Monday, 19 August 2024

Ganguly's Gesture Amid Row Over Kolkata Rape Horror Comment Splits Internet

Responding to criticism of him undermining the gravity of the horrific rape and murder case of doctor Moumita Debnath in Kolkata, former India captain and Kolkata resident Sourav Ganguly has now chosen to show his stance in a different manner. Ganguly - who had been slammed by many for allegedly calling the rape and murder a 'stray incident' - had stated on Saturday that his words had been taken out of context. Now, Ganguly has blacked out his DP on social media platform 'X', in apparent solidarity, but has prompted further varied reactions.

On Monday night, Ganguly changed his DP to black, captioning it with the hashtag 'New Profile Pic'. Whilst Ganguly's intention may have been to provide solidarity and show his support for the victim and the subsequent investigation, not all users seemed to believe so.

Many chose to call out the former India captain for such an act, instead of directly addressing the issue.

Some others thought that Ganguly had finally indeed taken a proper stance on the issue, having been on the fence so far with his comments.

Earlier, Ganguly had said that his initial statements may have been misconstrued or misinterpreted.

""I said that last Sunday, I don't know how it was construed or interpreted. I have said it earlier also, it's a terrible thing. Now the CBI, police are investigating the matter. It's very shameful what has happened," Ganguly had said to reporters.

"The punishment should be such that no one dares to commit such crime again in their life. That is important. Punishment has to be severe," he had added.

Now, the responsibility of the investigation into the Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case, has been handed over to two of the CBI's top women officers, who have handled a few such notorious cases earlier, with considerable success. The overall charge belongs Sampat Meena, a 1994 batch IPS officer from Jharkhand, who handled the Hathras rape-murder case and the Unnao rape case. With her is officer Seema Pahuja, who was also part of the Hathras investigation team.



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"Have Plans To Counter Bazball": Jayasuriya's Bold Statement Ahead Of ENG vs SL

Sanath Jayasuriya, the interim Sri Lanka men's head coach, believes the Test team set to play three games against England in the latter half of the summer is a great opportunity, citing the conditions will suit the visitors. Sri Lanka starts their Test series against England on August 21 at Old Trafford in Manchester. “The fact that we have got a late-summer tour is great, because the wickets have been used a lot, and there's more sunshine at this time of year. It's more similar to our conditions than the early summer tours. I have made sure the players know it's a great opportunity,” Jayasuriya told ESPNCricinfo.

With many players touring England for the first time for the longer format, Jayasuriya stated about ensuring the Sri Lankan players are in the right mindset before the series begins. “I want to make sure there is that hunger. Playing three Tests like this is not an opportunity you will get easily again.”

“So we have to take it while we can. Scoring runs here is challenging, because even if the pitches are flat, the ball can still start swinging, or seaming. We have to know how to adjust to that.”

In his six Tests in England, Jayasuriya scored 421 runs at an average of 42.1, with his best knock being 213 coming at the Oval in 1998. With Sri Lanka having the services of Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews, who were members of the Test series-winning team in England in 2014, Jayasuriya wants other batters to be flexible in their batting approach.

“We have the personnel there, but we need to fight hard. If you play six or seven batters, only two or three will perform for sure. If they get a start they need to play big innings. They know they have that responsibility on challenging wickets.”

“Everyone should play their natural game, but once you get that start, there are places where you need to break things down a little, and either bat quickly, or slow down for a bit. When the ball gets older, it can still seam here, which is the uniqueness of the Duke ball.”

Sri Lanka are placed in fourth position on the World Test Championships standings, with a point percentage of 50% while England are in seventh place with 36.54%. Jayasuriya signed off by saying Sri Lanka have bowling plans to counter England's aggressive style of batting.

“It's in the first ten overs that there will be the most pressure I think. If you look historically, they have been attacking in the first ten overs and getting runs on the board quickly. We have got some plans to counter that. And we know this is how they will play.”

“We have to bowl in the right places, and if they hit the good balls, that's okay. We need to identify the right lengths given the conditions. There will be times when we need to cover the areas of the field where they are attacking, to cut down the boundaries.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)



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Sunday, 18 August 2024

Watch: Rahul Dravid's Son Smashes Inside-Out Six, Internet Says "Genetics"

Samit Dravid, son of former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid, showcased his power-hitting skills in the ongoing KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy. Samit finally got some runs under his belt, scoring 33 off 24 balls for Mysuru Warriors in their match against Gulbarga Mystics. The 18-year-old also slammed a six in the 10th over of the innings. He picked up Praveen Dubey's googly and went inside-out to cover the ropes near the deep-cover region. A video of the same went viral on social media.

Here's how internet reacted:

Samit smashed a 24-ball 33 with the help of four 4s and a solitary six. Meanwhile, Karun Nair's 35-ball 66 and a 13-ball 40-run knock from Jagadeesha Suchith took the Warriors to a strong score of 196/8 in their 20 overs.

However, the night belonged to Mystics' K Smaran, who smashed an unbeaten century to guide his team to a win from a tricky situation.

Mystics were reeling at 104/5 in the 12th over, following a top-order collapse. However, Smaran build key stands with Wahid Faizan Khan (18) and Dubey (37) before winning the game on the final ball of the match.

With the scores tied on the penultimate ball, Smaran hit the winning boundary to stay unbeaten on 104 off just 60 balls.

This was Warriors' second straight defeat after their narrow loss to Bengaluru Bulls a couple of days back.

Meanwhile, Warriors acquired the services of Samit, a middle-order batsman and a seamer, for Rs 50000.

"It's good to have him in our side as he has shown a lot of promise in various age-group tournaments for KSCA," a Warriors team official told PTI.

Samit was part of the Karnataka under-19 side that won this season's Cooch Behar Trophy, and he has also played for KSCA XI against the visiting Lancashire side earlier this year.

Mysore Warriors squad: Karun Nair, Karthik CA, Manoj Bhandage, Karthik S U, Suchith J, Gowtham K, Vidyadhar Patil, Venkatesh M, Harshil Dharmani, Goutham Mishra, Dhanush Gowda, Samit Dravid, Deepak Devadiga, Sumit Kumar, Smayan Srivastava, Jasper EJ, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Sarfaraz Ashraf.

(With PTI Inputs)



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Shami Likely To play First Couple Of Ranji Trophy Games For Bengal

Senior speedster Mohammed Shami, who is undergoing rehabilitation after an ankle surgery, is likely to make a comeback to competitive cricket for his domestic side Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, and a potential international appearance later in one of the Test matches against New Zealand. It is understood that Shami will play either one or both of Bengal's opening away Ranji match against UP on October 11 and the next one in Kolkata against Bihar on October 18. Since there will be only a two-day gap between both the games it is unlikely that he will play both.

The New Zealand Test series starts from October 19 in Bengaluru followed by Tests in Pune (October 24) and Mumbai (Nov 1). Shami is expected to play one of those games before embarking on the big tour to Australia.

The 34-year-old Shami, one of India's greatest fast bowlers, last donned the national colours during the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad on November 19, last year.

Since then Shami hasn't played any competitive games having undergone an ankle surgery in the United Kingdom in February this year and was in any case ruled out for a minimum period of six months.

While there are Instagram videos of Shami starting off with his RTP routines (Return To Play) at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, bowling with low intensity shortened run-up, there were reports that he could be available for the Duleep Trophy.

However, it has been learnt that there was no chance of him getting fit during the Duleep Trophy and the selectors don't want to take any chances by rushing him earlier than required.

The priority is to have India's top three pacers -- Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj -- fit for the five Tests in Australia.

Shami has so far taken 229 wickets from 64 Tests with six five-wicket hauls and 12 four-wicket hauls.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)



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Watch: 12 Needed, 2 Wickets Left - Ishan Kishan Comes Clutch For Jharkhand

On his return to red-ball cricket, Jharkhand skipper Ishan Kishan dazzled in a Buchi Babu fixture against Madhya Pradesh. After scoring a 107-ball 114 in the first innings, Kishan remained unbeaten on 41 in the second, helping Jharkhand meat Madhya Pradesh by two wickets. Jharkhand needed 12 runs to win with two wickets remainining, and Kishan took the onus to guide his team to a win, smashing two sixes off Akash Rajawat in the 55th over of Jharkhand's second innings.

A video of Kishan hitting the match-winning six has gone viral on social media.

Earlier in the first innings, Kishan smashed an 86-ball century on his way to a 107-ball 114.

Kishan, who was not part of Jharkhand's original long list, took the decision to participate, and he was drafted in when he communicated this to the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA), according to an ESPNcricinfo report.

The report further stated that Kishan's return to the Ranji Trophy fold is also expected during the 2024-25 season, after he informed the state selectors of his desire to return.

His last domestic first-class game was in December 2022. He stayed away from the Ranji Trophy towards the end of the 2023-24 domestic season, and this proved costly for him, as he was removed from the central contract list for not prioritising domestic cricket.

"With Ishan, it was never about ability. It was only about whether he was ready to return. The decision was with him. When he was not included in the initial list, it was only because we hadn't heard from him. The moment he expressed his keenness to return, he was drafted in," a JSCA functionary was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

The 26-year-old made his Test debut during India's West Indies tour in 2023, filling in for an injured Rishabh Pant. His last first-class game was the second Test of that tour. Though selected for the South Africa series, he opted out due to mental fatigue.

Kishan has featured in two Tests, 17 ODIs and 11 T20Is in 2023. He was also part of India's squad during their run to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, and featured in two matches at the top of the order when Shubman Gill was out ill.

Buchi Babu tournament, which was revived last year after a gap of six years, is being conducted in the four-day red-ball format, akin to the procedure followed in league stages of Ranji Trophy.

It then serves as vital preparation for the 12 participating teams ahead of the upcoming 2024/25 domestic season.

(With IANS Inputs)



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Watch: Pant Tries His Hand At Spin Bowling. Internet Can't Keep Calm

Indian cricket team wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant left everyone stunned as he bowled the final over of the Delhi Premier League match between Purani Dilli 6 and South Delhi Superstarz on Saturday. Pant has never bowled in an international match but he decided to try his hand at spin bowling with the Superstarz needing just 1 run to win the encounter. The video of Pant bowling quickly went viral on social media with many users connecting it to Gautam Gambhir's recent appointment as India head coach. Since Gambhir's appointment, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma have all bowled during the series against Sri Lanka.

Remarkable fifties from skipper Ayush Badoni and Priyansh Arya led the South Delhi Superstarz to a three-wicket victory over Purani Dilli 6 in the opening match of the inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League T20 at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.

Arpit Rana's 59 off 41 and Vansh Bedi's 47 off 19 helped Purani Dilli 6 put up 197/3 in 20 overs, before South Delhi Superstarz chased down the target in 19.1 overs.

South Delhi Superstarz began their run chase of 198 runs at a blistering pace. They smashed as many as 73 runs in the Powerplay, thanks to the free-flowing strokes from opener Priyansh Arya and Sarthak Ray.

Ray, who hammered 41 off 26 balls, was caught and bowled by Shivam Sharma in the seventh over, while Arya reached his fifty off 27 balls in the 12th over. In the same over, skipper Ayush Badoni, who had started his innings cautiously, struck four consecutive sixes off Ankit Bhadana, taking the team's total to 140/1.

Arya was caught by Arpit Rana off Sharma in the following over after scoring 57 runs off 30 balls, including three fours and four sixes. Dhruv Singh (1 off 2) then fell cheaply to Prince Yadav, while Badoni reached his half-century off 25 balls in the 14th over, reducing the equation to 38 runs needed off 36 balls.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically as Purani Dilli 6 claimed four wickets in quick succession. Badoni (57 off 29) and Tejasvi (0 off 1) were dismissed in the 15th over, Kunwar Bidhuri (5 off 7) in the 17th over, and Sumit Mathur (9 off 10) fell in the 18th over, leaving South Delhi needing 13 runs off the last two overs.

Vision Panchal and Digvesh Rathi then displayed some resilience as they chased down the target with five balls to spare.

(With IANS inputs)



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Saturday, 17 August 2024

"If He Needed...": Bumrah Breaks Silence On Hardik Getting Booed In IPL

Hardik Pandya endured a tough time at the IPL after he was named the captain of the Mumbai Indians replacing Rohit Sharma. Wherever he went, Hardik Pandya was booed by the fans. Mumbai Indians' lackluster display in the IPL 2024 did not help matters. The five-time champions finished last among the 10 teams to slump to its worst-ever display in  the IPL. Hardik Pandya's India and MI teammate Jasprit Bumrah has now opened up on the issue. On Hardik Pandya being booed and the T20 turnaround, Bumrah had a blunt take. 

"You have to take it on your chin. That's where the inner circle comes in. We, as a team, don't encourage that, we don't promote that. We don't think that's warranted. We were with him (Hardik), talking to him, if he needed support. Certain things are beyond your control. If it happened, it happened. The narrative just changed, when we won the World Cup. This is part of the journey. It's us against the world. We will try to give as much support as we can," Jasprit Bumrah told Indian Express.

"We live in a country that's driven by emotion. Fans get emotional and players are also emotional. It does affect that you're an India player and sometimes your own fans are not speaking well of you. But it is the way it is. You've got to take it on your chin because how can you go out there and stop people?"

Bumrah also opened up on audience support and its fickleness.

"When I started, I wanted to be praised and people to like me. But then I realised in a couple of years that you cannot please the world. So I thought that if it's a battle that you cannot win, there's no point fighting that battle. There are many opinions on social media now so people have to be thick-skinned," he said. 

"What works for me is I don't take anything seriously. My game and my family, that's all that matters to me. Today people are praising me, great. Tomorrow they don't, it doesn't matter to me."



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