Cricket world

Jemimah Rordrigues against Pakistan India began their T20 World Cup campaign on a good note, defeating the West Indies by 20 runs in a practice game played at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai. There were enough positives to take from the game for India. Alongside those bright spots, there were a few talking points, which gave indicators of who could bat at the crucial No. 3 position in their group fixtures in the World Cup. One of those clues was India’s batting order against the West Indies – Harmanpreet Kaur took the No. 3 slot, while Jemimah Rodrigues and Yastika Bhatia were positioned at 4 and 5. The expected lineup was probably Bhatia, returning from an injury, to take the No.3 position, with Kaur finding herself at No. 4 and Rodrigues placed at No. 5. The Indian think-tank’s move didn’t exactly work for Harmanpreet as she was dismissed for a single run. Rodrigues (52 runs) and Bhatia (24 runs), however, stitched a vital stand of 50. On second thoughts, perhaps India were just...

Lalit Modi In the latest no-holds-barred episode of Backstage with Boria , RevSportz’s editor-in-chief talks to Lalit Modi, the architect of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the recent developments with The Hundred in England. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have spoken of tremendous interest from Indian investors, but Modi, who says he backed out of negotiations earlier, opens about with typical candour about how the numbers just don’t add up. Excerpts: You said the ECB’s sale of The Hundred is much like a Ponzi scheme. Why did you use such harsh words? Look at the last scheme they put out with [Allen] Stanford, which did turn out to be a Ponzi scheme. If you look at the document put out by the ECB, right at the beginning, you’ll see a disclaimer. It clearly says ‘We’re not responsible for any numbers’, not guaranteeing any numbers. Not all numbers put inside by our investment bankers are valid. Nothing we say is a fact, and it’s up to you to decide. Now, for a laym...

Bangladeshi Super Fan Robi, Source: X There is a liar masquerading as a super fan, and his name is Tiger Robi. He lied the day before yesterday, saying he was assaulted in Kanpur. When his falsehoods were exposed by the police and hospital authorities who conducted all tests on him, he conveniently changed the narrative to him “feeling unwell and dehydrated”. I have since read a number of his Facebook posts. He has a follower base of 1.3 million, which makes him an influencer of some sort. And let me state this – he is a peddler of hate. He provokes fans and says a lot of things, which aren’t remotely true. He was granted a visa on the grounds that he needed treatment and is now misusing it to target Indian fans. Deportation is the least that such an individual deserves. One option is to ignore such people. That is something that can be done. But at a time when the political and diplomatic relations between the two countries are on the edge, influencers peddling lies is a dangero...

Tiger Robi has made the headlines for all wrong reasons. (PC: X.com) Bangladeshi fan Tiger Robi, who allegedly made up stories of being manhandled at Green Park on Friday, is set to be deported from India. According to sources, he also faces a five-year stadium ban in India.  According to local police sources, the Bangladeshi fan has already been sent to Delhi from Kanpur, from where he would be sent to Dhaka on Sunday. Sources said, Robi came to India on a medical visa and he was supposed to go to Kolkata for treatment. Instead, he followed the Bangladesh cricket team to Chennai and then to Kanpur for the ongoing two-Test series in India. “He flouted visa regulations,” said the source.  Around lunch on Day 1 of the second Test between India and Bangladesh here in Kanpur, Robi alleged that he faced violence from a section of the local crowd. He was sent to hospital where X-rays and CT scans were done. Nothing was found in the reports. At the hospital, he changed his vers...

Sri Lanka Women after winning the recent Asia Cup (PC: ACC) In the past eight ICC T20 World Cup editions, the Sri Lanka Women’s team has never progressed beyond the group stage. However, this time, Chamari Athapaththu and her squad are entering the tournament with significantly more confidence, especially after their recent Asia Cup triumph. Their two-match series against Ireland recently ended in a 1-1 draw, but the team rotated players to give different members a chance. Only time will tell if this campaign will be a historic one for them. Here is a SWOT analysis of the team ahead of the mega event. Strengths Chamari Athapaththu – the all-round leader The Sri Lanka skipper has been phenomenal with both bat and ball, consistently leading the team from the front. In recent times, other players have also stepped up, aiding her in guiding the team to a prestigious Asia Cup victory a few months ago, defeating the favourites, India, in the final. In 2024, Sri Lanka have won 15 out...

Scene from India vs Bangladesh, Kanpur (Image: BCCI) The best teams adapt to different situations, and that’s what makes them great. May I say that’s what this Indian team is all about. For the longest time, it was a given that India would go in with three spinners on home soil. The fast bowlers would bowl a few overs, and then the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja would take over. Add Kuldeep Yadav to the mix, and it is a lethal threesome. At home, this was the template. So much so that even the likes of Jasprit Bumrah could be rested. What is also important to state here is that this was a successful template. India haven’t lost a series at home since 2012, and that is a staggering record when you come to think of it. But then, the best change when things are going well. When they know that the change being proposed is voluntary and not forced. Abhinav Bindra, whose birthday we celebrate today, had once said to me, “I was shooting my best in Athens in 2004. But then I realis...

Shakib Al Hasan (Image: BCB) Shakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh’s greatest ever cricketer. But as he calls it a day, the question is how he will be remembered, Will his politics come in the way, and will he have to live elsewhere with what is going on back home in Bangladesh? Or will the current political dispensation be kind and reasonable enough to give him the farewell he deserves?  Shakib isn’t the most endearing personality. He isn’t Mashtafe Mortaza, for example. He is elite, and a star who was always a cut above the rest. Be it in his 7500 runs in 50-over cricket or his 300 wickets, Shakib was Bangladesh cricket’s answer to greatness for a decade and more. But may be because he was so good, he was undiplomatic as well. From kicking the stumps to getting a batter timed out, Shakib was always a maverick whom cricket learned to love and hate over time.  Shakib Al Hasan wants to have his Test swansong in Mirpur against South Africa. But if the BCB couldn’t ensure his retu...

Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine. Source (ICC X) New Zealand will have their work cut out in this edition of the T20 World Cup, as their form hasn’t exactly been good in the recent past and they will be up against quality teams. There will be tons of expectations on the captain Sophie Devine as the lead player. With Devine likely playing her last World Cup, this New Zealand team has no better opportunity to make it a memorable campaign for themselves and their skipper. Strengths Amelia Kerr The conditions in the UAE will suit Amelia Kerr’s game perfectly, giving her the chance to contribute the most. She was in top form in the recent series against Australia and will hope to carry that momentum into the World Cup. The speeds at which she bowls will work brilliantly and trouble batters from all sides. She is also fantastic with the bat and well-suited for the T20 format, making her one of the most important players in the New Zealand team. Sophie Devine Sophie Devine is the most v...

Harmanpreet Kaur, Indian Women’s Cricket Team captain (Image: BCCI Women) The Indian team led by Harmanpreet Kaur is finally in Dubai for the T20 World Cup. May I say it is the most important tournament that Harmanpreet has ever led the team to. At home, the sport has momentum and with the Women’s Premier League (WPL), giant strides have been taken. Internationally, however, the Indian women’s game needs its 1983 moment. And for Harman, more so. Make no mistake, she is capable. Under her, India have come close. But it is one thing to come close and a very different thing to cross the line. South Africa’s men came close in Barbados in June. But it was Rohit Sharma’s team that crossed the line. With the women, this is what has to change. Time and again, India have pushed Australia, but time and again, Australia have managed to thwart the challenge. From winning positions, the Commonwealth Games final of 2022 being a case in point, India have lost. That’s where the problem lies ,and ...