Cricket now

Rachin Ravindra (PC: X) Rachin Ravindra delivered a match-winning all-round performance to guide New Zealand to a commanding 61-run victory over Sri Lanka in their Super Eight clash of the ICC T20 World Cup on February 25 in Colombo. During the post-match presentation, Ravindra reflected on the win and said, “It’s always pleasing to take a win like that. Amazing, specially at their home, awesome performance. I guess understanding that slower was better, and a few stats were put out there… Under 85ks. Santner is obviously a master at that craft, so we decided slower is the plan.” Ravindra made an impact throughout the game. With the bat, he scored 32 off 22 balls and helped stabilise the innings. With the ball, he was equally effective, picking up four crucial wickets in his four overs while conceding just 27 runs. His spell broke the back of Sri Lanka’s batting line-up and earned him the Player of the Match award. Speaking about playing in Sri Lanka, Ravindra said, “The Sri Lanka...

  Team India net session ahead of their second Super 8s clash against Zimbabwe. Image: Gargi Raut, Revsportz After the kind of defeat India suffered against South Africa, it would have been easy to panic and implement hurried tactical overhauls. But at Chepauk, ahead of their second Super 8s clash against Zimbabwe, India began their session with a light-hearted team activity. The practice reflected Suryakumar Yadav’s “We stay in the present” statement on the evening of the South Africa match. There was no visible agitation; the atmosphere surrounding the team was that of a side that believes in its process. Practice began as it usually does, with warm-ups and catching drills. This time, however, a light-hearted team activity was woven into the routine. It is a pattern that has become increasingly visible in India’s training sessions. After every significant loss or high-pressure encounter, the management makes it a point to reset the emotional temperature before anything else....

  Indian team during their practice session at Chepauk Stadium. Image: Gargi Raut, Revsportz Control the controllables. Don’t try to think about things that are not in your hands. Easier said than done, but that’s what India have to do. You can’t undo Ahmedabad. You can’t undo the negative net run rate. What you can do is win big and win every game from here on. Then let things pan out as they will. Trying to overthink or worry about other results won’t help; it will only impact India’s efforts against Zimbabwe and West Indies. Whoever watched the West Indies-Zimbabwe game will know how Shimron Hetmyer did not allow Sikandar Raza to settle. His first over went for 26, and that’s when the game was done. Yes, Hetmyer was dropped twice, and one of them was an easy chance. But he backed himself and did not go into a shell or try to anchor the innings. He chanced his arm, and it worked for him. We have heard a lot about fearless cricket. India need to play fearless cricket. Not ove...

Harry_Brook (PC: ICC/X) England captain Harry Brook expressed his delight at their narrow two-wicket win over Pakistan in the Super Eight fixture, which secured them a place in the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony after being adjudged Player of the Match, Brook said: “Very happy with the way we played there. It’s just nice to get through to the semi-finals now. We’ve got one more game against New Zealand and we’ll focus on that, but the bigger prize is on the other side. In T20 cricket, getting early wickets is crucial. Jofra Archer has been brilliant – I think he’s taken eight powerplay wickets now. He’s been doing that for years and it really puts the opposition on the back foot.” Batting first, Pakistan got off to a poor start as the England bowlers made two early breakthroughs within the fourth over. After that, Sahibzada Farhan stitched together a 46-run partnership with Babar Azam, which provided some stabi...

Auqib Nabi ( PC- X) It took about 22 years for Jammu and Kashmir to register their maiden Ranji Trophy win, with J&K defeating Services by four wickets in the 1982–83 season. A little more than four decades later, in the 2024–25 season, for a brief moment, one wondered whether it could be J&K’s annus mirabilis. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as they suffered heartbreak against Kerala, with the latter eking out a lead of just one run in the quarter-final to enter the semi-finals. The battle-hardened cricketers from J&K did not give up, though. The very next season, they have marched to the summit clash of the Ranji Trophy, where the Paras Dogra-led side will lock horns with Karnataka in Hubli today. Around four months ago, there did not seem to be any fairytale story in store for J&K as they had just lost to Mumbai in a see-saw battle. Instead of wallowing in a defeatist attitude, they went on to finish second in their group. That was followed by victories over fo...

Mitchell has been given a new role in the T20I team. (PC: BCCI) New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell has shed light on his new role as a finisher in the team ahead of their Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka, scheduled for February 25. Mitchell has batted only twice in the tournament so far. On both occasions, he came in at number six, scoring 25 not out and 32. In the five-match series against India prior to the start of the World Cup, Mitchell played a similar role. Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman have been batting above him, with Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra forming the top order. “I have a finisher’s role from the 10-over mark onwards – trying to read and adapt to the situation of the game and help us win those moments at the back end of the innings,” Mitchell told Reuters. Allen and Seifert have done the bulk of the scoring for the Kiwis in the World Cup. Mitchell hopes the opening pair continue their strong form at the top, while also acknowledging the balance ...