"Was Shocked To See His...": SRH Star Reveals Hardik Pandya's Message During 2024 T20 World Cup

25.07.2024 - 03:04 sports.ndtv.com

Andhra Pradesh and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy said that he admires star India batter Virat Kohli and former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers.

Nitish was called-up to the Indian squad after a solid Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season with SRH, for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe.

Though he could not play due to a sports hernia injury, he has created an impression strong enough to be considered for future series with a 'Emerging Player of the Season' award worthy performance in this year's IPL, scoring 303 runs in 11 innings with two fifties at a strike rate of 143 and taking three wickets with his seam bowling.

The 21-year-old is now working his way back to full fitness as the new domestic season starts on September 5 with the Duleep Trophy.

cricket India Cricket Team AB de Villiers T20 World Cup 2024 Virat Kohli Hardik Pandya Star Sports Royal Challengers Bengaluru Duleep Trophy South Africa Zimbabwe India

Indian spin veteran Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that he really felt the moment when former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid hugged the ICC T20 World Cup and cried after leading Men in Blue to their first big trophy in 11 years in his final assignment as a coach. Dravid's stint with India as head coach ended as he lifted the T20 World Cup after beating South Africa in the final by seven runs on June 29. The legendary cricketer, who could not win a major ICC World Cup trophy as a player and captain, finally got his moment of redemption as his final international assignment with India as a coach turned out to be a massive success. Later in July, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was announced as his successor, ready to start his era in the white-ball tour to Sri Lanka from July 27 onwards.

"Injustice" Calls Intensify As Hardik Pandya Gets Snubbed For T20I Captaincy

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been making headlines for months. Since his arrival at Mumbai Indians, as the captain of the franchise, Hardik has found it hard to remain away from headlines. The Baroda-born cricketer became a big talking point among fans and former cricketers again after being snubbed for the role of Team India's captain in T20Is, with head coach Gautam Gambhir and selectors preferring Suryakumar Yadav. Though Surya has also done well as a leader in a handful of games that he has led in, there are some who feel it was 'injustice' to deny Hardik the role.

"Don't Think Sanju Samson Will Play 2026 T20 World Cup": India Star's Bold Claim

Out-of-favour India spinner Amit Mishra has made a bold claim during a recent interview. The cricketer, who last played for the nation in February 2017, opined that Samson is old now to feature in the 2026 T20 World Cup squad. Mishra claimed that it is Virat Kohli, who put forward this idea of giving young players more chances in the shortest format for India than the older ones. It is worth noting that Samson, 29, was part of India's 2024 T20 World Cup-winning team, though he warmed the bench throughout the tournament with Rishabh Pant playing the role of wicketkeeper-batter.

Ignored For T20 World Cup, India Star Among Top 2 Contenders For ODI Captaincy vs Sri Lanka: Report

The India vs Sri Lanka series that will start in the last week of July is going to herald a new era under Gautam Gambhir's coaching. Veteran stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have retired from T20Is, which means that the team will bear a very fresh look. India will play three T20Is and three ODIs against Sri Lanka. The ODI series holds extra significance as this series will mark the start of India's preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy, with the 2027 ODI World Cup being the ultimate prize.

"Completely Blank...": Rohit Sharma Reveals Turning Point For India In T20 World Cup Final

India skipper Rohit Sharma opened up on his thought process during the final few overs of the thrilling ICC T20 World Cup final against South Africa, in which Men in Blue defeated Proteas to end their 11-year wait for a major title. The Indian skipper, who retired from T20Is just after the victory, was speaking at an event in Dallas. During the game, India was in a huge trouble while defending 177 against a highly-attacking Proteas batting unit. The 15th over bowled by Axar Patel saw him being dismantled by Heinrich Klaasen and smashed for 24 runs, leaving India with just 30 runs to defend in 30 balls. But from then on, the trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh unleashed a brilliant pace-choke, while also taking crucial wickets. Pandya secured the crucial wicket of Klaasen in the 17th over, while a fine catch from Suryakumar Yadav at long-off in the final over saw him get the prized scalp of David Miller, when India needed to defend 16 runs in six balls. Pacers brought India into the game with a death-over masterclass and Proteas was left seven runs short of the target.

Massive Twist: India Star May Pip Hardik Pandya To Become T20I Captain Till 2026 T20 World Cup - Report

The big-hitting Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as the dark horse to become India's T20 captain till the 2026 World Cup and might just pip top contender Hardik Pandya, whose elevation from the vice-captain's position was being seen as a natural progression up until now. Pandya made himself available for the shortest format games against Sri Lanka this month but it has emerged that Suryakumar, who captained India in eight T20Is against Australia and South Africa last year, is the preferred choice of new head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.