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.
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Afghanistan earned a narrow eight-run win against England in the Champions Trophy, sending them packing from the tournament. Ibrahim Zadran's stellar 177 led Afghanistan to a total of 325 for seven. Despite Joe Root's century, England couldn't chase the target. Ravi Shastri and Michael Vaughan criticised England's performance, urging them to improve their sub-continent play.
Axar Patel attributes his rapid development as an all-rounder to increased self-belief. He played a key role in India's Champions Trophy win over New Zealand and emphasizes the importance of his promotion in batting order. He also commends Varun Chakravarthy for his impactful performance, highlighting his challenging bowling pace and the difficulty in reading his deliveries.
Rishabh Pant, the most expensive player in IPL history, faces a crucial season for his international limited-overs career. Despite his Test cricket success, Pant struggles to secure a firm spot in India's white-ball teams, and his performance in this IPL season will be pivotal.
Rohit Sharma's leadership in winning the Champions Trophy has renewed confidence in his captaincy despite earlier criticisms. Former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik asserted Rohit Sharma is an able leader and credited the IPL for India's depth in talent, citing the tournament's role in transforming India's approach to winning and improving cricket infrastructure.
Ricky Ponting praised India's all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Hardik Pandya for their stellar performance in the 2025 Champions Trophy. He highlighted their contribution to India's batting depth and balance. Specifically, Ponting commended Axar Patel's consistent bowling and impactful batting, which eased the pressure on India's lower order.
Wanindu Hasaranga's 4/35 helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a six-run win over Chennai Super Kings, despite Ruturaj Gaikwad's 63. Mitchell Starc's 5/35 powered Delhi Capitals to a seven-wicket victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Faf du Plessis' 50 set up the chase, with Abhishek Porel and Tristan Stubbs steering Delhi home. Rajasthan and Delhi both secured crucial wins.
The Union health ministry has urged the Indian Premier League to ban all forms of tobacco and alcohol advertising, including surrogate promotions, within stadium premises and during televised matches. The request aims to reduce the consumption of these harmful products among the youth, by discouraging sports and sports figures from endorsing them.
ILT20 is sponsoring a 22-day Ramadan cricket tournament at the ICC Academy in Dubai from 13 March to 3 April 2025. The event will feature 10 domestic teams with over 200 players competing. David White, CEO of ILT20, emphasized their commitment to developing local cricket talent. The tournament will be live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook.
England batter Sam Hain made his debut at Newlands in a losing effort as Paarl Royals fell to MI Cape Town by 33 runs. Despite the loss, Hain cherished the iconic venue and praised both the atmosphere and young teammate Lhuan-dre Pretorius. He remains optimistic about the team's prospects in upcoming matches.
New Zealand triumphed over Pakistan by 78 runs in the opening tri-nations series match in Lahore. Glenn Phillips scored an unbeaten 106 and Mitchell Santner took three wickets to aid the victory. New Zealand scored 330-6 in 50 overs, with Pakistan being all out for 252 in 47.5 overs. South Africa is also participating in the series.