<p>Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Narhari Amin, Ajay Bhardwaj, Ramilaben Bara and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil have been elected as Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat.</p>

<p>Counting of votes for four seats in Gujarat began after a delay of four-hours as the Congress demanded that the Election Commission invalidate two BJP votes on different grounds.</p>

<p>As many as 43 first-timers are set to enter the Upper House accounting for 72 per cent of vacancies being filled up, the research division of Rajya Sabha has found.</p>

<p>For the 19 vacancies in Rajya Sabha for which results were announced on Friday, there were 28 candidates in the fray of which 24 were never members of Rajya Sabha.</p>

<p>Friday's contest is between such freshers in Gujarat, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp;</em></p>


Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Narhari Amin, Ajay Bhardwaj, Ramilaben Bara and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil have been elected as Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Narhari Amin, Ajay Bhardwaj, Ramilaben Bara and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil have been elected as Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat. Counting of votes for four seats in Gujarat began after a delay of four-hours as the Congress demanded that the Election Commission invalidate two BJP votes on different grounds. As many as 43 first-timers are set to enter the Upper House accounting for 72 per cent of vacancies being filled up, the research division of Rajya Sabha has found. For the 19 vacancies in Rajya Sabha for which results were announced on Friday, there were 28 candidates in the fray of which 24 were never members of Rajya Sabha. Friday's contest is between such freshers in Gujarat, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram. (With inputs from PTI)

You can gain momentum through losing as well: Kevin Pietersen slams RCB after disappointing defeat against CSK

<p>Chennai Super Kings produced a clinical all-round show to humble Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets and claim the top spot in the IPL pecking order here on Friday. RCB skipper Virat Kohli (53) and young Devdutt Padikkal (70) struck brisk half-centuries in an impressive 111-run stand but CSK pulled the strings to restrict them to 156 for six after electing to bowl.</p>

<p>The in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad came good again with a quick 38 while Faf du Plessis made 31 at the top to lay a strong foundation for CSK to chase the modest target in 18.1 overs.</p>

<p>The win took CSK to the top spot with 14 points. They overtook Delhi Capitals, who also have 14 points, but the yellow brigade has better net run-rate of 1.185, compared to 0.613 of the Delhi team.</p>

<p>While it was the second consecutive win for CSK, the RCB now have lost both the games post the league's resumption. Gaikwad and Du Plessis added 71 runs in 8.2 overs and later Moeen Ali (23) and Ambati Rayudu (32) also got starts but could not convert those into big knocks.</p>

<p>Suresh Raina (17) and skipper MS Dhoni (11) ensured that there was no twist in the tale, taking the side past the finish line. Neither Mohammed Siraj nor Navdeep Saini could trouble the CSK openers. Whether the ball was pitched up, short or bowled at good length, Gaikwad and his Protea partner treated them with equal disdain.</p>

<p>Gaikwad punched the ball hard and even reverse swept with ease before Kohli pulled off a stunning low catch off wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Realising that spinners may turn the game around, Kohli handed the ball to off-spinner Glenn Maxwell and the Australian responded with the wicket of du Plessis, who was guilty of playing a loose shot.</p>

<p>However, Rayudu and Moeen did not show any respect to the slow bowlers. They worked the ball around to keep the scoreboard moving and also got the big shots. Earlier, Kohli and Padikkal went hammer and tongs after being asked to take first strike but once the partnership was broken by Dwayne Bravo, RCB lost the momentum.</p>

<p>RCB managed only 45 runs in the remaining 6.4 overs after being in a position from where they could have pushed for a score in the vicinity of 200. Bravo's bowling made a huge difference to the conclusion of the RCB innings as he conceded only 24 runs in his four overs and also added the wickets of Glenn Maxwell (11) and Harshal Patel (3).</p>

<p>CSK had no dearth of quality bowlers with Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood opening the attack but Bangalore openers -- Kohli and Padikkal -- went about striking the ball cleanly.</p>

<p>Kohli began with consecutive boundaries off Chahar but took a bit of time to find his rhythm. The skipper lofted the same bowler for a massive six on the on-side while Padikkal was fluent with his well-timed shots on the off-side.<br />
Dhoni shuffled his bowlers but none got the length that could either trouble the batsmen or stop the run flow.</p>

<p>The young left-hander also used his feet well against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, sending the ball soaring over long-on. He completed his fifty with a crushing four off Chahar which also raised the team's hundred.</p>

<p>The breakthrough eventually came when Bravo sent back Kohli, who struck the ball clean and hard but was caught near the boundary ropes.</p>

<p>That wicket stemmed the run flow and while trying to break the shackles, both AB De Villiers (12) and Padikkal became victims of Shardul Thakur.<br />
Maxwell was expected to go after the bowlers and he did that, striking a six off Bravo to raise the team's 150 in the 18th over, but a late flourish eluded RCB.</p>


Chennai Super Kings produced a clinical all-round show to humble Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets and claim the top spot in the IPL pecking order here on Friday.

Chennai Super Kings produced a clinical all-round show to humble Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets and claim the top spot in the IPL pecking order here on Friday. RCB skipper Virat Kohli (53) and young Devdutt Padikkal (70) struck brisk half-centuries in an impressive 111-run stand but CSK pulled the strings to restrict them to 156 for six after electing to bowl. The in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad came good again with a quick 38 while Faf du Plessis made 31 at the top to lay a strong foundation for CSK to chase the modest target in 18.1 overs. The win took CSK to the top spot with 14 points. They overtook Delhi Capitals, who also have 14 points, but the yellow brigade has better net run-rate of 1.185, compared to 0.613 of the Delhi team. While it was the second consecutive win for CSK, the RCB now have lost both the games post the league's resumption. Gaikwad and Du Plessis added 71 runs in 8.2 overs and later Moeen Ali (23) and Ambati Rayudu (32) also got starts but could not convert those into big knocks. Suresh Raina (17) and skipper MS Dhoni (11) ensured that there was no twist in the tale, taking the side past the finish line. Neither Mohammed Siraj nor Navdeep Saini could trouble the CSK openers. Whether the ball was pitched up, short or bowled at good length, Gaikwad and his Protea partner treated them with equal disdain. Gaikwad punched the ball hard and even reverse swept with ease before Kohli pulled off a stunning low catch off wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Realising that spinners may turn the game around, Kohli handed the ball to off-spinner Glenn Maxwell and the Australian responded with the wicket of du Plessis, who was guilty of playing a loose shot. However, Rayudu and Moeen did not show any respect to the slow bowlers. They worked the ball around to keep the scoreboard moving and also got the big shots. Earlier, Kohli and Padikkal went hammer and tongs after being asked to take first strike but once the partnership was broken by Dwayne Bravo, RCB lost the momentum. RCB managed only 45 runs in the remaining 6.4 overs after being in a position from where they could have pushed for a score in the vicinity of 200. Bravo's bowling made a huge difference to the conclusion of the RCB innings as he conceded only 24 runs in his four overs and also added the wickets of Glenn Maxwell (11) and Harshal Patel (3). CSK had no dearth of quality bowlers with Deepak Chahar and Josh Hazlewood opening the attack but Bangalore openers -- Kohli and Padikkal -- went about striking the ball cleanly. Kohli began with consecutive boundaries off Chahar but took a bit of time to find his rhythm. The skipper lofted the same bowler for a massive six on the on-side while Padikkal was fluent with his well-timed shots on the off-side. Dhoni shuffled his bowlers but none got the length that could either trouble the batsmen or stop the run flow. The young left-hander also used his feet well against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, sending the ball soaring over long-on. He completed his fifty with a crushing four off Chahar which also raised the team's hundred. The breakthrough eventually came when Bravo sent back Kohli, who struck the ball clean and hard but was caught near the boundary ropes. That wicket stemmed the run flow and while trying to break the shackles, both AB De Villiers (12) and Padikkal became victims of Shardul Thakur. Maxwell was expected to go after the bowlers and he did that, striking a six off Bravo to raise the team's 150 in the 18th over, but a late flourish eluded RCB.

MS Dhoni's CSK humble Virat Kohli's RCB with all-round show, claim top spot in IPL 2021

<p>Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer is a huge hit on social media platforms. Jaffer, who represented India in 31 Tests and 2&nbsp;ODIs, has become an internet sensation with his hilarious and quirky posts. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting coach Jaffer took to his official social media handles to share a quirky post as India is celebrating the 14th anniversary of MS Dhoni &amp; Co.'s historic T20 World Cup triumph in 2007.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaffer captioned the post, "On this day in 2007 after a heartbreak in the ODI WC and following a test series win in England, MS Dhoni was given a leadership position and India won the T20 WC. Aap chronology samajhiye"</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On this day in 2007 after a heartbreak in the ODI WC and following a test series win in England, MS Dhoni was given a leadership position and India won the T20 WC. Aap chronology samajhiye <a href="https://t.co/01QbRoNP97">pic.twitter.com/01QbRoNP97</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1441273579820052489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Emphasising on Jaffer's post, the former Indian opener feels the stage is set for India to win another T20 WC title in the forthcoming edition, in the UAE, post IPL 14's second and final leg. Through his post, he has reminded one and all how India won the inaugural edition, after the shambles in 2007 ODI World Cup which was followed by Rahul Dravid-led Indi's 1-0 Test series win in England.</p>

<p>Similarly, India are heading into the upcoming T20 WC after a heartbreaking semi-final loss in the 2019 ODI World Cup whereas Kohli &amp; Co. ended the England Tests with a 2-1 lead before the final Test got cancelled in the wake of Covid crisis in Indian camp.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-wasim-jaffer-leaves-netizens-rofl-as-he-shares-his-players-to-watch-out-for-rcb-vs-kkr-clash-414465"><strong>IPL 2021: Wasim Jaffer leaves netizens ROFL as he shares his players to watch out for RCB vs KKR clash</strong></a></p>

<p>It will be interesting to see Kohli-led India go the distance this time around in the forthcoming T20 WC. India are placed in Group 2, along with Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and two other teams who will join from the qualifiers. For the unversed, Dhoni will also join the Indian squad as a team mentor.</p>


Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer is a huge hit on social media platforms. Jaffer, who represented India in 31 Tests and 2 ODIs, has become an internet sensation with his hilarious and quirky posts.

Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer is a huge hit on social media platforms. Jaffer, who represented India in 31 Tests and 2 ODIs, has become an internet sensation with his hilarious and quirky posts. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting coach Jaffer took to his official social media handles to share a quirky post as India is celebrating the 14th anniversary of MS Dhoni & Co.'s historic T20 World Cup triumph in 2007. Jaffer captioned the post, "On this day in 2007 after a heartbreak in the ODI WC and following a test series win in England, MS Dhoni was given a leadership position and India won the T20 WC. Aap chronology samajhiye" On this day in 2007 after a heartbreak in the ODI WC and following a test series win in England, MS Dhoni was given a leadership position and India won the T20 WC. Aap chronology samajhiye pic.twitter.com/01QbRoNP97 — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) September 24, 2021 × Emphasising on Jaffer's post, the former Indian opener feels the stage is set for India to win another T20 WC title in the forthcoming edition, in the UAE, post IPL 14's second and final leg. Through his post, he has reminded one and all how India won the inaugural edition, after the shambles in 2007 ODI World Cup which was followed by Rahul Dravid-led Indi's 1-0 Test series win in England. Similarly, India are heading into the upcoming T20 WC after a heartbreaking semi-final loss in the 2019 ODI World Cup whereas Kohli & Co. ended the England Tests with a 2-1 lead before the final Test got cancelled in the wake of Covid crisis in Indian camp. ALSO READ | IPL 2021: Wasim Jaffer leaves netizens ROFL as he shares his players to watch out for RCB vs KKR clash It will be interesting to see Kohli-led India go the distance this time around in the forthcoming T20 WC. India are placed in Group 2, along with Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and two other teams who will join from the qualifiers. For the unversed, Dhoni will also join the Indian squad as a team mentor.

Wasim Jaffer wins the internet with his post celebrating 14th anniversary of MS Dhoni-led India's T20 WC win

<p>Team India chief coach Ravi Shastri had suggested to Virat Kohli to quit the white ball captaincy altogether,&nbsp;which includes ODIs, and to focus on his batting while continuing to lead the nation in Test cricket, reports said.<br />
<br />
According to India Ahead, the suggestion wasn't meant to belittle Kohli but to inspire him to continue as a top batsman in world cricket. But Kohli only opted to relinquish from T20 leadership and ignored Shastri`s advice of also leaving the ODI captaincy.<br />
<br />
"The talk about Kohli`s captaincy started after India won the Australian series without their regular captain. It also indicates that Kohli may have to let go the ODI captaincy at some point before the 2023 if things don`t go as planned."<br />
<br />
A BCCI official was quoted as saying that, "Shastri had spoken to Kohli around six months ago. But Kohli didn`t listen to Shastri. He is still keen to lead India in ODIs and that is why he only decided to let go the T20 captaincy. Even the board was discussing it as to how Kohli could be utilised more as a batsman. That is because he has a lot left as a player even now."<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Team India chief coach Ravi Shastri had suggested to Virat Kohli to quit the white ball captaincy altogether, which includes ODIs, and to focus on his batting while continuing to lead the nation in Test cricket, reports said.

Team India chief coach Ravi Shastri had suggested to Virat Kohli to quit the white ball captaincy altogether, which includes ODIs, and to focus on his batting while continuing to lead the nation in Test cricket, reports said. According to India Ahead, the suggestion wasn't meant to belittle Kohli but to inspire him to continue as a top batsman in world cricket. But Kohli only opted to relinquish from T20 leadership and ignored Shastri`s advice of also leaving the ODI captaincy. "The talk about Kohli`s captaincy started after India won the Australian series without their regular captain. It also indicates that Kohli may have to let go the ODI captaincy at some point before the 2023 if things don`t go as planned." A BCCI official was quoted as saying that, "Shastri had spoken to Kohli around six months ago. But Kohli didn`t listen to Shastri. He is still keen to lead India in ODIs and that is why he only decided to let go the T20 captaincy. Even the board was discussing it as to how Kohli could be utilised more as a batsman. That is because he has a lot left as a player even now."

Ravi Shastri had suggested to Virat Kohli to give up all white-ball captaincy: Reports

<p>As soon as the second and final leg of IPL 2021 commenced, on September 19 (Sunday),&nbsp;Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to step down as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain after the end of the ongoing season. For the unversed, the 32-year-old Kohli had earlier announced that the T20 World Cup will be the last time he will lead India in the shortest format, citing workload issues.</p>

<p>With Kohli&nbsp;now leading RCB for the final time in IPL 14's UAE leg, the three-time runners-up couldn't start well in the second-half; losing to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 9 wickets in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi&nbsp;on Monday (September 20). Following RCB's heavy defeat, which has dented their net run-rate as well, a former Indian cricketer has made a bold claim regarding RCB skipper Kohli.</p>

<p>“Look at the way he was playing against Kolkata Knight Riders. Just clueless! It seems he is struggling big time right now. There are chances that he could be removed mid-way through the season. It has happened earlier also with other teams — like with Dinesh Karthik in KKR and David Warner in Sunrisers Hyderabad, among others. They were either removed or they stepped down mid-way. So it can happen in RCB as well… I have this feeling after watching yesterday’s match. One more bad game and you can see a change in RCB captaincy right away,"&nbsp;a former India cricketer, on the condition of anonymity, told I<em>ANS.</em></p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-2021-5-lowest-scores-by-virat-kohli-led-rcb-after-flop-show-vs-kkr-in-match-31-414520#rcbs-49-all-out-vs-kkr-414511"><strong>IPL 2021: 5 lowest scores by Virat Kohli-led RCB after flop show vs KKR in Match 31</strong></a></p>

<p>Talking about the RCB versus KKR clash, Bengaluru won the toss and elected to bat first. However, none of their batters contributed heavily as they were bundled out for 92. In reply, KKR finished the run-chase in 10 overs with 9 wickets in hand.</p>

<p>RCB remain in the top four, at the third position, but need to pull up their socks and get on a winning streak if they have to enter the playoffs. They next face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday (September 24) in Sharjah.</p>


As soon as the second and final leg of IPL 2021 commenced, on September 19 (Sunday), Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to step down as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain after the end of the ongoing season.

As soon as the second and final leg of IPL 2021 commenced, on September 19 (Sunday), Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to step down as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain after the end of the ongoing season. For the unversed, the 32-year-old Kohli had earlier announced that the T20 World Cup will be the last time he will lead India in the shortest format, citing workload issues. With Kohli now leading RCB for the final time in IPL 14's UAE leg, the three-time runners-up couldn't start well in the second-half; losing to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 9 wickets in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Monday (September 20). Following RCB's heavy defeat, which has dented their net run-rate as well, a former Indian cricketer has made a bold claim regarding RCB skipper Kohli. “Look at the way he was playing against Kolkata Knight Riders. Just clueless! It seems he is struggling big time right now. There are chances that he could be removed mid-way through the season. It has happened earlier also with other teams — like with Dinesh Karthik in KKR and David Warner in Sunrisers Hyderabad, among others. They were either removed or they stepped down mid-way. So it can happen in RCB as well… I have this feeling after watching yesterday’s match. One more bad game and you can see a change in RCB captaincy right away," a former India cricketer, on the condition of anonymity, told IANS. ALSO READ | IPL 2021: 5 lowest scores by Virat Kohli-led RCB after flop show vs KKR in Match 31 Talking about the RCB versus KKR clash, Bengaluru won the toss and elected to bat first. However, none of their batters contributed heavily as they were bundled out for 92. In reply, KKR finished the run-chase in 10 overs with 9 wickets in hand. RCB remain in the top four, at the third position, but need to pull up their socks and get on a winning streak if they have to enter the playoffs. They next face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday (September 24) in Sharjah.

'Clueless' Virat Kohli can be removed or asked to step down midway: Former cricketer's BOLD prediction on RCB captain

<p>Match 31 of the ongoing IPL 2021 edition will see Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) face each other at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Monday evening (September 20).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two teams have had contrasting campaigns so far in the first-ever IPL season which is being played in two halves. While the Kohli-led RCB franchise are at the third place, with 5 wins from 7 encounters, the KKR outfit find themselves at the seventh spot, with only 2&nbsp;wins from 7 games. Thus, they will hope for a better start to the second and final leg of IPL 14, when they take on the RCB camp.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As far as the match between RCB and KKR is considered, here is everything you need to know about the clash:</p>

<p><strong>Head to Head record:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The KKR franchise have a better record versus the RCB unit. In head-to-head encounters overall, KKR lead RCB 14-13 but Kohli &amp; Co. have managed to narrow down their lead in recent times. In the first leg of IPL 2021, RCB thrashed KKR by 38 runs in Chennai.</p>

<p><strong>Stats:</strong></p>

<p>On Monday, Kohli is set to become the first-ever player become the first player to feature in 200 matches in one T20 tournament.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-rcb-vs-kkr-pitch-report-weather-and-probable-playing-xis-for-royal-challengers-bangalore-vs-kolkata-knight-riders-match-414429"><strong>IPL 2021, RCB vs KKR: Pitch report, weather and probable playing XIs for Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders match</strong></a></p>

<p><strong>Trivia:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>-<strong>&nbsp;</strong>RCB great AB de&nbsp;Villiers has three consecutive half-centuries against the Kolkata franchise. He was the Man-of-the-Match the last time both sides faced each other.</p>

<p><br />
- For the unversed, both Russell and Narine have a strike rate of 200 or more against the Bengaluru bowlers.</p>

<p><b>Squads:</b></p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'"><b>Kolkata Knight Riders</b>&nbsp;Squad: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan(c), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik(w), Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy, Harbhajan Singh, Tim Southee, Shakib Al Hasan, Ben Cutting, Karun Nair, Pawan Negi, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sheldon Jackson, Sandeep Warrier, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vaibhav Arora</p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'"><b>Royal Challengers Bangalore</b>&nbsp;Squad: Virat Kohli(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers(w), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Daniel Christian, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachin Baby, Srikar Bharat, Navdeep Saini, Pavan Deshpande, Mohammed Azharuddeen, George Garton, Suyash Prabhudessai, Tim David, Akash Deep</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Match 31 of the ongoing IPL 2021 edition will see Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) face each other at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Monday evening (September 20).

Match 31 of the ongoing IPL 2021 edition will see Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) face each other at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Monday evening (September 20). The two teams have had contrasting campaigns so far in the first-ever IPL season which is being played in two halves. While the Kohli-led RCB franchise are at the third place, with 5 wins from 7 encounters, the KKR outfit find themselves at the seventh spot, with only 2 wins from 7 games. Thus, they will hope for a better start to the second and final leg of IPL 14, when they take on the RCB camp. As far as the match between RCB and KKR is considered, here is everything you need to know about the clash: Head to Head record: The KKR franchise have a better record versus the RCB unit. In head-to-head encounters overall, KKR lead RCB 14-13 but Kohli & Co. have managed to narrow down their lead in recent times. In the first leg of IPL 2021, RCB thrashed KKR by 38 runs in Chennai. Stats: On Monday, Kohli is set to become the first-ever player become the first player to feature in 200 matches in one T20 tournament. ALSO READ | IPL 2021, RCB vs KKR: Pitch report, weather and probable playing XIs for Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders match Trivia: - RCB great AB de Villiers has three consecutive half-centuries against the Kolkata franchise. He was the Man-of-the-Match the last time both sides faced each other. - For the unversed, both Russell and Narine have a strike rate of 200 or more against the Bengaluru bowlers. Squads: Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan(c), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik(w), Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy, Harbhajan Singh, Tim Southee, Shakib Al Hasan, Ben Cutting, Karun Nair, Pawan Negi, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sheldon Jackson, Sandeep Warrier, Tim Seifert, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vaibhav Arora Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad: Virat Kohli(c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers(w), Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Daniel Christian, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachin Baby, Srikar Bharat, Navdeep Saini, Pavan Deshpande, Mohammed Azharuddeen, George Garton, Suyash Prabhudessai, Tim David, Akash Deep

IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders head to head record, trivia, stats and squads

RCB vs KKR, IPL 2021: Key moments from Eoin Morgan & Co.'s clinical win over Virat Kohli's Bengaluru

IPL 2021: 5 lowest scores by Virat Kohli-led RCB after flop show vs KKR in Match 31

<p>Virat Kohli has created history on Monday evening (September 20) as soon as the 32-year-old walked out for the toss in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) face-off versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 31 of the second leg of IPL 2021, in the UAE.</p>

<p>Kohli has donned the RCB jersey for the 200th time in the IPL and became the first-ever, both Indian and overseas,&nbsp;to play 200 matches for a single franchise in the cash-rich league. He will, thus, become the fifth player to breach the 200 games mark after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma.</p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'">At the coin toss, at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi,&nbsp;RCB captain had a fine start as he called it right and elected to bat first. He told the broadcasters, "We will bat first. Looks like a good pitch, the grass will hold it together, will slow down as the game progresses. This one's special (on RCB's special jersey saluting the Covid frontline warriors worldwide), we promised back in May that we'll play for the Covid warriors, here it is - we'll auction this uniform and the proceeds will go to them. Two debutants for us - KS Bharat and Wanindu Hasranga."</p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'"><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-loses-cool-after-on-field-confusion-with-dwayne-bravo-led-to-a-dropped-catch-during-csk-vs-mi-tie-watch-414474"><strong>MS Dhoni loses cool after on-field confusion with Dwayne Bravo led to a dropped catch during CSK vs MI tie - Watch</strong></a></p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'">On Sunday (September 19), as IP 14's UAE leg commenced, Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing that he will step down as the RCB captain after the end of this year's edition. Thus, RCB will look to give a memorable send off to their outgoing skipper by winning their first-ever IPL trophy in the ongoing edition. For that to happen, RCB will look to start well in the second leg.</p>

<p ng-bind-html="comm[ts].comm" ng-class="get_comm_class(comm[ts]) " ng-hide="comm[ts].geo != null &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.length &gt; 0 &amp;&amp; comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1" ng-if="comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:news' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:video' &amp;&amp; comm[ts].evt != 'Plugin:comments'">Currently, RCB are at the third spot in the points table with 5 wins from 7 games.</p>


Virat Kohli has created history on Monday evening (September 20) as soon as the 32-year-old walked out for the toss in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) face-off versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 31 of the second leg of IPL 2021, in the UAE.

Virat Kohli has created history on Monday evening (September 20) as soon as the 32-year-old walked out for the toss in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) face-off versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 31 of the second leg of IPL 2021, in the UAE. Kohli has donned the RCB jersey for the 200th time in the IPL and became the first-ever, both Indian and overseas, to play 200 matches for a single franchise in the cash-rich league. He will, thus, become the fifth player to breach the 200 games mark after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma. At the coin toss, at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, RCB captain had a fine start as he called it right and elected to bat first. He told the broadcasters, "We will bat first. Looks like a good pitch, the grass will hold it together, will slow down as the game progresses. This one's special (on RCB's special jersey saluting the Covid frontline warriors worldwide), we promised back in May that we'll play for the Covid warriors, here it is - we'll auction this uniform and the proceeds will go to them. Two debutants for us - KS Bharat and Wanindu Hasranga." ALSO READ | MS Dhoni loses cool after on-field confusion with Dwayne Bravo led to a dropped catch during CSK vs MI tie - Watch On Sunday (September 19), as IP 14's UAE leg commenced, Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing that he will step down as the RCB captain after the end of this year's edition. Thus, RCB will look to give a memorable send off to their outgoing skipper by winning their first-ever IPL trophy in the ongoing edition. For that to happen, RCB will look to start well in the second leg. Currently, RCB are at the third spot in the points table with 5 wins from 7 games.

IPL 2021: Virat Kohli becomes first-ever to play 200 games for a single franchise as RCB take on KKR in Abu Dhabi

<p>Ahead of the match 31 of IPL 2021, on Monday (September 20), between Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Eoin Morgan's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), former Indian opener and Punjab Kings' (PBKS) batting coach Wasim Jaffer has broken the internet with his extremely hilarious post.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaffer often shares his players to watch out for ahead of every IPL game, or during Team India's encounters, and this time around as well, his tweet went viral as he shared a rather unusual post; depicting his two players to watch out during the match 31, which will be held at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here's what he tweeted-</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Looking forward to seeing these two tonight. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKRvRCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKRvRCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a> <a href="https://t.co/pecF2DKYEr">pic.twitter.com/pecF2DKYEr</a></p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1439824244918009864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>While many thought the Jaffer was pointing out at 'GOATs' Kohli and AB de Villiers, he later clarified that his tweet was for the RCB captain and KKR's Dinesh Karthik. He wrote, "It is indeed Goat VK and Shirt DK"</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="nl">It is indeed Goat VK and Shirt DK</p>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1439914793205305347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>'GOAT' Kohli is set to become the first&nbsp;player to feature in 200 matches in one T20 tournament on Monday evening,&nbsp;whereas DK will like to make a vital contribution for KKR as a finisher and keeper in match 31. He was last seen as a commentator during the India tour of United Kingdom recently, where his analysis and multi-colour shirts became a huge hit on social media platforms.</p>


Ahead of the match 31 of IPL 2021, on Monday (September 20), between Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Eoin Morgan's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), former Indian opener and Punjab Kings' (PBKS) batting coach Wasim Jaffer has broken the internet with his extremely hilarious post.

Ahead of the match 31 of IPL 2021, on Monday (September 20), between Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Eoin Morgan's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), former Indian opener and Punjab Kings' (PBKS) batting coach Wasim Jaffer has broken the internet with his extremely hilarious post. Jaffer often shares his players to watch out for ahead of every IPL game, or during Team India's encounters, and this time around as well, his tweet went viral as he shared a rather unusual post; depicting his two players to watch out during the match 31, which will be held at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Here's what he tweeted- Looking forward to seeing these two tonight. #KKRvRCB #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/pecF2DKYEr — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) September 20, 2021 × While many thought the Jaffer was pointing out at 'GOATs' Kohli and AB de Villiers, he later clarified that his tweet was for the RCB captain and KKR's Dinesh Karthik. He wrote, "It is indeed Goat VK and Shirt DK" It is indeed Goat VK and Shirt DK — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) September 20, 2021 × 'GOAT' Kohli is set to become the first player to feature in 200 matches in one T20 tournament on Monday evening, whereas DK will like to make a vital contribution for KKR as a finisher and keeper in match 31. He was last seen as a commentator during the India tour of United Kingdom recently, where his analysis and multi-colour shirts became a huge hit on social media platforms.

IPL 2021: Wasim Jaffer leaves netizens ROFL as he shares his players to watch out for RCB vs KKR clash

<p><strong>Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore </strong>(RCB) will be up against two-time champions the Eoin Morgan-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 31 of the IPL 2021 edition of the UAE leg. Both sides are coming into this encounter with contrasting runs so far in the 14th edition.</p>

<p>While RCB find themselves at the third position, with 5 wins from 7 encounters, KKR are languishing at the seventh position with only 2 wins from 7 games. In their face-off during the first leg in India, the Bengaluru franchise romped past KKR by 38 runs in Chennai with Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers being the top-performers.</p>

<p>There are some big names which will feature in match 31 such as Kohli, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Yuzvendra Chahal, Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, etc. Overall, an enthralling battle seems on the cards as two heavyweight teams are set to lock horns at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.</p>

<p><strong>Let's take a look at the means on how to live stream or view the match:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Where is the IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders taking place?</strong></p>

<p>The IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.</p>

<p><strong>What time does the IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders begin?</strong></p>

<p>The IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders begins at 7:30 PM IST on Monday.</p>

<p><strong>Where and how to watch live coverage of the IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders?</strong></p>

<p>The IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders will be aired live on Star Sports channels - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD. The online streaming of the IPL 2021 match between PBKS vs RCB will be available on Hotstar.</p>


Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against two-time champions the Eoin Morgan-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 31 of the IPL 2021 edition of the UAE leg.

Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be up against two-time champions the Eoin Morgan-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 31 of the IPL 2021 edition of the UAE leg. Both sides are coming into this encounter with contrasting runs so far in the 14th edition. While RCB find themselves at the third position, with 5 wins from 7 encounters, KKR are languishing at the seventh position with only 2 wins from 7 games. In their face-off during the first leg in India, the Bengaluru franchise romped past KKR by 38 runs in Chennai with Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers being the top-performers. There are some big names which will feature in match 31 such as Kohli, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, Yuzvendra Chahal, Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, etc. Overall, an enthralling battle seems on the cards as two heavyweight teams are set to lock horns at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Let's take a look at the means on how to live stream or view the match: Where is the IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders taking place? The IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. What time does the IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders begin? The IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders begins at 7:30 PM IST on Monday. Where and how to watch live coverage of the IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders? The IPL 2021 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders will be aired live on Star Sports channels - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD. The online streaming of the IPL 2021 match between PBKS vs RCB will be available on Hotstar.

IPL 2021, RCB vs KKR, Live Streaming: When and where to watch Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders?

<p>IPL 2021's second and final leg commenced on September 19 (Sunday) as the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) took on the Rohit Sharma-less Mumbai Indians (MI), in match 30, and defeated them by 20 runs in Dubai. The action will now move onto Abu Dhabi as the Sheikh Zayed Stadium will host the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) versus Eoin Morgan's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 31 on Monday evening (September 20).</p>

<p>Currently, the 2016 runners-up RCB find themselves in a much-better position in the points table, occupying the third position with 5 wins from 7 encounters. On the other hand, the two-time champions KKR are languishing at the seventh position and are in a do-or-die situation where they have to make every match count.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/decoding-virat-kohlis-decision-to-quit-rcb-captain-after-ipl-2021-414407/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Ahead of match 31, here's everything you need to know about the pitch report,&nbsp;weather and probable playing XI:&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Weather and pitch report: </strong>A hot and humid evening is set to greet the players from both the dens. KKR will feel more at home in Abu Dhabi, winning five out of their seven matches at the venue during IPL 2020.&nbsp;Bowlers can expect some help from the surface as a modest-scoring thriller looks on cards in Abu Dhabi.</p>

<p><strong>Predicted Playing XIs for RCB vs KKR</strong></p>

<p><strong>KKR Probable XI: </strong>Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy</p>

<p><br />
<strong>RCB Probable XI: </strong>Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed/Mohammed Azharuddeen, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-to-step-down-as-rcb-captain-after-ipl-2021-414253"><strong>Virat Kohli to step down as RCB captain after IPL 2021</strong></a></p>

<p>With Kohli set to step down as the RCB captain post the ongoing season, the Bengaluru franchise will be eager to start the second and final leg with a bang. It is another good chance for them to win their maiden title and give a proper send-off to their outgoing skipper. For that to happen, RCB will have to start with a bang versus KKR.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


IPL 2021's second and final leg commenced on September 19 (Sunday) as the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) took on the Rohit Sharma-less Mumbai Indians (MI), in match 30, and defeated them by 20 runs in Dubai.

IPL 2021's second and final leg commenced on September 19 (Sunday) as the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) took on the Rohit Sharma-less Mumbai Indians (MI), in match 30, and defeated them by 20 runs in Dubai. The action will now move onto Abu Dhabi as the Sheikh Zayed Stadium will host the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) versus Eoin Morgan's Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in match 31 on Monday evening (September 20). Currently, the 2016 runners-up RCB find themselves in a much-better position in the points table, occupying the third position with 5 wins from 7 encounters. On the other hand, the two-time champions KKR are languishing at the seventh position and are in a do-or-die situation where they have to make every match count. × Ahead of match 31, here's everything you need to know about the pitch report, weather and probable playing XI: Weather and pitch report: A hot and humid evening is set to greet the players from both the dens. KKR will feel more at home in Abu Dhabi, winning five out of their seven matches at the venue during IPL 2020. Bowlers can expect some help from the surface as a modest-scoring thriller looks on cards in Abu Dhabi. Predicted Playing XIs for RCB vs KKR KKR Probable XI: Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan (c), Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy RCB Probable XI: Virat Kohli (c), Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers (wk), Shahbaz Ahmed/Mohammed Azharuddeen, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kyle Jamieson, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal ALSO READ | Virat Kohli to step down as RCB captain after IPL 2021 With Kohli set to step down as the RCB captain post the ongoing season, the Bengaluru franchise will be eager to start the second and final leg with a bang. It is another good chance for them to win their maiden title and give a proper send-off to their outgoing skipper. For that to happen, RCB will have to start with a bang versus KKR.

IPL 2021, RCB vs KKR: Pitch report, weather and probable playing XIs for Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders match

<p>The Board of Control for Cricket in India passed the international home season 2021-22 at the Apex Council meeting on Monday. India will play New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa. While the home season kicks off with the T20I against New Zealand on November 17 in Jaipur, it will end with the T20I against South Africa in the national capital on June 19. The India-New Zealand series will get underway with the opening T20I in Jaipur on November 17, followed by games in Ranchi and Kolkata on November 19 and 21.</p>

<p>The two Test matches will be played in Kanpur (November 25 to 29) and Mumbai (December 3 to 7).The India-West Indies series will kickstart with the ODIs and the opening game will be played in Ahmedabad on February 6. The second and third games will be played on February 9 and 12 in Jaipur and Kolkata. This will be followed by the T20Is with the opening game being played on February 15 in Cuttack. The second and third games will be played on February 18 and 20 in Vizag and Trivandrum.</p>

<p>The India-Sri Lanka series gets underway with two Tests in Bengaluru (Feb 25 to Mar 1) and Mohali (March 5 to 9). There will be three T20Is played after that with games in Mohali (March 13), Dharamshala (March 15) and Lucknow (March 18).This will be followed by a five-match T20I series between India and South Africa. The games will be played in Chennai (June 9), Bengaluru (June 12), Nagpur (June 14), Rajkot (June 17) and Delhi (June 19). The Apex Council also decided that the decision to organize U-16 tournaments will be taken post the Under 19 tournaments and taking into account the COVID-19 situation.</p>


The Board of Control for Cricket in India passed the international home season 2021-22 at the Apex Council meeting on Monday. India will play New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India passed the international home season 2021-22 at the Apex Council meeting on Monday. India will play New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa. While the home season kicks off with the T20I against New Zealand on November 17 in Jaipur, it will end with the T20I against South Africa in the national capital on June 19. The India-New Zealand series will get underway with the opening T20I in Jaipur on November 17, followed by games in Ranchi and Kolkata on November 19 and 21. The two Test matches will be played in Kanpur (November 25 to 29) and Mumbai (December 3 to 7).The India-West Indies series will kickstart with the ODIs and the opening game will be played in Ahmedabad on February 6. The second and third games will be played on February 9 and 12 in Jaipur and Kolkata. This will be followed by the T20Is with the opening game being played on February 15 in Cuttack. The second and third games will be played on February 18 and 20 in Vizag and Trivandrum. The India-Sri Lanka series gets underway with two Tests in Bengaluru (Feb 25 to Mar 1) and Mohali (March 5 to 9). There will be three T20Is played after that with games in Mohali (March 13), Dharamshala (March 15) and Lucknow (March 18).This will be followed by a five-match T20I series between India and South Africa. The games will be played in Chennai (June 9), Bengaluru (June 12), Nagpur (June 14), Rajkot (June 17) and Delhi (June 19). The Apex Council also decided that the decision to organize U-16 tournaments will be taken post the Under 19 tournaments and taking into account the COVID-19 situation.

Team India to play host to New Zealand, Sri Lanka, West Indies and South Africa in mouth-watering 2022 home season

Virat Kohli announced that he will step down as captain of his Indian Premier League side Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after IPL 2021

Decoding Virat Kohli's decision to quit RCB captain after IPL 2021

<p>Virat Kohli has decided to step down as the skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League which is underway in UAE.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me," the official handle of RCB's Twitter account tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli, who took over as RCB skipper full time in 2013, has yet to lead the side to an IPL title. He added, "It has been a great and an inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years.</p>

<p>"It wasn't an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise."</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/ipl-2021-uae-leg-all-teams-and-their-revised-squad-list-414218">IPL 2021 UAE leg: All teams and their revised squad list</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Virat Kohli to step down from RCB captaincy after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2021</a><br />
<br />
“This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me.”: Virat Kohli<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlayBold</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreChallengers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreChallengers</a> <a href="https://t.co/QSIdCT8QQM">pic.twitter.com/QSIdCT8QQM</a></p>
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/RCBTweets/status/1439635618846281728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Kohli stepped down as India's T20&nbsp;captain</strong></p>

<p>Recently, Kohli announced that he will step down as India's T20 captain after the ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai.&nbsp;Virat wrote, "I feel I need to give myself space to be Full ready to Lead the Indian team in Test and ODI Cricket. I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 Captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 Team as a Batsman moving forward."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking about the workload, Virat said, "Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket."</p>

<p>Kohli of late hasn't been at his peak as a batsman in Tests, a format which he adores. For close to two years now, Kohli hasn't scored a long-form century and made 563 runs at 26.80 in 12 Tests during this period.</p>


Virat Kohli has decided to step down as the skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League which is underway in UAE.

Virat Kohli has decided to step down as the skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League which is underway in UAE. "This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me," the official handle of RCB's Twitter account tweeted. Kohli, who took over as RCB skipper full time in 2013, has yet to lead the side to an IPL title. He added, "It has been a great and an inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years. "It wasn't an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise." IN PICS | IPL 2021 UAE leg: All teams and their revised squad list Virat Kohli to step down from RCB captaincy after #IPL2021 “This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I’ll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me.”: Virat Kohli#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/QSIdCT8QQM — Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) September 19, 2021 × Kohli stepped down as India's T20 captain Recently, Kohli announced that he will step down as India's T20 captain after the ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai. Virat wrote, "I feel I need to give myself space to be Full ready to Lead the Indian team in Test and ODI Cricket. I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 Captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 Team as a Batsman moving forward." Talking about the workload, Virat said, "Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket." Kohli of late hasn't been at his peak as a batsman in Tests, a format which he adores. For close to two years now, Kohli hasn't scored a long-form century and made 563 runs at 26.80 in 12 Tests during this period.

Virat Kohli to step down as RCB captain after IPL 2021

<p>Virat Kohli, the skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore opened up on the impact of the latest additions Sri Lanka's Wanidu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera in the squad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We have made changes, we've got a few replacements. Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa who were with us in the first leg, made a decision not to play in the second leg for reasons which are absolutely understandable," Kohli said at the unveiling of the team's blue jersey.</p>

<p>"The replacements we have got for those guys are two players who know these conditions, the conditions in the subcontinent around this time are similar.</p>

<p>"Wanidu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera have played so much cricket in Sri Lanka and know how to play in pitches like these. There skill sets will be of huge help to us.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2021-mumbai-indians-vs-chennai-super-kings-head-to-head-record-trivia-stats-and-squads-414016">IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings head to head record, trivia, stats and squads</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-players-who-have-raked-in-big-in-ipl-sports-news-413842/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>IN PICS | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-virat-kohli-to-rashid-khan-five-players-to-watch-in-ipl-2021-as-rivalries-are-revived-414049">From Virat Kohli to Rashid Khan: Five players to watch in IPL 2021 as rivalries are revived</a></strong></p>

<p>"We haven't spoken at all on what we have missed out on because players have pulled out. We feel stronger, the new additions have given us a new dimension," Kohli added.</p>

<p>The 14th edition of IPL is set to resume with Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on September 19.</p>

<p>RCB are currently placed third in the league table, having won five of their seven matches but the skipper said the team will start the second phase with the same passion and commitment they showed in April-May.&nbsp;</p>


Virat Kohli, the skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore opened up on the impact of the latest additions Sri Lanka's Wanidu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera in the squad.

Virat Kohli, the skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore opened up on the impact of the latest additions Sri Lanka's Wanidu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera in the squad. "We have made changes, we've got a few replacements. Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa who were with us in the first leg, made a decision not to play in the second leg for reasons which are absolutely understandable," Kohli said at the unveiling of the team's blue jersey. "The replacements we have got for those guys are two players who know these conditions, the conditions in the subcontinent around this time are similar. "Wanidu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera have played so much cricket in Sri Lanka and know how to play in pitches like these. There skill sets will be of huge help to us. ALSO READ | IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings head to head record, trivia, stats and squads × IN PICS | From Virat Kohli to Rashid Khan: Five players to watch in IPL 2021 as rivalries are revived "We haven't spoken at all on what we have missed out on because players have pulled out. We feel stronger, the new additions have given us a new dimension," Kohli added. The 14th edition of IPL is set to resume with Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on September 19. RCB are currently placed third in the league table, having won five of their seven matches but the skipper said the team will start the second phase with the same passion and commitment they showed in April-May.

IPL 2021: Virat Kohli says Hasaranga and Chameera have provided new dimension to the team

From Virat Kohli to Rashid Khan: Five players to watch in IPL 2021 as rivalries are revived

<p>Ravi Shastri, the head coach of the Indian cricket team has "absolutely no regrets" about organising the book launch two days before the Oval Test, an event where apparently no face masks were worn.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The same book launch was criticised and widely perceived to be the reason for a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the cancellation of the fifth Test against England in Manchester.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I have absolutely no regrets because the people I met at that function were fabulous. And it was good for the boys to get out and meet different people rather than constantly being in their rooms," said Shastri in an interview with The Guardian.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/a-planned-conspiracy-pakistans-interior-minister-reacts-after-new-zealand-abandon-cricket-tour-413923">'A planned conspiracy': Pakistan's interior minister reacts after New Zealand abandon cricket tour</a></strong></p>

<p>Shastri, fielding coach R Sridhar, bowling coach Bharath Arun and physio Nitin Patel were found infected during the Oval Test as they didn't travel with the team during the fourth Test match that India won by 157 runs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They remained in isolation and when junior physio Yogesh Parmar's test came positive ahead of the fifth Test in Manchester, the game was controversially called off with India leading the series 2-1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the cancellation of the fifth Test, critics raised concerns over the book launch, commenting on the same, Shastri said, "At the Oval Test, you were climbing stairs used by 5,000 people. So to point a finger at a book launch?"&nbsp;</p>

<p>"But I wasn't worried because incubation probably takes weeks. There were about 250 people there and no-one got COVID from that party."</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/new-zealand-abandon-pakistan-tour-over-security-concerns-heres-what-we-know-so-far-413887">New Zealand abandon Pakistan tour over security concerns: Here's what we know so far</a></strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The ECB and BCCI have mutually decided to call off the fifth <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> Test, which was due to begin today.<br />
<br />
Details 👇<a href="https://t.co/MIAkhQodzK">https://t.co/MIAkhQodzK</a></p>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1436236468633079809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Talking about his time in isolation, Shastri said: "It was funny because in my 10 days, I didn't have a single symptom barring a little sore throat. I never had any temperature and my oxygen level was 99 per cent all the time.</p>

<p>"I didn't take any medication through 10 days of my isolation, not a single paracetamol. I tell the guys: 'Once you're double jabbed, it's a bloody 10-day flu. That's it'."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-pakistan-security-forces-and-bomb-disposal-squad-monitor-stadium-after-new-zealand-abandon-tour-413811">Watch: Pakistan security forces and bomb disposal squad monitor stadium after New Zealand abandon tour</a></strong></p>

<p>On being asked if he was made the scapegoat in the aftermath of the abandoned Test, Shastri said the truth was otherwise.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I've not got it at my book launch because it was on the 31st (August) and I tested positive on 3 September. It can't happen in three days. I think I got it in Leeds. England opened up on 19 July and suddenly the hotels were back, lifts were back. No restrictions."</p>

<p>Commenting on the decision to call off the fifth Test, Shastri said he wasn't involved in the decision to not play the Manchester Test while he was isolating in London. He also didn't discuss the matter with the players.</p>

<p>"No. I didn't know who had got it. I didn't know (the junior physio) got it suddenly and tested positive. He physically treated five or six players. I think that's where the issue started. We were aware that the incubation period meant that someone might get it in the middle (of the Test).</p>

<p>"A lot of players had their families there. So it became a situation where you don't know what that player is thinking. He's got a young kid, you know, he's got to think of them. It was a little, I would say, touchy.?</p>


Ravi Shastri, the head coach of the Indian cricket team has "absolutely no regrets" about organising the book launch two days before the Oval Test, an event where apparently no face masks were worn.

Ravi Shastri, the head coach of the Indian cricket team has "absolutely no regrets" about organising the book launch two days before the Oval Test, an event where apparently no face masks were worn. The same book launch was criticised and widely perceived to be the reason for a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the cancellation of the fifth Test against England in Manchester. "I have absolutely no regrets because the people I met at that function were fabulous. And it was good for the boys to get out and meet different people rather than constantly being in their rooms," said Shastri in an interview with The Guardian. ALSO READ | 'A planned conspiracy': Pakistan's interior minister reacts after New Zealand abandon cricket tour Shastri, fielding coach R Sridhar, bowling coach Bharath Arun and physio Nitin Patel were found infected during the Oval Test as they didn't travel with the team during the fourth Test match that India won by 157 runs. They remained in isolation and when junior physio Yogesh Parmar's test came positive ahead of the fifth Test in Manchester, the game was controversially called off with India leading the series 2-1. After the cancellation of the fifth Test, critics raised concerns over the book launch, commenting on the same, Shastri said, "At the Oval Test, you were climbing stairs used by 5,000 people. So to point a finger at a book launch?" "But I wasn't worried because incubation probably takes weeks. There were about 250 people there and no-one got COVID from that party." IN PICS | New Zealand abandon Pakistan tour over security concerns: Here's what we know so far The ECB and BCCI have mutually decided to call off the fifth #ENGvIND Test, which was due to begin today. Details 👇https://t.co/MIAkhQodzK — ICC (@ICC) September 10, 2021 × Talking about his time in isolation, Shastri said: "It was funny because in my 10 days, I didn't have a single symptom barring a little sore throat. I never had any temperature and my oxygen level was 99 per cent all the time. "I didn't take any medication through 10 days of my isolation, not a single paracetamol. I tell the guys: 'Once you're double jabbed, it's a bloody 10-day flu. That's it'." ALSO READ | Watch: Pakistan security forces and bomb disposal squad monitor stadium after New Zealand abandon tour On being asked if he was made the scapegoat in the aftermath of the abandoned Test, Shastri said the truth was otherwise. "I've not got it at my book launch because it was on the 31st (August) and I tested positive on 3 September. It can't happen in three days. I think I got it in Leeds. England opened up on 19 July and suddenly the hotels were back, lifts were back. No restrictions." Commenting on the decision to call off the fifth Test, Shastri said he wasn't involved in the decision to not play the Manchester Test while he was isolating in London. He also didn't discuss the matter with the players. "No. I didn't know who had got it. I didn't know (the junior physio) got it suddenly and tested positive. He physically treated five or six players. I think that's where the issue started. We were aware that the incubation period meant that someone might get it in the middle (of the Test). "A lot of players had their families there. So it became a situation where you don't know what that player is thinking. He's got a young kid, you know, he's got to think of them. It was a little, I would say, touchy.?

Ravi Shastri has 'absolutely no regrets' about book launch, says no-one got COVID-19 from that party

<p>On Thursday (September 16), Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to resign from the T20I captaincy post after the forthcoming World Cup in the shortest format. Kohli took to his official Twitter handle to share the news, which has created a huge buzz in the cricketing fraternity and become a huge talking point since then.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While there were rumours of BCCI contemplating split-captaincy in the Indian cricket for a while, Kohli's decision is believed to be completely his own -- as per a report in Times of India --&nbsp;with no role of the Indian cricket board. "Understanding workload is a very important thing...I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI cricket. I have given everything to the team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward," the 32-year-old said in his post.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/Ds7okjhj9J">pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1438478585518456832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-chief-sourav-ganguly-lauds-true-asset-virat-kohli-as-he-announces-decision-to-quit-t20i-captaincy-after-world-cup-413664"><strong>BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly lauds 'true asset' Virat Kohli as he announces decision to quit T20I captaincy after World Cup</strong></a></p>

<p>As per the report, Rohit Sharma is the frontrunner to succeed Kohli as India's captain in the shortest format post the T20 World Cup in the UAE.&nbsp; "Rohit's records in T20 speak for him. He shares great camaraderie with teammates and Kohli also respects what Sharma brings to the board as captain," TOI quoted a source.</p>

<p>Under Kohli, India enjoyed tremendous success in T20Is, winning away series in England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The 32-year-old will, however, remain the Test and ODI captain.</p>


On Thursday (September 16), Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to resign from the T20I captaincy post after the forthcoming World Cup in the shortest format.

On Thursday (September 16), Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to resign from the T20I captaincy post after the forthcoming World Cup in the shortest format. Kohli took to his official Twitter handle to share the news, which has created a huge buzz in the cricketing fraternity and become a huge talking point since then. While there were rumours of BCCI contemplating split-captaincy in the Indian cricket for a while, Kohli's decision is believed to be completely his own -- as per a report in Times of India -- with no role of the Indian cricket board. "Understanding workload is a very important thing...I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI cricket. I have given everything to the team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward," the 32-year-old said in his post. pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 16, 2021 × ALSO READ | BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly lauds 'true asset' Virat Kohli as he announces decision to quit T20I captaincy after World Cup As per the report, Rohit Sharma is the frontrunner to succeed Kohli as India's captain in the shortest format post the T20 World Cup in the UAE. "Rohit's records in T20 speak for him. He shares great camaraderie with teammates and Kohli also respects what Sharma brings to the board as captain," TOI quoted a source. Under Kohli, India enjoyed tremendous success in T20Is, winning away series in England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The 32-year-old will, however, remain the Test and ODI captain.

Virat Kohli's decision to resign as T20I captain completely his own, BCCI had no role to pay: Report

<p>India have had incredible success in Australia in the last two editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, held Down Under. During the 2018 tour, Virat Kohli &amp; Co. had a chance to become the first Asian side to win a Test series on Australian soil as Tim Paine-led Aussies didn't have the services of David Warner and Steve Smith, who were serving a one-year international ban for the ball-tampering saga.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite the duo's absence, Australia had enough firepower in their bowling line-up whereas they also had some reliable batters in the series. Nonetheless, Kohli-led India moved past the Aussies to win the series 2-1 and create history. During the course of the series, Indian skipper Virat Kohli scored a scintillating hundred in the second Test, at Perth, but won accolades mainly for his captaincy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the series, when Kohli was preparing to go out and bat, he was wished 'all the best' by a little fan in the stands in the most adorable way. The right-hander didn't disappoint his young fan and responded with a thumbs-up as well. Here's the throwback video from the 2018 series -</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTy3GRQDsJH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTy3GRQDsJH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTy3GRQDsJH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CTy3GRQDsJH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Cricket bloggers (@_cricblog_)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>After the 2018 tour, India once again managed to stun Australia in their own backyard when they played the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy; winning the series 2-1 without Kohli (who left after the series opener). Both sides will meet once again for the next edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but this time it will be held in India in late 2022.</p>


India have had incredible success in Australia in the last two editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, held Down Under. During the 2018 tour, Virat Kohli & Co. had a chance to become the first Asian side to win a Test series on Australian soil as Tim Paine-led Aussies didn't have the services of David Warner and Steve Smith, who were serving a one-year international ban for the ball-tampering saga.

India have had incredible success in Australia in the last two editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, held Down Under. During the 2018 tour, Virat Kohli & Co. had a chance to become the first Asian side to win a Test series on Australian soil as Tim Paine-led Aussies didn't have the services of David Warner and Steve Smith, who were serving a one-year international ban for the ball-tampering saga. Despite the duo's absence, Australia had enough firepower in their bowling line-up whereas they also had some reliable batters in the series. Nonetheless, Kohli-led India moved past the Aussies to win the series 2-1 and create history. During the course of the series, Indian skipper Virat Kohli scored a scintillating hundred in the second Test, at Perth, but won accolades mainly for his captaincy. During the series, when Kohli was preparing to go out and bat, he was wished 'all the best' by a little fan in the stands in the most adorable way. The right-hander didn't disappoint his young fan and responded with a thumbs-up as well. Here's the throwback video from the 2018 series - View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cricket bloggers (@_cricblog_) × After the 2018 tour, India once again managed to stun Australia in their own backyard when they played the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy; winning the series 2-1 without Kohli (who left after the series opener). Both sides will meet once again for the next edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but this time it will be held in India in late 2022.

Adorable! When Indian skipper Virat Kohli responded to little fan's 'All the best' during Australia Tests in 2018 - watch

<p>Virat Kohli, on Thursday (September 16), dropped a big bomb by announcing his decision to step down as India's T20I captain after the forthcoming World Cup in the UAE. His decision surprised many, especially considering it came before the marquee event, however BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has lavished praise on India's superstar cricketer.</p>

<p>"Virat has been a true asset for Indian Cricket and has led with aplomb. He is one of the most successful captains in all the formats,” Sourav Ganguly said in a BCCI statement.</p>

<p>“The decision has been made keeping in mind the future roadmap. “We thank Virat for his tremendous performance as the T20I Captain. We wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and beyond and hope that he continues to score plenty of runs for India,” added Ganguly.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Kohli surprised one and all with his sudden announcement on Thursday evening. He shared a heartfelt tweet where he wrote -</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/Ds7okjhj9J">pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1438478585518456832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-will-succeed-virat-kohli-as-indias-t20i-captain-can-also-become-odi-skipper-with-good-results-madan-lal-413654">Rohit Sharma will succeed Virat Kohli as India's T20I captain, can also become ODI skipper with good results: Madan Lal</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>For the unversed, Kohli will lead India for the last time in the shortest format in the upcoming T20 World Cup, where the one-time winners are placed in Group 2 with Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and two other teams to join from the qualifiers. Thus, he will be eager to sign off on a high with the coveted title. After him&nbsp;stepping down, vice-captain Rohit Sharma is expected to take over as the captain in the shortest format whereas Kohli will continue to lead in Test and ODI format.</p>


Virat Kohli, on Thursday (September 16), dropped a big bomb by announcing his decision to step down as India's T20I captain after the forthcoming World Cup in the UAE.

Virat Kohli, on Thursday (September 16), dropped a big bomb by announcing his decision to step down as India's T20I captain after the forthcoming World Cup in the UAE. His decision surprised many, especially considering it came before the marquee event, however BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has lavished praise on India's superstar cricketer. "Virat has been a true asset for Indian Cricket and has led with aplomb. He is one of the most successful captains in all the formats,” Sourav Ganguly said in a BCCI statement. “The decision has been made keeping in mind the future roadmap. “We thank Virat for his tremendous performance as the T20I Captain. We wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and beyond and hope that he continues to score plenty of runs for India,” added Ganguly. Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Kohli surprised one and all with his sudden announcement on Thursday evening. He shared a heartfelt tweet where he wrote - pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 16, 2021 × ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma will succeed Virat Kohli as India's T20I captain, can also become ODI skipper with good results: Madan Lal For the unversed, Kohli will lead India for the last time in the shortest format in the upcoming T20 World Cup, where the one-time winners are placed in Group 2 with Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan and two other teams to join from the qualifiers. Thus, he will be eager to sign off on a high with the coveted title. After him stepping down, vice-captain Rohit Sharma is expected to take over as the captain in the shortest format whereas Kohli will continue to lead in Test and ODI format.

BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly lauds 'true asset' Virat Kohli as he announces decision to quit T20I captaincy after World Cup

<p>On Thursday (September 16), Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to step down as Team India's T20I captain after the upcoming T20 World Cup, in the UAE. With his decision, it has started a new discussion as to who will succeed Kohli in the shortest format.</p>

<p>While the 34-year-old Rohit Sharma seems like an obvious successor, who also had 5 IPL titles as Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper, some feel BCCI can invest in a young captain with Rohit-Kohli backing and grooming him to the core. However, former cricketer Madan Lal feels Hitman Rohit has emerged as a natural successor and can also become the ODI captain with good results as a T20I skipper.</p>

<p>"I don't think there will be any discussion about someone else's name because I think Rohit Sharma will become T20I captain. His performances in IPL as Mumbai Indians captain has been very good. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has spoken about the roadmap. In that case, Rohit Sharma was the vice-captain, he has a lot of experience having been Kohli's deputy," Madan Lal told AajTak.</p>

<p>He further asserted, "I don't think there will be any discussion on that. But we have to see whether the selectors will discuss a 50-over captain. Till now, Virat Kohli has led well in ODIs and Tests. He hasn't won an ICC title but he has won helped build strong bench strength. It depends on how Rohit Sharma performs. If he does well in T20 World Cup (next year), then there will be a discussion about him in the selection meeting. It is possible that if he produces good results, he can also be made captain of the 50-over format," he added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/timely-done-or-untimely-virat-kohlis-resignation-as-t20i-captain-after-world-cup-leads-to-more-questions-than-answers-413572"><strong>Timely done or untimely? Virat Kohli's resignation as T20I captain after World Cup leads to more questions than answers</strong></a></p>

<p>For the unversed, Kohli will still lead India in the T20 World Cup. However, Rohit is likely to take over from thereon and will start his journey as a T20I captain in the New Zealand home series, which will be held soon after the showpiece event.</p>


On Thursday (September 16), Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to step down as Team India's T20I captain after the upcoming T20 World Cup, in the UAE.

On Thursday (September 16), Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his decision to step down as Team India's T20I captain after the upcoming T20 World Cup, in the UAE. With his decision, it has started a new discussion as to who will succeed Kohli in the shortest format. While the 34-year-old Rohit Sharma seems like an obvious successor, who also had 5 IPL titles as Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper, some feel BCCI can invest in a young captain with Rohit-Kohli backing and grooming him to the core. However, former cricketer Madan Lal feels Hitman Rohit has emerged as a natural successor and can also become the ODI captain with good results as a T20I skipper. "I don't think there will be any discussion about someone else's name because I think Rohit Sharma will become T20I captain. His performances in IPL as Mumbai Indians captain has been very good. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has spoken about the roadmap. In that case, Rohit Sharma was the vice-captain, he has a lot of experience having been Kohli's deputy," Madan Lal told AajTak. He further asserted, "I don't think there will be any discussion on that. But we have to see whether the selectors will discuss a 50-over captain. Till now, Virat Kohli has led well in ODIs and Tests. He hasn't won an ICC title but he has won helped build strong bench strength. It depends on how Rohit Sharma performs. If he does well in T20 World Cup (next year), then there will be a discussion about him in the selection meeting. It is possible that if he produces good results, he can also be made captain of the 50-over format," he added. ALSO READ | Timely done or untimely? Virat Kohli's resignation as T20I captain after World Cup leads to more questions than answers For the unversed, Kohli will still lead India in the T20 World Cup. However, Rohit is likely to take over from thereon and will start his journey as a T20I captain in the New Zealand home series, which will be held soon after the showpiece event.

Rohit Sharma will succeed Virat Kohli as India's T20I captain, can also become ODI skipper with good results: Madan Lal

<p>As Virat Kohli announced his decision to step down from the role of India’s T20 captain after the T20 World Cup in UAE, wife Anushka Sharma reacted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sharing Virat’s statement on her timeline, Anushka Sharma dropped a red heart emoji with the post.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's post reads: "Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket. I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 Captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 Team as a batsman moving forward."</p>

<p><img alt="anushka sharma" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a94447d7-84a9-4559-8e93-a9ae76d90942" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-52_0.jpg" /></p>

<p>"Of course, arriving at this decision took a lot of time. After a lot of contemplation and discussions with my close people, Ravi bhai and also Rohit, who have been an essential part of the leadership group, I've decided to step down as the T20 Captain after this T20 World Cup in Dubai in October. I have also spoken to the secretary Mr Jay Shah and the President of BCCI Mr Sourav Ganguly along with all the selectors about the same. I will continue to serve Indian Cricket and the Indian Team to the best of my ability," he also said.</p>

<p>Currently, Anushka Sharma is in Dubai with Virat Kohli, who will compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 that resumes on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>


As Virat Kohli announced his decision to step down from the role of India’s T20 captain after the T20 World Cup in UAE, wife Anushka Sharma reacted. Sharing Virat’s statement on her timeline, Anushka Sharma dropped a red heart emoji with the post.

As Virat Kohli announced his decision to step down from the role of India’s T20 captain after the T20 World Cup in UAE, wife Anushka Sharma reacted. Sharing Virat’s statement on her timeline, Anushka Sharma dropped a red heart emoji with the post. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's post reads: "Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket. I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 Captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 Team as a batsman moving forward." "Of course, arriving at this decision took a lot of time. After a lot of contemplation and discussions with my close people, Ravi bhai and also Rohit, who have been an essential part of the leadership group, I've decided to step down as the T20 Captain after this T20 World Cup in Dubai in October. I have also spoken to the secretary Mr Jay Shah and the President of BCCI Mr Sourav Ganguly along with all the selectors about the same. I will continue to serve Indian Cricket and the Indian Team to the best of my ability," he also said. Currently, Anushka Sharma is in Dubai with Virat Kohli, who will compete in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 that resumes on Sunday.

Anushka Sharma's reaction to Virat Kohli stepping down as T20 captain is all-hearts

<p>Virat Kohli announced his decision to resign as India's T20I captain after the forthcoming World Cup in the shortest format, to be held in the UAE from October 17. While his decision surprised many in the cricketing fraternity, the 32-year-old Kohli has revealed that he wants to get rid of some responsibilities and concentrate on his batting, while leading the national side in Test and ODIs.</p>

<p>Irfan Pathan, India's former all-rounder, reacted to the development and has a valid question up his sleeves. While Pathan lauded Kohli for his leadership in T20Is -- leading India to away series wins in New Zealand, England, South Africa, Australia -- the cricketer-turned-commentator questioned the timing of his decision.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The timing of the announcement has definitely surprised me because you normally take such calls after a tournament. I wonder what will happen if we go to win the T20 World Cup,” said the former India all-rounder.</p>

<p>“He has been a wonderful leader and we have seen what he can do in Test cricket in terms of leadership. There will obviously be questions of him not winning ICC tournaments, but I am sure he has taken the decision after a lot of thought. It is not an easy decision for anyone, but I hope that for the legacy of Virat, we win this World Cup. I hope he can finish it in style by winning the title,” he added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohlis-decision-to-resign-as-t20i-captain-completely-his-own-bcci-had-no-role-to-pay-report-413700"><strong>Virat Kohli's decision to resign as T20I captain completely his own, BCCI had no role to pay: Report</strong></a></p>

<p>Kohli will lead the Men in Blue for the last time in the shortest format in the upcoming mega event, where the one-time winners will start their campaign on October 24 versus Pakistan. India are in Group 2, along with the Men in Green, New Zealand, Afghanistan with two more teams set to join from the qualifiers.</p>

<p>Will Kohli lead India to their second T20 WC title and sign off as a captain in the shortest format on a high? Only time will tell...</p>


Virat Kohli announced his decision to resign as India's T20I captain after the forthcoming World Cup in the shortest format, to be held in the UAE from October 17.

Virat Kohli announced his decision to resign as India's T20I captain after the forthcoming World Cup in the shortest format, to be held in the UAE from October 17. While his decision surprised many in the cricketing fraternity, the 32-year-old Kohli has revealed that he wants to get rid of some responsibilities and concentrate on his batting, while leading the national side in Test and ODIs. Irfan Pathan, India's former all-rounder, reacted to the development and has a valid question up his sleeves. While Pathan lauded Kohli for his leadership in T20Is -- leading India to away series wins in New Zealand, England, South Africa, Australia -- the cricketer-turned-commentator questioned the timing of his decision. "The timing of the announcement has definitely surprised me because you normally take such calls after a tournament. I wonder what will happen if we go to win the T20 World Cup,” said the former India all-rounder. “He has been a wonderful leader and we have seen what he can do in Test cricket in terms of leadership. There will obviously be questions of him not winning ICC tournaments, but I am sure he has taken the decision after a lot of thought. It is not an easy decision for anyone, but I hope that for the legacy of Virat, we win this World Cup. I hope he can finish it in style by winning the title,” he added. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli's decision to resign as T20I captain completely his own, BCCI had no role to pay: Report Kohli will lead the Men in Blue for the last time in the shortest format in the upcoming mega event, where the one-time winners will start their campaign on October 24 versus Pakistan. India are in Group 2, along with the Men in Green, New Zealand, Afghanistan with two more teams set to join from the qualifiers. Will Kohli lead India to their second T20 WC title and sign off as a captain in the shortest format on a high? Only time will tell...

Irfan Pathan asks a valid question as Virat Kohli set to resign as T20 captain after World Cup

virat-kohli

Virat Kohli, News on Virat Kohli, stories on Virat Kohli, articles on Virat Kohli, Virat Kohli stories at Wion, Virat Kohli news, Virat Kohli latest news

virat kohli