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Tag: Hardik Pandya

  • Hardik Pandya SLAPS Stadium Tunnel Grill Amid ‘Rohit, Rohit’ Chants After MI Lose To SRH; Watch | cricket news

    In the heart of an electrifying IPL 2024 showdown between SunRisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium witnessed a spectacle that transcended the boundaries of mere sportsmanship. The clash, marked by a blitzkrieg of boundaries and a deluge of runs, left the crowd on the edge of their seats. Yet, amidst the cacophony of cheers and gasps, one moment stood out—a moment of raw emotion that encapsulated the trials and tribulations of professional sport.

    What a speed Pandya __ Faster than the blink _ #RohitSharma_ pic.twitter.com/G83ZjalBvx — Snigdha Sharma (@whySnigdha) March 28, 2024

    Pandya’s Agonizing Fury: A Tumultuous Journey Unfolds

    As the final whistle echoed across the stadium, signaling Mumbai Indians’ defeat, the cameras captured a riveting scene. Hardik Pandya, the newly appointed skipper, marched towards the dressing room, his demeanor reflecting a cocktail of frustration and determination. With each step, the chants reverberated louder—”Rohit, Rohit”—a stark reminder of the colossal shoes he was tasked to fill after Rohit Sharma’s illustrious reign as captain.

    A Captive Audience: The Unveiling of Pandya’s Turbulent Narrative

    The narrative surrounding Pandya’s ascent to captaincy has been nothing short of tumultuous. His transition from the Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians, coupled with the weight of leadership, invited a storm of criticism from fervent fans. The murmurs of discontent crescendoed into a deafening roar as Pandya faced his former team, Gujarat Titans, under the banner of Mumbai Indians. The spotlight intensified, casting a harsh glare on every move he made.

    The Resilience Amidst Adversity: A Glimmer of Hope

    Despite the relentless barrage of scrutiny, Pandya remains resolute in his belief in the team’s capabilities. In the aftermath of the defeat against SunRisers Hyderabad, his impassioned address to the team echoed through the corridors of the dressing room—a rallying cry in the face of adversity. He commended the valiant efforts of the bowlers, embodying the spirit of unity and fortitude that defines Mumbai Indians.

    A Beacon of Hope: The Path Forward for Mumbai Indians

    As Mumbai Indians language at the bottom of the points table, the road ahead appears fraught with challenges. However, amidst the gloom, there shines a glimmer of hope—the impending home fixture against Rajasthan Royals at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. For Pandya and his cohorts, this presents a golden opportunity to reclaim their stride and reignite the fervor of their loyal fan base.

  • ‘Hardik Pandya Rashid Khan Ko Face Nahi Karna Chahte The..’, Irfan Pathan Brutally Analyzes MI Captain’s Tactical Errors In IPL 2024 Loss To GT | cricket news

    Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya did not get a dream start to his IPL 2024 campaign, losing the opening match to Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday night. He faced brutal online trolling throughout the match and received booing too from the Ahmedabad crowd. He captained GT for two seasons, taking them to a title win in the maiden season and till finals the second time. His decision to leave GT for MI has not gone down well with the Gujarat fans who showed their disappointment by booing the MI captain at the toss.

    Also Read | Rohit Sharma’s Animated Argument With MI Captain Hardik Pandya Post Loss To GT Goes Viral; watch

    On social media, Hardik received hate for ‘ordering’ former captain Rohit Sharma to field in the deep. Fans put out their anger on social media over how Hardik led as they could see an attitude problem with Hardik. After the match, a heated chat between Rohit and Hardik added fuel to the fire.

    Coming to Hardik’s captaincy, there was nothing much to take away from it. He won the toss and opted to bowl first and the bowlers delivered too, restricting GT to 168 for 6 in 20 overs. But as a batting unit, MI failed. They could not chase the target despite being in a commanding position right from the start and former India bowler Irfan Pathan blamed it on MI.

    Irfan said that Hardik should have come on to bat earlier than he did, facing the likes of Rashid Khan himself. But it seems, Irfan says, Hardik was avoiding facing Rashid. Irfan pointed out other areas too where Hardik faltered as captain on Day 1 as MI skipper.

    “When he came to bowl in the powerplay, he bowled 2 overs himself, that was one mistake. Second mistake was he sent Tim David ahead of him during the chase even when Rashid Khan had one over left. I felt Hardik did not want to face Rashid as he has not played cricket for a long time. Maybe that was one reason. I cannot see any logic otherwise that an Indian international batter, who has so much experience of batting in such situation, sitting in the dressing room and an overseas The batter is sent to bat in a pressure situation,” said Irfan.

    MI now fly to Hyderabad to face Sunrisers on March 27. Hardik feels they can make a strong comeback in the next game. They made some errors and need to learn quickly to bounce back.

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  • 'I Respect Them But…': Hardik Pandya On Rohit Sharma Fans Trolling Him After Getting MI Captaincy In IPL 2024 | cricket news

    Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya opened up on a lot of hot topics related to the franchise and the various changes that have taken place in the last six months or so. Immediately after Cricket World Cup 2023 when India fans were still recovering from the heartbreak of loss in the final, Mumbai Indians dropped a bombshell on their fans by announcing Hardik Pandya as the captain. The move seemed logical as MI looked to build a future leader. However, it did not go down well with a part of MI's fanbase, especially Rohit fans.

    In a matter of hours, MI lost lakhs of followers over Instagram and till date, they receive heat from Rohit fans in every post they make on Instagram. Hardik has faced a lot of flak for making a return to MI from Gujarat Titans (GT), some even racially abusing, calling him as 'Ch**ri'.

    Hardik Pandya on trolling by Rohit Sharma Fans

    But amid all the noise, Hardik has kept quiet and worked harder to get back in shape after suffering an ankle injury during the World Cup. For the first time, during the MI press conference, did Hardik open up on the change in captaincy and the backlash he received due to it.

    Hardik told the reporters that he respects the emotions of the fans but he cannot control the uncontrollables. “I respect the fans' emotions but I can only control the controllable. I respect them but I will focus on what I can be doing (as captain),” Hardik said.

    Hardik Pandya on how he feels after returning to MI

    The all-rounder also spoke on his return to MI, saying that he never thought he could reach at this stage of his career and come so far from where he began and a lot of credit behind his success goes to MI where his cricketing journey began .

    “It won't be any different because he will always be there to help me out if I need his help. At the same time, his (Rohit) being the Indian captain helps me because this team has achieved all its glory under his belt. From now on, it will just be me carrying forward what he_— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 18, 2024

    On leading Rohit Sharma in IPL

    One of the challenges for a junior, who started his cricket under a senior cricketer, to captain him, in IPL, domestic cricket or international cricket. Many top leaders have done that. MS Dhoni led a side which had Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly etc. Virat Kohli, Rohit have also led an Indian team that had Dhoni in it. Hardik faces the same scenario with Rohit in the MI set up.

    However, the new captain feels the task won't be as difficult as it sounds. He feels playing experience with Rohit will come handy when leading the former captain, who won MI five championships. “It won't be any different. He will be helping me when I need it. As mentioned, he is the Indian captain and I've played my whole career under him. So, I don't feel it would be awkward, ” said Hardik.

    Also Read | WATCH: Virat Kohli Dances With RCB Women's Players After Historic WPL 2024 Title Win

    He added that he had not got time to speak to Rohit since taking over as MI captain but there is a reason why. “I haven't got a lot of time to talk with Rohit because he has been touring. I will definitely catch up when he links up with the team,” said MI captain.

  • 'The Feeling Of…': MI Captain Hardik Pandya Makes A BIG Statement On Returning To And Leading Mumbai Indians In IPL 2024 | cricket news

    Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, in a video, talked about the feeling of wearing the Blue colors of the franchise, describing it as “really special”. Pandya stated that he started his journey from here and coming back and playing for the team is special for him. Later on in the video he spoke about bowling coach Lasith Malinga and the head coach Mark Boucher.

    Also Read | Is BCCI Moving IPL 2024's Second Leg Outside India Due To Lok Sabha Elections? What Are The Options And What We Know So Far

    “The feeling of wearing blue color is really special for me. Journey started here. Coming back and playing which is always gonna be special. Malinga is like my brother from the start and Boucher has been wonderful. We will make sure that we will play a brand of cricket which all will be proud of and at the same point of time, that's going to be a ride no one will forget,” the right-arm seamer said in a video posted by Mumbai Indians on X.

    The Baroda-born cricketer is set to captain Mumbai Indians (MI), replacing their five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy-winning skipper Rohit Sharma in the 2024 season of the cash-rich league.

    “My journey started here. Coming back home & playing is always going to be special.” – @hardikpandya7_#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/GrtVmjl7Xd

    — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 15, 2024

    In November last year, the 30-year-old player moved back from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise. The star all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign in the cash-rich league with aplomb. In GT's debut season in 2022, Hardik got them off to a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy.

    In 31 matches for GT, the right-hand batsman has scored 833 runs at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of over 133, with six half-centuries and a best score of 87*. He also took 11 wickets for the team, with the best figures of 3/17.

    Pandya also played 92 matches for MI from 2015-2021, scoring 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 at a strike rate of over 153, with four half-centuries and best score of 91. He also took 42 wickets for the team, with the best bowling figures of 3/20. Pandya has won five IPL trophies, four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and GT (2022).

    The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start on March 22, with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set to clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a South Indian derby at their home arena – MA Chidambaram Stadium.

    Last year's runners-up Gujarat Titans and five-time champions Mumbai Indians will square off against each other in a mouth-watering clash on March 24 at Ahmedabad. The fixture has gained a lot of hype because of star all-rounder Pandya's move to his former franchise MI following two great seasons with GT. Shubman Gill has taken over the captaincy of GT.

    Mumbai Indians (MI) IPL 2024 squad: Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal WadheraJasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason Behrendorff, Hardik Pandya (traded from GT), Romario Shepherd (traded from LSG), Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shivalik Sharma.

  • WATCH: Hardik Pandya Joins MI Camp Ahead Of IPL 2024, Hugs Coach Boucher | cricket news

    Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya joined the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season starting from March 22 this year. Notably, Pandya is set to captain Mumbai Indians (MI), replacing their five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy-winning skipper Rohit Sharma in the 2024 season of the cash-rich league.

    In a video posted by Mumbai Indians (MI) official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Pandya was seen entering the MI dressing room and performing a pooja along with head coach Mark Boucher. (IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma Tipped To Become CSK Captain In Place Of MS Dhoni By Ambati Rayudu)

    #OneFamily #MumbaiIndians @hardikpandya7 pic.twitter.com/XBs5eJFdfS

    Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 11, 2024

    In November last year, Pandya moved back from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise as part of a trade between both franchises. The star all-rounder spent two momentous years with GT, spearheading their campaign in the cash-rich league with aplomb. In GT's debut season in 2022, Hardik got them off to a fairytale start, with the team lifting the coveted trophy. (Mohammed Shami Not Available For T20 World Cup 2024 And IPL 2024, Confirms BCCI Secretary Jay Shah)

    In 31 matches for GT, Pandya scored 833 runs at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of over 133, with six half-centuries and a best score of 87*. He also took 11 wickets for the team, with the best figures of 3/17.

    Pandya also played 92 matches for MI from 2015-2021, scoring 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 at a strike rate of over 153, with four half-centuries and best score of 91. He also took 42 wickets for the team, with the best bowling figures of 3/20. Pandya has won five IPL trophies, four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and GT (2022).

    The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start from March 22, with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set to clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a South Indian derby at their home arena–MA Chidambaram Stadium. .

    Last year's runners-up Gujarat Titans and five-time champions Mumbai Indians will square off against each other in a mouth-watering clash on March 24 at Ahmedabad. The fixture has gained a lot of hype because of star all-rounder Pandya's move to his former franchise MI following two great seasons with GT. Shubman Gill has taken over the captaincy of GT.

    Mumbai Indians (MI) IPL 2024 squad: Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal. , Jason Behrendorff, Hardik Pandya (traded from GT), Romario Shepherd (traded from LSG), Gerald Coetzee, Dilshan Madushanka, Shreyas Gopal, Nuwan Thushara, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammad Nabi, Shivalik Sharma.

  • Explained: What Led To Ishan Kishan Losing BCCI Contract? Why Has Shreyas Iyer Been Punished? , cricket news

    Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were both in India’s World Cup squad and featured for the country in international cricket across formats. Kishan was India’s first-choice keeper in white-ball cricket after Rishabh Pant met with an accident. Kishan had a golden chance to become India’s first-choice keeper in Tests as well with good show in South Africa. Alas, that didn’t happen.

    Iyer played some of the best ODI innings of his life in the World Cup. He hit a hundred in the semifinal clash of the World Cup vs New Zealand. He was India’s No 5 fir the last one and a half years in Tests.

    Today, these two cricketers have been declined annual contracts from BCCI? But why? What is their fault? What led to BCCI punishing them like this? Let’s take a look at how things panned out since World Cup last year.

    Shreyas Iyer scored 530 runs in the 2023 World Cup and smashed a 70 ball hundred in the Semi Finals.

    3 months later he’s not part of the BCCI Central Contract – really unfortunate for Shreyas to not make the list, hope he makes a strong comeback. ___ pic.twitter.com/R2HJAgo8zG — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 28, 2024

    It all started in December 2023 when Ishan requested BCCI for a break from cricket. This request came right before the Test series and Kishan was a part of the squad. His request was approved and Kishan returned to India. However, reports poured in after a few days that BCCI management was upset with him as Kishan was allegedly partying in Dubai. When the Ranji Trophy season began, Kishan skipped one match after the other for Jharkhand. This irked BCCI further.

    Kishan was eventually not considered either in selection for Afghanistan T20Is and then England Tests. Rahul Dravid, speaking to the press before the T20Is, had said that Kishan is required to play some cricket for consideration for selection. At that point of time, he was unavailable for selection. Dravid’s statement was understood differently as many thought he was asking Kishan to play domestic cricket. Later, ahead of the Visakhapatnam Test, Dravid clarified his earlier statement, saying what he meant was that Kishan needed to play some cricket, not necessarily domestic cricket, to be considered for selection.

    It must be noted that in the period from Kishan flying back to India and then appearing in Baroda in February, his social media was also inactive. It was not known where he was and what he was doing before a report emerged that he was practicing with Hardik and Krunal Pandya at the Kiran More’s academy. Kishan continued to miss the Ranji Trophy games and chose to focus on fitness training and is now playing the DY Patil T20 Tournament in Mumbai with Hardik Pandya.

    Jay Shah, in his speech during the inauguration of the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, sent a strong message to all India cricketers, asking them to give domestic cricket their utmost priority.

    “They (the players) have been informed on phone already and I’m going to write letters as well that if your chairman of selectors, your coach and your captain are asking for it then you will have to play red-ball cricket.” He made it official when he sent a mail to all the centrally contracted players.

    As a result, when BCCI released the central contracts, we got to know that Shah was not merely sending a warning but he had indeed walked the talk.

    What happened with Shreyas Iyer?

    Shreyas Iyer’s case is entirely different from that of Kishan. Iyer, in fact, played a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai before the England tour to get back among runs. BCCI’s release said that Iyer and Kishan were not ‘considered’ for contracts. It is kind of strange how the board has lost faith in Iyer so soon as he recently played two Tests for India against England. He did not make it to the squad for the last 3 Tests against England.

    Dravid had categorically mentioned in the press conference that Iyer had missed out on the selection. There were no injury concerns but Iyer reportedly cited one as the reason for missing Mumbai’s quarterfinal clash. Later, National Cricket Academy’s medical team told BCCI that Iyer was totally fit and there was not even a niggle.

    This act by Iyer must have pushed BCCI to take action against him. By dropping these two cricketers off the contracts list, the message is clear: play domestic cricket, give priority to red-ball cricket, and do not just focus on T20 cricket.

  • Happy Valentine’s Day: Hardik Pandya’s Post For Wife Natasa Stankovic Goes Viral, Check Here

    Hardik, who exchanged vows with Natasa in 2020, shared a delightful snapshot alongside his beloved wife and their soon-to-be 4-year-old son, Agastya.

  • Did BCCI Just Send Last Warning To Ishan Kishan After He Skips National Duty, Ignores Ranji Trophy? , cricket news

    The BCCI are not very happy with some of their international stars deciding to skip the elite red-ball domestic tournament Ranji Trophy and putting all their focus on Indian Premier League. IPL 2024 is likely to start at the end of March. However, some players including Ishan Kishan decided to skip it and rather train in a private facility in Baroda to get ready for IPL. Kishan’s act has not gone down well with BCCI and the current team management.

    The Jharkhand wicketkeeper and batter had left the team in December last year just before the away Test series vs South Africa. He was part of the Test squad and was set to play in the two Tests as well. When Kishan left, it was reported that he had requested BCCI for a break as he had been traveling non-stop with the team since Asia Cup. But since then, Kishan has not found his way back into the team.

    Also Read | ‘Auraton Ke Bodies Ke Baare Mein…’, Jasprit Bumrah’s Wife Sanjana Ganesan Fat-Shamed On Instagram; Check Her Brilliant Reply To A Troll

    Reports started to come in about Kishan’s alleged indiscipline and poor attitude as his name did not feature in the T20Is vs Afghanistan at home. Back then, India head coach Rahul Dravid clarified to the press that Kishan needs to play domestic cricket to get his place back in the Indian team. Kishan was not available for selection, he had added. Despite Dravid’s statement, it was not confirmed whether Kishan was being dropped for his indiscipline.

    BCCI was initially upset with Kishan for going to party in Dubai after saying he needed a break. Then, the batter began to snub Ranji Trophy and missed five matches for the home side Jharkhand. JSCA secretary was quoted as saying that Kishan had not reached out to them regarding his availability for Ranji Trophy match and that he would feature in XI as soon as he made himself available. But days later, Kishan was found training at Kiran More Academy in Baroda with Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya.

    This act by Kishan has pushed BCCI to make it mandatory for national-level players to play in Ranji Trophy if they are not injured, recovering or on a break due to personal commitments. Players who are not currently part of the national squad or undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru received an email on Monday containing a directive. Effective immediately, they are required to join their respective state teams for the upcoming round of Ranji Trophy matches starting on February 16th.

    Kishan is expected to play the next match for Jharkhand in Jamshedput against Rajasthan. Not to forget, some of the veterans like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane are also playing Ranji Trophy. Prithvi Shaw joined Mumbai camp after recovering from knee injury and slammed a hundred too.

    Might be safe to say that Ishan Kishan’s career is over and management has moved passed him. Amidst all this, real victim is Sanju Samson who was ignored all these years for Ishan despite being a dedicated athlete. — Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) February 10, 2024

    This ruling by BCCI to instill discipline in players does not just limit to Kishan. Even Krunal Pandya and Deepak Chahar have not been playing Ranji Trophy matches despite being free from injuries.

    According to a BCCI official familiar with the decision, “Players cannot simply prioritize international cricket or the IPL. They must make themselves available for domestic cricket and honor their commitments to their respective state teams.”

    Clearly, this is a strong message from BCCI to Kishan and other players who needed this jolt. There are also reports that Kishan was not happy with Jitesh Sharma replacing him in the T20I XI against South Africa in December. Hopefully, some day, Kishan will come out with his own version of the recent developments but for now, he has been handed a lesson by BCCI and he must admit, it is for his own good.

  • IPL 2024: Gujarat Titans Head Coach Ashish Nehra Breaks Silence On Hardik Pandya Leaving Franchise, Lists Reason Why Shubman Gill Was Named Captain

    GT coach Ashish Nehra feels Shubman Gill is the right man to lead Gujarat Titans after Hardik Pandya left for Mumbai Indians.

  • World Cup 2023: India won the match, but captain Rohit Sharma was fined heavily, know why

    team india world cup 2023 Has also registered a spectacular victory in his fourth match. India defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets. captain Rohit Sharma Played a brilliant inning of 48 runs. But Rohit has suffered a setback. The Indian captain has been fined for driving at high speed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. He has been fined for driving Lamborghini Urus. Two challans were issued to Rohit and a fine of Rs 4000 was imposed on him. A senior police officer gave this information on Thursday.

    Police gave this information

    Highway Police Superintendent Lata Phad said the incident occurred on Tuesday and the fine was deposited the next day. Sub Inspector Amol Powar said that in the cameras installed on the expressway, the speed of Rohit Sharma’s luxury car near Kamshet Tunnel was estimated at 117 km per hour, which is much more than the speed limit of 105 km per hour. He told that after this the speed of the car near Somaten Phata was 111 km per hour. Rohit has deposited the fine amount.

    Virat Kohli scored a century

    Talking about the match, star batsman Virat Kohli not only led his team to victory by hitting a six but also completed his 48th century in ODIs. He is just one century away from equaling Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 ODI centuries. It is expected that in this season of the World Cup, Kohli will break Sachin’s record. India defeated Bangladesh with 51 balls remaining.

    Rohit Sharma missed half century

    Captain Rohit Sharma (48 runs on 40 balls) and Shubman Gill (53 runs on 55 balls) gave a good start to Team India by making a partnership of 88 runs for the first wicket. After Rohit’s dismissal, Virat Kohli came to the crease and got a great opportunity to play his bat by hitting a four and a six on a no ball. Kohli scored unbeaten 103 runs on 97 balls. He hit 6 fours and 4 sixes in his innings.

    Virat and KL Rahul led the victory

    Virat along with KL Rahul (34 not out) added 83 runs for the fourth wicket, taking India’s score to 261 runs for three wickets in 41.3 overs and India won the match. Before this, Shubman Gill scored his first half-century in the World Cup. Gill is making his debut in the World Cup this season. Due to illness, he missed the first two matches and could score only 16 runs against Pakistan.

    Bangladesh limited to 256 runs

    Batting first, despite a good start, Bangladesh could only score 256 runs for 8 wickets. Liton Das contributed the maximum of 66 runs and his opening partner Tanjid Hasan contributed 51 runs. Mahmudullah also scored 46 runs. For India, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Siraj took two wickets each. Kuldeep Yadav and Shardul Thakur took one wicket each.

    India and New Zealand clash on 22nd

    India and New Zealand are two teams who have won their four matches consecutively. The points of both the teams are 8-8, but due to better run rate, Kiwi team is at number one and India is at number two. India now has to play its next match against New Zealand on October 22 in Dharamshala. This could be a tough fight. India is a strong contender for the World Cup this time and has proved this with its performance so far.