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Brook was a surprise omission from squad coach repeatedly describes as “provisional”

Matt Roller05-Sep-2023England have dropped their clearest hint yet that Harry Brook will be drafted into their World Cup squad. Matthew Mott, their white-ball coach, repeatedly emphasised on Tuesday that the 15-man squad they have submitted to the ICC is “provisional” and that “there’s a lot of water under the bridge” before they play New Zealand in Ahmedabad on October 5.Brook was a surprise omission from the squad selected for England’s upcoming four-match ODI series against New Zealand, which doubles as their provisional World Cup squad. He responded with the only century in the men’s Hundred days later, and started England’s T20I series with scores of 43 not out and 67 – though managed only 8 and 4 in the third and fourth matches.Mott explained that Brook’s initial omission was due to England’s “loyalty” to players who have underpinned their ODI side in recent years, but suggested that most teams in the World Cup would consider “tinkering” with their provisional squad before the ICC’s firm deadline on September 28.Related

• Brook added to England's ODI squad to set up World Cup shoot-out

• Brydon Carse makes his mark on debut as England power to seven-wicket victory

• Harry Brook quietly makes his case as England brace for World Cup buyer's remorse

• England keep eyes on prize with World Cup(s) on horizon

Brydon Carse, who was drafted into England’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series – which starts on Friday in Cardiff – as seam-bowling cover is another bolter who could stake a claim for inclusion in the final 15, having started the T20I series with four wickets in six overs while bowling at high pace.Jos Buttler, England’s limited-overs captain, previously declined the opportunity to rule Brook out of contention, saying during the Hundred: “There’s still a long time before everyone is meant to get on the plane, so we’ll wait and see what happens.”But Mott’s comments before Tuesday’s fourth T20I at Trent Bridge were the clearest indication yet that Brook’s recent form has prompted a rethink. “I don’t think anyone doubts Harry’s ability,” Mott told Sky Sports. “He’s an incredible player and he’s shown that.”What I’ve been most impressed by is his response since missing out and that’s what great players do. There’s a lot to play out before we pick that first XI against New Zealand in India and we’ve always said it’s a provisional squad. Everyone will get a really good opportunity to show what they’ve got.”While Brook has only played three ODIs and has not featured in a domestic List A game for four years, he has been hugely impressive in both Test and T20 cricket for England since making his international debut in early 2022.There is no immediate like-for-like batter in England’s squad: Jason Roy, Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone are the most vulnerable players, but Roy and Malan are both top-order batters while Livingstone offers England a spin-bowling option. They could also change the balance of their squad by leaving out a seamer, such as Gus Atkinson, Reece Topley or David Willey.”Harry has not played a lot of one-day cricket over the last few years,” Mott said. “He’s been exceptionally good in Test cricket and T20 cricket and in leagues around the world, but the guys that we did pick have done a great job for England over the last few years. It’s always harder to get into sides than it is to get out of them and we’ve played that card there.”As I’ve said, it’s a provisional squad. Every team will be tinkering before that World Cup and everyone – whether they’re in that 15 or outside it – should be determined to try and put their best foot forward.”Mott added: “I find it hard, when you look at that 15, to think that anyone doesn’t deserve that spot. When you’re picking teams that are that strong, there’s always going to be a story. If any one of those guys miss out, it’s a story. As I’ve said, there’s time between now and the World Cup.”In an ideal world, we probably don’t have to play our hand until a little bit later but those are the cards we’re dealt. We had to get the squad out before this series. A lot can change: there’s a lot of water under the bridge before we get to that first game against New Zealand.”

The home side needed less than 15 overs to chase their target in Brisbane

Andrew McGlashan08-Oct-2023Without the injured Hayley Matthews, West Indies were no match for Australia in the first ODI at Allan Border Field as the home side raced to an eight-wicket win in a contest that lasted little more than 42 overs.West Indies were skittled for 83 by a collective effort from the Australia attack after the new-ball pairing of Megan Schutt and Kim Garth had set the tone.After a sedate start to the chase against a new ball that nipped around, Alyssa Healy then put her foot down with six boundaries in ten balls including four in a row off Aaliyah Alleyne before glancing a catch down the leg side. Ellyse Perry added the finishing touches to the pursuit.In overcast conditions, Healy had put West Indies into bat and they never got a foothold in the innings. There wasn’t a run from the bat until the fifth over and the first boundary came in the ninth with an edge through the slips.Garth, who had replaced Jess Jonassen for the final T20I, and Schutt were impressive with the new ball and after ten overs West Indies were 14 for 3.Garth struck first when debutant Djenaba Joseph, asked to fill the huge shoes of Matthews who was ruled out with the quad strain picked up in the T20I series, skied a pull shot. She then had Rashada Williams taken at point. Schutt joined in when Zaida James, who had laboured 25 balls for 3, sliced to gully.Briefly Stafanie Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle resisted, although the scoreboard barely moved, and when Taylor edged behind off the somewhat wayward Darcie Brown, West Indies’ best chance of posting any sort of total had vanished.Campbelle fell to Ashleigh Gardner’s first ball when she top-edged a sweep which was well caught by Georgia Wareham.The one bright spot in West Indies’ batting display was Alleyne who took on Wareham’s legspin with five boundaries through the cover region, showing an intent that had not been on display from her team-mates.Australia were sharp in the field with Healy pulling off two smart pieces of work to help wrap up the innings – a direct hit to run out Cherry-Ann Fraser for a diamond duck and a smart stumping to end Alleyne’s sprightly innings.The only concern for the home side was that Brown left the field after three overs with a tight left hamstring.

That meant his trip to Dhaka to train with his childhood mentor was cut down to two days from the three he had initially planned

Mohammad Isam26-Oct-2023Shakib Al Hasan returned to Bangladesh’s World Cup camp in Kolkata on Thursday evening, cutting short his three-day Dhaka trip to two days. Shakib had gone to Dhaka on October 25 to have a nets session with his childhood mentor Nazmul Abedeen Fahim.Bangladesh trained at Eden Gardens on Wednesday under lights, without Shakib of course, who had taken the evening flight from Dhaka. He reached the team hotel around 8.45pm where the team manager Rabeed Imam received him. Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, on his way out to dinner, also met Shakib at the reception.According to the team management, Shakib didn’t tell them that he was returning home for cricketing reasons. Team director Khaled Mahmud, who is the head of the Bangladesh delegation in India, said that Shakib had said it was for “personal reasons” that he was going to Dhaka from Mumbai the day after their 149-run defeat to South Africa.”We have no idea about this,” Mahmud had told the Dhaka-based on Wednesday. “He may have gone to Fahim since he is not batting well. But we didn’t know about this. [Wednesday] was travel and rest day. [Thursday] is optional training. That’s why coach gave him the two-day break. He said that he had some personal matters in Dhaka. We know that much only.”Shakib reached Dhaka on Wednesday morning, going straight to the Shere Bangla National Stadium nets where Fahim met him. Shakib batted under his watch for three hours.Shakib has struggled with the bat at this World Cup, having scored just 56 runs in four innings. He has taken six wickets so far.Bangladesh have an afternoon training session in Kolkata on October 27, with the match against Netherlands on the following day.

The trio will still be available for T20I series in the coming year, Cricket West Indies said while announcing 14 men’s and 15 women’s contracts

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2023Former captains Jason Holder and Nicholas Pooran, and allrounder Kyle Mayers, have turned down West Indies central contracts for 2023-24. The trio will however be available for T20I series during the year, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said in a statement announcing 14 men’s contracts and 15 women’s contracts.The men’s list included four new faces in batters Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, while allrounders Zaida James and Sheneta Grimmond were part of the women’s list for the first time.In an age of increasing workloads and T20 franchise leagues providing players options to secure relative financial security, this is not the first instance of key players turning down West Indies contracts; Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle did so as far back as 2010. In a high-profile case more recently, New Zealand’s pace spearhead Trent Boult gave up his central contract in August last year, but still turned out for his country at the 2023 World Cup. In October this year, Ben Stokes turned down a three-year contract with England, only signing up for one year instead.It remains to be seen if this means Holder (32), who captained West Indies in 37 of his 64 Tests and 86 of his 138 ODIs, is done with the longer formats altogether. Pooran (28) has not played Test cricket, but has captained his side in 17 ODIs with 61 caps in the format. Mayers (31) has played 28 ODIs and 18 Tests, most famously hitting a double-hundred on Test debut to lead a weakened West Indies side to a stirring win chasing 395 against Bangladesh in Chattogram.Mayers and Pooran were retained by Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2024, though Holder was released by Rajasthan Royals and will be looking for a new deal at the auction on December 19. Pooran has a busy T20 season ahead, set to make his debut in January for Durban Super Giants at the SA20 before travelling to the UAE, having been retained by MI Emirates for the ILT20. Then there’s the IPL, leading into the Men’s T20 World Cup in June, which West Indies are co-hosting with USA.CWI said the contracts list was drawn up taking into account “player performance during the 2022 to 2023 evaluation period” and recommendations from the selection panels.”With a busy year of cricket ahead, in all three formats, we have held several detailed discussions with the head coaches on the brand of cricket they want to play,” West Indies men’s lead selector, Desmond Haynes, said. “We are very clear in the direction we want to go. The players who have been offered contracts are among those who we expect to feature, as we look to build towards challenging for the top spot when we host and compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on home soil. We also have away Test series in Australia and England – these are two major assignments whilst in the 50-over format we look to build a nucleus of players aimed towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.”West Indies women’s lead selector, Ann Browne-John, said: “We have emphasised the development of the younger players, which we view as pivotal in the pathway to the international level.”

West Indies men’s contracts for 2023-24

Alick Athanaze, Kraigg Brathwaite, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd
Out: Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Nicholas Pooran, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr
In: Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Gudakesh Motie

West Indies women’s contracts for 2023-24

Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams

Wicketkeeper had been picked in ODI squad for series against England but selectors will not name a replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2023West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Shane Dowrich has retired from international cricket with immediate effect. This means the 32-year-old, who was originally picked for West Indies’ upcoming home ODIs against England, has withdrawn from the squad. The CWI selection panel will not name a replacement for Dowrich for the three-match series, which begins on Sunday in Antigua.Dowrich, whose sole previous ODI cap came against Bangladesh in 2019, had earned a recall on a back of strong returns in the Super50 Cup: 234 runs in five innings at an average of 78 and strike rate of 91.76. In the absence of Dowrich, Shai Hope will have to juggle captaincy and keeping, with Nicholas Pooran currently unavailable for selection for ODIs.Related

• Sherfane Rutherford, Matthew Forde receive West Indies call

• Darren Bravo steps away from cricket 'just for a bit'

Dowrich was a more regular presence for West Indies in Test cricket, playing 35 matches from June 2015 to December 2020. He scored 1570 runs, including three centuries, and effected 90 dismissals. His career-best 125 not out fashioned a 226-run victory for West Indies against Sri Lanka in Port-of-Spain in June 2018. Then, in January 2019, Dowrich made an unbeaten 116 in an unbroken 295-run seventh-wicket stand with Jason Holder to help West Indies topple England in Bridgetown.Miles Bascombe, CWI’s Director of Cricket, paid tribute to Dowrich. “We want to thank Shane for contribution when he played for West Indies,” he said. “He is a disciplined, hard-working cricketer who always gave his utmost in front and behind the stumps. He had a memorable series in 2019 when he made an outstanding Test century on home soil in Barbados to help us beat England and win the Wisden Trophy. We respect his decision to retire and appreciate it is not an easy one to make. We wish him all the best as he steps away from the international stage.”West Indies ODI squad to face England: Shai Hope (capt, wk), Alzarri Joseph (vice-capt), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas

Tahlia McGrath would lead Australia if Healy was unavailable in Canberra

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2024Australia could be without Alyssa Healy for the opening T20I against South Africa in Canberra on Saturday as she battles an illnessHealy was expected to train with the side on Friday afternoon before a final decision was made on Saturday morning, but vice-captain Tahlia McGrath said the team wouldn’t let performance standards drop if Healy couldn’t get up for the contest.Related

• King remains sidelined from Australia's T20I plans

• Tryon returns to SA white-ball squads for tour of Australia

• Perry: Looking to expand on our T20I gains during 'landmark' tour by South Africa

“We’re pretty lucky, we’re spoilt for choice in the fact we’re not reliant on any one player, and if anyone goes down we’ve got numerous options  to cover,” she said.”Lots of players play different roles for their Big Bash franchise, and we’re a very team-first side, so whatever the team requires on the day, we feel as though we’ve got all options covered.”Australia were expected to take in an almost unchanged team from the side that beat India 2-1 on the subcontinent this month, although they’ll have to finalise their pace line-up after Kim Garth and Darcie Brown alternated in that series.Spin star Alana King has been left out of the T20I squad, although she will join the side for the ODI portion of the tour.South Africa, beaten by 19 runs against Australia in the final of last year’s major tournament, didn’t enjoy a great start to their tour, suffering a four-wicket loss against the Governor-General’s XI on Wednesday.Captain Laura Wolvaardt admitted the task of battling the world’s best side away from home was daunting, but suggested it was part of her  team’s journey to going one better at the 2024 T20 tournament in Bangladesh.”It will be a big challenge, they are the world champions and it’s their own backyard,” she said. “They’ve just been very consistent for a long period of time.”Getting to play in the [WBBL], I see how they work, and they work very hard at their skills. It’s well deserved, they do work very hard and they are very good cricketers…it’ll just be about us playing our best cricket on the day.”The teams are competing across all three formats of the game over the next month, beginning with three T20s in what is a rematch of the decider from last year’s 20-over tournament.

The fast bowler sustained the injury during the second T20I, where he was unable to finish his spell

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Mar-2024Sri Lanka slinger Matheesha Pathirana is unavailable for the third T20I against Bangladesh on Saturday, after having sustained a grade one hamstring injury on his left leg during the previous match.Pathirana was seen clutching his left hamstring as he attempted to finish his fourth over, but was ultimately unable to close out his final spell, leaving Angelo Mathews to deliver the last two balls.Related

• SL incensed after third umpire overturns Sarkar dismissal

• Rishad Hossain becomes newest hope for legspin in Bangladesh

• Shanto, Hridoy help Bangladesh level series

By a distance Sri Lanka’s fastest bowler, as he breached 150kph on occasion, Pathirana had had a mixed series. He had leaked 56 runs in his four overs in the first T20I, but took 2 for 28 from 3.4 overs in the second. Sri Lanka have looked to use him largely at the death.Sri Lanka do have what is as close to a like-for-like replacement for Pathirana as possible in their squad. Nuwan Thushara also bowls with a round-arm action, though he is not as quick as Pathirana. The other specialist seamers in the squad are left-armers Binura Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka.The series is tied 1-1 as the teams go into the final T20I in Sylhet, on Saturday.Pathirana is also Chennai Super Kings’ designated death bowler in the IPL, which begins on March 22 in Chennai.

Routine injury turns career-threatening, with a dispute around whether the bowler received correct diagnoses from the PCB

Danyal Rasool05-Apr-2024The PCB’s medical management of fast bowlers is again under the microscope after it emerged that Pakistan and Multan Sultans fast bowler Ihsanullah had an elbow injury initially misdiagnosed, which has resulted in a routine injury turning into a significantly more serious one.Ihsanullah last played for Pakistan on his ODI debut in April 2023 and was initially sidelined with an elbow injury which the PCB medical department, led by Dr Sohail Saleem, did not fully appreciate the gravity of. That game also remains his last at the competitive level.Dr Saleem, left the PCB after an unsuccessful PCB attempt at holding a PSL season in a Covid-19 bubble in 2021, before being brought back to the cricket board under Najam Sethi’s chairmanship in early 2023.He strongly disputes that there was mismanagement on the part of the PCB in their treatment of Ihsanullah. “There was no mishandling in this case,” Dr Saleem tells ESPNcricinfo. “I’ll admit there was a delay [in the initial diagnosis], but no mishandling.”That delay, though, is the focus of much scrutiny. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Sultans owner Ali Tareen said that the PCB’s medical department could not pick up an elbow fracture in the scans they conducted, and subsequently went about straightening his elbow. Ihsanullah went on to a training regimen that included gym work and regular bowling despite no confirmation that a more serious injury had been decisively ruled out.Related

• PCB chief medical officer quits after damning report over Ihsanullah's treatment

• Ihsanullah flies to UK for treatment for elbow injury

• Haris Rauf gets his central contract back

• Dealing with a crisis, the PCB way

A later scan after repeated complaints of pain revealed a fracture, significantly exacerbated by the stress of the workload he had been put through. Mainstream medical consensus suggests this could have even been career-threatening, or at the very least permanently hindered his ability to remain the high-speed pace bowler he shot to fame with.Dr Saleem says he suspected Ihsanullah’s injury was worse than it initially appeared. “I said I wanted to get fresh tests conducted because I suspected it was more than just workload syndrome. It was diagnosed as such by the doctor who was previously here at the PCB, and not my team. A lab that gave us an MRI scan gave us an incorrect prognosis. I ordered the same scan again, and we picked the fracture up.”*This claim, however, is not without contention. The previous chief medical officer at the PCB, Dr Najeebullah Soomro, contacted ESPNcricinfo to directly refute that he had diagnosed Ihsanullah incorrectly, pointing out the bowler had played a full series after Dr Soomro left. He has also contacted Dr Saleem, asking him to clarify his statement.Dr Saleem also claims it was his suspicion after Ihansullah complained of pain when he bowled on the very first day. A surgeon was brought to Pakistan on the advice of Dr Saleem, but despite the surgery, Ihsanullah’s ability to straighten his elbow remained significantly inhibited.Dr Saleem says the pain he complained about was a kind of routine “post-surgical pain that everyone feels”. “The recovery period of an injury this serious isn’t three months, it’s much longer.”There were also signs of a fraying relationship between the bowler and the PCB in this period. Dr Saleem said Ihsanullah asked to leave the accommodation at the National Cricket Academy provided by the PCB of his own accord. He also said the player would often opt for massage therapy unauthorised by the PCB, further hindering his development.”We have worked on Ihsanullah a lot,” contests Dr Saleem. “We spent a lot of money on Ihsanullah, and have now arranged for his visa to the UK. But he wanted the shortest possible time span to full fitness. Our rehab is based on recovery-related criteria independent of time.”According to Tareen, when Dr Javed Mughal, a physiotherapist who works in the UK and is now a consultant with the PCB, was brought in for a second opinion, it was discovered there was a separate injury concern with Ihsanullah’s bowling shoulder that had also gone undiagnosed. Tareen told ESPNcricinfo that he believes Ihsanullah will likely require further surgery. Should it happen, it will take place in the UK, with the PCB footing the bill.Tareen took to Twitter earlier this week to reveal it was Sultans and not the PCB who bore the brunt of his living expenses while he recovered, saying they would also arrange for Ihsanullah to travel to England later this month “to be assessed by a world-renowned surgeon”. The current PCB chairman, who was not in situ for the best part of Ihsanullah’s lengthy injury layoff, spoke to Tareen following those comments, reportedly expressing dissatisfaction at the bowler’s treatment. It is now believed the PCB will pick up the tab and logistical arrangements for Ihsanullah’s recovery.Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah have both had lengthy injury lay-offs recently•AFP/Getty Images

Ihsanullah was among the leading lights for Sultans at last year’s PSL, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets at 15.77. He was drafted into Pakistan’s T20I and ODI squads following the tournament and also made his debut in both formats.That yet another Pakistan fast bowler’s medical treatment left a lot to be desired will invariably raise further uncomfortable questions for a cricket board that has come under intense scrutiny for bungling fast bowlers’ medical treatments. A number of players, and coaching and management staff, have privately expressed to ESPNcricinfo that there is a trust deficit between several players and Dr Saleem, something that is only likely to be thrown into sharper relief now.In the last two years, multiple Pakistan fast bowlers have suffered lengthy injury layoffs. In July 2022, when Shaheen Shah Afridi suffered a knee ligament injury, it was also initially undiagnosed. He attended camps and travelled with the team for a month, before flying to the UK while paying for himself and staying in a two-star hotel as he sought independent treatment. It was only after Shahid Afridi complained publicly that the PCB said they would cover all of Shaheen’s expenses.Naseem Shah was known to be managing a back and shoulder complaint that caused him discomfort in the build-up to his right shoulder injury, which happened two months after Afridi was injured, and caused a six-month lay-off. That led to Naseem missing the World Cup and the Australia tour that followed.Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi have also suffered lengthy injuries in the recent past•Associated Press

Mohammad Hasnain only recently returned from a long injury lay-off, while Khurram Shahzad was ruled out with a long-term injury following his Test debut in Perth last year.Dr Saleem wasn’t around when Shaheen had his injury lay-off, but defends the PCB’s medical management fiercely, citing the constraints and budgets they work under compared to sports medicine specialists abroad.”The people advising me from the UK, I advise them to come here and work within the environment. I invite them to work here in these conditions. There has never been a time when we haven’t done our best for any player.”However, there is a reason Pakistan supporters tend to fear the worst when a fast bowler ends up injured, and that loss of confidence will only deepen when situations like Ihsanullah’s exist. The best defence of any sporting medical department comes in the form of wider player availability, quicker recovery times, and fewer injuries. And, as Ihsanullah’s case illustrates, there is significant room for improvement.*

Kohli, Patidar and Lomror hit 30s to give RCB 172, but it was never likely to be enough to stop RR despite their poor recent run

Karthik Krishnaswamy22-May-20242:03

Who is RR’s MVP? And will RCB be happy with their season?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) came into the IPL 2024 Eliminator with six successive wins behind them, and Rajasthan Royals (RR) with five successive winless games. But there really is no such thing as momentum in sport, and certainly not in a sport as fickle as T20.Royals won an important toss, and their bowlers delivered a superb performance to restrict RCB to 172 at a venue where dew makes chasing significantly easier than setting targets.It was a game of two halves, as RR got over the line with an over to spare despite a number of nervy moments in their chase.Related

• 'We needed a little bit more' – Faf du Plessis on the runs RCB failed to score

• The Dhruv Jurel run-out: 'I just don't think you can give it out,' says Tom Moody

• Dinesh Karthik gets reprieve in contentious lbw call

It was also a game of two ends. One square boundary in Ahmedabad was significantly longer than the other, and the RR bowlers used this asymmetry brilliantly. RCB scored 51 for 6 in their odd-numbered overs, when the longer boundary was to the leg side for the right-hand batter, and 121 for 2 from the other end.It wasn’t a coincidence that Trent Boult, R Ashwin and Avesh Khan, RR’s best bowlers on the night, did the bulk of their bowling from the favourable end.The imbalance existed even when RR batted: 111 for 1 in ten overs from one end, and 63 for 5 in nine overs from the other. It helped RR that they had right-left pairs occupying the crease for longer than RCB did, but not to a massive extent.In the end, it came down to the total RCB put on the board. Faf du Plessis, their captain, admitted that they were about 20 runs short. He felt it was a 180 pitch when RCB batted, and a significantly higher-scoring one, thanks to the dew, when RR chased.RR are now through to Qualifier 2 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Chennai on Friday. For RCB, this is another trophyless season but one that will be remembered fondly for many years to come.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Trent Boult vs RCB

The game of two ends began early. Boult swung the new ball in an opening spell of three overs, and was inch-perfect with his lines and lengths: no room for the batters to free their arms, and no slot balls or long-hops. He conceded just six runs and two leg-byes in those three overs, and had du Plessis caught at deep midwicket to end an opening stand of 37.At the other end, though, RCB clattered 42 in three overs. Virat Kohli, using his feet routinely to step out or make room, looked ominous while rushing to 30 off 19 by the end of the powerplay.

Chahal gets Kohli; Ashwin applies the squeeze

Boult gave way to Ashwin from the end with the long leg-side boundary (for the right-hand batter), and that end continued to be hard to score off. Ashwin bowled beautifully, bowling at high pace – either into the pitch or right up at the batters’ feet – while offering no room, and primarily using his carrom and reverse-carrom variations against RCB’s right-hand batters.But he was also aided by the end he bowled from, and the fact that his first two overs came soon after RCB had lost big wickets. He bowled the seventh over soon after Boult had taken out du Plessis, and the ninth immediately after Kohli had fallen to Yuzvendra Chahal.Kohli’s slog-sweep has been one of the stories of IPL 2024. The shot, brought out of cold storage after many years, has allowed Kohli to overturn a long-standing issue of slow scoring against spin, and given him an extra gear through the middle overs. On this day, though, he was out to his first slog-sweep, caught on the midwicket boundary.1:21

Moody on Maxwell’s duck: Reckless cricket and absolute brain fade

Ashwin, Avesh keep RCB in check

RCB kept playing their shots when they could attack the short leg-side boundary, and took Chahal for 13 in the tenth over and Avesh for 13 in the 12th. In between, Dhruv Jurel, running in from long-on, put down a sitter to reprieve Rajat Patidar when he miscued a big hit off Ashwin.But Ashwin didn’t let RR worry about that miss for too long, inducing a mis-hit from Cameron Green in the 13th over – his fourth – and following up with the dismissal of Glenn Maxwell, who ended a lean season with the bat by attempting to hit his first ball for six and picking out long-on.Chahal bowled another expensive over, conceding 19 in the 14th, and when Patidar hooked Avesh for six at the start of the 15th – it was RCB’s first boundary in an odd-numbered over – it looked as though a 190-ish total was possible. But Avesh got a shortish delivery to get big on Patidar next ball, and caused him to miscue to a backtracking mid-off fielder.He could have had two in two, producing a perfect first-ball inducker to have Dinesh Karthik adjudged lbw, only for the decision, reviewed by the batter, overturned when the third umpire seemed to mistake bat hitting pad for an inside edge on to pad.Karthik remained scratchy while scoring 11 off 13 in what is likely his final innings at the senior level, Avesh eventually getting him with a hard-length legcutter that climbed steeply on him in the 19th over. Mahipal Lomror gave RCB a bit of impetus towards the end with 32 off 17, which featured two leg-side sixes off Chahal, but their total of 172 seemed inadequate at the innings break.1:22

What made Boult so effective against Kohli and du Plessis?

Jaiswal puts Royals on track

There were two dropped chances early in the chase. The first was a difficult one – Green throwing himself to his right at slip and putting down an edge from Yashasvi Jaiswal in the third over – and the second a sitter – Maxwell shelling Tom Kohler-Cadmore at deep square-leg in the fifth. The two openers peppered the boundary either side of those misses – Yash Dayal particularly unfortunate to concede three fours to Jaiswal soon after having him dropped off his bowling – and RR ran to 45 for no loss by the end of the fifth.Lockie Ferguson ended the powerplay with an excellent sixth over, conceding just two and bowling Kohler-Cadmore with a slower yorker. RR were still well on top, though, a fact they emphasised when Jaiswal and Sanju Samson took 17 runs – including a six and two fours, all towards the shorter boundary – off Swapnil Singh’s left-arm spin in the seventh over.Shimron Hetmyer’s boundaries kept Rajasthan Royals in control of the chase•Associated Press

Royals stutter but complete the job

Green came on in the tenth over and began to make a serious impact with his hard lengths, conceding just 11 runs in three overs while having Jaiswal caught behind while attempting a scoop. He also helped run Jurel out, fumbling a brilliant, one-bounce throw from Kohli in the deep but somehow managing to break the wicket with the ball still in contact with his hands.At the other end, RR lost Samson, leaving his crease too early to be stumped off a deliberate off-side wide from Karn Sharma. At the end of the 14th over, Royals were four down and needed 58 off 36.One big over would close that gap, and it came in the 16th, with Shimron Hetmyer and Riyan Parag taking 17 off Green’s fourth. Then Hetmyer hit Dayal for a pair of fours in the 17th, bringing the equation down to 19 off 18.There was still time for one last twist, however, with Mohammed Siraj bowling Parag for 36 with a full, straight one that he played across, and finishing the over by inducing a miscue from Hetmyer.It left Royals needing 13 from 12 with two new batters at the crease, and an unlikely RCB win was still on the cards. Rovman Powell, though, finished it off, finding a bit of luck early in the 19th with a pair of edged fours off Ferguson before completing the job with a stylish straight six.

Australian keeper-batter has only played six games in past two BBL seasons

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2024Peter Handscomb will captain Leicestershire in the T20 Blast this season, with director of cricket Claude Henderson saying he has “all the necessary qualities” despite a lack of recent exposure to the format.Handscomb has only made six appearances across the last two seasons of Australia’s Big Bash League, and did not have a contract last year until Melbourne Stars called him in as a last-minute replacement following a sickening injury to their first-choice wicketkeeper Sam Harper.But Leicestershire are banking on Handscomb’s wider experience as they aim to qualify for T20 Finals Day for the first time since 2011, when they won their third T20 title. “I’m very excited to lead this team,” Handscomb said. “The balance of the side looks good and hopefully we can perform to the standards we’ve set ourselves.”Handscomb initially signed for Leicestershire for six County Championship fixtures last year but had his deal extended and ended up playing five times in the Blast, including three as captain. He signed a two-year extension to cover 2024 and 2025 at the end of last season and is their leading Championship run-scorer this season, with a century and three fifties in five innings.Related

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Leicestershire won the Metro Bank Cup last year and hope their 50-over form will translate to the T20 Blast. “We showed in the One Day Cup last year what we can do in white-ball cricket, so it’s an exciting prospect to try and replicate that in the T20s this year,” Handscomb said. “We want to entertain and play a fun brand of cricket.”Henderson said: “Pete holds all the necessary qualities we are looking for in a captain. Not only does he possess extensive leadership experience, but he is also an incredibly calm head on the field and a highly respected voice in the changing room.”Leicestershire finished bottom of the North Group last summer with two wins from 14 games, at a time when chief executive Sean Jarvis was forced to deny the club was in crisis following the sudden departure of coach Paul Nixon.They have added Ben Mike, Liam Trevaskis, Scott Currie and Ben Cox to their squad in the off-season and will also welcome Wiaan Mulder back to the club as their other overseas player, alongside Handscomb. Rehan Ahmed should be available throughout after he was left out of England’s T20 World Cup squad.Leicestershire’s first Blast fixture is against Yorkshire on May 31. The tournament’s group stage runs until July 19, with the quarter-finals and Finals Day due to take place in September.