<p>Ukrainian&nbsp;Marta&nbsp;Kostyuk&nbsp;dedicated her first WTA singles title to those "fighting and dying" in her home country amid Russia's ongoing invasion after she defeated Russian Varvara Gracheva 6-3 7-5 to win the inaugural Austin Open on Sunday.</p>

<p>The 20-year-old collapsed on the court and covered her face with her hands after securing the title but declined to shake the hand of her Russian opponent at the net. "Everyone who is in the stands and everyone who is watching, especially in Ukraine, I want to say 'Slava Ukraini,'"&nbsp;Kostyuk&nbsp;said during the trophy ceremony. The Ukrainian phrase translates to "Glory to Ukraine."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-novak-djokovic-extends-record-stay-as-world-no1-carlos-alcaraz-remains-in-pursuit-569384">Tennis: Novak Djokovic extends record stay as world no.1, Carlos Alcaraz remains in pursuit</a></strong></p>

<p>"Being in the position that I'm in right now it's extremely special to win this title. I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine and all of the people who are fighting and dying right now." Western military officials estimate casualties on both sides at more than 100,000 killed or wounded since Russia's assault began just over a year ago. Tens of thousands of civilians are also feared to have died, while millions have fled the threat of fighting.</p>

<p>On Sunday, a woman and two children were killed in Russian mortar shelling of a village in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, the head of Ukraine's presidential office said. Moscow calls the conflict a "special military operation" to protect its security and denies targeting civilians.</p>


Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk dedicated her first WTA singles title to those "fighting and dying" in her home country amid Russia's ongoing invasion after she defeated Russian Varvara Gracheva 6-3 7-5 to win the inaugural Austin Open on Sunday.

Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk dedicated her first WTA singles title to those "fighting and dying" in her home country amid Russia's ongoing invasion after she defeated Russian Varvara Gracheva 6-3 7-5 to win the inaugural Austin Open on Sunday. The 20-year-old collapsed on the court and covered her face with her hands after securing the title but declined to shake the hand of her Russian opponent at the net. "Everyone who is in the stands and everyone who is watching, especially in Ukraine, I want to say 'Slava Ukraini,'" Kostyuk said during the trophy ceremony. The Ukrainian phrase translates to "Glory to Ukraine." Also read: Tennis: Novak Djokovic extends record stay as world no.1, Carlos Alcaraz remains in pursuit "Being in the position that I'm in right now it's extremely special to win this title. I want to dedicate this title to Ukraine and all of the people who are fighting and dying right now." Western military officials estimate casualties on both sides at more than 100,000 killed or wounded since Russia's assault began just over a year ago. Tens of thousands of civilians are also feared to have died, while millions have fled the threat of fighting. On Sunday, a woman and two children were killed in Russian mortar shelling of a village in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, the head of Ukraine's presidential office said. Moscow calls the conflict a "special military operation" to protect its security and denies targeting civilians.

Tennis: Ukraine's Kostyuk snubs Russia's Gracheva after Austin Open win, dedicates title to country

<p>MS Dhoni will be seen in action on the 22-yard cricket strip in the forthcoming IPL 2023 edition, which kicks off on March 31. Dhoni remains a big name in world cricket despite hanging up his boots at the highest level in mid-2020, with a stellar career with over 10,000 runs in ODIs, close to 5,000 Test runs, 634 catches, 195 stumpings and leading India to all three major ICC titles.</p>

<p>Dhoni will lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 16. CSK is a huge brand and a major credit of the franchise's success goes to the former Indian captain. He has been associated with the Yellow Army since the inaugural season, in 2008, and remains their poster boy. Dhoni-CSK's story is one-for-the-ages as the former is from Jharkhand but got accepted in a jiffy from the Chennai crowd ever since he got roped in by the team owners in inaugural IPL auction.</p>

<p>However, Dhoni wasn't CSK's first-choice.&nbsp; In the past, while speaking on his Youtube channel, former CSK batsman Subramaniam Badrinath&nbsp;revealed that the franchise had initially zeroed in on&nbsp;buying Virender Sehwag and not Dhoni.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wpl-2023-check-updated-points-table-of-womens-premier-league-upcoming-matches-live-streaming-details-569181">WPL 2023 Point Table: Women's Premier League, upcoming matches schedule &amp; live streaming details</a></strong></p>

<p>"The CSK management had decided (before IPL 2008) on picking Sehwag, but Sehwag himself said that he was brought up in Delhi, so he would have a better connection (with Delhi Daredevils). The management agreed for him (Sehwag) to play in Delhi, thinking it would be better. Then came the auctions, and they saw who was the better player. Before that India won the 2007 World T20. And only then did they decide to sign Dhoni,” Badrinath said.</p>

<p>Dhoni has led CSK to four IPL and two Champions League (CLT20) titles. Under Dhoni, the Chennai franchise reached the playoffs in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 before missing out on the last-four in 2020 and 2022 (with Ravindra Jadeja leading in the first eight games). He has scored 4,978 runs in the IPL, with 4,404 coming for CSK with 22 fifties (out of 24 overall).</p>

<p>Dhoni-led CSK will play the IPL 2023 opener, where they will face defending champions Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on March 31.</p>


MS Dhoni will be seen in action on the 22-yard cricket strip in the forthcoming IPL 2023 edition, which kicks off on March 31. Dhoni remains a big name in world cricket despite hanging up his boots at the highest level in mid-2020, with a stellar career with over 10,000 runs in ODIs, close to 5,000 Test runs, 634 catches, 195 stumpings and leading India to all three major ICC titles.

MS Dhoni will be seen in action on the 22-yard cricket strip in the forthcoming IPL 2023 edition, which kicks off on March 31. Dhoni remains a big name in world cricket despite hanging up his boots at the highest level in mid-2020, with a stellar career with over 10,000 runs in ODIs, close to 5,000 Test runs, 634 catches, 195 stumpings and leading India to all three major ICC titles. Dhoni will lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 16. CSK is a huge brand and a major credit of the franchise's success goes to the former Indian captain. He has been associated with the Yellow Army since the inaugural season, in 2008, and remains their poster boy. Dhoni-CSK's story is one-for-the-ages as the former is from Jharkhand but got accepted in a jiffy from the Chennai crowd ever since he got roped in by the team owners in inaugural IPL auction. However, Dhoni wasn't CSK's first-choice. In the past, while speaking on his Youtube channel, former CSK batsman Subramaniam Badrinath revealed that the franchise had initially zeroed in on buying Virender Sehwag and not Dhoni. Also read: WPL 2023 Point Table: Women's Premier League, upcoming matches schedule & live streaming details "The CSK management had decided (before IPL 2008) on picking Sehwag, but Sehwag himself said that he was brought up in Delhi, so he would have a better connection (with Delhi Daredevils). The management agreed for him (Sehwag) to play in Delhi, thinking it would be better. Then came the auctions, and they saw who was the better player. Before that India won the 2007 World T20. And only then did they decide to sign Dhoni,” Badrinath said. Dhoni has led CSK to four IPL and two Champions League (CLT20) titles. Under Dhoni, the Chennai franchise reached the playoffs in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 before missing out on the last-four in 2020 and 2022 (with Ravindra Jadeja leading in the first eight games). He has scored 4,978 runs in the IPL, with 4,404 coming for CSK with 22 fifties (out of 24 overall). Dhoni-led CSK will play the IPL 2023 opener, where they will face defending champions Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on March 31.

IPL 2023: Not MS Dhoni! CSK wanted to buy THIS marquee Indian player in inaugural auction

<p>Babar Azam is among the top-five batters across formats in ICC rankings. He won the ICC Player of the Year award last month. While he continues to make rapid strides as a batter, questions have been raised on his captaincy in the recent past.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the recent past, Pakistan have lost home Tests versus Australia, England and somehow managed a drawn series versus New Zealand. They also lost T20Is to the Aussies and Moeen Ali-led England in their own backyard last year, failed to win the Asia Cup 2022 final and 2022 T20 World Cup summit clash under Babar. Even in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 edition, Babar's Peshawar Zalmi are at the fourth spot, with three wins and equal number of losses from six games.</p>

<p>Thus, many former cricketers and experts of the game have raised fingers on Babar's captaincy. Nonetheless, he continues to enjoy full support of his teammates. After Md Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Shan Masood, Haris Rauf has now joined the bandwagon and praised Babar's leadership skills.</p>

<p>“I strongly believe that the improvement in my performance is all because of Babar Azam. We played really good and exciting cricket in the last two years. In this period, we emerged as a good unit, especially in white-ball cricket, and the credit goes to our skipper Babar Azam, who trusted the abilities of players, which ultimately gave us the confidence,” Rauf told&nbsp;<i>Dawn.</i></p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-are-ready-to-give-our-lives-for-babar-azam-pak-batter-comes-in-support-of-under-fire-national-captain-569163">'We are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam': Pak batter comes in support of under-fire national captain</a></strong></p>

<p>Rauf was part of Pakistan's Asia Cup and T20 WC campaigns. He has represented the Asian giants in one Tests, 18 ODIs and 57 T20Is. He is currently part of the Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2023.</p>

<p>Earlier, Masood also made a big claim in support of Babar. While speaking with a local TV channel, as reported by Cricket Pakistan, the left-handed batter said, "Hum sab Babar Azam ke behind hai. Jis tarike se koi bhi aapka captain hota hai, jab Saifi bhai thai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar thai, ab jab Babar Azam hai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar hai. Leader first. Aur hum sabka common goal Pakistan hai."</p>

<p>Bahut saari hum khabre padhte hai, cheeje dekhte hai jo team ko idhar se udhar karne ki koshish karti hai, lekin personally, kisi ko kisi k saath koi vo nahi hai. Hum Pakistan k liye khelne aaye hai, ye bahut badi privilige hai. Hum sab uske saath hai (We were ready to give our lives when Sarfaraz Ahmed was our captain, and now we are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam. We watch a lot of news on criticism of the team, but we don't get bothered by it as our mutual goal is to play for our country), Masood stated.</p>


Babar Azam is among the top-five batters across formats in ICC rankings. He won the ICC Player of the Year award last month. While he continues to make rapid strides as a batter, questions have been raised on his captaincy in the recent past.

Babar Azam is among the top-five batters across formats in ICC rankings. He won the ICC Player of the Year award last month. While he continues to make rapid strides as a batter, questions have been raised on his captaincy in the recent past. In the recent past, Pakistan have lost home Tests versus Australia, England and somehow managed a drawn series versus New Zealand. They also lost T20Is to the Aussies and Moeen Ali-led England in their own backyard last year, failed to win the Asia Cup 2022 final and 2022 T20 World Cup summit clash under Babar. Even in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 edition, Babar's Peshawar Zalmi are at the fourth spot, with three wins and equal number of losses from six games. Thus, many former cricketers and experts of the game have raised fingers on Babar's captaincy. Nonetheless, he continues to enjoy full support of his teammates. After Md Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Shan Masood, Haris Rauf has now joined the bandwagon and praised Babar's leadership skills. “I strongly believe that the improvement in my performance is all because of Babar Azam. We played really good and exciting cricket in the last two years. In this period, we emerged as a good unit, especially in white-ball cricket, and the credit goes to our skipper Babar Azam, who trusted the abilities of players, which ultimately gave us the confidence,” Rauf told Dawn. Also read: 'We are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam': Pak batter comes in support of under-fire national captain Rauf was part of Pakistan's Asia Cup and T20 WC campaigns. He has represented the Asian giants in one Tests, 18 ODIs and 57 T20Is. He is currently part of the Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2023. Earlier, Masood also made a big claim in support of Babar. While speaking with a local TV channel, as reported by Cricket Pakistan, the left-handed batter said, "Hum sab Babar Azam ke behind hai. Jis tarike se koi bhi aapka captain hota hai, jab Saifi bhai thai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar thai, ab jab Babar Azam hai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar hai. Leader first. Aur hum sabka common goal Pakistan hai." Bahut saari hum khabre padhte hai, cheeje dekhte hai jo team ko idhar se udhar karne ki koshish karti hai, lekin personally, kisi ko kisi k saath koi vo nahi hai. Hum Pakistan k liye khelne aaye hai, ye bahut badi privilige hai. Hum sab uske saath hai (We were ready to give our lives when Sarfaraz Ahmed was our captain, and now we are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam. We watch a lot of news on criticism of the team, but we don't get bothered by it as our mutual goal is to play for our country), Masood stated.

'Credit goes to our skipper': Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf backs Babar Azam amid questions on his captaincy

<p>The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) unveiled their new jersey for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition, which kicks off in India on March 31. The KL Rahul-led side bowed out in the IPL 2022 Eliminator and will be eager to go the distance this time around in the forthcoming season. Ahead of the tournament opener, LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir was all praise for Rahul.</p>

<p>Rahul has been under-fire for his poor form of late. In Tests, he has only managed 192 runs in the last 12 innings and was left out of India's playing XI for the Indore Test versus Australia. He lost the ODI vice-captaincy post to Hardik Pandya in January 2023 and got sacked as Rohit's deputy in Tests as well. Amid severe criticism from all corners, Gambhir -- former Indian opener and two-time IPL winning captain (for Kolkata Knight Riders) -- said that Lucknow is 'very fortunate' to have Rahul as their captain.</p>

<p>In addition, Gambhir&nbsp;further stated that the right-hander has a stable and balanced head while accepting that he lacked such qualities&nbsp;during his playing days.</p>

<p>At LSG's jersey launch, Gambhir said, "It starts with the captain. The captain is the flag bearer of the team. It is the captain's team. All of us in the dressing room are there to support him. No support staff is under as much pressure as the captain. It is the body language of the captain that will decide how we perform."</p>

<section>
<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-achieves-massive-feat-becomes-youngest-cricketer-to-reach-25-million-followers-on-instagram-569535">Hardik Pandya achieves MASSIVE feat, becomes youngest cricketer to reach 25 million followers on Instagram</a></strong></p>

<p>"We are very fortunate to have someone like KL Rahul, who has a very stable and balanced head. I wish I had it, I did not have that. I was very extreme, but it did work for me. For a franchise like Lucknow, it is important to have someone like KL at the helm. Going forward, this is going to be a massive positive for us," Gambhir added.</p>

<p>Rahul is part of India's Test squad versus Australia with the final match starting on March 09 in Ahmedabad. He will also be seen in the three ODIs versus the Men in Yellow before taking charge of the LSG franchise in IPL 2023.</p>

<p><strong>Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) squad for IPL 2023</strong></p>

<p>KL Rahul, Ayush Badoni, Karan Sharma, Manan Vohra, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Kyle Mayers, Krunal Pandya, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Nicholas Pooran, Jaydev Unadkat, Yash Thakur, Romario Shepherd, Daniel Sams, Amit Mishra, Prerak Mankad, Swapnil Singh, Naveen ul Haq, Yudhvir Charak</p>
</section>


The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) unveiled their new jersey for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition, which kicks off in India on March 31. The KL Rahul-led side bowed out in the IPL 2022 Eliminator and will be eager to go the distance this time around in the forthcoming season.

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) unveiled their new jersey for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition, which kicks off in India on March 31. The KL Rahul-led side bowed out in the IPL 2022 Eliminator and will be eager to go the distance this time around in the forthcoming season. Ahead of the tournament opener, LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir was all praise for Rahul. Rahul has been under-fire for his poor form of late. In Tests, he has only managed 192 runs in the last 12 innings and was left out of India's playing XI for the Indore Test versus Australia. He lost the ODI vice-captaincy post to Hardik Pandya in January 2023 and got sacked as Rohit's deputy in Tests as well. Amid severe criticism from all corners, Gambhir -- former Indian opener and two-time IPL winning captain (for Kolkata Knight Riders) -- said that Lucknow is 'very fortunate' to have Rahul as their captain. In addition, Gambhir further stated that the right-hander has a stable and balanced head while accepting that he lacked such qualities during his playing days. At LSG's jersey launch, Gambhir said, "It starts with the captain. The captain is the flag bearer of the team. It is the captain's team. All of us in the dressing room are there to support him. No support staff is under as much pressure as the captain. It is the body language of the captain that will decide how we perform." Also read: Hardik Pandya achieves MASSIVE feat, becomes youngest cricketer to reach 25 million followers on Instagram "We are very fortunate to have someone like KL Rahul, who has a very stable and balanced head. I wish I had it, I did not have that. I was very extreme, but it did work for me. For a franchise like Lucknow, it is important to have someone like KL at the helm. Going forward, this is going to be a massive positive for us," Gambhir added. Rahul is part of India's Test squad versus Australia with the final match starting on March 09 in Ahmedabad. He will also be seen in the three ODIs versus the Men in Yellow before taking charge of the LSG franchise in IPL 2023. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) squad for IPL 2023 KL Rahul, Ayush Badoni, Karan Sharma, Manan Vohra, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stoinis, Krishnappa Gowtham, Deepak Hooda, Kyle Mayers, Krunal Pandya, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Nicholas Pooran, Jaydev Unadkat, Yash Thakur, Romario Shepherd, Daniel Sams, Amit Mishra, Prerak Mankad, Swapnil Singh, Naveen ul Haq, Yudhvir Charak

IPL 2023: Gambhir backs under-fire Rahul, says Lucknow Super Giants 'fortunate' to have him as captain

<p>On March 03, Australia defeated India on&nbsp;Day 3 of the third and penultimate Test, in Indore, to keep&nbsp;the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022/23&nbsp;series alive. With this win, Pat Cummins-led Aussies have qualified for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will be held in early June at The Oval, London.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking about the Indore Test, nothing clicked for Rohit Sharma-led India. Opting to bat first, they only managed a paltry 109 (with Matthew Kuhnemann taking 5 for 16) before Australia was dismissed for 197, taking a vital 88-run lead. In their second essay, India fell flat once again -- with Player-of-the-Match Nathan Lyon ending with 8 for 64 (match figures of 11 for 99) -- and gave a 76-run target. Eventually, Travis Head's 49* and Marnus Labuschagne's 28 not out led Steve Smith &amp; Co. to a nine-wicket win in regular captain Cummins' absence.</p>

<p>At the post-match presentation, Smith said, "I really enjoyed it and like captaining in this part of the world as I understand the conditions really well. There's an event every ball and a lot different to the other parts of the world, and I did a reasonable job this week. Much the same, we will wait and see what the conditions are like (in Ahmedabad), but we are really proud to clinch a spot in the WTC final. Hopefully, we can put a similar performance and draw the series."</p>

<p>Despite their WTC final qualification, Cummins-less Australia will be eager to not rest on their recent laurels and go for a 2-2 series-levelling win over Rohit's Team India. For India, the home side have an unassailable 2-1 lead going into the fourth and final Test -- to kick off in Ahmedabad on Thursday (March 09) -- but will surely aim for a famous home series win and qualify for the WTC final. At present, India are favourites to meet their arch-rivals Australia in the summit clash, in June, but Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lanka also remain in the race. Thus, they can certainly&nbsp;dent Rohit &amp; Co.'s chances. <em><strong>Here's how:</strong></em></p>

<p><strong>How can Sri Lanka topple India and reach WTC final?</strong></p>

<p>Australia are set to face either India or Sri Lanka in the final of the second cycle of the WTC. Fourth-placed South Africa are very much out of contention even though they are likely to whitewash West Indies in the ongoing two-match Test series at home. For SL, India remains&nbsp;their biggest threat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Karunaratne &amp; Co. are set to lock horns with Tim Southee's New Zealand in a two-match Test series, which kicks off&nbsp;on March 09 at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. They would&nbsp;hope India lose the Ahmedabad Test to remain in contention. After that, they will aim to&nbsp;win&nbsp;their remaining two games. But if they lose or draw even one game, they will stand eliminated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, India&nbsp;need to win the Ahmedabad Test to end Sri Lanka's hopes. However, if they fail, they will depend on the inaugural edition's winners New Zealand to prevent the Sri Lankans from pulling off a stunning 2-0 whitewash.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-not-ms-dhoni-csk-wanted-to-buy-this-marquee-indian-player-in-inaugural-auction-569422">IPL 2023: Not MS Dhoni! CSK wanted to buy THIS marquee Indian player in inaugural auction</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Updated WTC points table:</strong></p>

<p><img alt="ICC WTC  Points Table  " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f5f5689b-e8c3-4fb1-b97e-d5d772339e4a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/WTC%20ponts%20.png" /></p>

<p><strong>India remain favourites to meet Aus:</strong></p>

<p>India have won ten and lost five games in the ongoing cycle in six series (including Australia Tests at home). They played the inaugural edition's final, where they lost to the Kiwis and will be desperate to have another go at winning the title.</p>

<p>After the Indore Test loss, Rohit said at the post-match presentation, "We haven't thought about it yet (WCT final), we have sometime to think about what we need to do there (Ahmedabad Test). We need to regroup and try and understand what we did right in the first 2 games. We need to understand, no matter what the pitches are, you gotta come out and do the job. We need to keep it simple and follow the plan."</p>

<p>While SL just have to win their next two games, if India lose the Ahmedabad Test, it surely won't be easy for them. The Black Caps have not lost a home Test series since early 2017.</p>

<p>Ahead of the two-match series opener, NZ captain Southee said, "It has been great to have the amount of people who have been talking about Test cricket, to see the Basin Reserve filled for five days was great to be a part of."</p>

<p>"I think, just in general, the guys are pleased to see people talking about Test cricket. And Test cricket being exciting. England have played their part in that, over the last year or so. The guys still see Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game. It is a match that will be talked about for a long time, but they are a very humble group. Now our focus will shift to Sri Lanka."</p>

<p>"We are obviously out of the Test Championship, and they have got plenty to play for over the next two weeks," the pacer added.</p>

<p>Who will meet the Aussies in the finale? India or SL? Only time will tell...</p>

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On March 03, Australia defeated India on Day 3 of the third and penultimate Test, in Indore, to keep the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022/23 series alive. With this win, Pat Cummins-led Aussies have qualified for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will be held in early June at The Oval, London.

On March 03, Australia defeated India on Day 3 of the third and penultimate Test, in Indore, to keep the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2022/23 series alive. With this win, Pat Cummins-led Aussies have qualified for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will be held in early June at The Oval, London. Talking about the Indore Test, nothing clicked for Rohit Sharma-led India. Opting to bat first, they only managed a paltry 109 (with Matthew Kuhnemann taking 5 for 16) before Australia was dismissed for 197, taking a vital 88-run lead. In their second essay, India fell flat once again -- with Player-of-the-Match Nathan Lyon ending with 8 for 64 (match figures of 11 for 99) -- and gave a 76-run target. Eventually, Travis Head's 49* and Marnus Labuschagne's 28 not out led Steve Smith & Co. to a nine-wicket win in regular captain Cummins' absence. At the post-match presentation, Smith said, "I really enjoyed it and like captaining in this part of the world as I understand the conditions really well. There's an event every ball and a lot different to the other parts of the world, and I did a reasonable job this week. Much the same, we will wait and see what the conditions are like (in Ahmedabad), but we are really proud to clinch a spot in the WTC final. Hopefully, we can put a similar performance and draw the series." Despite their WTC final qualification, Cummins-less Australia will be eager to not rest on their recent laurels and go for a 2-2 series-levelling win over Rohit's Team India. For India, the home side have an unassailable 2-1 lead going into the fourth and final Test -- to kick off in Ahmedabad on Thursday (March 09) -- but will surely aim for a famous home series win and qualify for the WTC final. At present, India are favourites to meet their arch-rivals Australia in the summit clash, in June, but Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lanka also remain in the race. Thus, they can certainly dent Rohit & Co.'s chances. Here's how: How can Sri Lanka topple India and reach WTC final? Australia are set to face either India or Sri Lanka in the final of the second cycle of the WTC. Fourth-placed South Africa are very much out of contention even though they are likely to whitewash West Indies in the ongoing two-match Test series at home. For SL, India remains their biggest threat. Karunaratne & Co. are set to lock horns with Tim Southee's New Zealand in a two-match Test series, which kicks off on March 09 at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. They would hope India lose the Ahmedabad Test to remain in contention. After that, they will aim to win their remaining two games. But if they lose or draw even one game, they will stand eliminated. Meanwhile, India need to win the Ahmedabad Test to end Sri Lanka's hopes. However, if they fail, they will depend on the inaugural edition's winners New Zealand to prevent the Sri Lankans from pulling off a stunning 2-0 whitewash. Also read: IPL 2023: Not MS Dhoni! CSK wanted to buy THIS marquee Indian player in inaugural auction Updated WTC points table: India remain favourites to meet Aus: India have won ten and lost five games in the ongoing cycle in six series (including Australia Tests at home). They played the inaugural edition's final, where they lost to the Kiwis and will be desperate to have another go at winning the title. After the Indore Test loss, Rohit said at the post-match presentation, "We haven't thought about it yet (WCT final), we have sometime to think about what we need to do there (Ahmedabad Test). We need to regroup and try and understand what we did right in the first 2 games. We need to understand, no matter what the pitches are, you gotta come out and do the job. We need to keep it simple and follow the plan." While SL just have to win their next two games, if India lose the Ahmedabad Test, it surely won't be easy for them. The Black Caps have not lost a home Test series since early 2017. Ahead of the two-match series opener, NZ captain Southee said, "It has been great to have the amount of people who have been talking about Test cricket, to see the Basin Reserve filled for five days was great to be a part of." "I think, just in general, the guys are pleased to see people talking about Test cricket. And Test cricket being exciting. England have played their part in that, over the last year or so. The guys still see Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game. It is a match that will be talked about for a long time, but they are a very humble group. Now our focus will shift to Sri Lanka." "We are obviously out of the Test Championship, and they have got plenty to play for over the next two weeks," the pacer added. Who will meet the Aussies in the finale? India or SL? Only time will tell... ×

NZ vs SL: EXPLAINED! How Sri Lanka can play spoilsport to India's WTC final chances

<p>Hardik Pandya has become the youngest cricketer in the world to reach 25 million followers on the social media platform Instagram. Hardik is one of the most important cricketers for Team India in the white-ball formats and the 29-year-old achieved the massive feat; depicting his popularity across the globe.</p>

<p>On achieving the special feat, Hardik shared a video post on Instagram and captioned it, "25 MILLION followers on Instagram! I am truly grateful from the bottom of my heart for all your love, all your wishes, and all your constant support. Thank you, My beautiful wife @natasastankovic__ decided to ask me 25 questions to celebrate the 25 million of us together."</p>

<p>In the clip, the all-rounder said,&nbsp;"Thank you to all my fans for the love. Each one of my fans is special to me, and I would like to thank them for the love and support they have given me over all these years."</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpcTt7xJ1Lc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Hardik Himanshu Pandya (@hardikpandya93)</a></p>
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<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ricky-ponting-urges-team-india-to-make-a-big-change-in-batting-order-if-they-enter-wtc-final-569523">Ricky Ponting urges Team India to make a big change in batting order if they enter WTC final</a></strong></p>

<p>It is to be noted that Hardik has more Instagram followers than some of the global sporting icons across the globe, such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Max Verstappen, and Erling Halaand. The all-rounder was last seen on the 22-yard cricket strip during India's three-match T20I series versus New Zealand at home. Under him, India whitewashed the Black Caps. He has been leading the T20I side following the 2022 T20 World Cup and was promoted as the ODI vice-captain in January 2023.</p>

<p>Hardik will next be seen in India-Australia three ODIs, starting on March 17 in Mumbai. He will lead the side in the first ODI in Rohit Sharma's absence. After that, he will lead&nbsp;the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2023 opener where they will face MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in Ahmedabad, on March 31.</p>


Hardik Pandya has become the youngest cricketer in the world to reach 25 million followers on the social media platform Instagram. Hardik is one of the most important cricketers for Team India in the white-ball formats and the 29-year-old achieved the massive feat; depicting his popularity across the globe.

Hardik Pandya has become the youngest cricketer in the world to reach 25 million followers on the social media platform Instagram. Hardik is one of the most important cricketers for Team India in the white-ball formats and the 29-year-old achieved the massive feat; depicting his popularity across the globe. On achieving the special feat, Hardik shared a video post on Instagram and captioned it, "25 MILLION followers on Instagram! I am truly grateful from the bottom of my heart for all your love, all your wishes, and all your constant support. Thank you, My beautiful wife @natasastankovic__ decided to ask me 25 questions to celebrate the 25 million of us together." In the clip, the all-rounder said, "Thank you to all my fans for the love. Each one of my fans is special to me, and I would like to thank them for the love and support they have given me over all these years." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hardik Himanshu Pandya (@hardikpandya93) × Also read: Ricky Ponting urges Team India to make a big change in batting order if they enter WTC final It is to be noted that Hardik has more Instagram followers than some of the global sporting icons across the globe, such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Max Verstappen, and Erling Halaand. The all-rounder was last seen on the 22-yard cricket strip during India's three-match T20I series versus New Zealand at home. Under him, India whitewashed the Black Caps. He has been leading the T20I side following the 2022 T20 World Cup and was promoted as the ODI vice-captain in January 2023. Hardik will next be seen in India-Australia three ODIs, starting on March 17 in Mumbai. He will lead the side in the first ODI in Rohit Sharma's absence. After that, he will lead the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2023 opener where they will face MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK), in Ahmedabad, on March 31.

Hardik Pandya achieves MASSIVE feat, becomes youngest cricketer to reach 25 million followers on Instagram

<p>Rohit Sharma-led India lost the Indore Test versus Australia as the visitors kept the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy alive with hosts leading 2-1, ahead of the final match in Ahmedabad. Rohit &amp; Co. received a setback but will be hungry for success in the series decider, which kicks off on March 09 (Thursday), to not only win the series 3-1 but also qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final.</p>

<p>With Australia having already qualified for the WTC final, following their win in Indore, they will come hard versus the Indian team. Ahead of the Ahmedabad Test, former Aussie captain Ricky Ponting has urged the Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led Indian team to consider making one big change in their batting line-up if they reach the WTC finale, to be held at The Oval, London on June 07-11.</p>

<p>With conditions being different in England, as compared to the sub-continent, Ponting feels India should go ahead with both out-of-form KL Rahul and Shubman Gill. "With someone like KL Rahul having gone out of this side and Shubman Gill having come in, both these guys have played a bit of Test match cricket, and you could potentially have both of those guys in the same team," Ponting told ICC.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nz-vs-sl-explained-how-sri-lanka-can-play-spoilsport-to-indias-wtc-final-chances-569483">NZ vs SL: EXPLAINED! How Sri Lanka can play spoilsport to India's WTC final chances</a></strong></p>

<p>"Maybe Shubman could start at the top and KL could potentially move down into the middle order, because he's played cricket in those (English) conditions before, albeit at the top of the order," he added.</p>

<p>Gill replaced Rahul in India's playing XI for the third and penultimate Test in Indore versus Australia. Rahul has been in woeful form in whites, managing only 192 runs in last 12 innings, but his replacement Gill also fell flat in both the innings of the Indore Test match. The young right-hander managed scores of 21 anf 5 as India lost by nine wickets in a low-scoring match.</p>

<p>It will be interesting to see if India go back to Rahul or persist with Gill for the final Test. It is highly unlikely that India will go ahead with both of them in the playing XI for the Ahmedabad Test.</p>


Rohit Sharma-led India lost the Indore Test versus Australia as the visitors kept the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy alive with hosts leading 2-1, ahead of the final match in Ahmedabad.

Rohit Sharma-led India lost the Indore Test versus Australia as the visitors kept the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy alive with hosts leading 2-1, ahead of the final match in Ahmedabad. Rohit & Co. received a setback but will be hungry for success in the series decider, which kicks off on March 09 (Thursday), to not only win the series 3-1 but also qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. With Australia having already qualified for the WTC final, following their win in Indore, they will come hard versus the Indian team. Ahead of the Ahmedabad Test, former Aussie captain Ricky Ponting has urged the Rohit-Rahul Dravid-led Indian team to consider making one big change in their batting line-up if they reach the WTC finale, to be held at The Oval, London on June 07-11. With conditions being different in England, as compared to the sub-continent, Ponting feels India should go ahead with both out-of-form KL Rahul and Shubman Gill. "With someone like KL Rahul having gone out of this side and Shubman Gill having come in, both these guys have played a bit of Test match cricket, and you could potentially have both of those guys in the same team," Ponting told ICC. Also read: NZ vs SL: EXPLAINED! How Sri Lanka can play spoilsport to India's WTC final chances "Maybe Shubman could start at the top and KL could potentially move down into the middle order, because he's played cricket in those (English) conditions before, albeit at the top of the order," he added. Gill replaced Rahul in India's playing XI for the third and penultimate Test in Indore versus Australia. Rahul has been in woeful form in whites, managing only 192 runs in last 12 innings, but his replacement Gill also fell flat in both the innings of the Indore Test match. The young right-hander managed scores of 21 anf 5 as India lost by nine wickets in a low-scoring match. It will be interesting to see if India go back to Rahul or persist with Gill for the final Test. It is highly unlikely that India will go ahead with both of them in the playing XI for the Ahmedabad Test.

Ricky Ponting urges Team India to make a big change in batting order if they enter WTC final

<p>Babar Azam is one of the most talented batters in current times in the modern era. He is among the top-five batters across formats currently, at the top spot in ODIs, and is regarded by many to become a legend by the time he signs off from the highest level. At times, he has been slammed for his ordinary strike rate in T20Is and most recently, Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at him for not being able to communicate in English. Now, the former pacer took an indirect dig at him while praising Azam Khan's performances in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023.</p>

<p>After Azam Khan played a blinder in Islamabad United's 202-run chase versus Karachi Kings, Akhtar was left impressed by the youngster. He appreciated his well-compiled inning and also for how 'smartly he spoke in the interview'. Azam slammed a match-winning 41-ball 72*, laced with 8 fours and 4 sixes, at a whopping strike rate of 175.61. He is the son of former wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan.</p>

<p>Akhtar praised Azam and said while speaking to Suno News, "I found Azam Khan to be a responsible guy who can build innings, not just slog. He spoke smartly in the interview as well, and it felt nice to hear him speak like that as he talked about his performance. When I was playing 20 years ago, I didn't care how I spoke. But in today's era, being in the media is part of your job. I can only indicate and pinpoint for you, ‘this is a problem, please go and correct it. It's for your own benefit'. He (Azam) looked like captaincy material with the way he spoke."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wpl-2023-dc-w-vs-rcb-w-shafali-verma-meg-lanning-star-with-bat-as-delhi-beat-challengers-by-60-runs-568858">WPL 2023: DC-W vs RCB-W - Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning star with bat as Delhi beat Challengers by 60 runs</a></strong></p>

<p>The ex-Pakistan speedster then took a dig at Babar and stated, "When Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi, and Abdul Razzaq used to play, they would say, ‘the whole ground and its crowd is mine. I control the atmosphere in this place'. And Azam was controlling that. That's how you become a star. It's not just about winning ICC Player of the Year awards, no no. The things Azam did... the crowd backed him, and he took their ownership. He was like, ‘I'm here to run the show."</p>

<p>Notably, Babar won the ICC Player of the Year award in January. It will be interesting to see if the current Pakistan captain responds to Akhtar's blunt statement.</p>


Babar Azam is one of the most talented batters in current times in the modern era. He is among the top-five batters across formats currently, at the top spot in ODIs, and is regarded by many to become a legend by the time he signs off from the highest level.

Babar Azam is one of the most talented batters in current times in the modern era. He is among the top-five batters across formats currently, at the top spot in ODIs, and is regarded by many to become a legend by the time he signs off from the highest level. At times, he has been slammed for his ordinary strike rate in T20Is and most recently, Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at him for not being able to communicate in English. Now, the former pacer took an indirect dig at him while praising Azam Khan's performances in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023. After Azam Khan played a blinder in Islamabad United's 202-run chase versus Karachi Kings, Akhtar was left impressed by the youngster. He appreciated his well-compiled inning and also for how 'smartly he spoke in the interview'. Azam slammed a match-winning 41-ball 72*, laced with 8 fours and 4 sixes, at a whopping strike rate of 175.61. He is the son of former wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan. Akhtar praised Azam and said while speaking to Suno News, "I found Azam Khan to be a responsible guy who can build innings, not just slog. He spoke smartly in the interview as well, and it felt nice to hear him speak like that as he talked about his performance. When I was playing 20 years ago, I didn't care how I spoke. But in today's era, being in the media is part of your job. I can only indicate and pinpoint for you, ‘this is a problem, please go and correct it. It's for your own benefit'. He (Azam) looked like captaincy material with the way he spoke." Also read: WPL 2023: DC-W vs RCB-W - Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning star with bat as Delhi beat Challengers by 60 runs The ex-Pakistan speedster then took a dig at Babar and stated, "When Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi, and Abdul Razzaq used to play, they would say, ‘the whole ground and its crowd is mine. I control the atmosphere in this place'. And Azam was controlling that. That's how you become a star. It's not just about winning ICC Player of the Year awards, no no. The things Azam did... the crowd backed him, and he took their ownership. He was like, ‘I'm here to run the show." Notably, Babar won the ICC Player of the Year award in January. It will be interesting to see if the current Pakistan captain responds to Akhtar's blunt statement.

'It's not about winning ICC Player of the Year...': Akhtar's indirect dig at Babar while lauding Azam Khan

<p>Steve Smith is set to lead Australia in the fourth and final Test versus India as well, with regular skipper Pat Cummins to remain in Australia with his ailing mother. The Aussie speedster's mother Maria is ill with breast cancer and is in palliative care, as reported by Cricket Australia. Thus, Cummins had skipped the third and penultimate Test, in Indore, as well -- which the visitors won by nine wickets to keep the series alive at 2-1 -- and will now also miss the series decider in Ahmedabad, starting on March 09.</p>

<p>Under Smith, Australia produced a clinical performance in the third Test at the Holkar Stadium, Indore. Opting to bat first, Rohit Sharma-led India folded for a paltry 109 -- thanks to&nbsp;Matthew Kuhnemann's 5 for 16 -- before Australia only managed 197 but took a vital 88-run lead. In reply, India once again fell flat in their second essay; being dismissed for 163 in 60.3 overs. Chasing 76, Smith &amp; Co. chased down the target with nine wickets in hand in the morning session of Day 3.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thus, Australia -- who were without Cummins -- produced a clinical performance to keep the four-match series alive, at 2-1 in India's favour.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-are-ready-to-give-our-lives-for-babar-azam-pak-batter-comes-in-support-of-under-fire-national-captain-569163">'We are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam': Pak batter comes in support of under-fire national captain</a></strong></p>

<p>After leading Australia to an emphatic win, Smith said after the game, "My time is done. It's Pat's team now. I've obviously been able to stand in this week, obviously in tough circumstances with Patty going home. Our thoughts are still with him back home."</p>

<p>"But India is a part of the world I love captaining ... it's probably my favourite place in the world to captain. Every ball is an event and therefore can dictate what happens after, which is something that I really love and you've got to be ahead of the game. So I thought I did it well this week and it was good fun," he added.</p>

<p>The fourth and final Test begins at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad on March 09. Smith-led Aussies will be desperate to end the series with a 2-2 stalemate. They have already qualified for the WTC final after the Indore Test win.</p>


Steve Smith is set to lead Australia in the fourth and final Test versus India as well, with regular skipper Pat Cummins to remain in Australia with his ailing mother.

Steve Smith is set to lead Australia in the fourth and final Test versus India as well, with regular skipper Pat Cummins to remain in Australia with his ailing mother. The Aussie speedster's mother Maria is ill with breast cancer and is in palliative care, as reported by Cricket Australia. Thus, Cummins had skipped the third and penultimate Test, in Indore, as well -- which the visitors won by nine wickets to keep the series alive at 2-1 -- and will now also miss the series decider in Ahmedabad, starting on March 09. Under Smith, Australia produced a clinical performance in the third Test at the Holkar Stadium, Indore. Opting to bat first, Rohit Sharma-led India folded for a paltry 109 -- thanks to Matthew Kuhnemann's 5 for 16 -- before Australia only managed 197 but took a vital 88-run lead. In reply, India once again fell flat in their second essay; being dismissed for 163 in 60.3 overs. Chasing 76, Smith & Co. chased down the target with nine wickets in hand in the morning session of Day 3. Thus, Australia -- who were without Cummins -- produced a clinical performance to keep the four-match series alive, at 2-1 in India's favour. Also read: 'We are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam': Pak batter comes in support of under-fire national captain After leading Australia to an emphatic win, Smith said after the game, "My time is done. It's Pat's team now. I've obviously been able to stand in this week, obviously in tough circumstances with Patty going home. Our thoughts are still with him back home." "But India is a part of the world I love captaining ... it's probably my favourite place in the world to captain. Every ball is an event and therefore can dictate what happens after, which is something that I really love and you've got to be ahead of the game. So I thought I did it well this week and it was good fun," he added. The fourth and final Test begins at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad on March 09. Smith-led Aussies will be desperate to end the series with a 2-2 stalemate. They have already qualified for the WTC final after the Indore Test win.

India vs Australia, BGT 2022/23: Steve Smith set to lead in final Test in Pat Cummins' absence

<p>Pakistan star Babar Azam recently won the ICC Player of the Year award, in January, and remains his side's top batter across formats. He is among the top-five batters across formats in ICC rankings, being the top ODI batsman, but has often faced criticism for his slow strike rate and captaincy. In the recent past, Babar-led Pakistan have lost home Tests and T20Is versus Australia, England, an ODI series to visitors New Zealand and failed to win the final of Asia Cup and T20 World Cup last year.</p>

<p>Thus, Babar's captaincy and strike rate have often been criticised by many former players and experts of the game. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old continues to be backed by his current crop of players. The likes of Md Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi have supported under-fire Babar and now Shadab Khan also joined the bandwagon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Hum sab Babar Azam ke behind hai. Jis tarike se koi bhi aapka captain hota hai, jab Saifi bhai thai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar thai, ab jab Babar Azam hai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar hai. Leader first. Aur hum sabka common goal Pakistan hai. Bahut saari hum khabre padhte hai, cheeje dekhte hai jo team ko idhar se udhar karne ki koshish karti hai, lekin personally, kisi ko kisi k saath koi vo nahi hai. Hum Pakistan k liye khelne aaye hai, ye bahut badi privilige hai. Hum sab uske saath hai (We were ready to give our lives when Sarfaraz Ahmed was our captain, and now we are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam. We watch a lot of news on criticism of the team, but we don't get bothered by it as our mutual goal is to play for our country), Shan said while speaking with a local TV channel as reported by Cricket Pakistan.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-not-about-winning-icc-player-of-the-year-akhtars-indirect-dig-at-babar-while-lauding-azam-khan-569039">'It's not about winning ICC Player of the Year...': Akhtar's indirect dig at Babar while lauding Azam Khan</a></strong></p>

<p>Babar is currently involved in the ongoing edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023. Babar-led Peshawar Zalmi&nbsp;are languishing at the fourth-spot in the six-team tournament with only three wins and equal number of losses after six games.&nbsp;</p>


Pakistan star Babar Azam recently won the ICC Player of the Year award, in January, and remains his side's top batter across formats. He is among the top-five batters across formats in ICC rankings, being the top ODI batsman, but has often faced criticism for his slow strike rate and captaincy.

Pakistan star Babar Azam recently won the ICC Player of the Year award, in January, and remains his side's top batter across formats. He is among the top-five batters across formats in ICC rankings, being the top ODI batsman, but has often faced criticism for his slow strike rate and captaincy. In the recent past, Babar-led Pakistan have lost home Tests and T20Is versus Australia, England, an ODI series to visitors New Zealand and failed to win the final of Asia Cup and T20 World Cup last year. Thus, Babar's captaincy and strike rate have often been criticised by many former players and experts of the game. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old continues to be backed by his current crop of players. The likes of Md Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi have supported under-fire Babar and now Shadab Khan also joined the bandwagon. "Hum sab Babar Azam ke behind hai. Jis tarike se koi bhi aapka captain hota hai, jab Saifi bhai thai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar thai, ab jab Babar Azam hai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar hai. Leader first. Aur hum sabka common goal Pakistan hai. Bahut saari hum khabre padhte hai, cheeje dekhte hai jo team ko idhar se udhar karne ki koshish karti hai, lekin personally, kisi ko kisi k saath koi vo nahi hai. Hum Pakistan k liye khelne aaye hai, ye bahut badi privilige hai. Hum sab uske saath hai (We were ready to give our lives when Sarfaraz Ahmed was our captain, and now we are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam. We watch a lot of news on criticism of the team, but we don't get bothered by it as our mutual goal is to play for our country), Shan said while speaking with a local TV channel as reported by Cricket Pakistan. Also read: 'It's not about winning ICC Player of the Year...': Akhtar's indirect dig at Babar while lauding Azam Khan Babar is currently involved in the ongoing edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023. Babar-led Peshawar Zalmi are languishing at the fourth-spot in the six-team tournament with only three wins and equal number of losses after six games.

'We are ready to give our lives for Babar Azam': Pak batter comes in support of under-fire national captain

<p>Delhi Capitals (DC) thrashed Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 60 runs to open their campaign in style in the second game of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) on Sunday (March 05). Being asked to bat first, the Meg Lanning-led side rode on Shafali Verman's blistering 43-ball 72 and the skipper's 45-ball 84 to post 223/2 before Tara Norris -- the only&nbsp;associate player in the competition -- returned with 5 for 29 to restrict RCB for 163-8.</p>

<p>Norris accounted for the scalps of&nbsp;Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh, Heather Knight and Kanika Ahuja to claim the first-ever five-wicket haul of the premier tournament. Thus, the 24-year-old youngster from USA made heads turn in her first-ever appearance in WPL 2023.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wpl-2023-unmissable-harris-ecclestone-bring-run-chase-alive-with-20-run-over-in-upw-vs-ggw-tie-watch-569059">WPL 2023: UNMISSABLE! Harris-Ecclestone bring run-chase alive with 20-run over in UP vs GG tie - Watch</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>Who is Tara Norris? All you need to know about the USA star</strong></p>

<p>The American cricketer&nbsp;is a left-handed seamer who has represented the national team in five T20Is. The speedster made the headlines with her performances in&nbsp;England's Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, where she returned as the second highest wicket-taker for the Souther Vipers in the 2020 season (accounting for a dozen scalps). In addition, Norris has played for both the Vipers and the Loughborough Lightning in the Kia Super League in the past.</p>

<p>At the post-match presentation, Norris said, "Delighted. Meg and Shafali started well with the bat and the bowlers executed their plans. It is amazing to be here and delighted with the win. The first wicket is pretty special and will definitely take that."</p>

<p>After DC's maiden win in the competition, skipper Lanning said, "It was a lot of fun, great venue to play at and the crowd was amazing. Great atmosphere. We were thinking about bowling but we weren't too concerned about batting. Was fun watching Shafali bat from the other end. It was a lot fun, we were smiling all the time. That's the great thing about this competition, you get to play with players you wouldn't have otherwise played with. We felt like it was a good score but it was such a good wicket so we knew we had to bowl well. It's great to begin the tournament with a win."</p>


Delhi Capitals (DC) thrashed Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 60 runs to open their campaign in style in the second game of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) on Sunday (March 05).

Delhi Capitals (DC) thrashed Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 60 runs to open their campaign in style in the second game of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) on Sunday (March 05). Being asked to bat first, the Meg Lanning-led side rode on Shafali Verman's blistering 43-ball 72 and the skipper's 45-ball 84 to post 223/2 before Tara Norris -- the only associate player in the competition -- returned with 5 for 29 to restrict RCB for 163-8. Norris accounted for the scalps of Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh, Heather Knight and Kanika Ahuja to claim the first-ever five-wicket haul of the premier tournament. Thus, the 24-year-old youngster from USA made heads turn in her first-ever appearance in WPL 2023. Also read: WPL 2023: UNMISSABLE! Harris-Ecclestone bring run-chase alive with 20-run over in UP vs GG tie - Watch Who is Tara Norris? All you need to know about the USA star The American cricketer is a left-handed seamer who has represented the national team in five T20Is. The speedster made the headlines with her performances in England's Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, where she returned as the second highest wicket-taker for the Souther Vipers in the 2020 season (accounting for a dozen scalps). In addition, Norris has played for both the Vipers and the Loughborough Lightning in the Kia Super League in the past. At the post-match presentation, Norris said, "Delighted. Meg and Shafali started well with the bat and the bowlers executed their plans. It is amazing to be here and delighted with the win. The first wicket is pretty special and will definitely take that." After DC's maiden win in the competition, skipper Lanning said, "It was a lot of fun, great venue to play at and the crowd was amazing. Great atmosphere. We were thinking about bowling but we weren't too concerned about batting. Was fun watching Shafali bat from the other end. It was a lot fun, we were smiling all the time. That's the great thing about this competition, you get to play with players you wouldn't have otherwise played with. We felt like it was a good score but it was such a good wicket so we knew we had to bowl well. It's great to begin the tournament with a win."

WPL 2023: Who is Tara Norris? All you need to know about USA star who claimed 5-fer for Delhi Capitals

<p>Uttar Pradesh Warriorz (UPW) took on Gujarat Giants (GG) in the third game of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 edition on Sunday evening (March 05), at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Batting first, the Sneh Rana-led side made a challenging 169 for 6 and reduced the opposition to 105 for 7. However, Grace Harris and Sophie Ecclestone's stunning 70-run unbeaten eighth-wicket stand propelled their side to a memorable three-wicket win to open their campaign in style.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The equation was 53 required off the last 18 deliveries for Ecclestone-Harris before the pair's onslaught stunned GG as they lost their second game in a row, on successive days. The momentum changed with the 18th over, where Ecclestone-Harris took on Kim Garth -- who returned with a stunning 5 for 36 -- and churned out 20 runs. While Garth couldn't end her spell on a high, she ran through UPW's top order and removed&nbsp;Alyssa Healy, Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Tahila McGrath and Simran Shaikh. Her first three scalps came in the third over whereas she accounted for her last two wickets in the 13th over. <strong>Here's a video of Garth's&nbsp;</strong><strong>three strikes in the third over:</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The fielding display from the <a href="https://twitter.com/GujaratGiants?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GujaratGiants</a> has been absolutely magnificent tonight! 👌👌<br />
<br />
3️⃣ fine catches and all 3️⃣ wickets to Kim Garth!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPW?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPW</a> in a tricky position in the chase now.<br />
<br />
Follow the match ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/vc6i9xFK3L">https://t.co/vc6i9xFK3L</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAWPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAWPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPWvGG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPWvGG</a> <a href="https://t.co/lKV78SOadt">pic.twitter.com/lKV78SOadt</a></p>
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) <a href="https://twitter.com/wplt20/status/1632412646975897601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wpl-2023-unmissable-harris-ecclestone-bring-run-chase-alive-with-20-run-over-in-upw-vs-ggw-tie-watch-569059">WPL 2023: UNMISSABLE! Harris-Ecclestone bring run-chase alive with 20-run over in UPW vs GGW tie - Watch</a></strong></p>

<p>Despite Garth's five-fer, Gujarat could not go past the finish line despite dominating UPW's run-chase for most parts. Earlier, Sneh Rana &amp; Co. rode on Harleen Deol's 32-ball 45 and cameos from&nbsp;Ashleigh Gardner and Dayalan Hemalatha to post a challenging 169 for 7. In reply, UPW's Kiran&nbsp;Navgire chipped in with a vital 43-ball 53 but Ecclestone (12-ball 22*) and Harris (26-ball 59*) stood tall in the end overs to take the game away from the opposition and win in the final over.</p>


Uttar Pradesh Warriorz (UPW) took on Gujarat Giants (GG) in the third game of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 edition on Sunday evening (March 05), at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.

Uttar Pradesh Warriorz (UPW) took on Gujarat Giants (GG) in the third game of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 edition on Sunday evening (March 05), at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Batting first, the Sneh Rana-led side made a challenging 169 for 6 and reduced the opposition to 105 for 7. However, Grace Harris and Sophie Ecclestone's stunning 70-run unbeaten eighth-wicket stand propelled their side to a memorable three-wicket win to open their campaign in style. The equation was 53 required off the last 18 deliveries for Ecclestone-Harris before the pair's onslaught stunned GG as they lost their second game in a row, on successive days. The momentum changed with the 18th over, where Ecclestone-Harris took on Kim Garth -- who returned with a stunning 5 for 36 -- and churned out 20 runs. While Garth couldn't end her spell on a high, she ran through UPW's top order and removed Alyssa Healy, Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Tahila McGrath and Simran Shaikh. Her first three scalps came in the third over whereas she accounted for her last two wickets in the 13th over. Here's a video of Garth's three strikes in the third over: The fielding display from the @GujaratGiants has been absolutely magnificent tonight! 👌👌 3️⃣ fine catches and all 3️⃣ wickets to Kim Garth!#UPW in a tricky position in the chase now. Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/vc6i9xFK3L#TATAWPL | #UPWvGG pic.twitter.com/lKV78SOadt — Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 5, 2023 × Also Read: WPL 2023: UNMISSABLE! Harris-Ecclestone bring run-chase alive with 20-run over in UPW vs GGW tie - Watch Despite Garth's five-fer, Gujarat could not go past the finish line despite dominating UPW's run-chase for most parts. Earlier, Sneh Rana & Co. rode on Harleen Deol's 32-ball 45 and cameos from Ashleigh Gardner and Dayalan Hemalatha to post a challenging 169 for 7. In reply, UPW's Kiran Navgire chipped in with a vital 43-ball 53 but Ecclestone (12-ball 22*) and Harris (26-ball 59*) stood tall in the end overs to take the game away from the opposition and win in the final over.

WATCH: 3 wickets in an over! Kim Garth shines with the ball in UPW vs GG WPL 2023 tie

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