The 34-year-old mystery spinner rewrote the record books during the fifth and final T20I against South Africa at Ahmedabad on Friday, casting a spell of his bamboozling spin magic on the Proteas batters, four of them surrendering to his bowling.
'They are forced because the BCCI has agreed to it.'
'We want our girls to bring their A game on the day. We want them to take it just as a game because the World Cup is a long campaign.'
Latif slammed Pakistan's middle order for their timid approach, accusing them of 'giving up' when the game demanded urgency.
Pakistan have lodged a protest with the Asian Cricket Council over the Indian players' refusal to shake hands with them following their Asia Cup match.
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
The Pakistan Cricket Board claimed that match referee Andy Pycroft apologised to its national team for prohibiting the handshake between Indian and Pakistani players.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
Pakistan will be aiming to recreate their 2017 Champions Trophy final upset where they thrashed India by 180 runs.
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps on Day 4 of the third Test, still 228 runs short of victory
Operation Sindoor has not yet been formally called off. What was the crying need to send a team when it was known that there could be a match with Pakistan? asks Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
'The stamina and junoon you see in him, for acting, singing, dancing, working out, just about everything, makes age just a number as far as Salman Khan is concerned.'
Coach Hesson defends Pak batters against spin doubts.
Having crushed Pakistan with consummate ease in the Asia Cup Super 4 match, Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav urged everyone to stop calling the contests between the two nations a meaningful "rivalry."
Although fielding coach T Dilip said Patel looked "fine" after the match, the short turnaround between games poses a challenge for the all-rounder's recovery.
Intent does not always translate immediately into numbers, and effort however sincere needs to find expression in runs, especially with a World Cup drawing closer.
'This is love, it is a celebration for those who support the Indian team.'
Lawyer Ujjwal Nikam says that while justice has been delivered to some victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, their conspirators are still hiding in Pakistan. He criticizes Pakistan's handling of the trials of those arrested and calls for action against masterminds like Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
Former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad backed Suryakumar Yadav's men to dominate once again against Pakistan on Sunday.
The 2025 US National Security Strategy marks a major pullback, with America turning backward and effectively allowing China greater dominance in Asia. while long-time partners like India are left to face an increasingly unstable global order largely on their own, observes Rajeev Srinivasan.
'Pakistan is an ally who gives the US access.' 'If we have a presence there, it puts us that much closer to China and puts our assets closer to China and Iran.'
Suryakumar Yadav hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support and enthusiasm after Team India won their 9th Asia Cup trophy
Indian Coast Guard ship Sarthak visited Chabahar port in Iran, marking the first such visit and underscoring India's growing maritime engagement in the region. The visit aims to strengthen institutional linkages and enhance mutual understanding in maritime safety and security.
SKY also clicked photos with the Oman team, highlighting the camaraderie and respect he has for opponents who put up a strong fight.
India opener Shafali Verma's match-winning performance with the bat in the Women's World Cup final against South Africa last month has earned her the ICC 'Player of the Month' award for November.
Defending champions India will open their campaign against USA in Mumbai on February 7 before facing Namibia in Delhi on February 12.
There are many Indian fans in Dubai, who, as a mark of protest, have decided to give this match a miss.
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested a retired Army man and a woman for allegedly sharing sensitive information about military establishments and personnel with Pakistani agents.
Imran Khan's sister claims he is alive but facing mental torture in solitary confinement at Adiala Jail. Concerns arose after an unannounced ban on family visits, leading to social media speculation about his well-being. The government has imposed Section 144 and deployed police to prevent PTI protests.
Embarrassment struck the Pakistan camp when a shocking anthem mishap unfolded at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
If Patel had lived a few years more, he may or may not have become prime minister. But for sure, his presence would have kept Nehru in check, points out Harishchandra.
A female suicide bomber of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) blew herself up at the entrance of the headquarters of a paramilitary force in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, triggering a prolonged gunfight in which six militants were killed, security officials said on Tuesday.
India enjoy a dominant 9-3 win loss record against Pakistan in T20 Internationals, including a 7-1 margin in T20 World Cups.
Former Indian all-rounder Madan Lal the Asia Cup match is a perfect opportunity to give a fitting reply to Pakistan.
Former all-format captain Babar Azam is being tipped to make a comeback to Pakistan T20 squad while speculations are rife about the PCB deciding to replace Muhammad Rizwan as the captain of the one-day side.
Pakistan survived a wonderful spell from an enraged spinner Wanindu Hasaranga to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in an intense Super 4 match to stay alive in the Asia Cup, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Shafali Verma, whose blazing 87 and two key wickets powered the country to its maiden ICC Women's World Cup title, was named in the ICC Player of the Month shortlist for November.
Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
The Karnataka Legislative Council passed a bill to curb hate speech, facing strong opposition from BJP and JD(S), who criticized it as 'draconian' and a threat to free speech. The bill proposes jail terms and fines for hate crimes and repeated offenses.
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