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‘People were not recognising us…’: Virat Kohli on his two-month break | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Opening up his two-month break when he welcomed his second child alongside his wife Anushka, Virat Kohli revealed how he enjoyed not being treated like a celebrity during the hiatus.Kohli skipped India's home Test series against England to spend some time with his family.Kohli returned to the playing arena at the IPL 2024, but did not fire against Chennai Super Kings in the opener, but hit a match-winning 77 to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinch a four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings on Monday.On his break, Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony, "We were not in the country. We were at a place where people were not recognising us. Just time together as a family, just to feel normal for two months. For me, for us as a family, it was a surreal experience...
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First-day first-show: CSK’s new era gets off to winning note at IPL 2024, RCB’s Chennai woes continue

CSK vs RCB Synopsis: At a venue where they have historically struggled, Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered another defeat despite a lower-order rally from their batting unit. Chennai Super Kings held their nerves to start off a new era on a victorious note. Chepauk remains bogey venue for RCB Since beating CSK at Chepauk in the inaugural edition of the IPL, RCB has yet to win a game here. Their record now stands 1-8 at the venue. RCB’s wait extended as the batting unit once again struggled to get used to the slowness of the surface. In conditions that are far different to the ones they find back home, RCB’s struggles here are not surprising. Apart from lacking the batsmen who can ace spinners, their formula largely has been to go aggressive with the bat. Despite dew being a factor, F...
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Watch: Virat Kohli joins RCB camp ahead of IPL 2024 | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India run machine and former captain Virat Kohli arrived in Bengaluru ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League and RCB's Unbox event.India and RCB stalwart Kohli has been with the franchise since the inception of the IPL and has led the team from the front for nine years.RCB took to X to announce the arrival of Kohli and captioned it: "Too much happening too quickly and we're not slowing down.Is he here?"Kohli was spotted at the Mumbai airport on Sunday night to catch a flight to Bengaluru to join his team for IPL 2024. Kohli was seen donning a cool white T-shirt, which featured a huge illustration of a cute cartoon character and had the word 'Dad' written on it.Kohli missed India's 4-1 Test series triumph over England for personal reasons.IPL 2024 will get u...
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‘We make Smith and Kohli…’: Rohit Sharma and David Warner share thoughts on being trailblazing openers | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Swashbuckling openers Rohit Sharma and David Warner have had many memorable duels against each other be it in international cricket or the IPL.Both Rohit and Warner have stellar careers as openers against the new ball when the bowlers are fresh and steaming in to hurl deliveries at full pace.Both Rohit and Warner have great records of setting the tempo for the rest of the batsmen later in the order to build on blazing starts.In a video going viral after the repeated failures of Steve Smith as a Test opener, Rohit and Warner can be seen talking on Aaj Tak, sharing their thoughts on opening the batting.The clip starts with Warner saying, "There was someone I said before something to Virat, 'We're no Smith and Kohli', but at the end of the day, we make Smith and Kohli because we...
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Virat Kohli, Neeraj Chopra among sportspersons to feature in list of The Indian Express’ most powerful Indians

In the list of 100 most powerful Indians made by IE, there are a few celebrated sports personalities. Let us have a look at these elite athletes who have made it into the directory alongside BCCI secretary Jay Shah. Jay Shah (BCCI secretary) Ranked-35 The BCCI secretary has not only been instrumental in the rise of Indian cricket on the global stage but also helped take cricket to the Olympics. Shah is also the youngest ever to become the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief. In Stewardship India hosted a successful 2023 World Cup and launched the Women’s Premier League (WPL) Virat Kohli (Cricketer) Ranked – 38 The former Indian skipper is arguably the most influential person in cricket. Recently in 2023, the batter became the first player ever to score 50 ODI 100s in the format during the...
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‘His absence does not mean…’: Former India opener on Virat Kohli’s unavailability for England series | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has weighed in on the absence of star batter Virat Kohli from the ongoing home series against England, expressing confidence that India can still perform well despite his unavailability. Kohli, who missed the first two Tests due to personal reasons, will continue to be absent for the remaining three matches, a decision supported by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).Reflecting on Kohli's absence, Chopra highlighted India's historic series win in Australia during the 2020-21 tour, where they emerged victorious even without Kohli, who played just one of the four Tests."I would not go that far (losing the series without Virat). Let us be honest, life does not stop because of someone coming or going. Life must go on, the show must ...
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Virat Kohli withdraws from remaining three Tests against England: Report | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former India captain Virat Kohli has decided to withdraw from the remaining three Tests of the ongoing series against England, according to a report. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the senior national selection committee were informed of Kohli's decision on Friday, just before the squad selection meeting for the upcoming Tests in Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamshala, reported The Indian Express.Earlier, Kohli had withdrawn from the first two Tests, citing personal reasons. At that time, in a statement released by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, it was conveyed that the board respects Kohli's decision and extends full support to him during this time. Kohli had communicated with Indian captain Rohit Sharma, the team management, and selectors about the necessity of pri...
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‘Virat Kohli’s private life has to come first, so it’s a blow for India’ | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has voiced his support for Virat Kohli's decision to prioritize his private life, acknowledging the significant void the Indian batter's absence will create in the Test squad.According to ESPNcricinfo, Kohli, who missed the first two Tests against England, will also be unavailable for the upcoming third and fourth Test matches in Rajkot and Ranchi.Hussain commended Kohli for his illustrious career spanning over 15 years, recognizing him as one of the greatest batters in cricket history. "Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters ever to play the game, and any series and any side will miss someone of the stature of Kohli," he stated.Expressing understanding for Kohli's decision to prioritize family time, Hussain emphasized the need for th...
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‘His records tell everything’: Rahul Dravid on Virat Kohli not playing first two Tests against England | Cricket News – Times of India

Team India's head coach, Rahul Dravid, acknowledged on Tuesday that Virat Kohli's absence for the first two Tests of the England series, due to personal reasons, is significant. Dravid described Kohli as a "phenomenal player" and noted that any team would miss the contributions of such a key player.Dravid also expressed the view that Kohli's absence provides an opportunity for other players to step up and deliver strong performances in his place.India are set to face England in a five-match Test series, with the first Test scheduled to start on Thursday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The subsequent Tests will be played at Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamshala.Kohli's temporary absence from the team creates an opportunity for other players to showcase th...
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Sunil Gavaskar says IND has ‘Viratball to counter Bazball’ ahead of India vs England 5-match Test series

India taking on England in the five-match Test series is one of the most anticipated series of the year not only because of the quality of players involved but also “Bazball” cricket England has been playing under skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. There have been questions surrounding the England side if they can execute the same style of cricket on turning pitches in India, and the follow-up to that interesting battle is, if they do succeed, how India will respond to it. Former Indian player Sunil Gavaskar said, “We have Viratball to counter Bazball.” “The way he’s (Virat Kohli) been batting, his movement looks good,” Gavaskar told Star Sports. Though, Kohli did not make many runs in South Africa with respect to his standards on spicy pitches where there was seam mome...
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‘Sachin would have made a lot of runs,’ in this era and ‘He (Virat Kohli) could have faced difficulties,’ in Tendulkar’s era predicts Shoaib Akhtar

Virat Kohli will go among one of the greatest batters in the game’s history. Hence, not only is he constantly compared to his contemporaries with the likes of Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root, but he is also compared with former legendary players like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting. Recently, former Pakistan player Shoaib Akhtar tried to compare the challenges Sachin and Ponting used to face in ODI cricket, which the modern player hardly faces. “Back then, Sachin was playing with one ball, which would reverse swing against some of the best bowlers in the world. There was only one circle. Today, Sachin would have made a lot of runs,” the fast bowler was quoted saying when speaking to ANI. “Virat would have been competitive (in our era),” he added. “He could have faced diffic...
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Exclusive: ‘Calm and aggressive’ – Shikhar Dhawan dissects MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli’s captaincy styles | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Ice and fire. That's the best way to describe the captaincy styles of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Indian cricket reached great heights under the captaincy of both the stalwarts and both Dhoni and Kohli have left behind a legacy that will go down as one of the best periods in the annals of Indian cricket history.Opener Shikhar Dhawan made his debut under the captaincy of MS Dhoni and blossomed under the leadership of Kohli, who also hails from Delhi and played domestic cricket together for quite a while.In our second part of an exclusive interview, Shikhar Dhawan talks about the notable differences in the captaincy styles of Dhoni and Virat, his camaraderie with Rohit Sharma, on scoring heavily in ICC tournaments and the Asian Games snub, among others.Excerpts:You ma...
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Ex-chief of selectors explains why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli didn’t play T20Is after T20 World Cup in 2022

With both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli expressing their willingness to play in the upcoming T20 World Cup, it was no surprise to see both veteran players being named in the Indian squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan which starts from Thursday. However, this has also led to a lot of chatter about what India’s team compositions will look like going into the T20 World Cup. Both players have not played for the national team in the shortest format of the game since India’s semi-final defeat at the T20 World Cup in November 2022. Former chief of selectors MSK Prasad, though, backed the duo to feature in the Indian team at the World Cup in June, which will be played in USA and West Indies. “I do understand that Rohit and Virat were given a bit of rest in South Africa. ...
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T20 World Cup: The problem with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli featuring in India’s T20 team

With six months to go for the next T20 World Cup, India are showing signs of drifting away from their T20 blueprint, in place for the past 14 months, by bringing in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back into the fold.With their presence, two of the three in India’s top-order — which was identified as a problematic area — are back in the XI. Word around is that injuries to Ruturaj Gaikwad and Suryakumar Yadav opened up spots for the return of Rohit and Kohli, who as reported by this newspaper wanted to get back into the T20 fold. But with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill already in the XI, including Shreyas Iyer as an option at No 3 and grooming Sai Sudharsan would have only made them stick to the plan. In successive T20 World Cups, India’s hard learned lesson was that their top three were ...
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India vs South Africa: Virat Kohli makes a unique batting record during 1st Test in Centurion

While the South African bowlers were bowling thunderbolts on a green pitch, Virat Kohli played a brilliant counter-attacking 76 on Thursday. Though the team lost by a huge margin, the Indian batter, during his sublime knock, added another record to his illustrious career. The 35-year-old has now gone past 2000 runs in a calendar year for the seventh time in his career. No other batter could achieve the feat in the 146 years of cricket (Since the records have been kept). He previously achieved the feat in 2012 (2186 runs), 2014 (2286 runs), 2016 (2595 runs), 2017 (2818 runs), 2018 (2735 runs), and 2019 (2455 runs). The Indian talisman scored 2048 runs this year. The batter is behind his teammate for the most runs in this calendar year, 2023, as Shubman Gill amassed 2154 runs this year....
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‘Check them in IPL’: Kevin Pietersen on Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s inclusion in T20 World Cup squad | Cricket News – Times of India

DEHRADUN: Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen feels Indian captain Rohit Sharma and batting stalwart Virat Kohli have "every chance" to be in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World 2024.The discussion around the future of Kohli and Rohit has gained prominence following India's loss in the ODI World Cup final to Australia, especially considering the depth of talent in the current Indian cricket setup.While Rohit and Kohli showcased impressive form in the recently concluded ODI World Cup in India, Pietersen emphasizes that their performance in the IPL 2024 will play a pivotal role in determining their selection for the T20 World Cup scheduled for June next year."They (Kohli and Rohit) have every chance, would have to see how they go in IPL, check them in the IPL. Because they have be...
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Shoaib Akhtar says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still have plenty of cricket left in them, backs duo to play in T20 World Cup too

After experiencing disappointment in the final of the recently-concluded Cricket World Cup, the attention has now shifted to the upcoming showpiece event, which is the T20 World Cup in 2024 in West Indies and the USA. Though Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have had a productive 50-over World Cup, there has been speculation about their involvement in the shorter format in the upcoming days. However, former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar feels both the veterans still have plenty to offer for the Indian side even in the T20 format. “If you ask, do Rohit and Kohli have cricket left in them? Yes, definitely. Do you get a better opener than Rohit in the world right now? No, you don’t,” he told Zee News. Both Rohit and Kohli have not played a single T20I for India since the loss in Adelaide aga...
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Cricket World Cup Final: Virat Kohli notches up two records with half-century against Australia – Times of India

NEW DELHI: India run machine and batting mainstay Virat Kohli is the leading run scorer in this edition of the World Cup and the former captain continued his great run of form in the final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Steadying the Indian innings after the dismissals of captain Rohit Sharna and Shreyas Iyer in successive overs, Kohli reached his 72nd fifty off 56 balls and with that notched up five consecutive 50+ scores in World Cups for the second time.Kohli had also hit five consecutive 50+ scores in the 2019 World Cup edition. Australia batter Steve Smith had achieved the feat in his team's victorious edition in 2015.Kohli also became the seventh batsman to hit 50+ scores in both semi-final and finals in a World Cup edition after Mike Brearle...
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World Cup Final, India vs Australia: Behind India’s crack outfit, Rahul Dravid and his backroom boys | Cricket News – Times of India

BENGALURU: As India's World Cup campaign reaches the final stage, the 15-member squad has been lauded for its teamwork and skill. Beyond the boundary, though, there are 20 men who have toiled away behind the scenes. Led by head coach Rahul Dravid, they have played a crucial role in ensuring the team is at its best physically and mentally. It wouldn't be out of place to say that Team India's support staff is a key reason for the team's 10-0 record heading into the final.Mohammad Shami: A testament to skill, determination, and unwavering spiritTOI takes a look...COACHES: When Dravid was appointed head coach, he emphasised on performance rather than results. He needed support staff who knew how he functioned, who aligned with his thought process and understood the players. With these param...
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Virat Kohli can match Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 centuries: Ravi Shastri – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The record for most ODI hundreds may currently belong to star batsman Virat Kohli, but former India head coach Ravi Shastri was adamant that the 35-year-old was on track to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's 100 international hundreds.Kohli has amassed 50 hundreds in ODIs, 29 hundreds in Tests, and one hundred in T20Is, for an overall total of 80 scores above 100. In Wednesday's World Cup semifinal match against New Zealand in Mumbai, Kohli had surpassed Tendulkar's record of 49 one-day hundreds."Who would have thought when Sachin Tendulkar got 100 hundreds that anyone would come close? And, he's got 80; 80 international hundreds, 50 of them in the one-day game, which makes him the highest. Unreal," said Shastri during The ICC Review."Nothing's impossible because such players, when t...