India Women’s side beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final to clinch the gold medal here on their maiden appearance.

Batting first, India posted 116 for seven on a difficult batting track before the Titas Sadhu-led bowling attack restricted Sri Lanka to 97 for eight in 20 overs.

“We have spoken to the men’s team. We have told them that we are bringing the gold; you guys also bring it,” an elated Rodrigues told reporters here.

“(It) feels great. Just to win the gold is special, and being the first Indian cricket side to win the gold will make people go back in history and see that this was the team that actually won the first-ever gold in cricket in the Asian Games. It’s an amazing feeling,” she added.

Rodrigues said it was a proud feeling to add to India’s medals tally at the Games.

“It is a very different experience, wearing this India jersey is a (matter of) different pride. Also, we can add a medal to India as a sporting nation,” she said.

Talking about the gold medal contest on a challenging surface, Rodrigues said the contest had its own challenges.

“It wasn’t easy as Sri Lanka gave us a good fight. Their bowlers bowled spot-on, and we really had to apply ourselves. Very proud of the girls, and the way we played today displays our character,” she said.

“It was an important partnership between me and Smriti (Mandhana) because the Sri Lankan bowlers were at the top of their game.

“We are glad the way we played and built the partnership, along with the other girls coming in and chipping in,” said Rodrigues (42), who added 73 runs with Mandhana (46) for the second wicket in a low-scoring contest.

Rodrigues said the team had to adapt to different surfaces for every match. “We honestly did not know what to expect when we came over here,” she said.

“We knew that we had to be ready for any condition, and in all three matches we had different kinds of wickets that we had to adapt to, which is the best part of our team’s performance,” Rodrigues added.

“It’s been a great experience in general, the way everyone has welcomed us in China.”.

“It’s not been easy since the communication has been a problem. But, they (the organisers) went out of their way to make us feel comfortable and make our stay easy,” she added.

India coach and former international Hrishikesh Kanitkar too was delighted to have added to the country’s tally.

“We rank this gold right up there because it adds to the country’s tally of gold medals. So, I think it’s very, very important that we directly contribute to the country,” he said.

Kanitkar termed India’s total as a ‘decent score’ owing to conditions.

“We were aiming for 120, but reaching it a couple of overs early would have surely allowed us to go for 140… the nature of the soil and conditions matter. But, we ended up with a decent score,” he said.

“The girls responded very well. We are always open to improving, and even though we have won the gold, we are open to improving more.”.

Despite being outplayed, the Indian coach credited Sri Lanka for their display. “They (Lankans) bowled really well, but I feel our batters batted well in the starting and the middle phases. But, credit to them (Lanka) for how they played this game.”.

Kanitkar also praised Rodrigues for her intent during the game. “(It was an) ultimate knock. Not so much of big-hitting, but using the mind, and I think that’s very mature,” he said

The post Jemimah Rodrigues Urges Indian Men’s Team To Aim For Gold In Asian Games Cricket appeared first on Cricket Country.

On a pitch difficult for batting, the Indian women’s team struggled to 116 for seven but it was just about par score.

However, Titas, who is just four days shy of her 19th birthday, bowled a devastating first spell and finished with superb figures of 4-1-6-3 to play a big role in restricting Sri Lanka to 97 for eight in 20 overs.

She had an able ally in leg-spinner Devika Vaidya (4-0-15-1), who kept a tight leash on the islanders.

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (3-0-20-2) and off-spinner Deepti Sharma (4-0-25-1) started off badly but were on target during the back-end as Indian women always looked in complete control.

This was one gold medal that India were expected to win, but the standard of cricket was pretty poor, and the nature of wicket didn’t help matters.

The lanky Titas bowled quickly and kept her deliveries on fuller length to get three wickets in her first two overs, including the opposition skipper and their best batter Chamari Athapaththu (12).

The Indian women’s team is missing a genuine quick bowler in its ranks since the retirement of Jhulan Goswami and Titas looks to be a worthy successor. However, her wares would be proved once she is pitted against players of SENA countries.

Sensing the slow nature of the track, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur started with off-spinner Sharma but the left-handed Athapaththu quickly went on the offensive with a slog swept six and a boundary off the very first over.

The skipper brought her frontline pacers back from the second over and Titas, playing only her second T20I, got Anushka Sanjeewani (1) to play a lofted drive without reaching to the pitch of the delivery. The simple catch at mid-off was taken by Harmanpreet.

The teenager then angled one in and castled Vishmi Gunaratne (0) and in her next over, just shortened the length for Athapaththu. The ball stopped on the batter and her slash was taken by Sharma at the edge of the circle at extra cover.

Sri Lanka were tottering at 14 for 3, but Hasini Perera (25 off 22 balls) then got some quick runs to take her team past the 50-run mark before Rajeshwari forced her to sweep uppishly, as Sri Lanka were reduced to 50 for four.

Nilakshi de Silva (23 off 34 balls) and Oshadi Ranasinghe (19 off 26 balls) added 38 runs for the fifth wicket before Vastrakar removed the former and Sharma got the better of the latter with both going for adventurous shots.

Earlier, Harmanpreet’s decision to bat first was a correct one as the pitch, which wasn’t conducive for stroke-play, only got slower as the match progressed.

On a track like this, it becomes a challenge to force the pace against slow bowlers and the Sri Lankan team comprised way too many such operators in its ranks.

Smriti Mandhana (46 off 45 balls), who hit four boundaries and a six, along with Jemimah Rodrigues (42 off 40 balls), added 73 runs for the second wicket.

In order to counter the slowness, both Mandhana and Rodrigues used the sweep shot with some degree of success.

Mandhana was looking in fine touch till she hurt herself while completing a quick single and post that, her footwork against the spinners wasn’t as good as it was at the start of her innings.

It was one slog sweep too many that brought about her downfall. Richa Ghosh started with a six, but didn’t last long.

Harmanpreet’s lack of match time was evident as she struggled during her short stay. But in the end, the total was enough to ensure a second gold medal of the Games.

Brief scores: India 116/7 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 46, Jemimah Rodrigues 42). Sri Lanka 97/8 in 20 overs (Hasini Perera 25, Titas Sadhu 3/6)

The post Asian Games 2023: Titas Sadhu Blows Away Sri Lanka As Indian Women Earn Country’s Second Gold appeared first on Cricket Country.

BCCI named a squad full of youngsters for the Hangzhou Asian Games in September-October which even shocked Dhawan as he was expecting to represent India in the tournament.

Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the India men’s T20 team in the upcoming Asian Games, set to be held from September 19 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China. The 15-member squad announced by the BCCI also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma, all of whom are uncapped in T20 cricket.

With the men’s ODI World Cup scheduled to begin in India on October 5, two days before the end of the Asian Games cricket competition, the selectors have named a second-string men’s side.

When my name was not there (for Asian Games), I was a bit shocked. But, then, I was like they have a different thought process, you just have to accept it. Happy that Rutu (Gaikwad) will lead the side. All the young boys are there, I am sure they will do well,” Dhawan told PTI.

Shikhar Dhawan Speaks On Potential Comeback

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have taken a stronghold on the opening spot and due to that the veteran batter has not received opportunities to make his much-awaited return to the national side. He has not played a single ODI since December 2022.

However, Dhawan is optimistic and is working on his fitness in order to be prepared for any opportunity that ever drops by.

He said “I will be ready, of course (for the comeback). That is why I keep myself fit (so whenever I get a chance I am ready). There is always a chance whether it is one percent or 20 percent. I still enjoy training and I still enjoy the game, these are the things in my control. Whatever decision is made, I respect that.”

The post Shikhar Dhawan Breaks Silence On Asian Games 2023 Omission, Says ‘I Was Bit Shocked’ appeared first on Cricket Country.

Nida Dar will lead the team in Asian Games at Hangzhou, China, and Diana Beg returns to the team after recovering from a finger injury.

“The team is unfortunate to miss out on the services of Bismah Maroof for this event as she would not have been able to accompany her infant daughter to the Games village due to the regulations in place,” Head of Women Cricket, Tania Mallick said.

The head of the women’s cricket wing at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Tania Mallick confirmed the development saying that Maroof wouldn’t be able to travel without her daughter and that it’s unfortunate for the side as they will miss the veteran batter’s services.

Talking about the shock retirement of Naseem, Mallick said that the player informed the board that she was quitting due to personal reasons. “The PCB respects and understands her decision to quit the game for personal reasons. We wish her the best in future endeavours,” Mallick said in a statement by the PCB.

The post Pakistan’s Bismah Maroof Pulls Out Of Asian Games 2023 As Athletes Not Allowed to Carry Their Children appeared first on Cricket Country.

There were reports around the retirement of Ayesha Naseem, the young Pakistan star who took over the women’s cricket scene from Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 2022/23. As per a report from Cricbuzz, Ayesha expressed her desire to PCB to retire from the game due to religious reasons and the board was trying to convince her to reconsider the decision.

“Ayesha Naseem, who featured in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, expressed her desire to retire from the game, which the board accepted,” said PCB in a press release.

PCB Announce Squad For Asian Games 2023

According to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) media release, Anoosha and Shawaal have been rewarded for their strong performances in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and Emerging Women’s Teams Asia Cup.

The 15-player squad also features Diana Baig who makes a return to international cricket after recovering from a finger injury that she sustained in the third and final One-Day International against Australia in January this year.

Pakistan women’s team that have won gold medals in the last two editions, held in Guangzhou, China in 2010 and Incheon, South Korea 2014, and will be aiming for a hat-trick when they feature in this year’s event, which is scheduled to take place from September 19 to 26. The event will be played in T20 format.

As per the ICC T20I rankings and tournament’s rule, the Pakistan women’s team led by Nida Dara will feature in the Asian Games from the quarter-finals

“The 15-member squad was finalised after deliberations amongst the women’s selection committee led by Saleem Jaffar, head coach Mark Coles, and captain Nida Dar,” the PCB said.

Pakistan women’s squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Anoosha Nasir, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Nataliya Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah and Umm-e-Hani

Player Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (team manager), Mark Coles (head coach), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach), Mauhtashim Rashid (fielding coach) and Rifat Gill (physiotherapist).

(with IANS inputs)

The post PCB Confirm 18-Year-Old Ayesha Naseem’s Retirement As They Announce Pakistan Women Squad For Asian Games 2023 appeared first on Cricket Country.

Dhawan was recently featured in Indian Premier League 2023 where he lead Punjab Kings and scored 11 matches and scored 373 runs.

The video got viral in minutes and fans started haling Dhawan’s dance moves, here is the video:

After Indian Premier League, Dhawan was not seen playing any competitive cricket but earlier therer were speculations that the batter will lead team India in the upcoming Asian Games which will be played later this year.

However, BCCI already announced the squad and the batter was not named in the squad as Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead Team India in Hangzhou, China.

Here is India’s squad for Asian Games:

Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh

The post Shikhar Dhawan Flexes His Dance Moves On Leo’s Naa Ready Song | Watch Video appeared first on Cricket Country.

Jitesh Sharma who is also the part of team opened up on his selection said that getting selected for the Asiad is going to be a life-changing experience for him.

The wicketkeeper batter reckoned that they will get the vibe of Milkha Singh Movie and also said that it will be an absolute privilege to walk with the top sportspersons.

“Milkha Singh ka movie jaisa vibe aayega jab saare ladke walk karenge. It will be an absolute privilege to walk with the top sportspersons of our country,” Jitesh told The Indian Express.

The 29-year-old also want to meet India’s Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra calls him idol.

“I want to meet Neeraj Chopra. He is an idol. He has won an Olympic gold, I don’t think anything can beat that. I want to meet him and will try to talk about his mentality. Playing individual sports is a difficult task. In cricket, you are always surrounded by ten people; you always get that moral support. But in an individual sport, you are on your own out there.

Jitesh also said that it will be a very good experience to be in the games village with other athletes.

“It will be a very good experience to be in the games village with other athletes, have breakfast with them, and train with them in the gym. Understanding their routine and how they got into their business. In cricket tournaments, you don’t get to live those experiences. It will be a life-changing experience for me,” he added.

India Squad For Asian Games: Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk)

Standby list of players: Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Sai Sudarsan

The post ‘Milkha Singh Movie Jaisa Vibe Aayega’: Jitesh Sharma On Asian Games 2023 appeared first on Cricket Country.

“As Indian fans, everyone is supporting whatever sports the country is playing. Any series or any World Cup, but I think this is something special. We will definitely play a brand of cricket where everyone back home will be proud and it’ll also be exciting to watch, so do follow and support us. The dream would be to win the gold medal, stand on the podium and sing the national anthem for our country,” said Gaikwad in a video posted by the BCCI on their social media handles.

Gaikwad will be leading a second-string men’s team in the Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, making it the first time India will be participating in the cricket event after not taking part in the 2010 and 2014 editions.

“I think it will be really exciting for everyone who are a part of this squad to represent the country in the Asian Games. Obviously winning the medal for the country is something we always grew up watching on TV and seeing athletes win it for the country. The opportunity to win a medal out there will be really special,” added Gaikwad.

The men’s cricket competition will take place from September 28 to October 8 in a T20 format. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hit a magnificent 171 on Test debut against West Indies at Dominica, is included in the side for the Asian Games alongside Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Ravi Bishnoi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Washington Sundar, and Rahul Tripathi.

“I think it will be great fun, to be honest, because everyone, I think we all are youngsters. We have been really gelling around very well with each other for the last one or two years. Playing IPL against each other, playing India ‘A’ games and playing some India games as well. So really fun group to be part of,” stated Gaikwad.

Yash Thakur, R. Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, and B. Sai Sudharsan are the stand-by players for the Indian team in the Asian Games. Gaikwad, the right-handed batter, also expressed gratitude to the selectors for making him the captain of the side for the Asian Games.

“Really thankful for this opportunity given by BCCI, the management and the selectors. Playing for India itself is a really proud feeling. Leading the team in such a big event, I think it would be a great opportunity for me personally and also for all the team members who are there alongside me. So, really looking forward and really happy and obviously, feeling really proud.”

The post Dream Would Be To Win Gold, Stand On Podium And Sing The National Anthem: Ruturaj Gaikwad appeared first on Cricket Country.

Rinku was thrilled to receive his first India call-up, as he was unable to make the team for the current tour of the West Indies. Rinku shared a post on his Instagram which was posted by his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.

In the post, you can see Rinku in the Indian and his KKR jerseys, with a text in the background stating, “Finally”.

India’s Squad For Asian Games 2023

With the men’s ODI World Cup scheduled to begin in India on October 5, two days before the end of the Asian Games cricket competition, the selectors have named a second-string men’s side.

Only six players from the T20I squad for the Caribbean and USA tour, Jaiswal, Tilak, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan have been picked in this squad for the Asian Games.

This is also an opportunity for allrounder Washington Sundar and Rahul Tripathi to prove their T20 chops again after they were also left out for the upcoming T20Is against West Indies.

A list of stand-by players has also been declared, which includes Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, and Sai Sudarsan.

India men’s squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk)

Stand-bys: Yash Thakur, R Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, B Sai Sudarsan

(with IANS inputs)

The post Rinku Singh Reacts To Maiden Call-up For Asian Games 2023 appeared first on Cricket Country.

Kolkata Knight Rider’s star finisher Rinku Singh and Punjab Kings’ wicket-keeper batter Prabhsimran Singh have received their maiden Team India call-ups for the quadrennial event which will take place from 28th September to 8th October in a T20 format.

BCCI made the announcement from their official Twitter handle

The Men’s competition will be held at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field. The selection committee also announced the women’s squad which will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana will be the deputy in charge. Richa Ghosh will be returning to the side too.

India’s Squads For Asian Games 2023

India Men: Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk)

Standby list of players: Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Sai Sudarsan

India Women: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Devika Vaidya, Anjali Sarvani, Titas Sadhu, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Minnu Mani, Kanika Ahuja, Uma Chetry (wk), Anusha Bareddy

The post BCCI Announces Ruturaj Gaikwad As India’s Captain For Asian Games 2023, Rinku Singh Receives Maiden Call-Up appeared first on Cricket Country.