Tammy Beaumont’s second century in three days powered The Blaze to their fourth consecutive victory, maintaining their position at the top of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s standings. Despite a valiant unbeaten 120 from Essex captain Grace Scrivens, Essex’s total of 231 for 9 proved insufficient against an in-form Blaze side. Scrivens led Essex’s innings with class, receiving support from Jodi Grewcock (28) and Amara Carr (34), but lacked consistent partnerships. Ireland’s Orla Prendergast and England legspinner Sarah Glenn each claimed three wickets to help limit Essex’s momentum. Beaumont, fresh off an unbeaten 112 against Hampshire, struck another match-winning…
Author: Raghav Mutdeyja
With the IPL 2025 playoff race heating up, Punjab Kings (PBKS) are set to make the most of a crucial home advantage as they gear up for their next three matches at their second home, Dharamsala. Currently placed fourth, PBKS face off against sixth-placed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Sunday in a match that could prove decisive for both teams’ playoff ambitions. Coming off a hard-fought win in hot and humid Chennai, a visibly drained Shreyas Iyer led his team into cooler conditions in Dharamsala — where PBKS also held their pre-season camp. Coach Ricky Ponting had emphasized the importance…
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) remain in contention for an IPL 2025 playoff spot, but their margin for error has all but disappeared. With four games left, they must win all to reach 17 points and keep their hopes alive. Two of those fixtures are at Eden Gardens, where KKR have only managed one win from four completed matches this season. Saturday’s match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) is their second-to-last at home. To stay in the hunt, KKR will need to achieve something they haven’t managed this season—stringing together consecutive wins. Their recent victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) wasn’t flawless, but…
Kagiso Rabada has confirmed that he tested positive for a recreational drug earlier this year and served a provisional suspension, which explains his sudden departure from the IPL 2025 on April 3. At the time, his franchise, Gujarat Titans, attributed his return to South Africa to a “significant personal matter,” without offering further details or clarifying his return. According to ESPNcricinfo, the violation occurred during the SA20 league earlier this year, where Rabada played for MI Cape Town. While the duration of his suspension hasn’t been formally disclosed, Rabada has since returned to India and is expected to resume playing…
With five losses from nine completed matches, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) find themselves in a tight spot in IPL 2025. To reach a realistic playoff threshold of 17 points, they now need to win all four of their remaining games. Despite the pressure, Rovman Powell believes the team must stay composed and focus on one game at a time, starting with their clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday at home. Reflecting on KKR’s campaign so far, Powell admitted the team wouldn’t have wanted to be in this position. But he also stressed that the race for the playoffs is…
In T20 cricket, a single over can shift the momentum drastically — it can either seal a win or open the door to defeat. On Sunday night in Delhi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled one such game-changing over. On a tricky pitch, with Delhi Capitals (DC) building a steady innings, Bhuvneshwar turned the match on its head in the 17th over, dismissing KL Rahul — expected to anchor the innings — and Ashutosh Sharma, known for his late-innings fireworks. As Anil Kumble summed it up, “Bhuvi had the perfect answer.” “He’s always been a special bowler,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out…
The BCCI is actively considering expanding the IPL season to 94 matches starting from 2028, though there are no immediate plans to add new franchises. The IPL grew to its current 74-match format in 2022 following the addition of Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While there were initial discussions to expand further to 84 matches by 2025, scheduling challenges and concerns from broadcasters—particularly around an increase in double-headers—have delayed those plans. However, an expansion remains very much on the table for the medium term. The IPL’s window in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) is secured for the…
At the halfway point of IPL 2025, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) find themselves tied with five wins each from nine matches. But while their records are identical, their trajectories couldn’t be more different. Both teams have seen contributions from a range of players, with five different match-winners apiece. For MI, Ashwani Kumar, Karn Sharma, Will Jacks, Rohit Sharma, and Trent Boult have all earned Player-of-the-Match awards. For LSG, the honours have gone to Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Rathi, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, and Avesh Khan. However, the similarities end there. After a familiar slow start—losing four of…
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, all eyes will be on a blockbuster clash between two of India’s premier batters: Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. During his last visit to the venue, Kohli turned a routine Ranji Trophy match into a three-day festival, drawing huge crowds. This time, while the fanfare will be just as intense, Kohli’s loyal supporters will also be hoping for a DC win. Kohli enters the match in scintillating form, sitting third on the Orange Cap leaderboard with an average of 65.33—his best since RCB’s run to…
Following Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) seventh defeat in nine games this IPL season, head coach Stephen Fleming pointed to the auction as a key factor behind their disappointing campaign. “It’s hard to say we got it right, given the results,” Fleming admitted after CSK were bowled out for 154 and lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets. “We’ve been reviewing our style of play closely and also how the game itself is evolving. It’s not easy—that’s why we’re proud of our consistency over the years. But this time, we just haven’t been able to put it all together.” Fleming said…