Joginder Sharma, who memorably took the final wicket in India’s 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, has expressed his thoughts on new coach Gautam Gambhir. Despite Gambhir’s positive start in charge of the team during the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, Sharma believes he won’t last the entirety of his contract, which expires in 2027.
According to Joginder, Gambhir can make certain decisions that can lead to controversies. He expects there to be conflict of views and beliefs during the stint.
“Gautam Gambhir is the one to manage the team, but I believe that Gautam Gambhir will not be able to stay for a long time. This is because Gautam Gambhir has his own decisions,” Joginder said in Subhankar Mishra’s podcast.
“It might happen that he has a disagreement with a player. I am not talking about Virat Kohli. Many times, Gautam Gambhir’s decisions are such that others do not like them.”
Gautam Gambhir speaks directly and is not someone who will go to anyone – Joginder Sharma
The 40-year-old added that Gambhir is a straight-shooter who will make decisions on his own terms. That being said, Joginder described Gambhir as one who does his work with great honesty, and what you see is what you get.
“Gautam Gambhir speaks directly. He is not someone who will go to anyone. Gautam Gambhir is not a person who flatters. We are the ones who give him credit. He does his work, does it sincerely, and does it with great honesty,” Joginder said.
In Gambhir’s first assignment as coach, India beat Sri Lanka 3-0 in the T20Is, headlined by a stunning win in the final match where defeat looked all but certain. India have not hesitated in giving part-time bowlers a chance, with Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Rohit Sharma and Riyan Parag sending down overs.
The tour then moved to the ODIs, where India lost a series to Sri Lanka for the first time since 1997. Things haven’t got much better, losing a home Test series for the first time since 2012, going down in the first two Tests against New Zealand in October.
Losing ODI series to SL after 24 years. Losing a series to NZ at home after 43 years which includes losing a Test to NZ at home after 36 years and ending the winning streak at home of 12 years.
The Gambhir-Rohit pairing couldn't have had a worse start even if they tried. And it…
The England squad for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka has been confirmed. Zak Crawley is a notable absentee, as he has been ruled out due to a fractured finger. Dan Lawrence will open in his place.
Crawley picked up the injury during England’s ten-wicket win against West Indies in the third Test at Edgbaston. He will miss the rest of the Hundred and is aiming to be ready for England’s tour of Pakistan in October.
The call to play Lawrence as opener is an interesting one. He has had a strong season for Surrey, but he’s played in the middle order. He has struck 584 runs in nine matches at an average of 53.09 and strike rate of 74.68.
Also, pace bowler Dillon Pennington is not in the squad due to a hamstring injury sustained during the Hundred. According to ESPNcricinfo, Pennington is expected to miss the rest of the English season. Olly Stone has been selected in his place.
England Test squad vs Sri Lanka
Uncapped batsman Jordan Cox has been included. Cox has been outstanding for Essex this season, striking 763 runs at an average of 69.36 and strike rate of 66.98.
Ben Stokes (c), Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone
ENG vs SL Test series schedule:
August 21-25 – 1st Test, Manchester
August 29-September 2 – 2nd Test, Lord’s
September 6-10 – 3rd Test, The Oval
England have won eight of their past nine Tests against Sri Lanka, home and away. Sri Lanka’s last win over England was in 2014 where they won by 100 runs. But, the match is remembered for their remarkable victory with just one ball to spare.
Highest run chases in ODIs at RPS: The R Premadasa Stadium (RPS) has played host to some thrilling One Day Internationals (ODIs) since the first on this ground in 1986. There have been memorable games in the past few years alone including Bangladesh’s six-run win over India in the 2023 Asia Cup and Sri Lanka’s four-run win over Australia in 2022.
There have been 24 scores above 300 on this ground. However, how many successful chases have there been above 300 in ODIs at the RPS? Here’s a look.
Top 5 highest run chases in ODIs at RPS Colombo
Score
By
Against
5. 267/4
Sri Lanka
England
4. 271/2
India
England
3. 277/7
India
Sri Lanka
2. 288/5
India
Sri Lanka
1. 292/4
Sri Lanka
Australia
5. Sri Lanka 267/4 vs England, 2014
The great Kumar Sangakkara, soon before hitting four consecutive hundreds in the 2015 World Cup, warmed up nicely against England in December 2014. England, on the back of James Taylor’s 90 and Eoin Morgan’s 62, fought to 265. But, it wasn’t enough.
In response, Sri Lanka had the measure of the total, with Sangakkara’s 86 taking the Lions to 214/4 in 41.1 overs. Angelo Mathews (51*) and Lahiru Thirimanne (19*) saw the hosts home with two deliveries to spare to take a 3-1 lead in the seven-game series.
4. India 271/2 vs England, 2002
It was a Virender Sehwag special in the 2002 Champions Trophy against England. Courtesy of the great opener’s 126 off 104 balls, along with Sourav Ganguly’s 117* off 109 balls, India made light work of England’s seemingly competitive 269/7. The men in blue chased the target in just 39.3 overs, with the openers combining for 192 in 28.4 overs.
3. India 277/7 vs Sri lanka, 2021
One of the more extraordinary run chases in ODIs at the RPS. India looked gone at 193/7 chasing 278 against Sri Lanka in the second match of their 2021 duel, with the Lions set to level the series 1-1.
However, Deepak Chahar had other ideas. He played an incredible knock of 69* off 82 balls to get the Indians over the line with three wickets and five balls to spare, leaving Sri Lanka scratching their heads as to how they let that one slip.
Chahar’s score was the highest by an Indian number eight in ODIs. Also, it was his first international fifty.
2. India 288/5 vs Sri Lanka, 2012
India again. This time it was in 2012, with the great Suresh Raina at the heart of the chase. The left-hander’s 65* off 45 balls got India home with just two balls to spare in pursuit of Sri Lanka’s strong total of 286/5.
Earlier, Gautam Gambhir hit a fine 102 off 101 balls. But, Virat Kohli (38 off 65 balls) and MS Dhoni (31 off 49 balls) found the going tough in the middle against Sri Lanka’s good attack. But, Raina’s masterlass which included six fours and a six saw the visitors home to hand India a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
1. Sri Lanka 292/4 vs Australia, 2022
The highest run chase in ODIs on this ground was Sri Lanka’s excellent effort against Australia in 2022. With the five-match series locked 1-1, the visitors posted a strong 291/6 courtesy of contributions right the way down the lineup.
But, Pathum Nissanka owned the game. The opener played one of his finest knocks to date, striking a classy 137 off 147 balls to provide the backbone of the chase. Kusal Mendis (87 off 85 balls) was also outstanding, before retiring hurt. Mendis’s injury ended a 170-run-stand between he and Nissanka.
Sri Lanka ended up winning the series 3-2, sending home fans into raptures.
SL vs IND 3rd T20 2024 Reactions:India have handed Sri Lanka another humiliation, this time defending nine off the final 12 balls courtesy of overs from Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav to take the game into a Super Over. From there, Sri Lanka managed just two and India chased the Super Over target in one ball to seal a 3-0 sweep.
While India should be praised for their never-say-die attitude, the defeat was inexplicable from a Sri Lankan perspective. They were 110/1 at one point, needing just 28 off 28 to win with two set batsmen at the crease. However, they collapsed for the third-straight time in the series, with the legendary Andrew Fidel Fernando then describing Sri Lanka’s view of Rinku as “Shane Warne plus Muttiah Muralitharan plus Anil Kumble plus Jim Laker plus Darth Vader.”
Fidel continued, “Sri Lanka are an ice-cream truck with a busted freezer. They are giving the goods away for free right now.”
Earlier, India fell to 30/4 within the powerplay. Shubman Gill fought hard for 39 off 37 balls, but it was Washington Sundar (25 off 18) who gave the innings some impetus towards the backend. Sundar then went on to win player of the match thanks to his 2/23 off four overs and then 2/2 in the Super Over.
SL vs IND 3rd T20 2024 Reactions: Sri Lanka humbled in unloseable game
Sri Lanka have now lost 10 straight games across formats against India. They were bundled for 50 in the 2023 Asia Cup Final and then 55 soon after in the ODI World Cup. This is another very disappointing episode.
India have embarassed Sri Lanka countless times, but this has to be the peak. Can't top this. This is their 1996.#SLvIND
If there’s ever a T20I which can be very close to a proper gully cricket game where you can do some of the most random possible things, this is that game.
Get ready for the most crazy super over too. #SLvIND
We defended 42 of 42 balls against Pakistan 29 of 29 balls against South Africa in the final Today we defended 21 of 21 balls against Sri Lanka. This is unreal. #SLvIND#INDvSL
Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh, who had never bowled before in 94 T20Is between them, have just come on with nine runs to defend in two overs against Sri Lanka, taken two wickets each, and the game is going to a super over. Madness
Attention now moves to the ODI series where Sri Lanka are aiming to break their losing streak against India. All three matches will be played in Colombo, with the first game to take place on Friday August 2.
It wasn’t enough for the Phoenix as they fell short by 20 runs. Below is the audio of Perry’s interview as well as the full transcript.
Ellyse Perry interview at The Hundred: Phoenix are not too far away, believes the great all-rounder
Obviously, from a personal point of view, fantastic innings but disappointed with the result?
Ellyse Perry: Yes, yeah, definitely a little bit of a bummer there… I just thought, you know, we probably had a slightly slower start to our innings and then just lost the momentum at the back end there particularly that second last set of ten.
Gibson in particular bowled really well, so yeah, I mean, I thought, really good effort from our girls, but just… probably chasing a touch too many today.
You and Sophie Devine seemed to be batting really well together there and it was neck and neck for a really long time… that penultimate set of five took it away from you really?
Ellyse Perry: Yeah, I think so. I mean, you can always kind of look back in retrospect, is different parts of the game. We probably, again, just bowled a couple of loose overs that cost us… and then, that penultimate set of ten we kind of lined up for the short boundary, and trying to get as many as we can off that to give us a chance in the final overs…
I thought Gibson in particular bowled really well, but Soph and I just lost the momentum.
But in terms of your innings, you must have been pleased with how you were hitting it out there
Ellyse Perry: I think it’s hard to be too pleased when you don’t get the results for the team. I certainly enjoyed the opportunity to bat at Lord’s I think, yeah, feel incredibly fortunate to be playing this competition as this great group of girls to play with as well.
So for me, the biggest thing is to try get that win.
You couldn’t quite get bragging rights with that LBW decision that went against you with Meg Lanning… Is that going to be sort of a bragging rights after the game when you meet up?
Ellyse Perry: Definitely not, I think Meg and I are too old and jaded to care too much about that stuff! But, yeah, she batted superb, Megs. It’s a bit of a testament to Megs because she hasn’t played a lot of cricket in the last little bit… She just comes out and times the ball, and looks like a million bucks… So it was nice to play against her and good to see her playing this well.
Great knock, but you must still be looking for that win though for the Phoenix after last season and now this season
Ellyse Perry: I think it’s really crucial not to worry about last season, it’s an entirely different competition. It’s 12 months ago, but for us, I think we played reasonably well today. I thought we played very positively… there’s lots of good things in there, but just some finesse around a couple of our overs, and then losing that momentum at the backend of the chase just cost us, but London played really well too.
And once you get the win you can still get on a roll and get in the Eliminator… You can top the group with six wins can’t you?
Ellyse Perry: Yeah that’s certainly franchise cricket and short format cricket… It doesn’t take a lot to shift the tide. So I think we’re really enjoying our cricket and there’s been lots of positivity out there and the brand that we’re playing is great as I said, and we’re just missing a couple of crucial moments of execution that’s costing us.
What does it compare playing in the WBBL and the Hundred?
Ellyse Perry: They’re both different competitions. They’re both really great fun, and I think they’re both so important in the landscape of English cricket in the summer here and also back home in our summer, they have been great comps to continue to grow the great game and just grateful to be a part of it.
It’s great to see all these Aussies over here?
Ellyse Perry: Yeah there is a lot of Aussies in the women’s comp this year. I think the other day with Superchargers and Trent, there was six Aussies on the field, so the schedule’s worked out really well for us this season. There’s a lot of excitement back home when we’re training in the winter to get over here. Beautiful day today, makes it even better.
[On the weather]… I haven’t had too many bad days here since I’ve been here so I’m not complaining one bit.
Just one last question… it’s actually to do with the World Cup. Apparently there’s quite a lot of unrest in Bangladesh at the moment; some sort of security concerns. I don’t know if you’ve had any conversations with Cricket Australia at all around that?
Ellyse Perry: No, absolutely not. Look to be honest, I’ve probably watched way too much Netflix in the last sort of bit and haven’t kept abreast of world politics but like every other tour and competition we play on, there’s a huge canvassing of security, and where we’re travelling to, and there’s lots of people that handle that so we have absolute faith in that. I’m sure if we play over there, it’ll be in the safe positions.
Three months on after he was snubbed from Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, Steve Smith sent a timely reminder to selectors of his capabilities after starring in the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) tournament. Smith led the Washington Freedom to their first title, starring with the bat and as captain in a dominant display in the final.
Smith showed his class, highlighting his ability to step up in tournament finals. He hit 88 off 52 balls at Grande Prairie Stadium, accelerating significantly after crossing 40. His final 48 runs came off just 24 balls, with a trademark scoop winding back the clock.
Smith finished with 336 runs in the tournament at an average of 56.00 and strike rate of 148.67. His campaign served as a reminder to selectors who considered Smith surplus to requirements for the recent T20 World Cup, where fielding and batting mishaps cost Australia a semi-finals’ berth. Also, Washington Freedom lost just one game this season under his leadership.
MLC campaign keeps Steve Smith on the T20 radar
Playing spin will be key for Australia in the 2026 T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka. Smith is solid in this regard, rotating strike well and providing a platform for other batters to play around him.
As he gets set, Smith can then let loose against the pacers. In MLC 2024, Smith hit 259 runs against pace bowling at an average of 58.1 and strike rate of 167.1.
“He [Steve Smith] has been absolutely brilliant,” said Washington Freedom coach Ricky Ponting after the huge 96-run win over San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC Final. “The way he played, he single-handedly won us this game. I told him this morning that if he played well, showed his class, he could win us the game.”
Smith’s 88 is part of a long list of strong performances in knockout matches. He has delivered in big World Cup games, scored a hundred in the 2023 World Test Championship Final and has strong scores in franchise T20 games around the world.
Here are some of the reactions from fans to Steve Smith’s strong showing.
It’s him , it’s always him in pressure situations, in knockouts , whatever the format or conditions are, a wall in front of the opponent.
– 65 in 2015 WC Quarter Final – 105 in 2015 WC Semi Final – 56* in 2015 WC Final – 85 in 2019 WC Semi Final – 163 in 2023 WTC final – 51 in 2017 IPL Final – 88 in 2024 MLC Final
Steve Smith won player of the match in the MLC Final thanks to his excellent knock. Travis Head finished as the player of the tournament with a blistering 336 runs at a strike rate of 173.19, including five 50+ scores in nine innings.
Washington Freedom’s Saurabh Netravalkar (15), Rachin Ravindra (12) and Marco Jansen (11) finished as three of the top four wicket-takers in MLC 2024.
Right To Match (RTM) is a card that can be played during the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. This card gives any franchise the opportunity to match the final bid for a player who was in their squad in the previous season of the competition.
For example, if Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) release Cameron Green and Mumbai Indians (MI) purchase him for INR 10cr, RCB have the opportunity to match this bid and have Green’s services for IPL 2025.
According to reports, the BCCI may implement RTM cards for each franchise to use during the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. There was no RTM during the previous mega auction which was held for the 2022 season.
What is the difference between RTM and a retention in the IPL?
A retention is a player whom an IPL franchise decides to keep for the upcoming season. RTM, as explained above, works for a player who was released by said franchise.
According to CricBuzz, the BCCI is likely to cap retentions at five or six players for the upcoming auction, up from the four players from previous mega auctions. The reason for this is to strike a balance between franchises keeping a core group of players, but ensuring the auction process is as exciting as possible.
The BCCI will meet with IPL franchise owners on July 31 to decide on the exact number of player retentions per team. Also, CricBuzz reports that the RTM is a contentious issue, with the franchises and BCCI representatives to also discuss this during the meeting.
Fans have taken to social media to share their view. The general consensus is that one or two RTM options, along with about five retentions, is an auction sweetspot.
Conduct a mega auction only once in five years. Allow teams to retain between four and six players. Give each franchise 8 (RTM) options. These are some of the significant suggestions franchises have shared with IPL officials during feedback sessions.#IPL2024
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has stated that the 2025 Champions Trophy will be held entirely in Pakistan. In a report in Pakistan media outlet Express News, Naqvi said the PCB is not interested in a hybrid model for the tournament.
The report stated, “PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has made it clear to the ICC that Pakistan will host the 2025 Champions Trophy, and there will be no hybrid model. It’s ICC’s responsibility to bring India to Pakistan for the event, and not PCB’s task.”
There has been no official statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the matter. However, India have kept their stance solid over the years with regards to travel to Pakistan. In 2023, the Asia Cup was shared between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with India playing their matches in the Island nation.
With regards to whether India travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, India’s Ministry of External Affairs is expected to make the final call. Should they choose not to travel, the ball will then be in the International Cricket Council’s court. A tournament without India would be a big financial hit for the ICC given the revenue they generate.
BCCI unlikely to send India to Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy – report
According to an ANI report, a BCCI source claimed that India would not be travelling to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The report states the BCCI will ask the ICC to shift matches to the UAE (likely Dubai) or Sri Lanka.
Also, Gautam Gambhir, India’s new coach, has previously supported India’s political stance against Pakistan, making it all the more unlikely that the team will play its matches in the neighbouring country.
India have not played in Pakistan since 2008. An attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 put a halt to international cricket in Pakistan for six years. Since then, only India and Ireland have not played a series in Pakistan among Test playing nations.
Australia are pondering the possibility of selecting Glenn Maxwell for their Test tour of Sri Lanka, slated for early 2025. This is according to Dan Brettig of The Age, who wrote that Maxwell was rested for portions of the upcoming white-ball tour of Scotland and England to prepare for the summer ahead.
According to Brettig, selectors are considering Maxwell after the all-rounder narrowly missed selection in the XI during Australia’s 2022 tour of Sri Lanka where the Test series finished 1-1. Also, he reports that Travis Head would open with Steve Smith moving to number five. Peter Handscomb and Josh Inglis, two players the selectors see as better players of spin, are also in line for an opportunity, with Maxwell to bat at seven.
Glenn Maxwell return to Tests not out of the picture
Of course, a lot depends on how the showpiece five-match Test series against India pans out. Any player who performs brilliantly in that series will be very hard to ignore for Sri Lanka, albeit in different conditions.
“We prioritise every Test, we’ll take that across the summer and see how the five Tests against India go and then we’ll make those decisions post that as to exactly how everyone’s travelling,” said selection chair George Bailey, as quoted by The Age.
“What we do know about Sri Lanka is that potentially the surfaces there do give you a bit of a different make-up of your Test side so it doesn’t tend to look exactly the same as what the Test team over the Australian summer might look like.”
Bailey also said that they have a clear plan in place for what preparation looks like for the Sri Lanka tour. The dates are yet to be confirmed, but it is likely to be towards the end of January before the Champions Trophy.
“There’s a pretty clear plan in place in terms of what the Test prep will look like, and getting away and ensuring guys get some time in similar conditions or Sri Lankan conditions before the start of those two Tests,” he said.
However, Maxwell will more than likely be playing Big Bash League (BBL) in December and January. Whether the selectors deem that as enough preparation will be interesting to see.
I’m still an option in Tests – Glenn Maxwell
In November 2023, Maxwell spoke of his desire to return to the Test team. He reiterated his skillset is suited to the subcontinent, and will welcome any opportunity to don the baggy green for the first time since Bangladesh in 2017.
“It’s pretty clear that I’ve always had a pretty solid game in subcontinent conditions and it’s been something that has developed since my first tour over there [in 2013],” he said.
“The way I’ve played spin bowling in subcontinent conditions, with being a little bit more aggressive and putting pressure on the opposition, has been something appealing to the selectors over time.”
“Just the fact I was able to be on the Sri Lanka tour last year is a sign they still have me in their thoughts and see me as an option. Regardless of whether I played one or 30 games in red-ball cricket, I’m still going to be an option to go over there.
“I think that’s why 2025 in Sri Lanka is something I’ve put in my calendar as something I’m hopeful to be a part of, and not giving up hope that my Test cricket’s done. If I can get there and hopefully be good enough to take part in the series.”
Australia have selected 20-year-old Cooper Connolly for the T20I legs of the upcoming Scotland and England tours. Born in Perth in August 2003, Connolly is an allrounder who plays for Perth Scorchers. He bats left-handed and offers a handy left-arm orthodox spin option.
Connolly burst onto the scene in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2022/23 Final. The Scorchers were in all sorts of trouble in their run chase of 176 against Brisbane Heat, sitting in a precarious 137/5 with 19 balls remaining and all of the experienced batsmen back in the hut.
Then 19, Connolly rose to the occasion, slamming 25* off 11 balls to send the capacity Optus Stadium crowd into a frenzy. Before that innings, Connolly had played just three BBL games and faced just 11 balls.
Remember the name, just 19-year-old, in a final, when the team needed 39 from 19 balls & Cooper Connolly scored 25*(11) pic.twitter.com/7sqtPK5Sxq
Connolly, who plays for local club Scarborough in Western Australia, captained Australia during the 2022 U-19 World Cup in West Indies. He had a quiet tournament with the bat (6 inns, 73 runs), after 72 runs in two innings (including 64 off 53 balls vs West Indies) as a 16-year-old in the 2020 U-19 World Cup.
Perth Scorchers and Western Australia saw him as a great talent worth investing in. The left-hander has impressed in his short career so far. He currently has 15 T20s under his belt, scoring 226 runs at an average of 28.25 and strike rate of 145.80. He has also taken six wickets at an average of 15.16 and economy of 7.00.
The youngster made his First Class debut in the 2024 Sheffield Shield Final against Tasmania. He struck a superb 90 off 115 balls in his first innings, hitting 12 fours and three sixes.
In T20s, Connolly has batted both at the top and middle order, so it will be interesting to see where he lines up for Australia. He has opened four times, batted six times at number six and has lined up at seven on two occasions.
“We haven’t had that many bolters for a little while,” said national selector George Bailey, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“He’s an exciting young talent. Hasn’t played a great many games yet, but we really like his versatility,” Bailey continued. “His work through the middle order for the Scorchers has been really impressive. Handy left-arm spin as well which, as a secondary skill, is something we are really keen to keep exploring and see where that goes with his cricket.”
Australia’s squad for T20Is vs England and Scotland& ODIs vs England
Connolly joins Jake Fraser-McGurk as the two young guns in the T20I squad. Xavier Bartlett is also included. Matt Short will be home for the birth of his first child before linking up with the squad for the ODIs. Pat Cummins (rested for whole tour), Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc will miss the T20Is.
T20Is: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Spencer Johnson, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
ODIs: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis (wk), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
Australia begin the tour with three T20Is in Scotland on September 4, 6 and 7. They then travel to England for three T20Is on 11, 13 and 15, afterwhich they will play five ODIs.
