Time and time again this season, he is proving his doubters wrong with his control and variations

Deivarayan Muthu30-Apr-20242:29

Moody: Deshpande steps up in big moments

Jasprit Bumrah, Tushar Deshpande and T Natarajan. These are the three best Indian seamers, in terms of economy rate (min 150 balls) in IPL 2024.Tushar, really?Indeed, Deshpande, who had leaked runs at almost ten an over last season, has now brought his economy rate down to 8.65 in a season where average scores and run rates have shot through the roof.In such a season where even Chennai Super Kings have chopped and changed, the uncapped Deshpande is the only bowler to have played all nine games for them so far. Because he keeps levelling up.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn IPL 2021, Deshpande joined CSK as a net bowler. Having already played for Delhi Capitals, it was actually a stepdown for him. In three seasons at CSK, however, Deshpande has grown to become one of the main bowlers for them. Deshpande, like his franchise and Mumbai team-mate Shardul Thakur, has always had wicket-taking ability, but this season he’s also improved his defensive bowling so much that he is being picked ahead of the more experienced Thakur.Dew or no dew, Deshpande’s defensive skills have been central to CSK shutting down two big-hitting sides at Chepauk. On a dewy night against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Deshpande almost killed the chase single-handedly by taking three wickets in two overs in the powerplay. He had pushed slower balls wide outside off, creating a sharp angle from over the wicket, to have both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma caught at sweeper cover, one of only two men out of the boundary.On another day, both hits might have sailed over Daryl Mitchell for six. But this was Deshpande’s day. He executed the plan and even gave Head a send-off. This is the payoff for dealing with immense pressure as a bowler in T20 cricket.The sample size is fairly small, but Head has managed just 14 off 10 balls that pitched wide outside off stump while being dismissed twice this season, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs. It could’ve been three dismissals had Moeen Ali not dropped an edge at slip off a wide outswinger from Deepak Chahar when the two teams had met in Hyderabad earlier this month.In Chennai, CSK stationed one of their best fielders Mitchell on the off-side sweeper boundary, which was marginally bigger than the square boundary on the leg side, and MS Dhoni then adjusted Mitchell into a squarer sweeper position on the off side. On cue, Deshpande had Head losing his shape and carving a catch to Mitchell for 13 off seven balls.Tushar Deshpande has brought his economy down to 8.65 this season•AFP/Getty ImagesDeshpande came away with 4 for 27, his best IPL figures and the second-best IPL figures for a CSK seamer at Chepauk. But he understands that taking some tap is an occupational hazard of being a T20 bowler.”I think the most important thing is to be headstrong because knowing the fact that I bowl in the powerplay and death, some days can go against me and I may come out as a hero someday,” Deshpande told CSK’s social channels. “But on days that go against me, I’ve to be headstrong because that is the time that can make or break the game.”Bowling in the tough overs, most importantly you should have confidence and a lot of confidence in yourself. Even if one ball has not gone my way, I’ve got another five balls or 11 balls to make a difference for my team. So, that’s been my mindset always while bowling at the death because that is where the team requires me the most to deliver.”Related

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Against Kolkata Knight Riders, when there wasn’t as much dew, Deshpande bowled an acceptable wide yorker from around the wicket and had Andre Russell holing out to long-on for a run-a-ball 10. With a packed off-side field, Deshpande had challenged one of the biggest hitters in the world to drag the ball against the angle, into the leg side. But even Russell’s power wasn’t enough to clear the outfielder.Bravo used to do it back in the day for CSK. Deny batters the angle and length to access sixes. Deshpande is now doing the job for them, with help from Bravo behind the scenes.”[He was] a phenomenal bowler in his time and now an absolutely amazing coach to us,” Deshpande said of Bravo. “I think to all of us [bowlers] because his experience is so vast. He has played T20 cricket, international cricket in all parts of the world. So, the planning and preparation that he’s got and what he gives us is just amazing.”He always focusses on practice, which we’re going to do in the match. So, he emphaises on perfect practice. And we always practice like we’re going to bowl in the match, be it death overs, using the angles, according to some batters. So, that’s where I can grow as a player and try to be something like Dwayne Bravo.”Tushar Deshpande finished with figures of 3-0-27-4 against Sunrisers’ heavy hitters•BCCINine of Deshpande’s ten wickets have come at Chennai this season. Chepauk has traditionally favoured spin but seamers with solid defensive traits have also had considerable success at this venue. Like Bravo of course or Mohit Sharma. Deshpande had started his T20 career as an aggressive bowler in the T20 Mumbai tournament, but is now refashioning himself into a defensive bowler, using the boundary dimensions and pitch conditions to his advantage.”Tushar has taken to what is needed,” CSK coach Stephen Fleming said on Tuesday. “In some ways, he has simplified his game and he’s worked with Eric Simons [bowling consultant] and is becoming repetitively good and he has added other parts to it [his game] rather than be everything. He just knows his game well. He’s had a good domestic season, and that form has continued for us. Some of his figures this year have been very, very good.”Deshpande, however, still has his limitations – only four other bowlers have conceded more extras (26) than him this IPL and he is far from a safe catcher in the outfield – but his ability to bowl across phases has earned the trust of the team management. He has also given CSK the flexibility to often backload the overs of Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman.In IPL 2023, Deshpande got an opportunity to play only because of injuries to other bowlers. He ended up as their highest wicket-taker. Despite that, not many expected him to start this season for CSK. He is proving people wrong once again, this time with his control and variations.Stats updated till the end of KKR vs DC game on April 29

Their margin of victory has heaped pressure on England and given Richie Berrington’s team the chance of a famous progression

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Jun-2024A lot of things can get sorted over a drink. A business deal, a second date – even an end to dating altogether. Over a couple of chugs of water and isotonic formula, Brandon McMullen and Matthew Cross decided to sort something among themselves. Why not blow this Group B wide open?It was during the drinks break after 10 overs of the chase, with Scotland just 41 away from overhauling Oman’s par score of 150 for 7, that the license for the kill officially came through from captain Richie Berrington. Granted, 60 runs had come from the four overs that followed the powerplay. But for the first time in the innings, the conversation out in the middle turned to the prospect of pumping up that net run rate.”The priority was to win and get the points, but at drinks we said, ‘we should get this done’,” revealed McMullen later. And how.Just 3.1 overs were needed to dust off what remained: 34 of them in boundaries, three of them sixes. McMullen finished on 61 not out, Cross unbeaten on 15. The wicketkeeper-batter even went as far as chastising himself for missing out on a cut shot off Ayaan Khan at the end of a 13th over that had already gone for 20 because it could have finished the job a ball earlier. Scotland even overshot their target by two, finishing on 153 for 3.That’s how serious they were about notching a statement win that now forms the backdrop of the next seven days. The column showing Scotland’s five points to put them top of Group B is now rivalled for relevance by the adjacent one reading “2.164”. Scotland’s NRR is currently 3.964 better than England’s – their likeliest challengers for a Super Eight spot – who can now only equal their points tally.The onus is on Jos Buttler’s men who will have to thrash Oman and Namibia in their next two games. And even that might not be enough. Enter the tantalising prospect of England rooting for Australia to inflict enough damage on Scotland in the final match of Group B to reduce the run-rate figure.The defending champions relying on favours from their enemy. Perhaps nothing sums up just how well Scotland have done in this World Cup more than that sentence right there.Comparisons are flimsy at this juncture, given skewed sample sizes (Scotland’s two-and-a-half matches to England’s one-and-a-half) and differing opponents. But there’s a serenity to Scotland that England are missing and might not find. A control of their own destiny. Heck, even something as simple as comfort. The kind that should come more naturally to three-time World Cup winners across formats than a team who usually arrive at ICC events having to qualify to be let in having already qualified to be let in.The first half of this match was by no means crisp. George Munsey dropped Pratik Athavale over the fence for six to take Oman batter to fifty. Cross missed the chance to stump Ayaan on 14, allowing him to bat through to the end, finishing unbeaten on 41.The chase should not have been as high as it was. And there were portents for awkwardness against a side that had Australia fretting. Scotland responded with 50 for 1 in the first six overs, their most productive powerplay yet. At that stage, Australia had only managed 37 for the loss of Travis Head against a combination of Bilal Khan, Kaleemullah and Mehran Khan.Much like Bridgetown, Antigua’s North Sound had itself a short boundary and an assisting breeze. Before McMullen and Cross utilised it for a quick finish, the early going was made straight and true or with the odd shuffle down the pitch to pierce the infield. Then Munsey dipped into his bag of sweeps once the fielding restrictions had been lifted – notably with back-to-back reverse swept sixes off opposition captain Aqib Ilyas – and the rest piled in.In a tournament that has largely played out on slower, grippier surfaces so far, Scotland’s malleable top six can lay claim to being the most in form, with the receipts to prove it. Munsey and Michael Jones started with an unbroken 90 against England. Berrington and Michael Leask stunned Namibia with an expertly rescued second innings, before McMullen – the team’s first half-centurion on this trip – and Cross did their bits here. All are striking above 130 through attacking whenever possible, buying into a broader team edict of aggression while encouraging batters to find their best ways of achieving that. McMullen’s wristy hockey strikes through a V of mid-on to forward square leg was a shining example of that.This is already shaping up as the best of Scotland’s nine appearances at global ICC events. It will be confirmed outright if they make it through to the next stage. Of course, they do not need to beat Australia on Sunday to do that. Losing in style works just as well. Not that they’re entertaining the latter. Why would they given how things have run for them thus far?”We’re just going to have to be the quickest team to adapt when we get there and assess out the conditions first,” said McMullen, reciting from a well-worn but effective playbook. “And then just go and play our brand of cricket.”It is hard to remember a time when Scotland had such a clear brand of cricket, so instep with modern trends and yet equally adaptable. It will face its strongest test next weekend. That glory sits on either side of the result is more a condition of their excellence than the whims of weather and scheduling. Most of all, it has been earned.

Our staff pick their men’s and women’s teams from among those who excelled through the year

Yash Jha30-Dec-2024Clutch in T20s, top of the class in Tests – Jasprit Bumrah’s mastery of all formats make him the only man to make it to two of ESPNcricinfo’s teams of the year for 2024. The year’s headline events – the men’s and women’s T20 World Cups – saw ball dominate bat, and as a result, two bowling stars each from the championship-winning teams make the T20 XIs: Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh for India, Amelia Kerr and Rosemary Mair for New Zealand.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdBumrah was one of two unanimous choices for the men’s Test XI, as voted for by ESPNcricinfo staff, alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, who laced his first full year in international cricket with two double-centuries against England and 161 in Perth, all in wins.Ravindra Jadeja joins his India team-mates as the spin-bowling allrounder in our XI, but England are the most represented side: only Jaiswal prevented Joe Root, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook from making it an all-English podium for most Test runs in 2024; Jamie Smith pipped Rishabh Pant to the wicketkeeper’s berth; a fifth Englishman, Gus Atkinson, narrowly missed out.New Zealand produced arguably the most stunning Test series result of the year (decade? century?) in India, and the stars of their series-opening win in Bengaluru – Rachin Ravindra and Matt Henry – find themselves in the XI, which is rounded off by the ever-consistent Kamindu Mendis and Josh Hazlewood.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdODIs went off the boil after a World Cup year and 2024 had less than half as many men’s ODIs as there were in 2023. Seven players in the ODI XI come from either Sri Lanka or Afghanistan, who, along with West Indies, were the only Full-Member teams to play 12 or more matches this year.Legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, the year’s joint-highest wicket-taker, joins the batting trio of Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka – the most prolific run-scorers of the year. The Sri Lankan batters are separated by Rahmanullah Gurbaz in our top four, who is accompanied in the side by his Afghanistan team-mates Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi – the most consistent ODI allrounders of the year.Sherfane Rutherford and Liam Livingstone closed out the middle-order positions ahead of Harry Brook and Keacy Carty, while Taskin Ahmed edged Alzarri Joseph into the pace attack alongside Haris Rauf.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdOver 1600 men’s T20s were played in 2024. That, coupled with this being a World Cup year, made this among the trickier teams to choose – but the job was made slightly easier with six near-unanimous picks in our XI.Nicholas Pooran was the year’s top run-getter by a country mile, and he struck at nearly 160. Heinrich Klaasen’s absurdly good first half of the year (1125 runs at a strike rate of 172.5 by the end of June) was more than enough to cover a quieter second half. Travis Head was a no-brainer, as was Bumrah. Andre Russell’s sustained all-round chops found him many takers, as did Matheesha Pathirana’s consistent brilliance.And while Rashid Khan didn’t sweep the votes like he often does, it couldn’t stop him from making our T20 XI for the seventh year running. This time he gets the added perk of being captain, having led Afghanistan to the World Cup semi-final.Phil Salt as opener and Tristan Stubbs as finisher were other majority picks, while Arshdeep took the third seamer’s slot (he was the joint-highest wicket-taker in T20Is in 2024 among Full-Member-team bowlers).The last remaining batting spot provided the closest contest: Sanju Samson’s three T20I hundreds late in the year made him a contender, but he was just edged out by Tilak Varma, who had more consistent returns through 2024.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Player of the final and Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, and the leading wicket-taker of the year, Kerr was one of three near ever-presents in the voting for our women’s T20 XI, alongside Sophie Ecclestone – joint second-highest on the wicket-taking charts – and Ellyse Perry.Kerr and Perry find elite all-round company in our middle order, which is stacked with both pace and spin options. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Marizanne Kapp – both with strike rates exceeding 135 – add heft to the batting line-up, while Deepti Sharma and Hayley Matthews bring riches to the spin department.In addition to being the year’s top run-getter and joint second-highest wicket-taker, Matthews also led West Indies to the World Cup semi-final and Barbados Royals to the WCPL title (while also stepping in as captain briefly for WBBL champions Melbourne Renegades) – which makes her the captain of our team.Shabnim Ismail and Mair (joint third-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup) close out the bowling attack. The opening slots are taken by Beth Mooney – who was a smidge ahead of Richa Ghosh in the race to the wicketkeeper’s berth – and Laura Wolvaardt, who narrowly kept Smriti Mandhana out of the mix.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdMandhana and Wolvaardt – the year’s most prolific batters in the format by some distance – are united at the top of our ODI XI, which sees Chamari Athapaththu slot in at No. 3 (and as captain).Kapp and Ecclestone bossed the votes in this category too, while Kate Cross’ large haul of wickets made her a near-unanimous pick as well. Amy Jones was a runaway leader as the wicketkeeping option.The remaining spots were all keenly contested. For No. 4, Orla Prendergast of Ireland had the stakes tipped in her favour by her high-impact innings against Sri Lanka and England, making it ahead of Matthews, while Ashleigh Gardner’s spin nicked her a berth ahead of seamer Annabel Sutherland as the last of our allrounders.Alana King partners Gardner and Ecclestone in the spin department, while Megan Schutt forms the pace attack along with Cross and Kapp.More in our look back at 2024

Both teams found themselves in similar situations in the opening ODI in Sharjah but only one found their way out

Mohammad Isam07-Nov-2024Afghanistan, one could say, had no business winning the first ODI against Bangladesh in Sharjah, especially given they were 71 for 5 at one point, and then saw Bangladesh cruise to 120 for 2 in a chase of 236. However, led by the astute captaincy of Hashmatullah Shahidi, who first rescued them with 52 and then rotated his spinners smartly, Afghanistan showed their opposition how one can recover after faltering, and even register a big win of 92 runs.When Mohammad Nabi joined Shahidi at the fall of the fifth wicket in the 20th over, they took stock of the situation before rebuilding with singles and twos, quietly blunting the Bangladesh spinners. The seven fours during their brisk partnership of 104 off 122 balls spoke volumes of not just their approach to conserve wickets, but believing in the old-fashioned route of holding back the big hits for the end. The experienced duo took Afghanistan to 175 in the 41st over, setting the base for the lower order to score 66 runs in the last ten and post a respectable total.That was in sharp contrast to how the Bangladesh chase unfolded. They had the advantage of two 50-plus stands from the top four – captain Najmul Hossain Shanto added 53 with Soumya Sarkar and then 55 with Mehidy Hasan Miraz. When Shanto and Mehidy were milking runs in their third-wicket stand, Bangladesh looked set for a smooth chase.Related

Bangladesh lose 8 for 23 as Ghazanfar spins Afghanistan to victory

But Shahidi’s knowledge of the his spinners and the Sharjah conditions engineered a spectacular Bangladesh batting collapse. His rotation of the spinners kept everyone guessing. There was even a moment during the chase when one of the TV commentators questioned why offspinner AM Ghazanfar, who opened the bowling with Fazalhaq Farooqi, was being held back after his first spell of 4-1-21-1 ended in the ninth over. Shahidi, though, knew what he was doing.His plan was to use their ace spinner Rashid Khan as his most attacking option, while bowling Nabi sparingly due to his cramps, and left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote as his defensive bowler until the 30th over. And then he would being Ghazanfar back. Shahidi wanted Rashid, Nabi and Kharote to dry up the runs to set the stage for Ghazanfar to beguile the Bangladesh middle and lower order.While Ghazanfar was away, Shahidi made a few field changes – he kept a slip for Nabi while pushing mid-off back and jogged to short fine leg. To entice a big shot from Shanto, Nabi tossed up a slow offbreak that spun away from him. Shanto swiped at it and top-edged it towards short fine leg, where Shahidi juggled four times before completing the catch.Five overs later, in the 31st, Shahidi brought back Ghazanfar who removed the other set batter, Mehidy, who top-edged a sweep and Azmatullah Omarzai took a superb diving catch in the deep. And Bangladesh’s batting unravelled.It was surprising to see Mushfiqur Rahim bat at No. 7 – for the first time in nine years. Perhaps he was tired after keeping wickets for 50 overs. He and Mahmudullah, the other experienced batter in the middle order, lasted all of eight balls combined. It’s possible Mushfiqur came lower down because Bangladesh wanted to counter the Rashid threat with Mehidy at No. 4, as he is the only batter in ODIs who has faced at least 100 balls from Rashid without getting dismissed. On the contrary, Rashid had dismissed Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah for a combined six times in ODIs until Wednesday.Hashmatullah Shahidi bailed his team out of trouble in the first ODI•ACBBut the tactic didn’t work because once Mehidy fell to Ghazanfar, Shahidi brought on Rashid from the other end and the legspinner outfoxed Mahmudullah with a googly. Mushfiqur did not even last until Rashid’s next over and was stumped off a Ghazanfar carrom ball.Ghazanfar took five wickets for just 15 runs in 15 balls in his second spell, leaving the Bangladesh batters in a quivering mess. The 18-year-old enjoyed every bit of his stunning performance, at times bringing out the Cristiano Ronaldo celebration, before doing the to commemorate his five-for. Ghazanfar’s joyous face was a far cry from Afghanistan’s furrowed brows in the 20th over of their innings, and Bangladesh were bundled for just 143 in under 35 overs.The two spin attacks also yielded contrasting returns. Afghanistan’s four-man spin attack took a combined 9 for 93 in 24.5 overs while Bangladesh’s spinners went wicketless in their 20 overs. It was Bangladesh’s fast bowlers who picked up all nine wickets, but they were expensive towards the end of their spells.Bangladesh are of course without Shakib Al Hasan who opted out of the ODI series after missing out on his farewell Test last month. Shakib’s wicket-taking ability was sorely missed but Bangladesh’s bowlers must be prepared for life without him. The likes of Mehidy, Rishad Hossain and Nasum Ahmed need to figure ways to be more attacking and take more wickets.Afghanistan’s familiarity of playing in Sharjah was another factor in the result, whereas Bangladesh were playing an ODI at this venue after nearly 30 years and couldn’t find a way out once squeezed. When Afghanistan were in trouble twice in the game, Shahidi’s doggedness bailed them out on both occasions.

Unbelievably, on one of the great run-scoring venues anywhere in the world, RCB and DC played out 163 vs 169 game on Thursday

Alagappan Muthu11-Apr-20253:17

Bangar: Rahul’s assault on Hazlewood was ‘terrific batsmanship’

On a scale of 1 to 10, for ease of run-scoring, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium probably doesn’t make it. On a scale of paradise to heaven on the other hand…There was a man who called this place his home and by the end of his career he had so many century celebrations – Chris Gayle must have been rehearsing those too. Possibly after getting bored at the nets. It feels like coming up with the helmet on the bat handle thing would have taken more time than figuring out how to hit the ball out of that tiny, park.Bowlers from all over would come and try to beat the odds and then they would leave with important learnings. Like making sure their parents kept the evening free next time so they could call and tell them they were still good boys and did not deserve to be punished like that. Seventeen years into the IPL, they likely have a whole checklist to survive Bengaluru. Overseas players must be tired of explaining to customs officials why their luggage includes a rabbit’s foot.Related

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Because this ground spared no one. Seamers. Spinners. Even those mysterious in-betweeners. Sunil Narine once bowled a Super Over and conceded no runs. Two of that genius’ three most expensive spells in the IPL have come here. The Chinnaswamy only showed him kindness when he wised up and decided to try his hand at batting. Narine hit his first T20 fifty here.So, it didn’t make any sense to see Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC) playing out a 163 vs 169 game, where batters from both sides had to graft for their runs. Three of RCB’s top six had strike rates lower than 70. Each of DC’s top three fell for single-digit scores. Were those first three overs that produced 53 runs all a dream?Andy Flower, during a groundside interview with the host broadcaster, tried to provide some context between innings. “[The pitch] was slow. It was holding a bit. You know, those length balls were a little up and down. Slower balls were gripping a little and the spinners were turning it.” But the longer he spoke the harder it was to reconcile that it was all happening at the Chinnaswamy. Virat Kohli made a hundred in a 15-over game here. AB de Villiers went full mad scientist here. Batting has never been hard here. Only one stadium in all of IPL history has seen more sixes hit and that’s because Mumbai’s Wankhede has hosted 23 more matches.On Thursday, though, the match-winning innings came from someone who was actively trying not to hit the ball in the air. He would dab and dink and nudge and nurdle. KL Rahul made 93 off 53 and the reason he could score all those runs so quickly was because he was willing to show the bowlers respect. Very few batters have ever been pushed to such extremes in Bengaluru.

Local boy. Big stage. Statement made.

How good was Bengaluru's KL Rahul against RCB tonight?

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Royals had a plan against Salt and it went okay for a while but then it all went downhill

Sidharth Monga13-Apr-20251:43

Rapid fire: Is Salt RCB’s best addition at the auction?

Rajasthan Royals (RR) had one of those days against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) where they didn’t seem to be able to get anything right on the field. Catches went down, a bowler disgusted at the fielding wasn’t in place to collect a throw for a run-out, their two big Sri Lankan spinners kept missing their lengths, and they bowled seven wides. Those innocuous down-the-leg-side ones and not the ones where you overcook defensive lines. That, though, is an execution problem. You can count on them to come out with plans that push the batters.One such plan, which was also executed for a while, was for Phil Salt. In particular, his contest against team-mate and friend at England, Sussex and Barbados when they were growing up, Jofra Archer. They had faced each other in the nets for sure, but never in a match. Salt teased some plans that he didn’t want to reveal. Archer’s hand was obvious: both deep fielders on the leg side, and Archer’s natural movement back in for the right-hand batter.Related

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A high-risk plan but one that makes sense for Salt, who loves to stay leg side of the ball and crash it through the off side: Archer’s pace, movement back in, and a 5-4 leg-side field. In the first over, Archer took away moral victories. The first ball nipped back in sharply, brushed the back pad and flew wide of wicketkeeper Sanju Samson. The next ball followed him again and hit him in the body. The fourth flew off the top edge on the hook for a six. The next one hit the pad even before he could react. The last ball of the over nearly had him lbw but Salt had moved across just enough for the umpire to rule the ball hit him outside the line. DRS would have returned an umpire’s call.Phil Salt peppered the leg side•Associated PressIn Archer’s next over, though, Salt took away both runs and moral victories. On air, Ian Bishop said he had never seen Salt do what he did. He said Salt’s coach at The Hundred, Simon Katich, hadn’t seen anything like this from either. Salt started to jump across to well outside off even before Archer released the ball, and kept hitting into the leg side. He kept taking on the two deep leg-side fielders. The first shot evaded deep square leg narrowly. The six, though, was majestic: way into the stands behind square leg.”I gave it a chance early doors, you know, try to hit him through the off side, but he was swinging it quite a long way so I realised there’s only one area of the ground I can try and hit the ball,” Salt said at the presentation. “Me and Jof have had a lot of battles in the nets. He’s bowled at me more than he’s bowled at anyone else and I’ve faced him more than anyone else. So, nice to have the wood on him, but we’ll play him again in a few days’ time.”Now Salt was unstoppable. RR tried to cramp him and make him hit into the leg side, but Salt kept taking the fielders on and kept clearing them. In all, Salt scored 51 runs in the leg side, the second-most he has managed in any IPL innings. When he scored 52 leg-side runs for Delhi Capitals against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2023, it was part of an 87-run innings. Here he scored 51 out of 65 on the leg side, easily the highest percentage of leg-side runs for him in an IPL innings.

Steven Smith retired from ODIs after Australia’s semi-final defeat in the 2025 champions Trophy. He scored 5800 runs in the format and was part of two World Cup winning teams

Namooh Shah05-Mar-20255369 – Steven Smith’s runs in ODIs since being promoted to the top order during the 2014 tri-series in Zimbabwe. He averaged 47.51 in 129 innings since then. Before that Smith had scored only 431 runs in 25 innings at an average of 20.52 and a high score of 46*.52.01 – Smith’s average at No. 3 is the highest for any Australian with a minimum of ten innings at that position. Overall, only five men average more than Smith at No. 3 in ODIs for a minimum of 50 innings.56.77 – Smith’s average in ODIs in Australia, the highest among batters with 1000-plus runs. His average is also the fifth best for any batter with 2000-plus runs at home in men’s ODIs.Related

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4 – Fifty-plus scores for Smith in the knockouts of the ODI World Cup, joint-most by a player along with Sachin Tendulkar. He scored three of them consecutively in the 2015 ODI World Cup : 65 in the quarter-final against Pakistan, 105 in the semi-final against India, and 56 not out in the final against New Zealand.Smith’s 345 runs in ODI World Cup knockouts is the third highest aggregate, behind Ricky Ponting (442) and Martin Guptill (346).ESPNcricinfo Ltd11 – Fifty-plus scores by Smith in ODI World Cups, the joint most for Australia along with Ponting and David Warner.1136 – Total runs scored by Smith in the ODI World Cup, the third highest for Australia behind Ponting (1743) and Warner (1527).

Recent success of NZ and SA amid limited resources meant wholesale change was needed for England to move forward

Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Mar-2025It was in the immediate aftermath of England Women’s dramatic 50-over World Cup final win over India at Lord’s that Heather Knight got a snapshot of how quickly live evolves as a recognisable England captain.Not long after Anya Shrubsole had yorked Rajeshwari Gayakwad to secure the trophy, Knight raced out the Grace Gates to throw up after eating a rogue piece of chicken. Somehow, despite still being in her kit, she managed to do what she needed to do – doubled over next to a fancy car – and re-entered the ground without being spotted.A few days later, dressed in her own clothes at Euston station, nursing a well-deserved hangover, she was stopped by members of the public. They had noticed this fellow commuter, despite her attempts to blend in, happened to be the one losing her mind on the big screens, which were showing replays of that victorious moments and the celebrations that followed.Related

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Despite assuming the captaincy following the seismic axing of Charlotte Edwards the year before, by which point she was an established batter in her own right, it was 2017’s success that propelled Knight as a talismanic figure in the women’s game. One who went on to become a headlining cricketer on the global stage. And, on Saturday, as necessary high-profile collateral following a humiliating 16-0 defeat in the Ashes.After 199 matches in charge, Knight boasts a 67 per cent win percentage, ahead of Edwards’ 64 from a larger sample size. It is a metric that elevates her as England Women’s most successful captain. And yet, that doesn’t quite scratch the surface when assessing her nine years at the helm.Across a period of expanding horizons in the women’s game, Knight moved with the times. Her consistency with the bat throughout, across all formats, reflected as much. A prim and proper base was gradually furnished with flair as she led from the front in pursuit of a more expansive batting from the whole.Through constant tinkering, she incorporated a higher back-lift to improve her boundary-hitting, particularly on slower pitches. Knight’s recent record in T20Is, her weakest international code, showcases the benefits of that graft; since the start of 2020, she has struck 158 fours and 25 sixes in 59 innings, having only managed 73 and 12 in the previous 56.Captaincy, however, took the most work. By Knight’s own admission, she was never the best public speaker and was wary of not possessing the requisite interpersonal skills to knit together a dressing room of varying personalities when she took on the big job in June 2016. She enlisted the help of team psychologists to become a better orator, and went on to undertake a Leadership in Sport course at the University of Buckinghamshire in 2021.The best example of her management skills came in the lead-up to 2017’s success, when she got the squad to confront why England had been found wanting in pressure situations. Such issues had previously been swept under the carpet.They responded well then, and Knight was able to repeat the trick with an altogether different group in 2023, as the Ashes were squared just as Australia were speaking a whitewash into existence. They got their way in the return leg earlier this year.Heather Knight deals with the feeling of defeat•ICC/Getty ImagesA criticism of Knight could probably be that she stopped short of truly imposing herself in the dressing room. Under three different coaches – Mark Robinson, Lisa Keightley and Jon Lewis – she had the scope to mould a team in her image, particularly under the last two.That Knight did not was partly down to loyalty to those coaches, not wishing to impinge on their work. At the same time, she knew her worth; was unafraid to grasp the nettle and disagree with their plans, and not always being diplomatic about it. But a reticence for a more over-arching presence is perhaps a reason why the team felt so lost without her. Even Lewis, who left his role on Friday, tried to rectify this blind spot by attempting to force-feed nous to the rest of the players so they may thrive in her absence.By the end, Knight’s tactical acumen and in-game feel were unparalleled, and that was apparent in 2022’s Commonwealth Games, which she missed with a hip issue, and more so in the Group Stage exit at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Needing to beat West Indies to secure qualification to the latter stages, Knight had to retire hurt in the first innings with a calf injury. Not only did it halt England’s momentum with the bat, but a listless performance in the field allowed West Indies to chase down a target of 142 with six wickets and two overs to spare.That England have never won the Ashes under Knight’s watch will jar, 8-8 draws in 2017/18 and 2023 the best it got. The fact her other two final visits – 2018’s World T20 and 2022’s ODI World Cup – resulted in heavy defeats to Australia reflects an ever-growing gap far beyond Knight’s control. The recent success of New Zealand and South Africa from their limited resources a reason why wholesale changes were needed for the English game to move forward.At this juncture, it is worth taking a step back and acknowledging Knight was far more than just a captain. For the longest time, being a women’s cricketer has required a level of ambassadorial stewardship, and the influx of cash and opportunities has only heightened the political requirements involved. Few have led the line on these fronts quite as well as Knight, who just a few weeks ago criticised her own board for the widening pay gap in The Hundred. Since 2020, she has served as vice-chair of the Professional Cricketers’ Association.During the Covid-19 pandemic, Knight used her role as captain to position herself at the forefront of important conversations, particularly as the women’s game was parked. Balancing the understanding of the economic realities of prioritising the men’s game during the 2020 season, she remained forthright about the sidelining of the women, which included the lack of clarity around her team’s schedule, and the postponement of 2021’s World Cup. That summer, she also signed up to the NHS volunteer scheme, transporting medicine and speaking to those who were self-isolating.As such, the news that Knight will continue on is a boost to all concerned. She remains England’s best batter and one of the most impressive representatives of the women’s game. Her time as captain may have come to an end, but her work as a leader goes on.

Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance made up for Indian errors, while providing a reminder that he cannot do it all on his own

Sidharth Monga22-Jun-20252:53

Aaron: ‘Jasprit Bumrah as good, if not better than Wasim Akram’

India will hopefully learn lessons of relentlessness in Test cricket from the experience of this match. By the time they have to play without Jasprit Bumrah, likely the third Test at Lord’s, they will hope to put up a much more efficient performance in all three departments of the game. Until then, though, they have Bumrah to keep them alive. Even though they really did test his patience with their catching and the areas that the third and fourth seamers bowled.Without Bumrah, the mistakes made by India on the last two days – with bat, ball and in the field – would have played them out of the match. It will be a rotten feeling in the change room given Bumrah is not going to be available for all the Tests. That shouldn’t keep anyone from relishing another masterclass of seam and swing bowling.Not just in the India side, Bumrah has been streets ahead of everyone on show in this Test. For somebody who must have a bit of self-preservation on his mind, Bumrah was the sharpest in pace: consistently the fastest bowler on display despite having to bowl slower balls on this relatively unyielding pitch and also among the three fastest deliveries in the first two innings of the match.Related

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At the same time, Bumrah was also the best line-and-length bowler: bowling 53.33% of his deliveries in the 6-8m zone. Nobody else hit the 50% mark. It is as if magically he knows what lengths to bowl. Not that it needs a scientist to tell you that 6-8m is the best length to bowl on most pitches, but more so at Headingley, which is not a hit-the-deck surface.While we can make it sound simple that Test cricket is all about hitting good lengths at good pace, not everyone can do that so effortlessly. Only Mohammed Siraj and Chris Woakes came close to Bumrah’s accuracy in this Test. Neither of them did so immediately. Landing the ball is the basic skill. Moving it is what makes it threatening. The combination produces chances. Bumrah created 44 false shots. Only Siraj did more, but he also bowled more.Then there is the build-up to wickets because you can’t just keep bowling good ball after good ball, especially in what seemed essentially like a 2.5-man attack. More so when you need to watch how much you bowl. The Zak Crawley wicket at the end of the first over of the innings was the most beautiful. That was the widest Bumrah went in that over, about a couple of feet wider than the previous ball, but bowled an outswinger that moved 2.394 degrees. As it is, Bumrah has the widest average release of the bowlers in this match, which makes you play at more deliveries than you should, but this, released wider, was wicked. On top of the swing, it seamed away 1.583 degrees, making Crawley’s closed bat face look silly.

“You understand that you can’t really sit down and cry. You have to move forward with the game. So that’s what I look to do. Not to take it too far in my head and try and quickly forget it, because all of them are also new to the game, first time over here, sometimes the ball is difficult to sight”Jasprit Bumran on the dropped catches

The Ben Duckett played-on was the result of over after over of good bowling. It is what Bumrah calls money in the bank for all the good balls that don’t go to hand. Like the one he bowled to Ollie Pope early: even more wicked than the one that got Crawley, released from wider, swinging and seaming away, but also kicking at him.Just before he faced what turned out to be the last ball of his innings, Joe Root asked Pope if the 46-over-old ball was tailing. A little, he was told. Usually such lateral movement is used to swing the ball in. Bumrah flipped the darker side outside, and Root – possibly conscious of the tail – committed to playing it. This ball didn’t swing at all, Root had it tracked, but it seamed away half-a-degree to take the edge.Mark Wood, whom we would ideally have on the field rather than in the media box, just casually dropped a wonderful line on Sky Sports when Bumrah misfielded on day two. “He’s human,” Wood said. “I knew it.” Further signs of being human were on display when he bowled successive no-balls deep into the second day – one of them a wicket ball – and an indifferent spell with the second new ball.Bumrah admitted to not being used to bowling up or down the hill. He said that when you are tired, it can push you ahead of yourself. On the third morning, he was mindful to not let that happen. He maintained his pace when running downhill, and bowled no no-balls on day three.Jasprit Bumrah celebrates his fifth wicket•Getty ImagesStill, Bumrah couldn’t do anything about the fielding errors. In all, three catches went down off his bowling. All three batters hurt India. Famously, with the 2019 IPL final on a knife’s edge, Bumrah went and consoled Quinton de Kock after he let through four byes off a regulation take. Here, he displayed frustration ever so slightly.”Yeah, just for a second, but you know, you understand that you can’t really sit down and cry,” Bumrah said. “You have to move forward with the game. So that’s what I look to do. Not to take it too far in my head and try and quickly forget it, because all of them are also new to the game, first time over here, sometimes the ball is difficult to sight. And nobody is dropping the catches purposely. Everybody’s trying really hard. It does happen. So I don’t want to create a scene or put more pressure on the fielder that, you know, I’m angry, I’m kicking the box, or I’m doing something.”Scenes can be created with the ball in hand as well. Having bowled just four overs with the second new ball, often slipping down leg, Bumrah came back to end the late charge of Woakes with a full ball. Immediately he dropped back to good length, and bowled Josh Tongue.Just in the nick of time, Bumrah had completed a five-for to give India a slender lead. It is quite something to announce beforehand that you will be playing only a certain number of matches and then go out and inflict maximum damage in those matches.Bumrah was asked if it made these three matches more urgent for him. He replied that adding extra importance to these matches would mean extra baggage. “That’s very difficult to carry,” he said. Given the carry job he has been doing of late, are you sure, Jasprit?