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

India vs South Africa: Chief selector MSK Prasad tells the reason behind MS Dhoni’s non-selection

• It had to happen and eventually, it happened. Veteran India cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni found himself overlooked for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa at home.
• While the 38-year-old has remained in the headlines for not calling it quits despite growing criticism, the selectors have decided to look beyond him keeping in mind the T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia next year.
• (Read more about the story)

Ashes 2019: Jack Leach’s box is now Ben Stokes’ lucky charm

• Superstitions are pretty common in the game of cricket. In the ongoing Ashes, there are a few players like Steve Smith and Matthew Wade, who have their own sets of beliefs, which they reckon work in their favour.
• However, the weirdest of them all belongs to Englishman Ben Stokes, who produced the unreal knock out of the blues in the third Test at the Headingley in Leeds.
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IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla welcome Ambati Rayudu’s return to cricket

• Back on July 3, 2019, Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu decided to hang his boots from all forms of cricket.
• The decision was understood to have come after sheer disappointment following his 2019 World Cup snub.
• (Read more about the story)

No question of ignoring MS Dhoni, says Team India selector

• There are questions looming large over MS Dhoni and his future in the Indian cricket team. After his World Cup sojourn, the veteran is yet to take the cricket field. Dhoni, who turned 38 last month, didn’t play the ODI and T20I series versus the Windies.
• The same was because he was on a two-month break from the sport in order to serve the Indian Army in Kashmir.
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A key member of India’s Test team, Hanuma Vihari had destiny’s blessings at start

• Ever since he made an impressive Test debut against England at The Oval last year, Hanuma Vihari has been a consistent performer in the long format.
• He scored a half-century on debut and pulled his side out of trouble in difficult conditions in the dead rubber as the hosts had already pocketed the series.
• (Read more about the story)

India vs South Africa: MSK Prasad reacts on Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav’s omission for T20I series

• Indian selectors have come up with the 15-man squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa at home.
• While veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni was unavailable for the second series in a row, spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were also excluded as well.
• (Read more about the story)

Monty Panesar eyes playing for Puducherry in the Ranji Trophy

• Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, aka Monty Panesar, hasn’t had the smoothest of careers by any means.
• After he burst on to the scenes in 2006, the tweaker was expected to end England’s ever-lasting legacy of producing negative spinners.
• (Read more about the story)

Playing in his maiden Ashes series, Jofra Archer feels Australians are ‘terrible’ at sledging

• He was criticised during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s for smiling after hitting Steve Smith on the back of his neck with a brutal bouncer.
• But the Barbados-born Jofra Archer, who made his Test debut in the same match, also has an observation over his opponents.
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Reports: Wasim Akram played key role in removing Mickey Arthur as Pakistan coach

• Pakistan sacked their head coach Mickey Arthur after having failed to reach the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2019, along with a number of other coaching staff members.
• The Men in Green have in fact not won a single ODI series in 2019 and lost some of them by big margins – 0-5 against Australia and 0-4 against England.
• (Read more about the story)

Pakistan will have their own Ben Stokes in near future, feels Azhar Ali

• Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali, who recently hinted at reversing his retirement in ODIs, has come with full praise on England all-rounder Ben Stokes and hoped that his own country would also find a player like the New Zealander-born southpaw in the near future.
• Stokes is in the pink of his cricketing career with some memorable feats in recent times.
• (Read more about the story)

Talks about me and MS Dhoni’s fight were also there, says Virender Sehwag on Rohit-Virat rift

• Ever since last year, speculations surrounding the souring relationship between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been doing the rounds.
• The topic spiced up more after India’s World Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of New Zealand in Manchester.
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Anushka Sharma visits Indian High Commissioner’s residence in Jamaica with Team India; but skips group photo

• Team India will take the field on Friday in the second and final Test in Jamaica against the Windies which is also the last game of their West Indies tour.
• The visitors are in good spirits on the tour with the team unbeaten still across the formats and are favourites to seal the Test series too.
• (Read more about the story)

VVS Laxman one of the reasons behind Ambati Rayudu coming out of retirement

• They say never make a decision when you are emotional, angry, happy or sad.
• The magnitude of the subject doesn’t matter, just take your time, calm down and then think before you take a decision.
• (Read more about the story)

If Shahid Afridi is so fond of politicizing every issue, he should join politics: Gautam Gambhir

• They are known to be old foes. Former international cricketers Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi have had clashes on the field in the past over cricketing reasons.
• After turning expert commentators, too, they have had their conflicting opinions.
• (Read more about the story)