Cricket History and Facts

After playing a genuine shot, a batsman is permitted to stop the ball from hitting the stumps. Law 34.1 only makes a batsman out 'hit the ball twice' if they strike the ball a second time purely to avoid being out, not for protecting the stumps after playing a shot.

Law 37.4 explicitly states that willfully obstructing the field by word or action is an offense. A batsman can be given out 'obstructing the field' for verbal obstruction if it prevents a catch or run-out.

Under modern LBW laws (Law 36), a batsman can be out LBW even if the ball pitches outside off stump, provided the batsman makes a genuine attempt to play the ball. The 'outside off stump' exemption only applies if no shot is offered.

This question references the defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) from 2007-2009. Chennai Super Kings (note the spelling error in option B as 'Superkings') is the odd one out - it became a successful IPL franchise and continues to play. Mumbai Champs, Chandigarh Lions, and Delhi Giants were ICL teams that folded when the league was dissolved.

Ravi Shastri played for Glamorgan County Cricket Club in 1985. Lancashire, Sussex, and Middlesex are other English counties but not where Shastri played professionally.

Mark Taylor's well-known nicknames during his career were 'Tubby' (due to his build) and 'Stodge'. 'Helium Bat' was another nickname. 'Stumpy' was not one of his nicknames, making it the correct answer to this negative question.

Brian Lara scored 400 runs for West Indies against England in 2004, the highest individual score in Test cricket history. Graham Gooch scored 333, Matthew Hayden scored 380, and Alan Border's highest was 205.

Ajit Wadekar led India in their first-ever ODI series against England in 1974, making him the first ODI captain. Bedi, Pataudi, and Mankad were great captains but preceded the ODI format.

The maximum score in ten-pin bowling is 300, achieved by rolling 12 consecutive strikes. This includes 9 frames of 3 strikes each (30 points per frame) plus a final strike in the 10th frame for two bonus rolls.

Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural IPL season in 2008, captained by Shane Warne. This was considered a major upset as they were one of the least expensive teams. Deccan Chargers won in 2009, Mumbai Indians in 2013, and RCB has never won an IPL title.

Deccan Chargers won the IPL in 2009, captained by Adam Gilchrist. They had finished last in 2008 but made a remarkable comeback. Rajasthan Royals won in 2008, Mumbai Indians won in 2013 and 2015, and RCB has never won.

Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2010 final to become champions. Deccan Chargers won in 2009, while Mumbai Indians won their first title in 2011.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni captained Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2010 and led them to their first IPL title. Sehwag captained Delhi Daredevils, Sangakkara was with Kings XI Punjab, and Warne captained Rajasthan Royals.