Cricket world

Ayub (PC:X)   Pakistan defeated UAE by 31 runs in the second match of the ongoing T20I tri-series in Sharjah. Saim Ayub was the star of the night for the Men in Green, delivering an all-round performance with a blazing fifty and a wicket with the ball. After winning the toss, Pakistan elected to bat first. Ayub top-scored with a brilliant 69 off just 38 deliveries, hitting seven fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 181.58. He was well supported by Hasan Nawaz, who played an explosive knock of 56 from 26 balls, laced with two fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 215.38. Their contributions powered Pakistan to a total of 207 all-out in 20 overs. For UAE, Junaid Siddique and Saghir Khan both impressed with three wickets each. Chasing 208, UAE suffered a setback in the sixth over when they lost their second and third wickets on consecutive balls. However, Asif Khan tried to bring his team back into the contest. He built two crucial partnerships — a 54-run stand with Dhruv...

Agha (PC:X) Pakistan kicked off their T20I tri-series campaign with a 39-run win over Afghanistan in Sharjah. Skipper Salman Agha was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 53 runs off 36 balls. After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to bat first. However, their top-order could not provide a solid start, as they were reduced to 83/4 in 11.1 overs. Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, and Fakhar Zaman all got starts but failed to convert them into big scores. The innings was steadied by a 53-run fifth-wicket stand between captain Agha and Mohammad Nawaz (21 off 11). Later, useful contributions from Mohammad Haris (15 off 13) and Faheem Ashraf (14 off 5) helped Pakistan post 182/7 in 20 overs. Agha remained unbeaten on 53 at a strike rate of 147.22. For Afghanistan, Fareed Ahmad claimed two wickets, while Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Azmatullah Omarzai took one each. In reply, Afghanistan lost Ibrahim Zadran for just nine runs, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz (38) and Sed...

Irfan Pathan . Image: Instagram Irfan Pathan, not one to hold back, has supported Shubman Gill as India’s all-format captain going forward. In a podcast which addressed a host of issues, Pathan made some interesting observations regarding Gill. Answering a question how he evaluated Gill’s performance as a batter in England, Irfan said, “Very impressed. If you see the way he went about his job, you will know how good he was. Shubman Gill the batter actually helped Shubman Gill the captain. As a batter, you just have one job – that is to score runs. But, as a captain, you have two different jobs. And his batting wasn’t impacted by captaincy. Rather, the two things complemented each other. Of course, he will get better, but I have to say he was very impressive in England. “I have explained in my role as commentator what changes he made in his technique, and why it is helping him and you could see that in England. Not that England did not try things against him. They did. They got the...

Shami (PC: X) Veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has been left out of the Asia Cup 2025 squad, but he is not giving up. The 35-year-old has confirmed that he will be playing the Duleep Trophy, which starts on August 28. Speaking about his omission on News24Sports, Shami said, “I don’t blame anyone for non-selection or complain about it. If I’m right for the team, select me; if I’m not, then I have no issues with it. Selectors have the responsibility to do what’sbest for Team India. I have a belief in my abilities that if and when I’m granted an opportunity, I’ll give my best. I’m working hard.” For India, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack in the Asia Cup. Shami was not included in the squad and was not even among the five reserve players. Earlier this year, he returned to the T20I format after three years in the home series against England. Though he went wicketless in Rajkot, he grabbed three wickets in the Mumbai match. When asked about his availability for the Asia Cu...

Ashwin celebrating his second hundred in Chennai. (PC: X.com) “They say every ending will have a new start. My time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my journey as an explorer of the game across various leagues begins now.” With that tweet, Ravichandran Ashwin did more than announce his IPL farewell – he cracked open a door that Indian cricket has kept firmly shut for decades. Few players embody reinvention in Indian cricket like Ashwin. From the narrow streets of Chennai where he started as a promising opener, to becoming one of the world’s finest spinners, and now a cerebral voice in the game. Ashwin’s IPL story began with Chennai Super Kings under the watchful eye of MS Dhoni. The format was unforgiving for finger-spinners, yet Ashwin thrived. With his carrom ball, quick variations and fearless attitude, he broke the stereotype of spinners being cannon fodder in T20s. As his career progressed, Ashwin wore many hats in the IPL: a banker of overs in the Powerplay...

Khawaja (PC:X) Australia opener Usman Khawaja has requested the government to take a stricter stance against gambling advertisements. Khawaja said on ABC’s podcast that the younger generation should be protected against these influences. “I think the biggest thing for us is responsibility to the younger generation. When I watch an NRL game — and I love footy, go the Raiders — I see gambling every single time before the game. I see the odds every single time.” He also said that the younger generation should be made aware of the consequences of betting. “Nowadays, I’m seeing 15-16-year-olds with betting accounts. They feel like they have to bet to enjoy sports. Sport and betting just go together, which is a bizarre shift. If we keep putting gambling in front of kids without showing the consequences, it can be a very slippery slope.” A parliamentary inquiry in Australia produced a report about gambling and the harm it causes, which highlighted gambling as an emerging public health...

Mohammed Siraj (BCCI) A RevSportz Exclusive With workload management dictating that Jasprit Bumrah sat out the Edgbaston and Oval Tests, Mohammed Siraj stepped up in a big way, taking match figures of 7-127 in the first game and 9-190 in the second. He was also the only quick bowler on either side to play all five Tests. In this exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar, he spoke of how Test cricket motivates him, that dramatic final morning at The Oval, and what Virat Kohli taught him about aggression and working a crowd. Boria: With so much being talked about workload management in recent time, how did Mohammed Siraj manage to play all five Tests, and bowl 186 overs? Siraj: To be honest, I don’t know. But when you play for your country, you don’t think how it might affect your body so much as you think about doing it for your country.  People like us have had one dream since childhood, and that is to be able to play for the country. And when that opportunity comes...

Virat Kohli and Mohammad Siraj (Image: @mohammedsirajofficial) Mohammed Siraj has always been a big Virat Kohli supporter. That the two have a special bond is well known. Siraj blossomed under Kohli’s captaincy, and has enjoyed playing under him. So, it was an obvious question to ask. Right through the England series, Siraj was the aggressor. He was the one who would push the bowlers, get the crowd going and play a lead role in pumping the team up. Much like what Kohli used to do all through his career. ‘Was it conscious and had he learnt it from Virat?’ I asked him. It was as if Siraj was waiting for the question. “ Maine yeh Virat bhai se sikha hai [I learned this from Virat Bhai],” he began. “Virat bhai always said to us that we need to play cricket with aggression and passion. When we are on the field, the opponent is not a friend. The opponent is our enemy. After the match is over, we are all friends. “All through his career, he played cricket with the same intensity. And ...

Pujara for India (Image: BCCI) Crushing the pain barrier – mental and physical – became Cheteshwar Pujara’s calling card during an illustrious 13 years in the Indian jersey, the highest point being January 19, 2021. That day, he knew that he had to survive the first two hours at The Gabba if India wanted to make what till then looked like an improbable victory into reality. To add to his challenges, on one side of the track there were cracks. They had been created as the match had gone on, and balls started misbehaving frequently. “It was tough, but I knew I had a job at hand,” Pujara explained to in the course of an interaction. “My gameplan was simple on Day 5. We didn’t want to lose wickets in the first session because if Australia had to win the Test, they needed early wickets. It’s okay to be hit, for to stay on that pitch you needed to take those body blows. One particular end had variable bounce, and the ball misbehaved if it hit the cracks. If I tried to get on top of the...

Dream 11 on Team India jersey (Image: BCCI) Dream11 has pulled out as the BCCI’s primary sponsor, creating a situation that might see the Indian team playing the Asia Cup without a shirt logo. It is learnt that the representatives of the fantasy sports platform met the BCCI officials on Sunday evening to communicate that they wouldn’t be able to continue in the wake of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 that has been passed in both houses of Parliament. The BCCI is now expected to scramble to find a new partner, but with the Asia Cup commencing on September 9, it’s unlikely that a deal can be struck at such short notice. Dream 11 held the Indian cricket team’s primary sponsorship for around Rs 358 crore and their contract was supposed to run until 2026. The Bill, however, has banned real-money gaming (RMG) platforms, creating a force majeure for the company, which as per the contract, might spare them of paying any compensation for mid-term termination. For...