Ssti News

India captain Virat Kohli has said that he will be meeting the New Zealand-bound India Under-19 team, ahead of the U-19 World Cup as their coach Rahul Dravid has asked him to. Talking about the current U-19 captain Prithvi Shaw, Kohli said, "He has special ability. He has performed well [at this age] in first-class cricket, which is not normal."

Ahead of India's tour of South Africa, newly married India captain Virat Kohli has said cricket is in his blood and it is not difficult for him to switch back to it post wedding. "I was away for something which was much more important...but I had been training," he added. "Mentally, I am very well prepared," he further said.

Gautam Gambhir has said "the hurt" caused by the controversies surrounding the DDCA motivated the Delhi team to reach the final of the ongoing Ranji Trophy. "We wanted to show the world that it's not only the negative that exists in the Delhi dressing room," he added. Last season, reports of Gambhir abusing coach KP Bhaskar had surfaced.

Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane said that the Indian team is lucky to have a player like MS Dhoni as his suggestions on the field are of great help to the players. "Definitely MS Dhoni has cricket left in him. He is taking care of his fitness, he is looking after his body, he is looking after his diet", Rahane said.

Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan took to Twitter to slam Emirates airline after his wife Aesha and their kids weren't able to join him in Cape Town due to the airline staff's "unprofessional" behaviour. Dhawan's wife and their kids were reportedly forced to stop in Dubai on account of not having birth certificates or identification proofs with them.

Rohit Sharma has revealed Yuvraj Singh told him not to even look at his "sister" Ritika, who is now Rohit's wife, when the couple met for the first time during a shoot. "I looked at Ritika with anger...thinking who is she," he said. Rohit added he talked to Ritika for the first time when she offered help during the shoot.

After qualifying for next year's Commonwealth Games, wrestler Sushil Kumar said that his guru Satpal Singh and yoga guru Baba Ramdev keep motivating him to play well. Sushil qualified after defeating Jitender Kumar in the final round of qualification trials in the 74 kg category on Friday. Sushil has won two gold medals in the Commonwealth Games in the past.

Double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar has claimed that wrestler Parveen Rana bit him during their clash in the Commonwealth Games trials on Friday. "He bit me but no problem, it might be his tactics to stop me from performing well. All this is part of sports," Sushil said. Reacting to his supporters clashing with Parveen's, Sushil said, "Whatever happened...was wrong."

Speaking about the friendship between herself and compatriot and competitor Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu said, "We're friends; like "Hi", "Bye"... and that's it... There's no real time to sit and talk". "The rivalry (with Saina) is always there. When you play, you want to win and both (of us) have the aggression to win," said the world rank three.

Rio Olympic gold medalist Carolina Marin said that she needs a new strategy each time while facing Rio silver medalist PV Sindhu and London bronze medalist Saina Nehwal. Marin, who beat Sindhu in the Rio Olympics gold medal match, has a winning head-to-head record of 6-4 over Sindhu, while a losing record of 4-5 against Saina Nehwal.

Veteran Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga was used as a net bowler at a special practice session with new Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha in Colombo. Malinga, who is not part of the preliminary pool of 23 players for the upcoming triangular series in Bangladesh, said he was "still waiting" for the reason why he was not picked.

Cricketer and commentator Kevin Pietersen on Friday slammed Emirates airline for misplacing his luggage while he was travelling from United Kingdom to Australia. In a tweet which he deleted later, Pietersen wrote, "How do I work on international TV in a few hours with no clothes?" Emirates responded by giving Pietersen a credit card so he could buy new clothes.

Speaking about Indian captain Virat Kohli, South African legend Jacques Kallis said, "It depends on how hungry [Kohli] is...He can achieve whatever he wants to as long as he wants to." Kallis, who played alongside Kohli in the IPL, said, "I had an idea that he would become a really good player because he had the technique and temperament."

Australia captain Steve Smith has said that he prefers to be batting on the field instead of watching cricket. Speaking about the comparison between him and Australian legend Don Bradman, Smith said, "I just go out and play and try and get better each and every day." Notably, Smith has achieved the second highest Test rating points of all time.

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has said that Pakistan Cricket Board should consider appointing a coach like Rahul Dravid for the country's Under-19 team. Adding that India Under-19 team will benefit from the presence of "role model" Rahul Dravid, Raja added, "I don't think winning is as important as recognising individuals who are talented and then educating and grooming them."

Indian cricketer Rahul Sharma has revealed that someone is threatening to upload a video in order to spoil his cricketing career and life. Rahul, who represented India in 4 ODIs and 2 T20Is in 2011-12, hasn't played a competitive domestic match in last three years. Rahul had tested positive for drugs at a Mumbai rave party in 2012.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, in a TV show hosted by him, said that he would like to see India's women cricket team captain Mithali Raj coaching the men's team. On being asked by Shah Rukh about her book-reading habit prior to a match, Mithali Raj revealed that she reads to get rid of pressure during a match.

Former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli has said that he has taken up coaching on the advice of his friend Sachin Tendulkar. "I would say he has had a big hand in bringing me back on to the field. And I will not let Sachin down," said 45-year-old Kambli, who will train members' children at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Recreation Centre.

Former Pakistani captain Javed Miandad has said that Pakistan's cricket will not die if they don't play with India. "[India] don't want to play with us so be it. We should move on and forget about them," he added. India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket since 2012-13 owing to political tensions between the two countries.