Will Delhi Capitals look to bring back former captain Rishabh Pant? And is Mohammed Shami the obvious choice for Gujarat Titans?

Dustin Silgardo19-Nov-2024What is the right-to-match (RTM) rule?
Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, each team was allowed to retain up to six players, with a maximum of five capped players and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players.For the eight teams that did not use all of their six retentions, they can now use right-to-match options on players from their 2024 squads to fill up the remaining slots. The limits of five capped and two uncapped players still apply, so teams that have retained five capped players can use their RTM option on only one uncapped Indian player. And if a team has retained two uncapped players, they can use their RTM options on only capped players. If a team uses a RTM option on one of their former players at the auction, the last bidder will be allowed to raise the bid one final time, and the choice of whether to continue with the right-to-match option and match the bid then lies with the team using the RTM option.
Delhi Capitals
Players retained: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel
Purse remaining: INR 73 crore
Right-to-match options: 2The big question for DC ahead of the auction is whether they will use a right-to-match option on former captain Rishabh Pant. While DC did not retain Pant, there is talk that they still want him at the franchise. DC can use both their right-to-match options on capped players, so they could also target Khaleel Ahmed, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mukesh Kumar, Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh or Harry Brook.Khaleel spent three years at DC and consistently provided powerplay wickets. That he is an Indian left-arm seamer also makes him someone worth using a right-to-match option on. While Mukesh is not the most spectacular T20 bowler, his death-bowling numbers over two seasons with DC have been fair. His name only comes up in Set 16, though, so DC may not have a right-to-match option remaining then. Nortje was one of DC’s retentions in 2022 after two strong seasons with them, but he had a shocker in 2024. He has regained some form since but is still a risky pick.Among the batters, Fraser-McGurk, who is in Set 3, is the name that stands out after his eye-catching first season. His international form since then, though, has been underwhelming. With Australian coaches at two other franchises, the bidding for Fraser-McGurk might go quite high, which will make the right-to-match option handy. Marsh and Brook have both failed to impress in the IPL but are proven internationals.If DC somehow reach the latter stages of the auction with a right-to-match option still in hand, they may look at 24-year-old uncapped seamer Rasikh Salam Dar, who had an impressive debut season in 2024. He is in Set 11.BCCIGujarat Titans
Players retained: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan
Purse remaining: INR 69 crore
Right-to-match options: 1 (capped)Will Gujarat Titans use their lone right-to-match option on Mohammed Shami? He was the Purple Cap winner in 2023 and played a crucial role in GT’s run to the final in both 2022 and 2023 before missing the 2024 season with injury. Injuries and age are the main concerns surrounding Shami. He played his first competitive match since 2023 just ahead of the auction and took seven wickets across two innings for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in a first-class game. That show of fitness could be the deciding factor in GT going for him.If GT don’t use the right-to-match option on Shami, the other options are David Miller, who is in Set 2, and Noor Ahmad, who is in Set 7. Miller, 34, had a disappointing 2024 season but was in fine form during the recent Caribbean Premier League. Noor, meanwhile, topped the wicket charts in the CPL and at 19, might be seen as an investment for the future.

The seventh over from Bishnoi to Abhishek flipped the match, the forecaster, and LSG’s fate in minutes

Deivarayan Muthu20-May-20251:42

Abhinav: Abhishek an unbelievable hitter of pace and spin

Abhishek Sharma is a six-hitting machine. Since the start of IPL 2024, he has cleared the boundary 114 times in 47 innings in T20 cricket. Only Nicholas Pooran (181) has hit more sixes than Abhishek during this period.In a chase of 206 against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday, four of those Abhishek sixes came off Ravi Bishnoi in the seventh over and decisively swung the game towards Sunrisers Hyderabad. After the end of the powerplay, ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster pegged SRH’s chances of winning at 48.66. After the 26-run seventh over – the most expensive seventh over in IPL history – it surged to almost 80%. Game over for LSG. Season over for LSG.SRH were without Travis Head, who was in quarantine at the hotel after having tested positive for Covid-19, but Abhishek almost single-handedly reminded the world of their all-out intent and explosive power.For most batters, there’s an inherent risk in hitting sixes. But Abhishek isn’t most batters – he has stripped his game down to hitting sixes – with or without Head.”No (didn’t change anything),” Abhishek said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “If we would have been batting first, I would have had some other plans but obviously when you’re chasing 200, then you have to use the powerplay and then go from the first ball. And that was the plan – me and Atharva [Taide] had a chat about that. If it’s going to be the first ball, we will see and just knock it around.”If you ask any of the player who is playing international (cricket), probably playing for the last ten years, they would say if you chase 200 something, your powerplay has to be good and you should win the powerplay. That was in my mind and every time you are chasing 200, just wanted to express myself and obviously if I do well, it’s going to go well for the team.”ESPNcricinfo LtdIt went swimmingly well for SRH, despite the early dismissal of Taide, who had replaced Head at the top. Abhishek claimed 35 of the 72 runs SRH had scored in the powerplay, but then LSG had also maximised their powerplay earlier in the day, charging to 69 for 0.Abhishek pulled the trigger in the seventh, facing four balls from Bishnoi and firing all four over the boundary. The wristspinner seemed to be operating with a sound plan: hide wrong’uns away from the left-handed Abhishek, with his sharp angle from over the wicket taking it further away from the batter. Abhishek, though, dismantled Bishnoi’s best-laid plans with his immense reach and unfettered bat-swing, reminiscent of his idol Yuvraj Singh.Related

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Bishnoi had protection at long-off, but Abhishek cleared him with his first hit. The next was tonked over long-on and the third, which was pumped over Bishnoi’s head brought him an 18-ball half-century.Abhishek forced Bishnoi into veering away from his plan and bowl into the pitch and on the stumps. He was ready on the back foot for the variation in line and length, and also had some luck go his way, with his pull eluding Pooran at the midwicket boundary. Just like that, Abhishek changed the game in four balls. His coach Daniel Vettori wasn’t surprised one bit.”I think we’re probably used to it,” Vettori said after SRH chased their target with ten balls and six wickets to spare. “He has been incredible and the big challenge for any team is when he gets through the early stages of his innings and plays spin. Once again tonight, he was exceptional against the spinners and his strike rate is out of this world. So, we know that whenever the opportunity presents itself, he normally takes it on and normally is very successful.”In IPL 2024, Abhishek had nearly killed off a chase against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with a 27-run over off Mukesh Choudhary in the powerplay. Very few batters around the world have the ability to change games in an over against both pace and spin in T20 cricket.They say batters hit their peak in their late 20s or early 30s, but at 24 Abhishek has already pushed T20 batting to the stuff of dreams. It’s scary to think how good he could be in the years to come.

His batting suffered after he became the all-format captain. But now he once again has the freedom to express himself as a batter

Mohammad Isam29-Jun-2025Najmul Hossain Shanto was asked to steer the Bangladesh team away from a high-profile feud. He ended up leading the cricket team amid a political upheaval, where he saw both sides of the coin. He tried to quit the captaincy once, but was talked out of it. Eight months later, when he finally stepped down as Test captain following the Sri Lanka series, Bangladesh lost out on a good leader on and off the field. Still, one can’t help but say that Shanto’s exit as captain is a blessing for him and the team. After a 19-month tumult, he can now focus solely on his batting and try to reprise his 2023 form.Bangladesh need arguably their best batter of this generation to get them runs regularly. Shanto spent much of his captaincy dealing with a lot of things out of his control. He is much better off playing drives down the ground and through covers.As captain, Shanto was caught up in an intriguing world, one that was thankless. The last straw was the BCB sacking him as the ODI captain when he had big plans about leading the team for the next few years. Shanto’s captaincy was a breath of fresh air but it is he who now needs to breathe freely as a batter.Related

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Although the BCB bosses said Shanto’s decision caught them off guard, Shanto had followed the correct procedure. He informed the necessary personnel about his decision some time ago, before announcing at the end of the Test series. It was the natural endpoint for such an announcement.Shanto didn’t want to wait too long to tell the public after making up his mind about the captaincy. This was a rational decision with an ODI series, under new captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, less than a week away. Shanto also could have waited till the end of the Sri Lanka tour but things change fast in Bangladesh cricket.Mehidy Hasan Miraz has replaced Shanto has ODI captain•BCBHad Shanto waited till then, his resignation could have had many more interpretations. Had he resigned after the first Test in Galle, his twin centuries could have been seen as a fitting reply to the BCB, given the way the board’s treatment regarding his ODI captaincy. But he waited till the end of the series.Shanto, like every Bangladeshi cricketer, is aware of the climate in which he operates. The BCB has a long history of sacking captains. On most occasions, it is done without informing the captain. It is preceded or followed by a media trial. It takes a mental toll on the cricketer, as many would vouch.Shanto experienced the sacking just a couple of weeks ago. The following day, when Mehidy was at his first press conference as the new ODI captain, there was a question about the BCB’s treatment of Shanto, and whether he is also prepared for such a fate.”We always work with that sort of thing at the back of our mind,” Mehidy said.

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Shanto, though, showed that BCB’s mismanagement wasn’t going to be a distraction, with his twin centuries. Rain prevented Bangladesh’s push for victory on the final day, but Shanto walked away with his head held high. It was a display of his wide-ranging ability and overall quality.Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto has a long partnership in the first innings in Galle•Getty ImagesShanto dominated the 264-run fourth-wicket stand with Mushfiqur Rahim in the first innings. It was a counterattack after Bangladesh had lost three early wickets. He drove the ball, at times uppishly early on, before switching to horizontal bat shots, particularly the sweep, against the Sri Lanka spinners.Shanto’s strike rotation was just as impressive as his ability to find boundaries, something he has done in many innings during the last 18 months. His partnership with Mushfiqur was an example for the dressing room of how senior batters should stand up in the hour of need. With his unbeaten 125 in the second innings, he became the second fastest from Bangladesh to reach seven Test hundreds, in 68 innings.

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Shortly before the 2023 ODI World Cup, with then-incumbent captain Shakib Al Hasan rested, Shanto captained Bangladesh in a one-off match against New Zealand. It was a volatile time in the Bangladesh team with Shakib and Tamim Iqbal at loggerheads. There was so much bitterness that the BCB decided it was time to start with a clean break in the leadership group.Coach Chandika Hathurusinghe had backed Shanto for full-time captaincy•BCBShakib’s finger injury in the World Cup made it easier for the board to pivot towards Shanto as the Test captain for the New Zealand series in November 2023. Shanto started with a century and led Bangladesh to their first home Test win against New Zealand. He also impressed in the following white-ball series in New Zealand, where Chandika Hathurusingha said he would back Shanto as the full-time captain.Bangladesh, though, had a bit of a nightmare when the USA beat them 2-1 in a T20I series before the 2024 T20 World Cup. They managed to reach the Super Eights, but performances were unconvincing. Their exit, when they dithered in a shortened chase against Afghanistan, left fans irate. Shanto scored 112 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 95.72, with many calling for his sacking.Bangladesh, however, bounced back in August last year when they beat Pakistan 2-0 in the Test series. Shanto made only 58 runs but was widely praised for the way he handled the team on and off the field, particularly in the immediate aftermath of a regime change back home. Shanto strived to keep the team’s focus on cricket.The prevailing volatility, though, caught up with the cricket team. Shanto was found himself in the middle of the Shakib selection dilemma shortly before the home Tests against South Africa in October. Shakib ultimately couldn’t reach Bangladesh to play the series, which left Shanto disappointed.Shanto led Bangladesh to a 2-0 Test series win in Pakistan•Associated PressShanto’s frustration reached a point when he mulled leaving the Bangladesh captaincy during the South Africa series. The BCB president Faruque Ahmed talked him out of it after a long meeting.When Shanto had a hamstring injury a couple of weeks later, there was a first glimpse of the new leaders in Mehidy (Tests and ODIs) and Litton Das (T20Is). Bangladesh won a Test in the West Indies under Mehidy, and Litton led them to a 3-0 win in the T20Is. The BCB duly noted the two captaincy candidates.

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Shanto didn’t bat particularly badly as the Bangladesh captain, but not having to think about the captaincy henceforth should allow him to fulfil his batting potential. His main reference point will be the 12 months prior to his first match as Bangladesh captain.He was averaging 40-plus in Tests and ODIs and had played several match-winning knocks in T20Is. It began with the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where he was Bangladesh’s top run-getter. It was followed by four match-winning knocks against England at home. Then came centuries against Ireland and Afghanistan, followed by a superb ton against Afghanistan in the 2023 Asia Cup.Neither Shanto nor Bangladesh had a great time at the 2024 T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesAfter he took over the captaincy in all three formats by early 2024, his batting also suffered. But now he once again has the freedom to express himself fully as a batter.Apart from looking at his own performances in the 2022-23 period, Shanto can also take advice from Mushfiqur, who has had a productive post-captaincy career. Since his Test captaincy, Mushfiqur has averaged 42.60 in 40 Tests, with five of his seven 150-plus scores coming in this period. He had similar success in ODIs as well after his captaincy period was over.This is Shanto’s chance to step up his game and join the likes of Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant and Ben Duckett, who are all from the same Under-19 batch as Shanto. More importantly, an unburdened Shanto will be hugely beneficial to the Bangladesh team. They have lost some big names in the last 12 months, and don’t have any other young batter who has been consistent.Shanto could be the lynchpin of Bangladesh’s batting for the next ten years. Hope the BCB realises that and lets him do his job.

Zimbabwe could score only 242 runs, their fifth-lowest aggregate in men’s Test matches where they have been bowled out twice

Sampath Bandarupalli09-Aug-2025An innings and 359 runs New Zealand’s margin of victory against Zimbabwe in the second Test in Bulawayo is the third-biggest win for any team in Test cricket, and the biggest for New Zealand. England won by innings and 579 runs against Australia in 1938 at The Oval, while Australia beat South Africa by innings and 360 runs in Johannesburg in 2002.New Zealand’s previous biggest innings win was by 301 runs against Zimbabwe in 2012 in Napier, which also happened to be the previous biggest defeat for Zimbabwe.ESPNcricinfo Ltd181.41 Difference between New Zealand’s batting average (192.66) and bowling average (11.25) over the last three days. Only seven teams have won a men’s Test match with a higher difference in the averages of their batters and bowlers.Only once before have New Zealand won a Test match with a difference of 100 between their batting and bowling averages – 110.10 against Sri Lanka in 2023 in Wellington.Related

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242 Zimbabwe’s aggregate runs in Bulawayo is their fifth-lowest in a Test match where they have been bowled out twice. It is also their second-lowest at home, behind the 158 runs they made against New Zealand in Harare in 2005.9 for 75 Zakary Foulkes’ match figures, the best for a bowler on Test debut for New Zealand. Only Will O’Rourke had taken nine wickets on debut for New Zealand previously, 9 for 93 against South Africa in Hamilton in 2024.Zakary Foulkes picked the best-ever figures for a New Zealand bowler on Test debut•Zimbabwe CricketFoulkes’ match average of 8.33 is the second-best for any bowler with four-plus wicket hauls in both innings on Test debut. Clarrie Grimmett averaged 7.45 on his debut against England in Sydney in 1925, where he bagged 11 for 82.3 Instances of three batters recording 150-plus scores in the same Test innings, including Devon Conway (153), Henry Nicholls (150*) and Rachin Ravindra (165*) in Bulawayo.Len Hutton (365), Maurice Leyland (187) and Joe Hardstaff (169*) for England against Australia in 1938 at The Oval were the first such trio, while India’s Sunil Gavaskar (176), Mohammad Azharuddin (199) and Kapil Dev (163) replicated it against Sri Lanka in Kanpur in 1986.5 Instances of fast bowlers taking all 20 wickets in a Test match for New Zealand, away from home. The last of the previous four was against India at Southampton in the World Test Championship final in 2021.601 for 3 New Zealand’s first-innings total was their highest in Test cricket against Zimbabwe, surpassing the 582 for 4 in 2016, also in Bulawayo. New Zealand have topped the 600-mark on 12 occasions so far, and their effort against Zimbabwe was their first since the 612 for 9 against Pakistan in 2022.288.80 Nicholls’ batting average while scoring a hundred in Test cricket. Among batters with at least ten hundreds, only Andy Flower (340) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (319.83) average more than Nicholls while scoring a hundred.

Ahead of his final Test, Angelo Mathews looks back at a long, eventful career

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Jun-2025In the first few years of your international career, it felt like you were a little bulletproof. You’d captained age-group teams, and suddenly you were the dynamic young allrounder in one of the greatest Sri Lanka teams that ever was. What do you remember of that start?I’d like to start off by thanking the Almighty, and then my parents, my wife, my kids, my siblings – everyone who has sacrificed a lot for me. Starting from school, I got every opportunity to study and excel in sports. I’m very thankful to my college, all my teachers, past presidents, rectors, my coaches from under-13 to first XI.I got those opportunities, and then I was able to excel and get myself to achieve the target of any cricketer’s dream – playing for the national team. I was suddenly called up to a team that I used to watch on TV. Those were my heroes. The next minute I’m with them, getting myself ready to play again. I was shocked. But the seniors helped me feel at home.Related

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You’re sitting here a much wiser man. How do you feel about the Angelo of that early era who was playing ridiculous amounts of cricket as an allrounder? Do you think about missed opportunities to set yourself up for a sustainable peak, or do you judge yourself with a bit more kindness?I didn’t actually think about my workload management. As I said, I’ve seen a stat where from 2010 to 2015 I have played the most number of games in the entire world. So that speaks for itself.I would say the only other regret I have in my career is that I couldn’t achieve the 10,000-run mark. But every other thing, I’ve given my best in every situation. I’ve tried to win games for my country in every situation. Giving 100% to your team in every single game is another thing, so I was wanting to play all three formats and contribute with bat, ball, and in the field, in every single game. I was absolutely going for it.Obviously, I could have done things better. It was in 2018 that I sat down with Dilshan Fonseka (men’s team trainer) and looked at the amount of injuries that I had. He told me that my body couldn’t bear it. So I changed everything – the way I eat, my lifestyle, and my training.The Headingley Test was one of the highlights of Angelo Mathews’ career•AFPWe’ll get to how you changed things up a bit later, but ahead of your final Test, I wanted to also talk to you about what most people remember as maybe your greatest Test innings – the 160 in Headingley. This was at your very peak…That was one of the standouts in my career, I would say. I remember quite a few innings where I was also surprised with how well I batted, and that is definitely one of the innings. That England tour was a very heated competition between the two teams, especially starting from the one-dayers where they were targeting me as the captain. I took that energy and I transferred it into my focus and performances and that helped me play that aggressive sort of cricket. I’m pretty happy with what we did on that tour, as a team, and for me as a cricketer and captain.The young Angelo was very cool, calm and collected. That England tour was when we saw a bit of grumpiness come in…It all started with that mankading incident in the one-dayers. I’d say we’d given them enough warnings, especially in the previous game, where they were stealing quite a few runs. Both teams were grumpy. The laws weren’t that strict [on player behaviour] back then, so we exchanged a lot of words.You were doing a lot of things for this team at the time, though. You were captaining. You were expected to finish games with the bat, but you were also playing match-saving innings. You were opening the bowling in limited-overs games, and also playing a role with the ball in Tests. And you were quite young – did it feel unfair to be loaded with so much responsibility?No, every single captain goes through this. I’ve lost a lot of hair during the tenure. Not many captains have a lot of hair left. Whether you’re captaining Sri Lanka or wherever, there’s always that added responsibility. Everyone is watching you, everyone is waiting to hear from you. So that sometimes can be a bit of a pain, but I enjoyed it. Sometimes I did feel like I wanted to give up. But then I said to myself, ‘You’ve been given this opportunity. Try and take the team to another level.’In 2018, something extremely unusual happened to you. You essentially got called fat by coach Chandika Hathurusingha, in one of the most insulting ways, and you were dropped from the team you had been asked to resume captaincy of. Does that still make you angry?No, I think you shouldn’t be holding on to things. You need to learn to let go. You don’t need to react. I’ve been brought up in a way where my parents and in my school, everyone has taught me to understand and then respect people. Later, things got a bit too ugly. Let’s say, whatever, whoever said about me, I didn’t really care because I know people have their own opinions.Angelo Mathews celebrated his Test hundred at Basin Reserve with a set of push-ups•Getty ImagesBut you did react at the time, and it was putting obvious pressure on you. When you hit a hundred at the Basin Reserve, you did push ups to almost defy the coach who was calling you unfit…Whatever the selectors and the coach decide is out of my control, so I was just trying to control what was in my control. In the heat of the moment, I did some push-ups, and I did react. But I didn’t want to react like that without performing.Another fun little moment came in that 2019 ODI World Cup match against West Indies, when you hadn’t bowled in months, even in the nets, but offered to make up the overs right at the end of the game. And you ended up taking a wicket!chuckles I hadn’t bowled in about six months, but I knew [captain] Dimuth Karunaratne was running out of options because all our top bowlers were finishing their quota of overs. And then I said to Dimuth, bowl our best bowlers for now and try and get this wicket. If in case, if they don’t get out and if you’re stuck with a couple of overs, I can still bowl you those two overs.Unfortunately the quota was finished with our best bowlers, and then I had to eventually roll my arm over. I think the experience paid off. I knew I couldn’t bowl onto Nicholas Pooran’s legs because he was so strong – he was just picking everything up from his legs and hitting it over the boundaries. So I knew that I had to go wider to him, and then I just went wide to him, and he just nicked it.

“Fitness plays a major part nowadays because of the volume of cricket that we play. I understand the value of being fit. I just want to encourage the younger generation to keep pushing.”Angelo Mathews

You’ve also spoken about reorganising your relationship with food around 2018. Is that something you wish you did earlier?I’d say yes, but then all the way until 2018, I was playing all three formats and didn’t really have the opportunity of being able to block out time for just training. You need at least six to eight weeks for that. Once I started getting injured constantly, I thought I needed to slow things down and think of what I actually needed to do rather than just playing. That’s when that meeting with Dilshan happened. I was doing a lot of static training, but needed to change to a lot of functional training. I made that change and feel absolutely brilliant.After being called fat for several years, you’re now posting shirtless mirror selfies with your abs popping in your mid to late 30s. That’s got to feel good…laughs Yes, I’m feeling good. I just want to inspire the younger generation. Fitness plays a major part nowadays because of the volume of cricket that we play. I understand the value of being fit. I just want to encourage the younger generation to keep pushing.We got some very grumpy moments from you late in your career too. I’m thinking of that heated press conference where you went all out against Bangladesh after you got timed out…I think that was one of the times that I did speak quite a lot because I was angry and I felt disappointed. I hadn’t done anything wrong. When I showed the video to the match referee and the umpires post-game, they realised it and said sorry. But that was a very crucial game for us and I felt like I was targeted. I don’t know what prompted them to appeal.I felt that the umpires should have got involved a little bit more. I certainly didn’t cross the two-minute mark when I went to the crease. It was obvious that my helmet broke at the time and not before I walked into the ground. So it was a fair reason for me to get angry.Any Sri Lankan player, and particularly someone who has captained as long as you, has many off-field battles to fight through their career as well. Any battles that stick out?There was one phase where some of the past cricketers were coming out and saying unnecessary stuff [about corruption] without evidence. That really hurt the entire team. You shouldn’t drag the players into it. I just urge them to produce evidence in front of everyone, but don’t just say things for the sake of it, because it tarnishes the team’s reputation. This was around 2018, when the big allegations were happening and the ICC had started an investigation in Sri Lanka, and they went through the entire team. It was a very disturbing thing for everyone.There will always be attempts to topple the administration, and that’s not our business. But they shouldn’t be dragging players into it.Now, there is a bill passed anyway (Sri Lanka has criminalised sports fixing), so if someone talks rubbish we can raise it according to the law. Back then we didn’t have anything.Are you glad that bill has passed?Yes, because it stops the rubbish that people say. If they want to say something and have evidence, then no problem.Moving back to your cricket, are there any parts of your record you look at now and are especially proud of?To finish third on the list of Sri Lanka’s Test run-scorers, behind two of the greatest that have ever played for Sri Lanka (Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene) – that makes me really proud. I know there is regret about 10,000, but I’m happy reaching 8000-odd. Due to injuries I couldn’t play a lot of Test cricket as well. But I’m fortunate that despite that, I was able to play 118 Tests.Dinesh Chandimal, Rangana Herath and Angelo Mathews during a lap of honour after the series win against Australia in 2016•AFPYou had two truly outstanding Test series wins in your record as captain – 2014 series win in England, and the 3-0 home whitewash against Australia in 2016. Were those your favourites?Yeah, they’re my two top ones. Because winning against England in England is a very tough ask.Against Australia, wherever you play, it’s going to be a challenge. We all know that they are a very strong team. And then to beat them 3-0, when they were number one at the time as well, with a young set of guys, was incredible. Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva were performing, and we were able to complete a whitewash with Rangana Herath leading the bowling.I know you’re available for white-ball cricket for a little while, but you must be thinking of post-retirement life. What does that look like for you?I haven’t decided. Cricket has given me everything. I would like to give back in whatever capacity. I’ll still keep playing for a year or two in leagues and other stuff if that comes my way. I feel I can still contribute to the game.I’d also like to thank SLC for all their support from 2008 till now. I’d love to thank the support staff since 2008 as well. A special mention to all the back-room coaches at the high performance centre, and all the other stuff there – the masseurs and masseuses, and the physios – everyone. Day in day out, they have helped me personally, and they have helped the teams, without much recognition. I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the back-end staff at HPC. They’ve worked extremely hard to keep us fit and keep us in good form.

As Starc joins the elite club of fast bowlers with 100 Tests, a look at ten of his most defining performances

Alex Malcolm09-Jul-2025Galle 2016 vs Sri LankaIn conditions where Sri Lanka’s spinners ran roughshod over Australia’s batters, Starc put in a herculean effort to prove unequivocally that he did not need a swinging pink ball or fast bouncy pitches to be a force in Test cricket. He took 5 for 44 in the first innings and 6 for 50 in the second, which were his best Test figures until last season, to single-handedly give Australia a chance in a game they lost by 229 runs.He took wickets in all three phases of each innings, too, knocking over top-order players when the pitch was at its best with the new ball, removing set middle-order players like Kusal Mendis with a 45-over-old ball, before blowing away the tail with reverse swing.Colombo 2016 vs Sri LankaHaving already lost the series, Starc again gave his side a chance in Colombo for a face-saving win with 5 for 63 from 25.1 overs in the first innings after Sri Lanka had won the toss at the normally batter-friendly SSC ground. He stormed through the top order with the new ball, taking three wickets, to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 24 for 4.Mitchell Starc roars after dismissing Kusal Mendis•Associated PressHe later broke a 211-run stand to remove Dinesh Chandimal for 132 with extra pace in the 104th over of the innings before claiming a deserved fifth to finish the innings. It helped Australia claim a first-innings lead. Starc also took two in the second to finish with seven for the match and 23 in the series. Only one other wicket in the match was taken by a seamer on either team, as Rangana Herath took 13 to skittle Australia twice and seal a 3-0 series win.Pune 2017 vs IndiaStarc had made 99 on his first tour of India in Mohali on a very flat pitch but his batting in Pune in 2017 had as much of an impact on Australia’s victory as Steven Smith’s. In the first innings he walked out to bat with Australia 190 for 6 and peeled off 61 from 63 balls, adding 64 with Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood who contributed one run between them to set up a vital first innings total of 260.It will be remembered as O’Keefe’s match with the ball, but before the left-arm spinner broke through, Starc had already removed the two danger men in three balls in the 15th over. He reared one from a length at searing pace to the immovable Cheteshwar Pujara to have him caught behind off the glove. Two balls later, he nicked off Virat Kohli.In the second innings, Starc smacked 30 off 31 including three sixes and added 42 with Smith, who made a stunning 109 to take the game out of India’s reach. Starc’s aggregate of 91 with the bat for the match was only bettered by Smith and Matt Renshaw as Australia won handsomely.Durban 2018 vs South AfricaA few weeks before the Sandpaper storm in Cape Town, Starc’s nine-wicket haul in Durban had handed Australia a 1-0 series lead during a match that set in motion a chain events that would have a seismic impact on global cricket. He took 9 for 109, including 5 for 34 and 4 for 75 and was virtually unplayable. The majority of his success came with the old ball in a masterful display of reverse swing. He blew away South Africa’s tail in both innings as Australia won by 118 runs.Mitchell Starc’s reverse-swing remained the most potent bowling weapon in Port Elizabeth•AFPCanberra 2019 vs Sri LankaStarc’s performance at Manuka Oval won’t be high on many people’s lists of his best in Test cricket but it deserves as much praise as any of his best bowling efforts. On a pitch where Australia racked up 534 for 5 and 196 for 3 and four batters made centuries, Starc took 10 for 100 with a searing display of pace bowling, coming after three Tests where wickets had dried up. Among his ten, he forced Dhananjaya de Silva to hit his own wicket while trying to avoid a brutal bouncer. Most of the wickets were top-order players with the newer ball as there was no reverse swing to speak of.Perth 2019 vs New ZealandStarc’s fitness and durability is one of the most underrated aspects of his career. Never was it more evident than in oppressively hot conditions at Optus Stadium when Australia lost Josh Hazlewood to injury after eight balls of New Zealand’s first innings. Without the aid of an allrounder in the XI to fill the void, Starc took 5 for 52 from 18 overs in the first innings and 4 for 45 from 14 in the second. He also added 30 with the bat in the first innings to complete a Player of the Match performance and help Australia to a thumping win.Lahore 2022 vs PakistanAustralia’s quicks had bowled themselves into the ground across the first two drawn Tests. In the series decider, Starc and Pat Cummins dug deep with a mighty two-man effort to rip the series away from Pakistan. The hosts were 214 for 2 after Australia had posted a potentially under par 391. Starc took 4 for 33 from 20.4, tearing the heart out of the middle order including pinning an in-form Babar Azam lbw, while Cummins took five to bowl Pakistan out for 268 and establish a vital first innings lead that helped win the series 1-0.Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have put in long shifts for Australia•AFP/Getty ImagesLeeds 2023 vs EnglandStarc very nearly stole the third Test and the series from England with a phenomenal performance, having initially been left out of the first Test at Edgbaston due to his middling record in the country. The hosts were chasing 251 for victory and would have cantered home without Starc making life incredibly difficult.He removed Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow at regular intervals to leave England wobbling at 171 for 6. A brilliant partnership between Harry Brook and Chris Woakes steadied the chase before Starc bounced out Brook to create more drama with 21 still needed. But Starc’s five came with minimal support at the other end and England squeezed home by three wickets to change the course of the series.Adelaide 2024 vs IndiaStarc turned Australia’s fortunes around in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. Having been battered by Yashasvi Jaiswal in Perth, who had accused Starc of bowling too slow, he blew the opener’s pad off with the first ball of the match on his way to a career-best 6 for 48. It was yet another pink-ball masterclass from Starc, but this was done entirely in broad daylight as India lasted just 44.1 overs after opting to bat first. It set up a 10-wicket win and levelled the series at 1-1, with Australia going on to reclaim the trophy for the first time in ten years.Mitchell Starc drives Marco Jansen en route his Test fifty•ICC/Getty ImagesLord’s 2025 vs South AfricaThis was another standout performance from Starc in a losing cause. After Australia posted an underwhelming 212 in the first innings of the WTC final, Starc wrestled back the momentum by knocking over both openers. He also had a straightforward catch dropped by keeper Alex Carey that would have bagged him the top three. Australia still claimed a 75-run first innings lead before they lost 7 for 73 when batting a second time.Starc ground out his first half-century in six years and one of his longest Test innings, making 58 not out off 136 balls and sharing a 59-run last wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood to give Australia 282 to defend. Again, he removed Ryan Rickelton early before ending a 61-run stand between Wiaan Mulder and Aiden Markram.He should have had Temba Bavuma caught at second slip in his next over, but Smith spilled the edge standing very close and injured his finger badly in the process. Instead of having South Africa 75 for 3, with Starc claiming all three, Bavuma and Markram produced a match-winning stand of 147.

The PCB was meeting in Lahore, the players were told not to leave the hotel, and there was uncertainty until quite late over the fate of Pakistan’s game against UAE

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To grasp the full extent of the chaos that engulfed Pakistan’s final Group A match against UAE in Dubai on Wednesday, you needed to be in three places at once.At the team hotel in Marina, where uncertainty lingered until the last minute over whether the Pakistan players would leave for the venue as scheduled at 4.30 pm local time. They didn’t.At the Dubai International Stadium in Sports City, a 40-minute drive from the hotel, where the UAE players had arrived on time at 5pm but were unsure of whether they were going to play. The buzz of Pakistan possibly boycotting the game had begun to get louder.And at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters in Lahore, some 1900km away, where its chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief, was in a meeting with two former board chairmen – Ramiz Raja and Najam Sethi – to discuss their next move. There was an initial announcement that the game would be delayed by an hour “for now”. That meant the toss at 7pm and the start at 7.30 pm.While trying to keep up with the deepening intrigue, there was more unfolding at the venue. The man with whom the PCB had a problem – Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft – appeared shortly after 5 pm, only to make a beeline for the exit and to the ICC headquarters a five-minute drive away. The PCB wanted him out; the ICC wasn’t budging.Related

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When Naqvi finally posted on social media around 5.45pm that he had instructed the Pakistan team to leave the hotel for the stadium, doubts still lingered over the start time of the match. Organisers had been told 7.30pm but the local liaison team was warned by police that clearing traffic at such short notice was impossible given the weekday rush after 6pm. And it wasn’t until after the team departed for the stadium that there was confirmation that Pycroft would officiate the game.Mohsin Naqvi finally gave the Pakistan team the go-ahead to play UAE•Associated PressAs the politics played out, television news teams pursued the team, broadcasting Pakistan’s 40-minute bus ride to the ground. At 6.25pm, the players eventually arrived at the venue, by which time their opponents UAE had finished their drills, held a team meeting, and were waiting for toss time.While most Pakistan players headed straight for a brief warm-up, the team manager Naved Akram Cheema, captain Salman Agha and coach Mike Hesson attended a closed-door meeting with Pycroft.Soon after, the PCB circulated a muted video clip to Pakistani media of the team management talking to Pycroft. In an accompanying statement issued minutes before the 7pm toss, the PCB claimed Pycroft had apologised for “miscommunication” that led to the handshake-gate incident during Pakistan’s game against India on Sunday.The development diffused the tension that had built up over the last 24 hours, with Pakistan cancelling their pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening, and the PCB issuing a statement later that night that it was reviewing the team’s participation in the Asia Cup.By the time the Pakistan and UAE players finally walked out for the anthems on Wednesday night, the must-win contest that was about to begin to secure passage to the Super Four felt secondary to all that had gone before.

Club’s first List A title since 1994 comes a year on from the death of young spinner, Josh Baker

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Sep-2025The waiting. The uncertainty. The fear. All of it made Worcestershire’s victory that much sweeter.Faced with a rank forecast above Trent Bridge, neither team knew if matters would be settled on the weekend, never mind Saturday. Worcestershire had restricted Hampshire to 237 for 7, then found out they’d be chasing a re-jigged 251 from 45 overs. That ended up being 188 from 27.The final pursuit began just 21 minutes before the 5:36pm cut-off for the minimum required 20-over chase. Such were the unknowns, even the ECB’s unofficial word on protocol (had the rain returned prior to the 5:15pm start) was refreshingly honest. How much play would spill into Sunday if a shorter second innings had been rubber-stamped the day before? They would broach that when it arrived, which was hopefully never.”At the halfway stage, I quite fancied the longer chase,” Jake Libby, Worcestershire’s captain, said afterwards, and understandably so, having entered this final with 50 overs in mind. Some in the Worcestershire dressing-room were anxious during the hours of hold-up. Ethan Brookes, who all but won the match with 57 off 34, spent most of it asleep.Both Libby and Brookes succumbed to Hampshire’s own unknown. Released from an England squad, having travelled overnight from Ireland, Scotland international Scott Currie dropped into Nottingham for his second Metro Bank appearance this season to take a maiden List A five-wicket haul.Libby’s nick through to Ben Brown swung the game back Hampshire’s way. Brookes’ top-edge, if not the end, was seemingly the start of it, as the first of three to fall to Currie in the innings’ penultimate over.Could Brookes have come in earlier? His penchant for a boundary – he has struck one every 5.25 balls this campaign – looked a necessity. As Libby and Kashif Ali were taking time to erect a platform with their less-than-a-run-a-ball stand of 62, you wondered where the meaningful strikes would come from. Brookes’ arrival, with 93 required from 61 balls, felt overdue.Matthew Waite and Henry Cullen produced the winning flourish for Worcestershire•Getty ImagesHis five fours and four sixes ensured it was just in the nick of time. Moreover, his calculations were spot on. Currie’s hugging of the wide line from the Radcliffe Road End made it “pretty much impossible” for Brookes to access his natural hitting arc to the shorter leg side. So, Brookes remained patient, as much for other bowlers to target as the deliveries they would send his way.”Abbott and Fuller, I think it was?” Brookes asked, mind still mush from the battle. “Uh, I can’t remember, this is all a bit of a blur… but I knew that they were going to go off-pace, because that’s what the wicket suited.” Brookes ensured the last overs of Abbott (25th) and Fuller (22nd) were taken for 15 and 16, respectively.As Libby recalled: “Ethan came out to me and, I remember, the sentence he said to me was: ‘I’m gonna try and do something special here’.” Such was Brookes’ flow state, he was able to buy back a few chances for Worcestershire to use when he had left. He also recouped time to lament his dismissal without missing the final throes, including Matthew Waite’s first-ball six over wide long on. The allrounder eventually finished unbeaten with 16 off five.”I literally took my emotion out in the dressing-room and then was like, right, there’s a game to watch still here,” Brookes said. “We know what we can do at the back end. He (Waite) has played a special knock as well there. People should not forget that.”Don’t worry, they won’t. Not the moment of glory, which took an age for the television umpire to confirm, not that anyone by this point was in a rush. Aside from Henry Cullen, who had gone from fearing his pull shot off Brad Wheal had been caught at backward square leg, to being adamant he had found the winning strike, based on Abbott’s subdued reaction having butted the boundary sponge.Libby did not celebrate to begin with. Stoic throughout this campaign, Worcestershire’s 50-over skipper ceded that his exact thoughts at the time remain hazy. The product, perhaps, of “a few elbows to the head” in the ensuing limbs.Josh Baker died in May last year at the age of 20•Stu Forster/Getty ImagesNot since 1994 have Worcestershire experienced List A glory, back when it was a 60-over competition. Their previous silverware, 2018’s Vitality Blast, was achieved with an entirely different XI. The only potential survivor, Brett D’Oliveira, rolled his ankle on Thursday in the dregs of a County Championship match against Durham that confirmed the club’s relegation back to Division Two.D’Oliveira had been Worcestershire’s leading run-scorer in the Metro Bank. He is also a totem of an organisation admired across the country for its family feel. A compliment, even as the English game careers towards a less emotive state.Brett and his lineage – from his trailblazing grandfather Basil, to his much-loved father, Damian, whose loss in 2014 was an emotional body blow – embody the soul of New Road. As such, there was no better person to be holding Josh Baker’s shirt as the trophy was lifted than Brett, having laid down his crutches.Baker’s death in May of last year at the age of 20 rocked the club. Hampshire captain Nick Gubbins highlighted how much of that tragedy reverberated beyond New Road. “Some things are bigger than cricket,” Gubbins said. “If there’s one team I would be happy to lose to, or as happy as you can be, it would be Worcestershire.”The logo of the JB33 foundation, set up in Baker’s honour by his parents, Lisa and Paul, adorns Worcestershire’s playing shirts. They carry him forward on both sides of their chest. On Saturday night, a squad, a supporter base and a family used the stage of a final to honour him.”This means a lot to a lot of people at the club,” Libby said. “Players, coaches, supporters, families, friends… and of course, Josh Baker, who we’ve worn proudly on the front of our shirts this season. And he is still very much in our thoughts.”Ironically, it was Libby who kept his teammates waiting at the end, as they lined up behind the trophy, waiting for their leader to finish a long post-match debrief on Sky. There was more waiting as the players queued to embrace Baker’s parents as their own, pushed to the front of the stand teeming with Worcestershire support.”It was very difficult,” said Brookes. “[It’s] heartbreaking what’s happened and… to share a really special memory with his parents in honour of Josh. It’s… yeah, it will definitely be a highlight of my career.”Related

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If there was one regret, it was that Worcestershire’s club journalist, John Curtis, was not there to witness the scenes. Curtis, who passed in April, was a beloved figure in the New Road press box, and every other he walked into. And these were not so much the days that made his job worthwhile – he truly loved them all – but what he wished for a team and group of players he never tired of championing. An avid chronicler of the county, this latest entry into their history books will carry his honour, too.Even without this victory, Worcestershire were the standout 50-over side of the 2025 season. Consistency of selection despite the Hundred – only Adam Hose graced that tournament for Trent Rockets before his horrific leg injury – saw them lose just once. For all the feeling associated with this success, it is no less than their cricket has deserved.It is also important to state that Saturday was third on Hampshire’s list of priorities, even if this is now a second defeat at this stage in the last three seasons, in a competition that has proved an effective schooling for their prodigious young talents. Having also lost in the Vitality Blast final last weekend, they now head into the final round of the County Championship fighting for their own Division One survival.Therein lies modern county cricket in a nutshell. Constantly vying with itself for relevance – be it status or simply a reason to be. Even a club of Hampshire’s stature, and all their freshly enhanced financial might, are not immune from that struggle.But on Saturday, in a competition that time is starting to forget, amid great uncertainty around the future relevance of the English county game, Worcestershire and all whom they hold dear were able to rise above it all for their own, deserved moment.

The Houston Astros appear to be wasting little time after losing All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes to injury.

The Astros are acquiring third baseman Ramon Urias from the Baltimore Orioles, according to a Wednesday night report from Jon Heyman of the . Urias, 31, is slashing .248/.300/.388 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs this season.

Urias is primarily known for his defense; he's turned more double plays this year than any other American League third baseman. In 2022, he won a Gold Glove for his defensive work, registering 1.9 defensive bWAR for the first winning Orioles team in six years.

Houston outlets have reported Paredes may miss months with a hamstring injury after making his second All-Star team in his first year with the Astros. He has not played since July 19.

His squad, despite a raft of injuries this season, leads the Seattle Mariners by 4.5 games in the American League West division.

Dylan Cease could be on the move before the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

That shocking news hit on Wednesday, as ESPN's Buster Olney reported the San Diego Padres might try to get creative as they attempt to compete down the stretch. The Padres have a number of pressing needs as the deadline approaches, with left field and catcher at the top of the list. Given their financial situation, moving some salary while making additions makes a lot of sense.

Cease has ace-level stuff, but has struggled this season. After finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2024, he has been a different pitcher in 2025. Through 21 starts, the 29-year-old is 3-10 with a 4.59 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP and 144 strikeouts against 42 walks in 113 2/3 innings. The one thing to note here is that Cease's xFIP is 3.30, meaning he's gotten pretty unlucky this year.

The Padres are set to lose Cease at the end of the season as he'll hit free agency. They could, instead, leverage his value given the lack of available starting pitching at this year's deadline and hope a team will bank on Cease's bad luck turning around, or their staff making minor tweaks. San Diego could then use assets acquired to help improve their roster for the stretch run.

What follows is a look at the best fits for Cease as we approach the trade deadline.

Chicago Cubs

Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd have been excellent for the Cubs this season, but there remains a Justin Steele-sized hole in the rotation. As a group, the team's starters rank 13th leaguewide in ERA (3.93) and have allowed the third-most home runs (87). Chicago needs to add juice to the starting rotation, and the organization knows Cease intimately. The Cubs selected him in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB draft and Cease wound up being a top prospect before the club dealt him to the Chicago White Sox as part of the ill-fated Jose Quintana trade.

This would be a chance for the Cubs to land Cease back on the North Side to help the team's starting pitching depth as they make a push for an NL Central crown.

New York Yankees

The Yankees' focus is sure to be finding a third baseman, but the pitching also needs help. Max Fried and Carlos Rodon have carried the starting rotation this season with Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt out after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Luis Gil is close to a return, but the rest of the team's starters have been shaky at best and awful at worst. As a group, New York's starters rank seventh in ERA (3.74) but they don't have the rotation depth to win a World Series.

Cease has the kind of elite stuff that can show up in October. While he struggled in the 2024 postseason, his average fastball velocity (97.1 mph) ranks fifth in MLB among starting pitchers and his slider was one of the best pitches in baseball in 2024. A few tweaks could have him dominating hitters again.

New York Mets

The Mets have a really good rotation, led by Kadai Sengal and David Peterson with Sean Manaea healthy again to back them up. But they also have a ticking time bomb on their hands. Converted reliever Clay Holmes has already thrown 108 2/3 innings, which is 38 2/3 more than his previous career high of 70. He has been really good this season, posting an 8-5 record with a 3.48 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. But so far in July he has an ERA of 5.66, and has surrendered 13 earned runs on 21 hits in 20 2/3 innings. He could be hitting a wall.

If Holmes continues to struggle, New York needs to find another option for the stretch run. Frankie Montas is back, but he has a 4.62 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP this season through five starts. His last two starts have been better but he's risky. Adding another starter feels like a must for the Mets.

Toronto Blue Jays

Like the Mets, the Blue Jays look solid on the surface, with Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman leading the rotation. But if you look under the hood, the team's starters rank 24th in ERA (4.53). Max Scherzer (5.14 ERA) was sidelined for months thanks to a thumb injury and has yet to look ready for primetime, and Eric Lauer (2.80 ERA) is a low-ceiling lefty who has had some success this season but his 3.82 xFIP says he's getting incredibly lucky.

Cease would be a high-ceiling arm that could add the depth to the rotation Toronto has struggled to find a year.