India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has made himself available for Delhi's next Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra beginning in Rajkot from January 23, DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma said on Tuesday. Pant last played a Ranji Trophy match back in the 2017-2018 season. However, there is no clarity over the participation of superstar Virat Kohli, who last featured in Ranji Trophy for Delhi back in 2012. Both the India players have been named in Delhi's probables for the remainder of the season. "Yes Pant has confirmed his availability for next Ranji game and will join the squad in Rajkot directly. About Virat Kohli we want him to play but we haven't heard from him while Harshit Rana is selected in the T20 squad and hence is unavailable," Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) secretary Ashok Sharma told PTI. Former India players Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri are among many who want the current crop of players, especially the struggling Rohit Sharma and Kohli, to play red-ball cricket following the series loss in Australia. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also expected to play for their respective state teams. Rohit's training with the Mumbai team on Tuesday piqued plenty of interest but it remains to be seen if he would make himself available for the next round of Ranji Trophy matches beginning January 23. There has also been intense debate around Kohli returning to Ranji Trophy to regain red ball form alongside Rohit. DDCA naming its star players in the list of probables is the norm but their inclusion in the final squad is subject to their availability. While Rohit had rested himself from the final Test in Australia due to poor form, Kohli's struggles outside the off-stump worsened as his tally of being caught in the slips swelled to eight over the course of five Tests. Besides Kohli, Pant and Harshit Rana, Delhi have named 38 probables for the remaining two games. In Group D, Delhi are fourth in the standings with 14 points from five games. (With agency inputs)
14 January,2025 10:31 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentIndian stars Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant feature among Delhi's probables for the remainder of Ranji Trophy but their participation in the premier domestic red-ball tournament remains in doubt. Former India veterans Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri are among many who want the current crop of players, especially the struggling Rohit Sharma and Kohli, to play red-ball cricket. Rohit's training with the Mumbai team on Tuesday piqued plenty of interest but it remains to be seen if he would make himself available for the next round of Ranji Trophy matches beginning January 23. There has also been intense debate around Kohli returning to Ranji Trophy to regain red ball form alongside Rohit. Kohli last played in Ranji Trophy in 2012 while Pant featured in the event last in 2017-18. Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) naming its star players in the list of probables is the norm but their inclusion in the final squad is subject to their availability. "They were in the probables before the start of the season as well. But till now there is no clarity on whether they would be available for the next round," a DDCA official told PTI. "Also, it doesn't make a lot of sense for them to play red ball cricket as India's next Test is only in June. It would be good for the Delhi team but I don't know how playing now will help Kohli and Pant when there is no Test cricket on the horizon," the official added. While Rohit had rested himself from the final Test in Australia due to poor form, Kohli's struggles outside the off-stump worsened as his tally of being caught in the slips swelled to eight over the course of five Tests. Besides Kohli, Pant and Harshit Rana, Delhi have named 38 probables for the remaining two games. Delhi play Saurashtra in Rajkot from January 23. (With inputs from agencies)
14 January,2025 08:27 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentGautam Gambhir's position as head coach will be 'revaluated' on the basis of India's Champions Trophy performance next month amid concerns that there is discontent in the dressing room due to his push to end the long-prevalent 'superstar culture' in the team. Since Gambhir took over in July last year, the Indian team has lost six out of 10 Tests and also a bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka. The results have left Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's international future in significant disarray thanks to their own poor form. But Gambhir's position has also become slightly shaky. Adding to the drama is his speculated rift with prominent players during the Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia which India lost 1-3. "If India doesn't do well in the Champions Trophy, the head coach's position could become untenable. Yes, his contract runs till the 2027 World Cup but the process of evaluation continues. "Sport is result-oriented and till now, Gambhir hasn't given any tangible results," a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. There has already been a review of the team's performance in Australia by the BCCI. It is understood that Gambhir and senior players aren't on the same page on the issue of team culture. "Gambhir wants to end the superstar culture that has been prevalent for so many years now. As captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012, he had dropped Brendon McCullum from the playing XI for the IPL final against CSK. "He has come here to dismantle the superstar culture and that's what has caused discomfort for some playing members," a source, who has seen Gambhir's functioning closely, said. He cited another instance from his Delhi playing days to explain Gambhir's mindset. "Once, as Delhi Ranji captain, Gambhir decided that they will play home matches at the Roshanara Ground in Delhi North-West where the pitches were green-top. "But one huge superstar, who was also out of the Indian team, wanted to play the games at the Jamia Milia Islamia ground, which was closer to his south Delhi residence. Gambhir turned him down. Similarly, in the Indian team, he doesn't want star culture to breed," the person added. It is learnt that the head coach was not pleased with how some star players gave specific demands about hotels and practice timings during the tour of Australia. But, on the other side, senior players have felt a lack of communication from his end. Selection committee's take Amid this ongoing tussle is the view of the national selection committee, which does not want the head coach to have too much of a say in selection matters. A former selector said Gambhir has shown shades of mercurial former coach Greg Chappell in his approach. The Australian, who came amid much fanfare, left in chaos after developing differences with senior players over his training methods. "Either you be like a Ravi Shastri, who would be media-friendly, give those sound bites propping up players making them look like alpha males," said the former selector, who toured a lot during Shastri's tenure as coach. "Or be like Rahul Dravid, Gary Kirsten or John Wright, who would remain aloof, letting the players hog the limelight. "The 'Chappell Way' doesn't work in India. Gambhirs or Shastris or Dravids will go but players will stay," he added. The BCCI brass is also upset with how Gambhir's personal assistant shadowed the team everywhere in Australia. "Why was his PA sitting in the car specified for national selectors? They can't even discuss things in private with an unknown third person in the car. Why was he allotted space in the BCCI's hospitality box in Adelaide?," an irritated BCCI official said. "How did he have breakfast in the cordoned off area of a five-star facility which is just earmarked for the team members?" he asked. With the drama picking pace with every passing day, it would not be wrong to say that it is a very uneasy Indian dressing room that is heading into the Champions Trophy from February 19 to March 9. (With agency inputs)
14 January,2025 06:41 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentEmbattled India captain Rohit Sharma practised with the Mumbai team here on Tuesday as the side geared up for the resumption of Ranji Trophy from January 23 but there was no clarity on whether he would play for the side in its upcoming fixture. The 37-year-old, who endured a horror run with the bat in the national team's tour of Australia recently, took part in a morning practice session which lasted a couple of hours at the Wankhede stadium. "As is the process and routine owing to the gaps between tournaments, the management speaks with the players about their availability," a Mumbai Cricket Association official told PTI. "Rohit will also be approached around the time of selection for the Ranji Trophy game against Jammu and Kashmir from January 23," he added when asked about Rohit's availability for the clash. Rohit Sharma is back where it all began—training with the Mumbai Ranji team! 🏏 Preparation, passion, and focus in full swing.#RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/DWhqzyS1os — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 14, 2025 Rohit batted with Mumbai stalwart and his India teammate Ajinkya Rahane during the session. His participation in the match may not be clear yet but it is learnt that Rohit will continue to practice with the team. The past few weeks have been tumultuous for Rohit. He managed just 31 runs across three Tests during his time Down Under and was forced to drop himself from the series-deciding fifth and final Test in Sydney due to his poor form. Rohit handed over the leadership duties to Jasprit Bumrah in that game, sparking widespread speculations about his future. However, in an interview to the host broadcaster of the series, Rohit asserted that he was not going anywhere. Despite his future as a red-ball cricketer hanging by a thread, Rohit attended a review meeting on Sunday to assess the team's performance. He was joined by head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI's new secretary Devajit Saikia during the deliberations. Mumbai will play their match against J&K at the MCA-BKC ground and the game holds significance as far as advancing to the knockouts is concerned. Rohit last played for Mumbai in a Ranji game way back in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. (With agency inputs)
14 January,2025 05:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralian star batsman Steve Smith described the feat of completing 10,000 runs in Test cricket as a different beast after falling short by just one run. Steve Smith missed the opportunity to achieve the milestone at his home ground in Sydney in the fifth and final match against Team India. Steve Smith needed just 38 runs to complete 10,000 runs in the longest format of the game but could manage to score 37 runs during the match which Australia won by six wickets to lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy title. "I don't read too much into stats and stuff, but, 10,000 is a bit of a different beast," Smith told 'SEN 1170 Breakfast'. "It probably was (on my mind), to be honest. Normally I sort of don't buy into any of that stuff, but pre-game, I was doing lots of media because I was approaching that mark." Also Read: British heavyweight Tyson Fury announces retirement from boxing again, one month after Usyk defeat The 'number 38' played on his mind in such a way that Smith joked he would forever associate it with Josh Hazlewood, whose jersey number is 38. "I knew I needed 38, and all I could actually picture trying to sleep at night was the back of Josh Hazlewood's shirt because he's number 38 (laughs). It's strange like that, isn't it?" "It was probably playing on my mind more than any other game that I've played, to be honest. "But, it is what it is, fortunately, we were able to win that game in the end, so it didn't really matter," he said. Australia will now tour to Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series. Steve Smith hopes to achieve the milestone on day one of the first Test matches if Australia gets to bat first. "It would have been great to have been able to do it in Sydney in front of all my friends and family because you're joining a pretty elite group there I suppose, but it wasn't to be". "As a kid, I never would have dreamt of that, I dreamt to play cricket for Australia and have a career playing for Australia, but to have been able to get to this mark, it's a dream come true in a way," he added. Steve Smith would become the 15th overall and only the fourth Australian batsman to complete 10,000 runs in Test Cricket. (With PTI Inputs)
14 January,2025 01:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMI Cape Town returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 33-run victory over neighbours Paarl Royals in the first instalment of the Betway SA20 Cape derby at Newlands. Newlands, which was filled to capacity for MI Cape Town’s first home game of Season 3, was an image of splendour on Monday evening with the sun setting gloriously over Table Mountain. It was the perfect setting for MI Cape Town to deliver a near-perfect allround performance. New signing Reeza Hendricks led the way with the bat with his first half-century for MI Cape Town. Hendricks played with all the panache that has earned him a reputation as one of the finest T20 batters in the land. Also Read: James Anderson to play T20 cricket for Lancashire, signs one-year deal His 59 off 37 balls provided the foundation for the home side to post a formidable 172/7. Hendricks was ably supported by Rassie van der Dussen (43 off 33 balls) as the pair shared a 78-run partnership off 54 balls before the in-form Delano Potgieter smashed another 18-ball 29 to provide the late innings momentum. The Royals’ run-chase began in positive fashion with Joe Root (26) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (26) smashing 38 runs in just the three overs. However, the introduction of Kagiso Rabada into the MI Cape Town attack reaped immediate rewards with the fast bowler dismissing both Root and Pretorius within a couple of overs of each other. It was even more remarkable due to both being wicket maiden overs from Rabada. The Royals never recovered from the double blow with MI Cape Town’s spin twins George Linde and Rashid Khan weaving a web around the visitors’ middle-order. Linde bowled beautifully to finish with figures of 3/15, while Rashid claimed 2/28. The two Western Cape sides will go head-to-head again in the rematch of the Cape Town derby in a couple of days time at Boland Park on Wednesday. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
14 January,2025 12:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentEngland great James Anderson is set to make a return to T20 cricket as he signed a year-long contract with Lancashire ahead of the 2025 season. James Anderson who made his debut in 2001 for the Lancashire has committed to play for the Red Rose in the Country Championship as well as Vitality Blast competitions for the 2025 season. "Lancashire Cricket is delighted to confirm that James Anderson has signed a one-year contract to continue his playing career with the Club ahead of the 2025 season," the club informed in a release. James Anderson has not featured in any of the competitive cricket after his final Test appearance against West Indies in July, last year. He ended his career as England's all-time leading wicket-taker in international cricket. Following discussions with the Club, Anderson will play on during the 2025 season and has put pen-to-paper on an initial season-long deal following the end of his ECB central contract, the club statement said. Anderson’s most recent First-Class appearance for Lancashire came in June when he took 7 for 35 against Nottinghamshire in Southport while he will be set to make his first T20 appearance since 2014 this summer. Also Read: India captain Rohit Sharma wants to train with Mumbai Ranji team Speaking about the news, James Anderson said, "I am incredibly excited to sign this contract with Lancashire and resume playing professional cricket again next season." “This Club has played a huge part in my life since I was a teenager, so to have the opportunity to wear the Red Rose again and help the side in both red and white ball cricket is one that I am really looking forward to". “I have been working hard on keeping my fitness levels high and continuing to bowl regularly during my time as a coach with England throughout the winter, with the aim of being able to hit the ground running when the county season starts in April," he said. “I love playing at Old Trafford and to have the chance to walk out and bowl in front of our Members and supporters again this summer is going to be really special,” he added. Lancashire's Director of Cricket Performance Mark Chilton welcomed Anderson's decision to continue for one more year. “We have been in open dialogue with Jimmy since his international retirement and our position has been clear from the start. It is fantastic news for all connected with the Club that he has chosen to continue his playing career with Lancashire". “From speaking to Jimmy recently, it became clear that his desire to resume playing professional cricket was strengthening every day and he was just desperate to get back out on the park. As it stands, he is fully committed to the county season across both the County Championship and Vitality Blast this summer, and whilst we all recognise he will have other opportunities, he has made it clear playing is his first priority," he added. James Anderson also made himself available for the Indian Premier League's (IPL) auction for the 2025 edition, but went unsold. (With IANS Inputs)
14 January,2025 11:34 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAfter suffering a Test series loss against Australia, Team India captain Rohit Sharma has shown interest in training with the Mumbai Ranji team. He is expected to show up for the net session at the MCA-BKS ground. Rohit Sharma featuring in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was only able to garner 31 runs, before opting himself out from the final and fifth Test match. He was also part of a meeting that was held on Sunday to review the team's performance along with head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI's new secretary Devajit Saikia. "Rohit has expressed his interest in training with the Mumbai Ranji team. He has approached the head coach Omkar Salavi and made enquiries about when they are going to train for the next Ranji match, which is still 10 days away," a Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Rohit Sharma is scheduled to make his appearance at a promotional event around noon. On January 23, Mumbai will kick start their Ranji Trophy campaign against Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA-BKS ground. Also Read: ‘There are challenges in BCCI, but new secy Saikia is capable of handling them': Rajiv Shukla It will be interesting to see if Rohit Sharma features in Mumbai's match, but as of now, he is only expected to show up for the practice session. The MCA source said that Rohit, who last played for Mumbai way back in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh, was yet to confirm his availability for the match. There is also some time left before the Mumbai selectors convene to pick the squad for the next few matches. A series of poor scores, including 3, 9, 10, 3 and 6 for an average of 10.93 in Australia saw him opt out of the last Test at the SCG. However, on the second day of that match in Sydney, the senior batter firmly dismissed rumours of an impending retirement during an interaction with the official broadcaster, saying he was "not going anywhere" and cited his poor form as the reason for "standing down" from the Test. Rohit Sharma handed over the leadership duties to Jasprit Bumrah, sparking widespread speculations about his future. "I have not retired. I stood down, that is what I would say. Basically the chat that I had with the coach and the selector was very simple. I am not able to score runs, there is no form, it is an important match and we need a player with form," Rohit had said. "As it is, in our batting, the form of the boys is not that good. So you cannot carry a lot of out of form players in the team. This simple thing was going on in my mind. I am not going anywhere," he had added. The 37-year-old had said the team management and selectors backed his decision. India lost the five-match series in Australia 1-3 after their memorable win in the opener at Perth. During the series, head coach Gautam Gambhir had spoken about the need for senior players to show up in Ranji games if they were truly committed to red-ball cricket. The BCCI brass has also been vocal in insisting that stars should not opt out of domestic marquee events if the international schedule allows them a window to turn up. (With PTI Inputs)
14 January,2025 11:14 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBCCI’s new secretary Devajit Saikia will face many challenges in his maiden term as the Indian cricket board’s secretary, reckons BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla. However, Shukla feels the former Assam wicketkeeper-batsman is capable of handling it all. Saikia and Prabhtej Singh Bhatia were elected as the BCCI secretary and treasurer respectively during the SGM on Sunday. “Challenges are always there in the BCCI, but he [Saikia] is capable of handling those challenges. There should not be any problem,” Shukla said after BCCI’s Special General Meeting at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Also Read: PV looks to new beginnings at India Open Super 750 “Now back-to-back events are there like the England [home] series, Champions Trophy. After that, the IPL and then the England tour, so everyday some challenges come and he will deal with them,” he added. The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team will play a five-match T20I series against England starting on January 22 in Kolkata followed by a three-match ODI series on February 6. Team India will then leave for the UAE to play in the Champions Trophy. After IPL in April and May, the Indian team will play a five-Test series against England starting on June 20 at Leeds.
14 January,2025 10:40 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureNadim Memon, the cricket secretary of the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) has communicated to the Mumbai Cricket Association that schools cricket is at the receiving end of “step motherly” treatment. This was in response to an email (a copy of which is with this newspaper) from the MCA which stated that an U-14 Giles Shield match which was to be held at the Karnatak SA ground (Cross Maidan) on January 13 and 14 was been shifted to the Western Railway pitch at Cross Maidan due to a Times Shield semi-final. The match didn’t even take place at the new venue as Memon was informed that this too was booked for another match. Also Read: ...Shootouts at Matunga! “The IES New English [Bandra, East] and VK Krishna Menon Academy [Borivli] teams arrived at Khar Gymkhana on Monday for their Giles Shield game. They were told that the match could not be held because the ground was booked for a festival match. The boys had to return home,” stated Memon, visibly exasperated at frequent cancellations of inter-school games. Khar Gymkhana’s cricket secretary Sanjay Mody said there was a confusion over bookings and has made the ground available for the game on February 23, 24. Meanwhile, MCA’s Hon Secretary Abhay Hadap bemoaned the cancellations, “The match [at Khar Gym] should have been played on the fixed dates,” he said in the light of the fresh dates. “MCA issues a letter [for the conducting of matches] and it’s then up to the respective tournament organisers. Giles Shield is a huge tournament and such problems take place. We have solutions that will come into effect next year,” added Hadap.
14 January,2025 09:29 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentDefending champions India thrashed Scotland by 119 runs in a warm-up match of the ICC Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup here on Monday. Invited to bat, India made 164 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs with Kamalini G top-scoring with 32 off 23 balls. Four Indian batters — Trisha G (26), Sanika Chalke (17), captain Niki Prasad (25) and Kamalini — were retired out to give chance to their colleagues to be in the middle in the practice match. Also Read: We’ve got an enormously difficult game v Brentford: Pep For Scotland, Ammy Baldie was the most successful bowler with 2-13 from 3 overs. Later, the defending champions bowled Scotland out for a paltry 45 in 18.5 overs for a commanding win. Shabnam Shakil, Vaishnavi Sharma and Sonam Yadav took two wickets apiece. In other warm-up matches, Australia mauled hosts Malaysia by 140 runs, the West Indies won against Nepal by nine runs, USA edged New Zealand by 13 runs, Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets, England thrashed Samoa by nine wickets while Pakistan scrapped past Nigeria by 11 runs. The main tournament starts on Saturday, while India begin their campaign against the West Indies on Sunday. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 January,2025 09:13 AM IST | Kuala Lumpur | PTIADVERTISEMENT
