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SA v IND, 1st Test: He did it today and will know his job is not over, says Rabada on Elgar

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South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada stated that captain Dean Elgar is aware his mission is not over yet with South Africa still needing 211 runs to win on day five of first Test against India. He added that the team has to show belief in itself to complete an improbable chase. Elgar put up a strong resistance of unbeaten 52 runs as South Africa reached 94/4 at stumps on day four.

“Dean has done this countless times, where he shows fight when it is the toughest. He did it today and will know his job is not over. He is out there, doing his best for his team and country. So, he is leading from the front,” said Rabada in the virtual press conference.

“We just have to show belief. We will strategise overnight and work out how we want to approach this. Every sportsman has to believe that they can win from any position. They have to have that belief. There has been a chat over when it is going to rain or not. At the same time, it is an uncontrollable and have to think of actually coming out and having a full day’s play of cricket,” added Rabada.

Rabada, who took 4/42 in the second innings, was in praise of debutant all-rounder Marco Jansesn picking 4/55 after taking 1/69 in the first innings. “He’s a phenomenal talent as everyone has now seen. He’s an awkward customer to face. He’s tall and has got some pace and can swing the ball as well. So, there’s seam, bounce and pace coming at you. In the second innings, he justified his selection and why the selectors, captain and all of us have faith in him. He seems like he wants to learn and is a hard worker. So, rest is up to him to decide what he is really keen on doing all for himself and for his team.”

Talking about the changing nature of the pitch, Rabada said, “I think the pitch was a bit slow, very slow on day one. It then quickened up and the movement just happens quicker. Batsmen have less time to react as the ball shoots up through a little bit more. But I also do feel like we tightened up our lines too.”

The 26-year-old was in praise of India’s pace attack doing well at the SuperSport Park, especially with Jasprit Bumrah knocking over Rassie van der Dussen and Keshav Maharaj in the last 20 minutes of day four. “They have got some quality bowlers. Shami is very experienced and Bumrah also, quite experienced. Siraj has been bowling well for them in some time now in the recent past. They have got a good attack and have got pace and skills. So, they are showing why they are a good attack.”

Rabada, who bowled 17 no-balls in the match, signed off by saying he will look to improve upon this issue ahead of the second Test at Johannesburg. “It’s not acceptable. It’s something that I need to work on. The rhythm is not too bad. Quite happy with it as the bowling has been better.”

International

CT 2025: India to take on Pakistan on Feb 23, likely to play in Colombo or Dubai: Sources

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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.

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It’s OFFICIAL! All India vs Pakistan Matches At ICC Events To Be Played At Neutral Venue Till 2027

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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.

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‘Our dream is getting fulfilled’: Coach Sumit Bhatia elated to see Kho Kho going global

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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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