Team India's cricketing calendar will resume as soon as the IPL 2022 edition concludes, on May 29. The senior men's team's hectic schedule will once again see two teams in action at the same time, as was the case last year. A white-ball squad will face South Africa at home and Ireland in their own backyard, whereas the red-ball team will be on the England tour in June-July.&nbsp;

Thus, the Indian team&nbsp;will have two captains leading the national side simultaneously&nbsp;along with&nbsp;two coaching staff&nbsp;at work. In head coach Rahul Dravid's absence, who will be with the Test line-up, National Cricket Academy's (NCA) current head VVS Laxman is likely to step in his former teammate's role and act as the head coach for the white-ball assignments versus SA and Ireland.&nbsp;Earlier this year, the former Test specialist had assisted the victorious Yash Dhull-led India U-19 team in&nbsp;the Junior World Cup in West Indies.

“We now have a warm-up game against Leicestershire on June 24 before the Birmingham Test. Rahul Dravid&nbsp;and team will leave on June 15th or 16th. We will be asking VVS (Laxman) to step in for India South Africa T20’s and Ireland T20’s," a top BCCI official was quoted as saying by&nbsp;InsideSport.in.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nobody-would-remember-me-if-i-scored-tons-at-sachin-gangulys-pace-says-ex-indian-opener-virender-sehwag-479904">Nobody would remember me if I scored tons at Sachin, Ganguly's pace, says ex-Indian opener Virender Sehwag</a>

In mid-2021, a similar such arrangement was made within the Indian team. In June-July, the then head coach Ravi Shastri was with the Virat Kohli-led Indian team in the United Kingdom for the WTC final&nbsp;and England Tests. On the other hand, the previous NCA chief Dravid took over the coaching role for the Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian side touring Sri Lanka, during the same time in late July.

Team India's cricketing calendar will resume as soon as the IPL 2022 edition concludes, on May 29. The senior men's team's hectic schedule will once again see two teams in action at the same time, as was the case last year.

Team India's cricketing calendar will resume as soon as the IPL 2022 edition concludes, on May 29. The senior men's team's hectic schedule will once again see two teams in action at the same time, as was the case last year. A white-ball squad will face South Africa at home and Ireland in their own backyard, whereas the red-ball team will be on the England tour in June-July. Thus, the Indian team will have two captains leading the national side simultaneously along with two coaching staff at work. In head coach Rahul Dravid's absence, who will be with the Test line-up, National Cricket Academy's (NCA) current head VVS Laxman is likely to step in his former teammate's role and act as the head coach for the white-ball assignments versus SA and Ireland. Earlier this year, the former Test specialist had assisted the victorious Yash Dhull-led India U-19 team in the Junior World Cup in West Indies. “We now have a warm-up game against Leicestershire on June 24 before the Birmingham Test. Rahul Dravid and team will leave on June 15th or 16th. We will be asking VVS (Laxman) to step in for India South Africa T20’s and Ireland T20’s," a top BCCI official was quoted as saying by InsideSport.in. ALSO READ | Nobody would remember me if I scored tons at Sachin, Ganguly's pace, says ex-Indian opener Virender Sehwag In mid-2021, a similar such arrangement was made within the Indian team. In June-July, the then head coach Ravi Shastri was with the Virat Kohli-led Indian team in the United Kingdom for the WTC final and England Tests. On the other hand, the previous NCA chief Dravid took over the coaching role for the Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian side touring Sri Lanka, during the same time in late July.

NCA chief VVS Laxman likely to don head coach's hat for SA, Ireland series in Rahul Dravid's absence: Report

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 3 runs in a thrilling encounter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 17) to remain alive in the race for the playoffs. After a solid show from the batters, the SRH bowlers managed to hold their nerves during MI's run-chase to secure an all-important win for the team.

Asked to chase down a target of 194 runs, Mumbai Indians got off to a great start with openers Rohit Sharma (48) and Ishan Kishan (43) adding a 95-run stand for the first wicket. Tim David then played a sensational cameo of 18-ball 46 but failed to take his side home as SRH bowlers did well to stop MI on 190/7 in 20 overs.

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with exceptional figures of 1/26 in his 4 overs, including a wicket-maiden 19th over, Umran Malik roared back to form. Umran picked up a three-wicket haul while conceding only 23 runs in his three overs.

Umran has been a revelation for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season and has been constantly garnering the limelight owing to his exploits with the ball. The SRH pacer, who has impressed with his raw pace and wicket-taking ability, has been one of the finds of the season.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-updated-points-table-srh-remain-alive-in-the-race-for-playoffs-with-win-over-mi-479943">IPL 2022 updated points table: SRH remain alive in the race for playoffs with win over MI</a>

After his brilliant performance against MI on Tuesday, former India head coach Ravi Shastri lavished praise on the young fast bowler and urged the BCCI to hand him a central contract as soon as possible. Shastri wants Umran to be fast-tracked into the Indian team so he can improve with time while learning from the senior players in the Indian team.

“Central contract straightaway for him (Umran Malik). Don’t let him float around, keep him in the mix with the main players and let him learn by being around the Shamis and Bumrahs and see the way they train, the way they manage their workload but don’t let him go astray,” Shastri said on ESPNCricinfo.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-responds-to-fans-heartfelt-letter-amid-chennai-super-kings-disappointing-run-in-ipl-2022-479930">MS Dhoni responds to fan's heartfelt letter amid Chennai Super Kings' disappointing run in IPL 2022</a>

Umran had struggled to deliver in the last few games for SRH as he went wicketless in as many as four matches and also ended up conceding a lot of runs. However, he bounced back with a good spell against MI on Tuesday and will be hoping to continue his fine form in SRH's final game of the season. Shastri believes the pacer will keep getting better with time.

“I think he’ll get better and better. Look at the lines he is bowling now. You don’t want him to cut down on pace. The last thing you’d want to tell him is while looking for control you cut down on pace. What you want him to do is get his lines right. If he can attack the stumps consistently varying his length, he will trouble anyone. And he can really rattle a new guy coming in because he’s got the pace, he can keep the batter on his toes but it’s that line if he can hit the right areas without reducing his pace, it’ll make a huge difference,” Shastri added.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 3 runs in a thrilling encounter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 17) to remain alive in the race for the playoffs.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by 3 runs in a thrilling encounter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 17) to remain alive in the race for the playoffs. After a solid show from the batters, the SRH bowlers managed to hold their nerves during MI's run-chase to secure an all-important win for the team. Asked to chase down a target of 194 runs, Mumbai Indians got off to a great start with openers Rohit Sharma (48) and Ishan Kishan (43) adding a 95-run stand for the first wicket. Tim David then played a sensational cameo of 18-ball 46 but failed to take his side home as SRH bowlers did well to stop MI on 190/7 in 20 overs. While Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with exceptional figures of 1/26 in his 4 overs, including a wicket-maiden 19th over, Umran Malik roared back to form. Umran picked up a three-wicket haul while conceding only 23 runs in his three overs. Umran has been a revelation for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season and has been constantly garnering the limelight owing to his exploits with the ball. The SRH pacer, who has impressed with his raw pace and wicket-taking ability, has been one of the finds of the season. Also Read: IPL 2022 updated points table: SRH remain alive in the race for playoffs with win over MI After his brilliant performance against MI on Tuesday, former India head coach Ravi Shastri lavished praise on the young fast bowler and urged the BCCI to hand him a central contract as soon as possible. Shastri wants Umran to be fast-tracked into the Indian team so he can improve with time while learning from the senior players in the Indian team. “Central contract straightaway for him (Umran Malik). Don’t let him float around, keep him in the mix with the main players and let him learn by being around the Shamis and Bumrahs and see the way they train, the way they manage their workload but don’t let him go astray,” Shastri said on ESPNCricinfo. Also Read: MS Dhoni responds to fan's heartfelt letter amid Chennai Super Kings' disappointing run in IPL 2022 Umran had struggled to deliver in the last few games for SRH as he went wicketless in as many as four matches and also ended up conceding a lot of runs. However, he bounced back with a good spell against MI on Tuesday and will be hoping to continue his fine form in SRH's final game of the season. Shastri believes the pacer will keep getting better with time. “I think he’ll get better and better. Look at the lines he is bowling now. You don’t want him to cut down on pace. The last thing you’d want to tell him is while looking for control you cut down on pace. What you want him to do is get his lines right. If he can attack the stumps consistently varying his length, he will trouble anyone. And he can really rattle a new guy coming in because he’s got the pace, he can keep the batter on his toes but it’s that line if he can hit the right areas without reducing his pace, it’ll make a huge difference,” Shastri added.

'Central contract straightaway': Ravi Shastri wants BCCI to fast-track SRH pacer Umran Malik into Team India

Virender Sehwag was a special talent. Making a mark in a batting line-up comprising members of India's golden era, such as&nbsp;Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman was never going to be easy for anyone. However, Sehwag had his own way of approaching the game and played his own way despite many criticism.

While Sehwag excelled in the ODI format, and also struck at 145.38 in 19 T20Is for India, he exceeded expectations with his performances in the purest format of the game. Not having a textbook technique, Sehwag surprised one and all by amassing&nbsp;8,586 runs in whites, striking at a whopping&nbsp;82.23 along with 23 tons and 32 fifties.

Recently, speaking to Sports 18, Sehwag opined that while the likes of SRT, Dravid, Ganguly and others scored centuries in 150-200 balls, he reached the milestone lot earlier than them, helping him in creating his own identity.&nbsp;"Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly all would score their centuries playing 150-200 balls. If I scored hundreds at the same rate, no one would remember me. I had to score runs faster than them to create my identity,” said Sehwag, who represented India in 104 Tests and ended with an average of 49.34.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-ravindra-jadeja-virender-sehwag-names-csk-player-who-can-replace-ms-dhoni-as-captain-478855">Not Ravindra Jadeja! Virender Sehwag names CSK player who can replace MS Dhoni as captain</a>

While many batters tend to slow down or play cautiously en route a triple-figure mark, Sehwag continued to play fearless cricket and continued to take on the bowlers by sticking to his approach. In this regard, he added, "I always thought that if I stayed till the end of the day, I should score 250 runs, and in that process, I obviously would have to cross 100, 150, 200 and so on. So, there was no pressure in hitting a ball to or over the fence in the nineties because the goal was not to stop at 100."

Virender Sehwag was a special talent. Making a mark in a batting line-up comprising members of India's golden era, such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman was never going to be easy for anyone.

Virender Sehwag was a special talent. Making a mark in a batting line-up comprising members of India's golden era, such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman was never going to be easy for anyone. However, Sehwag had his own way of approaching the game and played his own way despite many criticism. While Sehwag excelled in the ODI format, and also struck at 145.38 in 19 T20Is for India, he exceeded expectations with his performances in the purest format of the game. Not having a textbook technique, Sehwag surprised one and all by amassing 8,586 runs in whites, striking at a whopping 82.23 along with 23 tons and 32 fifties. Recently, speaking to Sports 18, Sehwag opined that while the likes of SRT, Dravid, Ganguly and others scored centuries in 150-200 balls, he reached the milestone lot earlier than them, helping him in creating his own identity. "Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly all would score their centuries playing 150-200 balls. If I scored hundreds at the same rate, no one would remember me. I had to score runs faster than them to create my identity,” said Sehwag, who represented India in 104 Tests and ended with an average of 49.34. ALSO READ | Not Ravindra Jadeja! Virender Sehwag names CSK player who can replace MS Dhoni as captain While many batters tend to slow down or play cautiously en route a triple-figure mark, Sehwag continued to play fearless cricket and continued to take on the bowlers by sticking to his approach. In this regard, he added, "I always thought that if I stayed till the end of the day, I should score 250 runs, and in that process, I obviously would have to cross 100, 150, 200 and so on. So, there was no pressure in hitting a ball to or over the fence in the nineties because the goal was not to stop at 100."

Nobody would remember me if I scored tons at Sachin, Ganguly's pace, says ex-Indian opener Virender Sehwag

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has made a controversial claim regarding Ex-Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar's action. Famously known as the Rawalpindi Express, Akhtar is regarded as one of the fastest bowlers of all time and also holds the record for bowling the quickest delivery in international cricket.

During his peak, Akhtar was a nightmare for every batter with his brute pace. He used to trouble the best of batters with the ball and enjoyed some intense on-field duels with Sehwag, who got the better of Akhtar on several occasions. The former India opener recently claimed Akhtar used to chuck while bowling in international cricket.

Calling out Akhtar, Sehwag said the former Pakistan fast bowler was aware that he was chucking and that his action was not legal. The ex-India opener pointed out ICC's ban on Akhtar for his illegal action to further support his claim. It was in 1999 that Akhtar was banned by ICC for a month for chucking before returning with a remodelled action.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kashmir-premier-league-to-formally-invite-indian-star-virat-kohli-to-feature-in-2nd-edition-report-479784">Kashmir Premier League to formally invite Indian star Virat Kohli to feature in 2nd edition: Report</a>

“Shoaib knows he used to jerk his elbow; he knew he was chucking too. Why would ICC ban him otherwise?” Sehwag said while speaking on Sports 18.&nbsp;

“Brett Lee’s hand came down straight, so it was easy to pick the ball. But with Shoaib, you could never guess where the hand and the ball will come from," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-started-doing-cpr-and-checked-his-pulse-local-man-recalls-coming-to-late-andrew-symonds-aid-479761">'I started doing CPR and checked his pulse' - Local man recalls coming to late Andrew Symonds' aid</a>

While he called Akhtar his 'boundary bowler', Sehwag picked former Australian pacer Brett Lee as the easier one to face between him and the Rawalpindi Express. Sehwag said he could not trust Akhtar with what he would throw at him next after being struck for two boundaries on the previous deliveries.

“I never feared facing Brett Lee, but with Shoaib, I could not trust what he would do if I hit him twice to the fence. Maybe a beamer or a toe-crushing yorker,” explained Sehwag.

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has made a controversial claim regarding Ex-Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar's action. Famously known as the Rawalpindi Express, Akhtar is regarded as one of the fastest bowlers of all time and also holds the record for bowling the quickest delivery in international cricket.

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has made a controversial claim regarding Ex-Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar's action. Famously known as the Rawalpindi Express, Akhtar is regarded as one of the fastest bowlers of all time and also holds the record for bowling the quickest delivery in international cricket. During his peak, Akhtar was a nightmare for every batter with his brute pace. He used to trouble the best of batters with the ball and enjoyed some intense on-field duels with Sehwag, who got the better of Akhtar on several occasions. The former India opener recently claimed Akhtar used to chuck while bowling in international cricket. Calling out Akhtar, Sehwag said the former Pakistan fast bowler was aware that he was chucking and that his action was not legal. The ex-India opener pointed out ICC's ban on Akhtar for his illegal action to further support his claim. It was in 1999 that Akhtar was banned by ICC for a month for chucking before returning with a remodelled action. Also Read: Kashmir Premier League to formally invite Indian star Virat Kohli to feature in 2nd edition: Report “Shoaib knows he used to jerk his elbow; he knew he was chucking too. Why would ICC ban him otherwise?” Sehwag said while speaking on Sports 18. “Brett Lee’s hand came down straight, so it was easy to pick the ball. But with Shoaib, you could never guess where the hand and the ball will come from," he added. Also Read: 'I started doing CPR and checked his pulse' - Local man recalls coming to late Andrew Symonds' aid While he called Akhtar his 'boundary bowler', Sehwag picked former Australian pacer Brett Lee as the easier one to face between him and the Rawalpindi Express. Sehwag said he could not trust Akhtar with what he would throw at him next after being struck for two boundaries on the previous deliveries. “I never feared facing Brett Lee, but with Shoaib, I could not trust what he would do if I hit him twice to the fence. Maybe a beamer or a toe-crushing yorker,” explained Sehwag.

Why would ICC ban him otherwise? Shoaib Akhtar knew he was chucking, says Virender Sehwag

The Chetan Sharma-led selection panel is reportedly set to pick two separate squads for Team India as they gear up to face South Africa in a five-match T20I series at home followed by a full-fledged tour of England post the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. India will play a one-off Test, 3 T20Is and as many ODIs against England.

Last year, India had selected two separate squads when the Test team toured England while Shikhar Dhawan led the T20I team in a series in Sri Lanka. As per a report in Cricbuzz, a similar situation is expected to arise this time around. The senior players are likely to be rested from the T20I series against South Africa and will leave for England for the one-off Test.

As per the report, the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested from the T20I series against South Africa which gets underway from June 09 and will conclude on June 19. The senior players will leave for England on June 16.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who was dropped from the Indian Test side earlier this year, is expected to make his comeback to the squad after his brilliant performances for Sussex in county cricket in England. Meanwhile, the T20I squad against Sri Lanka will see a mix of youth and experience.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-bcci-chief-sourav-ganguly-names-two-uncapped-indian-players-who-impressed-him-the-most-479591">BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly names two uncapped Indian players who impressed him the most</a>

While the likes of Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are expected to feature, youngsters like Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad and others might get a chance as well. The selectors are likely to announce both squads by the end of this week. As per the report, Dhawan might lead the Indian team against South Africa in the T20I series.

Ajinkya Rahane to miss England tour

Veteran batter Ajnkya Rahane was part of the Indian squad which had taken a 2-1 lead in the Test series against England last year before the final game was called off due to COVID-19. However, Rahane is unlikely to make the cut in the squad this time around for the 5th Test.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bit-of-a-storm-in-a-teacup-stephen-fleming-opens-up-on-csk-veteran-ambati-rayudus-retirement-fiasco-479635">'Bit of a storm in a teacup' - Stephen Fleming opens up on&nbsp;Ambati Rayudu's retirement fiasco</a>

As per Cricbuzz, Rahane has suffered a Grade III hamstring injury and is set to miss the England tour. He was dropped from the Test squad along with Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha earlier this year but was expected to return. However, the injury has come as a huge setback for the right-hander.

Rahane suffered the injury while playing for his IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders in their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 14. He got injured while batting and didn't come out to filed during the game. While Rahane's absence isn't a huge concern, picking two squads can be a challenging task for the selectors.

&nbsp;

The Chetan Sharma-led selection panel is reportedly set to pick two separate squads for Team India as they gear up to face South Africa in a five-match T20I series at home followed by a full-fledged tour of England post the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

The Chetan Sharma-led selection panel is reportedly set to pick two separate squads for Team India as they gear up to face South Africa in a five-match T20I series at home followed by a full-fledged tour of England post the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. India will play a one-off Test, 3 T20Is and as many ODIs against England. Last year, India had selected two separate squads when the Test team toured England while Shikhar Dhawan led the T20I team in a series in Sri Lanka. As per a report in Cricbuzz, a similar situation is expected to arise this time around. The senior players are likely to be rested from the T20I series against South Africa and will leave for England for the one-off Test. As per the report, the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested from the T20I series against South Africa which gets underway from June 09 and will conclude on June 19. The senior players will leave for England on June 16. Cheteshwar Pujara, who was dropped from the Indian Test side earlier this year, is expected to make his comeback to the squad after his brilliant performances for Sussex in county cricket in England. Meanwhile, the T20I squad against Sri Lanka will see a mix of youth and experience. Also Read: BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly names two uncapped Indian players who impressed him the most While the likes of Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are expected to feature, youngsters like Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Ruturaj Gaikwad and others might get a chance as well. The selectors are likely to announce both squads by the end of this week. As per the report, Dhawan might lead the Indian team against South Africa in the T20I series. Ajinkya Rahane to miss England tour Veteran batter Ajnkya Rahane was part of the Indian squad which had taken a 2-1 lead in the Test series against England last year before the final game was called off due to COVID-19. However, Rahane is unlikely to make the cut in the squad this time around for the 5th Test. Also Read: 'Bit of a storm in a teacup' - Stephen Fleming opens up on Ambati Rayudu's retirement fiasco As per Cricbuzz, Rahane has suffered a Grade III hamstring injury and is set to miss the England tour. He was dropped from the Test squad along with Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha earlier this year but was expected to return. However, the injury has come as a huge setback for the right-hander. Rahane suffered the injury while playing for his IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders in their last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 14. He got injured while batting and didn't come out to filed during the game. While Rahane's absence isn't a huge concern, picking two squads can be a challenging task for the selectors.

Selectors likely to pick two squads for England tour, South Africa series; Ajinkya Rahane likely to miss out

After the inaugural season, the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) -- i.e. in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- is set to return and the officials are interested in roping in Indian star and former captain Virat Kohli. The officials are eager to see Kohli's participation in the league's second edition or as a guest.&nbsp;

In this regard,&nbsp;KPL President Arif Malik announced that they are keen on sending an invitation to Kohli. "(Md) Rizwan gave a very positive message that cricket should be beyond anything else. So we are sending a letter to Virat Kohli, inviting him to play in the league or at least come and watch one match," Malik said in a video shared on the social media platform Twitter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Arif Malik President KPL announces inclusion of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli in KPL،he said We are sending a formal invitations to Virat Kohli, 
Its up to on Virat Kohli whether to beome part of the league as a player or as a special guest<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/virat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#virat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> <a href="https://t.co/LkllhHNduG">pic.twitter.com/LkllhHNduG</a>
— Rozina Ali (@roseeyna_ali) <a href="https://twitter.com/roseeyna_ali/status/1526451342033981440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-now-doubts-his-own-ability-former-pakistan-captain-opines-on-virat-kohlis-struggles-in-ipl-2022-477909">He now doubts his own ability: Former Pakistan captain opines on Virat Kohli's struggles in IPL 2022</a>

Not only Malik, but even Pakistan's former captain and keeper-batter Rashid Latif -- who is&nbsp;the Director of Cricket Operations for KPL -- has also backed the decision to send an invite to the 33-year-old Kohli. "We should sent an invitation [to Virat Kohli] but the decision to play lies with the player,” said Latif while speaking to Dawn News. It’s good to initiate such a thing.&nbsp;I also advised [Najam] Sethi to send invitations to all cricket boards, which includes BCCI as well, for PSL," he further added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-whats-fretting-virat-kohli-the-player-473401">IPL 2022: What's fretting Virat Kohli, the player?</a>

For the unversed, the second edition of KPL will kick off on August 1 and the final&nbsp;will be held on August 14. While it remains to be seen if Kohli entertains the request, however, given India's hectic schedule, it seems highly unlikely that he will appear in the league in any form. During the KPL's second season, India will be still involved in the&nbsp;tour of&nbsp;West Indies, which is scheduled to end in early August in the USA.

Currently, Kohli is involved in the IPL 2022, representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

After the inaugural season, the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) -- i.e. in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- is set to return and the officials are interested in roping in Indian star and former captain Virat Kohli.

After the inaugural season, the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) -- i.e. in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- is set to return and the officials are interested in roping in Indian star and former captain Virat Kohli. The officials are eager to see Kohli's participation in the league's second edition or as a guest. In this regard, KPL President Arif Malik announced that they are keen on sending an invitation to Kohli. "(Md) Rizwan gave a very positive message that cricket should be beyond anything else. So we are sending a letter to Virat Kohli, inviting him to play in the league or at least come and watch one match," Malik said in a video shared on the social media platform Twitter. Arif Malik President KPL announces inclusion of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli in KPL،he said We are sending a formal invitations to Virat Kohli, Its up to on Virat Kohli whether to beome part of the league as a player or as a special guest#virat #Cricket @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/LkllhHNduG — Rozina Ali (@roseeyna_ali) May 17, 2022 × ALSO READ | He now doubts his own ability: Former Pakistan captain opines on Virat Kohli's struggles in IPL 2022 Not only Malik, but even Pakistan's former captain and keeper-batter Rashid Latif -- who is the Director of Cricket Operations for KPL -- has also backed the decision to send an invite to the 33-year-old Kohli. "We should sent an invitation [to Virat Kohli] but the decision to play lies with the player,” said Latif while speaking to Dawn News. It’s good to initiate such a thing. I also advised [Najam] Sethi to send invitations to all cricket boards, which includes BCCI as well, for PSL," he further added. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: What's fretting Virat Kohli, the player? For the unversed, the second edition of KPL will kick off on August 1 and the final will be held on August 14. While it remains to be seen if Kohli entertains the request, however, given India's hectic schedule, it seems highly unlikely that he will appear in the league in any form. During the KPL's second season, India will be still involved in the tour of West Indies, which is scheduled to end in early August in the USA. Currently, Kohli is involved in the IPL 2022, representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Kashmir Premier League to formally invite Indian star Virat Kohli to feature in 2nd edition: Report

South Africa have recalled fast bowler Anrich Nortje and all-rounder Wayne Parnell, and handed a first Twenty20 International call-up to batsman Tristan Stubbs, for the five-match tour of India starting on June 9. 
Nortje, 28, returns to the squad after a hip injury forced him out of the home series against India and Bangladesh earlier this year. He has proven his fitness for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Parnell, 32, returns to the T20 set-up after five years away having also recently featured in the One-Day International side following a long absence. Stubbs, 21, is rewarded for fine domestic form this season which also saw him get a surprise call up to the Mumbai Indians camp for the IPL.

"Tristan Stubbs is an exciting prospect and we’re keen to see what he’s made of," convener of selectors Victor Mpitsang said in a statement from Cricket South Africa on Tuesday. "The country can also join us in a collective sigh of relief at the return of Anrich Nortje, who has been working hard to recover from a frustrating injury."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/selectors-likely-to-pick-two-squads-for-england-tour-sri-lanka-series-ajinkya-rahane-likely-to-miss-out-479662">Selectors likely to pick two squads for England tour, Sri Lanka series; Ajinkya Rahane likely to miss out</a>

South Africa will have the remainder of their IPL contingent available, with the series starting more than a week after the completion of the 2022 season. "The injection of the IPL players means that we will have a team that’s ready to fire on all cylinders immediately and has vast experience of the conditions that we will be playing in," Mpitsang said.

The tour gets underway in Delhi and will conclude in Bengaluru on June 19.

South Africa squad: 
Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

South Africa have recalled fast bowler Anrich Nortje and all-rounder Wayne Parnell, and handed a first Twenty20 International call-up to batsman Tristan Stubbs, for the five-match tour of India starting on June 9.

South Africa have recalled fast bowler Anrich Nortje and all-rounder Wayne Parnell, and handed a first Twenty20 International call-up to batsman Tristan Stubbs, for the five-match tour of India starting on June 9. Nortje, 28, returns to the squad after a hip injury forced him out of the home series against India and Bangladesh earlier this year. He has proven his fitness for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Parnell, 32, returns to the T20 set-up after five years away having also recently featured in the One-Day International side following a long absence. Stubbs, 21, is rewarded for fine domestic form this season which also saw him get a surprise call up to the Mumbai Indians camp for the IPL. "Tristan Stubbs is an exciting prospect and we’re keen to see what he’s made of," convener of selectors Victor Mpitsang said in a statement from Cricket South Africa on Tuesday. "The country can also join us in a collective sigh of relief at the return of Anrich Nortje, who has been working hard to recover from a frustrating injury." ALSO READ | Selectors likely to pick two squads for England tour, Sri Lanka series; Ajinkya Rahane likely to miss out South Africa will have the remainder of their IPL contingent available, with the series starting more than a week after the completion of the 2022 season. "The injection of the IPL players means that we will have a team that’s ready to fire on all cylinders immediately and has vast experience of the conditions that we will be playing in," Mpitsang said. The tour gets underway in Delhi and will conclude in Bengaluru on June 19. South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen.

Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell return for South Africa’s T20I series vs India

Former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes that the Chennai Super Kings pace duo of Mukesh Choudhury and Simarjeet Singh can represent the Indian cricket team in the future. While CSK have struggled in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, the fast bowlers have done well for them in absence of Deepak Chahar. The all-rounder, who was picked for INR 140 million in the mega auction, was ruled out of the entire tournament after picking up an injury.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ricky-ponting-pays-heartfelt-tribute-to-andrew-symonds-if-roy-shook-your-hand-you-had-his-word-479162" hreflang="en">Ponting pays tribute to Symonds, explains why he always wanted him in his team</a>

“CSK has provided them enough opportunities, and they are known to make players and mentor them. Along with [Deepak] Chahar, MS Dhoni has certainly seen something in Mukesh Choudhary. In terms of mentoring, you can easily see the improvement in Simarjeet’s performance, in terms of confidence and body language. I think the likes of Mukesh and Simarjeet will be the frontline pacers for CSK and will have a very good chance to represent the country as well," he told Crictracker.

In the absence of their big-money signing Deepak Chahar, Mukesh became the first-choice fast bowler for CSK. The left-arm pacer has taken 16 wickets in 13 matches and although his economy rate is above 9, he has impressed everyone with his swing and also his athletic fielding prowess.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-one-minute-silence-to-black-armbands-how-teams-around-the-world-paid-tribute-to-andrew-symonds-479155" hreflang="en">From one-minute silence to black armbands - How teams around the world paid tribute to Andrew Symonds</a>

On the other hand, Simarjeet is a relatively newer addition to the CSK side as he made his debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 1 and in the five matches, he has taken three wickets.

CSK slumped to yet another defeat in the tournament as they were beaten by Gujarat Titans on Sunday.

Former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes that the Chennai Super Kings pace duo of Mukesh Choudhury and Simarjeet Singh can represent the Indian cricket team in the future.

Former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes that the Chennai Super Kings pace duo of Mukesh Choudhury and Simarjeet Singh can represent the Indian cricket team in the future. While CSK have struggled in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, the fast bowlers have done well for them in absence of Deepak Chahar. The all-rounder, who was picked for INR 140 million in the mega auction, was ruled out of the entire tournament after picking up an injury. Also read | Ponting pays tribute to Symonds, explains why he always wanted him in his team “CSK has provided them enough opportunities, and they are known to make players and mentor them. Along with [Deepak] Chahar, MS Dhoni has certainly seen something in Mukesh Choudhary. In terms of mentoring, you can easily see the improvement in Simarjeet’s performance, in terms of confidence and body language. I think the likes of Mukesh and Simarjeet will be the frontline pacers for CSK and will have a very good chance to represent the country as well," he told Crictracker. In the absence of their big-money signing Deepak Chahar, Mukesh became the first-choice fast bowler for CSK. The left-arm pacer has taken 16 wickets in 13 matches and although his economy rate is above 9, he has impressed everyone with his swing and also his athletic fielding prowess. Also read | From one-minute silence to black armbands - How teams around the world paid tribute to Andrew Symonds On the other hand, Simarjeet is a relatively newer addition to the CSK side as he made his debut against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 1 and in the five matches, he has taken three wickets. CSK slumped to yet another defeat in the tournament as they were beaten by Gujarat Titans on Sunday.

'Enough opportunities': Former India cricketer picks two CSK bowlers who can play for the national team

The 'Multiverse of Madness' challenge has taken social media by a storm amid the arrival of Marvel's latest movie 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'. Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar became the latest to join the bandwagon as he took to Twitter to share a throwback picture calling it his 'Multiverse of Madness'.

Tendulkar shared a throwback picture featuring some of the legends of cricket from across the globe. While the picture features Indian greats like Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag, it also has the likes of the late Shane Warne, Shahid Afridi, and Brian Lara and others posing alongside Tendulkar.

'My Multiverse of Madness', Tendulkar wrote with the throwback picture which soon went viral on social media and left cricket fans across the world nostalgic. Reacting to Tendulkar's post, several cricket fans recalled their fond memories of watching the yesteryear legends producing magic with their performances&nbsp;for their respective national teams during their playing days.

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My Multiverse of Madness <a href="https://t.co/ae58y0lba9">pic.twitter.com/ae58y0lba9</a>
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1525088590169923584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-can-come-in-at-no-6-or-7-sunil-gavaskar-picks-dinesh-karthik-as-indias-finisher-for-t20-world-cup-478720">'He can come in at No. 6 or 7' - Sunil Gavaskar picks Dinesh Karthik as India's finisher for T20 World Cup</a>

Here's how fans reacted to Sachin Tendulkar's&nbsp;Multiverse of Madness post:

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Best pic on the internet today ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SachinTendulkar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SachinTendulkar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MultiverseOfMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MultiverseOfMadness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheOGs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheOGs</a> <a href="https://t.co/ab8goMoh1o">https://t.co/ab8goMoh1o</a>
— Abhijit Ravi Singh (@RaviAbhijit) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaviAbhijit/status/1525161916129239041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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This gang made my childhood memorable!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MultiverseOfMadness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MultiverseOfMadness</a> <a href="https://t.co/aRjuUHynAF">https://t.co/aRjuUHynAF</a>
— Anonymous (@Anonymo2424) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anonymo2424/status/1525137722087645185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Greatest picture in cricket history <a href="https://t.co/p2A5OAt082">https://t.co/p2A5OAt082</a>
— Yash werewolf (@yashsayings) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashsayings/status/1525172099358199808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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GOATed picture <a href="https://t.co/CsnmXXfzlS">https://t.co/CsnmXXfzlS</a>
— bweeaabst (@SubhajitDash11) <a href="https://twitter.com/SubhajitDash11/status/1525132584736329728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The picture shared by Tendulkar was taken by him in 2014 when the cricketing superstars from across the globe reunited during the celebration of 200 years of the Lord's Cricket Ground in London. The cricketers took part in a 50-over game played between the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the Rest of the World.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/if-umran-malik-was-in-pakistan-he-would-have-played-international-cricket-opines-kamran-akmal-478706">If Umran Malik was in Pakistan, he would have played international cricket, opines Kamran Akmal</a>

While Tendulkar led the MCC side, Warne captained the Rest of the World XI team. MCC won the game by seven wickets after successfully chasing down the target of 294 runs at the Lord's Cricket Ground. Australia's current limited-overs captain Aaron Finch was the star for MCC as he slammed a sensational knock of unbeaten 181 runs to help them seal a comfortable win.

Tendulkar scored 44 runs off 45 balls in the game and also picked up the wicket of Yuvraj Singh with the ball. One of the greatest of all time, Tendulkar remains an idol to several young cricketers around the world. He still holds the record for most runs and most number of centuries in international cricket.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The 'Multiverse of Madness' challenge has taken social media by a storm amid the arrival of Marvel's latest movie 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'. Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar became the latest to join the bandwagon as he took to Twitter to share a throwback picture calling it his 'Multiverse of Madness'.

The 'Multiverse of Madness' challenge has taken social media by a storm amid the arrival of Marvel's latest movie 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'. Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar became the latest to join the bandwagon as he took to Twitter to share a throwback picture calling it his 'Multiverse of Madness'. Tendulkar shared a throwback picture featuring some of the legends of cricket from across the globe. While the picture features Indian greats like Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag, it also has the likes of the late Shane Warne, Shahid Afridi, and Brian Lara and others posing alongside Tendulkar. 'My Multiverse of Madness', Tendulkar wrote with the throwback picture which soon went viral on social media and left cricket fans across the world nostalgic. Reacting to Tendulkar's post, several cricket fans recalled their fond memories of watching the yesteryear legends producing magic with their performances for their respective national teams during their playing days. My Multiverse of Madness pic.twitter.com/ae58y0lba9 — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) May 13, 2022 × Also Read: 'He can come in at No. 6 or 7' - Sunil Gavaskar picks Dinesh Karthik as India's finisher for T20 World Cup Here's how fans reacted to Sachin Tendulkar's Multiverse of Madness post: Best pic on the internet today ! #SachinTendulkar #MultiverseOfMadness #TheOGs https://t.co/ab8goMoh1o — Abhijit Ravi Singh (@RaviAbhijit) May 13, 2022 × This gang made my childhood memorable!!#MultiverseOfMadness https://t.co/aRjuUHynAF — Anonymous (@Anonymo2424) May 13, 2022 × Greatest picture in cricket history https://t.co/p2A5OAt082 — Yash werewolf (@yashsayings) May 13, 2022 × GOATed picture https://t.co/CsnmXXfzlS — bweeaabst (@SubhajitDash11) May 13, 2022 × The picture shared by Tendulkar was taken by him in 2014 when the cricketing superstars from across the globe reunited during the celebration of 200 years of the Lord's Cricket Ground in London. The cricketers took part in a 50-over game played between the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the Rest of the World. Also Read: If Umran Malik was in Pakistan, he would have played international cricket, opines Kamran Akmal While Tendulkar led the MCC side, Warne captained the Rest of the World XI team. MCC won the game by seven wickets after successfully chasing down the target of 294 runs at the Lord's Cricket Ground. Australia's current limited-overs captain Aaron Finch was the star for MCC as he slammed a sensational knock of unbeaten 181 runs to help them seal a comfortable win. Tendulkar scored 44 runs off 45 balls in the game and also picked up the wicket of Yuvraj Singh with the ball. One of the greatest of all time, Tendulkar remains an idol to several young cricketers around the world. He still holds the record for most runs and most number of centuries in international cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar's 'Multiverse of Madness' post with cricket legends breaks the internet

It has been a season to remember for young fast bowler Umran Malik who has impressed everyone with his express pace in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The youngster has earned praises from experts and spectators alike for his bowling and former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar believes Malik can be the one to beat his record of bowling the fastest delivery in world cricket. Akhtar holds the record with 161.3 kmph against England in the 2003 ICC World Cup.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-was-a-bit-disappointed-csk-ceo-explains-reason-behind-ambati-rayudus-ipl-retirement-tweet-478957" hreflang="en">CSK CEO explains reason behind Ambati Rayudu's IPL retirement tweet</a>

"For the first time I have seen someone who is bowling 150kmph + consistently and I will be happy if he (Umran) breaks my record (of fastest delivery). Tode, jarur tode, and bagiar apne ko tode huae tode, (break, definitely break, but not yourself). I want to see his long career. Only a few days back, someone was saying to me that it has been 20 years and your record is still not broken. But I believe records are meant to be broken and I will be happy if he (Umran) does that," he told Sportskeeda.

"I want to see him on the world stage because that is where he belongs to. I definitely want him to keep this 100mph mark in his mind and join that special club," he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-cool-calm-and-collected-brad-hogg-picks-new-ipl-captain-who-has-traits-like-ms-dhoni-478942" hreflang="en">'He is calm &amp; collected': Hogg picks new IPL captain who has Dhoni's traits</a>

Malik has been bowling over the 150 kmph mark regularly and his fastest delivery came against Delhi Capitals as he bowled a 157 kmph delivery against Rovman Powell. Malik is currently in contention for a spot in the India squad for the upcoming white ball series against South Africa.

It has been a season to remember for young fast bowler Umran Malik who has impressed everyone with his express pace in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

It has been a season to remember for young fast bowler Umran Malik who has impressed everyone with his express pace in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The youngster has earned praises from experts and spectators alike for his bowling and former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar believes Malik can be the one to beat his record of bowling the fastest delivery in world cricket. Akhtar holds the record with 161.3 kmph against England in the 2003 ICC World Cup. Also read | CSK CEO explains reason behind Ambati Rayudu's IPL retirement tweet "For the first time I have seen someone who is bowling 150kmph + consistently and I will be happy if he (Umran) breaks my record (of fastest delivery). Tode, jarur tode, and bagiar apne ko tode huae tode, (break, definitely break, but not yourself). I want to see his long career. Only a few days back, someone was saying to me that it has been 20 years and your record is still not broken. But I believe records are meant to be broken and I will be happy if he (Umran) does that," he told Sportskeeda. "I want to see him on the world stage because that is where he belongs to. I definitely want him to keep this 100mph mark in his mind and join that special club," he added. Also read | 'He is calm & collected': Hogg picks new IPL captain who has Dhoni's traits Malik has been bowling over the 150 kmph mark regularly and his fastest delivery came against Delhi Capitals as he bowled a 157 kmph delivery against Rovman Powell. Malik is currently in contention for a spot in the India squad for the upcoming white ball series against South Africa.

Shoaib Akhtar back SRH pacer Umran Malik to break his 161.3 kmph bowling speed record

The IPL 2022 edition is surely closely being followed by the Indian selection committee with the T20 World Cup set to be held later this year, in Australia. Many veteran, out-of-favour, and young players have a chance to showcase their skills and credentials in order to appear in the Indian squad for the showpiece event.

In this regard, veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has been phenomenal in IPL 15. Karthik, who had an ordinary run in the last two IPL seasons, has scored 274 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of&nbsp;200.00 by playing some memorable cameos and match-finishing knocks. Thus, he has surely made heads turn and is now in the reckoning for a Team India comeback for the T20 WC.

Little Master Sunil Gavaskar has backed&nbsp;Karthik to take up the lower-order batter's responsibility for India in the showpiece event. "The way the IPL is going for him at the moment, I do believe he should be very much in the running for the India spot in the October tournament, maybe even earlier for South Africa, for England, I do believe he should be earlier in the team," Gavaskar told Sports Today.

"I would definitely look at him as a batter who can come in at No. 6 or No. 7 like he is doing for RCB and take the game away from the opposition," Gavaskar added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sunil-gavaskar-resorts-to-ms-dhonis-famous-catchphrase-when-asked-about-csk-skippers-ipl-future-478682">Sunil Gavaskar resorts to MS Dhoni's famous catchphrase when asked about CSK skipper's IPL future</a>

Gavaskar revealed that he spent a lot of time with Karthik when the latter turned into a commentator last year, especially during the WTC final and India-England Tests in the United Kingdom. "I spent a lot of time with him last year. We spent about 10-12 days in quarantine in Belgrade, Serbia where we practically sort of spending 12 to 14 hours a day, eating lunch, dinner, and breakfast. Spending time with him, I got to see how keen he was to come back to the Indian team. He was keen to come back to the team that played in the UAE last year. That didn’t quite happen. It was perhaps a little too close. The IPL that year didn’t go all that well for him," Gavaskar concluded.

Will DK make a comeback into the Indian team for the mega event Down Under? Only time will tell...

The IPL 2022 edition is surely closely being followed by the Indian selection committee with the T20 World Cup set to be held later this year, in Australia. Many veteran, out-of-favour, and young players have a chance to showcase their skills and credentials in order to appear in the Indian squad for the showpiece event.

The IPL 2022 edition is surely closely being followed by the Indian selection committee with the T20 World Cup set to be held later this year, in Australia. Many veteran, out-of-favour, and young players have a chance to showcase their skills and credentials in order to appear in the Indian squad for the showpiece event. In this regard, veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has been phenomenal in IPL 15. Karthik, who had an ordinary run in the last two IPL seasons, has scored 274 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of 200.00 by playing some memorable cameos and match-finishing knocks. Thus, he has surely made heads turn and is now in the reckoning for a Team India comeback for the T20 WC. Little Master Sunil Gavaskar has backed Karthik to take up the lower-order batter's responsibility for India in the showpiece event. "The way the IPL is going for him at the moment, I do believe he should be very much in the running for the India spot in the October tournament, maybe even earlier for South Africa, for England, I do believe he should be earlier in the team," Gavaskar told Sports Today. "I would definitely look at him as a batter who can come in at No. 6 or No. 7 like he is doing for RCB and take the game away from the opposition," Gavaskar added. ALSO READ | Sunil Gavaskar resorts to MS Dhoni's famous catchphrase when asked about CSK skipper's IPL future Gavaskar revealed that he spent a lot of time with Karthik when the latter turned into a commentator last year, especially during the WTC final and India-England Tests in the United Kingdom. "I spent a lot of time with him last year. We spent about 10-12 days in quarantine in Belgrade, Serbia where we practically sort of spending 12 to 14 hours a day, eating lunch, dinner, and breakfast. Spending time with him, I got to see how keen he was to come back to the Indian team. He was keen to come back to the team that played in the UAE last year. That didn’t quite happen. It was perhaps a little too close. The IPL that year didn’t go all that well for him," Gavaskar concluded. Will DK make a comeback into the Indian team for the mega event Down Under? Only time will tell...

'He can come in at No. 6 or 7' - Sunil Gavaskar picks Dinesh Karthik as India's finisher for T20 World Cup

Umran Malik has been a revelation this season in the IPL. While his name did the rounds in IPL 2021 as well, which led to him being Team India's net bowler for the 2021 T20 World Cup, he has made heads turn with his raw pace and wicket-taking abilities for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2022 edition.

Umran has clocked the&nbsp;150 kmph with ease this season. Many former cricketers and experts of the game already believe that he can be given a national cap and be groomed ahead of this year's T20 World Cup, in Australia. Amid all this, Pakistan's veteran keeper-batter Kamran Akmal opined on Umran's talent and made a big claim.

“If he was in Pakistan, maybe he would have played international cricket. His economy is high, but he is a strike bowler since he is getting wickets,” Akmal was quoted as saying by Paktv.tv.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sunil-gavaskar-resorts-to-ms-dhonis-famous-catchphrase-when-asked-about-csk-skippers-ipl-future-478682">Sunil Gavaskar resorts to MS Dhoni's famous catchphrase when asked about CSK skipper's IPL future</a>

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“After every match, his speed chart comes where he clocks around 155 km/h and it’s not going down. It’s a good competition in the Indian team. Earlier, Indian cricket lacked quality fast bowlers, but now they have a plethora of pacers like Navdeep Saini, (Mohammed) Siraj, (Mohammed) Shami and (Jasprit) Bumrah," he added.

At present, Umran has been a regular for the Kane Williamson-led SRH franchise. After 11&nbsp;games, he has accounted for 15 scalps at a strike rate of 16, however, his economy rate has been high (9.10). It will be interesting to see if he inspires the Orange Army into the playoffs. So far, they have 10 points from 11 encounters.&nbsp;
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Umran Malik has been a revelation this season in the IPL. While his name did the rounds in IPL 2021 as well, which led to him being Team India's net bowler for the 2021 T20 World Cup, he has made heads turn with his raw pace and wicket-taking abilities for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2022 edition.

Umran Malik has been a revelation this season in the IPL. While his name did the rounds in IPL 2021 as well, which led to him being Team India's net bowler for the 2021 T20 World Cup, he has made heads turn with his raw pace and wicket-taking abilities for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2022 edition. Umran has clocked the 150 kmph with ease this season. Many former cricketers and experts of the game already believe that he can be given a national cap and be groomed ahead of this year's T20 World Cup, in Australia. Amid all this, Pakistan's veteran keeper-batter Kamran Akmal opined on Umran's talent and made a big claim. “If he was in Pakistan, maybe he would have played international cricket. His economy is high, but he is a strike bowler since he is getting wickets,” Akmal was quoted as saying by Paktv.tv. ALSO READ | Sunil Gavaskar resorts to MS Dhoni's famous catchphrase when asked about CSK skipper's IPL future “After every match, his speed chart comes where he clocks around 155 km/h and it’s not going down. It’s a good competition in the Indian team. Earlier, Indian cricket lacked quality fast bowlers, but now they have a plethora of pacers like Navdeep Saini, (Mohammed) Siraj, (Mohammed) Shami and (Jasprit) Bumrah," he added. At present, Umran has been a regular for the Kane Williamson-led SRH franchise. After 11 games, he has accounted for 15 scalps at a strike rate of 16, however, his economy rate has been high (9.10). It will be interesting to see if he inspires the Orange Army into the playoffs. So far, they have 10 points from 11 encounters.

If Umran Malik was in Pakistan, he would have played international cricket, opines Kamran Akmal

Virat Kohli is likely to be rested from India's upcoming T20I series against South Africa at home following the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Kohli has been enduring a rough patch for his side Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL this season and has been struggling to score runs consistently.

He has had a disappointing tournament so far with the bat having managed only one half-century in 12 matches for RCB. Kohli has bagged three golden ducks already this season and has only 216 runs to his name at a poor average of 19.64 and a strike rate of just over 111.

As per PTI, Kohli is set to be rested as he has been playing cricket for a long time now, the BCCI will also adopt a periodic resting policy for the senior players in the team. The senior players will be given adequate breaks to ensure they can manage their workload better in times of playing cricket in bio-bubbles due to COVID-19.

“Virat Kohli in all probability will be rested for the South Africa series. He has been playing a lot of cricket and has been in the bubble for a long time. It has been a policy decision regarding Kohli and other senior players that they will be given periodic breaks from time to time," a BCCI official was quoted as saying by PTI.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-realized-what-it-feels-like-to-be-helpless-virat-kohli-opens-up-on-his-poor-run-of-form-in-ipl-2022-478096">I realized what it feels like to be helpless: Virat Kohli opens up on his poor run of form in IPL 2022</a>

Earlier during the ongoing IPL season, former India head coach Ravi Shastri had said Kohli is 'overcooked' and is in desperate need of a break amid his poor form in the league. The batting maestro, who is the leading run-getter of all time in IPL history, has failed to get going with the bat and has looked far from his best so far this season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-has-full-authority-virat-kohli-opens-up-on-his-equation-with-faf-du-plessis-after-leaving-rcb-captaincy-478130">'He has full authority': Kohli opens up on his equation with Faf du Plessis after leaving RCB captaincy</a>

Kohli has already left Team India's captaincy with Rohit Sharma now in charge. It remains to be seen if Kohli will be the only player to be rested for the T20I series. India will host the Proteas in five T20Is starting from&nbsp;June 12. The first T20I will be played in Delhi followed by the next four matches in&nbsp;Cuttack, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot and Bengaluru.

Virat Kohli is likely to be rested from India's upcoming T20I series against South Africa at home following the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

Virat Kohli is likely to be rested from India's upcoming T20I series against South Africa at home following the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Kohli has been enduring a rough patch for his side Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL this season and has been struggling to score runs consistently. He has had a disappointing tournament so far with the bat having managed only one half-century in 12 matches for RCB. Kohli has bagged three golden ducks already this season and has only 216 runs to his name at a poor average of 19.64 and a strike rate of just over 111. As per PTI, Kohli is set to be rested as he has been playing cricket for a long time now, the BCCI will also adopt a periodic resting policy for the senior players in the team. The senior players will be given adequate breaks to ensure they can manage their workload better in times of playing cricket in bio-bubbles due to COVID-19. “Virat Kohli in all probability will be rested for the South Africa series. He has been playing a lot of cricket and has been in the bubble for a long time. It has been a policy decision regarding Kohli and other senior players that they will be given periodic breaks from time to time," a BCCI official was quoted as saying by PTI. Also Read: I realized what it feels like to be helpless: Virat Kohli opens up on his poor run of form in IPL 2022 Earlier during the ongoing IPL season, former India head coach Ravi Shastri had said Kohli is 'overcooked' and is in desperate need of a break amid his poor form in the league. The batting maestro, who is the leading run-getter of all time in IPL history, has failed to get going with the bat and has looked far from his best so far this season. Also Read: 'He has full authority': Kohli opens up on his equation with Faf du Plessis after leaving RCB captaincy Kohli has already left Team India's captaincy with Rohit Sharma now in charge. It remains to be seen if Kohli will be the only player to be rested for the T20I series. India will host the Proteas in five T20Is starting from June 12. The first T20I will be played in Delhi followed by the next four matches in Cuttack, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot and Bengaluru.

Virat Kohli to be rested for T20I series against South Africa, senior players to get periodic breaks - Report

Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has heaped praise on Indian stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara after playing with him for Sussex in county cricket. Rizwan revealed he has a cordial relationship on and off the field with Pujara and never misses a chance to tease him in the dressing room.

India and Pakistan share one of the greatest rivalries in cricket but the two teams have not played any bilateral cricket since 2013 due to political tensions between the two nations. Thus, cricket fans around the globe were excited when Rizwan joined forces with Pujara for Sussex in the county championships division 2.

The duo has been brilliant for their side and has enjoyed batting with each other. Pujara and Rizwan shared a 150-run stand for Sussex in their clash against Durham where the Indian batter was seen appreciating his Pakistani teammate after his fifty in the game.

Opening up about his bond with Pujara, Rizwan revealed the senior India batter is a nice and loving guy and that they have never felt strange sharing the same dressing room at Sussex. Rizwan also revealed that Pujara's concentration level is one trait he would like to learn from the Indian veteran.

"As far as myself and Pujara are concerned, I didn't feel anything strange. And hopefully, if you ask him, his answer will be the same as mine. Although I do share a laugh with him and tease him (laughs) and everyone in the team knows this," Rizwan told Cricwick.

"He is a very nice and loving guy. And his concentration and focus too... If you get a chance to learn something, you should do it," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-gave-up-were-weak-gautam-gambhir-delivers-strong-speech-in-dressing-room-after-lsg-lose-to-gt-478112">'We gave up &amp; were weak': Gambhir delivers strong speech in dressing room after LSG lose to GT</a>

Rizwan went on to state that he rates Pujara highly and that his concentration level is one of the best in the world. The Pakistan wicket-keeper also named Pujara in his top three batters with the best concentration level in cricket.

"In terms of concentration levels and I told this to the coaches here too. In my whole career, the players with most focus, concentration are Younis bhai, Fawad Alam and his (Pujara's). Pujara is second on my list and Fawad Alam on three in terms of pure concentration and focus. I rate these three players very highly," he said.

After being dropped from the Indian Test squad for the home series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, Pujara had decided to head to England and play some county cricket to regain form. He has been enjoying a stunning campaign for Sussex having already scored two double centuries and as many hundreds for the team.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-has-full-authority-virat-kohli-opens-up-on-his-equation-with-faf-du-plessis-after-leaving-rcb-captaincy-478130">'He has full authority': Kohli opens up on his equation with Faf du Plessis after leaving RCB captaincy</a>

Pujara has been making a strong case for his selection in the Indian Test squad once again with his performances in England. It remains to be seen if the senior batter will be allowed to make his comeback in the whites for India in their next Test assignment.

Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has heaped praise on Indian stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara after playing with him for Sussex in county cricket. Rizwan revealed he has a cordial relationship on and off the field with Pujara and never misses a chance to tease him in the dressing room.

Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has heaped praise on Indian stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara after playing with him for Sussex in county cricket. Rizwan revealed he has a cordial relationship on and off the field with Pujara and never misses a chance to tease him in the dressing room. India and Pakistan share one of the greatest rivalries in cricket but the two teams have not played any bilateral cricket since 2013 due to political tensions between the two nations. Thus, cricket fans around the globe were excited when Rizwan joined forces with Pujara for Sussex in the county championships division 2. The duo has been brilliant for their side and has enjoyed batting with each other. Pujara and Rizwan shared a 150-run stand for Sussex in their clash against Durham where the Indian batter was seen appreciating his Pakistani teammate after his fifty in the game. Opening up about his bond with Pujara, Rizwan revealed the senior India batter is a nice and loving guy and that they have never felt strange sharing the same dressing room at Sussex. Rizwan also revealed that Pujara's concentration level is one trait he would like to learn from the Indian veteran. "As far as myself and Pujara are concerned, I didn't feel anything strange. And hopefully, if you ask him, his answer will be the same as mine. Although I do share a laugh with him and tease him (laughs) and everyone in the team knows this," Rizwan told Cricwick. "He is a very nice and loving guy. And his concentration and focus too... If you get a chance to learn something, you should do it," he added. Also Read: 'We gave up & were weak': Gambhir delivers strong speech in dressing room after LSG lose to GT Rizwan went on to state that he rates Pujara highly and that his concentration level is one of the best in the world. The Pakistan wicket-keeper also named Pujara in his top three batters with the best concentration level in cricket. "In terms of concentration levels and I told this to the coaches here too. In my whole career, the players with most focus, concentration are Younis bhai, Fawad Alam and his (Pujara's). Pujara is second on my list and Fawad Alam on three in terms of pure concentration and focus. I rate these three players very highly," he said. After being dropped from the Indian Test squad for the home series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, Pujara had decided to head to England and play some county cricket to regain form. He has been enjoying a stunning campaign for Sussex having already scored two double centuries and as many hundreds for the team. Also Read: 'He has full authority': Kohli opens up on his equation with Faf du Plessis after leaving RCB captaincy Pujara has been making a strong case for his selection in the Indian Test squad once again with his performances in England. It remains to be seen if the senior batter will be allowed to make his comeback in the whites for India in their next Test assignment.

'He is a loving guy': Pakistan star Mohammad Rizwan lauds Cheteshwar Pujara after playing together for Sussex

Virat Kohli has endured a horrific run with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was expected to set the stage on fire this season having left captaincy, however, his performances have been below-par for the Faf du Plessis-led side. Kohli has managed only one half-century and has three golden ducks in 12 matches so far this season.

Kohli has so far managed to notch up 216 runs in 12 matches at an average of 19.62 and a mediocre strike rate of 111.34. The batting maestro suffered yet another failure in RCB's last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday as he was once again dismissed on a duck. Regarded as one of the best batters in the world at present, Kohli has a forgetful IPL campaign so far this season.

Recently, former India head coach Ravi Shastri had advised Kohli to take a break from the game for his own good. Shastri, who worked with Kohli during his stint as the head coach of the Indian team, had suggested Kohli is 'overcooked' and desperately needs a break. After Kohli's dismissal against SRH on Sunday, a debate sparked in the commentary box whether the RCB star needed a break from the game.

It was then that commentator Harsha Bhogle brought up Shastri's comments about Kohli being overcooked and desperately needing a break. Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden, who was also in the commentary box went on to question Shastri's suggestion to Kohli and said if the former India head coach would suggest a beak to Rohit Sharma too.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ceo-is-involved-in-team-selections-kkr-captain-shreyas-iyers-revelation-raises-eyebrows-477857">'CEO is involved in team selections': KKR captain Shreyas Iyer's revelation raises eyebrows</a>

Like Kohli, Rohit too hasn't enjoyed the best of form in IPL 2022 and has struggled to score runs consistently. the Mumbai Indians skipper is yet to notch up a fifty in the tournament and has only 200 runs to his name in 11 matches this season.

“Does he say the same about Rohit Sharma? I mean these guys are playing cricket all the time, of course, these tournaments, they come around so quickly, you get yourself into a mental space and Kohli has been brilliant at it for so many years, so animated, so passionate. To come off that though just for a moment and you are under pressure,” Hayden said talking about Shastri's suggestion to Kohli.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-explained-how-ms-dhonis-csk-and-kkr-can-still-qualify-for-the-playoffs-477792">IPL 2022: EXPLAINED! How MS Dhoni's CSK and KKR can still qualify for the playoffs</a>

Bhogle was quick to clarify after Hayden's remarks that he brought up Shastri's comments only because he knew Kohli well having worked with him for a number of years as the head coach of the Indian team. Kohli was captain of the side during Shastri's stint as head coach from 2017 to 2021.

“The only reason I brought that up, Ravi and Virat have known each other so well over the last 3-4 years, have run a lot of campaigns together, been very good at Test cricket. He knows the inner mind,” said Bhogle.

Virat Kohli has endured a horrific run with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was expected to set the stage on fire this season having left captaincy, however, his performances have been below-par for the Faf du Plessis-led side.

Virat Kohli has endured a horrific run with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was expected to set the stage on fire this season having left captaincy, however, his performances have been below-par for the Faf du Plessis-led side. Kohli has managed only one half-century and has three golden ducks in 12 matches so far this season. Kohli has so far managed to notch up 216 runs in 12 matches at an average of 19.62 and a mediocre strike rate of 111.34. The batting maestro suffered yet another failure in RCB's last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday as he was once again dismissed on a duck. Regarded as one of the best batters in the world at present, Kohli has a forgetful IPL campaign so far this season. Recently, former India head coach Ravi Shastri had advised Kohli to take a break from the game for his own good. Shastri, who worked with Kohli during his stint as the head coach of the Indian team, had suggested Kohli is 'overcooked' and desperately needs a break. After Kohli's dismissal against SRH on Sunday, a debate sparked in the commentary box whether the RCB star needed a break from the game. It was then that commentator Harsha Bhogle brought up Shastri's comments about Kohli being overcooked and desperately needing a break. Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden, who was also in the commentary box went on to question Shastri's suggestion to Kohli and said if the former India head coach would suggest a beak to Rohit Sharma too. Also Read: 'CEO is involved in team selections': KKR captain Shreyas Iyer's revelation raises eyebrows Like Kohli, Rohit too hasn't enjoyed the best of form in IPL 2022 and has struggled to score runs consistently. the Mumbai Indians skipper is yet to notch up a fifty in the tournament and has only 200 runs to his name in 11 matches this season. “Does he say the same about Rohit Sharma? I mean these guys are playing cricket all the time, of course, these tournaments, they come around so quickly, you get yourself into a mental space and Kohli has been brilliant at it for so many years, so animated, so passionate. To come off that though just for a moment and you are under pressure,” Hayden said talking about Shastri's suggestion to Kohli. Also Read: IPL 2022: EXPLAINED! How MS Dhoni's CSK and KKR can still qualify for the playoffs Bhogle was quick to clarify after Hayden's remarks that he brought up Shastri's comments only because he knew Kohli well having worked with him for a number of years as the head coach of the Indian team. Kohli was captain of the side during Shastri's stint as head coach from 2017 to 2021. “The only reason I brought that up, Ravi and Virat have known each other so well over the last 3-4 years, have run a lot of campaigns together, been very good at Test cricket. He knows the inner mind,” said Bhogle.

'Does he say the same for Rohit Sharma?': Matthew Hayden on Ravi Shastri advising Virat Kohli to take a break

Amid the IPL 2022, the Indian team's head coach Rahul Dravid is getting some off time from national duties. Since the past few days, speculations have been rife that the former Indian captain is set to attend a BJP event in the poll-bound Himachal Pradesh. However, the 49-year-old has now responded to all such speculations.

Speaking to news agency&nbsp;ANI&nbsp;on Tuesday (May 10), Dravid dismissed the talks of attending a BJP Yuva Morcha meet in the poll-bound state in the coming days. "A section of the media has reported that I will attend a meeting in Himachal Pradesh from May 12th-15th, 2022. I wish to clarify that the said report is incorrect," Dravid was quoted saying by the news agency.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-to-host-australia-in-three-t20is-before-t20-world-cup-bg-trophy-early-next-year-477823">India to host Australia in three T20Is before T20 World Cup, BG Trophy early next year</a>

Dravid's response&nbsp;came after BJP Dharamsala MLA Vishal Nehria had claimed that the Team India coach will grace his presence in the Yuva Morcha's National Working Committee session in Dharamshala. "The National Working Committee of BJP Yuva Morcha will be held in Dharamshala from May 12 to 15. The national leadership of BJP and the leadership of Himachal Pradesh will be involved. BJP National President JP Nadda, National Organization Minister and Union Minister will also attend the session," Nehria had earlier said.

Dravid took over as India's head coach after Ravi Shastri's tenure came to an end post the 2021 T20 World Cup. Since then, India have been unbeaten in T20Is, beat West Indies in three ODIs before being whitewashed by South Africa in a three-match series earlier this year, won a home Test series versus New Zealand and Sri Lanka but lost the Test series versus hosts South Africa 2-1.

Amid the IPL 2022, the Indian team's head coach Rahul Dravid is getting some off time from national duties. Since the past few days, speculations have been rife that the former Indian captain is set to attend a BJP event in the poll-bound Himachal Pradesh.

Amid the IPL 2022, the Indian team's head coach Rahul Dravid is getting some off time from national duties. Since the past few days, speculations have been rife that the former Indian captain is set to attend a BJP event in the poll-bound Himachal Pradesh. However, the 49-year-old has now responded to all such speculations. Speaking to news agency ANI on Tuesday (May 10), Dravid dismissed the talks of attending a BJP Yuva Morcha meet in the poll-bound state in the coming days. "A section of the media has reported that I will attend a meeting in Himachal Pradesh from May 12th-15th, 2022. I wish to clarify that the said report is incorrect," Dravid was quoted saying by the news agency. ALSO READ | India to host Australia in three T20Is before T20 World Cup, BG Trophy early next year Dravid's response came after BJP Dharamsala MLA Vishal Nehria had claimed that the Team India coach will grace his presence in the Yuva Morcha's National Working Committee session in Dharamshala. "The National Working Committee of BJP Yuva Morcha will be held in Dharamshala from May 12 to 15. The national leadership of BJP and the leadership of Himachal Pradesh will be involved. BJP National President JP Nadda, National Organization Minister and Union Minister will also attend the session," Nehria had earlier said. Dravid took over as India's head coach after Ravi Shastri's tenure came to an end post the 2021 T20 World Cup. Since then, India have been unbeaten in T20Is, beat West Indies in three ODIs before being whitewashed by South Africa in a three-match series earlier this year, won a home Test series versus New Zealand and Sri Lanka but lost the Test series versus hosts South Africa 2-1.

Will Rahul Dravid attend a BJP event in poll-bound Himachal? Team India head coach responds

India are set to host Australia in a three-match T20I series in September, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. Prior to the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later in October, Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. will gear up for the marquee event by facing the T20 World champions Aaron Finch-led Aussies in the Indian subcontinent.

"Australia will play a number of white ball series with home games against Zimbabwe, New Zealand, West Indies, and England coming to either side of three T20s in India in September," a report in Fox Sports read.

Cricket Australia's full schedule (2022-23):

<section>
June-July 2022: Tour of Sri Lanka (3xT20s, 3xODIs, 2xTests) 
August-September 2022: Zimbabwe (3xODIs) and New Zealand (3xODIs) at home 
September 2022: White ball series in India (3xT20s) 
October 2022: West Indies and England at home (6xT20s) 
October-November 2022: T20 World Cup at home 
November 2022: England at home (3xODIs) 
December-January 2022-23: West Indies (2xTests) and South Africa (3xTests, 3xODIs) at home 
February-March 2023: Test tour of India (4xTests) 
March-May 2023: Indian Premier League 
June-July 2023: Ashes tour of England (5xTests, ODIs expected) 
August 2023: Test tour of South Africa (3xTests) 
October-November 2023: ODI World Cup in India

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-i-raised-my-voice-against-forced-conversion-danish-kaneria-tweets-amid-feud-with-shahid-afridi-477543">'India not our enemy country' - Danish Kaneria slams Shahid Afridi, makes explosive remark on Twitter</a>

Talking about the Australian cricket team, it is going to be on the road since June this year before returning home to defend its title in the T20 World Cup. Further, the Pat Cummins-led Australian side will also square off against India in the next edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in early 2023, in India. On the other hand, they will travel to the United Kingdom for the Ashes 2023 in June-July next year.

Meanwhile, India will also have a hectic schedule post the conclusion of IPL 2022. After hosting South Africa in five T20Is, they&nbsp;will travel to the United Kingdom where they play England in all formats, then lock horns with&nbsp;Ireland in a limited-overs series, travel to the Caribbean island before returning home to host&nbsp;the Aussies, and then make a trip Down Under for the T20 WC.
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India are set to host Australia in a three-match T20I series in September, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. Prior to the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later in October, Rohit Sharma & Co.

India are set to host Australia in a three-match T20I series in September, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. Prior to the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later in October, Rohit Sharma & Co. will gear up for the marquee event by facing the T20 World champions Aaron Finch-led Aussies in the Indian subcontinent. "Australia will play a number of white ball series with home games against Zimbabwe, New Zealand, West Indies, and England coming to either side of three T20s in India in September," a report in Fox Sports read. Cricket Australia's full schedule (2022-23): June-July 2022: Tour of Sri Lanka (3xT20s, 3xODIs, 2xTests) August-September 2022: Zimbabwe (3xODIs) and New Zealand (3xODIs) at home September 2022: White ball series in India (3xT20s) October 2022: West Indies and England at home (6xT20s) October-November 2022: T20 World Cup at home November 2022: England at home (3xODIs) December-January 2022-23: West Indies (2xTests) and South Africa (3xTests, 3xODIs) at home February-March 2023: Test tour of India (4xTests) March-May 2023: Indian Premier League June-July 2023: Ashes tour of England (5xTests, ODIs expected) August 2023: Test tour of South Africa (3xTests) October-November 2023: ODI World Cup in India ALSO READ | 'India not our enemy country' - Danish Kaneria slams Shahid Afridi, makes explosive remark on Twitter Talking about the Australian cricket team, it is going to be on the road since June this year before returning home to defend its title in the T20 World Cup. Further, the Pat Cummins-led Australian side will also square off against India in the next edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in early 2023, in India. On the other hand, they will travel to the United Kingdom for the Ashes 2023 in June-July next year. Meanwhile, India will also have a hectic schedule post the conclusion of IPL 2022. After hosting South Africa in five T20Is, they will travel to the United Kingdom where they play England in all formats, then lock horns with Ireland in a limited-overs series, travel to the Caribbean island before returning home to host the Aussies, and then make a trip Down Under for the T20 WC.

India to host Australia in three T20Is before T20 World Cup, BG Trophy early next year

Football met cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Sunday (May 09) Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri visited the BCCI training facility. Chhetri, who is one of the greatest footballers to have played for India, took part in some fielding drills at the NCA and was also spotted having a chat with the youngsters training at the facility.

Chettri, who has previously revealed he grew up wanting to be a cricketer before eventually taking up football, is a huge fan of the game and is also a great friend of former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli. In a video shared by the BCCI, Chhetri can be seen acing some fielding drills at the NCA.&nbsp;

"NCA's Neighbour, Indian Football Captain and Legend, @chetrisunil11 dropping by on Sunday evening. He had a delightful fielding competition and shared some learnings from his own incredible journey in Football with the boys from North East and Plate Teams," BCCI captioned the post with a video of Chhetri taking part in training at NCA.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NCA's Neighbour, Indian Football Captain and Legend, <a href="https://twitter.com/chetrisunil11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chetrisunil11</a> dropping by on Sunday evening. 
 
He had a delightful fielding competition and shared some learnings from his own incredible journey in Football with the boys from North East and Plate Teams. <a href="https://t.co/1O1Gx7F12K">pic.twitter.com/1O1Gx7F12K</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1523551382711980032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/chelseas-top-five-most-expensive-signings-under-roman-abramovich-477433">Chelsea's top five most expensive signings under Roman Abramovich</a>

In another post shared by the BCCI, the Indian football legend can also be seen catching up with former India cricketer VVS Laxman, who is currently the head of the NCA. Chhetri also interacted with the youngsters present at the academy and imparted his knowledge to them.

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Head Cricket, NCA - <a href="https://twitter.com/VVSLaxman281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VVSLaxman281</a> and Indian Football Captain and Legend - <a href="https://twitter.com/chetrisunil11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chetrisunil11</a> interacting with the boys from North East and Plate Teams. <a href="https://t.co/7Vp5k5kGLD">pic.twitter.com/7Vp5k5kGLD</a>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-a-big-fan-of-maths-ms-dhoni-gives-cheeky-response-on-csks-chances-of-qualifying-for-ipl-2022-playoffs-477567">'Not a big fan of maths': Dhoni gives cheeky response on CSK's chances of qualifying for IPL 2022 playoffs</a>

The Indian football team skipper stays in Bengaluru as he plays for the Indian Super League (ISL) Bengaluru FC. Chhetri, who had joined Bengaluru FC in the year 2013, enjoyed a two-year spell at the club before joining Mumbai City FC. He returned back to Bengaluru on loan in 2016.

He secured a permanent switch later and has since plied his trade in the ISL with Bengaluru FC. He is India's highest goal-scorer of all time in international football with 80 goals to his name. He is also one of the highest active goal-scorers in international football at present.

Football met cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Sunday (May 09) Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri visited the BCCI training facility.

Football met cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Sunday (May 09) Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri visited the BCCI training facility. Chhetri, who is one of the greatest footballers to have played for India, took part in some fielding drills at the NCA and was also spotted having a chat with the youngsters training at the facility. Chettri, who has previously revealed he grew up wanting to be a cricketer before eventually taking up football, is a huge fan of the game and is also a great friend of former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli. In a video shared by the BCCI, Chhetri can be seen acing some fielding drills at the NCA. "NCA's Neighbour, Indian Football Captain and Legend, @chetrisunil11 dropping by on Sunday evening. He had a delightful fielding competition and shared some learnings from his own incredible journey in Football with the boys from North East and Plate Teams," BCCI captioned the post with a video of Chhetri taking part in training at NCA. NCA's Neighbour, Indian Football Captain and Legend, @chetrisunil11 dropping by on Sunday evening. He had a delightful fielding competition and shared some learnings from his own incredible journey in Football with the boys from North East and Plate Teams. pic.twitter.com/1O1Gx7F12K — BCCI (@BCCI) May 9, 2022 × Also Read: Chelsea's top five most expensive signings under Roman Abramovich In another post shared by the BCCI, the Indian football legend can also be seen catching up with former India cricketer VVS Laxman, who is currently the head of the NCA. Chhetri also interacted with the youngsters present at the academy and imparted his knowledge to them. Head Cricket, NCA - @VVSLaxman281 and Indian Football Captain and Legend - @chetrisunil11 interacting with the boys from North East and Plate Teams. pic.twitter.com/7Vp5k5kGLD — BCCI (@BCCI) May 9, 2022 × Also Read: 'Not a big fan of maths': Dhoni gives cheeky response on CSK's chances of qualifying for IPL 2022 playoffs The Indian football team skipper stays in Bengaluru as he plays for the Indian Super League (ISL) Bengaluru FC. Chhetri, who had joined Bengaluru FC in the year 2013, enjoyed a two-year spell at the club before joining Mumbai City FC. He returned back to Bengaluru on loan in 2016. He secured a permanent switch later and has since plied his trade in the ISL with Bengaluru FC. He is India's highest goal-scorer of all time in international football with 80 goals to his name. He is also one of the highest active goal-scorers in international football at present.

When football meets cricket! Legend Sunil Chhetri visits NCA; aces fielding drills, chats with youngsters

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Ruturaj Gaikwad can have an ‘outside chance’ of featuring in the squad for the T20 World Cup. Jaffer was not impressed with his performances in the ongoing IPL 2022 and said that the youngster is a ‘really big talent’.

In a recent interaction, Jaffer picked four options for the opening spot ahead of the T20 World Cup and he picked KL Rahul and skipper Rohit Sharma as automatic picks. Apart from Gaikwad, Jaffer also thought that Prithvi Shaw will be an addition for the India squad ahead of the mega tournament.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-faf-du-plessis-wanindu-hasaranga-set-up-rcbs-massive-victory-over-srh-477410">IPL 2022: Faf Du Plessis, Wanindu Hasaranga set up RCB's massive win over SRH</a>

“If we are to talk about the openers then I feel the batters who are definite for this position are KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. I think these will surely be there in the World Cup. Apart from that, I feel Prithvi Shaw should be in the World Cup T20 squad and there could be an outside chance for Ruturaj Gaikwad even though his IPL form has not been up to the mark but, I feel we need to persist with Ruturaj Gaikwad because he is a really big talent," he told Crictracker.

Apart from these two options, veteran Shikhar Dhawan and Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan have also made a strong case for themselves for the T20 World Cup inclusion.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-ishan-kishan-or-dinesh-karthik-virender-sehwag-names-surprise-wicketkeeper-pick-for-t20-world-cup-477423" hreflang="en">Not Ishan Kishan or Dinesh Karthik! Virender Sehwag names surprise wicketkeeper pick for T20 World Cup</a>

In IPL 2022, Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul is leading the charts when it comes to Indian openers with 451 runs with Punjab Kings’ Dhawan following closely with 381 runs.

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Ruturaj Gaikwad can have an ‘outside chance’ of featuring in the squad for the T20 World Cup. Jaffer was not impressed with his performances in the ongoing IPL 2022 and said that the youngster is a ‘really big talent’.

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Ruturaj Gaikwad can have an ‘outside chance’ of featuring in the squad for the T20 World Cup. Jaffer was not impressed with his performances in the ongoing IPL 2022 and said that the youngster is a ‘really big talent’. In a recent interaction, Jaffer picked four options for the opening spot ahead of the T20 World Cup and he picked KL Rahul and skipper Rohit Sharma as automatic picks. Apart from Gaikwad, Jaffer also thought that Prithvi Shaw will be an addition for the India squad ahead of the mega tournament. Also read | IPL 2022: Faf Du Plessis, Wanindu Hasaranga set up RCB's massive win over SRH “If we are to talk about the openers then I feel the batters who are definite for this position are KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. I think these will surely be there in the World Cup. Apart from that, I feel Prithvi Shaw should be in the World Cup T20 squad and there could be an outside chance for Ruturaj Gaikwad even though his IPL form has not been up to the mark but, I feel we need to persist with Ruturaj Gaikwad because he is a really big talent," he told Crictracker. Apart from these two options, veteran Shikhar Dhawan and Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan have also made a strong case for themselves for the T20 World Cup inclusion. Also read | Not Ishan Kishan or Dinesh Karthik! Virender Sehwag names surprise wicketkeeper pick for T20 World Cup In IPL 2022, Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul is leading the charts when it comes to Indian openers with 451 runs with Punjab Kings’ Dhawan following closely with 381 runs.

'There could be an outside chance': Former India cricketer picks four openers for T20 World Cup

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Sigh has made a startling claim stating that he was supposed to captain the Indian cricket team in the 2007 T20 World Cup and not MS Dhoni. Dhoni had led India to a memorable triumph in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup with a thrilling win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final in South Africa.

While the decision to appoint Dhoni as captain proved to be a masterstroke, not many had expected the wicket-keeper batter to take over the reins as he had never led in domestic cricket or international cricket before. It was a surprising decision from the BCCI to appoint Dhoni as captain as there were a number of senior players in&nbsp;the side.

One of the senior players was Yuvraj Singh, who was also India's vice-captain during the team's tour of England where Rahul Dravid was leading the team. The T20 World Cup was after the conclusion of the England series and Yuvraj was among the favourites to be appointed as the captain of the team after senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid and Sourav Ganguly pulled out of the T20 World Cup 2007.

However, as it turned out, Dhoni was appointed as captain of the Indian team and t marked the start of an era of dominance for Team India as it went on to win several laurels under the former captain. Dhoni led India to three major ICC trophies along with several bilateral series wins across the globe.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mothers-day-when-ms-dhoni-led-indian-team-paid-tribute-to-mothers-by-sporting-their-names-on-jerseys-477315">When MS Dhoni-led Indian team paid tribute to mothers by sporting their names on jerseys</a>

Yuvraj has now claimed it was he who was supposed to lead the Indian team at the T20 World Cup 2007 but his stand during the Greg Chappell incident cost him the captaincy. Chappell, who coached India from 2005 to 2007 had feuds with some of India's senior players including Ganguly and Sachin.

Yuvraj claimed he always supported Sachin during the fiasco which didn't go down well with some BCCI officials, who decided against appointing him as captain of the Indian team. Yuvraj revealed he was also sacked as India's vice-captain after the incident.

“I was supposed to be the captain. Then the Greg Chappell incident happened. It had become Chappell or Sachin. I was probably the only player who supported…that I support my teammate. And there were a lot of people in the…Some of the BCCI officials did not like that. It was said that they should make anybody the captain but not myself. This is what I heard,” Yuvraj said during an interview on Sports18.

“I am not sure how true it is. Suddenly from vice-captaincy I was removed. Sehwag was not there in the team. So, out of nowhere, Mahi (MS Dhoni) became captain for the 2007 T20 World Cup. I thought I was going to be the captain," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-delhi-capitals-squad-in-isolation-after-another-covid-19-case-detected-in-their-camp-report-477295">Delhi Capitals squad in isolation after another COVID-19 case detected in their camp - Report</a>

Yuvraj, who enjoyed a stellar career for India at the international level, never got the chance to lead the national team. He was part of India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup-winning teams under Dhoni and played an instrumental role in both the triumphs. The all-rounder said he has no regrets about missing out on captaincy.

“Viru (Virender Sehwag) was senior but he was not on the England tour. I was the vice-captain of the ODI team while Rahul (Dravid) was the captain. So, I was supposed to be the captain. Obviously, it was a decision that went against me but I have no regrets about it. Today, if the same thing happens, I will still support my teammate," said Yuvraj.

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Sigh has made a startling claim stating that he was supposed to captain the Indian cricket team in the 2007 T20 World Cup and not MS Dhoni.

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Sigh has made a startling claim stating that he was supposed to captain the Indian cricket team in the 2007 T20 World Cup and not MS Dhoni. Dhoni had led India to a memorable triumph in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup with a thrilling win over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final in South Africa. While the decision to appoint Dhoni as captain proved to be a masterstroke, not many had expected the wicket-keeper batter to take over the reins as he had never led in domestic cricket or international cricket before. It was a surprising decision from the BCCI to appoint Dhoni as captain as there were a number of senior players in the side. One of the senior players was Yuvraj Singh, who was also India's vice-captain during the team's tour of England where Rahul Dravid was leading the team. The T20 World Cup was after the conclusion of the England series and Yuvraj was among the favourites to be appointed as the captain of the team after senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid and Sourav Ganguly pulled out of the T20 World Cup 2007. However, as it turned out, Dhoni was appointed as captain of the Indian team and t marked the start of an era of dominance for Team India as it went on to win several laurels under the former captain. Dhoni led India to three major ICC trophies along with several bilateral series wins across the globe. Also Read: When MS Dhoni-led Indian team paid tribute to mothers by sporting their names on jerseys Yuvraj has now claimed it was he who was supposed to lead the Indian team at the T20 World Cup 2007 but his stand during the Greg Chappell incident cost him the captaincy. Chappell, who coached India from 2005 to 2007 had feuds with some of India's senior players including Ganguly and Sachin. Yuvraj claimed he always supported Sachin during the fiasco which didn't go down well with some BCCI officials, who decided against appointing him as captain of the Indian team. Yuvraj revealed he was also sacked as India's vice-captain after the incident. “I was supposed to be the captain. Then the Greg Chappell incident happened. It had become Chappell or Sachin. I was probably the only player who supported…that I support my teammate. And there were a lot of people in the…Some of the BCCI officials did not like that. It was said that they should make anybody the captain but not myself. This is what I heard,” Yuvraj said during an interview on Sports18. “I am not sure how true it is. Suddenly from vice-captaincy I was removed. Sehwag was not there in the team. So, out of nowhere, Mahi (MS Dhoni) became captain for the 2007 T20 World Cup. I thought I was going to be the captain," he added. Also Read: Delhi Capitals squad in isolation after another COVID-19 case detected in their camp - Report Yuvraj, who enjoyed a stellar career for India at the international level, never got the chance to lead the national team. He was part of India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup-winning teams under Dhoni and played an instrumental role in both the triumphs. The all-rounder said he has no regrets about missing out on captaincy. “Viru (Virender Sehwag) was senior but he was not on the England tour. I was the vice-captain of the ODI team while Rahul (Dravid) was the captain. So, I was supposed to be the captain. Obviously, it was a decision that went against me but I have no regrets about it. Today, if the same thing happens, I will still support my teammate," said Yuvraj.

'Was supposed to be the captain': Yuvraj Singh claims he lost India captaincy to MS Dhoni due to Chappell row

Mother's Day is celebrated across the globe on May 08 as a tribute to all mothers around the world. Mothers are real-life heroes, life-givers and a child's first teachers. Tributes and messages have been pouring in on social media as the world celebrates motherhood and&nbsp;maternal bonds.

The Indian cricket team had once come up with an incredible gesture to pay tribute to their mothers during an ODI game against New Zealand in 2016. The MS Dhoni-led Indian side proudly sported the names of their mothers on their jerseys during the fifth ODI of the home series against the Kiwis at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dhoni and other members of India's squad took the field sporting jerseys which had their mothers' names instead of their names on the back. The brilliant gesture had been appreciated by many and had touched the hearts of many as it sent out a great message.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-delhi-capitals-squad-in-isolation-after-another-covid-19-case-detected-in-their-camp-report-477295">Delhi Capitals squad in isolation after another COVID-19 case detected in their camp - Report</a>

Speaking at the toss, Dhoni was asked about the gesture and he compared a mother's contribution to one's life to that of a soldier's.&nbsp;“It was always how emotionally I was connected to my mom. The mother’s contribution is something which we don’t appreciate it that often,” Dhoni had said at the game before comparing mothers to soldiers.

Watch video:

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> sporting their mothers' names on the jersey in the 5th and final ODI <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvNZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/pWcMAKMchB">pic.twitter.com/pWcMAKMchB</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/792276733563015168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
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India had thrashed New Zealand by a whopping 190 runs in the game. Batting first, India rode on opener Rohit Sharma's brilliant 70 off 65 balls before Kohli notched up a crucial 65 off 76 deliveries. Skipper Dhoni played a gritty knock of 41 runs off 59 balls to help the Men in Blue post a fighting total of 269/7 on the board in 50 overs.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/now-i-think-babar-is-ahead-former-pakistan-pacer-makes-bold-claim-on-virat-kohli-vs-babar-azam-debate-477136">'Now I think Babar is ahead': Former Pakistan pacer makes bold claim on Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam debate</a>

In reply, New Zealand were skittled out for a paltry 79 as the Kiwis lost the game by a huge margin. Amit Mishra was the star with the ball for India as he bagged a memorable five-wicket haul to run through the Kiwi batting line-up and wrap up a dominant win for the hosts.

Mother's Day is celebrated across the globe on May 08 as a tribute to all mothers around the world. Mothers are real-life heroes, life-givers and a child's first teachers.

Mother's Day is celebrated across the globe on May 08 as a tribute to all mothers around the world. Mothers are real-life heroes, life-givers and a child's first teachers. Tributes and messages have been pouring in on social media as the world celebrates motherhood and maternal bonds. The Indian cricket team had once come up with an incredible gesture to pay tribute to their mothers during an ODI game against New Zealand in 2016. The MS Dhoni-led Indian side proudly sported the names of their mothers on their jerseys during the fifth ODI of the home series against the Kiwis at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Dhoni and other members of India's squad took the field sporting jerseys which had their mothers' names instead of their names on the back. The brilliant gesture had been appreciated by many and had touched the hearts of many as it sent out a great message. Also Read: Delhi Capitals squad in isolation after another COVID-19 case detected in their camp - Report Speaking at the toss, Dhoni was asked about the gesture and he compared a mother's contribution to one's life to that of a soldier's. “It was always how emotionally I was connected to my mom. The mother’s contribution is something which we don’t appreciate it that often,” Dhoni had said at the game before comparing mothers to soldiers. Watch video: #TeamIndia sporting their mothers' names on the jersey in the 5th and final ODI #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/pWcMAKMchB — BCCI (@BCCI) October 29, 2016 × India had thrashed New Zealand by a whopping 190 runs in the game. Batting first, India rode on opener Rohit Sharma's brilliant 70 off 65 balls before Kohli notched up a crucial 65 off 76 deliveries. Skipper Dhoni played a gritty knock of 41 runs off 59 balls to help the Men in Blue post a fighting total of 269/7 on the board in 50 overs. Also Read: 'Now I think Babar is ahead': Former Pakistan pacer makes bold claim on Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam debate In reply, New Zealand were skittled out for a paltry 79 as the Kiwis lost the game by a huge margin. Amit Mishra was the star with the ball for India as he bagged a memorable five-wicket haul to run through the Kiwi batting line-up and wrap up a dominant win for the hosts.

Mother's Day: When MS Dhoni-led Indian team paid tribute to mothers by sporting their names on jerseys

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Umran Malik has taken the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 by storm with his impressive performances. The young fast bowler has consistently clocked over 150 kmph this season and has also bowled the fastest delivery of the tournament so far which was clocked at around 157 kmph.

The young sensation has been rattling batters with his brute pace and has been backed by many to play for India soon despite still being a work in progress. While Umran is gifted with natural pace, he still has to work a lot on his line, length and variations to become the world-beater that he is expected to be one day.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has become the latest to put is weight behind Umran and has backed him to be fast-tracked into the Indian team. Harbhajan said if he was part of the national selection panel, Umran would be partnering with Jasprit Bumrah in India's pace attack for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia this year.

Speaking at the launch of 'DreamSetGo', the official travel agent of ICC T20 World Cup 2022, Harbhajan said there isn't a bowler who can clock 150 kmph consistently and is not playing for his country. The former India spinner believes Umran playing for India will inspire a lot of kids to take up fast bowling.

“He (Umran Malik) is my favourite, I want to see him in the Indian team because what a bowler he is. Tell me any one bowler who bowls more than 150 (kmph) and is not playing for the country. So, I think it is a great thing and he will inspire many youngsters to take up this game, where he has come from and what he is doing in IPL, he has been unbelievable," said Harbhajan.

“And I don’t know whether he will be selected or not but if I was part of selection committee, I would have given a go-ahead. Umran Malik should partner Jasprit Bumrah when India plays in Australia (for T20 World Cup),” he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/david-warner-partied-more-than-he-practiced-virender-sehwag-recalls-aussie-stars-debut-ipl-season-477047">David Warner partied more than he practiced: Virender Sehwag recalls Aussie star's debut IPL season</a>

Umran, who was roped in by SRH as a net bowler a couple of seasons back in the IPL, was drafted into the squad a T Natarajan's replacement last season. Umran went on to impress with his raw pace and was retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction this year and has now become an integral member of the SRH pace attack.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/umran-malik-to-mohsin-khan-young-indian-pacers-who-have-set-the-stage-on-fire-in-ipl-2022-476364">Umran Malik to Mohsin Khan: Young Indian pacers who have set the stage on fire in IPL 2022</a>

Umran has played ten matches for SRH so far this season and has 15 wickets to his name. He has gone wicket-less in his last two games but is expected to recover from the rough patch and deliver for his team soon.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Umran Malik has taken the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 by storm with his impressive performances. The young fast bowler has consistently clocked over 150 kmph this season and has also bowled the fastest delivery of the tournament so far which was clocked at around 157 kmph.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Umran Malik has taken the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 by storm with his impressive performances. The young fast bowler has consistently clocked over 150 kmph this season and has also bowled the fastest delivery of the tournament so far which was clocked at around 157 kmph. The young sensation has been rattling batters with his brute pace and has been backed by many to play for India soon despite still being a work in progress. While Umran is gifted with natural pace, he still has to work a lot on his line, length and variations to become the world-beater that he is expected to be one day. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has become the latest to put is weight behind Umran and has backed him to be fast-tracked into the Indian team. Harbhajan said if he was part of the national selection panel, Umran would be partnering with Jasprit Bumrah in India's pace attack for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia this year. Speaking at the launch of 'DreamSetGo', the official travel agent of ICC T20 World Cup 2022, Harbhajan said there isn't a bowler who can clock 150 kmph consistently and is not playing for his country. The former India spinner believes Umran playing for India will inspire a lot of kids to take up fast bowling. “He (Umran Malik) is my favourite, I want to see him in the Indian team because what a bowler he is. Tell me any one bowler who bowls more than 150 (kmph) and is not playing for the country. So, I think it is a great thing and he will inspire many youngsters to take up this game, where he has come from and what he is doing in IPL, he has been unbelievable," said Harbhajan. “And I don’t know whether he will be selected or not but if I was part of selection committee, I would have given a go-ahead. Umran Malik should partner Jasprit Bumrah when India plays in Australia (for T20 World Cup),” he added. Also Read: David Warner partied more than he practiced: Virender Sehwag recalls Aussie star's debut IPL season Umran, who was roped in by SRH as a net bowler a couple of seasons back in the IPL, was drafted into the squad a T Natarajan's replacement last season. Umran went on to impress with his raw pace and was retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction this year and has now become an integral member of the SRH pace attack. Also Read: Umran Malik to Mohsin Khan: Young Indian pacers who have set the stage on fire in IPL 2022 Umran has played ten matches for SRH so far this season and has 15 wickets to his name. He has gone wicket-less in his last two games but is expected to recover from the rough patch and deliver for his team soon.

If I was a selector, Umran Malik would partner Jasprit Bumrah for India at T20 WC 2022: Harbhajan Singh

Virat Kohli's form has become a huge talking point in world cricket. The 33-year-old has been without an international century since late 2019. In fact, he has now completed over 100 matches across formats, including IPL 2022, without a triple-figure mark.

While Kohli has contributed with half-centuries, mainly in white-ball formats, his struggles have been evident from time to time. In IPL 15, he has only one fifty-plus score and has amassed&nbsp;216 runs at an average of 21.60 and a strike rate of 111.91. Many former cricketers such as Ravi Shastri, Kevin Pietersen, Parthiv Patel, Virender Sehwag, Ian Bishop, etc. have commented on Kohli's struggles. Now, former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif has joined the bandwagon and made a big statement.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-is-something-weve-been-seeing-with-him-ian-bishop-expresses-concern-over-virat-kohlis-poor-form-476586">This is something we've been seeing with him: Ian Bishop expresses concern over Virat Kohli's poor form</a>

"Every player goes through this phase, some come out of it early, some take a long. Guys like Kohli have more pressure because they are attractions. Ravi Shastri and others have suggested rest but Virat Kohli knows best."

"When he was in form, he would score heaps of runs. The way he used to perform, Virat was set to break Sachin Tendulkar's record with ease, he had scored so many hundreds. He took it to the extreme. But now when he is dealing with bad form, that too has come at extreme, that too has peaked,"&nbsp;Latif said on his Youtube show&nbsp;'caught-behind.'

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hes-giving-interviews-to-our-enemy-country-which-can-incite-religious-sentiments-afridi-on-kanerias-claims-476846">He's giving interviews to our enemy country which can incite religious sentiments: Afridi on Kaneria's claims</a>

Reflecting on Kohli's struggles in the 15th season of the IPL, Latif added, "He has to come out of this rough patch himself. Everyone has the belief in him and he will come back, and the day he realised it himself, he will start doing it. Against Gujarat Titans, he has started doing it (Kohli scored a 53-ball 58). I could see that touch,"

"In the last few games, there were a few inside-edged and things like that but the other day against GT, he hit a couple of crisp drives, played Shami well, and he looks on good touch. If he can continue doing it, runs will come," concluded Latif.

To back Latif's claims, it did look realistically possible for Kohli to break&nbsp;or come near Tendulkar's tally of international tons (100). In late 2019, Kohli had registered his 70th century. While he can get back to form and deliver the goods as he used to earlier, it seems unlikely that Kohli will now come close to Tendulkar's tally.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli's form has become a huge talking point in world cricket. The 33-year-old has been without an international century since late 2019. In fact, he has now completed over 100 matches across formats, including IPL 2022, without a triple-figure mark.

Virat Kohli's form has become a huge talking point in world cricket. The 33-year-old has been without an international century since late 2019. In fact, he has now completed over 100 matches across formats, including IPL 2022, without a triple-figure mark. While Kohli has contributed with half-centuries, mainly in white-ball formats, his struggles have been evident from time to time. In IPL 15, he has only one fifty-plus score and has amassed 216 runs at an average of 21.60 and a strike rate of 111.91. Many former cricketers such as Ravi Shastri, Kevin Pietersen, Parthiv Patel, Virender Sehwag, Ian Bishop, etc. have commented on Kohli's struggles. Now, former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif has joined the bandwagon and made a big statement. ALSO READ | This is something we've been seeing with him: Ian Bishop expresses concern over Virat Kohli's poor form "Every player goes through this phase, some come out of it early, some take a long. Guys like Kohli have more pressure because they are attractions. Ravi Shastri and others have suggested rest but Virat Kohli knows best." "When he was in form, he would score heaps of runs. The way he used to perform, Virat was set to break Sachin Tendulkar's record with ease, he had scored so many hundreds. He took it to the extreme. But now when he is dealing with bad form, that too has come at extreme, that too has peaked," Latif said on his Youtube show 'caught-behind.' ALSO READ | He's giving interviews to our enemy country which can incite religious sentiments: Afridi on Kaneria's claims Reflecting on Kohli's struggles in the 15th season of the IPL, Latif added, "He has to come out of this rough patch himself. Everyone has the belief in him and he will come back, and the day he realised it himself, he will start doing it. Against Gujarat Titans, he has started doing it (Kohli scored a 53-ball 58). I could see that touch," "In the last few games, there were a few inside-edged and things like that but the other day against GT, he hit a couple of crisp drives, played Shami well, and he looks on good touch. If he can continue doing it, runs will come," concluded Latif. To back Latif's claims, it did look realistically possible for Kohli to break or come near Tendulkar's tally of international tons (100). In late 2019, Kohli had registered his 70th century. While he can get back to form and deliver the goods as he used to earlier, it seems unlikely that Kohli will now come close to Tendulkar's tally.

'He was set to break Sachin Tendulkar's record' - Ex-Pakistan captain opines on Virat Kohli's struggles

India's tour of Pakistan in early 2004 was a historic affair. Not only did the tour take place after a long hiatus, but Team India and Pakistan engaged in a high-voltage ODI and Test series before the visitors returned victorious in both the formats.

After staging a comeback from being 2-1 down to win the five ODIs 3-2, the Indian team shifted focus to the three-match Test series opener, in Multan. While the first Test is widely remembered for Virender Sehwag's magical 309, first Indian with a triple ton in whites, stand-in captain Rahul Dravid's controversial decision also made heads turn when he declared India's first innings with Sachin Tendulkar stranded on 194*.

Recalling the epic Test and the declaration, former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh feels that the Tendulkar should've been given a chance to complete his double ton. Back then, Yuvraj was batting with Tendulkar and as soon as&nbsp;he got out on 59, Dravid made the bold declaration with India well-placed at 675-5 on Day 2.&nbsp;

"We got a message in between that we had to play fast, and we were going to declare,”&nbsp;Yuvraj&nbsp;said on Sports 18's Home of Heroes.

Yuvi further asserted, "He could have got those six runs in another over and we bowled 8-10 overs after that. I do not think another two overs would have made a difference to the Test match."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-got-support-from-virat-kohli-ravi-shastri-yuvraj-singh-rues-lack-of-backing-for-omission-475753">MS Dhoni got support from Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri: Yuvraj Singh rues lack of backing for omission</a>

The former southpaw added, “If it was the third or the fourth day, you have to put the team first and they would have declared when you were at 150. There is a difference of opinion. I think the team could have declared after his 200."

Eventually, India weren't needed to bat again in the opening Test as Inzamam-ul-Haq-led Pakistan were dismissed for 407 and 216, losing by an innings and 52 runs. Sehwag was the Player-of-the-Match but Dravid's decision remained a topic of discussion for long.

Later, regular captain Sourav Ganguly (who was out due to an injury) returned for the remaining two Tests as India won the series 2-1.

India's tour of Pakistan in early 2004 was a historic affair. Not only did the tour take place after a long hiatus, but Team India and Pakistan engaged in a high-voltage ODI and Test series before the visitors returned victorious in both the formats.

India's tour of Pakistan in early 2004 was a historic affair. Not only did the tour take place after a long hiatus, but Team India and Pakistan engaged in a high-voltage ODI and Test series before the visitors returned victorious in both the formats. After staging a comeback from being 2-1 down to win the five ODIs 3-2, the Indian team shifted focus to the three-match Test series opener, in Multan. While the first Test is widely remembered for Virender Sehwag's magical 309, first Indian with a triple ton in whites, stand-in captain Rahul Dravid's controversial decision also made heads turn when he declared India's first innings with Sachin Tendulkar stranded on 194*. Recalling the epic Test and the declaration, former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh feels that the Tendulkar should've been given a chance to complete his double ton. Back then, Yuvraj was batting with Tendulkar and as soon as he got out on 59, Dravid made the bold declaration with India well-placed at 675-5 on Day 2. "We got a message in between that we had to play fast, and we were going to declare,” Yuvraj said on Sports 18's Home of Heroes. Yuvi further asserted, "He could have got those six runs in another over and we bowled 8-10 overs after that. I do not think another two overs would have made a difference to the Test match." ALSO READ | MS Dhoni got support from Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri: Yuvraj Singh rues lack of backing for omission The former southpaw added, “If it was the third or the fourth day, you have to put the team first and they would have declared when you were at 150. There is a difference of opinion. I think the team could have declared after his 200." Eventually, India weren't needed to bat again in the opening Test as Inzamam-ul-Haq-led Pakistan were dismissed for 407 and 216, losing by an innings and 52 runs. Sehwag was the Player-of-the-Match but Dravid's decision remained a topic of discussion for long. Later, regular captain Sourav Ganguly (who was out due to an injury) returned for the remaining two Tests as India won the series 2-1.

Team could've declared after Tendulkar's 200: Yuvraj recalls Rahul Dravid's Multan Test declaration

Virat Kohli's form remains a concern. During the IPL 2022 edition, he achieved an unwanted feat of going over 100 matches across formats without a century. While Kohli scored his first half-century for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their tenth outing this season, he only managed a 53-ball 58. Even in RCB's reverse fixture versus the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kohli returned with an unimpressive 33-ball 30.

As his struggle for runs continues, the whole of the Indian cricket fraternity is concerned by King Kohli's barren run. His last international ton came in late 2019 and at present, he is looking far from his usual best. Amid all this, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri had advised him to pull out of IPL 15 and take a much-needed break. Now, former Indian chief selector MSK Prasad has also joined the bandwagon and asked Kohli to take a significant rest to return completely fresh before the Asia Cup.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mr-360-ab-de-villiers-turns-to-golf-to-team-up-with-australias-ex-tennis-star-ashleigh-barty-in-icon-series-476530">Mr. 360 AB de Villiers turns to golf, to team up with Australia's ex-tennis star Ashleigh Barty in Icon Series</a>

Further, MSK also called for KL Rahul to be tried at No. 4 in T20Is with Shikhar Dhawan-Rohit Sharma opening the innings.

"These three are indispensable if fit. There is no way that you can leave anyone of them for the World T20. But yes, if I look at numbers, I might just try someone like Shikhar Dhawan at the opening slot and check Rahul out at No.4. He has a T20 hundred in Manchester some years back in middle-order, so why not. But yes, I want Virat to take a significant break and before the Asia Cup, he should be fresh, up and running," Prasad told PTI.

It remains to be seen if Kohli takes a break in the near future. At present, it seems highly unlikely given that Faf du Plessis-led RCB haven't cemented a place in the playoffs in this year's IPL season. Given that India will play the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later this year, Kohli's form is extremely critical to the Men in Blue's chances in the showpiece event.

Virat Kohli's form remains a concern. During the IPL 2022 edition, he achieved an unwanted feat of going over 100 matches across formats without a century. While Kohli scored his first half-century for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their tenth outing this season, he only managed a 53-ball 58.

Virat Kohli's form remains a concern. During the IPL 2022 edition, he achieved an unwanted feat of going over 100 matches across formats without a century. While Kohli scored his first half-century for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their tenth outing this season, he only managed a 53-ball 58. Even in RCB's reverse fixture versus the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kohli returned with an unimpressive 33-ball 30. As his struggle for runs continues, the whole of the Indian cricket fraternity is concerned by King Kohli's barren run. His last international ton came in late 2019 and at present, he is looking far from his usual best. Amid all this, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri had advised him to pull out of IPL 15 and take a much-needed break. Now, former Indian chief selector MSK Prasad has also joined the bandwagon and asked Kohli to take a significant rest to return completely fresh before the Asia Cup. ALSO READ | Mr. 360 AB de Villiers turns to golf, to team up with Australia's ex-tennis star Ashleigh Barty in Icon Series Further, MSK also called for KL Rahul to be tried at No. 4 in T20Is with Shikhar Dhawan-Rohit Sharma opening the innings. "These three are indispensable if fit. There is no way that you can leave anyone of them for the World T20. But yes, if I look at numbers, I might just try someone like Shikhar Dhawan at the opening slot and check Rahul out at No.4. He has a T20 hundred in Manchester some years back in middle-order, so why not. But yes, I want Virat to take a significant break and before the Asia Cup, he should be fresh, up and running," Prasad told PTI. It remains to be seen if Kohli takes a break in the near future. At present, it seems highly unlikely given that Faf du Plessis-led RCB haven't cemented a place in the playoffs in this year's IPL season. Given that India will play the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia later this year, Kohli's form is extremely critical to the Men in Blue's chances in the showpiece event.

Want him to take significant break before Asia Cup, says MSK Prasad amid Virat Kohli's poor form

India under new captain Rohit Sharma finished the 2021-22 season as the world's number one ranked T20 team after a string of impressive performances at home but were a good nine points behind Australia in the annual Test rankings released by ICC on Wednesday.

The 'Black Caps' from New Zealand finished the last season as the world No.1 ODI team with the cut-off date being May 4, 2022. The England versus India series that began in 2021, will be included in the rankings once the final postponed Test is completed.

"Australia have increased their lead over second-placed India from one to nine rating points while Pakistan have overtaken England to fifth position in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings following the annual update carried out today," the ICC release stated.

"India have also gained a point to move to 119 while England have had the biggest decrease of nine points as their 4-1 series win over India in 2018 is now dropped from the rankings. England's 88 rating points is their lowest since 1995," the release added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-ms-dhoni-is-there-he-is-the-captain-faf-du-plessis-on-csk-captaincy-saga-in-ipl-2022-476254">When MS Dhoni is there, he is the captain: Faf du Plessis on CSK captaincy saga in IPL 2022</a>

Australia, who beat England 4-0 in the Ashes in January, have moved from 119 to 128 rating points in the annual update that drops the 2018-19 season and reflects all series completed since May 2019.

Series completed prior to May 2021 are now weighted at 50 per cent and subsequent series at 100 per cent. 
India remain on top in T20Is, extending their lead over second-placed England from one to five points. South Africa and Australia have overtaken New Zealand, who are now in sixth place. Similarly, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are now ahead of Afghanistan (10th).

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/liam-livingstone-smashes-biggest-six-in-ipl-2022-leaves-gujarat-titans-players-in-awe-watch-476238">Liam Livingstone smashes biggest six in IPL 2022, leaves Gujarat Titans players in awe - WATCH</a>

In the updated ODI rankings, New Zealand remain on top but their lead over England is reduced from three to one point. The gap between England and third-placed Australia has increased from seven to 17 points.

India under new captain Rohit Sharma finished the 2021-22 season as the world's number one ranked T20 team after a string of impressive performances at home but were a good nine points behind Australia in the annual Test rankings released by ICC on Wednesday.

India under new captain Rohit Sharma finished the 2021-22 season as the world's number one ranked T20 team after a string of impressive performances at home but were a good nine points behind Australia in the annual Test rankings released by ICC on Wednesday. The 'Black Caps' from New Zealand finished the last season as the world No.1 ODI team with the cut-off date being May 4, 2022. The England versus India series that began in 2021, will be included in the rankings once the final postponed Test is completed. "Australia have increased their lead over second-placed India from one to nine rating points while Pakistan have overtaken England to fifth position in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings following the annual update carried out today," the ICC release stated. "India have also gained a point to move to 119 while England have had the biggest decrease of nine points as their 4-1 series win over India in 2018 is now dropped from the rankings. England's 88 rating points is their lowest since 1995," the release added. Also Read: When MS Dhoni is there, he is the captain: Faf du Plessis on CSK captaincy saga in IPL 2022 Australia, who beat England 4-0 in the Ashes in January, have moved from 119 to 128 rating points in the annual update that drops the 2018-19 season and reflects all series completed since May 2019. Series completed prior to May 2021 are now weighted at 50 per cent and subsequent series at 100 per cent. India remain on top in T20Is, extending their lead over second-placed England from one to five points. South Africa and Australia have overtaken New Zealand, who are now in sixth place. Similarly, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are now ahead of Afghanistan (10th). Also Read: Liam Livingstone smashes biggest six in IPL 2022, leaves Gujarat Titans players in awe - WATCH In the updated ODI rankings, New Zealand remain on top but their lead over England is reduced from three to one point. The gap between England and third-placed Australia has increased from seven to 17 points.

India retain top spot in ICC T20I rankings, Australia no.1 Test team and New Zealand no.1 ODI side

MS Dhoni has done wonders in world cricket since his debut in late 2004. The veteran cricketer has made a resounding name for himself with his unorthodox yet effective wicketkeeping, finishing skills, power-hitting in limited-overs whereas he also did reasonably well in the purest format of the game.

Apart from his runs and centuries, ending with 17,266 international runs, 16 tons, 108 half-centuries and 829 dismissals behind the stumps, Dhoni has been inspirational as a leader. For Team India, he won all three major ICC titles as captain and also led the national side to the No. 1 spot across formats. Even for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Dhoni has guided the Yellow Army to four IPL trophies and two Champions League titles.&nbsp;

Dhoni is known for his street smartness, proactive and calm and composed nature, ability to effortlessly groom youngsters and change plans as per situations and opposition while leading a side. His tactical acumen has been hailed by many over the years. Prior to IPL 2022, Dhoni gave up CSK captaincy as Ravindra Jadeja succeeded him. However, he was reappointed CSK skipper for the remainder of the season after eight games. Talking about his leadership abilities, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja reserved high praise for the keeper-batter and lauded him.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-cant-see-anyone-captain-csk-effectively-and-efficiently-after-ms-dhoni-says-ex-aussie-spinner-476309">I can't see anyone captain CSK effectively and efficiently after MS Dhoni, says ex-Aussie spinner</a>

“When Dhoni comes to the fore, it’s always a positive for the Chennai Super Kings. Earlier, it was the same case for India as well. He makes a difference. I am not saying that his captaincy won CSK the last game," Jadeja told&nbsp;Cricbuzz.

"It is not like Chennai have not lost matches under Dhoni. Players and captains come and go but a leader like Dhoni comes once in a lifetime. When he is in charge, he is something special. He has been doing this since 2007. If people haven’t understood in 15 years, what Dhoni the captain brings in, there is no point explaining anything to them,” Jadeja added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-want-to-pick-kohlis-energy-dhonis-finishing-skills-and-rohits-stroke-making-lalit-yadav-476290">EXCLUSIVE | Want to pick Kohli's aggression, Dhoni's finishing skills and Rohit's stroke-making: Lalit Yadav</a>

Under Dhoni, CSK still remain alive in the IPL 15&nbsp;playoffs race but by the barest of margins. In nine games, the four-time winners and defending champions Chennai have only three wins and need to pull up their socks to progress into the playoffs.

MS Dhoni has done wonders in world cricket since his debut in late 2004. The veteran cricketer has made a resounding name for himself with his unorthodox yet effective wicketkeeping, finishing skills, power-hitting in limited-overs whereas he also did reasonably well in the purest format of the game.

MS Dhoni has done wonders in world cricket since his debut in late 2004. The veteran cricketer has made a resounding name for himself with his unorthodox yet effective wicketkeeping, finishing skills, power-hitting in limited-overs whereas he also did reasonably well in the purest format of the game. Apart from his runs and centuries, ending with 17,266 international runs, 16 tons, 108 half-centuries and 829 dismissals behind the stumps, Dhoni has been inspirational as a leader. For Team India, he won all three major ICC titles as captain and also led the national side to the No. 1 spot across formats. Even for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Dhoni has guided the Yellow Army to four IPL trophies and two Champions League titles. Dhoni is known for his street smartness, proactive and calm and composed nature, ability to effortlessly groom youngsters and change plans as per situations and opposition while leading a side. His tactical acumen has been hailed by many over the years. Prior to IPL 2022, Dhoni gave up CSK captaincy as Ravindra Jadeja succeeded him. However, he was reappointed CSK skipper for the remainder of the season after eight games. Talking about his leadership abilities, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja reserved high praise for the keeper-batter and lauded him. ALSO READ | I can't see anyone captain CSK effectively and efficiently after MS Dhoni, says ex-Aussie spinner “When Dhoni comes to the fore, it’s always a positive for the Chennai Super Kings. Earlier, it was the same case for India as well. He makes a difference. I am not saying that his captaincy won CSK the last game," Jadeja told Cricbuzz. "It is not like Chennai have not lost matches under Dhoni. Players and captains come and go but a leader like Dhoni comes once in a lifetime. When he is in charge, he is something special. He has been doing this since 2007. If people haven’t understood in 15 years, what Dhoni the captain brings in, there is no point explaining anything to them,” Jadeja added. ALSO READ | EXCLUSIVE | Want to pick Kohli's aggression, Dhoni's finishing skills and Rohit's stroke-making: Lalit Yadav Under Dhoni, CSK still remain alive in the IPL 15 playoffs race but by the barest of margins. In nine games, the four-time winners and defending champions Chennai have only three wins and need to pull up their socks to progress into the playoffs.

If people haven’t understood captain MS Dhoni in 15 years, no point explaining: Ajay Jadeja

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh opened up on India's ICC title-drought since 2013. While Team India last lifted an ICC trophy in 2013 Champions Trophy, under MS Dhoni's leadership, they have come close in many following mega events only to fall short in the knockouts or finals.&nbsp;

Talking about India's 2019 ODI World Cup run, the Virat Kohli-led side were favourites for the marquee event in England and Wales. While they topped the round-robin stage, they were eliminated in the semi-finals with an 18-run defeat at the hands of eventual runners-up New Zealand. In the last year's T20 World Cup, Kohli &amp; Co. never found any momentum in their opening two games and despite winning their last three clashes, India bowed out of the tournament in the Super 12 round.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-cant-see-anyone-captain-csk-effectively-and-efficiently-after-ms-dhoni-says-ex-aussie-spinner-476309">I can't see anyone captain CSK effectively and efficiently after MS Dhoni, says ex-Aussie spinner</a>

Hence, Yuvraj -- who was the Player-of-the-Tournament in India's 2011 ODI World Cup success -- shared his take on where India went wrong and why they failed in the last two ICC events. “When we won the World Cup (2011), we all had a set position to bat. I felt 2019 World Cup; they didn’t plan it well,” Yuvraj said on Sports18’s Home of Heroes.

“They got Vijay Shankar to bat at #4 with just 5-7 ODIs, then they replaced him with&nbsp;Rishabh Pant, who had played 4 ODIs. When we played the 2003 World Cup, Mohd. Kaif, (Dinesh) Mongia and I had already played 50-odd ODIs,” Yuvraj added.

Dwelling on last edition of the T20 WC, Yuvi opined, "Our middle-order (batsmen) in T20 bats higher in franchise cricket. That is where we lacked in the last T20 World Cup."

<section>
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-got-support-from-virat-kohli-ravi-shastri-yuvraj-singh-rues-lack-of-backing-for-omission-475753">MS Dhoni got support from Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri: Yuvraj Singh rues lack of backing for omission</a>

Rohit Sharma-led India will be eager to move past their 2021 T20 WC failures and go the distance in this year's edition, which is set to be held in Australia later this year. At present, India is the No. 1 ranked team in the latest ICC T20I rankings and, thus, will be confident of turning the tides in their favour in this year's edition Down Under.
</section>

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh opened up on India's ICC title-drought since 2013. While Team India last lifted an ICC trophy in 2013 Champions Trophy, under MS Dhoni's leadership, they have come close in many following mega events only to fall short in the knockouts or finals.

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh opened up on India's ICC title-drought since 2013. While Team India last lifted an ICC trophy in 2013 Champions Trophy, under MS Dhoni's leadership, they have come close in many following mega events only to fall short in the knockouts or finals. Talking about India's 2019 ODI World Cup run, the Virat Kohli-led side were favourites for the marquee event in England and Wales. While they topped the round-robin stage, they were eliminated in the semi-finals with an 18-run defeat at the hands of eventual runners-up New Zealand. In the last year's T20 World Cup, Kohli & Co. never found any momentum in their opening two games and despite winning their last three clashes, India bowed out of the tournament in the Super 12 round. ALSO READ | I can't see anyone captain CSK effectively and efficiently after MS Dhoni, says ex-Aussie spinner Hence, Yuvraj -- who was the Player-of-the-Tournament in India's 2011 ODI World Cup success -- shared his take on where India went wrong and why they failed in the last two ICC events. “When we won the World Cup (2011), we all had a set position to bat. I felt 2019 World Cup; they didn’t plan it well,” Yuvraj said on Sports18’s Home of Heroes. “They got Vijay Shankar to bat at #4 with just 5-7 ODIs, then they replaced him with Rishabh Pant, who had played 4 ODIs. When we played the 2003 World Cup, Mohd. Kaif, (Dinesh) Mongia and I had already played 50-odd ODIs,” Yuvraj added. Dwelling on last edition of the T20 WC, Yuvi opined, "Our middle-order (batsmen) in T20 bats higher in franchise cricket. That is where we lacked in the last T20 World Cup." ALSO READ | MS Dhoni got support from Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri: Yuvraj Singh rues lack of backing for omission Rohit Sharma-led India will be eager to move past their 2021 T20 WC failures and go the distance in this year's edition, which is set to be held in Australia later this year. At present, India is the No. 1 ranked team in the latest ICC T20I rankings and, thus, will be confident of turning the tides in their favour in this year's edition Down Under.

That's where they lacked: Yuvraj Singh explains why India failed in last two ICC tournaments

Wriddhiman Saha had dropped a huge bomb in mid-February when he accused a senior journalist of threatening him on text messages, soon after his Test omission. Following India's Test squad announcement for the Sri Lanka home series, Saha revealed that a senior journalist was asking him for an interview and also threatened him after he didn't entertain his messages.

Saha had shared a screenshot of the entire incident (i.e. his Whatsapp chat with the journo), which made heads turn in the Indian sporting fraternity. After much speculation, it was revealed that the journalist was Boria Majumdar. With the text row becoming a big headline and grabbing a lot of attention, BCCI intervened and took the matter into&nbsp;own hands.&nbsp;

After&nbsp;BCCI's apex council&nbsp;reviewed the probe committee's report regarding the Indian wicketkeeper, with regard to the journo's messages, the Indian cricket board has decided to ban Majumdar for two years on Wednesday (May 04).&nbsp;

As per the latest developments, the apex council of the BCCI has agreed with the recommendations of the BCCI Committee. Hence, it has decided to&nbsp;impose&nbsp;the following sanctions:

2 (two) year ban on getting any accreditation as a member of the press in any of the cricket matches (domestic and international) in India.

2 (two) year ban on getting any interview with any registered players in India.

2 (two) year ban on access to any of BCCI and members associations owned cricket facilities.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/boria-majumdar-found-guilty-of-intimidating-wriddhiman-saha-likely-to-face-2-year-ban-from-bcci-report-473424">Boria Majumdar found guilty of intimidating Wriddhiman Saha, likely to face 2-year ban from BCCI - Report</a>

After Saha had shared the Whatsapp chat screenshot on Twitter, many former cricketers such as Ravi Shastri, Aakash Chopra, Virender Sehwag, etc. had slammed the journalist for his intimidation and threatening tone in text. Shastri and Sehwag had also urged Saha to name the journalist before Boria himself admitted it was him. Since then, the news became a hot topic of discussion before BCCI's conclusion came out on Wednesday.

Wriddhiman Saha had dropped a huge bomb in mid-February when he accused a senior journalist of threatening him on text messages, soon after his Test omission. Following India's Test squad announcement for the Sri Lanka home series, Saha revealed that a senior journalist was asking him for an interview and also threatened him after he didn't entertain his messages.

Wriddhiman Saha had dropped a huge bomb in mid-February when he accused a senior journalist of threatening him on text messages, soon after his Test omission. Following India's Test squad announcement for the Sri Lanka home series, Saha revealed that a senior journalist was asking him for an interview and also threatened him after he didn't entertain his messages. Saha had shared a screenshot of the entire incident (i.e. his Whatsapp chat with the journo), which made heads turn in the Indian sporting fraternity. After much speculation, it was revealed that the journalist was Boria Majumdar. With the text row becoming a big headline and grabbing a lot of attention, BCCI intervened and took the matter into own hands. After BCCI's apex council reviewed the probe committee's report regarding the Indian wicketkeeper, with regard to the journo's messages, the Indian cricket board has decided to ban Majumdar for two years on Wednesday (May 04). As per the latest developments, the apex council of the BCCI has agreed with the recommendations of the BCCI Committee. Hence, it has decided to impose the following sanctions: 2 (two) year ban on getting any accreditation as a member of the press in any of the cricket matches (domestic and international) in India. 2 (two) year ban on getting any interview with any registered players in India. 2 (two) year ban on access to any of BCCI and members associations owned cricket facilities. ALSO READ | Boria Majumdar found guilty of intimidating Wriddhiman Saha, likely to face 2-year ban from BCCI - Report After Saha had shared the Whatsapp chat screenshot on Twitter, many former cricketers such as Ravi Shastri, Aakash Chopra, Virender Sehwag, etc. had slammed the journalist for his intimidation and threatening tone in text. Shastri and Sehwag had also urged Saha to name the journalist before Boria himself admitted it was him. Since then, the news became a hot topic of discussion before BCCI's conclusion came out on Wednesday.

Boria Majumdar-Wriddhiman Saha text row: Journalist faces the wrath, banned for two years by BCCI

Former Indian cricketer Arun Lal has been in the news for all the good reasons. Last month, he got engaged to his love Bulbul Saha and the couple has now tied the knot on Monday (May 2),&nbsp;at Peerless Inn in&nbsp;Kolkata. At 66, Arun got married for the second time and reportedly also took the consent of his first wife Reena.&nbsp;

As per a report in Mid Day, Arun had parted ways with his first wife but still lives with her to take care of her illness. It is believed that Arun-Bulbul will still take care of Reena after their marriage. Inspiring! The former Indian cricketer, a cancer survivor and now&nbsp;the coach of the Bengal cricket team, got married in a private ceremony in the presence of family members and close friends.&nbsp;

Here are the newly-wed couple's&nbsp;pictures:

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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-has-never-refused-to-play-against-pakistan-problem-lies-at-goverment-level-claims-former-pcb-chief-475847">BCCI has never refused to play against Pakistan, problem lies at government level, claims former PCB chief</a>

The above pictures were shared by Bulbul, who captioned them, "Officially Mrs. Lal. Thanks to my family and friends for supporting us."

Talking about Bulbul, she is a teacher by profession. She has become an instant hit as soon as the wedding celebration pictures went viral last month. Punjab-born Arun, who represented India in 16 Tests and 13 ODIs, donned the commentator's hat post-retirement and moved to Bengal before taking up the coaching responsibilities. Under his guidance, Bengal reached the&nbsp;2020 Ranji Trophy final and have already cemented a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2021/22 season. The knockouts will kick off in June, post the IPL 2022 edition.

Former Indian cricketer Arun Lal has been in the news for all the good reasons. Last month, he got engaged to his love Bulbul Saha and the couple has now tied the knot on Monday (May 2), at Peerless Inn in Kolkata.

Former Indian cricketer Arun Lal has been in the news for all the good reasons. Last month, he got engaged to his love Bulbul Saha and the couple has now tied the knot on Monday (May 2), at Peerless Inn in Kolkata. At 66, Arun got married for the second time and reportedly also took the consent of his first wife Reena. As per a report in Mid Day, Arun had parted ways with his first wife but still lives with her to take care of her illness. It is believed that Arun-Bulbul will still take care of Reena after their marriage. Inspiring! The former Indian cricketer, a cancer survivor and now the coach of the Bengal cricket team, got married in a private ceremony in the presence of family members and close friends. Here are the newly-wed couple's pictures: × ALSO READ | BCCI has never refused to play against Pakistan, problem lies at government level, claims former PCB chief The above pictures were shared by Bulbul, who captioned them, "Officially Mrs. Lal. Thanks to my family and friends for supporting us." Talking about Bulbul, she is a teacher by profession. She has become an instant hit as soon as the wedding celebration pictures went viral last month. Punjab-born Arun, who represented India in 16 Tests and 13 ODIs, donned the commentator's hat post-retirement and moved to Bengal before taking up the coaching responsibilities. Under his guidance, Bengal reached the 2020 Ranji Trophy final and have already cemented a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2021/22 season. The knockouts will kick off in June, post the IPL 2022 edition.

Ex-India cricketer Arun Lal ties the knot with Bulbul Saha, couple's wedding pictures go viral

India and Pakistan share one of the greatest rivalries in cricket history. Any contest between the arch-rivals at the international level is a blockbuster affair with millions of fans watching across the globe. The two teams have produced some of the most memorable cricketing encounters over the years but do not play any bilateral cricket against each other anymore.

India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series between them in 2013 and have since met only in major ICC competitions due to the political tensions between the two nations. Recently, former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Tauqir Zia claimed the BCCI has never refused to play against Pakistan and that the problem lies at the 'government-to-government' level.

Tauqir opened up on the strained bilateral ties between India and Pakistan and claimed BCCI has never refused to play against Pakistan. He also stated that both current BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly and PCB chief Ramiz Raja want to promote cricket together. Both Ganguly and Raja are former cricketers turned administrators for their respective countries.

"BCCI has never refused to play against us [Pakistan]. The problem lies on the government-to-government level. Both cricketing boards are currently run by former cricketers who understand the importance of Pakistan-India matches. Sourav Ganguly and Ramiz Raja both want to promote cricket and there is nothing better than seeing a contest between these rivals," Tauqir told Cricket Pakistan.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/better-to-calm-down-maintain-limits-ex-pakistan-captain-on-useless-comparisons-between-ipl-and-psl-475759">'Better to calm down &amp; maintain limits': Ex-Pakistan captain on 'useless' comparisons between IPL and PSL</a>

PCB chief Raja had recently proposed a four-nation tournament involving India, Pakistan, England and Australia at ICC's annual meeting. However, his proposal was rejected. Sharing his views on the prospects of a four-nation tournament, Tauqir said the decision from ICC is understandable considering there is not much room left for such a tournament with the calendar already stacked up due to T20 franchise cricket across the globe.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-got-support-from-virat-kohli-ravi-shastri-yuvraj-singh-rues-lack-of-backing-for-omission-475753">MS Dhoni got support from Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri: Yuvraj Singh rues lack of backing for omission</a>

"Although the four-nation series was a great idea there are already so many franchise-model tournaments happening throughout the year. Because of this, I do not think there will be enough room left to gather the four nations in one timeframe," said the former PCB chief.

India and Pakistan last met each other in the T20 World Cup 2021 last year where Babar Azam-led Men in Green thrashed Virat Kohli-led India by ten wickets to register their first-ever&nbsp;win in a World Cup game&nbsp;against their arch-rivals.

India and Pakistan share one of the greatest rivalries in cricket history. Any contest between the arch-rivals at the international level is a blockbuster affair with millions of fans watching across the globe.

India and Pakistan share one of the greatest rivalries in cricket history. Any contest between the arch-rivals at the international level is a blockbuster affair with millions of fans watching across the globe. The two teams have produced some of the most memorable cricketing encounters over the years but do not play any bilateral cricket against each other anymore. India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series between them in 2013 and have since met only in major ICC competitions due to the political tensions between the two nations. Recently, former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Tauqir Zia claimed the BCCI has never refused to play against Pakistan and that the problem lies at the 'government-to-government' level. Tauqir opened up on the strained bilateral ties between India and Pakistan and claimed BCCI has never refused to play against Pakistan. He also stated that both current BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly and PCB chief Ramiz Raja want to promote cricket together. Both Ganguly and Raja are former cricketers turned administrators for their respective countries. "BCCI has never refused to play against us [Pakistan]. The problem lies on the government-to-government level. Both cricketing boards are currently run by former cricketers who understand the importance of Pakistan-India matches. Sourav Ganguly and Ramiz Raja both want to promote cricket and there is nothing better than seeing a contest between these rivals," Tauqir told Cricket Pakistan. Also Read: 'Better to calm down & maintain limits': Ex-Pakistan captain on 'useless' comparisons between IPL and PSL PCB chief Raja had recently proposed a four-nation tournament involving India, Pakistan, England and Australia at ICC's annual meeting. However, his proposal was rejected. Sharing his views on the prospects of a four-nation tournament, Tauqir said the decision from ICC is understandable considering there is not much room left for such a tournament with the calendar already stacked up due to T20 franchise cricket across the globe. Also Read: MS Dhoni got support from Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri: Yuvraj Singh rues lack of backing for omission "Although the four-nation series was a great idea there are already so many franchise-model tournaments happening throughout the year. Because of this, I do not think there will be enough room left to gather the four nations in one timeframe," said the former PCB chief. India and Pakistan last met each other in the T20 World Cup 2021 last year where Babar Azam-led Men in Green thrashed Virat Kohli-led India by ten wickets to register their first-ever win in a World Cup game against their arch-rivals.

BCCI has never refused to play against Pakistan, problem lies at government level, claims former PCB chief