<p>The ODI World Cup 2023 edition ended less than two weeks back&nbsp;in India. Rohit Sharma-led India lost the final to Australia as the Men in Yellow clinched their sixth ODI WC title. There is another ICC event coming up in less than a year with the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup to be held in West Indies and USA. Hence, all the teams are now gearing up for the biggest event in the shortest format.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For India, it remains to be seen who will lead the side in the next edition of the T20 WC. Rohit Sharma has not led the side in the format since their 2022 T20 WC semi-final defeat to eventual winners England. Since then, Hardik Pandya has been the stand-in captain but he is also not leading the Men in Blue in their ongoing home T20Is versus Australia due to injury concerns.</p>

<p>Thus, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan was asked whether who should lead India in the 2024 T20 WC. In this regard, while speaking on Cricbuzz, Zaheer said, "Well, because T20 World Cup is just around the corner and there is not a lot of time, so you have to go in with experience. You will have to give that preference to the experienced guy and I will not be surprised if they decide to go ahead with Rohit Sharma himself."</p>

<p>Zaheer opined, "He’s the guy who has been around for a while. He understands handling situations, handling pressure, all those kind of aspects. You still have time for all these other names (talking about the several players who have led&nbsp;in recent times&nbsp;-- such as Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Hardik, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc.) which are there in that list to take the mantle forward."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-3rd-t20i-are-australia-here-to-win-they-are-former-indian-opener-on-visitors-struggles-663691">Ind vs Aus, 3rd T20I: 'Are Australia here to win? They are...' - Former Indian opener on visitors' struggles</a></strong></p>

<p>The former speedster added, "It’s just around six months times (for the World Cup to begin). You have a big tournament like the IPL in between which will give them enough time to prepare. So it’s either going to be Rohit Sharma or depending on how Hardik goes about his rehab, comeback. The challenge is that he’s not going to be playing that many games."</p>

<p>Even the likes of former cricketers such as Gautam Gambhir and Parthiv Patel have voted for Rohit to lead India in the next T20 WC. It will be interesting to see if Hitman returns in T20Is and if he is ready to lead in another ICC event after the heartbreaks of the 2022 T20 WC, WTC final 2023 and this year's ODI WC at home.</p>


The ODI World Cup 2023 edition ended less than two weeks back in India. Rohit Sharma-led India lost the final to Australia as the Men in Yellow clinched their sixth ODI WC title.

The ODI World Cup 2023 edition ended less than two weeks back in India. Rohit Sharma-led India lost the final to Australia as the Men in Yellow clinched their sixth ODI WC title. There is another ICC event coming up in less than a year with the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup to be held in West Indies and USA. Hence, all the teams are now gearing up for the biggest event in the shortest format. For India, it remains to be seen who will lead the side in the next edition of the T20 WC. Rohit Sharma has not led the side in the format since their 2022 T20 WC semi-final defeat to eventual winners England. Since then, Hardik Pandya has been the stand-in captain but he is also not leading the Men in Blue in their ongoing home T20Is versus Australia due to injury concerns. Thus, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan was asked whether who should lead India in the 2024 T20 WC. In this regard, while speaking on Cricbuzz, Zaheer said, "Well, because T20 World Cup is just around the corner and there is not a lot of time, so you have to go in with experience. You will have to give that preference to the experienced guy and I will not be surprised if they decide to go ahead with Rohit Sharma himself." Zaheer opined, "He’s the guy who has been around for a while. He understands handling situations, handling pressure, all those kind of aspects. You still have time for all these other names (talking about the several players who have led in recent times -- such as Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Hardik, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc.) which are there in that list to take the mantle forward." Also read: Ind vs Aus, 3rd T20I: 'Are Australia here to win? They are...' - Former Indian opener on visitors' struggles The former speedster added, "It’s just around six months times (for the World Cup to begin). You have a big tournament like the IPL in between which will give them enough time to prepare. So it’s either going to be Rohit Sharma or depending on how Hardik goes about his rehab, comeback. The challenge is that he’s not going to be playing that many games." Even the likes of former cricketers such as Gautam Gambhir and Parthiv Patel have voted for Rohit to lead India in the next T20 WC. It will be interesting to see if Hitman returns in T20Is and if he is ready to lead in another ICC event after the heartbreaks of the 2022 T20 WC, WTC final 2023 and this year's ODI WC at home.

'He is the guy': Former India pacer picks THIS player to captain Men in Blue in 2024 T20 WC

<p>Zimbabwe are on the verge of missing out a place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 after losing their second match in the Africa Region Qualifier to Uganda. It was their second loss in three games,&nbsp;having already lost to host Namibia in their opening game. They have won only one game, against Tanzania, in between two losses from the three gams played.</p>

<p>Zimbabwe currently fourth on the seven-team table with three more games to play. The top two teams will qualify for the main event scheduled to take place in USA and West Indies next year.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/2nd-t20i-india-hammer-australia-in-trivandrum-to-go-2-0-up-in-five-match-series-663141">India hammer Australia in Trivandrum to go 2-0 up in five-match series</a></p>

<p>Uganda won the toss and elected to field first. Zimbabwe had a horrible start to their innings, losing Tadiwanashe Marumani for a diamond duck on the second ball only. Things just got settled for Zimbabwe with 43-run partnership between Innocent Kaia and Sean Williams before Uganda struck twice in span of four runs.</p>

<p>The batting team, despite skipper Sikandar Raza's 48, could not get going as the wickets fell at regular interval. Zimbabwe eventually could manage 136/7 in their 20 overs. For Uganda, Dinesh Nakrani was the pick of the bowlers with a spell of 3/14 in four overs.</p>

<p>During the chase, Uganda also lost two early wickets but decent partnerships after that and a relative low target ensured that they pull off their maiden win against a full member.</p>

<p>For Uganda, Alpesh Ramjani and Riazat Ali Shah score and 40 and 42, respectively as the team reached 137-run target in 19.1 overs with five wickets left. From Zimbabwe only Richard Ngarava and Sean Williams were among the wickets, taking 2/24 and 1/14, respectively.</p>

<p>Uganda's Shah was also adjudged Player of the Match for his 42 runs, 1/29 in three overs and a catch as well.</p>


Zimbabwe are on the verge of missing out a place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 after losing their second match in the Africa Region Qualifier to Uganda. It was their second loss in three games, having already lost to host Namibia in their opening game.

Zimbabwe are on the verge of missing out a place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 after losing their second match in the Africa Region Qualifier to Uganda. It was their second loss in three games, having already lost to host Namibia in their opening game. They have won only one game, against Tanzania, in between two losses from the three gams played. Zimbabwe currently fourth on the seven-team table with three more games to play. The top two teams will qualify for the main event scheduled to take place in USA and West Indies next year. Also Read: India hammer Australia in Trivandrum to go 2-0 up in five-match series Uganda won the toss and elected to field first. Zimbabwe had a horrible start to their innings, losing Tadiwanashe Marumani for a diamond duck on the second ball only. Things just got settled for Zimbabwe with 43-run partnership between Innocent Kaia and Sean Williams before Uganda struck twice in span of four runs. The batting team, despite skipper Sikandar Raza's 48, could not get going as the wickets fell at regular interval. Zimbabwe eventually could manage 136/7 in their 20 overs. For Uganda, Dinesh Nakrani was the pick of the bowlers with a spell of 3/14 in four overs. During the chase, Uganda also lost two early wickets but decent partnerships after that and a relative low target ensured that they pull off their maiden win against a full member. For Uganda, Alpesh Ramjani and Riazat Ali Shah score and 40 and 42, respectively as the team reached 137-run target in 19.1 overs with five wickets left. From Zimbabwe only Richard Ngarava and Sean Williams were among the wickets, taking 2/24 and 1/14, respectively. Uganda's Shah was also adjudged Player of the Match for his 42 runs, 1/29 in three overs and a catch as well.

Zimbabwe in danger of missing out from T20 World Cup next year after losing to Uganda

<p>Former West Indies T20 World Cup winner Marlon Samuels has been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breach of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code. Samuels will serve a six-year ban away from all cricket-related activities which will all but see his career come to an end. Samuels was part of the 2016 T20 World Cup winning team of the West Indies where he was named Player of the Match in the final for his unbeaten 85-run knock at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The former West Indies player with more than 300 international appearances has had his ban confirmed by the ICC.<br />
<br />
Details 👇<a href="https://t.co/FCybKZNWxz">https://t.co/FCybKZNWxz</a></p>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1727567864507388001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>ICC suspends Samuels</strong></h2>

<p>Samuels, who was charged by the ICC (in its capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under the ECB Code) in September 2021, was found guilty by the Tribunal in August this year of the following four offences:</p>

<p>Article 2.4.2 (by a majority decision) – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.</p>

<p>Article 2.4.3 (unanimous decision)- Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more.</p>

<p>Article 2.4.6 (unanimous decision) – Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation.</p>

<p>Article 2.4.7 (unanimous decision) – Obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hard-to-fathom-odi-wc-star-labuschagne-on-mind-boggling-schedule-as-india-aus-kickoff-t20is-series-661771">'Hard to fathom': ODI WC star Labuschagne on mind-boggling schedule as India-Aus kick off T20Is series</a></p>

<p>The ban will come into effect from 11 November 2023 which will see the 42-year-old effectively bid adieu to his&nbsp;career as he will turn 48 by the time the suspension period is served.</p>

<p>This is not the first time Samuels has faced suspension from the ICC, having also been banned in 2008 for his illegal bowling action.</p>

<p>Samuels represented West Indies in 71 Test matches scoring nearly 4000 runs while scalping 41 wickets. However, his golden period came in the T20 set-up when he helped his national side win the 2012 and 2016 titles. He played 67 matches in the shortest format where he scored 1611 runs with a best of unbeaten 89. In the ODIs, he scored 5606 runs for the national side in 207 matches and was one of the most successful players of his generation.</p>


Former West Indies T20 World Cup winner Marlon Samuels has been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breach of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code.

Former West Indies T20 World Cup winner Marlon Samuels has been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breach of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code. Samuels will serve a six-year ban away from all cricket-related activities which will all but see his career come to an end. Samuels was part of the 2016 T20 World Cup winning team of the West Indies where he was named Player of the Match in the final for his unbeaten 85-run knock at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The former West Indies player with more than 300 international appearances has had his ban confirmed by the ICC. Details 👇https://t.co/FCybKZNWxz — ICC (@ICC) November 23, 2023 × ICC suspends Samuels Samuels, who was charged by the ICC (in its capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under the ECB Code) in September 2021, was found guilty by the Tribunal in August this year of the following four offences: Article 2.4.2 (by a majority decision) – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute. Article 2.4.3 (unanimous decision)- Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more. Article 2.4.6 (unanimous decision) – Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation. Article 2.4.7 (unanimous decision) – Obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation. ALSO READ | 'Hard to fathom': ODI WC star Labuschagne on mind-boggling schedule as India-Aus kick off T20Is series The ban will come into effect from 11 November 2023 which will see the 42-year-old effectively bid adieu to his career as he will turn 48 by the time the suspension period is served. This is not the first time Samuels has faced suspension from the ICC, having also been banned in 2008 for his illegal bowling action. Samuels represented West Indies in 71 Test matches scoring nearly 4000 runs while scalping 41 wickets. However, his golden period came in the T20 set-up when he helped his national side win the 2012 and 2016 titles. He played 67 matches in the shortest format where he scored 1611 runs with a best of unbeaten 89. In the ODIs, he scored 5606 runs for the national side in 207 matches and was one of the most successful players of his generation.

ICC confirms suspension of West Indies' two-time T20 World Cup winner Marlon Samuels on corruption charges

From Virat Kohli to Kumar Sangakkara: Top 5 batters with most runs in ODI & T20 World Cups

CWC 2023 Final: From historic 1983 ODI WC triumph to 2013 CT win - Major titles won by Team India

<p>Oman and Nepal have officially qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup after they progressed to the final of the Asian qualifiers on Friday (Nov 3). The Asian qualifiers for the 2024 T20 World Cup are currently being played in Nepal with hosts now set to compete in their maiden tournament (group stage) along with Oman. The T20 World Cup will be played in the West Indies and the USA next year with an expanded version of 20 teams.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">An extraordinary journey from the heart of the Himalayas to the world stage! 🏏🇳🇵 Rhinos have made us proud, securing their place in the T20 World Cup 2024.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICCT20Q?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICCT20Q</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEPvUAE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEPvUAE</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weCAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weCAN</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneBallBattles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneBallBattles</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissionWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissionWorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/KlZ0aXDJFt">pic.twitter.com/KlZ0aXDJFt</a></p>
— CAN (@CricketNep) <a href="https://twitter.com/CricketNep/status/1720355639300366823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Nepal, Oman book berth</strong></h2>

<p>With both finalists of the Asia qualifiers set to enter the tournament, Friday was the decisive day for Nepal, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Nepal and UAE played in the first semifinal while Oman and Bahrain played in the other match to book a place in the showdown clash on Sunday. Hosts Nepal had a tough prospect in UAE but overcame the obstacle while Oman beat Bahrain in an easy win.</p>

<p>Powered by wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh’s unbeaten 64, Nepal registered an eight-wicket win over UAE in Kathmandu’s Mulpani Cricket Ground. Over in Kirtipur, Oman registered a one-sided win over Bahrain to punch their tickets for the tournament having seen openers Kashyap Prajapati (57) and Pratik Athavale (50) bag fifties.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/swing-seam-and-pace-rise-of-mohammed-shami-as-indias-highest-wicket-taker-in-odi-world-cup-history-654703">Swing, seam and pace: Rise of Mohammed Shami as India's highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cup history</a></p>

<p>So far 18 teams have booked their place in the 2024 T20 World Cup with two African teams set to enter later this month. Hosts USA and West Indies got direct passage into the T20 World Cup while last tournament’s top eight also got direct entry. USA and Canada will make their tournament debuts while both Nepal and Oman had previously played first round qualifiers but not in the main tournament.</p>

<p>The tournament is scheduled to be played in June 2024 with 10 venues on offer. The format will see four groups of five teams each with the top two from each group entering the Super 8 stage. The Super 8 stage will be divided into two groups of four teams each with the top two entering the semifinals. The final of the 2024 T20 World Cup will be played on 30 June 2024 with the final’s destination yet to be decided.</p>


Oman and Nepal have officially qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup after they progressed to the final of the Asian qualifiers on Friday (Nov 3). The Asian qualifiers for the 2024 T20 World Cup are currently being played in Nepal with hosts now set to compete in their maiden tournament (group stage) along with Oman.

Oman and Nepal have officially qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup after they progressed to the final of the Asian qualifiers on Friday (Nov 3). The Asian qualifiers for the 2024 T20 World Cup are currently being played in Nepal with hosts now set to compete in their maiden tournament (group stage) along with Oman. The T20 World Cup will be played in the West Indies and the USA next year with an expanded version of 20 teams. An extraordinary journey from the heart of the Himalayas to the world stage! 🏏🇳🇵 Rhinos have made us proud, securing their place in the T20 World Cup 2024.#ICCT20Q | #NEPvUAE#weCAN | #OneBallBattles | #MissionWorldCup pic.twitter.com/KlZ0aXDJFt — CAN (@CricketNep) November 3, 2023 × Nepal, Oman book berth With both finalists of the Asia qualifiers set to enter the tournament, Friday was the decisive day for Nepal, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Nepal and UAE played in the first semifinal while Oman and Bahrain played in the other match to book a place in the showdown clash on Sunday. Hosts Nepal had a tough prospect in UAE but overcame the obstacle while Oman beat Bahrain in an easy win. Powered by wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh’s unbeaten 64, Nepal registered an eight-wicket win over UAE in Kathmandu’s Mulpani Cricket Ground. Over in Kirtipur, Oman registered a one-sided win over Bahrain to punch their tickets for the tournament having seen openers Kashyap Prajapati (57) and Pratik Athavale (50) bag fifties. ALSO READ | Swing, seam and pace: Rise of Mohammed Shami as India's highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cup history So far 18 teams have booked their place in the 2024 T20 World Cup with two African teams set to enter later this month. Hosts USA and West Indies got direct passage into the T20 World Cup while last tournament’s top eight also got direct entry. USA and Canada will make their tournament debuts while both Nepal and Oman had previously played first round qualifiers but not in the main tournament. The tournament is scheduled to be played in June 2024 with 10 venues on offer. The format will see four groups of five teams each with the top two from each group entering the Super 8 stage. The Super 8 stage will be divided into two groups of four teams each with the top two entering the semifinals. The final of the 2024 T20 World Cup will be played on 30 June 2024 with the final’s destination yet to be decided.

Nepal, Oman book 2024 T20 World Cup berth after reaching final of Asian qualifiers

From Virat Kohli to R Ashwin: Top 6 Indian players to feature in most wins in ICC events

<p>Virat Kohli created another record on Wednesday (Oct 11) during India's ICC ODI World Cup clash versus Afghanistan at his home ground,&nbsp;the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, India.</p>

<p>During his knock in India's 273-run chase, Kohli surpassed Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar to have the most runs in World Cups (both ODIs and T20Is).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Most Runs In Men's World Cups (ODIs and T20Is)</strong></p>

<p>Virat Kohli - 2,279*<br />
Sachin Tendulkar - 2,278<br />
Kumar Sangakkara - 2,193<br />
Chris Gayle - 2,151<br />
Mahela Jayawardene - 2,116</p>

<p><strong>Most Runs Among Indians In Men's World Cups (ODIs and T20Is)</strong></p>

<p>Virat Kohli - 2,279*<br />
Sachin Tendulkar - 2,278<br />
Rohit Sharma - 2,072<br />
Yuvraj Singh - 1,331<br />
MS Dhoni - 1,309</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-becomes-joint-fastest-to-1k-runs-in-odi-world-cup-history-during-india-afghanistan-clash-645488">Rohit Sharma becomes joint-fastest to 1k runs in ODI World Cup history during India-Afghanistan clash</a></strong></p>

<p>The 34-year-old has always been a big-tournament player. He ended as the highest run-getter in the 2014 and 2022 T20 World Cup tourneys, and was the fifth-highest run-scorer for India in their victorious run in the 2011 ODI World Cup and ended with second-most among Indians in the 2019 edition.</p>

<p>While he doesn't have a century in the T20 WC history, he has two centuries in the 50-over mega event. Overall, he has 14 fifties in the history of the T20 WC along with eight in the 50-over WC.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli moved past Tendulkar who has never played a T20 WC. Tendulkar ended with six appearances in ODI WC&nbsp;history. Meanwhile, Kohli is playing his fourth ODI WC and has already played equal number of T20 WCs.</p>


Virat Kohli created another record on Wednesday (Oct 11) during India's ICC ODI World Cup clash versus Afghanistan at his home ground, the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, India.

Virat Kohli created another record on Wednesday (Oct 11) during India's ICC ODI World Cup clash versus Afghanistan at his home ground, the Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi, India. During his knock in India's 273-run chase, Kohli surpassed Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar to have the most runs in World Cups (both ODIs and T20Is). Most Runs In Men's World Cups (ODIs and T20Is) Virat Kohli - 2,279* Sachin Tendulkar - 2,278 Kumar Sangakkara - 2,193 Chris Gayle - 2,151 Mahela Jayawardene - 2,116 Most Runs Among Indians In Men's World Cups (ODIs and T20Is) Virat Kohli - 2,279* Sachin Tendulkar - 2,278 Rohit Sharma - 2,072 Yuvraj Singh - 1,331 MS Dhoni - 1,309 Also read: Rohit Sharma becomes joint-fastest to 1k runs in ODI World Cup history during India-Afghanistan clash The 34-year-old has always been a big-tournament player. He ended as the highest run-getter in the 2014 and 2022 T20 World Cup tourneys, and was the fifth-highest run-scorer for India in their victorious run in the 2011 ODI World Cup and ended with second-most among Indians in the 2019 edition. While he doesn't have a century in the T20 WC history, he has two centuries in the 50-over mega event. Overall, he has 14 fifties in the history of the T20 WC along with eight in the 50-over WC. Kohli moved past Tendulkar who has never played a T20 WC. Tendulkar ended with six appearances in ODI WC history. Meanwhile, Kohli is playing his fourth ODI WC and has already played equal number of T20 WCs.

TAKE A BOW, KING KOHLI! Virat becomes highest run-getter in ODI, T20 World Cup history

<p>Sri Lanka batter Danushka Gunathilaka has been cleared of charges of sexually assaulting a Tinder date through the act of "stealthing" by the Australian court on Thursday, September 28. Judge Sarah Huggett of Sydney's Downing Centre District Court acquitted the 32-year-old as he was relieved from the trial charges. The incident happened after Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup exit in November 2022, with Gunathilaka staying back in Australia for the trial.</p>

<h2><strong>Gunathilaka cleared of charges</strong></h2>

<p>"The evidence establishes that there was no opportunity for the accused to remove the condom during intercourse because that intercourse was continuous," the judge said in handing down the verdict.</p>

<p>"I find that the evidence regarding the complaint far from supports the complainant. Rather it undermines the reliability of her evidence," she further stated in the verdict.</p>

<h2><strong>What was the incident?</strong></h2>

<p>In November 2022, Gunathilaka and a woman dated after sharing texts on social media app Tinder, the pair would later meet for drinks at the Opera Bar in Sydney. It is reported that the pair would have pizza together in the Sydney CBD and then catch a ferry to the woman's eastern suburban&nbsp;home.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/glenn-maxwell-stars-with-ball-as-australia-beat-india-by-66-runs-in-final-odi-avoid-whitewash-640294">Glenn Maxwell stars with ball as Australia beat India by 66 runs in final ODI, avoid whitewash</a></p>

<p>However, the meeting at the victim’s home in Sydney resulted in violent conduct, with the woman accusing Gunathilaka of various acts of aggression and violence. According to Espncricinfo, Gunathilaka slapped the woman on the buttocks, forcefully kissing her bruising her lips, and choking her during sex.</p>

<p>After the incident was reported to the Sydney Police, Gunathilaka was investigated for four charges, including stealthing. He was arrested at the Hyatt Regency hours before the Sri Lankan cricket team was due to fly out of Australia, having faced elimination from the T20 World Cup. The player had claimed not guilty and claimed innocence during the trial period.&nbsp; The victim woman’s friends played a crucial role in the verdict as they described her fragile and distraught a day after Gunathilaka visited her home in Sydney.</p>

<p>During the trial period, Gunathilaka was unable to travel outside Australia and he was also frozen out by the national team. This also resulted in him missing out on the ODI World Cup berth in India, while the national team also missed out on his services during the qualification phase of the tournament.</p>

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Sri Lanka batter Danushka Gunathilaka has been cleared of charges of sexually assaulting a Tinder date through the act of "stealthing" by the Australian court on Thursday, September 28.

Sri Lanka batter Danushka Gunathilaka has been cleared of charges of sexually assaulting a Tinder date through the act of "stealthing" by the Australian court on Thursday, September 28. Judge Sarah Huggett of Sydney's Downing Centre District Court acquitted the 32-year-old as he was relieved from the trial charges. The incident happened after Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup exit in November 2022, with Gunathilaka staying back in Australia for the trial. Gunathilaka cleared of charges "The evidence establishes that there was no opportunity for the accused to remove the condom during intercourse because that intercourse was continuous," the judge said in handing down the verdict. "I find that the evidence regarding the complaint far from supports the complainant. Rather it undermines the reliability of her evidence," she further stated in the verdict. What was the incident? In November 2022, Gunathilaka and a woman dated after sharing texts on social media app Tinder, the pair would later meet for drinks at the Opera Bar in Sydney. It is reported that the pair would have pizza together in the Sydney CBD and then catch a ferry to the woman's eastern suburban home. ALSO READ | Glenn Maxwell stars with ball as Australia beat India by 66 runs in final ODI, avoid whitewash However, the meeting at the victim’s home in Sydney resulted in violent conduct, with the woman accusing Gunathilaka of various acts of aggression and violence. According to Espncricinfo, Gunathilaka slapped the woman on the buttocks, forcefully kissing her bruising her lips, and choking her during sex. After the incident was reported to the Sydney Police, Gunathilaka was investigated for four charges, including stealthing. He was arrested at the Hyatt Regency hours before the Sri Lankan cricket team was due to fly out of Australia, having faced elimination from the T20 World Cup. The player had claimed not guilty and claimed innocence during the trial period. The victim woman’s friends played a crucial role in the verdict as they described her fragile and distraught a day after Gunathilaka visited her home in Sydney. During the trial period, Gunathilaka was unable to travel outside Australia and he was also frozen out by the national team. This also resulted in him missing out on the ODI World Cup berth in India, while the national team also missed out on his services during the qualification phase of the tournament. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Sri Lanka's Danushka Gunathilaka cleared of sexual assault charges by Australian court

<p>Seven Caribbean countries will host matches at next year's T20 World Cup, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday.</p>

<p>The ICC awarded the hosting of the event, to be held in June 2024, to the West Indies and the United States in November 2021.</p>

<p>Dominica, Guyana, St Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have also been named as hosts.</p>

<p>"The matches will again give cricket fans the unique experience of enjoying cricket in the Caribbean," said ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice.</p>

<p>Matches will also be held in New York, Florida and Texas in the United States, the first time a major ICC event has been held in the country.</p>

<p>One notable absence from the list of Caribbean host nations is Jamaica, whose Sabina Park ground in the capital Kingston is one of the iconic homes of West Indies cricket.</p>

<p>Jamaica has the largest population of the main cricket-playing nations in the Caribbean but did not submit a bid to host the tournament.</p>

<p>Courtney Francis, chief executive officer of the Jamaican Cricket Association, said Cricket West Indies engaged with national governments over potential bids and that Jamaica's administration had opted against participation.</p>

<p>"The government is the one who determines whether we could be able to host matches because all the expenses would have come back to the government," he told CVM television.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The government is the one who would have put up the bid money. They would have been the one to carry out repairs to the infrastructure and so on.</p>

<p>"The government did not see it as a viable option in their view and that is the reason why I believe that we have not been able to bid."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-aus-odi-series-india-draw-first-blood-in-pre-world-cup-showdown-gill-shami-impress-638671">IND vs AUS ODI Series: India draw first blood in Pre-World Cup showdown; Gill, Shami shine</a></p>

<p>West Indies hosted the tournament in 2010, three years after holding the 50 overs World Cup, and Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave said they were ready to put on a show again.</p>

<p>"The West Indies has got a huge experience in hosting ICC events and we're currently hosting the Caribbean Premier League, which has been another successful tournament.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We have very experienced operators throughout the region that we work with and partner with and all the stakeholders will be ready to welcome the world and stage this iconic ICC event," he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We're all tremendously excited by the opportunity and the platform that it gives our region to promote itself to the world for tourism, for economic development, as well as hopefully to give our men's team a huge home advantage and going for a record third title."</p>

<p>Next year's tournament will be the first edition of the event to include a record 20 teams.</p>

<p>England are the current T20 world champions, winning their second title when they beat Pakistan in the final in Melbourne last year.</p>

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Seven Caribbean countries will host matches at next year's T20 World Cup, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday.

Seven Caribbean countries will host matches at next year's T20 World Cup, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Friday. The ICC awarded the hosting of the event, to be held in June 2024, to the West Indies and the United States in November 2021. Dominica, Guyana, St Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have also been named as hosts. "The matches will again give cricket fans the unique experience of enjoying cricket in the Caribbean," said ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice. Matches will also be held in New York, Florida and Texas in the United States, the first time a major ICC event has been held in the country. One notable absence from the list of Caribbean host nations is Jamaica, whose Sabina Park ground in the capital Kingston is one of the iconic homes of West Indies cricket. Jamaica has the largest population of the main cricket-playing nations in the Caribbean but did not submit a bid to host the tournament. Courtney Francis, chief executive officer of the Jamaican Cricket Association, said Cricket West Indies engaged with national governments over potential bids and that Jamaica's administration had opted against participation. "The government is the one who determines whether we could be able to host matches because all the expenses would have come back to the government," he told CVM television. "The government is the one who would have put up the bid money. They would have been the one to carry out repairs to the infrastructure and so on. "The government did not see it as a viable option in their view and that is the reason why I believe that we have not been able to bid." ALSO READ | IND vs AUS ODI Series: India draw first blood in Pre-World Cup showdown; Gill, Shami shine West Indies hosted the tournament in 2010, three years after holding the 50 overs World Cup, and Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave said they were ready to put on a show again. "The West Indies has got a huge experience in hosting ICC events and we're currently hosting the Caribbean Premier League, which has been another successful tournament. "We have very experienced operators throughout the region that we work with and partner with and all the stakeholders will be ready to welcome the world and stage this iconic ICC event," he said. "We're all tremendously excited by the opportunity and the platform that it gives our region to promote itself to the world for tourism, for economic development, as well as hopefully to give our men's team a huge home advantage and going for a record third title." Next year's tournament will be the first edition of the event to include a record 20 teams. England are the current T20 world champions, winning their second title when they beat Pakistan in the final in Melbourne last year. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

ICC announces venues for Caribbean leg of 2024 T20 World Cup; Jamaica left out

<p>The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed three venues for the 2024 T20 World Cup that will be hosted by the United States and the West Indies. The confirmation came on Wednesday, September 20 with three cities - Dallas, Florida, and New York set to stage the carnival of the shortest version of cricket in 2024. The T20 World Cup will be the first time the USA hosts a major ICC event, having previously served as home ground for West Indies during several bilateral series in the past.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">📍The United States of America<br />
🏆 ICC Men’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> 2024<br />
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Three venues in the USA have been confirmed for the mega-event next year 🤩</p>
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<h2><strong>USA to stage T20 World Cup</strong></h2>

<p>“We’re delighted to announce the three USA venues that will host part of the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever staged, with 20 teams competing for the trophy. The USA is a strategically important market and these venues give us an excellent opportunity to make a statement in the world’s biggest sport market,” ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement.</p>

<p>USA and West Indies were selected as co-hosts for the global tournament back in November 2021, when the ICC Board awarded them the hosting rights. The venues were chosen following an extensive evaluation of several options.</p>

<p>Modular stadium solutions will be applied to increase facilities for the upcoming event. An agreement has been reached for the construction of a 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park, a purpose-built sports and events park in Nassau County, New York, on awarding of the required permit next month.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/star-brazilian-footballer-to-visit-indias-kolkata-before-durga-puja-in-october-find-itinerary-details-637659">Star Brazilian footballer to visit India's Kolkata before Durga Puja in October, find itinerary details</a></p>

<h2><strong>England to enter as defending champions</strong></h2>

<p>This will be the second time West Indies will host the marquee tournament having last seen action of the T20 World Cup in 2010. England were crowned champions for the first time in 2010 when they beat Australia in the final. The win also saw them win their maiden T20 World Cup title under the leadership of Paul Collingwood. Interestingly, England are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup having won the title in 2022 in Australia.</p>

<p>Several other potential venues have been identified for pre-event matches and training. These include George Mason University in Washington, which is the home for Major League Cricket (MLC) team Washington Freedom.</p>

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed three venues for the 2024 T20 World Cup that will be hosted by the United States and the West Indies. The confirmation came on Wednesday, September 20 with three cities - Dallas, Florida, and New York set to stage the carnival of the shortest version of cricket in 2024.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed three venues for the 2024 T20 World Cup that will be hosted by the United States and the West Indies. The confirmation came on Wednesday, September 20 with three cities - Dallas, Florida, and New York set to stage the carnival of the shortest version of cricket in 2024. The T20 World Cup will be the first time the USA hosts a major ICC event, having previously served as home ground for West Indies during several bilateral series in the past. 📍The United States of America 🏆 ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup 2024 Three venues in the USA have been confirmed for the mega-event next year 🤩 — ICC (@ICC) September 20, 2023 × USA to stage T20 World Cup “We’re delighted to announce the three USA venues that will host part of the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever staged, with 20 teams competing for the trophy. The USA is a strategically important market and these venues give us an excellent opportunity to make a statement in the world’s biggest sport market,” ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said in a statement. USA and West Indies were selected as co-hosts for the global tournament back in November 2021, when the ICC Board awarded them the hosting rights. The venues were chosen following an extensive evaluation of several options. Modular stadium solutions will be applied to increase facilities for the upcoming event. An agreement has been reached for the construction of a 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park, a purpose-built sports and events park in Nassau County, New York, on awarding of the required permit next month. ALSO READ | Star Brazilian footballer to visit India's Kolkata before Durga Puja in October, find itinerary details England to enter as defending champions This will be the second time West Indies will host the marquee tournament having last seen action of the T20 World Cup in 2010. England were crowned champions for the first time in 2010 when they beat Australia in the final. The win also saw them win their maiden T20 World Cup title under the leadership of Paul Collingwood. Interestingly, England are the defending champions of the T20 World Cup having won the title in 2022 in Australia. Several other potential venues have been identified for pre-event matches and training. These include George Mason University in Washington, which is the home for Major League Cricket (MLC) team Washington Freedom. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

ICC confirms Dallas, Florida and New York as 2024 T20 World Cup venues for United States leg

<p>India and Pakistan will lock horns in match three of the Asia Cup 2023 edition on Saturday (September 02) in Kandy. The two Asian giants will resume their cricketing rivalry after a memorable face-off in last year's T20 World Cup 2022 edition. Placed in the same group, the two teams met at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and produced a clash for the ages.</p>

<p>Talking about the marquee affair at the MCG, India opted to bowl first and rode on Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh's three-fers to restrict Pakistan to 159 for 8. In reply, Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. were tottering at 31 for 4 before Virat Kohli (53-ball 82*) and Hardik (37-ball 40)'s 113-run fifth-wicket stand revived the run-chase. Towards the end, Kohli accelerated with some superb strokeplay to take India home with four wickets in hand in&nbsp;a last-ball win over Babar Azam &amp; Co.</p>

<h2><strong>'Don't think any other batsman in the world could have done that'</strong></h2>

<p>Ahead of the Indo-Pak battle in the group stage of the Asia Cup, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan recalled Kohli's masterclass. "He is a world-class player, definitely. You have to plan a lot to face him. Anyway, in international cricket, there are a lot of mind games, because you definitely have the skill to reach that level. But how you read each other's minds, the bowler and the batter, how they read each other's minds, and it also depends on what the situation is," Shadab said on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues'.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/even-if-we-lose-to-india-former-pakistan-all-rounders-message-to-babar-co-ahead-of-asia-cup-face-off-631107">'Even if we lose to India': Former Pakistan all-rounder's message to Babar &amp; Co. ahead of Asia Cup face-off</a></strong></p>

<p>"The kind of batsman that Virat Kohli is, the way he has performed against us, even in the last match at the World Cup, I don't think that if any other batsman in the world was in that situation, could have done that to our bowling line-up. And the beauty of it is that he can do this at any stage and at any time," the white-ball vice-captain&nbsp;added.</p>

<p>In the 2022 T20 WC game, Shadab was the most economical bowler for the Men in Green, returning with 4-0-21-0.&nbsp;However, he could not get rid of Kohli. It will be interesting to see if he gets the better of him this time around. Shadab started the continental tournament with a brilliant four-fer versus Nepal.</p>

<p>For Kohli, he will be Rohit-led India's go-to batter in the Asia Cup. Thus, he would like to start afresh and negate the early threat of Pakistan's lethal pace trio -- Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah -- to once again aim for a big score. His ODI&nbsp;record versus the Asian neighbours is very healthy, scoring&nbsp;536 runs -- at&nbsp;48.72 --&nbsp;in 13 innings with two centuries and as many fifties.</p>

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India and Pakistan will lock horns in match three of the Asia Cup 2023 edition on Saturday (September 02) in Kandy. The two Asian giants will resume their cricketing rivalry after a memorable face-off in last year's T20 World Cup 2022 edition.

India and Pakistan will lock horns in match three of the Asia Cup 2023 edition on Saturday (September 02) in Kandy. The two Asian giants will resume their cricketing rivalry after a memorable face-off in last year's T20 World Cup 2022 edition. Placed in the same group, the two teams met at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground and produced a clash for the ages. Talking about the marquee affair at the MCG, India opted to bowl first and rode on Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh's three-fers to restrict Pakistan to 159 for 8. In reply, Rohit Sharma & Co. were tottering at 31 for 4 before Virat Kohli (53-ball 82*) and Hardik (37-ball 40)'s 113-run fifth-wicket stand revived the run-chase. Towards the end, Kohli accelerated with some superb strokeplay to take India home with four wickets in hand in a last-ball win over Babar Azam & Co. 'Don't think any other batsman in the world could have done that' Ahead of the Indo-Pak battle in the group stage of the Asia Cup, Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan recalled Kohli's masterclass. "He is a world-class player, definitely. You have to plan a lot to face him. Anyway, in international cricket, there are a lot of mind games, because you definitely have the skill to reach that level. But how you read each other's minds, the bowler and the batter, how they read each other's minds, and it also depends on what the situation is," Shadab said on the Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues'. Also read: 'Even if we lose to India': Former Pakistan all-rounder's message to Babar & Co. ahead of Asia Cup face-off "The kind of batsman that Virat Kohli is, the way he has performed against us, even in the last match at the World Cup, I don't think that if any other batsman in the world was in that situation, could have done that to our bowling line-up. And the beauty of it is that he can do this at any stage and at any time," the white-ball vice-captain added. In the 2022 T20 WC game, Shadab was the most economical bowler for the Men in Green, returning with 4-0-21-0. However, he could not get rid of Kohli. It will be interesting to see if he gets the better of him this time around. Shadab started the continental tournament with a brilliant four-fer versus Nepal. For Kohli, he will be Rohit-led India's go-to batter in the Asia Cup. Thus, he would like to start afresh and negate the early threat of Pakistan's lethal pace trio -- Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah -- to once again aim for a big score. His ODI record versus the Asian neighbours is very healthy, scoring 536 runs -- at 48.72 -- in 13 innings with two centuries and as many fifties. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Only he could've done that': Shadab recalls Kohli's T20 WC masterclass before India vs Pakistan Asia Cup tie

<p>Virat Kohli is currently gearing up for India's Asia Cup campaign, where they begin their run versus arch-rivals Pakistan on September 02 in Pallekele, Sri Lanka. The last time both sides met each other was during last year's T20 World Cup, held in Australia. Facing each other at the MCG, Melbourne, both sides produced a humdinger of a clash where Kohli made heads turn with his 53-ball 82 not out in India's four-wicket win in pursuit of 160. Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar recalled the right-hander's masterclass and feels the match was 'all about Kohli'.</p>

<h2><strong>'Cricket gods wanted to do it for Virat Kohli'</strong></h2>

<p>During an interaction with RevSportz, on a day when Kohli is celebrating 15 years of his international debut, Akhtar said, "That match was all about Virat Kohli. The cricket Gods wanted to do it for him. He wasn’t in the best of form and was facing a lot of heat from you guys in India. The media was after him. It was God’s way of telling him – this is your stage, come and become king again. If you see all that transpired – rain and a lot of it, 100,000 people, 1.3 billion Indians watching, 30 crore Pakistanis watching, the whole world in awe – the stage was set for Kohli. It was the greatest stage of all. When you add the two sixes he hit off Haris Rauf, that match gave him back his kingdom. I think it was all destined for him on that day at the MCG."</p>

<h2><strong>No white-ball cricket for Kohli post CWC '23?</strong></h2>

<p>On Kohli's future, Akhtar made a big claim and opined, "I don’t think he should play more 50-overs matches after this World Cup. Also, if you see him in T20s, it takes a lot out of him. I think he should play for at least six more years and break the 100 hundreds record of Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli has it in him to break the record. He should focus on Test cricket after this World Cup, and break this record."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/moment-ms-dhoni-gave-up-captaincy-things-went-south-akhtar-on-indias-icc-title-drought-since-2013-626699">Moment MS Dhoni gave up captaincy, things went south: Akhtar on India's ICC title drought since 2013</a></strong></p>

<p>He added, "Also, there was a lot of chat about him losing captaincy. I don’t read much into it. I actually think it has freed him up. Why did he start playing? He started his cricket to be like Sachin Tendulkar. He has become like Sachin. Scored loads of runs. Now, he should just continue to score runs for his team and win India more and more games. Losing captaincy is actually good for him as a batter, because the pressure of captaincy cripples you."</p>

<p>Recalling India-Pakistan's clash in the 2022 T20 WC, Rohit-led India opted to bowl and rode on Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh's three-fers to restrict Babar Azam &amp; Co. for 159 for 8. In reply, India was tottering at 31 for 4 before Kohli-Hardik's 113-run fifth-wicket stand revived the run-chase. The former Indian skipper remained unbeaten on 82, laced with 6 fours and 4 sixes, to take his side past the finish line in what was a last-ball finish.&nbsp;</p>

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Virat Kohli is currently gearing up for India's Asia Cup campaign, where they begin their run versus arch-rivals Pakistan on September 02 in Pallekele, Sri Lanka.

Virat Kohli is currently gearing up for India's Asia Cup campaign, where they begin their run versus arch-rivals Pakistan on September 02 in Pallekele, Sri Lanka. The last time both sides met each other was during last year's T20 World Cup, held in Australia. Facing each other at the MCG, Melbourne, both sides produced a humdinger of a clash where Kohli made heads turn with his 53-ball 82 not out in India's four-wicket win in pursuit of 160. Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar recalled the right-hander's masterclass and feels the match was 'all about Kohli'. 'Cricket gods wanted to do it for Virat Kohli' During an interaction with RevSportz, on a day when Kohli is celebrating 15 years of his international debut, Akhtar said, "That match was all about Virat Kohli. The cricket Gods wanted to do it for him. He wasn’t in the best of form and was facing a lot of heat from you guys in India. The media was after him. It was God’s way of telling him – this is your stage, come and become king again. If you see all that transpired – rain and a lot of it, 100,000 people, 1.3 billion Indians watching, 30 crore Pakistanis watching, the whole world in awe – the stage was set for Kohli. It was the greatest stage of all. When you add the two sixes he hit off Haris Rauf, that match gave him back his kingdom. I think it was all destined for him on that day at the MCG." No white-ball cricket for Kohli post CWC '23? On Kohli's future, Akhtar made a big claim and opined, "I don’t think he should play more 50-overs matches after this World Cup. Also, if you see him in T20s, it takes a lot out of him. I think he should play for at least six more years and break the 100 hundreds record of Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli has it in him to break the record. He should focus on Test cricket after this World Cup, and break this record." Also read: Moment MS Dhoni gave up captaincy, things went south: Akhtar on India's ICC title drought since 2013 He added, "Also, there was a lot of chat about him losing captaincy. I don’t read much into it. I actually think it has freed him up. Why did he start playing? He started his cricket to be like Sachin Tendulkar. He has become like Sachin. Scored loads of runs. Now, he should just continue to score runs for his team and win India more and more games. Losing captaincy is actually good for him as a batter, because the pressure of captaincy cripples you." Recalling India-Pakistan's clash in the 2022 T20 WC, Rohit-led India opted to bowl and rode on Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh's three-fers to restrict Babar Azam & Co. for 159 for 8. In reply, India was tottering at 31 for 4 before Kohli-Hardik's 113-run fifth-wicket stand revived the run-chase. The former Indian skipper remained unbeaten on 82, laced with 6 fours and 4 sixes, to take his side past the finish line in what was a last-ball finish. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'It was God’s way of telling....': Akhtar recalls Virat Kohli's masterclass vs Pakistan in T20 World Cup

<p>Hardik Pandya-led India lost the five-match T20I series to hosts West Indies with an eight-wicket loss, in Florida, on Sunday (August 13). Being 0-2 down, the Men in Blue displayed a commendable effort to level the series but were blown away by Rovman Powell-led Windies in the series decider to lose their first-ever five-match series in the format.</p>

<p>In the series, the likes of Yashavi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma and Mukesh Kumar made a mark, however, questions were raised over India's lack of batting depth. The visitors played as many as four No. 11s throughout the series and it led to Windies' series triumph eventually. In the final T20I, India lost early wickets which exposed their tail and they only managed a modest 165 for 9.</p>

<p>In reply, West Indies made a mockery of the run-chase, finishing proceedings in 17 overs with eight wickets in hand, thanks to Brandan Kings' 85 not out and Nicholas Pooran's entertaining 47.</p>

<p>Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has been left unimpressed with India's long tail and questioned their batting preparations for next year's T20 World Cup, in West Indies and USA.</p>

<p>Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Jaffer pointed out, "Losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill within that powerplay, that was a big setback. We all know that India only bats till No. 7. The last four don’t contribute much at all. They don’t have that boundary-hitting or six-hitting ability. When you lose two to three wickets, the guys coming in can’t play freely. It adds a lot of pressure."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-wi-captain-hardik-pandya-takes-blame-for-series-defeat-says-i-not-able-to-finish-625220">IND vs WI: Captain Hardik Pandya takes blame for series defeat, says 'I not able to finish'</a></strong></p>

<p>Jaffer further asserted, "If we are five down, the tail starts coming. That’s exactly what has happened in the games that we have lost. That is a big concern for India. The batting hasn’t clicked. Suryakumar Yadav played well, but nobody else chipped in."</p>

<p>"The top seven has to bat the bulk of the overs. Sometimes, when you go with that mindset, it doesn’t help you. India need to address this issue. Within 10 months’ time, India will be playing the World Cup here. This can’t be the template. Our batting needs to come till at least No. 8, possibly No. 9 - somebody who can tonk the ball," he added.</p>

<p>After the series loss, head coach Rahul Dravid admitted to India's lack of batting depth.</p>

<p>He said, "I think going forward, we've got to look at certain areas in which we can get better. Finding depth in our batting has been an area we are trying to address. We are trying to do the best we possibly can but that's certainly an area we can look at, how we cannot weaken our bowling attack but ensure we have a certain amount of depth in batting."</p>

<p>Captain Hardik's low returns also didn't help India's cause in the series. The 29-year-old ended with 77 runs at a woeful strike-rate of 110. He struck at 77.77 with a struggling 18-ball 14 in the series finale.</p>

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Hardik Pandya-led India lost the five-match T20I series to hosts West Indies with an eight-wicket loss, in Florida, on Sunday (August 13). Being 0-2 down, the Men in Blue displayed a commendable effort to level the series but were blown away by Rovman Powell-led Windies in the series decider to lose their first-ever five-match series in the format.

Hardik Pandya-led India lost the five-match T20I series to hosts West Indies with an eight-wicket loss, in Florida, on Sunday (August 13). Being 0-2 down, the Men in Blue displayed a commendable effort to level the series but were blown away by Rovman Powell-led Windies in the series decider to lose their first-ever five-match series in the format. In the series, the likes of Yashavi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma and Mukesh Kumar made a mark, however, questions were raised over India's lack of batting depth. The visitors played as many as four No. 11s throughout the series and it led to Windies' series triumph eventually. In the final T20I, India lost early wickets which exposed their tail and they only managed a modest 165 for 9. In reply, West Indies made a mockery of the run-chase, finishing proceedings in 17 overs with eight wickets in hand, thanks to Brandan Kings' 85 not out and Nicholas Pooran's entertaining 47. Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has been left unimpressed with India's long tail and questioned their batting preparations for next year's T20 World Cup, in West Indies and USA. Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Jaffer pointed out, "Losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill within that powerplay, that was a big setback. We all know that India only bats till No. 7. The last four don’t contribute much at all. They don’t have that boundary-hitting or six-hitting ability. When you lose two to three wickets, the guys coming in can’t play freely. It adds a lot of pressure." Also read: IND vs WI: Captain Hardik Pandya takes blame for series defeat, says 'I not able to finish' Jaffer further asserted, "If we are five down, the tail starts coming. That’s exactly what has happened in the games that we have lost. That is a big concern for India. The batting hasn’t clicked. Suryakumar Yadav played well, but nobody else chipped in." "The top seven has to bat the bulk of the overs. Sometimes, when you go with that mindset, it doesn’t help you. India need to address this issue. Within 10 months’ time, India will be playing the World Cup here. This can’t be the template. Our batting needs to come till at least No. 8, possibly No. 9 - somebody who can tonk the ball," he added. After the series loss, head coach Rahul Dravid admitted to India's lack of batting depth. He said, "I think going forward, we've got to look at certain areas in which we can get better. Finding depth in our batting has been an area we are trying to address. We are trying to do the best we possibly can but that's certainly an area we can look at, how we cannot weaken our bowling attack but ensure we have a certain amount of depth in batting." Captain Hardik's low returns also didn't help India's cause in the series. The 29-year-old ended with 77 runs at a woeful strike-rate of 110. He struck at 77.77 with a struggling 18-ball 14 in the series finale. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ind vs WI: 'This can't be the template': Wasim Jaffer unimpressed with India's batting for T20 World Cup 2024

<p>Team India lost the second T20I, of the five-match series, to hosts West Indies, in Guyana, on Sunday (August 6). After losing the series opener by four runs, Hardik Pandya &amp; Co. lost the second match by two wickets in defence of 153. Following the loss, many have once again slammed head coach Rahul Dravid for India's downfall since the WTC final defeat.</p>

<h2><strong>'Rahul has become a soft target only because...'</strong></h2>

<p>However, former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has backed under-fire Dravid and slammed his critics on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.</p>

<p>In a post, Ganesh wrote, "Stop admonishing Rahul Dravid for every damn thing. He had no role in the captain juggling his bowlers today. Of late, Rahul has become a soft target only because he doesn’t say much in the media."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Stop admonishing Rahul Dravid for every damn thing. He had no role in the captain juggling his bowlers today. Of late, Rahul has become a soft target only because he doesn’t say much in the media <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DoddaMathu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DoddaMathu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CricketTwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CricketTwitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIvIND</a></p>
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) <a href="https://twitter.com/doddaganesha/status/1688257811468386304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/decided-not-to-watch-2011-odi-world-cup-indian-captain-rohit-sharma-shares-bittersweet-memories-623119">Decided not to watch 2011 ODI World Cup: Indian captain Rohit Sharma shares bittersweet memories</a></strong></p>

<p>Many have slammed Hardik-Dravid&nbsp;as in-form spinner Yuzvendra Chahal didn't even complete his full quota of overs in the second T20I, where he finished with 3-0-19-2, whereas Axar Patel never rolled his arms.<br />
<br />
However, Ganesh defended Dravid and emphasised&nbsp;that a coach has no role if&nbsp;the captain juggles his bowlers on the field.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dravid is not having the best of time as India's head coach. He was criticised for India's poor team selection in the WTC final, where they lost to Australia in early June, and for the excessive experiments done by the national side in their recent 2-1 ODI series win in the ongoing West Indies tour.</p>

<p>Dravid's term as India's head coach is till the forthcoming home ODI World Cup. Irrespective of his future, the former Indian captain&nbsp;will be adamant to revive the team's fortunes and lead them to their third 50-over title later this year.&nbsp;</p>

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Team India lost the second T20I, of the five-match series, to hosts West Indies, in Guyana, on Sunday (August 6). After losing the series opener by four runs, Hardik Pandya & Co.

Team India lost the second T20I, of the five-match series, to hosts West Indies, in Guyana, on Sunday (August 6). After losing the series opener by four runs, Hardik Pandya & Co. lost the second match by two wickets in defence of 153. Following the loss, many have once again slammed head coach Rahul Dravid for India's downfall since the WTC final defeat. 'Rahul has become a soft target only because...' However, former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has backed under-fire Dravid and slammed his critics on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. In a post, Ganesh wrote, "Stop admonishing Rahul Dravid for every damn thing. He had no role in the captain juggling his bowlers today. Of late, Rahul has become a soft target only because he doesn’t say much in the media." Stop admonishing Rahul Dravid for every damn thing. He had no role in the captain juggling his bowlers today. Of late, Rahul has become a soft target only because he doesn’t say much in the media #DoddaMathu #CricketTwitter #WIvIND — Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) August 6, 2023 × Also read: Decided not to watch 2011 ODI World Cup: Indian captain Rohit Sharma shares bittersweet memories Many have slammed Hardik-Dravid as in-form spinner Yuzvendra Chahal didn't even complete his full quota of overs in the second T20I, where he finished with 3-0-19-2, whereas Axar Patel never rolled his arms. However, Ganesh defended Dravid and emphasised that a coach has no role if the captain juggles his bowlers on the field. Dravid is not having the best of time as India's head coach. He was criticised for India's poor team selection in the WTC final, where they lost to Australia in early June, and for the excessive experiments done by the national side in their recent 2-1 ODI series win in the ongoing West Indies tour. Dravid's term as India's head coach is till the forthcoming home ODI World Cup. Irrespective of his future, the former Indian captain will be adamant to revive the team's fortunes and lead them to their third 50-over title later this year. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Stop admonishing Rahul Dravid for everything: Former India pacer backs under-fire coach amid defeats vs WI

<p>With ICC ODI World Cup just about two months away, many of the Indian stars might be looking at their last 50-over world cup. Among those who may not feature in the next edition four years later are skipper Rohit Sharma and ace batsman Virat Kohli.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rohit, aged 36, recently spoke about the USA co-hosting the T20I World Cup next year and that he's looking forward to it. The Indian skipper, in a video shared on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, confirmed that he'll be playing in the next year's tournament at least.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“More than just going and enjoying, there is another reason to come here (in the USA). Because you know the World Cup is coming. In June, there will be the T20 World Cup (2024) happening in this part of the world. So, I'm pretty sure everyone is excited. So ya, we look forward to that,” Rohit said.</p>

<p>Notably, the last two games of India's ongoing five-T20I series will be held in the USA.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-wi-suryakumar-yadav-will-have-to-aakash-chopra-puts-sky-in-hotspot-ahead-of-2nd-t20i-622841">India vs WI: 'Suryakumar Yadav will have to...,' Aakash Chopra puts SKY in hotspot ahead of 2nd T20I</a></p>

<p>While it seems less likely that Rohit would be around for the next ODI World Cup in 2027, he certainly can play shortest format for couple more years. The skipper, in recent times, had also acknowledged that it is not possible to play all formats for some players and that he is one of those players.</p>

<p>"At the moment I think it was made clear in the past that it's a 50-over World Cup year for us. And for some of the guys, it's not possible to play all formats. If you look at the schedule, there were back-to-back matches, so we decided on just looking at some players' workload that we wanted to make sure that they get enough break time and manage them. I definitely fall in that (category) as well," Rohit had told reporters in a press conference.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, India are currently touring West Indies for a full-fledged tour of two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. The visitors have already won the Test and ODI series but are trailing 1-0 in the five-match T20I series.&nbsp;</p>

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With ICC ODI World Cup just about two months away, many of the Indian stars might be looking at their last 50-over world cup. Among those who may not feature in the next edition four years later are skipper Rohit Sharma and ace batsman Virat Kohli.

With ICC ODI World Cup just about two months away, many of the Indian stars might be looking at their last 50-over world cup. Among those who may not feature in the next edition four years later are skipper Rohit Sharma and ace batsman Virat Kohli. Rohit, aged 36, recently spoke about the USA co-hosting the T20I World Cup next year and that he's looking forward to it. The Indian skipper, in a video shared on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, confirmed that he'll be playing in the next year's tournament at least. “More than just going and enjoying, there is another reason to come here (in the USA). Because you know the World Cup is coming. In June, there will be the T20 World Cup (2024) happening in this part of the world. So, I'm pretty sure everyone is excited. So ya, we look forward to that,” Rohit said. Notably, the last two games of India's ongoing five-T20I series will be held in the USA. Also Read: India vs WI: 'Suryakumar Yadav will have to...,' Aakash Chopra puts SKY in hotspot ahead of 2nd T20I While it seems less likely that Rohit would be around for the next ODI World Cup in 2027, he certainly can play shortest format for couple more years. The skipper, in recent times, had also acknowledged that it is not possible to play all formats for some players and that he is one of those players. "At the moment I think it was made clear in the past that it's a 50-over World Cup year for us. And for some of the guys, it's not possible to play all formats. If you look at the schedule, there were back-to-back matches, so we decided on just looking at some players' workload that we wanted to make sure that they get enough break time and manage them. I definitely fall in that (category) as well," Rohit had told reporters in a press conference. Meanwhile, India are currently touring West Indies for a full-fledged tour of two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. The visitors have already won the Test and ODI series but are trailing 1-0 in the five-match T20I series. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India skipper Rohit Sharma opens up on his chances of playing T20I World Cup next year - WATCH

<p>India’s Ishan Kishan has underlined the importance of Shubman Gill in the side after the duo led the foundation for India’s win against the West Indies in the third ODI on Tuesday, August 1. Kishan, adjudged Player of the Series, insisted Gill played a huge role in boosting his confidence India beat the hosts by 200 runs in the final ODI to clinch the series 2-1. Kishan also commented on the T20 World Cup in 2024 and is not thinking about it at the moment.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">📍 Trinidad 🇹🇹<br />
<br />
'The Prince' Brian Charles Lara in conversation with Shubman Gill &amp; Ishan Kishan 🙌<br />
<br />
Coming 🔜 on <a href="https://t.co/Z3MPyeKtDz">https://t.co/Z3MPyeKtDz</a><br />
<br />
Stay Tuned! ⌛️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/eCsSRI1WeI">pic.twitter.com/eCsSRI1WeI</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1686576296950677506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Kishan underlines Gill’s importance</strong></h2>

<p>"He’s a tremendous player, I’ve seen how he middles the ball. Seeing him hitting it out of the middle gives me a lot of confidence as well. Always important to win at this level, and the learnings from these games are important. We were looking to get early wickets and didn't let any ball go. Everyone is looking very positive," Kishan said in a post-match interaction after helping India win the series.</p>

<p>The dynamic star from Mumbai Indians, Ishan was instrumental in India’s success as they beat the hosts to win the series. He played a crucial knock of 76 runs in the decisive final ODI while also scoring 55 and 52 in the previous two ODIs. His performances saw him awarded Player of the Series while his partner Shubman Gill was awarded Player of the Match.</p>

<p>Kishan also commented on the T20 World Cup and thinks it is a bridge too far and is not thinking about it. With senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma out of contention for the shortest format, Kishan is the front-runner to be in the first team and will be a key member for the Indian side when they return to the Caribbean Islands in 2024.</p>

<p>"I’ve played a few tournaments here and I know how the wickets play here, not really thinking about the next T20 World Cup. Focusing on the upcoming tournaments, you know how one tournament can change your life. We’re just focusing on that now," said Kishan.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/odi-world-cup-2023-bilawal-bhutto-headed-panel-to-meet-on-thursday-to-decide-pakistans-participation-621480">ODI World Cup 2023: Bilawal Bhutto-headed panel to meet on Thursday to decide Pakistan's participation</a></p>

<h2><strong>Why Kishan could be in the Indian team for ODI World Cup?</strong></h2>

<p>With India struggling to accommodate left-hand batters in the Playing XI for the upcoming ODI World Cup, Kishan could be in India’s plan. With Rishabh Pant also missing from the team due to injury, Kishan could be the backup option as a wicketkeeper for the showpiece event that kickstarts on October 5 in India.</p>

<p>The Indian team for the ODI World Cup is likely to be announced at the end of the month while the Asia Cup 2023 takes center stage. India will start their ODI World Cup campaign against Australia on Sunday, October 8 in Chennai.</p>

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India’s Ishan Kishan has underlined the importance of Shubman Gill in the side after the duo led the foundation for India’s win against the West Indies in the third ODI on Tuesday, August 1.

India’s Ishan Kishan has underlined the importance of Shubman Gill in the side after the duo led the foundation for India’s win against the West Indies in the third ODI on Tuesday, August 1. Kishan, adjudged Player of the Series, insisted Gill played a huge role in boosting his confidence India beat the hosts by 200 runs in the final ODI to clinch the series 2-1. Kishan also commented on the T20 World Cup in 2024 and is not thinking about it at the moment. 📍 Trinidad 🇹🇹 'The Prince' Brian Charles Lara in conversation with Shubman Gill & Ishan Kishan 🙌 Coming 🔜 on https://t.co/Z3MPyeKtDz Stay Tuned! ⌛️#TeamIndia | #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/eCsSRI1WeI — BCCI (@BCCI) August 2, 2023 × Kishan underlines Gill’s importance "He’s a tremendous player, I’ve seen how he middles the ball. Seeing him hitting it out of the middle gives me a lot of confidence as well. Always important to win at this level, and the learnings from these games are important. We were looking to get early wickets and didn't let any ball go. Everyone is looking very positive," Kishan said in a post-match interaction after helping India win the series. The dynamic star from Mumbai Indians, Ishan was instrumental in India’s success as they beat the hosts to win the series. He played a crucial knock of 76 runs in the decisive final ODI while also scoring 55 and 52 in the previous two ODIs. His performances saw him awarded Player of the Series while his partner Shubman Gill was awarded Player of the Match. Kishan also commented on the T20 World Cup and thinks it is a bridge too far and is not thinking about it. With senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma out of contention for the shortest format, Kishan is the front-runner to be in the first team and will be a key member for the Indian side when they return to the Caribbean Islands in 2024. "I’ve played a few tournaments here and I know how the wickets play here, not really thinking about the next T20 World Cup. Focusing on the upcoming tournaments, you know how one tournament can change your life. We’re just focusing on that now," said Kishan. ALSO READ | ODI World Cup 2023: Bilawal Bhutto-headed panel to meet on Thursday to decide Pakistan's participation Why Kishan could be in the Indian team for ODI World Cup? With India struggling to accommodate left-hand batters in the Playing XI for the upcoming ODI World Cup, Kishan could be in India’s plan. With Rishabh Pant also missing from the team due to injury, Kishan could be the backup option as a wicketkeeper for the showpiece event that kickstarts on October 5 in India. The Indian team for the ODI World Cup is likely to be announced at the end of the month while the Asia Cup 2023 takes center stage. India will start their ODI World Cup campaign against Australia on Sunday, October 8 in Chennai. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

IND vs WI 3rd ODI: Ishan Kishan underlines Shubman Gill's role, says 'gives me a lot of confidence'

<p>After the end of Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka, Mohammed Hafeez -- former Men in Green skipper and 2017 Champions Trophy winner -- is expected to take over as the national team's chief selector. Hafeez, who&nbsp;represented Pakistan in 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is, has been a huge contributor to&nbsp;Pakistan cricket and is expected to take over a&nbsp;post&nbsp;that is lying vacant after Pakistan Cricket Board's Cricket Management Committee (CMC) got dissolved in June.</p>

<p>As per sources, Hafeez is being favoured by the newly-appointed PCB chief Zaka Ashraf.&nbsp;"Zaka met with former captains&nbsp;Rashid Latif and Hafeez and spoke to them about becoming chief selector. Rashid was not keen on the job but Hafeez (has) expressed his availability,” a&nbsp;source told PTI.</p>

<p>"Rashid was more interested in working on anti-corruption issues. Hafeez who played 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is for Pakistan before retiring last year, made it clear that he would like the challenge of working as the chief selector," he&nbsp;opined.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/here-is-a-guy-who-has-been-around-for-500-intls-bishop-lauds-kohlis-commitment-on-day-1-of-2nd-test-618181">'Here is a guy who has been around for 500 int'ls...' Bishop lauds Kohli's commitment on Day 1 of 2nd Test</a></strong></p>

<p>Hafeez made his international debut in 2003 and went on to represent the country in all three forms of the game. He ended his glittering career with 3,652,&nbsp;6,614 and 2,514 runs in Tests, ODIs and T20Is respectively. In addition, he was a handy spinner who returned with a total of 253 scalps at the highest level. The former batter also led Pakistan in the shortest format, being in-charge of the side during the 2012 and 2014 T20 World Cup. In the 2012 edition, the one-time winners reached the semi-final under Hafeez's captaincy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The source further revealed that Ashraf is yet to decide whether to change the entire selection committee&nbsp;or just name a new chief selector, who will succeed Haroon&nbsp;Rasheed.</p>

<p>"It is unlikely the entire selection committee will be changed because of the heavy schedule of the Pakistan team after the Sri Lanka tour as Afghanistan have also confirmed a ODI series in Sri Lanka in August before the Asia Cup," the source added.</p>

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After the end of Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka, Mohammed Hafeez -- former Men in Green skipper and 2017 Champions Trophy winner -- is expected to take over as the national team's chief selector.

After the end of Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka, Mohammed Hafeez -- former Men in Green skipper and 2017 Champions Trophy winner -- is expected to take over as the national team's chief selector. Hafeez, who represented Pakistan in 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is, has been a huge contributor to Pakistan cricket and is expected to take over a post that is lying vacant after Pakistan Cricket Board's Cricket Management Committee (CMC) got dissolved in June. As per sources, Hafeez is being favoured by the newly-appointed PCB chief Zaka Ashraf. "Zaka met with former captains Rashid Latif and Hafeez and spoke to them about becoming chief selector. Rashid was not keen on the job but Hafeez (has) expressed his availability,” a source told PTI. "Rashid was more interested in working on anti-corruption issues. Hafeez who played 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is for Pakistan before retiring last year, made it clear that he would like the challenge of working as the chief selector," he opined. Also read: 'Here is a guy who has been around for 500 int'ls...' Bishop lauds Kohli's commitment on Day 1 of 2nd Test Hafeez made his international debut in 2003 and went on to represent the country in all three forms of the game. He ended his glittering career with 3,652, 6,614 and 2,514 runs in Tests, ODIs and T20Is respectively. In addition, he was a handy spinner who returned with a total of 253 scalps at the highest level. The former batter also led Pakistan in the shortest format, being in-charge of the side during the 2012 and 2014 T20 World Cup. In the 2012 edition, the one-time winners reached the semi-final under Hafeez's captaincy. The source further revealed that Ashraf is yet to decide whether to change the entire selection committee or just name a new chief selector, who will succeed Haroon Rasheed. "It is unlikely the entire selection committee will be changed because of the heavy schedule of the Pakistan team after the Sri Lanka tour as Afghanistan have also confirmed a ODI series in Sri Lanka in August before the Asia Cup," the source added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Former Pakistan captain and CT winner front-runner to become national team's chief selector: Report

<p>On Wednesday (July 05), the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee picked a 15-man squad for India's five-match T20I series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island. The five T20Is will get underway on August 03 as Hardik Pandya will lead a young side. The squad features several young talents who rose to the occasion in IPL 2023 as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, and Mukesh Kumar were inducted, whereas the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Sanju Samson have returned.</p>

<p>Although many have raised concerns over the omission of Rinku Singh and Rahul Tripathi, the likes of Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw and Jitesh Sharma also could not find a place. Moreover, senior pros such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have continued to remain absent from the T20I squad as it seems certain that selectors have entrusted Hardik Pandya to lead the side in the shortest format for the future. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reviewed the squad on his YouTube channel and feels that Hardik is being considered to lead India in next year's T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA.</p>

<p>"Hardik Pandya, who had been given the captaincy after the T20 World Cup - it seems like that's now the final fixture, that Hardik Pandya will lead the Indian T20 team for times to come, which means until the upcoming World Cup," Aakash Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/yashasvi-jaiswal-tilak-varma-get-maiden-t20i-call-as-india-announce-squad-for-west-indies-tour-612400">Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma get maiden T20I call as India announce squad for West Indies tour</a></strong></p>

<p>"I feel they had already moved in that direction and it is still the same, nothing has changed. None of the seniors have been picked. KL Rahul is unavailable but now it is extended that you have not played Rohit and Kohli since the World Cup," Chopra added.</p>

<p>India's five-match T20I series versus the two-time champions West Indies will kick off on August 03 and conclude on August 13. Soon after, Hardik &amp; Co. will also feature in three T20Is versus Ireland, in Dublin, before the focus shifts entirely to the 2023 ODI World Cup at home.</p>

<p><strong>India's T20I squad for WI series:</strong>&nbsp;Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (vice-captain), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (captain), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar.</p>


On Wednesday (July 05), the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee picked a 15-man squad for India's five-match T20I series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island.

On Wednesday (July 05), the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee picked a 15-man squad for India's five-match T20I series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island. The five T20Is will get underway on August 03 as Hardik Pandya will lead a young side. The squad features several young talents who rose to the occasion in IPL 2023 as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, and Mukesh Kumar were inducted, whereas the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Sanju Samson have returned. Although many have raised concerns over the omission of Rinku Singh and Rahul Tripathi, the likes of Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw and Jitesh Sharma also could not find a place. Moreover, senior pros such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have continued to remain absent from the T20I squad as it seems certain that selectors have entrusted Hardik Pandya to lead the side in the shortest format for the future. Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra reviewed the squad on his YouTube channel and feels that Hardik is being considered to lead India in next year's T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. "Hardik Pandya, who had been given the captaincy after the T20 World Cup - it seems like that's now the final fixture, that Hardik Pandya will lead the Indian T20 team for times to come, which means until the upcoming World Cup," Aakash Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel. Also Read: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma get maiden T20I call as India announce squad for West Indies tour "I feel they had already moved in that direction and it is still the same, nothing has changed. None of the seniors have been picked. KL Rahul is unavailable but now it is extended that you have not played Rohit and Kohli since the World Cup," Chopra added. India's five-match T20I series versus the two-time champions West Indies will kick off on August 03 and conclude on August 13. Soon after, Hardik & Co. will also feature in three T20Is versus Ireland, in Dublin, before the focus shifts entirely to the 2023 ODI World Cup at home. India's T20I squad for WI series: Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (vice-captain), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (captain), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar.

Feels like Hardik Pandya will lead Team India in 2024 T20 World Cup as well, says former Indian opener

<p>Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to make their first move for the 2024 season as they look to bolster the side. While the attention of the world is on the ODI World Cup and the qualifiers, RR have secretly turned their attention to Jos Buttler as they plan to keep him for another four years with the team. According to a report, the franchise is set to offer a four-year lucrative deal to Buttler having shined for the side in the IPL.</p>

<h2><strong>Buttler set for big contract</strong></h2>

<p>"England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler is set to be offered a landmark four-year deal by his Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals," a report from The Telegraph said.</p>

<p>"It is understood that the offer to Buttler is yet to be formally tabled, and its unclear whether the T20 World Cup winning captain intends to accept the deal,” the report added.</p>

<p>Buttler, 32, led England to their second T20 World Cup success in 2022 and had a stellar year with the IPL franchise as well. Buttler won the Orange Cap in the 2022 season and led the franchise to their first final in 14 years of the IPL in 2022. He scored a whopping 863 runs in the season that time in 17 matches but failed to deliver RR’s second IPL title.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kylian-mbappe-and-france-teammates-raise-concern-after-police-kills-teenager-during-traffic-check-610052">Kylian Mbappe and France teammates raise concern after police kills teenager during traffic check</a></p>

<h2><strong>Buttler’s IPL heroics</strong></h2>

<p>Astonishingly, he scored four IPL hundreds in 2022 along with four fifties with a best of 116. However, the 2023 IPL season was below-par for him as he ended with just 392 runs from 14 matches while scoring four fifties. RR also failed to reach the playoffs of the IPL having faced elimination after the final league game.</p>

<p>Away from the spotlight of the Ashes 2023, Buttler will be a key member of the England squad for the ODI World Cup. He will lead the side in the championship&nbsp;in India and could become just the second captain to win both the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup after MS Dhoni of India. England, under Buttler, will enter the ODI World Cup in India as the defending champions, having got the better of New Zealand in the 2019 showdown.</p>

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Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to make their first move for the 2024 season as they look to bolster the side. While the attention of the world is on the ODI World Cup and the qualifiers, RR have secretly turned their attention to Jos Buttler as they plan to keep him for another four years with the team.

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to make their first move for the 2024 season as they look to bolster the side. While the attention of the world is on the ODI World Cup and the qualifiers, RR have secretly turned their attention to Jos Buttler as they plan to keep him for another four years with the team. According to a report, the franchise is set to offer a four-year lucrative deal to Buttler having shined for the side in the IPL. Buttler set for big contract "England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler is set to be offered a landmark four-year deal by his Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals," a report from The Telegraph said. "It is understood that the offer to Buttler is yet to be formally tabled, and its unclear whether the T20 World Cup winning captain intends to accept the deal,” the report added. Buttler, 32, led England to their second T20 World Cup success in 2022 and had a stellar year with the IPL franchise as well. Buttler won the Orange Cap in the 2022 season and led the franchise to their first final in 14 years of the IPL in 2022. He scored a whopping 863 runs in the season that time in 17 matches but failed to deliver RR’s second IPL title. ALSO READ | Kylian Mbappe and France teammates raise concern after police kills teenager during traffic check Buttler’s IPL heroics Astonishingly, he scored four IPL hundreds in 2022 along with four fifties with a best of 116. However, the 2023 IPL season was below-par for him as he ended with just 392 runs from 14 matches while scoring four fifties. RR also failed to reach the playoffs of the IPL having faced elimination after the final league game. Away from the spotlight of the Ashes 2023, Buttler will be a key member of the England squad for the ODI World Cup. He will lead the side in the championship in India and could become just the second captain to win both the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup after MS Dhoni of India. England, under Buttler, will enter the ODI World Cup in India as the defending champions, having got the better of New Zealand in the 2019 showdown. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Rajasthan Royals to offer multi-year contract to THIS World Cup-winning star after shining in IPL - Reports

<p>The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Tuesday (June 27), released the full schedule for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Rohit Sharma-led India will open their campaign on October 08, in Chennai, as they face Australia, whereas defending champions England will open their tournament by locking horns with last edition's runners-up New Zealand on October 05 in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash is set to take place on October 15 in Ahmedabad.</p>

<p>The last time both sides faced each other in an ICC event&nbsp;was during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Back then, Rohit &amp; Co. emerged on top on the last ball by four wickets in a chase of 160 at the MCG, Melbourne. Opting to bowl first, India rode on Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya's three-for each to restrict Pakistan at 159 for 8. In reply, India were on the back foot and reduced to 31 for 4 before Virat Kohli's masterclass (82 not out) and Hardik Pandya's 40 (37) to chase down the target on the last delivery of the contest.</p>

<p>With two needed off the last two balls, India lost Dinesh Karthik as R Ashwin joined Kohli in the middle. A wide from off-spinner Mohammed Nawaz led to scores being levelled before Ashwin punched one down the ground,&nbsp;over mid-off, for a four as India won on the last ball of the contest. Recently, the 36-year-old Ashwin recalled India's famous win over arch-rivals Pakistan&nbsp;and shared what advice he got from Kohli and how he won the game for his side.</p>

<h2>'The moment Md Nawaz bowled a wide I knew I had won the contest'</h2>

<p><br />
Speaking to ICC, Ashwin said, "Virat just gave me like seven options to play off that one ball. If only I was that capable of playing all those shots I wouldn't be batting at no. 8. I just talked to myself, I couldn't say that to him. I looked at Virat and his eyes seemed like he was possessed. I said, okay he's on another planet and let me come back to earth. The moment he bowled a wide I knew I had won the contest."</p>

<p>"I think cricket in so many ways is going to give you a lot of messages that way. So that's where I brought my positivity from. I knew I'd won the game," stated Ashwin.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ex-pakistan-player-slams-pcbs-odi-wc-requests-confident-of-men-in-greens-participation-610090">Ex-Pakistan player slams PCB's ODI WC requests, confident of Men in Green's participation</a></strong></p>

<p>Recalling his winning shot, the off-spinner added, "I think about it every night when I go to sleep. To be honest, what happens&nbsp;every time I see a video on social media, I think about it, what if the ball had just gripped and hit my pad? It was pretty close for comfort. I just felt that the game was meant to be finished by me. That's how I felt honestly. Terrific innings by Virat and one of the better games I've watched and been a part of."</p>

<p>Ashwin is now gearing up for India's two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island&nbsp;from next month.&nbsp;</p>

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The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Tuesday (June 27), released the full schedule for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Rohit Sharma-led India will open their campaign on October 08, in Chennai, as they face Australia, whereas defending champions England will open their tournament by locking horns with last edition's runners-up New Zealand on October 05 in Ahmedabad.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), on Tuesday (June 27), released the full schedule for the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Rohit Sharma-led India will open their campaign on October 08, in Chennai, as they face Australia, whereas defending champions England will open their tournament by locking horns with last edition's runners-up New Zealand on October 05 in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash is set to take place on October 15 in Ahmedabad. The last time both sides faced each other in an ICC event was during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Back then, Rohit & Co. emerged on top on the last ball by four wickets in a chase of 160 at the MCG, Melbourne. Opting to bowl first, India rode on Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya's three-for each to restrict Pakistan at 159 for 8. In reply, India were on the back foot and reduced to 31 for 4 before Virat Kohli's masterclass (82 not out) and Hardik Pandya's 40 (37) to chase down the target on the last delivery of the contest. With two needed off the last two balls, India lost Dinesh Karthik as R Ashwin joined Kohli in the middle. A wide from off-spinner Mohammed Nawaz led to scores being levelled before Ashwin punched one down the ground, over mid-off, for a four as India won on the last ball of the contest. Recently, the 36-year-old Ashwin recalled India's famous win over arch-rivals Pakistan and shared what advice he got from Kohli and how he won the game for his side. 'The moment Md Nawaz bowled a wide I knew I had won the contest' Speaking to ICC, Ashwin said, "Virat just gave me like seven options to play off that one ball. If only I was that capable of playing all those shots I wouldn't be batting at no. 8. I just talked to myself, I couldn't say that to him. I looked at Virat and his eyes seemed like he was possessed. I said, okay he's on another planet and let me come back to earth. The moment he bowled a wide I knew I had won the contest." "I think cricket in so many ways is going to give you a lot of messages that way. So that's where I brought my positivity from. I knew I'd won the game," stated Ashwin. Also Read: Ex-Pakistan player slams PCB's ODI WC requests, confident of Men in Green's participation Recalling his winning shot, the off-spinner added, "I think about it every night when I go to sleep. To be honest, what happens every time I see a video on social media, I think about it, what if the ball had just gripped and hit my pad? It was pretty close for comfort. I just felt that the game was meant to be finished by me. That's how I felt honestly. Terrific innings by Virat and one of the better games I've watched and been a part of." Ashwin is now gearing up for India's two-match Test series versus West Indies in the Caribbean island from next month. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Virat Kohli seemed possessed: R Ashwin recalls India's last-over win vs Pakistan in 2022 T20 WC

From T20 World Cup 2007 to IPL 2023 triumph: Listing Captain Cool MS Dhoni's nine T20 trophies

<p>Ever since India were eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2022, in the semi-finals, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, etc. have not featured in India's T20I scheme of things with Hardik Pandya serving as the captain. Many believe it is the end of the road for Kohli and Rohit in the shortest format with a plethora of young Indian batters showcasing their skills in the IPL.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, nothing official has come out from the BCCI selectors on Kohli and Rohit's T20I future. Recently, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar was asked about Kohli's T20I future and the veteran believes his form in IPL 2024 'should be observed' before taking a call on his selection.</p>

<p>Gavaskar told Sports Tak: "The next T20 World Cup will be played in 2024. There will be another IPL before that in March-April. He asserted, "Kohli's form should be observed at that point. There is no point talking about it now. If we are talking about an upcoming T20 international, say India are playing a match in June, then he definitely fits into the team, the kind of form that he has shown.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-unlike-dhoni-rohit-doesnt-get-enough-credit-for-captaincy-sunil-gavaskar-lauds-mi-skipper-596522">IPL 2023: 'Unlike Dhoni, Rohit doesn't get enough credit for captaincy' - Sunil Gavaskar lauds MI skipper</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>'If I was a selector and India were playing a T20I in June, I would pick him'</strong></h2>

<p>"But, speaking about the 2024 World Cup, which will be held in West Indies and America, the form of players needs to be observed in the IPL before that and then we can talk about selection for the World Cup squad. Virat would definitely be in my T20I team on current form for India’s upcoming matches in the format. He has scored two hundreds [in IPL 2023]. Hitting two hundreds&nbsp;in T20 cricket, even scoring 50 is difficult.</p>

<p>"This great batter has notched up two hundreds. If I was a selector and India were playing a T20 in June this year, I would, without doubt, pick him in the squad."</p>

<p>Kohli ended IPL 2023 with 639&nbsp;runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), including six fifties and two back-to-back hundreds.&nbsp;</p>

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Ever since India were eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2022, in the semi-finals, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, etc. have not featured in India's T20I scheme of things with Hardik Pandya serving as the captain.

Ever since India were eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2022, in the semi-finals, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, etc. have not featured in India's T20I scheme of things with Hardik Pandya serving as the captain. Many believe it is the end of the road for Kohli and Rohit in the shortest format with a plethora of young Indian batters showcasing their skills in the IPL. Nonetheless, nothing official has come out from the BCCI selectors on Kohli and Rohit's T20I future. Recently, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar was asked about Kohli's T20I future and the veteran believes his form in IPL 2024 'should be observed' before taking a call on his selection. Gavaskar told Sports Tak: "The next T20 World Cup will be played in 2024. There will be another IPL before that in March-April. He asserted, "Kohli's form should be observed at that point. There is no point talking about it now. If we are talking about an upcoming T20 international, say India are playing a match in June, then he definitely fits into the team, the kind of form that he has shown. Also Read: IPL 2023: 'Unlike Dhoni, Rohit doesn't get enough credit for captaincy' - Sunil Gavaskar lauds MI skipper 'If I was a selector and India were playing a T20I in June, I would pick him' "But, speaking about the 2024 World Cup, which will be held in West Indies and America, the form of players needs to be observed in the IPL before that and then we can talk about selection for the World Cup squad. Virat would definitely be in my T20I team on current form for India’s upcoming matches in the format. He has scored two hundreds [in IPL 2023]. Hitting two hundreds in T20 cricket, even scoring 50 is difficult. "This great batter has notched up two hundreds. If I was a selector and India were playing a T20 in June this year, I would, without doubt, pick him in the squad." Kohli ended IPL 2023 with 639 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), including six fifties and two back-to-back hundreds. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

'His form should be observed': Gavaskar not in favour of ruling out Kohli from India's T20 WC plans

<p>Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has backed Ravi Shastri's recent claims that Team India should move on from the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I format. In a conversation with ESPNCricinfo, ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri said, "I wanted the selection committee to "start blooding them right now". He then added: "Players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, they are proven, you know what they are all about. I would go in that [good performers in the IPL] direction so that they get the opportunities, they get the exposure."</p>

<p>Now, Chopra has joined the bandwagon and made a big claim. The former Indian batter-turned-commentator feels the trio of Rohit, Kohli and KL Rahul won't feature in India's T20I plans this year with the ODI World Cup being the main agenda, to be held after a few months, in October-November. Chopra added that if India are determined to adapt to a new and more aggressive style of play, then the senior batters won't be able to adjust smoothly and following the superb performances of a plethora of youngsters in ongoing IPL 2023, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, etc., it is an apt time to try out the youngsters in the shortest format.</p>

<p>Chopra told Hindustan Times, "I won't see his (Rahul's) case to be in isolation in any way, to begin with. I feel the next generation of cricketers for this format is almost getting ready and the previous generation of players will find it increasingly difficult to be a part of the new template. If India, as they said in the last T20 World Cup that they are looking for a new template to play T20 cricket in, continue to play in the same fashion, you will see a lot of the previous generation players not being part of the T20 scheme of things."</p>

<p>"This is an ODI World Cup year so anyway India will be playing fewer T20I games in the remaining year, but whatever matches they play, I don't think you will see Kohli, Rohit or Rahul play. You don't even know when Rahul will actually be available. That is why I'm saying, things will change in the next 90 days," he asserted.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/go-on-and-lead-the-next-generation-virat-kohli-lauds-shubman-gill-after-gt-openers-maiden-ipl-ton-592856">Go on and lead the next generation: Virat Kohli lauds Shubman Gill after GT opener's maiden IPL ton</a></strong></p>

<p><strong>'I feel in the next 90 days...'</strong></p>

<p>Chopra further asserted, "For Yashasvi I have in fact kept a timeline. I feel he will be in the Indian team in the next 90 days. The other one I feel is Rinku Singh and it is time to take him a lot more seriously. Those five sixes weren't a fluke. He has scored around 400 or more runs and the strike rate at which they have been scored and from that batting position, there is no other option available. Remember, these two aren't just a T20 phenomenon."</p>

<p>Rinku has a first-class average of 60 while Yashasvi has scored over 1000 runs in his short domestic career so far. So they have been performing in other formats as well it is just that the world tends to focus more on a player when it happens in the IPL," the former opener concluded.</p>


Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has backed Ravi Shastri's recent claims that Team India should move on from the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I format.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has backed Ravi Shastri's recent claims that Team India should move on from the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I format. In a conversation with ESPNCricinfo, ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri said, "I wanted the selection committee to "start blooding them right now". He then added: "Players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, they are proven, you know what they are all about. I would go in that [good performers in the IPL] direction so that they get the opportunities, they get the exposure." Now, Chopra has joined the bandwagon and made a big claim. The former Indian batter-turned-commentator feels the trio of Rohit, Kohli and KL Rahul won't feature in India's T20I plans this year with the ODI World Cup being the main agenda, to be held after a few months, in October-November. Chopra added that if India are determined to adapt to a new and more aggressive style of play, then the senior batters won't be able to adjust smoothly and following the superb performances of a plethora of youngsters in ongoing IPL 2023, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh, etc., it is an apt time to try out the youngsters in the shortest format. Chopra told Hindustan Times, "I won't see his (Rahul's) case to be in isolation in any way, to begin with. I feel the next generation of cricketers for this format is almost getting ready and the previous generation of players will find it increasingly difficult to be a part of the new template. If India, as they said in the last T20 World Cup that they are looking for a new template to play T20 cricket in, continue to play in the same fashion, you will see a lot of the previous generation players not being part of the T20 scheme of things." "This is an ODI World Cup year so anyway India will be playing fewer T20I games in the remaining year, but whatever matches they play, I don't think you will see Kohli, Rohit or Rahul play. You don't even know when Rahul will actually be available. That is why I'm saying, things will change in the next 90 days," he asserted. Also Read: Go on and lead the next generation: Virat Kohli lauds Shubman Gill after GT opener's maiden IPL ton 'I feel in the next 90 days...' Chopra further asserted, "For Yashasvi I have in fact kept a timeline. I feel he will be in the Indian team in the next 90 days. The other one I feel is Rinku Singh and it is time to take him a lot more seriously. Those five sixes weren't a fluke. He has scored around 400 or more runs and the strike rate at which they have been scored and from that batting position, there is no other option available. Remember, these two aren't just a T20 phenomenon." Rinku has a first-class average of 60 while Yashasvi has scored over 1000 runs in his short domestic career so far. So they have been performing in other formats as well it is just that the world tends to focus more on a player when it happens in the IPL," the former opener concluded.

Aakash Chopra predicts Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh to replace Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli in T20Is

<p>MS Dhoni is currently involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition. He is leading the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who picked their third win of the season -- after five games -- as they emerged on top of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 24, in Bengaluru, on Monday evening (April 17). It is believed that this is the last IPL season for Dhoni although the 41-year-old has not given any clarity on his future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhoni remains a huge name in world cricket. He retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020, putting an end to his illustrious career with 17,266 runs, 634 catches,&nbsp; 359 sixes, 195 stumpings and having led India to all three major ICC titles. He led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup title but the Men in Blue faced an early exit in the following edition, in England, in 2009. After India's three-run loss to hosts England in their second game of the Super Eight round, at Lord's London, the then skipper Dhoni apologised to the Indian fans for their dismal show.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are more disappointed (than you) and we respect the emotions of our fans and the country. We are sorry for whatever happened. We gave our best and we say that with an open heart, we have nothing to hide. But the next Twenty20 world cup is coming again in nine months and we would have an opportunity of proving ourselves," said a dejected Dhoni after India's disappointing loss&nbsp;while addressing the press.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-virat-kohli-ms-dhoni-reunite-have-a-laugh-together-after-csk-beat-rcb-in-a-thriller-watch-583576">IPL 2023: Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni reunite, have a laugh together after CSK beat RCB in a thriller - Watch</a></strong></p>

<p>Talking about the match, India elected to bowl first and restricted England to 153 for 7, who rode on Kevin Pietersen's 46 and Ravi Bopara's 37. In reply, India promoted Ravindra Jadeja over Yuvraj Singh and paid the price for it as the then-inexperienced spin-bowling all-rounder made a scratchy 35-ball 25. From India, Gautam Gambhir, Dhoni, Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan added runs on the board but it wasn't enough as India managed 150 for 5 in 20 overs.</p>

<p>On his decision to promote Jadeja over Yuvraj, Dhoni said, "Sometimes you don't know what would happen. We thought Jadeja could stabilise the innings as well as go after the bowling. He did try but somehow he always found the fielders. It was unfortunate it didn't work for us. We needed somebody to play percentage cricket at that stage."</p>

<p>"We failed in batting. If the opposition scores 153 and you cannot achieve that on a track like this, I don't think there can be any excuse. You just cannot explain that. We lost simply because we did not bat well. I'm rather happy with the performance of the bowlers," he added.</p>

<p>After the 2009 T20 WC, Dhoni led India in every edition of the marquee event till 2016, taking them to the final in 2014 and the semi-finals two years later at home. Since India's 2007 T20 WC triumph, they are yet to lift the mega title once again.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Dhoni also led&nbsp;India&nbsp;to the 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy during his captaincy tenure.</p>


MS Dhoni is currently involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition. He is leading the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who picked their third win of the season -- after five games -- as they emerged on top of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 24, in Bengaluru, on Monday evening (April 17).

MS Dhoni is currently involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition. He is leading the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who picked their third win of the season -- after five games -- as they emerged on top of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 24, in Bengaluru, on Monday evening (April 17). It is believed that this is the last IPL season for Dhoni although the 41-year-old has not given any clarity on his future. Dhoni remains a huge name in world cricket. He retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020, putting an end to his illustrious career with 17,266 runs, 634 catches, 359 sixes, 195 stumpings and having led India to all three major ICC titles. He led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup title but the Men in Blue faced an early exit in the following edition, in England, in 2009. After India's three-run loss to hosts England in their second game of the Super Eight round, at Lord's London, the then skipper Dhoni apologised to the Indian fans for their dismal show. "We are more disappointed (than you) and we respect the emotions of our fans and the country. We are sorry for whatever happened. We gave our best and we say that with an open heart, we have nothing to hide. But the next Twenty20 world cup is coming again in nine months and we would have an opportunity of proving ourselves," said a dejected Dhoni after India's disappointing loss while addressing the press. Also Read: IPL 2023: Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni reunite, have a laugh together after CSK beat RCB in a thriller - Watch Talking about the match, India elected to bowl first and restricted England to 153 for 7, who rode on Kevin Pietersen's 46 and Ravi Bopara's 37. In reply, India promoted Ravindra Jadeja over Yuvraj Singh and paid the price for it as the then-inexperienced spin-bowling all-rounder made a scratchy 35-ball 25. From India, Gautam Gambhir, Dhoni, Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan added runs on the board but it wasn't enough as India managed 150 for 5 in 20 overs. On his decision to promote Jadeja over Yuvraj, Dhoni said, "Sometimes you don't know what would happen. We thought Jadeja could stabilise the innings as well as go after the bowling. He did try but somehow he always found the fielders. It was unfortunate it didn't work for us. We needed somebody to play percentage cricket at that stage." "We failed in batting. If the opposition scores 153 and you cannot achieve that on a track like this, I don't think there can be any excuse. You just cannot explain that. We lost simply because we did not bat well. I'm rather happy with the performance of the bowlers," he added. After the 2009 T20 WC, Dhoni led India in every edition of the marquee event till 2016, taking them to the final in 2014 and the semi-finals two years later at home. Since India's 2007 T20 WC triumph, they are yet to lift the mega title once again. Meanwhile, Dhoni also led India to the 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy during his captaincy tenure.

THROWBACK: When MS Dhoni apologised to Indian fans after Team India bowed out of 2009 T20 WC

<p>The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition is set to commence on Friday evening (March 31) in Ahmedabad. The opening game will see the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) take on the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium. The new season is keenly awaited as it will see the superstar cricketers light up the atmosphere as the 2023 edition marks the return of home-and-away format.</p>

<p>Over the years, the IPL has become a huge tournament. It is the most-followed T20 league, which came into existence in 2008 shortly after India's famous 2007 T20 World Cup triumph. The announcement of the league was made before the T20 WC win and since then, it has only grown leaps and bounds.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-from-mumbai-indians-1408-to-gujarat-titans-79-most-sixes-hit-by-existing-teams-in-mega-event-577567">IPL 2023: From Mumbai Indians' 1,408 to Gujarat Titans' 79 - Most sixes hit by existing teams in mega event</a></strong></p>

<p>The tournament has plenty of things to look forward to. The teams fight it out for the mega title whereas the batters also compete for the Orange Cap (most runs in a season) whereas bowlers lock horns to bag the Purple Cap (with most wickets). In 2007, Pakistan's Sohail Tanvir (22) bagged the Purple Cap for the eventual winners Rajasthan Royals (RR). In 2009, India's RP Singh claimed the elite cap with 23&nbsp;wickets for the Adam Gilchrist-led now-defunct Deccan Chargers.</p>

<p>In 2009 edition, Singh claimed as many as 23 scalps as the Chargers went on to lift the title by beating the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six runs in the final. The tournament was held in South Africa due to the general elections in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh was also India's leading wicket-taker in Dhoni-led Men in Blue's famous T20 WC triumph, picking 12 wickets (third overall).</p>


The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition is set to commence on Friday evening (March 31) in Ahmedabad. The opening game will see the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) take on the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition is set to commence on Friday evening (March 31) in Ahmedabad. The opening game will see the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) take on the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium. The new season is keenly awaited as it will see the superstar cricketers light up the atmosphere as the 2023 edition marks the return of home-and-away format. Over the years, the IPL has become a huge tournament. It is the most-followed T20 league, which came into existence in 2008 shortly after India's famous 2007 T20 World Cup triumph. The announcement of the league was made before the T20 WC win and since then, it has only grown leaps and bounds. Also Read: IPL 2023: From Mumbai Indians' 1,408 to Gujarat Titans' 79 - Most sixes hit by existing teams in mega event The tournament has plenty of things to look forward to. The teams fight it out for the mega title whereas the batters also compete for the Orange Cap (most runs in a season) whereas bowlers lock horns to bag the Purple Cap (with most wickets). In 2007, Pakistan's Sohail Tanvir (22) bagged the Purple Cap for the eventual winners Rajasthan Royals (RR). In 2009, India's RP Singh claimed the elite cap with 23 wickets for the Adam Gilchrist-led now-defunct Deccan Chargers. In 2009 edition, Singh claimed as many as 23 scalps as the Chargers went on to lift the title by beating the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six runs in the final. The tournament was held in South Africa due to the general elections in India. Singh was also India's leading wicket-taker in Dhoni-led Men in Blue's famous T20 WC triumph, picking 12 wickets (third overall).

IPL 2023: Not Zaheer or Kumble! THIS 2007 T20 WC medallist was India's first Purple Cap winner

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<p>UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met England men's cricket team captain Jos Buttler and a few of his T20 World Cup-winning teammates on Wednesday. The English players visited PM Sunak at his official 10, Downing Street residence and played a game of cricket. The English PM could be seen rolling his arms over as well, apart from taking a few throwdowns from the bowlers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The PM's senior videographer Luca Boffa took to Twitter to share the video of him playing. "Prime Minister @RishiSunak playing cricket with the #T20 World Cup winning cricket team at 10 Downing Street," Boffa captioned the video as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Alongside Buttler, it was Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes,&nbsp;&nbsp;Richard Gleeson, Phil Salt and Tymal Mills that attended the callup with PM Sunak. The players also posed outside the iconic front porch of the residence with the shining T20 WC trophy.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/RishiSunak?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RishiSunak</a> playing cricket with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20</a> World Cup winning cricket team at 10 Downing Street. <a href="https://t.co/Bqh57dVZce">pic.twitter.com/Bqh57dVZce</a></p>
— Luca Boffa (@luca_boffa) <a href="https://twitter.com/luca_boffa/status/1638614273784946702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It was a privilege to take the T20 World Cup 🏆 to 10 Downing Street yesterday with a few of the lads! <a href="https://t.co/eunljIerSO">pic.twitter.com/eunljIerSO</a></p>
— Jos Buttler (@josbuttler) <a href="https://twitter.com/josbuttler/status/1638829028932042752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>"It was a privilege to take the T20 World Cup to 10 Downing Street yesterday with a few of the lads!" Buttler later posted on his Facebook wall.&nbsp;</p>

<p>England won the T20 WC in India last year after defeating Pakistan in the final. England became the only second team to have won the T20 WC twice with West Indies achieving the feat, back in 2016, defeating England, courtesy of a Calos Braithwaite rearguard action.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Due to his Indian connection, Sunak has been a cricket fan from the beginning. However, his allegiances lie with England which he has made clear on numerous occasions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-video-shows-rishi-sunak-in-a-moving-car-without-his-seat-belt-on-554561"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;WION Dispatch: Video shows Rishi Sunak in a moving car without his seat belt on</strong></a></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-video-shows-rishi-sunak-in-a-moving-car-without-his-seat-belt-on-554561/embed" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Sunak playing cricket came on the same day as the PM's office published his long-awaited tax documents, revealing that the former chancellor paid over $1.2 million (£1 million) in taxes over the last three financial years.</p>

<p>Sunak's capital gains income between 2019 and 2022 stood at £3.8 million while the investment income breached the £600,000 mark.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sunak-finally-publishes-tax-returns-comes-under-instant-scrutiny-from-opposition-574941"><strong>ALSO&nbsp;READ |&nbsp;Sunak FINALLY publishes tax returns, comes under instant scrutiny from opposition</strong></a></p>

<p>Opposition parties have dubbed Sunak's release of tax data and playing cricket with England players a PR exercise, aimed at taking the heat away from&nbsp;former PM Boris Johnson who is facing flak for his partygate antics.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met England men's cricket team captain Jos Buttler and a few of his T20 World Cup-winning teammates on Wednesday. The English players visited PM Sunak at his official 10, Downing Street residence and played a game of cricket.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met England men's cricket team captain Jos Buttler and a few of his T20 World Cup-winning teammates on Wednesday. The English players visited PM Sunak at his official 10, Downing Street residence and played a game of cricket. The English PM could be seen rolling his arms over as well, apart from taking a few throwdowns from the bowlers. The PM's senior videographer Luca Boffa took to Twitter to share the video of him playing. "Prime Minister @RishiSunak playing cricket with the #T20 World Cup winning cricket team at 10 Downing Street," Boffa captioned the video as saying. Alongside Buttler, it was Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, Richard Gleeson, Phil Salt and Tymal Mills that attended the callup with PM Sunak. The players also posed outside the iconic front porch of the residence with the shining T20 WC trophy. Prime Minister @RishiSunak playing cricket with the #T20 World Cup winning cricket team at 10 Downing Street. pic.twitter.com/Bqh57dVZce — Luca Boffa (@luca_boffa) March 22, 2023 × It was a privilege to take the T20 World Cup 🏆 to 10 Downing Street yesterday with a few of the lads! pic.twitter.com/eunljIerSO — Jos Buttler (@josbuttler) March 23, 2023 × "It was a privilege to take the T20 World Cup to 10 Downing Street yesterday with a few of the lads!" Buttler later posted on his Facebook wall. England won the T20 WC in India last year after defeating Pakistan in the final. England became the only second team to have won the T20 WC twice with West Indies achieving the feat, back in 2016, defeating England, courtesy of a Calos Braithwaite rearguard action. Due to his Indian connection, Sunak has been a cricket fan from the beginning. However, his allegiances lie with England which he has made clear on numerous occasions. WATCH | WION Dispatch: Video shows Rishi Sunak in a moving car without his seat belt on Sunak playing cricket came on the same day as the PM's office published his long-awaited tax documents, revealing that the former chancellor paid over $1.2 million (£1 million) in taxes over the last three financial years. Sunak's capital gains income between 2019 and 2022 stood at £3.8 million while the investment income breached the £600,000 mark. ALSO READ | Sunak FINALLY publishes tax returns, comes under instant scrutiny from opposition Opposition parties have dubbed Sunak's release of tax data and playing cricket with England players a PR exercise, aimed at taking the heat away from former PM Boris Johnson who is facing flak for his partygate antics. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WATCH | UK PM Rishi Sunak spotted playing cricket with England's T20 World Cup winning team

<p>South Africa shocked England by six runs at Newlands on Friday to set-up a Women's Twenty20 World Cup final against defending champions Australia. Chasing 165 to win, England fell short as Ayabonga Khaka took 4-29 and Shabnim Ismail claimed 3-27, including bowling a nerveless final over when England required 13 runs to win.</p>

<p>Earlier, Laura Wolvaardt (53) and Tazmin Brits (68) hit half-centuries as South Africa produced their best batting performance of the tournament. South Africa made 164 for four after winning the toss and batting on the same pitch which produced a high-scoring thriller in the first semi-final between Australia and India on Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At the post-match presentation, SA skipper Sune Luus said, "England played well it was a great match. I think we were out of it, in it again, out of it again and it just went in waves but I think we do have the best bowling attack in the world and I guess it was against the best batting attack against the world, I just don't know what to say."</p>

<p>Luus further opined, "We kept saying to them (openers) to be brave and back themselves, they made us extremely proud and that gave us the platform for Marizanne and everyone coming in. She (Khaka) is a phenomenal bowler, one of the best in the world and I just think she just showed her class once again. It's massive, every game we play we keep making history and keep inspiring the nation."</p>

<p>"I hope this is really a turning point for not just women's cricket in South Africa, but sport in general in South Africa, so I hope with one game to go we can keep doing that. The Newlands faithfuls turned up today, thank you guys for all your support. You guys are very special to us and it's such an honour to play in front of friends and family and you guys have all become friends and family. Thank you and see you on Sunday. This one is for her (Wolvaardt). She has been working extremely hard the last couple of years, just very very happy and excited for the first-ever final," she concluded.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-anjum-chopra-consoles-an-emotional-harmanpreet-kaur-after-indias-t20-world-cup-exit-565493"><strong>WATCH: Anjum Chopra consoles an emotional Harmanpreet Kaur after India's T20 World Cup exit</strong></a></p>

<p><strong>Brief Scores:</strong></p>

<p><strong>South Africa</strong> 164 for 4 in 20 overs (Tazmin Brits 68, Laura Wolvaardt 53; Sophie Ecclestone 3/22) beat <strong>England</strong> for 158 for 8 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 40, Danni Wyatt 34; Ayabonga Khaka 4/29)</p>


South Africa shocked England by six runs at Newlands on Friday to set-up a Women's Twenty20 World Cup final against defending champions Australia. Chasing 165 to win, England fell short as Ayabonga Khaka took 4-29 and Shabnim Ismail claimed 3-27, including bowling a nerveless final over when England required 13 runs to win.

South Africa shocked England by six runs at Newlands on Friday to set-up a Women's Twenty20 World Cup final against defending champions Australia. Chasing 165 to win, England fell short as Ayabonga Khaka took 4-29 and Shabnim Ismail claimed 3-27, including bowling a nerveless final over when England required 13 runs to win. Earlier, Laura Wolvaardt (53) and Tazmin Brits (68) hit half-centuries as South Africa produced their best batting performance of the tournament. South Africa made 164 for four after winning the toss and batting on the same pitch which produced a high-scoring thriller in the first semi-final between Australia and India on Thursday. At the post-match presentation, SA skipper Sune Luus said, "England played well it was a great match. I think we were out of it, in it again, out of it again and it just went in waves but I think we do have the best bowling attack in the world and I guess it was against the best batting attack against the world, I just don't know what to say." Luus further opined, "We kept saying to them (openers) to be brave and back themselves, they made us extremely proud and that gave us the platform for Marizanne and everyone coming in. She (Khaka) is a phenomenal bowler, one of the best in the world and I just think she just showed her class once again. It's massive, every game we play we keep making history and keep inspiring the nation." "I hope this is really a turning point for not just women's cricket in South Africa, but sport in general in South Africa, so I hope with one game to go we can keep doing that. The Newlands faithfuls turned up today, thank you guys for all your support. You guys are very special to us and it's such an honour to play in front of friends and family and you guys have all become friends and family. Thank you and see you on Sunday. This one is for her (Wolvaardt). She has been working extremely hard the last couple of years, just very very happy and excited for the first-ever final," she concluded. Also Read: WATCH: Anjum Chopra consoles an emotional Harmanpreet Kaur after India's T20 World Cup exit Brief Scores: South Africa 164 for 4 in 20 overs (Tazmin Brits 68, Laura Wolvaardt 53; Sophie Ecclestone 3/22) beat England for 158 for 8 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 40, Danni Wyatt 34; Ayabonga Khaka 4/29)

Women's T20 WC: Hosts South Africa register 6-run win over England, to face Australia in final

<p>India gave a tough fight to defending champions Australia but bowed out of the Women's T20 World Cup 2023, in South Africa, with a five-run loss in the first semi-final on Thursday (February 23). Being asked to bowl first, India were rusty as Australia rode on Beth Mooney's 54, captain Mag Lanning's 49* and Ashleigh Gardener's 31 to post 172-4. In reply, India were on course courtesy of Harmanpreet Kaur-Jemimah Rodrigues' 69-run fourth-wicket stand but fell apart to manage 167/8.</p>

<p>After India lost three quick wickets and were tottering at 28&nbsp;for 3 in pursuit of 173, in Newlands, Cape Town, skipper Harmanpreet and Jemimah revived the run-chase with a confident stand. The duo were going well when Jemimah fell for a good-looking 43, off 24 balls, before the Indian captain got run-out in an unfortunate manner, for a 34-ball 52. After her dismissal, India fell from 133-5, still in a good position with only 40 required off 32 balls, to get restricted for 167 for 8. Hence, the Indian skipper was in tears after the contest.</p>

<p>Anjum Chopra, the former Indian women's captain, met Harmanpreet after the game and hugged a teary-eyed swashbuckling batter. <strong>Here's the heartwarming video:</strong></p>

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<p>Anjum spoke about the moment after the match and said, "My intention was to give the captain some empathy because that's all I can offer from the outside. It was an emotional moment for both of us. India have reached the semi-finals a lot of times and they have lost. This is not the first time I've seen Harmanpreet bat like this. I have seen her battling her injuries and health."</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-harmanpreet-kaur-throws-her-bat-after-being-run-out-in-t20-world-cup-semi-final-vs-australia-565465">WATCH: Harmanpreet Kaur throws her bat after being run out in T20 World Cup semi-final vs Australia</a></strong></p>

<p>At the post-match presser, Harmanpreet said, "If my bat didn't get stuck, that run would have easily happened. If I had stayed till the last moment, the game would have finished an over before given the momentum we had. But even after that, Deepti Sharma was there, Richa Ghosh was there. I had belief that they could get the job done. If you have seen the matches till now, Richa had batted brilliantly. But after my dismissal, there were seven or eight dot balls and that was the turning point of the match. Otherwise, we had good momentum and things were going well."</p>

<p>Under Harman, India once again fell to lift the T20 WC title despite reaching the knockouts. In 2018, they lost the semi-finals whereas the Women in Blue reached the finale in the previous edition before once again bowing out of the showpiece event in the last four round.</p>


India gave a tough fight to defending champions Australia but bowed out of the Women's T20 World Cup 2023, in South Africa, with a five-run loss in the first semi-final on Thursday (February 23).

India gave a tough fight to defending champions Australia but bowed out of the Women's T20 World Cup 2023, in South Africa, with a five-run loss in the first semi-final on Thursday (February 23). Being asked to bowl first, India were rusty as Australia rode on Beth Mooney's 54, captain Mag Lanning's 49* and Ashleigh Gardener's 31 to post 172-4. In reply, India were on course courtesy of Harmanpreet Kaur-Jemimah Rodrigues' 69-run fourth-wicket stand but fell apart to manage 167/8. After India lost three quick wickets and were tottering at 28 for 3 in pursuit of 173, in Newlands, Cape Town, skipper Harmanpreet and Jemimah revived the run-chase with a confident stand. The duo were going well when Jemimah fell for a good-looking 43, off 24 balls, before the Indian captain got run-out in an unfortunate manner, for a 34-ball 52. After her dismissal, India fell from 133-5, still in a good position with only 40 required off 32 balls, to get restricted for 167 for 8. Hence, the Indian skipper was in tears after the contest. Anjum Chopra, the former Indian women's captain, met Harmanpreet after the game and hugged a teary-eyed swashbuckling batter. Here's the heartwarming video: View this post on Instagram A post shared by ICC (@icc) × Anjum spoke about the moment after the match and said, "My intention was to give the captain some empathy because that's all I can offer from the outside. It was an emotional moment for both of us. India have reached the semi-finals a lot of times and they have lost. This is not the first time I've seen Harmanpreet bat like this. I have seen her battling her injuries and health." Also Read: WATCH: Harmanpreet Kaur throws her bat after being run out in T20 World Cup semi-final vs Australia At the post-match presser, Harmanpreet said, "If my bat didn't get stuck, that run would have easily happened. If I had stayed till the last moment, the game would have finished an over before given the momentum we had. But even after that, Deepti Sharma was there, Richa Ghosh was there. I had belief that they could get the job done. If you have seen the matches till now, Richa had batted brilliantly. But after my dismissal, there were seven or eight dot balls and that was the turning point of the match. Otherwise, we had good momentum and things were going well." Under Harman, India once again fell to lift the T20 WC title despite reaching the knockouts. In 2018, they lost the semi-finals whereas the Women in Blue reached the finale in the previous edition before once again bowing out of the showpiece event in the last four round.

WATCH: Anjum Chopra consoles an emotional Harmanpreet Kaur after India's T20 World Cup exit

<p>Harmanpreet Kaur-led India lost to defending champions Australia in the first semi-final of the Women's T20 World Cup 2023 on Thursday (February 23). The match was in India's favour in the second-half before Harmanpreet's bizarre dismissal led to Women in Yellow's narrow win.</p>

<p>While India were asked to bowl first, they weren't good in patches and pulled off an ordinary fielding effort as Australia rode on Beth Mooney's 54, captain Meg Lanning's 49* and Ashleigh Gardener's 31* to post 172 for 4.&nbsp;In reply, India lost three quick wickets but was kept in the run-chase but were kept in the hunt courtesy of skipper Harman and Jemimah Rodrigues' 69-run stand.</p>

<p>After Jemimah's fall, Harman got run-out in an unfortunate manner which turned the tides in Australia's favour, eventually winning by five runs. Harmanpreet was well-set, on 52, before her unlucky dismissal changed the complexion of the game and, hence, she was lost cool. While walking back, she threw her bat and was furious at the sudden turn of events. <strong>Here's the clip:</strong></p>

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<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-womens-t20-wc-india-vs-australia-semi-final-match-report-565224">ICC Women's T20 WC: Harmanpreet Kaur's fifty in vain as Australia beat India by 5 runs to enter final</a></strong></p>

<p>Harmanpreet swept a delivery from&nbsp;Georgia Wareham to deep mid-wicket and while completing the second run, she got a bit small and when she tried to drag her bat inside the crease, it got stuck and led to her dismissal. Keeper Ashley Healy also outfoxed Harmanpreet as she&nbsp;acted like she wasn't going to hit the stumps and dislodged it&nbsp;when the Indian captain's feet were in the air.</p>

<p>Harmanpreet said during the post-match presser, "If my bat didn't get stuck, that run would have easily happened. If I had stayed till the last moment, the game would have finished an over before given the momentum we had. But even after that, Deepti Sharma was there, Richa Ghosh was there. I had belief that they could get the job done. If you have seen the matches till now, Richa had batted brilliantly. But after my dismissal, there were seven or eight dot balls and that was the turning point of the match. Otherwise, we had good momentum and things were going well."</p>

<p>Australia will now play the winner of England-South Africa, who will meet in the second semi-final on Friday (February 24), in the finale on Sunday (February 26) in Newlands, Cape Town.</p>


Harmanpreet Kaur-led India lost to defending champions Australia in the first semi-final of the Women's T20 World Cup 2023 on Thursday (February 23). The match was in India's favour in the second-half before Harmanpreet's bizarre dismissal led to Women in Yellow's narrow win.

Harmanpreet Kaur-led India lost to defending champions Australia in the first semi-final of the Women's T20 World Cup 2023 on Thursday (February 23). The match was in India's favour in the second-half before Harmanpreet's bizarre dismissal led to Women in Yellow's narrow win. While India were asked to bowl first, they weren't good in patches and pulled off an ordinary fielding effort as Australia rode on Beth Mooney's 54, captain Meg Lanning's 49* and Ashleigh Gardener's 31* to post 172 for 4. In reply, India lost three quick wickets but was kept in the run-chase but were kept in the hunt courtesy of skipper Harman and Jemimah Rodrigues' 69-run stand. After Jemimah's fall, Harman got run-out in an unfortunate manner which turned the tides in Australia's favour, eventually winning by five runs. Harmanpreet was well-set, on 52, before her unlucky dismissal changed the complexion of the game and, hence, she was lost cool. While walking back, she threw her bat and was furious at the sudden turn of events. Here's the clip: pic.twitter.com/D1bYu3qogq — Anna 24GhanteChaukanna (@Anna24GhanteCh2) February 23, 2023 × Also Read: ICC Women's T20 WC: Harmanpreet Kaur's fifty in vain as Australia beat India by 5 runs to enter final Harmanpreet swept a delivery from Georgia Wareham to deep mid-wicket and while completing the second run, she got a bit small and when she tried to drag her bat inside the crease, it got stuck and led to her dismissal. Keeper Ashley Healy also outfoxed Harmanpreet as she acted like she wasn't going to hit the stumps and dislodged it when the Indian captain's feet were in the air. Harmanpreet said during the post-match presser, "If my bat didn't get stuck, that run would have easily happened. If I had stayed till the last moment, the game would have finished an over before given the momentum we had. But even after that, Deepti Sharma was there, Richa Ghosh was there. I had belief that they could get the job done. If you have seen the matches till now, Richa had batted brilliantly. But after my dismissal, there were seven or eight dot balls and that was the turning point of the match. Otherwise, we had good momentum and things were going well." Australia will now play the winner of England-South Africa, who will meet in the second semi-final on Friday (February 24), in the finale on Sunday (February 26) in Newlands, Cape Town.

WATCH: Harmanpreet Kaur throws her bat after being run out in T20 World Cup semi-final vs Australia

<p>Hours before India's much-awaited T20 World Cup semi-final clash versus defending champions Australia, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur remains an uncertain starter whereas pacer Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out with Sneh Rana, one of the travelling reserves, named as her replacement. As per reports, in ESPNCricnifo, both Harmanpreet and Pooja had reported sick on Monday (February 20) and were in the hospital on Wednesday (February 22) before the speedster got ruled out whereas the skipper remains doubtful for the semi-final clash due to high fever.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is a big headache for India ahead of the semi-final face-off versus unbeaten Australian line-up. If Harmanpreet misses out, they can include Harleen Deol as a like-for-like replacement whereas Sneh,&nbsp;left-arm seamer Anjali Sarvani and Radha Yadav can come in for Pooja. Harmanpreet has not been in form in the Women's T20 WC, scoring only 66 runs in four outings. In her last game, she only managed a 20-ball 13 versus Ireland in what was her 150th appearance in the format (most by any player in the history of the game).</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-they-wont-be-able-to-chopra-on-csks-captaincy-plans-after-ben-stokes-set-to-leave-early-565073">IPL 2023: 'They won't be able to...' - Chopra on CSK's captaincy plans after Ben Stokes set to leave early</a></strong></p>

<p>However, Harmanpreet's absence will surely dent India's chances against the mighty Australians. She struck a memorable 171* in the India-Australia 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final and has a knack for standing tall in crunch games. If she is ruled out, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana will take charge of the line-up and hope to lead India to a famous win over the Women in Yellow.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So far, India have won three and lost one game in the ongoing showpiece event in South Africa. They ended at the second spot in Pool B with Heather Knight-led England topping the group. The second semi-final will be held between England and South Africa on Friday evening (February 24) at Newlands, Cape Town (venue for both the SFs).</p>


Hours before India's much-awaited T20 World Cup semi-final clash versus defending champions Australia, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur remains an uncertain starter whereas pacer Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out with Sneh Rana, one of the travelling reserves, named as her replacement.

Hours before India's much-awaited T20 World Cup semi-final clash versus defending champions Australia, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur remains an uncertain starter whereas pacer Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out with Sneh Rana, one of the travelling reserves, named as her replacement. As per reports, in ESPNCricnifo, both Harmanpreet and Pooja had reported sick on Monday (February 20) and were in the hospital on Wednesday (February 22) before the speedster got ruled out whereas the skipper remains doubtful for the semi-final clash due to high fever. It is a big headache for India ahead of the semi-final face-off versus unbeaten Australian line-up. If Harmanpreet misses out, they can include Harleen Deol as a like-for-like replacement whereas Sneh, left-arm seamer Anjali Sarvani and Radha Yadav can come in for Pooja. Harmanpreet has not been in form in the Women's T20 WC, scoring only 66 runs in four outings. In her last game, she only managed a 20-ball 13 versus Ireland in what was her 150th appearance in the format (most by any player in the history of the game). Also Read: IPL 2023: 'They won't be able to...' - Chopra on CSK's captaincy plans after Ben Stokes set to leave early However, Harmanpreet's absence will surely dent India's chances against the mighty Australians. She struck a memorable 171* in the India-Australia 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final and has a knack for standing tall in crunch games. If she is ruled out, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana will take charge of the line-up and hope to lead India to a famous win over the Women in Yellow. So far, India have won three and lost one game in the ongoing showpiece event in South Africa. They ended at the second spot in Pool B with Heather Knight-led England topping the group. The second semi-final will be held between England and South Africa on Friday evening (February 24) at Newlands, Cape Town (venue for both the SFs).

Big blow to India! Harmanpreet uncertain, Pooja Vastrakar ruled out of T20 WC semi-final tie vs Australia

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