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T20 World Cup Group C Preview: West Indies Aim For Third Title, New Zealand And Afghanistan In The Mix

admin — Fri, 31 May 2024 12:44:07 +0000

Two-time champions and co-hosts West Indies are grouped with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. West Indies and New Zealand are the top-ranked teams in Group C, but will face strong resistance from Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea as they aim to make it through to the second round. West Indies will be aiming for a record third T20 World Cup title, and are in great form in the lead-up to the tournament. Uganda will make their debut on the global stage, and will look to pull off further miracles in their romantic journey.

West Indies:

A series victory against defending champions, England, towards the end of last year revealed how dangerous a full-strength West Indies side can be. Despite their lacklustre performance in the 2022 edition, the Rovman Powell-led side poses a major threat this time around.

They are well covered in all departments with several all-rounders and big-hitters, capable of swinging games. The surprise inclusion in their squad for the tournament was Shamar Joseph, uncapped in T20Is until featuring against South Africa recently, but a supreme talent in the making as he showed in Australia during the Test series at the start of the year.

West Indies also get a fairly easier start to the tournament with games against the lower-ranked teams in the group, PNG and Uganda. If they start well, the co-hosts will be favourites to top the group.

Squad:

Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

Fixtures:

Sun, 2 June 2024 – West Indies v Papua New Guinea, Guyana, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Sat, 8 June 2024 – West Indies v Uganda, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 12 June 2024 – West Indies v New Zealand, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – West Indies v Afghanistan, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCAL

New Zealand:

New Zealand made very little change from the 2022 edition to this one with their squad selection. It highlights the consistency in selection on the one hand, and also how well-rounded the Blackcaps unit is.

The team is also well prepared for the event with 36 T20Is under their belt since the end of the last T20 World Cup, the most among full-member teams.

The depth of talent at their disposal was evident in the recent T20I series in Pakistan, where a second-string squad managed to level the series.

Kane Williamson, who will be playing his sixth T20 World Cup, will lead a strong side that has a wealth of experience alongside the exuberance of youth in the likes of Rachin Ravindra, who sizzled with the bat in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and the exciting Finn Allen.

Veterans Trent Boult and Tim Southee will lead the pace attack, which also has Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry. There are ample options in the spin department too with Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Michael Bracewell, and Ravindra.

New Zealand open their campaign against Afghanistan in Guyana and then take on co-hosts West Indies in Trinidad.

Squad:

Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears

Fixtures:

Fri, 7 June 2024 – New Zealand v Afghanistan, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 12 June 2024 – New Zealand v West Indies, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 14 June 2024 – New Zealand v Uganda, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – New Zealand v Papua New Guinea, Trinidad, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Afghanistan:

Afghanistan are ranked 10th in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, but are more than capable of pulling off big wins.

They recorded series victories against UAE (twice), Pakistan and Ireland since the end of the last T20 World Cup and also reached the final of the Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition, where they lost to India.

The squad is boosted by the return of Rashid Khan after the leg-spinner’s long injury layoff. He leads a versatile spin department that also has the likes of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti and veteran Mohammad Nabi.

Afghanistan begin their campaign against Uganda in Guyana on June 3.

Squad:

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

Fixtures:

Mon, 3 June 2024 – Afghanistan v Uganda, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 7 June 2024 – Afghanistan v New Zealand, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Thur, 13 June 2024 – Afghanistan v Papua New Guinea, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – Afghanistan v West Indies, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Uganda:

Uganda secured a spot in the T20 World Cup by comfortably defeating Rwanda in their last match of the Africa region qualifier. With five wins in six games, Uganda was the standout team alongside Namibia in the Africa Qualifier as they sealed their berth in the mega event.

Uganda have a stellar record leading up to the tournament with 41 wins in their last 49 T20Is, a win percentage of 83.67 per cent.

Led by Brian Masaba, Uganda will feature in the tournament with plenty of experience in the squad. The 43-year-old Frank Nsubuga aside, the squad also features Alpesh Ramjani, who was one of the nominees for the 2023 ICC Men’s T20I cricketer of the Year.

Uganda play their first three games in Guyana and have the opportunity to spring a surprise from Group C.

Squad:

Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel. Travelling Reserves: Innocent Mwebaze, Ronald Lutaaya

Fixtures:

Mon, 3 June 2024 – Uganda v Afghanistan, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 5 June 2024 – Uganda v Papua New Guinea, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Sat, 8 June 2024 – Uganda v West Indies, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 14 June 2024 – Uganda v New Zealand, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Papua New Guinea:

Like Uganda, PNG come into the tournament with an impeccable record of 14 wins in their last 18 games. They are led by the enterprising Assad Vala, PNG are set to appear for the second time at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Papua New Guinea maintained an unbeaten record in the qualifiers, winning six consecutive matches.

With plenty of all-rounders in the squad, PNG have a versatile unit that can test the bigger teams in the group.

Papua New Guinea kicks off its campaign with a challenging opening match against the host nation, West Indies, on June 2. They then face Uganda on June 5, followed by matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand.

Squad:

Assadollah Vala (c), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura

Fixtures:

Sun, 2 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v West Indies, Guyana, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Wed, 5 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v Uganda, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Thur, 13 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v Afghanistan, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v New Zealand, Trinidad, 10:30 AM LOCAL

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Virat Kohli Kisses Faf Du Plessis After RCB Skipper Takes ‘Superman’ Catch vs CSK – Watch

admin — Sun, 19 May 2024 15:51:46 +0000

Faf Du Plessis took a ‘superman’ catch to leave both fans and experts stunned during the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. During the 15th over of the CSK innings, Mitchell Santner tried to hit a low full-toss from Mohammed Siraj over mid-off and it looked like Faf will not be able to reach the ball despite pulling off a good jump. However, the RCB captain left everyone surprised by completing a sensational one-handed catch to provide a major breakthrough. Virat Kohli was thrilled by the effort and he ran towards his teammate and gave him a kiss during the celebration.

RCB went on to book their spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs with a 27-run victory over CSK.

“I think it was a good wicket to be honest, it was spinning and gripping a little bit, but I think 200 on this ground was gettable. We kept losing wickets at regular intervals, it was a matter of one or two hits, sometimes that can happen in a T20 game. Pretty happy with what the target was, to sum up the season, I am pretty happy to have seven wins out of 14 games.”

#TATAIPL #RCBvCSK #IPLonJioCinema pic.twitter.com/GWuERdGUCL

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 18, 2024

“Just couldn’t get over the line in the last two balls. With the kind of injuries we had, missing out on two frontline bowlers, not having Conway at the top of the order as well, I think missing out on three key players made a huge difference. Credit to the CSK staff and everyone who put up a great show for us throughout the season. There were many challenges for us right throughout the first game.

Virat Kohli kissed Faf Du Plessis after a stunner from Faf. pic.twitter.com/2ktGK8vhcb

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 18, 2024

“Injury to Fizz (Mustafizur), then injury to Pathirana as well, he came back and then again Pathirana missed out. When you have injuries around, you have to get that balance in the team and pick it (the team) for every game. I think this season sums up well where we had to tinker around with our playing XI, considering the injuries and all the illness (of the players) as well.”

“Happy with the seven wins, couldn’t get over the line though. Happy with it. We got 10 from the last 2 balls in our last knockout game last year so this was a similar situation, things didn’t go our way (this season) though. For me, personal milestones don’t really matter a lot, after all the ultimate goal is to win. If you are not getting there it’s a disappointment. Doesn’t matter if you score 100 runs or 500-600 runs in a season. I am disappointed (after losing.),” CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said after the match.

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Virat Kohli No Longer Best ‘Impact Fielder’ In World Cup. ICC Replaces Him With…

admin — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 08:54:20 +0000

New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner surpassed India’s stalwart batter Virat Kohli to become the player to have the biggest impact in the field at the ongoing World Cup as per the ICC rankings. The New Zealand all-rounder only has four catches in six matches at the ongoing World Cup, his impact on the field isn’t restricted to his ability to take catches. The experienced Kiwi spinner has made his presence felt in different fielding categories as well. His one-handed catch in Afghanistan clash is mere reflection of the efforts that he puts in the field for the Blackcaps.

The 31-year-old has saved a total of nine runs in the field for his team, he also tops the chart in categories for good throws, pressure ratings and run-out attempts.

With his on-field heroics, he has a slender lead in the race for overall fielding impact after the conclusion of six games at the World Cup for each team. South Africa’s destructive batter David Miller and Australia’s David Warner are the closest challengers to his position.

Virat was the fielder to have the biggest impact after three matches for each side at the tournament, but in the next three games, he dropped to the sixth spot after the recent update. Another teammate Ravindra Jadeja leapfrogged him to move to the fifth position.

Santner with 43.28 rating points sits at the top, Miller (41.19) and Warner (40.82) sit on the second and third spot respectively. With 33.46 rating points, Virat has dropped to the sixth spot while Jadeja with 33.72 rating points sits comfortably at the fifth spot.

While Santner dominates the individual rankings, South Africa lead the way in the overall team fielding ratings. The Proteas have claimed a total of 44 catches, seven more than any other team, while also saving the highest amount of runs in the field (44 runs).

The Netherlands hold the second position as they have the second-fewest amount of dropped catches with six and defending champions England are third who have dropped only four catches.

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Tom Latham Equals Brendon McCullum’s Record For New Zealand In World Cup

admin — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 18:48:51 +0000

New Zealand batter Tom Latham joined iconic Brendon McCullum for the highest number of fifties as a wicketkeeper for the Kiwis in the World Cup. Latham’s measured knock played a crucial role in taking New Zealand’s score to 288-6 during their clash against Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Latham struck 68 off 74 balls to push the Kiwis to a competitive total. This was the third time in his career he struck a score of more than 50 in the World Cup for New Zealand.

Before Latham’s game-changing knock, McCullum held the record for most 50-plus scores (3) for the Blackcaps in the World Cup as a wicketkeeper. Lee Germon with a single 50-plus score is also a part of this club.

New Zealand defeated Afghanistan by 149 runs to continue their winning run in the World Cup. After putting up a challenging total, the Kiwis made no mistake in defending the 288-run target.

All-rounder Mitchell Santner reacts to reaching rare milestone in ODI

New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner expressed his delight after becoming only the second Kiwi spinner to reach 100 ODI scalps following their victory over Afghanistan

Santner clinched three wickets which saw him become just the second Black Caps spinner to reach 100 ODI dismissals, following in the footsteps of iconic spinner Daniel Vettori.

“It’s obviously nice to get to that milestone. I guess I wasn’t thinking about it too much leading into the game it’s just about trying to perform my role and do a job out there just like every other game. I think I’m 200 odd wickets behind him, so it’s going to be a tough challenge to get there,” Santner said in the post-match conference.

Santner’s (11) excellent start on the Indian pitches not only sees him top the overall wicket-taking charts, he now has almost double the tally of the next-highest spinner in that list – Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan (6).

But the 31-year-old says the secret to his success has more been derived from the pressure that is built by his team’s opening bowlers – Trent Boult and Matt Henry.

“It’s obviously nice to come here and see the ball spin a little bit, you don’t really get those (wickets) in New Zealand. I think as a whole, we’ve been bowling in partnerships, that’s what we talk about. The guys up front today Boult and Matt Henry did an exceptional job in getting that run rate up, and then it kind of makes them want to play bigger shots in the middle (overs),” Santner said.

“I think as a partnership, as a unit, we’ve been bowling pretty well and I was lucky to chip in today for a few. But I think the way the seam has kind of set that up was massive for us,” Santner added.

Santner was on a ground that is quite familiar to him as he features in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings.

“I guess when we turn up here for IPL, we’ve played on wickets that kind of look similar to that. Today, it looked like it swung a little bit and actually spun a little bit more under lights, which kind of helped that we lost the toss and batted first,” Santner noted.

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ODI World Cup: Thorough New Zealand Crush Afghanistan By 149 Runs

admin — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:18:33 +0000

In less than 96 hours after they beat reigning World Champions England, Afghanistan got a solid reality check from a ruthless New Zealand, which recorded a thumping 149-run victory in a thoroughly one-sided World Cup match in Chennai on Wednesday. As a result of this conquest, the Black Caps remain unbeaten in the event so far, taking the top spot again with its fourth straight victory. Chasing a tough target of 289 on a spinner-friendly wicket at Chepauk, Afghanistan could manage only 139 in 34.4 overs. The Afghans found Lockie Ferguson’s (3/19 in 7 overs) pace too hot to handle and had no answers for Mitchell Santner’s (3/39 in 7.4 overs) deliveries, which at times, turned a mile.

This was after triple half-centuries from Will Young (54), Tom Latham (68) and Glenn Phillips (71) ensured that New Zealand put up a winning total of 288/6 in 50 overs.

While chasing, Afghanistan were down to 43 for 3 by the 14th over, with skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (8) being the third man to be dismissed, with Ferguson having his number.

Then, the pair of Rahmat Shah (36) and Azmatullah Omarzai (27) took brief control of the chase, putting on a 54-run stand for the fourth wicket.

However, the New Zealanders already had the upper hand, and with the ball turning, they hardly allowed them to score freely.

In the 26th over, pacer Trent Boult got the partnership broken, getting rid of Omarzai.

Thereon, the Afghans barely had any answers as they lost wickets at regular intervals.

Earlier, New Zealand recovered well from a mini mid-innings slump to post a commendable total. However, a total of five dropped catches did make things a bit hard for the Afghans, especially Rashid, who saw a couple of his chances go abegging.

Young , Latham and Phillips’ half-centuries ensures that the Black Caps posted an above-par total on a track where stroke-making wasn’t an easy proposition.

Phillips and Latham put on 144 invaluable runs for the fifth wicket and it could well prove to be a game-changer.

Put into bat first, the Kiwis lost opener Devon Conway (20) in the seventh over, with spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman trapping him leg-before.

However, the pair of opener Young and in-form batter Rachin Ravindra (32) took charge and put on a convincing 79-run stand for the second wicket.

A chance to stump Ravindra was missed, whereas spinner Mohammad Nabi was put under pressure by the Black Caps batters, as he was attacked quite regularly.

Eventually, it was pacer Azmatullah Omarzai who got the partnership broken in the 21st over, cleaning up Ravindra off a straight delivery, as the batter attempted to swing it towards mid-wicket, but missed it completely in the process.

It was at this moment the New Zealanders had a brief collapse, losing Young and Daryl Mitchell (1) by the 22nd over to Omarzai and spinner Rashid Khan, respectively, as the score read 110 for four.

While Young had already scored his seventh ODI half-century, he was notably dropped in the second over by Rahmat Shah off Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Nevertheless, New Zealand managed to recover soon as skipper Latham and Phillips put up another fine stand that defined the tone for the rest of their innings.

The duo also brought up their respective 23rd and third ODI half-centuries each, despite the Afghani bowlers keeping the Kiwi scoring rate in check.

As the pair began upping the ante and the scoring rate post the 45th over, the partnership was broken by pacer Naveen-ul-Haq in the 48th, with both the set batters departing in the same over.

But, there was still some work to be done, and it was Mark Chapman (25 not out) who came up with some late blitz, including two fours and a six, to ensure that the Black Caps went past the 275-run mark on this track.

For Afghanistan, Omarzai and Naveen were the stars with the ball, seizing a couple of wickets each, whereas Rashid was a no-brainer with his economical spell.

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Cricket World Cup 2023: Mitchell Santner Snaps Five Wickets As NZ Claim 99-Run Win Over Netherlands

admin — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 17:30:31 +0000

Mitchell Santner produced a five-wicket haul to complement a superlative batting display as New Zealand continued their impressive run in the World Cup with a massive 99-run win over the Netherlands on Monday. Santner (5/59) spun a web around Netherlands who were all out for 223 in 46.3 overs on a sluggish pitch after Will Young (70), Rachin Ravindra (51) and Tom Latham (53) posted fifties to power New Zealand to 322 for 7. The 31-year-old Santner, who had provided the final flourish with a 17-ball 36 not out to push New Zealand’s total, dismissed Max ODowd (16), Colin Ackermann (69), Scott Edwards (30), Roelof van der Merwe (1) and Ryan Klein (8), while Matt Henry (3/40) took three.

Chasing the stiff total, the Dutch batters couldn’t provide a flying start as they were reduced to 67 for 3 in 16.4 overs.

Colin Ackermann held Netherland innings together with a 73-ball 69 and added 50 runs with AT Nidamanuru (21) and 40 with Scott Edwards (30). However, Netherlands couldn’t push the run-rate and wickets kept tumbling frequently.

Once Henry (3/40) saw the back of a tentative-looking opener Vikramjit Singh (12) with a good length delivery, the spin duo of Santner and Ravindra then made life difficult for the opposition.

Netherlands could manage just 35 for 1 after 10 overs and by the time the 25th over ended, they were at 114 for 3, leaving them with a mountain to climb.

Ackermann tried to take it deep before his innings ended when he was caught at short third by Henry.

Earlier, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra and Tom Latham defied the sluggishness of the pitch to construct well-paced fifties and lead New Zealand to a healthy total.

After being asked to bat, Young and Ravindra gave the Kiwis some momentum against the Dutch bowlers, who exploited the slowness of the track with an assortment of slow balls and cutters.

Captain Latham gave some impetus to the Black Caps while making a 46-ball 53 towards the business end of the innings.

The course of the innings was revealed very early when the Netherlands managed to tie down Kiwis openers with three maidens in a row.

It was Young who broke the manacles, driving pacer Ryan Klein through mid-off for a four and he notched up another boundary in the fourth over.

Devon Conway tried to give some muscle to the innings when he clobbered spinner Aryan Dutt, who had also opened the bowling along with Klein, for a massive six over long-on.

However, Conway (32) did not last long as his attempt to speed up the proceedings did not fetch a good result.

The left-hander jumped down the track against left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe and tried to deposit him over long-on, a repeat of the shot he played against Dutt, but this time the Kiwi found Bas de Leede in perfect position under the ball.

It ended the 67-run opening alliance but Ravindra, who made a hundred against England, and Young compiled a 77-run stand for the second wicket.

During this period, the Kiwis made runs at nearly 6 an over, but the Dutch did not allow them to motor away.

New Zealand’s performance was in stark contrast against the rollicking effort they dished out against England a few days back at Ahmedabad. But the Kiwis team management will certainly be pleased with the way their batters adapted and made substantial runs through a different method.

However, the dismissals of Ravindra and Young pegged back New Zealand a bit. Young could not read a slow ball from Paul van Meekeren and his attempted pull transformed into a simple catch to De Leede.

Ravindra too soon followed after he edged Van der Merwe to Scott Edwards behind the wicket.

However, the Kiwis kept themselves ahead of the curve through a 53-run stand between Latham and Daryl Mitchell (48 off 47 balls).

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