Batting maestro Virat Kohli's sudden withdrawal from the first two Tests against England left the Indian fans surprised and dejected. Notably the first Test between India and England is set to be played in Hyderabad from January 25. Meanwhile, Rajat Patidar has been announced as Virat Kohli's replacement.
In the tennis space, India's Rohan Bopanna has scripted history by breezing into Australian Open 2024's men's doubles semifinal with his Australian partner Matthew Ebden.
Let's have a look at the top 10 trending sports news on January 24:
Rajat Patidar replaces Virat Kohli
Star batter Rajat Patidar has joined India's Test squad as Virat Kohli's replacement for the first two Tests against England. Rajat Patidar's inclusion was effected after Virat Kohli decided to withdraw from the opening two Tests citing personal reason.
Shoaib Bashir's visa delay rocks England camp
In a colossal blow to England, Shoaib Bashir has been ruled out of the opening Test against India due to visa issues. Notably, 20-year-old Shoaib Bashir has flown back to England to resolve the to visa issues, and will miss the first Test against India, which is set to start from January 25. This setback stopped the Pakistan-origin spinner from joining his England teammates for the India tour.
Ben Stokes left frustrated after Bashir's visa delay
“As captain, I find it particularly frustrating. We announced the squad in mid-December, and now Bash finds himself without a visa to get here. He’s not the first cricketer to go through this. I have played with a lot of people who have had the same issues. I find it frustrating that we have picked a player, and he’s not with us because of visa issues. It’s a frustrating situation to be in, but a lot of people have been trying to get it through," England captain Ben Stokes told AP.
Mitchell Marsh to lead Australia's T20I pack vs WI
Mitchell Marsh has been appointed as the captain of a 14-member strong Australian squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against West Indies. The Mitchell Marsh, who previously captained the team in South Africa last August-September, steps into the leadership role once again.
Rohan Bopanna scripts history at Australian Open
Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna scripted a historic milestone by storming into the semi-finals of the Australian Open 2024's men's doubles event on January 23. Alongside his Australian partner Matthew Ebden, Bopanna secured a spot in the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over the Argentine duo of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on Wednesday. This quarter-final triumph at the Australian Open will elevate Bopanna to the World No. 1 ranking in men's doubles at the age of 43.
Novak Djokovic's winning streak continues
24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic advanced to his 11th Australian Open semi-final after defeating USA's Taylor Fritz on January 23.
From Shubman Gill to Ravi Shastri and Smriti Mandhana dazzle at BCCI awards
Shubman Gill, Ravi Shastri, Smriti Mandhana, and Jasprit Bumrah garnered attention at the BCCI awards held on January 23 in Hyderabad. Ravichandran Ashwin was honored with the Dilip Sardesai Award. The awards for the best international cricketers were presented to Mohammad Shami for 2019-20, Gill for 2022-23, and Bumrah for 2021-22. Kashvee Gautam, who recently made headlines as the most expensive player in the Women's Premier League (WPL), received the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for the Best Women Cricketer in Junior Domestic Cricket. Indian women's cricketers, including Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti Sharma, were also recognised and received awards during the illustrious ceremony. The Colonel CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Shastri and Farokh Engineer.
Under-19 WC: New Zealand win low-scoring thriller vs Afghanistan
In East London, New Zealand and Afghanistan were involved in a record-breaking low-scoring Under-19 World Cup 2024 clash. When Afghanistan were bowled out for 91, it looked like New Zealand would register an easy win but Afghan spinners turned the game on its head. New Zealand got over the line as their tailender Matt Rowe held his nerves after taking a five-wicket haul guiding them to a one-wicket win. This is the first-ever one-wicket win in Under-19 World Cup history while chasing a target below 100.
India knocked out of AFC Asian Cup
In another early exit, Sunil Chhetri-led India were knocked out of the AFC Asian Cup after a 0-1 loss to Syria. India suffered their consecutive defeat and bowed out of the tournament without scoring a single goal. Elsewhere, Chelsea thumped Middlesbrough 6-1 in their English Premier League match.
Pro Kabaddi League
The Maharashtra derby in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 saw U Mumba and Puneri Paltan deliver an exhilarating 32-32 draw on January 23. Guman Singh shone brightly for U Mumba with 15 raid points, while Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh contributed 6 tackle points in the match.
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