(Cricket news) The Indians in the WBBL have continued to put in impressive performances. On Saturday 30th October, all 8 Indian players played in 3 different WBBL games. 

Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur's Melbourne Renegades took on Shefali Verma and Radha Yadav's Sydney Sixers. Jemimah scored a well made 25 off 27 hitting 2 boundaries. Harmanpreet Kaur hit 43 off 32 balls including 4 fours and a six. The Indian skipper was denied her half century by Radha Yadav who took a blinder catch off her own bowling. Teenage sensation Shefali Verma was pushed down the order at no. 5 instead of her regular opening spot. Verma came in when the sixers were 44/3 and hit two huge sixes in her 15 ball 20. Jemimah Rodrigues had a great day on the field as she inflicted two crucial run outs. Radha Yadav remained not out at 11 as the Renegades won by 12 runs.

Also read: Mithali Raj recommended for the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna award

Deepti Sharma gave a match winning performance as Sydney Thunder defeated Melbourne stars by 19 runs. Batting first, Thunder lost Smriti Mandhana very early on in the 3rd as the left hander only managed 3 runs. Sharma scored a crucial 16 off 14 balls hitting 2 boundaries before she was run-out. The all-rounder wasn't done there as she picked up 3 wickets including 2 great catches off her own bowling as the Thunder successfully defended their total and won by 19 runs.

In the match between Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes, the Heat scored 170 runs after being out into bat first. During the chase, Richa Ghosh walked in after the Hurricanes lost two early wickets. The youngster was looking good after hitting three boundaries but was then cleaned up by Jess Jonassen. Heat's Poonam Yadav was very expensive as she gave away 24 runs off her 2 overs. Brisbane Heat ended up winning the match by 14 runs.

(Cricket news)The big guns of group 1, Australia and England will take each other on to try and keep their perfect record intact. Both the teams have won their opening two games of the group stage. The winner of this game will almost certainly guarantee their qualification to the semi final. 

Australia have defeated South Africa and Sri Lanka while England have got the better of Bangladesh and West Indies. The two victories of both the teams have been more or less comfortable. This battle promises to be an entertaining one. Australia and England have a very rich history but it hasn't seen any memorable clashes in ICC events since the 1987 World Cup final. 

Australia possible playing XI:

1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

David Warner got back to scoring runs at a perfect time in the last game against Sri Lanka which is very good news for Australia. The camp has been repaid for showing faith in the left hander. The flexibility of the Aussie middle order is a very big advantage and luxury for them as Marsh, Smith, Maxwell and Stoinis can bat anywhere between no. 3 and 6. Australia are likely to go into the game unchanged. 

Also read: Mithali Raj recommended for the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna award 

England possible playing XI:

1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Eoin Morgan(capt) , 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Tymal Mills

The one concern for England is that their middle order hasn't been tested so far. Skipper Eoin Morgan has been short of runs and what better time to get a few under his belt than against Australia. The two spinners will be mighty crucial for England particularly in this game. 

A loss in this game wouldn't be too heavy on either team as both the teams are still in a good position to finish in the top two, but England and Australia will be playing for bragging rights. 

(Cricket news) West Indies and Bangladesh meet for a group 1 match and the two teams are yet to open their account on the Super 12 points table. The loser of the contest would more or less be virtually eliminated from the tournament.

Both the sides have lost both their Super 12 games as West Indies lost to England by 6 wickets and to South Africa by 8 wickets. Bangladesh on the other hand lost to Sri Lanka by 5 wickets and to England by 8 wickets. The windies have problems all-round with their batters not getting enough good partnerships and their bowlers failing to pick wickets at regular intervals. Bangladesh had a good group stage but haven't been able to cope up with the level of the Super 12s yet. 

West Indies possible playing XI:

1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Roston Chase, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo 9 Akeal Hosein, 10 Oshane Thomas, 11 Ravi Rampaul

Lendl Simmons struggled in the last game so dropping him could be good as Chris Gayle would then get into the opening slot. Batting at 3 hasn't worked for Gayle in this tournament and getting back to his roots might be for the best. Obed McCoy has been ruled out of the tournament, Jason Holder has been added to the squad. Oshane Thomas should replace him in the playing XI.

Also read: Mithali Raj recommended for the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna award

Bangladesh Possible Playing XI:

1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Liton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Despite not winning any Super 12 games this team has done very well in the previous round of the tournament. Shakib Al Hasan will need to get back to his best and start delivering again with bat and ball. A lot will be expected by Mustafizur Rahman in the bowling department.

Both the teams desperately need this victory. A loss here would practically kill any chances of making it to the Semi finals. Windies entered this tournament as one of the favourites but haven't got going as of yet. They still might but their big old guards will have to turn starting today.

(Cricket news) England’s Fran Wilson has announced her retirement from international cricket. The 29 year old has represented her country 64 times during her 11 year career in which she featured in three World Cups, winning one in 2017.

Wilson will be remembered for her outstanding work in her field, especially her memorable catch against West Indies. She scored her highest runs against Pakistan, getting 85 runs in 49 balls. Despite retirement from international cricket, Wilson will still be involved in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Charlotte Edwards Cup and The Hundred.

Wilson said: “I feel incredibly proud to have played for my country for the past 10 years and the time now feels right to step away. I am excited for the challenges that domestic cricket will bring in the next chapter of my playing career.

“Playing for England pushes you to the limit and I’m grateful for the experiences which have made me better, on and off the pitch. The memories I have made with some amazing teams are ones I will always cherish and I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my England journey."

England Women’s Head Coach Lisa Keightley said: “Fran has served her country with distinction for over a decade and she can be very proud of the work she’s put in and of what she’s achieved.

"In my time at the job I've really enjoyed working with Fran. She's such a positive influence on the group, she's a real team player, she's very popular, and we'll really miss having her as part of our team.

“It’s a very difficult decision to retire from international cricket, but our loss will be the domestic game’s gain. Fran has always given everything for England and I know she’ll continue to do so in domestic cricket.”

Also read: Mithali Raj recommended for the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna award

(Cricket news) The Khel Ratna award is the highest sporting honour in India and is given to a person for outstanding achievement in sports and when it comes to women's cricket there is no one who has achieved more than Mithali. She could become the first female cricketer to receive the award to add to the Arjuna award she received in 2003 and 2015 Padma Shri.

It was way back in 1999 when a 17-year-old Mithali Raj scored a hundred on her international debut. She was the youngest woman to score an international century till 16-year-old Irish batter Amy Hunter broke the record this very month. Since then Raj has gone on to become one of the best cricketers in the world. 

Her contribution to women's cricket in India is unparalleled. She has led India to two World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017. She is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket and the only female cricketer to surpass the 7,000 run mark in W-ODI matches. Raj also holds the record for most half-centuries in WODIs. In 2018 became the first player from India (man or woman) to reach 2000 runs in T20Is.

Also read: T20 World Cup preview: Sri Lanka take on Australia in match no 10

Now at the age of 38 with all this legacy behind her, Mithali Raj is still chasing her dream of winning a World Cup for her country. Raj will captain India in the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand to try and win India it's first ever Women's World Cup. Mithali Raj has now retired from T20Is but continues to captain India in Test and ODIs.

For the longest time Mithali Raj along with teammate Jhulan Goswami were the only two well known cricketers in India. Now women's cricket has gained popularity in India and people follow and support the team. Mithali Raj has seen the transition up close from cricketers having to search for their own sponsors and gears to now BCCI coming into the picture so that players can concentrate on the game and not worry about other things. 

Other recommended athletes include Neeraj Chopra (Athletics),Ravi Dahiya (Wrestling), PR Sreejesh (Hockey), Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing), Sunil Chettri (Football), Mithali Raj (Cricket), Pramod Bhagat (Badminton), Sumit Antil (Athletics), Avani Lekhara (Shooting), Krishna Nagar (Badminton),Manish Narwal (Shooting).

New Delhi, Oct 27 (Sports news) Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who became only the second Indian to win an individual Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games, and silver medal-winning wrestler Ravi Dahiya were on Wednesday recommended for the Khel Ratna as an unprecedented 11 athletes were selected for the country's highest sporting honour.

Boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who won a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, seasoned hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and woman cricket Test skipper Mithali Raj were also recommended for the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna by the selection committee.

Iconic Sunil Chhetri also became the country's first footballer to be selected for the honour.

Last year, five athletes were picked for the award while four were selected after the 2016 Rio Games.

The announcement of the national sports awards was delayed in order to consider the performance of the para-athletes in the Tokyo Paralympics (August 24 to September 5).

Shooter Avani Lekhara and Manish Narwal, javelin thrower Sumit Antil and shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Krishna Nagar, who all have won a gold each in the Tokyo Paralympics, completed the list of those recommended for the Khel Ratna. The committee also picked 35 athletes for the Arjuna award, eight more than last year's number of awardees.

Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, para TT player Bhavina Patel, para shuttler Suhas Yathiraj and high jumper Nishad Kumar are among those selected for the Arjuna award.

Members of the men's hockey team that won a historic bronze in the Olympics will also receive Arjuna award.

Also Read : Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra and other Tokyo Games participants felicitated by JSW Sports

News Source : PTI