The Melbourne Stars claimed their spot in the Big Bash playoffs with a massive win over table-toppers Hobart Hurricanes by 40 runs in the final game of the league phase and made a place in the Playoffs. The Stars, on the back of four successive wins, were put in to bat. They had an opening partnership of 30 before the in-form Nathan Ellis and Nikhil Chaudhary prized their wickets before the end of the first six overs. Stoinis then got going with four boundaries as he punished width on offer but fell just before he could pull out the long levers. But the shackles opened in the 13th over in a 19-run over by Chaudhary. Webster then carved the young Mitchell Owen over the ropes to bring up his 50 but he fell immediately after. Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright smashed Marcus Bean around the park for 20 runs in the 17th over. Maxwell continued to showcase his hitting prowess with a hat-trick of sixes off Cameron Gannon to propel the hosts past 200. In reply, the young Owen got off to a blistering start smashing Joel Paris for two sixes. Caleb Jewell showed his aggressive intent early with a boundary off Steketee but the bowler got the better off him at the end of the over while Charlie Wakim was dismissed for his second duck. Owen kept the ante up with a 21-run over off Peter Siddle. But he fell off Tom Curran as he holed out to Maxwell after a big strike hit the bottom of his bat. Tim David (27) and Nathan Ellis (40) threatened with cameos but the Hurricanes came up short by 40 runs. It culminated in an amazing comeback by the Stars who won five on the bounce to leap into the playoffs. They will now face Sydney Thunder in the Knockout clash. Melbourne Stars 219/5 in 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 76*, Beau Webster 51; Nathan Ellis 1-3) beat Hobart Hurricanes 179 in 19.3 overs (Nathan Ellis 40, Mitchell Owen 38; Mark Steketee 4-24) by 40 runs

Following victory in another spin-dominated, low-scoring Test match, Pakistan captain Shan Masood reflected on his team's approach, emphasizing that they had "sacrificed" individual runs for the greater good of achieving results on home pitches. Masood drew a parallel to India's strategy, suggesting a similar philosophy at play. "If you're looking individually at the batters, it doesn't make for good reading," Masood said after Pakistan's 127-run win over West Indies in Multan. "But our batters batted better than West Indies, and better than England's batters in October. "If you just look at hundreds and fifties and judge them by raw numbers, then it'll be misleading. Just like we'll have to be flexible with our playing style, viewers will also need to be flexible in their thinking. Look at India's blueprint and their averages at home and you'll get the point. If conditions are flat, getting 20 wickets is hard. We've sacrificed individual milestones for team results." Pakistan have been dishing out dust-bowls at home since the second Test against England last year, and Masood defended yet another Test match where batters and pacers had little say. "We will do what we need to take 20 wickets and win the match," Masood said. "We don't even play domestic cricket in these conditions. It's a new thing for us as well. We changed it during the England series because we wanted our team to win. We should appreciate the hard work of our bowlers, who got us 20 wickets consistently. "We can't pit our bowlers and batters against each other. The hardest thing to do here was batting and fast bowling. West Indies didn't score 141 in either of their innings, and yet we had one partnership do it. The mistake is we should maybe have tried to string a few partnerships around that big one. Performances aren't just about scoring centuries. In some conditions, 10-20 extra runs can make all the difference." Masood assured that Pakistan's fast bowlers will have a role to play in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. "If someone has to sacrifice there, like fast bowlers or batters, then so be it," Masood said. "There will be oppositions where we feel we can prepare seam-friendly pitches. Then fast bowlers will get the opportunity to get wickets like the spinners got here. We need to work on how we can progress as a team. "A WTC is a two-year cycle, so fast bowlers will come into it. We have away series in England and the West Indies with the Dukes ball. When a subcontinent team comes here, we may prepare seam-friendly wickets. Over the bigger picture, no one's role is being diminished."

Sajid Khan's fifer and a post-lunch four-fer for Abrar Ahmed helped Pakistan roll out West Indies for 123 in their second-innings for a comprehensive inside three days of the first Test in Multan. The visitors went to Lunch at 54/5 with Sajid having ripped apart the top-order for the second time in the game. Alick Athanaze put on a brief fight through his half-century knock on the other side, but Abrar picked up three of the last-four West Indies lost on the same score of 123. Pakistan were already smelling victory but Athanaze found some support in wicketkeeper-bat Tevin Imlach and together the duo frustrated the hosts for nine overs post lunch. Athanaze, particularly, impressed with his strokeplay in this fighting 41-run stand but once Abrar found a way past it, West Indies crumbled in no time. Imlach was caught behind after a patient 14 off 30 deliveries, while the half-centurion was trapped LBW by Sajid for his fifer after a 28-run partnership with Kevin Sinclair. Abrar was, at one point, on the verge of making history as the first Pakistan spinner to claim a hat-trick on home soil. Having dismissed Sinclair and Gudakesh Motie off successive deliveries of his previous over, Abrar sent down a googly for Jomel Warrican who went for a slog and missed it but the extra bounce saved the batter and denied the spinner a rare milestone. Warrican survived only one more ball and was cleaned up without troubling the scores. For the second time in the game, West Indies collapsed for under 150 runs. Earlier in the day though, it was Warrican's superb seven-fer that had revived West Indies chances on the third morning. He single-handedly wiped out Pakistan's overnight advantage with a seven-wicket haul - to go with his two run-outs - in the second innings, triggering a stunning collapse of 6 for 48. Pakistan folded for 157, setting the visitors a target of 251 before Sajid brought them roaring back into the contest with four quick wickets to end a 11-wicket session in the home team's favour after all. Despite a foggy morning, play began as scheduled for the first time in three days of this game and Warrican made an immediate impact. Pakistan's top-scorer in the first innings, Saud Shakeel flicked one straight to short mid-wicket first ball of the day to depart without adding anything to the overnight tally. Warrican then had Mohammad Rizwan caught in the slips with a ripper that spun sharply to take the edge. Kamran Ghulam, similarly, was undone by one that turned away sharply, giving Warrican his fifer. Noman Ali was beaten on the reverse-sweep and the umpire was quick to raise the finger. Much like in the first innings, Sajid Khan was on the attack right away with a first-ball boundary. West Indies burnt a review on him early but the fireworks weren't meant to be this time as Warrican had him caught at backward point for just five. The spinner then caught Khurram Shahzad short of his crease with an accurate direct-hit to reduce Pakistan to 154 for 9 with a hand in each of those dismissals until that point. The only one to get away was Salman Ali Agha, perishing in his attempt to fetch some quick runs off Gudakesh Motie just as Pakistan's lead reached 250. Much like in the first innings, Sajid Khan then ripped through the West Indies top-order to nudge Pakistan ahead once more in the see-sawing contest. After a positive start to his knock and a couple of boundaries, Kraigg Brathwaite holed out in the deep as Sajid struck in the fifth over to give the hosts the first breakthrough. Attempting a sweep, Keacy Carty gloved one that lobbed up for Rizwan to take an easy catch in Sajid's following over. Kavem Hodge was cleaned up by a classic offspinner that snuck past the inside-edge to crash into the stumps, giving Sajid his third. At 37 for 3, Mikyle Louis went for an ill-advised big shot only for Sajid to slow it down and shorten his length. The ball comfortably spun past his bat and hit the leg-stump instead. Justin Greaves had an LBW call overturned against Noman Ali early, but his luck ran out at the stroke of lunch when the spinner caught him plumb in front to leave West Indies in tatters at 54 for 5. : Pakistan 230 & 157 (Shan Masood 52, Jomel Warrican 7-32) beat West Indies 137 and 123 (Alick Athanaze 55; Sajid Khan 5/50, Abrar Ahmed 4-27) by 127 runs

Thirteen games in, this year's SA20 is short on an important element in the alchemy that makes a tournament memorable: close matches. Only two games have been won by fewer than 10 runs and in just one has the target been chased down in the last over. That was in Centurion on Saturday, when Paarl Royals overhauled Pretoria Capitals' 212/5 with two balls to spare. Paarl's 213/2, powered by Joe Root's unbeaten 92 off 60 and stands of 125 between him and Rubin Herman and 88 between Root and David Miller, is the highest successful chase in all three editions of the SA20. Two of the other dozen games were washed out entirely, but of the remaining 10 only Durban's Super Giants' two-run win over Pretoria at Kingsmead on January 10 and Joburg Super Kings' six-run victory in a rain-affected clash with Mumbai Indians Cape Town at the Wanderers the next day have remained in the balance deep into the game. Could the preponderance of one-sided games be explained? "Up in Joburg and Centurion we've had 12 days of rain, and the pitches have been a little bit spicy for T20 cricket - although the bowlers have enjoyed it," Albie Morkel told a press conference at Newlands on Saturday. "I think, once we get sun that side, we'll see closer games." Five of the 13 games were played - or scheduled to be played, in the case of both washouts - on the Highveld. But the lack of competitive matches is not a new problem. Of the first 13 games last year, one was won by fewer than 10 runs and one with less than an over remaining by the team batting second. In 2023, that equation was one and two. All told in 2024, four games were won by fewer than 10 runs and five in the last over. In the inaugural tournament, those figures were one and seven - including Pretoria's one-wicket, last-ball win over Cape Town in Centurion. After 80 SA20 matches, that remains the only game that has gone down to the wire. Morkel, Joburg Super Giants' assistant coach, spoke after Mumbai Indians Cape Town had inflicted Joburg's first loss in four matches this year - by seven wickets with 25 balls remaining; another lopsided result. "Today was a perfect day for a close game, but we just didn't get enough runs [JSK totalled 172/5] and then [Cape Town] batted superbly," Morkel said. "I think, as we go deeper into the tournament, we will see tight games. I know Graeme [Smith, the SA20 commissioner] wants close games, and I think all the spectators want close games. Hopefully we can get them." There's a tension here because players are attuned to winning as emphatically as possible. Ryan Rickelton helped Cape Town do so on Saturday by scoring 89 off 39 balls, smashing 56 of his runs in fours and sixes. That allowed the home side to win inside 16 overs, which earned a bonus point. "I reckon 180 would have been a very different chase tonight," Rickelton told a press conference. "I know we got the bonus point and it looked like we won quite easily, but it's about the intent you have to play with to put yourself in that position." And about coming to terms with changing conditions, depending on the venue. Totals of 200 or more have been scored 25 times in the SA20 - 11 of them in Centurion, five in Durban, four at the Wanderers, two each at St George's Park and Newlands, and one in Paarl. Higher scoring grounds lend themselves to closer finishes: this year's three tight contests have been played at Centurion, Kingsmead and the Wanderers. "You can get 150 in Paarl and win comfortably," Rickelton said. "So it's about adjusting to different conditions. And, as batters, when those days do come when the pitch is good, you've got to try and cash in as much as you can and maximise. Because you know that the tougher pitches, like we saw in Durban last night, are around the corner." At Kingsmead on Friday, Sunrisers Eastern Cape made 165/5 and dismissed DSG for 107. Spin took seven wickets at an economy rate of 6.06, and the seamers six at 5.80. The unusually dry pitch was indeed difficult for batting, unlike the flat tracks that come standard in the IPL. Last year's IPL was, at 74 games, more than twice as long as the SA20. But, of the first 34 matches, two were decided off the last delivery and two others with a ball remaining. Four of the first 34 were single-figure wins by runs, and four more with four or five deliveries to spare. In a format that leans a lot on unpredictability for its appeal, the SA20's volatility record is not good enough. Or is it that different from its big brother? Seventeen of the SA20's 80 matches have been close: 21.25%. In the 2024 IPL, 19 games were tight: 25.68%. How much could the difference of 4.43% matter? Plenty, because the SA20 has a stated aim to become the second-best franchise T20 tournament in the world after the IPL. But, by the uncertainty measure, the South African venture is falling behind the BBL. Four of the Australian competition's first 39 matches this season were last-ball thrillers. Four more weren't concluded until there were only two deliveries remaining. In all, 11 BBL games this summer have been close: 28.21%. That's 2.53% more than the IPL and 6.96% more than the SA20. How did that sit with the players? Did they want more close games? "No," Rickelton said sharply. Then he took a slight step back: "Only if we're winning them."

Rohit Sharma appears to be less than pleased with the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) recently-issued guidelines on travel, family presence, and other private staff accompanying players on tour. "I need to sit with the secretary (Devjit Saikia) and discuss," the India captain was heard telling Ajit Agarkar prior to the start of the media conference where the Indian team for the 2025 Champions Trophy was announced. The brief chat has since gone viral on social media. When asked about it specifically, however, Rohit questioned the authenticity of the so-called SOPs. "Who told you about this? Has it come from the official end? Has it come officially?" Rohit side-stepped the query. The newly-issued disciplinary guidelines were circulated among media personnel. They place restrictions on players bringing family members and personal staff on tours. In addition to mandating player participation in domestic cricket, the rules also require all players to travel using official vehicles. This comes after reports from the recent tour of Australia suggested that some senior players had been arranging their own travel independently. Agarkar, however, seemed comfortable with the strictures. "I think we'll probably talk about it endlessly if we keep going on. I suppose every team has some rules in place. We've spoken about various things over the last few months where you can improve as a team, where you can get a bit closer as a team. It's not a school. It's not a punishment," the chief selector said. These rules, surfacing (on social media) as they are after the recent review meeting where performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) were analyzed, appear credible but have not been officially issued by the BCCI. Nor have they been posted by the regulator on its verified handle. Agarkar, however, said certain rules are needed when one is representing the country. "When you're playing for the national team you just follow those rules. Again, these are mature individuals. They are superstars in their own right. But at the end of the day you're eventually representing your country. There are certain things that you just inherently follow as every team does. "I think a lot of them have been in place. Maybe we've spoken about it now and it's been put out, but a lot of them have been in place in any case. You keep on refining it as you go along."

Ravindra Jadeja has returned to domestic duties. On Sunday morning, the Indian all-rounder joined the Saurashtra team as they started preparation for their next Ranji Trophy assignment, signaling his readiness to play in the upcoming match for his state. Saurashtra face Delhi from January 23 at Ground C, near the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. This website reported on Saturday that Jadeja will confirm his availability or otherwise on Sunday. There is still no word from the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) officials whether he will play or not but it is being said that there is a high chance that he will. Jadeja last played a Ranji game in January 2023 when he led Saurashtra against Tamil Nadu in Chennai. The Jadeja development is in line with a host of international players taking part in domestic cricket, toeing the line of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which has mandated all the internationals to take part in domestic cricket, unless otherwise advised or injured. On Saturday, Rohit Sharma publicly declared that he will feature in Mumbai's upcoming game, against Jammu & Kashmir. Players like Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have already announced that they will play the next domestic game. It has been learned that KL Rahul could turn up for Karnataka's last league game, against Haryana in Bengaluru from January 30. Ajit Agarkar defended the directive to the internationals to play domestic games and took pains to deny that it was a diktat cast in iron. "I think everyone should, when available. Sometimes, it's difficult if you're playing all three formats. You don't get as much time. You'll probably find most of the guys playing this round of Ranji Trophy. There's been a little bit of time. And those who are available and fit, obviously, you expect people to play. I don't think it's a diktat," the chief selector said.

A Dhaka court on Sunday issued an arrest warrant against Bangladesh's renowned all-rounder and politician, Shakib Al Hasan, in connection with a dishonoured cheque case involving IFIC Bank. The arrest warrant was issued against Shakib, a former Awami League lawmaker, who has been staying abroad since erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country following her ousting during a student movement. The warrant also includes three other individuals. Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman issued the order on Sunday. On December 15, Shakib was named in the cheque fraud case. Subsequently, on December 18, the court ordered him to appear before it on January 19 after an initial hearing. IFIC Bank's Relationship Officer, Shahibur Rahman, filed the case on behalf of the bank, accusing Shakib and three others of failing to honor a commitment to transfer BDT 4,14,57,000 (approximately 41.4 million Tk) via two separate cheques. The case also implicated Shakib's company, Al Hasan Agro Farm Ltd., its Managing Director Gazi Shahagir Hossein, and directors Emdadul Haque and Malaikar Begum. Shakib's company had borrowed funds from IFIC Bank's Banani branch at various times. The cheques in question were issued to repay part of the loans but were dishonoured due to insufficient funds, according to the case statement. In 2023, Shakib joined politics by enlisting with the Awami League and won the Magura-1 constituency in the uncontested January 7, 2024 elections under the party's ticket. However, his political ambitions reportedly marked the beginning of his "fall from grace" in the public eye. Shakib's plans to conclude his Test cricket career at home in a match against South Africa were disrupted as he was charged in a murder case during political unrest in Bangladesh. He declined to return to the country, citing security concerns and the possibility of interrogation by law enforcement agencies. It remains unlikely that Shakib will return to Bangladesh soon, as his family is currently settled in the United States.

Jomel Warrican single-handedly wiped out Pakistan's overnight advantage with a seven-wicket haul - and a run-out to boot - in the second innings, triggering a stunning collapse of 6 for 48 runs on the third morning in Multan. Pakistan folded for 157, setting the visitors a target of 251 before Sajid Khan brought them roaring back into the contest with four quick wickets. At Lunch, West Indies need another 197 while the hosts are five wickets away from a 1-0 series lead. Despite a foggy morning, play began as scheduled for the first time in three days of this game and Warrican made an immediate impact. Pakistan's top-scorer in the first innings, Saud Shakeel flicked one straight to short mid-wicket first ball of the day to depart without adding anything to the overnight tally. Warrican then had Mohammad Rizwan caught in the slips with a ripper that spun sharply to take the edge. Kamran Ghulam, similarly, was undone by one that turned away sharply, giving Warrican his fifer. Noman Ali was beaten on the reverse-sweep and the umpire was quick to raise the finger. Much like in the first innings, Sajid Khan was on the attack right away with a first-ball boundary. West Indies burnt a review on him early but the fireworks weren't meant to be this time as Warrican had him caught at backward point for just five. The spinner then caught Khurram Shahzad short of his crease with an accurate direct-hit to reduce Pakistan to 154 for 9 with a hand in each of those dismissals until that point. The only one to get away was Salman Ali Agha, perishing in his attempt to fetch some quick runs off Gudakesh Motie just as Pakistan's lead reached 250. Much like in the first innings, Sajid Khan then ripped through the West Indies top-order to nudge Pakistan ahead once more in the see-sawing contest. After a positive start to his knock and a couple of boundaries, Kraigg Brathwaite holed out in the deep as Sajid struck in the fifth over to give the hosts the first breakthrough. Attempting a sweep, Keacy Carty gloved one that lobbed up for Rizwan to take an easy catch in Sajid's following over. Kavem Hodge was cleaned up by a classic offspinner that snuck past the inside-edge to crash into the stumps, giving Sajid his third. At 37 for 3, Mikyle Louis went for an ill-advised big shot only for Sajid to slow it down and shorten his length. The ball comfortably spun past his bat and hit the leg-stump instead. Justin Greaves had an LBW call overturned against Noman Ali early, but his luck ran out at the stroke of lunch when the spinner caught him plumb in front to leave West Indies in tatters at 54 for 5. West Indies 137 and 54/5 (Sajid Khan 4/25) trail Pakistan 230 & 157 (Shan Masood 52, Jomel Warrican 7-32) by 197 runs

It is a little bizarre that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants players, rested for the England T20Is, to participate in domestic competition. Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal were given a break for the five-match T20I series starting on January 22, only to be asked to play in the domestic fixture starting a day later. If a T20I is demanding, a four-day Ranji affair is nine times more strenuous. Ajit Agarkar, however, saw nothing wrong in the BCCI directive. "January 5 was when the (SCG) Test match finished, January 23 is the Ranji Trophy game and the first ODI (versus England) will be on February 6. So there's plenty of time for them to play," the chairman of selectors explained while announcing the Champions Trophy squad on Saturday. "It's just about playing cricket now. So at the moment they've had almost three weeks break after that last Test. "So there's no reason why they can't play the Ranji Trophy games. I know there's T20 internationals. But fortunately we've got a lot of depth with regards to our T20 teams. So we can afford to rest a few players. If somebody needs a rest completely from the game, the physio lets us know. Whether it's from the NCA or it's from the team physio." Agarkar denied that there is a diktat from the BCCI to play the domestic game. "I think everyone should, when available. Sometimes, it's difficult if you're playing all three formats. You don't get as much time. You'll probably find most of the guys playing this round of Ranji Trophy. There's been a little bit of time. And those who are available and fit, obviously, you expect people to play. I don't think it's a diktat." The chief selector also explained the reason for the absence of Mohammed Siraj, the most high-profile non-selection for the Champions Trophy. "But that's purely because we thought of it. We're not sure about (Jasprit) Bumrah (expected to be fit from the third ODI against England), whether he's going to play or not. We wanted to pick a squad where we have options of both, somebody to bowl with the new ball and somebody to bowl at the back end. Obviously, with Bumrah missing, we're not sure. "We wanted Arshdeep to come and play that role of bowling at the back end and (Mohammed) Shami, obviously we saw what he did with the new ball and that is where we feel that Siraj's effectiveness comes down a little bit if he's not going to take the new ball. "We discussed at length about it and we are only taking three seamers there because we wanted all the all-rounders with us. It's an unfortunate thing that he (Siraj) has to miss out but we had no option but to get the guys who can perform a certain role. I personally feel that we have guys who can bowl with the new ball and be effective in the middle and then effective at the back end so you need to cover all three facets of the game," Agarkar said. He was also empathetic towards Karun Nair but said it was not possible to accommodate the Vidarbha batter. "Karun Nair's form was discussed. Those are really special performances. We did have a chat, no doubt about it, when those kinds of performances happen. At the moment, finding a spot in this team is very difficult. So, unfortunately, you can't fit everyone in. It's a squad of 15. But those performances certainly make you take notice," Agarkar said. Nair scored 779 runs with five centuries in the Vijay Hazare competition and guided his side to the VHT final.

Ryan Rickelton overcame his fifth bout of Covid to hammer Mumbai Indians Cape Town to the top of the at Newlands on Saturday. Rickelton's 39-ball 89 helped Cape Town beat Joburg Super Kings by seven wickets with 25 balls to spare - the visitors' first loss in four matches in this year's tournament. The Capetonians, who have played half of their 10 league matches, have a two-point lead over Cape rivals Paarl Royals, who have a game in hand. After the match, Rickelton told a press conference he had risen from a sickbed to play in the match. "I got Covid, so I was man down for a good four or five days," Rickelton said, adding that he first felt symptoms on Monday. "I needed the extra few days to recover. I'm feeling a lot better. I still have it, but I'm fit enough to play." At the toss for Wednesday's game against Paarl at Boland Park, Rashid Khan said Rickelton wasn't in the XI because he "wasn't feeling well". Two days earlier, Rickelton had also been absent for the Newlands match against the same opponents. Rickelton has played in only two of Cape Town's five games. He missed the first, against Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Newlands on January 9, because he was still feeling the effects of the hamstring he tweaked during the second Test against Pakistan at the same ground that ended three days earlier. Rickelton scored 259 in that match, which South Africa won by 10 wickets. He also made 101 in the second Test against Sri Lanka at St George's Park last month. "What a player," JSK assistant coach Albie Morkel told a press conference on Saturday. "In the first season of SA20, he came onto the scene as a T20 batter. Before that, if you purely look at his stats, he was... I wouldn't say average, but just there and thereabouts. He's exploded onto the scene with that fantastic double hundred." Twenty-nine players scored more runs than Rickelton's 146 in seven innings in the inaugural 2023 SA20. A year later, his 530 in 10 innings made him the tournament's leading batter. So far this summer, Rickelton is 12 on the runscorers' list. But his 206.38 is at the top of the strike rate pile. "Today, it looked like, when someone bats like he did, bowlers can't really bowl at him," Morkel said. "That's when you know a guy's at the top of his game. He scores in good areas, and he's got power." Indeed, on Saturday Rickelton hit eight fours and six sixes - which accounted for more than three-quarters of all his runs. But the booming strokes didn't come as easily as he made them look, as Rickelton explained: "I had a long hit yesterday, for about two hours, just to obviously try and find my game and my groove. "Once I felt a bit comfortable, I could be confident, having had success with it in the past. It's important to try and back it up and keep trusting it. But I wouldn't have expected it to go how it did tonight." Rickelton said his latest brush with Coronavirus was his fifth. "I don't want to get it again," he said.

Have the trio of Rohit Sharma-Ajit Agarkar-Gautam Gambhir got the bowling combination right for the Champions Trophy? At the Dubai International Stadium, where India will play their Champions Trophy games, the pitch has helped the bowlers no doubt, but more to the pacers than slow bowlers. India are taking more spinners than pacers for the ICC event. In the four games at the venue in the ongoing ILT20 matches so far, the pacers have taken 41 wickets as against eight by the spinners with the average first-innings score 146 runs. The teams chasing the target have won three out of the four games played there. In the squad picked by Agarkar's selection committee on Saturday (January 18), there are three pacers and a seaming all-rounder (Hardik Pandya) as against four specialist spinners. The formation, seemingly, reflects Rohit Sharma's strategic dependence on spinners. He appears intended to deploy the tactics in the 50-over Champions Trophy that brought him success in the Twenty20 World Cup last year. The Indian brain trust looks dependent on Ravindra Jadeja & Co to be the squad's main weapons in the competition, particularly given the unpredictability on the availability of spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. It is as much a conjecture as one can imagine on the chances of success for the spinners in the UAE pitches but the skipper has clearly opted for a spin-heavy squad, as he had done during the campaign in the US and the Caribbean. If Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were part of the last year's contingent, which ended up lifting the ICC Trophy, three of the four form the current composition along with Washington Sundar (in place of Chahal), for the February19-March 9 competition. The India skipper does not contradict the inference that the attack is spin-centric but he gives it a slightly different narrative to it. He calls them all-rounders rather than mere spinners. "It just gives us a little bit of depth as well when you have those all-rounders, spinning all-rounders," the skipper makes the point. Kuldeep, one of the game changers of the last year's campaign, had claimed 10 wickets in five games almost as much as Axar, who played six games claiming nine wickets. Jadeja had only one wicket but he delivered when it mattered. Chahal did not get to play a single game. Rohit expects runs from the four spinners - Jadeja, Axar, Sundar and Kuldeep - as much as some quality overs. "Unfortunately, we don't have too many seaming all-rounders. But you want to take your batting as deep as possible along with some quality bowling as well. These guys who we have picked... they all can bat, they can bowl. They are not there to fill the role of a bowler or fill the role of a batter. They have performed in the situation where the team and I are very comfortable with what they do, with their certain role. To have these kinds of options is always nice." The skipper seems happy with the overall bowling resources with India having Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Pandya apart from the four spinners. "When you have quality like that, your squad looks like it has got a lot of depth. With the quality of the spin, you can cover all bases." The big aspect of the selection is that head coach Gambhir seems aligned to Rohit's idea, much like Rahul Dravid did last year, indicating that both the skipper and the coach are on the same page strategically. There has been wild speculation of late about the equation between the captain and the coach and Rohit clarified that Gambhir has complete trust in his decisions and approach. "Both of us are very clear in what we want to do. I'm not going to sit here and discuss what goes behind every game tactically but it's very clear in my mind and Gautam is somebody once we enter the field he trusts what the captain is doing on the field. "The basic talks that happen are only off the field, in the ground or maybe the changing room. But once we take the field it's all about what I do on the field. That's the kind of trust we have in each other and that's how it should be. That's about it." Gambhir, incidentally, also participated in the selection meeting virtually. If he is also happy with the selection, it can only bode well for India. All that the team needs now is runs from the skipper and some seniors and the Indian team could well be back to winning ways after the disappointing last three months.

A majestic innings from Joe Root (92* off 60) led Paarl Royals to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Pretoria Capitals in a high-scoring game at Centurion. Root's innings was complimented by fiery knocks from young Rubin Hermann (56 off 33) and skipper David Miller (48* off 24) as the Royals scaled a big target of 213 with two balls to spare. Earlier in the day, Capitals posted a strong total with a collective batting performance that saw contributions all the way through the order. Will Jacks didn't get going but Rahmanullah Gurbaz (42 off 29) and Will Smeed (54 off 34) set the platform with a rollicking 76-run stand. Centurion was back to it's true nature with the surface allowing batters to cash in, also aided by the short boundaries and higher altitudes. Playing his first game of the season, Smeed was the aggressor even as Gurbaz also played some standout strokes. The Afghanistan opener was eventually sent packing by his country teammate Mujeeb-ur-Rahman through a carrom ball. That brought in Kyle Verreynne (45 off 23) and his knock pushed up the innings by a few notches for the Capitals. There was a slight wobble towards the end overs but Jimmy Neesham (28* off 13) ensured that the home side got to a total that they wanted on this batting surface. They could have possibly ended with another 10-15 runs if the collapse hadn't happened. It still was a strong target for the Royals who also lost their in-form opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius for a golden duck off the first ball of the innings. Root, however, got going after a nervy start and unleashed his strokeplay with elan. Like Smeed for the Capitals, it was Hermann who took charge at no.3 with a blistering innings as the second wicket stand produced 125 off just 69 deliveries. If Root was all about finesse and dexterity, Hermann showed his power and smartness to take on the bowling. Once the latter fell, it was Miller's turn to carry on. With the platform set and a settled Root for company, the Royals skipper calmly went about his business as the chase was completed with minimal fuss. It may have gone into the final over but the Royals were always in control, particularly towards the end. 212/5 in 20 overs (Will Smeed 54, Kyle Verreynne 45; Mujeeb-ur-Rahman 2-28) lost to 213-2 in 19.4 overs (Joe Root 92*, Rubin Hermann 56; Will Jacks 1-33) by

Bangladesh domestic cricket is riding on the path of uncertainty as clubs on Saturday boycotted the upcoming Dhaka First Division Cricket League over BCB's constitution amendments. The 20-team First Division Cricket League is considered as a budding ground for cricketers to make their presence felt and get elevated to the Dhaka Premier Division League, which is the country's traditional list A tournament. Both the tournaments along with other Dhaka-club based tournaments are considered as the major source of income for a majority of the cricketers. to boycott the league due to an allegedly controversial proposal of the constitution amendment. Then, on Saturday, they further revealed that they wouldn't take part in the competition where several national U-19 players were expected to feature. Club officials informed the media about their stance following their meeting with BCB president Faruque Ahmed at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday. "If our demands are not met, we will not take the field. It's clear that we won't play until these conspiratorial activities against us are stopped. We are in favor of cricket, but until the necessary changes are made, we cannot and will not participate," Lutfur Rahman Badal, a prominent club organizer, told reporters following the meeting. Another club organizer, Rafiqul Islam Babu said that BCB boss assured them to solve the problem as soon as possible. "The proposed amendments by the constitution reform committee directly conflict with the interests of club organizers. These changes essentially insult the entire Dhaka-based club community. If implemented, they will destabilize cricket in Bangladesh," said Babu. "Yes, he (BCB president) said he will dissolve the current committee (constitutional amendment). That why he said he will ask for an emergency board meeting and dissolve the committee. Then we will get back to the ground. We have three demands, firstly we want the board to scrap the amended constitution, secondly we want the director number from the club go up from 12 to 16, thirdly we want the reform head's resignation," he added. BCB president Faruque told Cricbuzz that he had received the letter from the club and now will take a decision after taking everything into consideration. ''I got the letter from the club and now let's see. Since I haven't received anything (amended version of constitution), I cannot comment," said Faruque. "But the club is one of the biggest stakeholders of our cricket and we should keep that in mind before taking any step," he said. The proposed changes include dissolving the CCDM, reducing Category-2 councillor positions, and cutting the number of directors representing Dhaka-based clubs from 12 to 4. Additionally, the total number of BCB directors would decrease from 25 to 21.

Dhruv Shorey's sixth List A century went in vain as Karnataka ended Vidarbha's unbeaten run and secured a 36-run win in Vadodara, on Saturday, to clinch the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. Led by Smaran Ravichandran's second List A ton, and quickfire half-centuries from K Shrijith (74-ball 78) and Abhinav Manohar ((42-ball 79), Karnataka posted a massive 348 for 6 after being put in to bat. Vidarbha made a steady start in the run-chase, but kept losing wickets at regular intervals and failed to keep up with the required rate. By the time Harsh Dubey could provide the late impetus, the required rate had slipped way past their reach. Karnataka struggled to get momentum early on in their innings, losing the in-form Devdutt Padikkal in the sixth over. Mayank Agarwal and Aneesh KV steadied the innings briefly, but departed in quick succession, reducing Karnataka to 67 for 3. However, Smaran and Shrijith ensured that the momentum was not handed over to Vidarbha. The duo combined to add 160 runs for the fourth wicket which provided the spine to Kanrataka's innings. The duo remained busy in the middle, frequently rotating the strike over. However, they also didn't let go of the scoring opportunities, and were quick to dismiss the errors in lengths by the Vidarbha bowlers whenever the opportunity presented itself. Smaran was especially severe, smashing three sixes. Just when Shrijith was getting a move on, he departed against the run of play, hitting a straight punch back to the bowler. However, that was not to break Karnataka's momentum. Manohar got into the groove early in the innings. In the 45th over, he smashed Nachiket Bhute for two boundaries and a six off successive deliveries. He meted out similar treatment to Darshan Nalkande and Yash Thakur in the following overs as Karnataka got the late acceleration. It proved to be critical as Vidarbha fell in the pressure of the mounting required rate. Yash Rathod provided a brisk start, cracking five boundaries in 19 deliveries. Karun Nair, who ended as this season's highest run-getter, failed to put up a similar show against his home state in the big game, getting cleaned up by Prasidh Krishna for 27. Many Vidarbha batters got such starts, but barring Shorey and Harsh Dubey, none of them managed to make it big. The most productive of the partnerships came between Shorey and Jitesh Sharma for the fourth wicket, as the duo added 62 runs. However, when Jitesh holed out to the long on fielder in the 35th over, Vidarbha were left needing 157 runs in 91 balls. To make matters worse for them, Shubham Dubey and Shorey also departed soon after, leaving the fate of the run chase in the hands of the lower middle order. Harsh Dubey offered the required impetus, hitting five sixes and as many boundaries in his 30-ball 63. But he didn't get adequate support from the other end. The pressure to hit the big shots ended up proving counter-productive for the rest and they were eventually cleaned up for 312. 348/6 in 50 overs (Smaran Ravichandran 101, Abhinav Manohar 79; Darshan Nalkande 2-67, Nachiket Bhute 2-68) beat 312 in 48.2 overs (Dhruv Shorey 110, Harsh Dubey 63; V Koushik 3-47, Abhilash Shetty 3-58) by

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya have all made it to India's squad for the forthcoming Champions Trophy 2025. The trio last featured in the ODI format at the 2023 World Cup. The 15-man squad announced on Saturday afternoon (January 18) will be led by Rohit Sharma with Shubman Gill serving as his deputy and has a notable inclusion in Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is yet to make his ODI debut. Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant(wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah*, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal Bumrah's selection is conditional to him recovering fully from the back spasms he suffered at the fag end of India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a campaign in which he sent down a staggering 151.2 overs for his 32 wickets at 13.06. He will not be fit for the start of the England series which precedes the Champions Trophy with Harshit Rana replacing him for the three-match series. But for the marquee tournament, Bumrah will be expected to spearhead a fast-bowling attack that also comprises the returning Shami, who was the leading wicket-taker at the 2023 ODI World Cup but has since been out of international action after undergoing a surgery on his left Achilles tendon. Arshdeep Singh completes the three-man pace attack with Mohammed Siraj left out. India are well stocked in the all-rounder department following the return of Pandya, who missed the second half of the World Cup after suffering an ankle injury in that campaign. Ravindra Jadeja is another player who last played ODIs 14 months ago but offers versatility with his left-arm skill. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, who were picked in India's most recent ODI assignment in Sri Lanka, are the other all-rounders in the squad. India's spin attack received another boost after Kuldeep Yadav returned to the squad following his spell on the sidelines after undergoing a hernia surgery. The 30-year-old played just the first Test of the home series against New Zealand before being ruled out of the remainder of the season with his groin injury. Meanwhile, vice-captain Gill, who averages an excellent 58.20 in the format, may have to jostle for his spot at the top of the order after the selectors decided to pick Yashasvi Jaiswal as the squad's other opening option. While Jaiswal has enjoyed a prolific start to his international career and brings left-handedness to what's an otherwise right-heavy top-order, he has yet to make his international debut in the format. He does average 54 in List A cricket with a best of 203 against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Among the 'keepers, India will continue to have the services of KL Rahul, who was stellar in the last World Cup. Left-hander Rishabh Pant is the other keeper-bat in the squad. India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand. They'll open their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 at the Dubai International Stadium. They'll play three ODIs against England next month, in Nagpur (February 6), Cuttack (February 9) and Ahmedabad (February 12), as tune-up to the marquee ICC event.