Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan, who had cataract surgery on Wednesday, continues to remain silent on the Supreme Court observation that he should step down to facilitate a fair probe into IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.
India's selectors went on expected lines, leaving out former champions while giving the nod to top performers in domestic circuit in the 30-man probables' list for the 2015 World Cup.
The order on framing of charges in the IPL-6 spot fixing case in which suspended cricketers Ajit Chandila, S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and others, including underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Chhota Shakeel are accused, was deferred for July 25 by a Delhi court.
Rajneesh Gupta picks instances of sledging which backfired spectacularly and the players had to pay dearly for their misadventures.
Having gone through a testing time as captain of Rajasthan Royals when the spot-fixing scandal broke two seasons ago, team mentor Rahul Dravid called for stricter laws, even criminal, to be put in place by the country's lawmakers to deal with this issue in IPL.
Star batsman Virat Kohli says India's triumph in the 2007 World T20 tournament proved the catalyst in the team winning the 50-overs World Cup four years later.
Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Monday expressed his condolences over the sudden demise of former India president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Former Essex player Ian Pont, who is now engaged in coaching Indian bowlers at the Ultimate Pace Foundation in Bengaluru, tells Manu Shankar/Rediff.com you can never ensure that the spot-fixing episode won't resurface. 'All you can do is deal with it correctly when it happens.'
"His involvement in any form of cricket, affiliated with the BCCI stands suspended till the time the disciplinary committee of the BCCI passes appropriate orders," it added.
The Supreme Court suggested that Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals must be barred from the Indian Premier League, it was reported on Thursday. The Apex Court further proposed that Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar must be made BCCI president and take over from N Srinivasan.
N Srinivasan refuses to confirm whether he is back in office as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Former India skipper Rahul Dravid says the Justice Lodha committee's decision to ban Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the Indian Premier League for two years will affect the young players, but the verdict of the Supreme Court-appointed panel must be respected.
In its quest to paint a rosy picture on the health of Indian cricket, Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan and former treasurer Ravi Savant's note in the Board's Annual Report doesn't have a single mention of the spot-fixing scandal that rocked the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.
How many Tests has India won in South Africa? Who first captained India in South Africa in 1992-1993? Rajneesh Gupta answers all your questions.
So it was surprising when a young Team India, led by Dhoni, made it to the final of the inaugural 2007 T20 Championships in South Africa. They met arch-rivals Pakistan in that thrilling, summit clash.
The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India over the spot-fixing scandal in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League and also questioned the return of Narayanswami Srinivasan as its president.
'The entire BCCI order was based on the Delhi police's chargesheet.' 'Neeraj Kumar shouldn't be part of any BCCI committee that will look into lifting the life ban on the three cricketers.'
Narayanaswami Srinivasan was on Monday cleared of match-fixing and scuttling the probe into it that followed the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League, but the findings of the Justice Mudgal Committee have left Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals exposed, as their respective officials, Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, were indicted of illegal betting.
'At that time the Delhi police was reeling under various controversies. This case was more of an attention diversion.'
'The moment you increase the possibility of making a team winning or losing a game that's where match-fixing happens. And whenever match-fixing happens, it can only happen at the players' level. If a player is not fixed to perform a particular task then how can one generate money?'
'It's almost more than 6 years now that I lost my love and passion, which is cricket.' 'So it is high time that I make a bright career this year in the entertainment industry.'
'No, you don't require tantrums, or beating a tattoo on the helmet or rude and hostile gestures to make a point.' 'A true fast bowler lets the ball do the talking as it crashes into the stumps,' says veteran sports commentator Kishore Bhimani.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the Indian Premier League for two years for betting activities of their key officials, Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, during the 2013 season of cash-rich Twenty20 cricket tournament.
Despite all the controversies, the IPL's brand value hasn't diminished. Instead, says Harish Kotian/Rediff.com, the IPL made the BCCI richer by over Rs 3 billion!
There are bowlers who have a better statistical record than the 311 wickets in Tests and 282 in ODIs, but those figures do not reveal Zaheer Khan's match-winning abilities in all conditions
Ahead of the three-match series, commencing in Dharamsala on Friday, Rajneesh Gupta presents a recap on battles between the two sides over the years.
'I am a human being, I was surely nervous, I am competing against a lot of people, but even when I played cricket there is not a single match where I was not nervous.' 'Lots of mothers, lots of sisters are so sure that no matter what happens, Sree will stand by them.' 'I will go to any length to help people.' 'If it is important to save somebody I will save him even if I have to die.'
India pacer Shantakumaran Sreesanth and his Rajasthan Royals team mate Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila were on Sunday cleared of charges by a Delhi court in the spot-fixing and betting scandal in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League in 2013. A flashback of the events that unfolded in the episode.
The win at Edgbaston was not the first time an Indian team had vanquished Pakistan in an ICC competition. Rajneesh Gupta surveys the landscape of India-Pakistan encounters in ICC contests.