"It's A Loss-Making Tournament": Sourav Ganguly Shares Details Of U-19 World Cup Ahead Of India vs Australia Final

10.02.2024 - 11:47 sports.ndtv.com

Team India will be eyeing a sixth U-19 World Cup triumph as they take on Australia in the tournament's summit clash on Sunday in Benoni, South Africa.

India are the most successful side in the history of the tournament, having reached the final on eight occasions prior to the ongoing edition.

India first won the U-19 World Cup in 2000 under the leadership of Mohammed Kaif, followed by four more triumphs in 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022.

Despite boasting such a rich record in the event, India have never hosted the tournament. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has shared his views on the reason behind India's absence, when it comes to hosting the tournament.

cricket India U19 cup loss Sourav Ganguly Australia Namibia South Africa Zimbabwe Uae India Malaysia

Impressed with his positive start to life in Test cricket, former India captain Sourav Ganguly has said Sarfaraz Khan's game is more suited to red-ball cricket. Sarfaraz, who made his debut in the third Test against England in Rajkot, scored half-centuries in both innings. He became only the fourth India batter to score twin half-centuries in his Test debut after Sunil Gavaskar, Dilawar Hussain and Shreyas Iyer. The batter scored a truck load of runs in the domestic cricket for Mumbai, especially the Ranji Trohpy.

Sourav Ganguly 'Surprised' As Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer Ignore 'Basic Premise' Of Cricket To Draw BCCI's Ire

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed BCCI's decision to axe star duo Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from central contracts. Kishan has been out of action since pulling out of the Test squad during the South Africa tour in December 2023. Iyer, on the other hand, was declared fit to play by NCA, having complained of back stiffness, but did not feature for either India or his domestic side Mumbai. While the BCCI did not reveal the reason behind the decision to axe Kishan and Iyer from central contracts, reports have claimed that the selection could be due to their non-participation in domestic cricket.

"Indian Players Are Gold In IPL": Sourav Ganguly's Honest Take On Rishabh Pant Return For Delhi Capitals

Former India skipper and Delhi Capitals' Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly expressed his feelings on Thursday ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 as star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant joined the Delhi Capitals squad. Pant missed the IPL 2023 after suffering multiple injuries in a horrific car accident on December 30, 2022. The 51-year-old asserted that Pant's inclusion is a really huge boost for the Delhi Capitals side ahead of the IPL 2024. The southpaw further said that he is extremely happy that Pant is back in the squad. "It's a huge boost for Delhi Capitals because Indian players are gold in the IPL. Obviously, he has not played much cricket and I hope he gets back to rhythm very quickly. It's been a while he is away from competitive cricket, almost 17-18 months. He has worked very hard to make a comeback. He is confident and wants to play for Delhi Capitals and India. I am extremely happy he is back and hope he gets through the season," Ganguly told Revsportz.

Rohit Sharma Surpasses Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni For Monumental Milestones

India captain Rohit Sharma ended his bad run of form with a century on Day 1 of the ongoing third Test against England at the newly renamed Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. Rohit alongwith Ravindra Jadeja, who also scored an unbeaten century, added 204 runs for the fourth wicket after India were reducted to 33/3 by the combination of Mark Wood and Tom Hartley. Rohit had aggregated just 93 runs in the last two Tests, but went past that mark alone in the first innings in Rajkot, slamming 131 in 196.

BCCI "Above IPL Franchises": Jay Shah Reveals 'Mandate' Ahead Of T20 World Cup

The next few months will be really crucial for the Indian cricket team. After the India vs England Test series ends, it will be total T20 action for the top stars starting with the two-month long Indian Premier League. Once the IPL ends, it will be time for the 2024 T20 World Cup in June. India, after their heartbreak in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, will be eager to shake off the result and mark a fresh start.

Rohit Sharma Becomes India's 4th-Highest Run-Maker In International Cricket

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday overtook former skipper Sourav Ganguly to become the fourth-highest run-maker in international cricket. Rohit accomplished this feat against England in the fourth Test at Rajkot. In the match, Rohit scored his 11th Test ton, a knock of 131 runs in 196 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 66.83. Now in 470 international matches, Rohit has scored 18,641 runs at an average of 43.35. He has also scored 47 centuries and 100 fifties for India, with the best score of 264. Above him are the stars like Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 runs), Virat Kohli (26,733 runs) and Rahul Dravid (24,064 runs). In 57 Tests, Rohit has scored 3,958 runs at an average of 45.49, with 11 centuries and 16 fifties. His best score is 212.