Author: Prakhar Sachdeo

Defending champions England announce provisional squad for the T20 World Cup

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Defending champions England have announced their provisional squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

The team will be led by Jos Buttler.

England’s provisional squad for the T20 World Cup is as follows:

Jos Buttler (Lancashire) Captain,  Moeen Ali (Warwickshire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), Mark Wood (Durham)

England won the last edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup when they defeated Pakistan in the 2022 final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

All T20 World Cup 2024 squads: India, Afghanistan, Australia reveal teams

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Here is a look at the squads of all the 20 teams that will participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. England are the defending champions.

New Zealand Squad: Kane Williamson (C), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.

Ben Sears (Travelling Reserve).

South Africa squad: Aiden Markram (C), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Radaba, Anrich Nortje, Ottniel Baartman, Keshav Maharaj, Tabriz Shamzi, Bjorn Fortuin

Nadne Burger and Lungi Ngidi (Travelling Reserves)

England squad (provisional): Jos Buttler (Captain),  Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer , Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

India’s World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashavi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya (vc), Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Smason, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj,

Travelling Reserves: Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, Rinku Singh and Khaleel Ahmed

Afghanistan World Cup squad: 

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik.

Travelling Reserves: Sediqullah Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Saleem Safi.

Australia World Cup squad:

Mitch Marsh (captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matt Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

A look at all the 20 teams (and their respective groups) that will be playing the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Canada and Ireland

Group B: Australia, England, Namibia, Scotland and Oman

Group C: West Indies, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan and Uganda

Group D: South Africa, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands and Nepal

(The squads of the respective teams will be updates as they are announced)

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

A medical report on Maradona’s death aims to undercut homicide case against medics

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A medical examiner’s report into the death of football legend Diego Maradona injected uncertainty Monday into the criminal negligence case brought against eight medical workers involved in his case a month before they are set to stand trial for homicide.

A forensic expert conducted the study at the behest of one of the main defendants, Maradona’s neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, in an effort to challenge the 2021 medical examination that held Luque and other doctors responsible for what it described as the football star’s otherwise avoidable death. The defendants have denied any violations or irregularities in Maradona’s treatment.

Maradona, famous for leading Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup and back to the final four years later, died from a heart attack in 2020 while recovering from brain surgery.

His death at age 60 stunned and devastated a generation of football fans and sent all of Argentina into mourning. Within days, the country became consumed by questions about his final, perplexing hours, a frenzy of suspicion that intensified as police officers raided his doctors’ homes and offices and Maradona’s family pressed the judiciary to intervene.

Prosecutors ultimately charged the eight medical workers with homicide — a serious accusation that leaves open the possibility of presumed intent and carries possible prison sentences from eight to 25 years. The trial is set to start June 4.

Medical examiner Pablo Ferrari’s report, released Monday, concluded that Maradona’s rapid, erratic heartbeat was either of natural origin or stemmed from an “external” factor, possibly a drug like cocaine that Maradona was known to have abused in the past. Ferrari said he couldn’t do a toxicology report based on Maradona’s insufficient urine sample.

The findings contradict those of a 20-member medical panel appointed to investigate Maradona’s death.

That 2021 report accused Maradona’s medical team of acting in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner,” leaving the soccer player in agony and without help for more than 12 hours before his death.

Ferrari’s report disputed the severity of that episode, contending the arrhythmia could not have triggered agony for more than “a few minutes or at most a few hours.”

“This marks a radical turn in the case,” Vadim Mischanchuk, the defense lawyer representing Maradona’s psychiatrist, Agustina Cosachov, told local media. “The account goes from being a cardiac event that lasts many days to one that lasts minutes.”

The prosecutor’s office criticized the expert’s report as hastily cobbled together in 72 hours and accused Ferrari of neglecting four years of evidence in favor of “a minimal slice of evidence offered by the defense.”

“There is no twist in the case,” prosecutors said.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Zaheer Khan picks Rishabh Pant as the only wicketkeeper in his T20 World Cup squad

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former India pace spearhead Zaheer Khan has picked Rishabh Pant as the sole wicketkeeper in his team for the T20 World Cup while handing out international debut to left-arm seamer Yash Dayal to add a new dimension to the attack. One of Zaheer’s most interesting selections was the 26-year-old Dayal, who represents Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League. He has taken into account Mohammed Shami’s injury layoff while picking his squad.

“When I talk about Yash Dayal, it’s a floating spot when the 15 are announced because Mohammed Shami will not be available for the tournament. “He’s one bowler that if you need someone to bowl up, you have Yash Dayal. If you want a back-end bowler and if Siraj’s form is spotty, he can be used there as well,” Zaheer told Jio Cinema. Zaheer also selected Delhi Capitals’ captain Pant as the only wicket-keeper in his squad, overlooking others such as Sanju Samson, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan. “Rishabh Pant is my only wicket-keeper. I have given more importance to bringing four pace bowlers. You don’t want to sacrifice a fast bowler for another wicketkeeper. You have options like KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and many want to see Dinesh Karthik. “At this point, we can consider Mahendra Singh Dhoni as well because of his strike rate! I think they’ll focus on current players like Samson, KL Rahul, and maybe even Jitesh Sharma. “If you’re building a team for a month-long tournament, your travelling reserve can be your wicketkeeper.” Zaheer named 16 players in his squad, with the caveat that only one player between Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill and Rajasthan Royals’ opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will be selected as Rohit Sharma’s opening partner.

“The toughest decision the selectors will have to make will be choosing one opener out of two terrific options. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, I think only one of them will make it because the think-tank will want flexibility in the team. “A player can’t be limited to just one role, they might need to move around the batting order.” Zaheer Khan’s India squad for T20 World Cup: Batters: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh All-Rounders: Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja Wicket-Keeper: Rishabh Pant Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Dayal, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Rahul vs Samson, Avesh v Bishnoi v Axar — Key face-offs for India’s T20 World Cup squad

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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KL Rahul is believed to be slightly ahead of Sanju Samson in the race for second wicketkeeper’s slot even as Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya’s indifferent batting form remains a worry for the national selection panel which is expected to announce the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup in Americas soon.

The other bone of contention in drafting the final squad could be the choice of an extra bowler.

It remains to be seen whether an extra pace bowler in Avesh Khan will be accommodated or whether the choice would be between Lucknow Super Giants leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi and Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel considering the low and slow tracks in the West Indies.

It is understood that skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to have a meeting with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar to discuss the outline of the team.

With the ICC setting a May 1 deadline for the announcement of 15-member squads, the BCCI is expected to reveal the names anytime between the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

Pandya has so far bowled 17 overs out of a possible 32 in eight games for MI.

As a designated finisher, he has hit only seven sixes in these games, which is below par by every measure. The free-flowing bat-swing is completely missing in the 150 odd runs that he has scored in the tournament so far at a strike-rate of 142.

However, Pandya can be called a ‘TINA’ option (There Is No Alternative) for the selectors as Shivam Dube, who is also expected to board the New York bound flight, isn’t bowling either.

Also in terms of skill and pace, Dube the bowler isn’t anywhere close to Pandya but his current batting form (22 sixes in eight games) can’t be ignored either.

Rahul vs Sanju ========== It can be safely concluded that Rishabh Pant, who is now third among the top run-getters in the competition with 342 at a strike rate of 161, has sealed his place as the team’s No. 1 keeper-batter and also as a designated finisher.

The fight is pretty intense for the second keeper’s slot and despite KL Rahul (302 at 141 SR) not batting in the middle-order, his range of strokes might just help him pip Samson (314 at SR 152).

Samson might again have to be content with being a stand-by inclusion like last year’s 50 over World Cup.

Bishnoi vs Avesh vs Axar ================ The five bowlers, who have all but sealed their places are Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.

However save Bumrah and Kuldeep, the other Indian bowlers haven’t been in great form during IPL and hence the choice of an extra bowler becomes very important.

It will be a three-way fight between Rajasthan Royals’ pacer Avesh, Delhi Capitals left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Axar and Lucknow Super Giants leg-spinner Bishnoi.

Avesh, who has improved a lot as far as his death bowling is concerned, has eight wickets from as many matches with an economy rate of 9.41 while Bishnoi has only taken five wickets but on flat tracks, his economy of 8.47 can be considered impressive.

Axar, who has seven scalps from nine games but is bowling at an rate of just above 7, would be a brilliant choice too taking the conditions into consideration.

Add to it, his batting prowess, scoring runs at a strike of 132, and also the fact that he is a very good all-round fielder.

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Two wrist-spinners should be part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, says Irfan Pathan

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan said India must pick five specialist bowlers along with two wrist-spinners in their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup to be played in the Caribbean and the USA.

With the May 1 deadline for the squad announcement approaching fast, discussions have intensified around the combination of India’s squad for the showpiece event starting on June 2.

“You need five good bowlers — that’s a must. What are your wicket-taking options? When you’re talking about Ravindra Jadeja at No. 8 and playing as a spin (all-rounder), I would rather have two wrist-spinners playing,” Pathan told Star Sports.

“I would rather have two proper wrist-spinners playing, (Ravi) Bishnoi and Kuldeep (Yadav), in my playing XI. If you look at Bishnoi’s numbers, you know, when he played, he was pretty good.” Pathan, however, is not in favour of calling up Rajasthan Royals’ Yuzvendra Chahal for the World Cup.

“Yes, we’re talking about Chahal right now because of the IPL performances but don’t forget the fielding part of it as well. If you have to balance the fielding, you have to balance where a bowler can bowl at the particular area,” he said.

Pathan conceded that Jasprit Bumrah is the only automatic selection among the bowlers.

“There’s only one player who you can blindly say (certain for selection) is Bumrah. But apart from Bumrah, you need at least two fast bowlers who can be part of the regular XI,” the former India cricketer said.

“The biggest problem the Indian team has is the combination of fast bowling. It’s very important to fix that combination, so go towards experience.

“With Bumrah, you can see (Mohammed) Siraj and Arshdeep (Singh) there, which I don’t think is ideal, but this is the only option you have now,” he said.

Former India batter K Srikkanth, meanwhile, is not in favour of Siraj being selected for the World Cup.

“Bumrah is in the squad. Arshdeep as well. But the third pacer can’t be Siraj. He’ll bowl well in one game and then not perform in 10 games. He’s an erratic bowler, you saw it in the World Cup,” he said.

“That’s why I’m saying we should look at who’s bowling well in the death overs, and that is Avesh Khan. He’s been performing well and he’s done well on the international front, he has a little experience as well. He’s mastered the wide yorkers also,” Srikkanth added.

However, former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody backed Siraj. “He looks mentally and physically fatigued. He has come into this IPL having played a lot of all format cricket for India for a long period of time,” he said.

“He plays his cricket in the IPL at probably the hardest venue (Bengaluru) whether you bowl quick or you bowl spin — that needs to be taken into consideration. The third thing is he’s playing in a poor side. RCB have been a poor side this year and it’s very hard to rise with what’s happening around you.” “I would back him 100 per cent to step up in the World Cup, purely because if you look at historically what he’s done for India and even what he did in the IPL last year,” Moody added.

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India’s T20 World Cup squad: Yuvraj Singh believes two Mumbai Indian players are crucial for Men in Blue

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former India star Yuvraj Singh has identified the swashbuckling Suryakumar Yadav and pace ace Jasprit Bumrah as key to the team’s prospects in the upcoming T20 World Cup owing to their ability to “change the complexion of a game” in a jiffy. Yuvraj, who was pivotal to India’s title triumph in the inaugural edition of the tournament back in 2007, said Suryakumar will need to have a good outing for the team to win the cup for the second time while also suggesting that Bumrah needs to be at his best.

“Suryakumar Yadav (is India’s key player),” Yuvraj was quoted as saying by ICC. He added, “Because the way he plays, he can change the complexion of a game in 15 balls. And he is definitely a surety for India to win this T20 World Cup, Surya is going to be the key. “I think Jasprit Bumrah is also the key with the bowling and I would like to see a leg-spinner in the squad as well, like Yuzvendra Chahal as he has been bowling really well. “But being a batter, I would say Suryakumar Yadav (is the key player).” While dissecting the options of who should be India’s first-choice wicket-keeper, Yuvraj expressed satisfaction with veteran Dinesh Karthik’s form in the IPL but said if he is not part of the playing XI, there is no point picking the 38-year-old in the squad as the younger Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson have been playing extremely well.

“DK (Karthik) has been batting well, but the thing with DK is that the last time (2022) they picked him and the T20 WC was on he didn’t get to play,” Yuvraj noted. “If DK is not in your XI I don’t think there is any point in picking him. There is Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and both guys are in great form and obviously they are younger.

“I would like to see DK in the mix, but if he is not going to play then you would rather have someone who is younger and can make the difference.” Rohit and Virat have earned the right to decide on their future ====================================== Yuvraj knows just how important Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are to India’s fortunes in the T20 showpiece and refused to put an end date on when he thinks the duo should retire from international cricket. Instead, Yuvraj suggested that Rohit and Kohli should consider giving up on playing T20I cricket after the T20 World Cup and concentrate on other formats.

“As you get older people start talking about your age and they forget about your form,” Yuvraj stated. “These guys have been great players for India and they deserve to go (retire) when they want.

“I would like to see more younger players in the T20 format, because it gets the load off them (experienced players) playing 50-over (ODIs) and Test matches. After this (T20) World Cup I would like to see a lot of younger guys come into the team and make the T20 side for the next World Cup.” Dube is the future star ============== Yuvraj picked Chennai Super Kings left-hander Shivam Dube as one player that he wants to see in the squad, thanks to his explosive batting. “I would like to see Shivam Dube in the squad,” he said. “He has been in and out of the (Indian) team, but this IPL he has been batting very well and he is someone who can be the game-changer.

“There are a lot of other guys who have been playing for a while now, but I would like to see Shivam Dube in the mix,” he added.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India’s T20 World Cup squad: Selectors to meet in Ahmedabad today

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The national selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar will meet BCCI secretary Jay Shah in Ahmedabad today to finalise the 15-member squad for the ICC T20 World Cup in the Americas but the official announcement might happen a day later.

The BCCI secretary is the convenor of the senior selection committee (men) and with Shah busy with his political commitments, it is understood that the meeting will be held in Ahmedabad.

The second wicketkeeper’s slot and all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s place in the side will be the two talking points of the selection meeting. It is understood that KL Rahul (IPL strike rate of 144 and 378 runs so far) and Sanju Samson (385 runs at a strike rate of 161) are still locked in a battle for the second wicketkeeper’s slot.

Rajasthan Royals captain Samson has for the first time in over a decade been a consistent performer for his IPL side but there is no way his No. 3 batting slot is going to get him a place in the India team. Another school of thought is that someone like Samson, who has 25 T20Is under his belt but an average of just 20 and a strike rate of around 135, should not be considered based on just one good IPL season.

In case of Rahul, it can be said that one senior member of the coaching staff will certainly go all out to push for his inclusion but many believe that the stylish right-handed batter’s approach in T20 cricket remains archaic. However, he is still considered a better bet than Samson at No. 5 or 6 on slowish Caribbean tracks.

The other option, Jitesh Sharma, is in very poor form, while Dhruv Jurel hasn’t got a chance to keep wickets. During the last game in Lucknow, he did get an opportunity to bat long and scored a fifty. Left-handed batter Tilak Varma, who is also a handy off-spinner, remains an option along with pacer Sandeep Sharma, the Punjab veteran whose slower variations at the death have played a big role in Rajasthan Royals’ surge to the top of the IPL table.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India’s T20 World Cup squad: Former BCCI president bats for Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel to be part of the team

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former captain Sourav Ganguly feels Axar Patel will book his place in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup as he can be moved around in the batting order depending on match situation. Axar has bowled splendidly all season at an economy rate of 7.06 and when promoted, he showed his batting prowess against Gujarat Titans.

“Axar, is a certainty. Both Rishabh and Axar are certainties for me at the T20 World Cup. The way things are going in T20, Rohit will want someone to come at No. 8 and bat, give those 15-20 runs which Axar can easily do, and if he needs someone to go and smack spinners, Axar can do that as well. “That’s the advantage with Jadeja and Axar, they are so talented and gifted,” Ganguly, Delhi Capitals’ Director of Cricket, said on the eve of their IPL clash against Mumbai Indians here.

Ganguly, who has helped the left-handed Axar with his batting, said the all-rounder has the ability to bat in Tests as well as T20s. “You should have the ability to strike the ball. You don’t have to have time for technique in T20 cricket. But your basics should be there and he’s always had that.

“When you see his batting in Tests for India, he gets runs under pressure on turning pitches. He has the ability to bat but in T20 you need the ability to strike and he does that when he’s pushed up and he gets a little more time to settle and keep hitting. “He’s a tremendous cricketer — bats, bowls, fields. He has the ability to bat and can bat in T20 cricket. He is a very gifted cricketer,” Ganguly added.

Pant has shown that he has fully recovered from the injuries sustained during his horrific car accident, scoring three half-centuries in the ongoing IPL. He was at his belligerent best against the Gujarat Titans. He is locked in a battle with the likes of Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik for the wicketkeeper’s spot but Ganguly is confident the 26-year-old from Uttarakhand is a surety in the Indian team. “I love Rishabh and Sanju. Rishabh will go to the T20 World Cup. Sanju might also go, not saying he shouldn’t. He is as good a player as anyone, and keeps, bats, captains Rajasthan. Both can go if the selectors feel,” he added.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

SRK backs this KKR player for a place in India’s T20 World Cup squad

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Kolkata, Apr 29: Kolkata Knights Riders principal owner Shah Rukh Khan has endorsed the inclusion of his left-handed power-hitter Rinku Singh in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, terming it his “personal wish”. The 26-year-old Rinku burst into the limelight when he smashed five consecutive sixes in Kolkata Knight Riders’ stunning last-over win over Gujarat Titans during IPL 2023.

Rinku’s name has been doing the rounds as far as selecting the 15-member Indian squad is concerned for the T20 showpiece, which will be held in the USA and West Indies across June. He has a strike-rate of 176 plus in 15 T20I for India with two fifties, Expressing his optimism for Rinku’s World Cup prospects, Shah Rukh said during an interview on Star Sports, “Such amazing players are playing for the country. I am really looking forward to Rinku, Inshallah being in the World Cup Squad and some other youngsters from other teams also. “Some of them deserve it so much, but my personal wish is that Rinku makes it to the team. I will be so happy. That will be the high point for me.” With the KKR top-order doing the bulk of scoring so far this season, Rinku has not got many opportunities with the bat. In his debut season however, the hard-hitting batsman from Aligarh amassed 356 runs in 15 matches, remaining unbeaten in seven of those games. His runs came at a strike-rate of over 175 but power-hitting is not his only talent, for he has the ability to remain calm in pressure situations. The Bollywood megastar, who shares a great rapport with Rinku, is delighted at his rise after having faced many obstacles on his road to success.

Growing up in modest surroundings, Rinku’s family struggled to make ends meet, with his father working as an LPG cylinder delivery man and his mother a housewife. Despite the offer of a job as a sweeper, Rinku followed his passion for cricket, believing it would lead him to greater heights. SRK said, “I just want them to feel happy and when I see these boys playing, I feel like I am living as a sportsperson myself. Especially players like Rinku and Nitish (Rana), I see myself in them. I feel really happy when they perform well.” .

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow