Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma celebrate after taking Delhi Capitals to victory against Rajasthan Royals during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Twenty20 cricket match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, on Friday, May 1, 2026.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Delhi Capitals Schedule IPL 2025: Delhi Capitals (DC) have had a major reshuffle to their squad following the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, and are expected by many to appoint India all-rounder Axar Patel as captain of the side. With Rishabh Pant leaving DC, the franchise retained Axar, chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs and Abishek Porel. KL Rahul was the team’s headline purchase at the auction, while Australians Mitchell Starc and Jake Fraser-McGurk were also bought for big money. Delhi will be aiming for their first title win in IPL 2025.

Here is Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2025 schedule in full:

DC vs LSG – 7:30 PM IST – Marh 24 – ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Vishakhapatnam

DC vs SRH – 3:30 PM IST – March 30 – ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Vishakhapatnam

CSK vs DC – 3:30 PM IST – April 5 – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

RCB vs DC – 7:30 PM IST – April 10 – M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

DC vs MI – 7:30 PM IST – April 13 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

DC vs RR – 7:30 PM IST – April 16 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

GT vs DC – 3:30 PM IST – April 19 – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

LSG vs DC – 7:30 PM IST – April 22 – Ekana Stadium, Lucknow

DC vs RCB – 7:30 PM IST – April 27 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

DC vs KKR – 7:30 PM IST – April 29 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

SRH vs DC – 7:30 PM IST –  May 5 – Uppal Stadium, Hyderabad

PBKS vs DC – 7:30 PM IST – May 8 – New Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mullanpur

DC vs GT – 7:30 PM IST – May 11 – Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

MI vs DC – 7:30 PM IST – May 15 – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

DC Full Squad:

KL Rahul, Harry Brook, Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera, Ajay Mandal, Manvanth Kumar, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Jake Fraser-McGurk, T. Natarajan, Mohit Sharma, Darshan Nalkande, Vipraj Nigam

World cricket witnesses plenty of talent emerge every year. While some talents turn out to be one-match or one-series wonders, plenty of them still end up instilling hope in fans for another generation of enthralling cricketing action, game-changing skillsets and performances. 2024 was no different as plenty of seasoned veterans called curtains on their career and a new generation is taking shape with every passing day.

Asia continues to produce some of the most promising talent in the world, two of which could form the future generation of ‘Fab Four’ batters, replacing legendary names like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson, who are in the final stages of their career. Some promising talent have also been unearthed from England as they seek to rebuild following disappointing runs in the ICC World Test Championship, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

New Zealand and West Indies also saw some talent making a name for themselves amid largely disappointing ICC World Test Championship and T20 World Cup outings. With the ICC Champions Trophy to be held early this year and almost every major team in a transitional phase, expect these young talents to finally show what they are truly made of.

Here are some fine talents who had a breakout year in 2024:

Tristan Stubbs (South Africa)

The big-hitting Protean, who captured everyone’s attention with a 28-ball 72 against England back in 2022, could not convert his versatility and talent into consistency. The year 2024 marked a complete turnaround in fortunes for the youngster who can switch gears with the bat effortlessly, bowl some useful off-break spin and keep wickets.

During Cricket South Africa (CSA) domestic four-day competition Division 1, he compiled a triple century for Warriors against KwaZulu-Natal Inland, making 302* in 372 balls, with 37 fours and six sixes. Not only did he stay unbeaten for such a marathon effort, but also showed that red-ball cricket is just as safe as a T20 match for a modern-day batter to apply their audacity and stroke range truly.

Stubbs also did a phenomenal job in franchise leagues, starring in Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) second successive SA20 title win with 301 runs in nine innings at an average of 60.20, a strike rate of over 168 and three half-centuries, top-scoring for the team. A much-better outing took place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Delhi Capitals (DC), scoring 378 runs in 13 innings at an average of 54.00, a strike rate of 190.00 and three fifties and taking three wickets.

Coming to international cricket, Stubbs is displaying a diverse array of strokes and ability to shift from one format to the other not seen since the days of AB de Villiers. Both his reverse ramps, sweeps and marathon Test knocks remind fans of their most beloved cricketer and they look at him as a heir apparent to ‘Mr 360′. A middle-order batter in white-ball who can finish with some fireworks, Stubbs is shaping up to be Proteas’ next ever-reliable number three batter who can weather any storm.

In 33 international matches in 2024 year, he has made 1,173 runs at an average of 39.10, with three centuries and three fifties in 37 innings. His best score is 122*.

Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka)

Since the retirements of legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, the Lankan Lions have been looking for someone who can replicate the hunger for runs these generational superstars of the ‘Golden Age’ and tire out the opposition with their determination and ability to soak up balls.

Kamindu it seems, meets this profile perfectly. While he has delivered very few notable performances in white-ball cricket, his Test form suggests that it is only a matter of time before the left-handed finds comfort in coloured clothing too.

In nine Tests in 2024, Kamindu took the cricketing world by storm due to his unbelievable conversion rate, scoring 1,049 runs in 16 innings at an average of 74.62, a strike rate of over 66. He scored five centuries and three fifties, with the best score of 182*.

He tied with legendary Aussie batter Don Bradman as the second-fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs in just 13 innings. Kamindu also scored a fifty-plus score in eight successive Tests, which also were the first eight of his career, becoming the first player to do so.

Overall in 33 matches and 36 innings last year, he made 1,451 runs at an average of 50.03, with five centuries and five fifties, with best score of 182*.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)

After having made a century on his Test debut, Jaiswal showcased immense promise in both the longest and shortest format of the game in 2023. But last year, the left-hander went a notch further, making his wicket a highly coveted one at the age of just 23.

Jaiswal started off 2024 with a blockbuster series at home against England, top-scoring with 712 runs in five matches and nine innings at an average of 89.00, with two double centuries and three fifties, making a mockery of legendary James Anderson. While a mixed IPL 2024 season followed, with 435 runs at an average of 31 with just one century and fifty in 15 innings, he later went on to be a part of the ICC T20 World Cup-winning Indian squad, bringing the cup back home after 17 years.

In later Test tours against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia, Jaiswal grind it out against some of the world’s best bowlers in difficult conditions when the rest of the team was not in their best form, particularly seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat. To a large extent, he has succeeded, top-scoring for India in international cricket this year, with 1,771 runs in 23 matches and 37 innings at an average of 52.08, with three tons and 11 fifties.

A major highlight knock was against Australia at Perth, a marathon knock of 161 runs during which he took the Aussies to cleaners, indulging in audacious hitting and banter against Mitchell Starc. He is India’s highest run-getter in the series so far, with 359 runs in four Tests, one century and two fifties at an average of above 51.

Jamie Smith (England)

After a poor series against India, in which ‘Bazball’ approach of England cricket was defeated by Jasprit Bumrah, Indian spinners and skipper Rohit Sharma-led batch of youngsters, England had a Jonny Bairstow-sized hole to fill, who was failed by the philosophy of attacking ‘see ball, hit ball’ cricket that also gave him one of his career’s best patches.

Enter Jamie during the season-starting series against West Indies. The 24-year-old proved to be quite an upgrade over Bairstow, offering not only a fast scoring rate, brute six hitting, but also a fine ability to bat with tailenders. In nine Tests, he scored 637 runs in 15 innings at an average of 42.46, with a strike rate of 72.30. He scored a century and four fifties, with best score of 111.

In seven ODIs as well, he has made 133 runs at an average of 22.16, with best score of 49 in six innings.

In 18 first-class matches last year, Jamie scored 1,314 runs at an average of 48.66, with a strike rate of above 74, with three centuries and nine fifties in 27 innings. His best score is 155 while playing for Surrey.

Jacob Bethell (England)

England has a fine pool of all-round talent across all forms of the game, with 21-year-old, blonde-haired Jacob Bethell being the latest edition to it. Within four months, the youngster made his debut across all formats for Three Lions and has the makings of a future star, averaging above 50 in Tests and T20Is so far.

Handed a debut in the New Zealand Test series without a first-class cricket century, Bethell proved his doubters wrong with some audacious strokeplay and level-headed temper beyond his age, smashing three half-centuries in the series which England won.

Overall in 18 international matches and 19 innings, Bethell has made 600 runs, averaging 42.00 and with a strike rate of over 91. He has scored six fifties so far with the best score of 96. With his useful spin bowling, Bethell has also taken seven wickets, with best figures of 3/72.

Bethell came into the team after a brilliant T20 Blast season with Warwickshire, making 361 runs in 12 innings at an average of 36.10 and a strike rate of above 153, with four half-centuries. His best score was 71*. He also took six wickets at an average of 14.33.

After his initial international exploits, a good run with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who got him for Rs 2.6 crore in the auction, will only expand Bethell’s repute as a serious hitter and help him develop a massive fanbase.

Saim Ayub (Pakistan)

Amid conversations of players like Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan dragging Pakistan cricket down with a highly conservative, milestone-oriented brand of cricket, this left-handed stroke player in his early 20s could very well be the answer to his nation’s needs.

Some strong outings in Pakistan Super League (PSL) with Peshawar Zalmi in 2023 and 2024 and a breakout Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season with Guyana Warriors in 2023 with 478 runs and four half-centuries in 13 matches, averaging 43.45, striking at over 142, Ayub was handed his debut in 2023.

Despite averaging just above 17 and striking at 123 with no fifty in his first eight T20Is, Ayub was not binned. Rather, he received a strong backing from seniors. The result is a breakout year in 2024, with notable moments across all formats.

In 35 international matches last year, Ayub has scored 1,254 runs at an average of 33.00, a strike rate of over 89, with three centuries and five fifties in 41 innings and his best score being 113*. He has outdone star batter Babar (1,134 runs in 35 matches with eight fifties) and is the second-highest run-getter for Pakistan.

It is his ODI stats that look the most attractive. In nine matches, he has made 515 runs at an average of 64.37, with a strike rate of above 105. He has scored three centuries and a fifty, with the best score of 113*, with two of them coming in South Africa that paved the way for a landmark clean sweep for Pakistan under Rizwan.

Abhishek Sharma (India)

For long, India have prayed for an aggressive, throw-bat-on-everything opener who can maximize the powerplay. In a fresh and welcome change from accumulating ways of the past by Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, this 24-year-old opener from Punjab has the talent and hitting to dismantle any bowling attack.

After a breakthrough, title-winning Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) for Punjab in 2023 (485 runs in 10 matches with a strike rate of over 192.46, two centuries and three fifties), Abhishek truly unlocked and showcased his six-hitting during IPL 2024, forming a successful opening duo with Australia’s Travis Head that tore apart many records in the league.

Abhishek was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) second-highest run-getter and overall 10th, with 484 runs at an average of 32.26, with three half-centuries in 16 innings, a best score of 75* and a strike rate of above 204. His six count of 42 was also the highest in the tournament and he overtook legendary Virat Kohli’s record for most sixes by an Indian in a single IPL.

Since then, he has made his international debut with his first series being against Zimbabwe after IPL, in which he smashed a quickfire ton within 47 balls. However, his returns have been inconsistent, standing at 256 runs in 11 innings at an average of 23.27, a strike rate of over 171, with a century and a fifty and just three scores of 20 or more.

Shining bright in T20s, he ended 2024 as India’s second-highest run-scoring batter in the format with 1,129 runs in 38 innings at an average of 31.36, with strike rate of 198.07, two centuries and six fifties. His best score was 106*.

While Abhishek has a long way to go in other formats and even in T20s with regards to consistency, performance against pacers and grounded game, India should invest in him as their next opener as he could very well be their best bet for leading a new, attack-oriented generation of T20Is, where scoring rates and sixes are top two priorities.

Gus Atkinson (England)

Though Gus Atkinson got some white-ball experience in 2023 ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India, the young pacer truly arrived last year when he was included in the West Indies series.

The home series against West Indies was the farewell series for legendary James Anderson, who retired after the first Test at Lords’ bringing his career to full circle. In a passing-of-touch performance, Atkinson took the baton from the 42-year-old, taking 12 wickets in his debut Test, taking not one, but two five-wicket hauls in a Test innings at Lord’s, a ten-wicket match haul. Later, during the Sri Lanka series, he scored an attacking 118 in 115 balls, with 14 fours and four sixes, becoming the part of elite company to take a five-wicket haul, ten-wicket haul and a century at Lord’s.

Later, during the New Zealand series away from home, a hat-trick made him the fastest player to secure a five-wicket haul, ten-fer, century and hat-trick in Tests in just 10 Tests.

Now in 11 Tests this year, Atkinson took 52 wickets at an average of 22.15, with best figures of 7/45. He secured three five-wicket hauls and one ten-fer. With the bat, he has made 352 runs in 16 innings, averaging 23.46, with a century to his name. His strike rate is 79.10.

William O’Rourke (New Zealand)

With the golden generation of Kiwi pacers: Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry slowly riding into the sunset, Kiwis have a worthy heir to these stars in the form of William O’Rourke, the 23-year-old, six-foot-six inch tall pacer who took 40 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 24.45, with best figures of 5/34. He took two five-wicket hauls this year, against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Also, a very crucial spell of his, figures of 4/22 against India in Bengaluru set up the tone for Kiwi’s first-ever series win in India and India’s first Test series loss at home in 12 years, a historic 0-3 whitewash. In 10 Tests, he took 36 wickets at an average of 24.80.

Nitish Kumar Reddy (India)

The 21-year-old all-rounder’s rise has been one of the heartwarming stories of last year. With his parents, particularly his father, sacrificing heavily on personal and professional front for their son’s cricket, Reddy has paid them back in plenty during his first few months as an international player.

After a breakout IPL 2024 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring 303 runs in 13 matches with two fifties and taking three wickets, Nitish made his India debut against Bangladesh in October, slamming 74 of 34 balls, with four boundaries and seven sixes in his second match.

After being selected into the Indian squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite his inexperience and not-so-exciting red-ball stats, he proved his doubters wrong with a dream series so far, having made 294 runs in four matches and seven innings at an average of 49.00 and three wickets, including some fiery cameos and a memorable century at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the Boxing Day Test with his family watching him from the stands.

Whether Nitish emerges as a strong pace-bowling all-round backup to Hardik Pandya is something only time will tell, but there is a lot of promise.

SA v PAK LIVE Scorecard, 1st ODI© AFP

South Africa vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Day 4 Live Updates© AFP

SA vs SL 1st Test Day 3 LIVE Score Updates© AFP

Following his side’s three-wicket win over India in the second ODI, South African skipper Aiden Markram admitted that if the batting does not work, the team have to “take it on the chin” and continue sticking to their brand of cricket. An explosive partnership between Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee helped SA escape the assault from Indian spinners, guiding Proteas to a series-levelling three-wicket win over India in the second T20I at Gqeberha on Sunday.

Following the match in the post-match presentation, Markram said, “I thought we bowled really well, some really good plans and our bowlers executed really well. From the batting point of view, you want to break it at the mid-way stage but it did not work out. Sometimes it does not work out and we need to take it on the chin, we are going to stick to our brand of cricket. I am really proud of course, the role (Andile) Simlalane and (Nqabayomzi) Peter played was massive. To all the guys on the younger side, they inspired the older guys. We need to take one game at a time. We won this game to level the series.”

The four-match series is now level at 1-1.

SA won the toss and elected to bowl first. India lost their wickets at regular intervals and there were no big partnerships. Handy knocks from Hardik Pandya (39* in 45 balls, with four boundaries and a six), Axar Patel (27 in 21 balls, with four boundaries) and Tilak Varma (20 in 20 balls, with one four and a six) took India to 124/6 in their 20 overs.

Marco Jansen and Coetzee created problems for Indian batters with their four-over spells of 1/25 each. Andile and Peter got a wicket each.

In the run-chase of 125, India was in a dominant position, having reduced SA to 87/6 thanks to a five-wicket haul from Varun Chakravarthy (5/17). However, Stubbs (47* in 41 balls, with seven fours) and Coetzee (19* in 9 balls, with two fours and a six) disrupted India’s plans with a counter-attack, taking the side to a win with an over and three wickets left.

Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh also picked up a wicket each for India.

Stubbs became the ‘Player of the Match’.

Varun Chakravarthy celebrates the dismissal of South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen during the second T20 cricket match between South Africa and India at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, South Africa on November 10, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy’s magical craftiness en route a maiden fifer remained a mere footnote as South Africa rode on the stubbornness of Tristan Stubbs to eke out a three-wicket win over India in a low-scoring second T20I at Gqeberha in South Africa on Sunday (November 10, 2024).

The four-match series is now level at 1-1. But SA’s victory, which also halted India’s 11-match winning streak, did not come without its share of drama.

The first hint of a topsy-turvy night came when India limped to 124 for six on a quick, bouncy pitch after getting the invitation to bat first.

The Proteas were at one stage 66 for six and 86 for seven, which eventually transpired into 128 for seven, as Chakravarthy continued his international resurgence with a five-wicket haul (5/17).

But SA found two valiant soldiers in determined Stubbs (47 not out, 41b, 7×4) and aggressive Gerald Coetzee (19 not out, 9b, 2×4, 1×6) who added a precious 42 runs for the eighth wicket alliance to carry their side past the tape.

However, Chakravarthy deserves credit for making the match a thrilling affair. The Tamil Nadu man came to the party after pacer Arshdeep Singh dismissed opener Riyan Rickelton in the third over.

Chakravarthy started his dismantling job going through the defences of SA skipper Aiden Markram, who failed to read a wrong’un.

Reeza Hendricks (24, 21b, 3×4, 1×6) looked comfortable until he failed to pick Chakarvarthy’s googly that rearranged his woodwork.

But the home side did not look in any great danger even at 34 for two after the Power Play, but Chakravarthy’s twin blow in the 13th over pegged the Proteas back.

Heinrich Klaasen, a capable player of spin, chose to go aerial route only to find Rinku Singh in the deep.

David Miller’s tentative prod off the first ball he faced met with thin air as the straight one from the Indian spinner, which quickened after pitched, crashed onto his off-stump.

But Stubbs and Coetzee, who put pacers Arshdeep and Avesh Khan through the wringer, had enough steam in them to give their side a win, as India strangely used left-spinner Axar Patel for only one over on a pitch where tweakers took six wickets.

Earlier, Indian batters too were all at sea on a springy St George’s Park deck against disciplined South African bowlers.

The Proteas bowlers hit the back of length line and the natural bounce on the pitch did the rest. Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal was an example for this.

The left-hander’s underwhelming outings in T20Is continued as his miscued pull off a climbing delivery from Coetzee ended in the hands of Marco Jansen, who made the first strike dismissing Sanju Samson.

Samson, who had become the first Indian batsman to score back-to-back T20I hundreds, gave himself space to carve Jansen over mid-off, but the opener paid a heavy price for needless pre-meditation to get bowled.

Jansen started off with a wicket maiden and the rest of the SA bowlers hardly offered any freebies for Indian batters to shake off the pressure.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who shuffled across a tad too much, missed a fuller delivery from Andile Simelane to get trapped in front of the stumps, and it was the pacer’s maiden international wicket.

Axar (27, 21b), who was moved up the order played a couple of delectable shots including a punch through the covers off Keshav Maharaj for a four, was India’s most assured batter on the night.

But the left-hander backed up a bit too far as Hardik Pandya’s straight drive took a deflection off spinner Peter Nqabayomzi’s hand before rattling the stumps. Axar did not even wait for the review to walk away.

In the interim, India went through a boundary-less period between the 10th and 16th over, which was ended when Arshdeep mowed leg-spinner Peter for a six.

Even an accomplished hitter like Hardik Pandya (39, 45 balls) had to wait till his 28th delivery to find a boundary reflected India’s struggles.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy’s magical craftiness en route a maiden fifer remained a mere footnote as South Africa rode on the stubbornness of Tristan Stubbs to eke out a three-wicket win over India in a low-scoring second T20I in Gqeberha on Sunday. The four-match series is now level at 1-1. But SA’s victory, which also halted India’s 11-match winning streak, did not come without its share of drama. The first hint of a topsy-turvy night came when India limped to 124 for six on a quick, bouncy pitch after getting the invitation to bat first.

The Proteas were at one stage 66 for six and 86 for seven, which eventually transpired into 128 for seven, as Chakravarthy continued his international resurgence with a five-wicket haul (5/17).

But SA found two valiant soldiers in determined Stubbs (47 not out, 41b, 7×4) and aggressive Gerald Coetzee (19 not out, 9b, 2×4, 1×6) who added a precious 42 runs for the eighth wicket alliance to carry their side past the tape.

However, Chakravarthy deserves credit for making the match a thrilling affair. The Tamil Nadu man came to the party after pacer Arshdeep Singh dismissed opener Riyan Rickelton in the third over.

Chakravarthy started his dismantling job going through the defences of SA skipper Aiden Markram, who failed to read a wrong’un.

Reeza Hendricks (24, 21b, 3×4, 1×6) looked comfortable until he failed to pick Chakarvarthy’s googly that rearranged his woodwork.

But the home side did not look in any great danger even at 34 for two after the Power Play, but Chakravarthy’s twin blow in the 13th over pegged the Proteas back.

Heinrich Klaasen, a capable player of spin, chose to go aerial route only to find Rinku Singh in the deep.

David Miller’s tentative prod off the first ball he faced met with thin air as the straight one from the Indian spinner, which quickened after pitched, crashed onto his off-stump.

But Stubbs and Coetzee, who put pacers Arshdeep and Avesh Khan through the wringer, had enough steam in them to give their side a win, as India strangely used left-spinner Axar Patel for only one over on a pitch where tweakers took six wickets.

Earlier, Indian batters too were all at sea on a springy St George’s Park deck against disciplined South African bowlers.

The Proteas bowlers hit the back of length line and the natural bounce on the pitch did the rest. Abhishek Sharma’s dismissal was an example for this.

The left-hander’s underwhelming outings in T20Is continued as his miscued pull off a climbing delivery from Coetzee ended in the hands of Marco Jansen, who made the first strike dismissing Sanju Samson.

Samson, who had become the first Indian batsman to score back-to-back T20I hundreds, gave himself space to carve Jansen over mid-off, but the opener paid a heavy price for needless pre-meditation to get bowled.

Jansen started off with a wicket maiden and the rest of the SA bowlers hardly offered any freebies for Indian batters to shake off the pressure.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who shuffled across a tad too much, missed a fuller delivery from Andile Simelane to get trapped in front of the stumps, and it was the pacer’s maiden international wicket.

Axar (27, 21b), who was moved up the order played a couple of delectable shots including a punch through the covers off Keshav Maharaj for a four, was India’s most assured batter on the night.

But the left-hander backed up a bit too far as Hardik Pandya’s straight drive took a deflection off spinner Peter Nqabayomzi’s hand before rattling the stumps. Axar did not even wait for the review to walk away.

In the interim, India went through a boundary-less period between the 10th and 16th over, which was ended when Arshdeep mowed leg-spinner Peter for a six.

Even an accomplished hitter like Hardik Pandya (39, 45 balls) had to wait till his 28th delivery to find a boundary reflected India’s struggles.