The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is always heated, but this time it wasn't the match alone that was in the limelight andit was the commentary.

Sarfaraz : "Riwaz allah ka jap kar rahe hain"

Aakash Chopra : "Rohit Mahamrityunjay kar rahe hain"

Raina: "Virat Mahadev Bhakt hain and Abhi Mahashivratri bhi hain"

We got Mahadev vs Allah in commentary 😭 #INDvsPAK

— Div🦁 (@div_yumm) February 23, 2025

Short Video of this -pic.twitter.com/bA3Ni12GKT

— Div🦁 (@div_yumm) February 23, 2025

ALSO SEE: Watch: Hardik Pandya celebration after dismissing Babar Azam

During the match, Sarfaraz Ahmed said, "Riwaz Allah ka jap kar rahe hain," meaning religious rituals. Aakash Chopra retorted with, "Rohit Mahamrityunjay kar rahe hain," associating it with Hindu prayers. Suresh Raina then joined in, "Virat Mahadev Bhakt hain and abhi Mahashivratri bhi hain."

The conversation quickly went viral, with fans reacting in different ways. Some saw it as a fun and unique moment, while others felt that cricket commentary should stay focused on the game.

Social media has been buzzing with debates—should religious references be a part of sports commentary, or should broadcasters avoid them altogether?

What’s your take on this?

The Maha Kumbh Mela, a huge and holy event which occurs every 12 years in India, is a magnet to millions of devotees in quest of spiritual renewal. In 2025, the Mela at Prayagraj did not see just pilgrims, but a few well-known cricketers of India too, who walked the banks of the holy Sangam to experience this phenomenon.

Among the cricketers who made it to the Maha Kumbh Mela were past and present stars, some of whom tweeted and spoke in interviews about the experience, sharing how spiritually rewarding the event was.

Suresh Raina 

Mary Kom and Suresh Raina went for a dip in the Ganga at the weekend. Raina shared images from his dip on social media, whereas Mary Kom was spotted enjoying herself to the fullest at the spot. Raina went onto social media to share a small peep into his spiritual experience and termed his visit an experience to remember.

Just had an unforgettable darshan experience at Mahakumbh! Felt the divine energy & spirituality of the gathering. Blessed to be a part of this sacred event #Mahakumbh #Darshan #SpiritualExperience #DivineBlessings" pic.twitter.com/j7gClY6DWc

— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) January 25, 2025

Anil Kumble

ALSO SEE : Best Ruled Out XI for Champions Trophy 2025

Anil Kumble and his wife came to Prayagraj on Tuesday and had a holy dip on Magh Purnima, a day without VIP security. They came to the holy confluence by boat, sharing the experience like common pilgrims.

Blessed 🙏🏽#MahaKumbh #Prayagraj pic.twitter.com/OFY6T3yF5F

— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) February 12, 2025

R.P.Singh

former Indian cricketer and T20 World Cup-winning pacer RP Singh attended the event and lauded the government for handling everything well

#WATCH | Prayagraj, UP | On #MahaKumbhMela2025, Cricketer RP Singh says, "I have come here for the second time. The management here is great and I am very fortunate that I got the opportunity of Kumbh Snan in this time period... It is difficult to think how 50 crore people could… pic.twitter.com/olW4RkOOre

— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2025

Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar visits the Sangam in Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh.

Sunil Gavaskar takes a holy dip at Sangam in Prayagraj during Mahakumbh. 🙏✨#Cricket #India #BCCI #SunilGavaskar pic.twitter.com/RSIe4P872L

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) February 18, 2025

Mohammad Kaif

ALSO SEE : Virat Kohli vs. Babar Azam: A Battle of Modern-Day Batting Greats

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif visited Prayagraj ahead of the Maha Kumbh festival and took a dip in the Yamuna River.

Abe isi Jamuna ji mein tairaki seekha hoon 😀 #sangam #prayagraj pic.twitter.com/yVs67yJMWb

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) December 29, 2024

Jay shah

ICC Chairman Jay Shah, along with his family, arrived at Prayagraj on January 27 to attend the Maha Kumbh, a festival steeped in spirituality and tradition.

#WATCH | #MahaKumbh2025 | Saints bless the baby boy of Jay Shah - ICC chairman and son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/97qA7hwuOb

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2025

#WATCH | Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with his family, in the presence of several saints and CM Yogi Adityanath, performs 'aarti' at Triveni Sangam during #Mahakumbh2025 in Prayagraj pic.twitter.com/K8bftnGKwg

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2025

Apart from Shah, his son and ICC chairman Jay Shah also visited the Maha Kumbh. Clad in saffron attire like his father, the cricket administrator sought blessings from the seers for his newborn son.

India Masters Squad

The India Masters side will be led by the great of all time Sachin Tendulkar in the teams. The squad has a few past Indian players who played pivotal roles in the history of Indian cricket. Full squad:

Full Squad List:

• Sachin Tendulkar (Captain)
• Yuvraj Singh
• Suresh Raina
• Ambati Rayudu
• Yusuf Pathan
• Irfan Pathan
• Stuart Binny
• Dhawal Kulkarni
• Vinay Kumar
• Shahbaz Nadeem
• Rahul Sharma
• Pragyan Ojha
• Pawan Negi
• Gurkeerat Mann
• Abhimanyu Mithun

Fan reaction is High High
Fans are so happy to see their favorite cricketers back and playing the game. Sachin Tendulkar has been seen in action for the tournament, too, and videos of net sessions went viral across social media. Some believe this tournament may well afford fans a peek at the pre-RCB golden era of Indian cricket.

The likes of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, both powerful batters are going to play a crucial role in this team. Some of the good regular bowlers who will strengthen batting and bowling in-rounders like Yusuf Pathan, and Irfan Pathan. The squad has some established pacemen in the bowling lineup of Vinay Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni whereas Pragyan Ojha and Rahul Sharma are there for the spin.

ALSO READ: Sri Lanka created history after beating Australia: A History to Remember

Tournament Schedule and Initial Match
DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai 22nd Feb -- 01st March 2025: Start of the campaign by the India Masters side against Sri Lanka Masters. The league will retake its place at the matches in Rajkot and Raipur with the finale held in March 2025.

For all other wannabe cricket fans
A tournament for cricket as the memories of these cricketers, who engrossed international cricket in their past will surely come back to some individuals. IML T20 2025 promises to be the feast of cricket we have six solid teams and some great players lined up!

The Suresh Raina announcement about Virat Kohli being the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2025 is quite exciting news, which is spreading much excitement among the fans of RCB, as Virat Kohli has been part of the team for several years.

Kohli is as good as the great leader who doesn't have only on-field tactics to become successful but inspirational for his team mates. This is an experience pressure handler who is going to help RCB get success in IPL 2025.

Suresh Raina said - "Virat Kohli is Captain of RCB this time in IPL 2025". (Star Sports). pic.twitter.com/qmoCKQByiP

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) February 10, 2025

Kohli in IPL for RCB :

ALSO SEE :  Big Blow for England as RCB’s New Recruit Jacob Bethell Ruled Out of Champions Trophy 2025

Kohli's captaincy return ensures much-needed stability to the side after the confused period over their leadership. Long-term, it has been quite an aggressive as well as very passionate approach taken by Kohli towards his games, which becomes a very characterizing feature about RCB too. 

The whole world will look at RCB and Virat Kohli when the new season comes around. The promise that IPL 2025 has to offer is quite a lot, and one thing that keeps every fan's mind buzzing is whether this will be the year RCB will lift the IPL trophy under the captaincy of Kohli. Excitement is building, and RCB will surely be one of the most closely watched teams in the new season.

The Legends 90 League 2025 is one of the cricket tournaments involving retired international cricketers. It started on February 6, 2025, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, India. It takes an unusual format where matches have a 90-ball duration-15 overs on both sides-matches are not slow

TEAMS:

• Chhattisgarh Warriors
• Punjabi Sher
• Dubai Giants
• Gujarat Samp Army
• Delhi Royals
• Big Boys
• Rajasthan Kings

Live streaming:

ALSO READ:Ind vs eng 2nd ODI Live Streaming&: Where & How to Watch the Match Online & on TV

Schedule:

Major Highlights to Watch
Legendary Cricketers are Coming Back to Action: Great players from every corner of the globe will reprise their game.
Fast-paced format: It's a different 90-ball format that brings the match exciting and high scoring.
Intense Rivalries: Watch exciting battles between some of the best icons and teams.
Semi-Finals & Final: All matches promise some edge-of-the-seat action
Top Performances: Keep track of stunning centuries, quick wickets, and game-changing moments.

Tournament OverView

Upcoming T20 style tournament Legends 90 League 2025 expect to have a 90-ball format with legendary players from around the world battling it out. The event will be organized between 8th and 18th of February, 2025 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur Chhattisgarh India.

A novel format aimed at increasing the liveliness and high-speed stuff into cricket the way The Hundred in England but with 90 balls per . It'll consist of seven franchises with a blend of retired international and upcoming Indian player

TEAMS:

1. Big Boys
2. Dubai Giants
3. Delhi Royals
4. Rajasthan Kings
5. Harvana Gladiators
6. Gujrat Samp Army
7. Chhattisgarh Warriors

Schedule: Yet to be announced soon 

ALSO READ:U.P Police gets a new DSP – Indian Women's Cricket Team Deepti sharma

Full Squads:

Haryana Gladiators

Pawan Suyal, Praveen Gupta, Abu Nechim, Anureet Singh, Imran Khan, Asela Gunaratne, Ishank Jaggi, Harbhajan Singh, Nagendra Chaudhary, Rikki Clarke, Peter Trego, Chadwick Walton, Manan Sharma.

Chhattisgarh Warriors

Siddarth Kaul, Sheldon Jackson, Pawan Negi, Kevon Cooper, Suresh Raina, Vishal Kushwaha, Martin Guptill, Abhishek Sakuja, Ambati Rayudu, Amit Verma, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Amit Mishra, Rishi Dhawan, Kalim Khan, Unmukt Chand, Manoj Singh, Abhimanyu Mithun, Colin de Grandhomme.

Dubai Giants

Shakib Al Hasan, Thisara Perera, Kennar Lewis, Kevin O’Brien, Brendan Taylor, Liam Plunkett, Dwayne Smith, Hamilton Masakadza, Richard Levi, Luke Fletcher, Rahul Yadav, Christopher M, Sid Trivedi, Seekkuge Prasanna.

Gujarat Samp Army

Yusuf Pathan, Moeen Ali, Obus Pienaar, Saurabh Tiwary, Kesrick Williams, Jesal Karia, Miguel Cummins, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shapoor Zadran, Mohammad Ashraful, William Perkins, Navin Stewart, Abhishek, Chaturanga De Silva, Mausif Khan.

Delhi Royals

Shikhar Dhawan, Lendl Simmons, Danushka Gunathilaka, Angelo Perera, Sahard Lumba, Bipul Sharma, Lakhwinder Singh, Rajwinder Singh, Rayad Emrit, Ross Taylor, Jerome Taylor, Sumit Narwal, Parvinder Awana.

Big Boys

Matt Prior, Ishan Malhotra, Monu Kumar, Chirag Gandhi, Tamim Iqbal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Herschelle Gibbs, Upul Tharanga, Abdur Razzak, Shannon Gabriel, Varun Aaron, Neil Broom, Karamveer Singh, Robin Bist, Naman Sharma, Kapil Rana, Vinod Chanwariya

Rajasthan Kings

Dwayne Bravo, Ankit Rajpoot, Phil Mustard, Shahbaz Nadeem, Faiz Fazal, Shadab Jakati, Jaskaran Malhotra, Imran Tahir, Jaykishan Kolsawala, Rajesh Bishnoi, Corey Anderson, Pankaj Rao, Samiullah Shinwari, Rajat Singh, Ashley Nurse, Dawlat Zadran, Manpreet Gony.

Live Streaming:

Sony Sports Network to air Legend 90 

Suresh Raina and Tilak Varma: Parallels in Cricketing Journeys

There is a lot that makes the cricketing career of Suresh Raina and Tilak Varma extremely interesting to dissect as they share number of rare similarities in their journey. Here is the tabular comparison of their achievements with a detailed point-wise breakdown

More Key Takeaways
Position on the Field: Raina and Varma have been integral in 3rd position, something that calls for bringing aggression in balance. Their counterattacks after faltering early have been vital for their teams.

Clutch Comebacks: It is of course no surprise that Raina, being 'Mr. IPL', has made clutch performances in eliminations. Tilak Varma is already getting that touch with big shots through fire off all formats.

Adaptation: Raina was the format-hopping ace, as evident by his strike rate consistency in ODIs and T20Is. The different formats he can do well in is shown through though his domestic seasons and IPL cameos, also the potential when it matters.

Mentoring: Raina has mentored a lot of young cricketers in his IPL and domestic career. Varma would benefit from playing with a lot of oldies as a younger player and learning the nitty-gritties of the game.

Milestones Under Pressure: The toughness of both players is evidenced by milestone crossings centuries and fifties, against the odd wicket to come to mind during match conditions. 

ALSO READ:ECL 2025 Season 2: Live Streaming Details – Where and How to Watch in India

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina visited the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj with his wife, Priyanka Chaudhary, on January 24. In an Instagram post, he described his profound spiritual experience at the Triveni Sangam. He also shared special moments from the holy visit with Priyanka, capturing the beautiful night view of the Sangam and expressing the deep connection he felt in the sacred atmosphere of Prayagraj.

Also Read: Suresh Raina Calls Shubman Gill the Next Virat Kohli 

Earlier on the morning of January 24, Suresh Raina also took a holy dip at the Prayagraj Sangam. Sharing his experience, he mentioned feeling more sacred after the dip, saying, "I will feel even better when I take a dip." He congratulated everyone visiting the Maha Kumbh and expressed his experience, calling UP his "karm bhumi." He also praised the successful organization of the Kumbh by the UP government and the central government.

Just had an unforgettable darshan experience at Mahakumbh! Felt the divine energy & spirituality of the gathering. Blessed to be a part of this sacred event #Mahakumbh #Darshan #SpiritualExperience #DivineBlessings" pic.twitter.com/j7gClY6DWc

— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) January 25, 2025

🚨 Prayagraj Mahakumbh: Indian ex-cricketer Suresh Raina praises Yogi Adityanath 💖

"Yogi govt has organised a GRAND event. I have also come with my friends & family. UP is our Karmabhoomi." 👏 pic.twitter.com/Pxb5FMNkO9

— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) January 24, 2025

After the holy dip in the Sangam, Suresh Raina also visited the Kailashanand Ji Giri Maharaj aashram in Prayagraj to seek his blessings with his wife and friends. They are captured in a picture with Kailashanand Ji Maharaj.

Suresh Raina And Wife Priyanka Seek Blessings Of Swami Kailashanand Giri Ji Maharaj At Mahakumbh Prayagraj 🙏✨

Are You Planning To Visit Kumbh? 🌊🕉️#SureshRaina #Mahakumbh2025 #SpiritualJourney #Blessings #Cricket #CoupleGoals pic.twitter.com/1LN04B5Grz

— Filmy Glamour (@FilmyGlamour) January 25, 2025

During his visit to Prayagraj, Suresh Raina also attended the aarti darshan of the famous Shri Bade Hanuman Ji Mandir near the Sangam with his wife, seeking the holiness and blessings of the sacred place.

सब कुछ सरकार तुम्हई से है 🙏🚩#SureshRaina . #JaiShreeRam pic.twitter.com/yQ3OaCM9Zf

— HarshitMahiRaina73 🇮🇳 (@RainaMahi73) January 25, 2025

Also Read: Major Change in England's Playing XI for 2nd T20 Against India at Chepauk

Suresh Raina was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team and the 2013 Champions Trophy-winning team. He played a total of 322 international matches, including 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20s.

At the age of 33, Suresh Raina announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020, just one hour after MS Dhoni's retirement. After that, he played his last season in the 2021 IPL.

Currently, this 38-year-old former Indian cricketer is seen doing commentary for the IPL on Jio and has recently appeared at several events on Star Sports as part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 commentary panel team.

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina recently gave an interview where he shared his thoughts about the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to begin on February 19. This edition of the tournament will be held in a hybrid model, with matches taking place in both Pakistan and Dubai. Raina, who was part of the winning Indian team in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, expressed his hopes for the Indian cricket team’s performance in the tournament.

In the interview, Raina was seen supporting Rohit Sharma, especially after Rohit's recent struggles in Australia and back in India. Despite these challenges, Raina expressed his belief that Rohit will make a strong comeback. He showed his trust in Rohit’s leadership, saying,

"I hope Rohit Sharma wins this trophy once again."

Raina talked about the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, where both he and Rohit Sharma were part of the winning team. He shared that he wants to see Rohit lift the trophy again, just like they did in 2013. Raina believes that Rohit has the ability to do it again in the 2025 edition of the tournament. He expressed confidence in Rohit’s leadership qualities, saying that this time, as captain, it will be even more special. While in 2013, he was a player, now Rohit will lead the team, and Raina is hopeful that his leadership will guide India to another win.

Also Watch: Captain Rohit Sharma assures India's best attempt to win ICC Champions Trophy 2025

In the interview, Raina also talked about the future of the Indian cricket team, especially in terms of leadership. When asked about Shubman Gill and his potential to take on a leadership role, Raina confidently said,

"Absolutely, I think he is the next Virat Kohli for the Indian cricket team."

Raina showed his belief in Shubman’s abilities. As Shubman has been appointed vice-captain for this tournament, Raina believes this is a great opportunity for him to prove himself. He mentioned that Shubman already has the experience to handle responsibilities, highlighting his leadership role with Gujarat Giants in the IPL.

Raina also shared his thoughts on Jasprit Bumrah, whose fitness remains a concern. Even though Bumrah is part of the squad for this tournament, his absence from the England ODI series has raised some questions. Despite this, Raina strongly believes that if Bumrah is fully fit and plays the entire tournament, he will deliver an incredible performance. Bumrah, being a key player for Team India, has Raina’s full trust. Talking about him, Raina said,

"Bumrah will be the man of the tournament if he plays all matches."

Suresh Raina said, 🗣️" Shubman Gill is the Next Replacement Virat kohli of Indian Team & I Hope Rohit Sharma to lift Champions Trophy 2025..!! (Star sports).

- Team india Next Star player For Shubman Gill...!!! 😎

pic.twitter.com/Mj6uLtslJG

— ARPIT• (@ImArpit_18) January 23, 2025

Also Read: "I Might Still Play One Day"—AB de Villiers Hints at a Comeback to Cricket

India Champions Trophy 2025 Squad

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Kuldeep Yadav.

Legendary New Zealand captain and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming and former Indian captain and head coach Rahul Dravid revealed the same name when asked about the top pick of one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction.

Jeddah is hosting the two-day mega auctions for the IPL 2025. The opening day experienced some record signings. 

Watch: Jasprit Bumrah gets a special name from Aussie commentators

Fleming and Dravid revealed their choices

Recently, the present IPL coaches were asked about their top choices for one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction. While the Rajasthan Royals’ new head coach Rahul Dravid named some big players, one of his names matched with the CSK head coach Stephen Fleming. 

Dravid and Fleming named former Indian and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Suresh Raina as their top pick if one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction. 

Q: If you could bring back one player from the past to participate in the IPL auction, who would be your top pick?

Fleming : It’s Suresh Raina

Rahul Dravid : Suresh Raina he is a phenomenal player 🐯#SureshRaina | @ImRaina | #Whistlepodu pic.twitter.com/siWw3RkJ35

— SHANNU 🇮🇳 (@Shannu39) November 24, 2024

IPL Legend: Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is a familiar name in the Indian Premier League who ended his career as a legendary cricketer. The left-handed batter previously held the record for most runs in the IPL for a long time. He was the first batter in IPL history to score 5000 runs. 

Apart from the 2016 and 2017 seasons, where the CSK were suspended along with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for two seasons, Raina served for the Yellow Army. In the IPL 2016 and 2017 seasons, Raina served for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions. He ended his IPL career with 5528 runs in 205 matches with an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73 with one century and 39 half-centuries. 

Raina also scored 842 runs in 24 matches for the CSK in the now-defunct Champions League T20 (CLT20) with the help of one century and five half-centuries. He was the first Indian to record a century in the CLT20.

Despite last time playing in 2021, Raina still holds the record for most runs by a CSK batter with 5529 runs in 200 matches (average 33.10 and strike rate 138.91), including two centuries and 38 half-centuries. 

Moreover, Raina took 110 catches for CSK and 109 catches in his IPL career. Currently, he is the record holder for the most catches for CSK and second most catches in the IPL history.