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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is bringing changes in the way the Indian team operates on the tours after a review meeting following a 1-3 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia. The changes, including less time for families on the tour, are being placed after coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gautam-gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</a> called out 'indiscipline' in the squad.
<h2>Gambhir calls out indiscipline in team</h2>
"Gautam Gambhir, during the review meeting, spoke about indiscipline in the Indian dressing room following the loss in the Border-Gavaskar series. Indiscipline is the reason why the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci">BCCI</a> is reverting to pre-COVID rules, allowing two weeks of family presence on tour. Gautam and the players were on the same page regarding the topic of family stays," a report in media outlet India Today's website quoted a source as saying.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-champions-trophy-squad-england-odi-announcement-date-live-updates-rohit-gill-kohli-rahul-iyer-pandya-shami-bumrah-axar-jadeja-kuldeep-karun-liveblog-8627125" rel="dofollow">India Champions Trophy Squad Announcement Live Updates</a>
"One senior player, who was present at the meeting, suggested to the BCCI that the match fee should not be distributed immediately. Instead, players' performance should be considered before disbursing the fee, as some players are not prioritising domestic and national team commitments," the report added.
<h2>BCCI headache grows ahead of Champions Trophy squad announcement</h2>
The reports of rift and indiscipline coupled with poor form of batters, especially of senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have added to headaches of the BCCI before they announce the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy-2025">2025 Champions Trophy</a> squad. The board is expected to announce the India squad for the ICC tournament on January 18-19, along with the England ODI squad.
The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan, with India set to play its matches, including the semi-final and the final, in Dubai, UAE, as per the agreed-upon hybrid model.
The players who will make it to the England ODI squad are also expected to play in the eight-team Champions Trophy tournament as well.&nbsp;

The changes, including less time for families on the tour, are being placed after coach Gautam Gambhir called out 'indiscipline' in the squad. cricket sports

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is bringing changes in the way the Indian team operates on the tours after a review meeting following a 1-3 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia. The changes, including less time for families on the tour, are being placed after coach Gautam Gambhir called out 'indiscipline' in the squad. Gambhir calls out indiscipline in team "Gautam Gambhir, during the review meeting, spoke about indiscipline in the Indian dressing room following the loss in the Border-Gavaskar series. Indiscipline is the reason why the BCCI is reverting to pre-COVID rules, allowing two weeks of family presence on tour. Gautam and the players were on the same page regarding the topic of family stays," a report in media outlet India Today's website quoted a source as saying. Also Read: India Champions Trophy Squad Announcement Live Updates "One senior player, who was present at the meeting, suggested to the BCCI that the match fee should not be distributed immediately. Instead, players' performance should be considered before disbursing the fee, as some players are not prioritising domestic and national team commitments," the report added. BCCI headache grows ahead of Champions Trophy squad announcement The reports of rift and indiscipline coupled with poor form of batters, especially of senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have added to headaches of the BCCI before they announce the 2025 Champions Trophy squad. The board is expected to announce the India squad for the ICC tournament on January 18-19, along with the England ODI squad. The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan, with India set to play its matches, including the semi-final and the final, in Dubai, UAE, as per the agreed-upon hybrid model. The players who will make it to the England ODI squad are also expected to play in the eight-team Champions Trophy tournament as well.

India coach Gautam Gambhir's 'indiscipline in team' remark reason behind BCCI's proposed changes

India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/karun-nair">Karun Nair</a> is scoring runs for fun in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vijay-hazare-trophy">Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT)</a> - domestic 50-over tournament. The batter, who is Vidarbha skipper, has scored the most runs by a captain in a single VHT season. Nair has scored 752 runs so far in the season - the most by a captain in VHT, surpassing Ruturaj Gaikwad's 660 runs in five innings during the 2022/23 season. He achieved the record during <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-india-squad-announcement-karun-nair-vijay-hazare-trophy-2025-average-752-runs-five-hundreds-8627592">88 not out innings against Maharashtra</a> in the second semi-final on Thursday (Jan 16).
Nair is also the only captain in VHT history to score more than 700 runs in a season. Overall, Tamil Nadu's Narayan Jagadeesan has the record for most runs scored by a player in a single VHT season when he scored 830 runs in the 2022/23 edition of the tournament.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/karun-nair-vijay-hazare-trophy-stats-records-average-752-total-runs-752-five-hundreds-highest-163-8627794" rel="dofollow">'Manifested jokingly,' says Karun Nair on averaging 752 in Vijay Hazare Trophy</a>
Given Nair's form, the batter can very well cross Jagadeesan's tally for most runs in one VHT season if Vidarbha makes it to the final of the tournament - scheduled for January 18.
<h2>Karun Nair Sets VHT Ablaze</h2>
He started the tournament with 112 not out against Jammu and Kashmir on December 23 and followed it up with 44 not out against Chhattisgarh three days later. In the next match against Chandigarh, Nair scored 163 not out&mdash;his highest in the tournament so far.
In the fourth match against Tamil Nadu, Nair hit 111 not out on December 31 to ring in the New Year in style. In the next VHT match against Uttar Pradesh, Nair scored 112 and was dismissed for the first time in the tournament. He didn't bat in the match against Mizoram before scoring another hundred on Sunday (Jan 12) and following it up with 88 not out in the semi-final on January 16.
In eight matches he has played in so far, Nair has smashed five hundreds and one fifty while being dismissed only once and averages a staggering 752. His performance comes at a time when the BCCI is looking to announce the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-india-squad-announcement-karun-nair-vijay-hazare-trophy-2025-average-752-runs-five-hundreds-8627592">squad for upcoming England ODIs and the Champions Trophy 2025</a>.

Karun Nair, Vidarbha skipper, has scored the most runs by a captain in a single VHT season.  The previous best was 660 runs by Ruturaj Gaikwad in 2022/23 season. Cricket Sports

India batter Karun Nair is scoring runs for fun in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) - domestic 50-over tournament. The batter, who is Vidarbha skipper, has scored the most runs by a captain in a single VHT season. Nair has scored 752 runs so far in the season - the most by a captain in VHT, surpassing Ruturaj Gaikwad's 660 runs in five innings during the 2022/23 season. He achieved the record during 88 not out innings against Maharashtra in the second semi-final on Thursday (Jan 16). Nair is also the only captain in VHT history to score more than 700 runs in a season. Overall, Tamil Nadu's Narayan Jagadeesan has the record for most runs scored by a player in a single VHT season when he scored 830 runs in the 2022/23 edition of the tournament. Also Read: 'Manifested jokingly,' says Karun Nair on averaging 752 in Vijay Hazare Trophy Given Nair's form, the batter can very well cross Jagadeesan's tally for most runs in one VHT season if Vidarbha makes it to the final of the tournament - scheduled for January 18. Karun Nair Sets VHT Ablaze He started the tournament with 112 not out against Jammu and Kashmir on December 23 and followed it up with 44 not out against Chhattisgarh three days later. In the next match against Chandigarh, Nair scored 163 not out—his highest in the tournament so far. In the fourth match against Tamil Nadu, Nair hit 111 not out on December 31 to ring in the New Year in style. In the next VHT match against Uttar Pradesh, Nair scored 112 and was dismissed for the first time in the tournament. He didn't bat in the match against Mizoram before scoring another hundred on Sunday (Jan 12) and following it up with 88 not out in the semi-final on January 16. In eight matches he has played in so far, Nair has smashed five hundreds and one fifty while being dismissed only once and averages a staggering 752. His performance comes at a time when the BCCI is looking to announce the squad for upcoming England ODIs and the Champions Trophy 2025.

Vidarbha batter Karun Nair rewrites Vijay Hazare Trophy records with 88 vs Maharashtra in semi-final

India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/karun-nair">Karun Nair</a> is having a dream run in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vijay-hazare-trophy">Vijay Hazare Trophy</a> (VHT) - domestic 50-over tournament - with an average of 752 after five hundreds and one fifty in eight matches for Vidarbha. The batter says that he 'manifested something like this jokingly.'
Whatever may be the reason, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-india-squad-announcement-karun-nair-vijay-hazare-trophy-2025-average-752-runs-five-hundreds-8627592">Nair's performance could not have come at a better time</a>. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to announce Champions Trophy 2025 squad and the team is dealing with batting failure in recent series, albeit in Test matches.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-champions-trophy-squad-england-odi-announcement-date-live-updates-rohit-gill-kohli-rahul-iyer-pandya-shami-bumrah-axar-jadeja-kuldeep-karun-liveblog-8627125" rel="dofollow">India Champions Trophy Squad Announcement Live Updates</a>
<h2>Manifested Jokingly, says Nair on Dream Run in VHT</h2>
"Funnily enough I said I think I need to score a hundred in every single innings to kind of get noticed," Nair said during a chat with ESPNcricinfo.
"I think I may have manifested something like this unknowingly in that chat with Robbie (Robin Uthappa), and that's coming into fruition," Nair mentions. "At the time [of recording the podcast], I was hurting a bit. After scoring runs in England and scoring nearly 700 runs [690 at the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy] to take Vidarbha into the finals, I did feel I could've got a look-in for the Duleep Trophy.
"Initially, right through the first half of the Ranji season I kept thinking about missed opportunities when I couldn't convert a few of my starts. But coming into the Vijay Hazare Trophy, I had completely forgotten about it, but I've just kept playing and have kept getting hundreds," he added.
He started the tournament with 112 not out against Jammu and Kashmir on December 23 and followed it up with 44 not out against Chhattisgarh three days later. In the next match against Chandigarh, Nair scored 163 not out&mdash;his highest in the tournament so far.
In the fourth match against Tamil Nadu, Nair hit 111 not out on December 31 to ring in the New Year in style. In the next VHT match against Uttar Pradesh, Nair scored 112 and was dismissed for the first time in the tournament. He didn't bat in the match against Mizoram before scoring another hundred on Sunday (Jan 12) and following it up with 88 not out in the semi-final on January 16.

Karun Nair averages 752 after five tons and a fifty in eight matches for Vidarbha in ongoing VHT. The batter says that he 'manifested something like this jokingly.' Sports Cricket

India batter Karun Nair is having a dream run in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) - domestic 50-over tournament - with an average of 752 after five hundreds and one fifty in eight matches for Vidarbha. The batter says that he 'manifested something like this jokingly.' Whatever may be the reason, Nair's performance could not have come at a better time. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to announce Champions Trophy 2025 squad and the team is dealing with batting failure in recent series, albeit in Test matches. Also Read: India Champions Trophy Squad Announcement Live Updates Manifested Jokingly, says Nair on Dream Run in VHT "Funnily enough I said I think I need to score a hundred in every single innings to kind of get noticed," Nair said during a chat with ESPNcricinfo. "I think I may have manifested something like this unknowingly in that chat with Robbie (Robin Uthappa), and that's coming into fruition," Nair mentions. "At the time [of recording the podcast], I was hurting a bit. After scoring runs in England and scoring nearly 700 runs [690 at the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy] to take Vidarbha into the finals, I did feel I could've got a look-in for the Duleep Trophy. "Initially, right through the first half of the Ranji season I kept thinking about missed opportunities when I couldn't convert a few of my starts. But coming into the Vijay Hazare Trophy, I had completely forgotten about it, but I've just kept playing and have kept getting hundreds," he added. He started the tournament with 112 not out against Jammu and Kashmir on December 23 and followed it up with 44 not out against Chhattisgarh three days later. In the next match against Chandigarh, Nair scored 163 not out—his highest in the tournament so far. In the fourth match against Tamil Nadu, Nair hit 111 not out on December 31 to ring in the New Year in style. In the next VHT match against Uttar Pradesh, Nair scored 112 and was dismissed for the first time in the tournament. He didn't bat in the match against Mizoram before scoring another hundred on Sunday (Jan 12) and following it up with 88 not out in the semi-final on January 16.

'Manifested jokingly,' says Karun Nair on averaging 752 in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Vidarbha batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/karun-nair">Karun Nair</a> has taken his batting average in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vijay-hazare-trophy">Vijay Hazare Trophy</a> (VHT) - domestic 50-over tournament - to 752 after scoring unbeaten 88 in the second semi-final against Maharashtra on Thursday (Jan 16).
In eight matches he has played in so far, Nair has smashed five hundreds and one fifty while being dismissed only once. His performance comes at a time when the BCCI is looking to announce the squad for upcoming England ODIs and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy-2025">Champions Trophy 2025</a>.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-champions-trophy-squad-england-odi-announcement-date-live-updates-rohit-gill-kohli-rahul-iyer-pandya-shami-bumrah-axar-jadeja-kuldeep-karun-liveblog-8627125" rel="dofollow">India Champions Trophy Squad Announcement Live Updates</a>
<h2>Karun Nair's record runs in VHT</h2>
He started the tournament with 112 not out against Jammu and Kashmir on December 23 and followed it up with 44 not out against Chhattisgarh three days later. In the next match against Chandigarh, Nair scored 163 not out&mdash;his highest in the tournament so far.
In the fourth match against Tamil Nadu, Nair hit 111 not out on December 31 to ring in the New Year in style. In the next VHT match against Uttar Pradesh, Nair scored 112 and was dismissed for the first time in the tournament. He didn't bat in the match against Mizoram before scoring another hundred on Sunday (Jan 12) and following it up with 88 not out in the semi-final on January 16.
<h2>Nair takes off for Vidarbha in semi-final</h2>
Against Maharashtra on Thursday, Nair walked in to bat at number three with his team being at 224/1 in the 35th over when Dhrub Shorey (114) was dismissed. Nair lost Yash Rathod (116) soon but added 93 runs for the third wicket with Jitesh Sharma (51 off 33) balls.
Vidarbha added 42 runs in the last 11 balls after Jitesh was out with Nair smashing 37 of them, including 24 runs in the last over. Have a look at the onslaught below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
I.C.Y.M.I 4⃣,6⃣,4⃣,4⃣,6⃣ Karun Nair finished the innings off in style with 24 runs off the final over, remaining unbeaten on 88 off 44 balls as Vidarbha posted 380/3! 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VijayHazareTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VijayHazareTrophy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/AW5jmfoiE1">https://t.co/AW5jmfoiE1</a> <a href="https://t.co/7VSZQxaQqX">pic.twitter.com/7VSZQxaQqX</a>
&mdash; BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic/status/1879862402973663479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nair's team eventually finished at 380/3 in the 50 overs. The winner will face Karnataka, who beat Haryana in the first semi-final, in the title match on January 18.

Nair has scored 752 runs at the average in ongoing VHT with five tons & one fifty at a time when the BCCI is looking to announce upcoming England ODIs and the Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Cricket Sports

Vidarbha batter Karun Nair has taken his batting average in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) - domestic 50-over tournament - to 752 after scoring unbeaten 88 in the second semi-final against Maharashtra on Thursday (Jan 16). In eight matches he has played in so far, Nair has smashed five hundreds and one fifty while being dismissed only once. His performance comes at a time when the BCCI is looking to announce the squad for upcoming England ODIs and the Champions Trophy 2025. Also Read: India Champions Trophy Squad Announcement Live Updates Karun Nair's record runs in VHT He started the tournament with 112 not out against Jammu and Kashmir on December 23 and followed it up with 44 not out against Chhattisgarh three days later. In the next match against Chandigarh, Nair scored 163 not out—his highest in the tournament so far. In the fourth match against Tamil Nadu, Nair hit 111 not out on December 31 to ring in the New Year in style. In the next VHT match against Uttar Pradesh, Nair scored 112 and was dismissed for the first time in the tournament. He didn't bat in the match against Mizoram before scoring another hundred on Sunday (Jan 12) and following it up with 88 not out in the semi-final on January 16. Nair takes off for Vidarbha in semi-final Against Maharashtra on Thursday, Nair walked in to bat at number three with his team being at 224/1 in the 35th over when Dhrub Shorey (114) was dismissed. Nair lost Yash Rathod (116) soon but added 93 runs for the third wicket with Jitesh Sharma (51 off 33) balls. Vidarbha added 42 runs in the last 11 balls after Jitesh was out with Nair smashing 37 of them, including 24 runs in the last over. Have a look at the onslaught below: I.C.Y.M.I 4⃣,6⃣,4⃣,4⃣,6⃣ Karun Nair finished the innings off in style with 24 runs off the final over, remaining unbeaten on 88 off 44 balls as Vidarbha posted 380/3! 🔥#VijayHazareTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/AW5jmfoiE1 pic.twitter.com/7VSZQxaQqX — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 16, 2025 Nair's team eventually finished at 380/3 in the 50 overs. The winner will face Karnataka, who beat Haryana in the first semi-final, in the title match on January 18.

2025 Champions Trophy: Karun Nair knocking on India selection door with 700+ average in Vijay Hazare Trophy

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci">Board of Control for Cricket in India</a> (BCCI) has decided to appoint Sitanshu Kotak - a former batter for Saurashtra - as the batting coach ahead of upcoming England series at home and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/2025-champions-trophy">Champions Trophy 2025</a>. England are scheduled to play five T20Is and three ODIs beginning January 22.
The decision to add Kotak as the batting coach comes after India's recent failures with the bat in home Test series against New Zealand and then in Australia. The news was confirmed by media outlet Indian Express.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-champions-trophy-squad-england-odi-announcement-date-live-updates-rohit-gill-kohli-rahul-iyer-pandya-shami-bumrah-axar-jadeja-kuldeep-karun-liveblog-8627125" rel="dofollow">India Champions Trophy Squad Announcement Live Updates</a>
&ldquo;Kotak will be joining the Indian team as a batting coach. The Indian team will be having a three day-camp in Kolkata and players will be reporting on January 18,&rdquo; the Indian Express report read quoting a source in the Indian board.
<h2>Who is Sitanshu Kotak - India's new batting coach?</h2>
Kotak is domestic legend for Saurashtra and has played 130 First Class games for them. In those matches, Kotak has scored 8061 runs at an average of 41.76 with 15 hundreds and 55 fifties. His highest score in domestic first class cricket is 168 not out.
In List A, Kotak has played 89 games, scoring 3083 runs at an average of 42. He has hit three hundreds and 26 fifties with a highest of 122 not out in List A cricket. He has also played nine T20s, scoring 133 runs at a strike rate of 74 and a best of 27.
Kotak also was part-time bowler with 70 wickets in first-class cricket and 54 in List A matches.&nbsp;
His last match for Saurashtra was a first class game against Rajasthan in October 2013 during which he scored 65 runs. He had made his debut in 1992/93.

The decision to add Kotak as the batting coach comes after India's recent failures with the bat in home Test series against New Zealand and then in Australia. Cricket Sports

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to appoint Sitanshu Kotak - a former batter for Saurashtra - as the batting coach ahead of upcoming England series at home and Champions Trophy 2025. England are scheduled to play five T20Is and three ODIs beginning January 22. The decision to add Kotak as the batting coach comes after India's recent failures with the bat in home Test series against New Zealand and then in Australia. The news was confirmed by media outlet Indian Express. Also Read: India Champions Trophy Squad Announcement Live Updates “Kotak will be joining the Indian team as a batting coach. The Indian team will be having a three day-camp in Kolkata and players will be reporting on January 18,” the Indian Express report read quoting a source in the Indian board. Who is Sitanshu Kotak - India's new batting coach? Kotak is domestic legend for Saurashtra and has played 130 First Class games for them. In those matches, Kotak has scored 8061 runs at an average of 41.76 with 15 hundreds and 55 fifties. His highest score in domestic first class cricket is 168 not out. In List A, Kotak has played 89 games, scoring 3083 runs at an average of 42. He has hit three hundreds and 26 fifties with a highest of 122 not out in List A cricket. He has also played nine T20s, scoring 133 runs at a strike rate of 74 and a best of 27. Kotak also was part-time bowler with 70 wickets in first-class cricket and 54 in List A matches. His last match for Saurashtra was a first class game against Rajasthan in October 2013 during which he scored 65 runs. He had made his debut in 1992/93.

Meet Sitanshu Kotak - India's new batting coach set to join ahead of England series

On Thursday (Jan 16), <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kevin-pietersen" rel="dofollow">Kevin Pietersen</a> sent his fans into an emotional outburst with a tongue-in-cheek post on social media platform X, making himself available for the role of the Indian team&rsquo;s batting coach.
This comes amid stories doing rounds that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking for a batting coach after its review meeting of the Australia series. Pietersen, the former England captain, replied to one such post, saying: &ldquo;Available!&rdquo;
Born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Pietersen has played 104 Tests for England, scoring 8,181 runs, including 23 hundreds. In ODIs, the right-handed batsman has 4,440 runs to his name in 136 matches at an average of 40.73. He has nine centuries with a best score of 130.
Pietersen is also the winner of 2010 ICC T20 World Cup, where he was adjudged &lsquo;player of the tournament&rsquo; with a total of 248 runs in six matches with two fifties. Besides this, he is the third-highest run scorer of all time for England with 13,779 runs in 275 matches, scoring 32 centuries and 67 fifties.
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Why the Indian team needs a batting coach?<o:p></o:p></h2>
The current Indian team doesn&rsquo;t have a designated batting coach. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-nayar" rel="dofollow">Abhishek Nayar</a> and Ryan ten Doeschate are part of head coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gautam-gambhir">Gautam Gambhir&rsquo;s</a> support staff as assistant coaches, and their role was called into question after India&rsquo;s back-to-back series defeats against New Zealand and Australia.
Indian batting has struggled during the series against New Zealand and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australia-cricket" rel="dofollow">Australia</a>. Rohit Sharma was out of the playing eleven for the fifth Test at Sydney, and there is a question mark on his future in red-ball cricket. Virat Kohli must also prove himself if he wants to hold his position in the team.
If the BCCI does go ahead with Pietersen, it would be a high-profile appointment, given that India&rsquo;s next Test assignment is a five-match series against England.

The current Indian team doesn’t have a designated batting coach. Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate are part of Gautam Gambhir’s support staff. Sports. Cricket. 

On Thursday (Jan 16), Kevin Pietersen sent his fans into an emotional outburst with a tongue-in-cheek post on social media platform X, making himself available for the role of the Indian team’s batting coach. This comes amid stories doing rounds that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking for a batting coach after its review meeting of the Australia series. Pietersen, the former England captain, replied to one such post, saying: “Available!” Born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Pietersen has played 104 Tests for England, scoring 8,181 runs, including 23 hundreds. In ODIs, the right-handed batsman has 4,440 runs to his name in 136 matches at an average of 40.73. He has nine centuries with a best score of 130. Pietersen is also the winner of 2010 ICC T20 World Cup, where he was adjudged ‘player of the tournament’ with a total of 248 runs in six matches with two fifties. Besides this, he is the third-highest run scorer of all time for England with 13,779 runs in 275 matches, scoring 32 centuries and 67 fifties. Why the Indian team needs a batting coach? The current Indian team doesn’t have a designated batting coach. Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate are part of head coach Gautam Gambhir’s support staff as assistant coaches, and their role was called into question after India’s back-to-back series defeats against New Zealand and Australia. Indian batting has struggled during the series against New Zealand and Australia. Rohit Sharma was out of the playing eleven for the fifth Test at Sydney, and there is a question mark on his future in red-ball cricket. Virat Kohli must also prove himself if he wants to hold his position in the team. If the BCCI does go ahead with Pietersen, it would be a high-profile appointment, given that India’s next Test assignment is a five-match series against England.

Former England star shows interest in guiding Indian batting unit

India spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kuldeep-yadav">Kuldeep Yadav</a> is gearing up for a comeback ahead of the white-ball series against England starting January 22 and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">ICC Champions Trophy 2025</a> starting February 19.
Kuldeep was not available for selection for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to injury. After recovering from a chronic left groin issue, Kuldeep shared a video of his bowling practice on social media platform Instagram.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/akash-deep-opens-up-on-virat-kohlis-kind-gesture-after-gabba-test-says-he-offered-me-8625981">Akash Deep opens up on Virat Kohli's kind gesture after Gabba Test, says 'he offered me...'</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Kuldeep nearing a milestone<o:p></o:p></h2>
When Kuldeep returns to action, he will be eyeing an all-important milestone of 300 international wickets.
In 159 appearances, the spinner has taken 297 wickets at an average of 22.50, with the best bowling figures of 6/25. He has also taken eight five-wicket hauls in international cricket.
After the end of the test series against New Zealand, Kuldeep was referred to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=BCCI" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">BCCI</a>) Centre of Excellence for his issue. His last appearance for India was in the first test against New Zealand in October last year, where he took three wickets.
Kuldeep is not part of the squad for the five-match T20I series against England, starting January 22 in Kolkata, while the three-match ODI series will start from February 6 onwards. The next tournament awaiting the Men in Blue will be the ICC Champions Trophy, starting February 19 till March 9.
The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australia-cricket" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Australia</a>, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.
India won't travel to Pakistan to play in the Champions Trophy despite the latter being announced as the hosts by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI confirmed that they have not received the required permission from the Indian government to send their team to Pakistan.<o:p></o:p>
Due to India's reluctance, the tournament is set to be played in a hybrid format, with Pakistan hosting most of the matches, but all of India's group games and the first semi-final to be played in Dubai.
The highly anticipated India-Pakistan match will be held on February 23 in Dubai. The final of the Champions Trophy will be played on March 9.

Sports. Cricket. After recovering from a chronic left groin issue, Kuldeep shared a video of his bowling practice on social media platform Instagram.

India spinner Kuldeep Yadav is gearing up for a comeback ahead of the white-ball series against England starting January 22 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 starting February 19. Kuldeep was not available for selection for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to injury. After recovering from a chronic left groin issue, Kuldeep shared a video of his bowling practice on social media platform Instagram. Also Read: Akash Deep opens up on Virat Kohli's kind gesture after Gabba Test, says 'he offered me...' Kuldeep nearing a milestone When Kuldeep returns to action, he will be eyeing an all-important milestone of 300 international wickets. In 159 appearances, the spinner has taken 297 wickets at an average of 22.50, with the best bowling figures of 6/25. He has also taken eight five-wicket hauls in international cricket. After the end of the test series against New Zealand, Kuldeep was referred to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence for his issue. His last appearance for India was in the first test against New Zealand in October last year, where he took three wickets. Kuldeep is not part of the squad for the five-match T20I series against England, starting January 22 in Kolkata, while the three-match ODI series will start from February 6 onwards. The next tournament awaiting the Men in Blue will be the ICC Champions Trophy, starting February 19 till March 9. The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan. India won't travel to Pakistan to play in the Champions Trophy despite the latter being announced as the hosts by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI confirmed that they have not received the required permission from the Indian government to send their team to Pakistan. Due to India's reluctance, the tournament is set to be played in a hybrid format, with Pakistan hosting most of the matches, but all of India's group games and the first semi-final to be played in Dubai. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan match will be held on February 23 in Dubai. The final of the Champions Trophy will be played on March 9.

Champions Trophy 2025: Kuldeep Yadav hits nets ahead of squad selection meeting

India&rsquo;s up and coming pacer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/akash-deep">Akash Deep</a> shared the memorable story of how he came to own one of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli&rsquo;s</a> signature bats, which played an important role in helping India avoid a follow-on during the Gabba Test in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Recalling the incident, Akash Deep revealed that Kohli approached him before walking out to bat and asked, &ldquo;Do you need a bat?&rdquo; Overwhelmed, Akash replied, &ldquo;Yes, who wouldn&rsquo;t want your bat?).&rdquo;
Kohli then gifted him the bat, one sporting the iconic MRF logo.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been with Virat at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/royal-challengers-bangalore">Royal Challengers Bangalore</a>, but I&rsquo;d never have the courage to ask him for such a prized possession, especially during a match,&rdquo; Akash said. &ldquo;But he offered it himself, which meant so much to me,&rdquo; said a report in news agency PTI.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-india-squad-announcement-jasprit-bumrah-injury-news-pacer-advised-bed-rest-8625081" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">2025 Champions Trophy: Setback for India as pacer Jasprit Bumrah advised 'bed rest'</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Akash Deep helped India avoid follow-on<o:p></o:p></h2>
Akash used that bat to deliver a gritty 31-run knock at the Gabba, forming a crucial 47-run last-wicket partnership with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jasprit-bumrah">Jasprit Bumrah</a> &mdash; the third-highest last-wicket stand for India. Talking about his innings, Akash said, &ldquo;I was prepared to take body blows but not give away my wicket. I wasn&rsquo;t thinking about the follow-on; I just wanted to bat as long as possible to ease the pressure on our top order in the second innings.&rdquo;
While India ultimately lost the series 1-3, this moment at the Gabba stood out as a rare highlight in a tough campaign. Akash&rsquo;s determination, coupled with Kohli&rsquo;s generosity, left an indelible mark on the series.
Interestingly, this was not the first time Kohli had gifted Akash a bat. During the home series against Bangladesh, Kohli had similarly offered him one of his signature bats, a gesture that further illustrated the camaraderie within the Men in Blue team.
Akash signed off by saying, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a privilege to share such moments with someone of Virat&rsquo;s stature, and I&rsquo;ll always treasure it.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies) <o:p></o:p>

Sports. Cricket. While India ultimately lost the series 1-3, this moment at the Gabba stood out as a rare highlight in a tough campaign. Akash’s determination, coupled with Kohli’s generosity, left an indelible mark on the series.

India’s up and coming pacer Akash Deep shared the memorable story of how he came to own one of Virat Kohli’s signature bats, which played an important role in helping India avoid a follow-on during the Gabba Test in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Recalling the incident, Akash Deep revealed that Kohli approached him before walking out to bat and asked, “Do you need a bat?” Overwhelmed, Akash replied, “Yes, who wouldn’t want your bat?).” Kohli then gifted him the bat, one sporting the iconic MRF logo. “I’ve been with Virat at Royal Challengers Bangalore, but I’d never have the courage to ask him for such a prized possession, especially during a match,” Akash said. “But he offered it himself, which meant so much to me,” said a report in news agency PTI. Also Read: 2025 Champions Trophy: Setback for India as pacer Jasprit Bumrah advised 'bed rest' Akash Deep helped India avoid follow-on Akash used that bat to deliver a gritty 31-run knock at the Gabba, forming a crucial 47-run last-wicket partnership with Jasprit Bumrah — the third-highest last-wicket stand for India. Talking about his innings, Akash said, “I was prepared to take body blows but not give away my wicket. I wasn’t thinking about the follow-on; I just wanted to bat as long as possible to ease the pressure on our top order in the second innings.” While India ultimately lost the series 1-3, this moment at the Gabba stood out as a rare highlight in a tough campaign. Akash’s determination, coupled with Kohli’s generosity, left an indelible mark on the series. Interestingly, this was not the first time Kohli had gifted Akash a bat. During the home series against Bangladesh, Kohli had similarly offered him one of his signature bats, a gesture that further illustrated the camaraderie within the Men in Blue team. Akash signed off by saying, “It’s a privilege to share such moments with someone of Virat’s stature, and I’ll always treasure it.” (With inputs from agencies)

Akash Deep opens up on Virat Kohli's kind gesture after Gabba Test, says 'he offered me...'

In a major setback, India pacer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jasprit-bumrah">Jasprit Bumrah</a> has been advised bed rest due to back swelling ahead of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">ICC Champions Trophy 2025</a>. Bumrah had recently left the India vs Australia 5th Test in Sydney mid-way due to 'back cramps.'&nbsp;
"Bumrah could go to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) next week but right now there is no fixed date yet. He has been advised bed rest at home to help the muscles recover and the swelling to subside. Once that is done, future course of action will be ascertained," a report in media outlet Times of India said quoting a source.
Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-women-score-record-total-against-ireland-mandhana-calls-304-runs-win-near-perfect-8624695" rel="dofollow">IND vs IRE Women, 3rd ODI: Smriti Mandhana calls 304-run win 'near perfect' except for...</a>
"Bed rest doesn't sound good. I hope it's not a disc bulge or a muscle swelling which is of a higher grade. The approach has to be similar with him - wrap him in cotton wool and preserve the talent like him," the report added.
<h2>Who Could Replace Bumrah in India's Champions Trophy 2025 Squad</h2>
If Bumrah is unavailable for selection in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-news-india-champions-trophy-squad-do-karun-nair-sanju-samson-jaiswal-nitish-reddy-axar-patel-have-chance-8621652" rel="dofollow">India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad</a>, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may have to look at the fringe options to replace him.&nbsp;
In a relief to BCCI, Mohammed Shami is now fit and may very well end up leading the pace attack in the ICC tournament. Along with him, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who leads India attack in T20Is, can find a place in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad.&nbsp;
For the third pacer, it could be a toss-up between Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana. All three pacers were part of India's tour of Australia where the team lost 1-3 in the five-Test series.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 starts February 19 and the BCCI is expected to make the squad annoucement on January 18-19.
India's Champions Trophy Squad (Probable): Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal/Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Karun Nair/Abhishek Sharma/Suryakumar Yadav/Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy/Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy/Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (subject to fitness)

Bumrah had recently left the India vs Australia 5th Test in Sydney mid-way due to 'back cramps' but looks like his injury is more serious than previously thought. Cricket Sports

In a major setback, India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been advised bed rest due to back swelling ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Bumrah had recently left the India vs Australia 5th Test in Sydney mid-way due to 'back cramps.' "Bumrah could go to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) next week but right now there is no fixed date yet. He has been advised bed rest at home to help the muscles recover and the swelling to subside. Once that is done, future course of action will be ascertained," a report in media outlet Times of India said quoting a source. Also Read - IND vs IRE Women, 3rd ODI: Smriti Mandhana calls 304-run win 'near perfect' except for... "Bed rest doesn't sound good. I hope it's not a disc bulge or a muscle swelling which is of a higher grade. The approach has to be similar with him - wrap him in cotton wool and preserve the talent like him," the report added. Who Could Replace Bumrah in India's Champions Trophy 2025 Squad If Bumrah is unavailable for selection in India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may have to look at the fringe options to replace him. In a relief to BCCI, Mohammed Shami is now fit and may very well end up leading the pace attack in the ICC tournament. Along with him, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who leads India attack in T20Is, can find a place in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad. For the third pacer, it could be a toss-up between Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana. All three pacers were part of India's tour of Australia where the team lost 1-3 in the five-Test series. The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 starts February 19 and the BCCI is expected to make the squad annoucement on January 18-19. India's Champions Trophy Squad (Probable): Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal/Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Karun Nair/Abhishek Sharma/Suryakumar Yadav/Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy/Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy/Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (subject to fitness)

2025 Champions Trophy: Setback for India as pacer Jasprit Bumrah advised 'bed rest'

India women skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/smriti-mandhana" rel="dofollow">Smriti Mandhana</a> called the 3rd ODI win against Ireland women in Rajkot on Wednesday (Jan 15) as 'near perfect.' India women registered a 304-run win - their biggest in the ODIs.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-women-vs-ireland-women-3rd-odi-most-boundaries-conceding-in-an-innings-by-team-8624170">India women scored record total against Ireland</a> - 435/5 - the fourth highest overall in the women ODIs and the highest for India.
"I am really pleased that all the girls got game time. The 100s and the 50s from the batters have been great. Really happy for Jemi, Harleen, Pratika, Richa. And then the bowlers executed what was planned," Mandhana said at the post-match presentation.&nbsp;
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/lachlan-shaw-fielding-video-steve-smith-big-bash-league-sydney-sixers-vs-adelaide-strikers-bbl-8624423" rel="dofollow">BBL, Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers: Lachlan Shaw's acrobatic fielding effort to stop six</a>
"Except for my drop catch, it was a near-perfect game. Winning the toss, going to bat and getting 400+ was great. The way Richa and Pratika batted was great. That the bowlers finished it off in the 31st over, was superb," she added.&nbsp;
<h2>India Women Break Records</h2>
For India Women, openers Mandhana (135 off 80) and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-w-vs-ireland-w-3rd-odi-who-is-pratika-rawal-psychology-student-who-scored-154-in-india-womens-biggest-odi-win-8624499">Pratika Rawal</a> (154) added 233 runs for the first wicket - the third highest opening partnership for India in the women's ODIs and the highest at home.
Mandhana also recorded the fastest ton for India women in ODIs - off 70 balls - taking over Harmanpreet Kaur's record of 87-ball ton.
Rawal, a psychology student, also created history and broke multiple records including scoring third highest individual score for India women in ODI's.
Pratika has scored 444 runs in her first six innings so far - the highest in ODIs for both men and women players. The previous record for most runs in first six ODI innings with Netherlands' Tom Cooper who had scored 392 runs in first six innings.
Skipper Mandhana, however, is looking forward to the Women's ODI World Cup which is scheduled to be held in India later this year.
"As much as we want to enjoy this victory, we want to sit down and be in the loop for the World Cup. We need to work on the fielding and running between the wickets. Fifty overs, 300 balls, these two things will be critical. If we are good in these two departments, we can do something special," she added.

India women scored record total against Ireland - 435/5 - the fourth highest overall in the women ODIs and the highest for India and registered a 304-run win. Sports Cricket

India women skipper Smriti Mandhana called the 3rd ODI win against Ireland women in Rajkot on Wednesday (Jan 15) as 'near perfect.' India women registered a 304-run win - their biggest in the ODIs. India women scored record total against Ireland - 435/5 - the fourth highest overall in the women ODIs and the highest for India. "I am really pleased that all the girls got game time. The 100s and the 50s from the batters have been great. Really happy for Jemi, Harleen, Pratika, Richa. And then the bowlers executed what was planned," Mandhana said at the post-match presentation. Also Watch: BBL, Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers: Lachlan Shaw's acrobatic fielding effort to stop six "Except for my drop catch, it was a near-perfect game. Winning the toss, going to bat and getting 400+ was great. The way Richa and Pratika batted was great. That the bowlers finished it off in the 31st over, was superb," she added. India Women Break Records For India Women, openers Mandhana (135 off 80) and Pratika Rawal (154) added 233 runs for the first wicket - the third highest opening partnership for India in the women's ODIs and the highest at home. Mandhana also recorded the fastest ton for India women in ODIs - off 70 balls - taking over Harmanpreet Kaur's record of 87-ball ton. Rawal, a psychology student, also created history and broke multiple records including scoring third highest individual score for India women in ODI's. Pratika has scored 444 runs in her first six innings so far - the highest in ODIs for both men and women players. The previous record for most runs in first six ODI innings with Netherlands' Tom Cooper who had scored 392 runs in first six innings. Skipper Mandhana, however, is looking forward to the Women's ODI World Cup which is scheduled to be held in India later this year. "As much as we want to enjoy this victory, we want to sit down and be in the loop for the World Cup. We need to work on the fielding and running between the wickets. Fifty overs, 300 balls, these two things will be critical. If we are good in these two departments, we can do something special," she added.

IND vs IRE Women, 3rd ODI: Smriti Mandhana calls 304-run win 'near perfect' except for...

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-womens-cricket" rel="dofollow">India women</a> cricketer Pratika Rawal, a psychology student, created history and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-w-vs-ire-w-smriti-mandhana-rewrites-record-books-with-fastest-odi-ton-by-an-indian-womens-batter-8623456">broke multiple records</a> during the third ODI against Ireland women in Rajkot on Wednesday (Jan 15). Rawal, playing her sixth ODI, went on to score 154 runs - third highest individual score for India women in ODI's.
<h2>Who is Pratika Rawal?</h2>
Rawal, born on September 1, 2000 in Delhi, is daughter of Pradeep Rawal - a BCCI-certified Level-II umpire with Delhi &amp; District Cricket Association (DDCA). She made her debut in the home ODI series against West Indies Women, which was played prior to the Ireland series.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-women-vs-ireland-women-3rd-odi-most-boundaries-conceding-in-an-innings-by-team-8624170" rel="dofollow">India women vs Ireland women, 3rd ODI: Ireland concede more than 50 boundaries for fourth time</a>
Pratika studied at Modern School, Barakhamba Road in New Delhi and had scored 92.5 percent marks in her class X examinations. She then pursued psychology from the city's prestigious Jesus and Mary College of Delhi University.
The same college has other athletes as alumnae like Ankita Bhambri (Indian tennis player), Shagun Choudhary (Olympic shooter) and Sangeeta Mehta (First woman from India to qualify for JUDO at Olympics).
Apart from that, Bollywood actresses Neha Dhupia, Rakul Preet Singh and Ankita Shorey (former Femina Miss India International) also come from the same college as Rawal.
As for her cricketing career, she started with Delhi in the domestic cricket and played for them from 2021- 2024 before switching to Railways where she currently plays.
On her debut, Rawal scored 40 runs in 110-run stand with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/smriti-mandhana" rel="dofollow">Smriti Mandhana</a>. Against Ireland in Rajkot, Rawal added 233 runs for the first wicket with Mandhana (135 off 80 ball) - the third highest opening partnership for India in the women's ODIs and the highest at home.
She has scored 444 runs in her first six innings so far - the highest in ODIs among women players - going past Charlotte Edwards's 434. The record for most runs in first six ODI innings across men and women cricketers is with Janneman Malan (483) - also the only player above Rawal.
India eventually went on to score 435/5 - their highest total in women's ODI and fifth highest overall - surpassing their previous total 370/5 which they had scored during the second ODI of the same series on January 12.
In reply, Ireland women were bowled out for a cheap 131 as India women registered a hefty win of 304 runs - their biggest win in women ODIs.

Pratika Rawal pursued psychology from Jesus & Mary College of Delhi University which has other athletes as alumnae including Ankita Bhambri , Shagun Choudhary, Sangeeta Mehta. Cricket Sports

India women cricketer Pratika Rawal, a psychology student, created history and broke multiple records during the third ODI against Ireland women in Rajkot on Wednesday (Jan 15). Rawal, playing her sixth ODI, went on to score 154 runs - third highest individual score for India women in ODI's. Who is Pratika Rawal? Rawal, born on September 1, 2000 in Delhi, is daughter of Pradeep Rawal - a BCCI-certified Level-II umpire with Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA). She made her debut in the home ODI series against West Indies Women, which was played prior to the Ireland series. Also Read: India women vs Ireland women, 3rd ODI: Ireland concede more than 50 boundaries for fourth time Pratika studied at Modern School, Barakhamba Road in New Delhi and had scored 92.5 percent marks in her class X examinations. She then pursued psychology from the city's prestigious Jesus and Mary College of Delhi University. The same college has other athletes as alumnae like Ankita Bhambri (Indian tennis player), Shagun Choudhary (Olympic shooter) and Sangeeta Mehta (First woman from India to qualify for JUDO at Olympics). Apart from that, Bollywood actresses Neha Dhupia, Rakul Preet Singh and Ankita Shorey (former Femina Miss India International) also come from the same college as Rawal. As for her cricketing career, she started with Delhi in the domestic cricket and played for them from 2021- 2024 before switching to Railways where she currently plays. On her debut, Rawal scored 40 runs in 110-run stand with Smriti Mandhana. Against Ireland in Rajkot, Rawal added 233 runs for the first wicket with Mandhana (135 off 80 ball) - the third highest opening partnership for India in the women's ODIs and the highest at home. She has scored 444 runs in her first six innings so far - the highest in ODIs among women players - going past Charlotte Edwards's 434. The record for most runs in first six ODI innings across men and women cricketers is with Janneman Malan (483) - also the only player above Rawal. India eventually went on to score 435/5 - their highest total in women's ODI and fifth highest overall - surpassing their previous total 370/5 which they had scored during the second ODI of the same series on January 12. In reply, Ireland women were bowled out for a cheap 131 as India women registered a hefty win of 304 runs - their biggest win in women ODIs.

IND-W vs IRE-W, 3rd ODI: Meet Pratika Rawal - psychology student who scored 154 in India Women's biggest ODI win

The ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bbl">Big Bash League</a> (BBL) has seen some of the best catches in cricket history. However, with each passing game, the standards just keep getting high. On Wednesday (Jan 15), Australian fielder, Lachlan Shaw pulled off an arduous effort to deny a six to the opposition.
In the contest between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/adelaide-strikers">Adelaide Strikers</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sydney-sixers">Sydney Sixers</a>, the team from Sydney was bowling first and Lachlan Shaw saved a six on the boundary ropes, and his effort was certainly the best in the history.
The incident took place on the first ball of the 11th over in the Adelaide Strikers' innings. Strikers&rsquo; batter, Alex Ross slog swept a tossed up delivery towards the deep square leg region. Have a look at the video below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Good grief Lachlan Shaw that is an all-time save!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BBL14?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BBL14</a> <a href="https://t.co/cEwVF1TRe3">pic.twitter.com/cEwVF1TRe3</a>
&mdash; KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBL/status/1879458985041854467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The ball connected well and it was destined for a maximum, but fielder, Shaw had other plans. Standing on the edge of the ropes as the ball was heading over his head, he leaped in the air and showed his acrobatic skills to deflect the ball back as he saved a certain six.
The Big Bash League official account on social media X shared the clip of Shaw's fielding effort with the caption, &ldquo;Good grief Lachlan Shaw that is an all-time save!&rdquo;
<h2 class="MsoNormal">Smith to the rescue for Sixers<o:p></o:p></h2>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/steve-smith">Steve Smith</a> racked up a half-century in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2024-25 to help his team Sydney Sixers register win over Adelaide Strikers on Wednesday (Jan 15). Smith made 52 runs off just 31 balls, continuing his superb form.
Chasing a target of 183 runs, Smith opened the innings, providing his side with a much-needed catalyst in their chase. Despite a lack of contributions from his teammates, Smith&rsquo;s brilliance was on full display, as he took control of the game with his explosive batting.

Big Bash League -features thrilling moments, with Lachlan Shaw's fielding and Steve Smith's batting brilliance leading Sydney Sixers to a memorable win. Cricket Sports

The ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) has seen some of the best catches in cricket history. However, with each passing game, the standards just keep getting high. On Wednesday (Jan 15), Australian fielder, Lachlan Shaw pulled off an arduous effort to deny a six to the opposition. In the contest between Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Sixers, the team from Sydney was bowling first and Lachlan Shaw saved a six on the boundary ropes, and his effort was certainly the best in the history. The incident took place on the first ball of the 11th over in the Adelaide Strikers' innings. Strikers’ batter, Alex Ross slog swept a tossed up delivery towards the deep square leg region. Have a look at the video below: Good grief Lachlan Shaw that is an all-time save!#BBL14 pic.twitter.com/cEwVF1TRe3 — KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 15, 2025 The ball connected well and it was destined for a maximum, but fielder, Shaw had other plans. Standing on the edge of the ropes as the ball was heading over his head, he leaped in the air and showed his acrobatic skills to deflect the ball back as he saved a certain six. The Big Bash League official account on social media X shared the clip of Shaw's fielding effort with the caption, “Good grief Lachlan Shaw that is an all-time save!” Smith to the rescue for Sixers Steve Smith racked up a half-century in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2024-25 to help his team Sydney Sixers register win over Adelaide Strikers on Wednesday (Jan 15). Smith made 52 runs off just 31 balls, continuing his superb form. Chasing a target of 183 runs, Smith opened the innings, providing his side with a much-needed catalyst in their chase. Despite a lack of contributions from his teammates, Smith’s brilliance was on full display, as he took control of the game with his explosive batting.

BBL, Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers: Watch | Lachlan Shaw's acrobatic fielding effort to stop six

Ireland Women once again gave away most boundaries in an innings during the third ODI at Rajkot on Wednesday (Jan 15) against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-womens-cricket" rel="dofollow">India Women</a>. Ireland-W gave away 57 boundaries against India-W - the third most in a women's ODI as India went on to score 435/5 - the fourth highest total in women's ODI.
Ireland women feature four times in top five when it comes to giving most boundaries in a women's ODI innings. They had given 71 boundaries against New Zealand Women in 2018 - the most in a women's ODI. It was the first ODI of the three-match series between NZ-W and Ireland-W.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-w-vs-ire-w-smriti-mandhana-rewrites-record-books-with-fastest-odi-ton-by-an-indian-womens-batter-8623456" rel="dofollow">IND-W vs IRE-W ODI: Stellar Smriti and Women in Blue smash records</a>
During the 2nd ODI of the same series, Ireland-W gave away 59 boundaries - the second most in an innings in a women's ODI. And, they gave away 53 boundaries during the third and final ODI of the same series - the fifth most in an innings in a women's ODI.
The only other team apart from Ireland-W in the top five for giving away most boundaries in an innings in women's ODI is South Africa Women - who gave away 56 boundaries in an innings during their ODI against England Women in 2017.
<h2>India-W rewrite record books in 3rd ODI vs Ireland-W</h2>
India-W's score of 435/5 is their highest in the women's ODI - surpassing their previous total 370/5 which they had scored during the second ODI of the same series on January 12.
For India Women, openers <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/smriti-mandhana" rel="dofollow">Smriti Mandhana</a> (135 off 80) and Pratika Rawal (154) added 233 runs for the first wicket - the third highest opening partnership for India in the women's ODIs and the highest at home.
Mandhana also recorded the fastest ton for India women in ODIs - off 70 balls - taking over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/harmanpreet-kaur" rel="dofollow">Harmanpreet Kaur</a>'s record of 87-ball ton.
India-W went on to win the match by 304 runs after bowling out Ireland-W for 131 only.

Ireland women feature four times in top five for away giving most boundaries in a women's ODI - the recent being 57 boundaries during Jan 15 ODI vs India women. Cricket Sports

Ireland Women once again gave away most boundaries in an innings during the third ODI at Rajkot on Wednesday (Jan 15) against India Women. Ireland-W gave away 57 boundaries against India-W - the third most in a women's ODI as India went on to score 435/5 - the fourth highest total in women's ODI. Ireland women feature four times in top five when it comes to giving most boundaries in a women's ODI innings. They had given 71 boundaries against New Zealand Women in 2018 - the most in a women's ODI. It was the first ODI of the three-match series between NZ-W and Ireland-W. Also Read: IND-W vs IRE-W ODI: Stellar Smriti and Women in Blue smash records During the 2nd ODI of the same series, Ireland-W gave away 59 boundaries - the second most in an innings in a women's ODI. And, they gave away 53 boundaries during the third and final ODI of the same series - the fifth most in an innings in a women's ODI. The only other team apart from Ireland-W in the top five for giving away most boundaries in an innings in women's ODI is South Africa Women - who gave away 56 boundaries in an innings during their ODI against England Women in 2017. India-W rewrite record books in 3rd ODI vs Ireland-W India-W's score of 435/5 is their highest in the women's ODI - surpassing their previous total 370/5 which they had scored during the second ODI of the same series on January 12. For India Women, openers Smriti Mandhana (135 off 80) and Pratika Rawal (154) added 233 runs for the first wicket - the third highest opening partnership for India in the women's ODIs and the highest at home. Mandhana also recorded the fastest ton for India women in ODIs - off 70 balls - taking over Harmanpreet Kaur's record of 87-ball ton. India-W went on to win the match by 304 runs after bowling out Ireland-W for 131 only.

India women vs Ireland women, 3rd ODI: Ireland concede more than 50 boundaries for fourth time

India coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gautam-gambhir" rel="dofollow">Gautam Gambhir</a>'s position could be in trouble if India doesn't perform well at the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy" rel="dofollow">Champions Trophy 2025</a>. The news comes after India's consecutive Test series loss - 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand followed by 1-3 against Australia Down Under.
<h2>Gambhir's Job in Danger?</h2>
"If India doesn't do well in the Champions Trophy, the head coach's position could become untenable. Yes, his contract runs till the 2027 World Cup but the process of evaluation continues. Sport is result-oriented and till now, Gambhir hasn't given any tangible results," said a senior BCCI source, on the condition of anonymity, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-news-india-champions-trophy-squad-do-karun-nair-sanju-samson-jaiswal-nitish-reddy-axar-patel-have-chance-8621652" rel="dofollow">2025 Champions Trophy: India's probable squad for tournament</a>
Gambhir took charge of Indian cricket following Rahul Dravid's resignation from the post after India's T20 World Cup win in June 2024. Under Gambhir, India also lost an ODI series in Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years before losing the two Test series.
There's also a report of rift between the players and coach, as Gambhir wants to end the superstar culture in the team, which has been going on for years now.
"Gambhir wants to end the superstar culture that has been prevalent for so many years now. As captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012, he had dropped Brendon McCullum from the playing XI for the IPL final against CSK.
"He has come here to dismantle the superstar culture and that's what has caused discomfort for some playing members," PTI reported quoting a source who has been watching Gambhir's style of working closely.
The Board on Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is dealing with a lot, including the failures. India's two most senior batters, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, whose form is one of those issues.
Both the batters are facing questions over their future after their lackluster performance on the Australia tour. In addition, the board is also looking to announce their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-news-india-champions-trophy-squad-do-karun-nair-sanju-samson-jaiswal-nitish-reddy-axar-patel-have-chance-8621652" rel="dofollow">squad for the Champions Trophy</a> 2025, keeping the future of Indian cricket in mind.
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Gambhir took charge post Dravid's resignation after India's T20 World Cup win in June 2024. Under him, India lost ODI series in SL before losing the two Test series. Cricket Sports

India coach Gautam Gambhir's position could be in trouble if India doesn't perform well at the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. The news comes after India's consecutive Test series loss - 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand followed by 1-3 against Australia Down Under. Gambhir's Job in Danger? "If India doesn't do well in the Champions Trophy, the head coach's position could become untenable. Yes, his contract runs till the 2027 World Cup but the process of evaluation continues. Sport is result-oriented and till now, Gambhir hasn't given any tangible results," said a senior BCCI source, on the condition of anonymity, as quoted by news agency PTI. Also Read: 2025 Champions Trophy: India's probable squad for tournament Gambhir took charge of Indian cricket following Rahul Dravid's resignation from the post after India's T20 World Cup win in June 2024. Under Gambhir, India also lost an ODI series in Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years before losing the two Test series. There's also a report of rift between the players and coach, as Gambhir wants to end the superstar culture in the team, which has been going on for years now. "Gambhir wants to end the superstar culture that has been prevalent for so many years now. As captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012, he had dropped Brendon McCullum from the playing XI for the IPL final against CSK. "He has come here to dismantle the superstar culture and that's what has caused discomfort for some playing members," PTI reported quoting a source who has been watching Gambhir's style of working closely. The Board on Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is dealing with a lot, including the failures. India's two most senior batters, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, whose form is one of those issues. Both the batters are facing questions over their future after their lackluster performance on the Australia tour. In addition, the board is also looking to announce their squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, keeping the future of Indian cricket in mind.

India coach Gautam Gambhir's job in danger? 2025 Champions Trophy result may decide his fate

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a> squad with the ICC tournament just over a month away. The board is expectedly waiting for the domestic 50-over tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) to get over to select the best team possible.&nbsp;
The VHT final is set to be played on January 18 - the same date <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci">BCCI</a> is expected to announce the squad for ODI leg of England's tour of India and the same set of players will reportedly play the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy.&nbsp;
<h2>Which players should be in India's Champions Trophy squad?</h2>
Despite skipper Rohit Sharma's poor run of form in recent times, he is all but certain to not only play but lead the India squad. Rohit's credentials in the 50-over cricket are unparalleled. He is the only player, along with Virat Kohli, to have 10,000+ ODI runs among the active players in world cricket.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-practice-with-mumbai-ranji-trophy-team-will-virat-kohli-play-for-delhi-8621430" rel="dofollow">As Rohit Sharma practices with Mumbai Ranji Trophy team, will Delhi see a Virat show?</a>
Shubman Gill should open with him, with Kohli set to play at number three. While India have the option of selecting Yashasvi Jaiswal as the back-up opener, Sanju Samson's recent form for India in the T20Is makes him a good option as well. Additionally, Samson also offers his expertise as a wicketkeeper.
In the middle order, Shreyas Iyer's experience is a big plus for his selection along with KL Rahul, who could be India's designated wicketkeeper as he was in the ODI World Cup 2023. For the backups, the board can cash in on the rich form of Karun Nair, who is <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/vijay-hazare-trophy-matches-scores-karun-nair-news-five-hundred-in-7-matches-vidarbha-beat-rajasthan-haryana-beat-gujarat-8613205">averaging 664 in the ongoing VHT</a>.
Punjab's Abhishek Sharma could also find himself in contention based on his performance for India in T20Is and ongoing VHT, where he has 467 runs in eight matches. India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who played in ODI WC 2023, could be a wildcard as well.
For all-rounders, Hardik Pandya is a lock with a toss up between Nitish Reddy and Shivam Dube for the second medium-pacer all-rounder spot. While Reddy has proved his worth in Test cricket during the series against Australia Down Under, Dube's experience and participation in India's T20 World Cup 2024 win could help his case.
Among the spin all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are the options. Jadeja is the most experienced one, while Axar has been around the team for a long time now, but both of these players offer the same skill set&mdash;left-arm orthodox spin.
The board, however, might end up going with Jadeja for experience and Sundar for variety. For the specialist spinner, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav could be vying for a single spot.
Among the pacers, Arshdeep Singh could very well be making the cut along with Mohammed Shami, who has been selected for England T20Is, and Jasprit Bumrah.
India's Champions Trophy Squad: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal/Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Karun Nair/Abhishek Sharma/Suryakumar Yadav/Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy/Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy/Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (subject to fitness)

BCCI is expected to announce squad for ODI leg of England's tour of India on January 18 and the same set of players will reportedly play the 2025 Champions Trophy. Cricket Sports

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce India's Champions Trophy squad with the ICC tournament just over a month away. The board is expectedly waiting for the domestic 50-over tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) to get over to select the best team possible. The VHT final is set to be played on January 18 - the same date BCCI is expected to announce the squad for ODI leg of England's tour of India and the same set of players will reportedly play the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. Which players should be in India's Champions Trophy squad? Despite skipper Rohit Sharma's poor run of form in recent times, he is all but certain to not only play but lead the India squad. Rohit's credentials in the 50-over cricket are unparalleled. He is the only player, along with Virat Kohli, to have 10,000+ ODI runs among the active players in world cricket. Also Read: As Rohit Sharma practices with Mumbai Ranji Trophy team, will Delhi see a Virat show? Shubman Gill should open with him, with Kohli set to play at number three. While India have the option of selecting Yashasvi Jaiswal as the back-up opener, Sanju Samson's recent form for India in the T20Is makes him a good option as well. Additionally, Samson also offers his expertise as a wicketkeeper. In the middle order, Shreyas Iyer's experience is a big plus for his selection along with KL Rahul, who could be India's designated wicketkeeper as he was in the ODI World Cup 2023. For the backups, the board can cash in on the rich form of Karun Nair, who is averaging 664 in the ongoing VHT. Punjab's Abhishek Sharma could also find himself in contention based on his performance for India in T20Is and ongoing VHT, where he has 467 runs in eight matches. India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who played in ODI WC 2023, could be a wildcard as well. For all-rounders, Hardik Pandya is a lock with a toss up between Nitish Reddy and Shivam Dube for the second medium-pacer all-rounder spot. While Reddy has proved his worth in Test cricket during the series against Australia Down Under, Dube's experience and participation in India's T20 World Cup 2024 win could help his case. Among the spin all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are the options. Jadeja is the most experienced one, while Axar has been around the team for a long time now, but both of these players offer the same skill set—left-arm orthodox spin. The board, however, might end up going with Jadeja for experience and Sundar for variety. For the specialist spinner, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav could be vying for a single spot. Among the pacers, Arshdeep Singh could very well be making the cut along with Mohammed Shami, who has been selected for England T20Is, and Jasprit Bumrah. India's Champions Trophy Squad: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal/Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Karun Nair/Abhishek Sharma/Suryakumar Yadav/Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy/Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel/Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy/Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah (subject to fitness)

2025 Champions Trophy: India's probable squad for tournament

The last Test season has been nothing but a forgetful one for the Men in Blue. The Indian cricket team suffered a whitewash at home against New Zealand, followed by a 3-1 series loss in Australia.
India&rsquo;s batting concerns were at the forefront, with senior players like <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>, Rohit Sharma not performing well and many questioning if they still have fuel left in the tank.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/no-wags-travelling-together-in-team-bus-among-several-updates-in-bccis-new-mandate-8621027" rel="dofollow">No WAGs, travelling together among several updates in BCCI&rsquo;s mandate</a>
The duo&rsquo;s poor form has sparked a debate about whether they should return to domestic cricket to regain their touch. Several former cricketers, including Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan, have openly discussed the importance of playing domestic cricket when there&rsquo;s no international cricket.
<h2>Will Kohli show up for Delhi?</h2>
While <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> was seen attending Mumbai&rsquo;s training camp at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday (Jan 14), Shubman Gill has reportedly made himself available for Punjab&rsquo;s sixth-round <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> (India's premier domestic tournament) match against Karnataka. He last played in the Ranji Trophy in 2022, when he played against Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals.
&ldquo;We have not received any sort of official communication from Virat Kohli on his availability for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season,&rdquo; a DDCA official told WION.
This comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed the players missing the domestic matches during the home season to give a valid reason, which will be reviewed by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) or their respective state association.
Interestingly, Kohli&rsquo;s last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was back in November 2012, for Delhi against Uttar Pradesh, where he scored 14 runs in the first innings and 43 runs in the second. Meanwhile, Rohit&rsquo;s last Ranji Trophy appearance for Mumbai was during the 2015/16 season against Uttar Pradesh. He played a brilliant knock of 113 runs off 140 balls.

Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli's poor form has sparked a debate whether they should return to domestic cricket to regain their touch with many former players backing the thought. cricket sports

The last Test season has been nothing but a forgetful one for the Men in Blue. The Indian cricket team suffered a whitewash at home against New Zealand, followed by a 3-1 series loss in Australia. India’s batting concerns were at the forefront, with senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma not performing well and many questioning if they still have fuel left in the tank. Also Read: No WAGs, travelling together among several updates in BCCI’s mandate The duo’s poor form has sparked a debate about whether they should return to domestic cricket to regain their touch. Several former cricketers, including Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan, have openly discussed the importance of playing domestic cricket when there’s no international cricket. Will Kohli show up for Delhi? While Rohit Sharma was seen attending Mumbai’s training camp at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday (Jan 14), Shubman Gill has reportedly made himself available for Punjab’s sixth-round Ranji Trophy (India's premier domestic tournament) match against Karnataka. He last played in the Ranji Trophy in 2022, when he played against Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals. “We have not received any sort of official communication from Virat Kohli on his availability for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season,” a DDCA official told WION. This comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed the players missing the domestic matches during the home season to give a valid reason, which will be reviewed by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) or their respective state association. Interestingly, Kohli’s last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was back in November 2012, for Delhi against Uttar Pradesh, where he scored 14 runs in the first innings and 43 runs in the second. Meanwhile, Rohit’s last Ranji Trophy appearance for Mumbai was during the 2015/16 season against Uttar Pradesh. He played a brilliant knock of 113 runs off 140 balls.

As Rohit Sharma practices with Mumbai Ranji Trophy team, will Delhi see a Virat show?

The Indian Cricket Board has barred wives and family members of cricket players from accompanying them for not more than 14 days on a 45-day long tour, alongside making it compulsory for all team members to travel together in the team bus. Per the latest report, the board issued these mandates to ensure better connectivity among players, leading to improved team performance.
Per a report in Dainik Jagran, the board reintroduced an old rule, scrapped during the Covid period, banning players from staying with their families on the away tours, which impacts their performances. Even during the recently concluded Australian tour Down Under, wives and family members of several cricketers were there with them during the five-match series.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/no-ipl-contract-no-problem-as-james-anderson-42-set-for-t20-return-in-new-lancashire-deal-8620728" rel="dofollow">No IPL contract? No problem as James Anderson, 42, set for T20 return</a>
Though the new rules bars WAGs and family members from staying beyond a fortnight, on the shorter tours, the duration is reduced to seven days.
Moreover, the board is aware of several players opting to travel separately rather than doing it together with the team.
"Keeping in view the team unity, now all the players will travel by the team bus only. No matter how big a player is, he will not be allowed to travel separately," read the report.
<h2>BCCI bans Gambhir&rsquo;s manager</h2>
Until now, never before in Indian cricket did a coach&rsquo;s manager travel along with the side, stay in the same hotel, and even have access to VIP box in stadiums, but Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir&rsquo;s manager, Gaurav Arora, was doing all of this.
The Indian Cricket Board was made aware of the situation and acted swiftly, banning Arora from being part of it.
<h2>England series, Champions Trophy next</h2>
Team India failed to qualify for the WTC Final 2025 following losing the away BGT Down Under for the first time in ten years.
Despite winning the first Test in Perth, India conceded the lead, going down (1-3), and with that, lost the chance to make it to their third straight WTC Final.
However, with England&rsquo;s white-ball series and the Champions Trophy coming up, the Men in Blue are in line to put the past miseries behind them and go for the glory.
India will take on England in five T20Is and three ODIs starting January 22 in Kolkata and begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Though the new rules bar WAGs and family members from staying beyond a fortnight, on the shorter tours, the duration is reduced to seven days.


The Indian Cricket Board has barred wives and family members of cricket players from accompanying them for not more than 14 days on a 45-day long tour, alongside making it compulsory for all team members to travel together in the team bus. Per the latest report, the board issued these mandates to ensure better connectivity among players, leading to improved team performance. Per a report in Dainik Jagran, the board reintroduced an old rule, scrapped during the Covid period, banning players from staying with their families on the away tours, which impacts their performances. Even during the recently concluded Australian tour Down Under, wives and family members of several cricketers were there with them during the five-match series. Also read | No IPL contract? No problem as James Anderson, 42, set for T20 return Though the new rules bars WAGs and family members from staying beyond a fortnight, on the shorter tours, the duration is reduced to seven days. Moreover, the board is aware of several players opting to travel separately rather than doing it together with the team. "Keeping in view the team unity, now all the players will travel by the team bus only. No matter how big a player is, he will not be allowed to travel separately," read the report. BCCI bans Gambhir’s manager Until now, never before in Indian cricket did a coach’s manager travel along with the side, stay in the same hotel, and even have access to VIP box in stadiums, but Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s manager, Gaurav Arora, was doing all of this. The Indian Cricket Board was made aware of the situation and acted swiftly, banning Arora from being part of it. England series, Champions Trophy next Team India failed to qualify for the WTC Final 2025 following losing the away BGT Down Under for the first time in ten years. Despite winning the first Test in Perth, India conceded the lead, going down (1-3), and with that, lost the chance to make it to their third straight WTC Final. However, with England’s white-ball series and the Champions Trophy coming up, the Men in Blue are in line to put the past miseries behind them and go for the glory. India will take on England in five T20Is and three ODIs starting January 22 in Kolkata and begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai. (With inputs from agencies)

No WAGs, travelling together among several updates in BCCI’s mandate

James Anderson, 42, signed a new one-year contract extension with Lancashire, making him eligible for a T20 return after over a decade. Having not played competitive cricket since his international retirement in July last year, Anderson opted to register for the IPL auction in December, going unsold. He, however, with Lancashire deal, will play in the County Championship and T20 Blast.
Anderson joined England&rsquo;s backroom staff for the remainder of home summer before the ECB extended his contract until the conclusion of the Pakistan tour.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/players-to-be-held-accountable-for-poor-performances-under-bccis-new-incentive-initiative-8620050" rel="dofollow">Players to be held accountable under BCCI&rsquo;s new incentive initiative</a>
"I am incredibly excited to sign this contract with Lancashire and resume playing professional cricket again next season. This club has played a huge part in my life since I was a teenager, so to have the opportunity to wear the Red Rose again and help the side in both red and white ball cricket is one that I am really looking forward to,&rdquo; Anderson said.&nbsp;
"I have been working hard on keeping my fitness levels high and continuing to bowl regularly during my time as a coach with England throughout the winter, with the aim of being able to hit the ground running when the county season starts in April.
"I love playing at Emirates Old Trafford and to have the chance to walk out and bowl in front of our Members and supporters again this summer is going to be really special,&rdquo; he continued.
Anderson made his Lancashire debut 24 years ago in 2001. Last year, he made just one County appearance and returned with 8 for 64 against Nottinghamshire at Southport.
<h2>'Fanastic to return'</h2>
Mark Chilton, Lancashire&rsquo;s director of cricket performance, said he spoke with James about his potential return to the club and that with him agreeing to extend his contract, the club feels great about having their oldest-serving cricketer back to where he belonged.
"We have been in open dialogue with Jimmy since his international retirement, and our position has been clear from the start. It is fantastic news for all connected with the club that he has chosen to continue his playing career with Lancashire.
"From speaking to Jimmy recently, it became clear that his desire to resume playing professional cricket was strengthening every day, and he was just desperate to get back out on the park. As it stands, he is fully committed to the county season across both the County Championship and Vitality Blast this summer, and whilst we all recognise, he will have other opportunities, he has made it clear playing is his first priority,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Anderson is currently in Abu Dhabi with England&rsquo;s white-ball squad ahead of their India tour and recently admitted (on Tailenders podcast) to be part of their backroom staff for the first showpiece event of the year &ndash; the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and the UAE next month.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, cricket: Anderson joined England’s backroom staff for the remainder of home summer before the ECB extended his contract until the conclusion of the Pakistan tour. 

James Anderson, 42, signed a new one-year contract extension with Lancashire, making him eligible for a T20 return after over a decade. Having not played competitive cricket since his international retirement in July last year, Anderson opted to register for the IPL auction in December, going unsold. He, however, with Lancashire deal, will play in the County Championship and T20 Blast. Anderson joined England’s backroom staff for the remainder of home summer before the ECB extended his contract until the conclusion of the Pakistan tour. Also read | Players to be held accountable under BCCI’s new incentive initiative "I am incredibly excited to sign this contract with Lancashire and resume playing professional cricket again next season. This club has played a huge part in my life since I was a teenager, so to have the opportunity to wear the Red Rose again and help the side in both red and white ball cricket is one that I am really looking forward to,” Anderson said. "I have been working hard on keeping my fitness levels high and continuing to bowl regularly during my time as a coach with England throughout the winter, with the aim of being able to hit the ground running when the county season starts in April. "I love playing at Emirates Old Trafford and to have the chance to walk out and bowl in front of our Members and supporters again this summer is going to be really special,” he continued. Anderson made his Lancashire debut 24 years ago in 2001. Last year, he made just one County appearance and returned with 8 for 64 against Nottinghamshire at Southport. 'Fanastic to return' Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, said he spoke with James about his potential return to the club and that with him agreeing to extend his contract, the club feels great about having their oldest-serving cricketer back to where he belonged. "We have been in open dialogue with Jimmy since his international retirement, and our position has been clear from the start. It is fantastic news for all connected with the club that he has chosen to continue his playing career with Lancashire. "From speaking to Jimmy recently, it became clear that his desire to resume playing professional cricket was strengthening every day, and he was just desperate to get back out on the park. As it stands, he is fully committed to the county season across both the County Championship and Vitality Blast this summer, and whilst we all recognise, he will have other opportunities, he has made it clear playing is his first priority,” he continued. Meanwhile, Anderson is currently in Abu Dhabi with England’s white-ball squad ahead of their India tour and recently admitted (on Tailenders podcast) to be part of their backroom staff for the first showpiece event of the year – the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and the UAE next month. (With inputs from agencies)

No IPL contract? No problem as James Anderson, 42, set for T20 return

The Indian Cricket Board wants its players to be held accountable for their poor outings during a series, for which they (the BCCI) have discussed launching a new performance-based variable pay, which will see players receiving a pay cut should they fail to deliver.
Per the latest reports, this idea was floated during the recently concluded BCCI review meeting in Mumbai attended by Ajit Agarkar (the chief selector), Rohit Sharma (Test captain), Gautam Gambhir (the head coach) and the board members.
Per an Indian Express report, this new pay structure is based on a corporate-style appraisal system, resulting in rewarding and punishing all based on their performances during a series.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was one of the suggestions given that players should be held accountable and if their performance is deemed not fit as per expectations, they should face variable pay-cuts,&rdquo; a source close to the information was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
<h2>&lsquo;Players lacking intent&rsquo;</h2>
Besides discussing ways to hold the players more accountable for their bad performances, there was a discussion on certain players&rsquo; intent towards playing Test cricket, something the board refuses to compromise on. Per the report, the board members discussed this idea to ensure the upcoming generation of cricketers must value Tests.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-test-captain-rohit-sharma-to-feature-for-mumbai-in-ranji-trophy-second-leg-report-8619848" rel="dofollow">Rohit Sharma likely to play Ranji Trophy second leg opener for Mumbai</a>
&ldquo;There was discussion whether the current players were a bit indifferent when India loses a Test match. The team management understands the value of Test cricket, but many players don&rsquo;t give too much importance to it,&rdquo; the source added.
All these discussions were held in the wake of India&rsquo;s lowest point in Test cricket in over a decade, where they lost six out of the last eight Test matches at home and away. While New Zealand whitewashed India across three matches in India (for the first time), the touring Indian Team surrendered the coveted BGT Down Under by losing 1-3 to Australia.
<h3>&lsquo;Incentives&rsquo;</h3>
Early last year, the Indian board brought in an incentive-based system to lure in more players to feature in red-ball cricket amid a surge in inclination towards the shortest format with the growing culture of franchise-based T20 Leagues.&nbsp;
Per the BCCI incentive system, if a player features in more than 50 per cent of the scheduled Test matches in a season starting 2022/23, he would receive an incentive of INR 30 lakhs up and above the match salary, which further increases to INR 45 lakhs should the percentage rise to 75.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, cricket: This new pay structure is based on a corporate-style appraisal system, resulting in rewarding and punishing all based on their performances during a series.

The Indian Cricket Board wants its players to be held accountable for their poor outings during a series, for which they (the BCCI) have discussed launching a new performance-based variable pay, which will see players receiving a pay cut should they fail to deliver. Per the latest reports, this idea was floated during the recently concluded BCCI review meeting in Mumbai attended by Ajit Agarkar (the chief selector), Rohit Sharma (Test captain), Gautam Gambhir (the head coach) and the board members. Per an Indian Express report, this new pay structure is based on a corporate-style appraisal system, resulting in rewarding and punishing all based on their performances during a series. “It was one of the suggestions given that players should be held accountable and if their performance is deemed not fit as per expectations, they should face variable pay-cuts,” a source close to the information was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. ‘Players lacking intent’ Besides discussing ways to hold the players more accountable for their bad performances, there was a discussion on certain players’ intent towards playing Test cricket, something the board refuses to compromise on. Per the report, the board members discussed this idea to ensure the upcoming generation of cricketers must value Tests. Also read | Rohit Sharma likely to play Ranji Trophy second leg opener for Mumbai “There was discussion whether the current players were a bit indifferent when India loses a Test match. The team management understands the value of Test cricket, but many players don’t give too much importance to it,” the source added. All these discussions were held in the wake of India’s lowest point in Test cricket in over a decade, where they lost six out of the last eight Test matches at home and away. While New Zealand whitewashed India across three matches in India (for the first time), the touring Indian Team surrendered the coveted BGT Down Under by losing 1-3 to Australia. ‘Incentives’ Early last year, the Indian board brought in an incentive-based system to lure in more players to feature in red-ball cricket amid a surge in inclination towards the shortest format with the growing culture of franchise-based T20 Leagues. Per the BCCI incentive system, if a player features in more than 50 per cent of the scheduled Test matches in a season starting 2022/23, he would receive an incentive of INR 30 lakhs up and above the match salary, which further increases to INR 45 lakhs should the percentage rise to 75. (With inputs from agencies)

Players to be held accountable under BCCI’s new incentive initiative

The Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma is back to the drawing board after a horrid show Down Under. The veteran batter will train with Mumbai&rsquo;s Ranji Trophy team from Tuesday onwards, per the latest reports.
Following BCCI&rsquo;s informal advisory to all centrally contracted players to play Ranji Trophy unless injured or on national duty, Rohit returns to train with his state team ahead of their match against Jammu and Kashmir (on January 23) in Mumbai.
The sources close to the information have admitted that four national players &ndash; Rohit, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur will train with the Mumbai Ranji Team at the Wankhede on Tuesday, and later at the BKC on Wednesday and Thursday. This will lead to Rohit playing his first Ranji Trophy game in the longest time.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/shreyas-iyer-punjab-kings-first-indian-player-to-lead-three-ipl-teams-8618414" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer creates unique record as Punjab Kings captain</a>
&ldquo;Rohit, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (who was recently named as the Punjab Kings captain) and Shardul Thakur will train with the Mumbai team at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday and then at the BKC on Wednesday and Thursday. Rohit has told the MCA that he will come for practice. At the moment, there are all indications that he&rsquo;s keen to play the match versus J&amp;K," a source said in a chat with the Times of India (TOI).&nbsp;
<h2>Blow to Mumbai as duo ruled out of second-leg opener</h2>
Star players for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy setup, batter Sarfaraz Khan and seamer Tushar Deshpande are both ruled out of the&nbsp;J&amp;K game at home with respective injuries.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/robin-uthappa-says-virat-kohli-didnt-like-ambati-rayudu-cut-him-from-indias-2019-odi-world-cup-team-8618519" rel="dofollow">Robin Uthappa says Virat Kohli 'didn't like' Ambati Rayudu, cut him from India's 2019 ODI World Cup team</a>
While Sarfaraz, picked for the tour Down Under (and didn&rsquo;t get to play any match) suffered a hairline fracture in his ribs, Deshpande continues to recover from the ankle injury, for which he underwent surgery on September 30 last year.
"He (Sarfaraz) suffered the injury while fielding during practice just a couple of days before the Indian team left Australia. After coming back to India, a scan showed that he had sustained a minor rib fracture, and he was advised a three-week complete rest by the doctor.&nbsp;
&ldquo;He is unlikely to play for Mumbai in their Ranji match against J&amp;K. In fact, he could miss the entire league stage of the tournament and be only fit by the knockouts," the source added.
<h3>What&rsquo;s next for Rohit?</h3>
Should Rohit play for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy, he will get some needed batting practice ahead of the three-match England ODIs and the first showpiece event of the year &ndash; the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled for the February-March window in Pakistan and the UAE.&nbsp;
Though the BCCI named a potent 15-man squad for five England T20Is starting January 22 in Kolkata, they are yet to announce the ODI teams for the two upcoming series.&nbsp;
Rohit will continue to lead India in the One-Day format.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, cricket: Four national players will train with the Mumbai Ranji Team at Wankhede and BKC three days straight ahead of the J&K game (on January 23) in Mumbai.

The Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma is back to the drawing board after a horrid show Down Under. The veteran batter will train with Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team from Tuesday onwards, per the latest reports. Following BCCI’s informal advisory to all centrally contracted players to play Ranji Trophy unless injured or on national duty, Rohit returns to train with his state team ahead of their match against Jammu and Kashmir (on January 23) in Mumbai. The sources close to the information have admitted that four national players – Rohit, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur will train with the Mumbai Ranji Team at the Wankhede on Tuesday, and later at the BKC on Wednesday and Thursday. This will lead to Rohit playing his first Ranji Trophy game in the longest time. Also read | IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer creates unique record as Punjab Kings captain “Rohit, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer (who was recently named as the Punjab Kings captain) and Shardul Thakur will train with the Mumbai team at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday and then at the BKC on Wednesday and Thursday. Rohit has told the MCA that he will come for practice. At the moment, there are all indications that he’s keen to play the match versus J&K," a source said in a chat with the Times of India (TOI). Blow to Mumbai as duo ruled out of second-leg opener Star players for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy setup, batter Sarfaraz Khan and seamer Tushar Deshpande are both ruled out of the J&K game at home with respective injuries. Also read | Robin Uthappa says Virat Kohli 'didn't like' Ambati Rayudu, cut him from India's 2019 ODI World Cup team While Sarfaraz, picked for the tour Down Under (and didn’t get to play any match) suffered a hairline fracture in his ribs, Deshpande continues to recover from the ankle injury, for which he underwent surgery on September 30 last year. "He (Sarfaraz) suffered the injury while fielding during practice just a couple of days before the Indian team left Australia. After coming back to India, a scan showed that he had sustained a minor rib fracture, and he was advised a three-week complete rest by the doctor. “He is unlikely to play for Mumbai in their Ranji match against J&K. In fact, he could miss the entire league stage of the tournament and be only fit by the knockouts," the source added. What’s next for Rohit? Should Rohit play for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy, he will get some needed batting practice ahead of the three-match England ODIs and the first showpiece event of the year – the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled for the February-March window in Pakistan and the UAE. Though the BCCI named a potent 15-man squad for five England T20Is starting January 22 in Kolkata, they are yet to announce the ODI teams for the two upcoming series. Rohit will continue to lead India in the One-Day format. (With inputs from agencies)

Rohit Sharma likely to play Ranji Trophy second leg opener for Mumbai

Former Australia player <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/david-warner">David Warner</a> took a screaming catch in Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bbl">Big Bash League (BBL) T20</a> match on Monday (Jan 13). Warner-led Thunder now sit atop the points table with 11 points from five wins, three losses and one no result from nine games.
The catch happened in the 14th over when Scorchers' Ashton Agar tried to smack a ball from Mohammad Hasnain over mid-off area. The ball, however, lobbed up and didn't travel too far but Warner ran behind to take a diving blinder of a catch. Have a look at the video below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
😱 <a href="https://twitter.com/davidwarner31?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@davidwarner31</a> 😱 That's a screamer from the Thunder skipper! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BBL14?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BBL14</a> <a href="https://t.co/tOQQYnY1qt">pic.twitter.com/tOQQYnY1qt</a>
&mdash; KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBL/status/1878763987531121032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Thunder scorch Perth to go top</h2>
Perth Scorchers won the toss and elected to field in Sydney and rattled Thunder early on with quick wickets. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sydney-thunder">Sydney Thunder</a> kept losing wickets with Sam Konstas, who scored a brilliant 53 off 42 balls, staying put at one end. Thunder were in soup at 101/6 with almost four overs to go and Konstas back in the dugout.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/robin-uthappa-says-virat-kohli-didnt-like-ambati-rayudu-cut-him-from-indias-2019-odi-world-cup-team-8618519" rel="dofollow">Robin Uthappa says Virat Kohli 'didn't like' Ambati Rayudu, cut him from India's 2019 ODI World Cup team</a>
Chris Green (20 not out off 16) and Tom Andrews (unbeaten 37 off 13), however, took Thunder past 150 as Sydney finished with the score of 158/7 in 20 overs.
Chasing a modest total, Perth could never get going and had lost half the side for 48 runs by the time powerplay was done. Aaron Hardie top scored for them with 22 off 17 balls, while Jason Behrendorff scored 17 not out off 11 balls.
Scorchers were eventually bowled out for 97 runs as Sydney Thunder registered a sound win by 61 runs. For Thunder, spinner Green took 3/13 in four overs, while Nathan McAndrew took 2/21. Apart from them, Hasnain, Tanveer Sangha, and Andrews took one wicket apiece.
Perth Scorchers are now last on the eight-team points table with just six points from three wins and six losses in nine matches.

David Warner took a stunning catch during Sydney Thunder Perth Scorchers Big Bash League (BBL) match on Monday (Jan 13) as Thunder beat Scorchers. Sports Cricket

Former Australia player David Warner took a screaming catch in Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers Big Bash League (BBL) T20 match on Monday (Jan 13). Warner-led Thunder now sit atop the points table with 11 points from five wins, three losses and one no result from nine games. The catch happened in the 14th over when Scorchers' Ashton Agar tried to smack a ball from Mohammad Hasnain over mid-off area. The ball, however, lobbed up and didn't travel too far but Warner ran behind to take a diving blinder of a catch. Have a look at the video below: 😱 @davidwarner31 😱 That's a screamer from the Thunder skipper! #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/tOQQYnY1qt — KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 13, 2025 Thunder scorch Perth to go top Perth Scorchers won the toss and elected to field in Sydney and rattled Thunder early on with quick wickets. Sydney Thunder kept losing wickets with Sam Konstas, who scored a brilliant 53 off 42 balls, staying put at one end. Thunder were in soup at 101/6 with almost four overs to go and Konstas back in the dugout. Also Read: Robin Uthappa says Virat Kohli 'didn't like' Ambati Rayudu, cut him from India's 2019 ODI World Cup team Chris Green (20 not out off 16) and Tom Andrews (unbeaten 37 off 13), however, took Thunder past 150 as Sydney finished with the score of 158/7 in 20 overs. Chasing a modest total, Perth could never get going and had lost half the side for 48 runs by the time powerplay was done. Aaron Hardie top scored for them with 22 off 17 balls, while Jason Behrendorff scored 17 not out off 11 balls. Scorchers were eventually bowled out for 97 runs as Sydney Thunder registered a sound win by 61 runs. For Thunder, spinner Green took 3/13 in four overs, while Nathan McAndrew took 2/21. Apart from them, Hasnain, Tanveer Sangha, and Andrews took one wicket apiece. Perth Scorchers are now last on the eight-team points table with just six points from three wins and six losses in nine matches.

BBL, Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers: WATCH | David Warner takes STUNNING catch

Former India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/robin-uthappa">Robin Uthappa</a> has revealed that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ambati-rayudu" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ambati Rayudu</a> was dropped from India's 2019 ODI World Cup team as skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> didn't like him. All-rounder Vijay Shankar was called to replace Rayudu whose non-selection had created a furor among the fans and former India players alike.
"If he (Virat Kohli) didn't like anyone, he didn't feel someone is good, then they were cut. (Ambati) Rayudu is the prime example. You feel bad. Everybody has preferences, I agree but you cannot close the door on a player after taking him to the cusp. He had World Cup clothes, World Cup kit bag, everything was there at his home. A player would be thinking that he is going to the World Cup. But you shut the door on him. That wasn't fair according to me," Uthappa shared during an interview with news outlet Lallantop.
Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/shreyas-iyer-punjab-kings-first-indian-player-to-lead-three-ipl-teams-8618414">IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer creates unique record as Punjab Kings captain</a>
India went till semi-final stage of the 2019 ODI WC before losing to New Zealand by 13 runs. Rayudu's replacement Shankar played three games in the tournament, scoring 58 runs with a best of 29.
<h2>Rayudu's Career in Numbers</h2>
Rayudu, who is now retired, made his debut for India in 2013 and went on to play 55 ODIs. He played his last 50-over game for India in March 2019 - four months before the ICC ODI World Cup.
In the 55 matches, Rayudu scored 1,694 runs at a healthy average of 47. He also hit three hundreds and 10 fifties with a best of 124 not out. Rayudu also played six T20Is for India, scoring 42 runs with a best of 20.
The batter also played 14 seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2009-10 to 2023. He played for the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in his 204 IPL matches.
In the cash-rich league, Rayudu scored 4,348 runs at an average of 28 and a strike rate of 127.54. He also hit 22 fifties and one hundred with a best of 100 not out.

All-rounder Vijay Shankar was called to replace Ambati Rayudu in India's 2019 ODI WC team whose non-selection had created a furor. Sports Cricket

Former India batter Robin Uthappa has revealed that Ambati Rayudu was dropped from India's 2019 ODI World Cup team as skipper Virat Kohli didn't like him. All-rounder Vijay Shankar was called to replace Rayudu whose non-selection had created a furor among the fans and former India players alike. "If he (Virat Kohli) didn't like anyone, he didn't feel someone is good, then they were cut. (Ambati) Rayudu is the prime example. You feel bad. Everybody has preferences, I agree but you cannot close the door on a player after taking him to the cusp. He had World Cup clothes, World Cup kit bag, everything was there at his home. A player would be thinking that he is going to the World Cup. But you shut the door on him. That wasn't fair according to me," Uthappa shared during an interview with news outlet Lallantop. Also Read - IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer creates unique record as Punjab Kings captain India went till semi-final stage of the 2019 ODI WC before losing to New Zealand by 13 runs. Rayudu's replacement Shankar played three games in the tournament, scoring 58 runs with a best of 29. Rayudu's Career in Numbers Rayudu, who is now retired, made his debut for India in 2013 and went on to play 55 ODIs. He played his last 50-over game for India in March 2019 - four months before the ICC ODI World Cup. In the 55 matches, Rayudu scored 1,694 runs at a healthy average of 47. He also hit three hundreds and 10 fifties with a best of 124 not out. Rayudu also played six T20Is for India, scoring 42 runs with a best of 20. The batter also played 14 seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2009-10 to 2023. He played for the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in his 204 IPL matches. In the cash-rich league, Rayudu scored 4,348 runs at an average of 28 and a strike rate of 127.54. He also hit 22 fifties and one hundred with a best of 100 not out.

Robin Uthappa says Virat Kohli 'didn't like' Ambati Rayudu, cut him from India's 2019 ODI World Cup team

India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shreyas-iyer" rel="dofollow">Shreyas Iyer</a> created a unique record in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being named the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-news-shreyas-iyer-news-punjab-kings-skipper-8613563" rel="dofollow">skipper of Punjab Kings (PBKS)</a>. With the announcement, Iyer became the first Indian player to lead three different teams in the IPL. Iyer had previously led Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as well.
<h2>Shreyas Iyer in IPL</h2>
Iyer started his IPL career with DC in 2015 and was named the skipper mid-way in 2018 season. Under him Delhi made the playoffs each on the three seasons (2018, 2019 and 2020) and finished runners-up in the 2020 season - their best performance in the league. He stayed with DC till 2021 season.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/the-greatest-rivalry-india-vs-pakistan-netflix-documentary-to-feature-former-cricketers-know-release-date-8617979" rel="dofollow">&lsquo;The Greatest Rivalry &ndash; India vs Pakistan&rsquo; comes to OTT - Know details</a>
Iyer then joined KKR as the skipper from 2022 season onwards,. He didn't play 2023 season due to injury but led the team to title in 2024 season.
PBKS spent a whopping INR 26.75 crore (US $3.18 million approx) at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-mega-auction-2025-updated-final-squad-all-teams-complete-player-list-csk-rcb-mi-gt-kkr-rr-srh-lsg-dc-pbks-779112">IPL 2025 mega auction</a> to buy Iyer - making him the second most expensive player in the league history.
PBKS have never won an IPL title, and they'd like to change that fact with Iyer at helm now. Iyer is also one of only eight captains to win an IPL trophy.
"I am honoured that the team has reposed its faith in me. I am looking forward to working again with coach [Ricky] Ponting," Iyer said in the release by PBKS announcing his captaincy. "The team looks strong, with a great mix of potential and proven performers. I hope to repay the faith shown by the management to deliver our maiden title."
This year, he has been effective as Mumbai team captain in the domestic T20 tournament Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and led them to the title win as well. Additionally, Iyer was part of the Mumbai team that won the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Trophy as well.&nbsp;

Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer is the first Indian player to lead three different IPL teams. He has previously led the Delhi Capitals & Kolkata Knight Riders as well. Cricket Sports

India batter Shreyas Iyer created a unique record in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being named the skipper of Punjab Kings (PBKS). With the announcement, Iyer became the first Indian player to lead three different teams in the IPL. Iyer had previously led Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as well. Shreyas Iyer in IPL Iyer started his IPL career with DC in 2015 and was named the skipper mid-way in 2018 season. Under him Delhi made the playoffs each on the three seasons (2018, 2019 and 2020) and finished runners-up in the 2020 season - their best performance in the league. He stayed with DC till 2021 season. Also Read: ‘The Greatest Rivalry – India vs Pakistan’ comes to OTT - Know details Iyer then joined KKR as the skipper from 2022 season onwards,. He didn't play 2023 season due to injury but led the team to title in 2024 season. PBKS spent a whopping INR 26.75 crore (US $3.18 million approx) at the IPL 2025 mega auction to buy Iyer - making him the second most expensive player in the league history. PBKS have never won an IPL title, and they'd like to change that fact with Iyer at helm now. Iyer is also one of only eight captains to win an IPL trophy. "I am honoured that the team has reposed its faith in me. I am looking forward to working again with coach [Ricky] Ponting," Iyer said in the release by PBKS announcing his captaincy. "The team looks strong, with a great mix of potential and proven performers. I hope to repay the faith shown by the management to deliver our maiden title." This year, he has been effective as Mumbai team captain in the domestic T20 tournament Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and led them to the title win as well. Additionally, Iyer was part of the Mumbai team that won the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Trophy as well.

IPL 2025: Shreyas Iyer creates unique record as Punjab Kings captain

India vs Pakistan is the mother of all battles and, without a doubt, remains the most-watched and talked-about rivalry in world cricket. Meanwhile, the OTT giant Netflix is launching a new documentary named &lsquo;The Greatest Rivalry &ndash; India vs Pakistan&rsquo;, featuring several top former cricketers, including Virender Sehwag, Shoaib Akhtar, Sourav Ganguly and others.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5utnckg-3icwmbfk-0o180a73">
Two nations. One epic Rivalry. 1.6 Billion prayers. Come witness the thrill of a legacy like no other in The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan, arriving on 7th February, only on Netflix.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheGreatestRivalryIndiaVsPakistanOnNetflix?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheGreatestRivalryIndiaVsPakistanOnNetflix</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheGreatestRivalryIndiaVsPakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheGreatestRivalryIndiaVsPakistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/zva657sI3i">pic.twitter.com/zva657sI3i</a>
&mdash; Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/NetflixIndia/status/1878676873242390539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
Ahead of the marquee India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy 2025 match in Dubai (on February 23), the fans can watch and relive some of the greatest moments recorded (in this documentary), set for a February 7 release.
The drama, emotion and the highest stakes instantly make this a classic for viewers. The fans can expect to watch behind the scenes of some of the greatest contests between two Asian powerhouses, with those being part of it, detailing what happened on the ground on that day.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/pakistan-has-edge-over-india-in-champions-trophy-2025-mohammad-amir-8614193" rel="dofollow">Pakistan has edge over India in Champions Trophy 2025: Mohammad Amir</a>
In this &lsquo;The Greatest Rivalry &ndash; India vs Pakistan&rsquo; documentary, the viewers will also see several ex-cricketers narrating lesser-known-tales of the first One Day game between the two countries, with legends across borders &ndash; Sunil Gavaskar and Akhtar lending their voices. Interviews of the just-retired Ravichandran Ashwin and ex-Pakistan legends like Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javid Miandad also highlight this documentary.&nbsp;
<h2>Time for action</h2>
Pakistan was the standalone host of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 until the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) sent an official refusal of not sending their team across the border (due to security reasons), forcing the PCB to agree to a hybrid model, first suggested and then forced upon by the apex body (the ICC).&nbsp;
After much deliberation and delay, Pakistan agreed to rope in Dubai (UAE) as the neutral venue.
The saga didn&rsquo;t end there.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/when-yograj-singh-yuvrajs-father-wanted-to-kill-former-india-captain-kapil-dev-8617656" rel="dofollow">When Yograj Singh, Yuvraj&rsquo;s father, wanted to kill an ex-India captain</a>
In return for accepting the model, the PCB made ICC and BCCI agree to their terms, which suggests that how India will not travel to Pakistan for any ICC or ACC event until the end of the current FTP cycle (which ends in 2027), Pakistan will also not come and play in India.&nbsp;
While Pakistan is not hosting any multi-team tournament after Champions Trophy 2025, India will stage several, including this year&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s ODI World Cup, alongside co-hosting the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka. The 2025 Asia Cup is also scheduled in India.&nbsp;
In all cases, either of the teams will play at a neutral venue, which the host nation picks.
Shifting the focus to cricket, India and Pakistan will gear up for another blockbuster clash. Though India&rsquo;s head-to-head record against Pakistan in Dubai favours them, Pakistan&rsquo;s record win tally (three out of five) against their arch-rivals in this competition gives them the edge.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Interviews of the just-retired Ravichandran Ashwin and ex-Pakistan legends like Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javid Miandad also highlight this documentary.

India vs Pakistan is the mother of all battles and, without a doubt, remains the most-watched and talked-about rivalry in world cricket. Meanwhile, the OTT giant Netflix is launching a new documentary named ‘The Greatest Rivalry – India vs Pakistan’, featuring several top former cricketers, including Virender Sehwag, Shoaib Akhtar, Sourav Ganguly and others. Two nations. One epic Rivalry. 1.6 Billion prayers. Come witness the thrill of a legacy like no other in The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan, arriving on 7th February, only on Netflix.#TheGreatestRivalryIndiaVsPakistanOnNetflix #TheGreatestRivalryIndiaVsPakistan pic.twitter.com/zva657sI3i — Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) January 13, 2025 Ahead of the marquee India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy 2025 match in Dubai (on February 23), the fans can watch and relive some of the greatest moments recorded (in this documentary), set for a February 7 release. The drama, emotion and the highest stakes instantly make this a classic for viewers. The fans can expect to watch behind the scenes of some of the greatest contests between two Asian powerhouses, with those being part of it, detailing what happened on the ground on that day. Also read | Pakistan has edge over India in Champions Trophy 2025: Mohammad Amir In this ‘The Greatest Rivalry – India vs Pakistan’ documentary, the viewers will also see several ex-cricketers narrating lesser-known-tales of the first One Day game between the two countries, with legends across borders – Sunil Gavaskar and Akhtar lending their voices. Interviews of the just-retired Ravichandran Ashwin and ex-Pakistan legends like Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javid Miandad also highlight this documentary. Time for action Pakistan was the standalone host of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 until the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) sent an official refusal of not sending their team across the border (due to security reasons), forcing the PCB to agree to a hybrid model, first suggested and then forced upon by the apex body (the ICC). After much deliberation and delay, Pakistan agreed to rope in Dubai (UAE) as the neutral venue. The saga didn’t end there. Also read | When Yograj Singh, Yuvraj’s father, wanted to kill an ex-India captain In return for accepting the model, the PCB made ICC and BCCI agree to their terms, which suggests that how India will not travel to Pakistan for any ICC or ACC event until the end of the current FTP cycle (which ends in 2027), Pakistan will also not come and play in India. While Pakistan is not hosting any multi-team tournament after Champions Trophy 2025, India will stage several, including this year’s Women’s ODI World Cup, alongside co-hosting the 2026 T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka. The 2025 Asia Cup is also scheduled in India. In all cases, either of the teams will play at a neutral venue, which the host nation picks. Shifting the focus to cricket, India and Pakistan will gear up for another blockbuster clash. Though India’s head-to-head record against Pakistan in Dubai favours them, Pakistan’s record win tally (three out of five) against their arch-rivals in this competition gives them the edge. (With inputs from agencies)

‘The Greatest Rivalry – India vs Pakistan’ comes to OTT - Know details

South Africa called up pacers Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi to the 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5urzyum-vqvabloz-dojwijn7">
🚨SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT🚨 White-ball head coach Rob Walter has today announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in Pakistan from 19 February &ndash; 09 March. One-Day International captain Temba Bavuma will lead the full-strength squad, which&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/Bzt0rqjveG">pic.twitter.com/Bzt0rqjveG</a>
&mdash; Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProteasMenCSA/status/1878701631317106819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
South Africa, the winners of the inaugural editions in 1998, boasts a strong squad for the eight-team tournament scheduled in Pakistan and the UAE. Temba Bavuma will lead the Proteas, who are placed in Group B alongside Australia, England and Afghanistan.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/pakistan-has-edge-over-india-in-champions-trophy-2025-mohammad-amir-8614193" rel="dofollow">Pakistan has edge over India in Champions Trophy 2025: Mohammad Amir</a>
The pace battery of Nortje and Ngidi missed the entire home season due to injuries.
While Nortje suffered a broken toe, Ngidi was out with a groin injury. Both will join seasoned campaigner Kagiso Rabada and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder in the fast-bowling department, with the Proteas naming Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi as two frontline spinners.
The 15-man squad already includes 10 players featured in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, with Mulder and openers Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickleton among the ones earning their maiden ICC tournament call-up.
<h2>Beware of South Africa</h2>
South Africa reached the semis of the 50-over World Cup two years ago, looking daunting and unbeatable until India broke their back with a thumping win. That, however, wasn&rsquo;t enough to stop them as they cruised to the semis only to suffer a defeat at the hands of the eventual winners Australia.
In Champions Trophy 2025, they would aim to repeat their past performances that broke countless records, and to do that, they have firepower in their batter, including Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie van der Dussen and Tristan Stubbs.&nbsp;
With newcomers added to this spicy batting line-up, South Africa will be a force to reckon with in this competition.&nbsp;
<h3>South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 squad -</h3>
Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs and Rassie van der Dussen
<h3>South Africa&rsquo;s Group B fixtures &ndash;</h3>
<ul>
<li>February 21: South Africa vs Afghanistan, Karachi</li>
<li>February 25: South Africa vs Australia, Rawalpindi</li>
<li>March 1: South Africa vs England, Karachi</li>
</ul>
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Proteas' 15-man squad includes ten players featured in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, with Mulder, de Zorzi and Rickleton earning their maiden ICC event call-up.

South Africa called up pacers Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi to the 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. 🚨SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT🚨 White-ball head coach Rob Walter has today announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in Pakistan from 19 February – 09 March. One-Day International captain Temba Bavuma will lead the full-strength squad, which… pic.twitter.com/Bzt0rqjveG — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 13, 2025 South Africa, the winners of the inaugural editions in 1998, boasts a strong squad for the eight-team tournament scheduled in Pakistan and the UAE. Temba Bavuma will lead the Proteas, who are placed in Group B alongside Australia, England and Afghanistan. Also read | Pakistan has edge over India in Champions Trophy 2025: Mohammad Amir The pace battery of Nortje and Ngidi missed the entire home season due to injuries. While Nortje suffered a broken toe, Ngidi was out with a groin injury. Both will join seasoned campaigner Kagiso Rabada and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder in the fast-bowling department, with the Proteas naming Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi as two frontline spinners. The 15-man squad already includes 10 players featured in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, with Mulder and openers Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickleton among the ones earning their maiden ICC tournament call-up. Beware of South Africa South Africa reached the semis of the 50-over World Cup two years ago, looking daunting and unbeatable until India broke their back with a thumping win. That, however, wasn’t enough to stop them as they cruised to the semis only to suffer a defeat at the hands of the eventual winners Australia. In Champions Trophy 2025, they would aim to repeat their past performances that broke countless records, and to do that, they have firepower in their batter, including Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Rassie van der Dussen and Tristan Stubbs. With newcomers added to this spicy batting line-up, South Africa will be a force to reckon with in this competition. South Africa Champions Trophy 2025 squad - Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs and Rassie van der Dussen South Africa’s Group B fixtures – February 21: South Africa vs Afghanistan, Karachi February 25: South Africa vs Australia, Rawalpindi March 1: South Africa vs England, Karachi (With inputs from agencies)

Bavuma-led South Africa call up pacers Nortje,  Ngidi for Champions Trophy 2025

Yograj Singh, the former Indian cricketer and ace batter Yuvraj Singh&rsquo;s father, is known for speaking his heart out. Having made several sensational remarks over the years on his differences with ex-Indian captain MS Dhoni, Yograj narrated a story when he wanted to kill a World Cup-winning Indian skipper - not MS Dhoni but Kapil Dev. Yograj admitted he once went to Kapil Dev&rsquo;s house with a pistol to shoot him but never did that.
Yograj, who played one Test and six ODIs (during the early 80s) before the former India skipper Kapil Dev dropped him, explained why he spared Kapil&rsquo;s life.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/pakistan-has-edge-over-india-in-champions-trophy-2025-mohammad-amir-8614193" rel="dofollow">Pakistan has edge over India in Champions Trophy 2025: Mohammad Amir</a>
In a candid chat on Unfiltered by Samdish, Yograj revealed when Kapil became the captain (for India, North Zone and Haryana), he dropped him for no reason, and after Yograj&rsquo;s wife (Yuvraj&rsquo;s mother) said she wanted to confront Kapil over the same, Yograj decided to teach him a lesson.
&ldquo;When Kapil Dev became captain of India, North Zone, and Haryana, he dropped me for no reason,&rdquo; Yograj said on the popular YouTube show.
&ldquo;My wife wanted me to ask Kapil questions. I told her that I would teach this bloody man a lesson.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I took my pistol out, and I went to Kapil&rsquo;s house in Sector 9. He came out with his mother. I abused him a dozen times. I told him because of you, I have lost a friend, and what you have done, you will pay for it,&rdquo; he continued.
Yograj added he told Kapil that because of his mother, whom he respected, he will not shoot him, asking Shabnam (Yograj&rsquo;s wife) to leave.
&ldquo;I told him, &lsquo;I want to put a bullet through your head, but I am not doing it because you have a very pious mother who is standing here.&rsquo; I told Shabnam, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s go.&rsquo; &ldquo;That was the moment I decided I would not play cricket, Yuvi will play,&rdquo; he added.
<h2>When Kapil apologised to Yograj</h2>
Revealing his chat with the former India all-rounder after the MS Dhoni-led Indian Team won the 2011 ODI World Cup, Yograj said Kapil was the only man crying that day. Yograj added that he sent Kapil a paper cutting of his son (who was the Player of the tournament) doing better than him, to which Kapil even replied, &lsquo;We both will be brothers in the next life.&rsquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;In 2011, when India won the World Cup, there was only one guy who was crying, and it was Kapil Dev,&rdquo; Yograj said. &ldquo;I did send him a paper cutting that my son did better than you in the World Cup.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Kapil sent me a WhatsApp text saying we will be brothers in the next life. We will be born from the same mother in the next life. He wanted to meet me. But there is a vengeance, and it still hurts.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Yograj, who played one Test and six ODIs (during the early 80s) before the former India skipper Kapil Dev dropped him, explained why he spared Kapil’s life.


Yograj Singh, the former Indian cricketer and ace batter Yuvraj Singh’s father, is known for speaking his heart out. Having made several sensational remarks over the years on his differences with ex-Indian captain MS Dhoni, Yograj narrated a story when he wanted to kill a World Cup-winning Indian skipper - not MS Dhoni but Kapil Dev. Yograj admitted he once went to Kapil Dev’s house with a pistol to shoot him but never did that. Yograj, who played one Test and six ODIs (during the early 80s) before the former India skipper Kapil Dev dropped him, explained why he spared Kapil’s life. Also read | Pakistan has edge over India in Champions Trophy 2025: Mohammad Amir In a candid chat on Unfiltered by Samdish, Yograj revealed when Kapil became the captain (for India, North Zone and Haryana), he dropped him for no reason, and after Yograj’s wife (Yuvraj’s mother) said she wanted to confront Kapil over the same, Yograj decided to teach him a lesson. “When Kapil Dev became captain of India, North Zone, and Haryana, he dropped me for no reason,” Yograj said on the popular YouTube show. “My wife wanted me to ask Kapil questions. I told her that I would teach this bloody man a lesson. “I took my pistol out, and I went to Kapil’s house in Sector 9. He came out with his mother. I abused him a dozen times. I told him because of you, I have lost a friend, and what you have done, you will pay for it,” he continued. Yograj added he told Kapil that because of his mother, whom he respected, he will not shoot him, asking Shabnam (Yograj’s wife) to leave. “I told him, ‘I want to put a bullet through your head, but I am not doing it because you have a very pious mother who is standing here.’ I told Shabnam, ‘Let’s go.’ “That was the moment I decided I would not play cricket, Yuvi will play,” he added. When Kapil apologised to Yograj Revealing his chat with the former India all-rounder after the MS Dhoni-led Indian Team won the 2011 ODI World Cup, Yograj said Kapil was the only man crying that day. Yograj added that he sent Kapil a paper cutting of his son (who was the Player of the tournament) doing better than him, to which Kapil even replied, ‘We both will be brothers in the next life.’ “In 2011, when India won the World Cup, there was only one guy who was crying, and it was Kapil Dev,” Yograj said. “I did send him a paper cutting that my son did better than you in the World Cup.” “Kapil sent me a WhatsApp text saying we will be brothers in the next life. We will be born from the same mother in the next life. He wanted to meet me. But there is a vengeance, and it still hurts.” (With inputs from agencies)

When Yograj Singh, Yuvraj’s father, wanted to kill an ex-India captain

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