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Another Gujarat Titans (GT) match, and we are again left wondering how they will go if their top three fall early with Rashid Khan at No. 7. Once again, Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler and B Sai Sudharsan dominated a bowling attack, albeit the listless Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) one, to post 224 on a black-soil pitch that was slow to begin with. All three of them are now among the top four run-getters in IPL 2025, with Sai Sudharsan reclaiming the Orange Cap with his 48 off 23 balls.GT failed to defend 209 in the last game, which did raise questions, but that was a par score. Here, SRH’s ordinary start with the ball – arguably the worst all year – set GT the platform for a clearly above-par total. In the run chase, the GT bowlers then bashed the hard lengths to stifle the SRH batters despite a 74 for Abhishek Sharma. Prasidh Krishna bowled four overs for just 19 runs and two wickets to bring the Purple Cap to GT as well.GT are now second with 14 points, the same as table-toppers Mumbai Indians (MI), but with a game in hand. SRH were left on the brink, each of their remaining games a must-win affair but still no guarantee to take them through to the playoffs.

Sai Sudharsan, Gill cash in their gift cards

The GT template has been to be measured for the first three overs in order to assess the conditions. However, that doesn’t mean they will look a gift horse in the mouth. Mohammed Shami, a former GT player, looked sluggish and kept missing his line. Gill got a pick-up six in the first over, and Sai Sudharsan cut and pulled five fours in the third.On top of that, Pat Cummins dished out three half-volleys in his first over to let Gill catch up with Sai Sudharsan. The result was GT’s best-ever powerplay at 82 for 0, but also another undesirable statistic for SRH. GT scored 79 of those 82 runs with shots they were in control of, the third-highest of the season; three of the top four, including the top, have come against SRH bowlers.1:59

A tale of two opening duos: how SRH and GT are so different

Gill, Buttler continue to flourish

By the time the SRH bowlers got a hang of things, they needed nothing short of a collapse to make a comeback into the contest. All they managed was one wicket, that of Sai Sudharsan, on a late cut off a Zeeshan Ansari wrong’un. Two quiet overs followed, but then Gill started to pierce gaps with surgical precision. He didn’t need any gifts anymore. In fact, he offered SRH one when he slowed down in an attempt to take what is now regarded a regulation single to short fine leg.The resultant run-out gave SRH their best period in the field. Cummins began to use the middle of the pitch, Jaydev Unadkat followed suit, and 17 balls went without a boundary. Buttler, who looked like the extreme heat – it was 41 degrees at the start of the match – was getting to him, then took a few risks and brought the innings back on track. Of GT’s top three batters, he faced the toughest conditions and bowling, which showed in his slower strike rate. But his 64 off 37 balls was key to GT getting the above-par score they had threatened all along.

Abhishek, Head start quickly; but is it quick enough?

Abhishek danced down at Mohammed Siraj off the first ball he faced, and lofted him over wide long-off. Travis Head crashed his second ball through the covers for four. They punished the new ball the best they could, but still, at 45 for 0 in four overs, they were barely keeping up with the asking rate.1:58

Shubman Gill’s runout – the Time Out verdict

Then came Prasidh

Prasidh has been using hard lengths and changes of pace all IPL to be among the top wicket-takers, but on a pitch with low bounce, he decided to do away with slower balls. He just kept banging the middle of the pitch from his high release to trouble the batters. Well, Prasidh did try one yorker early, which Head managed to squeeze out for a four in what would be the only boundary off Prasidh.The next ball got big on Head as he attempted a pull, and ended up in a sensational catch for Rashid Khan, who ran 32 metres to his right from deep square-leg, and still had to put in a dive. The tall bowlers then completely blocked boundaries from one end, which left Abhishek as the one fighting. They don’t last when you are chasing such big totals.The asking rate reached 12 at the end of the powerplay, 13 at the end of the ninth over, 14 with ten overs to go, and jumped from 14.57 to 16.33 in one Prasidh over, the 14th. Eventually, the wickets started to fall, and only an off night for Rashid the bowler – he went for 50 runs in three overs, his worst economy in a match – reduced the net-run-rate bonus for GT.

There is tension between Test batter Usman Khawaja and Queensland Cricket ahead of next week’s Sheffield Shield final, but he is likely to be named in an extended squad for the final on Friday with a decision on whether he plays or not to come ahead of the game starting next Wednesday.Khawaja, 38, and Queensland Cricket are at odds over his absence from the last Shield game of the season against South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval, where Queensland secured a draw which qualified them for the final against South Australia at the same venue.Khawaja attended all five days of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne while the game was going on in Adelaide but posted on social media on Tuesday that he was rehabbing a hamstring niggle that he picked up while making match-winning contributions of 127 and 33 not out in the Bulls previous win over Tasmania. There is also a suggestion he is managing an ankle issue that flared up during the Sri Lanka tour although that did not stop him playing against Tasmania.Related

• Khawaja opts out of Shield fixture with final berth on the line

• Sangha makes ton, Queensland secure draw in possible Shield final preview

• South Australia prevented from hosting Shield final at Adelaide Oval

Queensland Cricket general manager Joe Dawes made strong comments on Wednesday suggesting that Khawaja was not injured and insisted Queensland’s medical staff had declared him available for selection.”That is my understanding from Cricket Australia staff as well. No hamstring issues as far as we are concerned,” Dawes told reporters at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday.”I go off our medical staff and there is no reason why he could not have played the last game. It’s just disappointing he didn’t play a game for Queensland when he had an opportunity to. I have got a bunch of blokes here that all want to play. I think we are disappointed he did not play the game against South Australia. That’s the decision he made and he has communicated some of the reasons for that in the public. Hopefully he will make that decision to make himself available for next week and we will make that decision on Friday.”Khawaja was not the only Cricket Australia contracted player who did not play in the final round of the season. Nathan Lyon also attended the Australian Formula One Grand Prix with Khawaja and has not played since returning from Sri Lanka due to management of a hip issue. Steven Smith did not play the final round for New South Wales after returning from the Champions Trophy but Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey both played for Queensland and South Australia respectively.Every CA and state-contracted player who is headed to the IPL also did not play in the final Shield round as they were all given No-Objection Certificates to head to India ahead of the tournament starting on Saturday.Khawaja has already played 11 first-class matches this summer including seven Tests, meaning he has already played more games and days than any Australian domestic red-ball-only batter would play in a Shield summer in total. The 38-year-old has managed his schedule carefully in recent years, valuing rest over playing a lot of back-to-back games in order to remain mentally and physically fresh for his Test commitments as he attempts to extend his career as long as possible.That management plan has been supported by CA. He missed one of Queensland’s first four Shield games to freshen up ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and missed the Shield game against Western Australia that started nine days after the tour of Sri Lanka where he scored a career-best 232 not out in the first Test.However, Khawaja is likely to have all of April and May to rest after the Shield final finishes on March 30 before preparing for four Tests in June and July which include the WTC final and a three-Test tour of the Caribbean. He won’t have any international commitments thereafter until the Ashes begin in late November.

Zak Foulkes, the 22-year-old New Zealand fast bowler, has joined Durham for their T20 Blast campaign.Foulkes has made eight international white-ball appearances to date, having made his debut in April 2024. As a tall right-arm seamer, who hits the deck hard, seven of those have come in T20Is, in which he has claimed nine wickets at 26.33, with a best of 3 for 20 against Sri Lanka.Foulkes has previous experience in the Vitality Blast, having played seven games for Birmingham Bears last summer, claiming eight wickets.”I am really excited to be joining Durham for the Vitality Blast this season,” Foulkes said. “I have heard great things about the Club and can’t wait to get involved.”Marcus North, Director of Cricket, said: “We are very pleased to have recruited Zak for our T20 Blast season.”It was important we brought in a player who will provide us with a clear point of difference within our bowling attack and that is exactly what Zak brings.”At only 22, Zak has already shown across the international and domestic game how much of a dynamic and well-rounded player he is in the T20 format.”We look forward to welcoming him to Durham this summer.”

Pratika Rawal has made one of the strongest starts to an ODI career by any batter, male or female. No woman has scored as many runs in their first six innings as Rawal has – 444 at an average of 74.00 – and only one man, South Africa’s Janneman Malan, has done better.On Wednesday, Rawal made her biggest splash yet, stroking 154 off 129 balls, adding 233 with her opening partner Smriti Mandhana, and helping India smash multiple records – including their biggest ODI total, 435 for 5 – during the third ODI against Ireland.Related

• Mandhana and Rawal's tons fire India to record win

• Stats – Mandhana smashes fastest ODI century for India on record-breaking day

Mandhana, India’s stand-in captain in the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur, was full of praise for Rawal after the match, and noted her versatility as one of her biggest strengths.”Yeah, really pleased with the way she’s batting,” Mandhana said of Rawal. “I feel [she] has a really calm head on her shoulders, knows what she’s doing, has I think both sort of games, where she can accelerate as well as play the defensive role, which is great as a batter to have.”To see her rise from the first one-dayer against West Indies [last month] to now is really nice, and good runner between the wickets as well, converts the ones into twos, which always helps in one-day cricket. So really happy for her, and I hope she keeps continuing her form, because it’s a big year for us [India are due to host the ODI World Cup in August-September].”‘Sometimes you have to go out and respect the conditions, but [on] wickets like these – if it’s in your slot, you have to go for it’•BCCI

India’s batters enjoyed a hugely productive series against Ireland, chasing down 239 in less than 35 overs in the first ODI and posting 370 in the second before Wednesday’s record-obliterating events. Mandhana felt that the Rajkot pitch was the kind where batters could play their shots with utmost freedom, and she certainly did on her way to scoring India’s fastest-ever ODI century, off 70 balls, and finishing with 135 off 80 balls.”I would love to carry this wicket [everywhere I go] as a batter for sure, but as a captain I don’t know. It’s a hard wicket to bowl on. But for me it was very clear than I wanted to go out and try and play shots which are in my arc, because it’s not every day that you get the opportunity to do that as an opening batter, because sometimes you have to go out and respect the conditions and play, but [on] wickets like these and the outfield – if it’s in your slot, you have to go for it.”There was no clear plan. I just said, if it’s in my arc, I’m going to go for it. Some days it comes off, some days it doesn’t. Today I’m happy that it came off.”Having posted a record total, India went on to defend it with aplomb, with spinners Deepti Sharma, Tanuja Kanwar and Minnu Mani sharing six wickets and help bundle Ireland out for 131. The 304-run win was India’s biggest in ODIs.Tanuja Kanwar picked up 2 for 31•BCCI

Ireland had batted through their 50 overs in the first two ODIs, but Mandhana felt India’s bowlers had been just as good in those two games – it was just that there was a bit more help for the spinners in the third ODI, with the same pitch being used through the series, and that Ireland’s batters had tried to play more shots in pursuit of their steep target.”I think today the wicket also gave a lot of assistance to our spinners, because it was the same wicket which was used in the first two ODIs as well, so there was a little bit of spin on offer,” Mandhana said. “I think first two one-dayers, there was not much in it, and also today they came out and were trying to play some shots, and sometimes, when the batters play shots, that’s the best time to get opportunity to get them out.”In the first two one-dayers I thought they were just trying to take a single or double, which again… it’s a hard wicket to bowl and try and get them out. I wouldn’t say that the bowlers did not do [well] in the first or second ODI. I think they bowled brilliantly in the first and second ODI as well, but today there was a little bit more in the wicket for them and, as I said, the batters playing shots helps.”For all the damage the spinners did, it was fast bowlers Titas Sadhu and Sayali Satghare who set the tone, taking two of the first three wickets to begin Ireland’s slide.”Yeah, I think they both bowled really well, got us the first two early wickets, which is always good to get with the new ball, sets the foundations for the spinners to come,” Mandhana said. “Saima [Thakor], Sayali, Titas, all three bowled really well throughout the three ODIs, and it’s a pretty difficult wicket and outfield to bowl [on], so really happy for them.”

Richard Thompson, the ECB’s chair, has revealed a target to raise at least £350 million in the Hundred’s sales process – a target that he believes the board will surpass “comfortably” when deals are signed off early next year.The private equity group Bridgepoint made a lucrative offer to buy a majority stake in the whole competition two years ago, which was turned down due to the ECB’s desire to retain control of the Hundred. Thompson said the offer had informed the benchmark that the ECB are attempting to clear during its ongoing sales process.The ECB is selling 49% stakes in each of the eight teams in the Hundred, which will be turned into franchises and will initially be run as joint-ventures with host counties (or, in the case of London Spirit, MCC). The sales process launched in early September and has progressed into the second of three rounds, with a final target deadline in January 2025.Thompson said last month that the pool of prospective investors was “way broader and bigger” than the Raine Group – the US investment bank who are running the process – had anticipated. The ECB have not previously committed to a projected figure from the sale in public, but Thompson has now revealed that £350 million is seen as the minimum target.Related

• Richard Gould: ECB 'unapologetic' about attracting top talent to Men's Hundred

• Richard Gould: Hundred equity sale can future-proof county cricket for '20-25 years'

• Top Men's Hundred salaries to rise by 60 percent in 2025

• ECB rules out 'IPL takeover' of the Hundred

• Lalit Modi pours scorn on 'overambitious' Hundred in leaked financial projections

“Our target was to raise £350 million from sales,” Thompson told . “I think we’re going to exceed that comfortably, but we’ve still got some way to go. I think all of us have been genuinely shocked over the quality and quantity of interest… There’s hardly anyone in sport that isn’t at the table.”The ECB was questioned last week by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee on the sale of the Hundred. Chief executive Richard Gould responded in writing to a letter from the committee’s chair Caroline Dinenage and defended the sale after questions around its likely impact on English cricket.”This process presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a significant capital injection into cricket in England and Wales,” Gould wrote. “It is a rare moment when we have the collective power to ensure that these funds are utilised fully in ways that will provide long-term financial sustainability for the whole game.”Gould also revealed that the ECB will soon establish a ‘Hundred committee’ designed to “lead, scrutinise and monitor the administration, operation and commercialisation” of the competition. Its members will comprise ECB non-executive directors, representatives from the franchises and independent appointments.

Playing only his third List A game, K Shrijith struck an unbeaten 101-ball 150 to lead Karnataka home in the second-highest successful chase in Vijay Hazare Trophy history, as they hauled down a target of 383 with 3.4 overs to spare at the Narendra Modi Stadium’s B ground.Andhra’s successful chase of 384 against Goa in the 2011-12 season continues to hold the tournament record.Related

• Shreyas: 'Shaw needs to get his work ethics right'

• Shaw dropped from Mumbai squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy

• Shami rested for Bengal's opening Vijay Hazare game

• Anmolpreet hits third-fastest List A century off just 35 balls

Shrijith’s effort meant that Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 114 off just 55 balls went in vain for Mumbai. Iyer hit five fours and as many as ten sixes as he hurried Mumbai to a formidable total following a relatively sedate start. When Iyer walked out, Mumbai were 148 for 2 in the 30th over, following a 141-run second-wicket stand, off 160 balls, between Hardik Tamore (84 off 94) and Ayush Mhatre (78 off 82).Mumbai proceeded to up their scoring rate as Iyer added 30 off 22 with Tamore and 56 off 34 with Suryakumar Yadav (20 off 16). That set the stage for a frenetic finish, as Iyer and Shivam Dube proceeded to put on an unbroken 148 off the last 65 balls of Mumbai’s innings. While Dube scored an unbeaten 63 off 36 (5×4, 5×6), Iyer from the other end smashed 74 off the last 29 balls of his innings.Amid the carnage of Mumbai’s innings, new-ball operator Vasuki Koushik finished with the impressive figures of 0 for 45 from his ten overs.In contrast with Mumbai’s gradual build-up of steam, Karnataka kept pace with the required rate almost throughout their chase. They were 106 for 2 in the 15th over, with openers Nikin Jose (21 off 13) and Mayank Agarwal (47 off 48) having both departed, when Shrijith walked to the crease.The wicketkeeper-batter took charge of the innings thereafter, first putting on 94 with No. 3 KV Aneesh, who made a 66-ball 82 on his List A debut, and then dominating an unbroken stand of 183 off just 119 balls with the legspinning allrounder Praveen Dubey.While Dubey contributed 65 off 50 balls to the partnership, Shrijith smashed 107 off 69, as Karnataka charged towards their target. Mumbai’s bowlers came in for heavy punishment, none worse than Shardul Thakur who went for 72 in six wicketless overs.

In what could be the end of an illustrious Test career for Shakib Al Hasan, the allrounder has had to make himself unavailable for the first home Test against South Africa. He was unable to make it to Dhaka while traveling from New York earlier this week. Shakib has been replaced by uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad for the first Test starting October 21 in Dhaka, which was supposed to be his farewell Test.Shakib, who was traveling from New York to Dhaka was asked to wait while in transit in Dubai on Wednesday, had expressed uncertainty around returning home because of protests against him in Dhaka amid political unrest. Shakib was initially included in the Test squad and it was supposed to be his farewell game at home, he had said on the tour of India last month.Shakib has not been able to return home in Bangladesh ever since the Awami League’s government resigned after 15 years in early August. Shakib, an MP with the Awami League, was already in Canada at the time for the Global T20 Canada and has not been to his home country since then. He flew to Pakistan for the two-Test series Bangladesh won, he went to the UK to play one first-class game for Surrey in the County Championship in September, before going to India for the two Tests. Unable to return home because of ongoing safety issues, he went to New York where he currently stays. Shakib has been named among 147 people in an FIR for an alleged murder during the unrest.Related

• Bangladesh look to begin post-Shakib era on winning note

• Amid the drama, new coach Simmons wants Bangladesh to 'focus on the cricket'

• Shakib on Bangladesh protests: 'To those of you who were hurt by my silence, I sincerely apologise'

• What will life after Big Five be like for Bangladesh in T20Is?

• Shakib's final Test under cloud due to protests against him in Dhaka

Murad, 23, has taken 136 wickets in 30 first-class matches since his debut in 2021, and has already played two T20Is, in the Asian Games last year.”We have been informed that Shakib is unavailable for the first Test,” chairman of BCB’s national selection panel Gazi Ashraf Hossain said in a press release. “He is at the end of his Test career but along with his experience, we still do not have someone of that calibre with both bat and the ball to replace him.”However, Hasan Murad has performed consistently in first-class cricket and has been in our system. He will lend balance to our bowling, especially in home conditions. We believe he has the potential to deliver at this level.”The second Test between Bangladesh and South Africa will be played in Chattogram from October 29.

An inspection by the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department has found that one of the stands at Green Park stadium is unsafe, and the state officials have advised the stadium authorities not to fill it up to capacity.On Tuesday, a delegation from the PWD along with members of the engineering department at Harcourt Butler Technical University in Kanpur were at Green Park to check for structural frailties. Sanjay Kapoor, the venue director, said this was routine.”Whenever an event is held anywhere, government departments conduct their own surveys,” Kapoor said. “PWD and HBTU also conducted their inspection three days before the match and found that some seats in C block cannot be used for spectators as it is not safe.”Related

• Which pitch? Teams still guessing on eve of the match

• Shakib says he's done with T20Is, and will play his final Test next month

• Weather and pitch in focus as India, Bangladesh ponder three spinners

• Domestic grind prepares Akash well for the deep end

The C stand is one of the oldest structures at Green Park. It has been undergoing repair work for the past two days. The upper block can seat 4800 people but on the PWD’s advice, only a limited number of those seats will go on sale.”About 1750 seats of the upper block of are still available for spectators,” Kapoor said, “We are going for full capacity in the lower block.”The last time Green Park hosted a Test match, against New Zealand in 2021, there were visibility concerns, even though the floodlights were in operation. The final day’s play ended 12 minutes early with New Zealand’s 10th wicket pair holding on for a dramatic draw. Kapoor insisted that the floodlights are “ready to use” if they become needed and considering the forecast for at least the first three days of the game, they might be.”When you organise an international match, you have to take permission from government departments,” he said. “But it is useless to say that we are organising this match without any government permission. Apart from this, all the floodlights are fine and ready to use. To avoid the terror of monkeys, we have made two-tier arrangements.”The Kanpur Test will begin on Friday, September 27. India will be looking to sweep the series having already won the Chennai Test last week, by 280 runs.

Ricky Ponting has tipped Australia to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India later this year by a 3-1 margin.He said the hosts will have a “bit of a point to prove” after losing their previous two home Test series to India 2-1 in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Australia have not beaten India in a Test series since 2014-15.”It’s going to be a competitive series and, as I said, I think Australia’s got a bit of a point to prove against India in Australia on the back of what’s happened the last two series here,” Ponting said on the . “We are back to five Tests as well, which is the other really important thing about this series. It’s only been four Tests the last couple of times. Five tests, I think everyone’s really excited by that and I don’t know if there’d be too many drawn games.”I’m obviously going to tip Australia to win and I’m never going to tip against Australia. There will be a draw somewhere and there will be some bad weather somewhere, so I’m going to say 3-1 to Australia.”

Should Steven Smith continue to open?

Ponting said the Australian side would “pretty much pick itself” but he wasn’t sure whether Steven Smith should continue to open or not, after the spot was left vacant by David Warner’s retirement at the SCG earlier this year.”Probably the only one question there might be with Australia again, is if Smith’s the right man to be opening the batting. That would be the only query that I can see there. But that was all about obviously bringing Cameron Green back into the side.”So I’ll rephrase it, not whether Smith’s the right man to open the batting but whether he thinks it’s the right spot for him. Because I think if he doesn’t think it’s the right spot then they’ll make a change and get someone else back up there.”In his last Test series, in New Zealand in March, Smith scored just 51 runs in four innings while opening. His promotion to the top after Warner retired was to also accommodate Cameron Green in the XI, which paid dividends when Green was the top scorer on the tour with 238 runs in four innings including a career-best 174 not out in Wellington.Though the sample size is small – eight innings as opener – the numbers aren’t in Smith’s favour. Apart from a high score of 91 against West Indies at the Gabba this year, he has passed 30 only once and averages 28.50.

Birmingham Phoenix 138 for 6 (Bethell 46*) beat Trent Rockets 132 for 8 (Hales 38, Mousley 3-9) by six runsDan Mousley snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for Birmingham Phoenix against Trent Rockets in The Hundred with a stunning final ten deliveries.The young all-rounder took three wickets for just three runs to see Phoenix over the line from an almost impossible situation.With the Rockets chasing 138, only ten runs were needed from the last ten balls with five wickets remaining, until Mousley took matters into his own hands by sending down spearing yorkers to bowl Lewis Gregory and Rashid Khan, before dismissing Jordan Thompson for a golden duck.The Rockets had earlier been cruising to victory – going at a run a ball for the first 20, which only included two boundaries.The new top-ranked men’s Test batter in the world Joe Root came into the side and accelerated the scoring during the powerplay, with 17 from his first six balls, including a trademark reverse scoop to clear the rope.When he was dismissed for 33 from 19 balls, Rockets pushed singles and twos on their way to the target but approaching the finishing line the hosts lost Rovman Powell and Sam Hain to consecutive balls, which allowed pressure to build and the Rockets ultimately came up short.Jacob Bethell’s unbeaten 46 had earlier dragged Phoenix to what was thought to be a sub-par 138 from the first 100 balls of the match.The English youngster showed all of his talent at the back-end of the innings with an array of shots from his 29 balls at the crease.Many of his Phoenix team-mates had struggled to score quickly thanks to world-class bowling from the Rockets attack, but their total proved to be enough – thanks in the main to Mousley.Meerkat Match Hero Mousley said: “I was just trying to get as many yorkers in as I possibly could, and keep it under the bat and try to get them to make a mistake.”In relation to the pace of his bowling, he added: “It’s one thing I’ve got on my side. I’m pretty lucky to have it and just try and use it to my advantage.”We just wanted to stay in the game as long as we could. We know what cricket is like, the closer you get to the finish, the more nervous everyone gets and it is about who can keep their cool the longest.”