The Abu Dhabi T10 League 2024 will start on November 21 and run till December 2 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Organised by the Emirates Cricket Board, the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2024 will see as many as 10 teams compete in a total of 40 matches.

Ajman Bolts, Bangla Tigers, Chennai Brave Jaguars, Deccan Gladiators, Delhi Bulls, Morrisville Samp Army, New York Strikers, Northern Warriors, Team Abu Dhabi and UP Nawabs are the teams that will compete in the eighth edition of the Abu Dhabi T10.  

As per the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2024 schedule, each team will play seven league matches in the league phase. 

The top five teams in the standings after all 35 league matches will qualify for the playoffs.

The top two teams in the standings will clash in the Qualifier 1 for a place in the Abu Dhabi T10 2024 final.

Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth-placed teams in the standings will square in Eliminator 1 to stay alive in the competition.

The winner of Eliminator 1 will face the third-placed team in the standings in Eliminator 2 for a spot in Qualifier 2. The loser of the first qualifier will then lock horns with the winner of the second eliminator in Qualifier 2 for the other spot in the final.

All Abu Dhabi T10 2024 matches will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

New York Strikers are the defending champions of the Abu Dhabi T10 after beating Deccan Gladiators in the 2023 final.

Northern Warriors and Deccan Gladiators are the most successful teams in the tournament’s history with two titles each.

Jos Buttler, Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan, Kieron Pollard, Faf du Plessis, Jonny Bairstow, Phil Salt, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Marcus Stoinis, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult and Matheesha Pathirana are some of the high profile names that will feature in the upcoming T10 tournament.

Where to watch Abu Dhabi T10 League 2024 live in India

The Abu Dhabi T10 League 2024 will be telecast live on Star Sports Network’s TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2024 will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website. It will also be live streamed on the FanCode app and website in India.

Abu Dhabi T10 League 2024 schedule and live match start times

All timings are in India Standard Time (IST)

Thursday, November 21

Team Abu Dhabi vs Ajman Bolts - 5:00 PM

Morrisville Samp Army vs Bangla Tigers - 7:15 PM

Deccan Gladiators vs Chennai Brave Jaguars - 9:30 PM

Friday, November 22

Northern Warriors vs Delhi Bulls - 2:45 PM

New York Strikers vs Morrisville Samp Army - 5:00 PM

UP Nawabs vs Team Abu Dhabi - 7:15 PM

Ajman Bolts vs Deccan Gladiators - 9:30 PM

Saturday, November 23

Morrisville Samp Army vs UP Nawabs - 2:45 PM

Bangla Tigers vs New York Strikers - 5:00 PM

Chennai Brave Jaguars vs Northern Warriors - 7:15 PM

Deccan Gladiators vs Team Abu Dhabi - 9:30 PM

Sunday, November 24

UP Nawabs vs Northern Warriors - 2:45 PM

Delhi Bulls vs Ajman Bolts - 5:00 PM

New York Strikers vs Deccan Gladiators - 7:15 PM

Morrisville Samp Army vs Chennai Brave Jaguars - 9:30 PM

Monday, November 25

Team Abu Dhabi vs New York Strikers - 5:00 PM

Chennai Brave Jaguars vs Ajman Bolts - 7:15 PM

Delhi Bulls vs Bangla Tigers - 9:30 PM

Tuesday, November 26

UP Nawabs vs Deccan Gladiators - 5:00 PM

Bangla Tigers vs Northern Warriors - 7:15 PM

Morrisville Samp Army vs Delhi Bulls - 9:30 PM

Wednesday, November 27

Ajman Bolts vs Bangla Tigers - 5:00 PM

Team Abu Dhabi vs Chennai Brave Jaguars - 7:15 PM

UP Nawabs vs New York Strikers - 9:30 PM

Thursday, November 28

Deccan Gladiators vs Bangla Tigers - 5:00 PM

Delhi Bulls vs Chennai Brave Jaguars - 7:15 PM

Northern Warriors vs New York Strikers - 9:30 PM

Friday, November 29

Team Abu Dhabi vs Morrisville Samp Army - 2:45 PM

New York Strikers vs Delhi Bulls - 5:00 PM

Chennai Brave Jaguars vs UP Nawabs - 7:15 PM

Northern Warriors vs Ajman Bolts - 9:30 PM

Saturday, November 30

Bangla Tigers vs UP Nawabs - 2:45 PM

Northern Warriors vs Team Abu Dhabi - 5:00 PM

Ajman Bolts vs Morrisville Samp Army - 7:15 PM

Deccan Gladiators vs Delhi Bulls - 9:30 PM

Sunday, December 1

Qualifier 1 - 5:00 PM

Eliminator 1 - 7:15 PM

Eliminator 2 - 9:30 PM

Monday, December 2

Qualifier 2 - 6:30 PM

Abu Dhabi T10 2024 final - 9:00 PM

Abu Dhabi T10 League 2024 teams and squads

Ajman Bolts: James Neesham (Icon), Mohammad Nabi, Alax Hales, Obed McCoy, Ravi Bopara, Terrance Hinds, Shehan Jayasuriya, Mark Deyal, Ali Abid, Safeer Tariq, Huhammad Mohsin, Shevon Daniel, Arineshto Vhezha, Ijas Ahmadzai, Dunith Wellalage, Mujheeb Ur Rahman, Lungi Ngidi, Gulbadin Naib, Haider Ali

Bangla Tigers: Shakib al Hasan (Icon), Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Iftikhar Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik, Hazratullah Zazai, Dasun Shanaka,Joshua Little, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Shehzad, Mir Hamza, David Payne , Luqman Faisal, Nav Pabreja, Hafis Almas Ayub, Tashinga Musekiwa, Ravindu Rathnayke, Imran Khan, Towhid Hridoy 

Chennai Brave Jaguars: Rassie van der Dussen (Icon), Chris Lynn, Nuwan Thushara, Thisara Perera, Dan Lawrence, Aayan Khan, George Munsey, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Joshua Brown, Nick Hobson, Akila Dhananjaya, Oshane Thomas, Matiullah Khan, Sabir Ali, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Garuka Sanketh, Ali Khan, Kobe Herft 

Deccan Gladiators: Jos Buttler (Icon), Anrich Nortje, Marcus Stoinis, Maheesh Theekshana, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Tom Koher-Cadmore, Zahoor Khan, Luke Wood, David Wiese, Usman Tariq, Khary Pierre, Aryan Lakra, Abrar Ahmed, Malsha Tharupati, Tinotenda Maposa, Richard Gleeson, Rilee Rossouw 

Delhi Bulls: Rovman Powell (Icon), Muhammad Rohid, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazlahaq Farooqi, James Vince, Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Wade, Tom Banton, Salman Irshad, Kasun Rajitha, Nikhil Chaudhary, Saghir Khan, Shahid Iqbal Bhutta, Isai Thorne, Pavan Rathnayake, Fabian Allen, Harshir Seth 

Morrisville Samp Army: Faf du Plessis (Icon), Qais Ahmad, Andries Gous, David Willey, Imad Wasim, Karim Janat, Rohaan Mustafa, Jack Taylor, Sajid Khan, Kjorn Ottley, Hazrat Bilal, Taimoor Ali, Umair Ali Khan, Brain Bennett, Leonardo Julien, Amir Hamza Hotak, Sharafuddin Ashraf 

New York Strikers: Kieron Pollard (Icon), Mohammad Amir, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hossain, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Jawadulla, Matheesha Pathirana, Donovan Ferreira, Evin Lewis, Dewald Brevis, Doug Bracewell, Kusal Perera, Alishan Sharafu, Mayank Choudhary, Nathan Edward, Dumindu Sewmina, Asif Ali, Reece Topley 

Northern Warriors: Trent Boult (Icon), Finn Allen, Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Saqib Mahmood, Colin Munro, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ankur Sangwan, Brandon King, Fareed Malik, Shohidul Islam, Ziaur Rahman, Sagar Kalyan, Muhammad Uzair Khan, Shaqkere Parris, Ackeem Auguste 

Team Abu Dhabi: Phil Salt (Icon), Noor Ahmad, Kyle Mayers, Jonny Bairstow, Lockie Ferguson, Shimron Hetmyer, AM Ghazanfar, Adam Milne, Kadeem Alleyne, Asif Khan, Rumman Raees, Haider Ali, Zeeshan Nasser, Muhammad Arfan, Ramon Simmonds, Muditha Lakshan, Angelo Mathews  

UP Nawabs: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Icon), Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Andre Fletcher, Binura Fernando, Odean Smith, Najibullah Zadran, Faridoon Dawoodzai, Curtis Campher, Ryan Burl, Farhan Khan, Hafeez ur Rehman, Khalid Shah, Joshua Bishop, Ashmead Nedd, Masood Gurbaz, Khalid Ahmad Gurbaz 

Photo credit: Imago

Cricket’s Twenty20 format offers batters the license to go berserk and often, that freedom leads to some astonishing knocks. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the premier tournament of the shortest format, too, has seen its fair share of such breezy innings.

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh holds the record for scoring the fastest fifty in T20 World Cup history.

In the famous India vs England encounter of the 2007 T20 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh smashed a half-century in just 12 balls en route to his 16-ball 58. His knock memorably included six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad following an altercation with Andrew Flintoff.

To this date, it remains the fastest fifty in the shortest format of the game.

Yuvraj Singh’s fiery innings helped eventual champions India post a daunting total of 218/4, which the bowlers successfully defended to help their team win by 18 runs. 

The World Twenty20 2022 saw Australian all-rounder Marcus Stonis play a blinder of an innings against Sri Lanka in the super 12 stage. 

The 33-year-old slammed an unbeaten 59 off 18 balls after reaching the half-century with a six off the 17th ball of his innings, which helped Australia chase down a target of 158 with more than three overs to spare. Played at a huge strike rate of 327.78, the knock comprised four fours and six maximums. 

A similar innings was also played by former Netherlands batsman Stephan Myburgh in the 2014 edition to etch his name on the illustrious list.

Chasing a target of 190, the opening batter came out with an attacking intent to slam a half-century off 17 balls, before departing for a well-made 63 off 23 balls.

His innings, coupled with other batters�?contributions, helped the Dutch team breach the challenging total in just 14 overs. 

All-rounder Glenn Maxwell is another Australian on the list of players with the fastest fifty in T20 World Cup, having achieved the feat in 2014.

Batting first, Pakistan posted a massive total of 191/5 thanks to Umar Akmal’s 54-ball 94. Looking to hunt down 192 runs, opener Aaron Finch and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell got to their respective half-centuries, with the latter reaching the mark in just 18 balls. However, their heroic efforts went in vain as Pakistan won the clash by 16 runs.

Team India batter KL Rahul and former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik complete the list of fastest fifty in T20 World Cup

Both the cricketers smashed their fifties in the marquee event back in 2021 against the same opponent - Scotland. 

While KL Rahul scored an 18-ball 50 before getting dismissed off the next ball in the Super 12 fixture, Shoaib Malik scored 54* off 18 balls at a strike rate of 300. Both the knocks steered their respective teams to victory. Know the players with fastest fifty in T20 World Cup history.

Fastest fifty in T20 World Cup

Player	Team	Balls taken to reach fifty	Final score	Opponents	Year
Yuvraj Singh	India	12	58 (16)	England	2007
Stephan Myburgh	Netherlands	17	63 (23)	Ireland	2014
Marcus Stoinis	Australia	17	59* (18)	Sri Lanka	2022
Glenn Maxwell	Australia	18	74 (33)	Pakistan	2014
Shoaib Malik	Pakistan	18	54* (18)	Scotland	2021
KL Rahul	India	18	50 (19)	Scotland	2021
Mohammad Ashraful	Bangladesh	20	61 (27)	West Indies	2007
Yuvraj Singh	India	20	70 (30)	Australia	2007
Shadab Khan	Pakistan	20	55 (22)	South Africa	2022
Mahela Jayawardene	Sri Lanka	21	65 (27)	Kenya	2007

Photo credit: Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP

Cricket history has witnessed massive chases, with the biggest one on the international stage being a 434-run total from Australia chased down by South Africa with a 438/9 in 2006.

While big numbers do tell us stories of big chases, they sometimes don’t show how a team was almost out of the chase, but pulled things back in the end.

These runs come in heaps in the death overs generally, and when in full flow, we have seen batters go all out and bring their team back into the game. Below are the top two instances where batters have churned the most runs from death overs during an ODI chase.

Ireland vs New Zealand, Dublin - 86 runs by Michael Bracewell

New Zealand won this game in the nick of time - by one run with one wicket left. Ireland did well in the first innings to score 300/9 with a century from Harry Tector (113 off 117). While defending the total too, Ireland were breathing down New Zealand’s neck, reducing them to 200/6 at the end of the 40th.

With 101 runs needed in 10 overs, the game seemed to be tilting in the hosts' favour. However, Michael Bracewell, who was at 41* (46) at this point, orchestrated a powerful comeback.

Needing 40 off the last 18, Bracewell and No. 10 batter Lockie Ferguson scored 16 runs off the last 48th over, reducing the equation to 24 off 12. The Kiwis then needed 20 from the final over, which Bracewell finished with 4, 4, 6, 4, 6 to seal it in his team’s favour.

Bracewell finished with 127* (82), scoring his last 86 runs off 36 balls to help New Zealand register their record chase.

South Africa vs Pakistan, Johannesburg - 77 runs by Fakhar Zaman

Pakistan attempted to chase down South Africa’s 341/6 in Johannesburg in April 2021. But despite an unbelievable 193 (155) from Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan ended up on the losing side that day. Earlier in the game, Quinton de Kock (80), Temba Buvama (92), Rassie van der Dussen (60) and David Miller (50*) helped set up a strong total for the Proteas.

During the chase, despite opener Fakhar Zaman remaining at the crease for a long time, wickets periodically fell on the other end, hurting Pakistan’s chances. Pakistan needed 116 off the last 10 overs, but had only three wickets in hand.

After Zaman, the second-highest score was Babar Azam’s 31 (33). Zaman scored 77 runs in the death trying to reduce the 116-run deficit, including three consecutive sixes off Tabraiz Shamsi in the 44th over. Despite the fireworks, Pakistan fell short by 17 runs.

Most runs from death overs in ODI chase

Player Name	Country	Runs in death	Total score
Michael Bracewell	New Zealand	86	127* (82)
Fakhar Zaman	Pakistan	77	193 (155)
Abdul Razzaq	Pakistan	75	109* (72)
Abdul Razzaq	Pakistan	75	89 (40)
Marcus Stoinis	Australia	75	146* (117)

Author: Varsha Badrinath

Featured photo: Twitter / Black Caps

Two new teams were added to the Indian T20 League ahead of its 15th edition with franchises from Lucknow and Gujarat now a part of the biggest T20 league in the world.

The Lucknow franchise was purchased by renowned businessman and sports enthusiast Sanjiv Goenka, whose RPSG Group conglomerate successfully placed a bid of INR 7,090 crore last year to buy the team.

Ahead of the 15th edition of the Indian T20 League, the Lucknow franchise has been shaping up pretty well behind the scenes prior to their bow in the biggest T20 extravaganza across the globe.

With two-time Indian T20 League winning captain Gautam Gambhir as mentor and the legendary Andy Flower as coach, Lucknow put together strong supporting staff that guided them to plenty of smart acquisitions and prudent buys at the two-day mega auction in Bengaluru last month.

Discuss. Learn. Grow.#AbApniBaariHai#LucknowSuperGiants#TataIPL #IndianPremierLeague #IPL2022 #Mindset pic.twitter.com/rM8F8Io89h

�?Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) March 20, 2022

Here we have a closer look at what Team Lucknow will offer in their maiden Indian T20 League campaign.

Team Lucknow squad

Ahead of the Indian T20 League 2022 mega auction, the two new teams were presented the opportunity to sign players who could form their core squad. At the player draft, Lucknow roped in KL Rahul (INR 17 crore) as their team captain alongside Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (INR 9.2 crore) and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (INR 4 crore).

In the two-day mega auction held in Bengaluru last month, Lucknow went on to make judicious acquisitions, buying international stars like wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock (INR 6.75 crore), Evin Lewis (INR 2 crore), Jason Holder (INR 8.75 crore) and Sri Lankan pacer Dushmantha Chameera (INR 2 crore). Andrew Tye makes for another great acquisition in the T20 format for the team as the Australian gets ready to replace an injured Mark Wood.

As far as their domestic talents are concerned, Lucknow secured quite a few noteworthy names. Manish Pandey (INR 4.6 crore), all-rounder Krunal Pandya (INR 8.25 crore), Avesh Khan (INR 10 crore) and Deepak Hooda (5.75 crore) will all be donning Lucknow colours in the upcoming campaign.

Team Lucknow squad for Indian T20 League 2022:

KL Rahul (captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Jason Holder, Manish Pandey, Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Krunal Pandya, Andrew Tye, Avesh Khan, Ankit Singh Rajpoot, Krishnappa Gowtham, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Manan Vohra, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Karan Sharma, Evin Lewis, Mayank Yadav

Team Lucknow strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

One glance at the Lucknow squad highlights their well-rounded and formidable bowling unit, which will be a big threat for opposition batters in the new season. T20 specialist Andrew Tye could be entrusted to make early in-roads into the opposition along with the experienced Jason Holder.

Avesh Khan is another option they can utilise early on even though he will primarily be responsible for keeping things tight at the death alongside Dushmantha Chameera and Tye. Additionally, Lucknow boasts a variety of spin options as well with the likes of Krunal Pandya, Shahbaz Nadeem and Krishnappa Gowtham, all capable of single-handedly turning the tide of a contest on their day.

Weaknesses

Lucknow’s batting looks slightly limited on paper and it will be interesting to see how they perform with the willow should some of their bigger names fail to get going. While KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock make for a formidable opening pair with Manish Pandey at No.3, it will be intriguing to watch what happens if the aforementioned trio finds it difficult to produce their best.

Their dearth of tried and tested batting options isn’t just limited to the top order since a lot will be riding on their power-hitting middle order that features Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis and Deepak Hooda. If their middle-order fails to perform to expectations, a lot of the onus will be on their top order, which isn’t exactly spoilt for choice as far as established international stars go.

Who can be the highest run-scorer for Team Lucknow?

A proven performer on the Indian T20 League stage, expect KL Rahul to lead from the front and finish as his team’s top run-getter in the upcoming campaign. Rahul, who finished as Punjab’s top-scorer (626 runs) last season, has been in fine form for India recently, consistently scoring runs on the international stage across all formats.

He has made 3,273 Indian T20 League runs at a magnificent average of 47.43 with two centuries and 27 fifties. As already mentioned, he enjoyed a fine campaign on a personal front last time around. The season prior in 2020 witnessed Rahul win the Orange Cap for most runs (670) and he was also adjudged the Game Changer of the Season in that edition.

Who can be the highest wicket-taker for Team Lucknow?

Avesh Khan looks primed to finish as his team’s top wicket-taker in Indian T20 League 2022 and he is likely to be Lucknow’s go-to bowler this season. The 25-year-old enjoyed a fine breakthrough campaign last time around, notching 24 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 25.82.

Avesh’s performances last year didn’t go unnoticed with the selectors handing him his T20I debut. He heads into the new Indian T20 League campaign as a capped Indian talent with a couple of international scalps under his belt. With more confidence and experience now than a year back, expect Avesh to go from strength to strength and be Lucknow’s top wicket-taker. 

Where will Team Lucknow finish in Indian T20 League 2022?

Starting from scratch as a new franchise in any league isn’t easy and that’s even more so in the ultra-competitive environment that’s synonymous with the Indian T20 League. That said, Lucknow can make the playoffs if all their stars stand up and be counted on most occasions although that’s easier said than done with the players still getting to know one another.

Lucknow Indian T20 League 2022 schedule, fixtures and match times

All times are in India Standard Time (IST)

Day and Date	Fixtures	Venue	Time
Monday, March 28	Gujarat vs Lucknow	Wankhede Stadium	7:30 PM
Thursday, March 31	Lucknow vs Chennai	Brabourne Stadium	7:30 PM
Monday, April 4	Hyderabad vs Lucknow	DY Patil Stadium	7:30 PM
Thursday, April 7	Lucknow vs Delhi	DY Patil Stadium	7:30 PM
Sunday, April 10	Rajasthan vs Lucknow	Wankhede Stadium	7:30 PM
Saturday, April 16	Mumbai vs Lucknow	Brabourne Stadium	3:30 PM
Tuesday, April 19	Lucknow vs Bangalore	DY Patil Stadium	7:30 PM
Sunday, April 24	Lucknow vs Mumbai	Wankhede Stadium	7:30 PM
Friday, April 29	Punjab vs Lucknow	MCA Stadium	7:30 PM
Sunday, May 1	Delhi vs Lucknow	Wankhede Stadium	3:30 PM
Saturday, May 7	Lucknow vs Kolkata	MCA Stadium	7:30 PM
Tuesday, May 10	Lucknow vs Gujarat	MCA Stadium	7:30 PM
Sunday, May 15	Lucknow vs Rajasthan	Brabourne Stadium	7:30 PM
Wednesday, May 18	Kolkata vs Lucknow	DY Patil Stadium	7:30 PM

Author: Andre Pitts

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Featured photo: Twitter/KL Rahul

Punjab lock horns with Delhi in the �?/span>Northern Derby�?of Indian T20 League 2021 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 2.

Both the teams head into the derby after securing big wins in their previous fixtures. While Delhi thrashed Kolkata by seven wickets on Thursday, Punjab defeated Bangalore by 34 runs at the same venue on Friday.

The young two captains Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul will hope to continue their winning momentum on Sunday.

Delhi vs Punjab probable XI

The big concern for Punjab will be the form of West Indian duo Nicholas Pooran and Chris Gayle. While Gayle has been inconsistent, Pooran is enduring a very poor run. He has become only the fifth batsman in the history of the Indian T20 League to notch four scores of zero in a season. Pooran's horrible form may prompt them to bring in World No. 1 T20 batsman Dawid Malan into the playing XI.

Meanwhile, Riley Meredith had suffered an injury during Friday night's game. If Riley Meredith is unavailable, Punjab will bring in his compatriot Jhye Richardson. 

On the other hand, second-placed Delhi are expected to retain their playing XI that thrashed Kolkata on Thursday.

Punjab predicted XI: KL Rahul (captain/wicket-keeper), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran/Dawid Malan, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Chris Jordan, Jhye Richardson/Riley Meredith, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi

Delhi predicted XI: Prithvi Shaw, Shikar Dhawan, Steve Smith, Rishabh Pant (captain/wicket-keeper), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan

Punjab vs Delhi prediction: Who will win?

In the Punjab vs Delhi head-to-head record in the Indian T20 League, the former hold a slight advantage as they have won 15 of the 27 matches played between these two sides.

However, while Punjab might have an advantage in the head-to-head record against Delhi, Rishabh Pant’s side will start as favourites as they have won three of their five matches against KL Rahul and his men. Furthermore, Punjab were thrashed by Delhi in the earlier fixture in Indian T20 League 2021.

Best performers in Punjab vs Delhi

Top Tip: Best Batsmen

In the batting department, Punjab will depend on their swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle to come good against Punjab on Sunday. The 41-year-old has a decent record against Rishabh Pant's side, amassing 490 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 156.05. He has hit one ton and two fifties against this opposition.

On the other hand, Delhi will bank on their all-time leading run-scorer Shikhar Dhawan to play another match-winning innings against Punjab. Dhawan has scored 825 runs in 25 matches against Punjab with one hundred and six fifties to his name.

Top tip: Best bowlers

As far as bowling is concerned, Punjab pacer Mohammed Shami is expected to play an important role against his former side at Narendra Modi Stadium. Shami has picked eight wickets in five matches against Delhi at an economy of 7.2.

For Delhi, Umesh Yadav has a great record against Punjab. The 33-year-old has claimed 29 wickets in 19 innings at an average of 18.65 against KL Rahul’s side. These stats suggest Umesh can make a return to Delhi’s playing XI on Sunday.

Top tip: All-rounders and wicket-keepers

Delhi all-rounder Marcus Stoinis hasn’t had a defining performance in the ongoing edition of the Indian T20 League. However, he will certainly take inspiration from his last year’s performance, amassing 352 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 148.52. Stoinis had also scalped 13 wickets at an average of 21.76. He is well-placed to perform against Punjab on Sunday.

On the other hand, Punjab lacks top-quality all-rounders in their ranks. The team will hope Jhye Richardson can score a few runs at the lower order as he has hit three fifties in first-class cricket.

For the wicket-keeper position, Rishabh Pant will be the preferred choice over KL Rahul. Pant has taken 50 catches and completed 13 stumpings in the Indian T20 League history as opposed to KL Rahul’s 44 catches and five stumpings.

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Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

 

After an encouraging win over three-time Indian T20 League champions Chennai in their opening match, Delhi will be taking on Rajasthan in the seventh match of the tournament on Thursday, April 15, at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rajasthan might have lost their season-opener against Punjab, but their fans will be waiting with bated breath to see Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag at the crease again. For Delhi, a rejuvenated Prithvi Shaw hogged the limelight with a quickfire 72 against MS Dhoni’s men.

While the biggest draw of the game will be the coming together of debuting Indian T20 League captains Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant, Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson will be sweating to find an alternative option for their star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who will now miss the rest of the Indian T20 League season with a broken finger.

Rajasthan vs Delhi full squads

Rajasthan: Sanju Samson (captain/wicket-keeper), Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Manan Vohra, Anuj Rawat, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Mayank Markande, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Kartik Tyagi, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahman, Chetan Sakariya, KC Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh

Delhi: Rishabh Pant (captain and wicket-keeper), Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Pravin Dubey, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod (wicket-keeper), Lukman Meriwala, M Siddarth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings

Rajasthan vs Delhi playing XI predictions

Despite the unfortunate and untimely injury of Ben Stokes, Rajasthan have some interesting options to replace the English star. Stokes�?batting position for Rajasthan (as an opener) has been a source of debate for quite some time now with many suggesting Jos Buttler take that role.

Stokes�?injury provides Rajasthan with an opportunity to experiment. David Miller can come down in the middle order to provide late fireworks.

Samson deployed as many as eight bowlers against a batting-heavy Punjab side who put up a target of 222. Delhi are a different team altogether and Rajasthan are expected to continue with the same bowling combination of three pacers and two spinners with Rahul Tewatia getting more overs.

While Delhi aren’t expected to experiment with a winning XI from the last game, the management just cannot keep superstar bowler Kagiso Rabada on the bench when he is available. Tom Curran conceded 40 runs in four overs against and the English bowler is expected to be benched this match.

Rajasthan predicted XI: Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Manan Vohra, Sanju Samson (captain), David Miller, Riyan Parag, Shivam Dube, Rahul Tewatia, Chris Morris, Shreyas Gopal, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman

Delhi predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (captain and wicketkeeper), Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan

Rajasthan vs Delhi head-to-head in Indian T20 League

Interestingly, Rajasthan and Delhi have been very evenly matched in their encounters so far. The two teams have clashed 22 times in the Indian T20 League so far, with each winning 11 times.

The head-to-head remains relatively even at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, with Rajasthan winning four of their nine matches at the venue and Delhi winning four of their 10 matches at the venue.

Rajasthan vs Delhi: Match result prediction

It is evident from the head-to-head record that neither Delhi nor Rajasthan stand as clear favourites to win Thursday’s game. However, in terms of team combination, momentum, and most importantly, the think tank, Delhi edges Rajasthan in the fixture.

Having a shrewd and veteran tactician like Ricky Ponting at the helm calling the shots and picking the team combination, Rishabh Pant will have little to worry about apart from his batting against any opponents whatsoever. Rajasthan’s Kumar Sangakkara might have been a great player himself, but his inexperience to manage teams in the Indian T20 League will remain a disadvantage at this stage for the team.

Moreover, Ben Stokes�?exit would be a blow that Rajasthan could take some time to recover from.

Best performers in Rajasthan vs Delhi

Top tip: Best batsmen

Even if Ben Stokes hadn't been injured ahead of the Delhi clash, there was a high chance Rajasthan kept South African pinch hitter David Miller in the squad. The middle-order batsman has garnered 322 runs against Delhi in 14 matches at a strike rate of 115.82.

Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan will be the biggest threat for Rajasthan on Thursday. The southpaw has amassed a massive 547 runs against them in 19 matches with six half-centuries against Rajasthan alone.

Top tip: Best bowlers

Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has been Rajasthan's best bet with the ball against Delhi so far, as he accumulated 16 wickets in 8 matches. However, given the team combination, Shreyas Gopal could be handy for Sanju Samson as the spinner has previously taken five wickets against Delhi.

Delhi's old man Amit Mishra could be the star of the show on Thursday, given his exceptional record against Rajasthan. The spinner has scalped 30 wickets against Rajasthan at a strike rate of 14.

Top tip: All-rounders and wicket-keepers

While neither of the teams �?Rajasthan or Delhi �?have seen any exceptional performances from their all-rounders so far, Rajasthan’s Chris Morris is expected to get better with every game. The highest-priced player of the Indian T20 League 2021 took two wickets against Punjab.

For Delhi, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis remains their best hope. Though the Australian went wicketless against Chennai in the last match, his three boundaries coming down the order helped Delhi seal off the victory.

Rishabh Pant trumps Jos Buttler behind the stumps any day, especially in Indian conditions. He is currently the Indian cricket team’s first-choice wicket-keeper and has been acquainted with Rabada and Nortje’s pace in the Indian T20 League as well.

Buttler, on the other hand, wasn’t given the wicket-keeping duties in the first match with Sanju Samson taking the onus upon himself, a move that has been questioned by Michael Vaughan.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Manjunath Kiran

The opening week of the Big Bash League 2020-21 season was packed with intense drama and quality action that kept fans contemplating for some more.

Defending champions Sydney Sixers kickstarted their title defence on a sour note while last year’s runners-up Melbourne Stars won their opening set of fixtures quite comprehensively.

With a host of high-octane fixtures in the pipeline, we signal out the five players who are tipped to shine in the second week of Australia’s T20 extravaganza.

Player: Marnus Labuschagne, Brisbane Heat

Match: Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat

Though Marnus Labuschagne is yet to explore his immense potential, his glimpses of brilliance in the last term and the intra-squad warm-up match during Australia’s limited-overs tour of England propelled Brisbane Heat re-sign the 26-year-old for the Big Bash League 2020-21 season.

A confident hitter of the ball, Labuschagne is now in his fifth season with the Heat. While he has only played 10 matches in BBL so far, with 97 runs to his name, the Test superstar has earned the backing of head coach Darren Lehmann to attain success in the T20 format.

Labuschagne begins his 2020-21 campaign against Sydney Thunder on Monday, and is primed to register a commanding score in the middle order.

Player: Colin Ingram, Hobart Hurricanes 

Match: Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes

Hobart Hurricanes made a prolific start to the Big Bash League 2020-21 season, thanks to Colin Ingram’s 42-ball 55 who is eager to continue the form against his former employers Adelaide Strikers. 

The South African middle-order batsman, who was drafted in as a replacement for England’s Dawid Malan, last featured in the competition back in 2018 where he hit 333 runs in 13 matches for Adelaide Strikers.

Ingram has racked up 665 runs in 26 matches in his entire Big Bash League career, at a strike rate of 138.25 and will look to add on to the count on Monday. 

Player: Marcus Stoinis, Melbourne Stars

Match: Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars

Marcus Stoinis�?impact as a T20 superstar is widely known, with his 2020 Indian T20 League campaign with Delhi a clear indicator of his match-winning capability. The all-rounder, who finished as the Man of the Series in the 2019-20 season as well the leading run-getter with 705 runs, has a record of 1763 runs and 34 wickets from 62 matches and is favoured to be among the leading performers for week two.

After being dismissed for a duck in the opening fixture, Stoinis bounced back with a match-winning knock of 61 against Sydney Thunder and will look to extend his momentum against a struggling Perth Scorchers side, who were humbled by Melbourne Renegades in the previous fixture.

Player: Aaron Finch, Melbourne Renegades

Match: Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades

Fresh from a confident campaign with the national team in limited-overs cricket, Aaron Finch has made a positive return to the Big Bash League with a 28-ball 35 against Perth Scorchers.

The Australian skipper, who had scored 363 runs last term, is the second-highest run-getter in the history of the Big Bash League with 2275 runs. Given his strike rate of 136.22, onlookers can safely say that the 34-year-old Victorian will prolong his optimistic start when he returns to the pitch on Sunday, against Sydney Sixers.

Player: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Melbourne Stars

Match: Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars

The Big Bash League has been a perfect competition to explore the tenacity of Australia’s homegrown pacers, and, amongst the many matchwinners to represent Melbourne Stars in the T20 extravaganza, Nathan Coulter-Nile has made a name for himself. The all-rounder, in his second season with Melbourne Stars, made a blistering start to the latest campaign as he bagged a four-wicket haul against Brisbane Heat.

The 33-year-old has 60 wickets in his Big Bash League career and is all set to cross swords with his previous team Perth Scorchers. He is tipped to maintain the Stars�?quality start to the 2020-21 edition.

Feature Image courtesy: AFP/ David Gray

After Australia clinched the ODI series 2-1, the Indian cricket team bounced back strongly to seal the T20I series Down Under. As we inch closer to the last game of the white-ball series, I must admit that this has been a sheer delight to watch. 

So, when these two sides cross swords in the third and final T20I of the three-match series on December 8 at the Sydney Cricket Ground yet again, I expect the following players to play a key role in it:

Deepak Chahar

Indian medium pacer Deepak Chahar, who holds the record for the best bowling figures in T20I history, will look to put in a good display in the final game of the white-ball series. Even though Chahar was expensive in the last T20I encounter, he is a wicket-taker with the new ball and would want to end the series on a high. The 28-year-old had a decent outing in the first match of the T20 series where he gave the Indians a match-winning breakthrough by removing the dangerous Moises Henriques.

Matthew Wade

Australia’s stand-in skipper Matthew Wade will be very disappointed that his blistering half-century in the second T20I ended up in a losing cause. Leading the Aussies in the absence of injured Aaron Finch, Wade’s blitzkrieg innings of 58 runs off just 32 balls had helped the hosts post a mammoth total of 194/5 in their 20 overs. The 32-year-old will hope that he can contribute with the bat at the top of the order and help the side end the limited-overs series with a victory.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer just showed why he is such a valuable asset to the Indian white-ball set-up in the last T20 encounter against Australia. Iyer’s monstrous 111-metre six off Adam Zampa was one of the highlights of the second T20I. His 46-run stand with India all-rounder Hardik Pandya steered the visitors to a series-clinching victory on Sunday. Since the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground has been a batting paradise, I expect Shreyas to come good again in the final match of the T20 series.

Marcus Stoinis

The Australian all-rounder looked in great touch in the second T20I after making his comeback from an injury. Marcus Stoinis was also one of the standout performers in the recently-concluded Indian T20 league. The 31-year-old has already played 23 T20Is in his short international career, amassing 236 runs and claiming nine wickets for the Aussies. With the conditions at the SCG assisting the batters, I believe Stoinis can rightly be Australia’s X-factor in the third T20I. Of course, avoiding India’s clean sweep will be an added motivation as well.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Gray

David Warner's injury has now opened up an opportunity for the 30-year-old D'Arcy Short to bat at the top of the order for Australia in the remaining white-ball games against India. 

While there are high chances that Marnus Labuschagne will be preferred to open ahead of the left-handed batsman in the last of the three-match ODI series, Short looks like a certain starter for the T20I series that is scheduled to follow next.

The Western Australia all-rounder has already featured in 20 T20Is for Australia, amassing a total of 592 runs at 32.88. These runs include four fifties too, and he has taken three wickets with his left-arm wrist spin on top of that as well. Short’s last T20I in Australian colours was in February 2019 and it was against India.

However, the return of David Warner and Steven Smith from ban meant he had to lose his spot in the top-order for Australia. Short has still managed to be a prolific scorer in T20 tournaments, despite his exile from the national squad. Nobody has scored more runs than him in the Big Bash League since his debut in 2016.

Short has 1764 BBL runs to his name at an average of 46.42 and it includes two centuries and 15 fifties as well. His overall strike-rate of 143.29 also goes on to tell how explosive a batsman he is.

So, all he needs to do now is to carry that form forward into the upcoming T20I series against India. A good performance in these three matches will make him one of the most preferred Australian players ahead of the T20 World Cup next year.

While Short might still have to sacrifice his spot at the top of the order when David Warner returns, but his ability to bowl spin gives him an edge over players like Marnus Labuschagne and Marcus Stoinis - the front-runners for the number 4 role in the T20I side at present. 

Short bowls a pretty effective left-arm wrist spin and has a five-wicket haul to his name in this format as well. Hence, his presence in the team will give Australia a different dimension in the Indian conditions. Though his middle-order role in presence of Warner, Finch and Smith in the top three might seem a little odd, Short has increased his range and technique a lot in the last couple of years. That makes him capable enough to deal with the demands of that role.

Feature Image courtesy: AFP / Rodger Bosch

The 2020 Indian T20 League season has gone by in a flash and the two pre-tournament favourites, Mumbai and Delhi, will battle in the final to be crowned champions in the most unique circumstances in the league’s history.

Right from the start, I believed that these two teams were a cut above the rest and they proved me right by finishing first and second in the league stage and then dealing their way through the playoff muddle to reach the final.

Having keenly observed these two sides, I feel it’s still too difficult to call which team will win it all because both teams have proven match-winners that can turn a game on its head on their own. So, here’s my pick of four players, two from each side, that I believe will have a big say in the final:

Mumbai �?Jasprit Bumrah

Every time I watch Bumrah bowl, I'm in awe of what he produces on the cricket field for his side with the ball in his hand. He started the season in a an unconvincing fashion, conceding well over eight runs an over, but he found his groove midway through the campaign and is now in the hunt for his first Purple Cap win. Bumrah has taken 15 wickets in his last six matches and has conceded over 6.25 runs just once in those half a dozen games. Delhi already know that they have to be wary of Bumrah after he dismantled them in Qualifier 1. It’s simple logic; when Bumrah does well, Mumbai follow suit. So if the speedster performs well in the final, expect Mumbai to win their fifth title.

Delhi �?Shikhar Dhawan

Despite scoring three ducks in his last seven matches, Shikhar Dhawan is Delhi's most in-form batsman, a testament to just how substandard the rest of the batting order has been. But, simply chastising the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant does not tell the full story. Dhawan has hit two centuries and two fifties in the other four matches of the aforementioned seven-game stretch and is one of only two batsmen, alongside KL Rahul, with over 600 runs this season. In my opinion, Delhi only stand a chance against Mumbai if Dhawan bats the majority of their 20 overs and if he does, they can certainly usurp the reigning champions and win their maiden title.

Mumbai �?Ishan Kishan

With Ishan Kishan, Mumbai have proved that perseverance pays off. Over the years, we have seen Mumbai being extremely patient in nurturing and fine-tuning raw talents like Jasprit Bumrah and the Pandya brothers, Hardik and Krunal, and are now reaping the benefits of it as each plays a crucial role in the team’s success. Similarly, they spent a boatload of money to sign young Ishan Kishan in 2018, knowing very well that they are signing a player for the future rather than the present and two years later, their patience is being rewarded as the southpaw has delivered. Kishan is now Mumbai's leading runscorer with 483 runs alongside Quinton de Kock and has shown that he’s capable of being the aggressor as well as the anchor when the situation demands. He has one more game to cap off the season in grand style and I'm backing him to do well in the final.

Delhi �?Marcus Stoinis

When Delhi made the trade for Marcus Stoinis on the back of his incredible season in the Big Bash League, the team knew they were getting a superstar that could win games on his own for the side. He did exactly that in the first few matches but waned off a bit in the middle portion of the season, but here at the business end of the season, he’s playing his best cricket with both bat and ball, proving to be the difference-maker for Delhi. His 65 against Mumbai kept Delhi in the hunt and his incredible performance against Hyderabad, where he scored 38 with the bat and picked three wickets with the ball helped Delhi reach their first Indian T20 League final. Stoinis missed out in the final of the Big Bash League, scoring just 10 off four as his team succumbed to a defeat and he will be eager not to finish the year with two runner-up medals to his name.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Mumbai