Month: January 2025

Australian opener Usman Khawaja’s maiden double century propelled Australia to a commanding 475 for three at lunch on Day 2 of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.  The 38-year-old left-hander displayed remarkable resilience, spending over seven and a half hours at the crease to register his career-best score, surpassing his previous highest of 195 not out against South Africa in Sydney in 2023.

Khawaja, who only managed to score 184 runs in the five-match Test series against India at home, marched on to 232 before falling caught-behind off Prabath Jayasuriya. His marathon knock came off 353 balls with 16 fours and one six. Khawaja has become the first Australian cricketer to score a double century in Sri Lanka.

WATCH Usman Khawaja complete his maiden Test double century HERE…

After Khawaja’s dismissal, debutant Josh Inglis notched up his maiden Test ton off 90 balls with 10 fours and a six. Inglis came into the side in place of Sam Konstas, made his debut innings count – putting on a rapid 146 runs for the 4th wicket with Khawaja.

He was dismissed soon after completing his century, falling to Prabath Jayasuriya once again. But by then the Aussies had already raced along to 570 for 5.

Earlier, resuming his innings at 147 overnight in Galle, Khawaja remained unflappable against Sri Lanka’s spinners, bringing up his double century with a sharp single to mid-off. He had some luck along the way—caught behind on 74 but saved when Sri Lanka failed to review, and later dropped on 90 by Kusal Mendis.

However, he made the hosts pay, delivering a batting masterclass. His unbeaten 204 came off 298 balls, laced with 16 fours and a six.

Khawaja and captain Steve Smith stitched together a record-breaking 266-run partnership for the third wicket, surpassing the previous best stand of 200 between Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn in Kandy back in 2004.

The partnership finally ended when Jeffrey Vandersay trapped Smith leg-before. Smith’s composed 141 off 251 balls featured 12 fours and two sixes, further cementing Australia’s dominance.

Debutant Josh Inglis looked confident at the crease, crafting a fluent 44 off just 46 balls, including five boundaries. Smith is leading the Australian side in the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins, who is on paternity leave. Australia recently clinched a five-Test series against India at home, securing a spot in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June.

The second Test of the two-match series begins on February 6, also in Galle.

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New Delhi: Shardul Thakur maintained his impressive form in the Ranji Trophy by dismantling Meghalaya’s batting lineup during the final round of the domestic tournament at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC, Mumbai, on Thursday, January 30. He achieved a hat-trick, putting Meghalaya in a difficult position at 2 for 6 in this important match, which is vital for assessing Mumbai’s prospects of advancing to the quarter-finals.

Shardul Thakur recorded impressive bowling statistics of 4 wickets for 43 runs in 11 overs, including three maidens. The all-rounder from Mumbai achieved a hat-trick in just the second over of the match, following the decision of Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane to field after winning the toss.

Shardul showcased impressive skill with the new ball, effectively leading the Mumbai bowling attack. He took the wicket of left-handed batsman Balchander Anirudh with a fuller delivery that swung into the space between bat and pad, knocking over the stumps. Additionally, he dismissed Sumit Kumar by swinging the ball away from the right-hander, resulting in a catch in the slip region.

The hat-trick delivery exhibited movement, prompting Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva to attempt a shot, resulting in an inside edge that struck the stumps. Shardul has now become the fifth player from Mumbai to achieve a hat-trick in the Ranji Trophy.

Meghalaya collapsed to 86 all out in just 24.3 overs in their first innings.

Shardul initiated the downfall of Meghalayan by dismissing Nishanta Chakraborty for a score of 0 in his opening over. Mohit Avasthi took three wickets, while Sylvester D’Souza secured two. Additionally, spinner Shams Mulani contributed by taking one wicket.

Shardul fought valiantly for Mumbai during their loss to Jammu and Kashmir last week. While prominent players like Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal struggled, Shardul scored sixty runs in the first innings and then notched up a hundred in the second innings against J&K.

In Bengaluru, KL Rahul’s eagerly awaited comeback to the Ranji Trophy was met with disappointment, despite the favorable batting conditions at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the match against Haryana.

According to coach Yere Goud, Rahul came in to bat at the No. 3 position after openers Aneesh KV and Mayank Agarwal put up a partnership of 45 runs for the first wicket. KL Rahul made 26 runs off 37 balls, including four fours. The prominent batsman appeared steady at the crease but was eventually out, bowled by Anshul Kamboj, who has been performing well for Haryana this season.

KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal contributed 54 runs for the second wicket partnership before Rahul was out.

Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal further established Karnataka’s control over the Haryana bowlers by contributing 62 runs for the third wicket partnership. Mayank focused on maintaining a steady flow of runs, striking three sixes and eight fours.

He narrowly missed achieving a century by just nine runs, getting out to Anuj Thakral in the 48th over. After his departure, 21-year-old Ravichandran Smaran, who had scored a double century against Punjab in the last match, came to bat alongside Devdutt Padikkal after the lunch break.

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Amid rising concerns over the readiness of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 venues in the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore would be handed over to the ICC on February 11, little over a week before the start of the ODI showpiece.

The PCB posted a video of the new-look stadium on ‘X’ and wrote, “Under the lights, it’s a sight to behold!…We can’t wait to welcome fans, officials and teams for the tri-nation series and Champions Trophy.”

The mega-event begins on February 19. A Board source told PTI news agency that the stadium will be handed over to the International Cricket Council (ICC), ‘for branding and other stuff on February 11’ after Pakistan’s tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa.

The ICC had set January 31 as the deadline for the handover of all three stadiums – Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore), National Stadium (Karachi) and the Rawalpindi Stadium – which will host the global event in Pakistan. The source added that ‘final touches’ were being given to the Gaddafi Stadium.

“…this has been a construction site and there will be some rubble, which will be removed shortly. This stadium has taken shape after six months of work,” said the source.

The eight-team Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan but India will play all its matches in Dubai owing to security concerns. Pakistan’s leading English daily ‘Dawn’ had recently carried a story which stated that, “it seems absolutely impossible to contemplate the renovation work being completed within the deadline, but the personnel handed the responsibility are beaming with confidence.”

The PCB has also insisted that the National Stadium in Karachi will be ready in time as well. The venue will host the opening match of event between Pakistan and New Zealand on February 19. The PCB has spent around PKR 12 billion on renovation, construction and installation of equipment at all three venues. Tickets have already gone on sale but until the PCB announces they have possession of the new-look stadiums, concerns will remain.

On Tuesday, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice resigned after the governing body’s board expressed dissatisfaction with his failure to give a clear picture of Pakistan’s preparedness for the event.

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New Delhi: Virat Kohli asked for chilli paneer at lunch on the first day of the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Previously, Kohli’s go-to dish was chilli chicken when he preferred non-vegetarian food. However, in 2018, the Indian cricketer adopted a vegan diet to maintain peak fitness while juggling both international and domestic cricket commitments.

Ahead of the match against Railways, Kohli opted to skip chhole poori, as per an official from the Delhi and Districts Association. Instead, he chose to enjoy kadhi chawal with his teammates and the support staff. Sanjay Jha, the chef who has known Kohli since his early days, spoke about Kohli’s humble attitude, despite his immense success in international cricket.

“I have been running a canteen for 25 years and I have known Virat Kohli from his childhood. He used to eat from our canteen. He started his career from here, but he doesn’t have any arrogance. Even today, he stays humble while talking to us and the waiters just how a normal person does,” Sanjay Jha told Sports Today in an interview.

“Earlier, chilli chicken used to be his favourite. Not only did he use to eat it, but he also recommended it to his teammates. Now he has chole bhature or kadhi chawal. Once I asked him if we should order something from outside, but he refused, saying that he wanted to have food from our canteen itself,” Sanjay Jha said.

In 2021, during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Instagram, the 36-year-old Kohli shared his diet. “Lots of vegetables, some eggs, 2 cups of Coffee, quinoa, lots of spinach, love dosas too. But all in controlled quantities,” Kohli wrote.

On Thursday, January 30, Kohli made his comeback to the Ranji Trophy after more than 12 years, having last played against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad in 2012. Prior to the match, Kohli arrived at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, where he participated in running and fielding exercises before taking to the field on Thursday.

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