A day after Pakistan’s humiliating loss to Bangladesh, the criticism was bound to come at them, with several former cricketers lambasting the team’s performance. To add salt to the wounds came six points deduction from ICC to Pakistan’s WTC campaign due to slow overrate. Three points were docked from Bangladesh as well. Apart from this, August 26 saw ICC unveil schedule for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 as well, with India taking on Pakistan in Dubai on October 6. The IPL rumour mill was at it again, with Sanjay Bangar of PBKS talking about bringing in Rohit Sharma.
PBKS to bring in Rohit Sharma?
There is no doubt that Rohit Sharma’s future with Mumbai Indians (MI) is uncertain after being replaced as captain by Hardik Pandya last year. If he enters the IPL 2025 auction, he’ll be a hot commodity. Teams like Punjab Kings, seeking a new captain, have been linked with him. However, in a recent interview, Sanjay Bangar warned that acquiring Rohit will be expensive. He said PBKS could buy Rohit should their pocket allows during auction.
KL Rahul – LSG!
KL Rahul, captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), met with franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka in Kolkata on Monday. The meeting, held at Goenka’s office, was their first formal interaction since a heated conversation following a loss to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2024. While details remain private, the meeting likely focused on team composition and Rahul’s potential retention, which could be unlikely.
Shikhar Dhawan returns to cricket?
Two days after announcing his retirement from international and domestic cricket, Shikhar Dhawan is set to feature in the Legends League Cricket (LLC) tournament. The southpaw expressed his excitement about reuniting with old teammates and continuing to play the game he loves. Dhawan’s participation in the LLC will provide fans with the opportunity to see him in action once again.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup fixtures announced
Six days after shifting the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 from Bangladesh to the UAE, ICC has announced the fixtures for the mega tournament. 10 teams, divided into two groups, will battle for the coveted title. A total of 24 high-quality fixtures will take place across two venues, Sharjah and Dubai, where the final will also be hosted on October 20. India’s group consist of Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The IND vs PAK clash will be in Dubai on October 6.
Who is Jay Shah successor?
It is being reported that DDCA President Rohan Jaitley is all but likely to replace Jay Shah as BCCI Secretary. This comes as Jay Shah is touted to become the next ICC Chairman, with Greg Barclay (the current ICC Chairman) not extending his second term. Rohan Jaitley’s ties with BJP and a successful DPL inauguration could be factors for him to get elected as BCCI Secretary.
Dent to Pakistan & Bangladesh
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh were penalized for slow over-rates during their recent Test match in Rawalpindi. Pakistan lost six points and were fined 30%, while Bangladesh lost three points and were fined 15%. Shakib Al Hasan was also fined for throwing the ball at Rizwan. These penalties now make almost impossible for PAK and BAN to finish in top two of WTC 2023-25 table.
