Shane Warne called me 'rockstar', I didn't know the meaning: Ravindra Jadeja

Agencies
July 14, 2017

Mumbai, Jul 14: Ravindra Jadeja has been the most consistent all-rounder for India in the recent times and with the Sri Lankan Test tour around the corner, he says he likes to perform when faced with challenges.jadeja

India are set to tour Sri Lanka later this month and Jadeja will be a key member of the team along with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Asked about the tour, he said, "I like to perform when there are challenges. In cricket when you get easy performances or easy wickets then it's no fun, but when you have to fight and perform in challenging conditions then that feeling is something else."

The left-handed batsman was speaking after unveiling the Castrol Super Mechanic Trophy.

Speaking about the appointment of Ravi Shastri as the head coach, Jadeja said that whoever comes in will share their experience with the team

"The good thing is that whatever new experience is added to the team, it is good for us. Hopefully, whoever new comes in the team, they will share their experiences and we will get to learn from them. Cricket is such a sport that you get to learn something from someone everyday. I will also try to learn from their experiences by talking to them," said Jadeja when asked what he expects to learn from the trio.

The player, who played for the Gujarat Lions, said T20 was a good platform for youngsters.

"I think T20 is a good platform for youngsters. When I played in the IPL in 2008 for Rajasthan Royals, it was a good platform for me to showcase my talent and the selectors would notice me.

"The young players who come from Under-19 or players who don't get opportunity elsewhere they get an opportunity in the IPL. If they perform well then they can make it to the top," he said.

Jadeja, however, believed that Test cricket will survive in T20 age.

Walking down memory lane, Jadeja recalled how there were no good facilities during his initial days.

"It is very tough to play for India, especially considering where I come from. Jamnagar is a small city but cricketers have come from there before also.

"When I started cricket, we didn't have good facilities in Jamnagar so I had to arrange everything myself if I had to play a match on Saturday or Sunday. I used to prepare the wicket myself and then try to arrange for the money to purchase the cricket balls for the match.

"I don't think these things happened to the players in the other cities that you had to yourself prepare the wicket or purchase the ball," he recalled.

"Those things motivate me a lot even now. My aim since the start was that I wanted to play in the blue jersey. I always wanted to play for India and when I used to see the team playing in blue, I also felt that I should be a part of the team and play for India," he quipped.

Jadeja recalled the time when spin great Shane Warne described him as a "rockstar", saying he did not know the meaning of the term.

"Then I didn't know what rockstar meant. When I met Shane Warne for the first time, I didn't know he was such a great bowler in Test cricket. He used to call me 'rockstar', and I used to wonder that I don't sing any songs, nor do I do anything that I desreved to be called a rockstar.

"I just asked one of my friends why he is calling me a rockstar. He said that maybe because you put too much of zinc on your face (smiles)... I kept working hard on my game and kept improving my skills, whether it was bowling or batting."

Meanwhile, Jadeja met his daughter Nidhyana for the first time today after returning from England and the West Indies.

"It was a special feeling. I don't realise anything now but as I spend more time with the baby, then I will get more attached. It is a good thing for me and everyone in the family is so happy," he said.

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News Network
January 27,2020

Auckland, Jan 27: : K.L. Rahul made an unbeaten 57 Sunday to steer India to a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second Twenty20 international and to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Rahul and Shreyas Iyer put on 86 for the third wicket as India cruised past New Zealand's total of 132-5 with 2.3 overs to spare. Shivam Dube (13 not out) hit a six from the bowling of Tim Southeein in the 18th over to lift India to 135-3.

Iyer made 58 not out and Rahul 56 as India beat New Zealand by six wickets with an over to spare in the first match of the series.

New Zealand made 203-5 batting first in that match but on Sunday, on the same pitch, it struggled to achieve any real momentum. During the second match the pitch played much slower and India bowled expertly to restrict New Zealand's total.

Martin Guptill made 33 in a 48-run opening partnership with Colin Munro and Tim Seifert made an unbeaten 33 at the end of the innings but New Zealand wasn't able to reach a total that could stretch India's deep batting lineup.

Rohit Sharma (8) and captain Virat Kohli (11) were out relatively cheaply but Rahul and Iyer (44) sped India towards a comprehensive victory.

Dube came to the crease shortly before the end and quickly brought the match to a conclusion.

"I think we backed up the first match with a very good performance today, especially with the ball," Kohli said. "We demanded that the bowlers stood up and took control of what we wanted to do out there.

"I think our line and length and the way we wanted to bowl on that wicket, sticking to one side of the wicket and being shorter was a very good feature of us as a team and helped us restrict a very good New Zealand team."

New Zealand's total was inadequate, even on a slower pitch, and India almost toyed with the home side as it made its way to a comfortable win.

New Zealand named the same team that lost the first match of the series and batted after winning the toss, just as it batted when it was outplayed in the first match of the series.

The match raised further questions about the coaching and captaincy of the New Zealand team after its humiliating test series loss in Australia last month. New Zealand showed again Sunday it hasn't the talent to compete with the best teams in the world.

"As a batting unit we probably needed another 15 or 20 to make that total more competitive," said New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. "But credit to the way the India side bowled, they're a class side in all departments and they put us under pressure throughout that middle period."

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Agencies
March 25,2020

Lausanne, Mar 25: The World Archery has hailed as a 'brave decision' the International Olympic Committee (IOC) move to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until next year due to coronavirus pandemic.

"We commend the conscientious and brave decision taken by Tokyo 2020 and the International Olympic Committee to delay this summer's Games in the face of an unprecedented challenge to humanity," Ugur Erdener, the World Archery president, said in an official statement.

The decision to postpone the Summer Olympics was confirmed by the IOC, on Tuesday, after the organising body for the event and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to reschedule the quadrennial event in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is not an easy situation, especially for the athletes who had been training hard for Tokyo 2020. I hope that everyone understands why this decision has been made and I urge archers around the world to retain hope and reset for this new timetable," he added.

The IOC has, however, said that the original name of Tokyo 2020 will remain intact irrespective of the fact that it will take place next year.

The Tokyo Olympic Games were slated to be held from July 24 to August 9.

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News Network
May 26,2020

Mumbai, May 26: Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar said that if he was playing currently he and Virat Kohli would have been the best of friends off the field, but real enemies whenever they stepped on the field.

Akhtar also said that he would have liked to challenge Kohli to drive the ball.

"Virat Kohli and I would have been the best of friends as both of us are Punjabi, but on the field, we would have been the best of the enemies. I would have loved to get inside the head of Kohli. I would have told him that you cannot play a cut or pull shot against me," Akhtar told Sanjay Manjrekar in a videocast hosted by ESPNCricinfo.

"I would have gone wide of the crease and bowled a ball that would go away from him, I would have forced him to drive the ball as it is his favourite shot. So I would keep forcing him to play the drive shot at my pace," he added.

Akhtar also said that he wishes that Kohli could have played against some of the top bowlers in the game.

The Rawalpindi Express said that Kohli would have enjoyed the challenge of facing bowlers like Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, and Waqar Younis.

"I would also keep talking to him, because if I get him to lose his focus then that would have been great. The great thing about Kohli is that he gets more focused when he is challenged. But I believe Virat Kohli would have still scored the same amount of runs if I was playing," Akhtar said.

"I really wish that he had played against Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shane Warne, and then Virat would have also enjoyed the challenge," he added.

Akhtar played 224 matches for Pakistan in international cricket and took 444 wickets across all formats.

Over the years, comparisons between Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have been growing and many have picked the current Indian skipper to break the records set by Tendulkar.

Tendulkar called time on his career after registering 100 international centuries, while Kohli has 70 centuries across all formats.

Currently, Kohli is ranked at the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings while he is in second place in the Tests rankings.

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