Pari recently posted a video of her practice in the nets where she is seen facing both spinners and pacers on a cemented turf. With all the batting gears in place, she plays every ball on its merit.
She cover drives, sweeps, punches on back foot, flicks on her pads, she seems to have all the shots in her kitty. And the style and grace in her batting reminds of the great Rahul Dravid.
She is a verified user on Facebook and boasts more than 121,000 followers on her page.
While some followers went gaga over her shot selection, some wanted her to play for India already.
A user Abhisek Chawla commented, "Pari Sharma u will be wearing blue jersey and this is 100 percent sure."
Another user, Vijay Gaonkar raised concern over her practising mainly on cement pitches, " Pari Sharma beta ciment pitch pe jada practice mat Karo...."
The fad for cricket is so high in the tinsel town pitch that Glam queens have fallen over cric heroes including the lovely couples, Mohammad Azharuddin - Sangeeta Bijlani and Virat Kohli- Anushka Sharma.
History has witnessed several living cricket legends showcasing their acting talent in front of the camera. Continuing the trend, former Indian cricketer and left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan has made his debut in the tinsel town with Chiyaan Vikram's Tamil action-thriller flick Cobra also starring KGF queen Srinidhi Shetty among others.
Taking the glorious dalliance of tinsel town with Cricketers to a new pitch, Irfan Pathan has taken the action charge in the movie.
Cobra released theatrically on Aug 31. Though the movie has failed to impress a certain section of the audience, the hype for the movie remains high. While Vikram is seen in as many as six elaborate get-ups, the inclusion of Srinidhi and all-rounder bowler Irfan raised the excitement among fans.
Apart from the length of the movie (a little over three hours), the confusing narration was also blamed for the negative reviews. Considering the audience feedback, the duration was reduced by 20 minutes on the second day.
Irfan portrays the character of an Interpol officer. The cricket star, who shined on the field with his actions, has now impressed many with his onscreen actions as Aslan Yilmaz. Well, more about his character can be known after watching the movie.
Throughout his sports career, Irfan has embarked on several achievements. He overcame several barriers and emerged as the "blue-eyed boy" of Indian cricket. However, now speculations have been raised if Irfan will continue his journey as an actor and leave an everlasting mark in the minds of movie lovers as an actor or will fade away from the tinsel town when the flamboyance of several other cricket legends couldn't sizzle on the silver screen.
Here we bring a list of cricketers who have a close association with the tinsel town.
Sunil Gavaskar- Little Master Sunil Gavaskar starred in a Marathi movie Savli Premachi and also had a cameo in 1988's Malaamaal starring Naseeruddin Shah.
Kapil Dev: Though not in major roles, Cricket legend Kapil Dev has made silver screen appearances multiple times. Movies like Iqbal, Mujhse Shadi Karogi, Stumped, and the most recent 83, gave his glance.
Syed Kirmani- Syed Kirmani earned fame as one of the most accomplished wicket-keepers of the Indian team. He was a part of the 1983 World Cup winning team. Kirmani did appear as the antagonist in Kabhi Ajnabi The. Later, he had a cameo role in the Malayalam movie ‘Mazhavillinattam Vare’ in 2012.
Sandeep Patil- Sandeep Patil stepped into the tinsel town as a protagonist in 'Kabhi Ajnabi The’ and locked horns with Kirmani.
Salim Durani- Salim Durani won the hearts of his fans as he hit sixes at the request of the crowd. He became the first cricketer to win the Arjuna Award. He forayed into the tinsel town and made his debut with Charitra opposite Parveen Babi.
Ajay Jadeja- The handsome hunk of the Indian cricket team, Ajay Jadeja had tried his luck in B-Town. His charming, stylish and effervescent qualities had a long-lasting effect on girls including Madhuri Dixit. However, his charm couldn't show magic in the tinsel town. He stepped in the lead role in 2003's Khel, which bombed at the box office. Even though he played a role in Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas but this movie also turned out to be a disaster. Later, Ajay made guest appearances in a few movies.
Vinod Kambli- Vinod Kambli recently made it to the headlines after he made a startling revelation about his financial condition. The Mumbai lad, who emerged as one of the best talents, couldn't have a glorifying career on the field. he also tried his luck in the film industry, however, luck didn't support him and his movie Aanarth with Suniel Shetty bombed at the box office. The debacle put an end to his acting career.
S Sreesanth- S Sreesanth made his debut with a Tollywood movie, ‘Team 5’. His debut in the acting profession was as the main lead opposite Nikki Galrani. Later, he made his Bollywood debut with ‘Aksar 2’.
There are several other cricketers who have appeared on the silver screen. The list includes Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sachin Tendulkar, Javagal Srinath, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel, Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan. However, all these had cameo appearances in different movies.
Now, it is MS Dhoni, who is foraying into the tinsel town, but not as an actor. Dhoni will be producing a Tamil movie starring Thalapathy Vijay. Well, this is certainly not the end. The coming days will see more influx of cric stars into the tinsel town.
The sources indicated that the Ministry of Culture, which sent the proposal, is in talks with BCCI officials to try and rope in top Indian players as well as popular cricketers from abroad to play the match as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign.
BCCI sources said at this point of time, the proposal is still being discussed as there are a lot of operational and logistical elements associated with procuring the services of international players.
"We have received a proposal from the government to organise a cricket match between India XI and World XI on August 22. For a rest of the world squad, we would need at least 13-14 international players and their availability is something that we need to check on, a source said.
He added during that time, English domestic cricket would be underway and the Caribbean Premier League would also begin. The BCCI is checking if international players would have to be compensated financially for their participation.
As far as services of international cricketers are concerned, top BCCI officials will be in Birmingham for the ICC annual conference (July 22-26), where they might speak to officials of other boards to release a few of their players for the match in India.
Getting top stars of the Indian team won't be a problem, the sources said.
An away series against Zimbabwe, comprising three ODIs, ends on August 20. Some of the players in this particular series might arrive only on August 22 and hence, would not be available.
However, top players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, who are not going to Zimbabwe, will be available before they leave for Asia Cup starting August 27 in Sri Lanka.
BCCI sources stated that all Indian players will be requested and they are likely to join the squad for the match.
They added that the Indian cricketers would need little convincing as it is an event organised under the aegis of the government of India.
The cause of concern at this time is to ensure that the quality of the World XI team is top-notch, they said.
As of now, it is unclear whether the match will have the status of an international T20 or a friendly.
While it is yet to be confirmed, the match, if conducted, is likely to be held at Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
The government's Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav campaign is an initiative to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence, with a focus on highlighting events and people, which despite being part of the freedom struggle have been left largely unknown and unheard.
Under the campaign, the government has not just brought in collaborations among its various departments but also has joined hands with NGOs, educational institutions, e-commerce platforms and even the general public in highlighting the achievements of the country over the last 75 years and the little-known achievers who have braved great odds to succeed.
According to the calendar of events prepared by the Ministry of Culture, the celebrations will include exhibitions on trains along with the Indian Railways, titled "Azaadi Ki Rail Gadi Aur Stations", and the Kargil Vijay Divas in July, when a motorcycle ride organised by the defence ministry would reach Tiger Hill.
In August, the birth anniversary of Pingalli Venkayya, who designed the national flag, will also be celebrated.
The sources said the cricket match under the campaign would showcase the importance of sports and pay homage to the popularity of cricket in India.
During the Test match at Mohali, Jadeja had become the first player in Men's Test cricket history to score more than 150 runs and take nine wickets in a single Test. Apart from the all-rounder rankings, Jadeja's unbeaten 175 lifted him up to 17 places from 54th to 37th rank with the bat.
The nine wickets scalped by him helped Jadeja to move up to 17th position with the ball. His all-round contribution was enough for him to regain the top all-rounder spot from West Indies' Jason Holder, who had held it since February 2021. Jadeja's only previous time on top of all-rounders rankings was in August 2017, when he spent a week at number one.
Holder, meanwhile, is now at second place while Ravichandran Ashwin is at third position. From an Indian perspective, senior batter Virat Kohli, who hit the landmark of 100th Test at Mohali, returned to the top five of the Men's Batting Rankings at fifth pace, jumping ahead of Travis Head and new India skipper Rohit Sharma.
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's quickfire 96 against Sri Lanka sees him move into the top ten, at the tenth place, at the expense of Australia opener David Warner.
Far away from Mohali, in the Rawalpindi Test between host Pakistan and Australia, which ended in a batting feast draw, opener Imam-ul-Haq hit a century each in both innings to move to a career best 63rd place with 477 points.
His teammate Azhar Ali struck 185 and moved up 10 places to 12 whilst Haq's opening partner, Abdullah Shafique added a second-innings century to gain 27 places to 67. Australia's Marnus Labuschagne missed out on a century, being dismissed for 90, but that was enough to gain a point up to 936 and 12th position on his own in the list of highest-ever batting ratings.
Usman Khawaja also fell in the 90s but continued his renaissance, moving up six places to 24 with the bat, his highest position for three years. In bowlers rankings, spinner Nauman Ali of Pakistan impressed with figures of 6/107 in Australia's first innings and saw him gain 19 places to 51.
The Ranji Trophy was scheduled to start on January 13 this year but was postponed indefinitely by the BCCI due to the third wave of the pandemic.
"The Ranji Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket. The moment you start ignoring it our cricket will be SPINELESS!," Shastri tweeted.
BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal, after a meeting of the Board on Thursday, said that the body intend to hold the marquee domestic tournament in "two phases".
This is because the BCCI is planning to start the IPL from March 27 and it will be practically impossible to hold the Ranji Trophy at a stretch.
Dhumal had said this after many state units and the BCCI brass held a meeting to discuss the way forward.
The meeting was also attended by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.
As of now, the plan is to hold the league phase for a month, starting in February till March and then have the next phase in June-July, when the monsoon starts in a lot of parts of the country with peak summer in some other parts.
"The operations team will work out the logistics and factor in the weather, venue availability as well as availability of players. We are very keen to organise the tournament and that is why we are exploring all possibilities to stage it without compromising players' safety," Dhumal added.
The pandemic had played spoilsport last season as well when the BCCI could only organise two men's white-ball tournaments (Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy).
The BCCI paid 50 per cent of the earlier match fee as compensation to all first-class cricketers who endured financial losses due to Ranji's cancellation last year.
If it is not held this year, it will severely affect the BCCI's feeder line like the India A team, which is primarily selected on the basis of Rani Trophy performances.
Shastri's tenure with the Indian team ended with an early exit from T20 World Cup.
Kohli, who has taken rest for the T20 series and one Test against New Zealand to recover bubble fatigue in COVID times, has relinquished captaincy in the shortest format after the showpiece event.
Speaking to India Today, Shastri was asked about Kohli giving up captaincy in other formats to manage his workload better.
"In red ball cricket, India have been number one for the last five years under his captaincy. Unless, he wants to give it up or he is mentally fatigued where he says he wants to focus on my batting which can happen in the near future.
"It wont happen immediately but it can happen. The same might happen with white ball cricket, he might say he had enough and he focuses on Test captaincy. It is his mind and body that will make that decision. He won't be the first.
"A lot of successful players have given up captaincy to focus on their batting for their side."
Shastri said Kohli remains the fittest cricketer in the team by far.
"He is hungry for sure, fitter than anybody in the team. No doubt about that. When you are physically that fit, your longevity only increases. On the captaincy part of it, it will be his decision but I see if anything he might say no to white ball cricket but red ball, he should carry on because he has been the best ambassador for the test cricket. That will make him carry on," said Shastri.
Shastri also foresees many players in the team, including Kohli taking long breaks to recover from bubble fatigue.
He also spoke on the relevance of split captaincy in COVID times.
"Especially, in these times it will reduce the pressure on the individual. A lot of players will take breaks. I foresee lot of plays wanting breaks and rightly so. You need to switch off from the game from time to time."
Shastri reiterated that playing World Cup right after IPL was not ideal for the team but didn't want to blame BCCI as the re-scheduling happened because of COVID-19.
"I won't say that but because IPL was cancelled in April, they had no choice. But I don't think that will happen in the future. Kapil is right about the scheduling part because it will take its toll," he said when asked to comment on Kapil Dev's statement on players prioritising IPL over country.
"It is not just the BCCI, every board has to be careful on scheduling. Don't forget, we play more cricket than any other team in the world, if you add the IPL."
New Zealand and Australia face in the final on Sunday.
"The teams that are playing in the final on Sunday, they have hardly played in the last 6 months and you can see the difference. They have played enough to keep themselves sharp but they have got enough round of rest, at times forced as well," Shastri said.
Colonel, the name given to you has always intrigued us. Why Colonel?
Oh My God! That must be long time back. I think it was when I played for Bombay for the first time in 1975 and it was Irani Cup match. I was 18-19 years old and I scored a 100 in that match and hit seven sixes.
Lala Amaranth was doing commentary that time and he was an expert on All India Radio. Someone asked him about me how good these boys are (pointing at Vengsarkar). He said he bats like Colonel CK Naidu. So the press picked it up and that is why this Colonel is being addressed to my name. It continues even today but only by the press to be honest. Nobody calls me Colonel anyway. I have never been in the Army.
You have visited Odisha many times earlier as a cricketer. This time as an icon to give away the prestigious Ekalabya award, the only coveted award organised by IMFA group for Sportspersons in the State. How do you feel being a part of such an occasion. How important is it for sportspersons to be recognised and appreciated by their respective governments?
It’s a great honour. I think it’s a fantastic award been given to the best sportspersons of the State. It’s a great thing and IMFA is doing a great job. My compliments to all the committee members, IMFA president and everybody connected with this award function. And congratulations to all those sportspersons who have achieved so much for the State and the country as well.
Its very very important for sportspersons to be recognised because you work hard, you do well in India as well as abroad. So recognition has to be there. Then you get motivated also and feel happy that everybody is praising you and receiving such awards really help you do better and better all the time.
Coming to cricket, what’s your take on the changing format of the game? Is test cricket losing is importance due to shorter formats of the game?
Unfortunately, yes. Actually I still believe test cricket is ultimate format. These matches test your skills and mental toughness as well. On the other hand, T20 format is very exciting format. It is here to stay, popular all over the world. There are some players, unfortunately, who want to play only in T20s, which is not good for the game at all.
But all formats are good. All the players should play all the formats. They have to keep in touch with the game & they must play everything.
If test cricket goes out of scene, I think it will kill the game basically, that’s what I feel. For all formats to survive, it’s important for test cricket to survive.
How do you see the present Indian team in context of the World Cup 2019?
Indian team is number one in the world at the moment. They are playing so well. They beat everybody, did very well in England and doing well against the West Indies. Windies is a good team and won the championship of T20I matches. I am sure there will be good matches. All the matches were close, unlike test match cricket where India dominated throughout.
Do selectors play an important role in deciding the future of the team on the whole?
About 10-12 players just pick themselves. It’s a matter of 2-3 players when I think the expertise of selectors come to the fore. And the selectors have to play an important role. If they see exceptional talent at a very young age, they must have the courage of conviction to keep the guy at that time. You have to select the player at the right time. The time has to be very precise and selectors play a very important role in this.
Kohli was your selection..
I made Dhoni also the captain in 2007. And we selected Virat Kohli in 2008 or 2009. Not only me. I was the Chairman of the selection committee; the entire committee was magnanimous on picking both of them, one as a captain and one as a player.
Kohli was U-19 player then. I had gone to Australia to watch the ‘Emerging Players’ tournament where India was participating. He scored a hundred against New Zealand. He played very well & I was convinced that here’s a boy who should be groomed. I came home and told selectors and MS Dhoni who was the captain then, that this boy is very good and we should pick him.
Dhoni has been dropped from Australia T20Is and Yuvraj doesn’t get a chance. Is this a wise decision?
I guess Dhoni wants to play only one format of the game, because next big tournament is World Cup, that’s what I feel. And you have to look ahead as well. Rishabh Pant is a young guy, very talented & he did very well in the IPL as well. I think India is looking for a T20 guy who would play for India for a long time. And Pant fills that place. Dhoni, of course, has been an outstanding cricketer and his service to Indian cricket has been huge. I would say I think he wants to play World Cup now.
How about Prithvi Shaw?
Shaw is an exceptional talent & comes from a very humble background. He came to Mumbai and he would travel in train two hours every day, until somebody spotted and kept with him, so that he could attend coaching. He did very well for India U-19, India ‘A’ team and for India as well because he scored a 100 in his first game. Even he played well in Duleep Trophy.
I hope he gets a chance to play in the first eleven. He is ready for international cricket and is a delight to watch.
Yo-Yo test has been the bone of contention for some time now? Your take on whether fitness should be the only major criteria for selection of players.
I think fitness also is important now, because during our time, the game was much slower, 5-day game basically. But now in one day matches and T20s, you have to be on your toes. All the time you have to be extremely fit.
Yo-Yo test might be important, am not saying that, but your skills are also very important at the same time. Ambati Rayudu had performed well but failed in Yo-Yo test, so he missed out on the recent England tour. It was somebody who had not performed got to play in England, it’s very unfair indeed.
On whether the fitness test should continue..
As a test it’s important. But that should not be the only criteria because how match-fit a player is, his form, skills are important at the highest level so that’s also one has to look into.
India captain Virat Kohli had requested the BCCI to allow wives and girlfriends to accompany the players throughout their overseas tours. Justified?
When I was playing, they used to allow spouses to come during midway of the tournament. That’s when actually you don’t feel homesick. Once the wives come on the tour for a while, it definitely helps. Then you are not talking about the game, about the matches.
But it doesn’t distract you. It’s for a particular period of time. I think BCCI has done a good thing that they have allowed them, I think for a couple of weeks during middle of the tour.
If you are asked to pick the best 11 for World Cup 2019, who all would figure in it?
I think the guys who are playing now are doing well. I think I would pick Prithvi Shaw to open the innings. Dhawan has been opening the innings but he has not been in good form and he failed in England also. The next World Cup also is in England. I would also like KL Rahul to open the innings. They are fine cricketers. And lot of players who have been playing now against the WI, they are very good players.
How do you feel the state teams have been faring as far as selecting the right talent? In context of Odisha, not many are making to the national team, what do you think ails them?
The thing is that every association must organise U-12, U-14, U-16, U-19, U-25 tournaments. If they play more matches, they will gain more experience and exposure. I don’t know how many grounds you have in Odisha and how many tournaments you organise here. But In Mumbai, we organise 125 official tournaments.
Coaching also is very vital. The coach has to guide them properly. They are the level 2 or level 3 coaches who have not played cricket. So the thing is that if you have knowledge about coaching, it’s important to know when to implement that knowledge. Every bowler has a different style and different technique, it’s important how to get a batsman out and the coach has to tell that. Coaches should help them improvise.
What does the Elf Academy that you have founded do? Do you coach aspiring cricketers there?
Those are sponsored academies. We select the boys and many have come from a humble background and we pick them only on merit. All those who play for Mumbai in U-14, U-16, U-19 or first class, 60-70% boys come from my academy. It’s free of cost. We don’t charge money from them. All the sponsors look after the expenses of the academy, so that differently helps them.
There is no such hindrance for players from other states to come and play in the academy but then the accommodation is a huge thing in Mumbai, the hotels are very expensive.
Personally, I dedicate a couple of hours every day in the academy & train them on every aspect of the game.
How do you find Odisha, have you been around the heritage destinations?
I have been to Puri. When I landed, I felt this place is so clean and beautiful, it reminds me of Kerala basically and there are 2-3 places like this in India. I am really impressed by Odisha, with the greenery and cleanliness of this place. Really really impressed!
Johri, who was the Executive Vice-President and General Manager (South Asia) for Discovery Network Asia Pacific, before joining as BCCI CEO in 2016 was accused of taking advantage of the victim by offering a job opportunity.
Johri has been named in a Twitter post by author Harnidh Kaur, who shared screenshots of a detailed account of the victim on her Twitter handl@PedestianPoet. Johri was not immediately available for comment.
The victim levelled allegations against Johri saying he had taken her to his place where he said "the final part" of an interview would take place.
"Rahul Johri: Currently the CEO of BCCI - Ex Discovery Channel. Rahul was an ex-colleague. Through the times of partying at Raj's house, then building a successful media business, and then wading through other channels -- Rahul kept in touch with me," read the screenshot on Kaur's handle.
During a discussion on possible job, he suddenly got up and asked Kaur to accompany him to his home. She knew his wife, having socially met and invited the couple to her home earlier for dinner. When they reached his house, he took out the key to unlock the door to which Kaur said why he did not inform her that his wife was not home, only to be told what was there to inform.
In the house, after she asked for water, he came to her with his pants down and assaulted her. "Till date I have borne the burden of this sordid incident, blaming myself for this -- I have wondered if I had showed I was needy, I don't think so -- but it's all hazy and confused in my head.
"For years, I have told myself -- that was so cheap of me -- but the truth is, it was so sudden and so manipulated that I had no chance at even knowing what the hell this was," the victim further wrote.
This is the third such instance in cricket after Sri Lankan cricketers Arjuna Ranatunga and Lasith Malinga were named.
The cricketing great said that India was one of the title contenders in the 2003, 2007 editions of the World Cups and went on to lift the trophy in 2011.
Speaking at the launch of his autobiography- 'A Century is Not Enough' at a city hotel, Ganguly said,"I don't believe in the word 'best' as different teams play well under different situations but we have a side which is very strong.
"We went to 2003 and 2007 World Cups as favourites, in 2011 we won and even now. It's all because of the culture of Indian cricket and the quality which comes out every time which makes Indian cricket special," the former skipper added.
While in the 2003 World Cup, India finished runner-up to Australia, in the next edition, they suffered an annihilating group stage exit in the Caribbean.
Ganguly's former teammates, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, who were also present at the occasion, said the men in blue will come out victorious in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Asked to make a comparison between Sachin Tendulkar and current India skipper Virat Kohli, Ganguly opined, "We don't compare generations. Indian cricket is fortunate to see both of them."
"Every generation has produced champions. When Gavaskar (Sunil) finished, people thought who would take his place and then Sachin came. Later Dravid (Rahul) followed Sachin and look we now have Kohli," said the 45-year-old.
Commenting on his book, Ganguly said: "I thought there is nothing about me which the country doesn't know. So, I felt to write something which would one day come as a help for young cricketers."
"The title of my book 'A Century is Not Enough' means that just by scoring runs one cannot be a champion at top level as a cricketer has to go through various ups and downs in his life," said Ganguly.
According to reports, Kumble, whose one-year tenure was scheduled to end at the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales, stayed back in England instead of travelling with the team for their next assignment in the West Indies.
The Indian team on Tuesday left for the West Indies, where they play five One-day Internationals (ODI) and a solitary T20 International.
Earlier, reports of a rift between skipper Virat Kohli and Kumble had emerged, prompting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to advertise for the post of head coach just before the team landed in England for the Champions Trophy.
Also Read: Partnership with captain Kohli was untenable, says Kumble
India lost to arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of the Champions Trophy on Sunday.
"So proud. Congratulations team India. Great performance by @imVkohli, A@ImRo45 & @SDhawan25! My best wishes for the finals against Pakistan," tweeted Tendulkar, whose 75-ball 98 in a Pool A match against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup will forever be talked about. India won that match by six wickets.
So proud. Congratulations team India. Great performance by @imVkohli, @ImRo45 & @SDhawan25! My best wishes for the finals against Pakistan.
— sachin tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 15, 2017
Tendulkar's long-time opening partner Virender Sehwag, who many see as the next India coach, was at his humourous best.
"Well tried Pote (grandchild). Great effort to reach semis.Ghar ki hi baat hai (It's all household matter). Father's Day par Bete ke saath final hai. Mazaak ko serious mat liyo bete. (On Father's Day, India will play their son (Pakistan) in the final. It's a joke, don't take it seriously!)
India's Test ace Cheteshwar Pujara, who is currently in England playing for Nottinghamshire in English County, said: "Fantastic win!! One step away from the trophy! Great going Team India."
India's 2011 World Cup winning pacer Zaheer Khan lauded the bowlers' show in the tournament.
"Looking good at the half way mark of the match... bowlers have done a fantastic job once again in this tournament," he tweeted.
"It's not a win...It's a statement. What a professional performance from Team India. Congrats and good luck for the finals," said V.V.S. Laxman.
Shikhar Dhawan, who scored a quickfire 34-ball 46, tweeted: "Consecutive finals it is !!! Cant wait for the 18th."
Test opener K.L. Rahul said: "Absolutely enjoying the brand of Cricket #TeamIndia is playing at the moment. Champ stuff by @ImRo45 & @imVkohli. CAN'T wait for Sunday."
In its appeal, the BCCI said the decision to ban the cricketer was taken based on the evidence against him.
The single judge bench on August 7 had lifted the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI.
In his order, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque also set aside all proceedings against Sreesanth initiated by the board.
The court had earlier sought the BCCI's stand on the plea by the cricketer challenging the ban following the 2013 Indian Premier League-6 spot-fixing scandal.
The BCCI had filed a counter-affidavit on the issue in the court in response to the plea by Sreesanth, who had challenged the life ban despite a court dropping all charges against the 34-year-old pace bowler.
The cricket board had said, "The decision of the sessions court to acquit the petitioner from the criminal charges has no impact whatsoever on the decision of the internal disciplinary committee of the BCCI to ban the petitioner from playing cricket tournaments organised by the BCCI and/or its affiliates."
All the 36 accused, including Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila were let off in the spot-fixing case by a Patiala House court in July 2015.
The BCCI, however, had refused to alter its disciplinary decision even after the verdict.
"I want the Olympics movement and the importance of Olympics to be understood by everyone, spread across the length and breadth of India. Sports is the biggest soft power of a nation," said Rijiju.
Chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand spoke about how the athletes were more confident in their abilities than their compatriots in the past and underlined the role of the government in making this change possible.
"Today I can confidently say that every member of the team is training to be in their best form and possibly win a medal and if they don't have a medal or have good performances, I am sure they are going to be very disappointed," said Gopichand during a virtual interaction organised by CII-Sportscom Industry Confederation in association with the Sports Ministry.
Former hockey international player M.M. Somaya was confident that both the men's and women's hockey teams would do well at the Olympics.
"We have some of the world's best coaches involved with hockey these days and our boys and girls are in good hands," said Somaya, adding that he was hopeful that India could pose a challenge for a medal in Tokyo.
The session was also attended by 2016 Rio Paralympic silver medallist Deepa Malik and 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist in shooting, Gagan Narang, among others.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV's charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
"First shoulder to rest, first shoulder to climb on and celebrate. Unconditionally a mother is always there, through ups and downs. Whether you are crossing the finish line as a champ or last, she will always be there. Applauding efforts! That's what makes her special! Happy mother's day!
First shoulder to rest,first shoulder to climb on & celebrate. Unconditionally a Mother is always there,through ups & down.Whether you are crossing the finish line as a champ or last, she will always be there. Applauding efforts! That’s what makes her special! Happy mother’s day!
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) May 9, 2021
"My mom asked (me) to take the jersey No. 45 and I didn't argue. She just said it will be very lucky for me, so I took the number," added Sharma.
Sachin Tendulkar shared throwback pictures of his mother and aunt saying, "Mothers are the ones who pray for you no matter how old you get. For them, you are always their child. Blessed to have two mothers in my life who have nurtured and loved me always. Wishing Aai and Kaku a very Happy #MothersDay."
Mothers are the ones who pray for you no matter how old you get. For them, you are always their child. Blessed to have two mothers in my life who have nurtured and loved me always.
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) May 9, 2021
Wishing Aai and Kaku a very Happy #MothersDay, sharing some photos from the past. 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/x22BBvDDiC
Former India batsman and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) mainstay, Suresh Raina, too shared pictures of his mother and family, saying they are his "biggest inspiration" on the special occasion.
"Thank you mom for always being my pillar of strength and showing me the right guidance. You will remain my biggest inspiration! Wishing a very Happy #MothersDay to all the strong moms #LoveYouMa," he wrote on Twitter.
Thank you mom for always being my pillar of strength & showing me the right guidance. You will reamin my biggest inspiration! Wishing a very Happy #MothersDay to all the strong moms #LoveYouMa ❤️ pic.twitter.com/gJfmFm7SSX
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) May 9, 2021
Indian men's hockey team drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh said that his mother had played a very important role in shaping his career. "Whenever I face difficulties, I always talk to my mom, and it feels like everything is fine after talking to her. She gives guidance. I have reached this level because of my mom."
India football team defender, Akash Mishra, said that whenever he has a bad game, his mother is the first one to console him. "Whenever I have a bad game, my mother calls me up to console me. She never speaks technical stuff but gives me emotional support. And we talk for long," said Akash.
"She understands when I'm disheartened after a bad game, and knows the right words. It helps me get up the next morning and train harder."
India captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina, among others, sent their condolences to the victims.
"Shocked to hear the news coming in from Sri Lanka. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy. #PrayForSriLanka," Kohli tweeted.
"Thoughts and prayers with Sri Lanka. Such a beautiful country," Rohit tweeted.
Raina also condemned the ghastly attacks, saying: "Devastated to hear about the attacks in Sri Lanka. It's a brutal act of inhumanity. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."
Former cricketer V.V.S. Laxman tweeted: "Deeply saddened by the terrible attacks in #SriLanka .My sincere prayers with the people of Sri Lanka in this very difficult time."
A string of explosions rocked churches and hotels in Colombo and elsewhere during Easter Sunday, causing the worst mayhem in the island nation since the end of the civil war a decade ago.
"The fact is Dhoni is among the smartest guys in the game. Behind the stumps, as I said, he's priceless. It gives me the freedom to do my thing. Someone like MS is a wealth of experience," Kohli told the Times of India in an interview.
"What can I say about him. My career started under him and few have seen him from so close over the last few years as I have. There's one thing about MS that's far more important than anything else -- and there's a lot to him.
"For him, the team is always above everything else. It's always about the team, no matter what. To top it, look at the experience he brings to the squad and we're richer with it.
"Some of his dismissals behind the stumps, even as recently (as in the IPL), were match-changing," the skipper added.
Kohli said that there will be expectations from both Dhoni and Vice-Captain Rohit Sharma from a leadership perspective at the World Cup that starts on May 30.
"The way they've gone about their respective roles -- as captains (in the Indian Premier League) -- speaks volumes of what they bring to the table. MS in particular has a legacy. So, it augurs well for this team to have both of them in a leadership role.
"That's why, the team management decided to have a strategy pool in place which MS and Rohit are a part of," he said.
Kohli's personal performances over the past two years has led commentators and pundits hailing him as the best batsman in the world and one of the all time greatest.
It has also seen him leading the Indian Test team to a historic series win against Australia. The team also won ODI series in England and Australia. All this has led to the side going to England as one of the favourites to win the Cup.
"It's been a challenging year and one that has left us very proud of the way we carried ourselves. To head to the toughest of destinations with a young but fiercely proud bunch was amazing. That's precisely how we have approached every big series that we played between January 2018 and now. We were very clear about what we wanted to do as team and where we want to head," said Kohli.
"I never thought that one day so many people will get inspired by what I do. My priority was to play for the Indian team for as long as possible. That stays my priority even today and shall continue to be. Honestly, these things are very organic.
"The one fact which continues to remain is that everything about my career, my life, on the field, off it, my heart has been in the right place," he said.
As India captain and as one of the most popular players in the world, Kohli's rise has also coincided with an increase in scrutiny. His captaincy has often come under the scanner, especially in England and South Africa where India lost their Test series.
However, Kohli said that it has been something he has come to make peace with and he doesn't think about what people say about him.
"Honestly, none of that makes a difference. I don't want to be the centre of everything. Nobody wants that. But when your intent is to make the team win, eventually you end up doing things which are always going to be seen because I would always put my body on the line for the team.
"I'll do all it takes when I'm batting, I would run as hard as I can ... So, once you're committed and giving all that you can for one cause, you're obviously going to end up being noticed.
"And that has to be fine with me, I have to live with it -- because that's how I want to play my game, that's how I want to live my life. That, I think, is a blessing God has given and I want to continue doing that as long as I'm playing the sport," he said.
Kohli also said that his relationship with coach Ravi Shastri has gone into "auto-mode" now. "The reason is because of the work that's been put in over the last 15-odd months. Culture management has been the calling card and that's something the team management has been particularly convinced about...
"The guys have responded to it beautifully. It's a different picture that's been pasted outside. Within the team we know the mindset we carry. We're going with a group of people and this is not about individuals. This is everybody's effort," he said.
Kohli said that his decision to focus on his fitness was a turning point for him in his career and has helped him avoid being an average cricketer. "I knew that I had to change everything about my life, about myself, to be able to be at the top of my game, to be in sync where the world (of sport) is heading to," he said.
His attitude towards fitness spread to the rest of his teammates and Kohli said that if it wasn't for that, India wouldn't have been the kind of force they are now in world cricket.
"If we did not do that, as a group, India would not have been dominating in world cricket. So, we recognised pretty early that you need people who are willing to work hard on a daily basis, not just physically but mentally as well," he said.
"Look at it this way: I know I can play 49 overs and still run 10, 12 in the last over to win a game. So, you open up so many options for yourself, and definitely become more confident because you're not a one dimensional player any more. You can do everything if you're working hard.
"When you have 11 such guys stepping out on the field and the first thing that the opposition begins to think that we have to get past each of those eleven to make it count, you know you're making it tough for them," he said.
Kohli said it is this readiness to do hard work that made the Indian pace attack one of the best in the world. "They asked themselves 'Why can't the Indian pace bowlers be the best in the world?' They simply knew they had it in them to realise their potential and be among the best.
"They set a goal for themselves and worked towards it. Sticking to line and length in all walks, outperforming the opposition and not each other in a game. Bit by bit, piece by piece, constructing those magical performances.
"Nothing happens overnight and they've worked hard for it. 'Why can't ...?' gradually turned into 'Why not ...?' This team never believed that it couldn't go out there and give it to the opposition," he said.
Judging by the way bowlers have been hit to all corners of the park in recent ODI matches played in England, teams will need considerable help from the fielders come the World Cup that starts on May 30. IANS takes a look at the top five fielders who could turn out to be the difference for their sides.
Ravindra Jadeja (India)
If only your wrist spins were like Yuzvendra Chahal or Kuldeep Yadav, must be what Indian captain Virat Kohli thinks every time Jadeja does something extraordinary on the field. Jadeja may have lost his guaranteed place in India's limited overs line up to the spinners but there is really no match for him on the field. And that's exactly what must have come in his favour when the selector's picked him in India's World Cup squad. Pulling off extraordinary diving catches, putting pressure on the batsmen by not allowing anything to go past him, effecting seemingly impossible run outs with gun-throws, 'Sir Jadeja' will be a player to keep an eye on.
David Warner (Australia)
'The Reverend' showed in the Indian Premier League that he remains fitter than ever and it was confirmed by Australian coach Justin Langer. Australia has a proud tradition of great fielders and Warner is arguably the best of the current lot, despite the presence of the likes of captain Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell. It only shows how dangerous the defending champions will be when opposition tries to sneak in that extra run.
Ben Stokes (England)
In the years since England's disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign, Ben Stokes has emerged as their best player. Although his form with the bat has been on the wane, he is one of those rare pacers who are just as competent in the field. A cursory Youtube search would tell you that Stokes is capable of pulling off the odd stunner and is viciously accurate with his throws. That England have an explosive batting line-up is now general knowledge. Add to it the fact that Stokes is only one of the many good fielders they have and it becomes hard to argue against the hosts being the outright favourites to win the tournament.
Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Jonty Rhodes and AB de Villiers are names that spring to mind when one thinks of great South African fielders. Faf du Plessis has flown under the radar, but any Chennai Super Kings fan would tell you that when the ball is running to where he is standing, it is advisable not to take a risky single. Dhoni has deployed the Proteas skipper on the ropes on many occasions in the recently concluded Indian Premier League but in the World Cup, he will be expected to be standing closer in so as to marshall his troops better. Batsmen will be weary of him diving and flying about.
Andre Russell (West Indies)
If he picks up where he left off at the IPL, this could very well turn out to be the summer of 'Dre Russ'. His big hits overshadow almost anything else that happens in a match and so one could be forgiven for not noticing that Russell is a very useful medium pacer and a gun fielder. He has pulled off some extraordinary efforts while playing for West Indies in big tournaments, the most recent being when he effected the run out of Hashim Amla in the 2016 World T20 with a nearly blind throw from covers that landed perfectly in the wicketkeeper's gloves.
(Story By: ROHIT MUNDAYUR)
Kohli, who has competed in two World Cups before, said they do not have much breathing space because they have four tough games upfront and in a way it should help them.
For the first time since the 1992 edition, all teams will play each other once to decide the semifinalists. After opening their campaign South Africa on June 5, India will take on Australia (June 9), New Zealand (June 13) and Pakistan (June 16).
"Personally, it will probably be the most challenging World Cup I have been part of because of the format and also the strength of all the teams. If you look at Afghanistan from 2015 to now, they are a completely different side," said Kohli at the pre-departure press conference here.
"Any team can upset anyone. That is one thing we have in mind. Focus will be on to play the best cricket that we can. You have to play to the best of your potential in every game because it is not a group stage situation."
"Playing everyone once is great for all the teams in my view. It is going to be a different challenge and every team will have to adapt quickly to," added Kohli.
Talking about his side's first four games, Kohli said, "That sets the tone nicely for us. Everyone will have to be at their best and maintain intensity from the first match onwards. You don't have any room for complacency and that is why it is the World Cup and the most important tournament.
"We expect that kind of pressure from the first second we step on the field. We are not going to let ourselves think that 'first week onwards we will get into it'. You have to arrive on the day match ready with hundred percent match intensity and start building from there. This is the challenge.
"If you look at all the top clubs in football they maintain their intensity for three-four months whether in Premier League or La Liga. So why not? If we get on a roll and we maintain our consistency we should be able to do it for the length of the tournament."
The recent series between Pakistan and England saw 300-plus scores being the norm but Kohli said things could change in the quadrennial tournament.
"As I said the pitches are going to be very good. It is summer and the conditions are going to be nice. We expect high scoring games but a bilateral series can't be compared to a Word Cup, it is very different.
"So we might also see 260-270 kind of games and teams defending it because of the pressure factor. We expect all kinds of scenarios in the World Cup."
More than the conditions, his team will have to come out on top in high-pressure situations, said the skipper.
"It is always good to go to any place in advance. You are right, it does (help) getting rid of the nerves you might have as a side going into the World Cup. White ball cricket in England, playing an ICC event, the conditions are not that difficult compared to Tests. Handling the most pressure is the most important thing in World Cup and not necessarily the conditions."
Kohli said his highly-rated bowling line-up is ready for the challenge.
"All the bowlers in the squad, even in the IPL, they were preparing themselves for 50-over cricket. You saw all the guys bowling, no one looked tired after bowling four overs. They were very fresh. The ultimate goal at the back of their mind was always to be fit for the 50-over format and not necessarily let the fitness come down and that was communicated to them before the IPL started."
Kohli himself learnt a lot as captain in the IPL where RCB lost their first six games under his leadership.
"We literally came to a point where we said to each other that 'this has not happened to anyone before'. So I realised that after a certain stage things are not in your control so you have to accept that and work things accordingly.
"Most important thing I learnt is that even you are in a situation where it is a must-win game, you can't think in your room the day before 'what if you don't, what might happen or not'. You just have to arrive on that day and play to the best of your potential."
(Story By: Nikhil Bapat)
Speaking to IANS, the legend said that leading a team in a T20 format like the IPL and to lead the national team are two completely different things and to question Kohli's skills as a captain on the basis of Royal Challengers Bangalore's performance is anything but unfair.
"I think first of all, let us not compare IPL and playing international cricket for India. I feel they are two different formats with one being a T20 format with a number of foreign players in your team and the other is a format where all your Indian colleagues are there in the team. So, let us not compare these two. Of course when it comes to leadership, Virat is committed," he pointed.
While Kohli has an impressive record in international cricket as captain, there is no denying the fact that former skipper M.S. Dhoni plays an integral role in guiding Kohli and helps him with not just setting the right fields for the right batsmen, but also constantly guides the young bowlers in the team. Tendulkar feels that not only is Dhoni's role behind the wicket crucial, but also Kohli is lucky to have such an experienced campaigner.
"Talking about Dhoni, his experience of standing behind the stumps is going to help because that is possibly the best view anyone could ask for. Standing there, he can see the entire ground just the way the batsman is seeing. And, his inputs would be critical because he will know how well the pitch is playing or how badly it is playing, whether the ball is stopping or it is coming onto the bat nicely. Whatever be the situation, he will share it with the captain as well as the bowler. So, having someone that experienced standing behind the stumps is always a bonus," he revealed.
A lot has been also said about India's dependence on the top three batsmen in the team -- Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Kohli. While the little maestro believes that there is more to this batting unit than just those three, Tendulkar is also of the opinion that there could be a couple of games where one individual steals the show with his brilliance.
"I don't think so (reliance on top three). I feel if we have to go forward in this tournament, yes, a couple of individuals here and there will have to step up and the rest of the team will also has to equally play around those players. So, it cannot be that just one individual keeps performing and you will progress in the tournament. Maybe a match or two one individual can go out and do something spectacular, but otherwise you need the rest of the teammates to chip in to move forward in the tournament," he said.
The Indians haven't often started a showpiece event as favourites. But along with England, Kohli's boys are considered one of the best this time round. While one would think that this could put undue pressure on the players, Tendulkar believes that the team deserves the tag.
"I think it is nice to go into a tournament where the rest of the world believes that you are the leading side in the world and we have played good cricket in the past. It is important to take that confidence forward into this tournament. But it is a new tournament and whatever has happened is in the past and we need to get our focus on what is in store for us and prepare ourselves to the best of our ability.
"The World Cup is going to be a big tournament and I am sure we are in a position to go out there and make a huge statement and live up to the expectations of all the well-wishers of Indian cricket," he said.
He has himself played in six editions of the World Cup - 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011. While the team lifting the trophy in 2011 is obviously his favourite moment, he rates the game against Pakistan at the Centurion in South Africa during the 2003 World Cup as his second-most favourite moment.
"The positive memory apart from lifting the World Cup has to be the 2003 match against Pakistan in Centurion. I think the kind of build-up that was there for that match and the way we played and the way we won. Also, the way we celebrated after the game and the way we progressed in the tournament after that was spectacular. Without any doubt that has to be a special memory. The entire country was celebrating and I still remember talking to a number of friends on the phone and all of them making me hear how the firecrackers were bursting. And, everyone was celebrating, dancing, jumping. The entire nation was celebrating," he smiled.
(Story By: BAIDURJO BHOSE)
A release issued by the CoA read: "On the advise of the Chief Election Commissioner of India, the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India-appointed Committee of Administrators today confirmed N. Gopalaswami, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, as the Electoral Officer to supervise the elections of the BCCI and the Indian Cricketers Association. Gopalaswami shall operate from the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai."
The CoA had in its meeting on May 22 decided that the elections would take place on October 22. It had also said that the elections of the state associations are to be completed by September 14 and the names of representatives of the state associations to BCCI are to be sent by September 23.
The CoA had further said that the appointment of the Electoral Officer by the BCCI and preparation of the electoral protocol by the Electoral Officer in consultation with the CoA would be communicated to all by June 30.
As NCA's Head of Cricket, Dravid will groom the next generation of cricketers and chart out a roadmap for junior cricket. He will also monitor the upcoming women cricketers besides appointing the coaching staff at NCA and the zonal cricket academies. The batting great will also spearhead NCA's rehab programme for the injured cricketers.
The new role means that he won't be able to travel with India A and U-19 teams as he used to. Former India pacer Paras Mhambrey and Abhay Sharma remain part of the junior team support staff.
"He will travel with India A and U-19 teams but not for the entirety of the tour. It is a much bigger responsibility and it will require him to spend more time at NCA than with the junior teams," a BCCI official told PTI after the Committee of Administrators (CoA) meeting here on Saturday.
"Mhambrey and Sharma will continue to be with A and U-19 team for now. Though we are looking to bolster the coaching staff," he added.
Another matter discussed in the meeting concerned conflict of interest vis-a-vis current and former cricketers in the wake of the order passed by BCCI ethics officer and former Supreme Court judge, D K Jain, on V V S Laxman and Sourav Ganguly.
Keeping the soul of the Lodha reforms in mind one person one post -- Jain had ruled that ex-India batsman Laxman will have to chose one role out of the three he is involved in currently.
He is a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), from which he has offered to step down, mentor of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad and a commentator.
It also affects Ganguly, who too is commentating in the World Cup besides being a CAC member, Bengal cricket boss and advisor of IPL side Delhi Capitals.
Based on Jain's order, even current players like Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel and Robin Uthappa could be barred from commentating. All three are involved as World Cup experts on various platforms.
It is for the BCCI to enforce Jain's order but the board is not in a hurry to rush to a decision.
"We will examine the order. We will also take the opinion of our legal team. At this moment, it is tough to say when we will decide on the matter," the official added.
"I feel there should be another Super Over to decide the winner, instead of considering the number of boundaries scored by both teams. Not just in a World Cup final. Every game is important. Like in football, when teams go into extra time, nothing else matters," Tendulkar told 100mb.
Tendulkar joined the chorus with India vice captain Rohit Sharma also chastising the rule.
India skipper Virat Kohli, after his team's ouster from the World Cup to New Zealand at Old Trafford, had spoken about how it was a case of being eliminated after just 40-45 minutes of poor batting.
Kohli had said that having an Indian Premier League (IPL) style knockouts in the showpiece event could actually be an option as that would give the top team after the group stages two bites at the cherry.
Tendulkar echoed Kohli and said teams who finish top of the table should have something going for them.
"I think the two teams that finish at the top should definitely have something going for them for having played consistently through the tournament."
Tendulkar also reiterated that MS Dhoni should have batted higher up the order and not at No. 7 during India's semifinal.
"I would've sent MS Dhoni at his usual position, No.5.
"With the kind of situation that India was in and the experience that he has, the need of the hour was for him to build the innings. Hardik could've batted at 6 and Karthik would've followed at 7."
The winning bid was fixed at Rs 326.80 crore to be paid by the company to the cricket board in the next four years.
Announcing the development, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri said: "I'm pleased to announce Paytm as the BCCI home series title sponsor. Paytm is one of the new generation companies of India and we at the BCCI are proud of Paytm continuing its long-standing commitment with Indian cricket."
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder and CEO, Paytm, said: "We are excited to continue our long-term association with BCCI and the Indian cricket team. Our commitment to Indian cricket gets stronger with every season. India loves cricket and we at Paytm are the biggest fans of it."
Rahul Johri, BCCI CEO, has been asked to go ahead with completion of process after checking on the conflict of interest and other eligibility criteria.
Besides Rathour who has been a strong favourite to take over from Sanjay Bangar as the batting coach, former England batsman Mark Ramprakash was also shortlisted for the role.
Former India pacers Venkatesh Prasad, Paras Mhambrey were shortlisted for the bowling coach's role with Arun's name on top. Arun and fielding coach R. Sridhar were expected to keep their places.
Abhay Sharma and T. Dilip are the other two names shortlsted for the fielding coach's position.
For the role of physiotherapist, Nitin Patel, Andrew Leipus and Vaibhav Daga's names were shortlisted with Girish Dongre, Venkatesh Rajagopalan and Anand Yalvigi chosen as the top three for the manager's role. Sunil Subramaniam was expected to get the boot.
Patel was favourite to take over the role of physio, making a potential return to the national set-up post Patrick Farhart's resignation.
"The selection committee has decided to call the following candidates for the post of Strength and Conditioning Coach to the NCA for a second round of interviews to assess their practical skills," the statement said.
The candidates are Luke Woodhouse, Grant Luden, Rajnikanth Sivagnanam, Nick Webb and Anand Date.
India's coaching staff, led by Ravi Shastri, was given a 45-day extension after their contract ended with the World Cup. While Shastri was re-appointed last week by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising of Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy, the support staff was picked by the national selectors.
Batting coach Bangar's position is under the scanner as the constant chopping and changing in the middle-order was something that had hurt the Indian team not just in the World Cup, but over the last couple of seasons.
Bangar not being able to find a fixed No. 4 in the ODI line-up combined with players not being too happy with his contribution as batting coach was something that was expected to go against him.
"Without taking names, it is well documented that a couple of current team members have spoken about how they approached some of the former India batsmen to help them erase flaws in their batting when they were having issues scoring runs," a source in the Indian team had told IANS.
Apart from failing to find the right No.4, Bangar was also questioned for pushing M.S. Dhoni to the number seven slot in the semi-final game against New Zealand in the World Cup as many felt that India could have won the game had Dhoni come in and anchored the chase a little earlier.
"Beginning Monday, a total of 14 candidates for the position of batting coach, 12 for bowling coach, nine for fielding coach, 16 for the position of physiotherapist, 12 for the post of strength and conditioning coach and 24 for the position of Administrative Manager were interviewed," the statement said.
Dhoni's floundering strike rate and his inability to finish games, something he was renowned for in his prime, came into sharp focus during India's recent World Cup campaign and Ganguly said that the 38-year-old needs to evaluate where he stands.
"Indian cricket will have to get used to the fact that M.S. Dhoni won't be playing forever and he won't be around for too long. But I believe this decision has to be taken by Dhoni himself," Ganguly told India Today.
"Every big player has to hang up his shoes. That's sport. Look in football, Maradona had to quit. There hasn't been a bigger player than him. Tendulkar, Lara, Bradman... everyone had to quit. This is the way the system has been and will be. So this scenario will come for MS as well," Ganguly said.
In his initial years as captain, Dhoni had successfully phased out ageing players, including Ganguly, but current captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri have been unequivocal in their support for the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman.
"He is at that stage of his career where he has to evaluate where he stands. He has to decide if he can win matches for India... if he can continue to contribute like Dhoni, not someone else.
"Because with players like Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, till they play, there will be expectations that they will win matches. I think Dhoni has to make this decision. Only a player knows how much fuel is left in the tank and how much of his match-winning ability is intact," he said.
An average of 22.90 in ODIs and 21.57 in T20s doesn't do justice to the kind of talent the flamboyant left-hander possesses and his impetuous shot selection is an indication that he is getting ahead of himself, feels the 48-year-old Klusener.
"It would hard for me to pinpoint but with a phenomenal talent like that, one always tends to get a bit ahead of himself," Klusener, who is currently in India as the white ball batting coach of the South African team, told PTI during an interaction.
Klusener has seen a bit of Pant when he was roped in as Delhi senior team's white ball consultant last year.
"He needs to give himself time to get in and that bit of time will allow him to showcase his talent," said Klusener, who played 49 Tests and 171 ODIs for the Proteas.
While people believe that a player learns most from his own mistakes, Klusener has a different take on the matter. He believes it is more beneficial if the player manages to learn from others' follies.
"What gets you ahead in international cricket is learning from others' mistakes rather than making your own mistakes along the way and learning," he said.
"I will tell you why. You can learn from your own mistakes but it will take a lot more time to realise, correct and become a better player using that process. If you look at mistakes others are making, you will learn quickly and thus improve fast," said Klusener.
The 1999 World Cup's Player of the Tournament also believes that it would be great if Pant can soak in advice from all the great seniors in the Indian set-up.
"It's wonderful to have the talent like Rishabh in the twilight years of MS Dhoni's career. From an Indian point of view, maybe they should try and get him to contribute more.
"He has some wonderful coaches and players around him so take their advice but at the same time don't curb your natural talent," advised Klusener.
He, along with Jacques Kallis and England's Andrew Flintoff, belonged to a generation of pure all-rounders (pace bowling) with Ben Stokes carrying the baton among the current crop of players.
"We were possibly (that last batch of pure all-rounders)," he agreed.
He believes that skill level has been impacted because players are playing more T20s than Test cricket now.
"This has happened because of their focus on white ball cricket or T20 cricket. Well, fairly decent bowlers can get away in T20 cricket.
"I think in the past, when the focus was more on Test cricket, you had to bowl 15-overs-a-day. The more you bowled or longer you batted, you got better at it naturally," he said.
While Klusener will go back after the three T20 Internationals against India, he is very keen on coming back as Delhi
"Thank you DDCA and BCCI for bestowing this honour upon me. The pavilion will remind me of my journey in life and in cricket but most importantly I hope it will serve as an inspiration for the next generation of young cricketers of our nation," said Kohli posting images from Thursday's event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
The Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium was also rechristened after the former Finance Minister, who passed away in August. Jaitley was closely associated with Delhi cricket scene and had been at the helm of the Delhi and District Cricket Association for over a decade.
Held at the Weightlifting Hall of the JLN Stadium, the occasion saw the Indian team in attendance as their skipper was duly honoured for his contribution to the game.
The rechristening of the stadium was done by Home Minister Amit Shah, DDCA President Rajat Sharma, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and the family members of Jaitley with an audio visual clip being played in the background.
India will next face South Africa in three T20Is and as many Tests beginning Sunday.
On Thursday, Kohli had tweeted a picture of him sitting on his hunches after beating Australia in a league game of the 2016 World T20 in Mohali. Kohli scored 82 not out on that night but his running between the wickets with Dhoni (18 not out) was a treat to watch for everyone.
"A game I can never forget. Special night. This man, made me run like in a fitness test," Kohli had tweeted. It led to rumour mills going overdrive till chairman of selectors MSK Prasad termed it as a "false news".
A game I can never forget. Special night. This man, made me run like in a fitness test ? @msdhoni ?? pic.twitter.com/pzkr5zn4pG
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 12, 2019
On Saturday, when Kohli was asked what was on his mind when he tweeted, the smiling skipper replied: "Mere zehen mein kuch naahi thaa yaar (I had nothing in my mind). I was sitting at home and I normally put out a photograph and it became a news item."
Social media can be a different beast for celebrities and Kohli once again got a bitter taste of it.
"I think it was a lesson for me, that the way I think, the whole world does not think that way. There was nothing in farthest stretch of my imagination (that it could be taken as retirement tribute) while putting that picture out on social media," the skipper said.
For him, the T20 International against Australia was one match he has not really talked about much in last three years unlike his other knocks.
"Like what did I write. I remember that game even now, every now and then. I never spoke about that game and so I thought I put up a post. Now people interpreted it in a different manner in which there was not even an iota of truth," said the disappointed skipper.
But not anymore. The BCCI and official broadcasters Star feel there aren't enough takers for games in and around the Festival of Lights.
Speaking to IANS, a board functionary said that after discussions between Star and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it was decided that it is better to not plan any game around Diwali as study shows that people prefer to spend time with their families around that period.
"A lot of things are taken into account before setting itineraries of the home season and one such criteria is viewership and fan behaviour. It was found by Star and then presented to the board that contrary to popular belief, games during the Diwali week don't have too many takers as everyone gets together and wants to spend time with their families. It is more about family time than watching cricket matches in this period," the board functionary explained.
He then went on to add that it also provides the players time off and they can go back to their own families and assemble again after a short break.
"See, on the hindsight, it gives the players a short break. They can also switch off, go back home, spend time with their families and come back. Like in this season, we have the last Test between India and South Africa ending in Pune on October 23 and the boys will again assemble for the opening T20I against Bangladesh in Delhi on November 3. So, they all go back home for Diwali, which is on October 27," he pointed out.
Asked if the general notion that more people come out to watch the game on public holidays and during festivals is a myth, the functionary said: "Well, Star has done a proper study and only after that did they come to this conclusion. If it indeed was a TRP booster, they would surely want games in and around Diwali.
"In fact, even for a layman, I think it is very clear that people nowadays prefer to spend time with their near and dear ones during Diwali, considering their otherwise busy schedule."
This is the very reason that a home season, which sees the Indian team play in the World Test Championship as also prepare for the upcoming World T20 in 2020, sees none of its 5 Tests, 9 ODIs and 12 T20Is during Diwali.
The opening Test of the Gandhi-Mandela series between India and South Africa though will start in Visakhapatnam on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti.
The Sports University of Haryana is the third such university in India after Swarnim Gujarat Sports University in Gandhinagar in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University in Chennai. It will be the first full-fledged sports university in the state.
The state assembly passed the Sports University of Haryana Bill of 2019 in August to establish and incorporate a sports university to promote sports education in the areas of sports sciences, sports technology, sports management and sports coaching, besides functioning as the training centre for select sports disciplines by adopting best international practices.
The Men in Blue will play around 30 T20I matches before the World Cup and Kohli said that each individual coming in the team should have a mindset to make their mark.
"We are very clear. It is not that anyone will get 30 chances. Even when I came in the team, I didn't think I will get 15-20 games and I knew I will mostly get chances in three to five games and I have to prove myself. One will get suppose five chances and he will have to prove himself. That is the level we are playing at. As the team management has that mindset, the individual should also have the same," Kohli said in an interaction on bcci.tv.
"It is a delicate balance to strike but as we have 30 games before it (World Cup), so we have to figure out how much time each individual gets," he added.
Asked whether the roadmap for the T20 World Cup starts from Sunday, when India take on South Africa in Dharamsala in the first affair of the three-match rubber, Kohli said: "We feel both the T20Is and the Test championship are in our focus as both of them are milestones and that is why youngsters are being pushed in from time to time as it is important to settle the team combination because we have to figure out the guys who will take the team forward."
Earlier on Thursday, Kohli had tweeted a picture of him sitting on his haunches with M.S. Dhoni on the other end after India had defeated Australia in a league game of the 2016 World T20 in Mohali.
"A game I can never forget. Special night. This man, made me run like in a fitness test," Kohli had tweeted which led to rumours of Dhoni's retirement in the social media.
Clarifying the issue, Kohli explained: "I posted about that Mohali game with MS (Dhoni) as it was a very special game and people thought he is retiring. I just don't know as where did my caption read 'thanks MS' or any such things."
"I was like.....whatever goes in their (people) mind, they relate it," he concluded.
All these 12 Tests have been played on foreign soil (3 in South Africa, 3 in England, 4 in Australia and 2 in West Indies) where wickets naturally assist pacers. In all these places, the right-arm pacer from Mumbai has made a mark and performed brilliantly. However, the real test for him will come up when India take on South Africa in the three-match series at home.
Former Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar feels Bumrah will have an exceptional debut home Test series against the Proteas.
"With experience, everyone can see what progress he has made in international cricket. I expect him to do well in India as well. Obviously, there will be times when the spinners will dominate in the series. However, with the kind of unique ability he possesses, I don't think conditions matter to him. He has the skill-set to perform in Indian conditions as well," Agarkar, who is an expert with ESPNcricinfo, told IANS.
The 25-year-old has played 38 First-Class and 83 List-A matches in which he scalped 151 and 155 wickets respectively. Apart from that, he has played for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has been instrumental in their success in the league.
"A lot of people tend to forget that Bumrah played quite a lot of first-class cricket before he played for India. He has bowled in these conditions with the SG ball. He knows what to do," said Agarkar.
Agarkar, 41, who played 26 Tests and 191 ODIs for India, also said that Bumrah will be fresh and raring to have the ball in his hand as he has not played much cricket ever since the World Cup. "Since the World Cup, he hasn't played a lot of cricket. He missed (rested) the T20Is and the ODIs and featured in the two Test matches. So, he must be relatively fresh and will be very keen to perform in India as well," he said.
Bumrah played two matches in the Caribbean Islands, in which he picked 13 wickets, including a hat-trick.
"I would not be surprised if he has an exceptional series," Agarkar signed off.
Iyer was preferred over Rahul in the three ODIs against the West Indies and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands by scoring two half-centuries in the two games he played and forced his way into the T20I side.
Meanwhile, Rahul, who has been in indifferent form in all the three formats of the game, recently lost his place in the Test squad for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa.
"With Rohit and Shikhar at the top as the best possible opening pair, KL Rahul will be pushed. He has lost his place in Test cricket due to indifferent form and the likes of Shreyas and Manish Pandey will keep him on his toes if he wants to hold onto the No. 4 slot," Ganguly wrote in his column for The Times of India.
"Shreyas Iyer finds a place in the T20 squad, a reward for his good show in the 50-overs games in West Indies," he added.
Iyer remained unbeaten on 16 in 150-run chase against South Africa in the 2nd T20I which India won comfortably by seven wickets in Mohali on Sunday.
The former India skipper also spoke about the visiting Proteas team and said that they are in a rebuilding phase. "They need to look at the system back home. Not very long ago, they boasted of having enormous talent, but like many teams, they have dropped a few levels down," Ganguly said.
India and South Africa will take on each other in the final T20I on Sunday in Bengaluru before locking horns in the Test series beginning October 2.
With a washout in the first game in Dharamsala, both the teams were looking to take the upper hand and take an unassailable lead in the series in Mohali. However, it was the Men in Blue who took command at the I.S. Bindra P.C.A. Stadium and came out with a brilliant performance to secure a rather comformtable win.
Deepak Chahar and Virat Kohli turned out to be the standout performers in Mohali as India cruised to a seven-wicket win against the young Proteas side led by Quinton de Kock.
Team India ticked almost all boxes in Mohali where they first restricted the visitors to 149 and then chased down the target riding on their skipper Kohli's unbeaten 72.
However, one area of concern -- which has now been looming over the team -- will be the form of wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and he will again be in focus in Bengaluru.
Pant, who has been warned by head coach Ravi Shastri and batting coach Vikram Rathour about playing careless cricket, threw away his wicket cheaply and missed out on an opportunity to showcase his talent, which everyone speaks of very highly in Mohali.
On Friday, former India captain and NCA head Rahul Dravid spent some time with the Indian players during the practice session and offered some piece of advice to all of them, especially Pant.
For the hosts, it will be a case of continuing with the performance they have been delivering in the recent times. Their batting looks in total control, so is there bowling and fielding.
Proteas, on the other hand, will have their task cut out. In order to level the series, the mantra for them is actually quite simple: score enough runs, i.e. in excess of 180 and give their bowlers something on the Chinnaswamy pitch which historically has been a high-scoring ground.
Big hitters like David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius and de Kock need to fire from the word go. Only then can the visitors pose a challenge against the hosts.
Squads: India: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (capt/wk), Rassie van der Dussen (vc), Temba Bavuma, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, George Linde.
Captain Virat Kohli recently made it clear that the youngsters will have to prove themselves in the "four or five" opportunities they get.
"(While) trying out youngsters, it is good to give them a good run because when new players come in, it takes time for them to express themselves. Young boys are taking these opportunities with both hands. I am sure the team management will give them a longer run," Dhawan said on the eve of the third T20 International on Sunday.
He said the senior players are "always open" to helping their younger teammates like Shreyas Iyer or Rishabh Pant, who is currently battling indifferent form.
Seen as one with a bright future after Test tons in demanding English and Australian conditions, Pant is now feeling the heat for his shot-selection and temperament, with some calling for the inclusion of Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan at his expense.
"Any time, any youngster wants to discuss something with us, we are always open to help them, always there for them," Dhawan told reporters on the eve of the third T20 International against South Africa.
"For senior players like us, say someone like Rishabh comes in to bat or Shreyas coming in, we make sure we do the communication with them and make sure they are comfortable and not nervous. We make them think what is needed at that particular moment," he said.
Dhawan added: "That's what we do even when I am batting with Rohit or Virat, we keep discussing and that is very important. Communication is very, very important."
He hoped that youngsters will get a decent run to prove their mettle in international cricket.
The southpaw said the ongoing series against the Proteas and matches scheduled in the near future will be the perfect platform for youngsters such as Washington Sundar and Deepak Chahar to build their confidence in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.
Both players have impressed in recent times with their performance and attitude.
"Washington is bowling really good, giving us the breakthroughs and also choking the batsmen. He has got very good control and variety as well.
"Even Deepak Chahar, he swings the ball both ways and at the same time, he has pace as well. It is the perfect platform for them to perform and build the confidence for the T20 World Cup," Dhawan said.
The senior batsman, whose World Cup in England was cut short by an injury, looked in fine touch during his match-winning partnership with skipper Virat Kohli in the second T20 against South Africa at Mohali.
"I have been playing well. I got a break and came back and even in West Indies, I didn't score many runs, but I was middling the ball nicely. For me, it's normal, it happens, four-five innings can go here and there. I know that my process is very strong, I am a keen observer of whatever I am doing.
"I will make sure I do everything in a detailed manner, and yes, sometimes some strategies don't go your way, sometimes they do. It is part of the journey, I have always backed myself, I know the hard work I have put in, and I know that things will go good for me."
In the application, accessed by IANS, the CoA has said: "The CoA is specially seeking clarification to the portion of the Order whereby this Hon'ble Court has:
* permitted the applicant - Tamil Nadu Cricket Association to hold elections to the post of Assistant Secretary.
* directed that disqualification shall be confined only to those who had held the post of "Office Bearers" of the Cricket Association.
It is humbly submitted that the direction is erroneously construed in such a manner so as to override the principal judgment dated 18th July, 2016 and 9th August, 2018."
The CoA among other points has gone on to mention how the TNCA and the Haryana Cricket Association have remained defiant and intransigent and have deliberately not adhered to the newly registered BCCI constitution.
The CoA has also prayed that the order passed on Friday be clarified/modified so that election for the post of office bearers in the TNCA be limited only to the 5 posts mentioned and approved in the BCCI constitution registered pursuant to the order passed by the Supreme Court on August 9.
Speaking to IANS, a senior board official said that this was the last effort from the side of the CoA to extend their stay in office.
"They are now clutching at straws to extend their tenure. This application filed upon the insistence of someone in the CoA clearly shows what we have been saying all along, that is, the person does not wish for this matter to be concluded so that CoA may continue in this position since they have no other high profile assignment at the moment.
"The order of the Hon'ble Court is absolutely crystal clear and that is why the CoA and their lawyers have not been able to create confusion on account of it. Even earlier the CoA had deliberately misconstrued an order of the SC with regard to the 9+9 issue with the SC then telling the CoA that the order was clear as the cloudless sky," the official said.
A state association official echoed the sentiments and said that it is being made to look like an ego battle rather than moving forward.
"This clearly shows that someone in the CoA has made it a personal battle of ego and has taken even the order of the SC personally. Everyone has complied with the order of the SC but it is out of some personal vendetta that the CoA has held up the matter of a couple of associations," the official rued.
Another BCCI office bearer questioned the swiftness in filing the application against Friday's order and asked why the same swiftness wasn't shown in dealing with the alleged sexual harassment case of the CEO.
"We did not see this swiftness when the matter pertaining to the sexual harassment matter of Rahul Johri was concerned. Have they even approached the court in that matter? There is an application in that regard pending before the Hon'ble Court. That should be heard too since it would expose the manner in which the same was dealt with by the CoA.
"The copy of the order of the irregular committee constituted by the CoA has not even been made available to those who had made allegations against Johri. The connections to that committee are clearly visible in the preferential treatment being meted out to a particular association since someone hailing from there is said to have helped in that matter," the office bearer pointed.
On Instagram, Dhoni shared a video of gully cricket where the batsman is not ready to accept that he is out despite being bowled, as he says he was not ready and it was trial ball.
Sharing the video, Dhoni wrote: "Wen U know what's coming and start the camera and u get it in the nxt 1min, sorry for the bad light but it's the lingo that's fun trial ball, umpires decision last decision.brings back memory from school days.he wd have never accepted this ever happened if v didn't have this video.all of us have witnessed this at some point of time in cricket.enjoy (sic)."
It was on this very day 12 years back that a young Dhoni flaunting long hair had led India to the title at the inaugural ICC World T20, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by five runs at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
As per reports, Dhoni will not be available for selection till November. The former India captain had previously missed the West Indies tour after taking a break of two months which also meant that he missed the just concluded home series against South Africa.
The extension of the break means that he will miss out on the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the home T20I series against Bangladesh.
Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association life member Sanjeev Gupta had complained against the former India skipper citing a conflict in his role as the head of NCA along side being an employee of India Cements. Interestingly, Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai has said that Dravid has resigned from his position at India Cements, but another CoA member confirmed that he has taken leave of absence.
It will be interesting to see how Jain looks at the whole episode as the BCCI has decided to also defend Dravid's position with their own lawyers since he is now an employee of the BCCI as NCA head.
In Parikh's case, it will be even more interesting as he is associated with multiple clubs who have voting rights in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and at the same time is an employee of the BCCI. The same conditions had seen the late M.V. Sridhar needing to resign from his position as GM Cricket Operations.
Sridhar failing to disclose his involvement with clubs in Hyderabad saw him being asked to quit by the CoA as they felt that if he continued, it would mean flouting the order of the Supreme Court.
Ethics Officer Jain has been very particular when it comes to the recommendations of the Lodha Panel and the order of the SC and recently even asked former India skipper Sourav Ganguly to stop holding multiple positions.
In the mail accessed by IANS, Jain had given the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president the benefit of doubt, but had also gone on to explain that he must not hold more than one position.
"I am inclined to give benefit of doubt to Mr. Ganguly that perhaps he may not have realised that his occupying the said three posts did involve "Conflict of Interest". Accordingly, I direct the BCCI to ensure that Mr. Sourav Ganguly relinquishes his interests, which give rise to "Conflict of Interest" and does not continue to occupy more than one post as enumerated in Rule 38(4) of the Rules at any given point of time," he wrote.
While some in the cricket fraternity believe it is up to the 38-year-old to call time on his cricketing career, there are few voices among former players who believe the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman should now hang his boots so that the Indian thinktank can nurture young talents.
Former Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir, who is known to not mince his words when it comes to expressing his opinion, believes that the decision of retirement should be left on Dhoni. But he doesn't see him playing the 2023 World Cup and thus, it is only fair that a young player is given the opportunity.
"I feel that retirement is a very individual decision. Till the time you want to play you are allowed to play, but you do have to look at the future as well. I do not see Dhoni playing the next World Cup," Gambhir told Indian Express.
"So whoever is the captain (then), Virat (Kohli) or any one else, should have the courage to say so, that this player is not fitting into the scheme of things. It's time for some of the youngsters to get groomed in the next four-five years, because ultimately it is not about Dhoni, it is about the country.'
The cricketer-turned politician doesn't see Dhoni playing the next World Cup for India and therefore wants chances to be given to players like Rishabh Pant or Sanju Samson in order to prepare them well for the quadrennial event to be held in India in 2023.
"It is not about Dhoni staying on for the next cricket World Cup, it is about winning the next cricket World Cup. You might want to give the opportunity to Rishabh Pant or Sanju Samson, any young cricketer� They should get the opportunity� I think personally, if you ask me, I think it's time for Indian cricket to look beyond Dhoni."
Earlier, out-of-favour Indian batsman Suresh Raina said Dhoni has a lot to offer to Indian cricket and can prove to be a worthy asset for the team in next year's World T20.
"He is still fit, still a terrific wicket-keeper and still the greatest finisher in the game. Dhoni will be an asset for India in the T20 World Cup," Raina told The Hindu.
Echoing similar sentiments, India's limited-overs opener Shikhar Dhawan said Dhoni should be the only person to decide as far his future is concerned.
"Dhoni has been playing for so long. I feel he understands when he should retire. This should be his decision. He has taken very important decisions so far for India in his career and I'm sure he will make the call when the time comes," Dhawan said on India TV's show 'Aap Ki Adalat'.
It should be noted that the 38-year-old has made himself unavailable for selection till November.
Virat Kohli's side are the top ranked team in the Test rankings and started their campaign in the World Test Championship with a win over the West Indies in the Carribean earlier this year.
India are firm favourites to win the upcoming three-match series with the Proteas in a period of transition after the retirement of the likes of Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers over the past couple of years. If India win, this will be its 11th consecutive Test series win at home, the most by any side.
They are currently tied at 10 for the most series win at home alongwith the Australian teams that Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor led between November 1994 and November 2000 and the Australian team led by Ricky Ponting between July 2004 and November 2008.
The last time India lost a Test series at home was against England during the latter's tour of the country during the 2012-13 season. Their winning streak started with the subsequent rubber against West Indies, which was also Sachin Tendulkar's last series.
Speaking to IANS, sources in the know of developments said that Kapil has resigned from the position. "Yes, he has sent his resignation from the position of CAC chief."
"There should have ideally been an official announcement from the Committee of Administrators (CoA) that the committee is disbanded since Vinod Rai has been vocal about the fact that it was an appointment done only for the selection of the head coach of the Indian team.
"Maybe in that case, the embarrassment that the legends are facing the conflict notice could have been avoided," the source added.
The former Indian captain's decision to resign from the CAC comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Ethics Officer D.K. Jain sent a notice to the panel comprising of Kapil, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy with regards to allegations of conflict of interest as claimed by MPCA life member Sanjeev Gupta.
Rangaswamy had resigned the day after she was served with the notice to explain her stand on holding multiple positions in the board in violation of the BCCI constitution.
Speaking to IANS, the former India cricketer had said that people complaining is fine, but if the Ethics Officer picks up every complaint then it creates a difficult scenario and getting former cricketers to come into administration will be difficult.
"I gave my resignation from the CAC, as also the directorship of the players association. Last night, I mailed it to the concerned authorities. Now, I can understand individuals complaining. But if the Ethics Officer acts on that then it is not worth continuing. And I think one of the pressing demands for the new BCCI committee will be to provide clarity on this conflict of interest clause and from where are they looking to get eligible cricketers in key committees," she rued.
The legal team of the BCCI under the CoA had given the trio a green light to be a part of the CAC and it appointed the new head coach of the Indian team.
The 28-year-old is now the fourth Indian batsman after Karun Nair, Vinod Kambli and Dilip Sardesai to convert their maiden Test tons into a double century. Nair had scored 303, his first Test century against England in 2016, Kambli had scored 224 against England in 1993 and Sardesai had scored 200* against New Zealand in 1965.
Earlier, Mayank, was involved in a record breaking 317-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma. The pair became the third Indian batting pair to stitch together a partnership of 300 runs or more in Test cricket.
Rohit, who was opening the innings for the first time in Test cricket, scored 176 while Mayank contributed with 137 during their historic partnership.
The other two Indian opening pair to stitch together a partnership of more than 300 runs in Test cricket are Vinoo Mankad-Pankaj Roy (413 against New Zealand in 1956) and Virender Sehwag-Rahul Dravid (410 against Pakistan in 2006).
The record-breaking partnership was also the 12th highest opening partnership in Test cricket. Mayank got out for 215 from 371 deliveries. His innings was studded with 23 fours and six sixes.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah will be the new secretary while Arun Dhumal will be the new treasurer. Dhumal is the younger brother of MoS Finance and former BCCI president Anurag Thakur.
Monday is the last day to file nomination but no election will be held since all candidates have emerged unopposed after weeks of lobbying and hectic parleys.
47-year-old Ganguly, who is currently the president of Cricket Association of Bengal, (CAB) will have to demit his post in September, 2020 as he will go into compulsory cooling off period.
Ganguly, one of the finest Indian captains, will turn a new leaf albeit for 10 months even as a new chapter starts in Indian cricket.
Typically like his administrative guru Jagmohan Dalmiya, Ganguly pulled a match that looked all but lost till he pulled it off at the last moment.
Brijesh, backed by Tamil Nadu strongman N Srinivasan, emerged Presidential candidate when Ganguly remained non-committal on campaigning for the BJP in the 2021 state assembly elections.
However, when most of the state units opposed the 'understanding', things changed dramatically.
"Yes, Brijesh was running for the President's post with N Srinivasan actively lobbying for him. However, there was stiff resistance against him. We are happy Sourav is the new President," a senior official from North East affiliated unit, told PTI.
The choice for President's post was always between Ganguly and Patel and the former was finally accepted as a unanimous candidate.
Meanwhile, Patel is stated to take over as the chairman of IPL.
When the new office bearers assume office, it will end a 33-month term of the Committee of Administrators, which called shots in running the cricket affairs in country post Lodha Committee reforms.
Former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad beat Kirti Azad to be elected as male ICA representative on BCCI's nine-member Apex Council. Shanta Rangaswamy was earlier elected unopposed as female ICA representative.
Ganguly pipped Brijesh Patel in a see-saw battle and is expected to be the only presidential nominee.
"You need to wait till 3 pm in the afternoon," Ganguly told PTI during an interaction.
Obviously, it's a great feeling as I have played for the country and captained the country.
"And I am taking over at a time when BCCI has not been in greatest of position for the last three years. Its image has got hampered quite a lot. It's a great opportunity for me to do something good," said the former India captain, who will have to demit office in July, due to compulsory cooling off period.
Ganguly also said his first priority in the short tenure would be to look after "first-class cricketers."
The 47-year-old plans to meet all the stakeholders in Indian cricket and wants to do something that the Committee of Administrators (CoA) didn't do for 33 months.
"We will speak to everyone first as we take a decision but my biggest priority will be to look after first class cricketers. I had requested that to the CoA for three years and they didn't listen. That's the first thing I will do, look after the financial health of our first-class cricketers," said Ganguly, who scored more than 18,000 international runs.
Being selected unopposed is a big responsibility, he admitted.
"Whether unopposed or not, there has to be responsibility as it is the biggest organisation in world cricket. Financially, India is a cricketing powerhouse, so it will be a challenge," he said.
Does he regret that the term will be only for nine months?
"Yes, that's the rule and we will deal with it."
For someone, who has won many close ODIs for India, Ganguly was emotionally intrigued by how the board room politics worked.
"I didn't know I would be the President when I came down. You (reporter) asked me and I told you it's Brijesh and when I went up and I came to know it has changed. I have never been in a BCCI election and I never knew it worked like this," he said.
He had a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday and when asked about whether he will have to campaign for BJP in Bengal, he answered in the negative.
"No, no nothing of that sort. Nobody told me anything," Ganguly said.
Jagmohan Dalmiya has pulled off some amazing board room coups and talking about the late BCCI boss, Ganguly got emotional.
"I have never imagined so (that I will be in shoes of late Jagmohan Dalmiya). He has been like a father to me. There have been some great presidents of BCCI, Mr Srinivasan, Anurag, who have done great job," he said.
So will it be different from captaincy? Ganguly answered, "Nothing can beat being an India captain."
"Congrats Sourav Ganguly on becoming the President of BCCI. I have got no doubt that under your leadership Indian Cricket will continue to prosper. Wishing you lots of success in your new role Dada," Laxman tweeted.
Ganguly also responded to Laxman saying: "Thank you VVS...Your contributions will be very important."
The 47-year-old is set to be appointed unopposed to the post of BCCI President. After filing his nomination on Monday in Mumbai, Ganguly said that taking care of first-class cricketers and setting the house in order will be his top priority.
However, Ganguly's appointment will be a short one as he will have to go in for a cooling off period from September 2020, under the new rules.
The former India captain has been holding posts in Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for the past five years where he currently serves as president. An administrator can only serve six years on the trot.
"Congrats on being elected the BCCI President, Dadi. I am sure you will continue to serve Indian cricket like you always have! Best wishes to the new team that will take charge," Tendulkar tweeted on Tuesday.
Tendulkar had earlier revealed that he was the only cricketer in the team who used to address Ganguly -- who is fondly called 'Dada' -- as 'Dadi'.
Tendulkar and Ganguly, known to be one of the best opening pairs in the history of the game, hold the record for scoring the highest number of opening partnership runs in ODIs. In 136 innings the duo opened for India, they scored 6,609 runs, including 21 century partnerships and 23 fifty-run stands.
Ganguly filed his nomination at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Monday and is set to be elected unopposed to the post of BCCI President on October 23.
However, his appointment will be a short one as he will have to go in for a cooling off period from September 2020, under the new rules.
Former Indian opener and current Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Gautam Gambhir termed Kumble the biggest match-winner for the country and tweeted: "Birthday wishes to India's greatest match-winner Anil Kumble! Have learnt so much from you and you are the best leader that I have played under! Thanks for inspiring generations of cricketers".
Birthday wishes to India’s greatest match winner @anilkumble1074 ! Have learnt so much from you and you are the best leader that I have played under! Thanks for inspiring generations of cricketers. pic.twitter.com/NAM2KeFdtX
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) October 17, 2019
Gambhir's opening partner Virender Sehwag posted a quirky birthday wish for Kumble and tweeted: "One of India's greatest ever match winners and a terrific role model. Sorry for depriving you of your second century Anil Kumble Bhai. But I pray that you score a century in real life. Only 51 more to go, come on…come on Anil Bhai! Happy Birthday."
One of India’s greatest ever Match winners and a terrific role model. Sorry for depriving you of your second century @anilkumble1074 bhai. But I pray that you score a century in real life. Only 51 more to go.. come on ..come on Anil Bhai ! Happy Birthday pic.twitter.com/P7UnvoLBlU
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) October 17, 2019
Kumble had played an unbeaten knock of 110 runs in The Oval Test against England in 2007.
"Wishing you a very special birthday and a wonderful year ahead Anil Kumble. May God shower you with blessings today and always and I am sure this special day will bring you endless joy and tons of precious memories," VVS Laxman tweeted.
Wishing you a very special birthday and a wonderful year ahead @anilkumble1074 May God shower you with blessings today and always and I am sure this special day will bring you endless joy and tons of precious memories!??? pic.twitter.com/Sun4LaLY6Q
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) October 17, 2019
Harbhajan Singh said: "Greatest spinner ever played the game. Biggest match-winner for India... Happy Birthday Anil Kumble, my bowling partner and guru."
Greatest spinner ever played the game.. biggest match winner for india.. happy birthday @anilkumble1074 my bowling partner and guru ? pic.twitter.com/u9ef40Srjs
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 17, 2019
"Many more happy returns of the day to India's greatest match-winner Anil Kumble Bhai. May you continue to inspire and have a healthy and joyful life ahead," tweeted Mohammad Kaif.
Many more happy returns of the day to India’s greatest match winner @anilkumble1074 bhai. May you continue to inspire and have a healthy and joyful life ahead. pic.twitter.com/kaoFkp5Qzl
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) October 17, 2019
Kumble is counted among one of the most decorated spinners of all time. He represented India in 132 Tests and 271 ODIs in which he scalped 619 and 337 wickets respectively.
His tally of Test wickets is, in fact, the most by an Indian bowler and third on the overall list. He is only the second bowler in the history of Test cricket to take 10 wickets in an inning.
In June 2016, he was appointed as the head coach of the Indian men's team by BCCI for a period of one year, but resigned due to "untenable" differences with captain Virat Kohli.
Recently, he has been appointed as the director of cricket operations of Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kings XI will be the third IPL team Kumble will be involved with. He started out as a player -- and later captain -- with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2008. He was then appointed as a mentor by the same team, before joining Mumbai Indians in a similar role in 2013.
Ganguly was officially entrusted with the task of heading Indian cricket for the next nine months at the BCCI's General Body meeting here, ending a tumultuous 33-month reign of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA).
"It's official - @SGanguly99 formally elected as the President of BCCI," the BCCI posted on its Twitter page.
Ganguly's appointment was finalised last week.
In the meeting that was also a reunion of sorts for some of the familiar faces associated with the board before the CoA's institution, Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah was made the secretary.
During his tenure, Ganguly will look to coordinate with old guard such as former President N Srinivasan and ex-Secretary Niranjan Shah, whose children are now part of the BCCI.
Mahim Verma of Uttarakhand became the new vice-president.
Former BCCI president and current junior finance minster Anurag Thakur's younger brother Arun Dhumal became the treasurer while Kerala's Jayesh George took the joint secretary's position.
Ganguly, who took over as India captain during one of its darkest hours following the 2000 match-fixing scandal, will need to demit office by the end of July next year as per the provisions of new constitution, which makes 'Cooling Off' period mandatory after six years in office.
One of the most elegant left-handers to have represented India, Ganguly is expected to make use of his experience gained as the secretary and later president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).
He has set a few goals and the primary ones are restructuring of first-class cricket as well as getting the administration back in shape along with getting India's position of reverence back in the corridors of International Cricket Council (ICC).
With the conflict of interest rules in place, Ganguly will face the challenge of having quality cricketers on board as far as the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) and national selection committees are concerned.
His take on veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni's international future, Day/Night Test cricket, permanent Test centres will also be dissected.
His tenure begins at a time when the International Cricket Council has left India out of its newly-formed working group, which might affect the country's share in the ICC revenue.
The group has been formed to figure out a new governance structure for the world body.