“When you play against some really talented players and you take a look at the names in this tournament… You were at the top of your game back then, playing cricket for the international team.

“You lose these opportunities to perform in front of appreciative audiences and have that experience when you retire from music. It does make you realize how fortunate you were to play professional cricket for such a long time,” he continued.

Dhawan, who announced his retirement in August, said he was still coming to terms of playing again after a layoff and wanted to catch on with the rhythm.

“It was a challenging wicket to bat on, but it felt great to be back on the field.” A day after hitting fifty for Gujarat Greats versus Southern Super Stars, he stated, “It was turning a lot, and it’s nice to middle the ball and score some runs.”

He remarked, “But I felt good and was tired too because I played matches after 4-5 months, which is pretty normal.”

After playing his last international match ten years ago, Abdur Razzak of Bangladesh has been focusing on giving it his all while simultaneously watching the national team’s tour.

“I work as a selector, which is a challenging job that I do full-time,” he remarked.

“There is a lot of people and an amazing atmosphere that they create, so the feelings and atmosphere are pretty similar,” he continued.

The post Ian Bell: LLC Tournaments Shine Light on the Blessings of Playing for Your Country appeared first on Cricket Country.

When Dhawan replaced Rohit Sharma in an ODI against Sri Lanka in June 2021, he became India’s 25th captain of the format. He went on to captain the team in 12 matches, winning seven and losing three.

However, Dhawan had to give way to Shubman Gill, a younger batter, prior to the ODI World Cup last year. In December 2022, he made his final appearance for India abroad.

“If I look back, the last two years of my cricketing career, I wasn’t playing much of international cricket and I was playing IPL to IPL, so I wasn’t playing much of cricket (overall),” said the powerful opener.

After playing in 222 matches and scoring 6769 runs, including two hundreds and 51 half-centuries, he departed the stadium as a true IPL legend.

In addition to being the first batter to hit consecutive hundreds in the competition, he has the most fours in the tournament (768), more than any other batter.

Before making the significant decision, he shared his innermost thoughts. “I thought that, ‘alright, I’ve played enough, and I need to give it a break because I’m not playing that much cricket, so you lose the touch as well,” he remarked.

Dhawan, who briefly captained Punjab Kings in the previous season, added that he came to the realization that practicing for the IPL for two to three months would not guarantee him a spot on the national team.

“I thought that continuing IPL and just coming up with two, three months of hard work won’t be enough for me to go and play,” he stated.

Dhawan, who finished his voyage with an incredible average of 65.15, the highest of any Indian hitter in ICC limited-overs events, repeated his statement of satisfaction.

“That’s why I decided to just call it off, and to be honest, I was extremely grateful and happy with everything I had accomplished in my career.”

“Obviously, we would have been thrilled to win the World Cup,” added Dhawan, who competed in the ODI World Cup in 2015 and 2019 and captained India to victory in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Former India opener Dhawan, who has amassed 5,193 runs at 45.15 in 117 matches with 18 hundreds and 15 half-centuries, is ranked ninth overall in the record of highest partnership runs in career for any wicket with India skipper Rohit Sharma.

Dhawan expressed his satisfaction with Rohit’s career reaching new heights, citing his leadership of India’s T20 World Cup victory as the high point.

“He’s a great captain, and so happy that he led the team and won the World Cup for our nation. We were waiting for that World Cup for a long time. We were very close in (winning) the ODI World Cup as well, and now we achieved that goal in T20Is,” Dhawan said.

“He’s a very experienced captain, and I’m sure all the boys love him as a leader and he has done a phenomenal job for the Indian team,” he added.

The post Shikhar Dhawan Reflects on Retirement: ‘Lack of Inspiration for Domestic Cricket’ appeared first on Cricket Country.

It was the 83-run play by Dhawan and Morne Van Wyk that mostly contributed in the franchise scoring 173/7.Opener Wyk scored 115 not out in 69 balls, and skipper Shikhar scored 21 off 20 balls.

Urbanrisers Hyderabad won the toss and decided to bat first. George Worker was the opener for the innings for Urbanrisers Hyderabad. The team lost their first wicket at 19 runs as George dot dismissed for 13 off 8 balls.

Chadwick Walton could only then add 17 more runs in 12 balls before getting dismissed as well, and they were 36/3 in 4.2 overs. skipper Suresh Raina, with Rikki Clarke added 46 runs for fourth wicket. Raina played a valid inning of 44 in 27 balls and Rikki mad 15 runs off 17 balls.

Gurpreet Singh Mann made 27 off 19 balls. Reaching the end, Peter Trego was unbeaten on 36 off 25 balls and helped his team make a total of 172/7 in 20 overs.

The post Gujarat Greats beat Urbanrisers Hyderabad in Opening match of LLC 2024 appeared first on Cricket Country.

Though he gave the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad on the eve of the 2024 season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Dhoni did not stop with his outings with the bat and his all-time famous wicket keeping.

Now, as the mega auctions of the IPL 2025 comes close, questions about Dhoni’s future began yet again.

According to a report, CSK is going to retain MS Dhoni, though it will be at a lower retention value. A group of players namely Shivam Dube and Sri Lankan pace sensation Matheesha Pathirana, as well as Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad are likely to be retained at a higher value than Dhoni.

The post CSK take their decision on Dhoni, draft 5-man retention ahead of IPL 2025: Report appeared first on Cricket Country.

On September 20, LLC’s third season gets off, with former IPL players Dinesh Karthik and Shikhar Dhawan returning to the competition after retiring from international cricket.

This LLC is now quite competitive. You’re playing on various wickets and in various locations. There are numerous celebrities. You have the opportunity to see myself, Chris Gayle, (Ambati) Rayudu, Yusuf (Pathan), Irfan (Pathan), and Robin (Uthappa).

“To hit a six, you must still be in good shape. Four quality overs are still required from you. The yorkers still need to be bowled. It won’t be simple for someone to join this, in my opinion. “They cannot simply retire there and return here because LLC is currently experiencing intense competition,” Raina stated in response to a question concerning players who prematurely retired to play in other leagues.

An active cricketer for the BCCI is not permitted to play in any league other than the IPL.

Rayudu stated he can recall his time as a competitive cricket player because of the occasion. “I’ve participated in one competition. We had a great time being outside. It is difficult at first to return to the nets after retirement, but once you do, and you begin to think back on those occasions in your life, he added.

“We are really fortunate that there is LLC happening and it is a great motivation for us to even you know keep ourselves fit and also keep practicing,” stated Rayudu.

For Konark Suryas Odisha, who will be led by Irfan, Rayudu will make his debut. Sanpriya Group supports the team.

“Odisha has a rich history of sports and talent, and with Irfan Pathan leading the Konark Suryas Odisha team, and other talented players including, Ambati Rayudu, through this league, we aim to further strengthen the foundations of both cricket and sports in the state,” Enakshi Priyam, chief operating officer of Sanpriya Group

The post Suresh Raina Warns: ‘You Can’t Just Turn Up and Perform in Competitive Leagues Like LLC’ appeared first on Cricket Country.

The opening match of the LLC will be played on September 20 and it will be played between  Harbhajan Singh-led defending champions Manipal Tigers and Konark Suryas Odisha captained by Irfan Pathan at the Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur on September 20.

A total of 25 matches will be played among the six teams and the last two teams standing will play the final in Srinagar on October 16.

Legends League Cricket full schedule –

Jodhpur:

20th September 2024: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Manipal Tigers

21st September 2024: India Capitals vs Hyderabad Team

22nd September 2024: Manipal Tigers vs Gujarat Team

23rd September 2024: Southern Superstars vs Gujarat Team

25th September 2024: Hyderabad Team vs Southern Superstars

26th September 2024: Southern Superstars vs Gujarat Team

Surat:

27th September 2024: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Manipal Tigers

28th September 2024: Hyderabad Team vs Gujarat Team

29th September 2024: India Capitals vs Konark Suryas Odisha

30th September 2024: India Capitals vs Manipal Tigers

1st October 2024: Manipal Tigers vs Southern Superstars

2nd October 2024: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Southern Superstars

Jammu:

3rd October 2024: Manipal Tigers vs Hyderabad Team

4th October 2024: India Capitals vs Konark Suryas Odisha

5th October 2024: Hyderabad Team vs Gujarat Team

6th October 2024: India Capitals vs Southern Superstars

6th October 2024: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Hyderabad Team

7th October 2024: India Capitals vs Gujarat Team

Srinagar:

9th October 2024: Hyderabad Team vs Southern Superstars

10th October 2024: India Capitals vs Manipal Tigers

11th October 2024: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Gujarat Team

12th October 2024: Qualifier (Position 1 vs Position 2)

13th October 2024: Eliminator (Position 3 vs Position 4)

14th October 2024: Semi-Final (Loser Qualifier vs Eliminator Winner)

16th October 2024: Final (Winner Qualifier vs Winner Semis)

The post 4 cities, 25 matches: Legends League Cricket 2024 to commence from September 20 appeared first on Cricket Country.

1. Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh, 2024 – 190 runs

India would go on to lose 4 wickets in the powerplay, however captain Rohit Sharma would hold his wicket on one end. On the other end, Rinku came out to bat at the sixth spot and both the batters started smashing the Afghanistan bowlers around the park. Rohit smacked a fabulous ton and remained unbeaten on 121 while Rinku remained unbeaten on 69 as India posted a huge total of 212/4 after 20 overs.

2. Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda, 2022 – 176 runs

After losing Ishan Kishan early, Samson and Hooda formed an incredible partnership and decimated the Irish bowling attack with their powerful hitting. While Samson departed for 77, Hooda scored a magnificent century before losing his wicket on 104. This massive stand carried India to a humongous total of 225/7 after the end of the allotted 20 overs.

3. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, 2017 – 165 runs

The opening duo of Rohit and Rahul gave an incredible start to the Men in Blue in Indore as they smacked the Sri Lankan bowlers in every corner of the stadium. The former would go on to score a magnificent century while Rahul also contributed greatly to the Indian team’s total with his knock of 89. The massive opening stand ensured that the hosts posted a huge total and that is exactly what happened as India finished their 20 overs at 260/5.

4. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, 2023 – 165 runs

After being given a target of 179 runs by the West Indies, both Jaiswal and Gill went all out and destroyed the opposing bowling attack. Both the opening batters hit some absolutely tremendous shots to reach their half-centuries in no time. Gill would lose his wicket on 77, however Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 85 to take the Men in Blue home with a comfortable 9-wicket win in only 17 overs.

5. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, 2018 – 160 runs

The reliable opening pair of Rohit and Shikhar gave India a fantastic start against Ireland. Both the batters played some incredible shots to quickly reach their half-centuries. However, they didn’t stop there and kept on hammering the Irish bowling attack. Rohit would miss out on a well-deserved hundred by just 3 runs while Shikhar would lose his wicket on 74 as the Men in Blue posted a gigantic total of 208/5 after 20 overs.

The post Top 5 highest partnerships for India in T20I cricket appeared first on Cricket Country.

“Very funny guy. He does not take anything personally. He is one of those few guys who can take a great joke on himself. He can make a joke about himself. That is a great quality. He will laugh at the first moment in the joke,” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.

“Very, very well done, Shikhar Dhawan on a wonderful career. I hope you will be the same. Jolly old spirit, happiness. I do not doubt that. A positive person like Shikhar. He enjoys life. He has an exuberance. At the same time, he is very smart,” Ashwin said.

Dhawan announced his retirement from both domestic and international cricket on August 24.Dhawan was a top-order ODI batter, and announced his retirement two years after featuring last time for the team.

The post Ravichandran Ashwin praises Retired Shikhar Dhawan for his Charming Personality appeared first on Cricket Country.

On September 20, the league will begin play at Jodhpur’s Barkatullah Khan Stadium. Six teams will compete in a total of 25 matches, with the top two teams advancing to the October 16 final.

The franchise-based competition, with a player pool of more than 200, will hold its championship match at Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium.

“Legends League Cricket is back for another season and we are very excited to also be playing in Kashmir this season. This is a huge opportunity for the people of Kashmir to come to the stadium and watch live cricketing action for the first time in almost 40 years,” said Raman Raheja, Co-Founder, Legends League Cricket.

“It also presents a unique opportunity for the cricketers to experience the beauty of Kashmir and enjoy the hospitality and love of the wonderful people of Srinagar.”

The organisers stated that the league attracted a massive audience of 180 million across India during the previous season, spanning 19 matches.

“With an extended schedule and a star-studded lineup, including the recently retired Dhawan and Karthik, the upcoming season is poised to surpass previous records,” the organisers stated.

Former international greats including Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch, Martin Guptill, current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, Chris Gayle, Hashim Amla, Ross Taylor, and many more competed among 110 other famous cricketers in the previous edition, which was hosted in India.

The league will begin play in Jodhpur and travel to Surat’s Lalbhai Contractor Stadium.

The third leg is scheduled to take place in Jammu at the Maulana Azad Stadium.

This Thursday is where the players’ auction for the tournament will take place.

The post Legends League Cricket Makes Grand Return to Kashmir with Star-Studded Season 3 appeared first on Cricket Country.

2007 T20 World Cup winning wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik is going to be a part of the event. Dinesh had also announced his retirement from international cricket during the earlier time of this year.

“Playing at the Legends League Cricket is definitely something I am looking forward to after my retirement. I am up to the task both mentally and physically and look forward to playing the brand of cricket I have always enjoyed. Most importantly, to the fans, thank you for your constant support and I hope to entertain you once again on the field,” Dinesh Karthik was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“We are very excited to have Dinesh Karthik join us. His flair, his penchant to finish matches and entertain the crowd will undoubtedly add value to the Legends League Cricket. We look forward to seeing him in action alongside other cricket legends further cementing out position as the 2nd innings for legendary Cricketers,” said Raman Raheja, Co-founder of Legends League Cricket welcoming Karthik to the league.

The post Following Shikhar Dhawan, India’s T20 World Cup winning Wicket-Keeper joins Legends League Cricket appeared first on Cricket Country.