On being asked to name the funniest Indian cricketer, former batter Shikhar Dhawan ignored the likes of Rohit Sharma and Yuzvendra Chahal who are known for their unmatched humour on and off the field. Instead, Dhawan, who announced his retirement on Saturday, picked star batter Virat Kohli as the funniest of the lot. Dhawan played a total of 110 limited-overs matches together, including 87 ODIs and 23 T20Is with Kohli. The pair also spent a lot of time in the domestic circuit, representing Delhi during the early stage of their careers.

“Virat Kohli is the funniest in the Indian team. I share a great bond & relationship with him we played together from childhood days,” Dhawan told Hindustan Times.

Dhawan, who made his India debut during an ODI against Australia, drew curtains on his illustrious career on August 24, 2024.

Dhawan’s last outing was in IPL 2024 where he played just five games due to an injury concern. He played 222 IPL matches in his career and scored 6769 runs including two hundreds and 51 half centuries. His 768 fours in the tournament are the highest by any batter.

The southpaw’s career flourished as an India opener pairing with Rohit and he went on to become the second-fastest Indian to complete 6,000 ODI runs. He took 140 innings to reach the milestone figure in the 50-over cricket. Kohli was the fastest to achieve the feat in 136 innings.

Dhawan ended his ODI career with 6793 runs in 167 matches including 17 centuries and 39 half-centuries. His average in the format stands at 44.11.

In Test cricket, the 38-year-old made an impressive start in the debut innings against Australia in 2013. The opener smashed the fastest century by a debutant in the red-ball cricket. He reached the three-figure mark in 85 balls in Mohali and went on to register the highest individual score by a debutant for India in Test cricket. Dhawan played a memorable knock of 187 in his Test curtain-raiser but missed out on the much-deserved double ton.

(With IANS Inputs)

India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has joined Northamptonshire for their last fixture in the One-Day Cup and remaining five matches in the County Championship Division Two, the club announced on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Chahal has so far played 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is for India with 217 wickets across both formats to show for his efforts. Northamptonshire said on their website that the 34-year-old Indian spinner, who was a part of the country’s victorious campaign in the T20 World Cup, will link up with the squad on Wednesday ahead of their trip to Canterbury to play against Kent.

“Northamptonshire County Cricket Club are delighted that Indian international Yuzvendra Chahal will join the club for the final One-Day Cup match at Kent and the remaining five County Championship fixtures,” Northamptonshire said in a statement.

“Also previously an India youth international in the sport of chess, Chahal spent time at Kent in the 2023 season, taking nine wickets in two of their three Division One matches of the campaign,” it added.

“Yuzvendra is another high-profile overseas player who brings with him a wealth of experience and some incredible skills. His record speaks for itself and his wicket-taking ability will add strength to our attack,” said Northamptonshire head coach John Sadler.

Northamptonshire are currently placed seventh in the eight-team County Division Two points table with seven draws and two defeats in nine matches, whereas in the One-Day Cup also the club has had a tough season so far with one win and six defeats keeping them at the eighth position in Group A.

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the tour of Sri Lanka, some bold decisions were taken. The decision to pick Suryakumar Yadav over Hardik Pandya as the T20I skipper left many stunned while the absence of Ravindra Jadeja from the ODI side was another head-scratcher. Jadeja, who announced retirement from the T20I format, was expected to lead India’s pin attack in the island nation but his name was nowhere to be seen in the roster. With India scheduled to play just 6 ODIs before the Champions Trophy next year, Jadeja’s absence from the 50-over side, was deemed by many as a decision that could be long-lasting.

However, it has now been reported that Jadeja wasn’t dropped but only rested from the Sri Lanka assignment. The BCCI selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar, in consultation with head coach Gautam Gambhir, has reportedly informed Jadeja that he remains the team’s No. 1 spin-bowling all-rounder in one-day cricket. However, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the selectors and the coach wanted to try Axar Patel in the role, wanting to see if he can repeat his T20 cricket heroics in the 50-over format.

But, as far as Jadeda’s future is concerned, he has been assured of a return on the forthcoming assignments.

The report also shed light on Yuzvendra Chahal‘s situation in the Indian team. The leg-spinner wasn’t picked for either the T20I side or the ODI side by selectors, despite being a part of the team’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. Chahal is a world-class bowler but he has had quite a strange international career over the last 3 years or so. He didn’t even get to play a single game in the T20 World Cup campaign, as the team management preferred Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja.

According to the report, the selectors have put Chahal’s case on ‘hold’.

During the interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that spin duo Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav suggested the distinctive walk at the podium to receive the T20 World Cup trophy to make the moment memorable. When PM Modi mentioned Rohit’s distinctive walk saying, “I noticed two extreme things in which I could see emotion. When you are going to collect the trophy…” To which Rohit added, “It was such a huge moment for all of us. We all have been waiting for this for years. So, the boys told me ‘Don’t go just like that, do something different…” The Prime Minister jokingly asked, “Was it Chahal’s idea?”. Rohit replied “Chahal and Kuldeep” with a laugh around the room. Interestingly, Rohit Sharma’s unique walk up to the podium is similar to the way Argentina legend Lionel Messi received the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s vision and support have played a huge role in Team India’s victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Following the team’s meeting with the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Thursday, Jay Shah thanked PM Modi for his support.

Rohit Sharma: “Everyone told me to not go to the stage in a simple manner”

PM Narendra Modi “Was this Chahal’s idea?

Rohit Sharma : “Both Chahal & Kuldeep’s idea”pic.twitter.com/Cv0woKf4fQ

— Farrago Abdullah Parody (@abdullah_0mar) July 5, 2024

“It was an absolute pleasure to meet and interact with the Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi Ji at his official residence upon our arrival from Barbados. Prime Minister Sir has stood by #TeamIndia through ups and downs and has always encouraged the team to give its best

irrespective of the result. We are glad that the World Cup victory has brought a wave of euphoria across the country and filled every Indian with a sense of pride,” read the post by Jay Shah on Instagram.

Shah played a pivotal part in helping the team reach the country after the Champions were left stranded in Barbados due to Hurricane Beryl. The squad, alongside the support staff and several Indian journalists, returned to the country in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Following their meeting with PM Modi, the team rushed to the airport and went to Mumbai for the open-top bus parade and the presentation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium.

India head coach Rahul Dravid on Wednesday indicated that one among wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal could be included in the playing XI in their T20 World Cup Super Eight match against Afghanistan on Thursday, looking at the conditions, which seem conducive for slow bowlers. India had relied predominantly on its pace bowling arsenal at the Nassau County Stadium in New York as the drop-in pitches there had uneven bounce, which aided the quicks.

“It’s tough to leave anyone out. New York had pace bowlers conditions… slightly different. We might need something different here (in Barbados). Yuzi (Chahal) or Kuldeep (Yadav) could be used here,” said Dravid, while interacting with the media on the eve of the Super Eight game.

“We are lucky to have players with all-round abilities. We had eight batters but we (also) had seven bowling options,” he added.

Dravid also added that India will be flexible with its batting order and change it as per the situation.

“Each situation is unique. Can’t set it in stone. I believe in flexibility. The Pakistan game we moved Axar (Patel), specifically thinking around it… Rishabh (Pant) up the order (at No. 3), lots of thinking goes into it. I don’t think in Tests (cricket), we will have that flexibility. In T20s where it is a lot about match-ups, you see it happening more (flexibility in batting position).” 

Match-up in cricketing lingo means when a bowler or a batter holds sway over a particular player in the opposition.

At a crucial moment when India were struggling at 19/2 with both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in the dressing room, Axar was promoted at No. 4 and he made a useful 20 off 18 balls against arch-rivals Pakistan in a league game.

Dravid added it felt nice coming to the West Indies for the Super Eights.

“Lovely to come to Caribbean and play cricket. Couple of practice sessions. We are prepared. Afghanistan are a very dangerous side. Their players play more in leagues than our players. They are not a team to be taken lightly. Deservingly in Super 8.”

There was a lot of speculation surrounding Hardik Pandya‘s selection for the T20 World Cup 2024 but the Indian cricket team selectors showed their trust in the all-rounder by naming him vice-captain. They also opted for four spin options – Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja – which resulted in the exclusion of Rinku Singh. In an interview with Times Of India, former India manager and Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner Sunil Subramanian said that he believes India could have picked one less spin-bowling all-rounder and played Rinku instead. He further said that playing fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed in place of Hardik Pandya would have provided more balance to the side in the World Cup.

“India may have picked one spin-bowling allrounder too many. Rinku Singh for Axar and Khaleel Ahmed for vice-captain Hardik would have balanced the side better. There is no way both wrist spinners will play, especially in Nassau County in New York. It is a mickey mouse ground with the straight boundary being 55 meters only. Also, it is a drop-in pitch. Against Pakistan, they may play with only one spinner and that could be Jadeja as they may want to pack the side with pacers who can execute yorkers,” he said.

There has been a lot of excitement surrounding Kuldeep and Chahal playing together but Subramanian believes that it is highly unlikely that they will be picked together in the side.

“Only if they are in a must-win situation. If Hardik is unable to bowl four overs and if one of the pacers gets hit, that may happen. But only in the West Indies leg of the tournament. The only other way to play both wrist spinners is by dropping Jaiswal and opening with Kohli and Rohit. They will not do that. They will err on the side of caution,” he further added.