Quinton de Kock Age, Biography, career, stats, networth, Ranking & News

Sourav Ganguly reveals T20 world Cup trophy | Image Credit: Twitter

ICC T20I World Cup 2021: 4 Teams Which Won’t Be Able To Qualify For The Semi-Final

Published on September 17, 2021

ICC T20I World Cup 2021 is just a month away from taking place after a gap of five years and the excitement for the tournament in UAE is at its’ peak already. The previous edition took place in 2016 when West Indies emerged as the champions and this will be a 12 team affair this time around for the group stages.

The top eight teams from the T20 international rankings qualified automatically for the league stages of the T20 Worldcup while the remaining four teams will have to make it through the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 qualifiers. Surprisingly, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh haven’t been able to make it to the league stages and are placed in the qualifiers. Here are 4 teams that won’t be able to qualify for the semi-finals of ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Representational image of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup trophy | AFP / Jewel Samad — Representational image of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy | AFP / Jewel Samad

ICC T20I World Cup 2021: 4 Teams Which Probably Won’t Be Able To Qualify For The Semi-Final

Australia:

Australia is one of the powerhouses in world cricket at present for a long time now and they still continue to dominate best teams but haven’t been doing it on a consistent basis. But recent losses to West Indies and Bangladesh with a depleted squad saw their reputation diminish.

When it comes to T20 cricket, Australia hasn’t always been the team to watch out for as they do have a lot of stars in their lineup but despite that, they have lacked the T20 flavour. 2010 was the only year they reached the finals of the ICC T20I World Cup and they lost to England.

Australia’s recent form in T20I hasn’t been impressive either as they lost the T20I series in West Indies 4-1 and lost a bilateral series for the first time against Bangladesh which wasn’t the ideal preparation they needed. Australia has been placed in a strong group comprising of England, West Indies, and South Africa and their chances of making it to the semifinals look bleak at the moment.

Australia has lost the last 5 T20I series they have played against New Zealand, India, England, West Indies, and Bangladesh. With the return of big names like David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, and Pat Cummins the Aaron Finch-led side will be looking forward to gaining back the momentum.

South Africa:

South Africa has lacked the edge needed in the knockouts to progress to the finals of the tournament and it has been evident through their results so far in ICC events. They haven’t made it to a final in ICC T20 World Cup yet and have been succumbing down when it comes to pressure games for which they are labelled chokers.

The Proteas are a different looking side now without AB De Villiers and Faf du Plessis, and their new skipper Temba Bavuma will have a huge responsibility under his belt for the T20I World Cup. Their bowling attack does look good but they are expected to struggle with their inexperienced batting lineup and are unlikely to progress to the semi-finals after being placed in a tough group.

They are currently placed on the 5th spot in ICC T20 Internationals rankings. Also in the last 5 T20 international series, they have lost 3 series. They have some exceptionally talented players like Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassi Van Der Dussen, and David Miller on the team but have left out experienced Chris Morris, Faf du Plessis, and Imran Tahir.

Afghanistan :

Afghanistan has been one of the teams that have come from far behind in terms of development and the results are there to see as well. They have produced a lot of young match winners already and the best example is Rashid Khan who has been the best spinner in the world in the last two years globally.

Afghanistan has picked up a good squad for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 but they have a lot of issues going on with the Taliban government and it will certainly take a toll on their performance. They have gone in for experience in the fast bowling department and Rashid Khan has stepped out as the captain of the side as well for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021. With India and New Zealand in the group, Afghanistan might not be able to progress to the semi-finals.

Currently, Afghanistan is placed on the 7th spot in the ICC T20 international rankings. Once the team enters the tournament all eyes will be on big names like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi. ACB named Rashid Khan as their captain for the T20 world cup 2021. Rashid Khan soon came up with a tweet stating that he will be leaving the captaincy. Post that, ACB announced that Mohammad Nabi will be the captain of the team.

Pakistan:

Pakistan is looking like a better group in the last few international series and with the change in the coaching staff and the Director, a lot could change for the Pakistan side ahead of the ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

However, their recent performances haven’t been up to the mark especially in England and they still have holes to fill inside the group. Lead by captain Babar Azam, Pakistan will kickstart their ICC T20I World Cup 2021 campaign against arch-rivals India in Dubai on 24 October.

They will then face New Zealand in Sharjah on 26 October before returning to Dubai to take on Afghanistan. Their last two matches in the Super 12 stages will see them face runners-up of Group A and table-toppers of Group B from Round 1 in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah respectively.

Their middle order needed some solid experience and they have gone in for youngsters who had failed earlier. Their fast bowling and spin department don’t look bad either but they still do not like getting past New Zealand and India who have strong depth in their squads for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021.

Pakistan chose youth over experience for the backup wicketkeeper spot with the inclusion of Azam Khan over Sarfaraz Ahmed. Azam Khan has featured in only three T20Is in his career and has aggregated only six runs in two innings but his exploits in domestic T20 competitions has helped him seal a berth in the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 squad.

Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah were among the surprise inclusions in the squad for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 World Cup, having last played a T20I for Pakistan earlier this year against Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively.

They did not find a place in the squad for the tours of England and the West Indies. The experienced campaigners Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, and Sarfaraz Ahmed surprisingly didn’t find a place in ICC T20I World Cup 2021 squad.

Cricket/Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL 2021)

IPL 2021: CSK vs MI – 3 Players Of Mumbai Indians Who Can Be The Man Of The Match

Published on September 17, 2021

Mumbai Indians will have their task cut out against the formidable CSK side in the first fixture after the resumption of IPL 2021 and it will be a belter of a game. Mumbai has gone 1-0 up in the battle against CSK this year in the first half of IPL 2021 and the rivalry is expected to heat up the fans in the ground.

Rohit Sharma-led defending champions Mumbai Indians hold the 4th spot currently in IPL 2021 points table with 8 points. Chennai Super Kings hold the 2nd spot with 10 points. The Rohit Sharma-led side has already won five titles under their belt and the defending champions will be up against the three-time champions Chennai Super Kings. This will be one of the most interesting battles in IPL and here are 3 MI Players Who Can Be The Man Of The Match.

Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians created history as they won the IPL title for the fifth time, with Rohit winning it for the sixth time. , BCCI/IPL Twitter handle — Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians created history as they won the IPL title for the fifth time, with Rohit Sharma winning it for the sixth time. BCCI/IPL Twitter handle

IPL 2021: CSK vs MI- 3 MI Players Who Can Be The Man Of The Match

Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard turned out to be one of the game-changers for the Mumbai Indians in the first phase of the IPL and he smacked 87 off 34 balls against the same opponent- Chennai Super Kings in India in the first half of IPL 2021. He hit eight sixes and six fours in the knock and made sure that his team got over the line in a tough chase of 219 runs.

Mumbai Indians will be happy that they have the services of the West Indies captain who is one of the fearsome strikers of the cricket ball. Kieron Pollard will be keen to get his best all-round game against CSK especially and he has been in good form in the recently concluded CPL 2021.

In the first leg of IPL 2021, the West Indies all-rounder scored 168 runs in 7 matches at an average of 56 and strike rate of 171+. Kieron Pollard formed a critical part of the victorious MI squad in the 2020 season, smashing the ball at a strike rate of 191. He is loved by the Mumbai fans and big Trinidadian will look to set things straight again in the 14th season.

Quinton de Kock

The South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock likes the ball coming onto the bat and he scored loads of runs in the UAE in the previous edition. He struggled to find his form in the spinning wickets in India in the first half of IPL 2021 but seemed to get better when the wickets changed. The left-hander will be one of the challenges for the CSK bowlers as well.

Quinton de Kock scored 155 runs in the first phase of the IPL 2021 at an average of 31 and he excelled at times but he will need to convert his starts into a big score this time and this will be the right scenario for him to show his skills.

The Proteas batsman has been a spectacular batting form, which was visible during the recent Sri Lanka vs South Africa T20I series. Quinton De Kock had a terrific 2020 season, scoring 503 runs including four half-centuries at the top in UAE, and will look to perform in a similar fashion in the UAE leg.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is one of the best bowlers in recent times in the world at the moment and he showed his class in the recently concluded red-ball Test series against England. He finished as the highest wicket-taker for India in the four Tests and picked up 18 wickets. In his prime form, Jasprit Bumrah has been one of the match-winners for the Mumbai Indians and has bowled splendidly in the India leg of IPL 2021 as well.

The right-arm quick was superb in the previous edition IPL 2020 in UAE too by being the 2nd highest wicket-taker and he enjoyed the conditions really well. He used the pace of the wickets to his advantage and executed the yorkers to perfection. He will be one of the candidates for the man of the match in the first game against CSK and he relishes the challenge against big teams.

In the first leg of IPL 2021, the right-arm pacer with an unorthodox action scalped 6 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 32 and an economy of 7.11. In the previous season in IPL 2020, he picked 27 scalps in 15 games averaging an awesome 14.96, and was 2nd highest wicket-taker.

Cricket/Indian Premier League 2021 (IPL 2021)

IPL 2021: CSK vs MI – MI’s Predicted XI For The 1st Match

Published on September 17, 2021September 17, 2021

IPL 2021 UAE leg will see Mumbai Indians will take on Chennai Super Kings in the opening game. The much-awaited encounter will take place on September 19 at Dubai International Stadium. Rohit Sharma-led defending champions Mumbai Indians hold the 4th spot currently in IPL 2021 points table with 8 points. Chennai Super Kings hold the 2nd spot with 10 points.

During MI vs CSK’s first encounter in IPL 2021, Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings by 4 wickets. With Kieron Pollard’s spectacular unbeaten 87-run-knock, MI chased down the mammoth target of 219 runs in the match. The team will seek to defeat CSK once again in the UAE leg. Ahead of the high octane match, let’s take a look at Mumbai Indians’ playing XI for the first match against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021’s UAE leg.

Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians ©BCCI/IPL

IPL 2021: CSK vs MI- MI’s Predicted XI For The 1st Match

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma will lead Mumbai Indians in the first match of IPL 2021. The MI skipper will be on the top of his confidence after his recent success against England in the Test series, where he smacked his first overseas century. In the 1st leg, Rohit Sharma was the team’s highest run-getter with 250 runs in 7 innings averaging 35.71.

He had scored 5480 runs in 207 IPL matches averaging 31.49 with 1 ton and 40 fifties. Rohit Sharma led the Mumbai Indians to a successful campaign in the 2020 season, which was their second consecutive title.

Quinton de Kock

For the wicket-keeper’s role, Mumbai Indians will go with South African batsman Quinton de Kock. The Proteas batsman has been a spectacular batting form, which was visible during the recent Sri Lanka vs South Africa T20I series. In the first leg of IPL 2021, the left-handed batsman scored 155 runs in 6 matches at an average of 31. He also smacked one unbeaten half-century.

Quinton de Kock had a terrific 2020 season, scoring 503 runs including four half-centuries at the top. The left-hander also has a great understanding with his opening partner, Rohit Sharma, and his explosive hitting makes things easier for the MI skipper at the other end. His form and performance will be vital to MI’s fortune.

Suryakumar Yadav

Sunryakumar Yadav will be a great batsman for MI at the middle-order in the opening game. Yadav showed a magnificent batting performance during the Sri Lanka tour earlier in July. During the first leg, the right-handed batsman scored 173 runs in 7 innings at an average of 24.71. He also held a strike rate of 144+.

Asked to open the batting, Suryakumar Yadav excelled in his role and scored over 500 runs in 2018, including four fifties. In IPL 2019, he amassed 424 runs to be MI’s second-highest run-getter. He outperformed himself in the 2020 season scoring 480 runs at a strike rate of 145 and went on to make his T20 International debut later for India.

Ishan Kishan

Mumbai Indians might keep Quinton de Kock as the wicketkeeper in IPL 2021 opener against CSK. However, Ishan Kishan might also make it into the playing XI as a batsman. During the ODI series against Sri Lanka in July, Ishan Kishan smacked half-century on his ODI debut. In the first leg, he scored 73 runs in 5 matches averaging a below-par 14.6, and will certainly try to make amends in the UAE leg.

Bought for a whopping INR 5.5 crore, Ishan Kishan, who played 14 games in 2018, played seven in 2019, scoring just 101 runs with an average of 16.83. Ishan Kishan was the top run-getter for Mumbai Indians in the 2020 season, scoring 516 runs at an average of 57.33, and later went on to make his International T20 debut where he scored a fearless fifty.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is another confirmed player for Mumbai Indians in the opening game of the IPL 2021 UAE leg. The younger Pandya largely failed to hit a big knock in the first leg. In 7 matches, he scored 52 runs in 6 innings averaging a pathetic 8.66. However, he is toiling hard in training and all set for a good performance in the UAE leg.

In the 12th edition of IPL 2019, he scored 400 runs and picked up 14 wickets, proving his versatility. After missing out on a lot of action owing to a back injury, Hardik Pandya made a phenomenal comeback in the 2020 season, playing the finisher role for the team and hammering the ball in the slog overs at a strike rate of 178.

Kieron Pollard

Kieron Pollard is another player who will be part of Mumbai Indians in the opening game of IPL 2021 against Chennai Super Kings. In the first leg, the West Indies all-rounder scored 168 runs in 7 matches at an average of 56 and strike rate of 171+. He also smacked a match-winning knock of 87 runs against CSK in the earlier encounter.

Kieron Pollard formed a critical part of the victorious MI squad in the 2020 season, smashing the ball at a strike rate of 191. He is loved by the Mumbai fans and big Trinidadian will look to set things straight again in the 14th season. After not bowling in 2018 and 2019, he picked 7 scalps in the last two editions.

Krunal Pandya

Krunal Pandya is another player who might make it to MI’s playing XI in the opening game. In the first leg, the left-handed batsman scored 100 runs in 7 innings at an average of 16.66. He also picked 3 wickets. On spin-friendly UAE grounds, Krunal Pandya might emerge as a crucial bowler for Mumbai Indians.

He hit the winning runs in the 2020 season that gave MI their fifth title. An important member of the side, Krunal Pandya will once again be required of playing the dual role of picking wickets with his left-arm spin and providing a boost to the middle order.

Rahul Chahar

Rahul Chahar will be part of Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021 opener against CSK. In the first leg, Rahul Chahar gave a magnificent bowling show, picking 11 wickets in 7 matches at an outstanding average of 18.36 and an economy of 7.21. He is the 4th highest wicket-taker in the tournament currently.

Mumbai Indians showed confidence in this skilful leg spinner and gave him 13 of the 16 matches they played in 2019. There is no dearth of talent in him and he surely proved that in the 2020 season scalping 15 wickets in as many matches, not letting the batsmen get away with his clever googlies.

Trent Boult

Trent Boult will be one of the pacers for MI in the opening game of the IPL 2021 UAE leg. The New Zealander bowled brilliantly in the first leg, picking 8 wickets in 7 games at an average of 27.87. He owns an economy rate of 8.46 so far and picked a three-wicket haul in one match.

Trent Boult was truly sensational in the 13^th edition of IPL 2020, sharing the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah. He picked up 25 scalps in only 15 appearances averaging only 18.28 and was the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2020.

Jasprit Bumrah

After his successful bowling show against England in the Test series, Jasprit Bumrah would be quite confident for IPL 2021 UAE leg. He is another player who will definitely play for MI in the opening game. In the first leg, the right-arm pacer scalped 6 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 32 and an economy of 7.11. In the previous season in IPL 2020, he picked 27 scalps in 15 games averaging an awesome 14.96, and was 2nd highest wicket-taker.

Marco Jansen

For the third pacer, Mumbai Indians might induct Marco Jansen into the playing XI. The uncapped Proteas player played 2 games in the first leg, picking 2 wickets at an economy of 7.50. He picked 2 wickets in one match but remained wicketless in the other. His bowling average in his debut IPL season was 22.5 before IPL 2021 got postponed for bio bubble breaches.

Other Options:-

Nathan Coulter Nile

The right-arm pacer picked five wickets in the seven games he played for the Mumbai Indians in the 2020 season. MI bought him again in the 2021 auctions for INR 5 cr. He remained wicketless in IPL 2021 playing only 1 game.

Jayant Yadav

Photo Credit – IPL

Although he featured in only 2 games in the 2020 season, the spinner Jayant Yadav made it count by getting an early breakthrough with the ball for MI in the finals of the 13^th edition. Although he has only played 14 IPL games, 31-year-old Jayant Yadav is a senior in the domestic circuit and has represented India in four Tests and one ODI. He has picked 7 scalps in 17 IPL games averaging 53 but with a decent economy of 6.74. He picked 1 scalp in IPL 2021.

Mumbai Indians Predicted XI:-

Rohit Sharma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Nathan Coulter-Nile/Jayant Yadav/ Marco Jansen, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult

Cricket/News

Kusal Perera Tests Covid-19 Positive And Is Likely To Miss ODI And T20Is Against Proteas

Published on August 16, 2021

Kusal Perera has tested positive for COVID-19, which has put his participation in next month’s series against South Africa in jeopardy after missing the limited-overs series against India due to injury.

Kusal Perera, who led Sri Lanka in England earlier this year, sprained his shoulder and was ruled out of the entire limited-overs series against India. All-rounder Dasun Shanka led the side in Kusal Perera’s absence, defeating the Men in Blue in the three-match T20I series by 2-1 and winning 1 game in the ODIs too.

Kusal Perera Underwent Mandatory RT-PCR Tests Which Revealed He Contracted Covid-19

Meanwhile, in a bid to return to training, Kusal Perera underwent mandatory RT-PCR tests, which revealed that the cricketer had contracted the deadly virus. It will likely keep the southpaw out of the all-important series against South Africa leading up to the ICC T20 World Cup, set to take place in the UAE and Oman in October-November.

The 30-year-old Kusal Perera has so far represented Sri Lanka in 22 Tests, 107 ODIs, and 50 T20Is, scoring 5595 runs across formats, including eight centuries. Although Kusal Perera is no longer captain, having been replaced in that role by Dasun Shanaka following the contracts standoff between the players and the board, he remains one of Sri Lanka’s key batters in the top order.

Sri Lanka's Dasun Shanaka was among the first to agree to sign Sri Lanka Cricket's tour contracts for India series PA Images via Getty Images — Dasun Shanaka was among the first to agree to sign Sri Lanka Cricket’s tour contracts for India series PA Images via Getty Images

He is, in addition, the team’s primary wicketkeeping option, with Niroshan Dickwella still suspended over his breach of the team bio-bubble, in Durham. Kusal Perera’s probable absence, as well as that of Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, and Danushka Gunathilaka will mean Sri Lanka will field almost the same second-string team which did well in the recently concluded series against India.

The likes of Lahiru Udara, Lahiru Kumara, Ashen Bandara, Kasun Rajitha, Ishan Jayaratne, Minod Bhanuka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa may get chances.

South Africa’s Faf Du Plessis Not Included In T20I And ODI Squads

The Proteas are scheduled to play the Islanders in three ODIs, starting September 2. The second and the third ODIs will take place on September 4 and 7 respectively, followed by three T20Is on September 10, 12, and 14. All matches will be played in a bio-secure bubble at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

South Africa vs Sri Lanka (Gallo Images)

Meanwhile, South Africa has announced their squad for the upcoming series. Former skipper Faf du Plessis, who withdrew from The Hundred due to a concussion injury he suffered during PSL 2021, has been left out of the squad.

South Africa plays three ODIs in Colombo from Sept. 2-7 but will be without leading batsman Quinton de Kock (rested), powerful middle-order hitter David Miller (hamstring injury), and seamer Lungi Ngidi (personal reasons).

Dwaine Pretorius has returned to both squads while Junior Dala has been included in the ODI squad.

South Africa ODI squad– Temba Bavuma (c), Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassies Van Der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, George Linde, Junior Dala, and Dwaine Pretorius.

South Africa T20I squad– Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kafia Rabi, Basi Benjadara.

Cricket/News

South Africa Will Be Without 3 Key Players In ODIs In Sri Lanka, But The Trio May Return In T20Is

Published on August 12, 2021August 12, 2021

South Africa will be without a number of key players for their three one-day internationals in Sri Lanka next month but expect their big guns to return for the Twenty20 series that follows as they build towards the upcoming T20I World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

South Africa plays three ODIs in Colombo from Sept. 2-7 but will be without leading batsman Quinton de Kock (rested), powerful middle-order hitter David Miller (hamstring injury), and seamer Lungi Ngidi (personal reasons).

South Africa Cricket Team (Photo by Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA Images via Getty Images)

South Africa Plays 3 ODIs And As Many T20Is Against Sri Lanka

All-rounder Dwaine Pretorius will return to the squads for both series after an injury lay-off that saw him miss successful tours to West Indies and Ireland in recent months. The missing trio has been included in the expanded 19-man squad for the T20 matches, which will also be staged in Colombo from Sept. 10-14, a month before the World Cup starts.

David Miller (L), Quinton de Kock (C) and Lungi Ngidi. Credit: DH, AFP, Reuters File Photos — David Miller (L), Quinton de Kock (C), and Lungi Ngidi. Credit: DH, AFP, Reuters File Photo.

The takeaways from the squad announcement of Proteas are, Dwaine Pretorius has returned to both the squads. Junior Dala has been included in the ODI squad and ace batter and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been rested from the ODIs. Pacer Lungi Ngidi will miss out on the ODIs due to personal reasons while David Miller’s injury is being monitored regularly.

South Africa won their T20 series against world champions West Indies and Ireland, and will once again be captained by Temba Bavuma in both formats.

Sri Lanka Will Be Confident After Their Show Against India In The T20Is

South Africa will fight against Sri Lanka who will be instilled with great confidence after recently defeating India in the T20Is. Sri Lanka recently played three ODIs and as many T20Is against India wherein the ODI series was won by India but hosts took away the T20Is.

Wanindu Hasaranga Celebrates A Wicket in 1st T20I @SLC

After COVID-19 havoc broke in India’s camp, India played with their depleted side and completed the series. Under the guidance of Rahul Dravid, many youngsters got the chance to showcase their skills. Talking about South Africa, they played last against West Indies and won the two-match Test series as 2-0 and the five-match T20I series as 3-2.

Wanindu Hasaranga, the No.2 ranked T20I bowler in the world, bamboozled the Indian batsmen in the recently-concluded limited-overs series, picking up 10 wickets from five matches, including a match-winning 4/9 in the deciding T20I, which Sri Lanka won to clinch the series.

ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Junior Dala, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Janneman Malan, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams.

T20 squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lzaad Williams.

Cricket/News

Ian Chappell Reckons T20 Format Is Enough To Take cricket Into Olympics And Not The 100

Published on August 2, 2021August 5, 2021

Ian Chappell, former Australia captain reckons that the T20 format is enough to take the sport into the Olympics and the newest addition ‘The Hundred’ was not really needed.

The Hundred is an England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) brainchild, and it is featuring eight teams taking on each other. The first match in the competition was played between the women’s teams of Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals on July 21. The Hundred is a 100-ball cricket competition that is seeing (both men and women) featuring in the tournament.

At what point does cricket become less of a game and more of an entertainment? Getty Images

Ian Chappell: T20 Enough For Participating In The Olympics And A Further Reduction-The 100 Wasn’t Necessary

Trent Rockets is leading the Men’s points table with 6 points by winning all 3 games while Northern Superchargers is leading Women’s points tally with 7 points in 4 games(3 wins and 1 no-result).

“Apart from reducing the number of balls to obtain a terrestrial television deal, the reasoning behind the Hundred could well be that it improves the chances of cricket fulfilling the Olympic dream. This is often cited as a way to spread the game’s popularity to a wider audience. Surely the T20 format could achieve that same outcome without yet another reduction,” Ian Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.

“Cricket is a team game ideally played by 11 members aside. Performance satisfaction is a big reason why youngsters fall in love with the game. Administrators would do well to remember that before they rush into devising shorter forms of the game. The more the length of an innings is reduced, the greater chance that there will be players “just making up the numbers”. Even those players crave occasional performance satisfaction,” Ian Chappell added.

Further talking about the new format, Ian Chappell said: “Throughout my playing career I believed there were two possible solutions to a problem: a simple one and a complicated one. I also believed that to the benefit of Australia, England would regularly choose the complicated solution. They’ve done it again.”

File image of Ian Chappell.(Hindustan Times) — File image of Ian Chappell. (Hindustan Times)

“To overcome the perceived problem of public not fully conversant with cricket, they’ve concocted another form of the game – The Hundred. That’s right, they’ve reduced by a mere 20 balls a format that was extremely popular with players and the public,” Ian Chappell added.

The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) The Hundred tournament is currently going on with much fanfare. The unique format sees both the team face 100 balls each with new sets of rules for the players.

Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Rashid Khan Are Some Of The Prominent Names Participating In The 100

Players like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Rashid Khan, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, and Jonny Bairstow are taking part in the tournament. Women’s cricket matches are also taking place simultaneously in the Hundred with five Indian players featuring across women’s teams – Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, and Jemimah Rodrigues.

Probably in her worst batting phase before coming into the tournament, Jemimah Rodrigues dazzled on her Hundred debut with an unbeaten 92 off 43 balls studded with a whopping 17 fours and a six. She pulled Northern Superchargers out of deep trouble from 19 for 4 and took them to a stunning six-wicket win with 15 balls remaining.

Jemimah Rodrigues continued her form in the next game with another fifty – 60 off 41 with ten fours – against Trent Rockets that posted a match-winning 149 for her team.

Ireland's Simi Singh | Cricket Ireland / Twitter

Cricket/News

Simi Singh Becomes 1st Cricketer To Score A Ton Batting At No. 8 In A Losing Cause

Published on July 17, 2021

Simi Singh, an Irish cricketer who was born in Punjab in India, has gone on to create a new world record. He has become the first cricketer to score a hundred at the No. eight position in ODI cricket history.

The ODI series between Ireland and South Africa have seen a lot of excitement. After the first match of the series was washed out, Ireland stunned the Proteas in the second match by winning their first-ever ODI battle against them. In the third ODI of the series, No. 8 batsman Simi Singh went on to create a world record but in a lost cause.

Simi Singh creates world record for Ireland | Photo Credit: AP

Simi Singh Smashes Century Coming On To Bat When Ireland Was Reeling At 92/6

The Punjab-born Simi Singh smashed a stunning century against South Africa as he came in to bat after Lorcan Tucker was dismissed by Andile Phehlukwayo for just one run. Ireland was reeling at 92 for 6 in the 19th over when Simi Singh came on to bat in the mammoth chase of 347 runs.

The spin-bowling allrounder looked unfazed facing a highly proficient and experienced bowling attack consisting of Anrich Nortje, Keshav Maharaj, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi. He shared a 104 run partnership with Curtis Campher but ran out of partners.

Simi Singh did his best in taking Ireland closer to the difficult target but he had little to no help from the other end. Other than Curtis Campher (54 of 54), no batsman even managed to touch the 30-run mark in the chase. Simi Singh remained unbeaten on 100 off 91 balls, scoring 14 boundaries in the process, as Ireland was bundled out for 276/10.

Earlier, Kenya’s Thomas Odoyo held the record of scoring the most amount of runs at the No. 8 position in a single ODI inning. Thomas Odoyo had registered 84 runs in a match against Bangladesh in 2006. While a century has been scored at the No. 7 position, no player at No. 8 or below had scored an ODI ton in history before.

Janneman Malan Scores 177 Off 169 Balls And Wins Both MOM And MOS

South Africa’s Janneman Malan seems destined to join the bandwagon of superstars of South Africa. The opening batsman smashed a breathtaking knock of 177 runs from 169 balls with the help of 16 four and 6 sixes.

Janneman Malan, playing his 7th ODI has now aggregated a whopping 483 runs averaging a staggering 120.75. The 177 against Ireland was Janneman Malan’s second ODI century after an unbeaten 129 against Australia in his 2nd ODI. He has also maintained a healthy strike rate in his career so far, scoring runs at 94.34.

Janneman Malan deservingly was named the player of the match and series and if it wasn’t for him, Simi Singh’s century might not have gone in vain. The 3-match series now concludes with both Ireland and South Africa winning one game apiece.

South Africa overpowered Ireland by 70 runs in the third one-day international at Malahide on Friday to end the series all level at 1-1. Ireland was eyeing their first ODI campaign success against a top-eight nation after a 43-run win in the 2nd ODI put them 1-0 up following a washed-out opener. But Janneman Malan’s career-best 177 not out was the centrepiece of the Proteas’ imposing 346-4 on Friday.

Together with Quinton de Kock, who made 120, Janneman Malan shared a first-wicket partnership of 225.

SA vs IRE scores:
South Africa 346-4, 50 overs (J Malan 177 no, Q de Kock 120), Ireland 276, 47.1 overs (Simi Singh 100 no, C Campher 54; T Shamsi 3-46, A Phehlukwayo 3-56)

Virat Kohli, KL Rahul | Photo Credit: AP

Cricket/News

Virat Kohli Retains 5th Position While KL Rahul Advances To 6th Place In T20I Rankings

Published on July 7, 2021July 8, 2021

Virat Kohli, the present Indian skipper retained his fifth position while wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul gained one spot to be in sixth place in the latest ICC T20I rankings.

With 762 points, Virat Kohli is behind England’s David Malan (888 points), Australia white-ball skipper Aaron Finch (830), Pakistan captain Babar Azam (828), and New Zealand opener Devon Conway (774). Virat Kohli was the only Indian featuring in both ODI and T20I rankings for batsmen despite India not playing much white-ball cricket since March this year but it had little impact on the rankings of their stars.

Virat Kohli Retains 5th Position While KL Rahul Is 6th In T20I Rankings While England’s Chris Woakes Attains Career-Best 3rd Position Among ODI Bowlers

KL Rahul, who has acquired 743 points, and Australian all-rounder dashing middle-order batsman Glenn Maxwell have climbed a rung each to be placed sixth and seventh respectively in T20I batsmen rankings. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli are the only two Indians to feature in the top-10 among batsmen. No Indian features in the top-10 among bowlers and all-rounders in the latest T20I rankings announced by ICC.

In the ODI rankings, Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma remained in the top five, occupying the second and third spots respectively, behind Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. Indian pace spearhead Japrit Bumrah, the lone bowler from the country in the top 10, dropped a spot to the sixth place, while Ravindra Jadeja remained in the ninth position in the all-rounders’ list.

England all-rounder Chris Woakes reached a career-best third position among bowlers after a fine show against Sri Lanka in the three-match ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series. Chris Woakes, who grabbed six wickets in two matches, including a haul of four for 18 in the first ODI, has advanced four slots in the list led by New Zealand’s Trent Boult with Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz in second place.

Chris Woakes’ previous best was the fourth position he attained in September last year. He is also up one place to third among all-rounders after overtaking his team-mate, Ben Stokes who will lead the 18 men revised squad against Pakistan after a Covid-19 outbreak in the team.

David Willey, Tom Curran, Joe Root, And Eoin Morgan Of England Advance In ODI Rankings After Defeating Sri Lanka 2-0

Other England fast bowlers David Willey and Tom Curran, too, have gained positions in the latest men’s weekly rankings update. David Willey has moved up 13 places to 37th position after a ‘Player of the Series’ performance picking up nine wickets that included a haul of four for 64 in the second match, while Tom Curran’s four wickets in two matches saw him advance 20 places to 68th position.

England’s 2-0 series win, which helped them to the top of the CWC Super League Standings also saw Test captain Joe Root moving up two places to 13th position with a series-topping aggregate of 147 runs and white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan inching up from 26th to 25th.

For Sri Lanka, captain Kusal Perera is up to one place to 41st after scoring 82 runs in the series, while Dhananjaya de Silva has gained 10 slots to reach 74th position. In the men’s T20I rankings, South Africa’s Quinton de Kock has advanced nine places to 13th after aggregating 255 runs in their five-match series against the West Indies.

Joe Root's unbeaten run of 68* and 79* in the series sees him jump to 13th place. — Joe Root’s unbeaten run of 68* and 79* in the series sees him jump to 13th place.

Aiden Markram is up 23 places to 19th position while George Linde (up 30 places to 43rd) and Lungi Ngidi (up 25 places to 56th) are among the bowlers to gain after their 3-2 win. For the West Indies, Evin Lewis is up to one place to ninth position after finishing with 178 runs. Nicholas Pooran has gained 20 places to reach 87th position while Shimron Hetmyer is up 15 places to 99th.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo has moved from 95th to 44th among bowlers after finishing with 10 wickets in the series while Obed McKoy has moved up 65 places to 53rd with nine wickets.

Cricket/News

Teams Will Have An Idea Of Par Score In T20 World Cup After The Conclusion Of IPL 2021, Says Mark Boucher

Published on July 5, 2021

Mark Boucher said teams will have an idea after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League as to what is a par score for the upcoming T20 World Cup, both of which will be held in the UAE. He added that spinners will play a major role in matches.

South Africa head coach Mark Boucher feels the Proteas side would “probably be playing” the upcoming T20 World Cup in similar conditions as that of in the Caribbean. South Africa defeated West Indies in the T20I series 3-2 on Saturday after registering a 25-run victory over the hosts.

Mark Boucher: The Wickets After The IPL 2021 Are Going To Be A Bit Dry

The remainder of the Indian Premier League being held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will affect the pitches, which might get worn out and help the spinners “massively” during the ICC T20 World Cup, feels South Africa head coach Mark Boucher.

The 2021 IPL, which was suspended following Covid-19 cases inside the bio-bubble, will be completed in UAE, which will also host the T20 World Cup after the ICC decided to shift the showpiece event from India due to the 2nd wave of Covid-19 prevailing in India.

“We are probably going to be playing in conditions like this in the UAE. The wickets after the IPL are going to be a bit dry,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Boucher as saying.

T20I World Cup trophy. (Photo Source: Twitter)

“It’s not the same as we’re used to back in South Africa where you can go out and bash your way to 180 to 200 runs. You’ve got to be skillful here; you’ve got to be smart,” he added.

The second leg of the IPL is scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 15, while the T20 World Cup will begin on October 17.

Mark Boucher Expect Spinners Will Play A Massive Role In T20 World Cup

Mark Boucher said teams participating in T20 World Cup will have an idea after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as to what is a par score in the UAE for the upcoming marquee event.

“It’s going to be tough to bat on especially at the back end as we saw here. We will have an idea of what scores are going to be by watching the IPL and then taking a look and assess how the wickets are playing during the beginning part of the World Cup. I suspect spinners will play a massive role,” said Boucher.

The South Africa coach hopes the players who are going through a lean patch will regain form in the upcoming series against Ireland. South Africa will next tour Ireland and play 3 ODIs and as many T20Is.

“If we can get all the guys firing on all cylinders, we’ve got an idea of what could be our strongest line-up and once that happens, then you end up finding an extra 15-20 runs which, in these conditions it becomes a very difficult total to face, especially when it’s so dry,” he said.

The upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will be staged in the UAE and Oman due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation in India. The tournament will start two days after the IPL 2021 final — October 15.

The BCCI will remain the hosts of the event, which will now be held in Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground, from October 17 to November 14, 2021.

Left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi had claimed seven wickets as South Africa won a five-match T20I series against the West Indies 3-2 at the National Cricket Stadium in St George’s, Grenada. Quinton de Kock of Proteas amassed the most 255 runs from 5 games averaging 51 while Dwayne Bravo of West Indies picked 10 wickets.

Cricket/News

Steve Smith Reclaims The No. 1 Spot In The ICC Test Batsmen Rankings

Published on June 16, 2021

Steve Smith, Australian batsman has surpassed New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson to become the top-ranked Test batsman in the latest ICC Test rankings that were revealed on Wednesday. India captain Virat Kohli jumped to the number 4th spot while Australia batsman Steve Smith reclaimed the No.1 position in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen for the first time since the Boxing Day Tests last year.

Steve Smith takes over from New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who is set to lead his team in the ICC World Test Championship Final against India at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton from Friday.

Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli (L-R)

Steve Smith Reclaims Top Spot While Kane Williamson Is Second Among Batsmen

Kane Williamson, who missed the second Test against England at Edgbaston due to injury after scoring 13 runs in the drawn first Test at Lord’s, has slipped five points behind Steve Smith’s 891 rating points and is second in the batters’ list. This means that Steve Smith has been at the top for 167 Tests played worldwide in total, only behind Garry Sobers (189 matches) and Viv Richards (179 matches).

An injury saw Kane Williamson miss the second Test against England at Edgbaston, hence paving way for Steve Smith to claim the No. 1 spot. Courtesy of his performances in the Test series, Kane Williamson lost 5 points because of which he dropped down to No. 2 spot.

The rankings also produced a positive change for Virat Kohli who moved from 5th position to 4th in the ICC Test Rankings for batsmen. Virat Kohli has as many as 6 Test matches to come — one against New Zealand in the WTC final and 5 against England — and he would be determined to further improve his position in the ICC Test rankings.

Quinton de Kock Gains 11 Positions To Reach Joint 12th Position, While South African Pave Trio Of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, And Lungi Ngidi Moves Up

The latest men’s weekly update, which also includes performances from the first Test between South Africa and the West Indies in St Lucia, sees Quinton de Kock in joint-12th position with Cheteshwar Pujara while his compatriot Adrian Markram has advanced two slots to reach 14th position.

Quinton de Kock, who was named player of the match for scoring an unbeaten 141 that helped his team win by an innings and 63 runs, has gained 11 positions to attain his highest position since December 2019.

Quinton de Kock works one on the leg side AFP/Getty Images

South Africa’s pace bowlers too have made rapid strides after the huge win. Formerly top-ranked Kagiso Rabada has gained two spots to reach the seventh place after a five-wicket haul in the second innings, Anrich Nortje is up into the top 30 for the first time in his career finishing with seven wickets in the match, while Lungi Ngidi is up 14 places to 44th position with a first-innings five-wicket haul.

Quinton de Kock

ICC T20I World Cup 2021: 4 Teams Which Probably Won’t Be Able To Qualify For The Semi-Final

Australia:

South Africa:

Afghanistan :

Pakistan:

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