Sports
When Pant is set and going, there’s no limit to what he can do: Biju George
New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) During India’s optional nets session at Cantiague Park, Long Island on Friday, Rishabh Pant enthusiastically practiced his reverse-sweeps, while being closely observed by batting coach Vikram Rathour and head coach Rahul Dravid, who were assessing his aggressive stroke-play abilities.
It came as no surprise when Pant, during India’s warm-up match against Bangladesh, displayed his trademark unorthodox shots on an up and down drop-in pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. The left-handed batter scored a fluent 53 runs off 32 balls before retiring out, to be the biggest takeaway for India from their 60-run win in the warm-up game.
Pant struggled initially after coming in to bat at number three following Sanju Samson’s dismissal, scoring just one run off six balls. But he rapidly advanced by hitting three sixes off Shakib Al Hasan, including one coming off an audacious reverse-sweep.
Apart from using his feet to step out against Mahedi Hasan, Pant also held his shape well in a one-handed swipe off Mahmudullah. He then targeted the inverted ‘V’ region by bringing out no-look flick over short fine leg twice off Soumya Sarkar – crouching a little and using his wrists and hands to do all the magic.
In total, Pant hit four fours and as many sixes, where he was right on the money against spinners and pacers. It’s something which will make Indian think-tank serious about slotting Pant into the playing eleven for the campaign opener against Ireland on June 5.
“As a batter, he’s got that ability to explore angles which a normal batter doesn’t. He gets into different positions and is so strong that he can connect with the ball to hit sixes – one-handed, off-balance, or while falling – you name it, he’s done it. He can bat at number three or four and can even be a finisher – a left-handed batter with so much power.
“When he is set and going, there’s no limit to what he can do; he’s very, very destructive. During the IPL, people were targeting his stumps as everyone knew he would hit shots through point or cover if someone bowls outside the off-stump to him. So, he was using that angle and it was not like, he’s leg-side dominant,” says Biju George, the Delhi Capitals’ fielding coach, in a conversation with IANS on Pant’s propensity to nail unorthodox shots with ease.
This year’s IPL marked Pant’s highly anticipated return to the cricket field after an absence of almost 15 months due to multiple injuries suffered in a life-threatening car accident in December 2022, including a right knee ligament reconstruction surgery performed in Mumbai.
George, a former India women’s fielding coach, kept a close eye on Pant’s recovery journey and finally had the chance to meet him during the Delhi Capitals’ pre-season camp in Visakhapatnam. George reckons Pant relishes every moment of his time on the field and is in his top self, especially fitness-wise.
“If you talk about just before that incident and now, he’s become much better. He’s leaner and fitter now. I first met him when he was around 19 or 20 at the NCA wicketkeepers’ camp. The shape and fitness levels he had at that time, now it can be said he’s at the same level, as also his skillset is supreme.
“His mind is very, very strong and very focused on what he has to do on the field. He has now realised how fragile life can be and is now enjoying every moment of it. At the ground, he is ready to give every bit of himself towards every ball. Plus, he’s so intense now while fielding, keeping and batting every ball.
Apart from amassing 446 runs in 13 games for DC in IPL 2024, Pant got back to wicketkeeping duties from the word go, an aspect where he showed huge fluency in his 11 catches and five stumpings. George acknowledged he was surprised when Pant took over as the wicketkeeper for DC’s campaign opener in Mullanpur in March.
“I was really surprised as I never thought he would get up and keep wickets during initial phases of the IPL. Probably, the plan on discussing with the trainer was to field at mid-off or mid-on, where there is not much lateral movement.
“Once he would get used to the load, he would start keeping, probably in second phase of the IPL. But I was surprised with the way he came good in keeping right from the first day, and his stumping of Jitesh Sharma at Mullanpur was amazing.
Pant became increasingly fluent in his skills as the season advanced, ultimately securing a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad. There were reports of him potentially being India’s vice-captain for the showpiece event, but it didn’t happen. George stated how he saw Pant developing as a leader for DC in IPL 2024.
“He’s literally one of the best cricketing minds you can come across. He’s always thinking about angles; where to put a fielder and who would be the best person at a particular fielding position. He’s also inspiring the bowlers, like he once said to someone like Ishant Sharma in a game, ‘no paaji, you are good enough’.
“He has got the best out of bowlers and is a captaincy material for sure. He’s always around the players, telling them that they have the abilities to execute as per the demand of the situation, like ‘come on, you can do it’. I call him one-man cheerleading arm,” said George.
George believes Pant will perform well in the T20 World Cup due to his quick adaptability. “In IPL 2024, I felt there were couple of pitches which was very much like American conditions. So, I feel he will adapt well to the conditions in USA for the T20 World Cup, as he’s shown his adaptive qualities previously, while succeeding at the Test level.
“He’s currently at his best now in terms of keeping. During IPL 2024, he would join for fielding drills, throw himself around and he would be enjoying himself there. In the World Cup, I feel he will win at least a few matches for India and really hope he lifts the trophy,” he said.
The clash against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on March 23 marked Pant’s return to competitive cricket action. The sight of him taking the field and pursuing his greatest love – of playing cricket again – reduced George to tears and left him feeling overwhelmed with emotion in the DC camp.
The long-awaited opportunity to represent India again after the accident might finally come for Pant on June 5 against Ireland, a moment which will generate unforgettable elation among the spectators in the stadium.
One would wish for Pant to continue from where he left off in the warm-up game against Bangladesh last Friday. “I really love this guy and nobody thought it (him returning to elite cricket) was possible, but that day (at Mullanpur), magic panned out. So many people can draw inspiration from him.
“People write you off, but from nowhere, you can come back to be at your best. You sometimes come across individuals who inspire people and when you are in a dark space, you draw light from those people and Rishabh is one of them,” concluded George.
–IANS
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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.
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).
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.
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
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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.
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.
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
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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.
“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.
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
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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.
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.
–IANS
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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,
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.
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.
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
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