New Zealand cricket team has reached the semifinals of the 2025 Champions Trophy after beating Bangladesh by five wickets. Rachin Ravindra made a successful return to action, scoring 112 runs. The team will next face India on March 2. The coach, Gary Stead, is pleased with the bowlers' performance and is preparing the team for the upcoming clash.
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Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has urged India to tour Pakistan, highlighting the love and admiration Indian players will receive in the neighbouring country. He reminisced about past tours and stressed the cultural similarities between both nations. He also emphasized the need for resuming bilateral series to foster friendships and strengthen cricket ties.
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.
English cricketers are seeking clarity from the ECB about No-Objection Certificates to play in the PSL, which now clashes with the English domestic season. The ECB’s new policy, meant to protect local cricket, restricts NOCs during the English summer except for the IPL. Some players may still secure NOCs following a consultation group’s assessment.
Workload management is crucial for modern cricketers to stay fresh and injury-free. Jasprit Bumrah's heavy bowling schedule during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series raised concerns, especially after he suffered a back spasm. Despite bowling 151.2 overs, his teammates and Aussie bowlers bowled more, highlighting the need for careful workload management. Historical comparisons show varying workloads of Indian bowlers in past series.
David Payne, after a stellar season in England's T20 Blast, aims to showcase his talent with the Desert Vipers in the ILT20 for an England comeback. Payne, who took 33 wickets, highlights his fitness owing to exclusive white-ball focus and looks forward to challenging for the title with the Vipers, leveraging UAE conditions.
The latest ICC rankings show New Zealand's Tim Seifert and Finn Allen rising in T20I rankings. Babar Azam has slipped to 8th. Australia's Travis Head leads T20I batters. Among bowlers, Jacob Duffy has achieved a career-best ranking of 12th. In ODIs, Netherlands' Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren have moved up the bowlers' rankings.
The Gujarat Titans' all-rounder speaks about biding his time, his prospects for the tour of England after the IPL, Ashish Nehra and Gautam Gambhir's impact on him as coaches, and more
Venkatesh Iyer hit a rapid 60 off 29 balls, leading Kolkata Knight Riders to an 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens. KKR posted 200/6, bolstered by Iyer's 91-run stand with Rinku Singh. Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakravarthy took three wickets each as SRH crumbled to 120 all out.
Kerala and Gujarat have progressed to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals in contrasting fashions. Kerala narrowly edged Jammu and Kashmir by a one-run first-innings lead, while Gujarat dominated Saurashtra with an innings and 98 runs win. Despite not having players in the top 20 run-scorers, both teams exhibit strong team spirit and determination to excel.
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.