Cricket news
Kedar’s Homecoming

Ably led by Kohli, the Pune boy overcame agony to hit ton that transformed the match and made short work of the humongous target
By Sujit Bhar
India winning a One Day International (ODI) versus England isn’t news. But when it wins chasing a massive 350 for seven, England’s highest versus India, then it is. Moreover, if it happens to be the first captaincy effort by Virat Kohli, after Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who had just given up his, leaves with six for six, pulling India down to 63 for four, then it surely is. And that’s what happened in Pune on January 15, in the first ODI of the series.
But that’s not the end. England managed a steady run-rate, reaching the score without a century contribution. That meant that, with four down and not much on the board, India needed to speed up things. Eyes turned to Kohli, of course, the man for a chase. He did not disappoint, scoring a strong 122 off 105 deliveries, with eight hits to the fence and four over.
India won by three wickets with 11 deliveries to spare. This was India’s third successful chase of 350-plus totals.
That was great play, no doubt. But the day belonged to a 32-year-old local lad, Kedar Jadhav. The attacking middle-order bat (also an occasional off-break bowler) hit a whirlwind 120 in 76 deliveries, assisted by 12 boundaries and four sixes.
It was a great start for India’s home series, keeping India’s record of not losing a home ODI intact, and, even in losing, England surely can’t complain. They had started the series tentatively, with former BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke’s letter warning them of a possible lack of facilities, now that board president Anurag Thakur and he had been sacked by the Supreme Court. Facilities were up to the mark, they found, only the Indian team was too hot to handle.
The match itself has been analysed enough, but the incredible thing is India’s throwing up great batting talent on a regular basis. Just the other day Jodhpur-born 25-year-old Karun Nair had become only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag to hit a triple century, and on Sunday Jadhav came in from the cold, so to say, lifting India out of the woods.
Jadhav isn’t a newcomer, this being his 13th ODI, neither is he new to a chase. Four months back, in a chase, India were down to 73 for four, when he combined with then skipper Dhoni for a 66-run partnership that saved the day. On Sunday, fighting cramps (Kohli had cramps too), Jadhav provided ample support to his new captain to be named Man of the Match.
The attacking stance is Jadhav’s default setting. He broke into the big boys’ league with a half-century off 29 deliveries on his IPL debut for Delhi Daredevils. He carried with him the experience of six half centuries and a century in first class cricket and for Maharashtra he has displayed excellent offensive tactics.
Also confidence, oodles of it.
It was clear from what Kohli said after the match. He has been quoted as saying: “I think it was outstanding. Just to have another guy that was willing to believe we can win from any situation was such a boost for me as well. The way he came out—and knew exactly how to bat at this wicket—was tremendous.”
Following Dhoni, Kohli has gained similar leadership qualities. Of Jadhav he said: “He was disappointed in the last series against New Zealand when he couldn’t get us across the line. In New Delhi he was playing really well. We told him that the best place you can learn is out there in the middle. No point sitting outside and thinking what you could have done.”
Kohli has welcomed Jadhav into his world, into his own way of thinking, and for a virtual greenhorn to have his captain put a great deal of confidence in him is great news. Jadhav made the best use of it.
And quite like any top level motivator from the world of hard-core professionals, when Jadhav was facing a hurdle through painful cramps, Kohli just told him to rise above it, play for the team. These are the small things that make a complete human being; someone who is willing to see beyond that threshold of pain, into the world of accomplishment.
If we look back, perhaps, this is the level of optimism that the Supreme Court wanted to bring back to the game. The apex court possibly saw beyond the politicking and wheeling dealings into a world where the game of cricket is supreme. That remains beyond that threshold of temporary pain.
That was what Kohli and Jadhav showed.
Cricket news
IND vs AUS: Sanju Samson to replace Shreyas Iyer in ODI series against Australia
Iyer complaint of back injury ahead of the Ahmedabad Test day 3.

The Indian team has suffered a setback before the series of three ODIs to be played between India and Australia. If the report is to be believed, Shreyas Iyer will not be a part of the ODI series against Australia. The BCCI issued a statement on Monday saying that the medical team is monitoring Shreyas’s injury.
If Shreyas is ruled out of the ODI series against Australia, then Rajat Patidar or Rahul Tripathi will be included in the team, or BCCI could opt for Sanju Samson.
If media reports are to be believed, on the other hand, the way Axar Patel got a chance in place of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel also capitalized on that opportunity. Similarly, in place of Shreyas Iyer batsman Sanju Samson might come to the fore.
For the unversed, Iyer complaint of back injury ahead of the Ahmedabad Test day 3. The batsman could not even run properly hence, Team India was one batsman short during the first innings.
Read Also: Virat Kohli shakes a leg with Norwegian dance group Quick Style | Watch
On the other hand, Sanju Samson ODI Carrier includes 330 runs in 10 innings of 11 matches, including two half-centuries. Moreover, in the absence of Rohit Sharma in the first match of the ODI series, Hardik Pandya will take over the responsibility of captaincy only in the first ODI against Australia.
India won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test Series by 2-1 and lifted the trophy. Men In Blue have also qualified for the World Test Championship’s final. Now in the absence of Rohit Sharma, in the first ODI, Hardik Pandya would like to start the ODI series with a win for the Indian team under his captaincy.
Indian Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik, Jaydev Unadkat, Washington Sundar and Suryakumar Yadav.
Sapna Gill moves Bombay High Court in Prithvi Shaw assault case, demands cancellation of FIR
Cricket news
Virat Kohli shakes a leg with Norwegian dance group Quick Style | Watch
Virat Kohli played a marathon inning of 186 off 364 balls in the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Ahmedabad.

Virat Kohli met members of Norwegian dance group Quick Style in Mumbai on Tuesday. He was seen grooving to the song Ishq by Stereo Nation with the Quick Style group. The cricketer also shared a picture with the members of the dance crew.
During the shoot, Kohli made a reel with the group. In it, a member of Quick Style picks up a cricket bat, not knowing what to do with it. Dressed in a white T-shirt and black jeans, Kohli enters the scene and does the steps while holding the bat. The dance crew follows them.
Watch the video here:
For the unversed, Norway’s dance crew is famous for quick style dance on Bollywood songs. Quick Style danced to the songs Kala Chashma and Saddi Galli at his own partner’s wedding a few months back. Its video too went viral on social media. After this the popularity of the dance crew has increased vigorously. The dance group keeps uploading dance videos on Indian and Pakistani songs on social media.
When the former Indian skipper met the dance group, he had also shared a photo with them on social media. It caption read, “Guess who I met in Mumbai.”
However, this is not for the first time that Kohli was spotted dancing. Indian players had played Holi fiercely in Ahmedabad before the fourth test. During this, Virat Kohli also danced with Shubman Gill in the team bus. Kohli also did the hook step of Shahrukh Khan’s movie Pathan song in Nagpur in the first Test against Australia.
On the sport front, Virat Kohli played a marathon inning of 186 off 364 balls in the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Ahmedabad. He batted for 520 minutes and scored the 28th century of his Test career, which came after 1205 days. Including all three formats, Virat has now 75 international centuries.
The last Test between Australia and India was drawn, but India have now reached the final of the WTC Yano World Test Championship. India will compete against Australia on June 7 at The Oval Ground in London, the capital of England.
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Cricket news
Sapna Gill moves Bombay High Court in Prithvi Shaw assault case, demands cancellation of FIR
Sapna Gill alleged that Shaw was in collusion with influential people and the allegations leveled against her were false.

The case of Prithvi Shaw and social media influencer Sapna Gill still remains in the headlines. According to reports, Sapna Gill has now approached the Bombay High Court for allegedly assaulting the Indian cricketer and his friends outside Hotel Sahara Star in Santacruz, Mumbai.
Sapna Gill alleged that Shaw was in collusion with influential people and the allegations leveled against her were false. Sapna Gill also alleged that she was falsely implicated in the present FIR by the complainant, a friend of Shaw. She said that the law was misused at Shaw’s direction to fulfill his personal vendetta and harass and entrap Gill and promote his ajenda.
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Her plea has sought a direction to the police not to register a case against him. Her plea has also sought initiation of action against the investigating officer and senior police inspector of Oshiwara police station.
Mumbai’s Oshiwara police station had registered an FIR against Gill and others in February this year for allegedly abusing and assaulting Shaw and damaging his car. Following the alleged assault by Gill and his friends, Gill was accused of threatening Shaw with a false complaint and demanded ₹50,000 to withdraw.
Significantly, Gill was booked for rioting, extortion and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the FIR. She was arrested on February 17 and was kept in custody till Gill was granted bail by a Mumbai court on February 20.
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