Allrounder’s 27-ball fifty ensures series win with Hope’s century in his 100th ODI going in vain for West Indies

Himanshu Agrawal24-Jul-2022Axar Patel smashed India’s second-fastest ODI fifty against West Indies, leading the way in a collective batting effort in a big chase as India overhauled West Indies’ 311 in the second ODI in Port of Spain. Shai Hope’s hundred in his 100th ODI and Nicholas Pooran’s attacking 74 went in vain, as West Indies lost the match – and with it, the series – despite dominating the majority of their defence.Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) also hit half-centuries, but Axar’s unbeaten 64 off just 35 balls turned the tables in the last ten overs.India needed 100 to win from 60 balls with five wickets in hand, and Axar and Hooda were at the crease. Hooda fell for 33 with 56 to get off 36, leaving Axar and Shardul Thakur to complete the job. By then, Axar had already clobbered three sixes. More were on the way.The turning point arrived when 48 was required off the last five overs. Though he dismissed Thakur, Alzarri Joseph conceded 16 – including two above-waist full-toss no-balls – in the 46th, and West Indies missed running No. 10 Avesh Khan out off the last ball. Next over, Axar slammed two fours and Avesh added one more off Romario Shepherd. Suddenly the equation was 19 off 18.Avesh wouldn’t go without collecting his share of runs even though he had earlier leaked 54 in six overs on ODI debut. He hit ten off 12 balls, asking Axar to wipe out the last eight runs in the company of Mohammed Siraj. Axar, in red-hot touch, got a full toss from Kyle Mayers, which he sent flying over the bowler’s head to finish things off with two balls to go.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The chase was set up by a firm start from Shubman Gill, and then a 99-run stand between Iyer and Samson. Gill made up for his partner Shikhar Dhawan’s struggles with a serene 43 off 49 balls. But when he and Suryakumar Yadav fell in the space of 11 balls, India were 79 for 3 in the 18th over.Samson got to his maiden ODI fifty – his knock of 54 off 51 balls included three fours and three sixes – and was at his best when clearing the long-off boundary by lofting the spinners, high elbows and all in full display. Iyer, on the other hand, had had a sedate start, managing only 19 off his first 33 deliveries. That is when he broke free to finish with 63 off 71 balls, cutting, pulling and lifting for boundaries.The fact that India had as many as 312 to chase was down to Hope and Pooran’s fourth-wicket stand of 117, 74 of which came off Pooran’s bat. Hope got 115 – his third triple-figure score in 11 ODI innings.Having taken 124 balls to get to 94, Hope swung back-to-back sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal in the 45th over to get to his landmark and cap an expensive day for Chahal, of whom he took all three of his sixes. Chahal finished with 1 for 69 in nine overs.But it was not just Hope who took a liking to Chahal; Pooran too bashed three sixes – including two in the 39th over – off him. Their partnership, just short of a-run-a-ball, gradually took the momentum away from India, who had struck twice in quick succession after an aggressive start by West Indies.Shai Hope hit a century in his 100th ODI•Associated Press

Through Hope and his opening partner Mayers, the hosts had put on 71 in the first ten overs – their joint-highest score in the period in ODIs since 2020. By the time Hooda broke through, pouching a simple return-catch from Mayers off the first ball of the tenth over, the pair had already smashed ten fours and a six. Mayers led the way in that stand, hitting 39 off 23 balls, as Avesh took the biggest beating.Mayers timed and placed the ball equally well, and thrashed it around too. Once West Indies lost two wickets for three runs, Pooran took over the attacking role.On 11 off his first 26 balls, he hit the first of his six sixes when he went hard and flat over long-off in the 32nd over; three overs later, he skipped down to send Chahal sailing back over his head. While sixes were hit off Axar and Avesh as well, Hope kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end.Hope’s innings was one of three parts: he started with 22 off 21 balls, then got 73 from his next 103 deliveries, and hit 20 off his next 11 balls. It all added up to carry West Indies firmly towards the 300-run mark. He produced impressive drives and punches – and a poke through deep third for four – to start the day with Mayers, accumulated singles and ran well along with Pooran, and went for the slogs in the end after Pooran fell in the 44th over.Cameos from Shamarh Brooks, Rovman Powell and Shepherd helped West Indies’ cause. Brooks got going the moment Mayers fell, and scored 35 off 36; Powell and Shepherd provided the finishing touches.But eventually, the day belonged to Axar and Co despite the heroics of Pooran and Hope, especially the latter, who got to both his fifty and hundred with a six, in Virender Sehwag fashion, even as he played a more anchor-ish role.

Glamorgan keep knockout hopes alive with win over in-form Hants

ECB Reporters Network19-Aug-2022Glamorgan produced a huge upset, easing themselves to a shock victory over Hampshire thanks to a brutal maiden first-class century from 22-year-old Tom Bevan that eased the reigning Royal London One-Day Cup champions to a seven-wicket victory over Group B leaders Hampshire at The Gnoll, Neath.Bevan reached his century off 88 balls and smashed eight sixes on his way to 134 as he guided Glamorgan to their 229-run target. “I’ve been involved with the club for a long time and it’s a very special feeling,” he said. “I went away to University at Cardiff Met, which was a massive step for me. I went to Cape Town after that and I have always been happy just to be playing and taking all the opportunities that come my way. My dad has been a massive help for me: even when I’ve not been scoring runs, he’s always willing to throw balls for me.”Having put into bat, Hampshire were on the back foot from the start and struggled to set up a defendable target, limping to 228 for 9 despite a knock of 93 from skipper and opener Nick Gubbins. While he hung around before being the seventh wicket to fall, Hampshire lost five wickets before they reached three figures.His sixth wicket partnership with Ian Holland (63*) put on 72, but that was the best Hampshire had to offer. They then looked shell shocked in the field during Bevan’s onslaught.As their bowlers struggled to find their lengths they were duly taken down by Cardiff-born Bevan and Colin Ingram. They put on 203 for the second wicket to turn the run chase into a stroll as Glamorgan won with 110 balls remaining.Related

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Glamorgan took control early on, after winning the toss and sending Hampshire in to bat. Hampshire found themselves in a bit of trouble at 99 for 5. Only Gubbins looked to get the better of the conditions as the visitors struggled on a tricky pitch.After a quiet period between overs 20 and 30, with only 29 runs scored, Hampshire started to rebuild their innings and began to up the rate, playing with a lot more positive intent. Gubbins looked at his fluent best, playing some stylish shots, before reaching his half century from 72 balls.The Hampshire opener continued to find runs at a healthy rate throughout his innings, on his way to 93, but fell soon after, taking on Carlson’s off break with a lofted shot straight to Billy Root on the boundary.Hampshire continued to attack, upping the rate in the final 10 overs. Ian Holland, fresh off international duty, got to his half century off 52 balls. Glamorgan’s bowling and fielding had lost all its shape in the later stages and Hampshire got to 228 for 8.Hampshire had all the momentum heading into the innings break but they struggled to put Glamorgan under any real pressure, defending an under-par score.Despite the loss of Chris Cooke for nought early on, Glamorgan never really looked in trouble with Bevan smashing the ball all around the ground. The combination of Bevan and Ingram racked up that double century partnership.Bevan was eventually out for a magnificent 134, not before essentially winning the game for Glamorgan. Billy Root joined Ingram at the crease and the pair eased the home side to a shock victory over a very strong Hampshire side.

The Sri Lanka batter is enjoying a revival in his career after working on his fitness

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2022You have a supremely-talented batter who isn’t the modern-day definition of fit – so what do you do as coach? It’s possible that Chris Silverwood has pondered the Bhanuka Rajapaksa question a few times.But four months since becoming Sri Lanka’s coach, Silverwood doesn’t have to worry about the issue anymore, and for that Rajapaksa deserves some credit. A concerted effort to improve his fitness – with weight loss being one of the by-products – has led to a revival in his career.At 30, an age where cricketers at the crossroads begin to wonder if opportunities will bypass them, Rajapaksa is enjoying a new wind in his young career. This change didn’t seem possible when he retired in a huff, citing differences with then coach Micky Arthur over the prescribed fitness standards, but sanity prevailed and he un-retired with a commitment to work on his fitness.Related

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At the IPL this year, Rajapaksa showed his power-hitting skills for Punjab Kings, even if he couldn’t sustain his aggressive tempo over long periods. His abilities have now earned him a deal in the UAE’s International League T20 with Dubai Capitals, who also run Delhi Capitals in the IPL.As Rajapaksa returns to a familiar venue, one where he began last year’s T20 World Cup with a match-winning half-century against Bangladesh, he is looking forward to carrying the confidence from the IPL and his recent T20 success into the Asia Cup.”For me, the experience I bring after playing in the IPL will create good energy for the side,” Rajapaksa said. “One of the best chats I had with Liam [Livingstone] was when he said, ‘If it’s in the V, make sure the ball is in the trees’. He’d just be that aggressive. Proper slam-bang player.”Coming back to the Sri Lankan side, I have brought in a lot of positivity after speaking to a lot of the IPL players, like Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal and KG [Kagiso Rabada]. I don’t think I have the time to explain in detail the talks we had, but there were a lot of positive vibes. I’m hoping we can take that same brand of cricket to the world.”As Rajapaksa spoke of the “brand of cricket” Sri Lanka want to play, Silverwood, sitting beside him, chuckled. He knows all too well the kind of adjustments England made to become the white-ball powerhouse they are today. Sri Lanka have a long way to go, but having an attacking mindset is a good place to start.It isn’t something Silverwood can instantly make happen, though. He’s barely had any time to settle in as coach. Soon after his arrival in May, Sri Lanka played two Tests against Bangladesh at home, and then played Australia and Pakistan in two intense series.The Asia Cup is going to be tough too, with Sri Lanka in the tougher group along with Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Silverwood, though, is happy with how the team is shaping up during his short tenure.”My experience with Sri Lanka has been excellent,” he said. “I’ve found the guys are open-minded, willing to learn. They want to learn and want to move forward. From a coaching perspective, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the team.”It would’ve been lovely to play [the Asia Cup] in Sri Lanka, but unfortunately it’s not happening there. We’ve embraced the fact that we have to play it here [in UAE]. Our mindset is very much focused on what we need to do to compete and be successful in the UAE. A lot of the guys have the experience of playing here anyway, so we will use that. We’re here to do our best to win the tournament.”While Sri Lanka begin the Asia Cup by playing Afghanistan in the tournament opener on Saturday, the spotlight is already on Sunday’s game – with India playing Pakistan. Silverwood said that flying under the radar could be exactly what Sri Lanka needs.”I think every game is must-win, but if people are talking about something else, you can go about your business [normally], so it is an advantage, absolutely, ” he said. “But at the same time you have to meet these teams [India, Pakistan] at some point. We’re busy working behind the scenes to ensure we’re well prepared, equally we’ll be watching every game with interest to see what to do.”

Smith, Starc, Henry and Boult have gained at the end of the Australia vs New Zealand ODI series

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-20222:05

Arthur: Hasaranga is reliable, incredible and loves playing on the big stage

Wanindu Hasaranga, Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the big movers in the latest ICC T20I rankings for men, following strong performances at the recent Asia Cup in the UAE.

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On the bowlers’ table, Hasaranga has moved up three places to sixth after finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker, behind Bhuvneshwar, in Sri Lanka’s sixth Asia Cup triumph. Hasaranga, who was named Player of the Tournament, picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.39.He also made important contributions with the bat, including a 21-ball 36 in the final, which helped Sri Lanka get to a strong total, which they defended successfully. That helped him move up seven spots to No. 4 on the allrounders’ chart – Shakib Al Hasan is at the top there.Kohli, meanwhile, has risen 14 places to slot in at No. 15 on the batters’ table. His rise came on the back of a good Asia Cup, where he scored 276 runs in five innings – at an average of 92.00 and strike rate of 147.59.Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a good time of it at the Asia cup•Associated Press

He also scored his first T20I century during the tournament, an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan, which brought an end to a century drought across formats that had run for 1020 days. Kohli’s tally of runs was only behind Mohammad Rizwan’s 281, and Rizwan held on to the top spot on the batters’ table. Babar Azam, who had a forgettable Asia Cup with the bat, lost his No. 2 spot to Aiden Markram.Bhuvneshwar, the highest wicket-taker at the Asia Cup with 11 strikes, also made notable progress, moving into the top ten among bowlers, jumping from 11th to seventh.In ODIs, Steven Smith, after his starring role in Australia’s 3-0 sweep of New Zealand at home, jumped 13 places to move to tenth among batters. Mitchell Starc, after picking up six wickets in three games, broke into the top ten among bowlers, moving up three places to ninth.Matt Henry also jumped one position to take the eighth spot after picking up five wickets in two games, while Trent Boult continued to lead the list after finishing the series as the top wicket-taker, with ten strikes.

Chief executive Nick Hockley indicated they were keen to enable sanctions to be reviewed “for good behaviour and growth”

AAP13-Oct-2022Cricket Australia is contemplating lifting David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban as soon as Friday, with directors looking at rewriting the organisation’s code of ethics.Warner has had a leadership ban hanging over his head since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, with him keen to have the punishment reversed. The 35-year-old has been mentioned as a candidate for Australia’s vacant one-day captaincy, but cannot fulfil the role under his sanctions.Under current rules players who accept a sanction under the code of ethics waive their right to have the matter reviewed.It means CA’s code would need to be rewritten for Warner’s ban to be reviewed, something directors will discuss at Friday’s board meeting in Hobart.Related

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“The view within Cricket Australia is that David is doing particularly well on the field and making a great contribution off the field,” chairman Lachlan Henderson said.  “The first step in terms of David’s leadership ban is to review the code and see if those sanctions are able to be reviewed. And the appropriate revisions to that code that would need to be made.”Henderson said the code would be rewritten if deemed necessary before a call on the one-day captaincy is made.”Our intention is to review the code as quick as is practical. It’s not in anyone’s interest for us to delay that,” Henderson said. “It would be in time for any future leadership conversations in relation to David.”There are however hurdles to clear. CA is wary any change made to the code in consultation with ethics commissioner Simon Longstaff could have implications on matters beyond Warner.At the same time, CEO Nick Hockley stressed players had a right to show they had changed since the point of being handed a lifetime ban.”In very simple terms, we are looking at sanctions to be reviewed for good behaviour and growth after a period of time,” Hockley said. “Pending tomorrow’s discussion, there would then need to be a revision of the code and that would need to be approved by the board.”The pair’s comments came after CA reported a $5.1 million loss for the 2021-22 financial year at Thursday’s AGM.CA largely blamed the loss on challenges presented by the pandemic, as well as a drop in media rights from the UK for last summer’s Ashes.Former women’s quick Clea Smith was also unanimously voted onto the CA board as the sole former player serving as director, after Mel Jones’ decision to exit.Smith has previously held roles at the Australian Cricketers’ Association and was influential in the parental leave policy being introduced in 2019.Former Cricket Victoria chair David Maddocks was also voted in as a replacement for the outgoing Michelle Tredenick.Meanwhile CA remain undecided whether to lift a ban on playing Afghanistan in bilateral matches before a three-match ODI series early next year.Australia refused to host the country while under Taliban rule last summer, but have agreed to face off against them in the men’s T20 World Cup on November 4 as it is an ICC event.

Sandhu, Javeria, Naseem shine as hosts chase down 119 with ease in rain-hit game

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2022Pakistan beat Ireland by six wickets in a low-scoring rain-hit match to level the three-match T20I series 1-1 in Lahore on Monday. With the game reduced to 17-overs-a-side contest, Ireland were restricted to 118 for 7, courtesy Nida Dar and Nashra Sandhu’s measured bowling. Javeria Khan, Dar and Ayesha Naseem then helped the hosts chase down the total with an over to spare.Put into bat, Ireland lost opener Gaby Lewis in the third over and were kept quiet most of the time. Amy Hunter top-scored for the visitors with a 39-ball 36 and Orla Prendergast chipped in with 20 off 17. However, regular strikes dented Ireland’s progress. Eimear Richardson and Rebecca Stokell did manage to find some late runs which helped Ireland get past the 100-mark.Ireland toiled for wickets after dismissing opener Muneeba Ali for 12 and captain Bismah Maroof for 2 inside four overs. Javeria’s patient 35 off 39 deliveries was all Pakistan needed to steady the innings as she stitched a crucial 46-run stand with Dar for the third wicket.Javeria was run out in the 12th over, but that didn’t affect the team’s momentum. Dar ended with 28 runs to her name, with a six and a four in the 25-ball knock, while Naseem hit an unbeaten 12-ball 25. Aliya Riaz made an unbeaten 11 off 7 balls to steer Pakistan to victory. Arlene Kelly was the only bowler to take a wicket for Ireland.The third and series-deciding T20I will be played on Wednesday at the same venue.

Legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington has been called up as her replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2022Australia left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against India due to a hamstring injury with legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington called up as replacement.Jonassen injured her right hamstring while fielding during Australia’s nine-wicket win over India in the first T20I in Mumbai on Friday night.Australia’s physio Kate Beerworth confirmed on Sunday that Jonassen would return home to Australia to continue her recovery.”Unfortunately Jess sustained a right hamstring strain while fielding during the match on Friday,” Beerworth said.”She’s since been assessed and it’s evident that the timeframes required for a return during this series are too short.”Jess will be unavailable for the remainder of the series and will return to Brisbane to continue her rehab.”Wellington missed out on selection for the India tour despite an excellent WBBL where she was a pivotal part of Adelaide Strikers’ maiden title. Wellington is expected to arrive in Mumbai on Tuesday. The second T20I takes place on Sunday night with the third match to be played on Wednesday, all in Mumbai.

Gowtham’s three wickets had reduced Saurashtra to 42 for 5 in a chase of 115, before Vasavada and Sakariya rescued them

Shashank Kishore12-Feb-2023Saurashtra are fast establishing themselves as one of the most consistent domestic teams in Indian cricket. Next week in Kolkata, they will have an opportunity to add the Ranji crown to their trophy cabinet, alongside the Vijay Hazare Trophy they won in December.A third Ranji final appearance in four seasons was confirmed on the final day in Bengaluru when Arpit Vasavada, their stand-in captain, stood tall despite Karnataka reducing them to 42 for 5 in a chase of 115.In Karnataka’s late pitch to upset the visitors, offspinner K Gowtham picked up three wickets – all lbws. On each occasion, the ball spun sharply and kept a tad low to beat the batter’s defence. And just like that, a surface that had played very well all along sprung to life to add another layer of intrigue to the contest.Just when it looked as if Karnataka had the upper hand, Saurashtra pulled off a masterstroke. Out came Chetan Sakariya, their designated No. 10, to try to disturb the bowlers’ rhythm. With Skaraiya having a highest first-class score of 45, it’s fair to assume he wasn’t sent in to just survive.Soon enough, it was clear he was asked to attack. Sakariya, who picked up four second-innings wickets to help bowl out Karnataka for 234, used the slog sweep to good effect as he walloped Gowtham against the turn for two massive sixes over deep midwicket. Shreyas Gopal, the legspinner, wasn’t spared either as Sakariya sent him into the second tier. Suddenly, nerves gave way to a sense of freedom as Saurashtra started whittling down the runs.K Gowtham’s triple strike sent jitters in the Saurashtra camp•PTI

Sakariya made 24 in his partnership of 63 with Vasavada. When he fell to V Koushik, Saurashtra were within ten runs of victory, which was sealed when Prerak Mankad hit a boundary in the 35th over of their innings, much to the delight of the entire team that sprinted onto the field.At the other end, Vasavada, who stonewalled his way to 202 in the first innings, stood triumphant on an unbeaten 47, wiping beads of sweat and embracing his teammates in a warm hug. His side set up another date with Bengal, the team they had beaten in the 2019-20 final to seal their maiden title.That Karnataka gave themselves a chance to make a spirited defence was courtesy of a fine century from rookie Nikin Jose. The 22-year-old, who played every match this season, raised his maiden first-class hundred, a 161-ball 109. There were also contributions from Mayank Agarwal (55) and then, lower down the order, from Gowtham (23) and Vijaykumar Vyshak (20).The bowlers gave Karnataka a fighting chance, but once again – as has been for a while now – it was a case of being so near yet so far.

Fast-paced batting key to victory as New Zealand are left looking for answers

Andrew Miller19-Feb-2023Ben Stokes, England’s captain, admitted he was “blessed” to be able to call upon a bowling attack led by England’s greatest seam pairing, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, after an emphatic 267-run victory in the first Test against New Zealand. However, he added that the positivity of his batting line-up had been instrumental in allowing the bowlers to thrive under the floodlights at Mount Maunganui.Twice in the Test, on days one and three, England batted at such a high tempo – with Harry Brook, the player of the match, instrumental in both performances – that they were able to cede the stage early in the day’s final session and unleash their fast bowlers in the twilight, when the pink Kookaburra ball habitually offers the most assistance.Anderson and Ollie Robinson were duly to the fore on the first day, reducing New Zealand to 37 for 3 in reply to England’s 325 for 9 declared, before Broad took centre stage on day three, ripping out four wickets in his first seven overs as New Zealand closed on 63 for 5. From there, there was no way back into the match, as England wrapped up their tenth victory in 11 Tests inside the first session of day four.”It was another great performance,” Stokes said during the post-match presentation. “We were very clinical with the bat and obviously very clinical with the ball. You look at the bowling attack that we’ve got, with this pink ball especially under lights, we executed everything as well as we wanted to. When you got the likes of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson in your bowling attack, it’s always going to be tough for any opposition with the bat in hand.”Tim Southee, New Zealand’s captain, admitted his disappointment after overseeing a first loss to England on home soil since his own Test debut at Napier in 2008, but acknowledged that “strategically, they played it pretty well.”Related

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“We were on the receiving end of a couple of night periods that weren’t obviously ideal,” Southee said. “Broady last night, that spell was pretty impressive, but if we had got through that, we knew there were not a lot of demons out there today, with the nature of the pink ball, so I think it’s credit to the way they played it.”Stokes acknowledged that that had been England’s battle-plan after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, even though it took another remarkable pair of innings, both scored at a rate in excess of 5 an over, to give them the platform they were looking for.”The way we set the game up, with us having to bat on day one, the pace that we scored allowed us to get ahead of the game,” he said. “Having 320 on the board is a good score anywhere. So we were able to inflict some pretty hard damage with that new ball on day one, get them three-down, and then the same again last night.”It’s tough for anyone when Jimmy and Broady get that new ball talking like they did,” Stokes added. “I’m pretty blessed to be able to be in charge of this bowling group at the moment. But when you’re out in the field, the idea is to take 10 wickets and that’s what we’ve got to try and do. We’ve got an ethos with the bat, but also with the ball. It’s about taking 10 wickets, and not worrying too much about how he runs they go for.”No one, however, went for more runs in the match than the New Zealand quick, Neil Wagner, who bore the brunt of England’s second-innings onslaught with figures of 13-0-110-2, the second-most expensive bowling analysis in Test history.Faced with Wagner’s consistent short-pitched approach, England’s batters set themselves to clear the ropes at every opportunity, and Brook was one of his main tormentors, striking his 11th over for three fours and a six, en route to 54 from 41 balls. Coupled with his first-innings 89 from 81, that took his overall Test record to 623 runs in eight innings, at an astonishing strike rate of 96.88.”It is one of the most fun I’ve had,” Brook said afterwards. “Every time I go out to bat, I’m really excited to just do whatever I want. I think it helped a little bit that they went bumpers early, obviously I stuck to my strengths and just kept on trying to whack it.””Brooky’s just carried on from his amazing series in Pakistan,” Stokes added, after his Player-of-the-Series display in England’s 3-0 win before Christmas. “He’s a fantastic talent and I think he’s going to go on to be a global superstar.”For New Zealand, there is likely to be a week of soul-searching after their fourth bruising defeat in as many matches against England’s new aggressive approach, and Southee hoped that a return to red-ball cricket at the Basin Reserve in Wellington – one of New Zealand’s iconic venues – could offer them a chance to regroup.”Their style of play is going to present opportunities and we knew that,” Southee said. “We were able to get nine wickets in the first innings, and in the second innings, we got all ten. But it’s about trying to stem the bleeding in between those wickets, and trying to create those chances as often as we can.”

Mandhana’s side are eliminated, while Harmanpreet’s team will want to make final tweaks before knockouts

Sruthi Ravindranath20-Mar-2023

Big Picture

A week ago, Royal Challengers Bangalore were languishing at the bottom of the table with zero wins. Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, were riding high on top of the table with a perfect five. Mumbai had sealed their top-three spot while Royal Challengers’ chances were hanging by a thread. Earlier in the tournament, Mumbai had inflicted a heavy defeat on Royal Challengers the last time these teams had met.Royal Challengers have roared back in some style since then. After a win against UP Warriorz, they went on to thrash Gujarat Giants by eight wickets in a high-scorer. Mumbai, meanwhile, were handed their first defeat of the tournament by Warriorz.But following Warriorz’s win against Giants on Monday, Royal Challengers have been eliminated from the competition*. Mumbai will have to turn up in less than 24 hours for this encounter, so Royal Challengers will want to make use of this chance to finish the tournament on a high.Meanwhile, Mumbai, for their part, will want to hold on to the top spot which would give them a direct entry into the final. If Delhi Capitals beat them on Monday and go on to win their last league game against Warriorz, then there’s a chance Mumbai might not finish first.The teams’ respective captains – two Indian stalwarts – have had contrasting fortunes. Harmanpreet Kaur has 205 runs with three fifties while Smriti Mandhana has crossed 30 just twice. Can Mandhana outdo her opposite number this time around?

Players to Watch

Having impressed enough with her bowling, Issy Wong showcased her batting skills in the match against Warriorz with a 19-ball 32 to resurrect Mumbai’s innings. She has bowled superbly in the three games Mumbai have played at the DY Patil Sports Academy so far, making the most of the early swing on offer and finishing with figures of 1 for 7, 3 for 10 and 1 for 24 respectively. Her economy of 5.78 in the tournament is the second-best among players who’ve bowled a minimum of 15 overs.Sophie Devine delivered a banging performance against Giants, smashing eight sixes and nine fours on her way to a 36-ball 99. In Royal Challengers’ last two games, she’s been effective with the new ball as well – removing Warriorz’s openers in the first over and sending Giants’ Sophia Dunkley back in the third over.

Possible XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 Issy Wong, 7 Humaira Kazi, 8 Dhara Gujjar, 9 Amanjot Kaur, 10 Jintimani Kalita, 11 Saika IshaqueRoyal Challengers: 1 Sophie Devine, 2 Smriti Mandhana (capt.), 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Heather Knight, 5 Kanika Ahuja, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Shreyanka Patil, 8 Disha Kasat, 9 Sobhana Asha, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Preeti Bose.

Stats and Trivia

• Saika Ishaque’s economy rate is 5.63, the best economy in the tournament so far (minimum 10 overs)
• Devine’s batting strike rate against spinners during her 99 off 36 balls was 336.36. She scored 74 runs off 22 balls against spin on the day
• Mumbai’s bowlers have taken the most wickets (16) in the powerplay while Royal Challengers bowlers have taken the least (8)

Quotes

“I’m so used to hearing chants for [Ellyse] Perry and [Smriti] Mandhana, and was feeling a bit left out. To hear your name and experience this atmosphere, it will stay with me for a very long time.”
Sophie Devine after her match-winning knock against Giants*1.30pm GMT – The story was updated after UP Warriorz’s match against Gujarat Giants to say Royal Challengers Bangalore have been eliminated from the tournament