News Analysis India

Tag: T20 World Cup

  • 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.

  • T20 World Cup: Team India’s journey from clinching maiden trophy to repeated heartbreaks | Cricket News

    New Delhi: Six months after the bittersweet ODI World Cup campaign, Indian cricket fans embrace and turn their attention to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the hope that Rohit and Co can finally end the 11-year ICC trophy drought that the country is suffering.

    From the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007 in South Africa to the ninth edition of the tournament set to take place in the United States of America and the Caribbean, here is a look at India’s journey across 17 years:

    2007 World Cup:

    India made history by becoming the first-ever winner of the T20 World Cup. The tournament was full of memorable moments like the iconic India-Pakistan bowl-off and Gautam Gambhir’s heroics in the final.

    Gambhir’s 75 in the final helped a struggling side put up a defendable total. Alongside Gambhir, Rohit Sharma was also responsible for a quickfire 30 runs in the final which propelled India’s score to 157 against Pakistan.

    Wickets at regular intervals saw the Pakistan side struggle until Yasir Arafat and Sohail Tanvir’s crucial cameos with Misbah-ul-haq saw the game tilt in the Men in Green’s favour. India needed to defend 12 runs in the final five deliveries with only one wicket remaining.

    The second ball of the over bowled by Joginder Sharma was slammed by Misbah for six over long-on and it seemed the game was over. An attempt to scoop the ball over fine leg on the next delivery saw Sreesanth take a comfortable catch and secure victory for India.

    Struggle To Reach Knockouts:

    In eight editions of the tournament played so far, Team India have failed to make the knockouts in four.

    2009-

    Defending champions India entered the 2009 tournament with high expectations. After topping their group they faced tough opposition in England, South Africa, and the West Indies. The Men in Blue finished at the bottom of their group after failing to win a single game. South Africa went on to lose to eventual winners Pakistan in the semifinal.

    2010-

    The very next year saw India’s struggles continue as they faced hosts West Indies, Australia, and Sri Lanka in the Super Eight and once again failed to register a win, making it two Super Eight eliminations in a row.

    2012-

    The 2012 T20 World Cup was a strange one for India, playing in the sub-continent with Sri Lanka as the host, India faced Australia, South Africa, and Pakistan in the Super 8. The Men in Blue registered two wins against SA and Pak , respectively. But a devastating nine-wicket loss against Australia saw them miss out on a spot in the semifinals, making it the third consecutive early exit for the country.

    2021-

    The 2021 T20 World Cup was perhaps the worst display by India in the World Cup. Not only did the team lose its first-ever World Cup match against Pakistan, it lost to New Zealand as well in the group stages which resulted in the team being knocked out in the preliminary round itself.

    Heartbreak Knockout:

    2014-

    The tournament was Virat Kohli’s first ICC tournament in which he displayed his full capabilities, scoring 319 runs including 77 runs in the final against Sri Lanka. But his performances went in vain as India could only put up a score of 130 runs in the game, a target which was chased in 18 overs by Sri Lanka.

    Kohli’s 319 runs in six innings still stands as the most by a player in a single edition.

    2016-

    India’s performance in the 2016 World Cup was a bittersweet one. Despite losing their first game of the Super 10’s stage against New Zealand, hosts India went on to win against Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Australia in their next three games to secure a well-deserved semifinal berth. The semifinal at Wankhede was won by West Indies, who went on to beat England in the final.

    2022-

    India and England faced off in Adelaide in the semifinals of the tournament. Virat Kohli’s fifty runs and Hardik Pandya’s blistering 63 off 33 took the side to 168 runs in the first innings. Unfortunately for India, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales were two men in form on the night as the opening partners remained undefeated helping England romp to an easy 10-wicket victory for England.

    Virat Kohli’s Dominance

    Virat Kohli made his T20 World Cup debut in the 2012 edition of the tournament and what has followed since has been nothing short of historic. Throughout the five editions he has played in, he has scored 1141 runs in 25 innings across five editions at an average of 81.5 and a strike rate of 131.3. He has scored 14 half-centuries, the most in the tournament’s history, and is also the only player to win the Player of the Tournament award twice.

    Spinners Lead The Way

    Ravichandran Ashwin is India’s most successful bowler in the history of the tournament. The 37-year-old played his first T20 World Cup in 2012 and has taken 32 wickets in the five editions of the tournament. He is followed by Ravindra Jadeja who has 21 to his name. Irfan Pathan is India’s highest wicket-taking pacer with 16 to his name.

    Rohit Sharma is one of the only two players (Shakib Al Hasan is the other) to play in every edition of the tournament. The Hitman has scored 963 runs in 39 matches at an average of 34.39 and a strike rate of 127.88 across eight editions.

  • India’s T20 World Cup 2024 Squad: Sanju Samson First-Choice Keeper; Hardik Pandya’s Place Still Not CONFIRMED And More | cricket news

    In about two days, the BCCI selectors led by Ajit Agarkar are going to end the ever-growing anticipation about India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad. But here’s a reality check for the IPL-watching India fans: the T20 league performance are going to have zero effect on the selection for the World Cup. The selectors are not keen on trying players who do not have any prior international experience. The squad is pretty much ready and after meeting between the selectors and the Indian management, it will be out soon.

    Also Read | T20 World Cup 2024: New Zealand Name 15-Man Squad, Reveal New Jersey For Tournament As Devon Conway Returns

    As per ESPNcricinfo, the only IPL performance that brought the attention of selectors was that of Lucknow Super Giants’ Mayank Yadav. He has extreme pace and accuracy but because he cannot keep his body fully fit after a couple of games, selectors did not feel it would be a right call to take him in the squad.

    Unlike what the social media believes, neither KL Rahul nor Risahbh Pant are the first-choice keepers. Selectors are likely to go with Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson as the first-choice wicketkeeper/batter for he has the ability to hit the spin as India’s top 3 struggle against spin.

    KL Rahul is in form but he is batting in the top order which is already secured. Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav are almost finalized in the top 4.

    Rahul or Pant could be the backup keeping options but for that to happen, India will have to leave out one of Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh or a backup pacer. The selectors will have to make a call on this, whether they want powerhitting backup, keeping backup or pace-bowling backup.

    As far as Hardik Pandya is concerned, he comes with a rare skill which is bowling medium pace and batting in middle order as power-hitter. He is out of form but that is not a huge concern for selectors as much as his bowling fitness is. Pandya is yet to bowl a full quota of overs this IPL and his pace is also down. That is why saying Pandya is already confirmed for World Cup is still far-fetched.

  • 'Yeh Kon The Genius?…', Wasim Akram's Blunt Response To Ramiz Raja's Controversial Suggestion Leaves Everyone In Splits – Watch | cricket news

    Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, once again finds himself at the center of controversy, this time due to a suggestion he made during his tenure. A recent discussion among former Pakistani cricketers, including legends like Wasim Akram, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Mohammad Hafeez, shed light on Raja's unconventional proposal, prompting a blunt response from Akram that set off laughter among the group.

    Wasim Akram: Who was that genius? Azhar Ali: Ramiz Raja

    ___ pic.twitter.com/jh898bNXMr

    — Thakur (@hassam_sajjad) March 3, 2024 Ramiz Raja's Controversial Suggestion

    During the conversation, former cricketer Azhar Ali revealed an anecdote from Raja's time as PCB chief. Raja had suggested incorporating T20 players into the Test team, citing the proximity of T20 World Cups as justification for his proposal. This revelation sparked amusement among the gathered cricketers, with Wasim Akram sarcastically referring to Raja as a “genius,” a remark that drew laughter from the group.

    Ramiz Raja's Reaction and Political Intervention

    Raja's departure from the PCB had been met with frustration, with him attributing his removal to political interference within the organization. His comments highlighted concerns regarding political influence in cricket administration and the recruitment process in Pakistan. Raja's tenure as the 35th PCB Chairman ended abruptly after Pakistan's failure to secure victory in the T20 World Cup 2022 final, just a month following the event.

    Wasim Akram's Candid Response

    A viral video captured Wasim Akram's candid reaction to Raja's previous suggestion, underscoring the amusement it brought among the cricket fraternity. Akram's straightforward question, “Yeh kon the genius?” (Who's this genius?), in response to Raja's proposal, encapsulated the disbelief and humor shared by many.

    Raja's departure from PCB

    The Pakistan government ousted Raja from his position as PCB chairman following Pakistan's 3-0 whitewash by England in a Test series. Raja's 15-month tenure as PCB chairman came to an end after he was appointed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in September 2021.

  • India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 Ticket Prices Rocket To Rs 1.86 Crore | cricket news

    The clash between India and Pakistan in cricket is more than just a game; it's a spectacle that captures the imagination of millions worldwide. As anticipation builds for the T20 World Cup 2024, ticket prices for the marquee match between these arch-rivals have soared to astronomical heights, creating waves across the cricketing cosmos. A rendezvous slated for June 9 at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York, this showdown has sparked an unprecedented frenzy among fans. Despite modest initial prices starting at $6 (INR 497), the resale market has seen an exponential surge, with tickets vanishing from official sales only to reappear at jaw-dropping rates on platforms like StubHub and SeatGeek.

    Ballot Ticket Price for India Matches in the T20 World Cup:

    IND vs IRE: 5th June $90 | $200 | $300

    IND vs PAK: 9th June $175 | $300 | $400

    USA vs IND: 12th June $90 | $200 | $300

    IND vs CAN: 15th June $50 | $90 | $150 | $300 pic.twitter.com/gYZ2ETwCE9 — Om prakash Padhi (@Sadmusicst44696) February 3, 2024

    A Clash Beyond Borders

    The rivalry between India and Pakistan transcends boundaries, with political tensions ensuring rare encounters on the cricketing field. It's this scarcity that amplifies the allure of witnessing these titans collide, driving demand to unprecedented levels.

    The price odyssey

    From a base price of $400 (INR 33,148) for premium seats during the India-Pakistan encounter, resale platforms are offering tickets at staggering markups. On StubHub, the cheapest ticket commands INR 1.04 lakhs, while SeatGeek scales dizzying heights, listing the priciest ticket at INR 1.86 crore, inclusive of fees.

    Comparative Market Dynamics

    The inflationary surge in ticket prices for this encounter rivals some of the most iconic sporting events globally. The average World Series ticket in 2023 stood at $1,100 (INR 91,000), with Super Bowl 58 tickets reaching $9,000 (INR 7.45 lakh). Yet, the India-Pakistan match eclipses these figures on the resale spectrum, underscoring its unmatched allure.

    The surge in ticket prices for the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 encounter not only underscores the fervor surrounding this rivalry but also serves as a testament to the enduring allure of cricket's most captivating showdown. As fans brace themselves for this epic clash, the astronomical ticket prices stand as a testament to the indomitable spirit of cricket enthusiasts worldwide.