Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been named in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) squad for their final Ranji Trophy league match against Madhya Pradesh (MP) at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. The match, set to begin on Thursday, marks Kuldeep’s return to competitive cricket after a lengthy injury layoff following hernia surgery. Kuldeep has been out of action since October 2024, with his last competitive appearance coming in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. His absence from the game has been a significant period of recovery and rehabilitation, with the left-arm wrist spinner working extensively with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) staff to regain match fitness. On Monday, Kuldeep took to social media to express his gratitude towards the NCA support staff for their role in his recovery, thanking them for their unwavering assistance throughout his rehabilitation process. While both UP and MP are out of contention for the Ranji Trophy knockout stages, the fixture holds immense personal significance for Kuldeep. With the highly anticipated three-match ODI series against England starting on February 6, this match will provide him with much-needed game time to test his fitness and match rhythm. Kuldeep has already been named in India’s squad for the England ODIs, as well as in the provisional 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, which follows soon after. His performance in the domestic match will be closely watched as selectors and team management assess his readiness for the upcoming international fixtures. Kuldeep is not the only India international returning to domestic cricket in the final round of the Ranji Trophy league phase. Several other notable names, including Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Riyan Parag, are also set to participate for their respective state teams. Their involvement highlights the importance of domestic cricket as a preparatory ground for international assignments. Having been a crucial component of India’s spin attack in white-ball cricket, Kuldeep’s return is a significant boost for the national team ahead of a busy international schedule. Uttar Pradesh squadAryan Juyal (capt, wk), Karan Sharma, Abhishek Goswami, Madhav Kaushik, Priyam Garg, Rituraj Sharma, Aaditya Sharma (wk), Shivam Mavi, Saurabh Kumar, Shivam Sharma, Kritagya Kumar Singh, Vijay Kumar, Atal Bihari Rai, Vaibhav Chaudhary, Zeeshan Ansari, Kartikeya Jaiswal, Kartik Tyagi, Kuldeep Yadav This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2025 09:13 PM IST | Indore | IANSFormer India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has voiced concerns over Hardik Pandya’s approach during India’s 26-run loss to England in the third T20I here on Tuesday. Patel believes Pandya’s slow-paced innings played a key role in India failing to chase down a target of 172. India landed in early trouble at 48/3 in the Powerplay when Pandya walked in to steady the innings. However, instead of keeping the scoreboard moving, the Indian all-rounder struggled for fluency, consuming a significant number of dot balls. Though he attempted to accelerate in the final overs, hitting a couple of late sixes, his dismissal in the 19th over for 40 off 35 balls left India with too much to do in the final moments. Patel, Pandya’s former Mumbai Indians teammate, was critical of the way the all-rounder constructed his innings, particularly pointing out the extended period he took to settle in. Speaking on Star Sports, Patel remarked, “I thought when you are taking your time, you want to get used to the pace and bounce of the pitch. But you cannot take 20-25 balls to get settled. That put pressure on the other batters as well. If you don’t want to play those big shots, that’s okay, but you still have to keep on rotating the strike. You can’t play three or four dot balls in a row.” The pressure on the Indian batting unit was further compounded by Washington Sundar’s sluggish innings of 6 off 15 balls. Patel pointed out that Pandya’s inability to rotate the strike not only stalled India’s momentum but also forced other batters to take undue risks. “You might just see Hardik Pandya scoring 40 off 35 balls, but there are a number of dots in his innings that put pressure on the other batters as well. That’s something India can think about. You take your time, yes, but even with a low target, you need to keep the scoreboard moving,” Patel added. Despite Pandya finishing as India’s top scorer, the team struggled to mount a serious challenge against England’s disciplined bowling attack. Patel’s comments raise important questions about India’s approach to T20 chases, especially when a set batter is unable to maintain the required scoring rate. With the series still alive, India will look to reassess their batting strategies and make necessary adjustments for the next game. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2025 09:11 PM IST | New Delhi | IANSTalented India batter Tilak Varma climbed one spot to second, while mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy made a massive leap of 25 places to break into the top five in the latest ICC men's T20I rankings released on Wednesday. Varma now sits just behind Travis Head in the batters' list, with the Australian maintaining a 23-point lead at the top. The young Indian left-hander has been in sublime form, posting scores of 19 not out, 72 not out, and 18 in India's ongoing T20I series against England. With two matches remaining in the series, Varma has a chance to overtake Head and become the youngest-ever player to top the rankings -- a record currently held by Babar Azam, who reached No. 1 at the age of 23 years and 105 days. Varma's current rating of 832 points is the fourth-highest ever achieved by an Indian batter in T20I history, behind only Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul. India's Abhishek Sharma also made significant strides, jumping 59 places to 40th, while England's Liam Livingstone (up five spots to 32nd) and Ben Duckett (up 28 places to 68th) were the biggest gainers from the visiting team. Chakravarthy's rise Chakravarthy's magical 5/24 in India's 26-run loss in the third T20I propelled him to top five in the T20I bowling rankings. Meanwhile, fellow spinner Axar Patel moved up five places to 11th, just outside the top 10. England's Adil Rashid has reclaimed the No. 1 spot among T20I bowlers. Rashid first claimed the top position at the end of 2023 and held it for much of last year until West Indies' Akeal Hosein briefly surpassed him before Christmas. Bumrah continues to dominate Test rankings India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah remains the top-ranked Test bowler following his sensational performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.His dominance across formats also earned him the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year 2024. Among Test all-rounders, West Indies' Jomel Warrican has climbed to 24th, while Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan moved up two places to 15th in the Test batters' rankings, which continue to be led by England's Joe Root. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2025 09:09 PM IST | Dubai | PTIDr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Vidyalaya (Vikhroli) emerged victorious as they outplayed Matunga Premier School to win by a margin of 7 wickets, in the MI Junior Interschool Cricket Super Knockout tournament in Mumbai on Thursday. After opting to bat, Matunga Premier School began proceedings in a positive manner led by opener Harshawardhan Satarkar, as he top-scored with an excellent innings worth 58 runs. However, Advit, the captain of Matunga Premier School, stole the show with a brilliant display of bowling that saw him end the match with figures of 6 for 24. After bowling the opposition over for 129 runs, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Vidyalaya comfortably chased down the target after an ideal start provided by opener Arnav Shelar (45) to close out a well-deserved victory. In the Girls’ U-15 matches, Parag English School dominated proceedings as they defeated Omkar International School by a margin of 10 wickets. After opting to bat, Omkar International School were bowled out for just 26 runs, courtesy a brilliant spell of bowling by Sonali Saw, who ended the match with figures of 4 for 8. Chasing a mere 27-run target, Parag English School raced to victory as they chased down the total in just 1.3 overs, without losing a single wicket. Brief Scores: Boys' U-14: Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Vidyalaya (Vikhroli) 133/3 in 26.1 overs (Arnav Shelar 45, Sanmit Kothmire 20) bt Matunga Premier School all out 129 in 36.3 overs (Harshawardhan Satarkar 58, Advait Kekan 22, Rudransh Shukla 21; Advit Tiwari 6/24, Naresh Godha 2/15). R.R Education Trust (Mulund) 189/7 in 40 overs (Atharva Wadyekar 52, Medh Daiya 44, Samiksh Nair 26; Atharva Fegade 2/39, Karan Kamble 2/48) bt Adarsh English School (Thane) all out 140 in 35.4 overs (Sarvesh 68, Aryan Pawar 24; Medh Daiya 3/22, Jay Thakker 3/37, Shaurya Navale 2/16). Girls' U-15: Parag English School (Bhandup) 27/0 in 1.3 overs (Tanisha Sharma 13 n.o) bt Omkar International School all out 26 in 12.5 overs (Sonali Saw 4/8, Rajasi 2/5, Purvi Tiwari 2/5). St Joseph Convent High School (Bandra) 63/1 in 5.1 overs (Rutuja Wandhe 25 n.o) bt St Aloysius High School all out 61 in 9.3 overs (Aishwariya Subbaiya 3/14)
30 January,2025 05:40 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAustralia opener Usman Khawaja scored his maiden double century in the longest format of the game during the first session of the second day of the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium on Thursday. Khawaja completed his double hundred just before lunch on Day 2 of the Galle Test. The left-hand batter played an exceptional innings of 232 runs from 352 balls which was laced with 16 boundaries and one maximum. With this innings, Khawaja slammed his highesh score in the Test history surpassing his previous best score of unbeaten 195 runs which came against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2023. The 38-year-old player also broke Justin Langer's record of scoring most runs in Sri Lanka as an Australian batter which was 166 at Colombo in 2004. 🚨 USMAN KHAWAJA DOUBLE CENTURY 🚨It's the first of his Test career and the first ever by an Australian in Sri Lanka! pic.twitter.com/6rd10XfKfe — 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 30, 2025 The southpaw registered one more record along with stand in skipper Steve Smith as both players went on to register the highest third-wicket partnership for the Baggy Greens on Asian soil. Both of them broke 46-year long record which was registered by Allan Border & Kim Hughes which was 222 runs against India at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium at Chennai back in 1979. Smith went back to the pavillion after playing a magnificent innings of 141 runs in 251 balls which included 12 fours and two sixes in his innings. Earlier on Wednesday, Smith made history by scoring his 35th Test century and also becoming only the fourth Australian batter to touch the 10,000 run mark in Tests. He achieved this during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle. Reaching the 10,000 Test run mark is a memorable chapter of Smith's illustrious Test career, during which he has displayed determination and consistency. In 115 Tests and 205 innings, Smith has scored 10,140 runs at an average of 56.33. He has scored 35 centuries and 41 fifties, with the best score of 239. He is the fourth Australian after Ricky Ponting (13,378), Allan Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,927) to reach the 10,000 run mark and overall 15th player ever. With 35 Test centuries, Smith has overtaken the likes of Younis Khan (Pakistan), Brian Lara (West Indies), Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) and Sunil Gavaskar (India), who all have 34 Tests each. In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship, Smith has scored 1193 runs at an average of 38.48, with four centuries and four fifties in 34 innings. His best score is 140. He is the sixth-highest run-getter so far in the competition and is second Australian after Khawaja. (With agency inputs)
30 January,2025 03:15 PM IST | Galle | mid-day online correspondentIndia all-rounder Shardul Thakur on Thursday once again made headlines with a remarkable hat-trick against Meghalaya, further strengthening his case for a return to the Indian Test squad. Having won the toss, Mumbai opted to field first, and Thakur wasted no time making an impact. He bowled with precision and intensity from the very first over, taking the wicket of Meghalaya opener Nishanta Chakraborty, who was dismissed for a duck. However, it was in the third over that Thakur truly announced his brilliance, claiming his maiden first-class hat-trick. He removed B Anirudh, Sumit Kumar, and Jaskirat, all of whom were dismissed for single-digit scores, showcasing his lethal accuracy and skill. Balchander Anirudh ✅Sumit Kumar ✅Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva ✅Shardul Thakur is on fire 🔥He's picked up a 𝗵𝗮𝘁-𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 to help Mumbai bowl out Meghalaya for 86 👌👌#RanjiTrophy | @imShard | @MumbaiCricAssoc | @IDFCFIRSTBank Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/9ApJe0CgxG pic.twitter.com/B9azjgx1JB — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 30, 2025 The Mumbai bowlers, led by Thakur, kept the Meghalaya batsmen under constant pressure. Mohit Awasthi followed up with a wicket in the subsequent over, leaving Meghalaya struggling at 6/2 after just 3.1 overs. Thakur's hat-trick made him the fifth Mumbai bowler in history to achieve this milestone in the Ranji Trophy, joining the ranks of Royston Dias, who had also accomplished this feat during the 2023-24 season. Thakur's all-around contributions have been vital for Mumbai in this season's tournament. In seven matches so far, he has taken 20 wickets and scored 297 runs, including a century and two half-centuries. His all-round prowess has played a key role in Mumbai’s quest for success in the competition, and his recent performances have once again put him in the spotlight for a possible return to the Indian team. Mumbai is currently positioned third in Group A of the Ranji Trophy, with their qualification hopes hanging in the balance. In order to stay in contention, they need to win their match against Meghalaya by either an innings or 10 wickets. A victory would elevate their points tally to 29, tying with Jammu and Kashmir, while Baroda stands at 27 points. Mumbai's qualification hopes will also depend on the outcome of the match between Jammu and Kashmir and Baroda, which could influence their path to the knockout stages.
30 January,2025 01:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMI Cape Town booked their maiden entry into the playoffs of the SA20 tournament here with a 10-wicket thrashing of defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape here. MI Cape Town will take on Paarl Royals in Qualifier 1 at Gqeberha on February 4 and the winner of the contest will make a direct entry into the final of the third edition of SA20. MI Cape Town were excellent from the beginning of the contest with Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch and Reeza Hendricks claiming fine catches to help dismiss the Sunrisers Eastern Cape for just 109. Corbin Bosch was the pick of the MI Cape Town bowlers, returning figures of 3.2-0-19-4, while only David Bedingham (45) and Andile Simelane (21) clicked with the bat for the Sunrisers. South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada returned 3-0-14-2, while Trent Boult was again tight with his spell of 4-0-25-1. In reply, Rassie van der Dussen (48 not out off 30 balls) and Ryan Rickelton (59 not out off 36 balls) thrashed the Sunrisers Eastern Cape bowlers to produce a dominant show for their side. Brevis took a one-handed catch at the boundary to dismiss Sunrisers Eastern Cape batter Tom Abell (1), which was the highlight of their splendid efforts in the field. "Fielding put us ahead in the game. Ground fielding was amazing, and I think it plays a huge role. It was important to finish with the bonus point and in top two," said MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan after the match. For Sunrisers Eastern Cape, their next match against Paarl Royals will be crucial as the outcome will determine their fate in the tournament. (With agency inputs)
30 January,2025 01:16 PM IST | Cape Town | mid-day online correspondentThe unmatched aura of Virat Kohli was on full display in and around the Arjun Jaitley Stadium even before the Ranji Trophy fixture between Delhi and Railways could start here as thousands of fans queued up to watch the superstar in his first domestic red-ball appearance in 13 years. The DDCA (Delhi and Districts Cricket Association) had projected a crowd of around 10,000 for Kohli's homecoming, which is unheard for a Ranji Trophy game. But such was his magnetic pull that even those lofty calculations went for a toss. Long before the start of play at 9.30am local time, Kohli's loyal band of supporters were jostling to enter the stadium. At first, the DDCA opened the roughly 6,000-capacity 'Gautam Gambhir Stand' for spectators but sensing the crowd situation could go out of hand, the officials were forced to open the 'Bishan Bedi Stand' which can accommodate around 14,000 people. What added to the commotion was the movement of PM Narendra Modi's cavalcade past the ground at the same time. "I have been involved in Delhi cricket for more than 30 years but I have not witnessed such scenes for a Ranji Trophy game. It just shows the Kohli's popularity is unmatched," an overwhelmed DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told PTI. "What made it more challenging was that fans entering the stadium coincided with the VIP movement of PM Modi on the outside roads and as part of his strict security protocol and to maintain order, we were instructed by the police to open another stand for the public," he revealed. This is what GENUINE fan following looks like. No PR, no Paid Trolls, The craze for King Kohli is insane! 👑🔥Aura of #ViratKohli𓃵#ViratKohli #RanjiTrophy pic.twitter.com/M5vf7XMPWS — Riya kapoor (@Riyakapoor78) January 30, 2025 Kohli fans have got generational content pic.twitter.com/KjvdYaDmB3 — A (@_shortarmjab_) January 30, 2025 The 'Gautam Gambhir Stand' was already packed to the rafters and it hardly took time to fill the lower tier of the 'Bishan Bedi Stand', taking the crowd count well past 12,000 at toss. The deafening roars of "Kohli, Kohli" could be heard from a distance as the former India captain took the field with the rest of the Delhi teammates who too were experiencing something special. With Kohli manning the second slip, his every move attracted a cheer from the crowd and in the 12th over, an overzealous fan breached the security to run towards the 'King'. A fan entered the ground to meet Virat Kohli & he touched Kohli's feet. 🥹❤️ pic.twitter.com/97SyZleaNv — Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) January 30, 2025 He just about managed to touch Kohli's feet before being whisked away by the security.
30 January,2025 01:09 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThere was a brief rush and jostling outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Thursday morning as fans, who had gathered to see Indian superstar Virat Kohli play his first Ranji Trophy game since 2012, tried to make their way inside. No one was injured in the incident, police said. Initially, only one gate was open for entry and people started pushing each other to get inside the stadium, a Delhi Police statement said. "Additional gates were soon opened, easing the situation. No injuries were reported, and the situation is now under control," it said. BCCI wanted to end superstar culture by playing Kohli in Ranji Trophy only for Kohli to get a record media coverage, stadium full of fans and Jio Cinema live telecast.They tried to control him but Kohli ended up showing how big of a superstar he is pic.twitter.com/r5oV5peO4b — Gaurav (@Melbourne__82) January 30, 2025 The crowd for a Ranji Trophy game in Delhi, anticipating Virat Kohli’s return. “Ranji ka matlab kya hai bhai?’ asks a young fan to his friend. #ranjitrophy pic.twitter.com/xsIkknmkls — Akshay Ramesh (@iamnotakshayr) January 30, 2025 THIS IS KING KOHLI'S LEGACY..!!!! 🐐Look at the fans at Arun Jaitley stadium just to see Virat Kohli in the Ranji match - The Box Office. 🙇🫡 pic.twitter.com/bJQy8NDsa4 — Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) January 30, 2025 #WATCH | #RanjiTrophy | Delhi cricket team to take on Railways cricket team at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi today.A fan, Mohd Gul Nawaz says, "...I have come from UP, just to watch the match. I have come here for Virat Kohli...This crowd is here for Virat Kohli..." pic.twitter.com/DN8jU4IcVb — ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2025 Thousands of fans queued up to watch Kohli, who is playing for Delhi against Railways, in his first domestic red-ball appearance in 13 years. The 'Gautam Gambhir Stand' was already packed to the rafters and it hardly took time to fill the lower tier of the 'Bishan Bedi Stand', taking the crowd count well past 12,000 at toss. The deafening roars of "Kohli, Kohli" could be heard from a distance as the former India captain took the field with the rest of the Delhi teammates. Delhi won the toss and opted to bowl first, but the real spectacle was outside the stadium, where thousands of fans turned up early in the morning, eager to catch a glimpse of their cricketing idol. A fan, Mohd Gul Nawaz says, "...I have come from UP, just to watch the match. I have come here for Virat Kohli...This crowd is here for Virat Kohli... Another supporter echoed the sentiment, highlighting Kohli's unparalleled influence on Indian cricket. Shantanu Mishra, a Cricket fan says, "There is a huge crowd (of viewers) here. I don't think there ever was such a crowd here for a Ranji match...This kind of turnout is only possible for Virat Kohli. Otherwise, there is no reason for such a large gathering at a Ranji Trophy match. Maybe in Mumbai, such crowds are common, but not in Delhi. This crowd is here for Virat Kohli." Many fans had arrived at the venue in the early hours, hoping to secure the best possible view. One devoted follower, Akash Kumar, who had been waiting since dawn, said, "I have been a huge fan of Virat Kohli since childhood. I have come from Sindhora Kalan. I have been here since 5.30 am to see him play. This is the first time I have seen such a crowd for a Ranji Trophy match. Everyone here is more excited for Kohli than anything else." (With inputs from agencies)
30 January,2025 12:54 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentFormer Australian captain Allan Border showered Steve Smith with praise following the latter’s foray into the 10,000 Test runs club in the ongoing match against Sri Lanka. Smith joined Australian legends Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Steve Waugh in this elite club. He also surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 34 Test hundreds with his latest knock. Allan Border praised his determination and unique style. “There’s prettier players, but not many who’ve got that record,” Border was quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald as saying. The former Australian captain added,“I’m a huge fan of [Sachin] Tendulkar and [Brian] Lara. They were phenomenally good cricketers, but Steve is definitely up with that lot, for sure.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 January,2025 06:51 AM IST | Galle | AgenciesFormer India skipper Sourav Ganguly feels England’s inability to pick mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy’s googlies is a big problem for the visitors. Chakravarthy’s 5-24 in the third T20I at Rajkot on Tuesday, ended up being in vain. “They can’t pick his googlies. They have no problem facing our leg-spinner, Ravi Bishnoi. So, you can’t say that the English batters are incapable of playing spin. They face their own leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the nets. The only problem is Chakravarthy. He is accurate and changes his pace very intelligently,” said Ganguly, himself a fine player of spin bowling. Australia skipper-turned-commentator Ian Chappell often praised Ganguly for his tackling of spin bowling. When Ganguly stepped out of his crease, the ball would be hit for a six most of the time, Chappell felt. Lavishing praise on Chakravarthy, the former BCCI president, 52, said: “Varun must have worked very hard before this series. His control is tremendous, so is his length.” Meanwhile, Ganguly believes India should not take England lightly despite leading the five-match series 2-1. “They have a good attack, bowl wicket-to-wicket. India will have to play very well to win the series,” he concluded. The fifth T20I will be played in Pune tomorrow while Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will host the fifth and final game on Sunday.
30 January,2025 06:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Debasish DattaADVERTISEMENT
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