Sports Bulletin of December 31: From Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma's Test Future to Darren Lehman Saying No To India Coaching Job

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From Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma's Test future and both getting rested ahead of the Champions Trophy to former Australian batter and coach, Darren Lehmann saying no to India job, many things have unfolded in the sports world.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Darren Lehman and many more take centre stage on New Year's eve, Tuesday (December 31) in the World of Sports. Here are the ten unmissable stories of the day.

1) Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma To Be Rested For England Series Ahead Of Champions Trophy - Report

India's captain Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, will be absent from the upcoming white-ball series against England, which begins on January 22, 2025, according to reports. The trio will be rested as part of workload management ahead of the Champions Trophy, set to commence on February 19.

2) Ayush Mhatre becomes youngest cricketer to score 150+ score in List A cricket

Mumbai's Ayush Mhatre made history by becoming the youngest player to score over 150+ runs in a List A match during his team's Vijay Hazare Trophy group-stage encounter against Nagaland in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. The 17-year-old Mhatre scored a stunning 181 off 117 balls, surpassing the previous record set by Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had scored 201 in a 2019 Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Jharkhand at the age of 17 years and 291 days. Mhatre, at 17 years and 168 days, hit 15 fours and 11 sixes, leading Mumbai to a massive total of 403 for seven in the first innings.

3) Sunil Gavaskar Leaves It To Selectors To Decide On Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's Test Future

Sunil Gavaskar is unhappy with senior players- Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma owing to their performance in Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He suggests that the top-order, particularly the seniors, should take responsibility for their lack of contributions. Gavaskar emphasizes that if the top-order fails, it's unfair to blame the lower order. He points out that the senior players, particularly Kohli and Sharma, simply needed to play longer innings to set a foundation for the team, especially in challenging conditions, and ensure they stayed in the series and now leaves it to the selectors to make a call.

4) Darren Lehaman Rejects India Head Coach Job

Former Australia cricketer Darren Lehmann declined the idea of coaching the Indian national team, despite acknowledging it would have been an honor. He stated, "It would have been an honour to work with the Indian national team but I am done with international cricket. I just want the young guys to get better."

5) Nitish Reddy Better Than Hardik Pandya : Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar said that India has been searching for a seam-bowling all-rounder since Hardik Pandya's last Test appearance in 2018. He praised Nitish Reddy for his batting, stating, "Reddy's batting is definitely better than Pandya was around the same time." Gavaskar also noted Reddy's gritty century in Melbourne, while acknowledging that his bowling is still developing.

6) Karnataka High Court Issues Stay on Arrest Warrant Against Robin Uthappa in EPF Deposits Fraud Case

The Karnataka High Court has temporarily halted an arrest warrant issued against former India cricketer Robin Uthappa in a Provident Fund (PF) fraud case. A Vacation Bench led by Justice Suraj Govindaraj provided Uthappa with interim protection, suspending the arrest order and related proceedings. This decision came after Uthappa approached the court to challenge the recovery notices and arrest warrant issued in the case.

7) Former England Coach Gareth Southgate Awarded Knighthood In New Year Honours List

Gareth Southgate, the former manager of England, has been knighted in the New Year Honours. He received the prestigious recognition following a largely successful tenure as England's manager from 2016 to 2024.

8) Manchester United Lose Again In EPL as Newcastle win 2-0

Alexander Isak extended his goal-scoring streak to six consecutive Premier League matches, netting in Newcastle's 2-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday. The result also handed Ruben Amorim's team their worst home run in the top division since the 1970s.

9) Vinod Kambli Without Phone for Six Months After Failing to Pay Repair Charges

Vinod Kambli, ex India cricketer is facing significant health and financial difficulties. He is currently hospitalized and undergoing treatment for blood clots in his brain. The 52-year-old has been out of touch for some time, and reports suggest that he gave his Apple iPhone for repair, but was unable to pay the Rs 15,000 bill. As a result, the shopkeeper took his phone, and it has now been over six months since Kambli was unable to retrieve it.

10) Court Rejects FC Barcelona's Appeal To Register Dani Olmo

Barcelona's attempt to secure a precautionary registration for Dani Olmo for the remainder of the season was rejected once again on Monday, just one day before the deadline. The club signed the Spanish international in August for approximately 55 million euros ($57.22 million), but due to financial restrictions under La Liga's wage cap, Olmo was only registered for the first half of the season. His four-month registration period is set to expire at the end of this month.