Cricket

Gautam Gambhir Steps Down from Political Duties to Focus on CricketFormer Indian cricketer and current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP Gautam Gambhir has requested party president J.P. Nadda to relieve him of his political responsibilities. This decision comes as Gambhir prepares to take on a new role in the upcoming cricket season.Gambhir, who represents the East Delhi constituency in Parliament, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the opportunity to serve the people. He stated that he had made the request to focus on his upcoming cricket commitments.Gambhir's decision to step down from politics marks a significant shift in his career. He joined the BJP in March 2019 and was elected to the Lok Sabha in the subsequent general election. During his tenure as an MP, Gambhir has been actively involved in various initiatives, including promoting sports and education.However, Gambhir's passion for cricket has remained strong. He has recently returned to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise as its mentor ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Gambhir previously served as mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants.Gambhir's decision to prioritize cricket over politics has been met with mixed reactions. Some have expressed disappointment, while others have praised his commitment to his sport. Regardless of the differing opinions, Gambhir's decision is a testament to his unwavering passion for cricket.As Gambhir embarks on this new chapter in his career, it remains to be seen how he will balance his cricket commitments with his political aspirations. However, one thing is certain: his love for the game of cricket will continue to drive him forward.

South African cricket legend Lance Klusener has been appointed as the assistant coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The announcement was made by LSG on Friday, adding Klusener to their already formidable coaching staff led by head coach Justin Langer and assistant coach S Sriram.Klusener brings a wealth of experience to the LSG dugout, having previously served as an assistant coach for the Mumbai Indians under Shaun Pollock in the early years of the IPL. He also has a successful track record as head coach of the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League, guiding them to their maiden CPL title.Beyond his IPL and CPL stints, Klusener has also held coaching roles with the Afghanistan national team, as well as the South Africa and Zimbabwe batting units. He has also worked in the Indian domestic circuit with Tripura.During his playing days, Klusener was renowned as one of the finest all-rounders in white-ball cricket. He was a key member of the South African team that reached the semi-finals of the 1999 World Cup, where he was named Player of the Tournament. Klusener's all-round abilities, including his explosive batting and accurate medium-pace bowling, made him a formidable force on the field.Klusener's appointment as assistant coach at LSG is expected to further strengthen the team's coaching setup. His experience and expertise will be invaluable to the players, particularly in the areas of batting and all-round development. LSG will be hoping to build on their impressive performance in the 2023 IPL season, where they reached the playoffs under the guidance of Langer and Sriram.

Yuvraj Singh, the legendary Indian cricketer, has refuted rumors of his political aspirations in Gurdaspur, Punjab. The former all-rounder, known for his exceptional batting and bowling skills, has clarified that his focus remains on philanthropy and supporting people in need.Singh's illustrious career spanned over two decades, during which he played a pivotal role in India's triumphs at the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup. His stylish left-handed batting and effective spin bowling earned him immense popularity both on and off the field.Despite retiring from cricket, Singh remains actively involved in charitable work through his foundation, YOUWECAN. He has expressed his commitment to continue his philanthropic endeavors, stating, "My passion lies in supporting and helping people in various capacities, and I will continue to do so through my foundation."Recently, Singh commented on the captaincy change at Mumbai Indians, with Hardik Pandya replacing Rohit Sharma. He acknowledged the importance of promoting young talent but emphasized the value of experience. "In franchise cricket, it always gets tough as you get old. Every franchise is always looking to promote a young player on whom they have spent a lot, and that is only fair. But then, there can't be a replacement for experience," Singh said.Singh's denial of political ambitions comes amidst speculation about his potential entry into the electoral fray. However, he has made it clear that his focus remains on his charitable work and supporting people in need.

Australia's dominance continued on day two of the first Test against New Zealand at Basin Reserve, as they extended their lead to 217 runs. Despite losing Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne cheaply towards the end of the day, Australia's bowlers had earlier dismantled New Zealand's batting lineup for a mere 179 runs.Cameron Green, who had remained unbeaten on 174 in Australia's first innings, continued his heroics with the ball, claiming 5-70. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Marsh also chipped in with wickets, while Nathan Lyon's 4-43 saw him surpass Courtney Walsh's tally of 519 Test wickets.New Zealand's top order crumbled under the pressure of Australia's relentless bowling attack. Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, and Rachin Ravindra were all dismissed cheaply, leaving the hosts reeling at 29 for 5. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips attempted to rebuild the innings with an 84-run partnership, but Lyon's introduction proved decisive.Phillips, who top-scored for New Zealand with 71, and Matt Henry, who contributed 42, provided some resistance, but Australia's bowlers remained relentless. Lyon's sharp turn and probing deliveries outside off stump proved too much for the New Zealand batsmen.In response, Australia's openers, Usman Khawaja and David Warner, faced a tough eight overs before stumps. Captain Tim Southee provided a glimmer of hope for New Zealand by dismissing Smith and Labuschagne, but Lyon and Khawaja survived to keep Australia in a commanding position.Green's marathon innings and record-breaking partnership with Josh Hazlewood had earlier given Australia a significant advantage. The pair added 116 runs for the tenth wicket, the highest of the innings and the highest last-wicket stand for Australia against New Zealand.New Zealand's bowlers, who had initially looked promising, struggled to maintain their discipline, conceding 41 extras. Henry eventually dismissed Hazlewood to claim his five-wicket haul, but Green's dominance had already put Australia in a commanding position.

England's Test captain Ben Stokes has once again expressed his frustration with the 'umpire's call' rule in the Decision Review System (DRS), which he believes has cost his team wickets during their tour of India. Stokes pointed to the dismissal of opener Zak Crawley in the second innings of the Rajkot Test as an example, arguing that the ball was clearly missing the stumps but was given out due to the 'umpire's call'.Stokes's concerns are shared by former England captain Nasser Hussain, who agrees that the Crawley dismissal was incorrect. However, Hussain believes that the 'umpire's call' is an important part of the DRS system, as it accounts for the margin of error in the technology."Technology can be fallible, but I've always been very strong on the fact I like the DRS and I also like the umpire's call," Hussain wrote in his Daily Mail column. "Look at the shemozzle with VAR in football. It's just not like that in cricket. Stokes and others like Virat Kohli may want to get rid of it, but the umpire's call is not there to protect the officials; it's there because of the margin of error in the technology."Hussain also pointed out that there have been changes to the DRS system in recent years, including increasing the height at which the ball can clip the bails. This means that some LBW decisions that would have previously been given out are now being overturned."Bear in mind, also, there have been a couple of changes in the system and the ball can now clip the top of the bails," Hussain said. "The LBWs for Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley in the third Test did look high, but they have increased the height by 1.3 centimeters. One thing I will agree on with Ben. He said the visual of Crawley's dismissal showed the ball missing the stumps. If that's the case, you can't have that."The debate over the 'umpire's call' is likely to continue, with strong arguments on both sides. However, it is clear that the system is not perfect and there is room for improvement.

The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to commence on March 22, 2024, with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) facing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the opening match. This year's IPL will break the tradition of the opening match featuring the previous season's winners and runners-up.The tournament will kick off with 21 matches scheduled over the first 17 days, taking into account the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in India. The complete IPL schedule will be announced later, once the general election dates are finalized.During the initial 17-day period, 21 matches will be played across 10 cities, with each team playing a minimum of three and a maximum of five matches. The first weekend will feature two doubleheaders, with Punjab Kings hosting Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad.The action will then shift to Jaipur, where Rajasthan Royals will face Lucknow Super Giants, followed by Gujarat Titans, the reigning champions, facing five-time winners Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad.Delhi Capitals, who have opted to play their first two home matches in Visakhapatnam, will host Chennai Super Kings on March 31 and Kolkata Knight Riders on April 3.The 10 teams are divided into two groups of five, with each team playing 14 games in the group stage. They will face the other four teams in their group twice (home and away), four teams in the other group once, and the remaining team twice.Despite the upcoming general elections, the tournament will be held entirely in India. The BCCI will work closely with government and security agencies to ensure all necessary protocols and advisories related to the elections are followed.The IPL was held entirely overseas only once, in 2009, in South Africa. In 2014, a portion of the tournament was held in the UAE due to elections. However, in 2019, the IPL took place in India despite the elections.Hardik Pandya will make his debut as the captain for Mumbai Indians, taking over from Rohit Sharma. New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra will make his maiden IPL appearance after a notable performance in the ODI World Cup last year.Meanwhile, CSK's iconic figure MS Dhoni, who led the team to five IPL titles, has been out of competitive cricket since their victorious campaign in the previous season.The IPL players' auction for the 2024 season took place in December last year, with Australian pacer Mitchell Starc becoming the most expensive player in IPL history after being bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 24.75 crore.

Sri Lanka's T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga has launched a scathing attack on umpire Lyndon Hannibal, accusing him of being unfit for international cricket after a controversial no-ball call in the third T20I against Afghanistan.The incident occurred during a tense final over, with Sri Lanka needing 11 runs off the last three balls. Wafadar Momand delivered a high full toss that passed well above the waist of batter Kamindu Mendis without pitching. Despite Mendis' appeals and a request for a review, square-leg umpire Hannibal deemed the delivery legal, leaving Sri Lanka needing 11 off the last two balls.Hasaranga, who did not name Hannibal directly, expressed his outrage at the decision, stating that such incidents should not occur in international matches. He emphasized that the delivery was clearly above waist height and would have hit the batsman's head if it had gone slightly higher."That kind of thing shouldn't happen in an international match," Hasaranga said. "If it had been close [to waist height], that's not a problem. But a ball that's going so high… it would have hit the batsman's head if it had gone a little higher.""If you can't see that, that umpire isn't suited to international cricket. It would be much better if he did another job."Hasaranga also criticized the ICC's playing conditions, which do not allow player reviews for umpire decisions that do not involve potential dismissals. He argued that the third umpire should be able to review no-balls, regardless of whether a dismissal is at stake."There was a situation where you could review those calls before, but the ICC has got rid of that," Hasaranga said. "Our batsmen tried to review that. If the third umpire is able to check the front-foot no-ball, he should check this kind of no-ball as well. There's no reason why they can't. They didn't do even that, so I'm not sure what was going on in his (the square-leg umpire's) mind at the time."Sri Lanka went on to lose the match by three runs, handing Afghanistan their only victory of the tour. Despite the loss, Sri Lanka won the series 2-1.

England's tour of India has taken an intriguing turn as they prepare for the fourth Test in Ranchi. The tourists were greeted by an unusual-looking pitch at the JSCA International Stadium, raising questions about its potential behavior during the match.Vice-captain Ollie Pope acknowledged that if the pitch starts spinning from the first ball, it would create an even playing field. Ben Stokes, England's captain, is considering reverting to the spin-heavy attack used in the first two Tests, with off-spinner Shoaib Bashir a possible inclusion.Ollie Robinson, who has been on the sidelines for most of the series, is set to replace Mark Wood, who needs a rest after the defeat in the third Test. Robinson has been working hard on his fitness and skills during his time in India, and Stokes praised his dedication and professionalism.Stokes also addressed the criticism that followed England's heavy defeat in Rajkot, saying that it is part of the sport and that the team needs to move on quickly. He emphasized the importance of individual reflection on performances rather than focusing solely on the result.England's ability to turn the tide after setbacks was highlighted by Stokes, who pointed to their comebacks from opening defeats in the South Africa and Australia series. He stressed the team's focus on maintaining a level vibe and playing to the best of their abilities, regardless of the outcome.

Ravichandran Ashwin, the veteran Indian spinner, has reached a significant milestone in his illustrious career by claiming his 500th Test wicket during the third match against England. This remarkable achievement has earned him a place among the cricketing greats, and former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers has heaped praise on Ashwin, labeling him a legend of the game.De Villiers, who has faced Ashwin's bowling firsthand, knows the challenges that the Indian spinner poses to batsmen. He described Ashwin as "one of the toughest bowlers I have ever played against," highlighting his natural variation, bounce, and subtle changes with his wrist. De Villiers also praised Ashwin's accuracy, knowledge of the game, and patience, which make him a formidable opponent.The South African legend advised England's batters to stay positive and use their feet a lot more against Ashwin in the remaining two Tests of the five-match series. He suggested that putting pressure on Ashwin by coming down the wicket, staying back deep in the crease, and working him to the leg side could be effective strategies to counter his bowling.De Villiers also took the opportunity to praise young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who slammed a double hundred in the second innings in Rajkot. He described Jaiswal as an "incredible player" with aggressive batting skills and a knack for putting pressure on the bowlers. De Villiers believes that Jaiswal has the potential to succeed in different conditions around the world, given his ability, talent, and mindset.Ashwin's 500th Test wicket is a testament to his skill, dedication, and longevity in the game. He has been a key player for India over the years, contributing with both bat and ball. De Villiers' praise for Ashwin is a fitting tribute to the Indian spinner's achievements and his status as a legend of the game.