Dinesh Karthik, the veteran Indian wicketkeeper, revealed that Rohit Sharma had scored his maiden half-century for the national team with his bat.
Rohit Used Dinesh Karthik Bat
“His first-ever international fifty was with my bat. I am very proud of that. Yeah, I was batting with it, I told Rohit, ‘What a s*** bat’ and he said, ‘What? You think this bat is not good enough? Give it to me,”Karthik was quoted as saying in a conversation with Gaurav Kapoor on the show Breakfast with Champions.
“So I gave it to him. That day (need to give him credit) he just walked in straight with the bat in South Africa during World Cup and he played amazing innings. No credit to my bat, obviously the batsman but still. I remember all those kinds of things and these kinds of things mean a lot to me,” he added.
Rohit’s knock turned out to be a game-changing one as India posted a competitive score of 153 on the board after being reduced to 61 for four in the 11th over. The target of 154 turned out to be too steep for the Proteas, who ended with 116 for nine in 20 overs.
Rohit turned out to be the Player of the Match for being the highest scorer from either side.
Dinesh Karthik International Debut details
Test
India vs Australia at Mumbai – November 03 – 05, 2004
ODI
India vs England at Lord’s – September 05, 2004
T20I
South Africa vs India at Johannesburg – December 01, 2006
Dinesh Karthik’s Records
The first-ever Indian cricketer to win a T201 Man of the Match award (against South Africa in 2006).
He has done batting from the opening position to No. 7.
8th player to miss most consecutive matches(83) for a team between appearances.
4th player to have a higher strike rate in the T20I innings(326.50).
Dinesh Karthik leads the list for the most number of catches in IPL followed by MS Dhoni.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz believes that his craving to play in all three formats is the reason for his climb up to No. 2 in the ICC’s rankings for bowlers in ODIs. He is only the third Bangladeshi to break into the top-two of these rankings, the first in ten years.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz on moving in ODI ranking
“I was a Test specialist when I started but I always wanted to play all the formats successfully,” Miraz said.
“I wanted to contribute to the team when I started playing ODIs. I focused on the economic rate because that would keep me in the team and allow me to get breakthroughs. I understand that batsmen are in a rush to score runs in ODIs. I was more focused on the small things, what improvement will help the team, help me be in the team.”
Miraz said the turning point in his career came in three years ago, on a tour of the Caribbean when he took only three wickets but had an economy rate of 4.06.
He then took six wickets in the 2019 World Cup in conditions that were far from ideal for a finger spinner.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s impressive catch in ICC WC
“I became an ODI regular from the 2018 away series in West Indies. The 2019 World Cup gave me a lot of confidence, particularly in a country where there weren’t any spin tracks. I planned so that the batsmen couldn’t dominate me, even if I didn’t take wickets. Small things make all the difference. It worked in a few matches – against South Africa, New Zealand, and England.”
Miraz came under scrutiny when he took just three wickets in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in 2019 and had unflattering figures of 1-125 against India in the Indore Test that same year.
He lost his place for the second Test in Kolkata but later came on as a concussion substitute. Through those bad days though, he still had the unflinching support of his teammates.
“I never thought I could reach No. 2 in the ODI rankings, so I am feeling great,” Mehidy Hasan Miraz said.
“I want to thank my teammates and team management, who supported me a lot. Everyone in the team is happy for me, which is really pleasing for me.
“I really love it when my teammates back me up particularly when I am down. I think it is a massive thing for a player. I don’t think I would have come this far if my teammates didn’t back me in my bad days,” he said.
Miraz’s rise in the rankings is also proof that there is talent even beyond the big four in Bangladesh cricket – Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mahmudullah – who have again come to the fore in the ODIs against Sri Lanka.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz said that the lesser experienced players should take lessons from how these players conduct themselves.
“There was a time when we used to idolize foreign cricketers but now world-class cricketers are in front of our eyes. We are playing together. We didn’t bat well in the last two matches, but the way Mushfiq Bhai and [Mahmudullah] Riyad bhai put together those partnerships, it is worth watching.
“Shakib bhai’s World Cup performance, how Tamim Bhai became a top opening batsman and how [Mominul Haque] Sourav Bhai became successful in Tests – these are things we can definitely learn from,” Mehidy Hasan Miraz said.
Smriti Mandhana has admitted that playing a day night Test had been inconceivable to her until the announcement of India Women’s first-ever pink-ball Test, against Australia later this year.
Smriti Mandhana on Day Night Test Match
“Frankly, when I used to watch day-night Tests of men, I actually never felt that I will be able to experience this moment – it’s wrong to say ‘I’ at the moment – that the Indian team will be able to experience the moment,” Mandhana told ESPNcricinfo.
“So, when it got declared, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s going to be crazy.'”
The day-night Test against Australia, part of a multi-design seven-match tour, is planned from September 30 to October 3 at the WACA Ground in Perth, the venue for the first-ever global fixture between the two groups, a one-off Test in January 1977.
Smriti Mandhana playing in Test match
The pink-ball Test will be India’s initial four-day fixture(the standard length of womens’ Tests) against Australia since 2006 and their subsequent Test match this year, with a one-off Test against England, scheduled to occur one month from now in Bristol.
“I remember playing my first day-night one-day or T20 match,” Mandhana said.
“I was pretty excited, like a small kid. I was like, ‘Wow, we’ll be able to play a day-night match’ and all of that.
“Now that we are going to play a day-night match, [we have] lots of things to work on but [there’s a] lot of excitement…excitement about being part of a day-night Test match, and that too in Australia, against Australia; it’s always a good challenge. It’s going to be a great moment for the Indian women’s cricket team.”
Mandhana’s only two Test appearances date back to 2014 when India last played the longest format.
She debuted in the Wormsley Test against England in August that year and featured against South Africa in Mysore three months later. India won both Tests, by six wickets and 34 runs respectively.
A frontline opener for India across formats, Mandhana, who is currently serving a pre-England-tour mandatory quarantine with the India squad in Mumbai, said the excitement around playing a Test for the first time since 2014 remained unparalleled.
Smriti Mandhana
“When we got to know of the first Test, against England, the whole team was really excited,” Mandhana said.
“We all were looking forward [to it]. The last Test match I was part of was in 2014, so it’s been quite a long time, we haven’t gone out in whites, so that excitement of playing a Test match [after nearly seven years] was on another level.”
At the domestic level, the last multi-day women’s tournament in India – the 2017-2018 Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal Three-Day Game, was held in March-April 2018, in Thiruvananthapuram.
Mandhana didn’t feature in that ten-match competition as she had been on national duty at the time for the home series against Australia and England.
When asked if the lack of familiarity with the pink ball could be a concern around India’s preparedness heading into the Australia tour, Mandhana said the focus at present was the Test against England starting June 16.
“It’s too early at the moment,” she said. “It’s just going to be a process. You have to get adapted to it. It’s too early for us to start the pink-ball preparations because the match is three-four months later.
“At the moment it’s more about the England Test match, the Dukes ball, and all of that stuff, so let’s see.”
Spice Isle T10 2021 – the Grenada Cricket Association has introduced the new T10 competition as the T10 format gaining popularity around the globe. The inaugural edition wll see six teams competing for the trophy.
The tournament will be played in a round-robin format with each team facing an opponent twice. All the matches will be played at the Grenada Cricket Association, West Indies. Check out the schedule and squad for the inaugural tournament.
Anil Matthew, Daniel McDonald, Jaheim Brathwaite, Keone George, Larry Edward, Michael Fraser, Nicklaus Redhead, Nelon Pascal, Roland Cato, Randol Garcia, Reynold Charles, Sunil Narayan, Sheon Andrew.
Nutmeg Warriors
Andre Fletcher, Akeem Alexis, Donald McDonald, Dane Murray, Darel Cyrus, Haston Jackson, Isaiah Simon, Josh Thomas, Jevon Andrew, Nealon Francois, Riddick Hayling, Sheldon Joseph, Samuel Charles, Seandell Regis.
Saffron Strikers
Alex Moses, John Olive, Jenson Phillip, Jelani George, Kendel George, Kem Charles, Lendon Lawrence, Laurie Williams, Mickel Joseph, Nickozi St Hillaire, Ryan John, Ray Charles, Shermon Lewis, Samora Fraser.
How to watch Spice Isle T10 2021
Spice Isle T10 2021 Telecast and live streaming details: While there will be no live TV telecast. However, all games of the Spice Isle T10 will be streamed live on the Fancode website and app in India.
Former Pakistan Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed along with 10 other Pakistan cricketers were not allowed to board the commercial flights to Abu Dhabi via Doha, for the UAE leg of PSL 2021.
Pakistan Cricketers Restricted from Boarding flight
A report suggests that these players denied boarding the flights since they did not have the required clearances.
“Five persons from this PSL contingent were cleared to fly, while the others had to return to their hotels where they have been in quarantine since May 24,”read the report in ESPNcricinfo.
Meanwhile, a group of 25 from Lahore and Karachi was supposed to travel to UAE in a chartered flight. The report suggests that the PCB chose to send its players in a commercial flight, in a last-minute decision.
According to Espncricinfo, Sarfaraz Ahmed and other 10 players participating in PSL 6 were denied to board the flight to Abu Dhabi today morning.
While Naseem had breached the protocols for departure from Pakistan, by arriving at the hotel with a non-compliant RT-PCR test. But later, PCB allowed the pacer to join the team for the PSL.
The Pakistan Super League was suspended in February this year after Covid-19 cases emerged in the bio-secure environment in Karachi. It will now be played in the extremely hot and humid weather of Abu Dhabi early next month.
The league and teams are looking to beat the heat with coconut water, ice collars, and vests as well as more breaks.
“We have a strategy to use coconut water as much as we can to maintain body temperature. We need to keep the boys hydrated and avoid the risk of cramping. Since most of the games will be played at night, we are not worried about heat strokes,” Mohammad Akram, Peshawar Zalmi head coach, was quoted as saying.
“It’s more about how we combat the humidity. Hence, the use of coconut water helps us against the risk of losing electrolytes from the body. I am not sure if more than two or three extra breaks are feasible in between the innings but we plan to supply coconut water at the boundary especially for the bowlers,” he added.
IPL 2021 participated Australia players reached their respective homes after completing the 14 days quarantine.
Australia Players reached home Post IPL 2021 suspension
BCCI postponed the 14th edition of IPL owing to the spike in COVID19 positive cases inside the bio bubble. On considering the travel restrictions Australian players flew to the Maldives until a travel ban from their country was lifted.
Thereafter, they had to quarantine in Australia itself, before leaving for their respective destinations.
On Sunday, a video of Pat Cummins meeting his pregnant partner emerged online. In the video, an emotional Cummins is seen hugging his partner Becky, uncontrollably.
Video of the day! After eight weeks away for the IPL, Pat Cummins finally leaves hotel quarantine and reunites with his pregnant partner Becky. All the feels! pic.twitter.com/YA3j98zJId
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) May 31, 2021
Apart from Cummins, Steve Smith and David Warner were among others to have completed a quarantine in Sydney.
Warner posted videos on his Instagram account that showed him reuniting with his daughters, before adding a clip of the ocean captioned “It’s great to be home”.
David Warner reached Australia post IPL 2021 suspension
While Jason Behrendorff said, “It’s always tough being stuck somewhere, and knowing that we’re able to get home was a relief, and now we’re out of quarantine, I can’t wait to get home and see my family,” he said.
On the other hand, CSK batting coach Mike Hussey had opened up about his Covid-19 journey. “My initial test came up as a weak positive, and we were sort of hoping the next would be negative and it’d be alright, but unfortunately I got retested the next day and that came back positive,”he said.
“To be honest, I had already started feeling some of the symptoms and so I was thinking, ‘I’m pretty sure I’ve got it’.”
“Plus I was sitting next to the bowling coach on the bus a few times, so I thought, ‘If he’s got it then there’s a pretty good chance I’ve got it as well.”
Ravindra Jadeja names MS Dhoni as the person behind his successful transformation to be a Best All-rounder.
Jadeja is the name that hits the selection committee when it comes to picking a perfect all-rounder for all three format tours. Jadeja made his T20I and ODI debut in 2009 and it took 3 more years for his Test debut(2012).
Jadeja Praises Dhoni
Though Jaddu starts as an average player he transformed into an impressive all-rounder once he starts to play under MS Dhoni in international as well as in IPL tournaments.
Jadeja smashed 37 runs off the finals over bowled by Harshal Patel in a league match of IPL 2021
In a recent interview with The Indian Express, Jadeja was asked about his struggles with the shot selection and what MS Dhoni told him about the same during the 2015 World Cup
“I remember he said that I was trying to hit shots against balls I shouldn’t be attempting,” Jadeja revealed.
“Shot selection was something I also felt I was doing wrong. My judgment at the start wasn’t right. I would be in double mind. ‘Should I go for the shot or no?’ These days, I like to take my time and I am clearer in my mind. I know I can always cover up the runs later. That change in thinking has helped,” he added.
“About bouncers, yes when you hit a six against short ones, the confidence increases. I never had a problem against bouncers – as in I don’t remember getting out too many times to it or thinking I can’t play it. It was about the selection of shots and my balance,” he signed off.
Jadeja is expected to be a part of India playing XI in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand which will take place next month.
Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal praises the Indian cricket team for their commitments towards the red ball cricket games.
Kamran Akmal Praises Indian Cricket team
Akmal feels that the greater part of the Indian legends, aside from MS Dhoni, resigned playing Test cricket, which exhibits the group’s vision towards the conventional type of the game.
Akmal in a video, which was recently released on his YouTube channel said: “India have not compromised on their red-ball cricket. At the school level, India have two-day, three-day cricket. Today, they have a pool of 50 players because Indian cricket has given a lot of importance to Test cricket.”
“Among all the legends of Indian cricket, except MS Dhoni, no one has retired after playing white-ball cricket. All the others played a Test match as their last one. That gives us a great idea of their vision: how to build a team, how to bring in players into the Indian set-up,” the 39-year-old added.
MS Dhoni shocked the entire cricket fraternity with his sudden decision to retire from Test cricket after India’s draw vs Australia at the MCG on December 30, 2014.
Dhoni announces test retirement on December 30, 2014
Akmal Praies Suryakumar Yadav
Akmal also took the example of Suryakumar Yadav, who made his international debut in India’s last international fixture against England at home and went on to explain how red-ball cricket helped the Mumbai Indians batsman to make an impact right from the word go.
Suryakumar Yadav starts his T20I debut with a six
“Their white-ball or List A players, when they enter the international scene, they have already played 40 to 50 games. Take the example of Suryakumar Yadav, who recently made his India debut after a long wait.
Most of these players have a minimum domestic experience of four to five years. When they come into the Indian team, they are already mature enough.”
Akmal, who will return to action in the Pakistan Super League while featuring Peshawar Zalmi, also hailed former India cricketer’s contribution towards the development of the sport.
“The mindset of Indian cricket is commendable. Look at all the Indian legends from the 90s – from Rahul Dravid to Anil Kumble to VVS Laxman – all of them are involved in Indian cricket in some way or the other.
That is helping the new generation. And this not just for IPL; they keep an eye on domestic cricket as well, be it Virender Sehwag or Yuvraj Singh. They (India) haven’t changed their (brand of) cricket, but they have elevated their existing level,” said the Pakistan cricketer.
Jadeja poses with India's new Jersey for the WTC finals
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja posted a picture on Twitter with the Team sweater for the WTC final, which had INDIA embedded on it.
India’s New Jersey for WTC Finals
The inaugural World Test Championship(WTC) final is a big occasion for India and New Zealand — the finalists. The summit clash would take place in Southampton, England, and will commence on June 18, 2021.
The ICC too announced the playing conditions for the match. According to the same, both the teams will be declared joint winners if the match ends in a tie or a draw, and there would be no boundary count rule, as was the case in the 2019 World Cup.
Also, there would be a reserve ‘sixth’ day for the encounter, so that no play is lost due to the uncontrollable. While the BCCI has also come up with a match kit for the WTC final.
The final will also see the implementation of the following changes to international playing conditions that came into effect with the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
Short Runs – The Third Umpire will automatically review any call of a ‘short run’ by the On-field Umpire and communicate the decision to the On-field Umpire prior to the next ball being bowled.
Player Reviews – The fielding captain or the dismissed batsman may confirm with the Umpire whether a genuine attempt has been made to play the ball prior to deciding whether to initiate a player review for LBW.
DRS Reviews – For LBW reviews, the height margin of the Wicket Zone has been lifted to the top of the stumps to ensure the same Umpire’s Call margin around the stumps for both height and width.
The players and team members of PSL 2021 have arrived in the UAE on Thursday and began a quarantine period, at the end of which the league will resume a disrupted sixth season.
PSL 2021 Set to Begin in UAE
Owing to the surge in COVID19 cases inside the bio bubble PCB earlier postponed the PSL 2021 which have rescheduled to play from June 1 to 20 in UAE.
PSL franchise heads speak about handling the heat temperature which might result in players’ dehydration.
“We have a strategy to use coconut water as much as we can to maintain body temperature. We need to keep the boys hydrated and avoid the risk of cramping. Since most of the games will be played at night, we are not worried about heat strokes,” Mohammad Akram, Peshawar Zalmi head coach, was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“It’s more about how we combat the humidity. Hence, the use of coconut water helps us against the risk of losing electrolytes from the body. I am not sure if more than two or three extra breaks are feasible in between the innings but we plan to supply coconut water at the boundary especially for the bowlers,” he added.
A report in ESPNcricinfo added, ‘franchises are investing in ice vests for their players to wear on the field and there has been talk of using lighter material for team kits’.
Naseem Shah Ruled out
Earlier, it was learned that Naseem Shah was ruled out of the tournament after a protocol breach. He arrived at the hotel on May 24 and presented a test report from May 18. As per the guidelines, the players were supposed to give a report from not more than 48 hours before arrival.
Naseem Shah Shaheen Afridi – Pakistan Cricketers
“The PCB doesn’t take any pride in releasing a young fast bowler from its marquee event, but if we will ignore this breach, we will potentially put at risk the entire event. We appreciate Quetta Gladiators for accepting this decision, as it confirms we are all aligned to strictly following and implementing the protocols, ”Babar Hamid, the director and commercial head of PSL 6, was quoted as saying.
“This decision will also send out a loud and clear message to all involved in the remaining matches that the PCB will not compromise on any violations and will expel the player or player support personnel irrespective of his stature and standing in the game if they are found to be flouting the prescribed protocols or regulations,” he added.
However, later it was learned he was allowed to join the bubble. Shah is in isolation before his departure to the UAE. The youngster will travel to Abu Dhabi along with the contingent left behind by the first flight that took 202 personnel.
BCCI to conduct remaining matches of VIVO IPL in UAE
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced to complete the remaining matches of the VIVO Indian Premier League 2021 season in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) considering the monsoon season in India in the months of September-October this year.
The decision was taken at a Special General Meeting (SGM) held virtually, where members unanimously agreed to resume IPL.
The BCCI SGM further authorized the Office Bearers to seek an extension of time from the ICC to take an appropriate call on the hosting of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
The Emirates has already successfully hosted the IPL twice – once in 2014 and the other during the pandemic in 2020 and the teams, players, support staff, administrators and broadcasters are familiar with the protocols and procedures.
Mumbai Indians lifts IPL 2020 trophy
It also gives the BCCI no headaches with respect to weather with dry conditions prevailing in September-October which may not be the case in England where rain may play spoilsport.
In the previous version of the cash-rich tournament which is hosted by the UAE the four-time champions, Mumbai Indians lift the trophy in UAE.
While MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings created an unwanted history by not qualifying for the play-off for the first time in IPL history.
Fans consider the exclusion of Suresh Raina as the main reason for the CSK’s failure in the IPL 2020. While Suresh Raina confirms that he took this decision in order to be with his family and owing to some personal reasons.
England’s Jos Buttler is all set to play for the upcoming Vitality Blast for the Lancashire Lightning.
Jos Buttler get part in Vitality Blast 2021
Buttler will play in Lancashire’s opening two home fixtures against Derbyshire Falcons and Leicestershire Foxes at Emirates Old Trafford on 9 June and 10 June.
The England and Lancashire wicketkeeper-batsman will then play four away matches at Worcestershire Rapids, Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, and Birmingham Bears up until 20 June.
International commitments have prevented Jos Buttler from featuring in the competition in recent years. But with the side getting their star player for six games this season, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket, Paul Allott, admitted Jos Buttler’s return to the side will act as a big boost.
“We are thrilled to have Jos available for our first six T20 matches this summer, it will be a huge boost to Glen and the squad. Unfortunately, we have not seen as much of Jos as we would like in recent years, due to busy international schedules, but I am sure that his availability for the Blast this summer will excite Members and supporters alike.
As well as strengthening an already strong batting line-up, the experience that a Cricket World Cup winner like Jos can pass onto some of our younger players in the squad will be invaluable,” Allot said.
BREAKING: @josbuttler will be available for Lancashire Lightning’s first six @VitalityBlast matches this summer 🙌
“I am really looking forward to pulling on the Red Rose of Lancashire once again. It has been a while, but I always receive a really warm welcome whenever I return to play at Emirates Old Trafford, whether that is with Lancashire or with England. I hope that I can help the lads to get off to a strong start in the Blast and lay the foundations for yet another run to Finals Day,”Buttler claimed.
Buttler was part of the Lancashire side that lifted the T20 Blast trophy for the first time in the Club’s history in 2015 and was then heavily involved in the Club’s 2017 campaign, where he was named T20 Player of the Year, after scoring 451 runs at an average of over 50.
Watch Buttlers’ Impressive innings in 2017 Do or Die Match for Lancashire
