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How Many Times Has Australia Won the Cricket World Cup? Complete List of Australia’s ICC Trophies—Under-19, World Cups, Gold Medals, Men, Women, T20I, ODI, WTC!

Are you curious to learn how many World Cups has Australia won? Here’s a quick answer—Australia has won a mammoth 26 World Cups & ICC tournaments across formats!

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on Australia’s exceptional cricketing achievements.

Last week, Australia defeated India to complete the only remaining trophy on their cabinet—The 2023 World Test Championship.

In this article, we’ll dive into the complete list of ICC trophies won by the mighty Aussies, including their World Cup triumphs in both Men’s and Women’s cricket, T20I victories, ODI successes, and U-19 accomplishments.

So, whether you’re an avid cricket fan or simply curious about Australia’s prowess on the pitch, we’ve got you covered with all the fascinating details. Let’s dive in and explore the rich legacy of Australian cricket!

Key Takeaways

  • Australia has won a total of 26 world tournaments in cricket out of 65 tournaments, a whopping 40%! (14 Under-19 World Cups, 12 Men’s ODI World Cups, 12 Women’s ODI World Cups, 8 Men’s T20 World Cups, 8 Women’s T20 World Cups, 8 Champions Trophies, 2 World Test Championships, and 1 Commonwealth Games). They have been in the finals on 34 occasions (52.3 %).
  • Australian women have lifted the trophy 14 times, the senior men’s side has won on 9 occasions, and the Under-19 men’s side has won a total of 3 times. This includes 7 Women’s ODI World Cup (1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013, 2022), 6 Women’s T20 World Cups (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023), 5 Men’s ODI World Cup (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015), 3 Under-19 Men’s ODI World Cups (1988, 2002, 2010), 2 Champions Trophies (2005, 2009), 1 Commonwealth Gold (2022), 1 Men’s T20 World Cup (2021), and 1 World Test Championship (2023).
  • Meg Lanning has been Australia’s most successful captain, winning ICC trophies on six occasions (2014, 2018, 2021, 2023 T20 World Cups, 2022 Commonwealth Gold, 2023 ODI World Cup) followed by Ricky Ponting – 4 (2003, 2007 ODI World Cups, 2006 & 2009 Champions Trophy). Sharon Tredrea, Belinda Clark, and Jodie Fields have won two World Cups each as well.
  • The Australian cricket team has been 8 runners-up times. This includes twice each in the Women’s ODI World Cup (1973, 2000), Men’s ODI World Cup (1975, 1996), and Under-19 World Cup (2012, 2018), and once each in Men’s T20 World Cup (2010) and Women’s T20 World Cup (2016).

Also Read: Top 5 Greatest Cricket Teams to Ever Be Assembled

List of 26 Australian Cricket World Championship

Fun Fact: In finals they have won, Australia’s favorite opposition has been England (8 times) followed by New Zealand (5), India (4), Pakistan (3), West Indies, and South Africa (2). They have won World Cups in almost every cricketing country – India, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the UAE.

1. 1978 ODI Cricket World Cup

2. 1982 ODI Cricket World Cup

3. 1987 ODI Cricket World Cup

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4. 1988 ODI Cricket World Cup

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5. 1988 Under-19 Cricket World Cup

6. 1997 ODI Cricket World Cup

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7. 1999 ODI Cricket World Cup

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8. 2002 U-19 Cricket World Cup

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9. 2003 ODI Cricket World Cup

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10. 2005 ODI Cricket World Cup

Also Read: History of Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup

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11. 2006 Champions Trophy

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12. 2007 ODI Cricket World Cup

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13. 2009 Champions Trophy

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14. 2010 Under-19 Cricket World Cup

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15. 2010 T20 Cricket World Cup

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16. 2012 T20 Cricket World Cup

17. 2013 ODI Cricket World Cup

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18. 2014 T20 Cricket World Cup

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19. 2015 ODI Cricket World Cup

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20. 2018 T20 Cricket World Cup

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21. 2020 T20 Cricket World Cup

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22. 2021 T20 Cricket World Cup

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23. 2022 ODI Cricket World Cup

24. 2022 T20 Commonwealth Games (Gold)

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25. 2023 T20 Cricket World Cup

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26. 2023 World Test Championship

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Final Thoughts

Australia’s cricketing prowess is nothing short of extraordinary, with a total of 26 world tournament victories and 8 runner-up finishes. Their impressive trophy cabinet boasts 7 Women’s ODI World Cups, 6 Women’s T20 World Cups, 5 Men’s ODI World Cups, 3 Under-19 Men’s ODI World Cups, 2 Champions Trophies, 1 Commonwealth Gold, 1 Men’s T20 World Cup, and 1 World Test Championship.

These remarkable achievements showcase the Australian cricket team’s consistent dominance on the international stage, making them a force to be reckoned with.

As we celebrate their cricketing legacy, we eagerly anticipate what the future holds for this exceptional team and the exciting milestones they are yet to conquer!

Australia’s World Cup Wins – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How Many times has Australia won the Cricket World Cup and other ICC trophies?

Australia have won 26 world tournaments in cricket. This includes 7 Women’s ODI World Cup (1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013, 2022), 6 Women’s T20 World Cups (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023), 5 Men’s ODI World Cup (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015), 3 Under-19 Men’s ODI World Cups (1988, 2002, 2010), 2 Champions Trophies (2005, 2009), 1 Commonwealth Gold (2022), 1 Men’s T20 World Cup (2021), and 1 World Test Championship (2023).

2. How many times has Australia’s men team won the Cricket World Cup across formats?

Australia men’s cricket team has won five ODI cricket World Cups (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015). They have also won one T20 cricket World Cup (2021) and one World Test Championship (2023). In addition, they have also won 2 ICC Champions Trophy and 3 Under-19 World Cups.

3. How many cricket World Cups has Australia women’s team won across formats?

Australia women’s cricket team has won 7 ODI cricket World Cups (1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013, 2022), 6 T20 World Cups (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023), and one Commonwealth Gold (2022).

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 06/13/2023. 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).

Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads Dissected: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand—Asia Cup is Back!

Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads analysis time.

With India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in this group already set, this is a mini Asia Cup battle. In the preliminary qualification round, if Sri Lanka is ranked 2 in Group A and if Bangladesh tops Group B, we might see a potential 5/6 Asian teams!

This might not be named the Group of Death from the outside, but I think this group will be closer than it appears. Here is our team-by-team analysis—Most Balanced, Surprise Exclusions, In-Form Inclusions and Predictions!

Also Read:

T20 World Cup Groups

In the mini-qualifier group, there are two groups (Group A & B) of 4 teams each, top 2 of which will go in the main round (Group 1 and 2).

Group A has teams Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka, while Group B has teams Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland.

Group 2
Afghanistan
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
A2
B1
T20 World Cup 2021: Group 2 Table

The other group, Group 2, will have Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies.

Afghanistan T20 World Cup Squad

Batters Spin Bowling All-RoundersMedium Pace All-RoundersWicket-KeepersSpin BowlersFast Bowlers
Asghar AfghanMohammad NabiGulbadin NaibRahmanullah GurbazSharafuddin AshrafHamid Hassan
Usman GhaniRashid KhanMohammad ShahzadMujeeb Ur RahmanKarim Janat
Hashmatullah ShahidiQais AhmedNaveen Ul-Haq
Najibullah ZadranDawlat Zadran
Hazratullah ZazaiShapoor Zadran
Afsar ZazaiFareed Ahmad
Group 2 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Afghanistan

Afghanistan Probable XI

  1. Hazratullah Zazai, 2. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), 3. Usman Ghani, 4. Asghar Afghan, 5. Mohammad Nabi (C), 6. Najibullah Zadran, 7. Gulbadin Naib/Karim Janat, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10. Naveen Ul-Haq, 11. Qais Ahmed
  • Average Age: 28
  • Unlucky to Miss Out: Ibrahim Zadran, Amir Hamza, Fazalhaq Farooqi
  • Surprise Inclusions: Hamid Hassan, Mohammad Shahzad, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran
  • Watch Out For: The Spinners—Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Qais Ahmed

  • Recent Result: Afghanistan won 3-0 Vs Zimbabwe in UAE
  • Prediction: Rank 3rd in Group 2. In spin conditions, if their batters can put up a decent score, expect Afghanistan to surprise a few of the big teams.

Does Afghanistan Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?

Another World Cup. Another captaincy change right before the World Cup for Afghanistan. Rashid Khan had received the captaincy baton from Asghar Afghan, but he has resigned on the eve on the World Cup since he was not consulted for the WC squad. Add to that the current political situation, and Afghanistan’s entry in the WC is not even guaranteed.

Iconic trio Hamid Hassan, Mohammad Shahzad, and Shapoor Zadran return after years of international hiatus. Fitness will be the key concern, but Afghanistan have a good mix of youth and experience. They are also guaranteed 5 games in the main draw.

India T20 World Cup Squad

Batters Spin Bowling All-RoundersMedium Pace All-RoundersWicket-KeepersSpin BowlersFast Bowlers
Virat KohliRavindra JadejaHardik PandyaKL RahulRahul ChaharJasprit Bumrah
Rohit SharmaAxar PatelRishabh PantVarun ChakravarthyBhuvneshwar Kumar
Suryakumar YadavRavichandran AshwinIshan KishanMohammad Shami
Shreyas IyerShardul ThakurDeepak Chahar
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: India

Probable XI

  1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Virat Kohli (C), 3. KL Rahul/Ishan Kishan, 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Rishabh Pant, 6. Ravindra Jadeja, 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Ravichandran Ashwin, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Varun Chakravarthy
  • Average Age: 29
  • Unlucky to Miss Out: Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur (reserves), Washington Sundar (injured), Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Natarajan, Khaleel Ahmed, Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Dinesh Karthik. If you want the list of all 75 players which form Indian cricket team’s depth, read this.
  • Surprise Inclusions: R Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, MS Dhoni (Mentor)
  • Watch Out For: Trial by Spin—Rahul Chahar, R Ashwin, & Varun Chakravarthy can single handedly bamboozle most batting lineups. With Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel providing control, India might not have to chase large targets. Expect Ashwin in powerplays, Chahar-Jadeja in middle overs, and if he plays, Varun at the death.

  • Recent Results: Lost 1-2 to Sri Lanka
  • Prediction: Rank 2nd in Group 2. Since this side has not played together, India might drop a game or two till they figure out their best XI, but should find momentum towards the latter stages of the tournament.

Does India Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?

A well balanced side overall. Selectors have finally picked IPL as the standard for T20I selection and separated it from ODI players. IPL dynasty Mumbai Indians have six players in this 15.

Shikhar Dhawan was the highest scorer for India in both the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka and has been at the top of the charts (with decent SR) in the last two IPLs, but has still not made the cut. Bold move to cut Chahal but Chahar is the in-form leg spinner.

India have punted on spinning conditions and hence, exposed their fast bowling. Too much responsibility on Bumrah? Will we see a Sharma-Kohli opening partnership? Can India finally add an ICC Trophy after a decade of semi-finals and runner-ups trophy?

New Zealand T20 World Cup Squad

Batters Spin Bowling All-RoundersMedium Pace All-RoundersWicket-KeepersSpin BowlersFast Bowlers
Kane WilliamsonMitchell SantnerKyle JamiesonGlenn PhillipsTodd AstleTrent Boult
Devon ConwayMark ChapmanDaryl MitchellTim SeifertIsh SodhiLockie Ferguson
Martin GuptillJames NeeshamTim Southee
Adam Milne
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: New Zealand

New Zealand Probable XI

  1. Tim Seifert (WK), 2. Martin Guptill, 3. Kane Williamson (C), 4. Devon Conway, 5. Glenn Phillips, 6. Jimmy Neesham, 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Lockie Ferguson, 10. Ish Sodhi, 11. Trent Boult
  • Average Age: 30
  • Unlucky to Miss Out: Colin de Grandhomme, Will Young, Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Henry Nicholls/Tom Latham/Ross Taylor, Doug Bracewell/Hamish Bennett/Jacob Duffy/Blair Tickner, Ajaz Patel
  • Surprise Inclusions: Mark Chapman, Todd Astle
  • Watch Out For: Lockie Ferguson & Devon Conway. Ferguson’s KKR experience in UAE might come in handy and can Conway continue his dream debut year?

Does New Zealand Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?

Interesting team selection this based on condition and form. Glenn Phillips-Conway-Seifert had solidifed their positions with a rich run of form last year. This meant that Will Young and Finn Allen could not break in the squad despite great T20I performances toward the end. Great depth in New Zealand cricket means several players had to miss out.

Colin de Grandhomme is the interestesting exclusion for me. If fit, he could have been devastating but Mitchell-Neesham-Santner-Jamieson have booked their tickets with a coule of good performances earlier in the year. Adam Milne unlucky to just be in the reserves because he is been on fire in the Big Bash and The hundred since his comeback. End of T20Is for Ross Taylor.

Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad

Batters Spin Bowling All-RoundersMedium Pace All-RoundersWicket-KeepersSpin BowlersFast Bowlers
Babar AzamImad WasimHasan AliMohammad RizwanHaris Rauf
Sohaib MaqsoodMohammad HafeezMohammad WasimAzam KhanMohammad Hasnain
Khushdil ShahMohammad NawazShaheen Shah Afridi
Asif AliShadab Khan
Fakhar ZamanUsman QadirShahnawaz Dahani
Group 1 2021 T20 World Cup Squads: Pakistan

Pakistan Probable XI

  1. Babar Azam (C), 2. Mohammad Rizwan, 3. Mohammad Hafeez, 4. Sohaib Maqsood, 5. Imad Wasim, 6. Azam Khan/Khushdil Shah/Asif Ali, 7. Shadab Khan, 8. Hasan Ali, 9. Mohammad Nawaz, 10. Haris Rauf, 11. Shaheen Shah Afridi
  • Average Age: 27
  • Unlucky to Miss Out: Fakhar Zaman, Usman Qadir (Reserves), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Amir, Usman Khan Shinwari, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis (Coach)
  • Surprise Inclusions: Asif Ali, Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan
  • Watch Out For: Azam Khan, the power hitter, has hit some big sixes in CPL 2021. Could be the finisher Pakistan are looking for.

  • Recent Results: Lost 1-2 against England.
  • Prediction: Rank 1 in Group 2. Should get through the group with ease before collapsing in the semi-finals.

Does Pakistan Have It In Them To Win the T20 World Cup?

Pakistan have opted for a young squad dropping all of Shoaib Malik, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfaraz, and Wahab Riaz. If the lower order of Imad Wasim-Shadab-Hasan Ali can consistently score some quick runs, Pakistan will be in good shape.

The top 4 do not have competition from others in the squad, so expect Babar-Rizwan-Hafeez-Maqsood to play with freedom. Shaheen Shah Afridi-Haris Rauf-Nawaz-Hasan Ali-Shadab-Imad-Hafeez make a potent bowling line up as well. Would have liked Zaman, Qadir, Faheem Ashraf, and one of the seniors in the 15 but overall, the squad is pretty solid nevertheless.

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© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/12/2021. 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).

County Cricket-Hundred Debate From an Outsider’s Perspective: Can They Co-Exist?

Abraham Lincoln famously remarked, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

England cricket is having that moment right now with the County Cricket vs The Hundred debate. From the outside, everything seems fine—2019 World Cup victory, Anderson-Broad still going strong, finally a somewhat stable opening Test partnership in Burns-Sibley, and an enviable depth.

Deep down, though, there are gaping cracks. Tradition, history, club cricket, professional contracts, indirect impact on Tests are stacked against city-based franchises, new format, media rights, and emphasis on limited overs cricket.

Today, I am not going to present an argument from an English perspective—David Hopps, Andrew Miller, and George Dobell (twice) provide well-articulated balanced views. On the other hand, I express my observations as an outsider.

Is Controversy Helping County Cricket or Hundred?

Full disclosure—I am not from England. I have no particular affinity with a specific county and do not follow much of the County Championship, Royal London One-Day Cup, or the T20 Blast (unless of course Alastair Cook is nearing another ton or Shaheen Shah Afridi takes 4 in a row). Nor did I watch a single game of the Kia Super League.

Yet the endless debates and discussion on social media against The Hundred piqued my curiosity. I have since watched almost all games of The Hundred and have enjoyed them too. While County Cricket fans are trying to fight for their side, they might have actually helped publicize the Hundred.

Also Read: The Comedy of Overs: Shakespearean Parody Starring English Cricket, The Hundred, And County Cricket

The Good, Bad, And Ugly

So has The Hundred lived up to the hype?

First impressions—the possibility that a bowler can bowl 10 consecutive balls has added an extra dimension. Rashid Khan went as far as to say it’s now possible to take three hat-tricks! Imagine the flexibility with swing bowlers and death specialists. When a Joe Root-esque part-timer keeps it tight, let him or her continue.

I also like the speed of the game. The over-rate field placement penalty and the swiftness of DRS decisions has reduced the time down to less than 3 hours.

Most importantly, the cricket has been good, and it looks like a fun family time. Affordable tickets, priceless expressions of kids, last over thrillers, Lizelle Lee-Jemimah Rodrigues specials, find of Chris Benjamin, Alex Hales-Ben Stokes drama, and Bairstow being Bairstow. All good.

There is always room for improvement, however. Graphics are all over the place, crowds are not sell-outs, and even umpire Nigel Llong had to ask the DJ to dial it down a notch.   

Disparity in Score Decreases

The simultaneous matches with the Women’s Hundred is turning out to be a gamechanger. The level of women’s cricket was criticized in Women’s T20 Challenge when the Velocity were bundled for 47 although conditions were not ideal.

In the Hundred, when the women’s team only scored 113-93, the men’s teams did even worse 87/10 a few hours later in a spin dominated pitch. The average scores are 124 and 137 so far for the women’s & men’s editions respectively, and quality of cricket equally enthralling.

Can County Cricket, T20 Blast, and The Hundred Coexist—Yay or Nay?

One argument has been why not just re-market the T20 Blast instead of creating a new format?

If we all agree that County Cricket, T20 Blast, and the Hundred are to coexist, the question then becomes of scheduling.

  • County Championship: 18 Teams, 3 Groups, 90 matches, April-July
  • T20 Vitality Blast: 18 Teams, 2 groups, 133 matches, June-September
  • The Hundred: 8 teams & 34 matches for Women’s/Men’s each, July-August

Add the home Test summer, the English rain, and this is a packed schedule. The issue with the T20 Blast is that it is played over 18 teams, broken over several months, with numerous games on the same day. The momentum is stagnant, regular international talent not retained, and coverage low.  

About Time England Dominate The League World

England are the current ODI World Champions and one of the favorites for the T20 World Cup. If there was ever a time to invest in a franchise league of international standard, it is now before the likes of Eoin Morgan head towards retirement.

When the IPL was launched in 2008, India still had legends like Dravid-Tendulkar-Ganguly-Laxman to build stable fanbases & drive spectators to the ground but it was the 2007 T20 World Cup victory that ensured T20 would succeed in India. Yes, it might be weird that Jonny Bairstow from Yorkshire is playing for the Welsh Fire. There maybe no natural County support for an artificial franchise league, but Dhoni & Raina are not from Chennai either (far from it!) and probably possess the largest IPL fanbase.

England was reluctant to invest in franchise cricket and suffered till the 2015 Cricket World Cup debacle as a result. The rest of the world allowed India to become a monopoly in the T20 market. One can argue that losing Buttlers-Stokes-Morgans-Archers to the IPL 2 months in the year is indirectly hurting the County Cricket. Had English cricket invested in a T20 league earlier and provided it a window so it does not clash with domestic tournaments, they would have been at a better place. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

There is still time. Who knows, a high-quality concentrated domestic tournament can extend England’s golden era and throw up new stars.

Better players, more competition, more spectators/TV viewership, more money, higher salaries—Players, counties, leagues, everybody happy?

Also Read: The Need For Champions League & a T20 League Calendar

Why Not Follow the India Model?

With 38 teams & multiple groups, Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the IPL coexist. A separate window for the IPL ensures availability of homegrown talent as well as majority of foreign players. Ranji Trophy provides professional support, SMAT is scheduled strategically a month before the auction to showcase new talent, and the IPL, in return, provides developed players, academies, & scouting systems back to the domestic teams.

From the looks of it, ECB has almost made up its mind about the Hundred at least for a couple of seasons. So why not try to find a solution that benefits all parties involved instead of opposing it?

I will leave you with Michael Atherton’s warning on commentary today. Fans are drawn towards a new format because it is exciting and different. Administrators get greedy and keep expanding like the IPL and Big Bash. A few years later, the format becomes diluted and ‘loses its pizzazz.’

Just a short 1-month Hundred can probably survive and not hurt other formats. However, if this format is to spread to expand to more teams, other countries, or become an international format, then there will be detrimental consequences. Until then we can have some fun and adapt innovations from this experiment into the existing formats. Keep the Hundred simple, but do not forget the county game either.

Lincoln was right. Now England must choose—an internal divisive cricket Civil War or a mutual partnership?

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Copyright @Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, bcd@brokencricketdreams.com – 07/29/2021

Image Courtesy: Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

Structured Chaos Paves Way for World Cricket’s Changing Landscape

Lots of world cricket recently. Cricket here, cricket there, cricket everywhere.

In the last month, New Zealand defeated India to lift the inaugural World Test Championship. South Africa swept the Test series 2-0 and won the T20I series 3-2 against the world champions, West Indies, who themselves blew Australia out of the park in the T20I series. 

Ireland emerged victorious in an almost-perfect ODI match against South Africa. Finally, a last-minute England’s second-string squad whitewashed a full-strength Pakistan team 3-0, and a second-string India threatens to be too strong for Sri Lanka on paper.

Also Read: Indian Cricket Team 75+ Player Depth List, Top 50+ England Cricket Team Players Depth List

Embrace the Uncertainty

If you tried predicting all the series above, most likely you would have missed a few. Cricket’s landscape is changing. A vast transformation is taking place.

No single team is unbeatable, and no team can be taken lightly. Case and point— Sri Lanka. Transition phase, lackluster, downfall, where are the glory days gone?—call them anything, but they are the only Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa and that too in 2019.

In the current ODI Super League, Ireland have blown hot and cold. They have defeated current ODI World Cup holders, England and South Africa. Those were no fluke victories either—chasing 329 and putting 291 on the board is no little feat. However, the Irish drew 1-1 against UAE, lost 0-3 against Afghanistan, and surrendered important Super League points to Netherlands in a 1-2 series loss.

Also Read: Netherlands Vs Scotland & Ireland 2021, Ireland Vs Afghanistan 2021 Series Review

New Winners, New Stories

Let us dissect this further. This uncertainty is not a recent phenomenon either. Due to the influx of ICC tournaments (almost one every year now), there is a higher probability of multiple teams claiming a world trophy.

Gone are the days of West Indies 1980s (1975/1979 WC winners, 1983 finalist) and Australia 2000s (1996 finalists, 1999/2003/2007 WC winners, 2006/2009 Champions Trophy winners). 

South Africa (till 2015) and India been right up there over the last decade without putting their stamp of domination. West Indies have dominated T20Is, England have changed ODI cricket, and New Zealand have been a constant force.

Yet since the 2013 Champions Trophy, a different winner has conquered each ICC Trophy.

  • 2013 Champions Trophy: India
  • 2014 T20 World Cup: Sri Lanka
  • 2015 ODI World Cup: Australia
  • 2016 T20 World Cup: West Indies
  • 2017 Champions Trophy: Pakistan
  • 2019 ODI World Cup: England
  • 2021 World Test Championship: New Zealand

In the next decade, 5 WTC Finals, 6 T20I World Cups, 3 ODI World Cups, and 2 Champions Trophies will provide ample opportunity for new winners.

Sure, with the bench strength that England, India, or New Zealand possess, they will be contenders but not certain winners.

ICC Has Gotten Something Right

Honest confession time. I have been critical of the ICC in the past, but must give it to them. They have a made a few decent decisions recently—pushing for cricket in the Olympics, extending future World Cups to include more Associate nations (14-team ODI WC, 20-team T20I WC), and most importantly, by providing much needed structure.

The first great thing ICC did was granting T20I status to all 104 nations in 2018. It was the right step in “globalizing the game” by ensuring standardization in terms of grounds, umpiring, and code of conduct. T20I World Cups scheduled every two years will ensure vigorous qualification structure.

To provide context in Test cricket, the World Test Championship was installed. It has numerous flaws, but the fact that spectators were critical of the points table, a record number watched the finals, and predictions for the next cycles have already begun show that the ICC have succeeded at some level in contextualizing Test cricket. The fact that Virat Kohli, Tim Paine, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson have been active advocates for the WTC has made it an even better spectacle to view.

The best of these ICC innovations has to be the 13-team ODI Super League that feeds into the new ODI World Cup qualification system. Every ODI series is a 3-match affair, and every team plays 24 matches. This is already a win for the likes of Ireland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands, getting opportunities to compete against the top teams consistently. By the looks of it, Sri Lanka and even South Africa are in real danger of not making direct qualification for the next World Cup, spicing things up.

These systems are only in their infancy, and by the time the structure is robust, cricket will be at a better place.

Looking Forward to the 2020s

The 2000s was a wonderful era for cricket—a collision of generations. Sri Lanka-Pakistan-India had strong teams, England, New Zealand, & West Indies were competitive enough, while South Africa & Australia were the teams to beat. ODI cricket was at its peak, Test cricket was still prospering, and the Sehwags & Gayles provided us a glimpse into T20 future.

The 2010s saw each team going through massive transition eras. Home advantage in Test cricket killed any semblance of competition. The overkill of T20 cricket questioned cricket’s existence at the core.

Cricket has seen a turning point, especially since 2019. All formats have seen riveting action.

Carlos Brathwaite’s Remember the Name gave T20Is its unique iconic image. T20 cricket is now at its pinnacle with T20 specialists popping in every country and most nations now possessing a stable T20 league. With two consecutive T20 World Cups coming up, each T20I series is closely followed.

Brendon McCullum’s New Zealand and Eoin Morgan’s England changed the way ODI cricket was played. The 2019 World Cup final, Ben Stokes/Steve Smith’s Ashes, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have created a new generation of cricket fans. A sporting Test cricket pitch can go a long way. Bonners-Myers 4th innings chase, Fawad Alam’s almost match-saving knock, and the World Test Championship final all gave chills.

Changes will continue, one team will no longer dominate, and that is only a good thing. World cricket has survived its chaotic phase and has come out for the better.

Copyright @Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams 07/14/2021. Email: bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Fractal Image – Robert Sontheimer, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Bangladesh Tours of New Zealand & Sri Lanka 2021 Review: Dissecting Bangladesh’s Horror As Youth Prevails for NZ, SL

Bangladesh tours of New Zealand & Sri Lanka review.

It seemed that instead of a complete tour, Bangladesh played several small series over the last few months. The Tigers played 3-match ODI & T20I series in New Zealand, then a 2-match Test series in Sri Lanka, followed by 3 ODIs at home against the same opposition.

The last couple of months can be summed up with a disappointment for Bangladesh but some positive news at the end for the currently #1 ranked team in the ODI Super League. Good finds by the Kiwis and Lankans as well.

Also Read: Ross Taylor’s Fan Tribute, West Indies tour of Bangladesh Review, Australia Vs New Zealand Series Review

Bangladesh Tours of New Zealand & Sri Lanka – The Results

NZ-Ban ODI Series: New Zealand won 3-0

* Player of Match

  1. New Zealand won by 8 wickets *Trent Boult
  2. New Zealand won by 5 wickets *Tom Latham
  3. New Zealand won by 164 runs *Devon Conway
Player of SeriesNew Zealand
Devon Conway
Bangladesh
Most RunsDevon Conway – 225 runs
(best of 126, 75 average, 88.23 SR, 100s-1, 50s-1)
Mahmudullah – 119 runs
(best of 76*, 59.50 average, 82.06 SR, 50s-1)
Most WicketsJimmy Neesham – 7 wickets
(best of 5/27, 18.14 average, 5.14 economy)
Rubel Hossain – 3 wickets
(best of 3/70, 23.33 average, 7.00 economy)
New Zealand Vs Bangladesh 2021 ODI Series Stats

NZ-Ban T20I Series: New Zealand won 3-0

  1. New Zealand won by 66 runs *Devon Conway
  2. New Zealand won by 28 runs (D/L method) *Glenn Phillips
  3. New Zealand won by 65 runs *Finn Allen
Player of Series New Zealand
Glenn Phillips
Bangladesh
Most RunsDevon Conway – 107 runs
(best of 92*, 107 average, SR 175.40)
Mohammad Naim – 84 runs
(best of 38, 28 average, 127.27 SR)
Most WicketsTim Southee – 6 wickets
(best of 3/15, 11.66 average, 7.00 economy)
Mahedi Hasan – 4 wickets
(best of 2/45, 29.00 average, 11.60 economy)
New Zealand Vs Bangladesh 2021 T20I Series Stats

SL-Ban Test Series: Sri Lanka won 1-0

  1. Match Drawn *Dimuth Karunaratne
  2. Sri Lanka won by 209 runs *Praveen Jayawickrama
Player of SeriesSri Lanka
Dimuth Karunaratne
Bangladesh
Most RunsDimuth Karunaratne – 428 runs
(best of 244, 142.66 average, 100s-2, 50s-1)
Tamim Iqbal – 280 runs
(best of 92, average 93.33, 50s-3)
Most WicketsPraveen Jayawickrama – 11 wickets
(Best Innings – 6/92, Best Match – 11/178, average 16.18)
Taskin Ahmed – 8 wickets
(Best Innings 4/127, Best Match – 5/133, average 33.12)

Ban-SL ODI Series: Bangladesh won 2-1

  1. Bangladesh won by 33 runs*Mushfiqur Rahim
  2. Bangladesh won by 103 runs (D/L method)*Mushfiqur Rahim
  3. Sri Lanka won by 97 runs*Dushmantha Chameera
Player of Series Bangladesh
Mushfiqur Rahim
Sri Lanka
Most RunsMushfiqur Rahim – 237 runs
(best of 125, 79.00 average, 88.43 SR, 1-100, 1-50)
Kusal Perera – 164 runs
(best of 120, 54.66 average, 87.70 SR, 1-100)
Most Wickets Mehidy Hasan Miraz – 7 wickets
(best of 3/16, 16.16 average, 3.88 economy)
Dushmantha Chameera – 9 wickets
(best of 5/16, 1100 average, 3.78 economy)

Major Moments

There were numerous moments in this Bangladesh tours of New Zealand & Sri Lanka. Here are the major takeaways.

New Zealand

Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, & Daryl Mitchell solidified their places during this tour

  • After his Test ton against Pakistan, Mitchell scored 100* (92) in the 3rd ODI, pushing New Zealand to 318/6. Quickfire 34* (16) in the rain-curtailed 2nd T20I as well. It is a shame that he is not a regular due to the rich presence of Colin de Grandhomme & Mitchell Santner.
  • Devon Conway has now conquered Test cricket with a double century at Lord’s, but before that his debut ODI series against Bangladesh included a fifty and a maiden century—126 in the 3rd ODI. Highest scorer in both the ODI & T20I series and donned the gloves as well.
  • Glenn Phillips finished the first T20I with a blistering 24* (10) along with a 58* (23) in the 2nd T20I, rescuing NZ from 55-3 in 6.1 overs to 173/5 in 17.5 overs.

New Zealand are now unearthing fast bowlers & youngsters at an alarming rate. Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Blundell & Devon Conway have all performed in the past season, and the Kiwis can now add Finn Allen & Will Young to that list after the T20I series.

  • Prior to the T20I series, Will Young had a total of 60 runs in 2 Tests & 2 ODIs. He announced himself with 53 (30) with four sixes in the first T20I to cement his place in the T20I squad for the near future.
  • Finn Allen’s blistering 71* (29) was an innings of a lifetime. 10 fours, 3 sixes, and an 85 run partnership with Martin Guptill in just 5.4 overs. The Kiwis ended with 141/4 in a ten-over game. Bangladesh?—76 all out.

The return of Martin Guptill & Tim Southee

In Williamson’s absence, Latham captained the ODI series while Tim Southee took the T20I reigns. Latham justified his selection with a match winning 110* (108) in a successful 272 run-chase.

  • With youngsters knocking on the doors, several questions on the seniors. Ross Taylor is already out of the T20I squad with the influx of talent, and Guptill & Southee were under the scanner.
  • After the successful Australia series, Guptill responded with scores of 38, 20, 26, 35, 21, & 44 in this series. Does not look ultra-impressive but strike rates of 200.00, 83.33, 92.85, 129.62, 116.66, & 231.57 were exactly the kind of starts New Zealand expect from Guptill. Needs to convert soon though.
  • Southee’s 3/15 in the 3rd T20I removed any hope for Bangladesh’s chase. Ended as the highest wicket-taker in the T20I series and now performing in the England Tests. 2nd wind for the 32 year old?

Anyway, these were just the major moments. Comeback for Adam Milne along with good outings for Jimmy Neesham, Todd Astle (4/13), Ish Sodhi (4/28), Matt Henry (4/27), Lockie Ferguson.

Bangladesh

Batting, Youngsters, & Overseas Victories a Concern For Bangladesh

  • From March 20th to May 23rd, Bangladesh lost 6 consecutive matches in New Zealand & lost the Test series 0-1 in Sri Lanka. Over the two Tests, Bangladesh were on the field for 4-5 days, which contributed to mental fatigue. These overseas series really hurt Bangladesh’s confidence, and even though they finally won the home ODI series that followed, they did not play well according to captain Tamim Iqbal.
  • Apart from the 2nd ODI & 2nd T20I against NZ, Bangladesh’s score read 131/10 (41.5), 154/10 in 42.4 (after being 8/102), 6/59 (7.5), & 76/10 (9.3). In the Sri Lanka ODI series, Rahim-Mahmudlluah rescued Bangaldesh from 99/4 (22.6), 74/4 (15.4), and 84/4 in 23.2 (en route 189/10). Top order issues galore.
  • 19,0, 21, 0, 4, 6,0, 0, 25 read Liton Das’ limited overs scores – 4 ducks. Test scores of 50, 8 & 17 not much better. I really hope Liton Das has a Rohit Sharma-esque 2013 resurrection given his immense talent. Six years since his debut, Das averages 20.83 (T20I), 28.78 (ODI), & 28.35 (Tests) in 117 innings. Only 3 centuries and 15 fifties. Cannot depend on Tamim Iqbal forever, especially with Mohammad Naim & Soumya Sarkar blowing hot and cold.

The M Factor & Absence of Shakib Al Hasan Felt Dearly

  • Although Shakib Al Hasan returned in the Sri Lanka ODI series, he was sorely missed in the New Zealand leg. In the spin bowling department, there were brief sparks, but not much else, from Nasum Ahmed & name twins—Mahedi Hasan & Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who bowled in tandem. Lacking in control & consistency.
  • At one point, Sri Lanka used to have the M Factor. In the Sri Lanka ODI series, Bangladesh unleashed the M Factor of their own—Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, & Mustafizur Rahman.
    • Opening the bowling, Mehidy’s miserly 4/30 & 3/28 were match-winning spells. Bodes well if 2023 World Cup in India has these slow pitches.
    • Although not back at his best yet, Mustafizur Rahman is slowly getting there (see Jarrod Kimber’s analysis here). His slow off-cutters are back and his 6-1-16-3 in the 2nd ODI was especially good (to go with 9-0-34-3 in first ODI).
    • Highest run-scorer at #4 since the 2015 World Cup, Mushfiqur Rahim has to be one of the most underrated players of this era. This series showed exactly why with his 84 (87) & 125 (127) sealing the deal for Bangladesh.
    • Mahmudullah was the only saving grace in NZ with a 76* in the final ODI. Followed it up with 54, 41, 53 in the SL series. Mushfiqur-Mahmudullah emerging as legendary lower order ODI rescue partners.

Still Some Positives For the Tigers

  • Captains Tamim Iqbal & Mominul Haque provide consistency. Looks like the split captaincy is working. Adding to Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 163, Mominul scored a defiant ton in Sri Lanka, while Tamim has a few 50s (92 & 90 in SL Tests) on these two tours. Only if the team starts winning now…
  • It looked like Bangladesh had turned a corner in the 2015 World Cup with a pace attack of Mashrafe Mortaza, Rubel Hossain, & Taskin Ahmed. Taskin’s decline was heartbreaking but he is back among the wickets with 8 wickets in the Test series. With decent find in 20-year old Shoriful Islam, a lineup of Mustafizur-Mehidy-Taskin-Saifuddin-Shoriful-Shakib might be exactly what the Tigers need.

Sri Lanka

  • Sri Lanka are rocking some young left-arm spinners. Embuldeniya earlier this year and now Praveen Jayawickrama with a 11-wicket haul on debut. This included two 5-fers, 6/92 & 5/86 as Sri Lanka won the Test series.
  • Karunatarane (244, 118, 66) Thirimanne (58, 140), Dhananjaya de Silva (166, 41), Niroshan Dickwella (31, 77*) had dream batting days that took Sri Lanka to scores of 684/8d, 493/7d, 194/9d. They did not get bowled out even once.
  • Dusmantha Chameera has one of Sri Lanka’s bright stars amidst their downfall. He improved over the course of thh ODI series with figures of 1/39, 3/44, and a match-winning spell of 9-1-16-5. Winning hand by new-ODI captain Kusal Perera in the final ODI as well – 120 (122).
  • Thisara Perera, star of the 2014 T20 WC final victory unexpectedly announced his retirement at the age of 32, having played seven world cups for Sri Lanka.

Squad Predictions for T20I World Cup

Here are my early squad predictions for the 23-member T20I World Cup Squad based on the NZ-Ban T20I series. Kane Williamson’s spot in danger?

New Zealand

  1. Martin Guptill, 2. Tim Seifert (WK), 3. Kane Williamson*, 4. Devon Conway, 5. Glenn Phillips, 6. Colin de Grandhomme, 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Trent Boult, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Ish Sodhi

Squad: 12. Finn Allen, 13. Will Young, 14. Jimmy Neesham, 15. Daryl Mitchell, 16. Kyle Jamieson, 17. Todd Astle, 18. Hamish Bennett, 19. Blair Tickner, 20. Jacob Duffy, 21. Mark Chapman, 22. Ross Taylor, 23. Doug Bracewell/Scott Kuggeleijn

*captain

Bangladesh

  1. Tamim Iqbal, 2. Liton Das, 3. Soumya Sarkar, 4. Mushfiqur Rahim (WK), Shakib Al Hasan, 6. Mahmudullah, 7. Afif Hossain, 8. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9. Mohammad Saifuddin, 10. Mustafizur Rahman, 11. Taskin Ahmed

Squad: 12. Mohammad Naim, 13. Najmul Hossain Shanto, 14. Mosaddek Hossain, 15. Mahedi Hasan, 16. Nasum Ahmed, 17. Shoriful Islam, 18. Rubel Hossain, 19. Mohammad Mithun, 20. Al-Amin Hossain, 21. Hasan Mahmud, 22. Abu Haider, 23. Sabbir Rahman

Awards

Here are the awards for Bangladesh Tours of New Zealand & Sri Lanka.

BangladeshNew ZealandSri Lanka
Emerging PlayerMahedi HasanFinn AllenPraveen Jayawickrama
Surprise PackageTaskin Ahmed in Sri LankaDaryl Mitchell, Will YoungDimuth Karunaratne
Broken Cricket DreamBangladesh cricket on a downfall?BJ Watling to retire; Ross Taylor’s retirement on the way?Flat Road Pitches in the first Test

Thisara Perera retires
Series Awards

Where Do They Go From Here?

Although Bangladesh had a tough two months, they are sitting at the top of the ODI Super League Table with 5 wins from 9 matches. New Zealand are on #5 (3/3) and Sri Lanka are struggling at #13 (1/6). Bangladesh have no upcoming series for a while.

New Zealand are currently in England for 2 Tests & World Test Championship final. Apart from the forthcoming T20 leagues, the Kiwis have no assignments till the T20 World Cup in October-November. After the World Cup, New Zealand has a short limited overs tour of Australia in January 2022.

Sri Lanka travel to England for 3 T20Is & 3 ODIs in June followed by a home series against India for 3 ODIs & 3 T20Is in July. Later in February Sri Lanka will follow NZ’s suit and travel to Australia for 5 T20Is.

Comment below for your favorite moments in Bangladesh tours of New Zealand & Sri Lanka! Subscribe for more below! Share with your friends as well! Here is our Facebook Twitter pages.

Copyright (2021: 6/8/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

The World Is Back In the Cricket World Cup

Greek philosopher Heraclitus penned a now famous phrase, “Change is the only constant in life, ” and well, it seems that the Cricket World Cup (CWC) formats took this quote a little too seriously.

Group stage, round-robin, Super Sixes, Super Eights, knockouts—you name it, the format has been experimented with.

History Repeats Itself

From an 8-team event (1975, 1979), the CWC gradually grew to nine teams (1992), then 12 (1996, 1999), 14-teams (2003), and finally reached its inflection point with 16 teams in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

The 2007 iteration was poorly received for various reasons, but one of the fallouts was halting the gradual expansion of Associate nations in World Cups. With genuine upsets from Ireland & Bangladesh against Pakistan, India, and later South Africa, the ICC lost a major chunk of funding.

The impact?

2011 & 2015 World Cups went back to the ‘90s formats with an elongated 14-team event, while the 10-team 2019 & 2023 events have revived the 1992 round-robin structure, providing as much game time (and hence, financial stability) for the big teams.

If It Is Broke, Fix It

The change of management has done wonders for the ICC—reducing the power of the Big 3, promoting the idea of cricket in the Olympics, and expanding the game with coordinated World Cups with a blockbuster World Cup schedule for the next decade:

  • Men’s ODI World Cup & Women’s ODI Champions Trophy (2023, 2027, 2031)
  • Women’s ODI World Cup & Men’s Champions Trophy (2025, 2029)
  • Women’s & Men’s T20I World Cups (2024, 2026, 2028, 2030)
  • World Test Championship Final (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029, 2031)

There is at least one major tournament for both men & women every year with the odd years also including the World Test Championship final.

Expansion Is the Will of the Nature

If you thought that was good news, hear this out.

The 54-match ODI World Cup is expanded to a 14-team affair (throwback to 2003) – 2 groups of 7, followed by Super Sixes, and finally the semi-finals & the finals.

The 55-match T20I World Cups will well and truly be a ‘world cup’—20 team tournament, 4 groups of 5, a Super Eight Stage, followed by semi-finals & finals. The T20I World Cup will guarantee at least 4 games for eight non-Test playing nations. Massive improvement.

With expanded World Cups, this provides incentive & motivation for Associate players to continue the game. Several Associate cricketers have taken premature retirements for opportunities elsewhere. This will add the fuel to keep them going.

Basketball has caught up with the FIFA benchmark of world cups with a 32-team event, while field hockey & rugby are 16-team affairs. It is time that cricket expand and catch up to the will of nature.

Revisiting the Glory Days

Remember Dwayne Leverlock’s one-handed stunner? Or Shapoor Zadran’s emotional celebration?

This is what World Cups are for—discovering new talents, cherishing the moments, providing a platform for smaller teams to grow, and promoting competition, not diminishing it.

The Associate Nations have provided numerous moments of glory—World Cup’s fastest century at the hand of Kevin O’Brien to hand England a defeat in Bangalore, Stuart Broad’s missed run-out/overthrow giving way for a Netherlands victory, Zimbabwe’s defeat to world-beaters Australia in 2007, and Bangladesh’s rise via CWC victories against Pakistan (1999), India, South Africa (2007), and England (2011, 2015).

Gruesome Qualifier Tournaments Out of the Window

With the expanded World Cup formats, one thing is for certain. The added salt to injury, also known as the Qualifiers, will have a lesser impact.

After Afghanistan & Ireland attained Test Status and became Full Members, the 2019 & 2023 formats were even more difficult to digest. It is a cricket sin for Full Members to not be a part of the World Cup. Zimbabwe & Ireland did not make it to the 2019 WC, and it is likely that even someone like Sri Lanka can lose out on a spot in the next world cup.

Case & point is the 2018 CWC Qualifier, one of the more closely fought tournaments in recent times. Scotland was in sight of qualifying at the expense of the West Indies or Afghanistan, when rain arrived and Scotland mathemagically lost by 5 runs due to the DL method. Zimbabwe also missed out on a qualification spot due a rained-out match.

An over or two should not determine fates for a World Cup qualification. Even worse was the T20 tournaments. After a 51-match qualification tournament for Associates, teams would enter a 3-match ‘pre-qualification’ stage in the actual world cup itself! Ludicrous.

In 2016, Bangladesh & Afghanistan proceeded to the next round while Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Oman, & Ireland crashed out.

Double disqualification, I like to call it. Survivor of the fittest ones that have the most money.

Warning: Potential Conflicts & T10 Format Ahead

Not everything will be fixed by expanding the Word Cup, however. Last month, the ICC backed T10 Cricket in Olympics. I am in full support of cricket in the Olympics albeit T20.

However, with a T20 World Cup now scheduled every two years, including 2028 & 2032, T20 cricket in the Los Angeles & Brisbane Summer Olympics look like a distant dream. Creating an international T10 format might be the only feasible choice, further crowding the international and the T10/T20 leagues calendar.

In any case, I will definitely take more context in cricket calendar, & support for the Associate & lower-ranked nations in exchange of embracing the T10 format.

It is the Little Moments That Matter

Did we really need a World Cup to prove that in the ‘80s the West Indians were a class apart or the Australians were the best in the world in the 2000s?

No, but a World Cup or Olympics is much more than that. So, why have predictable world cup formats?

Surprises & uncertainty, thrills & chills, unity in a divided world, and sportsmanship & hope amidst despair—that is what sport is all about.

It is about time cricket puts the world back in its so-called world cup.

Copyright: Nitesh Mathur, 6/2/2021, bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Image by stokpic from Pixabay

Why is there no Cricket in Olympics? T10 Cricket in Olympics? You Have Got To Be Kidding

Cricket in Olympics has long been a hot topic among the cricketing fraternity and has re-emerged in the latest round of ICC meetings.

One particular revelation from this meeting reminded me of a scene from Madagascar 2. It goes like this.

“Attention. This is the ICC speaking. We have good news and bad news. The good news is we have made a landing in the Olympics. The bad news is—it is T10 cricket.”

So is there any merit in this idea or just totally absurd? We will talk about the history of cricket in the Olympics, the pros and cons, and whether I think it should be accepted or not.

Also Read: USA Cricket: The Next NFL Or NBA – Trillion Dollar Bet?

Glance To the Past: A Brief History

Here is a bit of trivia for you—did you know the 1900 Paris Olympics included cricket?

1900 Olympics

Although cricket was initially scheduled in the inaugural modern 1896 Olympics, it was cancelled due to lack of interest. For the 1900 edition, Netherlands and Belgium pulled out after showing interest, while Great Britain & France sent club teams for the 2-day match.

Eventually Great Britain won by 158 runs with only five minutes remaining on day two. It would take 98 years for cricket to feature in another such tournament.

  • 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games: 16 teams, 4 groups, and 50-overs format. The tournament saw teams like Jamaica & Barbados compete independently along with Malaysia, Canada, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Eventually South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand won the gold, silver, and bronze respectively. Yes, South Africa actually won something.
  • Guangzhou 2010 & Incheon 2014 Asian Games: Men/Women competitions in T20 format. India declined to send teams, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, & even Japan won medals across the two tournaments. Apart from hosts China & South Korea, teams like Maldives, Nepal, and Hong Kong participated.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  1. Women’s Cricket will benefit from expansion to newer teams. One of the stories of the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup was Thailand’s qualification. Imagine how other smaller countries could similarly rise from the Olympics.
  2. Cricket has the potential to go from a ‘niche sport,’ only played in a fraction of the former British commonwealth to a much broader world audience due to television & media promotions
  3. Due to a shorter window, the format would have to be a knock-out tournament, which would give more chances to multiple teams rather than the 10-team two month long slug fest known as the World Cup.
  4. T10 takes about 2 hours to complete, which is a plus for short-spanned 21st century spectators.

Cons:

  1. T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, World Test Championship, & Olympics, not to mention T20 leagues. Too many tournaments will create dilution & overkill of cricket, which could have an adverse effect on the sport.
  2. T10 in the Olympics would imply making it the fourth official international format. With T20I & Test cricket doing well, this would be curtains for the struggling 50-over ODI format.

Opposition to Cricket in Olympics

Cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics has historically been opposed by teams like England & India. England declined to send a team for the 1998 Commonwealth due to scheduling conflicts with County cricket.

Similar concerns drive the opposition to T20 cricket in the Olympics. Such a tournament would imply having qualification tournaments, which would hamper the T20 calendar and decrease value of the T20 World Cup, which leads to possibly decreasing revenues.

The Verdict: Yay or Nay?

T10 cricket is not the ideal format.

Some people say it is a shortened version of T20. Wrong. It is just an expanded Super Over. Cricket is a game of skills and talent, but T10 may just be a fluke, and nobody is interested in that. No place for bowlers and not great advertisement for cricket.

However, the game has evolved. There was even a time when colored clothing, day-night cricket, DRS, and T20 cricket had doubters.

So, should cricket be tried in the Olympics? Well, why not? It never hurts to try.

Of course, technicalities about the format and qualification process can be decided later.

So, When Can We See Cricket in Olympics?

Cricket will be played in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Only women’s edition will take place—T20, 8 teams, round-robin tournament, and a qualifier for a Caribbean nation. Finally, USA Cricket’s long-term goal has been to host the 2028 LA Olympics, although 2032 Brisbane Olympics is probably a better bet.

FAQs

Why is there no cricket in Olympics?

Cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics has historically been opposed by teams like England & India. England declined to send a team for the 1998 Commonwealth due to scheduling conflicts with County cricket.
Similar concerns drive the opposition to T20 cricket in the Olympics. Such a tournament would imply having qualification tournaments, which would hamper the T20 calendar and decrease value of the T20 World Cup, which leads to possibly decreasing revenues.Cricket In Olympics

What is the history of cricket in Olympics and other international events?

Although cricket was initially scheduled in the inaugural modern 1896 Olympics, it was cancelled due to lack of interest. For the 1900 edition, Netherlands and Belgium pulled out after showing interest, while Great Britain & France sent club teams for the 2-day match.
Eventually Great Britain won by 158 runs with only five minutes remaining on day two. It would take 98 years for cricket to feature in another such tournament.

1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games: 16 teams, 4 groups, and 50-overs format. The tournament saw teams like Jamaica & Barbados compete independently along with Malaysia, Canada, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Eventually South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand won the gold, silver, and bronze respectively. Yes, South Africa actually won something.
Guangzhou 2010 & Incheon 2014 Asian Games: Men/Women competitions in T20 format. India declined to send teams, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, & even Japan won medals across the two tournaments. Apart from hosts China & South Korea, teams like Maldives, Nepal, and Hong Kong participated.

When Can We See Cricket in Olympics?

Cricket will be played in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Only women’s edition will take place—T20, 8 teams, round-robin tournament, and a qualifier for a Caribbean nation. Finally, USA Cricket’s long-term goal has been to host the 2028 LA Olympics, although 2032 Brisbane Olympics is probably a better bet.

Other Innovations in Cricket

Image Courtesy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Review: Record-Breaking Australia Too Good For White Ferns

Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women Series Review—An All-Time great Australian team brushes aside a struggling White Ferns outfit, the home team. A few major moments in this series.

The return of Ellyse Perry, Australia Women breaking Ponting’s ODI streak, Kasperek’s 3-wicket over, and Ashleigh Gardner’s golden run were some of the highlights.

Also Read: West Indies Vs Bangladesh Review, West Indies Vs New Zealand Review

Results – Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women

T20I Series: Series Drawn 1-1

* Player of Match

  1. Australia Women won by 6 wickets*Ashleigh Gardner
  2. New Zealand Women won by 4 wickets*Frances Mackay
  3. No Result
Player of SeriesAustralia WomenNew Zealand Women
Most RunsAshleigh Gardner – 76 runs (2 inn)
Best of 73*, 149.01 SR
Amelia Kerr – 56 runs
Best of 36, 90.32 SR
Most WicketsJess Jonassen – 3 wickets
Best of 3/26, 6.00 economy
Frances Mackay – 3 wickets
Best of 2/20, 6.12 economy
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women T20I Series Stats

ODI Series: Australia Win 3-0

  1. Australia Women won by 6 wickets*Megan Schutt
  2. Australia Women won by 71 runs*Rachael Haynes
  3. Australia Women won by 21 runs (25 overs)*Alyssa Healy
Player of SeriesAustralia Women
Megan Schutt
New Zealand Women
Most RunsAlyssa Healy – 155 runs
Best of 65, 51.66 average, 98.72 SR
Lauren Down – 106 runs
Best of 90, 35.33 average, 68.83 SR
Most WicketsMegan Schutt – 7 wickets
Best of 4/32, 13.14 average, 4.18 economy
Leigh Kasperek – 9 wickets
Best of 6/46, 7.77 average, 4.66 economy
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 ODI Series Stats

The Moments

Australia Women

  • Ellyse Perry finally came back since injuring herself in the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup. Before the pandemic hit. Although not back to her fluent self, she finished a couple of games with 23* and 56*. Bowling is still a worry though. In the 3 ODIs & 3 T20Is, she bowled a combined 7 overs with only one wicket to her name. With Alyssa Healy hitting form in the T20I series, good signs for Australia that their two best batters are getting back to their best.
  • Ashleigh Gardner has been on a golden run in the past two years, hitting 3 T20I fifties (best of 93), including a 73* in this series. Also hit a 53* in an ODI and rolled her arm a few times for part-time off-spin.
  • Jess Jonassen & Megan Schutt were the pick of this series with the ball. Jonassen’s 3 wickets in the T20I gave Australia the edge in the first T20I, while figures of 4/32, 1/38, & 2/22 earned Schutt the Player of the Series award in the ODI series. With 99 wickets (ODI) & 96 wickets (T20Is), she is on a verge of couple of records.

Nicola Carey (3/34 in 1st ODI), Rachel Haynes (87 in 2nd ODI) starred in a couple of games as well.

Also Read: What Can Ellyse Perry Not Do?

The Record

Speaking of records, let us talk about the big one. Meg Lanning has now led Australia to 24 consecutive ODI wins, regrouping after their 2017 WC defeat against India. They overtook Ricky Ponting’s 21 consecutive ODI wins in the great 2003 era.

This is a huge achievement for the Australian team, and it will take quite a dominant team to take over this record. I am saying this may last a couple of decades. CONGRATULATIONS TO Lanning and the rest of this Australian team.

New Zealand Women

  • Leigh Kasperek was one of the only stand-outs from the Kiwi side in the ODIs. Although Australia swept the series, Kasperek took a 6-wicket haul, including 3 wickets in the same over in the 3rd ODI. Australia are really good, there is still room for improvement against spin.
  • Frances Mackay’s show won New Zealand their only victory in the 2nd T20I of the series. Opening the bowling, her spell of 4-0-20-2 stalled Australia’s run-rate, but her courageous batting display won her praise. Mackay opened the batting as well and battled through an injury to score 46 (39). After her wicket, Kiwis collapsed from 81-2 in 12 overs to 101-6 when Amelia Kerr got out in 17.0 overs. Composed 30-run partnership between Maddy Green & Hannah Rowe took New Zealand off the last ball. Thriller.
  • Breakout tour for Lauren Down. Only 75 runs in 10 innings prior to this tour, her 90 (134) set the platform for the White Ferns in the first ODI. Unfortunately, the lower order collapsed, and Australia women completed the record breaking streak.

Awards

Australia WomenNew Zealand Women
Emerging PlayerNicola CareyLauren Down
Surprise PackageAshleigh Gardner, the all-rounder Frankie Mackay
Broken Cricket DreamEllyse Perry’s bowling load The White Ferns’ Declining form
Australia Women Vs New Zealand Women 2021 Series Awards

Where Do They Go From Here?

New Zealand Women tour England for 3 T20Is and 5 ODIs In September, while Australia do not have anything scheduled till the 2022 ODI World Cup next March (to be held in New Zealand).

That means, the next major tournament, is going to be the Hundred this summer in England. Will be a game-changer for women’s cricket.

Comment below for your favorite moments & squad predictions! Subscribe for more below! Share with your friends as well! Here is our Facebook Twitter pages.

Copyright (2021: 4/10/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

West Indies Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Series Review: Positives Galore For the Windies In An Enthralling Series

Time for West Indies Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Test Series Review—one of the most competitive series in recent times.

A dream for neutral fans. This series just had so many moments!

  • The return of Fidel Edwards, Gayle, and Dwayne Bravo to the T20I setup
  • Akila Dananjaya’s hat-trick & Kieron Pollard’s 6 sixes (in the same game), Hasaranga’s guile, Holder & Allen’s finishing abilites
  • West Indies’ rising HOPE (tons for Hope-Lewis-Darren Bravo)
  • Suranga Lakmal’s toil, Thirimanne’s resurgence, Dickwella’s non-hundred
  • Cornwall’s counterattack, another Bonner-Mayers-Silva 5th Day Test match, Kraigg Brathwaite’s marathon batting effort
  • Curtly Ambrose & Ian Bishop on commentary.

Without further ado, here is the series review for you!

Read till the end for my picks for World T20 World Cup Squad Predictions, video highlights, best moments, emerging players, and much more!

Also Read: West Indies Vs Bangladesh Review, West Indies Vs New Zealand Review

Results – West Indies Vs Sri Lanka

T20I Series: West Indies Win 2-1

* Player of Match

  1. West Indies won by 4 wickets *Kieron Pollard
  2. Sri Lanka won by 43 runs*PWH de Silva
  3. West Indies won by 3 wickets*Fabian Allen
Player of SeriesWest Indies Sri Lanka
Most RunsLendl Simmons – 73
(best of 26, 140.38 SR)
Pathum Nissanka – 81 runs
(best of 39, 115.71 SR)
Most WicketsObed McCoy – 4 wickets
(best of 2/25, 7.33 Economy)
PWH de Silva (Hasaranga) – 8 wickets
(best of 3/12, 3.50 Economy)
West Indies Vs Sri Lanka 2021 T20I Series Stats

ODI Series: West Indies Win 3-0

  1. West Indies won by 8 wickets*Shai Hope
  2. West Indies won by 5 wickets*Evin Lewis
  3. West Indies won by 5 wickets*Darren Bravo
Player of SeriesWest Indies
Shai Hope
Sri Lanka
Most RunsShai Hope – 258 runs
(best of 110, 100s-1, 50s-2, 86.00 average, 82.42 SR)
Danushka Gunathilaka -187 runs
(best of 96, 50s-2, 62.33 average, 95.89 SR)
Most WicketsJason Mohammed – 6 wickets
(best of 3/47, 18.00 average, 4.50 Economy)
Thisara Perera – 3 wickets
(best of 2/45, 24.00 average, 6.00 economy)
West Indies Vs Sri Lanka 2021 ODI Series Stats

Test Series: Drawn 0-0

  1. Match Drawn*Nkrumah Bonner
  2. Match Drawn*Kraigg Brathwaite
Player of SeriesWest Indies Sri Lanka
Suranga Lakmal
Most RunsKraigg Brathwaite – 237 runs
(best of 126, 100-1, 50s-1, average 59.25, balls faced 674)
Lahiru Thirimanne – 240 runs
(best of 76, 50s-3, 60.00 average, balls faced 601)
Most WicketsKemar Roach – 9 wickets
(best innings 3/47, best match 6/121, 23.55 average, 73 overs bowled)
Suranga Lakmal – 11 wickets
(best innings 5/47, best match 6/156, 1 5-fer, 21.45 average, 92 overs bowled)
West Indies Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Test Series Stats

The Moments

West Indies

1. A Tale of Three Captains: Holder, Pollard, Brathwaite

After West Indies’ remarkable victory against Bangladesh, stand-in Kraigg Brathwaite was made the permanent captain, replacing Jason Holder. Any claims of clash of egos, however, was much unfounded. Each of them contributed with the bat and Holder was even vocal on the field. Here is how they performed:

  • Pollard: 38 (11) w/ 6 sixes in 1st T20I, 53* (42) in 3rd ODI
  • Brathwaite: In Bangladesh, he scored 76 & 20 and 47 & 6. Stable but no daddy hundreds. This time, he made amends with 126 (311) & 85 (196). His 813 minutes marathon effort broke the all-time West Indies record, surpassing the likes of Darren Bravo, Brian Lara, Desmond Haynes, & Gordon Greenidge.
  • Holder: He might not be the captain of the West Indies, but showed that he is still the #1 Test All-Rounder in the world. With 5/72 & 5th day match-saving contributions of 18* and 71* in the two Tests, his calm influence was evident. In the T20Is, scores of 29* and 14* might not look like much, but defending Hasaranga in the 18th over, so Fabian Allen could finish it off with 3 sixes was one of my moments of the series.

2. The Return of Hope to West Indies Cricket

110, 84, & 64—Hope is back. With 10 centuries, 19 50s, & 53.74 average, he is one of best ODI batsman in recent times along with Babar Azam & Virat Kohli. With John Campbell struggling for runs, expect a Test recall.

When Hope does not score a ton, Evin Lewis will. Returned with 65 & 103. When neither of them scored a hundred, Darren Bravo came back with a ton.

Their strike rates were in question, but healthy top order partnerships is the positive for the Windies.

3. Nkrumah Bonner-Kyle Mayers Partnership No Fluke

At the age of 32, Bonner has toiled hard enough in first class cricket. Bonner narrowly missed his ton in Bangladesh with 86 & 90 in Bangladesh, but his dream came true with a 113* in the first test.

A couple of 50s for Kyle Mayers & handy partnerships with Joshua de Silva shows that the Bangladesh tour was no fluke.

4. A Word on Rakheem Cornwall

Time to appreciate Rakheem Cornwall. Bowled his heart out in the spinning pitches of Bangladesh, and without his counter-attacking knocks of 61 & 73, West Indians might have lost 0-2 against Sri Lanka at home. Let Rakheem be Rakheem.

Embed from Getty Images

Sri Lanka

1. Suranga Lakmal Bowls His Heart Out Yet Again

Suranga Lakmal could have easily slotted in one of the great Sri Lankan teams of the past. Unfortunately, after Herath’s retirement, he has to single handedly carry the Sri Lankan bowling on his shoulders. Highest wicket-taker across both sides and bowling 92 overs as a fast bowler in 2 tests—Commendable effort.

2. Hasaranga & Nissanka the Find For Sri Lanka

While Embuldeniya & Axar Patel bamboozled the English sides, the West Indies struggled against Hasaranga. If Sri Lanka are to progress further, watch out for the Embuldeniya-Hasaranga-Dhananjaya partnership.

Test century (103) on debut—Pathum Nissanka —take a bow! Followed it up with a 50 in the next innings. With Oshada Fernando also in good touch, finally good signs for Sri Lanka.

Talent ✔. Next goal — consistency.

3. Thirimanne Delivers A Decade Later

Thirimanne averages 25.87 now after a decade and 40 Tests to his name. Finally some consistency in the last four Tests with 2 centuries, 3 fifties (on this tour), a 43 & a 39.

Sri Lanka might have found a stable line up in Karunaratne, Thirimanne, Nissanka, Fernando, Mathews, and Dickwella. Speaking of Dickwella, so close yet so far. Scored his highest score of 92 (after 43 Tests). Brilliant character.

Also Read: Lasith Malinga, The Slinga, The Slayer, The SuperStar

Also Read: Carlos Brathwaite’s Broken Dream, Nicholas Pooran’s Inspirational Story

Squad Predictions for T20I World Cup

With 23-men squad for the T20I world possible now, here are my early squad predictions. A good mix of experience & youth for the Windies.

West Indies

  1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Shimron Hetmyer, 4. Kieron Pollard*, 5. Nicholas Pooran, 6. Rovman Powell, 7. Andre Russell, 8. Fabian Allen, 9. Kevin Sinclair, 10. Sheldon Cottrell, 11. Obed McCoy

Squad: 12. Jason Holder, 13. Chris Gayle, 14. Dwayne Bravo, 15. Andre Fletcher, 16. Darren Bravo, 17. Keemo Paul, 18. Alzarri Joseph, 19. Oshane Thomas, 20. Fidel Edwards, 21. Akeal Hosein, 22. Hayden Walsh Jr., 23. Kesrick Williams/ Chamar Holder

*captain

Sri Lanka

  1. Danushka Gunathilaka, 2. Pathum Nissanka, 3. Niroshan Dickwella (WK), 4. Dinesh Chandimal, 5. Angelo Mathews, 6. Thisara Perara, 7. Dasun Shanaka*, 8. Akila Dananjaya, 9. PWH de Silva, 10. Dushmantha Chameera, 11. Lakshan Sandakan

Squad: 12. Ashen Bandara, 13. Asitha Fernando, 14. Nuwan Pradeep, 15. Oshada Fernando, 16. Suranga Lakmal, 17. Ramesh Mendis, 18. Kamindu Mendis, 19. Dilshan Madushanka, 20. Suranga Lakmal, 21. Dimuth Karunaratne, 22. Avishka Fernando, 23. Lasith Malinga

Awards

West Indies Sri Lanka
Emerging PlayerFabian Allen Hasaranga, Pathum Nissanka
Surprise PackageDarren BravoLahiru Thirimanne
Broken Cricket DreamWhy Only 2 Home Tests?
Chris Gayle’s T20I form?
Angelo Mathews returns home
Embuldeniya?
West Indies Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Series Awards

Where Do They Go From Here?

Great Test cricket in recent times, and the West Indies Vs Sri Lanka series lived up to the billing—first 0-0 draw in the last 5 years. Sri Lanka follow this with two Test matches against Bangladesh in April at home(to complete matches from the pandemic).

With neither side qualifying for the WTC final, the next major tournament is the T20I World Cup. Gayle, Hetmyer, Pooran, Pollard, Bravo & Russell have reached for the IPL, while Sri Lanka has zero players in the IPL (once Sangakkara-Jayawardene used to captain IPL teams). In June, Sri Lanka will travel to England for 3 T20Is & 3 ODIs to prepare for the World Cup.

Finally, in Jan-Feb of 2022, England tour West Indies for 5 T20Is & 3 Tests, returning their generous favor of restarting cricket last summer.

Comment below for your favorite moments & squad predictions! Subscribe for more below! Share with your friends as well! Here is our Facebook Twitter pages.

Copyright (2021: 4/10/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Featured Image – Own Work, Getty Images (Cornwall)

IPL 2021 Sunrisers Hyderabad Preview: Afghan Spin Giants, Trans-Tasman & English Batting, & Indian Fast Bowling Strength

Sunrisers Hyderabad Preview IPL 2021 Edition.

One of the most consistent franchises in recent IPL history, expect no different this year around.

Except they have more options, fitter players, and a schedule that suits their style of play. Add the intelligent buy of Kedar Jadhav, and all pieces are slowly falling into place. Here is my SRH preview.

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auctions Review, SRH All-Time XI

IPL History

2016 (Champions), 2018 (Runners Up), 2020 (3rd), 2013, 2017, 2019 (4th)

How Did They Do Last Year?

3rd. Losing to the Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2. Lots of positives from last year:

  • David Warner among the top 3 yet again & Saha, the opener, giving SRH’s campaign much needed intent
  • Kane Williamson-Jason Holder (replacement for Mitchell Marsh last year) playing crucial mature knocks
  • Youngsters like Abdul Samad, Priyam Garg, & Abhishek Sharma all shining at certain points during the tournament
  • Batting collapses the worry

Injury & COVID-19 News

Mitchell Marsh has pulled out of IPL 2021. Poor guy. Seems to be more out more often than not. Jason Roy is the replacement.

Complete Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad

Batsman: Manish Pandey, Priyam Garg, Kedar Jadhav, Virat Singh

WK: Shreevats Goswami, Wriddhiman Saha

All-Rounders: Abdul Samad, Abhishek Sharma, Vijay Shankar, Jagadeesha Suchith

Spinners: Shahbaz Nadeem

Fast Medium: T Natarajan, Khaleel Ahmed, Basil Thampi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

Overseas: David Warner*, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Holder, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, Jason Roy, Kane Williamson

Withdrawn Mitchell Marsh

Predicted SRH XI

  1. David Warner (C), 2. Wriddhiman Saha (WK), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Kane Williamson/Jonny Bairstow5. Vijay Shankar/Kedar Jadhav, 6. Priyam Garg/Abdul Samad, 7. Rashid Khan8. Jason Holder/Mohammad Nabi/ Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. T Natarajan, 11. Sandeep Sharma

Watch Out For

Horses-for-courses strategy.

  • Given their first 5 games are at Chennai (and 7 more at Delhi/Kolkata), expect SRH to deploy their spin regime. They have the Afghan trio Rashid Khan-Mohammad Nabi-Mujeeb Ur Rahman along with Shahbaz Nadeem & part-timers Abhishek Sharma/Kedar Jadhav.
  • The other option is to go top heavy with Warner-Roy-Williamson-Bairstow. Droolworthy batting order.
  • If the pitch demands pace, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Natarajan, Sandeep Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Thampi, & Kaul will be key with all-rounders in Jason Holder & Vijay Shankar readily available.

Where Can Things Go Wrong For the Sunrisers?

With multiple options, come multiple warnings. Do not give enough chances or confidence to the players and instability can creep in. With staff of VVS Laxman, Muralitharan and co, this should not be the case.

Multiple options – always a blessing or a curse.

Also Read: Indian Cricket’s Abundance of Talent: Blessing Or Curse?

Venues

Chennai – 5, Delhi – 4, Kolkata – 3, Bangalore – 2

Fixtures

  • 11 April: SRH vs KKR (Chennai)
  • 14 April: SRH vs RCB (Chennai)
  • 17 April: MI vs SRH (Chennai)
  • 21 April: PBKS vs SRH (Chennai)
  • 25 April: SRH vs DC (Chennai)
  • 28 April: CSK vs SRH (Delhi)
  • 2 May: RR vs SRH (Delhi)
  • 4 May: SRH vs MI (Delhi)
  • 7 May: SRH vs CSK (Delhi)
  • 9 May: RCB vs SRH (Kolkata)
  • 13 May: SRH vs RR (Kolkata)
  • 17 May: DC vs SRH (Kolkata)
  • 19 May: SRH vs PBKS (Bangalore)
  • 21 May: KKR vs SRH (Bangalore)
  • 25 May: Qualifier 1 (Ahmedabad)
  • 26 May: Eliminator (Ahmedabad)
  • 28 May: Qualifier 2 (Ahmedabad)
  • 30 May: Final (Ahmedabad)

Prediction

Probably the most balanced side of the tournament, but just think that RCB, PBKS, and KKR have a bit more firepower.

Prediction4th
Most Runs Jonny Bairstow
Most WicketsRashid Khan
Emerging PlayerAbdul Samad
Surprise PackageKedar Jadhav
X FactorDavid Warner
Broken Cricket DreamSiddharth Kaul – Final SRH season for Kaul?
Sunrisers Hyderabad Preview Predictions

What do you think of the Sunrisers Hyderabad Preview? Your First XI? Will they make the IPL 2021 qualifiers?

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Copyright (2021: 4/3/2021)– @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com