1000

‘Send him back, he doesn’t have that level of maturity yet’ – Gautam Gambhir on Venkatesh Iyer’

India lost all three matches of the ODI series against South Africa a few days back . The KL Rahul-led side lost the opening ODI by 31 runs. In the 2nd ODI, SA chased down 288 while India lost the 3rd tie by 4 runs.

Following the series defeat against SA, former India opener Gautam Gambhir had made a bold claim about Venkatesh Iyer’s future in the ODI team. Venkatesh made his ODI debut against South Africa in the recently concluded series. However, the Kolkata Knight Riders player failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Iyer scored 2 off 7 in the opening ODI while he didn’t get a chance to bowl. In the 2nd ODI, he scored 22 off 33 and went for 28 runs in 5 overs. He was surprisingly kept out of the playing XI for the 3rd ODI.

Gambhir feels that Iyer doesn’t have the maturity level to play in ODIs yet and should only be considered for selection in T20Is. Speaking on Star Sports after the series, Gambhir said: “I feel he should only be considered for T20 cricket. Because he doesn’t have that level of maturity yet. He has been given an opportunity to play international level after watching him in only 7-8 IPL matches. If you are going by IPL performances, then play him in T20 cricket. ODI is a completely different ball game and a completely different beast “

IPL 2022: Lucknow franchise announce official name, to be called `Lucknow Super Giants`

Indian Premier League’s new Lucknow-based franchise has announced their team name on Monday as Lucknow Super Giants. Chairman of RPSG group Sanjiv Goenka revealed the name on social media. 

Notably the Lucknow franchise was bought by RP-Sanjiv Goenka group in IPL team auctions last year for an amount of Rs 7090 Crore. They organized a crowd-sourced contest with the name ‘Naam Banao, Naam Kamao’ to finalise the name of its team.

While revealing the team name, Goenka said in his message that, “Thank you so much for your overwhelming response to the ‘Naam banao naam kamao’ contest. Lakhs and lakhs of people responded, based on that we are very happy to choose the name for the Lucknow IPL team,” And the name that we have chosen based on your recommendations is Lucknow Super Giants. Thak you so much for your response and love and continue to give us your blessings in the future as well.” 

Last week, Lucknow franchise had announced their three pre-auction picks with KL Rahul set to lead the team. Rahul, who captained Punjab Kings in the last two years will earn a massive salary of Rs. 17 Crore. Meanwhile, they also chose Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis as one of their new picks. And their third pick is uncapped Indian leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi.

Shane Warne suggests who should be India’s next Test captain

Legendary cricketer Shane Warne has reacted to Virat Kohli stepping down as Team India’s Test skipper and named his choice who will lead the team in the longest format of the game.

Former Australian spinner Shane Warne reckoned that a wicket-keeper should not be a captain and keeping the Indian team in mind, he felt it should either be Jasprit Bumrah or Rohit Sharma. “I was not surprised with Virat’s decision because being the captain of India has so much pressure and expectation. Virat is such an inspiration to so many people, he is an inspirational leader and I am sad to see him resign as captain and step down. He is still playing Test cricket and he still believes that it is the number one form of the game,” Warne told.

Further talking about the captaincy prospects, Warne said: “Rohit has done a good job in shorter formats, so he will be the favourite to lead the side. KL Rahul could do it, I would love to say Rahane, but he has lost form. If Rahane is in form or he finds that form again, then he can do it. He is a very good captain. India is lucky to have so many options but I think Rohit will get the captaincy.”

Even Warne said that the fast bowler has the potential to lead the team as well. He explained why he does not want Rishabh Pant to take over as the next India captain, “I do not believe a wicketkeeper should be a captain, I believe a wicketkeeper makes a good deputy, a good vice-captain. Looking at the Indian side, Jasprit Bumrah can make a good captain, Rohit Sharma can make a good captain,” Warne further said.

Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor claims being ‘forced’ to spot-fix, to face ‘multi-year’ ICC ban

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has opened up about being blackmailed into spot-fixing by an Indian businessman. He took money from match-fixers who tried to blackmail him into manipulating international games with a secret video of him using cocaine on a visit to India in 2019.

Taylor, who retired from international cricket in September last year, said the ICC was about to impose a ban on him because he had delayed reporting the incident.He was coerced into accepting the money from an Indian businessman in October 2019 and that it took him four months to report the incident to the ICC anti-corruption unit because he feared for his safety. Taylor took $15,000 from the fixers, however he said he never fixed or manipulated games. 
he was invited to India to discuss a sponsorship opportunity in October 2019. At a dinner with businessmen, he was offered cocaine and “foolishly took the bait.”

” We had drinks and during the course of the evening they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in, and I foolishly took the bait. I’ve gone over it a million times since and still feel sick to my stomach reliving that night and how they played me,” Taylor wrote.

” The following morning, the same men stormed into my hotel room and showed me a video taken of me the night before doing cocaine and told me that if I did not spot fix at international matches for them, the video would be released to the public.  “I was cornered. And with 6 of these individuals in my hotel room, I was scared for my own safety. I’d fallen for it. I’d willingly walked into a situation that has changed my life forever.” 

“I was handed the $15,000 but was told this was now a ‘deposit’ for spot-fixing and that an additional $20,000 would be paid once the ‘job’ was complete,” he said. He said he didn’t approach the ICC because he was being blackmailed by the businessman and his associates, who had made a video of him using cocaine. took the money so I could get on a plane and leave India. I felt I had no choice at the time because saying no was clearly not an option. All I knew was I had to get out of there.

Taylor decided to report the incident to the ICC four months later and said he delayed it to protect his family. “The ‘businessman’ wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give. It took me 4 months to report this offence and interaction to the ICC. “I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family. I approached the ICC on my own terms and I hoped that if Iexplained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and wellbeing, that they would understand the delay.”

“Unfortunately, they did not, but I cannot feign ignorance in this regard. I have attended many anti-corruption seminars over the years and we know that time is of essence when making reports,” he wrote.

“And so, I would also like to let you know that on Tuesday the 25th of January I am checking into a rehabilitation centre to get clean and to get my life back on track. I have to tell my story now because I know people will want to hear from me. To try and understand what led to this point. But for many weeks I will be away and trying to get better,” Taylor added.

https://twitter.com/BrendanTaylor86/status/1485522867768991745?s=20

Rahul Dravid : We missed guys who help balance the squad

Team India’s head coach Rahul Dravid has a message for Team India’s non-performers in the just-concluded ODI series in South Africa, where the Proteas hammered them 3-0.  They would be given a consistent run in the XI, but at the same time, they are expected to deliver for the team.

Rahul Dravid was honest in his assessment of the series loss admitting that the team lacked balance due to injuries to certain players. While Dravid didn’t single out missing players, he was certainly talking about the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja who bat at six and seven lending balance to the side. But in this series, India’s middle-order was a huge concern and to add to it, there was no solid finisher as well.

“This series has been a good eye-opener for us,” coach Rahul Dravid said of his first ODI assignment. “We certainly could do better with the batting in the middle overs. It is an opportunity to reflect and learn. The team has not played a lot of one-day cricket since the last World Cup. We need to look to keep improving. ” Dravid said.

Dravid agreed that someone like Shreyas needs to put his hand up and perform considering the immense competition for slots in the middle order. “Whether you bat at Nos. 4, 5 or 6, you’ve got to know what the team’s requirements are. Shreyas has gone in pretty early in all three games and he has had enough time out there in the middle,”.

“We know guys have done well and we would like to back them as much as possible. Sometimes, they will have good tours and sometimes, it won’t be possible. That’s just the way it is. Obviously, there tends to be a lot of competition with people pushing for places and it’s not easy in that kind of a situation,” Dravid added.

Smriti Mandhana wins ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year Award

India opening batter Smriti Mandhana on Monday won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021. Mandhana has scored 855 runs in 22 internationals at an average of 38.86 with one century and five half-centuries in 2021.

In the limited-overs series against South Africa where India won just two of the eight matches at home, Mandhana played a major role in both of the wins. She made 80 not out as India chased down 158 in the second ODI that helped them level the series, and scored 48 not out in the win in the final T20I. played a sublime inning of 78 in the first innings of the one-off Test against England that ended in a draw. She played an important knock of 49 in India’s only win in the ODI series.

After receiving the award Smriti Mandhana, said: “I am truly honoured for receiving the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2021. I am grateful to my teammates, my coaches, my family, friends and fans who believed in my potential and supported me in this journey.”

“Recognition of such high class from the global governing body of cricket in an exceptional and difficult year will motivate me to continue to better my game and contribute to Team India’s success going forward. I look forward to 2022 with a clear focus on winning the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 in New Zealand as we continue to prepare as a team and unit,” she said.

IPL 2022 : Full list of retained players and purse remaining of all 10 teams


After the two new teams confirmed their three picks, the Indian Premier League announced on Saturday that a total of 1,214 players (896 Indian and 318 overseas players) have signed up to be part of the IPL 2022 player auction.

The 2022 IPL mega auction is an eagerly awaited event by the fans, and will be held on 12th and 13th February in the city of Bangalore ahead of the 15th edition of the IPL.

Ahead of the auctions, a total of 33 players have been retained or picked. The existing eight IPL franchises have retained a total of 27 players while the two new IPL teams (Ahmedabad and Lucknow) have picked six players (three each) ahead of the auction. Ahmedabad has chosen Hardik Pandya (Rs 15 crore), Rashid Khan (Rs 15 crore), and Shubman Gill (Rs 8 crore). While Lucknow has opted to go with KL Rahul (Rs 17 crore), Marcus Stoinis (Rs 9.2 crore), and Ravi Bishnoi (Rs 4 crore).

IPL 2022 final retention list and remaining purse all of 10 franchises :

CSK: Ravindra Jadeja (16 cr), MS Dhoni (12 cr), Moeen Ali (8 cr), Ruturaj Gaikwad (6 crore)

Available funds: Rs 48 crore

KKR: Andre Russell (12 crore, 16 crore to be deducted from purse), Varun Chakravarthy (8 crore, 12 crore to be deducted from purse), Venkatesh Iyer (8 crore), Sunil Narine (6 crore)

Available funds: Rs 56 crore

SRH: Kane Williamson (14 crore), Abdul Samad (4 crore), Umran Malik (4 crore)

Available funds: Rs 68 crore

MI: Rohit Sharma (16 crore), Jasprit Bumrah (12 crore), Suryakumar Yadav(8 crore), Kieron Pollard (6 crore)

Available funds – Rs 48 crore

RCB: Virat Kohli (15 crore), Glenn Maxwell (11 crore), Mohammed Siraj (7 crore)

Available funds: Rs 57 crore

DC: Rishabh Pant (16 crore), Axar Patel (9 crore, 12 crore to be deducted from purse), Prithvi Shaw (7.5 crore, 8 crore to be deducted from purse), Anrich Nortje (6.5 crore)

Available funds: Rs 51 crore

RR: Sanju Samson (14 crore), Jos Buttler (10 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (4 crore)

Available funds: Rs 62 crore

PBKS: Mayank Agarwal (12 crore, 14 crore to be deducted from purse), Arshdeep Singh (4 crore)

Available funds: Rs 74 crore

Lucknow: KL Rahul (Rs 17 crore), Marcus Stoinis (Rs 9.2 crore), Ravi Bishnoi (Rs 4 crore)

Available funds: Rs 59.8 crore

Ahmedabad: Hardik Pandya (Rs 15 crore), Rashid Khan (Rs 15 crore), Shubman Gill (Rs 8 crore)

Available funds: Rs 52 crore


 

Shreyas Iyer takes brilliant diving catch to dismiss Rassie van der Dussen

In the 3rd ODI against South Africa, Shreyas Iyer demonstrated a brilliant example of how to quickly judge a catch – running distance, anticipating the dip, and agility to dive while on the run.

On Sunday, in the third ODI at Cape Town, Shreyas gave another reminder of his fine fielding ability as he pulled off a mind-blowing diving catch to dismiss Rassie van der Dussen.  In the 37th over of the innings, van der Dussen tried to slog-sweep Yuzvendra Chahal towards the leg side but did not get a proper connection on his shot. Shreyas, who was fielding on deep mid-wicket, ran towards his right to complete a stunning diving catch.

Despite that catch, Iyer further helped strengthen India’s grip on the game as he helped run out Andile Phehlukwayo. The latter was batting on 4 when there was a good up between the two South African batsmen which led to the runout. Having said that India’s fielding has really improved in today’s game as compared to the past couple of matches. 

https://twitter.com/addicric/status/1485216222954520580?s=20

India vs South Africa: Twitter Reacts After KL Rahul-Led Team Fails To Avoid 3-0 Whitewash

South Africa managed to win a thrilling final ODI to whitewash India in ODI series. However, the Men in Blue fell short by four runs, as the Proteas registered a 3-0 clean sweep, while the netizens were delightfully entertained.

Ater being put in to bat first, Quinton de Kock starred for South Africa scoring his sixth century in ODIs against India. The southpaw was in amazing touch on the day and didn’t let the Men in Blue dominate the proceedings especially in the middle overs. Rassie van der Dussen yet again looked solid in his approach. He played a perfect second fiddle to De Kock keeping the run-rate abreast. Yet, India came back well in the last 10 overs of the innings to restrict the hosts to 287. 

In reply, Shikhar Dhawan (61 off 73) and Virat Kohli (65 off 84) played important knocks but India were in deep trouble at one point after losing quick wickets during middle overs. However, Deepak Chahar’s knock under pressure ignited hopes and kept India in the game till the time he was at the crease. Twitter has gone into a frenzy after India suffered a whitewash against the Proteas who were incredible under pressure.

Virat Kohli proves rumours that captaincy not doused the fire of ambition in him

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli on Sunday scored 64th half-century in the 50-over format in 3rd ODI match against South Africa at Cape Town.

Virat Kohli, who looked in full control brought up his fifty off 63 balls in the 5th ball of the 25th over. This is Kohli’s second half-century of the three-match series after he made one in the first game at Paarl. However, he was dismissed for a duck in the second ODI. Yet he proves the netizens that captaincy not doused the fire of ambition in him.

He took 63 deliveries to reach the half-century mark during India’s run chase of 288 and on reaching the mark with a single driven through sweeper cover, Kohli celebrated in a unique manner while pointing towards his wife Anushka and daughter Vamika who were present in the stands at the venue.

Having rarely played a false shot at the Boland Park today, Kohli had increased his fans’ expectation around seeing him score an ODI century after more than two years. It is worth mentioning that Kohli’s last international century had come against Bangladesh in India’s inaugural pink-ball Test match at the Eden Gardens in November 2019. As far as Kohli’s last ODI century is concerned, it had come against West Indies during India’s tour of West Indies in August 2019.