Sports Live Blog: IPL retention rules expected soon

Rishabh Pant expressed frustration over fake news about his potential transfer to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. An X user falsely claimed that Pant's management inquired about him becoming RCB captain but he declined.

Rishabh Pant's stirring comeback to cricket has moved Mitchell Marsh so much that the all-rounder termed him a "ripping bloke" whom he wished to have played for Australia.

After returning to international cricket earlier this year through white ball formats, Pant underlined his long-term readiness for red-ball cricket with a hundred against Bangladesh in the recent first Test at Chennai.

Talking about Pant's comeback from that horrific car accident in 2022, Marsh was in awe of the Indian wicketkeeper batter's positiveness, competitiveness and hunger to win.

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh will certainly feature among the top 10 cricketers who entertained spectators like never before, and the big shots off his bat always ensured that the fans' money was well spent.

During one such occasion in 2007, which found its way into history books as '6 sixes in an over', Yuvraj smashed England's Stuart Broad out of the park in Durban during India's match against England in the inaugural T20 World Cup.

The flamboyant left-handed batter, who retired from cricket in June 2019, joined the 'Club Prairie Fire' podcast on YouTube as a guest; and the first obvious topic of discussion was, of course, the 6 sixes.

Former cricketer Basit Ali expects a lot of changes to be made in the Pakistan squad if they end up suffering a defeat in their opening Test against England next month.

This time, Pakistan have adopted a different approach from the one that they adopted during the Bangladesh series. On Tuesday, instead of naming a squad for the entire series, Pakistan announced a 15-player squad for the opening Test against England, which will begin on October 7 in Multan.

Basit believes this approach has been taken while keeping the result of the first Test in mind. However, he also feels if Pakistan emerges victorious, the shocking and disappointing results of the past will wash away.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to announce new player retention rules ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction soon. There are also reports that the much-awaited IPL auction is likely to be held outside India in November.

According to a report by the Indian Express, IPL franchises may be allowed to retain up to five players, with the Right to Match (RTM) option being removed. This change will benefit teams like Mumbai Indians, who could retain key players such as Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya.

India will want their big guns, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to fire when the mighty hosts aim for a clean sweep against a beleaguered Bangladesh in the second and final Test starting here on Friday.

The all-round performance of Ravichandran Ashwin, Shubman Gill's sublime century, Ravindra Jadeja's quality batting, and Rishabh Pant's roaring comeback allowed India to script a comfortable victory in Chennai, despite being put under pressure by the Bangladesh pacers on day one.

The way India bounced back in the game reaffirmed their supremacy in Test cricket, especially at home, where they are on course for a record-extending 18th consecutive series win.

Virat Kohli will be in focus once again when India take field in the second Test of their two-match series against Bangladesh. While the hosts will be eyeing a 2-0 series win to strengthen their hold on top of the World Test Championship (WTC) leaderboard, Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma will hope to get some runs under their belt after a poor outing in the first Test at Chennai.

Before arriving in Kanpur, India hammered Bangladesh by 280-runs to take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-Test series. But Rohit and Kohli failed in their two innings with scores of 6 & 5 and 6 & 17 respectively at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The squad hit the ground running at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, with Kohli and Rohit spending time in the nets to get rid of any leftover rust after spending time away from the game following the ODI series in Sri Lanka in early August.

Virat Kohli's recent difficulties with the bat have become a focal point ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh, starting on Friday.

In the first Test in Chennai, Kohli only scored 6 and 17 runs, sparking concerns about his current form. This match was Kohli’s first Test outing of the year, following his absence from the five-match series against England for personal reasons.

Kohli's challenges continued to show during a net session at Green Park Stadium, where he struggled against both pace and spin. Indian Express reported that Kohli had a tough time facing India's top pacer Jasprit Bumrah in a 15-ball spell.

Sri Lanka chose to bat first after winning the toss in the second cricket Test against New Zealand on Thursday. They are aiming for their first series victory over New Zealand in 15 years.

In the first Test held in Galle, Sri Lanka secured a 63-run win. Coming into the second Test, the team made two changes to their lineup. All-rounder Milan Rathnayake replaced fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, while Nishan Peiris took the place of Ramesh Mendis. Peiris will be making his Test debut. Rathnayake's inclusion aims to bolster the team's all-round capabilities.

On the first day of the second Test match in Galle, New Zealand players are wearing black armbands.

Virat Kohli and James Anderson stand out as two prominent figures in modern cricket. Virat Kohli has faced some of the best bowlers, such as Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, and Muttiah Muralitharan. He has achieved significant milestones, including scoring 50 ODI centuries.

James Anderson, a cricket veteran of two decades, has taken on batters like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Shubman Gill. He has set a record as the first fast bowler to take over 700 wickets.

Kohli and Anderson's achievements highlight their impact and skills in cricket spanning several years.

Virat Kohli and James Anderson, two of cricket’s leading figures, have a rivalry that has captivated fans worldwide. Kohli, known for his consistent run-scoring ability, and Anderson, renowned for his wicket-taking skills, bring their best whenever they face off.

Virat Kohli's achievements and records have made him not just a cricket legend but also a global brand. But like in every sports person's life, there were days when he was an 'unknown' figure in the sport, still trying to establish himself as the 'next big thing'.

The 2008 U-19 World Cup turned into a launchpad as he captained the side to beating South Africa in the final and lift the trophy.

Just over five months from that day, in August 2008, Kohli made his senior India debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Dambulla and hasn't looked back ever since.

Former India and Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is back in India after vacationing in the US with his close friends.

A video showing Dhoni arriving at the Ranchi airport has gone viral on social media.

The development related to Dhoni and the Indian Premier League (IPL) next up is whether the eagerly-awaited IPL retention rules allow CSK to retain their icon or will he go into the auction pool, or he decides to bid the league adieu.

Former India wrestler and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt lashed out at Vinesh Phogat for costing India an Olympic medal and portraying a wrong image in front of the country instead of apologizing after her disqualification at the Paris Games.

Dutt, who is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician these days, and Vinesh's sister Babita Phogat, who is also in the BJP, were part of a debate on 'Aaj Tak' ahead of the Haryana Assembly Elections.

Vinesh, who quit wrestling after her Olympic disqualification and joined the Indian National Congress upon her return, is contesting from the Julana constituency in Jind. She was found 100gm overweight at the weigh-in ahead of her gold-medal match in Paris in the women's 50kg freestyle competition.

Also resuming today will be the race to World Test Championship final as Sri Lanka take on New Zealand in the second Test at Galle.

Among the most eagerly awaited news in the world of circket is what the retention rules will be like for the upcoming Indian Premier League auction and the 2025 season, especially related to whether it will allow Chennai Super Kings to retain MS Dhoni and what will the Indian icon decide in case he can't be retained.

Good Morning and welcome once again to Timesofindia.com's daily live blog for updates and developments in the world of sports from on and off the field around the world.