Heena Sharma Blog

  Former India skipper MS Dhoni will always be remembered for finishing tight matches with a smile and sending a billion people into a frenzy. He might have called time on his international career in August 2020, but Dhoni still holds a special place in the hearts of the fans and just one glimpse of him is enough to send social media into a frenzy. For over a decade, Dhoni's unorthodox batting style, especially the famed helicopter shot, gave international bowlers a headache. As the wicketkeeper-batsman celebrates his 40th birthday today, let's relive his first century in international cricket. It was on April 5, 2005, when Dhoni made his first international ton. The former skipper registered the feat against Pakistan in the second ODI of the six-match series. The match was played at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Read More

  The BCCI will hold its Annual General Meeting on December 24 to discuss the induction of two new IPL franchises besides the appointment of India's ICC representative and three new national selectors. Also on the agenda is the election of a new vice-president. As per norm, the BCCI has sent a 23-point agenda to all affiliated units 21 days prior to the holding of the AGM. The most significant point is seeking approval for two new teams to make it a 10-team IPL. It is understood that the Adani Group and Sanjeev Goenka's RPG (owners of the Rising Pune Supergiants) are interested in owning new teams with one franchise surely from Ahmedabad. Another important point will be BCCI's representative to the ICC and the Asian Cricket Council. It is expected that secretary Jay Shah will be the BCCI representative in the global committees. Read More

India under-19 team produced an impressive all-round performance to begin its tour of South Africa with a comfortable nine-wicket win in the first Youth ODI at the Buffalo Park in East London. Batting first, South Africa Under-19 team folded for 187 in 48.3 overs. In reply, India dished out a solid batting display to overhaul the target, scoring 190 for 1 in 42.3 overs on Thursday to take 1-0 lead in the series. South Africa's decision to bat fist backfired as their batsmen failed to convert the starts into big scores with Luke Beaufort top-scoring with a 91-ball 64. For India U-19 team, Ravi Bishnoi scalped three wickets, while Kartik Tyagi, Shubhang Hegde and Atharva Ankolekar picked up two wickets each. Chasing the target, openers Divyaansh Saxena (86 not out) and N Tilak Varma (59) shared a 127-run stand to take the game away from South Africa. Read More

Two time World Cup winning former India captain MS Dhoni on Monday completed 15 years in international cricket, a milestone that has come at a time when he is on a sabbatical from the game. The dasher from Ranchi, who made his debut against Bangladesh under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy in 2004, has been one of country's most impactful cricketers with 17266 runs across all formats for India. The 38-year-old wicketkeeper turned up for the country in 350 ODIs, 90 Tests and 98 T20 Internationals while affecting a staggering 829 dismissals behind the stumps. His career is studded with several milestones including leading India to victory in the 2011 World Cup where finished the match with a six to help the 'Men in Blue' lift the coveted trophy. Under Dhoni India transformed into one of the most successful limited-overs sides in world cricket and he is the only Indian captain to have won all the three major ICC trophies -- the World Cup in 2011, the T20 World Cu...

As many as 332 cricketers will go under the hammer at the IPL 2020 auction in Kolkata on December 19 with Australia's Glenn Maxwell and South African Dale Steyn among those opting for the highest base price of Rs 2 crore. "While 997 players had initially registered for the auction, the final list has been pruned after the eight franchises submitted their shortlist of players," read an official IPL statement. Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and Sri Lanka veteran Angelo Mathews too have opted for the Rs 2 crore base price. Only 73 slots are there to be filled in the eight franchises and only 29 of them can be foreign buys. Robin Uthappa, who was released by Kolkata Knight Riders last month, is the sole Indian player in the auction list with a base price of Rs 1.5 crore. Premier Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, who has never played in the IPL, has put himself in the highest base price bracket alongside bowling partner Pat Cummins, who has represented KKR...

Virat Kohli is a consistent batsman but he doesn't have the same class as the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, believes former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq . Razzaq feels overall the standard of cricket worldwide has declined. "We are not seeing the same world class players that we played against say between 1992 to 2007. T20 cricket has changed the game. There is no depth in bowling, batting or fielding. It is all basic now," he told Cricket Pakistan. "Look at Virat Kohli when he scores he scores. Yeah, he is a good player for them and is performing consistently, but I don't place him in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar, who was a different class altogether." Razzaq, a veteran of 46 Tests, 265 ODIs and 32 T20Is, also lashed out at the way the Pakistani bowlers were selected for the Australian Test series. Read More

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has backed India's limited-overs deputy Rohit Sharma to be a part of the playing XI for the opening Test against West Indies and feels that not picking the batsman will be 'wrong. Speaking on his official Youtube channel, Akhtar said that since Rohit was a part of the squad for the two-match Test series against the Windies, it was important that he should also be given a chance in the XI to go out and grab his opportunity. "I know Rohit has been given chances to play in the Test format earlier and he has not been able to grab on to the opportunity. But I believe he should be included in the team. He is a big match-winner, and not including him will be wrong. He is in good form and he should be given a chance right away," the 44-year-old expressed. "When you have selected him in the squad, leaving him out of the playing XI should not be an option. I believe he will showcase his talent in the longest format of the ga...

Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday announced the direction for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse cricketers in elite and community cricket. Starting consultation with key stakeholders in October 2018, CA has developed an elite cricket policy and guidelines for community cricket to support players electing to participate in cricket in line with their gender identity, whether or not this aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. The elite cricket policy aligns closely with the International Cricket Council's (ICC) eligibility criteria on the basis of gender recognition and provides transgender and gender diverse cricketers guidance on how they can compete at the highest levels of the sport, consistent with their gender identity. As an additional measure, a referral process to an Expert Panel has been established to ensure fair and meaningful competition. The guidelines for community cricket will assist clubs, players, administrators, coaches, an...

India skipper Virat Kohli has insisted that young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant -- who is seen as the successor to M.S. Dhoni -- is the future of Indian cricket and he needs to be given the space so that he can use his skills well and perform on a consistent basis for the team. Pant, who had attracted criticism for his shot selection in the first two T20Is, on Tuesday showed some spark in the final match which India won by seven wickets to clean sweep the three-match series. The left-handed batsman played a winning knock of unbeaten 65 off just 42 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes as India chased down the target of 147 with four balls to spare. "We are looking at him (Pant) as the future. He has got a lot of skill and a lot of talent. It is about giving him some space and not putting too much of pressure," said Kohli -- who shared a 106-run stand with Pant -- after the match. "He's come a long way since he's started. It's about winning and fi...

Cricket Australia has revamped the domestic one-day tournament structure for the upcoming 2019-20 season. On Tuesday, it announced the fixtures of the 50-over domestic competition which will now be played in three parts, the first part -- Marsh One-Day Cup -- will commence on September 21. It will be followed by the Sheffield Shield beginning October 10. The remaining part of the competition, which comprises of 11 games, will take place in two more blocks - late-October and mid-November. The final of the competition will be held on November 26. The other major change is the expansion of the Women's National Cricket League (WNCL), with teams each playing eight matches, compared to just six in previous seasons. Cricket Australia's Head of Cricket Operations Peter Roach said: "We've listened to the states, territories, the ACA and players on what is going to make our cricket system stronger." "For the men's One-Day Cup, the key priorities wer...

He was expecting an India recall after a stellar show in the A series and even though Shubman Gill is disappointed by the snub for the West Indies tour, the youngster is not ready to "spend time thinking over it." Gill, along with Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer, was tipped to make it to the limited overs squad but despite being adjudged 'Player of the Series' with 218 runs and three half-centuries, he was the one to miss out. "I was waiting for the Indian senior team to be announced on Sunday and I expected to be selected for at least one of the squads. It was disappointing not to get picked but I am not going to spend time thinking over it. I'll keep scoring runs and performing to the best of my ability to impress the selectors," Gill told 'CricketNext' website. The Punjab youngster is pretty satisfied with his performance in the just-concluded A series which India won 4-1. "It was a fantastic series for me and team as well s...

Skipper Virat Kohli's availability and veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni's future will be in focus when the MSK Prasad-led national selection panel meets here on Friday to pick the Indian cricket squads for next month's tour of the West Indies. The 38-year old Dhoni, whose finishing abilities with the bat has been on the wane, would be the centre of discussion amid speculation that the Jharkhand player is contemplating retirement even though he hasn't spoken about it till now. Dhoni's selection or omission would be an indicator of things to come in the future. India are set to play T20s, as many ODIs and two Tests in a full-fledged tour to the Caribbean islands, starting August 3. Considering next year's T20 World Cup to be held in Australia, the selectors might opt for the young Rishabh Pant, who is seen as heir apparent to Dhoni. Dhoni was dropped from the T20 series against West Indies and Australia last October and there is a strong chance that he w...

England pacer Jofra Archer said reassuring words from teammate Ben Stokes helped him to keep his calm in the Super Over of the World Cup final against New Zealand at the iconic Lord's here. Hosts England lifted their maiden World Cup trophy on Sunday night by defeating New Zealand in the Super Over in the heart-stopping final. After posting 15 runs in the Super Over, the responsibility to defend the score fell on Archer and the pacer admitted that calming words from teammates, especially Stokes, made a big difference. "I actually went to Morgs (Eoin Morgan) first, I had an idea I was going to do it (bowl the Super Over) but I wanted to double check that he wanted me to do it. "I think it was going fine until the six, and then (Ben) Stokes told me even before the over: Win or lose, today does not define you. Everyone believes in you," said Archer, who finished with 20 wickets in the World Cup after making his international debut only in May. Jimmy Nees...

India skipper Virat Kohli calls Kane Williamson special and the New Zealand skipper says his Indian counterpart is a superstar. In the modern era of cut throat competition where every inch counts, the mutual admiration that Kohli and Williamson share is indeed a lesson for youngsters looking to play the gentlemans game. Speaking on the eve of the first semi-final of the 2019 World Cup , Kohli was the first one to point out how he always saw talent in Williamson. In fact, even as scribes asked him about playing against Williamson in the U19 World Cup in 2008, the India skipper went back to the 2007 U19 Test match he played against New Zealand to recollect his first memory of the Kiwi skipper. "It's not even 2008, I remember in 2007, we went to New Zealand and we were playing an U19 Test match and he played a shot off one of our fast bowlers, who was quick, off the back foot and I remember standing in slips and telling guys standing with me, "I have never seen an...

Former cricketers came down heavily on Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his "baffling innings" during India's maiden defeat in the ongoing World Cup to England but the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman continued to get the backing of skipper Virat Kohli. Set a target of 338 by England, India could manage 306/5 in their 50 overs with Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav remaining unbeaten on 42 (31 balls) and 12 (13 balls) respectively. Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, who was doing commentary during the match, questioned the batting approach. "I don't have an explanation for that...I can't explain these singles. It's also the length and the bounce that has deceived the Indian batsmen. You can't be chasing 338 and still have five wickets in the end," Ganguly said "It's about mindset and the way you look at the game. The message had to be clear: no matter where it comes and no matter where the ball lands you have to find the boundary," he adde...

In the grand finale of VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL 2019), Lasith Malinga produced an incredible last over to defend nine runs as Mumbai Indians (MI) claimed undisputed supremacy in the Indian Premier League by securing their fourth title with a narrow one-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a pulsating final at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad on Sunday. Super Kings needed nine runs off the last over but the experienced Lankan paceman Malinga kept his nerve to concede seven. He trapped Shardul Thakur leg before in the last ball after Watson (80 off 59) got run out two balls earlier. Before that Jasprit Bumrah kept Mumbai in the hunt with his tidy overs and two wickets, getting rid of Dwayne Bravo and Ambati Rayudu. The premier Indian pacer produced 13 dot balls in his testing overs. Young leg-spinner Rahul Chahar also played a key role in the middle overs as he too created pressure by bowling 13 dot balls. Both teams were tied at three IPL titles ...

The Supreme Court Friday set aside the BCCI disciplinary committee's order imposing a life ban on former Indian cricketer S Sreesanth for his alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal . A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and K M Joseph said the disciplinary committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may reconsider within three months the quantum of punishment to be given to Sreesanth. The bench made it clear that the former cricketer will get the opportunity of being heard by the committee on the quantum of the punishment. The apex court also said that its verdict shall have no effect on the criminal proceedings pending against the former cricketer in the Delhi High Court, where the Delhi Police has challenged a trial court's order discharging all accused, including Sreesanth, in the IPL spot-fixing case. The bench passed this order on Sreesanth's plea challenging the decision of a division bench of the Kerala High Court...

West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was charged with a breach of conduct by the ICC after allegedly making a homophobic remark in an exchange with England captain Joe Root during the third Test. Stump microphones picked up an interaction on the third day in St Lucia between Gabriel and Root, in which the latter responded: "Don't use it as an insult. There's nothing wrong with being gay." The ICC, cricket's governing body, on Tuesday said Gabriel had been charged with a breach of its code of conduct in relation to the "personal abuse" of a player, umpire or match referee. "The charge, which was laid by match umpires, will now be dealt with by Match Referee Jeff Crowe. Until the proceedings have concluded, the ICC will not comment further," it said in a tweet. Root refused to reveal what Gabriel said to him when asked by reporters. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

India skipper Virat Kohli maintained his top spot, while young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant and pacer Jasprit Bumrah attained their career-best positions in the latest ICC Test rankings . Kohli gained 14 points to reach 934 points after a valiant first-innings knock of 123 in the second Test at Perth which Australia won by 146 runs to level the four-match series. The India captain has thus increased his lead over New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson from seven to 19 points. Pant gained 11 places to secure the 48th spot while India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane moved up two places to progress into the top-15. In the bowlers list, Bumrah achieved a career-high ranking of 28 while fellow teammate Mohammad Shami moved two places to 24th. Read More Business Standard

Cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been appointed the India ambassador of Italian luxury sports watchmaker Panerai . "I closely relate with the authenticity, passion and boldness that the brand embodies. These are some strong attributes that I have been applying to my career and life beyond cricket, stirring true emotions towards Panerai, and underlining my natural connection with the brand," Dhoni said in a statement. The collaboration marks the brand's commitment towards the Indian market. "M.S. Dhoni is a celebrated sportsman, a sophisticated gentleman with a distinctive persona that impeccably resonates the masculine identity of the brand's watches, said Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroue. Read More Business Standard