Page 16 - Cricket

MI Cape Town edge closer to maiden SA20 playoffs after rain hits Kingsmead

MI Cape Town took another step towards securing their first-ever SA20 playoffs spot after their match against Durban's Super Giants at Kingsmead was washed out here. The visitors took two points, which put them level on points with Paarl Royals at the top of the table. The Royals, however, retain the first place having picked up more wins. Durban's Super Giants, meanwhile, remain rooted to the bottom of the table with eight points after Tuesday's abandoned match. Last season's runners-up Durban's Super Giants now face a virtual must-win scenario moving forward if they are to qualify for the playoffs. The match started with Super Giants' captain Keshav Maharaj winning the toss and electing to bowl first. MI Cape Town openers Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen took their team to 34 in just four overs before the former (18 off nine balls) chopped a length delivery from Junior Dala onto his stumps. Van der Dussen (35 not out, 3x4s, 1x6) maintained the momentum even after the lo

ICC Rankings: Bumrah continues to be best Test bowler in latest rankings

India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah continued to remain the undisputed No. 1 Test bowler, while Ravindra Jadeja maintained his top spot in the all-rounders' category, in the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday. Bumrah, who had made history ahead of the fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Test against Australia in January by recording the highest-ever ICC Rankings rating for an Indian bowler at 907 points, is currently on a career-best points tally of 908. Australia's Pat Cummins (841) and South Africa's Kagiso Rabada (837) are placed second and third respectively. Pakistan's Noman Ali (761) broke into the top-10 after an impressive six-wicket haul in the first Test against the West Indies in Multan. There was no movement to the top-10 all-rounders list in the Test format, with Jadeja (400 ratings points) retaining the top spot, followed by South Africa's Marco Jansen (294) and Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan (263).

India stars return to Ranji, but first-class cricket needs a booster shot

Last week, BCCI released a 10-point policy document: "Participation in domestic matches is mandatory for players to remain eligible for selection in the national team and for central contracts."

Kohli to end domestic hiatus with match against Railways in Ranji Trophy

Kohli was notably missing from the Delhi squad for the penultimate round of group-stage matches, where Delhi faces Saurashtra in Rajkot starting January 23

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour begins in India at Wankhede Stadium

Indian cricket legends including Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane posed with the coveted trophy on Monday

IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant appointed as new captain of Lucknow Super Giants

LSG retained key players such as Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, and Ayush Badoni while adding big names like Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and David Miller.

India begin women's U-19 WC title defence with 9-wicket win vs West Indies

Indian bowlers shot a clueless West Indies batters out for a measly 44 to set up a commanding nine-wicket win to begin their title defence on a resounding note in the women's U-19 World Cup here on Sunday. Left-arm spinners Parunika Sisodia (3/7) and Aayushi Shukla (2/6) as well as pacer VJ Joshitha (2/6) toyed with the West Indies batters to bowl the Caribbeans out in just 13.2 overs in the Group A match at Bayuemas Oval. Kenika Cassar top-scored for the West Indies with a 29-ball 15 while opener Asabi Callender contributed 12. All the other West Indies batters could score in single digit figures with five of them getting out without opening account. India chased down the target of 45 in just 4.2 overs, reaching 47 for 1 with opener Trisha G getting out for 4 on the second ball off Jahzara Claxton. Wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini (16 not out off 13 balls) and Sanika Chalke (18 not out off 11 balls) took India home for an easy win. India play hosts Malaysia in their next group matc

IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant to be appointed as Lucknow Super Giants skipper

KL Rahul had captained LSG in their first three IPL seasons, guiding the franchise to playoffs in the initial two years but falling short of a final spot.

U19 Women's WC 2025: BAN and SA win opening ties along with Australia

South Africa triumphed in a thrilling match against New Zealand, winning by 22 runs in Borneo to kick off their campaign.

Karun Nair's exploits nothing short of extraordinary: Sachin Tendulkar

Karun Nair's exploits in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was on Friday termed "nothing short of extraordinary" by batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who urged the Vidarbha skipper to "keep going." Nair has been on a roll in India's premier 50-over domestic competition, averaging a mind-boggling 752 in seven innings after amassing 752 runs with five centuries and one fifty. "Scoring 752 runs in 7 innings with 5 centuries is nothing short of extraordinary, @karun126," Tendulkar wrote on X. "Performances like these don't just happen, they come from immense focus and hard work. Keep going strong and make every opportunity count!" he added. Tendulkar hailed Nair's performance a day before the Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee meets in Mumbai to pick the Indian squads for the upcoming Champions Trophy and the ODI series against England. Nair's sensational exploits have powered Vidarbha into the final of the tournament, where they will take on Karnataka here on Saturday. Tendulkar hea

Pakistan vs West Indies HIGHLIGHTS, 1st Test: Rizwan-Saud stitch 97-run stand; PAK 143/4 after Day 1

PAK vs WI 1st Test HIGHLIGHTS: Rizwan and Saud Shakeel build on for the hosts after a top order meltdown courtesy of Jayden Seales.

WPL 2025 full schedule, format, match timings, squads and live streaming

The first six games will be held in Vadodara, after which the tournament will shift to Bengaluru for the next eight matches.

BCCI lays out strict guidelines for players after Australia debacle

The new guidelines require players to maintain discipline on and off the field, with specific restrictions on family presence during tours and the banning of personal endorsements.

India A to play 4-day matches against England A ahead of Test series

With limited opportunities before the England series, there's only one Ranji Trophy game for India's players, alongside the T20 Blast break during the gap between the IPL and the Tests.

Mumbai Indians reveal their new jersey ahead of new WPL 2025 season

Drawing inspiration from the city's scenic coastline, the jersey features a striking pattern symbolizing the solid rocks along Mumbai's Arabian Sea shores.

RCB sign Charlie Dean to replace Sophie Molineux ahead of WPL 2025

Sophie Molineux, who was a key player for the franchise in the 2024 season, has unfortunately been sidelined due to a knee injury.

Tilly Corteen-Coleman: From sibling rivalry to representing England

Corteen-Coleman's rise in cricket has been rapid. At six years old, she joined her local club, St Lawrence and Highland Court, primarily to keep up with her competitive brother.

U19 Women's WC: Kirsty McColl thrilled to follow in her sister's footsteps

In addition to her cricketing career, Kirsty is pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.

ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2025: Full squad list of all 16 nations

Defending champions India will begin their campaign against the West Indies, led by Niki Prasad, who missed out on last year's title-winning squad.

BCCI considers adding a batting coach to Team India support staff

Sources suggest that several prominent former domestic cricket figures are being considered for the role, but no final decision has been reached yet.