International
IND v WI: There’s not a lot we need to change, says Rohit Sharma on ODI template
India white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma believes that not much changes are needed in terms of ODI template. He added that giving clarity in roles of individuals in the squad will be decisive in future.
Sharma’s full-time stint as white-ball captain will start from the first ODI against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.
“There’s not (a) lot we need to change. We just need to adapt to different situations of the game being presented in front of us. We have played good ODI cricket over the course of more than few years actually. Losing just one series doesn’t mean we need to create panic,” said Sharma in the virtual press conference.
“It’s just that certain learning and understanding that we need to take into our game and South Africa series provided great learnings into what we didn’t do collectively as a team. Eventually, it is a team sport and everyone has to come in, perform and then win the game. It cannot happen with one or two guys stepping up,” added Sharma.
He further remarked, “It’s important that everyone comes and plays together in the roles given to them. What is important for us moving forward is the role clarity of certain individual in the squad. If we put that into place and talk to the individual about it, we can get what we want from different individuals in different points of the game.”
Ishan to open
Sharma confirmed that Ishan Kishan will open the innings alongside him in the first ODI on Sunday. He also said that opener Mayank Agarwal, drafted into the squad after Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaikwad tested positive for COVID-19, is still in mandatory isolation.
“Ishan is the only option that we have and he will open. Mayank was added to the squad but he is still in isolation. He came late and we have some rules in place. If someone is travelling, we have to put them into quarantine.
He has still not finished his quarantine, so Ishan will open the innings. Unless there’s an injury as we have training today and there is nothing of that sort. Fingers crossed.”
Kuldeep and Chahal in the mix
Sharma admitted playing the successful wrist-spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will be on his mind as India try to get the right options for picking wickets in the middle-overs.
“It’s going to be very crucial. These two guys have been great performers for us in the past and created an impact in those years whenever they played together. They were left out due to combinations we wanted, like getting an extra batter or seamer. It is why one out of the two missed out but it’s certainly on my mind to get them back together.”
At the same time, Sharma cautioned against rushing in Yadav into playing due to him being out of action after a knee injury and subsequent surgery in September 2021.
“Kuldeep, specially, hasn’t played since the last IPL, got injured there and was out since then. He hasn’t played a lot of games after that as well. So, we want to get him in slowly and don’t want him to rush into things, otherwise it cannot do good for the team and also for him.
“It’s important to give him some time, come into the groove, into his own and it will take a little bit of time. We don’t want to put him into a situation where we are asking too much of him. For us, it is important that we handle the situation carefully. Both of these guys are important.
“Chahal played in South Africa and Kuldeep has just got back into the squad. Kuldeep needs to play a lot of games to get his rhythm back and we understand that.”
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.”
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