India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya opened up about his cricket journey as he said that he played in every local tournament to show his "worth" to the world. Crediting his father,&nbsp;whom he lost earlier this year, for his success, Pandya revealed his father had "tremendous faith" in his abilities and that's why he never stopped him from playing cricket.&nbsp;

Hardik is part of India's 15-member squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which is underway in Dubai as India is preparing to begin their campaign against Pakistan on October 24.&nbsp;

In a video shared on the official Instagram page Dream 11, Pandya said, "Dad ne mere liye ek bada step liya tha and I had to repay his faith. I played in every local tournament to show my worth to the world."

"In such tournaments, those who remained not out till the end were given some prize money. I made sure to win it every time. These small wins contributed towards my big dream of playing for India. The day I got my India debut, I felt I had repaid my father’s sacrifices a tiny bit," he added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-wc-aakash-chopra-reveals-big-concern-ahead-of-indias-high-octane-clash-against-arch-rivals-pakistan-422741">T20 WC: Aakash Chopra reveals 'big concern' ahead of India's high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan</a>

Pandya further said, "My father had tremendous faith in my abilities. That’s why he never stopped me from playing cricket. He did something no father would do. He shut everything in Surat and moved to Vadodara. We shifted there kyunki wahan pe young cricketers had better opportunities."

The inclusion of Pandya in the squad has been debated by critics and fans also. Cricket pundits had suggested a rejig in the Indian squad, however, the team management has repeatedly stated that Pandya's bowling is crucial for the team's balance.

The concerns further raised as during the recently concluded IPL 2021 campaign, Pandya didn't bowl a single over during Mumbai Indians' campaign.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-world-cup-shakib-al-hasan-shines-as-bangladesh-beat-png-to-qualify-for-super-12-422727">T20 World Cup: Shakib Al Hasan shines as Bangladesh beat PNG to qualify for Super 12</a>

However, commenting on Pandya's availability, Indian vice-captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday (October 20) said that the all-rounder is expected to be "ready" to bowl when the team starts its T20 World Cup campaign.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
"Hardik is coming along pretty well, but it'll be a while before he will start to bowl. He hasn't started bowling, but he should be ready by the start of the tournament," said Rohit at the toss for the warm-up match against Australia that India won by nine wickets.

During the warm-up match against Australia, India registered a convincing nine-wicket win while chasing 153. Pandya (14 not out off 8) came at four to finish the game and he did it with a clean hit over the bowler's head.

India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya opened up about his cricket journey as he said that he played in every local tournament to show his "worth" to the world. Crediting his father, whom he lost earlier this year, for his success, Pandya revealed his father had "tremendous faith" in his abilities and that's why he never stopped him from playing cricket.

India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya opened up about his cricket journey as he said that he played in every local tournament to show his "worth" to the world. Crediting his father, whom he lost earlier this year, for his success, Pandya revealed his father had "tremendous faith" in his abilities and that's why he never stopped him from playing cricket. Hardik is part of India's 15-member squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which is underway in Dubai as India is preparing to begin their campaign against Pakistan on October 24. In a video shared on the official Instagram page Dream 11, Pandya said, "Dad ne mere liye ek bada step liya tha and I had to repay his faith. I played in every local tournament to show my worth to the world." "In such tournaments, those who remained not out till the end were given some prize money. I made sure to win it every time. These small wins contributed towards my big dream of playing for India. The day I got my India debut, I felt I had repaid my father’s sacrifices a tiny bit," he added. ALSO READ | T20 WC: Aakash Chopra reveals 'big concern' ahead of India's high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan Pandya further said, "My father had tremendous faith in my abilities. That’s why he never stopped me from playing cricket. He did something no father would do. He shut everything in Surat and moved to Vadodara. We shifted there kyunki wahan pe young cricketers had better opportunities." The inclusion of Pandya in the squad has been debated by critics and fans also. Cricket pundits had suggested a rejig in the Indian squad, however, the team management has repeatedly stated that Pandya's bowling is crucial for the team's balance. The concerns further raised as during the recently concluded IPL 2021 campaign, Pandya didn't bowl a single over during Mumbai Indians' campaign. ALSO READ | T20 World Cup: Shakib Al Hasan shines as Bangladesh beat PNG to qualify for Super 12 However, commenting on Pandya's availability, Indian vice-captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday (October 20) said that the all-rounder is expected to be "ready" to bowl when the team starts its T20 World Cup campaign. "Hardik is coming along pretty well, but it'll be a while before he will start to bowl. He hasn't started bowling, but he should be ready by the start of the tournament," said Rohit at the toss for the warm-up match against Australia that India won by nine wickets. During the warm-up match against Australia, India registered a convincing nine-wicket win while chasing 153. Pandya (14 not out off 8) came at four to finish the game and he did it with a clean hit over the bowler's head.

Hardik Pandya opens up on 'dream' of playing for India, credits his father for his success

Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-cricketer-yusuf-pathan-suspended-for-5-months-failing-a-dope-test-28991" target="_blank">has been suspended for five months for doping</a>, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday.

Pathan had received a five-month ban due to a doping violation but will be free to play from Monday after the ban was backdated to August, the country&#39;s cricket board said.

The Baroda all-rounder had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance &mdash; Terbutaline, which can be commonly found in cough syrups.

&quot;Mr Yusuf Pathan has been suspended for a doping violation. Mr Pathan had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups,&quot; the BCCI said in a statement.

&quot;Mr Pathan responded to the charge by admitting the Anti-Doping Rule Violation and asserting that it was caused by his ingestion of a medication containing Terbutaline that had been mistakenly given to him instead of the medication prescribed for him, which did not contain any prohibited substance,&quot;&nbsp;the board said in the statement,&quot; Indian cricket&#39;s governing body said in the statement.

&quot;The BCCI is satisfied with Mr Pathan&rsquo;s explanation that he had taken Terbutaline inadvertently to treat an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) and not as a performance-enhancing drug. Having considered all of the evidence and taken expert external advice, the BCCI has accepted Mr Pathan&rsquo;s explanation of the cause of his ADRV, and on that basis has agreed that a period of ineligibility of five months should apply, together with the disqualification of certain results.&quot;, the board said in the statement.

In his response, Pathan released a statement saying that he was confident of being cleared of deliberate usage and vowed to be more careful in future.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Yusuf&#39;s statement: 
I wish to thank the <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> for allowing me to plead my case in a fair and reasonable manner. <a href="https://t.co/S83TNUpqxZ">pic.twitter.com/S83TNUpqxZ</a>
&mdash; Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamyusufpathan/status/950647959149977601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&ldquo;Competing for India and my home state Baroda has been a matter of immense pride and encouragement for me and I would never act in any manner to bring my motherland or Baroda, in any kind of disrepute,&rdquo; Pathan said in press&nbsp;release statement.

Pathan's suspension was backdated to August by the BCCI

Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan has been suspended for five months for doping, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Tuesday. Pathan had received a five-month ban due to a doping violation but will be free to play from Monday after the ban was backdated to August, the country's cricket board said. The Baroda all-rounder had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance — Terbutaline, which can be commonly found in cough syrups. "Mr Yusuf Pathan has been suspended for a doping violation. Mr Pathan had inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups," the BCCI said in a statement. "Mr Pathan responded to the charge by admitting the Anti-Doping Rule Violation and asserting that it was caused by his ingestion of a medication containing Terbutaline that had been mistakenly given to him instead of the medication prescribed for him, which did not contain any prohibited substance," the board said in the statement," Indian cricket's governing body said in the statement. "The BCCI is satisfied with Mr Pathan’s explanation that he had taken Terbutaline inadvertently to treat an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) and not as a performance-enhancing drug. Having considered all of the evidence and taken expert external advice, the BCCI has accepted Mr Pathan’s explanation of the cause of his ADRV, and on that basis has agreed that a period of ineligibility of five months should apply, together with the disqualification of certain results.", the board said in the statement. In his response, Pathan released a statement saying that he was confident of being cleared of deliberate usage and vowed to be more careful in future. Yusuf's statement: I wish to thank the @BCCI for allowing me to plead my case in a fair and reasonable manner. pic.twitter.com/S83TNUpqxZ — Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) January 9, 2018 × “Competing for India and my home state Baroda has been a matter of immense pride and encouragement for me and I would never act in any manner to bring my motherland or Baroda, in any kind of disrepute,” Pathan said in press release statement.

Yusuf Pathan's 5-month suspension to end in 5 days

Swashbuckling all-rounder&nbsp;Ravindra Jadeja smashed six sixes in an over in a local cricket match, sending selectors a reminder of his short-form prowess after being omitted from India&#39;s recent Twenty20 squads.

Jadeja scored 154 off just 69 deliveries in his explosive innings during a district-level T20 game on Friday in India&#39;s western Gujarat state, including a total of 10 sixes.

The 29-year-old left-hander has been left out of India&#39;s one-day and T20 squads of late, last playing the shortest version of the game at international level in July against the West Indies.

However, he has been a match winner for India in Tests -- a format in which he is currently ranked second in the world among all-rounders.

Only four batsmen have ever achieved the feat of hitting six sixes in one over in first-class or international matches.

India&#39;s Yuvraj Singh and South Africa&#39;s Herschelle Gibbs recorded the sixes in international cricket, while Gary Sobers and Ravi Shastri did so in first-class games.&nbsp;

However, Jadeja&#39;s innings will not be added to that list as it only came at a local level, between Jamnagar and Amreli districts.

A wily left-arm spinner, Jadeja is expected to play a key role when India tour South Africa in January for a three-Test series.

India will also play six one-day internationals and three T20 matches in the tour, for which squads have yet to be announced.

India is ranked number one in Tests with South Africa just behind on two.&nbsp;

Jadeja scored 154 off just 69 deliveries in his explosive innings during a district-level T20 game on Friday in India's western Gujarat state

Swashbuckling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja smashed six sixes in an over in a local cricket match, sending selectors a reminder of his short-form prowess after being omitted from India's recent Twenty20 squads. Jadeja scored 154 off just 69 deliveries in his explosive innings during a district-level T20 game on Friday in India's western Gujarat state, including a total of 10 sixes. The 29-year-old left-hander has been left out of India's one-day and T20 squads of late, last playing the shortest version of the game at international level in July against the West Indies. However, he has been a match winner for India in Tests -- a format in which he is currently ranked second in the world among all-rounders. Only four batsmen have ever achieved the feat of hitting six sixes in one over in first-class or international matches. India's Yuvraj Singh and South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs recorded the sixes in international cricket, while Gary Sobers and Ravi Shastri did so in first-class games. However, Jadeja's innings will not be added to that list as it only came at a local level, between Jamnagar and Amreli districts. A wily left-arm spinner, Jadeja is expected to play a key role when India tour South Africa in January for a three-Test series. India will also play six one-day internationals and three T20 matches in the tour, for which squads have yet to be announced. India is ranked number one in Tests with South Africa just behind on two.

Jadeja hits six sixes in an over ahead of South Africa tour