NEWSLETTER
Follow UsWhat’s happening OFF the field?
>Sri Lanka pacer Dilshan Madushanka will miss the initial stages of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after sustaining an injury on his left hamstring. He walked off the field after bowling just 6.4 overs in the second ODI against Bangladesh and his exact return has not been determined yet.
>England batter Harry Brook has withdrawn from the IPL 2024 due to personal reasons. Delhi Capitals (DC) are yet to announce a replacement for him.
>Jake Fraser-McGurk has been named as a replacement for Lungi Ngidi, who has pulled out of the tournament, as the South African pacer continues to recover from a lower-back injury that he sustained in the SA20.
>The BCCI has confirmed that Rishabh Pant will participate in IPL 2024 as a wicketkeeper-batter, while Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna have been ruled out of the tournament due to injuries.
>Shreyas Iyer, who scored 95 in the Ranji Trophy final, did not take the field for the last two days due to a recurring back injury. However, he has linked up with his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammates ahead of IPL 2024.
> Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Virat Kohli has been spotted in Bengaluru ahead of the upcoming IPL season. Kohli has not played competitive cricket since the T20I against Afghanistan in Bengaluru in January.
>Former Sri Lanka batter Lahiru Thirimanne was hospitalized on Thursday (March 14) following his involvement in a car crash. He is believed to have sustained minor injuries.
>Rachin Ravindra became the youngest recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, while Amelia Kerr was bestowed with the Debbie Hockley Medal for the second year in a row in the New Zealand Cricket awards in Christchurch on Wednesday (March 13).
>Ravichandran Ashwin displaced Jasprit Bumrah to go back on top of the ICC rankings for bowlers after picking up nine wickets in the fourth Test against England in Dharamsala.
>Pakistan will be involved in an ODI tri-series at home, also featuring South Africa and New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, which will also be played in Pakistan. The PCB has also announced a bilateral T20I series against Pakistan, starting April 18, with Rawalpindi and Lahore sharing the matches.
>The ICC Board meeting in Dubai confirmed that the stop-clock will become a permanent fixture in all ODIs and T20Is. The results of the stop clock trial were presented to the Chief Executives’ Committee, which demonstrated that around 20 minutes per ODI match had been saved in time.
>Matthew Wade has announced his retirement from first-class cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter’s last match will be the Sheffield Shield final between Tasmania and Western Australia in Perth, starting Thursday (March 21).
>Australia head coach Andrew McDonald backs Mitchell Marsh to lead Australia in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the US and West Indies. “We're happy and comfortable with the way he's been able to operate with that T20 team,” McDonald said.
>Former England bowler Darren Gough stepped down from his role as managing director of cricket at county club Yorkshire on Thursday (March 14). He was appointed to the post in December 2021 following a racism scandal.
>Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Saturday (March 16) appointed former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed as their new fast-bowling coach. He will work with the Sri Lankan side until the end of the T20 World Cup 2024.
>India fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat will return to Sussex for the final five games of the ongoing County Championship, the club announced on Monday (March 18).
What’s happening ON the field?
>The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise finally have a trophy to their name as the Smriti Mandhana-led side beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by eight wickets in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 final in Delhi on Sunday (March 17).
>Mumbai clinched their 42nd Ranji Trophy title when they beat Vidarbha by 169 runs in the final at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (March 14).
>After claiming the ODI series against Ireland 2-0, Afghanistan have levelled the T20I series 1-1, following a 10-run win in the second game in Sharjah. They lost the first match of the series by 38 runs.
>Multan Sultans will face Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 final at the National Stadium, Karachi. The Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi in Qualifier 1 to make the final, while United thrashed Quetta Gladiators in Eliminator 1 and then went on to beat Peshawar Zalmi in Eliminator 2 to make it through to the final.
>Bangladesh clinch the three-match ODI series 2-1, following a four-wicket victory in the third game in Chattogram. The series-decider indeed witnessed a lot of action.
Bangladesh have now won back-to-back ODI series over Sri Lanka.
>Scotland came from behind in the three-match T20Is against hosts UAE in Dubai to clinch the series 2-1. In the series decider, Scotland defended 94, winning the game by 32 runs in the end.
>The African Games kicked off in Ghana on Sunday (March 17), with Zimbabwe beating Namibia by 35 runs in the first game. A total of eight teams will compete in 16 matches overall, with the final set to be played on March 23 in Accra.
>The two-match T20I series between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Malaysia finished 1-1 in Bangi.
>Nigeria, ranked 38, pulled off a heist against 11th-ranked Namibia in the African Games, with Sylvester Okpe smashing six off the final delivery to take his team over the line.
In the Spotlight
Babar Azam
It took Babar Azam just 74 days in 2024 to notch up 1,000 T20 runs, having represented Pakistan, Rangpur Riders and Peshawar Zalmi. He is also the leading run-getter in the PSL having scored 569 runs at a strike-rate of 142.6.
Shreyanka Patil
The 21-year-old finished as the highest wicket-taker in WPL 2024 with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 7.30, including four wickets in the final against DC in Delhi. She also walked away with the Emerging Player of the Tournament award.
Rashid Khan
Afghanistan welcomed their T20I captain Rashid Khan with open arms for the series against Ireland – his first since undergoing a back surgery following the ODI World Cup. He has been Afghanistan’s star in the two matches so far, picking up three and four wickets in the first two games, respectively. His 12-ball 25 in the second game in Sharjah also included this incredible “no-look” six.
Mohammad Nabi
Nabi played a key part in the ODI series decider against Ireland scoring a vital 48 down the order and also picked up a fifer to help Afghanistan to a 117-run victory.
Junaid Siddique
UAE fast bowler Junaid Siddique registered back-to-back four-wicket hauls against Scotland in Sharjah. He finished with 4 for 14 in the first game and followed that up with 4 for 18 in the second match.
Musheer Khan & Akshay Wadkar
Musheer Khan became the youngest player from Mumbai to score a century in the Ranji Trophy final, as his 136 helped his side to a 169-run victory. However, Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar kept his side’s hopes alive with a century of his own but could not help them to yet another title.
Imad Wasim
Imad Wasim was adjudged the player-of-the-match in Eliminator 1 and 2 for his all-round performance. In the first Eliminator, he finished with figures of 3 for 12 and in the game after that, he scored an unbeaten 59 off 40 deliveries to take Islamabad United to a match-winning total.
Rishad Hossain
Needing 68 to win off the last 14 overs, 21-year-old Rishad Hossain, playing just his third ODI, smashed 48 not out off 18 deliveries to wrap up the match in the next four overs. With this, Bangladesh have also clinched the series – their second over Sri Lanka in a row.
CDC Moment of the week
Rishabh Pant trains in DC colours – just what the Delhi fans want to see after a crushing they suffered in the WPL final yesterday!
Picture of the week
Ee sala finally cup namdu
Controversy of the week
The newly-formed Bangladesh selection panel took the bold move to drop Litton Das mid-way through the ODI series against Sri Lanka owing to poor form. Litton got out for a duck in both the ODIs, and in 2023, he managed just five fifties across 28 innings at an average of 26.04.
"Considering Litton's recent performance in white-ball cricket, we opted for this change, mindful of the availability of two other capable openers within the squad,” Gazi Ashraf Hossain, chairman of the Bangladesh selection panel said.
IPL 2024 season preview
Can Thala Dhoni finish it off in style with a six(th) title?
Mumbai Indians aim to continue old dominance in new era under Pandya
KKR bank on spin to regain their touch under Gambhir
Can Punjab Kings finally end their decade-long playoff drought?
Sanju Samson’s Royals finally aim to live up to potential
Questions galore as DC aim to rise from the ashes with Pant's return
CDC Features & Interviews of the week
Shabnam Shakil - A twinkling star that gives Gujarat hope amidst despair
UP Warriorz are chaos, chaos is UP Warriorz
Is Cummins in the midst of the greatest three-year period for a cricketer ever?
JJ Smit: Namibia’s mainstay for big occasions
From dreaming to playing for MI: Madushanka’s journey to the IPL
