A nail-biting second day of the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2024 saw former India cricketer and current coach Rahul Dravid's younger son, Anvay, steal the show with an unbeaten hundred during Karnataka's match against Jharkhand. His patient batting, along with a solid top-order, led Karnataka to dominate the game. Despite a few breakthroughs from Jharkhand's Ayush Khare, Anvay's unbeaten hundred proved to be the highlight of the day.
Bihar's rising star Vaibhav Suryavanshi created history at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, becoming the youngest player to be sold for a whopping 1.10 crore to Rajasthan Royals. The 13-year-old left-handed batter caught the attention of teams with his impressive performance in international and first-class cricket matches. He will now have the opportunity to learn from legendary cricketer Rahul Dravid, who is the head coach of Rajasthan Royals. This marks yet another milestone for the young prodigy from Samastipur, Bihar.
Indian batting sensation Virat Kohli made history at Optus Stadium, Perth on Sunday by surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of most Test centuries by an Indian batter in Australia and equalling former Australian captain Ricky Ponting's record of most 100s in India-Australia Tests played in Australia. Kohli's 30th Test century in 14 matches also helped him overtake Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara in the list of batters with most runs in India-Australia Tests.
India's star batsman, Virat Kohli, is gearing up to take part in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he has the chance to surpass former Indian cricketer, Rahul Dravid, for the most Test runs against Australia. With just 124 runs away, Kohli could break Dravid's record of 2166 runs in 33 matches and 66 innings. Currently, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs against Australia in Tests, with VVS Laxman closely behind him at second place.
Sanju Samson, a talented Indian cricketer, has had a remarkable turnaround in his career under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav. After finally being given consistent opportunities, Samson grabbed them with both hands and became the first Indian batsman to hit consecutive T20I centuries. However, amidst his success, his father expressed frustration over the past decade where his son did not receive enough chances. He blamed former captains MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and coach Rahul Dravid for hindering Samson's career progression.
Anvay Dravid, son of cricket legend Rahul Dravid, has been selected in Karnataka's probable list for the Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, following in his father's footsteps. With former state players Kunal Kapoor and Adithya B Sagar appointed as head coach and bowling coach, the youngster will have experienced guidance in the upcoming tournament. While Anvay prepares for the Under-16 campaign, his elder brother Samit is already representing the state team.
New Zealand shocked cricket fans around the world as they defeated India in their own backyard, winning their first Test series in India in 69 years. With this victory, India's chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final are in jeopardy. This unexpected defeat has left fans pointing fingers at head coach Rahul Dravid, calling for his dismissal.
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 former Indian cricket team coach, Rahul Dravid, paid a surprise visit to the team's net practice session and shared a lighthearted moment with players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant. As India gears up for the first Test against New Zealand with a home advantage, the pressure is on pace veteran Tim Southee to perform and keep his place in the team. With experience and a decent record in India, Southee will have to rediscover his form to secure his spot and help his team against the dominating Indian side.
According to reports, former Sri Lankan captain and current Rajasthan Royals director of cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, may part ways with the franchise and join Kolkata Knight Riders as their mentor. This comes after the departure of Gautam Gambhir, Ryan ten Doeschate, and Abhishek Nayar from the KKR coaching staff. RR have seen good results under Sangakkara's guidance and KKR may be looking to bring in his expertise for their upcoming season. Stay tuned for updates on this potential move.