IPL 2016

Colombo – Defending champions Sri Lanka said Lasith Malinga was stepping down as captain of their World Twenty20 side Tuesday after the team’s disastrous Asia Cup showing, with Angelo Mathews to skipper the team in India. Defending champions Sri Lanka announced Lasith Malinga was stepping down as captain of their World T20 side © AFP/File Lakruwan Wanniarachchi The announcement comes only hours after Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera sacked…

New Delhi – Afghanistan, whose cricketing fairytale has captured the hearts of fans around the world, hope to do their own supporters proud in their adopted Indian homeland with the start of the World Twenty20 on Tuesday. Many Afghans grew up idolising Pakistan batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq (R) who agreed last October to become Afghanistan’s new coach © AFP/File Sajjad Hussain Since overcoming the odds to compete in the 2010 World T20…

Match facts Wednesday, March 8, 2016Start time 1800 local (1600GMT) All eyes will be on Aaron Phangiso if he is cleared to play in Cape Town © AFP Big picture For the second time this summer, a limited-overs series enters the final match with the sides locked all-square. This one will cap off a blockbuster season of international cricket that has captured the imagination of the country’s cricket-lovers. Australia’s visit…

Mohammad Amir had Rohit Sharma lbw for a duck in the Asia Cup © AFP India batsman Rohit Sharma has called Mohammad Amir a “normal bowler,” saying the hype around the returning Pakistan quick was unjustified. Instead, Rohit hailed emerging India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as a “rare talent”. “Stop talking about him already,” Rohit said of Amir in Kolkata. “He isn’t the only bowler, Pakistan have five other bowlers…

Toss Afghanistan chose to bat v ScotlandLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details Dawlat Zadran would lead Afghanistan’s pace attack © Chris Whiteoak Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai chose to bat against Scotland in the second match of the opening day of the World T20 in Nagpur. Stanikzai attributed the reason behind his decision to the flat track and his hopes of getting more turn in the second half of the match. Stanikzai…

To celebrate International Women’s Day, England vice-captain Heather Knight reflects on her cricketing journey. The #PledgeforParity campaign is the heartbeat of International Women’s Day this year, focusing on how both men and women can help gender equality to be achieved more rapidly (this doesn’t mean you have to purchase a bra to burn boys!). With this in mind, it’s prompted me look back at my cricketing journey, from being a…

Netherlands’ bowlers have been sharpening their skills without a batsman in the way © IDI/Getty Images Twenty20 nets are usually the testing ground for wacky new ideas; it is rare to see cricketers go to basics in T20 nets. As the Netherlands captain Peter Borren kept playing his reverse paddle sweeps against the spinners, the next net had no batsman. On the surface it might not seem another innovation, but…