However, Samson also hinted that he and Jurel might also share the responsibility of keeping the wickets.

“I have not said this on air but we feel where Dhruv Jurel is at this point of his career as a Test wicket-keeper, he needs to wear the gloves in the IPL. That was a discussion. I think we will be sharing gloves. I have never captained as a fielder. That might be challenging. I have told him ‘Dhruv, I understand where you are coming from and I think as a leader of the team, you should also keep for a few games.’ We will see how to play around with that but nothing should come before the team. The team should come first and the individual must be given importance,” Samson said during a chat on AB de Villiers’ YouTube channel.

Jurel made his Test debut for the Men in Blue earlier this year in a home series against England. However, the youngster soon lost his place to the experienced Rishabh Pant, who made a fantastic comeback to red-ball cricket in the series against Bangladesh.

Jurel did feature for India during the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series in Perth, but wasn’t able to find a place in the next 2 Tests of the series that were played in Adelaide and Brisbane respectively. It is unlikely that Jurel will play any further part in the series, unless there is an injury.

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However, the batter wasn’t able to live upto the hype and failed to score much in India’s clash against Pakistan in the U-19 Asia Cup on Saturday. With the Men in Blue getting put in to chase a massive total of 282, Suryavanshi was only able to remain on the crease for 9 balls, scoring a solitary run. Pakistan pacer Ali Raza dismissed him in the 5th over.

Speaking to Sony Sports Network ahead of the Pakistan clash, Suryavanshi said that he is focused on his game and is not worried about whatever is happening around him. He also revealed his idol to be legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara.

“I’m currently focused on my game. I’m not bothered by what’s happening around me. I want to concentrate on the Asia Cup first and then take it game by game,” Suryavanshi said.

Brian Lara is my idol. I try to play like him rest I try to keep it natural with whatever skills I have and I want to work on that,” Suryavanshi added.

Suryavanshi made his first-class debut for Bihar in January 2024 at the age of 12. In 5 first-class matches, Vaibhav has scored 100 runs, with a highest score of 41. He is currently participating in the ongoing Ranji Trophy after having already represented Bihar in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

 Last month, Suryavanshi was part of India U19’s match against Australia in Chennai, where he smashed a 58-ball century.

The post 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi flops against Pakistan in U-19 Asia Cup following IPL auction appeared first on Cricket Country.

“Woh ab sirf humra bituwa nahi pura Bihar ka bituwa hai (He is not just my son now but entire Bihar’s son). My son has worked hard. At the age of 8 years, he excelled at U-16 district trials. I would take him for his cricket coaching to Samastipur and then take him back,” Sanjiv told PTI over phone.

“Not just investment, it’s a big investment. Aapko kya bataye humne toh apna zameen tak bech diya. Abhi bhi halat pura sudhra nahi (I have sold my land. Financial issues are still there),” Sanjiv added.

Vaibhav’s father was also asked about the controversy regarding his son’s age. However, Sanjiv gave a bold remark, clarifying that his son’s age is absolutely correct and can be proven by undergoing an age test.

“When he was 8 and half years old he first appeared for a BCCI bone test. He has already played India U-19. We don’t fear anyone. He can again undergo age test,” Sanjiv said.

Sanjiv also said that the blessings of Bihar Cricket Association president Rakesh Tiwary have always helped Vaibhav in his cricketing journey. “Rakesh ji ka ashirwaad raha hai bahoot (Rakesh ji’s blessings are there),” Sanjiv said.

Vaibhav entered the auction at base price of INR 30 lakhs. It was the Delhi Capitals who made the opening bid for the player, however, RR ended up getting the better of them and snapped the player.

The post IPL’s youngest-ever buy Vaibhav Suryavanshi faces age fraud allegations following mega auction appeared first on Cricket Country.

Vaibhav seemed to be a hot chase as he gave rise to a bidding was between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals. It was former champions RR, who ultimately bought him.

At such young age of just 13 years, Vaibhav secured his name in history as he became the youngest big-number maker in the 170-year long history of competitive cricket. He also has the record for the fastest century by Indian at the young level, as he achieved this feat in just 58 balls.

RR’s buys in IPL 2025 mega auctions:
1. Jofra Archer – Rs 12.5 crore
2. Maheesh Theekshana – Rs 4.4 crore
3. Wanindu Hasaranga – Rs 5.25 crore
4. Akash Madhwal – Rs 1.2 crore
5. Kumar Kartikeya – Rs 30 lakh
6. Nitish Rana – Rs 4.40 crore
7. Tushar Deshpande – Rs 6.50 crore
8. Shubham Dubey – Rs 80 lakh
9. Yudhvir Singh – Rs 35 lakh
10. Fazalhaq Farooqi – Rs 2 crore
11. Vaibhav Suryavanshi – Rs 1.1 crore
12. Kwena Maphaka – Rs 1.5 crore
13. Kunal Rathore – Rs 30 lakh
14. Ashok Sharma – Rs 30 lakh

The post IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Vaibhav Suryavanshi became Crorepati, Youngest Player recruited in IPL appeared first on Cricket Country.

Punjab Kings currently have the highest franchise as they will enter the auction with an amount of INR 110.5 crore, and Rajasthan Royals will enter the auction with the lowest purse of INR 41 crore.

A total of 577 players are there as all 10 franchises will try to fill their roaster. This will consist of maximum 25 players, and minimum of 18 players.

When will the IPL auction be held?
The mega auctions are going to be held on Sunday and Monday, set to begin 3:30 PM IST.

Where will the auction take place?
The auctions are going to be held at Abady Al-Johar Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Where to watch live telecast of the auction?
The auctions will be broadcasted live on TV on the Star Sports Network channel, along with being streamed live on Jio Cinema.

The post IPL 2025 Auction Live: When and Where to watch online and on TV in India? appeared first on Cricket Country.

Skipper Sanju Samson was retained as the top pick for Rs 18 crore and Indian batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal was added to the team for the same amount.

Elsewhere, all-rounder Riyan Parag was retained for Rs 14 crore after his brilliant performances last season along with young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel who has also been given the exact same retention fee.

West Indian power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer has been given Rs 11 crore to play for the Rajasthan-based franchise next season. Hetmyer is the only overseas player to have been retained by the franchise.

Finally, veteran pacer Sandeep Sharma has been retained as an uncapped player by the franchise for Rs 4 crore. RR have retained most of their star performers from the past season so it will be interesting to see which other big players they will go for in the mega auction.

The post RR’s official retention list: Samson and Jaiswal retained for massive amount appeared first on Cricket Country.

However, during one of the match against Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 season of the IPL, Dhoni lost his temper, and breached the IPL Code of Conduct.
Former CSK teammate and current Gujarat Titans pacer Mohit Sharma shared details of this incident and put light on the incident.

In one of the recent episodes of the 2 Sloggers Podcast, Mohit Sharma shared details about the moment. Even after the warnings from his teammates , Dhoni proceeded to the field and confronted the umpires. Mohit described the scene as if a lion had entered the arena.

“Hum log dugout mein the, hum chilla rahe the, mat jao, mat jao, mat jao. Lekin unhone peeche mud ke dekha bhi nahi. Voh aise gaye hain na, jab laga ki bhai sher ghus gaya hai (We were in the dugout and were like ‘please don’t go, don’t go’. But he didn’t even turn around to look behind. The way he went out on the field, it felt like a lion has entered the ground.),” Mohit said.

“He had just got out and was already furious. He wanted to be in there because generally, he doesn’t leave it to others. He came, sat and all of a sudden, the incident happened. He asked, ‘Did he give it a no-ball?’ We were like, ‘Yeah, he did signal.’ Then he just didn’t stop,” he added.

The post Former CSK star reminisces when MS Dhoni expressed his anger and Broke IPL Rules in 2019 appeared first on Cricket Country.

Rathour, 55, is the second high-profile appointment by the franchise for the upcoming season after they recently brought in Rahul Dravid as their head coach.

Rathour served as India’s batting coach in the set-up under Dravid as they guided the Men ibn Blue to victory in the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

“Rathour, a seasoned cricket professional, joins the Royals’ coaching setup shortly after the franchise welcomed Rahul Dravid back as head coach. It will reignite a successful partnership that elevated India to the top of the rankings in all three formats during their stint together, and led the country to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 title earlier this year, Rajasthan Royals said in a statement.

Rathour was India’s batting coach from 2019 till 2023, during which he guided players like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul through crucial phases of their development.

“Having worked closely with Vikram for many years, I can confidently say that his technical expertise, calm demeanour, and deep understanding of Indian conditions make him a perfect fit for the Royals,” Dravid said.

“Together, we’ve built a strong rapport, guiding India to key successes, and I’m thrilled to reunite with him. His ability to nurture young talent and elevate players’ potential will be invaluable as we aim to further strengthen our squad and continue building a world-class team here at Rajasthan Royals,” Dravid added.

Rathour said he was looking forward to working again with Dravid and contributing to the Royals’ success.

“It’s a privilege to be part of the Royals family. The opportunity to work again with Rahul, and now with a talented group of young cricketers, is hugely exciting,” Rathour stated.

“I look forward to contributing to the team’s vision and working toward our goal of developing top-class players for the Royals and for India which can help in winning championships,” Rathour added.

The post Rajasthan Royals appoint Vikram Rathour as new batting coach appeared first on Cricket Country.