Top Stories: Things that made news in the cricket world today

KKR’s Pravin Tambe barred from playing IPL 2020

• Pravin Tambe, Mumbai’s veteran leg-spin bowler, won’t be taking part in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• In the auction that took place in Kolkata on December 19, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) picked him up at his base price of INR 20 lakhs.
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JP Duminy retires from all forms of the game

• Former South Africa cricketer JP Duminy has decided to call it day from all forms of the game.
• He had retired from international cricket soon after the World Cup last year but continued playing the franchise cricket.
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BCCI set to appoint Gautam Gambhir, Madan Lal as members of the CAC

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mostly likely to appoint Gautam Gambhir and Madan Lal as members of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).
• The members of India’s World Cup-winning teams will be picking the selection committees for the next four-year cycle from 2020 onwards.
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Shane Warne wants a five-match Test series between Australia and India

• Like every other cricket fan from India and Australia, former spinner Shane Warne is also looking forward to the Test series that Virat Kohli’s men will play Down Under towards the end of this year and early next year.
• Warne, the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 708 scalps, however, wants the four-match Test series to be made into a five-game one.
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South Africa announce their squad for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020

• With just over a month left before the women’s edition of the ICC World T20 starts, associations and cricket boards across the globe are releasing their 15 member squads for the tournament.
• The South African Cricket Board also released their list of 15 players who will be flying to Australia to take part in the tournament.
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Steve Waugh speaks on India-Australia ODI series, terms the rivalry a ‘tradition’

• India will renew their white-ball rivalry with Australia on Wednesday when the two teams lock horns in their first ODI under lights at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
• The last time they met was in the ICC World Cup in England in June and nine to 10 months ahead of the T20 World Cup and India’s tour Down Under, the three-match ODI series will give both teams to set up a trailer.
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Pakistan U19 skipper Rohail Nazir has a bright future, says South Africa’s Makhaya Ntini

• The ICC U19 World Cup 2020 is about to get underway from January 17 and will see some of the best young talents showcasing their talents on the biggest stage of them all in South Africa.
• The Indian team is the defending champions and are led by Priyam Garg and all the teams will be looking forward to dethroning them and wrest the crown of world champions.
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‘Virat Kohli is far better than Steve Smith in white-ball cricket’ – Gautam Gambhir

• India are all set to take on Australia in a three-match ODI series beginning Tuesday.
• The two former world champions are always keen rivals on the 22 yards and it was India who had prevailed over the Kangaroos when they had last met in the ICC World Cup 2019. It was a fascinating century from opener Shikhar Dhawan that gave India a 36-run win.
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‘If you love the game, you should not take that path’ – Virender Sehwag opens up on match-fixing in cricket

• He had arrived at a time when Indian cricket not only needed a robust opener but also a recovery from hard times, thanks to the match-fixing controversy of 2000.
• Virender Sehwag’s performance in the national team over the years fulfilled both the requirements as India went on to become a competitive side under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly that had Sehwag as one of its batting pillars.
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‘Hardik Pandya wants more time to work on his action and his back,’ reveals a BCCI source

• Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been on the sidelines for a good four months now. Pandya, who had undergone surgery for his recurrent lower-back issues, last played an international fixture for India during the home T20I series against South Africa back in  September.
• Since then, the all-rounder has been recuperating post his surgery and was expected to make a return to the side on the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
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India vs Australia: Virat Kohli drops a hint of playing both Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul in the first ODI

• India and Australia will lock horns in the first of the three-match ODI series on January 14 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
• While the visitors have a fair idea about their combinations, the Men in Blue are left with a happy headache of the top order.
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Reports: ICC thinking over expanding the T20 World Cup to 20 teams

• The next edition of the ICC T20 World Cup is set to take place in Australia later this year where 16 teams will square-off for the right to be eventually called the World Champions in the shortest format of the game.
• The format that will be employed will be a two-tier concept where the top-ten sides will join the two qualifying sides of the first stage to form a Super-12 where the sides’ will be divided into two groups of six each.
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‘Jasprit Bumrah isn’t shy of hitting us in the nets’ – Virat Kohli on facing the speedster

• Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are two of the most intense players not only on the ground but even in nets as well.
• We have seen the Indian skipper going through his routine during practice sessions with full intensity and vigour, with the same zeal as he does in any match and that keeps him ready for when the time comes to perform in the middle.
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‘Felt in some of the best form of my career’ – AB de Villiers oozing confidence ahead of BBL debut

• AB de Villiers, the former South African batsman, feels that he’s is good stead going into the 2019-20 edition of the Big Bash League (BBL).
• The veteran is set to make his debut in the T20 league, representing the Brisbane Heat, captained by Chris Lynn.
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‘We are ready for the challenge’ – Virat Kohli on the prospect on playing overseas Day/Night Tests

• India recently made its Pink Ball Test debut when it staged its first-ever Day-Night Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
• It turned out to be a magnanimous affair with more than 50,000 fans turning upon each day of the marquee Test match.
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