It’s a worry for Australia too, since Marsh is understood to be a lock-in to lead them at the T20 World Cup in June

S Sudarshanan07-Apr-2024Mitchell Marsh has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, which Delhi Capitals (DC) assistant coach Pravin Amre called a “worrying sign” for the team.”A few of our players are injured, and the worrying sign is Mitch Marsh,” Amre said after DC’s 29-run loss away to Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday. “He has gone for a scan and the physios will give us a report in a week’s time. Then we will come to know what the exact situation is. Whether he can [play the entire season] or not depends on the reports.”Marsh started IPL 2024 opening the batting alongside David Warner, but dropped to No. 3 when Prithvi Shaw was picked in DC’s third game of the season. In their fourth game, against Kolkata Knight Riders, Marsh picked up the injury during his three-over spell of 1 for 37, as Sourav Ganguly revealed on Saturday during a press conference. Marsh walked out to bat in the chase, but fell to Mitchell Starc for a two-ball duck.Related

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Along with DC, the Australia team management will also be worried about the injury, since Marsh is understood to be a lock-in to lead Australia at the T20 World Cup in June.Marsh has a history of injuries and, as far as the IPL is concerned, has played only 42 games in what is now his eighth season. There was a cloud over his participation in IPL 2022 too, but he did end up playing eight games for DC. Prior to that, in IPL 2020, when with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he was ruled out of the tournament after hurting his ankle in their first match of the season, and he opted out of SRH’s campaign in IPL 2021 citing bubble fatigue.Kuldeep Yadav has also been out of action for DC because of a groin niggle – the MI game was the third he has missed in a row.Amre expected Kuldeep to miss “one or two games” more, but said that Mukesh Kumar, who has also missed two matches, should return in DC’s next match, on Friday in Lucknow against Lucknow Super Giants.”We have to start winning but have been set back by a few injuries,” Amre said after DC’s fourth defeat in five matches. “In the first game, Ishant [Sharma] couldn’t bowl two overs. Then Mukesh got injured. Kuldeep has not played three games. Marsh has a hamstring injury. They are our main players and whoever comes [in for them], they are not as effective because it is like A players vs B players there.”

Sciver-Brunt won’t bowl in Derby, so team balance in spotlight for opening ODI

Andrew Miller22-May-2024Heather Knight says that England will not deviate from the positive batting approach that helped to deliver a 3-0 clean sweep in the T20I series against Pakistan, but has challenged her players to adapt to the more varied rhythms of the 50-over format when they take the field for Friday’s first ODI against the same opponents in Derby.Knight’s 49 from 44 balls at Edgbaston last week was instrumental in rescuing her team from an ignominious 11 for 4 in the first T20I, but she said she took huge confidence from the varied manner in which England posted competitive totals in each match. A series of cameos delivered a 65-run victory at Northampton before Danni Wyatt’s 48-ball 87 set up a series-best total of 176 at Headingley.”They were three quite different innings, weren’t they?” Knight said on the eve of the ODIs. “The fact that we posted pretty good totals each time was a really pleasing thing. Knowing different ways to punch out a score is really important. That’s a good sign, and I think it’s a real strength of ours, that depth we have in our batting.”In particular, she credited the manner in which the team came to terms with the slower pace of Pakistan’s bowlers, whose nagging accuracy allied to some slow surfaces made it hard for England’s batters to line them up. With the T20 World Cup coming up in Bangladesh, Knight said it was all valuable experience for the team to have been able to bank.”The response from the top-order from that first game was really good, they worked out a little bit more about how they were going to be aggressive,” she said. “I feel like it’s a really good learning for us about how we’re going to approach those bowlers on potentially slower wickets, because you have to work out the method that you’re going to do it, and that’ll be slightly different for every player.”As a team, we always want to be positive,” she added. “Our aim as batters is to be aggressive when we can, but in ODI cricket, you have a little bit more time to read situations and cope with the ebbs and flows of the games. There’s obviously a lot of space to be aggressive, and that’s really important, but you’ve got to do it for longer and be a bit more calculated in terms of the times you pick to be aggressive and the times that you might have to soak up a little bit of pressure. But I’m really excited to see how we go.”One player who is well attuned to the ODI tempo is Tammy Beaumont, back in the squad after watching the T20Is from the Sky Sports commentary pod, and likely to open alongside Maia Bouchier with Wyatt slipping into the middle order. Kate Cross is also included in the 50-over squad, and can expect a key role as a senior seamer, especially with Nat Sciver-Brunt unavailable as a bowler for the first match and likely to have a limited workload thereafter, as she recovers from a long-term knee issue.Related

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“I feel like Maia’s earned that place in the T20 side and deserves a little bit of a run after the way she performed in New Zealand,” Knight said. “But in terms of ODIs, Tammy’s one of the best openers we’ve ever had, so we’re really pleased to have her back, and I know she’s eager to still keep improving and still keep getting better, which is a really good sign for a player of her stature.”With Sophia Dunkley on the sidelines at present, but making a strong case for a recall with her form for South East Stars, Knight acknowledged there was “a huge amount of competition” at the top of England’s batting, which is “only going to keep pushing those individuals to keep getting better”.She recognised, however, that the switch to the ODI format could come with challenges, particularly for the younger players in England’s line-up who – given the global focus on T20 cricket – are becomingly increasingly unfamiliar with the flow of 50-over cricket. In particular, she cited Alice Capsey who, at the age of 19, has played 129 T20 matches for club and country but just 31 List A games, of which 12 have been for England.Capsey has endured a tricky run of form of late, with just one score above 25 since March – and even that innings, 31 in the second T20I, was a streaky affair containing five boundaries in one over and little else for the rest of her 33-ball innings. Nevertheless, she claimed the Player of the Match award after picking up two important wickets with her offspin, and Knight said that her ambitions to become a genuine allrounder could only heighten her value to the team.”It just shows the contrast of the amount of T20 cricket that young players are playing, as opposed to one-day cricket now,” Knight said. “Alice is still working out the tempo that she wants to go at. She’s had success in dominating the powerplay and she plays that role well in franchise leagues around the world, but it’s about expanding her game, and learning to adapt to different situations. She’s still only 19, so that’ll come with time and volume of cricket played.”Alice does want to become a genuine allrounder. She’s working really hard on her offspin, so that gives her another option – not just in the top six batters, she could potentially play as an allrounder at seven and look to be in a place where she can perform consistently in that one-day team.”One further dilemma for Knight could be the balance of her spin attack. All three of Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn are now fixtures in the T20I side, and each currently occupies a top five slot in the ICC rankings. But with the potential need to play another seamer, while still maintaining the depth of England’s batting, one of the trio could be required to sit out.”There’s obviously a slightly different balance with Nat not bowling,” Knight said. “Our three spinners have been a huge strength of ours, and it can be really hard to fit them in the one-day team. It’s something that we haven’t really done, but it’s so hard to leave one of them out there.”They all add different things: Sarah’s consistency, Charlie’s got the best strike-rate of all time at the moment in one-day cricket, and Soph’s the best in the world. We’re looking at how we squeeze them in, but also get the balance right in terms of having enough batting.”Although England’s primary focus is the T20 World Cup in October, Knight was mindful of the fact that the ODI version is looming in 2025 as well. That, however, is a challenge for another day.”The international schedule is such that there’s always a big tournament on the horizon not too far away,” she said. “For me, it’s about improving as a team, be it in the T20 format or the one-day format, and each player should be pretty clear on what exactly it is that they need to be better at.”I want us to focus on what we’re doing now. What we’re facing is Pakistan. We’re trying to do the best that we can against them, and ultimately win the series and win it ruthlessly.”

Will Smeed sets tempo for visitors but Kent captain anchors 198-run chase

ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2024Kent 198 for 6 (Billings 106*) beat Somerset 197 for 6 (Smeed 68, Kohler-Cadmore 42) by four wicketsA superb century by Sam Billings helped the Kent Spitfires to a four-wicket win over Somerset with four balls to spare, in a Vitality Blast thriller at Canterbury.Kent were reeling on 37 for four in the fifth over but they were rescued a sensational innings by Billings, who hit a career best 106 from 66 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes.The Spitfires’ skipper fell in the 19th, but with Kent needing just six from the last six balls, Joey Evison hit the winning runs to complete a brilliant comeback for the hosts, who closed on 198 for six.Earlier Will Smeed blasted 68 from 30 balls as Somerset posted 197 for six, while Tom Kohler-Cadmore was the next highest scorer with 42. Having shipped 95 in eight overs for the opening wicket, Kent reined the visitors in slightly as Matt Parkinson took two for 36 and Zak Crawley took four catches, equalling Kent’s Blast record.Somerset were asked to bat and Smeed rode his luck at times, but he creamed Evison for 18 in the eighth over, only to hit the final delivery to Tawanda Muyeye on the boundary.Tom Banton went three balls later for 26, when Marcus O’Riordan saw him charge down the wicket and had him stumped off a wide. Parkinson then got Tom Abell for 12 when Crawley covered 40 yards to reel him in at deep midwicket.Sean Dickson made 26 from 18 before he skyed Parkinson to Crawley, who then took his third catch when Kohler-Cadmore miscued a full toss from Beyers Swanepoel.Lewis Gregory went for 12 when he hit Bartlett’s penultimate ball of the innings to Crawley on the cow corner boundary, but Crawley then hit the first ball of the Kent reply, from Overton, straight to Roelof van der Merwe.Overton then bowled Daniel Bell-Drummond for three and took a brilliant diving catch off Sonny Baker to remove Muyeye for 15 before O’Riordan went for 14, when he hit Jake Ball straight to Smeed at fly slip.Billings and Denly dragged Kent back into it with an exhilarating stand of 109, before the latter went for 32 when he tried to ramp Ball and was caught by Baker.The 18th over proved pivotal. Billings smeared Gregory through cover to reach his century and he celebrated by leaping in the air before doing a baby-rocking motion. Evison then hit successive fours to leave Kent needing just 10 from the last two.When Billings was caught by Dickson on the boundary Kent still needed six off the last over, but Evison cut van der Merwe’s first ball for four and scrambled two off the next ball to complete a stunning win.

“Once you step into the field, there is no big name, there is no one bigger than you at the field,” Aqib Ilyas says

Andrew McGlashan05-Jun-2024Oman have been told to ignore the names on the opposition team sheet when they take on Australia in Barbados while captain Aqib Ilyas believes his side can target them with spin.In a bullish pre-match press conference, Ilyas insisted it was vital that Oman treat the contest like any other and not be intimidated by Australia who are aiming to be the first side to hold global trophies across all three formats after their World Test Championship (WTC) and ODI World Cup success last year.Ilyas made clear that was not to be taken as any lack of respect, but rather a way to make Oman believe they can be competitive against a powerhouse side.Related

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“Once you step into the field, there is no big name, there is no one bigger than you at the field,” he said. “It’s another game for us and we don’t think that we are going to play someone extraordinary.”I don’t have to go and tell them as a captain that you are going to face [Mitchell] Starc. Already it comes to your mind when you are playing some top bowlers or top cricketers. So it’s been very positive from the management [and] also from the coach, he said we don’t even take their names – it’s just a team that has come and still they are at the same level what we are doing. We have also qualified, they have also qualified, one team is going to be the champion so it doesn’t make much difference, though we respect them [and] what they have [done] in the past. That is why they are named as world champions.”No doubt there are big names, but [to] our boys, what I say is if they take on Starc tomorrow, imagine someone taking on Starc or any of the top bowlers, how much highlight he will get.”Oman already have a game under their belt at Kensington Oval, the low-scoring affair against Namibia where they lost on a Super Over. That was a tricky surface that offered uneven bounce and spin – although looked easier for batting in the day time as Scotland put on a strong opening stand against England before the rain came – and while a fresh pitch is expected for the Australia game, Ilyas said that conditions could yet bring the sides closer together.Oman captain Aqib Ilyas wants his team to play with a big heart against Australia•ICC/Getty Images

“You see the last match, how the ball was turning and staying low,” he said. “[Australia] had a few good technique players [against spin] in the past like [Steven] Smith and [Marnus] Labuschagne but I don’t think they have many now. They look to hit big. Everyone tries to go for sixes but every day it is not the same day and if the same wicket is there, maybe it can be a problem for them.”As you could see PNG bowling against West Indies, [it was] difficult to chase 130 runs even having [some] of the biggest hitters in the side. So, on a slower track, on a slow wicket, with good quality spinners, [the] only thing is we have to play with the big heart and we have to put it on the right areas. It’s just about the areas because the ball doesn’t know how big the batsman in front of it [is]. If it turns a bit, it stays low or anything happens, the batsman is gone.”From Australia’s point of view there is an element of the unknown in facing Oman for the first time, although earlier in the week Ashton Agar noted there was an increasing amount of footage available of the Associate teams for those who wanted to use it.However, Travis Head, who will open the batting alongside David Warner, indicated he would not be taking an overly intricate approach to his preparation, instead sticking to a routine and plan that has worked for him in the past.”My [preparation] is pretty relaxed,” he said. “At some stage over the next day or maybe tonight, I’ll have a quick look at some of the [Oman] guys. You’ll get heaps of footage, but for me personally, I’ll probably just watch a little bit in the warm-up, sort of try and get a rough idea on who’s who. A little bit like I was in India as well, just sort of see the bowl-throughs…stand somewhat near them in the warm-up and have a look at what’s going on around the bowling stuff, and then stay pretty calm and relaxed.”There was a smile and a glint in the eye when Ilyas was asked whether there would be a different approach to the Australia players after the match was over.”It depends how it goes after the game. It might happen they also take our name,” he said. “Anything is possible. This is cricket. We respect them. There is no such thing that we don’t respect them. We respect them a lot as cricketers. But before the game, it’s a tactical thing, it comes [down] to your mind, so we have to be mentally strong. After the game, obviously, they are top players in the side and there is a lot of things we can learn from them, even they might learn from us also.”

The team has been stranded in Barbados for the last two days due to Hurricane Beryl

Edited PTI copy02-Jul-2024The Indian team is set to fly home via a charter flight on Tuesday evening after Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley said she expected the airport to become operational in the “next six to 12 hours”, ending the shutdown forced by a category 4 hurricane.The T20 World Cup-winning squad, its support staff, some BCCI officials and the players’ families have been stranded in Barbados for the past two days due to Hurricane Beryl, which hit the island on Sunday evening.”I don’t want to speak in advance of it, but I have literally been in touch with the airport personnel and they’re doing their last checks now and we want to resume normal operations as a matter of urgency,” Mottley told PTI.”There are a number of people who were due to leave last night late or today or tomorrow morning. And we want to make sure that we can facilitate those persons, so I would anticipate that within the next six to 12 hours the airport will be open.”Related

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The Indian contingent is expected to leave Bridgetown at 6pm local time and land in Delhi on Wednesday at 7.45pm IST, according to a source. The players will be later felicitated by prime minister Narendra Modi but the schedule of that event has not yet been finalised.The window for the Indian team to leave Bridgetown is a narrow one as Mottley revealed “we have another hurricane coming on Wednesday”.Five of the players – Rinku Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed and Sanju Samson – were originally slated to travel to Zimbabwe for the upcoming five-match T20I series. But, Samson, Dube and Jaiswal will now travel to India with the rest of the T20 World Cup-winning side before leaving for Harare. The rest of the squad for the series left India earlier on Tuesday.Life-threatening winds and storms lashed Barbados and nearby islands on Monday. The country, with a population of close to 300,000, has been in lockdown since Sunday evening.”[We have] been working to ensure that everyone is safe in Barbados, Barbadians and all of the visitors, of course, who came for the cricket World Cup,” Mottley said. “We were very blessed that the storm did not come on land. The hurricane was 80 miles south of us, which limited the level of damage on shore. But as you can see, infrastructure and coastal assets have been badly damaged.”It could have been a lot worse, but now is the time to do the recovery and the clean-up.”

Avishka Fernando’s 96 took Sri Lanka to 248, paving the way for their first bilateral ODI series win against India in 27 years

Madushka Balasuriya07-Aug-20245:39

India’s batting (except Rohit’s) against spin a sign of concern

Avishka Fernando struck 96 – the highest individual score this series – and Dunith Wellalage picked up a five-for as Sri Lanka secured a first ODI bilateral series win against India in 27 years, with a dominant 110-run win in the third and final ODI in Colombo.For India, it was a culmination of their travails against spin over the past week, losing nine wickets to spinners for the third game straight – the 27 in total their most over a three-match series.Related

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Wellalage was chief destroyer this time out with figures of 5 for 27, but at various times across the series it’s been Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, or even Charith Asalanka. But at no point – aside from during Rohit Sharma’s now expected top-order romps – have India looked like they would be able to consistently contend.But this time, even Rohit’s impact was relegated to a mere cameo – 35 off 20 – as Wellalage had him caught behind trying to sweep before he could make any significant dents into Sri Lanka’s total.Aside from him, only Virat Kohli, Riyan Parag and Washington Sundar – 20, 15, 30 – got into double digits, and of those only Washington’s innings had sought to put any sort of pressure back on the Lankan bowlers.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India’s struggles placed an even higher premium on Avishka’s 96 off 102 earlier in the day, which had set Sri Lanka up so well that not even a collapse that saw them lose 28 runs for five wickets could derail their innings to any significant end.Over the course of his innings, he was part of Sri Lanka’s most profitable partnerships – 89 and 82 for the first and second wickets respectively – but his innings was not a case of Sri Lanka playing spin considerably better than the opposition, rather finding a way to maximise the opportunities afforded by the seamers.In this case, while Shivam Dube went for just nine runs off his four overs, Mohammed Siraj was struck for his joint worst figures in ODIs – 78 for 1 off nine. And of that 78, Avishka was responsible for 36 of them, at a strike rate of 200.This though was more Siraj erring in his lines and lengths, than anything Avishka himself might have done to put him off. But on tricky surfaces such as those dished up at Khettarama, these are the margins that must be capitalised on.Anything short was invariably put away, while Siraj was also guilty of bowling too straight to him; of the 36 runs he conceded to Avishka, 32 were square or behind square on the onside.Sri Lanka interim coach Sanath Jayasuriya and captain Charith Asalanka had a first bilateral ODI series win against India in 27 years to celebrate•Associated Press

But while Siraj was having a mare, Parag was having a debut to remember. He grabbed the key wicket of Avishka, getting a leg break to slide on into his front pad, before getting another to grip, straighten and skid to trap Charith Asalanka on the crease.His best delivery though was reserved for danger man Wellalage, who was done in by one that dipped and turned, pitching middle and spinning past the outside edge to knock back off stump.His economy rate of six an over meanwhile was impacted by some late strikes, but the rest of the spinners – Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington – proved miserly as ever, picking up a wicket apiece and none going for more than Axar’s 4.10 per over.Parag and his spin cohorts however had to be patient for their rewards, as Sri Lanka strung together two strong stands at the top of the order. Alongside Avishka, Pathum Nissanka (45) and Kusal Mendis (59) made important contributions, but like in the first two games, Sri Lanka’s middle order succumbed swiftly and suddenly.From 171 for 1 they spluttered to 199 for 6. From midway through the 36th over when they lost Avishka, up until midway through the 48th – 72 deliveries to be precise – not a single boundary was scored, scrounging just 49 runs in the period. And from targeting a score in the region of 280, they were now struggling to reach 250.Fortunately for them, Mendis – one of Sri Lanka’s better players of spin – was around at the death, and he was able to strike some powerful blows to help push the total towards 240. A score that seemed competitive but perhaps underwhelming considering the start provided by Avishka and co., but one that proved plenty in the end.

India lead the series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Chennai by 280 runs

Hemant Brar26-Sep-20242:23

Manjrekar: I will play Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test

Big picture: Another stern test awaits Bangladesh

Bangladesh came into this series riding on the high of winning 2-0 in Pakistan. It peaked when they had India 144 for 6 in the first innings in Chennai. But then India once again showed why they are arguably the strongest home side in Test history and went on to steamroll Bangladesh by 280 runs.It was a show of India’s depth in both batting and bowling. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli managed only 34 runs between them across four innings, but India had three centurions and two half-centurions. When it came to bowling, their seamers shared eight wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings and the spinners nine during the second.Things will not get easier for Bangladesh in Kanpur, where New Zealand’s tail had held on to secure a draw the last time a Test was played here. There is also some uncertainty about the pitch. The ground staff were preparing two surfaces and, as of noon on the eve of the match, it was not clear which one would be used.Related

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Kanpur generally offers good Test-match pitches that help fast bowlers on the first morning before flattening out and assisting spinners on the last two days. However, the weather could be an issue this time, with rain forecast on the first three days. That could impact not just the pitch but also the toss decision and team compositions.But all is not bleak for Bangladesh. In their second innings in Chennai, their openers gave them a solid start, followed by Najmul Hossain Shanto’s return to form with 82. In their first innings, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz all got starts. But to be competitive against this Indian team at home, you have to be at your best for much longer periods. Can Bangladesh do that?

Form guide

India WWWWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWLL0:48

Manjrekar: Bangladesh attack lacks quality and experience

In the spotlight: Shubman Gill and Shakib Al Hasan

Shubman Gill knows his ceiling. Even after scoring 452 runs with two hundreds in the home series against England earlier this year, he recently said he was yet to fulfil his expectations as a Test player. Gill got out for a duck in the first innings of the Chennai Test against Bangladesh but scored a stroke-filled unbeaten 119 in the second. Given India are to face tougher opponents in the coming months – New Zealand and Australia – Gill would be keen to fine-tune his game at No. 3.When is Shakib Al Hasan not in the spotlight? While batting in Chennai, he was seen biting a black strap, wrapped around his neck, to keep his head from falling over. When it was time to bowl, there were murmurs about his workload, ineffectiveness and discomfort with the spinning finger. And after Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe confirmed Shakib’s availability for the second Test, he dropped a bombshell about his future on the eve of the match.

Team news: Wait and watch?

There was no indication from the Indian camp whether they would play three spinners. Even if they do, it may not be a straightforward choice. If the pitch is too slow, Axar Patel could be handy with his pace and attacking the stumps. But India already have a similar spinner in Ravindra Jadeja. In Kuldeep Yadav’s favour, this is his home ground. So he is a tempting option, too. If India play one of Axar or Kuldeep, Akash Deep could be the one to miss out.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 KL Rahul, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Axar Patel, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajIf Bangladesh go with three spinners, Taijul Islam could replace Nahid Rana. That could also help with Shakib’s workload, if required.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Litton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Taskin AhmedGautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar inspect one of two pitches in consideration for the Kanpur Test•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: Slow and low bounce?

The red-soil pitch in Chennai had decent bounce for both seamers and spinners in the first Test. Kanpur will be different. The two pitches being considered for the match are black-soil surfaces. They are likely to be flatter, with lower bounce, and are expected to become slower as the Test progresses. All that could change if it rains as forecasted, and bad light could become a factor too towards the end of each day.

Stats and trivia: Jadeja double on the cards

• For the first time in their Test history, India have more wins (179) than losses (178).
• Jadeja is one short of becoming the seventh Indian to take 300 Test wickets.
• When Jadeja gets there, he will also complete the double of 3000 runs and 300 wickets. If he does it in Kanpur, in his 74th Test, he will be the second fastest to do so after Ian Botham (72).
• Virat Kohli is 129 short of 9000 Test runs.
• Taijul is five short of 200 Test wickets. Only Shakib (242) has more Test wickets for Bangladesh.

Quotes

“We don’t particularly pattern bad pitches. But we try to make sure the conditions are tough enough so that the players are challenged. A lot of these guys have played for so many years. Only if they’re challenged are they going to get better. So sometimes the thought process is just to challenge them differently so that your game and you, organically and mentally, grow.”

Here’s all we know about the players who are set to be retained by their respective franchises

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-202410:37

Who will RCB retain apart from Kohli?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)MS Dhoni is one of five players set to be retained by CSK, along with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and Sri Lanka fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana. The amounts CSK are paying to each retained player is yet to be confirmed but they will lose at least INR 65 crore from their overall purse of INR 120 crore.
Gujarat Titans (GT)Gujarat Titans are likely to retain Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, B Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan, leaving them with one right-to-match card (RTM) option at the upcoming IPL mega auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)The franchise is set to retain Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy. Their 2024 title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer and star allrounder Andre Russell are unlikely to be retained.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi, along with the uncapped pair of Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni, are set to be retained by LSG for IPL 2025. KL Rahul, who has led the franchise since its inception in 2022, is unlikely to be retained.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag and Sandeep Sharma are the four players set to be retained by Rajasthan Royals. ESPNcricinfo has learned that England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler and India legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal are not part of the retention list.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)South Africa power-hitter Heinrich Klaasen is set to be the top retention for SRH and will get INR 23 crore (US$ 2.74 million approx.) as the first retained player. Pat Cummins, who was SRH captain in 2024, is set to be retained at INR 18 crore (US$ 2.14 million approx.), and India allrounder Abhishek Sharma at INR 14 crore (US$ 1.67 million approx). Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy are also set to be retained as their final two capped retained players ahead of the auction.
Delhi Capitals (DC)Rishabh Pant is all set to go into the auction after not being retained by DC. ESPNcricinfo has learned that talks between DC’s ownership group and Pant failed after stretching over the past few months and Wednesday. The franchise has retained four players: the spin pair of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, South Africa batter Tristan Stubbs and uncapped Indian wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel.
Punjab Kings (PBKS)Punjab Kings are likely to retain only two uncapped players – batters Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh – from their IPL 2024 squad. They will go into the upcoming mega auction with the largest purse, likely in excess of INR 100 crore, and also have four right-to-match options which can be used to buy back their players.
Mumbai Indians (MI)Mumbai Indians are set to retain their four major Indian players – Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav – along with Tilak Varma ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.With those five capped players retained, MI can use their one right-to-match option only on an uncapped player at the auction. While the individual amounts for each of their retained player is yet to be ascertained, MI will lose at least INR 75 crore from their purse of INR 120 crore, or more if they have paid a higher aggregate amount to the five.

Quadricep tear could force her to miss eight of Sydney Sixers’ 10 league games

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2024New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr has been ruled out of the remaining two ODIs against India after tearing her left quadricep muscle. Kerr picked up the injury during the opening game on Thursday, which India won by 59 runs, and is expected to take approximately three weeks to recover. She will not be replaced in the ODI squad.This also puts her WBBL participation in serious doubt for Sydney Sixers with the tournament set to start on Sunday. Amelia was a big-name pre-signing for Sixers as a platinum-category pick and could miss eight of Sixers’ 10 league games even if she recovers in three weeks.An NZC release stated Amelia was taken for scans on Friday morning, which revealed a grade-one quadricep tear, and that she would return home on Sunday to start her rehabilitation.”We’re really gutted for Melie,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said. “Injuries are always a challenging time for a player and we know how disappointed she is to not be able to play these games.”Everyone knows how much of an integral part of this team Melie is so we’ll certainly miss her but we’re wishing her a speedy recovery.”Soon after playing a pivotal role in New Zealand’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 15 scalps, Amelia was New Zealand’s best bowler in the opening ODI too, taking 4 for 42 before scoring an unbeaten 25 off 23 in the chase. The remaining two ODIs are on October 27 and 29, also in Ahmedabad.Amelia’s absence could hurt New Zealand’s hopes of climbing the Women’s ODI Championship table, where a top-six finish will ensure direct qualification for the ODI World Cup in 2025. New Zealand are currently placed sixth out of 10 teams and will next play Australia in December.

South Australia have pulled off a final-ball, two-run win over Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield, in one of the tightest games in the competition’s history

AAP09-Dec-2024South Australia have pulled off one of the most remarkable wins in the Sheffield Shield’s 132-year history, beating Tasmania by two runs on the final ball of the match in Hobart.Tasmania required four runs from the final ball to successfully chase down 429 for a dramatic victory.Riley Meredith hit the ball to deep cover where Ben Manenti fielded it, but he came back for a second appearing to forget that a draw was a possible result and was run out after batting partner Lawrence Neil-Smith had sent him back. The last-ball wicket allowed South Australia to claim the equal-tightest Shield victory ever in terms of runs, in a match that went past 6pm on the final day. Making the victory even more remarkable is the fact that Tasmania had looked in the box seat to claim the win, before losing 4 for 4 from the final nine balls of the match.The win put South Australia top of the table, while Tasmania are now last.After Tim Ward’s 142 had appeared to put the hosts in a position where they could not lose the match, Mitch Owen and Brad Hope gave them a real chance of victory on Monday.Owen blasted 53 from 39 balls, while Hope made 69 in a 72-run partnership that lasted just 10 overs. Hope was eventually caught on the boundary trying to hook Wes Agar, but with Owen firing the Tigers still looked a chance.Tasmania required 62 from nine overs, 44 from six, and then seven from six balls after Owen hit Nathan McAndrew deep over the mid-wicket rope.But when Owen was caught on the long-on boundary a few balls later and Matt Kuhnemann was out first ball, South Australia were back in the game. With seven required from the final over, Gabe Bell was bowled by Agar for a duck before the final-ball madness ensued.Tim Ward celebrates his second Shield century•Getty Images

The earlier stages of the day had also been full of drama, with Ward’s century his first since his maiden Shield ton in October 2021.With Jake Weatherald and Jordan Silk each hitting 65 for the Tigers, Ward struck 16 boundaries in his knock, including a cracking cover drive off Agar to bring up his ton.But the left-hander was caught up in one of the more bizarre moments of the game in the middle session. With Tasmania flying in the chase, South Australia resorted to short-ball tactics to try and slow the momentum.Ward ducked a bouncer off Henry Thornton, scratched out his guard and walked out of his crease in scenes reminiscent of the Jonny Bairstow stumping at Lord’s last year.Much like Alex Carey last July, SA’s wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen threw down the stumps.On this occasion the appeal was denied, with umpires having seemingly decided over had been called.