All posts tagged: ODI Cricket

Former opener says Gill-Rohit partnership is ‘Greatest pair in ODI cricket’

Former opener says Gill-Rohit partnership is ‘Greatest pair in ODI cricket’

Published by Parlour News

2 min readJun 12, 2026 02:34 PM IST Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma have dovetailed pretty well at the top of the order. While Rohit has been more aggressive with his batting, Gill played the second fiddle in the initial overs but went on to make consistent scores and anchor the middle overs, becoming a reliable batter. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra lauded the pairing. “Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma’s opening partnership, it is right now the greatest pair in ODI cricket. We are talking about more than 2,000 runs. I am looking at the average. Theirs is 63.8, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy had an average of 58.4, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes had an average of 52.6, and Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar had an average of 49.3,” the former India opener said. “They have scored 2,360 runs, and have 14 fifty-plus stands and seven century partnerships. So, this is the modern-day best opening combination in terms of the average. That actually is a good story,” he added. “Rohit Sharma is only six …

‘One-format’ Virat Kohli will find IPL 2026 a ‘little different’, says former India pacer

‘One-format’ Virat Kohli will find IPL 2026 a ‘little different’, says former India pacer

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 18, 2026 06:12 PM IST As Virat Kohli gears up for his first Indian Premier League (IPL) season while featuring only as a one-format India cricketer, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter could face a fresh challenge to find his rhythm, reckoned former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan. Kohli dropped a bombshell Test retirement announcement mid-way through the IPL 2025 season in May last year before shining during RCB’s triumphant run soon after. Kohli topped the batting charts for RCB in the season, aggregating 657 runs in 15 innings with eight fifties. However, with his playing time limited Kohli would find it tricky to find his aggressive suits, said Pathan. “This time, things will be a little different for Kohli. For the first time, he will play the IPL having completely retired from Test cricket. He is playing only one format. It is not easy for anyone. But he has scored and his performance has been brilliant. Even when he comes after a break, it has not been difficult for him in one-day cricket. …

Former opener rules out all-format captain for India after T20 World Cup win

Former opener rules out all-format captain for India after T20 World Cup win

Published by Webster

2 min readUpdated: Mar 11, 2026 02:26 PM IST With India marching to their third T20 World Cup title under skipper Suryakumar Yadav in Ahmedabad last week, former opener Aakash Chopra has ruled out the potential return and appointment of Shubman Gill as the next T20I captain. Gill, who had taken over as Test and ODI captain last year, made a surprise return to the T20I squad after 14 months in September 2025. The right-hander was immediately named vice-captain at the 2025 Asia Cup, displacing Sanju Samson from the opening spot. However, Gill’s indifferent form in the format extended to 15 games where he failed to notch up a single half-century. Gill was eventually dropped when India unveiled their World Cup squad on December 2025, paving way for the return of Ishan Kishan into the format after three years. Chopra said the Punjab batter will find it difficult to return to the T20I set-up with the chances of all-format captaincy looking slim. “It’s going to be difficult, although the Indian team thought that it would …

Not much ODI cricket between major events makes series like the one against India more important: Henry Nicholls | Cricket News

Not much ODI cricket between major events makes series like the one against India more important: Henry Nicholls | Cricket News

Published by Webster

New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls on Tuesday said having a limited amount of one-day cricket between global events makes the series such as the ongoing one against India “more important than ever”. While the next 50-over World Cup is still 22 months away, questions on the relevance of the format and context of the ongoing series have resurfaced as focus primarily remains on next month’s T20 World Cup. “Like you say there’s not as much one-day cricket between major events, I think that makes these series even more important,” Nicholls told the media ahead of New Zealand’s training session here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. “A few of us have been playing some List-A cricket back home, so we have got a bit of the format under our belt. But it’s a format that we enjoy playing so when you have those series now, they are more important than ever with limited amount,” he added. Nicholls said New Zealand will have to keep doing the right things for longer durations after they lost the opening …

How ODIs have become a sideshow in era of T20 cricket | Cricket News

How ODIs have become a sideshow in era of T20 cricket | Cricket News

Published by Webster

When R Ashwin recently referred to ODI cricket as “redundant” on one of his YouTube streams, it wasn’t merely a throwaway line. For years, the 50-over format was the game’s middle ground: longer than T20s and more expressive than Tests. It was also cricket’s commercial engine throughout the 1990s and 2000s, often drawing eyeballs and revenue as Test cricket began to show signs of decline. But ahead of a year which will see the T20 World Cup and the IPL played back-to-back, with T20 cricket dominating the cricket calendar for four consecutive months, concerns around how the ODI format may survive in modern cricket have resurfaced. Ashwin has not been alone in raising those concerns. While speaking at an Idea Exchange hosted by The Indian Express last year, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said that batsmanship against spin had declined as the ODI format declined. “The rhythm and tempo of one-day batting is not like it used to be because of how much T20 cricket is being played. In the 50-over game now, teams are …

R Ashwin worried about future of ODI cricket after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli retire | Cricket News

R Ashwin worried about future of ODI cricket after Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli retire | Cricket News

Published by Webster

The One-Day International format could struggle once established stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retire from it, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has stated. It is a sentiment that has been expressed by a number of former players, with the number of matches being played in the format, particularly involving the top sides, also dwindling in recent years. “I am not sure about future of ODI after 2027 World Cup. I am a little worried about it. Of course, I am following Vijay Hazare Trophy but the manner in which I followed SMAT, I am finding slightly difficult to follow,” Ashwin, India’s second highest Test wicket-taker of all time with 537 scalps, said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’. Ashwin said that he feels Test cricket will continue to have its space even in the age of T20s, but he is not sure if fans want to see too much ODI cricket at the expense of either. “Also, we need to know what audience wants to watch. I feel Test cricket still has …

Spotlight on Rohit-Virat brings ODI frenzy to Ranchi

Spotlight on Rohit-Virat brings ODI frenzy to Ranchi

Published by Parlour News

Mumbai: It’s been a turbulent year for India’s Test team with seniors asked to make way and their replacements good one day, poor the next. The T20 squad is more balanced and have had better results. And all energies should be focused on perfecting this format with a World Cup round the corner. Virat Kohli during a training session ahead of the first ODI against South Africa, in Ranchi. (PTI) But the cricket calendar hinges on television revenue and because this is India, even bilateral ODIs have a high value riding on them. So, India and South Africa will face off in a three-match series. The ODI World Cup (Oct-Nov 2027) is so far away that the upcoming matches will be played for what they are – old-fashioned limited overs entertainers. It’s a good thing the first match on Sunday is in Ranchi where the crowd is expected to show up anyway. Ranchi doesn’t get to host World Cup matches or to experience IPL showbiz. The city last hosted an ODI three years ago. The …

NZ vs PAK 2nd ODI: Ben Sears takes 5 wickets as New Zealand defeat Pakistan by 84 runs, take unassailable 2-0 lead | Cricket News

NZ vs PAK 2nd ODI: Ben Sears takes 5 wickets as New Zealand defeat Pakistan by 84 runs, take unassailable 2-0 lead | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Pakistan’s woes in the ODI format continued on Tuesday when the Mohammad Rizwan-captained side fell to New Zealand by 84 runs in the second ODI match, leading to the hosts taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match ODI series. This was the Men in Green’s 4th straight ODI loss since the Champions Trophy where they were eliminated after losing back to back matches against New Zealand and India. The Kiwis’ Ben Sears took 5 wickets to break the back of Pakistan’s batting lineup with only Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah putting up some sort of resistance with 73 runs and 51 runs respectively. The duo, who both scored their maiden ODI half centuries, put on a 60-run partnership for the 9th wicket before Pakistan were bundled out in 41.2 overs. Rizwan and Babar Azam both failed to fire while Pakistan’s top order suffered a familiar collapse with the first 5 batters scoring in single digits. If you look at the whole Pakistan batting lineup, 8 batters scored in single digits which paints a not …

Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah announces retirement from international cricket | Cricket News

Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah announces retirement from international cricket | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Bangladesh allrounder Mahmudullah Riyad on Wednesday announced his retirement from international cricket. The 39-year-old had already retired from Tests in 2021 and then ended his T20I career in October 2024. His last tournament for Bangladesh was the recently-concluded Champions Trophy where the Bangla Tigers were eliminated from the group stage. “All praises only for the Almighty Allah. I have decided to retire from international cricket. I would like to thank all of my teammates, coaches & specially my fans who has always supported me,” he posted on Facebook. “A big thank you to my parents, my in laws specially my father in law & most importantly my brother Emdad Ullah who has been there for me constantly since my childhood as my coach & mentor. And finally thanks to my wife & kids who have been my support system through thick & thin. Not everything comes to an end in a perfect way but you say yes & move forward. Best wishes to my team & Bangladesh cricket,” he further said in the post. Story …

‘Player of his stature should get to decide about future’: Dilip Vengsarkar on unwarranted’ retirement speculations on Rohit Sharma | Cricket News

‘Player of his stature should get to decide about future’: Dilip Vengsarkar on unwarranted’ retirement speculations on Rohit Sharma | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Former India player Dilip Vengsarkar said that people should stop speculating on Rohit Sharma’s retirement, adding that the current India skipper deserve time and space to decide on their future. Rumours were rampant before the final of the Champions Trophy about Rohit calling it a day after winning the trophy but the Hitman dismissed them in the post-match press conference. “I am not an astrologer. A lot of matches to go till the 2027 World Cup. A lot will depend on his form and fitness. It is not fair to say anything at this stage but he has been outstanding as both captain and player,” Vengsarkar told PTI. “I don’t know why people speculated (on his retirement), it’s unwarranted. A player of his stature should get to decide about his future,” he added. Story continues below this ad Vengsarkar also said that both Rohit and compatriot Virat Kohli are big match performers who with their sheer presence can put pressure on any opposition. “The way he has been playing all this time is nothing short …