In the video, Pant can be seen walking near the boundary line. Meanwhile, a fan provoked him by taking actress Urvashi Rautela’s name.
As someone records the video, the fan shouts, “Bhai, Urvashi Bula Rahi Hai,” as his friends laugh in the background. This infuriates Pant who shouts back, “Jaake Lele Phir,” and walks away.
However, the video has not gone well with Pant fans who demanded action against the fan. They also asked him to take down the now viral video from Twitter.
Jaake lele phir 🤣#Rishabpant #UrvashiRautela pic.twitter.com/PGGX1K5kIl
— Antareep Gohain (@antareep_s2002) November 7, 2022
An angry Twitter user wrote, “Wahiyat log. Looks like Virat's message of not treating cricketers like commodity has fallen on deaf ears." a user tweeted.
Another user wrote, “He’s clearly not enjoying this! Ye sab Mt Karo yaar,” while another wrote, “BCCI pls raise a complaint & get this guy banned from the stadium next time. And request to all fans going to watch next match if you see this guy pls make life hell for him.”
Another fan commented, “This is just disgusting, he represents our country at least give some respect to his personal life even u troll his cricket.”
Similarly, a fifth user wrote, “Don’t do this. He is clearly not liking it. These things are good for our laugh. This might be affecting him.”
For the uninitiated, Urvashi and Pant have been hogging the limelight after the former revealed that a certain ‘RP’ had come to meet her in a hotel.
Retaliating back, Pant wrote "who lie in interviews" and are "thirsty for fame". It soon went viral and sparked a debate on social media.
"It's funny how people lie in interviews just for some meagre popularity and for hitting the headlines. Sad how some people are so thirsty for fame and name. May God bless them," Pant wrote. He added hashtags like #merapichachorhoBehen #Jhutkibhilimithotihai
While the topic has been in the domain for a while, both Pant and Urvashi haven't made any direct comments on each other.
On the professional front, Rishabh Pant was benched for India's first four games of the ongoing T20 World Cup. He then finally got his chance to play against Zimbabwe, but failed to stamp his authority, scoring just three runs.
As per Shastri, the flashy batter will bring in the X-factor in the shorter boundaries of Adelaide Oval.
India will lock horns with England in the second semifinal in Adelaide on Thursday, and the former all-rounder believes that Pant is a match-winner and the right man for the finisher’s role.
“Dinesh Karthik is a lovely team man. But when it comes to a game against England or New Zealand, I think you need a robust left-hander, who can turn the match on its head for you. Considering their bowling attack, Pant was the best alternative for you,” Shastri told Star Sports.
“Pant has done well against England. He recently won an ODI match on his own against England. I would go with Pant because of the X-factor angle he can bring to the all-important semifinal clash,” he said.
Explaining the reason further for Pant’s choice Shastri said, “Adelaide has short square boundaries and a left-hander should be there to disrupt the English attack. If you have too many right-handers, there is a sense of sameness to it.”
Notably, Pant got out for just three in his only appearance against minnow Zimbabwe in the showpiece event.
She always hogs the limelight for some bizarre reason. Now, the Virgin Bhanupriya actress has once again come under the target of social media users after she sent birthday wishes to run machine Virat Kohli on Sunday.
@imVkohli happy b birthday 🎂
— URVASHI RAUTELA🇮🇳 (@UrvashiRautela) November 6, 2022
While the iconic batsman celebrated his birthday on November 5, the Hate Story 4 actress wished him a day after on November 6. This has not gone too well with the fans of Virat Kohli and other social media users who then trolled her brutally.
Taking to her Twitter handle, Urvashi wrote, “@imVkohli happy b birthday.” No sooner, Urvashi posted the birthday wishes for Kohli, social media users pointed out that she was too late for the birthday wishes.
A user commented, “Raat ki utri nahin hai kya (still in hangover of last night),” while another user wrote, “Bunty, tera saboon slow hai kya (Bunty, your soap is slow, in reference to her late wish).
Your innings will be remembered for a long long time @imVkohli! 🇮🇳 #INDvsPAK2022 #WorldCup2022
— URVASHI RAUTELA🇮🇳 (@UrvashiRautela) October 24, 2022
A third user commented, “Didi Apne toh bahut jaldi wish kiya hamare king ko (you wished too early to our king),” while another wrote, “NCB wants to know your location” while another wrote, “Arey itni jaldi bhi kyat hi (what was the need for the rush).”
However, some users went a little overboard and wrote, “Laag Gayi Panoti Semifinals Se Pehle (a misfortune before semifinals),” while another commented, “Attention seeking half boil.”
However, many fans applauded her for being unfazed by trolls and living her life without any worries despite repeated trolling. The Twitter post has garnered over 11.2K likes in just a few hours.
Earlier, Urvashi expressed outrage after a fan circulated a video of Virat Kohli’s hotel room without his consent. She highlighted safety and privacy concerns after the former skipper's room video went viral over the internet.
She took to her Instagram account and wrote, “Absolutely!! Immoral, unscrupulous imagine they did the same with a girl’s room #unprincipled #dishonorable.”
However, latest reports suggest that fan assumptions were wrong. Fresh reports suggest that the original RP is not cricketer Rishabh Pant, but Telugu energetic star Ram Pothineni.
Urvashi has put an end to all these rumors and disclosed about her Mr. RP. The Grand Masti 2 actress has finally put to end all the speculations and posted a picture of herself with the stylish Ram Pothineni.
As soon as Urvashi uploaded the pictures with Ram, it garnered over 396K likes and 2,885 likes. Fans cannot keep calm after seeing the pictures and are flooding the comment sections with hilarious comments.
Many users asked her, “Is this the RP?” As Ram is also unmarried and single till now, their affair is being talked about in a short period of time.
Commenting on Urvashi’s post, a user wrote, ‘Well, this is RP’ while another wrote, ‘Rishabh Bhai is watching’.
Similarly, a third user commented, ‘Don’t miss Rishabh bhai now?’ while another netizen wrote, ‘What will happen to Rishabh bhai now?’
In fact, Ram Pothineni and Urvashi are reportedly coming together for an upcoming project. Ram Pothineni will play the lead role in Telugu filmmaker Boyapathy Srinu’s upcoming film. It has been reported that Urvashi will dance on an item song in this film. The shooting of the film will begin soon in Hyderabad.
It is also being speculated that the photo posted by Urvashi of the two could be a stunt for the publicity of this film. Now these two are really in a relationship, whether it is just Urvashi Rautela’s original RP, not Rishabh Pant, but Telugu star Ram Pothineni?
In 2018, there was talk of Pant and Urvashi Rautela being in a relationship. Both were often seen on lunch-dates. However, after some time, the news of both of them blocking each other came on social media.
Similarly, during an interview, Urvashi had mentioned a person named RP. Not only this, but she also told the whole story of his breakup with ‘Mr RP’. However, she did not reveal the full name of RP.
It is also being speculated that the photo posted by Urvashi of the two could be a publicity stunt for the publicity of this film. Now these two are really in a relationship, whether it is just for the publicity of the movie only time will tell.
Urvashi shared a note on her Instagram story in which she wrote, “Just want to make it clear again regarding my ‘I love you’ video circulating these days…that it was only from acting perspective & was a dialogue scene not directed towards anyone or from any video call.”
Notably, Urvashi was trolled in the past after one of her short video in which she could be seen saying, “Aap bolo I love you…nahi pehle aap bolo I love you..ek baar boldo..bas ek baar boldoo went viral in internet.”
Recently, the video has once again been seen flooding the social media platforms with cricket buffs linking the clip with her rumoured ex-boyfriend Rishabh Pant.
Urvashi is also currently facing a lot of backlash on social media after she posted multiple pictures with cryptic captions from Australia, where the Indian cricket team is currently practicing for the ongoing T20I World Cup.
Earlier in August this year, Urvashi said that a certain ‘Mr RP’ waited for her for almost 10 hours in a hotel lobby while she was getting some sleep and that she felt bad for having made him wait for so long. As soon as the clip went viral, netizens started to link Rishabh Pant with her.
She had posted a picture of herself flying to Australia. Now, the actress has once again shared another post on Instagram with a cryptic message. Unlike her regular Instagram posts where she is seen in all glam avatars, the actress this time posted a simple picture wearing a saree with sindoor and mangalsutra (worn by married Hindu women).
In the caption she wrote, “Prem mein padi premika ko sindoor se priy kuch nahi hota, sari rasam riwaz ke sath chahiye umar bhar ka sath piya tumse (to a woman in love, nothing is dearer than vermilion, need you with me for the rest of my life with all the rituals and promises).
Even as the ‘Sanam Re’ actress did not take any name, fans are convinced that she is hinting at cricketer Rishabh Pant. A few fans hilariously trolled the actress and asked her to leave Pant alone while others adored her natural beauty.
Similarly, a few days back, the gorgeous beauty had posted another photo in a green lehenga. Her caption read, “Kaise bhula doon usko, maut insaan ko aati hai, yaadon ko nahi (How to forget them, people die, the memories don’t).”
A few trolls even accused her of distracting Pant, who is currently prepping for the T20 World Cup as the Indian team will play its first match against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23.
“World Cup ke baad hum shaadi karwa denge, but please usko divert na karo (we will get you married after the World Cup, but please do not divert his attention right now),” commented a fan on the post while another wrote, “Pant ko chod do World Cup ke liye please (please leave Rishabh Pant alone for the World Cup).”
Worth mentioning, Rishabh denied dating Urvashi after they were spotted together at restaurants and public events. He had also announced his relationship with girlfriend Isha Negi.
However, during an interview, Urvashi had hinted that Rishabh once waited for her in a hotel lobby for almost 10 hours.
On his day, Axar Patel will hit the stumps while bowling and fielding. He also has the ability to the hit the ball out of the park. He bowls with the newish ball inside the powerplay which is an absolute boon. With the white-ball skidding on to the stumps, hitting him across the line is a low-percentage and a high-risk option. This allows the captain to protect the straighter boundaries and entice the batters to go squarer.
Axar has always been one of the smartest fielders you can have on the park. He played a small but significant role in the run-out that Virat Kohli inflicted in the second T20I to dismiss Cameron Green. Kohli sprinted and threw the ball adjacent to the stumps. It seemed as if that throw melted in the hands of Axar and he removed the bails swiftly. Green, even after desperately diving still fell short of the crease.
Although Axar's batting credentials haven't been fully optimised, it is certain that he will be team's designated left-arm spinner in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja. At the same time, the extra bit that Jadeja provided was to play the role of a lefty floater batter. Thus India must find another lefty batter in their ranks to use the natural advantage that is on offer.
The advantage left-handed batters have over their right handed peers is fairly well documented in the modern era. A study conducted to find out which of the two swings is more difficult to face while striking a cricket ball, found it to be the out swing. Most fast bowlers are right-arm options and most of them swing the ball away from the right-handed batsmen.
The LBW law also gives the southpaws a unique advantage. While bowling from over the wicket which is the most common practice makes them less susceptible to this form dismissal.
For the exact same reason that the ball moving away is trickier, most teams comprise a left-arm off spinner and a right-arm leg spinner. Both of them have an advantage to turn the ball away from the overrepresented right-handed top order batters in the game.
Having a lefty in top five allows you to dominate the match-up option if and when the left-arm spinner or the leggie comes into play. Rishabh Pant is the most obvious choice in the current scenario. For him and Dinesh Karthik both to be playing, India needs to have Axar as their only spinner and Hardik along with three pacers to bowl their full quota of overs.
In doing so, India will be able to counter attack in the middle overs better. If the argument is that as soon as the lefty comes in, the opposition might summon their right-arm offspinner to bowl only to take the ball away; it will bring the right-hander batting with Pant in a position to take the match-up on.
More than the reverse match-up debate, Pant's T20I numbers aren't exactly sparkling. He scores lesser boundaries per over and gets out more times at the highest level when compared to his numbers at the Indian Premier League (IPL).
It is quite clear that the tempo for Pant has to be Pant-like which is to score quickly maximizing the scoring option. If that is to dominate a particular phase then so be it or else he is always an option down the order as well.
Irrespective of the colour of the ball, all three kinds of left-handed skills are structural to a winning combination - a batter in the top five, a spinner and a pacer. Currently, India has defined two of those with Axar and Arshdeep flourishing in their roles. Pant needs to be the missing piece of the puzzle.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the 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.)
More From The Author | T20 World Cup 2022: India’s Fortunes Blooming In The Flower Of Its Youth
Well, it does seem that Urvashi has been coaxed to say a few words on the entire incidence related to Rishabh. It was very much possible for the actress to simply deny saying anything or making any comment. However, the Pagalpanti actress instead chose to say sorry to the Indian southpaw and now has given a new twist to her fiery exchange with Rishabh Pant.
And as expected, once again social media users have started pouring in comments with many believing that something is fishy in this because it does not seem right that Urvashi is asking for forgiveness.
One of the users has said that everything is "Golmaal" whereas another user even took a dig at Urvashi saying, “Aa gayi line pe.”
Reportedly, Urvashi and Rishabh dated each other in 2018 but parted ways a long time ago. However, the controversy started when the Bollywood beauty said that a certain RP waited for hours for her in the lobby of a hotel and gave her multiple missed calls while she slept off after coming back to her room very tired.
It was quite evident that Urvashi was referring to Rishabh when she mentioned RP and the cricketer immediately slammed back saying that it is really funny how people tell lies during an interview for the sake of publicity. He even tagged Urvashi saying, “Mera Piccha chodo behen.” Instead of letting it go, the actress gave a savage reply through her social media post on the day of Raksha Bandhan calling RP chotu bhaiyya.
Now it would be interesting to see how Rishabh Pant reacts to this new stand from Urvashi Rautela.
Earlier Urvashi had quite smartly said that she does not watch cricket much and has no interest in the sport but respects legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. And that is why her presence in the stadium yesterday raised many eyebrows. While Rishabh Pant was not among the playing XI, he was present in the stadium as the standby and was spotted multiple times with the team discussing things during the match. It was enough for the social media users to get creative and start a meme fest targeting Urvashi and Rishabh.
Rishabh pant in his next interview:
— Sharad Sharma (@shyguysharad) August 28, 2022
"I won't take name but Ms. UR have attended many matches just to see me even when she doesn't watch cricket at all"#INDvsPAK #Rishabpant #UrvashiRautela #AsiaCup2022 pic.twitter.com/fb5xENu2K8
#UrvashiRautela - I don't like cricket #PKMKBForever #INDvsPAK #UrvashiRautela #AsiaCup2022 #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/yCj96y3flC
— Saksham Tripathi (@SakshamTripath4) August 28, 2022
From speculating what Rishabh might say indirectly to Urvashi Rautela in his next interview to memes suggesting that Urvashi is searching for her RP, the memes were quite hilarious and interesting. A few memes were also directed towards players like Hardik Pandya, and Virat Kohli who played important role in India’s win over Pakistan.
#UrvashiRautela#IndiaVsPakistan#INDvPAK
— Gautam Dhenwal (@Gautam56110455) August 28, 2022
During timeout Rishabh pant 😂😅 pic.twitter.com/8gCELKMR65
Rishabh pant expression after spotting Urvashi Rautela at match today 😂#indiawonthematch #indvspak #rishabhpant #urvashirautela #cricketmemes pic.twitter.com/jUIjAulX01
— Infoadda (@infoadaa12) August 28, 2022
Interestingly, fans captured Rishabh Pant giving a so-called evil smile as he was sitting with the team and many said that it was directed at Urvashi Rautela. Cricket and Bollywood go hand in hand in India and there have been actresses who have been in a relationship with cricketers. While Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma tied the knot, there were many others like Ravi Shastri and Amrita Singh or Kapil Dev and Sarika who just were together for a short time and later on moved on in their life with different partners.
RISHABH -URVASHI during whole match in the stadium 😂😂😂#INDvsPAK #Rishabpant #UrvashiRautela pic.twitter.com/0arzMyiqrm
— 🩺Struggler Doc.💉💊 (@doc_dexa) August 28, 2022
After seeing #UrvashiRautela in cricket ground.
— NaMo 2.0 (@TusNAMO) August 28, 2022
Staff to #RishabhPant - bhai ye to cricket nhi dekhti to ye ground pr kya kr rhi h.
Rp to staff- pic.twitter.com/NXoDeQc6mN
Right now, however, this banter between Rishabh Pant and Urvashi Rautela has taken the center stage and whenever there will be some related news or tweet; it is going to trigger a response on social media.
In between, players of both the teams met each other in Dubai and there were some hilarious exchanges. India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant met injured Shaheen Afridi and their conversation is winning netizens across the globe.
When Rishabh came to meet Shaheen, the Pakistan pacer hilariously said, “Yaar main soch raha hu aapki tarah bas batting shuru kar du, ek haath se chhakke lagaau (I’m thinking of becoming a batter like you and start hitting sixes with a single hand).
In response, Pant hilariously replied, ‘Fast bowler ho toh effort lagaana padega sir! Compulsory hai (If you’re a fast bowler, you have to put in efforts. It is compulsory).
The Indian wicketkeeper then asked Shaheen on how long would it take for him to recover.
In reply, the Pakistan pacer said, “five weeks.”
Stars align ahead of the #AsiaCup2022 🤩
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 25, 2022
A high-profile meet and greet on the sidelines 👏 pic.twitter.com/c5vsNCi6xw
The clip of the video shared by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on twitter is liked by cricket buffs across the globe.
Notably, India are the defending champions in the tournament. The Men in Blue are looking forward to maintain their good run in the mega tournament.
Many thought his message was directed at Urvashi, who was left in an awkward situation when Pant simply denied being interested in her, in his usual way. In his IG story, Pant wrote, “Don’t stress over what you cannot control.” Now, this is quite an interesting twist to what happened between Urvashi and Pant.
Urvashi triggered controversy last week when she made a shocking statement during her recent interview with a leading online portal. She mentioned a particular 'Mr. RP', who waited for her in the lobby in New Delhi where she had come for an event. She also added that she could not meet this specific person because she slept off and woke up to find that there were 16 to 17 missed calls from the same 'Mr. RP' on her phone.
The mention of 'Mr. RP' was so suggestive and everyone on social media including Rishabh himself knew that the statement indicated toward him. Instead of letting it go, the wicket-keeper batter indirectly targeted Urvashi by sharing an Insta story that said that it was funny that people lie for popularity during interviews just to come into the limelight. He further ended the story with "merapichachorhoBehen #Jhutkibhilimithotihai”, however, later on he deleted the post.
Chotu bhaiyaa should play bat ball 🏏. Main koyi munni nahi hoon badnam hone with young kiddo darling tere liyee
— URVASHI RAUTELA🇮🇳 (@UrvashiRautela) August 11, 2022
#Rakshabandhan Mubarak ho #RPChotuBhaiyya #Cougarhunter #donttakeadvantageofasilentgirl #love #UrvashiRautela #UR1 pic.twitter.com/AA3APRFViY
In her reply, Urvashi had called Rishabh 'Chotu bhaiya', who should only play bat and ball. And that is the reason why social media users are connecting this cryptic message from the cricketer with this Urvashi Rautela controversy. It would be interesting to see whether this leads to something big or whether the Bollywood beauty comes out with a cracking reply yet again or not.
Following her claims, Rishabh in his Insta story wrote that people lie in interviews for the sake of popularity. Though he did not name anyone, netizens speculate that it is about Urvashi, but Pant later deleted the post.
Urvashi then hit back at Rishabh's now deleted story with a post and wrote, “Chotu bhaiyaa (young brother) should play bat ball ot…main koyi munni nahi hoon badnaam hone (I am no naive girl to be defamed) with young kiddo darling tere liye #RAKSHABANDHAN mubarak ho." She also added hastags - RP CHOTU BHAIYYA (young brother) Cougar Hunter and Don't take advantage of a silent girl.
For the unversed, Pant and Urvashi were said to be dating, which Urvashi had confirmed but Rishabh denied the same.
Following their war of words on social media, hilarious memefest flooded Twitter.
Have a look at some of the tweets below:
Rishabh and Urvashi fighting in Instagram stories#UrvashiRautela #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/q2o5dCgXSg
— Bhatkela (@Bhatkela) August 11, 2022
#UrvashiRautela
— 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐫ʌ𝐦 𝐓𝐡ʌ𝐤𝐮𝐫 (@vikramarya__) August 12, 2022
Riyan prag be like😐 pic.twitter.com/2fGSYbeJwa
Most famous wars in 2022😅 #RishabhPant #Urvashirautela pic.twitter.com/dO5HheGC6z
— Ajay Motiramani (@MotiramaniAjay) August 11, 2022
#UrvashiRautela fans to her-#RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/2DeAv6a8tQ
— Vibs (@Vaibhav_m85) August 12, 2022
Who is RP?#UrvashiRautela #RishabhPant #Pant #RiyanParag pic.twitter.com/E70b1oPXVb
— The Brain Doctor (@Dextro_Chex) August 12, 2022
#UrvashiRautela -he's crazy about me
— irfan shaikh (@irfanterkheda) August 12, 2022
Meanwhile #RishabhPant 👇 pic.twitter.com/bDtNtEnCFu
Urvashi - Mr. RP waited for 12 hours to meet me.
— Aadi Yogi shambhu (@AadiShambhu1) August 12, 2022
Mr. RP - I don't even wait for 3 balls to settle and smash the bowlers in test.
Me - May be she wants to prepare him for long lasting Inning
Thuchuk thuchuk 😆😝#RishabhPant #UrvashiRautela pic.twitter.com/f7FYlhEu9R#RishabhPant
With this elevation, Pant will go past former skippers Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni when he dons the captaincy hat against the Proteas. Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals’ captain will become the second-youngest Indian skipper in T20Is.
At 23 years and 197 days, former southpaw Suresh Raina still holds the record of being India’s youngest T20I captain. Pant will start his captaincy career on the second spot as he is 24-year-old and was born in October 1997.
Following Raina and Pant will be Dhoni, who was 26 years old when he was appointed skipper of India at the 2007 T20 World Cup. Virender Sehwag, India’s first-ever T20I skipper, was 28 when India took on South Africa in 2006. Virat was also 28 when he first led India in T20Is.
Interestingly, the former skipper led India in his maiden ODI in 2013 and in Test in 2014. But his first match as a T20I captain came in January 2017 against England. Veteran Ajinkya Rahane, who captained India on the Zimbabwe tour in 2015, was 28 then.
His words turned out to be true as pace trio Mitchell Marsh, Chetan Sakariya and Anrich Nortje took two wickets each in restricting Rajasthan to 160/6.
In reply, Marsh came out to lead the chase with a 62-ball 89 while Warner hanged around to play the anchor, remaining unbeaten on 52 off 41 balls as Delhi chased down the total with 11 balls remaining to win a crucial match by eight wickets, keeping them alive in the race for playoffs.
"It was close to a perfect game as I believe there is always space for improvement. On these kind of wickets where there is little turn, you can go either way. I am happy we bowled first. I thought 140-160 was a good score and said so at the toss. And we got there," said Pant after the match.
Pant felt that if fielding had been better, it would have been the perfect match Delhi needed in an inconsistent campaign. "Destiny is always in your hands, you can look to give 100 percent. The fielding could be better, but this was close to a perfect game. We miss him (Prithvi Shaw) but we can't control that. He has typhoid or something like that is what the doctor told me."
For Sanju Samson, it was a night to forget as Rajasthan brought out their pinch-hitter Ravichandran Ashwin at three after the fall of Jos Buttler. The move succeeded as Ashwin reached his maiden IPL fifty but it also meant that Samson, Rassie van der Dussen and Riyan Parag didn't get to face a majority of deliveries.
Moreover, the missed catches of Warner and Marsh along with the former getting a huge slice of luck when a leg-break from Yuzvendra Chahal brushed past leg-stump with bails lighting up but they weren't separated.
"Very disappointing night. We were few runs and a few wickets short. It was a two-paced wicket when we were batting, we thought we were 15 runs short. We had some bad luck with a few catches falling in front and one hitting the stumps but the bail not coming off."
Also, Rajasthan missed an lbw review when Trent Boult had trapped Marsh in the third over, only for replays to show later that it would have hit the stumps. "I thought it hit the bat and never made contact with the pad. Coming back stronger after losses is important, that'll be our focus in the next game. Hopefully, we'll get Hettie (Shimron Hetmyer) back soon."
Though DC skipper Rishabh Pant didn’t have a great game, the win certainly got the smile back on his face. Moreover, his rumoured girlfriend Isha Negi was spotted in the stands cheering for DC along with Rishabh’s sister Sakshi Pant.
Isha was found relishing the every bit of the match and her picture went viral on social media.
“Bhabi aayi hai toh lady luck banke aayi hai,” tweeted a fan of Delhi captain.
Rishabh himself also posted a photo on social media by captioning the image as, “I like me better when I’m with you”.
The match was completely ruled by bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav (4/14) ruled the roost with a brilliant display of spin bowling.
Chasing a victory target of 147, Delhi romped home in 19 overs for the loss of six wickets with David Warner (42, 26b, 8x4) leading the run chase.
Pant came in and unleashed fireworks straight away and took the pitch out of the equation with an attacking approach and demoralised the Sri Lankan bowlers. The wicket-keeper batter smashed seven boundaries and two sixes to reach the half-century mark in just 28 balls and break the legendary Kapil Dev's 40-year-old record.
Kapil had scored a 30-ball 50 in the 1982 Test match against Pakistan in Karachi and is followed by Shardul Thakur, who had scored a 31-ball half-century in the Oval Test against England in 2021, and former India cricketer Virender Sehwag, who had scored a 32-ball 50 against England in Chennai.
Former Pakistan cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq (21 balls) has the record of smashing the fastest fifty in Test cricket history. He achieved the feat against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014.
Courtesy Pant's attacking fifty, India reached 199/5 in their second innings at the dinner break and extended their lead to 342 runs against Sri Lanka on the second day of the second Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Resuming their second innings from 61-1, India added 138 more runs in 29 overs at a rate of 4.76 and lost the wickets of Rohit Sharma (46), Hanuma Vihari (35), Virat Kohli (13), Rishabh Pant (50) in the second session of Day 2.
Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka could add only 23 runs more to their overnight score as Jasprit Bumrah took a historic five-for (5/24) to help India bowl out the visitors for 109 in their first innings. It was Sri Lanka's second-lowest total (109) in Tests against India, with the previous being 82 all out in Chandigarh in 1990.
If you can find an answer that manifests itself in multiple historically detached disciplines simultaneously, then there is some evidence that the idea is valid. We are only 18 years into T20 cricket, hence the knowledge of the modern day skills is still fairly new. Unlike baseball, which is also a bat VS ball sport, cricket, and especially T20 cricket, has very little authority over having proven trends backed by sufficient statistical analysis.
Take the case of left-handed batters, for example, in all T20s. Ask anyone who follows the match-up madness and they will tell you that you might still find some right handed batters who are good against the ball turning away, but it is almost impossible to find left-handers who are good against quality off-spin.
Thus, in the modern game, lefties have a significant advantage over righties because fewer and fewer bowlers are spinning the ball away from them. Nobody bowls right-arm off-break these days. The ones that do are either mystery spinners or just batsmen who bowl occasionally.
The rise of Ishan Kishan and Venkatesh Iyer is the product of this natural progression in the game where the skill of batting as a southpaw has become less challenging. And the idea that has repeatedly reappeared is that the shortest form of the game is made for its youngest connoisseurs. India can, if they want, have all of Kishan, Iyer, and Rishabh Pant bat in their top six. In fact, for the all-rounder’s role, they also have the option of Wasinghton Sundar and Axar Patel.
This influx of youth in the Indian T20 side is prominent in another skillset, and that is fast bowling. Pace bowling in T20s is about more than just bowling fast; it is also about the role you play as a pacer. A broader classification of those roles involves swing bowlers, change-up bowlers, and good old fashioned enforcers.
Although these roles are intertwined, they are still distinct enough with respect to the demands of each role. To swing the new ball, India has Deepak Chahar and Mohammed Siraj. For change-ups, there is Harshal Patel and Shardul Thakur. And when it comes to hitting the hard-length and delivering the yorkers at a faster pace, India has Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, and Avesh Khan at their disposal.
No other time in recent history could India have slotted in that many left-handers in the same T20I side before. They have never had such a wealth of fast bowling talent for each role either.
In terms of wrist spin, Ravi Bishnoi’s inclusion in this talent pool is not only another youthful addition, but it is a smart and effective way to keep Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav on their toes.
Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav are providing India with intent and solidarity in the middle-order. Both are young and both are from the same Mumbai school of khadoos batsmanship that keeps on churning out strokemakers. If they continue to stay fit and play their natural game, then there is a good chance that they will dominate all kinds of bowlers in all types of conditions.
Leading these young men is another Mumbaikar who has a unique way of ruling the side. His style of communication is peculiar to Mumbai and Mumbai locals, to be specific. Wherein a rough tone is often masked with an intention of care. Everyday, thousands of strangers are rude to each other in a jam packed steel compartment, all because they want everyone to be safe and reach their destinations on time.
Rohit Sharma’s antics on the field have the exact same energy. His way of passing the information comes with a layer of comfort that often puts his players in a safe space. A space where they are free to go wrong while following their instincts, but with just the right amount of clarity that presents a clear roadmap to success. Under Rohit’s rule, India’s youngsters have the best chance to conquer the world.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the 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.)
More From The Author: Road To 2023 ODI World Cup: India Needs Power Beneath Wings To Become Juggernauts
Winning in elite sports is always special. Winning at home is even more so. The Indian Cricket Team was expected to win the series and they did so by convincingly beating a West Indies side that looked depleted both technically and tactically. Even after being such gifted and natural lofters of the cricket ball, the calypso batters once again lacked a sense of application in the middle. At this point, scoring runs isn’t their primary concern, but it is batting the full quota of overs.
At no point in the course of the series was India put under the pressure of a rising required run-rate. It is imperative that it be a likely scenario against better bowling and batting attacks. And when that happens, India’s only options are Deepak Hooda’s long leavers and Deepak Chahar’s audacity at the crease. For all his sound technique, Washington Sundar hasn’t yet developed a game that revolves around hitting boundaries at will.
Recently, India has been extremely cautious at the start of their 50-over innings. Having empowered technically sound batsmen in the top three positions, they are okay with slow starters who are capable of scoring big and making up for the sedate start. Rohit Sharma has a similar template to Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli. If Ishan Kishan doesn’t find a spot there, then the first half of the innings will hardly be a high scoring affair in the future.
This shouldn’t have been a problem if the men to follow had been serious strikers. Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav are all quick scorers against spin. Iyer and Pant might still manage to take the attack on to the opposition but not exactly outmuscle them, not because they don’t have the firepower but because their roles demand them to be more stable than outright explosive.
Hitting the ball for a six is not exactly rocket science in modern day cricket. It is almost second nature for batsmen. But being a power hitting finisher is still one of the highest paid jobs in franchise cricket because it demands the entirety of MS Dhoni to fulfil the role. You can’t just put a palm groove hitter on the field and ask him to finish games. He will either launch too early and get out before scoring enough runs, or he might take it too deep and succumb to the pressure. You need someone brute enough to clear the fence but smart enough to calculate the risks.
By the time Hardik Pandya had cemented his place in the team, he had everything he needed to become the best power hitting resource in the world. Perhaps he still has it. But without him, there is a void that needs to be filled. Pandya’s technique revolves around a solid base. Tactically, he has evolved to pick the match-ups in his favour. Physically, he might not have the most muscle mass, but he thrives on a strong core. Beyond these superior skills, Pandya was immaculate in how he read a certain situation. While searching for quick runs, many mortal minds are clouded by a sudden rush of emotions, but not Pandya. After having faced a ball, irrespective of the result, he was quick to reflect on it. He had orchestrated a coping mechanism that made him recover and relax during the deliveries. And with years of training, he had mastered the art of refocusing on the next ball.
Deepak Chahar, along with Shardul Thakur, will be paired with Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja to form the first set of all-rounders in contention for the World Cup squad. If Hooda continued, he would be on that list too. Allow us to include Axar Patel in that set as well. All of them can hit the ball. Most of them can hit it for a six. A few of them can go on and on and hit multiple sixes. But none of them bring a sense of awe and fear to the opposition when it comes to six-hitting. In no other skill set in cricket does reputation win you more games than in late order hitting.
That reputation can be built over a period of time, and all of these players will try and do that in the next IPL, which is also India’s best case scenario.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the 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.)
More From The Author: Almighty Dollars In The IPL Shark Tank For India U19 Stars
Winning the Test series in South Africa was perhaps an easier task than emerging victorious in the ODI format. Test matches are longer, and so the better team must make better decisions for a longer period of time and thus is more likely to win. And for most cricketing reasons, India’s test team looked like being technically and tactically superior when compared to the hosts. Beyond this point, there were way too many mysteries that cropped up as India won the first test but lost the series. They then played 3 ODI games and lost every single one of them.
Nobody knows how a champion-like red-ball unit suddenly looked like a bunch of survivors in the African wilderness. More so, It was difficult to digest how nobody in their top six batters in the ODI leg could reach the 3-figure mark!
Concern should always come with context. India are 5th on the points table of the World Test Championship and need to win most of their remaining tests to give themselves a chance to qualify for the finals. Thus, while hosting Sri Lanka later this February, they must be ruthless. Even that is just myopic dressing. The shift in leadership will be most felt in the five-day game.
If KL Rahul is to continue leading in the whites, he will have massive shoes to fill. Captaincy in Test cricket is often down to just picking the right men for the jobs. The on-field dynamics sooner or later take care of themselves. The fact that Rahul is an opener and that constitutes the toughest batting assignment in a Test match, means he is bound to register a few low scores. Hence, his greatest challenge will be to compartmentalise his batting and captaincy.
He will need all the support he can get from Rishabh Pant, who can no longer be just a maverick in the team. The management has shown enough trust in him for him to be just a player who occasionally changes the game. He needs to be more than that. His flamboyance must be shaped and raised within the team. If the wicket-keeper is aware and has a definite voice in the side, the on-field captain feels empowered.
The recurring issue in the middle-order needs to be looked at. There needs to be a change in personnel because it is established that we have already seen the best of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.
As far as 50-over cricket is concerned, because the next World Cup is in their own backyard, one would think India are not too far from finding their best XI. Rohit Sharma has worked hard to improve his fitness, and he should be able to resume his leadership role in both limited-overs formats beginning next month against the West Indies.
The return of Shikhar Dhawan in ODIs is a massive positive. In the next few ODI games that India plays, three against West Indies at home and three away in England, they will have to decide if they want their top four to be Dhawan, Rahul, Rohit, and Kohli. Shreyas Iyer will and should get a longer rope.
But while doing so, they need to keep an eye out for the rest, like Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, and keep them ready if their services are required at some point in time. There needs to be a conversation about their individual roles. In South Africa, in all the three ODIs, it was only Dhawan who carried some form of intent out of the top three, and that cannot be the case in modern day ODI cricket.
In the absence of Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant is still India’s greatest X-factor. Pandya, though, might be looking at a longer road of revival with the evolution of Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar, both of whom have shown enough batting intelligence to be slotted as the designated bowling all-rounder. Then there is Venkatesh Iyer, who will only get better as he gets more game time.
If Yuzvendra Chahal is to be a part of the greater scheme of things, then he ought to be playing continuously for wrist-spin like most cricketing disciplines are about rhythm. With Ravichandran Ashwin already in the mix, when you add Ravindra Jadeja to that list, the spin bowling department looks settled in the ODIs.
At best, Jasprit Bumrah looks half as good when compared to his peak form. Even if he is out of form, that still isn’t India’s greatest concern. Bumrah must believe he has a bigger role to play in the ODI set-up. He is the undisputed veteran of that pace cartel. Going back to Bhuvneshwar Kumar should not be the only resort. Which is why Bumrah’s role is to help Indian cricket raise the canvas and see to it that the likes of Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Avesh Khan are given enough game time and learning to make them game ready.
The shortest format is perhaps the trickiest of them all. Not just because there is a World Cup in October, but because it is in Australia. To think that the upcoming, bigger and better Indian Premier League (IPL) will be a perfect platform to pick that team from will be too simple an idea to live with, but unfortunately, it will be. That is the kind of world we live in.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the 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.)
After going unrepresented in the ICC men's 'T20 Team of the Year' due to a disastrous World Cup campaign in the UAE, it was no surprise to see the Indians miss out in the apex body's ODI side as well after playing just six matches, even as the list featured two players from minnows Ireland.
India, the world number one in Tests, however have three representatives in the year's best team for the game's longest format, with New Zealand talisman Kane Williamson as its skipper.
Overall, India played 14 Tests in 2021 and managed to win eight out of them. They lost three Tests last year, including the heart-breaking defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand.
Rohit, who was recently elevated as India's white-ball captain as Virat Kohli's successor, cracked 906 runs in the calendar year at an average of 47.68 with two centuries.
Both of Rohit's centuries were memorable knocks in contrasting conditions against England -- one in Chennai and the other in overcast conditions away from home at the Oval.
Pant, who established himself as India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in all the three formats, scored 748 runs in 12 matches at an average of 39.36 with one memorable ton against England at Ahmedabad. He also accounted for 39 dismissals in 23 innings, with his glovework continuing to improve.
The seasoned Ashwin scalped 54 wickets in nine matches at an average of 16.64, making a big impact in the home series against England and New Zealand. He also chipped in with 355 runs at an average of 25.35, which included a vital century against England in Chennai.
Besides the Indian trio and Williamson, the ICC Test team has one Sri Lankan in Dimuth Karunaratne, one Australian in Marnus Labuschagne, England captain Joe Root, New Zealand's Kyle Jamison and three Pakistanis in Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi.
Leading the 2021 ICC Test Team of the Year, Williamson was an influential captain for New Zealand, leading them to glory at the inaugural World Test Championship Final against India in Southampton.
He was also steady with the bat, scoring 395 runs in 4 matches at an average of 65.83 with one century.
Besides the absence of India players, the ODI team also doesn't have anyone from Australia, English, New Zealand or West Indies.
The team, which has Pakistan's Babar Azam as its captain, has two of his team-mates, including Fakhar Zaman.
South Africans Janneman Malan and Rassie van der Dussen, Bangladeshis Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahaman and Mushfiqur Rahim, who is also the designated wicketkeeper, Sri Lankans Wanindu Hasaranga and Dishmantha Chameera along with Irishmen Paul Stirling and Simi Singh form the rest of the squad.
India, in the year 2021, played six ODIs and won four while losing two.
The non-selection of Indian players in the XI is more to do with lack of matches rather than poor show since they have won both the series that they played in 2021.
The only Indian player who has played all the ODI matches in 2021 is veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan, who had 297 runs from six games.
The likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma only played three ODIs in 2021 and ditto for premier bowlers, who also didn't play all the six games.
Buvneshwar Kumar was there in five of those six games with his tally of wickets not in double digits (9 from 5 matches).
In order to make it to the team of the year, there has to be enough impactful performances to earn points which Indians didn't have.
Ireland's Stirling had a whopping 705 runs in 14 ODIs in 2021 with an average of 79.66 which made him an automatic selection.
Proteas opener Janneman has scored 509 runs in 8 games with an average of nearly 85.
Babar, who has played least among the 11 players, also has 405 runs in six games with two hundreds while team-mate Zaman has 369 runs in the year.
But it was happening for sure, wasn't it? Right in front of us, on our television screens. Here was a boy, just stepping into manhood, batting with utter nonchalance against Rabada & Co at their menacing best, hitting them all over the park and - tellingly - scoring at almost a run a ball on a pitch where other batsmen, including the great Virat Kohli, one of the finest batters the world has seen, found it extremely hard to just survive. It was as if he was batting on an altogether different pitch or the demons in the pitch that tormented all other batters bowed out from the scene in reverence as soon he took strike!!
And all this after India had lost overnight batter Cheteshwar Pujara, caught on the leg side for the umpteenth time, and the struggling Ajinkya Rahane within the first two overs of the day - both to steeply bouncing balls. But when the pumped up Rabada tried the same against him, this pocket dynamo pulled him to the square leg boundary for four with utter disdain. During the fairly long partnership - by the standards of this mean, misrely series, that is - between him and Kohli, I asked myself, repeatedly; "If a wicket were to fall now, who it should be?" For all my love for the batting of King Kohli, the answer each time was, "Kohli".
Rishabh is that kind of cricketer. Even when you think you have seen it all, he produces something you haven't really seen in all your years of watching cricket. How many batters have tonked the first ball they received in Test cricket for a huge six? Or taken their team to the brink of a near impossible victory with an audacious 125 in only his second? Or reverse swatted someone like Jimmy Anderson for a six? It seems there is nothing this lad cannot do on a cricket field. And no matter what the situation of the match, you always have a sneaking belief that he can pull it off single-handedly. After he conquered 'Gabbatoir', we knew we had a real match winner in our team. We have had the Kohlis and the Rohit Sharmas, who have gone on and conquered the world. But not since Virender Sehwag did we have a player who electrifies the stadium (such a shame there were no fans watching his exploits on the ground on Thursday!) and give millions of fans the belief that they can win a match for their team from the most hopeless of situations.
A bit of stats (what is cricket without them, after all?) would put Rishabh’s masterclass at Newlands in perspective. It was the first century by an Indian batter in a team total of below 200 and the first by anyone batting at six or lower. It was second in the all-time list of innings by Indian batters who scored the maximum percentage of runs in the team total (58.82%), next only to an incredible 62.32% (129 out of 207) by the great Kapil Dev against the same opponent in 1991-92. Like the Haryana Hurricane, Rishabh would, every now and then, play a horrendous shot and get out cheaply – as he did with that ugly charge against Rabada in Jo’burg. But when they come good - as Rishabh did at Newlands and Kapil on innumerable occasions during his career, including that dream innings of 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup - goodness me! they are absolute world beaters!!
Rishabh is good enough to cement his place in the team purely as a batter. But his wicket keeping, a bit of concern at the beginning of his career, has improved by leaps and bounds over the years. That makes him the kind of invaluable player any team would stake its last penny to have in its ranks.
Rishabh certainly is a once-in-a-generation cricketer.
After the innings he played yesterday, it would be a shame if India end up on the losing side. But even if India lose the Test - and with it the series – it will remain etched in memory as one of the best innings played by an Indian batter, comparable in its importance to Gundappa Vishanath’s 97 at Chepauk against Andy Roberts & Co in 1975. At least for this diehard Test cricket fan!
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the 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.)
More From The Author: The Curious Case Of ‘Women-Friendly’ Odisha With Its ‘Crime-Friendly’ Police!
After MSD's retirement from test matches, the Indian selectors have persisted with 33-year-old Wriddhiman Saha for the tests and at times tried out Naman Ojha and Parthiv Patel who are of the same age group, when Saha was injured.
India went with Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik in the recently concluded Nidahas Trophy where Dinesh kept wickets for the Indian side and impressed one and all with his big hitting skills to win the dramatic final game against Bangladesh.
Just after the tri-series, Indian wicketkeepers in various teams of Indian Premier League have scored runs quite easily. Rishabh Pant's batting heroics yesterday against Sunrisers Hyderabad is one such example and the Uttarakhand lad grabbed the Orange cap for being the top scorer of the tournament so far.
Five out of eight Indians in the top ten run scorers' list in this IPL are either wicketkeepers of their respective teams or have donned the keeping gloves before in their career. Let's take a look at the Indian wicket-keepers whose bats are doing the talking in the 11th edition of the cash-rich league.
1) Rishabh Pant (Delhi Daredevils)
[caption id="attachment_294935" align="aligncenter" width="806"] Photo: NDTV[/caption]
With 521 runs at an average of 52.10, Delhi's Rishabh Pant is the current Orange Cap-holder. His unbeaten 128 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last game captivated one and all. He played quality cricketing shots and also improvised as and when needed. He has a fabulous strike rate of 179.65 which is very dangerous for any opposition bowling line up. His 85-run knock in Bengaluru was equally impressive as well where he played huge shots all around Chinnaswamy Stadium. Apart from that blistering ton, Pant has three fifties to his name as well.
2) KL Rahul (Kings XI Punjab)
Karnataka's KL Rahul is at number three in the list of top run-getters, The KXIP stumper has amassed 471 runs from 10 games with an average of 58.87 and a strike rate of 156. He has been providing good starts for KXIP from the very beginning of the tournament but his last two unbeaten knocks of 95 and 84 against Rajasthan Royals have been very special. He has not only played as a big striker of the cricket ball but in the last two knocks he played as a sheet anchor.
3) Ambati Rayudu (Chennai Super Kings)
[caption id="attachment_294939" align="aligncenter" width="725"] Photo: India Times[/caption]
Although unlike his previous stints with the Mumbai Indians, Chenai Super Kings' Ambati Rayudu is not being seen behind the stumps because of the presence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the team. But CSK has used him really well in the batting lineup. With two good scores of 82 and 79 and some very quick starts, Rayudu is at number five in the top batsmen list with 423 runs. CSK has used him as a floater in the batting order and he has ensured that he capitalizes every opportunity given to him.
4) Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings)
[caption id="attachment_294940" align="aligncenter" width="759"] Photo: Indian Express[/caption]
It has been "Maahi Maar Raha Hai" for Chennai fans so far in the IPL-2018. Captain Cool MSD has the highest average in the list and has played some magnificent knocks so far in the tourney. It has been vintage Dhoni in this IPL so far and his fans and supporters of the Super Kings are enjoying every bit of it. Dhoni is at number seven in the list with 360 runs from 10 games at an average of 90 and strike-rate of 166. Dhoni's unbeaten knock of 79 which came against KXIP in a losing cause this season is his personal best in T20 cricket. Since that game, Dhoni has fired in almost every game for Chennai and answered his critics in style. With his current form one can certainly say that he has a lot in him and his days are not numbered.
5) Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals)
[caption id="attachment_294941" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Photo: Hindustan Times[/caption]
23-year-old Kerala wicketkeeper Sanju Samson has also been impressive with the bat so far in the tournament. Although he is not being seen behind the stumps because of Englishman Jos Butler who is donning the keeper's gloves this season. Sanju has scored 332 runs in 10 games with an average of 36.88 and is at the ninth position of the batsmen's list in IPL 11. His knock of 92 off 45 balls earlier in the game against Bangalore got him Player of the Match Award and during the early stage of the competition he also had the Orange Cap on his head.
Apart from these five wicketkeepers in the top 10 list, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Dinesh Karthik is at number 11 with 321 runs from 11 games and with three games remaining in the season for KKR, he has also got a good chance to enter the list of top 10 batsmen in the season.
Mumbai Indians' keeper and former India U19 captain Ishan Kishan is also not lagging behind and he has struck a couple of fifties so far in the tournament and was awarded Man of the Match for his brisk knock of 62 off 21 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders Wednesday evening. Senior wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel played his first game for Royal Challengers Bangalore after one-month of commencement of the tourney and went on to score a half-century in his first game.
Pant, who had tested positive for the virus, has completed 10 days of isolation period, followed by two RT-PCR negative reports and proper cardio check-up which are mandatory before joining the team.
"Hello @RishabhPant17, great to have you back," the BCCI said in a tweet, along with Pant's photo, on Thursday.
Hello @RishabhPant17, great to have you back 😀#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/aHYcRfhsLy
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 21, 2021
Pant had tested positive while he was staying at Southall at an acquaintance's place. He had developed mild symptoms and was found to be COVID-19 positive when he got tested.
According to sources, Pant might have picked up the Delta 3 variant while visiting a dentist for a toothache problem, contrary to earlier reports that his presence at the Euro Championships could have led to him catching the infection.
After Pant tested positive, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had sent a cautionary letter to the Indian contingent, asking the players to avoid crowded gatherings like Wimbledon and Euro matches.
The Indian team is currently playing a warm-up match against a County XI side here, before the first Test of the five-match series begins on August 4 at Nottingham.
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!
Pant had visited the Euro 2020 pre-quarter final between England and Germany on June 29 and had later tweeted pictures of himself with a few of his friends sitting in the crowd.
"Good experience watching [emoticon: football] [emoticons: flags of England and Germany]," Pant had tweeted with pictures from the Wembley Stadium where the match was played.
Good experience watching ⚽️. 🏴 vs 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/LvOYex5svE
— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) June 30, 2021
Hanuma Vihari and Jasprit Bumrah are the other players to have visited the Wembley to watch Euro 2020 football. Team coach Ravi Shastri and premier off-spinner R Ashwin, who played a County Championship match for Surrey this week, had visited Wimbledon in the break.
Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to comment on the matter, reports have said that Pant tested about a week back and will be tested again on July 18.
Pant will not be joining the team in the camp in Durham that begins on Thursday.
The Indian cricket squad, which had reached England in early June and then played the World Test Championship (WTC) final last month, was on a three-week break, during which players were free to go anywhere they wanted as England opened up following lockdown.
The Indian team was not scheduled to play any warm-up against any county team due to the ongoing pandemic.
However, BCCI's request for a warm-up game following the dismal show in WTC final is being mulled over by the ECB.
It will be interesting to see if the ECB organises a warm-up game against a county XI and whether they take any measures for it.
The British government is slowly opening sporting venues across the country and the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy at the Wembley Stadium hosted a crowd of 60,000 people.
The Indian team is scheduled to play a five-Test series against England in August-September.
Roston Chase (27) and Keemo Paul (13) were at the crease when umpires dislodged the bails for the day, with the visitors trailing the hosts by 555 runs.
The second day saw India dominating all the three sessions, making the West Indies' players struggling throughout.
In the first session, skipper Virat Kohli brought up his 24th Test century while wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant missed out on one after a blistering 92 as India raced to 506/5.
Kohli, who was 72 not out overnight, became the second fastest to get 24 Test hundreds behind only Donald Bradman, who took 66 innings to Kohli's 123.
The right-hander took time to get to the milestone as the aggressive Pant (92 off 84), went all guns blazing after resuming at 17.
A second Test hundred in his fourth Test was for the taking but Pant tried to hit a six and failed to pick the googly to top-edge the ball for a simple catch to Keemo Paul at backward point.
Pant's innings was studded with eight fours and four sixes. He played his usual attacking game from ball one, which he flicked through square leg to get going.
Kohli enjoyed his teammate's fluent strokeplay from the other end as Pant raced to his half century with a four and six off pacer Paul.
Pant was on 87 when Kohli brought up his ton but the wicket-keeper batsman ended up throwing it away as he went for another six.
The second session saw Ravindra Jadeja's unbeaten ton guide India to the imposing total. The hosts declared their first innings at 649/9.
Jadeja (100 not out) batted with the tail-enders and completed his brilliant ton which contained five boundaries and as many sixes. This is his first Test hundred.
Continuing the second session from 506/5, skipper Virat Kohli (139) was dismissed after adding 19 runs more to his score. He was dismissed by Sherman Lewis. His 230 balls innings was laced with 10 boundaries.
Jadeja then played with lower-order batters -- Ravichandran Ashwin (7), Kuldeep Yadav (12), Umesh Yadav (22) and Mohammed Shami (2)-- and completed his first ton in Tests which was highlighted by blitzkrieg hitting towards the end.
The West Indian bowlers were thrashed all around the park by the left-hander. For a brief period, Jadeja was joined by Umesh who also slammed two huge sixes.
For the West Indies, Devendra Bishoo picked up four wickets while Sherman Lewis chipped in with two wickets.
In the final session, India came out to bowl and were right on the money from the first ball.
Apart from Chase (27), no other batter stood up to the occasion and went back cheaply.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite (2) was the first one to go in the third over. An over later, Kieran Powell (1) was also dismissed. The duo was packed up by pacer Mohammad Shami.
Middle-order batsmen -- Shai Hope (10), Shimron Hetmyer, (10) and Sunil Ambris (12) -- also failed and were dismissed with just 49 runs on the board.
With scoreboard reading 49/5, Shane Dowrich (10) tried to spend some time in the middle but after playing 35 balls he was dismissed by chinaman Kuldeep Yadav.
For India, Shami took two wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja took one wicket each.
Brief scores: India 1st innings: 649/9 (Virat Kohli 139; Prithvi Shaw 134; Devendra Bishoo 4/217) against West Indies: 94/6 ( Roston Chase 27 not out; Mohammad Shami 2/11) at stumps on Day 2.
The visitors overcame the early loss of opener Alex Hales (14) as the other opener Shikhar Dhawan (92 not out off 50 balls; 4x9, 6x4) and skipper Kane Williamson (83 not out off 53 balls; 4x8, 6x2) stitched together a 176-run second stand to demoralise bottom-placed Delhi's spirited effort midway into the match.
With the loss, Delhi's hopes of reaching the play-off are up in the smoke and can now only play the party spoilers in the cash-rich tournament.
Returning to his home ground, Dhawan started the chase by slamming pacer Harshal Patel for a boundary through point even as Williamson continued his glorious run with the willow this season.
The Delhi bowlers started losing the plot right after the powerplay when the right-left duo of Williamson and Dhawan propelled the Sunrisers to 51/1 before racing to 91/1 midway into the innings.
Dhawan used the flat Ferozshah Kotla track to the most, slamming the Delhi bowlers all over the park to bring up his half century in 30 balls before Williamson caught up with the southpaw to race to his sixth fifty of the season in 38 balls.
By now, Delhi had lost all hopes of a comeback as the Sunrisers duo handsomely outbatted the efforts of the hosts with seven balls to spare.
Earlier, Pant once again stepped up to the occasion with his maiden IPL century to rescue Delhi from a dismal start and help them post a challenging 187/5.
Involved in two avoidable run-outs, Pant compensated the miscommunication on the field with a blistering unbeaten 63-ball 128 which contained 15 boundaries and seven sixes, to arrest a careless start from the hosts.
Electing to bat, Delhi had themselves to blame for a sluggish start which saw them lose the opening duo of Prithvi Shaw (9) and Jason Roy (11) in consecutive deliveries before skipper Shreyas Iyer (3) departed off a silly run-out.
Fortunately for Delhi, the fall of three quick wickets did not affect Pant, whose purple patch with the bat continued and together with Harshal Patel (24 from 17 balls; 6x2) steadied the ship with a 55-run stand for the fourth wicket.
With five overs left in the innings, Delhi stared at some sort of respectability before another miscommunication between the batsmen ended Patel's stay.
Pant, however continued his onslaught as he launched Shakib for a massive six to bring up his half century in 36 balls even as the out-of-form Glenn Maxwell (9) remained a mere spectator to the southpaw's fireworks.
The Delhi stumper, who became the youngest to 1000 IPL runs, immediately moved into the 90s when he clobbered Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan for a four and a six off consecutive balls before treating Bhuvneshwar Kumar with disdain.
Pant then muscled pacer Siddharth Kaul's full toss to the deep midwicket boundary to bring up his maiden IPL ton in mere 56 balls before slamming Bhuvneshwar for two fours and three consecutive sixes to milk 26 off the final over.
Brief Scores: Delhi Daredevils 187/5 (Rishabh Pant 128 not out, Harshal Patel 24; Shakib Al Hasan 4/27) lose to Sunrisers Hyderabad 191/1 (Shikhar Dhawan 92 not out, Kane Williamson 83 not out) by 9 wickets.
The opening batsman, who scored a century (118) and a half century (66) in the just-concluded second Test against Bangladesh which Sri Lanka won by 209 runs at Kandy, has aggregated 712 points.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson continues to lead the charts with 919 points, with former Australian skipper Steve Smith giving him tough competition at No. 2 with 891 points.
Three Indian players figure in the list, with skipper Virat Kohli at No.5 (814 points), being the highest ranked.
Three players — Rishabh Pant, New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls and Rohit Sharma — who are all on 747 points, are joint sixth. Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant has moved up three places.
In the bowling department, Australian paceman Pat Cummins — currently stuck in India after the Indian Premier League (IPL) was postponed due to bio-bubble breach — continues to retain the top position with 908 points, followed by India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (850 points).
Ashwin continues to be the only Indian in the top-10 of the Test Bowling Rankings.
In the allrounder rankings, all the top-10 have retained their positions, with West Indian Jason Holder leading the charts with 423 points, followed by England’s Ben Stokes (393 pts), Ravindra Jadeja (386) and Ashwin (353) in that order.
The Indian cricket Board (BCCI) announced the annual contracts late on Thursday night, handing retainership to 25 cricketers in four groups of A plus (Rs 7 crore), A (Rs 5 crore), B (Rs 3 crore) and C (Rs 1 crore).
Last year 26 players were handed contracts.
Not only Dhawan but pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has also been dropped from the highest-paying category and now only three players -- skipper Virat Kohli, limited overs deputy Rohit Sharma and premier pacer in all formats speedster Jasprit Bumrah -- figure in the elite category.
While left arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed and batsman Hanuma Vihari are new entrants in the C group.
Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Vijay Shankar, who have made impression in Tests and limited overs respectively, have not been included in the list since they do not meet the criteria of having played either three Tests or eight ODIs.
It seems to be curtains for veterans Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina, who have been dropped from the list after being in A and C group in last year's list. They are no longer in reckoning for national team.
The biggest gainer is 21-year-old Pant, who wasn't a part of the last year's list but directly made it to the A group with 10 others.
Pant is expected to be a first choice in all formats once MS Dhoni retires. He was rewarded for being the first Indian keeper to score Test hundred in England and Australia.
The notable loser was Dhawan, who has had dip in form in last six months in ODIs. He was also dropped from the Test squad before the Australia series.
Bhuvneshwar also lost out on A plus category as he is no longer an all- format certainty.
The same logic was applied to Cheteshwar Pujara as he was retained in A category contract.
"Pujara did well in Australia but A plus category is only for those who are excelling in at least two if not three formats. Pujara is only playing one format. Similarly Ishant Sharma plays one format and is in A category," a BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Ajinkya Rahane remains in A category while Kuldeep Yadav is also part of second best group.
Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, the two players embroiled in recent chat show controversy, remain in B group along with Umesh Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Wriddhiman Saha, who missed out on entire last season due to a shoulder surgery, has been demoted from B to C category.
Jayant Yadav, Karun Nair, Parthiv Patel and Axar Patel are also out of central contracts as they have fallen off the radar.
List of contracted players.
A PLUS: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah
A: MS Dhoni, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ajinkya Rahane
B: KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.
C: Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Hanuma Vihari, Khaleel Ahmed, Wriddhiman Saha.
The incident took place in the 44th over, when Turner tried to slash a wide leg-break from spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and the ball took the edge of the bat and settled into the gloves of wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Though the on-field umpire turned down India's appeal, Kohli and boys asked for a review. The replay showed a clear nick on the snickometer, but the third umpire stuck with the on-field umpire's decision.
"The DRS call was a bit of surprise for all of us and it's becoming more of a talking point in every game. It's just not consistent at all, that was a game-changing moment," Kohli said.
"But yeah, that's more of an uncontrollable, but the controllable we had to do right, and we didn't do it right, and the opportunity slipped away," he added.
Kohli had earlier questioned the DRS in the third ODI in Ranchi when Australian captain Aaron Finch was adjudged leg before wicket off chinaman Kuldeep Yadav.
With the 15-member squad still to be picked for the showpiece event, Ponting has said some good knocks for the Delhi Capitals would make Pant the favourite.
Notably, Pant was subjected to "Dhoni, Dhoni" chants in Mohali during the fourth One-Day International between India and Australia after the stumper missed a couple of stumping chances.
"I think it's actually a big job for me and the coaches when he comes in, to make him forget what's happened in the last few days. He's probably lucky it happened in the last couple of games. It would have been hard to play all five games under that kind of pressure. Now he's back in a competition where he has dominated in the past," Cricbuzz quoted Ponting as saying.
"If he can win a couple of games for us then everything will be forgotten. I can't see anyone better than him as a second wicketkeeper in that Indian World Cup squad," he added.
Pant has been termed as Dhoni's successor but the Delhi boy hasn't received much opportunities with the presence of the experienced stumper.
However, with Dhoni likely to retire after the World Cup, the Delhi lad would get more opportunities to showcase his talent.
A rebranded Delhi team showed its effort in every department of the game as firstly it rode Rishabh Pant's blistering knock to post a massive total of 213 runs before their bowlers also rose to the occasion to bowl out the three-time champions for 176 in 19.2 overs.
Chasing the huge 214-run target, Mumbai had a slow but steady start as they put up 28 runs in three overs without losing a wicket. However, Delhi's Ishant Sharma dealt the first blow as he dismissed Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma (14) in the fourth over.
Incoming batsman Suryakumar Yadav (2) also departed soon while Ishant struck again to send back the dangerous Quinton de Kock (27).
Yuvraj and Keiron Pollard (21 off 13) then showed some fight as they added 50 runs for the fourth wicket to help Mumbai approach the three digit mark. However, Keemo Paul removed Pollard to land the hosts in deep trouble as their scorecard read 95/4 in the 11th over.
Hardik Pandya added more worries to the Mumbai camp as he departed without scoring off a Axar Patel delivery. Krunal (32 off 15) then played some good shots along with Yuvraj but couldn't stay in the middle for long as Trent Boult applied the breaks on his innings with the Mumbai scorecard reading 134/6.
Yuvraj tried his best to overhaul the target with some lusty blows but wickets falling at the other end hurt Mumbai's chances.
For Delhi, Kagiso Rabada and Ishant picked up two wickets each while Rahul Tewatia, Paul and Axar bagged one wicket apiece.
Earlier, Rishabh Pant's blistering knock helped Delhi Capitals post a massive 213/6.
As soon as Pant arrived in the middle, the young stumper took every bowler to the cleaners to blast an unbeaten 78 off just 27 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries and as many hits into the stands.
Apart from Pant, opener Shikhar Dhawan (43 off 36) and Colin Ingram (47 off 32) also made valuable contributions.
Put into bat, Delhi were off to a poor start as they lost opener Prithvi Shaw (7) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (16) with just 29 runs on board. Mumbai pacer Mitchell McClenaghan accounted for both the wickets.
Dhawan and Ingram then stabilised Delhi's innings with a crucial 83-run partnership for the third wicket before Ben Cutting sent the latter to the hut in the 13th over.
With Delhi's scorecard reading 112/3, it seemed the visitors will hardly cross the 150-run mark. But Pant's arrival changed the whole scenario as he started smashing every Mumbai bowler.
Delhi lost Dhawan, Paul (3) and Axar (4) in quick intervals, but Pant kept one end intact and guided his team to a huge total.
For Mumbai, McClenaghan was the pick of bowlers with figures of 3/40, while Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Ben Cutting picked up a wicket each.
Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 213/6 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 78 not out, Colin Ingram 47; Mitchell McClenaghan 3/40) beat Mumbai Indians 176 all out (Yuvraj SIngh 53, Krunal Pandya 32; Kagiso Rabada 2/23) by 37 runs.
"I have known for a couple of seasons that Pant has an x-factor. But i like how he is turning that into match-winning performances. We set up a good platform for him to go and finish off the innings. He is something special and you don't see an innings like that everyday. I have seen Pant mature as a person. He will win many more games this season," he said.
While everyone has been talking about the kind of shots that Pant played, Ponting said it was all about having a strong technique irrespective of the format.
"You need to have the basic technique to bat. The present generation is exceptionally skilful. These guys play a lot or T20 cricket. Good to see certain things that you work on in practice to come good on the field," he said.
While Pant attacked from the word go, Shikhar Dhawan was seen playing a composed knock. Ponting said the senior batsman was expected to hold one end up.
"That is what we want from Shikhar. We want him to hold the top order together. It wasn't the easiest wicket to bat on. We wanted Shikhar to hold one end up. That was exactly what we wanted from him," he said.
Ponting was also all praise for pace spearhead Ishant Sharma as the bowler picked two Mumbai wickets inside the powerplay to derail their chase. The coach feels that Ishant is bowling his best at the moment.
"I had a chat with him after the game. His work ethic has been outstanding. I spoke to him on the first day about what i expect from him. He is worked exceptionally hard . He is bowling as well as he has ever done. He set the game for us in the powerplay. A big pat on the back for him," he said.
While there have been talks of youngsters having the World Cup spot at the back of their minds as the IPL is often considered a big platform to impress the selectors, but Ponting said that he has had no such issue to fight in this team.
"I haven't had to tell any player about focusing on winning the games for DC. Score runs in the IPL and keep the chance open of being picked in the World Cup squad. What has happened in the past we can't change. Got a lot of different players and we are looking forward to this season. We have trained really hard and spoken about building culture. Everyone is enjoying themselves. Boys are taking to pressure well and that should be enough to take us to the finals," he said.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer said the playing XI would be decided after taking a look at the wicket at Kotla and it was important to keep the winning momentum going.
"Depending upon the wicket we will go about the batting line-up. Since we got a good start, it will be important to continue the momentum and all of them are batting well. Got to back the instincts," he said.
After the win against RCB, CSK is expected to go all guns blazing against their match against Delhi. However, the fans also expect a strong fight by Delhi Capitals riding on the form of Sikhar Dhawan.
Ahead of the crucial fifth match of the IPL 2019, here’s a quick look on the players to watch out for:
Chennai Super Kings
MS Dhoni- Wicketkeeper- Batsman, MS Dhoni joined his team ahead of the season-opening match. Well known as captain cool, Dhoni remains favourite for his proficiency in decision making, strike rate in the IPL seasons. He has a highest unbeaten score of 79 runs off just 44 balls.
Suresh Raina- With nearly 5,000 runs under his belt in IPL, Suresh Raina can be a dangerous for the opposition both with the bat as well as with his superb fielding skills.
Ravindra Jadeja- Ravindra Jadeja is the all-rounder in the CSK team. Jadeja was found back into his form in the end of the international matches and has carried forward it to the IPL. Jadeja took 3 wickets in the opening match against RCB. More can be expected from the all-rounder in today’s match.
Harbhajan Singh- Harbhajan Singh delivered a magnificent performance by taking 3 wickets in 4 overs in the last match against RCB. Bhaji maintains his pace on the field and could prove to be dangerous for Delhi Capitals.
Imran Tahir- With a superb performance in the first match, the morale of Imran Tahir is high. After scalping three wickets, Tahir will be looking forward to weave magic with the ball against the Delhi Capitals tonight.
Delhi Capitals
Sikhar Dhawan- The ‘Gabbar’ has his eyes on the World Cup. The most stylish left-handers in the Indian team is looking to secure a World Cup berth by riding on the IPL performance. "A good IPL will help me stay in rhythm for World Cup,” said Dhawan who scored 43 runs from 36 deliveries with a strike rate of 119.44 in last match.
Rishabh Pant- Rishabh Pant is clear with his intentions for World Cup. His incredible innings against Mumbai Indians may put the CSK bowlers into trouble. Pant is of course a treasure for Delhi Capitals.
Colin Ingram- Colin Ingram scored 47 runs with 8 boundaries in just 32 balls in the first match against SRH. He won't stay behind from fetching runs for his team and the bowlers of the opponent team would definitely prepare a different strategy for today's match.
Ishant Sharma- Delhi Capitals boasts with the perfect combination of spin and fast bowlers and Ishant Sharma leads the bowling attack. After taking 2 wickets in the last match, Ishant will certainly implement some new strategy to restrict CSK batsmen from scoring freely.
Kagiso Rabada- CSK batsmen won't dare to take Kagiso Rabada of Delhi Capitals lightly as he played a crucial role to help his team to post a win against the mighty Mumbai Indians in the last match.
According to reports, Pant on Saturday was caught on the stump mic, saying "yeh to waise bhi choka hai (this is going to go for a four)" in the fourth over when KKR's Robin Uthappa was batting.
The experienced right-hander hit the next ball for a four-off Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane to get off the mark.
The video of the incident did rounds on social media with many fans crying foul as to how Pant knew before the ball was delivered that it would find the fence.
Delhi went on to win the match in the Super Over after finishing on 185/6 chasing 186 for victory.
Batting first in the Super Over, Delhi managed just 10/1 with Prasidh Krishna bowling a tight line. In reply, KKR lost Andre Russell for just four as Kagiso Rabada bowled a perfect yorker.
He followed it up with a few perfect deliveries to defend the total and win the game for Delhi.
Earlier, what KKR all-rounder Andre Russell did, Prithvi Shaw did better. But nerves got the better of the DC batsmen as the match ended in a tie and went into the Super Over.
Veteran Dinesh Karthik being favoured over Pant has been roundly criticised with Sunil Gavaskar calling it a surprising move. But the hero of the 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup final said Rayudu not making the cut is the most unfortunate bit about the squad announced on Monday.
"I think there should be no debate about Rishabh Pant's exclusion but more about Ambati Rayudu," Gambhir told PTI during an interview here Tuesday.
"It is very, very unfortunate that someone averaging 48 in white-ball cricket and is only 33 has been left out. That for me is more heartbreaking than any other selection decision," said the outspoken Gambhir.
Rayudu was called India's first-choice No.4 by captain Virat Kohli a few months ago but low scores in the home series against Australia last month led to a rethink by the selectors.
Gambhir was not picked for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies and for a brief period contemplated quitting.
"I feel sorry for him as I was in a similar position in 2007, when they (erstwhile selectors) didn't pick me and I know how difficult it is not being picked for the World Cup. Ultimately for any young kid, it is a childhood dream to be a part of the big event. So, I feel more sorry for Rayudu more than any other cricketer, who hasn't been picked."
However, Gambhir, who has been Pant's first first-class captain, felt that this omission can't be termed a setback at all as he had not grabbed the opportunities presented before him.
"This is not a setback at all. Why is it a setback? He has not consistently been part of white-ball cricket. He got his opportunity but unfortunately couldn't grab it. So it cannot be termed a setback," said Gambhir.
Gambhir had captained a successful franchise side (Kolkata Knight Riders) for seven years. What does a captain tell a player in the midst of an IPL season when he takes such a hit.
Can a player focus on the IPL?
"He (Pant) is playing Test cricket. He should be happy about it. And one thing I have tried to maintain is that you have got to stay in the present.
"For all that Rishabh knows, there may be someone sitting at home and thinking that he could have been in his position (playing for Delhi Capitals). Playing for Delhi Capitals, you are in a position to take your team to the play offs.
"You have age on your side, so just keep performing. He was never a part of white ball cricket consistently and it was the selectors' call between him and DK. He shouldn't think too much about it," added Gambhir.
The 38-year-old didn't want to dwell too much on the pros and cons of having Karthik in the side now that he has been selected.
But he feels Karthik being a consistent second-choice keeper in white ball cricket went in his favour apart from experience.
"Dinesh was a back up keeper in white-ball cricket for a long time. Possibly he is being seen as a better keeper compared to Pant as (Chairman of selectors) MSK (Prasad) has said. He is also deemed a better finisher. Probably that's how they think.
"But if you ask me, I had said my second keeper was Sanju Samson as I feel he is one of the best going around. He has the quality to be No 4 for a very long time," said Gambhir.
"It's up to the selectors...I mean whether to go with Rishabh Pant or experience of DK. Now we have to back whoever is going as it's not important who has gone but focus should be on bringing the World Cup home."
The Indian team looks devoid of a Plan B in the current set-up but Gambhir believes that it is the duty of the captain and the coach to ensure that they have one.
"It's up to the captain and coach to decide whether to have a Plan A, B or C or not. I am not in that situation so I don't know what plans they have in store.
"If they feel this is the best 15, then we must try and support them. Right now, it's not about who's going and not going, it's about bringing back the World Cup," he concluded.
Delhi Capitals registered a convincing six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals here on Monday night to go to the top of the points table in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chasing 192, Pant played a splendid knock of 78 runs off 36 balls (4x6, 6x4) and guided Delhi to its seventh victory with four balls to spare at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium.
"Rishabh Pant is the biggest finisher of the game in T20s right now, especially for our team," said Shaw at the post-match press conference.
The right-handed batsman said his team was confident of chasing down the total."Definitely, there was a plan. We knew in the powerplay there will be at least one spinner bowling and Shikhar bhai was batting so well in the powerplay, he was in a good flow. Then Jofra Archer, we knew he depends more on short balls and bouncers, so we were prepared," said Shaw.
Reflecting on his own inning, Shaw said he kept a measured approach as Dhawan was batting brilliantly at the other end.
Shaw was more measured in his approach as Dhawan (54 off 27) gave the team a magnificent start, adding 72 runs for the opening wicket with Shaw (42) in only 7.3 overs.
"I had not slowed down. It makes sense if someone is going better than you in the powerplay like Shikhi (Dhawan) bhai has done, I can't just go out and smash every ball. I have to be mentally prepared as well to play that sort of innings.
"When Dhawan was hitting the way he was, I thought I should take the game deep because in case he got out, one set batsman should be there to take the game deep."
"And that's what happened, he and Shreyas Iyer, both were dismissed in quick succession. But I was confident that if I took the game deep, I would be able to do the job," he added.
He also credited mentors Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Kaif for their valuable inputs and said, "With seniors like Sourav sir, Ricky sir, Kaif sir around, the body language changes. There are few youngsters like me, Sandeep (Lamichhane), Manjot (Kalra) but we are never made to feel that we were inexperienced, instead we are always kept in the same group with the seniors, on and off the field."
"Sourav sir even chills with us when we don't have practice. We go for dinners together. So there is a very strong bonding," he added.
Delhi will now host Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday.
Having failed to rise to the challenges of the cash-rich league in the last few seasons, Delhi have finally turned the tables this season and are sitting pretty with 16 points from 12 games. The remaining two matches will be all about maintaining supremacy and finishing the group stages on a high. After all, a top-two finish will mean that DC get two bites at the cherry in the playoffs.
Even as people have spoken about the balanced approach in this Delhi outfit and the leadership group which has been bolstered by the addition of former India skipper Sourav Ganguly as the advisor, it is the job of the senior boys to go out and show the way to the young turks on the field of play. And the man who has done that with panache this season for DC is Shikhar Dhawan.
While everyone has been talking about Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell and Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya's power hitting this season, Dhawan has quietly moved to number three in the run-getters' list with 451 runs from 12 games. A slightly lower strike-rate of 137.08 is justified by the fact that DC batsmen have had to cope with the low and slow tracks at the Feroz Shah Kotla. But what stands out is the conviction he has shown in adapting to every situation thrown at him.
But for Gabbar, as he is fondly called, it is all about the team. Asked to reveal the secret behind Delhi's resurrection this season, the India opener points at the two men at the helm of affairs - head coach Ricky Ponting and advisor Ganguly.
"The coaches play an important role and in Ponting and dada (Ganguly) we have two former skippers who led their teams successfully and know how to go about the job of planning and strategising. They know how to prepare players and give them confidence," he told IANS.
Coming to the players in the team, Dhawan feels that firing in all departments is the reason why the team has managed to rise through the ranks and sit at the top of the points table.
"The team is balanced and both the batting and bowling department has the required arsenal. The Indian players in the top-order like Rishabh (Pant), Prithvi (Shaw), skipper Shreyas (Iyer) or me as well as the overseas players have built a nice blend of youth and experience. Ishant (Sharma) has also bowled well and it has been a complete team effort," he explained.
While Dhawan has spoken about every aspect of the team except for his own form, he does reveal that coming home has been a motivation of sorts. The opener last played for Delhi in the opening season when they were called Delhi Daredevils.
"The confidence is high and I am enjoying the momentum I have gained (at the top of the order). I have been enjoying myself with Delhi. I am back with the team after 11 years so that is a reason to rejoice. The team has been doing well and that adds to the joy," he smiled.
(Story By: KAUSHIK KUMAR)
The BCCI in its budget for the 2019 edition of the tournament calculated the expense on advertisement and promotion at Rs 50 crore as per documents accessed by IANS. Interestingly, the 2018 edition had also seen them invest the same amount in promoting the T20 league.
Speaking on the planning behind the promotional activities, a BCCI functionary said that the maximum awareness is created before the start of the tournament and then towards the start of the knockout stages.
"It is basically done in two phases. While 80 per cent of it is done in the months leading to the tournament, the next major part is done ahead of the playoffs. The various advertisements that you see in the newspapers as well as the hoardings on the sides of the streets are a part of the whole process," the functionary explained.
Asked if there was a basic thought process since the host broadcasters also advertise about the IPL before and during the tournament, the functionary said: "What you see on the television is their prerogative. We are mostly looking at reaching the fans not through the television. Also, an attempt is made to reach the Tier-II cities because while people in the metropolitan cities are already aware, those in the other cities also need to be reached and told as to when the tournament starts and other things on those lines."
Star India too have been high on promoting the league with regular advertisements with the top Indian cricketers like M.S. Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant among others.
(Story By: BAIDURJO BHOSE)
Hope, little Ziva comes up with more such adorable videos along with dad M S Dhoni who led Chennai Super Kings, the team which finished 2nd in the recently concluded Indian Premier League IPL 2019. Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated bitter rivals CSK by one run to lift a record fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) title in a rip-roaring final at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday.
With two runs needed off the final delivery, Malinga executed a slower yorker to perfection, trapping Shardul Thakur (2) right in front to send his teammates, including skipper Rohit Sharma, into delirium as Shane Watson, whose breathtaking 80 went in vain, sunk in his seat in the Chennai dugout.
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, team physiotherapist Patrick Farhart gave a final nod about Jadhav's fitness to the selectors a few days back. The selectors eventually made up their minds once they were told the 34-year-old was also batting in the nets without any pain in his injured shoulder.
Jadhav had injured his left shoulder while trying to save four overthrows in a Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) match against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali in the first week of May. He had left the field immediately, and was then ruled out of the rest of the IPL season.
However, the BCCI selectors didn't rush into naming a replacement for Jadhav, given the time they had for his full recovery. Had Jadhav failed to recover, the selection panel would have picked a replacement from the five standbys: Rishabh Pant, Ambati Rayudu, Ishant Sharma, Axar Patel and Navdeep Saini.
India will open its World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5 in Southampton.
He was in pain after being hit on the thumb by a Pat Cummins delivery during his 109-ball knock. While he continued to bat with the injury, Ravindra Jadeja took over when India came out to field.
The Indian selectors had earlier named Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma and Axar Patel as the reserves and while they can pick anyone from even outside the list, it is believed that Pant is the frontrunner as K.L. Rahul is expected to open the innings and whoever comes in will fit into the middle-order.
Quoting sources, a report by The Times of India said that once all the details on Dhawan's injury will be available, an official request for a replacement will be put out by the team management and that replacement is going to be Pant.
While India can look to push in one from either Dinesh Karthik or Vijay Shankar into the playing XI for the game against New Zealand on Thursday, a call must be taken quickly on whether they wish to replace Dhawan or wait for him to return stronger for the business end of the World Cup.
If it is indeed an injury which could heal in a couple of weeks, the team management might want to wait for Dhawan's recovery and not call for a replacement.
(With IANS inputs)
Speaking to IANS, sources in the know of developments said that Pant has already been told that he needs to get ready to leave for England at the earliest.
Pant is yet to be named as replacement for Dhawan as the BCCI is still hopeful that the India opener will recover from his injury in two to three weeks.
The BCCI in a statement said: "Team India opening batsman Dhawan is presently under the observation of the BCCI medical team. The team management has decided that Dhawan will continue to be in England and his progress will be monitored.
"Dhawan sustained an injury on the back of his left hand in the region between the index finger and thumb during the league match against Australia on Sunday."
Pant, who was initially ignored for Dinesh Karthik when the 15-member squad was picked, will be packing his bags and leaving for the UK. While it is unlikely that the 21-year old will be initially available for selection, a call will be taken looking into Dhawan's progress.
Dhawan suffered his injury after being hit by a Pat Cummins delivery during his 109-ball 117 knock against Australia. While the X-ray didn't show any fracture, CT scan revealed otherwise and Dhawan was taken to a specialist for further assessment.
Coming to Pant, there was a lot of hoopla over his omission from the World Cup squad with former India captain Sourav Ganguly going to the extent of saying that Virat Kohli and Co. will miss the big-hitting keeper-batsman in the mega event.
England batsman Kevin Pietersen took to Twitter on Tuesday to announce that Pant should be flown in the moment the seriousness of Dhawan's injury came to light.
Pant was initially ignored as Dinesh Karthik was picked in the 15-member WC squad, triggering mixed reactions from experts as well as fans.
Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly had said that Virat Kohli and Co. would miss the big-hitting wicketkeeper batsman in the mega event after his exploits for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) enhanced his reputation as a match winner.
Pant scored 488 runs in 16 matches including three half-centuries in the IPL. While the team management felt he is still not ready for the biggest stage, Pant made no bones about the fact that World Cup was on his mind during the IPL.
Now with Dhawan fracturing his thumb during India's second World Cup assignment against Australia, the doors have opened for the 21-year-old stumper-batsman.
Pant is yet to be named as replacement for Dhawan as the BCCI is still hopeful that the India opener will recover from his injury in two to three weeks.
Moments after Pant's name surfaced, Twitter was awash with memes such as "Why do you think I came all this way?" which is a famous dialogue from popular HBO TV series Game of Thrones which ended recently.
A picture of Pant running to catch a flight also went viral as were few others with a baby winking and a dialogue from a Bollywood movie "Hum Saath Saath Hain" which says "ye sach hai ki bhagwan hai (it's true that God exists)".
Pant has so far played five ODIs and scored 93 runs at an average of 23.25.
The BCCI on Saturday tweeted an image of Pant in Indian gear at the Old Trafford. Another image on the Indian team's Instagram handle showed Pant training with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik.
There has been no official word yet as to whether Pant has been made part of the squad with the BCCI saying earlier that the Delhi lad was in the UK as a standby for injured opener Shikhar Dhawan.
Dhawan, who scored a match-winning century against Australia on June 9, reportedly played much of that innings with a hairline fracture on his left thumb which he sustained after being hit by a bouncer from Pat Cummins early in the innings.
K.L. Rahul, who has opened the innings a number of times in limited over cricket for India, has played in the middle order in the World Cup thus far. India have Vijay Shankar and Dinesh Karthik in the squad who could replace Rahul in the middle order if the latter is required to open the innings with Rohit Sharma.
Speaking to IANS, sources in the know of developments said that Dhawan has been ruled out as the injury will take more than two weeks to recover.
"Dhawan has been ruled out. He is not in a position to take part in the World Cup," the source said.
India's assistant coach Sanjay Bangar had earlier said that the team management did not want to rule out injured opener Shikhar Dhawan and wanted to observe his progress.
"We will take at least 10-12 days to take a call on Shikhar's condition. We don't want to rule out a precious player like him," Bangar had told the media on the eve of India's third World Cup clash against New Zealand.
Dhawan suffered the injury after being hit by a Pat Cummins delivery during his 109-ball 117 knock against Australia. While the X-ray didn't show any fracture, CT scan revealed otherwise and Dhawan was taken to a specialist for further assessment.
Promising wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is already with the team as cover for Dhawan. He reached Manchester and joined the Indian team ahead of the clash against Pakistan.