MS Dhoni concerned about declining youth fitness: Lots of people don't play sport
Dhoni began his international career in 2004 and took over as captain in 2007. Throughout his playing years, he was known not just for his calm leadership, but also for his exceptional fitness - from sprinting between the wickets to his agile wicketkeeping behind the stumps.He remains the only captain to have won all three major ICC white-ball trophies: the T20 World Cup, the ODI World Cup, and the Champions Trophy. Dhoni's disciplined approach to fitness and his sharp game sense were instrumental in his success on the field.Even after retiring from international cricket, his commitment to staying fit - and his hunger to perform - remain undiminished. This was clearly on display during the 2025 IPL.Currently, the oldest player in the league, Dhoni may no longer dominate as he once did in his prime, but he continues to excel in his role as a finisher. In a match against LSG, he smashed 26 runs off just 11 balls, building a crucial partnership with Shivam Dube to lead CSK to victory. His match-winning performance earned him the Player of the Match award, making him the oldest player ever to receive the honour.Performances like these continue to inspire the next generation, proving that age is just a number when paired with discipline and determination.- EndsMust Watch
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The Hindu
41 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Stokes — raw, real and relentless
The universe sometimes conspires — almost magically — to bless a few individuals with the power not only to write their scripts, but to live them out on the grandest stages of life. Act I: T20 World Cup final, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 2016 The tension was palpable. West Indies needed 19 runs off the final over. It was advantage England, as things stood. Marlon Samuels — calm, ice-cool and unbeaten on 85 — was stranded at the non-striker's end. The moment was ripe — not for Samuels, not for West Indies — but for a young 24-year-old Englishman full of fire and fight. Ben Stokes had the ball. History was in the making. But in his, and England's, way stood a player and a performance immortalised by Ian Bishop's iconic scream: 'Carrrrrlos Brathwaite! Carrrrrlos Brathwaite — remember the name!' Four sixes on the trot, each sailing into the night sky and then swallowed by the crowd, stunned Stokes and his teammates into shock. Brathwaite had pulled off the unthinkable and handed the Windies a cherished world title. Stokes crumbled; his face sank into the palm of his hands. He dropped to the floor, hollowed out by heartbreak. As one name and performance entered the annals of history, another – Stokes – was buried under the weight of an opportunity gone tragically wrong. A man, who could have been a national hero, was made the villain. 'I said to myself, 'I've lost the World Cup.' I couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to do. It took me so long to get back on my feet. I didn't want to get back up. It was like the whole world had come down on me,' Stokes, always one to candidly dissect emotions, would later admit. 'There weren't any good things going through my mind. It was just complete devastation. After the first six, I thought, 'Oh God,' but I was backing myself. I had been in that type of situation for four weeks in all my training, so it was not a case of holding anything back and thinking, 'I hope I get this one in' because I knew I could do it.' But destiny is often cruel. 'I haven't watched it back yet because I don't want to bring myself to do that at this stage,' he said later. 'I don't know how much I missed it, but as a bowler, you have a feeling as soon as you let go whether or not you've got the yorker right — and it felt like I had. 'Some days they go well. Some days they don't. That was a horrible day, but I won't be shying away from it. You almost want it to happen… because if you nail it, everyone forgets the final.' But no one forgot. Not then. Not even now. After the gutting group-stage exit in the 2015 ODI World Cup, the T20 final loss was akin to rubbing salt on one's raw wounds. It was rock bottom, sure, but as it turns out, it was not the end. Act II: Rock Bottom to Rock Star 'You've got to lose to know how to win…' — Aerosmith famously crooned in their 1973 classic 'Dream On'. Stokes held that loss at the Eden close to his heart. The itch of that adamant scar dragged him back to the drawing board. Only this time, it wasn't just blind hard work; he trained smarter. It dawned on him that technique wasn't the only area of work: far more important were temperament and mindset. Stokes needed to find a way to give direction to the fire that burned within. He needed to find purpose. And where better to find that than at home! His father, Gerard, was a tough, no-nonsense rugby player-turned-coach. His mother, Deborah, who introduced him to cricket as a young boy, worked as a counsellor for victims of violent crime. Growing up, young Benjamin excelled at both sports. 'In a room full of people, you'd spot a Stokes straight away,' the all-rounder once said. 'The sense of humour is the same. We take the mickey out of each other constantly. My brother's a grouch around people — he just grunts. That competitiveness, the frustration, the inside build-up of anger — that's from my old man. I've definitely got that in me,' the Christchurch-born English all-rounder said. Gerard wasn't one for excuses. For years, he told his son he'd lost a finger to a crocodile. The truth, when it came out, was equally striking: 'He kept dislocating the same finger,' Stokes recalled. 'The doctor said he needed surgery. But Dad couldn't afford to miss games — he had bills to pay. So he just got it cut off.' That missing finger would eventually be his son's iconic celebration. But it was in that kind of environment — relentless, raw, real — that Ben Stokes was shaped. 'If I didn't do well, I'd beat myself up,' he remembered. 'Especially when I was younger. I'd just get angry. I'm not someone who hates people for beating me. But I. Just. Don't. Like. Losing'. But somewhere along the way, something shifted. From pain came a hard-earned truth: stop chasing moments…become them. While others shrank in the wake of chaos, Stokes always found himself drawn to it. Take the 2019 ODI World Cup, for example. Once again, a final – this time at Lord's – and a final over, except this time he was the one batting. Fifteen runs were needed for a famous win against New Zealand. History stared him down once more, but this time, Stokes didn't blink. Stokes would drop to his knees once more, but this time after willing his team across the finish line, in a Super Over no less. He took the weight of a nation and turned it into poetry. Act III: Immortality in Leeds If Lord's was redemption, Headingley was a step above. With the Ashes slipping away, England — chasing 359 — collapsed to 286 for nine. With 73 runs still needed and just one wicket in hand against an Australian attack baying for blood, it seemed foolish to hope. Alone but determined, Stokes motored on. He reverse-swept Nathan Lyon into the stands and switch-hit Pat Cummins for maximums. He smashed boundaries, all with tailender Jack Leach as his shadow. For all his heroics, Stokes was but human. When he trudged unwillingly to the non-striker's end, he was rendered unable to watch Leach's desperate attempts to survive. The pair kept the game alive. Stokes was handed the relief of a missed run out and an erroneous not out decision on an LBW appeal (Australia couldn't turn to DRS, having exhausted its reviews). Two runs were needed for a largely unlikely English win when Cummins resumed with the ball. Leach blocked before running a single and bringing Stokes back on strike. He wasted no time, creaming a length delivery through covers to seal a miraculous win. Arms spread wide, Stokes – who finished with an unbeaten 135 – roared. Headingley erupted in unison. The famous Western Terrace stands went into a frenzy. 'It was beyond greatness,' said former England captain Nasser Hussain. 'It was something else. Something beyond cricket.' 359 was chased, the Ashes remained alive, and the game got a masterclass on the power of belief. Final act: Leading from the front In 2022, when Stokes was handed the reins of the England Test team, the side was adrift. One win in 17 outings didn't inspire any confidence. Spirits were low. The team's brand of cricket was unclear. England had lost its soul. Early on in his partnership with coach Brendon McCullum, it was evident the duo were cut from the same cloth: bold, unafraid, instinctive. Together, they didn't just rebuild a team; they redefined it. They exorcised passivity from England's character. No more playing for the draw. No more waiting for the game to come to them. Stokes and McCullum lit a fire and gave it a new name: Bazball. Its evangelists were keen to underline that this style of cricket was not about reckless bravado, but about freedom. And at the heart of it was a liberated Stokes. The 2023 series had a not-so-glamorous 2-2 score on paper. But those who watched every ball know that this series housed some of the most riveting contests the red ball game has ever seen. At Lord's, when tensions flared after the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow, it was Stokes who walked the tightrope between rage and grace. His counter-attacking 155 nearly pulled off the impossible. Belief is a Ben Stokes staple. The most recent proof of concept coming from England's recent triumph over India at Lord's in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. With India matching England blow for blow with bat and ball, Stokes effected a game-changing run out of Rishabh Pant in India's first innings — an athletic pinpoint throw after bowling five overs of short-pitched darters under intense heat. Not only was a threatening partnership broken, but that run out galvanised the crowd to get behind the home boys. Stokes, the bowler, has been exceptional all through this series, but more so at Lord's. He struck twice in the first innings, however, it was his performance later in the match that defined the contest. He bowled himself for 24 overs on the trot, at speeds exceeding 137 kmph, removing K.L. Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, and nightwatchman Akash Deep in a pivotal session on the penultimate day. His sustained 9.2-over burst on the final morning laid the foundation for England's eventual victory. As a leader, his composure and tactical might took centrestage whenever tempers ran high. Sharp catching positions, attacking bowling changes and faith in their short-ball strategy to dismantle the lower order paid rich dividends. He managed 44 and 33 in testing conditions and against menacing opponents like Bumrah, anchoring England's lower-order resistance. The home side won by a narrow 22 runs, proving his shifts invaluable in the end. That triumph gave England 2-1 lead in the series, reaffirming Stokes' own status as the pulse of the red-ball setup. Bazball is an easy concept to bash because of its volatility. But its champions remain unfazed. What Stokes and McCullum have built is more than a team. It's a culture. They've made Test cricket thrilling again. Not because they win every time, but because they aren't afraid to lose. And that, oddly, is what makes them win more. Stokes' redemption is more about persistence than perfection. His ascendancy was anything but smooth — in fact, the first chapter of his career had more infamy than glory. The 2016 T20 World Cup final cast a long, painful shadow. The 2017 nightclub brawl in Bristol led to an arrest, a trial, and a suspension. He lost the England vice-captaincy and missed the 2017-18 Ashes. It takes something special to resist spiralling and emerge transformed in spirit. Stokes didn't just have to reclaim his place in the team — he had to earn back the trust of a dressing room, and a nation. Turns out, he's done that and in some style. Some players create history. But once in a generation, one becomes it. Benjamin Andrew Stokes — Remember the Name!
Indian Express
41 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Day 1, Old Trafford: How Rishabh Pant's toe injury gave England a leg in the door
As Rishabh Pant sat on the golf-cart turned ambulance with a swollen right foot, a question loomed over Old Trafford, along with the dark clouds. How will India tread through the final hour of play on Day 1? The score at that point was 213/3, the honours were even. But with the most consistent Indian batsman on the tour gone, England captain Ben Stokes saw this as an opportunity to get his leg in the door. He did very soon. Six overs later the last of India's specialist, Sai Sudharsan pulled a short ball from Stokes into the hands of fine-leg. The cat and mouse contest for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy continues. India had a foot ahead till Pant was hit flush on his right toe by England's hero of the day Chris Woakes. At stumps, India would finish at 264/4. On crease were the two all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur. Both were on 19, both looking comfortable against the tired England attack. This was a hard day's work for both the batsmen and bowlers. Once again the most-repeated 'end of the day' summation on this series—the first hour tomorrow would be crucial—echoed around the storied ground. This game too has the opening of a gripping drama. The pitch is no sleeping beauty, this is no batting paradise, the spinners are getting turn, pacers the bounce. The 'Theatre of Dreams', the home of footballers that has the same name, is round the corner. But cricket's Old Trafford too might throw up a game of gravitas. On the very first day, a fairytale almost unfolded. Sudharsan getting into the playing XI here wasn't a popular decision. Experts have believed that he shouldn't have replaced Karun Nair, who should have been given one more game. But those in the know say that it was captain Shubman Gill who backed Sudharsan. No one has seen India's new No.3 as closely as Shubman. They are opening partners at Gujarat Titans. The two have spent long hours on the field and months together during the IPL. Familiarity doesn't always breed contempt, it also can generate awe. Once during the IPL, Shubman had spoken about Sudharsan's special talent. 'It's easy to swing freely on good cement wickets, but real skill lies in reading conditions, assessing the situation.' The coaches at GT also talk about the potential of the star batsman who plays even IPL like Tests. Assistant coach Nadeem Amin, talking to this paper about Shubman, had diverted the topic towards the other GT opener. That was during the Lord's Test. 'He may be out now but look out for the boy, his appetite for runs is as much as Shubman. Just wait till he gets a game.' So when he got the game, the initiation was relatively easy. Openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal had put on 94 runs and the English pace bowlers had lost the first hour to India. Sudharsan too looked like he was going to make this opportunity count. In the first innings of the only Test he had played in England at Headingley, Sudharsan got out edging an angled ball on the leg-stump to the wicket-keeper. Stokes doesn't usually forget such weak spots in his rivals. So he immediately went round-the-wicket to the left-hander and bowl from the corner of the crease. The ploy almost worked, Sudharsan edged a ball but the wicket-keeper Jamie Smith failed to grab it. This was the lucky break the batsman returning to the team wanted. A big part of Sudharsan's batting is his wrists. There is a tiny bit of Virat Kohli in his drives. He rolls his wrists over the ball, like a competent table-tennis player hitting a top-spinner. He is also quick to jump on balls that are marginally short as he crouches and slaps them to square leg. This too isn't a straight tight slap but more of a subtle pat, again with the help of his wrists. Sudharsan's county stint also prepared him to negotiate the English conditions, the kind India encountered for the first time on this tour. In the few games he played for Surrey, the left-hander learned to relax and give importance to the technical aspects of the game. 'As a batsman, when you are juggling between formats, I believe only the mindset should change, not your game … There is a big shift tactically. When I go to England, I have to leave a lot more balls than I usually do,' he had told The Indian Express. It is the wrists that manipulate the ball into the gaps, making it difficult for the captain to set a field. When he was in the company of Pant, another batsman with a knack of hitting the ball in unguarded areas, it seemed England were in trouble. The two were toying with the bowlers, India seemed set for a long partnership. England were losing the grip and then came the twist. Pant got carried away and to a smartly bowled slow yorker, he attempted a predetermined reverse sweep. He was beaten by the pace and trajectory. He missed the ball and it hit him on the toe. There were worried faces in the Indian dressing room as the pain on Pant's face hinted at the seriousness of the injury. By late evening the word from the Indian camp was that Pant had gone for scans and the BCCI medical team was 'monitoring his progress'. India's key player's left finger hadn't yet fully healed and now he gets a blow on his right foot. A bigger question looms: How will India limp on the last leg of this tough tour if Pant is ruled out of the series?
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
India's 2036 Olympics bid faces Qatar challenge
New Delhi: India is making an ambitious pitch to host the 2036 Olympics and the task before it only got more challenging with Qatar confirming this week that it is also bidding for the Games. Qatar hosted the 2022 men's football World Cup after staging the 2019 world athletics championships and is also the venue for the 2030 Asian Games. (AP) Doha hosted the 2022 men's football World Cup after staging the 2019 world athletics championships and is also the venue for the 2030 Asian Games. The Qatar Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday that it is taking part in the 'ongoing discussions' with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in keeping with the process put in place for hosting a future Games. 'We currently have 95% of the required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games, and we have a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100% readiness of all facilities,' Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the QOC president and head of the bid committee, said in a media release. Turkey, Indonesia and Chile are also bidding for the 2036 Games. An Indian delegation led by Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and including Gujarat sports minister Harsh Sanghvi – Ahmedabad is being pitched as the host city – visited IOC headquarters in Lausanne early this month and initiated the 'continuous dialogue' process. While the Indian delegation spoke of how the Olympic movement can serve as a 'generational springboard for socio-economic development, innovation, education and youth pride, advancing both India and the Olympic Movement,' IOC conveyed that India must pay urgent attention to the governance crisis in IOA and an alarming rise in doping cases. The IOC team was headed by director general Christophe De Kepper and Olympic Games ED, Christophe Dubai. 'IOC has said that IOA, NSFs and the government need to be on the same page and need to put up a united front. They have also raised concerns over the rise in doping cases in India and called for strong anti-doping measures to be implemented,' people aware of the development in the meeting had told HT. India seems to be taking strong steps in sorting out the issues. An end to the prolonged feud between Usha and IOA's executive committee members – they have refused to ratify the appointment of Raghuram Iyer as the body's first CEO – seems to be in sight. Both sides have met the union sports minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, and ratifying Iyer's appointment is expected to happen this week. The new National Sports Governance Bill, which was placed in parliament on Wednesday, also seeks to rein in doping by strengthening the administrative mechanism. The next summer games will be hosted by Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane is the 2032 Games venue.
