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Top 12 Richest Cricket Boards (RANKED 2023): Which Cricket Board Has the Highest Net Worth—BCCI, CA, ECB, CSA, or PCB?

Discussing the richest cricket boards is common in the world of cricket today.

Dwaine Pretorius becomes the latest to retire from internationals to focus on T20 leagues. He follows Colin de Grandhomme, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, and several others in becoming free agents. The SA 20 league, aka IPL in South Africa, has gained a lot of attention in being the ‘final hope’ for South African cricket. But why is that South African, New Zealand, and West Indies cricketers in particular are leaving international cricket?

It all boils down to the money. Today, we discuss the richest cricket boards in Part 4 of our series, Cricket & Finances. Here is quick overview:

The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is the richest cricket league in the world with an estimated $2 billion annual revenue. The BCCI is followed by the ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board) at $368 Million, and CA (Cricket Australia) at $270 Million in annual revenue. The CSA (Cricket South Africa) has revenues of $46 million, NZC (New Zealand Cricket) is at $42 million, and CWI (Cricket West Indies) is at $28 million. Those are not bad numbers, but exploring a bit in-depth, we see that CSA had a total comprehensive loss of $11.6 million, NZC suffered a loss of $4.6 million, and CWI incurred a loss of $10 million.

Also Read other articles on Finances in Cricket:

World’s Richest Cricket Boards (Lowest to Highest)

We looked at the financial statements and Annual Reports of each of these respective boards to come up with the revenue, expenditure, and total surplus/loss. The ranking of the national cricket board is displayed with the (annual revenue) and partners/sponsors.

*all figures are in $US dollars.

12. Zimbabwe Cricket – ZC ($5.5 Million)

  • Revenue: $5,520,442
  • Total Operating Costs: $6,953,991
  • Total Deficit: $1,239,606 (LOSS)
  • Total Comprehensive Income (after surplus on lands and buildings): – $1,192,166

Is Zimbabwe Cricket profitable? No, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is not profitable with a deficit of $1.1 million in 2020.

Based on Annual Reports & financial statements ending on 31 December 2020.

Partners

  • Banaqua, Swift, Zimpharm, Dandemutande, A May, Ihsan, Swift, Windmill Pvt Ltd

Sources: https://zimcricket.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Zimbabwe-Cricket-Annual-Report-2020_2021.pdf

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11. Afghanistan Cricket Board – ACB ($7.15 Million)

  • Total Revenue: $7.15 Million
  • Total Expenses: $6.76 Million
  • Surplus: $390,000

Is Afghanistan Cricket Board profitable? Yes, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is marginally profitable with a surplus of $390,000 in 2019 (breakeven).

*Note: This is based on the 2019 Annual Report, published in 2020. US withdrawal of Afghanistan occurred around August 2021. No new annual reports have been published since then.

Highlights from the 2019-20 Annual Report

“Afghanistan Cricket Board as the owner of the league spent around $369,000 for the implementation of the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL).

The distribution of revenue for ACB was as follows:

  • 84% ICC Distribution
  • 9% Government
  • 4% Marketing
  • 3% Shpageeza

Partners

  • Main Sponsor: Partner with ACB
  • National Team Sponsor: Super Cola
  • Official NFT: Rario
  • Cloth Manufacturing Partner: TYKA
  • IT Partner: Afghan Telecom
  • Other Partners: Asian Cricket Councial, ICC
  • SCL Sponsor: Etisalat
  • Main Jersey Sponsor: Diva Group
  • Medical Partner: Blossom Health Care
  • Beverage Partner: Habib Gulzar Limited
  • Umpires Jersey Sponsor: RTA Sports
  • Other Sponsors: Kam Air, Dafa News, Madava Hospital, Tayyab Yasir Limited, Refai Shaheen Construction Company

Sources: 1618643450.Annual Report 2020 Final.pdf (cricket.af)

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10. Cricket Ireland ($9.5 Million)

  • Income: 8,885,993 Euros ($9,537,336)
  • Expenses: 11 Million Euros ($11.7 Million)
    • Direct Expenses – 6,504,461 Euros ($6,981,237), Administrative Expenses – 4,465,456 Euros ($4,792,774)
  • Deficit: – 1,230,869 Euros (- $1.3 Million) (LOSS)
  • Retained earnings at the end of the financial year: 310,166 ($333,000)

Based on Annual Reports & financial statements ending on 31 December 2021.

Is Cricket Ireland profitable? No, Cricket Ireland is not profitable with a deficit of 1,230,869 Euros ($1.3 Million). On the other hand, in 2020, the Cricket Ireland was profitable with a surplus of 1,537,632 Euros ($1.65 Million).

Partners

  • Main Sponsors & Men’s Shirts Rights Holder: ITW Consulting
  • Official Ireland Women’s Team Partner & Official Technology Partner: Hanley Energy
  • Official Airline Partner: Turkish Airlines
  • Official sponsor of Inter-Provincial Series: Test Triangle
  • Official IT Services Partner: Techfynder
  • Official Currency Exchange Partner: Clear Currency
  • Official Partners: Amul, O’Neills, Ulster University, Tildenet, Club Travel, La Manga Club, ICC, Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland, The Hope Foundation, Federation of Irish Sport, Arachas Insurance, Mansfield Sports Group

Sources: item_5_-_Irish_Cricket_Union_CLG_2021_-_financial_statements_140422.pdf (cricketireland.ie)

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9. Sri Lankan Cricket Board – SLCB ($22 Million)

  • Total Revenue: 7,994,291,865 SL Rupee ($22,022,843)
  • Total Expenses: 5,883,380,298 SL Rupee ($16,207,659)
  • Net Surplus: 2,138,726,491 SL Rupee ($5,891,809)
  • Total Comprehensive Income (after assets, taxes, actuarial gain, etc.): 2,478,605,198 SL Rupee ($6,8282,113)

Is Sri Lankan Cricket Board profitable? Yes, Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLCB) is profitable with a surplus of 2,478,605,198 SL Rupee ($6,8282,113) in 2021.

Based on Annual Reports & financial statements ending on 31 December 2021.

Highlights from the 2021 Annual Report

The distribution of SLCB’s revenue was as follows:

  • 44% International Cricket
  • 35% ICC Annual Distributions
  • 21% Other Income

Partners

  • Global Media Rights: Sony
  • National Team Sponsor: Dialog
  • Ground Rights: ITW Consulting
  • Production Services Partner: The IPG Group
  • Clothing Partners: MAS Holdings, LiCC Jeans, Namal Balachandra Private Limited
  • Drink Partners: RedBull, Cristal, myCola
  • Cricket Helmet Partner: Masuri
  • Local Radio Broadcaster: SLBC
  • Health Care Provider: Nawaloka Hospitals
  • ICC T20 World Cup Team Sponsors: Astro Pay
  • Jersey Branding Sponsors: Daraz Group
  • Other Sponsor: IFS, Kent RO

Sources: Annual-Report-2021.pdf (srilankacricket.lk)

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8. Pakistan Cricket Board – PCB ($27.6 Million)

  • Total Income: PKR Rs. 6,330,842,117 ($27, 665,780)
  • Total Expenses: PKR Rs. 7,086,927,287 ($31 Million)
  • Total Deficit: -PKR 756,085,170 (-$3.3 Million) (LOSS)

Is Pakistan Cricket Board profitable? No, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not profitable with a deficit of PKR 756,085,170 (-$3.3 Million) in the 2020-21 season.

Based on Annual Reports & financial statements ending on 30 June 2021.

*PKR Rs. denotes Pakistan Rupees

Commercial Partners

  • Men’s team: Pepsi, TCL, Parkview City
  • Women’s team: Pepsi
  • Commercial Partner: Trans Group
  • Broadcast & Live Streaming Partner: Ary Zap, Willow, Sony, Etisalat, Fox Sports, Flow Sports, SkySport, Sky Sports, ICC TV, SuperSport
  • Pathway Cricket Programme: Engro Cricket Coaching Projecte

Sources: Financial Statements For the Year Ended June 30 2021.pdf (pcb.com.pk)

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7. Cricket West Indies – CWI ($28.1 Million)

  • Total Revenue: $28,134,000
  • Total Expenses: $38,196,000
  • Net Loss: -$10,279,000

Is the Cricket West Indies profitable? No, the Cricket West Indies Cricket Board (CWI) is not profitable with a net deficit of $10,279,000 in 2021.

Based on Annual General Meeting held on 12 March 2022, which summarized CWI’s financial statements from 2021.

Sponsors

  • Official Partners: CG United, Mastercard, Apex Group, Blue Waters, Castore, FanCraze
  • Technical Partners: Kookaburra, Masura, Phizzs

Source: CWI_2022_AnnualReport

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6. Bangladesh Cricket Board – BCB ($32 Million)

  • Total Revenue: BDT 332,82,58,604 ($31,668,380)
    • Total Revenue from media, team sponsors, and other rights: $8.9 Million
  • Net Surplus: BDT 52,91,34,026 ($5 Million)
  • Accumulated Fund: BDT 832,68,87,010 ($79.2 Million)

Is the Bangladesh Cricket Board profitable? Yes, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was profitable in 2020 with a surplus of BDT 832,68,87,010 ($79.2 Million)

Based on Annual General Meeting 2021, which summarized CWI’s financial statements from 2020.

*BDT – Bangladesh Taka

Highlight from the 2017-2020 BCB Activity Report

“In the six years between 2011 and 2016 the Board had earned US $33.32 million in media, team sponsor, and other rights while in just three years from 2017 to 2020, the BCB’s earnings stood at approximately US $29 million from the same sources.”

Partners

  • Team Sponsor: Daraz
  • Media Right Holder: BanTech
  • ISP Partner: Aamra
  • Team Kits Partner: Hungry Naki
  • Hospitality Partner: Pan Pacific

Source: BCB-Activities-Report-2017-2020-2-page-view.pdf (tigercricket.com.bd)

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5. New Zealand Cricket – NZC ($42 Million)

  • Total Revenue: $66,401,000 NZD ($42, 217, 755.80 USD)
  • Total Expenditure: $46,496,000 NZD ($29,604,000 USD)
  • Total Surplus: $792,000 NZD ($504,000 USD)
  • Total Comprehensive Deficit (after Unrealized Loss and Valuation of Foreign Currency Hedging): – $6.7 Million NZD (- $4.26 Million USD) (LOSS)

Is New Zealand Cricket profitable? No, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is not profitable with a net deficit of $ 6.7 Million NZD ($ 4.26 Million USD) in 2021.

Based on the 2021-22 Annual Report and corresponding financial statements for fiscal year ending on 31 July 2022.

Highlight from the 2021-22 Annual Report

  • ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 – Surplus of $2.6 Million NZD ($ 1.653 Million USD)
  • $1.8 Million NZD ($1.14 Million USD) provided to support NZC’s High Performance Center.

“Over 95% of all NZC revenue is derived from our teams’ participation in these FTP and ICC events…”

NZCB Commercial Partners

  • Official Broadcast Partner: SparkSport
  • International Broadcast Partner: Pitch
  • Major Bank & Official Bank: ANZ
  • Official Vehicle Provider: Ford
  • Official Hotel Supplier: Accor
  • Official Supplier: Air New Zealand
  • Official Clothing Sponsor: Canterbury of New Zealand
  • Official Sports Drink: Powerade
  • Official Sponsor of NZ Cricket Umpires: G.J. Gardner Homes
  • Official Car Rental Partner: Hertz
  • Partner of the BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS (3 -year Deal): KFC
  • Official Radio & Digital Partner: MediaWorks
  • Official Partners: Gillette, Les Mills, Dulux, Asahi Beverages NZ
  • Funding Partners: Sports NZ, New Zealand Community Trust, Perry Foundation, Southern Trust

Source: New Zealand Cricket Annual Report (21-22), Commercial Partners (nzc.nz)

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Also Read in the Cricket & Finances series:

  1. Top 10 Richest Cricket Leagues (By Average Salaries)
  2. How Much Do Different Types of Cricketers Earn Per Year (2022)? Salaries of Pujara, Stokes, Warner, Billings, Tim David Revealed!
  3. Salary of Cricketers (Men’s) from Each of the 12 Nations (2022)—The Complete Guide

4. Cricket South Africa ($46 Million)

  • Total Revenue: 778, 353,000 Rands ($45,767,156 USD)
  • Total Expenses: 995,624,000 Rands ($58,492,910 USD)
  • Total Comprehensive Loss: -197,874,000 Rands ($-11,625,097 USD) (LOSS)
  • End of Year Balance (After adding up previous years’ savings): 272 Million Rands ($16 Million)

Is Cricket South Africa profitable? No, Cricket South Africa was not profitable in 2021-22 with a net deficit of -197 Million South African Rands (loss of $11.625 Million US dollars).

Based on the 2021-22 Integrated Report and corresponding financial statements for fiscal year ending on 30 April 2022.

Highlights from the Integrated Report 2021-22

“The curtailment of the planned four T20 matches against India due to Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted CSA’s results, with a -R 250 Million (- $14.7 Million USD). This revenue loss was mitigated to a certain extent by committed cost reductions through all business areas, resulted in a reported loss of R198 Million ($11.6 Million USD).”

“CSA does not own cricket stadiums, so proceeds generated by these venues are shared, with CSA receiving 20% and stadium operators (CSA members) receiving 80%.”

Revenue Division

  • 53% Broadcast Rights: 413 Million SA Rands ($24 Million)
  • 33% ICC distribution: 256 Million SA Rands ($15 Million USD)
  • 4% Sponsorships (Professional), 2% Sponsorships (Amateur): 52 Million SA Rands ($3 Million USD)
  • 1% Government and Lotto Grants
  • 7% Other: 57 Million SA Rands ($3.35 Million USD)

CSA Commercial Partners

  • Team & Series Associate Sponsors: Momentum Health
  • Headline Event Sponsors: Betway, KFC
  • Official Sponsors: Castore, Betway, Castle
  • Official Suppliers: BitCo, Momentum Health, TicketPro, Kemach JCB, SpringBok Atlas, Sunfoil
  • Host Broadcaster: SuperSport
  • Free To Air Broadcaster: SABC Sport

Sources: Cricket South Africa | COMMERCIAL PARTNERS, Integrated-Report-2021-22.pdf (cricket.co.za)

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3. Cricket Australia ($270 Million)

  • Total Revenue: $391,004,000 AUD ($270,144,663)
  • Total Expenses: $283,429,000 AUD ($195,821,000)
  • Total Surplus: $10,665,000 AUD ($7, 368,448)

Is Cricket Australia profitable? Yes, Cricket Australia (CA) is profitable with a net surplus of $ 10.7 million AUD ($7.4 million USD) in 2021. Hence, Cricket Australia is on #3 in the richest cricket boards in the world.

Based on the 2021-22 Annual Report and Statement of Comprehensive Income for fiscal year ending on 30 June 2022.

Partners

  • Broadcast Partners: Fox Sports, Seven West Media, ABC Radio, Macquarie Radio Network, Sports Entertainment Network
  • International Broadcast Partners: Sony, Fox Sports Asia, beIN, BT Sport, Supersport, Kwese Sports, Sports Max, Flow Sports, Willow, ATN, SKY Network Television, National Broadcasting Corporation of Papua New Guinea
  • Commercial Partners: Alinta Energy, NRMA Insurance, Bundaberg Distilling Company & Bundaberg Ginger Beer, Kayo Sports, Asics, Dettol, Bet365, Commonwealth Bank, HCLTech, KFC, Qantas, Toyota, Woolworths, 4Pines, Nu-Pure, Marsh
  • Official Suppliers: Albion, Kookaburra, Masuri, MJ Bale
  • Approved Sports Betting Providers: bet365, BetDeluxe,l BlueBet, betfair, BudgetBet, Goldbet, Jimmy Bet, Ladbrakes, Marantelli Bet, Moneyball, PalmerBet, PickleBet, PlayUp, PointsBet, Punt123, PuntersPal, Real Bookie, Southern Cross BET, SportChamps, SportsBet, SWOP Stakes, Tab.com.au, Unibet, WinBet, Winners Bet, WishBET

Sources: Annual Report 2021/2022 – Cricket Australia (e-brochures.com.au)

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2. England & Wales Cricket Board – ECB ($368 Million)

  • Total Turnover: 302,504,000 Pounds ($367,784, 363 USD)
  • Gross Profit (after cost of sales): 226,171,000 Pounds ($274,978,701)
  • Administrative Expenses: 205,400,000 Pounds ($249,725,320)
  • Total Comprehensive Income: $20,751,000 Pounds ($25,229,066 USD)

Is the England & Wales Cricket Board profitable? Yes, England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is profitable. According to the 2021-22 Financial Statements, the ECB had a net surplus of $20.7 million pounds ($25.2 million US dollars). Hence, the ECB is the 2nd among the richest cricket boards on the planet.

Based on the 2021-22 Financial Statements for fiscal year ending on 31 January 2022.

Partners

  • Broadcast Partner: Sky Sports, BBC
  • Principal Partner: Cinch
  • Competition Partner: Vitality, LV= Insurance
  • Official Partners: IG, Ascent
  • Kit Partner: Castore
  • Official Hygiene Partner: Lifebuoy
  • Technology Partner: Microsoft
  • Sparkling Wine Partner: Chapel Down

Sources: Financial-Statements-202122-v3.pdf (ecb.co.uk), ECB.co.uk – About

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1. Board of Control for Cricket in India – BCCI ($2 Billion)

Fun fact, BCCI has not published its Annual Report since 2016-17. Hmm…I wonder why that is….

  • Total Income: INR 1112,55 Crore ($136,287,375)
  • Total Expenditure: INR 583.44 Crore ($71,471,400)
  • Surplus: INR 529.11 Crore ($64,815, 975)

Is the Board of Control for Cricket in India profitable? Yes, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is profitable with a net surplus of INR 529 Crore ($64.8 million US dollars). Furthermore, the profit has grown to an estimated $2 billion as of 2022.

Based on the 2016-17 Financial Statements for fiscal year ending on 31 March 2017.

Source: 1638362483_BCCI Annual Report 2016-17.pdf,

*INR – Indian Rupee

BCCI Estimated Profits 2017-2027

Although official documents were limited to 2017, we investigated further based on Twitter data and media reports from reputable sources. For example, the infographic by Forbes India shows the mammoth growth in BCCI’s net worth between 2014 & 2018. BCCI’s net worth is shown to be INR 11,916.8 crore ($1.224 billion US dollars).

Since then, BCCI’s rise has been exponential. Here are some of the highlights of major rights and sponsorships, including the mammoth $6.2 billion IPL media rights between 2023-2027.

BCCI Revenue Distribution, Rights, & Sponsorship Deals (2016-23)

  • ICC Revenue (2016-23): $405 Million (About $50 Million per year)
  • Media Rights (2018-22): INR 16,347.5 Crore ($2.55 Billion)
  • Media Rights (2023-27): INR 48,390.5 Crore ($6.20 Billion), which is about 9,678.1 Crore ($1.24 Billion) per year
    • Split 50% with the 8 IPL franchises
  • BYJU Extension (till November 2023): INR 280-300 Crore ($35 Million)
  • PayTM Deal (2019-23): INR 326.8 Crore ($40 Million)
    • PayTM will be replaced by Mastercard for the next cycle
  • Dream XI Deal (2019-23): INR 222 Crore ($27 Million)
    • This deal was done on a year by year basis. The above amount is from the 2020 negotiations
  • Hyundai Deal (2016-19): INR 150 Crore ($18.375 Million)

In conclusion, about $1.24 billion revenue will be achieved annually by the IPL media right alone. The ICC revenue and all of the other sponsorships will make up another billion (and will change everywhere as the negotiations with each sponsor changes). The BCCI is easily #1 on the list of the world’s richest cricket boards.

*Note: The estimated Revenue for ICC’s broadcasting income from the 2023 ODI World Cup is about $533.29 Million, from which $58.23-116.47 million is expected to be taxed by the Indian government.

Partners

India’s sponsors and partners are as follows:

  • Team Sponsor: BYJU’S: The Learning App
  • Official Broadcaster: Star Sports ($944 Million)
  • Title Sponsor: Mastercard
  • Official Partners: Dream11, Hyundai, Ambuja Cement, Killer Jeans (Kewal Kiran Clothing)

Sources:, Star India buys Indian cricket rights for USD 944 million (espncricinfo.com), IPL media rights – Disney Star and Viacom 18 share the spoils in 6 billion-dollar-plus IPL rights deal (espncricinfo.com), Paytm back out of BCCI deal, Mastercard to step up | Cricket – Hindustan Times, Dream 11 as title sponsor of IPL 2021 and 2022? BCCI negotiating bigger deal (dnaindia.com)

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Conclusion—Where Does Cricket Go From Here

The only profitable cricket boards are the BCCI, ECB, CA, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), and Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLCB).

This is the concerning aspect. If the national body is not profitable, they have to cut back on salaries, systems, and leagues. This is exactly why South Africa are hoping that the SA20 league generates so much revenue that the surplus can raise players’ salaries and keep them in the domestic circuit.

How Do Cricket Boards Earn Money?

Cricket boards earn money in a variety of ways—ICC revenue, media rights, sponsorships, ticket sales, etc. Here is a visual from ESPNCricinfo illustrating the 2016-2023 revenue distribution from the ICC to the top cricketing nations.

BCCI's income from ICC Revenue.

Source: BCCI, ICC broker peace over financial model (espncricinfo.com)

Richest Cricket Boards – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Which is the richest cricket board in the world?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the richest cricket board in the world, valued at about $2 Billion a year.

2. How much money does South African cricket lose per year?

Cricket South Africa (CSA) lost about $11.6 Million in 2021.

3. How much money does New Zealand cricket lose per year?

New Zealand Cricket Board lost about $4.26 Million in 2021.

4. What is BCCI’s Net Worth?

BCCI’s net worth is about $2 billion dollars.

5. How much does Cricket Australia earn in revenue per year?

Cricket Australia earned about $270 Million in 2021.

6. What is ECB’s Net Worth?

England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) earned about $368 Millon in revenue in 2021.

Who are the Top 5 richest cricket boards?

BCCI ($2 Billion), ECB ($368 Million), CA ($270 Million), CSA ($6 Million), and NZ ($42 Million) are the Top 5 richest cricket boards. Collage of the World's Richest Cricket Boards Pictured are teams celebrating in a huddle as follows: From left to right (top): South Africa, India, England, New Zealand, Zimbabwe From left to right (bottom): Pakistan, Australia, West Indies

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2023. Originally published on 01/10/2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

SA20 Auction Big Takeaways: List of Players Sold, Squads, Surprises, Exclusions, and More!

SA20 Auction gathered lots of attention around the world.

This was not like South Africa’s earlier failed attempts to a T20 league. Graeme Smith is at the head of the organization (league commissioner), the IPL groups own all the franchises, and there was even an auction in this one. This was actually quite an enthralling event to witness.

Big Takeaways & Highlights from SA20 Auction

  • Sri Lankan (most) players go unsold despite a stellar Asia Cup performance
  • MI Cape Town stay true to their franchise and get as many as six uncapped South African players
  • This was a proper T20 league auction. Not one where home grown players’ reputation was kept in thought. T20 captain Temba Bavuma, Test captain Dean Elgar, and Andile Phehlukwayo were all unsold.
  • Tristan Stubb’s profile skyrockets. From an injury replacement at Mumbai Indians to $519,000 price at the SA20 auction.
  • Just like the IPL, the auction propelled a few relatively unknown names in the bags of riches. In this case, it was Donavon Ferreira at $311,000.

And finally, this adds to the tension between international and franchise cricket. This will add another layer to seven types of possible careers cricketers can choose from in the future.

9 Cricketers for Whom Teams Broke the Bank at the SA T20 Auction

  1. Tristan StubbR. 9,200,000 ($519,000)
  2. Rilee RossouwR. 6,900,000 ($389,000)
  3. Marco JansenR. 6,100,000 ($344,000)
  4. Wayne ParnellR. 5,600,000 ($316,000)
  5. Donavon FerreiraR. 5,500,000 ($311,000)
  6. Sisanda Magala R. 5,400,000 ($305,000)
  7. George LindeR. 3,900,000 ($220,000)
  8. Jimmy NeeshamR. 3,600,000 ($203,500)
  9. Duan JansenR. 3,300,000 ($186,500)

5 Prominent Players that were Left Unsold at the SA T20 Auction

  1. Temba Bavuma: Captain of South Africa’s T20 World Cup team, Base Price – R. 850,000 ($48,000)
  2. Andile Phehlukwayo: Base Price – R. 850,000 ($48,000)
  3. Duanne Olivier: Base Price – R. 175,000 ($9,800)
  4. Farhaan Behardien: Base Price – R.175,000 ($9,800)
  5. Aaron Phangiso: Base Price – R. 175,000 ($9,800)

Also Read: 49 South African Cricketers Who Left Their Country for Kolpak Deals

SA T20 List of Pre-Auction Buys

Prior to the auction, each franchise could acquire the services of maximum five players – 1 South African (capped), 1 uncapped, and three overseas players.

MI Cape Town (owned by Mumbai Indians group): Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan, Sam Curran, Dewald Brevis (uncapped)

Durban Super Giants (owned by Lucknow Super Giants group): Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Reece Topley, Prenelan Subrayen (uncapped)

Sunrisers Eastern Cape (owned by Sunrisers Hyderabad group): Aiden Markram, Ottniel Baartman (uncapped)

Johannesburg Super Kings (owned by Chennai Super Kings group): Faf du Plessis, Gerald Coetzee, Mahesh Theekshana, Romario Shepherd

Paarl Royals (owned by Rajasthan Royals group): David Miller, Jos Buttler, Obed McCoy, Corbin Bosch

Pretoria Capitals (owned by Delhi Capitals group): Anrich Nortje, Migael Pretorius (uncapped)

SA T20 Complete Squads

MI Cape Town

  • Kaigso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Beuran Hendricks
  • Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Olly Stone, Waqar Salamkheil
  • Dwald Brevis, Duan Jansen, Delano Potgieter, Grant Roelofsen, Wesley Marshall, Ziyaad Abrahams

Durban Super Giants

  • Quinton de Kock, Keshav Maharaj, Dwaine Pretorius, Heinrich Klassen, Kyle Abbott, Junior Dala, Wiaan Mulder, Simon Harmer
  • Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul Reece Topley, Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles
  • Prenelan Subrayen, Matthew Breetzke, Christiaan Jonker

Sunrisers Eastern Cape

  • Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs, Sisanda Magala, JJ Smuts, Roelof van der Merwe
  • Mason Crane, Jordan Cox, Adam Rossington, Tom Abell, Brydon Carse
  • Ottniel Baartman, Junaid Dawood, James Fuller, Aya Gqamane, Sarel Erwee

Joburg Super Kings

  • Faf du Plessis, Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne, Gerald Coetzee, Lizaad Williams
  • Mahesh Theekshana, Romario Shepherd, Harry Brook, Alzarri Joseph, Lewis Gregory
  • Leus du Plooy, Donavon Ferreira, Nandre Burger, Malusi Siboto, Caleb Seleka

Paarl Royals

  • David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dane Vilas, Bjorn Fortuin, Wihan Lubbe
  • Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Eoin Morgan, Obed McCoy
  • Corbin Bosch, Ferisco Adams, Imraan Manack, Evan Jones, Ramon Simmonds, Mitchell van Buuren, Codi Yusuf

Pretoria Capitals

  • Anrich Nortje, Rilee Rossouw, Wayne Parnell, Theunis de Bruyn
  • Phil Salt, Josh Little, Adil Rashid, Will Jacks, Kusal Mendis, Jimmy Neesham
  • Migael Pretorius, Shaun von Berg, Cameron Delport, Marco Marais, Daryn Dupavillon, Eathan Bosch, Shane Dadswell

Also Read: Salary of Cricketers (Men’s) from Each of the 12 Nations (2022)—The Complete Guide

SA T20 Auction – Prices & List of Players Sold (As It Happened)

The auction was held in several rounds.

SA20 Auction Round 1 – Marquee Capped Players

In Round 1, capped South African players were sold.

PlayerInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Lungi NgidiSouth AfricaPaarl RoyalsR. 3,400,000$192,000
Tabraiz ShamsiSouth AfricaPaarl RoyalsR. 4,300,000$243,000
Dwaine PretoriusSouth AfricaDurban Super GiantsR. 4,100,000$231,000
Rassie van der Dussen South AfricaMI Cape TownR. 3,900,000$220,000
Heinrich KlassenSouth AfricaDurban Super GiantsR. 4,500,000$254,000
Marco Jansen South AfricaSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 6,100,000$344,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 1

  • Base price – 1,700,000 Rands ($96,000): Odean Smith, Jimmy Neesham

SA20 Auction Round 2 – Batters

PlayerInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Harry Brook EnglandJoburg Super KingsR. 2,100,000$118,000
Rilee RossouwSouth AfricaPretoria CapitalsR. 6,900,000$389,000
Janneman MalanSouth AfricaJoburg Super KingsR. 2,700,000$152,000
Tristan StubbSouth AfricaSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 9,200,000$519,000
Jason RoyEnglandPaarl RoyalsR. 1,500,000$84,600
Reeza HendricksSouth AfricaJoburg Super KingsR. 4,500,000$254,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 2

  • Base price – 850,000 Rands ($48,000): Eoin Morgan, Brandon King, Temba Bavuma, Pathum Nissanka

SA Auction Round 3 – Wicketkeepers

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Kyle VerreynneSouth AfricaJoburg Super KingsR. 175,000$10,000
Dane VilasSouth AfricaPaarl RoyalsR. 3,300,000$186,000
Ryan RickletonSouth AfricaMI Cape TownR. 1,000,000$56,000
Phil SaltEnglandPretoria CapitalsR. 2,000,000$113,000

*Note: Peter Handscomb withdrew before the auction

List of Unsold Players in Round 3

  • Base price – 850,000 Rands ($48,000): Dinesh Chandimal
  • Base price: – 425,000 Rands ($24,000): Shai Hope, Kusal Mendis
  • Base price -175,000 Rands ($10,000): David Bedingham

SA20 Auction Round 4 – All Rounders

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Keemo PaulWest IndiesDurban Super GiantsR. 850,000$48,000
Wayne ParnellSouth AfricaPretoria CapitalsR. 5,600,000$316,000
George GartonEnglandJoburg Super KingsR. 425,000$24,000
Sisanda MalagaSouth AfricaSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 5,400,000$305,000
Keshav MaharajSouth AfricaDurban Super GiantsR. 2,500,000$141,000
George LindeSouth AfricaMI Cape TownR. 3,900,000$220,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 4

  • (Base price: 850,000 Rands – $48,000): Chamika Karunaratne, Andile Phehlukwayo
  • (Base price: 425,000 Rands – $24,000): Sean Williams, Brydon Carse

SA20 Auction Round 5 – The Fast Bowlers

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Alzarri JosephWest IndiesJoburg Super KingsR. 2,100,000$119,000
Josh LittleIrelandPretoria CapitalsR. 1,500,000$85,000
Kyle AbbottSouth AfricaDurban Super KingsR. 175,000$10,000
Kyle AbbottSouth AfricaDurban Super GiantsR. 175,000$10,000
Beuran HendricksSouth AfricaMI Cape TownR. 275,000$16,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 5

  • Base price – 1,700,000 Rands ($96,000): Jayden Seales
  • Base price – 850,000 Rands ($48,000): Tymal Mills, Ollie Robinson, Matheesha Pathirana
  • Base price: – 425,000 Rands ($24,000): Oshane Thomas
  • Base price -175,000 Rands ($10,000): Hardus Viljoen, Lutho Sipamla

SA20 Auction Round 6 – The Spinners

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Junaid Dawood*Uncapped South AfricanSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 375,000$21,000
Shaun von Berg*Uncapped South AfricanPretoria CapitalsR. 325,000$18,000
Mason CraneEnglandSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 425,000$24,000
Adil RashidEnglandPretoria CapitalsR. 2,400,000$136,000
Bjorn FortuinSouth AfricaPaarl RoyalsR. 1,500,000$85,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 6

  • Base price – 850,000 Rands ($48,000): Hayden Walsh Jr., Avishka Fernando
  • Base price: – 425,000 Rands ($24,000): Matt Parkinson
  • Base price -175,000 Rands ($10,000): Simon Harmer, Aaron Phangiso

SA20 Auction Round 7 – More Batters

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Cameron Delport*Uncapped South AfricanPretoria CapitalsR. 800,000$45,000
Leus du Plooy*Uncapped South AfricaJoburg Super KingsR. 1,500,000$85,000
Will JacksEnglandPretoria CapitalsR. 1,100,000$62,000
Theunis de BruynSouth AfricaPretoria CapitalsR. 1,000,000$57,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 7

  • Base price – 850,000 Rands ($48,000): Lendl Simmons
  • Base price: – 425,000 Rands ($24,000): Ibrahim Zadran, Harry Tector
  • Base price -175,000 Rands ($10,000): Sarel Erwee, Dean Elgar, Keegan Petersen

SA20 Auction Round 8 – More All Rounders

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Lewis GregoryEnglandJoburg Super KingsR. 850,000$48,000
Duan Jansen*Uncapped South AfricanMI Cape TownR. 3,300,000$187,000
JJ SmutsSouth AfricaSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 2,300,000$130,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 8

  • Base price – 850,000 Rands ($48,000): Carlos Brathwaite, Karim Janat, Craig Overton
  • Base price: – 425,000 Rands ($24,000): Roston Chase,
  • Base price -175,000 Rands ($10,000): Colin Ackermann, Wiaan Mulder

SA20 Auction Round 9 – More Bowlers

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Junior DalaSouth AfricaDurban Super GiantsR. 175,000$10,000
Lizaad WilliamsSouth AfricaJoburg Super KingsR. 325,000$18,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 9

  • Base price – 850,000 Rands ($48,000): Akila Dananjaya, Olly Stone, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep
  • Base price: – 425,000 Rands ($24,000): Tom Helm
  • Base price -175,000 Rands ($10,000): Chris Wood, Duanne Olivier, Daryn Dupavillon

SA20 Auction Round 10 – The Nexxt

This was an express round for uncapped players.

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Jordan Cox*Uncapped English playerSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 325,000$18,000
Dilshan MadushankaSri LankaDurban Super GiantsR. 275,000$c

List of Unsold Players in Round 9

  • Base price -175,000 Rands ($10,000): Andile Simelane, Tiaan van Vuuren, Jonathan Bird, Caleb Seleka, Matthew Boast, Bryce Parsons, Dunith Wellalage

SA20 Auction Round 11 – The eXXpress Auction

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Johnson CharlesWest IndiesDurban Super GiantsR. 425,000$24,000
Adam Rossington*Uncapped English Sunrisers Eastern CapeR. 425,000$24,000
Nandre Burger*Uncapped South African Joburg Super KingsR. 175,000$10,000
Donavon Ferreira*Uncapped South AfricanJoburg Super KingsR. 5,500,000$311,000
Matthew Breetzke*Uncapped South AfricanDurban Super GiantsR. 175,000$24,000
Mitchell van Buuren*Uncapped South AfricanPaarl RoyalsR. 175,000$10,000
Wihan LubbeSouth AfricaPaarl RoyalsR. 350,000$20,000
Marco Marais*Uncapped South AfricanPretoria CapitalsR. 175,000$10,000
Delano Potgieter*Uncapped South AfricanMI Cape TownR. 175,000$10,000
Roelof van der MerweSouth Africa/NetherlandsSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 175,000$10,000
Marques Ackerman*Uncapped South AfricanSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 175,000$10,000
Ferisco Adams*Uncapped South AfricanPaarl RoyalsR. 325,000$18,000
Imraan Manack*Uncapped South AfricanPaarl RoyalsR. 175,000$10,000
Christiaan JonkerSouth AfricaDurban Super GiantsR. 175,000$10,000
Evan Jones*Uncapped South AfricanPaarl RoyalsR. 1,700,000$96,000
Malusi Siboto*Uncapped South AfricanJoburg Super KingsR. 175,000$10,000
Ramon Simmonds*Uncapped South AfricanPaarl RoyalsR. 175,000$10,000
James Fuller*Uncapped South African/New ZealandSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 425,000$24,000

List of Unsold Players in Round 10

  • Base price – 850,000 Rands ($48,000): Adam Lyth
  • Base price: – 425,000 Rands ($24,000): Jeffrey Vandersay, Jake Lintott, Paul Walter, Tom Moores, Sam Cook, George Scrimshaw
  • Base price -175,000 Rands ($10,000): Grant Roelofsen, Glenton Stuurman, Mbulelo Budaza, Ziyaad Abrahams, Aya Gqamane, Steve Eskinaz, Diego Rosier, Khaya Zondo, Johan van Dyk, Pieter Malan, Dayyan Galiem, Henry Brookes, Farhaan Behardien, Pite van Biljon, Unmukt Chand, Bayers Swanepoel

SA20 Auction – Round 12 – The eXXpress Auction

PlayersInternational TeamFranchisePrice Sold (South African Rands)US Dollar Conversion
Odean SmithWest IndiesMI Cape TownR. 1,700,000$96,000
Jimmy NeeshamNew ZealandPretoria CapitalsR. 3,600,000$203,000
Eoin MorganEnglandPaarl RoyalsR. 2,000,000$113,000
Kusal MendisSri LankaPretoria CapitalsR. 425,000$24,000
Brydon CarseEnglandSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 425,000$24,000
Sarel ErweeSouth AfricaSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 175,000$10,000
Simon HarmerSouth AfricaJoburg Super KingsR. 200,000$11,000
Wiaan MulderSouth AfricaDurban Super GiantsR. 1,900,000$107,000
Caleb Seleka*Uncapped South AfricanJoburg Super GiantsR. 175,000$10,000
Daryn DupavillonSouth AfricaPretoria CapitalsR. 1,700,000$96,000
Ziyaad Abrahams*Uncapped South AfricanMI Cape TownR. 175,000$10,000
Wesley Marshall*Uncapped South AfricanMI Cape TownR. 175,000$10,000
Aya Gqamane*Uncapped South AfricanSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 175,000$10,000
Codi Yusuf*Uncapped South AfricanPaarl RoyalsR. 175,000$10,000
Olly StoneEnglandMI Cape TownR. 850,000$48,000
Grant Roelofsen*Uncapped South AfricanMI Cape TownR. 175,000$10,000
Shane Dadswell*Uncapped South AfricanPretoria CapitalsR. 175,000$10,000
Eathan Bosch*Uncapped South AfricanPretoria CapitalsR. 175,000$10,000
Tom Abell*Uncapped EnglishSunrisers Eastern CapeR. 850,000$48,000

Final List of Unsold Players in Round 12

  • Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Andile Phehlukwayo, Roston Chase, Craig Overton, Siyabonga Mahima, Thimas Kaber, Paul Walter, Sam Cook, Diego Rosier, Farhaan Behardein, Pieter Malan, Rahkeem Cornwall, Hardus Viljoen

Also Read:

Frequently Asked Questions – Get to Know the Players

Who is Junaid Dawood?

Junaid Dawood is a 25-year-old leg break bowler who plays domestic cricket in South Africa.

Who is Shaun von Berg?

Shaun von Berg is a South African bowling allrounder from South Africa.He is a 36-year-old cricketer who has played 124 first class matches and has taken 447 wickets. He was recently purchase by the Pretorius Capitals in the SA20 auction.

Does Ross Taylor still play cricket?

Even though Ross Taylor retired earlier in 2022, he still plays exhibition cricket. He played for the Road Safety series and was in the SA20 auction. He was unsold with base price at 850,000 Rands ($48,000).

Who is Nandre Burger?

Nandre Burger is a 27-year-old South African cricketer. He is a left-handed medium-fast bowling all-rounder.

Who is Donavon Ferreira?

Donavon Ferreira is a 24-year-old South African cricketer. He is a wicketkeeper from Pretoria. He was sold for 5,500,000 South African Rands ($311,000) in the SA20 Auction to Joburg Super Kings.

Who is Matthew Breetze?

Matthew Breetze is a 23-year-old South African cricketer who is a wicket-keeper from the Eastern Province.

Which team purchased Mitchell van Buren in the SA20 Auction?

Mitchell van Buuren, a 24-year-old legspinner from South African was purchased by the Paarl Royals.

Who is Wihan Lubbe?

Wihan Lubbe is a South African cricketer who has played 2 T20Is.

Was Unmukt Chand picked up the 2022 SA20 Auction?

No, Unmukt Chand, an U-19 World Cup winning captain from India who now plays for Team USA, was not picked up for SA20 Auction. His base price was 175,000 South Africa Rands.

Who are the captains in SA20 cricket league in South Africa?

Rashid Khan (MI Cape Town), Quinton de Kock (Durban Super Giants), Aiden Markram (Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Faf du Plessis (Joburg Super Kings), David Miller (Paarl Royals), and Wayne Parnell (Pretoria Capitals) are the six captains of the SA 20 franchise league.

How many foreign players can play in the XI in SA20?

Four foreign players can play in the XI at the same time in SA 20.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/20/2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Indian Premier League IPL 2022 Preview – Everything You Need to Know About IPL 15 Quickly

By Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, 3/24/2022

Time for IPL 2022! Yep, the festival is back—This time with two more teams. That is right! Welcome Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Kings!

Lot has changed since last time. A massive auction and an end of an era. No Suresh Raina, Chris Gayle, AB De Villiers and although MS Dhoni & Virat Kohli are still here, they are no longer captains.

Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about IPL 2022 QUICKLY—Squads, Schedule, Latest Injury News, Commentators, History, and Predictions! By the end of this read, you should have all your IPL 2022 questions answered.

Also Read: 5 Takeaways from IPL 2021, RCB All-Time XI – Consistently Inconsistent

IPL 2022 Quick Summary

  • Matches: 74 (10 teams, 14 matches each, 2 Groups, Finals)
  • Dates: March 26th, 2022- 29th May, 2022
  • Venues: All the matches will be played in & around Mumbai:
    • Wankhede Stadium
    • Brabourne Stadium
    • DY Patil Stadium (Navi Mumbai)
    • MCA International Stadium (Pune)

IPL 2022 Groups

GROUP AGROUP B
Mumbai IndiansChennai Super Kings
Kolkata Knight RidersSunrisers Hyderabad
Rajasthan RoyalsRoyal Challengers Bangalore
Delhi CapitalsPunjab Kings
Lucknow Super GiantsGujarat Titans
IPL 2022 Groups

*Note: Unlike previous IPLs, this is not going to be a round-robin tournament. To keep the number of games bearable, each team will play teams from their groups twice (as well as one team from the other group), and the rest of the team once. So that is two games against five teams and one game against the other four for a total of 14 matches.

Detailed team-by-team fixtures are displayed with each team below.

Also Read: Most Beautiful Cricket Stadium in Each of the 12 Countries

IPL 2022 Commentators

The big news in this arena is that Ravi Shastri is back in the commentary box after his coaching tenure with the Indian team came to an end. Also joining him are ex-IPL stars like Mr. IPL – Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla, and Dhawal Kulkarni

English/Global Broadcast

Harsha Bhogle, Ian Bishop, Alan Wilkins, Pommie Mbangwa, Simon Doull, Sunil Gavaskar, Danny Morrison, Graeme Swann, Scott Styris, Neroli Medows, Anant Tyagi, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Murali Karthik, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Hayden, Deep Dasgupta, Anjum Chopra, Nicholas Knight, WV Raman, Daren Ganga, Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith

Hindi & English

Ravi Shastri, Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, Mohammad Kaif, Mayanti Langer Binny, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Dhawal Kulkarni, Janti Sapru, Tanya Purohit, Suren Sundaram

Apart from these two major broad categories, IPL 2022 will be broadcasted in at least seven other regional languages with marquee Indian domestic cricketers as commentators.

Also Read: Top 5 Commentators of All Time

History of the Indian Premier League – Winners & Runner Ups

  1. Mumbai Indians: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 (Winners), 2010 (Runner-Up)
  2. Chennai Super Kings: 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 (Winners), 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019 (Runner-Up)
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders: 2012, 2014 (Winners), 2021 (Runner-Up)
  4. Deccan Chargers/Sunrisers Hyderabad: 2009 – DC (Winners), 2016 – SRH (Winners), 2018 (Runner-Up)
  5. Rajasthan Royals: 2008 (Winners)
  6. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 2009, 2011, 2016 (Runner-Up)
  7. Delhi Capitals: 2020 (Runner-Up)
  8. Punjab Kings: 2014 (Runner-Up)

*Note: Rising Pune Supergiant reached the final of the 2017 IPL (Deccan Chargers Gujarat Lions, Sahara Pune Warriors India, Kochi Tuskers Kerela were the other teams to have featured in the IPL – Now defunct. Also, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab were the earlier names of Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings respectively).

2022 Indian Premier League News at A Glance

IPL 2022 Injury/Withdrawn List

  • Jofra Archer was eligible to be in the IPL 2022 auctions. However, he will not be playing this season due to an elbow injury. Watch out for MI in future seasons. Bumrah + Archer will be WOW!
  • Deepak Chahar is set to miss the IPL with a recurring quadriceps injury.
  • Anrich Nortje is suffering from an injury but is back with the squad (might not be available right away).
  • Jason Roy & Alex Hales withdraw due to bio bubble fatigue. Mark Wood is out of the IPL with an elbow injury.
  • Suryakumar Yadav is suffering from a hairline thumb fracture. He will miss the first match and may comeback soon.

Other IPL 2022 Major News

  • MS Dhoni steps down from captaincy. Ravindra Jadeja the new captain for CSK. Dhoni will however play as a player for one (or more) seasons.
  • Moeen Ali gets visa (late) and had to be quarantined. Hence, he will arrive by CSK’s second match.

IPL 2022 Team Availability

Every season, team combinations are impacted by international commitments. Here are the ongoing/future series that might collide with IPL 2022:

  • Bangladesh Tour of South Africa: Dwaine Pretorius (CSK), Kagiso Rabada (PBKS), and Lungi Ngidi & Mustafizur Rahman (both DC). However, they may only miss one or two matches since CSA has granted leave for Rabada, Ngidi, Jansen, Markram, and Rassie van der Dussen at the expense of the Test series. Read Firdose Moonda’s article explaining Money Matters.
  • Australia tour of Pakistan: Australian players are not granted a leave till April 6th, which means they will be unavailable for 4-5 matches for their respective teams. This includes Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch (KKR), Sean Abbott (SRH), Hazlewood/Behrendorff (RCB), Marcus Stoinis (LSG), and David Warner (first two matches). Oh and Glenn Maxwell is getting married, so let us leave him alone for a couple of weeks.
  • England tour of West Indies: Jonny Bairstow (PBKS), Alzarri Joseph (LSG) – Misses first two matches due to the Test series
  • NZ Tour of England: Starts in June but if their IPL teams qualify for the playoffs, Tim Southee (KKR) & Jonny Bairstow (PBKS) might miss out.

*Note: Netherlands tour of NZ series is also ongoing but NZ have released all their IPL bound players, so there is no conflict.

IPL 2022 Squads, Possible XIs, and Fixtures

1. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Predicted XI

  1. Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2. Devon Conway, 3. Robin Uthappa/Moeen Ali, 4. Ambati Rayudu, 5. Ravindra Jadeja (C), 6. MS Dhoni (WK), 7. Dwayne Bravo, 8. Shivam Dube/Rajvardhan Hangragrekar, 9. Adam Milne, 10. Mahesh Theekshana/Prashant Solanki, 11. Tushar Deshpande

Strengths

CSK’s strength lies in their all-rounders and bench strength. Moeen Ali, Jadeja, and Bravo make up the core but even if they sit out, Santner, Chris Jordan, Pretorius, and Dube are adequate replacements.

Weaknesses

Out and out pace bowling. Without Chahar, Adam Milne is the lone spearhead of their fast bowling attack but Deshpande/Asif are a bit inexperienced.

X Factor

Watch out for Devon Conway, or as he is known in CSK circuits—Mike Hussey 2.0.

Chennai Super Kings IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Ruturaj Gaikwad
  • Ambati Rayudu
  • Robin Uthappa (WK)
  • MS Dhoni (C/WK)
  • Hari Nishaanth
  • Narayan Jagadeesan
  • Subhranshu Senapati

_________________________

Overseas

  • Devon Conway (WK)

All Rounders

  • Ravindra Jadeja
  • Shivam Dube
  • Rajvardhan Hangragekar
  • Bhagat Verma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Mitchell Santner
  • Dwayne Bravo
  • Moeen Ali
  • Dwaine Pretorius
  • Chris Jordan

Bowlers

  • Deepak Chahar
  • Tushar Deshpande
  • KM Asif
  • Mukesh Choudhary
  • Prashant Solanki
  • Simarjeet Singh

__________________________

Overseas

  • Adam Milne
  • Mahesh Theekshana

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • New Zealand: Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne
  • England: Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan
  • West Indies: Dwayne Bravo
  • South Africa: Dwaine Pretorius
  • Sri Lanka: Mahesh Theekshana

Chennai Super Kings IPL 2022 Fixtures

CSK Fixtures VsKKRLSGPBKSSRHRCBGTMIDCRR
3/263/314/34/94/124/174/215/85/20
4/255/15/45/155/12

CSK Website

2. Delhi Capitals (DC)

Predicted XI:

  1. Prithvi Shaw, 2. David Warner, 3. Mitchell Marsh, 4. Rishabh Pant (C), 5. Sarfaraz Khan, 6. Rovman Powell, 7. Axar Patel, 8. Shardul Thakur, 9. Chetan Sakaria/Khaleel Ahmed, 10. Kuldeep Yadav, 11. Anrich Nortje/Mustafizur Rahman

Strengths

Balance. Solid top order with Marsh/Axar as allrounders and Sarfaraz Khan/Rovman Powell as the finishers. And with Shardul Thakur here, there is no need to fear.

Weaknesses

Replacements. Warner/Marsh/Nortje/the Fizz will be out for the first 4-5 matches.

X Factor

Watch out for Axar Patel-Shardul Thakur. Could be the Sneh Rana-Pooja Vastrakar type lower order players DC need.

Delhi Capitals IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Prithvi Shaw
  • Rishabh Pant (C/WK)
  • Srikar Bharat (WK)
  • Sarfaraz Khan
  • Yash Dhull
  • Mandeep Singh
  • Ripal Patel
  • Ashwin Hebbar

___________________________

Overseas

  • David Warner
  • Rovman Powell
  • Tim Seifert (WK)

All Rounders

  • Axar Patel
  • Shardul Thakur
  • Lalit Yadav

____________________________

Overseas

  • Mitchell Marsh

Bowlers

  • Khaleel Ahmed
  • Kuldeep Yadav
  • Chetan Sakariya
  • Praveen Dubey
  • Kamlesh Nagarkoti
  • Vicky Ostwal

____________________________

Overseas

  • Anrich Nortje
  • Mustafizur Rahman
  • Lungi Ngidi

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh
  • New Zealand: Tim Seifert
  • West Indies: Rovman Powell
  • South Africa: Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
  • Bangladesh: Mustafizur Rahman

Delhi Capitals IPL 2022 Fixtures

DC Fixtures VsMIGTLSGKKRRCBPBKSRRSRHCSK
3/274/24/74/104/164/204/225/55/8
5/215/14/285/165/11

DC Website

3. Gujarat Titans (GT)

Predicted XI:

  1. Shubman Gill, 2. Matthew Wade (WK), 3. Wriddhiman Saha, 4. Hardik Pandya (C), 5. Vijay Shankar, 6. Rahul Tewatia, 7. Gurkeerat Singh Mann/Jayant Yadav, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Mohammad Shami, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Noor Ahmad/R Sai Kishore

Strengths

Bowling line-up of envy—Rashid Khan, Shami, Lockie Ferguson, R Sai Kishore. They also bought most of the India allrounders in the last five years (Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Gurkeerat, Jayant Yadav, Tewatia)

Weaknesses

Top order. Without Jason Roy, this is a think looking line up. Pandya-Shankar-Tewatia-Rashid can do wonders once in a while but lot rests of the Gill-Wade opening combination.

X Factor

R Sai Kishore. Consistent performer for Tamil Nadu in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the domestic game. Should finally come off the bench and make his mark in the IPL.

Gujarat Titans IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Shubman Gill
  • Wriddhiman Saha (WK)
  • Abhinav Manohar
  • Sai Sudharshan

____________________________

Overseas

  • Matthew Wade (WK)
  • Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)

All Rounders

  • Hardik Pandya (C)
  • Vijay Shankar
  • Gurkeerat Singh Mann
  • Rahul Tewatia
  • Jayant Yadav

__________________________

Overseas

  • Rashid Khan
  • Dominic Drakes

Bowlers

  • Mohammad Shami
  • R Sai Kishore
  • Varun Aaron
  • Pradeep Sangwan
  • Darshan Nalkande
  • Yash Dayal

___________________________

Overseas

  • Lockie Ferguson
  • Noor Ahmad

Jason Roy* (withdrawn)

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Matthew Wade
  • New Zealand: Lockie Ferguson
  • West Indies: Dominic Drakes
  • Afghanistan: Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad

Gujarat Titans IPL 2022 Fixtures

GT Fixtures VsLSGDCPBKSSRHRRCSKKKRRCBMI
3/284/24/84/114/144/174/234/305/6
5/105/34/275/155/19

4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Predicted XI:

  1. Aaron Finch/Ajinkya Rahane, 2. Venkatesh Iyer, 3. Shreyas Iyer (C), 4. Nitish Rana, 5. Sheldon Jackson (WK)/Sam Billings (WK), 6. Andre Russell, 7. Sunil Narine, 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Umesh Yadav, 10. Shivam Mavi, 11. Varun Chakravarthy

Strengths

The All-Round Package. If fit & in-form, Russell-Narine-Cummins-Venkatesh Iyer will be a handful. And captain Shreyas Iyer is in rich vein of form as well.

Weaknesses

Wicketkeeper. With a long tournament, there are not many keeper options apart from Sheldon Jackson (Indian domestic) & Sam Billings. Fitting them into the middle order might change combinations in the XI.

X Factor

Watch out for Chamika Karunaratne. With Cummins arriving after match 4 and Russell’s fitness never certain, Chamika could be a handy lower order bowling all-rounder.

Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Shreyas Iyer (C)
  • Ajinkya Rahane
  • Nitish Rana
  • Rinku Singh
  • Sheldon Jackson (WK)
  • Baba Indrajith
  • Abhijeet Tomar
  • Pratham Singh

___________________________

Overseas

  • Sam Billings (WK)
  • Aaron Finch

All Rounders

  • Venkatesh Iyer
  • Anukul Roy
  • Ramesh Kumar

___________________________

Overseas

  • Mohammad Nabi
  • Sunil Narine
  • Andre Russell

Bowlers

  • Umesh Yadav
  • Shivam Mavi
  • Varun Chakravarthy
  • Rasikh Salam
  • Aman Khan
  • Ashok Sharma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Pat Cummins
  • Tim Southee
  • Chamika Karunaratne

*Alex Hales (Withdrawn)

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins
  • New Zealand: Tim Southee
  • England: Sam Billings
  • West Indies: Sunil Narine, Andre Russell
  • Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi
  • Sri Lanka: Chamika Karunaratne

Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2022 Fixtures

KKR Fixtures VsCSKRCBPBKSMIDCSRHRRGTLSG
3/263/304/14/64/104/154/184/235/7
5/94/285/145/25/18

KKR Website

5. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Predicted XI:

  1. KL Rahul (C), 2. Quinton de Kock (WK), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Marcus Stoinis, 5. Deepak Hooda, 6. Krunal Pandya, 7. Jason Holder, 8. Krishnappa Gowtham/Shahbaz Nadeem, 9. Ravi Bishnoi, 10. Avesh Khan, 11. Dushmantha Chameera

Strengths

The first XI. What a team – Pandey/Stoinis at 3 & 4 means KL Rahul can play his natural game. Hooda-Pandya-Holder are adequate finishers/all-rounders and Bishnoi/Avesh Khan/ Chameera strong bowlers.

Weaknesses

Replacement bowlers might be a slight concern.

X Factor

Watch out for Rahul-QDK as the opening pair of the tournament.

Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • KL Rahul (WK/C)
  • Manish Pandey
  • Manan Vohra
  • Karan Sharma
  • Ayush Badoni

___________________________

Overseas

  • Quinton de Kock (WK)
  • Evin Lewis (WK)

All Rounders

  • Deepak Hooda
  • Krunal Pandya
  • Krishnappa Gowtham

___________________________

Overseas

  • Jason Holder
  • Marcus Stoinis
  • Kyle Mayers

Bowlers

  • Avesh Khan
  • Ravi Bishnoi
  • Shahbaz Nadeem
  • Ankit Rajpoot
  • Mayank Yadav

___________________________

Overseas

  • Dushmantha Chameera
  • Andrew Tye

*Mark Wood (Withdrawn)

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye
  • West Indies: Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers
  • South Africa: Quinton de Kock
  • Sri Lanka: Dushmantha Chameera

Lucknow Super Giants IPL 2022 Fixtures

LSG Fixtures VsGTCSKSRHDCRRMIRCBPBKSKKR
3/283/314/44/74/104/164/194/295/7
5/105/15/154/245/18

6. Mumbai Indians (MI)

Predicted XI:

  1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Ishan Kishan (WK), 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Dewald Brevis/Tilak Verma, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Tim David, 7. Fabian Allen, 8. Murugan Ashwin/Mayank Markande, 9. Jaydev Unadkat, 10. Jasprit Burmah, 11. Basil Thampi/Tymal Mills

Strengths

The same core as before. Rohit-Ishan-Sky-Pollard-Bumrah.

Weaknesses

The bowling cohort. Unadkat/Thampi are adequate players to come off the bench but not the ideal starters. They will also miss the Pandya brothers.

X Factor

Watch out for the foreign recruits. Brevis was the batter of the U-19 World Cup, Tim David is the hardest hitting Singaporean in the T20 circuit, Fabian Allen’s reputation has gone up in the last couple of years, and a fit-Tymal Mills is a treat to watch.

Mumbai Indians IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Rohit Sharma
  • Ishan Kishan (WK)
  • Suryakumar Yadav
  • Anmolpreet Singh
  • Rahul Budhhi
  • Aryan Juyal (WK)
  • Ramandeep Singh
  • Tilak Verma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Dewald Brevis
  • Tim David

All Rounders

  • Arshad Khan
  • Sanjay Yadav

___________________________

Overseas

  • Fabian Allen
  • Kieron Pollard
  • Daniel Sams

Bowlers

  • Jasprit Bumrah
  • Jaydev Unadkat
  • Murugan Ashwin
  • Mayank Markande
  • Basil Thampi
  • Hrithik Shokeen
  • Arjun Tendulkar

___________________________

Overseas

  • *Jofra Archer (unavailable this season)
  • Riley Meredith
  • Tymal Mills

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Riley Meredith, Daniel Sams, Tim David (Singapore/Australia)
  • England: Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills
  • West Indies: Fabian Allen, Kieron Pollard
  • South Africa: Dewald Brevis

Mumbai Indians IPL 2022 Fixtures

MI Fixtures VsDCRR KKRRCBPBKSLSGCSKGTSRH
3/274/24/64/94/134/164/215/65/17
5/214/305/94/245/12

7. Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Predicted XI:

  1. Mayank Agarwal (C), 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Liam Livingstone, 4. Jonny Bairstow (WK), 5. Shahrukh Khan, 6. Rishi Dhawan, 7. Odean Smith, 8. Kagiso Rabada, 9. Arshdeep Singh, 10. Sandeep Sharma, 11. Harpreet Brar/ Rahul Chahar

Strengths

The top 5. Agarwal & Dhawan are perennial Orange Cap contenders, Livingstone-Bairstow are T20 legends, and Shahrukh Khan is the newest finisher in the house.

Weaknesses

Not many Indian batters on the bench if Agarwal/Dhawan were to get injured.

X Factor

Watch out for Rishi Dhawan. He has had a pivotal domestic season.

Punjab Kings IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Mayank Agarwal (C)
  • Shikhar Dhawan
  • Shahrukh Khan
  • Prabhsimran Singh (WK)
  • Jitesh Sharma
  • Atharva Taide

___________________________

Overseas

  • Jonny Bairstow (WK)
  • Bhanuka Rajapaksa

All Rounders

  • Rishi Dhawan
  • Raj Bawa
  • Writtick Chatterjee
  • Prerak Mankad

___________________________

Overseas

  • Liam Livingstone
  • Benny Howell
  • Odean Smith

Bowlers

  • Arshdeep Singh
  • Rahul Chahar
  • Harpreet Brar
  • Ishan Porel
  • Vaibhav Arora
  • Baltej Singh
  • Ansh Patel
  • Sandeep Sharma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Kagiso Rabada
  • Nathan Ellis

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • Australia: Nathan Ellis
  • England: Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Benny Howell
  • West Indies: Odean Smith
  • South Africa: Kagiso Rabada
  • Sri Lanka: Bhanuka Rajapaksa

Punjab Kings IPL 2022 Fixtures

PBKS Fixtures VsRCBKKRCSKGTMISRHDCLSGRR
3/274/14/34/84/134/174/204/295/7
5/134/255/35/225/16

Punjab Kings Website

8. Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Predicted XI:

  1. Jos Buttler (WK), 2. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3. Devdutt Padikkal, 4. Sanju Samson (C), 5. Shimron Hetmyer, 6. Daryl Mitchell/James Neesham, 7. Ravichandran Ashwin, 8. Yuzvendra Chahal, 9. Prasidh Krishna, 10. Navdeep Saini, 11. Trent Boult

Strengths

The bowling line up. Ashwin-Chahal area top notch duo and add Boult, Prasidh Krishna, and Navdeep Saini, and this is an envious line-up.

Weaknesses

Too top heavy. Lack of finishers if Neesham does not fire (Riyan Parag has not been consistent enough either)

X Factor

Watch out for Prasidh Krishna. Now an India capped player, lot will rest on his shoulders.

Rajasthan Royals IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Sanju Samson (C)/WK)
  • Yashasvi Jaiswal
  • Karun Nair
  • Devdutt Padikkal
  • Shubham Garhwal

___________________________

Overseas

  • Jos Buttler (WK)
  • Shimron Hetmyer
  • Rassie van der Dussen

All Rounders

  • Ravichandran Ashwin
  • Riyan Parag

___________________________

Overseas

  • Nathan Coulter-Nile
  • Daryl Mitchell
  • James Neesham

Bowlers

  • Yuzvendra Chahal
  • Prasidh Krishna
  • Navdeep Saini
  • Anunay Singh
  • KC Cariappa
  • Dhruv Jurel
  • Kuldeep Sen
  • Tejas Baroka
  • Kuldip Yadav

___________________________

Overseas

  • Trent Boult
  • Obed McCoy

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • New Zealand: Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Trent Boult
  • Australia: Nathan Coulter-Nile
  • England: Jos Buttler
  • West Indies: Shimron Hetmyer, Obed McCoy
  • South Africa: Rassie van der Dussen

Rajasthan Royals IPL 2022 Fixtures

RR Fixtures VsSRHMIRCBLSGGTKKRDCPBKSCSK
3/294/24/54/104/144/184/225/75/20
4/304/265/155/25/11

Rajasthan Royals Website

9. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

Predicted XI:

  1. Faf du Plessis (C), 2. Anuj Rawat, 3. Virat Kohli, 4. Glenn Maxwell, 5. Dinesh Karthik (WK), 6. Sherfane Rutherford/Mahipal Lomror, 7. Wanindu Haranga, 8. Shahbaz Ahmed, 9. Harshal Patel, 10. Mohammad Siraj, 11. Karn Sharma/Josh Hazlewood

Strengths

Bowling line up of Siraj-Harshal-Shahbaz-Hasaranga-Hazlewood is mouth-watering.

Weaknesses

How many games will it take RCB to figure out their best XI, which has been their usual problem. I reckon until Maxwell & Hazlewood come in, RCB might experiment with Anuj Rawat-Lomror-Rutherford.

X Factor

Watch out for Finn Allen. If he gets a chance, just remember his debut 29-ball 71 in a T20I. Also watch out for captain Faf du Plessis. Legendary leader – can he help RCB cross the line?

Also Read: Faf du Plessis & AB De Villiers’ Friendship: Broken Dreams of Faf and ABD

Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Virat Kohli
  • Dinesh Karthik (WK)
  • Anuj Rawat (WK)
  • Suyash Prabhudessai
  • Luvnith Sisodia

___________________________

Overseas

  • Faf du Plessis (C)
  • Finn Allen
  • Sherfane Rutherford

All Rounders

  • Mahipal Lomror
  • Shahbaz Ahmed

___________________________

Overseas

  • Glenn Maxwell
  • Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva
  • David Willey

Bowlers

  • Mohammed Siraj
  • Harshal Patel
  • Siddarth Kaul
  • Karn Sharma
  • Akash Deep
  • Aneeshwar Gautam
  • Chama Milind

___________________________

Overseas

  • Jason Behrendorff
  • Josh Hazlewood

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • New Zealand: Finn Allen
  • Australia: Glenn Maxwell, Jason Behrendorff, Josh Hazlewood
  • England: David Willey
  • West Indies: Sherfane Rutherford
  • South Africa: Faf du Plessis
  • Sri Lanka: Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva

Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2022 Fixtures

RCB Fixtures VsPBKSKKRRRMICSKDCLSGSRHGT
3/273/304/54/94/124/164/194/234/30
5/134/265/45/85/19

RCB Website

10. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Predicted XI:

  1. Kane Williamson (C), 2. Rahul Tripathi, 3. Aiden Markram/Glenn Phillips, 4. Nicholas Pooran (WK), 5. Abdul Samad, 6. Priyam Garg/Abhishek Sharma, 7. Washington Sundar/Shreyas Gopal, 8. Romario Shepherd, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Umran Malik, 11. T Natarajan/Kartik Tyagi

Strengths

Umran Malik-Natarajan-Bhuvneshwar Kumar make a solid bowling line-up. Expect Umran Malik to break the speed charts in this edition of the IPL.

Weaknesses

Not convinced with Priyam Garg/Abhishek Sharma at #6. They might be better used up the order with experienced batters to finish off the match.

X Factor

Watch out for Rahul Tripathi. He was the heart and soul of KKR’s run to the final last year and for RPS in 2017. Also watch out for Suchith, the ultimate substitute fielder.

Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2022 Squad List

Batters

  • Rahul Tripathi
  • Abdul Samad
  • Priyam Garg
  • Vishnu Vinod (WK)
  • Ravikumar Samarth
  • Shashank Singh

___________________________

Overseas

  • Kane Williamson (C)
  • Aiden Markram
  • Nicholas Pooran (WK)

All Rounders

  • Washington Sundar
  • Abhishek Sharma

___________________________

Overseas

  • Sean Abbott
  • Glenn Phillips (WK)
  • Romario Shepherd

Bowlers

  • Shreyas Gopal
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar
  • Kartik Tyagi
  • T Natarajan
  • Umran Malik
  • Jagadeesha Suchith
  • Saurabh Dubey

___________________________

Overseas

  • Fazalhaq Farooqi
  • Marco Jansen

Overseas Players (by Nationality):

  • New Zealand: Kane Williamson, Glenn Phillips
  • Australia: Sean Abbott
  • West Indies: Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd
  • South Africa: Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen
  • Afghanistan: Fazalhaq Farooqi

Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2022 Fixtures

SRH Fixtures VsRRLSGCSKGTKKRPBKSRCBDCMI
3/294/44/94/114/154/174/235/55/17
5/14/275/145/225/8

Sunrisers Hyderabad Website

Frequently Asked Questions – IPL 2022

Who is the captain of CSK in IPL 2022?

Ravindra Jadeja is the captain of CSK in IPL 2022 as MS Dhoni steps down.

Who are all the IPL 2022 commentators?

Harsha Bhogle, Ian Bishop, Aan Wilkins, Pommie Mbangwa, Simon Doull, Sunil gavaskar, Danny Morrison, Graeme Swann, Scott Styris, neroli Medows, Anant Tyagi, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Murali Karthik, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Hayden, Deep Dasgupta, Anjum Chopra, Nicholas Knight, WV Raman, Daren Ganga, Morne Morkel, Graeme Smith head the English global broadcast unit, while Ravi Shastri, Suresh Raina, Aakash Chopra, Mohammad Kaif, Mayanti Langer Binny, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jatin Sapru, Tanya Purohit, Suren Sundaram are the Hindi/English commentators.

Who is the captain of RCB in IPL 2022?

After Virat Kohli stepped down, Faf du Plessis became the captain of RCB in IPL 2022.

What are the two new teams in IPL 2022?

Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants are the two new teams in IPL 2022.

Sources: ESPNCricinfo – IPL

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© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 03/24/2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Top 11 Cricketers Who Retired Too Early – The Lost Generation of Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, AB De Villiers, Hashim Amla, and Michael Clarke

Greatness.

A simple word that carries immense burden. What defines greatness in sports? Statistical brilliance, nostalgia, longevity? In cricketing terms, 99.94, memories like Brett Lee vs Sachin Tendulkar, 100 Tests, or 15 years+ career?

Also Read: 22 Unlucky Cricketers, Most Underrated Cricketers

Table of Contents

To Retire Or Not to Retire, That is the Question

Legacies are largely depended on the final days in the international arena. Retirement has always been a tricky issue in cricket.

Sourav Ganguly’s Ian Chappell saga tarnished his otherwise positive legacy. A poor 2007 Cricket World Cup ended dreams for Brian Lara & Inzamam ul-Haq. Simon Jones’ career ended before it could start due to injuries.

Some overstay and risk going out on a low. Others like German soccer captain Philipp Lahm retired internationally at the age of just 30 after winning the FIFA World Cup in 2014.

The Lost Generation

Today we dive deep into the careers of the lost generation of 2005—Alastair Cook, AB De Villiers, Michael Clarke, and Hashim Amla, all of them would retire prematurely.

With the triple retirement of Dale Steyn, Brendon Taylor, and Lasith Malinga, the legendary class of 2004-06 is coming to a close. Only Broad-Anderson & Ross Taylor remain from the greats of this era.

Sandwiched between the 90s golden generations of Sangakkara-Jayawardene-Muralitharan, Tendulkar-Laxman-Ganguly-Dravid, Kallis-Pollock-Boucher-Ntini, Inzamam-Yousuf, Ponting led Australia, & the Fab 4 (Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith), there was the class of 2004 & 2005.

Why did these cricketers retire so soon? How does the future look like? Read till the end for our in-deptj analysis & final thoughts.

11 Cricketers Who Retired Too Early

While legends of the past played 12-15 years, the cricketers in this list only had about 9-12 years of international cricket. The fact that they followed the golden generation lead to slightly later debuts and hence, even shorter careers.

One of the clear indications of the early retirement for the batters is the statistics. Most did not cross 10,000, their averages fell below 50, and the centuries hovered between 25-27 (although at one stage it seemed each of these players would break them all).

Anderson’s long career seems like he is on another level (which he is) but in all reality, at one stage, all of these players would have careers as long as Jimmy Anderson.

The players in this list were not dropped. They retired on their own terms or because of other circumstances. Hence, we exclude players like Ian Bell, Virender Sehwag, Umar Gul, Suresh Raina, and Gautam Gambhir who were available for selection but were unfortunately dropped from the team plans later in their career.

1. Michael Clarke (Australia)

Tests: 115 Matches, 8643 runs, 49.10 average, 329* best, 100s/50s – 28/27, 31 wickets

ODIs: 245 Matches, 7981 runs, 44.58 average, 130 best, 100s/50s – 8/58, 57 wickets

T20Is: 34 Matches, 488 runs, 21.21 average, 103.17 SR, 67 best, 50-1, 6 wickets

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: January 18, 2003 (ODI)
  • Last Match: August 19-22, 2015 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 21
  • Age Retired: 33
  • Why Did He Retire?

Retiring on a high is every cricketer’s dream. Captaining Australia to a victory at home in front of the MCG crowd must have been a surreal experience. A few months later, the Ashes would be his final appearance. One of the bests #4 batters of all-time with a godly conversion rate in Tests. The 2012-13 season would always be remembered as Clarke’s year, the only batter to score 4 double centuries in a year.

Embed from Getty Images

2. Ryan Harris (Australia)

Tests: 27 Matches, 113 wickets, 23.52 average, 50.70 SR, best of 7/117 & 9/106, 4w/5w – 4/5

ODIs: 21 Matches, 44 wickets, 18.90 average, 5/19 best, 5w – 3

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: January 17, 2009 (ODI)
  • Last Match: January 5-9, 2015 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 29
  • Age Retired: 35
  • Why Did He Retire?

Harris’ career was a classic cases of fast bowling injuries. Whenever he was fit, he bowled his heart out and made an indelible impact. Could not make the XI in Australia’s golden generation and had to leave early due to chronic knee injury. Retired 3 days before the Ashes because he could not recover even after surgery. Will always be remembered for the ball of this century to dismiss Alastair Cook.

“I played 27 more Tests than I ever thought I would and I have relished every single moment of them.”

Embed from Getty Images

3. Sir Alastair Cook (England)

Tests: 161 Matches, 12472 runs, 45.35 average, 294 best, 100s/50s – 33/57

ODIs: 92 Matches, 3204 runs, 36.40 average, 137 best, 100s/50s – 5/19

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: February 28 – March 4, 2006 (Test)
  • Last Match: September 6-10, 2018 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 21
  • Age Retired: 33
  • Current Age:36
    • Still playing for Essex and hitting centuries
  • Why Did He Retire?

At one point in time, he was touted to overtake Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer and century maker having scored 5000 runs at 26. Will always be remembered for the 2010-11 Ashes series down under. However, loss of form and inconsistency creeped in. Tougher playing conditions, 159 Tests in a row, and the KP saga probably got to him. Century in his first and last Tests against India showed that he still had it in him. Still the best opener in England?

Embed from Getty Images

4. Sir Andrew Strauss (England)

Tests: 100 Matches, 7037 runs, 40.91 average, 177 best, 100s/50s – 21/27

ODIs: 127 Matches, 4205 runs, 35.63 average, 158 best, 100s/50s – 6/27

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: November 17, 2003 (ODI)
  • Last Match: August 15-19, 2018 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 27
  • Age Retired: 35
  • Why Did He Retire?

Due to his late debut, it was inevitable that Strauss would not have an extremely long career, but England fans learned how great Andrew Strauss was after his retirement, for both his captaincy & batting. Since the Cook-Strauss partnership ended, England could not find a stable partner for Cook (and Cook’s effectiveness also decreased). KP himself said in an interview that the text-messaging scandal on the eve of Strauss’s 100th Test was one of his biggest mistakes, which tarnished Strauss’ last match. Later became ECB’s Director of cricket and subsequently received knighthood for his service to English cricket.

Embed from Getty Images

5. Kevin Pietersen (England)

Tests: 104 Matches, 8181 runs, 47.28 average, 227 best, 100s/50s – 23/35

ODIs: 136 Matches, 4440 runs, 40.73 average, 130 best, 100s/50s – 9/25

T20Is: 37 Matches, 1176 runs, 37.93 average, 141.59 SR, 79 best, 50s – 7

T20s: 200 Matches, 5695 runs, 33.89 average, 136.89 SR, 115* best, 100s/50s – 3/35

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: November 27, 2004 (ODI)
  • Last Match: January 02-04, 2014 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 24
  • Age Retired: 33
  • Why Did He Retire?

See Strauss above. Jokes aside, KP’s career had always been hampered by controversies. Although he had to leave South Africa and debuted relatively late, he quickly established himself as one of the greatest in his generation. Key contributor to the 2005 Ashes, 2012 India series, and 2010 T20 World Cup victories, he was a key component of driving English cricket forward. Although he was England’s highest scorer in the Mitchell Johnson 2015 series, he was a casualty of the 5-0 defeat. Poor relationship with Strauss & coach Andy Flower did not help as the management decided that KP’s career is over.

KP might have been controversial off the field, but there is no doubt he changed cricket for the better. Fast forward 15 years, everybody has an inner KP with the switch hits & aggressive mindset. Paved the way for English cricketers to join the IPL & other T20 leagues, thereby moving England one step closer to their eventual 2019 World Cup winning campaign.

Also Read: South African Cricketers Who Play For Other Countries: Labuschagne, Neil Wagner,…Can you Guess the Rest?

Embed from Getty Images

6. Graeme Swann (England)

Tests: 60 Matches, 255 wickets, 29.96 average, 60.10 SR, best of 6/65 & 10/132, 4w/5w/10w – 14/17/3

ODIs: 79 Matches, 104 wickets, 27.76 average, 5/28 best, 4w/5w – 3/1

T20Is: 39 Matches, 51 wickets, 16.84 average, 3/13 best

T20s: 80 Matches, 98 wickets, 18.88 average, 3/13 best

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: January 22, 2000 (ODI), December 10-14, 2008 (Test)
  • Last Match: December 12-16, 2013 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 29 (Test), 20 (ODI)
  • Age Retired: 34
  • Why Did He Retire?

Statistically, Swann does not make the best bowlers of all-time list, but what he did in his 5-year Test career was continued the art of off-spin. After T20 cricket & ODI Powerplay rule changes, leg spinners flourished in the 2010s. Except for Daniel Vettori, finger spin was a dying art. Swann took off-spin forward and became a cog of the famed 2010-11 English lineup. Late Test debut, an elbow injury, and Johnson 2013 ensured that he retired mid-series (after the 3rd Test).

Embed from Getty Images

7. Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan)

Tests: 35 Matches, 178 wickets, 28.10 average, 65.10 SR, best of 7/75 & 11/111, 4w/5w/10w – 9/10/4

ODIs: 113 Matches, 184 wickets, 22.72 average, 5/24 best, 4w/5w – 6/2

T20Is: 64 Matches, 85 wickets, 17.83 average, 4/19 best

T20s: 195 Matches, 271 wickets, 17.36 average, 4/14 best

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: July 1, 2008 (ODI)
  • Last Match: April 23, 2015 (T20I)
  • Age Debuted: 31
  • Age Retired: 37
  • Why Did He Retire?

Another one who debuted late, but made an immediate impact. From the cricketers who retired too early, Saeed Ajmal’s ending was probably the saddest. During Pakistan’s toughest days, Saeed Ajmal & Umar Gul took Pakistan to great heights, especially in T20 cricket. However it was his action that was his downfall. Unlike Mohammad Hafeez & Sunil Narine, Ajmal’s remodeled action was not effective enough without the doosra. Will definitely go down as a Pakistani great.

Embed from Getty Images

8. Morne Morkel (South Africa)

Tests: 86 Matches, 309 wickets, 27.66 average, 53.30 SR, best of 6/23 & 9/110, 4w/5w – 18/8

ODIs: 117 Matches, 188 wickets, 25.32 average, 5/21 best, 4w/5w – 7/2

T20Is: 44 Matches, 47 wickets, 25.34 average, 4/17 best

T20s: 190 Matches, 207 wickets, 25.29 average, 4/17 best

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: December 25-29, 2006 (Test)
  • Last Match: March 29-April 2, 2018 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 22
  • Age Retired: 33
  • Current Age: 36
    • Plays with Brisbane Heat in the BBL; Was at Surrey from 2018-2020
  • Why Did He Retire?

When Morne Morkel left international cricket after that Australia series for the Kolpak deal in England (with Surrey), it signaled the beginning of the end of the great 2008-2015 South Africa generation. From 2015-2019, each one slowly retired, and it was painful to watch South Africa collapse to new lows. What was not painful, however, was Morne Mornel’s bowling. High arm action, pace & bounce, & most importantly, consistent line & length. Dale Steyn would not have been as successful had he not had Morne on the other end as the ideal foil. Morkel, in his own right, will go down as a South African great. With 309 wickets at age 33, who knows, he could have gone past Steyn himself. Now a resident of Australia and plays in the BBL as a local cricketer.

9. Hashim Amla (South Africa)

Tests: 124 Matches, 9282 runs, 46.64 average, 311* best, 100s/50s – 28/41

ODIs: 181 Matches, 8113 runs, 49.46 average, 159 best, 100s/50s – 27/39

T20Is: 44 Matches, 1277 runs, 33.60 average, 132.05 SR, 97* best, 50s – 8

T20s: 164 Matches, 4563 runs, 30.83 average, 126.04 SR, 104*, best, 100s/50s – 2/30

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: November 27-December 1, 2004 (Test)
  • Last Match: June 27, 2019 (ODI)
  • Age Debuted: 21
  • Age Retired: 35
  • Current Age: 38
    • Plays for Surrey in County Cricket
  • Why Did He Retire?

Fastest to 10, 15, 16,17, 18, 20, 27 centuries & 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, and 7000 ODI runs, he was the only contemporary of Virat Kohli who could challenge him. South Africa’s fall from grace was confirmed in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and it was especially painful to watch Amla being hit in the head by Jofra Archer and retiring hurt. He would retire at the end of the tournament. Sublime cricketer, wonderful human being, he still architects blockathons on the County Circuit. You just help but wonder if South Africa should have persisted a year or so more for his form to come back.

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10. AB De Villiers (South Africa)

Tests: 114 Matches, 8765 runs, 50.66 average, 278* best, 100s/50s – 22/46

ODIs: 228 Matches, 9577 runs, 49.46 average, 176 best, 100s/50s – 25/53

T20Is: 78 Matches, 1672 runs, 26.12 average, 135.16 SR, 79* best, 50s – 10

T20s: 333 Matches, 9318 runs, 37.57 average, 150.46 SR, 133*, best, 100s/50s – 4/69

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: December 16-20, 2004 (Test)
  • Last Match: March 29-April 2, 2018 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 20
  • Age Retired: 34
  • Current Age: 37
    • Plays for RCB in the IPL
  • Why Did He Retire?

Will he? Won’t he? Speculation about AB De Villiers’ retirement has been as spicy as Hollywood gossip. It all began with the ghost of 2015 semi-finals loss, which he captained. He would then get the Test captaincy job, a dream for a long time. However, workload management & administrative struggles became a hassle. Picking & choosing on a series-by-series basis followed by an indefinite break was a sign of what was to come. He came back in brilliant home with Test series against India and Australia.

However a video retirement a year before the ODI World Cup took everyone by surprise. Since then, he has been in multiple conversations about coming for the 2019 ODI World Cup or 2021 T20 World Cup, but those conversations have not gone too far. He can still be seen smashing it out of the park in the IPL. He is still fit, takes mind boggling catches, and plays match changing innings even after no game practice for a year. Although ABD & Amla played 14 years, they could have been Tendulkar-esque with a career of 17-21 years in another era.

The best batter of the generation and the face of “Cricketers Who Retired Too Early.”

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11. Graeme Smith

Tests: 117 Matches, 9265 runs, 48.25 average, 277 best, 100s/50s – 27/38

ODIs: 197 Matches, 6989 runs, 37.98 average, 141 best, 100s/50s – 10/47

T20Is: 33 Matches, 982 runs, 31.67 average, 127.53 SR, 89* best, 50s – 5

T20s: 86 Matches, 2389 runs, 29.86 average, 123.08 SR, 105, best, 100s/50s – 1/11

Cricketers Who Retired Trivia

  • Debut: March 7-11, 2002 (Test)
  • Last Match: February 27-March 4, 2014 (Test)
  • Age Debuted: 21
  • Age Retired: 33
  • Why Did He Retire?

Given captaincy at a young age, Smith began the rebuilding of a squad that would take South AFrica to #1 Test rankings. One of the best openers of this era, his courage & leadership came to the fore. Batting with a broken hand to save a Test will in fans’ memories forever. Now the director of cricket for South Africa.

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Chris Gayle (West Indies)

Tests: 103 Matches, 7214 runs, 42.18 average, 333 best, 100s/50s – 15/37

ODIs: 301 Matches, 10480 runs, 37.83 average, 215 best, 100s/50s – 25/54

T20Is: 74 Matches, 1854 runs, 29.42 average, 139.18 SR, 117 best, 100s/50s – 2/14

T20s: 446 Matches, 14261 runs, 36.94 average, 145.87 SR, 175*, best, 100s/50s – 22/87

  • Debut: September 10, 1999 (ODI)
  • Last Match: August 2, 2021 (T20I)*
  • Age Debuted: 20
  • Current Age: 42
    • Plays for RCB in the IPL, SKNP in CPL, and the West Indies

*subject to change. He is selected in West Indies’ 2021 T20 World Cup squad

Surprised? Well, you should be.

Chris Gayle is the antithesis to the 2005 generated. Debuted in 1999, and he is still playing at the age of 42. 100 Test matches, a triple century, an ODI double century, 10000 ODI runs, 14000+ T20 runs (with 22 100s!), he is a legend. So how did he survive so long even though he can barely run?

The answer is enough breaks. While the 2005 generation succumbed to continuous burnout, Gayle was in-and-out of the international side, played T20 leagues around the world, and gave up first class/Test cricket in 2014 to prolong his career. A couple of World Cup wins also helps keeping the fire going.

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The Ones Who Survived

Here is an exhaustive list of players that served between 12-15+ years in international cricket. Notice that as we get further along, the list gets smaller.

Late 90s Generation: Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid (India), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), Ricky Ponting (Australia), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)

2000-02 Generation: Chris Gayle, Shoaib Malik (Still Playing), Brendon McCullum (NZ), Shane Watson (Australia), Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh (India), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Hamilton Masakdza (Zimbabwe), Younis Khan, Misbah Ul-Haq, Shoaib Akthar (Pakistan)

2004-07 Generation: Ross Taylor (New Zealand), Brendon Taylor (Zimbabwe), Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad (England), Dale Steyn (South Africa)

The Surviving Outliers

The main point to notice here is that those who played continuous cricket from 2005-2015 retired too soon.

However, there are plenty of cricketers who did not get a chance early on or were in-and-out of their national sides, but are still available for selection today. These players include Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, and the 2004 U-19 Cricket World Cup class of Shikhar Dhawan, Fawad Alam, Mahmudullah Riyadh, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, Tim Paine, Moises Henriques, William Porterfield, Kevin O’Brien, Wahab Riaz, who are still playing competitively and are available for international selection.

Since they did not get a chance earlier or play for lower-ranked teams, they are making the most of it now when opportunities finally came their way.

Hunger for success have caused these batch of cricketers to elongate their careers. To prove themselves as long as they are fit. Or to be a part of that elusive World Cup winning team.

Why Did The 2005 Generation Fall So Quickly?

Transition Periods

If we analyze these 10 cricketers who retired too early a bit more closer, we notice they mostly feature from England, South Africa, or Australia.

All of these teams went through a traumatic transition period. The 2013-15 period was especially stressful for England. While Mitchell Johnson dismantled the entire 2013 Test generation, forcing retirements of Trott, Pietersen, & Swann, the sacking of Cook in ODIs before 2015 World Cup would usher a new era in English cricket.

For South Africa, Grant Elliot’s semi-final six broke the gem of that South African team. AB De Villiers, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, & Vernon Philander were never the same again.

Finally, although Australia did not have it that rough, they have not really gotten back to the Warne-McGrath days. The Clarke era was the short transition between the longer lasting, Ponting & Steve Smith eras.

Frequency of World Cups

Before the 2007 T20 World Cup, world championships only happened once every 4 years. A decade earlier, we only had the 2003/2007 ODI World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup, and 2002/2006 Champions Trophy.

Teams were built on the premises of four-year cycles. With England & Australia, the Test Teams were formed with the next Ashes cycle in mind. Then followed 2009 (CT), 2010 (T20 WC), 2011 (CWC), 2012 (T20 WC), 2013 (CT), 2014 (T20 WC), 2015 (CWC), 2016 (T20 WC), 2017 (CT), 2019 (CWC), 2021 (World Test Championship).

Frequent trophies meant teams did not have to carry players for 4 years. An in-form player could be drafted while seasoned cricketers could be dropped with the upcoming ICC trophy in mind. Hence teams started to experiment more and started taking bold calls.

Case and point 2013 Champions Trophy—India dropped Sehwag, promoted Rohit Sharma, and went with an in-form Dhawan (seems like a history repeat itself moment with Dhawan in the 2021 T20 WC team).

Death of the All Format Player

Everything boils down to overkill of cricket and player burnout.

These cricketers who retired too early were raised on the backs of Test & ODI cricket. Almost everyone from the 90s era played both formats if they were good enough. With the entrance of T20 cricket, cricket began to be played all year long instead of season to season.

If you add captaincy to the 3 formats, that takes pressure & mental exhaustion to another level.

Openers Struggle

This still does not explain why Cook & Amla retired. They had given up captaincy towards the end, did not play all formats, and did not have new players vying for their spots either.

The obvious answer to this is form. Both Cook & Amla suffered drastic loss of forms, but so did openers worldwide.

Cook himself concluded that batting in England became tougher towards the end of his career. We can see from the Burns-Sibley partnership that it has not gotten better any since. It was not necesesarily that they were worse players, just that the conditions had become more difficult.

Kohli Shows The Way Forward

Three format players like KP and ABD prospered for a while, but it caught up with their health & form.

A decade later, it is clear that separate teams are now being picked for the 3 vastly different formats. Mental health conversations are in place. Fitness, physiotherapy, and analytics have jumped to another level altogether. Rest & rotation have been employed by certain teams to prolong the careers of cricketers.

This means that the current generation of the Fab 5 & Buttler-Stokes-Cummins-Rabada-Starc-Hazlewood-Bumrah have a better chance for longer careers and go back to the 15-year norms of the 90s. Who knows the COVID break might even have re-energized some to extend their careers.

However balance is key. Virat Kohli has already lead the way and given up IPL/T20I captaincy to manage workload and focus on other formats. If this generation of players have to survive, they might have to give up at least one format, release captaincy pressure, take mental health and paternity breaks, and keep up their fitness.

Greatness Achieved Nevertheless

Although Amla, Smith, Sehwag, Clarke, de Villiers stopped agonizingly close without reaching the coveted 10000 run-mark, it does not take away from the genius of these men.

Numbers are not everything. Although their tenure was short, their impact was not. They changed cricket for the better, and that is all that matters.

There are some players who will always give a sense that they left too early. Fans are left asking, ‘What If they had stayed on for a couple of years?’, ‘Maybe one more World Cup?’

We should just be grateful enough we witnessed some of the greatest cricketers of all time.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/23/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Think About It: India Are So Bad That They Are Actually Good

As acclaimed twentieth century writer Khalil Gibran once remarked, “Exaggeration is truth that has lost its temper.”

India’s improbable victory in the 4th Test sent social media into frenzy. There were claims of it being the ‘greatest Test team’ going around or the ‘best Indian Test team.’ Although there is subtle merit to these claims, I argue that this is just an over exaggeration of the ground reality.

How Good Are Team India?

There is no doubt that the Indian cricket team has flourished in the 21st century. With a thriving cricketing culture, robust recruitment setup throughout the country, monetary power in the hands of the BCCI with the advent of the IPL, and a prospering India A system, India has the greatest depth and resources available.

The rise of Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Khan across formats in less than six months attests to this claim.

Overseas Victories

India came back from 0-1 to seal the Border-Gavaskar series 2-1. Stories galore and the legend of this series will carry in the minds of fans forever. Similarly, a defeat in the third Test against England did not faze India. In the 4th Test, a 99-run deficit was overcome via valiant century by Rohit Sharma and memorable contributions in both innings by Shardul Thakur.

To give you an idea how far India have come along—This is India’s 4th victory in Australia & England since December (and 8th in Australia, England, South Africa since 2018). In the decade before, India’s only moments of glory in England & Australia were Headingly 2002, Adelaide 2003, England series 2007, and Perth 2008 (coincidentally Rahul Dravid contributing with 148, 233 & 72*, captain, and 93). So this 2-1 series victory (almost) should hold well with the Indian fans, especially after the suffering endured in the 2010s.

This Indian team is good. Really good. They have the spirit to come back from any circumstance, and they just never give up. The attitude instilled by Ravi Shastri-Virat Kohli is evident in the body language of each and every player.

However, is this team the best? I do not think so.

Collapse A Day Does Not Keep The Doctor Away

Team India is brilliant at comebacks, but why is there a need of comebacks in the first place?

The 2000s Australia team set the benchmark for Test greatness. Did you ever hear them coming from dire circumstances? Well, not much because they were so dominant, a comeback was not even necessary.

The same is true for the current World Test Championship winner, the New Zealand cricket team. When they win, they win emphatically.

If India are to instill their greatness in cricketing folklore, they must replicate their home dominance away as well.

Current Batting Side Does Not Fire In Unison

KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Ajinkya Rahane are all good batters individually, but they have rarely fired in unison.

When the top order bats at its best, the middle order collapses. When Pujara-Pant come together, the rest of the batters have already gone to the pavilion. Kohli is not back at his best yet and Rahane seems to have fallen off the charts altogether.

Even in the horrendous tours of 2011 and 2014, I do not remember performances like 36/9 or 78/10, let alone two. The batting collapses occur too frequently to be regarded as a modern great. What made the Sehwag-Dravid-Sachin-Laxman-Ganguly era great was their consistent overseas batting performances without having the caliber of fast bowlers at their disposals in the nets to practice with.

Now India finally has the bowling attack to take 20 wickets consistently, but a batting line up that is not even close.

Greatest Indian Bowling Attack

The reason India is succeeding away from home can be attributed to two factors: (1) comparatively lower standard of opposition, and (2) fast bowling unit.

Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur provide regular breakthroughs while Jadeja and Ashwin can play both as wicket-taking options and chief controller depending on the conditions.

Since the South Africa tour of 2018, Indian bowlers have taken all 20 wickets by pace on numerous occasions. Injury replacements are readily available as well.

So is India Good, Bad, or Just Okay?

The bowling attack? The best in their nation’s history. Their batting? Eh. Not so hot.

India might have one of the best line ups on paper but are definitely not the best Test team going around. Or at least just not performing to their full potential yet. The flaws in India’s team performance combined with miraculous comebacks and recency bias actually amplify the degree of their quality. India are so bad sometimes that it brings out the best in the team. Still a long way to go achieve dominance.

In other words, India are so bad that they are actually good. Think about it.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/15/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Photo Courtesy: Photo by Sebastian Palomino from Pexels

PBKS Vs DC – IPL 2021 Match 29 Review: Agarwal’s 99* In Vain As Capitals March On

PBKS Vs DC – IPL 2021 Match #29 Quick Review!

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: PBKS Vs DC Video Highlights

Toss: DC won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Umpires: Anil Chaudhary & Anil Dandekar

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Mumbai Indians won by 4 wickets.
  • Scores: PBKS 166-6 Vs DC 167-3
  • Player of the Match: Mayank Agarwal
  • Best Figures
    • Kagiso Rabada – 3/36
    • Harpreet Brar – 1/19 (3 overs)
  • Most Runs
    • Mayank Agarwal – 99* (58)
    • Shikhar Dhawan – 69* (47)

Moment of The Day: Chris Gayle’s Stump Goes Flying

  • After Kagiso Rabada’s consistent breakthrough IPL seasons, IPL 2021 has been a letdown so far. With Anrich Nortje on the bench, his position was under the scanner. Just 3 wickets in the last 5 games, he came back with a 3/36 today. My moment of the day was Rabada taking Gayle’s stump out with a full-toss after Gayle had dispatched Rabada for a six.
  • Mayank Agarwal was the batsman of IPL 2020 although he got injured halfway through. After his form dropped from Test cricket, he was not looking like his own. Even though he was among the runs this year, the ball-striking and strike rate was not up to par. As stand-in captain for KL Rahul, he was back to his absolute best. 99* (58) pushed PBKS to a competitive score of 166.

Honorable Mention: Hetmyer’s finishes it off in style – 16* (4) with 2 sixes

T20 World Cup Spotlight: Shaw, Shikhar Shoe-In for the 23-Member Squad?

Prithvi Shaw has been single-handedly dismantling the opposition within the powerplay, while Shikhar Dhawan has been killing the opposition softly. Together, they have formed a deadly combination, both in the top 4 of top run-getters.

  • Dhawan is the orange cap: 380 runs, 54.28 average, 134.27 strike rate.
  • Shaw: 308 runs, 38.50 average, 166.48 strike rate.

If the T20 World Cup happens, they should definitely make the squad now. The question is, do they make the XI? With Mumbai Indians trio Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar struggling for form, Dhawan-Shaw might be a wildcard opening entry rather than Sharma-Kohli. KL Rahul & Mayank Agarwal are the other options.

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Dawid Malan

  • Nicholas Pooran was finally dropped for Dawid Malan. Malan already scored higher than Pooran in his six games – but the strike rate was concerning. 26 (26) with a few good looking shots and singles, but was bogged down. Where do things stand for him?
  • Ravi Bishnoi has pulled some blinders and have had some good games with the ball. After Harpreet got Prithvi Shaw out and Steve Smith slow to get off, PBKS had a sniff. Shikhar Dhawan had other plans as he destroyed Bishnoi. Ended with figures of 4-0-42-0.
  • Wishing speedy recovery to KL Rahul who underwent appendicitis surgery.

The Big News: COVID Hits the IPL

KKR Vs RCB has been postponed due to positive tests for Varun Chakravarthy & Sandeep Warrier. In addition, CSK staff has also been hit.

I think it is time to shut the IPL for now. Players’ health is more important.

The BCCI is deliberating moving the entire rest of the IPL to Mumbai.

IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • Shikhar Dhawan 380 runs (PBKS, 8 matches)
  • Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 7 matches)
TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals 862012+0.547
2. Chennai Super Kings752010+1.263
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore 752010 -0.171
4. Mumbai Indians74308+ 0.062
5. Rajasthan Royals73406-0.190
6. Punjab Kings83506-0.368
7. Kolkata Knight Riders72504-0.494
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad71602-0.623
IPL 2021 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Home » IPL

RR Vs SRH – IPL 2021 Match 28 Review: Jos Buttler’s Century Breaks Warner-Less SRH

RR Vs SRH – IPL 2021 Match #28 Quick Review!

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: RR Vs SRH Video Highlights

Toss: SRH won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

Umpires: Chettithody Shamshuddin & Chris Gaffaney

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Rajasthan Royals won by 55 runs
  • Scores: RR 220-3 Vs SRH 165-8
  • Player of the Match: Jos Buttler
  • Best Figures
    • Rashid Khan – 1/24
    • Mustafizur Rahman – 3/20
  • Most Runs
    • Jos Buttler – 124 (64)
    • Manish Pandey – 31 (20), Jonny Bairstow – 30 (21)

Moments of The Day: Buttler & Samson Make It Rajasthan’s Day

Here are my moments of today:

  • It is game 7, and Sanju Samson is still delivering good scores? Sanju Samson & consistency, well that is a good change. Since becoming the captain of the RR side, his batting seems more mature & calculated, taking more responsibility on himself. Following his epic 119, he followed it with low scores of 4, 1, & 21. However, he has come back with steady 42*, 42, & 48 (33) today. Does Samson have an upper hand against an out-of-form Suryakumar Yadav for a World T20 spot?
  • Jos Buttler had a David Warner-esque tournament before this game. A score of 49, 41, and 40 in the other 4 innings for a total of 130 runs in 6 matches. He started scratchy today and but accelerated after the halfway stage. Batting till the 19th over, he scored all around the ground in the flat Delhi pitch. His dancing shots at the end of the innings were truly special, taking RR from 111 in 13 overs to 220 by the 20th. In Buttler’s own words, “I can finally stop Alastair Cook telling me, ‘I’ve got one more T20 hundred than you.’ ”
  • Mustafizur Rahman is enjoying a second wind, taking 8 wickets so far. His wrist is finally back to the usual & pace is returning as well. After numerous injuries & inconsistency, I am glad he is finally back. Check out Jarrod Kimber’s brilliant analysis of his topsy-turvy career here.

Honorable Mention: Manish Pandey’s aggressive 31 (20); Riyan Parag & David Miller’s cameos; Rashid Khan opens the bowling and goes for 4-0-24-1 in high-scoring encounter

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: David Warner Gets Dropped

Alright I confess. At the end of last game, I suggested David Warner should get dropped for Jason Roy. Warner was indeed axed unceremoniously. However, instead of going with an aggressive Roy-Bairstow opening combination, they went with Mohammad Nabi.

  • The issue with that call is that Nabi was only given one over. It was at the backend of the innings when Buttler was only in a six-hitting mode and ended up conceding 21 runs.
  • At the beginning of the match, Abdul Samad was slotted to open. When the time came, Manish Pandey walked in (although he did well), and Shankar-Jadhav batted at 4-5. With Nabi at 6 (quickfire 17 off 6) and Samad at 7, they were never going to chase 220. Should have been sent earlier. There are too many voices in the SRH dugout.
  • Kane Williamson himself had an uncharacteristically off-day with a 21-ball 20.
  • Rashid Khan’s batting form is a concern. 3 ducks and a 17 in four outings now.

Warner was a total team-man throughout the game, supporting the team from the boundary right through the game. IPL legend.

IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • Shikhar Dhawan 380 runs (PBKS, 8 matches)
  • Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 7 matches)
TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals 862012+0.547
2. Chennai Super Kings752010+1.263
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore 752010 -0.171
4. Mumbai Indians74308+ 0.062
5. Rajasthan Royals73406-0.190
6. Punjab Kings83506-0.368
7. Kolkata Knight Riders72504-0.494
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad71602-0.623
IPL 2021 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Home » IPL

Image Courtesy: David Warner by Naparazzi via CC by SA-2.0

CSK Vs MI- IPL 2021 Match 27 Review: Pollard Powers Resurgent MI to Memorable Chase

CSK Vs MI – IPL 2021 Match #27 Quick Review! What a Game! Pollard Power to the Fore! The best game of IPL 2021 so far.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: CSK Vs MI Video Highlights

Toss: MI won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

Umpires: KN Ananthapadmanabhan & Nandan

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Mumbai Indians won by 4 wickets.
  • Scores: CSK 218-4 Vs MI 219-6
  • Player of the Match: Kieron Pollard
  • Best Figures
    • Kieron Pollard – 2/12
    • Sam Curran – 3/34
  • Most Runs
    • Ambati Rayudu – 72* (27)
    • Kieron Pollard – 87* (34)

Moments of The Day: Rayudu’s Hitting & Pollard’s Epic All-Round Show

Here are my moments of today:

  • Faf du Plessis-Moeen Ali’s consistency at the top drives CSK. After Ruturaj departed for 4, onus was on Faf-Moeen to repeat what they have done all-tournament, and they did not disappoint. Aggressive 108 partnership in 61 balls, with both amassing fifties set the tone for the carnage to follow.
  • Ambati Rayudu’s free-flowing nature gets CSK past 200. Rayudu’s career has perhaps been the greatest Broken Dream in recent Indian cricket. At an ODI overage of 47.05 with 3 centuries & 10 fifties, it is a shame he only played 55 ODIs and was dropped at the eve of the 2019 World Cup. 2004 India U-19 member, in-and-out of the international team, run-ins with the management, the Indian Cricket League stint—he has seen it all, but this innings was the most fluent I have ever seen him play. He had a really good IPL as an opener a couple of seasons back, and this 72* (27) in the middle order showed his versatility. 7 sixes, 4 fours, 102* (49) partnership where ‘finisher’ Jadeja ended with 22* (22). Brilliant.
  • Pollard can do no wrong. When Faf & Moeen were galloping along, Pollard was given the ball in the 11th over. He delivered right away with medium-pace dibbly-dobblies, taking back-to-back wickets of du Plessis & Suresh Raina. When Pollard came in to bat, Mumbai Indians still needed 138 in 62 balls. After getting an eye in, he was just 3 (5). In came Jadeja, Pollard smashed 3 sixes in 4 balls and never looked back.

Definitely one of the best IPL all-round shows of all-time.

Honorable Mention: Hardik Pandya’s cameo with back-to-back sixes brings MI closer; Sam Curran almost brings CSK back into the game with yorkers at the death; Quinton de Kock-Rohit Sharma set 71-run opening partnership for MI

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Du Plessis Drops Catch, What?

There are two ways at looking at this game: 1. Brilliant game between the two best sides of the IPL that added another classic to its memories; 2. Good game, but CSK’s faults gave Pollard and co enough opportunity to bounce back. Here are chances CSK gave away.

  • Sam Curran has just delivered a 2-run/wicket over in the 17th and Chennai are back in it. Shardul Thakur gives up a couple of boundaries but CSK hold the upper-hand with 34 needed in 14. Thakur bowls, Pollard swipes, Faf runs in and drops it. Straight through his fingers. 2 runs taken. Pollard still alive. The game changing moment.
  • Shardul Thakur & Lungi Ngidi’s expensive figures gives MI the advantage. Thakur finished with 4-0-56-1 while Ngidi ended with 4-0-62-0, including the full-toss filled last over.
  • Why did the field not come in with 2 needed in 1 ball? Usually in a close game, some time is taken and field is brought it before the last ball, but completely opposite in this case. Would not have mattered given how Pollard was batting, but this was just too easy for him.
  • Suresh Raina’s IPL is going downhill after the 54 in the opening game. He has scored 69 runs at 17.25 in the other 5 matches he had a bat.

IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • Shikhar Dhawan 380 runs (PBKS, 8 matches)
  • Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 7 matches)
TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Delhi Capitals 862012+0.547
2. Chennai Super Kings752010+1.263
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore 752010 -0.171
4. Mumbai Indians74308+ 0.062
5. Rajasthan Royals73406-0.190
6. Punjab Kings83506-0.368
7. Kolkata Knight Riders72504-0.494
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad71602-0.623
IPL 2021 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

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PBKS Vs RCB- IPL 2021 Match 26 Review: Harpreet Brar’s Day Out Shuts Out RCB

PBKS Vs RCB – IPL 2021 Match #26 Quick Review! KL Rahul & Chris Gayle set the tone for PBKS, and Harpreet Brar did the rest.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: PBKS Vs RCB Video Highlights

Toss: SRH won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Umpires: Sundaram Ravi & Virender Sharma

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Chennai Super Kings won by 7 wickets.
  • Scores: PBKS 179-5 Vs RCB 145-8
  • Player of the Match: Harpreet Brar
  • Best Figures
    • Kyle Jamieson – 2/32
    • Harpreet Brar – 3/19
  • Most Runs
    • KL Rahul – 91* (57)
    • Virat Kohli – 35 (34)

Moments of The Day: What can Harpreet Brar not do?

Here are my moments of today:

  • KL Rahul is the poster-child of Bangalore. At PBKS, he has Mayank Agarwal, his best friend, as his opening partner. Add coach Anil Kumble & ex-RCB Chris Gayle to that list. He debuted for RCB in 2013 before moving to Punjab in 2018. Last year, he scored 132* against RCB and 91* today. An array of shots today, with a few scoops at the end as well. He has not been dismissed by them in the last couple of years. Basically, he loves RCB & Bangalore, whether that is for them or against them.
  • Chris Gayle produced his second match-winning knock of the season. Five fours in an over against Kyle Jamieson raised the momentum, which put Punjab’s run-rate in second gear. Ended with 46 (24) with 2 sixes.
  • Harpreet Brar was the star of the show. After Gayle’s storm, a mini-collapse took place. 118-5 in 14.4 overs. Harpreet Brar rebuilt and provided KL Rahul with much-needed support on the other end. At the end, he took finishing in his own hands with a quickfire 25* (17) with 2 sixes. The last ball six sent the dugout with the momentum they needed to inflict the damage with the ball.
  • Harpreet Brar, the bowler—Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, AB De Villiers. Bowled, bowled, caught. Double-wicket maiden. And a catch as well. Combined figures of Brar & Bishnoi: 8-1-36-3. Wow. Just Wow.

Honorable Mention: Ravi Bishnoi takes another blinder; Prabhsimran Singh’s shows intent; Glenn’s Maxwell stunned reaction; Meredith’s bowled

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Rajat Patidar & Virat Kohli

  • In a 9 an over required-rate, Kohli’s 35 (34) & Patidar’s 31 (30) was not up to par. Even AB De Villiers cannot rescue the team with a partnership worth 43 (46).
  • Harshal Patel is the purple cap of the season and had taken 17 wickets in 6 games. At this rate, he would be the highest wicket-taker in a season. Until this game, the 37-run Jadeja over was the only blot to his name. Today, the death bowling was not accurate and he conceded 53 runs without taking a wicket. Made it up with 31* (13). Helped RCB’s NRR by taking them from 96-7 to 145-8 with Kyle Jamieson’s help.
  • Cannot End this without Nicholas’ ‘Poor-Run.’ He has now bagged 0 (0), 0(1), 0(2), and 0(3). Quite a collection. Nicholas Pooran & his ducks:

IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • KL Rahul 331 runs (PBKS, 7 matches)
  • Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 7 matches)
TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Chennai Super Kings752010+1.263
2. Delhi Capitals752010+0.466
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore 752010 -0.171
4. Mumbai Indians74308+ 0.062
5. Punjab Kings73406-0.264
6. Kolkata Knight Riders72504-0.494
7. Rajasthan Royals62404-0.69
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad61502-0.264
IPL 2021 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

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KKR Vs DC – IPL 2021 Match 25 Review: Prithvi Shows KKR How To Play

KKR Vs DC– IPL 2021 Match #25 Quick Review! Prithvi Shaw’s assault sets KKR aside. Russell was the only positive, but harsh words from Brendon McCullum at the end.

Match Details, Scorecard, & Video Highlights

Scorecard: KKR Vs DC Video Highlights

Toss: DC won the toss and chose to field first.

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

Umpires: Anil Chaudhary & Yeshwant Barde

What Actually Happened

  • Winner: Delhi Capitals won by 7 wickets.
  • Scores: KKR 154-6 Vs DC 156-3
  • Player of the Match: Prithvi Shaw
  • Best Figures
    • Lalit Yadav – 2/13 (3 overs)
    • Pat Cummins – 3/24
  • Most Runs
    • Andre Russell – 45* (27)
    • Prithvi Shaw – 82 (41)

Moments of The Day: SHAW, SHAW, SHAW. SHAW. SHAW. SHAW.

Here are my moments of today:

  • Wide, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4. Straight. Lofted. Inside-out. Over-midwicket. Backward Point. Cover. Prithvi Shaw’s consecutive fours were the highlight of the match. Unfortunate Shivam Mavi was on the receiving end, who followed his 1/13 4-over-spell against Punjab Kings with 1-0-25-0 against DC.
  • When Shubman Gill exited, KKR were reeling at 82-5 in 13 overs. Dinesh Karthik hit a couple of boundaries, but it was birthday boy Andre Russell’s 45* with 4 sixes that propelled KKR to a respectable total. This is his third cameo in 7 games, apart from his 5-fer. Already has had a better IPL than last year.
  • Pat Cummins took all the wickets of DC’s innings, but it was too little, too late. Shikhar Dhawan fell on 132 in the 14th over, by which time the game was gone. Questions on Eoin Morgan’s captaincy—why was Pat Cummins the 5th bowler? After Mavi, Varun, Prasidh Krishna, and Narine had bowled?

Honorable Mention: Axar Patel wickets & Lalit Yadav’s frugal spells; Shikhar Dhawan’s 46, Rishabh Pant’s finish

Broken Cricket Dream of the Day: Brendon McCullum’s Press Conference

Brendon McCullum had some harsh words for his squad after the match. He had high praise for Prithvi Shaw & Andre Russell and gave some signals for future KKR games. “If you can’t change a man, change the man.”

  • While Shaw’s form has hit the roof since the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Shubman Gill’s form has nosedived. After his 91 in Australia, Gill’s scores read: (England Tests) 0 & 14, 11 & 15*, 0, (IPL) 15, 33, 21, 0, 11, 9, 43 (38). When he has scored, it is not quite fast enough. With Nitish Rana & Rahul Tripathi struggling for consistency, KKR just do not have the firepower at the top. Tim Seifert needs to inject the aggression at the top.
  • Sunil Narine has had a wonderful IPL career with KKR and has bowled decently this year, but his batting is just not good enough. Eoin Morgan is not doing that well either (duck today).

  • Time for SRH-inspired captaincy (SRH dumped Warner) and replace Narine/Morgan with Seifert & Lockie Ferguson. Last season, Karthik relinquished captaincy to Eoin Morgan after 7 games, and KKR has had a history of captaincy issues….so once more the charm.

IPL 2021 Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap Leaders

No need to go elsewhere for the Points Table, Orange Cap, & Purple Cap. We will keep updating it in every article!

  • KL Rahul 331 runs (PBKS, 7 matches)
  • Harshal Patel – 17 wickets (RCB, 7 matches)
TeamsPlayedWonLostTied
No-Result
PointsNet Run Rate
1. Chennai Super Kings752010+1.263
2. Delhi Capitals752010+0.466
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore 752010 -0.171
4. Mumbai Indians74308+ 0.062
5. Punjab Kings73406-0.264
6. Kolkata Knight Riders72504-0.494
7. Rajasthan Royals62404-0.69
8. Sunrisers Hyderabad61502-0.264
IPL 2021 Points Table

Also, if you have not yet read our IPL Previews, here is a list of all of them! Check them out and share ahead:

  1. Chennai Super Kings – CSK Preview
  2. Delhi Capitals – DC Preview
  3. Kolkata Knight Riders – KKR Preview
  4. Mumbai Indians – MI Preview
  5. Punjab Kings – PBKS Preview
  6. Rajasthan Royals – RR Preview
  7. Royal Challengers Bangalore – RCB Preview
  8. Sunrisers Hyderabad – SRH Preview

Copyright (2021: 4/12/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Home » IPL

Image Courtesy: Eoin Morgan – by David via CC 2.0