All-rounder Vijay Shankar was handed a surprise call to the Indian team for the tour of Australia and the all-rounder since then has had a rather productive time. Shankar was given ample opportunities to show his worth, as India tried out options to see how things could shape up ahead of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019. Shankar had a …

Smriti Mandhana’s remarkable 2018 form ensures two things. First, that India wouldn’t have their expectations of consistent scoring sound irrational from a batswoman who doesn’t differentiate between teams when it comes to hitting everyone equally. And second that should India fancy winning some interesting challenges, starting with the challenging tour to New Zealand, Smriti Mandhana will have to come good. …

Cricketers make a name for themselves for possessing at least one particular trait that separates them from the others. Ganguly not only became a symbol of dancing down the track during the fierce nineties but also for lifting his side to competing at its highest form of performance, especially in the ODIs. For Lara, it was his high-backlift and the ability to …

Team India’s veteran wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni got to a fifty in the first ODI against Australia in Sydney on Saturday. The half-century must have brought some relief to the 37-year-old, whose last best score came was 42* against South Africa in February 2018 in Johannesburg. Since then, he managed a laboured 36 and 42 in England. This innings of 51 …

Indian cricket team players Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul learned things the hard way post a bizarre and uncanny appearance on a television chat show. What followed was misogynistic and crass comments regarding women that fuelled a wrath from the Indian fans and the cricket body alike. The two Indian stars were part of the ongoing ODI series against Australia …

It’s hard to let someone go. And nothing could be a more unusual way to remember a man than reading his eulogy upon his departure at the gravesite. For there’s this feeling that when you die, it’s pointless for the world to describe you untruthfully. There’s nothing left of you anyway. Rock music fans that were around when Jim Morrison’s tomb …

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 Auction got over in an enthralling fashion in Jaipur earlier this week. 351 players had gone under the hammer. 70 slots were available across 8 teams and 60 got filled in the event on Tuesday. The IPL 2019 Auction saw some stunning buys and also some that could be questioned. IPL 2018’s most expensive Indian, …

Yuvraj Singh has just turned 37. At that age, his famous cricketing contemporaries include Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, MS Dhoni and one may even include Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn. We know that these established cricketers are just hanging in there by a thread in international cricket. But when it comes to Yuvraj Singh, it can be said, things are …

We are an emotional creed here in India. We drown in love of our cricketers. If given a chance, nearly every fan would offer the last remaining buck in his pocket to his hero. If he can do more, he’d do anything to accommodate his hero. Girls like to take good-natured boys home. Don’t they? The same way, cricket fans …

Indian cricket team had a fantastic 2018 in limited-overs journey as they rose from strength to strength. Skipper Virat Kohli will be a satisfied man in rounding off India’s show as the clock ticks for the ICC World Cup to start in 2019 in May. India are currently gearing up for a 4-match Test series against hosts Australia, starting December …

The Indian Premier League (IPL) saw its trade window shut down recently as all eight franchises revealed the list of released and retained players. Cricketers that also saw themselves in part of moving to a new camp were also brought to the limelight. The 8 franchises made some big decisions ahead of the auction in December 2018 to be held …

On November 15, we got a hang of all the activities done in the Indian Premier League trade window. Several big players were released owing to form and other reasons. Many fringe players and under performers were shown the door. A few names were exchanged as the core of each team was kept intact. Now with the important part done, …

Like the flickering status of one’s social media account, Suresh Raina isn’t the most active member of the Indian team. It’s not that he wouldn’t like to feature anymore. Who doesn’t want to wear the India jersey, the dazzling blue colors? It’s now a question of whether there’s an assured spot for Suresh Raina in the current scheme of things. …

You reserve magnanimous praise for Sachin, you hail Ganguly for his aggressive streak, and you’ve dedicated a wall of determination to hail Dravid. Why did you forget VVS Laxman? What wrong did he do? Is merely saying he’s a Very Very Special player enough to regard a man who, quite like Rahul Dravid, bailed out India on many an occasion? …

Love is crucial to life. It underpins everything we stand for. But it’s meaning becomes only more intense when you place the phrase in the context of India and subject it to cricket. Here’s what can’t be denied. How deep is our love for our cricketers? The love for cricket- impractical to many that it may be- lays bare the …

The current distance between Manish Pandey and the Indian Cricket team seems the size of the Atlantic Ocean. Who’s to be blamed? Surely, Manish Pandey cannot do anything about the sheer bench-strength of the Indian cricket side. Even before India flew off to England, there were rumours that only Rishabh Pant is going to break into the Test side. First, he …

The great accusation against Sachin Tendulkar was that he overshadowed Dravid’s achievements. But whose fault was that- Dravid’s or Sachin’s? In a similar vein, just when Pujara did the unthinkable- drawing reactions from people despite not featuring in the team- along came King Kohli with an epic Test hundred. It’s one of those cases where a celeb about to give …

Cheteshwar Pujara was supposed to be one of the world’s best batsman in Test cricket. At least, there were expectations. There was belief. Many regarded him as India’s top entity in the longest format. Eight years have gone by since Pujara debuted, but the hard-working character hasn’t quite found it going as far overseas conditions are concerned. He is a …

India tour of England 2018 Curiosity killed the cat! Ever heard that idiom? You may have. Literal meaning suggests that by being too curious about other people’s affairs, can land one into trouble. But from an English perspective, this curiosity surrounding Adil Rashid- slated to feature in the First Test against India- isn’t misplaced. Although, it’s hugely surprising. Wasn’t Rashid just …

Is it just the 11 players from the 2 teams that play on 22 yards? Perhaps, there’s a larger construct to Cricket we’ve got to appreciate. Everytime a ball is bowled, a four scored, a run saved, a run-out affected or a wicket taken or even when an appeal is levelled- the fan plays along. The talents entertain on the …

India Vs England Test Series 2018 The BCCI on Wednesday, announced an 18-member squad for the first three Tests against England, starting 1st August. Virat Kohli will once again lead the side in the 5-match series and Ajinkya Rahane will deputise him. Given the size of the squad, one may feel that the Indian board has followed a bizarre selection policy …

Cricket compliments an age of free expression with the way talents express themselves with either the bat or the ball. However, not everyone believes in being straightforward in their communication. Not everyone believes in producing straightforward magic tricks on the 22 yards. Some love fireworks. Some go for their shots, abstaining from offering the dead end of the bat. Some …

Will English white-ball captain Eoin Morgan anticipate a fragrance of win at the Sophia Gardens as India contest England in the 2nd T20? Evidencing a team that was scoring at “cruise-mode”, being 50 for 1 in 5 overs, jet-skiing further to 95 for 2 under 12 overs, ti eventually nosediving, scoring only 159- one’s sure Eoin Morgan didn’t have a …

Some batsmen are known for runs, mighty runs. Others are known for striking big, daddy hundreds. Some are noted as match-winning captains. Others are known for staring mightily at the face of overwhelming odds. Rahul Dravid- 13288 runs, 36 Test hundreds, a batting average in the upper echelons of 50- did all of the above with the keenness of a …

The Indian selection committee, who brought back veteran left-handed batsman Suresh Raina in the One-Day squad for India’s tour of England 2018 will be hoping their decision ends up in giving the results. Raina is a seasoned ODI player of 223 ODIs and 5568 runs under his belt and a lot will be upon him to make this rare chance count. …

India may have blown away Afghanistan within two days in the recently concluded one-off Test, but Ajinkya Rahane’s form has been a hot topic. Another paltry score by the stand-in Indian skipper brings forward questions on the mindset of the player, who has been short on confidence. In five overall Tests now, Rahane hasn’t managed to get a single fifty. …

Is there anything that Smriti Mandhana cannot do? During India’s successful tour to South Africa earlier this year, she erupted with thunderous blows with the bat to register match-winning fifties in the ODIs and even T20s. She was the Women’s team’s weapon of choice that gunned down a Stafanie Taylor-powered West Indies Women’s in the ICC 2017 Women’s World Cup. …

In India-Afghanistan test series, High-flying India thrashed Afghanistan in the one-off Test in Bengaluru inside two days. The hosts took 20 wickets on Friday itself to win the match by an innings and 262 runs. It was an open eye and shut story as the Ajinkya Rahane-led side stamped their authority over their opponents. India put up a decent first innings …

Earlier this year, India fast bowler Mohammed Shami was the leading wicket-taker in South Africa and helped the national team to win a Test match. Though India lost the series 2-1, Shami and the other pacers had impressed in a nation where India have fared poorly over the years. Mohammed Shami must have thought that this was a new chapter …

With Mohammed Shami failing the fitness or the ‘Yo-Yo’ test prior to India versus Afghanistan Test match in Bengaluru, it once again highlights that the side is in a no-nonsense mood when it comes to the fitness level of the squad. The question lies in how the yo-yo test has defined Indian cricket’s fitness levels? India will be facing debutants …

As Afghanistan square up against India for their first ever Test match, there is plenty to look forward to. Come Thursday, a historic moment in cricket will happen in Bengaluru when the Afghans take the field with the red ball in their hand. Wonders have happened for them in limited-overs cricket, but now the whole world will be glued to …

If anyone thought that cricket was barely about runs scored and wickets clinched, then perhaps they’re forgoing an important consideration. Do dates matter as much as wins? Perhaps, few teams make drive home this point as well as Bangladesh Women’s cricket team. Remember the Date- June 11, 2018 Before June 11, 2018- the Bangladesh Women’s side was at best, a …

India is up against Afghanistan in a one-off Test starting from June 14 onwards in Bengaluru. One vital aspect that will garner a lot of interest is the challenge against spin. This is a historic moment for the war-torn Afghans, who despite all the challenges have grown leaps and bounds. Afghanistan is a rising force and they have shown that in …

For a country that treats its cricketers like gods, seeking divinity in both their feet and in their feats, how could it have allowed Sachin Tendulkar to retire? So, even as the great batsman ‘got away’, using his celestial powers in a lighter vein, there was a lot of attention when it became apparent that his son, Arjun Tendulkar was eyeing …

We are indeed in interesting times in Indian cricket. The Sachin’s, Dravid’s, Kumble’s have all gone. The likes of Kohli, Rohit, Bumrah, Pandya make India arguably Asia’s fiercest cricketing power. The women’s game, in its biggest gain, through the flair of the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodriguez continues to walk closer toward realising its comprehensive dream of …

Those who still view cricket as being a male-dominated sport got a reality check when last year during ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, the Indian team nearly clinched the trophy in the finals. Furthermore, to the doubters’ utter surprise when the Indian team thumped South Africa in their own backyard, there were more stunned faces than there are stocks on …

Cricket has some bizarre records since its inception and former India legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar had his share of an unwanted record in the history of cricket. We go back down memory lane when on this day on June 7, 1975, one of the most bizarre innings was played. Interestingly, it was in the limited-over format. Sunil Gavaskar was at the …

In a matter of just a few hours, post their shock and surprise loss to Bangladesh- the first in the history of the women’s game- India bounced back to defeat Sri Lanka in their next game in the Asia Cup, 2018. A contest that shall perhaps be remembered for times to come for being the game where ODI captain Mithali …

Ajinkya Rahane and a poor run of form don’t seem to go well together in the same sentence. It’s one of those crude language errors that makes for an impoverished reading. So far, in nearly 7 years of cricket, Rahane’s batting seems to echo a book where the bookmark is permanently placed on the page that reads focus and grit. But …

There could not have been a possibly better exhibition of Mithali Raj’s power hitting than her imperious 97 against Malaysia in the opening contest of women’s Asia Cup. Engineering an inning from the very top draw, India’s ODI captain Mithali Raj swept, cut, drove and danced down the track to throw Malaysian bowlers out of the attack in a T20 …

When Dinesh Karthik arrived in international cricket, none of the present players were around except Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni hadn’t debuted. The old-guards- Sachin, Dravid, Saurav, Laxman and Kumble- formed the key planks of Indian cricket. T20s hadn’t taken birth and Test Cricket was still enjoyed with packed stands. As Dinesh Karthik celebrates his 33rd birthday, MS Dhoni seems fresh as …

It’s a joy to see the West Indies win a contest nowadays. What adds dollops of happiness to this spectacle is when the West Indies play to their full strength. So on May 31, 2018, as all roads in England led to Lord’s, it was an outpouring of sheer joy to not only see a West Indies powered by the …

In a contest, naturally skewed towards batsmen, given the presence of shorter boundaries, power-plays and a natural urgency of batsmen (and their propensity to score), it’s exciting that a number of bowlers stood out in the IPL. In IPL 2018, there might have been stalwarts with the bat- Kane Williamson, Risabh Pant, KL Rahul and co.- who constructed skyscrapers with …

The just-concluded IPL may already be giving besotted fans a whiff of nostalgia; cricket lovers who’re endlessly drawn to the competition, especially for love of the sport’s most exciting format. But back in the Caribbean, the boys who were part of another enthralling league are preparing for forthcoming series and challenges. It’s a busy season ahead for the men from …

The IPL is to cricket what batting is to a T20 contest. It’s devastating. It’s shining. And above all, it complements the contemporary structure of the sport. While there was no dearth of good bowling performers in this IPL- the likes of Andrew Tye, Jofra Archer, Rashid Khan knocking down stumps like a hapless pack of falling timber- the batsmen …

MS Dhoni won the third title as skipper to highlight the importance of captaincy and the attributes that come along with it. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 concluded on Sunday with Chennai Super Kings winning a third title in nine years. Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad was thrashed by CSK after a blistering 117-run knock by Shane Watson. With IPL 2018 …

Whether you are a Mumbai Indians fan or a fan of Indian cricket, everyone knows the impact promising young all-r0under Hardik Pandya has on the game. Especially in the last couple of cricketing seasons, an electrifying young talent Pandya has gone from being an inexperienced rookie into being a settled and focused international athlete. And this promising cricketer would’ve surely …

Virat Kohli’s decision to play county cricket before the England series has not gone according to plans after the Indian skipper was ruled out of the county stint due to a neck injury suffered in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. The BCCI released a statement confirming that Kohli will not be training for the next three weeks. Kohli is set …

Expected to be a high-scoring contest where big strikes landing in the dugout were to have celebrated the possible coming of the Women’s IPL, a frail-looking scoresheet proved enough to produce a sublime thriller at the Wankhede. Even as only 3 sixes were struck in all from 40 overs of nervy, exciting T20 cricket, you didn’t really miss the huge …

“At one stage, we were cruising at 75 off 8 overs, it was sad that the side couldn’t pull it off together,” said Virat Kohli of his side’s failure against Rajasthan Royals. This meant the Bangalore-based side failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in a row. Perhaps, it could be argued in that instant of speaking …

Kolkata Knight Riders assured their place in the playoffs after a resounding win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in match number 54 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. In pursuit of 173 runs, the Knights chased down the target in 19.4 overs with skipper Dinesh Karthik hitting the winning runs. KKR, who needed a win or have a better net …

Not a mighty mauler, not a batsman who’d give you nightmares on the cricket field, he’s someone who steadily collects runs. And often he collects runs quicker than the restlessness with which you fast forward a boring soap opera on television. Ever since Ajinkya Rahane appeared in the IPL, circa 2008, his average strike rate has been 120. If massive …

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab in match number 44 of the Indian Premier League 2018 in Indore to move back to the top four position in the Indian Premier League 2018 table. Onus to the KKR batsmen after they hit 245/6 and beat the host by 31 runs in the end in a gruelling encounter. KKR outwit KXIP …

The world might seem, at this point in time, clearly in awe of rising names like Smriti Madhana and Jemimah Rodriguez. And it’s not that hard to understand why. In a period of our lives that truly echoes our existential realities- fast-paced lives driven by deadlines and ruled by instant gratification- quick whips of the bat result in the highs, …

There’s no cricket quite like T20 cricket. Not our submission. Not a bumper sticker expression either. Rather, a feeling of the contemporary times. In fact, you could say, T20 is an order of the day. T20s may not be producing sterling Test level cricketers, but in today’s fast-paced existence, can be seen embalming the sport from the decay of boredom. An …

It could be said that those who aren’t the greatest fans of the IPL, would be desperately waiting for a change of guard. But there won’t be any more complaints come to May-end. On May 31, all eyes will be transfixed at the home of world cricket. In bidding hopefully an exciting farewell to the month, we’ll have amidst us …

A lot many debates were spurred by Virat Kohli’s recent decision to focus on stint with Surrey over the one-off Afghanistan Test. Polarised opinions and viewpoints- did Kohli make the right choice, should he have focused on playing Afghanistan instead- rattled many brains. Yet, a question bugged fans and demanded an answer: in the absence of Virat Kohli, who would’ve …

Retired Aussie great Alex Blackwell is back on the cricket field. It’s always nice to find a veteran talent back on the 22 yards, perhaps a home away from home for a cricketer. But no she’s not wielding a bat. In fact, she’s put her thinking caps on and is seen busy with a group of English youngsters. Alex Blackwell …

India loves Virat Kohli and so does world cricket. Each move and decision of Virat Kohli is regarded and reviled in equal measure. In fact, cricket obsesses about him. Whatever this spectacular cricketer does is marked with close scrutiny. Therefore, it’s not hard to note that in the immediate aftermath of Kohli deciding to skip the Afghanistan Test, the decision …

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 has reached its midway amidst plenty of excitement and action with several players staking their claim to be amongst the top. Some fresh faces have come up, besides several regulars upping the ante in getting runs freely. Who Have Been The Most Influential Batsmen In IPL 2018? The IPL, over the years, has maintained its strength …