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T20 WC 2024: Rohit brigade eyeing a winning start

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Ray Sportz News Desk: Rohit Sharma led Indian Cricket Team is eyeing a good start in the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup, when they will take on Ireland on Wednesday. It would be a great practice as well for all the Indian cricketers, before they face arch rivals Pakistan on June 9.

The team knows that it is a touch undercooked with a lot of confusion still persisting about what could be the best combination on a drop-in virgin strip. As is clear from the games so far, scoring won’t be a walk in the park like it was during the Indian Premier League the last couple of months.

But the bigger concern is the baggage of being favourites who don’t really make it count in the end.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have individually laid their hands on global silverware but an assortment of some other ‘once in generation’ cricketers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, have not and they would be eager to finally lift one.

This Indian cricket team wouldn’t want to be the Brazil football team of 1982 and 86 when global stars like Socrates, Zico, Careca, Falcao and Alemao couldn’t win the FIFA trophy.

The most poignant sight of last year’s ODI World Cup was a forlorn Rohit, after the final, desperately trying to hide his welled-up eyes from the TV cameras as he quietly climbed the steps of the Narendra Modi Stadium dressing room.

There was also Kohli, who after scoring those 765 invaluable runs, could only get a fleeting blank gaze towards the podium where the trophy was kept.

The best players sometimes don’t add up to become the best team and while India have put faith in their most experienced lot, it can’t be simply wished away that this current batch has faltered at the final two hurdles way too many times.

At 37, this could safely be termed as Rohit’s last World Cup in the white-ball format as one doesn’t have to be Nostradamus to predict that he won’t be around for the next T20 World Cup in India and the 50-over World Cup in South Africa in 2027.

A very gutsy Irish team with some quality T20 players like Paul Stirling, Josh Little, Harry Tector, Andy Balbirnie, awaits India in the lung-opener.

On a slow track and a sub-standard outfield at the Nassau County ground, how India plays against Irish left-arm spinner George Dockrell will be interesting.

Where India hold the advantage is their spinners who are way better compared to what the Irish team have though the pace attack, aside from Bumrah, looks a bit weak in absence of the redoubtable Mohammed Shami.

Often having too many options isn’t the best option just like Indians have at the top. To fit in skipper Rohit and team’s most elite batter in Kohli, they have to probably sacrifice Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Rishabh Pant’s batting at No.3 in the practice game was like a breath of fresh air and Hardik Pandya’s bowling form will indicate how India fares in this competition.

At the Cantiague Park nets on Monday, Pandya spent considerable time bowling to Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit.

If he can bowl at least three overs every day, the Indian team can also look to play Shivam Dube and include an extra spinner in the line-up.

Like earlier days, Ireland isn’t exactly a minnow in this format and very recently, they have beaten Pakistan in their own den in the run-up to the World Cup.

Little has more than little experience of playing IPL for Gujarat Titans and the troika of Balbirnie, Stirling and Tector can more than chance their arms.

The ‘Green Shirts’ will be the banana peel that Rohit and his men can ill-afford to slip on before they meet the more famous ‘Green Jerseys’ at the weekend.

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South Africa Crush India by 408 Runs, Seal Historic Series Triumph

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Ray Sportz Web Desk: South Africa completed a remarkable 408-run victory over India on the final day of the second Test in Guwahati, sealing a 2–0 series sweep and recording their first Test series win on Indian soil in 25 years. The emphatic result also marked India’s heaviest home defeat by runs, underlining a sobering end to a disappointing campaign for the hosts.
Resuming the day under immense pressure in their pursuit of an improbable 549-run target, India faltered quickly as South African off-spinner Simon Harmer ran through the batting order with clinical precision. Harmer, exploiting turn and uneven bounce, claimed six wickets in the innings, leaving the Indian side with few answers to his consistent probing.
Amidst the collapse, Ravindra Jadeja stood tall with a fighting 54 off 87 deliveries, offering brief resistance before becoming one of Harmer’s victims. Apart from Jadeja, no Indian batter managed to build a partnership of substance, and the innings folded for 140, sealing a lopsided contest.
South Africa’s dominance throughout the match was built on disciplined batting, sharp pace bowling, and Harmer’s decisive spell on the final day. Their commanding performances over both Tests signaled a significant shift in the balance of power, challenging India’s long-standing home supremacy.
For India, the series defeat raises urgent questions about batting resilience, strategic planning, and adaptability to pressure situations—even in familiar conditions. With the home fortress breached, the team faces a period of introspection ahead of future assignments.
South Africa, meanwhile, celebrated a landmark achievement—one that places this tour among their most memorable triumphs abroad, reaffirming their strength and cohesion in the longest format of the game.

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India Fight to Stay Afloat as South Africa Leave Hosts Chasing the Impossible

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Ray Sportz Web Desk: South Africa tightened their grip on the second Test on Monday, declaring their second innings at 269 for 5 and leaving India an improbable 549-run target on a wearing fourth-day surface at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.

The visitors, who already held a commanding position after posting 489 in the first innings and bowling India out for 201, chose aggression over caution as they accelerated through the morning. Tristan Stubbs once again led the charge with a fluent 94, falling agonizingly short of a century but ensuring South Africa’s lead swelled beyond India’s reach. Ravindra Jadeja offered resistance with the ball, returning figures of 4 for 62, but his effort was insufficient to halt the Proteas’ momentum.

Set a mountain to climb, India’s chase faltered almost immediately. Yashasvi Jaiswal looked promising but edged out for 13, while KL Rahul followed for 6, leaving the hosts wobbling at 27 for 2 by stumps. With 15.5 overs faced, India now stand not only far from the target but also perilously close to a defeat that would seal the series for South Africa.

As the final day approaches, India’s task has shifted from the realm of unlikely heroics to sheer survival. The pitch has shown increasing signs of deterioration, providing both seam movement and turn—conditions that South Africa’s bowlers are expected to exploit ruthlessly.

With the visitors firmly in control, the final day’s script hinges on whether India can summon enough resistance to push the contest into the afternoon, let alone threaten a miraculous comeback. For now, survival appears their only realistic ambition.

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India Clinch Historic Women’s Blind T20 World Cup in Colombo; Sri Lankan PM Graces Grand Finale

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Ray Sportz Web Desk: India carved their name into sporting history on Saturday, emerging as the inaugural champions of the Women’s T20 World Cup – Cricket for the Blind 2025 with a decisive seven-wicket victory over Nepal at the P Sara Oval. The thrilling finale was further elevated by the presence of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, whose attendance underscored the growing global spotlight on women’s blind cricket. The championship clash began with Nepal choosing to bat first after losing key early ground. India’s disciplined attack paid off when B2 Sunitha Srathe dismissed Nepal skipper Binita Pun for just 5 in the second over. Nepal recovered through Sarita Ghimire’s gritty 35 off 38 balls and Bimala Rai’s quick 26 off 26, supported by 25 extras, taking the total to a defendable 114/5 in 20 overs. India’s chase, however, got off to a shaky start, with captain Deepika and star batter Anekha Devi falling early to Ghimire’s fiery spell. But the innings soon transformed into a showcase of resilience. B1 Karuna powered the comeback with an explosive 42 off 27 balls, while B3 Phula Saren anchored the innings with a match-winning 44 off 27. Basanti Hansda added a steady 13 to steer India to 117/3, sealing the nation’s first-ever Women’s Blind T20 World Cup crown. Phula Saren (B3) was named Player of the Match. Player of the Series honours went to Nepal’s Sushma Tamang (B1), Nepal’s Mankeshi Chowdhary (B2), and Pakistan’s Mehreen Ali (B3). In a celebratory gesture, Chintals Group announced a cash prize of INR 1 lakh for each Indian player, with promises of further support. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya hailed the athletes as “true inspirations,” applauding their courage and commitment. She emphasized that Sri Lanka was honoured to host a milestone event advancing disability inclusion and women’s participation in sport. “When guided by vision, discipline, and purpose, the dreams of women and persons with disabilities in sport are not just possible — they are unstoppable,” she remarked. Dr. Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar, Chairman of CABI, praised both finalists for raising global standards in women’s blind cricket. He urged Sri Lanka to strengthen pathways for its visually impaired women cricketers, noting, “These athletes have proved their talent — now they deserve the systems and backing to soar even higher.” The award ceremony was attended by distinguished diplomats, sports administrators, and corporate leaders, including Ms Meenakashi Lekhi, Mr Santosh Jha, Mr Sulthan Shah, and global representatives from Australia, the United States, and India. India’s triumph signals a transformative chapter for women’s blind cricket — a victory built on grit, solidarity, and a collective belief in redefining what is possible.

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