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ICC T20I World Cup 2021: 4 Teams Which Won’t Be Able To Qualify For The Semi-Final

Published on September 17, 2021

ICC T20I World Cup 2021 is just a month away from taking place after a gap of five years and the excitement for the tournament in UAE is at its’ peak already. The previous edition took place in 2016 when West Indies emerged as the champions and this will be a 12 team affair this time around for the group stages.

The top eight teams from the T20 international rankings qualified automatically for the league stages of the T20 Worldcup while the remaining four teams will have to make it through the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 qualifiers. Surprisingly, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh haven’t been able to make it to the league stages and are placed in the qualifiers. Here are 4 teams that won’t be able to qualify for the semi-finals of ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Representational image of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup trophy | AFP / Jewel Samad — Representational image of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy | AFP / Jewel Samad

ICC T20I World Cup 2021: 4 Teams Which Probably Won’t Be Able To Qualify For The Semi-Final

Australia:

Australia is one of the powerhouses in world cricket at present for a long time now and they still continue to dominate best teams but haven’t been doing it on a consistent basis. But recent losses to West Indies and Bangladesh with a depleted squad saw their reputation diminish.

When it comes to T20 cricket, Australia hasn’t always been the team to watch out for as they do have a lot of stars in their lineup but despite that, they have lacked the T20 flavour. 2010 was the only year they reached the finals of the ICC T20I World Cup and they lost to England.

Australia’s recent form in T20I hasn’t been impressive either as they lost the T20I series in West Indies 4-1 and lost a bilateral series for the first time against Bangladesh which wasn’t the ideal preparation they needed. Australia has been placed in a strong group comprising of England, West Indies, and South Africa and their chances of making it to the semifinals look bleak at the moment.

Australia has lost the last 5 T20I series they have played against New Zealand, India, England, West Indies, and Bangladesh. With the return of big names like David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, and Pat Cummins the Aaron Finch-led side will be looking forward to gaining back the momentum.

South Africa:

South Africa has lacked the edge needed in the knockouts to progress to the finals of the tournament and it has been evident through their results so far in ICC events. They haven’t made it to a final in ICC T20 World Cup yet and have been succumbing down when it comes to pressure games for which they are labelled chokers.

The Proteas are a different looking side now without AB De Villiers and Faf du Plessis, and their new skipper Temba Bavuma will have a huge responsibility under his belt for the T20I World Cup. Their bowling attack does look good but they are expected to struggle with their inexperienced batting lineup and are unlikely to progress to the semi-finals after being placed in a tough group.

They are currently placed on the 5th spot in ICC T20 Internationals rankings. Also in the last 5 T20 international series, they have lost 3 series. They have some exceptionally talented players like Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassi Van Der Dussen, and David Miller on the team but have left out experienced Chris Morris, Faf du Plessis, and Imran Tahir.

Afghanistan :

Afghanistan has been one of the teams that have come from far behind in terms of development and the results are there to see as well. They have produced a lot of young match winners already and the best example is Rashid Khan who has been the best spinner in the world in the last two years globally.

Afghanistan has picked up a good squad for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 but they have a lot of issues going on with the Taliban government and it will certainly take a toll on their performance. They have gone in for experience in the fast bowling department and Rashid Khan has stepped out as the captain of the side as well for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021. With India and New Zealand in the group, Afghanistan might not be able to progress to the semi-finals.

Currently, Afghanistan is placed on the 7th spot in the ICC T20 international rankings. Once the team enters the tournament all eyes will be on big names like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi. ACB named Rashid Khan as their captain for the T20 world cup 2021. Rashid Khan soon came up with a tweet stating that he will be leaving the captaincy. Post that, ACB announced that Mohammad Nabi will be the captain of the team.

Pakistan:

Pakistan is looking like a better group in the last few international series and with the change in the coaching staff and the Director, a lot could change for the Pakistan side ahead of the ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

However, their recent performances haven’t been up to the mark especially in England and they still have holes to fill inside the group. Lead by captain Babar Azam, Pakistan will kickstart their ICC T20I World Cup 2021 campaign against arch-rivals India in Dubai on 24 October.

They will then face New Zealand in Sharjah on 26 October before returning to Dubai to take on Afghanistan. Their last two matches in the Super 12 stages will see them face runners-up of Group A and table-toppers of Group B from Round 1 in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah respectively.

Their middle order needed some solid experience and they have gone in for youngsters who had failed earlier. Their fast bowling and spin department don’t look bad either but they still do not like getting past New Zealand and India who have strong depth in their squads for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Pakistan chose youth over experience for the backup wicketkeeper spot with the inclusion of Azam Khan over Sarfaraz Ahmed. Azam Khan has featured in only three T20Is in his career and has aggregated only six runs in two innings but his exploits in domestic T20 competitions has helped him seal a berth in the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 squad.

Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah were among the surprise inclusions in the squad for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 World Cup, having last played a T20I for Pakistan earlier this year against Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively.

They did not find a place in the squad for the tours of England and the West Indies. The experienced campaigners Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, and Sarfaraz Ahmed surprisingly didn’t find a place in ICC T20I World Cup 2021 squad.

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AB de Villiers Never Wanted Kagiso Rabada To Be Dropped From Team

Published on August 6, 2021August 6, 2021

AB de Villiers, former South African captain has refuted allegations suggesting he asked for Kagiso Rabada to be dropped from the team, along racial lines, at the start of the pacer’s career.

Responding to testimony given by former national selector Hussein Manack at Cricket South Africa‘s (CSA) Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings, AB de Villiers said that his inputs into the selection were in “the best interests of the team.”

AB de Villiers Never Wanted Kagiso Rabada To Be Dropped From Team

AB de Villiers has played 114 Tests scoring 8765 runs averaging 50.66 and 228 ODIs scoring 9577 runs averaging 53.5. He also featured in 78 T20Is where he averaged a modest 26.12. AB de Villiers clarified that he never wanted Kagiso Rabada to be dropped. He added that it would be ridiculous to do something like that, given that the 26-year-old bowler is one of the best in the business.

“I have never wanted KG dropped from any team at any time,” he said. “The idea is ridiculous. He is one of the finest bowlers in world cricket,” said AB de Villiers.

Kagiso Rabada vs West Indies-AFP/Getty Images

Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers denied the allegations against him that he wanted Kagiso Rabada dropped from the national team at the start of the latter’s career. AB de Villiers, who was the skipper of the side when the speedster came to the fore, said that his inputs were for the ‘best interests of the team’.

AB de Villiers: A Decision Had To Be Made Between Playing Kyle Abbott And Hardus Viljoen, So The Team Management Insisted Dropping Kagiso Rabada

This is the first time Kagiso Rabada’s case has been out in public. It centers around the Wanderers Test against England in 2015-16. Hussein Manack claimed the team management (when AB de Villiers was the captain) didn’t want Kagiso Rabada to play in the game.

Elaborating on the incident, he said: “I had been to the practice the day before, and a decision had to be made between playing Kyle Abbott and Hardus Viljoen,” said Manack, who was selector then. “A discussion at practice took place, and they [the team management] said we must drop KG [Rabada].”

“I asked on what basis. Rabada was 20-years-old, and he hadn’t established himself as a great player. But having seen him at the Lions, where he was coming through, I had seen a lot of him. He had a good enough reputation. There was a cricketing explanation that maybe the ball wasn’t coming out of his hand right,” added the former selector.

“I took it back to [bowling coach] Charl Langeveldt and … Charl’s view was that he was comfortable and everybody on the selection panel was unanimous that Rabada had to play. I said our decision is that Rabada has to play.

“There was one more spot that had to be filled. We said between Abbott and Viljoen, you decide who you want. We don’t have a strong view either way. In the end, they went for Viljoen and they weren’t happy with the fact that we had stood our ground,” claimed Manack.

Questions have arisen over Kagiso Rabada's inclusion in South Africa's XI for the Wanderers Test against England in 2015-16 Getty Images — Questions have arisen over Kagiso Rabada’s inclusion in South Africa’s XI for the Wanderers Test against England in 2015-16 Getty Images

During his testimony, Hussain Manack spoke about AB de Villiers’ role in the entire case on Khaya Zondo when the latter didn’t get to play a single game on the 2015 tour of India. However, the saga surrounding Kagiso Rabada during the 2015-16 Wanderers, wasn’t made public before. Kagiso Rabada went on to pick up a five-wicket haul in that game, followed by a career-best 13/144 in the next game.

Six years since his debut, Kagiso Rabada is one of the prolific wicket-takers for South Africa in all three formats. The speedster has picked up 213, 122, and 96 wickets in 47 Tests, 79 ODIs, and 32 T20Is respectively. He has also scored over 1,000 runs in his international career for South Africa.

Temba Bavuma admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Kevin Gallagher of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees and ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department. (File photo) - AKHILESH KUMAR

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Temba Bavuma Reprimanded For Breaching Level 1 Of ICC Conduct During 1st T20I vs Ireland

Published on July 23, 2021July 23, 2021

Temba Bavuma has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first T20I against Ireland in Malahide on Monday.

The South African skipper was found to have breached Article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to the “use of an audible obscenity during an International Match.”

Temba Bavuma Admits Offence Of Breaching Level 1 Of ICC Code Of Conduct

Article 2.3 covers the use of words commonly known and understood to be offensive, obscene and/or profane (in any language) and which can be heard by the spectators and/or the viewing public whether by way of the stump-microphone or otherwise.

This conduct may include, for example, swearing in frustration at one’s own play or fortune. In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of skipper Temba Bavuma, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period. The incident occurred in the sixth over of South Africa’s innings, when Temba Bavuma used an audible obscenity on being adjudged caught behind.

Temba Bavuma admitted the offence and accepted the sanction which was proposed by Kevin Gallagher of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees and ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department as per the COVID-19 interim playing regulations and so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Alan Neill and Mark Hawthorne, third umpire Rolland Black and fourth official Paul Reynolds levelled the charge against the South African skipper.

Level 1 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

When a player reaches four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and a player is banned. Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.

Demerit Points to remain on a Player or Player Support Personnel’s disciplinary record for a period of twenty-four (24) months from their imposition following which they will be expunged.

Ireland Lost Against South Africa By 33 Runs In The 1st T20I

Ireland lost its first-ever Twenty20 with South Africa by 33 runs. South Africa was restricted to a sub-par 165-7 bolstered by tailender Kagiso Rabada’s four boundaries in the last over, but Ireland couldn’t round up a chase.

Quinton de Kock made 20 off 11 until he mistimed to mid-off. Captain Temba Bavuma tried reverse sweeping only to edge behind at 44-3. There were 26 more balls without a boundary. Rassie van der Duren went for 25 off 18. Top scorer Aiden Markram added his 39 off 30 and was stumped at 115-5.

Ireland medium-pacer Mark Adair had a well deserved 3-22 off three overs before he was given the ball for the last over, which South Africa started on 147-8. Kagiso Rabada hit the first four deliveries to the boundary and 17 came from the morale-boosting over.

At 46-5 in the eighth over, it was all but over, but the end was dragged out to 132-9. The first of three T20s wasn’t competitive, surprisingly so after a thrilling one-day international series that was drawn 1-1 last week.

Ireland delayed the outcome by playing out its quota of overs in losing its first-ever Twenty20 with South Africa by 33 runs at Malahide. South Africa was restricted to a sub-par 165-7 bolstered by tailender Kagiso Rabada’s four boundaries in the last over, but Ireland couldn’t round up a chase.

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West Indies Announced Unchanged 13 Man Squad For 3rd T20I

Published on June 29, 2021

West Indies have selected the same 13-man squad for the third T20I match against South Africa. Despite losing the 2nd match of the bilateral series, the hosts have selected the same players for the 3rd T20I in Grenada, both in a bid to take a 2-1 series lead and with an eye to the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in October.

After cruising to an eight-wicket win in the first T20I match off the back of a stunning 35-ball 71 from Evin Lewis, the West Indies fell only 16 runs short in the second T20I, as Kagiso Rabada (3/37) and George Linde (2/19) prevented another batting onslaught.

West Indies' Evin Lewis smashed 71 off just 35 deliveries with 7 sixes and 4 fours decorating a pyrotechnic innings.© AFP — Evin Lewis smashed 71 off just 35 deliveries with 7 sixes and 4 fours decorating pyrotechnic innings.© AFP

West Indies Named Unchanged 13 Member Squad For 3rd T20I

The Cricket West Indies selection panel named an unchanged 13-member squad for the third T20I against South Africa. The match will be played at the Grenada National Stadium on Tuesday, June 29. The five-match series is currently 1-1 after the first two exciting matches.

Two-time World Champions, West Indies won the series opener by eight wickets on Saturday, while South Africa fought back to win the second match by 16 runs on Sunday. This series forms part of the West Indies’ international home season with a total of 15 T20Is as they continue preparations to defend their title at the ICC T20 World Cup to be played later this year.

Van der Dussen congratulates Andre Russell for their victory. (Photo Source: RANDY BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

Roger Harper, Lead Selector in an official release said: “The Selection Panel is happy to retain the same squad for the third CG Insurance T20I. With this series in the balance, we would like to give this squad another opportunity to display how well they can play together. We are aware that there are still a number of T20Is ahead so there will be opportunities for other players going forward.”

The series is part of a bumper 15-match T20I summer for the hosts in the Caribbean, who will also host Australia and Pakistan for five matches each. The West Indies are defending World Champions in the format, with five members of the winning 2016 squad featuring in the current series.

Windies squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Fabien Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair.

Evin Lewis Smashes 35 Ball 71 In 1st T20I To Propel West Indies To Win But South Africa’s George Linde And Kagiso Rabada Bowls Proteas To Win In 2nd T20I

In the 1st T20I, South Africa’s Van der Dussen finished unbeaten on 56 and was, by some distance, South Africa’s most accomplished batter of the innings. For West Indies, Fabian Allen conceded just 18 runs in his four overs at an economy rate of 4.50, the best in the match besides picking up 2 wickets. But Evin Lewis stole the show as his 71 off 35 balls batted South Africa out of the match.

1st T20I: West Indies 161 for 2 (Lewis 71, Gayle 32*, Shamsi 1-27) beat South Africa 160 for 6 (van der Dussen 56*, de Kock 37, Allen 2-18, Bravo 2-30) by eight wickets

George Linde put the brakes on in the middle overs AFP/Getty Images

In the 2nd T20I, Temba Bavuma top-scored in his first win as T20I captain. While Kagiso Rabada took wickets at the start and end of the innings, South Africa had their spinners George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi to thank for the win.

Between them, George Linde and Tabraiz Shamsi bowled eight overs, conceded 35 runs, and took three wickets to take West Indies from 62 for 2 in the ninth over to 70 for 5 in the 11th, in pursuit of 167. Despite late cameos from Jason Holder and Fabian Allen, the required rate proved too high.

2nd T20I: South Africa 166 for 7 (Bavuma 46, Hendricks 42, McCoy 3-25) beat West Indies 150 for 9 (Fletcher 35, Rabada 3-37) by 16 runs

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Steve Smith Reclaims The No. 1 Spot In The ICC Test Batsmen Rankings

Published on June 16, 2021

Steve Smith, Australian batsman has surpassed New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson to become the top-ranked Test batsman in the latest ICC Test rankings that were revealed on Wednesday. India captain Virat Kohli jumped to the number 4th spot while Australia batsman Steve Smith reclaimed the No.1 position in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen for the first time since the Boxing Day Tests last year.

Steve Smith takes over from New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who is set to lead his team in the ICC World Test Championship Final against India at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton from Friday.

Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli (L-R)

Steve Smith Reclaims Top Spot While Kane Williamson Is Second Among Batsmen

Kane Williamson, who missed the second Test against England at Edgbaston due to injury after scoring 13 runs in the drawn first Test at Lord’s, has slipped five points behind Steve Smith’s 891 rating points and is second in the batters’ list. This means that Steve Smith has been at the top for 167 Tests played worldwide in total, only behind Garry Sobers (189 matches) and Viv Richards (179 matches).

An injury saw Kane Williamson miss the second Test against England at Edgbaston, hence paving way for Steve Smith to claim the No. 1 spot. Courtesy of his performances in the Test series, Kane Williamson lost 5 points because of which he dropped down to No. 2 spot.

The rankings also produced a positive change for Virat Kohli who moved from 5th position to 4th in the ICC Test Rankings for batsmen. Virat Kohli has as many as 6 Test matches to come — one against New Zealand in the WTC final and 5 against England — and he would be determined to further improve his position in the ICC Test rankings.

Quinton de Kock Gains 11 Positions To Reach Joint 12th Position, While South African Pave Trio Of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, And Lungi Ngidi Moves Up

The latest men’s weekly update, which also includes performances from the first Test between South Africa and the West Indies in St Lucia, sees Quinton de Kock in joint-12th position with Cheteshwar Pujara while his compatriot Adrian Markram has advanced two slots to reach 14th position.

Quinton de Kock, who was named player of the match for scoring an unbeaten 141 that helped his team win by an innings and 63 runs, has gained 11 positions to attain his highest position since December 2019.

Quinton de Kock works one on the leg side AFP/Getty Images

South Africa’s pace bowlers too have made rapid strides after the huge win. Formerly top-ranked Kagiso Rabada has gained two spots to reach the seventh place after a five-wicket haul in the second innings, Anrich Nortje is up into the top 30 for the first time in his career finishing with seven wickets in the match, while Lungi Ngidi is up 14 places to 44th position with a first-innings five-wicket haul.

Kagiso Rabada ended with figures of 5 for 34 in the second innings AFP/Getty Images

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Kagiso Rabada Feels Taking 5 Wicket-Haul Is Like Scoring A Ton

Published on June 13, 2021

The South African pacer Kagiso Rabada felt like scoring a hundred when he picked his tenth five-wicket haul to help Proteas thrash West Indies by an innings and 63 runs in the first Test on Saturday. It was his first Test five-for in an innings in more than three years and Kagiso Rabada was elated with his performance against the West Indies.

Kagiso Rabada likened his emotions after his first five-for in Test cricket since March 2018 to the feeling a batsman has when he scores a hundred after a lean patch. However, he maintained that not much had changed about his bowling in the last three years.

Kagiso Rabada's 5 for 34 saw South Africa wrap up an innings win AFP/Getty Images — Kagiso Rabada’s 5 for 34 saw South Africa wrap up an innings win AFP/Getty Images

Kagiso Rabada Really Glad About His Performance As He Picked Up 5 Wickets For The First Time Since 2018

Kagiso Rabada’s 5 for 34 saw South Africa wrap up an innings win over West Indies in less than two-and-a-half days; a victory built on a strong first-innings showing with the ball when they dismissed West Indies for 97. The architect of that performance was his new-ball partner Lungi Ngidi, who took 5 for 19 to record his second five-for in Test cricket and first since debut in January 2018.

“You measure the highest accolades in cricket by scoring hundreds and taking five-fors and ten-fors. It’s something you always strive to do. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened for me in recent years but I’m glad that’s happened today,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Rabada as saying.

Kagiso Rabada (L) of South Africa appeals for lbw against Kemar Roach (R) of West Indies(AFP)

“The only thing you can judge yourself on is being consistent in your preparation. It’s like scoring a hundred. Who wouldn’t be happy with scoring a hundred? I am really glad about the performance I put in,” he added.

South African speedster Kagiso Rabada on Saturday picked up his 10th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. During the first match against West Indies in St Lucia, Kagiso Rabada finished with 5-34 for South Africa in the second innings as the hosts won the game by an innings and 63 runs to go 1-0 up in the 2-match series.

This was Kagiso Rabada’s first 5-wicket haul against West Indies in Test cricket. He’s now the 7th South African bowler to take a five-for in a Test in the Caribbean.

Kagiso Rabada claimed his first five-wicket haul in 33 innings, since March 2018, as South Africa wrapped up the St Lucia Test before lunch on the third day to take an unassailable lead in the two-match series. West Indies lost six for 65 in an extended first session on Saturday to stumble to a sixth innings defeat in 253 matches at home.

Kagiso Rabada: South Africa Is A Rebuilding Team As Even Most Experienced Players Are Young

West Indies was bowled out for 162 in their second innings as South Africa sealed a win in the opening Test inside three days. Kagiso Rabada said the win will give South Africa massive confidence going into further games.

“We’re a young team and we are rebuilding,” he said. “Even our most experienced players are young, like myself and Quinny [de Kock]. Dean is our most experienced but for me, at 26, to be one of the most experienced paints a picture of how young we are as a team,” said Rabada.

“It’s going to give us massive confidence not only moving into the next Test match but moving into the next few years. We can’t take anything for granted but just take all the positives that we’ve done in this Test match and keep building on those. This win has given us a lot of confidence,” he added.

Quinton de Kock won the Player of the Match for his impressive hundred. The second Test between both sides will be played from June 18. De Kock returned to international form with his century in the Caribbean, his first Test score over 30 in seven innings to break a lean patch that was starting to get under his skin.

South Africa 322 (de Kock 141*, Holder 4-75) beat West Indies 97 (Holder 20, Ngidi 5-19, Nortje 4-35) & 162 (Chase 62, Rabada 5-34) by an innings and 63 runs

Indian players Ishant Sharma, left, Ravichandran Ashwin, center, and Mohammed Shami

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Ian Chappell Picks 3 Indians Among World’s 5 Best Test Bowlers

Published on June 6, 2021June 6, 2021

Ian Chappell, the former Australian cricketer, has picked Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, and Pat Cummins as the top five best Test bowlers in the modern era. Among them, he kept Pat Cummins, who’s the leading wicket-taker in the ICC World Test Championship, at the top. The Aussie speedster has 70 wickets from 14 games in the WTC.

Ian Chappell also stated that Ravichandran Ashwin is a better bowler than Nathan Lyon. The duo is among the top five wicket-takers in the WTC, but as per Ian Chappell, Nathan Lyon’s strike rate as a bowler is a tad too high compared to Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ian Chappell. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Ian Chappell Thinks Ravichandran Ashwin Is A Better Bowler Than Nathan Lyon

In his career, Nathan Lyon has picked up 399 wickets and is Australia’s second most successful spinner after the legendary Shane Warne. Ravichandran Ashwin, on the other hand, is set to play the WTC final and is four wickets away from being the leading wicket-taker in the championship. He has 409 career wickets and is India’s fourth-highest wicket-taker currently behind Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, and Harbhajan Singh.

“I think Ashwin is a better bowler than Nathan Lyon. Have a look at Nathan Lyon’s strike rate, you are in the 70s and I am going back to 2018,” Chappell was quoted as saying on the ESPNcricinfo program ‘Runorder’.

“Nathan Lyon, to me, I think runs get scored through the onside when he is bowling to the right-handers and that really just shouldn’t happen. Yes, he is a fine bowler but I think Ashwin is a better bowler,” he stated.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon File Photo

In the India vs Australia Test series 2020/21, Nathan Lyon picked only 9 wickets in 4 Tests at a poor average of 55.11 despite bowling 187 overs. Ravichandran Ashwin, on the other hand, picked 12 wickets in 3 Tests in that series and followed it up by taking 32 scalps in the following England 4 Test series where he was the leading wicket-taker.

Ian Chappell Also Praised Ishant Sharma’s Record

Ian Chappell also had words of praise for Ishant Sharma, who’s been donning the national jersey since 2007. In the WTC, Ishant Sharma has picked up 36 wickets from 11 matches.

“Ishant’s record in the last I think I went back to the start of 2018 and looking at some stats and his record is extremely good,” Chappell added.

As far as Mohammed Shami and Kagiso Rabada are concerned, they have also been pretty impressive over the last few years. In 10 Tests in the WTC, Mohammed Shami has picked 36 wickets and has a chance to add to his tally in the final. Kagiso Rabada, in the same tournament, played eight Tests and picked 26 wickets. South Africa couldn’t make the final amidst also a whole lot of controversy in their cricket board.

Avesh Khan has been instrumental in Delhi Capitals’ early success in IPL 2021. Image: BCCI

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Aakash Chopra Praised Delhi Pacer Avesh Khan For Doing Well In IPL 2021

Published on May 19, 2021

Aakash Chopra, former India opener has hailed fast bowler Delhi Capitals’ Avesh Khan, calling him a ‘revelation’ of IPL 2021 for picking 14 wickets in 8 games and being 2nd highest wicket-taker before IPL was suspended for a surge in Covid-19 cases.

The Indian Premier League over the years has gained the reputation of being a breeding ground for the next generation of Indian cricketers.

Aakash Chopra: Avesh Khan Has Been A Revelation

Several players, who had been outstanding performers in the tournament, went on to play for the Indian cricket team and have achieved success like Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya. This year too, the IPL 2021 saw some scintillating performances from some of India’s uncapped youngsters like Chetan Sakariya, Devdutt Padikkal, Harpreet Brar, Avesh Khan, and Harshal Patel.

Pacer Avesh Khan had successfully created an identity of his own in the 2021 IPL. The right-arm quick was trusted by the Delhi Capitals think tank when the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje weren’t available. In return, the youngster emerged as the most successful bowler for the team before the league came to an abrupt halt.

Impressed with his performance, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has hailed the fast bowler, saying the opposition batsmen can’t afford to take Avesh Khan lightly. In his latest YouTube video, the cricketer-turned-commentator heaped praise on the youngster for consistently taking wickets for DC, irrespective of how difficult the situation was.

“Avesh Khan has been a revelation. He has stood up and gotten counted again and again. He showed that he cannot be taken lightly. Right from the first match, you will see that Avesh Khan performed consistently well. Whether it was the new ball or the old one, whether it was the middle overs or the death overs, he has been very, very good,” Aakash Chopra said.

Chetan Sakariya, the 22-year-old who picked up seven scalps in as many games for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2021, Harshal Patel who picked up an amazing 17 wickets for RCB in only 7 games and was well on his way to winning the Purple Cap, Devdutt Padikkal who slammed his maiden IPL ton and continued his form from his maiden IPL 2020 season and Harpreet Brar who picked the trio of AB De Villiers, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell in a match were the standout young performers.

Aakash Chopra: Avesh Khan Was A Huge Contributor To Delhi Capitals’ Success

Avesh Khan picked up only 5 wickets in 2017 and 2018 combined and went wicketless in 2019 and 2020 but in 8 IPL 2021 games, picked up 14 wickets including Faf du Plessis, David Miller, MS Dhoni, Nicholas Pooran, Suryakumar Yadav, Jonny Bairstow, Vijay Shankar, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill.

“He took the huge wickets. He dismissed Faf du Plessis, Dhoni, and Kohli. He consistently and regularly felled the best player in the opposition line-up. So, he was a huge contributor to Delhi Capitals’ success,” Aakash Chopra concluded.

Avesh Khan was quick enough to make his way into the top half of the Purple Cap list. He scalped a total of 14 wickets at a decent economy rate of 7.70 and finished as the second-highest wicket-taker of the IPL 2021. His excellent performance paid off rich dividends as he was picked for India’s upcoming tour of England as one of the standby players.

Notably, Avesh Khan was the only Delhi Capitals bowler among the top 10 wicket-takers in IPL 2021 after the completion of 29 games. Delhi Capitals managed to top the points table with 12 points in 8 matches. The Rishabh Pant-led side won 6 matches and lost 2 in IPL 2021.

The right-arm fast bowler was part of the 2016 U-19 World Cup squad led by Ishan Kishan with the likes of Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar part of the mix, that finished runner-up against West Indies. He burst onto the scene finishing as India’s best bowler with 12 wickets to his name, picking one wicket in the final as well.

Cricket/News

Rishabh Pant Showed A Spark As Delhi Capitals’ Skipper In IPL 2021: Sunil Gavaskar

Published on May 13, 2021

Rishabh Pant, who did well in Tests in Australia and against England at home, captained for the first time in IPL 2021. For, this is the first time in his life that he took over the role of a captain and excelled in it. By the time the tournament happened, keeper Rishabh Pant was getting into his own.

He had led India to victory at Brisbane and then his scintillating hundred against England at Motera impressed everyone. Now, he got the biggest backing from one of the greats of the game.

Sunil Gavaskar: Rishabh Pant Showed A Spark That Can Become A Roaring Fire If Allowed To Burn Naturally

Sunil Gavaskar has said that Rishabh Pant ‘showed a spark’ as far as leadership skills are concerned.

“The standout team Delhi Capitals under young Rishabh Pant. By the sixth game, one could see that he was getting tired of being asked about being captain. Every presenter at the post-game ceremony had the same question to him.

“What he showed was a spark that can become a roaring fire if allowed to burn naturally. Yes, he will make mistakes; which captain doesn’t?” Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

“But like he showed in the few games in the IPL that he is clever enough to learn and his usual street-smart savvy meant he was on top of most situations and was finding his own method to get out of sticky ones.

“He is one for the future, no doubt about it. That’s because he has shown that talent can meet opportunity only when it walks hand in hand with temperament,” he added.

Under Rishabh Pant’s captaincy, DC has won 6 out of their first 8 matches and is table toppers with 12 points before the postponement of IPL 2021. Notably, Rishabh Pant is leading an IPL franchise for the first time in his career. He was appointed as the skipper of DC after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of IPL 2021 with a shoulder injury.

Rishabh Pant To Provide Oxygen Cylinders With Beds And Kits

Rishabh Pant who is now locked up in his room is trying to stay fit. Rishabh Pant who usually has fun on the field is a good samaritan as well. He recently donated an undisclosed amount of money for procuring Oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients.

“I am supporting the Hemkunt Foundation through a monetary donation that will help provide O2 Cylinders with Beds, kits, and much more to the suffering across the country. I am especially keen to work with organizations providing medical aid and support to rural India and non-metro cities which do not have the capacity of the medical infrastructure of the major cities,” he wrote on Twitter.

Since the start of this year, Rishabh Pant has been impressive with the bat and again impressed everyone with his leadership skills in IPL 2021. Considering that the keeper was leading the IPL team for the first time, he did a reasonably good job.

Delhi Capitals finished on the top spot in IPL 2021 points table with 12 points before it got indefinitely postponed. The team won 6 matches out of 8. Delhi Capitals was one of the strongest teams in IPL 2021 with a solid bowling and batting attack.

Shikhar Dhawan(380 runs), Prithvi Shaw(308 runs), and Rishabh Pant(213 runs) were some of the top performers in batting for Delhi Capitals. On the other hand, Avesh Khan was the leading bowler for Delhi Capitals picking 14 wickets. Kagiso Rabada also did a good job as a pacer picking 8 scalps. Among spinners, both Amit Mishra and Axar Patel picked 6 wickets each. Lalit Yadav excelled scoring 54 runs and picking 3 wickets in 5 games in his first IPL.

Cricket/Cricket Top 5-10/News

5 Fastest Deliveries Of The IPL 2021

Published on May 7, 2021

IPL 2021 witnessed 29 nail-biting matches between 8 teams. Although the tournament could not finish as it was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it managed to entertain the audience for quite some time. IPL 2021 reached the halfway mark before getting suspended and every team faced each other at least once. There were many close matches in IPL 2021 that thrilled the audience to a great extent.

Although Indian grounds are more spin-friendly, pacers have a lot of value in IPL. Every team has a lot of expectations from their pacers, to bag crucial wickets and find breakthroughs for the team.

In every IPL season, some pace deliveries catch attention for their speed. In 29 matches during IPL 2021, no bowler managed to reach the 150 km/hr mark but still, there were few fast deliveries that caught attention. Here we talk about the 5 fastest deliveries of IPL 2021.

5 Fastest Deliveries Of IPL 2021

5. Kagiso Rabada: 147.62 km/hr

Kagiso Rabada bowled the 5th fastest delivery in IPL 2021. Rabada bowled a delivery that measured 147.62 km/hr. The Delhi Capitals bowler arrived a little late in the tournament due to South Africa’s home ODI series against Pakistan. Due to quarantine protocols, Rabada has to miss Delhi Capitals’ first match against Chennai Super Kings. However, he managed to bowl at his magical pacer in IPL 2021 later.

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Kagiso Rabada

ICC T20I World Cup 2021: 4 Teams Which Probably Won’t Be Able To Qualify For The Semi-Final

Australia:

South Africa:

Afghanistan :

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