June 22 was an exciting day to be an Indian fan. The Men in Blue claimed a 50-run victory over Bangladesh and have one foot in the door to qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinals. We are also hearing that the squad for the India tour of Zimbabwe will be out very soon with loads of new faces. On the controversial side of things, two Pakistani legends have given their opinions of Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. One claimed Babar shouldn’t have ever been made captain; the other stated that Shaheen should be given a year-long trial. Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar has come under fire for his ‘biased’ commentary on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s dismissals.
All hail Hardik
What a moment to storm back into form. Hardik Pandya, whose form was a worry before the T20 World Cup started, has done everything required of him in the last five matches. He scored a quickfire fifty, picked up the first wicket in the IND vs BAN match, and basically sealed the semifinal spot on his own. Every Indian fan would be hoping that he continues to shine with the business of the tournament getting closer.
Gavaskar biased towards Rohit Sharma?
Sunil Gavaskar, one of the greatest players India has ever produced, is being accused of biased treatment when it comes to how he treats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. According to fans, Gavaskar was all praise when Rohit was dismissed and criticized Kohli when he was sent back to the pavilion.
Does Babar Azam even know anything about captaincy?
The fastest-ever bowler cricket has ever seen, Shoaib Akhtar, has questioned the person who appointed Babar Azam as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Akhtar wasn’t talking about his reappointment from the T20 World Cup, but in 2019, when he led for the first time. He claimed that Babar wasn’t ‘captain material’.
India squad for Zimbabwe
India will tour Zimbabwe for a 5-match T20I series in early July. The assignment abroad will be quite interesting to watch as the main team will be rested and more than five players are expected to make their India debut. The squad for the series is likely to be announced on June 23, and one of Suryakumar Yadav or Hardik Pandya is expected to lead the side.
Wasim Akram backs Shaheen Afridi
Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram has backed Shaheen Afridi to become captain once again following the T20 World Cup debacle. Akram recommended that Shaheen be given the reign of the Men in Green for at least, and if he doesn’t find success, only then should he be changed.
Belgium win at last, Portugal breeze past Turkey
In the first game of the day, a determined Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal thumped Turkey 3-0. And with this win Portugal have confirmed their spot in the Round of 16 of UEFA Euro 2024. Bernardo Silva scored first, while Bruno Fernandes wrapped it with a CR7 assist. And in the other game, Belgium finally won their first game. The Red Devils opened the scoring in 75 seconds with a Youri Tielemans strike. Lukaku’s third goal of the tournament has been turned down by the VAR while a strike from Kevin De Bruyne in the second half ensured all 3 points for Belgium.
