Gambhir’s time as the India head coach has so far been quite disappointing. Under his guidance, the Men in Blue suffered a defeat in the ODI series against Sri Lanka and also slumped to a humiliating 0-3 Test series defeat at home to New Zealand.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss led to more criticism for Gambhir with Tiwary saying that he has not shown the kind of coaching that was expected.

“Gautam Gambhir is a hypocrite. He doesn’t do what he says. The captain (Rohit) is from Mumbai, Abhishek Nayar is from Mumbai. Rohit has been pushed to the forefront. There is no one to speak for Jalaj Saxena. He performs well but keeps quiet,” Tiwary told News18Bangla.

“What is the use of a bowling coach? Whatever the coach says, he will agree. Morne Morkel came from Lucknow Super Giants. Abhishek Nayar was at Kolkata Knight Riders with Gambhir and the Indian head coach knows that he will not go against his instructions,” Tiwary added.

Tiwary also believes that Gambhir doesn’t have a good relationship with skipper Rohit Sharma. He also questioned as to how the duo will work together by comparing their achievements and saying that while Rohit is a World Cup-winning captain, Gambhir’s feats as captain are restricted to the IPL.

“How will they work together? Rohit is a World Cup-winning captain while Gambhir led KKR to IPL titles both as a captain and mentor. Gambhir didn’t guide KKR to the title single-handedly as we all performed as a unit. Jacques Kallis, Sunil Narine and I, all contributed to the cause. But who took the credit? There is an environment and PR that allows him to take all the credit,” Tiwary said.

The post ‘Gautam Gambhir is a hypocrite’: Ex-India star BLASTS head coach following Australia series defeat appeared first on Cricket Country.

“What happened with Kohli there – Kohli was bang out of order. Virat Kohli should have been banned for what he did. You know how much I love Virat Kohli and what he has done for the game, but there’s a line, and you do not cross it,” Harmison told the talkSPORT Cricket podcast.

Following the incident, the International Cricket Council (ICC) fined Kohli 20 per cent of his match fee. This was done so because Kohli had made physical contact with Konstas and his actions breached ICC’s Code of Conduct.

Harmison also advised Konstas to improve his defensive technique rather than trying to emulate former Australia opener David Warner and his attacking playstyle.

“Sam has got the scoops, he’s got the big shots. But does he have the defensive technique for Test match cricket against the world’s best? That’s something he needs to figure out. If he gets it right, he has a great chance because he can be aggressive and has a good mindset for attacking the ball. But I just think he wants to be David Warner, and technically, he’s nowhere near as good as Warner,” Harmison said.

“If he’s opening the batting against England, I’d be happy. I really would. But he’s only 19, and he’s going to improve. However, if he continues to be aggressive verbally, he’ll face consequences. India is one thing, but the Ashes – with all the pressure it brings – is another level entirely. I’ve no issue with him having a go at India; he tried to rile them up because they were wasting time, and India got Khawaja out and won. But the Ashes will be a different challenge,” Harmison said.

The post ‘Should have been banned…’: Ex-England star’s BLUNT verdict on the Virat Kohli-Sam Konstas spat appeared first on Cricket Country.

This report comes after several former India cricketers urged the star India batter to play domestic cricket in order to regain his form in Tests. Even head coach Gautam Gambhir also hinted that not only Virat but Rohit should also play domestic cricket since he also needs to drastically improve his form in the longest format.

If RCB reaches the final of the IPL which will be played on May 25, then Kohli will have roughly 14 days to play county cricket and get suitable with the English conditions before the 5-match Test series against The Three Lions commences.

Preparing for the swinging conditions in England will not be an easy task and Kohli himself knows that. The India batter has struggled in the past few Test series in England and the same would happen in the upcoming tour as well if he doesn’t take strict measures to improve his form.

Kohli had a brilliant start to the Border-Gavaskar series, slamming a century in the first Test held in Perth. However, his form dipped in the very next match and didn’t show much improvements in the remaining 3 Tests as well.

The 36-year-old will be looking to put the failures in Australia tour behind him and a stint in County Cricket can turn out to be very helpful for him in regaining his form. Spending time in English conditions would allow Kohli to sharpen his skills and also regain his confidence.

The post Virat Kohli likely to play county cricket in order to prepare for England Test series: Report appeared first on Cricket Country.

“The challenge is, and I can see it with Virat now, you can see how much he wants it. He’s trying so hard that actually makes batting harder. The harder you try sometimes with batting, the less success you’re going to have,” Ponting said.

“I started thinking more about not getting out rather than scoring runs and that might sound strange but that’s what it was. I was trying to be so perfect set the right example play exactly the way my team needed me all the time but when I was playing my best I didn’t think about any of that,” Ponting added.

Ponting believes that Kohli needs to rediscover his love for the game, adding that the India batter doesn’t want to play the deliveries pitched outside his off-stump, however there is some mental block due to which he is doing so.

“I just walked out and thought about scoring runs. I can just see a little bit of that with Virat now. Even the way that he’s getting out you can see he doesn’t want to be playing at those balls he’s trying not to do it but he’s there’s some mental block there that’s making him feel for that one outside the off stump,” Ponting said.

“He had a mental break (in the past) where he stepped away for a while and then came back and find the love for the game again. So right now it just seems like that real love of the game for him is not there because he’s making it too hard to enjoy. So if he wants to continue playing Test match cricket, he might just need to have a little spell for a while, find the love for the game again” Ponting added.

The post ‘He doesn’t want to…’: Australia great points out the MAJOR problem with Virat Kohli appeared first on Cricket Country.

Amid the massive announcement, several reports claimed that Chahal removed all pictures with Dhanashree from his social media account recently, giving rise to the divorce rumours.

Meanwhile, Chahal is reportedly set to appear on Bigg Boss 18 this Sunday according to the Times of India. The report further claimed that both Shreyas Iyer and Shashank Singh will also be appearing on the show. The trio are set to feature for the Punjab Kings in the upcoming season of the IPL.

Earlier, Dhanashree had broken her silence on divorce rumours with husband Chahal.

“The past few days have been incredibly tough for my family and me. What’s truly upsetting is the baseless writing, devoid of fact checking, and the character assassination of my reputation by faceless trolls spreading hate,” Dhanashree wrote in an Instagram story.

“I’ve worked hard for years to build my name and integrity. My silence is not a sign of weakness; but of strength. While negativity spreads easily online, it takes courage and compassion to uplift others. I choose to focus on my truth and move forward, holding onto my values. The truth stands tall without the need for justification,” Dhanashree further wrorte.

Following this, Chahal posted a cryptic message on Instagram which read: “Silence is a profound melody, for those who can hear it above all the noise.” – Socrates.

The post Yuzvendra Chahal and Shreyas Iyer to appear in Bigg Boss 18? Report makes HUGE claim appeared first on Cricket Country.

Guptill is leaving the sport as New Zealand’s top T20 run-scorer as he had scored 3,531 runs in 122 games. After Stephen Fleming and Ross Taylor, he is third on New Zealand’s all-time record as he has 7,346 runs in ODIs.

Guptill made a remarkable debut in 2009 when NZ defeated West Indies at Eden Park, and became the first player from NZ to hit a century in his maiden ODI. Later that same year, he also got selected for the ICC’s World ODI XI.

Guptill stated that playing for the Blackcaps was his childhood dream and that he felt very fortunate and happy that he got the chance to represent his country in 367 games. The 38-year-old even expressed gratitude to his coaches and teammates through the years.

“As a young kid it was always my dream to play for New Zealand and I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have played 367 games for my country. I will forever cherish the memories made wearing the silver fern alongside a great group of guys. I want to say a huge thanks to all my teammates and coaching staff over the years, in particular Mark O’Donnell, who has coached me since the Under 19 level and been a source of ongoing support and wisdom over my career,” said Guptill.

“A special thanks must also go to my manager Leanne McGoldrick – all of the work behind the scenes never went unnoticed and I’ll be forever appreciative of all your support. To my wife Laura and our beautiful children Harley and Teddy – thank-you. Thank you Laura for the sacrifices you have made for me and our family. You’ve been my biggest supporter, my rock and my counsel through all of the ups and downs that come with the game. I am eternally grateful. Finally I’d like to thank all the cricket fans, here in NZ and around the world for all their support throughout the years,” he added

The most memorable moment of Guptill’s career was when he made 237 not-out in 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup quarterfinal against West Indies in Wellington. His 189 not-out against England in 2013, along with 180 not-out against South Africa are some other

The post Few weeks before Champions Trophy, Legendary New Zealand batter announces retirement from International cricket appeared first on Cricket Country.

The video shows Dhoni and Ziva showing their pet a lot of love and affection. Ziva helped Dhoni to brush the dog’s fur, which resulted in a scene that shows love and family unity. In contrast to his calm behaviour on cricket field, this moment bought out Dhoni’s hearty side.

Millions of people around the world have come to appreciate Dhoni even more as this heartfelt gesture has confirmed his affection for animals and his role as a loving father. The video was shared on the official X account of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), as they captioned it, “Therapawtic!”

Therapawtic!💛

📹 : ziva singh dhoni pic.twitter.com/Qs4yoybB60

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) January 8, 2025

Dhoni had assisted India in winning three ICC championships between 2007 and 2013. Dhoni made his debut in 2004 and saw social media emerging on, but felt that if he performs well no publicity would be needed for him.

Now the captain cool will be seen in action as he takes part in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He got retained by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for INR 4 crore.

The post WATCH: CSK shared MS Dhoni and his daughter’s video, Spotted grooming their pet Dog appeared first on Cricket Country.

Veteran India cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had a tour to forget as both of them gave dismal batting performances throughout the 5 Tests. However, the duo are still expected to be a part of India’s squad for the England Test series which will be played in June due to their ‘superstar’ status.

Harbhajan said that selection for the away series against England should completely be dependent on performances. He even went on to say that if players get picked just because of their reputation, then legendary cricketers like Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev can also find a place in the squad.

“There is a superstar culture which has developed. We don’t need superstars, we need performers. If the team has them (performers), it will move forward. Whoever wants to become a superstar should stay at home and play cricket there,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

“There is a tour of England coming up. Now everyone has started talking about what will happen in England, who will go, who will not go. For me, it is a simple matter. Only players who are performing should go. You can’t keep picking players on their reputation,” Harbhajan said.

“If you do that, then you should take Kapil Dev sir and Anil bhai also. Here, the BCCI and the selectors will have to be firm and act tough. I don’t think that the superstar attitude is taking the team forward,” Harbhajan further said.

It will be interesting to see whether Rohit and Virat will still feature for the Men in Blue for the England tour or the team will undergo major changes for the important Test series against The Three Lions.

The post ‘Stay at home and play cricket’: Harbhajan Singh BLASTS ‘superstar culture’ in Indian team appeared first on Cricket Country.

Dhanashree has been facing a lot of criticism and trolling on social media, to which she has finally decided to speak up against. She revealed how this unnecessary trolling has been very tough for her and her family. though she did not address the divorce rumours, she completely shut down the critics as she stated that her silence is not her weakness and the truth does not need justification.

“The past few days have been incredibly tough for my family and me. What’s truly upsetting is the baseless writing, devoid of fact checking, and the character assassination of my reputation by faceless trolls spreading hate. I’ve worked hard for years to build my name and integrity. My silence is not a sign of weakness; but of strength. While negativity spreads easily online, it takes courage and compassion to uplift others. I choose to focus on my truth and move forward, holding onto my values. The truth stands tall without the need for justification,” wrote Dhanashree on her Instagram story.

During the rumours of his divorce from Dhanashree Verma, Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal further sparked these rumours as he did a strange act on social media. Notably, Chahal removed all the photos he had with Dhanashree from his account.

The specific reasons for this act are yet to be known, but some people close to the couple claim that they have been living apart for a few months and the chances of them going their own ways is likely. Chahal and Dhanashree are now on the verge or divorcing after 5 years of marriage.

The post ‘My silence is not sign of weakness…’: Yuzvendra Chahal’s wife shares Emotional post amid Divorce rumours appeared first on Cricket Country.

According to Ponting, Kohli is trying too hard which has been resulting in him being hurt. After he nicked the ball to the slips during India’s second innings of the Sydney test, he was spotted expressing his frustration.

“…The challenge is, and I can see it with Virat now, you can see how much he wants it. He’s trying so hard that actually makes batting harder. The harder you try sometimes with batting, the less success you’re going to have. I started thinking more about not getting out rather than scoring runs and that might sound strange but that’s what it was. I was trying to be so perfect set the right example play exactly the way my team needed me all the time but when I was playing my best I didn’t think about any of that.,” Ponting told ICC.

“I just walked out and thought about scoring runs. I can just see a little bit of that with Virat now. Even the way that he’s getting out you can see he doesn’t want to be playing at those balls he’s trying not to do it but he’s there’s some mental block there that’s making him feel for that one outside the off stump,” he added.

According to Ponting, Kohli needs a kind of vacation from the game, as the star batter is unable to play freely because of the pressure of expectations and ongoing failure.

“A break can only help the Indian legend. He had a mental break (in the past) where he stepped away for a while and then came back and find the love for the game again. So right now it just seems like that real love of the game for him is not there because he’s making it too hard to enjoy. So if he wants to continue playing Test match cricket, he might just need to have a little spell for a while, find the love for the game again,” Ponting told ICC.

After India had an England tour in 2022, Kohli had been in a similar situation where he could not perform well, and hence he took a 42-day vacation. The star batter stated that it was the first time in his career where he had not touched the bat for 30 days. After that he made a comeback in the sport and had impressive outcomes, which might happen once again if he goes on according to the advice of the former Australian captain.

The post ‘Making it too hard to enjoy…’: Ricky Ponting advices Virat Kohli to ‘Take a Break’ in order to surpass his Lean patch appeared first on Cricket Country.