IND v ENG: India Comes Supreme Against England’s Bazball

India

India produced a clinical performance in the first T20I against England, with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory at Eden Gardens.  India Spinners Dominant With The Ball Winning the toss, India elected to field all three frontline spinners, a decision that became a masterstroke as they bundled England for just 132 runs. Arshdeep Singh provided the initial breakthrough, and Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi started to strangle the Englishmen in the middle overs. Chakravarthy’s impressive 3 for 23 was the highlight, while Arshdeep’s 2 for 17 made him India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is. India Spinners Thrash England’s Batting Line-up The English batting line-up struggled against India’s spinners, with Jos Buttler’s 68 off 44 balls being the only notable contribution. The English middle order faltered as the spinners worked their magic. While Buttler briefly gave some hope to his team with a 48-run stand with Harry Brook, Chakravarthy sent back both Brook and Liam Livingstone in quick succession, leaving the tourists in a precarious position. Even Archer’s 12 down the order could not make the total look threatening for England, as India’s bowlers dominated the proceedings. Abhishek Sharma’s Rampage At The Top Of The Order India’s chase of 133 was never in doubt, as the openers chased the target. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma came out all guns blazing, with the latter playing a blistering knock of 79 off just 34 balls. Abhishek’s innings was a display of clean hitting, with 68 of his runs coming in boundaries, including 8 sixes and 5 fours. Archer did manage to dismiss both Samson and Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession, but Abhishek continued to dominate, effectively sealing the win for India. India’s Fielding As Tight As Security Of A Prison While batting, India centered its action. India’s fielding was also spectacular. A brilliant diving full-stretch catch from Nitish Kumar Reddy took away the chances from Jos Buttler to play much more from deep. The catching was made harder when Ben Duckett found it on his bat, that too by Rinku Singh, a contribution crucial to win for the Indian side and clearly highlight the differences between both sides of playing this game. India Exploits England’s Vulnerability In the first T20I, England batters failed against India’s spin attack. The tourists could not read the lengths and lines of the Indian spinners, which cost them dearly as only Buttler showed the necessary skill to counter the spinners. On the other hand, India’s spinners were able to maintain pressure, suffocating the English batsmen with a combination of accuracy and variety. India Takes 1-0 Lead In The T20I Series This complete victory puts India at the helm of the five-match T20I series. Both the teams would be now traveling to Chennai for the second T20I. England has to quickly regroup and figure out how to score against India’s spin bowling. India’s all-round performance left them miles ahead of the competition. Will India continue to establish their dominance or will England bounce back with a win in the second T20I of the series?? The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye

IPL 2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad Finalizes Retention List

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) completed their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 roster of five capped player retention deals, confirming the engagements of Australian batter Travis Head and Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, before the 2025 IPL mega auction. As per a report, Head will be retained for INR 14 crore, and Reddy will receive INR 6 crore. Sunrsiers Hyderabad Core Players and Auction Strategy Earlier, it had also been reported that Heinrich Klaasen (INR 23 crore), Pat Cummins (INR 18 crore) along with Abhishek Sharma (INR 14 crore) had stayed within the core lineup of the team that ultimately reached the finals of the 2024 IPL. With the re-retention of these five players, SRH has now spent INR 75 crore of its overall INR 120 crore purse, and from the auction, the franchise can now only use just one uncapped player Right-to-Match card. Leadership Remains With Pat Cummins Pat Cummins stays in the captain’s chair. He took this SRH team to a second chance at the play-offs first since 2020, and head coach Daniel Vettori is staying here. His support staff has agreed to stay back in hope of building some positive changes in the past success with the team. Value Of Travis Head Head’s retention is evidence of his remarkable 2024 season, during which he aggregated 567 runs with an imposing strike rate of 191.55, in turn becoming the most influential top-order match-winner of the side. A proven big-match player after a century each against India during the 2023 World Test Championship and also against India during the final of the ODI World Cup, he has astronomically increased his price-value quotient. Head was signed at INR 6.8 crores in 2024 and has now more than doubled, showing consistency and impact. Emerging Talent Nitish Kumar Reddy Nitish Kumar Reddy has also seen some growth. Signed for INR 20 lakh in 2023, Reddy was named the Emerging Player of IPL 2024 after scoring 303 runs at a strike rate of 143 and taking three wickets. The victory would also saw him get a T20I debut against Bangladesh in October 2024. A Strong Foundation for IPL 2025 Following the strategy of retention, SRH has prepared a robust squad with a mix of experienced internationals and fresh young talent to face a great battle in the IPL 2025 tournament. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye

IPL 2025: SunRisers Hyderabad Seal Major Retentions

IPL Retentions

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Player Auction on the corner, the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) seems to have finalised deals with Abhishek Sharma, Pat Cummins and Heinrich Klaasen, as sources reported. These signings, though yet to be officially confirmed, are said to set SRH’s core for IPL 2025. Heinrich Klaasen Bags The Big Retention Deal For INR 23 Crore A fortune has been spent on Heinrich Klaasen by the franchise, and the hard-hitting South African wicket-keeper batsman has earned the right to be one of the most paid in the league with a rumoured contract of Rs 23-crore. Klaasen has been an impressive performer, racking nearly 1,000 runs in 35 IPL matches. His value to the franchise is unmistakable, and the staggering price reflects their faith in his game-changing abilities. Pat Cummins To Be Retained for INR 18 Crore Australia’s Pat Cummins, who led SRH to the India Premier League final last season, is likely to be retained for Rs 18 crore. Pat Cummins was bought at Rs 20.50 crore and remains an integral part of SRH’s leadership and bowling line-up. Abhishek Sharma To Be Retained For INR 14 Crore Meanwhile, young Indian sensation Abhishek Sharma has signed a Rs 14-crore deal after a blockbuster 2023 season, during which he has scored 484 runs in 16 matches with an incredible strike rate of over 200 while opening the innings. Who Else Are SRH Planning To Retain? Besides the above acquisitions, SRH is close to retaining Australian batter Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who recently got his India cap. IPL Retention And Auction Rules Under the new IPL retention rules, the franchises can retain up to six players, with a maximum allocation of Rs 79 crore out of a Rs 120-crore purse. The SRH’s bold moves will signal how well prepared they are to build a powerhouse team for IPL 2024 and hope for a deep run this time as well. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye

A Hero’s Journey: Abhishek Sharma’s Arrival In International Cricket

Abhishek Sharma shines with explosive century, following Rohit Sharma's legacy and setting a template for Indian cricket.

Cricket has an uncanny way of balancing things out, much like life. Abhishek Sharma made his international debut against Zimbabwe on July 6 and was dismissed for a duck. However, just 24 hours later, he transformed from zero to hero by scoring 100 runs in just 47 balls. His explosive innings included seven fours and eight sixes, leaving the Zimbabwean bowlers clueless about where to bowl and what field to set. A Remarkable Acceleration What made Abhishek’s innings truly special was his remarkable acceleration. Initially, he scored 24 runs off 22 balls, but then he blasted the next 76 runs at a strike rate exceeding 300. His century came off just 46 balls, reminiscent of Rohit Sharma’s blistering 92 off 41 balls against Australia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The ‘Hitman’s’ Legacy Lives On Though Rohit Sharma has retired from T20Is, his legacy endures. Abhishek Sharma’s knock bore shades of the ‘Hitman.’ Coincidentally, Rohit’s first international century was also against Zimbabwe in an ODI back in 2010. Abhishek’s father, Mr. Rajkumar Sharma, credited Rohit for his son’s batting display. “The demand of T20 cricket now is to attack from ball one. You have to be brave. Rohit Sharma has shown the way for all the Indian youngsters. The template is set, and I am glad that Abhishek is trying to follow in the footsteps of Rohit,” he told the Indian Express. Following in Great Footsteps In many ways, Rohit was the invisible hand guiding Abhishek as he smashed his way to his first of hopefully many international centuries. Abhishek Sharma had an outstanding IPL season, scoring 484 runs for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Now, it’s time for him to convert that form into big knocks for the Indian Cricket Team. Rohit’s Lasting Influence Rohit Sharma concluded his T20I career after leading India to the title, but his influence on Abhishek Sharma is evident. The ‘Hitman’ departed with the most runs, joint-most centuries, most games, and most sixes in T20Is. If Abhishek can achieve even a fraction of what Rohit has accomplished, Indian cricket will greatly benefit. This probably is the right time for one ‘Sharma Ji Ka Beta’ to take the baton and carry forward from the other ‘Sharma Ji Ka Beta’. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye