National and International Affairs and News

  Jos Buttler had a dream run in the first half of the ongoing IPL 2022 where he registered three centuries with two of them being back-to-back. The Englishman looked in such great nick that at one point in time it appeared he would surpass Virat Kohli’s tally of 973 runs of IPL 2016. However, the second half witnessed a dip in his performance, as he has amassed single-digit scores in his last three innings. Analysing his own performances, the wicketkeeper-batter has said that while he is disappointed with the recent failures, he is confident that there will definitely be a revival of form in the playoffs. “I’ve obviously been delighted with my form in the IPL, but a bit disappointed with the last few games. The first half of the tournament, I was playing some of the best cricket, and I’m still taking lots of confidence from that going into playoffs”, said Buttler. Buttler might have failed in the second half, but he is comfortably placed at the top of the Orange Cap list, h...

  Sri Lanka has announced their provisional squads for the forthcoming Test and white-ball series against Australia, which begins on June 7 at home. The schedule comprises three T20Is, five ODIs, and two Test matches. Dimuth Karunaratne will lead in the longest format of the game, while Dasun Shanaka will oversee the limited over games. Australia has already announced a strong team for the tour, with Pat Cummins leading the Test squad and Aaron Finch leading the white-ball squads. To prepare for the forthcoming series, the hosts have chosen a 24-member provisional Test team and two 26-member preliminary ODI and T20I teams. The 50-over games will account for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, whereas the red-ball games will be a part of the World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle. The three T20Is will be played between June 7 to 11, followed by the five-match ODI series scheduled from June 14 to 24. The tour will conclude with the two Test matches that wi...

Wriddhiman Saha is amidst a purple patch in IPL 2022 as the veteran stumper has scored 281 runs for the Gujarat Titans in just eight games. His opening partnership with Shubhman Gill has played a pivotal role in the success of the table-toppers Gujarat franchise. But for the past six months, Saha has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. After his dismissal from the Test squad for the Sri Lanka series, Saha made an alarming revelation that head coach Rahul Dravid advised him to consider retirement. He landed in further controversy after an alleged altercation with senior journalist Boria Majumdar. In the latest turn, the wicketkeeper has been named in the Bengal squad for the upcoming Ranji knockout games, but the batter is seeking a NOC as he has no interest in representing his domestic side. Saha’s wife revealed that the batter was hurt when his intent was questioned after leaving the domestic side for personal reasons earlier this season. “A few months ago, when Wri...

  Former Pakistani wicketkeeper batter Kamran Akmal believes that Jammu & Kashmir speedster Umran Malik would have already received an international call-up had he been a part of the Pakistan setup. Malik is currently representing the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League 2022 and has emerged as the franchise’s second-highest wicket-taker scalping 15 wickets from 11 matches. Akmal, a former Rajasthan Royals member of the 2008 winning squad, feels that although Malik’s economy is relatively high, the pacer creates a big impact in the game owing to his ability to provide the team with regular breakthroughs. The veteran also praised Indian cricket for altering the face of the game by developing a slew of great fast bowlers over the past year. “If he was in Pakistan, maybe he would have played international cricket. His economy is high, but he is a strike bowler since he is getting wickets. After every match, his speed chart comes where he clocks around 155 k...

  Former India batter and cricket expert Sanjay Manjrekar has praised Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Mayank Agarwal, emphasizing the fact that he is a ‘true team man’. The former Indian batter said that Mayank had sacrificed his opening position for the benefit of his franchise. Mayank was named as PBKS skipper before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 after KL Rahul moved out from the Punjab Kings and joined the new entrants Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Agarwal has not been at his best so far, but his best can be seen when is opening the innings. The right-handed batter had scored over 400 runs at an excellent strike rate of above 130 during IPL 2020 and 2021. The PBKS skipper began the IPL 2022 as an opener along with the veteran Shikhar Dhawan. However, Mayank sacrificed his opening slot for the England hard-hitter Jonny Bairstow and demoted himself in the order. The move has worked for the team as Bairstow has stroked two back-to-back fifties, a...

  Veteran New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori has hailed Pakistan skipper Babar Azam as the best batter in the world right now. To note, Babar is currently ranked number one in International Cricket Council’s (ICC) ODI and T20I rankings. In the longest format, the right-handed batter is ranked fifth behind Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root. It may be noted that Babar was in red hot form during Pakistan’s last series against visitors Australia. Babar was the second highest run-getter in the ODI series behind Imam-ul-Haq. Babar scored 276 runs at an outstanding average of 138 in the three matches. Similarly, he was the top run-getter in the one-off T20I as he amassed 66 runs in the game. During a recent Question and Answers session, Vettori emphasized the fact that Babar is the most in-form batter at the moment with his excellent batting antics during the recently conducted Australia tour of Pakistan. However, it may be noted that the homes-si...