IPL 2024 Auctions: MS Dhoni-led CSK released 8 players ahead of the IPL 2024 Auctions, which is set to be held on December 19. The franchise has retained most of its players and not tinkered with the overall balance of the squad. However, they will need some shopping during the IPL 2024 Auctions and this article will lead you through 3 players CSK should buy in the auctions.



CSK is known for its smart buys over the years and it has paid dividends to the franchise as well. They believe in not mixing and matching a lot of players during the mini-auctions to keep the balance of the squad intact unless something goes drastically wrong for the team, which so far hasn't been the case.



CSK have INR 31.5 crores in their purse after releasing eight players from the squad including the likes of Ben Stokes, Dwaine Pretorius, Sisanda Magala, Bhagath Verma, Akash Singh, Subhranshu Senapati, Kyle Jamieson and Ambati Rayudu.



The yellow franchise has six slots to fill during the auction out of which three will be the overseas picks. Let's discuss about 3 Players CSK Should Buy in the IPL 2024 Auction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Players CSK Should Buy in IPL 2024 Auction</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Manish Pandey</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2022/01/Manish-Pandey-SRH-1.jpg" alt="IPL 2024 Auction: 3 Players CSK Should Buy in IPL 2024 Auction | Chennai Super Kings" class="wp-image-82530" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: AFP</figcaption></figure>



CSK's middle order looks comparatively weak with the release of Ambati Rayudu, who has bid adieu to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rayudu was mostly entrusted with accelerator's role in the middle order after the stage was set by the top-order batters and he more often than not succeeded in his role.



Now, with the absence of Rayudu, CSK will have to find a replacement player, who can fill up the spot in the middle order. The franchise can look up to Manish Pandey, who has been released by Delhi Capitals (DC), for the role.



Over the years in the IPL, Manish Pandey has had the responsibility of middle order for different franchises and he has experienced decent success in it as well. Although the last couple of seasons haven't been fruitful for the batter, his overall record remains quite noteworthy.



In 170 IPL matches, Pandey has mustered over 3,800 runs at an average of 29.07 and at a decent strike rate of 120.97. He has struck 22 half-centuries along with 1 century during his IPL career.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Shahrukh Khan</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2021/05/Shahrukh-Khan-PBKS.jpg" alt="IPL 2024 Auction: 3 Players CSK Should Buy in IPL 2024 Auction | Chennai Super Kings" class="wp-image-63795" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: IPL</figcaption></figure>



CSK can further bolster their IPL squad with the inclusion of Tamil Nadu star batter Shahrukh Khan. The batter not only brings stability to the team but also provides an option to have another finisher, besides MS Dhoni.



It's a no-brainer that MS Dhoni won't play for longer anymore. The upcoming edition of the tournament could be his final dance in the tournament. So the franchise will require someone who can do the job in the future. Moreover, Shahrukh's inclusion also goes well with CSK's policy to nurture homegrown talent into a future superstar.



Shahrukh Khan has played three seasons of the Indian Premier League, but his best performance, so far, has come in the recently held IPL 2023. In 14 appearances for Punjab Kings, the Tamil Nadu batter amassed 156 runs at a fantastic strike rate of 165.96. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Gerald Coetzee</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/12/Gerald-Coetzee.jpg" alt="IPL 2024 Auction: 3 Players CSK Should Buy in IPL 2024 Auction | Chennai Super Kings" class="wp-image-123165" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: ICC</figcaption></figure>



One of the issues CSK needs to address in the IPL 2024 Auction will be their bowling abilities in the middle overs. Moreover, with the unavailability of Ben Stokes, the position looks even more demanding for CSK.



South African pacer Gerald Coetzee would be a decent choice to tie up the laces in the middle order. Coetzee had a fantastic outing in the recently concluded World Cup 2023 in India. He became the lead pacer for his side throughout the event and returned with the memorable figure of 20 scalps in eight matches. 



In fact, his performance in the Australia tour of South Africa 2023 was clinical where he picked up three wickets in the T20Is and six in ODIs.



ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2024-5-foreign-players-who-may-become-expensive-buys-during-ipl-2024-auction/">IPL 2024: 5 Foreign Players Who May Become Expensive Buys During IPL 2024 Auction</a>



For More, Check The Official Site:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iplt20.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IPLT20</a>

IPL 2024 Auction: 3 Players CSK Should Buy in IPL 2024 Auction | Chennai Super Kings

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3 Bowlers RCB can target in IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had a pretty decent outing in the IPL 2023, where they finished in the sixth spot after the league stages. The franchise had struggled in the bowling department throughout the season. To overhaul their bowling unit completely, they released three of their frontline bowlers and others ahead of the IPL 2024 Auction.



RCB released 11 players from their previous year's squad, including the likes of Wanindu Hasaranga, Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel among others. 



Below is the list of players released by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the IPL 2024 Auctions:



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">RCB Released Players for IPL 2024:</h4>



Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Wayne Parnell, Sonu Yadav, Avinash Singh, Siddharth Kaul, Kedar Jadhav.



With the release of Hasaranga, Hazlewood and Harshal Patel, RCB has taken out the heart of their bowling lineup. The franchise will have to do a lot of bowler's shopping in the upcoming IPL 2024 Auctions, which is scheduled to be held on December 19.



RCB has INR 23 Crores of purse value left. After the completion of the player retention and release, the franchise cracked a deal with Mumbai Indians (MI) to trade in Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for a whopping INR 17.5 Crores.



The inclusion of Cameron Green would provide stability to the team, which is majorly top-heavy. If he bats, and bats well, in the middle order then RCB's middle-order woes will possibly end. Moreover, he is a handy operator of the ball and can give his captain a couple of overs.



As far as the bowling unit is concerned, RCB's main cog, Mohammad Siraj has been retained. The franchise has Reece Topley as Siraj's overseas partner, so far, and a few domestic talents.



This article will lead you through 3 Bowlers RCB can target in IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Bowlers RCB can target in IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/12/Gerald-Coetzee.jpg" alt="3 Bowlers RCB can target in IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai | Royal Challengers Bangalore " class="wp-image-123165" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: ICC</figcaption></figure>



Mitchell Starc: Australian star pacer Mitchell Starc has finally made up his mind to feature in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). The speedster has enrolled for the IPL 2024 Auctions and is likely to be one of the hot picks. He last featured in the IPL in 2015, however, since then he kept himself distanced from the league.



RCB can try their luck in getting the services of Mitchell Starc during the IPL 2024 Auctions. He can be paired alongside Mohammed Siraj in the powerplays. Moreover, he is a decent choice for death bowling, where RCB has suffered the most.



Gerald Coetzee: South African 23-year-old pacer Gerald Coetzee impressed everyone with his outstanding skills during the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023 in India. The pacer was amongst the top five highest wicket-takers during the tournament. He scalped 20 wickets in just eight outings at an economy of 6.23.



Coetzee is also going to be one of those players who will be chased by almost every franchise during the auctions.



Bas de Leed: While not many players end up getting an IPL contract from the associate nations, Bas de Leed could become an exception very soon. The all-rounder scalped 16 wickets from nine outings and was one of the highest wickets takers in the tournament. Moreover, the Dutch all-rounder managed to score 139 runs for his team throughout the competition, which shows that he can be a decent operator of the bat as well.



ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2024-3-players-mumbai-indians-mi-can-target-in-ipl-2024-auction/">IPL 2024: 3 Players Mumbai Indians (MI) can target in IPL 2024 Auction</a>



For More, Check The Official Site:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iplt20.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IPLT20</a>

3 Bowlers RCB can target in IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai | Royal Challengers Bangalore

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RSA vs IND, 3rd T20I: Following a disheartening setback at the hands of the Mighty Proteas in the second T20I, Team India will try to even the series with a win in the third T20I. The Men in Blue managed to post a total of 180 runs on the board thanks to some brilliant knocks from Rinku Singh (68 runs off 39 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (56 runs off 36 balls) and a decent innings of 29 runs by Tilak Verma, but the Rain Gods had other plans as the rain interruption quickened the slow pitch and the South Africans were asked to chase 152 runs from 15 overs.



With an aggressive approach, openers Reeza Hendricks and Matthew Breetzke went after the Indian bowlers from ball one and got The Proteas off to a flier in the first three overs, with the score reading 42-0 and 24 runs coming off Young Arshdeep Singh's first over. Breetzke then threw his wicket away in search of a second run when there was no need for it, but his dismissal didn?t bother the South Africans much as Skipper Markram walked in to bat at no. 3 and continued the aggressive approach by smashing a hat-trick of 4?s in Mukesh Kumar?s 1st over.



The wet outfield didn?t assist the Indian bowlers either, as they struggled to grip the ball throughout the 2nd inning and paid the price for missing their line and length, and the South African batters capitalized on their mistakes by hammering the Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/12/shamsi-1.jpg" alt="ICC T20I Player Rankings (Rank 1 to 10) Updated (13 December) After SA vs IND 2nd T20I | Full ICC Men?s T20I Player Standings" class="wp-image-123643" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tabraiz Shamsi (Image-Associate Press)</figcaption></figure>



The partnership of 54 runs from 30 balls between Skipper Aiden Markram (30 runs off 17 balls) and opener Reeze Hendricks (49 runs off 27 balls) put the Proteas in a comfortable position. India tried to comeback in the game by picking up 3 wickets in 3 consecutive overs, but Tristan Stubbs (14 runs off 12 balls) and Andile Phehlukwayo (10 runs off 4 balls) kept their cool and ensured that the South Africans ended the 2nd T20i with a win and led the 3-match series 1-0. Tabraiz Shamsi won the man of the match award for his brilliant economical spell of 1/18 in 4 overs.



The 3rd and the Final T20i match between The Men in Blue and The Proteas will take place tomorrow at the DP World Wanderers Stadium of Johannesburg and the match will start at 8:30 PM IST.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">IND vs SA 3rd T20I Overview</h2>



Series / Tour - India?s tour of South Africa 2023-24



Match: India vs South Africa 3rd T20i



Date: Thursday, 14th of December 2023



Venue: DP World Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg



Time: 8:30 pm IST



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">IND vs SA 2nd T20I Players to Watch Out For</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Rinku Singh</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/12/Rinku-Singh-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-123229" /></figure>



Rinku Singh scored his maiden 50 and the best T20i score of his international career vs. South Africa as he smashed an unbeaten 68 runs off 39 balls in the 2nd T20i. Rinku is usually known for his role as a finisher, but in yesterday?s match vs. South Africa, he showed he is more than just a finisher. He started off his innings with a brilliant straight drive, but he started to build his innings when Suryakumar Yadav took the aggressive route, and after the skipper went back to the pavilion, Rinku went back to his aggressive approach and helped India reach a respectable total of 180 runs before the rain interruption. He is in great form and would like to continue his great form in the 3rd T20i as well. With such performances, Rinku will cement his place in India?s 2024 T20 World Cup squad with ease.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Ruturaj Gaikwad</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/04/gaik-1.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-107657" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(Photo by Alex Pantling - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



Ruturaj Gaikwad was unable to participate in the previous game owing to illness, and both players,Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, were dismissed for ducks. Ruturaj scored the most runs in the five-match T20i series vs. the Aussies, and he would be hoping to recover quickly from his illness and reproduce his success in the third and final match of the T20i series against South Africa, helping the Men in Blue even the series. His return to the starting lineup would improve the team's overall performance.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Gerald Coetzee</h3>



Gerald Coetzee was superb with the ball for South Africa in the recently concluded Odi World Cup, picking up 20 wickets from eight matches at an economy rate of 6.23, and he was good with the ball in the previous T20i vs India, as he picked up three wickets and dismissed Tilak Verma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Arshdeep Singh. The 23-year-old would be critical for the South Africans if they were to win the series in the next match.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Shubman Gill</h3>



Shubman Gill, regarded as the Prince of Indian Cricket, returned to the Indian team in yesterday?s match vs South Africa but failed to get going as he got dismissed for a duck and was getting troubled by the fast bowlers of South Africa. He was in decent form in the ODI World Cup and he is also the highest run scorer of the 2023 calendar year, having scored 2118 runs, which includes ten 50s and seven 100s at an average of 102.17. He would like to end the year on a high by performing well in India?s tour of South Africa, and his form would be crucial in India?s hopes of leveling the series 1-1 against South Africa.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mukesh Kumar</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/01/Mukesh-kumar-1.jpg" alt="IND vs NZ: India can make these 3 Changes for the T20I | Predicting Playing XI for the 2nd T20I | India vs New Zealand" class="wp-image-101717" /></figure>



Mukesh Kumar is a pretty good talent with the ball, and he has performed well in the domestic circuit of Indian cricket. He was selected for the five-match series vs. Australia, and he handled the death bowling duties pretty well. However, against South Africa in the 2nd T20i, even though he managed to pick up 2 wickets by dismissing the set Aiden Markram and the dangerous David Miller, he bowled at an economy rate of 11.3, which is quite high. He would have to bowl economically in the next match as The Men in Blue are relying on him and the experienced Mohammed Siraj to handle the pace bowling department vs. South Africa.



Read:<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ind-vs-sa-3rd-t20i-strongest-playing11-for-india-south-africa-squad-details-india-vs-south-africa-3rd-t20i/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ind-vs-sa-3rd-t20i-strongest-playing11-for-india-south-africa-squad-details-india-vs-south-africa-3rd-t20i/"> IND vs SA 3rd T20I: Strongest Playing11 for India &amp; South Africa, Squad Details | India vs South Africa 3rd T20I</a>



For more details head to ICC?s?<a href="https://www.icc-cricket.com/homepage" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">official website.</a>

RSA vs IND, 3rd T20I: Players to Watch out For | India Tour of South Africa, Last T20I

rsa-vs-ind-3rd-t20i-players-to-watch-out-for-india-tour-of-south-africa-last-t20i

Top 5 Most Expensive Players in IPL 2024 Auction on December 19: The D-Day for the IPL 2024 Auctions, albeit a mini one, December 19, 2023 is just just one sleep away. The preparations for the event are underway as the BCCI plans to stage it in Dubai's Coca Cola Arena on Tuesday. Notably, it's the first time that the BCCI has moved the IPL auctions out of the country.



IPL auctions have had their share in making hype for the upcoming season of the IPL. All the buzz around players getting sold, dropped and traded has played a part in the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL). More so, because the IPL auction somewhat paints a clear picture as to what the team has strategised for the tournament.



The IPL 2024 Auction are preceeded by a World Cup event, although ODI, so there will be a manupulation factor which will be derived from the players' performance in the recently held World Cup in India. The top stars of the event are almost certain fetch a handsome pay from their respective franchises.



This edition of the mini-auction will see 333 players go under the hammer. Of those, 119 are overseas and the rest (214) are domestic players. A maximum of 70 player slots are to be filled during the cash-filled event with a total of INR 262.48 Crore purse amongst the 10 IPL teams. 



Among the 333 registered players for the auction, the top players include the likes of Pat Cummins, Harry Brook, Harshal Patel, Shardul Thakur, Travis Head, Steve Smith and Gerald Coetzee among others.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top 5 Most Expensive Players in IPL 2024 Auction on December 19</h2>



It is often a case that the IPL has been generously rewarding for a player who knows a bit of both bowling and batting. The all-rounders have seen their stocks rise since the inception of the tournament. Since 2012 IPL, the most expensive player each year is an all-rounder, barring a few seasons.



The last season saw English all-rounder Sam Curran go bonkers during the auction with him fetching a whopping INR 18.5 Crores from Punjab Kings. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2022/04/Pat-Cummins.jpg" alt="Top 5 Most Expensive Players in IPL 2024 Auction on December 19" class="wp-image-87910" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: IPL/BCCI</figcaption></figure>



Pat Cummins: The Australian ODI World Cup winning captain, Pat Cummins, though, hasn't enjoyed a excessive out of the box success in the IPL, surely he is among the top 5 players who can induce bidding war between the teams during auction. His skills are second to none with him being the most effective in the powerplays and middle overs in the innings. Moreover, Cummins can play handy cameos late in the order to provide a fitting end to the innings.



Mitchell Starc: Mitchell Starc has been the guy who has been an apple of everyone's eye no matter what his mischieves are. The pacer's stocks have been on a rise for many years and they do not know how to fall. Though most of the times Stac has remained out of the IPL to manage his workload, his abilities with the ball in hand have kept all the IPL franchises in a loop. 



The Aussie pacer can deliver in the powerplays and even in death overs - two of the most challenging phases of the innings. He is equipped to delivery both, conventional swing and reverse swing, at high speeds. Moreover, he is a handy batter to tonk a few hits here and there at the end of the innings.



Shardul Thakur: There are not many Indian players who offer fast bowling abilities with some batting skills and Shardul Thakur is one of the few who fits the criteria. Often critisised to leak runs, Shardul Thakur's most potent weapon is his slower bouncers and wobble seam delivery. He has the knack for producing wickets when nothing works for a team. To add to this, he has the element of batting down the order and increase the scoring rate.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2023/11/IMG_6478.jpg" alt="Top 5 Most Expensive Players in IPL 2024 Auction on December 19" class="wp-image-122274" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rachin Ravindra {PC: ICC WC 23}</figcaption></figure>



Rachin Ravindra: With teams struggling to find a worthy opener, New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra has emerged as the solution for them. However, this is just not it. Ravindra has also showed his potential to bat anywhere in the innings be it top order, middle order or down the order. To add cherry on the cake, the Kiwi can deliver a few quick overs in between giving his captain an added advantage of a fingerspinner.



Gerald Coetzee: The recent ODI World Cup turned out to be fruitful for the young players and Gerald Coetzee was one of them, who enjoyed his outing in the coveted tournament. The Protea pacer has the knack of hitting consistently 140 Kmph and knocking off the batter in any phase of the innings. Despite playing just eight games in the recently held World Cup, Coetzee managed to feature in the fifth place in the list of top wicket takers, which shows his consistently in picking wickets regularly.



ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/ipl-2024-no-rohit-sharma-as-mumbai-indians-captain-hardik-pandya-to-lead-mi-in-ipl-2024/#google_vignette">IPL 2024: No Rohit Sharma as Mumbai Indians Captain, Hardik Pandya to lead MI in IPL 2024</a>



For more details head to <a href="https://www.iplt20.com/">IPL's </a>official website.

Top 5 Most Expensive Players in IPL 2024 Auction on December 19

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Nitish Kumar Reddy has made history. The third day of the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has ended with the visitors fighting hard to survive in the game. They are still trailing by 116 runs with only one wicket left in the tank.
But it was the 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has made headlines with a Boxing Day century at the MCG. After a number of 30s and 40s earlier in the series, the 21-year-old finally reached his maiden test fifty. But he didn't stop there and stitched a crucial partnership with Washington Sundar, who also played well.
The duo took India past the follow-on score and kept India in the game. Sundar got out after his fifty, and Jasprit Bumrah backed a duck. But it was all determination by Reddy, who succeeded in getting his maiden test century, and what a time and place to get to the triple figure. With his century, he achieved multiple records.
<h2>IND vs AUS 4th Test: Nitish Kumar Reddy made history with his Boxing Day Ton at the MCG</h2>
At the end of Day 3, India are 358/9, with Reddy unbeaten on 105 runs with 10 fours and one six while Mohammed Siraj is on 2 not out. Reddy's hundred came at a crucial time as he came out to bat when India were 221/7. But it was a breakthrough innings for the youngsters. He played some beautiful shots and kept the scoreboard ticking.
When he reached 88 runs, he went past Anil Kumble and registered the highest score by an Indian on Australian soil, batting at no. 8. With his century now, he is the first Indian batter to slam a century batting at No. 8. This is not all. The 21-year-old has hit 8 sixes in the series so far. With this, he has hit the joint-most sixes in a test series on Australian soil.
Michael Vaughan (2002-03 Ashes) and Chris Gayle (2009-10) have hit 8 sixes each in a test series in Australia. Nitish Kumar Reddy still have some innings left, and if he can hit one more six, he will make history. Adding to that, Reddy had an exciting celebration. After reaching fifty, he celebrated in the famous "Pushpa" movie style.
However, after his century, he celebrated in "Bahubali" style, which tells about the great character of the youngster. With one wicket left, India will look to eat up Australia's lead. There are still two days left in the game, and India will look to take time. Sundar also played well for his half-century and added 127 runs for the 8th wicket.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/yashasvi-jaiswal-went-past-virat-kohli-to-join-sachin-tendulkar-in-an-elite-list-of-indians-with-his-glorious-82-at-mcg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yashasvi Jaiswal went past Virat Kohli to join Sachin Tendulkar in an elite list of Indians with his glorious 82 at MCG</a>

Nitish Kumar Reddy slammed his maiden Test ton in the ongoing Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Nitish Kumar Reddy scripts history; breaks multiple records with his Boxing Day Ton at MCG

nitish-kumar-reddy-scripts-history-breaks-multiple-records-with-his-boxing-day-ton-at-mcg

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: The fixture and Schedule of the ICC Champions Trophy are out now, and excitement and hype are rising. We also have some squad updates for the coveted ICC Tournament and here we have all you need to know before the ICC event. 
It is going to be an eight-team tournament this year as well and the top eight teams of the globe will clash in the 50-over ODI format. As ICC has finalized the hybrid model, the tournament will feature 15 matches and be played across Pakistan and Dubai.
Pakistan are going to be the official host of the tournament with most of the matches taking place in Pakistan with only India matches scheduled to be played outside Pakistan due to geopolitical and border tensions between the host nation and India. 
The eight teams are divided into two groups- Group A and Group B. The tournament is set to begin on 19 February in Karachi with Pakistan taking on New Zealand. The final of the ICC event is set to be played on 9 March.
Let's take a look at the Teams, Groups, Schedule, Squads and more:
<h2 data-pm-slice="1 1 []">ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Groups</h2>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; background-color: rgb(239, 242, 250); border: 1px double rgb(0, 0, 0); margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><colgroup><col style="width: 99.878%;"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">GROUP A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pakistan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">India</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">New Zealand</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Bangladesh</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">GROUP B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Australia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">England</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Afghanistan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-width: 1px; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">South Africa</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Venues Details</h2>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><colgroup><col style="width: 33.2927%;"><col style="width: 33.2927%;"><col style="width: 33.2927%;"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CITY</td>
<td>STADIUM</td>
<td>CAPACITY</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Karachi</td>
<td>National Stadium, Karachi</td>
<td>34,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Lahore</td>
<td>Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore</td>
<td>27,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rawalpindi</td>
<td>Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi</td>
<td>15,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dubai</td>
<td>Dubai International Cricket Stadium</td>
<td>25,000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Fixtures &amp; Schedule:</h2>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 74.0244%; background-color: rgb(237, 244, 252); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: double; height: 380px;">
<thead>
<tr style="height: 40px;">
<th style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 40px;">Date</th>
<th style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 40px;">Match</th>
<th style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 40px;">Venue</th>
<th style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 40px;">Time (IST)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">19 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Pakistan v New Zealand</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">National Stadium, Karachi</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">20 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Bangladesh v India</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">21 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Afghanistan v South Africa</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">National Stadium, Karachi</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">22 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Australia v England</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">23 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Pakistan v India</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">24 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Bangladesh v New Zealand</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">25 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Australia v South Africa</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">26 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Afghanistan v England</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">27 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Pakistan v Bangladesh</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">28 Feb</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Afghanistan v Australia</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">1 Mar</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">South Africa v England</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">National Stadium, Karachi</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">2 Mar</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">New Zealand v India</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2> ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Knockout Stage</h2>
The top 2 teams from Group A will Qualify - A1 A2 The top 2 teams from Group B will Qualify - B1 B2
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 74.0244%; background-color: rgb(237, 244, 252); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: double;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Date</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Match</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Venue</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Time</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">4 Mar</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A1 vs B2 (SF1)</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">5 Mar</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A2 vs B1 (SF2)</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore**</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">6 Mar</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Reserve Day (SF2)</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Winning teams from SF 1 and SF2 will qualify for the Final
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 74.0244%; background-color: rgb(237, 244, 252); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: double; height: 60px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Date</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Match</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Venue</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Time</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">9 Mar</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Final</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore**</td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">02:30 PM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 20px;">
<td style="width: 12.9436%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">10 Mar</td>
<td style="width: 31.7385%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;">Reserve Day (F)</td>
<td style="width: 44.8594%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;"></td>
<td style="width: 10.4613%; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); height: 20px;"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
** Venue will be shifted to Dubai if India Qualifies
<h2>ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Squads</h2>
<h3>GROUP A</h3>
INDIA- Yet to be announced
PAKISTAN- Yet to be announced
NEW ZEALAND- Yet to be announced
BANGLADESH- Yet to be announced
<h3>GROUP B</h3>
AUSTRALIA- Yet to be announced
ENGLAND- Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.
AFGHANISTAN- Yet to be announced
SOUTH AFRICA- Yet to be announced
READ: S<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/steve-smith-goes-past-sachin-tendulkar-and-kohli-sets-the-record-for-the-most-number-of-centuries-in-border-gavaskar-trophy/">teve Smith goes past Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli, sets the record for the most number of centuries in Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a>

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 features eight top teams in a 50-over format, with matches hosted across Pakistan and Dubai under a hybrid model, beginning on February 19 and concluding on March 9.

A thrilling eight-team ODI tournament, hosted in Pakistan and Dubai, showcasing cricket’s finest under geopolitical tensions and high stakes.

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule, Teams, Fixtures, Full Squads,  & Time Table

icc-cricket-champions-trophy-2025-schedule-teams-fixtures-full-squads-time-table

The time is ticking for India captain Rohit Sharma in Test cricket. As per the reports in PTI, it is learned that the opening batter is all set to play his last match in red-ball cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which will be the last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, provided few conditions. 
Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar is in Melbourne, and he will soon be having a conversation with Rohit Sharma related to his future in Tests. As per the reports, if India fails to reach the final of the series, then the last match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 will be the last match for India's captain.
This comes after Rohit Sharma's struggles in the Test cricket of last. In the last 8 games, the opening batter has scored just 155 runs at an average of 11.07 and his struggles are visible in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where he has managed just 22 runs from 5 innings. 
After playing two games in the middle order, Rohit Sharma moved back to the top order in the ongoing Melbourne Test. However, the move didn't pay off, as the skipper was back in the hut after facing just 5 balls. He attempted a half-hearted pull shot and was caught by Scott Boland with ease. 
<h2> Rohit Sharma felt uncomfortable while batting in the middle order in the second and third Test matches</h2>
The reports also added that Rohit Sharma felt uncomfortable while batting in the middle order in the second and third Test matches. However, to accommodate him back as an opener, Shubman Gill was dropped from the team for the ongoing game as Washington Sundar replaced him as an all-rounder. 
With their place for the ICC World Test Championship very far away, it is fair to say Rohit Sharma won't be playing any more Tests after the ongoing game. To make it into the final, India will have to win both the remaining games. However, with the way things are going in the ongoing match, Australia look like clear favourites. 
There also have been some other sections of reports that have claimed that a big announcement will be around the corner after the Melbourne Test concludes. It is learned that there will be some big news coming from Indian cricket, especially if the team loses the game. 
If the reports related to Rohit Sharma's retirement after the Sydney Test are true, it's safe to say that the batter will have a great opportunity to turn things around in the remaining three innings. If he sets the stage on fire in three innings, chances are he will continue leading the team.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/how-much-is-virat-kohli-s-match-fee-what-will-he-get-after-a-20-percent-penalty-at-the-mcg-/#google_vignette">How much is Virat Kohli's match fee? What will he get after a 20 percent penalty at the MCG?</a>

As per the reports in PTI, it is learned that Rohit Sharma is all set to play his last match in red-ball cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground

Rohit Sharma to retire after Sydney Test, Ajit Agarkar set to talk to captain about his future

rohit-sharma-to-retire-after-sydney-test-ajit-agarkar-set-to-talk-to-captain-about-his-future-

It's really hard to imagine Pakistan's test team without the presence of Shaheen Shah Afridi and it's a situation which is really hard to occur. However, a shocking call was taken by the National Team's selectors and despite being in excellent form with the ball, elite Pakistani seamer was not considered for selection in Pakistan's two-match Test-Series verus the South Africans.
Afridi delivered am exceptional performance in the One Day International series versus the same opposition, dismissing the highest number of batters (7) and his role with the ball was crucial in his team's success. 
But despite all this, the pacer wasn't even considered for selection for the two-match Test-Series versus the Proteas. According to some news reports, prior to the squad-announcement of the Shaheens, a selector reportedly asked the 24-year-old to take part in a practice Four-day match before the commencement of the Test-Series. 
Due to some personal reasons, Shaheen wasn't able to comply with the instructions of the Pakistani selectors. This was comprehended as "disobedience" by the selectors which led to his eventual exclusion from the Test team. Notably, a similar instruction was given to former skipper Babar Azam too, who also didn't comply with the instructions but was still included in the Test team.
According to some inside sources of Pakistani Men's National Cricket Team, it's believed that the dominating behavior of a certain selector has caused a feeling of dissatisfaction among the national team players. The selector, who recently announced his retirement from Cricket, reportedly maintains a dominating attitude even towards former players. It's believed that the selector is none other than Aleem Dar who was drafted in the selection committee just a few months back. 
According to some close sources of Shaheen, the pacer still has the passion in him to represent Pakistan in the longest format of the game and he was pretty disappointed by the selectors' decision to exclude him from the Test Team for the South Africa series. 
Post the conclusion of the One-Day International series, the 24-year-old even gave the offer to stay in South Africa for the upcoming Test-Series if the national team selectora felt the need to include him in the squad, but no initiative was taken to select him. 
The Shan Masood-led team desperately felt the absence of a left-handed pacer and this was pretty evident in the Centurion Test-match versus the Proteas. Another left-arm seamer Mir Hamza, who is known for his speed and variations, was not considered for selection too. 
Talking about Shaheen Shah Afridi again, the reason for not selecting him was given as workload management but shockingly, he was allowed to participate in the upcoming edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). He is a part of the team of Fortune Barishal and the 24-year-old is anticipated to play in five contests for the franchise.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/watch-irfan-pathan-and-sanjay-manjrekar-get-involved-in-a-heated-argument-over-the-run-out-of-yashasvi-jaiswal-on-live-tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch:Irfan Pathan and Sanjay Manjrekar get involved in a heated argument over the run out of Yashasvi Jaiswal on live TV</a>

Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan celebrates the dismissal of Australia's Mitchell Starc | Image: AFP

Shaheen Shah Afridi was shockingly not considered for selection in Pakistan's Test Team for the South Africa series and Aleem Dar is reportedly considered the main reason behind his exclusion from the team.

Shaheen Afridi neglected the orders of the selectors and this led to his exclusion from the Test Team

shaheen-afridi-neglected-the-orders-of-the-selectors-and-this-led-to-his-exclusion-from-the-test-team

Jasprit Bumrah bowled the worst spell of his career in the Tests during the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The match between the teams is taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. 
Jasprit Bumrah was taken for a lot of runs in the Tests against Australia. The fast bowler returned with the figures of 4/99 in the 28.4 overs. This saw him achieving a wanted record to his name as, for the first time, he gave away more than 90 runs in an innings in his career in Tests. 
Jasprit Bumrah also was hit for four sixes during his spell. It was for the first time in 4562 deliveries that six was hit against him. Sam Konstas slammed the fast bowler for two sixes, while Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc also hit one six each against the premier fast bowler. 
This was only the second time that more than one six in an innings (after England's first innings in 2018 at the Oval) was hit against the fast bowler. This was the first time three or more sixes were hit against the fast bowler. 
<h2>Jasprit Bumrah has been the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25</h2>
Jasprit Bumrah has been the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The fast bowler has looked a class apart in the series. He picked fifer in Perth and followed it up with the four-fer in Adelaide. The pacer picked 6-fer wickets in Gabba and then four-fer in Melbourne.
Jasprit Bumrah, in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, has taken 25 wickets at an average of 13.12 with five-wicket hauls. With the way he is going, he is expected to take more wickets in the series and it won't be a surprise if he goes past 35-mark in the series. 
Coming to the match, Australia had another dominating outing in the ongoing fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, underway at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. 
They came up with a terrific effort with bat and ball on Day two to put India under pressure. The hosts ended their first innings on 474 and then took five Indian wickets. At stumps, India was 165 for five and is still behind 310 runs.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/gautam-gambhir-and-rohit-sharma-ordered-to-drop-mohammed-siraj-following-his-worst-performance-/">Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma ordered to drop Mohammed Siraj following his worst performance</a>

Jasprit Bumrah bowled the worst spell of his career in the Tests during the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

Shocking! Jasprit Bumrah bowls the worst spell of his career and achieves two unwanted feats

shocking-jasprit-bumrah-bowls-the-worst-spell-of-his-career-and-achieves-two-unwanted-feats-

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has ordered skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir to drop Mohammed Siraj for the next game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He said that the team should include Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna in the team at Sydney. 
Mohammed Siraj has been one of the poor performers for India in the ongoing series against Australia. The fast bowler has failed to provide support to Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing series, which has been the main reason behind the team's struggles with the ball. 
With Mohammed Siraj failing to take wickets and restrict run flow, all the burden has come on Jasprit Bumrah. The fast bowler has been single-handedly carrying the bowling lineup of the team and is the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with 25 wickets to his name. 
Mohammed Siraj has also leaked a lot of runs and his poor effort is the reason why Australia has piled up over 400 runs in the last two games. In the Melbourne Test, he failed to take a single wicket and gave away 122 runs in the 23 overs that he bowled. 
Sunil Gavaskar feels that Mohammed Siraj needs a break and team management needs to tell him that they are dropping him on the basis of his poor performances. While speaking to Star Sports, he explained: 
"I think Siraj, perhaps, needs a little bit of a break. In the sense that, I am not saying a break, he needs to be told that he is left out of the team for non-performance. There has to be a situation where you can’t beat around the bush." 
<h2>If you want to make two changes. Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana to support Jasprit Bumrah - Sunil Gavaskar wants Mohammed Siraj to be dropped </h2>
Sunil Gavaskar mentioned that Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma need to directly say to Mohammed Siraj they are dropping him. The batting great also batted for the inclusion of Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana. He explained: 
"But I think Siraj needs to be told ‘look, you are not bowling as well as we expected you to on pitches that have been helpful’. That is something that needs to be told. If you want to make two changes. Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana to support Jasprit Bumrah. By all means, do that," he concluded.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/yashasvi-jaiswal-went-past-virat-kohli-to-join-sachin-tendulkar-in-an-elite-list-of-indians-with-his-glorious-82-at-mcg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yashasvi Jaiswal went past Virat Kohli to join Sachin Tendulkar in an elite list of Indians with his glorious 82 at MCG</a>

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has ordered skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir to drop Mohammed Siraj for the next game of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma ordered to drop Mohammed Siraj following his worst performance

gautam-gambhir-and-rohit-sharma-ordered-to-drop-mohammed-siraj-following-his-worst-performance-

In the 2nd day of the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, the Indian Cricket Team has hit the axe on their own feet. In reply to Australia's first inning score of 474 runs, the Indian batters helped their team reach the score of 153-2 at one point and they were on course of reaching a big score in their first-inning. 
However, in the 41st over, young Indian opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal got run out after playing a good knock of 86 runs. Lack of co-ordination with Virat Kohli on the other end meant he youngster missed out on the opportunity to slam his 2nd ton versus the Aussies in the ongoing BGT series. On one hand, the threat of a follow on being enforeced is looming over the Indian Team while on the other hand, the run out of Jaiswal sparked a heated argument between Cricket experts Irfan Pathan and Sanjay Manjrekar and the video of the same has gone viral on social media platforms. 
The Men in Blue ended the 2nd day of the Melbourne test at the score of 164 runs for the loss of five wickets and they are still trailing the Kangaroos by 310 runs. Post the conclusion of the 2nd day, Sanjay Manjrekar and Irfan Pathan were discussing the run out of Jaiswal in the post match show of Star Sports. Manjrekar on one hand was seen criticising Kohli while the opinions of Irfan were completely opposite.
Watch the full video <a href="https://x.com/Musafirr_hu_yar/status/1872543107272806770?t=08VDV_x1Pzgs82fX6qIX2g&amp;s=19">here</a>
<h2>Manjrekar had some harsh words to say about Kohli</h2>
First, Sanjay Manjrekar put forward his perspective and said, 
<blockquote>
"The ball was coming at a slower speed, I don't think that Virat would have got run-out in that situation. It was the call of Jaiswal and this run was probably not a free one but Jaiswal was the one who was running at the danger-end not Virat. It was his (Virat's) childish mistake that he looked back and decided that it was not a run. If Yashasvi's judgement was wrong then he would have got dismissed on the non-striker's end."

</blockquote>
<h2>Irfan Pathan hit back at the comments of Manjrekar</h2>
Initiating a counter attack on the views of his fellow commentator, Irfan said, 
<blockquote>
"He (Kohli) was probably not confident about taking that run because the ball went to fielder in a quick manner. Kohli, who was standing at the non-striker's end also has the right to deny a run call if he feels he's at the risk of getting run-out."

After this, Manjrekar said, "If you don't want to let me talk, then it's okay.
</blockquote>
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/steve-smith-goes-past-sachin-tendulkar-and-kohli-sets-the-record-for-the-most-number-of-centuries-in-border-gavaskar-trophy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Smith goes past Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli, sets the record for the most number of centuries in Border-Gavaskar Trophy</a>

Irfan Pathan (L) and Sanjay Manjrekar (C) in the post match show of Star Sports alongside Jatin Sapru (R) | Image: X (Cricket NDTV)

Cricket Experts Irfan Pathan and Sanjay Manjrekar got involved in a heated exchange with each other on live television following the run out of Yashasvi Jaiswal

Watch:Irfan Pathan and Sanjay Manjrekar get involved in a heated argument over the run out of Yashasvi Jaiswal on live TV

watch-irfan-pathan-and-sanjay-manjrekar-get-involved-in-a-heated-argument-over-the-run-out-of-yashasvi-jaiswal-on-live-tv

India batter Virat Kohli has been the centre of attraction in the ongoing fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia. The match between the teams is taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. 
Virat Kohli has become the target of Australian media ever since India has reached the Melbourne. He was involved in a fight with Australian media and then, during the ongoing match, was also seen having a heated exchange with young opener Sam Konstas. 
Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas bumped shoulders while moving across the pitch between over, and after that, were seen having a heated argument. This saw Batter facing a lot of criticism for having a go at a young player who was making his debut for Australia. 
The Australian media, along with various Australian experts and former cricketers, went hard at Virat Kohli. Not only this, even the crowd was against the senior India batter as he got boos when the premier batter walked out to bat on the Day Two of the ongoing Test. 
<h2>Virat Kohli looked very solid at the crease and it seemed that he would reply to all the critics in style</h2>
Virat Kohli looked very solid at the crease and it seemed that he would reply to all the critics in style and with his bat. He looked in great touch as he played some crisp shots in his innings and with the way he was going, it was expected that he would get a big score.
Virat Kohli was highly cautious against the balls outside off early on his innings and, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, added over 100 runs partnership. But the demons of the outside off stump came to haunt him again as he was back in the hut after a valuable start. 
Virat Kohli was removed by Scott Boland as he poked at the ball outside off and was caught by Alex Carey behind the stumps. The premier Indian batter was back in the hut after 36 runs, but what caught the attention of many was he fought with the crowd on his way back. 
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/yashasvi-jaiswal-went-past-virat-kohli-to-join-sachin-tendulkar-in-an-elite-list-of-indians-with-his-glorious-82-at-mcg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yashasvi Jaiswal went past Virat Kohli to join Sachin Tendulkar in an elite list of Indians with his glorious 82 at MCG</a>
As he was going inside the dressing room, some of the fans near the entrance told him something. The batter, however, came up back and shared some words with the fans before going back in extreme anger. You can see the video below:

India batter Virat Kohli has been the centre of attraction in the ongoing fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia

Watch: 'Angry' Virat Kohli fights with fans at MCG after getting out for 36 runs

watch-angry-virat-kohli-fights-with-fans-at-mcg-after-getting-out-for-36-runs-

In what proves to be a massive and a remarkable achievement, Australian Cricket Team's elite batsman Steven Smith has broken the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's prestigious record following his splendid hundred in the ongoing 4th test-match of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Batting at the fourth spot in the batting-order, the former Aussie skipper slammed an incredible ton, helping the Kangaroos gain the upper-hand in the do-or-die encounter at the iconic stadium. 
The 35-year-old who failed to meet the expectations of the Australian fans in the Adelaide and Perth Test-Matches, rediscovered his magic with the bat with the help of a wonderful ton in the Gabba Test-match. He didn't let his good momentum go away, slamming yet another important century and helped the Kangaroos post a huge first inning score in the Melbourne Boxing-Day Test-match. In this process, the former Australian skipper also broken Tendulkar's record of slamming the highest number of centuries in the history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
<h3>List of batters to have slammed the highest number of centuries in the history of Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series</h3>
<table id="table-m561o8g4" border="1" style="width: 100.732%; height: 112px;">
<tbody>
<tr id="row0" style="height: 10px;">
<th id="col0" style="width: 46.9242%; height: 10px;">Batter</th>
<th id="col1" style="width: 23.0329%; height: 10px;">Innings</th>
<th id="col2" style="width: 30.0429%; height: 10px;">Hundreds</th>
</tr>
<tr id="row1" style="height: 20px;">
<td id="col0" style="width: 46.9242%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">Steve Smith</td>
<td id="col1" style="width: 23.0329%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">41</td>
<td id="col2" style="width: 30.0429%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">10</td>
</tr>
<tr id="row2" style="height: 20px;">
<td id="col0" style="width: 46.9242%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">Sachin Tendulkar</td>
<td id="col1" style="width: 23.0329%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">65</td>
<td id="col2" style="width: 30.0429%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">9</td>
</tr>
<tr id="row3" style="height: 20px;">
<td id="col0" style="width: 46.9242%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">Virat Kohli</td>
<td id="col1" style="width: 23.0329%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">47</td>
<td id="col2" style="width: 30.0429%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">9</td>
</tr>
<tr id="row4" style="height: 20px;">
<td id="col0" style="width: 46.9242%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">Ricky Ponting</td>
<td id="col1" style="width: 23.0329%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">51</td>
<td id="col2" style="width: 30.0429%; height: 20px; text-align: center;">8</td>
</tr>
<tr id="row5" style="height: 22px;">
<td id="col0" style="width: 46.9242%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Michael Clarke</td>
<td id="col1" style="width: 23.0329%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">40</td>
<td id="col2" style="width: 30.0429%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Prior to his inning of 140 runs at the MCG, Smith had scored the same number of BGT tons as Kohli &amp; Tendulkar. So, elite Indian batter Virat Kohli also has an opportunity to go past the little master and match Smith if he slams a hundred in the Boxing-Day Test.
<h2>Steve Smith goes past Joe Root with his century in Melbourne</h2>
Records keep flowing from the bat of Elite Australian batter Steve Smith and with the help of 34th Test ton in Melbourne, he has now become the player who has scored the most centuries in the history of Test cricket versus the Indian Team i.e 11 centuries.
Before Smith, this record was in the name of England's Joe Root who has slammed 10 incredible tons versus the Men in Blue. Apart from him, the likes of Ricky Ponting, Vivian Richards and Gary Sobers have also scored 8 centuries each against India.
Also, Smith has now equalled Brian Lara, Sunil Gavaskar, Younus Khan and Mahela Jayawadene in terms of scoring the most centuries in the history of the five-day format. All of these legendary players had scored 34 centuries in Test cricket. This is also Smith's 46th century in his international career.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/yashasvi-jaiswal-went-past-virat-kohli-to-join-sachin-tendulkar-in-an-elite-list-of-indians-with-his-glorious-82-at-mcg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yashasvi Jaiswal went past Virat Kohli to join Sachin Tendulkar in an elite list of Indians with his glorious 82 at MCG</a>

Steven Smith of Australia celebrates scoring his 34 test ton in the Boxing-Day Test-match versus India at the MCG | Image: Getty Images

Steven Smith of Australia has broken multiple records with the help of his 34th Test century in the Boxing-Day Test-match versus Team India

Steve Smith goes past Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli, sets the record for the most number of centuries in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

steve-smith-goes-past-sachin-tendulkar-and-kohli-sets-the-record-for-the-most-number-of-centuries-in-border-gavaskar-trophy

Yashasvi Jaiswal was leading the Indian batting and brought the visitors back into the game. He stitched an important 102-run partnership with Virat Kohli for the third wicket, and Team India were looking good until there was a miscommunication between the two. Jaiswal was looking good for another big score and was going very well.
But on the last ball of the 41st over, he drove a ball to mid-on and was out of the blocks for a run. Virat, who was watching the ball, didn't respond, and Jaiswal got run out. That was the turning point in the Indian batting innings so far.
That run out also must have broken Virat's concentration, and he got out once again trying to poke at the ball outside off stump. Before that, he was leaving it pretty well. Jaiswal scored his ninth test fifty and made 82 runs off 118 balls, with 11 fours and one six. However, before getting out, he achieved a special feat.
<h2>IND vs AUS 4th Test: Yashavi Jaiswal joins Sachin Tendulkar among the Indian players with most Test runs in a calendar year.</h2>
Jaiswal has had a tremendous year with the bat for India. He has scored the most runs for India in tests this year, and overall, he is the second-highest scorer in 2024. Jaiswal has scored 1394 runs in 28 innings at an average of 53.61 with three centuries and 8 half-centuries. He has hit 36 sixes this year.
Earlier, Jaiswal broke the long-standing record of Brendon McCullum for most test sixes in a year. McCullum struck 34 sixes in 2014, and Jaiswal has already hit 36 in 2024. Apart from that, Jaiswal has joined Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, and Sunil Gavaskar in an elite list of Indian batters with the most test runs in a calendar year.
In his 82-run innings, he went past Rahul Dravid (1357), Gundappa Viswanath (1388), and Virat (1322). Jaiswal has now scored the fifth-most test runs by an Indian in a calendar year. Sachin holds the Indian record with 1562 runs in 2010. Jaiswal still has one more innings in the MCG test, and he needs another 169 runs to break that record.
Speaking of the game, India finished Day 2 at 164/5. They were at 153/2 at one point and then lost three quick wickets for six runs. The visitors are still 111 runs behind to avoid the follow-on. Rishabh Pant (6) and Ravindra Jadeja (4) are at the crease, and India need a special effort from their lower order to do something.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/how-much-is-virat-kohli-s-match-fee-what-will-he-get-after-a-20-percent-penalty-at-the-mcg-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How much is Virat Kohli's match fee? What will he get after a 20 percent penalty at the MCG?</a>

Yashasvi Jaiswal was unlucky to get run out after a well-made 82 in the first innings of the ongoing Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.