Saudi Arabia placed its capital Riyadh and other big cities under a 24-hour curfew on Monday, locking down much of the population as the largest Gulf Arab country expanded efforts to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.
Mind games are Australia's best shot at stopping India's teenage star Shafali Verma in Sunday's ICC Women's T20 World Cup final. That's the view of England opener Danni Wyatt, who shared the dressing-room with the Haryana star at the 2019 Women's T20 Challenge and has a unique insight into a batter who commands the world's attention.
West Indies might not have had the best of times at the ICC World Cup 2019 where they bowed out of the group stage finishing ninth. However, despite their shortcomings, West Indies can no way be underestimated especially in the T20 version of the game where they have been for the longest time been a force to reckon with.
New Zealand have been the perennial underdogs at the grandest stage of it all and it is a tag that they quite enjoy. Sans any pressure of expectations, the Blackcaps have often flown under the radar and come up trumps - six semi-finals and one final out of a total of eleven editions at the World Cup, bearing strong testimony to the statement.
That David Warner and Jonny Bairstow were the fulcrum of Sunrisers Hyderabad playing eleven would be an understatement.
The scheduling also hasn't been quite to Kolkata's liking so far in the tournament. They played three games in five days between April 5 and April 9, all on the go, before turning out against Delhi at home on April 12. With the taxing nature of the competition, the players have to find the right balance as to when to switch on and off believes Kolkata Knight Riders coach Jacques Kallis.
While relishing the stunning exploits of star all-rounder Andre Russell in the tournament so far, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Jacques Kallis is also being realistic about his expectations from the Jamaican. Kallis, one of the great all-rounders of the modern game himself, expects other players to step up once Russell’s “purple patch runs out.”
Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians have always shared a fierce rivalry since the inception of the Indian Premier League. In all, the two sides have faced each other 23 times in the tournament.
Year after year, Bangalore have laid out a team which boasts of superstars in every sense of the word. From Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh, Brendon McCullum to Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers - RCB have had it all, but they still seem to fall short every season. Since finishing as runners-up in 2016, Bangalore have won just 9 of their last 33 IPL games - that is a staggering statistic for a side which has some of the best names in the business.
Imagine being all of 16 years old and becoming a millionaire overnight. On December 18, that’s exactly what happened to Prayas Ray Burman, a little-known leg-spinner, who was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping Rs. 1.5 Cr, a 650% mark-up from his base price of Rs. 20 lakhs.
Rajasthan Royals haven't always hogged the big headlines or had leading publications wax lyrical about them or their fan base. But, quietly the Royals in their own way have flown under the radar to always come up with the goods each year.
Kolkata Knight Riders had probably the worst starts to their IPL campaign amidst captaincy-changes and publicised scuffles but the way they have resurrected to go on and become one of the top contenders at the tournament has been commendable.
Mumbai Indians have always had the bluster and panache and have backed it up with the titles. Mumbai is the most successful side in the IPL alongside Chennai Super Kings with three trophies to their name and probably have always looked the most balanced side of all. But, the one thing which has always gone against them is consistency which is why Mumbai haven't always been seen as the dominant force they really are.
CSK is one of the most successful team in the IPL having won the championship thrice and made at least the top-four every single time it has participated. They are the only team to defend their IPL title and last year they announced it loud and clear that they can't be written off at any stage.
While India's next red-ball assignment is a good five months away Vihari is now looking to showcase his talents in the IPL. Picked up by the Delhi Capitals for the upcoming season, the Andhra lad is keen to show the world that along with a staunch defence, he has the big shots in his repertoire too.
While there is no doubt that Dhoni had all the ingredients to be an all-time T20 great, it did not quite work out that way. Instead, he went to become one of the greatest ODI batsman in history.
The dream of winning the World Cup 2019 might not have come true, but India still have plenty to look forward to in the coming years with three major ICC trophies up for grabs. Two of those are the back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2020 and 2021, with the other being the World Test Championship.
Moeen Ali has conceded his batting form in Test cricket is an issue going into the Ashes, but hoped to play with freedom in the upcoming matches. Moeen said his primary role is bowling, and hoped he would be judged on the number of wickets he takes.
As the oldest rivalry in cricket resumes in Edgbaston from Thursday (August 1), we look at some of the numbers which have defined the Ashes.
Joe Denly confirmed on Tuesday that he would drop to number four in the batting order for England's opening Ashes Test against Australia, with captain Joe Root replacing him at number three.
Australia great Glenn McGrath believes the form of England spearhead James Anderson could determine the course of the Ashes.
WIPL has helped women’s cricket in gaining popularity. If the tournament grows bigger in the coming years it will bring more opportunities for talented domestic level cricketers.
Along with the Ashes series in England, August 1, 2019 will also see the beginning of the ICC World Test championship. Brought in to add context to bilateral Test series, the first edition of the World Test Championship will run till June 2021 when two finalists will play for the title at Lord's in London.
India A completed a commanding six-wicket win over West Indies A on Day 4 of the first unofficial Test at North Sound on Saturday.
Overall, keeping in mind the conditions in England and after giving due weightage to the form of the players, it is a strong and balanced squad named by the selectors with as many as 6 fast bowlers in the final 17.
Here are some pictures from Day 3 of the only Test between England and Ireland.
The new CAC will comprise of former cricketers Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy, subject to them being clear of any conflict of interest.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan confirmed on Wednesday (July 24) that they will host two T20s between Asian all-star XI and World XI next year to celebrate the 100th birthday of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The upcoming World Test Championship will feature jersey numbers behind the white shirts for the first time but there are two numbers that the Indian team is unlikely to use during the Test series against the West Indies in Antigua starting August 22.
Yes, I have applied for the position of India’s new fielding coach. My wife and I love the country, and it has already given us so much — we have 2 children born in India, Rhodes said.