Cricket

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.

Sri Lanka's Under-19 team secured a resounding 65-run victory over England's Under-19s in the first of three one-day internationals at Chelmsford.Sri Lanka's middle-order trio of Dinura Kalupahana, Sharujan Shanmuganathan, and Mahith Perera played pivotal roles in their team's success. Kalupahana's aggressive 52 off 37 balls, Shanmuganathan's steady 57 off 75 balls, and Perera's composed 58 off 60 balls propelled Sri Lanka to a formidable total of 294 for 6.England's chase got off to a promising start with a 90-run partnership between Noah Thain and Luc Benkenstein. Thain anchored the innings with a well-crafted 58 off 69 balls, while Benkenstein provided the fireworks with two sixes in his 51 off 50 balls.However, England's hopes were dashed when Thain and Benkenstein departed in quick succession. Praveen Maneesha then dealt a devastating blow to England's batting, claiming three wickets in seven deliveries, including Thain and Haydon Mustard.Rocky Flintoff, the son of former England captain Andrew Flintoff, was among Maneesha's victims. Middlesex's Noah Cornwell also made a significant contribution with three wickets for 54 runs, including the dismissals of Sri Lanka's openers.Despite a defiant 26 from Harry Moore, England fell well short of their target, finishing on 229 all out with 27 balls remaining.

Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has hinted that Gautam Gambhir is likely to succeed Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the Indian cricket team after the T20 World Cup."I think he will be the next coach (for Team India)," Ganguly told reporters.Dravid's tenure as head coach ends after the T20 World Cup, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in the process of making a decision on his replacement. Dravid has expressed his desire not to renew his contract."Every game I have coached for India is important. This is the last tournament in job. I have enjoyed coaching India, it is great to work with these boys. It is a special job. But there are schedules where I find myself that at this stage of my life, I won't be able to apply," Dravid had said earlier.Gambhir is considered a frontrunner for the role of head coach. He was a successful left-handed opener for the Indian team and has served as the team mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL). KKR won their third IPL trophy this season under Gambhir's guidance.Ganguly praised the Indian team for reaching the T20 World Cup final. "To get to two World Cup finals in 7 months speaks volumes about the capability & strength of the team...They will not make any changes to the team and this is Rohit Sharma's leadership style. It will be the same team...I wish they win it tomorrow," the 51-year-old added.India will face South Africa in the T20 World Cup final on Saturday at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Virat Kohli, the talismanic Indian batter, has endured a disappointing run in the ongoing T20 World Cup, with a string of single-digit scores in seven outings. This has raised concerns about his suitability for the shortest format of the game.Kohli, known for his dominance and consistency, has struggled to adapt to the bowler-friendly conditions in the United States and West Indies. The opening batsman has been uncharacteristically aggressive, attempting wild swings and failing to play late on sticky surfaces.His dismissal against England, where he was bowled after walking down the track and heaving across the line, highlighted his struggles. Kohli's inability to adjust his batting style has led to questions about his effectiveness in T20 cricket.However, head coach Rahul Dravid remains optimistic about Kohli's form. "I don't want to jinx it, but I think there's a big one coming up," Dravid said after India's semifinal victory over England.Kohli's return to form is crucial for India's chances in the final against Pakistan on Sunday. In the previous edition of the tournament, Kohli played a memorable knock against Pakistan, silencing critics who doubted his ability in T20 cricket.To regain his old form, Kohli needs to revert to his strengths of timing and neat batsmanship. These qualities were evident in his match-winning innings against Pakistan in the previous edition. Only a repeat performance can silence critics and prove his worth in the shortest format of the game.

Over the past three years, B. Sai Sudharsan has emerged as a rising star in Indian cricket. From his breakout performance in the TNPL in 2021 to his debut for India in One-Day Internationals in December 2023, the 22-year-old's journey has been remarkable.Sudharsan's rise to prominence began with a brilliant 96 in the 2023 IPL final for Gujarat Titans against Chennai Super Kings. He followed that up with an impressive tour of Sri Lanka with India-A in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, a short but fruitful county stint with Surrey, and an eye-catching performance in the Irani Cup, which fast-tracked him into the Indian set-up.This year, the Tamil Nadu left-hander went one better in the IPL, topping the run-charts for GT (527 in 12 games) and, in the process, becoming the fastest Indian batter to 1,000 runs (25 innings), beating Sachin Tendulkar and Ruturaj Gaikwad's record (31 innings).In an interview with The Hindu, Sudharsan spoke about his growth as a cricketer. "It's been a great experience, for sure," he said. "There were so many learnings, and I think I have good things to take forward. It's definitely been a dream."Sudharsan's journey has not been without its challenges. He missed the under-19 bus before COVID and spent a year without cricket. However, he used that time to work on his game, and it has paid off handsomely."The one good thing was I had one-and-a-half years of work behind me," he said. "There was completely undistracted work or complete, deliberate practice each and every day, waking up, getting fitter, getting better as a batsman, as a person. There was more focused practice because we couldn't do much else."Sudharsan's success has been built on his ability to adapt to different levels of cricket. "I feel there is not much difference as you go up," he said. "Yes, there is definitely a slight difference in quality. Just the consistency of the people or the bowlers executing is better. But it's more about external things. You get more pressure with 100,000 people watching you."Sudharsan's game awareness has also improved significantly. "Sometimes, you practise a lot, even some particular shots," he said. "But you don't know where to use it. I think that has gotten better in three years. Exposure to difficult conditions and better opponents has helped my game awareness, and my judgement has gotten better because of that."As a batter, Sudharsan relies on timing and placement rather than power. "The game moves very quickly, but there will be instances where you need both," he said. "We definitely need to adapt as a batter. At the same time, we must not sacrifice or trade off our strengths. If my strength is timing, we should not trade it off for power-hitting."Sudharsan's goals for the future include improving his decision-making and risk-taking. "I felt my approach could have been better in the first half and that I could have taken more risks," he said. "I got that understanding after a few games of experience. Now, I want to get better at it so that I can do that from the first game of the season, which can directly help the team."Sudharsan's rise has been a testament to his hard work and dedication. He is a role model for young cricketers across India, and his story is sure to inspire many more to follow their dreams.