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Category: Sports

  • IPL 2025: 5 captains got a shock on Diwali, the team expelled them, one even got his salary cut…

    IPL Retained List: Mega auction is to be held in IPL 2025. The five captains who were shown the door will now go to the auction. Where these players can be bought for huge sums.

    IPL Retained List: All 10 teams have released the retained list for IPL 2025. The retention list released on the occasion of Diwali created a stir in the cricket world. While the fortunes of many players brightened on the evening of Diwali, there was a big shock for some captains. Five out of 10 captains were thrown out by their teams, while one captain’s salary was cut. Only 40 percent captains could save their place and respect.

    Why was Iyer discharged?

    The most shocking news came from Kolkata Knight Riders who released Shreyas Iyer. KKR became champion last season under the captaincy of Iyer. Iyer had got a contract of Rs 12.25 crore last season, this time KKR retained Rinku Singh for Rs 13 crore. It is believed that there was no agreement between Iyer and KKR management regarding money.

    The retention list of IPL 2025 gave a shock to these 5 captains

    Shreyas Iyer (KKR) Faf du Plessis (RCB) Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals) KL Rahul (Lucknow Supergiants) Shikhar Dhawan (Punjab Kings)

    Pant, Rahul, Dhawan, Du Plessis were also not retained

    Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant, Lucknow Supergiants’ KL Rahul, Punjab Kings’ Shikhar Dhawan, and RCB’s Faf du Plessis have also not been retained. Pant was captaining after returning from injury, while a video of the dispute between KL Rahul and Lucknow owner Sanjiv Goenka had also surfaced. Dhawan has retired, while 40-year-old Faf du Plessis was dropped due to his age and form.

    Runner-up captain’s salary cut

    Sunrisers Hyderabad reduced the salary of runner-up captain Pat Cummins to Rs 18 crore. Cummins was given Rs 20.50 crore last season. This time SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen was retained for Rs 23 crore, making him the most expensive player of the team.

    Bumrah’s salary is more than Pandya’s

    Mumbai Indians have increased Jasprit Bumrah’s salary to Rs 18 crore, making him the most expensive player of the team. The salary of captain Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav was fixed at Rs 16.35 crore. Rohit Sharma’s salary was also increased from Rs 16 crore to Rs 16.30 crore.

    rashid khan retained

    Here, Gujarat Titans retained Rashid Khan for Rs 18 crore, which is more than captain Shubman Gill (16.50 crore). However, there was no cut in Gill’s salary.

  • IND VS NZ 3rd Test Live Streaming For Free: When, Where And How To Watch India vs New Zealand 3rd Test, Mumbai Match Live Telecast On Mobile Apps, TV And Online? , cricket news

    IND vs NZ 3rd Test: India suffered a rare home series loss as New Zealand clinched a 2-0 lead with another resounding victory in Pune. This defeat marks India’s first series loss on home soil in over a decade, raising concerns about their World Test Championship (WTC) campaign. Entering the series, India was widely expected to dominate New Zealand and consolidate its position in the WTC rankings. However, the visiting side’s disciplined performance in both matches surprised India and secured a historic series win. New Zealand’s combination of tight bowling and resilient batting left the Indian team struggling to find momentum in their home conditions.

    IND vs NZ 3rd Test: Avoiding Whitewash

    The teams now head to Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where New Zealand aims to complete a stunning whitewash over India. For Rohit Sharma and his squad, the primary goal will be to avoid another defeat. A win in the final Test could help reverse their current slide and restore confidence before a challenging tour of Australia.

    India vs New Zealand 3rd Test Live Streaming Details: When and Where to watch IND vs NZ match live on TV and online

    When will the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test be played?

    The India vs New Zealand 3rd Test will be played between November 1 and 5, 2024.

    Where will the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test be held?

    The India vs New Zealand 3rd Test will be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

    What time will the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test begin?

    The India vs New Zealand 3rd Test will start from 9:30 am IST.

    How to watch the live telecast of the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test?

    The India vs New Zealand 3rd Test will be aired live on the Sports18 network in India.

    How to live stream the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test?

    Fans can livestream India vs New Zealand 3rd Test on the Jio Cinema app and website in India.

    India’s unexpected back-to-back losses have cast doubts on their journey in the WTC. With crucial points lost, the team will need to regroup and refocus to stay in the hunt for a spot in the final. A win in Mumbai is now essential not just to salvage pride but to keep their WTC hopes alive.

  • IPL 2025 Retention List: Rohit Sharma will be seen in Mumbai Indians jersey only, Dhoni’s journey will continue with Chennai, see which team retained whom.

    IPL 2025 Retention List: The retention list for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has been released, in which the names of the retained players of all 10 teams have been revealed. This time all teams were given the option to retain a maximum of 6 players, which could include 5 capped and 1 uncapped player. Additionally, teams that have retained less than 6 players will be able to add some players through Right to Match (RTM) in the mega auction.

    Let us tell you that this time all the teams had a budget of Rs 120 crore. During retention, a team could spend a maximum of Rs 75 crore. After this, the remaining amount will be used by the teams to bid on the players in the mega auction. Let us now know which player has been retained by each team.

    Mumbai Indians’ retention

    Mumbai Indians have retained a total of 5 players. Retained players included:

    Rohit Sharma – Rs 16.30 crore Jasprit Bumrah – Rs 18 crore Suryakumar Yadav – Rs 16.35 crore Hardik Pandya – Rs 16.35 crore Tilak Verma – Rs 8 crore

    chennai super kings retention

    Chennai Super Kings has also retained 5 players. CSK’s retentions include:

    Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Rs 4 crore Ruturaj Gaikwad – Rs 18 crore Ravindra Jadeja – Rs 18 crore Shivam Dubey – Rs 12 crore Mathisa Pathirana – Rs 13 crore

    Sunrisers Hyderabad’s retention

    Sunrisers Hyderabad has kept a total of 5 players in its retention:

    Henry Klaasen – Rs 23 crore Pat Cummins – Rs 18 crore Abhishek Sharma – Rs 14 crore Travis Head – Rs 14 crore Nitish Reddy – Rs 6 crore

    Retention of Lucknow Supergiants

    Lucknow Supergiants have retained 5 players for the next season, which include:

    Nicholas Pooran – Rs 21 crore Ravi Bishnoi – Rs 11 crore Mayank Yadav – Rs 11 crore Ayush Badoni – Rs 4 crore Mahosin Khan – Rs 4 crore

    Delhi Capitals’ retention

    Delhi Capitals has retained a total of 4 players. These include:

    Tristan Stubbs – Rs 10 crore Axar Patel – Rs 16.5 crore Kuldeep Yadav – Rs 13.25 crore Abhishek Porel – Rs 4 crore

    Royal Challengers Bangalore’s retention

    Royal Challengers Bangalore have retained 3 players:

    Virat Kohli – Rs 21 crore Rajat Patidar – Rs 11 crore Yash Dayal – Rs 5 crore

    Rajasthan Royals’ retention

    Rajasthan Royals have retained a total of 6 players for the next season, which include:

    Sanju Samson – Rs 18 crore Yashasvi Jaiswal – Rs 18 crore Riyan Parag – Rs 14 crore Sandeep Sharma – Rs 14 crore Shimron Hetmyer – Rs 11 crore Dhruv Jurel – Rs 4 crore

    It is worth noting that Rajasthan no longer has a single RTM option left.

    Gujarat Titans Retention

    Gujarat Titans have kept a total of 5 players in their retention:

    Shubman Gill – Rs 16.5 crore Rashid Khan – Rs 18 crore Sai Sudarshan – Rs 8.5 crore Shahrukh Khan – Rs 4 crore Rahul Tewatia – Rs 4 crore

    Kolkata Knight Riders retention

    Kolkata Knight Riders have a total of 6 players in their retention:

    Sunil Narine – Rs 12 crore Rinku Singh – Rs 13 crore Varun Chakraborty – Rs 12 crore Harshit Rana – Rs 4 crore Andre Russell – Rs 12 crore Ramandeep Singh – Rs 4 crore

    punjab kings retention

    Punjab Kings team has retained the minimum of only 2 players. Retentions of Punjab include:

    Shashank Singh – Rs 5.5 crore Prabhsimran Singh – Rs 4 crore

    In this way Punjab Kings will have a total of 4 retention options.

    It is noteworthy that through these retentions, all the teams have secured their players for the upcoming season keeping their strategies in mind. Now it remains to be seen which new players will join their teams in the mega auction.

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  • IPL 2025 DC Retained Players Full List: Delhi Capitals Reveal Full List Of Retained Players Ahead Of IPL 2025 Auction | cricket news

    IPL Retention 2025: The likes of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Porel, and Tristan Stubbs have been retained by Delhi Capitals ahead of the Indian Premier League (2025) mega auction. Notably, Delhi has not retained Rishabh Pant and as a result, the star batter will dive into the mega auction after playing for the Capitals for eight seasons. Pant took part in 111 IPL matches so far and scored 3284 runs with the help of 18 fifties and a century.

    IPL Auction 2025: DC (Delhi Capitals) Retention List

    Axar Patel

    Kuldeep Yadav

    Abhishek Porel

    Tristan Stubbs

    Earlier, the Delhi-based franchise appointed former India cricketers Hemang Badani and Venugopal Rao as Head Coach (IPL) and Director of Cricket (IPL) respectively.

    “My association with the franchise has been a long-standing one, and I am thankful for the trust our owners have placed in me by offering me this role. I look forward to this new challenge ahead of a new IPL cycle”, said Rao.

    “It’s my absolute honor to be joining Delhi Capitals, and I’m deeply grateful to our owners for trusting me with the job. With the mega auction around the corner, my job, in collaboration with the rest of our coaching staff, is cut out. I can’t wait to get started”, Badani said.

    Every franchise will start with a purse of ₹120 crore. Retaining multiple capped players can lead to substantial deductions, so strategic management of the purse is crucial for effective team-building. Teams retaining fewer than six players can use Right-To-Match (RTM) cards during the auction to acquire players. The number of RTM options available correlates with the number of players retained.

    Each uncapped player costs ₹4 crore, significantly impacting the team’s auction purse. If a team pays a capped player below their retained value, the deduction will still be based on the highest bracket.

  • WWWWWW: Team India got ‘fussed’ on Diwali. Unknown bowler broke his back.

    Australia A vs India A 1st unofficial Test: Diwali did not prove to be auspicious for Indian cricket. India A team disintegrated badly in Australia. An unknown bowler reduced Ruturaj Gaikwad’s team to 107 runs by taking 6 wickets.

    Australia A vs India A 1st unofficial Test: Indian team is ready to play Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia. Before this important series, Indian batsmen have flopped miserably in the first unofficial Test being played between India A and Australia A. India A team, playing under the leadership of captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, was reduced to just 107 runs on the first day. All the batsmen of the team disappointed. On Diwali, the Indian team fell apart like a pack of cards.

    In this match being played in Mackay, Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney won the toss and decided to bowl first, which proved to be correct. Indian captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was out on the very first ball without opening the account. Rituraj tried to play a flick shot on the ball of Jordan Buckingham, but was caught by Josh Philip. After captain Gaikwad, the process of falling wickets continued.

    These 2 batsmen were able to cross the double digit mark

    Apart from Abhimanyu Easwaran and Devdutt Padikkal, no other batsman could touch double figures. Easwaran was out after scoring only 7 runs, while Padikkal played the highest innings of 36 runs.

    Australia A vs India A 1st unofficial Test: Wickets kept falling continuously

    India had lost 5 wickets for 77 runs. From here Devdutt Padikkal tried to control the innings for some time, but he too was out after scoring 36 runs. Ishan Kishan scored 4 runs, while new batsman Nitish Reddy could not even open the account. Reddy has also been selected for the Border-Gavaskar series.

    Dominance of Australia A bowlers

    For Australia A, Brandon Doggett bowled brilliantly and took 6 wickets. Jordan Buckingham got 2 wickets and Todd Murphy and Fergus O’Neil got 1 wicket each. Team India kneeled down in front of Brandon Doggett. This performance of 30-year-old Brandon Doggett has given him an opportunity to stake a claim for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Brandon Doggett is an unknown bowler for the Indian fans, who broke the back of Team India.

    Australia A vs India A 1st unofficial Test: Who is Brandon Doggett?

    Brandon Doggett bowled a total of 11 overs in the first innings, out of which 6 were maidens. He spent 15 runs and dismissed 6 players. His age is 30 years. This right arm fast bowler comes from Rockhampton, Queensland.

  • IPL 2025 RCB Retained Players Full List: Who Else Will RCB Retain Other Than Virat Kohli? , cricket news

    As the deadline for IPL 2025 retention looms large, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have stirred excitement among fans with an innovative social media puzzle. This cryptic announcement not only hints at their retained players but also encapsulates the underlying tension and anticipation that marks the IPL retention phase. With heavyweights like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj expected to make the cut, let’s delve into the thrill surrounding RCB’s strategy and what it could mean for their future.

    , ,

    Sneak peek alert! ,

    Our retentions are shrouded in mystery, waiting for you to uncover. Can you decipher the clues and crack the_ pic.twitter.com/lLu5MZ3UI8

    — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) October 30, 2024 A Teaser in the Form of a Puzzle

    On October 30, 2024, RCB took to their social media platforms, particularly X, to challenge fans with a crossword puzzle. The post read, “The truth is not always what you see. It is actually what you want to see. Sneak peek alert! Our retentions are shrouded in mystery, waiting for you to uncover. Can you decipher the clues and crack the code?” This clever marketing tactic not only engages their loyal fan base but also builds hype around the upcoming IPL auction. Fans quickly began deciphering the jumbled names within the puzzle, identifying six potential retentions: Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar, Faf du Plessis, and Cameron Green. However, the catch lies in the IPL regulations, which limit each franchise to a maximum of five capped players and one uncapped player.

    Here’s a likely price estimate for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) retained players for IPL 2025, based on previous contracts and market trends:

    Likely Retention Prices for RCB Players

    Virat Kohli: ₹16-18 crore

    As a top player and previous captain, Kohli commands a significant salary. His past retention was around ₹17 crore.

    Faf du Plessis: ₹10-12 crore

    Having a strong season and leadership qualities, he is expected to be retained at a premium.

    Glenn Maxwell: ₹11-13 crore

    Maxwell’s all-rounder status and explosive batting make him a valuable asset.

    Mohammed Siraj: ₹8-10 crore

    With his impressive performances, particularly in the recent season, Siraj’s retention price is likely to reflect his importance to the bowling lineup.

    Rajat Patidar: ₹6-8 crore

    As a promising young talent, Patidar’s price will likely be within this range based on his potential and previous contributions.

    Yash Dayal (Uncapped Player): ₹4 crore

    Fixed retention price as per IPL rules for uncapped players.

    Retention Dynamics and Strategic Implications

    While the puzzle hints at possible retentions, the manner in which players’ names were presented raises eyebrows. Notably, Faf du Plessis and Rajat Patidar are listed by first names, whereas others are referred to by surnames. This discrepancy might suggest that RCB is leaning towards retaining only the four players named by their surnames. If the speculations hold true, RCB’s retention list will likely feature Kohli, Siraj, Maxwell, and Green, while Patidar and du Plessis could find themselves on the chopping block. This approach reflects RCB’s strategic shift as they aim to rebuild and enhance their squad depth ahead of IPL 2025, a season where they are determined to clinch the elusive trophy after 17 seasons of disappointment.

    Star Performances from IPL 2024

    Reflecting on the previous season, RCB’s journey was nothing short of dramatic. After a rocky start, losing seven out of eight matches, the team surged into the playoffs with a remarkable six-match winning streak. Kohli emerged as a standout performer, securing the Purple Cap with 741 runs in 15 matches, including a century and five fifties. His consistency and flair were pivotal in rekindling RCB’s hopes.

    Alongside him, Faf du Plessis contributed significantly with 438 runs at an impressive strike rate, while Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal spearheaded the bowling attack, each claiming 15 wickets. Their performances were crucial in maintaining RCB’s competitive edge, underscoring the importance of retaining key players who can drive the team forward.

  • South Africa created history in Test cricket: The number of sixes hit in the first innings against Bangladesh became a record.

    South Africa created history: In Test cricket, batsmen play with a lot of patience and try to play big innings. This is the reason why fours and sixes are rarely hit during a Test match, but there have been many occasions when batsmen have hit a lot of fours and sixes in a Test match while batting like an ODI. Something similar happened in the first innings of the second match of the two-Test series being played between Bangladesh and South Africa, where the South African batsmen together hit so many sixes that a new record was created.

    Let us tell you that in the first innings of the second test against Bangladesh, all the South African batsmen together hit a total of 17 sixes. With this he broke his own 14 year old record. In the year 2010, South Africa had achieved the feat of hitting 15 sixes in an innings of a test match against West Indies.

    Most sixes hit by South Africa in an innings of a test match

    Number of sixesOpposition TeamLocationYear17BangladeshChittagong202415West IndiesBasseterre201012AustraliaCape Town200912IndiaCenturion2010

    Apart from improving its record, South Africa has also equaled the record of Australia, which is at third position in terms of hitting most sixes in a Test innings. Australia had hit 17 sixes in an innings of a Test match against Zimbabwe 21 years ago in 2003. New Zealand holds the record for most sixes in an innings.

    Most sixes by a team in a Test innings

    Number of sixesTeamOpposition teamPositionYear22New ZealandPakistanSharjah201418IndiaEnglandRajkot202417AustraliaZimbabwePerth200317South AfricaBangladeshChattagram202416Sri LankaIrelandGall2023

    What happened in the match?

    Apart from Tony De Georgi and Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder scored brilliant centuries for the South African team. Tony De Georgi played the highest innings of 177 runs. He hit 12 fours and 4 sixes in this brilliant innings. At the same time, Tristan Stubbs scored 106 runs with the help of 6 fours and 3 sixes. Whereas, Mulder played an innings of 105 runs on the basis of 8 fours and 4 sixes.

    The second Test between Bangladesh and South Africa is being played at the Zahoor Ahmed Choudhary Stadium in Chittagong from October 29. In the first Test, South Africa defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series. At the end of the second day’s play, Bangladesh have scored 38 runs after losing four wickets in nine overs and they are still behind by 537 runs.

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  • IND VS NZ FREE Live Streaming: When, Where, and How To Watch India vs New Zealand 3rd Test Mumbai Match Live Telecast On Mobile Apps, TV And Online? , cricket news

    IND VS NZ FREE Live Streaming: After a humiliating loss in the second Test, the Indian team will play to save their pride in the third and final Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, starting November 1. The visiting side New Zealand , came up with an impressive performance in the first two Test matches, winning them by eight wickets and 113 runs respectively to secure their first-ever Test series victory on Indian soil. They will look to continue their winning momentum by clean sweeping the Indian team in the third test in Mumbai.

    India Vs New Zealand 3rd Test Live streaming details:

    When will the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test be played?

    The India vs New Zealand 3rd Test will be played between November 1 and 5, 2024.

    Where will the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test be held?

    The India vs New Zealand 3rd Test will be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

    What time will the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test begin?

    The India vs New Zealand 3rd Test will start from 9:30 am IST.

    How to watch the live telecast of the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test?

    The India vs New Zealand 3rd Test will be aired live on the Sports18 network in India.

    How to live stream the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test?

    Fans can livestream India vs New Zealand 3rd Test on the Jio Cinema app and website in India.

    Squads:

    India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.

    New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham (c), Will Young, Kane Williamson, Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy. , Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke.

  • IND vs NZ 3rd Test: Will Yashasvi Jaiswal create history in Mumbai Test? This great record of Sachin Tendulkar is on target

    IND vs NZ 3rd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal made his Test debut for Team India in the year 2023, since then till now he has been performing well. The last test against New Zealand is to be held in Mumbai, in which this young player will have a chance to break a great record of Sachin Tendulkar.

    IND vs NZ 3rd Test: The last match of the ongoing Test series between Indian team and New Zealand is to be held at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In this match, which starts from November 1, just a day after Diwali, Team India faces the challenge of saving its honour, because it has already lost the series 2-0. The Kiwis will try to make a clean sweep by winning the last test. In this match, Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has a chance to break a special world record of great batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

    Sachin Tendulkar holds the record of hitting the maximum number of 9 sixes in Test matches at Wankhede Stadium. Yashasvi Jaiswal can destroy this record. Although he will play the first Test of his career on this ground, but looking at the aggressive batting for which he is known, it seems that he can break Sachin’s record by hitting 9 sixes in the very first match.

    Players who hit most sixes in Test at Wankhede

    Sachin Tendulkar – 9 sixes Ravi Shastri – 8 sixes Clive Lloyd – 6 sixes Mayank Agarwal – 5 sixes Akshar Patel – 5 sixes

    Yashasvi shone in the last innings

    Yashasvi’s performance was ordinary in the beginning of this series, he scored 13 and 35 runs respectively in the two innings of the first match. However, in the second innings of the second test, Yashasvi scored 77 runs, which included 3 sixes. Looking at this form, a big innings is expected from him in the Mumbai Test.

    Lost series at home after 12 years

    Due to poor performance in the first two matches of this 3-match series, India has lost the Test series at home after 12 years. In the first match, India lost by 8 wickets and in the second match by 113 runs, due to which New Zealand won the series on Indian soil for the first time.

  • IPL 2025 Retention: Why did Virat Kohli block Glenn Maxwell on Instagram? Here’s All You Need To Know cricket news

    In the world of cricket, relationships can be as intense as the games themselves. Recently, Glenn Maxwell, the explosive Australian all-rounder, unveiled a humorous yet insightful incident regarding his relationship with Indian batting icon Virat Kohli. In his newly released book, The Showman, Maxwell recalls the time Kohli blocked him on Instagram, shedding light on their evolving friendship and the competitive spirit that defines international cricket.

    Virat Kohli blocked Glenn Maxwell on Instagram because of this _

    Maxwell reveals this on a Podcast. pic.twitter.com/bds5HANV4T

    — Abhijeet _ (@TheYorkerBall) October 29, 2024

    Also Read: Happy Birthday Matthew Hayden: All About His Daughter & IPL Anchor Grace Hayden – In Pics

    A Humorous Revelation

    During a candid conversation on the LiSTNR Sport podcast, Maxwell shared the story behind Kohli’s Instagram block. It dates back to the intense 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between Australia and India, where tempers often flared. Amidst the fierce competition, Maxwell’s lighthearted jibe at Kohli’s injury during a crucial Test match led to an unexpected fallout.

    As Maxwell prepared to join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the 2021 IPL season, he attempted to follow Kohli on social media, only to discover he had been blocked. “I was like, ‘I can’t find him,’” Maxwell said, expressing his disbelief upon hearing from others that Kohli might have blocked him. The twist? Kohli’s reason was rooted in a cheeky moment during the Test series that had left a mark.

    The Incident That Sparked the Block

    The series was known for its heated exchanges and memorable moments. On the opening day of the third Test in Ranchi, Kohli injured his shoulder while fielding, forcing him to miss the final Test in Dharamsala. During Australia’s turn in the field, Maxwell, with a playful nod to the situation, mimicked Kohli by clutching his shoulder, which did not sit well with the Indian superstar. Reflecting on the incident, Maxwell remarked, “When I asked him if he had blocked me, he said, ‘Yeah, probably. It was when you mocked me during that Test match.’”

    This light-hearted banter encapsulates the competitive nature of the sport, where friendships can be tested but ultimately strengthened over time. Maxwell’s admission that he understood Kohli’s reaction underscores the camaraderie that often follows rivalry in cricket.

    From Rivals to Friends

    Fast forward to the present, and both players have found common ground, not just as teammates at RCB but also as friends navigating the highs and lows of international cricket. Maxwell expressed gratitude towards Kohli for supporting his inclusion in RCB after his challenging stint with Punjab Kings, where he struggled to find his form. “When I knew that I was going to RCB, Virat was the first guy to message me and welcome me to the team,” he recalled.

    The duo’s relationship blossomed during their time together, marked by mutual respect and shared experiences, including the joys and challenges of parenthood. “From the days we were both young and brash, we’ve matured and become great friends,” Maxwell reflected, showcasing the transformation from their initial frosty exchanges to a strong bond built on shared experiences.