Sachin names standout player, MS Dhoni on why India lost in England, and more - Cricket News Today, 13th September 2018

The Asia Cup is coming up in two days' time, and meanwhile, International Cricket and Team India are taking a short break from what has been a highly disappointing result, in the England series. Though the side lost 1-4 by the final outcome, it would, in fact, be fair to say that they did fight well on several occasions, though unfortunately, they seemed to be not enough in the end.

Therefore, the Asia Cup would be where the side will be looking to redeem themselves now, and Virat Kohli's absence may prove a key factor as well, meanwhile. The Rohit Sharma-led-side will also feature the return of MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav and so on, back in the Indian colours.

Meanwhile, take a look at the top stories from today, in the World of Cricket.

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#5. Sachin Tendulkar names standout player from the Eng-Ind series

Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar tweeted out a few words of praise at England's latest find, Sam Curran. He also said that Curran is the standout player from the whole of the England-India series.

After the conclusion of final Test at the Oval, Tendulkar took to Twitter and while congratulating England for the win, he also mentioned Alastair Cook for playing out a remarkable Test career and lauded Curran's all-around efforts that played a crucial role in the win.

He wrote: "Congratulations, @englandcricket on winning the Test series. #AlastairCook, wishing you an even better post-retirement innings. #SamCurran has been the standout player of this series. Smart thinker. #ENGvIND."

20-year-old Curran played match-winning roles in at least three of the four Tests that the hosts won. He was excluded from the squad in the third game, which is, interestingly, the only game that England lost.

#4. "Lack of match-practice a reason for India's loss": Dhoni

MS Dhoni

Post the England series, it was MS Dhoni's turn to speak up, and according to him, lack of practice matches played a crucial role in preventing a successful outing in England.

A controversy regarding the few numbers of practice matches was already brewing even as the tour was just getting underway. Finally, the series concluded on September 11th, and afterwards, Dhoni spoke up on how the lack of practice may have played an important role in the side's poor showing.

"Indian team missed out on playing practice matches before the series, which is why the batsmen are finding it difficult to adjust. This is a part of the game. We shouldn't forget that India is currently No. 1 in the rankings," Dhoni said. He was speaking at an event organized by the CISF at the Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi.

#3. MS Dhoni reveals reasons for handing away captaincy role

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli

It was a whirlwind decision when Dhoni decided to step down as captain for the Indian team. The maverick wicketkeeping batsman had led India to one each of the T20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup, and the Champions Trophy as well, and hence he did not feel any regrets to place someone else at the helm. As far as the decision to hand over the reins to Kohli is concerned, Dhoni still feels that the time was right.

He was talking in a motivational program organized by the CISF. At the venue, he was asked a range of questions, starting from his decision to quit captaincy to Team India's performance in England.

About leaving captaincy, Dhoni said: "I resigned from captaincy because I wanted the new captain to get enough time for preparing a team before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Selecting a strong team without giving the new captain appropriate time isn’t possible. I believe that I left the captaincy at the right time."

Current skipper Virat Kohli has evolved to second in the list of most successful captain in Test Cricket already, and he is well on the rise to equal or bigger successes in other formats as well. The side's next big target would be the upcoming Cricket World Cup in 2019.

#2. Team India appoints new coach ahead of the Asia Cup

The Indian Team during the England ODI series

The call for a new coach has been on the rise ever since England drubbed India in the Test series. That coupled with hasty attempts to get a load on what went wrong in the outing, has prompted the team management to bring in a new coach after all - though it is not what the fans expected in general.

Ahead of the Asia Cup, Sri Lankan first-class cricketer, Nuwan Seneviratne has been appointed as the new assistant fielding coach for the team by the BCCI.

Nuwan has signed an annual contract with BCCI for the time period starting with the upcoming Asia Cup and ending with the ICC Cricket World Cup at England and Wales next year. He will be bound to assist Ramakrishnan Sridhar, who is a former first-class cricketer.

38-year-old Nuwan has had long-term stints with the Sri Lankan Team as part of their fielding coaching staff in the past several years. The BCCI and the Indian Team may hence be looking to use his expertise in the field.

#1. Hardik Pandya trolled for Instagram post amid severe loss in England

Hardik Pandya leading his team after picking up a fifer at Trent Bridge

It is yet another series-disappointment for the Indian side, and the fans are going livid with disappointment and anger, as they check out the antics of the cricketers on social media.

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is not new to fans' criticism, but it looks like that chapter is not going to end anytime soon, either. Time for another news story on how the man has once again evoked the attention of the fans, and not in a pleasant way either.

Hardik Pandya posted a photo on Instagram yesterday, captioned "gutted from the loss, yet we fought very well". And that may have touched a few nerves, as observed from the fans' reactions.

A fan said, "isko koi rapper bana do iska mann nai lagta cricket me, rapper jaise huliya bana ke Show off krta rehta hai hamesha." (make him a rapper, he is not focussed on cricket, shows off like a rapper).

"Bartender," another fan said, while a third guy said: "You look like a gangster."

"Ur behavior Too much over action first play well cricket otherwise u remain this style only not place in cricket," another fan said. Going through the original post and scrolling down on comments will reveal more on the mentality of the fans and what they choose to express at Pandya.