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‘I really want to win the World Cup…’: Rohit Sharma expresses commitment to cricket, dismisses retirement plans | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma reiterated his dedication to the sport and his aspiration to secure a World Cup victory for India.Addressing questions about his future in cricket in a recent interaction on a special edition of Breakfast with Champions alongside renowned musician Ed Sheeran and host Gaurav Kapur, Rohit dismissed retirement plans, stating, "I haven't really thought about retirement.But, I don't know where life takes you. I am still playing well at this point in time - so I am thinking I am going to continue for a few more years and then, I don't know."Also See: IPL 2024 Purple CapHighlighting his ultimate goal, Rohit emphasized his desire to clinch a World Cup title with the Indian team. "I really want to win the World Cup and there is a WTC final in 2025, ...
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Kohli, Gill, Shami named nominees of ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of Year 2023 | Cricket News – Times of India

DUBAI: Four players Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami and Daryl Mitchell who had an impressive Cricket World Cup in India have been shortlisted for the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023 Award.Shubman Gill (India): 1584 runs and 24 catches in 29 matchesFairly raw on the biggest stage, Shubman Gill produced performances that would make 2023 his coming-of-age year in international cricket.His most notable performances came in the ODI format, with him finishing the year with 1584 runs at an average of 63.36.It was the fifth-highest tally of runs by an Indian in a year in ODIs, only surpassed by the numbers racked up by Sachin Tendulkar (1996, 1998), Rahul Dravid (1999) and Sourav Ganguly (1999). With five hundreds and a strike-rate of over 100, Gill was a rock at the top of t...
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Nathan Lyon lauds Ravichandran Ashwin on the verge of 500 Test wickets: ‘He’s probably been one of my biggest coaches’

Nathan Lyon stands at the verge of history. Only three spinners – Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble – have picked 500 or more wickets in Test cricket. On the eve of Australia’s three-match Test series against Pakistan, the off-spinners stands four wickets shy of crossing the milestone. When asked on who his biggest inspiration on a fabled career for Australia in whites has been, the 36-year-old offered a name not many would’ve expected. “You look at Ashwin, he’s a world-class bowler and somebody I’ve watched closely from the start of his career,” Lyon was quoted by cricket.com.au. “We’ve gone head-to-head many times in different conditions around the world. I’ve got nothing but respect for Ashwin and the way he’s gone about it. I’ve definitely learned from him.” Both Ash...
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Rohit Sharma should be more aggressive as a captain: Kapil Dev | Cricket News – Times of India

KOCHI: The sight of Kapil Dev lifting the World Cup from the Lord’s balcony forty years ago is etched in an Indian cricket fan’s memory. With another ODI World Cup around the corner, the man who inspired India’s maiden ODI World Cup success and ushered in a cricketing revolution in the country, Kapil Dev, spoke on Indian team’s chances in the tournament, allrounders and Bazball in an exclusive conversation with TOI on his visit to Kochi on Tuesday. Excerpts.How optimistic are you about India’s chances in the upcoming ODI World Cup?They need to come in the top four (semifinals) first. After that, anything is possible. You need a stroke of luck from the semifinal stage onwards and need things to go your way. But the most important thing is to reach the top four.But injuries have hampered ...
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If there is a Virat Kohli of bowling, it is Jasprit Bumrah: Harbhajan Singh | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Jasprit Bumrah's return to Team India after a long injury layoff made former spinner Harbhajan Singh extremely happy who keeps his fingers crossed that the speedster doesn't get injured again.Bumrah has been named captain of the Indian team for the three-match T20 series against Ireland to be played in Dublin. The matches will take place on August 18, 20 and 23."Jasprit Bumrah has made a comeback. He was injured for a long time and his return was awaited. He has come back and has been made the captain straightaway. Congratulations to Jassi for becoming the captain and foremost for getting fit. I hope and keep my fingers crossed that Jassi doesn't get injured again," Harbhajan said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.Breaking News : Team India Announced, Jasprit Bumrah | ...
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Spin-king Ashwin in no mood to relinquish his crown

R. Ashwin was the best bowler for India in the previous World Test Championship cycle (2021-23) with 61 wickets, 14 more than Ravindra Jadeja, the second-best, at a better average and strike rate too. However, the World No. 1 ranked Test bowler, who played a crucial role in Rohit Sharma’s men reaching the final, was not accommodated in the XI for the title clash against Australia citing ‘team combination’ as the reason.Even after factoring in the variables unique to cricket — from pitch and overhead conditions to the make-up of the opponents — it is hard to imagine any other team sport where the best and in-form player is benched for the most crucial contest. His non-selection for the summit clash drew widespread criticism from former players and fans across the world as Team India succ...
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Rohit Sharma on what India needs to cross the final hurdle in ICC tournaments: ‘Firstly I want all my players to be available’

10 years. It’s been over 10 years since India last lifted an ICC title. The 10th anniversary of their Champions Trophy triumph in June was a jarring reminder in the aftermath of the recent World Test Championship summit clash loss to Australia. Indian cricket has boasted talents unparalleled but has been unable to win a world championship title for what has been a considerable drought. Four defeat in finals and as many in the semifinals during the period. So, when captain Rohit Sharma was asked as to what he things has been the final puzzle missing in the Indian lineup, pat came the response, “Firstly I want all my players to be available. I want all of them to be 100 percent. We don’t want any injury concerns.” This, a day before India take on West Indies in the first of two Tests that...
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Exclusive: All of us miss Rishabh Pant and he will be missed till he comes back, says Navdeep Saini | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian fast bowler Navdeep Saini reached London recently to join Worcestershire for his county cricket stint.As soon as he got off the plane, Saini powered up his phone and there were a flurry of messages. Among them was a significant one, notifying him of his inclusion in India's Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against the West Indies. Saini, who has played two Tests, eight ODIs and eleven T20Is for India so far, last played a Test during India's triumphant Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign in Australia during the 2020-21 season under Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy. Subsequently, Saini has been absent from the Test arena. Now, the 30 year old is determined to seize this opportunity and make the most of it. Saini was signed by Worcestershire for four matches, but he wi...
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WATCH: Virat Kohli exhibits terrific fitness skills | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: When it comes to fitness, India batsman Virat Kohli is unbeatable. He is known for his disciplined and unparalleled fitness routine.Virat, on Monday, took to Twitter and posted some videos of his gym sessions where he exhibited his tremendous skills of training."Look for excuses or look to get better," Virat's post read.Virat, after India's heartbreaking loss in the World Test Championship final against Australia, had also shared a quote from Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu. India ended up losing the finale against a much more potent Australian side by 209 runs on Day-5 at the Oval in London.Taking to Instagram Story to express his emotions after the soul-crushing defeat, he wrote, "Silence is the source of great strength."Virat, who was in red-hot form in the IPL 2023, scored 14...
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Rohit Sharma: Losing a one-off final doesn’t make Rohit Sharma a bad captain: Michael Clarke | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former Australian captain Michael Clarke came out in full support of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma despite India losing to Australia by 209 runs in the recently-concluded ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval in London.While Rohit's captaincy received criticism and his performance as a batter in the WTC Finalwas not at its best, Clarke holds the view that the outcome of the final does not define Rohit's abilities as a captain or India's overall strength as a team.Clarke emphasises that a single loss in a high-stakes match does not diminish his leadership skills nor lessen the quality of the Indian team."Since taking over as captain he has won a Test series against Australia at home. He has done well as a batter as well. Think of his hundred in the last series. Los...
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Ajinkya Rahane to play for Leicestershire after West Indies tour – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Senior middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane will join English county side Leicestershire in division two soon after Team India's two-Test series in West Indies in July. Rahane, recently made a successful comeback to the national Test side during the World Test Championship final against Australia where he scored 89 and 46 in the two innings. Rahane, who had inked the deal with Leicestershire back in January and was supposed to feature in eight first class games and the entire Royal London Cup (domestic 50 over competition) between June to September after the completion of IPL. But the plan had to be shelved after the 35-year-old made a comeback to Indian Test team. "Ajinkya, after the two Tests in West Indies (which is supposed to end on July 24), is supposed to fly directly t...
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WTC loss: Let’s not fool ourselves, India gave up on Test cricket long back

India doesn’t take too long to get over Test match defeats. Unlike the long spell of national self-loathing after a World Cup or World T20 setback, the mourning of a World Test Championship loss is much shorter and more silent.There is outrage but no effigy-burning. There is the usual call for mass sacking of seniors but those voices lack sting. There are those mandatory post-mortems but the scrutiny isn’t intense nor does it throw up any credible solutions.Since WTC finals follow the IPL, fingers do get pointed at the T20 league but it remains the cat that can’t be belled. The cricket community too has a sense of guilt. After sitting spell-bound till the wee hours to watch MS Dhoni lift the trophy, you can’t overly blame IPL. So who is to blame for the WTC debacle? Every defeat needs ...
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Despite WTC final loss, India is set to persist with tried and tested batsmen for the West Indies series

The loss to Australia in the World Test Championship final will not result in a knee-jerk reaction from the BCCI. The Indian Express has learnt that there will be no major changes for next month’s two-Test series against West Indies. The Test team, led by Rohit Sharma, will play Two Test matches in Dominica and Trinidad from July 12. However, with the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit and Virat Kohli more or less in the same age bracket, the selectors want to field a team with a mix of youth and experience for the Border Gavaskar series in Australia — India’s last assignment of the 2023-2025 WTC cycle. The Australian team celebrate as captain Pat Cummins holds the winners trophy during the victory ceremony for the ICC World Test Championship Final at The Oval cricket gr...
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‘I should have never become a bowler… teammates were friends, now colleagues’

DAYS AFTER he was dropped from the World Test Championship final that India lost to Australia, R Ashwin has said he would regret becoming a bowler instead of a batsman. In an interview with The Indian Express, he also talked about the loneliness of the modern-day cricketer where “teammates aren’t friends but colleagues”, how he was “traumatised” by his frequent sacking in the past, and how leadership chances eluded him because people were actively “working against” him by labelling him as an “overthinker”. “This is a true story… One day, I was watching the India-Sri Lanka game and India’s bowling was in tatters. My favourite was Sachin Tendulkar, and whatever runs he used to make, we used to leak those runs with the ball. I used to think one day, I must be a bowler. Can’t I be better t...
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‘I should have never become a bowler… teammates were friends, now colleagues’: R Ashwin

DAYS AFTER he was dropped from the World Test Championship final that India lost to Australia, R Ashwin has said he would regret becoming a bowler instead of a batsman. In an interview with The Indian Express, he also talked about the loneliness of the modern-day cricketer where “teammates aren’t friends but colleagues”, how he was “traumatised” by his frequent sacking in the past, and how leadership chances eluded him because people were actively “working against” him by labelling him as an “overthinker”. “This is a true story… One day, I was watching the India-Sri Lanka game and India’s bowling was in tatters. My favourite was Sachin Tendulkar, and whatever runs he used to make, we used to leak those runs with the ball. I used to think one day, I must be a bowler. Can’t I be better t...
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Ashwin: ‘I would have loved to play in the final as I played a part in us getting there’

The decision to exclude R. Ashwin was one of the main talking points during India’s World Test Championship Final against Australia. In a chat, the top-ranked Test bowler opened up about missing out on a spot at The Oval, his journey and more on the sidelines of the TNPL.You are the No. 1-ranked bowler in the world, but do you feel you are being judged on something apart from your primary skillset? It’s a hard question to answer because we are standing right after the WTC Final. I would have loved to play because I have played a part in us getting there. Even in the last final I got four wickets and bowled really well. Ever since 2018-19, my bowling overseas has been fantastic and I have managed to win games for the team. I am looking at it from a captain or coach’s point of view and I...
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Rahane, Shardul rise in ICC Test rankings; Ashwin maintains top spot among bowlers

India’s Ajinkya Rahane, right, reacts to India’s Shardul Thakur after scoring 50 runs on the third day of the ICC World Test Championship Final between India and Australia at The Oval cricket ground in London on June 9, 2023. File | Photo Credit: AP India's comeback man Ajinkya Rahane on June 14 climbed to the 37th position while Shardul Thakur rose to 94th among batters, even as Ravichandran Ashwin maintained his top spot among Test bowlers despite not featuring in the World Test Championship final.In a rare achievement, batters from Australia occupy the top three places in the rankings as Steve Smith and Travis Head joined top-ranked Marnus Labuschagne following their centuries in the WTC final win against India at The Oval.Despite India's 209-run loss in the marquee match, Rahane's...
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ICC Test Rankings: Australia batters claim rare top three spots in latest Rankings | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In a rare occurrence, Australian batters grabbed the top three spots in the latest Test rankings released by the International Cricket Council on Wednesday.Player of the Match in the World Test Championship Final Travis Head (884 rating points), who scored 163 in the first innings, jumped three places to join Marnus Labuschagne (1st - 903 rating points) and Steve Smith (2nd - 885 rating points) in the the batting chart. It was 39 years ago in December 1984 when three batters from the same side occupied the top three spots in the Test rankings. At that time, Gordon Greenidge (810), Clive Lloyd (787), and Larry Gomes (773) from West Indies formed the top three.Usman Khawaja, who is 9th in the Test rankings with 777 rating points makes it four Australians in the top 10.India's c...
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Duleep Trophy: Hanuma Vihari to lead South Zone and Mayank Agarwal appointed as Vice-captain

Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal are named the captain and Vice Captain of the South Zone ahead of the Duleep Trophy respectively which starts on the 28th later this month to be hosted in Bangalore. Sai Sudharsan and Tilak Varma who are coming on back from a productive IPL also will be available for selection for South Zone. After a poor outing against Australia in World Test Championship final wicket-keeper KS Bharat would be hoping to have a good tournament. After the WTC final batting debacle, Indian selectors might be looking at some young faces to refresh the squad. The tournament might provide an ideal opportunity for the youngsters to showcase their skills. In addition to youngsters Vihari and Mayank who have gone down the pecking order from the Test set-up would be looking to ...
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India has pace-bowling depth but where are the backup bowlers?

Rohit Sharma won the toss on Day 1 of the WTC final and asked Australia to bat on a green top at the Oval. Taking advantage of an overcast London morning, new-ball bowlers Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, and bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur, got early breakthroughs.Shami and Siraj were troubling the Australian batsmen David Warner and Marnus Labuschange with their seam moment and swing.After an absorbing hour’s play, Rohit decided to give the ball to 35-year-old Umesh Yadav, who bowled half-volleys which the batters cashed upon scoring 21 runs in his first two overs, which completely took away the pressure built early on. Umesh struggled with his line and length for the entire day. Cricket – ICC World Test Championship Final – Australia v India – The Oval, London, Britain – June 7...