Latest Updates on World Cricket

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Aakash Chopra has taken a cheeky dig toward former India captain Virat Kohli for his on-pitch antics that did not end up getting him banned.

Aakash Chopra took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his views on Virat Kohli's on-field behavior. The 38-year-old made this tweet in the context of IPL authorities stripping off 100% match fees and handing a one-match ban to KKR pacer Harshit Rana. The Delhi-based cricketer admitted to the level 1 breach and he will subsequently miss Kolkata's next match against Mumbai.

Did Aakash Chopra take a cryptic dig at Virat Kohli?

Earlier today, Aakash Chopra had initially asked followers on his X as to what was the true nature of Harshit Rana's offense that led to his ban. After getting a few responses, Chopra ended up taking a cryptic dig at Virat Kohli while referring to on-field abrasive behaviors.

A fan had written that Harshit Rana's gestures during the match against Delhi Capitals were not at all acceptable and that his aggression might impact his career. Rana belongs to Delhi, a state, that is known for producing flamboyant, at times over-expressive and aggressive cricketers.

In his response to the fan's comment, Aakash Chopra hinted towards taking a dig at Harshit Rana's senior statesman Virat Kohli, who is also famous for giving send-offs. Chopra claimed that if Rana's send-off to Abhishek Porel was offensive, then he knows a very well-known cricketer who would be handed match-bans in every other game.

In fact, in this IPL season, during RCB's clash against KKR earlier this season, Virat Kohli had looked in animated mode after he was given out on a full-toss delivery. Kohli felt that it was a no-ball but upon the 3rd umpire's decision, the former RCB captain chirped a few words to the on-field umpires and left the field in disgust.

He was also seen hitting a dustbin while on his way to the dressing room and that's what Aakash Chopra referenced in his reply.

If a send-off like that is enough for demerit points and amounts to Level-1 offence…I know a very popular cricketer who would get banned every alternate game.

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 1, 2024

Aakash Chopra refrained from namedropping but everyone knows as to which cricketer he is talking about. "If a send-off like that is enough for demerit points and amounts to Level-1 offense…I know a very popular cricketer who would get banned every alternate game." - Chopra replied.

What had happened that led to Harshit Rana's one-match ban?

Two days ago during Kolkata's reverse fixture against Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens, Harshit Rana fell under the spotlight for another infamous thing. After cleaning up the stumps of DC batter Abhishek Porel, Rana almost did the flying kiss celebration which he attempted against Mayank Agarwal, and ended up having 60% of his match fees stripped off.

Harshit Rana had almost given another flying kiss before tracking back and refraining himself. That is possibly the reason why Rana was charged 100% of his match fees and was banned for one game.

"Mr Harshit Rana, Bowler, Kolkata Knight Riders has been fined 100 percent of his match fees and suspended for one match for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Match 47. Rana committed a Level 1 offence under Article 2.5 of the IPL's Code of Conduct. He admitted to the offence and accepted the Match Referee’s sanction." - the statement on IPLT20.com read.

How did the fans react to Aakash Chopra's dig at Virat Kohli?

Fans below the tweet from Aakash Chopra have rallied in with hilarious comments. But the common thing about those replies was that everyone knew whom Chopra was targetting. Here are a few reactions:

We know who you talking about pic.twitter.com/QWR3E3jk5q

— Pandu Raju (@CSKianPaanduRaj) May 1, 2024

Just a pic of virat searching that popular cricketer pic.twitter.com/hTd2f5nheC

— ` (@bdrijalab) May 1, 2024

Direct naam le lo bhai Virat ka.darr kyun rahe ho

— Raghav Masoom (@comedibanda) May 1, 2024

 

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Former New Zealand and Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell McClenaghan feels that India's decision to have a spin-heavy bowling line-up might not be the best of decisions.

Mitchell McClenaghan's comments came in light of the Indian selection committee's 15-man squad announcement for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in June. The Men in Blue have included 4 spinners in their squad for the World Cup, owing to the slow conditions on offer in the USA and West Indies.

Why does Mitchell McClenaghan feel a spin-heavy attack will not be suitable?

Before getting to why Mitchell McClenaghan feels a spin-heavy bowling attack would be a bad idea, we must take a look at the spinners at their disposal. The selectors have picked up left-arm all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, who are quite identical to each other in terms of bowling. Other than them, the selectors have named wrist spinners - Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav
The finger-spin and wrist-spinning duo are different. Jadeja and Axar do not rely on spin that much as they mostly bowl the faster ones, ones that skid onto the batter and one that goes straight into the batter. So they might be spinners but they are capable of tricking the minds of a batsman with their variety in pace.
Yuzi Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav are two bowlers, who bowl it slow. Both of them fly the ball very well and also have a good leg-break as well as googly. And while the tracks in the West Indies might not favor spin that much, the nature of pitches in the USA - the other hosting nation is unknown as of now.
And Mitchell McClenaghan, in his explanation, highlighted that fact. The former Kiwi pacer claimed that the pitches in the USA are going to be drop-in pitches and not those orthodox surfaces we see in India. Drop-in pitches are those pitches that are made away from a particular venue and they get placed in the middle only before matches.
With India playing all of their group matches in those drop-in wickets, Mitchell McClenaghan feels that these many spinners won't help the team's cause. McClenaghan admitted that drop-in pitches rarely turn and they are more like Tennis ball pitches wherein the ball bounces off hard after pitching. Hence, seamers tend to get more help than spinners and that could be the in the USA as well.

"Because a lot of the wickets are going to be drop-in wickets, wouldn't have played on those surfaces. Generally drop-in wickets, we get a lot of them in New Zealand and generally they are Tennis-ball like and they don't take a lot of turn and they seam. So going in with a spin-heavy attack may not be one of the best options, but we just don't know. We just don't know what exactly the conditions are." - Mitchell McClenaghan said via ESPNcricinfo.

What is India's 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2024?

Team India's squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 includes Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj. Extras - Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan

 

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While Hardik Pandya has been selected in the India squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, his performance in the ongoing IPL 2024 will be a big concern for the Indian team management.

The India allrounder has struggled to make an impact with both bat and ball in the tournament. He found himself under immense pressure right from the start of the tournament as the fans targeted him constantly for replacing Rohit Sharma as the captain of the Mumbai Indians.

So far, he has failed to impress as a captain as well as an allrounder. Under his captaincy, Mumbai Indians are currently languishing at the ninth spot in the IPL 2024 points table and look set to miss out on the playoffs. The five-time champions have managed to win just three of their ten league games so far. Even if they go on to win their remaining four league games, they are unlikely to make it to the next round.

Hardik Pandya's performance in IPL 2024:

Hardik Pandya has struggled with both bat and ball this season. Critics have targeted him for his failure to make an impact as a finisher while also criticizing him for his poor bowling performances. In 10 games so far, Hardik Pandya has scored a modest 197 runs at an average of less than 22. With the ball, he has picked up six wickets while having an economy rate of almost 11.

Rohit Sharma blamed for Hardik Pandya's struggle:

As Hardik Pandya's struggle continues in IPL 2024, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has pinned the blame on Rohit Sharma for the same. Speaking after Mumbai Indians' defeat against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday (April 30), Ali stated that the team is struggling because of the way it handled the whole captaincy change episode.

Speaking further, Ali said that Rohit Sharma becoming the captain of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup has affected Hardik Pandya. The allrounder had led India in the T20Is last year and was seen by many as the captain for the World Cup as well. However, the selectors recalled Rohit to the T20I side earlier this year before naming him as the captain.

"Mumbai Indians lost another match, but I think the mindset has cost them. The way Pandya was made captain before the start of the season, plus Pandya's performance, has also not been up to the mark this year. These factors have contributed to MI's downfall," said Ali on his YouTube channel.

"After the culmination of the 50-over World Cup, Pandya thought he would be the T20 captain of India, and that is why he came to Mumbai. But when BCCI announced that Rohit Sharma will continue leading India, Pandya was probably confused. This is why his performance was affected. He has been very poor as a captain, and only Rohit Sharma can help him," Ali added.

 

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The countdown to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 has begun, with the cricket boards from the participating countries announcing their squads for the highly anticipated tournament set to take place in the USA and West Indies in June.

As the cricket world gears up for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, speculation is rife about which teams will make it to the semifinals and finals, and former England captain Michael Vaughan jumped to unveil his semifinalists for the global event.

Well, one of the most anticipated moments leading up to the tournament is the announcement of each participating team's squad, with the national selectors selecting their best players to represent their respective nations in the mega ICC event.

The T20 World Cup 2024 squad announcements sparked interest among the fans, former cricketers, and analysts, as they discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each team for the ICC event, which promises to thrill fans around the world.

Michael Vaughan predicts his semifinalists for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024

As the countdown continues for an exhilarating showdown, fans eagerly await the world's best talents in the shortest format of the game to entertain them on the global stage in the USA and the West Indies. Meanwhile, Michael Vaughan shared his prediction for the semi-finalists of the T20 World Cup 2024, with India notably absent from the probable top-4 contenders.

The former England captain believes that the defending champions England, 2021 edition’s winners Australia, South Africa, and two-time champions the West Indies will make it to the semifinals of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.

Interestingly, Vaughan left out India from his top four. The commentator made his prediction after the BCCI announced their primary 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024. There is no doubt that Team India has world-beaters in the batting department, and their spin attack also looked formidable for the upcoming tournament.

But India’s pace attack looks slightly weak, especially due to the injured Mohammad Shami’s absence, as they have named Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh in their fast-bowling department.

Here's India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad

India’s squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 announced

Let's get ready to cheer for #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/jIxsYeJkYW

— BCCI (@BCCI) April 30, 2024

This attack has been leveled weak by many former cricketers, and Vaughan might also think the same, and that’s why he didn’t pick India as one of his semifinalists for the T20 World Cup.

However, Team India is one of the strongest teams going into the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, so Vaughan’s decision to leave out the Men in Blue from his prediction is quite surprising for the fans, who are now trolling the Englishman for his predictions on social media.

Michael Vaughan wrote on the microblogging site X: “My 4 Semi-finalists for the T20 WC … England, Australia, South Africa and the West Indies … #T20WC2024.”

My 4 Semi finalists for the T20 WC … England,Austrlalia,South Africa and the West Indies .. #T20WC2024

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 1, 2024

Notably, India's journey in the T20 World Cup 2024 kicks off with a match against Ireland on June 5, and then they will face their arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-stakes showdown on June 9 in New York.

 

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Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts on India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA in June. Sunil Gavaskar stated that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer Thangarasu Natarajan could have been included in the team for the ICC tournament.

The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, finalized India's 15-member squad for the global T20 tournament on Tuesday, April 30. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj were selected as the specialist seamers, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya serving as the fourth pacer in the squad.

Natarajan made his T20I debut for India during the 2020-21 tour of Australia. He took three wickets, including Glenn Maxwell, in his first T20I. The left arm pacer recorded 2-20 in the second T20I and 1-33 in the final game of the series. However, he hasn't played any T20Is for India since March 2021.

Natarajan has secured 13 wickets in seven games for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2024 season with an economy rate of 9. Mohammed Siraj has claimed six wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 9.50. Arshdeep has taken 12 wickets in nine matches with an economy rate of 9.64.

T Natarajan Could Have Been In The Team - Sunil Gavaskar

Speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar stated that T Natarajan deserved a place in the T20 World Cup squad due to his exceptional bowling performance. However, Gavaskar acknowledged the experience of the selected seam bowlers in the squad.

"I was thinking more like T Natarajan, the left-arm pacer bowler. He has been bowling extremely well. So, I thought maybe he could have been in the team. But that's okay. I think the seam bowlers that they have got, they all have experience. So no problem with that," Sunil Gavaskar said.

Hardik Pandya To Bowl As The Fourth Seam Bowler - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar stated that Hardik Pandya's role as a fourth seam bowler could be a reason selectors have picked four spinners in the squad. Gavaskar highlighted that pitches in the West Indies might favor spinners more, stating that slower deliveries have troubled batters.

"Well, there is Hardik Pandya to bowl as well as the fourth seam bowler, so maybe that's the reason they've (selectors) gone with four spin bowlers. The pitches in the West Indies... there'll be a little more help for the spinners than for the quick bowlers. As we have seen in the IPL, the slower the deliveries, the harder it is for the batters to hit and that's perhaps the reason why they have gone with extra spinner," Gavaskar added.

Gavaskar concluded by stating that changes in attitude and approach could lead to success in the T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma's leadership. The legendary cricketer drew parallels with the improvements seen in the 50-over format, where India reached the final without losing a match.

Also read: CSK vs PBKS: Ruturaj Gaikwad frustrated at his luck, stoops to a new low to win the coin toss

 

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While Shivam Dube's selection in the India team for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 has surprised many, the all-rounder himself knew that he would find a place in the team.

The Mumbai star did have a "lot of butterflies" and "sleepless nights" before the squad was announced but he was well aware of the team management's faith in him. Shivam Dube managed to turn things around in the T20s by performing well in last year's IPL. He played a key role in Chennai Super Kings' record-equaling fifth IPL title.

The left-hander impressed one and all with his hard-hitting skills, especially against the spinners. He scored 176.47 against the spinners and hit them for 22 sixes. No other batter managed to hit more sixes than him against the spinners in IPL 2023.

Those stellar performances earned him a recall from the Indian team three years after he made his T20I debut. He finally justified his selection in the Indian team in January this year by scoring two impressive unbeaten half-centuries against Afghanistan. He was adjudged the Player of the Series for his performances in the three-match series.

Shivam Dube reveals Rohit Sharma's message:

After being selected in the India squad for the T20 World Cup, Shivam Dube revealed how captain Rohit Sharma's message during the series against Afghanistan earlier this year made him confident about his place in the team.

"When I got picked for the Afghanistan series, Rohit [Sharma, captain] bhai told me I will [get a chance to] bowl and bat too," Dube said in a chat with bcci.tv.

"He said, 'just show us what you can do.' If the captain comes up and tells you we want to see you do this, you just express yourself. I felt 'I'm now playing', so my only thought was how can I perform and make the team win," he added.

Shivam Dube on his role for CSK:

Shivam Dube managed to turn things around in T20s only after joining Chennai Super Kings. While there was no doubt about his hard-hitting abilities before he joined CSK, he did lack consistency. However, he has been performing consistently for CSK and has been rewarded with a World Cup spot.

Even in the ongoing season, he is CSK's second-highest run-scorer behind captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. He has scored 350 runs in nine games with the help of three half-centuries. Dube has hit 26 sixes so far and only Heinrich Klaasen (28) and Abhishek Sharma (27) have hit more sixes than him.

"When I came into the CSK setup, Mahi [MS Dhoni] bhai and [Stephen] Fleming told me that you have to hit. But they've never said it has to be from the first ball," Dube said. "Even they know doing that can be risky. It was at the back of my mind that if they have the faith in me, why should I take undue risks in my first 10 balls?

"That plan was, yes, I'm hitting [big] now, but how can I do it right through? Mentally, I prepared myself to see what my approach should be if a bowler bowls a particular ball. It took some time for me to apply this, but I'm set now. I watch the ball really well, and as it hits the bat, I get the feel that it's gone, it's done, it'll go for six and go long. Special thanks to CSK. They brought me up their way and it has worked for me," he added.

 

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Indian captain Rohit Sharma and veteran LSG leg-spinner Amit Mishra were involved in a healthy banter with each other on the context of the latter's age.

Rohit Sharma and Amit Mishra were India's teammates during the leg-spinner's playing days. Both of them share a very good relationship and that was evident during their conversation last night. It happened after the Lucknow Super Giants handed a 4-wicket defeat to the Mumbai Indians to crash the 5-time champions' hopes to qualify for the playoffs.

Rohit Sharma disagrees when Amit Mishra says he is 41-years-old

Their conversation revolved around the age of Amit Mishra. Rohit Sharma had asked Mishra as to how old has he turned. To that Mishra stated that he is 40-41 years of age but Rohit was not ready to believe it. He quickly clapped back at the former leg-spinner that he cannot be 40 years old and cannot be just 3 years older than him.

Amit Mishra then cracked a laugh in thinking about what should he do to make Rohit Sharma believe that he is 41. Rohit was in his typical Mumbaikar style and Amit could not help but laugh at his remarks. Every bit of their brief conversation was just precious.

"What 40? You're 3 years older than me? - Rohit asked. "I'm 41. See it man. " - Amit Mishra replied. "Arey yaar (come on man). You made your debut when we were in nappies." - Rohit followed up. "Is it my fault as well?" - Mishra asked. "You debuted when you were 20?" "Yes, 20-21".

That ”Arre yaar” felt personal pic.twitter.com/oZ9nsYZao7

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 1, 2024

The video was uploaded on Lucknow's official Instagram handle and fans below that post have rallied on with various comments. One fan wrote, "Just Rohit being Rohit", and another fan wrote "Aap 3 Saal Bade Ho Isliye " Garden Me Gumne" De Raha Huu".

There was another fan who argued that we as cricket fans must give more credit to bowlers. "Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, and many other bowlers deserve more love & respect from fans! Fans do quite a lot for batters but when it comes to bowlers, they don't do anything."

Lucknow knockout Mumbai from IPL 2024

Meanwhile, before Amit Mishra and Rohit Sharma got into the conversation, the Lucknow Super Giants had knocked the Mumbai Indians out of IPL 2024. After witnessing so many 250+ battles in IPL so far, we witnessed a low-scoring thriller at the Ekana stadium.

Mumbai had posted 144 runs on the board after losing the toss and batting first. The surface was quite difficult to bat and it was proved after Rohit Sharma got out for 4 off 5 balls. Surykumar Yadav could not work his magic either as he left the crease for 10 off 6 with Tilak Varma getting run out for 7 off 11.

Things went from bad to worse for MI skipper Hardik Pandya as he registered a golden duck in. Nehal Wadhera and Tim David's efforts of 46 and 35 respectively helped the team post 145 as the target.

In response, KL Rahul scored 28 off 22 with his new partner Arshin Kulkarni registering the match's second golden duck. Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis delivered another match-winning performance as he scored 62 off 45. Deepak Hooda scored a ball 18 while Nicholas Pooran finished off the match with another run-a-ball 14

 

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be taking on each other in the 49th game of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024). The CSK vs PBKS match will be taking place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Both the teams will be high on confidence after registering an impressive win in their last outing. CSK ended their two-match losing streak with a thumping 78-run victory over high-scoring Sunrisers Hyderabad. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad's impressive 98-run knock powered CSK to 212/3 before they bowled out the Hyderabad-based outfit for just 134 runs.

Also Read: CSK vs PBKS Dream11 Prediction Today Match, Dream11 Team Today, Fantasy Cricket Tips, Playing XI, Pitch Report, Injury Update- IPL 2024, Match 49

With 5 wins and 4 defeats, CSK are currently at the fourth spot in the IPL 2024 points table and will be eyeing another win tonight to bolster their playoff chances. On the other hand, PBKS revived their playoff chances with a historic win over Kolkata Knight Riders in their last game.

The Sam Curran-led side ended its four-match losing run most stunningly. PBKS pulled off the highest-ever chase in T20s as they gunned down 262 runs in just 18.4 overs while losing only two wickets. With three wins from nine games, PBKS are currently at the eighth spot in the points table and will be desperate for a win tonight to stay on course for a playoff spot for the first time since 2014.

CSK vs PBKS: Impact players

PBKS won the toss and opted to bowl first. Speaking at the toss, PBKS captain Sam Curran said: "We'll bowl first. Looks like a good surface, new wicket and we're excited after that last match. An amazing stadium and an amazing crowd, we'll have to start well and take early wickets. We'll take the confidence from that chase of 261. It's just about fight and determination, they're a good team, but we need to be brave. Same team for us."

CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaiwkad said: "We would have fielded first, but we weren't exactly sure. Always tough defending here with a lot of dew, but the fact that we won by 78 runs shows a lot about the team, but we'll be missing out Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande today. We'll have to get there early and make a good score. Every game is important. Pathirana has a slight niggle, Deshpande isn't well, so we've Shardul and Richard Gleeson makes his debut."

Impact players nominated by CSK and PBKS:

CSK: Sameer Rizvi, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Shaik Rasheed, Prashant Solanki

PBKS: Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Rishi Dhawan, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Harpreet Singh Bhatia

Playing XIs:

CSK:

Ajinkya Rahane, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Daryl Mitchell, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Richard Gleeson, Mustafizur Rahman

PBKS:

Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran(c), Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma(w), Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

 

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Scotland is all set to fine-tune their skills for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 with a T20I tri-series involving the Netherlands and Ireland. This tri-series is scheduled to take place in Amstelveen, Netherlands, from May 18 to May 24.

The upcoming T20I tri-series will serve as a perfect opportunity for the Netherlands, Scotland, and Ireland to fine-tune their squads and strategies for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which is set to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the USA from June 1.

On Wednesday, May 1, Cricket Scotland announced a 14-member squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against the Netherlands and Ireland. Richie Berrington will lead Scotland in the crucial series.

Cricket Scotland announces squad for the T20I tri-series

With all three participating teams set to feature in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, teams have until May 25 to make any adjustments to their squads, and this series will present them with an ideal opportunity to test their teams.

The Scotland squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series featured almost all those players who played in the recent T20I series against the UAE, with only two changes made by Cricket Scotland. Andrew Umeed, who was part of the T20I squad for the UAE series, was not picked for the T20I tri-series due to an injury that he sustained during the last series.

Well, the promising 19-year-old batter Charlie Tear has been named in the Scotland squad as Umeed’s replacement. Tear had made his international debut in March against the UAE. Another notable omission is spinner James Dickinson, who made his debut against the UAE but featured in only one match.

Notably, after losing the first game, Scotland made a strong comeback and won the T20I series by a 2-1 margin against the UAE, and they would like to continue their form in the upcoming T20I tri-series against the Netherlands and Ireland.

Here’s Scotland's squad for the T20I Tri-series against the Netherlands and Ireland:

Richie Berrington (c), Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Chris Greaves, Oli Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Leask, Gavin Main, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt.

Here’s the schedule for the T20I Tri-series

18 May - Scotland vs Netherlands

19 May - Ireland vs Netherlands

20 May - Scotland vs Ireland

22 May - Scotland vs Netherlands

23 May - Scotland vs Ireland

24 May - Ireland vs Netherlands

We're delighted to unveil our Scotland Men's squad for the upcoming T20I Tri-Series against the Netherlands and Ireland #FollowScotland

— Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) May 1, 2024

Notably, Scotland will begin their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a match against England on June 4, and then they will face Namibia, Oman, and Australia in the tournament. However, Scotland has not yet announced the primary squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024.

On the other hand, the defending champions, England, Australia, India, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and India, have unveiled their 15-member squad for the upcoming showpiece event in the USA and West Indies. The ICC had set the deadline for all the participating teams to announce their primary squad for the tournament by May 1, 2024.

 

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The talented and explosive batter Rinku Singh didn’t find a place in India’s preliminary 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, which will be held in the USA and West Indies.

Despite his stellar performance for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing IPL 2024 and consistent performances with the bat since his T20I debut for India, Rinku was not named in the preliminary 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.

Rinku’s exclusion from India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad surprised many fans and cricket experts. Ever since the BCCI made the announcement, former cricketers and fans have been expressing their anger on social media platforms, criticizing the national selectors for the unfair call.

Rinku Singh has impressive stats with India in T20Is

However, the left-handed batter was named among the reserves alongside Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Notably, the 26-year-old has so far represented India in 15 T20Is and amassed 356 runs, with the highest score of 69 at a strike rate of 176.24 and an average of 89.0.

He has 123 runs to his name at a strike rate of 150 in this IPL season. Meanwhile, Rinku's father, Khanchandra Singh, expressed his disappointment over his son's omission from the T20 World Cup 2024 squad.

He also revealed that they had purchased firecrackers and sweets, hoping that Rinku would get a place in India’s preliminary squad for the mega ICC event.

We had got sweets and firecrackers: Rinku Singh's father

Rinku's father Khanchandra Singh was quoted as saying by Bharat 24: “There were a lot of hopes, but there were disappointments as well. We had got sweets and firecrackers with the hope that he would feature in the playing XI. Still, we are very happy.”

Rinku's father further revealed that the KKR star was left just heartbroken after not finding his name in the squad. He broke this news to his mother and told them he would travel with the Indian team.

He added, “Yes, he was upset. Uska Dil Tuta Hain. He called his mother and broke the news, he was heartbroken. However, it is not like his heart has been broken. He was telling to his mother that he would be going with the team, but has not featured in the 15-member squad.”

His father's voice says it all @BCCI successsfully dissolved another young boy's dream of Playing #T20WorldCup24 he had to be selected on merit! https://t.co/7crozwgbff Feel for #RinkuSingh @ImRo45 @imAagarkar not done right He was very deserving than out of form Hardik ,Jaddu

— Aman Kr (@AmanKr782021303) May 1, 2024

Notably, Indian selectors picked Shivam Dube, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder, ahead of Rinku for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. However, fans felt Rinku would have been a great choice for the Men in Blue given his ability to go after the bowlers from the start, but the Indian selectors went after Dube’s bowling expertise.

Rinku lost the race to Dube’s all-round abilities. He will be next seen in action in the 51st game of the ongoing IPL 2024 between KKR and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 3. KKR is currently ranked second in the IPL 2024 points table with 12 points from 9 games in the tournament so far.

Here’s India’s squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024:

Rohit Sharma (c), Yashashvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav. Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal. Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj. Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rimku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan