You are so Brave, You saved them were the words of MS Dhoni.

Muhammad Khaleel, bus driver who ducked terror, warmly awaits Sri Lankan cricket team for the 3rd T20I match; says India should come and play.

Meher Muhammad Khaleel was an unknown name in 2009. A terror attack in Lahore changed it all. When bullets were being fired at the Sri Lankan team bus during their 2009 tour of Pakistan, Khaleel was driving them to the stadium. His bravery and quick thinking not only saved the Lankan players but also earned him the reputation of a saviour in the two countries. He received praises from everyone for his brave act which saved many lives. Khalil in 2015 was given the honour of driving Zimbabwe team bus to venue as it became the first team after the 2009 attack to travel to Pakistan. Recently, World XI team backed by ICC was in Pakistan and Khalil drove them as well. The ‘famous’ bus driver is now awaiting SriLankan team to return to Lahore. Sri Lanka is scheduled to play third and final T20I in Lahore thus marking their return to the country for the first time since the attack. And Khalil is expected to drive the bus once again. Muhammad Khaleel, bus driver who ducked terror, warmly awaits Sri Lankan cricket team for the 3rd T20I match; says India should come and play. I will be driving them again to the stadium. Tell them not to worry. The situation in Pakistan has changed a lot. Unko watan ki khushboo aayegi — come and play here, Sri Lanka.

In an interview to Indian Express, Khaleel revealed that he had met Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni for a brief period in South Africa and both had praised him for saving the lives of the cricketers. “I saw MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina at that time (in South Africa). Raina spoke very warmly and Dhoni said, ‘you are so brave, you saved them,’ and I told him, ‘mere bhi bhai hain voh Sri Lankans, ek bhai ke liye jaan dene ko taiyaar hai’ (they are my brothers as well, I can give my life to save them),” he said.

Breaking: Team India announce 15-man ODI squad for New Zealand series

New Zealand are due to tour India for a limited-overs series, which will include three ODIs and three T20Is

Batsman KL Rahul has been dropped from India's 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand that begins in Mumbai on October 22. Replacing the right-hander will be Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who was not a part of the Indian squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka and Australia. Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik said he was proud and privileged to be part of the present India team led by Virat Kohli, which has been doing very well and felt it was set to leave a legacy in the next few years as one of the greatest (Indian teams) ever. Karthik last played worldwide cricket earlier this year, when India took on West Indies in a 5-match ODI series held in the Caribbean Islands.

Ajinkya Rahane has been called up this time who would play as a third opener with both specialist openers Rohit and Dhawan making the cut already. KL Rahul missed out on making the cut this time also. Manish Pandey has had a promising recitals so far and he has well put his position in the comfort zone.

Top order batsman Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the ODI series against Australia due to his wife's ailment, also returns to the squad for the 50-over format. The selection committee believes that since Umesh, Shami and Rahul will not find a place in the eleven, they should be given the opportunity to play in the Ranji Trophy. There is no place for Indian discards Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, while Ravichandran Ashwin, who passed the Yo-Yo Test at the NCA earlier this week, and his spin twin in Tests, Ravindra Jadeja continue to be out of the ODI setup as the Indian selectors are continuing to give chances to the impressive wrist spin duo of Yuzi Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav along with slow left-arm spinner Axar Patel.

India ODI squad for New Zealand ODIs: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shardul Thakur.

David Warner Leaves India with a very beautiful message

Australian star David Warner left a heartfelt message for the fans after the end of the tour against India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday.

The three-match T20I series between India and Australia ended in a tie after the third game was abandoned due to the wet outfield in Hyderabad on Friday.

Both teams shared spoils after India won the first T20I and the visitors claiming a victory in the second.

While heading home, Warner left a message for Indian fans and his Instagram post read: “Thanks India for hosting us once again. We absolutely love coming to your country and playing cricket. Sorry about last night Hyderabad but I hope to see you all again next year.”

Warner was leading the visitors following an injury to regular skipper Steve Smith, who was ruled out even before the first T20I.

The two captains Virat Kohli and David Warner, umpires and match officials decided that no play could be possible because of a soft outfield. According to the umpires, the outfield was so sodden that there was no real chance of play despite the fact that it did not rain for quite a while.

The left-handed batsman and a lot of players will return again next year for the lucrative IPL which is played every year in April. However, they will now get busy playing in the domestic Sheffield Shield season which will commence by the end of this month. Then they will be involved in the much awaited Ashes series in November as the home season starts for the team from down under.

Ashish Nehra announces retirement: Nehra to retire after New Zealand T20 in Delhi

Good to retire when people ask why and not why not: Nehra

The 38-year-old quick was recalled for his country's current T20 series against Australia, six months after his last international appearance against England. "I think this is the way forward, especially the manner in which Bhuvneshwar has been bowling. In the last couple of years, whenever I've played with Bumrah, either of Bhuvi or [Mohammed] Shami have had to sit out. So I think this is the right time [to retire] and I think people are welcoming it." Nehra, who has played under a number of captains, is mulling over playing his last match under the leadership of Virat Kohli.

From Mohammad Azharuddin to Sourav Ganguly; Rahul Dravid to MS Dhoni. "Now, they say you can easily play for one more year. I've been a believer of the fact that it's always good to retire when people ask why and not why not. And it can't get bigger than the fact that I'm retiring at home. Nehra said: "You can't get bigger than retiring in front of your home crowd, where I played my first Ranji Trophy match 20 years ago. Nehra was part of the Indian squad which won the 2011 Cricket World Cup at home and was also a member of the Indian squad that finished runners-up to Australia in the 2003 World Cup. His best figures in ODI came in 2003 World Cup against England when he took 6/23.

Nehra made his debut back in 1999 under Mohammed Azharuddin. He has played a total of 17 Test matches, 120 ODIs and 26 T20 internationals so far.

He has picked up 157 ODI wickets, along with 44 Test wickets and 34 T20I wickets.

South Africa's JP Duminy quits Test cricket

JP Duminy retires from Test and first-class cricket with immediate effect

South Africa batsman JP Duminy has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect. Duminy has been under fire in recent months for his poor performances. He was dropped from the Test team after the first match at Lord's in the four-match series against England in July. Speaking exclusively to Independent Media, the 33-year old batsman indicated his future plans and said that he will be concentrating on the limited-overs format. Duminy has overall featured in 46 Tests and has scored 2103 runs at an average close to 33 and has snared 42 wickets as well and his highlight of the career will remain his 166-run knock that came in his second Test against Australia in Melbourne. “I certainly know that my playing career is far from over, and my hope is that with the backing of Cricket South Africa, the WSB Cape Cobras, teammates, family, friends and supporters, I will be given the opportunity to continue to give my very best to the sport that I love dearly,” Duminy said. Duminy has been plagued by issues both on the field and off the field in 2017. Before the start of the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League, the left-hander, who played for Delhi Daredevils since 2014 announced that he would not play in the tournament due to “personal reasons.” South Africa have an automatic replacement for Duminy in the Test team. AB de Villiers had made himself available to play Tests again after a year-long sabbatical from the format but they will have to wait until at least December. De Villiers has not put himself into contention to play the Bangladesh series, which starts on September 28. Instead, that will be an opportunity for someone else to establish themselves in the side. Temba Bavuma is the most recent No.4 and has the temperament to stay there but another option is Theunis de Bruyn or even David Miller, who played for the South African A side against India A last month.

Kohli leads by example, Kohli rejects multi-crore offer to endorse soft drink

Kohli rejects multi-crore offer; Here's why

Virat Kohli is easily the country's highest-paid sports star and the most sought-after celebrity by advertisers. The Indian cricket team captain recently struck a multi-crore endorsement deal with a popular sports brand and as of 2016, the 28-year-old was promoting around 20 brands of 13 different companies.

Kohli confirmed to Sportstar that he declined the multi-crore offer for the simple reason that he does not consume soft drinks.

Earlier in the year, Kohli made it clear that he doesn’t want to promote a brand just for the sake of money. “When I started my fitness turnaround, it was more of a lifestyle thing initially. If something goes away from that, I would not want to be a part of that or be promoting that,” Kohli had told CNN-IBN.

He had added: "If I myself won't consume such things, I won't urge others to consume it just because I'm getting money out of it."

“As a kid, I would long for a soft drink,” he confesses, “but it doesn’t work well with professional sportspersons. At my academy, you won’t find soft drinks in the canteen.”

What has he told his celebrated wards – Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu, P. Kashyap? “I have not stopped them from endorsing a soft drink. It’s their choice. But I have told them not to have soft drinks,” he says, chuckling. Incidentally, Kohli and Gopi joined hands recently to launch annual sports awards for those promoting excellence.

Kohli is currently training in Chennai, the venue for the first ODI against a visiting Australia side. India will take on the Smith-led side in a 5-match ODI series followed by a 3-match T20 series. The first game will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

India vs Australia ODI series: BCCI announce 16 man squad for 1st 3 ODI's

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 16-man squad for the first three matches of the upcoming five-match ODI series against the Australian team on Sunday afternoon. The series will be played at home starting from September 17.

     
                                 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 16-man squad for the first three matches of the upcoming five-match ODI series against the Australian team on Sunday afternoon. The series will be played at home starting from September 17. Virat Kohli will continue to lead the side, with Rohit Sharma his deputy. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja have been rested, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav on Sunday made a return to the India squad for the first three one-day internationals versus Australia, starting on September 17 in Chennai. Both Shami and Umesh were rested for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. Selection committee chairman MSK Prasad said players such as Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel have been given an extended run due to their impressive showings on the tour of Sri Lanka, where India won all their matches. India are coming at the back of superb series wins in Sri Lanka. They completed a whitewash in the Test, ODI and also won the one-off T20I match. Australia, on the other hand, played a 2-Test series against Bangladesh recently, which ended 1-1. They will look to switch gears and win the ODI series.

INDIAN SQUAD : Viart Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Rahul Sharma, Manish Pandey,Kedar Jadhav, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav , Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami