Cricket now

Rain threat is there in Manchester. (PC: Rohit Juglan) Manchester woke up to a cloudy morning on match day (June 4). Ever since the Indian team arrived in the city, most people have been keeping a close eye on the weather, as the forecast for the match does not look particularly promising. The last game was washed out, and the crowd at Old Trafford, much like both teams, will be hoping for a full contest. The venue has long held a reputation as one of England’s most rain-prone international grounds, so all eyes will once again be on the skies. According to the forecast, there is a low to moderate chance of rain interrupting play in Manchester on Saturday afternoon. In an unusual sight, Shreyas Iyer was seen doing shadow batting on the centre wicket during India’s practice session on Friday. It is not something he has often been seen doing. Steve Smith, on the other hand, is well known for shadow batting, even in his hotel room. Shreyas also had a lengthy conversation with...

England vs Australia (PC: ECB and ICC) Snehasis Mukherjee, London The stage is set. At the Home of Cricket, the iconic Lord’s, England will take on Australia on July 5 in the final of the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The two most deserving teams have remained unbeaten so far and have played a different brand of cricket compared to the rest of the competition. Now, they will battle for the ultimate prize. Throughout the tournament, several players from both sides have stepped up in different situations, and the numbers reflect just how dominant both teams have been. Veteran batters shining Both England and Australia have won all six of their matches so far — five in the group stage and the respective semi-finals. England veteran opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge leads the tournament’s run-scoring charts with 294 runs in six innings at an average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 151.33. She has scored two fifties and one century, making her one of only three players to r...

  Image :X Vaibhav Tripathi A drawing board was set up on which an action plan had been drawn during India’s solitary practice session in Manchester ahead of the second T20I. It was an unusual sight, one that had not been seen at any point during the UK tour so far. Another atypical sight centred around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. In what has now become customary, the first hour of India’s batting session did not feature Sooryavanshi. The same player had been among the first to hit the nets in Belfast and Durham. This time, however, he did not start. For around 40 minutes, Sooryavanshi did not bat. In fact, he was seen with a ball in hand. At youth level, he has picked up wickets with his left-arm spin. He bowled to Abhishek Sharma in the nets in Belfast but was not given a chance to bowl during this session. The 15-year-old was among the last to bat in the nets. At the start of the session, Sooryavanshi warmed up with run-up drills and stretching exercises. He also changed his gear ...

England vs South Africa (PC: ICC) England ended South Africa’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup final with a 40-run victory in the second semi-final of the tournament at the Kennington Oval. Superb batting from England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and former captain Heather Knight, followed by disciplined bowling and outstanding fielding, helped the hosts book their place in the final. South Africa won the toss and opted to field first. Given that the previous two matches at the venue in this tournament had both been won by the team batting second, it appeared to be the right decision. They also made an excellent start, with the Marizanne Kapp-Shabnim Ismail duo reducing England to 23/3. However, Sciver-Brunt, returning after missing the previous three matches with a calf injury, began the rebuilding job alongside Knight. The experienced pair produced a batting masterclass, timing the ball beautifully, finding the gaps consistently and running superbly between...

Ashwin’s hundred headlines India’s fightback on Day 1. (PC: X.com) With the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) maiden edition beginning soon, the inaugural player draft was finalised on Thursday. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be leading the Dublin Guardians as the captain and mentor while embracing what he described as the next phase of his cricketing journey. The Dublin-based franchise has assembled a balanced squad featuring George Dockrell, Chris Greaves, Benjamin Calitz, Noah Croes, alongside Ashwin. “While majority of our picks were Irish, I think nationality comes second. It’s about the quality of the player and how they will fit into our mix,” Ashwin told reporters during a virtual media interaction. “I do believe that going into an auction or a draft, every single player that you must pick must be a playable resource. Of course, there must be an exciting amount of skill that they put on display, but they must be very playable. If a player is u...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is still waiting for his opportunity to represent India. (PC: BCCI) Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook have questioned India’s decision to bench teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the Ireland T20I series. Both of them are eager to watch the 15-year-old make his international debut against England. In a conversation on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Vaughan questioned Indian selectors on leaving Sooryavanshi out from the playing XI. “We must say to the BCCI and the selector, Ajit, how has he not played against Ireland? Our mate, the kid,” said Vaughan. Cook then added, “I’m there tomorrow, and I’m driving up as a fan to make sure that the 15-year-old kid plays.” Sooryavanshi earned his maiden India call-up after a dream IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals. The left-handed batter finished the tournament as the orange cap winner after scoring 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 and he was named Player of the Tournament. H...