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Without rumors swirling about the absence of Virat Kohli from the IND vs. ENG Test series, the star batter and social media superstar has finally ended his social media exile. Kohli had informed the BCCI that he would be unavailable for selection for the first two Tests of the series. Having reached Hyderabad on January 21, Virat Kohli was ready to play the first Test. But a sudden change of events forced the former Indian skipper to not only depart from Hyderabad but also rule himself out of the two opening matches. It was on January 21 that Kohli made his last social media post on Instagram. Now, after 10 days, he has finally ended his social media exile. Although the post is promotional, it is an indication that things might be getting back to normal for Virat Kohli. There has been no confirmation about whether Kohli will finally return for the next three Tests of the series. The Indian management, or BCCI, has yet to make a statement on the matter, despite KL Rahul and Ravindra Jad

Former batter of Indian cricket team Sanjay Manjrekar wants Rohit Sharma to play like Sachin Tendulkar played a leading role in Indian batting. With Virat Kohli missing out on the IND vs. ENG 2nd Test, Manjrekar believes Rohit should play the leading role in batting to steer the youngsters. Rohit could only manage 24 and 39 in the Hyderabad Test as India lost the match by 28 runs, failing to chase 231. Sanjay Manjrekar explained, “You noticed Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 80 with a strike rate of 100. In the second inning, inexplicably, the strike rate dropped to 40. The only explanation is that they felt the pressure when coming in to bat.” Manjrekar believes that the reason for Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dip in strike rate was not the pitch. Instead, he was under pressure. That’s where Rohit Sharma should take the lead from the front. Manjrekar said, “This is where Rohit Sharma had to play a role similar to what Sachin Tendulkar did for many years. He has to be the lone batter to handle the situat

The all-rounders of Indian cricket team Ravindra Jadeja and Mr. KL Rahul have been ruled out of the second Test against England in Vizag, starting February 2, 2024. Saransh Jain has been named as a replacement for Washington Sundar in the India A squad for the third and final multi-day game against the England Lions starting February 1, 2024, in Ahmedabad. Avesh Khan will continue to travel with his Ranji Trophy team in Madhya Pradesh and will join the Test squad if required. India’s updated squad for the 2nd Test against England: Rohit Sharma ©, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), DhruvJurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, RajatPatidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, and Sourabh Kumar. 

The star spinner of Indian Cricket Team Ravichandran Ashwin created history on Saturday, January 27, At Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, during the first test match between the cricket teams of India and England, by claiming his second wicket in the second innings of the opening series. The 37-year-old spinner became India's highest wicket taker in test matches against England; he broke former Indian captain Anil Kumble's record of this missing 92 English batsman in 19 test matches to take the number two position. The Chennai best cricketer is now only behind farmers dinner Bhagwat Chandrashekhar in the elite list. Bring back his playing days. Chandrashekhar picked up 95 wickets against the poms in 23 test matches. By taking 5 wickets till now in the first test match, Ashwin has also taken his tally of wickets to 495 in test cricket and now needs only 5 wickets to become the second Indian bowler after Anil Kumble to take 500 or more wickets in the longest fo

On Friday, Cricket West Indies committed to gender pay equity among its players, having signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the West Indies Players Association. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covers all agreements regarding player compensation and updated terms and conditions throughout the West Indies system. It is valid from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2027. The West Indies Cricket Board said in a statement that "the MOU outlines plans to achieve parity in international and regional match fees, international captain's allowances, international team prize money, as well as regional prize money by October 1, 2027, for every cricket player in the West Indies.” In recent times, countries such as South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia, and India have implemented measures to promote gender parity in pay. The ICC established prize money parity for men's and women's teams competing in ICC competitions just a year ago. According to WICB Presi

The second test between the Australia and West Indies cricket teams saw the hosts dominate the proceedings on the first day, reducing the Kraigg Brathwaite-led side to 64/5. Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc produced incredible figures of 3/11 in his seven overs. That effort helped the left-arm bowler complete 350 wickets in Tests, becoming only the fourth from the country to do so. Starc achieved the milestone in 87 Tests, the same as compatriot Nathan Lyon. Remarkably, Muttiah Muralidaran of Sri Lanka became the fastest man to reach this milestone, taking 350 wickets in just 66 Test matches. R. Ashwin is the joint-fastest, along with the Lankan legend. As for team Australia, Dennis Lillee happens to be the fastest bowler to reach 350 wickets, having achieved it in 70 matches. The list also includes other Australian greats, Shane Warne (80) and Glenn McGrath (74). On the other hand, the slowest to reach the milestone is an Indian, who crossed the mark in 100 Tests.

The captain of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma, heaped praise on spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and pacer Mohammed Siraj ahead of the IND vs. ENG 1st Test. Sharma and Co. will lock horns with the visitors in a five-match Test series commencing on January 25. Ahead of the 1st Test in Hyderabad, skipper Rohit Sharma appreciated Ashwin’s class, noting that the spinner was impressive whenever he took the field. The Hitman commended home town hero Siraj as well, noting that he had broken through the ranks over the last couple of years to establish himself in the Test side. Rohit Sharma said at the pre-match press conference that “Ashwin and Siraj have been important players for us. Siraj has come through the ranks in the last two years; he has taken his game to another level. Ashwin is class; every time he takes the field, he impresses all of us.” 

The captain of the Australian cricket team, Pat Cummins, joined the ongoing Australia Day debate and remarked that a more appropriate day must be chosen to mark the day. His remarks come hours after Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley remained adamant that the board was not boycotting Australia Day and that they just wanted to play cricket. Speaking to reporters, Cummins noted CA has been quite consistent with their approach to Australia Day for the last 4–5 years. The Aussie captain stated that while he respects the day and the sentiments behind it, a more appropriate date must be found to mark the occasion. “My personal opinion is that I absolutely love Australia and think it is the best country in the world by a mile. I think we should have Australia Day, but I think we can probably find a more appropriate date to celebrate. “Knowing a couple of those players that you mentioned (Boland and Gardner), you hear the stories and their feelings. “I think in particular with a sport like c

Over two years after it was announced, the merger deal between Zee and Sony has been terminated. Envisioned as the second largest after Star and Disney India, it was to be a combined entity with 75 channels with a strong presence in entertainment, sports, and regional markets, apart from two OTT platforms. It is a setback for both Zee and Sony, with all eyes on what they will now do. Those familiar with the transaction point out that there was a clear difference between why both parties saw merit in going ahead with it. One of the bankers said, “For Zee, it was driven by financial challenges, while Sony saw a business need.” According to him, Zee’s precarious position was on account of the high debt at the promoter’s level and holding company, Essel Group. Sony, meanwhile, had a small presence with little to speak of outside Hindi general entertainment, and losing the rights to the marquee Indian Premier League meant a revenue stream was lost. “There is a good chance that both Zee and

In the middle of the ongoing speculations over a possible return of Rishabh Pant for his team, the Delhi Capitals, in the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League, the top official of the team, PKSV Sagar, broke silence on Friday about the star player's return. Pant has been sidelined since a car accident in December 2022, but the wicketkeeper batter is making a great recovery and is likely to return to the pitch this year.  The first hint of his return to the IPL came back in November when he attended a DC camp in Kolkata, attended by senior support staff of the team, including Sourav Ganguly, who is the director of cricket, Ricky Ponting (head coach), and PravinAmre (assistant coach). Subsequently, Pant took part in the discussions about the retention and release of players ahead of the auction. Sagar said they are hoping that India's wicketkeeper batter will soon make a return and play in the IPL 2024. Pant has represented DC since 2016 and scored 2,838 runs in 98 matches at

The star bowler of Indian cricket team Ravichandran Ashwin received an invitation on Friday to attend the Ram Temple 'PranPratishtha' ceremony on January 22 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The 37-year-old spinner became the latest cricketer to be invited to the ceremony. BJP Tamil Nadu State Vice President Venkatraman C wrote on X while announcing the news: "Excited to stand alongside BJP State Secretary Shri. @suryahsg in presenting a heartfelt invitation and Akshathai to the esteemed cricketer Shri. @ashwinravi99 for the AyodhyaRamar Temple #PranaPratishta.” Apart from Ashwin, star batter Virat Kohli, world Cup-winning former India captain MS Dhoni, and legendary Sachin Tendulkar have also been invited to the ceremony at the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Several Bollywood celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, KanganaRanaut, Tiger Shroff, Jackie Shroff, Hariharan, Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and RandeepHooda, have also received the invitation for

The opening batter of New Zealand cricket team Finn Allen entered the record books on Wednesday following his 62-ball 137 against Pakistan in the third T20I in Dunedin. Allen now holds the record for the highest T20I score by a New Zealander, surpassing Brendon McCullum’s previous best of 123.  He also equalled Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai for carting most sixes in a T20I, 16 to be precise. In the sixth over, he hit Rauf for 27 runs, including three sixes and two boundaries. Speaking during the mid-innings break, Allen revealed that he had cracked a deal with Rauf ahead of the series. Allen revealed that Rauf agreed that he wouldn’t bowl him any bouncers and that he would repay by not taking him on. However, Rauf bowled two bumpers in that over, and the Kiwi youngster collected maximum runs on both occasions. He said with a laugh in the mid-innings break, “Yes, we had a bit of a deal before the series that Rauf wouldn’t bowl me any bumpers and I wouldn’t hit any back at him. He bowl

The fast bowler of Indian cricket team Mohammed Shami has been in the news in the last few weeks. For his services to cricket, he received the Arjuna Award. He didn't play in many games, but in the ICC World Cup 2023, he was the greatest bowler. Recently, he met with the defense personnel of India and saluted them for their courage and commitment. Shami uploaded pictures of his meeting on social media. He wrote, “I am proud to be an Indian. Salvate our soldiers for their honor, courage, and commitment.” Mohammed Shami hasn’t played cricket since the World Cup due to an ankle injury. He was initially named in the two-match series against South Africa but was ruled out at the last moment. The veteran pacer was also not part of the first two Test matches against England. To qualify for the Indian squad, he has to show that he is fit by reporting to the National Cricket Academy.

Pat Cummins, the captain of Australia, is named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for his outstanding bowling during the team's victory over Pakistan in the Test match. India's Deepti Sharma earns her first-ever ICC Women's Player of the Month award for her multi-format mastery over Australia and England. Visit:  https://www.dadasports247.com/ Following the announcement of the shortlists last week, the International Cricket Council today announced the winners of the December 2023 ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month awards. Australia's skipper Pat Cummins finished an amazing 2023 with an ICC Men's Player of the Month title in December 2023 for his superb bowling performance during his team's winning Test series against Pakistan. After India defeated formidable opponents in England and Australia with remarkable wins in all three formats with to her batting and bowling prowess, Deepti Sharma gets her maiden ICC Women's Player of the Mo

The New Zealand cricket team beat Pakistan by 46 runs in the first T20I at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, January 12. With the win, the Kiwis took a crucial 1-0 lead in the five-match series. After being put in to bat first, New Zealand racked up their highest score of 226 for the loss of eight wickets in T20Is against Pakistan. Devon Conway departed for a duck, but Finn Allen threw the kitchen sink at everything to plunder 24 runs off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s second over. Abbas Afridi, who made his international debut, gave Pakistan a breather by dismissing Allen, who scored 35 runs off 15 balls. Skipper Kane Williamson scored 57 runs off 42 balls with nine fours and did not look out of form on his return. But it was Glenn Phillips who did most of the damage. The right-hander played his shots to muster 61 runs off 27 balls before Shaheen accounted for his wicket. Glenn Phillips threw his bat around to score 19 runs off 11 deliveries. Mark Chapman made sure that he gave the New Zeal

The highly anticipated five-match Test series between the India and England cricket teams will kick off on January 25, with the first match being played in Hyderabad. Talking about the Test rivalry between the two teams, England have an upper edge over India.  However, India will have the home advantage, and it will be a daunting task in front of the Three Lions. Recently, former England spinner Graeme Swann revealed some unheard tales about England’s 2012 tour of India, where the visitors claimed victory 2–1 in the four-match Test series. Despite losing the first match, England bounced back in style, registered victories in the next two games, and clinched the series. The fourth match of the series ended in a draw, where Virat Kohli and skipper MS Dhoni scored 103 and 99 runs, respectively. Speaking about Kohli, Swann revealed that the England players were advised not to get into an argument with the Delhi-based batter. He also stated that Kohli brutally scored runs off Steve Finn aft

The buildup to the India vs. Afghanistan T20I series has been all about the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the T20I format. The star batters last played a T20I match at the 2022 T20 World Cup, where India lost in the semi-finals. Since then, they have been limited to ODIs and tests.  However, for the last T20I series that India will play before the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Indian cricket team management recalled both. However, at the pre-match press conference, Rahul Dravid, the head coach of team India, revealed that Virat Kohli will not be playing the first T20I against Afghanistan on Thursday. According to a report, the BCCI selectors had discussions with Virat Kohli regarding expectations from him. The communication was regarding his role in the shortest format for India. In fact, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar met him in Cape Town, according to the report. On Wednesday, Rahul Dravid revealed that Virat Kohli would miss the first T20I due to personal reasons and would b

Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has said that pacer Deepak Chahar should have been included in the India squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. The Men in Blue will lock horns against Afghanistan in the three-match series starting on Thursday, which will take place in Mohali, Bengaluru, and Indore, respectively.  The hosts have included Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan as their three frontline seamers. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former India opener said that Chahar should have been part of the T20I squad if he had made himself available. Visit : Dadasports247.com Chopra said, “Interestingly, only three fast bowlers have been selected. Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan are there. Deepak Chahar was also picked for the South Africa T20Is, but he didn’t go because his father was not well. His father’s health is better now. I am sure he must be available.” The former India cricketer added, “I haven’t given him a call; I should may

On Monday, Riyan Parag made a resilient comeback in the Ranji Trophy 2024 with his blistering knock of 155 off 87 balls in the match against Chhattisgarh. Parag was struggling with bad form in 2023, as he failed miserably in the previous Indian Premier League. Fans had bashed the cricketer for not scoring runs for the Rajasthan Royals. Riyan Parag shared a post as a reply to his critics. In order to indicate that the Assamese batter is back in form, RR has now reposted the same post. Parag had scored just 78 runs in seven matches of the IPL 2023. The skipper of the Assam knock was studded with seven boundaries and seven sixes, with Parag striking at over 150. Assam collapsed in their first inning in response to Chhattisgarh’s mammoth 327-run total. With follow-on enforced, Parag led from the front, powering his side to get the lead in the 2nd inning.

As the schedule for the high-octane T20 World Cup 2024 was unveiled, former cricketer of team India credited ex-India skipper MS Dhoni for the boom in the craze for T20 cricket in the country. Mahendra Singh Dhoni led the side to a historic victory in the 2007 inaugural T20 World Cup. The win marked the start of what was called the ‘Dhoni era’. While speaking, Gavaskar reflected on the role of the T20 World Cup 2007 in shaping the emergence of T20 cricket in India and the IPL. Recalling that he was present during the event in 2007, Gavaskar called it one of the most exciting times and said that he had seen greats like MSD and Irfan Pathan play and win the trophy for India. The ex-Indian cricketer opined that the win helped boost T20 cricket in India as well as the prestigious IPL. Gavaskar said, “I was present at the 2007 T20 World Cup, and it was one of the most exciting times. I’ve seen MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan playing on the field and winning for India. Clearly, from there, the cra

Following the win of India over South Africa in the second Test that lasted for just 1.5 days, former England batter Kevin Pietersen poked fun at the duration of the match. He said that there is enough time to play a series decider at Cape Town in order to have a true winner in this series. Bumrah’s second-inning six-wicket haul made all the difference as, despite Aiden Markram’s tonne, South Africa could set only 79 for India to wrap up this Test in around 1.5 days, which India chased down successfully. Following the win, Pietersen suggested that a series decider could still be played. The series has met a lot of criticism from cricket fans and former players for not featuring enough matches. Pietersen tweeted, “There’s enough time to play the 3rd and deciding Test match to start tomorrow in Cape Town. There’ll absolutely be a result in the series, and the players won’t miss their scheduled flights home.” The second Test saw India walk away victorious with a seven-wicket victory withi

Former batter of team India Aakash Chopra has raised concerns over the future of Test cricket, saying that the longest format of the game has been put on “ventilator”. Chopra’s comments came after South Africa named a second string squad for their upcoming tour of New Zealand. He also reacted to Pakistan’s decision to rest star pacer Shaheen Afridi for the third and final Test against Australia, which got underway on Wednesday in Sydney. The Proteas named a depleted squad due to players’ commitment with the franchises for the upcoming season of the SA20. While Cricket South Africa has iterated that they are fully committed to securing the future of Test cricket, Chopra opined that the oldest format of the game is “ICU.”. Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel that, “Believe it or not, Test cricket is in the ICU at the moment and has been put on the ventilator. Firstly, a handful of teams play Test cricket, and among them, only three teams are left that can afford to pla

The captain of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma, feels that it is each and every ICC member’s duty to protect the sanctity of Test cricket as it remains the ultimate format. Cricket South Africa selected seven uncapped players, including inexperienced first-timer Neil Brand, for the upcoming tour of New Zealand to accommodate top stars for the cash-rich SA20, which coincides with the Test series.  All the SA20 franchises are owned by IPL team owners, and the move to prioritise franchise cricket has earned widespread criticism. When asked about the CSA move, Rohit said, “For me, tests remain the ultimate challenge, and we would like to see the best players playing in that format, but everyone has their own problems to deal with, so make sure there is a reason behind it.” But he was clear that he always wants top players to play in tests. He also said, “I don’t know what the reason is (for SA not picking senior players), and in Test cricket, you want to see the best players being av

The first Test of 2024 for the Indian cricket team is a do-or-die one. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team needs a win to draw the Test series against South Africa in Cape Town. After an embarrassing loss by an innings and 32 runs, the Indian cricket team has its task cut out for the second Test.  There will be much intrigue surrounding India’s playing XI too. Many experts have predicted that there will be two changes in the XI. Ravichandran Ashwin may make way for Ravindra Jadeja, while Mukesh Kumar may replace Prasidh Krishna. The practice session before the test was interesting, with Virat Kohli showing great intent. Rohan Deshmukh, who covered the practice session for Star Sports, said in a video on Monday, “Many players came around 9:30 AM. Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill started the proceedings. Virat Kohli and Shubman Gil played six balls each on the centre wickets. In front of them were Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravichandran Ashwin. They played for around half an ho

The performance of KL Rahul was one of the few positives for India in the first Test against South Africa. The batsman scored a terrific tonne, which was praised by Sunil Gavaskar as one of the top 10 centuries for India in Test cricket. He also had a good outing for India at the ODI World Cup 2023, where he donned the wicketkeeper’s gloves as well. KL Rahul recently revealed the support he received from his wife, Athiya Shetty, during his injury and rehabilitation and her little superstition. KL Rahul said, “She was with me. She’s always been with me through everything. She was more frustrated and angrier most days than I was. So, I found myself trying to keep her calm more than anything else. But it’s also the first time that she’s seen me go through something like this.” He further said, “So, it was tough for both of us, but it also gave us time that we needed together, which was good for us. Things started slowly, and I think I need to go back to the same process again. I feel like