Cricket

Mohammad Nabi to Retire from ODIs After Champions TrophyStar Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi has announced his decision to retire from One-day Internationals (ODIs) after the Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year. The 39-year-old, who retired from Test cricket in 2019, will bid farewell to the 50-over format following the prestigious ICC tournament, according to Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive Naseeb Khan.Nabi made his ODI debut in 2009 against Scotland and has since represented Afghanistan in 165 matches. During his illustrious career, he has amassed 3549 runs with a highest score of 116 and claimed 171 wickets with his off-spin bowling."Yes, Nabi is retiring from ODIs after the Champions Trophy and he informed the board about his desire," Naseeb told Cricbuzz. "He told me a few months back that he wants to end his ODI career after the Champions Trophy and we welcome his decision."Nabi's retirement decision comes after a successful ODI series against Bangladesh in Sharjah. In the series opener, he played a pivotal role in Afghanistan's 92-run victory, scoring a brilliant 79-ball 84 and taking a wicket."After the Champions Trophy, what I understand is that, he is expected to continue his T20 career, and that is the plan until now," Naseeb added.Nabi's retirement marks the end of an era for Afghanistan cricket. He has been a key figure in the team's rise to international prominence and has played a significant role in their success in both ODIs and T20Is.

India's recent humiliating 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand at home has sparked a firestorm of criticism, with fans demanding the retirement of veteran players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja. The team's dismal performance with both bat and ball has put the seniors under intense scrutiny.However, former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has urged fans to exercise patience and not rush to judgment after just one series loss. "What is the hurry boss? One bad series and already calling for the heads. I don't think so," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.Karthik believes that the calls for retirement are premature and that the players deserve a longer leash. "I think, if they don't do well in the next 10 Test matches, then we will come back to this question and then it becomes a fair question, considering its going to be another domestic season. For the moment, I don't think we need to group anyone anywhere," he added.Karthik acknowledged that India's performance against New Zealand was subpar in all departments. "A bit of everything. Our bowling was not up to the mark. Our spinners, especially the experienced ones, didn't gave a great series. Batting, without a doubt, we lack in ability to play spin," he said.The Indian batters have struggled to cope with spin bowling in recent times, a weakness that was ruthlessly exploited by the New Zealanders. "The defence game overall around the world has definitely decreased because of the white-ball formats that goes without saying but the Indian players have struggled to cope against spin," Karthik observed.India's next assignment is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia Down Under, starting on November 22 in Perth. The series will be a stern test for the Indian team, and the performance of the senior players will be under the microscope once again.

Assam's skipper Denish Das led a spirited fightback against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group-D match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Resuming their first innings at 299 for seven, Tamil Nadu added 39 runs before being dismissed for 338.Das, batting at number four, anchored Assam's innings with an unbeaten half-century (54 off 116 balls). He forged a crucial 71-run partnership with southpaw Sibsankar Roy (23 not out) to guide the hosts to 176 for three at the end of the second day's play.Earlier, Tamil Nadu's S. Mohamed Ali (49 not out) and R. Sonu Yadav (29) extended their partnership to 63 runs before Mrinmoy Dutta broke the stand by having Sonu caught by Sibsankar Roy. The innings then ended swiftly, as Gurjapneet Singh and 16-year-old debutant R.D. Pranav Ragavendra failed to trouble the scorers.Assam's openers Parvej Musaraf (18) and Rishav Das (54) began well, adding 49 runs before Sonu broke through by trapping Musaraf leg-before. Rishav, who was in search of runs, put on 40 runs with Subham Mandal before being dismissed by Mohamed Ali for a well-compiled 54 (89b, 7x4).Denish Das then took charge, compiling a patient unbeaten 54 to put Assam in a strong position. He and Sibsankar Roy defied the opposition bowlers till the close of play, frustrating Tamil Nadu's hopes of any further wickets.

In the absence of regular pace bowlers Prasidh Krishna, Vidhwath Kaverappa, and V. Vyshak, the onus fell upon V. Koushik to lead the Karnataka bowling attack in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C match against Bengal. Koushik rose to the occasion, showcasing exceptional skill to record impressive figures of five for 38.Koushik maintained a consistent good length outside off throughout his 25 overs, inducing edges that resulted in five catches behind the stumps. His performance helped Karnataka dismiss Bengal for 301, with Koushik adding two wickets to his overnight tally.In response, Karnataka's batting faced early setbacks before Abhinav Manohar (50 batting) and Shreyas Gopal (23 batting) steadied the ship. Manohar reached his maiden First Class fifty in his second outing, guiding Karnataka to 155 for five at the close of play.Koushik's First Class dream run continues, with the seamer now boasting 80 wickets in 20 matches at an exceptional average of 17.2. His mastery lies in his ability to hit the right lengths consistently, despite not being an express pacer."I have worked a lot on hitting the right lengths. It comes quite naturally to me because I am not a pacer who can bowl 135 or 140-plus kmph. I try to bowl upwards of 120 kmph and try to hit the length. That is what my mastery is," Koushik explained.Manohar, meanwhile, expressed his delight after reaching his maiden First Class fifty. The 30-year-old, making his first steps in red-ball domestic cricket, lifted the spirits of the home team with a big six in the final session.Nikin Jose, who suffered a blow near the eye on Wednesday, did not come out to bat. Kishan Bedare took his place as the concussion substitute and made a handy contribution of 23.

KKR Eyes Arshdeep Singh as Starc Replacement in IPL 2025 Mega AuctionKolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, are set to undergo a significant rebuild in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction. Having released a majority of their title-winning squad, KKR is reportedly targeting Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh as a potential replacement for Mitchell Starc.Starc, the Australian pacer, was a key performer for KKR in IPL 2024, winning the Player of the Match award in both the Qualifier 1 and the final. However, with Starc released, KKR is reportedly keen on acquiring Arshdeep, who emerged as India's highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2024.According to a report by Mint, KKR is prepared to go all out for Arshdeep in the mega auction. The left-arm pacer impressed in IPL 2024, taking 19 wickets in 14 games, and followed it up with 17 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2024.However, Arshdeep's economy rate in IPL 2024 was over 10, which could be a concern for potential suitors. Nevertheless, as arguably the most sought-after Indian pacer in the auction pool, Arshdeep is expected to attract significant interest and could command a price tag exceeding Rs 15 crore.Arshdeep has represented Punjab Kings since 2019 but was not retained by the franchise ahead of the mega auction. However, with Rs 110.5 crore in their auction purse and four Right to Match (RTM) cards at their disposal, Punjab Kings could still retain Arshdeep.KKR has already retained two high-quality spinners in Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, as well as two pacers in Harshit Rana and Andre Russell. While Starc's absence will be felt, Arshdeep could provide a similar solution. KKR will enter the mega auction with Rs 51 crore in their purse.Starc, who was bought for an IPL record fee of Rs 25 crore in IPL 2024, had a slow start to the tournament. However, he came into his own in the latter stages, tearing apart Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 and the final, claiming a combined five wickets in those two games.

Virat Kohli's recent struggles on the international stage have raised concerns among fans and experts alike. Despite being retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a whopping Rs 21 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Kohli's performances in the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand have been far from impressive.In the two-match series, Kohli managed scores of 0, 70, 1, 17, 4, and 1, leading to a significant drop in his ICC Test ranking. He has now slipped down eight places to 22nd, his lowest ranking in over a decade.Kohli's poor form has sparked speculation about his future with the Indian team. Some experts believe that he should consider playing domestic cricket to regain his form, while others suggest that he may need to take a break from international cricket to reassess his game.Amidst the uncertainty surrounding his international career, Kohli recently posted a cryptic message on social media, hinting at a "new chapter" with a "new team." However, the post was later clarified to be related to his business interests, not his cricketing career.Despite the clarification, Kohli's social media post has raised questions about his commitment to the Indian team. Some fans have expressed concern that he may be considering retirement, while others believe that he is simply looking for a fresh start.The lack of domestic cricket has been cited as a contributing factor to Kohli's struggles. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has suggested that top players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma should participate in domestic tournaments to regain their form.Kaif pointed out that Rishabh Pant's century in a practice match during the 2020 Border-Gavaskar Trophy helped him earn a place in the Test team and make a significant contribution to India's historic victory in Australia.Kohli's future with the Indian team remains uncertain. However, it is clear that he needs to find a way to regain his form if he wants to continue playing at the highest level.

The Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, which hosted the rain-affected second Test between India and Bangladesh, has received an "unsatisfactory" rating from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its outfield. The rating comes with one demerit point for the venue.The outfield was deemed unsatisfactory due to the excessive rain that prevented play on days two and three of the Test match. Despite no rain falling during the scheduled playing hours on day three, the outfield remained unplayable.In the lead-up to the Test match, the state's public works department had deemed one of Green Park's stands unsafe, forcing the stadium authorities to limit the number of spectators allowed in the upper-level seats.The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), which manages the Green Park Stadium, has been criticized for the poor condition of the outfield. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla, who hails from Kanpur, defended the venue but admitted that it was in need of refurbishment.Despite the outfield issues, India managed to force a victory in the Test match, picking up 20 Bangladesh wickets in the space of 121.2 overs and scoring 383 runs in just 52 overs across two innings.The Green Park pitch for this Test match, meanwhile, earned a "satisfactory" rating.The ICC rates pitches and outfields for all international games on a scale of very good to unfit. One demerit point is awarded to venues for an unsatisfactory rating, and three for an unfit rating. If any ground receives five or more demerit points in a five-year rolling period, it is suspended from hosting any international cricket for 12 months.The rest of the venues that hosted India's 2024-25 international season did not come in for any censure from the ICC. Of the pitches on which India played their five Tests, four - including all three that hosted the recently concluded series against New Zealand, in Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai - earned "satisfactory" ratings, while the surface at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium, which hosted the first Test against Bangladesh, earned a "very good" tag.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering appointing Jason Gillespie as the all-format head coach of the national team, according to sources. The decision hinges on the results of the ongoing white-ball tour of Australia.Gillespie, who is currently the Test team head coach, has taken charge of the white-ball side in Australia following Gary Kirsten's sudden resignation. The PCB is reportedly impressed with Gillespie's performance so far and is considering offering him the all-format role."For the moment, the Board is working on a plan to appoint Jason Gillespie as all-format head coach instead of advertising for new candidates," a PCB source told PTI. "If Pakistan performs satisfactorily in the remaining games in Australia, then in all probability, Gillispie would be asked to take over as all formats head coach."Pakistan lost the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne but has a chance to redeem itself in the remaining two ODIs and three T20Is. The team will then travel to Zimbabwe for another white-ball series.The PCB is confident that Gillespie will agree to become an all-format head coach, at least until next April. However, the board has also drawn up a shortlist of three former Pakistan players, including ex-Test spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, as potential alternatives."But, the PCB's preference is to have Gillespie to also be white-ball head coach if he agrees," the source said.Gillespie's appointment would mark a significant change in the PCB's coaching structure. In recent years, the board has appointed separate head coaches for the Test, ODI, and T20I teams. However, the PCB believes that a single head coach would provide greater consistency and stability to the national team.

Suryakumar Yadav, India's T20I captain, has revealed the invaluable lessons he has learned from his predecessor, Rohit Sharma. Emphasizing the importance of maintaining balance and composure, Yadav credits Sharma's leadership philosophy for shaping his own approach to captaincy.According to Yadav, Sharma's philosophy revolves around staying grounded and maintaining a level head, even in the face of adversity. He has taught Yadav that life balance is essential for players to handle losses and setbacks without becoming overly emotional.As India's T20I captain, Yadav has adopted Sharma's approach of dedicating substantial time with teammates away from the cricket field. He believes that this enhances their performance during matches by fostering strong interpersonal relationships and camaraderie."Winning and losing is part and parcel of sports," said Yadav. "I have learnt from him (Rohit) that in life, balance is important. After doing well, even if you lose, your character should not change. This is one quality a sportsman should have."Yadav views Sharma as a true leader who goes beyond the role of a captain. He has observed Sharma's calm demeanor, his ability to treat players with respect, and his keen understanding of their mental state."A leader is one who decides how his team plays a particular format," said Yadav. "I have been noticing him for nearly ten years. I know how he treats his players, what he wants from them. That route I have also taken as he has been successful."Yadav has customized Sharma's approach to align with his own leadership style and requirements. He believes that understanding players' mental state and emotional well-being is crucial for maximizing their potential performance."You have to understand what's happening around and what's going on in their minds," said Yadav. "There needs to be a comfort level as they have different types of skill sets. The freedom to express themselves is very important and I am trying to give them that."Yadav's adoption of Sharma's leadership principles has been evident in his own captaincy style. He has fostered a positive and supportive environment within the team, encouraging players to express themselves and perform to the best of their abilities.