India to visit England for limited-overs fixtures next year

IPL 2021: We want to win six out of seven matches to qualify for playoffs, says Karthik

Kolkata Knight Rider wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik is confident that the side will make it to playoffs in this edition of the IPL. The second leg of the cash-rich league will be played in the UAE and is scheduled to commence on September 19 with Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings. "We want to win six out of seven matches (to qualify). It's as simple as that. As a team that's what we'll be looking to do. Take one game at a time but try and win six out of seven matches," Karthik told KKR website. The right-handed batsman pointed out that the team missed out on making it to the playoffs by a whisker in the last edition. "Last year when we were in UAE, we missed it (qualifying for playoffs) by a whisker. We won as many matches as the last team had won but still just missed it by a whisker,” he said. The IPL was earlier suspended on May 4 after there was a rise in Covid-19 cases within the franchises. The Kolkata-based franchise is presently place at number seven with only two wins and four points under their belt from the seven matches that they have played. KKR will now resume the campaign against RCB on September 20 in Abu Dhabi.

CPL 2021 | Pollard, Seifert onslaught & Ali Khan secure sweep over Tallawahs

It was a tremendous bowling effort by Ali Khan, the US import of the Trinbago Knight Riders who registered career-best figures of 4-6 to bowl out Jamaica Tallawahs for a mere 92 and his team a sensational 75 run victory. With this win, the Knight Riders have now won both their league games against the Jamaica-based team in Caribbean Premier League 2021. The Jamaican chase never looked like going anywhere as they were tormented right from the start. They lost four of their top order batters with the team score reaching only 21 in the sixth over. What was even worse was that just as a partnership started developing between Tallawahs skipper Rivman Powell and Jason Mohammed, the spinners in Khary Pierre and Sunil Narine struck once each and got rid of the two batters. With Andre Russell and Carlos Brathwaite still batting and having seen the carnage by Kieron Pollard and Tim Seifert in the first innings, there was still hope that Tallawahs might just give it a go. But all those hopes were dashed when Narine struck for the second time in the day and brought an end to Russell’s misery who made only 1 run off the 11 balls that he faced. Before the fall of Russell, Brathwaite had been removed by Akeal Hosein. Only formalities remained and hence Ravi Rampaul, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament and Ali Khan, the Man of the Match came back to pick a wicket each and end the Tallawahs innings at 92, one of the lowest totals in CPL history. Earlier in the day, after winning the toss and sending Knight Riders to bat first, Tallawahs controlled most of the game up until the 17th over when calamity struck in the form of Pollard and Seifert. At 105-4 with only 16 balls to go, the Tallwahs were expecting nothing more than 34 at the max, that too with two new guys at the crease. However, what happened after that was pure joy for spectators, but devastation for Tallawahs. The duo of Pollard and Seifert hit Migael Pretorious for 12 runs of the remaining four balls of the 18th over, Russell for 21 runs in the 19th over and then again Pretorious for 29 runs in the 20th over. In total they scored 62 runs in the last 16 balls, taking the total to 167 in 20 overs.

SL vs SA | 3rd ODI: Maheesh Theekshana became a big advantage for us, says Dasun Shanaka

Spinner Maheesh Theekshana played a vital role in Sri Lanka’s 78-run win in the third and deciding ODI against South Africa in Colombo on Tuesday. Chasing 204 in 50 overs, the Proteas were bundled out for 125 in 30 overs after Theekshana scalped a four-wicket haul while Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera picked up a couple of wickets apiece during the course. Captain Dasun Shanaka has put his weight behind Theekshana and said that he brought him into the XI for this game as the track would have something on offer for the spinners and it would be difficult for the South African batsmen to read Theekshana. "I actually brought Maheesh Theekshana into the team to play T20s," Shanaka said. "But I knew that on a track like this where it turns a lot, it's going to be hard for South Africa to read someone like Theekshana out of the hand. I took that risk as a captain and the selectors and coaches supported me. And that became a big advantage for us,” he added. Batting first, the home side managed to put 203/9 in 50 overs with Asalanka top-scoring with a 71-ball 47. For South Africa, it was stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj who scalped a three-for. The hosts clinched the ODI series 2-1 and the two teams will now lock horns with each other in a three-match T20I series beginning on September 10.

CPL 2021 | Finally, a victory for Barbados as they thrash Warriors by 45 runs

Barbados Royals were able to break their three-match losing streak as they defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors by 45 runs to lodge their second win of the campaign in their seventh match, With this victory, they were also able to end their three-match losing streak and it has now kept them alive in the race to the Semi-Finals. For the first time in the league, the Barbados batters looked in real good touch as the team posted 185 in their 20 overs and put Guyana under pressure right from the beginning of the match. Kyle Mayers who was brought back into the playing XI was given an opportunity to open the innings and he made full use of it adding 42 runs for the first wicket in only four overs. Out of the 42, 36 were scored by him before being caught by Odean Smith off the bowling of Romario Shepherd. Charles then took upon the responsibility to keep the run rate going as he scored a 21 ball 41 before passing n the baton to Glenn Phillips who made 44 of 31 balls. In the ed few lusty blows from captain Jason Holder meant that the team was able to cross the 180 mark. Shepherd picked three wickets for the Warriors while Gudakesh Motie returned with figures of 2-33. The confidence shown by Riyas in batting was taken to the field in bowling too as they bowled out Guyana for 140 without letting any of the big guns settle down. Mohammad Hafeez and Odean Smith looked like the only two batters making any difference. However with Hafeez’s dismissal in the 10th over, it looked all over. Smith top-scored with 43 runs and was the last batter to be dismissed. For the Royals, Nyeem Young was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-24 while jake Lintott and Raymon Reifer picked one wicket each. Mayers for his early onslaught was adjudged Man of the Match.