Saturday, November 9, 2024

4 players have now hit back-to-back centuries in T20I cricket – who are they?

4 players have now hit back-to-back centuries in T20I cricket – who are they?

Reaching a century in the shortest format of the international game is a tremendous feat. It takes solid shot selection, outstanding stroke play and a bit of luck to do this.

Hitting two T20I tons in a row, though, has to be considered remarkable. The powers of concentration and focus to do this are immense.

This has only happened four times in the history of T20I cricket. Let’s recall who pulled off these amazing acts, who they did it against and how the numbers came together.

Sanju Samson

India‘s Sanju Samson is the latest cricketer to hit consecutive centuries in T20I cricket. The first came against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on 12 October 2024, when 47 balls brought him an impressive 111. That knock featured 11 fours and eight sixes.

The second was almost a month later, against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban on 8 November. Samson hit seven fours and 10 sixes on his way to 107 from 50 balls against the Proteas.

Phil Salt

England‘s Phil Salt can certainly consider the Caribbean a happy hunting ground. On 16 and 19 December 2023, Salt celebrated Christmas early with back-to-back centuries against the West Indies. The first came in St George’s and the second Tarouba.

His 109 not out and 119 included a total of 11 four and 19 sixes. That’s some sensational hitting, indeed. The 109 came off 56 balls. The 119 came off 57. The opposition bowling attack had little to no answer for Salt’s assault.

Read more: The 5 most prolific left-arm spinners in the history of Test cricket

Rilee Rossouw

South Africa star Rilee Rossouw’s international career took a break when he signed a Kolpak contract to play domestic cricket in England. But when he returned to the Proteas fray, he showed exactly what they had been missing. On 4 October 2022, Rossouw smashed 100 not out off 48 deliveries against India in Indore.

That knock included seven fours and eight sixes. Later that month, on 27 October against Bangladesh in Sydney, Rossouw shone at the T20 World Cup. This time, he hammered 109 from 56, including seven fours and eight sixes again.

Gustav Mckeon

Several years ago, the International Cricket Council decided to give T20I status across the board. That’s why Mckeon gets to feature in this list, even if his feat could be considered inferior to those achieved by Salt, Rossouw and Samson. On 25 and 27 July 2022, Mckeon hit 101 against Norway in Kerava and 109 versus Switzerland in Vantaa, respectively.

He totalled 10 fours and 17 sixes for those two knocks for France. Granted, the French are not really a recognised cricketing country, but Mckeon has become a household name among the smaller nations now.

Read next: Who are the leading run-scorers among active Test cricketers?

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Thursday, November 7, 2024

Border-Gavaskar Trophy – 5 interesting Australia v India Test records

Border-Gavaskar Trophy – 5 interesting Australia v India Test records

The latest series of Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests will start in November 2024. Australia and India, indeed, will be at it again as two of the greatest rivals in Test cricket contest five matches.

This time, the series will be held in Australia – and both teams will be keen to grab points in the International Cricket Council’s World Test Championship.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy has churned out several records over a few days. We’re bound to see more along the way and it’s a good time to recall the ones already in place.

Most Border-Gavaskar Trophy runs

Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He averaged 56 against Australia in Test cricket en route to 3,262 runs in 65 innings. His tally included nine centuries and 16 half-tons – and a highest score of 241 not out.

Australia’s leading run-scorer in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is Ricky Ponting with 2,555 in 51 innings for an average of 54. Among active players, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Steven Smith are leading the charge among the Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s leading run-scorers this decade.

Most Border-Gavaskar Trophy wickets

Nathan Lyon has taken the most wickets in Test cricket for Australia against India. In fact, spin bowlers hold the top five positions in terms of wickets taken in the history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The other spinners are Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja. Lyon has taken 116 wickets to Ashwin’s 114. They’ll be in for an interesting tussle during the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Among seamers, Zaheer Khan took 61 Border-Gavaskar Trophy wickets.

Read more: The 5 most prolific left-arm spinners in the history of Test cricket

Highest Border-Gavaskar Trophy score

Michael Clarke holds the record for the highest individual score in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Clarke hit a monumental 329 not out against India in Sydney in 2012. He spent more than 10 hours at the crease and collected 39 fours and one six.

Michael Hussey and Ponting hit centuries in the same innings to eventually ensure an innings and 28-run win for the home side. India’s highest score in this series is the 281 amassed by VVS Laxman at Eden Gardens in 2001.

Best Border-Gavaskar Trophy bowling figures

Four bowlers have taken eight wickets in an innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Lyon has done it twice. The others to have achieved this feat are Harbhajan, Kumble and Jason Krejza.

Krejza was on Test debut in Nagpur at the time in 2008. He took eight for 215 in that match – and only represented Australia in Test cricket one more time later that year.

Most Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests as captain

MS Dhoni captained India 13 times in this series, winning eight, losing four and drawing one match. Australia’s most capped captain in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is Ponting, who managed two wins, six defeats and three draws.

Ajinkya Rahane has the highest win ratio among Border-Gavaskar Trophy captains – 75 percent gathered across three victories in four attempts.

Read next: Who are the leading run-scorers among active Test cricketers?

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Wednesday, November 6, 2024

These are the 9 biggest sixes in the history of cricket

These are the 9 biggest sixes in the history of cricket

More and more cricket leagues are appearing around the world, with six-hitting getting more destructive every day.

Gone are the days when batters wanted to solely hit the ball out of the park, nowadays, it is all about who can club the ball the most metres.

Bats are thicker, and with even more pace on the ball, the future of six-hitting is limitless.

With the Australian Big Bash League teeing off again in a month and the Indian Premier League not long after, the record for the longest-recorded six may be at risk.

Here are the longest sixes ever recorded in cricket.

9. Yuvraj Singh – 119 metres

The Indian was prolific across all formats and scored eight half-centuries for India in T20Is. His ability to come in down the order and take on the bowlers made him a dangerous all-rounder.

His 119m six for his nation against India would have just cleared the length of a football pitch.

=8. Adam Gilchrist – 122 metres

Gilchrist was a legendary wicketkeeper-batsman for Australia and a constant feature in cricket’s record books.

His sensational 122-metre heave was for Punjab at the expense of South African Charl Langeveldt.

=8. Mark Waugh – 122 metres

The next Australian cricketing hero, Waugh, held the record of the longest six for a long time following his 1999 dispatching of New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.

With the cricket bats available nowadays, who knows how much further he could have smashed his six.

=8. Liam Livingstone – 122 metres

The English all-rounder was in a destructive mood when his nation came up against Pakistan in a T20I.

His 122-metre effort flew out of the stadium and eventually touched down on a nearby rugby pitch.

Read more: The 5 most prolific left-arm spinners in the history of Test cricket

5. Albie Morkel – 124 metres

The big South Africa big-hitter was playing for Chennai in the IPL when he hit leg-spinner Pragyan Ojha over the fence for six.

A 122-metre six with not much pace on the ball perhaps doesn’t get the respect it deserves.

4. Martin Guptill – 127 metres

The Kiwi had an over to remember when his side came up against South Africa.

He hit his first six of the over 102m before sending the next for a mammoth 127 metres.

3. Aiden Blizzard – 130 metres

The batter lived up to his name with a destructive strike of the cricket ball at the WACA in 2008.

The ball flew 130 metres over the square leg boundary for the biggest maximum in domestic cricket history.

2. Brett Lee – 135 metres

Despite being more commonly associated with bowling rockets, the Australian paceman could hit them, too.

The ball flew out of the stands into the practice nets outside a massive 135 metres.

1. Shahid Afridi – 153 metres

Many former players consider it the greatest strike of a cricket ball in history. The Pakistani player smoked a maximum that gave him a place in the history books.

A staggering 153 metres out of the ground and into orbit, longer than the Expedition Cruise Vessel.

Read next: Who are the leading run-scorers among active Test cricketers?

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Indian Premier League mega player auction – 5 important answered

Indian Premier League mega player auction – 5 important answered

The Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and other franchises are gearing up for the mega player auction for the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League.

Most of the 10 teams are set for plenty of changes after announcing their retained player and those who have been released. Coaching and captaincy changes are afoot, too.

The Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and other units will be looking to boost their resources in pursuit of a maiden IPL title next year.

When and where is the IPL mega auction?

The IPL mega auction will be held on 24 and 25 November 2024. The two-day event will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. With 10 25-man squads to be filled, 204 slots will be available.

Which players have registered for the IPL mega auction?

A total of 1,574 players have registered. The total comprises 1,165 Indian players and 409 from elsewhere around the world. Read this list of the number of players registered from each country:

  • Afghanistan: 29
  • Australia: 76
  • Bangladesh: 13
  • Canada: 4
  • England: 52
  • Ireland: 9
  • Italy: 1
  • Netherlands: 12
  • New Zealand: 39
  • Scotland: 2
  • South Africa: 91
  • Sri Lanka: 29
  • United Arab Emirates: 1
  • United States of America: 10
  • West Indies: 33
  • Zimbabwe: 8

Former England fast bowler James Anderson is among the notable inclusions, while countryman Ben Stokes has opted out of this player auction. Anderson has not played a T20 in a decade – and has never participated in the Indian Premier League.

Read more: Jos Buttler leaves Rajasthan Royals – where could he go in the IPL?

Will there be captaincy changes after the IPL mega auction?

Batsmen Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer will no longer captain the Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively. They have all been released. Whether Pant, Rahul or Iyer will captain in the tournament again remains in the balance. Former captains Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran, meanwhile, have exited Bangalore and the Punjab Kings as well.

Are associate nation players available at the IPL mega auction?

Italy’s Thomas Draca is among the associate nation players registered for the auction. The seamer has been capped four times at T20I level – and has played for the Brampton Wolves in the Global T20 Canada. Draca has also been recruited by MI Emirates for the next International League T20 in the UAE.

Who have reigning IPL champions KKR retained before the auction?

The Knight Riders have not kept Iyer, but the following six players are staying:

  1. Rinku Singh
  2. Varun Chakravarthy
  3. Sunil Narine
  4. Andre Russell
  5. Harshit Rana
  6. Ramandeep Singh

West Indian stars Russell and Narine were key to KKR’s third IPL title success in 2024 with bat and ball.

Read next: Who are the leading run-scorers among active Test cricketers?

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Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Each country’s leading Test run-scorer in 2024 – David Bedingham and more

Each country’s leading Test run-scorer in 2024 – David Bedingham and more

England have six batters among 2024’s top run-scorers in Test cricket so far. But how are other players from other countries placed?

From Joe Root and David Bedingham to Rachin Ravindra and Kamindu Mendis and more, let’s find out who the top batters in Test cricket are this year.

The performances of these select individuals have certainly had an impact on their team’s position on the International Cricket Council’s World Test Championship points table.

Australia

Cameron Green is Australia’s leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year. Where the top order has failed, the all-rounder has succeeded en route to 302 runs in seven innings for an average of 50.

India

Yashasvi Jaiswal has packed plenty of punch at the top of the order in 2024. Seven half-centuries and two tons later, Jaiswal has collected 1119 runs in 21 innings at an average of 56. He is second only to Root overall this year.

Sri Lanka

Mendis has delivered 943 runs in 12 innings for his country this year. The tally includes a whopping five centuries. Other than Mendis, only Root has also hit this many Test tons in 2024.

New Zealand

Ravindra has been outstanding for the Black Caps – 855 runs in 15 innings at an average of 50 attests to this. He was key to New Zealand’s recent three-nil Test series win over India, in India.

South Africa

Bedingham has batted a dozen times in Test cricket in 2024. He is averaging 36 after hitting one century and two half-tons. There is a lot of expectation ahead of this man from Proteas fans.

Read more: How Ajaz Patel ranks among Ian Botham and Shane Warne

England

Root is his country and Test cricket overall’s leading run-scorer in 2024. He hit a double-ton against Pakistan in Multan. He struck two centuries in one Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s. Overall, Root has 1338 runs in 25 knocks at an average of 58.

Pakistan

Mohammad Rizwan isn’t just a limited-overs specialist. Look at his 2024 Test numbers, which have yielded 509 runs in 11 innings for an average of 51. He is leading Saud Shakeel and others by example.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh have needed to move on from the days of Shakib Al Hasan carrying the run-scoring responsibility. Mehidy Hasan Miraz has stepped up. He has gathered 468 runs in 14 innings at an average of 39 in 2024.

West Indies

Kavem Hodge played his maiden Test in 2024 and has emerged as the West Indies‘ top run-scorer in the format this year. A breakout season, indeed, for him. Hodge has 418 runs in 14 innings in 2024. His average is 30.

Ireland

Ireland have only played two Tests in 2024. Lorcan was selected for both – and scored 129 runs in four innings. This included a half-century against Zimbabwe.

Afghanistan

Ibrahim Zadran has also only played two Tests for Afghanistan in 2024. He capitalised on limited opportunity with a ton and a half-ton en route to 179 runs for an average of 45.

Zimbabwe

Prince Masvaure hit 74 and 12 against Ireland in Zimbabwe’s only Test of the year. At 36 years old, Masvaure will anticipate more chances at Test level during the twilight of his career.

Read next: Who are the leading run-scorers among active Test cricketers?

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England v West Indies head-to-head – top T20I performers

England v West Indies head-to-head – top T20I performers

England and the West Indies will meet for a T20I series this month. It’s usually a spectacle of entertaining cricket when these two teams meet in the shortest format of the international game.

England have won the T20 World Cup twice. The West Indies have the same number of T20 World Cup titles. They’ll be sizing each other up ahead of the next tournament in 2026.

For now, this bilateral series is an opportune time to reflect on how they have fared against each other in this format – individually and collectively.

England’s top T20I wicket-taker v West Indies

Adil Rashid has taken the most wickets for England against the West Indies in T20I competition. He has 32 wickets in 19 matches against the old enemy. Rashid has done this at an economy rate of just under six and average a bit over 12.

Impressive numbers, indeed. The leg-spinner has consistently proven successful due to his ability to find extra bounce and turn in even the most placid conditions. He’ll have the opportunity to build on this solid record against the Windies this month.

England’s top T20I run-scorer v West Indies

England have confirmed Phil Salt, not Jos Buttler, will keep wicket in the upcoming series. But it’s Salt’s renown with the bat, rather than his role behind the stumps, that is the most interesting. He has already struck 478 runs in nine T20I innings against the West Indies. These runs have come at an average of 68 and strike rate of 188.

Salt knows how to go big during the opening powerplay and these opening stages of the innings have been key to his top performances against the West Indies. He has two tons in T20I cricket – both came against the West Indies, within four days of each other, in 2023. Salt will be keen to succeed in the Caribbean again.

Read more: How Ajaz Patel ranks among Ian Botham and Shane Warne

West Indies’ top T20I wicket-taker v England

Akeal Hosein is among the best left-arm spinners around the world, especially in T20I cricket. His record against England is particularly solid – and includes 16 wickets in 12 T20Is. But he isn’t his country’s leading wicket-taker in this format against the English.

That status belongs to Jason Holder. The lanky pace ace has collected 23 wickets in 13 matches against England. Few will forget the stunning five-wicket haul he landed against England in Bridgetown in 2022. This big performance ensured the Windies a three-two win in the five-match series. He snared the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards, too.

West Indies’ top T20I run-scorer v England

Nicholas Pooran is just three runs away from overtaking Chris Gayle as the West Indies‘ top scorer against England in T20I cricket. Pooran has 420 runs in 15 innings to Gayle’s 422 in 14.

When or if Pooran goes past Gayle, this small record might slip under the public’s radar, but it’s pretty monumental given the T20 cricketing status of the man he’ll overtake.

Read next: Who are the leading run-scorers among active Test cricketers?

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