Sunit Jangir

Sunit Jangir

9638 Articles

As a Senior Editor at Sacnilk, Sunit Jangir leads our coverage on Indian cinema, box office analytics, and global entertainment trends. Passionate about Cricket, Sunit Jangir is an avid sports lover. He finds inspiration in other people's life stories and try to absorb them. Though introvert by nature, he doesn't feel shy when the topic is cinema and sports, particularly cricket.

Articles Written By Sunit Jangir

Virat Kohli Becomes Quickest To Reach 3000 ODI Runs As A Captain
2929 days ago
Cricket

Virat Kohli Becomes Quickest To Reach 3000 ODI Runs As A Captain

Indian skipper Virat Kohli became the quickest player to reach 3000 runs in ODIs as a captain. He took only 49 innings to reach that mark. He touched this feat in the third ODI against England on Tuesday, July 17 at Headingley, Leeds.## However, Kohli's captain's knock of 71 off 81 balls couldn't help India to win the series as England won the final ODI and sealed the series with 2-1. India had won the first ODI but England made a great comeback to win both the remaining matches and series.## Apart from Kohli, no other Indian batsmen could get going. However, Shikhar Dhawan 44 off 49 balls and MS Dhoni 42 off 66 balls shown some fight but that didn't prove enough as India could manage only 256 in fifty overs which were under par score.## England didn't find any difficulty to chase this target down. Joe Root and Skipper Eion Morgan put on an unbeaten 186-run stand for the 3rd wicket to win the match by 8 wickets with 33 balls to spare. Root scored 100* off 120 balls while Morgan made 88* off 108 balls.## This was Virat Kohli's 52nd one day match as a captain. He took 11 innings fewer to the second-placed AB De Villiers. In 49 innings Virat has scored 3059 runs with an average of 52.68. He has scored 13 out of his 35 centuries as a captain.## Overall Virat Kohli has played 211 matches and scored 9779 runs with an average of 58.21 and strike rate of 92.12. He also has scored 35 centuries and 48 half centuries in one day cricket.## Fewest innings to 3000 ODI runs as captain :## 49 V Kohli (IND)## 60 AB de Villiers (SA)## 70 MS Dhoni (IND)## 74 S Ganguly (IND)## 80 E MORGAN (ENG)## 83 G Smith (SA)/ Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK)## 84 S Jayasuriya (SL)/ R Ponting (AUS)## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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MS Dhoni Becomes 4th Indian To Score 10,000 Runs In ODIs
2932 days ago
Cricket

MS Dhoni Becomes 4th Indian To Score 10,000 Runs In ODIs

Wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni became 4th Indian player after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid and 12th overall to score 10,000 runs in one-day internationals. He touched this rare feat in the second ODI against England at The Lord's, London on Saturday, July 14.## Dhoni had needed 33 runs to complete 10,000 runs in the match against England. However, he failed to take India home as India lost the match while chasing 323. He has scored 37 off 59 balls as India could score only 236 for 10 in 50 overs and lost the match by 86 runs. with this win, England has leveled the series to 1-1 with one more match to play which will be played on July 17 at Headingley, Leeds.## This was Dhoni's 320th ODI match in which he has scored 10,004 runs with a staggering average of 51.3 and strike rate of 88.27. He has scored 10 centuries and 67 half centuries in 273 innings he has played. His highest score of 183* came against Sri Lanka at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur in 2005.## Apart from one-day internationals, Dhoni has played 90 Tests and 93 T20Is in which he has scored 4876 and 1487 runs respectively. However, he has taken retirement from Test cricket but playing an important role in ODIs and T2OIs.## Dhoni has also become 5th quickest batsman to reach 10,000 runs in one day cricket. He took only 273 innings to reach this milestone. Only Sachin Tendulkar (259), Sourav Ganguly (263), Ricky Ponting (266) and Jacques Kallis (272) took fewer innings than Dhoni.## Indian players with 10,000 runs in ODIs :## 18426 - S Tendulkar## 11221 - S Ganguly## 10768 - R Dravid## 10004* - MS Dhoni## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Virat Kohli Equals The Record Of Most Wins As A Captain After 50 ODIs
2934 days ago
Cricket

Virat Kohli Equals The Record Of Most Wins As A Captain After 50 ODIs

Indian captain Virat Kohli equals the record of most wins (39) as a captain with Clive Lloyd and Ricky Ponting after 50 ODI matches.## In his 50th match, India crushed England by 8 wickets at Trent Bridge on Thursday, July 12. He himself scored 75 runs off 82 balls. However, his innings was overshadowed by Rohit Sharma's classical 137* off 114 balls in the run chase.## Before India chased down the target, it was Kuldeep Yadav who's career best figures of 6 for 25 restrict England to 268. India didn't face any difficulty to win the game with 59 balls to spare.## In short time, Virat Kohli has already become one of the best captains in the 50-over format. He left behind some of the greatest captains of all time.## Overall Virat has captained India in 102 matches (50 ODIs, 35 Tests, and 17 T20Is) in which India has won 71 matches (39 ODIs, 21 Tests, and 11 T20Is).## MOST WINS AFTER 50 ODIS AS A CAPTAIN (TOP 5) :## 39 - C Lloyd (WI)/R Ponting (AUS)/ Virat Kohli (IND)## 37 - H Cronje (SA)## 36 - V Richards (WI)## 34 - S Pollock (SA)## 33 - Wasim Akram/Waqar Younis (PAK)## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Kuldeep, Rohit Star Again As India Crushes England
2934 days ago
Cricket

Kuldeep, Rohit Star Again As India Crushes England

Kuldeep Yadav's career-best 6 for 25 and a classical 137* off 114 balls from Rohit Sharma helped India to beat England by 8 wickets at Trent Bridge on Thursday, July 12. It was expected to be an exciting match but ended up with a one-sided affair as India take a 1-0 lead in 3-match series.## Fans were expecting another high scoring thriller on a ground where England set-up new world record for highest score (481/6 vs Australia) in an ODI match nearly a month ago. But Kuldeep Yadav's magical bowling throw cold water on their expectations.## England's trouble against spin continued in this match also as they failed to read Kuldeep Yadav completely. Before this, India had won the toss and decided to field first. England started their innings with a bang as Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow added 73 off 63 balls before Kuldeep Yadav grabbed Roy. He scored 38 off 35 balls. Kuldeep's wrist magic didn't end here as he dismissed Joe Root (3 off 6 balls) and Bairstow (38 off 35 balls) in one over. Root missed a sharp turning ball while Bairstow failed to read wrong'un. Despite a solid start, England was reduced to 83 for 3 after 12.5 overs.## Skipper Eion Morgan and Ben Stokes tried to rebuild the inning but this time Yuzvendra Chahal strikes and got Morgan. He was caught by Suresh Raina on 19 in trying to flick the ball. England lost their 4th wicket on 105 under 20 overs.## Inform Jos Buttler along with Stokes came to rescue England from a vulnerable situation. Both added 93 off 118 balls before Buttler caught behind to Kuldeep Yadav. He made 53 off 51 balls. His partner Stokes also reaches to his half-century off 102 balls but before he could accelerate his inning, Kuldeep Yadav dismissed him also. He scored 50 off 103 balls.## When Stokes got out, England was 214 for 6 after 44.1 overs. Moeen Ali (24 off 23 balls) and Adil Rashid (22 off 16 balls) helped England reach 268. However, they couldn't play 50 overs and all out in 49.5 overs.## Apart from Kuldeep Yadav, Chahal also bowled well. He finished his spell with 1 for 51 in 10 overs. Umesh Yadav also picked 2 for 70 in 9.5 overs while debutant Siddarth Kaul conceded 62 in his 10 overs without taking a wicket.## In reply of 269, India never looked in any sort of trouble. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma gave a flying start by adding 59 in just 7.5 overs. However, Dhawan got out to Ali in trying to hit over long on. He made 40 off 27 balls. But then Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli took the game away from England's reach with a partnership worth 167 off 151 balls.## Kohli who played at No.4 in T20Is back to his regular position a played a match-winning knock of 75 off 82 balls before he got stumped out by Buttler. Before this Rohit Sharma completed his 18th one-day century off just 82 balls with a six to Adil Rashid. He remained not out as India won the match with 59 balls to spare. KL Rahul scored 9* off 18 balls.## England didn't have much success with the ball. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid took a wicket each but they never looked too troubled India at any stage of the game.## Kuldeep Yadav's 6 for 25 is the best figures for a left-arm wrist spinner in an ODI Match. He was awarded Man Of The Match for his great spell of spin bowling.## The second match of 3-match series will be played on Saturday, July 14 at Lord's, London.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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England-India ODI Series - Battle Of The Best
2935 days ago
Cricket

England-India ODI Series - Battle Of The Best

The stage is set for the biggest limited overs series of the year. It will be the battle to become the best side of the one-day cricket when two top-ranked sides England and India will take on each other in the first of the 3-match series on Thursday, July 12 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.## Looking at the rankings, England is currently No.1 ranked side in a 50-overs format with 126 points while India is sitting on No.2 with 122 points. More than that the way both sides have been playing in this format since World Cup 2015, this series is definitely going to be the best in recent times.## England dismantled Australia in recently concluded ODI series by 5-0 where they set a new world record of the highest score ever made in an ODI match of 481/6. In that series, the world had seen a new England side who played fearless cricket under the captaincy of Eion Morgan. That was just an example of how good this England side has become. They have been playing this kind of cricket since the World Cup 2015.## India last played an ODI series in February this year against South Africa in Africa where they demolished them by 5-1. That was also the first ODI series win for India in South Africa. Much like England, India has also been ruthless in this format or more than that.## This is the series where both team's strength is their batting. Both teams have players who can win the game for their side single-handedly. England have Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow as two openers while in middle order they have ever-reliable Joe Root along with skipper Eion Morgan and dangerous Jos Buttler.## Ben Stokes who missed out against Australia might replace Alex Hales in playing XI even though Hales scored a century in the record-scoring match.## When it comes to strength, India has always been batting heavy side and looking more settle and dangerous than England. Rohit Sharma who scored a century in the last T20I will be opener along with Shikhar Dhawan. Skipper Virat Kohli along with KL Rahul, Suresh Raina/Dinesh Karthik, and MS Dhoni will be in middle order.## The only concern for India is going to be the fitness of Bhuvneshwar Kumar who missed the last T20I through a stiff back. In case he doesn't fit before the match, Shardul Thakur or Siddarth Kaul can replace him.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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I Will Keep On Playing IPL For A Few Years - AB De Villiers
2936 days ago
Cricket

I Will Keep On Playing IPL For A Few Years - AB De Villiers

AB de Villiers who has been retired from international cricket said that he still wants to feature in Indian Premier League. He has said in an interview with iol.co.za on Tuesday, July 10.## Earlier (in May) while announcing his retirement de Villiers had said that "I have no plans to play overseas, in fact, I hope I can continue to be available for the Titans in domestic cricket,".## After he announced his retirement a question was raised among the Indian fans whether he will continue playing Indian Premier League or not. Well, he has given it a green signal.## "I will keep on playing IPL for a few years, and I would like to play for the Titans and help some of the youngsters. But there are no set plans. I haven't been able to say that for a long time," he confirmed.## "There are some offers on the table from around the world, but it will be nice to wake up and wonder what to do; to be normal. Bangalore is a special place, a second home, really. I played my 100th Test there, and obviously, RCB is a massive part of my life. India as a country has taken me in, and it's hard to explain what that feels like. I just play cricket."## Not only Indian fans, all his fans around the world left disappointed after his retirement. With less than one year remaining in the World Cup 2019, he had a chance to end his career with at least one ICC trophy. He had said then that,## "For a long time, the World Cup was a massive goal. But, in the last few years, I have realised that it isn't realistic to measure yourself purely on what you achieve in that tournament. That will not be the be-all and end-all of my career,"## He said, "Yes, I would have loved to win it, but I have great memories from World Cups. The 2007 tournament - my first - was very special. We fell short against Australia when we tried to play too much cricket too soon, but that shift in mentality probably helped us to go over there and win the Test series we then won over there. Personally, I scored my first ODI century in that 2007 tournament, and I loved the whole experience of being in the Caribbean.## "The same goes for the others, in 2011 and in 2015. India has always been close to my heart, because of the passion for cricket, and then obviously 2015 was an amazing game," he further said about the classic semi-final against New Zealand in which South Africa fell agonisingly short. "We fell on the wrong side of it, but we gave it everything."## De Villiers felt that the wins against India and Australia in the Test series were the best possible way to end his illustrious career. "It was the best possible way to finish, against two great teams, in the best format of the game. There was a lot of motivation for me to do well, and for the team to do well. Series like that don't come around too often," he said.## He had played a key role in those series where they beat India by 2-1 before dismantling Australia with 3-1. The win against Australia was the first series win for South Africa on their home soil against the Aussies.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Rohit Sharma Special Guides India To Series Win
2938 days ago
Cricket

Rohit Sharma Special Guides India To Series Win

Rohit Sharma's blitzing 100* off 56 balls and his partnership with skipper Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya helped India to beat England by 7 wickets and win the series 2-1 on July 8 at Bristol.## This game was nothing sort of Rohit Sharma special. His third Twenty20 international century guided India through home in chasing 199. The win was set up by two match-winning partnership, first 89 off 57 balls between Rohit and Virat and an unbeaten 50 off 23 balls between Rohit and Hardik Pandya.## Earlier in this match, Indian skipper Virat Kohli had won the toss and opted England to bat first. England off to a flier as Opener Jason Roy and Jos Buttler added 94 off just 47 balls before Siddarth Kaul clean bowled Buttler who scored 34 off 21 balls. Debutant Deepak Chahar removed dangerous Roy after he scores 67 off 31 balls.## When Roy got out, England was on 103 for 2 after 9.2 overs. India pulled things back in the second half of England's innings as they managed to get only 87 in last 10 overs. Alex Hales (30 off 24 balls) and Jonny Bairstow (25 off 14 balls) helped England to reach 198 after 20 overs.## Hardik Pandya was the pickup bowler for India. After expensive first over (22 runs), he came back strongly and conceded only 16 runs in 3 overs and picked 4 wickets. Siddarth Kaul also picked 2 for 35 in his 4 overs.## India was needed a solid start to chase down this target. Sharma began well with a six in first over to David Willey. However, Shikhar Dhawan again fell cheaply as he gets dismissed in the first ball of the third over after scoring 5 of 3. Inform KL Rahul and Sharma added quick fire 41 off 19 balls before Rahul was taken at the long on boundary by Chris Jordan of Jake Ball. He scored 19 off 10 balls.## India was 2 for 62 after 5.2 overs before Kohli and Rohit took the game away with 89 runs partnership for the 3rd wickets. Kohli scored 43 off 29 balls. Considering high asking rate, Hardik Pandya was promoted ahead of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina. He proved his promotion right with blitzing 33* off 14 balls. He finished the match with a six over long on with 8 balls to spare.## England's bowlers were taken all over the park by Indian batsmen. Willey, Ball and Jordan took a wicket each but proved to be expensive for their side.## Rohit Sharma awarded Man Of The Match for his match-winning hundred and also received Man Of The Series for scoring 137 runs in 3 matches.## This is also India's first T20I series win in England.## Thanks for reading.

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We Were Pushed Back In First Six Overs - Virat Kohli
2940 days ago
Cricket

We Were Pushed Back In First Six Overs - Virat Kohli

It was a great game of cricket where both teams had their chances till last over. But it was England who held their nerve well and came as victories. They had beaten India by 5-wickets in a nail-biter encounter on Friday, July 6 at Cardiff and level the series with one more match to play.## It was a low scoring thriller in which India could score only 148 after they were pushed to bat first. At halfway stage, it looked like England will take it easily but Indian bowlers pulled things back and made difficult for them to chase. But Alex Hales kept his nerve and took his team through the line with unbeaten 58 off 41 balls. He was adjudged Man Of The Match.## Virat Kohli who was the top scorer for India with 47 off 38 balls didn't look pleased with their efforts with batting. He feels that 15 more runs could have been ideal to defend on that surface which was on a bit slower side.## "When you lose 3 wickets in the first 6 overs for 30 runs it's difficult to come back. I thought a partnership would get us to 145, and that would have been competitive. Average scores in local tournaments were around 145. England made good use of the wicket which had some extra bounce and some assistance for the seamers. They put pressure on us and made us lose wickets, and the run-out didn't help either. We were probably about 15 runs short." ## "We were pushed back initially in the first six overs. Our power play was not good enough, and the score, in the end, reflects that and we just couldn't push as much as we wanted in the end. You do take everything into account, like the pitch, etc. We did well and we knew it would be difficult for England to chase down 149 and level the series, and I think they had the partnership we didn't to close it off in the end."## "We knew it would be something they would have to work hard to win. They played Kuldeep really well. Chahal was outstanding and they switched roles in both games. They did their homework on Kuldeep and they reaped the rewards. It's a cruel format for the bowlers, Umesh was fantastic as well, and so was Bhuvi, but unfortunately he couldn't finish it off.## "That boundary in the end (19th over) from Hales pulled it back for them and these small things count in T20s which makes it such an interesting watch. We gotta brush it aside, take it in our stride and move onto the next game. I think we competed quite well but England was the better side, that's why they came through today," Kohli said.## On the other hand, England who was looking clueless against Kuldeep Yadav in the first T20I did their homework against wrist spinner by practising with 'Merlyn' machine. It looked like their homework against Kuldeep paid them off as the wrist spinner remained wicketless in this match. He conceded 34 runs in 4 overs including a 16-run over of 17th where equation came down to 23 off 18 balls.## Both teams have won one match and therefore the third and last T20I become decider which will be played on Sunday, July 8 at Bristol.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Wishing A Great Birthday To MS Dhoni - A Born Leader
2940 days ago
Cricket

Wishing A Great Birthday To MS Dhoni - A Born Leader

Mahendra Singh Dhoni - well known as 'Mahi' and one of the biggest superstars in world cricket is celebrating his 37th birthday today.## MS Dhoni was born on 7 July 1981 in Ranchi, Bihar (Now in Jharkhand). He made his debut in one-day international cricket in December 2004 against Bangladesh but it was unfortunate for him as he got run out without scoring a single run.## Dhoni came in limelight in his fifth match in which he had scored 148 off 123 balls in Visakhapatnam against arch rivals Pakistan. He suddenly became hero of the nation.## In bilateral series against Sri Lanka in 2005, Dhoni scored 183* off 145 balls and registered highest score ever made by any wicket keeper batsman. He never looked back after that and became well known face of Indian cricket.## Start Of 'Dhoni' Era## India was kicked out in group stage after disappointing performance in World Cup 2007 under captaincy of Rahul Dravid. Suddenly all the players became 'Zero' from hero. The house that Dhoni was constructing in his home-town Ranchi was vandalised and damaged by political activists of JMM.## Dhoni got another chance to become a hero as he was named captain of the Indian T20 team for the first edition of ICC Twenty20 World Cup which was played in South Africa in 2007. India started their campgain by beating Pakistan and later on they became champion after beating the same opponent in the final. He amused some of the great players with his leadership skill. World had seen a leader in Dhoni in that world cup.## After world cup triumph, India beat Australia in Australia to win three nation Commonwealth Bank One Day Series and became first team to win Commonwealth Bank series apart from Australia.## Dhoni's biggest achievement as a captain came in 2011 where India lifted the 50-over world cup on their home soil. He played a match winning knock of 91* runs and was the Man Of The Match in the final against Sri Lanka.## In 2013, India became champions of the ICC Champions Trophy after beating England in the final. With this win, Dhoni became first captain to win all three ICC tournaments (T2OI World Cup, 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy). In capatincy of Dhoni, India became No.1 Test team for the first time in 2009.## Achievements And Awards :-## ICC ODI Player of the Year: 2008, 2009.## ICC World ODI XI: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (captain in 2009, 2011-2014).## ICC World Test XI: 2009, 2010, 2013.## LG People's Choice Award: 2013.## Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2009.## Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest honor given for achievement in sports, 2007–08.## Honorary doctorate degree by De Montfort University in August 2011.## Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, 2018.## Famous Quotes On Dhoni :-## 1. “Dhoni is the best captain I have played under.” – Sachin Tendulkar## 2. “I am really gifted to play under the leadership of MSD.” – Michaell Hussey## 3. “If 15 runs are needed off the last over, pressure is on the bowler… not on MS Dhoni.” – Ian Bishop## 4. “The coolest man in world cricket MS Dhoni delivers when it most matters! – Michael Vaughan## 5. “I would go to war with Dhoni by my side.” – Gary Kirsten## 6. “When I die, the last thing I want to see is the six that Dhoni hit in the 2011 World Cup final.” – Sunil Gavaskar## 7. “He is a great leader by example. Someone whom I have always admired for his ability to remain balanced and have the sense of equanimity about his captaincy.” – Rahul Dravid## Happy Birthday, Mahi!## Team Sacnilk.## Thanks for the reading.

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Shardul Thakur Named Replacement Of Injured Bumrah For England ODIs
2940 days ago
Cricket

Shardul Thakur Named Replacement Of Injured Bumrah For England ODIs

Mumbai's paceman Shardul Thakur has been named in the Indian squad for England ODIs as replacement of Jasprit Bumrah.## A BCCI media release confirmed on Friday, July 6.## Keep in mind, Jasprit Bumrah gets his thumb injured while trying to stop the ball in follow through in the first Twenty20 International against Ireland on June 27. Therefore he was subsequently ruled out from the second T20I and also from 3-match T20I against England.## Bumrah's replacement Thakur is already in England as a part of India A. He featured in recently concluded one-day tri-series involving England Lions and West Indies A. He played 4 matches (including the final) and picked 8 wickets, two of them came in the final.## Thakur made his debut last year against Sri Lanka. He has been the part of Indian limited overs side in recent times. He last played an ODI match against South Africa in South Africa where he registered his career-best figures of 4 for 52.## Thakur has also been the regular member of the T20I squad since debut. He played 2 of 3 T20Is against South Africa before playing all the matches of Nidahas Trophy where India beat Bangladesh in the final.## However, Thakur was overlooked in T20Is against Ireland and England. Even after Bumrah gets injured and was ruled out, Deepak Chahar was named his replacement.## Apart from Bumrah, Washington Sunder had also been ruled out from England T20I and ODIs and therefore Krunal Pandya and Axer Patel has named his replacement respectively.## Bumrah was hopeful for the ODI series but he didn't get much time to recover before the series. This could be the huge blow for India as he is currently No.1 bowler and also considered the best bowler in limited over formats.## Now, India will be hoping that Bumrah gets recover before the 5-match Test series. Keep in mind, He made his Test debut against South Africa earlier this year and troubled Africa's batsmen with his pace.## The 3-match ODI series is scheduled to play from 12 July while Test series will start from August 1.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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It Was Frustrating Not To Reach Three Figures Mark - KL Rahul
2941 days ago
Cricket

It Was Frustrating Not To Reach Three Figures Mark - KL Rahul

He kept getting fifties but was not able to convert those fifties into three figures mark. It has been the story of KL Rahul since home series against England. But as it is said that 'it's better late than never' KL Rahul proved it right. He finally had reached three figures mark on Tuesday, July 3 in the first T20I against England. He had taken trough India home with a sublime 101* off 54 balls while chasing 160.## Before this Rahul had scored his last century back in 2016 against England at Chennai. He missed out his double century in that match as he was dismissed on 199. Since then he has scored 14 half centuries which he failed to convert them into hundred.## “Trust me, I know (about the run),” he joked before the second T20I against England, to be played in Cardiff on Friday, 6 July. “Quite honestly, I didn't know what to make of it, whether I was in form or out of form.## “I kept getting the fifties and was getting out. I was batting well, but somehow, I couldn't get to the three-figure mark. So it was quite frustrating. Being in and out of the team, injuries, and sickness, it all was playing on my mind and kept frustrating me even more.”## “I realised somewhere down the line that it is still better than getting out on single figures and stopped worrying about the three figures. I wanted it really bad and am very happy that it came here in England, in the first game of the series, and hopefully I can carry that confidence forward and use the form and make it big."## It might not happen if Virat Kohli didn't sacrifice his No.3 spot for KL Rahul. But keeping ICC World Cup 2019 in mind, India is looking to make flexible their batting order so that they could find best possible XI and that's why Rahul batted at No.3 ahead of Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina.## “It has been made clear that there will be few changes in the team and as a batting unit, we need to be flexible in our heads to be able to perform any role or responsibility that has been given to us,” said Rahul. “We are all working towards it. We might want to promote MS Dhoni or Hardik Pandya if we get a good start, to go and get us a few sixes or get the run-rate up. So we will be flexible keeping in mind the World Cup.## “When you sit out, you realise that when you get the opportunity how important it is to use that opportunity, not only as a player individually but also for the team. When you get a chance to play, if you help them win a game, then the team will start believing that the player can also do this for the team. So building that confidence for yourself and the team is very important.”## He would ideally open, said Rahul, but No.3 worked fine for him too. “That's where I would love to bat and I have always batted at the top of the order. Nos.1 and 2 are what I am most comfortable in. Shikhar got out early (in Manchester) and it felt like I was opening the batting,” he said.## “It gives me a chance to get my eye in and even use the Powerplay. Whatever chances I get I should make the most of it and I am very happy that I got to bat up the order.” he added.## India will be hoping that Rahul keep playing like this while Rahul will want to make most if his recent form in the second T20I which is scheduled to play on Friday July 6 at Cardiff.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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Kuldeep, Rahul dismantles England to go 1-0 up in the series
2943 days ago
Cricket

Kuldeep, Rahul dismantles England to go 1-0 up in the series

Kuldeep Yadav's 5 for 24 and a sizzling 101* off 54 balls from KL Rahul helped India to take a 1-0 lead in 3-match T20I series after they comprehensively beat England by 8-wickets at Old Trafford on Tuesday, July 3.## Earlier in this match, India had won the toss and opted to field first. England got off to a solid start and reached their fifty in just 5th over. At one stage they were all set to score big at 106 for 2 after 13 overs. But it was Kuldeep Yadav who changed the game completely in space of 6 balls. He took 3-wickets in 14 over and left England in an awful situation at 109 for 5 after 14.## Jos Buttler who has been in the sensational form since IPL continued his form in this match also and scored another half-century. He got out in the 18 over of the innings after scoring 69 off 46 balls.## David Willey played a quickfire cameo of 29* off 15 balls and helped his side to reach to 159 after 20 overs. Kuldeep Yadav was the stand out performer for India while Umesh Yadav also bowled well and finished his spell with 4-0-21-2.## In reply of 160, India lost an early wicket as David Willey clean bowled Shikhar Dhawan in first over the innings. He scored only 4 off 4 balls. Virat Kohli who used to bat at No.3 sent KL Rahul ahead of him and that proved to be a masterstroke. Rahul continued his red-hot form and smashed his second T20I century off just 53 balls.## Rahul played with an aggressive mindset and didn't allow any bowler to settle while his partner Rohit Sharma was happy to give him a strike. Both put on a match-winning partnership of 123 off 71 balls before Sharma got out on 32 off 30 balls. With 30 runs needed off 44 balls, the match had already done and dusted for India. Kohli finished the game in style with a six to Moeen Ali over long on. He remained unbeaten on 20 off 22 balls.## England didn't have much success with the ball. Adil Rashid who dismissed Rohit was the standout bowler for England. He finished his spell with 1 for 25 in his 4 overs while David Willey who provided the first wicket to England gave away 30 runs in 4 overs.## Kuldeep Yadav became the first left-arm wrist spinner to take 5-wickets haul in T20I and was awarded Man Of The Match for his match-winning spell. The second T20I will be played on Friday, July 6 at Cardiff.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

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