As Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube Justify Team India Selection, Rohit Sharma Says...

15.01.2024 - 05:43 sports.ndtv.com

With the series against Afghanistan in bag, India skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday said he is happy that the players are actually walking the talk as the team ticks all the boxes ahead of the T20 World Cup.

India beat Afghanistan by six wickets in the second T20I to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series, which is the last before the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies. "We have been clear with what we wanted to do, very clear message to everyone and when you see a performance like that, you can be really proud," Rohit said during the post-match presentation. "One thing is talking about it, but to actually go there and play that way is a proud feeling.

The last two games, we've ticked a lot of boxes." Yashasvi Jaiswal (68) and Shivam Dube (63) smashed brutal fifties to chase down a target of 173 with ease. "They've had a great couple of years, Jaiswal has played Test cricket now and even T20I.

He has shown what he is capable of. He has the talent and has a great range of shots. "Dube is a big guy, very powerful and can take on the spinners.

cricket India Cricket Team India vs Afghanistan 2024 as Rohit Sharma Axar Patel Usa India Afghanistan

Veteran Indian cricket team wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik was not pleased with Rohit Sharma's 'defensive' approach on Day 4 of the first Test match against England on Sunday. Resuming at 316/6, Ollie Pope ended up scoring 196 as India were given a target of 231. Karthik said that India were very defensive in their approach from the start of the day and although it was understandable to be conservative in their tactics against Pope, he pointed out that against tail-enders like Tom Hartley, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja should have had attacking fielders to create pressure.

"Like A Fish To Water": Ravichandran Ashwin Namedrops Rishabh Pant In Big Praise For Yashasvi Jaiswal

Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is in awe of Yashasvi Jaiswal's batting in only his fifth Test, saying the youngster has not put a foot wrong in his 76-run knock against England and has taken to the five-day format "like a fish to water". Jaiswal was unbeaten after playing 70 balls, hitting nine boundaries and three sixes on the opening day of the first Test. Along with skipper Rohit Sharma (24), he shared 80 runs for the opening stand to take India to 119 for one in their first innings in reply to England's 246.

Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane's Time All But Over? Rohit Sharma Says, "Not Considering Them Is..."

India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday hinted that the Test career of veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane might not be revived as the focus has shifted to giving more opportunities to younger players. Once Virat Kohli decided to skip the first two matches against England, the possibility of including either Pujara or Rahane to the India Test squad was discussed widely but if one is aware about the thought process of current selection panel headed by Ajit Agarkar, they are not in a mood to look back.

ICC ODI Team Of The Year: Rohit Sharma Named Captain, Virat Kohli Among 6 Indians Included

Rohit Sharma was on Tuesday named captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year, which featured five other Indians including star batter Virat Kohli and the pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. The team mostly included the World Cup finalists -- India (runner-up) and Australia (winner) -- besides players from semi-finalists New Zealand and South Africa, the ICC said in a statement. The top order includes openers Rohit and Shubman Gill. While the Indian captain accumulated 1,255 runs at an average of 52 last year, the latter struck a brilliant 208 against the Kiwis and also finished as the highest run-scorer (1,584) in the format.

Blow To Team India, Virat Kohli Pulls Out Of First Two Tests vs England Over 'Personal Reasons'

Indian cricket team stalwart Virat Kohli has pulled out from the first two Tests against England over 'personal reasons'. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the same via a statement on Monday. The BCCI hasn't yet named a replacement for Kohli but plans to do so in due time. Earlier, Kohli had pulled out of the first T20I against Afghanistan too due to 'personal reasons'. It has, however, not been revealed what the personal situation is that Virat is dealing with.

"Rohit Sharma Is Capable Of Doing It. Virat Kohli Should...": India Legend's Blunt Advice

Legendary Indian cricket team batter Kris Srikkanth believes Virat Kohli should stick to his natural game instead of adopting an aggressive approach from the very first ball. In the recently concluded T20I series against Afghanistan, fans and experts were surprised with the style of batting that Kohli displayed. After missing the first game due to personal reasons, Kohli slammed 29 off just 16 balls in the second game with couple of slog sweeps. However, in the next match, he scored the first golden duck of his T20I career after he was caught at mid-off after miscuing the very first ball.