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Former cricketer of Team India Aakash Chopra feels Rohit Sharma continuing his dismal run against Kagiso Rabada put paid to India’s hopes of staging a fightback in the first Test against South Africa. Rabada bowled Rohit for a duck as the hosts bundled out the visitors for 131 in their second inning to complete a comprehensive inning and 32-run win in Centurion on Thursday, December 28. It was the seventh time the Proteas pacer had dismissed the Indian skipper in Test cricket. Reflecting on India’s second-inning collapse in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Rabada’s continued domination of Rohit dashed India’s hopes of getting off to a good start. He said, “Kagiso Rabada has Rohit Sharma’s number in his back pocket; it seems like that. He has dismissed him so many times and gotten him out here as well. It was with a bouncer in the previous inning, and it was a very good ball in this inning. It pitched, went away, and hit the top of off, and Rohit Sharma was

Dr. Ali Bacher was instrumental in exposing BCCI to the whole new world of commercialization of the game’s broadcast, but the former Cricket South Africa president doesn’t like only three boards “marginalising” others in order to enjoy complete hegemony. It is no secret that India, Australia, and England cricket boards decide the cricket calendar, and Bacher, who brought Proteas cricket to mainstream, post-apartheid, isn’t amused at all. During an exclusive interview while watching the India and South Africa opening Test, Bacher said, “When I was the chairman of the ICC’s development committee, my objective was to spread the game. It’s not happening today. Cricket today is dominated by India, Australia, and England. South Africa has been marginalised, Pakistan has been marginalised, and the West Indies have been marginalised. That’s not good,” Bacher, now 81, told PTI. “You need to grow the game. The problem is that the finance of world cricket is dominated by India, and 70 percent of

Former skipper of South Africa cricket team Faf du Plessis explained why Indian batters find it difficult to negotiate the Proteas conditions. India have never won a Test series in South Africa, and it will be an achievement that the Rohit Sharma-led side will look to finally conquer when they take the field in the Test series starting December 26 in Centurion. Faf explained that South African pitches provide an extra bounce in comparison to Indian pitches, and that creates an 'additional risk' for Indian batters. Faf said, "It's the bounce. There is almost one full hand of extra bounce here, compared to what they usually face in India. They are used to hitting the ball up there, but with the bounce on offer and lateral movement, there is additional risk at play if you haven't done it before and are not used to the lift. The key to doing well in South Africa is to leave well and be there for a long period.” The former South African skipper also gave a suggesti

Former cricketer of team India Aakash Chopra was surprised by the Gujarat Titans’ decisions at the IPL 2024 auction after the one-time champs had a fairly decent day at the event. Having traded Hardik Pandya to the Mumbai Indians for Rs 15 crore, GT entered the auction with the team with the highest purse (Rs 38.15 crore). However, the team barely made heavy purchases, forcing Chopra to question the surprising strategy. In his latest video on YouTube, Chopra pointed out that GT went into the auction as the most favorable side, having just 8 slots to fill and Rs 38.15 crore in their purse. The former cricketer believes that GT did not manage to secure their first-choice picks at the IPL auction, citing the team’s decision to pull out after an intense bidding war for Mitchell Starc and Harshal Patel. Aakash Chopra said, “I was surprised by the fact that they went very far (in the bidding war) for Harshal Patel, then they pulled out. They went the distance with Mitchell Starc as well and

The all-rounder of the West Indies, Andre Russell, has said that he will be looking like a UFC fighter by the time the T20 World Cup rolls around next year. Russell was part of the West Indies team that beat England by four wickets in the fifth and final T20I to clinch the five-match series 3–2. While speaking after the end of the series, Russell pledged that he would be looking like a UFC fighter in the 2024 T20 World Cup, insisting that the series win meant so much for the team. The West Indies had failed to qualify for the recently concluded ODI World Cup in India, and a T20I series win against the T20I World Champions would’ve boosted the team’s morale. Russell said, “I’ll be in better shape; to be honest, I’ll be looking like a UFC fighter. This series win means so much. It [makes me] want to push myself to the limit. We have a lot of cricket to play, and that’s good. When you’re playing cricket and in competition, your body is active, and you’re not just sitting at home waiting f

The Batting Legend of India Sunil Gavaskar was rallying behind Sanju Samson even before the power-hitter converted his well-crafted half-century into triple-digit figures against Aiden Markram’s South Africa on Thursday in Paarl. The legendary Indian cricketer also advised free-scoring Samson to be cautious with his shots after his mistimed stroke almost created a wicket-taking opportunity for the Proteas in the 3rd One Day International at Boland Park. Known for his explosive batting style, Samson played a classical ODI knock to earn praise from former Indian skipper Gavaskar. Gavaskar said, “The standout for me from this inning was his shot selection. In the past, he has gotten out despite getting started. Today, you couldn’t fault him at all; he was biding his time, waiting for the bad ball, and then getting a hundred.  I think this hundred is going to change his career. One, he will get more opportunities because of this hundred.” Gavaskar further added, “Secondly, I think he will

Former wicket-keeping batter of team India Parthiv Patel has said that batter Shahrukh Khan was the best buy for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2024 auction held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19. The 2022 champions and the runners-up from last year released eight players, namely Pradeep Sangwan, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph, Dasun Shanaka, Yash Dayal, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, and Urvil Patel, ahead of the retention deadline. They also lost captain Hardik Pandya after he was traded to the Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal. While speaking, Patel said GT have shown faith in Shahrukh, insisting the Tamil Nadu hard-hitting was their best buy of the auction. GT shelled out Rs 7.40 crore for Shahrukh after he was released by the Punjab Kings ahead of the retention deadline last month. Patel said, “The biggest gap they had to fill was the one left by Hardik Pandya. I feel they have shown faith in Shahrukh Khan there. He can bat both ways at №5 or №6. He is an experienced p