Latest news with #LiSTNRSport
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'I saw a very different, angry Virat Kohli in Australia': Aussie legend's fresh theory adds fuel to Test retirement saga
It's almost a month since Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket. He has since won the IPL trophy with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and racked up over 600 runs in the season. Indian cricket seems to have moved on, too, with the BCCI announcing an 18-member squad for the tour of England. However, a discussion that continues to rage on is the circumstances behind his retirement. With Kohli still 36, the belief was that he would continue to play Tests at least for another couple of years, given his love for the format, which the world is aware of. Heck, even after winning the IPL after 18 long years, Kohli places this accomplishment of his 'five levels below' Test cricket. That's how much he loves Test cricket. So, why retire? After his poor returns in Australia – 191 runs from 9 innings – Kohli even turned up to play for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. It clearly showed that he was keen to continue. So what exactly happened in two months' time? As the conspiracy theories refuse to die down, former Australia captain Mark Taylor reveals he noticed something very unusual in Kohli when he was in Australia this time around, and that could well be a factor in the great man making up his mind. "Last year, I saw a different Virat Kohli [in Australia]. An angry one. And I have never seen an angry Virat Kohli. I have seen a very highly competitive Virat Kohli, and I love that about him. I always saw the gentleman. Last year I saw a different Virat Kohli and I said a month ago that it is time for him to retire. And he did. Because once you get angry, you've got to get out. And I think he realised that. If you start getting angry, you are gone," Taylor said on the LiSTNR Sport podcast. Also Read: BCCI makes last-ditch request for Virat Kohli to reverse retirement, but with an RCB catch The one instance of Kohli being angry was during his last innings of the fifth Test in Sydney. Having nicked himself out caught behind for the eighth time, Kohli thudded his bat onto his pads and let out a huge scream. As it turns out, after this dismissal, Kohli kept saying 'I am done', which his teammates did not take seriously. Nonetheless, on a very practical note, more than the frustration, it was his vulnerability outside the off stump that may have cast doubts inside Kohli's mind. For someone who took the bull of Test cricket by its horns, Kohli didn't want to be a pale shadow of his former, once-dominating self. To prove this point, Taylor recalled another instance with Kohli, which showed just how much the man respected the format and held it in such high regard. "Like a lot of cricket fans, I was disappointed with Virat last year. Because I had always greatly admired Virat and was his fan. I was lucky enough to interview him many years ago when he first came out as captain at the Adelaide Oval (2014). We had a half-an-hour time slot. We had this big interview lined up. Cameras everywhere," said Taylor. Also Read: Virat Kohli 'wasn't ready to give up Test cricket', something happened in 2 weeks; 'His relation with Gautam Gambhir...' "And about 25 minutes into it, the PA system kicked in around the ground and made a hell of a noise. I had a handful of questions left – three or four – and we had to stop the interview. He sat there in his chair and the media manager came out and said 'we got to get out of here'. Kohli got up and as did I to say goodbye. He looked at me and said 'Mark, have you finished this interview?" And I said, no but I understand you might have to go. He said "No. We are going to finish this interview". Now that was great respect to me but also to the game of Test match cricket. He talked in that interview about his love for Test cricket, looking forward to playing Australia. Beating Australia in Australia. That's the pinnacle." Kohli has yet to open up on his decision to retire from Test cricket. Barring the Instagram post he uploaded in the afternoon of May 12, which broke a million hearts, there isn't much to know. Perhaps, with time, it will become clearer what his rationale was behind the decision. Until then… keep guessing.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Punjab Kings coach answers whether Shreyas Iyer was shocked, deflated after India Test axe: 'Didn't have to pick him...'
Shreyas Iyer hasn't done much wrong over the last 12 years. From making his comeback into the BCCI's central contracts list to playing a key role in India's Champions Trophy win and now leading Punjab Kings to the IPL Playoffs after 11 long years, Shreyas has ticked most boxes. The one he didn't – at least not entirely – is his battle against the short ball. Why else would the selectors not find a place for him in India's Test squad for the England tour? Although the BCCI chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, did not pinpoint Iyer's Achilles heel and simply said 'there's no place for him' in the squad for now, Shreyas' vulnerability could be a factor behind guys like Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan getting the nod ahead of him. Nonetheless, Iyer's snub raised a few eyebrows. Mohammad Kaif and Atul Wassan had reservations about the decision, but it turned out Iyer wasn't too bothered about it. Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin appeared on the LiSTNR Sport podcast, where he was asked whether Shreyas was shocked and deflated to hear the news and if it required the entire unit to put a hand around his shoulder to lift him up. Also Read: Shreyas Iyer stabbed in the back, said 'fine, I won't utter a word' after being left out of India vs England Tests, says Kaif "We didn't have to pick him up. His leadership quality around the group has been ultra-aggressive since Day 1. He is coming to camp with a real focus and drive to make Punjab a great cricket franchise. And that's what he has done. He hasn't wavered in his thought process through the whole time. He's been exceptional around our group; he's been exceptional off the field," Haddin told Adam Peacock. Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's mental state 'unimaginable' after England snub Shreyas has been nothing but inspirational for Punjab Kings and their rise in the ongoing IPL 2025. With 19 wins from 14 matches and a net-run rate of 0.372 – higher than any other team – PBKS finished at the top of the IPL table by the end of the league stage, with Shreyas leading from the front, having scored 514 runs. "A lot of people don't see the work he does off the field; not only with the coaching staff but to bring the whole team together. He is very prepared. What I like about him is his cricket IQ. He things on the spot; reads the game really well so he's been top shelf from Day 1. I am not changing anything, any selections," Haddin pointed out.
Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘The flair he had on both sides of the wicket is pretty cool': Alyssa Healy on Virat Kohli
One of the most productive shots of Virat Kohli through his career has been his glorious cover drive. However, while it has given him a lot of runs, it was also where he has had his troubles against throughout nicking those deliveries on the fourth and fifth stump line. In the recent tour to Australia, all his dismissals were identical. He flapped his bat around a delivery near his off-stump, which he edged to the keeper, and got himself out. 'To be brave enough and drive those balls on the up is going to get you in trouble every now and then, but you've got to counter-attack as well. If you get it right, it puts it back on the bowler. But yeah, when he was unbelievably still at the crease, his head did not move. He looked so difficult to remove, and the flair he had on both sides of the wicket is pretty cool,' Alyssa Healy said, speaking on the LiSTNR Sport podcast. 'Funnily enough, Mitch actually liked bowling to him because he was like just hang it outside off-stump and Virat loved to nick it. But that's why I loved that. Everyone's saying he had this technical flaw. Yes, because he wants to hit the ball, and that's what he's done throughout his career,' Healy added. After his ton in Perth during the first Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, his form dipped. 'I was in Australia over the winter and watched him have a tricky tour, but I still fully expected to see him in England this summer. Kohli struggled at first in England but was unbelievable in 2018 as captain, when he worked a method out and just left the ball. He was so patient for a player with so much attacking skill,' Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph. 'All of his tours of England were up against James Anderson and Stuart Broad so I was really looking forward to seeing him take on a new England attack. His battles with Anderson, not least at Edgbaston in 2018, were magnificent, a great spectacle. It was a proper heavyweight contest, with two world beaters going up against each other. It was so enthralling,' he added. However, the 36-year-old has announced his retirement earlier and won't take part in the marquee India vs England Test series starting in June.
NDTV
15-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Mitchell Starc Liked Bowling To Virat Kohli Because...": Alyssa Healy's Interesting Revelation
In the world of cricket, few battles have been as intense and captivating as the ones between India's batting icon Virat Kohli and Australia's pace spearhead Mitchell Starc. Their duels have defined key moments in high-stakes India-Australia clashes over the last decade. Now, Alyssa Healy, Australian women's cricket captain and wife of Mitchell Starc, has offered an inside perspective. Speaking on the LiSTNR Sport podcast, Healy explained how Starc enjoyed bowling to Kohli, revealing an interesting approach that often worked for the left-arm pacer against one of the world's most formidable batters. Mitchell Starc, as described by Alyssa Healy, always welcomed the challenge of bowling to Virat Kohli. On the podcast, Healy shared how Starc would intentionally bowl just outside the off-stump, tempting Kohli into playing the cover drive - a shot that made him iconic but also led to his downfall on several occasions. "Mitch actually liked bowling to him because he was like - Just hang it outside off, and Virat loved to nick it," Healy said. It was a tactic that worked often enough to make the contest one of the most talked-about in modern cricket. While Kohli's aggressive stroke play made him a nightmare for most bowlers, it also exposed a chink in his armor outside the off-stump. According to Healy, Starc knew that Kohli's strength could also be his weakness. "To be brave enough and drive those balls on the up is going to get you in trouble every now and then, but you've got to counter-attack as well," she added, praising Kohli's fearless approach. A quick quiz during the podcast further revealed that Nathan Lyon has dismissed Kohli the most times among Australians in Test cricket; seven times followed by Starc with six. England's Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes have also dismissed Kohli six times, while Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Scott Boland have taken his wicket five times each. This intense on-field rivalry, however, has never spilled beyond the boundary. Starc has often spoken about the mutual respect he shares with Kohli, noting that off the field, the Indian batter is a "nice guy" and someone who enjoys being in a team environment. Their encounters were always marked by competitive spirit, but never bad blood. The Kohli-Starc rivalry may now be a thing of the past, especially as Kohli gradually steps away from Test cricket. But the match-ups between these two greats have left a legacy filled with thrilling moments and cricketing brilliance. Listen to the latest songs, only on
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Mitchell Starc liked bowling to Virat Kohli. He hung it outside off and Virat loved to nick it: Alyssa Healy 'biased'
Now that Virat Kohli has retired from Tests, the Australians can breathe a bit easier. Sure, they had the better of him in the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but when a batter who has scored over 2000 runs and nine centuries against you steps down, you can't help but relax. Kohli has had countless battles with the Aussies. From a fiery 22-year-old defiantly gesturing at the Sydney crowd to smashing four centuries in a single series and guiding India to their historic first Test series victory in Australia, Kohli transformed into a cricketing legend, earning the admiration and respect of Australians and Indians alike. As Kohli has forged his legacy in Australia, his battles with his Aussie counterparts have earned their own place in the history books. Kohli's rivalry with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood has been nothing short of extraordinary, a chapter that has seen everyone emerge as winners through different periods of time. Former Australia women's captain Alyssa Healy, wife of Starc, insisted that her husband loved bowling to Kohli, given the India batter's tendency to get out, but that is just one aspect of their whole back-and-forth competition. "Funnily enough, Mitch actually liked bowling to him because he was like just hang it outside off-stump and Virat loved to nick it. But that's why I loved that. Everyone's saying he had this technical flaw. Yes, because he wants to hit the ball, and that's what he's done throughout his career," Healy said while speaking on the LiSTNR Sport podcast. "To be brave enough and drive those balls on the up is going to get you in trouble every now and then, but you've got to counter-attack as well. If you get it right, it puts it back on the bowler. But yeah, when he was unbelievably still at the crease, his head did not move. He looked so difficult to remove, and the flair he had both sides of the wicket is pretty cool." Healy was then subjected to a quick impromptu quiz about Kohli and Australia by the host Adam Peacock, which went something like this. Interviewer: Which Australia cricketer has dismissed Virat Kohli the most times in Test cricket? Healy: I feel like it's Mitch[ell Starc] Interviewer: And your bias would tell you that you're wrong Healy: Umm, Are they still playing? Interviewer: Yes Healy: Josh Hazlewood Interviewer: No Healy: Ok, I give up Interviewer: Nathan Lyon (7 dismissals). Next question. Out of Boland, Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc, who has dismissed Kohli the most? Healy: I feel like it's Josh Interviewer: I feel like you're out of wind. It's Mitch Healy: Oh Mitch, I am a stinker. For the record, Starc has dismissed Kohli six times in Tests, tied with England's Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes. Cummins, Hazlewood and Scott Boland have gotten the better of Kohli five times. South Africa's Kagiso Rabada and former England pacer Stuart Broad have picked up Kohli's wicket five times each. As has another ex-Aussie pacer, Peter Siddle. Lyon and James Anderson, of course, are right at the top with 7 dismissals each.
