The year is coming to an end and overall, it's been one hell of a year! We have had our share of ups and downs and we look forward to a better 2020. While we count down the days to the new year, let's also reflect on those who gave us strength to stand up in what we believe, the courageous who didn't bow down and the ones with gumption who inspired us to be better. We, Rediff.com, have selected 26 personalities, who we think are worthy of the title -- HERO OF THE YEAR -- and we want you, dear readers, to choose your hero!
'They're going to need to get some cricket before coming back into the squad. It's all part of the management. We'll have to wait and see'
India had a forgettable outing with both bat and ball as Australia bounced back in the T20 International series with a crushing eight-wicket win in the second match in Guwahati, on Tuesday.
Mumbai picked up four wickets after a third-wicket stand of 110 to keep Tamil Nadu to 261 for six on Day one of their Ranji Trophy semi-final, in Rajkot, on Sunday
India lost the fifth and final Test against England by 118 runs on Tuesday despite heroic resistance from K L Rahul and Rishabh Pant, bringing the curtain down on a tour that started as a golden opportunity but ended in disappointment. A mediocre England team, with a fragile batting line-up, won the series by a comprehensive 4-1 margin after India were bowled out for 345 in pursuit of mammoth target of 464.
Sandhu is excited at the prospect of playing alongside Zaheer Khan.
India will launch their World Cup title defence against traditional rivals Pakistan in Adelaide on February 15 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his side is capable of adapting and performing in any condition.
18-year-old Afghan sensation Rashid Khan can't wait to start his maiden stint in the Indian Premier League with Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he will be sharing the dressing room with his childhood hero Yuvraj Singh.
Ravichandran Ashwin will have a bigger role to play during Australian second innings
The brothers' academy which has been named CAP (Cricket Academy of Pathans) will be launched initially in Baroda next month with around 50 more academies planned all across the country.
After a dream ODI debut last month, teenaged paceman Mustafizur Rahman announced his Test arrival by claiming three wickets in four balls as Bangladesh bowled out South Africa for 248 on the opening day of the first Test in Chittagong on Tuesday.
'It's like sometimes you go to a top restaurant and order a dish, the food quantity might be less, but if the quality and taste is good, then it leaves a mark forever.' 'As far as my career is concerned, I think I delivered quality.' 'I last played for India in 2006, but even today when people meet me they remember Kaif as the best fielder who could take some amazing catches, get run outs and save runs on the field.'
New Zealand have never appeared so well-united as they do currently. 'Individually and collectively, under Brendon McCullum's astute leadership, they seem a formidable lot.'
For the world's women cricketers, financial parity with their male counterparts remains a distant dream but India's decision to boost the pay packets of its top female players is further evidence that the winds of change are blowing through the game.
Any hopes that the issue of race in South Africa's sport was fading were damaged this week when the government banned its national cricket, rugby, athletics and netball federations from bidding for international tournaments due to a failure to increase their number of black players.
Former national selector Venkatapathy Raju said the Board of Control for Cricket in India must address the issue of player burn-out and should have a back-up team of bowlers.
'I just go out there and do my thing; try to express myself. I'm glad people enjoy it,' Rishabh Pant tells Dhruv Munjal.
Ashish Nehra has not yet decided on life after active cricket even though he has narrowed down the options to coaching and commentary.
England batsman Joe Root believes if they stay true to their character, it will not be a problem to beat West Indies in the ICC World Twenty20 summit clash on Sunday. "I don't think there's been an attitude swing or the way we approach practice or anything like that. We went into the tournament and stayed true to what we believe in as a side and the way we play our cricket. I think that's probably been the most important thing," Root said ahead of the final. The promising youngster struck a match-winning 83 from 44 balls to script their famous win against South Africa chasing a huge 230 as they have not looked back since then. "It's about making sure that we did not go away how we wanted to play and the way we wanted to approach our cricket. Having that self-belief in each other and we could get and win against South Africa and build our confidence from that point onwards. Everyone contributed in some way, shape or form which is always nice getting into the final," Root said. He however credited the captain and coach duo of Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss for this turnaround, especially after their ignominous exit in ODI World Cup in Australia last year where they had failed to get past any team apart from minnows Scotland and Afghanistan.
Right now, our mindset is very similar, to go out there and enjoy our cricket, which we have done in the past few years, says Kohli at a press conference before the defending champions' departure to England for the Champions Trophy. Rediff.com's Harish Kotian listens in as the young Indian captain speaks.
The comparisons with the legendary pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly are certainly flattering but Rohit Sharma feels his partnership with Shikhar hawan still has a long way to go before matching up to the iconic opening combination. "Comparisons with India's most successful opening pairing (Ganguly-Tendulkar) gives you immense satisfaction. Comparisons are a piece of joy. It would be great if me and Shikhar as opening pair can achieve the success that these two accomplished in their illustrious careers," Rohit, who is going through a dream phase in his career, told PTI in an exclusive interview. "We are still not there but both of us would like to entertain the fans and win as many matches as they have won for India," he said. Both the batsmen did well in the recent limited-overs series in Australia with Rohit notching up the Man of the Series award in the ODIs despite India losing 1-4. Despite enjoying a golden run off late, Rohit's appetite for big scores has not satiated yet.
The Cricket Board has rubbished former England great Ian Botham's criticism of the highly lucrative Indian Premier League, saying he had no locus standi, and advised him to first get his facts right before commenting on the Twenty20 League.
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Australia have named swashbuckling batsman Aaron Finch captain of the Twenty20 cricket team, replacing George Bailey, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Monday.
"We have to move on from here not just enjoy look at it stepping stone. We don't want to stuck here. We definitely need some infrastructure like in Australia and England."
Chasing an elusive dream of winning their first cricket Test in India, Sri Lanka will begin their gruelling tour with a two-day tour fixture against a depleted Board President's XI, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
'I bring a lot of variety to any team I play for. I keep wickets, I field pretty well and I can bat up and down the order. I think I bring about a certain kind of advantage if I am utilised in the right manner.'
'During the 2015 IPL, Kohli Sir greeted me with folded hands after I scored a 21-ball 45.' 'Everybody knows he has played many such innings, but what he was doing was motivating a 17 year old.' 'It speaks volumes of him as a captain and human being,' Sarfaraz Khan tells Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com
India's limited overs specialist Jasprit Bumrah is aware that bowling effective yorkers can't remain his only weapon at the highest level.
Stuart Binny on how he stays motivated despite not getting enough playing time with Team Indian, and his father's role in shaping his career. Harish Kotian/Rediff.com reports.
'Dhoni has got his own ways of captaining the Indian team. He might not give out details or might not explain, but in his mind he knows very well how to captain the side, which players to pick and the right combination for a particular condition.'
Despite a poor run in domestic cricket the dashing opener believes he is in contention for a place among India's 30 probables for next year's World Cup.
India's batting great Virender Sehwag on Tuesday announced his retirement from international cricket and the Indian Premier League.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens to begin their Indian Premier League (IPL) defense on an emphatic note.
Sri Lanka defeated India by five wickets in the first Twenty20 international cricket match to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, in Pune on Tuesday. Chasing a modest target of 102 runs set by India, Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal led from the front scoring 35 runs off as many balls, while Milinda Sriwardana's unbeaten 21 runs off 14 balls ensured a comparatively young visiting squad secured a morale-boosting victory.
One97 Communications, which owns Paytm, was awarded the title sponsorship rights for India's international home cricket matches for four years after a winning bid of Rs 2.42 crore per match.
Kumar Sangakkara displayed his class with a breathtaking 84-ball 103 as Sri Lanka recovered from a middle-order batting collapse to score a thrilling two-wicket over India in the Asia Cup, at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, in Fatullah, Bangladesh, on Friday night. Chasing 265, the islanders rode on the 36-year-old batsman's 84-ball 103 to clinch victory with four balls to spare.
Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar relives Virender Sehwag's magnificent century on his Test debut in 2001 and what made him such a difficult batsman to bowl at.
Brendan Taylor has been the boy on the burning deck all through his career for Zimbabwe.
He is regarded as one of the best fast bowlers of the modern era. Extreme pace with the ability to swing the ball both ways makes Dale Steyn a complete pacer. The South African speedster reflects on his 11-year old career at the international stage. How did the dream of playing cricket begin for you and when did it start taking shape? I was about 10 or so when I first came in contact with cricket. I was visiting my family in Zimbabwe and played the game in the backyard. And I remember when I got back to school after the vacations in January, everyone seemed to be playing this crazy sport called cricket. I joined the party and since then there has been no looking back. Why fast bowling? I did everything when I was growing up. I was an opening batter in primary school, but fast bowling was one thing that I was always better at than anybody else. I started playing Men's club cricket at a very young age. I was like this little 14-year old playing against full grown men who were 25 years and upwards. You know, you start to get this confidence that you can get grown men out. Your own teammates fill you up with a lot of confidence when they see you get a great batsman out. I was lucky enough to be a part of the Northern Titan Cricket Academy. This was the same time when the 2003 World Cup was on and I got a chance to bowl to all the international pros who came for practice, made them jump around a little bit and built confidence from there.
Under fire after a below-par show on a good batting strip, the Indian spinners will aim for an improved show on a comparatively more helpful track as they take on a gritty England in the second Test, starting in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
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