New Delhi, Feb 24: In the 2025 Champions Trophy, India’s middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has made his place as a solid number four batter and former batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes the right-handed batter is always trying to get better and better with every outing.

At the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, Iyer continued his good run by making 56 runs off 67 balls and added 114 runs for the third wicket with Virat Kohli, who went on to hit an unbeaten hundred, as the partnership proved pivotal in India’s chasing down 242 with 45 balls to spare.

“He is somebody who is very hardworking in the sense that he has gone through a lot of challenges. He has missed out playing Test cricket because of some injury concerns and knows the value of playing for the nation. And that’s when, once he got that big performance in the World Cup, there was never a question that who is going to be India’s number four.”

“So, he is a player who is always trying to get better and better. As for his approach against the short ball, I am very happy that earlier he used to back off to the left side and hit towards the offside. But now he is happy to develop a method wherein if he feels that he has to be defensive, he is defensive. And when he wants to attempt the shots, there is a high percentage of shots which he has control over,” said Bangar on JioHotstar.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, the former India batter, believes Iyer is someone who injects momentum into an ODI innings for the Rohit Sharma-led side. “There is one thing that separates him from the rest. In skating over thin ice, your safety is speed. This man gives you that speed. See, you look at the pace at which the scoreboard is moving- Pakistan, after the first 34 or 35 overs were 134 or 140-odd.”

“First 10 overs, India was 60-70. And when this man comes, he puts on his skating shoes and is invariably changing gear from the first gear to the fourth gear or the fifth gear and then he comes back. So, he paces his inning. 67 balls, 56. It’s not 95 balls, scoring a 50. So, there are qualities that Shreyas Iyer has.”

Former Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Monday slammed trolls for doubting cricketer Mohammed Shami and writer Javed Akhtar’s patriotism because of their religion during the India vs Pakistan match in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy.

Taking to X, Aaditya wrote, “The worst of where our andh bhakts are taking our country to.”

“Doubting Shami and Javed Akhtar ji on their patriotism because of their religion. Both proud Indians, contributing actively to Indian glory through their own skill,” he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) pointed out that BJP leader and former union minister Anurag Thakur was spotted watching the match with former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi, who has been “outspokenly anti-Bharat.”

“But the same trolls are too afraid to speak on a BJP leader and former minister who sat with a cricketer who has been outspokenly anti-Bharat. The very same former minister whose party tells every other opposition member to ‘go to Pakistan’ and this minister screams ‘desh ke gaddaron ko’ on the streets,” he said.

Highlighting both incidents, he questioned, “Aaj desh ka gaddar kaun hai?”

Aaditya further said that if the politician was from any party other than the BJP, it would have resulted in FIRs, protests, being called anti-India, and being told to go to Pakistan.

Targeting BJP for its ‘divisive’ politics, he said, “Sadly, this is what the BJP’s philosophy is – create divisions within our own country, make us fight within our own country – divide Hindus and Muslims – so that BJP can win. But their bosses and boss’s families can chill, party with those from Pakistan, especially those who have been openly anti-India.”

Upping his attack on the BJP, he said “this is the same BJP-run BCCI that played cricket with Bangladesh (in an informal tournament by invitation) when the BJP’s social media ecosystem and media told us that Hindus in Bangladesh faced violence.”

“BJP now is: Elections done, Hindus forgotten, Patriotism forgotten. Or is it ‘time please’ for BJP from patriotism,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA said.

“When they teach you patriotism and Hindutva again, show them this photo of their leader enjoying the match with the anti-India cricketer and ask the BJP if they are ok with this? My Patriotism and Hindutva is clear: respect mine, I respect yours. But no compromise with hate – of any kind, from anyone,” he concluded his post with these remarks.

Along with the post, Aaditya shared several screenshots in which trolls targeted Javed Akhtar and Mohammed Shami over their religious beliefs. He also shared a picture of Anurag Thakur and Shahid Afridi and a screenshot of a news article about Shahid Afridi’s anti-India remarks.

New Delhi, Feb 24: Jatin Paranjape, the former India cricketer and national selector, stated that the current team management will be thrilled with the near-flawless execution by the Rohit Sharma-led side in registering a six-wicket win over Pakistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

At the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, India bowled out Pakistan for 241 in 49.4 overs, with left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav taking 3-40 and Hardik Pandya picking 2-31, while Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Harshit Rana took a scalp each.

In reply, Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 100, his 51st ODI century, and also passed the 14,000 runs mark in the format as India chased down 242 with 45 balls to spare. The win has meant that India have all but secured the spot in the semi-finals with two wins in two Group A matches.

“This will not be the toughest match that India plays in this tournament, but it certainly was the most high-profile one. The Indian team management will be extremely happy with the near-perfect execution by the entire team yesterday. With the ball Hardik, Harshit, Jadeja, Axar and Kuldeep were superb in the way they took the pace off the deliveries by reading the pitch to a nicety.

“Hardik especially was great through the spells that he bowled. It was good to see him backing the natural outswinger that he has and he got the all-important wicket of Babar Azam, who looked in sublime touch,” said Paranjape, member of BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee and co-founder of KheloMore, to IANS on Monday.

Kohli’s unbeaten hundred came off 111 balls, laced with seven boundaries – a knock that brought his vintage self to the fore. He also shared partnerships of 69 and 114 with Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who made 46 and 56, respectively.

“With the bat Rohit Sharma looked in a superb mental space and batting touch. Shreyas Iyer also looked in great touch and the ball was pinging off the bat. Kohli was magical and manoeuvred the team home like the great champion that he is. Pakistan continues to be haunted by him,” added Paranjape.

India’s final Group A match will be against a mighty New Zealand on March 2, and Paranjape signed off by hoping the slight injury concerns should ease out ahead of another crunch game in the eight-team tournament.

“India have a couple of worries with Shami’s shin that clearly restricted him and also seeing Rohit Sharma moving around gingerly because of the hamstring is worrying. The next game will probably be the most important indicator of India’s form – against the brave Kiwis who will never give up,” he said.