This is the story of one Narendra Bunde, a resident of Nagpur and a 'cricket astrologer' by profession.
Team India has two members - MS Dhoni and Ishant Sharma - of that victorious 2009 side returning to New Zealand for the One-Day International series, which commences on Sunday. The hosts, however, are almost a completely overhauled unit. The teams may not appear equal on paper but the home advantage is something than should benefit New Zealand. Rajneesh Gupta presents a statistical lowdown of the teams ahead of tour opener in Napier.
Unstoppable so far with clinical performances, a formidable India will square off against a passionate and sprightly Bangladesh in their quest for continental supremacy in the final of the Asia Cup Twenty20 cricket tournament, in Mirpur, on Sunday.
Shikhar Dhawan is a big match player and he proved it yet again
Ashish Nehra has contributed significantly to the Indian team's recent success in Twenty 20s, and the old warhorse says he is enjoying his role of a mentor in the fast bowling department.
Tattoos are widely popular among sports players. When it comes to cricketers, they use the ink to portray their personalities.
Jolted by the shock loss to New Zealand in the opening game, India will be fighting a survival battle quite early in the tournament when they take on arch foes Pakistan in what is being seen as the marquee clash of the ICC World Twenty20 in Kolkata on Saturday. The hosts, who started clear title-favourites, were in for a blow in the first match itself when New Zealand's spinners bamboozled their famed batting line-up on a turning Nagpur track. As a result, the world No.1 side is staring at an early elimination should it lose to Pakistan in the high-voltage game at the Eden Gardens. As is the case with most India-Pakistan contests, this game too has been preceded by its share of drama. The match was originally scheduled to be held in Dharamsala but was shifted here after the Himachal Pradesh government expressed inability to provide security to the Pakistan team owing to protests by ex-servicemen and their families.
Pacer Mohammad Shami, who is recuperating after shoulder surgery, and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, back with a re-modelled action, are among 30 players named by the Board of Control for Cricket in India's senior selection committee for a preparatory camp ahead of the South African team's upcoming tour of India.
Ajinkya Rahane was chosen as captain of the depleted Indian team for the limited overs tour to Zimbabwe next month as the selectors decided to rest several seniors including Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
India opener Rohit Sharma on Monday advised people to be be smart and proactive in their fight against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Various state governments in the country have ordered closures of schools, malls, cinema halls in a bid to avoid gatherings while also asking people to practice social distancing.
Clinical India notched up another resounding win to humble a hapless Sri Lankan side by six wickets and clinch the five-match series in the third One-Day International in Hyderabad.
Having regained his form with two unbeaten knocks in the league stage of the cricket World Cup, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has gained two spots to be placed eight in the latest ICC batting rankings.
BCCI has decided to conduct fitness tests of players before they are picked in the national team to avoid embarrassing late withdrawals
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji identify India's Most Valuable ODI Players during the 2018-2019 season that has so far featured 22 games.
For India, who are considered as title contenders, a good showing in the Asia Cup will give them the much-needed boost going into the World T20.
With Australia taking a 2-0 lead in the four-match Test series against India, the scales are titled highly in favour of the hosts. History also shows that the Melbourne Cricket Ground has been a happy hunting ground for the hosts. With the Boxing Day Test around the corner, here is a quick look at how the teams stand.
With 59 matches spread across 10 cities, the cash-rich league starting Saturday will unearth new domestic talents apart from giving some of the tried and tested faces a shot at redemption during the next seven weeks of what is again expected to be a perfect marriage of cricket and entertainment.
Nasir Hossain turned in a fine all-round show as Bangladesh 'A' scored a 65-run victory over India 'A' in the second One-dayer and levelled the three-match series, in Bengaluru, on Friday. The 23-year-old all-rounder first hit an unbeaten hundred and then destroyed the home side with a five-wicked haul as Mominul Haque's side avenged the 96-run defeat in the first game, at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.
Not really impressed with the preparation that India will have going into the Test series against Australia, former captain Sourav Ganguly has said a couple of two-day practice games are just not enough.
Remember Yuvi's 6 sixes in an over in the first World T20?
Sportsmen across the board took to Twitter to pay their respects to the Indian soldiers.
A certainty in the shorter formats, Suresh Raina is yet to cement his place in the national side when it comes to Test cricket.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni revealed on Saturday that Virat Kohli's agreement to drop down the order paid the team rich dividends and the strategy would be followed in the remainder of the One-Day series.
World cricket's most intriguing rivalry will once again be renewed when India take on an unpredictable Pakistan with rehabilitated pacer Mohammad Aamir being the focus of attention in a round-robin league encounter of the Asia Cup T20 tournament, in Mirpur, on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma blasted a record-breaking 209, including a world record 16 sixes, which propelled India to a 57-run victory over Australia in the seventh and final One-Day International.
Under-fire batsman Virat Kohli finally came good and the bowlers delivered to help India beat Middlesex by 95 runs in the the 50-over practice game at Lord's.
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Ravichandran Ashwin's showing in the shorter versions of cricket have been comparatively better than that in Tests. The Tamil Nadu spinner attributes it to the time spent in the nets with his personal coach.
Hundreds of Bangladesh cricket supporters burnt an effigy of Pakistani cricket umpire Aleem Dar and marched in the capital, Dhaka, after the country was knocked out of the World Cup
Of the 10 times India have made a fourth innings chase under Kohli, they have won only 1 and lost 7, with 2 draws. Rajneesh Gupta gives us all the numbers from a memorable game.
World champions India have consolidated their top rank on the ICC ODI Team Rankings after sweeping the series against Sri Lanka, which concluded in Ranchi on Sunday.
Stung by the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the Indian Premier League, the Board of Control for Cricket in India's top officials are working out a contingency plan to ensure that the high-profile league remains an eight-team affair.
Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, on Friday, expressed his disappointment after five of his colleagues were denied travel permission by New Delhi for Saturday's World Twenty20 match between the arch-rivals, in Kolkata.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weaved his magic with a career-best four-wicket haul as India thrashed Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the deciding third and final Twenty20 International, to clinch the three-match series 2-1, in Visakhapatnam, on Sunday.
A look at his T20 Internationals numbers and one wonders why M S Dhoni was dropped for the T20 series against the Windies and Australia. His T20I numbers are quite decent and there is no sudden dip in his form, notes Rajneesh Gupta.
CSK were the last team to start training after 13 members of their contingent tested positive. Another setback was Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh pulling out of the tournament due to personal reasons.
The reactions to Virat Kohli stepping down as the captain of the Indian Test team after seven years on Saturday.
Uncertanity over the availability of Wriddhiman Saha, who had a split webbing in his right hand, for the first One-Day International against Sri Lanka seems to be over as the wicketkeeper batsman looked fit ahead of the opening game, in Cuttack on Sunday.
Dhoni returns to the Indian dressing room after three months and for him the series will be start of the preparation for next year's World Twenty20, that will be hosted by India.
'We are all going through an entire gamut of emotions. I only saw these players on TV and now I will play alongside them. It's indeed a great feeling.'
