Connect with us

Sports

Ashwin reclaims pole position in ICC Test bowling rankings

Published

on

Ashwin reclaims pole position in ICC Test bowling rankings

New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is back at the top position in the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings after finishing with a nine-wicket match haul in his 100th Test match, which happened in Dharamsala.

Ashwin returned hauls of 4-51 and 5-77 against England as India won by an innings and 64 runs in the fifth and final Test to complete a 4-1 series win, which also puts them in the top position of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship table.

Ashwin reclaimed the top spot from compatriot, fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah to start his sixth stint at the top of the rankings. He first became number one in December 2015.

Player of the Match Kuldeep Yadav, who became the fastest Indian in terms of balls bowled to take 50 Test wickets, has risen 15 places to a career-best 16th position after finishing with seven wickets in the match.

India captain Rohit Sharma (up five places to sixth) and Shubman Gill (up 11 places to a career-best 20th) have also made notable gains while Player of the Series Yashasvi Jaiswal has moved up two places to eighth place after notching a half-century in Dharamsala.

ALSO READ:  Gambhir has great cricket brain, he's going to be fantastic for India: Dale Steyn

Jaiswal, the left-handed opener, aggregates 740 rating points after nine Tests, with only two batters having tallied more after as many Tests – Australians Don Bradman (752) and Mike Hussey (741). England batters Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow have moved up a slot each in the batting rankings while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has progressed 11 places to 71st position.

On the other hand, Australia completed a 2-0 series win over New Zealand in Christchurch to take second place behind India in the WTC table. Wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey’s match-winning 98 not out sees him go up from 50th to 38th.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood continued his fine run to finish with six wickets in the match, including a five-for, to make it 35 wickets at 15.31 for the season and move to second position behind Ashwin in the bowlers’ rankings. That equals his best-ever position in the rankings, which he first achieved in February 2017.

ALSO READ:  Paris Olympics, Medal Tally: USA jump to top, China slip to 2nd; India on 57th

Despite a peak bowling rating of 864 – achieved in March 2017 – Hazlewood has never been in top spot. Only Kapil Dev (877), Ryan Harris (870), Courtney Walsh (868) and Rangana Herath (866) have had higher peaks without ever reaching number one position.

New Zealand pacer Matt Henry’s superb first innings figures of seven for 67 helped him advance six places to 12th and over the 700-point mark for the first time in his career. He is also up to sixth among all-rounders.

Australia’s Mitchell Marsh (up eight places to 55th) and New Zealand players Tom Latham (up six places 35th) and Rachin Ravindra (up 10 places to 66th) are others to move up the batting rankings.

In the Men’s ODI Rankings, Ireland’s Harry Tector has moved up two places to a career-best-equalling fourth position after aggregating 141 runs in the three-match series against Afghanistan while Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s series-topping 172 runs in his team’s 2-0 win, sees him move up from 24th to 22nd.

ALSO READ:  Pat Cummins set to play for San Francisco Unicorns in MLC season 2: Report

Ibrahim Zadran (up three places to 14th among batters) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (up 10 places to 41st among bowlers) have also gained in the latest update. The Men’s T20I Rankings see Muhammad Waseem move up two places to 14th among batters after scoring 68 not out. His team-mate Junaid Siddiqui moved up 14 places to 74th among bowlers after returning 4-14 as the United Arab Emirates beat Scotland in the first T20I in Dubai.

Michael Levitt of the Netherlands (up 17 places to 32nd), Najmul Hossain Shanto of Bangladesh (up two places to 33rd) and Nepal captain Rohit Paudel (up six places to 48th) are others to move up in the batting rankings. Shoriful Islam of Bangladesh (up 19 places to 39th) and Ayan Afzal Khan of the UAE (up six places to 40th) have gained in the bowling rankings.

–IANS

nr/bc

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Maharaja T20: Mysore Warriors' all-round performance seals 28-run win over Shivamogga Lions

Published

on

By

Maharaja T20: Mysore Warriors' all-round performance seals 28-run win over Shivamogga Lions

Maharaja T20: Mysore Warriors' all-round performance seals 28-run win over Shivamogga Lions

Bengaluru, Aug 22 (IANS) Shivamogga Lions’ woes continued as they suffered a 28-run defeat to the Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

Mysore Warriors delivered a well-rounded performance, anchored by Karun Nair’s (45) swift knock, supported by a few other good contributions in the middle order, and highlighted by late-innings fireworks from J Suchith (22*) and Manoj Bhandage (23).

On the bowling front, Vidyadhar Patil (3/29) and Karthik CA (3/31) played crucial roles in restricting the Shivamogga Lions. Sharath HS’ (4/29) lethal spell with the ball and valiant efforts from Abhinav Manohar (46) and Nihal Ullal (46) with the bat couldn’t turn the tide in Shivamogga’s favour.

Chasing 180, Shivamogga Lions got off to a disastrous start, with Vidyadhar Patil’s lethal first over leading to the dismissals of Mohith Bangalore (2) and Dheeraj Mohan (0) in consecutive deliveries. Skipper Nihal Ullal (46) managed to crack a few early boundaries, but Hardik Raj (17) was also removed by Krishnappa Gowtham, leaving the Lions reeling at 41/3 by the end of the powerplay.

ALSO READ:  Paris Olympics, Medal Tally: USA jump to top, China slip to 2nd; India on 57th

K Gowtham then engineered the run out of Rohan Naveen (11), further denting the chase. The in-form Abhinav Manohar (Impact Player) joined Ullal, and the duo breathed life into the innings, putting together a 70-run partnership in just 43 balls.

However, Ullal fell short of his first half-century of the season, leaving the Shivamogga Lions at 123/5 in 15.1 overs. Manohar also narrowly missed his milestone, holing out to K Gowtham off Karthik CA. Manohar’s 26-ball knock included four sixes and three fours, adding valuable runs to the total.

Karthik CA struck again two deliveries later, dismissing Shivraj S and leaving the Lions in deep trouble. With 47 runs needed from the final 18 balls, Ashok D tried to keep the chase alive by smashing a six and a four off Vidyadhar Patil, but perished in the same over, effectively ending Shivamogga’s prospects. Shivamogga Lions finished at 151/9 in 20 overs, enduring their sixth consecutive loss.

Batting first, Mysore Warriors faced an early challenge as Sharath HS unleashed a menacing spell. He struck in the powerplay, dismissing Karthik SU (8), and then returned in the seventh over to remove CA Karthik (30), who smashed three sixes in a 34-run stand with Karun Nair (45) and Harshil Dharmani (0).

ALSO READ:  English County Championship: Aaron Hardie reunites with Surrey for a two-month stint

Nair continued in fine touch and peppered the boundary with six fours and two sixes during his 23-ball stay before falling to Ashok D in the 11th over.

Kishan Bedare (17) steered the innings, forming a 28-run partnership with Nair and adding another 29 runs with Sumit Kumar (28) before being caught and bowled by Bharath Dhuri, leaving the Warriors at 116/5 in 16.1 overs. The depth of Mysore’s batting lineup came to the fore as Manoj Bhandage and J Suchith launched a late assault.

Vasuki Koushik, tasked with the 18th over, began with a six and a four from Sumit Kumar. Bhandage then took charge, hammering three consecutive sixes off Koushik in the same over before falling as Sharath’s fourth wicket in the 19th ending a blistering 23-run cameo off just seven balls. J Suchith, carried on the momentum, smashing two sixes and a four in an 8-ball flurry, pushing the Mysore Warriors to a competitive 179/7 in their 20 overs.

ALSO READ:  Star-studded field for season-opening Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai

Brief scores: Mysore Warriors 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Karthik CA 30, Karun Nair 45, Sumit Kumar 28; Sharath HS 4-29) beat Shivamogga Lions 151/9 in 20 overs (Nihal Ullal 46, Abhinav Manohar 46 runs; Vidyadhar Patil 3-29, Karthik CA 3-31) by 28 runs.

–IANS

ab/

Continue Reading

Sports

Golf: Important week for Theegala, Bhatia and Rai at BMW champs

Published

on

By

Golf: Important week for Theegala, Bhatia and Rai at BMW champs

Golf: Important week for Theegala, Bhatia and Rai at BMW champs

Castle Rock (Colorado), Aug 22 (IANS) Indian Americans Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia who failed to make it to the Top-10 last week at the St Jude Championships, the first of the three Play-offs events, will be looking for a better showing as they move towards the finale at the Tour Championships after that.

Last week Hideki Matsuyama, after leading by five at one time, had to birdie the last two holes to win the St Jude Championships. He became the first Asian to win a Play-off event and it was his 10th PGA Tour win, the highest from the continent.

Last week Bhatia was T-12, Rai was T-16 and Theegala was way behind in T-46, but all three have entered the second of the three Play-offs events.

World No, 2 Xander Schauffele, a two-time Major winner in 2024, was tied second last week with Viktor Hovland, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was fourth last week, though World No. 3 Rory McIlroy had a poor week in T-68 place.

ALSO READ:  Golfer Aditi Ashok: Her bag goes missing

Among Asians Korea’s Si Woo Kim has all to play for at the BMW Championship, the second of three FedExCup Playoffs events, in Colorado this week, with two big goals providing the drive for him to step up his game.

The four-time PGA TOUR winner tees up at Castle Pines Golf Club with the intention of breaking into the top-30 of the FedExCup points list and qualify for the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship next week. Kim is presently ranked 44th after last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.

A strong week is also required for Kim to keep alive his hopes of earning a spot in the International Team to face the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup in Royal Montreal next month. Currently 14th on the team roster, the top-6 after this week’s BMW Championship will secure automatic spots, with captain Mike Weir naming six more picks after the TOUR Championship.

ALSO READ:  IANS Interview: Harbhajan Singh talks Budget, cricket, and India’s Olympic hopes

Compatriots Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, who are 10th and 15th respectively on the FedExCup rankings, are virtually assured of teeing up at the TOUR Championship, which will use a staggered-scoring format based on positions after this week.

Irrespective of how his week plays out, Kim is pleased to secure his top-50 status, which guarantees starts in all eight Signature tournaments next season.

–IANS

hs/

Continue Reading

Sports

No significant reduction in men’s county cricket schedule for 2025 despite player concerns

Published

on

By

No significant reduction in men’s county cricket schedule for 2025 despite player concerns

No significant reduction in men’s county cricket schedule for 2025 despite player concerns

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The packed schedule of men’s county cricket in 2025 will remain largely unchanged, despite concerns raised by the majority of players over the impact on their physical well-being.

According to a survey conducted by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) earlier this season, more than 80 per cent of players expressed fears that the current schedule is too demanding and poses risks to their health.

However, despite these concerns, the 2025 schedule is set to continue as usual. Each county will still compete in a minimum of 14 County Championship matches, eight Metro Bank Cup fixtures, and 14 Vitality T20 Blast games. The changes for next season will be largely cosmetic, offering little relief for players concerned about the gruelling calendar.

The PCA has been advocating for adjustments that would spread out the T20 fixtures across the week, aiming to reduce tight turnarounds and introduce more consistent three-day breaks between Championship games.

ALSO READ:  IANS Interview: Harbhajan Singh talks Budget, cricket, and India’s Olympic hopes

“There’s definitely room for improvement in 2025 compared to 2024,” said Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s interim chief executive, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. “The schedule can definitely be managed better. Certainly, the Blast was very much looked at through a commercial lens, trying to squeeze as many games as possible into Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Utilizing the majority of the week is probably the way forward, trying to spread them out to give that time for recovery, travel, and preparation.”

The T20 Blast, in particular, has been the main point of debate when it comes to scheduling. The timing of the knockout stages has been a significant concern. In 2023, these stages were held immediately after the group matches in July, allowing counties to retain their overseas players. This year, however, the knockout stages will be pushed to September, giving clubs an extended six-week window to market and sell tickets for home quarter-finals.

ALSO READ:  Star-studded field for season-opening Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai

While these adjustments offer slight improvements, the overall schedule remains packed, leaving many players apprehensive about how much more they can push themselves physically in the long term. Despite the calls for change, it appears that any significant reduction in the number of fixtures is unlikely in the future, with commercial considerations still driving much of the decision-making process around county cricket.

–IANS

hs/

Continue Reading

Sports

It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about results: Rohit Sharma

Published

on

By

It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about results: Rohit Sharma

It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about results: Rohit Sharma

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) After ending his T20I career with an elusive T20 World Cup title in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that it was his dream to transform the team without thinking too much about the results.

Rohit-led Indian team ended the decade-long ICC title drought after beating South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 to lift their second title in the format. In 2023, the Men in Blue failed to win the World Test Championship and 2023 ODI World Cup under Rohit’s leadership after losing to Australia in the finals.

The swashbuckling opening batter also credited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, former head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for their support in transforming the team and creating a fearless culture in the squad.

“It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about stats and results and also to make sure that we create an environment where people can go out and play freely, without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from my three pillars Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid and chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar. That was critical for me to do what I did. Obviously, not to forget players who came in at different points in time and helped the team to achieve what we have achieved today,” Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI on X.

ALSO READ:  Budget aligns perfectly with our vision to elevate Bihar cricket, says BCA chief Rakesh Tiwari

On Wednesday, Rohit was awarded ‘Men’s International Cricketer of the Year’ while Dravid was accorded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Ceat Cricket Rating Awards 2023-24 in Mumbai. India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli was named the ‘Men’s ODI Batter of the Year’ while on the bowling front, Mohammed Shami was awarded the ‘ODI Bowler of the Year’.

The 37-year-old batter finished as the second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs including three half-centuries and at a strike rate of 156.70. He played a major role in providing solid starts for the team on the slow pitches of the USA and the West Indies.

After lifting the title, Rohit joined Kohli to announce his retirement from the T20I. With 4,231 runs, Rohit is the leading run-getter in the format behind his teammate Kohli (4188 runs). Both batters will continue to play the other formats of the game. The duo last featured for India in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.

ALSO READ:  IANS Interview: Harbhajan Singh talks Budget, cricket, and India’s Olympic hopes

–IANS

ab/

Continue Reading

Sports

Kartik to lead Indian challenge at Asia Pacific Amateur golf

Published

on

By

Kartik to lead Indian challenge at Asia Pacific Amateur golf

Kartik to lead Indian challenge at Asia Pacific Amateur golf

Gotemba (Japan), Aug 22 (IANS) A year after being the youngest ever to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Kartik Singh, now 14 years of age, is the highest ranked among the four Indians set to take part in the 15th AAC to be held in Japan.

As of date Kartik is the highest ranked Indian at 199 while the other three players to have received the invitation for this prestigious event are Krishnav Nikhil Chopra and Vedant Sirohi, both past participants in the event and Rakshit Dahiya will be in the four-player team.

Kartik Singh has also been named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup team. A regular winner in junior and amateur events, Kartik will spearhead the Indian challenge.

Apart from India’s Kartik Singh, there are seven others named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup International Team. They are Joshua Bai, Warut Boonrod, Xihuan Chang, Rayhan Latief, Khanh Hung Le, Thangwin Lee, Anh Minh Ngyuyen,

ALSO READ:  English County Championship: Aaron Hardie reunites with Surrey for a two-month stint

As many as 113 players have been confirmed for the Championship, which will be held October 3-6, 2024, at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Gotemba, Japan. A full list of confirmed players can be found. The field will be 120 with a few more names to be added by the Organisers.

India’s best ever placing has been second place by Rayhan Thomas, who was runner-up in Sentosa, Singapore in 2018. The Dubai-based Indian Rayhan has since turned professional, and last week won his first pro title on India’s Professional Tour of India Tour.

Krishnav, who plays college golf in the US, is the son of former India cricketer turned commentator, Nikhil Chopraa, who often takes the role of a caddie for his son.

Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region.

The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.

ALSO READ:  Asian Cycling: Gold winner Sarita, mason's daughter from Jharkhand, aspires to provide better life for her parents

The confirmed list which has players from 38 APGC member organizations is highlighted by defending champion Jasper Stubbs of Australia and four players representing China inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Wenyi Ding (No. 4), Xihuan Chang (No. 36), Xiangyun Bai (No. 61) and Paul Chang (No. 97).

Ding finished runner-up to Stubbs in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur while Xihuan Chang reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in July.

Other top-100 participants include Vietnam’s Anh Minh Nguyen (No. 68) and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (No. 78).

Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith. Over the Championship’s 14-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, Smith, Cameron Davis, Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Satoshi Kodaira, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Min Woo Lee, Keita Nakajima and C.T. Pan. Collectively, alumni of the Asia-Pacific Amateur have gone on to win 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 130 across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

ALSO READ:  Johnny Grave to step down as Cricket West Indies CEO at the end of October 2024

As the host nation, Japan will lead the list of up to 43 APGC member nations represented with 10 players in this year’s field. A player from Japan has won four of the 14 editions of the Championship (Matsuyama/2010, 2011; Takumi Kanaya/2018; Nakajima/2021).

–IANS

hs/

Continue Reading

Trending