SA vs IND | 2nd ODI: India on back foot after Dhawan, Kohli depart in quick succession

T20 World Cup 2022: Arch-rivals India & Pakistan to face each other on October 23

The schedule for the T20 World Cup 2022 has been released and arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be up against each other on October 23 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The teams have been divided into two groups with Group A comprising of Australia, New Zealand, England, Afghanistan, A1, B2 and Group 2 has India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, B1, A2. The competition's preliminary rounds will begin on October 16, 2022 with Sri Lanka taking on Namibia in Geelong. The Super 12s stage is scheduled to commence on October 23, 2022, while the final will be played at the MCG on November 13. Sydney and Adelaide will be hosting the two semi-finals respectively. Australia are the defending champions after they lifted the trophy in the 2021 edition while India suffered their first-ever defeat in a World Cup fixture against Pakistan.

Super Smash 2021-22 | Auckland Aces vs Central Stags | Match 28 Preview, Predictions, Fantasy XI

Auckland Aces will face Central Stags on January 22, 2022, at the Eden Park in Auckland for match 28 of the ongoing Super Smash tournament

Pakistan’s Babar Azam to lead ICC Men’s ODI team of the year, no Indian included

The International Cricket Council announced its ODI teams of the year 2021 for both men and women. While there was very little ODI cricket among the men this year, the women did play a fair bit as and when possible in yet another Covid marred season. While Babar Azam has been named the captain of the men’s team, the women’s team would be led by England skipper Heather Knight. In the men’s team, there is a representation only from five countries, Pakistan, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lank and Bangladesh. In the women’s team though, all major teams have been able to find at least one representative. The Men’s team has two Pakistani players in skipper Babar and Fkahar Zaman, who earlier used to open the innings, but is now playing as number three. There are three players from Bangladesh on the side in form of all-time great Shakib Al Hasan and Mushiqur Rahim as the wicketkeeper while Mustafizur Rahman qualified as a fast bowler. South Africa’s Janneman Malan has been chosen as an opening partner to Ireland’s Paul Stirling with another Protea Rassie van der Dussen coming in at number five after the two Pakistanis. Wanindu Hasaranga from Sri Lanka is the second all-rounder as well as spin bowling option after Shakib. The team has a third spinner in the form of Irish Simi Singh. It is strange that the team has only two fast bowlers and three spinners because the other pacer apart from Fizz is Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera. ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year 2021 Paul Stirling (Ireland), Janneman Malan (South Africa), Babar Azam (c) (Pakistan), Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan), Rassie van der Dussen (South Africa), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) (Bangladesh), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Simi Singh (Ireland), Dushmantha Chameera (Sri Lanka) In the women’s team, India is being represented by its veterans Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami while England is being represented by Tammy Beaumont apart from Knight being the captain of the side. Lizelle Lee of South Africa and Alyssa Healey of Australia are the chosen openers with Beaumont at three, Mithali at four and Knight at number five. Among the all-rounders are West Indian Hayley Matthews and South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp. The four pure bowlers in the team are from Pakistan, India, the West Indies and South Africa in form of Fatima Sana, Goswami, Anisa Mohammed and Shabnim Ismail respectively. ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year 2021 Lizelle Lee (South Africa), Alyssa Healy (wk) (Australia), Tammy Beaumont (England), Mithali Raj (India), Heather Knight (c) (England), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Fatima Sana (Pakistan), Jhulan Goswami (India), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Anisa Mohammed (West Indies)

SA vs IND | 2nd ODI| Preview: It’s now or never as India look to stretch series to third game

The Indian team lost the first ODI of the three-match series against South Africa quite blatantly though the margin did not show it because of a cameo from Shardul Thakur at the end. However, India’s coach Rahul Dravid would be aware of it and would have planned well to get back to the third game in a better way than that. On the other hand, South Africa, which won the Test series against India, would look to consolidate its good form and win the ODI series as well to showcase that it is still a dominant force at home than being a pushover. Thus the second match gives both of these teams an important opportunity to take their game one level up and compete fiercely with one aiming to take the series to the decider and the other to kill it before moving to Capetwin for the final match. South Africa vs India: Match Details Match Number-02 Date and Time: 21 January 2021, 2022, 02:00 pm IST, 10:00 am Local, 09:30 am GMT Venue: Boland Park, Paarl Broadcast and Live Stream: Star Sports and Hotstar Pitch Report The pitch at Boland Park was slow and low to start with and difficult for a new batter to come and score quickly. But once the batters got settled, it was easier to score as was seen in the case of Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen in South African innings and Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli in Indian innings. Weather Forecast The weather at Paarl will remain sunny throughout the day and pose no problem whatsoever in terms of interruptions. However, it would be very hot there and hence cramps could be an issue for players batting for a longer period of time. Team News South Africa As such, there seem to be no changes in the playing XI of the South African unit as they like to tread safely with the winning combination. Since there are no injuries to anyone either, then the same XI that played the first ODI is likely to feature in this game as well. Probable XI Quinton de Kock (wk), Janneman Malan, Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi India It was strange that Venkatesh Iyer was played as a batter who could finish the game and bowl a few overs as well. But strangely, even after a 204 run partnership being built by the South African batters, he was not given the ball by the captain KL Rahul. So either Venkatesh Iyer could go out in the next game and an extra batter could be played by the time or it could compromise with Shardul Thakur who was overtly expensive. But given the fact that Thakur could belt the ball with the bat and is definitely a better bowler than Iyer, either Ruturaj Gaikwad or Suryakumar Yadav could be played in place of Iyer. However, since both the Rahuls, the captain and the coach don’t like personalities who will alter their XI just because of one loss, hence the same XI would persist eventually. Probable XI KL Rahul (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal CE Fantasy XI Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (vc), Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Marco Jansen, Jasprit Bumrah, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi