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Five key match-ups to watch out for in India-South Africa T20I series

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After two months of IPL 2022 action, India will be back on the road to ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year when they will be up against South Africa in a five-match T20I series starting from Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The first match of the series will act as a platform for the hosts to convert their 12-0 winning streak in T20Is into 13, a record in the format. But the series won’t be a stroll in the park for the KL Rahul-led side, which is missing players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Chahar.

The Proteas, led by Temba Bavuma, are playing on their full strength and with them losing a T20I match to India just once across previous two bilateral fixtures, India will be fully aware that the visitors cannot be taken lightly.

Here’s a look at five key match-ups to watch out for from the upcoming series:

Rishabh Pant vs Anrich Nortje

From team-mates at Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022, the series between India and South Africa will now see Pant’s fiery play and Nortje’s tearaway pace up against each other for just the second time in international cricket. Pant, who had just 340 runs at an average of 30.91 and a strike rate of 151.79 for Delhi in IPL 2022, will certainly want to up the ante in the middle-order. On the other hand, Nortje made a comeback from persistent injuries to pick nine wickets in six matches for Delhi and would be eager to continue the good run against India’s vice-captain in the series.

KL Rahul vs Kagiso Rabada

Both Rahul and Rabada had great returns from IPL 2022. While Rahul amassed 616 runs at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 135.38 for Lucknow Super Giants, Rabada shined by picking 23 wickets at an economy rate of 8.46. The duo will be facing off against each other for the first time in international cricket, but in T20s, Rahul had got out to Rabada twice, including once in this year’s IPL, which sets up an interesting battle between India’s skipper and South Africa’s pace spearhead.

Quinton de Kock vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

De Kock had a gala time in IPL 2022, amassing 508 runs at an average of 36.29 and a strike rate of 148.97 for Lucknow Super Giants. Bhuvneshwar, meanwhile, scalped 12 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 7.34. But Bhuvneshwar, India’s most experienced pacer in the side, for the series against the Proteas will be itching to unsettle de Kock with his variations, especially in the first six overs, which he has done twice previously in international cricket. De Kock, on the other hand, would want to take his IPL 2022 form into the series against India.

Temba Bavuma vs Yuzvendra Chahal

Bavuma, South Africa’s white-ball skipper, will be up against the challenge of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, India’s leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket. Chahal, who recently won the IPL 2022 Purple Cap, bagged 27 wickets in 17 matches with an economy rate of 7.75. Chahal would love to continue his good form from IPL 2022 and try to get the better of Bavuma, like he did once in the ODI series between these two teams in January this year.

David Miller vs Harshal Patel

David Miller was one of the key players for the Gujarat Titans, winning the IPL 2022 trophy on their home ground in Ahmedabad. Miller had his most prolific IPL 2022 season, amassing 481 runs an average of 68.71 and a strike rate of 142.73. While batting in the middle order, he will be up against fast bowler and death overs exponent, Harshal Patel, who bagged 19 wickets in IPL 2022 with an economy rate of 7.66. Moreover, India have won every T20I whenever Patel has been in the playing eleven. It will be exciting to see how Patel will try to outfox an in-form Miller.

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Champions Trophy: Pakistan’s dismal show likely to be discussed in cabinet and parliament

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Islamabad, Feb 27: The Pakistan cricket team’s depressing, dismal, and cheerless performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, resulting in its early exit from the tournament, has not only broken the hearts of home fans but also knocked on the doors of the country’s Prime Minister.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has personally taken notice of the team’s early departure and the below-par performance and is likely to take up the issues related to the cricket team in the cabinet and the parliament. Pakistan’s final Group A fixture against Bangladesh was washed out in Rawalpindi due to rain on Thursday, which meant that they ended their campaign without a win. With only one point, thanks to a washout, Pakistan will finish at the bottom of the group.

Prime Minister’s aide on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that PM Shehbaz will also take up the matter at the parliament. “The Prime Minister will personally take notice, and we will also ask him to raise these cricket-related issues in the cabinet as well as in the parliament,” said Rana Sanaullah.

It is pertinent to note that Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Special arrangements have been made to glorify the event, with Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi cricket stadiums renovated to increase audience capacity and further enhance the facilities. However, the team’s fans were left dejected after Pakistan lost both its matches and was knocked out of the tournament when their final league match with Bangladesh was rained off.

While anger persists among cricket fans, questions are being raised over the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), its chief Mohsin Naqvi, and the selection committee, which selected the squad. Aqib Javed, head coach of Pakistan, has tried to justify the team selection, stating that all players were selected on the basis of their recent performances.

On the other hand, internal issues within the PCB are also being linked with the team’s bad performance as many believe that the cricket board’s decision-making regarding playing eleven, the team, and the players has prompted foreign coaches like Jason Gillespie to part ways.

Rana Sanaullah said that he will also call on PM Sharif to address the ongoing issues within the PCB, emphasising that the cricket sport as a whole is in bad shape. “The sport at college and district levels is in a bad position, and the amount that has been spent on a professional level should be revealed before the public”, said Rana Sanaullah.

Rana Sanaullah also raised concerns over amounts being paid to mentors, who he highlighted admitted that they were unaware of their responsibilities and were being remunerated for doing nothing. “You will be surprised after hearing about the perks and privileges of other officer-bearers. You will be confused whether they are officials of a Pakistani institution or those belonging to a developed nation”, he said.

It would not be wrong to say that Pakistan’s performance on home grounds has certainly left fans heartbroken. In major ICC events, Pakistan’s performance in the past years has also not been mentionable.

In 2023, Pakistan only won four out of nine matches during the ODI World Cup in India and ended in fifth position on the points table. Pakistan also made an early exit from last year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA after losing to India and the USA in the preliminary stage.

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Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan’s Cricket Stadiums Far From Ready, Tournament Could Be Moved To Dubai, Claims Report

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Problems seem to be mounting for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as they face a race against time to handover a proper stadium to the International Cricket Council (ICC) before the Champions Trophy gets underway. According to The Times Of India report, the construction and upgradation work is still underway at the National Stadium in Karachi, Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium

A source following the developments said,”It is a very disappointing picture. All three stadiums are far from ready and it’s not renovation or refurbishment, but proper construction which is underway. There is so much work left with seats, floodlights, facilities and even the outfield and playing surfaces,”

The report further states there is not much time left for the venues to be handed over and it’s not a surprise that there are discussions about moving the entire tournament to the UAE. 

The PCB has to hand over the tournament venues to ICC by February 12, however, the stadium work which was scheduled to be finished by December 31, is yet to be completed.

A team of from the ICC will leave for Pakistan towards the end of the week to do a status check and informal contingency discussions are underway in Dubai corridors.

What is the Current stadium of Champions Trophy venues?

Lahore and Karachi are the two centres where heavy construction work is underway and their multi-storied enclosures, which will have dressing rooms and hospitality boxes, are yet to enter the finishing stages. In addition to the new enclosures, there is fencing work, placement of floodlights and seats which is far from the finish line.

The source added, “The weather is not ideal for construction and finishing work to happen at a rapid pace. At Gadaffi, even the plaster work isn’t completed yet. And most of the time is taken by finishing work because we are talking about dressing rooms etc. They just can’t be random rooms/enclosures for an ICC event. ICC has a checklist which needs to be met. National Stadium has decided to not completely finish the new enclosure because there is no time,”

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AFC Asian Cup 2027 to take place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar from Jan 7 to Feb 5

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Kuala Lumpur, Jan 7: The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will take place from January 7 to February 5 across three cities – Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar – in Saudi Arabia, the AFC announced on Tuesday.

A total of five stadiums in Riyadh will host the tournament’s matches; the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, the King Saud University Stadium, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Kingdom Arena and the Al Shabab Stadium.

Two stadiums have been confirmed for Jeddah – King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium – with a new state-of-the-art venue to be built in Al Khobar, completing the world-class infrastructure set to provide the backdrop for Asia’s top 24 national teams.

Saudi Arabia was announced as the host nation for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in 2023. This will be the first time Suadi Arabia will host the tournament.

“Confirming the dates and selecting the stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ is a strategic milestone in our journey to host the tournament. This announcement goes beyond simply identifying locations and schedules; it reflects the ongoing high-level collaboration between us and the AFC as we work towards delivering an exceptional tournament that fulfills the aspirations of the entire Asian continent,” Saudi Arabian Football Federation chief Yasser Al Misehal.

Eighteen teams have already sealed their places at the AFC Asian Cup 2027. The remaining berths will be decided via the Qualifiers Final Round, which is scheduled to commence from March 2025 and features six groups of four teams – confirmed at last month’s draw – with the winners of each group making up the final cast.

India, aiming for its fifth appearance at the AFC Asian Cup, has been placed in Group C alongside Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. The team will look to replicate or surpass its 2019 performance, where it showcased significant progress on the continental stage.

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