Is Kohli really that bad at T20s?
Top cricket stories for 13th March 2024
Is Kohli really that bad at T20s?
Do the numbers support dropping Kohli, Perry bowls a WPL-record 6-15, and Mumbai set a 538-run total in the Ranji final.
The Telegraph’s Indranil Majumdar reports that chief selector Ajit Agarkar has been tasked with deciding whether to drop Virat Kohli from the Indian T20 team. Reddit user u/FondantAggravating68 has a truly fantastic article (with graphs) on Kohli during the 2023 IPL to see if the allegations of slow play against him are true.
RCB all but confirmed their place in the WPL playoffs with a resounding 7-wicket victory over the Mumbai Indians. ESPNcricinfo’s Vishal Dikshit recounts Ellyse Perry’s match-winning 6-15 bowling spell that tore out the heart of the MI team and made RCB fans of the watching 22,834-crowd. It’s honestly such a stunning spell, go watch the highlights now.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association believes that they can sustainably host the IPL despite Bangalore going through a major water crisis.
Rishabh Pant has been cleared to play as a wicketkeeper-batter in the IPL. Hindustan Times’ Somshuvra Laha writes about the harrowing journey Pant has been through since his car crash in late 2022.
Rajasthan Royals’ Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out of the IPL due to injury. ESPNcricinfo has the growing list of all the players that have been ruled out, and their replacements.
Mumbai have set Vidarbha a daunting total of 538 runs to chase down in the Ranji Trophy final. ESPNcricinfo’s Hemant Brar writes about how Shreyas Iyer is making headlines for the right reasons with his near century, while Musheer Khan becomes the youngest Ranji Final centurion ever.
I came across some cool data on X recently, so I thought I’d make a graph about it…
…I got the data from Spandan Roy (@talksports45). From what I understand, he posts cricket facts and occasional interesting data points if you want to follow him.
And, if you’re in the mood to check social media, give me a follow too! Just set up an Twitter and Instagram account under @BestCricStories, and would appreciate the support.
Pat’s on a three-year tear
Is Cummins having the best ever 3-year run, the end of this great AUS team, & the sudden disappearance of Test draws.
Cricket.com’s Anirudh Suresh asks a simple question; is Pat Cummins having the best three year run of anyone ever - as a player and captain, from performances to trophies?
Meanwhile, Wisden’s Naman Agarwal whispers that this magnificent Australia Test team may be on their last legs.
Hindustan Times’ Somshuvra Laha writes about how the 2020s have suddenly seen an acceleration in the rate of results in Tests (i.e. fewer draws), inevitably leading to broken records on the shortest Tests ever.
Cricket.com’s Pramod Ananth talks to Namibia vice-captain JJ Smit, giving us a fascinating glimpse into the world of association cricket.
The Guardian’s Lauren Marer has an interesting piece on the rural women’s cricket league that’s giving Aussie housewives and mothers a chance to play cricket for fun - something they’ve wanted to do but haven’t been able to since they were kids watching the boys muck about with a bat and ball.
How Team India supported Ashwin
Gooch talks Bazball, Ashwin on Rohit’s incredible leadership, & Shakeel reflects on playing under coach Watson.
The Analyst Inside’s Simon Hughes & Simon Mann talk to Graham Gooch, the most prolific run scorer across domestic and international levels, to ask what Bazball can do differently. [Apple Podcasts]
Ashwin has his review on the rest of the England-India series, including his Rohit Sharma’s incredible support when Ashwin’s mom fell sick, Bazball as a philosophy, & breaking the 500-wicket mark. The video is in Tamil.
Cricwick’s Mazher Arshad talks to Saud Shakeel about the Quetta Gladiators season so far, plus what it’s like playing under Shane Watson as head coach [pertinent considering the rumours he may take over the Pakistan team]. The interview is largely in Hindi.
Strike Rate’s Dan Weston & Jack Hope talk about how to read T20 batting stats based on the phases of the game. It’s a good companion to the earlier piece on Virat Kohli.
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