Ravichandran Ashwin joint fastest to 350 Test wickets
Visakhapatnam: India's spin king Ravichandran Ashwin on Sunday joined Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan as the fastest bowler to 350 Test wickets in the first match against South Africa in Visakhapatnam.
The off-spinner bowled overnight batsman Theunis de Bruyn for 10 early in the morning session on day five to achieve the milestone in his 66th Test.
Muralitharan also took the same number of matches to claim 350 wickets. The spin legend, now 47, retired in 2010 with 800 wickets.
The 33-year-old Ashwin, who returned to the Indian XI after playing against Australia last year, had claimed 7/145 in the first innings of the match in Vizag. It was his 27th five-wicket haul. Earlier in November 2017, Ashwin became the fastest bowler to reach the milestone of 300 Test wickets. He broke Australian pace ace Dennis Lillee's record by achieving the feat in just 54 matches.
Courtesy: timesofindia
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M Chinnaswamy Stadium gets Karnataka govt nod for hosting IPL 2026 matches
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday gave formal approval to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA)and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to host the 2026 Indian Premier League matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, ending months of uncertainty following the stampede after the team's maiden title win.
The 19th edition of the world's biggest T20 league begins on March 28 with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first match here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the tournament opener, as per the schedule.
The formal approval comes after a meeting chaired by Karnataka home minister Parameshwar with the Expert Committee, which was constituted by the state government, and representatives from the KSCA, RCB and their event management firm DNA.
"During the meeting, the Expert Committee presented its report outlining the preparedness and compliance measures undertaken at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium," KSCA's official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya informed in a statement.
"Based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee and after reviewing the arrangements in detail, the Hon’ble Home Minister has formally accorded approval for the conduct of the upcoming IPL matches at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru."
"The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) places on record its sincere gratitude to the Hon’ble Home Minister, Dr. G. Parameshwar, for his leadership, guidance and support in facilitating this approval," he added.
Apart from the opening fixture of the upcoming season , the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is also slated to host the RCB Unboxing event as well as the tournament's opening ceremony.
RCB had earlier announced that it would play five of their seven home matches in Bengaluru, while two will be played at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium.
The KSCA also expressed its gratitude towards the members of the Expert Committee.
"Our special thanks are also due to Shri Sreemant Kumar Singh, Member Secretary of the Expert Committee and Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, for his proactive coordination and for ensuring that all safety, security and operational aspects were comprehensively evaluated,” the release said.
"KSCA further expresses its sincere appreciation to all the distinguished members of the Expert Committee and the officials associated with the Expert Committee and its sub-committees, whose careful assessment and constructive recommendations have been instrumental in enabling this important decision."
