What's Up Cricket

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...

Since the inauguration of the Indian Premier League in 2008, there has been a steep rise in the quality bench strength, the credit of which, also goes to Rahul Dravid, who has been training junior players to achieve more than what the current Indian team has already achieved.  There have been lots of debates regarding the bowling attack, India should continue with and no one, even the greatest spinner of the world, Ravichandran Ashwin, can be assured that his spot is a fixed one. An example of this has already been seen in the first test  of India tour of England 2021.  There have been discussions whether India should back the same attack always or go on with a rotation policy but the latest experiment was trying to play bowlers on the basis of conditions, something the best teams of the world (England and Australia) have been doing since a long time. However, the good thing in that India got quite good amount of success while doing so. They went in with 4 seamers and all...