The much-awaited announcement has been made, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally appointed former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the Indian team. He has replaced Rahul Dravid and becomes the 25th player to coach Team India at the highest level. It will be a big opportunity and a challenge at the same time for Gautam Gambhir.
Because with Dravid, India played in three ICC finals and won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. With the Champions Trophy 2025 and the World Test Championship final coming up, Gambhir’s role becomes crucial. But Gambhir’s appointment can bring joy to some players. Not in the current team or setup, but some players from Kolkata Knight Riders, where Gambhir had a successful stint as a mentor in the IPL 2024.
Three KKR players who might get a chance in Indian Team after Gautam Gambhir became Head Coach
1. Varun Chakravarty
Varun Chakravarty has been a key part of the KKR setup for years now. He played a vital role in the IPL 2024 win and was the leading wicket taker for them. The 32-year-old is a mystery spinner and has played six T20Is for India. He was part of the T20 World Cup 2021 but couldn’t make an impact. Varun has taken two wickets in six T20Is and has been ignored since then. But with Gautam Gambhir as head coach, there are chances that Varun can make a comeback.
2. Nitish Rana
The 30-year-old swashbuckling batter, Nitish Rana, is also someone who is searching for a chance in the Indian side. With the team focusing on giving more chances to youngsters in T20Is, Nitish is also hopeful for a comeback. He has played one ODI and 2 T20Is for India. However, Gautam Gambhir knows his potential and might give him his second chance to play for India.
3. Venkatesh Iyer
Gautam Gambhir and Venkatesh Iyer
Venaktesh Iyer is a promising all-rounder who has been on the radar for 3-4 years. He also made his debut for India in 2021 and has played 9 T20Is and 2 ODIs for India. But since 2022, he has not gotten a chance. Venkatesh Iyer was instrumental in KKR’s success in the IPL 2024 and smashed two unbeaten fifties in Qualifier 1 and the Final to help his team win. So, he was in good form, and we might see him making his comeback because of Gautam Gambhir.
Gautam Gambhir, who is all set to take over as the Indian coach in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, has likely kept many upfront choices to the BCCI before his appointment. The KKR mentor who led the team to victory for the third time in the Indian Premier League after the first two times came under his captaincy was soon seen as the forerunner of Indian veteran head coach Rahul Dravid.
Dravid ends his stint with the T20 World Cup title (Image: Hindustan Times)
Dravid, who was on the way to marking his resignation, was stopped by the Indian skipper for the T20 World Cup, and this proved the best of moves as India’s triumph proved the veteran’s efficiency in his leadership and experience. It was under Dravid’s supervision that Men in Blue, India, led by skipper Rohit Sharma, secured a long-cherished victory in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Gautam Gambhir, who has been knocking on the door of BCCI to replace Dravid, in a report provided by a Bengali newspaper, has asked for a potential signing in the role of Team India assistant coach. The KKR mentor wants his franchise’s assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar, to step in as his coach for the Indian team.
Gambhir and Nayar in the winning moments for KKR (Image: LatestLY)
Gambhir has reportedly reached a verbal decision with the ex-India player on a personal level, with chances indicating that as soon as Gambhir joins as Team India’s head coach, there are chances for Nayar to step in as his next in command.
The duo had results for the Kolkata Knight Riders; however, coaching a franchise team is much different from coaching a national side. Still, Team India and Indian fans would expect to see the duo in the Men in Blue colors and also let them secure a prominent place, just like the outgoing coach Rahul Dravid.
India had the most exciting last month playing cricket in the Caribbean. Not only did they end their 13-year trophy drought in World Cups by winning the Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, but several of their players, like Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma have also achieved individual glory.
Among the players who have achieved the most, the best remaining Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had a splendid season with the bat, and Indian ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is often considered the best in the world across all formats.
Jasprit Bumrah was stunning for India as he was declared the Player of the Match in India’s first two group-stage games against Ireland and Pakistan, where he turned a match that never seemed to be going in India’s way.
He bounced back after a wicketless match against the hosts USA and picked up three crucial wickets against Afghanistan in the super-8. In the finals, Bumrah added to his tally with two wickets each against Bangladesh, England, and South Africa. He changed the course of the game in the finals, as he bowled 2-overs in the death for just 6 runs and a wicket at a stage when Proteas needed a comfortable 30 runs of 30 balls.
Bumrah’s never-ending glory at World Cup continues (Image: ICC Cricket)
Jasprit Bumrah picked up 15 wickets in the tournament, playing 8 games for India, averaging 8.25 at a spectacular economy of 4.17. He was already coined Player of the Tournament in the ICC T20 World Cup and joined the elite list with his veteran Virat Kohli having won it twice before in the World Cup.
After, so much to celebrate about Bumrah adds to his glory as he beat his skipper Rohit Sharma and Afghan top scorer Rahmanullah Gurbaz to secure the ICC Player of the Month award for the first time in his career.
“I am delighted to be named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for June,” Bumrah said in the ICC statement. “It’s a special honor for me following a memorable few weeks spent in the USA and West Indies. We have had a lot to celebrate as a team, and I’m delighted to be able to add this personal accolade to the list.”
“I wish to congratulate my captain Rohit Sharma and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for their excellent performances in the same period, and I am humbled to have been chosen as the winner.”
To add to India’s joy, alongside Bumrah, Indian women’s cricketing star, Smriti Mandhana has also been chosen for her maiden ICC Player of the Month award after the left-handed Indian opener performed in an unstoppable fashion in the ongoing series against South Africa women’s across both ODI and test formats. She beat English batters Maia Bouchier and Vishmi Gunaratne to receive the award.
ENG vs WI: James Anderson made his international debut in December 2002. Its been over two decades since he has been performing consistently at the highest level. He is also the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket among the pacers and the third-highest overall. He had an incredible career, which spanned over 22 runs. But the veteran pacer has finally decided to put an end to his superb career and has announced his retirement.
He will be playing his final test at Lord’s. The first ENG vs WI match of the three-match series between England and West Indies, which will start on July 10, will be the final time when Anderson will be bowling with the red-ball for England. This will be a memorable and emotional moment for James Anderson. It will be a packed house, and everyone will be rooting for the 41-year-old.
ENG vs WI: James Anderson eyes a big record in his Farewell Test at Lord’s
James Anderson
Fans will witness the end of an era, and he will leave that legacy behind. He has already achieved a lot in his 22-year-old career, and not many can dream of what he has done so far. But James Anderson still has something to achieve, which he will eye in the first ENG vs WI test match.
Currently, James Anderson has taken 700 wickets in 187 Tests at an average of 26.52. He has 32 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls to his name. Anderson is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests after Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708). But Anderson can end his career as the second-highest wicket-taker.
He is just 9 wickets away from doing that. If Anderson can go on to pick nine wickets, he will end up taking 709 wickets and creating history. Adding to that, Anderson has picked up 987 wickets in international cricket overall. He can also become the third bowler to reach the golden mark of 1000 wickets. He needs 13 wickets to do so.
Anderson has always been at his best in English conditions, and there are chances that he can do it. Murali (1347) and Warne (1001) are the only two bowlers with 1000 or more wickets. Furthermore, the pacer has 32 Test fifers, and if he can take two in two innings, he will equal Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath with the most Test fifers. So James Anderson is eyeing some big records in the first game.
IND vs ZIM: The five-match T20 series between India and Zimbabwe is evenly poised, with both teams winning one game each. Zimbabwe stunned India in the first game, and the visitors thumped the hosts in the second. Now the third match is scheduled to take place on Wednesday (July 10) at 4:30 PM at Harare Sports Club. India have the momentum and will look to win it.
But they can’t write off Zimbabwe, who beat them in the first match. India will be strengthened with the return of Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shivam Dube. But where they will fit these players will be a question. But apart from these players, there will be some key battles between both sides which will be worth watching. Hence, here we will talk about the three key player battles in the third IND vs ZIM clash.
3 Key Battles to Watch Out for in IND vs ZIM 3rd T20
1. Shubman Gill vs Blessing Muzarabani
The Indian captain has been short of runs and is struggling at the moment. So he will look to get some runs in the third IND vs ZIM game. The competition for an opener is very tough, and others are performing, so Gill needs to score some runs. But he will be up against Zimbabwe’s best pacer, Blessings Muzarabani. The tall pacer dismissed Gill in the last game as well, and it is not easy to hit him. He bowls at a tight line and gets the bounce. So this will be an important battle.
2. Abhishek Sharma vs Brain Bennett
IND vs ZIM
Abhishek Sharma was on fire in the second IND vs ZIM clash. He smashed a 46-ball ton and announced himself on the biggest stage. He showed everyone that what he was doing in the IPL, he would do similar at the international level as well. That’s how he will approach the third IND vs ZIM game, so for Zimbabwe, they need to dismiss him. That’s where all-rounder Brain Bennett can come in handy. He dismissed Abhishek in the first game and created a chance in the second as well. Interestingly, when Bennett bats, Abhishek is likely to bowl to him. So we will see this battle in both innings.
3. Sikandar Raza vs Avesh Khan
Sikandar Raza is the most important player for Zimbabwe. The captain has immense experience and knows how to score runs against big teams. That’s where his stay at the crease is very important for the hosts. He is good against spinners, but Avesh Khan has troubled him in this series. The Indian pacer has dismissed him twice in two matches and will be looking to do it for the third time in the coming IND vs ZIM clash. So Raza will look to take him on.
IND vs ZIM: ‘Captaincy’ plays a huge role in the game of cricket, unlike several other sports. The current series against Zimbabwe has seen a new Indian skipper, Shubman Gill, in the absence of the senior pros.
Shubman Gill was also seen leading the IPL franchise team Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024 after they parted ways with title-winning captain Hardik Pandya. Gill though had to see a major drop in form after being named the new captain. So young a captain was never seen in IPL before.
Shubman Gill in IPL 2023 for Gujarat Titans
Gill scored 890 runs in the previous edition of the IPL 2023 but saw a major drop in the next season with just 426 runs, which is not even half the score the promising young batter had scored in the last season. Alongside this, Gill was very inconsistent, not able to score well in over half of the matches he played in 2024; this proved that captaincy is too much pressure for the youngster.
After such an unconvincing performance in the IPL, he could not make it to India’s T20 World Cup squad; however, despite all odds, Gill was chosen as the skipper of a young Indian team for their tour to Zimbabwe.
Gill disappoints once again as Team India skipper (Image: Reveal Inside)
However, taking them lightly went wrong for the Indian team in the series opener as Raza led Zimbabwe to shock the Men in Blue. Shubman Gill has not been in the best of touch, as he scored a run-a-ball 31 in the first game and could not lead the Men In Blue to victory with a low-score target of 116.
He even could not contribute when the Indians wreaked havoc at Harare in the second T20I as the Indian team scored a massive 234 runs. Provided with captaincy at such a young age, is that a burden for the promising young talent from India?
Like Gill, Kapil Dev was 24-years old when he lifted the World Cup for India (Image: ICC Cricket)
India records an immense legacy with young captains, with legendary skipper Kapil Dev lifting the first ever World Cup for India just at the age of 24, the same as the current age of Shubman Gill. However, with several senior players remaining in the India side, with the likes of Pandya and Pant, the captaincy role for Gill seems to be too early a call.
As believed by cricket analysts, Shubman Gill should be relieved of all burdens and given a free ticket to explore his hand with the willow. With the Sri Lanka series approaching hopefully, the new Indian coach will step in to provide someone else with the captaincy role, while Gill will be seen as India’s first-choice opening batsman and a probable contender to replace veteran Virat Kohli in the shortest format of the game.
PAK vs ZIM 2024: The postponed Zimbabwe tour of the Pakistan Cricket Team is now rescheduled and Pakistan will be traveling to Zimbabwe in late November of this year. Here is the PAK vs ZIM 2024 Schedule, Dates and Timings, Venues, and Full Details of the Pakistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2024.
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Under the leadership of Babar Azam, the team fell short of expectations at the 2024 T20 World Cup, hosted in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA). The Men in Green were eliminated during the group stage of the ICC tournament, with a significant early defeat to the USA in their opening match.
Pakistan Team (Getty Images)
Now, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have announced the white ball schedule of the Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe which was pre-scheduled before the T20 World Cup 2024. The bilateral series between the two nations is set to commence on 24 November with an ODI game.
Pakistan team is set to play a three-match ODI series first and then followed by a three-match T20I series and all the matches of the tour are scheduled to be played at the Queens Sports Club stadium in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.
PAK vs ZIM 2024 Schedule, Dates and Timings, Venues, and Full Details of Pakistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2024 12
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on AIR that this series is going to be vital for their strategy in future course of action. He said “These series are a vital part of our strategy to strengthen Pakistan’s position in international cricket and ensure long-term sustainability for the sport in our country. We deeply value the participation of these teams and players, who will bring immense talent and competitive spirit to our fields.”
Let’s take a look at the PAK vs ZIM 2024 Schedule, Dates and Timings, Venues, and Full Details of the Pakistan Tour of Zimbabwe 2024:
PAK vs ZIM 2024 Schedule
Coming back to the schedule, the tour will begin with the ODI series. The ODI matches are scheduled for November 24, 26, and 28. Following this, the two sides will play a T20I series scheduled for December 1, 3, and 5. This series is seen as vital preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled for February and March in Pakistan next year.
ODI schedule:
Date
Match
Venue
Timing
24 November
PAK vs ZIM 1st ODI
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
12:45 pm (IST)
26 November
PAK vs ZIM 2nd ODI
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
12:45 pm (IST)
28 November
PAK vs ZIM 3rd ODI
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
12:45 pm (IST)
T20I Schedule
Date
Match
Venue
Timing
1 December
PAK vs ZIM 1st T20I
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
4:30 pm (IST)
3 December
PAK vs ZIM 2nd T20I
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
4:30 pm (IST)
5 December
PAK vs ZIM 3rd T20I
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
4:30 pm (IST)
PAK vs ZIM 2024 SQUADS
The squads for the schedule are yet to be announced. Stay tuned to the official page of ICC CRICKET SCHEDULEfor more updates on this series.
David Warner, the Australian legend, has retired from all forms of cricket over the last year. The legendary cricketer had already retired from the longest format of the game and also took his last go at the ODI format after Australia won the World Cup for the 6th time.
The veteran Australian retired from the shortest format of the game, the T20Is, after Australia crashed out of the Super-8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 without making it to the semi-finals after their loss to Afghanistan.
The Australian legend retires after a long-spanning career of 15 years with several great achievements. Warner retires with 18995 runs in international cricket alongside his commendable 49 centuries.
With several questions raised over what will be the future of David Warner with Australia—shall he play the next T20 World Cup in 2026?—Warner answers it all with his Instagram post.
The veteran cricketer is very often seen active on social media, and it is where he made an official announcement.
“Chapter Closed!! It’s been an unbelievable experience to play at the highest level for such a long period. Australia was my team. The majority of my career was at the international level. It’s been an honor to be able to do this. 100+ games in all formats is my highlight.”
“I want to say thanks to everyone out there who has made this possible. My wife and my girls, who sacrificed so much, thank you for all your support. No person will ever know what we’ve been through. For all the cricket fans out there. I truly hope I have entertained you and changed cricket, especially Tests, in a way where we scored a bit faster than others. We cannot do what we do without the love from our fans, so thanks.”
This is what Warner ended his retirement post with.
The veteran retires with some unimaginable records for the men from the Kangaroo Islands, making him the second Aussie after great Ricky Ponting to have achieved such a feat. However, do not worry, pals, as David Warner would still be seen with his explosive batting style honoring the pitches at every possible franchise he features for and he also keeps his chances open for the Champions trophy, next year, saying if he is picked for the same.
IND vs SL: Sri Lanka, a team with a great legacy in world cricket, has lost their status with their largely compromised performance over the last decade. Glory, the word now seems to be the phoenix bird for the Sri Lankan national cricket team.
Ever since the golden generation of Sri Lankan cricket has passed, which included the likes of the greatest ever Lankan cricketers, from Kumara Sangakara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Muralidharan to Jayasuriya and Dilshan, they have never been to a major trophy triumph.
The Greatests from Sri Lanka (Image: The Sports Legends)
The men from the island nation of the subcontinent have been a great side in the shortest format of the game and have won 2 major T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2014. However, this same Sri Lankan team failed to even get past the group stage in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the United States.
They failed to qualify for the Super-8 after being placed in the same group with Bangladesh, South Africa, and the Netherlands, with the Lankans losing to all of them. After this humiliation, the Lankan head coach Chris Silverwood and cricket consultant Mahela Jayawardene submitted their resignations.
After Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup humilation the Lankan head coach and consultant of cricket resigns (Image: Times of India)
The legendary Sri Lankan all-rounder has featured in over 400 ODI career matches with experience of 5 World Cup campaigns, of which he was an inevitable part when Sri Lanka went on to be the World Champions in 1996 under Ranatunga and later reached the 2007 World Cup finals under Jayawardene. He is the only cricketer in the world to have scored 12000+ runs alongside picking 300+ wickets in his limited-overs career.
Beginning of an era of terrific striking of the cricket ball in Sri Lankan cricket (Image: Cricbuzz.com)
The splendid cricketer, often marked as one of cricket’s Master Blasters, will be in office with immediate effect, and his first major role will be to respond to the India series. India will be touring Sri Lanka from the 27th of July for 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs, and every team in the world is looking to do better with the Champions Trophy in sight in the upcoming cricketing year.
India women are the defending champions of the Asia Cup as they secured the title in 2022, defeating Sri Lanka comfortably in Sylhet. Jemimah Rodrigues was India’s highest run-getter in the tournament.
The defending champions Women in Blue have not surprised anyone with their squad selection, as out of the 17-member squad playing against South Africa in the current series, 15 members were included in the squad for the Asia Cup to be held in Dambulla.
However, India has left out some vital names like Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gaikwad, Yastika Bhatia, and Harleen Deol from the list of players who are a regular part of the side and have BCCI contracts as well.
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Let’s take a good look at the full squad of players chosen for India’s Asia Cup campaign.
Batters
On the batting front, India possesses extreme class and talent, as they have the likes of world-class cricketers led by their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.
Jemimah Rodrigues was India’s highest run-getter in the competition in the previous edition of the game and is currently the best in the format as she has impressed owners of the franchise teams with her performance. She will be India’s most trustworthy aid on the batting front.
Jemimah Rodrigues for India in Asia Cup 2022 (Image: The Cricketer)
Smriti Mandhana: The only adjective that suits her name is the ‘best’. Mandhana has been India’s best batter in the shortest format of the game and also the second-highest run scorer for the Women in Blue. With 3000+ runs and her superior form, Mandhana remains to be India’s most reliable batter.
Harmanpreet Kaur: The Indian skipper has been the highest run-getter in the format and has even more experience in the format than ex-captain Mithali Raj. Kaur, though not the most consistent yet, has rescued Indian women from several dire situations of trouble and has been a match-winner for them and will continue to be so.
Shefali Verma: India’s young sensation, has been roaring in international cricket ever since her debut in the format. Known for her fearless stance and six-hitting prowess, Verma will be desired to fire in.
Alongside these players, India will have the services of their all-rounders and Dayalan Hemalatha.
All-Rounders
T20, the shortest format, is quite often known as the all-rounders game. The format demands players who can perform from both ends, and their fitness allows them great game time.
Deepti Sharma
India’s likely most experienced cricketer after skipper Kaur. She has been a part of the Indian set-up for years and will remain to be in years to come, as he seems irreplaceable from the Women in Blue. Sharma has 1000+ runs in the format despite batting down the order, and her wicket tally gets filled now and then.
Pooja Vastrakar
In recent times, Vastrakar has been India’s go-to all-rounder, much like Hardik Pandya from the Men’s team. Pooja is a clean hitter of the white ball and has been provided with different roles as a bowler. She has excelled for Women in Blue with the ball in the powerplay and death with both the new and the old ball. Her contribution will be inevitable if India looks to go on the quest for defending their title and be the champions of Asia for the 8th time in 9 competitions since 2004.
(Image: Female Cricket)
Sajeevan Sajana
Sajana has been recently made a part of Team India’s squad, and the batter has had quite a season domestically. She is a right-handed batter and bowls right-arm off break, equally efficient to replace Sneh Rana, who has been dropped from the format.
Richa Ghosh: India’s main front-line batter and wicketkeeper, Richa has been a stunning addition since her initial days. Ghosh is a fearless striker of the cricket ball and brings immense power to the side.
Uma Chetry: The Assam women’s cricketer has now been in the Indian side for quite some time, though he has not often been provided with much game time due to the batting prowess of Richa.
Bowlers
Shreyanka Patil: Since her excellent campaign in the WPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore that led them to a title clinch, the first ever for the franchise in the IPL. The spinner can be an asset for the team, especially when playing in the subcontinent.
Shreyanka Patil the young lady stars in India colours (Image: Crictoday)
Renuka Singh: She was India’s most stunning performer in the previous edition of the Asia Cup in 2022, with the ball. Singh is probably the only full-time pace bowler in the side, while others like Vastrakar and Reddy are more among the all-rounders.
Uma Chetry gets first call for India in a major tournament (Image: News 18)
INDIA Women’s full squad for Women’s Asia Cup 2024: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shefali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry, Richa Ghosh, Dayalan Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Sajeevan Sajana, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Asha Sobhana, and Radha Yadav.
