Indian cricket fans have been left scratching their heads after England produced a comeback for the ages to win the first Test in Hyderabad. India had a 190-run first-innings lead and still lost. Was it simply England's Bazball approach or did India freeze again? Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo decodes the reasons behind India's defeat.

Ben Stokes hails the Hyderabad heist as the Greatest win of his Captaincy

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal does not rue missing out on a hundred against England on day 2 (Jan 26) of the ongoing first Test in Hyderabad. The batter got out on 80 in the first over of the second day, adding just four runs to his overnight score of 76 from day 1. Jaiswal's innings gave India a quick start and half of England's 246 runs were wiped out by the time he went back in the dressing room.

"I was trying my best to do what I could and sometimes I can make a mistake and get out. Still, I'm learning. If I do make a mistake, I'll make sure that I try to learn from it," the batter said after the end of play on day 2.

Jaiswal was caught and bowled by England all-rounder Joe Root while trying to chip over short mid-off fielder. The batter, however, acknowledged that it would have been amazing to score a hundred.

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"Of course, it would have been amazing if I would have scored a hundred. But what took me there was my thinking and my process to score runs and I was quite positive in my mind and I was just thinking, making sure I can build an innings. But it was good actually," he said.

The southpaw, who made his debut in whites last year in West Indies, is playing his first Test in India. He agreed that the environment is quite different from the three Tests he played in West Indies and South Africa.

"This is my first Test match in India and I was just thinking of contributing well and doing well for my team. When I was playing in the West Indies and South Africa, it was quite a different environment. Here also the environment is quite different. I was really enjoying all the places, of course. It is a proud and honour moment every time I go and play for my country," noted Jaiswal.

India finished the second day of play at 421/7, with a lead&nbsp;of 175 runs. Ravindra Jadeja (82) and Axar Patel (35) were still on the crease.

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal does not rue missing out on a hundred against England on day 2 (Jan 26) of the ongoing first Test in Hyderabad. The batter got out on 80 in the first over of the second day, adding just four runs to his overnight score of 76 from day 1.

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal does not rue missing out on a hundred against England on day 2 (Jan 26) of the ongoing first Test in Hyderabad. The batter got out on 80 in the first over of the second day, adding just four runs to his overnight score of 76 from day 1. Jaiswal's innings gave India a quick start and half of England's 246 runs were wiped out by the time he went back in the dressing room. "I was trying my best to do what I could and sometimes I can make a mistake and get out. Still, I'm learning. If I do make a mistake, I'll make sure that I try to learn from it," the batter said after the end of play on day 2. Jaiswal was caught and bowled by England all-rounder Joe Root while trying to chip over short mid-off fielder. The batter, however, acknowledged that it would have been amazing to score a hundred. Also Read: Nasser Hussain rues missing James Anderson in Playing XI, highlights lack of control as key factor "Of course, it would have been amazing if I would have scored a hundred. But what took me there was my thinking and my process to score runs and I was quite positive in my mind and I was just thinking, making sure I can build an innings. But it was good actually," he said. The southpaw, who made his debut in whites last year in West Indies, is playing his first Test in India. He agreed that the environment is quite different from the three Tests he played in West Indies and South Africa. "This is my first Test match in India and I was just thinking of contributing well and doing well for my team. When I was playing in the West Indies and South Africa, it was quite a different environment. Here also the environment is quite different. I was really enjoying all the places, of course. It is a proud and honour moment every time I go and play for my country," noted Jaiswal. India finished the second day of play at 421/7, with a lead of 175 runs. Ravindra Jadeja (82) and Axar Patel (35) were still on the crease.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: 'I was trying...,' Yashasvi Jaiswal opens up on missing hundred on day 2

Ollie Pope scored a magnificent hundred to lead England's fightback on day 3 (Jan 27) of the ongoing first Test against India in Hyderabad. The batter is still not out on 148, taking visitors 126&nbsp;runs ahead of India's first innings lead of 190. Spinner Rehan Ahmed (16) is at the crease with Pope with England finishing the day on 316/6 in their second innings. Apart from Pope, opener Ben Duckett also scored 47 while wicketkeeper Ben Foakes chipped in with handy 34 runs.

England were ahead of the hosts all day, first by taking their remaining three wickets for just 15 runs and then by scoring quick runs. They, however, remain behind in the Test with two days left and their lead being just over 120. The visitors would need about 80 more runs to challenge India&nbsp;on a turning pitch with inexperienced spinners sans their leader Jack Leech who suffered a knee injury on day 2.

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Earlier in the first session, Joe Root skittled out India's overnight batter Ravindra Jadeja for 87 before cleaning up Jasprit Bumrah the very next ball. Rehan then took the wicket of Jadeja's overnight partner Axar Patel in the next over to fold India's innings on 436. Joe Root finished as highest wicket take for England in innings with the figures of 4/79 while Rehan and debutant Tom Hartley took two each.

Batting in the second innings, English openers started on positive note with Zack Crawley racing to 31 before being sent back by Ravichandran Ashwin. Duckett and Pope then added 68 runs for the second wicket before Bumrah struck twice post lunch to send back Duckett and Root. Jonny Bairstow and skipper Ben Stokes also fell cheaply as England slid to 163/5 from 113/1.&nbsp;

Pope and Foakes then added 112 runs for the sixth wicket to take England past 270. For India, Bumrah and Ashwin took two wickets each while Axar and Jadeja managed one each.

Ollie Pope scored a magnificent hundred to lead England's fightback on day 3 (Jan 27) of the ongoing first Test against India in Hyderabad. The batter is still not out on 148, taking visitors 126 runs ahead of India's first innings lead of 190.

Ollie Pope scored a magnificent hundred to lead England's fightback on day 3 (Jan 27) of the ongoing first Test against India in Hyderabad. The batter is still not out on 148, taking visitors 126 runs ahead of India's first innings lead of 190. Spinner Rehan Ahmed (16) is at the crease with Pope with England finishing the day on 316/6 in their second innings. Apart from Pope, opener Ben Duckett also scored 47 while wicketkeeper Ben Foakes chipped in with handy 34 runs. England were ahead of the hosts all day, first by taking their remaining three wickets for just 15 runs and then by scoring quick runs. They, however, remain behind in the Test with two days left and their lead being just over 120. The visitors would need about 80 more runs to challenge India on a turning pitch with inexperienced spinners sans their leader Jack Leech who suffered a knee injury on day 2. Also Read: West Indies bowler Kevin Sinclair does CRAZY CARTWHEEL stunt after Usman Khawaja's wicket in 2nd Test - WATCH Earlier in the first session, Joe Root skittled out India's overnight batter Ravindra Jadeja for 87 before cleaning up Jasprit Bumrah the very next ball. Rehan then took the wicket of Jadeja's overnight partner Axar Patel in the next over to fold India's innings on 436. Joe Root finished as highest wicket take for England in innings with the figures of 4/79 while Rehan and debutant Tom Hartley took two each. Batting in the second innings, English openers started on positive note with Zack Crawley racing to 31 before being sent back by Ravichandran Ashwin. Duckett and Pope then added 68 runs for the second wicket before Bumrah struck twice post lunch to send back Duckett and Root. Jonny Bairstow and skipper Ben Stokes also fell cheaply as England slid to 163/5 from 113/1. Pope and Foakes then added 112 runs for the sixth wicket to take England past 270. For India, Bumrah and Ashwin took two wickets each while Axar and Jadeja managed one each.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test Day 3: Ollie Pope leads England’s fightback with unbeaten 148 but India still ahead

India's Tanmay Agarwal became the fastest to score 300 runs in first-class cricket during the Ranji Trophy match (India's domestic first class tournament) between Hyderabad and Arunachal Pradesh on Friday (Jan 26). The batter took only 147 balls to reach the triple-ton mark, beating South Africa's Marco Marais who had scored 300 off 191 balls in 2017 while playing for Border vs Eastern Province.

Tanmay, who plays for Hyderabad, finished the day with 323 not out off 160 balls, hitting 33 fours and 21 sixes as his team scored 529/1. On his way to the milestone, Agarwal also broke former India coach Ravi Shastri's 39-year-old record.

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Agarwal raced to his double hundred off just 119 balls, beating Shastri's record of 123 balls which the latter had set in 1985 against Baroda. Agarwal now holds the record of scoring fastest double hundred in first class cricket for India.

The Hyderabad batter also recorded the most runs for an Indian batter in a day, beating former opener Virender Sehwag's record of 284 runs made against Sri Lanka in 2009.

Agarwal accelerated in phases during his innings, scoring first 50 off 49 ball. For his next fifty runs the batter took just 31 balls, reaching the 100 in 80 balls. He reached from 101 to 150 in just 23 balls before scoring the next 50 runs in just 16 deliveries. Agarwal's next 50 runs (201-250) also came off just 16 balls before he hit sixth gear to reach 300 from 250 in just 12 balls.

Tanmay added 449 runs with Rahul Singh for the opening wicket - the second best in the history of Ranji Trophy. The record for highest opening partnership in Ranji Trophy was&nbsp;464 runs scored by Ravi Sehgal and Raman Lamba for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in 1994-95 season.

India's Tanmay Agarwal became the fastest to score 300 runs in first-class cricket during the Ranji Trophy match (India's domestic first class tournament) between Hyderabad and Arunachal Pradesh on Friday (Jan 26).

India's Tanmay Agarwal became the fastest to score 300 runs in first-class cricket during the Ranji Trophy match (India's domestic first class tournament) between Hyderabad and Arunachal Pradesh on Friday (Jan 26). The batter took only 147 balls to reach the triple-ton mark, beating South Africa's Marco Marais who had scored 300 off 191 balls in 2017 while playing for Border vs Eastern Province. Tanmay, who plays for Hyderabad, finished the day with 323 not out off 160 balls, hitting 33 fours and 21 sixes as his team scored 529/1. On his way to the milestone, Agarwal also broke former India coach Ravi Shastri's 39-year-old record. Also Read: IND vs ENG, 1st Test: 'I was trying...,' Yashasvi Jaiswal opens up on missing hundred on day 2 Agarwal raced to his double hundred off just 119 balls, beating Shastri's record of 123 balls which the latter had set in 1985 against Baroda. Agarwal now holds the record of scoring fastest double hundred in first class cricket for India. The Hyderabad batter also recorded the most runs for an Indian batter in a day, beating former opener Virender Sehwag's record of 284 runs made against Sri Lanka in 2009. Agarwal accelerated in phases during his innings, scoring first 50 off 49 ball. For his next fifty runs the batter took just 31 balls, reaching the 100 in 80 balls. He reached from 101 to 150 in just 23 balls before scoring the next 50 runs in just 16 deliveries. Agarwal's next 50 runs (201-250) also came off just 16 balls before he hit sixth gear to reach 300 from 250 in just 12 balls. Tanmay added 449 runs with Rahul Singh for the opening wicket - the second best in the history of Ranji Trophy. The record for highest opening partnership in Ranji Trophy was 464 runs scored by Ravi Sehgal and Raman Lamba for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in 1994-95 season.

India's Tanmay Agarwal sets world record for fastest 300 in first-class cricket during Ranji Trophy match

India ended day 1 of the first Test against England in Hyderabad with their nose ahead&nbsp;on Thursday (Jan 25). Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting unbeaten on 76&nbsp;along with Shubman Gill (14). The home team currently trails by 127 runs after bowling out England for 246 runs in their first innings. In reply, India posted 119&nbsp;runs for the loss of&nbsp;skipper Rohit Sharma's (28) wicket which was taken by Jack Leach.

Earlier, England won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch which spun, although not viciously, in the first session itself. England, however, had expected a similar pitch as they had named three spinners in their playing XI with Mark Wood being the lone pacer.

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England started well as openers Ben Duckett and Zack Crawley added 58 runs for the first wicket. India's ace spinner Ravi Ashwin broke that partnership and the visitors kept losing wickets at regular interval afterwards. England went from 58/0 to 60/3 before Joe Root (29) and Jonny Bairstow (37)&nbsp;added 38 runs for the fourth wicket to take England into the lunch on day 1 at 108/3.

Skipper Ben Stokes then came to crease after Bairstow's wicket and scored 70 runs before being the last wicket&nbsp;to fall. England were eight down at tea with Stokes at 43 and the skipper came out all guns blazing after that. His hitting eventually took England to near 250 before Jasprit Bumrah bowled him with a peach of a delivery.

For India, spin duo of Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets each. Ashwin, who's closing in on 500 Test wickets, managed 3/68 while Jadeja's figures read 3/88. Apart from them, third spinner Axar Patel also chipped in with 2/33 in 13 overs while Bumrah took rest of the two wickets to finish on 2/28 as Mohammed Siraj went wicketless.

India ended day 1 of the first Test against England in Hyderabad with their nose ahead on Thursday (Jan 25). Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting unbeaten on 76 along with Shubman Gill (14).

India ended day 1 of the first Test against England in Hyderabad with their nose ahead on Thursday (Jan 25). Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting unbeaten on 76 along with Shubman Gill (14). The home team currently trails by 127 runs after bowling out England for 246 runs in their first innings. In reply, India posted 119 runs for the loss of skipper Rohit Sharma's (28) wicket which was taken by Jack Leach. Earlier, England won the toss and elected to bat first on a pitch which spun, although not viciously, in the first session itself. England, however, had expected a similar pitch as they had named three spinners in their playing XI with Mark Wood being the lone pacer. Also Read: India's Suryakumar Yadav named ICC T20I cricketer of the year for second time in a row England started well as openers Ben Duckett and Zack Crawley added 58 runs for the first wicket. India's ace spinner Ravi Ashwin broke that partnership and the visitors kept losing wickets at regular interval afterwards. England went from 58/0 to 60/3 before Joe Root (29) and Jonny Bairstow (37) added 38 runs for the fourth wicket to take England into the lunch on day 1 at 108/3. Skipper Ben Stokes then came to crease after Bairstow's wicket and scored 70 runs before being the last wicket to fall. England were eight down at tea with Stokes at 43 and the skipper came out all guns blazing after that. His hitting eventually took England to near 250 before Jasprit Bumrah bowled him with a peach of a delivery. For India, spin duo of Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets each. Ashwin, who's closing in on 500 Test wickets, managed 3/68 while Jadeja's figures read 3/88. Apart from them, third spinner Axar Patel also chipped in with 2/33 in 13 overs while Bumrah took rest of the two wickets to finish on 2/28 as Mohammed Siraj went wicketless.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test Day 1: Spinners, Yashasvi Jaiswal put India on top after England's 246

India grinded touring England side into the ground on day 2 (Jan 26) of the ongoing first Test in Hyderabad. Continuing from the overnight score of 119/1, the home sided ended the day 175&nbsp;runs ahead of England's first innings total of 246. Ravindra Jadeja was batting unbeaten on 81&nbsp;along with Axar Patel (35). India still have three wickets left and were 421/7 at the close of play on the second day.

KL Rahul (86) and Jadeja were the chief contributors with the bat as India amassed 302&nbsp;runs in 87&nbsp;overs bowled in the day. England, however, had a dream start on day 2 as Joe Root caught Yashasvi Jaiswal (80) in the first over of the morning session off his own bowling. Shubman Gill (23) then threw his wicket and England sensed an opening with India at 159/3.

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Shreyas Iyer (35) and Rahul then added 64 runs for the fourth wicket as India went into lunch at 222/3. England leg spinner Rehan Ahmed broke the partnership in the third over after lunch by sending Iyer back. Rahul also fell 10 overs later with India leading by 42 runs.

Jadeja then added 68 runs for the sixth wicket with Srikar Bharat who scored a handy 41 before being dismissed by Root. England ran out Ravichandran Ashwin quickly after as India lost two wickets in quick succession. Patel then joined his spin partner Jadeja and the duo have added 63&nbsp;runs for the seventh wicket so far and took India past 400.

For England, debutant spinner Tom Hartley and Root took two wickets each. While Hartley managed 2/116, Root was more economical with 2/77. Rehan Ahmed also chipped in with one wicket buy gave away 104 runs in his entire spell.

With three more days left in the Test, India are all set to push for victory after they end their innings on day 3. England, on the other hand, will have a near impossible task of first erasing the huge 160+ runs lead which is still growing and then set a competitive total for&nbsp;India.

India grinded touring England side into the ground on day 2 (Jan 26) of the ongoing first Test in Hyderabad. Continuing from the overnight score of 119/1, the home sided ended the day 175 runs ahead of England's first innings total of 246.

India grinded touring England side into the ground on day 2 (Jan 26) of the ongoing first Test in Hyderabad. Continuing from the overnight score of 119/1, the home sided ended the day 175 runs ahead of England's first innings total of 246. Ravindra Jadeja was batting unbeaten on 81 along with Axar Patel (35). India still have three wickets left and were 421/7 at the close of play on the second day. KL Rahul (86) and Jadeja were the chief contributors with the bat as India amassed 302 runs in 87 overs bowled in the day. England, however, had a dream start on day 2 as Joe Root caught Yashasvi Jaiswal (80) in the first over of the morning session off his own bowling. Shubman Gill (23) then threw his wicket and England sensed an opening with India at 159/3. Also Read: IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Iceland Cricket takes CHEEKY DIG at England after day 1 Shreyas Iyer (35) and Rahul then added 64 runs for the fourth wicket as India went into lunch at 222/3. England leg spinner Rehan Ahmed broke the partnership in the third over after lunch by sending Iyer back. Rahul also fell 10 overs later with India leading by 42 runs. Jadeja then added 68 runs for the sixth wicket with Srikar Bharat who scored a handy 41 before being dismissed by Root. England ran out Ravichandran Ashwin quickly after as India lost two wickets in quick succession. Patel then joined his spin partner Jadeja and the duo have added 63 runs for the seventh wicket so far and took India past 400. For England, debutant spinner Tom Hartley and Root took two wickets each. While Hartley managed 2/116, Root was more economical with 2/77. Rehan Ahmed also chipped in with one wicket buy gave away 104 runs in his entire spell. With three more days left in the Test, India are all set to push for victory after they end their innings on day 3. England, on the other hand, will have a near impossible task of first erasing the huge 160+ runs lead which is still growing and then set a competitive total for India.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test Day 2: Rahul, Jadeja fifties take India 175 ahead of England in 1st innings

India's Suryakumar Yadav has been named&nbsp;2023 ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year. He has been conferred with the honour for the second time in a row. The batter had a stellar year in T20Is where he scored 733 runs in 17 innings at an average of 48.86 and a masquerading strike rate of 155.95. Surya also scored five fifties and two hundreds in the year as well.

The 31-year-old was also handed the T20I captaincy for the Australia and South Africa series after the 2023 ODI World Cup after Rohit Sharma was rested and Hardik Pandya was unavailable due to injury. Yadav did well in both the series, winning 4-1 against Australia at home and drawing 1-1 against Proteas in South Africa after.

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Surya was also the third-highest run-getter in all 2023 T20Is with only UAE's Muhammad Waseem (863 in 23 innings) and Uganda's Roger Mukasa (738 in 31 innings) ahead of him. Yadav scored his two hundreds against Sri Lanka (112 not out off 51) and South Africa (100 off 56).

<h2>Ravindra named Emerging Player of the Year</h2>

New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra was named ICC Emerging Player of the Year for his 820 runs in 25 ODI matches and 19 wickets as well. The batter stood out in the 2023 ODI World Cup where he opened the batting for the Kiwis and scored 578 runs in 10 matches. He finished as the fourth-highest run-getter of the tournament behind India's Virat Kohli (765) &amp; Rohit Sharma (597) and South African Quinton de Kock (594).

<h2>Teams of the Year</h2>

The ICC also announced the Test, ODI and T20I teams of the year. 2023 ODI World Cup runners-up India dominated the ODI team list with six players in it while Australia, which won both the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup, dominated the Test team.

Test team of the year: Usman Khawaja, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Travis Head, Ravindra Jadeja, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), R Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, Stuart Broad

ODI team of the year: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Travis Head, Virat Kohli, Daryl Mitchell, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Marco Jansen, Adam Zampa, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami

India's Suryakumar Yadav has been named 2023 ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year. He has been conferred with the honour for the second time in a row. The batter had a stellar year in T20Is where he scored 733 runs in 17 innings at an average of 48.

India's Suryakumar Yadav has been named 2023 ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year. He has been conferred with the honour for the second time in a row. The batter had a stellar year in T20Is where he scored 733 runs in 17 innings at an average of 48.86 and a masquerading strike rate of 155.95. Surya also scored five fifties and two hundreds in the year as well. The 31-year-old was also handed the T20I captaincy for the Australia and South Africa series after the 2023 ODI World Cup after Rohit Sharma was rested and Hardik Pandya was unavailable due to injury. Yadav did well in both the series, winning 4-1 against Australia at home and drawing 1-1 against Proteas in South Africa after. Also Read: IND vs ENG: Shoaib Bashir granted visa to travel to India; likely to play in Vizag Test Surya was also the third-highest run-getter in all 2023 T20Is with only UAE's Muhammad Waseem (863 in 23 innings) and Uganda's Roger Mukasa (738 in 31 innings) ahead of him. Yadav scored his two hundreds against Sri Lanka (112 not out off 51) and South Africa (100 off 56). Ravindra named Emerging Player of the Year New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra was named ICC Emerging Player of the Year for his 820 runs in 25 ODI matches and 19 wickets as well. The batter stood out in the 2023 ODI World Cup where he opened the batting for the Kiwis and scored 578 runs in 10 matches. He finished as the fourth-highest run-getter of the tournament behind India's Virat Kohli (765) & Rohit Sharma (597) and South African Quinton de Kock (594). Teams of the Year The ICC also announced the Test, ODI and T20I teams of the year. 2023 ODI World Cup runners-up India dominated the ODI team list with six players in it while Australia, which won both the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup, dominated the Test team. Test team of the year: Usman Khawaja, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Travis Head, Ravindra Jadeja, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), R Ashwin, Mitchell Starc, Stuart Broad ODI team of the year: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Travis Head, Virat Kohli, Daryl Mitchell, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Marco Jansen, Adam Zampa, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami

India's Suryakumar Yadav named ICC T20I cricketer of the year for second time in a row

Unmukt Chand, the former captain of India's under-19 cricket team who brought the World Cup trophy home in 2012, might play against India in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Unmukt Chand, the former captain of India's under-19 cricket team who brought the World Cup trophy home in 2012, might play against India in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He said it would "be strange" to clash with India as he would be eligible to play for the United States in the marquee tournament, scheduled in June. The USA is in the same group as India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. India and the USA will clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 league match on 12 June in New York. Chand retired from all forms of cricket in India in September 2021. He has almost fulfilled the eligibility criteria of staying in the USA for 10 months in a year for three years. In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Unmukt Chand said, "It is something which would be very strange (laughs), but I think since I've retired from India, my next goal was always to sort of play against India, and not in any bad blood but keen to test myself out against the best team in the world." In the early 2010s, Unmukt Chand was one of the most exciting prospects in India. However, he couldn't live up to the sky-high expectations after scoring a match-winning century in the under-19 World Cup finals. Unmukt Chand transferred allegiance from Delhi to Uttarakhand due to underwhelming returns in the domestic circuit. In 2021, he moved to the USA and played for the Silicon Valley Strikers. He has scored over 1,500 runs across three seasons in the first Minor League Cricket. If Chand gets selected to play for the United States, he might lock horns with players who were once his team mates like Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav. Two more players, Smit Patel and Harmeet Singh, from the under-19 World Cup 2012, have qualified to play for the United States in the T20 World Cup 2024. Patel, a wicketkeeper and batter, has played cricket for Gujarat, Tripura, and Vadodara in India. He moved to the USA in 2020. Patel fondly remembers playing with Jasprit Bumrah. "I have spent a lot of time with Jassi over the years. Still remember the day he rocked up to practice for the first time and left us awestruck with what we were witnessing," Smit told Cricbuzz. "The team had a name for him those days. We used to call him Jasprit Gumrah." (With inputs from agencies)

India's former U-19 captain says playing against India in T20 World Cup 2024 would be 'strange'

Cricket Australia has confirmed that they are investigating an incident which involved batter Glenn Maxwell being hospitalised on Friday (Jan 19). The 'alcohol-related' incident was first reported by the news outlet Daily Telegraph. The batter, on Monday (Jan 22), was not named in the ODI squad to face West Indies. The board, however, denied any link to his omission to the Friday incident.

"Cricket Australia is aware of an incident involving Glenn Maxwell in Adelaide at the weekend and is seeking further information," a statement by the board read.

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"It is not related to him being replaced in the ODI squad, a decision that was made following the BBL and based on his individual management plan. Maxwell is expected to return for the T20 series. No further comment will be made at this time," the statement added.

As per the Daily Telegraph, Maxwell was out and watching Six and Out - a band featuring former cricketer Brett Lee at the time of the incident. The batter was taken to an Adelaide hospital in&nbsp;ambulance, although the stay was short. The exact happenings are still being determined.

Maxwell was in Adelaide following his Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Melbourne Stars' exit in the tournament. The batter also stood down as the skipper of the side following the loss.

<h2>Australia bowlers eye rare feat</h2>

Australian skipper and pacer Pat Cummins is hopeful of himself and his fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood of playing the second home Test against West Indies starting January 25 in Brisbane. If the bowlers make it to playing XI, it would be their fifth Test on the trot - a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/australia-skipper-pat-cummins-hopeful-of-test-bowlers-achieving-this-rare-feat-in-second-wi-test-681835">rare feat Cummins is hopeful of achieving</a>. Notably, all the four bowlers are in their 30s with Cummins being the youngest one at 30 and Lyon being the oldest at 36. &nbsp;

Cricket Australia has confirmed that they are investigating an incident which involved batter Glenn Maxwell being hospitalised on Friday (Jan 19). The 'alcohol-related' incident was first reported by the news outlet Daily Telegraph.

Cricket Australia has confirmed that they are investigating an incident which involved batter Glenn Maxwell being hospitalised on Friday (Jan 19). The 'alcohol-related' incident was first reported by the news outlet Daily Telegraph. The batter, on Monday (Jan 22), was not named in the ODI squad to face West Indies. The board, however, denied any link to his omission to the Friday incident. "Cricket Australia is aware of an incident involving Glenn Maxwell in Adelaide at the weekend and is seeking further information," a statement by the board read. Also Read: India batter Virat Kohli withdraws from first two Tests against England "It is not related to him being replaced in the ODI squad, a decision that was made following the BBL and based on his individual management plan. Maxwell is expected to return for the T20 series. No further comment will be made at this time," the statement added. As per the Daily Telegraph, Maxwell was out and watching Six and Out - a band featuring former cricketer Brett Lee at the time of the incident. The batter was taken to an Adelaide hospital in ambulance, although the stay was short. The exact happenings are still being determined. Maxwell was in Adelaide following his Big Bash League (BBL) franchise Melbourne Stars' exit in the tournament. The batter also stood down as the skipper of the side following the loss. Australia bowlers eye rare feat Australian skipper and pacer Pat Cummins is hopeful of himself and his fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood of playing the second home Test against West Indies starting January 25 in Brisbane. If the bowlers make it to playing XI, it would be their fifth Test on the trot - a rare feat Cummins is hopeful of achieving. Notably, all the four bowlers are in their 30s with Cummins being the youngest one at 30 and Lyon being the oldest at 36.

Cricket Australia investigating hospitalisation incident involving Glenn Maxwell

India veteran Cheteshwar Pujara continues to break records in first-class cricket after being overlooked for upcoming home Tests against England. In Ranji Trophy - India's premier first-class (FC) tournament - Pujara crossed 20,000 runs on Sunday (January 21). He's the fourth Indian batter to do so after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar. Pujara reached the milestone during Saurashtra's win over Vidarbha.

The 35-year-old now has 20,013 runs in 260 FC games at an average of 51.98 with 61 hundreds and 78 fifties. His highest in the FC games is a staggering 352. Among the batters who are in the club, Gavaskar tops the list with 25,896 runs with Sachin (25,396 runs) and Dravid (23, 794) behind him.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/england-batter-harry-brook-withdraws-from-upcoming-india-series-announces-board-682048">England batter Harry Brook withdraws from upcoming India series, announces board</a>

Talking about Pujara, the batter recently entered the record books with his 17th double hundred in first-class cricket. He reached the milestone against Jharkhand on January 7 while batting for Saurashtra in the opening round of Ranji Trophy.

The double hundred was Pujara's eighth in the Ranji Trophy - second only to Paras Dogra's nine. In international Tests, Pujara has scored three double hundreds. His rest of six double tons have come in various domestic tournaments across the world, including English county cricket.

For India, Pujara has played 103 Tests, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43 with 19 hundreds and 35 fifties. The batter last played a Test for India in June 2023 - the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 against Australia. He could not make an impact in the game, scoring 14 and 27 in two innings as India lost by 209 runs.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) then dropped the batter for the next two series - against West Indies in July 2023 and against South Africa which concluded recently. Shubman Gill was given Pujara's number three position in both the series as Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the batting alongside skipper Rohit Sharma.

India veteran Cheteshwar Pujara continues to break records in first-class cricket after being overlooked for upcoming home Tests against England. In Ranji Trophy - India's premier first-class (FC) tournament - Pujara crossed 20,000 runs on Sunday (January 21).

India veteran Cheteshwar Pujara continues to break records in first-class cricket after being overlooked for upcoming home Tests against England. In Ranji Trophy - India's premier first-class (FC) tournament - Pujara crossed 20,000 runs on Sunday (January 21). He's the fourth Indian batter to do so after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar. Pujara reached the milestone during Saurashtra's win over Vidarbha. The 35-year-old now has 20,013 runs in 260 FC games at an average of 51.98 with 61 hundreds and 78 fifties. His highest in the FC games is a staggering 352. Among the batters who are in the club, Gavaskar tops the list with 25,896 runs with Sachin (25,396 runs) and Dravid (23, 794) behind him. Also Read: England batter Harry Brook withdraws from upcoming India series, announces board Talking about Pujara, the batter recently entered the record books with his 17th double hundred in first-class cricket. He reached the milestone against Jharkhand on January 7 while batting for Saurashtra in the opening round of Ranji Trophy. The double hundred was Pujara's eighth in the Ranji Trophy - second only to Paras Dogra's nine. In international Tests, Pujara has scored three double hundreds. His rest of six double tons have come in various domestic tournaments across the world, including English county cricket. For India, Pujara has played 103 Tests, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43 with 19 hundreds and 35 fifties. The batter last played a Test for India in June 2023 - the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 against Australia. He could not make an impact in the game, scoring 14 and 27 in two innings as India lost by 209 runs. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) then dropped the batter for the next two series - against West Indies in July 2023 and against South Africa which concluded recently. Shubman Gill was given Pujara's number three position in both the series as Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the batting alongside skipper Rohit Sharma.

Cheteshwar Pujara joins Sachin, Dravid and Gavaskar in elite list after England series snub

Australia opener Usman Khawaja continues to be on the course to play the second Test against West Indies from January 25 after suffering a blow to his head in the first Test. Khawaja was hit by a bouncer from West Indies quick Shamar Joseph with Australia just one run away from the win. The batter had retired hurt after that and went through initial concussion test which he passed.

"He completed normal concussion assessments today [Sunday]," said a spokesperson for Cricket Australia. "Khawaja will continue to be monitored for any delayed symptoms. He will be reviewed again tomorrow prior to returning to training," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/australia-t20i-batter-david-warner-set-to-join-virat-kohli-ross-taylor-in-unique-list-681832">Australia T20I batter David Warner set to join Virat Kohli and Ross Taylor in unique list</a>

Matt Renshaw is the spare batter available in the Australia squad as a back up who might be roped in if Khawaja doesn't make it to the playing XI for the Brisbane Test.

<h2>Aussie pacers eye rare milestone</h2>

Australia skipper and pacer Pat Cummins is hopeful of himself and his fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/australia-skipper-pat-cummins-hopeful-of-test-bowlers-achieving-this-rare-feat-in-second-wi-test-681835">playing the second home Test against West Indies</a> starting January 25 in Brisbane. If the bowlers make it to playing XI, it would be their fifth Test on the trot - a rare feat Cummins is hopeful of achieving. Notably, all the four bowlers are in their 30s with Cummins being the youngest one at 30 and Lyon being the oldest at 36.

"It's trending that way," Cummins said in the post-match presentation after the 10-wicket win against West Indies in the first Test of the two-match series about all four of them playing in the Brisbane Test. Before the ongoing series, the bowlers had taken part in the home Test series against Pakistan and played all three Tests.

It would be the first since 2013/14 Ashes Test series against England that Australia will play with same set of four bowlers in five Tests. During the aforementioned Ashes, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon had played five back-to-back Tests.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja continues to be on the course to play the second Test against West Indies from January 25 after suffering a blow to his head in the first Test.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja continues to be on the course to play the second Test against West Indies from January 25 after suffering a blow to his head in the first Test. Khawaja was hit by a bouncer from West Indies quick Shamar Joseph with Australia just one run away from the win. The batter had retired hurt after that and went through initial concussion test which he passed. "He completed normal concussion assessments today [Sunday]," said a spokesperson for Cricket Australia. "Khawaja will continue to be monitored for any delayed symptoms. He will be reviewed again tomorrow prior to returning to training," he added. Also Read: Australia T20I batter David Warner set to join Virat Kohli and Ross Taylor in unique list Matt Renshaw is the spare batter available in the Australia squad as a back up who might be roped in if Khawaja doesn't make it to the playing XI for the Brisbane Test. Aussie pacers eye rare milestone Australia skipper and pacer Pat Cummins is hopeful of himself and his fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood of playing the second home Test against West Indies starting January 25 in Brisbane. If the bowlers make it to playing XI, it would be their fifth Test on the trot - a rare feat Cummins is hopeful of achieving. Notably, all the four bowlers are in their 30s with Cummins being the youngest one at 30 and Lyon being the oldest at 36. "It's trending that way," Cummins said in the post-match presentation after the 10-wicket win against West Indies in the first Test of the two-match series about all four of them playing in the Brisbane Test. Before the ongoing series, the bowlers had taken part in the home Test series against Pakistan and played all three Tests. It would be the first since 2013/14 Ashes Test series against England that Australia will play with same set of four bowlers in five Tests. During the aforementioned Ashes, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon had played five back-to-back Tests.

Australia opener Usman Khawaja hopeful of playing second WI Test after blow to head in first match

Veteran India spinner Ravi Ashwin has said that Rinku Singh brings Dhoni-like composure whenever he comes out to bat for India. The comments come on the back of impressive performances by the left-hand batter in the recently-concluded T20I series against Afghanistan. Rinku remained not out in all three matches of the series, scoring 16, 9 and 69 runs, respectively. He was also involved in the unbeaten 190-run partnership with skipper Rohit Sharma in the third T20I which India eventually won in double super over.&nbsp;

“He is somebody I’d call a left-handed Dhoni. I can’t compare him to Dhoni just yet because Dhoni is too big. But, I am talking about the composure that he brings,” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/zaka-ashraf-steps-down-as-pcb-management-committee-chairman-681676">Zaka Ashraf steps down as PCB management committee chairman</a>

“The composure doesn’t change whether the team is batting first or chasing. His composure towards the back end of the innings is a bonus,” added Ashwin.

Former India skipper MS Dhoni was known for taking the game deep and finishing them with calmness. Rinku has also been doing the same in the 15 T20 games he has played for India so far. The batter has 356 runs to his name at an average of 89, thanks to staying not out seven out of 11 times that he has batted in the&nbsp;total of 15 T20Is.

The batter, who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in India's domestic T20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) shot to fame last year when he hit five sixes off the last five balls in a match to take his team home. Apart from IPL, Rinku plays for the state of Uttar Pradesh in the domestic set up.&nbsp;

Ashwin also praised the batter for his performance in the first-class cricket as well as spending enough time on the bench while with KKR.

“He has been consistently scoring buckets of runs for UP and broke his way into the Indian team. He was on the KKR bench for many years,” Ashwin added. 
&nbsp;

Veteran India spinner Ravi Ashwin has said that Rinku Singh brings Dhoni-like composure whenever he comes out to bat for India. The comments come on the back of impressive performances by the left-hand batter in the recently-concluded T20I series against Afghanistan.

Veteran India spinner Ravi Ashwin has said that Rinku Singh brings Dhoni-like composure whenever he comes out to bat for India. The comments come on the back of impressive performances by the left-hand batter in the recently-concluded T20I series against Afghanistan. Rinku remained not out in all three matches of the series, scoring 16, 9 and 69 runs, respectively. He was also involved in the unbeaten 190-run partnership with skipper Rohit Sharma in the third T20I which India eventually won in double super over. “He is somebody I’d call a left-handed Dhoni. I can’t compare him to Dhoni just yet because Dhoni is too big. But, I am talking about the composure that he brings,” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. Also Read: Zaka Ashraf steps down as PCB management committee chairman “The composure doesn’t change whether the team is batting first or chasing. His composure towards the back end of the innings is a bonus,” added Ashwin. Former India skipper MS Dhoni was known for taking the game deep and finishing them with calmness. Rinku has also been doing the same in the 15 T20 games he has played for India so far. The batter has 356 runs to his name at an average of 89, thanks to staying not out seven out of 11 times that he has batted in the total of 15 T20Is. The batter, who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in India's domestic T20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) shot to fame last year when he hit five sixes off the last five balls in a match to take his team home. Apart from IPL, Rinku plays for the state of Uttar Pradesh in the domestic set up. Ashwin also praised the batter for his performance in the first-class cricket as well as spending enough time on the bench while with KKR. “He has been consistently scoring buckets of runs for UP and broke his way into the Indian team. He was on the KKR bench for many years,” Ashwin added.

Veteran India spinner Ravi Ashwin compares Rinku Singh to MS Dhoni for THIS quality

The Under-19 ICC World Cup gets underway on January 19 in South Africa with India playing their first game on Saturday (Jan 20) against continental rivals Bangladesh. India U19s are placed in Group A with Ireland, USA and Bangladesh in the 16-team event divided into four groups. India's next two games after Saturday will be against Ireland on January 25 and USA on January 28. All of India U19s group stage games will be played in Bloemfontein.

<h3>How the group stage games will be played among the teams?</h3>

The 16 teams are divided into four groups of four teams each. Each team in a group will play the other three teams in the group stage. Below are four groups with each team in it:

Group A: India U19s, Bangladesh U19s, Ireland U19s, USA U19s 
Group B: England U19s, Scotland U19s, South Africa U19s, West Indies U19s 
Group C: Australia U19s, Namibia U19s, Sri Lanka U19s, Zimbabwe U19s 
Group D: Afghanistan U19s, Nepal U19s, New Zealand U19s, Pakistan U19s

<h3>What are the dates for group stage matches?</h3>

The group stage fixtures will begin with the Group A match between Ireland U19s and USA U19s teams on January 19. The group stage will run till January 28 with Australia U19s and Sri Lanka U19s match of Group C being the last one.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/former-india-all-rounder-yuvraj-singh-reacts-to-youngster-prakhar-chaturvedi-breaking-his-24-year-old-record-680602">Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh reacts to youngster Prakhar Chaturvedi breaking his 24-year-old record</a>

<h3>What is the next stage after group fixtures?</h3>

The tournament is being played in the Super Sixes format which means top three teams from each group will qualify for the Super Sixes stage. A total of 12 teams will enter the Super Sixes stage and will be divided into two groups of six teams each.

<h3>How are groups decided for the Super Sixes stage?</h3>

The top three teams from Group A and Group D each will be paired together in Group 1 while the top three teams each from Group B and Group C will be placed in Group 2 for the Super Sixes Stage.

<h3>How are Super Sixes games decided?</h3>

In the Super Sixes stage a total of 12 games will be played and below are the fixtures:

<h4>Group 1 Fixtures:</h4>

The top team of Group A (A1) which is decided after the group stage fixtures will play two matches against the second and third placed team of the Group D, that is D2 and D3, in the Group 1 fixtures. Similarly, second placed team of the Group A (A2) decided after the group stage matches will play against D1 and D3 while the third placed Group A team (A3) will play its two games against top two teams of the Group D (D1 and D2).

<h4>Group 2 Fixtures:</h4>

The top team of Group B (B1) which is decided after the group stage fixtures will play two matches against the second and third placed team of the Group C, that is C2 and C3, in the Group 2 fixtures. Similarly, second placed team of the Group B (B2) decided after the group stage matches will play against C1 and C3 while the third placed Group B team (B3) will play its two games against top two teams of the Group C (C1 and C2).

<h3>When will the Super Sixes games will be played?</h3>

The Super Sixes stage will kick off with the Group 1 fixture between A1 and D3 on January 30 and culminate&nbsp;with the Group 2 fixture between B2 vs C3 on February 3.&nbsp;

<h3>What about the teams which end last in group stage in respective groups?</h3>

A couple of 16th place playoff games will be played in between the Super Sixes games. The 16th place matches will be played on January 31 between the last finished teams of Group A and Group D, that is A4 and D4, and on February 1 between the last finished teams of Group B and Group C, that is B4 and C4.

<h3>What next after Super Sixes?</h3>

The two teams from each Super Sixes groups, that is Group 1 and Group 2, will enter the semi-finals of the tournament.

<h3>What are the dates for ICC U-19 World Cup semi-finals?</h3>

The two semi-finals will be played on February 6 and February 8.

<h3>When is the final of the ICC U19 World Cup?</h3>

The final of the ICC U19 World Cup will be played on February 11.

<h3>Is reserve day available during the tournament?</h3>

The reserve day is available only for the semi-finals and final of the ICC U19 World Cup.

<h3>What are the venues for the ICC U19 World Cup?</h3>

The two semi-finals and the final will be played in Benoni while the Super Sixes games will be played in Bloemfontein, Kimberley, and Potchefstroom apart from Benoni.

The group stage fixtures will be played in Bloemfontein, Kimberley, and Potchefstroom with East London being the fourth venue unlike in Super Sixes stage.

The Under-19 ICC World Cup gets underway on January 19 in South Africa with India playing their first game on Saturday (Jan 20) against continental rivals Bangladesh.

The Under-19 ICC World Cup gets underway on January 19 in South Africa with India playing their first game on Saturday (Jan 20) against continental rivals Bangladesh. India U19s are placed in Group A with Ireland, USA and Bangladesh in the 16-team event divided into four groups. India's next two games after Saturday will be against Ireland on January 25 and USA on January 28. All of India U19s group stage games will be played in Bloemfontein. How the group stage games will be played among the teams? The 16 teams are divided into four groups of four teams each. Each team in a group will play the other three teams in the group stage. Below are four groups with each team in it: Group A: India U19s, Bangladesh U19s, Ireland U19s, USA U19s Group B: England U19s, Scotland U19s, South Africa U19s, West Indies U19s Group C: Australia U19s, Namibia U19s, Sri Lanka U19s, Zimbabwe U19s Group D: Afghanistan U19s, Nepal U19s, New Zealand U19s, Pakistan U19s What are the dates for group stage matches? The group stage fixtures will begin with the Group A match between Ireland U19s and USA U19s teams on January 19. The group stage will run till January 28 with Australia U19s and Sri Lanka U19s match of Group C being the last one. Also Read: Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh reacts to youngster Prakhar Chaturvedi breaking his 24-year-old record What is the next stage after group fixtures? The tournament is being played in the Super Sixes format which means top three teams from each group will qualify for the Super Sixes stage. A total of 12 teams will enter the Super Sixes stage and will be divided into two groups of six teams each. How are groups decided for the Super Sixes stage? The top three teams from Group A and Group D each will be paired together in Group 1 while the top three teams each from Group B and Group C will be placed in Group 2 for the Super Sixes Stage. How are Super Sixes games decided? In the Super Sixes stage a total of 12 games will be played and below are the fixtures: Group 1 Fixtures: The top team of Group A (A1) which is decided after the group stage fixtures will play two matches against the second and third placed team of the Group D, that is D2 and D3, in the Group 1 fixtures. Similarly, second placed team of the Group A (A2) decided after the group stage matches will play against D1 and D3 while the third placed Group A team (A3) will play its two games against top two teams of the Group D (D1 and D2). Group 2 Fixtures: The top team of Group B (B1) which is decided after the group stage fixtures will play two matches against the second and third placed team of the Group C, that is C2 and C3, in the Group 2 fixtures. Similarly, second placed team of the Group B (B2) decided after the group stage matches will play against C1 and C3 while the third placed Group B team (B3) will play its two games against top two teams of the Group C (C1 and C2). When will the Super Sixes games will be played? The Super Sixes stage will kick off with the Group 1 fixture between A1 and D3 on January 30 and culminate with the Group 2 fixture between B2 vs C3 on February 3. What about the teams which end last in group stage in respective groups? A couple of 16th place playoff games will be played in between the Super Sixes games. The 16th place matches will be played on January 31 between the last finished teams of Group A and Group D, that is A4 and D4, and on February 1 between the last finished teams of Group B and Group C, that is B4 and C4. What next after Super Sixes? The two teams from each Super Sixes groups, that is Group 1 and Group 2, will enter the semi-finals of the tournament. What are the dates for ICC U-19 World Cup semi-finals? The two semi-finals will be played on February 6 and February 8. When is the final of the ICC U19 World Cup? The final of the ICC U19 World Cup will be played on February 11. Is reserve day available during the tournament? The reserve day is available only for the semi-finals and final of the ICC U19 World Cup. What are the venues for the ICC U19 World Cup? The two semi-finals and the final will be played in Benoni while the Super Sixes games will be played in Bloemfontein, Kimberley, and Potchefstroom apart from Benoni. The group stage fixtures will be played in Bloemfontein, Kimberley, and Potchefstroom with East London being the fourth venue unlike in Super Sixes stage.

Explained | All you need to know about ICC U19 World Cup 2024 format and everything else

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has praised the Karnataka teenager Prakhar Chaturvedi for breaking his record in Cooch Behar Trophy final by scoring 404 not out against Mumbai on January 15. Yuvraj had scored 358 runs in 1999 tournament final against Bihar. Yuvraj congratulated the youngster with a post on his official x handle while asserting that the future of Indian cricket is in safe hands.

"Very happy to see this! Records are meant to be broken and I'm glad to see the future of Indian cricket in safe hands," Yuvraj posted on 'X' in response to a news report about the record being broken. Have a look at the post below:

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Very happy to see this! Records are meant to be broken and I'm glad to see the future of Indian cricket in safe hands🏏🇮🇳<a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCIdomestic</a> <a href="https://t.co/zY7pvVaMI7">https://t.co/zY7pvVaMI7</a>
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) <a href="https://twitter.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1747143849678450942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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His record-breaking batting which included 46 fours and three sixes during the 636-ball stay at the crease ensured an inning and 50-run win for Karnataka over Mumbai. Prakhar's 404 is, however, the second-highest individual score in the tournament's history, after Vijay Zol’s 451 for Maharashtra against Assam in the 2011/12 season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/big-bash-league-sydney-sixers-win-last-ball-thriller-against-perth-scorchers-to-enters-qualifiers-watch-680593">Big Bash League: Sydney Sixers win last-ball thriller against Perth Scorchers to enter&nbsp;qualifiers - WATCH</a>

Prakhar's masterful knock vows to change his fortune (having failed to make it to the Under-19 squad in the first place) and with this inning on his back, Prakhar will be knocking on the selector’s door for a Ranji Trophy debut. The opening batter also missed out on getting picked for the U-19 World Cup, which gets underway in South Africa on January 19.&nbsp;

"Prakhar's step up came in 2020-21. There was a lot of maturity to him, the way he handled setbacks (not being selected for the Under-16s), the way he trained and prepared. You could see here was a guy who has the ability to soak up everything and handle things calmly,” his coach added.

Chaturvedi took his time to groom and emerge, and once he did that post-COVID in 2020-21, he came as a more mature person after suffering setbacks (not being picked for the U-16).

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has praised the Karnataka teenager Prakhar Chaturvedi for breaking his record in Cooch Behar Trophy final by scoring 404 not out against Mumbai on January 15.

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has praised the Karnataka teenager Prakhar Chaturvedi for breaking his record in Cooch Behar Trophy final by scoring 404 not out against Mumbai on January 15. Yuvraj had scored 358 runs in 1999 tournament final against Bihar. Yuvraj congratulated the youngster with a post on his official x handle while asserting that the future of Indian cricket is in safe hands. "Very happy to see this! Records are meant to be broken and I'm glad to see the future of Indian cricket in safe hands," Yuvraj posted on 'X' in response to a news report about the record being broken. Have a look at the post below: Very happy to see this! Records are meant to be broken and I'm glad to see the future of Indian cricket in safe hands🏏🇮🇳@BCCI @BCCIdomestic https://t.co/zY7pvVaMI7 — Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) January 16, 2024 × His record-breaking batting which included 46 fours and three sixes during the 636-ball stay at the crease ensured an inning and 50-run win for Karnataka over Mumbai. Prakhar's 404 is, however, the second-highest individual score in the tournament's history, after Vijay Zol’s 451 for Maharashtra against Assam in the 2011/12 season. Also Read: Big Bash League: Sydney Sixers win last-ball thriller against Perth Scorchers to enter qualifiers - WATCH Prakhar's masterful knock vows to change his fortune (having failed to make it to the Under-19 squad in the first place) and with this inning on his back, Prakhar will be knocking on the selector’s door for a Ranji Trophy debut. The opening batter also missed out on getting picked for the U-19 World Cup, which gets underway in South Africa on January 19. "Prakhar's step up came in 2020-21. There was a lot of maturity to him, the way he handled setbacks (not being selected for the Under-16s), the way he trained and prepared. You could see here was a guy who has the ability to soak up everything and handle things calmly,” his coach added. Chaturvedi took his time to groom and emerge, and once he did that post-COVID in 2020-21, he came as a more mature person after suffering setbacks (not being picked for the U-16).

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh reacts to youngster Prakhar Chaturvedi breaking his 24-year-old record

Former Indian stumper Parthiv Patel feels Jitesh Sharma's ticket for the 2024 T20 World Cup 'has started getting printed'. Ahead of the third and final T20I between India and Afghanistan, on Wednesday (Jan 17), Patel opined that Jitesh is someone who can be a destructive batter down the order and India might finalise him as their keeper-batter for the upcoming showpiece event, which will be held in West Indies and USA in June. Jitesh has featured in India's playing XI in the first two T20Is, getting the nod ahead of Sanju Samson.&nbsp;

Speaking to Jio Cinema, Parthiv said, "India's option is probably to have a wicketkeeper who can bat down the order. If you have to bat down the order, you need a destructive batter. The way Jitesh Sharma is playing, he is a very good option and I feel his ticket to the World Cup has started getting printed slightly."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dube-making-sure-he-is-part-of-indias-2024-t20-wc-squad-even-if-hardik-is-fit-says-sunil-gavaskar-680477">Dube making sure he is part of India's 2024 T20 WC squad even if Hardik is fit, says Sunil Gavaskar</a>

He further added, "The sample size is very small, but when he came to bat in the first T20I, he came before the 10th over. I feel he understood the situation very well and played according to that. He didn't have to bat the way he usually does. He had to settle a little, keep the strike rate slightly low, and then play his shots. It means he showed another dimension as well, that he can also build an innings."

In the opening two T20Is versus the Afghans, Jitesh has had scores of 31* (20) and 0. So far, he has 100 runs in seven T20Is at a strike rate of 147.05. He rose to fame during IPL 2023, where he represented the Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings (PBKS). In the last edition, he ended with&nbsp;309 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of&nbsp;156.06. Even in the 2022 edition, he impressed with&nbsp;234 runs in 12 matches, with a strike rate of 163.64. He has even been effective behind the stumps and has a good head on his shoulders.&nbsp;

At present, the Jitesh-starrer Indian team is gearing up for the third and final T20I versus Afghanistan on Wednesday (Jan 17) in Bengaluru.&nbsp;

Former Indian stumper Parthiv Patel feels Jitesh Sharma's ticket for the 2024 T20 World Cup 'has started getting printed'. Ahead of the third and final T20I between India and Afghanistan, on Wednesday (Jan 17), Patel opined that Jitesh is someone who can be a destructive batter down the order and India might finalise him as their keeper-batter for the upcoming showpiece event, which will be held in West Indies and USA in June.

Former Indian stumper Parthiv Patel feels Jitesh Sharma's ticket for the 2024 T20 World Cup 'has started getting printed'. Ahead of the third and final T20I between India and Afghanistan, on Wednesday (Jan 17), Patel opined that Jitesh is someone who can be a destructive batter down the order and India might finalise him as their keeper-batter for the upcoming showpiece event, which will be held in West Indies and USA in June. Jitesh has featured in India's playing XI in the first two T20Is, getting the nod ahead of Sanju Samson. Speaking to Jio Cinema, Parthiv said, "India's option is probably to have a wicketkeeper who can bat down the order. If you have to bat down the order, you need a destructive batter. The way Jitesh Sharma is playing, he is a very good option and I feel his ticket to the World Cup has started getting printed slightly." Also read: Dube making sure he is part of India's 2024 T20 WC squad even if Hardik is fit, says Sunil Gavaskar He further added, "The sample size is very small, but when he came to bat in the first T20I, he came before the 10th over. I feel he understood the situation very well and played according to that. He didn't have to bat the way he usually does. He had to settle a little, keep the strike rate slightly low, and then play his shots. It means he showed another dimension as well, that he can also build an innings." In the opening two T20Is versus the Afghans, Jitesh has had scores of 31* (20) and 0. So far, he has 100 runs in seven T20Is at a strike rate of 147.05. He rose to fame during IPL 2023, where he represented the Shikhar Dhawan-led Punjab Kings (PBKS). In the last edition, he ended with 309 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 156.06. Even in the 2022 edition, he impressed with 234 runs in 12 matches, with a strike rate of 163.64. He has even been effective behind the stumps and has a good head on his shoulders. At present, the Jitesh-starrer Indian team is gearing up for the third and final T20I versus Afghanistan on Wednesday (Jan 17) in Bengaluru.

Ind vs Afg: Jitesh Sharma’s ticket for T20 World Cup has started getting printed, feels former Indian stumper

Former India player Abhinav Mukund has revealed that an advice from Mahendra Singh Dhoni has improved Shivam Dube's batting skills. The comment&nbsp;came after Dube smashed consecutive fifties in the first two T20Is against Afghanistan in the ongoing series. The lanky all-rounder is currently at the top of the series' run charts after scoring 60 not out and 63 not out in the first and second match&nbsp;respectively. The third and final game of the series will be played on January 17.

"A little birdie (source) told me that Dube had a chat with MS Dhoni and he told him - not rocket science - don't attack the short ball," Mukund told Jio Cinema after the second game in Indore on Sunday (Jan 14). Notably, Dube plays for MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in India's domestic T20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL).

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-afg-jitesh-sharmas-ticket-for-t20-world-cup-has-started-getting-printed-feels-former-indian-stumper-680505">Ind vs Afg: Jitesh Sharma's ticket for T20 World Cup has started getting printed, feels former Indian stumper</a>

Dube himself had credited Dhoni after his match-winning knock in the first game on January 11in Mohali.

"I always keep talking to Mahi bhai. He is such a big legend. I always keep learning from him, by seeing him and observing him. He has told me a couple of things about my game. He always rates me, saying I play well. If he rates me, then that gives me motivation to keep playing well. Because of which, my confidence is very high," he had said on JioCinema.

The all-rounder has also taken two wickets in the series, further strengthening his case for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in June later this year. With premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya still injured and no timeframe available for his return yet, Dube's performances backed by a strong upcoming IPL 2024 season could seem in India's squad for the T20 WC.

He had also scored 418 runs in the last IPL season, scoring 418 in 16 games at an strike-rate of 158.33 during CSK's title-winning run.&nbsp;

Former India player Abhinav Mukund has revealed that an advice from Mahendra Singh Dhoni has improved Shivam Dube's batting skills. The comment came after Dube smashed consecutive fifties in the first two T20Is against Afghanistan in the ongoing series.

Former India player Abhinav Mukund has revealed that an advice from Mahendra Singh Dhoni has improved Shivam Dube's batting skills. The comment came after Dube smashed consecutive fifties in the first two T20Is against Afghanistan in the ongoing series. The lanky all-rounder is currently at the top of the series' run charts after scoring 60 not out and 63 not out in the first and second match respectively. The third and final game of the series will be played on January 17. "A little birdie (source) told me that Dube had a chat with MS Dhoni and he told him - not rocket science - don't attack the short ball," Mukund told Jio Cinema after the second game in Indore on Sunday (Jan 14). Notably, Dube plays for MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in India's domestic T20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL). Also Read: Ind vs Afg: Jitesh Sharma's ticket for T20 World Cup has started getting printed, feels former Indian stumper Dube himself had credited Dhoni after his match-winning knock in the first game on January 11in Mohali. "I always keep talking to Mahi bhai. He is such a big legend. I always keep learning from him, by seeing him and observing him. He has told me a couple of things about my game. He always rates me, saying I play well. If he rates me, then that gives me motivation to keep playing well. Because of which, my confidence is very high," he had said on JioCinema. The all-rounder has also taken two wickets in the series, further strengthening his case for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in June later this year. With premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya still injured and no timeframe available for his return yet, Dube's performances backed by a strong upcoming IPL 2024 season could seem in India's squad for the T20 WC. He had also scored 418 runs in the last IPL season, scoring 418 in 16 games at an strike-rate of 158.33 during CSK's title-winning run.

How MS Dhoni’s ‘don’t attack’ advice changed Shivam Dube’s game

Sachin Tendulkar has called for action on a deepfake video that went viral on social media. The video shows Tendulkar endorsing a gaming app called "Skyward Aviator Quest". In the 30-second ad, Tendulkar can be heard speaking in Hindi.

Sachin Tendulkar calls for action on his deepfake video

Gujarat defended 109 runs on the final day of their Ranji Trophy (India's first-class tournament) match against Karnataka to register a stunning six-run victory on Monday (Jan 12). Karnataka, studded with India internationals namely skipper Mayank Agrawal, Manish Pandey and Devdutt Padikkal, collapsed from 50/0 to 103 all out - losing all 10 wickets in 17 overs. Gujarat spinner Siddharth Desai was the pick of the bowlers, taking 7/42 in 13 overs to help his team get six crucial points in Ahmedabad.

Chasing 110, Karnataka started in a hurry, reaching 50 in 9.1 overs as Agrawal scored 19 and Padikkal raced to 31 off just 29 balls before Desai struck. It went all downhill from there for Karnataka as no other batter could get into double figures except Shubham Hegde, who scored 27. Apart from Desai, Rinkesh Vaghela took the remaining wickets and finished with 3/38.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/bbcs-gary-lineker-lands-in-trouble-after-resharing-x-post-on-israel-exclusion-from-international-football-680136">BBC's Gary Lineker lands in trouble after resharing X post on Israel exclusion from international football</a>

The pitch in Ahmedabad took vicious turn as Desai spun Gujarat to victory in one of the most prolific spells of the Ranji Trophy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also shared a post on its official X handle showing highlights of Desai's spell. Have a look at it below:

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I.C.Y.M.I 
 
7⭐️ performance! 🔥 
 
Siddharth Desai's splendid seven-wicket haul helped Gujarat pull off a spectacular win over Karnataka. 👌👌 
 
Relive this special spell of 7/42 🔽<a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanjiTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RanjiTrophy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GUJvKAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GUJvKAR</a> <a href="https://t.co/PYnbOh0CVZ">pic.twitter.com/PYnbOh0CVZ</a>
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic/status/1746799030582288835?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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As for the match, Gujarat had batted first on their home ground and managed 264 runs in the first innings with Kshitij Patel scoring 95. For Karnataka, Vasuki Koushik took 4/49 in the first innings.

The visitors, thanks to 109 by skipper Agarwal's 109 and Pandey's 88, posted 374 runs - taking a lead of 110 runs. Gujarat's second innings also saw only two batters doing bulk of the scoring as the pitch deteriorated. Manan Hingrajia and Umang Kumar scored 56 and 57, respectively as the home scored 219 runs - setting a target of 110 for Karnataka.&nbsp;

Gujarat defended 109 runs on the final day of their Ranji Trophy (India's first-class tournament) match against Karnataka to register a stunning six-run victory on Monday (Jan 12).

Gujarat defended 109 runs on the final day of their Ranji Trophy (India's first-class tournament) match against Karnataka to register a stunning six-run victory on Monday (Jan 12). Karnataka, studded with India internationals namely skipper Mayank Agrawal, Manish Pandey and Devdutt Padikkal, collapsed from 50/0 to 103 all out - losing all 10 wickets in 17 overs. Gujarat spinner Siddharth Desai was the pick of the bowlers, taking 7/42 in 13 overs to help his team get six crucial points in Ahmedabad. Chasing 110, Karnataka started in a hurry, reaching 50 in 9.1 overs as Agrawal scored 19 and Padikkal raced to 31 off just 29 balls before Desai struck. It went all downhill from there for Karnataka as no other batter could get into double figures except Shubham Hegde, who scored 27. Apart from Desai, Rinkesh Vaghela took the remaining wickets and finished with 3/38. Also Read: BBC's Gary Lineker lands in trouble after resharing X post on Israel exclusion from international football The pitch in Ahmedabad took vicious turn as Desai spun Gujarat to victory in one of the most prolific spells of the Ranji Trophy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also shared a post on its official X handle showing highlights of Desai's spell. Have a look at it below: I.C.Y.M.I 7⭐️ performance! 🔥 Siddharth Desai's splendid seven-wicket haul helped Gujarat pull off a spectacular win over Karnataka. 👌👌 Relive this special spell of 7/42 🔽@IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy | #GUJvKAR pic.twitter.com/PYnbOh0CVZ — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 15, 2024 × As for the match, Gujarat had batted first on their home ground and managed 264 runs in the first innings with Kshitij Patel scoring 95. For Karnataka, Vasuki Koushik took 4/49 in the first innings. The visitors, thanks to 109 by skipper Agarwal's 109 and Pandey's 88, posted 374 runs - taking a lead of 110 runs. Gujarat's second innings also saw only two batters doing bulk of the scoring as the pitch deteriorated. Manan Hingrajia and Umang Kumar scored 56 and 57, respectively as the home scored 219 runs - setting a target of 110 for Karnataka.

Siddharth Desai takes seven-for as Gujarat defend 109 against Karnataka in Ranji Trophy - WATCH

Angelo Mathews, who made a return to Sri Lanka's T20 side with a bang in the first match against Zimbabwe, has hit out at former selectors for keeping him out of the team. Mathews, who won Player of the Match for his unbeaten 46 on Sunday (Jan 13) in Colombo, was playing his first T20I since 2021. Mathews' innings helped the island nation chase down 144 despite some hiccups and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with a three-wicket win.

Talking after the game, Mathews said that his exclusion from the T20Is was driven by agendas and no proper reason was given to him by the Pramodya Wickramasinghe-led selection panel.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-afg-rohit-sharma-becomes-batter-with-joint-second-most-ducks-in-t20is-after-flop-show-in-indore-680042">Ind vs Afg: Rohit Sharma registers joint second-most ducks in T20Is after flop show in Indore</a>

"In the last two Lanka Premier League (LPL) seasons I batted and bowled well, but unfortunately I wasn't selected for the T20 World Cups, and I wasn't given reasons for that," Mathews said after winning the Player-of-the-Match trophy. "If you take decisions that are driven by agendas, these kinds of things can happen - we haven't even qualified for the Champions Trophy.

"But one thing I believe is that if you train and play wholeheartedly, you can create an environment for yourself where you can perform. I kept my efforts up over the last couple of years. I think I can play for a little while longer," he added.

The newly-appointed selection committee headed by Upul Tharanga, however, has Mathews in its plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

"The communication with me and the new selectors is quite clear. They asked me what my plans were for the future and [told me] their plans as well. We had a very good discussion. They said that I'm in their plans for the T20 World Cup, and if I could bowl a few overs. I said: 'Absolutely - if I can help the team in any way'," said Mathews.

As for the match, skipper Sikandar Raza led the charge for Zimbabwe with 42-ball 62 but couldn't get much support from others. Maheesh Theekshana and new Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga bowled the spells of 2/16 and 2/19, respectively to keep the visitors in check at 143/5 in 20 overs.

During the chase, Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother with six wickets down for 83 runs, but Mathews kept the innings going along with former skipper Dasun Shanaka (unbeaten 26 off 18). It was, however, Dushmantha Chameera, who scored the final six runs off the last two balls to take the team home after Mathews got out on the fourth ball of the last over.

The second T20I will be played on Tuesday (January 16) in Colombo.

Angelo Mathews, who made a return to Sri Lanka's T20 side with a bang in the first match against Zimbabwe, has hit out at former selectors for keeping him out of the team.

Angelo Mathews, who made a return to Sri Lanka's T20 side with a bang in the first match against Zimbabwe, has hit out at former selectors for keeping him out of the team. Mathews, who won Player of the Match for his unbeaten 46 on Sunday (Jan 13) in Colombo, was playing his first T20I since 2021. Mathews' innings helped the island nation chase down 144 despite some hiccups and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with a three-wicket win. Talking after the game, Mathews said that his exclusion from the T20Is was driven by agendas and no proper reason was given to him by the Pramodya Wickramasinghe-led selection panel. Also Read: Ind vs Afg: Rohit Sharma registers joint second-most ducks in T20Is after flop show in Indore "In the last two Lanka Premier League (LPL) seasons I batted and bowled well, but unfortunately I wasn't selected for the T20 World Cups, and I wasn't given reasons for that," Mathews said after winning the Player-of-the-Match trophy. "If you take decisions that are driven by agendas, these kinds of things can happen - we haven't even qualified for the Champions Trophy. "But one thing I believe is that if you train and play wholeheartedly, you can create an environment for yourself where you can perform. I kept my efforts up over the last couple of years. I think I can play for a little while longer," he added. The newly-appointed selection committee headed by Upul Tharanga, however, has Mathews in its plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup. "The communication with me and the new selectors is quite clear. They asked me what my plans were for the future and [told me] their plans as well. We had a very good discussion. They said that I'm in their plans for the T20 World Cup, and if I could bowl a few overs. I said: 'Absolutely - if I can help the team in any way'," said Mathews. As for the match, skipper Sikandar Raza led the charge for Zimbabwe with 42-ball 62 but couldn't get much support from others. Maheesh Theekshana and new Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga bowled the spells of 2/16 and 2/19, respectively to keep the visitors in check at 143/5 in 20 overs. During the chase, Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother with six wickets down for 83 runs, but Mathews kept the innings going along with former skipper Dasun Shanaka (unbeaten 26 off 18). It was, however, Dushmantha Chameera, who scored the final six runs off the last two balls to take the team home after Mathews got out on the fourth ball of the last over. The second T20I will be played on Tuesday (January 16) in Colombo.

Returning Sri Lanka all-rounder Angelo Mathews hits out at former selectors for keeping him out of T20 side

India's upcoming home Test series against England will see&nbsp;turning pitches being offered to play. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named four spinners in the squad announced for the first two Tests to exploit the conditions. The squad, led by Rohit Sharma, also has three wicketkeepers in KL Rahul, KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel. While Rahul kept wickets in India's recent Test series in South Africa, Bharat is expected to do the job against England.

As per a report in the news outlet Indian Express, the team won't be taking any chances on the turning pitches juxtaposed to South Africa tour where the ball bounced quite a lot.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ishan-kishan-contemplates-after-test-squad-exclusion-from-england-series-watch-679697">Ishan Kishan shares ‘meditation, exercise’ video after exclusion from England Test series squad - WATCH</a>

“The Indian team will once again be playing on a turner track, and the team management felt that specialist spinners should handle the job at home. The team has many quality spinners, and the team won’t take any chances, especially when the pitch being offered will be a turner,” said a BCCI source to the Indian Express.

Meanwhile, England's red-ball vice-captain Ollie Pope has conceded that there's going to be 'outside noise' about the pitches on their upcoming Test tour of India.

“There will be a lot of outside noise,” Pope said while talking to the Guardian.

“And pitches can be a massive talking point. But you have to remember the two teams are playing on the exact same wicket, so we just need to be as well equipped as we can,” he added further.

England will be playing five Tests on the tour which begins on January 25 in Hyderabad.

England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood

India squad (first two Tests): Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan

India's upcoming home Test series against England will see turning pitches being offered to play. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named four spinners in the squad announced for the first two Tests to exploit the conditions.

India's upcoming home Test series against England will see turning pitches being offered to play. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named four spinners in the squad announced for the first two Tests to exploit the conditions. The squad, led by Rohit Sharma, also has three wicketkeepers in KL Rahul, KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel. While Rahul kept wickets in India's recent Test series in South Africa, Bharat is expected to do the job against England. As per a report in the news outlet Indian Express, the team won't be taking any chances on the turning pitches juxtaposed to South Africa tour where the ball bounced quite a lot. Also Read: Ishan Kishan shares ‘meditation, exercise’ video after exclusion from England Test series squad - WATCH “The Indian team will once again be playing on a turner track, and the team management felt that specialist spinners should handle the job at home. The team has many quality spinners, and the team won’t take any chances, especially when the pitch being offered will be a turner,” said a BCCI source to the Indian Express. Meanwhile, England's red-ball vice-captain Ollie Pope has conceded that there's going to be 'outside noise' about the pitches on their upcoming Test tour of India. “There will be a lot of outside noise,” Pope said while talking to the Guardian. “And pitches can be a massive talking point. But you have to remember the two teams are playing on the exact same wicket, so we just need to be as well equipped as we can,” he added further. England will be playing five Tests on the tour which begins on January 25 in Hyderabad. England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood India squad (first two Tests): Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan

India, England Tests to be played on 'turner' pitches, says report

New Zealand's Tim Southee has become the first bowler to reach 150 wickets in T20I cricket. Southee reached the milestone during the first T20I against Pakistan on January 12 in Auckland. Southee had 147 wickets in 117 matches ahead of the game and he finished with 4/25 to create history. The bowler's historic performance also helped the Kiwis win the first ODI by 46 runs and take 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Southee now has 151 wickets in 118 matches - the most for any bowler in the T20Is. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is behind him with 140 wickets. Afghanistan T20I skipper Rashid Khan is&nbsp;third with 130 scalps and Southee's teammate Ish Sodhi is fourth with 127 wickets to his name. Sri Lanka's former pacer Lasith Malinga completes top five with 107 wickets to his name.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/sacked-pakistan-team-director-mickey-arthur-refutes-claims-of-being-online-coach-made-by-former-players-679582">Sacked Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur refutes claims of being 'online coach' made by former players</a>

The International Cricket Council (ICC) also shared a congratulatory posts on its official X handle for the Kiwi pacer. Have a look at the post below:

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Tim Southee became the first bowler to breach the 150-wicket barrier in men's T20Is 👏 
 
Details 👉 <a href="https://t.co/9vkxGBD0JQ">https://t.co/9vkxGBD0JQ</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvPAK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvPAK</a> <a href="https://t.co/F6DKpuk9S6">pic.twitter.com/F6DKpuk9S6</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1745868450621210655?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Southee, who made his debut for the Kiwis across formats in 2008, has been one of the champion players for them. He has played 96 Tests and 161 ODIs as well apart from 118 T20Is. The pacer has managed to take 374 Test wickets and 221 ODI wickets so far i his career.

In Tests, Southee (374) is second behind Richard Hadlee's 431 wickets on the list of most Test wickets for New Zealand. In ODIs, the veteran pacer is third overall behind Daniel Vettori (297) and Kyle Mills (240). Overall, Southee has the most international wickets for New Zealand - 746 in 375 matches (Tests + ODIs + T20Is).

As for the match, New Zealand scored 226/8 in their 20 overs while batting first with skipper Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell scoring 57 and 61, respectively.

In reply, former Pak skipper Babar Azam scored 57 but failed to help his team win as the visitors got all out for 180 in 18 overs.

New Zealand's Tim Southee has become the first bowler to reach 150 wickets in T20I cricket. Southee reached the milestone during the first T20I against Pakistan on January 12 in Auckland.

New Zealand's Tim Southee has become the first bowler to reach 150 wickets in T20I cricket. Southee reached the milestone during the first T20I against Pakistan on January 12 in Auckland. Southee had 147 wickets in 117 matches ahead of the game and he finished with 4/25 to create history. The bowler's historic performance also helped the Kiwis win the first ODI by 46 runs and take 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Southee now has 151 wickets in 118 matches - the most for any bowler in the T20Is. Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is behind him with 140 wickets. Afghanistan T20I skipper Rashid Khan is third with 130 scalps and Southee's teammate Ish Sodhi is fourth with 127 wickets to his name. Sri Lanka's former pacer Lasith Malinga completes top five with 107 wickets to his name. Also Read: Sacked Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur refutes claims of being 'online coach' made by former players The International Cricket Council (ICC) also shared a congratulatory posts on its official X handle for the Kiwi pacer. Have a look at the post below: Tim Southee became the first bowler to breach the 150-wicket barrier in men's T20Is 👏 Details 👉 https://t.co/9vkxGBD0JQ#NZvPAK pic.twitter.com/F6DKpuk9S6 — ICC (@ICC) January 12, 2024 × Southee, who made his debut for the Kiwis across formats in 2008, has been one of the champion players for them. He has played 96 Tests and 161 ODIs as well apart from 118 T20Is. The pacer has managed to take 374 Test wickets and 221 ODI wickets so far i his career. In Tests, Southee (374) is second behind Richard Hadlee's 431 wickets on the list of most Test wickets for New Zealand. In ODIs, the veteran pacer is third overall behind Daniel Vettori (297) and Kyle Mills (240). Overall, Southee has the most international wickets for New Zealand - 746 in 375 matches (Tests + ODIs + T20Is). As for the match, New Zealand scored 226/8 in their 20 overs while batting first with skipper Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell scoring 57 and 61, respectively. In reply, former Pak skipper Babar Azam scored 57 but failed to help his team win as the visitors got all out for 180 in 18 overs.

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee creates history, becomes first player to take 150 T20I wickets

<h2>India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Live Streaming:&nbsp;</h2>

 
Here are the live streaming and telecast details of the 1st T20I between India and Afghanistan at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

 
Captain Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team is all set to face Ibrahim Zadran-led Afghanistan for the first T20 international match of the three-match series in Mohali on 11 January. This is the first bilateral series between the two teams. The match is scheduled to start at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT).

Head coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed in the pre-match press conference that captain Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal will be the two openers for India. This means Shubman Gill could certainly fail to find a place in India Playing 11 vs Afghanistan today. It remains to be seen whether Sanju Samson will get the chance in India Playing 11. &nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-afghanistan-1st-t20i-match-preview-and-result-prediction-678829">India vs Afghanistan 2024, 1st T20I: Match preview and result prediction</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/tiger-woods-nike-part-ways-after-27-years-678134/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
India Vs Afghanistan: Head-to-head: Before the first bilateral series, both India and Afghanistan faced each other three times in the T20 World Cups and once in the Asia Cup, where India won all four matches.

<h2>India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Live Streaming Details:</h2>

<h2>When will the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match begin?</h2>

The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will take place on January 11.

<h2>What time will the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match begin?</h2>

The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will begin at 7:00 PM IST.

<h2>Where will the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match take place?</h2>

The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will take place at Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali

<h2>Where can we watch the live broadcast of the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match on television in India?</h2>

 
The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will be broadcast live on Sports18.

<h2>Where can we livestream the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match?</h2>

The live streaming of the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will be available on Jio Cinema.

India Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi

Afghanistan Squad: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran (Captain), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Qais Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Karim Janat, Ikram Alikhil, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shimron-hetmyer-dropped-as-west-indies-pick-t20i-odi-squads-for-australia-series-678848">Shimron Hetmyer dropped as West Indies pick T20I, ODI squads for Australia series</a>

(With Inputs from agencies)

India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Live Streaming: Here are the live streaming and telecast details of the 1st T20I between India and Afghanistan at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Live Streaming: Here are the live streaming and telecast details of the 1st T20I between India and Afghanistan at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. Captain Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team is all set to face Ibrahim Zadran-led Afghanistan for the first T20 international match of the three-match series in Mohali on 11 January. This is the first bilateral series between the two teams. The match is scheduled to start at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT). Head coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed in the pre-match press conference that captain Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal will be the two openers for India. This means Shubman Gill could certainly fail to find a place in India Playing 11 vs Afghanistan today. It remains to be seen whether Sanju Samson will get the chance in India Playing 11. Also read | India vs Afghanistan 2024, 1st T20I: Match preview and result prediction India Vs Afghanistan: Head-to-head: Before the first bilateral series, both India and Afghanistan faced each other three times in the T20 World Cups and once in the Asia Cup, where India won all four matches. India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Live Streaming Details: When will the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match begin? The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will take place on January 11. What time will the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match begin? The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will begin at 7:00 PM IST. Where will the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match take place? The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will take place at Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium in Mohali Where can we watch the live broadcast of the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match on television in India? The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will be broadcast live on Sports18. Where can we livestream the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match? The live streaming of the India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I match will be available on Jio Cinema. India Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi Afghanistan Squad: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran (Captain), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Qais Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Karim Janat, Ikram Alikhil, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib Also read | Shimron Hetmyer dropped as West Indies pick T20I, ODI squads for Australia series (With Inputs from agencies)

India vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I, Live Streaming: When and where to watch IND vs AFG cricket match on TV

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik will be joining England Lions' coaching staff for the first nine days of their upcoming tour of India. The Lions will be playing one tour match and three unofficial Tests against India A from January 12 to February 4 in Ahmedabad. The Lions' tour overlaps with Ben Stokes-led England senior squad's five-Test series against India which starts from January 25.

This is the first time Karthik will be performing a role in coaching staff. His role would be of a batting consultant from January 10-18 during which he will impart wisdom about Indian conditions and pitches to England Lions players. Karthik, who now has a successful career as a commentator, last played a Test for India in 2018. His 26-Test long career which spanned from 2004 to 2018, includes two tours of England - in 2007 and 2018.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-to-miss-indias-first-t20i-against-afghanistan-678675">Virat Kohli to miss India's first T20I against Afghanistan</a>

"It's great to have such a strong coaching group supporting our players for what should be an exciting challenge versus India A," England Men's Performance Director Mo Bobat said an ECB release. "The group has a deep and diverse set of experiences and expertise.

"It's fantastic to have Dinesh Karthik with us for a part of our prep period and leading into the first Test. I'm sure the lads will love spending time with him and benefiting from his experience of what it takes to be successful at Test level in India," he added.

Apart from Karthik, the support staff includes five more people: Neil Killeen – Head Coach, Richard Dawson – Assistant Coach (10th – 19th January), Carl Hopkinson – Assistant Coach, Ian Bell – Batting Consultant (From 18 January) and Graeme Swann – Mentor.

England Lions squad: &nbsp;Josh Bohannon (capt), Kasey Aldridge, Brydon Carse, Jack Carson, James Coles, Matt Fisher, Keaton Jennings, Tom Lawes, Alex Lees, Dan Mousley, Callum Parkinson, Matt Potts, Ollie Price, James Rew, Ollie Robinson

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik will be joining England Lions' coaching staff for the first nine days of their upcoming tour of India. The Lions will be playing one tour match and three unofficial Tests against India A from January 12 to February 4 in Ahmedabad.

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik will be joining England Lions' coaching staff for the first nine days of their upcoming tour of India. The Lions will be playing one tour match and three unofficial Tests against India A from January 12 to February 4 in Ahmedabad. The Lions' tour overlaps with Ben Stokes-led England senior squad's five-Test series against India which starts from January 25. This is the first time Karthik will be performing a role in coaching staff. His role would be of a batting consultant from January 10-18 during which he will impart wisdom about Indian conditions and pitches to England Lions players. Karthik, who now has a successful career as a commentator, last played a Test for India in 2018. His 26-Test long career which spanned from 2004 to 2018, includes two tours of England - in 2007 and 2018. Also Read: Virat Kohli to miss India's first T20I against Afghanistan "It's great to have such a strong coaching group supporting our players for what should be an exciting challenge versus India A," England Men's Performance Director Mo Bobat said an ECB release. "The group has a deep and diverse set of experiences and expertise. "It's fantastic to have Dinesh Karthik with us for a part of our prep period and leading into the first Test. I'm sure the lads will love spending time with him and benefiting from his experience of what it takes to be successful at Test level in India," he added. Apart from Karthik, the support staff includes five more people: Neil Killeen – Head Coach, Richard Dawson – Assistant Coach (10th – 19th January), Carl Hopkinson – Assistant Coach, Ian Bell – Batting Consultant (From 18 January) and Graeme Swann – Mentor. England Lions squad: Josh Bohannon (capt), Kasey Aldridge, Brydon Carse, Jack Carson, James Coles, Matt Fisher, Keaton Jennings, Tom Lawes, Alex Lees, Dan Mousley, Callum Parkinson, Matt Potts, Ollie Price, James Rew, Ollie Robinson

India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik joins coaching staff of England A team

India batter Virat Kohli will not be available for selection in the first T20I against Afghanistan, confirmed coach Rahul Dravid on Wednesday (January 10). Dravid made the comments at the press conference ahead of the match which is scheduled to played on January 11 in Mohali. Kohli, who made a comeback to the T20 side for the first time since 2022 World Cup, has opted out of selection due to personal reasons.

Kohli, however, would be available for selection in the next two T20Is which are scheduled to be played on January 14 and 17, confirmed Dravid. In Kohli's absence, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh both can feature in the playing XI.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/shocking-says-former-australia-player-tom-moody-on-overlooking-cameron-bancroft-for-west-indies-tests-678608">‘Shocking,’ says former Australia player Tom Moody on overlooking Cameron Bancroft for West Indies Tests</a>

Apart from Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma has also made a comeback to the shortest format since 2022 World Cup semi-final against England. Absence of key players namely Hardik Pandya (injured), Suryakumar Yadav (injured), KL Rahul (not selected), and Shreyas Iyer (not selected) may have prompted the selectors to bring back the two veterans for the T20Is.

For Afghanistan, their skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/afghanistan-skipper-rashid-khan-ruled-out-of-t20is-against-india-678669">Rashid Khan&nbsp;has also been ruled out</a> of the series as he recovers from the back injury. Ibrahim Zadran, who had led Afghans in the recently-concluded UAE T20Is, has been named the skipper for India games as well.

The home series against Afghanistan is India's last international assignment in the T20Is before the T20 World Cup in June later this year. The Indian players will then play the domestic T20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) as well. Rohit plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL while Kohli has been with Royal Challengers Bangalore since inception of the league in 2008.

Both Rohit and Kohli may have not played in the T20Is in recent times but their performance in other formats including in the ODI World Cup surely makes India as one of the favourites to win the tournament with them in the squad.

India batter Virat Kohli will not be available for selection in the first T20I against Afghanistan, confirmed coach Rahul Dravid on Wednesday (January 10). Dravid made the comments at the press conference ahead of the match which is scheduled to played on January 11 in Mohali.

India batter Virat Kohli will not be available for selection in the first T20I against Afghanistan, confirmed coach Rahul Dravid on Wednesday (January 10). Dravid made the comments at the press conference ahead of the match which is scheduled to played on January 11 in Mohali. Kohli, who made a comeback to the T20 side for the first time since 2022 World Cup, has opted out of selection due to personal reasons. Kohli, however, would be available for selection in the next two T20Is which are scheduled to be played on January 14 and 17, confirmed Dravid. In Kohli's absence, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh both can feature in the playing XI. Also Read: ‘Shocking,’ says former Australia player Tom Moody on overlooking Cameron Bancroft for West Indies Tests Apart from Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma has also made a comeback to the shortest format since 2022 World Cup semi-final against England. Absence of key players namely Hardik Pandya (injured), Suryakumar Yadav (injured), KL Rahul (not selected), and Shreyas Iyer (not selected) may have prompted the selectors to bring back the two veterans for the T20Is. For Afghanistan, their skipper Rashid Khan has also been ruled out of the series as he recovers from the back injury. Ibrahim Zadran, who had led Afghans in the recently-concluded UAE T20Is, has been named the skipper for India games as well. The home series against Afghanistan is India's last international assignment in the T20Is before the T20 World Cup in June later this year. The Indian players will then play the domestic T20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) as well. Rohit plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL while Kohli has been with Royal Challengers Bangalore since inception of the league in 2008. Both Rohit and Kohli may have not played in the T20Is in recent times but their performance in other formats including in the ODI World Cup surely makes India as one of the favourites to win the tournament with them in the squad.

Virat Kohli to miss India's first T20I against Afghanistan

Afghanistan's designated T20I skipper Rashid Khan has been ruled of the upcoming three-match series against India. The spinner was initially included in the squad, however, he was anyway not expected to play before the confirmation on his absence from the series. Rashid is still recovering from the lower-back surgery done after the ODI World Cup which concluded in November 2023. The surgery also ruled him out of Australia's Big Bash League (BBL) and South Africa's SA20 tournament as well.

Afghanistan had named Ibrahim Zadran as Rashid's replacement as the skipper for the series at the time of squad announcement. Zadran had also led the Afghans in the recently-concluded UAE series as well. Speaking on Rashid's absence, Zadran said: "He is not totally fit, but is travelling with the team."

"We hope that he gets fit as soon as we expect him to. He's doing his rehab with the doctor, and we will miss him in the series."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/shocking-says-former-australia-player-tom-moody-on-overlooking-cameron-bancroft-for-west-indies-tests-678608">‘Shocking,’ says former Australia player Tom Moody on overlooking Cameron Bancroft for West Indies Tests</a>

"Without Rashid, we will struggle but not that much because his experience is very important for all of us, but this is cricket and you should be ready for any kind of situation, " added the stand-in skipper.

The T20Is will be played on January 11, 14 and 17 in Mohali, Indore and Bengaluru, respectively.

Afghanistan have also recalled spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the upcoming series. Mujeeb was not part of Afghanistan's last T20I series in UAE as he was playing in BBL for Melbourne Renegades. His trip, however, was cut short after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revoked his No Objection Certificate (NoC) along with Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi.

The board since has relaxed its position and has allowed the trio limited NOCs to play in different leagues although with a pay cut.

Afghanistan squad: Ibrahim Zadran (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmaullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan.

Afghanistan's designated T20I skipper Rashid Khan has been ruled of the upcoming three-match series against India. The spinner was initially included in the squad, however, he was anyway not expected to play before the confirmation on his absence from the series.

Afghanistan's designated T20I skipper Rashid Khan has been ruled of the upcoming three-match series against India. The spinner was initially included in the squad, however, he was anyway not expected to play before the confirmation on his absence from the series. Rashid is still recovering from the lower-back surgery done after the ODI World Cup which concluded in November 2023. The surgery also ruled him out of Australia's Big Bash League (BBL) and South Africa's SA20 tournament as well. Afghanistan had named Ibrahim Zadran as Rashid's replacement as the skipper for the series at the time of squad announcement. Zadran had also led the Afghans in the recently-concluded UAE series as well. Speaking on Rashid's absence, Zadran said: "He is not totally fit, but is travelling with the team." "We hope that he gets fit as soon as we expect him to. He's doing his rehab with the doctor, and we will miss him in the series." Also Read: ‘Shocking,’ says former Australia player Tom Moody on overlooking Cameron Bancroft for West Indies Tests "Without Rashid, we will struggle but not that much because his experience is very important for all of us, but this is cricket and you should be ready for any kind of situation, " added the stand-in skipper. The T20Is will be played on January 11, 14 and 17 in Mohali, Indore and Bengaluru, respectively. Afghanistan have also recalled spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the upcoming series. Mujeeb was not part of Afghanistan's last T20I series in UAE as he was playing in BBL for Melbourne Renegades. His trip, however, was cut short after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revoked his No Objection Certificate (NoC) along with Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi. The board since has relaxed its position and has allowed the trio limited NOCs to play in different leagues although with a pay cut. Afghanistan squad: Ibrahim Zadran (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmaullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan.

Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan ruled out of T20Is against India

On Wednesday (Jan 10), a Nepal court sentenced former national captain Sandeep Lamichhane to eight years in prison for rape. Lamichhane, 23, has seen his life turn upside down after being accused of raping a young woman in a Kathmandu hotel.

Nepal's star cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane jailed for eight years for rape

Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has criticised India women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for her comments made after loss against Australia in second T20I. Ganesh didn't like Kaur's comment about youngster Shreyanka Patil who had bowled the penultimate over in the match on January 7 in Mumbai. Australia required 15 runs in the final two overs to win the game and were able to score all of them plus two more in Patil's over only.

"(While Bowling) we were getting those opportunities and taking wickets in the middle, that's a positive. If Shreyanka was on target in the 19th over, things would have been different but these close games help to identify areas to improve," Kaur had said at the post-match presentation.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/former-india-skipper-sunil-gavaskar-slams-sena-countries-for-double-standards-about-pitches-677785">Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar slams SENA countries for double-standards about pitches</a>

"We have played these games a lot of time but this time we have a few new faces, this young side is looking very positive and I'm sure they will keep improving," she added.

The 19-year-old had already given 23 runs in previous three overs before giving away 17 in the final one. Opining on Kaur's comment, Ganesh wrote on his official social media handle X: "Throwing a 19yo kid under the bus is not done."

As for the match, India batted first in the game and scored a modest 130/8 in 20 overs. Deepti Sharma top scored for India with 30 while Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana chipped in with 23 each. Apart from them, only Jemimah Rodrigues reached double figures, scoring 13 runs. For the Aussies, Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham took two wickets each while Ashleigh Gardner took one.

Chasing 131, Australia's run rate was kept in check throughout their innings. It was Ellyse Perry 34 not out of 21 balls which got them over the line. The three-match series now stands level at 1-1 with the third and final match scheduled to played on January 9 in Mumbai.

Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has criticised India women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for her comments made after loss against Australia in second T20I. Ganesh didn't like Kaur's comment about youngster Shreyanka Patil who had bowled the penultimate over in the match on January 7 in Mumbai.

Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has criticised India women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for her comments made after loss against Australia in second T20I. Ganesh didn't like Kaur's comment about youngster Shreyanka Patil who had bowled the penultimate over in the match on January 7 in Mumbai. Australia required 15 runs in the final two overs to win the game and were able to score all of them plus two more in Patil's over only. "(While Bowling) we were getting those opportunities and taking wickets in the middle, that's a positive. If Shreyanka was on target in the 19th over, things would have been different but these close games help to identify areas to improve," Kaur had said at the post-match presentation. Also Read: Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar slams SENA countries for double-standards about pitches "We have played these games a lot of time but this time we have a few new faces, this young side is looking very positive and I'm sure they will keep improving," she added. The 19-year-old had already given 23 runs in previous three overs before giving away 17 in the final one. Opining on Kaur's comment, Ganesh wrote on his official social media handle X: "Throwing a 19yo kid under the bus is not done." As for the match, India batted first in the game and scored a modest 130/8 in 20 overs. Deepti Sharma top scored for India with 30 while Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana chipped in with 23 each. Apart from them, only Jemimah Rodrigues reached double figures, scoring 13 runs. For the Aussies, Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham took two wickets each while Ashleigh Gardner took one. Chasing 131, Australia's run rate was kept in check throughout their innings. It was Ellyse Perry 34 not out of 21 balls which got them over the line. The three-match series now stands level at 1-1 with the third and final match scheduled to played on January 9 in Mumbai.

Former India pacer lashes out at women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for remarks post loss in 2nd T20I vs Australia

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the SENA (South Afrcia, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries for having double standards about the pitches. The comments come after India's second Test against South Africa in Cape Town got over inside two days. The Test, which India won by seven wickets, saw 23 wickets falling on the first day.

“These kind of excuses that the curator got it wrong is typical of the SENA countries,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for news outlet Mid-day.&nbsp;

“When our curators make a dry pitch then it’s ‘chicanery’, as a former Australian skipper said last year after the Aussies had been walloped in the first two Test matches," he added referring to Australia's tour of India in early 2023.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bcci-selectors-looking-beyond-wicketkeeper-ishan-kishan-in-t20is-says-report-677687">BCCI selectors 'looking beyond' wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan in T20Is, says report</a>

"So our groundsmen do it deliberately, but their groundsmen just get it wrong. It’s like before the third country umpires came in, where decisions by their umpires were excused as ‘human error’ while our umpires were cheats and ‘Delhi Butchers’ and all such derogatory headlines,” continued Gavaskar.

Notably, India skipper Rohit Sharma had also slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for pitch rating procedure after the Cape Town Test.&nbsp;

"It's okay for the ball to seam and swing from day one but not when it spins. In my opinion, this is unfair," Rohit had said.

India's next Test assignment is a five-Test home series against England and Gavaskar did not shy from throwing shades at the British media ahead of the tour.

“In about three weeks time another Test series starts with a country that has the biggest whingeing and moaning media in sport. Anything that doesn’t suit their team will be criticised and allegations will fly thick and fast,” he wrote.

England tour of India starts on January 25 with first Test set to be played in Hyderabad.

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the SENA (South Afrcia, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries for having double standards about the pitches.

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the SENA (South Afrcia, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries for having double standards about the pitches. The comments come after India's second Test against South Africa in Cape Town got over inside two days. The Test, which India won by seven wickets, saw 23 wickets falling on the first day. “These kind of excuses that the curator got it wrong is typical of the SENA countries,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for news outlet Mid-day. “When our curators make a dry pitch then it’s ‘chicanery’, as a former Australian skipper said last year after the Aussies had been walloped in the first two Test matches," he added referring to Australia's tour of India in early 2023. Also Read: BCCI selectors 'looking beyond' wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan in T20Is, says report "So our groundsmen do it deliberately, but their groundsmen just get it wrong. It’s like before the third country umpires came in, where decisions by their umpires were excused as ‘human error’ while our umpires were cheats and ‘Delhi Butchers’ and all such derogatory headlines,” continued Gavaskar. Notably, India skipper Rohit Sharma had also slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for pitch rating procedure after the Cape Town Test. "It's okay for the ball to seam and swing from day one but not when it spins. In my opinion, this is unfair," Rohit had said. India's next Test assignment is a five-Test home series against England and Gavaskar did not shy from throwing shades at the British media ahead of the tour. “In about three weeks time another Test series starts with a country that has the biggest whingeing and moaning media in sport. Anything that doesn’t suit their team will be criticised and allegations will fly thick and fast,” he wrote. England tour of India starts on January 25 with first Test set to be played in Hyderabad.

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar slams SENA countries for double-standards about pitches

England player Jonny Bairstow says that his priority is being fit and in form rather thinking about a spot in the playing XI on the upcoming tour of India. England are scheduled to play five Tests in India starting January 25. Bairstow and Ben Foakes are the two specialist wicketkeepers in Ben Stokes-led squad.

“I’ve not spoken to anyone about that. As long as I’m over there, as long as I’m fit and firing, the selection decisions will be taken out of my hands. But look, I’m fairly happy with where I’m at, whether I’m keeping, batting, or whatever it is,” he said while talking to Sky Sports.

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The Englishman also spoke about the pitches in India and opined that rank turners will negate advantages for India's seam attack. Notably, India pacers have been very potent in the recent times, most recently in South Africa Test series which stood drawn at 1-1.

The wicketkeeper-batter, however, acknowledged that the pitches in India will turn for sure.

“Look, I’m sure the pitches will turn: it’s whether or not they’ll turn from day one, which potentially negates a bit of their strength in their seam attack. We know how strong they are," said Bairstow.

“India can produce different pitches: it doesn’t have to turn. We’ve seen how potent their seam attack has been recently,” he added.

England had lost the last series in India 1-3 despites winning the opening Test in Chennai. There was a lot of criticism around the pitches that time as well.

As for the tour, Hyderabad will be hosting the first Test before the teams move to Visakhapatnam for the second Test from February 2. The next three Tests will be played in Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala from February 15, February 23 and March 7, respectively.

England’s squad for India Tests –

Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root and Mark Wood&nbsp;

England player Jonny Bairstow says that his priority is being fit and in form rather thinking about a spot in the playing XI on the upcoming tour of India. England are scheduled to play five Tests in India starting January 25.

England player Jonny Bairstow says that his priority is being fit and in form rather thinking about a spot in the playing XI on the upcoming tour of India. England are scheduled to play five Tests in India starting January 25. Bairstow and Ben Foakes are the two specialist wicketkeepers in Ben Stokes-led squad. “I’ve not spoken to anyone about that. As long as I’m over there, as long as I’m fit and firing, the selection decisions will be taken out of my hands. But look, I’m fairly happy with where I’m at, whether I’m keeping, batting, or whatever it is,” he said while talking to Sky Sports. Also Read: England Test Team to carry own chef on seven-week long India tour The Englishman also spoke about the pitches in India and opined that rank turners will negate advantages for India's seam attack. Notably, India pacers have been very potent in the recent times, most recently in South Africa Test series which stood drawn at 1-1. The wicketkeeper-batter, however, acknowledged that the pitches in India will turn for sure. “Look, I’m sure the pitches will turn: it’s whether or not they’ll turn from day one, which potentially negates a bit of their strength in their seam attack. We know how strong they are," said Bairstow. “India can produce different pitches: it doesn’t have to turn. We’ve seen how potent their seam attack has been recently,” he added. England had lost the last series in India 1-3 despites winning the opening Test in Chennai. There was a lot of criticism around the pitches that time as well. As for the tour, Hyderabad will be hosting the first Test before the teams move to Visakhapatnam for the second Test from February 2. The next three Tests will be played in Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala from February 15, February 23 and March 7, respectively. England’s squad for India Tests – Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root and Mark Wood

England player Jonny Bairstow sets 'being fit and firing' as priority on upcoming India tour

Australia opener David Warner, who retired from Tests after the 3-0 series win against Pakistan on January 6, has said that he's looking forward to his new role as a commentator. Warner made the comments after the third Test against Pak got over in Sydney - his home ground. The southpaw, however, said that he's keen to play in domestic T20 tournament Big Bash League (BBL).

"I definitely am keen to pursue playing Big Bash next year," he said. "There's going to be conversations behind the scenes to allow me to do that. Obviously, I've joined the Fox commentary team next year during the Test series against India, which I'm looking forward to," added Warner.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/jamal-shouldve-bowled-earlier-says-pak-director-of-cricket-hafeez-after-loss-in-third-test-vs-australia-677164">'Jamal should've bowled earlier,' says Pak team director Hafeez after loss in third Test vs Australia</a>

The left-hand batter plays for Sydney Thunder currently and is expected to play in their last three regular season games. Warner, although said that he'd play only if he's not upsetting the balance of the team.

"There's a BBL window that we're able to play…so I would like to play that in and around the commentary stuff. I've just got to make sure that I'm, one, playing to the best of my ability and, two, not hindering the team's performances or upsetting the balance of the team."

Warner, while announcing the retirement from Tests and ODIs, kept the door open to return in case his services are required for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. The batter also said that he'd be ending his international career after the T20 World Cup which is scheduled in June this year.

"That [the T20 World Cup] was my finishing goal if I wasn't getting to here [to Sydney]," he said. "That was my last hurrah, the Twenty20s. I started my career in Twenty20 cricket and will finish my career in Twenty20 cricket. Think it's fitting. I really enjoy the game but most importantly I want to win another World Cup for Australia."

Australia opener David Warner, who retired from Tests after the 3-0 series win against Pakistan on January 6, has said that he's looking forward to his new role as a commentator.

Australia opener David Warner, who retired from Tests after the 3-0 series win against Pakistan on January 6, has said that he's looking forward to his new role as a commentator. Warner made the comments after the third Test against Pak got over in Sydney - his home ground. The southpaw, however, said that he's keen to play in domestic T20 tournament Big Bash League (BBL). "I definitely am keen to pursue playing Big Bash next year," he said. "There's going to be conversations behind the scenes to allow me to do that. Obviously, I've joined the Fox commentary team next year during the Test series against India, which I'm looking forward to," added Warner. Also Read: 'Jamal should've bowled earlier,' says Pak team director Hafeez after loss in third Test vs Australia The left-hand batter plays for Sydney Thunder currently and is expected to play in their last three regular season games. Warner, although said that he'd play only if he's not upsetting the balance of the team. "There's a BBL window that we're able to play…so I would like to play that in and around the commentary stuff. I've just got to make sure that I'm, one, playing to the best of my ability and, two, not hindering the team's performances or upsetting the balance of the team." Warner, while announcing the retirement from Tests and ODIs, kept the door open to return in case his services are required for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. The batter also said that he'd be ending his international career after the T20 World Cup which is scheduled in June this year. "That [the T20 World Cup] was my finishing goal if I wasn't getting to here [to Sydney]," he said. "That was my last hurrah, the Twenty20s. I started my career in Twenty20 cricket and will finish my career in Twenty20 cricket. Think it's fitting. I really enjoy the game but most importantly I want to win another World Cup for Australia."

Retired David Warner ‘looking forward’ to his new role as commentator during India Test series

India veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara entered the record books with his 17th double hundred in first-class cricket. Pujara reached the milestone against Jharkhand on January 7 while batting for Saurashtra in the opening round of Ranji Trophy - India's premier domestic tournament. With the double ton, Pujara also drew equal with Englishmen Herbert Sutcliffe and Mark Ramprakash, both of whom have 17 double hundreds each.&nbsp;

Overall, the India batter is joint fourth on the list of most double hundreds in first-class cricket behind Aussie Don Bradman (37), Wally Hammond (36) and Patsy Hendren (22), both from England.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-are-powerhouse-ravi-ashwin-slams-ex-england-skipper-michael-vaughan-for-underachieving-side-comment-677405">Ravi Ashwin slams ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan for 'underachieving side' comment</a>

The double hundred was Pujara's eighth in the Ranji Trophy - second only to Paras Dogra's nine. In international Tests, Pujara has scored three double hundreds. His rest of six double tons have come in various domestic tournaments across the world including English county cricket.

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𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗮! 💯💯 
 
A spectacular 2⃣0⃣0⃣ in Rajkot from the Saurashtra batter! 👏👏 
 
Follow the match ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/xYOBkksyYt">https://t.co/xYOBkksyYt</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanjiTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RanjiTrophy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAUvJHA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAUvJHA</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/saucricket?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@saucricket</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/cheteshwar1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cheteshwar1</a> <a href="https://t.co/ofLZSf2qcl">pic.twitter.com/ofLZSf2qcl</a>
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic/status/1743876540402991291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The double ton comes at a time for Pujara when he is looking to make a comeback in the Indian team. The batter last played a Test for India in June 2023 - the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 against Australia. He could not make an impact in the game, scoring 14 and 27 in two innings as India lost by 209 runs.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) then dropped the batter for the next two series - against West Indies in July 2023 and against South Africa which concluded recently. Shubman Gill was given Pujara's number three position in both the series as Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the batting alongside skipper Rohit Sharma.

Overall, Pujara has been an stalwart for the Indian cricket in Tests. He has played 103 Tests in career so far, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60 with 19 hundreds and 35 fifties.

India's next Test assignment is a five-match series at home against England from January 25. With at least two more Ranji games to follow before the squad for England Tests are announced, Pujara would be hoping to put up a show in his bid to make a comeback.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

India veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara entered the record books with his 17th double hundred in first-class cricket. Pujara reached the milestone against Jharkhand on January 7 while batting for Saurashtra in the opening round of Ranji Trophy - India's premier domestic tournament.

India veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara entered the record books with his 17th double hundred in first-class cricket. Pujara reached the milestone against Jharkhand on January 7 while batting for Saurashtra in the opening round of Ranji Trophy - India's premier domestic tournament. With the double ton, Pujara also drew equal with Englishmen Herbert Sutcliffe and Mark Ramprakash, both of whom have 17 double hundreds each. Overall, the India batter is joint fourth on the list of most double hundreds in first-class cricket behind Aussie Don Bradman (37), Wally Hammond (36) and Patsy Hendren (22), both from England. Also Read: Ravi Ashwin slams ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan for 'underachieving side' comment The double hundred was Pujara's eighth in the Ranji Trophy - second only to Paras Dogra's nine. In international Tests, Pujara has scored three double hundreds. His rest of six double tons have come in various domestic tournaments across the world including English county cricket. 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗮! 💯💯 A spectacular 2⃣0⃣0⃣ in Rajkot from the Saurashtra batter! 👏👏 Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/xYOBkksyYt#RanjiTrophy | #SAUvJHA | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @saucricket | @cheteshwar1 pic.twitter.com/ofLZSf2qcl — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 7, 2024 × The double ton comes at a time for Pujara when he is looking to make a comeback in the Indian team. The batter last played a Test for India in June 2023 - the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 against Australia. He could not make an impact in the game, scoring 14 and 27 in two innings as India lost by 209 runs. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) then dropped the batter for the next two series - against West Indies in July 2023 and against South Africa which concluded recently. Shubman Gill was given Pujara's number three position in both the series as Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the batting alongside skipper Rohit Sharma. Overall, Pujara has been an stalwart for the Indian cricket in Tests. He has played 103 Tests in career so far, scoring 7,195 runs at an average of 43.60 with 19 hundreds and 35 fifties. India's next Test assignment is a five-match series at home against England from January 25. With at least two more Ranji games to follow before the squad for England Tests are announced, Pujara would be hoping to put up a show in his bid to make a comeback.

India batter Cheteshwar Pujara enters record books with 17th double hundred in first-class cricket - WATCH

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