Hosts Gujarat are unlikely to digress from their tried and tested template of out-batting oppositions with dogged first innings displays as they take on a gutsy Kerala in their Ranji Trophy semi-final beginning here on Monday. Gujarat, the champions of the 2016-17 edition, advanced to the semifinals for the first time since the 2019-20 season after thrashing Saurashtra by an innings and 98 runs in the quarter-finals in Rajkot. The victory was built on a formidable middle order performance featuring Manan Hingrajia, Jaymeet Patel, and keeper Urvil Patel, who form the core of their batting unit this season.

Fresh from his maiden first-class hundred with 140 runs, Urvil led Gujarat’s charge in an imposing first innings total of 511, while Jaymeet contributed a crucial century.

Jaymeet has been their top run-getter this season with 582 runs at an average of 48.50 — including two centuries and four fifties.

Close on his heels with 570 runs, Hingrajia has also been consistent with two tons as he also contributed to their batting dominance against their state-rivals.

On the other hand, it’s been an emotional journey for the Sachin Baby’s Kerala, who secured their second semi-final berth (since 2018-19) after a hard-fought quarterfinal against Jammu & Kashmir that came via a slender one-run first innings lead.

Set a challenging target of 399, Kerala showed remarkable patience on the final day to bat out and force a draw and result on their first innings lead.

A crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 115 runs between Salman Nizar (unbeaten on 44 off 162 balls) and Mohammed Azharuddeen (67 not out off 118 balls), proved decisive in grinding down the opposition’s attack.

Thalassery’s Nizar has been the man in form for Kerala this season. He struck a first inning century, an unbeaten 112, as his form would be crucial as Kerala would look to continue their dream run.

MD Nidheesh has been the spearhead of Kerala’s bowling attack.

It was he who led the demolition of Jammu and Kashmir, claiming an impressive 10 wickets in the quarter-final match.

Now, he would look to work his magic once again, aiming to outfox the Gujarat batters with his pinpoint line and length, diverse variations, and lethal outswingers.

He has already picked up 22 wickets this season.

Domestic stalwart Jalaj Saxena, who has more than 6900 runs and 470 wickets in first-class cricket, will also look to make a statement for Kerala.

The 38-year-old has emerged as their leading wicket-taker with 34 scalps at an eye-catching average of 16.84 with his spin bowling.

Additionally, the Madhya Pradesh veteran has contributed valuable runs with the bat, notching up two fifties to bring his season tally to 271 runs at an average of 30.11.

A true utility player for Kerala, Saxena has consistently delivered crucial performances including his match-winning haul of 10 wickets — five in each innings — against Bihar paved the way for an innings and 169-run victory, sealing their berth in the quarter-finals.

Teams:

Gujarat: Priyank Panchal, Aarya Desai, Siddharth Desai, Manan Hingrajia, Jaymeet Patel, Urvil Patel (wk), Chintan Gaja(c), Vishal Jayswal, Ravi Bishnoi, Arzan Nagwaswalla, Priyajitsing Jadeja, Rishi Patel, Aditya Udaykumar Patel, Rinkesh Vaghela, Umang Kumar, Tejas Patel, Hemang Patel, Het Patel, Kshitij Patel.

Kerala: Akshay Chandran, Rohan Kunnummal, Shoun Roger, Sachin Baby (c), Jalaj Saxena, Salman Nizar, Mohammed Azharuddeen (w), Aditya Sarwate, MD Nidheesh, Nedumankuzhy Basil, Basil Thampi, Vaisakh Chandran, Baba Aparajith, Vishnu Vinod, KM Asif, Fazil Fanoos, Vathsal Govind, Krishna Prasad and Anand Krishnan. 

Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) and debutant Harshit Rana (3-33) claimed three wickets each as India beat England by 15 runs in the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday. India thus took an unbeatable 3-1 lead and sealed the series with the last T20I scheduled to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. India came back after losing the third T20I in Rajkot. The hosts had started by winning the first two T20Is in Kolkata and Chennai.

Earlier, Hardik Pandya (53) and Shivam Dube (53) produced a counter-attacking partnership to rescue India from a precarious position and push them to a competitive 181/9 after Saqib Mahmood’s (3 for 35).

Phil Salt and Ben Duckett came out with an aggressive mindset, making full use of the Power-play. Facing Arshdeep Singh in the opening over, Salt drove the ball elegantly down the ground, picking up two boundaries to get England going. Arshdeep, who had pitched the ball up looking for swing, found no real movement, and Salt was quick to capitalise. With Ben Duckett also making a charge, England’s innings gathered pace rapidly. He got off the mark with a fortunate edge past the keeper before opening up with well-placed flicks and drives.

Arshdeep, who had been India’s go-to bowler in the early overs, struggled to contain the left-hander, conceding three consecutive boundaries in his second over. The ball was coming onto the bat nicely, in stark contrast to the first innings, where India had struggled against England’s high pace.

The introduction of spin, however, did little to slow down England at first. Varun Chakravarthy was brought on early to change the tempo, but Duckett swept and reverse-swept him for quick runs, as England raced to 53/0 in five overs. Axar Patel was next, but Duckett showed no signs of slowing down, unleashing back-to-back reverse sweeps, including a towering six, taking England to 62/0 at the end of the Power-play.

Just when England seemed in complete control, India turned the tide. Ravi Bishnoi, brought on for the final over of the Power-play, provided the much-needed breakthrough, forcing Duckett into a miscued shot, which looped up to Suryakumar Yadav at mid-off. Duckett had blazed his way to 39 off just 19 balls with seven fours and a six, but his dismissal shifted the momentum back to India.

With India sensing an opening, Axar Patel delivered another crucial blow in the very next over. Phil Salt, who had been steadily accumulating runs, attempted to give himself room and drive through the covers, but Axar slid one in quickly, keeping it low and skidding through to crash into the stumps. Salt departed for 23 off 21 balls, and suddenly, England had lost two wickets in the span of six balls.

With England suddenly losing momentum, their in-form skipper Jos Buttler walked in, hoping to stabilise the innings. However, Ravi Bishnoi struck again, this time with a well-disguised leg-spinner that bounced slightly more than Buttler expected. The England captain could only manage a faint edge, and Harshit Rana at short third took an easy catch. Buttler, the key to England’s chase, was gone for just 2 off 3 balls, and England slumped to 67/3 in eight overs.

With three wickets lost in quick succession, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone were tasked with rebuilding the innings. They played cautiously against India’s spinners, ensuring no further setbacks. Bishnoi, Axar, and Chakravarthy continued to apply pressure, limiting England’s scoring options. Just eight runs came off the 9th over, and at the 10-over mark, England reached 86/3, with the required run rate creeping up.

However, it was Mahmood who stole the show, registering a historic triple-wicket maiden, the first-ever in men’s T20 internationals. Sanju Samson (1), Tilak Varma (0), and Suryakumar Yadav (0) all fell in quick succession, leaving India reeling at 12/3 in two overs. Samson guided a rising delivery straight to deep square leg, Varma sliced his first ball to Archer at short third, and Suryakumar chipped a catch to short mid-wicket, playing right into England’s well-set trap.

With India at 98/5 in 13 overs, the onus was on Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube to steady the innings and provide a strong finish. The duo stitched together an 88-run partnership to force India to a competitive total. With England needing 96 runs off the final 10 overs to chase down India’s 182-run target, the visitors were still in contention despite losing three early wickets.

Just as Brook began to settle in, an unexpected twist occurred — Suryakumar Yadav introduced Harshit Rana, who came in as a substitute for Shivam Dube, who suffered a concussion in the final over of India’s innings. The decision sparked debate, reminiscent of India’s controversial substitution of Yuzvendra Chahal for Ravindra Jadeja against Australia in 2020. While Dube was an all-rounder, Rana’s inclusion brought in an extra fast-bowling option, tilting the balance of the game further in India’s favour.

Rana wasted no time making an impact. Bowling at speeds touching 150 kmph, he rattled England’s middle order. His very first over saw Liam Livingstone edge one behind Sanju Samson, departing for 9 off 13 balls. England slipped to 99/4 in 12 overs and were suddenly losing all momentum in their chase. Brook, however, remained England’s best hope. Enjoying pace on the ball, he took on Rana, finding gaps and scoring freely. Commentator Nick Knight noted that India’s decision to introduce Rana could backfire, as Brook thrived against fast bowling and might have struggled more against Dube’s slower variations. Brook seemed to prove Knight right, as he powered a boundary to deep mid-wicket off Chakravarthy, keeping England in the hunt.

Just when England looked like regaining momentum, Chakravarthy struck twice in quick succession. Brook, who had just reached his fifty off 26 balls, attempted a cheeky scoop shot but only managed to lob a simple catch to Arshdeep Singh at short fine-leg. Brook departed for 51, leaving England at 133/5 in 15 overs.

Two balls later, Brydon Carse attempted a slog-sweep but misjudged the spin, top-edging a catch to Arshdeep again. Carse was gone for a duck, and in the span of a few deliveries, England had collapsed to 133/6. Chakravarthy, finishing his spell with figures of 4-0-28-2, had once again turned the game in India’s favour. With the match slipping away, England’s lower order needed to step up. Jamie Overton and Jacob Bethell were England’s last real hopes, but the chase was becoming steeper with every dot ball.

Sensing an opportunity, Rana cleverly slowed one down, luring Bethell into an ambitious lofted shot. The timing wasn’t right, and Suryakumar Yadav at long-on comfortably completed the catch. Bethell walked back for 6 off 9 balls, leaving England tottering at 140/7 in 16 overs. In the very next over Bishnoi, in his fourth over, cleaned up Jofra Archer with a ripper of a delivery, inside edge straight into the stumps. Bishnoi finished with 3/28. Rana in his last over claimed the wicket of Overton after getting smoked for a four and ended his debut with 3 for 33.

Arshdeep claimed the last wicket of Saqib Mahmood as India defeated England by 15 runs to seal the five-match series 3-1, making the last T2OI scheduled at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai inconsequential.

India vs England LIVE Streaming, 3rd T20I: When And Where To Watch© BCCI

Ravi Bishnoi (left) and Tilak Varma during 2nd T20I match between India and England.© BCCI

With heavy dew likely to impact the proceedings during the opening T20I at the Eden Gardens, India’s bowlers practised with wet balls and it will not be a surprise if the hosts field only two spinners, given the conditions. Dew is a perennial concern at this time of the year at Eden Gardens. Since dew makes it difficult to grip the ball, fielding a third spinner could prove to be costly. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, a key member of the reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders, appears to be an automatic choice for India and head coach Gautam Gambhir likely to pair him alongside vice-captain Axar Patel.

As a result, Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar may have to wait for their turn. “If we know there is going to be a heavy dew, you start preparing with the wet ball. You start bowling with the wet ball during practice sessions. You field with the wet ball. So these are the things which are in your control,” India skipper Suryakumar said.

“We try to control all those things which we can during practice sessions so that when the game comes, we are prepared.” It could also open the door for in-form Andhra all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored a historic maiden Test century during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Reddy last appeared in a T20I during the home series against Bangladesh in October last year, and he will be eager to carry his form into this series, if given the opportunity.

Reddy made history as the first Indian batter to score a century in Australia while batting at number eight.

His inclusion would strengthen India’s batting line-up further.

From opening to No. 10, the slots are almost sorted. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson will open the innings, followed by Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, and Axar Patel — in no fixed order.

“We all want to be very flexible with the batting order. Other than the openers’ slots, which are fixed, I think from 3 to 8 or 7, everyone needs to be really flexible with their batting order. Anyone can go in at any time, and we have been practicing for that,” Suryakumar said.

A fit-again Mohammed Shami will spearhead the pace attack on his return to international cricket after nearly 14 months. He will be joined by left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh, providing variety.

The duo were seen putting in the hard yards during their match-eve training session.

Suryakumar expressed excitement over Shami’s return.

“It’s always good to have an experienced bowler in your side, and he is making a comeback after over a year. I am really excited to see him. I have seen his journey, how he focused on his bowling and recovery at the NCA.” “It felt good to see him (Shami) on the ground. He has bowled well too. Obviously, he has done his preparation, and he was confident from the start.” After bowling for more than an hour at full throttle during India’s first training session on Sunday, Shami did not bowl on Monday.

However, he was back to bowling with full intensity on the match eve.

“He has bowled well, and obviously, he has done his preparation. Even today, he is feeling good. Let’s see what happens tomorrow,” added Suryakumar.

It will be a homecoming for KKR star finisher Rinku Singh, who has had a quiet run recently, with scores of 8 not out, 11, 9, and 8 in his last four innings.

Suryakumar is hopeful that Rinku will come out all guns blazing.

“I want to see him hitting sixes. He has measured all the nooks and corners of Eden Gardens, having played a lot of cricket here. It will be a good welcome for him. It’s always a good stadium with a great atmosphere,” Suryakumar said.

LSG Full Squad, IPL 2025: LSG roped in pacer Akash Deep for Rs 8 crore on Day 2 of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. On Day 1, LSG made the biggest purchase of the IPL 2025 mega auction, as they broke the bank for Rishabh Pant, setting an IPL record price of Rs 27 crore. They also roped in the likes of David Miller and Avesh Khan for good money, and head into Day 2 with a strong squad. Owner Sanjiv Goenka spoke about the need to fill a gap or two after Day 1 of the auction, and LSG will have an auction purse of Rs 14.85 cr at the start of Day 2 to make those moves. (Full Squad)

Full list of players bought at auction:

1. Rishabh Pant – Rs 27 crore

2. Aiden Markram – Rs 2 crore

3. David Miller – Rs 7.5 crore

4. Mitchell Marsh – Rs 3.4 crore

5. Avesh Khan – Rs 9.75 crore

6. Abdul Samad – Rs 4.2 crore

7. Aryan Juyal – Rs 30 lakh

8. Akash Deep – Rs 8 crore

9. Himmat Singh – Rs 30 lakh

10. M Siddharth – Rs 75 lakh

11. Digvesh Singh – Rs 35 lakh

12. Shahbaz Ahmed – Rs 2.4 crore

13. Akash Singh – Rs 30 lakh

14. Shamar Joseph – Rs 75 lakh

15. Prince Yadav – Rs 30 lakh

16. Yuvraj Chaudhary – Rs 30 lakh

17. Rajvardhan Hangargekar – Rs 30 lakh

18. Arshin Kulkarni – Rs 30 lakh

19. Matthew Breetzke – Rs 75 lakh

Full list of retained players: Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni

Full list of released players: KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Quinton de Kock, Ashton Turner, Deepak Hooda, Krishnappa Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Prerak Mankad, Yudhvir Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, David Willey, Shivam Mavi, Shamar Joseph, Matt Henry, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Naveen ul Haq, M Siddharth

LSG Full Squad, IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant on Sunday etched his name in history books, becoming the most expensive buy ever in the history of the IPL auction. Pant was bought by Rs LSG for a shattering sum of Rs 27 crore. LSG were in a bidding war with RCB and DC, who had released the player ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. DC tried to use RTM on Pant when LSG had the bid on Rs 20.75 crore. However, LSG made a final counter bid of Rs 27 crore, which DC couldn’t match. As a result, Pant became the most expensive player, surpassing PBKS’ bid of Rs 26.75 crore for Shreyas Iyer earlier in the same auction. (Full Squad)

LSG also bolstered their squad by the notable signings of Aiden Markram, David Miller, Mitchell Marsh and Avesh Khan.

Full list of players bought at auction:

1. Rishabh Pant – Rs 27 crore

2. Aiden Markram – Rs 2 crore

3. David Miller – Rs 7.5 crore

4. Mitchell Marsh – Rs 3.4 crore

5. Avesh Khan – Rs 9.75 crore

6. Abdul Samad – Rs 4.2 crore

7. Aryan Juyal – Rs 30 lakh

Full list of retained players: Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni

Full list of released players: KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Quinton de Kock, Ashton Turner, Deepak Hooda, Krishnappa Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Prerak Mankad, Yudhvir Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, David Willey, Shivam Mavi, Shamar Joseph, Matt Henry, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Naveen ul Haq, M Siddharth

Sanju Samson’s breathtaking second century was beautifully complemented by spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi as India outclassed South Africa by a whopping 61 runs in the first T20 International to go 1-0 up in the four-match series on Friday. Often panned for not realizing the minefield of talent that he is, Samson became the first Indian batter to hit back-to-back centuries in T20 Internationals as his 50-ball-107 with as many as 10 monstrous sixes took India to 202 for 8 in 20 overs. This despite India managing a mere 35 runs in the last five overs.

In reply, it was Varun (3/25 in 4 overs), who literally killed the contest by getting Heinrich Klaasen (25 off 22 balls) and David Miller (18 off 22 balls) in a space of three deliveries in the 12th over with South Africa being shot out for 141 in 17.5 overs.

But no praise is enough for Bishnoi (3/28 in 4 overs), who delivered a brilliant spell of 3/28 in 4 overs. In the 11th over, he bowled five consecutive dot balls to Miller, leaving the South African batter struggling to read his googlies as pressure mounted on the Proteas which was expertly capitalized on by Varun.

In the 13th over, Bishnoi followed Varun by getting a couple of wickets more as an Indian victory became a mere formality.

On a reasonably good batting track, Varun-Bishnoi duo bowled 27 dot balls between them after Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan did the initial damage.

Sanju: The Real Samson

On a breezy Durban evening with crosswinds blowing across the Kingsmead, Sanju showed Samson-like strength apart from silken grace that one can associate with Rohit Sharma’s halcyon days.

There were pulled sixes off short balls from leg-spinner Nqabyomzi Peter and to length deliveries from pacers, he made room and tonked them down the ground.

The clarity in his shot selection and how cleverly he was always one up on South Africans in terms of using their field placings to his advantage spoke volumes of his improvement as a batter in recent times. The best part about Samson is his new-found consistency and finding his mojo as an opener in the shortest format.

Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the two regular openers are currently busy with Test commitments along with Rishabh Pant but even when these three are present, they will have to make way for Samson rather than other way round.

The best shot which would be etched in the memory for the longest time would be a lofted six over extra cover off seamer Andile Semilane where the batter holding the pose post execution was sight to behold.

He added 66 runs in just 5.5 overs with Suryakumar Yadav (21) and another 77 with Tilak Varma (33) in 5.4 overs.

His performance raised visions of a score of close to 250 but pacers Gerald Coetzee (3/37 in 4 overs) and Marco Jansen (1/24 in 4 overs) bowled brilliantly at the death to not only get wickets but also slip in a generous number of dot balls to curtail the damage inflicted by Samson during the first 15 overs.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are gearing up for the 2025 Indian Premier League season by retaining their core squad, who were pivotal to their recent successes. Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, and Ravi Bishnoi are the three players set to be retained by the franchise. The source privy to the development also confirmed to IANS that Pooran will be the front-runner to lead the side in the IPL 2025. Pooran, an explosive batsman and versatile wicketkeeper, emerged as the star for LSG.

“The franchise is ready to show their trust in Pooran. He captained last year too and carries a vast experience of leading his national side too. So we will be continuing with his skills. Apart from him, we are going with spearhead pacer Mayank Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi,” a source close to the franchise told IANS.

Signed for Rs 16 crore in 2023, Pooran quickly became one of the highest-paid players in the league, showcasing his power-hitting ability and leadership skills during Rahul’s absence last season.

Pooran, 29, has enjoyed a steep rise since his IPL debut, where his price tag jumped from Rs 30 lakh with Mumbai Indians in 2017 to over Rs 16 crore with LSG, after a competitive bidding process against his former franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Mayank Yadav, a fast-bowling sensation, has caught the selectors’ attention with his 150 km/h deliveries and explosive performances in his debut season. Despite an injury that limited him to only four matches in IPL 2024, his rapid ascent led to a national call-up and inclusion at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. Mayank’s journey began when LSG picked him for a modest Rs 20 lakh, yet his impact has already set him apart in India’s pace lineup.

LSG’s core bowling lineup is further strengthened with Ravi Bishnoi, the talented leg-spinner, who was retained in the 2022 mega auction as an uncapped player. Over the seasons, Bishnoi has evolved into a match-winner for LSG, known for his reliable economy and wicket-taking ability, helping LSG reach the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. Despite a slightly quieter 2024 season, Bishnoi remains an integral part of LSG’s bowling attack.

Apart from these three players, the other two likely retentions are Mohsin Khan–the tall young left-arm pacer and middle-order explosive batter Ayush Badoni.

As previously reported by IANS, LSG captain KL Rahul is likely to enter the mega auction instead of being retained by the franchise.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to mutually part ways with captain KL Rahul ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. The IPL governing council has set October 31 as the deadline for teams to submit their list of retained and released players from the current squad. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Rahul has expressed his desire to leave LSG after his request to bat in the middle-order was declined by the management owing to composition and dynamics.

The report also revealed that LSG could exercise the Right To Match (RTM) card on Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

“While LSG have the option to exercise the RTM for Rahul, the chances of that happening are remote – virtually nil. They may do it for a player like Marcus Stoinis,” the report claimed.

With Rahul set to be released, LSG are likely to retain the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni, with the last two being uncapped retentions.

Rahul has been linked with several teams ahead of the auction. However, if he enters the auction table, RCB are likely to go all in for their former player.

He played two seasons for RCB in 2013 and 2016, respectively, before joining Punjab in 2018.

Rahul’s strike rate has been a point of contention for LSG throughout. In fact, he hasn’t scored at a strike of over 140 since the 2019 IPL season, and hit as low as 113 in 2023.

If Rahul and LSG decide to mutually part ways, he will be one of the big Indian names hitting the auction pool. Rahul has amassed 4,683 IPL runs over the years, at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 134.

All is not going well for Rahul as he was dropped from India’s playing XI for the 2nd Test against New Zealand in Pune. However, he has been added to the squad for the upcoming Test tour of Australia.