Cricket news

Who is at the Crease?

Published

9 years ago

July 12, 2017

By Sujit Bhar

Following a chaotic few evening hours on Tuesday (July 11), it was confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Acting Secretary Amitabh Choudhary that Ravi Shastri would be the next head coach of the Indian cricket team.

The Board’s media advisory said: “The BCCI announces the appointment of Mr Ravi Shastri as the Head Coach, Mr Zaheer Khan as the Bowling Consultant and Mr Rahul Dravid who will be the Overseas Batting Consultant (Test cricket) for the Indian Cricket Team.”

The appointments will be till the World Cup of 2019.

So far so good, but there seem to be a number of attendant problems. When did the Board decide to appoint a Bowling Consultant and an overseas Overseas Batting Consultant (Test cricket)? And if it did, why was it not advertised and applications invited?

The second problem is of law. Does the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI, or even the Board itself, retain full powers to ask for applications for such important posts? Does it have the requisite authority of related tendering processes? The problem arises from the Supreme Court’s appointing the Committee of Administrators (CoA) with full authority to oversee every action of the Board and its sub-committees, such as the CAC.

The CoA’s ability to push decisions within the Board was visible on Tuesday (July 11) when its chief, former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai, insisted that the coach be named on Tuesday itself. That was not what the CAC had planned. The Board had given the CAC full authority to choose the coach. And with good reason, what with the CAC comprising such names such as Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman.

The CAC had done its homework and its interviews, but still wanted to interview skipper Virat Kohli, holidaying in America. Sourav had said that he had great respect for Kohli and it (talking to him for his views) would be the right thing to do, but it would not be nice to call him on his holiday.

Rai was insistent, though. So Kohli was called and the announcement was made.

The CAC did hold its own view. Sourav has been against the appointment of Shastri and Laxman has been supportive of that view, though neither had said it openly. A vote within the CAC would have yielded the expected result. It is not known if there was unanimity of opinion within the Committee.

As for the CoA, one has to remember it is fractured at the moment.

On June 1, the Supreme Court received a letter from historian and cricket buff Ramachandra Guha, stating that he was quitting from the CoA. This letter, dated March 28, contained detailed explanation on why he was quitting, and one of the main issues was the way Anil Kumble, the former India coach, was handled. It is a different matter that both Guha and Kumble hail from Bengaluru, and there is a good bit of bonhomie around. Guha’s resignation letter is pending with the apex court, which will take a call on it on July 14.

The very nature of the CoA and its powers need to be better explained to the Board. Apart from Rai and Guha, the CoA also has former international cricketer and India captain Diana Edulji and IDFC Ltd Managing Director and CEO Vikram Limaye. While the CoA’s primary function was to carry out the Lodha Commission’s recommendations in reforming the sport in the country, who carries out the day-to-day running of the sport? If that is the responsibility Board, then it was the Board’s and therefore of the CAC’s responsibility to announce the name of the coach after due process.

So who is selecting the coach of the Indian cricket team? The basis of the CoA is to delegate a certain amount of power to the BCCI till things are set in perspective when the functioning of the CoA would become redundant. At this point, it seems the CoA has the authority to decide on something that is within cricket’s deep understanding.

This complexity needs to be sorted out. Also the need of the hour is ascertaining the responsibilities and powers of the individual members of the CoA. Guha has probably not done the administration any good by sending in his resignation and by not contesting whatever he thinks are wrong from within.

The coach selection issue brings too many anomalies into the open. These are key issues that need sorting out in quick time, before another Kumble-like incident arises.

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Abhishek Sharma smashes 113 off 38 balls as India beat New Zealand in 3rd ODI

Abhishek Sharma hammered 113 off just 38 balls as India chased down New Zealand’s 199-run target in 13.2 overs, winning the third T20I by six wickets.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 27, 2026

APNLive Desk

Abhishek Sharma delivered a stunning batting performance in the third T20 International against New Zealand in Wellington, smashing 113 off just 38 balls to power India’s chase of 199. India reached the target in 13.2 overs, winning the match by six wickets.

The Indian opener’s explosive innings proved decisive as India chased down New Zealand’s total of 198/3. His aggressive approach put the hosts under pressure and helped India complete the chase with plenty of overs to spare.

Abhishek Sharma leads India’s chase

Abhishek’s 113-run knock off 38 deliveries was the standout performance of the contest. His innings provided India with the momentum needed to pursue the 199-run target at a rapid pace.

The century also made Abhishek the central figure of the third T20I, with his power-hitting dominating the contest. India’s successful chase underlined the impact of his innings in a match where New Zealand had posted a substantial total.

India chase down 199 against New Zealand

New Zealand scored 198/3 in their innings, setting India a target of 199. However, India’s batters responded with an aggressive chase, reaching the target in just 13.2 overs.

The six-wicket victory gave India an important result in the five-match T20I series. Abhishek’s century was the defining contribution of the match, ensuring that the visitors completed the chase comfortably.

Abhishek Sharma’s innings takes the spotlight

Abhishek’s quickfire century was the major talking point from the Wellington encounter. Scoring 113 runs from only 38 balls, he combined scoring speed with the ability to keep India’s chase firmly on track.

His performance will be among the key highlights of the third T20I as India continue their campaign against New Zealand.

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

1 month 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

1 month 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.