Author: Vaibhav Tripathi

Batters dominated proceedings on the opening day of Round 3 of the Ranji Trophy, although weather disruptions prevented a few matches from getting underway. Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed 67 in his first game of the season for Mumbai. While Jaiswal made a mark, his Mumbai teammate Sarfaraz Khan flopped once again, scoring just 15 as Mumbai were bowled out for 254. Making the most of the batting-friendly conditions in Thiruvananthapuram, Karun Nair scored his second consecutive hundred of the season. In Delhi, Priyansh Arya made his much-awaited Ranji Trophy debut and scored a quickfire 40. Rajasthan vs Mumbai …

A fiery spell from Josh Hazlewood had India reeling at 49 for 5 in seam-friendly conditions at the MCG. Abhishek Sharma fought like a warrior with his 37-ball 68 to take his team to 125, with a little support from Harshit Rana. For India to defend the total, they needed a special spell. However, that didn’t happen, as Australia chased down the target inside 14 overs to win the game by four wickets. After being sent in, the Indian batters failed to get accustomed to the conditions and struggled against the movement and bounce off the pitch. Hazlewood ran through…

Only 58 balls of play were possible during which India scored 97 before the first T20I was called off due to persistent rain at Manuka Oval in Canberra. The highlight of the abandoned game was the runs from the bats of skipper Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill against a largely inexperienced Australian bowling attack. Ahead of the start of the series, much of the chatter revolved around Surya and his form in T20Is. Ever since being named the full-time T20I skipper he has averaged around 25, with just two fifties to his name. Before smashing an unbeaten 39 in…

Vaibhav Tripathi Cricket and controversy can never be kept too far apart for too long. In the times we live in, a new dispute seems to arise almost every other day, with the latest stirred by Chris Broad. The former match referee has accused the BCCI of influencing match-related decisions 20 years ago, when Sourav Ganguly was India’s captain. Having served as a match referee for more than two decades, Broad reflected on his tenure during a recent interview. The former England international spoke about how the ICC used to be lenient towards the Indian team whenever they had a…

An all-round effort from Maharashtra helped them secure six points with their win over Chandigarh. In the West, Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t inspire Saurashtra to victory as their game in Rajkot ended in a draw. The biggest highlight of the second round on Day 4 was the effort of the Nagaland batters to eke out a draw against Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra vs Chandigarh Maharashtra claimed their first win of the season by beating Chandigarh by 144 runs on the final day to get their first points on the board. Chandigarh needed 335 runs to win with nine wickets in hand and,…

Services wrapped up a stunning win by eight wickets over Assam in a match that lasted just four sessions. Ravindra Jadeja went wicketless after sending down 18 overs against Madhya Pradesh, who are in a strong position courtesy Yash Dubey’s unbeaten 109. After being left out of the Indian Test squad, Karun Nair made a strong statement with an unbeaten 176 to give Karnataka the upper hand over Goa. Assam vs Services In the shortest recorded Ranji Trophy match by balls, Services defeated Assam by eight wickets inside just 90 overs in less than two days at the Tinsukia District…

Services bowlers Arjun Sharma and Mohit Jangra etched their names in the history books by taking hat-tricks in the same innings against Assam. Out-of-favour India batters Ruturaj Gaikwad (116) and Karun Nair (86 batting) bailed their respective teams out of trouble, whereas the 36-year-old Ravindra Jadeja could manage only 36 in the first innings in his comeback game for Saurashtra. Assam vs Services A total of 25 wickets fell on what was a record-breaking opening day as cricket returned to Tinsukia after nearly 25 years. It was a bowlers’ day. Services’ left-arm spinner Arjun Sharma bagged a hat-trick and finished…

Vaibhav Tripathi A packed Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) came alive as Rohit Sharma (121*) and Virat Kohli (74*) produced a stunning batting masterclass, combining for a 168-run partnership that powered India to a thumping nine-wicket win over Australia. With this dominating win, India avoided the series whitewash. A target of 237 was never going to be tough for the Indian team, given that the SCG provided the best batting conditions of the series. Rohit was the aggressor in the powerplay, taking on Mitchell Starc. Were it not for an economical start from Josh Hazlewood, Australia would have easily conceded more…

Rohit Sharma’s fighting 73, complemented by Shreyas Iyer’s maiden fifty on Australian soil, helped India post a competitive total of 264/9 in Adelaide. However, the visitors’ effort proved insufficient on a pitch that eased under lights, as Matthew Short’s assured 74 and Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 61 guided Australia to a two-wicket victory, securing an unassailable 2–0 lead in the three-match series. There was moisture in the wicket, which prompted Mitchell Marsh to bowl first. Much like in the first game, Australia’s pacers were relentless with the new ball. Rohit took the majority of the strike and played many dot balls.…

Babar Azam and Naseem Shah have been recalled to the T20I squad for the home series against South Africa. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the white-ball squads on October 23. Babar returns to the side for the first time since playing a T20I in South Africa last year. The likes of Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah and Hasan Ali, who were part of the Asia Cup squad, have been left out. Usman Khan is the wicket-keeper batter selected in place of Mohammad Haris. Big-hitting Abdul Samad has also earned a place in the side. Usman Tariq has been called up…