Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Rizwan drops surprise early wish for Virat Kohli birthday; makes big prediction

Pakistan WK-batter Mohammad Rizwan drops surprise early wish for Virat Kohli birthday. Indian batter will celebrate his birthday on November 5

Virat Kohli, the star Indian cricketer, is getting ready for a big match against South Africa on November 5th, which is also his 35th birthday. It’s going to be an important day for him. During a practice session at the Eden Gardens, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, sent his early birthday wishes to Virat Kohli.

It was a friendly moment before Pakistan’s Cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh. In the following match in Kolkata, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh to win their third match of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

In an innings that ended in the 33rd over of their innings, Pakistan easily defeated their opponents by seven wickets. They were led by the commanding fifties of Fakhar Zaman (81) and Abdullah Shafique (68) against Bangladesh.

Mohammed Rizwan shared his birthday wishes for Virat Kohli in a fun chat with India Today – Aaj Tak at the cricket ground. He said, “It’s cool that his birthday is on November 5th. I wish him a happy birthday, even though I don’t celebrate my own. I’m sending good wishes to Virat Kohli, and I hope he scores his 49th ODI hundred on his birthday. I also hope he reaches his 50th ODI century in this World Cup.”

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Babar Azam didn’t said about Virat Kohli

On the other hand, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, didn’t say much when asked about Virat’s 35th birthday. Despite Pakistan facing some tough times in the ongoing World Cup, with four consecutive losses, Babar has been seen having friendly interactions with Virat Kohli.

Pakistan WK-batter Mohammad Rizwan drops surprise early wish for Virat Kohli birthday. Indian batter will celebrate his birthday on November 5

In the tournament, India has won six matches, which is great for them, while Pakistan is struggling and trying to secure a spot in the semi-finals. The upcoming match on Virat Kohli’s birthday will be an exciting one, and fans from both sides will be watching closely to see what happens. It’s a big day for cricket fans all over the world.

The post Rizwan drops surprise early wish for Virat Kohli birthday; makes big prediction appeared first on Inside Sport India.

NZ vs SA LIVE Score: High-flying South Africa target World Cup top spot vs Kiwis

New Zealand vs South Africa, Cricket World Cup 2023: NZ vs SA match will be the third game that will be played at the MCA Stadium in Pune

NZ vs SA LIVE Score: South Africa with lock horns with New Zealand in the ongoing World Cup today in Pune. The Proteas are coming off from a thrilling one-wicket victory against Pakistan. South Africa ticked a major box in that game as they achieved victory by chasing 271 runs. Although there were a few nervy moments, and the dreaded C word doing the rounds, Keshav Maharaj held his nerve and got South Africa over the line. On the other hand, the Kiwis are coming off two consecutive losses and will be aiming to their WC campaign back on track.

New Zealand could not close out the game against Australia despite Jimmy Neesham’s brave knock. Worst, a few injuries to key players have played a part in the Kiwis not being able to go full Monty. There is still no update on skipper Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, & Lockie Ferguson’s participation against South Africa in today’s match.

New Zealand vs South Africa, Cricket World Cup 2023: NZ vs SA match will be the third game that will be played at the MCA Stadium in Pune

But despite that, New Zealand have performed well and are well on course to make it to the semi-final. They are currently placed third on the points table with eight points. They need to win at least two games to ensure a last-four berth. South Africa will pose a tough challenge as they have shown enough firepower, audacity, and determination to post imposing totals while batting first.

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However, chasing is not Proteas’ cup of tea, and New Zealand will fancy trying to bat first on the Pune pitch. Two matches have so far been played at this venue, and both the matches chasing teams have won since dew has played a huge role.

Match Details

  • New Zealand vs South Africa (NZ vs SA), ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Match 32
  • Date & Time: Wednesday, November 1, 2 PM IST
  • Venue: MCA Stadium, Pune

NZ vs SA: Probable Playing XIs

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

The post NZ vs SA LIVE Score: High-flying South Africa target World Cup top spot vs Kiwis appeared first on Inside Sport India.

MCA Stadium Pitch Report: Batters’ paradise expected in NZ vs SA World Cup showdown

MCA Stadium Pitch Report: Batters' paradise expected in NZ vs SA World Cup showdown

In the 32nd match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, New Zealand will take on South Africa at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. New Zealand is currently positioned just below South Africa in the standings. They have played six matches and won in four of them, accumulating a total of eight points. On the contrary, South Africa has been performing exceptionally well, winning five out of six matches and currently holding the second position with ten points. Ahead of the NZ vs SA clash, check the pitch report of the MCA Stadium.

MCA Stadium Pitch Report

The pitch at the MCA Stadium is expected to provide bounce and is likely to remain consistent throughout the match. In the first match of the World Cup played at this venue, India comfortably achieved the target, while Bangladesh struggled to post a competitive score despite a decent start from their openers.

During the second match, a combined effort by the bowlers, particularly left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who took four wickets, limited Sri Lanka to 241 runs before Afghanistan, powered by three half-centuries, comfortably chased down the target with 28 balls remaining.

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Out of the nine previous ODIs held at this venue, five have seen teams scoring over 300 runs while batting first. Furthermore, in three out of seven innings, even the chasing teams managed to surpass the 300-run mark, indicating the batting-friendly nature of the pitches in Pune. The average first innings score at this stadium stands at 300.

NZ vs SA: Probable Playing XIs

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

The post MCA Stadium Pitch Report: Batters’ paradise expected in NZ vs SA World Cup showdown appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Monday, October 30, 2023

Watch Irfan Pathan dancing with Harbhajan Singh after Afghanistan’s win over Lankans

Watch Irfan Pathan dancing with Harbhajan Singh after Afghanistan's win over Lankans

Irfan Pathan stole the limelight this time by Rashid Khan as the southpaw swayed to some uber cool dance moves after Afgghanisthan’s emphatic victory over Sri Lanka yesterday in Pune. Instead of Rashid, Pathan this time, had Harbhajan Singh for company. As Irfan was grooving to dance moves, Harbhajan entertained the audience with his signature Bhangra steps. While Afghanistan did a victory lap for the fans after the win, Pathan and Harbhajan did a victory dance.

The two ex-Indian cricketers’ cool dance videos went viral in no time, and the fans started pouring comments on the same. For the unversed, Irfan danced with Rashid Khan on the ground when Afghanistan won against Pakistan. And now, the former Indian cricketer celebrated yet another glorious win of the Afghans.

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Irfan Pathan dances as, high-flying Afghanistan keep semi-final hopes alive with win against Lankans

After comprehensively beating Pakistan, Afghanistan continued the momentum against the Lankans. Opting to bowl first, the Afghan bowlers were right on the money and picked up wickets at regular intervals. They restricted the Lankans to just 241. In reply, Afghanistan lost the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz for zero. But Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran consolidated and put on a 50-plus partnership.

After the dismissal of Zadran, Rahmat, and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi guided the team to a seven-wicket win. This is the third victory for Afghanistan in six games. With this terrific win, they have kept their semi-final hopes alive. Now, the Afghans need to win at least two of the three remaining matches.

They have matches against Netherlands, Australia, and South Africa. While the Dutch will pose a relatively lesser challenge, Aussie and Proteas will challenge the high-flying Afghanistan. Currently, the Afghans are placed fifth on the points table with six points. Ahead of them are India, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

The post Watch Irfan Pathan dancing with Harbhajan Singh after Afghanistan’s win over Lankans appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Why Virat Kohli-Rohit-Sharma won’t play in IND vs AUS T20 series, Know here

Why Virat Kohli-Rohit-Sharma won't play in IND vs AUS T20 series, Know here

While India are in the midst of the World Cup, the BCCI selectors will sit next week to announce the squad for the T20 series against Australia. There is just a three-day gap between the World Cup and the start of the five-match T20 series against the Aussies. With India believing in the workload management of players, skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may be rested from the series.

Both these players have been playing non-stop cricket since the Asia Cup, and with the South Africa series starting from December 10, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel will rest India’s two stalwarts from the T20 series. There is also a strong chance that Hardik Pandya will lead in the series against Australia. The selectors are pretty optimistic about Pandya regaining full fitness by November third week.

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“Ajit the selection committee, will have a meeting sometime next week before or after the Mushtaq Ali final. We have time for the T20 series. As for who is going to lead will depend on Hardik’s fitness. The idea was to have Surya or Ruturaj leading. Now, if Hardik misses a lot more games, selectors may think of giving him the captaincy. We will take a call next week after assessing Hardik’s fitness,” a senior BCCI official told InsideSport.

No Kohli-Rohit in the T20 series against Australia, India to test their bench strength

Besides Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India are also set to rest Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav are also set to be rested. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel is set to include young players like Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, & Yashasvi Jaiswal in the team. 

“Of course, it is a great opportunity to test some of the players. We won’t have a long time for the T20 WC, as there will be no international matches between March and May. So, we have to make every opportunity count in the series that we get. It all starts with the India vs Australia T20 series,” the BCCI official said.

The post Why Virat Kohli-Rohit-Sharma won’t play in IND vs AUS T20 series, Know here appeared first on Inside Sport India.

No Retirement! MS Dhoni confirms his return date after successful knee surgery

No Retirement! MS Dhoni confirms his return date after successful knee surgery

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans can heave a sigh of relief as their beloved skipper MS Dhoni is likely to play IPL 2024 season. The 42-year-old who helped CSK lift their fifth title earlier this year underwent knee surgery and is currently rehabilitating. With November 15 given as the deadline for teams to submit the list of retention players ahead of the mini-auction, Dhoni has yet again kept his fans guessing about his retirement.

“I just had knee surgery, if everything goes right, you’ll see me playing the IPL one year at a time. If not, I’ll watch the match with fans (smiles),” Dhoni said in a recent interview. 

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For the unversed, after the IPL 2023 season was over, a beaming Dhoni told the broadcasters that he wouldn’t announce retirement. The CSK skipper also thanked fans for their unwavering support in all IPL venues this year. The wicketkeeper batter was overwhelmed to receive so much Yellove, and he said he would love to play one more IPL season for the fans.

However, will Dhoni’s knee support? Will he be able to do wicketkeeping for 16 IPL league games? Will the legendary skipper be able to lead the side for one last time? Has Dhoni found his successor to lead CSK? Only the man knows the answers to these questions. Currently, Dhoni is enjoying his break and is busy riding his vintage cars and bikes on the streets of Ranchi.

MS Dhoni: Sakshi gives big update on Dhoni, says he is recovering well

In a massive piece of news, Sakshi revealed that Dhoni is recovering well from knee surgery. The CSK skipper went under the knife immediately after the IPL 2023 season was over. The 42-year-old communicated to CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan about surgery and also mentioned taking his time before playing yet another season for CSK or retiring.

After the finals against GT, Dhoni said to Harsha Bhogle about not announcing retirement and said he would like to play one more season of IPL as a gift to fans. However, the wicketkeeper batter’s decision solely hinges on his recovery. With the IPL 2024 season still eight months away, the former India captain still has a lot of time to make a decision in the best interest of CSK. 

The post No Retirement! MS Dhoni confirms his return date after successful knee surgery appeared first on Inside Sport India.

On 5th spot! What are Afghanistan chances to qualify for World Cup semi-finals?

Team Afghanistan registered another brilliant win in the World Cup on October 30 (Monday). Afghanistan-side led by Hashmatullah Shahidi are currently sitting on the fifth spot of World Cup points table. Afghanistan recently defeated Sri Lanka in their World Cup match in Pune. With this win, the Afghani side has now six points in the bank, the Asian under-dogs are behind some heavyweights including India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

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Afghanistan are ahead of Pakistan, England & Sri Lanka

With matches against South Africa Australia and Netherlands the chances of Afghanistan look bleak. However, Hashmatullah Shahidi & Co. cannot be taken lightly as they have defeated the defending champs England and neighbours Pakistan. History awaits if Afghanistan manage to win their all next three matches which might confirm their spot in Semis. However, if they lose one more match then they will have to wait for the results of other games.

Afghanistan are slated to face Netherlands next in their World Cup match to be played at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on November 3 (Friday). After that, AFG will face Australia (November 7) and South Africa (November 10) to complete their league games in World Cup.

The post On 5th spot! What are Afghanistan chances to qualify for World Cup semi-finals? appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Another dig on Kohli, Dhoni? Gautam Gambhir hails Rohit as ‘selfless leader’

Another dig on Kohli, Dhoni? Gautam Gambhir hails Rohit as 'selfless leader'

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir, who was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team, has commended India’s captain Rohit Sharma for his exceptional leadership and selfless commitment to the sport. However, his remarks have ignited a discussion, with some questioning whether Gambhir was indirectly taking a dig at Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni while lauding Rohit’s qualities.

During a pre-match show on Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir praised Rohit Sharma for his selfless attitude. He highlighted that Rohit’s focus on team achievements, rather than personal milestones like centuries, has enabled him to excel as a dynamic top-order batsman for India. Although Rohit could have achieved “40-45 hundreds” by this point, he has opted to prioritize the success of the team over his own individual accomplishments.

“Rohit Sharma would have got 40-45 hundreds by now, but he is not obsessed with hundreds. Only a selfless leader does it first what he wants from the team. If you want a positive batting mindset from the team, the you got to do it first. That is called leading from the front. No amount of PR or marketing would get you that,” Gambhir said.

“You have to do it yourself and that is what Rohit Sharma has done in this World Cup. His average may not say that or his run tally might place him in the 5th or the 10th spot, but that doesn’t matter. But if you want to lift that trophy on November 19, that is should be your aim. Now you have to decide whether you want to score a hundred or win the World Cup,” he said,” he further said.

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Gautam Gambhir’s praise of Rohit Sharma: A swipe at Kohli and Dhoni?

Yet, Gautam Gambhir’s praise for Rohit Sharma appears to be a subtle dig at both MS Dhoni and particularly Virat Kohli in the eyes of many. Kohli is approaching an extraordinary 50th century in One-Day Internationals, with 48 centuries already to his name. While Rohit’s selfless approach is evident, it does raise concerns about Kohli’s relentless chase of personal records.

In the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma’s unwavering form and fearless style of batting have played a pivotal role in India’s unbeaten streak. His impressive innings of 87 runs against England is a perfect illustration of his immense value as a leader and a batter. Thus far in the ongoing World Cup, he has accumulated a total of 398 runs in six innings, featuring a century and three half-centuries.

The post Another dig on Kohli, Dhoni? Gautam Gambhir hails Rohit as ‘selfless leader’ appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Rift deepens! Babar Azam WhatsApp messages leaked by PCB chief on LIVE TV

Rift deepens in Pakistan Cricket! Babar Azam WhatsApp messages leaked by PCB chief Zaka Ashraf on LIVE TV, Details on the matter here

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee head Zaka Ashraf on late Sunday leaked Babar Azam personal WhatsApp messages on LIVE TV.

The PCB chief’s actions raise ethical concerns because it’s unknown if Pakistan captain Babar Azam gave his permission to share his private messages on live TV. Leaking private messages might be viewed as a privacy violation.

Why Zaka leaked Babar Azam chats?

Zaka Ashraf was allegedly ignoring Babar Azam’s attempts to contact and call him, according to a claim made on Saturday by former Pakistani cricket team wicketkeeper Rashid Latif.

In an interview with a local news channel, Ashraf refuted these allegations, saying that the Pakistan captain had never gotten in touch with him directly. “He [Latif] says that I don’t pick up his [Babar’s] call,” Ashraf clarified. “He’s never given me a call. The chief operating officer or the director of international cricket are expected to speak with the captain of the team.”

Rift deepens in Pakistan Cricket! Babar Azam WhatsApp messages leaked by PCB chief Zaka Ashraf on LIVE TV, Details on the matter here

Even though Ashraf denied ever communicating with Babar, he went to considerable measures to support his story, sending the interviewer a private WhatsApp message from Babar Azam. The WhatsApp conversation between PCB’s Chief Operating Officer, Salman Naseer, and Babar Azam was broadcast live on television.

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What was Babar’s message?

Naseer allegedly said, “Babar, there’s also been news circulating on TV and social media that you have been calling Chairman and he’s not answering. Have you lately given him a call?” in this disclosed conversation. The host said that Babar’s response was, “Salam Salman bhai, I have not made any call to sir.”

During the program, Azhar Ali, a former cricket player for Pakistan, questioned whether Babar Azam’s agreement was obtained by PCB chief or the program before releasing his private communication live on air.

The host of the previously stated program, Waseem Badami, posted a video on social media apologizing for his error and revealing the WhatsApp exchange with Babar Azam.

Badami clarified that at first they were hesitant to make the conversation public, but in the end they decided to broadcast it since the PCB chief had granted them permission to do so. In spite of this, Badami stressed that the channel made a mistake in showing the chat, and he sincerely apologized for the error.

The post Rift deepens! Babar Azam WhatsApp messages leaked by PCB chief on LIVE TV appeared first on Inside Sport India.

‘Calm and composed’, Ravi Shastri and Mohammad Kaif lauds Rohit Sharma’s captaincy

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri heaped praise on current skipper Rohit Sharma after Team India’s dominant win in IND vs ENG Cricket World Cup 2023 match at Lucknow on Sunday.

Shastri reckoned that Rohit has been “calm and composed” in the tournament and looks to be in “element”.

“In this tournament, Rohit Sharma appeared to be in his element; he has been calm and composed. Even today, when we consider the bowling changes, where the bowlers aren’t given long spells, Rohit Sharma changes the spells without any fear”, Shastri said.

The 61-year-old also lauded Rohit Sharma’s bowling changes during IND vs ENG game and said that the Indian skipper keeps the batters guessing.

“He utilized Mohammad Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah so that the batsmen do not settle into a rhythm. He keeps the batsmen guessing about what’s next”, Shastri further added.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri and ex-India cricketer Mohammad Kaif heaped praise on Indian skipper Rohit Sharma after IND vs ENG match.

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif shared the same sentiment and said that Rohit did a “commendable job” with his bowling changes.

“Even though Rohit Sharma lost the toss and had to bat first, he did a commendable job. When it came to bowling, he did an excellent job using Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammad Shami. It is significant to know when to use which bowlers and to make these changes”, Kaif said.

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Players stood up at right time: Rohit Sharma

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was highly impressed with the way experienced players stood up on a difficult wicket and got the team over the line.

“This was a game of a lot of character in the squad. When the times were tough, all our experienced players stood up at the right time and got the game for us”, Rohit said after the game.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri and ex-India cricketer Mohammad Kaif heaped praise on Indian skipper Rohit Sharma after IND vs ENG match.

The 36-year-old also lauded the bowlers for showing character and putting pressure on England batters throughout the innings.

“With the experience shown today, you can count on our seamers. Despite the conditions on the pitch with the swing and lateral movements, our bowlers put the pressure back on the opposition, and they put the ball in the right areas”, the Indian skipper further added.

Team India will next face Sri Lanka on November 2 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Tune in to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, available for free on mobile through Disney+ Hotstar and broadcast live on the Star Sports Network

The post ‘Calm and composed’, Ravi Shastri and Mohammad Kaif lauds Rohit Sharma’s captaincy appeared first on Inside Sport India.

IPL 2024 Auction: Check remaining purse of CSK, DC, GT, KKR, LSG, MI, PBKS, RCB, RR, SRH

With 77 slots to fill including 30 foreign players, IPL 2024 Auction is set for December 19 in Dubai. Franchises will have a total of Rs 26...