Recently in an episode of Aap Ki Adalat, Indian wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant weighed in on what he felt about the controversy that took place during the IPL where LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka and Captain KL Rahul were seen in a heated exchange of words.
Tag: Rishabh Pant
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Yashasvi Jaiswal or Virat Kohli who will open for India in T20 World Cup 2024? Sunil Gavaskar Picks This Opener | Cricket News
India’s superstar batsman, Virat Kohli, has been in the form of his life during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, scoring over 700 runs. Despite facing consistent criticism from former India opener Sunil Gavaskar regarding his strike rate, Kohli’s stellar performance has earned him praise and a potential new role in the Indian lineup. Gavaskar, previously skeptical of Kohli’s strike rate, has now endorsed him to open alongside Rohit Sharma for India, citing his recent IPL form. Notably, Gavaskar expressed doubts about left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal’s form, suggesting he may not be the ideal candidate to partner Sharma at the top of the order for the Men in Blue.
India’s WC T20 2024 Warm-Up Match: Different Opening Combination
India’s warm-up game against Bangladesh hinted at a different opening combination, with Sanju Samson partnering Sharma due to Kohli’s late arrival from the United States. While Rohit Sharma clarified that the team composition is not finalized, the absence of Jaiswal from the opening slot indicates he might not be the preferred choice for the T20 World Cup 2024. Gavaskar emphasized Kohli’s exceptional form and suggested that his place as an opener alongside Sharma is justified, considering his recent performances. Regarding Jaiswal, Gavaskar noted a decline in his form compared to previous outings.
“The kind of form Virat Kohli has been in, especially in the second half of the season, he should open with Rohit Sharma. Good players are good players, the kind of form Kohli has shown in the IPL, he has to open the batting . It’s good to talk about the left-hand, right-hand combination on television, but good players are good players no matter where they bat,” Gavaskar said in an interview after the T20 World Cup opener between USA and Canada. “Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn’t been in the sort of form we saw him in during the Test series,” the India legend said of the left-hander who will compete with Virat for the second opener’s spot.
Despite Kohli’s absence from the warm-up game, he remains hopeful of featuring in India’s playing XI as they kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5. However, Jaiswal might have to wait for his opportunity, given the indispensability of Kohli and Sharma to the team’s top order.
India’s World Cup campaign to begin soon
India’s T20 World Cup journey includes matches against Ireland, Pakistan, USA, and Canada, with expectations high for Kohli’s potential role at the top alongside Sharma.
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Will Rishabh Pant bat at number 3 for India in T20 World Cup 2024? Here’s what Rohit Sharma says | Cricket News
During the build-up to India’s T20 World Cup squad announcement in late April, there was much debate over the best top-order combination, particularly whether Virat Kohli should open alongside captain Rohit Sharma. However, Rishabh Pant’s promotion to No. 3 has surprised many. After India’s 60-run win against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup warm-up match in New York on Saturday, discussions emerged about Pant’s potential role in the top order following his explosive fifty.
On June 1, India tried a new opening combination against Bangladesh, with Sanju Samson and captain Rohit Sharma opening the batting. Unfortunately, Samson struggled and was out for 1 of 6 balls. Pant then came in at No. 3 and shone with a powerful performance, hitting four sixes and four boundaries in just 32 balls. He scored an impressive 53 runs before retiring hurt, helping India reach a total of 182 for five. This performance sparked conversations about his possible role in the World Cup.
After the match, Rohit Sharma addressed the speculation about India’s batting line-up for the World Cup. He explained that Pant was sent to bat at No. 3 to give him a chance, and the team has not yet finalized their batting order. Rohit said, “We wanted to give him an opportunity. “We haven’t nailed the batting line-up yet; we wanted most guys to get a hit in the middle,” he added.
T20 World Cup 2024: India’s all-round performance in warm-up match
India’s Performance in the Warm-Up Game India showcased an impressive performance in their only warm-up game before starting their T20 World Cup campaign, defeating Bangladesh by 60 runs at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya led with aggressive batting, helping India post a total of 182 for five. The bowlers then delivered a clinical performance, restricting Bangladesh to just 122 for nine in 20 overs.
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‘Couldn’t even brush my teeth for two months…’: Rishabh Pant recalls struggling with injuries after car accident | Cricket News
Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant revealed that after his life-threatening road accident in December 2022, his injuries were such that he could not even brush his teeth for two months. Pant on Monday featured on the second episode of ‘Dhawan Karenge,’ a talk show hosted by Indian opening batter, Shikhar Dhawan on JioCinema.
During the episode, the 26-year-old cricketer shared his experience after sustaining life-threatening injuries from a horrific accident that left him with multiple fractures and required ligament reconstruction and treatment for a knee injury. These injuries were critical to his career, but he recently made his comeback in IPL 2024 after a 15-month rehabilitation. (‘I will also be lifting the T20 World Cup 2024:’ Rinku Singh)
While opening up on his post-injury experience, Rishabh shares, “Self-belief and self-confidence are very important while recovering from an injury because there are people saying all sorts of things around you, and you, as an individual, have to think about what’s good for you. The accident was a life-changing experience for me. When I got up after it, I was not even sure if I would be alive, but God was very kind to save me. I could not even brush my teeth for two months, and for six to seven months, I suffered with unbearable pain. I could not go to the airport because I was nervous about facing people in a wheelchair.”
He further added, “Now that I am making a comeback in cricket, more than feeling pressure, I am excited. I feel this is kind of a second life, so I am excited but also nervous.” (MS Dhoni to become the next Indian team coach? Virat Kohli’s childhood coach says THIS)
Pant also revealed that one incident in his life that made his mother angry when he was in fifth grade. It was when his father brought him a cricket bat worth Rs 14,000 and his mom got “super angry” with his father’s gift to his son.
“It was my father’s dream to become a cricketer, and I am glad I could fulfil it. I decided I wanted to be a cricketer when I was in the 5th grade. My dad gifted me a bat worth Rs 14,000, and my mom got super angry,” he said.
In the recently concluded IPL 2024, Rishabh’s team Delhi Capitals finished in the sixth spot with seven wins, seven losses and 14 points and failed to move to playoffs. He scored 446 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of over 155 with three half-centuries and emerged as the team’s top run-getter. Now, Pant will make a comeback to international cricket during the ICC T20 World Cup, starting from June 1 in the West Indies and the USA.
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DC vs LSG Dream11 Team Prediction, Match Preview, Fantasy Cricket Hints: Captain, Probable Playing 11s, Team News; Injury Updates For Today’s Delhi Capitals Vs Lucknow Super Giants In Arun Jaitley Stadium, 730PM IST, Delhi | cricket news
Delhi Capitals (DC) face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2024 clash today. A lot happened after the last LSG clash at Lucknow as their team owner Sanjiv Goenka seemingly yelled at captain KL Rahul and the incident was caught on camera. After that video went viral, many India fans displayed their own displeasure at seeing and Indian player being mistreated like that in public view. The rumors began that Rahul may be dropped as captain after this season. There was a report that Rahul had not traveled with the team to Delhi for the match. But assistant coach Lance Klusener put all these rumors to rest when he said that there is not talk of change in captaincy within the Lucknow camp.
Hopefully, we will see a KL Rahul-Rishabh Pant face-off in a match which is of utmost importance to both. Both LSG and DC have an outside chance to qualify for the playoffs, Their hopes are dependent on other match results as well. But firstly, they need to win their own games and hopefully, with a big margin.
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant can be good choices in your Dream11 team for this game. Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs and Ayush Badoni are also must-haves in your fantasy team. Fraser-McGurk can even be your captain in this match.
DC vs LSG: Probable Playing 11s
Delhi Capitals Predicted XI: Prithvi Shaw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Shai Hope, Tristan Stubbs, Rishabh Pant (c) (wk), Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed.
Lucknow Super Giants Predicted XI: KL Rahul (c/wk), Arshin Kulkarni, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ashton Turner, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohsin Khan.
DC vs LSG DREAM 11 PREDICTION
WICKET KEEPERS: Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran
BATTERS: Jake Fraser-McGurk(c), Tristan Stubbs, Ayush Badoni
ALL ROUNDERS: Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis
BOWLERS: Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed
DC vs LSG: Squads
Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (c), Pravin Dubey, David Warner, Vicky Ostwal, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Abishek Porel, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Lalit Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mitchell Marsh, Ishant Sharma, Yash Dhull, Mukesh Kumar, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, Swastik Chhikara.
Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shamar Joseph, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, K. Gowtham, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Mohd. Arshad Khan.
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RCB vs DC Dream11 Team Prediction, Match Preview, Fantasy Cricket Hints: Captain, Probable Playing 11s, Team News; Injury Updates For Today’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru Vs Delhi Capitals In M Chinnaswamy Stadium, 730PM IST, Bengaluru | cricket news
The upcoming clash between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Bengaluru promises to be a crucial encounter as both teams vie for a playoff berth in the Indian Premier League (IPL). DC currently occupies the fifth position in the points table, having secured six wins and suffered six losses, accumulating 12 points in total. Meanwhile, RCB finds themselves in the seventh spot, with five wins, seven losses, and 10 points to their name.
In their previous outings, DC emerged victorious against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on May 7, while RCB secured a win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) just a few days prior. As the two teams prepare to battle it out on Sunday, fans eagerly anticipate a thrilling contest with high stakes.
The spotlight of the season has undoubtedly been on Virat Kohli, who holds the prestigious Orange Cap for accumulating the most runs in the tournament thus far. Kohli has been in scintillating form, amassing a staggering 634 runs in 12 matches at a remarkable average of 70.44 and an impressive strike rate of 153.51. His outstanding performance includes a century and five half-centuries, with his highest score being an unbeaten 113 runs.
Beyond the IPL, Virat Kohli boasts a remarkable record across all formats of the game, establishing himself as one of the modern greats of cricket. While he may not be the first or even among the top ten to achieve 100 professional cricket centuries, Kohli’s milestone is a testament to his legendary career and unmatched consistency on the field.
As the Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore gear up for their clash, fans anticipate Virat Kohli to deliver yet another stellar performance, not only for the sake of his team’s victory but also to etch his name further into the annals of cricketing history.
RCB vs DC: Probable Playing 11s
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Predicted XI: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Will Jacks, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Anuj Rawat, Cameron Greem, Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal.
Delhi Capitals Predicted XI: Abishek Porel, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Shai Hope, Tristan Stubbs, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed.
RCB vs DC DREAM 11 PREDICTION IPL 2024
WICKETKEEPERS: Dinesh Karthik, Abhishek Porel
BATTERS: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli(c), Tristan Stubbs
ALL ROUNDERS: Will Jacks, Axar Patel (vc)
BOWLERS: Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed
RCB vs DC: Squads
RCB – Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj. , Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Cameron Green, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Lockie Ferguson, Swapnil Singh, Saurav Chauhan.
DC – Rishabh Pant (c), Pravin Dubey, David Warner, Vicky Ostwal, Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje, Abishek Porel, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Lalit Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed, Mitchell Marsh, Ishant Sharma, Yash Dhull, Mukesh Kumar, Tristan Stubbs, Ricky Bhui, Kumar Kushagra, Rasikh Dar, Jhye Richardson, Sumit Kumar, Shai Hope, Swastik Chhikara.
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India’ T20 World Cup 2024 Squad: Who Are The Confirmed Names? Who Are The Contenders Vying For A Spot? , cricket news
India T20 World Cup 2024 Squad: India’s selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar is going to have some sleepless nights ahead of the squad announcement for the T20 World Cup 2024. Except for a few names, one cannot for sure still say that this is going to. be the squad that will be in USA and West Indies for the mega event. There have been some outstanding performances in IPL 2024 which will make the job of the selectors even more tough. The tournament starts in June and the squad is likely to be announced by the start of May.
Some of the names who are almost confirmed are veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Kuldeep Yadav as the leading wrist spinner. Arshdeep Singh has had a good IPL so far, so he should too make the cut. But there are still nine spots up for grabs.
Will Hardik Pandya get picked?
Hardik Pandya, the batting all-rounder, is not in great form either with bat or ball which is a huge concern. However, if he is bowling and batting without any discomfort, Hardik should make the cut. Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh are two names who are fighting for one spot in India playing 11 at the World Cup. But selectors may opt to take both of them to WC as backups for each other. Shivam should easily make it as he can bowl too.
Three-way battle really for keeper’s slot
The fight is for the wicketkeeper’s slot. There are six contenders in the form of Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, Sanju Samson and Dinesh Karthik. But the real battle mostly should be between Pant, Samson and Rahul. One or maybe two of them could be picked, depending upon what roles they are told to play.
The bowling department: Tough fight among pacers
Kuldeep should definitely be the first choice wrist spinner. But India will need another spinner, maybe a wrist or a finger spinner. It could be a battle between Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal who make the cut.
Then came the pacers. Apart from Bumrah and Arshdeep, India will need 2 more pacers. These two names are very hard to pick. Delhi Capitals’ Khaleel Ahmed, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s T Natarajan, Punjab Kings’ Harshal Patel, and even Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar have become contenders for the spot.
With no Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj completely out of form, India will have to make a bold choice. Mayank Yadav can be a surprise and bold pick but also a risky one. He has an X-factor which is his extreme pace. But he also lacks experience.
India’s likely T20 World Cup 2024 squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant/Sanju Samson/KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Two more pacers and one spinner
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Team DC Full List of Players IPL 2024: Check Delhi Capitals Full Schedule, Players List, Captain & Vice-Captain, Possible Playing XI, Venue, Injury Updates, All you need to know | cricket news
Delhi Capitals will be back to their full strength in IPL 2024 with return of captain Rishabh Pant. DC will be hoping for a turnaround this season after they failed to make it to the playoffs for two consecutive times in 2022 and 2023. Last year, they were led by David Warner and did not finish it even top 5. Ricky Ponting, head coach , feels that with Pant back, 2024 could be there season.
DC have made it to just one IPL final, in 2020, when they lost to Mumbai Indians (MI). It will take a lot of effort on their part to clinch the first-ever title. The fact that their two international stars are not playing this season due to respective reasons is a huge blow to them.
Harry Brook of England pulled out of the IPL due to personal reasons. He later clarified that he and his family are currently grieving the loss of his grandmother. Brook missed the England tour of India as well due to the same reason. Ngidi is skipping IPL because he has a lower-back injury. South Africa would ideally want their pacer to become fit by the T20 World Cup that starts in June.
It will be interesting to see how Prithvi Shaw goes in this year's IPL. His stocks have fallen in the last 3 years since getting dropped from Team India Test squad. His good show in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy did win him a place in the T20I side last year but he did not get a game in that series. For Shaw to earn his place, he needs to have a blast in the IPL to turn the heads of the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar.
This will probably be the last IPL for David Warner, who recently retired from the Test team. Warner is 37 and one does not know if he would want to continue playing all formats after IPL 2024 is over.
Check Full Squad and announced schedule of DC below:
DC Full List of Players IPL 2024: Batters Bowlers All-rounders Rishabh Pant (C and WK) Khaleel Ahmed Lalit Yadav Abhishek Porel Pravin Dubey Mitchell Marsh Ricky Bhui Kuldeep Yadav Axar Patel Swastik Chikara Mukesh Kumar Sumit Kumar Yash Dhull Anrich Nortje Jake Fraser-McGurk Vicky Ostwal Shai Hope Rasikh Salam Kumar Kushagra Jhye Richardson Prithvi Shaw Ishant Sharma Tristan Stubbs Lungi Ngidi (withdrawn) David Warner Harry Brook (withdrawn) DC Probable Playing 11:
Prithvi Shaw, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Tristan Stubbs, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma/Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed
DC schedule for IPL 2024, only the first 21 matches of IPL 2024 have been announced so far:
Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Mohali, March 23 – 3:30 PM IST
Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals, Jaipur, March 28 – 7:30 PM IST
Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, Visakhapatnam, March 31 – 7:30 PM IST
Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Visakhapatnam, April 3 – 7:30 PM IST
Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Mumbai, April 7 – 3:30 PM IST
(Note: BCCI announced schedule for only first two weeks of IPL 2024. Full schedule will be announced after Election Commission announced Lok Sabha Chunav Dates. This list will be updated accordingly).
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IPL 2024: Huge Boost For DC As Rishabh Pant Given Green Signal For Fitness From NCA – REPORT | cricket news
In what comes as a big news for cricket fans and Delhi Capitals family especially, captain Rishabh Pant has been declared for to take part in the IPL 2024. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) has reportedly issued Pant a clearance certificate, paving the way for. his inclusion in the tournament. Previous concerns surrounding Pant's fitness status for IPL 2024 had surfaced, with reports suggesting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had withheld clearance due to fitness worries. Dainik Bhaskar had also reported Pant's unavailability for IPL participation.
However, a recent report from SportsTak suggests that Pant has received the green light from the NCA, making his availability for IPL 2024 promising, which bodes well for both, Delhi Capitals and the Indian cricket team. With the T20 World Cup scheduled after IPL 2024, Pant's potential availability could be crucial for team selection considerations.
DC's director of cricket, Sourav Ganguly recently said that the team will not rush Rishabh Pant's return in excitement.
“He has done everything to get fit and that's the reason NCA will clear him. Let Rishabh get cleared on Mar 5 only then we'll talk about captaincy backups. We are taking a cautious approach with him because he has a very long career ahead. of him. We don't want to push him in excitement. We will see how Rishabh reacts. He will be joining the camp once NCA gives him the clearance. We will see match by match. We can't predict,” said Ganguly. . (Rahul Dravid Names Greatest Six-Hitter India Has Produced; He Is Not MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh)
RISHABH PANT DECLARED FULLY FIT BY THE NCA… (Sports Tak). pic.twitter.com/glXdLBb7jb Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 10, 2024
IPL 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders Name Phil Salt As Replacement For Jason Roy
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have roped in English wicketkeeper batter Phil Salt as the replacement for Jason Roy ahead of the Indian Premier League (2024).
In a statement released by the IPL, it stated that Jason pulled himself out of the upcoming season of the T20 tournament due to “personal reasons”.
The statement also added that the 2024 season will be Salt's second IPL after representing the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the previous year.
“Kolkata Knight Riders have named Phil Salt as a replacement for Jason Roy after the latter pulled out of the upcoming TATA IPL 2024 owing to personal reasons. Having remained unsold in the auction after representing the Delhi Capitals last year, this will be Salt's second season. in the IPL.”
It added that the Kolkata-based franchise bagged Salt for his reserve price of Rs 1.5 crore.
“Bought at his reserve price of INR 1.5 crore, the aggressive wicket-keeper batter from England scored two consecutive T20I centuries against the West Indies in December last year. His 48-ball century in the 4th T20I at Trinidad is also the joint-fastest for England,” it added.
In the previous season of the IPL, Salt represented the Delhi-based franchise, where he took part in nine matches in which he scored a total of 218 runs at a strike rate of 163.91. With star overseas players like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Mitchell Starc available, along with a strong Indian core in Nitish Rana, skipper Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Charkavarthy, KKR will be aiming to do well in the IPL 2024.
Last season, they finished seventh with six wins and eight losses. 12 points were not enough to earn them a spot in the playoffs.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2024 squad: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, KS Bharat, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain.
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India vs England 5th Test: 'There Was Guy Called Rishabh Pant,' Rohit Sharma Takes Witty Dig At Ben Duckett's Baseball Comment For Yashasvi Jaiswal | cricket news
India's captain, Rohit Sharma, faced the press confidently ahead of the 5th Test against England in Dharamsala. When questioned about England batsman Ben Duckett's remarks regarding the credit for Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive batting, Rohit responded assertively. He reminded everyone, with a touch of humor, of Rishabh Pant's explosive batting prowess. Rohit suggested that perhaps the England team, particularly Ben Duckett, had not witnessed Pant's batting displays, leading to such comments. In his response, Rohit skillfully delivered a message while maintaining a light-hearted tone, emphasizing India's strength in batting, particularly Pant's aggressive style.
“There was a guy called Rishabh Pant in our team, probably Ben Duckett hasn't seen him play,” Rohit said when asked about the comment made by the England batsman. (IND vs ENG 5th Test: Rohit Sharma Makes Big Statement On Playing 11 As Rajat Patidar Is Likely To Play In Dharamsala)
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been India's standout performer in the series, amassing 655 runs in four matches with an impressive average of 94.57 and a strike-rate of 78.63. During the Rajkot Test, his boundary-laden innings caught the attention of England's Ben Duckett, who attributed Jaiswal's aggressive approach to the influence of England's 'Bazball' style of play.
“When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they're playing differently than how other people play Test cricket,” Duckett had said.
Rohit Sharma said, “there was a guy named Rishabh Pant in our team, probably Ben Duckett hasn't seen him playing.” (On Duckett's statement of Jaiswal learning from England). pic.twitter.com/pp5wvmF9iq Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 6, 2024
No praise is enough for Ravichandran Ashwin, said captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday, praising the off-spinner ahead of his 100th Test as a “rare” talent critical for the team's success. The fifth and final Test against England, starting on Thursday, is inconsequential to the final outcome of the series as India have already taken an unbeaten 3-1 lead. But it has become significant due to the 100-Test milestone set to be achieved by Ashwin and England batsman Jonny Bairstow.
“(It's a) big achievement for any player to play 100 Tests. It is a big milestone. He has been a match winner for us. What he has done for us, no praise is enough,” Rohit said on the eve of the match.
“His performances over the last five-seven years, every series he has contributed. It is rare to have players like him,” he added.
“I want to congratulate him for his 100 test landmark, of course to get near it as the toss hasn't happened. It feels good to reap rewards of your hard work,” the skipper said.
They have been national teammates for close to a decade and half but it was more than 20 years back when a then precocious Mumbai off-spinner Rohit was pitted against talented opener Ashwin in Vijay Merchant (U-16) and Cooch Behar Trophy (U- 19).
“As a captain, I have seen him since U-19, U-17 days. He batted at that time, was an opener and then he started bowling. And I used to bowl (off-spin) and then became a batsman, so it became up and down for us but it has been good for Indian cricket.”
Ashwin, the “cricket scientist”, has evolved a lot in these 14 years, feels Rohit.
“As a cricketer, he (Ashwin) has evolved in his game and he has a lot of intelligence and if you get a player like this in the team then you don't have to think too much. If you give the ball to him , then he drives the game. How to bowl, what field to set and what to do, I am talking about the planning during the game.”
The Indian skipper also spoke about how process-driven R Ashwin is.
“What you see on the field is the result of a lot of off-field stuff and the work done on one's bowling. I have often seen him bowling with just one stump before a match — one hour 45 minutes before a game. Bowling at one stump a day before a Test. This is cricket's basics. I have seen him bowl regularly at one stump and this has been a process for him. And the biggest thing is that he is a big team player and we saw that in Rajkot Test, when it was a difficult situation for him, but he called and said 'I want to come back and do something for the team'. You see this rarely, and when you have players like this, then your head is held high. ”
Ashwin, who recently became only the second Indian after Anil Kumble to cross 500 wickets in the game's longest format, made his Test debut in 2011 and has enjoyed more highs than lows during a 13-year journey.