Ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, the Men's Selection Committee chairman Ajit Agarkar opened up on the fitness of Team India's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, Ajit Agarkar and skipper Rohit Sharma conducted a press conference to announce the Indian squad for the marquee event. In the final Test match against Australia in Sydney, Jasprit Bumrah didn't bowl a single ball. The pacer rushed into the hospital for scans and was advised to not feature in the remainder of the Sydney Test by medical professionals. Following the advice from the medical experts, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided the Indian spearhead should rest for at least five weeks (the Sydney Test finished on January 5 after which he will undergo another scan. Also Read: Rohit Sharma confirms availability for Mumbai's next Ranji game Speaking at the press conference, Agarkar said that the team management is still waiting to hear about Jasprit Bumrah's fitness and when he will be available to be a part of the first eleven. "With Jasprit Bumrah we are waiting to hear about his fitness and when is he likely to be available so Harshit Rana is going to be a part of the ODI squad against England right now...I don't think he is likely to be fit for the first couple of games," Ajit Agarkar told reporters. During the squad announcement, Ajit Agarkar confirmed that young seamer Harshit Rana will be in place of Jasprit Bumrah for the ODI series against England. The freshest challenge awaiting for Team India is the ICC Champions Trophy, starting from February 19 till March 9. It will be hosted by Pakistan and UAE, with India playing its matches in UAE under a hybrid model. The eight-team tournament will feature 15 fifty-over matches and will be played across Pakistan and in Dubai. The biggest match of the tournament between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be played on February 23. India will start its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. India's last league match will be against New Zealand on March 2. The Rohit Sharma-led side will play all their matches in Dubai India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja. (With ANI Inputs)
18 January,2025 06:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India captain Rohit Sharma confirmed his availability for Mumbai's Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir. He also opened up about the need to take time off from a busy calendar amid the noise of star players' participation in domestic cricket. Rohit Sharma also said that no player takes the premier domestic tournament for granted. Mumbai is set to play their Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA-BKC ground on January 23. Asked about his availability for the game during a press conference at the BCCI headquarters here, Rohit Sharma responded in the positive. Days after the BCCI conducted a review meeting to assess the debacle Down Under, the Board has come out with 10 guidelines for India's centrally-contracted players, including making participation in domestic tournaments mandatory for selection in the national team. The focus since then has been on the likes of Rohit and his longtime India teammate Virat Kohli. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: Ajit Agarkar, Rohit Sharma announce Indian squad at Wankhede Stadium The India skipper said, "Last 6-7 years, if you go back and look at our calendar, there hasn't been a time where we were sitting at home for 45 days and there is (domestic) cricket going on. You do get that time when you finish IPL and if there's nothing happening (in domestic cricket) right after that..." Rohit said. "But if you see our domestic season, it starts in October, maybe September, and it gets over by February-March and that is the time India plays a lot of cricket as well. So, guys who are not playing certain formats and have time, and then there is domestic cricket happening, then they will play. "But (in) the last 6-7 years, I can at least tell about what has happened with me since I've started playing Test cricket regularly, which is from 2019, you hardly have any time in hand and then, when you play so much international cricket through the year, you need some time off as well as a cricketer just to refresh, get your mind right, just to be ready for the upcoming season." The 37-year-old, who endured a horror run with the bat in the national team's tour of Australia recently, trained with the Mumbai squad at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday ahead of the second phase of the Ranji Trophy. Rohit Sharma last represented Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in November 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. He added, "We have addressed it now and nobody takes it (domestic red-ball cricket) for granted or anything like that. It is just ben based on looking at how one has gone through the season, how much rest he needs," he said. "Based on all of that, we decide what is going to happen with certain players. Now it's been made mandatory that if there is time, you have to play domestic cricket." The past few weeks have been tumultuous for Rohit. He managed just 31 runs across three Tests during his time Down Under and was forced to drop himself from the series-deciding fifth and final Test in Sydney due to his poor form. Rohit handed over the leadership duties to Jasprit Bumrah in that game, sparking widespread speculations about his future. However, in an interview to the host broadcaster of the series, Rohit asserted that he was not going anywhere. (With PTI Inputs)
18 January,2025 06:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the Champions Trophy 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar and Team India captain Rohit Sharma made their appearance at the press conference to announce the squad. Team India's rising star Yashasvi Jaiswal who has not yet made his debut in One-Day Internationals made the cut in the national squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. Also Read: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis congratulates MCA on Wankhede Stadium's 50th anniversary Jasprit Bumrah has been added to the Champions Trophy 2025 squad but his feature in the mega event will heavily rely on his fitness."We are waiting on Jasprit Bumrah's fitness and will know his status in early February from BCCI's medical team", Chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Rishabh Pant is the first-choice wicketkeeper batter in the Champions Trophy 2025 and England ODI squads. As the selector and skipper announced the squad, Team India's star pacer Mohammed Siraj missed the cut for the marquee event's squad. Mohammed Shami has made a comeback to the ODI squad after the 50-over World Cup in 2023. Karun Nair, despite 752 runs in domestic cricket, missed out and Agarkar said: "It was difficult to find a place and all those who have been picked have averaged in mid 40s." India's squad for the Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja. Earlier, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar arrived to attend the team selection meeting for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Taking to X: #WATCH | Maharashtra | Men's Selection Committee Chairman Ajit Agarkar arrived to attend the team selection meeting for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 #iccchampionstrophy2025 pic.twitter.com/AxrebWwGr9 — ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2025 (With PTI Inputs)
18 January,2025 03:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and fans as Wankhede Stadium completed its 50th anniversary, according to the release from MCA. MCA is hosting a week-long celebration, starting January 12, to mark this historic milestone with the grand spectacle scheduled to take place on Sunday. "I am really happy about the celebration of Wankhede Stadium's golden jubilee. I congratulate all cricket fans and the Mumbai Cricket Association on this occasion. The golden jubilee of Wankhede Stadium's glorious cricketing legacy is significant in many ways. This stadium is not just a ground but an emotion for Indian cricket fans. The name of the stadium is etched in the minds of not only cricket fans but every Mumbaikar as well as Indian," CM Fadnavis wrote in a letter as quoted in a release from MCA. Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah likely to be selected for Champions Trophy 2025 "Be it retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, who has a place in the hearts of Indians, India's World Cup win in 2011, Ravi Shastri's six sixes in six balls, Wankhede Stadium has witnessed many such historical moments. Several Ranji Trophy matches, which has produced many players in Indian cricket, have been played at this stadium. Best wishes to all on the golden jubilee of Wankhede Stadium, which has witnessed historic moments of Indian cricket," Chief Minister further added. Earlier, the MCA feliciated all men's and women's captains of the Mumbai team, organised by Polly Umrigar Health Camp and special lunch for the groundsmen and felicitated them. The board also feliciated the Mumbai players who played the first first-class match at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in 1974. The players were also rewarded with Rs. 10 lakh each. "On behalf of the MCA, I thank the honourable Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ji for his kind and encouraging words. This golden jubilee is a special moment for all of us. The goal behind hosting this celebration is to showcase Mumbai's cricketing legacy to the next generation and inspire them," MCA President Ajinkya Naik said. Mumbai cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Diana Edulji, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav will make their presence for the grand event at the Wankhede Stadium to witness the performances by Ajay-Atul and Avadhoot Gupte, followed by a breathtaking laser show. (With ANI Inputs)
18 January,2025 02:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThere are chances of Team India pacer Jasprit Bumrah making the cut in India's squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 which is set to kick start on February 19 in Pakistan and United Arab Emirates, according to ESPNcricinfo. Jasprit Bumrah's selection will rely on his game fitness. In the final Test match against Australia in Sydney, Jasprit Bumrah didn't bowl a single ball. The pacer was rushed to the hospital for scans and was advised by the Australian doctors to not participate in the Sydney match. After the advice from the medical experts, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took the call of resting Jasprit Bumrah for at least five weeks after which he will undergo another scan, the report added. Also Read: Virat Kohli along with this player pull out their names from Ranji Trophy second round matches If everything falls in place for Jasprit Bumrah, then his fitness will be tested during the third ODI against England on February 12. The last date to announce the final squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 is February 11. In a challenging tour for the Indian team, Bumrah emerged as the lone warrior for India consistently delivering match-defining performances. His exceptional contributions not only earned him the Player of the Series award but also cemented his reputation as one of the finest bowlers in world cricket. Jasprit Bumrah showed his mettle in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in which he got 32 wickets in five matches at a stunning average of 13.06, with three five-wicket hauls and best figures of 6/76. He achieved a significant milestone during the series by taking his 200th Test wicket, becoming the fourth-fastest player to reach this landmark in terms of balls bowled. Remarkably, he also became the first bowler in history to claim 200 Test wickets at an average below 20. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar and team India skipper Rohit Sharma will hold a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday to announce the squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as well as for the three-match ODI series against England. The freshest challenge awaiting India is the ICC Champions Trophy, starting from February 19 till March 9. It will be hosted by Pakistan and UAE, with India playing its matches in UAE under a hybrid model. The eight-team tournament will feature 15 50-over matches and will be played across Pakistan and in Dubai. The biggest match of the tournament between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be played on February 23 in Dubai. India will start its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. India's last league match will be against New Zealand on March 2. Group A of the tournament features current Champions Trophy holders and hosts Pakistan, along with India, New Zealand and Bangladesh, while Group B features Cricket World Cup 2023 champions Australia, alongside Afghanistan, England and South Africa. (With ANI Inputs)
18 January,2025 01:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTeam India batsmen Virat Kohli and KL Rahul informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team that they are facing niggle issues following which they won't be able to make their presence for their domestic teams, Delhi and Karnataka, respectively in the second round of the Ranji Trophy. Virat Kohli is suffering from neck pain. The stalwart informed the BCCI medical team that he took an injection on January 8, but the pain is still there in his neck, following which he had to miss Delhi's match against Saurashtra, according to ESPNcricinfo. His last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was back in November 2012 against Uttar Pradesh. Having featured in 155 first-class matches, Virat Kohli has smashed 11,479 runs with an average of 48.23 including 37 centuries and 39 half-centuries. His best score is an unbeaten 254 runs. Also Read: ‘Get a good start, save energy for finish’ KL Rahul on the other hand, is dealing with elbow issues for which he will miss Karnataka's Ranji match. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batter made his last Ranji appearance in March 2020 for Karnataka against Bengal, scoring 26 and 0 during the semifinal, which his team lost. On Thursday, BCCI released new policies for Team India, making it "mandatory" to participate in domestic matches to remain "eligible" for selection in the national team and for the central contracts. In the policy, BCCI stated that taking part in domestic cricket will remain connected to the cricket ecosystem. The statement added that any exceptions to taking part in domestic cricket will be considered only under extraordinary circumstances. "Participation in Domestic Matches is mandatory for players to remain eligible for selection in the national team and for central contracts, as per BCCI guidelines. This policy ensures that players remain connected to the domestic cricket ecosystem, fostering talent development, maintaining match fitness, and strengthening the overall domestic structure. It also inspires emerging players by providing them opportunities to compete alongside top cricketers, ensuring continuity in talent progression. Any exceptions to this mandate will be considered only under extraordinary circumstances and will require formal notification and approval from the Chairman of the Selection Committee, ensuring fairness and transparency in the process," BCCI said in a statement. Young players Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and experienced Ravindra Jadeja have confirmed their presence and participation in the Ranji Trophy matches. (With ANI Inputs)
18 January,2025 12:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentKarnataka’s will look to keep big-scoring Vidarbha captain Karun Nair quiet in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, beginning here on Saturday. Also Read: World No. 1 Sabalenka battles hard to enter second week Nair has notched up scores of 112, 44, 163, 111, 112, 122 and 88 in his last seven innings, a total of 752 runs. It is the most by a captain in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy, surpassing Maharashtra skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s tally of 660. 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
18 January,2025 11:03 AM IST | Vadodara | AgenciesIndia's U19 captain Niki Prasad expressed happiness at getting a chance to lead the team during the ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup and also recalled advice from senior Indian batter Shafali Varma, who led Women in Blue to the title in inaugural edition in 2023. The tournament will be starting from Saturday onwards in Malaysia and will go on till February 2 this year. India secured the inaugural title back in 2023 under the captaincy of Shafali Varma, beating England in the final. In a video posted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Niki expressed that she feels thankful for the opportunity to lead the team as many players dream of playing and captaining India. She also recalled that Shafali advice the team to "go out and enjoy" as they start their campaign against West Indies from Sunday at Bayuemas Oval, Pandamaran. Speaking in the video, Niki said, "Representing the country is a matter of highest pride for us as a cricketer. And now since we have gotten this opportunity, I think we are going to go out there and give our best and defend the title. It is very special for me, because a lot of players out there are dreaming to play for India. And I have not just got the opportunity to play for the country but also to lead the Indian side." "All of us are really excited to be playing the ICC World Cup. And we are all very motivated and very excited to go out there and show what we can do. I got to speak with the captain who won last time. I got to speak to Shefali Varma and one piece of advice she gave me was to just go out there and have fun and enjoy. We are definitely looking forward to carrying the tradition of winning and we want to create this legacy of winning ICC trophies," she added. 16 teams will compete in 41 matches across three host cities in Malaysia - Johor, Sarawak, and Selangor. These teams are divided into four groups of four teams each. India is in Group A with hosts Malaysia, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The knockout stage will start from the first semifinal on January 31 and the final will take place on February 2 at Bayuemas Oval, Pandamaran. The four best teams out of the Super Six will make it to the semifinals. Squad: Niki Prasad (Captain), Sanika Chalke (Vice-captain), G Trisha, Kamalini G (WK), Bhavika Ahire (WK), Ishwari Awasare, Mithila Vinod, Joshitha VJ, Sonam Yadav, Parunika Sisodiya, Kesari Drithi, Aayushi Shukla, Anandita Kishor, MD Shabnam, Vaishnavi S Standby players: Nandhana S, Ira J, Anadi T. 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
17 January,2025 10:54 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIFormer India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday asserted that the BCCI's 10-point policy for its centrally-contracted players has actually been in place since his playing days and wanted to know when was it "altered" and by whom. Terming the guidelines "fresh documentation", Harbhajan said the move diverts attention from the team's forgettable on-field performance against New Zealand and Australia recently. Days after the 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the BCCI has come up with a 10-point diktat to promote "discipline and unity", making domestic cricket mandatory, imposing restriction on the presence of families and personal staff on tours and banning individual commercial endorsements during series. To Harbhajan, all these measures seemed like old wine in a new bottle. "Let me first put this on record. When I was reading the travel policy document reported by the media, I hardly found anything new from the last time I represented India as a centrally-contracted cricketer," Harbhajan told PTI during an interaction. "At least nine out of 10 points, including duration of family visits, staying in same hotel, practice timings, all are same. My question is if these rules were in place during my time, who all have altered it and when? That should be probed," Harbhajan, who has 700 plus international wickets across formats, said. The same assertion was also made by one of Harbhajan's former India teammate Irfan Pathan. For Harbhajan, what is certainly not funny is the timing of issuing these guidelines as he feels the discussion should have been strictly on cricket only. "Hum log mudde se bhatak rahein hain (We are deviating from the main issue). We didn't lose 1-3 because wives and partners were there for two months. We didn't lose because someone travelled separately. "We lost because we have played very poor cricket at times. We didn't bat well even at home. We have players who are horribly out of form. What are the course corrections being made? Or is it just these off-the-field things being discussed?" he questioned. One of India's finest spinners, Harbhajan then recollected his playing days. "I think some of the points needed to be revisited because they were being flouted. Like in our times, I never saw a Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid or Anil Kumble leave for Mumbai, Kolkata or Bengaluru just because the match has ended in three days and next game is a week away. "They all stayed and travelled to next destination. Only change I see (in the new rulebook) is 150 kg suitcase allowance. Back in the day, we used to have lesser. "Why would you need to tell players that you have to travel by team bus? That's a given. If someone was breaking the rule, that person needs to be probed." While he completely supported barring the personal entourage of any particular player or a coach, Harbhajan felt that the BCCI can have a couple of quality chefs travelling with the team. "BCCI has deep pockets. Why do you need to carry personal chefs. In soccer World Cup, big teams carry their own chef, who takes care of dietary requirements of players. Have a couple of team chefs. It is not a big deal," he added. Gambhir's role is on field not administrative According to Harbhajan, the only thing new in the policy document is players requiring prior approval of head coach Gautam Gambhir on certain matters, and the former spinner didn't agree with that. "In our times, it used to be written that prior approval of BCCI was needed on certain matters. So, for approvals, drop a mail to BCCI and ask for permission. Why does the head coach need to get into all this? That is not his job. "His job is on the field and in the technical aspects where we are lacking. Administrative part should be left with competent people in the BCCI," he said. 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
17 January,2025 10:53 PM IST | New Delhi | PTILegendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar lauded compatriot Karun Nair for his monumental run as a part of Vidarbha's Vijay Hazare Trophy side, saying that performances like this just do not happen out of nowhere, they come from "immense focus and hard work". Nair, who is captaining Vidarbha in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, will play the title clash against his former team Karnataka at Vadodara on Saturday. Nair is the top-run-getter in the team so far, having accumulated a massive 752 runs in seven matches at a mind-boggling average of 752.00 due to him being unbeaten in six innings. He has also scored five centuries and a fifty in the competition, with the best score of 163*. His strike rate is 125.96. Taking to X, Sachin wrote, "Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, @karun126. Performances like these don't just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count!" Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, @karun126. Performances like these don’t just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count! — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 17, 2025 In the semifinal against Maharashtra on Thursday, Nair made a quickfire 88* in 44 balls, with nine fours and five sixes to guide Vidarbha to a match-winning total of 380 runs. Maharashtra could only make 311/7. Nair is on the verge of breaking an all-time record in the tournament. If he scores 79 more runs in the tournament, he will overtake Tamil Nadu batter Narayan Jagadeesan's tally of 830 runs (in eight matches, at an average of 138.33, with a strike rate of over 125 and five centuries, a best score of 277) during the 2022/23 edition of the competition. This strong performance in the tournament has earned Nair acclaim from the cricketing fraternity and fans alike, with many demanding he gets another call to the Indian team. Having last played for India in March 2017, Nair was the only Test triple centurion for India after legendary opener Virender Sehwag. In six Tests for India since his debut in 2016, he made 374 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.33, with best score of 303*. Nair also played two ODIs for India, scoring 46 runs with best score of 39. 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
17 January,2025 10:11 PM IST | Mumbai | ANIFormer India batter Sanjay Manjrekar on Friday urged the struggling Virat Kohli to play in the English County Championship to regain form before the marquee Test series in England. India and England will lock horns in four Tests in June-July, and Kohli will be desperate for a turnaround in his fortunes after dismal outings against New Zealand and Australia recently. Speaking on Star Sports' Deep Point podcast, Manjrekar stressed on Kohli gaining some much-needed practice in red-ball cricket in English conditions before the Tests come calling. "Kohli needs to play a lot of red-ball cricket. The first Test in England is in June, while the County Championship begins in April. He could join a county team, like Pujara did, and gain valuable match practice," Manjrekar said. "India can then evaluate his performances in the initial Test matches. If there are positive signs, he can continue. But the last thing you want is Kohli going there and struggling, as we've seen before. That wouldn't be good for Indian cricket. Playing County cricket could be a very sensible move for him," he added. Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar voiced his support for Kohli, expressing confidence in the batter's ability to make a strong comeback thanks to his fitness. "I'm still backing him. Even at 36 (years old), he's as fit as ever. His fitness levels are remarkable, and I believe he can continue playing at the highest level," Bangar said. 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
17 January,2025 09:24 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
