Team India’s players are strengthening their preparations through intra squad match ahead of the limited over series against Sri Lanka starting on July 13. Despite being away from the cricket field since the postponement of IPL 2021, the Indian batsmen were seen in remarkable batting form. 

During the practice match, Hardik Pandya, Prithvi Shaw were seen hitting huge fours and sixes. At the same time, young talent Suryakumar Yadav has also created panic in the Sri Lankan camp after showcasing his attacking style of batting during the practice game.

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Sri Lanka Cricket has shared a video on its YouTube channel, in which Hardik and Shaw are seen hitting big shots.  At the same time, leggie Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets in the practice match, while Navdeep Saini and Yuzvendra Chahal bagged two wickets each.

Chetan Sakariya, who made his IPL debut this year, too bagged a wicket in this match.  The ODI series between India and Sri Lanka will start from July 13.  Senior opener Shikhar Dhawan has been given the captaincy of the team in senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s absence. Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the head coach for this tour.

India vs Sri Lanka ODI Series Schedule

1st ODI – 13 July
2nd ODI – 16 July
3rd ODI – 19 July

India vs Sri Lanka T20 Series Schedule

1st T20 – 22 July
2nd T20 – 24 July
3rd T20 – 27 July

After losing the World Test Championship title, there is a lot of discussion regarding the captaincy of the Indian cricket team.  Captain Virat Kohli had to face fierce criticism after the defeat in the WTC final as there were a few demands to remove him from his captaincy.

Under the leadership of Virat, India has not been able to win a single ICC title so far. However, under Kohli’s captaincy, the national squad has registered many memorable victories.

The big question is, who will be given the command of the Indian team when Virat’s international career gets over, like MS Dhoni.  On this, former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has suggested the name of Rishabh Pant as the future captain of the Indian cricket team.

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“I also see Rishabh as a potential Indian captain in the future. Because he is jumpy, chirpy, and talks around. But I feel he surely has a smart brain as well because I saw him when he was captaining in the IPL for Delhi Capitals. He did an incredible job. So, people should look at him as the next captain of the Indian team in the coming years,” Yuvraj told TimesofIndia.com.

Rishabh Pant led Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021 after Shreyas Iyer had to sit out due to injury. Under Pant’s captaincy Delhi won 6 out of 8 matches and remained at the top of the IPL 2021 Points Table until the tournament was postponed due to rising cases of Covid-19 inside IPL bubble.  

The extra responsibility of captaincy was not at all visible on Pant’s batting as he scored 213 runs including two fifties. BCCI had decided to postpone IPL 2021 on May 4 after several players tested Covid-19 positive.  The remaining 31 matches of the 14th season of the Indian Premier League are to be played in the UAE from September 19.

The five-match Test series between India and England will start next month. Team India’s star spinner R Ashwin, however, may play a Test game before the Test series against England. After getting a working visa, R Ashwin might reportedly play a first-class match for England’s county team Surrey. 

If Ashwin gets his work visa on time, he can play in the county match for Surrey from July 11. Ashwin is currently on a break like rest of his team members. Ashwin has played county cricket in the past as well. He has played county cricket for Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire.

If Ashwin gets a work visa for Surrey’s match against Somerset at The Oval, it could prove to be a good opportunity for him to practice on English soil before the Ind vs Eng Test series.

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Team India will also play a practice match 

The fourth match of the India and England Test series will be played at The Oval. Reports claim that it is more or less confirmed that Ashwin will play a county match for Surrey, pending a formal announcement. 

After losing the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, Indian captain Virat Kohli said that the team demanded a first-class match before the title match but, he is not aware as to why it did not happen.

India is expected to play practice match before the Test series against England. The England and Wales Cricket Board has already said that it plans to organize a warm-up match for India against the combined county team ahead of the Test series.

Team India players are currently enjoying their holidays in England as BCCI allowed them a 20-day break before the five-match Test series against England.

During the break, most of the players are in London or its surrounding areas and are spending time with their families, while some have also gone to visit the countryside.

After this break, the players of the Indian team will gather in London on July 14. Indian captain Virat Kohli is not missing any chance to work hard and train himself even during the break. The star player shared a video on Tuesday, in which he was seen doing some intense workout.

New cases of Covid-19 are increasing continuously in England and in such a situation, all players and support staff members of India will be given a second dose of vaccination on July 7 and July 9, news agency ANI reported. Indian players have already received the first dose of Covishield vaccine in India.

Reportedly, most of the players are enjoying holiday in London and surrounding areas.  Players who had received the first dose of Covishield vaccine in India are now ready to take the second vaccine. Full immunization of Indian players has become extremely necessary as there have been several cases of the Coronavirus in the England team.

After seven members of the England cricket team, including three players, were found to be Covid positive, it has become more important for the Indian team to be given vaccine doses for their safety.

ECB had to select a completely new team for the limited overs series against Pakistan after seven members, including players in England’s men’s team, tested Covid-19 positive.

After losing the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against New Zealand, Indian cricket team players are currently enjoying a 20-day break with their family in England’s Southampton. After the break, Team India is scheduled to play a five-match Test series against England from August 4, for which the players will enter the bio-bubble in London from July 14 and then start preparing for the Test series.

Before the India vs England Test series, Team India also has to play a three-day practice match against Select County XI. Meanwhile, there are reports that the players of the Indian team will be administered the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine before entering the bio-bubble.

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News agency ANI has quoted sources as saying that the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine will be given to the players of Team India on July 7 and 9.  The source said, “The second dose has been planned for the cricketers and they will be given the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday and Friday.”

The Indian team touring England has already been given the first dose of the Covidshield vaccine. Covishield has been developed in India by AstraZeneca and Serum Institute of India.

After seven members of the England cricket team, including three players, were found to be Covid positive, it has become more important for the Indian team to be given vaccine doses for their safety.

ECB had to select a completely new team for the limited overs series against Pakistan after seven members, including players in England’s men’s team, tested Covid-19 positive.

England seamer James Anderson reached another milestone in a storied career as he picked up his 1,000th first-class wicket while playing for Lancashire in a County Championship match against Kent on Monday. Anderson, who turns 39 at the end of the month, reached the landmark during an impressive new-ball spell when he had Heino Kuhn caught behind by Dane Vilas.

The wicket was taken from the end bearing his name at Old Trafford and completed his 51st first-class, five-wicket haul as he claimed 5 for 3 in his first seven overs. Anderson becomes just the 14th player to claim 1,000 first-class wickets this century and just the fifth paceman after Andy Caddick (2005), Martin Bicknell (2004), Devon Malcolm (2002) and Wasim Akram (2001).

Already the most prolific fast bowler in test cricket, Anderson has 617 wickets in 162 matches for England at an average of 26.67. Having struggled with niggling injuries in recent years, Anderson is currently preparing for a five-match home Test series against India starting Aug. 4, before visiting Australia in a bid to reclaim the Ashes in December.

THE

Congratulations on 1,000 First Class wickets @jimmy9 pic.twitter.com/bbMLcETz8k

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 5, 2021

In June, Anderson had added another feather to his already illustrious cap as he surpassed former skipper Alastair Cook to become England’s most-capped Test cricketer. Anderson achieved the feat in the second Test against New Zealand at Edgbaston. The legendary pacer has now featured in 162 matches for England one more than Cook, who played 161 games in the longest format.

Fast bowler Stuart Broad is third on the list having played 147 Tests for England while former cricketer Alec Stewart occupies the fourth spot with 133 games under his belt.

Anderson is the only fast bowler who has taken more than 600 wickets in the longest format of the game. He has 617 scalps in Test cricket.

(with agency inputs)

Many young Indian players will get a chance to showcase their talent in the limited overs series between India and Sri Lanka starting on July 13. In view of the T20 World Cup to be held later this year, the Ind vs SL series is of high importance for players like Prithvi Shaw, Krunal Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav as they will try to secure a spot in team India for the T20 World Cup by impressing the selectors with their performances in the limited overs series against Sri Lanka.

In absence of regular skipper Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan has taken over the captaincy duty for India’s tour of Sri Lanka and would also aim to ensure his place in the World Cup squad by performing well against Sri Lanka.

Let’s take a look at the five players for whom this series is going to be very important in terms of selection in Indian squad for T20 World Cup.

Prithvi Shaw:  After batting remarkably well in Vijay Hazare and then IPL 2021, Shaw will now aim to leave a mark at the international stage.  Looking at Shaw’s recent form, he can be included in the T20 World Cup squad.  Shaw can be seen opening with Shikhar Dhawan in the limited overs series against Sri Lanka. The Mumbai batsman would like to strengthen his claim by performing well on this tour.

Suryakumar Yadav: The young talented batsman impressed everyone with his batting in his debut series against England. Captain Virat Kohli was also very impressed with Surya’s batting and his selection in the T20 World Cup team is believed to be fixed.  However, everyone’s eyes will definitely be on Suryakumar’s performance on the Sri Lanka tour.  If this Mumbai batsman is successful in making a  mark in this series, then he will cement his place in the national team for T20 World Cup.

Krunal Pandya: Krunal has the ability to perform well with both bat and ball. In the ODI series against England, Krunal made a comeback after a year, but he failed to make it to the T20 team. In such situation, he would like to show in this series that he fits perfectly in the team for the shortest format of game.

Rahul Chahar: The poor form of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal has opened the doors of Team India for young spin bowlers. Rahul Chahar was included in India’s playing XI against England and he also took two wickets. After this, this spinner impressed with his bowling in IPL 2021 as well, taking 11 wickets in 7 matches.  If Rahul is able to continue his good form on the Sri Lanka tour, then he will surely join Virat Kohli’s army.

Varun Chakravarthy: For the third time in a row, the team management has shown confidence in Varun Chakravarthy, who created a big impact with his spin bowling in IPL 2020.  Varun could not travel to Australia due to injury.  After this Varun was also selected in the team for the limited overs series against England, but he failed to pass the fitness test. Now, the KKR bowler will have a golden opportunity to show his skills on this tour.  Varun had a good run in IPL 2021 as well and took seven wickets in 7 matches.

Makers of Harbhajan Singh’s debut movie ‘Friendship’ released its poster on the India star bowler’s 41st birthday. Born on July 3, 1980, Bhajji has been away from international cricket for a long time, and now he is all set to make his debut on the big screen.

On his 41st birthday, the makers of his debut film Friendship released a new poster. Harbhajan is in the lead role in this film.  Apart from him, the film includes stars like Arjun Sarja, comedian Satish.

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This is not the first time Harbhajan Singh will be working in a movie as he has done some cameo roles in films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. Harbhajan’s debut movie as lead role, Friendship, will be released in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil.  Along with the release of the poster, the song Aaja Chal Tu from the film has also been released by the makers.

Harbhajan Singh played 236 ODIs, 103 Tests and 28 T20 matches for India. The ‘king of spin’ has bagged 269 wickets in ODIs, 417 wickets in Test cricket, and 25 wickets in T20 Internationals.

One of the key achievement of Harbhajan’s cricketing career is that he was part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2007 and World Cup in 2011.

Harbhajan Singh celebrated his birthday with family. After some time he will be busy in the second phase of IPL 2021, which will be played in UAE. Harbhajan Singh will represent Kolkata Knight Riders in the cash-rich tournament.

Veteran Australia batsman Steve Smith, who is currently recovering from an elbow injury, said that Test cricket is his top priority and he is ready to stay out of the T20 World Cup to try to maintain fitness for the Ashes series against England. The 32-two-year-old withdrew from the limited overs tour of the West Indies due to an elbow injury.

Smith told ‘cricket.com.au’, “It is time for the World Cup and I am on my way to be fit right now. Slowly but surely I am recovering.”

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Due to the Covid epidemic, the T20 World Cup will now be held in the UAE and Oman from October 17 to November 14 instead of India. The Ashes series will be played from December 8.

Smith said, “I want to play the World Cup, but in my view Test cricket is paramount. I don’t want to miss the Ashes and want to repeat my success in that. Even if I have to stay out of the World Cup for this, I am ready, but hopefully such a situation will not happen.”

Steve Smith, who was caught in ball tampering in South Africa, made a big return to Test cricket after a one-year ban. He performed brilliantly in the four Test matches of the Ashes series against England, scoring 774 runs at an average of 110.57, including 2 remarkable centuries.

Steve Smith, the mainstay of Australian batting, wants to overcome two challenges before he retires – one by defeating arch-rivals England on their home soil and the other in success in the Test series in India.

Australia retained the Ashes last year after a 2-2 draw in England, but the loss in the final Test at the Oval still hurts Smith, who was the star of the series with 774 runs in four Tests with a strike rate of 110.57.

Indian women’s Test and ODI team captain Mithali Raj has set a new world record on Saturday. She became the highest run-scorer in international cricket in women’s international cricket.

Mithali achieved this feat in the third ODI against England. She surpassed former England captain Charlotte Edwards to attain this big feat. Mithali now has 10277 runs in all three formats.

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The 38-year-old broke Charlotte Edwards’ record of 10273 runs in the 24th over while chasing a target of 220 runs in the third ODI against England. Mithali made a new world record by hitting a four off fast bowler Nat Sciver. New Zealand’s Suzie Bates is at number three in the list of highest run-scorers with 7849 runs.

At the 11th edition of the World Cup on July 12, 2017, Mithali had surpassed Charlotte Edwards to become the highest run-scorer in ODIs. In a match against Australia, she became the first woman cricketer to score 6000 runs in ODI format.

Mithali scored fifty in the first two matches of the three-match ODI series against England. The star player has scored 57 fifties in ODIs. Mithali Raj retired from T20 cricket in the year 2019.

In 89 T20 Internationals, Mithali has scored 2364 runs with the help of 17 fifties. Mithali Raj has scored 669 runs in 11 Tests with the help of 1 century and 4 fifties. Last month, she became the only second international cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to complete 22 years in international cricket. Mithali Raj is one win away from becoming the most successful captain in women’s ODIs.

In a bizarre incident, an applicant named Mahendra Singh Dhoni has applied for the post of teacher in the capital Raipur and to add to that, the applicant has given his father’s name Sachin Tendulkar. What’s even more surprising is that despite this weird cricketing name scenario, the person’s profile was shortlisted for the post and he was called up for the interview in the selection process for contractual teachers in the district of Raigarh.

Moreover, based on his 98 percent marks achieved in graduation, the applicant’s name figured on the top of the list of candidates. But, when Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not reach for the interview on June 2, the officials got suspicious and dialed the number given in his application. However, the contact number turned out to unreachable and this is when the officials realized their mistake and the application was deemed to be fake, but it is yet to be figured out how the applicant made it to the interview round.

“Based on the cut-off marks, his name was on the top of the list of applicants. He didn’t come to face the interview. We had a feeling the concern person may not be genuine. So we informed the school education department and lodged a police complaint for investigation”, R P Aditya, who is the district education officer in Raigarh, told the New Indian Express.

As per the application of the so-called ‘MS Dhoni’, he held a degree in engineering from CSVTU University in Durg district. The application soon went viral and many other candidates started to share it on social media. While some bizarre cases like these are generally ignored, the authorities have decided to lodge an FIR against the person who filed the fake application.

Karachi: Pakistan’s former wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal said that he was shocked to see a young Virat Kohli playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008 IPL. Akmal also played for Rajasthan Royals during IPL 2008. 

“I had played the first edition of the IPL. At that time, I was so surprised when I saw Virat Kohli. I used to wonder what cricket he would play at such a young age,” Akmal said on Sawera Pasha’s YouTube Channel. “He became a brilliant captain and proved his metal,” Akmal added. 

 

Virat Kohli had just scored 165 runs in 13 matches in IPL 2008 but eventually, he became the highest run-scorer in the T20 league. 

“But he has changed himself totally now, and he has become a role model for youngsters,” Kamran Akmal added.
Kamran Akmal was all praises for the Indian captain and said that Virat is an amazing player and winning tournaments is just a matter of luck. 

 

 

“He is an amazing player, amazing captain, and no one can guarantee that if India changes the captain, they will win ICC tournaments. It is a matter of luck,” he concluded.

 

“There is this culture in India and Pakistan to defame players through media but I think Virat must be getting affected by any of this. It is not easy to be so consistent in cricket. He is so strong mentally. To have 70 centuries at such an age is not easy.

 

“One Test match loss should not be a point to question his (Virat’s) captaincy. India should win 4 out of 5 Test matches in England, they have such a great team,” Kamran concluded. 

 

 

“

 

These days Sri Lankan cricket is facing one of the worst phases of its history. The ongoing tussle between the board and the players is not coming to an end. Five Sri Lankan players have refused to sign contracts for the limited overs series against India.

The information has been revealed by Ashley de Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket. Significantly, there was also a lot of tussle between the players and the board regarding the central contract and that problem has not been resolved yet.

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The five players who declined to sign the contract are Lasith Embuldeniya, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Ashen Bandara and Kasun Rajita.  These players were asked to sign the contract for the series against India, but they refused and as a result, won’t join the residential camps for limited overs series against India.

Giving information about this matter, Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said, “Until the national contract issue is resolved they were asked to sign the tour contract if they are going to be available for the Indian series so that they can go into a bubble as we are investing in them. But they were reluctant to sign the tour contract and therefore they were left out of the residential camps. They did not join the bubble in Dambulla or Colombo.” 

De Silva concluded by saying that the players will be considered for selection if they sign the contract before training for India vs Sri Lanka series starts.

“These five were offered a tour contract. That is when you participate, they will also be considered for national selection for the Indian tour. For the Indian tour, you need to have a tour contract, which they didn’t sign as they are part of the 24 players offered national contracts. If they sign the tour agreement before the commencement of training for the Indian tour the selectors will consider them,” concluded De Silva.

The quarantine period of Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian cricket team, touring Sri Lanka for the limited overs series, ended on Thursday. After the end of quarantine, all Indian players were seen having fun inside a pool. BCCI shared a picture on Twitter on Thursday in which all team India players were seen having fun together in the swimming pool.

The Indian cricket team touring Sri Lanka is scheduled to play three ODIs and as many as T20 matches against the hosts. Before the series, all the players were seen with a lot of enthusiasm. Former India batsman Rahul Dravid has been made the head coach of team India for India’s tour of Sri Lanka. Senior speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been made the vice-captain of the team.

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BCCI shared a group photo of all the players in the swimming pool on Twitter and wrote in the caption: The joy of getting out of quarantine. All smiles.

Indian team captain Shikhar Dhawan also shared a picture with his teammates on Instagram.  While sharing the photo, he wrote the caption: Just pooling around with the boys.

The regular faces of Team India like Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are currently busy with India’s tour of England.

In the absence of many senior players, many young players have been given a chance. Rituraj Gaikwad, Nitish Rana, Devdutt Padikkal, Krishnappa Gautam and Chetan Sakariya to name a few. The T20 World Cup is to be held at the end of this year. All these young players will aim to showcase their skill in this series to cement their spot in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.

India vs Sri Lanka ODI Series Schedule

1st ODI – 13 July
2nd ODI – July 16
3rd ODI – July 18

India vs Sri Lanka T20 Series Schedule

1stT20 match – 21 July
2nd T20I match – 23 July
3rd T20I match – 25 July

The Sri Lankan team is not a happy camp at the moment in the build up to the limited overs series against India, starting later this month. Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian side will face hosts in three ODIs and three T20s starting July 13. But a total of five Lankan cricketers have now refused to sign a contract with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for the series against India, and have been left out of the residential camps ahead of the series.

The five cricketers are Lasith Embuldeniya, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Ashen Bandara, and Kasun Rajitha, who were offered tour contracts by the SLC for the India series but they all refused to sign them. According to SLC CEO Ashley de Silva, the five players were to sign the contract and enter bio-bubble but the talks didn’t materialise.

“Until the national contract issue is resolved they were asked to sign the tour contract if they are going to be available for the Indian series so that they can go into a bubble as we are investing in them. But they were reluctant to sign the tour contract and therefore they were left out of the residential camps. They did not join the bubble in Dambulla or Colombo,” said Ashley de Silva.

The players can still sign the contract until before the training starts. If they do so, they will be given permission to join the camp.

“These five were offered a tour contract. That is when you participate, they will also be considered for national selection for the Indian tour. For the Indian tour, you need to have a tour contract, which they didn’t sign as they are part of the 24 players offered national contracts. If they sign the tour agreement before the commencement of training for the Indian tour the selectors will consider them,” De Silva added.

 m,Indian team opener Rohit Sharma’s wife Ritika Sajdeh took to social media to post a funny, in which she found “someone more cute than her husband Rohit” and also apologised for it. The Indian team had to face a crushing 8-wicket defeat in the WTC final.

Indian cricketers and their families are currently holidaying in the UK as they got a three-week break from the bio-bubble after the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton.

Ritika Sajdeh posted a video on her Instagram story on Tuesday, featuring Rohit Sharma and a dog. The cricketer’s wife captioned the story, “Sorry Ro…you’re not the cutest on the set anymore.”

Meanwhile, team India’s limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma on Saturday took to Instagram to post a picture with daughter Samaira in which the father-daughter duo can be seen having lots of fun at an amusement park in England. Ajinkya Rahane’s daughter Arya is also seen in this photo.

Rohit wrote in the pic’s caption: “If you want to learn to be happy, let a kid remind you how! Pure joy with these cuties”

Rohit Sharma had visited Lost Kingdom Park in London with wife Ritika Sajdeh and daughter Samaira.  Lost Kingdom Park is popularly deemed to be the best dinosaur theme park in the world.

Rohit entered the final of the World Test Championship as an opener.  In this match, he scored 34 runs in the first innings and 30 runs in the second innings.  India suffered an 8-wicket loss in this historic WTC Final, prolonging the team’s wait to win the ICC title under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team is scheduled to play a five-Test series against hosts England. Ahead of the much-awaited series, Indian players are visiting London and surrounding cities with family and friends.

Amidst the threat of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic, Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant took some time off cricket to visit the packed Wembley Arena to watch the football match between European championship heavyweights England and Germany in the ongoing UEFA Euro 2020. With a 2-0 win, England made it to the quarter-finals of the Euro Cup 2020.

READ | ‘Not Thinking About T20 World Cup’: Kuldeep Yadav’s Plan To Become A Regular In Team India

The Indian players have been given a break of 20 days ahead of the important Test series against England after a fruitful World Test Championship tournament.

Team India players have been living inside the bio-bubble for a long time, hence, to get the players mentally prepared and overcome bio-bubble fatigue, they have been allowed to spend some quality time with friends and family outside the bio-bubble.

Talking about Rishabh Pant’s performance in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, the wicket-keeper batsman scored 4 runs in the first innings and 14 runs in the second innings. Unfortunately, team India had to face defeat in the historic WTC Final match by 8 wickets.

Under the captaincy of 32-year-old Virat Kohli, India failed to win an ICC tournament for third consecutive time. 

India last won a major ICC tournament in the year 2013 i.e ICC Champions Trophy. The Indian cricket team is currently in England where they have to play a five-Test series against hosts English in August-September.

Indian cricket team out-of-favour leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been out of the team for some time. But now he has been included in the Indian team for the limited overs series to be held on Sri Lanka.

Kuldeep believes that if he performs well on this tour, then he might be included in the Indian team for future tours as well. The Indian team, captained by Shikhar Dhawan, will play three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals on the tour of Sri Lanka next month.

READ | MS Dhoni’s Captaincy Record Still Intact In Limited Overs Cricket Against Sri Lanka

Kuldeep said in a conversation with The Telegraph, “The tour of Sri Lanka is very important for me because I am not part of the Test team in England. This is a good opportunity for me to prove myself and perform well. After that we have to play IPL also and there also I will get an opportunity to do better.

The chinaman bowler said that he only has to capitalize on the opportunities that are available in Sri Lanka at the moment and he is not thinking about the T20 World Cup at all at the moment.

He said, ‘I know that if I do well then I will be included in the team again.  I am not thinking much about the T20 World Cup right now. There is a lot of competition in the team and I know my job.”

The limited overs series between India and Sri Lanla will start from July 13. Both the teams will play a series of three ODIs and as many as T20 Internationals. However, senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will not be present on this tour.

Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni was well known for his intuition. Dhoni was a mastermind in reading the match situation and kept his calm and composure in trying situations. The wicket-keeper batsman was well known to stay ahead of the opposition with the help of his guile.

Meanwhile, MS Dhoni was spot-on with his prediction when Rohit Sharma was going strong in the 4th ODI against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2014. The Indian opener was on song and Dhoni predicted that if Rohit doesn’t get out, he will certainly go on to get 250.

If Rohit doesn’t get out he will certainly get 250 today

— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) November 13, 2014

As it turned out, Rohit scored a magnum opus knock of 264 and shattered all the records in November 2014. The right-hander batted at the top of his game as he took Sri Lanka bowlers to the cleaners. There was no stopping Rohit on that day as he was timing the ball with perfection.

India went on to post a gargantuan score of 404-5 in the 50 overs as Virat Kohli also scored 66 runs. Rohit scored record-breaking 33 fours and nine sixes in his blistering knock of 173 balls. Rohit batted at the top of his game and he looked in a different zone altogether.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka could manage 251 runs in their batting innings as the hosts went on to win by a mammoth margin of 153 runs. Dhawal Kulkarni scalped four wickets for the team in that game as he was the pick of the bowlers.

No prize for guessing, Rohit Sharma was awarded the Player of the match. In fact, Rohit is the solitary ODI batsman who has scored three double hundreds in his glorious career. Interestingly, Rohit played only two matches in that series and scored a total of 273 runs.

It is almost going to be an year since Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former captain of Team India, who leads heavyweights Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said his final goodbye to international cricket.

MS Dhoni took everyone by surprise by suddenly announcing his retirement on August 15, 2020 via social media. Similarly, when Dhoni had decided to retire from Test cricket, even then everyone was surprised. The veteran currently plays in IPL only.

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After MS Dhoni’s retirement, fans constantly opined that the legend deserved a farewell match, but this could not happen. Former India selector Sarandeep Singh has given the reason why MS Dhoni did not get a chance to play a farewell match after retiring from international cricket.

In an exclusive conversation with News Nation, Sarandeep Singh said,”Dhoni could not get a farewell due to the postponement of the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia last year. Dhoni retired as soon as this tournament was postponed due to Coronavirus. Had the World Cup been played last year, Dhoni would have definitely played in it and his farewell match would have happened.”

MS Dhoni has been one of the most successful captains of Team India.  He is the only captain in the world who has led the team to three ICC trophies under his captaincy. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India has won the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.

Apart from this, he has also made Chennai Super Kings IPL champion thrice under his captaincy.  Dhoni is the captain who has won the most IPL titles after Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma.  Rohit has won his team the most titles in IPL, five times.

India and Sri Lanka are all set to lock horns in the limited overs series, set to start from July 13.  Both the teams will play a series of three ODIs and as many as T20 Internationals. However, senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will not be present on this tour.

All of them are on tour of England. India’s command in Sri Lanka will be in the hands of Shikhar Dhawan.  Let’s take a peek into the history before the series starts. Know about the most successful Indian captain against Sri Lanka.

READ | Ajay Jadeja Fined Rs 5K For Dumping Garbage In Goa Village

Under the leadership of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, the Indian team has attained immense success not in Sri Lanka but all across the world. Two-time World Cup winner MS Dhoni is the only captain in world who has won three major ICC trophies.

But do you know that Dhoni is still the most successful Indian captain against Sri Lanka in ODIs and T20s!

No Indian captain is even near his record. Dhoni captained India in 41 ODIs against Sri Lanka and registered 25 wins. Under his leadership, India lost 13 matches while 1 match was tied and 2 did not had any result.

MS Dhoni led India in 10 T20Is against Sri Lanka in addition to ODIs. Under his leadership, India won 6 T20 matches and lost 4.  After Dhoni, India’s most successful captain in T20 has been Rohit Sharma, who led India in 5 matches against Sri Lanka and won 4. Under his captaincy, India had to face defeat in one match.  Rohit is followed by Virat Kohli, who captained India against Sri Lanka in 4 matches and won 2, lost 2.

PTI, citing the Sri Lanka Cricket website, has informed that the Indian team will be in strict quarantine from June 29 to July 1. After this, players will start training from July 2 to 4. From July 5, the team will be able to participate fully in the practice session. Photo: @BCCI / Twitter

Ajay Jadeja, a popular cricketer of the ’90s and often seen in the commentary box, has been fined Rs 5,000 for throwing garbage in North Goa’s Aldona village. The fine has been imposed on Jadeja by the village sarpanch. The 50-year-old owns a bungalow in the picturesque North Goa’s Aldona village.

However, the cricketer managed to impress sarpanch with his behavior as he did not express any displeasure for paying the fine, while also adding that he would never repeat the same mistake in future.

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Bandodkar said Ajay Jadeja paid the fine without any fuss.

“We are plagued by the garbage issue in our village. Garbage from outside is also dumped in the village, so we appointed some youth to collect the garbage bags and scan them for any proof to identify the culprits,” the sarpanch said.

“We found a bill in the name of Ajay Jadeja in some bags of garbage. When we informed him not to dump the garbage in the village in future, he said he was willing to pay the fine. So he paid it. We are proud that such a celebrity, a popular cricket player, stays in our village, but such people should follow the garbage norms,” Bandodkar said.

The village of Aldona is home to several celebrities, including Jadeja and writer Amitav Ghosh, among others.

The most awaited tournament of the year, ICC T20 World Cup has been shifted to UAE. Though India currently witnessing a downward trend, health experts have predicted a third wave in India in September-October. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said that the BCCI will inform the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday, June 28, that the T20 World Cup is being shifted to the UAE.

The BCCI had sought time from the ICC till June 28 to take a final call on hosting the T20 World Cup. The remaining matches of IPL 2021 are also to be played in the UAE itself. BCCI would not like to take any chance as it is still bearing the losses after suspending IPL at the halfway stage in May due to the second wave.

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“We will inform the International Cricket Council today that we are shifting T20 World Cup to UAE. Dates will be decided by the ICC”: BCCI Secretary Jay Shah told ANI.

According to reports, the T20 World Cup can most likely start from October 17 and the final match of the tournament will be played on November 14.

The remaining 31 matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) are to be played in the UAE itself before the T20 World Cup. The second phase of IPL 2021 will start from September 19 and the final match will be played on October 15.

This year’s IPL was postponed on May 4 after Covid-19 case surfaced inside the IPL bio bubble. Even in the year 2020, IPL was played in the UAE itself. Before the postponement of IPL 2021, 29 matches were played in India. The remaining 31 matches will be played in the UAE from September 15.

The Indian team, led by new captain Shikhar Dhawan, left for the Sri Lanka tour on Monday. India will play a series of three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals on this tour. The tour will begin with an ODI series, the first match of which will be played on July 13.

Former India captain Rahul Dravid will be seen playing the role of head coach of Team India on this tour. The news of the team’s departure has been shared by the BCCI via its official Twitter handle. In the picture, all the players have been photographed together.

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Young players like Devdutt Padikkal, Prithvi Shaw, Krishnappa Gautam and Chetan Sakariya have been given a chance for the Sri Lanka tour.  Apart from this, two wicket-keepers are also present in the team in form of Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson.

Regarding this young team, captain Dhawan has said that these players have a golden opportunity to make a place in the main team by performing brilliantly in this series.  After the ODI series, a T20 series will be played between India and Sri Lanka, which will start from July 21.

Schedule of ODI series between India vs Sri Lanka-

1st ODI – 13 July
2nd ODI – July 16
3rd ODI – July 18

Schedule of T20 series between India vs Sri Lanka-

First T20 match – 21 July
2nd T20I match – 23 July
3rd T20I match – 25 July

Indian squad for Sri Lanka tour: Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal, Rituraj Gaikwad, Suryakumar Yadav, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Rana, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul  Chahar, Krishnappa Gautam, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakraborty, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (vice-captain), Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Chetan Sakaria.