Indian Cricket Team Archives - Lokmarg

‘Senior Cricketers Should Retire Gracefully, Not Drag Their Feet’

By LokMarg 7th November 2024

Saurabh Tyagi, a marketing professional and a cricket buff, wonders if the old order in Indian Test cricket ever make timely way for the new blood. His views:

India’s cricketing landscape is undergoing a transformation. The reluctance of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to bow out echoes the hesitation of previous legends, but this hesitation is all about a deeper issue that lies within the Indian cricket administration. Much of India’s current transition struggle in red-ball cricket can be traced to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) reluctance to make timely changes, allowing veterans to linger on despite diminishing returns.

While the BCCI has shown commitment towards integrating younger players in white-ball formats, particularly T20, the Test side has largely remained stagnant. Since 2020, Rohit and Kohli’s declining averages—Rohit at 34 at home, Kohli at 28 at home and 33 away—paint a stark picture.

Both players have been titans of Indian cricket, carrying the mantle through a golden era. Yet, the current numbers tell a clear story: their consistency has waned, and to expect them to return to their peak form is unrealistic. The reluctance to transition younger players into Test roles has stunted the development of a fresh, competitive core and fostered a sense of complacency. While it’s natural to revere legends, ignoring the hard facts only delays the necessary decisions that would allow India to move forward.

However, the responsibility doesn’t rest solely with the players or the coaches; it lies at the very top with the BCCI. Caught in a cycle of PR-driven decision-making, the BCCI has prioritized the immediate revenue of the IPL over the long-term health of India’s Test setup. The IPL has undoubtedly been transformative, creating fame, wealth, and vast opportunities for young players.

ALSO READ: IPL Organisers Are Shameless, And Greedy

This IPL-centric approach has also distracted them from the developmental work required to build a resilient Test team. Test cricket demands resilience, skill, and continuity—elements that can only be cultivated with a focused commitment to training, preparation, and the domestic game. By failing to maintain this focus, the BCCI has, in many ways, eroded the foundation of India’s red-ball game, resulting in embarrassing setbacks like the recent home series loss to New Zealand.

India has successfully managed transitions before, most notably in 2013, when a new generation—led by Kohli, Pujara, and Rahane—stepped into roles once occupied by legends like Dravid, Laxman, and Tendulkar. This transition was executed with patience, foresight, and an unwavering belief in nurturing young talent for the rigors of Test cricket. Yet now, with players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Gill, and Rishabh Pant waiting in the wings, the BCCI’s reluctance to make a decisive call stifles this potential.

Transitioning Test teams requires a blend of youth and experience, a task now placed squarely on the selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, and Head Coach Gautam Gambhir. With red-ball cricket demanding grit, technique, and the stamina honed in the Ranji Trophy, the selectors must prioritize performance in these domestic circuits over the lure of white-ball fame. IPL stardom and Test resilience are fundamentally different, and to sustain India’s dominance in Tests, the BCCI must ensure that potential red-ball specialists are given a chance to grow.

This moment is pivotal not only for India’s Test prospects but for the global perception of Test cricket itself. The world’s purists view Test cricket as the soul of the sport, and if India falters, the format’s appeal could be jeopardized worldwide. This transition, if handled poorly, risks squandering a legacy. But if managed well, India could usher in a new golden generation capable of honouring the greatness of those before them. The question remains: Will the BCCI take the hard decisions required to secure the future of Indian Test cricket, or will it continue to let nostalgia and revenue clouds overshadow the path forward?

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As told to Deepa Gupta

I Don’t Feel Indian Team Is Settled: Shoaib

By LokMarg 7th September 2023

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar feels that India has struggled to pick their final eleven for the past two years which has left the team unsettled.

India’s efforts to pick up a balanced middle-order has posed a major challenge for the team due to injuries, availability of player and many other reasons.

Since Rahul Dravid assumed the position of India’s men’s team head coach, experimentation has been a regular occurrence for the team hoping to find a set-up that works effectively in the batting and bowling department.

Ishan Kishan who is prominently recognised as an opener is now featuring in the middle order. Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya come out to bat according to the situation of India’s innings. The Indian pace trio has also undergone many changes over the past two years.

The veteran speedster feels that the change in positions has left numerous questions than giving away answers.

“I don’t know why I have this feeling that India could not pick its final eleven for the past two years? I don’t feel the team is settled because now you all have injuries, three or four people have been replaced and your squad seems unsettled. It’s a strange thing for me that the squad doesn’t seem settled. We still don’t know who are the four main batsmen and who will bat at No.5, will Virat bat at No. 3 or 4?,” Shoaib Akhtar said during a virtual press conference organised by Star Sports.

He also went on to express his dissatisfaction over Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh’s absence from the Indian team.

The former pacer reflected on how India needs to strengthen their bowling department rather than focusing on adding depth to their batting line-up.

“How they have not selected Chahal is beyond me. And again, I think Arshdeep needed to be in the squad because under pressure, when you are playing against someone like Pakistan, then you need that left-handed seamer. But the problem with the Indian team is that when they get out for 150 or 200, it’s not the batsmen but the bowlers who will have to perform. How long will you stretch your batting line-up? If the first five batsmen couldn’t do anything, then what will the No. 7 or No. 8 do? So, I literally believe that you’re playing with one bowler less,” Shoaib said.

The Rawalpindi Express also talked about the Hardik-Nehra duo that has been slowly building in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the past two years.

The player-management duo’s hunger to strive for success has been quite evident since they combined together for the IPL franchise Gujarat Titans.

“Hardik Pandya again, he turns out to be an asset for India. If we look at his all-round performance, then you feel as a captain, along with Ashish Nehra, he has taken his IPL side to such heights. He took his team to a final and won it and then reached the finals again next year. I think the combination of these two – Ashish Nehra and Pandya as a captain – can take India to new heights,” Shoaib added. (ANI)

Pant Would Have Made Huge Impact: Hardik

By LokMarg 3rd January 2023

India’s T20 captain Hardik Pandya feels that Rishabh Pant’s presence would have made a huge impact on the Indian team and noted that he was very much a part of plans for the ICC World Cup 2023.

India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant escaped a near-fatal accident on Friday with burn injuries among others that will require plastic surgery and he could be airlifted to Delhi if required. He met with a serious accident while returning from Delhi to Roorkee as his car collided with the divider on the Narsan border of Roorkee near Hammadpur Jhal on Friday.
“Coming to the point, obviously he was a very important part of (Team India’s plans in the world Cup year). But, now everyone knows the situation,” said India’s T20 captain Hardik Pandya about Rishabh Pant.

ICC Under-19 World Cup 2016 captain Ishan Kishan, who recently scored a double ton against Bangladesh in the third ODI in Chattogram, could be considered a replacement. During his knock in Bangladesh, Ishan Kishan broke the record of Chris Gayle for the fastest double ton in ODIs.

Sanju Samson is also in the fray to fill in the shoes of Pant while KL Rahul also contributes as a wicket-keeper.

“There are a lot of people who can get opportunities. I am seeing that if Rishabh also would have been there, he could have made a huge impact. But now, let’s wait and see what the future holds for us,” said Hardik Pandya.

The mishap took place while the cricketer was on his way to Roorkee from Delhi, and his car collided with the divider on the Narsan border of Roorkee near Hammadpur Jhal.

According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) statement, Rishabh has two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, and toe and has suffered abrasion injuries on his back. Rishabh’s condition remains stable, and he has now been shifted to Max Hospital, Dehradun, where he will undergo MRI scans to ascertain the extent of his injuries and formulate his further course of treatment.

Wicket-keeper and batter Pant has represented India in 33 Test matches scoring 2271 runs at an average of 43.67 with five Test tons to his name with his highest score being 159 not out. Pant has 119 catches and 14 stumpings to his name.

In ODIs, he has 865 runs to his name in 30 matches at an average of 34.60 with five half-centuries and one ton with a strike rate of 106.65. With the gloves, Pant has 26 catches and one stumping to his name.

In 66 T20I the wicket-keeper batter has scored 987 runs with three half-centuries to his name at an average of 22.43 with a strike rate of 126.37. (ANI)

Hardik Pandya’s Resolution Is To Win World Cup For India

By LokMarg 2nd January 2023

India’s wait for an ICC title has been continuing and the last time India won an ICC tournament was Champions Trophy in 2013 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy.

Hardik Pandya, who is leading the Indian team in the three-match T20I series against Asia Cup Champions Sri Lanka starting on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium, has one resolution in 2023 and that is to win the World Cup.

“To win the World Cup for my country. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it in 2022 but we want to do it in a better way this year,” Pandya said responding to a query at a press conference.

India lost to England by 10 wickets in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final dashing hopes of millions of supporters.

India also performed poorly in Asia Cup held from August to September last year and failed to reach the final. The team lost ODI series to Bangladesh 2-1.

“I know the only language that is hard work. Injuries are not in my hand but I believe in the process. 2022 was individually my best year. We missed World Cup but that’s part and parcel of the game. My goal is to help the team win multi-nation tournaments, ” said Hardik Pandya.

Indian limited overs teams over the years have done well in bilaterals but have failed to replicate that performance in multi-nation tournaments.

India also does not have too many matches to play ahead of the IPL 2023 which means Hardik Pandya does not have too many games to give a chance to youngsters which makes things difficult for team management to get the right combination.

“Obviously the plans are set. We are looking forward to play the certain way which we did. Before IPL only six games are there. So, we don’t have much time to do a lot of things but going forward we will keep creating new plan and see which are the plans we will be sticking, which is working for us and going forward just make sure that we give ample opportunity, ” Pandya said.

Dasun Shanaka will lead Sri Lanka’s T20I and ODI squads against India, while Kusal Mendis will play the role of his deputy in ODIs.

The Sri Lanka’s tour comprises of three T20Is and as many ODIs. Sri Lanka will be touring India from January 3 to January 15 for three T20Is and three ODIs.

The first match of the series will be held on January 3, 2023, in Mumbai while the second and third will take place on January 5 and 7 in Pune and Rajkot respectively.

The ODIs will be held in Guwahati, Kolkata and Trivandrum on January 10, 12 and 15 respectively. Earlier on Tuesday BCCI announced India’s squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s squad for India tour: Dasun Shanaka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis (v-c for ODIs), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (only for T20Is), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga (v-c for T20Is), Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay (only for ODIs), Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwanidu Fernando (only for ODIs), Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Thushara (only for T20I).

India’s squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (VC), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar. (ANI)

T20 WC: Kohli 28 Runs Away From This Career-Defining Milestone

By LokMarg 30th October 2022

Former India captain and star batter Virat Kohli are just inches away from adding another record to his tally.

Kohli will need just 28 runs to overtake ICC Hall of Famer Mahela Jayawardena as the most prolific run-scorer across T20 World Cups when he takes on South Africa in Perth on Sunday.
With 989 runs already scored throughout all T20 World Cups, Kohli needs 28 more runs to surpass all previous record-holders. Mahela Jayawardena, a former captain of Sri Lanka, currently owns the record with 1016 runs.

Despite a lagging start to the year, the 33-year-old found his rhythm in the Asia Cup and in the bilateral series matches against Australia and South Africa that preceded the competition. He also got off to a fast start in the eagerly anticipated match against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in front of over 90,000 spectators in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

Australian legend and former Indian head coach Greg Chappell on Saturday said that Virat Kohli’s innings of 82* against Pakistan in their ICC T20 World Cup 2022 match at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) legitimized the shorter format as an art form and added that late spin great Shane Warne would have been proud of star batter’s knock had he been alive.

Chappell called Virat Kohli the “most complete Indian batsman” of his time and further went on to term Virat’s recent ICC T20 World Cup matching winning knock against Pakistan a “song by God.”

If slamming his much-anticipated 71st international ton after over a thousand days during Asia Cup 2022 was not enough, Virat silenced all the criticism and talks of his place in India’s T20I set-up with this knock, that helped Men in Blue snatch an improbable four-wicket win from the jaws of defeat.

It was a knock that left Chappell mighty impressed. Writing in his Sydney Morning Herald column, “None of the greats of bygone eras could have dismembered an opponent so brutally without compromising the niceties of the art of batting than Kohli did on the last Sunday night.”

“Kohli is a complete Indian batsman of my time. Only the greatest of champions have the courage and the intelligence to transport their imagination beyond the mortal plane. Kohli has that. Perhaps only Tiger Pataudi has come close to transcending a similar stratosphere.” (ANI)