Stats – Afghanistan's first-ever win against New Zealand

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

All the records that Afghanistan and Rashid broke against New Zealand in Providence

Sampath Bandarupalli08-Jun-20241 Afghanistan defeated New Zealand for the first time in international cricket. New Zealand had won all four previous meetings – three times at the ODI World Cup (2015, 2019 and 2023) and once in the T20 World Cup (2021).1 New Zealand’s defeat against Afghanistan is their first loss against a team outside the first-eight full-member nations in the men’s World Cup (ODI or T20I). New Zealand played 39 World Cup matches against teams other than the first-eight full-member nations, winning 37, while another game ended in a washout.84 New Zealand’s margin of defeat against Afghanistan is their biggest while chasing at the men’s T20 World Cup. Their previous biggest was 59 runs against Sri Lanka in 2014 while chasing 120.It was the third time Afghanistan won a T20 World Cup game by a margin of 80-plus runs, the most by any team.75 New Zealand’s total at the Providence is their second lowest at the men’s T20 World Cup, behind their 60 all out against Sri Lanka in 2014. It is also the fourth-lowest total by New Zealand in men’s T20Is.New Zealand have been bundled out for under 100 in men’s T20Is on 13 occasions, the second most by any team, behind Rwanda (18).1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran became the first opening pair with successive partnerships of 100-plus runs at the men’s T20 World Cup, as they backed up their 154-run stand against Uganda with a 103-run partnership against New Zealand.Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan (2012-2014) and Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (2014) are the other pairs to share century stands in consecutive outings at the men’s T20 World Cup.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 for 17 Rashid Khan’s bowling figures against New Zealand are the best by a captain at the men’s T20 World Cup. He bettered 4 for 20 by Daniel Vettori against India in 2007 and Zeeshan Masood against PNG in 2021.1 Fazalhaq Farooqi is the first player with consecutive four-plus wicket hauls at the T20 World Cup. He followed up his five-wicket haul against Uganda in the first match with a four-wicket against New Zealand.2 Gurbaz is now the first batter to outscore the opposition in a men’s T20 World Cup game, twice. He scored 76 runs in the previous match against Uganda, who dismissed for 56.Gurbaz scoring five more than New Zealand’s 75 all out was the seventh instance of a batter outscoring the opponent in a men’s T20 World Cup match.3 Instances of two bowlers taking four or more wickets in the same innings at the men’s T20 World Cup, including Farooqi and Rashid against New Zealand. The previous two instances came against Scotland – Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi for Pakistan in 2007 and Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid for Afghanistan in 2021.17 Four-plus wicket hauls for Rashid in T20 cricket are the most by any bowler in the format, surpassing Shakib Al Hasan’s 16. Eight of Rashid’s 17 four-plus wicket hauls have come in T20Is, the joint most alongside Shakib.

Can anyone challenge Australia and India in Group A?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The teams and their stars, their strengths and their weaknesses, and, really, how far are they likely to go?

Alex Malcolm, Andrew McGlashan, Srinidhi Ramanujam, S Sudarshanan28-Sep-2024.

Australia

Overview
The defending champions, who have won a hat-trick of titles dating back to 2018, look the most vulnerable they have since failing to win it in 2016. They have not lost a global tournament since the 2017 ODI World Cup, but since winning their third consecutive title in the T20 format in February 2023, they have lost a T20I series 1-2 in England and rare home matches to West Indies and South Africa. They have also been bowled out twice against India and New Zealand, something that had not happened since the first game of the 2020 World Cup. They still have an extraordinary side, full of depth with both bat and ball, and will be the team to beat. But they must be better and braver with the bat than they have been recently as opponents are catching up.Squad
Alyssa Healy (capt/wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla VlaeminckKey player
Ellyse Perry’s greatness is undisputed, and her legacy secure. But there might be a personal point to prove here given how her T20I career has morphed with her batting in the second half of her career. She was a bit-part batter in 2018 and 2023, predominantly down the order. She famously missed 2020 through injury and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games she ran the drinks. She has had a renaissance in T20 leagues and has been elevated to Nos. 3-4 this year following the retirement of Meg Lanning. Her experience will be invaluable if, as expected, the surfaces are slow and the scoring is low. But there will be times when Australia need to hit the accelerator in the powerplay and she will be eager to prove she can do that too.Predicted finish: Champions

India

Overview
With a plethora of spinners, India enter the T20 World Cup as one of the favourites. They have lost only seven T20Is since the last edition, but one of those was the surprise defeat to Sri Lanka in the final of the Asia Cup in July. India have shown consistency in ICC competitions, constantly challenging the likes of Australia and England, but have often stumbled at the knockout stages. In a bid to course correct and overcome the mental barrier, they hired the services of a sports psychologist as part of their pre-tournament preparation. India will look to openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, both of whom have been among the runs over the past year, to set the tone. Mandhana has worked on her game against spin – as evidenced from her showing in the home series against South Africa – which will be crucial in the UAE.Squad
Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sajeevan SajanaKey player
She may divide opinion when it comes to her batting position in the T20I set-up, but there is no doubt Deepti Sharma is one of the first names in an India XI. Her ability to bowl across phases makes captain Harmanpreet Kaur turn to her in the face of mounting pressure and she could be more than a handful in the UAE. In T20Is since January 2022, no bowler has picked up more wickets that Deepti’s 73 among Full Members and teams at this T20 World Cup. Her batting numbers may not be other-worldly, but no one among Full Members in women’s T20Is since the start of 2022 has taken more than 45 wickets scored more than 420 runs; Deepti has 525. She provided a reminder of her all-round abilities in the Women’s Hundred for champions London Spirit, scoring 212 at a strike rate of 132.50 and returning eight wickets at an economy of 6.85.Predicted finish: Finalists (with a fair shot at winning it)Sophie Devine has had to move down the batting order to provide it with solidity•Getty Images

New Zealand

Overview
New Zealand will enter the World Cup on a ten-match losing streak in T20s after their 3-0 defeat against Australia. They are in a tough group and will have to perform above their recent level to have a realistic chance of progressing. In Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine – both playing their ninth consecutive T20 World Cup – alongside Amelia Kerr and Lea Tahuhu, they have an experienced core. But they will need some support from the emerging cast led by the likes of Georgia Plimmer and Fran Jonas. Devine has recently batted at No. 4 to try and control the middle stages of an innings, and hopefully finish chases, but that raises the question of whether the team is making best use of one of their best batters.Squad
Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Fran Jonas, Leigh Kasperek, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea TahuhuKey player
Currently batting in the pivotal No. 3 position, and a banker for four overs with her threatening legspin, Amelia Kerr will be central to New Zealand’s hopes. She provided an example of her skills with a T20I career-best of 4 for 20 in Mackay with numerous batters unable to read her googly. With the bat, there are perhaps a few question marks over her strike rate, which hovers around the 110-115 region, although in two WPL seasons it has reached 130, which shows she has the capability to up the tempo. New Zealand are getting closer to a significant changing of the guard: Kerr will be central to what happens next.Predicted finish: Group stageFatima Sana, just 22, is Pakistan’s new T20I captain•PCB

Pakistan

Overview
Pakistan go into this World Cup with a new captain, Fatima Sana, who replaced the experienced Nida Dar in August. This will be the 22-year-old’s first ICC tournament as captain, but she has featured in the last three T20 World Cups. That apart, Pakistan are a settled side with ten players from the 2023 tournament. They have lost all three bilateral series played this year, though – against West Indies, England and South Africa – and have won just four of 15 T20Is. Consistency has eluded them but in the series against South Africa they twice passed 150, the only times they have done so this year. Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin and Gull Feroza have scored 952 runs between them in 2024 and although Dar, Aliya Riaz and Sana are handy in the middle order, the top order will be crucial. Sadia Iqbal and Dar will shoulder the bulk of the bowling responsibility in spin-friendly conditions. But all considered, it’s a tough group, and Pakistan have no room for mistakes.Squad
Fatima Sana (capt), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal (subject to fitness), Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba HassanKey player
Muneeba Ali is the batter in form. In the last seven matches, she has crossed 30 six times and remained unbeaten twice. Not a powerful hitter, the left-hand opener can be aggressive in the powerplay with her ability to pierce gaps with ease and elegance. She has worked on her strike rate, 113.04 this year, which is also the highest among Pakistan’s top four. With 364 runs in 15 matches in 2024, she also tops the team’s batting charts. The only centurion at the last T20 World Cup, Muneeba will be expected to carry her form into this edition.Predicted finish: Group stageThere have been few better performers around the world than Chamari Athapaththu over the past many months•ACC

Sri Lanka

Overview
Sri Lanka have been the busiest team over the past year, and they are greatly improved at the end of it. Since last year’s event, they have played 31 matches, the most by a Full Member team. They have lost only nine games in this period and notched up wins for the first time against New Zealand, England and South Africa. Their win-loss ratio since April 2023 is better than Australia and India, a maiden Asia Cup title being the highlight. Their only concern could be the lower-middle order, though that could be offset by the strong form Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari have shown in recent times, with captain Chamari Athapaththu being a constant, all-round superhero.Squad
Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilshari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana, Sugandika KumariKey player
Harshitha Samarawickrama is in fine form. She helped Sri Lanka beat South Africa in a T20I series in South Africa for the first time, scoring an unbeaten 54 in the deciding game. She also starred in Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup final win, making an unbeaten 69 in just 51 balls to beat India. Her ability to change gears at will has benefited Sri Lanka this year, as evidenced by her strike rate of 120.81 in T20Is as opposed to her career strike rate of 99.72 in the format. Sri Lanka always wanted to reduce their over-reliance on Athapaththu and Samarawickrama’s emergence and consistency at No. 3 has allowed them to do so.Predicted finish: Group stage (but don’t rule them out of progressing)

After changes in lifestyle, Fatima Sana wants to be as quick as Shabnim Ismail

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Pakistan captain also wants to improve her batting ahead of the T20 World Cup, even as she looks up to her coaches’ experience of playing in the UAE

Firdose Moonda03-Oct-2024Fatima Sana has given up and , and taken up weight training. She is now in the process of trying to elevate herself to elite-athlete status, especially now that she carries the extra responsibility of captaining her national side. Sana was named Pakistan captain in August, to add to her all-round role as the premier seamer and a middle-order batter, and understands it will take careful management to perform all three tasks with success.”I have to just be conscious about my diet and workload, and training. When I was young, I used to eat everything, but now everything has changed,” Sana told ESPNcricinfo. “I’ve shifted totally to eating salads and grills. Hopefully, if I try to manage my workload and the diet, it will help me play as best I can. I want to be able to play at my best in bowling, batting and fielding.”Sana was first introduced to the lifestyle habits of sportspeople when she was involved in the Fairbreak Invitational tournament in 2022, where she played with the likes of Heather Knight, Laura Wolvaardt and Deandra Dottin. Then, she told journalists that she noticed differences between the way the Pakistan women’s team approached their overall health and wellness, and how players from countries with more developed women’s cricketing structures did the same.Related

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“We also work on our fitness, but their level is different from ours – maybe due to cultural differences,” she had said at the time. “They take care of their diet, and I saw it during this league.”Ever since, among Sana’s social media pictures are shots of her in the gym, working on her strength, which she believes will give her career longevity. Sana has played representative cricket since she was 13, international cricket since she was 17, and among Pakistan’s seam bowlers, is already their second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs, and third-highest in T20Is. Currently, she is working on getting faster in order to be more of a threat.”My speeds are between 110 or 115 [kph] at the moment. I want to be quicker, but skilful as well,” she said, making sure to add that her small stature and height of around five feet are not a hindrance. “Shabnim Ismail is also small, and she bowled the fastest ball as well. I don’t have an excuse, and in fact, I have a proper example.”

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But Sana is also hoping to go where Ismail didn’t: up the batting charts. “My first job is bowling, but you may have seen that the Pakistan team is struggling in the middle order. So I have to improve my batting as well.”And she has. On Pakistan’s tour to New Zealand last year, Sana scored an unbeaten 90 while batting at No. 5 in the second ODI, an innings which announced her as more than just a bowler.”After that series, everyone knew that I am also an allrounder,” she said. “I didn’t really perform in batting before that. Even if people thought I was a good batter before, I didn’t show that. After that innings, everyone saw that I can survive in pressure situations, that I can bat and I can bat long as well.”Sana’s challenge as a batter is to provide Pakistan with some impetus after Muneeba Ali, their most consistent player in the top order, as she needs support from lower down. Former captain Nida Dar provides experience in the middle order, and though she has not produced a score above 30 since last September, her strike rate of 101.76 is the highest in the Pakistan side. That is a statistic Sana wants to change.”What we’ve seen is that we struggle with power-hitting,” she said. “My coach has told me that I can hit long. So I will probably be the one doing a lot of power-hitting.”That was evident in Pakistan’s most recent T20I series, against South Africa in Multan. Sana was the leading run-scorer with 101 runs from two innings, had the highest strike rate of 157.81, and hit three sixes, the joint-most in the series.”I will probably be the one doing a lot of power-hitting” – Fatima Sana ahead of the T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesSana was also leading Pakistan for the first time, and found herself as the only seamer in the opening game. Given Pakistan’s spin-heavy squad, she may find herself in that position again – especially at the T20 World Cup, where dry, slow pitches are expected to greet the teams. Most of the participating sides have no experience playing in the UAE, apart from Scotland and Sri Lanka, who were at the qualifying tournament earlier in the year.Sharjah last hosted women’s T20Is in 2017, while Dubai has only seen one series – between UAE and Namibia – played there, in 2023. Sana apart, Aliya Riaz and Diana Baig from Pakistan were also there at the Fairbreak tournament, which also held in the UAE, but Pakistan’s real advantage may come from the support staff.”Our coaches played here,” Sana said. “Our bowling coach Junaid Khan and our spin coach Abdur Rehman played here. So they will share the experience with all of the team.”Junaid played nine Tests, 20 ODIs and two T20Is in the UAE from 2011-19, when Pakistan were using the country as a home base, while Rehman played eight Tests, eight ODIs and a T20I there. That may give Pakistan a unique perspective compared to their competitors, and Sana will welcome any edge they can get. “We know that our group is the death group, but still we will try our best,” she said.Pakistan are in Group A with Australia, India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and they have to go back to 2016 for the last time they had beaten any of these opponents at a T20 World Cup. In that edition of the tournament, Pakistan beat India and Bangladesh. Since then, they have only beaten Ireland and West Indies across the T20 and ODI World Cups, and have only won one match in the last three tournaments.

“Cricket is becoming more common among women in Pakistan. Parents are starting to accept that girls can play… We see a lot of young girls playing in different sports, and this will help us grow as a nation”Fatima Sana and her side are looking to create depth in their country

It’s those kinds of numbers that have prompted so much change – including the new staff, appointed in January, and Sana’s elevation to captaincy, which, at 22, seems like it has come quite early. Her leadership experience includes three tournaments in charge of Karachi women – the domestic T20 tournaments in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and a one-day cup in 2023. They had won both T20 tournaments, and she was able to learn from one of the best.”Bismah Maroof was in my team for those three seasons, so I really enjoyed the captaincy with her around,” she said.Maroof retired from international cricket this April to end a pioneering 18-year career, in which she also became a mother, and travelled with her baby, also named Fatima, on tour. As Pakistan move on from Maroof, they are also looking to create depth, and grow the professionalism of their game, and that is what Sana hopes can be her legacy.”Cricket is becoming more common among women in Pakistan. Parents are starting to accept that girls can play, and that type [of thing],” she said. “[But] we are still far from the mentality that all parents think their daughters can play – and it is difficult – but things are changing. We see a lot of young girls playing in different sports, and this will help us grow as a nation.”

Siraj vs Head: The send-off that turned Adelaide Oval into the Colosseum

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

It was raw, it was visceral, and it may well become the defining image of this Border-Gavaskar series

Alagappan Muthu07-Dec-20245:02

Head: ‘Disappointed with my reaction but also going to stand up for myself’

At 6.51 pm in Adelaide, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy took a back seat to a cheap, and therefore very human, thrill. Mohammed Siraj had just picked up a wicket. India have roamed all over this planet in search of it. London. Ahmedabad. Here. So it wasn’t relief the bowler felt when he picked it up. It was something more.Siraj punched down on the air with both fists. He screamed. And as the batter was walking off, with 140 off 141 against his name, Siraj averted his eyes, as if he was sick of the sight of him. If he had stopped there, it would have all been fine. But he sent him off. Twice.Related

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South Australia is not the place to be seen working against Travis Head. He is one of their own and he is everywhere. He is on their buses inviting them to the BBL. He is on their shirts. He is, forever, sitting on that olive green chair, wearing his ODI World Cup winner’s medal, flashing those double finger guns.”Booooooooooooooooooo.” One single syllable from the throats of 51,642 people sounds a little like a Roman amphitheatre. And these guys have had a lot of practice backing up their players, and pulling down their rivals. Aussie Rules Football takes care of that. Back in the day, the Victorian team would arrive into the airport to signs and T-shirts that said “Kick a Vic” over a picture of Football Park.Author and football historian Francis Doherty told , “That parochial South Australian Football Park crowd, if you’ve ever been there and experienced it first-hand, it’s probably one of the most parochial crowds if not the most scary place [for] an opposition supporter to be, in the whole of Australia.”Mohammed Siraj sends off Travis Head in front of his adoring home crowd•Getty ImagesIndia were behind enemy lines. When Mitchell Starc came out as the new batter and hit Siraj for four first ball, the crowd, too busy getting on the bowler’s case as he ran up, were caught unawares. This time the roar was illegible. Two emotions stitched into one.”Boooooooooooyyyaaaaaaaaayyyyyy”Siraj spent that whole over being public enemy No. 1. When it ended, Harshit Rana and Rishabh Pant came over to congratulate him on taking the wicket, to remind him that he had done a good thing.Siraj was preparing to go down to deep third and prepare to field. The boos rang out again, getting steadily louder with every step he took towards the rope. India heard it and pulled him up to field at point. South Australians aren’t the only ones who know how to get behind their man. All of this happened at the back end of a period where India were losing control of the game. There were even a few torturous minutes where their biggest hope to win this series, Jasprit Bumrah, went down clutching his groin and needed several minutes’ attention from three different people to be set right enough to bowl again. There were dropped catches. There were edges that flew into gaps because slip was too wide. The second ball with the new ball had produced a play and miss from Head where his feet retreated to leg and his hands hung outside off and the hundred that he was on looked like a typo.The hometown hero soaks in Adelaide Oval’s adulation•Getty ImagesIndia’s plan was to stay in the game on Saturday; to be careful and balance attack with defence. But every time they run into Head, it seems they just can’t do anything right. When the entire country was still heaving a sigh of relief at seeing Bumrah back on his feet, Head was busy depositing him for four wide of mid-on.Rana in Perth did the impossible and recorded possibly the first instance of an Indian fast bowler actually enjoying beating Head’s outside edge because this time the ball didn’t just wobble on through to the keeper, it crashed into off stump. Rana in Adelaide (16-2-86-0, economy rate 5.37) was flogged all over the park. Head and Marnus Labuschagne hit him for three fours in an over each. And they were really playing the same shot over and over.India bowling coach Morne Morkel felt there were other options that the team could have taken once they fell behind in the game. “I felt as soon as the ball got a little bit softer this afternoon in terms of maybe going defensive, more defensive for a longer period of time, it was maybe an option to consider, but we want to play that aggressive brand of cricket and credit to Travis, I don’t want to take anything away from a great hundred. He really put us under pressure and he got the runs.”Head also got the crowd back on Australia’s side and his send-off gave the fast bowlers one more reason to run in that little bit harder at India in the night session. At 6.51 pm, this Border-Gavaskar Trophy might just have got its defining moment. This series may just feel a whole lot different going forward.

There's a zing about Arshdeep Singh

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

There are few top-tail left-arm bowlers like him, who have the chops in the powerplay as well as at the death

Deivarayan Muthu24-Jan-20251:37

What makes Arshdeep stand out?

An India fast bowler has been dominating T20Is over the past three years, and his name is not Jasprit Bumrah. On Wednesday, he became India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, leapfrogging Yuzvendra Chahal, after besting England’s top order in Kolkata. He’s now on the verge of becoming the fastest quick bowler to 100 T20I wickets. If he gets there on Saturday in Chennai, he will become the third-fastest overall to the landmark after Rashid Khan and Sandeep Lamichhane.Since making his T20I debut in July 2022, Arshdeep Singh has grown into an all-round, all-purpose bowler: he gets the new ball to hoop around; if it doesn’t swing, he keeps it tight; and then brings excellent defensive skills in the end overs. Besides nailing the yorker, from both over and around the wicket, he has a deceptive bouncer in his repertoire. It’s not for nothing that Arshdeep is the leading wicket-taker in the powerplay (42) and death (46) – the toughest phases in the format – in T20Is since his debut.Even England’s Bazballers couldn’t prevent him from bossing both those phases in the T20I series opener at Eden Gardens. Phil Salt is among the fastest-scoring batters in the powerplay, but Arshdeep left him scoreless with a back-of-a-length delivery that seamed and burst off the deck, drawing a leading edge to the keeper.Related

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In his next over, a game of cat-and-mouse ensued between Arshdeep and Ben Duckett. The England batter had originally shaped to scoop Arshdeep over short fine and upon spotting it, Arshdeep shifted his lines much wider of off and pitched it very full. Duckett adjusted well and ended up reverse-scooping Arshdeep over short third for four. Arshdeep shifted his line back to the stumps and subtly dragged his length back to also have Duckett skying a leading edge next ball. Even Jos Buttler and Harry Brook couldn’t get him away in an outstanding opening spell of 3-0-10-2. Arshdeep then returned for the 19th over, closing out his shift with nifty slower variations and yorkers.These variations and his mastery over them make Arshdeep a special bowler. After Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra had retired, India’s selectors had cast their nets far and wide to find the next left-arm seamer. While they trialled Jaydev Unadkat, Barinder Sran, S Aravind, Khaleel Ahmed and T Natarajan in the role over the years, nobody had Arshdeep’s range.”If you remember, Arshdeep came into the spotlight in the IPL by bowling the tough overs for Punjab Kings,” Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time:Out show. “He bowled the death overs also very well and then started playing for India. I think it was in England that we saw him swing the ball for the first time, with the new ball. So that was like an added feature to Arshdeep, who looked like an all-purpose T20 bowler but somebody who could swing the ball… But [in the first T20I], you saw more seam [movement] off the pitch; so there was some smartness there.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”He realised that there was enough in the pitch to bowl shorter and not try and get the ball full. He made life really difficult for the opening batters. He’s somebody who has got swing, seam, he can bowl the bouncer and has got the yorker as well. India are fortunate to see Arshdeep finding his stride here.”Even in T20 cricket globally, there are very few top-tail left-arm bowlers like Arshdeep. Trent Boult is the OG new-ball ace, he doesn’t quite have the defensive skills at the death. Marco Jansen can also get the new ball to hoop around, but he, too, tends to leak runs in the end overs. Moreover, Jansen has often cracked under pressure and has struggled to find a way back.Arshdeep, like every other bowler, has copped punishment at the death, but he is so unflappable that he finds a way back. In the first T20I against New Zealand in Ranchi two years ago, Arshdeep had conceded 7(nb), 6,6,4 in the last over and it cost India a fair bit. In the second T20I in Lucknow at the death, he responded with 2-0-7-2.In December 2023, at a much smaller ground against Australia, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Arshdeep gave up 37 in his first three overs, but he nervelessly defended nine off the final over to go from “culprit” to hero.Arshdeep Singh produced a double-strike with the new ball at Eden Gardens•BCCIEarlier in 2022, after having dropped a catch against Pakistan in an Asia Cup thriller in Dubai, he was met with the vilest abuse on social media. In his next game against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup at the MCG, though, he swung out Babar Azam and bounced out Mohammad Rizwan in the powerplay. He fronted up to bowl the difficult overs in the injury-enforced absence of Bumrah at the time.In the next T20 World Cup, which India won, Arshdeep came away as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 strikes at an economy rate of 6.31. Who can forget his defensive masterclass in the four-run penultimate over against David Miller and Keshav Maharaj in the famous final in Barbados?Arshdeep’s adaptability and bouncebackability then had seven of the ten teams bidding for him at the IPL 2025 auction last December. India’s team management now believes that those skills can be valuable in ODIs as well in the upcoming Champions Trophy.In T20Is, at 25, he has already established himself as one of the best in the world and his race to 100 wickets can only embellish his status even further.

IPL 2025 scenarios: KKR in serious danger of missing out on playoffs

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Despite defeat to the Titans, MI still have their fate in their own hands

S Rajesh06-May-20251:25

Rapid Fire: Is this the end of the road for KKR?

Kolkata Knight Riders

The two-wicket defeat against Chennai Super Kings leaves Kolkata Knight Riders on the brink of elimination. With only two games to go, the maximum that KKR can get is 15 points; there are already two teams who have more than 15, while Punjab Kings are on 15 with three games to go.Assuming that those three teams go through, KKR will have to hope that Mumbai Indians lose their two remaining matches and stay on 14. Since one of their matches is against Delhi Capitals, who are currently on 13, that will take DC to 15. The fourth spot will thus come down to an NRR battle between KKR and DC.On the other hand, if Punjab Kings lose their three remaining matches, then MI will go past 15, while DC, PBKS and KKR could all be on 15 points, fighting for the fourth spot.

Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans’ last-ball win at the Wankhede means they’re now just one win away from making the playoffs – 18 points will now assure a team of a top-four finish. However, if they lose their three remaining games they could get knocked out as four teams can still finish on 17 or more points. Titans have a favourable itinerary too, with their last two games scheduled at home, where they have a formidable 4-1 record so far.

Mumbai Indians

Despite the loss to GT, Mumbai Indians (MI) are still in control of their own destiny, as wins in their last two matches will ensure a place in the playoffs. For them to go through on 16 points, though, they’ll need help from other results, while defeats in their two remaining games will eliminate them. MI also have an excellent net run rate of 1.156, which could yet be crucial if qualification comes down to that.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

The washout between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Delhi Capitals (DC), and GT’s win against MI, means that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are now only one win away from securing their place in the playoffs. That’s because only four teams can make it to 18 or more points. RCB can also make the top four with 16 points if other results go their way. However, two wins will not yet guarantee a top-two finish as three teams can still finish with 20 or more points.

Punjab Kings

With KKR’s defeat to CSK, Punjab Kings will qualify for the playoffs if they beat DC, as DC play MI later and only one of those teams can then get to 17 or more. If PBKS lose to DC, they will need to win their last two and get to 19, as in that case DC and MI can both finish on 17 or more. PBKS can sneak through even if they lose all three matches and stay on 15, but for that to happen DC will have to lose their last two matches, so that they stay on 15, and LSG will have to win no more than two of their three games. It’ll then come down to run rates between them (and KKR, if they win both matches) for one spot.

Delhi Capitals

Like DC, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are also struggling for momentum, having lost three in a row, and four of their last five. The best they can do now is win their three remaining matches, finish on 16 points, and hope that a couple of in-form teams suffer a sudden reversal of fortunes. If they lose one more match, though, LSG will be eliminated. Their terrible NRR of -0.469 doesn’t help their cause either.

Switch Hit: White-ball whitewash

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

England warmed up for the Champions Trophy with a 3-0 ODI defeat to India as Brendon McCullum’s tough baptism with the limited-overs teams continued. The pod got together to discuss

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2025England succumbed to a 3-0 series defeat against India, leaving them with a worryingly poor ODI record going into the Champions Trophy. After another thumping in Ahmedabad took their record on tour to one win and seven defeats, Alan Gardner was joined on the podcast by Andrew Miller and Vithushan Ehantharajah. What’s going on with selection? Have England got a cunning plan for Pakistan? And can Jos Buttler and Brendon McCullum turn it around over the next 10 days?

The Suryakumar Yadav trick to dismantling spin bowling

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

He’s got so many different kinds of sweeps and they open up the field even against good deliveries

Sidharth Monga27-Apr-20252:18

Jaffer: Suryakumar more dangerous when he scores all around

Ravi Bishnoi must have thought he had bowled a good ball. It was 4.81m in length, quick and at the stumps. Suryakumar Yadav slog-swept it for a six.Usually 4-6m is considered the good length for spinners, but as pitches have become truer and hitting quality has improved, 6-7m has become the go-to zone for the spinners. For Bishnoi in IPL 2025, 6-7m has been the defensive good length, 5-6m normal good length, and 4-5m his attacking good length. Before this match he had bowled 56 balls in 5-6m band for 8.57 runs an over and three wickets, 43 in 6-7m for just 6.84 per over with no wicket, and 36 balls from 4 to 5m for 10.67 per over and four wickets.Bishnoi perhaps thought he could try that attacking good length, but travelled. In his next over, Bishnoi went to his defensive short length, at 6.99m, but Suryakumar still slog-swept him for a six. Spinners can generally bank on Indian batters to take just the single off this length, especially given the line attacking the stumps. Not Suryakumar.Related

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Later in the over, Suryakumar swept a four off 5.74m. Eight good-length balls to Suryakumar in two Bishnoi overs had gone for 23 runs. He can play all kinds of sweep: reverse, paddle, scoop, hard square sweep, hard sweep in front of square, slog sweep, along the ground and in the air, from point to cow corner. It makes the job of the spinner extremely difficult.Suryakumar didn’t get to face much of the other spinner, Digvesh Rathi, but Suryakumar won Mumbai Indians the middle overs as they notched their fifth win in a row. Perhaps because he didn’t get much of Rathi, he went down to sweep Prince Yadav, but ended up turning a short ball into a bouncer. He hooked it for a six nonetheless.With his 28-ball 54 against Lucknow Super Giants, Suryakumar has taken his tally to 427 runs.Most Indian batters pace themselves. They are happy to play out good balls from spinners for singles. They look to make up when there is pace on the ball. Not Suryakumar. He has been scoring at 11.59 against 4-5m length, 10.15 against 5-6 and 6.46 against 6-7m. Among the 44 batters who have faced 20 or more length balls from spinners this IPL, only Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran and Travis Head have been quicker.Suryakumar’s role is extra important because MI overall haven’t been that good against spin. As a team, they have been the fourth-slowest against spin. They desperately need Suryakumar to disrupt the spinners. They need someone to win them the middle overs, forget the bowling style. Someone to score boundaries off good balls like he did against Bishnoi. Or against Noor Ahmad and Ravindra Jadeja two matches ago. Among those who have faced 60 or more balls in the middle overs this IPL, only Pooran has been quicker than Suryakumar’s strike rate of 181.28.Suryakumar has done all this with the near illegal consistency of crossing 25 in each of the ten matches in this IPL. Clearly, Bishnoi is not the first who might think he has bowled a good ball, but has been hit away by Suryakumar without taking undue risk. Nor will he be the last.

Nayar's UP Warriorz mission: raise skills, amplify mindsets, bring WPL glory

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

As the new head coach of the franchise, Nayar reflects on the landscape ahead in the women’s game

Ashish Pant10-Aug-2025Abhishek Nayar has whipped up quite a CV despite only retiring from all forms of the game six years back: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach, Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) head coach, India batting coach and endorsements from players of international repute. His latest role sees him venture into women’s cricket as head coach of UP Warriorz (UPW) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the 2026 season.The Nayar-UPW association isn’t a new one. He’s run a few training camps for them in the last few years and worked with a some players individually, including captain Deepti Sharma. He is also good friends with Kshemal Waingankar, his former Mumbai team-mate and the COO and director of cricket for UPW. So when the possibility of leading the UPW backroom staff opened up, the decision was an easy one for Nayar.”I have spent some time with people associated in the UP Warriorz ecosystem. I used to follow how they’re going, their performances. There was a bit of an emotional connect even without really, really being associated with them,” Nayar told ESPNcricinfo. “For me, when the opportunity came and they were trying to restructure the support system, it was quite an easy decision, because I already had a bit of affinity towards the franchise, an understanding of how the franchise works, the ownership, and their whole value system and approach to the WPL and to women cricketers. So for me, it wasn’t a very hard one.”The hardest decision in my head was more about, will I be able to understand women’s cricket as well as I’ve managed to understand men’s cricket. But I pride myself on doing the work and hopefully getting there.”While this is Nayar’s first time helming a women’s franchise team, he has had stints with women’s teams in recent years. Ahead of the 2024 women’s T20 World Cup, Jon Lewis, the then head coach of England women (and UPW), got the team to India for two training camps, which were overseen by Nayar. While he agrees it was a different kind of challenge, Nayar says the stint helped enhance his coaching prowess.Related

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Nayar appointed UP Warriorz head coach

“For me, it was an experience like this one is, and I never let go of an experience in life,” Nayar said. “So I took up the challenge. It was very, very awkward for me the first day, because getting the… you’re so used to saying ‘batsman’ all the time, so to start saying batter was my initial challenge. But now I’m getting a hold of it.”Luckily, commentary then helped me a lot to understand the 25 yards, 30 yards, the small differences, but yeah, it was a challenge, but I absolutely loved working with the England women players. And that was my first thought process that I can coach a lot more than manage.”[I am] still in touch with a lot of the players there and a lot of the people that I worked with who are now actually actively currently part of the last series that India played [against England in July].”

“You see fitter cricketers, you see their movement patterns a lot better. Their throws are a lot faster. That is a statement as to where WPL is taking Indian cricket and the impact it’s going to have in the years to come, just like IPL had on men’s cricket”Abhishek Nayar

By taking up the UPW role, Nayar finds himself in a unique position. He is the only one with a high-profile role in both the WPL and IPL – UPW head coach and KKR assistant coach. According to Nayar, while the basic process remains the same, there is a lot more coaching involved in women’s cricket and the space to enhance the skills of a player as opposed to men’s, where it is mostly about management.”With men’s cricket, once you start working with elite players, there’s less coaching, there’s more mentoring because it’s more about understanding the mind and not so much the technique,” Nayar said. “I think with women cricketers today, in regards to a coach, there’s a lot of excitement because you can actually help amplify the skill as well as the mindset. You can coach a lot more.”In men’s cricket, you need to manage a lot more rather than coach. You’re not really developing a player when you’re coaching in men’s cricket. Very rarely will you see someone innovating and coming up with a new shot, or you’re suddenly saying, ‘oh, Shubman’s playing something different or he’s playing a scoop shot’. Very far and few.”I was watching this recent India-England [women’s] series, and I could see that our women cricketers are growing. You can see a difference in the shots they’re making, you can see that they are bowling new deliveries, they’re tactically sounder. So you can see that growth. Men’s cricket is still a lot between the ears. With women’s cricket, there’s a lot in the skill as well, but a lot you can do in between the ears as well. So I think it’s exciting. It’s going to be fun.”With the next WPL season just a few months away, Nayar has already linked up with the UPW backroom staff to formulate plans. They had a training camp and trials in Chennai recently, with Nayar trying to understand the domestic ecosystem and “what the talent is besides all the top players in Indian cricket”.Nayar has followed the WPL from the inaugural season and firmly believes the tournament is a game-changer for women’s cricket.Apart from his role as UPW head coach, Abhishek Nayar is also assistant coach at KKR•kkr.in”I think the cricket has been crazy [at the WPL]. While I have my trials here [in Chennai], there’s a stark difference in me watching a trial two years ago to what I’m seeing today in regards to the six-hitting ability of a women’s cricketer and the ability to play a sweep and reverse sweep initially in the innings. And that all boils down to the WPL.”For me, the biggest difference has been the levels of fitness in every women’s cricketer. You see fitter cricketers, you see their movement patterns a lot better. Their throws are a lot faster. That is a statement as to where WPL is taking Indian cricket and the impact it’s going to have in the years to come, just like IPL had on men’s cricket. I’m 200% sure that the WPL will continue to have this sort of an impact on women cricketers all around.”The one aspect Nayar is yet to get his head around as he gets more involved in women’s cricket is the scouting and introduction of newer players into the system. But with the onset of women’s leagues in Bengal, Maharashtra, Delhi and now Karnataka, Nayar is confident that scouting will get easier.”It’s very new to me. I’ve been looking up to the KKR scouting for a while and that helps you understand men’s cricket a lot better. You already have your contacts in men’s cricket,” Nayar said. “With women’s cricket, I’m trying to use the same formula now that I’ve just come in.”It’s still very early stages, but I think it will end up being quite similar wherein you start following leagues. There’s a Delhi Premier League, a Bengal league that happened, a Maharashtra league. We’ll have to start tapping into that slowly and start understanding that.”Luckily, we have time this year. So I think it will still be pretty much the same where we try and get feedback from coaches who’ve been in the system for a long time. Coaches who’ve understood women’s cricket and been part of it right from the inception and academies around India as well who play a major role in making sure these cricketers then go on to play state.”After a strong start in 2023, where they qualified for the playoffs, UPW have had two underwhelming seasons in 2024 and 2025, finishing second to bottom and bottom on the points table. Now with Nayar on board, the franchise will hope for a better 2026 season as they chase the elusive WPL title.

Gill and Abhishek begin new chapter in old bromance

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

They’ve been the best of friends since Under-14 level. Now they’re set to rejoin forces at the top of the order in T20Is

Shashank Kishore09-Sep-2025Batting in adjacent nets on the centre pitches of the ICC Academy in Dubai on Saturday, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma took turns admiring each other’s strokes. On an occasion, Abhishek wasn’t entirely happy with the sound of bat on ball. He picked up one of Gill’s bats and began easing himself into his shots again.For the rest of the session, Abhishek was all power and connection and Gill poetic timing, until the coaches signalled the last set. Gill then began playing inventive strokes – reverse sweep, ramp, scoop. Abhishek, who by then had already finished his net, waited for Gill, and they walked off together, smiles on their faces.Last year in Zimbabwe, when Gill was T20I captain and Abhishek had earned a maiden India call-up on the back of a stunning IPL season, the two realised their dream of opening together for India. But that was a second-string side. The Asia Cup in the UAE could be even more special for Gill and Abhishek, because they are set to open for the first time for a full-strength India side that’s preparing for a T20 World Cup defence early next year.Related

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The pair’s story goes back over a decade, to the Under-14s camp in Punjab where they first met. From there to the Under-16s and Under-19s, through state-level cricket and the India age-group sides, their journeys have been intertwined.On tours, Gill and Abhishek would often be room-mates, a ritual that continued through much of their age-group days. At some point, they had to be separated only because the coaches wanted them to mingle with the other players in the group.Shivam Mavi, who was part of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning class of 2018, recalls, “It was always Gill and Abhishek. Whether during team outings, team activities, or lunches and dinners, the two were always together.”Once, Gill and Abhishek along with Mavi’s new-ball partner Kamlesh Nagarkoti planned a birthday surprise for coach Rahul Dravid during that campaign. “They said, ‘let’s do a cake smash on Rahul sir’s face’. And they actually did it,” Mavi laughs.During India’s quarter-final against Bangladesh in Queenstown, tensions ran high. There was some history: Bangladesh had beaten India in a tense warm-up game. Words had been exchanged, to the extent that the umpires had to intervene.In the IPL, Abhishek and Gill are the best of frenemies•AFP/Getty Images”Before our quarter-final, Gill and Abhishek said, ‘we’ll give it back to them’,” Mavi says. They instructed Ishan Porel and Riyan Parag, the team’s Bengali speakers, to be at their chirpiest. “Then our two Punjabi boys would chip in from time to time.”Mavi’s recollections move to the semi-final against Pakistan. “Shaheen Afridi and Co were sledging Gill, saying, ‘our bowling attack is not Bangladesh”. Gill, batting at No. 3, went on to score a century that he celebrated aggressively, with pointed gestures. “Abhishek replied, ‘our batting is not like Pakistan either’.”India went on to beat Australia and win that Under-19 World Cup, and the paths of Gill and Abhishek soon diverged. Gill made his India debut a year later while also establishing himself in the IPL, initially with Kolkata Knight Riders. Abhishek navigated the challenges of proving himself in domestic cricket, unsure whether he was a top-order batter or a finisher.During the Covid-19 pandemic, the two were back together. The man who brought them under one roof, so to say, along with a number of other Punjab players was Yuvraj Singh. This time, there was no space for jokes or banter. Yuvraj was the boss, and Gill and Abhishek had to listen to every single thing he told them. Among his diktats: no phones at night, no parties, regimented sleep-and-wake-up schedules.To ensure the players stuck to their routines, Yuvraj boarded them at his residence for a month, and sought special permissions for training at a time when lockdown rules were strict. Both Abhishek and Gill remember this time fondly, and credit it for toughening them up.A blockbuster maiden tour of England as Test captain has turned Gill into Indian cricket’s all-format poster boy•Getty ImagesToday, Gill is Indian cricket’s all-format poster boy and the darling of brands. A bumper maiden Test tour as captain in England, where he peeled off runs with the consistency of his teenage days, has already thrust him into the conversation for ODI captaincy whenever the selectors look to the future. He’s also the T20I vice-captain now.Gill brings with him a body of work and a transformed game that took shape in 2023 at Gujarat Titans, when he lit up the IPL with a chart-topping 890 runs at a strike rate of 157.80, including three centuries. The most improved aspect of Gill’s game was his six-hitting – he hit 33 of them, the third-highest of all batters that season.It was because Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were locked in as openers that Gill was only picked as a non-travelling reserve for the 2024 T20 World Cup. It has been more than a year since he last played T20Is, but his recent T20 form is compelling: 650 runs at a strike rate of 155.87 in IPL 2025. He reclaims his spot at a time when his T20 stocks are at an all-time high.Abhishek’s journey has been less straightforward. He wasn’t an instant IPL sensation, and for a while he floated between roles: middle-order batter, occasional finisher, part-time spinner. Then came the realisation: his game was built to take bowlers on from the very first ball.

Having converged and diverged so many times over so many years, the journeys of Gill and Abhishek are running together once again, with a stretch of smooth road between now and next year’s T20 World Cup

Days spent training under Yuvraj during lockdowns in Chandigarh reshaped his approach. Yuvraj made him train on marble slabs so the ball would skid, asked the curator in Mullanpur to prepare raging turners to force Abhishek to sharpen his bat speed and footwork. It was bootcamp-style training, and it unlocked something within him.Abhishek emerged a different player. He was physically stronger, more fearless, and not afraid of losing his wicket in the pursuit of risk-taking. Shades of this transformation were visible as far back as in 2022, when he was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s leading run-getter with 320 runs at a strike rate of 133.12. But just when it looked like he had begun to make a mark, 2023 brought a new set of challenges – Abhishek found himself shunted up and down the order.The change in leadership at the franchise in 2024 was a turning point. Out went Brian Lara as coach and Aiden Markram as captain, and in came Daniel Vettori and Pat Cummins in those positions. Impressed by his hitting, they returned him to the top of the order, this time alongside Travis Head. The returns have been spectacular. The last two IPL seasons have brought Abhishek 923 runs at a strike rate of 198.92. No batter in the tournament with a cut-off of 500 runs has scored quicker.An extraordinary willingness to take risks has brought Abhishek extraordinary T20 numbers over the last two years•Associated Press”I stopped worrying about getting out,” Abhishek said in post-match chat last year, and it’s been clear to see whenever he has batted. With a settled role and the license to attack, he has become a destroyer of all kinds of bowling, with especially frightening numbers against spin. In all T20s since the start of 2024, Abhishek has a strike rate of 232.12 against spin. For context, Glenn Maxwell, who sits in second place among those with at least 500 runs against spin in this period (where ball-by-ball data is available), has gone at 173.31.The transition into T20Is has been smooth too: Abhishek’s strike rate of 193.84 is the best of all batters with at least 500 runs since his debut. He got his run in the India side at a time when the senior players were being rested, and now, when India have turned their full attention to T20Is with a World Cup imminent, he’s still there, keeping a batter as good as Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the squad.The moment Abhishek switched to Gill’s bat at training was a poignant one: it was with one of Gill’s bats in Harare that Abhishek had scored his first T20I hundred, in only his second match.Having converged and diverged so many times over so many years, the journeys of Gill and Abhishek are running together again, with a stretch of smooth road between now and next year’s T20 World Cup. If they click together like they did at the nets, or like they did as teenagers, there’s no telling how dangerous this partnership could be.