October 13, 2023
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In the end, cricket's inclusion in the Olympic Movement seemed inevitable. A journey that is to ultimately culminate in Mumbai, the unofficial global epicentre of the game, could not have ended in a failure for cricket's governing bodies. Los Angeles appeared destined to embrace cricket. The anticipated Olympic berth was the result of a well-executed campaign orchestrated by the International Cricket Council (ICC), with unexpected support from influential figures. Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in...

October 13, 2023
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After months of nervous rehab, will-he-won't-he, soft training and two carefully curated warm-up games, Kane Williamson is match-fit and good to go. When he walks out to play against Bangladesh in Chennai, he will be playing in his fourth ODI World Cup. Only 20 players in the history of the game have played in more editions. It's been a swift and relatively quick recovery for Kane, who had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament on his right knee on the opening night...

October 13, 2023
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The American Premier League is set to be next big thing in the world of cricket. Days after cricket it was announced that cricket would be part of the LA Olympic Games after 128 years, the inaugural edition of the American Premier League is set to take centre stage in the United States. The tournament has been sanctioned by International Cricket Council and approved by USA cricket and will be played in the T20 format. The entirety of the inaugural edition...

October 13, 2023
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Thursday's men's World Cup match at the Ekana Stadium was two balls old when a black kite appeared above the northwest quadrant of the ground. Rolling its wings voluptuously to help it tread air, it made a serrated silhouette hanging all but still in the mercilessly cloudless steel sky. For a long moment as it hovered at about the same height as the 50,000-seater stadium's symmetrical ring of roof, the bird searched the ground many metres below. Then it dived; a...

October 13, 2023
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Shubman Gill is on the path to full recovery, but his participation in Saturday's high-stakes game against Pakistan remains uncertain. The 24-year-old opener, who has recently recuperated from Dengue fever, had an extensive net session on Thursday morning. However, it's still unclear whether he will be deemed fit to play in the marquee match. On Thursday, Gill arrived at the Narendra Modi Stadium at around 11 AM and spent over an hour there. He began with warm-up exercises and then proceeded...

October 13, 2023
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Snatch a glimpse and the MA Chidambaram Stadium feels quite the contemporary setting for cricket. Tall stands, bucket seats, LED floodlights, a large playing square, a lush outfield and a drainage system that can stand its ground. It's only when you step away from cricket here that the place reveals itself for what it is: an old soul trying to pass off as a hipster. For, a narrow two-lane road from the Marina Beach leads you to the venue; cement-plastered...

October 13, 2023
By

In the end, cricket's inclusion in the Olympic Movement seemed inevitable. A journey that is to ultimately culminate in Mumbai, the unofficial global epicentre of the game, could not have ended in a failure for cricket's governing bodies. Los Angeles appeared destined to embrace cricket. The anticipated Olympic berth was the result of a well-executed campaign orchestrated by the International Cricket Council (ICC), with unexpected support from influential figures. Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in...

October 12, 2023
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Shubman Gill has reached Ahmedabad. Even as India were taking on Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, the young opener, suffering from dengue fever, travelled to Ahmedabad from Chennai. He reached Gujarat city on Wednesday night. It is still not clear if the 24-year-old opener will be able to play in the marquee game against Pakistan but indications are that he is improving. After spending a night at the Kaurvery Hospital in Chennai he returned to the hotel...

October 12, 2023
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Australia played below themselves and lost convincingly. South Africa rose above expectations and won handsomely. The teams who will clash in Lucknow on Thursday couldn't have had more contrasting starts to their men's World Cup campaigns. India deployed Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in Chennai on Sunday, dismissed Australia for 199 and won by six wickets with 8.4 overs to spare. In Delhi on Friday, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram scored centuries for South...