Cricket news

Ranatunga cries foul on India ‘B team’ tour, slams board for hosting series

Arjuna Ranatunga slammed the Sri Lanka Cricket on Friday for agreeing to host series with India’s B-team and said the second-string coming to the island is an insult to their cricket. India’s team led by Shikhar Dhawan arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday under the command of team’s new head coach Rahul Dravid

Published

5 years ago

July 2, 2021

Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga slammed the Sri Lanka Cricket Board on Friday for agreeing to host a limited-overs series with India’s B-team. Attacking the country’s sports minister Namal Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka Cricket Board, he said the tour undermined the country’s dignity.

Former Sri Lankan captain said the second-string coming to the island for a limited-overs series is an insult to their cricket.

India’s team led by Shikhar Dhawan arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday to prepare for the three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 games that start July 13. All the matches will be played at the R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Former India cricketer and current chief of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Rahul Dravid has arrived in Sri Lanka as head coach since Ravi Shastri is with Kohli’s side in England.

With Virat Kohli-led full-strength Indian team is currently in England for a five-match Test series, Shikhar Dhawan is set to lead a young Indian team that has been sent to Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series.

Ranatunga told reporters at his residence that this is a second string Indian team and their coming in Sri Lanka is an insult of cricket. For which he blamed the current administration for agreeing to play with them due to television marketing needs. He also said that the board wants to make money from this tournament even if it means pitching Sri Lankan players against a B team.

Apart from Kohli, the other big names, who are not a part of the Sri Lanka tour are Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant – all of them are in England for the Test series, which is due to begin on August 4 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

However, the Dhawan-led side does include limited-overs regular faces in Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, along with a few fresh faces like Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Chetan Sakariya.

Ranatunga, who was the head of an interim committee appointed in 2007-08, said the indiscipline showed by some Sri Lankan players was also due to poor management. He also pointed out the current poor performance of the Sri Lankan cricket team in international cricket. Sri Lanka recently suffered their fifth consecutive T20I series loss when they went 3-0 down to England last month.

Recently, the SLC was forced to send three senior players back home from England for breaching the bio-secure bubble protocol. Vice-captain Kusal Mendis, opener Danushka Gunathilaka, and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella were withdrawn from the current England tour after they violated the Covid-19 bio-secure bubble. And they are also expected to be dropped from the India series.

In other India News, Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, who is out on parole, released from Tihar jail on Friday after completing the formalities of his release. He has released after serving a 10-year term following a conviction in a teachers recruitment scam.

Related Topics:Arjuna Ranatunga india b team India news srilanka tour

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Cricket news

India beat Pakistan by 19 runs to win Asian Games cricket gold

India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final to retain the gold medal in the competition.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 3, 2026

APNLive Desk

India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the men’s cricket final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday to retain the gold medal.

India posted 211 for six after being sent in to bat, before restricting Pakistan to 192 for six in their 20 overs. The victory gave India their second successive Asian Games gold medal in men’s cricket.

India post 211 in final

India’s batting was led by Abhishek Sharma, who scored 61 off 28 balls, while Tilak Varma contributed 51 off 22 balls.

The two batters provided the momentum as India reached 211 for six from their 20 overs.

India captain Shreyas Iyer had won the toss and elected to bat first in the final.

Pakistan fall 19 runs short

Pakistan’s chase was anchored by Hasan Nawaz, who made 96 from 51 balls. Saim Ayub added 29 from 22 balls, but Pakistan finished on 192 for six after 20 overs.

India’s Axar Patel and Washington Sundar each took two wickets as Pakistan fell short of the target.

The result secured the gold medal for India, while Pakistan finished with silver. Sri Lanka won the bronze medal after defeating Bangladesh in the bronze-medal match.

India retain Asian Games cricket title

The victory marked India’s second consecutive men’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games. India had also won the men’s cricket gold at the Hangzhou edition.

India’s victory over Pakistan also completed a gold-medal double for the country in cricket at the 2026 Asian Games, after the women’s team won the women’s cricket final earlier in the competition.

Cricket news

Jasprit Bumrah becomes first Indian to play T20Is in 13 countries

Jasprit Bumrah became the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries after featuring against Sri Lanka in Japan.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 1, 2026

APNLive Desk

Jasprit Bumrah added another milestone to his international career on Thursday after taking the field for India against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket semifinal in Japan.

Bumrah’s appearance at Nishin made him the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries, according to the report. He moved ahead of former India captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have each played T20Is in 12 countries.

Bumrah’s 13-country T20I record

Before playing in Japan, Bumrah had represented India in T20Is in 12 other countries — India, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the United States, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

His appearance in Japan took the tally to 13. Kohli, Rohit and Bhuvneshwar had played in all of those countries except Japan, leaving Bumrah alone at the top of the list.

Kohli and Rohit cannot add to their totals as both have retired from T20I cricket, according to the source.

Bumrah shines against Sri Lanka

Bumrah also made an immediate impact in his first T20I appearance in Japan. He claimed two wickets in his opening over against Sri Lanka and finished with figures of 2/7 in two overs.

India went on to dismiss Sri Lanka for 45 in 9.5 overs and won the semifinal by 124 runs to book a place in the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final.

The result set up an India-Pakistan gold-medal clash, scheduled for October 3.

Jasprit Bumrah has become the first Indian to play T20I cricket in 13 different countries. His appearance against Sri Lanka in Japan took him past Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have played T20Is in 12 countries each.

Cricket news

India beat West Indies by 8 wickets, Gill hits record 223

Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 223 and Rohit Sharma’s 101 helped India chase 406 against West Indies and win the second ODI by eight wickets in Guwahati.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 1, 2026

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India produced a remarkable batting performance to defeat West Indies by eight wickets in the second ODI in Guwahati, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

West Indies posted 405 for 7 in their 50 overs after centuries from John Campbell, Shai Hope and Amir Jangoo. India then produced an emphatic response, reaching 406 for 2 in just 43.3 overs.

Shubman Gill led the chase with an unbeaten 223, while Rohit Sharma provided strong support with a century.

Gill’s record-breaking double century

Gill remained unbeaten on 223 from 133 balls and completed his double century in 117 deliveries.

His innings made him the first batter to score an ODI double century in 117 balls, according to the report. His unbeaten 223 was also recorded as the highest ODI score by an Indian captain and the highest score by an Indian in an ODI chase.

Gill’s innings contained a combination of boundaries and sustained attacking batting as India comfortably reached the target set by West Indies.

Rohit Sharma scores 101

Rohit Sharma also produced a century during India’s chase, scoring 101 from 75 balls.

The innings also saw Rohit reach the milestone of 12,000 ODI runs. He became the third Indian batter to reach the landmark after Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli contributed 29 runs before being dismissed during the chase.

West Indies post 405

Earlier, West Indies put up a huge total of 405 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs.

John Campbell scored 101, while Shai Hope made 104. Amir Jangoo also struck a century, scoring 114.

Despite the three centuries, West Indies could not defend the total as India’s top order produced a dominant chase.

India take 2-0 series lead

India completed the chase in 43.3 overs, finishing on 406 for 2 and securing an eight-wicket victory.

The result gives India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, with the second match producing a record-breaking individual performance from captain Shubman Gill.