Kohli will not be touring the Caribbean for the upcoming T20I and ODI series but his break might be cut short with the ODIs vs Zimbabwe beginning from 18th August.
“Hopefully, the break allows him to rejuvenate mentally and get his form back. But without any competitive cricket, it will be difficult and that is why we want him to play against Zimbabwe,” a member from the selection committee was quoted in a report by Inside Sport.
He added, “It’s his preferred format and will help him regain his form before the Asia Cup. We will take a final decision close to the selection.”
As per the aforementioned report, Kohli will be on a break with his family in London. He will be resuming practice from 1st August to prepare for the Asia Cup that is scheduled to be held from 27th August-11th September possibly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However, the selectors want him to feature in the Zimbabwe series in order to ensure that he rediscovers his mojo in the run-up to the World T20 Down Under.
There is merely a five-day gap between the conclusion of the Zimbabwe tour and the commencement of the Asia Cup. Accordingly, several senior players are expected to be rested for the former with Shikhar Dhawan likely to lead the team.
Kohli averages 21.88 with a strike rate of 74.47 in eight ODIs in 2022. He had a rather indifferent Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign as well as the 33-year-old averaged merely 22.73 at a strike rate of 115.99 across 16 games in 2022.
The Indian team is likely to step up the gear with respect to its preparations for the World T20 at around the time of the Asia Cup. Hence, it appears that the selectors are determined for Kohli to get back to his original touch with the bat before the tournament. An arguably low-profile series vs Zimbabwe might offer him the perfect platform to do so as well.
Cricket News: Which IPL franchises bought teams in South Africa’s T20 league? | IPL franchises buy all six teams in SA’s new T20 league
Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners are set to purchase all six teams in South Africa’s upcoming T20 league, ESPNCricinforeports. Slated to commence from January 2023, Cricket South Africa (CSA) and their official television broadcaster SuperSport will be running the competition.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and one of the owners of Delhi Capitals (DC) have reportedly made successful bids for the franchises.
IPL Team
Owner
CSA Franchise
CSK
CSK Sports Limited
Johannesburg
MI
Reliance Industries
Cape Town
SRH
Sun TV Group
Port Elizabeth
LSG
RP Sanjeev Goenka Group
Durban
RR
Emerging Media IPL Ltd*
Paarl
DC
Jindal South West Sports (co-owner)
Pretoria
*To be confirmed.
CSA will be making the formal announcement of the teams and its owners upon the finalization of the required paperwork. Former skipper Graeme Smith has been tasked with heading the T20 league and his foremost responsibility currently is to bring about watertight deals with the franchise owners.
“I’m extremely honoured to be entrusted with leading this exciting new venture. I’m deeply committed to South African cricket and happy to serve the game as best I can,” Smith was quoted in a report by the aforementioned website.
He added, “I’m excited by the opportunity to deliver the new league, which I believe will be an extremely competitive product, one that can bring the much-needed investment into the game and provide new opportunities for players around the world and more importantly to our SA home grown talent.”
Smith assured that the stakeholders have given a positive response and that great progress has been made in the initial stages so far. He asserted upon their determination to give a valuable, appealing, and sustainable tournament for South African cricket.
IPL franchises continue to expand global footprint, but will the BCCI allow its players to play overseas?
IPL franchise owners have been gradually expanding their global footprint in recent times. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owners Red Chillies Entertainment already owns the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
They have acquired a team in the International League T20 (ILT20) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) too. In addition to that, the Knight Riders brand is amongst the founding members of the United States of America’s soon-to-be-launched franchise-based T20 league Major League Cricket.
The Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd along with the GMR Group (co-owner of DC) have also purchased franchises in the ILT20 that will kick off from January 2023 onwards. St Lucia Kings and the Barbados Royals in the CPL were acquired by the owners of Punjab Kings (PBKS) and RR respectively as well.
However, apprehensions exist over the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) giving the green light to Indian players to participate in South Africa’s upcoming T20 league. So far, the BCCI has prohibited active India internationals from participating in such competitions in order to safeguard the brand of the IPL. Whether or not that policy alters with the growing presence of IPL franchises in other leagues remains to be seen.
Cricket News: Highest successful run chases in Tests at Galle | What is the highest run chase in Tests at Galle?
Pakistan became the latest team to chase over 300 in Tests. Led by Abdullah Shafique’s magnificent unbeaten century, Pakistan became the first team in history to successfully chase over 300 at Galle.
Dinesh Chandimal’s masterful 94* powered Sri Lanka to 337 in the third innings of the ongoing Test between the home side and Pakistan. Accordingly, the Dimuth Karunaratne-led side set a steep target of 342 for Babar Azam’s men, but it wasn’t enough.
CricBlog takes a look at the five-most successful fourth-innings chases at the venue.
344/6 by Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 2022
Galle International Stadium has historically been unfriendly to the chasing teams as a total over 200 had only been scaled once at the venue. It didn’t matter to Pakistan, who, led by wonderful centuries by Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique in the Test, won after being reduced to 85/7 in the first innings.
Babar played a masterful knock in the first innings to put Pakistan on par with Sri Lanka’s score of 222. But, it was Shafique, playing in just his sixth Test, that stole the show. The 22-year old batted 408 deliveries and carried his bat in a magnificent effort.
268/4 by Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 2019
Karunaratne has scored 122 runs in the fourth innings of Sri Lanka’s encounter vs Pakistan at Galle in 2019 to help his team chase down 268 runs. He was ably supported by Lahiru Thirimanne, who notched 64 runs as the pair put up 161 runs in 60 overs for the first wicket.
Thirimanne’s dismissal triggered a mini-collapse of sorts but the middle-order comprising of Angelo Matthews (28), Kusal Perera (23) and Dhananjaya de Silva (14*) chipped in with some key runs to ensure that the Lankans achieved a rare successful run-chase at Galle.
164/4 by England vs Sri Lanka, 2021
For an English side to round up a successful chase in Asian conditions is an unusual occurrence. England, powered by the duo of Dominic Sibley and Jos Buttler, ensured that the visitors completed a tricky fourth innings chase last year.
The fourth innings was slightly more complicated given that the likes of Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow and Dan Lawrence departed cheaply. Sibley and Buttler put up an unbeaten 75-run partnership for the 5th wicket to bring about the second-most successful fourth-innings chase in the stadium.
99/3 by Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 2014
It is rather telling that the third-highest successful chase in Galle is of merely 99 runs. Pakistan and Sri Lanka had put up 451 runs and 533 runs in the first couple of innings of the Test respectively. However, the gradual deterioration of the track in Galle over the course of a game is evident from the fact that Pakistan could score only 180 runs in the third innings.
Sri Lanka was set a target of only 99 runs. They employed a proactive approach despite losing three wickets in the chase as the home side cruised towards victory with a scoring rate of 6.07.
95 by Sri Lanka vs India, 2010
To pile up runs aplenty in the first innings seems to be a well-thought-out strategy to emerge victorious in this ground. Centuries by Tharanga Paranavitana and Kumar Sangakkara along with half-centuries by Rangana Herath and Lasith Malinga took Sri Lanka to 520 runs in the first innings.
The Lankans imposed a follow-on as India replied with only 276 runs initially. MS Dhoni’s men bettered their effort with 338 runs in their second innings. However, the target of 95 proved to be too paltry for Sri Lanka as Tillakaratne Dilshan’s quickfire 68* helped them get to the target in only 14.1 overs.
93 by Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 2010
In what was a largely low-scoring encounter, Sri Lanka steered their way to a 10-wicket victory with ease in the opening game of the series. The Lankans out-batted the Kiwis out of the game courtesy impressive batting outings by Mahela Jayawardene (91) and Angelo Matthews (79) in their first innings. Rangana Herath’s six-wicket haul reduced New Zealand to only 118 in their second dig. Karunaratne (60*) and Paranavitana (31*) made light work of the fourth-inning chase as Sri Lanka made their way to the target in 18.3 overs.
Cricket News: Ben Stokes retires from ODIs: A look at England’s insane schedule since late 2020 | England’s unforgiving schedule since the backend of 2020
England Test skipper Ben Stokes’ retirement from One Day Internationals (ODI) has opened up debate on the tightly-packed scheduling of international cricket. Stokes, England’s World Cup-winning star from 2019, will play his last ODI at Chester-le-Street against South Africa on Tuesday.
“With the intensity of the international schedule and the increasing demands on my body, approaching 32, I think it is the right time to step aside and let the next generation of players come through,” the all-rounder explained the rationale behind his sudden announcement.
“Three formats are just unsustainable for me now. I feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us,” Stokes further added, as reported by ESPNCricinfo.
The all-rounder’s statement has turned the attention towards the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the arguably hectic line of fixtures that they have drawn out for the senior team.
Ben Stokes retires from ODI: Number of matches in England’s schedule since COVID break in 2020
The English men’s team has played 21 ODIs, 30 Tests and 34 T20Is since the brief Covid-induced break in the middle of 2020. India and Australia have featured in 21 and 14 Test matches respectively in the same time period.
Tests
ODIs
T20Is
England
30
21
34
India
21
18
35
Australia
14
17
37
Recently, a trend has developed of international teams playing simultaneous series against different teams. A second-string Indian side played a couple of T20Is in Ireland recently at a time when the Test team was battling it out in the series decider at Edgbaston. England played an ODI series in Netherlands when their Test side was competing against New Zealand at home last month.
This arguably frenetic scheduling is unlikely to ease down anytime soon. The International Cricket Council (ICC) will be holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Birmingham next week. The council will be giving its nod to the Future Tours Program (FTP) for the 2023-27 duration.
Ben Stokes retires from ODI cricket owing to heavy schedule
ESPNCricinfo says to have obtained a near-final draft of the document and it highlights that England will feature in 42 Tests, 44 ODIs and 52 T20Is over the coming four-year-period. These numbers do not include the various ICC tournaments that will take place at that time.
In these circumstances, Stokes’ retirement seems to be a viable decision aimed at prolonging his Test career.
The 32-year-old has prioritised red-ball cricket multiple times in recent years. He even pulled out of the much-anticipated mega-auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year in a bid to keep himself fresh for the demands of Test cricket. That resolve must have strengthened after assuming captaincy in the longest-format of the game this year.
Stokes had a pretty decorated ODI career as he notched 2919 runs and picked 74 wickets for England in 104 games. He was named the ‘Man of the Match’ in the final of the 2019 Cricket World Cup for his unbeaten 84* in the chase in addition to his heroics in the subsequent Super Over.
England will be facing South Africa in a three-game ODI series at home starting from Tuesday onwards.
ENG vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs South Africa 1st ODI Key Players | Durham Pitch Report
The cricket schedule is pretty crazy, right? Just a couple of days after England completed their series against India, they are onto another campaign: South Africa. Surely such a crammed schedule might be too much for all-format players, so much so that they may give up one of them? How much can you extract out of these players before it gets too much?
Well, we have an answer. Ben Stokes, one of the household names in English cricket over the past decade, announced his shock retirement from ODI cricket, citing the difficulty in maintaining performance across all three formats. Today will be his final ODI, fittingly played at his home ground in Durham, as England’s unforgiving schedule continues to roll on.
Onto the cricket itself. Jos Buttler’s team are coming off a disappointing white-ball campaign against India, where they underperformed with the bat in five of six matches across the T20Is and ODIs. There is no doubt that their all guns blazing approach will continue, but they need to string together more significant partnerships after a number of starts across the ODIs in particular.
For the Proteas, this is a critical series in their World Cup qualification journey. They are stuck down in 11th spot in the Super League table, and given they will forfeit points in January 2023 against Australia, they must make up ground in this series if they wish to qualify directly for the World Cup.
Reece Topley, England’s bowling star from the India series, will miss this game owing to workload management. Matthew Potts is set to take his place. Also, Adil Rashid is set to return.
England: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Jonny Bairstow, 3. Joe Root, 4. Ben Stokes, 5. Jos Buttler (c & wk), 6. Liam Livingstone, 7. Moeen Ali, 8. David Willey, 9. Craig Overton/Sam Curran, 10. Adil Rashid, 11. Matthew Potts
Kagiso Rabada has been rested for this series. South Africa could play Marco Jansen as a seam option, but Tabraiz Shamsi could also get the nod.
South Africa: 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Janneman Malan, 3. Rassie van der Dussen, 4. Aiden Markram, 5. Heinrich Klaasen, 6. David Miller, 7. Andile Phehlukwayo/Dwaine Pretorius, 8. Keshav Maharaj (c), 9. Anrich Nortje, 10. Lungi Ngidi, 11. Tabraiz Shamsi/Marco Jansen
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
England:
Jonny Bairstow had a poor ODI series against India, but this could be where he bounces back. He has scored two fifties and a century in four ODIs at Chester-le-Street, with a total of 311 runs at an average of 103.66 and strike rate of 126.42.
Joe Root also had a poor series. Against South Africa, Root has struck 594 runs in 13 ODIs at an average of 49.50, including two fifties and two hundreds.
Will Ben Stokes go out on a high? He has scored 356 runs in eight ODIs against South Africa (avg. 44.50, SR 117.49) with three fifties and a century.
Jos Buttler strikes at 129.16 against the Proteas in ODIs. He has scored 248 runs in nine innings against them at an average of 35.42. Importantly, he is coming off a half-century in the third ODI against India.
David Willey has taken nine wickets in three ODIs on this ground (avg. 15.22). Moeen Ali has taken 10 wickets in nine matches vs South Africa, striking every 48 balls on average.
South Africa:
Quinton de Kock has the most runs of any current player in ENG-SA ODIs. The keeper-batsman has a magnificent 718 runs in 12 matches at an average of 65.27 and strike rate of 96.37. This includes six 50+ scores (three 50s, three 100s).
Janneman Malan has struck three fifties and three centuries in 17 ODIs so far. Given batting has been difficult in the white-ball matches recently, Malan’s ability to get through the initial periods can work wonders for the Proteas.
Rassie van der Dussen averages 73 in ODIs since the start of 2021, which the second-highest for any player with at least 500 runs in this period.
David Miller has batted just three times in ODIs against England. He has scored 138 runs at a strike rate of 123.21, with just one dismissal.
Lungi Ngidi has conceded 6.57 runs per over in his three ODIs against England, but he has wicket-taking potential. Overall, he has six wickets against them.
Anrich Nortje will be vital with his pace up top and also at the death.
Other Stats and Facts
Head-to-head: Matches 61, England 28, South Africa 30, 1 tie, 4 N/R.
South Africa lost their last ODI series: 2-1 against Bangladesh at home back in March.
Bairstow has a good record vs Ngidi in ODIs (31 runs off 16 balls, no dismissals) in addition to 43 off 19 balls without dismissal in T20Is.
Quinton de Kock vs England in England: 4 ODIs, 205 runs, avg. 51.25, SR 89.51.
England had just one half-century in the ODI series defeat to India: Jos Buttler in the third ODI.
Ben Stokes needs 81 to reach 3,000 runs in ODIs.
Riverside Ground Chester-le-Street Durham Pitch Report and Weather
The players will have to deal with very hot conditions. A top of about 35 degrees is forecast, which could bring spinners into the game in the second innings.
Chester-le-Street has favoured seamers in the past, but it has become a decent batting ground. Sri Lanka scored 338 here against West Indies in the 2019 World Cup.
ENG vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction 19 July 2022
Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.
Option 1:
ENG vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction
Option 2:
ENG vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction
Fan2Play Prediction
Base Team:
Wicket-Keepers: Quinton de Kock, Jos Buttler
Batsmen: Rassie van der Dussen, Joe Root
All-rounders: Ben Stokes
Bowlers: Anrich Nortje, David Willey
ENG vs SA 1st ODI Match Prediction: Who will win?
England remain a terrific ODI unit despite recent defeats. However, the very short turnaround is a worry. There is the desire to send Ben Stokes out a winner, but South Africa’s better preparation should get the visitors the win.
Cricket News: Why has Ben Stokes chosen to retire from ODI cricket? | Ben Stokes retires from ODI cricket
Ben Stokes, England’s hero in their 2019 World Cup triumph, has announced that he will retire from ODI cricket after the first match against South Africa at Chester-le-Street on 19 July.
Stokes, who is now England’s Test captain, made the decision with his career in mind. He said that playing all three formats is unsustainable, and has chosen to dedicate his focus to the Test and T20 formats. It will be a fitting end for Stokes in ODIs, as he will play his final game at his home ground in Durham.
Ben Stokes retires from ODI cricket: I can’t give my team-mates 100% of myself in this format anymore
In a statement, Stokes said that he wants to give “everything I have to Test cricket” and “my total commitment to the T20 format”.
The all-rounder also said that it was a very tough decision to make, but ultimately he can’t give his 100% in the ODI format.
“I can’t give my team-mates 100% of myself in this format anymore,” he said. “This has been an incredibly tough decision to make. I have loved every minute of playing with my mates for England. We have had an incredible journey on the way.
“As hard as a decision as this was to come to, it’s not as hard dealing with the fact I can’t give my teammates 100% of myself in this format anymore. The England shirt deserves nothing less from anyone who wears it.”
Stokes also went on to say that it is time for another player to be granted the wonderful opportunities he has had. The 31-year old no longer wants to take the place of another player who can give England their all in ODIs.
“Three formats are just unsustainable for me now,” Stokes said. “Not only do I feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel that I am taking the place of another player who can give Jos and the rest of the team their all. It’s time for someone else to progress as a cricketer and make incredible memories like I have over the past 11 years.”
Stokes retires from ODIs with nearly 3,000 runs and 74 wickets
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, T20 World Cups, T20 Leagues and Test cricket has meant that England haven’t played as much ODI cricket over the past couple of years. As a result, Stokes wasn’t able to build on his remarkable performances in the format in 2019, although he did hit a memorable 99 against India in Pune last year.
“I will give everything I have to Test cricket, and now, with this decision, I feel I can also give my total commitment to the T20 format.
“I would like to wish Jos Buttler, Matthew Mott, the players and the support staff every success going forward. We have made great strides in white-ball cricket over the past seven years, and the future looks bright,” Stokes said.
Cricket News: Twitter reactions to Pant century & Hardik all-round brilliance | Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya seal ODI series win for India vs England
Rishabh Pant’s maiden century in One Day Internationals (ODIs) helped India secure a series victory against England at Old Trafford on Sunday. Chasing 260, Pant and Hardik Pandya chipped in with 125* and 71 runs respectively to steer the Rohit Sharma-led side to a comfortable victory in the decider.
India was stuck in a spot of bother at 72/4 after Suryakumar Yadav’s dismissal. However, the duo of Pant and Pandya displayed impeccable maturity and game-awareness to stitch together a 133-run partnership. Pandya departed with 55 still left to be chased. It was then that Pant turned up the gears and amassed boundaries at will to bring up an iconic ODI victory for Team India.
Twitter reactions after Pant & Hardik lead India to series win
Here are some Twitter reactions on India’s incredible chase at Old Trafford.
Super performance in england ..not easy in their country ..2-2 test .win in T20 and one days..well done dravid ,rohit sharma,ravi shastri,virat kohli @bcci ..pant just special..so is pandu ..
Looks like the 45 minute conversation made sense ?!! Well played @RishabhPant17 that’s how you pace your ininings @hardikpandya7 great to watch ? #indiavseng
Quality knock @RishabhPant17 . In a series decider when it matters most ???@hardikpandya7 you are one of the best allrounders in the world right now . Period
The 2019 World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford, Manchester made fans label Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant as irresponsible. The 2022 series decider at the same venue has given them the tag of heroes. Life lesson there.#ENGvINDpic.twitter.com/ZN0JZ7QNI7
— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) July 17, 2022
Rishabh Pant is a fearless player, someone who is great to watch in all formats. It's his mentality that sets him apart. He looks like he gets great backing.
The series was crying out for a gamechanging partnership after so many starts. Pant & Hardik delivered. Winning both a T20I and ODI series in England is a fine effort, well played India.#ENGvIND#INDvENG
Whilst Pant bagged all the applause for his unbeaten century, Hardik Pandya walked away with the ‘Player of the Series’ award. Pandya scored 100 runs across two innings’ and scalped six wickets as the all-rounder capped off a near-perfect tour in some style on Sunday. He unleashed a lethal short-ball barrage to end up with figures of 7-3-24-4 to dismantle the English batting unit in the third ODI.
“It was a good pitch, but we do understand it’s not going to be easy if we lose wickets upfront. Positive side of it, these guys haven’t batted much in the middle overs. Today we got to see that with Hardik and Rishabh. At no point we felt they were panicking. They backed themselves and played cricketing shots,” skipper Rohit reflected on the middle-order’s performance in the post-match presentation.
India will now head on to the Caribbean for limited-overs series’ with a three-match ODI and T20I series beginning from 22nd July and 29th July respectively. India’s busy schedule will then take them to Zimbabwe for an ODI series in August.
IRE vs NZ 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report | IRE vs NZ 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Ireland vs New Zealand 1st T20I Key Players | Belfast Pitch Report
It is a great mystery as to how Ireland lost the ODI series 3-0 to New Zealand. The Irish found themselves in strong positions on multiple occasions, most notably the first game where some Michael Bracewell magic broke hearts.
Also, if you cast your mind back to the India series, Ireland had the chance to win the second T20I. The home side came within a whisker of chasing India’s mammoth 225, falling short by just four runs in another example of so close, yet so far.
So, what does this T20I series have in store? Players in both teams will be gunning for top form ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup, with Ireland searching for confidence ahead of the first round of the tournament.
New Zealand will have experienced players on deck, so expect some fireworks in their first T20I of 2022. Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham add extra punch to the lineup, and Bracewell is coming off a superb series – a breakthrough for him in international cricket. If they get going, watch out.
Ireland could play Barry McCarthy. Also, they have a decision to make if they want to fit Curtis Campher in the XI.
Ireland: 1. Paul Stirling, 2. Andy Balbirnie (c), 3. Gareth Delaney/Curtis Campher, 4. Harry Tector, 5. Lorcan Tucker (wk), 6. George Dockrell, 7. Mark Adair, 8. Andy McBrine, 9. Craig Young, 10. Barry McCarthy, 11. Josh Little
Daryl Mitchell is in New Zealand’s T20I squad, and could open given his brilliant form at last year’s T20 World Cup.
New Zealand: 1. Martin Guptill, 2. Daryl Mitchell, 3. Finn Allen, 4. Glenn Phillips (wk), 5. Jimmy Neesham, 6. Michael Bracewell, 7. Mitchell Santner (c), 8. Lockie Ferguson, 9. Ish Sodhi, 10. Jacob Duffy/Ben Sears, 11. Blair Tickner
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
Ireland:
Paul Stirling is coming off a superb century in the third ODI (120 off 103). Interestingly, the opener has a terrible record in T20s at Belfast (9 inns, 132 runs, avg. 14.67, SR 108.85), so the home side will be hoping he can turn this around.
Harry Tector continues to impress. The 22-year old slammed two centuries in the ODI series after scores of 64* and 39 in the T20Is against India.
Andy Balbirnie had a poor ODI series (11 runs in three matches), but he scored a 37-ball 60 in his last T20I against India.
Mark Adair has taken seven wickets in his past four T20 matches. He is one to watch in the crunch overs. In fact, in his last T20I, he took one wicket in each stage of the India innings.
Craig Young has taken the third-most wickets of any bowler in T20Is this year (18) in just eight matches. He is averaging 11.67 and boasts an economy rate of 7.00.
New Zealand:
Daryl Mitchell comes into this series on the back of a memorable Test series against England, where he struck three centuries in as many Tests.
Mitchell could open in this game. It is a position he enjoyed success in at last year’s T20 World Cup. Overall as a T20I opener, he has scored 244 runs in 10 matches at an average of 27.11 and strike rate of 133.33.
Martin Guptill also comes into this match in good form. He was player of the match in the third ODI, with 115 off 126 balls.
Michael Bracewell had the ODI series of a lifetime. He struck 127* (82), 40* (47) and 21* (16) in a dream campaign. New Zealand could look to use him as a floater.
Jimmy Neesham, as he showed against England in last year’s World Cup, is crucial as a finisher. Also, he can deliver at the death with the ball.
Lockie Ferguson has taken 21 wickets in 18 T20s this year at an economy rate of 8.74. Expect the pacer to play a key role in the death overs.
Ish Sodhi has taken 83 wickets in 64 T20Is at an average of 21.97 and economy rate of 8.05.
Other Stats and Facts
These two teams have met just once before in T20Is. New Zealand beat Ireland by 83 runs in the 2009 World Cup.
Martin Guptill played in that game. He scored 45* off 32 balls.
This will be New Zealand’s first T20I in 2022. Their last match was against India in November 2021.
Ireland have lost their last three T20Is (two against India, one against UAE).
Civil Service Cricket Club Stormont Belfast Pitch Report and Weather
Last year, South Africa scored 159/7 and 189/2 batting first against Ireland. They won both games easily. Expect a good, easy-paced surface today in warm conditions in Belfast, with a top of about 28 degrees celsius.
IRE vs NZ 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction 18 July 2022
Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.
Cricket News: How long will the IPL be in the next Future Tours Program (FTP)? | Next FTP to accommodate various T20 leagues around the world
A near-final draft of the Future Tours Program (FTP) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) highlights glaring adjustments to accommodate various T20 franchise leagues in the coming years.
The document, as accessed by ESPNCricinfo, confirms an extended two-and-a-half-month window for the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already proposed increasing the number of IPL games per season gradually from 74 in 2023 to 94 in 2027. BCCI secretary Jay Shah had confirmed this developed post the sales of the media rights for the upcoming five years of the league back in June.
Longer IPL in the FTP, space for BBL and Hundred too
Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have also made windows in their home seasons for the Big Bash League (BBL) and the Hundred respectively.
This will mean that Australia and England will not be engaging in international assignments simultaneously with these tournaments as has been the case thus far. However, international cricket will come to a near-halt only during the IPL and not in any of the other mentioned tournaments.
For example, there is a three-week gap from international cricket across July and August in every English summer as per the given draft FTP. This will allow top English players to take part in the Hundred more proactively. Similarly, Australia’s FTP has been cleared from international limited-overs assignments in every coming January barring 2024. However, Test cricket might not be compromised for the same as far as the Aussies are concerned.
Accordingly, spaces have also been made for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in August-September and January respectively. Cricket South Africa (CSA) have made windows clear of international cricket in the Januarys of 2025 and 2026 as they are set to launch their new franchise T20 league early next year. However, they still might have to work their way around visits from India and England for full-fledged Test tours during the same period in 2023-24 and 2027 respectively.
PSL could go head-to-head with the IPL
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has a more complex task in hands in order to accommodate their flagship Pakistan Super League (PSL). They have left windows open in February-March (2023), January-February (2024) and December-January (2026-27) for the PSL. Reportedly, there has been a conscious effort to not clash with the month of Ramzan as the ad-spends are heavy during this period and it directly influences the money spent on the PSL.
They have a big issue boiling up during the 2024-25 season as a home World Test Championship (WTC) series vs England, followed by series in Australia, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and South Africa have packed up their international schedule.
There will an ODI tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa shortly afterwards before the ICC Champions Trophy that Pakistan will be hosting. Accordingly, the PSL could potentially have to be pushed ahead to the extent that it could even become the first league to get into a direct encounter and be held simultaneously with the IPL in 2025!
The final draft of the FTP is likely to be published after the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the ICC that will take place on the 25th and 26th of July in Birmingham.
Cricket News: Australia announce ODI squads for Zimbabwe & New Zealand | Will Pat Cummins play against Zimbabwe and New Zealand?
Australia have announced a strong squad for their ODI matches against Zimbabwe and New Zealand to be played in far north Queensland. These matches – three each against the Zimbabweans and Kiwis – will kick off a huge home season that also includes five Tests and a T20 World Cup.
Australia ODI squad for Zimbabwe and New Zealand series
Aaron Finch, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Adam Zampa back, Pat Cummins rested
Test captain Pat Cummins has been rested for these two assignments. It has been a big year so far for the pace bowler, leading Australia to an Ashes series win, 1-0 triumph in Pakistan and 1-1 draw recently in Sri Lanka.
According to national selector George Bailey, it is important Cummins takes this time off to get ready for the big season ahead. The pacer is “being managed through a period of rehabilitation and physical preparation for the upcoming summer.”
Legspinner Adam Zampa returns after missing the Sri Lanka tour due to the birth of his first child. Sean Abbott and Ashton Agar are back after a fractured finger and side strain respectively.
Kane Richardson, who suffered a hamstring injury back in March, has missed out on selection.
“These series against New Zealand, the world’s number one ranked ODI side, and Zimbabwe will be good contests and provide an opportunity to play some great cricket in the lead-up to the home summer,” said national selector George Bailey.
“The team is excited to be marking the start of a huge summer with these matches in North Queensland,” he continued in a statement.
Australia vs Zimbabwe & New Zealand ODI series schedule
