<p>India's limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma has cleared the fitness test held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Wednesday (January 26). Rohit, who was named the white-ball captain in early December, 2021, had missed the entire South Africa series due to hamstring injury, where India lost the three Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs.</p>

<p>Sources close to the development have already confirmed that members of the All-India Senior Selection Committee are set to conduct a meeting to announce the Indian squad for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies on Wednesday. Prior to it,&nbsp;a&nbsp;fitness test was scheduled for Rohit in the afternoon and Hitman has cleared the test with flying colours. As per the latest developments, the 34-year-old is set to return back to the Indian team and lead the national side in the upcoming three ODIs and equal number of T20Is versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies, starting on February 6 in Ahmedabad.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-central-contracts-test-specialists-cheteshwar-pujara-ajinkya-rahane-likely-face-demotion-report-447737"><strong>BCCI central contracts: Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane likely face demotion - Report</strong></a></p>

<p>According to the PTI, Rohit is also set to be announced the next Test captain. On January 15, Virat Kohli had stepped down as the Indian Test captain, only a day after India lost the three Tests versus Dean Elgar-led Proteas in the rainbow nation. Hence, Rohit is being touted to be the next red-ball captain and take over captaincy duties altogether for Team India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>KL Rahul is expected to remain Rohit's deputy across all formats. On the other hand, the selectors are expected to rest ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah for the West Indies series. The WI series will be followed by Sri Lanka's tour of India, comprising two Tests and three T20Is.</p>


India's limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma has cleared the fitness test held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Wednesday (January 26). Rohit, who was named the white-ball captain in early December, 2021, had missed the entire South Africa series due to hamstring injury, where India lost the three Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs.

India's limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma has cleared the fitness test held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Wednesday (January 26). Rohit, who was named the white-ball captain in early December, 2021, had missed the entire South Africa series due to hamstring injury, where India lost the three Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs. Sources close to the development have already confirmed that members of the All-India Senior Selection Committee are set to conduct a meeting to announce the Indian squad for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies on Wednesday. Prior to it, a fitness test was scheduled for Rohit in the afternoon and Hitman has cleared the test with flying colours. As per the latest developments, the 34-year-old is set to return back to the Indian team and lead the national side in the upcoming three ODIs and equal number of T20Is versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies, starting on February 6 in Ahmedabad. ALSO READ | BCCI central contracts: Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane likely face demotion - Report According to the PTI, Rohit is also set to be announced the next Test captain. On January 15, Virat Kohli had stepped down as the Indian Test captain, only a day after India lost the three Tests versus Dean Elgar-led Proteas in the rainbow nation. Hence, Rohit is being touted to be the next red-ball captain and take over captaincy duties altogether for Team India. KL Rahul is expected to remain Rohit's deputy across all formats. On the other hand, the selectors are expected to rest ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah for the West Indies series. The WI series will be followed by Sri Lanka's tour of India, comprising two Tests and three T20Is.

Good news for Team India fans! Rohit Sharma clears fitness test ahead of West Indies series: Report

<p>Senior batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are set to be demoted in BCCI's central contract list. The two senior players have been under the radar for quite sometime, owing to their poor scores in the red-ball format. Pujara's last Test ton came in early 2019 whereas the former vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has not been able to score a hundred following his heroics in the MCG Test between India and Australia in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.</p>

<p>Rahane's 112 in the MCG Test remains his last Test century and, thus, the right-hander also lost the vice-captaincy post recently.&nbsp;Both Rahane and Pujara were offered a Grade A contract by BCCI in 2021, with a&nbsp;salary of Rs 5 crore each (INR 50 millions).</p>

<p>As per The&nbsp;<em>Times of India</em>, the two will be demoted to Grade B due to their low returns with the bat. The players in Grade B have a salary of Rs 3 crore each (INR 30 millions). In addition, as per the report, veteran pacers Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are also likely to be dropped in the contract list.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-hints-at-change-of-template-for-team-india-in-white-ball-cricket-post-south-africa-odis-447382"><strong>Rahul Dravid hints at change of template for Team India in white-ball cricket post South Africa ODIs</strong></a></p>

<p>On the other hand, the likes of KL Rahul and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will not be promoted&nbsp;in the central contract list, the report further adds. While the two players feature in all forms of the game for Team India, they were likely to get a promotion to Grade A+ category. However, the report suggests that it may not happen so soon for them.</p>

<p>The Grade A+ category comprises three players, such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and speedster Jasprit Bumrah. Apart from the contract list, the Indian team for the forthcoming limited-overs series versus West Indies is also set to be announced very soon.</p>

<p>After the disastrous tour of South Africa, India will now gear up to host West Indies and Sri Lanka before the action moves to the IPL 2022 edition.</p>


Senior batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are set to be demoted in BCCI's central contract list. The two senior players have been under the radar for quite sometime, owing to their poor scores in the red-ball format.

Senior batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are set to be demoted in BCCI's central contract list. The two senior players have been under the radar for quite sometime, owing to their poor scores in the red-ball format. Pujara's last Test ton came in early 2019 whereas the former vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has not been able to score a hundred following his heroics in the MCG Test between India and Australia in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rahane's 112 in the MCG Test remains his last Test century and, thus, the right-hander also lost the vice-captaincy post recently. Both Rahane and Pujara were offered a Grade A contract by BCCI in 2021, with a salary of Rs 5 crore each (INR 50 millions). As per The Times of India, the two will be demoted to Grade B due to their low returns with the bat. The players in Grade B have a salary of Rs 3 crore each (INR 30 millions). In addition, as per the report, veteran pacers Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are also likely to be dropped in the contract list. ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid hints at change of template for Team India in white-ball cricket post South Africa ODIs On the other hand, the likes of KL Rahul and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will not be promoted in the central contract list, the report further adds. While the two players feature in all forms of the game for Team India, they were likely to get a promotion to Grade A+ category. However, the report suggests that it may not happen so soon for them. The Grade A+ category comprises three players, such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and speedster Jasprit Bumrah. Apart from the contract list, the Indian team for the forthcoming limited-overs series versus West Indies is also set to be announced very soon. After the disastrous tour of South Africa, India will now gear up to host West Indies and Sri Lanka before the action moves to the IPL 2022 edition.

BCCI central contracts: Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane likely face demotion - Report

<p>India has dived into celebrations as the rich and diverse country&nbsp;is celebrating its 73rd&nbsp;Republic Day, a day celebrated to honour the prestigious Constitution of India which came into force&nbsp;in the year 1950. Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and plenty of important personalities have, hence, been busy involved in the Republic Day parade in the national capital, New Delhi on Wednesday.</p>

<p>On the occasion, PM Narendra Modi tweeted and wrote, "Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!"</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">आप सभी को गणतंत्र दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। जय हिंद!<br />
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Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicDay</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1486157370711756803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>President of India Ram Nath Kovind also addressed the nation on the eve of the R-Day celebrations nationwide. He told the countrymen in his speech, "My heartiest greetings to all of you, in India and abroad, on the eve of the 73<sup>rd&nbsp;</sup>Republic Day! It is an occasion to celebrate what is common to us all, our Indian-ness. It was on this day in 1950 that this sacred essence of us all assumed a formal shape. That day, India was established as the largest democratic republic and ‘we the people’ put into effect a Constitution that is an inspired document of our collective vision. The diversity and vibrancy of our democracy is appreciated world-wide. It is this spirit of unity and of being one nation which is celebrated&nbsp;every year&nbsp;as Republic Day. This year’s celebrations may be muted due to the pandemic, but the spirit is as strong as ever."</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/padma-shri-for-neeraj-chopra-and-5-others-devendra-jhajharia-to-be-honoured-with-padma-bhushan-447533"><strong>Padma Shri for Neeraj Chopra and 5 others, Devendra Jhajharia to be honoured with Padma Bhushan</strong></a></p>

<p>Wishes have been pouring in from the sports fraternity as well. The likes of Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Neeraj Chopra, Sania Mirza and many others have also taken to their respective Twitter handles to lead wishes on the landmark day for the nation. <strong>Here are some wishes from the sporting icons of the country:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy Republic Day to all. Proud to be an Indian. 🇮🇳</p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1486203310092976131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, more prosperous than our own Bharat.<br />
Jai Hind 🙏🏼<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/vdgzIRafZJ">pic.twitter.com/vdgzIRafZJ</a></p>
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/1486210872250798082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sharing something close to my heart - The “𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺”.<br />
<br />
Happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicDay</a> to all my fellow Indians! 🇮🇳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SportPlayingNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SportPlayingNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/RmeoLdydAY">pic.twitter.com/RmeoLdydAY</a></p>
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1486214937412517888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">After laying down countless lives, we got the rights to protect each life! Cherish it! Happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicDay</a>🇮🇳</p>
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) <a href="https://twitter.com/GautamGambhir/status/1486196375125897220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy Republic Day 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/M1J8ZqSqGa">pic.twitter.com/M1J8ZqSqGa</a></p>
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) <a href="https://twitter.com/MirzaSania/status/1486201720405622784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wish u all a very Happy Republic Day 🙏🙏.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyRepublicDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappyRepublicDay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/jaihind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#jaihind</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> 🇮🇳🇮🇳</p>
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSaina/status/1486154248346046464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">मेरे सभी देशवासियों को <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B8?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#गणतंत्रदिवस</a> के अवसर पर हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं । 🇮🇳<br />
<br />
Wishing all of you a very Happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/MQOsIl17Wy">pic.twitter.com/MQOsIl17Wy</a></p>
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Neeraj_chopra1/status/1486204334086168577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDayIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicDayIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/i2laY3s7pK">pic.twitter.com/i2laY3s7pK</a></p>
— Vijender Singh (@boxervijender) <a href="https://twitter.com/boxervijender/status/1486200328756207616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Greetings to every Indian on the occasion of our 73rd <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RepublicDay</a>. Our diversity is our beauty and I wish everyone peace, good health and happiness. Jai Hind! <a href="https://t.co/6pedL3jnwc">pic.twitter.com/6pedL3jnwc</a></p>
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) <a href="https://twitter.com/VVSLaxman281/status/1486172951171178501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-olympic-hero-neeraj-chopra-to-be-awarded-with-param-vashistha-seva-medal-on-republic-day-447451"><strong>India's Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra to be awarded with Param Vashistha Seva Medal on Republic Day</strong></a></p>

<p>For the unversed, this year's celebrations are all the more special as it falls in the 75th year of Independence. Thus the celebrations are marked as the 'Azaadi ka Mahotsav' across the country. Moreover, the yearly R-Day celebrations will now last from January 23-30. January 23 marks the birth anniversary of one of the great Indian freedom fighters, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whereas 30th of January is observed as the Martyrs' Day.</p>


India has dived into celebrations as the rich and diverse country is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day, a day celebrated to honour the prestigious Constitution of India which came into force in the year 1950.

India has dived into celebrations as the rich and diverse country is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day, a day celebrated to honour the prestigious Constitution of India which came into force in the year 1950. Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and plenty of important personalities have, hence, been busy involved in the Republic Day parade in the national capital, New Delhi on Wednesday. On the occasion, PM Narendra Modi tweeted and wrote, "Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!" आप सभी को गणतंत्र दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। जय हिंद! Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind! #RepublicDay — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 26, 2022 × President of India Ram Nath Kovind also addressed the nation on the eve of the R-Day celebrations nationwide. He told the countrymen in his speech, "My heartiest greetings to all of you, in India and abroad, on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day! It is an occasion to celebrate what is common to us all, our Indian-ness. It was on this day in 1950 that this sacred essence of us all assumed a formal shape. That day, India was established as the largest democratic republic and ‘we the people’ put into effect a Constitution that is an inspired document of our collective vision. The diversity and vibrancy of our democracy is appreciated world-wide. It is this spirit of unity and of being one nation which is celebrated every year as Republic Day. This year’s celebrations may be muted due to the pandemic, but the spirit is as strong as ever." ALSO READ | Padma Shri for Neeraj Chopra and 5 others, Devendra Jhajharia to be honoured with Padma Bhushan Wishes have been pouring in from the sports fraternity as well. The likes of Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Neeraj Chopra, Sania Mirza and many others have also taken to their respective Twitter handles to lead wishes on the landmark day for the nation. Here are some wishes from the sporting icons of the country: Happy Republic Day to all. Proud to be an Indian. 🇮🇳 — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 26, 2022 × May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, more prosperous than our own Bharat. Jai Hind 🙏🏼#RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/vdgzIRafZJ — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 26, 2022 × Sharing something close to my heart - The “𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺”. Happy #RepublicDay to all my fellow Indians! 🇮🇳#SportPlayingNation pic.twitter.com/RmeoLdydAY — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 26, 2022 × After laying down countless lives, we got the rights to protect each life! Cherish it! Happy #RepublicDay🇮🇳 — Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) January 26, 2022 × Happy Republic Day 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/M1J8ZqSqGa — Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) January 26, 2022 × Wish u all a very Happy Republic Day 🙏🙏.. #HappyRepublicDay #jaihind #India 🇮🇳🇮🇳 — Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) January 26, 2022 × मेरे सभी देशवासियों को #गणतंत्रदिवस के अवसर पर हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं । 🇮🇳 Wishing all of you a very Happy #RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/MQOsIl17Wy — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) January 26, 2022 × #RepublicDayIndia pic.twitter.com/i2laY3s7pK — Vijender Singh (@boxervijender) January 26, 2022 × Greetings to every Indian on the occasion of our 73rd #RepublicDay. Our diversity is our beauty and I wish everyone peace, good health and happiness. Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/6pedL3jnwc — VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) January 26, 2022 × ALSO READ | India's Olympic hero Neeraj Chopra to be awarded with Param Vashistha Seva Medal on Republic Day For the unversed, this year's celebrations are all the more special as it falls in the 75th year of Independence. Thus the celebrations are marked as the 'Azaadi ka Mahotsav' across the country. Moreover, the yearly R-Day celebrations will now last from January 23-30. January 23 marks the birth anniversary of one of the great Indian freedom fighters, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whereas 30th of January is observed as the Martyrs' Day.

Virat Kohli, Neeraj Chopra lead wishes from sports fraternity as India celebrates 73rd Republic Day

<p>Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Following the Virat Kohli-led Indian team's shambolic performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE, many changes took place in the Indian cricket. Kohli had already announced that the T20 WC will be his last as the captain in the shortest format. He was replaced by Rohit Sharma before Hitman was also named the ODI captain following Kohli's sacking in early December, 2021.</p>

<p>The BCCI selectors sacked Kohli as the ODI captain, with a view to have only one white-ball skipper going forward. Following that, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly stated that he had requested Kohli to not quit as T20I captain, however, the latter denied all such claims during his explosive presser before India's tour of South Africa, on December 15.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli also stated that he had no prior communication from the national selectors before being sacked as the ODI captain. While the India-SA Tests ended amid tension between Kohli and the board-national selectors, the 33-year-old went onto resign as the Test captain as well following the red-ball series in the rainbow nation, on January 15.</p>

<p>Thus, the tension between Kohli and the BCCI is evident from the outside. Kapil Dev, India's first World Cup-winning captain, has now joined the bandwagon and reacted to the whole controversy. He feels both sides should talk it out and sort things out, keeping the country and team in mind.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/playing-against-india-is-md-rizwan-recalls-pakistans-historic-triumph-over-men-in-blue-in-2021-t20wc-447525"><strong>'Playing against India is...': Md Rizwan recalls Pakistan's historic triumph over Men in Blue in 2021 T20WC</strong></a></p>

<p>Speaking to&nbsp;<em>The Week</em>&nbsp;magazine, Kapil pointed out, "They should have sorted out the issues between them. Pick up the phone, talk to each other, put the country and team before yourself. In the beginning, I also got everything I wanted. But sometimes, you may not get it. That should not mean that you leave the captaincy. If he has left it because of that, then I do not know what to say. He is a fabulous player; [I want to] watch him play so much more and score runs, especially in Test cricket.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-vs-bcci-is-there-any-real-winner-in-this-tussle-446528">Virat Kohli vs BCCI: Is there any real winner in this tussle?</a></strong></p>

<p>Rahul Dravid-led India recently ended their dismal tour of SA. They lost the Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding three ODIs. With many blaming the Kohli vs BCCI row for India's downfall in the African nation, the Indian cricket loyalists hope that the matter is sorted out at the earliest to prevent the team's downfall going forward.</p>


Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Following the Virat Kohli-led Indian team's shambolic performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE, many changes took place in the Indian cricket.

Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Following the Virat Kohli-led Indian team's shambolic performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE, many changes took place in the Indian cricket. Kohli had already announced that the T20 WC will be his last as the captain in the shortest format. He was replaced by Rohit Sharma before Hitman was also named the ODI captain following Kohli's sacking in early December, 2021. The BCCI selectors sacked Kohli as the ODI captain, with a view to have only one white-ball skipper going forward. Following that, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly stated that he had requested Kohli to not quit as T20I captain, however, the latter denied all such claims during his explosive presser before India's tour of South Africa, on December 15. Kohli also stated that he had no prior communication from the national selectors before being sacked as the ODI captain. While the India-SA Tests ended amid tension between Kohli and the board-national selectors, the 33-year-old went onto resign as the Test captain as well following the red-ball series in the rainbow nation, on January 15. Thus, the tension between Kohli and the BCCI is evident from the outside. Kapil Dev, India's first World Cup-winning captain, has now joined the bandwagon and reacted to the whole controversy. He feels both sides should talk it out and sort things out, keeping the country and team in mind. ALSO READ | 'Playing against India is...': Md Rizwan recalls Pakistan's historic triumph over Men in Blue in 2021 T20WC Speaking to The Week magazine, Kapil pointed out, "They should have sorted out the issues between them. Pick up the phone, talk to each other, put the country and team before yourself. In the beginning, I also got everything I wanted. But sometimes, you may not get it. That should not mean that you leave the captaincy. If he has left it because of that, then I do not know what to say. He is a fabulous player; [I want to] watch him play so much more and score runs, especially in Test cricket. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli vs BCCI: Is there any real winner in this tussle? Rahul Dravid-led India recently ended their dismal tour of SA. They lost the Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding three ODIs. With many blaming the Kohli vs BCCI row for India's downfall in the African nation, the Indian cricket loyalists hope that the matter is sorted out at the earliest to prevent the team's downfall going forward.

Pick up the phone and talk: Kapil Dev opines on Virat Kohli vs BCCI row, says 'put country, team before self'

<p>Babar Azam-led Pakistan were very impressive in the 2021 T20 World Cup, in the UAE. Being unbeaten enroute the semi-finals, the Men in Green couldn't enter the final after losing their semi-final fixture to eventual winners Aaron Finch-led Australia in Dubai.</p>

<p>There were many heroes for Pakistan throughout their campaign, such as Babar, Md Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, etc. Recently, wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan recalled Pakistan's stunning ten-wicket win over Virat Kohli's Team India in the T20 WC.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/what-are-you-doing-rizwan-recalls-hilarious-chat-with-kohli-during-high-voltage-indo-pak-t20-wc-tie-445969">'What are you doing' - Rizwan recalls hilarious chat with Kohli during high-voltage Indo-Pak T20 WC tie</a></strong></p>

<p>"Honestly, it felt like a normal match, like any other game. We felt the hype of the World Cup after getting there (in UAE). Before the match, I had an interview with Indian media and they asked if I was nervous. I told them that I don't feel any different as of now but if and when I do, I will let you know (chuckles)," Rizwan told Cricket Pakistan in an interview.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After Pakistan returned home following their impressive run in the T20 WC, Rizwan revealed that it was then when the team realised how much their win over India meant to the countrymen. "But the response and love we received from the fans and the country cannot be explained in words. When we got home from the Bangladesh tour after the World Cup, the reception made me realise that playing against India is not ordinary because there's much more at stake than playing against any other opposition,” Rizwan added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pak-better-than-india-akhtar-makes-bold-claim-predicts-men-in-green-to-win-2022-t20-wc-face-off-447142"><strong>PAK better than India: Akhtar makes bold claim, predicts Men in Green to win 2022 T20 WC face-off</strong></a></p>

<p>Recently, ICC revealed the full schedule for the 2022 T20 WC, to be held later this year in Australia. India and Pakistan are once again placed in the same group, i.e. Pool 2, and will lock horns with each other on October 23 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCG.</p>


Babar Azam-led Pakistan were very impressive in the 2021 T20 World Cup, in the UAE. Being unbeaten enroute the semi-finals, the Men in Green couldn't enter the final after losing their semi-final fixture to eventual winners Aaron Finch-led Australia in Dubai.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan were very impressive in the 2021 T20 World Cup, in the UAE. Being unbeaten enroute the semi-finals, the Men in Green couldn't enter the final after losing their semi-final fixture to eventual winners Aaron Finch-led Australia in Dubai. There were many heroes for Pakistan throughout their campaign, such as Babar, Md Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, etc. Recently, wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan recalled Pakistan's stunning ten-wicket win over Virat Kohli's Team India in the T20 WC. ALSO READ | 'What are you doing' - Rizwan recalls hilarious chat with Kohli during high-voltage Indo-Pak T20 WC tie "Honestly, it felt like a normal match, like any other game. We felt the hype of the World Cup after getting there (in UAE). Before the match, I had an interview with Indian media and they asked if I was nervous. I told them that I don't feel any different as of now but if and when I do, I will let you know (chuckles)," Rizwan told Cricket Pakistan in an interview. After Pakistan returned home following their impressive run in the T20 WC, Rizwan revealed that it was then when the team realised how much their win over India meant to the countrymen. "But the response and love we received from the fans and the country cannot be explained in words. When we got home from the Bangladesh tour after the World Cup, the reception made me realise that playing against India is not ordinary because there's much more at stake than playing against any other opposition,” Rizwan added. ALSO READ | PAK better than India: Akhtar makes bold claim, predicts Men in Green to win 2022 T20 WC face-off Recently, ICC revealed the full schedule for the 2022 T20 WC, to be held later this year in Australia. India and Pakistan are once again placed in the same group, i.e. Pool 2, and will lock horns with each other on October 23 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, MCG.

'Playing against India is...': Md Rizwan recalls Pakistan's historic triumph over Men in Blue in 2021 T20WC

<p>Virat Kohli will not be leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) having stepped down from captaincy after the conclusion of IPL 2021 in the UAE last year. Kohli had led RCB to the playoffs of IPL 2021 in what was his final season as the captain of the franchise.</p>

<p>RCB will be looking for a captaincy candidate when they head into the upcoming IPL mega auction ahead of the 2022 season. While there are several top players who are set to go under the hammer, star India batter Shreyas Iyer is reportedly on the radar of several franchises as a potential captaincy candidate.</p>

<p>Iyer was part of the Delhi Capitals squad last year and parted ways with the franchise after being replaced by Rishabh Pant as captain. Iyer had led Delhi Capitals to their maiden IPL final in the 2020 season and has already proven his leadership qualities in the league.</p>

<p>While the two new teams - Lucknow Super Giants and the Ahmedabad IPL franchise have already roped in KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya as their captains respectively, there are a number of teams who will be on the lookout for potential captaincy candidates.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cheaper-hotels-minimum-air-travel-south-africa-makes-lucrative-offer-to-bcci-in-a-bid-to-host-ipl-2022-447399">Cheaper hotels, minimum air-travel: South Africa makes lucrative offer to BCCI in a bid to host IPL 2022</a><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>Iyer is reportedly on RCB's radar for the captaincy role after Kohli's decision to quit. However, former India opener Aakash Chopra believes RCB should not keep the Indian star batter as their number one option. While sharing his views on the RCB captaincy debate, Chopra suggested the franchise can rope in West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder as the captain of the team.</p>

<p>Chopra also suggested the idea of Glenn Maxwell, who has been retained by the franchise, as a potential captaincy candidate for IPL 2022. While Maxwell is already part of the RCB squad, Holder played for Sunrisers Hyderabad last year and will be entering the IPL mega auction this time around.</p>

<p>"Shreyas Iyer is an option. Bangalore can think about him but personally, he is not my No. 1 pick for Bangalore because the ground is not like that. He is a top-order batter and it will not work out if you send him below No. 4. You might not have a place till No. 4 as you have Kohli and Maxwell, and you are trying to bat Maxwell up the order," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.</p>

<p>&nbsp;"They can either think about Maxwell or let me just throw a name here - Jason Holder. He is an unassuming character, does not impose himself, he is absolutely perfect for a franchise like RCB. He will play all the matches, he knows how to run a team and he will never take the center stage," Chopra added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shreyas-iyer-to-david-warner-full-list-of-players-with-highest-base-price-of-rs-2cr-ahead-of-ipl-mega-auction-446663">Iyer to Warner: Full list of players with highest base price of Rs 2cr ahead of IPL mega auction</a></p>

<p>RCB have managed to qualify for the playoffs in the last two seasons but are yet to win their maiden IPL trophy. Kohli was leading the side from 2013 but failed to inspire them to glory even once in the league. RCB will be hoping to spark a turnaround and build a strong team to win the tournament this year.</p>

<p>Holder has never led a team in the Indian Premier League but has been great as captainc with the West Indies national team. The all-rounder has played 26 IPL matches so far, amassing 189 runs and picking up 35 wickets.</p>

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Virat Kohli will not be leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) having stepped down from captaincy after the conclusion of IPL 2021 in the UAE last year.

Virat Kohli will not be leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) having stepped down from captaincy after the conclusion of IPL 2021 in the UAE last year. Kohli had led RCB to the playoffs of IPL 2021 in what was his final season as the captain of the franchise. RCB will be looking for a captaincy candidate when they head into the upcoming IPL mega auction ahead of the 2022 season. While there are several top players who are set to go under the hammer, star India batter Shreyas Iyer is reportedly on the radar of several franchises as a potential captaincy candidate. Iyer was part of the Delhi Capitals squad last year and parted ways with the franchise after being replaced by Rishabh Pant as captain. Iyer had led Delhi Capitals to their maiden IPL final in the 2020 season and has already proven his leadership qualities in the league. While the two new teams - Lucknow Super Giants and the Ahmedabad IPL franchise have already roped in KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya as their captains respectively, there are a number of teams who will be on the lookout for potential captaincy candidates. Also Read: Cheaper hotels, minimum air-travel: South Africa makes lucrative offer to BCCI in a bid to host IPL 2022 Iyer is reportedly on RCB's radar for the captaincy role after Kohli's decision to quit. However, former India opener Aakash Chopra believes RCB should not keep the Indian star batter as their number one option. While sharing his views on the RCB captaincy debate, Chopra suggested the franchise can rope in West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder as the captain of the team. Chopra also suggested the idea of Glenn Maxwell, who has been retained by the franchise, as a potential captaincy candidate for IPL 2022. While Maxwell is already part of the RCB squad, Holder played for Sunrisers Hyderabad last year and will be entering the IPL mega auction this time around. "Shreyas Iyer is an option. Bangalore can think about him but personally, he is not my No. 1 pick for Bangalore because the ground is not like that. He is a top-order batter and it will not work out if you send him below No. 4. You might not have a place till No. 4 as you have Kohli and Maxwell, and you are trying to bat Maxwell up the order," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel. "They can either think about Maxwell or let me just throw a name here - Jason Holder. He is an unassuming character, does not impose himself, he is absolutely perfect for a franchise like RCB. He will play all the matches, he knows how to run a team and he will never take the center stage," Chopra added. Also Read: Iyer to Warner: Full list of players with highest base price of Rs 2cr ahead of IPL mega auction RCB have managed to qualify for the playoffs in the last two seasons but are yet to win their maiden IPL trophy. Kohli was leading the side from 2013 but failed to inspire them to glory even once in the league. RCB will be hoping to spark a turnaround and build a strong team to win the tournament this year. Holder has never led a team in the Indian Premier League but has been great as captainc with the West Indies national team. The all-rounder has played 26 IPL matches so far, amassing 189 runs and picking up 35 wickets.

Not Shreyas Iyer! Aakash Chopra names West Indies all-rounder who should replace Virat Kohli as RCB captain

<p>Team India were thrashed in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation. While the three Tests were extremely competitive, which Virat Kohli's India lost 2-1, the KL Rahul-led Men in Blue were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs.</p>

<p>Rahul &amp; Co. failed to chase down totals on two occasions whereas they also couldn't defend a competitive score in the second and penultimate ODI. With the series loss, India have now lost all their last bilateral ODI series in SENA countries (losing to England 2-1 in mid-2018, 2-1 to Australia in late 2020 and being whitewashed versus New Zealand and the Proteas). Thus, head coach Rahul Dravid opened up on the drubbing versus Bavuma &amp; Co. and hinted at a change of template on cards for Rohit Sharma-led India in the white-ball formats.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-is-a-rift-in-indian-team-virat-kohli-didnt-quit-test-captaincy-because-he-wanted-to-shoaib-akhtar-447351"><strong>There is a rift in Indian team, Virat Kohli didn't quit Test captaincy because he wanted to: Shoaib Akhtar</strong></a></p>

<p>Speaking in the post-match press conference Dravid opined, "We certainly could do better in the middle overs. We understand the template, and a large part of that template is dependent on the balance of your squad. Some of the guys who really help us balance out the squad and give us those all-round options at No. 6, 7 and 8 were not available for the selection. Hopefully, when they come back, it will give us a little more depth, which will allow us to play in a slightly different style."</p>

<p>"Having said that, even South Africa who batted first on two occasions scored 290 [296] and 280 [287]. If I think back to the 30th over [of the second innings] in both these games, we should have actually chased them down. We didn't because we played some poor shots and we didn't play smart cricket at critical situations," he further added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/time-we-get-better-and-transform-our-white-ball-cricket-says-rahul-post-indias-listless-performance-vs-sa-447258"><strong>Time we get better and transform our white-ball cricket, says Rahul post India's listless performance vs SA</strong></a></p>

<p>For the unversed, the likes of limited-overs captain Rohit, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya weren't part of the ODIs versus South Africa. It will be interesting to see the kind of changes in playing style and team combination India goes ahead with in the upcoming white-ball assignments.</p>

<p>Rohit &amp; Co. will now gear up for the limited-overs series versus West Indies at home. They will then host Sri Lanka in three T20Is before the action shifts to the IPL 2022 edition.</p>


Team India were thrashed in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation. While the three Tests were extremely competitive, which Virat Kohli's India lost 2-1, the KL Rahul-led Men in Blue were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs.

Team India were thrashed in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation. While the three Tests were extremely competitive, which Virat Kohli's India lost 2-1, the KL Rahul-led Men in Blue were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs. Rahul & Co. failed to chase down totals on two occasions whereas they also couldn't defend a competitive score in the second and penultimate ODI. With the series loss, India have now lost all their last bilateral ODI series in SENA countries (losing to England 2-1 in mid-2018, 2-1 to Australia in late 2020 and being whitewashed versus New Zealand and the Proteas). Thus, head coach Rahul Dravid opened up on the drubbing versus Bavuma & Co. and hinted at a change of template on cards for Rohit Sharma-led India in the white-ball formats. ALSO READ | There is a rift in Indian team, Virat Kohli didn't quit Test captaincy because he wanted to: Shoaib Akhtar Speaking in the post-match press conference Dravid opined, "We certainly could do better in the middle overs. We understand the template, and a large part of that template is dependent on the balance of your squad. Some of the guys who really help us balance out the squad and give us those all-round options at No. 6, 7 and 8 were not available for the selection. Hopefully, when they come back, it will give us a little more depth, which will allow us to play in a slightly different style." "Having said that, even South Africa who batted first on two occasions scored 290 [296] and 280 [287]. If I think back to the 30th over [of the second innings] in both these games, we should have actually chased them down. We didn't because we played some poor shots and we didn't play smart cricket at critical situations," he further added. ALSO READ | Time we get better and transform our white-ball cricket, says Rahul post India's listless performance vs SA For the unversed, the likes of limited-overs captain Rohit, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya weren't part of the ODIs versus South Africa. It will be interesting to see the kind of changes in playing style and team combination India goes ahead with in the upcoming white-ball assignments. Rohit & Co. will now gear up for the limited-overs series versus West Indies at home. They will then host Sri Lanka in three T20Is before the action shifts to the IPL 2022 edition.

Rahul Dravid hints at change of template for Team India in white-ball cricket post South Africa ODIs

<p>Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has made yet another controversial claim stating that there is possibly a rift in the current Indian team. In the past few months, Indian cricket has witnessed massive changes in the leadership group with Virat Kohli stepping down as captain from all three formats of the game. While Rohit Sharma is now in charge of the white-ball team, the selectors are yet to announce India's next Test captain.</p>

<p>Kohli had announced that he will step down as India's T20I captain after the T20 World Cup 2021 last year before being replaced by Rohit as the ODI captain as well. The move didn't go down well for Indian cricket as Kohli had a public fallout with the BCCI in December last year. The former captain revealed he was informed about the decision of his sacking as ODI captain only ninety minutes before it was made official.</p>

<p>Kohli shockingly announced his resignation from Test captaincy earlier this month, a day after India's 2-1 loss in the Test series against South Africa. While it is no secret that the relations between Kohli and the Indian cricket board have turned sour in the last few months, there have also been speculations of a possible rift in the Indian team.</p>

<p>Former Pakistan pacer Akhtar, who follows Indian cricket closely, believes there is a rift in the Indian team at present and that Kohli's decision to Test captaincy was not his own, as projected.</p>

<p>"I see a rift in this team. Important to see how the team will be handled. I don't think Kohli quit because he wanted to, such a situation was created that he had to leave captaincy. There are a lot of reasons behind Kohli's decision to leave Test captaincy, that I cannot say because of confidentiality," Akhtar said in a video on his YouTube channel.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shoaib-akhtar-makes-bizarre-statement-about-virat-kohli-would-not-have-married-if-i-were-in-his-place-447138">Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place</a></p>

<p>Akhtar also shared his views on India's 'humiliating' 3-0 defeat in the recently-concluded ODI series against South Africa. India suffered three back-to-back defeats in the series under KL Rahul's captaincy as permanent skipper Rohit Sharma had to sit out due to a hamstring injury.</p>

<p>Akhtar wants the Indian team to regroup well and keep the unrest aside to focus on the challenges ahead. The former Pakistan pacer backed India to bounce back strongly from their debacle against the Proteas.</p>

<p>"The recent performances have left India humiliating. I don't think the Indian team should be losing to such a South Africa team, that too in a demoralizing manner," said Akhtar.</p>

<p>"Moving ahead from this point, the BCCI, Management, captain and the rest of the players will have to regroup. The issues of unrest will have to be put to an end by the management. I didn't see a combined effort by the team in South Africa," he added.</p>

<p>India will next take on West Indies in an ODI series at home starting from next month.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p><br />
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Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has made yet another controversial claim stating that there is possibly a rift in the current Indian team. In the past few months, Indian cricket has witnessed massive changes in the leadership group with Virat Kohli stepping down as captain from all three formats of the game.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has made yet another controversial claim stating that there is possibly a rift in the current Indian team. In the past few months, Indian cricket has witnessed massive changes in the leadership group with Virat Kohli stepping down as captain from all three formats of the game. While Rohit Sharma is now in charge of the white-ball team, the selectors are yet to announce India's next Test captain. Kohli had announced that he will step down as India's T20I captain after the T20 World Cup 2021 last year before being replaced by Rohit as the ODI captain as well. The move didn't go down well for Indian cricket as Kohli had a public fallout with the BCCI in December last year. The former captain revealed he was informed about the decision of his sacking as ODI captain only ninety minutes before it was made official. Kohli shockingly announced his resignation from Test captaincy earlier this month, a day after India's 2-1 loss in the Test series against South Africa. While it is no secret that the relations between Kohli and the Indian cricket board have turned sour in the last few months, there have also been speculations of a possible rift in the Indian team. Former Pakistan pacer Akhtar, who follows Indian cricket closely, believes there is a rift in the Indian team at present and that Kohli's decision to Test captaincy was not his own, as projected. "I see a rift in this team. Important to see how the team will be handled. I don't think Kohli quit because he wanted to, such a situation was created that he had to leave captaincy. There are a lot of reasons behind Kohli's decision to leave Test captaincy, that I cannot say because of confidentiality," Akhtar said in a video on his YouTube channel. Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place Akhtar also shared his views on India's 'humiliating' 3-0 defeat in the recently-concluded ODI series against South Africa. India suffered three back-to-back defeats in the series under KL Rahul's captaincy as permanent skipper Rohit Sharma had to sit out due to a hamstring injury. Akhtar wants the Indian team to regroup well and keep the unrest aside to focus on the challenges ahead. The former Pakistan pacer backed India to bounce back strongly from their debacle against the Proteas. "The recent performances have left India humiliating. I don't think the Indian team should be losing to such a South Africa team, that too in a demoralizing manner," said Akhtar. "Moving ahead from this point, the BCCI, Management, captain and the rest of the players will have to regroup. The issues of unrest will have to be put to an end by the management. I didn't see a combined effort by the team in South Africa," he added. India will next take on West Indies in an ODI series at home starting from next month.

There is a rift in Indian team, Virat Kohli didn't quit Test captaincy because he wanted to: Shoaib Akhtar

<p>Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli welcomed their little bundle of joy, Vamika, in January last year. The two have been sharing updates and photos of their daughter with millions of fans and followers on their Instagram handles, but have refrained from revealing her face until now.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
On Sunday, during a&nbsp;cricket match in South Africa, Cape Town, a&nbsp;camera person panned the camera towards Anushka and Vamika celebrating Virat's on-field performance, giving a clear view of Vamika's face for the first time. Ever since then, the photos of Vamika are all over the internet.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Now, the star couple, who have been requesting media and fans to keep their daughter away from the spotlight, has issued a statement:&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="statement" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="45a688d7-3179-404e-946b-cfadbd4dab19" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/happy%2030th%20birthday%20-%202022-01-24T114112.521.jpg" /></p>

<p>"Hi guys! We realise that or daughters images were captured at the stadium yesterday and widely shared thereafter. We want to inform everyone that we were caught off guard and didn't know that the camera was on us. Our stance and request on the matter stays the same. We would really appreciate if Vamika's images are not clicked/published for reasons we have explained earlier. Thank you! (sic)."&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Some fans could not keep calm as they finally got a glimpse of their daughter. However, other internet users&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/sports/respect-their-privacy-netizens-react-as-video-of-virat-kohli-anushka-sharmas-daughter-goes-viral-446979">lashed out and condemned&nbsp;</a>circulation of Vamika's photo, demanding that the paparazzi&nbsp;delete it. Many fans even asked to report the tweets and tagged official accounts to delete them.</p>

<p>In December last year, Anushka took to her Instagram to thank the paparazzi for not circulating and posting Vamika's photos.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
''We are deeply thankful to the Indian paparazzi and most of the media fraternity for not publishing pictures/videos of Vamika. As parents, our request to the few who carried the images/video will be to support us going forward,” wrote the actor on behalf of herself and her cricketer-husband.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
We seek privacy for our child and would like to do our best to give her a chance to live her life freely away from media and social media. As she is older, we cannot restrict her movement and hence your support is needed so kindly practice restraint in the matter,” she added. &nbsp;<br />
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“A special thank you to fan clubs and people of the internet for going out of your way to not post images. It was kind and highly mature of you,” she concluded the statement.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The couple welcomed their first child together in January 2021. At the time, the star couple had issued a statement requesting paparazzi to respect their privacy. "Hi, Thank you for all the love that you have given us for all these years. We are happy to celebrate this momentous occasion with you. As parents, we have a simple request to make to you. We want to protect the privacy of our child and we need your help and support."</p>

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<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/p/CKvOEpOpEG_/?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 AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma)</a></p>
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<p>In an interview with Vogue in 2020, Anushka also said that she didn't want to&nbsp;raise her child in the public eye, “I think it’s a decision your child should be able to take. No kid should be made to be more special than the other,” she said earlier.&nbsp;</p>


Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli welcomed their little bundle of joy, Vamika, in January last year. The two have been sharing updates and photos of their daughter with millions of fans and followers on their Instagram handles, but have refrained from revealing her face until now.

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli welcomed their little bundle of joy, Vamika, in January last year. The two have been sharing updates and photos of their daughter with millions of fans and followers on their Instagram handles, but have refrained from revealing her face until now. On Sunday, during a cricket match in South Africa, Cape Town, a camera person panned the camera towards Anushka and Vamika celebrating Virat's on-field performance, giving a clear view of Vamika's face for the first time. Ever since then, the photos of Vamika are all over the internet. Now, the star couple, who have been requesting media and fans to keep their daughter away from the spotlight, has issued a statement: "Hi guys! We realise that or daughters images were captured at the stadium yesterday and widely shared thereafter. We want to inform everyone that we were caught off guard and didn't know that the camera was on us. Our stance and request on the matter stays the same. We would really appreciate if Vamika's images are not clicked/published for reasons we have explained earlier. Thank you! (sic)." Some fans could not keep calm as they finally got a glimpse of their daughter. However, other internet users lashed out and condemned circulation of Vamika's photo, demanding that the paparazzi delete it. Many fans even asked to report the tweets and tagged official accounts to delete them. In December last year, Anushka took to her Instagram to thank the paparazzi for not circulating and posting Vamika's photos. ''We are deeply thankful to the Indian paparazzi and most of the media fraternity for not publishing pictures/videos of Vamika. As parents, our request to the few who carried the images/video will be to support us going forward,” wrote the actor on behalf of herself and her cricketer-husband. We seek privacy for our child and would like to do our best to give her a chance to live her life freely away from media and social media. As she is older, we cannot restrict her movement and hence your support is needed so kindly practice restraint in the matter,” she added. “A special thank you to fan clubs and people of the internet for going out of your way to not post images. It was kind and highly mature of you,” she concluded the statement. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) × The couple welcomed their first child together in January 2021. At the time, the star couple had issued a statement requesting paparazzi to respect their privacy. "Hi, Thank you for all the love that you have given us for all these years. We are happy to celebrate this momentous occasion with you. As parents, we have a simple request to make to you. We want to protect the privacy of our child and we need your help and support." View this post on Instagram A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) × In an interview with Vogue in 2020, Anushka also said that she didn't want to raise her child in the public eye, “I think it’s a decision your child should be able to take. No kid should be made to be more special than the other,” she said earlier.

Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli issue statement post daughter Vamika's stadium pics go viral

<p>Virat Kohli dedicated his half-century to daughter Vamika with a 'cradle' celebration during the third and final ODI between India and South Africa at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Sunday. Kohli reached his half-century off 63 deliveries during India's run-chase against the Proteas and dedicated it to his daughter Vamika.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-anushka-sharma-virat-kohli-release-statement-after-daughter-vamikas-stadium-pics-go-viral-447038" hreflang="en">Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli release statement after daughter Vamika's stadium pics go viral</a></p>

<p>Kohli's wife and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma was present in the stands at the stadium to cheer the former India captain as he played a fantastic knock for the visitors after being dismissed for a duck in the last game. It was a special moment for Kohli and his family but pictures and videos of Vamika soon went viral on social media.</p>

<p><img alt="Anushka" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3bdd294f-6786-4575-8c72-5e0079d9ba30" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/happy%2030th%20birthday%20-%202022-01-24T114627.420.jpg" /></p>

<p>Kohli and Anushka, who had recently celebrated the first birthday of their daughter earlier this month, have always made sure to not reveal her face in the media. The star couple has been seen requesting media persons not to click pictures of their daughter and respect their privacy on several occasions.</p>

<p>However, on Sunday, as Kohli dedicated his fifty this daughter Vamika, the cameras soon panned towards Anushka, who was standing with her daughter in the stands. The videos and pictures flooded on social media in no time. Several fans came out in the support of the star couple and slammed those sharing pictures and videos of their daughter.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lot-of-people-wouldnt-have-been-able-to-digest-virat-kohli-reaching-50-60-wins-as-test-captain-ravi-shastri-446945">&nbsp;Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest Virat Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri</a></p>

<p>While many were left in awe after the revelation, some fans lashed out at the cameraman who captured the moment during the game in Cape Town on Sunday. The fans also requested others to respect Kohli and Anushka's privacy and not share the clips of their daughter.</p>

<p><strong>Check out some of the reactions:</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I'm begging all of you please delete that vamika video and Pic from your phone. Please respect their privacy please</p>
— Rahul (@Ittzz_Rahul) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ittzz_Rahul/status/1485267312525852674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Guys, please please do not circulate Vamika's photographs on social media. The cameraman showed her and Anushka but please respect their privacy and keep whatever photographs you have, to yourself. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnushkaSharma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnushkaSharma</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViratKohli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViratKohli</a></p>
— Ishika (@IshikaMullick) <a href="https://twitter.com/IshikaMullick/status/1485209354122919938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">can people stop posting vamika's photos as virat and anushka don't want anyone to see her face yet. the least we can do is respect their privacy.</p>
— Priyal Bhojak (@Priiiiiii____) <a href="https://twitter.com/Priiiiiii____/status/1485286272419909633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">please stop sharing vamika's photos, it is clearly against her parent's will, is it that tough to respect someone's privacy??</p>
— zenitsu | euphoria era (@7madridrings) <a href="https://twitter.com/7madridrings/status/1485277378339573762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We all know that accidentally we saw <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> daughter Vamika in while when Virat completed his half century so i request you all not to hype it and upload her photos just a request because he had done many efforts to maintain her life private.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vamika?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vamika</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/virat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#virat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA</a></p>
— SITASHAV SHARMA (@SitashavS) <a href="https://twitter.com/SitashavS/status/1485264691144261635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>It was a brilliant knock from Kohli, who had faced immense criticism from all corners after being dismissed on a duck in the second ODI against the Proteas which India lost by seven wickets. The former India captain bounced back in style and scored 65 runs off 84 balls laced with five fours.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Virat Kohli dedicated his half-century to daughter Vamika with a 'cradle' celebration during the third and final ODI between India and South Africa at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Sunday.

Virat Kohli dedicated his half-century to daughter Vamika with a 'cradle' celebration during the third and final ODI between India and South Africa at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Sunday. Kohli reached his half-century off 63 deliveries during India's run-chase against the Proteas and dedicated it to his daughter Vamika. Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli release statement after daughter Vamika's stadium pics go viral Kohli's wife and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma was present in the stands at the stadium to cheer the former India captain as he played a fantastic knock for the visitors after being dismissed for a duck in the last game. It was a special moment for Kohli and his family but pictures and videos of Vamika soon went viral on social media. Kohli and Anushka, who had recently celebrated the first birthday of their daughter earlier this month, have always made sure to not reveal her face in the media. The star couple has been seen requesting media persons not to click pictures of their daughter and respect their privacy on several occasions. However, on Sunday, as Kohli dedicated his fifty this daughter Vamika, the cameras soon panned towards Anushka, who was standing with her daughter in the stands. The videos and pictures flooded on social media in no time. Several fans came out in the support of the star couple and slammed those sharing pictures and videos of their daughter. Also Read: Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest Virat Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri While many were left in awe after the revelation, some fans lashed out at the cameraman who captured the moment during the game in Cape Town on Sunday. The fans also requested others to respect Kohli and Anushka's privacy and not share the clips of their daughter. Check out some of the reactions: I'm begging all of you please delete that vamika video and Pic from your phone. Please respect their privacy please — Rahul (@Ittzz_Rahul) January 23, 2022 × Guys, please please do not circulate Vamika's photographs on social media. The cameraman showed her and Anushka but please respect their privacy and keep whatever photographs you have, to yourself. #AnushkaSharma #ViratKohli — Ishika (@IshikaMullick) January 23, 2022 × can people stop posting vamika's photos as virat and anushka don't want anyone to see her face yet. the least we can do is respect their privacy. — Priyal Bhojak (@Priiiiiii____) January 23, 2022 × please stop sharing vamika's photos, it is clearly against her parent's will, is it that tough to respect someone's privacy?? — zenitsu | euphoria era (@7madridrings) January 23, 2022 × We all know that accidentally we saw @imVkohli daughter Vamika in while when Virat completed his half century so i request you all not to hype it and upload her photos just a request because he had done many efforts to maintain her life private.#vamika #virat #INDvSA — SITASHAV SHARMA (@SitashavS) January 23, 2022 × It was a brilliant knock from Kohli, who had faced immense criticism from all corners after being dismissed on a duck in the second ODI against the Proteas which India lost by seven wickets. The former India captain bounced back in style and scored 65 runs off 84 balls laced with five fours.

'Respect their privacy': Netizens react as video of Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma's daughter goes viral

<p>Team India ended their disastrous tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While Virat Kohli-led India were 1-0 up after winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill from thereon. Kohli &amp; Co. lost the Test series 2-1 and went onto be whitewashed by the Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the preceding ODIs.</p>

<p>In limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma's absence, KL Rahul led the Men in Blue in the three ODIs. Under Rahul, India remained winless by putting up a listless performance in the 50-over leg. After the tour, Rahul believes India have done many things right in the limited-overs formats in the last few years but their white-ball cricket needs a transformation right now.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-hardik-were-really-happy-watching-me-play-in-t20-wc-pak-pacer-recalls-his-time-as-indias-net-bowler-447247"><strong>Rahul, Hardik were really happy watching me play in T20 WC: Pak pacer recalls his time as India's net bowler</strong></a></p>

<p>Rahul told Sports Today in an exclusive chat, "It's a huge honour and it's a dream come true to represent my country and lead my country. Yes, the results didn't go our way but I think there were massive learning. We are at a stage right now where we have World Cups as the focus and we are working towards getting better as a team. I feel like we have played very good cricket over the last four or five years but it's also time for us to get better and transform our white-ball cricket."</p>

<p>During the three ODIs, Rahul's captaincy was heavily criticised. The 29-year-old's field settings and bowling changes were ineffective, when compared to his South African counterpart Bavuma. The star Indian batter has also not had much success as an IPL captain. Nonetheless, Rahul remains undeterred and feels he is learning and will only get better.</p>

<p>"I don't use that as an excuse for not winning, but I think we are a work in progress as a team. I learned so much while leading. Losses make you so much stronger than starting off with victories. My career has always been that way. I have always got everything slowly. I am confident in my leadership skills and I know that I can bring out the best from my players. I know I can do well for my country and franchise," Rahul added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-stick-your-hand-out-and-hurt-yourself-salman-butt-slams-team-indias-poor-show-in-south-africa-odis-447218"><strong>Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs</strong></a></p>

<p>After the SA tour, India will prepare for their home season, which starts with a limited-overs series versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies. It will be followed by two Tests and three T20Is versus Sri Lanka before the action moves to the IPL 2022 edition. It will be interesting to see if Rohit-led India come out with a new approach in the white-ball formats after the SA drubbing.</p>


Team India ended their disastrous tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While Virat Kohli-led India were 1-0 up after winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill from thereon.

Team India ended their disastrous tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While Virat Kohli-led India were 1-0 up after winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill from thereon. Kohli & Co. lost the Test series 2-1 and went onto be whitewashed by the Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the preceding ODIs. In limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma's absence, KL Rahul led the Men in Blue in the three ODIs. Under Rahul, India remained winless by putting up a listless performance in the 50-over leg. After the tour, Rahul believes India have done many things right in the limited-overs formats in the last few years but their white-ball cricket needs a transformation right now. ALSO READ | Rahul, Hardik were really happy watching me play in T20 WC: Pak pacer recalls his time as India's net bowler Rahul told Sports Today in an exclusive chat, "It's a huge honour and it's a dream come true to represent my country and lead my country. Yes, the results didn't go our way but I think there were massive learning. We are at a stage right now where we have World Cups as the focus and we are working towards getting better as a team. I feel like we have played very good cricket over the last four or five years but it's also time for us to get better and transform our white-ball cricket." During the three ODIs, Rahul's captaincy was heavily criticised. The 29-year-old's field settings and bowling changes were ineffective, when compared to his South African counterpart Bavuma. The star Indian batter has also not had much success as an IPL captain. Nonetheless, Rahul remains undeterred and feels he is learning and will only get better. "I don't use that as an excuse for not winning, but I think we are a work in progress as a team. I learned so much while leading. Losses make you so much stronger than starting off with victories. My career has always been that way. I have always got everything slowly. I am confident in my leadership skills and I know that I can bring out the best from my players. I know I can do well for my country and franchise," Rahul added. ALSO READ | Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs After the SA tour, India will prepare for their home season, which starts with a limited-overs series versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies. It will be followed by two Tests and three T20Is versus Sri Lanka before the action moves to the IPL 2022 edition. It will be interesting to see if Rohit-led India come out with a new approach in the white-ball formats after the SA drubbing.

Time we get better and transform our white-ball cricket, says Rahul post India's listless performance vs SA

<p>Haris Rauf was one of the top performers for Babar Azam-led Team Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Rauf returned with eight wickets in the showpiece event, with a best of 4 for 22 versus New Zealand. While he went wicketless and conceded at over ten per over in the semi-final clash versus eventual winners Australia, Rauf impressed overall with his raw pace.</p>

<p>Rauf's career took off after his maiden stint in the BBL 2019/20 season for the Glenn Maxwell-led Melbourne Stars. Not many know that the speedster was also a net bowler for Virat Kohli-led Team India during their 2018/19 tour of Australia for four Tests Down Under. Back then, he struck a chord with Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and the likes. In a recent interaction, the 28-year-old revealed that Rahul and Hardik were very happy seeing his progress and play for his country when they met him during India-Pakistan's 2021 T20 WC face-off in Dubai.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-stick-your-hand-out-and-hurt-yourself-salman-butt-slams-team-indias-poor-show-in-south-africa-odis-447218"><strong>Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs</strong></a></p>

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<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/p/BsHKy6LAMKe/?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 Haris Rauf (@harisraufofficial)</a></p>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pak-better-than-india-akhtar-makes-bold-claim-predicts-men-in-green-to-win-2022-t20-wc-face-off-447142"><strong>PAK better than India: Akhtar makes bold claim, predicts Men in Green to win 2022 T20 WC face-off</strong></a></p>

<p>Talking to&nbsp;<em>paktv.tv</em>&nbsp;recently Rauf recalled the interaction he had with Rahul and Hardik and said, "When I was net bowler for India, I had bowled to them in Sydney in the nets. So I had told them once that I would one day bowl to them in an international game. And both Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul had told me that I have the potential to bowl at international level. They gave me a lot of confidence."</p>

<p>"Then when I met them recently at the T20 World Cup, they remembered all our conversations. We had a discussion over it as well and they were really happy for me watching me play for Pakistan. When you play with good players you learn all the good things. I always try to learn good things from such players," he further added.</p>

<p>Rauf returned with 1 for 25 in Pakistan's 10-wicket win over India in the 2021 T20 WC. He debuted for the Men in Green during early 2020, in a T20I versus Bangladesh. So far, he&nbsp;has impressed one and all in his 34 T20Is, taking 41 wickets at an economy rate of&nbsp;8.44. In addition, he has represented Pakistan in 8 ODIs, claiming 14 wickets at an economy rate of less than 6.</p>


Haris Rauf was one of the top performers for Babar Azam-led Team Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Rauf returned with eight wickets in the showpiece event, with a best of 4 for 22 versus New Zealand.

Haris Rauf was one of the top performers for Babar Azam-led Team Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Rauf returned with eight wickets in the showpiece event, with a best of 4 for 22 versus New Zealand. While he went wicketless and conceded at over ten per over in the semi-final clash versus eventual winners Australia, Rauf impressed overall with his raw pace. Rauf's career took off after his maiden stint in the BBL 2019/20 season for the Glenn Maxwell-led Melbourne Stars. Not many know that the speedster was also a net bowler for Virat Kohli-led Team India during their 2018/19 tour of Australia for four Tests Down Under. Back then, he struck a chord with Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and the likes. In a recent interaction, the 28-year-old revealed that Rahul and Hardik were very happy seeing his progress and play for his country when they met him during India-Pakistan's 2021 T20 WC face-off in Dubai. ALSO READ | Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs View this post on Instagram A post shared by Haris Rauf (@harisraufofficial) × ALSO READ | PAK better than India: Akhtar makes bold claim, predicts Men in Green to win 2022 T20 WC face-off Talking to paktv.tv recently Rauf recalled the interaction he had with Rahul and Hardik and said, "When I was net bowler for India, I had bowled to them in Sydney in the nets. So I had told them once that I would one day bowl to them in an international game. And both Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul had told me that I have the potential to bowl at international level. They gave me a lot of confidence." "Then when I met them recently at the T20 World Cup, they remembered all our conversations. We had a discussion over it as well and they were really happy for me watching me play for Pakistan. When you play with good players you learn all the good things. I always try to learn good things from such players," he further added. Rauf returned with 1 for 25 in Pakistan's 10-wicket win over India in the 2021 T20 WC. He debuted for the Men in Green during early 2020, in a T20I versus Bangladesh. So far, he has impressed one and all in his 34 T20Is, taking 41 wickets at an economy rate of 8.44. In addition, he has represented Pakistan in 8 ODIs, claiming 14 wickets at an economy rate of less than 6.

Rahul, Hardik were really happy watching me play in T20 WC: Pak pacer recalls his time as India's net bowler

<p>Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While the Test series was evenly-contested, which the visitors lost 2-1, the Men in Blue were expected to beat the rather inexperienced Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the preceding three ODIs despite missing regular limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, the KL Rahul-led Indian team lost 3-0, repeating the same mistakes in every game to finish off a forgettable ODI series. Talking about the third and final ODI, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. Prasidh Krishna's 3 for 59 and two wickets each from Deepak Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the South Africans for 287 in 49.5 overs, courtesy Quinton de Kock's 124.</p>

<p>In reply, Rahul &amp; Co. were dismissed for 283 49.2 overs despite fighting fifties from Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Chahar. Reflecting on Team India's dismal showing in the three ODIs, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt slammed Rahul &amp; Co. for their ordinary performances, criticising the middle-order batters, team selection, etc.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hes-batting-on-a-different-planet-dinesh-karthik-backs-indian-star-urges-team-india-to-give-him-a-long-rope-447167"><strong>He's batting on a different planet: Dinesh Karthik backs Indian star, urges Team India to give him a long rope</strong></a></p>

<p>Butt said on his Youtube channel, "This is just sad. Despite being such a good team, losing all three matches to a relatively inexperienced side playing without a couple of their main pacers makes for a really sad scenario. The noise surrounding certain topics will only increase after all this."</p>

<p>Butt pointed out that the&nbsp;decision-making was poor in the entire ODIs and claimed, "Let things go on as they were. Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself? You made unnecessary and unreasonable changes. The team selection has been questionable. On this tour where Pant played some outstanding knocks, he also played some shots that held no logical reasoning."</p>

<p>"The selection of the bowling line-up was also very poor. If you have guys who can clock 140 kph, then what are you doing by playing Bhuvneshwar [Kumar] and Shardul Thakur. Moreover, the keeper was standing up the pacers This is not England where you can trap the batters on a wet pitch by bringing the wicketkeeper up to the medium pacers. These are questions that will have to be answered by the team management and the selectors," he added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/difficult-journeys-help-you-grow-kl-rahul-pens-emotional-note-after-indias-3-0-series-loss-vs-south-africa-447198"><strong>'Difficult journeys help you grow': KL Rahul pens emotional note after India's 3-0 series loss vs South Africa</strong></a></p>

<p>Butt mentioned few positives for India from the third and final ODI before stating that the middle-order lacks serious depth. "If you look at the good parts then Deepak Chahar bowled and batted well, and he single-handedly brought India close to victory. Before that, Suryakumar Yadav also batted well. He was set and if he continued to play calmly, then India would have won. He also got out to false shot. There was no need to play such an extravagant shot. The shot he got out to was not a good option and India eventually paid the price for it."</p>

<p>"We got to see one fault shot after another at a time when they were least needed. That's the main reason for their downfall. Moreover, batters didn't capitalise after getting set. Not many large scores were made in this series. India has been top-class sin chasing especially when Virat Kohli plays long. But their middle-order does not have depth," he concluded.</p>


Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While the Test series was evenly-contested, which the visitors lost 2-1, the Men in Blue were expected to beat the rather inexperienced Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the preceding three ODIs despite missing regular limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma.

Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While the Test series was evenly-contested, which the visitors lost 2-1, the Men in Blue were expected to beat the rather inexperienced Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the preceding three ODIs despite missing regular limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma. Nonetheless, the KL Rahul-led Indian team lost 3-0, repeating the same mistakes in every game to finish off a forgettable ODI series. Talking about the third and final ODI, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. Prasidh Krishna's 3 for 59 and two wickets each from Deepak Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the South Africans for 287 in 49.5 overs, courtesy Quinton de Kock's 124. In reply, Rahul & Co. were dismissed for 283 49.2 overs despite fighting fifties from Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Chahar. Reflecting on Team India's dismal showing in the three ODIs, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt slammed Rahul & Co. for their ordinary performances, criticising the middle-order batters, team selection, etc. ALSO READ | He's batting on a different planet: Dinesh Karthik backs Indian star, urges Team India to give him a long rope Butt said on his Youtube channel, "This is just sad. Despite being such a good team, losing all three matches to a relatively inexperienced side playing without a couple of their main pacers makes for a really sad scenario. The noise surrounding certain topics will only increase after all this." Butt pointed out that the decision-making was poor in the entire ODIs and claimed, "Let things go on as they were. Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself? You made unnecessary and unreasonable changes. The team selection has been questionable. On this tour where Pant played some outstanding knocks, he also played some shots that held no logical reasoning." "The selection of the bowling line-up was also very poor. If you have guys who can clock 140 kph, then what are you doing by playing Bhuvneshwar [Kumar] and Shardul Thakur. Moreover, the keeper was standing up the pacers This is not England where you can trap the batters on a wet pitch by bringing the wicketkeeper up to the medium pacers. These are questions that will have to be answered by the team management and the selectors," he added. ALSO READ | 'Difficult journeys help you grow': KL Rahul pens emotional note after India's 3-0 series loss vs South Africa Butt mentioned few positives for India from the third and final ODI before stating that the middle-order lacks serious depth. "If you look at the good parts then Deepak Chahar bowled and batted well, and he single-handedly brought India close to victory. Before that, Suryakumar Yadav also batted well. He was set and if he continued to play calmly, then India would have won. He also got out to false shot. There was no need to play such an extravagant shot. The shot he got out to was not a good option and India eventually paid the price for it." "We got to see one fault shot after another at a time when they were least needed. That's the main reason for their downfall. Moreover, batters didn't capitalise after getting set. Not many large scores were made in this series. India has been top-class sin chasing especially when Virat Kohli plays long. But their middle-order does not have depth," he concluded.

Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs

<p>Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). After winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill for the visitors. India missed the services of regular captain Virat Kohli for the second and penultimate Test -- at The Wanderers, Johannesburg -- due to upper back spasm and lost the plot from thereon.</p>

<p>Under KL Rahul, India lost their first-ever Test in J'burg. The series was levelled ahead of the Test series finale, where Kohli returned to the playing XI but failed to take India to a maiden series win in whites in the rainbow nation. India lost the Tests 2-1 and went onto lose the preceding three ODIs 3-0. Amid all this, Kohli stepped down as the Test captain -- after having been sacked as the ODI skipper and resigning as T20I captain last year.</p>

<p>Ahead of India's next Test series, i.e. a two-match series versus Sri Lanka at home before IPL 15, the national selectors have a tough ask to name the next captain in the red-ball format. Former Aussie spinner Shane Warne has named who should take over from Kohli in whites.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shoaib-akhtar-makes-bizarre-statement-about-virat-kohli-would-not-have-married-if-i-were-in-his-place-447138"><strong>Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place</strong></a></p>

<p>While there are four names doing the rounds&nbsp;for the Test captaincy spot -- KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant -- Warne has ruled out Pant's name. The spin wizard feels Bumrah can be the next Test captain.</p>

<p>“India are very lucky that they have got so many different options and people that could captain the team. For me, Jasprit Bumrah could do it but I think Rohit for the next couple of years and have him (Bumrah) as deputy. I don’t like a wicketkeeper as captain. I think a wicketkeeper makes a good vice-captain and deputies, never captain. So that is how I see it but India have got plenty of options. Rahane would be fantastic but his form just has just slipped a little lately. We saw what a terrific job he did in Australia last season when Virat went home. We know he can do a terrific job in the Test area. He just needs to make sure he is making runs,” Warne told Hindustan Times in an interview arranged by BookMyShow stream, the platform which premiers the spinner's documentary film ‘Shane’.</p>

<p>Warne, however, opened up on Pant and his batting approach. For the unversed, Pant played two good knocks in the just-concluded SA tour -- including a Test ton and a gritty 85 in the second ODI -- but drew criticism for his shot selection in India's second innings of the J''burg Test and the tour finale (i.e. the third ODI). In this regard, Warne said, "Do not change. Do not change, Rishabh Pant. He is my favourite cricketer. Let him keep playing the way he plays. The only statement I would say to Rishabh Pant… ‘All he needs to ask himself all the time is… what does the team need me to do right now? He asks himself that question and he will play the right way. Look, I hope no one changes Rishabh Pant. Just play the way you play because he is exciting and he is great to watch. I love him."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ravi-shastri-feels-pant-should-be-kept-in-mind-for-leadership-goes-ahead-with-senior-pro-as-next-test-captain-447086"><strong>Ravi Shastri feels Pant should be kept in mind for leadership, goes ahead with senior pro as next Test captain</strong></a></p>

<p>While Bumrah is also an option for Test captaincy, Rohit is the strongest contender to be the next skipper. He is already the limited-overs captain and can be asked to take up the same role in whites for a brief period, grooming his successor. As Bumrah doesn't feature in majority of India's home Tests, he might lose the battle to his IPL skipper Rohit.</p>


Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). After winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill for the visitors.

Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). After winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill for the visitors. India missed the services of regular captain Virat Kohli for the second and penultimate Test -- at The Wanderers, Johannesburg -- due to upper back spasm and lost the plot from thereon. Under KL Rahul, India lost their first-ever Test in J'burg. The series was levelled ahead of the Test series finale, where Kohli returned to the playing XI but failed to take India to a maiden series win in whites in the rainbow nation. India lost the Tests 2-1 and went onto lose the preceding three ODIs 3-0. Amid all this, Kohli stepped down as the Test captain -- after having been sacked as the ODI skipper and resigning as T20I captain last year. Ahead of India's next Test series, i.e. a two-match series versus Sri Lanka at home before IPL 15, the national selectors have a tough ask to name the next captain in the red-ball format. Former Aussie spinner Shane Warne has named who should take over from Kohli in whites. ALSO READ | Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place While there are four names doing the rounds for the Test captaincy spot -- KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant -- Warne has ruled out Pant's name. The spin wizard feels Bumrah can be the next Test captain. “India are very lucky that they have got so many different options and people that could captain the team. For me, Jasprit Bumrah could do it but I think Rohit for the next couple of years and have him (Bumrah) as deputy. I don’t like a wicketkeeper as captain. I think a wicketkeeper makes a good vice-captain and deputies, never captain. So that is how I see it but India have got plenty of options. Rahane would be fantastic but his form just has just slipped a little lately. We saw what a terrific job he did in Australia last season when Virat went home. We know he can do a terrific job in the Test area. He just needs to make sure he is making runs,” Warne told Hindustan Times in an interview arranged by BookMyShow stream, the platform which premiers the spinner's documentary film ‘Shane’. Warne, however, opened up on Pant and his batting approach. For the unversed, Pant played two good knocks in the just-concluded SA tour -- including a Test ton and a gritty 85 in the second ODI -- but drew criticism for his shot selection in India's second innings of the J''burg Test and the tour finale (i.e. the third ODI). In this regard, Warne said, "Do not change. Do not change, Rishabh Pant. He is my favourite cricketer. Let him keep playing the way he plays. The only statement I would say to Rishabh Pant… ‘All he needs to ask himself all the time is… what does the team need me to do right now? He asks himself that question and he will play the right way. Look, I hope no one changes Rishabh Pant. Just play the way you play because he is exciting and he is great to watch. I love him." ALSO READ | Ravi Shastri feels Pant should be kept in mind for leadership, goes ahead with senior pro as next Test captain While Bumrah is also an option for Test captaincy, Rohit is the strongest contender to be the next skipper. He is already the limited-overs captain and can be asked to take up the same role in whites for a brief period, grooming his successor. As Bumrah doesn't feature in majority of India's home Tests, he might lose the battle to his IPL skipper Rohit.

Don’t like wicketkeeper as captain: Not Pant! Shane Warne suggests who should be India's next Test captain

<p>Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels Babar Azam-led Men in Green will be able to beat Team India in this year's Men's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia. On January 21, the International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the full schedule for the mega event, which will begin on October 16 with the main draw commencing on October 22.</p>

<p>In the main draw of the showpiece event, India and Pakistan are once again placed in the same group (i.e. Pool 2). The two sides will face each other in their respective tournament-openers, on October 23, at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne. After Men in Green defeated Virat Kohli-led India in the 2021 T20 WC, in Dubai, Akhtar feels Babar &amp; Co. will be able to make it two World Cup wins in a row over their arch-rivals.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-reveals-full-schedule-for-2022-t20-world-cup-rohit-sharmas-team-india-to-begin-campaign-vs-pakistan-446363"><strong>ICC reveals full schedule for 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma's Team India to begin campaign vs Pakistan</strong></a></p>

<p>"We will beat India again in Melbourne. Pakistan is a better side than India in T20 cricket. It's the Indian media that make unnecessary pressure on their team whenever we have the clash of both countries in cricket, it's normal for India to lose," Akhtar told news agency&nbsp;<em>ANI.&nbsp;</em></p>

<p>During the 2021 T20 WC, Babar-led Pakistan hammered India by 10 wickets to win their first-ever game versus their neighbours in World Cup history. Opting to bowl first, Shaheen Afridi's three-fer had restricted India to 151-7. In reply, fifties from both Babar and Md Rizwan ensured a massive win for Team Pakistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-has-a-big-task-ahead-has-to-prove-he-is-not-an-overrated-coach-shoaib-akhtar-446926"><strong>Rahul Dravid has a big task ahead, has to prove he is not an overrated coach: Shoaib Akhtar</strong></a></p>

<p>Talking about India, Pakistan-starrer Pool 2, it also comprises Bangladesh, South Africa whereas two more teams will join from the qualifiers. Pool 1 comprises Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan and England. They will also see two more sides joining form the qualifying round.</p>


Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels Babar Azam-led Men in Green will be able to beat Team India in this year's Men's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels Babar Azam-led Men in Green will be able to beat Team India in this year's Men's T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia. On January 21, the International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the full schedule for the mega event, which will begin on October 16 with the main draw commencing on October 22. In the main draw of the showpiece event, India and Pakistan are once again placed in the same group (i.e. Pool 2). The two sides will face each other in their respective tournament-openers, on October 23, at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne. After Men in Green defeated Virat Kohli-led India in the 2021 T20 WC, in Dubai, Akhtar feels Babar & Co. will be able to make it two World Cup wins in a row over their arch-rivals. ALSO READ | ICC reveals full schedule for 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma's Team India to begin campaign vs Pakistan "We will beat India again in Melbourne. Pakistan is a better side than India in T20 cricket. It's the Indian media that make unnecessary pressure on their team whenever we have the clash of both countries in cricket, it's normal for India to lose," Akhtar told news agency ANI. During the 2021 T20 WC, Babar-led Pakistan hammered India by 10 wickets to win their first-ever game versus their neighbours in World Cup history. Opting to bowl first, Shaheen Afridi's three-fer had restricted India to 151-7. In reply, fifties from both Babar and Md Rizwan ensured a massive win for Team Pakistan. ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid has a big task ahead, has to prove he is not an overrated coach: Shoaib Akhtar Talking about India, Pakistan-starrer Pool 2, it also comprises Bangladesh, South Africa whereas two more teams will join from the qualifiers. Pool 1 comprises Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan and England. They will also see two more sides joining form the qualifying round.

PAK better than India: Akhtar makes bold claim, predicts Men in Green to win 2022 T20 WC face-off

<p>Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar is known for his controversial comments and outspoken nature. He has often found himself in the centre of controversy over his comments. Akhtar recently made a bizarre&nbsp;statement on former Indian captain Virat Kohli while speaking about his ongoing rough patch in international cricket and his decision to quit as India's Test captain.</p>

<p>Kohli, who is regarded as one of the best batters of the current era, has not been on top of his game for a while now and has struggled to match the standards he has set for himself with his consistent performances in the past. The batting maestro has not scored an international century since 2019 and has been looking to bring an end to the long-standing sought.</p>

<p>Kohli had left India's T20I captaincy last year before being replaced as the ODI captain of the team by Rohit Sharma. He quit as the Test captain of the Indian team earlier this month and is now playing as a pure batter for the national side. Akhtar made a bizarre comment on Kohli's recent struggles suggesting that he shouldn't have gotten married so early in his career.</p>

<p>Akhtar said he would never have married had he been in Kohli's place ad that the pressure of marriage and family can take a toll on a player's performance for his team.</p>

<p>"Virat captained for 6-7 years and I was never in favour of his captaincy, I just wanted him to keep scoring 100-120 runs and keep the focus on his batting," Akhtar said speaking to <em>Dainik Jagran</em>.</p>

<p>"I would have not even married if I were in his place. I had just scored runs and enjoyed cricket, these 10-12 years of cricket are different time and doesn't come again, I am not saying getting married is wrong but If you are playing for India, you would have enjoyed a time a little. fans are crazy about Kohli and he had to maintain that love he is getting for the last 20 years," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lot-of-people-wouldnt-have-been-able-to-digest-virat-kohli-reaching-50-60-wins-as-test-captain-ravi-shastri-446945">Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest&nbsp;Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri</a></p>

<p>Akhtar explained how a cricketer has a very short career span and their peak years can be anywhere between 5 to 6. The former Pakistan pacer claimed Kohli's peak has passed already and that now he will have to struggle to continue producing consistent performances for his team.</p>

<p>"Absolutely it does [the pressure of marriage, captaincy affect cricket]. There is pressure from the children, of the family. As the responsibility increases, so does the pressure. Cricketers have a short career span of 14-15 years in which you stay at the peak for five-six years. Those years of Virat have passed, now he has to struggle," said Akhtar.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/respect-their-privacy-netizens-react-as-video-of-virat-kohli-anushka-sharmas-daughter-goes-viral-446979">&nbsp;'Respect their privacy': Netizens react as video of Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma's daughter goes viral</a></p>

<p>Kohli had tied the knot with Bollywood star Anushka Sharma in the year 2017. The star couple was blessed with a daughter in January last year. Kohli's on-field performances remained top-notch even after his marriage and the Indian captain continues to be one of the best batters in the world at present despite having struggled for consistency in the last couple of years.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar is known for his controversial comments and outspoken nature. He has often found himself in the centre of controversy over his comments.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar is known for his controversial comments and outspoken nature. He has often found himself in the centre of controversy over his comments. Akhtar recently made a bizarre statement on former Indian captain Virat Kohli while speaking about his ongoing rough patch in international cricket and his decision to quit as India's Test captain. Kohli, who is regarded as one of the best batters of the current era, has not been on top of his game for a while now and has struggled to match the standards he has set for himself with his consistent performances in the past. The batting maestro has not scored an international century since 2019 and has been looking to bring an end to the long-standing sought. Kohli had left India's T20I captaincy last year before being replaced as the ODI captain of the team by Rohit Sharma. He quit as the Test captain of the Indian team earlier this month and is now playing as a pure batter for the national side. Akhtar made a bizarre comment on Kohli's recent struggles suggesting that he shouldn't have gotten married so early in his career. Akhtar said he would never have married had he been in Kohli's place ad that the pressure of marriage and family can take a toll on a player's performance for his team. "Virat captained for 6-7 years and I was never in favour of his captaincy, I just wanted him to keep scoring 100-120 runs and keep the focus on his batting," Akhtar said speaking to Dainik Jagran. "I would have not even married if I were in his place. I had just scored runs and enjoyed cricket, these 10-12 years of cricket are different time and doesn't come again, I am not saying getting married is wrong but If you are playing for India, you would have enjoyed a time a little. fans are crazy about Kohli and he had to maintain that love he is getting for the last 20 years," he added. Also Read: Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri Akhtar explained how a cricketer has a very short career span and their peak years can be anywhere between 5 to 6. The former Pakistan pacer claimed Kohli's peak has passed already and that now he will have to struggle to continue producing consistent performances for his team. "Absolutely it does [the pressure of marriage, captaincy affect cricket]. There is pressure from the children, of the family. As the responsibility increases, so does the pressure. Cricketers have a short career span of 14-15 years in which you stay at the peak for five-six years. Those years of Virat have passed, now he has to struggle," said Akhtar. Also Read: 'Respect their privacy': Netizens react as video of Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma's daughter goes viral Kohli had tied the knot with Bollywood star Anushka Sharma in the year 2017. The star couple was blessed with a daughter in January last year. Kohli's on-field performances remained top-notch even after his marriage and the Indian captain continues to be one of the best batters in the world at present despite having struggled for consistency in the last couple of years.

Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place

<p>On January 15, Virat Kohli stepped down as the Indian Test captain. This came as a shocker for the whole cricketing fraternity, given the 33-year-old led India with great success in the red-ball format. Kohli's decision came on the following day after India had lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the African nation.</p>

<p>With him stepping down as the Test captain, Kohli's overall captaincy tenure for Team India also came to an end. Talking about Kohli's credentials as a captain in the purest format, he led India to their maiden Test series win in Australia, ensured an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the incomplete five Tests in the United Kingdom in mid-2021 and to the inaugural WTC final. In addition, India were dominant at home under his leadership skills.</p>

<p>Kohli's successor, thus, has huge shoes to fill in. Ex-head coach Ravi Shastri feels Rohit Sharma, who is already the limited-overs captain, should take over as the Test captain as well, with wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant being groomed under him.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lot-of-people-wouldnt-have-been-able-to-digest-virat-kohli-reaching-50-60-wins-as-test-captain-ravi-shastri-446945"><strong>Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest Virat Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri</strong></a></p>

<p>Former Indian coach Shastri has suggested Rohit's name as the successor and called him the natural choice, with him already being the vice-captain in whites.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If Rohit is fit, why can't he be the captain in Tests too. He was appointed vice-captain for the South Africa series but he couldn't go there because of injuries. So why not, if he was made the vice-captain, why can't he be promoted to captaincy,"&nbsp;Shastri said to&nbsp;<em>India Today</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Rohit's vice-captain has to be seen. Rahul Dravid has to see who that person could be because that player has to be a certainty in the playing XI. I think, why name the vice-captain at all? Decide on the tour who is the most experienced player, who is playing well. You announce your vice-captain in advance, and later you realise that your vice-captain doesn't fit in your XI," stated the ex-Indian head coach and all-rounder.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-has-a-big-task-ahead-has-to-prove-he-is-not-an-overrated-coach-shoaib-akhtar-446926"><strong>Rahul Dravid has a big task ahead, has to prove he is not an overrated coach: Shoaib Akhtar</strong></a></p>

<p>Shastri opined on Pant and claimed he can be looked upon as a future captain. "Rishabh is a tremendous young player. As a coach, I was very fond of him, his attitude and the good thing about him was that he would always listen to you. A lot of people say, he always does what he wants but that's not true. He reads the game well and would always put my team effort first than self. So he should always be kept in mind for leadership," said Shastri.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India's next assignment in the red-ball format is versus Sri Lanka at home, in February-March. Before that, the national selectors will have to take a call and name the next Test captain. Some other contenders are Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul or R Ashwin.</p>


On January 15, Virat Kohli stepped down as the Indian Test captain. This came as a shocker for the whole cricketing fraternity, given the 33-year-old led India with great success in the red-ball format.

On January 15, Virat Kohli stepped down as the Indian Test captain. This came as a shocker for the whole cricketing fraternity, given the 33-year-old led India with great success in the red-ball format. Kohli's decision came on the following day after India had lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the African nation. With him stepping down as the Test captain, Kohli's overall captaincy tenure for Team India also came to an end. Talking about Kohli's credentials as a captain in the purest format, he led India to their maiden Test series win in Australia, ensured an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the incomplete five Tests in the United Kingdom in mid-2021 and to the inaugural WTC final. In addition, India were dominant at home under his leadership skills. Kohli's successor, thus, has huge shoes to fill in. Ex-head coach Ravi Shastri feels Rohit Sharma, who is already the limited-overs captain, should take over as the Test captain as well, with wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant being groomed under him. ALSO READ | Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest Virat Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri Former Indian coach Shastri has suggested Rohit's name as the successor and called him the natural choice, with him already being the vice-captain in whites. "If Rohit is fit, why can't he be the captain in Tests too. He was appointed vice-captain for the South Africa series but he couldn't go there because of injuries. So why not, if he was made the vice-captain, why can't he be promoted to captaincy," Shastri said to India Today. "Rohit's vice-captain has to be seen. Rahul Dravid has to see who that person could be because that player has to be a certainty in the playing XI. I think, why name the vice-captain at all? Decide on the tour who is the most experienced player, who is playing well. You announce your vice-captain in advance, and later you realise that your vice-captain doesn't fit in your XI," stated the ex-Indian head coach and all-rounder. ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid has a big task ahead, has to prove he is not an overrated coach: Shoaib Akhtar Shastri opined on Pant and claimed he can be looked upon as a future captain. "Rishabh is a tremendous young player. As a coach, I was very fond of him, his attitude and the good thing about him was that he would always listen to you. A lot of people say, he always does what he wants but that's not true. He reads the game well and would always put my team effort first than self. So he should always be kept in mind for leadership," said Shastri. India's next assignment in the red-ball format is versus Sri Lanka at home, in February-March. Before that, the national selectors will have to take a call and name the next Test captain. Some other contenders are Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul or R Ashwin.

Ravi Shastri feels Pant should be kept in mind for leadership, goes ahead with senior pro as next Test captain

<p>Virat Kohli was left stunned on the other end as Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away playing a rash shot in the third ODI against South Africa in Cape Town on Sunday (January 24). Recently, Kohli had defended Pant after he was criticised for his poor shot selection during the Test series against the Proteas.</p>

<p>However, Pant, who is known for his swashbuckling and aggressive style of batting, ended up making the same mistake once again. Pant came out to bat at number four after India lost Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on 116 runs in the 23rd over while chasing a challenging target of 288 runs. Pant went for a big shot the very first ball he faced from Andile Phehlukwayo and ended up paying the price.</p>

<p>It was an unnecessary rash shot from the left-hander, who has been often criticised for his poor shot selection for the Indian team. Pant was caught in the deep by Sisanda Magala as he was sent packing on a duck on the very first ball he faced in the game. Kohli, who was batting at the other end, was left stunned and gave a deadly stare to Pant after yet another casual error.</p>

<p>Kohli's reaction to Pant throwing his wicket away with a poor shot soon went viral on social media with fans criticising the left-hander for not valuing his wicket when playing for the country.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Virat Kohli 's reaction itself describes Rishabh pant's bad performance today ....<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kohli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kohli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsSAF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsSAF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KLRahul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KLRahul</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CricketTwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CricketTwitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCCIPolitics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCCIPolitics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KingKohli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KingKohli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/captaincy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#captaincy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ODI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ODI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whitewash?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whitewash</a> <a href="https://t.co/VJuFeZLo5j">pic.twitter.com/VJuFeZLo5j</a></p>
— sandeep ratna (@Vicharofsandeep) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vicharofsandeep/status/1485308701082857482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Virat Kohli gave a stare to Rishabh Pant after he got out <a href="https://t.co/1zS6DABSw8">pic.twitter.com/1zS6DABSw8</a></p>
— India Fantasy (@india_fantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/india_fantasy/status/1485263189596307460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-just-starting-out-rahul-dravid-defends-kl-rahuls-captaincy-after-3-0-whitewash-against-south-africa-447056">'He is just starting out': Rahul Dravid defends KL Rahul's captaincy after 3-0 whitewash against South Africa</a></p>

<p>India were reduced to 118/3 after Pant's dismissal in the same over as Dhawan before Kohli, who played a fine knock of 65 runs off 84 balls, added a 38-run stand for the 4th wicket with Shreyas Iyer (26). Suryakumar Yadav scored 39 off 32 balls but the middle-order once again failed to deliver.</p>

<p>Deepak Chahar then came up with a sensational cameo of 34-ball 54 to keep India in the race till the end but his efforts went in vain as the visitors fell short by 4 runs to lose the game and concede the ODI series 3-0. India had earlier lost the Test series against South Africa 2-1.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Virat Kohli was left stunned on the other end as Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away playing a rash shot in the third ODI against South Africa in Cape Town on Sunday (January 24).

Virat Kohli was left stunned on the other end as Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant threw his wicket away playing a rash shot in the third ODI against South Africa in Cape Town on Sunday (January 24). Recently, Kohli had defended Pant after he was criticised for his poor shot selection during the Test series against the Proteas. However, Pant, who is known for his swashbuckling and aggressive style of batting, ended up making the same mistake once again. Pant came out to bat at number four after India lost Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on 116 runs in the 23rd over while chasing a challenging target of 288 runs. Pant went for a big shot the very first ball he faced from Andile Phehlukwayo and ended up paying the price. It was an unnecessary rash shot from the left-hander, who has been often criticised for his poor shot selection for the Indian team. Pant was caught in the deep by Sisanda Magala as he was sent packing on a duck on the very first ball he faced in the game. Kohli, who was batting at the other end, was left stunned and gave a deadly stare to Pant after yet another casual error. Kohli's reaction to Pant throwing his wicket away with a poor shot soon went viral on social media with fans criticising the left-hander for not valuing his wicket when playing for the country. Virat Kohli 's reaction itself describes Rishabh pant's bad performance today ....#Kohli #INDvsSAF #INDvsSA #KLRahul #CricketTwitter #BCCIPolitics #KingKohli #captaincy #ODI #whitewash pic.twitter.com/VJuFeZLo5j — sandeep ratna (@Vicharofsandeep) January 23, 2022 × Virat Kohli gave a stare to Rishabh Pant after he got out pic.twitter.com/1zS6DABSw8 — India Fantasy (@india_fantasy) January 23, 2022 × Also Read: 'He is just starting out': Rahul Dravid defends KL Rahul's captaincy after 3-0 whitewash against South Africa India were reduced to 118/3 after Pant's dismissal in the same over as Dhawan before Kohli, who played a fine knock of 65 runs off 84 balls, added a 38-run stand for the 4th wicket with Shreyas Iyer (26). Suryakumar Yadav scored 39 off 32 balls but the middle-order once again failed to deliver. Deepak Chahar then came up with a sensational cameo of 34-ball 54 to keep India in the race till the end but his efforts went in vain as the visitors fell short by 4 runs to lose the game and concede the ODI series 3-0. India had earlier lost the Test series against South Africa 2-1.

Virat Kohli gives deadly stare to Rishabh Pant after he throws away his wicket for a duck in 3rd ODI - WATCH

<p>Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has shared his views on Virat Kohli's decision to quit as India's Test captain which had left the cricket fraternity in shock last week. Akhtar believes India's disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup last year led to Kohli losing captaincy across all three formats of the game.</p>

<p>While Kohli had announced last year that he will be stepping down as India's T20I captain following the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021 last year, he was later replaced as ODI captain by Rohit Sharma. He decided to give up Test captaincy last week after India's 2-1 defeat in the three-match Test series against South Africa.</p>

<p>In a matter of a few months, Kohli went from being the captain of the Indian team across all three formats to being part of the team just as a pure batter. Akhtar said he was aware that Kohli would have landed in trouble had India not done well at the T20 World Cup 2021. He also suggested that there are people who are against the former India captain.</p>

<p>"It was a tight scenario for Virat. I was in Dubai and I was aware that if he wouldn't have won the T20 World Cup, it would have become a big problem for him and it did happen. There are lobbies against him and there are people against him and that is the reason why he stepped down," Akhtar was quoted as saying by <em>India Today.</em></p>

<p>India had failed to qualify for the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup 2021 after suffering back-to-back defeats in their first two games against Pakistan and New Zealand respectively. It was a disappointing show from the Men in Blue, who were one of the favourites to win the competition. Akhtar said these are testing times for Kohli and he needs to come out of it strongly.</p>

<p>"Whoever enjoys the star status, will always face problems but there's nothing to fear about. Anushka (Kohli's wife) is a very nice lady and Virat is a great guy. He just needs to be brave and not be afraid of anything. The whole country loves him, just that these are testing times for him and he needs to come strongly out of it," said the former Pakistan pacer.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-intensity-in-kl-rahuls-captaincy-virat-kohli-looks-disconnected-ex-pak-spinner-after-indias-poor-show-446686">No intensity in Rahul's captaincy, Virat Kohli looks disconnected: Ex-Pak spinner after India's poor show</a></p>

<p>One of the greatest fast bowlers in the world, Akhtar has urged Kohli to enhance his value as a batter and enjoy his game. The Rawalpindi Express also advised the former Indian captain to channelise his anger in improving his performances on the pitch rather than showing it towards people.</p>

<p>"Now that he is off the hook, he just has to make sure that he enjoys his cricket. He is great and he should know that. He just has to enhance his value. He should know that he can't be imprisoned of his own bitterness. He should forget and forgive people and will become an even better human." Akhtar said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If he can give good performances in the next five-six months, he will be happy to have quit captaincy and would tell himself that he can score 120 international hundreds. His next 50 centuries will be because of the anger that he has now. And, this anger does not have to be reflected on people but in his batting," he added.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has shared his views on Virat Kohli's decision to quit as India's Test captain which had left the cricket fraternity in shock last week.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has shared his views on Virat Kohli's decision to quit as India's Test captain which had left the cricket fraternity in shock last week. Akhtar believes India's disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup last year led to Kohli losing captaincy across all three formats of the game. While Kohli had announced last year that he will be stepping down as India's T20I captain following the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021 last year, he was later replaced as ODI captain by Rohit Sharma. He decided to give up Test captaincy last week after India's 2-1 defeat in the three-match Test series against South Africa. In a matter of a few months, Kohli went from being the captain of the Indian team across all three formats to being part of the team just as a pure batter. Akhtar said he was aware that Kohli would have landed in trouble had India not done well at the T20 World Cup 2021. He also suggested that there are people who are against the former India captain. "It was a tight scenario for Virat. I was in Dubai and I was aware that if he wouldn't have won the T20 World Cup, it would have become a big problem for him and it did happen. There are lobbies against him and there are people against him and that is the reason why he stepped down," Akhtar was quoted as saying by India Today. India had failed to qualify for the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup 2021 after suffering back-to-back defeats in their first two games against Pakistan and New Zealand respectively. It was a disappointing show from the Men in Blue, who were one of the favourites to win the competition. Akhtar said these are testing times for Kohli and he needs to come out of it strongly. "Whoever enjoys the star status, will always face problems but there's nothing to fear about. Anushka (Kohli's wife) is a very nice lady and Virat is a great guy. He just needs to be brave and not be afraid of anything. The whole country loves him, just that these are testing times for him and he needs to come strongly out of it," said the former Pakistan pacer. Also Read: No intensity in Rahul's captaincy, Virat Kohli looks disconnected: Ex-Pak spinner after India's poor show One of the greatest fast bowlers in the world, Akhtar has urged Kohli to enhance his value as a batter and enjoy his game. The Rawalpindi Express also advised the former Indian captain to channelise his anger in improving his performances on the pitch rather than showing it towards people. "Now that he is off the hook, he just has to make sure that he enjoys his cricket. He is great and he should know that. He just has to enhance his value. He should know that he can't be imprisoned of his own bitterness. He should forget and forgive people and will become an even better human." Akhtar said. "If he can give good performances in the next five-six months, he will be happy to have quit captaincy and would tell himself that he can score 120 international hundreds. His next 50 centuries will be because of the anger that he has now. And, this anger does not have to be reflected on people but in his batting," he added.

'There are people against him': Shoaib Akhtar on Virat Kohli's decision to quit India's Test captaincy

<p>&nbsp;India failed to avoid a series whitewash against a South African team in transition despite Deepak Chahar's scintillating 34-ball 54, losing the third One-day International by four runs here on Sunday to end a disastrous tour of the 'Rainbow Nation'.</p>

<p>Asked to bat first, South Africa were all out for 287 after Quinton de Kock's attacking hundred and Rassie van der Dussen's fluent half-century. In reply, India were all out for 283 in 49.2 overs, completely mishandling a chase that should have been completed smoothly.</p>

<p>Having taken two wickets with the ball, Chahar blazed away with the bat and hit five fours and two sixes, but his effort was not enough in the end.</p>

<p>All in all, the limited-overs series turned out to be one of the most disappointing outings for India in recent years, especially after having blanked the Proteas in their backyard in 2018. They began the tour on a rousing note, winning the opening Test by 113 runs but lost the plot thereafter, failing miserably to challenge the South Africans.</p>

<p>Looking to restore some pride in their last match of the tour, India overhauled their playing XI by making as many as four changes, bringing in Suryakumar Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Deepak Chahar and Prasidh Krishna. The ones to miss out were Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Venkatesh Iyer and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The changes did not bring about a change in India's fortunes as Suryakumar was dismissed for 39 off 32 balls.</p>

<p>India were last clean swept in an away ODI series by New Zealand (0-3) in 2020 under Virat Kohli. Incidentally, Rohit Sharma was absent from that series too, with a hamstring injury.</p>

<p>On Sunday, Kohli made a 65 off 84 balls, while opener Shikhar Dhawan struck a 73-ball 61, both scoring their second fifties of the three-match series. And it should have been India's game as it seemed for a good part but the side simply bungled it in the closing stages despite being well ahead on the asking rate thanks to Chahar's blitzkrieg.</p>

<p>Earlier, India rallied to bowl out South Africa under 300 after de Kock and van der Dussen's blazing knocks. De Kock struck 124 off 130 balls and added 144 runs for the fourth wicket with van der Dussen before India put the brakes on the home team's scoring by sending back both the batters in quick succession. After that, David Miller contributed a 38-ball 39 before the innings ended with a ball to spare.</p>

<p>With his sixth ODI century, de Kock equalled AB de Villiers' record of scoring the most hundreds against India by a South African. KL Rahul's decision to bowl first worked straightaway as Deepak Chahar (2/53) had opener Janneman Malan (1) caught behind with just eight runs on the board at the start of the third over.</p>

<p>It was a big wicket for the Indians as Malan came into the inconsequential final ODI on the back of a neat 91-run knock in the Proteas' series-clinching second ODI win at Paarl. And credit for that must go to Chahar who got his fullish delivery to move away after angling it in, leaving Malan clueless.</p>

<p>A direct hit from India skipper KL Rahul from mid-off, ended his in-form counterpart Temba Bavuma's brief stay in the middle as the batter failed to reach the non-striker's end in time. Bavuma making his way back to the dressing room for eight runs was another big break for India as the South Africa captain had scored a century in the opening fixture and also looked solid in the second outing.</p>

<p>After bagging two wickets in the powerplay, India seemed to be headed in the right direction when Aiden Markram's attempted pull shot failed to clear substitute fielder Ruturaj Gaikwad in the deep square leg region, leaving the hosts at 70 for three in the 13th over.</p>

<p>However, the duo of De Kock and Van der Dussen got together and forged an excellent partnership, mixing caution with aggression to deflate the Indian bowling attack. De Kock moved into the 90s with two boundaries and then produced a flat-batted six straight over Prasidh Krishna's (3/59) head. But he got stuck on 99 for a while before finally getting to the three-figure mark by driving Shreyas Iyer to the left of sweeper cover for two runs.</p>

<p>Van der Dussen hit Yuzvendra Chahal through mid-wicket for four, as the two upped the ante with their vast range of strokes on all sides of the wicket. But just when it looked like the two batters were taking the game away form India, the visitors got rid of both of them. De Kock got out to a Jasprit Bumrah (2/52) short ball, giving Shikhar Dhawan a simple catch at deep square leg, and then, Chahal had van der Dussen brilliant caught by Iyer in the deep.</p>


India failed to avoid a series whitewash against a South African team in transition despite Deepak Chahar's scintillating 34-ball 54, losing the third One-day International by four runs here on Sunday to end a disastrous tour of the 'Rainbow Nation'.

India failed to avoid a series whitewash against a South African team in transition despite Deepak Chahar's scintillating 34-ball 54, losing the third One-day International by four runs here on Sunday to end a disastrous tour of the 'Rainbow Nation'. Asked to bat first, South Africa were all out for 287 after Quinton de Kock's attacking hundred and Rassie van der Dussen's fluent half-century. In reply, India were all out for 283 in 49.2 overs, completely mishandling a chase that should have been completed smoothly. Having taken two wickets with the ball, Chahar blazed away with the bat and hit five fours and two sixes, but his effort was not enough in the end. All in all, the limited-overs series turned out to be one of the most disappointing outings for India in recent years, especially after having blanked the Proteas in their backyard in 2018. They began the tour on a rousing note, winning the opening Test by 113 runs but lost the plot thereafter, failing miserably to challenge the South Africans. Looking to restore some pride in their last match of the tour, India overhauled their playing XI by making as many as four changes, bringing in Suryakumar Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Deepak Chahar and Prasidh Krishna. The ones to miss out were Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Venkatesh Iyer and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The changes did not bring about a change in India's fortunes as Suryakumar was dismissed for 39 off 32 balls. India were last clean swept in an away ODI series by New Zealand (0-3) in 2020 under Virat Kohli. Incidentally, Rohit Sharma was absent from that series too, with a hamstring injury. On Sunday, Kohli made a 65 off 84 balls, while opener Shikhar Dhawan struck a 73-ball 61, both scoring their second fifties of the three-match series. And it should have been India's game as it seemed for a good part but the side simply bungled it in the closing stages despite being well ahead on the asking rate thanks to Chahar's blitzkrieg. Earlier, India rallied to bowl out South Africa under 300 after de Kock and van der Dussen's blazing knocks. De Kock struck 124 off 130 balls and added 144 runs for the fourth wicket with van der Dussen before India put the brakes on the home team's scoring by sending back both the batters in quick succession. After that, David Miller contributed a 38-ball 39 before the innings ended with a ball to spare. With his sixth ODI century, de Kock equalled AB de Villiers' record of scoring the most hundreds against India by a South African. KL Rahul's decision to bowl first worked straightaway as Deepak Chahar (2/53) had opener Janneman Malan (1) caught behind with just eight runs on the board at the start of the third over. It was a big wicket for the Indians as Malan came into the inconsequential final ODI on the back of a neat 91-run knock in the Proteas' series-clinching second ODI win at Paarl. And credit for that must go to Chahar who got his fullish delivery to move away after angling it in, leaving Malan clueless. A direct hit from India skipper KL Rahul from mid-off, ended his in-form counterpart Temba Bavuma's brief stay in the middle as the batter failed to reach the non-striker's end in time. Bavuma making his way back to the dressing room for eight runs was another big break for India as the South Africa captain had scored a century in the opening fixture and also looked solid in the second outing. After bagging two wickets in the powerplay, India seemed to be headed in the right direction when Aiden Markram's attempted pull shot failed to clear substitute fielder Ruturaj Gaikwad in the deep square leg region, leaving the hosts at 70 for three in the 13th over. However, the duo of De Kock and Van der Dussen got together and forged an excellent partnership, mixing caution with aggression to deflate the Indian bowling attack. De Kock moved into the 90s with two boundaries and then produced a flat-batted six straight over Prasidh Krishna's (3/59) head. But he got stuck on 99 for a while before finally getting to the three-figure mark by driving Shreyas Iyer to the left of sweeper cover for two runs. Van der Dussen hit Yuzvendra Chahal through mid-wicket for four, as the two upped the ante with their vast range of strokes on all sides of the wicket. But just when it looked like the two batters were taking the game away form India, the visitors got rid of both of them. De Kock got out to a Jasprit Bumrah (2/52) short ball, giving Shikhar Dhawan a simple catch at deep square leg, and then, Chahal had van der Dussen brilliant caught by Iyer in the deep.

Deepak Chahar's cameo in vain as South Africa beat India by 4 runs in a thriller to clean sweep ODI series

<p>Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has taken a dig at Virat Kohli's critics after the latter's decision to quit as India's Test captain. Kohli announced his resignation as the Test captain of the Indian team last week, a day after India's 2-1 loss in the Test series against South Africa away from home.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kohli's decision came as a shock to many as he had expressed his desire to continue leading the Indian team in Tests and ODIs while stepping down as T20I captain in September last year. However, he was later sacked as ODI captain as the selectors wanted Rohit Sharma to lead the team in both white-ball formats. Kohli then had a public fallout with the BCCI after an explosive presser in December last year before quitting Test captaincy last week.</p>

<p>Shastri said Kohli could have easily led the Indian team in Tests for at least another two years but some people might not have been able to digest the fact that he could have reached 50-60 &nbsp;wins as captain. Kohli is the most successful Indian captain in Test history with 40 wins from 68 matches as the skipper of the side.</p>

<p>"Whether Virat could have continued to lead India in Tests. For sure, he could have led India for at least 2 years because next two years India would be playing at home and who is coming over - 9 and 10 jacks, going by the rankings. But he would have then made it to 50-60 wins under his captaincy and a lot of people will not be able to digest that fact," Shastri was quoted as saying by <em>India Today.</em></p>

<p>"Two years, he could have carried on but we should respect his decision. In any other country, this kind of record is incredible. You won against Australia, England and lost 1-2 to South Africa but still, there are debates if he should be the captain or not," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-are-people-against-him-shoaib-akhtar-on-virat-kohlis-decision-to-quit-indias-test-captaincy-446852">'There are people against him': Shoaib Akhtar on Virat Kohli's decision to quit India's Test captaincy</a></p>

<p>Kohli didn't only sign off as India's most successful Test captain but also the fourth-best captain all-time in the longest format overall. Only greats like Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48), and Steve Waugh (41) have more Test wins as captain than Kohli. The 33-year-old&nbsp;needed just 14 more wins as captain to become the most successful Test captain of all time in Test history.</p>

<p>Kohli enjoyed a great relationship with Shastri during his tenure as the head coach of the Indian team and the duo inspired India to several memorable Test wins both at home and away from home. India dominated the top spot in the ICC Test rankings for years under the duo's leadership and were a force to reckon with in the longest format.</p>

<p>Talking about Kohli's decision to quit Test captaincy, Shastri said the batting maestro might have felt the need to take some pressure off his back and focus only on his personal game. Shastri said it was an individual decision as Kohli must have felt he has already achieved what he wanted to as the captain of the Test team.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/harbhajan-singh-issues-warning-to-virat-kohli-when-you-are-captain-you-dont-worry-about-selection-446709">Harbhajan Singh issues warning to Virat Kohli: 'When you are captain you don't worry about selection'</a></p>

<p>"Virat Kohli led India in 5-6 years in Tests and out of those, five years India was no. 1. No Indian captain has this kind of record and there are only a handful of captains world over with this kind of record. So when the most successful captain decides to step down as captain it's an individual's decision because his record of 40 wins is unprecedented," said Shastri.</p>

<p>"So he only knows how much is he enjoying captaincy. When Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni were not enjoying captaincy, they left. Similarly, when Virat thought that he had won 40 matches, six years he had been leading and now he wants to enjoy his cricket. He wants to focus on his batting and release a bit of pressure and it happens with a lot of individuals," he added.</p>


Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has taken a dig at Virat Kohli's critics after the latter's decision to quit as India's Test captain. Kohli announced his resignation as the Test captain of the Indian team last week, a day after India's 2-1 loss in the Test series against South Africa away from home.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has taken a dig at Virat Kohli's critics after the latter's decision to quit as India's Test captain. Kohli announced his resignation as the Test captain of the Indian team last week, a day after India's 2-1 loss in the Test series against South Africa away from home. Kohli's decision came as a shock to many as he had expressed his desire to continue leading the Indian team in Tests and ODIs while stepping down as T20I captain in September last year. However, he was later sacked as ODI captain as the selectors wanted Rohit Sharma to lead the team in both white-ball formats. Kohli then had a public fallout with the BCCI after an explosive presser in December last year before quitting Test captaincy last week. Shastri said Kohli could have easily led the Indian team in Tests for at least another two years but some people might not have been able to digest the fact that he could have reached 50-60 wins as captain. Kohli is the most successful Indian captain in Test history with 40 wins from 68 matches as the skipper of the side. "Whether Virat could have continued to lead India in Tests. For sure, he could have led India for at least 2 years because next two years India would be playing at home and who is coming over - 9 and 10 jacks, going by the rankings. But he would have then made it to 50-60 wins under his captaincy and a lot of people will not be able to digest that fact," Shastri was quoted as saying by India Today. "Two years, he could have carried on but we should respect his decision. In any other country, this kind of record is incredible. You won against Australia, England and lost 1-2 to South Africa but still, there are debates if he should be the captain or not," he added. Also Read: 'There are people against him': Shoaib Akhtar on Virat Kohli's decision to quit India's Test captaincy Kohli didn't only sign off as India's most successful Test captain but also the fourth-best captain all-time in the longest format overall. Only greats like Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48), and Steve Waugh (41) have more Test wins as captain than Kohli. The 33-year-old needed just 14 more wins as captain to become the most successful Test captain of all time in Test history. Kohli enjoyed a great relationship with Shastri during his tenure as the head coach of the Indian team and the duo inspired India to several memorable Test wins both at home and away from home. India dominated the top spot in the ICC Test rankings for years under the duo's leadership and were a force to reckon with in the longest format. Talking about Kohli's decision to quit Test captaincy, Shastri said the batting maestro might have felt the need to take some pressure off his back and focus only on his personal game. Shastri said it was an individual decision as Kohli must have felt he has already achieved what he wanted to as the captain of the Test team. Also Read: Harbhajan Singh issues warning to Virat Kohli: 'When you are captain you don't worry about selection' "Virat Kohli led India in 5-6 years in Tests and out of those, five years India was no. 1. No Indian captain has this kind of record and there are only a handful of captains world over with this kind of record. So when the most successful captain decides to step down as captain it's an individual's decision because his record of 40 wins is unprecedented," said Shastri. "So he only knows how much is he enjoying captaincy. When Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni were not enjoying captaincy, they left. Similarly, when Virat thought that he had won 40 matches, six years he had been leading and now he wants to enjoy his cricket. He wants to focus on his batting and release a bit of pressure and it happens with a lot of individuals," he added.

Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest Virat Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri

<p>Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has issued a warning to Virat Kohli after his flop show in the second ODI against South Africa on Friday (January 21). Kohli was dismissed for a five-ball duck as India lost the game by seven wickets to concede the three-match ODI series against the Proteas. With back-to-back wins in the first two games, South Africa have taken an unassailable lead and clinched the series.</p>

<p>Kohli, who has not been at his best with the willow for a while now, is currently undergoing a rough patch in his international career. From being the captain of the Indian team across all three formats just a few months ago, Kohli is now a part of the side only as a pure batter.</p>

<p>While it was his choice to leave the T20I captaincy last year, he was later replaced as the ODI captain of the side by the BCCI and the selectors before leaving Test captaincy last week. Kohli's place in the playing XI was always safe when he was captaining India across all formats, however, the pressure has increased on him post leaving captaincy.</p>

<p>Harbhajan believes Kohli no more has a guaranteed spot in the playing XI in white-ball cricket and will have to perform consistently to ensure his place in the team is safe. Harbhajan cited the examples of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev while issuing a warning to Kohli that only performances will guarantee him a spot in the team going forward.</p>

<p>"When a captain steps down after seven years, a lot of people feel surprised in and outside the team. I myself was very surprised that he perhaps made this decision in a hurry. But obviously, Virat knows what's in his heart, what are his future plans and what he wants to do in the future. But when you are captain, things are different. As a batter, he'll have a different pressure upon him. We all know he's a big player but when you are captain you don't have to worry about your selection. You are always selected," Harbhajan said in a video on his YouTube channel.</p>

<p>"But no matter how big a player you are - whether you are Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, (Sunil) Gavaskar, or anyone - you feel the pressure when you don't perform. He'll feel a pressure that wasn't there for the past 7 years. But I also want to say that in these seven years he's performed the best in world cricket as a captain. I hope his performance as a batter continues to be equally good and he keeps winning Team India matches as he did as a captain," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/did-sourav-ganguly-plan-to-send-show-cause-notice-to-virat-kohli-bcci-president-breaks-silence-446644">Did Sourav Ganguly plan to send 'show-cause notice' to Virat Kohli? BCCI president breaks silence</a></p>

<p>Kohli scored a fine half-century in the first ODI against the Proteas, however, his efforts went in vain as India failed to chase down the target of 297 runs and lost the game by 31 runs. The visitors lost the second ODI by seven wickets on Saturday to go 2-0 down and lose the three-match series.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has issued a warning to Virat Kohli after his flop show in the second ODI against South Africa on Friday (January 21). Kohli was dismissed for a five-ball duck as India lost the game by seven wickets to concede the three-match ODI series against the Proteas.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has issued a warning to Virat Kohli after his flop show in the second ODI against South Africa on Friday (January 21). Kohli was dismissed for a five-ball duck as India lost the game by seven wickets to concede the three-match ODI series against the Proteas. With back-to-back wins in the first two games, South Africa have taken an unassailable lead and clinched the series. Kohli, who has not been at his best with the willow for a while now, is currently undergoing a rough patch in his international career. From being the captain of the Indian team across all three formats just a few months ago, Kohli is now a part of the side only as a pure batter. While it was his choice to leave the T20I captaincy last year, he was later replaced as the ODI captain of the side by the BCCI and the selectors before leaving Test captaincy last week. Kohli's place in the playing XI was always safe when he was captaining India across all formats, however, the pressure has increased on him post leaving captaincy. Harbhajan believes Kohli no more has a guaranteed spot in the playing XI in white-ball cricket and will have to perform consistently to ensure his place in the team is safe. Harbhajan cited the examples of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev while issuing a warning to Kohli that only performances will guarantee him a spot in the team going forward. "When a captain steps down after seven years, a lot of people feel surprised in and outside the team. I myself was very surprised that he perhaps made this decision in a hurry. But obviously, Virat knows what's in his heart, what are his future plans and what he wants to do in the future. But when you are captain, things are different. As a batter, he'll have a different pressure upon him. We all know he's a big player but when you are captain you don't have to worry about your selection. You are always selected," Harbhajan said in a video on his YouTube channel. "But no matter how big a player you are - whether you are Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, (Sunil) Gavaskar, or anyone - you feel the pressure when you don't perform. He'll feel a pressure that wasn't there for the past 7 years. But I also want to say that in these seven years he's performed the best in world cricket as a captain. I hope his performance as a batter continues to be equally good and he keeps winning Team India matches as he did as a captain," he added. Also Read: Did Sourav Ganguly plan to send 'show-cause notice' to Virat Kohli? BCCI president breaks silence Kohli scored a fine half-century in the first ODI against the Proteas, however, his efforts went in vain as India failed to chase down the target of 297 runs and lost the game by 31 runs. The visitors lost the second ODI by seven wickets on Saturday to go 2-0 down and lose the three-match series.

Harbhajan Singh issues warning to Virat Kohli: 'When you are captain you don't worry about selection'

<p>Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has slammed&nbsp;KL Rahul for the lack of intensity in his captaincy after India's seven-wicket loss in the second ODI against South Africa on Friday (November 21). India failed to defend a total of 287 runs after a below-par bowling show as South Africa clinched the three-match ODI series with back-to-back wins in the first two games.</p>

<p>While the likes of Virat Kohli (0) and Shreyas Iyer (11) were dismissed cheaply, the Indian bowlers were taken to the cleaners by South African openers Janneman Malan and Quinton de Kock. Malan slammed a brilliant 91 off 108 balls while De Kock scored a quickfire 78 off 66 balls. The duo posted an opening stand of 132 runs to set up a comfortable win for the hosts and bat India out of the game.</p>

<p>Stand-in skipper Rahul, who has been leading India in the absence of permanent captain Rohit Sharma, has been facing the flak from all corners over the team's poor show. Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Kaneria criticised Rahul and said there was no intensity in his captaincy. The former Pakistan spinner also alleged that there appears to be a divide in the Indian dressing room with former skipper Kohli looking disconnected from the team.</p>

<p>"There's no intensity in KL Rahul's captaincy. Virat looks distant, disconnected from the team. When a review is being taken, he doesn't close in as much and he isn't giving a lot of input to the captain. You get to know what's going inside a cricketer's heart by judging their body language," said Kaneria.</p>

<p>"There seems to be a division within the team. Team India isn't showing the intensity and the approach that Virat used to bring to the team (when he was captain). Going by KL Rahul's captaincy, Rohit Sharma should come back as captain. KL Rahul is not ready to lead the team," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/did-sourav-ganguly-planned-to-send-show-cause-notice-to-virat-kohli-bcci-president-breaks-silence-446644">Did Sourav Ganguly plan to send 'show-cause notice' to Virat Kohli? BCCI president breaks silence</a></p>

<p>After losing the Test series 2-1, India would have hoped to bounce back strongly in the ongoing ODI series against the Proteas. However, the Rahul-led side suffered back-to-back losses in the first two matches to concede the series. India will be hoping to bag a consolation win and finish the series on a high when the two teams meet in the third and final ODI of the series in Cape Town on Sunday.</p>


Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has slammed KL Rahul for the lack of intensity in his captaincy after India's seven-wicket loss in the second ODI against South Africa on Friday (November 21).

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has slammed KL Rahul for the lack of intensity in his captaincy after India's seven-wicket loss in the second ODI against South Africa on Friday (November 21). India failed to defend a total of 287 runs after a below-par bowling show as South Africa clinched the three-match ODI series with back-to-back wins in the first two games. While the likes of Virat Kohli (0) and Shreyas Iyer (11) were dismissed cheaply, the Indian bowlers were taken to the cleaners by South African openers Janneman Malan and Quinton de Kock. Malan slammed a brilliant 91 off 108 balls while De Kock scored a quickfire 78 off 66 balls. The duo posted an opening stand of 132 runs to set up a comfortable win for the hosts and bat India out of the game. Stand-in skipper Rahul, who has been leading India in the absence of permanent captain Rohit Sharma, has been facing the flak from all corners over the team's poor show. Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Kaneria criticised Rahul and said there was no intensity in his captaincy. The former Pakistan spinner also alleged that there appears to be a divide in the Indian dressing room with former skipper Kohli looking disconnected from the team. "There's no intensity in KL Rahul's captaincy. Virat looks distant, disconnected from the team. When a review is being taken, he doesn't close in as much and he isn't giving a lot of input to the captain. You get to know what's going inside a cricketer's heart by judging their body language," said Kaneria. "There seems to be a division within the team. Team India isn't showing the intensity and the approach that Virat used to bring to the team (when he was captain). Going by KL Rahul's captaincy, Rohit Sharma should come back as captain. KL Rahul is not ready to lead the team," he added. Also Read: Did Sourav Ganguly plan to send 'show-cause notice' to Virat Kohli? BCCI president breaks silence After losing the Test series 2-1, India would have hoped to bounce back strongly in the ongoing ODI series against the Proteas. However, the Rahul-led side suffered back-to-back losses in the first two matches to concede the series. India will be hoping to bag a consolation win and finish the series on a high when the two teams meet in the third and final ODI of the series in Cape Town on Sunday.

No intensity in KL Rahul's captaincy, Virat Kohli looks disconnected: Ex-Pak spinner after India's poor show

<p>The last few months have not been easy for &nbsp;Virat Kohli, who is no more the captain of the Indian team across all three formats after a public fallout with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The captaincy saga started when Kohli announced in September last year that he will be stepping down as the T20I captain of the team post the T20 World Cup 2021.</p>

<p>Kohli was later removed as the ODI captain as well despite having expressed his desire to continue leading India in Tests and ODIs. After being sacked as ODI captain, Kohli gave an explosive press conference ahead of India's tour of South Africa in December where he went on to counter some of the claims made by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.</p>

<p>Kohli contradicted Ganguly's comments that he had been asked by the BCCI president to not give up T20I captaincy. He also revealed he was informed about his sacking as ODI captain only ninety minutes before the decision was made official. The selectors wanted to have only one white-ball captain for India which led to them removing Kohli as the ODI skipper.</p>

<p>Kohli left India's Test captaincy last week, a day after the team's 2-1 defeat against South Africa in the recently-concluded Test series. Just days after his decision to quit Test captaincy, reports emerged that all was not well between Kohli and the BCCI and that Ganguly had planned to send a 'show-cause' notice to Kohli after his explosive presser in December.</p>

<p>The report suggested that Ganguly was not happy with the comments made by Kohli in the presser. The BCCI president has finally broken his silence on the matter and dismissed the reports calling them fake. "Not true at all," Ganguly was quoted as saying to Indian Express on the reports of him planning a show-cause notice for Kohli.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-president-ganguly-wanted-to-issue-showcause-notice-to-kohli-following-his-explosive-presser-report-446249">BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue show-cause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser</a></p>

<h2><strong>Focus back on Virat Kohli the batter&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>After leaving captaincy across all formats of the game, the focus is bac on Kohli the batter. The former India skipper has not been on top of his game in international cricket for a while now and is still looking to find his old consistency back. Kohli, who hasn't scored an international ton since 2019, will be hoping to bounce back strongly and win matches for India as a batter going forward.</p>


The last few months have not been easy for Virat Kohli, who is no more the captain of the Indian team across all three formats after a public fallout with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The last few months have not been easy for Virat Kohli, who is no more the captain of the Indian team across all three formats after a public fallout with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The captaincy saga started when Kohli announced in September last year that he will be stepping down as the T20I captain of the team post the T20 World Cup 2021. Kohli was later removed as the ODI captain as well despite having expressed his desire to continue leading India in Tests and ODIs. After being sacked as ODI captain, Kohli gave an explosive press conference ahead of India's tour of South Africa in December where he went on to counter some of the claims made by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Kohli contradicted Ganguly's comments that he had been asked by the BCCI president to not give up T20I captaincy. He also revealed he was informed about his sacking as ODI captain only ninety minutes before the decision was made official. The selectors wanted to have only one white-ball captain for India which led to them removing Kohli as the ODI skipper. Kohli left India's Test captaincy last week, a day after the team's 2-1 defeat against South Africa in the recently-concluded Test series. Just days after his decision to quit Test captaincy, reports emerged that all was not well between Kohli and the BCCI and that Ganguly had planned to send a 'show-cause' notice to Kohli after his explosive presser in December. The report suggested that Ganguly was not happy with the comments made by Kohli in the presser. The BCCI president has finally broken his silence on the matter and dismissed the reports calling them fake. "Not true at all," Ganguly was quoted as saying to Indian Express on the reports of him planning a show-cause notice for Kohli. Also Read: BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue show-cause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser Focus back on Virat Kohli the batter After leaving captaincy across all formats of the game, the focus is bac on Kohli the batter. The former India skipper has not been on top of his game in international cricket for a while now and is still looking to find his old consistency back. Kohli, who hasn't scored an international ton since 2019, will be hoping to bounce back strongly and win matches for India as a batter going forward.

Did Sourav Ganguly plan to send 'show-cause notice' to Virat Kohli? BCCI president breaks silence

<p>A lot has transpired in Indian cricket, especially in the senior men's team in the last four months.&nbsp;In mid-September 2021, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb on social media by announcing his resignation as the T20I captain post the World Cup, in the UAE.</p>

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<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>
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<p>After India's colossal failure in the showpiece event, a lot of changes were expected. However, none of the connoisseurs of the game would have foreseen the plethora of changes that came into picture since then.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While Rohit Sharma succeeded Kohli as the T20I captain, being rewarded for his envious record as IPL captain, the latter remained the ODI and Test captain (he himself wanted to carry on as skipper in the longer formats as per his T20I captaincy resignation tweet). Nonetheless, a twist in the tale unfolded just before India boarded the flight for the ongoing South Africa trip.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year on December 8, BCCI announced Rohit as the limited-overs captain altogether, sacking Kohli from the top job in the 50-over format. The announcement was made courtesy a two-line Twitter post from the board's official handle:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI &amp; T20I teams going forward.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a> <a href="https://t.co/hcg92sPtCa">pic.twitter.com/hcg92sPtCa</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1468577752953483264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>A thank you post for outgoing captain Kohli followed a day later, i.e. on December 9.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A leader who led the side with grit, passion &amp; determination. 🇮🇳🔝<br />
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Thank you Captain <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a>!👏👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/gz7r6KCuWF">pic.twitter.com/gz7r6KCuWF</a></p>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1468919777120829441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The lack of prior communication -- in terms of a proper official statement by the BCCI -- and the late Twitter post irked many Indian cricket fans, who&nbsp;remained baffled with the sudden turn of events. What was cooking?&nbsp;</p>

<p>All eyes, thus, shifted to BCCI's customary press conference before Team India's departure for the rainbow nation. On December 15, Kohli spearheaded the presser and dropped few more bombs with his answers in an affirmative tone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly had already conveyed that the board officials and national selectors had requested Kohli to remain the T20I captain,&nbsp;the star Indian batter contradicted from the claims. "I had told BCCI that I want to quit T20I captaincy. I wasn't told to reconsider it. It was received well, without any hesitation; I was told it's a progressive step and it's in the right direction. I had told them that I want to continue ODI and Test captaincy unless the office bearers think otherwise. I had given that option to them," Kohli had stated.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-president-ganguly-wanted-to-issue-showcause-notice-to-kohli-following-his-explosive-presser-report-446249"><strong>BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue showcause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser - Report</strong></a></p>

<p>In addition, Kohli made it clear that he had no prior communication with the national selectors regarding the ODI captaincy switch. He revealed that he came to know about the decision only 90 minutes prior to the official announcement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thus, this opened a pandora of box. Kohli's explosive presser exposed the dire straits between the board, selectors and the superstar cricketer.</p>

<p>In response to the presser, Ganguly made it clear that the board will not make any official statement due to ongoing&nbsp;SA tour. "No statements, no press conference. We will deal with it, leave it to (the) BCCI," Ganguly told local mediapersons after the presser.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, chief selector Chetan Sharma made heads turn, stating that Kohli was asked by officials and selectors to remain T20I captain.&nbsp; "When meeting started, it was a surprise for everybody. If the World T20 is round the corner and you hear something like this, what will be your reaction? Everyone present in that meeting had told him that he should rethink his decision (to quit T20 captaincy) and we can talk about it after the World Cup. All selectors felt at that time that this can affect us in the World Cup. It was told to Virat for sake of Indian cricket, please continue as the captain and it was told by everybody present in the meeting. The convenors were there, board officials were there. Sabhi ne bola hai (everyone told him). Who won’t tell? If this news comes to you, you are in a shock. But since we had a World T20 to play, we never wanted it to affect team," the former India pacer told on December 31.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/one-match-makes-virat-kohli-turned-down-bccis-offer-to-play-farewell-test-as-captain-report-445316"><strong>'One match makes...': Virat Kohli turned down BCCI's offer to play farewell Test as captain - Report</strong></a></p>

<p>When the Indian cricket fans were busy trying to make sense of the mysterious turn of events, Kohli dropped another bomb -- probably throwing his last roll of the&nbsp;dice&nbsp;-- by announcing his resignation as the Test captain post India's 2-1 series loss to SA in the African nation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On January 15, Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/huBL6zZ7fZ">pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ</a></p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1482340422987169794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Following Kohli's resignation, ending his Team India captaincy tenure altogether, many reactions came in a flash. Needless to say, Ganguly's response was most awaited. Few hours after Kohli's announcement, Ganguly wrote, "Under Virat's leadership Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game... his decision is a personal one and bcci respects it immensely... he will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future. A great player. well done... @BCCI @imVkohli."</p>

<p><strong>A battle with no winner but plenty of losers!</strong></p>

<p>So far, there is total chaos surrounding Indian cricket. It reminds the 90s fans of the infamous Greg Chappell-era.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As an Indian cricket loyalist, the cracks became evident on the day BCCI made the ODI captaincy switch. The lack of communication and late tribute for Kohli -- yes, even a timely Twitter post for some big announcements means a lot in the social media-era -- triggered the collapse.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ganguly statement prior to Kohli's presser was entirely uncalled for (similarly, the latter's T20I captaincy resignation announcement can also be termed 'untimely'; i.e. a month before the World Cup). Being the BCCI chief, he could've shifted the query towards the national selectors. After all, it was their unanimous choice to sack Kohli and have one white-ball captain.</p>

<p>Former India cricketer and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar had lashed out at the BCCI chief and told Khaleej Times, "It’s very unfortunate, the whole thing. I think it should have been handled more professionally by the cricket board. The thing is that Ganguly had no business to speak on behalf of the selection committee. Ganguly is the president of BCCI. Any issue about selection or captaincy, it’s the chairman of the selection committee who should speak."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-had-no-pressure-from-the-board-selectors-bcci-treasurer-reacts-to-kohli-leaving-test-captaincy-445254"><strong>Virat had no pressure from the board, selectors: BCCI treasurer reacts to Kohli leaving Test captaincy</strong></a></p>

<p>Further, Kohli's presser fanned the fire. Chetan Sharma's statements led to more questions than answers. The 33-year-old Kohli's Test resignation -- a format where he excelled as captain -- raised more eyebrows; acting as a confirmation to many Indian cricket fans that the superstar batter chose to side away from all the negativity and war of words.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the ongoing India-SA ODIs, Kohli has scores of 51 and 0 so far. While he didn't dominate entirely in the first outing, he fell for a five-ball duck in the second and penultimate ODI. Fans are already concerned that the BCCI row has taken a lot out of Kohli, who has clearly lacked intensity on the field.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>It is NOT looking good</strong></p>

<p>Irrespective of how things have unfolded, Kohli's presence, intensity and contribution remain&nbsp;of utmost importance to Team India across formats.</p>

<p>Thus, one wishes that the tug of war between Kohli and BCCI is over. For now, it is taking a lot out of a talismanic batter and also putting BCCI under the scanner. For the unversed, on&nbsp;Thursday (January 20), reports suggested&nbsp;that Ganguly prevented issuing a show cause notice to Kohli for his explosive presser.&nbsp;A source close to the development was quoted as saying by India Ahead News, "And the board president was all for issuing a show cause notice to Kohli." Hence, the writing is clearly on the wall as the recipe being cooked is surely nothing less than a disaster.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If all this continues, India will lose many battles&nbsp;even before taking&nbsp;on oppositions on the field. People following the India-SA series have already concluded that the national side is looking clueless with each passing game in the African nation.</p>


A lot has transpired in Indian cricket, especially in the senior men's team in the last four months. In mid-September 2021, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb on social media by announcing his resignation as the T20I captain post the World Cup, in the UAE.

A lot has transpired in Indian cricket, especially in the senior men's team in the last four months. In mid-September 2021, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb on social media by announcing his resignation as the T20I captain post the World Cup, in the UAE. 🇮🇳 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 16, 2021 × After India's colossal failure in the showpiece event, a lot of changes were expected. However, none of the connoisseurs of the game would have foreseen the plethora of changes that came into picture since then. While Rohit Sharma succeeded Kohli as the T20I captain, being rewarded for his envious record as IPL captain, the latter remained the ODI and Test captain (he himself wanted to carry on as skipper in the longer formats as per his T20I captaincy resignation tweet). Nonetheless, a twist in the tale unfolded just before India boarded the flight for the ongoing South Africa trip. Last year on December 8, BCCI announced Rohit as the limited-overs captain altogether, sacking Kohli from the top job in the 50-over format. The announcement was made courtesy a two-line Twitter post from the board's official handle: The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI & T20I teams going forward.#TeamIndia | @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/hcg92sPtCa — BCCI (@BCCI) December 8, 2021 × A thank you post for outgoing captain Kohli followed a day later, i.e. on December 9. A leader who led the side with grit, passion & determination. 🇮🇳🔝 Thank you Captain @imVkohli!👏👏#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/gz7r6KCuWF — BCCI (@BCCI) December 9, 2021 × The lack of prior communication -- in terms of a proper official statement by the BCCI -- and the late Twitter post irked many Indian cricket fans, who remained baffled with the sudden turn of events. What was cooking? All eyes, thus, shifted to BCCI's customary press conference before Team India's departure for the rainbow nation. On December 15, Kohli spearheaded the presser and dropped few more bombs with his answers in an affirmative tone. While BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly had already conveyed that the board officials and national selectors had requested Kohli to remain the T20I captain, the star Indian batter contradicted from the claims. "I had told BCCI that I want to quit T20I captaincy. I wasn't told to reconsider it. It was received well, without any hesitation; I was told it's a progressive step and it's in the right direction. I had told them that I want to continue ODI and Test captaincy unless the office bearers think otherwise. I had given that option to them," Kohli had stated. ALSO READ | BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue showcause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser - Report In addition, Kohli made it clear that he had no prior communication with the national selectors regarding the ODI captaincy switch. He revealed that he came to know about the decision only 90 minutes prior to the official announcement. Thus, this opened a pandora of box. Kohli's explosive presser exposed the dire straits between the board, selectors and the superstar cricketer. In response to the presser, Ganguly made it clear that the board will not make any official statement due to ongoing SA tour. "No statements, no press conference. We will deal with it, leave it to (the) BCCI," Ganguly told local mediapersons after the presser. Nonetheless, chief selector Chetan Sharma made heads turn, stating that Kohli was asked by officials and selectors to remain T20I captain. "When meeting started, it was a surprise for everybody. If the World T20 is round the corner and you hear something like this, what will be your reaction? Everyone present in that meeting had told him that he should rethink his decision (to quit T20 captaincy) and we can talk about it after the World Cup. All selectors felt at that time that this can affect us in the World Cup. It was told to Virat for sake of Indian cricket, please continue as the captain and it was told by everybody present in the meeting. The convenors were there, board officials were there. Sabhi ne bola hai (everyone told him). Who won’t tell? If this news comes to you, you are in a shock. But since we had a World T20 to play, we never wanted it to affect team," the former India pacer told on December 31. ALSO READ | 'One match makes...': Virat Kohli turned down BCCI's offer to play farewell Test as captain - Report When the Indian cricket fans were busy trying to make sense of the mysterious turn of events, Kohli dropped another bomb -- probably throwing his last roll of the dice -- by announcing his resignation as the Test captain post India's 2-1 series loss to SA in the African nation. On January 15, Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now." 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022 × Following Kohli's resignation, ending his Team India captaincy tenure altogether, many reactions came in a flash. Needless to say, Ganguly's response was most awaited. Few hours after Kohli's announcement, Ganguly wrote, "Under Virat's leadership Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game... his decision is a personal one and bcci respects it immensely... he will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future. A great player. well done... @BCCI @imVkohli." A battle with no winner but plenty of losers! So far, there is total chaos surrounding Indian cricket. It reminds the 90s fans of the infamous Greg Chappell-era. As an Indian cricket loyalist, the cracks became evident on the day BCCI made the ODI captaincy switch. The lack of communication and late tribute for Kohli -- yes, even a timely Twitter post for some big announcements means a lot in the social media-era -- triggered the collapse. Ganguly statement prior to Kohli's presser was entirely uncalled for (similarly, the latter's T20I captaincy resignation announcement can also be termed 'untimely'; i.e. a month before the World Cup). Being the BCCI chief, he could've shifted the query towards the national selectors. After all, it was their unanimous choice to sack Kohli and have one white-ball captain. Former India cricketer and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar had lashed out at the BCCI chief and told Khaleej Times, "It’s very unfortunate, the whole thing. I think it should have been handled more professionally by the cricket board. The thing is that Ganguly had no business to speak on behalf of the selection committee. Ganguly is the president of BCCI. Any issue about selection or captaincy, it’s the chairman of the selection committee who should speak." ALSO READ | Virat had no pressure from the board, selectors: BCCI treasurer reacts to Kohli leaving Test captaincy Further, Kohli's presser fanned the fire. Chetan Sharma's statements led to more questions than answers. The 33-year-old Kohli's Test resignation -- a format where he excelled as captain -- raised more eyebrows; acting as a confirmation to many Indian cricket fans that the superstar batter chose to side away from all the negativity and war of words. In the ongoing India-SA ODIs, Kohli has scores of 51 and 0 so far. While he didn't dominate entirely in the first outing, he fell for a five-ball duck in the second and penultimate ODI. Fans are already concerned that the BCCI row has taken a lot out of Kohli, who has clearly lacked intensity on the field. It is NOT looking good Irrespective of how things have unfolded, Kohli's presence, intensity and contribution remain of utmost importance to Team India across formats. Thus, one wishes that the tug of war between Kohli and BCCI is over. For now, it is taking a lot out of a talismanic batter and also putting BCCI under the scanner. For the unversed, on Thursday (January 20), reports suggested that Ganguly prevented issuing a show cause notice to Kohli for his explosive presser. A source close to the development was quoted as saying by India Ahead News, "And the board president was all for issuing a show cause notice to Kohli." Hence, the writing is clearly on the wall as the recipe being cooked is surely nothing less than a disaster. If all this continues, India will lose many battles even before taking on oppositions on the field. People following the India-SA series have already concluded that the national side is looking clueless with each passing game in the African nation.

Virat Kohli vs BCCI: Is there any real winner in this tussle?

<p>Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has shared his views on KL Rahul's captaincy and stated that he loses his impact as a batter when leading the team. Rahul is currently leading the Indian cricket in the absence of permanent skipper Rohit Sharma in the ongoing three-match ODI series against South Africa.</p>

<p>Manjrekar cited the example of Rahul's numbers from his captaincy stint with Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where his strike rate went down significantly after becoming the captain of the team. Manjrekar's comments came after Rahul's 79-ball 55 in the second ODI against South Africa on Friday (January 21).</p>

<p>After opting to bat first India rode on Rahul's 55 and Rishabh Pant's quickfire 85 off 71 balls to post a fighting total of 287/5 on the board, batting first in the must-win game. Pant and Rahul added a 115-run stand for the second wicket where the left-hander was going all guns blazing but the Indian skipper adopted a cautious approach and looked a bit sluggish during his innings.</p>

<p>"When he's a captain [for Punjab Kings] he has a strike rate of 133 and when he's not the captain 146. So this is KL Rahul, when he becomes captain, the impact that he makes as a batter gets diminished and that's something that hurts the team in the end and we have seen it hurt Punjab Kings in the IPL,"&nbsp;Mankrekar said on <em>ESPN Cricinfo.</em></p>

<p>Today, you could say with Rishabh Pant batting there and the kind of overall confidence that the Indian team currently has, he saw potential issues had he got out early, especially with Virat Kohli gone," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-is-only-one-reason-sunil-gavaskar-explains-why-india-havent-won-an-icc-trophy-since-2013-446508">'There is only one reason': Sunil Gavaskar explains why India haven't won an ICC trophy since 2013</a></p>

<p>Manjrekar wants Rahul to learn from Kohli and try to be like him as a captain. Kohli enjoyed the pressure of leadership and his performances only got better when he became the captain of the Indian team across formats. Manjrekar wants Rahul to replicate the same and win games for India with his batting.</p>

<p>"So I can understand the innings but going forward, I just want to see KL Rahul [be] the guy who makes an impact with the bat. Like Virat Kohli, for example, when he became the captain didn't lose Virat Kohli the batter who won him a lot of games. I want to see the same with KL Rahul," said Manjrekar.</p>

<p>India lost the first ODI against South Africa by 31 runs under Rahul's captaincy and are on the verge of facing back-to-back defeats as South Africa are well placed to win the second ODI and clinch the three-match series.</p>


Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has shared his views on KL Rahul's captaincy and stated that he loses his impact as a batter when leading the team. Rahul is currently leading the Indian cricket in the absence of permanent skipper Rohit Sharma in the ongoing three-match ODI series against South Africa.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has shared his views on KL Rahul's captaincy and stated that he loses his impact as a batter when leading the team. Rahul is currently leading the Indian cricket in the absence of permanent skipper Rohit Sharma in the ongoing three-match ODI series against South Africa. Manjrekar cited the example of Rahul's numbers from his captaincy stint with Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where his strike rate went down significantly after becoming the captain of the team. Manjrekar's comments came after Rahul's 79-ball 55 in the second ODI against South Africa on Friday (January 21). After opting to bat first India rode on Rahul's 55 and Rishabh Pant's quickfire 85 off 71 balls to post a fighting total of 287/5 on the board, batting first in the must-win game. Pant and Rahul added a 115-run stand for the second wicket where the left-hander was going all guns blazing but the Indian skipper adopted a cautious approach and looked a bit sluggish during his innings. "When he's a captain [for Punjab Kings] he has a strike rate of 133 and when he's not the captain 146. So this is KL Rahul, when he becomes captain, the impact that he makes as a batter gets diminished and that's something that hurts the team in the end and we have seen it hurt Punjab Kings in the IPL," Mankrekar said on ESPN Cricinfo. Today, you could say with Rishabh Pant batting there and the kind of overall confidence that the Indian team currently has, he saw potential issues had he got out early, especially with Virat Kohli gone," he added. Also Read: 'There is only one reason': Sunil Gavaskar explains why India haven't won an ICC trophy since 2013 Manjrekar wants Rahul to learn from Kohli and try to be like him as a captain. Kohli enjoyed the pressure of leadership and his performances only got better when he became the captain of the Indian team across formats. Manjrekar wants Rahul to replicate the same and win games for India with his batting. "So I can understand the innings but going forward, I just want to see KL Rahul [be] the guy who makes an impact with the bat. Like Virat Kohli, for example, when he became the captain didn't lose Virat Kohli the batter who won him a lot of games. I want to see the same with KL Rahul," said Manjrekar. India lost the first ODI against South Africa by 31 runs under Rahul's captaincy and are on the verge of facing back-to-back defeats as South Africa are well placed to win the second ODI and clinch the three-match series.

KL Rahul's impact as a batter diminishes when he captains, he should learn from Virat Kohli: Sanjay Manjrekar

<p>Virat Kohli, on January 15, announced that he is stepping down as the Indian Test captain. The news shocked one and all as the 33-year-old signed off as India's most successful captain in whites, winning 40 out of 68 Tests. Kohli's decision came just a day after India's three-match Test series loss to Dean Elgar-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation.</p>

<p>Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/huBL6zZ7fZ">pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ</a></p>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/way-people-treated-him-ex-bcci-selector-opines-on-virat-kohli-post-his-test-captaincy-resignation-446415">'Way people treated him...': Ex-BCCI selector opines on Virat Kohli post his Test captaincy resignation</a></strong></p>

<p>Ever since Kohli stepped down as the Test captain, many former cricketers and experts of the game have suggested various names who can succeed the 33-year-old. Some of the top contenders are Rohit Sharma (already the limited-overs captain), Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul whereas some have suggested Rishabh Pant's name as well. Pant, who made his debut in whites in mid-2018, has improved leaps and bounds -- in terms of fitness, keeping skills and batting -- and has&nbsp;1,735 runs with seven half-centuries and four tons. In addition, he has 110 dismissals in the purest format so far.</p>

<p>Speaking to the media recently, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen opined on the Test captaincy debate and shared his views regarding Pant.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"You are spoilt for choice... But Pant not yet, maybe one day... But when you have got Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul you have got some mighty cricketers," Pietersen has said. "I love Rahul Dravid. I'm looking forward to his progress with the national side. He has done wonders for the youngsters. So I'm looking forward to seeing him progress with the senior players," he further asserted.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-are-lucky-they-have-many-options-kevin-pietersen-names-who-should-take-over-as-test-captain-446401"><strong>India are lucky they have many options: Kevin Pietersen names who should take over as Test captain</strong></a></p>

<p>It will be interesting to see if Pant is given the nod. At 24, the swashbuckling left-hander is already touted to captain Team India in the future. However, it&nbsp;remains to be seen if he is given the top job amid the presence of many senior players such as Rohit, Rahul, R Ashwin, Bumrah and the likes.</p>


Virat Kohli, on January 15, announced that he is stepping down as the Indian Test captain. The news shocked one and all as the 33-year-old signed off as India's most successful captain in whites, winning 40 out of 68 Tests.

Virat Kohli, on January 15, announced that he is stepping down as the Indian Test captain. The news shocked one and all as the 33-year-old signed off as India's most successful captain in whites, winning 40 out of 68 Tests. Kohli's decision came just a day after India's three-match Test series loss to Dean Elgar-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation. Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now." 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022 × ALSO READ | 'Way people treated him...': Ex-BCCI selector opines on Virat Kohli post his Test captaincy resignation Ever since Kohli stepped down as the Test captain, many former cricketers and experts of the game have suggested various names who can succeed the 33-year-old. Some of the top contenders are Rohit Sharma (already the limited-overs captain), Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul whereas some have suggested Rishabh Pant's name as well. Pant, who made his debut in whites in mid-2018, has improved leaps and bounds -- in terms of fitness, keeping skills and batting -- and has 1,735 runs with seven half-centuries and four tons. In addition, he has 110 dismissals in the purest format so far. Speaking to the media recently, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen opined on the Test captaincy debate and shared his views regarding Pant. "You are spoilt for choice... But Pant not yet, maybe one day... But when you have got Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul you have got some mighty cricketers," Pietersen has said. "I love Rahul Dravid. I'm looking forward to his progress with the national side. He has done wonders for the youngsters. So I'm looking forward to seeing him progress with the senior players," he further asserted. ALSO READ | India are lucky they have many options: Kevin Pietersen names who should take over as Test captain It will be interesting to see if Pant is given the nod. At 24, the swashbuckling left-hander is already touted to captain Team India in the future. However, it remains to be seen if he is given the top job amid the presence of many senior players such as Rohit, Rahul, R Ashwin, Bumrah and the likes.

Should Rishabh Pant take over from Virat Kohli as India's Test captain? Kevin Pietersen responds

<p>India and South Africa have locked horns with each other in the second and penultimate ODI at Boland Park, Paarl on Friday (January 21). After losing the series opener by 31 runs, KL Rahul-led India are in a must-win scenario to keep the series alive.</p>

<p>After winning the toss, Rahul &amp; Co. opted to bat first and were reduced from 63 for no loss to 64-2. Thus, Rahul and Rishabh Pant came together and stitched a wonderful 115-run third-wicket stand before both the set batters returned after scoring a fifty each. While Rahul went back for a 79-ball 55, Pant registered his highest ODI score (85) but missed out on his maiden century in the 50-over format.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-comedy-of-errors-ensues-between-rahul-pant-before-keshav-maharaj-misses-run-out-chance-446456"><strong>WATCH: Comedy of errors ensues between Rahul, Pant before Keshav Maharaj misses run-out chance</strong></a></p>

<p>During the match proceedings, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan lauded young Pant and compared his approach towards the game with ex-opener Virender Sehwag. "When you talk about a player who has got the X-Factor, Rishabh Pant comes to mind. He's got versatility that puts him in a different category. If one manages to do things which other players are not able to pull off, expectations tend to rise as well as pressure," Zaheer told&nbsp;<i>Cricbuzz</i>.</p>

<p>"But Pant is a character and he's least bothered about the commentary or outside noise. Virender Sehwag also used to be like that in our times. He used to think about his own game instead of focusing on other things... and Pant also has got a similar approach. You can't judge him on the basis of his stats due to the amount of risk that he takes. He's an impact player."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-creates-unwanted-record-after-5-ball-duck-in-2nd-odi-against-south-africa-446440"><strong>Virat Kohli creates unwanted record after 5-ball duck in 2nd ODI against South Africa</strong></a></p>

<p>Zaheer further opined that Pant's batting position should remain flexible. "I don't think his batting position has affected his performance in limited-overs. India instead expects flexibility from him. They have a player who can come in to bat according to the situation. You can't correlate his form and batting position... these are two completely different things. Pant should be utilized as an impact player rather than alloting a fixed batting spot to him," he added.</p>

<p>Riding on Pant's sublime 85, Rahul's 55 and Shardul Thakur's 40 not out, India have set a competitive 288-run target for the Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the second and penultimate ODI in Paarl.</p>


India and South Africa have locked horns with each other in the second and penultimate ODI at Boland Park, Paarl on Friday (January 21). After losing the series opener by 31 runs, KL Rahul-led India are in a must-win scenario to keep the series alive.

India and South Africa have locked horns with each other in the second and penultimate ODI at Boland Park, Paarl on Friday (January 21). After losing the series opener by 31 runs, KL Rahul-led India are in a must-win scenario to keep the series alive. After winning the toss, Rahul & Co. opted to bat first and were reduced from 63 for no loss to 64-2. Thus, Rahul and Rishabh Pant came together and stitched a wonderful 115-run third-wicket stand before both the set batters returned after scoring a fifty each. While Rahul went back for a 79-ball 55, Pant registered his highest ODI score (85) but missed out on his maiden century in the 50-over format. ALSO READ | WATCH: Comedy of errors ensues between Rahul, Pant before Keshav Maharaj misses run-out chance During the match proceedings, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan lauded young Pant and compared his approach towards the game with ex-opener Virender Sehwag. "When you talk about a player who has got the X-Factor, Rishabh Pant comes to mind. He's got versatility that puts him in a different category. If one manages to do things which other players are not able to pull off, expectations tend to rise as well as pressure," Zaheer told Cricbuzz. "But Pant is a character and he's least bothered about the commentary or outside noise. Virender Sehwag also used to be like that in our times. He used to think about his own game instead of focusing on other things... and Pant also has got a similar approach. You can't judge him on the basis of his stats due to the amount of risk that he takes. He's an impact player." ALSO READ | Virat Kohli creates unwanted record after 5-ball duck in 2nd ODI against South Africa Zaheer further opined that Pant's batting position should remain flexible. "I don't think his batting position has affected his performance in limited-overs. India instead expects flexibility from him. They have a player who can come in to bat according to the situation. You can't correlate his form and batting position... these are two completely different things. Pant should be utilized as an impact player rather than alloting a fixed batting spot to him," he added. Riding on Pant's sublime 85, Rahul's 55 and Shardul Thakur's 40 not out, India have set a competitive 288-run target for the Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the second and penultimate ODI in Paarl.

He also used to be like that: Zaheer Khan compares Indian star's approach with Virender Sehwag

<p>After the riveting three Tests, India and South Africa will square off with each other in the three-match ODI series opener at Boland Park, Paarl on Wednesday (January 19). Team India will play their first-ever series in the 50-over format since July 2021 and following Rahul Dravid's appointment as the head coach.</p>

<p>In 2021, India played two bilateral ODI series, versus England and Sri Lanka respectively. India ended the year winning four games and losing two. Since then, a lot has changed in Indian cricket. Virat Kohli was sacked as the ODI captain, having resigned on his own as T20I and Test captain (recently on January 15). Rohit Sharma was named the limited-overs captain in early December 2021, before being ruled out of the upcoming ODIs due to hamstring injury.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/itll-be-an-honour-kl-rahul-on-potentially-taking-over-from-virat-kohli-as-indias-next-test-captain-445678"><strong>'It’ll be an honour': KL Rahul on potentially taking over from Virat Kohli as India's next Test captain</strong></a></p>

<p>Thus, the 29-year-old KL Rahul will take the charge of the side in the SA ODIs in Rohit's absence. Rahul has already led India in the ongoing tour, during the second and penultimate Test at The Wanderers, Johannesburg. It will be interesting to see how he guides the side with veterans such as Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Ashwin, etc.</p>

<p>Since July 2021, Dravid has already worked with several captains -- in the form of Dhawan, Rohit, Ajinkya Rahane, Kohli and&nbsp;Rahul. Thus, the national side will be eager to gel well and start the series with a bang after losing the Tests 2-1. The young guns such as Venkatesh Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Md Siraj, Rishabh Pant, etc. will be desperate to make the most of their chances.</p>

<p>On the other hand, Bavuma-led SA aren't pushovers by any means. The likes of Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi, etc. will be bolstered by the presence of white-ball specialists David Miller, Andile Pheklukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-comes-a-stage-where-you-cant-afridi-opines-on-virat-kohlis-decision-to-quit-test-captaincy-445655"><strong>'There comes a stage where you can't...': Afridi opines on Virat Kohli's decision to quit Test captaincy</strong></a></p>

<p><strong>Match prediction for India-South Africa encounter:&nbsp;</strong>There's not much separating both sides. Expect big runs with small boundaries -- on a pitch known to be slow and flat -- if the weather doesn't play a big role. SA's practice session was abandoned on Tuesday (January 18) due to rain interruption. Thus, the weather can make its presence felt.</p>

<p>Given how much India enjoy playing this format and are well in sync with it, expect the visitors to go 1-0 up. Nonetheless, it will be a close contest.</p>


After the riveting three Tests, India and South Africa will square off with each other in the three-match ODI series opener at Boland Park, Paarl on Wednesday (January 19).

After the riveting three Tests, India and South Africa will square off with each other in the three-match ODI series opener at Boland Park, Paarl on Wednesday (January 19). Team India will play their first-ever series in the 50-over format since July 2021 and following Rahul Dravid's appointment as the head coach. In 2021, India played two bilateral ODI series, versus England and Sri Lanka respectively. India ended the year winning four games and losing two. Since then, a lot has changed in Indian cricket. Virat Kohli was sacked as the ODI captain, having resigned on his own as T20I and Test captain (recently on January 15). Rohit Sharma was named the limited-overs captain in early December 2021, before being ruled out of the upcoming ODIs due to hamstring injury. ALSO READ | 'It’ll be an honour': KL Rahul on potentially taking over from Virat Kohli as India's next Test captain Thus, the 29-year-old KL Rahul will take the charge of the side in the SA ODIs in Rohit's absence. Rahul has already led India in the ongoing tour, during the second and penultimate Test at The Wanderers, Johannesburg. It will be interesting to see how he guides the side with veterans such as Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Ashwin, etc. Since July 2021, Dravid has already worked with several captains -- in the form of Dhawan, Rohit, Ajinkya Rahane, Kohli and Rahul. Thus, the national side will be eager to gel well and start the series with a bang after losing the Tests 2-1. The young guns such as Venkatesh Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Md Siraj, Rishabh Pant, etc. will be desperate to make the most of their chances. On the other hand, Bavuma-led SA aren't pushovers by any means. The likes of Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi, etc. will be bolstered by the presence of white-ball specialists David Miller, Andile Pheklukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi. ALSO READ | 'There comes a stage where you can't...': Afridi opines on Virat Kohli's decision to quit Test captaincy Match prediction for India-South Africa encounter: There's not much separating both sides. Expect big runs with small boundaries -- on a pitch known to be slow and flat -- if the weather doesn't play a big role. SA's practice session was abandoned on Tuesday (January 18) due to rain interruption. Thus, the weather can make its presence felt. Given how much India enjoy playing this format and are well in sync with it, expect the visitors to go 1-0 up. Nonetheless, it will be a close contest.

IND vs SA, 1st ODI prediction: Who will win series opener between KL Rahul-led India and South Africa?

<p>Virat Kohli endured a disappointing outing with the bat in the ongoing second ODI between India and South Africa at the Boland Park in Paarl on Friday (January 21). The former India captain was dismissed by spinner Keshav Maharaj without opening his account after managing to face just five balls in his innings.</p>

<p>After opting to bat first in the must-win game, India got off to a good start as openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan added 63 runs for the first wicket before the left-hander was dismissed by Aiden Markram on 29 off 38 deliveries. Kohli came out to bat at number three and was expected to build a partnership with Rahul.</p>

<p>However, Kohli&nbsp;failed to get off to a good start and was sent packing by Maharaj. It was a tossed up delivery from Maharaj, which Kohli was expected to dispatch but the former India skipper played a very poor shot as the ball landed straight into the hands of Temba Bavuma in the cover region. It was a soft dismissal as Kohli recorded his 14th duck in ODIs.</p>

<p>With his 14th duck, Kohli went past his India teammate Rohit Sharma and current India head coach Rahul Dravid in the list of most ducks for India while batting at no. 1 to 7 positions. Kohli joined the likes of Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina in an unwanted list of Indian batters with 14 ducks in ODIs. He is now joint-second on the mist of Indian batters with most ducks in ODIs while batting at no.1 to 7.</p>

<p>Kohli had been dismissed on a duck by a pacer on all 13 occasions in the past, however, on Friday, Maharaj became the first-ever spinner to hand former India captain a duck in ODIs. England's Adil Rashid is the only spinner to have dismissed Kohli on a duck in T20Is while Moeen Ali and Ajaz Patel have dismissed him on a duck in Tests.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-am-not-surprised-kevin-pitersen-reacts-to-virat-kohlis-shocking-decision-to-quit-test-captaincy-446414">'I am not surprised': Kevin Pietersen reacts to Virat Kohli's shocking decision to quit Test captaincy</a></p>

<h3><strong>A long drought without a hundred for Virat Kohli</strong></h3>

<p>Kohli's century drought continues to extend in international cricket as the batting maestro struggles to find consistency with the willow. He has now gone 17 innings without a century in ODIs - his longest streak without scoring a ton in the fifty-over format.</p>

<p>After Kohli's dismissal, skipper Rahul combined with Rishabh Pant to steady the ship for India as both batters notched up half-centuries apiece. While Pant slammed a quickfire 85 off 71 balls, Rahul notched up 55 off 79 deliveries to add 115 runs for the third wicket.</p>


Virat Kohli endured a disappointing outing with the bat in the ongoing second ODI between India and South Africa at the Boland Park in Paarl on Friday (January 21).

Virat Kohli endured a disappointing outing with the bat in the ongoing second ODI between India and South Africa at the Boland Park in Paarl on Friday (January 21). The former India captain was dismissed by spinner Keshav Maharaj without opening his account after managing to face just five balls in his innings. After opting to bat first in the must-win game, India got off to a good start as openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan added 63 runs for the first wicket before the left-hander was dismissed by Aiden Markram on 29 off 38 deliveries. Kohli came out to bat at number three and was expected to build a partnership with Rahul. However, Kohli failed to get off to a good start and was sent packing by Maharaj. It was a tossed up delivery from Maharaj, which Kohli was expected to dispatch but the former India skipper played a very poor shot as the ball landed straight into the hands of Temba Bavuma in the cover region. It was a soft dismissal as Kohli recorded his 14th duck in ODIs. With his 14th duck, Kohli went past his India teammate Rohit Sharma and current India head coach Rahul Dravid in the list of most ducks for India while batting at no. 1 to 7 positions. Kohli joined the likes of Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina in an unwanted list of Indian batters with 14 ducks in ODIs. He is now joint-second on the mist of Indian batters with most ducks in ODIs while batting at no.1 to 7. Kohli had been dismissed on a duck by a pacer on all 13 occasions in the past, however, on Friday, Maharaj became the first-ever spinner to hand former India captain a duck in ODIs. England's Adil Rashid is the only spinner to have dismissed Kohli on a duck in T20Is while Moeen Ali and Ajaz Patel have dismissed him on a duck in Tests. Also Read: 'I am not surprised': Kevin Pietersen reacts to Virat Kohli's shocking decision to quit Test captaincy A long drought without a hundred for Virat Kohli Kohli's century drought continues to extend in international cricket as the batting maestro struggles to find consistency with the willow. He has now gone 17 innings without a century in ODIs - his longest streak without scoring a ton in the fifty-over format. After Kohli's dismissal, skipper Rahul combined with Rishabh Pant to steady the ship for India as both batters notched up half-centuries apiece. While Pant slammed a quickfire 85 off 71 balls, Rahul notched up 55 off 79 deliveries to add 115 runs for the third wicket.

Virat Kohli creates unwanted record after 5-ball duck in 2nd ODI against South Africa

<p>Virat Kohli decided to step down as India's Test captain last week sending shockwaves across the cricket fraternity. Kohli announced his decision on social media post India's 2-1 defeat in the recently-concluded three-match Test series against South Africa. Kohli was on his way to becoming one of the greatest Test captains of all time and was expected to continue leading the Indian team in the longest format.</p>

<p>However, Kohli decided to bring an end to his seven-year tenure as the captain of the Indian team in the longest format. Ever since his unexpected move, several former cricketers and experts have tried to decode the reason behind his decision and give their opinion on the matter.</p>

<p>Recently, former England captain Kevin Pietersen reacted to Kohli's shocking decision of quitting India's Test captaincy and explained why playing in bio-bubbles in the current times of COVID-19 could have been one of the biggest reasons behind Kohli's decision.</p>

<p>Pietersen said it is not easy for athletes&nbsp;around the world to play in bio-bubbles as it takes a severe toll on physical and mental health.&nbsp;"People who are critical of the modern-day sportsmen I think are foolish because these bio-bubbles are very hard to play in," Pietersen told PTI.</p>

<p>"It will be very unfair to be too harsh, to be critical. Because you have not looked at Virat Kohli. Kohli needs crowds, he gets going (from it), he is an entertainer," he added.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-are-lucky-they-have-many-options-kevin-pietersen-names-who-should-take-over-as-test-captain-446401">India are lucky they have many options: Kevin Pietersen names who should take over as Test captain</a></p>

<p>The former England captain further stated that he is not surprised by Kohli's decision of quitting the leadership role explaining that the 33-year-old might have felt the urge to step down from the top post to take some pressure off his back and focus on his batting.</p>

<p>"I'm actually not surprised that Virat wants just a little bit of a break from that extra pressure because it's damn difficult playing in these bubbles," Pietersen said.</p>

<p>"It's very difficult to judge all International sportsmen, be it premier league footballers or any sportsman around the world, playing in a pandemic. As a batter, I feed on the energy of players, and there are a lot of these players, be it in football, rugby or tennis," he added.</p>

<p>Kohli will not be leading India in any format going forward having left the T20I captaincy last year before being replaced as the ODI captain of the side by Rohit Sharma. He will continue to be a vital cog for the team across all three formats as a batter.</p>

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Virat Kohli decided to step down as India's Test captain last week sending shockwaves across the cricket fraternity. Kohli announced his decision on social media post India's 2-1 defeat in the recently-concluded three-match Test series against South Africa.

Virat Kohli decided to step down as India's Test captain last week sending shockwaves across the cricket fraternity. Kohli announced his decision on social media post India's 2-1 defeat in the recently-concluded three-match Test series against South Africa. Kohli was on his way to becoming one of the greatest Test captains of all time and was expected to continue leading the Indian team in the longest format. However, Kohli decided to bring an end to his seven-year tenure as the captain of the Indian team in the longest format. Ever since his unexpected move, several former cricketers and experts have tried to decode the reason behind his decision and give their opinion on the matter. Recently, former England captain Kevin Pietersen reacted to Kohli's shocking decision of quitting India's Test captaincy and explained why playing in bio-bubbles in the current times of COVID-19 could have been one of the biggest reasons behind Kohli's decision. Pietersen said it is not easy for athletes around the world to play in bio-bubbles as it takes a severe toll on physical and mental health. "People who are critical of the modern-day sportsmen I think are foolish because these bio-bubbles are very hard to play in," Pietersen told PTI. "It will be very unfair to be too harsh, to be critical. Because you have not looked at Virat Kohli. Kohli needs crowds, he gets going (from it), he is an entertainer," he added. Also Read: India are lucky they have many options: Kevin Pietersen names who should take over as Test captain The former England captain further stated that he is not surprised by Kohli's decision of quitting the leadership role explaining that the 33-year-old might have felt the urge to step down from the top post to take some pressure off his back and focus on his batting. "I'm actually not surprised that Virat wants just a little bit of a break from that extra pressure because it's damn difficult playing in these bubbles," Pietersen said. "It's very difficult to judge all International sportsmen, be it premier league footballers or any sportsman around the world, playing in a pandemic. As a batter, I feed on the energy of players, and there are a lot of these players, be it in football, rugby or tennis," he added. Kohli will not be leading India in any format going forward having left the T20I captaincy last year before being replaced as the ODI captain of the side by Rohit Sharma. He will continue to be a vital cog for the team across all three formats as a batter.

'I am not surprised': Kevin Pietersen reacts to Virat Kohli's shocking decision to quit Test captaincy

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