International
Don’t sweat over matchups; still have several trump cards: RCB’s Mike Hesson
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) director of cricket operations Mike Hesson has said that he doesn’t sweat too much over matchups, adding that there were several players in his side “who haven’t quite hit their straps yet” and who could be used towards the business end of the tournament.
RCB will take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a crucial game at the DY Patil Stadium later on Tuesday, with a chance for the winner to go top of the IPL table. The two teams are currently bunched with Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad on eight points, with only the Net Run Rate (NRR) separating them on the points table.
In fact a close look at the two competing sides on Tuesday shows that they are closely matched in all departments of the game, and Hesson conceded the two had “similar balance”.
“Yeah, very similar balance in terms of the way we structure up and we look to use our bowlers. Obviously, we both bat relatively deep in the order; it’s something that both teams looked at at the auction. Both well-balanced sides with some quality up top and power through the middle,” said Hesson.
Hesson added that though both teams were like mirror images of each other in terms of strengths and weaknesses, it won’t translate into added advantage or disadvantage for any side.
“I don’t think it makes a huge difference to be honest because we pretty much focus on what we do from a batting perspective. Sure, there’s a matter of matchups but, we don’t get too caught up in those, making sure we don’t have two left-handers against an offie, and with the short side, making sure that we always have an opportunity to access the short side. That’s probably more important than the matchup.
“From a bowling point of view, I think we match up pretty well against them. You know our top order like pace on the ball, they’ve got plenty of pace up front. They’ve got some quality spinners, very crafty spinners in the likes of Krunal (Pandya), and obviously, (Ravi) Bishnoi is quite a unique character. There’s a bit of work gone into how we’re gonna combat that,” opined Hesson.
With four teams bunched up on eight points as the tournament approaches the halfway mark, Hesson said his players were constantly trying to improve, victory or defeat notwithstanding, adding that it’s important to play your best cricket towards the back end of the tournament.
“We are continuing to try and improve, and that’s the constant message that we’re sending everybody. Whether we win, whether we lose, we review with a bit of detail, and we’re trying to get better. The reality is you have to be playing your best cricket towards the back end of the tournament. Not only to progress, but if you do progress, you have to be playing some good cricket too. We’re pretty methodical in terms of that.
“We still have players who haven’t quite hit their straps yet, who are training really hard, hitting the ball nicely, ball starting to come out nicely for the likes of (Mohd) Siraj. We’re just sort of focused on us,” he said.
International
CT 2025: India to take on Pakistan on Feb 23, likely to play in Colombo or Dubai: Sources
New Delhi, Dec 19: The much-awaited clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played on February 23 with Colombo and Dubai front-runners to play host for India’s matches in the tournament being played in hybrid format. The development comes after the ICC Board said that “India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue.”
“India will take on Pakistan at a neutral venue on February 23, 2025. ICC looking at Colombo and Dubai to host their matches.”
The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played in February and March 2025. Meanwhile, ICC said the schedule for the marquee tournament will be confirmed in the coming days.
Pakistan are the defending champions of the tournament, having defeated India by 180 runs in the final at The Oval in 2017. Both teams last played against each other in the T20 World Cup in New York earlier this year which India won by six runs and went on to claim their second silverware in the format.
Due to the strained political relations between the two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan only play each other in international events including World Cups and Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was held in 2012-13 when the latter toured India for the five-match white-ball series.
International
It’s OFFICIAL! All India vs Pakistan Matches At ICC Events To Be Played At Neutral Venue Till 2027
India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue, the ICC Board confirmed on Thursday, 19 December. The schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to be confirmed soon, with Pakistan aiming to defend the title they won in 2017.
The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.
This will apply to the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (hosted by Pakistan), set to be played in February and March 2025, as well as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (hosted by India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (hosted by India and Sri Lanka).
It was also announced that the PCB has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply. Cricket Australia is set to host one of the senior ICC women’s events during the period 2029 to 2031.
International
‘Our dream is getting fulfilled’: Coach Sumit Bhatia elated to see Kho Kho going global
New Delhi, Dec 16: Coach Sumit Bhatia is all pumped up for the first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup scheduled to take place from January 13-19, 2025. Bhatia, who holds a distinct record of being the only head coach to have won the Asian Championship twice, believes that this historical step is an indication of the realisation of the dream to take the sport to the international level and help it gain global recognition.
Having been honoured with the best coach award by the Delhi government, Bhatia has been a part of various Indian teams’ success, including the 2016 and 2023 Asian Kho Kho Championship victories, and has trained players like Nasreen Shaikh and Sarika Sudhakar Kale. Both of them have been Arjuna Awardees.
Nasreen, who is also a part of the World Cup camp, is the only player who has played in two Asian Championships and won the gold. The coach-student duo is now gearing up for the global event.
Sharing how the journey of Kho Kho World Cup’s inception, the coach said, “We organised an international camp here before COVID happened, in 2020. Coaches and players from 16 countries came here and we gave them training. Now they will be coming here for the World Cup but this campaign started in that camp”.
He further said, “Around 30-35 countries were willing to play the tournament but we picked the best 20 teams for both men and women. Some countries have single teams while some have double teams but a total of 24 countries will be participating in the tournament. It was our dream to take Kho Kho to the international level and now we can see that our dream is getting fulfilled.”
He also lauded the launch of the Ultimate Kho Kho League and shared how the franchise-based model has helped the players and coaches gain recognition, while also bringing forward grassroot talent.
“When the Ultimate Kho Kho league started, I also joined Telegu Yodhas as their head coach and we also played the final. Players have gotten exposure through the league and it’s not just financial. Earlier we used to hesitate while admitting being a Kho Kho coach but today our players introduce us as their coach,” said Bhatia.
He added, “The league got so much coverage that wherever we go, the players are approached for autographs. So the platform of the league started a new world for both coaches and players and now not just India but the entire world knows us. Earlier we used to tell people about our game but now they know what is Kho Kho and Ultimate Kho Kho league and are also waiting for the third season.”
Bhatia also discussed the impact of sports science on Kho Kho and lauded the newly introduced technology and said, “We have benefitted a lot from it. Sometimes we don’t understand why a player is not performing well. But with the introduction of sports science, we now know about the details of the problem.
“For example, a player might be facing issues with his left leg while sitting and so, it gives us an opportunity to work on that weakness… Sports science has helped us in identifying the accuracy and weakness of a player. So it’s very beneficial for us.”
-
Maharashtra3 months ago
Mumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Crime2 years ago
Class 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra3 months ago
False photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News2 months ago
Ministry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra2 months ago
Mumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Crime2 months ago
Baba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
-
Maharashtra1 month ago
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News3 months ago
J&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface