In a major disappointment for Rajasthan Royals, their final league match against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 was abandoned due to heavy rain. Despite constant efforts by ground staff and super soppers, the unpredictable weather in Guwahati forced the match to be called off, resulting in both teams receiving a point each. With this result, RR's chances of securing a top-two finish in the points table have been dashed.
The highly anticipated first test match between India and New Zealand got off to an electrifying start at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. Despite the rain delay, the crowd was treated to some intense fast bowling from New Zealand's Matt Henry, Tim Southee, and William ORourke. However, the highlight of the day was a stunning one-handed catch by Devon Conway to dismiss Indian batsman Sarfaraz Khan. At the time of writing, India has lost three wickets in just 10 overs and are struggling to make runs on a pitch that heavily favors the fast bowlers.
Amidst a disappointing start to the match against New Zealand, India's fielding woes continued as KL Rahul spilled a crucial catch of NZ skipper Tom Latham, who went on to score a vital 40 runs for his team. India's batting woes were also evident as they were bundled out for a humiliating 46 runs, with five batters registering ducks on the scoreboard. Despite a spirited bowling effort from Mohammed Siraj, New Zealand ended the day on a high, leaving India reelsing at their poor performance.
On Thursday, Virat Kohli surpassed MS Dhoni in the list of most capped players for India, as he was named in the playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Kohli now has 536 appearances for India, one more than the legendary Dhoni who retired with 535 caps. This puts Kohli in second place, behind Sachin Tendulkar who has 664 caps, while another batting great Rahul Dravid follows with 504. Despite this milestone, Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the ongoing Test, which is his 116th international match.
The age-old rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continues to heat up as the Argentine superstar drew level with the Portuguese with his jaw-dropping hat-trick against Bolivia. In just his second game back from injury, Messi put on a masterclass performance, scoring three goals and assisting two more in Argentina's 6-0 win in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. With his 10th international hat-trick, Messi now equals Ronaldo's record and is just 21 goals behind him in the overall international goal tally. Their intense competition shows no signs of slowing down even as they enter their late thirties.
In a thrilling match between India and New Zealand, wicketkeeper Tom Blundell dropped a routine catch off William O’Rourke's bowling, giving a lifeline to Indian batsman Rishabh Pant. The video of the missed opportunity has since gone viral, with fans taking note of the 34-year-old's mistake. Pant, who came out to bat at No. 5 for India, was batting on 7 runs from 15 balls when the catch was dropped. New Zealand opener Devon Conway, however, made up for it with a stunning catch to dismiss Pant's partner in the same over.
As the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan clash in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 draws closer, captain Mohammad Haris has revealed that discussing India in the team's dressing room is strictly prohibited. This statement has sparked curiosity and gained attention as the two countries have a history of intense sporting rivalries. While their rivalry often spills onto the field, Haris assures that Pakistan is focusing on all their opponents, including India, with equal importance.
In a heartwarming letter to former South African cricket player Ab de Villiers after his induction into the ICC Hall of Fame, Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli revealed that de Villiers was the most talented cricketer he has shared the dressing room with. Kohli ignored his own Indian team captain Rohit Sharma and legendary Sachin Tendulkar to pick de Villiers, who retired from international cricket in 2018, finishing with impressive stats in all three formats of the game.
The highly anticipated test series between India and New Zealand finally began on day 2 in Bengaluru, after the first day was completely washed out by persistent rain. India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first, making two changes to the playing XI due to injuries. Young batsman Shubman Gill was replaced by Sarfaraz Khan due to neck stiffness, while Kuldeep Yadav replaced pacer Akash Deep in anticipation of the pitch drying up. All eyes are on the two teams as they battle it out on day 2.
In the highly anticipated India vs New Zealand 2024 test match, superstar batsman Virat Kohli was sent back to the pavilion for a duck. This was the first time in 5 years that Kohli batted at the No. 3 spot, and the change was forced due to the absence of regular No. 3, Shubman Gill. However, it proved to be unsuccessful as Kohli struggled against the Kiwi pacers and continued his poor form in test cricket. With India at a shaky 10/3, the pressure is on for the remaining batsmen to perform.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced Jasprit Bumrah as the vice-captain for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. While Rohit Sharma remains the captain, this decision reflects Bumrah's growing importance as a leader in the team. Despite his limited captaincy experience, Bumrah's tactical understanding and contributions to the team's leadership group have earned him this new role. Additionally, as the most experienced pacer, Bumrah has been tasked with mentoring the younger bowlers in the team.