India produced an inspired bowling display to deny England their first limited-overs series in the country since 1984, winning the second Twenty-20 International (T20I) by five runs.

India posted 144/8 after being sent into bat in the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. England, seemingly in control, faltered at the end to be restricted to 139/6.

Young pacer Jasprit Bumrah bowled an inspired last over, conceding only two runs, to deny England a victory. He finished the match with figures of 20/2 in his four overs, giving away only three runs in the 18th over.

Veteran pacer Asish Nehra (3/28) also contributed to India’s win.

England won the first match of the three-match series by seven wickets at Kanpur. The third match is at Bengaluru on February 1.

Sam Billings (12) got England going in the run chase with two huge sixes of leg-spinner Yuzvender Chahal in the third over.

But Nehra struck twice in the next over, having Billings (12) caught by Bumrah at fine leg in the first ball and then induced a leading edge of Jason Roy (10) in the next ball to be caught at mid-on by Suresh Raina.

The twin strikes jolted England. They needed time to get back in their run-chasing groove.

Skipper Eoin Morgan (17) and Joe Root (38) began rebuilding. Root struck two fours in the ninth over, off leg-spinner Amit Mishra, to increase the run rate.

England reached 65/2 in 10 overs, needing 80 more runs to win in 60 balls.

But their ambitions received a blow when Morgan mistimed a lofted shot off Mishra to be caught at deep midwicket in the 11th over.

Mishra then bowled Ben Stokes (38) in the third ball of the over but replays showed he overstepped to concede a no-ball.

Stokes launched himself to a boundary and a six off Raina in the 14th over to increase the run rate. He continued with a pull shot off Chahal for a six to bring up England’s 100 in the 15th over.

England were 104/3 in 15 overs, needing 41 runs off 30 balls.

The 52-run fourth-wicket partnership of Root and Stokes steadily took England to a rare series win in India.

A desperate Kohli, needing a breakthrough, brought back Nehra, who duly responded, removing Stokes with a slower fuller delivery on middle stump that the left-hander missed and was adjudged leg before wicket.

The pressure oscillated towards the English batsmen despite Root anchoring one end. But they needed 24 runs from 12 balls and urgently needed boundaries.

Jos Butler (15) whipped Nehra for a four and a six in the 19th over to inch them closer.

Root was caught lbw by Bumrah in the first ball of the last over, with England needing eight for victory. Bumrah then castled Butler in the fourth ball, with England still requiring seven runs off two balls, which proved too much.

Earlier, India posted a paltry total.

Opener K.L. Rahul (71) was the top scorer for the hosts while Manish Pandey contributed with a crucial 30 runs.

Put in to bat, Indian openers Virat Kohli and Rahul started the innings cautiously by playing the ball to its merit.

After four overs, Kohli, who slammed 21 runs in 15 balls, failed to continue his aggressive batting as he was dismissed by pacer Chris Jordan.

Jordan bowled a slower and wider ball, to which Kohli stepped out for a lofted shot but ended up getting caught at long-on to Liam Dawson.

Incoming batsman Raina, who impressed in the last match at Kanpur, was sent back by leg-spinner Adil Rashid after only two overs with seven runs.

The recalled left-hander tried to slog sweep but ended up hitting the ball straight to Jordan at long-on.

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After eight overs, India were struggling at 56/2 with two premier batsmen departing cheaply.

Rahul, who seemed to be in good nick, played his regular shots and signalled his return to form while incoming batsman Yuvraj Singh failed to step up to the occasion, being sent packing in the 11th over while trying a sweep to spinner Moeen Ali. The Punjab batsman was adjudged leg before wicket.

Unperturbed by the fall of wickets, Rahul went on to slam a quick-fire fifty. His 32-ball knock was laced with three boundaries and two massive sixes.

The fall of Yuvraj’s wicket brought in Manish Pandey, who along with Rahul helped the hosts to get past 100-run mark in the 14th over.

Both batsmen forged a 56-run fourth-wicket partnership before Rahul was caught by Strokes at deep mid-wicket.

Jordan bowled a slower delivery on the off-stump to end an impressive 47-ball knock of Rahul.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni then joined Pandey and together they made their intentions clear right from the beginning of their partnership.

Pandey slammed a huge six off a slower and fuller delivery of pacer Tymal Mills. The 27-year-old got underneath the ball and muscled it out of the field. But he was bowled out by Mills in the same over.

In the last over, the hosts failed to press the accelerator, only managing five runs, losing three wickets in the process.

For England, Jordan scalped 3-22 to be the most successful while Mills, Ali and Rashid chipped in with a wicket each.

Brief score: India: 144/8 (K.L.Rahul 71, Manish Pandey 21; Chris Jordan 3-22), England 139/6 (Joe Root 38, Ben Stokes 38; Asish Nehra 3/28)

Talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni stumped every cricket fan when he informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he is stepping down as the skipper of India’s One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International sides, ending a trophy-filled era.

The 35-year-old had already retired from Test cricket in December 2014 but continued to lead the national team in the shorter formats of the game.

Dhoni, who had led India to the International Cricket Council (ICC) World T20 title in 2007, to the World Cup victory in 2011 and lifted the Champions Trophy in 2013 also took India to the zenith of the Test rankings during his tenure. He is the only captain in world cricket to win each of the ICC trophies.

The Ranchi wicketkeeper-batsman will, however, be available for selection for the three ODIs and T20Is against England, starting January 15, the BCCI informed.

“Mahendra Singh Dhoni has informed the BCCI, that he wishes to step down as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team from the One Day Internationals and the T20 Internationals formats of the game,” a statement from the board read.

“He will be available for the selection for the One Day and T20I series against England and the same has been conveyed to the Senior Selection Committee.”

The BCCI’s senior selection committee will meet on Friday to select the team for the limited overs series against England.

Commenting on the development, BCCI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rahul Johri said: “On behalf of every Indian cricket fan and the BCCI, I would like to thank M.S. Dhoni for his outstanding contribution as the captain of the Indian team across all formats.”

“Under his leadership, Indian team has touched new heights and his achievements will remain etched forever in the annals of Indian cricket,” he added.

Dhoni, who had captained India to 110 wins from 199 ODIs and 41 wins from 72 T20Is, made his international debut in 2004.

He immediately stamped his authority at the international stage when he smashed 148 in only his fifth match, against a Pakistan attack that didn’t know what had hit them.

He quickly rose up the ranks in Indian cricket to take the reins of the national T20I side in 2007, before becoming the ODI captain after Rahul Dravid relinquished the post.

He eventually ascended to full-time Test captaincy once the then Indian captain and current India coach Anil Kumble retired.

Dhoni’s biggest triumph was winning the World Cup in 2011, which India won after 28 years owing to his exemplary batting display in the final and calm and methodical leadership, despite the added pressure of playing at home.

He also led the side to the final of the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh, in which India lost to Sri Lanka. Dhoni successfully led India to the 2015 World Cup semi-final, where they lost to hosts and eventual champions Australia, effectively ending India’s 11-match winning streak in the World Cups.

During the course of the tournament, he also became the first Indian captain and third overall to win 100 ODI matches.

In 2016, Dhoni led India to the Asia Cup T20 title by beating hosts Bangladesh in the final and also guided the side to the semi-finals of the World T20, where hosts India lost to the eventual champions — the West Indies.

He also holds the record for most matches as captain of an international side, with 331 games across formats.

His last series as captain came against New Zealand at home, where he led the Indian side to a 3-2 series win.

Dhoni also led the now-defunct Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise, one of the most successful teams in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL), to win back-to-back titles in the years 2010 and 2011 and also the Champions League T20 in the years 2010 and 2014.

Although the next captain was not announced, Virat Kohli, currently captaining the Test team, is the likely front-runner to replace Dhoni.

Meanwhile, former BCCI president Anurag Thakur hailed Dhoni as “one of the finest leaders”. “Hey @msdhoni yuv been one of the finest leaders of Indian Cricket @BCCI, led the team to great heights & inspired so many across countries!,” Thakur wrote on Twitter.

Thakur was joined by noted cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle and 2012 Olympic bronze medal-winning shooter Gagan Narang in highlighting Dhoni’s achievements as India captain.

Bhogle said: “World T20, World Cup, Champions Trophy, Test No 1, IPL titles, Champions League titles. Everything in the game. #Dhoni.”

Bhogle also commented that this was a selfless move. “Clearly Dhoni thinks the moment has come. Thought he would quit after the Champions Trophy, but this is a selfless move.

“Trying to think like #Dhoni. Kohli most likely 2019 World Cup captain, so best that he leads in the Champions Trophy so best he starts now.”

–IANS

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It has been a dream last six months for Kannaur Lokesh Rahul. His 46 ball hundred against West Indies, the joint 2nd fastest T20I ton, has the cricketing world talking about the making a future star. Former Australian captain Michael Clarke, Indian limited overs cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni acknowledge this fact.

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His swashbuckling knock of 110 not out off 51 balls against the Windies in the US makes him only the third Indian to register a century in all three formats of the game.

Yes that’s right. Virat Kohli has never been to Switzerland, never visited Vaishno Devi and this is the biggest secret of them all – the India Test captain is yet to see the Taj Mahal. No, not even once even on his school trip or even with ladylove Anushka Sharma.  

Here are a few more interesting unknown facts; Virat has eight tattoos in his body right now, his dressing room nickname is Cheeku and at home he’s called Veeru.

The star cricketer revealed all this in Gurgaon during a candid interaction with Virat FanBox members; an exclusive fan club launched in April 2016 in partnership with PrivyPlex. He will also be meeting more of his fans in other cities soon.

Virat Kohli with a fan

Here’s the full transcript of Virat Kohli’s interaction with his fans:

What is Virat’s nickname?

My nickname given to me by my teammates is Cheeku. But, at home my family has given me too many nicknames. You know how it is, your mum would call you something and then your brother and sister would call you something else. But yes, they call me Veeru at home mostly. I have some 50-60 names. Whatever comes to their mind and heart, but mostly, Veeru.

During your tough times, who was the most encouraging person in your life?

Before playing for the country, obviously my family has always been supporting me. My brother and my father used to be involved in my practices. They would take me to my practice every day. My coach has been a big support. I have been practicing with the same coach since I was eight. He has always been there for me. So these three people I think, my coach, my brother and my father are the ones who have always stood by me in my tough times and good times also.

How many tattoos does Virat have?

Eight. Because the tattoos on my left hand are not connected yet. But once everything is done, then it would become three.

After you lose a game, what motivates you to go back and play the game again?

I hate losing. It’s difficult to take losses but I sit down and think about where we lost the game. Obviously you don’t play that badly that you’re completely outplayed or beaten. So you need to understand where you went wrong and how badly did you play. Say, if it’s an IPL game or a T20 game. You need to understand what overs you played badly obviously it can’t be the entire game.

And then you can work on those overs or balls and come back the next time and try to correct those mistakes. Mistakes are going to happen. But then it’s about how much time you have, in between those mistakes. They shouldn’t be repetitive and they should be improving with every game. This is what we look for. We look for mistakes and the try to improve upon them.

He also played the game ‘Never Have I Ever’ with his fans, few excerpts:

1.Never have I ever been to Switzerland.

2. Never have I ever been to Vaishno Devi. Although as a North Indian, it’s not very common to not go to Vaishno Devi. But I have not got a chance to go there yet.

3. When a fan said, “Never have I ever drove an Audi R8.” Virat answered, “I just sold mine a few days back. Maybe you can leave your number and I will take you out for a drive when I get another one.”

In a completely one-sided encounter India thrashed hosts Zimbabwe by 10 wickets to level the T20 series 1-1. Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to bat first. India pace bowlers Barinder Sran 4(10) and Jasprit Bumrah 3(11) restricted the hosts to only 99 for 9. Chasing 100 for a win, opener KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 47 and Mandeep Singh hit his maiden T20 fifty as India routed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets and level the series 1-0.

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Zimbabwe shock India by 2 runs in the first T20 match. After winning the ODI series 3-0, India decided to test their bench, paving the way for 5 debutants in the playing XI. Rishi Dhawan, Mandeep Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal all making their T20 debut for India. Put into bat, the hosts scored an impressive 170 runs for 6 wickets. Chigumbura blasting 54 off only 26 balls. In reply Manish Pandey was the highest scorer with 48 and Mahendra Singh despite remaining not out for 19, couldn’t finish off the game.

India’s limited-overs series against Zimbabwe is not as big as facing England, Australia or South Africa. Apart from the involvement of MS Dhoni in the series, there is not much hype or excitement for the three ODIs and as many T20s that the Indian team would be playing in the African nation.

Despite all that, the series has its own importance in many ways. The most important of those is the presence of youngsters, such as KL Rahul, Manish Pandey and others. Dhoni is set to lead the future of Indian cricket in Zimbabwe, making it a very important series for Team India.

Performances of players like Pandey and Rahul, in particular, will be observed closely, as in the limited outings with the Indian team they have managed to stamp their mark. Rahul, who has been rewarded for his impressive IPL season, will be making his debut in the shorter format of the game.

Rahul, for record, is currently the only player in the Indian setup that is playing all three formats of the game. He has two Test hundred, both overseas, to his credit in Test cricket, and this is the first time he is a part of the Indian ODI and T20 squad.

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“In the batting department we know how Manish Pandey played that dazzling knock in Sydney against Australia and won us that game,” India coach Sanjay Bangar said. “We then have Kedar Jadhav and Ambati Rayudu, who both scored a century in the tour of Zimbabwe. KL Rahul has made a mark in the IPL and has had success in the past with the Indian Test team.”

There is not an iota of doubt that India team has a talented bunch of players, but at the same time lack of experience could hurt them. Zimbabwe are no pushovers, especially at home, they are a resilience unit and knows the conditions well, which could fell against India.

Captain Dhoni, meanwhile, has pointed out that finding the right combination is going to be challenging. Dhoni hasn’t played with most of the players in the current squad, and in a short series that only has six matches – three one-dayers and three T20s – it is important to field a strong squad right from the first match itself.

“You keep playing with almost the same group of players,” Dhoni said. “So you almost know the roles and responsibilities and what each player’s strengths are. There will be quite a few players in this bilateral series with whom I’ll be playing for the first time.”

The last time India toured Zimbabwe they blanked them in the one-day series, and also won the T20 series. Team India is heading as favorites this time too, but they will be banking majorly on Dhoni’s experience and leadership skills.

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A young cricket team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni left for Zimbabwe from Mumbai, for a limited-overs series against Zimbabwe starting June 11. Team will be playing three One Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals against Zimbabwe. A day before their departure, Dhoni along with KL Rahul, Mandeep Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni and Jayant Yadav held a press conference in Mumbai. While BCCI’s search for a fill time coach continues, Sanjay Bangar will coach the men in blue on this tour.

Apart from Dhoni the rest of the team for the tour has a collective experience of 83 ODIs and 28 T20Is.

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