Latest news with #MohammadKaif
News18
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
'One-Dimensional Bowling Attack': Mohammad Kaif Slams Josh Hazlewood-Less RCB
Last Updated: Mohammad Kaif has highlighted RCB's struggle without Josh Hazlewood, conceding 200+ runs in his absence. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has said that all of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's hard work can be spoiled in the absence of Josh Hazlewood, pointing out how they have conceded 200+ runs in both the games the star Aussie pacer missed out in IPL 2025. In Hazlewood's absence, Bengaluru have included Lungi Ngidi as their frontline overseas bowler. Bengaluru have felt Hazlewood's absence badly till now, conceding more than 200 runs in each of the two recent games that he has missed. 'All of RCB's hard work could be spoiled because Hazlewood was not there for RCB in these last two matches. In both those matches, RCB have conceded over 200 runs, first against CSK and now against SRH in this match," Kaif said in a video posted on his X account. Can RCB reach top 2 without Hazlewood? — Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) May 23, 2025 'Without him, this bowling attack is one-dimensional. Until Hazlewood was there, RCB had conceded only 200 runs once this season. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal looked great while bowling along with Hazlewood, but without him, it looks different," Kaif said. 'They are missing him at the moment. If Hazlewood fails to be fit in time and remains unavailable, then it will be difficult for RCB to win during the business end of the tournament," Kaif added. As a result of this heavy loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bengaluru (17 points) have slid down to third on the table behind the Gujarat Titans (18) and the Punjab Kings (17). The Net Run Rate (NRR) took a significant beating as well. Ishan Kishan made a brilliant unbeaten 94 off 48 deliveries, Bengaluru needed some calculated assault on the target. Bengaluru mounted it through Phil Salt (62, 32b, 4xx, 5×6), ace India batter Virat Kohli (43, 25b, 7×4, 1×6) and Jitesh Sharma (24, 15b), but could just amass 189 before getting bundled out. But the start of Bengaluru's chase offered a different tale, as Kohli and Salt sprinted to 80 runs in just seven overs. RCB next play the Lucknow Super Giants on May 27 at the latter's home. Watch CNN-News18 here. Stay updated with all the latest news on IPL 2025, including the schedule, Points Table, IPL Orange Cap, and IPL Purple Cap. Get latest Cricket news, live score and match results on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 24, 2025, 11:59 IST
Mint
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Mohammad Kaif's take on Virat Kohli's Test retirement: ‘he might not have been selected by BCCI due to his poor form'
Virat Kohli announced his exit from Test cricket on May 12 by posting a heartfelt note on his Instagram handle. The news spread like wildfire and speculations were made on the reasons for his retirement ahead of Team India's new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. While Kohli's Ranji coach Sarandeep Singh expressed shock by saying that the 36-year-old wanted to smash centuries in India's upcoming five-match Test series against England, there were some reports suggesting Kohli willfully took the decision to opt-out. Former India cricketer, Mohammad Kaif opened up on the matter. According to Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli was well-prepared for the upcoming England series, taking into consideration his dedication to playing in the Ranji Trophy game. However, he might not have been selected by the BCCI due to his poor form in the previous 5-6 years. 'I think he wanted to continue in the format. There must have been some internal talks with the BCCI, Kaif expressed. "The selectors may have cited his form in the past 5-6 years and told him his spot in the team may no longer be there. We will never find out what happened, it is difficult to know what took place behind the scenes,' he added while speaking to NDTV. According to Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli was less patient and more in a hurry during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. "Maybe he was thinking 'I am in the last phase of my career what's the point of scoring a century, there used to be a different level of patience on display from him before, but I did not see that from him in Australia,'" Kaif said. Virat Kohli made his Test debut against West Indies in the year 2011. In his glorious career, the star batter has played 210 innings in the Test format and has amassed 9230 runs, with his highest individual score of 254*. He has smashed 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 123 matches that he was a part of, making him one the fourth-highest run-getter for India in red-ball cricket.
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First Post
15-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
ICC announces record prize money for WTC final; India earn Rs 12.32 crore for finishing third
In a massive boost for the Test playing nations, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a huge jump in the prize money for the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. read more The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a massive jump in the prize money for the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The 2023-25 WTC final will see the defending champions, Australia, take on South Africa in the final from 11 June at the Lord's . South Africa reached the WTC final by securing the top spot in the standings as they clinched series wins over Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They also drew a series at home against India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Australia came second in the standings and qualified for the final after beating India 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. WTC final to have USD 5.76 million prize money pool The ICC on Thursday said that the WTC 2023-25 Final will have a total prize money pool of a whopping USD 5.76 million (Rs 49.27 crore), which is more than double that of the last two editions. The prize money for the winner has been raised by Rs 1.6 million, while the runners-up will also take home a huge rise. 'The champions will walk away with USD 3.6 million, a significant jump from the USD 1.6 million awarded in both 2021 and 2023 while the runners-up will earn USD 2.16 million, up from USD 800,000,' an ICC statement read. More from First Cricket Virat Kohli 'wanted to continue' in Tests but may have lacked BCCI support: Mohammad Kaif Team India, which reached the final the last two times in 2021 and 2023, finished third in the WTC 2023-25 standings. They will be awarded USD 1.44 million (Rs 12.32 crore). 'We have witnessed a very interesting third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, where the finalists were decided only towards the end of the competition," ICC chairman Jay Shah said. 'The championship has showcased remarkable performances from players of different teams, culminating in a final between these two exceptional squads – a true celebration of cricket. I am sure spectators at Lord's, along with fans tuning in from all over the world, will be treated to some top-class cricket in this revered format when Australia and South Africa take the field less than a month from now." Position Team Prize money (USD) Winner Australia/South Africa 36,00,000 Runners-up Australia/South Africa 21,60,000 Third India 14,40,000 Fourth New Zealand 12,00,000 Fifth England 9,60,000 Sixth Sri Lanka 8,40,000 Seventh Bangladesh 7,20,000 Eighth West Indies 6,00,000 Ninth Pakistan 4,80,000
Mint
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
‘I believe RCB can win IPL 2025': Mohammad Kaif backs Rajat Patidar's men for maiden silverware
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 resuming on May 17. Rajat Patidar-led team is currently on a four-match winning streak and just one win away from sealing their Playoffs berth. While the franchise's fans are backing them to win their maiden title this year, former RCB and India player Mohammad Kaif has also shown his belief in the team. Kaif praised the entire team and Rajat Patidar's captaincy. He also appreciated performances by batters, especially Virat Kohli, and the contribution that bowlers have made in this season. RCB made it to the playoffs nine times in the history of the league. They reached three IPL finals in the years 2009, 2011, and 2016, but are yet to win their maiden trophy. 'If we talk about RCB as a team, they have been fantastic. I am emphasising the word 'team' because they have always been a batting-heavy team," Mohammad Kaif expressed. "However, this time Rajat Patidar has done a fantastic job of using his bowlers, restricting opponents while defending 170-180. Kohli has continued doing what he does best… but the bowlers have given them the belief that they can win," Kaif hailed the captain and bowlers. "The team with the best all-round side usually has the best chance, so I believe they can win it this year,' Kaif concluded as quoted by The Times of India. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are currently ranked second in the IPL 2025 Points Table. They have 16 points from 8 wins out of the 11 matches. Their NRR is +0.482. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have three matches remaining and they need to win just one game to seal their place in the top four with 18 points. They will be geared up to make it to the top two by winning two or more matches. If RCB loses all three matches then their qualification will be dependent on the other team's result and NRR as they will remain with 16 points. Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Bengaluru) - 17th May 2025 (Saturday) Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Bengaluru) - 23rd May 2025 (Friday) Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Lucknow) - 27th May 2025 (Tuesday)
India Gazette
11-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"I think he should go to England": Mohammad Kaif on Virat Kohli
New Delhi [India] May 11 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif believed Virat Kohli should retire on a high note, suggesting he should play in the England tour, which will start on June 20, to prove himself and end his career well. Indian batting legend Virat Kohli has communicated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about his intention to retire from Test cricket, reported ESPNCricinfo on Saturday. This report comes just two days after batter and his long-time teammate Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from whites and just over a month before India kickstarts its ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign against England with a five-match series, starting at Headingley from June 20 onwards. Additionally, in a post on X, Mohammad Kaif said, 'Virat Kohli is in a relaxed mood. He is thinking about retirement. I think he should go to England, prove his point and end his career on a high note. Because the work he did in World Cup Finals, he should end his career on a good note. Why is he thinking about retirement out of helplessness? Because there was a game that had been troubling him for many years. Outswing ball. Where Outswing ball came, he was out many times.' 'It was such a trouble that he couldn't get over it. In his career, he went to England and got out there. In Australia, he got out here. At home, against New Zealand, he got out on a spin. He tried a lot,' he added. As per ESPNCricinfo, Virat has been having such conversations with the board over the past month or so. If Virat indeed retires, it would mark the end of an illustrious Test career of 14 years, during which he made 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries. He is India's most successful Test captain ever, having won 40 out of 68 Tests with the armband. (ANI)
