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U-19 CWC: Warm-up win against Australia will not matter in semis vs Australia, says Dhull

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Ahead of their U-19 ICC Cricket World Cup semifinal against Australia, India captain Yash Dhull has said that the huge win against their rivals in a warm-up game last month will not have any “substantial impact” in the last-four game to be played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Thursday (IST).

India had crushed the Cooper Connolly-led Aussies by nine wickets in Guyana before the tournament got underway, with Dhull himself scoring an unbeaten half century and the spinners wrecking havoc. However, Dhull feels the differences in conditions and the nature of the wicket make Thursday’s match an incomparable scenario.

“The wicket in the warm-up match against Australia Under-19s was different to the one we will have in the semifinal tomorrow (in Antigua),” said Dhull on the eve of the match.

India are aiming to lift the prestigious trophy for the fifth time and are two wins away from the title. England have already secured the final berth following a thrilling 15-run win against Afghanistan.

“The game will be played depending on the pitch conditions. So, we will only know tomorrow how we will bowl and how we can put Australia under pressure. We will look to play with a positive mindset. We will look to set the target as per the condition of the wicket and the situation of the match,” Dhull told ICC on Wednesday.

He also said that there were no selection worries after the COVID-19 mayhem in the early days of the tournament when five players had tested positive and were unavailable for selection for two matches. Dhull was also laid low by COVID-19, but recovered to produce an excellent display in the quarterfinal win against Bangladesh.

“Everyone is fit and fine and available for selection,” said Dhull.

The skipper also praised team coach VVS Laxman, who scored over 8,000 runs in Test cricket for the senior India team. “VVS Laxman has been sharing his experience with us and been talking about the mindset we need to have. His role has been important for us.”

Meanwhile, Australian skipper Connolly is backing batting prodigy Teague Wyllie to help fire his side against the talented India team in the last-four clash. Connolly feels his team has the ability to get there, particularly if his Western Australia teammate Wyllie can maintain his fine form as the three-week tournament reaches its conclusion.

Wiley has scored 264 runs in four matches and, going into the semifinals, is the fourth-highest run scorer at the World Cup. “I said at the start of the tournament that he (Teague Wyllie) was going to be a big run scorer for us. I backed him as a Western Australia man, I’ve seen him progress all the way from playing as a junior. He is a really talented guy,” said Connolly.

“There is no reason why he can’t continue to do that and I think he can play a big role for us in these last couple of matches.”

The 18-year-old all-rounder also confirmed that facing their toughest opponent so far wouldn’t stop his team from playing positively. Australia chased down a big total in their group win over Scotland before putting 276 runs on the board in the Super League quarterfinal win against Pakistan.

“There is no change from us in approach. We are just going to try and play some good cricket and hopefully we can knock off India. They are a very good side and we know that, but I think if we play our best cricket we can beat them To reach the final would be pretty cool. I spoke to Mitch Marsh briefly about it, because he won the last one for Australia (in 2010) . I’d love to be able to get to that spot and do the same as him,” Connolly added.

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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