CWC'19: Key players to watch out in India-Bangladesh clash

Agencies
July 2, 2019

New Delhi, Jul 2: India will lock horns with Bangladesh at the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in their penultimate game of group stage on Tuesday. The Indian side will look to win and seal their semi-finals berth.

India's unbeaten streak in the tournament was broken by England in their last match as they defeated them by 31 runs. India is currently at the second position of the teams standing with 11 points in seven matches. The Men in Blue have to win at least one match to get to the knock out stage.

The two-time World Champions displayed a team spirit in the World Cup so far, where every player showcased their skills and class.

On the other hand, Bangladesh have won three matches out of their seven games and stands at the seventh spot. It is a must-win game for Bangladesh to keep their hopes alive for the semi-final berth.

They have a rare chance to qualify for the semis. If they win their fixtures against India and Pakistan, they will hold eleven points and have to hope for England and Pakistan defeat in their next games.

Here are the key players to watch in India-Bangladesh clash:

Rohit Sharma

The 32-year-old India batsman is in great form in the World Cup as he has 440 runs in six innings so far. Sharma provides a steady start to the Indian inning and has the ability to accelerate when required. He is the only batsman to score three centuries in the tournament and also the highest run-getter for Men in Blue.

Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib moved to the top in the ICC ODI rankings for all-rounders last month. The 32-year-old has been in sensational form in this World Cup as he is the third highest run-scorer in the tournament so far. The left-hander has scored 476 runs in the World Cup till now. Shakib is a vital member of the Bangladeshi side. Apart from his batting, he also bagged five wickets.

Virat Kohli

India skipper Virat Kohli atop the ICC Men's ODI batting rankings and is displaying a magnificent form in this edition of the quadrennial tournament. Kohli has smashed five consecutive half-centuries and has amassed 382 runs until now. Apart from his batting abilities, it is his captaincy which invigorated the Indian side in this World Cup.

Soumya Sarkar

Of late, the left-handed batsman has been in exceptional form for Bangladesh. The opener has provided quickfire start to the team. He along with Tamim Iqbal has provided the team with a solid foundation. Sarkar scored 42 runs off just 30 balls in Bangladesh's first match against South Africa in the World Cup. The 26-year-old has become a lynchpin of the team and the side's hopes will rely on him in the match against India too. He also has three wickets under his name.

Jasprit Bumrah

The 25-year-old speed prodigy is considered to be a key player for India. Bumrah's unconventional high-arm action and ability to bowl with variations make him a rare bowler among the cricketing fraternity. Apart from his wicket-taking skills, the number one ODI bowler is very economical in the death overs. Bumrah returned with figures of 2-9 against West Indies in World Cup match. He continued his form and picked three Australian wickets. In the match against Afghanistan, Bumrah turned the match in favour of India as he bagged two wickets.

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Agencies
August 1,2020

Colombo, Aug 1: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed his interest in playing the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), scheduled to start from August 28.

Pathan is among 70 foreign players to have shown interest in playing the LPL, ESPNcricinfo reported.

It is believed that Pathan has taken permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take part in the competition. 

BCCI doesn't allow active players to participate in other T20 leagues but Pathan announced his retirement in January this year.

Former swashbuckling all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also played in a foreign league last year. He played for Maratha Arabians in the T10 League in Abu Dhabi.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Pathan will now be put in a player draft unless one of the five franchises choose him to be a marquee player. The details of the draft, and the franchise owners, are yet to be finalised and announced. 

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is also waiting on some government clearances even as it decides on franchise owners. The five franchises will represent Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna.

On Monday, SLC Executive Committee granted approval for the tournament.

"The 23 match League will be played on the four international venues of R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Rangiri Dambulu International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium. Five teams named after the cities of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna will participate in the League," SLC said in a statement on Monday.

Sri Lanka has controlled the spread of COVID-19 better than many other cricket-playing nations.

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News Network
June 6,2020

New Delhi, Jun 6: Former West Indies pacer Michael Holding has come out in support of MS Dhoni, saying that the wicket-keeper batsman indeed wanted to win the match against England in the 2019 World Cup.

India's performance in the World Cup match against England last year has once again become a matter of debate as all-rounder Ben Stokes in his book titled 'On Fire' questioned the intent of the Indian side.

Stokes also said that Dhoni's intent was questionable as he did not go for big shots when India still had a chance to win the match.

However, Holding said that nowadays people tend to write anything in their books.

"Well, people will write anything in books these days, because people are a lot more free with their opinions and when they are writing books, they need to be making headlines at times," Holding said on his official YouTube channel.

"But, to be honest, a lot of people watching that game perhaps wouldn't have arrived to the same conclusion that Ben Stokes arrived at that India were not trying to win," he added.

Holding did say that it seemed like that India did not have the same intensity as they would have had if the match was a do-or-die match.

"It was not the game that India had to win, but I don't think anyone can say that was a team tactic to lose the game. I watched that game and it appeared to me as if India weren't putting up their 100 per cent, but I realised it was not the case when the expression on MS Dhoni's face told me that he desperately wanted to win, so I do not think it was a team decision to not try to win," the former Windies pacer said.

"But I don't think they went with the same intensity of wanting to win the game, say, if it was a do-or-die situation. If it was, we would have seen a different game," he added.

On his official YouTube channel, Holding also said that no team goes in with a set pattern in terms of chasing targets.

In the round-robin stage match against England in Birmingham, India failed to chase down the massive target of 338 and fell short by 31 runs.

That was the only game that India lost in the premier tournament last year before the semifinal loss against the Kiwis.

India's chasing approach, in particular of wicket-keeper batsman Dhoni, was criticised by many, including the fans at home.

As soon as Stokes mentioned Dhoni's lack of intent in his book 'On Fire', Pakistan fans started saying that India deliberately lost the match to knock out their neighbours.

However, Stokes clarified that he never said India lost deliberately and some people were twisting his words.

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News Network
April 28,2020

New Delhi, Apr 28: IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore's Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson returned to New Zealand on Tuesday after being stranded in India for over a month amid the nationwide lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ex-New Zealand player and coach had arrived in India on March 5 for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League but was stuck in the country after the lockdown was imposed and all flights were suspended.

"What a wonderful sight after spending over a day on a bus to get to Mumbai airport. The staff on @FlyAirNZ were simply outstanding on our return to New Zealand," Hesson tweeted.

He also thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the New Zealand Embassy in India, New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

"Special thanks to Down pointing backhand index @NZinIndia @MFATNZ @narendramodi @jacindaardern #repatriationflight #india #NZ" he added.

To stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, India and New Zealand had announced lockdowns in their respective countries last month, alongside travel restrictions, forcing the 45-year-old to stay in Bengaluru.

While India remains in lockdown till May 3, New Zealand eased its stringent measures on Tuesday.

The IPL, which was originally scheduled to get underway on March 29, has been suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.

The cornavirus outbreak, that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has infected over 30 lakh people across the world while killing more than two lakh.

All sporting events, including the Tokyo Olympics, have either been cancelled or postponed.

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