BIRTHDAY BOYS
Eleven players will celebrate their birthdays during the Champions Trophy which is going to be held from June 1 to 18. Here’s a look at them...
01-06-1985 Dinesh Karthik, will turn 32; India
The wicketkeeperbatsman had a brilliant domestic season and then followed it up with a good show for Gujarat Lions in IPL 2017. Picked in place of the injured Manish Pandey.
02-06-1989 Steven Smith, 28 Australia
The Aussie skipper is inarguably one of the best batsmen in the world right now and after his brilliant run with Pune in IPL, he will be a trump card for his team.
02-06-1987 Angelo Mathews, 30 Sri Lanka
The 29-year old showed off his batting prowess in the warm-up game against Australia and if he can continue his run, SL can start dreaming about lifting the trophy.
04-06-1991 Ben Stokes, 26 England
The all-rounder has been wrecker-inchief for England in their series win over SSouth Africa and his form will be a major source of concern for all the other teams
06-06-1988 Ajinkya Rahane, 29 India
The 28-year old has a reputation of being a ‘Test-match specialist’, but his discipline and technique has made him into a valuable part of the batting line up in ODIs.
09-06-1987 M Rahim, 30 Bangladesh
The Test captain is one of the most experienced members and the veteran wicketkeeper is a mainstay of his team’s middle order.
10-06-1989 David Miller, 28 South Africa
‘Killer Miller’ has made his name as one of the most destructive batsmen in the world and his performances vs England is a sign of his renewed confidence.
10-06-1991 L Sandakan, 26 Sri Lanka
The 25-year old was the first chinaman bowler to play for Sri Lanka and the tournament will be a perfect platform for him to establish himself on the global stage.
11-06-1986 M McClenaghan, 31 New Zealand
The left-arm pacer was a surprise star for MI in IPL 2017 and with the English conditions favouring his style of bowling, he will be an asset to the Kiwis.
15-06-1991, Sam Billings, 26 England
The powerful opening batsman has proven himself in tournaments all around the world and he can be a good back-up to have for England.
18-06-1987, Moeen Ali, 30 England
His knack of taking crucial wickets and his effective batting performances at No. 7 has made him a crucial part of the England cricket team.