Former captain Kapil Dev feels it is up to stalwart Virat Kohli how fast he can bounce back from his lean patch of form as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) and World Test Championship (WTC) continues to be on line for India. The ‘Chase Master,’ who thrived on his hunger to score runs, has looked out of his everlasting appetite in 2024. In Test cricket, there have been glimpses of Virat showcasing his picture-perfect technique but eventually being overshadowed by the weight of his failures.

In 2024, Virat has scored 373 runs in the Test format, averaging just 26.64 with one fifty and a century to his name. In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he celebrated his 81st international century in Perth, but all the momentum vanished in thin air when the series moved to Adelaide as he was dismissed at paltry scores of 7 and 11.

“Virat Kohli is one of the best cricketers we have seen in our country. If you put top four batsmen, he will be there. If he is going through a rough time, it is only up to him how fast he can bounce back,” Kapil told reporters on Monday while speaking about Virat.

The 36-year-old’s underwhelming form has been evident across all formats. In 21 matches this year, Virat has 611 runs to his name, averaging 22.62 with a sole century and two fifties.

There were only three instances when Virat’s magic left fans mesmerised. His match-saving 76 against South Africa in the T20 World Cup final and 70 in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand.

The third instance was a week ago when he set the Perth Test strip on fire with an unbeaten 100 to take the Test completely out of Australia’s grasp.

With the BGT series perfectly poised at 1-1, the action will move to Australia’s fortress in Brisbane beginning on Saturday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India’s 13-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who was bought by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 Auction for Rs 1.1 crore, once again found himself in the middle of an age fraud controversy. Former Pakistan cricketer Junaid Khan took to social media to share a video of his knock during the U-19 Asia Cup tournament and questioned the age of the youngster. Vaibhav produced a brilliant batting performance against Sri Lanka and Junaid questioned if a 13-year-old is capable of hitting such massive sixes. Vaibhav ended up being the joint highest-scorer for India in the competition with his best performance coming against Sri Lanka where he slammed 67 runs with the help of 5 fours and 5 sixes.

Junaid shared the video of that innings by Vaibhav on social media platform Instagram along with the caption – “Can a 13-year-old kid really hit such a long six?”

Earlier, when asked about the controversies regarding Vaibhav’s actual age which many believe is 15 years, his father – Sanjiv Suryavanshi – was quick to clarify.

“When he was 8 and half years old he first appeared for a BCCI bone test. He has already played India U-19. We don’t fear anyone. He can again undergo age test,” he sounded defiant while speaking with PTI.

Sanjiv said that Bihar Cricket Association president Rakesh Tiwary’s “blessings” have always helped Vaibhav in his journey.

“Rakesh ji ka ashirwaad raha hai bahoot (Rakesh ji’s blessings are there).”

His base price in the auction was Rs. 30 lakh and Delhi Capitals made the opening bid. RR entered the fray at Rs. 35 lakh and eventually got the better of DC to get the player on board.

So how did this bidding war happen?

“Rajasthan Royals had called him for trials in Nagpur. Vikram Rathour sir (batting coach) gave a match situation where he had to score 17 in an over. Bituwa ne 3 chakka mara. Trials mein aat chakka aur char chauwaa mara (He smashed three sixes. At trials, he hit eight sixes and four fours),” he claimed proudly.

(With PTI inputs)

Bought for a whopping price of INR 23.75 crore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction, Venkatesh Iyer remains as grounded as ever. Despite seeing his IPL salary rising from Rs 20 lakh to over Rs 20 crore in a few years, Venkatesh isn’t letting go of the idea of continuing his education. In fact, in an interview, the Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder revealed that he is already pursuing PhD, having already done an MBA. Venkatesh might be 29 at the moment but he is already thinking of the time when he would be 60.

In an interview with the Indian Express, Venkatesh revealed that the first question he asks a player who comes into the Madhya Pradesh (state domestic team) side is if he is continuing his education or not.

“I come from an orthodox family, so it is tough to convince middle-class parents that I will pursue only cricket. But it was the other way around. I was big on academics. My parents wanted me to do well in the game as well. If a new guy walks into the MP (Madhya Pradesh) team, the first thing I ask him is ‘padhai kar rahe ho ki nahi?’ (are you studying or not?). Education will stay with you till you die, a cricketer cannot play till 60. You have to understand that there is a shelf life,” he said.

Venkatesh, thanks to the values his parents have taught him, feels being educated helps in making the right decision on the field too.

“After that, if you want to really excel in life, you have to be educated. Academics can give me the perfect switch-off from the game. I don’t want to be thinking of the game all the time, it adds pressure. If I can do two things at the same time, I will. Being an educated person helps me make better decisions on the field as well. There will be a situation when it won’t be just about the skill but whether you can make a better decision. I want cricketers to educate themselves not just with cricketing knowledge, but general knowledge as well. If you can complete your graduation or post-graduation, you definitely should. I am pursuing my PhD (finance) now. You will be interviewing me as Dr Venkatesh Iyer next time!,” he asserted.