SPORTS

India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar believes that the Indian team should not keep age as a criteria for deciding the T20 World Cup squad. The T20I World Cup is set to take place in India later this year, with a heavy international schedule in place, questions are being raised on whether the selectors should keep an experienced squad for the tournament, or give chance to youngsters.

"One thing I would like to clarify here is that it is not just about picking youngsters. It is about picking capable players, you are talking about the Indian cricket team, age should not be criteria," Tendulkar told a news agency, on the sidelines of Road Safety World Series.

It was a regulation forehand pick, dipping low, as Saina Nehwal attempted an awkward mix of squat and stretched retrieve. She would immediately wince in pain, and carry the shadow of that discomfort felt in the side hips for the next two points. Trailing 21-8 in the first against Danish Mia Blichfeldt, Saina would finally turn to the umpire, raise her racquet and retire hurt, after an afflicted 4-10 score in the second.

Commentator Gill Clark who had spent the match, enumerating Saina’s body of work – 15 straight All England appearances with consistent quarterfinals and a dozen World Championships, would wonder if this was the last that the Utilita Arena of All England would be seeing of her.

But in a game where Saina struggled to cover the court, her lunges laboured and her return to the central T reluctant, the iconic Indian trailblazer betrayed the toll a decade and half of badminton had taken on her body.

Despite being one of the most agile athletes on the field, Kohli's catching has let him down lately. Once known for pulling off incredible catches, such as one-handed running stunners, Kohli has wobbled against some of the easiest and basic catching opportunities in T20 internationals. It was in December of last year, that Kohli put down a dolly of Matthew Wade against Australia in a T20I in Sydney, one of the easiest chances you'll see. And on Tuesday, Kohli put down a chance - not the toughest - of Jos Buttler when the batsman was on 76.

Buttler reverse-swept leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, and Kohli, who was at backward point, did well to move quickly to his right, but failed to hold on to it. Had he grabbed it, Kohli would have prevented himself from registering an unwanted fielding record. Yes, the Buttler drop was Kohli's sixth in T20I cricket since 2019, which is the most by a fielder from a Test-playing nation. The skipper surpassed England all-rounder Chris Jordan's tally of five dropped catches.

"No, you've got a problem playing spin!"

The Light Roller has taken to starting all conversations this way recently - even if it's in response to a passing pleasantry from a family member (in which case the point stands, since the Rollers all love a flat pitch). Sure, it sounds defensive, but if we've learned anything over the years of watching England donning their clown shoes on dustbowls, it's that cricket is very much a mental game. The disintegration usually starts up top long before there's a first puff of dust from the deck.

Unlike Sri Lanka, where England (or at least Joe Root) managed to avoid being spooked, India very quickly cottoned on to the old adage about character being destiny. Just as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz has no brain, and the Tin Man no heart, English batsmen have no technique against the twirly stuff. It never hurts to remind them of that fact - an approach Sunil Gavaskar seemed to enthusiastically embrace on TV commentary.

Indian opener Ishan Kishan became the first Indian batsman in over 10 years to score a fifty on debut in a T20 international. The Mumbai Indians wicket-keeper batsman smashed a whirlwind 56 off 32 balls as India cruised to a six-wicket win over England in the second T20 international at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (March 14). 

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was back to hosting his popular video-chat segment ‘Chahal TV’ and his latest guest was Ishan Kishan. Chahal enquired from the debutant why he delayed in raising his bat to the crowd after completing his maiden half-century. 
"Jab fifty ho gayi aap dekhne mein aaya tha apne do-teen second bat nahi uthaya. Aapko pata nahi tha aapki fifty ho gayi hai? Thoda nervous ho gaye the? (When you reached fifty, we saw a slight delay when you raised the bat. Did you not know you had scored a half-century? Were you nervous?)” Chahal asked Kishan on Sunday.