'Playing Pakistan Was Different': Shubman Gill Opens up on Pressure Playing Against Arch-Rivals

Asia Cup 2023 group stage was the first time Shubman played against Pakistan in senior cricket and he asserted that it was a different experience for him.

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'How We Play Different Situations, Makes it Difficult For Bowlers,' Shubman Gill Shares His Experience Opening With Rohit Sharma

Shubman Gill shares his experience when opening with the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma and speaks on how their different approaches complement the two.

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'Been on the Receiving end for RCB, Watching Him Score 92..': De Villiers' Advice for IND Batter After WC Snub

Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers lavished praise on the Indian batter after the 28-year-old failed to make the cut for India's ICC ODI World Cup squad

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​India vs Pakistan Probable XIs, Asia Cup Super Four: Check India vs Pakistan Predicted Teams

Ahead of the Asia Cup Super Four match between India and Pakistan, here's how the two teams could line up

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Former England All-Rounder Andrew Flintoff Makes First Public Appearance After His Accident in the Sets of Top-Gear

The legendary English all-rounder made the move to television where he was the presenter for the popular show, Top Gear. He suffered injuries after a high-speed car crash during the shoot.

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SL vs BAN Probable XIs, Asia Cup 2023: Check Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Predicted Teams

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2023 match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, here's how the two teams could line-up

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'Rishabh Pant Has Confidence in His Game and Backs Himself to Play With Risk': Rohit Sharma Hails Wicketkeeper Batter

Rohit Sharma talked about Rishabh Pant's aggressive batting approach as he wants the southpaw to continue playing with it.

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Asia Cup 2023: India vs Pakistan Super 4 Clash And Tournament Final to Have Reserve Day, Confirms ACC

ACC has added a reserve day for the big match-up between India vs Pakistan after the previous encounter ended up being washed out after the first innings.

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‘The Marvels’ might be skimping on the song and dance numbers, but a Marvel musical could be coming this Christmas

It’s apparently a cast-iron rule now that let a TV universe run long enough and it will eventually spit out a musical episode. Well, apparently the MCU has reached the age where it can no longer be avoided as the latest word indicates that we can perhaps expect a full-on toe-tapping, ear-worming orchestral extravaganza as soon as this Christmas season. Even if The Marvels may have chickened out of being Marvel‘s first musical on the big screen.

Although much of the studio’s Disney Plus slate has been pushed back into 2024, it’s believed that What If…? season two is still coming this year, with the first episode expected to premiere around Christmas Day. Ahead of time, then, some rumored plot details have leaked out. Numerous loglines will be familiar to those who’ve been keeping up to date with all the leaked info, including another Captain Carter episode, a Happy Hogan festive story, and the introduction of the MCU’s first Native American hero.

Image via X/Twitter

A new one that will raise eyebrows, though, is what’s apparently coming in episode seven. In what sounds like a wild revision of WandaVision, the tentative plot summary reads: “What if Wanda had grown up watching musicals instead of sitcoms?” Presumably, then, we can expect a version of the Hex where Westivew’s citizen were not magicked into becoming sitcom characters but to burst into song and dance.

This news may come as a boost to those upset by recent The Marvels rumors. Once upon a time, the Brie Larson sequel was talked up as a full-blown musical, but recently with its runtime apparently being so short, it’s claimed that much of its central musical set piece has been trimmed down considerably. Apparently, Marvel Studios remained committed to getting its groove on somewhere, though, and What If…? looks set to deliver A Very MCU Musical.

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'Rahul Dravid Doesn’t Like Any Communication Gap With Any Player or Support Staff': Rohit Sharma

Talking about his partnership with Dravid, Rohit was in full praise of his coach and said he respects him a lot as a person first then as a cricketer.

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Cameron Green Set to Miss Few Games In Build-Up to the ICC ODI World Cup Due to Concussion Protocol

Cameron Green will be under observation as per concussion protocol for the next eight days after being struck on the head by Kagiso Rabada's bouncer.

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Is ‘The Nun II’ based on a true story?

What’s a guaranteed way of making a horror movie scarier? Basing a horror movie on actual real-life events. The Conjuring Universe has certainly found a lot of success in this arena, with James Wan’s baby built around paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who, as fans of the franchise will know, really existed. In addition to the three Conjuring films, we also have an Annabelle trilogy, The Curse of La Llorona and The Nun, with the 2018 spinoff finally getting is own sequel this summer in the form of The Nun II.

An offshoot of The Conjuring 2, in which the character of the demon Valak — the habit-wearing hell-spawn that serves as the eponymous evil of these movies — first debuted, The Nun II follows on from its predecessor in acting as a prequel to The Conjuring, taking place in 1950s Europe. Even though Taissa Farmiga’s Sister Irene has relocated from Romania to France for the sequel, unfortunately, Valak tracks her down once again.

But does The Nun II take after its parent series in being based on a true story? Well, it’s confession time…

The mythological beginnings of The Nun franchise explained

Image via Warner Bros.

No, The Nun II is not based on a true story. The same thing goes for The Nun. Although The Conjuring 2 was inspired by the real-life poltergeist activity in Enfield, England in 1977, the addition to Valak the demon to the narrative was an invention of Wan and his team, therefore the franchise built entirely around the villain had the freedom to get fully creative and craft a brand-new narrative.

That said, Valak is not a wholesale original creation of The Conjuring Universe as a demon bearing that name exists in occult lore going back centuries. You’ve probably heard about grimoires — books of dark magic — in many a movie and TV show, but they are actually a real thing in antiquity too, and Valak is a frequent presence in several notable tomes. This includes The Lesser Key of Solomon, written in the mid-17th century but drawing from materials dating back hundreds and hundreds of years earlier.

In traditional occult mythology, Valak (also spelled Valac, Ualac, or Volach) does not appear as a nun but as a cherubic winged boy riding a dragon. Needless to say, it’s understandable why Wan and Co. decided to switch that up for something a little less Sistine Chapel meets Game of Thrones. Designated as a president of hell due to its significant powers, Valak is able to seek treasures as well as control serpents, which is where Valak’s alias in the movie, “The Marquis of Snakes,” originates.

So, no, The Nun II is not based on actual events, but who’s to say where these ancient beliefs of a demon called Valak came from? Just something to ponder while you’re tucked up in bed tonight, alone in the dark…

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What if that isn’t Anakin in ‘Ahsoka’ episode 4?

To anyone paying attention to Ahsoka‘s production, Anakin Skywalker’s arrival was a matter of when rather than if. In October 2022, it was widely reported that Hayden Christensen would be appearing in the show, with most assuming it’d be as a Force Ghost or in a flashback to the The Clone Wars era when Ahsoka was his padawan.

The reality has proved to be far more mysterious. Ahsoka appears to have fallen off a cliff and landed in ‘The World Between Worlds’, a mystical dimension outside of linear time. In Rebels, Ahsoka Tano’s life was saved by Ezra using this dimension, with him yanking her out of the timeline as Vader was about to land a killing blow. Now Anakin is here, looking like not a day has passed since Revenge of the Sith.

He seems friendly enough, though the episode closing out with a subtle reprise of John Williams’ Darth Vader theme doesn’t exactly bode well…

Why is Anakin in The World Between Worlds?

Image via Lucasfilm

Before Darth Vader’s battle with Ahsoka in Rebels, it seems Vader had no idea that The World Between Worlds existed. Even after that, it’s unclear whether he realized what had happened to Ahsoka as the moment she was rescued, he fell through the floor as the temple collapsed. That said, Vader’s subsequent actions indicate that he assumed Ahsoka had died there, so we doubt he ever knew about it while alive.

After his death? That’s another story. The rules on where Force Ghosts can go (or even what they are) remain vague, though the timey-wimey dimension seems like the kind of place a spirit might well end up. But it’s interesting that while this Anakin looks somewhat ethereal (this may simply be iffy de-ageing CGI), he doesn’t have the blue glowing outline of other Force Ghosts.

So, if Ahsoka can be saved from her death by Ezra, perhaps it’s possible for someone to save Anakin from his in Revenge of the Sith? That said, Star Wars actually resurrecting Anakin Skywalker would be the moment the franchise jumps the shark, so we doubt he’s a permanent addition to the cast.

If he’s not a Force Ghost or a man, what is he?

It’s possible that someone or something is showing Ahsoka her heart’s desire: her old friend and mentor before being corrupted into Darth Vader. This could be an involuntary psychic manifestation or, in a more sinister twist, perhaps Emperor Palpatine is pulling the strings.

At this point in the Star Wars chronology, Palpatine is still recovering from his apparent death, with his consciousness having been sent into a cloned body prepared for that eventuality. This proved a painful existence as the clones weren’t powerful enough to contain his evil essence, leading to his eventual plan to inhabit Rey’s body.

In Rebels, we saw that Palpatine had been trying to harness The World Between Worlds for his own evil ends, and as he’s now a disembodied spirit, this place may be how he moves between his cloned bodies. After all, Palpatine would know precisely what form to take to throw Ahsoka off guard and manipulate her.

Even if Palpatine isn’t involved, this ‘Anakin’ could still be a direct manifestation of the dark side. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke ventures into the Dark Side Cave as part of his Jedi training, encountering a spirit that takes the form of Darth Vader. If this can happen to Luke, there’s no reason it can’t happen to Ahsoka.

A darker possibility

Image via Hot Toys

This may be getting too far into speculation, but in episode 4, we learned that Marrok appears to be some kind of spirit, with the current fan theory that he was a dead warrior resurrected using Morgan Elsbeth’s Nightsister magic. The bad guys are now down a man after Marrok’s end, and what better spirit to bring back from the dead to torment Ahsoka than Anakin himself?

Capping off the show with one final battle between Ahsoka and an undead Anakin as she battles to put his soul to rest would be an emotionally fraught finale to the show, though would admittedly also be a smidge far-fetched.

However it shakes out, Anakin is (apparently) back from the dead, in good spirits, and seems happy to see Ahsoka. Let’s hope the writers don’t drop the ball next week.

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'Have Seen Fashion in Which Virat Kohli Batted in T20 WC': Former Cricketers Back India Batters to Overcome Pakistan Pacers

Abhishek Nayar suggested that no team will start favourites in the marquee clash on Thursday.

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'Have No Doubts Mr Jay Shah, Pakistan is Ready': Shahid Afridi's Explosive Reply Amid Asia Cup Security Concerns

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi hit back at BCCI secretary Jay Shah regarding the latter's 'security concerns' statement about Asia Cup 2023

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Roelof van der Merwe, Colin Ackermann, and Paul van Meekeren Named in Netherlands' 15-Man-Squad for ODI World Cup

The trio were not able to take part in the World Cup Qualifiers due to their prior commitments to their respective County sides in England.

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‘She’s an extraordinary genius’: Warner Bros. chief bows down to money-making machine Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig‘s Barbie has been the hit of the year, finally surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie to take first place as the highest-grossing box office movie of 2023 (so far). Ever since its announcement, the hype around the film had been huge, and it only got bigger upon its release, as audiences flooded theatres around the globe. It’s no surprise then, that Gerwig is being hailed a genius by the studio she made all that money for.

Warner Bros.’ David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, showered praise on the director at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology event on Wednesday, presenting her with a bouquet of pink (of course) roses, the least he could do, considering Barbie is now Warner Bros.’ highest grossing movie.

As reported by IndieWire, Zaslav spoke to a Goldman Sachs analyst and when asked what lessons the studio took from the success of Barbie, he responded, “Greta Gerwig gets the most credit. She’s an extraordinary genius.” He went on to praise her involvement with marketing, stating she “worked very effectively” and “right down to the wire” with their marketing team.

Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Warner Bros. really did get behind the director’s vision in every way possible, with Zaslav saying, “Every asset that we have was turned pink.” On the show Inside the NBA he had hosts, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Ernie Johnson discussing Barbie whilst in other departments pink played a prominent role, “Every cake on Food Network for a month was pink,” Zaslav stated, adding “When we get something we believe in, we can really drive it.”

Barbie has just recently taken over the reigning box office champ of the year, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, having now made $1.38 billion at the box office to date. This also lands it in 15th place on the biggest box office films of all time, just under Avengers: Age of Ultron which made $1.4 billion.

Projections indicate that Gerwig’s creation could reach $1.53 billion, which if correct, would land it in the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time, beating out Marvel’s Avengers ($1.52 billion). With so much money made for the studio, it’s only fair that Saszlav wax lyrical about the director that brought his company so much dough.

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'Rohit Sharma Subconsciously Thinks he Cannot Play Shaheen Afridi': Pakistan Pace Legend Shoaib Akhtar

Rohit Sharma was dismissed cheaply by Shaheen Afridi during India's Asia Cup 2023 opening match against Pakistan last week.

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Netflix boldly drops first trailer for a new actioner with an identical title and premise to the upcoming spin-off from a billion-dollar franchise

Not to generalize, but if you were told about an upcoming revenge-driven action movie called Ballerina headlined by a protagonist that’s mastered martial arts, swordfighting, gunmanship, and motorcycle riding and promises geysers of blood and bone-crunching brutality, then Ana de Armas’ John Wick spin-off would probably be the first thing that came to mind.

After all, Chapter 4 recently saw the Keanu Reeves franchise fly past a cumulative box office total of a billion dollars, cementing itself as one of the greatest recurring sagas of the modern era that’s seen both critical acclaim and earnings increase with each new installment.

And yet, Netflix has made the bold call to unveil the first trailer for incoming Korean original Ballerina, which releases on Oct. 6 and follows an ex-bodyguard named Ok-joo as she seeks ruthless retribution against those who wronged her.

It’s entirely coincidental, but that doesn’t make it any less fascinating that Netflix is forging ahead with the debut of an in-house exclusive that boasts the exact same title and a near-identical premise to what will be the sixth entry in the John Wick universe by the time it lands in theaters in June of next year, with episodic prequel The Continental filling the gap in between.

If it lives up to the majority of Netflix’s recent Korean ass-kickers in terms of quality, then de Armas might have an unforeseen mountain to climb in order to ensure that her Ballerina ends up being the best of the bunch, because history is most definitely on the streaming service’s side in this instance.

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'If Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma were in place of Ishan Kishan..': Gautam Gambhir Names Wicketkeeper For ODI WC 2023

Gautam Gambhir picked his first choice wicketkeeper for India among KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan citing the example of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

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‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ theory points to a happy ending for Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker

The saddest Spider-Man might get his well-deserved happy ending at long last if this Secret Wars theory is to be believed.

Spider-Man has it pretty rough and it’s not just Andrew Garfield’s version of the character. Tom Holland’s Spidey had to make one of the toughest choices a hero has ever made at the end of No Way Home in erasing himself from everyone’s memory and lost his aunt to boot. In fact, out of all the Marvel heroes, it seems that Spider-Man always suffers the most, even in the comics, and we get it, “with great power” yadda yadda, but come on.

Out of the live-action Spider-Men, there’s doubt Garfield’s iteration has suffered the most due to failing to save Gwen. The turmoil this caused him is evident at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 where he quits being the hero New York needs for several months. Even when he returns in No Way Home seven years later, he is still clearly a broken man who at some point stopped pulling his punches.

So could there be a happy ending for arguably the best iteration of the web-slinger after all? We already got a few golden moments of redemption for the character in No Way Home as he was able to save Peter 1’s MJ from suffering a similar fate to his Gwen. Also, the knowledge that he was also able to play a part in saving his universe’s villains as well as Peter 1 and Peter 2’s villains would hopefully also bring him some comfort. However, Secret Wars has the opportunity to give him the real happy ending he truly deserves.

So what’s the theory?

The idea shared on TheCosmicCircus.com suggests that the multiverse will play a huge part in Peter 3’s happy ending (duh). Reports suggest that Garfield and Tobey Maguire have been approached to reprise their roles yet again for the Avengers movie. However, the theory goes further, suggesting that the upcoming film might take some inspiration from the recent Across the Spider-Verse movie and introduce more spider variants. 

One such variant could very well be a Spider-Gwen whose life mirrors Peter’s. Spider-Gwen would, of course, be played by Emma Stone, who already has fans speculating about her potentially playing the character, although fans might be reading a bit too much into it all at the moment, (she got a haircut).

Oh I see it https://t.co/msmDv0rCgB

— Hernandy (@Pollos_Hernandy) August 7, 2023

The two could hopefully find some way to stay together either visiting across the multiverse or perhaps their universes somehow merging, (hopefully not in the form of an incursion). Either way, it would be nice to see Andrew’s Peter finally be given the happy ending he deserves after ten years. Could it actually happen? Well, the Marvel writers seem to love torturing Spider-Man, so maybe not.

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Sri Lanka Set World Record After Defeating Afghanistan by 2 Runs in Asia Cup 2023

Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by 2 runs to set a new world as they bowled out their opponents in a 12th consecutive game

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Shubman Gill Continues Push for Babar Azam's Number 1 ODI Ranking, Ishan Kishan Jumps 12 Spots After 82 vs Pakistan

Shubman Gill rose to his career high third place in ICC ODI rankings, as he continues to push for Babar Azam's crown of number 1 ranking

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‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ still has no trailer, but evidence suggests DC’s next bomb is clinging to its dead-weight release date

To get the clearest picture of the downfall of the DCEU, just look at the differing releases of 2018’s Aquaman and its upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The first outran mixed reviews to swim past the coveted $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, becoming the most successful entry in its franchise. The second, meanwhile, is coming out in just over 100 days and it doesn’t even have a trailer yet.

Obviously, a lot of what’s stacked up against Aquaman 2 is beyond its control — the strikes, Amber Heard’s legal drama, the lingering effects of the pandemic on cinema — but, regardless, it seems like the world is far less hyped for a sequel to a record-breaking, globally popular superhero blockbuster than it should be. With Dune Part Two already vacating this year’s slate in order to be given more room to breathe in 2024, you’d think Warner Bros. might give The Lost Kingdom the same treatment. But, nope, that’s apparently not the plan.

via Warner Bros.

As you may have seen, Aquaman 2 action figures are already beginning to hit shelves in various international territories, so the rollout of the merchandise tie-ins highly indicates that the studio is fully prepared to stick with its planned Dec. 20 release date, even if the movie seems doomed to sink rather than soar given how things are going. We’re living in an improbable time when toys — that curiously look nothing like Amber Heard — are releasing before a trailer.

Without any new DC movies coming in 2024, as James Gunn’s DCU doesn’t kick off until 2025, it wouldn’t cause too much of a kerfuffle to the long-term plans to push Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom into next year, when its cast can actually promote it and the hype levels have risen a little. And yet WB appears dead-set on sticking to this dead-weight release schedule.

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Taika Waititi has more ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ crimes to answer for after junked LGBTQ+ romance rumors

Although Thor: Ragnarok was showered with near-universal praise, one element that was criticized was the removal of any hint at Valkyrie’s bisexuality. Once upon a time, it looked like this was all set to be fixed in Thor: Love and Thunder when Tessa Thompson announced to the whooping Comic-Con crowd back in 2019 that the four-quel would see Valkyrie on the search for “her queen,” now that she was king of New Asgard. Well, needless to say, the absence of such a plotline was one of LAT‘s many drawbacks.

Fresh details on what may have been planned have now emerged, however, pointing to which familiar character from Thor lore might’ve become Valkyrie’s queen in earlier versions of the film. First of all, recently unearthed storyboards depict a deleted scene in which Lady Sif was rescued by Valkyrie from Gorr’s attack on New Asgard. Valkyrie would’ve then taken Sif to the infirmary, establishing a friendship between the two women.

New storyboards from a deleted Thor: Love and Thunder scene show Valkyrie and Sif (re)uniting during the Battle of New Asgard!

Valkyrie was supposed to grab Sif out of battle and take her to New Asgard’s infirmary, but this sadly got deleted. pic.twitter.com/6JFOCBPLqu

— Thor Updates (@ThorUpdate) September 4, 2023

According to scooper MyTimeToShineHello, though, this friendship would have developed into something more of a junked subplot, with Sif “supposed to be [Valkyrie’s] girlfriend and then queen.”

Image via X/Twitter

When speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2022 about Valkyrie’s lack of love interest in Thor 4, Thompson admitted the team “had lots of conversations about it” but argued that making the character’s journey about “trying to learn how to love… herself” was preferable as Thompson even argued that defining her by a romance would be “minimizing her humanity” and equates to negative queer representation. “I think that’s just a stronger message, no matter what your orientation,” she said, on the importance of Valkyrie being single.

While Thompson raises interesting points, the fact that she proudly proclaimed one thing on stage at San Diego only for the finished film to depict something entirely different makes it plain that Love and Thunder underwent some huge story shifts during production. Sif becoming queen of New Asgard would’ve been a neat nod to her Norse myth origins, in which she is Thor’s queen, and finally given Alexander something more to do as the warrior. Sadly, a Valkyrie-Sif romance wasn’t to be, however. But, hey, if Taika Waititi really wants to make Thor 5 then that’s one thing he can belatedly deliver.

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South Africa Wicketkeeper-Batter Quinton de Kock to Retire from ODIs After World Cup 2023

After making his ODI debut in 2013, Quinton de Kock has played 140 matches, amassing 5966 runs at an average of 44.85, with 17 tons and 29 half-centuries.

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Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka Opt to Bat First Against Afghanistan; Both Teams Unchanged

Both the teams have gone unchanged for this crucial Group B clash.

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IND vs NEP: I Wanted to See Three Genuine Fast Bowlers And See How that Come - Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir feels that India should have also played tearaway pacer Prasidh Krishna for the Nepal clash.

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BCCI President Roger Binny and Vice-President Rajeev Shukla Cross Attar-Wagah Border to Visit Pakistan

Roger Binny and Rajeev Shukla will head to Pakistan in order to represent the BCCI as they attend a dinner to celebrate Pakistan's hosting of the Asia Cup 2023.

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WATCH: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan Drop Easy Catches Against Nepal

India dropped three easy catches in the powerplay after skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bowl first.

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IND vs NEP Asia Cup 2023 Toss Report: India Opt to Bat; Shami Replaces Jasprit Bumrah

India captain Rohit Sharma said Jasprit Bumrah, who headed back home for the birth of his child, has been replaced by Mohammad Shami.

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A Russo brothers-endorsed theory raises its head again to make a case for becoming official MCU canon

The Russo brothers have every right to be an authority on the MCU. After all, they helmed The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re talking about. That said, their hints that the Punisher played a key role in a Winter Soldier action scene sounds just a teeny bit far-fetched.

The notion dates back to a DVD signing in 2014, where Joe Russo strongly hinted that the driver of the yellow truck that takes out two HYDRA agents pursuing Nick Fury was Frank Castle all along. At the time Russo said:

“The man who drives that truck is very highly trained. He thinks on his own terms. He’s got a plan and a very specific skill set.”

We’re now almost a decade on from these comments, since then Jon Bernthal has made his MCU debut as the character in the Netflix MCU shows, and will soon reprise the role in Daredevil: Born Again. So, is this really Frank Castle? Fans over on r/MarvelStudios are debating the matter, and there are no easy answers:

Image via Reddit

Replies are skeptical, saying this “feels too unlikely,” and that it’s simply a random truck driver who couldn’t stop in time. Another says secret Punisher cameos seem to be a running joke between the Russo brothers, as they’ve also said Castle was hit by the bench Hulk threw after learning Black Widow died.

Another points out that this wouldn’t even make sense chronologically, saying that Daredevil season 2 takes place after this movie, so his crusade against crime hasn’t even officially begun.

We’re with the fans on this, and suspect Joe Russo wasn’t being entirely serious. Either way, we’re looking forward to seeing Bernthal dishing out some more violent retribution on Disney Plus soon.

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'Prominent Figure in the Rise of Zimbabwe Cricket': Cricketing Fraternity Reacts to the Passing of Heath Streak.

Legendary Zimbabwean all-rounder, Heath Streak has passed away at the age of 49. He was one of the most iconic figures in Zimbabwean cricket and was a force to be reckoned with.

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India vs Nepal, Asia Cup 2023: Kandy Weather Forecast And Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Pitch Report

Check here for Kandy weather forecast, rain prediction and more for the Asia Cup 2023 match between India and Nepal.

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India vs Nepal Probable XIs, Asia Cup 2023: Check Predicted Teams for India vs Nepal

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2023 match between India and Nepal, here's how the two teams could line up.

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'I've Always Known My Ability And What I Can Do', Says Gus Atkinson After Four-Wicket Haul On T20I Debut

England pacer Gus Atkinson’s rise reached a phenomenal high when he took a four-wicket haul on his T20I debut against New Zealand in the second game of the series, giving the hosts a crushing 95-run win.

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India vs Nepal Asia Cup 2023 Live Streaming: When & Where to Watch IND vs NEP Match Live Online

Check out the live streaming details for India and Nepal Asia Cup 2023 match to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

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BAN v AFG Asia Cup 2023 Toss Report: Bangladesh Opt to Bat and Make Three Changes

Bangladesh will look to secure a win and qualify for the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup and bounce back from their loss against Sri Lanka.

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Asia Cup 2023: Here's How India Can Still Qualify for Super Fours After Pakistan Washout

Asia Cup 2023: After the match against Pakistan was called off, here's how India can still qualify for the Super 4

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WATCH: Annoyed Rohit Sharma Asks Cameraman to Stop Filming Him During Rain Break

During the rain break the broadcasters tried to get a byte of Rohit Sharma from the dugout near the boundary line but the Indian skipper was not impressed with that.

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WATCH: Shaheen Afridi Wins Battles Against Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma in High-Octane IND vs PAK Clash

Shaheen Afridi was right on the money and got the better of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the mega India vs Pakistan clash.

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Asia Cup, India vs Pakistan: Fans Hail King Shaheen as Afridi Castles Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Shaheen Afridi dismissed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli with two unplayable balls after India opted to bat having won the toss against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

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New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson Set to Lead the Kiwis For Their Three-Match ODI Series Against Bangladesh

Following the conclusion of the ongoing T20 and ODI series against England, the Blackcaps will travel to Bangladesh to play a 3 ODIs and 2 Tests.

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IND v PAK Asia Cup 2023 Toss Report: India Opt to Bat; Iyer Returns, Shami Benched

Shreyas Iyer is back in the mix along with Jasprit Bumrah. India have picked three seamers in Bumrah, Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja will share the spin-bowling responsibilities

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'Was Playing High-Risk Cricket in Last 2 Years, Will Bring Right Balance': Rohit Sharma Ahead of IND vs PAK Clash

Rohit Sharma said that he needs to bring balance to his game and assess the situation well before taking risks as the team needs him to play long innings.

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Tom Hardy as the next James Bond wouldn’t be half as interesting as casting him as this iconic 007 villain

With just as much inevitability as 007 ordering a shaken vodka martini, Tom Hardy has once again entered the conversation to find the next James Bond. The Venom star’s odds to play the world’s greatest secret agent have once again been slashed following increased speculation once more that he could replace Daniel Craig in the role. We’ve been seeing this rumored casting pop up for years now, long before Craig had even vacated the part, and, sure, it’s easy to see why people want Hardy as Bond. But just because fans want it, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the right choice.

Don’t get me wrong, Hardy is a phenomenal actor and if producers wanted to go for someone of a similar age to Craig who could likewise bring a lot of grit and gravitas to the character then he’d be a surefire choice. However, much like Idrs Elba and many of the most popular fan-castings, he has several marks against him, in a practical sense. At 45, he doesn’t have long to go before he reaches 53, the age Craig was when his last movie released. Plus, he’s a very well-established star, in the way that no prior 007 has been before. Basically, the logistics and longevity of his Bond tenure would be sketchy at best.

On the other hand, if the world wants Tom Hardy in a Bond movie, then who are MGM to deny it from happening? Luckily, there’s a far more enticing, and pragmatic, potential casting to be made here — as drawn from trends that emerged in the Craig films — that would help finally give the mysterious Bond 26 a storyline. Hardcore Bond fans, what I’m about to say next will shock you, but just bear with me: what if Tom Hardy was hired as not Bond himself, but a rebooted version of From Russia With Love‘s Red Grant?

Image via EON/United Artists

As originally played by Jaws icon Robert Shaw, Red Grant is remembered as one of the most dangerous foes Bond ever faced. The original, and perhaps still the best, of the “dark mirror” Bond villains, Grant is the perfect evil reflection of Sean Connery’s spy. Like Bond himself, he’s handsome, sophisticated, and an expert marksman and fighter. Unlike Bond, he’s entirely immoral, working as an expert assassin for SPECTRE.

Speaking of, 2015’s Spectre broke the rules in rebooting a classic Bond villain for the first time, with Christoph Waltz’s Blofeld. This certainly did not go down as well as hoped, but that was largely due to the lackluster depiction of the character (by the looks of it, the filmmakers used Austin Powers 3 as their main source of inspiration) and not the concept in of itself. Rumors had it that No Time to Die‘s Safin was originally supposed to be a new version of Dr. No, which actually would’ve helped give Rami Malek’s foe a stronger presence.

Obviously not every Bond film should simply bring back an old villain, but kicking off a brand new era for the hero by tipping a hat to the past would be a canny way of launching James Bond No. 7, whoever they may be. Surely there would be no better way for the next Bond to prove themselves than by battling one of the most popular would-be Bonds in Tom Hardy? Realistically, Hardy is too old and busy to be the spy himself, but he would make for a fantastic second iteration of one of 007’s most notorious nemeses.

I mean, Hardy could definitely rock that peroxide blonde hairdo, right?

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IND vs PAK: 'Babar Azam Doesn't Need to Give Any Message' - Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir said that Babar Azam's real test will be only against the Indian bowling line-up in the ongoing Asia Cup.

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India vs Pakistan Live Streaming For Asia Cup 2023: How to Watch IND vs PAK Coverage in India?

Check out the live streaming details for the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 match to be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

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Marvel has a speedster problem much bigger than DC’s ‘The Flash’

The Flash made its Max debut at the tail-end of August, and unlike most superhero streaming releases, it sunk like a stone, earning practically zero new traction for what was once pegged as one of the best DC movies ever made. As the studio’s most costly flop ever and a critical punching bag, The Flash could not have been a more embarrassing first solo movie for the Scarlet Speedster. And yet, despite all that, the movie — and DC at large — still treated Barry Allen with a whole lot more respect than Marvel has its own speedsters.

Primarily, that’s because at least DC gave the Flash his own standalone vehicle in the first place, while the MCU has sidelined the many speedsters among its superhero population since the very beginning. Again and again, the franchise has totally failed to hand its super-sprinting characters the treatment they deserve. So, as we heard faster and faster towards the heart of the Multiverse Saga, it’s about time that Marvel fixed this issue before it trips them up somewhere down the line.

It all goes back to the portrayal of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Despite being one of the most long-lasting Avengers in the comics, Pietro Maximoff was killed off after a single appearance and, unusually for the MCU, never seen or heard from again (with Taylor-Johnson even hopping over to Sony to continue his comic book career in Kraven the Hunter).

Of course, six years later, in WandaVision, we did eventually get a new Pietro, with the X-Men saga’s Evan Peters brought over as the “recast” Quicksilver, in what is still one of the most inspired, surprising castings in MCU history. But what do they do with him in the finale? Reveal he’s not the real X-Men Quicksilver at all but some guy called Ralph Bohner — killing the Multiverse Saga’s first crossover stone dead all for the sake of a lame, juvenile gag that even Deadpool wouldn’t find funny.

Meanwhile, Lauren Ridloff’s Makkari was one of the best parts of Eternals, thanks to her extremely charming performance, the character’s epic skillset, and her unexpectedly sweet romance with Barry Keoghan’s Druig. And yet, through no fault of her own, Makkari’s at serious risk of pulling a Quicksilver and being a one-and-done wonder, thanks to being trapped in a franchise that appears doomed never to return.

Sadly, Marvel’s strange vendetta against its speedsters shows no signs of slowing down, which is only doing an entire class of its costumed crusaders a massive disservice. Heck, I haven’t even mentioned the tragic fate that met the Whizzer in Jessica Jones season 2 (*Tamatoa from Moana voice* look it up). Although if both Quicksilvers and Makkari team up to run rings around Kang the Conqueror in Avengers: Secret Wars, I’ll be racing to make Kevin Feige a hasty apology.

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