Rajneesh Gupta picks instances of sledging which backfired spectacularly and the players had to pay dearly for their misadventures.
'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.'
Former IPL chairperson Lalit Modi was his usual outspoken self when he said it will be 'doomsday' for the Indian cricket if N Srinivasan gets re-elected as BCCI president at the Board's AGM on September 29.
"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.
Stung by revelations of a player being approached for spot-fixing, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said on Friday that stringent measures will be put in place to ensure that the mega-event passes off corruption-free.
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.
Ajit Chandila has been handed a life ban, while Hiken Shah has been banned for five years for their role in match-fixing during the Indian Premier League, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on Monday. The BCCI's Disciplinary Committee, headed by president Shashank Manohar, also comprising Jyotiraditya Scindia and Niranjan Shah, made the decision after their meeting in Mumbai. Chandila and Shah appeared in person before the Committee on December 24 last and were given time till January 4 to file a written response to the charges against them.
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.'
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.
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.
N Srinivasan refuses to confirm whether he is back in office as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
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.
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.
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.
'At that time the Delhi police was reeling under various controversies. This case was more of an attention diversion.'
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.
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 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?'
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.
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.
'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.
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.
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.