Mumbai, March 4: Rohit Sharma-led Indian team was wearing black armbands during the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal clash against Australia on Tuesday in honour of left-arm spinner Padmakar Shivalkar, who passed away on Monday, aged 84.Ā Shivalkar was a stalwart of Indian domestic cricket, renowned for his unparalleled skill and dedication to the game. ā€˜Got Frustrated and Left Cricketā€¦ā€™ Varun Chakaravarthy Opens Up About His Journey From Becoming a Pacer to Spinner, Video Goes Viral After His Successful ICC Champions Trophy Debut.

A dominant force in the Ranji Trophy, Shivalkar played 124 first-class matches, claiming an impressive 589 wickets at an outstanding average of 19.69. He delivered one of the most memorable performances in Ranji Trophy history, taking 8 for 16 and 5 for 18 in the 1972ā€“73 final, leading Mumbai (then Bombay) to a resounding victory over Tamil Nadu.

BCCI HonoursĀ Padmakar Shivalkar

Despite never representing India in international cricket as his era coincided with that of fellow left-arm spinner and legend Bishan Singh Bedi, Shivalkarā€™s immense contributions to Indian cricket were formally recognised when he was honoured by the Board with the prestigious Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Coming to the match, Australia won the toss and opted to bat first at Dubai International Stadium. Steve Smith made two changes in the playing 11 as Cooper Connolly came in for Matthew Short while Tanveer Sangha replaced Spencer Johnson. Travis Head Wicket Video: Varun Chakaravarthy Removes ā€˜Dangerousā€™ Australian Opener for 39 Runs During IND vs AUS ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Semi-Final Match.

On the other hand, India remained unchanged for the knockout clash and went ahead with four spinners for the all-important clash. India were undefeated in their Group A campaign with wins over Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand, respectively.

"We've played good cricket in all three games and that's what we'll look to do now. It's going to be challenging. The slower bowlers have come into play a lot, that's why we wanted same team. We played a couple of days back here, we want to continue from where we left. Now that we are bowling first, we have to bowl well and try and restrict them as less as possible," Rohit said at the toss.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2025 03:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).