Author: Kashish Chadha

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh made another controversial statement after his call to bid adieu from international cricket. The veteran tweaker said the great MS Dhoni received preferential treatment and more backing than some of India’s other veteran cricketers, including him, from the decision-makers within the BCCI. Harbhajan claimed Dhoni enjoyed more support and backing from the selectors and the BCCI office-bearers. He feels if the same level of support was shown to other cricketers who fell by the wayside after poor performances, they could’ve also gone on to become great cricketers. “Dhoni had better backing than other players and if the rest of…

Experienced all-rounder Kieron Pollard has recovered from the injury which ruled him out of the Pakistan tour in December and is set to resume leadership duties with the white-ball series versus Ireland and England in January, 2022. Pollard missed the tour of Pakistan, comprising three T20Is and three ODIs – which were later postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak – because of a hamstring injury that he picked up during the T20 World Cup in the United Arabic Emirates. West Indies’ white-ball skipper will now reclaim his captaincy post for the fixtures against the two European rivals. The Calypso Kings will take on Ireland in…

The Pakistan international is expected to enter the Heat’s squad ahead of their game on January 6 as the Brisbane-based team strive to qualify for the tournament’s playoffs stage. “Fakhar will join us in Melbourne ahead of the game against the [Melbourne] Renegades [on January 6]. Due to Queensland’s current border restrictions, he will need to spend 14 days outside of the state before he can play in Queensland,”Brisbane Heat head coach Wade Seccombe in a media release.  Fakhar Zaman had an indifferent run in 2021 with the bat in T20Is, scoring only 415 runs from his 21 outings at an average of 24.41 with a strike-rate of 127.30.…

Chief selector Chetan Sharma on December 31 said the selection panel asked Virat Kohli to reconsider the move to quit India’s T20I captaincy on the eve of the T20 World Cup. Giving his side of the story in a year-end press conference where Sharma named India’s ODI squad for the series in South Africa, the former India pacer said the selectors were shocked to learn of Kohli’s decision and were collective in their push to make him reconsider his call. Sharma said everyone present in the meeting, including the five-member selection committee as well as BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and board secretary Jay Shah,…

Before we get on with the year ahead, let’s focus on the key highlights and happenings – or mishappenings – that took place in the cricketing world in 2021. Despite the game still battling hard with the knock-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2021 wasn’t short of cricketing action: be it on the field or off it. Here are some of the major talking points from the 12 months that we have had. IPL 2021 gets postponed due to COVID-19 Cricket’s stringent bio-bubbles proved not so immune from the pandemic wrecked outside world as the 2021 edition of the Indian…

India’s elegant batter was named the country’s stand-in ODI captain for the tour of South Africa on December 31. With newly-appointed white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma still under rehab for a hamstring injury, his deputy Rahul will take over the side for three-match series versus the Proteas. In a year-end press conference, chief selector Chetan Sharma confirmed the news on Rahul, who was also named the Test match deputy to Virat Kohli in Rohit’s absence for the series in South Africa. Sharma appointed spearhead Jasprit Bumrah as Rahul’s deputy for the ODI leg of the tour, starting January 19.  Sharma said they are looking to groom…

Ross Taylor put a timer on his career in international cricket, stating he will retire at the highest level after the end of the coming New Zealand home summer. On December 30, the Kiwi stalwart announced that he will be quitting Tests after the Bangladesh series and hang his boots from ODIs via subsequent series in Australia and versus the Netherlands. There were indications as early as the World Test Championship final in June that Taylor could bid adieu to international cricket. But the veteran right-hander made the trip to India in November where he struggled in the two-match Test series played in Kanpur and Mumbai. It…

Strong composure and discipline at the crease have been key to his revival in Test cricket this year more than any technical changes, says KL Rahul. The India and Karnataka batter has made a heartwarming return to the top of the order with strong performances in England and South Africa cementing his place in the XI finally. For a while, it seemed that India may never see Rahul fulfil his undoubted potential and class at the Test match level. The elegant right-hander was dropped from the team because of a sustained period of poor returns during India’s 2018-19 cycle of tours abroad.…

Quinton de Kock gave South African fans a massive shock on Thursday December 30 evening as he decided to bid adieu to Test cricket with immediate effect. The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batter conveyed his message in a statement to Cricket South Africa, stating that his “priority” now is to be with his wife and their kid, for which he wants to create more space in an excessively busy calendar. De Kock remains available for ODIs and T20Is. “This is not a decision that I have come to very easily. I have taken a lot of time to think about what my future looks like and what needs to…

Sri Lanka will be hosting Zimbabwe for a set of three ODIs in January as part of the ICC Super League, which counts as a direct qualification event for the 2023 World Cup in India. Sri Lanka Cricket and Zimbabwe Cricket mutually confirmed the series which forms a part of both countries’ qualification campaign for the next 50-over World Cup. Top seven teams plus and hosts India will qualify directly for the 2023 World Cup from the Super League. The bottom five teams in the 13-team competition will have to go through a global qualifier in 2022 to try and bag the final two spots for what…