What's Up Cricket

En route to the WTC final, England lost to India to fail to progress to the final. However, since then, it has not been practically what a member of the three giants should be. They have lost the spark, the resilience, and the ability to put in the extra effort to get to the right side of the finish line. All of this and the loss of the Ashes Cup, there was a change in the coach-captain roles and the rest, as they say, is history. Although the same mistakes were repeated by the older fellows, the newbies and Root, of course, pulled it off and showed why a blank canvas was demanded by Stokes instead of a reset. Both the teams provided an exciting clash but let us see what each player has, to take back. Not the Best of Starts for New Zealand It is not a good omen if your openers score a total of 17 runs in both innings combined, a fate NZ had to suffer. All 4 dismissals came behind the wicket, disallowing any of them from being exempted from the misjudgment category. That all the dismiss...

CSK 2021 IN A NUTSHELL From 2018 - 2021, have been 4 years of roller coaster rides for the mighty Kings. Finally, they said they had had enough of it and threw the kitchen sink at this shot. It had to be now or never for MS Dhoni's future as captain as well as player. After being crowned the winners in 2018 (courtesy a Shane Watson century), the runners up by just a single run in 2019 (courtesy a Lasith Malinga special last ball wicket) and having the worst of the seasons in 2021 (courtesy lack of game time for the seniors), they started for the first time as second to the favourites Mumbai Indians. Losing the first game to Delhi did not help their cause and probably neither did the over rate. But, they did it again, came back and hit harder, snatching a huge victory against Punjab Kings. And, from then on, they never stopped- crunching Rajasthan, dumping Bangalore but the time when people thought it was again going to sink, was the match against MI. However, they continued their d...

 A lot was on offer and on stake on the 24th of October, 2021. But, it was the men in green who collected all credits to offer themselves a moment of pristine glory and do what senior greats like Misbah-ul-Haq could not do. Yes, Pakistan vs India has been a contest of high standards, sensitivity and emotions. The day finally came and Pakistan ended their unbeaten streak against them in T20 World Cups. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Mohd Rizwan outdid the whole of the Indian contingent to secure a thrashing 10 wicket victory. It did not go well for India and let us talk about the match in phases. Shaheen Shines The young speedster, Shaheen Afridi, was the key player for Pakistan before the match and he proved why. In a match of different hearts but one origin, Shaheen was also the man of the match. He did not need a second invitation and sent back Rohit Sharma in his first over for a golden duck. In his next over, he cleaned up KL Rahul in the corridor. He obtained pace and swi...

You think of  rampage and the first thing that comes to your mind is the West Indies cricket team. The defending champions are back again but without their "defending champion".- the one who stepped on the gas to take them home last time, nevertheless it is still a team of solidity and others are no less. The ongoing CPL has been a very good match practice for them. Pollard, Holder, Pooran et all proved they were in form for selection. With Chris Gayle back in the team, in  potentially doubtfully his last T20 World Cup, they look an aggressive pack but let us see who are the ones to watch out for and what all the players have in store. Kieron Pollard Kieron Pollard is a name every West Indian cricket fan has on his/her tips. The carnage that the right handed batting allrounder can cause is beyond unimaginable. The fact that he hits bowlers out of the park with minimal footwork and planning is an example of his sheer power and timing he has. An average of 28.60 but a strike r...

The current ODI champions, England are one to follow in the shorter formats of the game. They have all, big power hitters, anchors to chase, fastest bowlers and many, who can make swing a factor. An excellent captain in Eoin Morgan is present with the team who has a good record in the role. However, the absence of their leading allrounder (Ben Stokes) and their main death and introducing bowler (Jofra Archer) might haunt them and hurt their chances of winning. All in all, they are very strong contenders of the title. Let us look at what they bring to us. Eoin Morgan It is no surprise that Eoin Morgan would be leading the English lions to hunt for the world T20 title which they agonizingly failed to clinch due to some last over exploits by Carlos Brathwaite. The right hander has continuously been impressing in this format of the game. His numbers tell that all. Having amassed 2360 runs from 107 matches, he plays at a commendable strike rate of 138.27- good for a top order batter like hi...

Newspapers, televisions, social media are filled of only one news- Virat Kohli steps down from T20i captaincy (not before T20 World Cup 2021). Yes, the heartbreak to Kohli fans is a huge one. This might be due to pressure from media or due to his performance with the bat or his inability to score a century that has got the better him. However, now, this is not the crisis as of now at least. What about the future of Indian cricket in T20i's. This is a very sensitive turn that this move has brought Indian cricket fans to.  First, what does a captain need to have? 1. IPL Trophies  Leading by example performances 2. Playing unselfishly according to what the condition requires 3. Trust in players 4. Good fielding 5. Energy on and off the field 6. Hunger to win matches Who will take over the reins from King Kohli and, the question is, does anybody have the potential to be called the run machine as captain? Who will fill these oversized shoes? A few options are discussed below- 1. Ro...

  The Big Picture Ben Stokes once said, "Test cricket is at its pinnacle." And, no wonder it is. The recently concluded  fourth test between India and England  reveals why the integrity and nature of the longest format of the game hasn't changed through generations. So, it went this way.  India were bundled out for a mere 124 runs . Wait! What did Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav just make of it? A surprise knock from Shardul Thakur of 36-ball 57 ( also, the fastest test 50 in England ) lifted India to a respectable total of 191 runs. When even the best and most experienced batters were not able to cross the 15-run mark, fifties from Virat Kohli and Shardul Thakur boosted India. It was supposed to be a comeback with the bat from the team after  a dismal outing in the third test . But, it did not happen. Before the first day was over, India was all out and Chris Woakes starring with 4 wickets. Now, after the bowlers had done their job, it was upon the batters to ta...

Australia's T20 World Cup 2021 Squad One of the oldest of the big three and one of the most dominant team in world cricket not only at the moment but also since cricket commenced, Australia are not although one of the favourites in the T20 format of the game as a team but they have the potential and the players to bash any bowler and run through any batting lineup on their day. There have been doubts on the team reaching the finals due to players who are excellent in the longer formats who are not currently performing in T20i's. Their recent poor form has also placed doubts upon the team when they lost easy chases to Bangladesh. However, there has been a thing to notice that their best players are multi-format players and have taken a break to gear up for a long summer including IPL (although some players have opted not to play), the T20 world cup, Afghanistan test and the Ashes series. Let us analyse what part every player performs in the squad. Aaron Finch The bubblegum man i...

The Big Picture You are bowling in the scorching heat of England since morning. The players are well-set overnight. You get wickets but the sun overhead boils you from the inside. Suddenly, you fight back to win the game by more than an innings. Then, the heat, the sun and the sweat does not matter.  From a win at the prestigious ground of Lord's, India slumped straight to a shocking 78 all out. The English side fought back and it proved why they were one of the big 3. Meanwhile, with Haseeb Hameed's comeback, it was quite disappointing as a Dom Sibley fan as he turned out to be the difference between England collapsing as a team and 435 all out. After England made a number of changes to their team, they probably hit the bullseye to level the series. However, even this result seemed to be in danger. But, the pace battery turned all heads around and it is even more sure that history (2014) might have a say in the outcome this time. India never had grip for even a single session ...

New Zealand's T20 World Cup 2021 Squad        New Zealand a fast-emerging team in the cricket world. After the big three, it is New Zealand who has been dominating internationally. It is the best test and ODI team of the world and is placed third in the T20 format. The captain Kane Williamson has led by example. To say the least, New Zealand has pulled off many miracles and will be strong contenders for the title this year, if not favorites. Let us analyse what part every player performs in the squad. Kane Williamson The captain of the team, Kane Williamson, is not one of the greatest in this format but has proved his mettle by playing according to situations. He is a very versatile player and can play in any of the top 4 slots for his team. The right-handed batter is currently 36th in the batting rankings but the world cup will be his chance to prove that he is undermined. His excellent leadership skills and ability to make wise decisions has also come of good use (...

The Big Picture Imagine you are asked to take 10 wickets in 60 overs against against a side which is blocking and blocking and blocking. This is impractical but not impossible and, in cricket, the impractical is what happens most of the times. That is what the Indian side would have thought before thumping one of the greatest test teams to secure a historic win at the mecca of cricket. England lost in all the three departments owing to dropped catches, incorrect selection of shots and lack of concentration. India, on the other hand, have got almost all bases covered and have little to worry about. However, they cannot sit content. They will be looking to clear the minor problems to avoid in being in the same nail biting situations (which they have passed enough) and get a grip a bit early in the match. Both, India and England had fair lot of luck on their sides. It must not come as a surprise to us that Virat Kohli lost the toss and the side from the continent were given the bats in th...