Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has paid tribute to Indian veteran VVS Laxman, who recently retired from international cricket, saying that the game will be poorer without one of the finest players of this generation.
VVS Laxman said he was enjoying being one of the senior players after steadying India on the fourth day of the third Test against West Indies on Sunday.
VVS Laxman smashed 109 and Rahul Dravid a watchful 53 to guide India to 216 for three at stumps on day two of the second Test.
Hardik will lead India in two match T20 Series beginning from Sunday.
"I feel honoured as I have been bestowed with one of the most prestigious awards. It is indeed satisfying that my achievements while playing for the country have been rewarded. The biggest honour, however, is the opportunity to represent my country for so many years," said Laxman after the announcement was made.
An elated VVS Laxman is confident of making it to the final XI of the World team.
Paying glowing tributes to VVS Laxman, who quit international cricket on Saturday, selection committee chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth said that the batsman should have got more recognition for his match-winning performances for the country.
VVS Laxman has been Australia's bugbear for quite a while and the classical middle order batsman prescribes self-belief with relentless aggression as the formula to succeed against the world champions.
After declaring on 631-7 in the post-tea session, India reduced the West Indies to 34-2 before bad light forced an early end to the second day's play in the second Test. The West Indies trail by 597 runs.
It was jelly beans four years ago and it is Vaseline this time as a controversy erupted in the second India-England Test here when VVS Laxman was accused of using it on his bat to manipulate the Hot-Spot technology in the Decision Review System.
VVS Laxman's 281 against Australia in Kolkata has been voted as the greatest Indian Test innings.
VVS Laxman returned to the top 20 of the ICC Rankings for the first time in three years after his scintillating performance against Pakistan in the first Test in Delhi
VVS Laxman inaugurated the newly-refurbished North Stand of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in honour of former India captain and newly-elected Hyderabad Cricket Association president Mohammad Azharuddin.
VVS Laxman substituted grit for flair as he helped India recover to 228 for six against Pakistan in the first Test.
After being ruled out of the second and final Test against Bangladesh due to a hamstring injury, Indian fast bowler S Sreesanth will return home on Saturday.
When Sachin picked Laxman as his favourite player among the likes of Dravid, Ganguly
Former Indian cricketers lavished praise on senior batsman VVS Laxman for showing "exemplary" grit and determination while leading India to a thrilling one-wicket win over Australia in the first Test despite battling back spasms.
VVS Laxman's fluent century guided India to a convincing five-wicket victory to level the three match series 1-1 on Day 5 of the third and final Test, at the P Sara Oval, in Colombo, on Saturday.
As the ace Indian batsman celebrates his 46th birthday on Sunday, here's a glimpse at some of his finest knocks in international cricket.
The volley of words against Greg Chappell continues. Now, former India batsman VVS Laxman says that the Australian took "Indian cricket backwards" during his two-year tenure as the national cricket team's coach.
VVS Laxman could not repeat the first-innings heroics but his brief 23-run knock was crucial nonetheless as his team Lancashire escaped to a draw against Durham in a three-day match of the County Championships at Old Trafford.
The second Test against Pakistan in Kolkata will be crucial to the outcome of this series. Is it time to bring him at number three?
India were 229 for three on the fourth day of the second Test against the West Indies at Bridgetown on Friday, thereby extending their overall lead to 240.
In reply, Punjab were reeling at 25 for 3 on the first day of the Elite 'B' Ranji Trophy match at Gymkhana grounds.
VVS Laxman played second fiddle to Andrew Flintoff as Lancashire thumped Derbyshire by 56 runs in the Twenty20 Cup in London. Flintoff hammered 93 from 41 balls to hog the limelight but Laxman's 45-ball 63 was no less significant as the duo shared a fourth-wicket stand of 99 to help Lancashire pile up 220 for five, their best ever Twenty20 score.
"I was the one who suggested that we should go back home immediately because it was clear it was one-sided and it was not fair but Anil (Kumble) showed great leadership qualities and managed everything," Laxman said during the launch of his book '281 and Beyond' in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said that VVS Laxman has sent out a "loud and clear" message to the selectors by deciding to quit international cricket with immediate effect.
VVS Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck up a 115-run partnership to help India recover from 93 for 5 to 228 for 6 at close on Day 2 of the second Test.
Batting mainstay VVS Laxman believes a 250 plus score in the first innings at Kingsmead will prove competitive and give India enough cushion to bowl out South Africa in the second Test.
Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Friday sought to clarify that he never demanded removal of Deccan Chargers' captain VVS Laxman and claimed his remarks that the Indian was not suitable for Twenty20 version was quoted out of context in the media. Afridi confirmed that he had been conveyed the inquiry into his issue with Laxman is over now.
Former cricketers Chandu Borde and Bapu Nadkarni expressed surprise over VVS Laxman's decision to draw curtains on his brilliant career after being picked for the home Test series against New Zealand.
It has just been a few weeks since Duncan Fletcher took over as India's coach but senior batsman VVS Laxman says the team is already bowled over by his knowledge of the game and feels "lucky" to have him on board.
He has been a long-time middle-order mainstay of India's batting line-up but veteran VVS Laxman says he started feeling assured in the team only in the last four years during which he was given the "freedom" to play his natural game.
Mumbai batsman Rohit Sharma has been called up as cover for VVS Laxman for the first Test against South Africa, beginning in Nagpur on February 6. The stylish Hyderabadi batsman is yet to recover fully from the finger injury he suffered while fielding during the second Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong last month.
VVS Laxman struck a fine hundred to help Lancashire gain a 205-run lead against Warwickshire on the second day of the Division one county match at Old Trafford.
VVS Laxman, the hero of India's second innings, feels it is important to get Jacques Kallis out quickly on Wednesday to win the second Test and draw level in the three-match series.
Hyderabad make 251 in reply to Punjab's 142 and gain a 109-run first innings lead.
