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Following a match in which he suggested he was once again death-bowling force to be reckoned with, Lasith Malinga delivered the rhetoric fans have come to expect

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Dambulla13-Oct-2018Following a match in which he suggested he was once again death-bowling force to be reckoned with, Lasith Malinga delivered the rhetoric fans have come to expect from him. He was disappointed his 5 for 44 did not result in a Sri Lanka win. He made snide comments about having been left out for a year, only to take 10 wickets in four games upon his return. He also seemed to suggest Sri Lanka’s selectors could drop him again at any time.But in between the regular Malinga gripes and cliches, there were also hints about his playing future. He wants to play the 2019 World Cup. He has made peace with the likelihood it will be his last.”I feel that if I get the chance to play the World Cup, I will,” he said. “It will be my last World Cup. I’m not expecting to get the chance, given the kinds of things that have happened to me over the recent past. But I will take it if it is given.”Malinga’s road back into the ODI team was an unusual one. He missed the domestic provincial one-day tournament earlier this year, choosing instead to work as a bowling consultant with Mumbai Indians. If the selectors had stuck by their own policy, this should probably have ruled him out of the 50-over format. But they were willing to accept that he had played well enough in the Canada Global T20 tournament, and in SLC’s own T20 provincial competition, to earn a place in the ODI squad.Lasith Malinga celebrates his fifth wicket•Getty Images

Four games in, it feels as if Malinga has never been away. Vitally, he is also packing some decent pace. He breached 140kph several times during his spell on Saturday, as he had also done at the Asia Cup last month.”The selectors are entitled to make those decisions,” Malinga said. “I’m just a player. My only job is to play when I get the chance. When I was out of the team, I went and played in Canada. I also played the district competition and got the highest wickets. Thanks to those performances I got another chance at this level. Because I’m nearing the end of my career I’m motivated to get wickets.”

Both Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab had disappointing seasons in 2017, but having plugged a few gaps at the auction, they will be keen to see how things work on the field

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu07-Apr-20184:17

Dasgupta: Kings XI don’t need to play Gayle

Big picture

So that R Ashwin, eh? Over the coming weeks, he’s likely to bowl legspin instead of offspin for Kings XI Punjab, have opening batsmen in the middle order, push the finishers up top, invent ice-cream that tastes sour, build a working time machine, and categorically prove apples are better than oranges.His tongue-in-cheek comments – which prompt other tongue-in-cheek comments – aside, one of Indian cricket’s brightest minds finally gets the chance to be full-time captain. Ashwin’s talent for reading batsmen and drawing them into traps has been the foundation of many Test wins for India – and T20 wins for Chennai Super Kings – but in 2018, with fingerspinners becoming a fashion faux pas, he will need to be doubly smart juggling his role as boss man and strike bowler.But just as Ashwin leaves home, his opposite number Gautam Gambhir returns to where it all began. He split with Kolkata Knight Riders and no sooner did he become available that Delhi swiped right. It was a match made in, well, 2008. But who can resist all that nostalgia, least of all an ex that finished last thrice in seven years since breaking up.

In the news

Kings XI’s Aaron Finch will be getting married on Saturday, over on the other side of the world. And Daredevils’ Glenn Maxwell will be part of the festivities. So expect nothing more than the odd tweet from the two Australians. Chris Gayle and Jason Roy are pretty useful replacements to have, though. Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the entire season with a stress fracture of the back and has been replaced by Liam Plunkett in the Daredevils’ squad.

The likely XIs

Kings XI Punjab: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 KL Rahul (wk), 3 Mayank Agarwal/ Karun Nair, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 David Miller, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin (capt), 9 Andrew Tye, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Barinder SranDelhi Daredevils: 1 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 2 Colin Munro, 3 Jason Roy, 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Chris Morris, 7 Vijay Shankar, 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Shahbaz NadeemESPNcricinfo Ltd

Strategy punt

Gambhir has opened the batting in 93 of his 122 innings in the IPL and, since 2015, has a strike-rate of 117 in the Powerplay, which rises to 129 in overs 7 to 15. But considering the corresponding figures of Rishabh Pant (125 and 154), Shreyas Iyer (100 and 148) and Jason Roy (138 and 126, for England in T20Is) coupled with their bowling attack – Mohammed Shami has a T20 economy rate of 9.52. Vijay Shankar is unproven, Trent Boult has not always had success in Indian conditions – it could be useful for Daredevils to stock their top order with big hitters and target a mammoth total. The captain can bat lower down and be insurance if things go wrong.

Stats that matter

• Let’s get straight to it. Gambhir v Ashwin. Since 2015, the contest has been skewed in the bowler’s favour, with only 43 runs scored off 47 balls, which includes two wickets. In fact, Kings XI might feel like they have Gambhir covered with their spinners. In the same time period, Axar Patel has conceded only 36 runs off 42 balls to the Daredevils captain.
• There are days when Chris Gayle might seem unstoppable. But they come less frequently now and Daredevils would hope to keep that trend going with Chris Morris, who will likely tuck the left-hander up with his pace and bounce. The head-to-head reads: 40 runs, 34 balls, three wickets.
• David Miller has made 141 runs off 94 balls from each of Daredevils’ available bowlers, and has been dismissed only once – by Amit Mishra. He might not have played any short-form cricket since February, when he struggled badly against more of India’s wristspinners, but he should like starting the IPL against a set of bowlers who have rarely got him out. Additionally, he has made 607 runs at a strike-rate of 155 in Mohali. Miller won’t get too many better settings to get back in form.
• So Kings XI’s finisher has a question mark over him. Their No. 4 isn’t as threatening as he once was. They don’t have too many options at No. 3. They do have a fairly long tail. All of that makes the top order’s job fairly difficult and the Daredevils can add to it if they realise that since 2015, KL Rahul has made only 165 runs off spin bowling at a strike-rate of 118, while losing his wicket four times. Against the quicks, he hits at 145 per 100 balls.

Fantasy picks

• Opening batsmen are usually the best bets and Colin Munro makes a compelling case. Since 2015, he has a strike-rate of 157 against fast bowlers and 145 against spin and in Mohali’s hit-through-the-line conditions, he can be quite brutal.
• Andrew Tye’s acquisition should help Kings XI overcome their biggest struggle in 2017 – death bowling. They conceded 10.37 runs per over last season. Tye on the other hand had an economy rate of 7.7 – among fast bowlers who delivered at least 30 balls in the final stages of innings, he comes in at third, behind Adam Milne and Ashish Nehra. If the team was willing to shell out USD 1.1 million for him in the auction, you could probably take a punt on him in your XI.

The allrounder from Australia doesn’t have the spectacle or cult-hero status of a Gayle or Dhoni. But he can more than match their exploits with bat in hand

Nagraj Gollapudi in Pune21-Apr-20182:16

‘Dreaming of days like this over the last couple of years’ – Watson

On Thursday Chris Gayle, in the same breath, both demanded and commanded respect after becoming the first centurion in IPL 2018. A day later, Shane Watson, another middle-aged cricketer, reminded us that experience remains a vital asset in a format made for the young, becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to score a ton for and against a team he represents.Otherwise Gayle and Watson are chalk and cheese. Gayle calculates his assault, runs only when pushed to. Watson is a contrast: a busybody, he will muscle a few big hits, but otherwise uses his powerful wrists and precise placements to gain momentum.With Gayle bowlers always have this nagging fear of being bludgeoned. Watson meanwhile stays in his pen without barking too much. And yet he can bite. A big man, Watson, like Gayle, hits the ball hard. Unlike Gayle, who likes to stay quiet as far as possible in the first half of the innings, Watson likes to clear the infield and stay deep in the crease to cut and glide the ball to the ropes.In their previous three matches, Super Kings had chased. They had taken the chase to the virtually the last ball in all those three games. Dwayne Bravo, Sam Billings and MS Dhoni had put Super Kings in a winning position. The top order most often provided decent starts, but nothing like today.He was given a reprieve in the very first over by Rahul Tripathi, who dropped a simple catch at first slip. Watson never looked back. Unlike the previous matches, there was a conscious change of plan in the way Watson attacked today – he did not slog, but took advantage of the ample loose balls dished out by Royals’ bowlers in the first half of the innings. Barring the death overs, where he was largely kept off strike by Dwayne Bravo, Watson did not slow down at any stage during the innings.Another significant difference between Watson and Gayle was the dot balls. Today Watson played only 13 dots out of the 57 deliveries he face as opposed to Gayle’s 21 out of 63 on Thursday. Obviously, there are few batsmen who come close to Gayle in taking rapid strides to make up for the initial lull. But if Gayle is brute force, Watson carves out strokes with both power and subtlety.0:46

‘Watson more classical batsman than Gayle’ – Laughlin

Overall, in terms of Smart Runs – part of ESPNcricinfo’s new metric to make sense of numbers in the shortest format – Watson’s runs today were worth 31 more than his actual score. While Watson’s 106 came off 57 deliveries at a strike rate of 185.96, the other Super Kings’ batsmen scored at strike rate of 143.Watson’s desire to excel has always been there. Fitness issues, perhaps, did not allow him to become someone like a Jacques Kallis. But his commitment to the task has always been unwavering. He was modest enough to admit he was lucky to play in the IPL again and bat at his “favourite” position – as opener. He said he had been “dreaming of days” like Friday over the last couple of years.He also acknowledged the role of good form coming into this IPL; Watson was the fifth-highest run-getter in the Pakistan Super League [PSL] season that finished late last month. “This is as good as I have batted over the last three or four months, from the Big Bash [League in Australia], the PSL and now here,” Watson said after the game. “The previous couple of years, I certainly wasn’t batting well for a few different reasons I was working on. But I just was not at my absolute best at Royal Challenger Bangalore. The pleasing thing is to be able to score runs. Of course a hundred is a real bonus.”On Friday, the Pune ground was awash with No. 7 yellow jerseys, homage to Super Kings’ captain MS Dhoni. Two days ago Mohali was full of Gayle fans. Watson, despite playing an innings like Friday’s on several occasions, has never been known for the miracles and spectacle that the likes of Dhoni and Gayle have built their legends on. Still, Watson is strong enough to match them on field, with less show, in his own style.

Luis Reece reckoned he nearly ran out his runner, Ben Slater, about four times, but his unbeaten 92 was a triumphant end as he braved a swollen ankle

ECB Reporters Network23-May-2018
ScorecardLuis Reece overcame a damaged ankle to put Derbyshire on course for a victory over Durham in the Royal London One Day Cup match at Derby.Reece made his highest List A score of 92 from 107 balls despite batting with a runner – Ben Slater taking up the job – and although former Derbyshire seamer Nathan Rimmington took three quick wickets, it was not enough to save Durham from a third consecutive North Group defeat.The all-rounder also took two wickets and although Tom Latham top scored with 66, Durham’s 272 for 8 was not enough as Gary Wilson with 40 and an unbeaten 42 from Alex Hughes saw Derbyshire home in the final over.Reece said: “The foot’s a bit painful and a bit swollen but touch wood I can get it sorted in time for Friday and be ready to go again. It’s not much fun to bat with a runner, I think I nearly ran Ben out about four times but I wanted to get out there and have a bat.”Derbyshire’s bowlers settled after Ravi Rampaul went for 13 in the second over and Matt Critchley sent down three wides in his first to prevent Durham getting away on a flat pitch.A direct hit by Wayne Madsen from point ran out Cameron Steel in the 11th over and although Graham Clark and Michael Richardson passed 40, they both fell trying to force the pace.Clark was bowled by Critchley and Richardson under-edged a pull at Olivier before Reece’s consistent line forced Will Smith to edge a drive and Stuart Poynter to play across a full length ball.Derbyshire’s disciplined display restricted Latham to only three fours in a 67 ball 50 and although he pulled Olivier for six, Durham’s chance of a challenging total ended when he failed to clear deep midwicket.Chris Rushworth hit Critchley for consecutive sixes and Rimmington pulled Rampaul over the ropes but Durham’s total looked under par on a true pitch in sunny conditions.That was reinforced by the way Ben Slater and Godleman started before Matt Dixon bowled Slater for 24 although he stayed out as a runner for Reece who had been hit on the ankle bowling.Both should have been back in the pavilion before the end of the first powerplay but Poynter spilled an edge off Rushworth when Reece was on six which proved a big moment.Godleman scored a century in the first game at Edgbaston and he reached 50 from 79 balls before Reece completed his half century by sweeping George Harding for his sixth four.Durham sensed an opening when Godleman played around a good length ball from Rimmington who struck again in his next over when Madsen was caught behind and Critchley chopped on three balls later.Reece moved into the 90’s by straight-driving Rushworth for four but in the 40th over, he played on to Harding to leave the game in the balance with Derbyshire needing 81 from the last 10 overs.But Wilson and Hughes played positively to add 80 as Derbyshire sealed a second victory with two balls to spare.

ESPNcricinfo’s live updates and analysis on New Zealand v Pakistan

Shashank Kishore26-Jun-2019

Marufa and Fahima put the chase in jeopardy before Knight gritted through with Capsey and Dean

Valkerie Baynes07-Oct-2025

Charlie Dean and Heather Knight’s 79-run partnership was the biggest of the match•Getty Images

England 182 for 6 (Knight 79*, Fahima 3-16, Marufa 2-28) beat Bangladesh 178 (Mostary 60, Rabeya 43*, Ecclestone 3-24) by four wicketsA gritty comeback by Heather Knight pulled England out of danger and into top spot on the World Cup table with a battling four-wicket win against Bangladesh that was in sharp contrast to their ten-wicket romp over South Africa to open the tournament.Nigar Sultana, the Bangladesh captain, had implored her side to show what they’re capable of “so that teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us”, and they did that in only the second ODI between the sides.Two early wickets to Marufa Akter, followed by 3 for 2 in the space of 12 legitimate deliveries from Fahima Khatun had England 78 for 5 in pursuit of what had looked like a modest target after England’s spin department restricted Bangladesh to 178 all out with two balls remaining.Related

• Shining Knight sweeps in to rescue England

• 'At first look, I thought it was out' – Knight on the catching reprieve

Sobhana Mostary’s maiden international half-century and a quickfire 43 not out off just 27 balls by Rabeya Khan had allowed Bangladesh to post a competitive total despite only two other batters reaching double figures.But Knight, playing her first international innings since tearing her hamstring from the bone during a T20I against West Indies in May, gritted her teeth, ground out the runs and rode her luck – overturning dismissals on 0, 8 and 13 – to lead England home. Her unbroken stand for the seventh wicket with Charlie Dean, worth 79 in 100 balls, sealed the result with 23 balls to spare.Marufa broke the game open with a stunning five-over opening spell in which she had England two wickets down – it could have been three – with just 29 runs on the board inside the first seven overs.DRS saved Heather Knight twice against Marufa Akter in the first seven overs•ICC/Getty Images

In an eventful start to the run chase, England lost opener Amy Jones lbw to Marufa at the end of the first over and, two balls later, saw Marufa drop a sitter at cover off Tammy Beaumont, on 2 at the time, off the bowling of Nahida Akter.There was more drama as Marufa sought to make amends with the first ball of her next over and thought she had Knight caught behind but Knight survived on review with TV umpire Gayathri Venugopalan initially saying there was inconclusive evidence that the bat made contact with the ball while another angle gave the hint of a gap.Marufa ultimately covered for her fielding error when she pinned Beaumont on the front pad, although it took a Bangladesh review this time to secure the dismissal with the batter on 13. Four balls later, Knight denied Marufa again when she overturned an lbw decision as replays showed that the ball going would be going over.With Knight looking far from fluent, Nat Sciver-Brunt, her successor as England captain, helped herself to three fours off Marufa’s next over.Knight continued to lead a charmed life, scratching her way to 13 off 38 balls when she spooned Fahima to Shorna Akter at cover and walked off, only to be recalled as TV umpire said there was “inconclusive” evidence that the fielder had her fingers under the ball.Marufa left the field with what appeared to be a calf problem and didn’t return, leaving Nigar without a seam option.Fahima Khatun’s loopy full toss got Nat-Sciver Brunt•ICC/Getty Images

Bangladesh stuck to their task and were rewarded when Fahima removed Sciver-Brunt and Sophia Dunkley in the space of four deliveries, the former chipping to midwicket and the latter trapped lbw as Clarie Polosak’s on-field decision was upheld in the face of England’s review.Emma Lamb managed just 1 off 12 deliveries before picking out Nahida Akter at mid-on, although Fahima and Bangladesh had to wait anxiously for confirmation of her third wicket as the TV umpire again checked the catch, which was eventually deemed clean.Sanjida Akter Meghla, the left-arm spinner brought to combat an England batting line-up stacked with right-handers, struck just as Alice Capsey threatened to dig them out of trouble, rapping the back leg in line with the top of leg stump. Capsey was so half-hearted in her call for the now-overworked DRS that her signal was deemed too late and it was just as well for England with replays showing that the ball was on target.Knight’s most productive shot in a laboured innings had been the sweep and she swept Shorna for four to move into the 30s before shimmying down the pitch and clubbing Meghla down the ground for four more.From that point, Knight looked settled, reaching her 50 in 86 deliveries, having been 15 off 50. She and Dean settled into a rhythm, Dean striking the winning runs with four off Mostary to finish 27 not out.Sobhana Mostary brought up her maiden ODI fifty•AFP/Getty Images

Collectively, England’s spinners kept a lid on the Bangladesh line-up, despite the best efforts of Nigar, who was extremely vocal from the dugout long after she was caught by Dean off the bowling of Linsey Smith for a second-ball duck.She had good reason to shout. By the 30-over mark, her side had faced 136 dot balls and they went 61 deliveries without a boundary before Mostary struck back-to-back fours off Sciver-Brunt in the 31st, punching through the covers and prodding through third.Sophie Ecclestone finished with three wickets while fellow left-arm spinner Smith, who had been England’s chief destroyer against South Africa, finished with 2 for 33.Offspinners Dean and Capsey bowled with good economy also to secure two wickets apiece, the latter accounting for Mostary for a 108-ball 60 in a double-wicket strike in the 47th over.That was after Mostary had become only the third Bangladesh player to score a Women’s World Cup half-century.It took an England review to remove Mostary after Capsey got one to spin back from just outside off and hit the pad high in line with middle stump as the batter sat back in her crease.Rabeya hit the first six of the match, off Smith in the final over, clearing the towering Bell just inside the boundary at long-on and followed up immediately with four through fine leg. But, having taken a single, Sanjida then chipped the next ball straight to Sciver-Brunt as Bangladesh narrowly failed to bat out their 50 overs.

Russell Domingo first to be interviewed but Mike Hesson being seen as a frontrunner

Mohammad Isam in Dhaka08-Aug-2019The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has cranked up its search for the senior team coach, with the side’s next assignment – a one-off Test against Afghanistan – less than a month away. The board’s shortlist included Mike Hesson, Grant Flower, Paul Farbrace, Russell Domingo and Chandika Hathurusingha, after Andy Flower declined the board’s offer a second time. The BCB may be in a race with other subcontinent boards, with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan also looking for a head coach, and ongoing issues between Hathurusingha and Sri Lanka Cricket.Farbrace, it is understood, is out of the running after he declined the BCB’s offer to take things further.* It is the second time the former England assistant coach has done so; he was among those being discussed for the role even though he had declined the board’s offer in March last year. The BCB eventually appointed Steve Rhodes then, with whom it parted ways immediately after the World Cup.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Hesson, the former New Zealand coach, is a frontrunner, with BCB president Nazmul Hassan and some directors expressing interest. However, Domingo, who coached South Africa from 2013 to 2016, was the first coach to be interviewed as the board began its process in Dhaka on Thursday. Grant Flower, who was Pakistan’s batting coach, and Hathurusingha remain on the periphery of the board’s interest.Hathurusingha, who coached Bangladesh from 2014 to 2017, is known to be a favourite of the BCB president and a few directors, even though he quit to take up the Sri Lanka job in October 2017. However, ESPNcricinfo understands that Hathurusingha’s ongoing struggle with Sri Lanka Cricket, which resulted in his suspension this week, has resulted in a difference of opinion between the Bangladesh board directors over his prospects. Still, the BCB will reportedly conduct a telephone interview with Hathurusingha, which doesn’t rule him out of contention.The, BCB, meanwhile, was impressed with Domingo’s presentation during the interview.”We have started working with our shortlisted coaches,” the BCB’s media committee chairman, Jalal Yunus, said. “We have just conducted an interview with Russell Domingo, the former South Africa coach. He is a real professional. He is well qualified. He gave us a presentation about what he thinks about Bangladesh cricket. It was satisfying for the BCB.”We will interview the rest of the coaches on our shortlist. We have two more to interview in the next few days, and then we will choose between these coaches.”*

England opener says he is in ‘best headspace’ of his international career

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2018Jason Roy believes he is in the “best headspace” of his international career, after helping to propel England to the brink of a 5-0 whitewash against Australia with a haul of two centuries and a fifty in a record-laden run of performances.However Roy insists that the form and confidence currently coursing through England’s white-ball squad is merely a “stepping stone to the bigger picture”, with the World Cup on home soil looming this time next year.”It’s great breaking all the records and stuff but at the end of the day, the aim is to have this confidence come the World Cup so we can get some good wins under our belts,” he said. “The records are fantastic, obviously, and it’s a nice reward for the hard work we have put in.”Chief among those records, of course, was England’s 481 for 6 in the third ODI at Trent Bridge, the highest score ever made in a limited-overs international.And though Roy’s 82 from 61 balls was integral to an opening stand of 159 inside the first 20 overs of that innings, the mainstays of England’s performance that day were his top three colleagues, Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales. Both made centuries to crank up the competition for places in the most stacked batting line-up in the game.”I guess so,” said Roy, when asked if the selection battle was driving the players to new heights. “You obviously want everyone to do well, each individual in the team. There’s no animosity outside the changing room, nothing’s changed. We are all very good friends, it’s just a case of wanting the best out of your mate. It’s pretty simple.””Jonny strikes the ball incredibly cleanly, especially at this moment in time, and he just seems to be in an amazing purple patch which is great for him and the team.”We’re getting off to such good starts and when you’re chasing totals like 310 it makes it easier for the guys coming in. We kind of spur each other on and say ‘good shot’ and things like that. Random stuff.”We know our games pretty well and we know each other’s games pretty well. If he doesn’t want to take risks against one bowler I might want to take risks against them. We’re working well together as a pair to be honest.”The upshot of Roy’s current form, and Bairstow’s continued excellence, is that Hales remains the most vulnerable of the top three when Ben Stokes returns from injury next month.”It’s a tough call for the management. Nothing to do with me,” said Roy. “Me and Halesy had great chemistry, likewise Jonny and Halesy and myself and Jonny and so forth. The nature of the way we play is beneficial to the team.”Roy dismissed the notion that he had anything still to learn from his dramatic loss of form during last year’s Champions Trophy, when he was dropped in favour of Bairstow for England’s defeat in the semi-finals against the eventual winners, Pakistan.”A year ago. We’re talking about a year ago now,” he said. “It is a relatively simple game, you work hard, you train hard and you get some good results and I’m happy that the results have come my way now.”As a kid I did look up to the Champions Trophy and wanted to play well, but I got dropped and that was heartbreaking for me, so going away and putting in the hard work, I know I’m going to get my rewards.”Let’s hope this time next year I’m at the World Cup and I’m in decent form and can win some games for the team.”At the end of the day I want to be a part of the team in the World Cup. If I’m not I’m not that’s the way it is, it is for the benefit of the team.”

Opening batter arrives in time for four-day clash with Surrey at Scarborough; Jewell back at Derbyshire in 2026

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2025Imam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan opening batter, has joined Yorkshire as an overseas signing for the remainder of the season.Imam, the nephew of Pakistan great Inzamam, has scored three hundreds in 24 Test appearances, and a further nine in 75 ODIs, and has previously represented Somerset in the County Championship in 2022.He will go straight into Yorkshire’s squad for their Championship clash with Surrey at Scarborough, and will remain with the team for their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign, and the culmination of the Championship in September.Related

• Surrey sign Sai Kishore for two-game County Championship stint

• Gaikwad pulls out of county deal with Yorkshire due to personal reasons

• Nathan Gilchrist agrees Warwickshire move, Tom Price heading to Sussex

In March, Imam helped Pakistan Television win the President’s Cup, Pakistan’s domestic tournament. He arrives at Yorkshire after Ruturaj Gaikwad, the India batter, withdrew from his planned stint at the club for personal reasons.”We’re delighted that Imam has joined us and that he will be available immediately,” Gavin Hamilton, Yorkshire’s general manager of cricket, said. “Whilst we were naturally disappointed that Ruturaj couldn’t join up with the squad, in Imam we have an exceptional player of proven international quality.”Imam has an impressive record and is already familiar with domestic cricket in this country which will stand us in good stead for a crucial block of fixtures.”We are grateful for the speed in which he has arrived in the country and everyone at the club is looking forward to working with him through until the end of the season.”

Jewell signs for Derbyshire return in 2026

Derbyshire, meanwhile, have confirmed that Australia A batter Caleb Jewell will be back at the County Ground next summer after signing a contract for the 2026 season.Jewell has been a key part of the Derbyshire side that is currently second in Division Two and looking to secure promotion for the first time in more than a decade. The left-hander is fifth on the division’s run-scoring list, with 821 runs at 54.73, including a career-best 232 against Kent.”Caleb has performed brilliantly in the first half of the season, despite adapting to new conditions, and we were keen to get a deal done quickly,” Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, said.”As well as his stellar performances, Caleb has also settled into our dressing room really well. He brings real grit and determination to our ranks, the exact qualities you want from an overseas signing.Jewell said: “I’ve loved my time with Derbyshire so far and I’m really happy to have signed for next season already. There’s a great bunch of players at this club, they’ve all made me feel so welcome and that’s been reflected on the field with positive results, particularly in red-ball cricket.”Hopefully we can have a strong 50-over competition and then focus our efforts on staying in the hunt for promotion, to give our supporters a really memorable season.”

The uncapped pair of Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan are also set to be retained by the franchise

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Oct-2024Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi along with the uncapped pair of Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni are set to be retained by Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2025.With KL Rahul, who has led the franchise since its inception in 2022, unlikely to be retained barring any last-minute change of mind from both parties, LSG will have one right-to-match (RTM) card at the auction.The exact amount the five players have been signed up for is not yet known, but based on the retention slabs put in place by IPL, INR 51 crore will be deducted from LSG’s purse. In case aggregate sum paid to the five exceeds 51 crore, then the higher number will be deducted from the INR 120 crore purse each franchise has been given to build their squads for IPL 2025.Related

• Dhoni: 'I just want to enjoy the game for the next few years'

• KL Rahul unlikely to stay with LSG; set for mega auction

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It is understood that Pooran will be the top retention followed by Mayank and Bishnoi. In 2024, Pooran was just behind Rahul on the run-charts and he also was the interim captain-cum-wicketkeeper during the first half after Rahul sat out due to a niggle.Considered one of the best power-hitters in the game, Pooran, 29, was bought by LSG ahead of the 2023 season for INR 16 crore (USD 1.927 million approx). Pooran’s price tag has continued to soar since his maiden IPL season in 2017 when Mumbai Indians bought him for INR 30 lakhs. Two years later, Punjab Kings bought him for INR 4.2 crore ($575,000 approx). At the 2022 mega auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad paid INR 10.75 crore ($1.433 million approx then) before releasing him a season later.Mayank picked up two Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two IPL matches clocking 150-plus kph deliveries in 2024. While a side strain restricted him to play just four matches, the national selectors quickly added him to the list of quicks handed fast-bowling contracts. Bought by LSG for INR 20 lakhs in the 2024 auction, Mayank has only played seven matches, all T20s: four in the IPL followed by his international debut in the T20 series against Bangladesh recently. Mayank is currently at the BCCI’s newly opened Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.Bishnoi was one of the three players LSG picked ahead of the mega auction before IPL 2022 for INR 4 crore, as he was then an uncapped player. In 2022, when LSG made the playoffs, Bishnoi picked up 13 wickets at 8.44. A year later, now an international, Bishnoi was 13th on the list of leading wicket-takers, with 16 wickets at 7.74 and played a role in LSG reaching the playoffs once again. Last season, though, he picked up only 10 wickets in 14 matches at 8.77.Mayank Yadav’s maiden IPL season was disrupted by injury•AFP/Getty Images

Badoni and Mohsin, both uncapped and bought for INR 20 lakhs each in the 2022 auction, have been integral to LSG’s success. An aggressive middle-order batter, Badoni’s best season came in 2023 when he made 238 runs at a strike rate of 138 in 12 innings. He recently also played in the Emerging Series for India A.Mohsin, the 6’3″ left-arm fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh, impressed straightaway in his maiden IPL season in 2022. He picked up 14 wickets at a sub-6 economy in just nine matches which made him one of the potential candidates for the T20 World Cup later that year. He was not considered due to a career-threatening injury where he nearly lost an arm. Mohsin, however, bounced back playing in the second half of the 2023 season and finished 2024 with 10 wickets in 10 matches.