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Young opening batter Shubman Gill got his much-deserved place in India's playing XI as the team management decided to drop out of form batter KL Rahul from the team for the ongoing third Test against Australia at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Rahul, who managed score of 20, 17 and 1 in the three innings so far, has been under the scanner for his low returns with the bat. Rahul's exclusion from the team sparked a meme fest on social media as fans took to Twitter to address the issue. Here's how Twitter reacted: Venkatesh Prasad after knowing that KL Rahul was dropped in today's match pic.twitter.com/ULQSQX8fCs — (@Basavachethanah) March 1, 2023 KL Rahul dropped ICT Fans - #INDvAUS #KLRahul pic.twitter.com/IbsUtSTaD7 — TauTumhare (@TauTumhare) March 1, 2023 Shubman Gill has played only 15 balls so far and he is already past KL Rahul's highest score in this series. #INDvAUS — Arjun (@iam_arjunk) March 1, 2023 Meanwhile:- kl Rahul.. @klrahul .....

KL Rahul has been dropped from India's playing XI in the third Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a prolonged lean patch. Youngster Shubman Gill has been included in KL Rahul's place in the XI. Rahul, who was named vice captain for the first two Tests, scored just 38 runs in the series. The opener has scores of 22, 23, 10, 2, 20, 17 and 1 in his last seven innings. Rahul last scored a Test half-century in January, 2022 against South Africa in Johannesburg. His last Test ton came against the same opponents in December 2021. Shubman, on the other hand, has scored 736 runs in 13 Tests with one tons and four half-centuries. He has been in great form and recently scored a double ton in ODIs too. He is one of the few Indian players to have a ton in all formats. India captain Rohit Sharma said that there were two changes in the India playing XI from the second Test. He specifically mentioned while Mohammed Shami was rested to make way for Umesh Yadav, Shubm

Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is on the cusp of some major milestones as India face Australia in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Indore. Ashwin is eight wickets away from equaling the tally of Anil Kumble 's 111 wickets in Tests against Australia and become the joint highest wicket-taker in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Australia's Nathan Lyon is nine wickets away from equaling the tally of Anil Kumble's 111 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ashwin is also two wickets away from surpassing Kapil Dev 's tally of 687 wickets in international cricket. Also, Virat Kohli is 77 runs away from completing 4000 runs in Tests at home. Rohit Sharma is 57 runs away from completing 2000 runs in Tests at home. The India captain is 80 runs away from completing 3000 runs in international cricket as captain.  Virat has been a pillar of India's home domination ever since he hit the international cricket scene in 2008. In 199 matches at home so far

IND vs AUS, 3rd Test Day 1 Live Updates:  India will take on Australia in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Wednesday at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. Leading 2-0 in a four-match series, Team India  will now be playing for a record-extending 16th straight series win at home and a guaranteed spot in the World Test Championship final in June. In the absence of pacer and skipper Pat Cummins , Australia will be led by Steve Smith. ( LIVE SCORECARD ) Here are the Live Updates of Day 1 of the 3rd Test between India and Australia from the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/india-vs-australia-3rd-test-day-1-live-score-updates-3822406

Aiden Markram hit a century on his return to Test cricket but the West Indies mounted a strong fightback on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Tuesday. Markram made 115 in a South Africa total of 314 for eight. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph spearheaded the West Indian bowling attack, taking three for 60. South Africa looked set to take full control when they reached 221 for one after new captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and decided to bat. But they lost seven more wickets before the close while adding another 93 runs, with the West Indian bowlers finding swing, lateral movement and more consistency with the old ball. An opening partnership of 141 between Markram and former captain Dean Elgar (71) was followed by a stand of 80 between Markram and new cap Tony de Zorzi . The left-handed De Zorzi was looking comfortable before he was run out for 28.  De Zorzi punched a ball from Joseph through the covers and completed a confortable two runs. T

Former Australian pacer Michael Kasprowicz wants his side to play to its strengths and go for a three-pronged pace attack in Mitchell Starc, Cameron Green and Scott Boland for the third Test against India at Indore beginning on Wednesday. Australia had gone into the second Test in New Delhi with just one pacer in skipper Pat Cummins and three specialist spinners and still lost the match by six wickets to concede a series-retaining 0-2 lead to India. "I don't mind (three quicks) -- and I'm going out on a limb here I suppose -- not taking India on in the spin department," Kasprowicz told SEN Radio, batting for the inclusion of Boland. Boland could not take a single wicket in the first Test at Nagpur, but was economical conceding 34 runs from 17 overs. Boland was dropped for the Delhi Test with Australia opting for a spin-heavy attack in Lyon, Murphy and Kuhnemann. "We don't need three spinners, if it's (Todd) Murphy or (Matthew) Kunhemann (with Nathan L

Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are two hot properties in world cricket currently. The star batters are always the prized scalps of rival teams. Dismissing them means putting a big dent in their respective teams' chances. While Kohli was the captain of the Indian team, Babar is the current skipper of the Pakistan cricket team. With the ODI World Cup in a few months' time in India, the duo's performance will be crucial for their side if they are to leave a big impact. Needless to say, their wickets will be in demand.  However, it's not only the rivals who are gunning for Babar's scalp. In a video posted by Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Lahore Qalandars, Pakistan pacer can be seen indulging in a funny chat with Babar. The conversation goes as below:     Haris Rauf : "No matter what happens, I just need to take your wicket. Only you and Kohli are the exception now. Williamson was saved from slip twice but these three-four players are in my mind."  Babar Az

MS Dhoni 's rise started a new chapter in Indian cricket. The youngster from Ranchi, Jharkhand, who rose to become a giant in world cricket is an inspiration to many. A few months before Dhoni's debut for India in December, 2004, against Bangladesh, another wicketkeeper-batter started his journey for the Men in Blue. His name was Dinesh Karthik . He made his debut in an ODI against England at Lord's in September, 2004. However, Dhoni's dominance was such that Karthik soon became an understudy of the former India skipper.  While Dhoni went on to win three ICC title as India captain, Karthik worked hard and is still playing at the top level. He even played the 2022 T20 World Cup for India. Recently, Karthik shared his thoughts on making his debut at a time when Dhoni-mania was just starting. "I made my debut before him. We went together on an India A tour and from there I got picked for the Indian team, he was still there in India A team," Karthik said on the

With Australia trailing India 0-2 in the four-match Test series, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh has labelled the visitors as a 'mentally fragile' side. With the the third Test starting in Indore on Wednesday, India have a chance to go 3-0 up and clinch the series. The hosts have already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, thanks to the Australian batters inability to tackle India's spin trio -- Ravindra Jadeja , Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel . Harbhajan feels that the Australian team, which is currently in India, has looked "clueless" at times. "If you compare to other Australian teams which toured earlier - we don't want to go 30-40 years back but even if we go that far - I think this is probably the weakest team. Not in terms of skills, mentally they are very fragile. They are not able to handle pressure the way the Aussies used to. It'll be fair to say this is not the Aussie-Aussie kind of team that we used to see or play against," H

New Zealand vs England, 2nd Test Day 5   Live Updates:  England will begin the final Day of the second Test against New Zealand at 48/1 with the visitors needing 210 runs more to win.  Ben Duckett (23*) and Ollie Robinson (1*) are standing unbeaten at the crease. Earlier, Record-breaker Kane Williamson stroked a superb century Monday to steer New Zealand to 483 all out in their second innings and set England a target of 258 runs to win the second Test in Wellington. Former captain Williamson hit 132 and Tom Blundell was last man out for 90 as the hosts fought back after being asked to follow on. ( LIVE SCORECARD ) Here are the LIVE Updates of Day 5 of the 2nd Test Match between New Zealand and England straight from Basin Reserve, Wellington source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/new-zealand-vs-england-2nd-test-day-5-live-score-updates-3819248

One of the finest pace bowlers in the history of cricket, Wasim Akram is a name that needs no introduction in the cricketing spectrum. The former Pakistan speedster enjoys a great fan following all across the world. But, if there's one country where Akram is loved the most after Pakistan, it would arguably be India. It was this love for the cricketer that saw his late wife receive urgent medical treatment in 2009, and Akram couldn't me more thankful to the Indian people. In a chat with Sportstar , Akram revealed a chilling tale from 2009 when his flight had to land in Chennai but the cricketer and his wife didn't have visas for the country. Akram revealed how his wife was unconscious when the flight landed, and the medical team there took her to a hospital despite them not having valid visas. "I was flying to Singapore with my late wife and there was a stop in Chennai for refueling. When he landed, she was unconscious, I was crying and people recognized me at the a

Record-breaker Kane Williamson stroked a superb century Monday to steer New Zealand to 483 all out in their second innings and set England a target of 258 runs to win the second Test in Wellington. Former captain Williamson hit 132 and Tom Blundell was last man out for 90 as the hosts fought back after being asked to follow on. England were 48-1 in their second innings at stumps after opener Zak Crawley , on 24, was bowled by a delivery that nipped back from New Zealand captain Tim Southee . Ben Duckett remained unbeaten on 23 and nightwatchman Ollie Robinson was on one, leaving England to score a further 210 runs on Tuesday's final day for a 2-0 sweep after winning the first Test by 267 runs.  New Zealand need nine wickets to pull off only the fourth victory by a side following on in the history of Test cricket and square the two-match series. The hosts resumed their second innings on Monday at 202-3, still trailing by 24, but Williamson led the charge with his 26th Test ce

Batting sensation Azam Khan continues to hog limelight with his attacking game play. The right-handed power-hitter struck an imposing 42-ball 97 in his side Islamabad United's Pakistan Super League game against Quetta Gladiators on Friday. His innings was laced with eight sixes and nine fours. While being compared to another T20 star Suryakumar Yadav , Azam Khan said that not the India star, but Australian cricketer Tim David is his inspiration. The Pakistani star reasoned that he relates his game more to David as the two come out to bat at similar positions in franchise cricket. "The position I bat at, you know the situation is quite difficult. Either the score is about 40 for four or 180 or 160 for two, so then you need to go and finish the match. It is a really difficult role. But I am more inspired from Tim David nowadays. He hits big shots and I know and understand his batting role because I play at the same position. Suryakumar often plays one down which is like top o

Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal will lead the Rest of India (ROI) team against Madhya Pradesh in the Irani Cup, which will be commencing from 1st of March at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior. Agarwal has been rewarded for being the leading run-scorer of the recently-concluded Ranji Trophy season where he scored 990 runs in 13 innings, with a highest score of 249. Agarwal last featured for India in March 2022 in a Test against Sri Lanka and has since failed to secure his place on the national side. The right-hander is eyeing a comeback after a stellar Ranji season. Sarfaraz Khan was unavailable for selection owing to a hairline fracture on his left little finger. The All-India Senior Selection Committee named Baba Indrajith as his replacement for the tournament. The Mumbai lad is the most noteworthy exclusion from the 16-member roster. The Irani Cup venue was shifted to Gwalior from Indore after the third India-Australia Test was assigned to the Holkar Stadium. As a result,

South Africa's Test series against the West Indies, which starts at SuperSport Park on Tuesday, could hardly be more low-key but it has the potential to launch a new era for the country's Test team. New coach Shukri Conrad has already stamped his authority on the team, appointing Temba Bavuma as the new captain -- the first Black African to skipper the Test team -- and clearing out several players who were found wanting in losing series in England and Australia. The Test series has had minimal build-up in a South African season which has been dominated by Twenty20 cricket.  There was the first SA20 franchise tournament, which was a crowd-pulling success, and the Women's T20 World Cup in which South Africa reached the final, hugely lifting the profile of women's cricket. The two matches against the West Indies are the only two Tests scheduled for the South African summer after Cricket South Africa took a decision to prioritise the SA20. The series is part of the Worl

Australian skipper Meg Lanning now has the highest number of major International Cricket Council (ICC) trophies as a captain in the history of the sport. Lanning accomplished this milestone during her side's ICC Women's T20 World Cup final against South Africa on Sunday. In the match, after posting 156/6 in 20 overs while batting first after winning the toss, the Aussies were able to defend the total and keep South Africa away from their first-ever world title across men's and women's senior teams, defeating them by 19 runs. Lanning as a skipper has won a total of five tournaments. These tournaments include the 2022 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup and 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023 editions of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. This makes her the most decorated captain in the history of the sport. Behind Lanning is her compatriot and legendary Australian batter Ricky Ponting, who took his side to new heights in men's cricket. Under his leadership, Australia won fo

Australia added a new feather to their cap on Sunday as the Meg Lanning -side lifted their sixth Women's T20 World Cup title after defeating South Africa in the summit clash on Sunday. This was Australia's third title on the trot and Meg Lanning's fifth ICC trophy as a captain. Opting to bat first, Australia posted a total of 156/6 in 20 overs after Beth Mooney plays an unbeaten knock of 74 off 53 balls. Later, South Africa fell short of 19 runs despite a powerful knock of 61 off 48 balls by Laura Wolvaardt . As Australia created a new record in Cape Town, fans took to Twitter to congratulate the team on their spectacular win. 6th Title it is for the Aussies in #T20WorldCup Their dominance is unmatched! SA did put up a fight #AUSvsSA #T20WorldCup2023 pic.twitter.com/agCckayv4T — Shreyas Srinivasan (@ShreyasS_) February 26, 2023 I am proud to be a fan of the most dominant Sports Team in the World @AusWomenCricket #AUSvsSA #T20WorldCup #T20WorldCup2023 pic.tw

India defeated Australia by 6 wickets in the second Test match in New Delhi to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The hosts now lead the series 2-0 after registering convincing wins in the first two matches. Australia, who had failed to give a fight to India in the Nagpur Test, did improve a bit but couldn't prevent a loss. Results of both the matches came within three days. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed an interesting conversation with a fan, who asked him why both the matches ended within three days. "One of the guys who traveled with me on the flight was like, 'Why did you guys finish the Test match in just three days? I feel bad'. I replied, 'Sir, two things have changed. One is the mentality of the cricketers. They wanna play fast-paced these days. They wanna score runs quickly'," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel . "Cricketers these days don't wanna take time and then score runs. But just because of that, we should not co

Former India head coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri said on Saturday that Australian batters' lack of application has let them down in the ongoing Test series. He added that Australia lacked belief in their own defence and need to go back to basics ahead of the third Test at Indore. The third Test between India and Australia will take place from March 1 in Indore. Australia trail by 2-0 in the series and have disappointed with the bat in both the matches. "I think application (has let them down) more than anything else. The lack of belief in their own defence," Shastri said in the latest edition of ICC Review. "The lack of application and the lack of discipline was unreal and Australia paid for it big time," added the former India coach. Shastri believes Australia's batters should look to occupy the crease during the remaining Test matches, rather than using the aggressive approach that has proved their downfall so far. "It is very important to go

With a few days to go for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, the Indian cricket team faces a few questions. The most prominent being the place of opener KL Rahul in the XI. The star batter has scored only 38 in the first two Tests. Former players, including Venkatesh Prasad , has been questioning why Rahul has been getting a long rope. With a highest score of 23 in his last 10 Test innings, Rahul's place is under scrutiny as India chase a third successive victory that would seal their place in the final of the World Test Championship in June. In the midst of this, Rahul, the designated vice-captain of the Indian team in the first two Tests, no longer holds the title for the final two Tests. Ex-BCCI selector Saba Karim pointed out the reason on why Rahul was removed from vice-captaincy. "His performance has not been great and that's why he has been removed from vice-captaincy. This does not mean that he will not be played in the XI. This only

India have dominated Australia in  the Border-Gavaskar Trophy so far. After easy wins in the first two Tests, which the hosts achieved in less than three days on both occasions, the third Test starts in Indore on March 1. The Australian team has been dealt with several blows owing to injuries while their regular captain Pat Cummins too will not be available for the third Test as he has gone back home due to his mother's illness. Amidst this, former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has predicted that Australia will be clean-sweept.    "I see 4-0. It will be hard for Australia to beat India. In these conditions, we are a far superior team," Ganguly was quoted as saying to Rev Sportz . Meanwhile, citing Mike Tyson, Australian great Greg Chappell has slammed the team's forgettable performance in the first two Tests against India, saying the visitors "punched themselves in the mouth long before the first ball was even bowled". Australia hav

New Zealand vs England, 2nd Test Day 3, Live: On Day 2, James Anderson validated his elevation to top spot in the world Test bowling rankings with a lethal opening spell as England took full control of the second Test against New Zealand on Saturday. Veteran seamer Anderson snared 3-37, sending the Black Caps crashing to 138-7 when rain forced an early end to day two in Wellington, after England declared their first innings at 435-8. Spinner Jack Leach also took three scalps, leaving New Zealand staring at a 297-run deficit with three days remaining. ( LIVE SCORECARD ) Here are the LIVE Updates of Day 3 of the 2nd Test Match between New Zealand and England straight from Basin Reserve, Wellington source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/new-zealand-vs-england-2nd-test-day-3-live-score-updates-3814709

James Anderson validated his elevation to top spot in the world Test bowling rankings with a lethal opening spell as England took full control of the second Test against New Zealand on Saturday. Veteran seamer Anderson snared 3-37, sending the Black Caps crashing to 138-7 when rain forced an early end to day two in Wellington, after England declared their first innings at 435-8. Spinner Jack Leach also took three scalps, leaving New Zealand staring at a 297-run deficit with three days remaining. Red-hot England are on course for a sweep of the two-match series, having won the first Test by 267 runs at Mount Maunganui with the same mix of aggressive batting and potent new-ball bowling. Joe Root was unbeaten on 153 when captain Ben Stokes made his assertive declaration, leaving the tourists half an hour to attack the Black Caps top order before lunch. Anderson answered the call, removing Devon Conway (0) and Kane Williamson (4) to have the hosts languishing at 12-2. The exactin

Glenn Maxwell feels Australia were "outstanding" in the first two Tests against India barring the one self-destructing session in Delhi on day three. Australia lost nine wickets for 52 runs in their second innings to squander the slight advantage they had at the start of day three. "I think they've showed a lot of fight. Bar that one session I thought they were outstanding. It's bloody difficult over there - it's not an easy place to play, it's so foreign for us. "But I feel like, apart from a couple of little moments, we've been in the fight, we've been matching India at different times and they've shown a lot of fight," he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. Among the current lot, Maxwell is the only one to have scored a Test century in India alongside Steve Smith. "It's just sticking it out for a little bit longer and I'm sure that'll be the message, to keep trying to stay up with India and take

The strong bond that Virat Kohli shares with Mahendra Singh Dhoni is well-known among Indian cricket fans. But what makes the relationship tick, on and off the field? While speaking on the RCB Podcast Season 2, the first of the 10 episodes, Kohli shared some insights into the working points of his kinship with Dhoni. "I have experienced a different kind of phase in my career currently. It's been a while since I felt (this) free in the sense how I felt all these years of playing at any level of cricket," said Virat Kohli on RCB Season 2 Podcast. Kohli has played 106 Tests, 271 ODIs and 115 T20Is for India in a career spanning 15 years scoring over 25000 international runs. "What is interesting is that throughout this phase apart from Anushka, who has been the biggest source of strength for me because she has been with me throughout this whole time and she has seen me very closely as how have I felt, things that I have gone through, the kind of things that have happe

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has lashed out at Shoaib Akhtar , following his comments on star batter Babar Azam . During a recent appearance on a local news channel, Akhtar had criticised Babar's communications, saying that the Pakistan captain can't speak English properly. The 47-year-old faced a lot of flak for his comments on Babar, as well as former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal . Raja labelled Akhtar a "delusional superstar", adding that it is more important to become a human first than a brand. "Shoaib Akhtar is a delusional superstar. He also had an issue recently with Kamran Akmal. He wants everyone to become a brand, but it is more important to become a human first. First, become a human and then a brand. Our former players degrade our cricket brand by giving delusional statements. You will never see that happening in our neighbouring country. You will never see Sunil Gavaskar criticizing Rahul Dravid . It only h

The confusion over the host venue of the 2023 Asia Cup still remains. Pakistan were originally accorded the host status. However, after BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) head, said last year that India won't travel to Pakistan, there is confusion over the status of the continental event. According to a report in news agency PTI, in a possible solution to the Asia Cup logjam, Pakistan may remain the host and India could be offered to play its matches in the UAE where some games will be held, according to sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). In such a scenario, the UAE will also host the final if India qualifies for it, according to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) source. An emergent meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was held in Bahrain on February 4 at the behest of PCB chief Najam Sethi after the continental body released its itinerary and Pakistan wasn't named the hosts of the tournament. Now, former Pakistan player Kamran A

There's no denying Virat Kohli 's stature. The superstar batter has done wonders for the Indian cricket team over the years, establishing his stature as one of the finest in the world. It isn't just India where Virat enjoys a terriric fan-following but also outside the globe. Not just that, even some of Kohli's teammates are his fans, and an epic story of one such fan was narrated by India's former bowling coach Bharat Arun. And, that player was none other than pacer Mohammed Siraj . Siraj entered the Indian team having already played under the captaincy of Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was there that the pacer had a chat with Arun, revealing how much he admired the then-franchise skipper Kohli. "Siraj was Virat's biggest fan. After the first season with RCB, he came and told me 'Sir, mujhe Virat ki tarah banna hai (Sir, I want to be like Virat)," Arun revealed on Cricbuzz Special show 'The Rise of New India'. "I think i

NZ vs ENG, 2nd Test Day 2, Live Updates : England will begin Day 2 of the 2nd Test against New Zealand at 315/3 with Harry Brook (184*) and Joe Root (101*) standing unbeaten at the crease. Red-hot Harry Brook made a majestic 184 not out to put England firmly in control against New Zealand in Wellington on Friday in the second Test. Joe Root was unbeaten on a classy 101 as the tourists rampaged their way to 315-3 before rain ended the opening day of the series decider early. ( LIVE SCORECARD ) Here are the Live Updates of Day 2 of the 2nd Test Match between New Zealand and England straight from Basin Reserve, Wellington  source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/new-zealand-vs-england-2nd-test-day-2-live-score-updates-3812567

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was distraught after her side narrowly lost out to Australia in the semi-final of the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup on Thursday. Harmanpreet's bizarre run out was the talking point of the match as it proved to be a game-changer. During the post-match presentation, an emotional Harmanpreet wore glasses to hide her tears. She later had to be consoled by former India player Anjum Chopra , who went on to hug Harmanpreet. On being asked about the incident and her gesture for Harmanpreet, Anjum said she was just trying to "lessen the sorrow" "My intention was to give the captain some empathy because that's all I can offer from the outside. It was an emotional moment for both of us. India have reached the semi-finals a lot of times and they have lost. This is not the first time I've seen Harmanpreet bat like this. I have seen her battling her injuries and health Today she might not have even played but because this was a World Cu