World Cup Social Pavilion: Shakib Al Hasan lights up Cricket World Cup as Ashes rivals face off in 'Battle Royale'

New Zealand still still seem to be getting over the havoc that Carlos Braithwaite caused when West Indies nearly pulled off a win against them. However, there's no animosity between the players as was evident from the conversation between Braithwaite and Ish Sodhi. The spinner displayed with some typical Kiwi humour.

The Bangladesh flag is flying well and truly high at the World Cup. ‘Rise of the tigers’ is indeed happening. They’ve overcome South Africa, West Indies and came close to beating New Zealand and Australia and had a match abandoned without a ball being bowled against Sri Lanka. And at the forefront of it all is allrounder Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib has been leading the charts for the runs scored and features in the top-10 wicket takers in the tournament and has been the driving force behind Bangladesh’s success. With the bat, Shakib scored a gritty half century and Bangladesh posted a total of 262 against Afghanistan.

Shakib turned up again with the ball and picked up a fifer. A fifty and fifer in a World Cup match. Talk about being in the form of your life!

With that performance, Shakib achieved a rare feat in World Cup history.

After this incredible performance, he has his sights set on India. He had a word of caution for his teammates too.

The spirit of Bangladesh aside, let’s take a trip down memory lane. On this day, in 1983, the Indian cricket team, under Kapil Dev, won the Cricket World Cup for the first time. Dev getting on that Lord's balcony on the same day 36 years later and holding the World Cup aloft is enough to get all nostalgic.

Some more feels trip from Doordarshan.

Some former cricketers also took to Twitter to reminisce the moment which greatly shaped sport and cricket in India.

Moving on, it is the day of one of the most talked about matches of the World Cup. A few months ago, most of them were playing with each other in IPL and today they are playing against each other in a premise to the impending Ashes. Jofra Archer will be up against his Rajasthan Royal skipper Steven Smith and also hopes the experience of Big Bash League (BBL) will come in handy against Australia.

The Australian skipper, too, spoke on the ‘friendship’ with his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Jonny Bairstow. IPL, surely, is proving to be beneficial in ways more than one.

After England’s loss to Sri Lanka, the ‘England has the World Cup’ campaign seems to have died down. Oh, how the mighty have fallen in the span of a week. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan was found doing all the permutations and combinations for England to get into the semi-finals. Not to forget his nervousness earlier. Also, not to forget his ‘England has won the world Cup’ chants a week back.

An England win and KP will be back on track. After England’s loss to Sri Lanka, Kevin Pieterson has been the most submissive we’ve ever seen him.

England Cricket team is not holding back. After Virat Kohli’s gesture asking the crowd not to boo Steven Smith became the talk of the town, England’s captain Eoin Morgan made it clear that he was not responsible for any reaction by the crowd and cannot refrain them from reacting to anything or anyone. That’s one way to play mind games.

England took the help of a certain young left-arm pacer to get a little accustomed to the threat of Mitchell Starc. And guess who the left arm pacer was? 

The BBL, IPL and other domestic leagues’ friendship will take a backseat today for one of the greatest rivalries of cricket to come alive again. And no better venue than the Lord’s. It doesn't get any bigger than this.

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