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Back in the day, when someone used to mention South Africa, we’d associate the country with Nelson Mandela, all the work he had done to bring an end to apartheid, and how he had inspired the entire world as the first Black president of the nation. When it came to the topic of cricket, we’d promptly start talking about Jonty Rhodes, Gary Kirsten (whose contribution to Indian cricket was insane), Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Ab de Villiers, Dale Steyn (I used to copy his bowling style), and of course, Makhaya Ntini. The men’s football World Cup that was hosted by the country was incredibly entertaining, and we got two of the most iconic songs of all time: “Waka Waka” and “Wavin’ Flag” out of it. And if you get into the world of entertainment, you have Charlize Theron, whose acting skills are as admirable as her philanthropic work.

Virat Kohli Has Been A Part Of Royal Challengers Bengaluru Since 2008(Photo Credit –Facebook/Twitter)

Virat Kohli is without a doubt one of the best cricketers in the world right now. With millions of fans worshipping him, professional cricketers and colleagues consider him one of the best. His association with the Indian Premier League goes back to 2008 when he was fresh off his Under 19 World Cup win. Since, then Kohli has become the face of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, proving his loyalty over the years. But did you know Ipl fans had once lashed out at the team for retaining Kohli and letting Rahul Dravid go?

We will have to turn the pages on this bit of Ipl history back to 2010, two years after the Ipl started. As the league was gaining momentum, so was Kohli. Still fresh and young to the world of Ipl, Kohli was beginning his run machine phase.

Johannesburg, Aug 31 (Ians) Legendary South Africa cricketer Jacques Kallis believes the side’s quality pace attack will once again be the key for their hopes in the upcoming Men’s Odi World Cup to be held in India from October 5 to November 19.

South Africa are yet to win the 50-over World Cup, with their best-ever finish being four-time semi-finalists. They will open their 2023 Men’s Odi World Cup campaign against 1996 champions Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on October 7.

“South Africa’s strength to me is going to be in our bowling attack,” he said. “We’ve got some quality pace bowlers that can blow away the opposition’s top-order. And I think they are going to play a major role if South Africa are going to get far, if we do get far (in the tournament),” Kallis was quoted as saying by Icc.

Kallis, the former pace all-rounder,...

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Ians) Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag picks captain Rohit Sharma as the leading run-getter in the World Cup 2023. He also said that Indian pitches provide a very good surface to the opener and he has terrific records as an opener.

In a video posted by Icc’s Instagram handle, Sehwag was asked to predict the leading run-getter in World Cup 2023, and he chose India’s Rohit Sharma.

“India has got good wickets, so I think openers will get good opportunities. If I want to pick one, I think Rohit Sharma. There are a couple of names, but I am Indian and I should pick an Indian, so Rohit Sharma,” said Virender Sehwag.

Further, he also said that big tournaments improve his energy level and bring out the best of him. So I surely think he will perform well in the tournament.

Rohit Sharma in the last edition...

Manchester, July 20 (Ians) England cricketer Moeen Ali on Thursday entered an exclusive club of men’s Test all-round cricketers, who have the double of 3,000 runs and 200 wickets, on day two of ongoing fourth Ashes 2023 Test at Old Trafford, here.

Coming out to bat at number three, Ali was unbeaten on 31 at lunch. He became the 16th men’s cricketer to achieve the Test all-rounders’ double of 3,000 runs and 200 wickets.

Moeen had 200 wickets and 2,977 runs in Test cricket before the start of the ongoing Ashes Test at Old Trafford. He crossed 3000 Test runs after hitting back-to-back fours off Australia captain Pat Cummins in the 14th over, as England reached 61-1 at lunch.

“I think we forget what a good young batter Moeen was. Anyone watching a young Moeen growing up would say ‘this lad can bat’. ‘That is the reason he has said he wants to bat at No 3’.

“He will...

Raleigh, North Carolina, July 12 (Ians) The T Ten Global Sports conducted the US Masters T10 League Player Draft in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Player Draft witnessed all six teams – Atlanta Fire, California Knights, Morrisville Unity, New Jersey Legends, New York Warriors and Texas Chargers – construct explosive line-ups for the tournament, set to be held later this year.

The New Jersey Legends will have three 2011 World Cup-winning players Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan enthralling the crowd along with Liam Plunkett, Albie Morkel, Naman Ojha, Jesse Ryder, Chris Barnwell, Stuart Binny, Rp Singh, Bipul Sharma, Craig Mcmillan, Tim Ambrose, Rajesh Bishnoi, Abhimanyu Mithun and Monty Panesar.

Swashbuckling batters Robin Uthappa and David Hussey will lead the charge for Atlanta Fire along with Lendl Simmons, Muhammad Irfan, Dwayne Smith, Farhad Raza, Hammad Azam, Chaturanga De Silva, Elias Sunny, Nasir Hossain, Kamrul Islam, Junaid Siddique, Grant Elliot, Amila Aponso, Hamilton Masakada and S Sreesanth.

Citing the Barc data, the broadcaster stated that it has garnered 23% more viewers with a cumulative reach of 30.7 crore viewers for the first 10 matches in comparison to previous Ipl editions (excluding editions played during lockdown) and is optimistic that fans will be glued to their TV screens for the remainder of the season.

Notably, the peak concurrency on TV for the opening match of 5.6 cr was also the highest ever in Ipl history excluding the Covid-19 period.

The network also mentioned that the Tvr among affluent male urban sports audiences has grown by almost 25% in comparison to the last edition.

"We are elated with the overwhelming response to Disney Star’s broadcast of Ipl 2023. We have received viewing figures, or ratings, as you call them, for the first 10 matches and we’ve seen records being broken. It’s the second-highest, most-watched Ipl in history as far as the first 10 matches are concerned,...

New Delhi, April 6 (Ians) It hasn’t been even a week since Ipl started but the cricket fever has well and truly gripped the entire nation. Fans and experts have already started their predictions about who is going to be the best batter and the best bowler of Ipl 2023.

The experts panel at Star Sports feels that Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad – who are the frontrunners in the Orange Cap race – might actually end up winning it by the end of yet another exciting season.

They also said that Rajasthan Royals star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Gujarat Titans’ talisman Rashid Khan are primed to win the Purple Cap, awarded to the most successful bowler at the end of the tournament.

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s talismanic batter Virat Kohli started the tournament with a bang with his sensational knock of unbeaten 82 against Mumbai Indians in their tournament opener. While Chennai Super...

Chennai, April 3 (Ians) Virat Kohli arrived at his adopted second home M Chinnaswamy Stadium after 1427 days in Ipl and the talismanic India cricketer didn’t disappoint the passionate Royal Challengers Bangalore fans who turned up in large numbers to watch their team in action from the ground.

Kohli’s masterful knock along with captain Faf du Plessis and their third century stand in Ipl ensured Rcb didn’t have to break much sweat and claimed an emphatic 8-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.

The star-studded commentary panel on Star Sports lavished praise upon King Kohli for his superb knock against a high-quality Mumbai Indians bowling line-up.

Irfan Pathan said, “Virat Kohli is the biggest superstar of Tata Ipl. He’s shining brightly like a full moon and Indian fans can’t be happier. He’s started this season on a positive note. Runs were not coming from his bat last year,...

New Delhi, April 2 (Ians) The second game in Sunday’s double-header in Indian Premier League (Ipl) 2023 will see five-time champions Mumbai Indians begin their campaign when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the latter’s backyard, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Harbhajan Singh, who played for Mi in the Ipl from 2008-17, termed the match between Rcb and Mi as the biggest match of the tournament so far and claimed that cricket fans couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday treat.

“Rcb vs Mi match is going to be the biggest match of Tata Ipl 2023 so far because two superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be up against each other. Add to it, the electrifying atmosphere at Chinnaswamy.”

“It couldn’t get better than this. Fans can’t afford to miss it as 200-plus runs can be scored in the first innings and it could be chased down as well.

Mumbai, March 21 (Ians) Star Sports, the official television broadcaster of the Ipl 2023, on Tuesday announced a star-studded panel of commentators that features some of the most decorated players to have graced the 22 yards.

Cricket aficionados can tune in to watch two T20 World Cup winning captains Paul Collingwood and Aaron Finch, the latter having played for nine Ipl franchises, providing a captain’s perspective.

Joining them will be former England and Ipl legend Kevin Pietersen, whose extensive knowledge of the sport and colourful personality has made him a fan favourite over the years.

Another fan favourite – Danny Morrison – will be seen in his elements on Star Sports’ coverage of Ipl 2023. One of the greatest all-rounders ever and a former Ipl coach Jacques Kallis makes his debut on Star Sports’ panel.

Former Australia batters David Hussey, who was also Kkr mentor and Matthew Hayden, Csk legend, will join Kallis and Pietersen.

Doha (Qatar), March 19 (Ians) Asian Giants will be hoping to take revenge when they clash with World Giants, in a rematch of the 2022 final, as the stage is set for the grand finale of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) Masters here on Monday.

The World Giants emerged champions with a 25-run victory against Asian Giants n last year’s final in Oman.

Given the unpredictability of the tournament so far, the clash between the World Giants and Asia Lions at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium in Doha, it will be interesting to see whether the World Giants will live up to their name and bag the title or if it will be the Asia Lions who will roar to success.

The story of this edition indicates that it is bound to be a well-fought final since it will be carved out by legends of the game who have enthralled fans during their glorious careers.

Doha (Qatar), March 17 (Ians) Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis cracked elegant half-centuries to lead World Giants to the final of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) Masters, defeating Asia Lions by 20 runs in the sixth match of the tournament at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium, here.

Amla scored 68 off 59 balls with nine boundaries and a six while Kallis scored an unbeaten 56 off 43 balls with five boundaries and two sixes. Together, they put on a 105 runs partnership in 80 balls to help World Giants post 150 for 3 in 20 overs.

In reply, Asia Lions were restricted to 130 in 19.1 overs through Chris Mpofu and Tino Best’s three-wicket spells. Except for Tillakaratne Dilshan (37) and skipper Shahid Afridi (26), none rose to the challenge and crashed to a 20-run defeat on Thursday night.

Asia Lions will now meet India Maharajas in Saturday’s Eliminator.

Asia Lions won the toss and elected to bowl. World Giants’ opener Amla scored...

Doha, March 13 (Ians) Former Australia all-rounder Shane Waston hailed Virat Kohli for his Test hundred in the Border Gavaskar Trophy and said that it is hard to believe Kohli’s record at this point, adding that the right-hander is going to be knocking on the doors of various incredible records.

Speaking at the press briefing session for Legends League Cricket (LLC) Masters, Watson said: “It’s incredible what he has been able to achieve and will continue to achieve. It has obviously been a little while between Test centuries for him, but it was only a matter of time before he scored another one. His record as it stands at this point in time is hard to believe, and he still has a lot of his career to go.

“You see the statistics and think that for anyone who has a chance of getting 100 centuries in international cricket, Sachin was...

Doha (Qatar), March 12 (Ians) World Giants pulled off a thrilling two-run win over India Maharajas in the second match of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) Masters at the Asia Town Cricket Stadium here.

The edge-of-the-seat thriller followed after World Giants had posted 166 for 8 in 20 overs on Saturday night, riding on skipper Aaron Finch’s 53 off 31 balls with seven boundaries and three sixes and Shane Watson’s 55 runs off 32 balls with five boundaries and three sixes.

A captain’s knock of 68 from Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh’s four-wicket spell for 13 runs for Indian Maharajas, unfortunately, went in vain.

It was Gambhir’s second consecutive half-century after his 54 against Asia Lions in the opener and his 68 in this match came off 42 balls with nine boundaries and one six. With eight runs needed off the last over, Brett Lee gave away just five runs to give the defending champions World Giants a winning start.

Doha (Qatar), March 9 (Ians) India Maharajas will take on Asia Lions in the opening match of the third edition of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) Masters at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Friday.

The third edition of the LLC Masters, with top legendary cricketers who have carved out many historic moments, gives fans an opportunity to watch their heroes of yesteryears.

The glorious journey of this event since its inception has attracted huge television viewership and also sponsorship support. Three teams — World Giants, India Maharajas and Asia Lions — include the cream of legendary players and are all set to battle it out to be crowned the champions on March 20.

Speaking ahead of the tournament and commenting on the growth of LLC over the years, Raman Raheja, co-founder and CEO of Legends League Cricket said, “Legends League Cricket has grown immensely since its inception. In the first season,...

New Delhi, March 3 (Ians) India Maharajas, World Giants and Asia Lions, the teams that will participate in the Legends League Cricket Masters, on Friday announced coaches that will guide the three teams.

Lance Klusener, Lalchand Rajput and Dav Whatmore will coach the three teams in the LLC Masters, which will see legends of international cricket turn back the clock and put on an extravaganza on the field, is scheduled to be played from March 10 to 20 at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Lance Klusener, one of the most versatile and accomplished all-rounders in international cricket, has been appointed as the coach of the India Maharajas for the 2023 LLC Masters. The South African great will have stars such as Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth, and Robin Uthappa at his disposal during the tournament, with more icons set to be added to their roster.

While talking about the 10-day tournament in Doha,...

New Delhi, Jan 28 (Ians) Legends League Cricket on Saturday confirmed participation from six more former cricketers — Ross Taylor, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee, Abdur Razzak, Tilakratne Dilshan and Parvinder Awana — for LLC Masters, to be played in Qatar from February 27 to March 8.

As per organisers, a total of eight matches will be played during LLC Masters with each team playing 4 matches at the group level.

Apart from Taylor, Kallis, Lee, Razzak, Dilshan and Awana, the list of confirmed players includes Shane Watson, Upul Tharanga, Albie Morkel, Kevin O’Brien, Shoaib Akhtar, Chris Gayle and S. Sreesanth.

“I am thrilled to be returning to play LLC, the chance to play with and against so many of my friends from around the world is really exciting. We are very competitive people so I have no doubt it will be a hugely successful campaign,” said Jacques Kallis in a media release.

According to LLC statistics for players,...

London, Jan 19 (Ians) South Africa opener Hashim Amla, who has joined Mi Cape Town as a batting coach for SA20, has announced his retirement as player from all forms of cricket.

The 39-year-old South African batting legend has informed Surrey Country Club that he will not play for them in the County Championship 2023. Amla had played a key role in helping Surrey win the Championship in 2022, the last season of his contract with the county club.

In his two-decade-long career, Amla has scored 34,104 runs across all formats — 9,282 of them in 124 Tests, the second highest for his country behind Jacques Kallis for his country. This included 28 hundreds and a best of 311 not out against England at The Oval in 2012, which was also South Africa’s first triple-century in Tests.

Amla was also quite successful in white-ball cricket, scoring 8113 runs including 27 hundreds in 181 ODIs, and 1,277 runs in 44 T20Is.

A few months...

Johannesburg, Nov 17 (Ians) Legendary South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis believes that the inaugural edition of SA20 is going to improve the quality and skillsets of young players coming through the ranks in the country.

Kallis will be featuring in SA20 as assistant coach to Graham Ford at the Pretoria Capitals for the inaugural SA20 season, scheduled to be held from January 10 to February 11 next year, after spending time as an experienced T20 coach in the Indian Premier League (Ipl) in various roles.

“I think South African cricket has been crying out for this for a long time. I think we’ve seen the wonderful job it’s (franchise league cricket) done around the world in terms of how the local competition has improved cricket.”

“Having international players and coaches is also certainly going to provide a good product. It is going to improve the young guys coming through. I have...

New Delhi, Sep 23 (Ians) The second edition of Legends League Cricket has recorded 16 million-plus unique viewers on the digital streaming platforms in India and its digital footprints have also crossed 600 million fans across the world.

According to the latest Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) TV ratings, the opening match of the season between India Maharajas and World Giants, played at Eden Gardens with the world’s greatest players taking part in it, has garnered higher ratings than any other on-going cricket league in the country. It is also five times more than the ratings of the entire last season of the Legends league Cricket.

“It’s amazing to see such great numbers. We all know Star Sports being the premium broadcaster and is the biggest Sports platform, it has helped create wider reach for us and we have the second highest viewership in India for any T20 league after Ipl.

Pretoria, Sep 21 (Ians) Ahead of the inaugural season of Cricket South Africa’s SA20, the Pretoria Capitals have assembled a strong squad at the recent Player Auction on September 19. Before the player auction held in Cape Town, the Capitals had signed pace duo of Anrich Nortje (who is also a part of Delhi Capitals in the Ipl) and Migael Pretorius.

The Capitals, who are part of a six-team tournament that is slated to be played in January-February next year, have signed on players like the hard-hitting South Africa batter Rilee Rossouw, and local hero Theunis de Bruyn apart from New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and ace England leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

The franchise has already signed up Graham Ford as head coach, with Jacques Kallis and Dale Benkenstein as assistant coaches.

“The auction was quite an experience, it was fun but stressful. I think at the end of the day I...

Pretoria, Sep 21 (Ians) Ahead of the inaugural season of Cricket South Africa’s SA20, the Pretoria Capitals have assembled a strong squad at the recent Player Auction on September 19. Before the player auction held in Cape Town, the Capitals had signed pace duo of Anrich Nortje (who is also a part of Delhi Capitals in the Ipl) and Migael Pretorius.

The Capitals, who are part of a six-team tournament that is slated to be played in January-February next year, have signed on players like the hard-hitting South Africa batter Rilee Rossouw, and local hero Theunis de Bruyn apart from New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and ace England leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

The franchise has already signed up Graham Ford as head coach, with Jacques Kallis and Dale Benkenstein as assistant coaches.

“The auction was quite an experience, it was fun but stressful. I think at the end of the day I...

Lucknow, Sep 20 (Ians) Soon after Yusuf Pathan helped India Maharajas beat World Giants in a special benefit match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on September 16, Irfan Pathan shared a video of his brother Yusuf with the groundsmen on social media. The caption read: “There is still a lot of cricket left in you, Yusuf.”

Irfan’s comments weren’t totally off the mark.

Yusuf has hit a purple patch in the Legends League Cricket (LLC), which is being played in India for the first time.

After scoring a half-century against World Giants, the big-hitting Bhilwara Kings batter followed it up with a 44 against Manipal Tigers. He peppered the ground with his shots, hitting mammoth sixes and sumptuous boundaries at will, the organisers informed in a release on Tuesday.

The former India all-rounder will aim to continue the same form when his side Bhilwara Kings face India Capitals at the Brsabv Ekana Cricket Stadium,...

Lucknow, Sep 19 (Ians) Former Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson has had an interesting encounter at his hotel room here after he spotted a snake near the door of his room here.

The former left-arm seamer, who is currently in India to play in the Legends League Cricket, shared the image of the snake on his Instagram handle, saying, “Anyone knows what type of snake this is?? Just hanging out in my room door.”

Johnson (40), who retired from international cricket in 2015 after claiming 313 Test wickets and 239 Odi scalps from 73 and 153 outings, respectively, is playing for the Jacques Kallis-led India Capitals in the Legends League Cricket, and featured in the game against Gujarat Giants in Kolkata on Saturday.

In another post, Johnson wrote: “Found a better pic of this snake’s head. Still unsure what it is exactly. Interesting stay so far in Lucknow, India.”

The Legends League Cricket has brought former...

Lucknow, Sep 19 (Ians) Former Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson has had an interesting encounter at his hotel room here after he spotted a snake near the door of his room here.

The former left-arm seamer, who is currently in India to play in the Legends League Cricket, shared the image of the snake on his Instagram handle, saying, “Anyone knows what type of snake this is?? Just hanging out in my room door.”

Johnson (40), who retired from international cricket in 2015 after claiming 313 Test wickets and 239 Odi scalps from 73 and 153 outings, respectively, is playing for the Jacques Kallis-led India Capitals in the Legends League Cricket, and featured in the game against Gujarat Giants in Kolkata on Saturday.

In another post, Johnson wrote: “Found a better pic of this snake’s head. Still unsure what it is exactly. Interesting stay so far in Lucknow, India.”

The Legends League Cricket has brought former...

Kolkata, Sep 17 (Ians) Two centuries and an exciting finish lit up the Eden Gardens on Saturday night in an electrifying contest between the Gmr-backed India Capitals and Adani Sportsline’s Gujarat Giants in the opening game of the Legends League Cricket 2022, which is being held in India for the first time.

It was a night of unexpected heroes, with Ashley Renaldo Nurse and Kevin O’Brien stealing the spotlight in a game that also involved Jacques Kallis and Virender Sehwag. First, it was Nurse who scorched the ground with an innings of 103 not out off 43 balls to help the Capitals post 179/7 in 20 overs. And while one thought it would be almost impossible for anyone to better Nurse’s effort on the night, Giants’ O’Brien came up with a fitting reply, smashing 107 off 61 balls.

In the end, the Giants emerged victorious by three wickets as they chased down the target in 18.4 overs,...

Kolkata, Sep 15 (Ians) The Legends League Cricket (LLC) carnival is all set to take off in Kolkata from September 16 as cricketing legends descended in the City of Joy on Thursday.

A special benefit match between India Maharajas and Team World Giants will kick-start the much-awaited season of the league in India for the first time in Kolkata on September 16.

Former Sri Lankan spin wizard Muralitharan, who will be representing Manipal Tigers, said in a press interaction in Kolkata on Thursday that he will be aiming to roll back the years when he takes the field for his team.

“After a long time, we are going to play and the feeling of coming back to a tournament is pulsating for us. As former cricketers, we miss cricket and miss the feeling of playing amidst the hooting and cheering. I hope it becomes an annual event for everyone so that the younger...

New Delhi, Sep 13 (Ians) Former World Cup-winning Australian coach John Buchanan and Lalchand Rajput have been appointed coaches of India Maharajas and World Giants respectively for the benefit match of Legends League Cricket at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on September 16.

A benefit match will kick-start the season of the league in India for the first time and proceeds of the game will be given to Kapil Dev’s Khushii Foundation, which supports girl child education.

Considered as one of the top coaches in the world, Buchanan had guided Australia to numerous successes that include winning the Odi World Cup twice, first-ever Champions Trophy triumph in 2006 and Ashes domination in the early 2000s.

Rajput, on the other hand, is also a popular name in the cricketing circuit. The former India batsman has successfully coached international teams like Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. He was also the manager of the Indian team...

New Delhi, Sep 10 (Ians) The Legends League Cricket will kickstart with a benefit match involving Indian Maharajas and World Giants at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on September 16.

The Indian Maharajas will be led by India’s most successful opening batter, Virender Sehwag, while the World Giants will be led by South African cricketing great and revered allrounder, Jacques Kallis.

Meanwhile, the countdown for the Legends League Cricket has started as the Cricketing greats from 10 nations are set to descend on Kolkata with the league.

With the urge to watch the Legends in action again, there has been a demand for the tickets as fans are gearing up to watch their heroes dominate the 22 yards once again.

Tickets for all matches are currently available on Bookmyshow.

Raman Raheja, Co-Founder & CEO, of Legends League Cricket, said, “There has been huge demand from fans and we have already started feeling the excitement too.

Pretoria, Sep 9 (Ians) Graham Ford, who was earlier this week named head coach of Pretoria Capitals for Cricket South Africa’s T20 League slated to be held in January-February next year, is looking forward to the hectic schedule ahead and said he hopes to make the local fans proud.

Pretoria Capitals are one of the six teams in the league.

“I want to start off by thanking the owners and management for the amazing opportunity. It’s so exciting to be involved in such a big cricketing event, and it’s even better as it’s happening in my home country. I know how passionate the people in Pretoria are about sports. There’s been many a cricketing superstar who has grown up and developed their skill in the Pretoria region,” Ford said on the occasion of his being named the head coach.

Ford, who has previously coached Sri Lanka...

New Delhi, Sep 2 (Ians) Four franchises — Adani Sportsline owned Gujarat Giants, Gmr Sportss India Capitals, Manipal Group’s Manipal Tigers and Bhilwara Group’s Bhilwara Kings — on Friday picked 59 cricketers from the players’ draft held virtually with a combined purse of Rs 32 crore, for the upcoming Legends League Cricket (LLC).

The players’ draft included 79 cricketers (20 went unsold) and each team had a purse of Rs 8 crore each. Each team will now have three more days to submit their final squad wherein they can buy more players with the available purse.

“Among the teams, Manipal Tigers spent the most amount of Rs 6,91,20,000 and have a remaining purse of 1,08,80,000. Tigers were followed closely by India Capitals as they spent Rs 6,38,80,000 and Gujarat Giants who splurged Rs 5,51,80,000 on their stars. Bhilwara Kings were the most economical as they spent Rs 5,62,20,000,” said Raman Raheja, CEO and Co-Founder Legends League Cricket, in a media release.

New Delhi, Aug 19 (Ians) Legends League Cricket (LLC) on Friday confirmed the participation of former India opener Gautam Gambhir in the season two of the league, starting from September 17. Left-handed Gambhir was known for his aggressive batting style, which made him one of the most sought-after players across all three formats of the game for India.

“I am glad to share that I have committed to take part in the upcoming Legends League Cricket from September 17th onwards. I am excited in anticipation of being on a cricket field once again. It will be a privilege and an honour to rub shoulders once again with the glitterati of world cricket,” said Gambhir on his association with LLC season two.

He has been a part of India’s World Cup-winning teams in the inaugural edition of Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007 and Men’s Odi World Cup in 2011. Gambhir is...

New Delhi, Aug 14 (Ians) Daniel Vettori, Russel Arnold and Vernon Philander on Sunday were among the former international players who committed themselves to Legends Cricket League (LLC) Season Two.

The tournament further announced that about 80 international and Indian players committed their availability for participation in the second season of league.

“They will be available for pick up by the franchisees for the drafting event to be held in Mumbai soon,” stated an official release from the LLC.

Others who have committed to LLC season two are Fidel Edwards, Ricardo Powell, Tino Best, Nick Compton, Ryan Sidebottom, Phil Mustard, Jade Dernbach, Richard Levi, Hamilton Masakadza, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Samit Patel, John Mooney, Nawroz Mangal, Manvinder Bisla, Amit Bhandari, Rajat Bhatia and Sudeep Tyagi.

“With so much enthusiasm around the league, it is going to be exhilarating experience for everyone, whether fans or players, all will have a life time experience,” said Ravi Shastri,...

Mumbai, Aug 12 (Ians) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri on Friday said that the second season of the Legends Cricket League (LLC) will be dedicated to the celebrations of the country celebrating its 75th year of independence.

The first match of the LLC Season Two will be played on September 15 at Eden Garden, Kolkata. Termed as a special match, it will be played between India vs World as India Maharajas vs World Giants.

Former India captain and current Bcci president Sourav Ganguly will lead India while the World Team will be captained by 2019 World Cup-winning skipper and England’s former white-ball captain Eoin Morgan. Players from across 10 foreign countries will be participating in this match.

“This is a proud moment for us that we are celebrating 75th year of our independence. As a proud Indian, it gives me immense satisfaction to share that we have decided to dedicate this year...

By Khurram Habib

Ahmedabad, March 1 (Ians) Former India and Karnataka pacer R. Vinay Kumar, who quit all forms of cricket on Friday, has credited Indian Premier League (Ipl) and the elaborate domestic structure for producing a battery of fast bowlers. The set-up, he said, allows experienced bowlers to take time off and youngsters to step up and take their place.

Jasprit Bumrah pulled out of the team, taking time off from the fourth and final Test.

"I will talk only about the mental aspect. I will give credit to Ipl, because Ipl definitely helped all the bowlers to think in differently and get an opportunity to play with international cricketers. You play domestic cricket, Ranji Trophy for five-six years, the kind of maturity or experience that you gain by playing Ipl for just two seasons," Kumar, who played one Test and 31 ODIs, told Ians.

"Bowling to players like Ab de Villiers,...

Karachi, Jan 28 (Ians) Right-arm pacer Kagiso Rabada on Thursday became the eighth South Africa bowler to scalp 200 wickets in Test cricket.

Rabada achieved the feat on Day Three of the first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan being played at the National Stadium here when he took the wicket of Hasan Ali. Rabada clean bowled Ali at his individual score of 21 for which the latter consumed 33 deliveries.

The 25-year-old has taken just 44 matches to achieve the scalp 200 Test wickets, making him the fastest Proteas bowler to reach the milestone.

Veteran fast bowler Dale Steyn is the leading wicket-taker for South Africa in Test cricket. Steyn has 439 wickets to his name in 93 matches. He is followed by Shaun Pollock (421), Makhaya Ntini (390), Allan Donald (330), Morne Morkel (309), Jacques Kallis (291), Vernon Philander (224) and Rabada.

Rabada also has 117 Odi and 31 T20I wickets to his name for which he has played 75 and 26 matches respectively.

Galle, Jan 25 (Ians) England skipper Joe Root has gone past Kevin Pietersen and David Gower to become the fourth-highest run-getter for his country in Test cricket.

On Sunday, Root played a 186-run knock, with the help of 18 boundaries, during England's first innings in the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium.

The right-handed batsman has amassed 8,238 Test runs in 180 innings he has played so far and is fourth on the list of leading run-getters for England.

Former captain Alastair Cook is the all-time highest run-getter for England with 12,472 Test runs in 161 matches he played. He is followed by Graham Gooch, who has 8,900 runs. Alec Stewart comes third in the list with 8,463 runs.

Root is followed by Gower and Pietersen.

Overall, former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for being the highest run-scorer in Test cricket. Tendulkar scored 15,921 runs in 200 Test matches he played for India.

He is followed by Ricky Ponting,...

New Delhi, Dec 5 (Ians) Indians Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli feature in Brian Lara's lists of five best batsmen and bowlers of this era.

The former West Indies captain listed Kohli, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, England's Joe Root, South African Ab de Villiers, and Australia's Steve Smith as the best batsmen of this era on his Instagram account, although he did not rank them.

Among bowlers, Lara mentioned Bumrah, England's Jofra Archer and James Anderson, South Africa's Kagiso Rabada and Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan as the best five in the present era.

Lara also mentioned the five best batsmen and bowlers he played against. Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Rahul Dravid are the best batsmen while Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Waqar Younis, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Glenn McGrath as the best bowlers he faced.

Lara also listed the best West Indies cricketers of all time. This...

Dubai, Nov 18 (Ians) The Commonwealth Games Federation (Cgf) and the International Cricket Council (Icc) on Wednesday announced the qualification process for women's cricket, which will be making a historic appearance at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, scheduled from July 28 to August 8.

Women's cricket will be a part of the Commonwealth Games for the first time ever, and it will only be the second time that cricket will feature in it after a men's competition was part of the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

The qualification process announced on Wednesday grants hosts England one spot while six other highest ranked teams in the Icc T20I rankings as of April 1, 2021 also qualify directly for the eight-team tournament, which will be held in a city that has an iconic cricket venue in Edgbaston, stated an Icc release.

The remaining place will be allocated to the winner of a Commonwealth Games Qualifier, the format...

Dubai, Oct 4 (Ians) Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has added a new feather to his illustrious hat by becoming the first cricketer in the Indian Premier League (Ipl) to score 2,000 runs and scalp 110 wickets.

In the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday which Chennai Super Kings lost by seven runs, the Arjun Awardee scored 50 runs in 35 balls during their chase of 165. During the course of his knock, he smashed 2 sixes and 5 fours. The left-hander has become only the fourth cricketer to touch the 2,000-run mark and bag more than 50 wickets in the Ipl. He has joined Shane Watson, Kieron Pollard and Jacques Kallis in the list of players who have achieved the feat.

"I am humbled to be the only cricketer in the history of Ipl to achieve the double. This will only push me to work harder and bring more glory to my country and my team. I hope that...