Kohli is currently facing a lot of criticism from cricket experts and fans after he failed to perform in the five Test matches against Australia. He set off the series with an unbeaten century, but failed to keep that momentum. He ended the series with just 190 runs. Faf also spoke about Kohli’s retirement, stating that bidding farewell from the sport is a very personal choice.

“That is very, very personal. No one can speak to you about when that time is (up) as a player, you’ll know,” du Plessis told PTI on the sidelines of the SA20 Season 3’s Captain’s Day.

“I know someone like him is super super motivated, he’s gone through it all before, so he knows exactly what to do,” he added.

After he failed to perform well in the five-match Test series against Australia, the star batter will most likely appear for India in he upcoming three-match ODI series against England, set to begin February 6. This will be last ODI series for India before the 2025 edition of Champions Trophy.

The post ‘No one can speak…’: Virat Kohli’s Ex-IPL teammate passes Judgement on his retirement after flop show in Border-Gavaskar Trophy appeared first on Cricket Country.

After failing to sign both Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, DC acquired the services of KL Rahul for a fee of INR 14 crore before also bringing in senior South African cricketer and former Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Faf du Plessis for his base price of INR 2 crore.

When asked about the captaincy role, Jindal stated that Axar has spent a long time with the franchise and highlighted the all-rounder’s vice-captaincy role in the previous season, adding that the management will make the decision on the leadership role later. 

Axar was DC’s top retention pick ahead of the IPL auction and the franchise gave him a fee of INR 18 crore to remain with the side for the next season. The all-rounder is also currently leading Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

“It’s a bit premature to talk about the captaincy. Axar Patel has been with the franchise for a very long time and he was the vice-captain for the last cycle, so we don’t know whether it’s going to be Axar or whether it’s going be somebody else. A lot has to happen. I spoke to KL but haven’t met him yet. I know him very well personally, I will understand from him (what he thinks), and, it will boil down to what the coaching group and finally what Kiran (Grandhi, the co-owner) and I want to do. There’s a lot of time for that,” Jindal told ESPNCricinfo.

Jindal also stated that the franchise wanted to buy either one of Pant, Iyer and Rahul heading into the auction in Riyadh.

“Going into the auction, obviously we had a budget in mind for a marquee Indian batsman. Shreyas and Rishabh were coming out in the first set and KL was coming out in the second set. We were very clear that between the three of them, we needed to get one. So we went all the way for Shreyas. Frankly, it (Shreyas’ bid) went a bit too high and I think my reaction was very visible on the table (chuckles) – it (the bid) had crossed all budgets,” Jindal said.

The post NOT KL Rahul: DC co-owner offers captaincy role to THIS India star following IPL auction appeared first on Cricket Country.

As soon as the replay was shown on the big screen, Morrisville Samp Army player Faf Du Plessis could not resist himself from giggling. Even other opponents like Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine and Reece Topley were laughing in the dugout.

The Hazrat was ashamed of himself for bowling such a big no-ball. On the next delivery after the no-ball, Donovan Ferreira sliced his wound even more as he hit a maximum over the deep extra cover.

Surely this is fixing.
Hazrat Bilal bowled a big no ball it was so bad his teammates were laughing at him . pic.twitter.com/wj9fMZtEJg

— Sports Spotlight (@SSpotlight71) November 22, 2024

This video did not take time to go viral on social media, as it was making rounds on ‘X’. Even former Australian opener David Warner gave his reaction to this incident as he went on to his official X account and wrote, “Was this a free hit??”

The @AbudhabiT10 league 😂😂😂 was this a free hit?? pic.twitter.com/EvpHkrKuKx

— David Warner (@davidwarner31) November 22, 2024

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Now there are rumours circulating that Virat Kohli will be the captain and lead the franchise once again, even though he left captaincy after 2021. However, the director of cricket for RCB clarified that no solid decision has been taken regarding the captaincy of the franchise for the nearcoming tournament.

Talking in a video after the announcement of retentions, Mo Bobat ruled out that Kohli to have been confirmed as the captain.

“I am sorry to disappoint everybody listening. We have not made any decision related to captaincy or on that (Kohli returning as skipper) as yet. We are open to options. The only obvious decision we made was not to retain Faf. He did a great job last year and the year before that. So from our perspective, we will keep a very open mind when we head to the auction,” said Bobat in a video posted by RCB.

The post Will Virat Kohli lead RCB in IPL 2025? Franchise gives Captaincy update appeared first on Cricket Country.

A day before the deadline to submit the list of retentions, rumours are also circulating that since Faf du Plessis will most likely not take the lead and Virat Kohli might take over the role back again. A source from RCB has informed that they have not decided on the captain and that a call will be made after the mega auctions.

“We did have a conversation about the future. For now, looking at the past few seasons and upcoming auction, we need to build our team. There is no surety over who will lead the team. However, if required, we may ask Virat to do the honours. It depends on the auction and the players we rope in. A call will be taken on captaincy only after the auction and not before,” said the source.

The post Virat Kohli to be made RCB’s captain yet Again? Source gives out Massive information appeared first on Cricket Country.

Following the victory, St. Lucia Kings and Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Mohit Burman stated that a lot of hard work went behind the scenes and that they had been involved in the game for 16 years but the PBKS are yet to win a trophy.

“We have been putting in a lot of hard work – the infrastructure and the thought into the game for the past 16 years. We are yet to win the IPL, but certainly this will give us the confidence to build a great team there as well,” Burman said.

Burman was very happy that the team had finally crossed their final obstacle. He gave credit to the two-time T20 World Cup winning captain Daren Sammy, along with speaking about skipper Faf Du Plessis as well.

“We have been involved here since 4 years. By the grace of God, we’ve been in two finals and this year we won it all, truly happy and thankful to the team. Great year for St.Lucia, firstly winning the gold in the Olympics and now the CPL. Daren is from St Lucia and he is the coach of West Indies as well. When we first brought the team he was a player here too,” he said.

“Faf is an all time great, he’s been playing cricket for God knows how long and done amazingly well at the IPL. Between the coach and the captain, they put in a great team together and this is where we are at tonight, the CPL champions,” he added.

The post Punjab Kings co-owner gives his Statement after St. Lucia Kings wins first-ever CPL Trophy appeared first on Cricket Country.

The St. Lucia-based franchise faced-off against the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the final on Sunday, October 6 at the Providence Stadium. Batting first, the Warriors could only manage to score 138 runs before the Kings chased down the total in 18.1 overs thanks to great knocks from both Aaron Jones and Roston Chase.

With that, the St. Lucia Kings were crowned as CPL 2024 champions, their first-ever title in history. As Faf was handed over the prized trophy, he took a page out of Rohit’s book of celebrations and recreated an iconic moment.

Faf imitated Rohit’s slow-motion walk to the celebration podium with the trophy as his team patiently waited for him to kick off the celebration.

 Rohit’s celebratory moment during the World Cup became a symbol of pride for Indian cricket fans, and du Plessis’ playful imitation was a nod to that iconic image.

The post WATCH: Faf du Plessis drops Rohit Sharma’s celebration after winning CPL title appeared first on Cricket Country.

RCB hosted CSK in the last league stage match of the season for both teams, trailing the 5-time champions by just 2 points on the league table. Due to RCB having an inferior run-rate than CSK they had o win this match by any means and they ended updoing that exactly and in the process, put CSK out of contention as well.

In the final over of the match, CSK needed 17 runs to make it to the top four. RCB captain Faf du Plessis gave the ball to young pacer Yash Dayal. This turned out to be a master-stroke as after getting hit for a six on the first ball of the over by MS Dhoni, Dayal dismissed the legendary wicketkeeper-batter with his next delivery. This wicket would prove to be crucial as RCB would go on to win the match and reach the playoffs over CSK.

However, RCB’s victory celebration led to a massive controversy as their team ignored Dhoni who was standing on the field waiting to shake hands with them. Eventually, Dhoni left the field without shaking hands with the RCB players.

Harbhajan, who was on commentary duty in Bengaluru that day, has now revealed some untold details about the incident. He revealed that Dhoni lost his cool that day and punched a screen while walking back to the dressing room.

“RCB was celebrating and they deserved to celebrate because of the way they won. I was watching the whole scene from above because I was present there. RCB was celebrating and CSK had lined up to shake hands, RCB were a little late to reach CSK. By the time Team RCB finished their celebration, (Dhoni) went inside and he punched a screen outside the dressing room. I was watching from above but it is okay that every player has his own emotions, it happens,” Dhoni said in an interaction with Sports Yaari.

The post “He punched a screen…”: Harbhajan Singh reveals untold IPL story involving MS Dhoni appeared first on Cricket Country.

1. Virat Kohli

The world’s fittest cricket player is none other than Indian player Virat Kohli. At thirty-five, Kohli keeps up a strict five-day fitness regimen that incorporates functional, aerobic, and weight training. High-protein, boiled, and steamed dishes are the mainstays of his diet, however he occasionally treats himself to Rajma and Lobhiya.

2. Mitchell Starc

The 34-year-old Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is one of the fittest cricket players in the world. Starc, who is renowned for his 150 km/h speed, puts an emphasis on strength and isometric training for the legs and takes ice baths to recover. He performs at an elite level because of his diet, which is high in proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

3. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell transformed his fitness with a balanced diet and intense training program, and at 35, he is still a top T20 powerhouse. He is now a fearsome batter thanks to his improved agility and endurance from switching from high-calorie to lower-carb meals and a combination of functional training, cardio, weightlifting, and resistance exercises.

4. Faf Du Plessis

Even at 39, Faf du Plessis is still one of the best players in cricket, dominating RCB in the IPL and doing well in all formats. His strict exercise regimen, which went viral in December 2023, consists of eating meals strong in fiber, such as oats, milk, honey, omega-3 fish, and chicken, with the odd cheat meal of chocolate and pizza.

5. Ben Stokes

The English Test team’s captain, Ben Stokes, is renowned for his extraordinary level of fitness. At thirty-two, he puts strength and avoiding injuries first, preferring prehabilitation and field work to gym sessions. His commitment to preserving his mobility and avoiding injuries keeps him one of the fittest cricket players in the world.

The post Sweat, Skill, and Strength: The Top 5 Fittest Cricketers in World Cricket appeared first on Cricket Country.

1. Virat Kohli’s wife, Anushka Sharma

Former Indian team captain Virat Kohli married Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma in a small-scale ceremony in Italy on December 11, 2017. On January 11, 2021, their daughter Vamika was welcomed into the family. Anushka, who attends matches frequently, enthusiastically supports her husband. They are constantly the center of attention when they show affection and have charming moments on the field.

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2. Andre Russell’s wife, Jassym Lora

The vibrant West Indian cricket player Andre Russell is blissfully wed to supermodel Jassym Lora. Jassym, who is regarded as one of the Indian Premier League 2023’s most gorgeous WAGs, enthralls her followers on Instagram with her amazing pictures. Everyone is in awe of her beauty as her stunning body and impeccable style never cease to enchant.

3. Faf Du Plessis’s wife, Imari Visser

On November 23, 2013, the fierce South African cricket player Faf Du Plessis and his longtime girlfriend Imari Visser exchanged vows. Amelie and Zoey Du Plessis, two adorably cute daughters, brighten the couple’s path. Imari, who is well-known for her stunning presence, enthralls with her stunning photographs and immaculate elegance on social media.

4. Quinton de Kock’s wife, Sasha Hurly

Quinton de Kock, the South African cricket star, found love in an unexpected place — the Champions League T20, where his future wife Sasha Hurly dazzled as a cheerleader. Their story began with a social media connection that blossomed into a deep love. Married since September 2016, they welcomed their adorable daughter Kiara in 2022. Sasha, known for her captivating beauty and impeccable style, is a constant presence, cheering passionately alongside their daughter for Quinton’s victories on the cricket field.

5. Yuzvendra Chahal’s wife, Dhanashree Verma

On December 22, 2020, actress-dancer Dhanashree Verma and Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal married the marriage in a small, personal ceremony. This couple has gained popularity because they frequently make everyone smile with their endearing gestures of love and devotion. Devoted to her husband Yuzvendra, Dhanashree is very proud of him when he performs well in cricket. Their charming moments and love tale never fail to enthrall and motivate their admirers.

The post Off the Field Charisma: The 5 Most Beautiful Wives of Cricketing Icons appeared first on Cricket Country.