Cricket

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has heaped praise on skipper Rohit Sharma, hailing his leadership qualities and proactive approach. In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit has emerged as the tournament's third-highest run-getter, amassing 248 runs at a strike rate of 155.97 in seven matches.Bumrah, in a video shared by the ICC, lauded Rohit's leadership style, particularly his ability to empower his players. "Rohit Sharma has been absolutely phenomenal," Bumrah said. "Even in the previous World Cup, he was very proactive. He gives a lot of freedom to his players, lets them express themselves. When he feels the right time, he shares his own experience during the match. It feels really great and I feel very happy playing under him."Former England captain Nasser Hussain also expressed his admiration for Rohit, describing him as an "iron fist in a velvet glove." Hussain praised Rohit's calming influence and ability to balance authority with empathy. "I have been a fan of Rohit for a very long time," Hussain said. "He seems to have a very calming influence. He is like that iron fist in a velvet glove. You do not mess around with Rohit, but he is also a big brother that will put his arm around you and look after you."India's contrasting fortunes in the tournament compared to South Africa have also been highlighted. While India has dominated every opponent they have faced, including Australia, Pakistan, and England, South Africa has narrowly escaped defeat on several occasions. Bangladesh and Nepal gave them a run for their money in the group stage, and they nearly sealed their exit in their final Super 8 game against the West Indies.The Indian squad for the tournament includes Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Siraj, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Rishabh Pant's remarkable return to cricket has earned him a "wildcard" selection for India's T20 World Cup final against South Africa, according to former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.After a near-fatal car accident in December 2022, Pant's recovery has been an inspiration to many. The explosive left-handed batter is back in action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, leading the Delhi Capitals. His impressive performances earned him a call-up to India's 15-man squad for the mega event.In India's opening match of the tournament, Pant showcased his class with a reverse scoop over the wicketkeeper's head for a boundary against Ireland. Manjrekar believes Pant will be the player to watch out for against South Africa on Saturday at Kensington Oval in Barbados."I think we will get a great idea about who the big match player is. I'm going to go with a wildcard and say Rishabh Pant will be the player to watch out for," Manjrekar said on the 'Caught and Bold' show on Disney+ Hotstar.Pant has been promoted to the number three position in the batting order, with Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma opening the innings. Pant has performed admirably in his new role, scoring 171 runs at a strike rate of 129.54 and an average of 28.50 in seven matches.In less than a year, head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit will lead India in their third ICC tournament final. Pant will be eager to make a difference for the Indian team, which is still chasing its first World Cup trophy since 2011.India's hopes of winning the title were dashed by Australia in both the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. However, Australia will not be a factor this time around, as they were eliminated from the tournament.India sent Australia to the brink of elimination with impressive bowling spells and Rohit's 92-run knock. Afghanistan's historic victory over the cricketing giants left the Baggy Greens stunned before their collapse against India."Losing to Afghanistan... When you have a bad day in a very tough format, you pay the price for it. It was as good a side as India. The two best sides in the tournament were India and Australia," Manjrekar added.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has expressed confidence in the Indian cricket team's ability to win the T20 World Cup final against South Africa, despite Virat Kohli's recent struggles with form.Kohli, who has been a key player for India in the past, has only managed to score 75 runs in seven matches during the tournament, averaging just 10.71. However, Manjrekar believes that the team's overall performance is more important than individual form."Not really concerned about Virat Kohli's form because the team's form is far more important," Manjrekar said. "India has discovered a new template, the modern template of playing T20 cricket, and it's paying rich dividends so far."India has won all of its matches in the tournament so far, and Manjrekar believes that the team's new approach could lead to a World Cup victory."Of course, India can lift the World Cup 2024," Manjrekar said. "India has discovered a new template, the modern template of playing T20 cricket, and it's paying rich dividends so far."Manjrekar also identified South Africa's fast bowlers and top-order batsmen as potential threats to India in the final."I would say one of the fast bowlers, either Anrich Nortje or Rabada," Manjrekar said. "In batting Quinton De Kock for sure."India will be looking to win its first ICC World Cup since 2011, and Manjrekar believes that the team has a good chance of doing so."India's journey to the final has been marked by a fearless approach under Rohit Sharma's leadership," Manjrekar said. "This newfound strategy could end India's hiatus from ICC World Cup victories."

Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has taken a light-hearted jab at star pacer Arshdeep Singh ahead of the T20 World Cup final against South Africa. Arshdeep, who is India's leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 15 scalps, will have a chance to claim the top spot on Saturday when India takes on the Proteas in the T20 World Cup summit clash.Arshdeep needs two wickets to go past Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi (16) in the list of the tournament's leading wicket-takers. However, ahead of the final, Sidhu trolled Arshdeep over his batting skills.In a video posted on Instagram, Arshdeep can be seen shuffling across the stumps, trying to aim for a big shot. He left his stumps unguarded in order to oversmart the bowler, but ended up missing his pull. The video of the same was from the match against Pakistan in the group stage of the ongoing tournament.Sidhu shared a video on Instagram, which read: "Confidence 100 per cent, skills 0 per cent".Since Sidhu has been praising Arshdeep for his exploits with the ball throughout the tournament, there wasn't any malice intended at the player in the post shared by him.Arshdeep, who went wicketless in the semi-final against England, will look to return to wicket-taking ways in the all-important final.Arshdeep attributed much of his success to pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. "I guess a lot of credit goes to Jassi bhai (Jasprit Bumrah) because he puts a lot of pressure on the batters - he gives, what, three or four runs in an over - so batters are coming hard against me, and I just have to try and bowl my best ball and there are a lot of chances of getting wickets there," Arshdeep said."On the other end they see the runs are not coming and the asking rate is going high, so they take more risks against me. [There's a] chance always of getting a wicket there. So a lot of credit for my wickets goes to Jassi bhai," he added.

The highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa is set to take place on Saturday at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. However, the match is facing a potential threat from rain, with the weather forecast predicting a 51% chance of precipitation.To mitigate the risk of rain interruptions, the ICC has implemented several measures. Firstly, a reserve day (June 30) has been designated in case the match cannot be completed on the scheduled day. According to the ICC's playing conditions for the tournament, every effort will be made to complete the match on the scheduled day, with any necessary reduction in overs. Only if the minimum number of overs required for a match cannot be bowled on the scheduled day will the match be completed on the reserve day.If a full game is not possible, both teams must bat 10 overs to achieve a result. Additionally, an extra 190 minutes have been allocated to get a result on the scheduled day. If play has not resumed by the cut-off time on the scheduled day, the match will resume from the same point on the reserve day, meaning there will be no fresh start.If no play is possible on the scheduled day, the game will begin at the same time it was supposed to on the original day. Importantly, if the overs are reduced on the scheduled day and played before interruption on the same day, it will begin from the same point on the reserve day.For example, if the match starts at 20 overs per side and there is an interruption at 9 overs, the overs may be reduced to 17 overs per side. If play resumes and an over is bowled before another interruption, the match will continue on the reserve day at 17 overs per side, with the overs further reduced if necessary.The ICC's measures aim to ensure that the T20 World Cup final is completed in a fair and timely manner, despite the potential for rain interruptions.

South Africa, a team historically known for crumbling under pressure in major tournaments, has shown remarkable resilience in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Their captain, Aiden Markram, attributes this newfound confidence to their ability to pull off close wins, instilling a belief that victory is possible in any situation.Ahead of the highly anticipated final against India, Markram acknowledged the team's past struggles but emphasized their determination to break free from that burden. He highlighted the team's recent victories over Nepal, Bangladesh, and West Indies, which were all decided by narrow margins."To have done them two, three, maybe four times throughout the competition so far has sort of given the team the belief that you can win from any position," Markram said. "I think that's quite important for a team to have."While India remains the overwhelming favorite, South Africa has several factors in their favor. They are eager to create a new chapter in their cricketing history and are not letting the pressure of the occasion overwhelm them."We're kind of used to it now," Markram said of the team's frequent travel and schedule disruptions. "There's no point sulking around and making it more miserable than what it might already seem to be."Markram also emphasized the team's hunger to win the title, regardless of the result. "I think there's still a massive hunger for us to go out and win tomorrow's game," he said. "We'd love to get to our first final and be able to win that first final."South Africa's newfound confidence and resilience will be put to the ultimate test against a formidable Indian team. However, the Proteas are determined to prove that they are no longer the team that crumbles under pressure and are ready to make history in Barbados.

The Indian cricket team has secured its progression into the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals, with a resounding victory against the mighty Australians. Riding on Rohit Sharma's 92 off 41 balls, India bagged a 24-run win to set up semi-finals date with England.While there were plenty of positives from the game against Australia, there were some negatives too, especially the poor form of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja. India great Sunil Gavaskar, who has given his 2 cents on Virat time and again, suggested that Jadeja's place in the team shouldn't even be questioned.Jadeja, who is a marquee all-rounder, with ability to deliver with the bat, the ball and in field, has been going through a barren run for a while. However, Gavaskar feels that the fact that Jadeja saved 20-30 runs in the field, shouldn't be overlooked just because he hasn't been able to deliver with the bat and the ball."I am not at all concerned as he is very experienced. For whatever opportunities he's got, he's done well. And don't forget, in the field itself, he saved 20 to 30 runs with his fielding ability, taking catches, and getting the run out. So don't forget those 20-30 plus runs. Then he enters the field, with anything that he does with the bat and ball is an added value to his ability.""So I don't think we should even think about questioning (Jadeja). The problem with India and Indian fans is, 2 bad games and you go 'what to do with him, what to do with him?'," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.Gavaskar gave a sharp reply to fans asking whether the all-rounder deserves a place in India's XI, suggesting questions aren't raised of people make a couple of errors in other professions."You know that is the worry. Nobody who asks these questions even thinks about their own professions, whether they have made 2 errors and whether people are questioning their place in their own profession, whichever profession they are. This is just simply a good topic for television, you don't question Jadeja's place in the playing XI. He's a rock star," Gavaskar further added.Against Australia, Jadeja scored an unbeaten 9 off 5 balls. With the ball, he bowled only 1 over as Glenn Maxwell looked to take him to the cleaners.

The Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, is poised to make history as it faces South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Saturday. This marks the second World Cup final for India in just eight months, following their heartbreaking loss to Australia in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed his confidence in Rohit's leadership, stating that he has "gone into the final unbeaten" in both World Cup finals he has played. Ganguly credits Rohit's captaincy and leadership qualities for India's success, highlighting his role in guiding the team to the summit clash.Ganguly also acknowledged the challenges of winning an IPL title, emphasizing that it can sometimes be more difficult due to the tournament's duration. However, he stressed that the honor of winning a World Cup is greater, and he hopes Rohit can lead India to victory."I don't think he can lose two World Cup finals in seven months," Ganguly said. "He will probably jump into the Barbados ocean if he loses two finals under his captaincy in seven months."Ganguly praised Rohit's batting prowess and leadership from the front, expressing his hope that India will play with freedom and finish on the right side. He also acknowledged the importance of luck in winning big tournaments and wished the team well.India has been the dominant force in the T20 World Cup 2024, winning all their matches in the tournament. They will be aiming to extend their unbeaten streak and claim their first ICC title since 2013.

India's T20 World Cup campaign has been a resounding success, with the team remaining undefeated heading into the final against South Africa. Captain Rohit Sharma has been a key contributor with 248 runs, while pacers Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah have been equally impressive with 15 and 13 wickets respectively.However, one area of concern for India has been the form of Virat Kohli, who has managed just 75 runs in seven matches. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that Kohli has the potential to turn his fortunes around in the final.Kaif drew parallels between Kohli's current situation and that of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 2011 ODI World Cup. Dhoni had also struggled for form during the tournament but played a match-winning knock in the final."Virat Kohli needs to remember that even Dhoni didn't have a great World Cup in 2011 but he found form in the final," Kaif said. "He is too good a player to slog, he can play ball on merit and dominate any bowling attack."Kaif suggested that Kohli should focus on playing the ball on merit and avoid slogging. He also emphasized the importance of Kohli playing until the end of the innings."He should play the ball on merit with proper cricket shots, he should not slog by exposing his wickets," Kaif said. "He's a great player. Players like Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav should play fast and Virat Kohli should play till the end the full 20 overs and play the ball on merit."Kohli has been dismissed without scoring twice in this tournament, his worst-ever performance in six T20 World Cups. India will be hoping that he can rediscover his form in the final and help them end their 11-year trophy drought in global cricket competitions.