All posts tagged: ICC T20 World Cup 2024

Team India to be offered mixed-soil pitch for final against New Zealand, to avoid past World Cup disasters from Ahmedabad

Team India to be offered mixed-soil pitch for final against New Zealand, to avoid past World Cup disasters from Ahmedabad

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3 min readAhmedabadUpdated: Mar 6, 2026 10:33 PM IST Taking a cue from its past two setbacks where the Indian team lost two big-ticket games in a World Cup at Ahmedabad, the Indian team will be offered a mixed-soil pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium for their ICC T20 World Cup final game against New Zealand. The Indian Express understands that this particular track is a mixed soil pitch but with more of red soil in it, than black. Higher percentage of red soil helps the ball come easy onto the bat in both innings, and also offers good bounce. It will be the same pitch where South Africa played Canada in their league game and scored 213 for 5 while Canada ended up their innings on 156/8. The reason for choosing this wicket which has a higher red soil content than black, is India’s past history of losing two important games. India lost to Australia in the 50 overs 2023 World Cup final on a pitch that was played on black soil, which tends …

Rohit Sharma Captains ICC Men’s T20I Team Of The Year 2024, 4 Indians Make The Cut. Full List

Rohit Sharma Captains ICC Men’s T20I Team Of The Year 2024, 4 Indians Make The Cut. Full List

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Rohit Sharma was elected as the captain of the ICC T20I Team of the Year for 2024, after leading India to a second T20 World Cup title in the year. Despite poor form in Test cricket, Rohit won his first piece of ICC silverware as India captain, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament as well. Three other Indians featured in the ICC XI, in the form of pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh and all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Bumrah was adjudged the Player of the Tournament of the T20 World Cup 2024. Travis Head was selected to open alongside Rohit Sharma, while Phil Salt was also included in the XI, as the No. 3 batter. Head amassed 255 runs in seven games at the T20 World Cup, finishing as the third-highest run-scorer. The Australian had a superb 2024, and also made his mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Phil Salt hit three T20I centuries in 2024, and found a spot in the ICC XI. Nicholas Pooran was the highest run-scorer across …

“Even I Was Questioning…”: MS Dhoni’s First Reaction On Rohit Sharma-Led India’s Nervy T20 World Cup Final Win

“Even I Was Questioning…”: MS Dhoni’s First Reaction On Rohit Sharma-Led India’s Nervy T20 World Cup Final Win

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File photo of MS Dhoni© AFP MS Dhoni knows what it takes to win. When he was the captain of the Indian cricket team, the side was one of the most successful phases in its history. Under him India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. The Indian cricket team also attained the world No. 1 ranking under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. After the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph, India had to wait for 11 years their next ICC title. Rohit Sharma-led India cricket team ended the drought at the 2024 T20 World Cup with a win over South Africa in the final.  The final was a tense affair after India set South Africa a target of 177 with Virat Kohli (76) top-scoring. In reply, South Africa were cruising at one stage. They needed 26 off 24 balls at one stage with six wickets remaining. Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller were at the crease and it looked like India were going to be left high and dry. …

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli In Focus As India Look To End Title Drought

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Skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will look to end India’s global title drought as the star duo step out for what is likely to be their final World Cup appearance. Rohit, 37, and Kohli, 35, have long been the twin torchbearers for the hopes of their cricket-mad nation, which last saw a major title triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy. India made the final of last year’s ODI World Cup at home but lost to Australia in front of a crestfallen packed house at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. The T20 World Cup, starting June 1 in the West Indies and United States, may be the last chance both men have to hoist a trophy from one of the showpiece white-ball tournaments. “Rohit Sharma knows he isn’t going to play for too long now. Just two to three years more. Same with Virat Kohli,” former India batsman Mohammad Kaif said on Star Sports. “So this is the last chance for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.  “They lost the World Cup …

‘Dream Come True’ As Uganda Prepare For First Cricket World Cup

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On a sunny morning at the main cricket oval in Kampala, members of the Ugandan national men’s team are being put through their paces by their new head coach. The Cricket Cranes — clad in their vivid red kit — are training hard for their first ever T20 World Cup, a “dream come true” in a nation where cricket is overshadowed by football as the most popular sport. But they have a tough road ahead in the tournament, which is being jointly hosted by the United States and West Indies and runs from June 1 to June 29. Among their opponents are New Zealand and West Indies, as well as Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea, with the fixtures being held in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Time is not on their side — it was barely a month ago that the Uganda Cricket Association named Indian former first-class cricketer Abhay Sharma as the new head coach of the men’s national team. “Mostly we don’t have time to relax. It’s going to be high …

Amid Divorce Rumours, Hardik Pandya Provides Massive Update On Social Media

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Hardik Pandya during the Indian cricket team practice session© X (formerly Twitter) Indian cricket team all-rounder Hardik Pandya found himself in the news recently with multiple rumours about a divorce with his wife Natasa Stankovic. Speculations intensified as Hardik was not among the first batch of Indian cricket team stars who flew to New York ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 and some reports claimed that he was holidaying at an undisclosed overseas location. While both Hardik and Natasa have not said anything about the divorce rumours, the all-rounder took to social media to provide a big update. Hardik shared pictures from the Indian cricket team practice to show that he has joined the team ahead of the tournament along with the caption – “On national duty”. Hardik had a disappointing IPL 2024 season – both as a player and captain. The all-rounder was appointed Mumbai Indians captain ahead of the season and it ended the ten-year tenure of Rohit Sharma – a decision which was not received well by a part …

“Could Not Get Selected Due To…”: Rinku Singh Breaks Silence On T20 World Cup Snub

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File photo of Rinku Singh© X (formerly Twitter) The decision taken by Indian cricket team selectors to exclude Rinku Singh from the T20 World Cup 2024 squad led to a lot of criticism from both fans and experts. The BCCI decided to go with Shivam Dube and Axar Patel as all-rounder options but it led to Rinku getting a place in the reserves. It was a bad IPL campaign for Rinku as he did not get many chances to bat and ended up scoring just 168 runs. However, KKR went on to win the competition and Rinku has now broken his silence over the T20 World Cup snub. In a recent interview, Rinku said that the decision to not include him the squad was due to the team composition and even revealed the conversation he had with skipper Rohit Sharma about the decision. “Yes, anyone feels a little bad if he is not selected despite good performance. However, this time I could not get selected due to the team combination. It is okay, …

“Definitely India”: Ex-Pakistan Star Predicts His Side Will Bite The Dust In T20 World Cup Clash

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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Kamran Akmal backed India to emerge victorious in the clash between two teams at the upcoming T20 World Cup. The two Asian Giants will write a new chapter in their rivalry in the upcoming edition of the marquee event. The tournament will begin on June 1, with the USA and the West Indies serving as the hosts. On June 9, India and Pakistan will step into New York’s Nassau County Cricket Stadium to play the highly anticipated clash in front of 35,000 fans. During a Q&A session on Instagram, Akmal was asked about his prediction for the star-studded clash, to which he replied, “Definitely India.” When India and Pakistan appear on the same field at the same time, there is always a different buzz associated with the match, with fans investing their emotions to support their team. This time, in one of the biggest rivalries in cricket, the atmosphere will certainly be different after India defied the odds to stand victorious in the previous edition of the tournament against …

Gautam Gambhir As India Coach “Done Deal, Announcement Soon”? Report Claims ‘High-Profile IPL Team Owner’ Said This

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KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir with co-owner Shah Rukh Khan.© Twitter Is Gautam Gambhir the next Indian cricket team head coach? That seems to be the strongest rumour that is doing the rounds since the IPL 2024 ended. Under Gambhir’s mentorship, Kolkata Knight Riders won the title in style. Before 2024, Gambhir was the mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants. The KL Rahul-led side entered the IPL play-offs for two consecutive seasons under Gambhir. Now, it seems that Gambhir’s name is being thought about as the next Indian cricket team coach.  The official deadline for application submission for the post of Indian cricket team coach selection is over. Monday was the last date to submit the google sheets to be the next India coach. A report in Cricbuzz gave details of what might be happening in the background. It claimed that a “very high-profile owner of an IPL franchise, who is very close to the BCCI top brass” told the publication that former India star’s appointment as Indian cricket team coach is a “done deal and …

“Desh Ke Liye”: Inside Details Of Jay Shah-Gautam Gambhir Conversation On India Coach Selection – Report

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BCCI secretary Jay Shah with KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir© Twitter The official deadline for application submission for the post of Indian cricket team coach selection is over. Monday was the last date to submit the google sheets. Several top names, most of whom are associated with IPL teams, like Gautam Gambhir, Stephen Fleming, Rocky Ponting, Justin Langer were doing the rounds when the news first came out that the BCCI were looking for a successor to Rahul Dravid as the Indian cricket team coach. However, most of the foreign names publicly announced that they would not be applying for the team.  In fact, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said that no Australian was approached for the coaching role. he also said that BCCI would appoint someone who knows the domestic structure inside out. After this statement, the general consensus was that he was indicating towards an Indian coach for the Indian cricket team. Hence, National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman and IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir became the highly discussed names.  …