Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has claimed that Imran Nazir was a more talented batsman in comparison to Virender Sehwag but he didn't have the brain which the explosive Indian opener had.

"I don't think Imran Nazir had the brain that Sehwag had. I don't think Sehwag had the talent that Imran Nazir had. There is no comparison with regards to talent. We tried to contain him a little," Akhtar was quoted as saying on a TV show by Cricket Pakistan.

He, however, believes Pakistan didn't use Nazir well else the team would have had a better player in him than Sehwag.

"When he hit a brutal hundred against India in a match, I asked them to play Imran Nazir consistently but they didn't listen," he said.

"It is unfortunate that we do not know how to take care of our brands. We could have had a player better than Virender Sehwag in Imran Nazir. He had all the shots while also being a good fielder. We could have utilised him brilliantly but we just couldn't," he added.

Nazir played just 8 Tests, 79 ODIs and 25 T20Is for Pakistan, amassing 427, 1895 and 500 runs in the three formats respectively.

On the other hand, Sehwag represented India in 104 Tests, 251 ODIs and 19 T20Is in which he scored 8586, 8273 and 394 runs respectively.

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Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar spoke regarding an interesting story from the 1999 Adelaide Test featuring former Australia speedster Glenn McGrath. Tendulkar revealed how he managed to win a game of chess on the field against the player of McGrath's quality.

The 'Master Blaster' explained how he first remained calm and patient when McGrath was in full flow but cut loose the next morning and put pressure back on the bowler.

"In 1999, in our first match at Adelaide... the first innings there was hardly 40 minutes to go in the day's play. Glenn McGrath comes and bowls five or six maiden overs to me," Tendulkar told Star Sports during a video chat that was tweeted by BCCI.

"That was their strategy... 'let's frustrate Sachin. 70 per cent of the ball should go to (wicket-keeper) Adam Gilchrist and 10 per cent close to his bat. If he plays or chases deliveries outside the off-stump we have succeeded'.

"So I kept leaving as many deliveries as possible. There were some good deliveries where I was beaten as well. But I said 'well bowled and now go back and bowl again as I am still here'," he added.

"I remember hitting him for a few boundaries the next morning because it was a fresh day and we both were at the same level. They had a strategy but I knew their strategy was to frustrate me.

"I thought this evening I am patient but tomorrow morning I am gonna play the way I want. You won't control how I want to play but I would control where you are going to bowl."

Tendulkar also had a word of advice for current cricketer as to how to keep themselves mentally fit during lockdown. Due to coronavirus pandemic, all cricket across the world has been postponed for the time being and Tendulkar stated sometimes it is good to stay away from the game for a brief period.

"First of all I would like to tell them to recharge their respective batteries. It is important to have some off time. When you are playing regularly it is not easy to be at the top of your game. It is good to move away from cricket for a while to recharge your batteries," he said.

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England's Ben Stokes has said his Australian rival and IPL teammate Steve Smith is a "genius" as well as "strange" as he hailed the number one Test batsman. "He's still strange to play against and he's still strange to play with. And the best thing about it is that he admits it," Stokes said in a podcast broadcast by their Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. "But I feel to be a genius you have to be a bit strange and you know he's certainly both," Stokes said from Britain. "Personally, I could not think about cricket in the way that he does when it comes to batting.

I could never be like that. Obviously, he's on all the time but that's why he averages 60-plus in Test cricket." The 30-year-old Smith averages over 62 in 73 Tests and improves to 65.11 when playing against arch-rivals England. Smith was the leading scorer in the 2019 Ashes in England, retained by Australia after the series finished 2-2, with a whopping 774 runs in four matches.

Ben Stokes

"Even though he plays for Australia, biggest rivals England and Australia, you've just got to hold your hands up sometimes to players like that and go 'yeah you're on a different level when it comes to batting,'" said Stokes, who scored 441 runs in five matches during the series. "You have to be on a different level with something to be like those guys when it comes to batting." The flamboyant all-rounder also threw his backing behind Test cricket, saying the five-day format is the "pinnacle" for him and there is no room to tinker with it.

The International Cricket Council has floated the idea of four-day Tests to deal with the cluttered cricket calendar, but the plan met with intense criticism from many within the game.

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Veteran batsman David Warner believes Australia's upcoming limited-overs tour of England will be scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Australians were scheduled to play three one-dayers and three Twenty20 matches against England in July. But last week the England and Wales Cricket Board delayed the start of their season until July 1 at the earliest and players may need some warm-up cricket before returning to the international arena.

There has been speculation the tour could be delayed until September, but Warner was doubtful if it would go ahead. "At the moment it's highly unlikely we're going to go over there given what's happened in England," Warner told cricket.com.au. He said the fact British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been hospitalised with COVID-19 showed the gravity of the problem in the host nation.

"He's back up on his feet now and that's fantastic news, but there's a lot more to this than just sport being played," Warner added. Australia have already cancelled a two-Test tour of Bangladesh in June, and a limited-overs home series against Zimbabwe is also in doubt. Australia are due to host the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November, for which the International Cricket Council has said it is "exploring all options".

Cricket Australia is particularly keen to go ahead with a Test series against India due to be played after the T20 tournament, warning this month it could lose hundreds of millions of dollars if it were scrapped.

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VVS Laxman speaks about Sachin Tendulkar’s batting against Shane Warne on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected: “Sachin was really well prepared for the Test match in Chennai. In the first innings, he was dismissed for 4 runs. He hit a boundary and then tried to play a big shot over mid-on, hitting against the turn and was caught by Mark Taylor.

VVS Laxman went on to reveal saying, "I remember Sachin locked himself in the physio’s room and only came out after almost an hour. When he came out, we could see his eyes were red. I felt he was very emotional because he was unhappy in the manner he was dismissed."

VVS Laxman continued, "Then, in the second innings, the way he blasted and hammered Shane Warne, who was bowling into the rough outside the leg stump. Warne was using the depth of the crease and when he used to pitch it up, Sachin used to hit it through the mid-off, mid-on region. He went on to get a hundred. That battle with Shane Warne is the best I have seen.”

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Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag on Wednesday expressed grief over the demise of the ace Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan.

Taking to Twitter, Sehwag condoled the death of the 'great talent' and wrote, "A great actor and a great talent. Heartfelt condolences to his family and well-wishers #IrfanKhan."

A great actor and a great talent. Heartfelt
Condolences to his family and well - wishers #IrfanKhan

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 29, 2020

Former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin lauded Irffan's skills and termed him a 'versatile artist'.

"Saddened to hear about the shocking demise of #IrfanKhan. A truly talented & versatile artist and a great human being. May Allah grant him the highest place in Paradise. My heartfelt condolonces to the family & friends #RIPIrrfan," Azharuddin tweeted.

Khan passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53.

Khan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

He was regarded as a fine actor by fans and critics alike with critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit.

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On Wednesday when the world came together to mourn the death of veteran Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan who died with a colon infection, Yuvraj Singh, who had also made a return from cancer before finally calling curtains on his illustrious career in 2019, opened up about his struggle against the dreadful disease. Talking about it, Yuvraj Singh took to Twitter to say he 'knew the journey and the pain' well enough and paid tribute to acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan.

"I know the journey I know the pain and I know he fought till the end some are lucky to survive some don't I'm sure you are in a better place now Irfan Khan my condolence to your family. May his soul rip," Yuvraj, who starred in India 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup wins, said Yuvraj on Twitter.

I know the journey I know the pain and I know he fought till the end some are lucky to survive some don’t I’m sure you are in a better place now Irfan Khan my condolence to your family. May his soul rip

— yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) April 29, 2020

Yuvraj Singh later posted a video of Irrfan Khan from one of the advertisements he appeared for which is quite inspirational and resonates at a time like this. Yuvraj also wrote, "This clip seems like a fitting tribute to the man who thought and inspired so many out there that success is not a hand down, and that if you worked hard enough you will shine against all odds coz talent and hardwork always prepares ordinary people for an extraordinary journey."

This clip seems like a fitting tribute to the man who thought and inspired so many out there that success is not a hand down, and that if you worked hard enough you will shine against all odds coz talent and hardwork always prepares ordinary people for an extraordinary journey. pic.twitter.com/OV6V5sfUSr

— yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) April 29, 2020

Irrfan, who had been admitted in Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection, since Tuesday, passed away on Wednesday morning.

The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour a while back, and has been under medical attention for the same. He even went abroad for treatment.

Ever since the news of his untimely demise broke on social media, various people from all walks of life came together to pay homage to the late Irrfan.

Besides Yuvraj Singh, other sports stars such as Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Saina Nehwal, Sunil Chhetri and Virender Sehwag also took to the micro-blogging site to pay homage to the 'Life of Pi' actor.

Irrfan Khan last appeared in the 2020 Bollywood film Angrezi Medium alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepak Dobriyal and Radhika Madan.

Inputs from IANS

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Veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor passed away today after he was admitted at the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai.

Earlier today, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan took to social media site Twitter to confirm the news of the death of Rishi Kapoor. 

Indian captain Virat Kohli expressed his emotions on Twitter following th demise of veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor by calling his death 'unreal and unbelievable' loss. Rishi Kapoor passed away a day after Bollywood star Irrfan Khan's demise on April 29, 2020.

"This is unreal and unbelievable. Yesterday Irrfan Khan and today Rishi Kapoor ji. It's hard to accept this as a legend passes away today. My condolences to the family and may his soul rest in peace," Kohli tweeted.

This is unreal and unbelievable. Yesterday Irrfan Khan and today Rishi Kapoor ji. It's hard to accept this as a legend passes away today. My condolences to the family and may his soul rest in peace 😟💔

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) April 30, 2020

Opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

"It's shocking to hear about the sudden demise of #RishiKapoor ji. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace," Dhawan tweeted.

It's shocking to hear about the sudden demise of #RishiKapoor ji. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. 🙏🏻 May his soul rest in peace 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/pAfOGhdzm0

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) April 30, 2020

In September 2019, Rishi Kapoor returned to Mumbai after he was residing in New York for almost a year for cancer treatment.

Rishi Kapoor was last seen in the 2019 film 'The Body' alongside Emraan Hashmi and Shobita Sobhita Dhulipala.

Inputs from ANI

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Batting maestros Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli have made a cut to former Australia batter Michael Hussey's "Best Enemies XI" in Test cricket.

Hussey picked Sehwag and former South African captain Graeme Smith as openers in the batting line-up which consists stalwarts like Brian Lara, Tendulkar, Kohli, Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakkara.

The bowling unit included South Africans Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, England's James Anderson and legendary Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

The left-handed batsman, who played Test cricket for Australia from 2005 to 2013, however didn't included his former Chennai Super Kings teammate MS Dhoni.

"I wrestled with this one between Kumar Sangakkara, MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers. But I think the latter two have got more impact in the shorter formats T20s and ODI," Hussey said while picking the Best XI of opponents he has played against in Test cricket on "The Unplayable Podcast".

"Sangakkara had immense impact in Test cricket," he added.

Hussey played a total of 79 Tests, 185 ODIs and 38 T20Is in which he scored 6235, 5442 and 721 runs respectively.

Michael Hussey's 'Best of Enemies' XI: Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, James Anderson, Muttiah Muralitharan.

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As the ace cricketer Rohit Sharma turns 33 today, let us go down the memory lane and relive the three double tons scored by the right-handed batsman in the ODI format.

Rohit, popularly known as the 'Hitman' made his ODI debut on June 23, 2007, but the batsman came into his known once he became the full-fledged opener in the limited formats.

Opening the batting, Rohit played his natural game and dominated the bowling attacks from the very start of his innings.

It is a testament to Rohit's aggressive batting abilities that the batsman has three double tons to his name in the ODI format.

Now, let's relive Rohit's three double tons in the 50-over format.

209 vs Australia, Bengaluru, 2013

Batting first, Rohit was slow off the mark and he took his time in building the innings. However, as soon as he got the scheme of things, Rohit started to go after the spin bowlers and in no time went past the 100-run mark. After reaching his century, he shifted gears and went on to bring up his first double century in ODIs. He went on to play a knock of 209 off just 158 balls. This innings helped India post 383 runs on the board, and the effort helped the side win the match by 57 runs.

264 vs Sri Lanka, Kolkata, 2014

Rohit went on to score 264 runs off just 173 balls against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata and this knock remains the highest score by any batsman in the 50-over format to date. The 32-year-old was given a reprieve when he was just on a score of four runs, and the batsman went on to make the most of it as he scored 260 more runs to make the Sri Lankan bowlers toil on the field.

208 vs Sri Lanka, Mohali, 2017

Batting first, Rohit Sharma went on play a knock of 208 runs off just 153 balls to take the Men in Blue's score to 392/4. The right-handed batsman's innings was studded with 13 fours and 12 sixes. This effort helped India win the match by 141 runs.

In the 2019 Cricket World Cup, Rohit Sharma finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer after registering 648 runs from just nine matches at an average of 81.00.

During the tournament, he had also become the first batsman to score five centuries in a single edition of the World Cup.

Rohit, who is now the vice-captain of the ODI team, has played 224 ODIs, 108 T20Is and 32 Tests so far.

The limited-overs vice-captain has so far scored 14,029 runs across all formats.

In the longest format, he has also reinvented himself as the batsman started opening the batting in Test cricket last year.

Rohit would have been in action for the Mumbai Indians had the Indian Premier League (IPL) commenced from March 29.

However, the tournament has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and former skipper Sourav Ganguly on Thursday expressed grief over the demise of the two Bollywood legendary actors Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan and said that he will miss them.

Taking to Twitter Ganguly wrote, "One life .. live to the fullest and happiest .. nothing else matters .. just a reminder. Will miss u both."

One life .. live to the fullest and happiest .. nothing else matters .. just a reminder . Will miss u both pic.twitter.com/BgpruQOy02

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) April 30, 2020

India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane also extended condolences over the passing away of the two great actors of the cinema industry.

"First Irrfan Khan ji and now Rishi Kapoor ji. Feel really sad about this huge loss for all of us. May their soul rest in peace," Rahane tweeted.

Actor Rishi Kapoor's family on Thursday issued a statement on his demise detailing how the veteran remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of cancer treatment. He passed away at 8:45 am IST, the Kapoor family said.

In September 2019, Rishi and wife Neetu returned to India after almost a year in New York for his cancer treatment. During this time, the couple was visited by scores of celebrities from Deepika Padukone to Priyanka Chopra and many others.

Rishi Kapoor was admitted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday. In September 2019, the veteran actor returned to Mumbai after staying in New York for almost a year for cancer treatment. He was last seen in the 2019 film 'The Body' alongside Emraan Hashmi and Shobita Sobhita Dhulipala.

This has been a terrible week for the Indian film industry. On Wednesday, ace actor Irrfan Khan had also passed away, aged 53. The internationally renowned actor passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital while battling rare cancer.

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India head coach Ravi Shastri and his counterparts with the A and junior teams discussed future plans for their respective sides in an online interaction, making use of their time at home amid a national lockdown. National Cricket Academy (NCA) head Rahul Dravid was the man behind the initiative and senior team support staff comprising Shastri, bowling Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar were a part of this interaction last week.

"It wasn't an online coaching class. You can say it was an interaction where you give ideas and listen to the mindset and plans of other coaches. There has only been one such session but it is likely to be a regular affair," an NCA official told PTI. The online session was also attended by junior and NCA coaches including Paras Mhambrey, Narendra Hirwani, Abhay Sharma and Sitanshu Kotak.

"If senior coaches like Shastri, Arun and Sridhar are also part of the interaction, you are bound to learn something from their rich international experience," the official said. "At the moment, it is a lockdown so it was easier to organise this. It remains to be seen how often it can be done when things are normal and the Indian team is on duty," the official added.

The aim was to bring in more synergy in the work of national teams (senior, India A and under-19). All global sporting activity has come to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no clarity when the Indian team will take the field next, having played last in New Zealand in the first week of March.

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Australia opener David Warner is making most of the time he is getting to spend with his family due to the coronavirus pandemic which has brought the entire cricketing calendar to a grinding halt. On Thursday, Warner posted yet another Tik Tok video in which he and his wife Candice are dancing on a popular song 'Butta Bomma'. The couple can be seen swaying to the hook steps of the song. "It's tiktok time buttabomma get out of your comfort zone people lol Candice Warner," the Australian opener captioned the video on Instagram.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

It’s tiktok time #buttabomma get out of your comfort zone people lol @candywarner1

A post shared by David Warner (@davidwarner31) onApr 29, 2020 at 11:58pm PDT

The song is a popular number from Telegu movie Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo and featured Allu Arjun along with Pooja Hegde. Earlier this week, Warner had upload a hilarious video featuring Candice in which they are seen switching 'jobs'. The video started with Warner in full kit and his wife virtually kayaking just beside him. Then they switch characters and Warner is seen wearing his wife's swimsuit and she, on the other hand, is in full Australian ODI kit.

Before that, Warner had shared a TikTok video in which he was dancing with his daughter on popular Bollywood track 'Sheila Ki Jawani'.

In normal circumstances, Warner would have been currently leading Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League but due to COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament stands indefinitely postponed.

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Star Australian opener David Warner does not see the need to abolish the use of saliva to shine the ball when cricket resumes in the post COVID-19 world as he feels it is no more or no less risky than sharing the change room with fellow players. There is speculation that use of saliva to shine the ball will be stopped to cut down the risk of the highly contagious infection when international cricket restarts. "You're sharing change rooms and you're sharing everything else, I don't see why you have to change that," Warner told 'cricket.com.au'.

"It's been going around for hundreds of years now, I can't recall anyone that's got sick by doing that. If you're going to contract a bug, I don't think it'd necessarily be just from that. "I'm not too sure but it's not my place to comment on whether or not we should or shouldn't (use saliva to shine the ball). It's up to the ICC and the governing bodies to decide."

However, former fast bowler Shaun Tait believes it is important to be open about changes and the use of saliva could become a thing of the past. "I've never been a huge fan of the saliva on the ball, it's not very nice really," Tait said. "We have to open to some possible changes there." The subject of legalisation of ball tampering has led to divided opinions with West Indies pace great Michael Holding saying it is a bit "self contradictory", while South Africa legend Allan Donald being open to the idea.

Among others, batting great Sachin Tendulkar said players will be wary of using saliva to shine the ball, while Pakistan legend Waqar Younis, former India pacer Ashish Nehra and spinner Harbhajan Singh have supported the use of spit.

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On this day in 1995, former Australian batsman Steve Waugh played his highest Test innings as he scored 200 against West Indies at Sabina Park in Kingston. the final Test of the four-match series, playing against a fearsome West Indies attack spearheaded by Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, Waugh stood firmly at one end and guided the side to post 531 runs in the first innings after bundling the hosts for 265. Waugh's double ton was studded with 17 fours and one six.

In the second innings, Paul Reiffel and Shane Warne scalped four wickets each to bundle Windies at 213. The visitors won the match by an innings and 53 runs under the leadership of Mark Taylor, Waugh was awarded as the Player of the Match for his spectacular batting performance. Australia also won the series by 2-1 after one match ended as a draw and became the first side to defeat the invincible Caribbean team in 15 years.

Waugh played 168 Tests and scored 10,927 runs at an average of 51.06. He is at the eleventh spot in the all-time run-scorer list of the longest format. In 325 ODIs, the middle-order batsman amassed 7569 runs. He hammered 35 centuries and 95 fifties across all formats.

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New Zealand batsman Henry Nicholls has donated his ICC 2019 World Cup shirt to UNICEF to help raise funds for the battle against COVID-19. The 28-year-old has offered his half-sleeve shirt signed by his teammates to facilitate meals for Kiwi families. The official Twitter handle of UNICEF New Zealand wrote, "NZ Cricketer @HenryNicholls27 has offered up one of his prized 2019 Cricket World Cup jerseys, signed by the whole team! One lucky donor who has supported our #FoodForKiwiFamilies appeal will receive it. You've got to be in it, to win it so donate now!"

Anyone who donates by Monday, irrespective of the amount, will enter a draw and one lucky person will get the shirt. The Blackcaps played their second consecutive final but failed to bring the trophy home as they lost to England on the basis of the boundary-countback rule. As a result, the Three Lions went on to lift their first-ever 50-over title.

The normal 50-over match action and super over had ended as a tie, and in the end, England was announced as the winners after scoring more boundaries in the match. As all the sporting activities including cricket have been suspended due to the global surge of the coronavirus pandemic, the left-handed batsman was last seen in action against Australia in an ODI on March 13.

He has played 33 Tests, 49 ODIs, and 5 shortest format games for Kiwis. The player has scored 3,095 runs across all formats including six centuries.

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India cricketer Rohit Sharma turned 33 yesterday and wife Ritika wrote him a sweet message accompanying this picture she Instagrammed to her 1.8 million followers:

Ritika Sajdeh wrote, “Happiest birthday to the one that makes me laugh till I can’t breathe, to my favourite travel companion, to my best friend, to the best dad, to the one that can’t sing even if his life depended on it. To the best I could ever wish for, happy birthday, Love you, Ro.” The post received a whopping 250,000-plus ‘likes’ within a few hours.  

 

 

 

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Happiest birthday to the one that makes me laugh till I can’t breathe, to my favourite travel companion, to my best friend, to the best dad, to the one that can’t sing even if his life depended on it. To the best I could ever wish for, happy birthday ❤️ love you Ro

A post shared by Ritika Sajdeh (@ritssajdeh) onApr 29, 2020 at 11:02pm PDT

Ritika Sajdeh and Rohit Sharma were dating for a few years after they met via a mutual friend in none other than Yuvraj Singh. Rohit and Ritika got married on December 13, 2015. Three years later, in 2018, they welcomed their child Samaira into the world.

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When Vikrant Keni, who led the Indian team to its maiden Physical Disability T20 World Series in England last year, and teammate Gurudas Raut were invited by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly & Co to the Cricket Centre on March 4 to receive the token cheque of R65 lakh as prize money for their flawless performance, their achhe din may have begun to look like coming true.

A few weeks later, India went into lockdown to fight against the dreadful Coronavirus and the 18-player team have not received their share of R3 lakh each. The Indian cricket board has yet to release the payment but say the players will receive their dues soon.

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had approved the prize money for the Indian physically challenged team before their term ended last October. With most of the players from the T20 World Series-winning squad living a hand-to-mouth existence, they feel the BCCI prize money would make a huge difference to them especially in these COVID-19 pandemic-caused testing times.

All-rounder Ramesh Naidu, 24, whose father M Ramu earns R15,000 from driving cars at Vijaya Medical Centre in Visakhapatnam, is finding it difficult to cope with the lockdown. "My family is completely dependent on my father's income. It's difficult to manage during this period," said Naidu, who is in his last year of M Tech (Master of Technology) in Electrical Engineering at IIT Chennai. Naidu had taken an education loan of Rs 4.5 lakh.

Wasim Khan, who hails from the turbulent Kashmir region, was banking on the prize money to cope with the lockdown.

"With no job, it's quite tough to exist. My elder brother is a lawyer but he is without any work at the moment. We have some groceries at home but I don't know how long they will last. We have got no help from anyone. It will be a big relief if BCCI releases our prize money soon," said Wasim, who had scored a match-winning 40-ball 79 in the semi-final against Pakistan.

Hard-hitting batsman Sudanese Mahendaran, 29, who changed the complexion of the game in the final against England with his 11-ball 33, said the lockdown has rendered his family income-less. "There has been no income for the last month as my father has not been able to ride his auto rickshaw due to the lockdown. My close friends are helping us out," said the Tamil Nadu lad.

Bengal-based wicketkeeper batsman Debabrata Roy, 31, is confident BCCI president Ganguly will rescue the players. "I was earning R8,000 till last month as a salesman at a cloth store. I am sure Dada [Ganguly] will look into our problems," said Roy.

Left-arm spinner Anish Rajan, who was India's highest wicket-taker (11) in the tournament, has had his share of suffering in the lockdown.

Skipper Vikrant Keni (right) and teammate Gurudas Raut with the R65 lakh cheque they received from the BCCI in March. Pic/ Suresh Karkera

A mechanical engineer by profession, Rajan quit his job in 2015 to pursue a career in cricket.

"My dream was to play for India. I play as a professional for Tripunithura Cricket Club in Kochi and I also officiate in matches as umpire or scorer. However, due to the lockdown, there has been no source of income," he said.

Skipper Keni, who is lucky to have a steady source of income, sympathised with the financial condition of some of his teammates. "Most of the players from my team are struggling as they have no jobs. I think the BCCI prize money is taking time due to the lockdown," said Palghar-based Keni.

BCCI's General Manager Cricket Operations, Syed Saba Karim told mid-day on Friday that the prize money will be remitted in a couple of days. "It has been approved and in a day or two, it will be processed. The amount will be deposited in their [players'] bank account. It has been cleared from our side," Karim said.

I will talk to BCCI: AICAPC prez Ghavri

AICAPC prez Karsan Ghavri

The president of the All India Cricket Association for Physically Challenged (AICAPC), Karsan Ghavri said he would talk to the BCCI officials to release the prize money of the Physical Disability T20 World Series-winning team once the lockdown ends. "It [the prize money] was supposed to go into the players' account, but it has not happened. This is not the right time to talk. Let everything settle down. We will definitely speak to the authorities," the former India all-rounder told mid-day.
Ghavri is also hopeful of sorting out the employment problems of the physically challenged cricketers. "We are definitely trying to help them out. In fact, Nitin Gadkari, a senior minister in the central government, is helping us a lot in this regard," he added.

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Australia will not allow the use of saliva or sweat to shine the ball once cricket training resumes in the post COVID-19 world, says a framework released by the federal government regarding the staged return of sports amid the pandemic. There is speculation that use of saliva to shine the ball will be stopped to cut down the risk of the highly contagious infection with reports suggesting that the ICC is considering the possibility of allowing the use of artificial substances to polish the red ball under the supervision of umpires.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in consultation with medical experts, sporting bodies and federal and state governments, has come up with guidelines, restricting the use of saliva and sweat to shine the ball. The framework, which outlines a staged return to play, has three stages—Level A, Level B and Level C.

Currently, restrictions on sport are outlined as being at "Level A", which restricts all training except that of the individual kind. But in little more than a week from now, restrictions will be moved to "Level B" which will allow the following: "Nets—batters facing bowlers. Limit bowlers per net. Fielding sessions—unrestricted. No warm up drills involving unnecessary person-person contact. No shining cricket ball with sweat/saliva during training."

The third and final "Level C", to be permitted later in the year, is outlined as: "Full training and competition. No ball shining with sweat/saliva in training."

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Former West Indies cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan has broken his silence after his former teammate Chris Gayle took to social media to hit out at him. Gayle had earlier accused Sarwan for engineering his ouster from Caribbean Premier League side Jamaica Tallawahs. "I categorically deny any involvement in the decision, or the decision-making process, which led to Gayle's non-selection to represent the Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Tournament," Sarwan was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo on his Facebook page. "In that video, he has levelled false allegations and tarnished the good name and reputation of a series of persons.

"I was the focus of most of the onslaughts. I reply, not because I feel that Gayle's rantings are worthy of it, but because I feel that the public's record must be set straight and also, to protect the character and careers of so many people, whose image he sought to besmirch," he added. Gayle had earlier referred to Sarwan as a 'snake' and he even went on to the extent of saying that he was 'worse than coronavirus'.

"Let me make this abundantly clear that I played with Gayle since the inception of my career. I have always respect him as an extraordinary talent, a colleague and most importantly as a close friend. Hence, my utter shock at these allegations," said Sarwan. Tallawahs have also said that Sarwan had nothing to do with Gayle not being retained by the franchise.

"Gayle gave several reasons for the decision that was made not to retain him in the Tallawahs. However, the truth is that this decision was made collectively by the Ownership and Management team which did not include Ramnaresh Sarwan and based purely on business and cricketing reasoning," Tallawahs said in a statement on their official website.

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India cricket captain Virat Kohli had a low-key birthday celebration for his actor wife Anushka Sharma, who turned 32 on Friday.

Virat, who has been vocal about how his wife inspires him to fight it out during tough times, shared a picture with his 56.1 million followers on Instagram and wrote: "You my love bring light into this world. And you light up my world everyday. I love you." The post received 4,840,33 'likes' as of Sunday morning.

 

 

 

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You my love bring light into this world. And you light up my world everyday. I love you ❤️

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) onMay 1, 2020 at 7:01am PDT

Meanwhile, the couple has shared some of their cute moments with fans on social media like Anushka giving a haircut to Virat, urging people to stay at home during lockdown or enjoying a game of Monopoly with family members.

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BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is deeply saddened and intimidated by the devastation caused because of the COVID-19 pandemic and has equated the unprecedented crisis to playing a Test match on a dangerous wicket. The decorated former player opened up on life under lockdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 2.40 lakh lives across the world while infecting more than 34 lakh people. "This situation is a Test match on a very dangerous wicket. The ball is seaming and spinning as well - the batsman has very little margin of error," Ganguly said while speaking on '100 Hours 100 Stars', an initiative started by Fever Network.

"So, the batsman has to score runs and keep his wicket safe with this little margin of error, and win this Test match," he added. A winner of innumerable fierce battles during his playing days when there was no dearth of fearsome fast bowlers and quality spinners, Ganguly was tempted to draw a parallel between the tough moments in the sport and the health crisis. "This is very difficult, but we hope that we will win this match together," he added. Ganguly expressed his sadness at the number of lives lost in the pandemic and the irreparable damage that it has caused. "I am really upset seeing the current situation, because so many people are suffering outside. We are still struggling to understand how to stop this pandemic," he said. "This atmosphere all over the world has really bothered me. We don't know how, when and where it came from - we all were unprepared for this," he added. Not just upset, Ganguly conceded he cannot help feeling a big scared of what's unfolding because of the disease. "People are being affected by this so much. There have been so many deaths. This situation upsets me, and I also feel scared," he said.

"People come to my house to deliver groceries, food, so I feel a little scared as well. So it's a mixed feeling. I just want this to end as quickly as possible," he added, He said cricket has taught him to face tough situations in life and the importance of staying alert at all times. Asked how he keeps himself positive, the former captain said: "Cricket has taught me a lot. I faced real life, high-pressure situations. You have to make runs and there is just one ball left. "If you make one wrong move, one wrong footwork, you will not get another chance. These kind of situations make you alert and aware about real life situations," he said. The BCCI chief, though, also added that he is getting to spend a lot of time with his family after a long time. "It's been a month into the lockdown. I didn't mind it earlier. Earlier, I wouldn't get time at home like this. My lifestyle involved travelling for work everyday. "For the past 30-32 days, I have been at home with my family, spending time with my wife, daughter, my mother and my brother. "I have got a time like this after long, so I am enjoying myself," he said.

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Greats likes Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev have pledged their support to Indian Cricketers Association's (ICA) initiative to financially help around 30 needy players amid the nationwide lockdown, said its president Ashok Malhotra. The ICA has so far raised Rs 39 lakh to help former cricketers who are in dire need of funds.

"Big names like Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Gautam Gambhir and Gundappa Viswanath have joined us and that is a major boost to our initiative. A corporate from Gujarat has also offered its support," Malhotra said.

It has been learnt that likes of Gavaskar, Dev and Gambhir have also made financial contributions to the cause. Mohammed Azharuddin had pledged his financial support earlier this week. The ICA will continue to accept donations till May 15, following which it will shortlist 5-6 cricketers from each zone (north, east, west, south and central).

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Former India chief selector MSK Prasad listed out the differences between Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as captains. Speaking during an online live video session, Prasad states the three have altogether different styles of captaincy that has brought so much success over the last few years.

"If you look at fundamental styles, leadership has got so many different styles. These three (Dhoni, Kohli, Rohit) are three different guys and I am sure all three are equally good," Prasad said in an interview uploaded on Fancode app.

"They are three guys who have three different styles. Mahi is absolutely cool, you never know what is there in his mind until it is executed, he's very very cool, and very very accommodative whereas Virat is pretty clear. He's at you all the time, he's very clear in his mind what he wants. If you are talking about Rohit, he's more of an accommodative sort of a guy. He definitely has that empathy towards other players and he thinks from their hats," he said.

Prasad also spoke about the Dhoni's future with Team India. He revealed they had a discussion regarding Dhoni taking some time off from the game and that is why they backed youngster Rishabh Pant in that position.

"We had a discussion and Mahi (Dhoni) didn't want to play for some time. So we moved on and picked Rishabh Pant and we have been backing him. Now KL (Rahul) has also done extremely well in the matches that he played in New Zealand," Prasad said.

"So it would have been nice if the IPL was being played and we would have seen old glimpses of Mahi but now it's a very tricky situation."

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Former India opener Gautam Gambhir feels that Rohit Sharma has made of an impact in white ball cricket as compared to Virat Kohli despite the Indian skipper's staggering statistics in shorter formats. Gambhir however, believes that Kohli will end up scoring more runs than Rohit. "For me, white ball cricket is all about impact. Kohli will end up getting many more runs than Rohit, and Kohli is among the greatest right now but Rohit has an edge over Kohli because of the impact he has," Gambhir said on Sports Tak, according to the India Today website.

Record-breaking stuff
"I think Rohit is the best white ball cricketer in the world right now. He is not the greatest overall but at the moment he is the best. He is the only player to have hit three ODI double hundreds, five World Cup hundreds [in one edition] and he is also the only player, who if he gets past the 100-run mark, makes people feel that he missed a double century [if he gets out]." Comparing Kohli and Rohit further, the 2011 World Cup winner said, "It is very difficult to compare them. Virat is unbelievable. His stats prove that. But when your reputation is such that when you get out after a hundred, people say he has missed out on a double hundred, that speaks volumes about you."

Virat Kohli. Pics/AFP

Rohit, 33, has 9115 runs from 224 ODIs at an average of 49.27 at a strike rate of 88.92. He has 29 hundreds and 43 fifties. In T20Is, Rohit has 2273 runs from 108 matches at an average of 32.62 and a strike rate of 138.78. Kohli, 31, meanwhile, has 11,867 runs from 248 ODIs at 59.33 and a strike rate of 93.25. He has scored 43 centuries and 58 half centuries. Kohli has 2794 runs from 82 T20Is at an average of 50.80 and a strike rate of 138.24.Gambhir felt that former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had a key role to play in supporting Rohit and now it was time for Kohli and Rohit should groom youngsters in the current Indiah team in the same way.

'Groom youngsters now'
"Rohit is the prime example of how a player's fortunes can turn around if he is nurtured by the seniors. I hope the young cricketers in the current generation, be it Shubman Gill or Sanju Samson, they also get the similar kind of support. And now when Rohit is a senior, I expect him to back youngsters."

Gautam Gambhir

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Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma recently had a candid chat with former Australian pacer Brett Lee about what he’s doing in order to keep himself busy during the lockdown on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected. Rohit Sharma went on to address the issue of space in Mumbai on streets as well as houses. Rohit said, "I wish I had enough place to play indoor cricket, but unfortunately in Mumbai, the place is very secluded, and you have to stick to your apartment. We are not as lucky as you guys where you have your own backyard to play."

"In Mumbai, it’s very expensive to get your own house where you have your own backyard. I live in an apartment and I am lucky to have a little balcony where I can run around and do some activities that my trainer has given me. I am trying to follow whatever little I can. Hopefully, the gyms will open soon, and I can go there," Rohit added.

"But I am missing hitting the ball, that’s for sure. As you know, I like to hit big, so space is not enough. I just can’t wait to go out there and start hitting the ball."

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Rohit Sharma is also the captain for the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians and has won a record 4 IPL titles with the team.

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India cricketer Shreyas Iyer has been entertaining his fans both on and off the field. In order to make things a bit positive during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shreyas Iyer shared a fun video on Instagram.

On Sunday, Iyer posted a video for his 2.3 million Instagram followers and captioned it: "Fielding practice is everywhere you look."

 

 

 

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Fielding practice is everywhere you look 😏

A post shared by Shreyas Iyer (@shreyas41) onMay 3, 2020 at 12:30am PDT

In the video, Shreyas Iyer is seen diving to save an egg, catching the remote control of his TV, arranging chairs quickly and even collecting clothes thrown out of the washing machine.

One could hear American rapper Tyga's song, Bored, playing in the background. Shreyas Iyer, born in Mumbai, made his debut for India in 2017. He has since played 18 ODIs and 22 T20Is. Shreyas Iyer is also the captain of the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals.

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England fast bowler Stuart Broad said that the UK government will have a big role to play in dictating the return of cricket in the country post the coronavirus pandemic. Broad however said that he personally does not feel nervous about playing whenever he is needed to.

"Cricket will literally be governed by the government. It's not as though the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) are going to have to be lone wolves and decide when we get back out there," Broad is quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

"The government will give the go-ahead and then us players will have to make sure we are in the physical capability to get match fit. I know how I feel about not seeing live sport and I know how much joy live sports brings me. So the players' responsibility is to make sure we are ready to go at the drop of a hat," he said.

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero had said that many footballers were nervous to get back to playing because of the threat of the virus. Broad however said that he trusts medical staff fully and is not nervous because of that.

"I know everyone feels very differently about this. Sergio Aguero has been talking about how nervous the players would be. Personally, I wouldn't be," said Broad.

"I have huge faith in our medical team at the ECB. I have known Nick Peirce, the chief medical officer, for a long, long time and I have full faith in what he and his team believe is right for cricket.

"Yes, we all want to see cricket being played whether it is behind closed doors and just on TV or in front of spectators. And I know that the England doctors I've worked with over a long period of time would not cut corners to make it happen.

"So if one of Nick or Gurjit Bhogal, our current England team doctor, rings and tells me 'I think this is a good way to do it,' I will 100 per cent trust what they are saying."

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Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has recalled how he and Zaheer Abbas went after the Indian spin attack -- comprising of Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and Erapalli Prasanna -- and scored bulk of runs in the three-match Test series in 1978-79.

Both Miandad and Abbas took the famous Indian spin troika to cleaners in the series which Pakistan won 2-0.

"Chandrasekhar, Bedi, Prasanna... India's strength was this, their spinners. And they did well around the world but when they came here (Pakistan), they were taken to the cleaners. Our players robbed them for so many runs," said Miandad in his Youtube channel.

Miandad recounted the first Test of the series played in Faisalabad and said how he and Abbas went after the Indian spinners.

"I remember that Chandrasekhar was giving some troubles to Zaheer bhai. Then he told me 'Javed please tackle him for me'. I obviously said yes. Meanwhile from the other end, Zaheer bhai was taking a lot of runs off Bedi sahib and Prasanna," said Miandad.

"Then I said, 'Zaheer bhai please allow me to take some runs too, I will also use my feet against them. I'm stuck here. I won't take a single off the last ball'," he added.

Both Miandad (154) and Abbas (176) scored big hundreds in that match which ended in a draw.

In the second Test in Lahore, there was still no respite for the Indian spinners as Abbas scored a brilliant double hundred as Pakistan won the match by eight wickets.

In the final Test in Karachi, it was the turn of Miandad to score a century as India lost the Test and ultimately lost the series 0-2.

Chandrasekhar took eight wickets in that series at an average of 48.12 while Bedi scalped six wickets at an average of 74.83. Prasanna managed to pick just two wickets in the two matches he played in the series at an average of 125.50.

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India skipper Virat Kohli, limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma and tennis star Sania Mirza were among sports personalities, who took part in an online concert to raise funds to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed over 2 lakh people globally.

As part of the initiative by 'iFor India', actors, musicians, singers, sportspersons and business leaders came together to entertain people from their homes in a bid to help the COVID-19 pandemic cause.

The proceeds from the concert will go to the India COVID Response Fund set up by GiveIndia, a donation platform. "Two weeks ago, we started work on India''s biggest concert. To entertain people who are locked-down at home. To pay tribute to those who work on the frontlines while we work from home. And to raise funds for those who have no work and no home," a message from #IForIndia, the concert for our times, said.

Among others to attend the concert include, Kohli's actress wife Anushka, Shah Rukh Khan, AR Rahman, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ayushmann Khurrana, Bryan Adams, Gulzar, Nick Jonas, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ranveer Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Sophie Turner, Zoya Akhtar and Vidya Balan.

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Top Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne on Monday said that he and his team would be "pretty devastated" if India don't make the trip Down Under for a Test and limited-overs series later this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India's tour of Australia will begin with a T20 tri-series in October and is scheduled to end with a four-match Test series in December. The speculation about the tour is due to the travel restrictions currently in place and the uncertainty surrounding how long it would take to control the pandemic.

Replying to a query on the tour in an online press conference, Labuschagne said: "Well, it would mean that we are not playing cricket which is pretty devastating for myself, the rest of the team and for the country."

In between, there is the T20 World Cup, scheduled for an October 18 start, but the mega event's future is also shrouded in uncertainty due to the global crisis.

Australia has reported significant drop in positive cases with parts of the country relaxing lockdown rules. Just over 6,800 people have tested positive for the virus with less than 100 deaths in the country so far. Labuschagne lauded Australia's healthcare system and its response to the crisis so far.

"Australia has done very well with the quarantine and isolation, so we've been able to get our number down relatively quickly. With a limited amount of deaths and our healthcare system has been so good during this time," he said.

Labuschagne, currently placed at No.3 in ICC Test rankings after a brilliant year, hoped that Australia's control over the pandemic would be enough to ensure that India tour without any hassles.

"Hopefully, because of all that good work we can actually get India over here in 3-4 months or 4-5 months," he said. "Everything is changing so quickly, so it's really hard to put my finger on how everything's going to pan out. Hopefully, it pans out well but if it doesn't it will be very disappointing."

In the meantime, Labuschagne, who has enjoyed a breakout year in Tests and ODIs, is working on sharpening his skills during this forced break. "The way things have unfolded has been awesome. For me it's been about, one, taking it all in and being really happy and proud of that," Labuschagne said.

"But also then looking at, 'righto, how I can get better?' and looking at different parts of your game on and off the field that you can work on to make sure you're continually getting better," he added.

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Amidst the break from cricketing events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, legendary Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf picked his favourite Indian batsman of the current era.

During a recent Question and Answer session on social media with fans, Yousuf was asked to name his favourite Men In Blue cricketer.

The legendary middle-order batsman then picked Indian skipper Virat Kohli and swashbuckling batsman, Rohit Sharma, as his favorite cricketer.

Rohit, who is now the vice-captain of the ODI team, has played 224 ODIs, 108 T20Is, and 32 Tests so far. The limited-overs vice-captain has so far scored 14,029 runs across all formats.

In the longest format, he has also reinvented himself as the batsman started opening the batting in Test cricket last year. Rohit is the only player in the world to have three double tons to his name in ODI cricket.

He also holds the record for the highest individual score in the 50-over format as he played a knock of 264 runs against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens.

On the other hand, Kohli is widely hailed as the run-machine and has many records under his belt.

In 86 Test matches, he had 7,240 runs studded with 27 centuries and 22 half-centuries. In 248 ODIs, he has amassed 11,867 runs with an average of 59.33.

In the shortest format of the game, he has played 82 games in which he slammed 2,794 runs at an average of 50.80 with the help of 24 fifties.

Both Rohit and Kohli would have been in action for their respective franchise had the Indian Premier League (IPL) commenced from March 29.

However, the tournament has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Yuzvendra Chahal is among the best leg-spinners in international cricket right now but he can be more effective with better use of the crease, says former Pakistan spinner Mushtaq Ahmed. Ahmed picked Chahal, Australia's Adam Zampa and Pakistan's Shadab Khan among the top leg-spinners in white-ball cricket. "Chahal as been impressive. He is definitely among the top leg-spinners of the world. And I feel he would be more effective if he uses the crease a lot more," Ahmed told PTI.

Ahmed, who has coached all around the world and is currently a consultant for his native team, said India's ability to take wickets in the middle-overs in the limited overs format through Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has been a game-changer for them. Both the wrist-spinners were brought into India's limited overs set-up following the 2017 Champions Trophy. Though, of late, both Chahal and Kuldeep havn't been playing together. "He (Chahal) can go wide of the crease at times. You got to be smart enough to understand pitches. If it is a flat pitch, you can bowl stump to stump," said Ahmed, one of the best leg-spinners Pakistan has produced. "If the ball is gripping, you can go wide of the crease because you can trouble even the best of batsmen with that angle. That way your googly also doesn't turn as much as the batsman expects and you end up taking a wicket." Chahal has taken 91 wickets in 52 ODIs at 25.83 and 55 wickets in 42 T20s at 24.34. He is not a huge turner of the ball but uses his variations very effectively. Ahmed also feels the likes of Chahal and Kuldeep have benefitted immensely from former captain M S Dhoni's advice from behind the stumps.

"You have got to be one step ahead of the batsman. You should know your field position as per the batsman's strength. I always say attack with fielders not with the ball. If you understand that theory, you will always be successful," the 49-year-old, who played 52 Tests and 144 ODIs, said. "India has become a force to reckon with in all three formats as it uses its bowlers really well. Dhoni was a master at getting the best out of his bowlers in limited overs cricket and now you have Virat Kohli." He also said the art of leg-spin remains relevant more than ever. "You need leg-spinners and mystery spinners in your team as they have the ability to take wickets at any stage of the game. I see a lot of them coming through in the next 10-15 years. "Most batsmen now like playing express pace but with a good leg-spinner in the team, you are always in the game," added member of the 1992 World Cup-winning squad.

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Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Sunday shared a throwback picture with 'legend' MS Dhoni saying that he misses 'being called tilli from behind the stumps'.

Chahal took to Twitter to share a picture with Dhoni and captioned the post: "Miss being called tilli from behind the stumps by the legend..!!"

Miss being called tilli from behind the stumps by the legend..!! ðŸ¤ÂðŸ‡®ðŸ‡³ pic.twitter.com/iWGz6E11Pw

— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) May 3, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on sports across the globe as all the sporting events have either been cancelled or postponed.

The COVID-19 crisis in the country also put an indefinite halt to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in which Dhoni was to slated to make his return to the field. The former captain has not played any international match after India's exit from the 2019 World Cup.

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Former India pacer Ashish Nehra went down the memory lane with ex-teammate Aakash Chropra during a chat on Chopra's show Aakashvani. Nehra said how he had only one pair of shoes which he used for Ranji Trophy games as well as his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 1999.

"I wore them for the first time in Ranji Trophy and had only one pair which I took them with me to play in my first Test match in 1999. I still remember I used to get the shoe stitched after each innings and that is how it survived the entire Test," Nehra said.

Talking about practicing bowling action at the Delhi Cantonment Railway station with the club's bowling coach, Nehra said: "I wasn't alone. There used to be a bunch of us who would go to drop sir at the railway station. He would ask us to show him different bowling actions. I remember we would pick up the stones at the station and bowl with them."

The pair also discussed a game they had played at the Race Course ground in Delhi for their club team. "You remember we had to bowl into the wind and against the wind? The coach asked me why I didn't bowl you from that end. I told him that you wanted to bowl from the other end," said Chopra as the two had a good laugh going down memory lane. Left-arm pacer Nehra played 17 Tests, 120 ODIs and 27 T20Is for India.

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Australian spin legend Shane Warne has offered a unique answer to the question of how to swing the ball without using saliva or resorting to tampering in a post COVID-19 world -- make one side of it heavier to ensure that it doesn't need any shining. Warne feels it can help fast bowlers generate swing even on flat wickets and permanently eradicate ball-tampering. "Why can't the ball be weighted on one side so it always swings? It would be like a taped tennis ball or like with the lawn bowls," Warne told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

There is speculation that the use of saliva to shine the ball will be stopped to cut down the risk of the highly contagious. Responding to the extraordinary situation, Australian manufacturer Kookaburra has started developing a wax applicator -- which could be ready in a month -- as an alternative to saliva and sweat to help bowlers shine cricket balls in the post COVID-19 world.

"I'm not sure you'd want it to hoop around corners like Wasim (Akram) and Waqar (Younis) but it could swing and give the seamer something on flat wickets when it's hot and the pitch is at its flattest on day two, day three," Warne said. "It would actually be a really good way to move forward, as you know no one needs to do anything to the ball.

"You wouldn't have to worry about anyone tampering with it with bottle tops, sandpaper, or whatever. It would be a good competition between bat and ball," he added. The iconic spinner said while bats have become bigger and lighter, the ball has not evolved over the years and his suggestion can bring about a balance. "Have a look at how the bats have evolved. If you pick up one of the bats you started with in the 80s, and then one you used at the end of your career, it's like four of your old ones stuck together - but the thing is lighter!

"So why has the ball not evolved? If anything, it has got worse," added Warne, who is currently in the middle of shooting a documentary on his life for Amazon.

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Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday rejected the perception that he is jealous of Ravinchandran Ashwin, saying the Tamil Nadu bowler is a "legend in making". Ashwin, who had replaced Harbhajan in the Indian team, is among the leading off-spinners in the world alongside Australia's Nathan Lyon.

Harbhajan is not yet retired but last played for India in 2016. Harbhajan, 39, has played 103 Tests with his final game coming in 2015. Ashwin, on the other hand, has played 71 Tests since making his debut in 2011. "A lot of people think I am jealous, this and that. They can think whatever they want to. I just want to say that you are the best off-spinner presently playing the game," said Harbhajan during an Instagram live chat with Ashwin.

Harbhajan Singh

"Of course I like Nathan Lyon as well. I always put him right up there because he plays in Australia and it is a tough place to bowl [for spinners]. You [Ashwin] are one of those legends in the making. I wish you the very best and lots and lots of wickets."

The chat was focused on India's remarkable comeback in the 2001 home Test series against Australia. Trailing 0-1 in the three-match series, India went on to win the next two including the second one in Kolkata, where the hosts won after following-on, thanks to an iconic stand between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.

365
No. of wickets off-spinner R Ashwin has taken in 71 Tests

27
No. of five-wicket hauls by Ashwin, the most by an Indian off-spinner in a Test innings

72
No. of wickets claimed by Ashwin in 2016, the best by an Indian off-spinner in a calendar year in Test cricket

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Ravi Shastri is convinced that the class of India's 1985 team, of which he was a vital cog, was such it could trouble even the current team led by Virat Kohli. Shastri was the key man back in 1985 when the team under Sunil Gavaskar won the World Championship of Cricket. He was hero of India's triumph in Australia and had won the famous Audi car for being 'player of the tournament'. He is still influential in India's cricket set up, sitting in head coach chair, having played a significant role in team's ascendancy in world cricket across formats.

"No question about that. They (team of 85) will give any team that India puts up in white ball cricket, a run for their money. That team of 85 will give this team a run for money," Shastri said during 'Sony Ten Pit Stop' show on channel's FB page. Shastri also has a firm belief that that the team of 1985 was qualitatively better than the side that won the 1983 World Cup because it was a perfect blend of youth and experience. "I go one step ahead and say the team of 1985 was a stronger team compared to 1983.

"You know, I was part of both teams, I played in the 1983 World Cup and 1985, when you look man to man, 80 per cent of that 83 team was still there, but then some of the youngsters that you got in there like a Sivaramakrishnan, Sadanand Vishwanath, Azharuddin, those kind of guys came in to add to the experience you already had of 83 (and it) was fantastic." Shastri said that winning Test series in Australia in 2018-19 for the first time in 71 years was special but when it came to white ball cricket, 85 was special.

"It is great to be part of those two teams, as a coach that series in Australia, is going to be very very special and hard to beat, because that team wasn't beaten in 71 years by any Asian team. "There have been plenty who have gone there, tried their best and everyone knows how tough it is to beat Australia in Australia in Test match cricket, but in white ball cricket you can't beat 1985 as a player. To win both is fantastic."

Shastri then shared a hilarious anecdote about a team meeting before the final against Pakistan. Shastri imitated what Kapil Dev said in his typical English. "Kapil said, 'if I win car, I keep 25 percent (by selling) and rest share. Jimmy came and (said) "Yaar jisko mila mila' (whoever gets it, gets it). When my turn came, I said, if I win it, I am keeping the car and I can only share the stepney," Shastri said in typical tongue-in-cheek manner.

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India cricketer and star opener Shikhar Dhawan's daughter Aliyah turned 20 on Tuesday and the doting father posted a cute Instagram video dancing alongside her. "Happy birthday my angel! May you forever sparkle and shine like the star that you are. I miss you so much. Take care and enjoy your day @aliyah_dhawan," Shikhar, 34, captioned his video.

 

 

 

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Happy birthday my angel! May you forever sparkle and shine like the star that you are. I miss you so much. 🤗 Take care and enjoy your day ❤️ @aliyah_dhawan

A post shared by Shikhar Dhawan (@shikhardofficial) onMay 4, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

Meanwhile, Aliyah's mum Ayesha also posted a sweet message for her eldest daughter. "My partner in crime for life. My ride or die!!! This beautiful young lady is my soul, my heart my life!!! You are the reason I am who I am today! God bless you @aliyah_dhawan love you dearly #HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY MY INSPIRATION," Ayesha wrote.

 

 

 

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My partner in crime for life. My ride or die!!! This beautiful young lady is my soul, my heart my life!!! You are the reason I am who I am today! God bless you @aliyah_dhawan love you dearly #HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY MY INSPIRATION 🎂🎁🎉💕🎈

A post shared by Aesha Dhawan (@aesha.dhawan5) onMay 4, 2020 at 9:53pm PDT

Ayesha Dhawan, 44, has two daughters, Rhea, 14, and Aliyah from a previous marriage. Shikhar and Ayesha fell in love and got married in October 2012. In 2015, the couple welcomed their son, Zoravar.

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He has flattered to deceive on umpteen occasions but highly-rated wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson says he has learnt to accept his failures in pursuit of the calm demeanour that former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni possesses. The 25-year-old from Kerala has always been talked about by the likes of Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir but it hasn't translated into international success with only four T20 Internationals in his kitty in the last five years.

"I have learnt to understand and focus more on my strengths and (be more) accepting (of) the failures. I try to contribute to the team's cause and try to take the team over the line. I am learning to focus and control my emotions while batting like MS Dhoni," Samson said during a podcast organised by Rajasthan Royals. He recently made a comeback in India's T20 side and it was a worthy experience for him. "It was great to be a part of the Indian team again. To be a part of one of the best teams in the world, surrounded by players like Virat bhai and Rohit bhai, it was a fantastic experience," Samson said. In one of the games in New Zealand, Samson was sent to bat in the Super Over, something which made him feel wanted in the Indian set-up. "It was a great feeling to be trusted by the players such as Virat bhai and Rohit bhai to go out there and bat in the crucial moments. It's a great feeling when the team and the players consider you to be a match winner." On a lighter note, Samson revealed that he refers to Steve Smith as "chachu" (uncle) after Brad Hodge once started calling him by that name.

"I share a very good relationship with 'Chachu' Steve Smith. He is one of the best brains in world cricket and we all enjoy a lot playing under him." Asked what's the back story of the nickname, Samson said: "It started with Brad Hodge, he used to call Smith 'Chachu', then when Hodgy left, I started calling Smith 'Chachu'. In return Smith also started calling me 'Chachu'. We both really enjoy and continue calling each other that." While Dhoni is his idol, he also loves watching Jos Buttler in Royals and makes notes on how the star Englishman prepares for games. "I observe Jos especially given he too is a wicketkeeper-batsman. He's always working on his skills and his game and never sits idle. "He's either working on his keeping, batting in the nets or running around the park. I love to observe and know how he thinks and prepares as a keeper before a game."

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India skipper Virat Kohli on Tuesday teased ace batsman Cheteshwar Pujara by sharing a throwback picture from a Test match against Australia.

In the photograph, the skipper can be seen taking a one-handed blinder at second slip while Pujara glances at Kohli from a fair distance.

First session after lockdown be like 👀 @cheteshwar1 I hope you will go for the ball pujji 😜😜 pic.twitter.com/5DAGgpzbbw

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) May 5, 2020

The Indian captain wanted Pujara to be fit before the first practice session of the team once the coronavirus enforced nationwide lockdown is lifted.

"First session after lockdown be like ?? @cheteshwar1 I hope you will go for the ball pujji," Kohli tweeted.

Pujara who has played 77 Test matches came up with a witty response and said," Yes captain, and I shall catch it with both hands @virat.kohli."

Indian skipper Kohli is widely hailed as the run-machine and has many records under his belt.

In 86 Test matches, he had 7,240 runs studded with 27 centuries and 22 half-centuries. In 248 ODIs, he has amassed 11,867 runs with an average of 59.33.

In the shortest format of the game, he has played 82 games in which he slammed 2,794 runs at an average of 50.80 with the help of 24 fifties.

On the other, Pujara has been a key cog in the batting wheel of team India in the longest format of the game. He has amassed 5840 runs at an average of 48.66.

Both cricketers are currently spending time with their families as the COVID-19 pandemic as brought all sporting action across the world to a grinding halt.

Kohli would have been in action for Royal Challengers Banglore (RCB) had the Indian Premier League (IPL) commenced from March 29.

However, the tournament has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Suresh Raina on Tuesday tweeted a video of him working out with the song 'Bella Ciao' playing in the background. Raina posted boomerangs of him working out with his "little Bella." In one of those, his daughter Gracia can also be seen in the frame. "Another workout session with my little Bella. #Gracia," said Raina.

On Monday, Raina said that it was disturbing to see how there has been an "exponential" rise in the number of child abuse and domestic violence cases during the ongoing coronavirus crisis around the world. Raina has, therefore, urged people to raise their voice and report such cases without any fear.

Another workout session with my little Bella. #Gracia pic.twitter.com/CCb4ylo2JX

— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) May 5, 2020

"Lockdown has taught us various ways to love and bond with our family," Raina said on Twitter. "Though it's disturbing to read how exponentially the no. of child abuse and domestic violence cases have grown around the world.

"I urge anyone who is facing violence please reach out for help and don't shut yourself," he added. Earlier, Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan and his wife Ayesha had also put out a video on social media to send an important message regarding domestic violence. Dhawan urged people to put an end to this social evil by choosing the right partner for themselves.

"While I enjoy my time at home with my loving family, I am truly sad and disheartened and sad to hear about domestic violence still existing in today's time and we need to put an end to it. Choose a kind and loving partnership and say no to violence," read his Twitter post which he published in April.

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Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma on Wednesday paid tributes to their pet dog Bruno, who died after gracing their lives for 11 years.

Kohli penned down on emotional note on social media to express grief at the demise of Bruno. "Rest in peace my Bruno. Graced our lives with love for 11 years but made a connection of a lifetime. Gone to a better place today. God bless his soul with peace."

 

 

 

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Rest in peace my Bruno. Graced our lives with love for 11 years but made a connection of a lifetime. Gone to a better place today. God bless his soul with peace 🙏❤ï¸Â

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) onMay 5, 2020 at 8:33pm PDT

Meanwhile, Anushka shared an image of the trio, remembering their furry friend. "Bruno RIP", she captioned the photo.

 

 

 

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♥ï¸Â Bruno ♥ï¸Â RIP ♥ï¸Â

A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) onMay 5, 2020 at 8:39pm PDT

Virat and Anushka, a celebrated star couple, are currently spending quality time at home following the nationwide lockdown in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kohli and Anushka have been quite active on social, media, often sharing videos and photos to encourage people to obey guidelines set by the government to battle coronavirus.

Had the IPL 2020 season been underway, Virat Kohli would have been leading his team Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, the IPL is indefinitely postponed.

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Australia cricketer David Warner has been in rich vein of form as far as keeping his followers entertained on popular social media platforms Instagram and Tik Tok is concerned.

With no cricket being played due to coronavirus pandemic, the southpaw has been keeping himself busy by putting out hilarious content for the fans on social media.

 

 

 

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Let’s see if you can better this @aaronfinch5 lol 😂 thoughts??

A post shared by David Warner (@davidwarner31) onMay 4, 2020 at 2:21am PDT

In his latest video, Warner came up with his own rendition of Michael Jackson's popular song 'Billie Jean', featuring a coffee mug. He then challenged Australia's white-ball skipper Aaron Finch to try and do better.

His post read: "Let's see if you can do better than this @AaronFinch lol, thoughts." Warner also revealed it took him 17 tries to come with the best version of the video.

Finch hit back straight away and wrote: "Challenge accepted." Former Australia footballer and Everton legend Tim Cahill joined in on the fun and wrote: "Love this lads."

In normal circumstances, Warner and Finch would have been currently playing in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) but due to coronavirus the tournament was postponed by the BCCI.

Players across the globe have made it clear that they are hoping that the league can be played out later in the year when normalcy returns.

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With no cricket in sight in the near future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sport's groundsmen are the worst affected. Touched by their plight, India women's all-rounder Anuja Patil has came forward to help the groundsmen in her hometown, Kolhapur. Patil has distributed groceries worth approximately Rs 40,000 to groundsmen besides providing financial aid to some in dire need.

Supporting Patil in this cause are former Maharashtra pacer Ramesh Kadam, her Maharashtra teammate Rutuja Deshmukh, U-23 batsman Ranjit Nikam and trainer Swapnil Kadam. The group visited Kolhapur's Shaupuri Gymkhana, Shivaji Maharaj Stadium and Shau Stadium and provided aid to 11 groundsmen.

'Challenging times'

"This is a challenging time for all. And having undergone some of these tough situations personally, I understand how challenging it is to manage things. I feel it's my duty to help the needy," Patil, whose father Arun used to be an auto rickshaw driver till a few years ago, told mid-day.

"This crisis may last for another couple of months, so I plan to meet these groundsmen again to help out," added Patil.

Kadam said: "So far, we have distributed 11 grocery kits comprising rice (25kg), wheat (25kg), sugar (10kg), oil (5litre), dal (5kg), tea powder, soap etc."

India A's Anuja Patil during the first ODI against Australia A at Brisbane last December. pic/Getty Images

Having represented India in 50 T20Is, Patil can't wait to put on her India jersey and get on the cricket field again. But before that, she is keen to use this lockdown phase to upgrade her skills. "I'm utilising this time to work on my game. I'm following the schedule that has been given to us by our coach WV Raman sir and also speaking to my local coaches—Suraj Jadhav and Anil Sangawkar. I spend two hours training every morning and evening. I do my batting drills by hanging the ball on a rod and also bowl a bit in my parking lot. I'm also working on improving my visualisation of the ball with certain drills," said Patil, who has claimed 48 T20I wickets with her off-spinners.

Mental preparation

Patil made a fine impression in the fifth and final T20I on November 20 last year at the Providence Stadium in West Indies, returning with figures of 3-1-3-2 to help India win by 61 runs. "I want to ensure that I am mentally prepared because whenever the situation is normal again, cricket will begin and I should be ready to perform," Patil concluded.

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Former India captain and batting great, Rahul Dravid has recently joined the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) and contributed to their special fund to help some needy former players who are dealing with rough financial times caused by the Coronavirus.

The Ashok Malhotra-led association has collected Rs 42 lakh so far and is hoping for more players to come forward and help their lesser fortunate colleagues.

Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath, Gautam Gambhir and now Dravid, have helped boost the coffers. Kolkata-based Malhotra who played seven Tests and 20 one-day internationals for India from 1982 to 1986, plans to strengthen his appeal for more funds through some inspirational Bollywood songs on social media. The association will welcome corporate houses which are willing to join the cause.

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Star Sports, India’s leading broadcaster, through their show Cricket Connected, has used the power of technology to engage with cricket fans and bring them voices of the world’s best former and current cricketers. On this week’s episode, Indian captain Virat Kohli will be interacting with host Jatin Sapru and a few of his young fans who will pepper King Kohli with questions, especially around what has been doing during the government-mandated nation-wide lockdown period.

This is an enjoyable format to engage with cricket fans and legends of the game through easy-going conversations. With the lockdown extended for another two weeks, cricket fans now have an opportunity to catch Captain Kohli as he talks about daily routine at home and how he is keeping himself busy. The skipper also speaks about the importance of staying at home, finding motivation and focusing on fitness and training despite the limited conditions.

Captain Virat Kohli said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, “I am keeping myself positive and happy and just looking forward in life so that whenever I return to the game, I know I will be in a good position to start from where we left.”

While speaking to his fans, Virat Kohli also talks about the things he misses while staying at home like the IPL, the excitement the tournament brings for the players and the fans and the magical moments that are created. Virat even answers a few questions asked by his young fans around his unflappable mindset during batting, Virat emphasizes on how important it is to have a proper mindset especially while playing a sport, sending a strong message to all the young cricket aspirants in the country. On the episode, captain Kohli also catches up team mate Yuzvendra Chahal and reminisces their comradery.

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All-rounder Dwayne Bravo is in awe of the current West Indies T20 team's batting depth, saying it is better than the 2016 World Cup-winning side and can intimidate any opposition. "In the last series in Sri Lanka, we had a team meeting, and coach Phil (Simmons) put the team down, the list, and he put it down in batting order, and he had my name down at No. 9," Bravo told ESPNcricinfo. "And I said to the guys, I said listen, I don't think I was ever involved in a T20 team when I am down to bat at No. 9. "I'm just in awe of our batting line-up, and I said to the guys, I said listen, I think this team is actually better than our World-Cup-winning team, and that is no joke, because at the end of the day, you have batting all the way down to No. 10.

Bravo, who returned from international T20 retirement in December last year to strengthen West Indies' title defence, said the batting resources of this "intimidating" team has reduced his role to a specialist bowler. "It's an intimidating team, it's a team to intimidate the opposition, and that excites me. So I will just do my part as a bowler, try to control the back end of the innings, especially closing off the innings with death bowling, which has been, in the past, a bit of a concern for us," said Bravo, who made his international comeback in January against Ireland. "You saw how Oshane Thomas did with his pace in Sri Lanka. Then you have Sheldon Cottrell, now a leader of the attack, Kesrick Williams on the bench, so things starting to look bright again, things starting to look good again."

Bravo also was effusive in his praise for skipper Kieron Pollard, who had taken over the reins of limited over teams last year. "He loves to win (Pollard). That's the most important thing, and as a captain, he'll do anything to win, in the right way and the right spirit, and he's very determined to win, to make a difference," he said. "I remember when they approached him to take over, I said to him, it's going to be a good challenge, a big one, a tough one, but now is the best time. You get both teams at the bottom of the table. There's only one way you can go, which is up, right? "I said now is the right time, you build a team and you create a dressing-room environment where everyone is on the same page."

Pollard has represented West Indies in 113 ODIs and 73 T20Is, scoring 3619 runs and taken 88 wickets. The 32-year-old all-rounder remains a huge figure in limited over cricket, having played in several leagues across the globe, including the IPL. Bravo described Pollard as a "figurehead" and someone who commands respect across the globe for his achievements. "I think what Pollard has is his honesty, which is the most important thing. You have leaders in the past sometimes that said, okay, well, I don't get involved in selection, I had no say, you know, they give all types of excuses and stuff, and the system will be able to manoeuvre them and control them, but Pollard, you can't control him," Bravo said. "...

The players also respect him, because of whatever he has done and achieved in the white-ball format, especially in T20 cricket. So if someone like Pollard is speaking in the dressing room about T20 cricket, we all have to listen, because he's played the most games, he's had success, and he's highly respected around the world."' The 36-year-old also had words of appreciation for for coach Phil Simmons. "And that relationship we have with Phil Simmons as well, it's another good thing. Captain, coach - always have to have a good relationship," Bravo said.

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Sourav Ganguly, former India skipper and the current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday shared a throwback picture of him training at the Lord's Cricket Ground.

Ganguly shared the picture on his Instagram account and captioned the post as: Memories .. training at Lords day before my test debut in 1996".

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Memories .. training at Lords day before my test debut in 1996

A post shared by SOURAV GANGULY (@souravganguly) onMay 6, 2020 at 4:06am PDT

The left-handed batsman made his Test debut against England in 1996 at the Lord's Cricket Ground. In his opening Test, Ganguly came out to bat at number three and played a knock of 131 runs from 301 balls, studded with 20 fours.

His innings helped India post a total of 429 runs and gain a lead of 85 over the hosts England. England managed to hang on in the second innings for a draw.

Over the years, Ganguly went on to become one of the most successful Indian skippers. Under his leadership, India defeated Pakistan in Pakistan for the first time in a Test series. He also guided India to the finals of the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Ganguly played 113 Tests and 311 ODIs. The swashbuckling left-handed batsman scored 18,575 runs across all formats in his international career. In October 2019, Ganguly became the president of the BCCI.

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Current Indian team coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday remembered his match-winning knock in the finals of the 1984-85 Ranji Trophy.

"Summer of 1984-85. Could do nothing wrong. Even the last game of a hectic season. Ranji Final vs Delhi. @MumbaiCricAssoc #memories," Shastri tweeted.

Summer of 1984-85. Could do nothing wrong. Even the last game of a hectic season. Ranji Final vs Delhi. @MumbaiCricAssoc #memories 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Gj3O9TBCz1

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) May 6, 2020

In the finals of the Ranji Trophy in 1985, Shastri was playing for Mumbai against Delhi.

Batting first, Mumbai, then known as Bombay, posted 333 runs on the board, and Shastri played an innings of just 29 runs and he was finally dismissed by Maninder Singh.

However, with the ball in his hand, the current Indian coach went on to pick four wickets as Delhi was bundled out for 398 runs, gaining a lead of 65 over Mumbai.

Shastri picked up the scalps of Chetan Chauhan, Manoj Prabhakar, Madan Lal, and S Srivastava.

In the second innings, Shastri starred with the bat as he played a knock of 76 runs to take Bombay to a comfortable position.

Defending 299, Shastri brought his A-game to the crease as he picked up eight wickets to bundle out Delhi for 209, giving Bombay a win by 90 runs.

Shastri finished the match with twelve wickets and scored 105 runs combined in both the innings.

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