Virat Kolhi is all set to return to India cricket team for IND vs ENG 2nd ODI in Cuttack as is now fully fit. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer is reportedly set to be dropped from the XI while Jaiswal retains his place. Meanwhile, the BCCI has handed a blow to the IPL teams by barring them from practicing in their home grounds. Pakistan have come under fire after Rachin Ravindra sustained a blow to his head on Friday and was rushed off the field after being left bloodied. On that note, let us take a look at the top six stories from February 8.
King Kohli returns
Virat is fully fit and will play in IND vs ENG 2nd ODI in Cuttack on Sunday, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed. The ex-Indian skipper missed the 1st ODI due to a swelling in his right knee. His absence, though, wasn’t felt as Shubman Gill aced his role at number 3.
Read more here: No injury issues, Virat Kohli fit to play in Cuttack, confirms India’s batting coach
Shreyas Iyer to be dropped?
Shreyas Iyer is all set to be left out of the playing XI for IND vs ENG 2nd ODI, a report has claimed. Earlier, the batter had revealed that he wasn’t supposed to play in Nagpur but was informed of his last-minute inclusion owing to Virat’s injury. Now, Jaiswal is expected to retain his spot in the playing XI and will continue to open with Rohit Sharma.
BCCI cracks whip on IPL teams
The BCCI has barred IPL franchises from using their home grounds for practice ahead of IPL 2025. The board has strictly told the state association that they aren’t allowed to host any sort of matches other than domestic games before the start of the new season. This comes in the backdrop of multiple leagues playing their matches at proper stadiums.
Read more: BCCI handicaps IPL 2025 franchises, bars them from using home grounds for practice
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Mumbai flop, Nair rocks in Ranji
Ranji Trophy quarterfinals saw Mumbai suffering a top-order collapse at the hands of Haryana. It was only due to Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani’s stand that the defending champions manage to recover towards the end of day’s play. Meanwhile, Vidarbha skipper Karun Nair led from the front with a fine century against Tamil Nadu. The other two games saw Gujarat bowl out Saurashtra for 216 runs while Kerala bowler Nidheesh took a fifer to decimate J&K.
Rachin Ravindra, Haris Rauf injured
In a scary incident, Rachin Ravindra was rushed off the field after he was struck on his head by the ball. Such was the impact that he started bleeding immediately. Meanwhile, Haris Rauf too suffered an injury in the PAK vs NZ match on Saturday. Ahead of the Champions Trophy, this was the last things that both teams had wanted.
BCCI unconvinced?
A report has now claimed that the BCCI was not very convinced with Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion in India’s Champions Trophy squad. Despite being the best number 4 batter for India in ODIs, the selectors and captain weren’t initially keen on picking him in the side. Eventually, they were forced to after those backing the Mumbai batter flashed his ODI average.
