IPL 2024: 'What Wrong Has Rohit Done', Fans Would Be Thinking, Says Navjot Sidhu On MI Captaincy

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IPL 2024: 'What Wrong Has Rohit Done', Fans Would Be Thinking, Says Navjot Si...

IPL 2024: 'What Wrong Has Rohit Done', Fans Would Be Thinking, Says Navjot Sidhu On MI Captaincy

by Hemanta Pande

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As the Mumbai Indians face a backlash from their fans after demoting Rohit Sharma and handing the captaincy to Hardik Pandya for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu said the fans must be thinking 'what wrong has Rohit done'?

Mumbai, Apr 2: As the Mumbai Indians face a backlash from their fans after demoting Rohit Sharma and handing the captaincy to Hardik Pandya for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu said the fans must be thinking 'what wrong has Rohit done'?

Wading into the controversy after Mumbai Indians' new skipper Hardik Pandya was booed and heckled by the fans in all three matches they have played so far, including the home clash with Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Speaking exclusively on the ‘Star Sports Press Room’, Navjot Sidhu explains the uproar from the Mumbai Indians fans towards captain Hardik Pandya.

“Nobody can digest the fact that India’s hero, India’s captain, is not the captain of our franchise. ‘What wrong has he done?’ is what fans of the franchise would be thinking. But what does he have to do? There is nothing that succeeds like success. If he (Hardik) had won these two matches, there wouldn’t have been any noise,” said Sidhu.

Sidhu said it was all related to the timing of the announcement of India's skipper for the T20 World Cup. “If the BCCI had named Rohit as captain for the T20 World Cup in October, the franchise wouldn't have chosen Hardik as captain. It’s a matter of the franchise’s respect. So, the actual issue here is timing,” said Sidhu.

Mumbai Indians have explained the captaincy change as a move for the future. Rohit Sharma is aged 36 and has led Mumbai Indians to five title triumphs in IPL. Hardik Pandya is 30 years old and led Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022 and a runner-up finish in the 2023 edition. He made his IPL debut with Mumbai Indians in 2015 and has also won the IPL title five times -- in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020 with Mumbai Indians and in 2022 with Gujarat Titans.(IANS)

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"How So Fun": Team India Enjoy Fielding Drills Ahead Of 1st T20I Against Sri Lanka, Watch Video

by Shambhu Datta Mishra

Bhubaneswar, July 27: Gautam Gambhir is all set to kick off his tenure as Team India head coach Saturday when the Men in Blue take the field against hosts Sri Lanka in the first T20I of the three-match series.

Gambhir has succeeded Indian great Rahul Dravid, who finished his stint as the head coach in style -- winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados last month. Dravid congratulated his former India teammate on his new innings as the head coach through an emotional message.

The Indian players, on the other hand, are enjoying their time on the field at Kandy ahead of the first T20I against Sri Lanka.

The official instagram handle of Indian cricket team has shared a video where fielding coach T Dilip is seen giving special instructions to players during thei fielding drills. And the players are taking the assignment as a fun activity to improve their 'direct hit' skills before some catching practice.

The video is captioned, "Hey you fielding drill - How so fun.. Quite a vibe in the group in this fun session at Kandy."

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The video shows that Dilip has set three targets having different points to hit for the players from a certain distance. Gambhir is seen enjoying the activity with a smile on his face.

Newly-appointed T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav can be seen getting casual with teammates, including his Mumbai Indians team captain Hardik Pandya. Pandya was widely speculated to succeed Rohit Sharma as the T20I skipper after the latter's retirement. However, Gambhir and BCCI decided to go with Yadav for the role considering Pandya's consistant injury issues.

Keep aside the captaincy part, the disappointment may still be there in Pandya's heart, but on the field he is sharing laughs, enjoying the practice sessions and must be eager to give his 100 percent.

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Paris Olympics: PM Modi Extends Best Wishes For Indian Contingent

by Hemanta Pande

New Delhi, July 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended warm wishes to the Indian contingent in the Paris Olympics, officials said on Saturday.

Calling every athlete India's pride, PM Modi wished them success to perform their best at the 33rd edition of the international sporting event which takes place every four year.

The Prime Minister posted on X: "As the Paris #Olympics commences, my best wishes to the Indian contingent. Every athlete is India’s pride. May they all shine and embody the true spirit of sportsmanship, inspiring us with their exceptional performances. #Paris2024"

Star shuttler PV Sindhu and seasoned table tennis star Sharath Kamal were the flagbearers for India when the group of 78 India athletes and officials arrived in the Parade of Nations at the River Seine in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 on Friday.

In the 33rd Summer Games, 117 athletes make up the Indian contingent in 16 sports disciplines, comprising 70 men and 47 women. They will compete in 69 events and vie for 95 medals.
The 16 sports disciplines include archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, equestrian, golf, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and tennis.

India will get their first shot at a medal during the mixed team air rifle medal matches scheduled on Saturday at the National Shooting Centre in Chateauroux. Two Indian teams, Sandeep Singh/Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta/Ramita Jindal, will compete in this event. Manu Bhaker will compete in two individual pistol events and the 10 m air pistol mixed team competition as well.

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Hina Khan Goes Organic Amid Cancer Treatment, Grows Turmeric At Home

by Utkalika Mohanty

Mumbai, July 27: Actress Hina Khan, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for Stage Three breast cancer, has shared a glimpse of her home-grown turmeric and advocates for going organic.

The 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai' actress, who boasts 20 million followers on Instagram, took to her stories section and shared a video of a turmeric plant growing in a pot at her house.