SPORTS

Indian men’s cricket team captain Virat Kohli became the first athlete in the country to gain 100 million followers on Facebook-owned photo and video sharing social networking platform Instagram.

Kohli has joined the likes of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil’s Neymar, Argentine forward Lionel Messi, Hollywood actor and former pro-wrestler Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, American singer-songwriter Beyonce, and Ariana Grande in the 100 million club.

Kohli currently stands as the fourth most followed sportsperson on Instagram.

Shardul Thakur has made a case for himself with the bat on several occasion, on Monday the Indian seamer smashed 92 from 57 deliveries giving cricket enthusiats a display of his batting abilities. The 29-year-old in a match between Mumbai and Himachal Pradesh in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, Thakur smashed six fours and the same number of maximums, helping his side post a stiff 321/9 in 50 overs. 

Shardul came at the crease when Mumbai were reeling at 148/5, and went on to add 112 runs with wicketkeeper-batsman Aditya Tare for the sixth wicket, before the latter was dismissed by Pankaj Jaiswal on 83.  

Rajasthan Royals revealed the reason behind releasing premier Australia batsman Steve Smith ahead of the IPL 2021 Auction. Smith, who led the Royals team in the last two seasons, was bought by Delhi Capitals in the 2021 auction for INR 2.2 crore. Smith's release from Rajasthan camp was a shocker for many as he was appointed their captain in the 2019 mid-season.

At INR 2.2 crore, Delhi Capitals did a very smart business to acquire the services of Smith for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League which is expected to start from the second week of April.

Rajasthan Royals posted a video on their Twitter account, where they discuss the 2021 IPL Auction strategy which includes releasing smith, scouting youngsters, and auction simulations.

Indian All-rounder Yusuf Pathan announced on Friday that he is retiring from all forms of cricket. The 38-year-old stated that time has come for him "to put a full stop to this innings of my life." Pathan was part of the Indian squad which won the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup. He was also a part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning side.  

"I officially announce retirement from all forms of the game," said Pathan in a statement posted on Twitter.

"I thank my family, friends, fans, teams, coaches and the whole country wholeheartedly for all the support and love," he wrote.

Pathan played 57 ODIs posting 810 runs at a strike-rate of 113.60 with two centuries and three fifties under his belt. He is the elder brother of former Indian seamer Irfan Pathan.

Senior Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin got to 400 Test wickets on day 2 of the Pink-Ball Test against England. He thus becomes the second-fastest bowler to get to that landmark in his 77th Test match. Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan got to the feat in just 72 Test matches. India bowled out England for just 81 inside the second session on the second day. They need 48 runs to win the Test match and have ample time left to do that.

Meanwhile, Jofra Archer was Ashwin’s 400th Test wicket as he found the England pacer plumb in front of the wicket with a full delivery. He also dismissed Ben Stokes for the eleventh time in his career. For the record, Ravichandran Ashwin is the fastest Indian bowler to take 400 wickets in Test cricket.

The veteran spinner is also the fourth Indian bowler to take 400 wickets in the whites for the Asian giants. Before Ashwin’s landmark achievement, former skippers Anil Kumble (619), Kapil Dev (434), and spin wizard Harbhajan Singh (417) have entered the 400-club in Test cricket.