During the off-season, Sharma collaborated closely with the current RCB batting coach, Karthik, who retired after the previous season. Speaking ahead of RCB's home fixture against Delhi Capitals, Sharma discussed how Karthik had been instrumental in transforming his approach to the game.
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Nitish Reddy's remarkable unbeaten century as India's lower-order batsman, accompanied by his guidance to Mohammed Siraj, bolstered the team's performance in the Boxing Day Test. Former coach Ravi Shastri proposes Reddy's promotion in the batting order to enhance India's balance and strategy for the final Test in Sydney. India's batting has appeared fragile, especially with skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant struggling for runs in the five-Test series so far.
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Afghanistan's head coach Jonathan Trott praised his team's resilient performance in their eight-run victory over England, which keeps them in contention for the ICC Champions Trophy semifinals. The win demonstrates Afghanistan's progress under Trott's guidance and sets the stage for a crucial match against Australia.
Tom Alsop's unbeaten 85 off 60 balls led Gulf Giants to a six-wicket victory over Sharjah Warriors in ILT20, successfully chasing 171 for 6 in the final over. Tom Curran supported with 26 not out. Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani took 3 for 32, helping to restrict the Warriors, who had strong contributions from Jason Roy and others.
The UAE has been a historic venue for iconic India-Pakistan ODI clashes, featuring epic contests such as India's 38-run victory in the 1985 Rothmans Cup, Javed Miandad's famous last-ball six in the 1986 Austral-Asia Cup final, and Sachin Tendulkar's memorable century in the 1996 Pepsi Sharjah Cup. These matches have seen thrilling last-ball finishes and stellar individual performances.
Usman Khawaja wore a black armband during the Sydney Test against India to honor the late Melissa Prince, wife of his friend Ashwell Prince. Melissa passed away on Sunday after battling cancer. Khawaja and Prince became close friends during their time playing for Lancashire in English County cricket.
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