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Batsman added 118 in 19.5 overs alongside James Bracey as Lions rack up mammoth first-innings total

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2020Dan Lawrence made 190 to put continue his stellar form and put England Lions into a commanding position on the second day of their tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in Hobart.Resuming on 103 not out overnight, Lawrence put his foot down on the second morning, adding 118 in just 19.5 overs for the sixth wicket alongside James Bracey, taking him to 190 before he was eventually dismissed by Jake Lehmann’s part-time spin. Lawrence has been the standout player across the tour, his innings in this game following scores of 50*, 35 and 41 as well as six wickets in the one-day leg of the tour.Bracey made 58 before becoming Brendan Doggett’s fourth victim, while Lewis Gregory put on 78 in 13.3 overs with Craig Overton before declaring at the fall of his wicket. The total of 613 for 8 declared was the second-highest in the history of England Lions and England A sides, behind only a score of 624 for 8 declared against South Africa A in 2015.Gregory struck almost immediately with the new ball, having Caleb Jewell caught behind with the third delivery of the reply, before Sam Whiteman and Jason Sangha provided some resistance. Richard Gleeson, the Lancashire fast bowler, made the breakthrough by bowling Whiteman, but Sangha continued to frustrate the Lions with an unbroken stand of 79 with Lehmann.”I’m really proud of the boys who’ve helped us rack up this formidable total to put us in a strong position to win this match,” said Gregory. “Dom [Sibley] and Keaton [Jennings] batted beautifully yesterday, with Dan carrying on his day-one form to propel us even further today with great support from James.”I enjoyed my partnership at the end with Craig to push past the 600 mark and we’ve started well in the tough task of taking 20 Australian wickets. The next two days will be a great test for us.”

Jasprit Bumrah had Australia’s batsmen, especially the left handers, in all sorts of trouble

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2018ESPNcricinfo Ltd

1.6 Bumrah to Harris, no run, that’s a ripper which angles in towards off stump then straightens to beat the outside edge3.1 Bumrah to Harris, no run, beaten by a cracker! This is an incredible delivery. Around the wicket, angled in it hit the seam and took off, miles past the edge and Pant had to climb high to take it3.4 Bumrah to Harris, no run, beats the edge again! 144kph, good length, angled in, nipping away, he presses forward to defend and it blows by the edge at high speed.7.5 Bumrah to Harris, no run, he gets hit flush on the badge of the helmet! He’s knocked over backwards. He’s OK. he’s bounced back up. What a brute of a ball. Short, lifting, it following him, he ducked late and it hit the helmet flush. It ricocheted away to point9.1 Bumrah to Harris, no run, 140kph beats him again, this pitched on middle and nipped across him, he pushed forward and it swerved past the edge11.1 Bumrah to Harris, no run, 137kph, beats him again! Wow. Shorter length, pitching leg stump, it climbed up and across him as he tried to defend, it flew to Pant11.4 Bumrah to Harris, no run, 142kph, gets a bottom edge that rolls to second. It was a good length outside off, he prodded at it and runs off the bottom of the bat to RahulMarcus Harris takes a tumble after being struck on the helmet by Jasprit Bumrah•Getty Images

17.2 Bumrah to Harris, OUT, left alone and he’s bowled! Good length from round the wicket, Harris thought this would shape away (or he just got it badly wrong) lifts the bat out of the line and off stump is clipped17.4 Bumrah to Marsh, no run, don’t think he had a clue there! A full delivery, just outside off, Marsh is shuffling all over the crease, starts to leave, then starts to play, then eventually leaves it alone17.6 Bumrah to Marsh, no run, pads up to this one but it’s too high for lbw, and may have pitched outside leg…a short of a length delivery. Marsh all over the shop23.1 Bumrah to Khawaja, no run, what a ripper, there’s no playing that, good length from round the wicket, leaps as it straightens and beats the outside edge23.5 Bumrah to Khawaja, no run, beats the edge again, Khawaja just pushing away from his body, another one which nips off the seam34.2 Bumrah to Head, no run, 132kph, leaps off a length and beats the edge! Goodness. This is unplayable. Angled in, climbing away. Past the edge34.4 Bumrah to Head, no run, 136kph, another play and miss trying to force square off the back foot, it bounces over the edge and swings after it passes34.6 Bumrah to Head, no run, 139kph another freakish off cutter beats the edge! This hit a crack and shot sharply away from the bat! Wow.36.4 Bumrah to Khawaja, no run, 139kph beats the edge again. Angled in, just nipping away, he’s forced to defend and it nips past the edge once more. Amazing bowling38.6 Bumrah to Head, no run, 140kph, flash and miss away from his body. Back of a length, it nips away, he tries to force off the back foot and it beats the edge and flies through to Pant

Pandurang Salgaoncar was allegedly caught in a sting operation promising to manipulate the Pune pitch, which was hosting the second ODI between India and New Zealand

Nagraj Gollapudi25-Oct-20172:33

Agarkar: Would have been sad for fans if match was cancelled

The BCCI has “dismissed” Pandurang Salgaoncar, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) curator, for “malpractice” that was captured on camera by undercover reporters. The controversy did not affect the start of the second ODI between India and New Zealand, which began as scheduled after a routine pre-match pitch inspection by ICC match officials. Ramesh Mhamunkar, a member of the BCCI’s grounds and pitches committee, was put in charge of the pitch.The nature of what the BCCI called “malpractice” emerged in a sting operation video carried out by reporters from . In the released footage, which has been edited, Salgaoncar is shown interacting with the reporters and talking to them about the pitch for the ODI – the voiceover says the reporters are posing as bookies though the released footage does not show them introducing themselves to Salgaoncar as such.The conversations in the released video are centred on the pitch. Shot over Monday and Tuesday, Salgaoncar said in the video that the pitch – No. 8 of the 15 strips – would have runs. “It is very good. It will garner 337 runs. And 337 will be chaseable.”The ground is a new one and before Wednesday’s game had only hosted two ODIs. First innings scores in those two were 304-8 and 350-7 (an average of 327); the latter score was chased down.In a different clip, at the stadium, Salgaoncar alerts the reporters to the presence of Mhamunkar at the ground. He tells them that as per regulations no outsider is allowed to be at the pitch. Nonetheless one of the reporters is shown tapping a pitch. In another exchange, in a car, the reporter asks whether two fast bowlers could be given some help from the match’s pitch. Salgaoncar replies that the pitch always helps fast bowlers.And in another, the reporter asks that either a player or a team – the identity has been bleeped out – be dealt a “favor” for the game. Salgaoncar says: “I told you, this will be a 340-run wicket, either way.”The reporter replies, “You’ve already said that. We will do betting on that. But the ****** [name of player or team] we want a favour for tomorrow’s match…”Salcaongar interrupts and says: “That will be done good. I told you.”In response, the BCCI immediately “dismissed” Salgaoncar. Though the acting board president CK Khanna had earlier told ESPNcricinfo that Salgaoncar would be “suspended” and “barred” from entering the ground, a BCCI release left no doubt that the curator had been sacked.”After reports stating an alleged malpractice from the MCA (Maharashtra State Cricket Association) pitch curator, Mr Pandurang Salgaoncar, the MCA has dismissed Mr Salgaoncar from the position of Curator with immediate effect,” the board said.”A strict action has been taken against the pitch curator and the employment relationship between Mr Pandurang Salgaonkar and MCA stands terminated,” the CEO Rahul Johri said. An inquiry will now take place into the events.As the incident concerns an international match the ICC will also be involved. “We are investigating the allegations from Pune this morning, as with all international cricket, the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit has an ICC ACU Manager on the ground in India and we are in close contact with him,” an ICC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “We are now looking to establish the facts and will make no further comment whilst this is ongoing.”MCA president Abhay Apte said: “The MCA will be making a detailed enquiry on what has happened or what has appeared on the television. But before we have our urgent meeting, in the capacity of the MCA president, I have taken Mr Salgaoncar under immediate suspension with immediate effect and all his work has been withdrawn.”Salgaoncar, a long-time curator and former fast bowler, was involved in another pitch controversy earlier this year, after the surface for the first Test between India and Australia in March was rated poor by the ICC match referee Chris Broad.

Alastair Cook has dismissed allegations of ball tampering against his England side as “a load of rubbish”, adding his voice to Pakistan’s dismissive response

George Dobell10-Aug-20161:48

Dobell: Ball-tampering story regrettable

Alastair Cook has dismissed allegations of ball tampering against his England side as “a load of rubbish.”England’s seamers used reverse swing to cut through the Pakistan batting on the final day of the Edgbaston Test, claiming, at one stage, four wickets for one run. It left England leading the four-match series 2-1 with only the Oval Test left to play.Some news organisations in Pakistan have subsequently broadcast footage of England in the field at Edgbaston and suggested that they tampered with the ball in order to gain reverse swing.Although that footage, particularly footage showing Joe Root vigorously shining the ball, looked innocuous and the Pakistan camp have dismissed the allegations, the story has rumbled on for a couple of days.”It’s a load of rubbish,” Cook replied when asked about the allegations. “Someone showed me the clip on Twitter of Rooty shining the ball. It’s just shining the ball, isn’t it?”Let’s be honest. It’s shining the shiny side of the ball on his trousers. It’s an absolute load of rubbish as far as I’m concerned. It’s so far-fetched that it’s just nonsense. I don’t think it will affect anyone, it certainly hasn’t affected our changing room.”Cook also expressed disappointment that the story might overshadow what has been, until now, a good quality series played in fine spirit between two well-matched sides. While previous encounters between the sides have been tainted by various controversies – not least when some in the British media made similar allegations against Pakistan players – this one has been notably free of such issues.”We’ve been talking about cricket for three Test matches – for the first time in a series I’ve played against Pakistan,” Cook said. “And hopefully we’ll be talking about the cricket – good or bad – at the end of this next game.”It’s a little sideshow and hopefully it stays there. Both sides should be commended for the way they’ve played so far.”Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan coach, confirmed that there had been no complaints from his team to the match officials at the time or subsequently and Misbah-ul-Haq also played down the allegations. Indeed, the Pakistan captain suggested his bowlers could learn from the way in which England cared for the ball.”We don’t just want to get into those things,” he said. “The game is over and credit should be given to the England team for the way they bowled and got us out.Alastair Cook praised the spirit in which the series has been played•Getty Images

“That was a super spell by all their bowlers, especially after lunch. That happened, it’s gone and we have to focus on the coming game. We should have played better.”Reverse happens and sometimes on the last day it happens because the pitch is so dry. There are right ways to roughen the ball. You bowl cross seam, throw the ball from the boundary on the ground, you shine it from one end and these are legal ways to roughen the ball. You care for the ball and the team which does better it achieves reverse swing. This is an art, a science and whole time you have to care for the ball.”We have to carefully look at it so that our bowlers can also achieve that. We have to take care of the ball and these days one or two bowlers bowl cross seam so that you hit one side of the ball on the pitch, we have to do that.”England bowlers are experienced like Anderson and Broad and know how to utilize that, they know the conditions. Our seam bowlers have played less cricket so they have to learn that and care for the ball. We have to gain that experience and concentrate on that.”We were a little bit concerned, the way it just happened just after the lunch, because it was not doing anything until the fourth day and suddenly it started. But obviously the fifth day is different and it could happen. The umpires are there, the match referees are there and I am not there to check those things.”I think they are very good bowlers and a very good side. Especially Anderson and Broad. These bowlers know what to do especially how to take care of the ball day, how to reverse it specially. There was concern the way it just swung in that hour, but we are not taking anything ahead of that.”The on-field umpires check the condition of the ball at the end of each over and when a wicket falls. The TV umpire can also advice on the basis of what they see on their screens. The ICC have confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that no complaints were made by the umpires and that there is no on-going investigation.

Former South Australia U-19 Steven Crook made an unbeaten 142 against his countrymen as Northamptonshire racked up 396 after put in to bat

Daniel Brettig in Northampton15-Aug-2015
ScorecardSteven Crook thrashed an unbeaten hundred against his increasingly frazzled countrymen•Getty Images

Last week Australia were sent in to bat and were bowled out for 60. This week the tourists sent in a modest Northamptonshire side at Wantage Road and found themselves humbled again, this time by a rollicking effort from Steven Crook, a former South Australia Under-19s player who has latterly found the knack for hundreds in his adopted country.A contemporary of Mark Cosgrove and Shaun Tait among others, this was Crook’s third century in two seasons after waiting more than a decade for his first. Through a combination of intelligent placement and plain old thumping he gave a grateful crowd something to cheer about and Australia’s new captain Steven Smith something to think about. Crook ended a memorable day by snaffling a catch at third slip, as David Warner pushed out stiffly at a Maurice Chambers ball angled across him.Doubtless the Australians would not have been delighted with the day’s proceedings, which saw them play untidily between occasional patches of strong cricket. Adam Voges dropped a slips catch, there were several misfields and, late in the day, Peter Nevill fumbled a stumping that would have ended Crook’s innings at 119.

‘To be part of that generation is pretty cool’

Steven Crook reflected on the generation of Australian cricketers with which he shared Under-19s dressing rooms before striking out as a county cricketer more than a decade ago.
“I left quite a long time ago so it’s obviously looking out from quite a long way away to see how things are going over there,” he said. “They’ve got a good team, a good attack, and against Australia is quality, so I really enjoyed it.
“My Under-19s year had Shaun Marsh, Shaun Tait, Mark Cosgrove, Cameron White, Xavier Doherty, George Bailey, so we had quite a good crop of players. It’s interesting to see how those guys have developed and gone on to play all over the world. To be part of that generation of players is really cool.”
Crook arrived in 2002 to play league cricket then Lancashire offered him a deal as a local player – both his parents were British born.
“I’m not sure how well it went down in South Australia,” he said of the move, “but if somebody says ‘here’s a professional contract’ it’s pretty hard to turn down. I always wanted to be a cricketer and that was my ticket.”

Duly reprieved, he hammered Nathan Lyon’s next two balls beyond the long-off and long-on ropes to go to his highest first-class score. Northants’ last three wickets tallied 123. Traditionally a wrist spinner would have been called on to mop up the tail, but Smith did not dare to use Fawad Ahmed, who gave up 48 runs in six confidence-sapped overs.Smith would have hoped for better when he sent the hosts in to bat, on a pitch that was tinged with green but quickly showed less sign of life than had been witnessed in the Tests at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge. This may have had something to do with the bowlers concerned, for Peter Siddle and Pat Cummins were unable to threaten in the same way James Anderson and Stuart Broad had done.Siddle was economical to begin with, but was unable to break through an opening stand that reached as far as 68 before Ben Duckett’s impish contribution was ended by Mitchell Marsh’s inswinging first ball. It was Marsh who actually looked most threatening of all the pacemen, moving the ball at a brisk pace to bowl Rob Keogh playing down the wrong line and then have Josh Cobb taken at slip next ball.The hat-trick was averted confidently by the 17-year-old Saif Zaib, who showed plenty of poise before his cameo was ended by Lyon’s offbreak. Kyle Coetzer’s dogged stay ended soon after when his patience finally flagged and he was bowled trying to swing Lyon into the Northampton town centre, and at 273 for 7 Warner and Shaun Marsh were starting to think about a few evening overs.Instead they were put on hold by Crook’s brazen hitting, which featured shots all round the ground and a temperament unfazed by the fall of Northamptonshire’s ninth wicket when he still required three for a century. A nifty pull shot through backward square leg took him there, the milestone taking just 77 balls to reach. The entertainment continued against increasingly flustered Australian bowling, with Crook and last man Richard Gleeson adding 52 in a mere 46 balls. Crook hurtled comfortably past a century in the session, ultimately making 123 after tea.When Gleeson was finally out, lbw to be Cummins’ third wicket, the Wantage Road faithful stood to applaud Crook’s boldness. Many of the attendees then promptly left their seats and the ground, leaving Australia’s openers to see out the day’s final five overs in front of a much reduced gathering. They had started the day hoping to be the prime attractions, but ended it as extras in the star turn of a little-known countryman.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was positive about his team’s chances against the No. 1 ranked South Africa ahead of the first Test between the two sides at the Wanderers

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg31-Jan-2013In between the growing of Graeme Smith’s age and that of the size of his family, his record as the only captain to lead a side in 100 Tests, and Test cricket returning to the Wanderers for the first time 15 months, everyone has forgotten something: Pakistan are also playing. Misbah-ul-Haq and his team are used to being side-lined though, so they are unfazed by it.Misbah waited patiently outside the room as Smith gave his press conference, which was dominated by talk of the captaincy rather than any pre-series analysis. He entered as Smith finished; the Pakistan team manager, their coach and Misbah went to congratulate the South African captain. Misbah and Smith shook hands warmly, posed with the trophy and exchanged some pleasantries.Smith bounded out of the room with the excitement of someone who has a party to look forward to, but Misbah’s demeanour was unchanged. Straight-faced and entirely serious, he sat down to address a much smaller crowd about his team’s very real hopes of success.Naturally, the first question he got was about Smith. How does he think has lasted so long in the job, especially as captains tend not to, particularly in Pakistan where it must be a tough task?The language barrier would have played a role in Misbah’s answer, which side-stepped Smith with the deftness of a rugby winger, trying one of those dinky moves to evade defence. “I wouldn’t say it has been tough captaining Pakistan, I have really [enjoyed] captaining Pakistan and the guys are responding well to me,” he said.Under him, Pakistan have won nine of the 17 Tests they’ve played and lost one. Misbah first led the side against South Africa in November 2010 and since then, as a team, they’ve lost only twice. Misbah was not part of the second defeat, against Sri Lanka in Galle because he was banned for over-rate violations.Overall, his tenure has coincided with two of Pakistan’s more consistent years in all formats. Handy preparation for what Misbah now calls their “biggest challenge.” Pakistan have played in the sub-continent, New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe since Misbah took over. Prior to that they faced Australia and England in England, but they have not come up against South Africa at home since 2007.For visiting teams, the bottom tip of the African continent has been a difficult place to succeed. South Africa have not lost a series at home in four years, since they were beaten by Australia in early 2009. Before that, England triumphed over them in 2004. They have never lost to a team from the sub-continent at home.Now that they are the top-ranked team in Test cricket, attempting to overturn that may seem daunting but Misbah is ready, despite Pakistan playing their last Test six months ago. “It is a good chance for us to improve as a team,” he said. “It does play a bit of a role; not playing as regularly as other players but at the same time it develops you as a team. We’ve gathered, everything is alright and we know what to do.”Pakistan’s experienced players will be much relied upon in the series, especially as many of the squad have not toured South Africa before. Younis Khan, for example, will have to be a provider of information and runs and he, too, is prepared for the task. “We are ready for the big rumble. We are very positive. We know that if you want to win against South Africa you must play with a positive frame of mind,” he said.New Zealand, who were the previous team to tour South Africa, confused aggression with recklessness and batting collapses were the theme of their trip. Pakistan bring better skills than New Zealand though, and their promise of intent should not be taken lightly. “This is the way to go; you have to back your ability.”The intent will start at the top with Nasir Jamshed, who is likely to debut in place of the injured Taufeeq Umar. Taufeeq has been a constant for Pakistan, having played in the last 18 Tests, and he scored in South Africa on their last visit but a stress fracture of the shin had sent him home.Jamshed’s good form includes two half-centuries in the warm-up match and Misbah is hopeful this could signal the start of a long career. “He is a really gifted player and has had some very good knocks against top quality sides. With the kind of talent that he has, he can make a difference.”In case that is not enough to get South Africa thinking of the match itself and not the sideshows, there is also the prospect of facing a quick having a height of more than two metres, Mohammed Irfan. Misbah was cagey about whether the lanky seamer will play, and instead only promised that Pakistan, “have got some other surprises as well.”

Vikrant Shetty, the UAE offspinning allrounder, has been cleared to bowl at the international level, after undergoing remedial work on his bowling action

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2012Vikrant Shetty, the UAE offspinning allrounder, has been cleared to bowl at the international level, after undergoing remedial work on his bowling action. Shetty worked on his action at the ICC Global Cricket Academy (GCA), under the supervision of head coaches Dayle Hadlee and Mudassar Nazar. Following the remedial action, he was assessed and cleared by his home board, the Emirates Cricket Board.Shetty had been reported for a suspected illegal action during UAE’s Intercontinental Cup clash against Afghanistan in October. Shetty, 27, had made his first-class debut in that match. He was reported at the end of the match by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Buddhi Pradhan, and third umpire Iftikhar Ali.Under this process, as with all bowlers, Shetty’s action will continue to be scrutinised by match officials to ensure it remains legal.

Canada’s preparation for the World Cup has been hampered by a delay in Indian visas for four key players in their squad

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2011Canada’s preparation for the World Cup has been hampered by a delay in Indian visas for four key players in their squad.Batsman Rizwan Cheema, allrounder Umar Bhatti, paceman Khurram Chohan and back-up keeper Hamza Tariq – all Pakistan-born – were all ruled out of Canada’s recent pre-tournament warm-up in India and Ranjit Saini, the Cricket Canada president, told Pakistan’s Daily Mail the problems have damaged the team.”[We have been] waiting to have visas processed for several months now,” he said. “Canada took a pre-World Cup preparatory visit to India in November and the visas were applied for before that.”We couldn’t take these players to India and as a result our training plans have suffered. [It’s] a source of distraction and is hurting team morale in general. We are making efforts but so far there is no outcome. They are the star players of our team, Rizwan Cheema was in the IPL auction.”Saini confirmed that Canada will take a full-strength to Bangladesh in February for the official World Cup warm-up matches and the opening ceremony before proceeding to Colombo for their opening fixture, against Sri Lanka. The team is currently competing in the Caribbean T20, where they won a stirring encounter with England domestic Twenty20 Champions Hampshire.They have just two days from returning from that tournament before they head off to Dubai to prepare for the World Cup and Saini is hoping the visas can be sorted by then.”The problem is that if this is not resolved in next week or so, the team will be on the move and players can’t come back to Canada for visa processing. The short window of opportunity is now causing the issue to become a major problem.”

The Delhi High Court has reinforced its earlier decision that Essel Sports, promoters of the ICL, cannot sue the Indian board (BCCI) in British Courts

Cricinfo staff04-Feb-2010The Delhi High Court has reinforced its earlier decision of barring the ICL from suing the BCCI in British courts. However, the ICL has claimed that the courts have given them the go-ahead to initiate action against the ICC and the ECB in London Courts.Essel Sports, the promoters of the ICL, had, in November, served a legal notice, seeking various reliefs including restraint orders and damages against the BCCI, the ECB and the ICC for boycotting the ICL. The notice said that if the league did not receive a “full and satisfactory substantive response” from the BCCI by December 7, it would file proceedings in the London court. The Delhi High Court, on December 8, disallowed the ICL from pursuing the case in London.The BCCI, in response to the ICL’s legal notice, had filed a plea for an anti-suit injunction against the league before the Delhi High Court, which retained its earlier decision.”In a suit filed by the BCCI before the Delhi High Court for an anti-suit injunction against Essel Sports Pvt. Ltd. (Indian Cricket League), the Delhi High Court today held that the attempt of Essel Sports (ICL) to file a suit in the Courts of the UK against the BCCI, when a suit by Essel was already pending in the Delhi High Court based on similar causes of action, was ‘unconscionable'”, said the BCCI in a statement.However, the ICL can initiate action against the English board and the ICC in UK courts. “An Order has been passed in the Delhi High court in the matter BCCI vs Essel Sports Pvt. Ltd. (Indian Cricket League) stating that ESPL is free to initiate action against ICC and ECB in London Courts,” said the ICL in a statement.The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) – a players’ lobby group – had questioned how the ICL could go ahead with the legal costs of suing the various boards while it owed the players “millions of dollars”. Most recently, the Pakistan players who were involved in the ICL filed a legal notice against the league over payments due to them since December 2008.

“Faf has lent on him quite a lot and we’re pretty sure that Rajat will be leaning on him too,” RCB’s director of cricket says

Ashish Pant13-Feb-20252:25

Why did RCB overlook Kohli as captain?

Virat Kohli might not be the new Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain, with the franchise opting for Rajat Patidar, but for Mo Bobat, RCB’s director of cricket, Kohli does not need a “captaincy title” to be a leader in the team.”Of course, Virat was an option and that goes without saying and I know that the fans would’ve probably lent towards Virat in the first instance, but we’ve seen a lot of love for Rajat too,” Bobat said in an event in Bengaluru where Patidar was unveiled as the captain for IPL 2025. “Look, my point on Virat would be that Virat doesn’t need a captaincy title to lead. I think leadership, as we’ve all seen, is one of his strongest instincts. I think it just comes naturally to him. He leads regardless.”Kohli led the RCB franchise from 2013 to 2021 before he stepped down from the role. He led the team for three matches in 2023 when regular captain Faf du Plessis was injured and played as an Impact Player.Related

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Bobat was confident that despite Kohli not being the designated captain, Patidar would lean on him like his predecessor du Plessis did.”Everybody in the country and everyone in the world knows that Virat’s a leader in every sense of the word,” Bobat said. “Andy [Flower, head coach] and I lean on him quite a lot. Faf has lent on him quite a lot and we’re pretty sure that Rajat will be leaning on him too.”Even last year with Faf as captain, we saw every bit of that. He leads as an example with the bat, the volume of runs and the strike rate that he scored at last year was so impressive and so important for us. He set the tone, he leads in the field. I can think of two or three specific instances where he’s actually created run-out chances and wickets from nothing. Everyone in the field knows that they’ve got to be up to their standards because of him. He sets the tone with his energy. Everyone has seen how much he likes a fight and a scrap and how much he wants to be the person getting us over the line.””His experience and ideas will definitely help me in my leadership role,” Patidar said of Kohli•BCCI

Bobat also said that Kohli was actively involved in discussions surrounding Patidar being named captain.”Andy and I spent some time with Virat earlier this week actually in Ahmedabad and it was really nice getting some time with him and talking things through with him [about captaincy],” Bobat said. “And what was so obvious was he had so much energy and excitement for this decision and this appointment. He’s so pleased for Rajat, like us. He knows how deserving Rajat is of this opportunity and is right behind him.”Kohli was front and centre of RCB turning their season around in IPL 2024. Having won just one out of their first eight games, RCB won six on the bounce to make a miraculous entry into the playoffs. While they went down in the eliminator, Kohli, with 741 runs in 15 innings, won the purple cap.
“I think Virat’s energy and motivation and drive is really something special to behold in a 36-year-old cricketer that’s done everything in the game,” Flower said. “I really respect him for it and it’s great role modelling for the younger players and younger overseas players to come and work with him as well. It was nice to watch it from within the same dressing room last year.”My experience with him, particularly in the first half of the last season when we were struggling and he was a huge part of turning that season around for us, in the way that he carried himself in his role modelling of how he works at the day and thinks about the day, that experience with him only made my respect for him grow. And I would say the same thing about our discussions over the captaincy of RCB coming season.”Patidar also said that having had plenty of good partnerships with Kohli over the years, he does not mind leaning on him for suggestions and that it would help him in his leadership role.”It’s a great opportunity for me to learn from one of the best,” Patidar said. “I have had a lot of partnerships with him, so I think I know him very well. So yeah, his experience and his ideas will definitely help me in my leadership role.”