Latest news with #ICCWorldT20
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
England vs India: How Ben Stokes conquered the demons in his mind to become his team's all-weather talisman
Two men simply refused to fade away on a long sunny day in London. India's Ravindra Jadeja and England's Ben Stokes, who wouldn't let go of the ball all day at Lord's. Nothing moved him. Not the presence of Jofra Archer or the unused Chris Woakes; almost as if he didn't trust anyone else to do the job. Before tea on Monday, he hurtled in for a 10-over spell. Before lunch, he had already had another long spell that had started on Sunday night. His veins burst through his bearded face, eyes sunk in as he stared at the batsmen or at spaces on the field. Whenever he felt energy was sapping from his teammates, the man who must have been absolutely battered physically would stand there, clap his hands ferociously and yell out words of encouragement. It felt he was willing to do anything for England. And to think 12 years ago, former England coach Andy Flower had to tell him: 'You don't want to play for England. You just want to piss it up the wall with your mates, and have a good time'. Stokes had broken the team curfew on the England Lions tour to Australia and returned at 5.30 in the morning. It seemed a real talent would be consumed by a self-destructive streak. On a dry hot July day in London in 2013, Stokes sidled into the seats in the stands at Lord's, and sat next to psychologist Mark Bawden. He had struggled through the season, was feeling down with his performance, so much so that his captain at Durham, Paul Collingwood, had texted him, 'are you ok?' But the boisterous tattooed-star wasn't in a mood to expose his vulnerabilities to a teammate yet. Luckily, he realised the damage he was doing to himself, and dialled a psychologist. Bawden soon sensed that Stokes was suffering from the 'Bottle Bottle Bang' syndrome'. In normal lingo, it meant Stokes was bottling up his emotions inside him, and it kept festering inside until it explodes. In March 2014, the frustration of a poor tour of the West Indies saw Stokes punching the locker in the dressing room, breaking his hand, which forced him to miss the ICC World T20. Bottle bottle bang. More regular meet-ups with Bawden followed and Stokes was given a routine to manage his anger: go to the dressing room and pack up your kit bag. That packing process apparently has helped Stokes in calming down a few times. Bawden likes to classify his sporting subjects in two types: Assassins (thinkers) and Warriors (feelers). He puts Alastair Cook in the former, while Stokes falls in the 'warrior' category. 'One thing I try and do is de-myth confidence for people, who often think that confidence is having absolutely no doubt and unbreakable self-belief. In normal life, everybody experiences fear, anxiety and self-doubt,' Bawden once said. 'My job is helping people realise that confidence isn't the absence of fear or doubt, it's trust in your method.' More bad events shadowed Stokes, though. A pub fight that threatened his career, the death of his father, and the mental-health struggle, but slowly the tide turned. He became an ODI World Cup star, a T20 World Cup champion and above all, the Test captain with Brendon McCullum as head coach. He took a break due to mental-health issues, returned to take over the Test captaincy and even Joe Root, the former captain, would be moved to say that he has never enjoyed cricket as much as he has done under Stokes. That trust in his own method that Bawden talked about has meant Stokes doesn't get too flustered if he ends up miscuing some of his shots. Or if the wickets don't come despite him running in to bowl for a couple of hours. He keeps at it. Like he did all day at Lord's on a most bizarre day of Test cricket in recent memory. Jadeja refused to take a backward step. Stokes refused as well. And so both teams were caught in a magnificent deadlock. Jadeja didn't buckle but fate finally did, as a ball that was defended dourly by Mohammed Siraj somehow rolled past the batsman, rolled over the Indian dreams, clattered into the stumps and landed the match into Stokes's laps. There was no anger or frustration in the end, and Stokes will pack that kit bag in utter joy.
News18
07-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
'He Always Wanted To Earn Name By Playing Good Cricket': Akash Deep's Sister
Last Updated: In an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18, India cricketer Akash Deep's sister recalls the fast bowler's journey to stardom. Fast bowler Akash Deep, who took a 10-wicket haul and guided India to a record 336-run win over England at Edgbaston, grew up dreaming of earning fame by playing cricket at the top level. 'Akash Deep always wanted to earn name and fame for himself by playing good cricket. He was inspired by India's triumph at the ICC World T20 in 2007," the cricketer's sister Akhand Jyoti Singh, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, told CNN-News18. With India trailing 0-1 in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Akash stepped up in pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's absence to help India draw parity in the five-match series. He took four wickets in England's first innings and followed that with a career-best bowling figures of 6/99 to help India secure their first ever Test victory at Edgbaston. Hailing from Bihar, Akash Deep's father, a schoolteacher, wanted him to focus on studies. He then moved to Durgapur, a town in West Bengal, to pursue his cricketing ambitions. With his dream taking wings, tragedy struck with Akash losing his father to a stroke and older brother to an illness in the space of two months. The right-arm fast bowler had to give up his cricket dream as he returned home to support the family. 'I hope he continues to improve (his performances) and keep doing well for the country," said Akash's mother who encouraged him to pursue his dream of playing cricket at a professional level. 'My blessings are with him. I am very happy today. I told him to keep performing and continue taking 10 wickets." Akash made his India Test debut during the home series against England in February 2024 and made an instant impact with a breathtaking opening spell during which he removed Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley. His was also part of India's squad for the Bangladesh Test series at home later that year which they won 2-0. His impressive performances and potential meant the Indian selectors picked him in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and the ongoing England Test series. Earlier this year, Akash suffered a back injury that put him on the sidelines for a significant period. He made his comeback midway through IPL 2025 for the Lucknow Super Giants. 'He (Akash) did have a back injury, but it wasn't that bad. He underwent an MRI and then started his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy. He has a lot of belief in himself, worked hard and was able to make a quick recovery," Akash's brother-in-law Nitish told CNN-News18.
NDTV
10-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
BCCI Congratulates Legendary MS Dhoni After His induction In ICC Hall Of Fame
The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) congratulated India's World Cup winning captain MS Dhoni after his he was inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame during a ceremony at London on Monday, becoming the 11th Indian cricketer to join the illustrious company. The ICC Hall of Fame celebrates the extraordinary achievements of cricketing legends who have shaped the sport's rich and vibrant history. Players are eligible for induction only five years after their final international appearance, as per a release from BCCI. ICC World T20 winning captain ICC Cricket World Cup winning captain ICC Champions Trophy winning captain Led India to the top spot in ICC Test rankings for the first time in 2009 Congratulations to the legendary former #TeamIndia Captain MS… — BCCI (@BCCI) June 9, 2025 From lifting India's first T20 World Cup in 2007 with a young, untested squad, to guiding the Men in Blue to a historic 2011 ODI World Cup win at home, and adding the Champions Trophy in 2013, Dhoni remains the only captain in cricket history to win all three ICC white-ball trophies. His leadership brought calm to chaos, turning pressure into opportunity and dreams into triumphs. Beyond captaincy, Dhoni redefined the role of a finisher in ODIs. His unbeaten 183* against Sri Lanka in 2005 remains the highest score by a wicketkeeper in the format. With over 10,000 ODI runs at an astonishing average of 50.57, his legacy with the bat is as impactful as it is enduring. Behind the stumps, Dhoni was a phenomenon. His lightning-fast stumpings and razor-sharp anticipation revolutionized wicketkeeping in limited-overs cricket. Much like his captaincy, his unorthodox methods defied convention--but delivered unmatched results. ICC Chairman Jay Shah said: "Through the ICC Hall of Fame, we pay tribute to the finest players the game has seen--individuals whose remarkable careers have shaped cricket's legacy and inspired generations." "This year, we are privileged to induct seven truly outstanding individuals into this prestigious group. On behalf of the ICC, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of them and hope they cherish this well-deserved recognition as a defining moment in their cricketing journey." Reflecting on the honour, MS Dhoni said, "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognizes the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling--something I will cherish forever." The ICC Hall of Fame was launched in January 2009 as part of the ICC's centenary celebrations and has since celebrated the greatest players to have graced the game. Alongside Dhoni, Hashim Amla, Matthew Hayden, Graeme Smith, and Daniel Vettori were inducted as part of the ICC Hall of Fame Class of 2025 among male cricketers.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP mocks Pak's military actions with 2007 T20 World Cup clip
The video posted on X features the bowl-off between India and Pakistan in the 2007 ICC World T20 (Image via X/@BJP4India) NEW DELHI: BJP launched a digital offensive against Pakistan on Friday, mocking its failed military retaliation after Operation Sindoor and exposing Islamabad's use of fake news to project false victories. In a symbolic jab, BJP shared a 31-second clip from the tied India-Pakistan match during the 2007 T20 World Cup, where India clinched a 3-0 bowl-out win. Indian bowlers Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa hit the stumps with precision while Pakistan's Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi failed completely. 'Kuch aisa tha. Operation Sindoor,' BJP posted on X, drawing a parallel between the cricketing humiliation and Pakistan's ineffective drone and missile retaliation after India's cross-border strikes on May 7. 'Pakistan's propaganda is quickly falling apart, exposing a web of lies and desperation,' BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said. 'In a blatant attempt to save face, deputy PM Ishaq Dar misled the country's Senate. The claim was so outrageous that even Dawn, Pakistan's leading newspaper, felt compelled to fact-check and debunk it,' he added.
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
The stylist with a bat
January is associated with fresh beginnings and cliched New Year resolutions. But as this year's January 2nd waned at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground, there was a sense of an ending. The Indian cricket team was preparing for the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Trailing 1-2, Rohit Sharma's men needed to stage a comeback. However, skipper Rohit himself was not a certainty in the playing eleven and coach Gautam Gambhir refused to offer any clarity. Sports writers peered hard. Clues were gleaned from Rohit's body language. Is he glum? Is he laughing? When the Test commenced, Rohit had dropped himself and Jasprit Bumrah led. India lost that game. Meanwhile, the speculations over Rohit's career in cricket's longest format continued. Would this be his full stop in Test whites? The answer to this question finally blew in the wind on May 7 when the Mumbaikar announced his Test retirement through an Instagram story. He did clarify, though, that he would continue to play ODIs. Rohit had earlier bowed out of T20Is too. At 38, an extended ODI career may look a touch difficult but he has been his own man ever since whispers about his prodigal talent did the rounds in the Mumbai maidans almost two decades ago. Batting at its most elemental form is about lining up the delivery and responding. Rohit is one of those rare batters, who seemed to have that extra second while dealing with the red cherry in Tests and the white ball in limited overs cricket. There was an ease to the manner in which he picked his runs. This was more poetry at work rather than dull prose, even if at times he could lash out those muscular sixes. 'He makes it look easy', was the general refrain but as David Gower, the aesthetic high-priest of batting, said once, there is a lot of hardwork lost in descriptive terms like 'lazy elegance'. As a teenager, he had to grapple with crowded suburban trains while carrying his heavy cricket kitbag to the grounds in south Mumbai. He had to deal with the historical pressures that a batter has to cope with in a metropolis that has produced Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar. There were cautionary tales too like the one involving Vinod Kambli, a glorious talent lost to the pitfalls of fame. Rohit, though, remained grounded, and by 2007, was part of the Indian limited-overs squad and was a member of the team that won the ICC World T20 the same year. Test performance If Rohit the batter in ODIs and T20s looked set for the long haul, the same individual seemed plagued with bad luck when it came to Tests. Set to make a Test debut in 2010, he picked up a freak injury. Eventually, he found his way back in 2013, and the West Indians felt the heat of his bat at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. Rohit's 177 on debut seemed to be a promise about things to come. But as his career evolved, it was obvious that he was cut out for greatness in ODIs, where he scored double hundreds for fun, while in Tests, he had an identity crisis. Shuffled across slots, dropped at times, it took a while for him to stabilise while Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane marched past him. The tipping point was when coach Ravi Shastri and captain Kohli made him open in Tests. Rohit prospered despite reservations in many quarters over his flamboyant style not being suited to Tests. He coated his aggression with a strong defensive technique, and the runs flowed. The twilight phase, though, was terrible. A poor yield against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia, meant that Rohit had to make a choice. For now, he is banking on ODIs, a format he dominates, both as a batter and as a captain. Still, to make 4,301 runs in 67 Tests, while largely opening, is a good statistic. Having led India to titles in the 2024 ICC Twenty20 World Cup and this year's Champions Trophy, besides excelling for the Mumbai Indians, Rohit's legacy is set in stone. Yet, he could have flourished more in Tests.
