On Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's T20I Future, Ex-India Selector's Big Claim

The Indian cricket team seems to have marked a new beginning in the T20 format under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. With young guns getting more opportunities, many fans and experts of the game have started to wonder if veterans like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be able to return to the national team in the shortest format. However, as far as India's retired cricketer and former chief selector Dilip Vengsakar is concerned, the duo still has a lot of cricket left in them, even for the T20 format.

Vengsarkar, who himself has also headed the selection committee in the past, feels both Kohli and Rohit will return to India's T20 team despite the emergence of specialist youngsters in the recent past.

"Both are great players. Over the years they have won many matches. There is still a lot of cricket in them. They will be back (in T20s).

"Regarding Tests, they are an integral part of the Indian team. I am a huge fan of both. They are still in great shape physically and mentally (even though both are in their mid 30s). I always believe as a selector that form and fitness are important. Age is no criteria in cricket. Virat Kohli is supremely fit. I still believe they will play in all formats of the game," said Vengsarkar at the Meet the Media program organised by the Mumbai Press Club.

Vengsarkar also batted for the selection of young Jammu & Kashmir pacer Umran Malik into India's Test team.

"Yes, you have to look at future and groom players as well and at the right time. If I was a selector I would have picked (young Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler) Umran Malik for the Bangladesh Test series. Pace is very important and he can unsettle batsmen with his pace. We don't have many who can bowl in the 150s (KMPHs). This guy will play havoc when we visit England, Australia or the West Indies," he said.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/FiPzIYy
via

Naseem, Mohammad Star As Pakistan Beat New Zealand By 6 Wickets In 1st ODI

Pakistan strolled to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first one-day international on Monday after fast bowler Naseem Shah took five wickets in Karachi. The 19-year-old grabbed 5-57 for his second five-wicket haul in just four ODI appearances as New Zealand, sent in to bat, managed 255-9 in their 50 overs at the National Stadium. Mohammad Rizwan (77 not out), skipper Babar Azam (66) and Fakhar Zaman (56) then helped Pakistan cruise to victory with 11 balls to spare. The home team took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The remaining matches are on Wednesday and Friday, also in Karachi.

Azam and Zaman put on 78 runs for the second wicket after Imam-ul-Haq (11) fell in the sixth over.

Zaman hit seven boundaries in his 74-ball knock before he was bowled by Michael Bracewell, while Azam was stumped off Glenn Phillips after facing 82 deliveries.

Rizwan, who added 60 with Azam, put on another 64 with Haris Sohail who made a quick-fire 32.

Off-spinner Bracewell was the best New Zealand bowler with 2-44.

Earlier, it was Naseem's fiery bowling that kept New Zealand in check.

The teenager dismissed opener Devon Conway in the first over of the match for nought to kickstart Pakistan.

Naseem returned for a second spell to account for Phillips (37), Bracewell (43) and Henry Shipley (nought).

Naseem, whose first ODI five-wicket haul was against the Netherlands in August, rounded off his night by dismissing Mitchell Santner for 21 in the final over.

Tom Latham (42) and Daryl Mitchell (36) stabilised the innings during a fourth-wicket stand of 56, while Phillips and Bracewell added 66 off 59 balls for the sixth -- before Naseem dismissed both in successive overs.

Skipper Kane Williamson scored 26 before he was beautifully bowled by debutant leg-spinner Usama Mir, who finished with 2-42.

Phillips hit a six and a four in his 53-ball knock, while Bracewell cracked four boundaries and a six.

Opener Finn Allen smashed six boundaries in his 27-ball 29.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/KLpNR0Q
via

Watch: "Koi Pachtawa Nahi Hai", Babar Azam's No-Nonsense Reply To Journo

Making a memorable comeback to the Pakistan cricket team, Sarfaraz Ahmed grabbed the opportunity given to him by both hands in the Test series against New Zealand. In what was his first Test series after 4 years, Sarfaraz emerged as Pakistan's top-scoring batter and also scored a memorable match-saving century in the Karachi fixture. After the series, when Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was asked if he had any 'regrets' over not seeing Sarfaraz be a part of the team over such a long period, he gave a no-nonsense reply.

Sarfaraz's return to the Pakistan cricket team came as a result of the changes that took place in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). After Najam Sethi came in as the board chairman, Shahid Afridi was named the chief selector.

It was Afridi who gave Sarfaraz a recall, and it's fair to say that the veteran wicket-keeper batter didn't disappoint.

In the press conference after the completion of the second Test, a journo asked Babar: "Usne Pakistan ki izzat bachaayi. Aap nhi samajte ki usko England ke series par bhi chance milna chahiye tha? Aapko pachtawa hai ki wo char saal ke liye team par nahi tha? (He saved Pakistan's pride. Do you think he should have got a chance in the series vs England and do you regret that he wasn't part of the team for four years?)"

Babar Azam responds furiously to a question regarding Sarfaraz Ahmed ?#PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/rTXhM0qdj0

— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) January 8, 2023

Babar didn't budge even a little as he gave a firm response to the reporter. "Nahi, mujhe koi pachtawa nahi (No. I don't have any regrets)", Babar replied.

In two matches against New Zealand, Sarfaraz scored 335 runs at an average of 83.75, with an average of 83.75. Sarfaraz was also named the Player of the Match for the 2nd Test and the Player of the Series.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/JIRwQem
via

"Kept Telling Myself..." Suryakumar Yadav Opens Up On Days of Struggle

Suryakumar Yadav was well past 30 when he made his India debut, but the swashbuckling batter says his belated selection had only strengthened his resolve and made him even hungrier to succeed in top-flight. Surya produced yet another incredible knock in the shortest format -- a 51-ball 112 not out -- as India outplayed Sri Lanka by 91 runs in the third T20I to secure a memorable 2-1 series win here on Saturday.

"It does make me, even more, hungrier (sic) now," Surya told India head coach Rahul Dravid when asked if the long wait has taught him to value his success a lot more.

"I mean the amount of domestic cricket I have played, I have always enjoyed playing that for my state side Mumbai and I always try to put up a show.

"Enjoyed batting even there as well. Yes it was a little challenging in the last few years but kept telling myself this is why you play this game, enjoy it, the passion for this game kept me driving so I just kept going." The interaction between the two was organised by BCCI TV.

"It is lovely to have someone here with me who, as a young kid growing up, did not watch me bat. And I hope you didn't, I am sure you didn't," Dravid started the chat on a lighter note, to which Surya replied, "No, I did watch (you bat)." Surya's batting is a stark contrast to the way Dravid played his cricket, and the former India captain was alluding to that only.

Dravid then asked if he could pick one or two knocks that he feels are his best.

"It is actually difficult for me to pick any one innings... I enjoyed batting in all the difficult situations where I went into bat. I just enjoyed myself, whatever I did in the last one year. I have been doing the same thing again.

"As I said before as well, I just try to enjoy and express myself as much as possible. In those difficult situations, teams try to pull the game off. I try to take the game on. If it works well for me and the team, I'm happy," said Surya.

The middle-order batter's century was his third in the format in just seven months, making him the first player in the history of the game to score three T20I hundreds when not opening the batting.

So how many shots from his bat are pre-determined? "I mean obviously in this format you have to be a little bit pre-determined, and at the same time you have to have another stroke as well if the bowler is a step ahead of you during that time. But yes, I try to play to the field what fielders are in, what bowler can bowl at that time and it works out." "If I am meeting the ball really well or I mean I try and set the field for myself whenever any left-arm spinner or leg-spinner or fast bowler is bowling and just try and time the ball as much as possible."

Surya also credited his family for his immense success in recent times and Dravid, who was in charge when the batter was finding his feet at the India A level for years, lauded the role played by his folks.

"I mean the role of the family has been most important in my cricketing journey till now. When I started playing cricket, they were the ones who helped me out of the box. Because my dad is an engineer, so in my family there is no history of sports. I had to be a little different for him to see a spark in me and push me.

"They have sacrificed a lot and obviously my wife. After we got married she's been pushing me really hard in terms of nutrition and in terms of staying fit.

"We have been talking about cricket a lot when I go back home and we discuss how we can do better, how we can be one step ahead at this level and we really enjoy doing that." Dravid concluded the interaction by saying, "Long it may continue." 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/BTekZwx
via

Goldman To Cut About 3,200 Jobs This Week After Cost Review

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is embarking on one of its biggest round of job cuts ever as it locks in on a plan to eliminate about 3,200 positions this week, with the bank's leadership going deeper than rivals to shed jobs.

The firm is expected to start the process mid-week and the total number of people affected will not exceed 3,200, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. More than a third of those will likely be from within its core trading and banking units, indicating the broad nature of the cuts. The firm is also poised to unveil financials tied to a new unit that houses its credit card and installment-lending business, which will record more than $2 billion in pretax losses, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information.  

A spokesperson for the New York-based company declined to comment. The cuts in its investment bank are elevated by the inclusion of the non front-office roles that were added to divisional headcount in recent years. The bank still has plans to continue hiring, including inducting the regular analyst class later this year. 

Under Chief Executive Officer David Solomon, headcount has jumped 34% since the end of 2018, climbing to more than 49,000 as of Sept. 30, data show. The scale of firings this year is also affected by the firm's decision to mostly set aside its annual cut of underperformers during the pandemic.

Slowdowns in various business lines, an expensive consumer-banking foray, and an uncertain outlook for markets and the economy are prompting the bank to batten down costs. Merger activity and fees from raising money for companies have taken a hit across Wall Street, and a slump in asset prices has eliminated another source of big gains for Goldman from just a year ago. Those broader industry trends have been compounded by the bank's mistakes in its retail-banking foray where losses piled up at a much faster rate than forecast through the year.

That's left the bank facing a 46% drop in profits, on about $48 billion of revenue, according to analyst estimates. Still, that revenue mark has been buoyed by its trading division that will post another jump this year, helping the firmwide figure notch its second-best performance on record. 

The final job reductions figure is significantly lower than earlier proposals in management ranks that could have eliminated nearly 4,000 jobs. 

The last major exercise of this scale came after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Goldman had embarked on a plan to cut more than 3,000 jobs, or nearly 10% of its workforce at the time, and top executives elected to forgo their bonuses. 

Sharing the Pain

The latest cuts represent an acknowledgment that even businesses that outperformed this year will have to take the pain as well for a firm-wide performance that's going to miss targets set for shareholders in a year of expense bleed.

That performance miss was particularly evident in the new unit called Platform Solutions, whose numbers stand out in the divisional breakdown. The more than $2 billion hit there is magnified by lending-loss provisions, exacerbated by new accounting rules that force the firm to set aside more money as loan volumes grow as well as ballooning expenses.

"There are a variety of factors impacting the business landscape, including tightening monetary conditions that are slowing down economic activity," Solomon told staff at year-end. "For our leadership team, the focus is on preparing the firm to weather these headwinds."

The cuts also come a week before the bank's traditional year-end compensation discussions. Even for those who remain at the firm, compensation figures are expected to tumble, especially within investment banking.

It's a stark contrast from last year, when staffers were getting showered with big bonus increases and a select few were even granted special payouts. At the time, Solomon's $35 million compensation for 2021 put him alongside Morgan Stanley's James Gorman as the highest paid CEO for a major U.S. bank.

from NDTV Profit-Latest https://ift.tt/nFyIcKu
via

"Don't Think He Can Do That Again": Rauf Opens Up On Kohli's T20 WC Six

Team India failed to lift the 2022 T20 World Cup trophy after England crushed them by 10 wickets in the semi-final. In the entire tournament, the Rohit Sharma-led side had a brilliant run as they won four of their five Super-12 stage matches. India made a flying start to their campaign after they registered a four-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan. The clash turned out to be a perfect nail-biter as Team India was reduced to 31/4 while chasing 160. Virat Kohli came to the team's rescue, smashing an 82 not off 53 balls and taking India home with a thrilling finish.

During the chase, Kohli struck two back-to-back sixes off Haris Rauf on the last two balls of the 19th over. The first six which came after Kohli played a shot straight down the ground, became the talk of the town as the fans and many former cricketers lauded the India batter for his brilliance.

However, on being asked by a fan during Pakistan's popular show 'Hasna Mana Hai' about that six, pacer Haris Rauf stated that such shots are a rare thing in cricket and the India batter won't be able to play that shot again.

"Of course, it hurt when that went for a six. I didn't say anything but it hurt me personally. I thought something wrong had happened. Anyone who knows cricket knows what sort of a player he is. He has played that shot now; I don't think he can do that again. Such shots are quite rare, you can't hit them again and again. His timing was perfect, and it went for a six," said Rauf.

Haris Rauf about Virat Kohli #INDvSL #ViratKohli #Kohli #SuryakumarYadav #Rizwan #Malik #BabarAzam #AhmadShahzad pic.twitter.com/KMchDHJjU2

— For no reason (@Ayaztanveer141) January 7, 2023

Talking about Kohli, the 34-year-old batter was rested from Team India's recently concluded T20I series against Sri Lanka at home, which the hosts won 2-1 on Saturday.

Kohli, along with skipper Rohit Sharma will be back on the field for the three-match series against Sri Lanka, starting on January 10.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/1cbpGiH
via

Shahid Afridi Might Continue As Pakistan Team Chief Selector: Report

Shahid Afridi could continue as chief selector after the home series against New Zealand while Mickey Arthur is expected to make a decision on whether to return as Pakistan's head coach later this month. According to reliable sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Afridi, who is the interim chief selector, had initially only accepted the responsibility for the ongoing series against New Zealand, but is now having second thoughts. "Shahid has had talks with PCB Chairman Najam Sethi who had initially convinced him to work as interim chief selector but now discussions have taken place on the possibility of the former captain continuing in the role given that this year Pakistan has two major events -- the 50-overs Asia Cup and the World Cup in India," one source said.

The source added that Sethi is happy with the way Afridi and his fellow selectors --- Abdul Razzaq, Rao Iftikhar and Haroon Rasheed had picked players for the two Tests and the ODI series against New Zealand.

"Strong possibility that Shahid will be persuaded to continue and chalk out a schedule where he can also give time to his foundation work," the source said.

Another source said that Sethi is waiting for a reply from Arthur, who has been asked to return as head coach of the Pakistan team.

"Arthur, who currently has a long contract with Derbyshire county, has asked for some time to consider his options and position and has said he will get back later this month with a solid answer," the source said.

Arthur served as Pakistan's head coach from 2016 to 2019. He was released from his contract when Sethi resigned and the new management of Ehsan Mani took charge of the board after the 2019 World Cup.

The source said that Arthur had also shown interest in making a comeback to international cricket as a coach.

The good thing for the PCB is that after New Zealand completes its tour of Pakistan on January 14, there is no international commitment lined up for the team until April after the Pakistan Super League ends in March.

"Pakistan's next international commitments will be hosting New Zealand for five ODIs and five T20Is in April-May after which they will play a two-Test series with Sri Lanka and then an ODI series against Afghanistan before August followed by the Asia Cup and World Cup." "So, the PCB has time to finalise its new management set up for the team and also a long-term selection committee after the PSL."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/70Inr6e
via

BCCI Emergent Meeting - Byju's, Star Media Topic Of Discussion: Report

The BCCI Apex Council will decide on its association with jersey sponsor Byju's besides deliberating on Star's "media rights payment" in its emergent meeting on Monday. The meeting will be held virtually. Byju's wants to terminate its agreement with the BCCI but in the meeting held last month, the board had asked the edtech major to continue at least until March 2023. The company had recently announced plans to lay off not more than five per cent of its total strength of 50000.

In June last year, Byju's had extended its jersey sponsorship agreement with the BCCI until November 2023 for an estimated USD 35 million.

The brand had replaced Oppo back in 2019. Byju's was also one of the sponsors of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

'Star media rights payment'

There is only one item on the meeting agenda and that reads "discussion on Byju's and STAR media rights payment".

It is to be noted that Star is the current holder of the media rights for Indian cricket's home season. The rights will come up for renewal after March.

Last year, the BCCI had sold the IPL media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle for a whopping Rs 48390 crore.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/Msfoy97
via

"Rakh Rakh Ke...": Anchor's Epic Description Of Virat Kohli To Haris Rauf

Indian cricketers enjoy a massive fan following in Pakistan. Among the current crop of players, Virat Kohli is arguably the most popular player in India's neighbouring country. Despite the fact that Kohli's bat did plenty of damage when India came across Pakistan last -- in the T20 World Cup 202 -- the respect that the iconic batter has is sky-high. During a show featuring Pakistani speedster Haris Rauf, the anchor's description of Kohli is the perfect example of how every citizen of the country sees the Indian stalwart.

In a show for a Pakistani TV channel, Haris Rauf was tasked to describe a person on the TV screen while being blindfolded. To help the Pakistani cricketer, the anchor tried to describe the person on the screen by giving hints. While narrating who Kohli is, the anchor once said that Kohli "Rakh, rakh ke deta hai (he smashes it hard)".

The description didn't just leave the audience in splits but also Rauf. Here's the video:

The moment he said "Rakh Rakh ke deta hai" pic.twitter.com/shVoRtGZwn

— Jahazi (@Oye_Jahazi) January 7, 2023

The anchor later said: "Aapko bhi rakh rakh ke diye hain (He has smashed it hard against you too)." Haris then asked: "Is he a cricketer?". The anchor's answer was in affirmity and the Pakistani pacer quickly guessed it was Virat Kohli.

During the show, Haris was full of praise for Kohli. He also spoke about the twin sixes that Kohli had hit to him in the 19th over of the runc-hase during the T20 World Cup 2022 clash. He said: "Anyone who knows cricket knows what sort of a player he is. He has played that shot now, I don't think he can do that again. Such shots are quite rare, you can't hit them again and again. His timing was perfect and it went for a six."

As for that specific match, Virat had scored a match-winning knock of 82 runs in 53 balls, including 6 fours and 4 sixes. India had required 28 runs from the last 8 balls to win the match when Kohli hit two stunning sixes to Harris Rauf, turning the game in his side's favour.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/pCq7xDb
via

"Gave Me Lot Of Confidence": Axar Patel Credits This Star For His Success

Following his side's 91-run win over Sri Lanka in the third T20I, Indian all-rounder Axar Patel said that he feels happier when his side benefits from his batting, and skipper Hardik Pandya gave him the confidence to play freely. Suryakumar Yadav's blistering knock of 112 combined with a clinical performance of bowlers helped India register a thumping 91-run win over Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I to clinch the three-match series 2-1 here at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.

"Feel happier when the team benefits from my batting (when compared to bowling). Did not do anything different for this series, just that the captain gave me a lot of confidence in the dugout. He tells me to play freely and tells me that he is there to protect me. We do a lot of planning during team meetings but sometimes things do go wrong and I just focus on doing my plans properly," said Axar in a post-match presentation.

Axar Patel walked away with the 'Man of the Series' award for his all-around efforts. He scored 117 runs in three innings at an average of 117.00 and a strike rate of 195.00. This also includes a fighting knock of 65 runs in the second T20I in a losing cause. He provided vital cameos for his side in every match with his willow.

He also took three wickets in three matches at an average of 24.66 and an economy rate of 7.40.

With this, India has captured the three-match T20I series by 2-1.

India won the toss and elected to bat first. After Men in Blue lost Ishan Kishan (1) early, a quick cameo from Rahul Tripathi brought back some momentum to the innings. He scored 35 off just 16 balls, with five boundaries and two sixes. Shubman Gill was the anchor throughout.

Following Rahul's dismissal, India was already beyond the 50-run mark in their powerplay. Suryakumar Yadav continued his red-hot form, smashing Lankan bowlers left and right. Gill was dismissed for 46 off 36 balls, ending a quickfire 111-run stand in just 53 balls.

Suryakumar brought up his third T20I ton in just 45 balls and ended the innings at 112* off 51 balls, with seven fours and nine sixes. Axar Patel (21*) also provided a nice cameo to power India to 228/5 in their 20 overs.

Dilshan Madushanka (2/55) was the pick of bowlers for visitors. Chamika Karunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Kasun Rajitha got a wicket each.

Chasing 229, openers Kusal Mendis (23) and Pathum Nissanka (15) provided a good start to the visitors and they scored 44 in 4.5 overs before Axar trapped Kusal.

Following this dismissal, Lanka could not bounce back into the game and lost wickets consistently. Only Dhananjay de Silva (22) and skipper Dasun Shanaka (23) crossed the 20-run mark.

Lanka was bundled out for just 137 runs in 16.4 overs. Arshdeep Singh (3/20) impressed with the ball after an off-day at work in the 2nd T20I. Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal and Umran Malik took two wickets each while Axar got one.

Suryakumar was adjudged as 'Man of the Match' for his match-winning ton.

The three-match ODI series between both sides will start from January 10.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/YOxCwD5
via

"Trying To Copy You...": Suryakumar Yadav To Young South Africa Star

Suryakumar Yadav wowed the world yet again by hitting his third T20I ton on Saturday, which came against Sri Lanka in Rajkot. Suryakumar stayed unbeaten on 112 off 51 balls. His innings included nine sixes and seven fours. However, the India batting sensation himself is in awe of Dewald Brevis for his power-hitting abilities, saying he wants to learn the "no-look" shots from the South African when they share the Mumbai Indians dressing room in the upcoming IPL. "I am just trying to copy you (Brevis) sometimes. The way you bat. You have to teach me one thing, how do you that no-look shot, no-look six? I just want to learn that from you," Surya said in a one-on-one interaction with Brevis posted on MI TV.

Brevis responded: "I would be an honour, but I would love to learn lots of shots from you as well. The funny thing is My no - look shot just happens, it's weird but I don't know it just happens." Apart from sharing the dressing room with Surya in the IPL, Brevis will also represent MI Cape Town in the inaugural edition of the upcoming SA20 in South Africa.

Surya, the world number one T20 batter, lauded the young Brevis for his knock of 162 off 57 balls during an CSA T20 Challenge game.

"Last time I saw you smashed 160-165 runs off 50-55 balls in a T20 game. So now in ODIs, if you get to bat around 100 balls, are you going to score a triple hundred," Surya said.

To which Brevis replied: "It was like another normal day for me. It (that knock) just happened. I didn't even realise what I was doing at that moment, everything just happened in the moment, at one point I even told the non-striker that I think I'll try and hit every ball for six.

"I don't know it just happened it was a special innings. But I must say that what you have achieved is like incredible, congratulations on being the no.1 T20I batsman."

With PTI inputs

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/JlW0ei8
via

Watch: Suryakumar Hits Unique Ramp Shot On Way To Ton, Falls In Process

There is a reason why Suryakumar Yadav is the No. 1 T20I batter in the world. The star India player showed cricket fans around the globe his prowess once again as he hit 112* off just 51 balls in the third T20I against Sri Lanka in Rajkot on Saturday. It was his third T20I ton. He reached the century mark in just 45 balls. His innings included nine sixes and seven fours. What stood out in Suryakumar's innings was the audacious shots that he played almost at regular intervals. Shots that might seem impossible for other batters, looked routine for Suryakumar in the third T20I.

One such shot was hit in the 13th over of the Indian innings, with Sri Lankan pacer Dilshan Madushanka facing the music. Facing a high full toss, Suryakumar shuffled across the crease and hit six over short fine leg. Surya moved early while attempting a ramp shot, and flicked the ball behind. In the process, he fell on the ground but showed enough control to hit a six.

Watch: Suryakumar's unique six:

What a shot. Surya Kumar yadav is the name #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/gtGYt3lySS

— Caught Behind (@Messi_1030_) January 7, 2023

Talking about the match, India lost wickets inside six overs after they elected to bat first but Suryakumar and Shubman Gill (46) put on 111 runs to lay the foundations for the challenging total in Rajkot. Suryakumar, known as a 360-degree player for his ability to play all around the ground, raised his third T20 hundred for India in 45 balls as he stamped his class as the world's number one batsman in the format.

Left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka struck in the opening over to send back the left-handed Ishan Kishan caught at slip for one by Dhananjaya de Silva. Rahul Tripathi, 31, who made his debut in the previous match, then hit back with Gill for company as he hit Maheesh Theekshana for three fours in the fifth over. Tripathi smashed fast bowler Chamika Karunaratne for two successive sixes but got caught out in an attempt to get another boundary. He made 35 off 16 deliveries.

Suryakumar, who reached his fifty in 26 balls, then took charge with his all-round hitting including three sixes with his trademark scoop shot over fine leg. Gill joined in the charge along with Suryakumar, who hit seven fours and nine sixes, smashed 23 runs in the 14th over from Theekshana. Ultimately, India scored 228/5 in 20 overs.

With AFP inputs

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/wNCrvjV
via

Auction For Inaugural Women's IPL Likely To Be Held In February

The T20 franchise competition for women, on which the BCCI is working, is expected to be named the Women's T20 League and five clubs for which applications have been solicited would be formed through a player auction in February. The Women's T20 League will be similar to Indian Premier League. The deadline for Indian players to register for the auction is January 26 till 5 pm IST, as per ESPNcricinfo.

The Women's T20 Challenge, which began as a two-team one-off game in 2018 before expanding to a three-team exhibition tournament in 2019 and two further editions in 2020 and 2022, will be replaced by this competition.

The basic price for capped Indian players is set at INR 30 lakh, INR 40 lakh, and INR 50 lakh in the document titled 'Guidance note for Indian players' exchanged by the board with the Indian players, as per ESPNcricinfo.

The base price for uncapped players has been capped at INR 10 lakh and INR 20 lakh. Players should register for the Women's T20 League directly with their state associations, rather than through agents or managers.

Sourav Ganguly, former BCCI president, had stated in February last year that the Women's IPL would begin in 2023.

The BCCI settled on a March timeframe in August. As a result, the BCCI moved the women's domestic calendar, which typically runs from November to April, forward to accommodate the franchise competition.

Since the formal announcement about women's T20 league, a number of men's IPL clubs have been sending out talent scouts to discover players they could eventually sign for the women's tournament if they are awarded the rights to own a franchise. Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Punjab Kings are all believed to be interested in acquiring a team for the women's league.

Since India finished second in the ODI World Cup in 2017, there has been a growing demand for the Women's IPL to begin. It gathered pace when they reached the finals of the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020 until Covid-19 restrictions forced suspension of women's cricket and other competitive sports events.

BCCI invited bids last month for media rights for the planned five-team tournament from 2023 to 2027.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/fIUryeT
via