IPL 2016

MS Dhoni – “What the shortest format really does is, it narrows down the difference between the two teams. What you have to do is keep the [opposition’s] big hitters out of the game” © BCCI There is still a month to go till the World Twenty20, but no side other than India can claim to know their first XI so much in advance. In the team that beat Sri…

After two losses early in the five-match series, AB de Villiers urged his team-mates to keep believing in themselves © Getty Images If AB de Villiers was less experienced, South Africa might have lost the series to England on Sunday. If AB de Villiers was less experienced, 22 for 3 would have been a hole too deep for him to dig his team out of. If AB de Villiers was…

Trevor Bayliss was full of praise for the way Alex Hales responded from his poor Test series © Gallo Images With the highest run-scorer, Alex Hales, and the highest wicket-taker, Reece Topley, in the ODI series against South Africa – roles-reversed from the Test series where South Africa lost despite leading both tallies – England’s coach Trevor Bayliss identified fielding as main difference between the two sides. “The batting and…

England Women 198 for 5 (Knight 67*, Elwiss 61) beat South Africa Women 196 for 6 (Lees 74, Shrubsole 3-35)Scorecard Georgia Elwiss and Heather Knight scored vital fifties © Gallo Images Heather Knight and Georgia Elwiss produced a pair of composed innings to guide England to a series-clinching five-wicket victory at the Wanderers – a important points in the Women’s Championship – after their chase had been in considerable early…

India chose to bowl v Sri LankaLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details Dushmantha Chameera might have to contend with dew when he bowls © BCCI MS Dhoni retained the XI for a third straight match, and by electing to bowl first, he put the onus of bowling in the dew on Sri Lanka’s bowlers. When Sri Lanka played the dew similarly in Ranchi, they actually gave themselves the rough end of…

Islamabad United 131 for 5 (Misbah 38, Latif 33) beat Karachi Kings 128 for 5 (Bopara 45, Khalid 2-19) by five wicketsScorecard and ball-by-ball details Imran Khalid was the most successful bowler for Islamabad United with returns of 2 for 19 © PCB Khalid Latif, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asif Ali chipped in with thirties, as Islamabad United cruised to a five-wicket win against Karachi Kings in Sharjah. Chasing a modest target…

Cheteshwar Pujara said he didn’t have the habit of ‘switching off and on’ and that in fact he tried to remain clued in for as long as he could © Getty Images Cheteshwar Pujara was well set and batting in the 80s with less than half an hour to go for stumps. There was little that hinted at a major deviation from how he had played up to that point….

India were reduced to 50 for 5 in the final inside 18 overs © Getty Images India Under-19s’ top-order struggles against West Indies Under-19s was not a new occurrence in the tournament that unveiled itself only in the World Cup final. An unbeaten Indian side that had nearly all its parts fall into place until now, was reduced to 50 for 5 within 18 overs. Against Ireland in the first…

Saurashtra 254 for 5 (Pujara 116*, Jackson 47, Arup 3-68) lead Assam 234 (Verma 98, Unadkat 6-77) by 20 runsScorecard Cheteshwar Pujara hit 15 fours and a six in his unbeaten 116 to help Saurashtra nudge ahead © AFP Cheteshwar Pujara dipped into an imprint that has defined his standing as a Test batsman, and provided the critical nudge that advanced Saurashtra’s position in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Vadodara,…