As Rohit Sharma’s retirement looms, India coach promises ‘different i…

India cricket team batting coach Sitanshu Kotak claimed that Rohit Sharma would play a different innings at Lord’s in the ENG vs IND 3rd ODI. As per reports, the game on Sunday could be the Hitman’s last international match, with the selectors informing him that he isn’t in the scheme of things for the 2027 ODI World Cup. On Thursday, Sharma had yet another poor outing in the ENG vs IND 2nd ODI, taking a pain-staking 47 deliveries to score 26 runs. However, Kotak claimed that Rohit was too a good a player to be labelled ‘struggling’.

‘Rohit Sharma wasn’t struggling’

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kotak claimed that Rohit Sharma was too big a player to feel any pressure and refused to say that he struggled in Cardiff. The batting coach said that he believed that the Hitman would play a good knock on Thursday, but that wasn’t the case as he was probably uncomfortable playing his usual shots due to the double bounce of the wicket. Kotak said that one may probably get to see a completely different innings from Ro at Lord’s.

“I don’t think that a player as big as Rohit can feel any pressure. He’s too good a player to feel that. Yes, he didn’t get runs. I don’t think that makes any difference. Today also, it looked like he’ll probably get a good innings out. But that’s okay, I have played a lot of cricket, and I have seen a lot of cricket. On a day, there are a lot of batters who don’t get the momentum they are looking for, and that can happen. You might see a completely different innings from Rohit Sharma at Lord’s. So, I wouldn’t use the word “struggling”. Maybe the shots he normally plays on the up, because of the double bounce, he probably felt they were not comfortable,” Kotak said. bettingx.club

Hitman to bid adieu

On Thursday, a report stated that the selection panel have spoken to Rohit, as well as Yashasvi Jaiswal regarding their decision last week, before bringing their plan in effect. The panel also wants to give more chances to Jaiswal, who has been waiting for his chance for a long time now, despite performing well in the limited opportunities, he has gotten.

“Selectors have informed Rohit he is not in their scheme of things post the England tour and they are moving on from him after this series. Though he wanted to continue, especially after working on his fitness. The selectors have left the ball in Sharma’s court to decide his future,” a source from BCCI said.

The post As Rohit Sharma’s retirement looms, India coach promises ‘different innings’ from Hitman at Lord’s appeared first on Inside Sport India.

New York [US], July 17 (ANI): Following a 2-1 victory over England, defending champions Argentina secured their place in the World Cup final against European champions Spain, setting up a generational matchup between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.

Although Saturday’s (local time) final in New Jersey marks the first time the 39-year-old Argentina veteran and the 19-year-old Spain winger playing against each other but it is not their first actual meeting.

Almost 18 years back, Messi shared a memorable moment with Spain star Yamal nearly before the pair emerged as potential rivals on the biggest stage of international football.

Messi took part in a charity photoshoot organised by Catalan newspaper Diario Sport in 2008 while then playing for Barcelona. During the shoot at the club’s iconic Camp Nou stadium, the then-20-year-old Argentine posed with a baby Yamal, who was sitting in a small plastic bathtub alongside his mother, Sheila Ebana.

At the time, neither could have imagined that Yamal would grow into one of Spain’s brightest footballing talents, with the possibility of facing Messi in a FIFA World Cup final almost two decades later.

The iconic photoshoot was captured by freelance photographer Joan Monfort.

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, UNICEF shared the now-iconic photograph of Argentina captain Messi with a baby Yamal, highlighting the remarkable journey of the two football stars from a charity photoshoot nearly two decades ago to becoming global ambassadors for children.

In a post on X, UNICEF wrote, “Yes, those photos you’ve seen are real. More than 18 years ago, a baby named Lamine Yamal and his mom Sheila met Lionel Messi at a UNICEF fundraising photoshoot."

UNICEF added that while both have gone on to inspire millions with their performances on the football field, they are also united by their work away from the sport.

“Today, their achievements on the pitch inspire millions. Off the pitch, both Messi and Lamine Yamal use their voices and platforms as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors to support and advocate for children around the world," the post read.

UNICEF added that its shared mission with the two footballers is to ensure “that every child survives, thrives, and fulfils their potential," concluding, “We are proud to have them on our team."

Yes, those photos you’ve seen are real.

More than 18 years ago, a baby named Lamine Yamal and his mom Sheila met Lionel Messi at a UNICEF fundraising photoshoot.

Today, their achievements on the pitch inspire millions. Off the pitch, both Messi and Lamine Yamal use their voices… pic.twitter.com/TSoUPDxia2

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) July 16, 2026

Barcelona also reacted to the iconic image, sharing it on X with the caption, “Magical photo by the @FundacioFCB."

Magical photo by the @FundacioFCB

The story behind this photo https://t.co/Nzm1L6Ou3h

Joan Monfort (Diari Sport) pic.twitter.com/ukT4XgyNph

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 16, 2026

Following their respective semi-final victories, defending champions Argentina and European champions Spain are set to face off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, setting the stage for a highly anticipated clash between great Messi and teenage sensation Yamal.

Spain secured their place in the title clash with a 2-0 win over France, while Argentina produced a comeback to defeat England 2-1 after trailing 1-0, with a stoppage-time winner sealing their passage to the final.

Messi heads into the championship match at the top of the Golden Boot standings, edging France captain Kylian Mbappe after registering two assists in Argentina’s semi-final victory over England.

Yamal, who became the youngest player ever to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or at the age of 17, will now have the opportunity to face the Argentine legend for the first time as Spain aim to deny the defending champions and lift consecutive titles.

The final will also mark another remarkable chapter in the unique connection between the two players, who first met during a charity photoshoot when Yamal was an infant. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

ભારતીય ક્રિકેટ ટીમ જ્યારે પણ વિદેશ પ્રવાસે હોય છે ત્યારે અવારનવાર સિનિયર ખેલાડીઓ અને મેનેજમેન્ટ વચ્ચેના કથિત અણબનાવના સમાચારો સોશિયલ મીડિયા અને મુખ્ય પ્રવાહના મીડિયામાં વહેતા થતા હોય છે. હાલમાં ટીમ ઇન્ડિયા ઇંગ્લેન્ડના પ્રવાસે છે, જ્યાં ટેસ્ટ મેચ બાદ વનડે શ્રેણી રમાઈ રહી છે. આ પ્રવાસ દરમિયાન મુખ્ય કોચ ગૌતમ ગંભીર અને વિરાટ કોહલી વચ્ચે તણાવ હોવાના અને બંનેએ વાતચીત બંધ કરી દીધી હોવાના અહેવાલો વાયરલ થયા હતા.

કોચ સિતાંશુ કોટકે મોટો ધડાકો કર્યો

ખાસ કરીને સોશિયલ મીડિયા પર એજબેસ્ટન પ્રેક્ટિસ સેશનના કેટલાક વીડિયો ક્લિપ્સ વાયરલ થયા હતા, જેમાં બંને દિગ્ગજો એકબીજાથી અંતર રાખતા જોવા મળ્યા હતા. આ મામલે કાર્ડિફ વનડે પૂરી થયા બાદ યોજાયેલી સત્તાવાર પત્રકાર પરિષદમાં ટીમ ઇન્ડિયાના બેટિંગ કોચ સિતાંશુ કોટકે મોટો ધડાકો કર્યો છે. જ્યારે એક પત્રકારે તેમને વિરાટ-ગંભીરના કથિત અણબનાવ અંગે પૂછ્યું, ત્યારે કોટકે હસતા મુખે તમામ અફવાઓ ફગાવી દીધી હતી.

કાર્ડિફ વનડેની રમતનો પણ ઉલ્લેખ કર્યો

કોટકે જણાવ્યું હતું કે, "વિરાટ અને ગૌતમ આજે જ ઓછામાં ઓછી 10 વાર એકબીજા સાથે વિવિધ વ્યૂહરચના અંગે ચર્ચા કરી ચૂક્યા છે. મને સમજાતું નથી કે આવી પાયાવિહોણી વાતો ક્યાંથી બને છે. તે બંને ખૂબ જ પ્રોફેશનલ છે અને તેમને એકબીજા સાથે વાતચીત કરવા માટે કોઈ મધ્યસ્થી કે પુલની જરૂર નથી."કોટકે પુરાવા તરીકે કાર્ડિફ વનડેની રમતનો પણ ઉલ્લેખ કર્યો હતો. જ્યારે વિરાટ કોહલી ક્રીઝ પર બેટિંગ કરી રહ્યો હતો, ત્યારે તેણે પિચ ધીમી હોવાની અને શોર્ટ-પિચ બોલ બેટ પર બરાબર ન આવતા હોવાની અત્યંત મહત્વની માહિતી ડ્રેસિંગ રૂમમાં મોકલી હતી. કોહલીનો આ સંદેશ સીધો ગૌતમ ગંભીર સુધી પહોંચાડાયો હતો જેથી આગામી બેટ્સમેનો તે મુજબ તૈયારી કરી શકે. આ દર્શાવે છે કે બંને વચ્ચે મેદાનની અંદર અને બહાર ઉત્તમ સંકલન ચાલી રહ્યું છે.

નાટક પર આખરે પૂર્ણવિરામ મુકાઈ ગયું

આ મેચમાં વિરાટે શાનદાર 65 રનની ઇનિંગ રમી હતી, પરંતુ કમનસીબે તે આઉટ થતાં જ મિડલ ઓર્ડર તૂટી પડ્યો હતો અને ભારત વનડે મેચ હારી ગયું હતું. સિતાંશુ કોટકના આ સત્તાવાર ખુલાસા બાદ હવે કોહલી-ગંભીર વચ્ચેના કથિત 'કોલ્ડ વોર' ના નાટક પર આખરે પૂર્ણવિરામ મુકાઈ ગયું છે.

આ પણ વાંચો: IND vs ENG: જો રૂટે ધૈર્યપૂર્વક 133 બોલમાં 99 રન બનાવી ભારત પાસેથી જીત છીનવી લીધી

India cricket team returned to winning ways as Joe Root’s unbeaten 99-run knock guided England to a 4-wicket win the 2nd ODI. This game could also possibly be Rohit Sharma’s penultimate match before he brings the curtains down on his international career. The star looked quite rusty once again and played his slowest ODI knock on Thursday. Meanwhile, it has come to light that Sanju Samson was dropped from the squad for ZIM T20Is against Gautam Gambhir’s wishes. In league cricket, the record held by Punjab Kings for the highest run-chase in T20s was shattered. On that note, let’s take a look at top headlines from Thursday.

Rohit Sharma to retire

The India vs England 3rd ODI at Lord’s on July 19, could be the last international match for former India skipper Rohit Sharma. It is perhaps not a decision that might have come from Rohit, but a case where the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee might have moved on from the 39-year-old.The report further states that the selection panel have spoken to Rohit, as well as Yashasvi Jaiswal regarding their decision last week, before bringing their plan in effect. Read more here.

India lose 2nd ODI

England drew level in the series, as they won the 2nd ODI on Thursday, with more than 5 overs to spare, chasing an easy 234. Joe Root was the hero of the day for the hosts, having scored 99 not out from 133 deliveries. India has made the best possible start, with Jasprit Bumrah taking a wicket on the first ball and Ben Duckett departing for a golden duck. At one stage, England were reduced to 125/5, but from there on Will Jacks and Root added 72 runs for the 6th wicket, that brought them closer to the win. Read more here.

Highest run-chase in T20s

Washington Freedom have created history as they completed the highest run-chase in T20s in the Major League Cricket (MLC 2026) Eliminator against MI New York. Steve Smith and co. chased down the 267-run target with 8 balls to spare to set up their clash in the Challenger against San Francisco Unicorns (SFU). The previous record for the highest run-chase was held by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS). Read more here.

Latest news

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  DRS, July 17: Rohit Sharma’s retirement, Gambhir unhappy with Sanju Samson snub, India pressurized to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
• 
  Betting big on Shivam Dube & Washington Sundar costs India as nemesis Joe Root powers England to victory
• 
  Rohit Sharma likely to retire from international cricket after India vs England Lord’s ODI

Sanju Samson snub

India cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir isn’t a happy man after Sanju Samson was left out of the squad for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe. The Keralam wicketkeeper-batter, who was dropped for three T20Is against ENG only to return for the 5th match, hasn’t been named in the 15-member squad. Gambhir and the selectors aren’t on the same page when it comes to leaving Samson out of the side for the T20Is against Zimbabwe. Read more here.

India forced to play Sooryavanshi?

Days after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his much-awaited T20I debut, a report has made an explosive claim involving head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. The Indian team management faced ‘indirect pressure’ to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the series against England. The 15-year-old wasn’t supposed to play the first six matches despite being selected for the series against Ireland and England and that the selectors had decided to stick with Sanju Samson for those six games. Read more here.

Harshit Rana overweight

Five matches into his comeback, Harshit Rana suffered another setback. He played 5 matches and picked up 7 wickets. However, he sustained a hamstring injury midway through the India vs England T20I series and was subsequently ruled out of the ODIs as well. It was believed to be an unlucky break. But it turns out, he might be responsible for injuring himself. t’s believed that Harshit was ‘overweight’ upon his arrival in Ireland. Read more here.

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