Sunday, April 20
Mohammad Amir shares his thoughts about playing all matches in the fast-paced format of cricket, emphasising human limitations and the need to manage workloads. Despite retiring from international cricket twice, he continues to participate in T20 leagues, highlighting the rise of younger talents and the challenges of maintaining fitness amid continuous back-to-back games.
Novak Djokovic advanced to the Australian Open third round after defeating Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria in a four-set match. Djokovic's victory marked his 430th Grand Slam singles match, surpassing Roger Federer. Despite losing the second set, Djokovic regained control and praised Faria's performance. Djokovic now faces Czech 26th seed Tomas Machac in the next round.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin addresses the futures of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He emphasises that retirement decisions are personal. Ashwin criticises toxic fan wars on social media and defends the performances of Rohit and Kohli, highlighting the challenging nature of recent Test series.
Sunil Gavaskar urges BCCI to reduce the squad size for the Test series in England, suggesting a limit of 16 players to avoid uncertainty. He advocates for additional bowlers for practice but not awarding them the India cap unless necessary. Gavaskar stresses the need for practice matches and eliminating optional sessions for better preparation.
Virat Kohli's performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy fell short of his usual standards, struggling with the Australian bowlers' tactics. His average dipped to 32.29 over the last 40 tests. Although his on-field altercations added entertainment, experts Michael Vaughan and Adam Gilchrist rated his overall impact at 7 and 7.5 out of 10 respectively.
Rishabh Pant is set to return for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra beginning January 23 in Rajkot, while Virat Kohli's participation remains uncertain. Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri suggest struggling players like Rohit Sharma and Kohli should play red-ball cricket. Delhi's probables include Pant, Kohli, and Harshit Rana, though final squad depends on availability.
Steve Smith admitted that the pressure of nearing 10,000 Test runs affected his performance during the Sydney Test against India. Despite falling short by just one run, Smith highlighted the significance of the milestone and its impact on his mindset. He now looks forward to achieving this feat in the upcoming Test against Sri Lanka.
Nitish Kumar Reddy visited the Tirupati temple after returning from Australia, sharing videos of him climbing the temple stairs on his knees. Following his outstanding performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he was warmly welcomed with celebration, petals, and a parade through his hometown Visakhapatnam. The SRH player scored a century in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
Yashasvi Jaiswal will play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy against Jammu & Kashmir on January 23. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma trained with Mumbai's team, but it's unclear if he will play in the Ranji match, focusing on preparation for the Champions Trophy. Head coach Gautam Gambhir stressed the importance of domestic cricket for player development.
