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NDTV
3 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Karun Nair's Comeback Sparks Debate as Sarfaraz Khan, Shreyas Iyer Miss Out On England Tests
As India prepares for a crucial five-match Test series in England starting June 20, the omissions of Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer from the squad have triggered plenty of debate. Both batters were widely expected to be part of the team, especially with the retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Instead, the selectors opted for Karun Nair, marking a surprise recall after nearly eight years, and handed Sai Sudharsan his maiden call-up. The buzz now is whether Nair's resurgence came at the cost of Sarfaraz and Iyer's Test futures. The announcement of India's 18-member Test squad for the England tour raised more than a few eyebrows. With two batting spots available due to the recent retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the general belief was that Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan – both of whom played for India in the last year – were front-runners. However, in a surprising move, the selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir, chose to go in a different direction. Karun Nair, who last played a Test for India in 2017, was recalled following an outstanding domestic season. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan was rewarded for consistent performances with a maiden call-up. These selections meant there was no place for Sarfaraz or Iyer, and the decision has since drawn mixed reactions. Former India pacer Atul Wassan believes the omissions were driven more by perception than performance. Speaking on the 12th episode of Bails and Banter on OTTPlay, Wassan suggested that Sarfaraz and Iyer were overlooked due to doubts about their ability to succeed in English conditions. 'Sarfaraz made three fifties and a hundred but didn't get a single game in Australia. It's this perception that he may not perform overseas. Same with Shreyas Iyer – people feel he hasn't done enough in red-ball cricket,' Wassan said. 'On the other hand, the buzz was all about Karun Nair. Sometimes the team management just backs a gut feeling.' Sarfaraz had a memorable debut earlier this year, scoring 62 against England before being run out due to a mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja. He backed it up with a 68* in the next innings and went on to score another fifty and his maiden Test century – 150 vs New Zealand in Bengaluru. Despite his performances, he did not feature in a single match in the Australia series and now finds himself out of the squad entirely. Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, last played a Test during the England series before a back injury sidelined him. While he returned strongly in white-ball cricket – playing a key role in India's Champions Trophy win – his red-ball spot remains elusive. His exclusion from BCCI's central contracts list earlier this year had already hinted at his uncertain Test future. Karun Nair, meanwhile, made a strong case with 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy matches and 779 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His consistent form seems to have convinced the selectors to give him another shot in the longest format. Listen to the latest songs, only on
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First Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
'Gambhir doesn't select players; he only rejects': India coach slammed over Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from Test side
Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from India's Test squad for the England series has sparked controversy. Former cricketer has taken a dig at head coach Gautam Gambhir, who recently dismissed a question on Iyer's exclusion by saying, 'Main selector nahi hoon.'. read more Gautam Gambhir is being questioned after Shreyas Iyer was not picked in the Test side. Image: AP The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Shreyas Iyer was one of the most surprising omissions as he was expected to make the side with Virat Kohli now retired from the longest format. Iyer was expected to be a part of the middle order. When asked about Iyer's exclusion, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir responded by saying, 'Main selector nahi hoon' (I am not a selector). But this comment didn't go well with many, including former India cricketer Atul Wassan. 'Gambhir doesn't select players; he only rejects,' Wassan said on OTT Play while taking a dig at Gambhir's remark. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gautam Gambhir criticised Wassan explained that the coach always has some role in team selection and that selectors usually listen to the coach's opinion before finalising the squad. 'The coach has a role in team selection, and selectors also listen to them before naming the squad,' Wassan said. Wassan, however, added that Gambhir deserves to select players on gut feeling because he is the coach right now. 'If Gambhir has been given this position, then I think he deserves to go with his feeling, whether it's right or wrong.' Iyer's exclusion also became a hot topic on social media. Many fans and experts have criticised the decision and questioned if it was really based on performance or something else. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar recently said that the current leadership group picks players based on their own instincts rather than performance. 'Under Gambhir's stewardship and with Rohit not there anymore, I see a tendency in this management to pre-empt performances of individuals while making selections. As in, the dominating thought here is to apply their own view of the likely success and failure of players depending on conditions and opposition,' Manjrekar was quoted as saying by The Hindustan Times. Manjrekar cited the example of Sarfaraz Khan, who was not selected in the playing XI after three-four poor games last year. He was taken to Australia but did not play a match there and now he has b been dropped from the team altogether. 'Take the example of Sarfraz Khan. Three fifties and a 150 at home in four Tests and failures in only four innings after that and Sarfaraz does not get a single game in Australia. For the England tour too, he has been left out despite his performances in recent times outweighing Karun Nair's completely. So, this non-selection is not about performance, it's about someone important in the leadership group thinking Sarfaraz will not get runs in England and Australia, and Karun Nair will,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lal Salaam OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Rajinikanth's long-awaited Tamil sports drama online
Lal Salaam OTT Release Date: Back in February 2024, Rajinikanth arrived in theatres with his extended cameo, which was headlined by Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth. Despite the Tamil saga turning out to be a box office bomb, Rajini's performance won many hearts. However, the sports drama never made it to OTT until now due to footage misplacement issues. Know what's the latest update! When and where to watch Lal Salaam? The latest report coming in from OTT Play suggests that Lal Salaam is all set to premiere on SunNXT starting June 6. However, an official confirmation is awaited. Directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth and produced by Subaskaran Allirajah under Lyca Productions, this is an A. R. Rahman musical, cinematographed by Vishnu Rangasamy and edited by B. Pravin Baaskar. More about Lal Salaam Other than the lead trio, Lal Salaam also stars Senthil, Jeevitha, K. S. Ravikumar, Thambi Ramaiah, Nirosha, Ananthika Sanilkumar, Vivek Prasanna, Thangadurai, Akash Sahani, Poster Nandakumar, Pondy Ravi and Amit Tiwari among others. It also features cameos of Livingston, Dhanya Balakrishna, Adithya Menon, Jay Parashar and Kapil Dev. This 150-minute-long film earned just Rs 31.25 crore. Lal Salaam's plot overview Lal Salaam is set in the village of Murarbad, where Hindus and Muslims live in harmony. Two young cricketers, Thiru and Shamsuddin, represent this unity, and their fathers, Manickam and Moideen Bhai (played by Rajinikanth), are close friends. During a local cricket match, Thiru accidentally injures Shamsuddin, which sparks tensions between the communities. This small misunderstanding escalates into a serious communal conflict. A local politician uses the unrest to fuel hatred and gain political mileage, making things worse by targeting lower-caste families and disrupting village festivals. As the situation spirals, Moideen Bhai works to bring the people back together. The film explores how easily peace can be broken by hate and politics, and how sports, friendship, and unity can help heal those divides.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
True crime tales: The surge of real-life inspired thrillers in Mollywood
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) 'Based on a true story' — this is surely one of the most chilling aspects we see, especially in a horror or thriller movie, which makes us feel that 'Oh my gosh!' moment. Such true crime stories create an emotional impact on audiences that can never be achieved through a fictional or fabricated narrative. (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) 'I believe it is a topic that needs to be spoken' - Tovino Thomas about 'Narivetta' Tovino Thomas' recent film 'Narivetta' re-tells the story of the 2003 Muthanga incident. The film is inspired by real-life events, though it is not a direct retelling of a single true story. In an earlier post, Tovino Thomas penned, 'I believe it is a topic that needs to be spoken about boldly and discussed. I hope it will be a film that will make you enjoy it with all your heart in the theatre and make you think after leaving the theatre.' The movie is receiving decent reviews from the audience. 'Kooman' and 'Human Sacrifice' issue Jeethu Joseph and Asif Ali's thriller film 'Kooman' arrived at a time when Kerala was shocked by the Elanthoor human sacrifice case. Although the Asif Ali starrer is in no way related to the incident, the exact timing made the audience feel connected to the story and created a chilling effect. Listen To Popular Malayalam Official Audio Songs From 'Kooman' Jukebox Featuring Asif Ali The same goes for the horror thriller film 'Romancham'. The overall setting, humor, and scary atmosphere worked in a fictional kind of way among the audiences, until the last title 'Based on a true story' popped up on the screen, showing the real-life photographs and characters. (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) 'We tried to understand the mental conflicts involved in honor killings' - Tharun Moorthy Mohanlal and Tharun Moorthy's recently released thriller 'Thudarum' may not be directly linked with the 2018 Kevin murder case in Kerala, but the audiences reminisce such honor killing incidents that happened, once the end credits roll. Thudarum - Official Teaser Talking to OTT Play, Tharun Moorthy said, 'It is not based on anyone's personal life. We tried to understand the emotional arcs and mental conflicts involved in honor killings.' Tharun Moorthy said that 'Thudarum' is entirely fictional and they took only reference from such incidents to ensure authenticity. The impact of true crime tales A crime thriller delivers a much stronger impact when it is based on real events or executed with reference to them. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that a story will lose its impact if it isn't drawn from actual incidents. Movies are literally a vast ocean, and the audience are like new, inexperienced swimmers — your only task is to convince them to dive in and ensure they find joy and pleasure in the experience. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
NDTV
7 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
MS Dhoni As Coach? 'Doesn't Have Patience' Like 'Control-Fixed' Gautam Gambhir: Ex-India Star's Big Verdict
There has been a lot of chatter over MS Dhoni 's future amid his dismal run of form for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025. However, Dhoni made it clear that he will take his time in deciding his future and did not announce anything concrete after their last match. While some believe that he will return for the next season, others have floated the idea of him taking a coaching or mentorship role. However, former India fast bowler Atul Wassan believes that Dhoni does not have the patience to become a coach. Instead, he believes that he will concentrate on his personal life and maybe take up a mentorship role. "I think he is fit for a mentor, but for coaching, Dhoni does not have patience. Because you know if he becomes a coach, then his lifestyle will keep looping the same way, like touring with the team and all that. Why would he want all that?" he said on the Bails and Banter show on OTTPlay. Wassan further explained that according to him, coaching is for 'people who are control-fixed' like India head coach Gautam Gambhir. However, he believes that the change will not suit Dhoni. "No, coaching is for people who are control-fixed, like Gautam Gambhir, because he needs importance but mentoring is like 'come, have a sit, let's eat together,' and some players actually approach you. So you don't have to be the mentor, but there is mentoring going on around the whole universe of cricket. People who are close to you will approach you and take advice, whether you are a mentor or not." ) Former India wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa said that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni still wants to play for the franchise and he has the fire still burning within him to lift another title for the side. Although CSK ended their IPL 2025 campaign with a commanding win in their final league game, the 43-year-old struggled to replicate his past form. He managed 196 runs in 14 matches at an average of 24.50. His strike rate of 135.17 marked a significant drop from the explosive 220.55 he recorded in the previous season. 'It all depends on his health and how he feels. You have to understand that he really wants to play - the fire still burns. From what he said during the post-match presentation, it's clear that the fire still burns to win championships, to play out there in the middle. Now it's about going back and working on his body to bring it to the level he wants for the next IPL. If that doesn't happen, he'll call it before the mini-auction. If not, you'll see a tweet or an Instagram post," Uthappa said on JioStar. Listen to the latest songs, only on
