Author: Vaibhav Tripathi

The brand-new Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior is all set to host its first international match as India square off against Bangladesh in the first T20I of a three-match series on Sunday, October 6. After a 14-year gap, an international match will be played in Gwalior, and fans will be hoping for a high-scoring encounter at the venue. This venue features both red and black-soil pitches, but this match will be played on a black-soil surface located in the centre of the playing field. The expectation is for a typically flat track, similar to many T20I venues in India,…

After a 27-year gap, Mumbai won the Irani Cup, and this is for the 15th time they have won this trophy. The match ended in a draw, but the Ranji Trophy winners annexed the trophy by virtue of their first-innings lead against the Rest of India (ROI). With this, Ajinkya Rahane’s Mumbai completed a double, having secured both the Ranji Trophy and the Irani Cup. The standout performer was Tanush Kotian, who impressed with a fifty in the first innings, followed by a sparkling century in the second. He also shone with the ball, emerging as Mumbai’s best bowler, taking…

On a fast-moving Day 4 of the Irani Cup in Lucknow, Mumbai strengthened their position by taking a lead of 274 runs, finishing the day on 153/6. Rest of India (ROI) remain very much in the contest, especially after taking six quick wickets. Their priority tomorrow will be to bowl Mumbai out quickly to give themselves a realistic chance of chasing the target. Spinners played a crucial role for both sides, with the pitch offering rough patches for the bowlers to exploit. ROI began the day on 393/5 but were eventually bowled out for 416, with Abhimanyu Easwaran missing out…

While yesterday was all about Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan, today was all about Rest of India (ROI) opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who scored his 26th first-class hundred to take his team to 289/4 at stumps on day 3 in Lucknow after Mumbai could only add one run to their overnight total of 536 and were bundled out for 537. Just like the previous day, ROI skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad placed fielders near the boundary to prevent Sarfaraz from hitting big shots. Sarfaraz managed to retain the strike for three overs, but Mukesh Kumar was too good for Mohammed Juned Khan. Mukesh’s effort earned…

The remarkable bond between Sarfaraz Khan and red-soil pitches in red-ball cricket continues to grow, as he produced a sensational double hundred against the Rest of India (ROI) in Lucknow. His unbeaten knock of 221 guided Mumbai to a commanding 536/9 by the end of Day 2. Just days before, Sarfaraz’s younger brother Musheer Khan and his father Naushad Khan were involved in an accident while traveling to Lucknow. Despite this, Sarfaraz left personal concerns behind the moment he stepped onto the field, focusing entirely on guiding his team to a substantial total. Knowing he was the last recognized batter,…

The start of play in Lucknow was delayed due to a wet outfield, similar to the situation in Kanpur. A slight amount of moisture on the pitch led Ruturaj Gaikwad to opt to bowl first, a decision that may have turned out to be a mistake. After the first hour, the moisture evaporated, and the pitch dried out, becoming favourable for batting, which allowed the current Ranji champions to take full advantage of the ideal conditions. With half-centuries from Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, and Shreyas Iyer, Mumbai posted 237/4 at stumps on Day 1 of the Irani Cup 2024. The…

Nearly three days of play were lost to rain and a wet outfield, but that didn’t dampen India’s spirit as they went for the kill and secured a famous seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in Kanpur, sealing the series 2-0. India bowled brilliantly to restrict Bangladesh to a modest total of 146. Chasing 95 was always expected to be a straightforward task for Team India. Although they lost Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill early, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sparkling fifty helped India chase down the target with ease. From the position they were in yesterday, it was always going to be India’s Test…

After two days of waiting, the Kanpur crowd finally witnessed some thrilling action on Day 4, as India’s batters made history. Having restricted Bangladesh to 233 earlier in the day, India adopted a T20 approach, coming out guns blazing in their first innings to score 285/9 before declaring. In doing so, they recorded the fastest 50, 100, and 200 runs in a Test innings. With a lead of 52 runs, India returned to the field to bowl, and reduced Bangladesh to 26/2 by the end of the day. The highlight of the day was the way India batted. More than…

Following months of anticipation, the BCCI has unveiled the retention rules for the next three IPL seasons. The announcement came shortly after a meeting of the IPL Governing Council in Bengaluru on September 28. According to the official release, the 10 franchises will be permitted to retain up to six players from their current squads, with a salary cap of Rs 120 crore. This can be done through direct retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option. Franchises have the freedom to decide how they wish to balance retentions and RTMs. Out of the six players retained or…

In what was a truncated opening day of the second Test, only 35 overs were bowled before play was called off due to bad weather in Kanpur. Despite challenging conditions, with the pitch showing signs of variable bounce on the first day itself, Bangladesh did well to post 107 runs for the loss of three wickets after India opted to bowl first. India, on the other hand, would’ve expected more from their bowlers, given the favourable conditions and the fact that they chose to bowl first, which is usually not the trend in the subcontinent. The start of play in…