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Arab News Cricket Sport

UAE Gears up for DP World ILT20

Making its debut on January 13 (2023), the inaugural DP World ILT20 promises to be a high-octane competition with some of the greatest cricketing superstars on the planet set to make their way to the UAE to kick-off the league. The league will be played in a 34-match format across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class cricket facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah

The UAE is gearing up to host the next mega sporting event in the Middle East.  The inaugural season of the DP World International League T20 will be held across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in January-February 2023.

The Dubai Capitals will be in action in the opening match of the tournament against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium following the opening ceremony on 13 January 2023.

Making its debut on January 13 (2023), the inaugural DP World ILT20 promises to be a high-octane competition with some of the greatest cricketing superstars on the planet set to make their way to the UAE to kick-off the league. The league will be played in a 34-match format across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class cricket facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.   

The cricketers around the world and especially the UAE players are eager to showcase their talent in the historic event. Top-order batter Chirag Suri, who has scored 817 runs in 31 T20s for the UAE, feels his place in the Dubai Capitals’ squad was meant to be, “When I was picked up by the Dubai Capitals, I thought this was a match made in heaven, because I was born in Delhi and now the Capitals, who have a franchise in Delhi (IPL) are in Dubai. So it was just meant to be for me.”

Suri, who was a part of the Gujarat Lions squad in IPL 2017, further added, “I used to play on the streets and playgrounds of Delhi with family and friends and I continued to play cricket in Dubai when I moved here around 20 years ago. We love the cricket culture in Dubai. The game is growing here and we are getting better. I am super excited that the DP World ILT20 is happening. It’s a great platform for all the cricketers around the world.”

Dubai Capitals’ Jash Giyanani

Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Jash Giyanani, who played in the ICC U19 World Cup earlier this year, shared his excitement about playing for the Dubai Capitals in the DP World ILT20, “It took a little time to sink in when I got to know that I was picked by the Dubai Capitals. I was really happy when I got the news. I am thankful and grateful for the opportunity.”

Franchise teams, comprising over 100 International and 24 UAE-based players, include Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Knight Riders Group), Desert Vipers (Lancer Capital), Dubai Capitals (GMR), Gulf Giants (Adani Sportsline), MI Emirates (Reliance Industries), and Sharjah Warriors (Capri Global).   

Cricket fans across the world can catch the LIVE telecast of this exciting cricket league on ZEE’s linear channels, digital platform, Zee5 as well as Zee Cinema SD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema, &Pictures HD, &Flix SD, &Flix HD, Zee Zest SD, Zee Zest HD, Zee Bangla Cinema, Zee Thirai, and on CricLife across the UAE and MENA regions.  

DP World ILT20 news, updates and interactive chat can be found via www.ilt20.ae and @ILT20Official on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat and LinkedIn, while tickets can be purchased by visiting https://tickets.ilt20.ae.  

Dubai Capitals’ Chirag Suri
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Cricket Sport

Punjab beat CSK by 11 runs as Dhawan shines

This was their sixth defeat in eight matches and they remained in 9th place. Punjab Kings were placed sixth with eight points from eight matches…reports Asian Lite News

A clinical bowling performance after a fighting unbeaten 88 by seasoned opener Shikhar Dhawan helped Punjab Kings subdue Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs in Match 38 of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Monday.

Dhawan carried his bat as he scored an unbeaten 88 off 59 deliveries, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes and shared a 110-run partnership with Bhanuka Rajapaksa to guide Punjab Kings to a competitive 187/4 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.

Kagiso Rabada (2/23), Rishi Dhawan (2/39) and Arshdeep Singh (1/23) bowled superbly as they denied Chennai Super Kings many chances in the last four overs.

Chennai Super Kings had reached a good position thanks to Ambati Rayudu, who blazed to 78 of 39 balls and had taken Chennai from 40/3 to a stage when they needed 47 off 24 deliveries. But Rabada cleaned up Rayudu with a superb yorker and Arshdeep bowled a superb 19th over, leaving Chennai Super Kings needing 27 off the final six deliveries.

Despite the presence of MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, Chennai Super Kings fell short by 11 runs, ending up with 176/6 off their 20 overs.

This was their sixth defeat in eight matches and they remained in 9th place. Punjab Kings were placed sixth with eight points from eight matches.

Chasing a target of 188 set by Punjab Kings largely boosted by a brilliant 88 not out by Shikhar Dhawan, Chennai were in trouble soon

Rayudu came in to bat with Chennai struggling at 40/3 and took them to safety with a blazing 78 off 39 balls, hitting seven fours and 6 sixes to raise hopes for a CSK victory. He raised 64 runs off 32 deliveries for the fifth wicket partnership.

But in the end, Jadeja (21 off 16 balls) could not guide his team to victory as from needing 47 off 24 balls, they reached a stage where they needed 27 off the last six deliveries with Jadeja and M.S Dhoni at the crease.

Dhoni struck Rishi Dhawan for a six off the first ball but was out off the third legal delivery and Jadeja could manage only a six and a single off the final two deliveries as CSK slumped to their sixth defeat in eight matches — ending with 176/6 in 20 overs.

Chennai got off to a poor start and lost opener Robin Uthappa with 10 runs on the board, top-edging a length ball by Sandeep Sharma to Shikhar Dhawan. It soon became 40/3 as Mitchell Santner (9) and Shivam Dube (8) got out cheaply.

But just when it looked like they will suffer a collapse, Rayudu got together with the other opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad to pull them out of the woods. Both Rayudu and Gaikwad started cautiously but struck some fine boundaries on the right occasions to keep Chennai’s hope alive.

They added 49 runs for the fourth wicket and just when it was looking like they will raise the tempo, Gaikwad, who despatched Rabada to the boundaries off successive deliveries in the first over, was out, caught by Mayank Agarwal while trying to hit Rabada for a second successive four in the 13th over.

Rayudu however, kept up the good work. He struck Sandeep Sharma for fours off successive deliveries as the bowler strayed on legs and blasted Rahul Charar for a four and a six in the 15th over before hammering Sandeep Sharma for 23 runs in the 16th over, blasting three sixes and a four.

He and skipper Ravindra Jadeja raised 64 runs for the fifth wicket in 32 balls, Rayudu doing the bulk of the scoring. He got out just when it looked he was good for a century, cleaned up by Rabada with a superb yorker backing away from the leg side but missing the ball completely to see his leg stump re-arranged. Rayudu’s brilliant 78 off 39 balls left CSK needing 47 off 24 balls.

Shikhar Dhawan carried his bat through as he scored an unbeaten 88 off 59 deliveries, hitting 9 fours and 2 sixes as he helped Punjab Kings to 187/4 after they were asked to bat first by Chennai Super Kings skipper Ravindra Jadeja.

After he lost his opening partner and skipper Mayank Agarwal (18) with the score reading 37, Dhawan found a willing partner in Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa as they raised 110 runs for the second wicket partnership off 71 deliveries, setting the platform for PBKS’s late assault.

The former India opener despatched Mukesh Choudhary for two superb boundaries off successive deliveries and repeated the act a ball later, shuffling across the stumps and chipping away a delivery sent down the leg side as he completed his half-century in 37 deliveries, hitting five fours and one six.

He also struck Dwayne Bravo for two successive fours the first off a free-hit after the West Indian bowler landed the first delivery of his over outside the return crease outside off attempting to bowl a wide yorker. In the 19th over, the Delhi opener struck Pretorius for a neat four over short fine leg and also planted Bravo into the stands over the short leg-side boundary for a six, helping Punjab Kings to a good total.

Brief scores: Punjab Kings 187/4 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 88 not out, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 42; Dwayne Bravo 2/42) beat Chennai Super Kings 176/6 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 30, Ambati Rayudu 78, Ravindra Jadeja 21 not out; Kagiso Rabada 2/23, Rishi Dhawan 2/39) by 11 runs.

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Cricket Sport UK News

England eyes on Ponting for the post of Head Coach

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has previously called for Ponting to get the job. He told the Daily Mail, “For me, there is no finer brain in cricket at the moment than Ricky Ponting, who reads the game so well…reports Asian Lite News

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is reportedly being targeted to coach England’s Test team.

The Australian legend Ponting is currently working as head coach with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals.

Rob Key, the former Kent and England batter who subsequently forged a successful career in broadcasting, has been appointed by the ECB as its new managing director of England men’s cricket.

According to a report published by The Times, Ponting is ‘high on Key’s list of targets for Test coach’ along with former India and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten. The report also states that Sri Lanka legend Mahela Jayawardene, who has extensive coaching experience on the franchise circuit with the likes of Mumbai Indians in the IPL and Southern Brave in The Hundred, is ‘likely to be approached to coach the white-ball team’, reports mirror.co.uk.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has previously called for Ponting to get the job. He told the Daily Mail, “For me, there is no finer brain in cricket at the moment than Ricky Ponting, who reads the game so well.

“The new coach has to be someone the players’ respect; the dressing room has been a bit too nice in recent years. And, my goodness, if the batters in that England team aren’t going to listen to what Ponting has to say about technique, then why are they playing the game?

“Not all greats of the game become good coaches because they’re not sure how to get their message across. Ponting doesn’t have that problem,” Hussain had said.

“But because I can’t see him wanting to commit to a year-round gig — if he wants to commit at all — then we have to split the role. And there’s no reason why Paul Collingwood can’t be in charge of the white-ball team.”

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Cricket Sport

Bravo becomes all-time highest wicket-taker in IPL

Bravo and Malinga are followed by Amit Mishra (166), Piyush Chawla (157) and Harbhajan Singh (150) in IPL’s all-time leading wicket-takers’ list in top five…reports Asian Lite News

Adding another feather to his cap, Chennai Super Kings’ all-rounder Dwayne Bravo on Thursday became the all-time highest wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League.

The 38-year-old achieved the historic feat during the IPL 2022 match against Lucknow Super Giants at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

Bravo, who was tied with Malinga at the top spot with 170 wickets, dismissed Deepak Hooda in the 18th over of Lucknow’s chase to break the former Mumbai Indians’ bowler’s record.

The West Indian cricketer now has 171 wickets to his name in 153 IPL matches. On the other hand, Malinga had taken 170 wickets in 122 matches. Earlier, he picked up 3 for 20 off his 4 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener to draw level with Malinga.

Bravo and Malinga are followed by Amit Mishra (166), Piyush Chawla (157) and Harbhajan Singh (150) in IPL’s all-time leading wicket-takers’ list in top five.

Notably, Bravo also leads the charts for most wickets in all T20 cricket. In 524 matches from 2006, Bravo has taken 575 wickets at an average of 24.08.

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Bangladesh Cricket Sport

Bangladesh scripts history with first ODI win

Before this tour, South Africa had never lost to Bangladesh at home in 20 years…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh registered their maiden ODI series win in South Africa, after sealing it 2-1 when they beat the host by nine wickets in the third and final match, here on Wednesday.

Taskin Ahmed’s first five-wicket haul (5/35) in eight years helped Bangladesh bowl out South Africa for 154. Janneman Malan (39 off 56) and Keshav Maharaj (28 off 39) were the top-scorers for the Proteas.

In reply, skipper Tamim Iqbal (c) smashed a fine unbeaten fifty (87 off 82) as Bangladesh chased down the target in only 26.3 overs. Apart from Tamim, Liton Das (48 off 57) and Shakib Al Hasan (18 not out off 20) also played valuable knocks while Keshav Maharaj (1/36 picked the only wicket for South Africa.

Before this tour, South Africa had never lost to Bangladesh at home in 20 years.

The 2-1 series loss also dents South Africa’s progress towards automatic qualification to the 2023 World Cup, given they are down in ninth place on the ODI Super League points table.

Brief scores: South Africa 154 in 37 overs (Janneman Malan 39, Keshav Maharaj 28; Taskin Ahmed 5-35) lost to Bangladesh 156/1 in 26.3 overs (Tamim Iqbal 87 not out, Liton Das 48) by 9 wickets.

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-Top News Cricket Sport

MS Dhoni quits as CSK captain

MS Dhoni quits as CSK captain

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Thursday have announced that iconic wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni has quit as the captain of the side ahead of the start of IPL 2022…reports Asian Lite News

In place of Dhoni, left-arm spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be the new captain of Chennai.

“MS Dhoni has decided to hand over the leadership of Chennai Super Kings and picked Ravindra Jadeja to lead the team. Jadeja, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings since 2012, will only be the third player to lead CSK. Dhoni will continue to represent Chennai Super Kings this season and beyond,” said a statement from the franchise.

ALSO READ: CSK to miss Dhoni- Raina combo in IPL

Dhoni, who had been the captain of CSK since the inception of the league in 2008, had already retired from international cricket in August 2020. Under his captaincy, Chennai won the IPL trophy in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021 apart from winning two now-defunct Champions League T20 titles in 2010 and 2014.

CSK will open their IPL 2022 campaign against two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders in a re-match of the 2021 IPL final at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

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Cricket Sport

Sreesanth announces retirement from domestic cricket

Fast bowler S Sreesanth on Wednesday announced his retirement from all forms in India’s domestic cricket, bringing down the curtains on his unsettled career…reports Asian Lite News

The 39-year-old, who played his last first-class game for Kerala against Meghalaya in the 2021-22 edition of the Ranji Trophy, finishing with 2 for 40 and 0 for 57 in the two innings, took to Twitter to announce his retirement.

“During my 25 years career as a cricket player, I’ve always pursued success and winning cricket games, while preparing and training with the highest standards of competition, passion and perseverance,” tweeted Sreesanth.

“It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates and the people of India. And everyone who loves the game. With much sadness but without regret, I say this with a heavy heart: I am retiring from the Indian domestic (first class and all formats) cricket.

“For the next generation of cricketers..I have chosen to end my first class cricket career. This decision is mine alone, and although I know this will not bring me happiness, it is the right and honorable action to take at this time in my life. I’ve cherished every moment,” he added.

Sreesanth has finished his career with 213 wickets in 74 first-class games while he picked up 124 wickets in 92 appearances in List-A cricket. Sreesanth also played 65 T20 matches in which he bagged 54 wickets.

The pacer made his India debut in October 2005 in an ODI against Sri Lanka. He represented the country in 53 ODIs matches and picked 75 wickets. He also played 27 Test matches and 10 T20Is for India, bagging 87 and seven wickets respectively.

Sreesanth’s last international appearance was in 2011 in the Oval Test against England. He also played for Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, picking wickets in 44 IPL games.

The cricketer’s last IPL match was for the Royals against Punjab on May 9, 2013, the season in which he was accused of being involved in spot-fixing which led to his arrest. Though Sreesanth always maintained his innocence throughout the damaging controversy, he was handed a life ban along with Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila.

The flamboyant fast bowler then challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, which set aside the life-ban and asked the BCCI to consider a fresh punishment. The sentence was reduced to a seven-year suspension which ended in September 2020. Thereafter, Sreesanth played for Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2021. He also made his Ranji Trophy comeback in the ongoing edition of the Ranji Trophy.

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Cricket India News Sport

Cricketer V R Vanitha announces retirement at 31

Vanitha was a part of India’s squad during the 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup at home, where the hosts’ failed to reach the semi-finals…reports Asian Lite News

India cricketer V.R. Vanitha on Monday announced her retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 31. Vanitha informed about the decision to retire from cricket in a post through her Twitter and Instagram accounts.

“19 years ago, when I started playing cricket, I was just a little girl who loved sport. Even to this day, my love for cricket remains the same. What’s changing is direction. My heart says continue playing, my body says stop and I’ve decided to listen to the latter. Time is ripe to hang my boots. I hereby announce my retirement from all forms of cricket. It’s been a journey of struggles, joy, heartbreak, learning and personal milestones,” wrote Vanitha.

“While there are a few regrets, I’m grateful for the opportunities I got, especially to represent India. Along the way, there have been many people I want to thank, each and everyone who has supported me through these years -My parents and siblings who have been a rock by my side, Irian sir who guided me, honed my skills in my early years, Naz bhai who spent several hours at nets watching over me,” added Vanitha.

Vanitha made her international debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka in January 2014. She went on to represent India in six ODIs and 16 T20Is, scoring 85 and 216 runs, averaging 17 and 14.40 respectively. Vanitha was a part of India’s squad during the 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup at home, where the hosts’ failed to reach the semi-finals.

“Murli Sir my now coach and the man who has always made me look at the bright side of things, Varun my mentor, brother, he inculcated in me to view fitness holistically. Anand date trainer at NCA, Rohan my trainer at Invictus. Shantha Ma’am and Kalpana Ma’am for giving me a platform and opportunities to perform.”

Vanitha went on to thank ODI captain Mithali Raj and pacer Jhulan Goswami for their guidance. “Dilip Anna who is more my brother than my own helping with cricket and life. Gargi Maam for opening new horizons to me, Jhulan for encouraging me from time to time and Mithali, she will always be my skipper! I look up to her, both on and off the field. Her humility, grace and respect for everyone are life lessons.”

In domestic cricket, Vanitha represented her home state Karnataka before making a switch to Bengal ahead of the current domestic season. Vanitha was last seen captaining Aryan Club in the inaugural edition of Bengal Women’s T20 Blast, a league organised by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). She had played a crucial role in Bengal reaching the semi-finals of the Senior Women’s One-day Trophy, scoring 225 runs in six innings at an average of 37.50.

“I would also like to thank my State associations — Karnataka State Cricket Association and Cricket Association of Bengal, its office bearers, state captains, coaches, S&Cs, physiotherapists, ground-staff and people who believe in women’s cricket. Lastly, I want to thank my Karnataka teammates with whom I have memories of a lifetime.”

“Cricket has given me everything, friendships, joys, identity and memories that I will cherish forever. The next chapter of my life I would like to dedicate to grooming young talents in Cricket This is not the end but a beginning of a new challenge. Au revoir!” concluded Vanitha.

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Cricket India News Sport

India beat Windies in third T20I, complete 3-0 clean sweep

Harshal Patel (3/22), Deepak Chahar (2/15), Venkatesh Iyer (2/23), Shardul Thakur (2/33) were the wicket-takers for India…reports Asian Lite News

India produced a clinical all-round performance to beat West Indies by 17 runs in the third and final T20I, to complete a 3-0 clean sweep at the Eden Gardens, here on Sunday.

Put into bat, India lost wickets at regular wickets and were in trouble at 93-4 but a classy fifty from Suryakumar Yadav (65 off 31) and an aggressive knock by Venkatesh Iyer (35 off 19) came to the rescue.

The pair stitched a big partnership of 91 runs for the fifth wicket and propelled India to 184-5 in 20 overs. Apart from Suryakumar and Venkatesh, Ishan Kishan also played a vital knock of 34 off 31 balls but once again he was not at his fluent best.

In reply, Nicholas Pooran (61 off 47) smashed a fine fifty and Rovman Powell (25 off 14) and Romario Shepherd (29 off 21) also tried hard but the efforts were not enough as West Indies were restricted to 167-9 in 20 overs, losing the match by 17 runs.

Harshal Patel (3/22), Deepak Chahar (2/15), Venkatesh Iyer (2/23), Shardul Thakur (2/33) were the wicket-takers for India.

Brief scores: India 184-5 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 65, Venkatesh Iyer 35; Roston Chase 1/23) beat West Indies 167-9 in 20 Overs (Nicholas Pooran 61; Harshal Patel 3/22, Deepak Chahar 2/15 ) by 17 runs

Captain happy with series win

After an impressive 3-0 clean sweep over West Indies in the T20Is, India skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday said that he is very happy with the result and it was pleasing to see new guys bailing the team out of tough situations in the absence of regular players.

A classy fifty from Suryakumar Yadav (65 off 31) and an aggressive knock by Venkatesh Iyer (35 off 19) followed by a clinical bowling effort helped India beat West Indies by 17 runs in the 3rd T20I and complete a 3-0 clean sweep of the three-match series, at the Eden Gardens.

“Happy with the series. Pretty much got everything that we wanted. We do understand we are very young as a team. We are still a good chasing side, but a lot of the players are missing. So we wanted the guys to understand how to bat in pressure situations. It was pleasing to see guys bailing the team out from tough situations. Good sign moving forward as a group and something to be proud of,” said Sharma in the post-match presentation.

The skipper also praised the bowlers for their impressive performances in both ODI and T20I series.

“I was very impressed with our seam bowling in ODIs. And even here. Harshal is new. Avesh is on debut. Shardul is in and out. So the challenge for us was to give them game time and see how they respond. When you play against a team like the West Indies, you can test your batting and bowling. They bat very deep. It was a good challenge to defend in both games,” he said.

Sharma also highlighted the importance of work-load management, keeping in mind the T20 World Cup in Australia.

“A few guys miss out on the Sri Lanka series because we want to keep them fresh. But we have the World Cup in mind and we are trying to give game time for individuals. Sri Lanka will be a different challenge. But I am not someone who looks at the opposition, I would like to see what we can do as a team,” he said.

Talking about the few areas of improvement, Sharma said, “Ground fielding, catching is something we can correct. Hopefully, we can tick that box as well.”

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Cricket Sport

Rohit Sharma named India’s full-time test captain

With Rohit’s coronation as the full-time captain, Chetan is also keeping an eye on the future when he expressed his willingness over skippers to be groomed under Rohit’s watch in the coming times for India…reports Asian Lite News

What started as a circle from handling T20I captaincy responsibilities in November was completed on Saturday. As chief selector Chetan Sharma called out Rohit Sharma’s name as the Test captain for the series against Sri Lanka, the circle of Sharma’s coronation as the all-format captain of India, replacing Virat Kohli, was complete.

For Rohit, a regular in all formats, especially after his successful run as an opener in Test cricket began in 2019, the addition of leadership now makes him the ‘number one cricketer in the country’, if one goes by Chetan Sharma’s words in the virtual press conference.

“As far as Rohit Sharma is concerned, he is the number one cricketer of our country. The most important thing is that he is playing all three formats. For us, it becomes very important how we manage Rohit. Nowadays, cricketers are professionals, play all three formats and know how to manage their bodies well,” said Chetan Sharma.

He further threw light on what is the advantage of a player as senior as Rohit taking the leadership full-time across all formats. “There is absolutely no problem at all with Rohit and we will be in conversation with him from time to time. When we spoke to him, he’s absolutely okay. When such a big player with lots of experience becomes the captain, then as a selection committee, we can speak about grooming captains under Rohit Sharma, which will be a tremendous thing for us.”

With hamstring injuries ahead of crucial overseas tours, now a thing of the past, Rohit being fit and playing in the series against the West Indies bodes well for India. But managing his workload becomes all the more crucial too.

“As far as we know, with regards to the conversations we had, he is absolutely fine. He is absolutely fit and fine and ready to go. That is very good news for the selection committee too,” stated Chetan Sharma.

“Rohit is absolutely fine, there’s no problem at all. We will give rest to every cricketer because we have to handle the cricketers. We gave rest to Virat and Rishabh and will give rest to all cricketers slowly as everyone’s body demands rest. We will see how the things pan out and will let you know.”

The chief selector further stated that making Rohit the Test captain was a unanimous choice when the five selectors in the committee discussed within themselves. “No discussion. It was absolutely a clear choice for us and we are very happy to make Rohit the captain. Under him, we will also prepare our leadership. When a cricketer as huge as him is available for all formats, then the selectors are very happy. Let’s hope everything goes right and if things go the way we think, it will be very good.”

For now, Chetan Sharma hopes that Rohit, a five-time IPL winning-captain apart from winning the 2018 Asia Cup as a skipper, is fit and available to lead India across all formats in a busy period of next 15-18 months where a Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, a potential appearance in the second World Test Championship final and above all, Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup in India are lined up.

“We will be extremely happy as long as Rohit is fit and available to lead. I can’t give time-bound to anyone as injuries can happen at any moment. So far, the selection committee knows that as long as Rohit is fit and available, he will be the Test captain unless he, the team management, medical staff, or selectors think he will be given rest whenever it has to happen.”

With Rohit’s coronation as the full-time captain, Chetan is also keeping an eye on the future when he expressed his willingness over skippers to be groomed under Rohit’s watch in the coming times for India.

“KL (Rahul) was made captain in South Africa. Before this, he was the vice-captain and Bumrah was then given the duty. In the series against the West Indies, we made Rishabh Pant vice-captain. As I said before, we are planning to keep some players in leadership positions. At the end of the day, it is about the selection committee on who they trust and move forward with. We are definitely hoping and thinking that the talk of grooming under Rohit will happen in front of us.”

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