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After a 3-0 drubbing in the ODI series, Afghanistan had many things going in their favour in the first T20I. First of all, it was the format they prefer the most. Secondly, their captain Rashid Khan won an important toss and made the right decision to bowl. Then their bowlers restricted West Indies to a chaseable total of 164.During the seventh over of the chase, Fabian Allen hobbled off the field due to what looked like a knee injury, leaving West Indies a bowler short. There was a decent amount of dew as well to make things difficult for West Indies.Despite all this, the result didn’t go in Afghanistan’s favour. The West Indies seamers showed great skill with the wet ball, bowling cross-seam and using all sorts of slower balls to make the run-scoring difficult. The fact that Afghanistan didn’t have a great start didn’t help their cause either. With the series on the line, they need to regroup quickly.Under Kieron Pollard, West Indies look a more determined outfit, ready to fight out for victories. Despite losing Allen and Sheldon Cottrell bowling just two overs, they still managed to bowl 20 overs. That speaks of the depth they have in the bowling department.Apart from Evin Lewis and Pollard, their batsmen struggled to score freely, but it may not be a concern for now as they look to wrap up another series win.

Form guide

Afghanistan LLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)West Indies WLLLL

In the spotlight

Rashid Khan might not have had a great year in ODIs, having taken 15 wickets at 50.60, but he is still not easy to get away in the shortest format. After going for 15 off his first over in the opening game of the series, he bounced back to concede only 19 from his next three while dismissing a set Shimron Hetmyer. Afghanistan, though, would want their captain to pick up more wickets.Shimron Hetmyer‘s struggles with the bat continued. He might have the six-hitting ability but the left-hand batsman needs to work on his strike-rotation skill. During the first T20I, he was stuck on 8 off 13 balls at one stage before perishing for a run-a-ball 21. If he fails to adapt quickly, he might find it difficult to get into the XI when Nicholas Pooran returns from his ban.

Team news

There wasn’t much wrong with the Afghanistan selection for the first match. What they need is better execution. Although there is a case for replacing Hazratullah Zazai with Javed Ahmadi, it won’t be a surprise if they go with an unchanged XI.Afghanistan XI (probable): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Asghar Afghan, 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Fareed Malik, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Mujeeb Ur RahmanIn case Allen fails to recover in time for the second T20I, West Indies could replace him with another left-arm spinner Khary Pierre.West Indies XI (probable): 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shimron Hetmyer, 4 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Fabian Allen/Khary Pierre, 9 Kesrick Williams, 10 Hayden Walsh Jr, 11 Sheldon Cottrell

Pitch and conditions

All three T20Is are to be played on the same dark-soil surface. With dew expected later in the evening, making the ball come on to the bat better and causing problems to bowlers, it should be an obvious choice to bowl first. The temperature in Lucknow is supposed to be hovering around the 22-degree Celsius mark.

Stats and trivia

• The win on Thursday was West Indies’ first in seven T20Is this year.
• During the first T20I, Walsh became the ninth player to represent two teams in T20Is. He played eight T20Is for USA earlier this year.
• Since scoring an unbeaten 162 against Ireland, Zazai has managed just 146 runs at a strike rate of 120.66 in his next six innings.

Quotes

“A lot of dew [in the first T20I] but you have to practice for it. Practice bowling with a wet ball, that’s what I usually do when I am at home because you may have to do so in these sort of conditions. So it’s nothing new. No excuses, you just have to do what your captain asks and win games for West Indies.”

The disagreement arose over a project to refurbish Newlands and led to CSA suspending WPCA board

Firdose Moonda26-Nov-2019Cricket South Africa has lost its arbitration case against the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA), with costs. That means the WPCA board, which was suspended by CSA in September over concerns relating to their governance and financial affairs, will need to be reinstated. On Wednesday morning, CSA confirmed it will not be challenging the decision.On September 22, CSA disbanded the WPCA board and installed veteran administrator Andre Odendaal in its place. CSA and the WPCA had disagreements over a construction project at Newlands Cricket Ground. CSA provided WPCA with a loan of R81 million (US$5,5 million) to complete the building work, which will house a college, offices and several other facilities but then expressed concerns over the progress of the project. CSA also hinted that spectator safety could be compromised during the New Year’s Test and suggested the fixture would be moved but then confirmed Newlands will host England from January 3.Three weeks after the board was suspended, the WPCA launched an urgent application for CSA’s decision to be overturned. The WPCA argued that CSA had “no right or entitlement,” to step-in and should have held a hearing before suspending the board. CSA and the WPCA went to mediation to attempt to resolve the issue but failed and then proceeded to arbitration, which was won by WPCA.CSA is also facing a second legal battle, against the South African Cricketers’ Association, who have taken the board to court over a proposed restructure to the domestic system. CSA wants to implement a 12-team provincial competition from the 2020-21 season which would wipe out the existing six-team franchise structure and create one domestic tier (South Africa currently has two).

Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt is keen on a reunion with Erik ten Hag, however, Manchester United are reportedly holding up the deal.

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• De Ligt keen on Ten Hag reunion
• United holding up deal over transfer fee
• Bayern want €50m for defender

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per Sky Germany, De Ligt has decided that he definitely wants to move to Old Trafford this summer to reunite with Ten Hag. He worked under the United boss at Ajax during the famous 2018-19 season, which saw them go on to win the domestic double and reach the Champions League semi-final, defeating Real Madrid and Juventus before losing to Tottenham in heartbreaking fashion.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As per the report, Bayern have set an asking price of €50 million (£42m/$54m) and with agreements having already been reached with De Ligt by the Red Devils, all that remains is for United to reach Bayern's expectations. Sky expects the agreement to be reached within the next few days, but a medical is yet to be scheduled.

• Getty/GOAL
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  United are also reportedly set to sign De Ligt's Netherlands team-mate Joshua Zirkzee this summer from Bologna for a reported fee of €42.5 million (£36m/$46m).

• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  The Red Devils will hope to complete the signing of De Ligt as soon as possible as they will want to have him join their pre-season tour to the United States.

As Rangers’ search for a manager continues, a TalkSPORT pundit has shared what he’s heard from one candidate’s camp that reflects badly on Kevin Thelwell and the Ibrox higher ups.

Latest on Rangers' search for a manager

After confirming that Steven Smith, Brian Gilmour, Rhys Owen and Sal Bibbo will lead Rangers against Dundee United this weekend, it’s clear that the 49ers are still finalising their next manager.

It’s no real surprise that they’ve shown plenty of patience when deciding the next man for the job, however. After all, Russell Martin lasted just 123 days and represents the dire start that the 49ers have endured at Ibrox. Simply put, after that failure, they must get their next appointment right.

With their patience has come several candidates, ranging from the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all the way to current favourite Kevin Muscat. The latter has emerged as an option for the second time in his career, having been linked with the job before Philippe Clement arrived in 2023.

Unlike 2023, however, the job could now be Muscat’s to take. The 52-year-old has enjoyed an excellent spell at Shanghai Port and is on course to win the Chinese Super League with just four games to go. But that hands Rangers quite the dilemma.

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If they want to hire Muscat, then they may be forced to wait until November 22 before he officially arrives. That means that they’d have to find a temporary solution for the next seven games in a decision that would certainly do Thelwell no favours.

The sporting director is already under pressure and one talkSPORT pundit has now shared news that may only compile his misery at Ibrox.

Tanner shares "rumbles" in Gerrard camp

Speaking about the Liverpool legend’s recent decision to reject a return to Ibrox, talkSPORT pundit David Tanner shared what he’s heard from Steven Gerrard’s camp about Rangers, the 49ers and Thelwell.

Given how things have started for Thelwell, from appointing Martin to signing a group of players that are yet to make their mark, more criticism is the last thing that he needs.

In the end, however, the 49ers were seemingly not ready to compromise their sporting director’s role to welcome Gerrard back to Ibrox. Whether they live to regret that decision will certainly be interesting to watch in the coming months.

With a deal already edging closer to signing Jorrel Hato from Ajax, Chelsea have also now reportedly made their first contact to sign a fresh attacking reinforcement.

Chelsea closing in on Hato

As ever, Chelsea have welcomed several fresh faces this summer. As Enzo Maresca gears up for his second season in charge, he now has the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens at his disposal in what remains a squad filled to the brim with quality in depth.

The Blues haven’t quite wrapped up their summer business just yet, however. After showing the door to Noni Madueke, who joined London rivals Arsenal, and Saudi-bound Joao Felix, those at Stamford Bridge still have money to spend and have turned towards Hato as a result.

The 19-year-old left-back now looks destined to become the latest young talent to arrive in West London, as Chelsea continue to build one of the youngest squads in the Premier League.

Hato’s tender age is unlikely to stand in the way of first-team opportunities, though. The Dutchman already has plenty of experience on that front and even graced the Europa League for Ajax last season.

One of many to have praised Hato, Statman Dave recently told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Big Transfer Talk: “When you look at his stats over the season, we are starting to see a player who is very composed and creative. He could potentially go on a similar path to Trent Alexander-Arnold – that is the player I would liken him to in Europe.”

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Alas, it’s not just their backline that Chelsea still want to improve. The Blues have also reportedly made their first move to sign a Serie A star.

Chelsea make first approach to sign Weah

According to SpazioJ, Chelsea have made their first approach to sign Timothy Weah from Juventus, only for the American to turn down a summer switch to Stamford Bridge.

It’s not the first time that the winger has turned down the chance to join a Premier League club, either. Earlier this summer, reports emerged that he had handed Nottingham Forest the same answer that he has now given Chelsea and Tottenham. Just where his future now lies as a result is the big question.

Juventus are still willing to sell Weah for around €20m (£17m) ahead of next season, but it remains to be seen whether the likes of Chelsea come calling with a second attempt to convince the 25-year-old.

After scoring six goals and providing five assists in all competitions last season, former Juventus boss Thiago Motta took the chance to praise Weah – telling reporters: “I see him very well, the first thing for a full-back is to defend, be aggressive, win duels, and he is winning a lot of them. He is aggressive, he can still improve, I am very happy with what I see, and on top of that, he also manages to score goals.”

Australian’s 78 leads side to 13-run win at Taunton as Babar Azam, tom Banton hit fifties in vain

ECB Reporters Network28-Jul-2019Alex Carey marked his Sussex Sharks debut with a brilliant 78 to set up a 13-run Vitality Blast victory over Somerset at Taunton.Australian Carey cracked seven fours and four sixes in a 46-ball innings that entertained a crowd of 7,400. Laurie Evans and David Wiese gave good support in a score of 184 for 8 after losing the toss, while Lewis Gregory claimed 3 for 30.In reply, Somerset could make only 171 for 5, despite an opening stand of 96 in less than 12 overs by Babar Azam, who struck 83 off 50 balls, and Tom Banton, who reached 51 off 45. Tymal Mills was the most economical Sussex bowler with 1 for 27 from 4 overs.The Sharks had managed only 34 for 2 in their six-over power play, losing the wickets of Phil Salt, caught at extra cover off the second ball of the innings, sent down by Max Waller, and Luke Wright, bowled off stump by Jerome Taylor, who had dropped him off Gregory two overs earlier.But the arrival of Carey soon changed the tempo of the innings. The left-hander hit the first six of the match over mid-wicket off Roelof van der Merwe in the eighth over. Soon Carey was timing the ball sweetly and he took a particular liking to the left-arm spin of van der Merwe, lofting him for two straight sixes in the 11th over.Evans provided positive support, claiming a maximum off Craig Overton’s bowling before being caught at deep cover off Somerset’s young left-arm seamer Tom Lammonby, having faced 27 balls and added 73 with Carey.The Aussie went to an impressive fifty from 30 deliveries, with four fours and two sixes, in the 14th over. And, with Wiese also striking the ball cleanly, 49 runs came off just four overs before Carey was brilliantly caught by Lammonby at long-off.It had been an eventful week for Carey, who played in the World Cup but missed out on selection in Australia’s final Ashes squad then had to fly to Geneva to renew his visa so that he could play for Sussex.”It was a crazy build-up to the game for me,” Carey said. “Australia’s Ashes camp in Hampshire did not end until Thursday night and on Friday I travelled to Sussex, but could only watch the game because I didn’t have my visa stamped. To get that done, I had to fly to Geneva at 8 o’clock Saturday morning. I flew back last night and travelled to Taunton today.”Although things did not work out for Australia in the World Cup, I really enjoyed the experience and have been loving my time in England. Today has built on that.”Gregory was the successful bowler at the start of the 19th over, which also saw him dismiss Weisse with the next ball after the batsmen had crossed, caught at deep mid-wicket, and clean bowl Delray Rawlins with the fourth delivery.Sussex lost two late batsmen to run outs by Somerset wicketkeeper Tom Banton but still added 15 to their total off the last over.Somerset were given an encouraging start by Banton and Babar, the pair taking the score to 49 after six overs.Both players quickly gauged the pace of the pitch. Banton swept Danny Briggs for a flat six over deep square in the seventh over and soon Babar cleared the ropes too with a big hit over long-on off the same bowler.At the halfway stage, Somerset were well placed at 85 without loss. But Mills stemmed the flow of runs by conceding only three from the 11th over.Banton hit six fours and a six on the way to his fifty, but the next delivery saw him caught at short fine-leg top-edging an attempted pull off Ollie Robinson.Babar then brought up his second Blast half-century in as many home games, having faced 32-balls and hit five fours and a six.Peter Trego smashed Rashid Khan for a maximum over mid-wicket, but with five overs left Somerset still required 67 and when Babar fell to Khan in the 18th over, the home side’s last chance had gone.

Ederson has been ruled out of Manchester City's final two games of the season due to the injury he suffered in the 2-0 win at Tottenham.

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Ederson will miss final two gamesSuffered nasty eye injury vs SpursCan recover in time for Copa AmericaWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian goalkeeper was involved in a nasty second-half collision with Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero and was eventually replaced by deputy Stefan Ortega after initially being cleared to continue by medical staff. Ederson left the field with swelling under his right eye and City have confirmed he has suffered a small fracture to his eye socket.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ederson will subsequently miss City's final Premier League match against West Ham on Sunday, where a win will secure a fourth consecutive crown for Pep Guardiola's side. The South American stopper will also be unavailable for the Cityzens' FA Cup final clash against local rivals Manchester United, although Ortega would likely have played even if he were available – as the German is often the first choice in domestic cup competitions.

DID YOU KNOW?

There has been 15 cases of a goalkeeper being substituted in the Premier League this season. Amazingly, Ortega replacing an injured Ederson accounts for four of them.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR EDERSON

Ederson will be gutted at having to watch from the bench as City potentially claim two more trophies in the space of a week. But with the Copa America just around the corner, the goalkeeper will know he cannot feel sorry for himself one bit – with a potential starting role for Brazil between the sticks up for grabs under new boss Dorival Junior.

Heather Knight, England’s captain, had talked up their squad depth ahead of the ODI series against India, but the side faltered in the first bout on the face of some superb bowling by India’s pacers and Ekta Bisht. The left-arm spinner picked up four wickets in the middle of a collapse – England lost seven wickets for 25 runs – as India took a 1-0 lead with an emphatic 66-run win while defending 202 at Wankhede Stadium.Put in to bat, India started slowly and set themselves up with a 69-run opening stand between Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, before they slid to 95 for 5. Mithali Raj, batting at No. 4, shored up the inexperienced middle order with a 74-ball 44. The final kick came courtesy Jhulan Goswami’s 37-ball 30 to give India’s bowlers something to defend.In reply, England couldn’t really get off the blocks and kept losing wickets. It started with Shikha Pandey trapping Amy Jones plumb with a nip-backer in her first over. Sarah Taylor, returning from an anxiety-related issue that forced her out of the World T20, scratched around to make a 31-ball 10 before falling to a superb inswinger from Pandey. With no DRS in place, England were a tad unlucky as replays indicated the swing may have taken it down leg.Deepti Sharma chipped in with Tammy Beaumont’s wicket before the repair work came about through a 73-run fourth-wicket stand between Knight and Natalie Sciver.The pair received a reprieve each along the way, denying Poonam Yadav a wicket in the first and the last ball of the 25th over. Knight, on 22, mistimed a pull off Poonam to midwicket, where Bisht stuck her left hand out but was unable to cling on. Sciver, meanwhile, flashed hard at a legbreak that flew past wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia.Sophie Ecclestone was the best of the England bowlers•Getty Images

Bisht, however, made up for the lapse with a superb effort off her own bowling in the 31st over. Knight’s leading edge went over to Bisht rather innocuously, but with Sciver having backed up too far down the pitch, Bisht had enough time to collect it and run the non-striker out with a back-hand flip. This proved to be a huge moment in the game. With England needing 90 off 18 overs with six wickets in hand, Bisht took centre stage by completing a triple-wicket over in the 41st to cap off a collapse.”The total was perfectly chaseable,” Knight said after the game. “We bowled well, but were unlucky not to take more wickets up front. But we were more than happy with 200 to chase. It was sticky, it turned, but once you got to play 15-20 balls it became easier to play shots. The first 10-15 balls were the key. I don’t think we played it particularly well today. The pitch started to turn and deteriorated too. There was inconsistent spin as well which makes it harder.”Earlier, India’s middle-order woes resurfaced, albeit not as telling in manner as in the T20Is in New Zealand. It’s perhaps with the knowledge that the middle order, especially with Harmanpreet Kaur missing, is a tad brittle that their openers started cautiously, with the first six overs producing just 11.Those weren’t without drama, though. There was some raucous lbw appeals from the experienced pace pair of Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole. Rodrigues cut loose in the eighth over, flicking Shrubsole for two wristy fours. She countered the early movement deftly, picking the gaps for quick singles and eight well-timed fours in total.Mandhana, however, didn’t look her fluent best, beaten at least thrice by Shrubsole, before chopping on while attempting to pull Georgia Elwiss in the 16th over. Coming in at No. 3, Deepti became the first of left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone’s two victims thanks to some top-notch glovework from Taylor.Ecclestone, the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series against India last year, denied Rodrigues a half-century as she popped up a return catch with a top edge. Harleen Deol, the batting allrounder who replaced the injured Harmanpreet, made an eight-ball two on her international debut.One ball later, Mona Meshram, who had sat out all six matches across formats during the tour of New Zealand, was adjudged lbw, although the inswinger appeared to have struck her slightly high on the knee-roll. Thanks to Sciver’s double-strike, India had lost half their side for 95 inside 22 overs. Meshram’s dismissal capped a 42-ball frame during which India lost five wickets for 26 runs.Raj, meanwhile, held up one end and forged a 54-run stand with Bhatia, whose 41-ball 25 helped India inch closer to 150. But after Raj fell in the 42nd over, it was largely down to handy knocks from Pandey and, especially, Goswami that India went past 200. Goswami followed a six and a four with a brace before holing out with two balls remaining. By then, she had done enough to give England a good run for their money.

They put on an unbroken 163-run stand to ensure Sri Lanka became the first Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu23-Feb-2019

Sri Lanka arrived in South Africa in a state of utter turmoil – both on and off the field. After less than seven days of cricket, they have become only the third visiting side – after England and Australia – and the first Asian team to clinch a Test series in South Africa.It was Kusal Mendis, who spearheaded the famous win with a regal, unbeaten 84 off 110 balls in a chase of 197. He found an adventurous partner in Oshada Fernando, who struck 75 not out in 106 balls, and they peeled off 163 off 213 balls – the first century stand of the series to usher Sri Lanka to the target.When the day began, it was still anybody’s game: Sri Lanka needed 137 runs and South Africa eight wickets. But Sri Lanka eventually stormed to victory without losing even a single wicket.Mendis, in particular, rolled out one rollicking drive after another and collared South Africa’s seam attack. Once left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj was recalled, Oshada twinkled down the track and launched him towards the sight screen. Mendis was the first to raise his half-century, off 52 balls, with a straight drive off Dale Steyn in the 29th over. Three overs later, Oshada moved to his maiden fifty in his fourth Test innings with a full-blooded back-foot whip between midwicket and mid-on off Maharaj.Rabada had cranked his pace up to speeds in the higher 140kph range, but Mendis and Oshada diffused his threat without much trouble. And when anything was remotely wide of off, they went after it like they owned it. Duanne Olivier hit the deck hard, like he has been doing through the summer, but Oshada took him on with daring hooks. What about Steyn? Mendis took him for a triptych of drives in his first over of the day, the pick of them a straight hit that nearly put Oshada in danger. And just like that, the hundred stand came off 126 balls.The closest South Africa came close to picking up a wicket was when Mendis flashed an outside edge, but Hashim Amla could not latch on to an overhead catch at first slip. Mendis was on 70 and Sri Lanka needed just 32 at that point. Mendis and Oshada knocked them off in fuss-free fashion to cap another monumental victory for Sri Lanka.

Given the size of India’s global fan base, Kohli said that Test cricket would be popular for a long time if India prioritised it

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2019India captain Virat Kohli has said that Test cricket will stay relevant for a long time if India prioritises it. Speaking to about his long-term plans as captain, Kohli said his vision for the team was domination in Test cricket, and, given the size of India’s fan base across the globe, that would give Test cricket the status it deserves.”I wouldn’t say goal, but I would rather speak of a vision, which is for India to be a superpower in Test cricket or a very, very strong side in Test cricket in the years to come. I think if Indian cricket respects Test cricket, and Indian players respect Test cricket, then Test cricket will stay at the top because of the fan base that we have all over the world,” Kohli said. “If we focus too much on shorter formats … yes, they’re important, but if we solely focus and look at them as an escape or an excuse to not be in the kind of situations that Test cricket presents to you, then I think there’ll start being a mental problem with the cricketers coming up.”As long as you’re willing to wake up every morning for five days and do the hard yards and go do the dirty work, if you’re willing to bat for two hours and not score a run for the team, I think that is what people should prepare [for]. And that will require the team to lay out a certain things that needs to be done and for the next lot to keep following. So the next lot that comes in, they have to maintain that vision and then the people coming in will follow. I hope that continues and I will try my level best for as long as I can to keep that culture going.”Kohli became the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Australia earlier this month, a feat that followed spirited performances in South Africa and England in 2018 that nonetheless ended in series losses. Kohli said that as a captain, he has continued to evolve ever since he was handed the leadership duties for the first time during India’s 2014-15 tour of Australia. He said captaincy was both challenging and stressful, despite his phenomenal success as a batsman. He acknowledged the advice given to him by India head coach Ravi Shastri last year, during a conversation which he said changed his mindset about leading in Tests.ALSO READ: ‘Tonight was an MS classic’ – Kohli“Ever since 2014, I think he’s [Shastri] one person who’s given me honest feedback whenever things required to be altered. I remember we sat down. I’d scored a Test century and a fifty in the same game in England, so he called me and he said, as far as batting is concerned, I’m not going to discuss anything with you now because you’ve done something which I am proud of and everyone is proud of. But as a captain, we need to start thinking how to get the best out of this team and how to tactically be spot on. And that really hit me because I felt like, you know, there’s so much more to captaincy than you sometimes think.”Just to be able to get feedback from a person who makes you feel like the small contributions are much bigger in the in the scheme of things than you going out there and scoring runs yourself [was useful]. It’s [about] how you speak to the players, how you motivate the team. How you take decisions in crunch situations, how you’re aware where the game is heading.”The Kohli-Shastri relationship has been under scrutiny a fair bit, particularly because of the circumstances that led to former coach Anil Kumble’s resignation in 2017. Kumble’s exit had followed months of public discussion around his leadership style, which was said to be “intimidating” to the players. Shastri’s appointment as coach was thus viewed by many as the entry of a yes-man, a claim Kohli denied as recently as before the Australia tour. Kohli reiterated his admiration for Shastri, praising, in particular, Shastri’s openness, and stated that he was “the most amazing support” this team could have.”He’s one person, because he’s done so much commentary, and he’s seen the game so much and has played so much himself – just watching the game – he knows where the game is heading,” Kohli said. “So just get getting feedback from him constantly has been the biggest help for me, in terms of moulding my own personality into captaincy. He’s someone who has never tried to change me just to be able to fit into the captaincy mode. And I think that was the most important thing and he’s been the most amazing support for the team and someone who’s backed the team through and through.”I think he’s struck the perfect balance for this team. And he’s the one person who was there when we were No. 7 [in the rankings] in 2014. He was there and you know the transition started under him. And we started feeding off that mindset and started bringing that in, which I could eventually go out there and boost more [on the field]. But I think it was his vision for us to be fearless and play a certain kind of cricket, which I think he deserves a lot of credit for.”