Author: WebDesk

Of the 15-man squad that won India the World Cup in 2011, only Virat Kohli will make it to this edition, 12 years on. India have never failed to reach the semi-final stage when hosting the event, and as they prepare to embark on another exhausting campaign – nine league matches in 35 days – we assess the opposition they’ll face. The difficulty level is not just based on the likely XI, but also the conditions that they’re likely to encounter, as well as historical pointers. A difficulty level of 1 suggests a near-walkover, while 5 is as tough as…

Vaibhav Tripathi Cricket Ireland has announced the dates for India’s upcoming T20I tour later this year. India, the top-ranked T20I team, will play a three-match series at Malahide on August 18, 20, and 23. This follows their successful 2-0 victory in the thrilling T20I series against Ireland in 2022. Despite Ireland’s close matches, they couldn’t secure a win. “We’re delighted to welcome India Men back to Ireland for the second time in 12 months. We saw two sold-out matches in 2022, so to have a three-match series this year should give even more fans the opportunity to enjoy what is…

Vaibhav Tripathi Virender Sehwag, the 2011 World Cup-winning former Indian cricketer, believes that the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team would be driven by the desire to win the upcoming 2023 World Cup tournament, specifically for Virat Kohli. Kohli, as captain, achieved five consecutive ICC Test maces. He was also a member of the the Indian teams that won the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. However, despite his notable accomplishments, Kohli concluded his captaincy stint without securing an ICC trophy of his own. “We played that World Cup for Tendulkar. If we won the World Cup, it would…

Vaibhav Tripathi India captain Rohit Sharma shared his initial thoughts on the recently announced schedule for the 2023 World Cup, which will be held in India from October 5. Rohit expects the tournament to deliver numerous exciting matches. With just 100 days remaining for the ODI World Cup to kick off, the ICC unveiled the schedule on June 27. India’s last World Cup triumph occurred in 2011, when they co-hosted the tournament alongside Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. India defeated Sri Lanka in the final to secure their second 50-over World Cup title. Notably, since the 2011 World Cup, only host…

Vaibhav Tripathi According to England batter Joe Root, the reverse scoop he played against Australia in the Edgbaston Test was not exactly about making a statement to Australia. It was a statement to the spectators that England intends to play with such aggression in Test matches. Root’s remarkable innings of 118 not out in the first innings at Edgbaston, followed by a bold 46 in the second innings, showcased his aggressive mindset. One notable aspect of his batting was his audacious attempt to play a reverse scoop on the first ball of the fourth day. He continued to play the…

Bharath Ramaraj and Vaibhav Tripathi Worcestershire pacer Josh Tongue has replaced Moeen Ali in the playing XI as England opted for an all-seam attack for the second Ashes Test, starting on Wednesday. Moeen faced challenges due to a blister on his spinning finger during the first Test and was limited to bowling just 14 overs in Australia’s second innings at Edgbaston. As a result, England have decided to bring in Tongue, who showcased his skills by taking 5-66 on his Test debut against Ireland at Lord’s earlier this month. The pace bowler bowled with with a fair amount of pace…

India vs England – Lucknow, October 29 Situated on the banks of Gomti river, Lucknow is the hallowed capital of Uttar Pradesh and known for its cultural heritage, cuisine and clothes. The city’s architecture, with Mughal, Persian and Turkish influences, has led to it being called the Constantinople of the East. It was the venue of the Siege of Lucknow, a six-month long stand-off between the British troops and Indian revolutionaries, during the First War of Independence in 1857. Also Read: Can India Stretch World Cup-Winning Streak against Pakistan to Eight? After IPL 2023, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association is…

Vaibhav Abhimanyu Easwaran, who will be leading East Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, shared his thoughts after being left out of the Indian cricket team for the West Indies tour, expressing a sense of disappointment. The prolific run-getter also noted that he won’t give up on his dream of playing for India, and would look for continuous improvement. Easwaran, who racked up 798 runs in the last Ranji season in eight games at an average of 66.50, has toured with the Test side in England and Bangladesh but has never been a regular member. He has been in the…

India v New Zealand – Dharamsala, October 22 The HPCA stadium, nestled in the backdrop of snow-capped mountains, is a picturesque ground, at an altitude of 1,457m. Generally, the tracks in Dharamsala offer pace and bounce. True bounce helps the pacers to extract some life out of the surface, and also gives full value for shots. In the IPL 2023, we saw high scores at the venue. Rajasthan Royals chased down 188 against Punjab Kings, while Delhi Capitals managed 213 against Punjab. Incidentally, three of the four ODIs played at that ground have been won by the team batting second.…

India vs Pakistan – Ahmedabad, October 15 India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City, Ahmedabad is steeped in history and tradition. Sprawling on either bank of the Sabarmati, it is known for its rich heritage, art and crafts, cuisine and for being the home of many cotton mills for more than a century and a half. The pitches are largely expected to be batter friendly, irrespective of whether the match is played on a red-soil surface or a black-soil track. Given that it’s early in the Indian season, the pitches could be lively enough to interest the pacers as well. The…