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Ibrahim Zadran and Mujeeb Ur Rahman miss out as they are still recovering from injury

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2024Afghanistan have made two additions to the squad that beat South Africa in Sharjah in September, for the ODI series against Bangladesh at the same venue in November: opening batter Sediqullah Atal and left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad come into a 19-man squad. Ibrahim Zadran, who is recovering from an ankle surgery, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, sidelined by a right phalanx (hand) sprain, are not yet fit to play.Atal, who has six T20I caps to his name, has been in top from at the Emerging Teams Asia Cup T20 tournament, with scores of 52, 95 not out and 83. Noor makes a comeback off a stellar Caribbean Premier League performance where he was Player of the Series for his table-topping 22 wickets for St Lucia Kings.Afghanistan Cricket Board chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said: “Ibrahim Zadran is currently undergoing rehabilitation and continues to recover from the surgery he recently had. Mujeeb Ur Rahman also remains unavailable due to ongoing treatment.”However, Noor Ahmad is back in the squad, and we have included a promising top-order batter in Sediqullah Atal, who has impressed everyone with his consistent top performances.”Afghanistan play Bangladesh in three ODIs overall, from November 6 to 11, which will serve as part of the team’s build up to the Champions Trophy in February 2025. In their previous assignment, the three ODIs against South Africa, Afghanistan created history with their first series win against an opposition ranked in the top five of the ICC rankings.

Afghanistan squad for Bangladesh ODIs

Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad Malik.
In: Sediqullah Atal, Noor Ahmad

Afghanistan vs Bangladesh series schedule

• Nov 6, 1st ODI, Sharjah
• Nov 9, 2nd ODI, Sharjah
• Nov 11, 3rd ODI, Sharjah

Captain backs team to bounce back in stiff multi-format challenge against South Africa

Andrew Miller23-Nov-2024Heather Knight says that England’s women are determined not to “rip up any trees” in the wake of their meek exit from last month’s T20 World Cup, and backed her players to take the criticism in their stride as they enter the first of match of their multi-format series against South Africa, in East London on Sunday.With seven matches across three formats looming in the coming weeks, followed by the women’s Ashes in Australia in January, Knight insisted that now was not the time for “big change” to a team that came through an unbeaten home summer against Pakistan and New Zealand, and had been highly fancied to challenge for their first T20 World Cup title since 2009.That all changed, however, in a catastrophic defeat to West Indies in Dubai, in which a foot injury for Knight exposed her team-mates in the field. Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews capitalised on a spate of dropped catches, striking rapid fifties in an eight-wicket victory that dumped England out of the tournament on net run-rate.Related

• Knight's inglorious exit exposes limits of England women's evolution

• Dean sets up big win as England complete 3-0 sweep

• England Women appoint Courtney Winfield-Hill as assistant coach

• Alice Capsey called up to England T20 squad for South Africa tour

• Paige Scholfield ruled out of England's SA tour with ankle injury

“We don’t become a bad side because we played poorly in 10 overs in the World Cup,” Knight said on the eve of the first T20I. “Leading up to that, we played some brilliant cricket, so it’s obviously a bit of a bump in the road. It’s going to keep us quite humble, and keep us motivated to get better, but I think it’s really important that we don’t rip up trees.”Knight, 34 next month, has encountered a fair few ups and downs for England in her 14-year career – including captaining the team to their 50-over World Cup victory in 2017. However, she acknowledged that the reaction to their exit was more vitriolic than anything she had previously encountered, with her former team-mate Alex Hartley leading the inquisition with her suggestion that some of England’s players were letting the side down with their fitness levels.”It’s the biggest response that I’ve seen as a player, for sure, and it’s a good lesson for us,” Knight said. “As the game grows and there’s more eyes on us, and there’s more reward for being an international cricketer, naturally that scrutiny is going to increase, and actually it’s a real good sign of where the game is at.”How we deal with it, and how we move forward from it, is really important,” she added. “It’s about looking at the people around you, and staying strong within the group. Ultimately, the biggest opinions that are important to us as players and staff are in this circle, in the people around us.”That determination to stay the course was shown in England’s squad selection for this tour, with Alice Capsey’s omission from the T20I leg the only significant change, albeit one that has since been over-turned. Knight confirmed that she would remain on the sidelines for now, having continued to struggle for runs throughout her stint with Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash, with Sophia Dunkley set to reclaim her place at No.3.”We’ve been pretty clear with Alice around the reasons behind why we left her out,” Knight said. “That’s probably in terms of consistency of performance. We’re excited to see what Sophia does. She’s obviously gone through being dropped and having to improve, and force her way back into the side. We feel like she’s done that, with the form that she’s shown in the nets. Now it’s for her to transfer those changes to the middle.”Sophia Dunkley will be handed a recall for the T20Is in South Africa•ECB via Getty Images

After recovering from her World Cup injury, Knight proved her fitness is back on track during her recent stint with Sydney Thunder in the WBBL. However, she insisted her presence as captain wasn’t fundamental to the team’s fortunes, as they prepare to face a South Africa side that has now reached each of the last two T20 World Cup finals.”There’s a huge amount of leaders in this group,” Knight said. “That spell [against West Indies] was an unfair representation of the leaders that we do have in the group, and I really do feel like the likes of Nat [Sciver-Brunt], Amy [Jones] and Sophie [Ecclestone] have really grown into that role as more senior players in the last year or two.”I’m still enjoying leading the group, and part of that role is to try and grow the people around me, and put the younger players in a place where they can almost lead themselves. But I don’t think the team’s completely lost without me. That’s not a narrative that I totally agree with.”With the Ashes looming in the new year, Knight admitted it was hard not to have “half an eye” on that challenge down under, but acknowledged that the best possible preparation was to compete well against South Africa – the team who ended Australia’s 14-year reign as T20 World champions with their semi-final victory in Dubai last month.”We’re really excited to play here in South Africa,” Knight said. “It’s a brilliant sporting nation. You know what you’re going to get from South Africa. They’re going to be very passionate, very aggressive, very proud in how they go about their business.”We’re certainly not expecting an easy South African challenge, that’s for sure. The team just made back-to-back T20 World Cup finals, so no-one is expecting anything less than quite a tough challenge.”The South Africans have grown a lot in the last few years, and they’ve really become a little bit more aggressive, particularly the bat. So how we deal with that is going to be really important in this series.”But in terms of proving a point, I think that’s down to the individual. Some people will be driven by that, others will just want to keep getting better and keep doing what they do really well. It’s a good media narrative to write, but we just want to bring our best cricket, keep growing as a side, and adapt to what’s in front of us.”

India’s newly appointed T20I vice-captain has suggested that only the openers’ roles will be fixed

Sreshth Shah20-Jan-20253:12

Axar: Shami’s return a ‘big positive’

All of India’s batters apart from their openers can expect to have flexible roles in the T20I line-up. Axar Patel, India’s newly appointed vice-captain in the format, suggested this could be the case in his press conference ahead of the five-match T20I series against England.The series is set to kick off in Kolkata on Wednesday, with Chennai, Rajkot, Pune and Mumbai to host the remaining T20Is.Related

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• Sitanshu Kotak set to join India team as batting coach ahead of England T20Is

• No personal vehicles for India players as CAB enforces BCCI's new policy

• Shami puts in the hard yards at India's first training session ahead of England T20Is

In recent years, India have used Axar to good effect as a floater. It’s a reflection of his improvement with the bat – having averaged 21.26 and struck at 131.25 in all T20s until the end of 2022, he has upped his performances significantly, averaging 30.32 and striking at 145.62 since the start of 2023 – and his versatility, with India, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat sending him out in a variety of situations. He has scored six half-centuries in these last two years, from Nos. 3, 4, 6 and 7.Over recent months, India have used not just Axar but also Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh as floaters with varying levels of success.”Batting wise, it’s not just with me, but we spoke in 2023-24 itself that the openers are fixed, but everyone from Nos. 3 to 7 have been told that they can come into bat anytime, in any situation. It is not just that one batter will bat at a particular position,” Axar told reporters on Monday. “Our middle order will come to bat depending on the match situation, what kind of bowlers are bowling at the time, which match-up works well.”We’ve spoken about that, how we can all be floaters, be it coming in early or obviously finishing. This is not just for me, but for everyone from No. 3 and below, especially if they are in good touch in the nets. We will adjust accordingly. In T20Is, how you use your batters is so crucial, so this is an important factor in batting.”‘As part of the leadership group, you have to learn to take harsh decisions’•Associated Press

As Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in T20Is, Axar felt he would have to to learn to take difficult calls. It is a topic he has discussed with the support staff too.”It has just been a day, but as part of the leadership group there is an extra responsibility,” Axar said. “The T20I side is settled, so there’s not much pressure, but there are small decisions that need making and during the game I need to work closely with Suryakumar.”As part of the leadership group, you have to learn to take harsh decisions. We have spoken about sharing our genuine opinions and that will help build trust in this group.”The T20I format is such that it is so fast that you have to make decisions quickly, so the larger conversations [with the coaches] is about how to do that.”India’s immediate focus is on ODI cricket, with the Champions Trophy looming, but T20Is will assume greater significance once that tournament ends. Defending champions India and Sri Lanka are set to co-host the T20 World Cup in February-March 2026. Apart from these five matches against England, India don’t have too many T20Is lined up before they embark on their title defence: currently, they are scheduled to play three T20Is in Bangladesh in August, and five at home against South Africa later in the year.”The World Cup is coming up in a year so how we approach leading up to that, we want to try it from now itself. That’s the main target,” Axar said. “Momentum is a big thing because if you start well, you can carry it. We finished 2024 well so we want to carry the momentum into this series too.”But we’ve discussed that the past is past, however, we want to move ahead with the positives we gained from there. We have taken forward the points that brought us success.”Transition is also something happening, across all formats, but that’s a call for the selectors and captain to take.”

She had taken a break from domestic cricket and withdrawn from the WPL previously to “prioritise her well-being”

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2025New Zealand captain Sophie Devine will not be available for their ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka as she continues to “prioritise her well-being.” She had earlier pulled out of the Women’s Super Smash midway and also opted out of the WPL for the same reason after “receiving professional advice.””We are fully supportive of Sophie’s decision to not take part in the upcoming series,” Liz Green, New Zealand Cricket’s Head of Women’s High Performance, said in a statement on Monday. “Player well-being is our highest priority and it’s important Sophie feels fit and well before returning to professional cricket.”Since winning the T20 World Cup with New Zealand in October 2024, Devine, 35, had been part of the ODIs against India, played in the WBBL for Perth Scorchers, and also played the ODI series against Australia in late December. She was last seen in action in the Super Smash, where she picked up 5 for 13 against Canterbury on January 24. Her team, Wellington, went on to win the domestic T20 title with Amelia Kerr putting on a stellar show with bat and ball.New Zealand are set to play three ODIs against Sri Lanka, starting March 4 at home, followed by three T20Is that begin on March 14. A full squad is set to be announced later this month. They are also scheduled to face Australia for three T20Is in a series that starts on March 21. These are New Zealand’s first T20I assignments since their T20 World Cup triumph where Devine led them to a maiden title.

The Plate Division has been reintroduced in the men’s and women’s white-ball tournaments in a bid to minimise mismatches

Shashank Kishore14-Jun-2025The Duleep Trophy will return to its traditional zonal format when it opens the 2025-26 Indian domestic season on August 28.This was one of several changes ratified by the BCCI’s Apex Council on Saturday. Other key decisions include the introduction of a Super League phase in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, and the creation of a Plate Division for the domestic 50-overs tournaments as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Related

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• BCCI forms committee to prevent incidents like Bengaluru stampede

Last season, the Duleep Trophy had been contested by four teams – India A, B, C and D – picked by the national selectors ahead of a hectic Test season.The tournament featured the country’s top players facing off in a round-robin format. However, starting this season, the tournament will return to a zonal system, with the six squads (North, South, East, West, Central and North-East) to be selected by the respective zonal committees, as was the case in the 2023-24 season.The key reasons for return to the zonal system, according to a senior BCCI official, are to “foster a better standard of cricket” and “give players a sense of pride in representing their zone, as against the current system that only puts the focus on individual performances.”Meanwhile, the senior men’s (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) and women’s T20 competitions will feature a revamped structure, with a Super League phase introduced after the group stage.Following the initial round, in which 32 teams will be divided into four groups of eight, the top two teams from each group will advance to the Super League. In this phase, each team will play three matches, with the top two teams progressing to the final.In an equally significant move, the BCCI has reintroduced the plate division for all “major tournaments such as Vijay Hazare Trophy, Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, and Men’s U-23 State Trophy.”This move, the BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo, seeks to “prevent dilution in quality of the tournament and prevent the possibility of mismatches.” The six bottom-placed teams from the 2024-25 season will make up the plate divisions of the respective tournaments.As in 2024-25, the Ranji Trophy will be split into two phases, with the white-ball competitions played in between. This move is primarily aimed at minimising weather disruptions, particularly in northern and eastern India.

Fixture clash with Women’s World Cup

The start of the women’s season is set to clash with the 2025 Women’s 50-over World Cup that will be hosted by India (four venues) and Colombo from September 30 to November 2.The Senior Women’s T20 Trophy (Elite) is scheduled to take place from October 8 to 31, followed by the Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy from November 4 to 14. After that, the domestic season will pause for two-and-a-half months to make way for the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which is likely to be held in January 2026.The Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy (Elite) will then follow, from February 6 to 28, with the season concluding with the Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy from March 20 to April 3.

Opening stand of 158 between Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tawanda Muyeye sets tone in high-scoring contest

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Jun-2025Daniel Bell-Drummond scored a brilliant hundred as Kent won narrowly in a high-scoring game at the Cooper Associates Ground to end Somerset’s six-match winning start to the Vitality Blast T20 South Group campaign.The 31-year-old registered a high-octane innings of 100 from 49 balls, smashing 12 fours and four sixes and dominating a record-breaking opening stand of 158 with Tawanda Muyeye as the visitors posted a formidable 228 for 5 after losing the toss and being put in. Muyeye weighed in with a 40-ball 70, helping himself to six fours and three sixes in the process, while Harry Finch finished unbeaten on 22 from 13 balls. It was a chastening experience for the Somerset bowlers, Riley Meredith having the best of it with a return of 3 for 44 from four overs.Tom Banton smashed 68 off 33 balls and dominated an opening stand of 91 with Will Smeed to give the Somerset reply the perfect start. But they were unable to maintain the onslaught and Nathan Gilchrist and Joey Evison claimed two wickets apiece as Kent held their nerve to inflict a first defeat of the tournament upon last season’s runners-up.Kent boast a decent record in matches at Taunton in recent years and Muyeye and Bell-Drummond showed no signs of being intimidated by Somerset’s 100% winning start to the campaign, striking the ball cleanly in a progressive opening partnership of 158 in 13.2 overs. These two initially matched one another blow for blow, the powerplay yielding 69 runs and the hundred coming up in 8.5 overs as Somerset’s bowlers were forced onto the back foot.Leading by example, Bell-Drummond was first to 50, reaching that landmark via 29 balls with five fours and two sixes, while Muyeye faced two deliveries more to attain his half-century as the partnership went from strength to strength.Especially severe on Matt Henry, Bell-Drummond took the New Zealander for a six and a four off successive balls in the tenth as Spitfires raced to 118 without loss at the halfway stage to dampen the spirits of a sell-out crowd of 7000. Bell-Drummond took centre stage thereafter, the former Millfield Schoolboy facing a mere 19 deliveries more to go to a magnificent hundred amid a blaze of boundaries.When the veteran batter drove Lewis Goldsworthy to the cover boundary in the 13th to advance the score to 151, he and Muyeye had established a new highest opening partnership for Kent in matches against Somerset, eclipsing the 150 amassed by Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly in a game at Canterbury in 2016.No sooner had Bell-Drummond raised his third century in domestic T20 cricket, than he got out, flashing at a ball from Meredith and offering a catch behind, much to the relief of the Somerset camp. Green then had the dangerous Sam Billings held in the deep before he could inflict damage, while Lewis Gregory bowled Muyeye in the 17th to further check Kent progress.But big-hitting Finch and Jack Leaning ensured there was to be little respite for the home side, staging a fourth wicket stand of 25 at the death.Somerset chased 230 to defeat Middlesex in their last appearance at Taunton three days earlier, and Tom Banton and Will Smeed opened up in a manner that suggested they believed another successful pursuit was within their capabilities. Dropped by Gilchrist in the deep off the bowling of Fred Klaassen when he had scored 2, Banton clubbed three sixes and a four in one Stewart over to rub salt into the wound and state West Country intentions.Making the most of his escape, Banton went to 50 from 22 balls and Somerset’s opening pair put Kent’s seamers under the pump to raise 81 from the powerplay and bring the required rate down to 10.6. Kent earned themselves temporary respite, Gilchrist pinning Banton lbw for 68 with the score 91 for 1 in the seventh. Smeed then departed for 24, top-edging a short-pitched Klaassen delivery to third man as the reply faltered.The onus was now on Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Abell to play expansively and the third wicket pair plundered three boundaries in one Gilchrist over to keep the asking rate below 12. Kohler-Cadmore hit Wes Agar for an effortless straight six, followed up with a pull shot for four and then admired an Abell swish that went to the fine leg boundary as the stand realised 50 from 24 balls.Kent breathed a sigh of relief when Kohler-Cadmore, having plundered 38 from 20 balls, tried to hit Evison over the top and holed out on the long-off boundary. Gilchrist removed Abell for 22 in the next over, at which point Somerset needed a further 70 to win from 34 balls. Evison then accounted for Gregory, caught at long-on, as he visitors regained the upper hand.Somerset needed 50 off three overs and Sean Dickson and Ben Green gave it their best shot, trading in sixes to heap pressure back onto the bowlers. Green cleared the rope on three occasions at the expense of Gilchrist in the 18th and Dickson helped himself to another six off Klaassen to leave Somerset to chase 19 off the final over, bowled by Tom Rogers. Green holed out in the deep off the first ball, departing for a 12-ball 25, while Dickson finished unbeaten on 31 as Somerset fell just short in a tense finale.

The government wanted the report to be confidential but the court said that there were no legal grounds for such confidentiality

Shashank Kishore15-Jul-2025The Karnataka High Court has ordered the state government to publicly disclose its status report from the stampede incident on June 4 that marred Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL celebrations outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The tragedy led to the loss of 11 lives, with over 50 injured.The state government had requested the high court to keep the report confidential, but the court categorically stated on Monday, July 14, that there were no legal grounds for such confidentiality, and they were merely “facts as perceived” by the government.The court has also directed the government to furnish the report to other respondents in the case – RCB, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and DNA Entertainment Networks, the franchise’s event partners.Related

• Karnataka government holds RCB accountable for Bengaluru stampede

• BCCI forms committee to prevent incidents like Bengaluru stampede

• Tribunal observes RCB 'created nuisance' without prior permission

The franchise, meanwhile, is awaiting the details of a thorough CID investigation. Members of RCB’s top brass as well as those from DNA have all submitted their testimonies over the past month. A set date for the judgment is yet to be made public.On July 1, the two-member bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), a quasi-judicial body that handles matters related to government and public servants, made a key observation regarding the crowd at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.The tribunal noted that RCB was responsible for drawing a crowd of approximately three to five lakh people outside the stadium to take part in the victory parade announced by the franchise on its social media channels, shortly after RCB won their first IPL title, on June 3.The CAT was tasked to investigate the matter after Vikash Kumar, Inspector General and Additional Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru (West), filed a complaint seeking redressal after being dismissed by chief minister Siddharamaiah in the aftermath of the stampede.Vikash and four other officials were dismissed for “substantial dereliction of duty” and not seeking “guidance” which led to the situation going “out of control.” The tribunal had said that RCB had “created nuisance” by going ahead with the IPL victory celebrations without seeking or getting necessary regulatory permissions. The remarks were part of the 29-page order that CAT issued.RCB, whose chief marketing officer Nikhil Sosale was arrested and then granted bail last month, is yet to issue any further statements since announcing an increased compensation to the family of the deceased, while also supporting those injured. They pledged to form a fund – RCB Cares – to help all the families affected by the tragedy. There has also been no update on their various social media channels since June 4, the day of the incident.

ICC announces pre-sale prices as low as one US dollar approximately

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2025Tickets for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup have gone on sale with less than a month to go for the start of the tournament on September 30 in Guwahati.On Thursday, the ICC announced that tickets for all the group matches in India and Sri Lanka were available on pre-sale on tickets.cricketworldcup.com for four days from 1900 IST and SLST on September 4 via the Google Pay platform. The second phase of ticket sales will begin on September 9 at 2000 IST and SLST (1430 GMT) on tickets.cricketworldcup.com.According to the ICC, ticket prices will start at INR 100 (USD 1.14 approx.) in the first pre-sale phase – “the most affordable pricing for any ICC global event in history.”Related

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• USD 13.88 million prize money for Women's ODI World Cup

The Women’s ODI World Cup will be contested by eight teams – India, Sri Lanka, England, Australia, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh – across five venues: Colombo, Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Navi Mumbai. India and Sri Lanka open the tournament on September 30 in Guwahati, and the final is on November 2 at a yet-to-be-decided venue.The ICC recently announced that the total prize money for the tournament is USD $13.88 million, nearly a fourfold increase from the USD 3.5 million for the previous women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand in 2022.

Vipers were the only team to bid for Pakistan players a day after the PCB suspended all no-objection certificates for overseas leagues

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025R Ashwin, the only player with a base price in six figures, went unsold in the inaugural ILT20 player auction in Dubai. The former India spinner didn’t reappear in the accelerated auction, but there’s a possibility that he can still feature in the upcoming season as a wildcard. Two franchises, MI Emirates and Desert Vipers, are yet to complete their wildcard signings.Vipers were the only team to bid for Pakistan players a day after the PCB suspended all no-objection certificates for players who want to participate in T20 leagues outside Pakistan. No reason has been given as to why this action was taken.Vipers snapped up Fakhar Zaman (USD 80,000), Naseem Shah (USD 80,000) and Hasan Nawaz (USD 40,000) all at their base prices.Vipers also picked the Afghanistan pair of Qais Ahmad and Faridoon Dawoodzai.West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Andre Fletcher fetched the highest bid of USD 260,000. MI Emirates outbid rivals to retain him for a fourth successive season.Related

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• ILT20: Dinesh Karthik joins Sharjah Warriorz

• PCB suspends player NOCs for overseas T20 leagues

UAE wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind, who was with MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals in the past, was the first player to attract a bid in the auction, also going to Vipers for USD 10,000.Pakistan-born UAE fast bowler Junaid Siddique triggered a bidding war, with Gulf Giants bidding up to USD 170,000 for him, but Sharjah Warriorz used their RTM to match that bid and bring him back to their franchise. Siddique’s recent form is particularly encouraging: he was the third-highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup with nine strikes in three games at an average of 6.33 and an identical economy rate.Akshay Wakhare, a former Ranji Trophy winner with Vidarbha, earned a gig with Dubai Capitals while former India Under-19 captain Unmukt Chand, who has now moved to the USA, went to Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.A day before the player auction, Warriorz unveiled former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik as a replacement for Kusal Mendis.The ILT20’s fourth season, to be held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, begins on December 2 this year, and will run until January 4, 2026, featuring six teams across 34 matches.JP Duminy raises the paddle for Sharjah Warriorz•ILT20

Squads

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Total Spent: USD 1,457,000)
Auction Signings: Michael Pepper (USD 40,000), George Garton (USD 10,000), Brandon McMullen (USD 110,000), Ibrar Ahmed (USD 22,000), Ajay Kumar (USD 10,000), Adnan Idrees Muhammad (USD 10,000), Abdul Manan Ali (USD 10,000), Mayank Chowdary (USD 10,000), Khary Pierre (USD 10,000), Shadley Van Schalkwyk (USD 10,000), Unmukt Chand (USD 40,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Liam Livingstone, Alishan Sharafu, Alex Hales, Sherfane Rutherford, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Phil Salt, Olly StoneDesert Vipers (Total Spent: USD 1,617,500)
Auction Signings: Vriitya Aravind (USD 10,000), Fakhar Zaman (USD 80,000), Naseem Shah (USD 80,000), Qais Ahmad (USD 40,000), Sanjay Pahal (USD 10,000), Bilal Tahir (USD 10,000), Faisal Khan (USD 10,000), Hasan Nawaz (USD 40,000), Tom Bruce (USD 80,000), Matiullah Khan (USD 10,000), Tawanda Muyeye (USD 40,000), Faridoon Dawoodzai (USD 10,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Dan Lawrence, Max Holden, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sam Curran, Andries GousDubai Capitals (Total Spent: USD 1,475,000)
Auction Signings: Muhammad Farooq (USD 10,000), Tymal Mills (USD 80,000), Scott Currie (USD 250,000), Mohammad Nabi (USD 80,000), Farhan Khan (USD 10,000), Anudeep Chenthamara (USD 10,000), Usman Najeeb (USD 10,000), Ritesh Mallikarjuna Grandhi (USD 10,000), Shayan Jahangir (USD 10,000), Rushil Ugarkar (USD 10,000), Naveen Bidiasee (USD 10,000), Toby Albert (USD 10,000), Akshay Wakhare (USD 10,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Jordan Matthew Cox, Rovman Powell, Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Waqar Salamkheil, Haider Ali, Muhammad Jawadullah, Jimmy NeeshamGulf Giants (Total Spent: USD 1,471,000)
Auction Signings: Asif Khan (USD 26,000), Zuhaib Zubair (USD 10,000), Sean Dickson (USD 10,000), Tabraiz Shamsi (USD 40,000), Liam Dawson (USD 170,000), Fred Klaassen (USD 40,000), Haider Razzaq (USD 50,000), Meet Bhavsar (USD 14,000), Ishtiaq Ahmad (USD 16,000), Lorcan Tucker (USD 10,000), Chris Wood (USD 40,000), Tom Moores (USD 40,000), Ramon Simmonds (USD 40,000)Retentions + Direct Signings: Aayan Afzal Khan, Mark Adair, Gerhard Erasmus, Blessing Muzarabani, Moeen Ali, James Vince, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah GurbazMI Emirates (Total Spent: USD 1,868,000)
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The hosts will be without three first-choice players in Wellington, where they have lost their last two Test matches

Vishal Dikshit09-Dec-2025

Big Picture

West Indies came to Christchurch having lost each of their last five Tests, and having last won a Test in New Zealand in 1995. They seemed set to lose again. Then came the most audacious of efforts: they batted for 26 minutes shy of 12 hours – or nearly two full days – in their second innings, even raising hopes of chasing down an unthinkable 531 against a depleted New Zealand attack, despite having reeled at 277 for 6 at one point.West Indies will have their tail up going into the second Test in Wellington, where New Zealand have lost their last two Tests by big margins: by 323 runs to England and by 172 runs to Australia, both in 2024. The hosts have a long injury list, with Matt Henry and Nathan Smith out of the rest of the series and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell out of the second Test, with Mitchell Hay set to debut on Wednesday. They have, however, been bolstered by the returns of Glenn Phillips and the now-fit Daryl Mitchell, while Kyle Jamieson gets closer to Test-match fitness in the Plunket Shield.As their rejigged pace attack tries to find its bearings in Wellington, New Zealand will also hope their batters can fire as a collective. Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra scored centuries in the second innings in Christchurch when the conditions had flattened out, and Kane Williamson returned to Test cricket with a 52 in the first innings, but there were no other 50-plus scores in either innings. New Zealand would especially want their less-experienced batters to also step up and not leave all the heavy lifting to the big names.West Indies have even less experience, with only three members of their squad – Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Kemar Roach – having played more than 30 Tests each. But they’re making something of a habit of throwing surprise parties on the road. Their lower order did it in Multan earlier this year, Shamar Joseph (currently injured) did it at the Gabba in 2024, and debutant Kyle Mayers did it with a double-century in Chattogram in early 2021.Christchurch only continued that trend. Can West Indies sustain that magic through the rest of this three-match series?

Form guide

New Zealand DWWWL (last five matches, most recent first)
West Indies DLLLL

In the spotlight

Twenty-five-year-old Mitchell Hay from Canterbury will get his New Zealand Test cap on Wednesday, having already debuted in T20Is and ODIs over the last 13 months. He has an ODI 99* against Pakistan to his name as well as the T20I record for the most dismissals in an innings, with five catches and a stumping against Sri Lanka in Dambulla. He boasts a first-class average of 48.58, with 1895 runs in 29 games including a century and 17 fifties. If he can bring that level of performance to the top level, New Zealand will have the ideal back-up for Blundell, who turned 35 this year.In his last match before this tour, John Campbell scored his maiden Test hundred in Delhi, a second-innings 115 full of authoritative sweeps and slog-sweeps. He has endured a difficult time on this tour so far. He followed scores of 4, 4 and 26 in the ODIs with a 68 in the warm-up game before the Tests, but he only managed 1 and 15 in Christchurch, where he was caught in the slips in both innings. West Indies will hope for more from the opener in Wellington.New Zealand are set to replace Michael Bracewell, who bowled 55 second-innings overs in Christchurch, with Glenn Phillips•AFP/Getty Images

Team news

New Zealand will be forced to make at least three changes to their XI, with Blundell, Henry and Smith all out injured. They have called up right-arm quicks Kristian Clarke and Michael Rae to their 14-man squad, which also includes the returning Phillips and Mitchell, who fielded as a substitute in the first Test but wasn’t available for the whole game. Captain Tom Latham has confirmed that Phillips will come into the XI for Michael Bracewell, who sent down 55 overs in the second innings in Christchurch. Mitchell, meanwhile, could slot in for Will Young in the middle order while Blair Tickner and either Clarke or Rae come in for the injured fast bowlers.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Will Young/Daryl Mitchell, 6 Mitchell Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell/Glenn Phillips, 8 Zak Foulkes, 9 Kristian Clarke/Michael Rae, 10 Blair Tickner, 11 Jacob Duffy.Shai Hope had an issue with his eye in the first Test and is “back to normal,” according to West Indies captain Roston Chase. West Indies may not feel the need to tinker too much with their combination, though they could bring in the tall Anderson Phillip for Johann Layne, who went for 127 runs in his 24 overs in the first Test.West Indies (probable): 1 John Campbell, 2 Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 3 Alick Athanaze, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase (capt), 6 Justin Greaves, 7 Tevin Imlach (wk), 8 Kemar Roach, 9 Johann Layne/Anderson Phillip, 10 Jayden Seales, 11 Ojay Shields.

Pitch and conditions

The Wellington track is known to offer movement and bounce for the quicker bowlers, particularly early on. “There have been times when it’s been challenging to bat here first,” New Zealand captain Latham said on the eve of the Test. The team winning the toss at the Basin Reserve has opted to bowl first in each of the last 17 Tests here; the last side choosing to bat was New Zealand against Pakistan back in January 2011. Chilly weather is expected through the Test with temperatures ranging between 13 and 19 degrees Celsius. Clear skies and sunshine are expected through all five days, with minimal chance of rain.

Stats and trivia

• The Christchurch Test was the first draw in New Zealand since November 2019, ending a streak of 21 matches with a decisive result.
• New Zealand will play a highly inexperienced attack in Wellington. The last time they fielded a Test XI in which no bowler had 50-plus Test wickets was the 2012 Kingston Test against West Indies. It was the first Test match featuring all three of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner.
• West Indies have not lost the opening match of an away Test series only twice since 2014 (17 away bilateral series outside of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). Those two series are the current one and the one in England in 2020, which they lost 2-1 after winning the first Test.
• Shai Hope has made 140, 56 and 103 in his last three Test innings. Before this run, he had not scored a fifty in 31 Test innings over six years. He scored 505 runs in those 31 innings at an average of 16.83, with a top score of 48.

Quotes

“Yes, they haven’t necessarily had the results from a Test point of view but any international cricketer can front up on any day and we certainly saw that over the last couple of days at Hagley [Oval] where whatever we threw at them, they just had an answer for.”
“The guys have settled well. The Test match that we played is going to give us a lot of confidence going in the series, knowing that we can actually compete and [having] come close, almost having a chance of winning the first Test match. So the spirits are high and very, very, very, very believing right now.”