BCCI issues ultimatum to players in squad for UK tour : "Tour over if found positive in Mumbai"

Can Shikhar Dhawan's IPL prowess find him a place in the T20 World Cup squad?

x“It was a conscious effort from my side and I started taking more risks. I’m not afraid of changes,” this is what Shikhar Dhawan had to say when he was asked about his change of approach in the T20 format after an IPL game this year. “I’m always open towards changes and I make sure I give it a good try in the nets and then in the games. I’m not scared of getting out. I’ve worked on the leg-side shots, coming in the crease, using the pace of the bowler,” he had added. Dhawan mused in a post-match interview after carrying his bat against Punjab on Sunday, 2 May. Despite playing second fiddle to a bludgeoning Prithvi Shaw, who was seeing it like a beachball, Dhawan capped his innings off with a brilliant 69 off 47 balls, striking at 146.81. Dhawan had been doing the same for some time now, an year to be precise, where the Indian Premier League had been the star of the show in the covid stricken world. In the last edition of the tournament, the Delhi-born Southpaw had notched up a total of 618 runs in 17 matches, once again at a strike rate of mid 140s. The unwritten rule in the world of T20 cricket is that a combined total of 170 (average + strike-rate) is a mark of a great batsman. If we were to go by that metric and that metric alone, Dhawan, in last seasons has excelled with flying colours. In the current suspended IPL season, Dhawan records an average of 54.28 and an SR of 134.27, while in the UAE version of the IPL he scored at an average of 44.14 with a SR of 144.73. You obviously can do the math. This comes in sharp contrast to what he had been doing before in the shortest format of the game. With the rising demand in intent inside the powerplay and more scrutiny of the boundary counts, a battle-hardened Dhawan decided to shake up his game. This clearly proves a point about Dhawan that even at the fag end of his illustrious international career, he is ready to mould his game for the sake of his team. Not thinking about his own strengths and weakness, Dhawan has tried to figure out what was actually halting him from scoring runs consistently in this format and at a brisk pace. Warming the benches is never an easy task for a player who has been a match-winner for India in the limited-overs format for nearly a decade now. However, Shikhar Dhawan’s below-par returns in the T20 format especially in national colours meant that he had to warm the benches in the T20I series against England. He wasn’t included in the XI for any of the five matches but his sublime touch in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League has presented him with a strong case for his inclusion in the World Cup squad for the event slated to be held later this year in India. The event was called off midway due to cases being reported with the franchise bio-bubbles. However, in just 7 matches, Dhawan presented a strong case for himself with some exceptional knocks. He made runs consistently, which not only made for good viewing, but he scored at a brisk rate and played the situations to perfection. He forged a great opening camaraderie with Prithvi Shaw and got the Delhi Capitals off to brisk starts quite consistently. He made match-winning contributions for his team and what works in favour of Dhawan is that this is not the first edition where he has scored a truckload of runs. His strike rate has made a major difference in the last two years, making him such an integral part of the Capitals set-up. The revelation of Dhawan in this format Dhawan tends to go under the radar and unlike star performers and big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Dhawan is not considered in the same league despite producing match-winning performances consistently. He has been a sensational white-ball format batsman ever since making his debut. Though his T20 record hasn’t been anywhere close to the class he possesses, he must consider that his relatively poor record in the shortest format has been largely due to his mode of batting before 2017. The changes in his batting especially for T20 cricket happened post the 2016 T20 World Cup so one shouldn’t look too much into his record especially when it comes to the mega event. Coming to his record in the Indian Premier League, Dhawan’s strike rate never crossed the 130 mark before the 2018 edition. However, he improved dramatically in the next three seasons scoring at a strike rate of over 134 in all seasons since 2018. Not only his strike rate has improved, but Dhawan also became the first-ever batsman in IPL history to smash two consecutive centuries and played a stellar role in DC’s astonishing rise in the tournament. Dhawan’s staggering run in ICC tournaments While it cannot be denied that Dhawan’s record in the T20 World Cup has been far from impressive, it cannot be denied either that he has been India’s most prolific run-scorers when it comes to ICC tournaments. It will be unjust on Dhawan to consider his potential in the shortest format given his record of 74 runs in 7 innings. When the T20 World Cup was played in 2016 for the last time, Dhawan 2.0 was yet to unleash his exploits on the field. The southpaw hadn’t rediscovered himself as a T20 batsman back then. However, in the last three years, he has been nothing short of exceptional even in national colours. In the year 2018, Dhawan finished as the leading run-getter for India scoring 689 runs at a healthy average of 40 and a strike rate of 147.22. This run tally remains the highest by any batsman in a calendar year. When it comes to ICC tournaments, Dhawan has been a notch above others. Right from the 2013 Champions Trophy to the 2015 World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy, Dhawan has been quite phenomenal with the bat. Even in the 2019 World Cup, Dhawan scored a century against Australia before succumbing to injury and was subsequently ruled out of the tournament. While the Indian skipper Virat Kohli has clearly said that he will like to open with Rohit Sharma going forward, a Shikhar Dhawan comeback at the top of the order for the T20 World Cup cannot be ruled out either especially given his record in ICC trophies. Comparison with fellow openers While there can be no questions raised on the credentials of both Dhawan and KL Rahul, it has been Rohit Sharma’s prowess in the limited-overs format which hasn’t allowed either of them to cement their spots in the T20 format. After Rahul’s horrific run against England in the T20 series, Dhawan might get an opportunity in the World Cup squad and could well be the opening partner for Rohit Sharma. KL Rahul has been a prolific run-scorer for whichever teams he has played for. However, it has been his strike rate that has been an issue with his batting especially in the IPL. He bagged the Orange Cap last season but his modest strike rate didn’t really help his side in the long run as the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) didn’t manage to qualify for the playoffs. On the other hand, Dhawan at the top of the order has been stupendous for the Delhi Capitals since his reinvention. He has been instrumental in DC’s change of fortunes in the last three years and who knows he can be the go-to man for India if they harbour hopes of winning an ICC trophy after the 2013 Champions Trophy. What makes Dhawan a vital cog for a team he plays for? It’s not how he scores runs, it’s not the rate at which he scores or how much he scores? What makes him special is the willingness to improve on the deficiencies. Dhawan himself admitted that he worked on quite a few things in his game as with age one needs to mould their game and make sure that they are making winning contributions. India might look to go with a tested combination in a bid to win their first ICC title since 2013 and Dhawan could solve the woes for the Men in Blue. While there is no denying Rahul’s prowess at the top of the order, he might still make the XI albeit in a different role. He has adjusted himself in the role of a finisher in the 50 overs format so it remains a viable option for India to go with both. The icing on the cake Dhawan’s ability to manoeuvre the field and adjust his game to the situation has set him apart from the rest of the players. The southpaw as mentioned early has done considerable changes in his game which has resulted in consistent performances in this format. With India all set to send a second-string Indian side for the limited-overs against Sri Lanka in July, Dhawan will look to seize the opportunity and make the opening position his very own. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed that they will be sending a second-string team for the tour of Sri Lanka and it presents an opportunity for many players to make a strong case for themselves with Dhawan being the prominent one. There are realistic chances that in the absence of the stalwarts of the Indian team, Dhawan could be asked to lead the side which could well be a blessing in disguise for him. If he makes the opportunity count, it will be too hard for the selectors to leave him out of the T20 World Cup squad.

India tour of Sri Lanka | Three-match long ODI, T20I series to start on July 13

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had announced India’s tour of Sri Lanka in July this year and there is clarity on the fixture and itinerary of the tour that will comprise of three-match ODI and an equally long T20I series. As per an ESPNcricinfo report citing the itinerary sent by the Sri Lanka Cricket to the BCCI, the tour will begin with the ODI series on July 13 with the other two matches scheduled to be played on July 16 and 19. The ODI series will immediately be followed by a T20I series with matches on July 22, 24, 27. The venues for all six matches have not been finalized yet, as per ESPNcricinfo. Indian team without the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant will reach the island nation on July 5 while their departure will be on July 28 post the completion of the series. Ganguly had already said that none of the Test specialists or players who will travel to the UK for the World Test Championship final will make it to Sri Lanka and it is all likely that there will be a new captain leading an all-new team for both ODIs and T20Is against Sri Lanka. The ODIs and T20Is could well be the opportunity for the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal and Sanju Samson who have been in good form with the bat in the IPL 2021. On the bowling front, the tour to Sri Lanka can provide an opening for the young crop of pacers such as Chetan Sakariya and Kartik Tyagi.

Doug Crowell continuing professional cricket at the age of 91

The ball might not be zipping past the bat to thud into the keeper’s gloves or the batsmen might not be able to play those big shots but the 91 year old Doug Crowell might be the oldest Australian cricketer to don the state whites at the Veteran’s level cricket and seem to be enjoying his game just like the way he did seven decades ago. He still takes up the challenge of fielding at first slip or short midwicket and looks so enthusiastic even at this ripe age. Crowell had started cricket just with the hope of passing some time in the aftermath of World War || but after seventy years he still cherishes playing at the state level. "I think I might be the oldest player in Australia; I don't think anyone else would go out there and still do what I do and love it as much as what I do. But I'm 91 ... I think I might have another couple of years left in me yet,” Crowell had said a month ago. In a recent video shared by ABC 730, Crowell is seen enjoying his time with his friends on the cricket field. Speaking on his experience of playing cricket at the twilight of his life, Crowell said that he is still enjoying the game and until he is getting picked, he hopes to continue playing. “I keep saying that a couple of years might pull me up but who knows. The body is good, I still fit enough to enjoy myself and whenever I get picked I will turn up,” Crowell stated in the video posted on ABC 730. Speaking on his age, Crowell felt that he might be the oldest ever cricketer saying that he hasn’t heard any cricketer still playing professional cricketer after passing 90. It’s indeed a great achievement for Bracewell. He also recalled the fact that he has never scored a century but that was never his aim. “I think I could be the oldest cricketer. I don’t guarantee anything but I haven’t heard of anyone thats playing in their 90s, still playing competitive cricket. It’s for the people that gave up their cricketing career when they were in their 30s and then they had an urge to want to keep fit so they joined the Veterans Cricket,” Crowell further added. Not only cricket but Crowell also plays tennis three days a week which keeps him fit even at 91. Moreover, he is still enjoying his time in any sport he plays. “I have got good genes and I play tennis three times a week to keep fit. I just that there’s so much to be gained out of cricket because of the people you still stay friends with over the years. People say you’re, you know, you are playing the wrong shots but its the shots I have played for seventy years so I will stick with them," Crowell signed off.

People will watch football if one-sided matches like Pakistan-Zimbabwe continue in Tests: Ramiz Raja

Former Pakistan opener Ramiz Raja has not liked the idea of a Test series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe one bit. He has refuted the long-standing idea that when a small team play against well-established ones they understand and develop their skills by looking at players and the approach of those teams. He said that the host Zimbabwe showed no signs of learning from the Pakistan team and rather were humiliated in both the Tests of the series. He said there should be no sense of idealism in organising matches between two mismatched teams as it will force people to switch to other sports such as football for lack of competitiveness in the game. “Some people are of the opinion that when a weak team plays a strong one, you need to focus on what you learn from it rather than the outcome of the match. You learn from the stronger team’s process and the way it adapts to the changing situation of a game. But I don’t think Zimbabwe learned anything from this series because they were continuously dominated by Pakistan. Also, there was no difference in their performance in the second Test as compared to the first one,” said Raja on his official YouTube channel. “Such mismatch series should not take place. Test cricket is already under pressure and very few people watch it. If you show them such one-sided matches, then they will switch to watching football or other sports. Three-day Test match is a joke,” he added. Notably, Pakistan handed Zimbabwe innings defeat in both the Tests played in Harare.