Jasprit Bumrah had a role to play in Pooja Vastrakar’s rehab at BCCI’…

If there is one player that India must be dearly missing in this Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, it has to be fast-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar. She is one of those, who can actually bat as good as they can bowl. Yes, she has been out since the 2024 edition, and India won the 50-over World Cup in her absence, but nobody can discount on her importance in the side.

Shoulder surgery keeps Pooja Vastrakar out of Indian team

For the unversed, who don’t really know, as to why she isn’t in the team — Pooja Vastrakar underwent a shoulder surgery, that took her longer-than-expected time to recover. Finally, on the sidelines of the Madhya Pradesh Women’s T20 League, she opened up her struggles with injuries, and how chats with best pacer in the world, Jasprit Bumrah helped her.

“We had planned the surgery in a way that I would have had eight months to recover, but that didn’t happen because even after eight months, I hadn’t got my range back,” Vastrakar told ESPNcricinfo. “After being in these situations so many times, it doesn’t bother you anymore. You know how to deal with it.“ asg-reflektory.pl

Help came from the best in business

But then, the long wait of the injury, recovery from surgery can take a huge toll on the player mentally. And that is when colleagues play a huge part. She revealed, how being at the BCCI CoE meant, help was always available.

“When you are at a place like the CoE, there are world-class bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, highly qualified doctors, physiotherapists and trainers. When you converse with them, you learn a lot and mature. They tell us that bowling isn’t even made for the human body. You transfer three or four times your body weight onto your left leg.

“I had a lot of conversations with Boom bhai [Bumrah] during that period. He explained, ‘If I look at my career, many similar things happened to me too. For a long time I have also been out, doing rehab for six months. Then I had surgery, so a year-and-a-half went into all this.’ He basically just said these things will keep happening; all you can do is focus on your process and whatever is in your control.

“It’s true that during such phases, we either dwell on the past or worry about the future. We forget to enjoy the present. And the present is what’s in our hands, the process is in our hands. And that very process becomes a huge part of success.”

The post Jasprit Bumrah had a role to play in Pooja Vastrakar’s rehab at BCCI’s CoE, reveals pacer appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Foreign recruits pulling themselves out in the middle of the season has become one of the major concerns for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. Some of the franchise officials seek the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) intervention into the matter, but the board may not going to put their nose into the issue.

As the contract is completely based on the agreement of a franchise and a player, the issue needs to be resolved by the franchise itself. IPL 2026 was among the rare seasons where multiple overseas players pulled themselves out from franchises without any prior notice.

How will BCCI resolve the matter?

The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League was only a few days after the 2026 T20 World Cup. Some of the players who were part of the T20 World Cup went for a break and joined the IPL late.

Players like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Matheesha Pathirana joined their respective franchises because of niggles. Delhi Capitals were among the worst-hit franchises in the 2026 season, as they missed the service of their premier pacer Mitchell Starc throughout the first half of the competition, as he was unavailable to take the field.

Days before the season opener, Ben Duckett, who was supposed to open the innings for the Capitals, pulled himself out suddenly. Though BCCI has a rule to ban certain players who opt not to play after signing the agreement, the recent instances show that only a ban will not be enough to stop such incidents in the future.

“The team is the custodians of the players. We leave it to them and their understanding of the players. Some players decide the league over national duty, and some vice versa. Our rules are clear unless there is an injury (the two-year ban),” a BCCI source told news agency PTI.

Rajasthan Royals set an example of how communication should be made

The example of the English pacer Jofra Archer and the Rajasthan Royals was the finest example of what the board wants to say. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wanted Archer back in the national camp to keep himself fit for their upcoming matches.

But Archer decided to stick with his IPL team to play the IPL 2026 season. The Royals made this possible only through good communication. Financial reasons can be another factor behind the player’s losing interest in the franchise league.

“Definitely, we can explore an increase, but we need to see holistically. A lot of players draw a whopping amount for one season and are nowhere to be seen the next season. Also, a lot of the players are paid over and above their contract by some franchises. The players get match fees also (Rs 7. 5 lakh per game) and get additional sponsorship during the tournament,” the source added further.

IPL to witness an increased number of matches

Meanwhile, the board is exploring other windows to expand the league. The league could return with a full home-away format, which will increase the total number of games on the card.

A few months ago, not many people knew that an India A tri-series would take place after the IPL. With the senior men’s team having an extremely busy schedule, the focus rarely shifts away from the marquee series. This is especially true because India A matches are usually neither televised nor streamed live, meaning they receive limited attention. Broadcasters are well aware that India A fixtures do not generally generate significant interest.

This year, however, has been different.

As soon as the India A squad was announced with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s name in it, the broadcaster, Sony Sports Network, confirmed that India A’s matches would be televised live. Over the past few months, the wonderkid Sooryavanshi has become a phenomenon, a crowd-puller like no other. It would not be wrong to say that much of the attention surrounding this series can be attributed to his presence.

For the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi, being in the spotlight is nothing new. In fact, he has been making headlines since his IPL debut last year. The media attention and growing popularity have not hindered his game. After scoring more than 700 runs in his first full IPL season, expectations were naturally high when he arrived in Sri Lanka for the tri-series.

So far, though, he has only shown glimpses of his immense talent. His scores in the tournament read: 14, 44 and 21. It is not that he has struggled to adapt to the tempo of 50-over cricket; rather, the conditions have exposed certain aspects of his game. Although all his innings have come in Dambulla, he has, for some reason, been unable to fully adjust to the conditions.

According to those closely following the series, this has been Sooryavanshi’s biggest test as a batter so far, as he has rarely encountered more challenging pitches in his young career. The conditions in Dambulla have offered assistance to both the seamers and spinners, which is one of the reasons why the tournament has produced relatively low-scoring matches.

Even in these difficult conditions, Sooryavanshi has not abandoned his natural instincts. He continues to take on the opposition from the outset, an approach that has not always worked on Sri Lanka’s bowling-friendly surfaces.

Let’s now look at another left-hander, Tilak Varma, who is also captaining the side. Over the past few seasons, much has been said and written about Tilak’s struggles against spin. One could argue that he has not been dismissed by a spinner in this series and has already registered two scores of fifty or more. Both points are valid.

At the same time, it is equally true that Tilak has once again shown signs of discomfort against spin. What supports this observation is his strike rate across the three matches. In none of his innings has he managed a strike rate above 95. During the middle overs, he often either consumes too many deliveries while defending or looks exclusively for boundary-scoring opportunities. For a batter hoping to cement his place in India’s ODI plans, the ability to keep the scoreboard moving against spin remains a challenge.

Tilak is highly regarded by both the selectors and the team management, which is why he was recently appointed vice-captain of the T20 side. Last year, chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that Tilak was “close” to an ODI recall and remained firmly in the plans for the 2027 World Cup.

However, if he continues to play spin in this manner, he could find himself slipping down the pecking order among the contenders.

Adding to the challenge is the burden of captaincy, which has weighed heavily on him throughout the series. With India having lost two of their three matches, the upcoming fixture against Afghanistan A has effectively become a must-win encounter.

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The post Sooryavanshi’s Hype Meets Reality as Tilak’s Concerns Return appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Kansas City [US], June 16 (ANI): Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said that they will approach their side’s FIFA World Cup campaign opener against Algeria with full caution and respect for their opposition, with their shock defeat in the 2022 campaign opener against Saudi Arabia, where they finally ended their wait for the third trophy, fresh on the team’s minds.

Argentina will start off their FIFA World Cup campaign against Algeria on Tuesday at Kansas City. In the previous edition, the Lionel Messi-led side indeed shook their hands with paradise, and the football icon reached the zenith of his illustrious football career. But the start of the campaign was not smooth as two second-half goals from Saudi Arabia had condemned then two-time champions to a 1-2 loss in their campaign opener. However, Argentina recovered well, beating Poland and Mexico from their group before peaking in the knockout stages and finally defeating France to capture their third title.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the match, as quoted by Reuters, Scaloni, who was with the team during that shock loss, said that Algeria, making their fifth WC edition and having a best finish of pre-quarterfinals in the 2014 edition, is a “great team with quick players up front."

“It is a good side to be careful with and to respect. They will make things difficult," Scaloni said.

Scaloni likened Algeria’s game as similar to Morocco’s, who dominated Brazil in the first half in their 1-1 draw on Saturday, being all praise for their “great players and good coach" Vladimir Petkovic.

The coach also said that from the last WC, they know that the first game is not decisive, even though it is important.

“We have peace of mind that it does not end in the first match," he said.

The manager also issued some encouraging fitness updates, saying that the squad is fit, with Julian Alvarez recovering from an ankle issue and being available and their 2022 final hero goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is also expected to be in the starting eleven after making a full recovery from a finger fracture during Aston Villa’s UEFA Europa League title win.

However, defender Nicolas Tagliafico stays doubtful due to a calf injury.

Veteran centre back Nicolas Otamendi also highlighted that they are the “champions everyone will want to beat", calling for defensive organisation and pointing out that the start to the 2022 edition should help the team realise that “any team can cause problems"

We have to play our game. They have good players. Overall, we need to try to have a solid defensive organisation," he signed off.

Argentina is a part of Group J alongside Austria, Algeria and Jordan. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

FIFA વર્લ્ડ કપ 2026ના ગ્રુપ Hની શરૂઆતની મેચ ફૂટબોલ ઇતિહાસમાં સૌથી મોટા અને સૌથી આઘાતજનક અપસેટમાંની એક જોવા મળી.ભવ્ય મંચ પર પોતાનું ડેબ્યૂ કરી રહેલા કેપ વર્ડેએ ટાઇટલના દાવેદાર અને યુરોપિયન ચેમ્પિયન સ્પેનને 0-0 થી ડ્રો કરીને ઇતિહાસ રચ્યો.આ નાના આફ્રિકન રાષ્ટ્રએ વર્લ્ડ કપ ઇતિહાસમાં પોતાનો પ્રથમ પોઈન્ટ મેળવ્યો.

ફૂટબોલના સૌથી મોટા મંચ પર સૌથી નાનાસિદ્ધિ

કેપ વર્ડેની સિદ્ધિ વિશ્વભરમાં ગુંજી ઉઠી કારણ કે તે ક્ષેત્રફળની દ્રષ્ટિએ ફિફા વર્લ્ડ કપ માટે ક્વોલિફાય થનાર સૌથી નાનો દેશ છે. જ્યારે વિશ્વમાં 64મા ક્રમે રહેલી આ ટીમે ભૂતપૂર્વ વિશ્વ ચેમ્પિયન સ્પેન જેવી મજબૂત ટીમનો સામનો કર્યો, ત્યારે કોઈએ આવા પરિણામની કલ્પના પણ કરી ન હતી. આશરે 500,000ની વસ્તી ધરાવતા આ દેશના ખેલાડીઓ દ્વારા મેદાન પર પ્રદર્શિત લડાયક ભાવનાએ રમતગમત ચાહકોના દિલ જીતી લીધા.

40 વર્ષીય ગોલકીપર વોઝિન્હા દિવાલની જેમ ઉભો રહ્યો

એટલાન્ટાના મર્સિડીઝ-બેન્ઝ સ્ટેડિયમમાં રમાયેલી મેચમાં, સ્પેને શરૂઆતથી જ બોલ પર નિયંત્રણ જાળવી રાખ્યું હતું અને લગભગ 70 ટકા સમય તેમનો કબજો હતો. જોકે, કેપ વર્ડેના 40 વર્ષીય અનુભવી ગોલકીપર વોઝિન્હા સ્પેનિશ ફોરવર્ડ્સ સામે દિવાલની જેમ ઉભો રહ્યો. તેણે પહેલા હાફમાં ફેરન ટોરેસના ત્રણ પ્રયાસોને નિષ્ફળ બનાવ્યા. સમગ્ર મેચ દરમિયાન, કેપ વર્ડેના ડિફેન્સે સ્પેનિશ આક્રમણને સંપૂર્ણપણે તટસ્થ કરી દીધું.

લેમિન યામાલ અને નિકો વિલિયમ્સ પણ બિનઅસરકારક રહ્યા.

મેચના નોંધપાત્ર સમયગાળા દરમિયાન સ્પેન કોઈ સફળતા મેળવવામાં નિષ્ફળ ગયા પછી, કોચે બીજા હાફની અંતિમ 20 મિનિટમાં તેના યુવાન સંવેદનાઓ, લેમિન યામાલ અને નિકો વિલિયમ્સને મેદાનમાં રજૂ કર્યા. યામાલે આવતાની સાથે જ કેટલાક સારા પાસ બનાવ્યા, પરંતુ કેપ વર્ડેના ખેલાડીઓએ તેને કોઈ ફ્રી પ્લે આપ્યો નહીં. પરિણામે, બંને ટીમોને પોઈન્ટ વહેંચવા પડ્યા.

આ પણ વાંચો - FIFA WC 2026: 9 કલાકની મુસાફરી, 10 બસની ધક્કામુક્કી, પ્રેક્ટિસ માટે પહોંચતો ખેલાડી આ ટીમનો છે કેપ્ટન