Page 9 - Cricket

Virat Kohli climbs 5 positions to No 9 in ICC T20I Men's Player Rankings

Former India skipper Virat Kohli climbed 5 positions to reach number 9 position in the latest ICC Men's Player Rankings, after his heroics against Pakistan at the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Istanbul among 5 venues shortlisted to host this year's IPL mini auction

Istanbul is among the five venues shortlisted to host the IPL auction which is likely to be held on December 16, according to a BCCI official. Besides the Turkish capital and Bengaluru, the usual venue for the auction, New Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad are also in contention. But a final call will be taken when the IPL Governing Council, under new chairman Arun Singh Dhumal, meets for the first time soon. "No final decision has been taken yet but we are looking at Istanbul. We haven't met the teams and their officials in a relaxed environment since COVID, and this way we will be able to do that," the BCCI official told PTI. "A final decision will be taken after talking to all stakeholders." Unlike last year, this year's will be a mini auction. The 10 IPL franchises have already been asked to submit their list of retained players by November 15. Also, the salary cap is likely to be increased from Rs 90 to Rs 95 crore for the next season.

ENG vs IRE T20 World Cup: Ireland shocks England by 5 runs via DLS method

Ireland continued their giant-killing act in the T20 World Cup and pulled off yet another upset win, defeating England by five runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method to throw open group 1 of the T20 World Cup here on Wednesday. Having stormed into Super 12 by eliminating two-time champions West Indies, Ireland rode on a sparkling 47-ball 62 by skipper Andy Balbirnie and looked for a 180-plus total before England dragged them back to bowl them out for 157 in 19.2 overs. Leg-spinner Liam Livingstone triggered the collapse before pacer Mark Wood seized the initiative as the duo returned with three wickets each to deny Ireland 15-20 runs extra. Chasing the tricky target, the 2010 champions were 105/5 in 14.3 overs, five runs short of the DLS target of 110 as the play could not be started within the cutoff time due to rain and Ireland completed their second win over England in a World Cup. Eleven years ago at the ODI World Cup in India, Kevin O'Brien had inspired a stunning win over Engla

T20 World Cup: Ireland secures victory over England by five runs via DLS

A dominant Ireland sprung a huge upset in the ongoing T20 World Cup with a five-wicket victory over 2010 champions England by five runs via DLS method in a Group 1 match in Super 12 stage

Finch on Anchor, Stoinis in charge, Australia storm through Lankan bowling

The Australian team's performance on Tuesday against Sri Lanka proved they have enough fuel in the tank to pull back and punch up

Dutch put up brave but futile fight, SA and Zim clash in rain-drenched tie

Dutch all-rounder Colin Ackermann nearly pulls off an upset against an experienced Bangladesh team

Only Kohli could have hit those two sixes off Haris Rauf: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya, one of the cleanest strikers in the game, feels only Virat Kohli could have come up with those two game-changing sixes off a seriously quick Haris Rauf in India's T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan. With 28 needed off the last 8 balls, India had a daunting task at hand but Kohli conjured up two strokes that will be spoken about for a long time. One was a straight-bat six over the bowler's head and the next was a flick over fine-leg under extreme pressure. That brought down the equation to a very gettable 16 off the final over. India pulled off a famous win in the last ball of the game. Hardik, who was watching Kohli's mastery from the other end, looked backed at those special sixes. "I've hit a lot of sixes but those are special, special, and really special in my heart now because of what (it) meant for both of us. I've played cricket, so much cricket, but I don't think anyone could've played those two shots except Kohli," Hardik told the BCCI website as he sat .

Kohli is a legend, I found the criticism against him amusing: Brett Lee

Keeping Virat Kohli down for too long is well-nigh impossible, reckoned Brett Lee just days before the T20 World Cup while expressing his surprise over the criticism of the maestro's lean run. Speaking to PTI, the former Australian speed merchant said that a legend like Kohli can't be kept down for too long. His words proved to be prophetic as Kohli announced his second coming with a magnificent 82 to take India home by four wickets against arch-rivals Pakistan here on Sunday. "I found it quite amusing when someone of the calibre of Virat Kohli was attacked. Those who had attacked Kohli didn't have a look at his records and his performances in the three formats of the game," Lee said during an interaction organized by Legends League Cricket. "There are times when you don't get hundreds or you don't get fifties. That's all part of professional sport. What I do know is Virat Kohli is a legend of the game and it's very hard to keep these guys down for too long," he added. Like many

T20 World Cup: Shoaib Akhtar hits out at umpires over no-ball call

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar questioned the umpires for their decisions during Sunday's India-Pakistan T20 World Cup 2022 encounter after a no-ball was given in the final over of the game

Of extras, wickets, six and India beating Pakistan in dramatic last over

Two wickets, two extras, Virat Kohli getting bowled off a free hit and a cool finish by Ravichandran Ashwin, the blockbuster T20 World Cup contest between India and Pakistan climaxed with a dramatic last over. While the match itself was a classic, the nine-ball last over truly lived up to the expectations and hype generated in the run-up to Sunday's big-ticket game, which was played in front of a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground. Having completed his half century, Kohli had just turned the game on its head by hitting their most impactful bowler Haris Rauf for two breathtaking sixes -- one a lofted backfoot drive over long-on and another a flick over square leg. Needing 31 for 12 balls, it all boiled down to 16 from the last over with Kohli in his element and Hardik Pandya looking to explode. With the Pakistani pace troika of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf having finished their respective quotas, all eyes were on Mohammad Nawaz who had leaked 29 runs from his earlier

T20 World Cup: India-Pak blockbuster match creates new viewership record

It was a Sunday blockbuster with over 1.8 crore viewers tuning into the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match on the digital streaming platform, Disney + Hotstar. The match was telecast on Star Sports in India for television but viewership numbers will be released only a week later by the television audience measurement body Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). It was also screened on theatres of PVR and Inox, which reported large visitors coming to watch the match at their cinema halls. On Disney+ Hotstar app, which streamed the match live, it was the highest-ever viewership at 1.8 crore beating the previous record of 1.4 crore recorded between the two teams at the Asia Cup, a source said. There were 36 lakh live views when the first ball of the match was bowled by India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar. When the Pakistan innings ended there were 1.1 crore viewers live on the app and this increased to 1.4 crore viewers during the innings break. A total of 40 lakh viewers watched when Ind

T20 WC: Virat Kohli becomes leading run-scorer in shortest format

Star Indian batter Virat Kohli on Sunday became the highest run-scorer in T20I cricket history

Not just Virat's but India's best-ever knock in T20 history: Rohit Sharma

India captain Rohit Sharma didn't bat an eyelid before declaring Virat Kohli's 82 here on Sunday as not only his best but the most accomplished knock played in the country's T20 history. Kohli has had his issues with form, but his skipper didn't count himself among the Doubting Thomases, who had termed him well past his sell-by-date. "Yeah, I think it has to go -- definitely his best for sure, but I think from the situation we were in, and to come out with a victory, I think it has to be one of India's best knocks, not just his best knock," Rohit told mediapersons after India's T20 World Cup win against Pakistan. He explained why he rated this innings as India's No. 1 T20 knock. "Because until the 13th over (needing close to 100 runs), we were so behind in the game, and the required rate was just climbing up and up. But to come out and chase that score was an extremely brilliant effort from Virat, and then obviously Hardik (Pandya) played a role there, as well," the skipper didn't

Sourav Ganguly backs out, elder brother Snehasish set to lead CAB

Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday pulled out of the race to become the Cricket Association of Bengal's next chief, paving the way for his elder brother Snehasish to be elected uncontested at its upcoming AGM on October 31. "I had said that I would contest only if there's election. There's not going to be any election, so it will be uncontested," Ganguly told reporters at Eden Gardens after he chose not to file his papers for the president's post on the last date of nomination. Denied a second term at the Indian cricket board, the former BCCI president only a week back had announced that he's all set to contest elections to return as the CAB chief. "Had I been there, it would have meant two or more people would not get any posts. So, I've moved aside," Ganguly said. "I would have been elected uncontested, but I don't think it's right. Others would not have got the opportunity to work for this association. They will be working for these three years now and we will see af

I have no idea how that happened, lost for words: Kohli after win over Pak

Virat Kohli was lost for words after leaving the cricket world speechless with his cricket here on Sunday. In his own words, King Kohli had no idea how he had engineering India's epic win over arch-rivals Pakistan in their blockbuster T20 World Cup face-off. When all seemed lost at 31 for four in a stiff chase of 160 at the gargantuan Melbourne Cricket Ground, Kohli thought otherwise and spearheaded India to a remarkable four-wicket win with a knock that will go down as one of the best in the tournament's history. He found an able ally in star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who contributed an invaluable 40 during a fifth-wicket stand of 113 runs. Not surprisingly, the 82 not out 53 balls has been rated as his best knock. "Well, it's a surreal atmosphere. I honestly have no words. I have no idea how that happened," Kohli said after his incredible knock in the team's big-ticket tournament opener. The run-machine added," Hardik kept telling me, just believe we can stay till the end. I'm

T20 WC: Kohli's magical knock scripts sensational India win over Pakistan

Virat Kohli owned the grand stage with a knock for the ages as he powered India to an epic four-wicket over Pakistan in a heart-stopping T20 World Cup game, that unfolded at the MCG 'amphitheatre' which was packed with 90,000 boisterous fans, here on Sunday. King Kohli, as his fans call him, conjured up a magical and memorable 83-run knock to anchor a chase of 160 which became tricky after India were left in tatters at 31 for 4. Hardik Pandya, the most important cog in India's T20 wheel, struck 40 off 37 balls in a partnership of 113. His ability to win matches for India coming under the scanner due to a prolonged lean patch, Kohli sang the perfect redemption song on the grandest stage. It started in the 19th over when he sent one from Haris Rauf on his hunches and pulled off two back-to-back sixes. Cricket indeed is a leveller as Rauf, after 22 splendid deliveries bowled two bad ones and it changed the complexion of the game. With 16 needed off last six balls, Pandya holed out o

Cricket festival like never before: India-Pakistan fans light up MCG

If one has heard the 'Jana Gana Mana' at Johannesburg, Mirpur, Colombo, Kolkata, Birmingham, Adelaide, London and Manchester during an India-Pakistan game, he would vouch that Sunday was different at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Among the 90,293 people present at the ground, at least 60,000 were Indians and the 'Jaya He' chorus created an atmosphere like never before. It was even humbling for Indian team skipper Rohit Sharma, who looked a touch emotional as he looked heavenwards, trying hard to keep his emotions under check. "I am opening my first restaurant in Bangkok and there is a lot of pressure due to logistical issues. My visa got cancelled once and I had to reapply and got it on second go. "I bought air ticket worth Rs 1 lakh one way to reach on the day of the match," Kolkata- based Samiran Chowdhury couldn't stop grinning ear to ear as he proudly flaunted his match ticket. There wasn't any such tension for his friend Dipanjan Ghosh, a software professional, who has made .

T20 WC: Spinners, Mendis star in Sri Lanka's nine-wicket win over Ireland

Spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana took two wickets each while opener Kusal Mendis smashed an unbeaten 68 as Sri Lanka secured a clinical nine-wicket win over Ireland

World T20 2022: Can Rohit's Team India repeat the Dhoni magic of 2007

The business end of the championship starts today with the Super 12 stage

Aussie back-up wicketkeeper suffers freak injury; could be replaced in WC

Australia's back-up wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has suffered a mishap on the golf course leaving him hospitalised just three days ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup Super-12 opener against New Zealand