scorer for the franchise. Overall, he was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament with a whopping tally of 567 runs in 15 matches scoring at an average of 40.50 and a mouth-watering tally of 191.55. En route to the final, SRH were buttressed by Head’s explosive start in the opening slot. He struggled to put up runs at the backend of the tournament but overall showed his destructive potential in the opening front of the shortest format of the game. In the final three games, he registered two ducks and a 34-run knock. Despite his sub-par performance towards the end of the cash-rich league, Ponting expects fireworks from Head’s bat in the World Cup. “His IPL had its ups and downs, but when it’s been good, it’s been very good. And it has won games of cricket for his team,” Ponting noted. “And it’ll be exactly the same for Australia. So, look, he might not be the most consistent on the way through this tournament, but he’ll be right up there, I’m sure, with the leading run scorers. And as I’ve said, if he spends any amount of time at the wicket for Australia, he’ll win more games than ever,” Ponting added. Australia are placed in Group B alongside England, Namibia, Oman and Scotland. They will begin their campaign against Oman on June 6 at the Kensington Oval, Barbados. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Topics mentioned in this article

Trouble At T20 WC? Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma And Co. Concerned Over Average Facilities: Report. ICC Responds

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

The Indian cricket team on Wednesday started its preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA. After the heartbreak of the ODI World Cup 2023, where India lost to Australia in the final in Ahmedabad, the 2024 T20 World Cup will provide Rohit Sharma and Co. a shot at redemption. India won the inaugural 2008 T20 World Cup but since then, it has always returned empty-handed. In fact, when it comes to ICC events, India have not been able to win a single trophy since clinching the 2013 Champions Trophy, when MS Dhoni was till the captain. The 2024 T20 World Cup, thus, is a great chance for India to end the drought. However, a report in News18 has claimed that the Indian cricket team is not happy with the practice facilities being provided in the USA, one of the hosts of the marquee event. “Everything is makeshift – from pitches to other facilities. Safe to say everything is very average in nature. The team has raised their concerns,” the report quotes a source as saying. It added that coach Rahul Dravid is unhappy with the “average” facilities in Cantiague Park, where the side is training. The report also claimed that it has reached out to ICC regarding the same. “There has been no complaint or concern expressed regarding the practice facilities at Cantiague Park by any team,” the ICC said this. After two months of intense competitive cricket under night lights, the Indian cricket team, sans Virat Kohli, began its preparations for the T20 World Cup with a morning training session, keeping in mind the 10.30am starts for all its preliminary games. Kohli took a break for personal work after RCB’s IPL ouster and in all likelihood, he will join the squad by Friday. But it is not clear if he would be able to take part in the only warm-up game against Bangladesh on Saturday after a long flight. Having played 90 per cent of the matches under lights in the scorching Indian summer, the idea would be to adjust to pleasant mornings where temperatures will hover between 25 to 27 degree celsius with very less humidity. A white kookaburra in slightly windy mornings could be a challenge and to be prepared for that, the severely jet-lagged bodies need to get used to morning conditions. And this is why the support staff, before initiating the skills training (net sessions) on the practice pitches at a ground on the outskirts of the city, have decided to help the players acclimatise with the conditions Topics mentioned in this article