This time last year, Mumbai Indians Cape Town were one more loss away from crashing out of the running for a place in the SA20 playoffs. That defeat duly came, and they finished in last place - exactly where they had washed up in 2023. At Newlands on Wednesday they reached the knockout stage with two games in hand by way of an emphatic 10-wicket win, with 54 balls to spare, over Sunrisers Eastern Cape. The visitors never recovered from being bowled out for 107 in a match that was completed in two hours and 38 minutes, or at breakneck pace for a modern T20. Or even before the sun had finished setting over Table Mountain. That means Cape Town can't finish lower than second in the standings. Either them or Paarl Royals, who are currently on top, will claim the No. 1 spot. Thus those teams will clash in the first qualifier at St George's Park on Tuesday, when the winners will seal a berth in the final at the Wanderers on February 8. Wednesday's win was Cape Town's fifth in eight games this season, and they have lost just twice. They posted identical records in the first two SA20s: played 10, won three, lost seven. In percentage terms they have been more than twice as successful so far in 2025 than in each of the previous two summers. SEC are moving in the opposite direction. They won both of the first two competitions, but have shambled to five losses in nine games this year. Another loss in their last league match, away to Paarl Royals on Saturday, and they will be eliminated. Even if they will need other results to go their way to stay in the chase. Despite that, SEC's David Bedingham was bullish. "We're in third place; I don't think we've done too badly," he told a press conference. "But when we've lost we've lost badly, and that's probably the nature of the game. We'd like to be a lot more consistent. "It's not always the first two [teams in the standings] who win it, so hopefully we can sneak in and win the whole thing again. We're three games away from a final." Before Wednesday's whipping, SEC had lost by 97 runs, and by nine, six, and nine wickets, and with between eight and 36 balls to spare. But Bedingham is correct. SEC ended in third place in 2023 with only four wins from their 10 games, and went on to claim the title. The bigger question is what has changed at Newlands. Not the head coach, Robin Peterson. But in 2024 Cape Town were captained by Kieron Pollard, who was released last August. The SA20 clashes with the ILT20, where the Trinidadian is playing this year. Rashid Khan, Cape Town's captain in 2023, missed last year's tournament with a back injury. He has returned to the leadership this year, but that doesn't explain much considering he presided over his team's lacklustre performance in the inaugural competition. Similarly, while Ryan Rickelton has been productive this season with 237 runs in a campaign limited to five innings because of a tweaked hamstring and Covid, he was even better last year - when his 530 runs in 10 innings made him the competition's leading scorer. Rassie van der Dussen is the second-highest runscorer this year, with Rickelton fifth. Next is Reeza Hendricks in 19th place. Trent Boult is playing in his first SA20, and has claimed 14th spot on both the wicket-taking and economy rate charts for the Capetonians. Kagiso Rabada is also 14th in wickets terms, and 18th in the economy rate stakes. You need to go a dozen bowlers down the list to find Cape Town's leading wicket-taker, Rashid Khan, who has struck seven times. George Linde has the seventh-best economy rate, but Cape Town's next most miserly bowler is Boult. But what Cape Town lack in star performers they more than make up for as a unit. Is that what has made the difference this year? "We've gelled together really well, and it's helped that a lot of our players have been in form throughout the competition," Cape Town's Corbin Bosch told a press conference. "There's always someone else putting up their hand. "The guys at the top [of the order] have batted beautifully, and that's helped us set up games. As a bowling unit we've taken wickets at crucial times, which has allowed us to be in this position." That said, only two of the 10 highest individual scores have been made by Cape Town's batters. And three of the 10 best bowling performances. But victory matters more than eye-catching batting or bowling in a losing cause. So it is unsurprising that Cape Town's last four home games, including Wednesday's, have been sold out. Whatever misgivings the fans might have had after the failures in 2023 and 2024, they have been forgiven and forgotten. "Sellout crowds definitely give you that extra percent when you need it," Bosch said. "The Newlands crowd really watches the cricket; they're invested in the game. "It's always nice being on the receiving end of the cheering. It's not going to be so nice when I go back home on Friday and they're going to boo me; that's going to be weird." Cape Town's next game is against Pretoria Capitals in Centurion on Friday. Bosch went to school in Pretoria and plays for the Titans in South Africa's domestic competitions. He will expect a better reception when the Capetonians return home to play their last league match against Pretoria on Sunday. That will, after all, be the last time Newlands will see its team this season. Whatever the result, expect a grand farewell, replete with a sunset over Table Mountain.

MI Cape Town continued their surge in the second half of the season with a crushing 10-wicket win over Sunrisers Eastern Cape at Newlands. Corbin Bosch took 4 for 19 as the holders were bowled for a paltry 107, a target that openers Ryan Rickelton (59* off 36) and Rassie van der Dussen (48* off 30) chased down in just 11 overs. It was a day when everything went right for the hosts starting from the toss which Rashid Khan won and asked the opposition to take first strike. David Bedingham found a brace of boundaries against Trent Boult but Kagiso Rabada first and Bosch after him managed to strangle the scoring. They were backed up by some sensational fielding, most notably from Dewald Brevis, who pulled off a stunning catch at deep square leg when it appeared like he'd lost the ball in the sun. By the end of the PowerPlay, Sunrisers had crawled to 24 for 2. There was, however, no respite to follow as Rashid and George Linde gave away just 14 from the next three overs. The pressure got to captain Aiden Markram, who hit Brevis straight to long-off to depart for a 19-ball 10. Rashid compounded the visitors' misery by cleaning up Tristan Stubbs in the next over. Bedingham tried to hold the innings together but once he fell for a run-a-ball 45, the innings unraveled quickly. Bosch took three lower-order wickets and only Andile Simelane's 21 helped Sunrisers pass the 100-mark. The hosts were never challenged in response once van der Dussen began the chase with a four and a six in the first over from Marco Jansen. There were at least two boundaries scored in each of the first four overs as the openers shaved off 71 runs from the target within the PowerPlay. Rickelton found a pair of boundaries at the end to complete his half-century while van der Dussen was left stranded on 48. That minor statistical quirk notwithstanding, the century stand enabled MICT to get over the line with a bonus point. Sunrisers Eastern Cape 107 in 19.2 overs (David Bedingham 45; Corbin Bosch 4-19) lost to MI Cape Town 110/0 in 11 overs (Ryan Rickelton 59*, Rassie van der Dussen 48*) by 10 wickets

Mohammad Salahuddin, Bangladesh's assistant coach, feels national skipper Najmul Hossain will not be lacking confidence in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy despite not playing regularly in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League. Najmul, who is featuring for the defending champions in the ongoing BPL, is unable to make it to the playing XI after registering scores of 0, 9, 4, 41 and 2 in the five games that he has played so far in the tournament. It is unlikely that he will feature any further in the tournament. Following their win against Dhaka Capitals in their last league-phase game on Wednesday (January 29), Fortune Barishal skipper Tamim Iqbal insisted that it is unfortunate that he cannot provide Najmul a place in the Playing XI. "I must say it's unfortunate because I could not give him the chances that he deserved, and if you see my team it is difficult to get the combination right. I could not get the combination right in the first few matches," Tamim told reporters. "Against Rangpur, he played a good innings of 41 runs but could not give him a chance due to the combination. I could not understand where to slot him. There is a right hand-left hand combination and I don't need three left-handed batters playing at the same time. But his attitude towards the team has been fantastic. He is the national captain and one of the best players of the country. With Najmul set to lead Bangladesh in the upcoming Champions Trophy, there are fears that will be lacking confidence going into the mega-tournament in such a case. Salahuddin, however, begs to differ. "We can't say what will boost or hamper one's confidence. If someone continuously fails here, his confidence will go down. BPL is T20 cricket and Champions Trophy is 50-over format. We will not go there to play T20 cricket," Salahuddin told Cricbuzz. "If he can take his preparations well amid this, which I have seen him doing, he can gain back the confidence from training. He isn't sitting idly here. He will have a different role to play," he said. "Let me give you another example. Parvez Hossain Emon travelled to the West Indies with the team. He didn't play one single match in the ODIs and the first two T20Is. He was on the bench. He got a chance in the final T20I after being on the bench for a lot of matches, yet he performed. So you can't say that (hampering psychologically). The mental aspect is all about your one's own thinking, no one else will create that for you. If I think I don't have any confidence, then I have no confidence. If I think I can do it, I can do it. "My job is to look after my boys so that they are mentally fit for the Champions Trophy when they come for it. For that, if we have to talk with them privately, we will do that. If we have to talk in front of others, we will do that too." Apart from Najmul, another topic of discussion has been regarding the future of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah. There is a belief that the Champions Trophy could be the last major ICC tournament for the veteran duo. Salahuddin, however, feels that they should not be pushed to make a decision they are still fit enough to play. "It sounds surprising to me if you think they can't keep their fitness up in this modern age. Athletes can keep their fitness for a long time these days. I think it should completely be performance-based. They have the right to play for Bangladesh as long as you perform. "We should leave it to them for how long they want to play. If they think they can play for two more years, then be it. There is nothing to force. It's my personal opinion. But the board and head coach's policy might be different. Age doesn't matter to me," he said.

It wasn't so much a reverse sweep. It was a reverse slap. It was hit hard. Very hard. Hard enough for the sound to reverberate around Galle International Stadium. And probably all-around Galle fort. It wasn't Usman Khawaja's first reverse-sweep of the day. It was his umpteenth. But this felt like a statement. This was a statement piece. Late in the piece on a day in Galle that was dominated by Australia led by a dominant Khawaja in a show of dominance rarely seen by a non-subcontinental team in this part of the world To put the magnitude of this particular Khawaja reverse-sweep into perspective, it came in the first over with the second new ball, which was in the hands of Prabath Jayasuriya. It was what the previous delivery had done, and how it had reacted off the pitch that made this particular response from Khawaja even more impactful. It was a classic Jayasuriya delivery on a pitch in Galle. Landing on a length, gripping and then snaking in sharply at the left-hander. The kind of delivery that he's bowled so often and generally with a lot of success on his happiest hunting ground, where he's nearly taken 70 percent of his Test wickets. Khawaja survived it by bringing his bat down sharply in the nick of time, managing to just bunt it down towards the short-leg fielder. Oohs and aahs ensued, with Sri Lanka's premier spinner reacting with the same level of anguish with which he does every time he's convinced that he's got the better of his latest victim. Khawaja smiled, like he had many times over throughout the first day's play in Galle. For once, he didn't say anything in jest either to wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis. He just went back to his usual pre-ball routine and prepared to face Jayasuriya's next offering. It felt like a crucial moment, for it was one. Sri Lanka could yet finish Wednesday with a bright spark at the very end if they could dislodge the well-set pairing in the crease, with Khawaja having already put on a mighty partnership with fellow centurion Steve Smith. He's done it so often already in his career at this ground after all. Entrapping the hapless batter with the skidder before getting the next delivery to land on the same spot but display a different kind of trickery, and have him ensnared. Instead, Khawaja went down on his left knee, swivelled slightly, and pulled off his best reverse sweep of the day. It was punishing as it was powerful. The ball speeding off the semi-lush outfield in Galle towards the point boundary. Jayasuriya just stood exactly where he was when he'd let go of the ball, staring back at Khawaja, for a change feeling as helpless as he's made many a batter feel and look in the middle with the fort in the background over the last three years. It was not long before the rain came and brought a premature end to a fast-paced day of Test cricket which was mostly all Australia, despite the handful of chances that Sri Lanka either grassed or didn't make the most of. There was clear strategy to everything the Aussie batters did, right from the moment Travis Head walked out and got the visitors off to a staggeringly quick start. With Khawaja of course complementing perfectly, with an equal level of aggression, even if he was less audacious. And while Head's innings was cut short when he was caught on the rope at long-on, after he'd played the only shot that would have featured on the risk radar, it was Khawaja who took charge of the task of dictating terms to the Sri Lankan spinners. If Head was the pace-setter who shocked them into retreat, Khawaja was the front-runner who bossed the Sri Lankans into submission. All while Smith ended up batting like a dream with one of his best away Test tons for quite a while. But this was Khawaja. The same man who was once dismissed twice on the same day at this very venue, now batting through an entire day's play in Galle. The same man who they said could never play spin in the subcontinent. The same batter they said should never play a Test involving spin in the subcontinent. Khawaja had of course dispelled the myth of him being unable to play spin three years ago with very impressive numbers across three back-to-back tours in South Asia. And here was the man alleged to be a walking wicket against spinners, becoming only the second Aussie batter after Allan Border to post a century in Pakistan, India and now Sri Lanka. A massive achievement, even if it won't get the same amount of coverage as the milestone that his long-term batting partner and teammate ended up achieving a bit earlier in the day. It would have been romantic for sure if Smith had managed to bring up his 10,000th Test run in front of his home fans and family at the SCG at the start of this month. But in a cricketing sense, it was quite apt that he should get to this rather magical moment, becoming only the 15th batter ever to get his Test run tally into five digits, on a turning pitch in the subcontinent. For, it's safe to say that some of his most iconic centuries have come in this part of the world, when he's taken his problem-solving genius to another level. Just like he did as he got to his 35th Test ton, putting on a masterclass on using your feet against spin to put them off their length. And put them off their length he did in excellent fashion, scoring off all three spinners through both sides of the pitch and to all corners of the Galle stadium. If he wasn't chipping down at leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay and clipping him through mid-wicket for four, he was jumping out at Jayasuriya and launching him straight over his head for six. Or he was getting them to pitch short and launching into fearsome pull shots. It took Jayasuriya in particular to opt for a rather defensive line outside the right-hander's leg stump to stall Smith, who had raced to 47 off 47 deliveries. Khawaja was going at a fair clip too at the other end and using his feet and the crease with equal finesse. Unlike Smith, he was also using the entire repertoire of sweep shots to completely flummox them off their lengths, forcing the Sri Lankans to employ very defensive fields from as early as late in the first session. The early assault from the top-order meant that the two veterans could milk the bowling in the middle session, almost creating a one-day middle-over period like scenario, where they were hardly ever under any pressure. With the home team managing only three maidens before Jayasuriya added to the count by opting for the stalemate ploy of suffocating the Aussie batters around their leg-stump. It wasn't just a case of Khawaja in particular keeping the wily Sri Lankan spinners on their toes, this was him knocking them off their feet with a clever mix of attack and defence. Trusting his ability to keep them out while taking the attack to them consistently. Smith doing the same at his end. And they're not done yet either. They'll be back once more on the second morning, to continue their domination of Jayasuriya & Co and create more statement pieces, and maybe even a few more milestones.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will officially begin selling teams for The Hundred on Thursday (January 30), and there's a palpable sense of anticipation surrounding the sale. It may not be a surprise if both the ECB and the Raine Group, the financial firm overseeing the process, may be feeling some nervousness as they head into the disinvestment drive. First up on the blocks will be Oval Invincibles, the Surrey county-run London side. Ahead of the sale, it was expected that a host of Indian Premier League (IPL) owners would queue up before the ECB office to purchase teams but as the business end of the whole process is approaching, only four IPL owners seem to be left in the race. With Delhi Capitals wedded to the Hampshire-managed Southern Brave team, there are, effectively, three IPL franchises - Mumbai Indians, Lucknow SuperGiants and SunRisers Hyderabad - left in the race for seven remaining sides. As previously by this website, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings have withdrawn from the fray. The ECB will sell the teams in phases, allowing potential investors to stay in the race even if they don't secure a team in the initial round. For each team, two or three parties will be pitted against one another, and it's understood that the ECB will either conduct an e-auction or invite sealed bids from the contenders. RIL-owned Mumbai Indians, along with a consortium of tech giants from the US, may be in the race to buy the Invincibles. Initially, the Oval side was hesitant to sell its share, but the latest developments suggest that the county is now open to parting with its stake. The ECB is offering a 49% share, with control passing to the new owner only if the county, which holds the remaining 51%, agrees to divest as well. Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire are the eight sides up for sale and after the Invincible, it is learnt that the ECB will take Birmingham Phoenix. That should wrap the first day's sale and on the second day, one is given to understand that London Spirit (MCC and Lord's) and Welsh Fire (Cardiff) will go under the hammer. This will be followed by other sides, Manchester Originals, Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Northern Superchargers (Yorkshire for which SRH are strong contenders) if not exactly in that order. Southern Brave will be taken up at the end with GMR, which owns Hampshire county, will be asked to compete with an investor to buy 100 per cent stake.

Centuries from Usman Khawaja (147*) and Steve Smith (104*) have given Australia an early advantage in the first Test after Day 1 in Galle. The platform for the two batters was set up by Travis Head in the first hour of play where he blazed his way to a 35-ball 50. Sri Lanka just did not turn up on Day 1 and will have themselves to blame, having let go of multiple opportunities to see the back of Khawaja in particular. Australia ended Day 1 on 330/2 at Stumps. After two grueling sessions of play for the Sri Lankans, their spinners stuck to bowling lines outside the leg-stump. It seemed like a ploy of hope from the Sri Lankan spinners, waiting for the set batters to make a mistake. But it was rendered ineffective as Smith was content by padding the balls away. Jayasuriya did take the edge of Khawaja but the batter's slog-sweep fell safely near deep square-leg. It was slow scoring during this period of play as the batters were content with just rotating strike, and it was a period where Australia didn't score a boundary for 100 deliveries until the 75th over. Smith then got to his ton with a three after punching the ball towards cover - his 35th Test ton. However, the rain came down an over after the hosts took the new ball, after which Stumps was called shortly. The real damage to Sri Lanka was inflicted in the first two sessions, firstly thanks to Head. He got Australia off to a rollicking start as he dispatched Asitha Fernando for three fours in the opening over. Khawaja and Head scored three more boundaries off Asitha in his third over but Head survived a LBW call on 23 after the hosts didn't opt to use DRS, as ball-tracking showed three reds. He finally holed out to long-on after a 40-ball 57 to give some respite to Sri Lanka. Khawaja nurdled his way to 50 but survived a few overs later after he was dropped at slip. However, in one of the few joyous moments for Sri Lanka, Vandersay struck from the other end after Dhananjaya de Silva held on to an edge off Labuschagne two overs before Lunch. But an over later, Prabath Jayasuriya dropped Smith off his own bowling after he brought up 10,000 runs. The Australians continued to show their intent after Lunch as Smith gave charge to Prabath Jayasuriya and cleared the ropes. Similar to the first session, Sri Lanka missed another opportunity to review and this time see the back of Khawaja on 74 after a faint nick to the 'keeper was not given out by the umpire. Smith switched gears making full use of Jeffrey Vandersay erring in line on both sides of the stumps with three boundaries. He continued to make it look easy against Jayasuriya with a flick for four over the vacant mid-wicket region. Khawaja, meanwhile, unfurled the reverse sweep and then caressed one through extra-cover for four as he moved into the nineties. The left-hander survived an edge which lobbed over the wicketkeeper's head as Sri Lanka continued to fail in converting their chances. Smith brought up his 50 with a single towards mid-wicket before Khawaja brought up his century with a flick to fine-leg for four. Brief Scores: Australia 330/2 (Usman Khawaja 147*, Steve Smith 104*, Travis Head 57; Jeffrey Vandersay 1-93, Prabath Jaysuriya 1-102) vs Sri Lanka

Half centuries by Usman Khawaja (65*) and Travis Head (57) ensured Australia took an early advantage on the first morning of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. On a pitch with assistance for the spinners, the openers brought up a 92-run opening stand with Head being the aggressor. Stalwart Steve Smith brought up 10,000 Test runs towards the end of the session after he was dismissed on 9,999 by Prasidh Krishna in Sydney. Australia, having made a change to their openers with Head partnering Khawaja, were off the blocks in a flash after opting to bat. Asitha Fernando erred in line in the first over and was made to pay by the former who dispatched him for three fours. The rollicking start allowed Khawaja to be more circumspect in his approach after his recent struggles in the format. The batters dispatched Asitha for three more boundaries in his third over but Head survived a LBW call on 23 after the hosts didn't opt to use DRS, as ball-tracking showed three reds. Sri Lanka turned to spin from ends as early as the sixth over with the introduction of Prabath Jayasuriya. But Head continued to find the boundaries off the spinners as the visitors brought up the 50 within the ninth over. Nishan Peiris from the other end too was subject to the onslaught with sixes from both the batters. Head brought up his fifty off just 35 balls with a single down to long-on. Australia began to get adventurous with a reverse sweep from Khawaja while Head dispatched Peiris over his head. The latter finally holed out to long-on off Jayasuriya but only after giving the tourists a fantastic start. Jayasuriya began to bowl slower to get more turn off the pitch as the scoring slowed down from the Australians. Jeffrey Vandersay also got one to spin from outside leg stump as the 'keeper collected it outside off-stump. Khawaja slowly worked his way to 50 but survived a few overs later after he was dropped at slip. But Vandersay struck from the other end after Dhananjaya de Silva held on to an edge off Labuschagne on the stroke of Lunch. Smith got off the mark first ball to bring up 10,000 Test runs. He should have been dismissed a few balls later after Jaysuriya spilled a catch off his own bowling an over before Lunch. Australia 145/2 (Usman Khawaja 65*, Travis Head 57; Jeffrey Vandersay 1-19, Prabath Jaysuriya 1-44) vs Sri Lanka

Australia continued to boss the opening day of the first Test in Galle, led by Usman Khawaja's (119*) 16th Test century. The left-hander was well accompanied by Steve Smith, who himself ended the second session unbeaten on 64, in a fourth-wicket partnership of 126 runs. In what was a flawless session for the visitors, Australia scored 116 runs without losing any wickets. Immediately after the Lunch break, Smith gave charge to Prabath Jayasuriya and cleared the ropes. The two batters were very confident with their defence, comfortably getting forward or going back in the crease and placing the ball in the gaps. They also pounced on any overpitched deliveries by the Sri Lankan spinners. It further frustrated the visitors after a tough opening session. Similar to that period, Sri Lanka missed another opportunity to review and this time see the back of Khawaja on 74 after a faint nick to the 'keeper was not given out by the umpire. Eight overs into the session, Smith switched gears, making full use of Jeffrey Vandersay's erring lines on both sides of the stumps with three boundaries. He continued to make it look easy against Jayasuriya with a flick for four over a vacant mid-wicket region. Khawaja, meanwhile, continued to unfurl the reverse sweep and then caressed one through extra-cover for four as he moved into the nineties. Khawaja survived an edge which lobbed over the wicketkeeper's head as Sri Lanka continued to fail to latch onto chances. Smith brought up his 50 with a single towards mid-wicket before Khawaja reached his century with a flick to fine-leg for four. It was a tumultuous session for the hosts as nothing went their way but it all began with Travis Head in the morning session. He got Australia off to a rollicking start as he dispatched Asitha Fernando for three fours in the opening over. Khawaja and Head scored three more boundaries off Asitha in his third over but Head survived an LBW call on 23 after the hosts didn't opt to use DRS, as ball-tracking showed three reds. Head brought up his fifty off just 35 balls with a single down to long-on. Australia began to get adventurous with a reverse sweep from Khawaja while Head dispatched Peiris over his head. The latter finally holed out to long-on off Jayasuriya but only after giving the tourists a fantastic start. Khawaja nurdled his way to 50 but survived a few overs later after he was dropped at slip. However, in one of the few joyous moments for Sri Lanka, Vandersay struck from the other end after Dhananjaya de Silva held on to an edge off Labuschagne on the stroke of Lunch. : Australia 261/2 (Usman Khawaja 119*, Steve Smith 64*, Travis Head 57; Jeffrey Vandersay 1-67, Prabath Jaysuriya 1-88) vs Sri Lanka

Pretoria Capitals remained in the hunt for a top-four spot to make the playoffs of SA20 with a crushing win over Joburg Super Kings, who are currently a spot above them at fourth with one more point. Kyle Verreynne's side bagged the bonus point after restricting the Super Kings to 99/9 and completing the chase in 12 overs. Asked to bat on a two-paced surface in Centurion, the Super Kings were scratchy and circumspect as Will Jacks started the game off with a two-run over. Tom Rogers cleaned up Faf du Plessis in the fourth over, and JSK limped to 36/1 by the end of the PowerPlay. They lost their way further through the middle period as the trio of Migael Pretorius (3-22), Gideon Peters (2-15) and Senuran Muthusamy (2-15) were relentless in constantly breaking through. Jonny Bairstow's laboured 30 off 32 proved to be the best effort of the innings as only two other batters (du Plessis and Donovan Ferreira) even managed to get to double figures. The Super Kings managed to score 20/3 in the last five overs to set the Capitals a 100-run target. Lutho Sipamla then gave them faint hope with two early scalps, while Hardus Viljoen picked one too, leaving the chasers three down inside the PowerPlay. However, Capitals got the scorecard moving swiftly, getting to more than half their target in the first six overs. Marques Ackerman (39 off 22) showed urgency as his team chased a bonus point. He went after Matheesha Pathirana, Imran Tahir and Viljoen to take his side to 89/3 at the halfway stage. Sipamla returned to stop Ackerman in his tracks but the remaining 11 runs were polished off by the end of the 12th over. : Joburg Super Kings 99/9 in 20 overs (Jonny Bairstow 30; Migael Pretorius 3-22, Gideon Peters 2-15, Senuran Muthusamy 2-15) lost to Pretoria Capitals 100/4 in 12 overs (Marques Ackerman 39; Lutho Sipamla 3-26) by 6 wickets

A sense of Deja Vu was sandwiched between Ben Duckett's 28-ball 51 and Liam Livingstone's quick-fire 43 off 24 after England were asked to bat first again. Varun Chakravarthy, their nemesis, was at it once more, draining the momentum of the middle-order. Despite this, England managed to post a competitive 171/9 in the third T20I in Rajkot, but the question lingered - would it be enough against India's aggressive and power-packed batting line-up? It turned out to be more than enough, thanks to Adil Rashid's brilliance in the middle overs. His masterful spell not only derailed India's middle-order but also effectively crushed their chase. For the second time in his career, Varun saw a five-wicket haul go in vain as England applied the squeeze on India. This time, there was no Tilak Varma to guide them out of trouble. Rashid made sure of that, dismissing the left-hander early, thus preventing him from steering the middle-overs with the composure he had shown in Chennai. As expected, the visitors stacked their bowling attack with a formidable pace battery, and Jofra Archer struck early, dismissing Sanju Samson with another short delivery. Abhishek Sharma's adventurous knock was brought to an end by Brydon Carse, while Mark Wood ensured Suryakumar Yadav's trademark scoop-flick fell short of the distance the Indian captain intended for it to go. India, nevertheless, flew off the blocks quickly, having crossed 50 inside the powerplay and Tilak's six off Livingstone in the seventh over helped them sustain the momentum. The early signs suggested a smooth chase, driven by strike rotation, timely boundaries, and a calculated effort to take the game deep, like they did in the second T20I. It was anything but. Having earlier been involved in a crucial 24-run stand for the final wicket with Wood, Rashid entered the attack in the eighth over and immediately tightened the screws on India with a masterful display of leg-spin bowling. His sharp leg-breaks proved decisive, as Tilak, who had remained unbeaten in his last five T20I innings, was bowled by a beauty that rattled the stumps. It became 68/4 at the end of the eighth over and by the time Rashid ended his spell, India were struggling at 90/5 after 14, needing 82 off the last six overs. The experienced leg spinner maintained relentless pressure, offering no loose deliveries, which further unsettled India. Not a single boundary was scored off Rashid, and even rotating the strike proved rather difficult with the 36-year old operating cleverly and using the conditions to his advantage. At the other end, Jamie Overton was doing a good job as well, bowling his cutters and using variations to keep India in check. The mounting pressure led to Washington Sundar's dismissal, as he spooned a simple catch to a slower ball from Overton, ending his struggle (6 off 15). Hardik Pandya also found it difficult to get going, managing just 14 off 21 when Rashid completed his spell, having conceded only 13 singles and a couple. Rashid's economy and precise control effectively suffocated India's scoring, leaving them with little room to maneuver. Rashid essayed a rather similar role in Chennai as well, where his figures of 1-14 nearly took the game away from India until Tilak's heroics turned the tide. This time, however, he had ample support. A required rate of 8.46 at the start of his spell ballooned to 13.66 by the time he finished, underscoring the immense pressure he exerted on the Indian batters, who struggled to find answers. Overton proved to be a perfect ally, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 24 from his four overs. Together, Rashid and Overton bowled seven of the nine middle overs, conceding just 30 runs - a decisive stretch that effectively ended India's chances. "He's been brilliant. As I always say, he's the most important player for us and he always just seems to keep getting better. He's got so many different styles of bowling, he's got so much variety, he's one of his great skills. In the first couple of balls he bowls, he seems to work out exactly how he needs to bowl on that wicket, and yeah, he's an absolute trump card to have as a captain, so yeah, he's been brilliant the last couple of games," said Butler, lavish in his praise of Rashid. "I think we practised yesterday on the square, and the wickets were beautiful and coming on really well, and there probably wasn't quite as much grass on that one. But after the first ball (of the match) not carrying through to the 'keeper, I think you could see from then it was probably not going to play as expected. So to have the runs on the board, and then see the dew not coming in as much as we thought, probably a decent toss to lose," the England captain said about the conditions. "The wicket probably played a little bit different than everyone expected, and there was a bit of hold when we were batting, but I think the revs that Dilly [Rashid] puts on it, he can spin it on most surfaces. So yeah, he bowled beautifully." The middle overs proved to be the difference in the match. England got 71 runs in this period despite losing five wickets. India, on the other hand, lost only two wickets in the 7-15 overs period, but managed only 49 runs. The 22-run gap proved challenging to close in the final overs, largely due to the difference maker Rashid.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has stated that they will have to take responsibility for the ongoing payment crisis in the Bangladesh Premier League. The Durbar Rajshahi franchise created shockwaves across the tournament as their due to non-payment issues while their against Rangpur Rider 26th January as they were not paid on time. It came to light on Tuesday that cricketers of Durbar Rajshahi were facing huge problems due to multiple cheque bounce issues. "At the end of the day, obviously it is the Board's responsibility. We can't say someone else is responsible for it but we could have seen everything differently. The things which happened were still very unexpected. Having said that, we have to take responsibility," Najmul, who is secretary of the BPL governing council, told reporters following the meeting with owners of different franchises at the BCB headquarters. "Obviously when we do something like this, we will take these things into consideration. We know that there was a special situation and we weren't sure whether we would be able to do BPL and with how many teams. Still there is no excuse regarding what happened. There are many incidents which should not have happened and no excuses from our side. But in future, this kind of incident will not take place, which we can ensure with certainty," he said. "We didn't expect that a franchise would be interested in taking a team and then creating a situation like this. None of us expected that," he said. "From the beginning, there was an effort to establish a good relationship with the franchises. We have always considered them as partners and ensured they don't feel like outsiders," he said. "We observed some activities that don't align with the spirit of the BPL, and we reminded them of these issues. There are also payment concerns we talked about. Discussions were held regarding their plans, and we have reached some understanding. With seven days remaining, I am unsure how much resolution can be achieved during this time, but some progress will definitely be made. Time will tell how effectively we can create solutions, and we'll have to wait and see," he said. Najmul added that they are thankful to franchisees who could keep their commitment while adding that they are also talking with their legal team to see how they can handle the present crisis. "It is very unfortunate. The issue of cheque bouncing never even crossed my mind. One or two franchises have failed to fulfill their financial commitments, but most of them have lived up to their promises. Unfortunately, the good work of successful franchises has been overshadowed by the failures of a few. Today, we expressed our gratitude to those who met their commitments," he said. "We already have all the paperwork regarding that and the legal papers are there and it will guide us on what we have to do," he said. Apart from Durbar Rajshahi, Chittagong Kings also managed to get media attention on the back of not paying national cricketer Parvez Hossain. It was reported that Kings opener Parvez Hossain Emon had been put through testing times as he hadn't received a single penny from the franchise until 23rd January. Later when his owner Sameer Quader Chowdhury was asked regarding the issue, he firstly did not deny it and furthermore disgraced the cricketer by saying that money does not grow on trees. He also said that the left-handed opener has to satisfy him through performances. These remarks clearly did not go well in the cricketing fraternity. "Every cricketer is like our child whether he plays in the national team or not. BPL is played with high profile cricketers, so if someone misbehaves with anyone it's a concern for us," said Najmul, who is also chairman of BCB cricket operations. "We did not take it on a good note and we did not want to see a national team cricketer facing these kind of things," he said, "We did not expect that someone will make such a statement. A player can play well or badly but we feel the player in question tried his level best. There is a lesson from this game that everyone will respect everyone and that is important," he said. "The owner did not come as he was not feeling well and so we could not ask him," he concluded.

The ongoing shake-up within the International Cricket Council (ICC), that started last November with the removal of two top honchos, has claimed a major scalp. Chief Executive Geoff Allardice has now bitten dust. The ICC said it will take steps to find a replacement. The word body has not stated it in as many words but there seems to be some culpability issues over mess-up in last year's Twenty20 World Cup, the conduct of which had attracted a world-wide uproar. The build-up to the upcoming Champions Trophy has not been too smooth either and there are accountability issues here too. On Tuesday, the ICC confirmed Allardice's exit, stating that the CEO has stepped down. Lately, his role came into scrutiny in the build-up to the Champions Trophy. The Indian team's non-participation issue was not addressed till the very last moment. In fact, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had written a strong letter pointing out delay in acting over various issues, including in the release of the schedule. Even broadcaster Star had taken a strong objection to the continued delay in the release of the Champions Trophy schedule and reminded the world body of its responsibility and contractual obligation to reveal the programme before 100 days. Allardice, an Australian, joined the ICC in 2012 as ICC General Manager of Cricket, and was considered an efficient in that previous role. As the CEO, he was found to be too soft. Before joining the ICC, he had held the role of Cricket Operations Manager at Cricket Australia. He was appointed as the ICC's CEO in November 2021, after previous CEO Manu Sawhney was removed. "On behalf of the ICC Board, I want to sincerely thank Geoff for his leadership and commitment during his tenure as Chief Executive. His efforts have played a key role in advancing cricket globally. We are truly grateful for his service and wish him all the very best in his future endeavors," said Jay Shah, the new ICC Chair. "It has been a privilege to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council and I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved, from enhancing the global reach of cricket to the commercial foundation put in place for ICC Members," Allardice said. "I'd like to thank the ICC Chair, the board of directors and the entire cricket community for their support and collaboration over the past 13 years. I believe this is the right time for me to step down and pursue new challenges. I am confident that cricket has exciting times ahead, and I wish the ICC and the global cricket community every success in the future." The million dollar question is who next? The process will kickstart with a head-hunting firm coming into the picture.

A disciplined bowling attack, to follow up on Ben Duckett's second T20I half-century, helped England to a 26-run victory over India, in Rajkot, on Tuesday. With this win, England cut India's lead to 2-1 in the five-match series. The visitors had hoped that their counter-attack would eventually be able to outwit India. They tried, and somewhere till the end of the ninth over, it looked good. Jos Buttler and Ben Duckett in the middle, and 83 for 1 on the board. And then, a new but by-now-old nemesis emerged - Varun Chakravarthy. This time, with a ball lower than Buttler had anticipated, which was eventually undercut to the wicketkeeper. Till the time Buttler and Ben Duckett were in the middle, the conditions for batting seemed pleasant. In a matter of seven deliveries in the fourth and fifth over especially, bowled by Hardik Pandya and Washington Sundar respectively, Duckett clubbed five boundaries and a six. Buttler didn't find similar acceleration in his innings but after reverse-sweeping Bishnoi for a boundary in the seventh hope, he launched a tossed up delivery by the leggie over the long on fence. But against Chakravarthy, it was a different story for the English batters. At sea against the wily variations of the spinner, Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton departed in successive deliveries in the 14th over. In the last over of his spell, Brydon Carse flicked him to the fielder at deep square leg, and Jofra Archer was cleaned up with a google. In a matter of seven overs from since Buttler's departure, the visitors slid to 127 for 8, with Chakravarthy finishing his four-over spell with five wickets to his credit. Fellow spinners - Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi also joined Chakravarthy's party and threw England off their momentum completely. Duckett mistimed a slog off Axar to mid on and Harry Brook underedged a sweep off Bishnoi on to his stumps. Liam Livingstone's late assault, a 24-ball 43, offered some respite. He slogged Bishnoi for three sixes in the 17th over, but departed in the next over. England's last two batters, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood negotiated in the remaining deliveries in their innings to help them to a respectable 171 for 8 - slightly more competitive and eventually match-winning. The contest, which seemed slightly in India's favour courtesy Abhishek Sharma's early assault, got a bit more exciting when Suryakumar Yadav top-edged a scoop flick to Phil Salt in the last over of the powerplay, reducing India to 48 for 3. By then, his enterprising strokeplay and Abhishek Sharma's cameo were undone by the dismissal of the duo along with Sanju Samson, leading India early into a rebuilding phase. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma handled the situation calmly, but the Indian batters too were put to test against Adil Rashid's spin. With turn on offer in the surface, the leggie used his variations in pace to excellent effect. Varma was undone by a sharply turning legbreak that beat him on the inside edge and cleaned him up in the ninth over. Washington Sundar didn't have it much easier either trying to negotiate the loop, dip and lack of pace to accompany the turn that Rashid was getting from the surface. His 14-ball 6 in the middle overs firmly shifted the control in England's favour. At the same time, Rashid finished an excellent spell, conceding only 15 runs. With the ball keep a little slow and low, Hardik Pandya, despite several attempts, failed to get the big shots going. The English pacers played around well with the pace, disguising the slower ones well with their high speeds. A couple of sixes were peppered with several mistimed shots for singles. Axar Patel didn't have it any easier either, clawing his way to a 15-ball 16 before top-edging Jofra Archer to short third. As the required rate kept mounting and went past India's realistic chance, It just turned out to be a procession of wickets in the end, with Shami top-edging his swing to deep long on and Dhruv Jurel scooping the ball to the 'keeper. Bishnoi drove the last ball for a boundary, but that was far too little for India. Brief Scores: England 171/9 in 20 overs (Ben Duckett 51, Liam Livingstone 43; Varun Chakravarthy 5-24, Hardik Pandya 2-33) beat India 145/9 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 40, Abhishek Sharma 24; Jamie Overton 3-24, Brydon Carse 2-28) by 26 runs

Steve Smith has seen everything there is to see at a cricket ground during his international career. Or so he'd have thought before he arrived at the Galle International Stadium on Tuesday. He can now add being serenaded by low country Sri Lankan folk dancers with a variety of masks and standing next to flame throwers to his list. It was part of the cultural welcome to the two teams that Smith had to be a part of as Australia's captain on the eve of the first Test that starts on January 29. While the 35-year-old veteran seemed to be both intrigued and fascinated with the ultra-energetic goings-on around him, you could sense that he was keener on checking out what was transpiring with the 22 yards in the middle that will have such a big say on how the next five days pan out. As is the case every time there's a Test played at this iconic venue with the old Dutch fort in the background. For, there had been a slew of activity already before Smith and the Australians got to the ground. And the returning captain's first priority was to march towards the pitch and check it out from every angle possible before playing his role at the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy unveiling ceremony. But how the surface plays here in Galle is just part of the wider fascination of Test cricket in this coastal setting near the southern tip of Sri Lanka. There are other factors too that add to the drama around what plays out in the middle. There's the vibrant crowd with the Papare music playing from the people's stand to the right of the Galle Cricket Club. There's the Club itself with its members always on high spirits, palling with up the hordes of Australian fans who will be in attendance. And it's the return of the tourists to Galle, with the fort now buzzing with activity yet again, that will add the much-needed flavour that was sadly not to be seen when Australia . That was after all a Sri Lanka that was riddled with financial chaos and political instability. Not to forget a terrible pandemic that had brought the nation literally to its knees. The fabulous 1-1 Test series between these two teams if anything was the escape that was needed desperately and it proved to be just that, owing to the fast-paced nature of the cricket along with the eye-catching quality. But Galle has always proved to be a theatre of quirks whenever these two teams have taken the field here against each other. Whether it's the famous Nathan Lyon debut Test in 2011 or the Aussie rout in 2016 or the two nip-and-tuck contests we witnessed two and a half years ago. Having sealed their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, Australia may not technically have a lot riding on how the next two weeks play out. But they do have a record to set straight here, having not won a Test series on Sri Lankan soil in 14 years. And like the atmosphere around the Galle stadium on Tuesday, courtesy mainly the flame throwers, this series promises to be quite intense, and intriguing in equal measure. Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st Test, January 29-February 2, 2025, 10:00 hrs Local Time, 15:30 AEST, 10:00 hrs IST Galle International Stadium, Galle It's an unusual time of the year to be playing a Test in Galle for Australia, where it's still peak cricket season. It's been a wet and muggy week leading into the opening Test, with heavy rains having lashed the southern coast right till the time the Aussies arrived in town over the weekend. The sun has barely made an appearance, and the city and the ground have been engulfed in thick cloud cover, leading to extreme humidity. The pitch as always has been the centre of attention. It started with most of the grass being mowed down, in fact all of it, leaving it mostly barren two days out from the Test. Then on the eve the ground-staff had the UV light device in the centre for around half hour in addition to more mowing. It still doesn't guarantee how the pitch will eventually play, but as always that'll be a crucial theme in the tempo at which this Test is played at. Sri Lanka announced an 18-man squad for a two-match home series, interestingly. But that number was reduced by one with regular opener Pathum Nissanka being ruled out due to injury, with Oshada Fernando the likely replacement at the top of the order. The make-up of Sri Lanka's playing XI should be a slight indicator as to how the home team expect the pitch to play. The batting line-up is filled with seasoned players who've all played quite a bit against this Australian team, with Kamindu Mendis the cynosure with his extraordinary numbers in Tests. Prabath Jayasuriya will be the key like he was on debut against the Aussies in 2022, and has been ever since for his team. Dimuth Karunaratne, Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Prabhath Jayasuriya, Nishan Peiris, Lahiru Kumara/Jeffrey Vandersay/Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando Steve Smith wasted no time in for the opening Test, which immediately throws some doubt over Sam Konstas retaining his place in the side. That could open the door for Josh Inglis to make a long-awaited Test debut in the middle order. His ability to attack spin in multiple ways with a variety of sweeps could well give him the edge to come into the side. Australia are likely to leave the combination of their bowling attack till quite late, once they take a final look at the pitch on Wednesday morning. It'll come down to either Todd Murphy coming in as the second off-spinner alongside Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann, who will play, or Scott Boland teaming up with Mitchell Starc for a two-man pace attack. Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Josh Inglis, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland/Todd Murphy

India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been awarded with the Sir Garfield Sobers award for the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year 2024. The 31-year-old overcame stiff competition from the likes of Joe Root, Travis Head and Harry Brook who were the other contenders for the award. Bumrah became only the fifth Indian to win the award after Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016) and Virat Kohli (2017,18) Bumrah had an exceptional 2024 where he dominated across formats, notably Tests and T20Is, while also playing a monumental role in India's World Cup win in the shortest format. With 15 wickets at a staggering average of 8.26 and a frugal economy of 4.17, Bumrah was Player of the Tournament at the 2024 T20 World Cup. His contributions across the tournament were of high impact value, most importantly in the league game against Pakistan and in the all-important final against South Africa. Much like in T20Is, Bumrah also ran riot in Tests, aggregating a whopping 71 wickets in the calendar year, 19 more than the next-best bowler Gus Atkinson. This tally was also the second-best by an Indian pacer in a year after Kapil Dev. Bumrah's relentless success and impact levels saw him surge to No.1 in the player rankings and he also breached the coveted 900-point barrier, the highest for any Indian bowler in Test history. Bumrah also went past 200 wickets at a bowling average surpassed by none, setting new benchmarks in the process. For his exploits, he also won the ICC Test Player of the Year. The first half of 2024 was about Bumrah's exploits in white-ball cricket, mainly T20Is including the World Cup before he set the longest format on fire. The recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia was a prime example of the pacer's standalone impact. He returned 32 wickets across the five Tests and while India lost the series 1-3, Bumrah's performances across the series were pivotal to India's competitiveness amidst a flurry of flaws and concerns. Yashasvi Jaiswal (Ind), Ben Duckett (Eng), Kane Williamson (NZ), Joe Root (Eng), Harry Brook (Eng), Kamindu Mendis (SL), Jamie Smith (Eng) (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (Ind), Pat Cummins (Aus) (c), Matt Henry (NZ), Jasprit Bumrah (Ind) Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai has been named ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year while Sri Lankan all-rounder Kamindu Mendis won the ICC Emerging Men's Cricketer of the Year. He had a record-breaking spell that saw the Sri Lankan become the fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs in 75 years. He scored 1,049 runs in nine Tests, and also became the first player to hit a half-century in each of his first eight matches. Elsewhere, Namibia's captain Gerhard Erasmus won the ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year. Saim Ayub (Pak), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afg), Pathum Nissanka (SL), Kusal Mendis (SL) (wk), Charith Asalanka (SL) (c), Sherfane Rutherford (WI), Azmatullah Omarzai (Afg), Wanindu Hasaranga (SL), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pak), Haris Rauf (Pak), AM Ghazanfar (Afg) India's Arshdeep Singh was named the Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year. The 25-year-old left-arm pacer bagged 36 wickets in T20Is in 2024 at a stunning average of 13.50, which included 17 wickets in India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign. ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year: Rohit Sharma (Ind) (c), Travis Head (Aus), Phil Salt (Eng), Babar Azam (Pak), Nicholas Pooran (WI) (wk), Sikandar Raza (Zim), Hardik Pandya (Ind), Rashid Khan (Afg), Wanindu Hasaranga (SL), Jasprit Bumrah (Ind), Arshdeep Singh (Ind)