India turns focus to limited-overs cricket with upcoming T20I and ODI series against England after Test series losses against New Zealand and Australia. The series is pre-cursor to the ICC Champions Trophy which begins on 19 February with India playing a day later in Dubai. Rohit Sharma is expected to captain India in both series.
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England's batter Harry Brook emphasizes the need for his team to pressure India to even the T20I series after their loss in Kolkata. He praised Jos Buttler's performance and aims to contribute significantly in the upcoming matches, hoping to be a match-winner for England at the Chepauk stadium.
Former chief selector Sunil Joshi backs Rishabh Pant's fearless approach ahead of the Gabba Test. Joshi believes Pant's aggressive style, reminiscent of Virender Sehwag, can shift pressure onto the bowlers and lead to an Indian victory, similar to his match-winning 89* in 2021. Despite recent lower scores, Joshi is confident Pant will deliver a game-changing innings at the Gabba again.
AB de Villiers praises South Africa for reaching the WTC final, despite significant changes and criticism. He emphasizes the team's need for time and experience to regain consistency and commends Temba Bavuma's leadership. De Villiers believes in supporting young players and highlights the excitement surrounding the third edition of SA20.
Smriti Mandhana climbed to the second spot in ICC Women's ODI batting rankings after stellar performances in the series against Ireland. Deepti Sharma reached fourth in bowling rankings and sixth among all-rounders. Australian Ashleigh Gardner led the all-rounders' list, delivering outstanding performances in the Ashes.
Saud Shakeel of the State Bank of Pakistan team made history by becoming the first Pakistani cricketer to be dismissed for being timed out. This rare occurrence happened during the President's Trophy final in Rawalpindi, played with unusual night timings during Ramadan.
Australian pacer Scott Boland excelled in the Test series against India, taking 21 wickets in three matches at an average of 13.19, including a ten-wicket haul in the final Test. Boland's performance, highlighted by dismissing Virat Kohli four times, secured him the best bowling average in men's Test cricket since WWI.
Joburg Super Kings bolstered their playoff hopes with a decisive victory over Paarl Royals, led by Faf du Plessis' 87 off 55 balls. Spinner Donovan Ferreira's three wickets significantly restricted Royals. Despite injury challenges and inconsistency, the team remains optimistic about the playoffs. Ferraira highlighted calm leadership from Du Plessis for their steadiness.
Sanju Samson impressed with a fiery batting display against England, hitting 22 runs in the first over before being dismissed for 26 off 20 balls. India bowled out England for 132, with notable contributions from Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy, who took key wickets.
Karnataka cricketers Prasidh Krishna and Devdutt Padikkal, along with Tamil Nadu's Washington Sundar, will join the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockout matches following their Border-Gavaskar Trophy involvement. KL Rahul opted for a break, while decisions on his Ranji Trophy participation will be made later.
Star batter Smriti Mandhana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma have secured places in the ICC Women's ODI Team of the Year 2024, comprising top players from several countries. Mandhana led the ODI run charts with 747 runs, while Deepti impressed with 186 runs and 24 wickets across 13 matches.