The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering expanding the coaching staff for the Indian Men's team, specifically a batting coach. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has expressed interest in the role. The coaching team, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, is under scrutiny following a string of losses and consistent batting challenges.
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Sunrisers Eastern Cape secure a playoff spot with a dominant win over Durban's Super Giants. Captain Aiden Markram attributes success to disciplined execution and strong starts. He praises the team's resilience and the exceptional home crowd support, fostering newfound confidence for a strong championship push in the SA20 League.
Former cricketer Yograj Singh sharply criticised Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed for her remarks on India captain Rohit Sharma's fitness. Mohamed called Rohit 'fat' and 'unimpressive' after his performance in the Champions Trophy. Singh emphasized such comments on cricketers should not be tolerated. Mohamed later clarified her statement, citing it was about general fitness, not body-shaming.
Madan Lal criticised the poor drainage system at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium during the Afghanistan-Australia Champions Trophy match, calling it a "bad advertisement" for Pakistan. Despite efforts to clear rainwater, the game was called off.
Sai Sudharsan's masterful 82 propelled Gujarat Titans to 217/6, overcoming an early Gill dismissal. Buttler's support and late cameos bolstered the total. Rajasthan's chase faltered despite Samson and Hetmyer's efforts, as Krishna's 3-24 and key wickets from Rashid and Kishore sealed a 58-run victory. Sudharsan's calm, impactful innings highlighted his rising prominence.
England’s Adil Rashid dismissed Virat Kohli for the 11th time in international cricket during the third ODI in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Rashid joins Tim Southee and Josh Hazlewood in troubling Kohli the most across all formats. Kohli managed to score his 73rd ODI half-century, while Shubman Gill achieved his seventh ODI century with consecutive fifties.
Shreyas Iyer's potential Test comeback is questioned by Ravichandran Ashwin, who argues that strong IPL performances shouldn't be confused with Test credentials. Despite Iyer's key role in KKR's title win and leading PBKS in IPL 2025, Ashwin believes formats should remain distinct, praising Iyer's ODI contributions but emphasising format-specific evaluations.
Former batter Umar Akmal criticizes Babar Azam for not building a strong bench during his captaincy, attributing Pakistan's current team struggles to his leadership. Umar expressed disappointment at being ignored despite good domestic performance, suggesting Babar's strategic shortcomings hurt the team.
The ODI-format Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin on February 19, with England set to play only three 50-over matches against India before the prestigious tournament. England skipper Jos Buttler highlighted the appeal of the series, adding, "I think it's going to be a really exciting T20 series. There are ODIs to follow as well, so yeah, I'm just looking forward to the games."
India captain Rohit Sharma praised Mohammed Shami as a stalwart of white-ball cricket during a press conference announcing India's squad for the ICC Champions Trophy and the ODI series against England. Shami returns to the ODI setup after more than a year, having recovered from ankle surgery. He was also named in the T20I series squad against England.
Skipper Rohit Sharma expressed satisfaction with India's near-perfect performance against England in the first ODI, emphasizing the importance of ticking all the boxes in terms of bowling and batting. Rohit praised Axar Patel's crucial 47-ball 52 and Shubman Gill's match-winning 87, which helped India recover from early setbacks and secure a four-wicket win.