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Harshit Rana for India against England (Image: BCCI) Harshit Rana, the promising pace bowler, played all three ODIs in the recently concluded three-match series against England. For a moment, just scratch the surface, and you will notice that the think tank picked him for all the three games as they were unsure of Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness for the Champions Trophy. As it happened, the Indian pace spearhead was ruled out of the tournament. So, the onus now is now Mohammed Shami to lead the pace bowling stocks, with Harshit, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya for support. Over a period of time, we have seen enough of Hardik and Shami’s skill sets and their impressive performances. But what about Harshit and Arshdeep? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Here’s a lowdown on the two bowlers.  Harshit: The pace bowler had played only 14 List-A games before his ODI debut. So, those three matches would have helped the pacer to understand the nuances of the 50-over format to some e...

Team India having practice sessions in Dubai (PC: Rohit Juglan) Shamik Chakrabarty in Dubai For the Indian team, things unravelled quickly and spectacularly in Australia. As it usually happens, when a side is in ferment, dirty linen was washed in public. Some startling reports emerged – a cricketer taking his personal chef on the tour, while another player’s entourage had a nanny for his kids. The disaster Down Under forced the BCCI to come up with a 10-point diktat for the players and coaching staff to promote discipline and unity. Before the team left for Dubai for the Champions Trophy, it was ensured that the SOPs were strictly adhered to. Accordingly, players are not accompanied by their families here. Even if some of them eventually turn up, they cannot stay in the team hotel. The players also came together, not in batches. As India had their first practice session at the ICC Academy ground on Sunday, capturing the mood was important. Safe to say that the BCCI guidelines ha...

Shafali Verma for DC and Georgia Wareham for RCB in the WPL (PC: DC & RCB Insta) The Women’s Premier League (WPL), season three will see a thrilling rematch of last season’s final as Delhi Capitals (DC) take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) today at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. Both teams won their opening matches and will look to carry that momentum forward. DC have dominated this fixture historically, leading 4-1 in head-to-head battles. However, RCB’s only win came in last year’s final while chasing a modest target. In DC’s four victories, they won three times batting first and only once while chasing. The match will feature top players from both sides, but all eyes will be on DC opener Shafali Verma. Shafali was recently dropped from the Indian team in both white-ball formats. She was dumped from the shortest format of the game despite scoring 531 runs in 19 T20I innings at an average of 33.18 and a strike rate of 126.73 in 2024. However, she responded strongly in ...

Bangladesh and team India preparing hard ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (PC: ICC) If there is one team whose fans can match India’s for intensity, it is Bangladesh. Their media is also an extension of the team, and will be there in numbers to support Najmul Hossain Shanto and the boys in ICC events. If Shanto’s pre-departure press conference was anything to go by, Bangladesh seems determined to make a mark and play to potential. With a pace attack that is perhaps the best they have ever had, they know they have a chance. They also know India will come hard, and in Dubai there will be a really nice build-up to the game. “We are enjoying the respect we have earned from teams and pundits in the last few years,” says Athar Ali Khan, the former Bangladesh captain. “No one calls us a minnow anymore and every team knows we have the ability to beat them on our day. India knows we will be competitive and if you see the last few games between India and Bangladesh, you know how tight...

Shardul Thakur playing for Mumbai (PC: MCA/X) In the headlines a few weeks ago, the Ranji Trophy is now back among the news briefs. It is unlikely to get more space over the next fortnight if the Men in Blue progress to the business end of the Champions Trophy. However, the semi-finals of India’s premier first-class competition, beginning on Monday (February 17), will unfold in familiar obscurity. That does not mean a drop in seriousness or intensity from the teams involved. The last four feature Kerala alongside Mumbai, Vidarbha, and Gujarat. The southern team has made it this far only once before and is seeking a maiden final appearance. The other three sides have shared five titles between them in the last ten editions. Vidarbha vs Mumbai, VCA Stadium, Nagpur Vidarbha know they can improve on last year’s final, where they fell to Mumbai. They have won seven of their eight matches so far, taking first-innings leads in the other. Bolstered by outstation professionals Karun Nair...

Steve Smith to captain Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (PC: X) As the Australian team embark on a trip to Pakistan, to partake in the Champions Trophy, three illustrious names will be missing from action – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. The pace trio have withdrawn from the tournament for different reasons. However, the crux of the point remains the same: Australia suddenly have a pace attack comprising Spencer Johnson, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis. Just to put that into context, the formidable trio have partaken in every ICC tournament, barring one, since the 2015 World Cup. So, can the inexperienced pace bowling line-up surprise everyone in the Champions Trophy? And did Australia make a mistake by not including a couple of other young quicks? To begin with, Australia still have a bit of firepower in their seam-bowling ranks. Spencer Johnson, the 6’4″ tall pace bowler made his List A debut for South Australia, in 2017. But for the next ...

Left: Rohit Sharma stepping off the bus in Dubai. Right: Highlights from Team India’s journey from Mumbai to Dubai. – Shamik Chakrabarty in Dubai They came together, not in batches. Gautam Gambhir was the first to come out followed by Hardik Pandya and then Virat Kohli. Fans had assembled at the Dubai airport and there was a murmur about not seeing Rohit Sharma. The skipper stepped out of the arrival gate after a while. Rohit boarded the team bus and stepped off it. He chatted with the support staff, seemingly indicating that he had forgotten something. The India captain could have been a good case study for Robert Lynd if the famous Irish writer of the Forgetting fame were alive. Rohit’s forgetfulness is well-known. He once even forgot the team’s decision at the toss. Star Pakistan batsman Babar Azam would attest how Rohit forgot his iPhone and airpods in the plane during the 2023 World Cup. Another Pakistan batsman, Imam-ul-Haq, shared this hilarious anecdote on a podcast. ...