Author: Vaibhav Tripathi

In a game marked by controversy, Bangladesh secured a three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, eliminating the 1996 world champions from semi-final contention. Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, played a pivotal role with both bat and ball, scoring 82 runs and taking 2 wickets for 57 runs to lead his team to only their second win of the competition. This win kept Bangladesh’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy alive. The match saw a record partnership for the third wicket between Shakib and Najmul Hossain Shanto, his deputy, which enabled Bangladesh to successfully chase down the target of 280…

Rohit Sharma expressed pride after India’s 243-run victory over South Africa at Eden Gardens, which kept his team atop the points table. The skipper said that the pitch was challenging for batting, and highlighted the importance of someone like Virat Kohli who handled the situation. He also credited Shreyas Iyer for his partnership with Kohli in setting a big target. “It wasn’t an easy pitch today, you needed someone like Kohli to bat through that situation,” said Rohit. “Not to forget Shreyas as well, for creating that partnership for us and getting the runs on the board. We knew we…

A hero’s record he has touched. Humble, yet huge statement that was from Virat Kohli after India’s massive win over South Africa at Eden Gardens. “It’s quite special. It’s all too much to take for me right now. To equal my hero’s record, it’s quite special for me. I grew up watching him bat and he’s perfection when it comes to batting. He is always going to be my hero whatever happens,” said Kohli after the match in which he made that 49th century. Sachin Tendulkar held the record. It’s worth mentioning that Kohli and Tendulkar are the only players…

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka find themselves entrenched in the lower echelons of the World Cup standings. With their hopes set on securing a place in the prestigious ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, a palpable tension envelops these teams. But ironically, it’s the atmospheric conditions that pose a new threat to their match on Monday. The World Cup clash, scheduled to be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, faces uncertainty due to rapidly rising pollution levels and a concerning Air Quality Index (AQI). The game hangs in the balance as the heavy pollution in Delhi raises concerns about…

Heading into the business end of the ICC World Cup, each match gains more significance. Victory and net run rate both count, and this has become evident with some surprising results in recent days. Against this backdrop, Friday’s clash at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow between the Netherlands and Afghanistan is poised interestingly. This is a virtual shootout for both teams. The Netherlands started as the dark horse but have displayed the pedigree of a thoroughbred in phases. They’ve attracted attention, aroused interest, and exceeded expectations with remarkable spirit and teamwork in this World Cup. Their triumphs over current table-toppers…

Rohit Sharma, the India skipper, has been constantly providing his side with blazing starts at the top of the order. Ahead of the game against Sri Lanka, Rohit pointed out that he is trying to play as per the team’s needs. “I am enjoying my batting but obviously keeping in mind the team and the situation. It is not like that I have to go and swing my bat mindlessly. I have to play well and get the team in good situations, that is my mindset,” he said in a pre-match press-conference. He further elaborated on how a batter goes…

Afghanistan, who had won only one World Cup game before the start of the 2023 World Cup, can now point to three World Cup victories in a matter of weeks. Impressively, all three have come against former World Champions, with their latest triumph being over Sri Lanka, winners in 1996. On one of the best batting tracks in India, Sri Lanka had the chance to set a massive total. However, the Afghan bowlers, led by Fazalhaq Farooqi, who achieved his best ODI bowling figures of 4-34, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-38), restricted them to a below-par total of 241. In…

With two wins from five games, both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have had inconsistent performances in the ongoing World Cup. As they approach the business end of the tournament, they cannot afford another setback. A single poor performance could spell the end of semi-final hopes for either team, and their encounter on October 30 has great importance. Notably, their overall ODI rivalry is heavily skewed in favour of Sri Lanka, who have also won their World Cup encounters. Afghanistan have demonstrated that they are not merely here to participate, but to compete and consistently win matches. Victories over England, defending…

A resurgent Netherlands side delivered an impressive performance at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, securing an 87-run victory over Bangladesh on Saturday. This marked Netherlands’ second win in the tournament as they handed Bangladesh their fifth defeat. Netherlands’ skipper Scott Edwards praised the lower-order batters for adding crucial runs lower down the order. He also lauded the bowlers, including Aryan Dutt, Colin Ackermann, and Bas de Leede, for their excellent performance. “I think it was easy to be fair. We were saying if we could get 220 plus, we were in the game,” he said in the presentation ceremony. “The lower order…

Australia clinched a thrilling victory over New Zealand by a mere five runs in a high-scoring contest, securing their fourth consecutive win in the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. They posted a gigantic total of 388 in the first innings and effectively limited New Zealand to 383 runs. Pat Cummins, the Australian skipper, praised Travis Head for the positive intent he showed in his comeback game. “It was awesome. They just kept coming at us and it was a fantastic game of cricket. Travis has been away for 5 weeks, first hit back in the game and the kind…