Left-arm seamer set to return in July following backdated suspension Hampshire seamer Keith Barker has been suspended from all forms of cricket for 12 months, with the ban backdated to July 2024, after testing positive for a prohibited substance during a routine drugs test last summer. The violation stemmed from the detection of Indapamide, a diuretic listed under WADA’s 2024 prohibited substances as a masking agent. Although commonly used to treat high blood pressure, the substance was not declared to UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), leading to Barker’s provisional suspension in July 2024. A request for a retrospective Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)…
Author: Raghav Mutdeyja
Nitish Rana isn’t too bothered about where he bats—his focus is on what the team needs in the moment. Having started IPL 2025 at No. 4 with low scores of 11 and 8, he was bumped up to No. 3 for the game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Guwahati, where he blasted a 36-ball 81. Yet, he’s batted at that spot just once in the three games since. But for Rana, the batting position is all about adapting to the situation. “In T20s, sometimes the match situation demands a right-left combination, and that’s important,” Rana said ahead of Rajasthan…
Big Picture – Can RR Revive Their Season Before It’s Too Late? Rajasthan Royals (RR) are in desperate need of a turnaround. With just four points from six matches—two wins sandwiched between two opening and two recent defeats—their IPL 2025 campaign is teetering. And the road doesn’t get any easier as they head to the Arun Jaitley Stadium to face a well-rounded Delhi Capitals (DC) side, currently second on the table. RR’s biggest headache has been their underwhelming batting. While they boast the second-best powerplay run rate (9.72) behind Punjab Kings, their scoring rate plummets to 7.86 in the middle…
The Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) conducted a raid on the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) headquarters on Tuesday, as part of an investigation into multiple allegations of financial misconduct. A three-member ACC team visited the premises to collect documents and records, and later addressed the media alongside BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury. The probe centers around three main allegations: misappropriation of funds from ticket sales during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), irregularities in expenditure for cricket-related events tied to the “Mujib 100” celebration, and procedural discrepancies in the Dhaka Third Division Qualifying tournament. All of these incidents reportedly occurred during the…
Delhi Capitals (DC) pacer Mohit Sharma has credited the return of saliva use on the ball as a major factor in aiding reverse swing in IPL 2025. He also acknowledged that the new rule allowing teams bowling second to change the ball after ten overs has helped bowlers regain better control, particularly when dealing with dew. Speaking ahead of DC’s upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Delhi, Mohit was clear about the impact of the rule changes:“One hundred percent. In about 70% of the matches, the ball is tailing in, and that’s mainly due to the use of saliva.…
Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is unlikely to take any further part in IPL 2025 due to what has been described as a “pretty serious injury,” according to the team’s fast-bowling coach James Hopes. Ferguson suffered the injury during PBKS’ recent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday. He bowled just two deliveries before pulling up in pain, clutching the area just below his left hip. After a brief on-field assessment with the physio, he was forced to leave the field and did not return. “Ferguson is out indefinitely, and the chances of us getting him back by…
The ICC is exploring a possible change to the current two-ball rule in One Day Internationals (ODIs), aiming to better balance the contest between bat and ball. A proposal, discussed during the recent ICC meetings in Harare, suggests that ODIs should revert to using a single ball from the 35th over of each innings. As things stand, ODIs are played with two new balls—one from each end—throughout the innings. The new recommendation, put forward by the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee chaired by Sourav Ganguly, would see teams continue using two balls for the first 34 overs. After that point, the…
As Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) prepare to face Punjab Kings (PBKS), the two sides head into the contest on vastly different trajectories. PBKS have won three of their four matches, riding high on explosive batting performances, while SRH have slumped to four consecutive defeats and are desperate to halt their slide. PBKS have emerged as one of the most dynamic batting units this season, trailing only Lucknow Super Giants in scoring rate. Their top-order has fired consistently, with a different match-winner emerging in each victory. Priyansh Arya has taken the tournament by storm, supported by impactful cameos from Shashank Singh and…
James Anderson is set to be knighted in recognition of his exceptional 21-year career with England, after being named in former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list. The 42-year-old fast bowler retired from international cricket last year, ending his Test career with a national record of 704 wickets in 188 matches—the most by any fast bowler in history and second overall behind Sachin Tendulkar in Test appearances. Anderson’s final match for England came at Lord’s against the West Indies in July 2024, two decades after he made his debut at the same venue in 2003. While he hasn’t…
MS Dhoni’s return as captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) saw an early flashpoint after his LBW dismissal against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) raised questions about the Decision Review System (DRS) process. Facing Sunil Narine, Dhoni was struck on the front pad by a delivery that turned in sharply after pitching outside off. Umpire Chris Gaffaney gave him out on the field, and Dhoni immediately opted for a review. During the review, third umpire Vinod Seshan closely examined the UltraEdge visuals, which showed a faint murmur as the ball passed the inside edge of the bat. However, there was no…