Cricket

The ongoing ODI series between West Indies and England has witnessed a fascinating clash of ideologies, pitting experience against potential. In the first match, Evin Lewis's blistering knock highlighted the value of experience, while Shai Hope's century in the second match showcased the promise of youth.However, the third match saw a dramatic shift in narrative. Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone, both relatively inexperienced in the ODI format, stepped up to the plate with crucial contributions. Curran's steady innings provided stability, while Livingstone's explosive batting propelled England to an improbable victory.This unexpected turn of events has raised questions about the relative merits of experience and potential. West Indies, with their seasoned players like Hope and Lewis, have the advantage of familiarity with the format. England, on the other hand, are relying on a younger generation of players who are still finding their feet in ODIs.The series finale in Barbados will be a decisive test for both teams. West Indies will be eager to secure their first series win since England's last visit, while England will be determined to prove that their experimental approach can yield positive results.The match will also be a crucial opportunity for players like Shimron Hetmyer and Jordan Cox to showcase their potential. Hetmyer, a destructive batsman in T20 cricket, has struggled to make an impact in ODIs, while Cox, a promising young all-rounder, is looking to cement his place in England's long-term plans.With the series on the line, both teams are expected to field strong lineups. West Indies will likely retain their experienced core, while England may make minor tweaks to their batting order. The weather could also play a factor, with thunderstorms forecast for the match.

Zafar Gohar, the former Pakistan spinner, has joined Middlesex on a two-year contract after qualifying as a local player. Gohar spent four seasons with Gloucestershire as an overseas signing, but has now received British citizenship. He last played for Pakistan in 2021, when he won his sole Test cap in Christchurch. He was also capped in an ODI against England in 2015.Gohar's move to Middlesex is a significant boost for the club, as he brings a wealth of experience and quality to their bowling attack. He has claimed 118 wickets at 31.71 in first-class cricket for Gloucestershire, as well as 17 List A and nine T20 wickets, while also contributing handy runs down the order.Middlesex's managing director of cricket, Alan Coleman, said: "Zafar is a player that we have admired for some time now and have been keeping a watchful eye on. We are delighted to have secured his services as a local cricketer for the next two seasons.""In Championship cricket we have identified the need to increase our wicket-taking threat in all conditions and adding an international quality spinner to our line-up will strengthen us and add a greater threat on all types of surfaces.""Adding a senior bowler to our white-ball teams will also help the side in those situations where we've lacked some experience in the shorter formats in recent years.""The addition of someone like Zafar to our squad adds not only quality, but also invaluable experience, and our young spinners will benefit enormously from having him in the playing group. We are excited to see what Zafar can do for Middlesex and are delighted to have him on board."Gohar said: "I'm thrilled to be joining Middlesex and making Lord's my home ground for the next two years. It's a club steeped in history and to be a part of this next chapter is hugely exciting.""The opportunity to contribute to both the red-ball and white-ball teams formed a big part of my decision to make Middlesex my home, and I can't wait to play my part in what I hope will be a successful 2025 for the club."

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction is set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, marking the second consecutive time the auction will be held outside India. The two-day event will coincide with the third and fourth days of the Perth Test between India and Australia.A total of 1,574 players have registered for the auction, including 1,165 Indians and 409 overseas players. Among the Indian players, 48 capped stars, such as Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer, will be up for grabs.The auction will feature 204 slots, with 87 slots reserved for overseas players. The player registration closed on November 4, and the BCCI has confirmed that 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations will participate.The overseas player contingent includes 272 capped internationals, 965 uncapped Indians, 152 uncapped Indians who have played in previous IPL seasons, and 104 uncapped internationals.The country-wise breakdown of the 409 overseas players is as follows:* Australia: 114* England: 98* South Africa: 77* New Zealand: 62* West Indies: 29* Sri Lanka: 15* Afghanistan: 10* Bangladesh: 4The IPL 2025 mega auction is expected to be a highly competitive event, with teams looking to bolster their squads for the upcoming season. The auction will be streamed live on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar.

Sylhet Division emerged victorious in the third round of the National Cricket League (NCL), solidifying their position at the top of the table. Their four-wicket triumph over Rangpur Division was orchestrated by the all-round brilliance of Rejaur Rahman Raja.Raja's maiden half-century (59) proved pivotal in Sylhet's pursuit of 190 in the fourth innings. His 56-run partnership with Pinak Ghosh (42) laid the foundation for the chase, which was completed by captain Amite Hasan's unbeaten 37.Sylhet's bowlers had earlier set the stage for their victory by dismissing Rangpur for 158 in the first innings. Tanbir Hayder (50) and Nobin Islam (50) provided some resistance for Rangpur in their second innings, but Sylhet's bowlers remained relentless, bowling them out for 220.In Sylhet, Khulna Division secured a nine-wicket victory over Dhaka Metropolis, thanks to the brilliance of offspinner Mahedi Hasan. Hasan claimed his third ten-wicket haul in first-class cricket, taking 5-62 and 5-88.Khulna's openers, Anamul Haque (125) and Amit Majumder (145), had earlier laid the foundation with centuries. Marshall Ayub's 152 for Dhaka Metro proved to be a lone bright spot, but Khulna's bowlers proved too strong.Rajshahi Division defeated Barishal Division by six wickets in Cox's Bazar. Iftakhar Hossain's maiden century (116) was in vain as Rajshahi's bowlers, led by Ali Mohammad Walid (4 wickets), restricted Barishal to 205.Sunzamul Islam's six-wicket haul in the second innings helped Rajshahi bowl out Barishal for 137, setting up a modest target of 68. Rajshahi chased down the target in 15 overs, despite losing four wickets.Defending champions Dhaka Division remain winless after three rounds, following their drawn encounter with Chattogram Division. Sajjadul Haque's maiden first-class century (139) helped Chattogram post 391, while Mahidul Islam Ankon's 99 led Dhaka's response of 401.

Mumbai's Ranji Trophy campaign has been a topsy-turvy affair so far, but they will be hoping to kick-start their season with a win against Odisha from Wednesday. The defending champions have been placed fourth in a group of eight, and their relatively inexperienced batting line-up will be banking on captain Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer to take the game away from Odisha.Iyer, who ended his three-year First Class hundred drought last month, will be making his return to the side after taking a break from the last round. His inclusion is a major boost for Mumbai, who will be looking to him to provide stability and experience to their batting order.Odisha, on the other hand, are yet to take off in this campaign. They have played three matches so far, losing two and drawing one. However, they will be confident of causing an upset against Mumbai, having beaten them in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last year.The match will be played at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground in Mumbai. The pitch is expected to be a good batting surface, and both teams will be looking to post big scores.

Legendary Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist has expressed concerns about the potential impact of India's recent 3-0 Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand on their upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour of Australia.Gilchrist believes that the humiliating defeat will have a significant psychological impact on the Indian team, particularly on its senior players. "It does (have an impact), more for the Indian players and the Indian team internally. They have to be asking themselves pretty hard questions," Gilchrist told FoxSports.He added, "I do think on the back of that loss and the fact that it was a clean sweep... I think that will raise some questions internally and the pressure and the expectation and the desire from a passionate cricketing nation to see that change around, that'll ride heavily on those shoulders of all those players."The series was particularly disappointing for India's experienced players. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli managed only 91 and 93 runs respectively in the entire series, while Ravichandran Ashwin picked up only nine wickets in spin-friendly conditions.Gilchrist expressed concern about how these players will bounce back from such a disappointing performance. "There are a few ageing players there who may start to even second guess themselves a little bit. There's some high class cricketers in that Indian squad. It's going to be fascinating to see how they rebound from that challenge," he said.Meanwhile, there have been reports that the Test future of the four senior players may be at risk. A senior BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity, "If India doesn't qualify for WTC final in England, one can be rest assured that all four super seniors won't be on that flight to UK for the ensuing five-Test series. In any case, all four have likely played their final Test at home together."

Delhi's batting woes continue to haunt them as they prepare to face Chandigarh in the Ranji Trophy clash starting Wednesday. Despite individual contributions in the first three matches of the season, the team has yet to witness a collective show of strength from its top six batters.In the opening encounter against Chhattisgarh, almost all of Delhi's specialist batters squandered promising starts. The notable exception was Jonty Sidhu, who combined effectively with the lower order to secure a first-innings lead and reach his third First Class century.The draw against Tamil Nadu saw Yash Dhull play a lone hand with an unbeaten century in the first innings, while Sanat Sangwan shouldered much of the responsibility in the second essay. Even in the victory over Assam, the turnaround was engineered by Harshit Rana, Sumit Mathur, and Siddhant Sharma, all bowling all-rounders who made handy contributions lower down the order against a tiring attack."We need bigger partnerships between the openers. In the middle order, hundreds are important," said Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh after the previous game.The return of Anuj Rawat and Ayush Badoni to the squad bolsters Delhi's batting options. All-rounder Hrithik Shokeen is also available, having been absent from the previous two matches due to commitments with India-A in the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Oman.The other notable change in the squad is the omission of Rana, who is set to fly out with the Indian team for the Test tour of Australia. The 22-year-old pacer had taken a fifer and scored a half-century for Delhi before joining up with the India squad as a reserve for the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.Since losing to Railways in the opening round, Chandigarh, led by Manan Vohra, has registered emphatic victories against Assam and Jharkhand.

Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket icon, celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. From his early days as a prodigious young player who led India to victory in the ICC U19 World Cup in 2008, Kohli has established himself as a beacon of consistency, dedication, and excellence in the sport.Kohli's unwavering commitment to fitness, hard work, and aggression has earned him a global fan base. His brand has become synonymous with cricket, and the ICC often utilizes it to promote the sport in new territories.On his birthday, Kohli received well wishes from around the world, including from Italian football player Agata Isabella Centasso. However, some social media users responded to her post with negativity.Centasso, who plays in Serie B, has expressed her admiration for India and often posts about the country. In her birthday message to Kohli, she wrote, "@imVkohli, happy birthday from a fan in Italy. All the best to you."Despite her genuine admiration, Centasso faced unwarranted criticism from some users. In response, she expressed her frustration, stating, "Every time I post something about Virat Kohli or cricket, there's always someone bringing negativity. I honestly don't understand why."Kohli's remarkable career has seen him lead India to numerous victories and spearhead some of the sport's most memorable run-chases. He has evolved from a talented stroke player to a statistical marvel, captivating fans with his exceptional numbers.As a symbol of modern Indian cricket, Kohli embodies aggression, resilience, and technical brilliance. His trophy-laden career has elevated the sport to new heights, reaching audiences in places previously untouched by cricket.Since his international debut in 2008, Kohli has represented India in 118 Test matches, amassing 9,040 runs at an impressive average of 47.83. His tally includes 29 centuries and 31 fifties, with a highest score of 254*. He ranks fourth among India's highest run-getters and century-makers in Tests.

India's women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has climbed to the joint ninth spot in the latest ICC Women's ODI rankings, while opener Smriti Mandhana has maintained her fourth position. The rankings were released in Dubai on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.Kaur's rise in the rankings comes after her crucial role in India's six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third ODI of their ICC Women's Championship series in Ahmedabad. Despite slipping three slots after the first two matches, her unbeaten 59 off 63 balls propelled her back into the top 10.Left-hander Mandhana, who won the player of the match award for her century in the same match, added 23 rating points to reach a tally of 728. This places her just five points behind Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu in the list led by England's Natalie Sciver-Brunt with 760 rating points.Other Indian players also made significant progress in the rankings. Wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia moved up from 48th to 45th after contributing 35 runs. For New Zealand, Brooke Halliday's knock of 86 lifted her 12 spots to 24th position, while Georgia Plimmer's 39 runs took her from 85th to 74th position.In the bowling chart, seasoned spinner Deepti Sharma gained important rating points after helping India win the series 2-1. Sharma, who had already attained a career-high 687 rating points last week, added 16 more to reach 703 rating points. This solidifies her second place among bowlers, behind England's left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who enjoys a huge lead with 770 rating points.India pacer Renuka Singh moved up four places to 32nd, while Saima Thakor (up 20 places to joint-77th) and Priya Mishra (up six places to 83rd) also progressed.In the ICC Women's Championship standings, India is placed third with 25 points, while New Zealand is sixth with 20 points from 21 matches. Australia and England are at the top with 28 points each, from 18 and 21 matches, respectively.