IPL 2025 mega auction to be held in Jeddah on November 24-25

Mumbai, (IANS) The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction is scheduled to take place on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This year's auction marks the second consecutive year that the event will be held overseas, following the 2024 auction in Dubai.Notably, the timing of the auction coincides with the third and fourth days of the first Test between India and Australia in Perth.Unlike the regular player auctions held annually, the mega auction is a grand event that occurs every three years, spanning two days instead of the usual single day. The ten IPL franchises strategise to build their squads for the upcoming three seasons from 2025 to 2027.A remarkable total of 1,574 players have registered for the auction, comprising 1,165 Indian players and 409 overseas talents, said BCCI. This diverse pool of players includes participants from various countries, including Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Scotland, the USA, and the UAE, although Full Member nations excluding Pakistan are represented.The auction will take place at the Abady Al Johar Arena, also known as the Benchmark...
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ICC  Women’s T20 World Cup to begin on 4th Oct

India will open their campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 on October 4 in Dubai against New Zealand and then take on arch-rivals Pakistan at the same venue on October 6. India’s third match is scheduled to take place on October 9 against Sri Lanka in Dubai again, and the Women in Blue will finish the group stage with a high-voltage match against defending champions Australia in Sharjah on October 13. The upcoming edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup was scheduled to take place in Bangladesh, but it was shifted to the United Arab Emirates a couple of weeks ago. The two semifinals of the tournament will be played in Dubai and Sharjah on October 17 and 18, and the final will take place on October 20 in Dubai., ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to begin on 4th O...
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BCCI appoints Gautam Gambhir as head coach of senior men's team

Mumbai, (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed former opener and 2011 ODI World Cup-winner Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the senior men's team. BCCI secretary Jay Shah made this announcement through a social media post on Tuesday. Gambhir was the favourite for the post and replaced Rahul Dravid as head coach."It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr. @GautamGambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close," Jay Shah stated."Having endured the grind and excelled in various roles throughout his career, I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward. "His clear vision for #TeamIndia, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting and most sought-after coaching role. The @BCCI fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey," he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.Gambhir's appointment has been made on the recommendation of the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC)...
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Netravalkar seals USA’s name into cricket history books with upset win over Pakistan

Saurabh Netravalkar of the USA cricket team, gestures after a successful bowl. PHOTO:screenshot from X @Saurabh NetravalkarDallas [USA], June 7: History was created at the Grand Prairie Stadium under the leadership of Monank Patel and with a pace attack spearheaded by Saurabh Netravalkar, guided the USA team to stand victorious over one of the tournament’s favourites, Pakistan.In a single match, Netravalkar became a sensation on social media with fans started to compare him with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar’s Patiala House character.Netravalkar, a 32-year-old left-arm quick, troubled Pakistan batters with his disciplined line and length throughout his four-over spell in the ongoing T20 World Cup.Despite achieving figures of 2/18 in his four-over spell, Netravalkar made the headlines for defending 18 runs in the Super Over against the hard-hitting duo of Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed.Alternate realities and dreams unfolded on Netravalkar’s every delivery in the Super Over. His spellbinding performance took the USA to an elusive maiden T20I win over Pakistan.Netravalkar featured for...
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T20 World Cup: Gavaskar bats for Rohit-Virat opening pair against Ireland

IANS PhotoSPORTS 4th June 2024, New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has backed skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as the opening pair for Men in Blue's opening T20 World Cup clash against Ireland on Wednesday.Gavaskar named his playing 11 for India's opening encounter in the T20 showpiece at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 5. Interestingly, the veteran batter dropped pacer Arshdeep Singh from his final 11 and backed all-rounder Shivam Dube to strengthen the batting department."I don't really like selecting teams because you can never satisfy everybody there will always be somebody's favourite player who's not being pick but here is my effort to try and pick the 11 for the game against Ireland. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to open the batting along with Yashasvi Jaiswal at three Suryakumar Yadav at four Rishabh Pant at five and at number six, I would have Hardik Pandya," Gavaskar said on Star Sports.The former India captain picked Kuldeep Yadav as the sole spinner along with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja."Number seven would be...
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Cricket-T20 World Cup a boost to sport’s American Dream

Cricket competes for the hearts and wallets of America. PHOTO: ReutersNEW YORK (Reuters) – Cricket begins a campaign for the hearts and wallets of American fans this week, as the T20 World Cup kicks off on Saturday in Dallas, bringing the best of the sport to less familiar territory.The United States play Canada in the first match of the tournament co-hosted by the West Indies, while a temporary stadium in Nassau County, New York, hosts its first of eight fixtures on Monday. Lauderhill, Florida, will host four matches.Cricket boasts billion fans around the globe but few adherents in the lucrative North American market, where fans are more accustomed to watching New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge picking up a bat than Rohit Sharma or Jos Buttler.“This is the start of a journey,” International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Geoff Allardice told Reuters. “The awareness that we’re bringing in more elite cricket to the USA is something that’s been a strategic priority for us.”The journey started with Major League Cricket, which began play in the United States last year, and culminates with...
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Jay Shah lays foundation stone for BCCI’s indoor training facilities in Northeast

New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) BCCI secretary Jay Shah laid the foundation stone of the upcoming state-of-the-art indoor training facilities in the Northeast region on Monday.The infrastructure will include world-class indoor nets, indoor swimming pools and fitness centres for year-round training options and will benefit the aspiring cricketers of the six states including Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim."Honoured to have laid the foundation stone for BCCI’s upcoming state-of-the-art indoor training facilities in the North East! Our cricketers from six states - Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim—will soon benefit from world-class indoor nets, indoor swimming pools and fitness centres for year-round training options," Shah wrote on X."This, along with the launch of the new pavillion in Mizoram, are big steps towards our vision to enhance cricket infrastructure in the region, exciting times ahead!" it added.Earlier, BCCI had announced the release of Request for Proposal (RFP) for the construction of an indoor cricket training...
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Virat, Anushka thank shutterbugs for respecting privacy of their kids Vamika and Akaay

Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) Star cricketer Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma have thanked the paparazzi for their thoughtfulness towards protecting the privacy of their children, Vamika and Akaay.The power couple sent out gift hampers to the shutterbugs along with a note expressing gratitude for respecting the privacy of their children.In a heartfelt note, the couple wrote: “Thank you for respecting the privacy of our kids and for always being cooperative! With love, Anushka and Virat”Fondly referred to as Virushka, Anushka and Virat got married in December 2017 in an intimate ceremony in Italy. The two welcomed their first child, a daughter, whom they have named Vamika.Their son Akaay was born on February 15 of this year. The couple kept the news of the second pregnancy under wraps, sparking intense speculation, Virat, Anushka thank shutterbugs for respecting privacy of their kids Vamika and Akaay | MorungExpress | morungexpress.c...
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Cricket-ICC say ‘robust security plan’ for T20 World Cup amid threat reports

FILE PHOTO: Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Keith Rowley addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo MunozNEW DELHI (Reuters) – A robust security plan has been put in place for the T20 World Cup in June, the organisers of the competition said on Monday after reports of a possible threat to the global showpiece surfaced in the Caribbean media.Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley told the ‘Sunday Express’ about a possible security threat to the 20-team event to be co-hosted by West Indies and the United States.“Given the fact that bad actors can choose to misbehave in any way possible it makes it virtually impossible to completely seal off all opportunities,” he said.Cricket West Indies and the game’s global governing body, International Cricket Council, sought to allay any such fears in a joint statement.“We work closely with authorities in the host countries and cities, and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified...
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Cricket-Rajasthan coach Sangakkara urges Parag not to look too far ahead

Cricket – ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – Final – India v Australia – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, India – November 19, 2023 General view inside the stadium during the match REUTERS/Amit DaveWith three half-centuries in five games, Rajasthan batter Riyan Parag is being tipped as a potential pick for India’s T20 World Cup squad but Royals coach Kumar Sangakkara wants the 22-year-old to stay focused on the Indian Premier League. Parag scored 76 in Rajasthan’s three-wicket loss to the Gujarat Titans on Wednesday, bringing his tally to 261 runs for the season. He is second in the race for the ‘orange cap’, awarded to the tournament’s leading scorer, behind Royal Challengers’ Virat Kohli. Sangakkara told reporters that while he did not know if Parag would be picked for the World Cup in the West Indies and United States in June the player’s performances in the IPL showed how good he could be. “That’s way beyond me, but his potential is there for everyone to see,” he added. “For him, it is about concentrating on Rajasthan and this season. “Whatever happens will happen after that. You should...
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ICC releases video of Nassau Stadium as T20 World Cup preparations gain momentum

Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. PHOTO: By ICC – icc-cricket.com, CC0, https: commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=144189102New York, April 2: With the T20 World Cup 2024 nearing, the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, just 30 miles east of Manhattan in New York City, is gearing up to host the fixtures of the mega event.International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday, April 2, released a video demonstrating the stadium’s continuous progress.The modular framework for East and West Stands – which will have more than 24,000 fans cheering for their teams at the World Cup – is nearing completion.The final pieces are being assembled for the premium hospitality and media pavilions in the north and south, along with the outfield of the modular stadium situated in Eisenhower Park, Nassau County, New York.The stadium will be home to all of India’s group-stage matches, including the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan on June 9. New York will witness the next chapter of the epic rivalry in T20 World Cups, with the two teams having clashed seven times previously...
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Stokes rules himself out of England's T20 World Cup title defence

LONDON - Test captain Ben Stokes has ruled himself out of England's T20 World Cup title defence in the United States and the West Indies, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced Tuesday.The 32-year-old said he was missing the showpiece tournament in order to make sure he could be a fully-fledged all-rounder in Test cricket."Opting out of the IPL (Indian Premier League) and the (T20) World Cup will hopefully be a sacrifice that allows me to be the all-rounder I want to be for the foreseeable future," Stokes said in an ECB statement.It is understood Stokes has not suffered any setbacks after briefly returning to bowling last month during a Test tour of India where England lost a five-match series 4-1.There is no lingering discomfort in his left knee following surgery in November.But although he has long been one of England's leading multi-format cricketers, Stokes has decided to prioritise his role as Test captain, in the hope of being able to play a full role with both bat and ball during six Tests -- three against the West Indies and three against Sri Lanka -- in the upcoming...
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England’s meltdown: India dims UK’s “Bazball” aura

Cricket – Fourth Test – India v England – JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi, India – February 26, 2024 India’s Ravindra Jadeja in action as England’s Ben Foakes look on REUTERS/Amit DaveRANCHI-India have remained test cricket’s most tourist-unfriendly destination for over a decade and even England’s gung-ho ‘Bazball’ approach could not change that reality on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024.India’s five-wicket victory on a spiteful track in Ranchi was not really a cakewalk, thanks to England’s never-say-die spin attack.But it fetched Rohit Sharma’s team an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, and consolidated their second place, behind New Zealand, in the World Test Championship standings.Cricket – Fourth Test – India v England – JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi, India – February 26, 2024 India’s Shubman Gill in action REUTERS/Amit DaveThis was India’s 17th consecutive test series win at home, where they have not lost a test series since an Alastair Cook-led England bested them in 2012.For England, who won the opening test in Hyderabad and have been competitive as...
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2024 T20 World Cup in the US: Three venues selected

The Ninth Edition of the T20 World Cup will be held from June 4 to 30, 2024 with about 55 matches distributed among the three venues.The South Asian community in North America will get an opportunity to watch cricket’s biggest stars next year as the International Cricket Council (ICC) picked three venues across the US in New York, Texas and Florida for next year’s Men’s T20 World Cup, the first time the US, not traditionally seen as a cricket-playing nation, will be hosting the tournament. Along with the US, West Indies is the co-host of the tournament. ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, that “the three USA venues that will host part of the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever staged, with 20 teams competing for the trophy”. “USA is a strategically important market and these venues give us an excellent opportunity to make a statement in the world’s biggest sport market”, he said. The ICC announced that the tournament will be played in Grand Prairie near Dallas in Texas, Broward County near Miami in Florida, and Nassau County near New York City. The...
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Ravichandran Ashwin becomes No.1 ranked Test bowler replacing Anderson

Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday jumped to the top of the latest ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, replacing England pacer James Anderson. Ashwin gained two places after taking six wickets in India's emphatic victory over Australia in the second Test in New Delhi. Anderson dropped to second place after England's stunning loss to New Zealand in the Wellington Test. The 36-year-old Ashwin first claimed the top honour among Test bowlers in 2015, and has returned to the top spot on several occasions since then. Ashwin bagged big wickets in India's win in Dehli, removing Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in the same over of the first innings before returning to pick up Alex Carey for a duck. The off-spinner was at it again in the second innings, picking up three of the top five while his spin-bowling accomplice Ravindra Jadeja rattled through the rest of the Australia batters from the other end. Ashwin has an opportunity to extend his latest stay in the No.1 spot in India's remaining two Tests on home soil in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy Ashwin is the third...
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Jemima-Renuka made a splash, India beat Barbados by 100 runs, made it to the semi-finals

India defeated Barbados by a huge margin of 100 runs to enter the semi-finals in their last Group A match played on Wednesday at the Commonwealth Games. Batting first in Indian cricket under the captaincy of Harmanpreet, he scored 162 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 20 overs. In response, Barbados's team could only score 62/8 runs in 20 overs. Jemima and Renuka were instrumental in the victory of the Indian team. Bad start of Team India: Barbados captain Haley Mathews won the toss and invited to bat first. In such a situation, the Indian team, who came out to bat, had a bad start. Lost the wicket of Smriti Mandhana (5) in the second over. She went lbw off Bruce's ball. After this, young batsmen Shefali Verma and Jemima Rodriguez took the lead and took the team beyond 50 runs. Shefali-Jemima handled, Verma missed the half-century, Shefali Verma, who was seen moving towards the half-century on the score of 76, was run out due to a misunderstanding with Jemima. After this, captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who came to bat, became LBW on the very first ball of her innings. After...
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Virat Kohli holds on to his fifth spot in latest ICC Test rankings

MAY 05, 2021 DUBAI: India captain Virat Kohli has held on to his fifth spot in the latest ICC Test rankings for batsmen. In the rankings which got updated on Wednesday, Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne on Wednesday closed in on a top-10 spot after a successful second Test against Bangladesh in Kandy which his side won by 209 runs to clinch the two-match series 1-0. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is currently at the top of the rankings. Karunaratne struck 118 and 66 in the second Test, moving up four slots to 11th position in the list led by Williamson. Karunaratne's career-best ranking is sixth, attained in August 2019. He is the top-ranked Test batsman from Sri Lanka with Angelo Mathews next in the list in 24th position. Niroshan Dickwella (up to four places to 31st), Oshada Fernando (up to 10 places to 58th) and Lahiru Thirimanne (up to 13 places to 60th) are the other Sri Lanka batsmen to advance while left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama's player of the match haul of 11 for 178, the best figures by a Sri Lankan on Test debut, sees him enter the rankings in 48th position....
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Morris becomes most expensive signing in IPL auction history

Chris Morris became the most expensive signing in IPL history on Thursday (February 18) with Rajasthan Royals forking out INR 16.25 Crore for the South African all-rounder at the 2021 auction. The signing amount surpassed the INR 16 Crore that Delhi Daredevils paid for Yuvraj Singh in 2015 - the previous record for a player signed at the auction.The Royals entered the bid battle only at INR 10.25 Crore after Mumbai Indians appeared to have wrested the player from his previous employer - Royal Challengers Bangalore. Instead, the Royals had to contend with another new bidder - the Punjab Kings - who entered at INR 13.50 Crore and went all the way until INR 16 crore before pulling out.The 33-year-old Morris has previously been a part of Rajasthan Royals in the 2015 season when he scored 311 runs and took 13 wickets from 11 games. In all, he has scored 551 runs at a strike-rate of 157.88 and taken 80 wickets at an economy of 7.81 from 70 IPL games. Morris was an integral member of the Royal Challengers Bangalore side last season even though an abdominal injury curtailed his participation...
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Forget India, the whole world will stand up and salute you: Shastri in rousing dressing room speech

JAN 20, 2021 BRISBANE: There were smiles, lots of whistles and a round of applause to each other every few seconds as India coach Ravi Shastri got down to commending the "courage, resolve and spirit" of his wounded warriors in a stirring dressing room speech after the conquest at Gabba. It was a little over three-minute speech that Shastri delivered after his injury-ravaged side chased down an imposing 328 in the fourth and final Test to hand Australia their first loss in 32 years at ''Fortress Gabba'' to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in style. "The courage, the resolve, the spirit, that you guys have shown is unreal. Not for once you were down, injuries, 36 all out (in the first Test), you had the self-belief in you," an emotional Shastri said with captain Ajinkya Rahane standing calmly by his side. "It doesn''t come overnight but now that you have this self-belief, you can see where you have taken a game as a team. Today forget India, the whole world will stand up and salute you. "So remember what you guys have done today. You need to enjoy this moment, don''t let it just go away,...
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Overjoyed at Team India's success in Australia: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded Team India's historic cricket Test series win in Australia, saying the entire nation is overjoyed at the success of Ajinkya Rahane-led side who showed remarkable energy and passion throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.India won the four-match series 2-1 after they registered a thumping three-wicket win in the final Test in Brisbane, where Australia had remained unbeaten for 32 years.Shubman Gill (91), Rishabh Pant (89 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (56) all played brilliant innings as India chased down the mammoth 328-run target on the final day of the Test match, thus breaching Australia's fortress at The Gabba."We are all overjoyed at the success of the Indian cricket team in Australia. Their remarkable energy and passion was visible throughout. So was their stellar intent, remarkable grit and determination. Congratulations to the team! Best wishes for your future endeavours," Modi said in a tweet.Former captain and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, while congratulating Rahane & Co., also announced a Rs 5 crore bonus for the...
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