VVS Laxman frontrunner to replace Rahul Dravid as head of NCA: Report

SMAT 2021 | Venkatesh Iyer produces splendid bowling performance, may press for spot in India’s squad

Just as days for the home series against New Zealand is coming closer, all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer is not leaving anything to chance and is producing brilliant performances one after another to stake claim a spot in the India’s T20 squad for the series. He has produced a remarkable spell of bowling with his domestic side Madhya Pradesh where he conceded two runs from his quota of four overs while taking two wickets. He bowled 22 dot balls in his bowling performance that produced a bowling figure of 4-2-2-2. Iyer burst onto the scene in the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League that ended earlier last month and has not done his reputation any harm in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has earned reputation for his remarkable ability to hit boundaries with ease and take crucial wickets with the ball. He was one of the instrumental. There is high probability that India will rest many first-choice players for the upcoming series against New Zealand while also injecting fresh faces in the T20 squad after the debacle in the T20 World Cup. Iyer is one of the players in reckoning and his performance would be on selectors’ radar before they meet to select the squad for the first T20 series in post Virat Kohli’s era as T20 captain.

Rajasthan ride on Bishnoi hat-trick to down Andhra in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Punjab King’s star leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi picked up a hat-trick in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Monday, 8 November. Playing for Rajasthan in India’s domestic T20 tournament, Bishnoi dismantled the Andhra Pradesh batting line-up inside the powerplay overs. Bowling the fifth over of the game, Bishnoi dismissed Ashwin Hebbar, Ricky Bhui and Pinninit Tapaswi in back-to-back balls to complete his hat-trick. Chasing a meagre target of 150 runs at the Alembic Cricket Ground in Vadodara, Andhra failed to recuperate from their middle order debacle and were restricted to 138 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs. Things would have looked much worse for them if not for KV Sasikanth’s whirlwind knock of 47 off 24 balls, where he hit three boundaries and four sixes. Bishnoi and SK Sharma were the pick among the bowlers and clasped three wickets each giving away just 36 in their combined 8 overs. Bishnoi has been in form of his life in the SMAT this year and has taken wickets in each of the matches played. He currently has 7 wickets to his name from four matches. Earlier in the day Rajasthan rode on Mahipal Lomror’s 69 off 45 balls to put up a defendable total. With this victory, Rajasthan have now won four out of their four matches and are placed at the top of points table in Elite Group C.

After India's Mithali Raj, Jaya Sharma, Deandra Dottin becomes only third batter to hit ODI ton in Pakistan

West Indies Women opener Deandra Dottin has become only the third batsmen in the history of the Women’s game to score an ODI century in Pakistan after India’s pair of Mithali Raj and Jaya Sharma. Dottin scored the landmark century in the ongoing first ODI of the series against Pakistan Women in Karachi. She was the top-scorer from her side and scored 132 runs to take the Windies women to a respectable total of 253 runs. Mithali Raj had scored his century in Pakistan in the year 2006 while Jaya Sharma scored the landmark century that was the first century at that time in 2005. West Indies Women are touring Pakistan for a three-match long series and all the matches of the series are scheduled to take place in Karachi.

First in 24 years: Pakistan announce Australia's visit for full-fledged tour

In a welcome development for Pakistan cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a full-fledged tour by Australia early next year that will be the first Australian visit to the nation in a long 24-years’ time. The sides will play a three-match long Test series and an equally longer ODI series followed by a T20 spread across Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore. The tour will start with a Test at Karachi starting March 3 and the T20 will be played on April 5 that will mark the end of the tour. PVB chairman Ramiz Raja who lambasted the New Zealand cricket team and then the England and Wales Cricket Board for withdrawing from their tours of Pakistan, called the Australian tour a “connoisseurs delight”. He said that having the opportunity to host Australia after such a long wait for a full series will be a “special treat” for the fans of Pakistan cricket. "It pleases me no end that we'll be engaged in a three-Test match series, connoisseurs delight," Raja said in a statement. Australia are one of the high-performing sides and them playing in our backyard for the first time after a gap of 24 years will be a special treat for the fans.” “Likewise, it will be a great opportunity for the Australia cricketers to not only play at our iconic venues but also feel and enjoy the respect, love and hospitality that this great country offers, something which most of their previous generation of cricketers missed out by playing offshore."