Sports News: India Squad Update; Kohli, Rathour, Delhi Capitals, ICC, Messi, Nadal News

The Indian cricket team is fully prepared to declare its T20I and ODI squads for the tour of Sri Lanka. According to reports, all-rounder Hardik Pandya will sit out of ODIs due to personal reasons. Since both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have declared their retirement from T20Is, it is anticipated that beneath the new head coach Gautam Gambhir, who initiated an illustrious career in senior players like Rohit, Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah in the ODI squad. Shubman Gill led a young team to a 4-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe, and now KL Rahul is expected to captain the ODIs.

Amit Mishra has brought out the glaring dissimilarities between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Much unlike Rohit, who is still the same, jovial, and approachable, his fame has not come in the way of rapport with teammates. But for Kohli, Mishra feels that with increasing fame and power, he now leads a more reserved life and has turned less approachable. It is Rohit's consistency and down-to-earth nature that Mishra admires the most, and that, according to him, is the reason behind his success and popularity in the team.

With Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja moving out of T20Is, India is in the process of rejuvenation. It showed when Shubman Gill's young brigade returned with a 4-1 win from Zimbabwe recently with five debutants in it. With the veteran trio concentrating on other formats, the likes of Rinku Singh are coming up the ranks. Vikram Rathour feels Rinku has the potential to do wonders as a Test batsman given the fact that he has a great first-class record and the calm demeanour. Rathour also jumped in the defence of Kohli's lean phase, saying one needs to persist.

In IPL 2023, Virat Kohli along with Naveen-ul-Haq got involved in a heated spat that Gautam Gambhir had to intervene in. Sources have said that the conflict began right after an LSG-RCB match and escalated in a rematch where Kohli abused some LSG players. While everything finally cooled down with fines and a subsequent handshake at ODI World Cup 2023, Amit Mishra thinks that the respect is irreparably damaged between the two after having witnessed the incident. Mishra interpreted a question as to what effect such incidents would have on the young player and his perceptions of senior stars.

The Delhi Capitals have been revamping their backroom staff, following which they are keen to appoint India cricketers to the coaching roles. The incumbent director of cricket, Sourav Ganguly, isn't likely to turn up as head coach for the 2025 season. They require someone like Gautam Gambhir as a hands-on coach, who stays pretty close to tracking international and domestic cricket. It has also been decided that the scouting team of the franchise will be remodelled following the decision to end ties with Ricky Ponting as head coach after seven seasons without a title win. The discussions will now continue post the Major League Cricket season for finalizing new appointments.

It's the first time that the ICC annual conference will be hosting over 220 delegates across Asia; they are likely to discuss the game's bidding process for its entry into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Some of the key issues up for discussion will range from diversity, environmental sustainability, and global growth in cricket. This championship, being hosted by Sri Lanka Cricket, would determine the future of the game and showcase the heritage of the land.

It was a sad moment when Lionel Messi was forced off the pitch with tears streaming down his face due to an ankle injury at the 2024 Copa America final against Colombia. There has been some victory celebration at home with his family in this case. He took his time to share the beautiful moment with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo. Messi just went on to detail that these were the last scenes reflecting his presence at the Copa America. He said thanks to the fans for all the support rendered while still hoping for recovery, but not quite hopeful for the playmaker's status concerning the return to play. That rules his participation out of upcoming fixtures that will include the MLS All-Star match.

It was Rafael Nadal who, 19 years later, came out victorious in the men's doubles of the Nordea Open, partnering with Casper Ruud. They beat Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Reyes-Varela 6-1, 6-4, they both playing clinically groundstrokes which dinted despite constant rain interruptions. It was actually Nadal's first time back to participate in an event at the ATP level since his singles victory in 2005, and he was happy to return and intends to have a winning spree during the next match with Leo Borg and potential opponents in the following round.