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The topic of Champions Trophy 2025 is creating new headlines everyday. Pakistan have been chosen as the hosts for the tournament but the question regarding India's participation still remains unanswered. Due to the political tension between the countries, India and Pakistan are yet to play a bilateral series, since 2013. Later in 2023, India also refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and the tournament had to co-hosted by Sri Lanka. For the Champions Trophy, Pakistan Cricket Board has refused to accept a hybrid model, which has further complicated the situation. Recently, BCCI secretary Jay Shah was also appointed as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). His appointment is expected to play a crucial role in the Champions Trophy's future in Pakistan.  Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali also commented on this situation and stated that the entire scenario is now dependent on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For the unversed, PM Modi has been inv...

Veteran Pakistan cricket team star Shoaib Malik revealed that he rejected an offer from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to become a selector ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Malik last played for Pakistan back in 2021 but he has not retired from international cricket till now. Pakistan had a disappointing run in the T20 World Cup 2024 as they were eliminated in the group stages. The Babar Azam -led side was stunned by USA before slumping to a heavy loss against India. Malik explained that he is still playing domestic cricket and taking up the selector job now did not make sense to him.  “I got an offer before the 2024 T20 World Cup. There was no chief selector then and the entire committee had the same power,” Malik told reporters. "Yes, I got the offer. However, I am still playing some cricket. How can I select the cricketers with whom I am playing currently? It does not make sense to me that you are playing as well and are part of the selection committee too," he added....

Joe Root set an England record of 34 Test centuries as Sri Lanka were left with a mammoth chase to win the second Test at Lord's on Saturday. Root's 103, the star batsman's second hundred of the match after he made 143 in the first innings, took England to a second-innings total of 251 all out on the third day. That left Sri Lanka needing 483 to level this three-Test series at 1-1 following England's five-wicket win at Old Trafford last week. Root was last man out after edging ahead of retired England opener Alastair Cook 's mark of 33 Test centuries. And having made the quickest century of his 145-Test career, off just 111 balls, the 33-year-old Root then held two catches at first slip before bad light ended play for the day. Sri Lanka were 53-2 at stumps, needing 430 more runs in an unlikely quest to end a run of six successive Test defeats by England. His seventh Test hundred at Lord's gave Root sole possession of the record for the most Test centuries at...

India's visit to Pakistan for next year's Champions Trophy 2025 remains a mystery with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yet to provide a clarity on their plans. Last year, Pakistan co-hosted the Asia Cup as the tournament was played under hybrid model after India refused to travel. India played their matches in Sri Lanka, including the one-sided final, which they won after beating the latter. Multiple reports have claimed that India is unlikely to take part in next year's showpiece event. Reacting the reports, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has claimed that if a country like Australia can play there, India too should follow the suit. "When a team like Australia can visit Pakistan, why not India? The India-Pakistan bilateral series should happen. Both governments need to sit and talk. This will benefit cricket," Akmal told Times of India. BCCI has time and time again said that the Indian team will only go to Pakistan if they ge...

Two of the finest batters of the modern era, India stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma enjoy a massive fan following wherever they go. However, Pakistan remains the only country where the two haven't played an international match. The two nations have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India for a white-ball series. On the other hand, India last visited Pakistan in 2006, but that was before either Rohit or Virat's India debut. Due to the political differences between the two nations, India and Pakistan only play each other in global and continental tournaments. However, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal wants Rohit and Virat to visit Pakistan once before retiring. Akmal suggested that the love and appreciation the two will get in Pakistan will surpass everything. "Virat and Rohit should visit Pakistan before they retire. These two are stars of world cricket, traveling across the globe to play the game. Every single fan loves...

Gus Atkinson scored a dashing maiden century before England strengthened their grip on the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's on Friday. Atkinson's sparkling 118 helped take England to 427 all out in their first innings after Joe Root had made a masterful 143 on Thursday to equal the England record of 33 Test hundreds held by Alastair Cook . Sri Lanka then collapsed to 87-6 on the second day. But Kamindu Mendis , fresh from a fine 113 in Sri Lanka's five-wicket loss in the first Test at Old Trafford, made an admirable 74 to prevent complete humiliation before he was last man out in a total of 196. All of England's pace attack took two wickets each, Matthew Potts returning figures of 2-19 in 11 overs and Chris Woakes 2-21 in 13. Sri Lanka were 231 runs behind but stand-in England captain Ollie Pope did not enforce the follow-on, with the hosts 25-1 in their second innings at stumps -- an overall lead of 256 as they looked to go 2-0 up in a three-match series. ...

Pakistan have released left-arm fast-bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi from their Test squad in Rawalpindi. Shaheen was left out of the 12-man squad selected by Pakistan for their ongoing second Test against Bangladesh, which saw Day One being washed out due to persistent rain at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. In its statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the Test team management has decided to release Shaheen from the squad to allow him to spend time with his family. It is to be noted that on Day Four of the first Test at Rawalpindi, which Pakistan lost by ten wickets to Bangladesh, Shaheen's son Aliyaar was born. In the first Test against Bangladesh, Shaheen claimed two wickets in the first innings but failed to take any scalps in the second innings to end with match figures of 2-96. Since the start of 2023, Shaheen's form in Test cricket has been patchy - 16 wickets from five Tests at an average of 40.81, as compared to him taking 115 wickets in 30 matches wh...

India's schedule at Paris Paralympics 2024, August 30: The Indian contingent has a great chance to open its medal account at the Paris Paralympics 2024 on Friday. Shooter Avani Lekhara, who won gold at Tokyo Paralympics, will be in action. Apart from her, Karamjyoti and Sakshi Kasana will compete in the Women's Discus Throw - F55 Final. Preethi Pal will compete in Women's 100m - T35 Final. Manu will play in Men's Shot Put - F37 Final. Arshad Shaik will compete in Men's C2 3000m Individual Pursuit Qualifying. ( Paris Paralympics 2024 medals tally ) Para Badminton 12 PM: Manasi Joshi vs Oksana Kozyna (Ukraine) in Women's Singles SL3 Group Play Stage 1:20 PM: Manoj Sarkar vs Mongkhon Bunsun (Thailand) in Men's Singles SL3 Group Play Stage 2 PM: Nitesh Kumar vs Jianyuan Yang (China) in Men's Singles SL3 Group Play Stage 2:40 PM: Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj vs Kyung Hwan Shin (Korea) in Men's Singles SL4 Group Play Stage 4:40 PM: Palak Kohli vs Leani...

A number of cities in Gujarat faced flood-like situations following heavy showers in the past few days. The situation was quite bad in Vadodara where although the rain did take a pause, low-lying areas were flooded after the Vishwamitri River breached its banks. Indian women's cricket team spinner Radha Yadav took to social media to share that she was in a 'very bad situation' due to the flooding but was rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). In her Instagram story, she posted a video showing the NDRF officials rescuing some people by the help of a boat while there was a lot of water on the roads. “We are Stuck in a Very bad situation. Thank you so much #NDRF for rescuing us,” Radha wrote on the social media platform along with the video. Rain-related incidents claimed 19 more lives in Gujarat, taking the toll to 26 in three days, while around 17,800 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas as heavy showers lashed parts of the state for the four...

The lack of all-rounders in the Indian cricket team has been highlighted by many over the years. Team India's struggles at ICC events over the last decade has primarily been due to the absence of multiple genuine all-round options. However, the scenario is changing, with many outright batters trying to sharpen their skills with the ball. Shreyas Iyer is one such player. Not part of Team India's T20I and Test setup at present, Iyer was spotting adding the skill of bowling to his resume in the Buchi Babu tournament match between Mumbai and TNCA XI. Iyer, who also captained the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the Indian Premier League 2024 title this year, bowled in a quite similar fashion to his IPL teammate Sunil Narine . The video of Iyer's bowling has, hence, gone viral on social media, with fans highlighting the uncanny similarity between his and Narine's action. Shreyas Iyer is bowling and that too in the style of Sunil Narine pic.twitter.com/L7QSE0Xqt8 — Pick-u...

Ollie Pope has asked Joe Root for guidance on how best to balance the demands of batting and captaincy after an awkward first outing as stand-in England skipper against Sri Lanka. Pope, in the first of three matches deputising for the injured Ben Stokes , led England to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford last week as they went 1-0 up with two Tests to play. Nevertheless, No 3 batsman Pope was himself twice out for six in Manchester -- the second time to an ill-judged reverse sweep. While Stokes may be absent, the England team still features star batsman Root, who led England in a record 64 Tests from 2017-2022. Significantly, the 33-year-old Yorkshireman scored 14 hundreds during his period in charge of what was often a struggling side. Now, as England head into the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's starting Thursday, it is no surprise Pope has turned to Root for advice on how to be an effective batsman while captaining England. "I really enjoyed the w...

Under-fire Team Pakistan invited more trouble for itself after losing the first Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh by 10 wickets on Sunday. It was Pakistan's first-ever defeat against Bangladesh in the longest format. Pakistan, who were already going through numerous changes after their debacle in the ODI and the T20 World Cup, are once again in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. From wrong team selection to poor decision making, Pakistan failed in all aspects during the match. Shan Masood and co are facing a lot of backlash from many former cricketers for their poor outing. Recently, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen also expressed shock at Pakistan's dismal show.  Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Pietersen wrote, "What happened to cricket in Pakistan? When I played the PSL, the standard of that league was tremendous, the players had a very good work ethic and the youngsters on display were magic. What's happening there?" What happene...

The Pakistan cricket team has come under a lot of fire after losing the first Test match against Bangladesh by 10 wickets in Rawalpindi. From team selection to the performances of the batters, various parts of Pakistan's game were heavily criticised by both fans and experts. Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also blasted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headed by Mohsin Naqvi following the humiliating defeat. Imran took to social media to call the defeat "embarrassing" and accused the Naqvi-led PCB of "destroying" the sport in the country by appointing "favoured officials". "Cricket is the only sport the entire nation watches with great interest on TV, but even that has been destroyed by powerful quarters who brought in an unqualified, favoured official to maintain their control," Imran Khan said, as quoted by his X account. 4. Mohsin Naqvi owns property worth five million dollars in Dubai under his wife's name. He is involved ...

Despite being a consistent run-scorer for Team India and boasting a remarkable average and strike-rate, Rinku Singh was left out of the nation's 15-man T20 World Cup 2024 squad after a patchy IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, Rinku has now revealed the words of encouragement that India captain Rohit Sharma gave him after he was dropped. Despite winning IPL with KKR, Rinku was left out as India went for four spin options, instead including him as a travelling reserve. "He (Rohit Sharma) came to me and said that it is okay, I'm still young, and there are many more tournaments to come. There is a World Cup every two years, so I shouldn't be disappointed by this but focus on my game instead," Rinku said in an interview to News24 . Immediately after the tournament, Rinku was included in India's five-match T20I tour of Zimbabwe, where he played in every single game as a middle-order batter. After that, he starred in the T20I series away at Sri ...

India head coach Gautam Gambhir , BCCI president Roger Binny, and all-rounder Hardik Pandya led the long list of joyous members of the cricketing fraternity in lauding Jay Shah, who was on Tuesday elected unopposed as the ICC Chairman. BCCI secretary Shah was elected unopposed as the next ICC head, making him the youngest ever to reach the pinnacle of global cricket administration at the age of 35.  "Congratulations to BCCI Honorary Secretary Mr. Jay Shah for being elected unopposed as the next Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council," the BCCI posted in its official 'X', formerly twitter, handle. Congratulations to BCCI Honorary Secretary Mr. Jay Shah for being elected unopposed as the next Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council. @JayShah pic.twitter.com/sKZw4mdRvi — BCCI (@BCCI) August 27, 2024 Gambhir, who has taken over as head coach from Rahul Dravid , said: "Many congrats @JayShah bhai! I know world cricket will grow t...

The last season didn't end on a happy note but senior India batter KL Rahul has expressed his intentions about being retained to Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka although no such assurances have been given by the top boss. Rahul, a former national team vice captain, is no longer in the scheme of things as far as India's T20 format is concerned. Rahul led LSG to play-offs in the first two IPL seasons, but it was widely believed that Gautam Gambhir's strategic acumen had a lot to do with it rather than his leadership, which got thoroughly exposed in the third season. "Yes, Rahul came to Kolkata and met Dr Goenka at RPG head office. He has clearly told Dr Goenka that he wants to be retained. However, till BCCI comes up with retention policy, LSG management wouldn't want to chalk out their plans," an IPL Governing Council member, privy to developments in LSG, told PTI on the condition of anonymity. "Look, Rahul wants retention but till LSG knows how...

Seasoned Hong Kong spinner Ehsan Khan, who once dismissed Indian legend M.S Dhoni and current Pakistan captain Babar Azam in the Asia Cup, on Monday became the first bowler from his country to pick up 100 wickets in T20Is, making history for the Associate Member. Ehsan Khan achieved the feat during a match while claiming 4-28 against hosts Malaysia in the ongoing Malaysia Tri-Nation T20 Cup Tournament being played at the Selangor Turf Club in the Malaysian capital. The veteran off-break bowler finished with figures of 4-0-28-4 and helped Hong Kong beat Malaysia by seven runs in Match No.6 of the tournament. According to reports, the 39-year-old Ehsan reached the 101 wickets milestone in 70 innings of 71 matches with 4-22 being his best bowling effort. After Hong Kong managed to score a modest 153/6 in 20 overs, Ehsan got into the act and finished with figures of 4-0-28-4 to help them restrict Malaysia to 146/7 in their 20 overs. Ehsan came into prominence in the 2018 Asia Cup when ...

Pakistan's hopes of winning their first match in the ongoing cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC) were dashed on Sunday as Bangladesh registered a 10-wicket win in the series-opener in Rawalpindi. It was a big achievement for Bangladesh as the win was one of its kind. For the unversed, this was Bangladesh's first Test win over Pakistan home or away. The visitors now lead 1-0 in the two-match series with the series decider to be played at the same venue from August 30. However, after the match, a video involving captain Shan Masood and star pacer Shaheen Afridi has gone viral, which has got the internet speculating that all is not well in Pakistan cricket. In the video, Shan was standing next to Shaheen during a team hurdle when the latter removed the former's arms from his shoulders. When there is no unity! There is no will! #PAKvsBAN pic.twitter.com/G4m2sjLyyC — Shaharyar Azhar (@azhar_shaharyar) August 25, 2024 This video comes a day after a clip of Shan ...

Pakistan's loss to Bangladesh in the first Test in Rawalpindi on Sunday has led to some strong reaction from former players. Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 10 wickets to register their first win over their opponents in the longest format of the game. While analysing the match, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has lashed out at the players and the management for not rectifying their past mistakes. In a brutal rant, Akmal accused the players and officials for Pakistan's global humiliation in world cricket over the last five years. " Ye to Rizwan ne 50 kiya aur scoreboard chalaya warna innings se haarte. Ye itni buri haar hai ki bhooli nahi jaegi. Aap kisi ka bura sochoge to aapke saath bhi bura hi hoga. Aapne pichle 5 saalon se kuch nahi seekha. Aap Zimbabwe se haar gaye. Pichle saal aap Asia Cup se baahar ho gaye th. Abhi aap itna zaleel hue hain world cup me, Pakistan cricket ka mazaak ban chuka hai globally. (Had Rizwan not scored a 50 and ran the scoreboa...

Star Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan is one of the finest batters currently. Rizwan, who is currently playing for Pakistan in a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, became the first keeper from his country to score 150 or more in a Test innings since Kamran Akmal in 2009. Apart from being a world class cricketer, Rizwan is also famous for his on-field antics. From fake cramping to incessant appealing behind the sticks, Rizwan can prove to be a bit of nuisance for the umpires. However, Indian umpire Anil Chaudhary remains unfazed, despite Rizwan's best efforts. In a recent interaction, Chaudhary likened Rizwan to a pigeon while referring to his appeals from behind the stumps. The 59-year-old also recalled that he once told his fellow umpire not to come under pressure while officiating against Rizwan. " Haan, maine pichle saal Asia Cup me ki thi (umpiring). Vo (Rizwan) har baat pe appeal karta hai. Lekin karta rahe. Maine dusre umpire ko bola ki ye bahut appeal kar...

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden said that runs will be "at the premium" and will be the point of difference during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India at home this year. The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy will commence with the first Test - a  day match - at Perth Stadium from November 22 to November 26, setting the tone for the series. India has won its last two series in Australia, held in 2018-19 and 2020-21 and could make it a hat-trick of series wins in Australia. Speaking to the media at the CEAT Cricket Awards, Hayden said as quoted by ICC, "You look at the line-ups, and it is hard to really tell who has got the edge." "I sense that it is going to be runs that are going to be the point of difference. So the best need to stand up in this series; runs are going to be at a premium. And I also feel like the structure of the tournament being from the west to the east is a bit of the unique way that the Australian landscape...

Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood revealed on Friday that they didn't use spinners on day three of the first Test match against Bangladesh because there was grass on the pitch at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. During Bangladesh's first inning on day three, Khurram Shahzad led the Pakistan bowling attack after he picked up two wickets. Naseem Shah, Naseem Shah and Saim Ayub bagged one wicket each in their respective spells after the end of the third day. Speaking at the post-day press conference, Mahmood said that the team management thought the grass on the wicket would favour the seamers. "The reason we didn't play a spinner was there was grass on the pitch and we thought it would favour the seamers. We were hoping for that. But the three hours the pitch was sunned before the game started on the first day may have made a difference. The wicket dried out; we didn't think it would dry out so quickly, and that made it play differently," Mahmood was quoted...

Star India batter KL Rahul triggered a huge wave of speculations on social media through his recent Instagram post. "I have an announcement to make, stay tuned...", Rahul wrote on Instagram. Reacting to this, a few accounts on social media speculated that Rahul might retire from international cricket, having lost his place in India's T20 team. However, Rahul seemed have quashed all the rumours with his latest Instagram post. In truth, Rahul and his wife Athiya Shetty had organised an auction "to enrich the lives of many special children". From jerseys to cricket bats of his present and former teammates, Rahul  and Athiya raised Rs 1.93 crores from the auction. Virat Kohli 's jersey was the most expensive buy at the auction, sold for Rs 40 lakh. In fact, the second most expensive buy, recorded at Rs 28 lakh, was also a pair of Kohli's gloves. Three bats, one each of current and former India captains Rohit Sharma , MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid helped...

Lancashire batter Harry Singh was one of the three substitute players to take the field for England on Day 1 of their ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, Manchester. Harry, alongside teammates Charlie Barnard and Kesh Fonseka, was selected for 12th-man duties by the Ollie Pope-led side. Harry, an opening batter, took the field early in the Test, coming on as a substitute soon after England chose to bowl first. The 20-year-old returned in the post-lunch session, filling in again when Harry Brook temporarily left the pitch in the 37th over. Who is Harry Singh? For the unversed, Harry is the son of former India pacer Rudra Pratap Singh Senior. No, not the one who was part of India's T20 World Cup-winning side in 2007. The RP Singh in focus here played for India in the 80s, turning up in two ODIs against Australia in 1986. Harry Singh was born on 16th June, 2004 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. His father had moved to the UK after his playing career came to an...

Jamie Smith 's latest Test fifty took England into a narrow first-innings lead in their series opener against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford on Thursday. England were 259-6 in reply to Sri Lanka's 236, a slender advantage of 23 runs, when a combination of bad light and rain forced an early close to the second day of the three-Test series. Smith, promoted up the order to No 6 in the absence of injured captain Ben Stokes , was 72 not out -- the 24-year-old wicketkeeper's third fifty in his four Tests. Once again he demonstrated his ability to both support an established batsman and keep the runs coming batting with the lower order. Together with Harry Brook (56) and Chris Woakes (25), Smith shared stands of 62 and 52 respectively before both batsmen were bowled by superb deliveries from left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya , who enjoyed an economical return of 2-58 in 21 overs. After rain washed out Thursday's morning session, England were faltering at 67-3 in the 15th ove...

Ravichandran Ashwin is gearing up for a big 10-Test season and the Bangladesh series next month will be his first under new head coach Gautam Gambhir , someone with whom he has also played a lot. Ashwin also admires him as one of the "heroes" of Indian cricket. "Gautam is someone I still share a very, very good relationship with. Because of the fact that he is a very straightforward and an honest guy. I think Gautam is also one of those guys that we should always be backing. He's a hero of Indian cricket," he said of the new coach, who took charge in the recent tour of Sri Lanka. Ashwin's first state team coach WV Raman, one of the respected names in Indian cricket has been a guiding force for him. Raman, incidentally, was Gambhir's only rival for the India head coach role. Ashwin spoke about the importance of not being over-reliant on others, and stated that it was Raman who guided him to becoming self-sufficient. To Ashwin, Raman had been the cataly...

Dhananjaya de Silva and debutant fast bowler Milan Rathnayake both made fine fifties as Sri Lanka recovered from a dramatic top-order collapse on Wednesday's opening day of the first Test against England at Old Trafford. Sri Lanka were in dire straits at 6-3 after skipper De Silva won the toss, losing their first three wickets for no runs in 10 balls. Yet they recovered to 236 all out, De Silva top-scoring with 74 and tailender Rathnayake, with only his third first-class fifty, close behind in making 72. The pair checked England's progress during an eighth-wicket partnership of 63, with no other Sri Lanka batsman making more than Kusal Mendis 's 24. "The captain wanted me to stay in there and support him," number 9 Rathnayake, speaking via a translator, told reporters after stumps. "That's what I did and when he got out, then I played my natural game." Chris Woakes struck twice in an over on his way to 3-32 in 11 overs. De Silva's impressiv...

CEAT Cricket Rating Awards ceremony was held in Mumbai on Wednesday to celebrate the remarkable achievements of cricketing legends. India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday won the CEAT Men's International Cricketer of the Year award after he helped the Men in Blue win the T20 World Cup 2024 in July. Rohit has added 14,846 runs, three double hundreds, 33 hundreds, and 87 fifties in ODIs and T20Is combined. Apart from his mouth-watering tally, Rohit is a two-time ICC T20 World Cup (2007 and 2024) and ICC Champions Trophy winner. He also holds the record for most sixes in the shortest format. Here's a look at India's top winners at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards: India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday won the CEAT Men's International Cricketer of the Year award after he helped the Men in Blue win the T20 World Cup 2024 in July. Rohit's stint as India's T20I skipper was a memorable one. He overtook Dhoni as the most successful T20I captain with 49 wins in 62 ma...