Category: CRICKET

Sherfane Rutherford’s unbeaten 68 lifted West Indies to 149/9 after a poor start. Their bowlers then contained New Zealand to 136/9 to secure a 13-run victory in the T20 World Cup. Alzarri Joseph took 4/19 as West Indies completed their third straight win to reach the Super Eight phase. The defeat leaves New Zealand needing a miracle to progress, facing elimination if Afghanistan beats Papua New Guinea on Thursday. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

England coach Matthew Mott hopes Josh Hazlewood’s comments about Australia potentially securing only a narrow win over Scotland to eliminate England from the T20 World Cup were made in jest. Hazlewood had suggested Australia could “just knock it around and drag it out” against Scotland. Mott believes Hazlewood was likely joking, given his “dry sense of humor.”

In a historic first, India and USA will clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Wednesday in New York. While India are favorites, USA stunned Pakistan after beating Canada, making them no pushovers. India seek collective form, with Bumrah shining but Kohli, Yadav struggling. Low-scoring conditions could aid another upset by the spirited underdogs.

Dilara Dola’s 104 off 58 balls, the fastest century in Women’s Dhaka Premier League history, propelled Abahani to a record 404/6 against Jahid Ahsan Sohel Cricket Club. Shorna Akter (118) and late cameos from Nahida Akter and Jahanara Alam contributed to the mammoth total, surpassing Mohammedan’s previous record of 392/3. In reply, the chasing team lost 4 wickets for 7 runs within 7 overs. Photo: BCB

The United States beat Pakistan in a thrilling T20 World Cup match in Dallas after the game went into a Super Over finish. Both teams scored 159 in their 20 overs, but the United States set Pakistan a target of 19 in the Super Over. Saurabh Netravalkar’s tight bowling restricted Pakistan to 13/1, handing the United States a historic win over the 2009 champions. Photo: AFP

Rohit Sharma had a record-breaking day during India’s T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland. He surpassed MS Dhoni for most wins as India’s T20I captain, became the third batter to reach 1000 T20 World Cup runs, and moved to second in the list of all-time T20I run-scorers. He also became the first player to hit 600 international sixes across formats. PHOTO: AFP

Australia begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Oman in Barbados today, aiming to become champions across all three formats after winning the Test Championship and ODI World Cup. The experienced squad boasts stars like David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Oman skipper Aqib Ilyas believes his team’s spin attack could trouble Australia, who he feels lack good players of spin. Spin is expected to play a key role at the Kensington Oval venue. Photos: AFP

Former Indian cricketers Kirti Azad and Yusuf Pathan have secured impressive victories in the Indian general elections. Representing the Trinamool Congress party in West Bengal, Azad defeated BJP’s former state chief Dilip Ghosh, while Pathan triumphed over Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Azad, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, and Pathan, part of the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup squads, have transitioned into politics, defeating prominent candidates in their respective constituencies. X

Sequoia Consultants, Inc., a Los Angeles-based civil engineering firm, has taken over the ownership of the LPL team Dambulla. The team will now be known as “Dambulla Sixers”. The majority stake in Sequoia is owned by Priyanga De Silva, a former Sri Lankan cricketer. This new ownership comes after the previous owner was arrested last month. Despite the change, the players, including Mustafizur Rahman, will remain the same for Dambulla Sixers in the upcoming LPL starting July 1.

India captain Rohit Sharma expressed disappointment over Rahul Dravid’s decision to step down as the team’s head coach after the T20 World Cup. Rohit praised Dravid as “a big role model” and said he tried unsuccessfully to convince him to stay on. Dravid’s contract expires at the end of the month, and he has decided not to reapply after nearly three years in charge of the Indian team. PHOTO: X

Sri Lankan players and management have expressed frustration over their “unfair” travel schedule in the ICC T20 World Cup, where they are one of only two teams playing their four group-stage matches in four different venues. They have raised concerns about the inconvenience and potential disadvantages caused by the frequent travel, including fatigue and lack of familiarity with playing conditions, compared to teams playing multiple matches at the same venue. Photo: AFP

At 43, Frank Nsubuga will finally realize his dream of playing in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, nearly three decades after his international debut at the 1997 Champions Trophy aged 16. The veteran Ugandan cricketer has witnessed his nation’s remarkable rise, leading to their qualification for the 2024 tournament in the USA and West Indies. Nsubuga hopes their historic appearance inspires a new generation back home as he prepares to test himself against modern greats like Andre Russell and Kane Williamson. Photo: ICC

New York will boost security for the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup in June, particularly for the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan match, after reports of potential threats from extremist groups. Governor Kathy Hochul said there’s no credible threat currently, but additional law enforcement presence, surveillance, and screening processes will be implemented to ensure the safety of attendees. PHOTO: ICC

Uganda’s national men’s cricket team, the Cricket Cranes, is making final preparations for their historic first appearance at the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies. With a new Indian head coach and a strong captain in Brian Masaba, the team hopes to make an impact despite being considered underdogs. Players like Juma Miyagi and veteran Frank Nsubuga see this as a dream opportunity to promote cricket in Uganda and advance their own careers. The Cranes remain realistic about their prospects but are determined to represent their nation well on the global stage. PHOTO: AFP

West Indies are pinning their hopes on young fast bowler Shamar Joseph as they aim to become the first team to win the T20 World Cup three times when they host the tournament. Despite recent struggles, the presence of match-winners like Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, and the pace duo of Shamar and Alzarri Joseph has the team optimistic about knocking the home World Cup “out of this world.”. IANS file photo

Veteran stars Rohit Sharma (37) and Virat Kohli (35) may be playing their final World Cup as India aims to end its decade-long global title drought at the upcoming T20 World Cup. The duo, considered the torchbearers of Indian cricket, last tasted success in the 2013 Champions Trophy. While Kohli shone in the IPL, Rohit’s form dipped. With the T20 World Cup potentially their last shot at glory, expectations are high for the greats to deliver and guide India to the coveted trophy. PHOTO: AFP

Najmul Hossain Shanto, the current Bangladesh captain across formats, is facing immense pressure due to his poor batting form in T20Is ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup. His T20I struggles are stark with just 189 runs in his last 10 innings at a strike rate of 102. While captaincy has boosted his ODI numbers, his T20I woes along with the team’s shambolic performances, including a series loss to the USA, have put Shanto under tremendous scrutiny as captain and batsman. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Cricket’s global expansion faces a test with the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA. The tournament features a record 20 teams, including debutants like USA, Canada, and Uganda. While aiming to spike curiosity in the American market, the focus remains on celebrating existing cricket fans, especially from immigrant communities. The ICC also sees it as a potential pathway to cricket’s return to the Olympics in 2028.

Mitchell Starc’s sensational opening spell of 2-14 fired Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title with an 8-wicket thrashing of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. Kolkata bowled out Hyderabad for a paltry 113, the lowest IPL final total. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (39) and Venkatesh Iyer (52*) then starred with the bat as Kolkata chased down the target comfortably. PHOTO: BCCI

Nepal is making their second appearance in the T20 World Cup after debuting in 2014. Their only win against a Test nation came against Afghanistan in 2014. They hold a 100% record over several associate nations. During the 2023 Asian Games, Nepal set multiple T20I records, including the highest team total (314/3), the biggest winning margin by runs (273), the most sixes in an innings (26), and the fastest fifty (9 balls by Dipendra Singh Airee).

Pakistan cricket legend Shahid Afridi has hailed his former team’s pace attack as the world’s best, expressing high hopes for their performance at the upcoming T20 World Cup. He cited the depth in fast bowling, with Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, and Mohammad Amir, as a major strength. Afridi believes Pakistan should reach the final, with the conditions suiting their team, and has emphasized the importance of captain Babar Azam’s leadership and performance. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Virat Kohli’s dream of winning the IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended as they were knocked out after a four-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals in the play-off eliminator in Ahmedabad. Despite Kohli’s 33 runs, Bengaluru could only manage 172-8, which Rajasthan overhauled with six balls to spare. Rajasthan will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second qualifier, with the winner taking on Kolkata Knight Riders in the final on May 26.  PHOTO: AFP

ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting believes Virat Kohli remains the first player picked in India’s XI for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Despite concerns over Kohli’s strike rate as an opener, Ponting backs him to open alongside Rohit Sharma, citing his experience and ability to perform in big matches. Ponting also suggests India could consider including left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal in their XI for batting depth. PHOTO: ICC

Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza expects the Tigers to win at least one match against South Africa or Sri Lanka in the upcoming T20 World Cup. He believes Bangladesh should aim to beat both teams as well as Nepal and the Netherlands in the first round. Mashrafe also emphasized the importance of the Olympics, stating that winning a gold medal at the mega event would be the biggest achievement for Bangladesh. Photo: Firoz Ahmed