Sports

Spotlight on Rohit’s Performance and Kohli’s Status as India Seeks ODI Series Victory

Published

9 months ago

February 10, 2025

India’s ongoing concern regarding skipper Rohit Sharma’s consistent struggles at the crease continues to haunt the team as they prepare for the second ODI against England in Cuttack this Sunday. The potential return of Virat Kohli, however, raises a selection dilemma that needs addressing as India aims to secure the series.

Following their four-wicket victory in Nagpur, India holds a 1-0 lead, but Kohli’s absence due to knee soreness has sparked worries about his fitness ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to begin on February 19.

Vice-captain Shubman Gill hinted that Kohli could return for the second ODI, and Kohli himself has been seen traveling with the team to Cuttack, appearing relaxed.

The 36-year-old batter’s return would undoubtedly enhance the team’s prospects as they head into the Champions Trophy, but it complicates selection decisions. Shreyas Iyer, who stepped in for Kohli at the last moment, made a remarkable 59 runs off just 36 balls, making his exclusion nearly impossible.

Based on his performance in the first ODI, it seems Kohli might replace Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had a disappointing debut. This would see Gill likely partnering Rohit at the top of the order, with Kohli moving into the one-down position.

Moreover, Kohli himself needs to regain his form, and a strong performance is crucial for him if he returns. His recent struggles in Australia, where he frequently edged balls to the slips, have led to increasing scrutiny of his performance.

In his last competitive match for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, Kohli scored only six runs before being bowled by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan.

Despite these challenges, Kohli has historically been formidable in ODIs. He requires just 94 runs to become the third player to reach 14,000 runs in the format, following Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234). Kohli has played 283 ODI innings, and if he reaches the milestone, he will do so faster than Tendulkar (350 innings) and Sangakkara (378).

The Indian bowling lineup appears stable, with Mohammed Shami gradually regaining his rhythm after a year-long injury absence. He started with a maiden over in Nagpur and later controlled the middle overs, finishing with figures of 1/38 from eight overs.

Debutant Harshit Rana faced difficulties early on against Phil Salt, making him the most expensive bowler in Nagpur. However, he made significant contributions by taking crucial wickets of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in one over, shifting the momentum in favor of India. With concerns surrounding Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness, Rana has a chance to solidify his position with another strong performance.

England, on the other hand, will need to adjust their overly aggressive batting strategy in order to stay competitive in the series. It will be essential for the English batsmen to effectively counter the Indian spinners, who have been a consistent source of trouble for them throughout their tour of India this year.

Teams:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakaravarthy.

England: Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Philip Salt, Jamie Smith, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, and Mark Wood.

Related Topics:Rohit Sharma Yashasvi Jaiswal

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India Creates History: Wins First-Ever Women’s World Cup Title

Published

6 days ago

November 3, 2025

Namma Kudla

Mumbai: At last, victory has finally come India’s way. The Indian women’s cricket team has won its first-ever Women’s World Cup title, making history and bringing joy to millions of fans across the country.

This is India’s maiden World Cup triumph after reaching the finals three times in the tournament’s history. The team defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the 2025 final to lift the coveted trophy.

India had earlier reached the finals in 2005 and 2017, but lost on both occasions. However, this time, they made history on home soil by clinching the long-awaited title.

Since the Women’s World Cup began in 1973, only three teams had won the tournament — England, Australia, and New Zealand. England won the first-ever World Cup by defeating Australia. Later, Australia dominated the competition, winning three consecutive titles.

England returned to glory in 1993, defeating New Zealand, while New Zealand became new champions in 2000 after beating Australia in the final.

After a gap of 25 years, the world has seen a new champion — India.

Australia went on to win again in 2005, 2013, and 2022, while England lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2017. Now, in 2025, host nation India has joined the elite list of World Cup winners.

In the semifinals, India created history by chasing down 338 runs against Australia, one of the highest successful chases in women’s cricket history.

The nation erupted in celebration as India’s women cricketers brought home the first-ever Women’s World Cup title, marking a golden chapter in Indian cricket.India had earlier reached the finals in 2005 and 2017, but lost on both occasions. However, this time, they made history on home soil by clinching the long-awaited title.

England returned to glory in 1993, defeating New Zealand, while New Zealand became new champions in 2000 after beating Australia in the final.

After a gap of 25 years, the world has seen a new champion — India.

Australia went on to win again in 2005, 2013, and 2022, while England lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2017. Now, in 2025, host nation India has joined the elite list of World Cup winners.

In the semifinals, India created history by chasing down 338 runs against Australia, one of the highest successful chases in women’s cricket history.

The nation erupted in celebration as India’s women cricketers brought home the first-ever Women’s World Cup title, marking a golden chapter in Indian cricket.

Sports

Shreyas Iyer Admitted to ICU After Spleen Injury in Sydney

Published

2 weeks ago

October 27, 2025

Namma Kudla

Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer has been admitted to the ICU in Sydney after suffering internal bleeding and a laceration to his spleen during the third ODI against Australia.

Iyer was injured while taking a stunning catch to dismiss Alex Carey and was rushed to the hospital after feeling severe pain in his left rib cage. The BCCI confirmed that scans revealed a spleen injury, but said he is “medically stable and recovering well.”

Doctors in Sydney and India are closely monitoring his condition. Sources told PTI that the injury could have been fatal, but Iyer is now stable and under observation for a few days.

The 30-year-old, who recently returned from a back injury, may face an extended recovery period before returning to action.

Sports

Virat Kohli’s Cryptic Post Ends Retirement Rumours

Published

3 weeks ago

October 16, 2025

Namma Kudla

Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has put an end to rumours about his retirement with a powerful message on social media. Just hours after landing in Australia for the ODI series, Kohli shared a cryptic post on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “Only time you fail is when you stop trying.”

This post comes amid growing speculation about his future in international cricket. Kohli, 36, recently retired from T20Is and also stepped away from Test cricket earlier this month. His latest post signals that he is not done with the game yet and is focused on the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, starting October 19 in Perth.

Kohli’s post was his first non-promotional tweet since September and has brought relief to fans who were concerned about his future. Both Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain part of India’s ODI plans, though their roles beyond the Australia series are still unclear.

BCCI officials, however, have confirmed that the duo will also feature in the upcoming home series against South Africa and New Zealand, as well as play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy later this year.