Author: Bharath Ramaraj

From Kandy As the Indian and Pakistani players returned to the field after the main rain break, there was something that caught the eye. Morne Morkel, the Pakistan bowling coach, had brought out a catching mitt. Shaheen Afridi, another towering giant, was standing beside him. And then the duo started to practice. Afridi was aiming to bowl full tosses, alongside the occasional good length delivery. For a few minutes, it was perplexing to watch a bowler try a volley of full tosses. A couple of signals gave away a little bit of information though. Afridi seemed to be looking over…

Kandy A day that started with excitement and anticipation, ended in a bit of damp squib as persistent rain washed out the India-Pakistan encounter at the Pallekele Stadium. Ishan Kishan (82) and Hardik Pandya (87) starred for India, while Shaheen Afridi was the wreaker-in-chief for Pakistan, picking up four wickets. India, who opted to bat, began on a rather cautious note. There was a bit of swing in the air, and more importantly, the pitch was offering enough nip. Movement in the air and off the pitch was also supplemented by some loopy bounce. When India had progressed to…

Around three years ago, Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling speeds were in the range of 75 to 80 km/h. In modern-day cricket, where batters are increasingly more adventurous, it seemed as if India’s left-arm wrist spinner had lost his mojo after a great start, and his career was at crossroads. The point was further illustrated by Kuldeep’s modest record in 2019: 32 wickets at 34.68 in ODIs. In 2018, the same bowler had touched a different zone in both ODIs and T20Is – 45 scalps at just under 18 and 21 wickets at 9.8 respectively. Kuldeep seemed to have lost confidence, and…

From Kandy An India-Pakistan contest can serve up a different kind of gravy on the menu: Frenzied atmosphere and expectations that reach a zenith. Not that there was much to see outside the Pallekele Stadium on Friday morning, on the eve of the match. There was a decent queue building outside the ticket counter. A few of them perhaps came at around 5.30 AM to wait for the counter to open. Although big banners of all the captains at the stadium did indicate a major tournament was being held in Pallekele. As the sun began to slowly fade away…

From Kandy Matheesha Pathirana, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, could be forgiven if he believed his stars were not aligned while playing for his country. Just a year ago, in the Asia Cup, his opening over in his maiden T20I went for 16 runs. A year later, when Pathirana won his maiden one-day international cap, he was expensive in his first two overs, conceding 20. However, it seemed like a matter of time before the gift-wrapped cricketer would break the barrier and make a significant contribution to Sri Lankan cricket. Pathirana certainly did that in Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup 2023…

The windscreen wiper of the taxi moved relentlessly with the sound – tuck, tuck and tuck – and that seemed to rhyme well with the sound of raindrops – pitter, patter. The beautiful sound of humming raindrops was one of the reasons to stay awake while travelling from Colombo Airport to Kandy. But it wasn’t just the playful raindrops that acted as magic right through the journey. The ever-smiling faces and the warmth of the Sri Lankans – right from the taxi agents at the airport, to the taxi driver and the hotel manager – that lifted the mood after…

Afghanistan: The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side, placed in Group B, will believe they have the tools to progress to the Super Fours. In the second round, it would be more about absorbing the pressure and seizing the crucial moments. With Jonathan Trott as the coach, Afghanistan’s batters seem to be playing with a bit more method. In the recently concluded ODI series against Pakistan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, the openers, showed enough evidence of it by sharing an alliance of 227. Ultimately, Afghanistan finished with a score of 300 on the board. Even in the ODI rubber versus Bangladesh, the…

Note: The second part of the series featuring India, Pakistan and Afghanistan will appear soon. Watch this space. Aeons ago, in the sweltering heat of Sharjah, a tri-series involving India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan was held. It was a low-profile series, with India usurping Pakistan by 54 runs to be crowned the inaugural Asia Cup champions. Some four decades later, on the eve of the 16th edition of the Asia Cup, it can safely be said that the profile of the tournament has increased tenfold. Just to illustrate the point further, an India-Pakistan game is set to cost an advertiser…

Dilshan Madushanka and Lahiru Kumara, the Sri Lankan pace duo, are set to be ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup, RevSportz understands. Madushanka has been laid low by an oblique muscle tear. On the other hand, Kumara has sustained a side strain. Meanwhile, Wanindu Hasaranga, the spinning-all-rounder, has been struggling with a thigh strain, and could also miss out on playing in the Asia Cup. To make matters worse for Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera has already been ruled out with a shoulder injury. Incidentally, the pace bowler has also been troubled by ankle problems. Kasun Rajitha, Binura Fernando and…

Just a small tweet can narrate a story. As the clock struck 12 on a Sunday night, Neeraj Chopra made a successful throw at the World Athletics Championships. As this writer posted on ‘X’ on Neeraj cracking the code with a throw of 88.17m, replies came thick and fast about how to watch the men’s javelin final. There was live feed for the javelin final. However, as events were held simultaneously, only the crucial moments of the final featuring the Indian were shown. Millions of fans had to scroll through the official website to keep track of the standings. A…