Month: January 2025

New Delhi: Virat Kohli made his long-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy, playing for Delhi for the first time since 2012 in their final Group match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on January 30. Fans were initially disappointed when Kohli didn’t bat on Day 1, but he finally took to the crease on Day 2. However, his stay at the wicket was short-lived, lasting just 23 minutes as he scored 6 runs off 15 balls. Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan claimed his wicket, sending Kohli’s off-stump flying. Kohli’s fans were not pleased with the dismissal.

On Instagram, numerous Virat Kohli fans began attacking and abusing Himanshu Sangwan for dismissing their favorite batter. However, they ended up targeting the wrong person. Instead of the Railways bowler, they mistakenly blasted a Delhi resident with the same name in a case of mistaken identity.

The young pacer, Himanshu Sangwan, took to Instagram to share a video in which he urged fans not to attack him, clarifying that he wasn’t the Himanshu Sangwan they were targeting. In a bizarre turn of events, former Virat Kohli teammate and fellow pacer, Pradeep Sangwan, also became a victim of mistaken identity, with fans directing their anger at him on social media.

Himanshu Sangwan made his Instagram account private on the morning of Day 2 of the Delhi vs Railways match, suggesting that he anticipated the possibility of facing Virat Kohli and potentially taking his prized wicket. A report in Hindustan Times revealed that the Railways pacer was aware of the potential online backlash he’d face after dismissing Kohli, prompting him to adjust his privacy settings in advance.

On the field, Railways batted first and posted a total of 241 in their first innings. Despite Kohli’s early dismissal for 6, Delhi’s captain Ayush Badoni played a valiant knock of 99, and Sumit Mathur added a crucial 73 as Delhi reached 315/7 at the end of 91 overs.

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New Delhi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has categorically dismissed rumors claiming that Imran Khan’s name would be removed from a section of Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which is undergoing renovations. There had been widespread speculation that the former cricket captain’s name would be taken down due to his legal issues and imprisonment. However, the PCB clarified that no alterations have been made to the stadium’s structure or its naming. This statement was issued while the venue is being readied for the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled in 2025.

The section of the stadium named after Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning squad, has stayed the same since the country’s historic win. A PCB spokesperson confirmed this, with a statement appearing on the Cricket Pakistan website: “There have been no changes to the names of enclosures. All enclosures remain as they were”.

The recent discussions about renaming the enclosure came after Imran Khan’s imprisonment following his conviction in a corruption case, which he asserts is politically motivated. Khan, along with his wife, Bushra Bibi, was incarcerated in January 2024, but he continues to maintain his innocence.

Additionally, the Gaddafi Stadium’s renovation committee has a tight schedule of upgrades before the event begins on February 19, 2025. A PCB source mentioned that the handover to the ICC will take place on February 11, just after the tri-nation series involving Pakistan, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Other stadiums, such as National Stadium in Karachi and Rawalpindi Stadium, are also being revamped for the tournament, while matches in India will be played in Dubai due to security concerns. Despite some logistical challenges, like delays in finalizing Pakistan’s squad and updates on player Saim Ayub’s injury, the PCB is optimistic about delivering a successful event as the first ICC major since 1996.

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New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar, often considered the greatest cricketer of all time, is set to receive the highest honor from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the Indian cricket board’s annual ‘Naman Awards’ ceremony, which will be held on Friday (February 1) in Mumbai.

According to multiple reports, Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar will be awarded the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor given by the BCCI to the most outstanding cricketers in Indian history. Tendulkar will receive the prestigious prize in his home city of Mumbai, with several current stars of the Indian cricket team, including captain Rohit Sharma, expected to be in attendance.

The CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award was introduced by the BCCI in 1994, with Lala Amarnath being the first recipient. Over the years, some of India’s finest cricketers, including Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Bishan Singh Bedi, Gundappa Vishwanath, Ajit Wadekar, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and Dilip Vengsarkar, have been honored with this prestigious award. Last year, the BCCI conferred the highest honor upon Ravi Shastri and Farokh Engineer.

The CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award is named after CK Nayudu, who was the first captain of the Indian Test team

As for Tendulkar, he had an extraordinary career, playing 200 Tests, 463 ODIs, and 1 T20I for India over an unparalleled span of 24 years. Debuting for India at just 16 years old in 1989, he still holds the record as the youngest Indian to play both Test and ODI cricket. Tendulkar is the player with the most runs in international cricket across all formats, and he holds the records for being the leading run-scorer in both ODIs and Test cricket. The 51-year-old is also the only player in history to score 100 centuries in international cricket.

Tendulkar’s accomplishments include being the only player to score more than 50 centuries in Test cricket, and with 49 tons in ODIs, he has the second most centuries in the format. He was also India’s highest run-scorer in their victorious 2011 World Cup campaign. In 2013, Tendulkar was honored with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, making him the first and, to date, only sportsperson to receive this prestigious recognition.

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