Mumbai, January 5, 2024: From January 11–17, 2024, Viacom18 will broadcast live and exclusively the three-match Twenty20 International series between India and Afghanistan on JioCinema, Sports18-1 SD + HD, and Colors Cineplex. The tour will act as preparation for the T20 World Cup, which will take place later in the year, and will be Team India’s first T20I series of 2024.

By offering the series in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, JioCinema will improve the viewing experience. While Sports18-1 SD + HD offers fans the choice of English, Tamil, Telugu, or Kannada, Colors Cineplex will broadcast live action in Hindi. Throughout the series, viewers will also be able to watch insightful commentary from professionals like Suresh Raina, Zaheer Khan, Saba Karim, Parthiv Patel, Aakash Chopra, and Pragyan Chopra.

In a humorous commercial released by Viacom 18, the two countries are shown joking around at a sports store while wearing their respective uniforms. The campaign, which uses the tagline “dekh lenge,” is based on the idea of “the giant killers vs the giants.” With amusing cultural allusions, both teams are shown as challenging one another for the series.

“A Viacom18 spokesperson stated that the India tour promises a perfect mix of neighborly camaraderie and high-octane T20 action. Afghanistan has arguably had the most exhilarating development in world cricket over the past few years.” Although there won’t be a shortage of cricket-related excitement within the boundary, our goal outside it is to package accessibility and customization for each and every cricket fan viewing the series on connected TV or mobile devices. The amount of live sports consumed digitally is expected to soar by 2024, and we are well-positioned to meet that demand with our products.

In the opening Twenty20 International on January 11, 2024, an eager Afghanistan team will take on the might of India in the hopes of winning their first-ever match against the Men in Blue following an incredible World Cup campaign in India. At 6:00 PM, JioCinema, Sports18-1 SD + HD, and Colors Cineplex will start airing the match coverage.

In the second Test of the series, the Indian squad stunned South Africa with a historic victory. After the first match in Centurion, the Rohit Sharma-led team had nothing to lose, but they came to play in Cape Town and won by seven wickets to tie the series at one. KL Rahul was as confused as the general public as the second Test turned out to be the shortest ever in terms of balls bowled. Rahul said, “It felt like the game got over right after the toss,” reflecting on the historic Test win and how nobody understood how the match played out.

The fact that we have won in Cape Town for the first time is obviously really happy news. We were always competitive when we came here for our third series, but we lost the Test match because we batted poorly in a particular period. We are incredibly grateful for this victory, which is truly unique. To be honest, nobody can really grasp what you’re feeling. The match seemed to have ended as soon as the toss was made, Rahul said, according to Star Sports.

With some preparation and a small shift of mindset, KL Rahul
Rahul also discussed how India benefited from the Centurion defeat in Cape Town. It is important to note that India lost the first Test by an innings and 32 runs, but Rahul believed that the visitors’ mindset had changed, allowing them to tie the series.

“A tiny bit of preparation and a tiny shift in perspective. We cannot claim that we were unprepared for the most recent Test match. Although the opposition occasionally really blows you out of a test match, we were prepared for that. Rahul remarked, “We’re not used to it.

Over the past four to five years, we have been a competitive team. Except for India, we won the series. Thus, we weren’t prepared for that. For us, it was an enormous hit. That’s clear from how much we love representing our country, how much we enjoy playing Test cricket, and how much Test victories outside of India mean to us,” he continued.

In the two-match Test series against South Africa, young batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal could only muster 50 runs. The opener claims that because he overcame several obstacles with the bat, he will improve as a cricket player. While he had a good time in the nation and plans to improve, the 22-year-old said it was a “learning experience” for him.

Additionally, he praised captain Rohit Sharma for his optimistic outlook. Jaiswal’s playing style eventually fits the longest format, where he is allowed to play a bold type of cricket. He went on to say that, following the team’s defeat in the opening game in Centurion, the objective was to complete the task in Cape Town, for which he had intended to give the team a strong start. He also explained the rationale behind attacking cricket.

“I have gained knowledge from this travel. In every way, it has been a pleasurable experience in a different setting. I discovered what needs to be improved. Here, the ball is delivered differently, and although I tried my hardest, I acknowledge that there were difficulties. I will learn a lot from this experience and work hard to get better in the upcoming series,” RevSportz cited Jaiswal as saying.

Our objective was to score runs fast against the new ball, and Rohit Sharma helps me stay in a good mindset.” We needed to win the match, so I just wanted to get off to a solid start,” he continued.

Not that my game is exclusively offensive: Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal explained that he possesses a variety of playing styles and can switch them up depending on what the team needs. He went on to say that if 70 runs were required, he would bat differently on the first day of a test match.

“I don’t have a specific style that I want to play, and I’m not only an attacker. I can adapt my style of play to the needs of the squad. I had done the same thing during the last three innings as well as during this knock. Depending on whether it’s the opening day or the last session with 70 runs required, I would bat differently. According to what the team needs, I try to adjust my game,” Jaiswal remarked.

According to a recent report, veteran cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli of India have expressed that they are willing to participate in the forthcoming Twenty20 International series against Afghanistan. The strong duo has stepped up, adding an unexpected layer to the difficulties of team selection, even if they haven’t participated in T20 internationals since the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The selection committee will convene on Friday to finalize the team for the January 11–12 three-twentieth-century international series against Afghanistan and the January 25–31 five-match Test series against England. Fans eagerly anticipate Rohit Sharma and Kohli’s antics on the field in the limited-overs format.

But choosing a new skipper for the Twenty20 Internationals is a problem for the selection committee since important players like Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are sidelined with injuries. The team’s composition is made more intriguing by this unanticipated leadership vacancy, which has supporters wondering who could rise to the challenge.

Additionally, for the upcoming games against Afghanistan, the committee is thinking of resting Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, two fast bowlers. According to sources, this move is meant to keep both pacers in peak condition for the duration of the Test match against England. In India’s most recent victory over South Africa, which tied the two-match series, Siraj and Bumrah both had crucial roles to play.

Beginning on January 11, India will play a three-match T20I series.
The Indian team management gives the long-term fitness of its key players first priority, while the selection committee mulls over these choices. A crucial decision-making session that could determine India’s strategy in the forthcoming series is scheduled to occur when selectors SS Das, Salil Ankola, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar are presently in Cape Town.

India and Afghanistan are set to begin their three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series on January 11 at Mohali’s IS Bindra Stadium, home of the Punjab Cricket Association. The next three Twenty20 international matches are slated to be played on January 14 and 17, respectively, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

The third Test between Australia and Pakistan saw a thrilling battle at the SCG on Day 3, with the game swinging back and forth, demonstrating the unpredictable character of the format. Pakistan’s hero was Aamer Jamal, who caused havoc in Australia’s lower order after tea and helped his team seize a tenuous 14-run lead in a seesaw struggle.

Mitchell Marsh’s form was remarkable as he scored his fourth consecutive half-century, putting Australia, who looked like they would take an early lead, in a strong position. Before the game abruptly changed shortly before tea, the pair—Alex Carey and myself—stitched up a hopeful 84-run combination. Spinner Sajid Khan bowled Carey for 38, which signaled the beginning of a spectacular collapse. With just 10 runs from 5 wickets, the Australian team collapsed.

Showing off his skill with the ball, Aamer Jamal took his second five-wicket haul of the game. Important Australian batsmen like Pat Cummins and Marsh were eliminated during the scorching session. Jamal put on a captivating display, finishing with figures of 6 for 69 from 21.4 overs, smashing Australia for 299 and giving Pakistan a 14-run advantage to begin their innings in the current final Test of the series.

The batting order for Pakistan collapses on Day 3
Pakistan’s start to the second innings was far from steady as Shafique and Masood were the first wickets they lost for ducks. Saim Ayub and Babar Azam, however, steadied the ship and established a crucial fifty-man alliance. After Travis Head’s crucial dismissal of Babar, Nathan Lyon slowly found his rhythm, which ended the crucial partnership by dismissing Ayub, and this changed the course of the game.

Sensing their chance, Australia brought Josh Hazlewood into the mix as a calculated bowling change. The tall pacer produced a terrific over and demonstrated the unpredictable nature of the game by taking three fast wickets in an incredible show. With their score at 82/7, Pakistan was in serious trouble, and Aamer Jamal and Rizwan were left to lead their side out of it. As the pitch revealed its complexity, with varying bounces and heavy turns, the match’s pendulum swung back in favour of Australia.

In the current three-match Test series against Australia, Pakistan’s Aamer Jamal has shown himself to be a one-man army. In his first-ever Test series, the 27-year-old surprised the hosts by taking two wickets in a row. This was very beneficial for Pakistan, particularly with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf absent. Jamal achieved his highest-ever Test wicket-taking total of six for 69 runs in the third Test at Sydney Cricket Ground.

Following that, the all-around player was “over the moon” and remembered his childhood memories of watching the squad play. The cricket player, who was born in Mianwali, continued by saying that the team management supports him in his goal of picking wickets and that he doesn’t give much thought to leaking runs.

I’m ecstatic and honored to be representing my nation at this caliber. I consider this to be a fantastic opportunity. India Today cited Jamal as stating, “Even though it’s been a long time, I still remember those days when I used to watch the Pakistan squad.

“I just trust in myself every time, even when I am giving up runs. The coaching staff has given me a lot of confidence,” he continued. “When you try to go for wickets, you also leak boundaries.”

I believe that the alliance allowed us to reenter the game. Aamer Jamal
Jamal’s six-fer in the third Test helped Pakistan build a 14-run lead when Australia was bowled out for 299 runs. As the cricketer scored an important 82 runs to aid the visitors in scoring 313 runs, Jamal also responded to his batting performance. Pakistan was able to re-enter the game thanks to his crucial 86-run partnership with Mir Hamza.

“I believe that relationship helped us win the game because we were seven down for 227. Regarding his batting, Jamal responded, “We are a few runs ahead of them and that matters.”

As Australia is about to humiliate Pakistan with a whitewash, it is alarming that Pakistan had such a terrible start to the second inning at the bat.

Sanjay Manjrekar, a former cricket player, is not pleased with India’s performance in the two-match Test series against South Africa. The Proteas pacers rocked the visitors in the first Test at Centurion, and Rohit Sharma led his team to victory in the second Test, which saw South Africa bowled out for 55 and 176 runs, respectively.

But if he had been the team’s captain or coach, Sanjay Manjrekar said he would have been dissatisfied. Although India ultimately fell short of making history—they are still seeking their first Test series victory in the rainbow nation—he continued, saying that this was the most defeatable South African team. The 58-year-old expressed dissatisfaction over the teams’ lack of Test matches and said the three-match ODI series wasn’t necessary.

“If I were the captain or the coach, I would consider it a regret. The South African teams that India faced in the past were formidable opponents. This South African side was the easiest to defeat. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar stated that Dean Elgar’s 185 stopped India from making true history.

“I said previously as well that there was no purpose for a three-match ODI series between the Twenty20 internationals and the Test given that it wasn’t even the year of the ODI World Cup,” he continued.

Because Sumit Sharma, an Odisha cricketer, has presented several birth documents during his career, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has suspended him for two years. Before the player’s first Ranji Trophy encounter of the season, the all-rounder received a letter of suspension from the governing body’s disciplinary committee. He traveled to Baroda with the team.

According to sources, the birth certificate he provided during the 2015–16 season did not match up, leading to several rumors and ultimately leading to the board suspending him. Tarini Sa will take Sumit’s place in the starting lineup for the first game, according to the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA). Although he joined the team in Baroda, the cricketer was not included in the starting lineup.

“The BCCI has barred Sumit Sharma, an Odisha senior men’s team player, from participating in the BCCI domestic tournaments for a period of two years due to his presentation of numerous age certificates. In an explanation of the development, OCA secretary Sanjay Behera released a press release. “The certificates produced by him when he played at the junior level in the year 2015-16 do not match with the ones he produced for the current season.”

The series’ second and last Test between South Africa and India was an absolute blur. The match proved to be an utter barn burner, finishing as the shortest Test match in history in terms of overs bowled. The series ended in a tie after the game, which lasted for 1.5 days. India won the second Test, but the Proteas won the first, leaving no obvious winner in a series that lasted only two games. Observing the same circumstances, former English cricket player Kevin Pietersen expressed his opinion that a third Test might easily decide the series winner. Pietersen expressed the opinion that even if a third Test match is played in Cape Town to decide the winner, the players won’t miss their planned flights home.

“Tomorrow in Cape Town, there is ample time to play the third and final Test match. The players will not miss their scheduled flights home, and there will undoubtedly be a result in the series,” Kevin Pietersen stated on his ‘X’ handle.