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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Looking to suck out every dollar available, cricket was suffering from an overkill and the Coronavirus-forced break should be used to introspect whether the game is heading in the right direction, says West Indies fast bowling great Michael Holding. The cricketer-turned-commentator personally believes hitting the pause button for a while was necessary amid excessive commercialisation of the sport. "Just use the pause to look within the game, to look at what has been happening with the administrators, with the players, and think: Are we heading in the right direction? Is everything okay with our game? Personally, I don't think so," Holding told ESPNcricinfo.

"Everybody has just been head-over-heels charging down the hill, looking for every dollar available. But can we just pause a bit, hit a plateau for a bit and sit down and look and see if everything is fine? There is too much cricket being played, for one." The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill with sporting events around the globe have been postponed or cancelled. The hugely-popular IPL has been postponed indefinitely and the T20 World Cup, to be held later this year in Australia, is also under doubt.

The deadly disease has so far claimed around 2,18,000 lives with India accounting for more than 1000 deaths. Holding, nicknamed 'whispering death' for his quiet approach, said sooner or later the administrators will have to resume cricketing action and if needed, behind the closed doors.

"A lot of administrations figure that they have to play some form of the game to satisfy their broadcasters. Because if the broadcasters don't get what they pay for, they are going to demand their money back," said the Jamaican, who is an avid fan of horse racing and is currently locked down at Cayman Island. "So they have to try and play cricket behind closed doors, or whatever form they can get to play. I can't fault them for trying to do that."

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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.

 

 

 

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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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Calling MS Dhoni his mentor, wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant said the World Cup-winning skipper has his own way of helping the younger crop as he never provides a full solution to a problem, encouraging them to look for answers. Pant, was heir apparent to Dhoni until KL Rahul emerged as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the limited overs format, making the southpaw no more a certainty in the playing XI.

Mentor MSD

"He [Dhoni] has been like a mentor to me, on and off the field. I can approach him freely with any problem I may be facing, and he will never give me the entire solution for it," Pant said in an Instagram live session with his IPL team Delhi Capitals. "This is so that I don't become entirely dependent on him, he gives me hints only that helps me solve the issue myself. He's also one of my favourite batting partners, though we don't bat together often.

Perfect planning

"If Mahi bhai is at the crease, you know things are sorted. He's got a plan in his head, and all you need to do is follow it!" Dhoni, who has not played competitive cricket since July, was supposed to make a much awaited comeback with the IPL, which has now been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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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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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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The thought of standing up to Brett Lee's thunderbolts had taken Rohit Sharma's "sleep away" when he first started out but among the current lot, Josh Hazlewood is one speedster the India swashbuckler "doesn't want to face" in Tests.

Rohit said he will have to be mentally prepared to face Hazlewood when India tour Australia for a Test series later this year, provided the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. Asked to name the toughest pacers he has faced so far, Rohit said, "One bowler is Brett Lee because he didn't let me sleep the previous night on my first tour to Australia in 2007, as I was thinking how to play this bowler who bowls in excess of 150 kmph."

"In 2007, Brett Lee was at his peak. I used to watch him closely and noticed that he was consistently bowling at the speed of around 150-155 kmph. The thought of a youngster like me facing that kind of speed took away my sleep," Rohit said of the former Australian speed merchant on Star Sports' 'Cricket Connected'. Since making his debut in 2007 as a precocious talent, Rohit has gone on to become one of the world's most prolific batsmen, and his exploits in limited overs cricket are second to none.

Rohit has racked up 29 ODI hundreds and six centuries in Test cricket, besides four three-figure mark in the T20 Internationals. "Currently, someone whom I don't want to face in Test cricket would be Josh Hazlewood because he's disciplined and does not move away from that length. He does not give you loose balls," he said. Among the retired lot, Rohit said South African pace great Dale Steyn has also given him nightmares because of his ability to swing the ball at great speed.

"I have two retired favourite bowlers who I never wanted to face, one was Brett Lee and the other was Dale Steyn. I never wanted to face Steyn because playing pace and swing at the same time was a nightmare, it was just unreal." Rohit said he continues to face quality bowlers in the present day with Hazlewood being among the best . "I have watched him enough to understand that. I know for a fact that if I have to go to Australia to play a Test, then I have to be mentally prepared to be disciplined while facing Josh," said the scorer of three double hundreds in ODIs.

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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."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

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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In the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo Videocast that airs on May 2, 2020, R Ashwin talks about his future, his accuracy as a bowler, what makes him clicks in short-format cricket, future of spinners and how can they stay relevant in the ever-evolving game of Cricket.

“I am good at T20 cricket. If my body holds up, I see a purple patch coming up for me in test Cricket”, says Ravichandran Ashwin, an all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm off break when Sanjay Manjarekar, host of ESPNcricinfo asks him about his future plans. R Ashwin does not favour 4-day Cricket. He says, “I am a spinner and you’re taking the fifth day out of the game, you’re taking out a very fascinating aspect of the game.”

ICC has been considering 4-day test as part of the World Test Championship from 2023. However, the world's cricketers stand as the most likely source of opposition to the change, with many viewing the step up from four-day first-class games to five-day Tests as a critical point of difference at the top end of the long-form game (source: ESPNcricinfo article dated Dec 30, 2019)

R Ashwin shares the secret of his ability to produce variations in finger spin with so much accuracy and the influence Woorkeri Raman, former Indian cricketer and current coach of the India women's national cricket team’s coaching technique had on him. “WV Raman who is known to be a straight forward and extremely disciplined man trained us to throw the ball accurately that should land above the stumps. He also maintained that I stand no chance as a spinner if I cannot hit the top of the bat of a batsman every time I bowled.”

R Ashwin further adds, “Infact, WV Raman helped me master my rhythm. He was the first person who with or without his knowledge, inculcated this self-conscious training inside me. He would keep telling me, you’re running 10% slower or you’re running 15% faster. And this put me in a great place when I started playing first class Cricket. And these are the things that I will never forget in my career. But because he was straight forward, a bit dismissive and he could put pressure on people, they started moving away from him.”

R Ashwin shares more such anecdotes on WV Raman’s training that shaped him as a spinner that he is today.

R Ashwin has one of the best record of bowling with a new ball. “I like a new ball because of the fizz that I get on it. One of my strengths is to be able to put revs on the hard ball as it responds better to the pitch. But I generally like to use the arm ball in first 2 or 3 overs. Because when you use the arm ball, it challenges both the edges of the batsman and forces him to go across the line which is rendered risky The others that I use are the floaters that swing, the one that pitches in and goes out or the other one that lands on the seam and gets to go the other way. So these balls become very effective.”

“With a new ball I use my middle finger more than the index finger but when I bowl with an older ball, I try and get over the top. Sometimes, I don’t use index finger to go over the top, It is behind and I still put the revs and that’s when the ball actually goes the other way”, adds R Ashwin.

Commenting on future of finger spin and success of Mohammad Nabi, Afghan all-rounder and off-break bowler, R Ashwin says, “I am really surprised that at the last IPL people could not pick up what I was bowling. They thought I was bowling the carrom ball but actually I was bowling reverse carrom because when I would bowl that I would get a lot out of the pitch. Sometimes it can spin, sometimes I could get it to skid.”

R Ashwin points, “In a T-20 cricket, you need to call yourself a bowler. At times you should be able to bowl a bouncer or a spinner. Wrist spin is successful not because it is challenging both edges of the bat but because of its unpredictable nature when bowling length. And this makes wrist spin extremely relevant. Now imagine if someone can dish out unpredictable stuff in a very aware manner. That’s the journey I have taken, and that’s why I found myself amongst the wickets and in extreme control last year when I was bowling in Mohali which can be very challenging.” He adds, “In any white ball cricket, you can only hunt wickets down unless people are not picking it, but that is at a very novel stage of your career. Post that you should be able to dish out things at will that can surprise the batsman. Once you can keep the batsman guessing, chances of them bossing over you is very little.”

“Mohammad Nabi is a great spinner in T-20 format. He is able to change his line and length at will and that’s because he has done these repetitions in the longest format i.e. Test cricket. If you wake Nabi up at 3 in the night, he’ll be able to bowl at the sticker of the bat, he will then be able to change his line to wider, to closer or Yorker”, says R Ashwin. He adds, “But what is happening with wrist and finger spinner is complete eradication of logic. So, if you want finger spinner as an attacking option, he should be able to do everything that a wrist spinner does in terms of length and line for which he needs to develop the awareness of his own bowling.”

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Remembering the loss at the hands of South Africa in Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting on Sunday shared a picture of his jacket that he used in the event.

Taking to Twitter Ponting posted a picture and captioned the post, "Found my jacket from the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998. One of the few occasions we weren't good enough in a big tournament, South Africa outplayed us in the gold medal game."

Found my jacket from the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998. One of the few occasions we weren't good enough in a big tournament, South Africa outplayed us in the gold medal game. pic.twitter.com/8Mh6jJ1XP3

— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) May 3, 2020

In the gold medal match, Shaun Pollock led side outclassed Australia by four wickets with 24 balls remaining.

Proteas won the toss and asked Aussies to bat first. The team from Down Under was only able to post a total of 183, thanks to skipper Steve Waugh's unbeaten knock of 90 runs. Ponting failed to leave his impression on the scoreboard and was sent back to the pavilion after scoring just two runs.

Chasing 184, Mike Rindel and Jacques Kallis guided South Africa to a comfortable victory in 46th over. Rindel amassed 67 runs while Kallis scored 44 runs. Australia settled with a silver medal in the competition while New Zealand bagged the bronze medal.

For the first time, cricket was included in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Matches were played over 50 overs and had List A status rather than full One Day Internationals.

However, now in Birmingham CWG 2022 women's T20 cricket has been included and eight teams will compete for the coveted gold medal.

The ICC will be responsible for the competition terms and the conduct of cricket, by way of providing match officials and ensuring matches are played as per the laws of the game.

The Birmingham 2022 Games will take place in England from July 27 to August 7, 2022, and will see 4,500 athletes competing at across 18 sports.

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Feeling like a kid again, England batsman Jason Roy can't wait to get back on the cricket field but says it would make sense to postpone the T20 World Cup in October-November if teams don't get enough time to prepare for the mega event. All cricketing activities have come to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of T20 World Cup in Australia is also in doubt.

"If players aren't able to prepare in the right way and are not able to get over to Australia, then it makes sense to postpone it," Roy was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. "But if it goes ahead, it's our job to play cricket - and if we're told we have three weeks to prepare to go and play in the World T20, all the boys will be putting the yards in to make sure we're ready for that.

"I think all the boys are on edge, waiting for the call saying, 'Right, we have a month turnaround or a six-week turnaround. Get in the nets and go hit some balls.' I think the boys will be as ready as they can be," said the 29-year-old opener. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) too has suspended activities until July 1. While Roy is eager to be playing again, he said safety is paramount.

"I've got a huge amount of trust in the ECB. I think they will look into every single avenue of all the positives, all the negatives. So, I guess I would trust in what they say, probably have a chat with Morgs (Morgan) and see where his head's at and go with that. "I don't think I'll have too many questions, especially when it got to the stage of 'Right, we're going to play', because there'll be a lot of people in those meetings discussing whether it's the right thing to do or not."

Roy also has no issues in playing in front of empty stadiums. "I just want to play some cricket to be honest. I think for us to be able to go out there and play some cricket would be an incredible feeling. I feel like a kid again. "I guess we're governed by the government here, we don't really know what is going on or what the safety measures are. There's way bigger things out there. I'm more than happy to play behind closed doors, it would just be nice to get out there," he added.

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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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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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With the world coming to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic, former and current sportspersons have been interacting on social media to keep fans engaged and former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said that he would love to take up an offer to coach the Indian fast bowlers.

In an interview on social networking app Helo, Akhtar said that he has never stepped back from sharing his knowledge and he would be more than happy to do the same with Indian bowlers.

Asked if he was open to coach the Indian team if such an offer came, he said: "I will definitely. My job is to spread knowledge. What I have learned is (ilm) knowledge and I will spread it. I will produce more aggressive, fast and more talkative bowlers than the current ones who will tell-off the batsmen in a way that you will enjoy a lot."

Earlier, Akhtar had proposed a series between India and Pakistan to help raise funds to fight the pandemic. While former India skipper Kapil Dev was against the idea, Akhtar found the support of former captain Shahid Afridi.

"The entire world is fighting against coronavirus and we need unity in our region to defeat this common enemy. Such negative comments don't help at all. I don't see anything wrong with Shoaib Akhtar's suggestion for Pakistan and India to play cricket.

"Kapil's reaction has surprised me. I expected better from him and feel one should not talk like this in these crisis times. Sport is supposed to bring people together and build bridges. It is pretty disappointing," he said.

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Australia can deal with the challenge of getting teams into the country for the T20 World Cup but whether it is worth having the tournament in empty stadiums is the main point for consideration, feels sports minister Richard Colbeck. Travel restrictions and question marks over how long it would take to contain the COVID-19 pandemic has put the future of T20 World Cup and India's tour of Australia in doubt. Cricket Australia is staring at a staggering loss of 300 million Australian dollars if things don't go ahead as planned.

"I'd love to see an Australia-India Test series this summer and I'd really like to be able to see the World Cup go ahead "... the issue is not so much the teams as the crowds and that's probably one of the hurdles we really have to consider and probably one that world cricket will look at pretty closely as well," Colbeck told SEN Radio on Monday. He said logistics of hosting the event in the post COVID-19 world can be dealt with. "We all know the difference in atmosphere ... but in a team sense I'd like to think that we can build some protocols with the cooperation of the sport and the players, that's going to be extremely important, with appropriate quarantine and bio-security protocols to see if we can make the competition go ahead."

While T20 World Cup is scheduled for an October 18 start, India's tour of Australia will begin with a T20 tri-series in October and end with a four-match Test series in December. The legendary Allan Border has said it would defy belief to host a World Cup without spectators, while Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and some other cricketers have also expressed similar sentiments. The International Cricket Council recenly said that preparations were still on for the 16-team tournament and a final decision will be taken by August.

Australia is considering making travel exemptions for the Indian team's tour Down Under to save the cricket board for the financial loss but Colbeck said they need to be careful in expanding exemptions to other nations for the T20 World Cup. "Those conversations are being had, discussions about what the protocols might look like," Colbeck said. "They will be difficult because one of the things that has been a key part of our success is that we limited access to Australia from areas where there were significant outbreaks of Covid-19 and that's contributed to the low rate of spread we have now. "But we would have to be prepared to consider appropriate plans put forward by the various codes."

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Former cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir has become quite an active personality on social media. Gambhir, who is quite famous for his straightforward opinions and practical views, has a much lighter side on social media.

Gautam Gambhir recently took to photo sharing website Instagram to share a photo of his two little daughters Anaiza and Aazeen as they 'bring the house down' as the country faces a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gautam Gambhir captioned the photo saying, "That’s the look of two of the naughtiest girls on the planet after they have brought down the house with their partying!!" Take a look at the post below.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

That’s the look of two of the naughtiest girls on the planet after they have brought down the house with their partying!! 🥳🤣

A post shared by Gautam Gambhir (@gautamgambhir55) onMay 4, 2020 at 12:15am PDT

Gautam Gambhir, who is member of the Lok Sabha, got married to Natasha Jain in 2011. Their first daughter Aazeen was born in June 2014. Gambhir and Natasha welcomed their second daughter Anaiza, born in June 2017.

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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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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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England star all-rounder Ben Stokes will run his first ever half marathon on Tuesday to raise funds for the National Health Services (NHS) Charities Together and national children's cricket charity Chance to Shine. The 28-year-old all-rounder who admitted that the longest he had ever run was 8 km, will be running a half marathon near his home. "A half marathon is always been something that I've thought about doing a but never really got around to overdoing it. Obviously we have been in lockdown so I thought what a great option to go out and if I'm going to do it I might as well try and raise some funds for a good cause," Stokes said in an Instagram video.

Stokes got inspired by the efforts of three men who ran full marathons in their back gardens over the weekend. "I will be hopefully inspiring people to make some donations towards the Cricket Garden Marathon, I'm just trying to add some more funds to what they've managed to do for the great cause," said Stokes. "I've done absolutely no training, the longest distance that I've ever run is 8 kilometres. So, I don't even know I'm going to be able to complete it but hopefully, I can," he added.

The left-handed Stokes on April 8 became the first English cricketer since 2005 to be named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer in the World. In 2005, Andrew Flintoff was named as Wisden's Leading Cricketer of the Year.

The year 2019 proved as an instrumental year for Stokes as he played a key role in England's first 50-over World Cup win and then he went on to play a memorable inning against Australia during the third Ashes at Headingley.

Also, the English all-rounder was named as ICC's cricketer of the year in January 2020.

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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.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

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.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

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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The out of favour Suresh Raina might have felt hard done by the national selection committee but its former chairman MSK Prasad made it clear that it was poor form during the 2018-19 domestic season that became his undoing. The 33-year-old, who has appeared in 226 ODIs and 78 T20Is apart from 18 Tests, last played for India in July 2018 in England after which he was dropped for good. Last year, he had a knee surgery in The Netherlands and was eyeing a comeback with his favourite team Chennai Super Kings in the currently postponed Indian Premier League.

"See VVS Laxman, when he was dropped from the Indian Test squad in 1999, he forced himself back by scoring over 1400 runs in domestic cricket. This is what is expected from senior players when they are dropped," Prasad told PTI, expressing surprise at Raina's recent comments that selectors should have taken "more responsibility" as far as senior players were concerned. Raina scored 243 runs, with two fifties, in five Ranji games in 2018-19 season. A terrific IPL player, he scored only 383 runs in 17 games for CSK in 2019 which dashed his World Cup hopes.

"Unfortunately, we didn't see that form here in Raina's case in domestic cricket while other youngsters emerged at the big stage with their brilliant performances in domestic cricket and India A," Prasad, who had an eventful four-year tenure, said. Recently, Raina, during a YouTube show 'Sports Tak', accused the selectors of not clarifying why he was dropped, something that Prasad said wasn't "true".

"I think selectors should have taken more responsibility towards the senior players. Tell me, if I have any deficiency then I will work hard. When the cause is not known, how he will improve," Raina was quoted as saying. Prasad, a former India wicketkeeper, seemed hurt by the allegation from a veteran player, which he said was far from truth. "It is so sad to hear from him that selectors don't watch Ranji games. Please check the records with BCCI that how many matches were watched by senior selection committee members in the last four years." Prasad said he had personally spoken to Raina about his exclusion and told him what was expected of him.

"I had personally spoken to Raina calling him to my room and explained him the roadmap for his future comebacks. He had, back then, appreciated my efforts. I am really surprised when I have heard things which are exactly contrary to what had happened." In fact, he gave a lowdown of how many of Uttar Pradesh's Ranji matches he has seen. "I gave postings to my selectors looking at those matches where the consistent players, fringe players, probables or comeback players are playing.

"Personally, I watched four UP games in Lucknow and Kanpur in the last four years apart from the other many UP matches my colleagues have seen. ""I take pride in saying that our selection committee has watched more than 200 Ranji matches in the last four years." For any senior player, the template for national comeback should be that of Mohinder Amarnath, who made a record of sorts during his 20-year-career with the national team. "When a senior player is dropped from the squad, we expect him to go back to domestic cricket and get his form back," he said. "If you look at the great Mohinder Amarnath, check how many times he was dropped and made a strong comeback with stellar performances in domestic cricket."

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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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The coronavirus pandemic has not just forced a suspension of all sporting events across the globe, it has also raised question marks on the future and whether the ICC should look at other options to help the bowlers keep the shine on the ball rather than using saliva or sweat. And Dinesh Karthik believes that there needs to be a definite balance between bat and ball.

"I believe that there should be a fair contest between bat and a ball which is missing now a days especially in white-ball cricket. But I don't know if they allow ball tampering, where would they put a stop to it because that will be really hard. They have to manage it. To get the ball to swing , you need sweat and saliva. With new ball you use saliva and when it grows old you use sweat. But in England they use Murray Mint to the saliva, it helps ball to swing a lot more. That's why Test cricket in England is so challenging," he said in the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo One on One #Workfromhome.

Talking about switching roles when playing for India and in the IPL, Karthik said: "With experience comes adaptability. Over a period of time what you need to learn is that as a middle-order batsman you should be able to bat anywhere between number 3 and 7 and sometimes even 8. The key is not to get attached to where you're batting but about which situation you're walking into and how can you give your best.

"T20 has evolved in such a way that it doesn't matter whether you're a 1 down batsman or a 2 down batsman. All you need to know when you walk into the game is -- is it the 8th over or the 11th over or the 14th over and then accordingly react to the situation and use your skill set to do your best."

Commenting on India's journey in the 2019 World Cup, Karthik said that the team had a very successful run and none had imagined that the journey would end against the Kiwis in the semi-finals.

"We believed that we will go all the way. Everything was working well for us. Though, in the last 2-3 years, the only time any team could challenge us is when they got 3-4 wickets upfront and that happened in the WC semi-finals. And that put a break on us. Obviously loosing semi-final still hurts. But in the lead up to the tournament we achieved something special, we played very good cricket," he said.

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Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum on Wednesday called for the introduction of a team from his country in Australia's Big Bash League to boost audience interest in the T20 competition.

All cricket is on hold right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping through the globe with several tours and tournaments being either cancelled or postponed. Even the future of the T20 World Cup, scheduled for an October 18 start, is shrouded in uncertainty. Several countries, including Australia have imposed travel restrictions, and McCullum feels adding a team from New Zealand in the tournament could pique the interest of the audience in the league, which has suffered a dip in crowd and TV numbers in the past two years. "What an opportunity for the Big Bash if there's a shortage of international cricket," McCullum told 'SEN Radio'.

"If we're being honest, the Big Bash has tailed off a little bit in its following of late and what a great opportunity to really launch that back into Australian sporting fans' eyes and what a great opportunity to bring a New Zealand team in the BBL," he added. The former captain also suggested removing the "overseas" cap on New Zealand players as several international players may not be able to compete if the COVID-19 restrictions continue.

"Perhaps you could even use New Zealand players as local players because there may be a distinct lack of overseas players who will want to travel, especially high-quality ones," McCullum said "A little bit of creative thinking and another opportunity to get some New Zealanders across Tasman," he added. Talks for a trans-Tasman bubble, which will alow travel between the two countries, have been on at the government level as cases of coronavirus in both countries continue to drop. Last week, Australian officials granted 36 New Zealand rugby players and staff a rare exemption from the country's ban on international arrivals.

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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.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

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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Former Pakistan fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar wants Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to play the lead character if ever a biopic is made on his cricketing journey.

Akhtar has always been a fan of Khan, considering the number of times he has praised the Bollywood star. In 2016, he met the Bollywood actor in Dubai and tweeted a picture saying, "I really enjoyed my time with Salman Khan in Dubai. Great work is being done by his Being Human foundation."

And now, the Rawalpindi Express has stated he would like to see the 54-year-old Indian actor portray him on the big screen if a biopic was made on the former Pakistan speedster.

"If ever my biopic is made, I want Salman Khan to play the lead in it," Akhtar was quoted as saying by Pakistan journalist Saj Sadiq on his Twitter handle.

Biopic of a cricketer has the potential to attract many eyeballs as was the case when a movie on former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was made few years ago.

More recently, a movie on Team India's historic 1983 World Cup winning campaign Kapil Dev was supposed to hit the theatres but had to be postponed due to coronavirus pandemic.

Akhtar represented Pakistan in 46 Tests and 163 ODIs in which he scalped 178 and 247 wickets respectively. Besides, he also played 15 T20Is for the Men in Green in which he picked 19 wickets. He is counted among one of the fastest bowlers to have played the gamne of cricket.

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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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Virat Kohli's Indian team still has a long way to go before it is spoken of in the same breath as Australia of 2000s, feels former India pacer Ashish Nehra. Under Kohli's leadership, India earned its maiden series victory in Australia in 2018-19, achieving the feat after trying for seven decades. However, it can't be discounted that absence of Steve Smith and David Warner due to ball tampering ban turned out to be an important factor.

"This Indian team has to still cover a lot of distance in order to match up with that Australia team (led by Steve Waugh and then Ricky Ponting)," Nehra said during an interaction with ex-player Aakash Chopra on his show 'Aakash Vani'. "You are talking about an Australian team which won three consecutive World Cups and before that reached the final in 1996, won 18-19 Test matches in home and away conditions," Nehra added. He also did not appreciate the fact that every now and then team combination is being tinkered with. "It's not like this Indian team can not reach there but I believe the core group is very important. A person gets confused after watching many dishes on the table and so it's important to have fewer but better dishes," Nehra made his displeasure clear. He the went on to cite how team management had handled Rishabh Pant's career so far.

"KL Rahul is playing on the fifth position and Pant, the person you were preparing to succeed M.S. Dhoni, is serving drinks," the left-arm fast bowler, known for his straight forward views, said. Thanks to his inconsistency, Pant had lost his place in the Indian team in white-ball cricket to Rahul. "I know he (Pant) has missed his chances and there is no doubt about it but then you have kept him in the team because you saw the potential in him at 22-23 years," Nehra said.

Ashish Nehra

"There are a lot of talented players but they should be backed for a longer duration. Today also when we talk about the number five and six slots in Indian ODI side, then we are not sure about it," Nehra said. Nehra, who played 17 Tests, 120 ODIs and 27 T20 Internationals, feels Kohli's captaincy is still a work in progress. "Virat Kohli as a player needs no recognition as his career graph tells the entire story. Kohli as a player has done amazingly well. In captaincy, I still feel he is a work in progress. I can say he is a little bit of an impulsive captain," said the 41-year-old.

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It looks like former England skipper Nasser Hussain doesn't want to remember the 2002 Natwest Final against India.

The official Twitter handle of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday posted a photo of the Indian team celebrating a victory and asked the fans to name the win that the Men in Blue are celebrating.

Scenes 🙌

Can you tell us which dramatic win the Indians are celebrating? pic.twitter.com/Grh0VUwzBx

— ICC (@ICC) May 6, 2020

"Scenes, Can you tell us which dramatic win the Indians are celebrating," ICC tweeted.

As soon as one sees the picture, ardent cricket fans will quickly conclude that the image is from the 2002 Natwest Final when India gained a memorable win against England at the Lord's Cricket Ground.

However, to ICC's query, Hussain replied: "No".

In the Natwest final, India was set a target of 326 to win the match. India was struggling at 146/5 when both Yuvraj and Kaif got together at the crease.

The duo put on a partnership of 121 runs to give India a glimmer of hope in the match. Yuvraj was dismissed for 69 runs, but Kaif batted well the tailenders to give India a win in the final over by two wickets and with three balls to spare.

After the win, then skipper Ganguly took off his shirt and celebrated in style at the Lord's dressing room.

During England's innings, Nasser Hussain also scored a century and went on to play a knock of 115 runs.

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India wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel recalled an incident when former Australia opener Matthew Hayden wanted to punch him in the face. Parthiv said he made fun of the Australian after he was dismissed during a match and that made Hayden lose his cool.

Parthiv was just 18-year-old when he travelled Down Under and got into the bad books of Hayden. Chasing a stiff target of 304 against India in Brisbane in 2004, the southpaw slammed a century but was dismissed for 109 by Irfan Pathan.

Hayden's wicket proved to costly for Australia as India ended up winning the match by 19 runs. After getting dismissed, Hayden was in no mood for fun and games and Pathiv got to know that in the most hostile manner.

"I was carrying drinks in Brisbane, it was the match in which Irfan Pathan got him out. He had already scored a hundred and it was a crucial stage when Irfan got him out. I was just passing him by and I did a 'hoo hoo' to him," Parthiv said during an interaction on 100 hours 100 stars.

"He got so angry at me. He was standing at the Brisbane dressing room which is like a tunnel. He was standing there and said 'if you do this again, I will punch your face'. I said 'sorry', I stood around and he went off," he added.

Parthiv also revealed the duo went on to become good friends after they opened the innings for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

"Yeah, Hayden wanted to beat me up in Brisbane. But we became good friends after that. We played a lot of cricket together at CSK," Parthiv said.

"We enjoyed each other's company. Opening the batting was fun with him. We've had good times off the field as well. So we patched up after that Brisbane incident.

"Even after the IPL finished, I went to Australia with an emerging side. Hayden called me home, prepared chicken biryani and dal for me," he added.

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Indian cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin and Umesh Yadav on Thursday expressed condolences to the families affected in the Vizag gas leakage mishap. Yadav took to Twitter and wrote: "Praying for everyone affected in Vizag. Condolences to the bereaved families #VizagGasLeak.

Praying for everyone affected in Vizag. Condolences to the bereaved families 🙏🏻 #VizagGasLeak

— Umesh Yaadav (@y_umesh) May 7, 2020

"A gas tragedy now??? Omg.. The visuals are so disturbing. God !!! Please have mercy," Ashwin tweeted. Badminton player Kidambi Srikanth also tweeted about the incident which has left eight people dead, saying it is disturbing to hear about the mishap.

A gas tragedy now??? Omg.. The visuals are so disturbing. God !!! Please have mercy🙏

— lets stay indoors India 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) May 7, 2020

"Disturbing to hear about the #VizagGasLeak. Hope affected people recover soon and my condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Stay safe Vizag!" Kidambi Srikanth tweeted.

Around 120 people have been admitted to the hospital after a styrene gas leak in RR Venkatapuram village. The mishap took place at the LG Polymers industry early on Thursday morning.

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Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have completed the formalities in transferring Rs 50 lakh to the Maharashtra Chief Minister's COVID-19 Relief Fund, according to an MCA official on Thursday.

Though the decision was taken on March 26, the amount was not remitted as there was no direction whether to make the donation to the CM's Relief Fund or the specially-created fund for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maharashtra is one of the worst-hit states in India with over 14,000 positive cases reported.

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Former India pacer Ashish Nehra has said that M.S. Dhoni was always open to a chat with his players after a match and his hotel room would always be open for them after the games. "People think that Dhoni doesn't talk much. That is not the case. His room would remain open in the night after matches. Anyone could walk in, order food and discuss cricket," Nehra said while speaking to former India opener Aakash Chopra on his show 'Aakash Vani'.

"Be it in CSK or in the Indian team, Dhoni would pass on the message on what he thinks a player needs to do during a conversation and that would be enough for the players to get the drift," added Nehra who played a lot of cricket under Dhoni's captaincy both for India and at Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Nehra also spoke on former India captain and current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly, saying he was a leader who used to back his players to the hilt.

"Dhoni had senior players around him when he took over and the challenge was how to manage them. Dada had a team of juniors and he backed them to the hilt. He would go all out to back his players," said the former left-arm pacer who played 17 Tests, 120 ODIs and 27 T20Is.

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