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Bhuvneshwar, Cummins and Natarajan have got the job done for SRH in different phases of the game

Vishal Dikshit05-May-2024SRH are in Mumbai. A team that has been scoring 200 as easily as you can make a bowl of instant noodles will play at a ground where you can smash sixes more fluently than you can say ‘Sunrisers Hyderabad’.Behind SRH’s batting feats this season, however, is a well-oiled pace attack that has the new-ball skills of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the experience and leadership of Pat Cummins in the middle overs, and the death-over smarts of T Natarajan. This trio, along with Jaydev Unadkat, has helped SRH defend five out of six targets this season. While they have had the cushion of some 250-plus totals, they were defending 202 in their previous game against Rajasthan Royals and emerged on top despite having only 26 to defend in the last three overs.In those 18 balls, Natarajan showcased his variations and yorkers, Cummins his slower bouncers, and Bhuvneshwar his calmness even as Royals needed only six off the last three deliveries.”What we’re lucky with, particularly in our pace-bowling unit, is that we’ve got a lot of experience, so we’ve got a lot of guys who’ve been there and done that so when they’re presented with some difficulties or problems in the game, they’ve got that sage wisdom,” SRH bowling coach James Franklin said on the eve of the match against Mumbai Indians. “They can think on their feet and discuss out there and work out there what’s needed for the game’s context. As much as the data is there, you still have to play the game in front of you and that’s where experience helps.”Sometimes the way we’ve seen matches unfold and with how dominant the bat has been, from a bowlers’ point of view you need just calm, cool heads that have a little bit of experience and a little bit of know-how and hopefully, all through the course of the season, it’ll hold you in good stead. So those four players, they’ve been going nicely, it’s been a really tough campaign for most bowling units. But we, like other teams, are trying to find ways to be in the contest and to have an effect and those bowlers have been doing a really good job for us.”Bhuvneshwar has moved the new ball when there is swing on offer and is up there at the top for the most wickets in the powerplay this season.Cummins, who in his maiden captaincy stint in T20 cricket has galvanised a team that finished bottom last season, has taken on a middle-overs role that has filled a requirement for SRH, especially when flanked by Bhuvneshwar and Natarajan on either side. His slow bouncers and offcutters dug into the pitch have restricted batters and yielded seven wickets in the middle overs this season with an exceptional economy rate of 7.71.And while Natarajan missed out on selection for the 2024 T20 World Cup, his death-overs exploits have served as a reminder of the promise he had in his initial years. He’s taken nine wickets at the death, second only to the peerless Jasprit Bumrah (10), and is in the running for the Purple Cap even though he’s played only eight out of SRH’s first ten games. If he can stay injury free, he will give India another potent fast-bowling option in the future.”Everyone knows in India his pedigree particularly with the old ball and death bowling,” Franklin said of Natarajan. “But for me, it’s been his first one or two overs that have been really exciting to watch and how he gets into the game. He’s another guy who adapts to the situation. He generally comes in the back end of the powerplay for us so the game is already underway and he adapts very well. His great strength is the yorker and that’s where he’s an asset for us. If he keeps going the way he’s going and holds his form throughout the rest of this IPL, then those conversations around India will take care of themselves.”With bowlers taking a pounding this season, Franklin said they were looking at it as a different kind of opportunity.”With the expectations around the batting groups, we try to flip that around and go, ‘ok, there’s an opportunity, we can actually have some fun with it’,” he said. “Yes, there might be challenges out there, but our bowling unit has good experience, and we try to execute the best we can.”After two successive defeats, SRH’s bowlers stole a one-run win against Royals to keep them among the top four in the points table. They need more of that from their experienced attack in Mumbai to stay ahead of the chasing pack.

Test cricket, when your front men are scoring runs, is bliss. And that is what India will be searching for in Mumbai

Alagappan Muthu29-Oct-20241:16

Manjrekar: India will hope Rohit, Kohli fire in Australia

This is an anomaly, and it is at the heart of everything that has gone down in this series. A visiting batter is the top-scorer. There really aren’t very many times that has happened in Test cricket played in India.Keeping to events in this century, there was Alastair Cook’s merciless grind in 2012-13. Steven Smith’s extraordinary skill in 2016-17. Hashim Amla’s wristy goodness in 2009-10, dismissed just once while scoring 490 runs. Andy Flower’s sweep-shot masterclass in 2000-01. Matthew Hayden’s sweep-shot masterclass in 2000-01. This is not an exhaustive list, but it does highlight a very useful point. Only one of these five performances went on to help their team win the series.India’s batters found ways to match most of the others. Cheteshwar Pujara was hot on Smith’s heels. Rahul Dravid was only 108 runs off Flower despite playing one fewer innings. And VVS Laxman made 2000-01 all about himself with just one trip to the crease. A significant part of their dominance at home came down to their ability to pile on some serious runs, the kind that simply overwhelmed oppositions. England, in 2016-17, began three of the five Tests with first-innings totals of 400 or more. They drew one and lost two – by an innings.Related

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Often enough, these runs came from their top four – from players with an enormous amount of experience, and the stubbornness that comes with it. This time, however, India’s closest representative to Rachin Ravindra on top of the leaderboard is a man who hadn’t played any international cricket prior to this year.Sarfaraz Khan’s biggest contribution, though – his 150, which forms a lion’s share of his total 170 runs – did come from higher up in the batting line-up. In fact, he braved the challenge of walking out earlier than he normally does in first-class cricket, and came good. That innings is doing a lot of legwork in carrying the average of the top four batters for India up to 31.75. Take that away, and in 15 innings, they have contributed 358 runs at an average of 23.87, including three ducks.New Zealand’s Nos. 1-4, meanwhile, are averaging 49, and even if you take Ravindra’s century out, it stands a healthy 37 because Devon Conway has two half-centuries; Tom Latham, in Pune, produced some of the most high-quality defensive batting seen in the second innings in India in the modern era; and Will Young, who came in to replace Kane Williamson, perhaps the only irreplaceable player in the team, has offered solidity. Among India’s top four, only Yashasvi Jaiswal has faced more balls than Young’s 222. Among his own top four, only Latham has faced fewer (210).Test cricket, when your front men are scoring runs, is bliss. And that is what India will be searching for in Mumbai. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have home bases here, left Pune early. It was understandable. There was nothing more for them there. Just unhealthy reminders of what they had lost: 18 straight series wins, a run unlike any other in the history of the game, and a run to which they had been significant contributors.India need the Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli of old now•BCCIKohli, in particular, has produced absolute gems in dire batting conditions. He made 248 runs in Visakhapatnam from eight years ago, but 81 of those stand separate – as an example of just how devastating his focus is. The ball that turned big couldn’t beat him. The ball that went straight couldn’t catch him off guard. The ball that kept low was whipped to the boundary. There was a 44 against Australia in Delhi just last year, when he was in control of roughly nine out of 10 balls in conditions where the others could only dream of such a thing. His judgment of length was scary quick, and the decisions that they led to elevated batting into art. In this series, he has been bowled to a Mitchell Santner full toss and caught off a non-turning Glenn Phillips offbreak. It has continued a worrying trend in both his and his team-mates’ batting against spin.Rohit has been a lightning rod for India’s defeats. His comments at the post-match press conference in Pune – particularly where he tried to defend the options that he and his team chose – have not gone down well. On social media, people have likened him to Erik Ten Hag, the Manchester United manager who had a habit of telling the media that he was happy with his team’s performance even after losses and pointing to past victories to explain their progress. Ten Hag was sacked on Monday. Rohit’s situation is slightly more secure, but it hasn’t escaped notice that he has led India to four losses in 15 home Tests. His predecessor lost two in 31.Reducing a player to just their numbers can be a bit unforgiving. Worse, it tends to paint an incomplete picture. In this case, it ignores how well Rohit led the team against England earlier this year when they went 0-1 down, and lost first-choice picks to injury and other complications. All of a sudden, there was a whole bunch of new(ish) faces in the team, and nearly all of them had a hand in turning that series scoreline to read 4-1. One of them, Jaiswal, is shaping up to be a world-beater. Rohit lifted his own performance levels as well, scoring two centuries and a fifty. India need that Rohit and that Kohli now. They need their two best batters to regain their old aura.

All the records Smith and Carey broke during their 259-run stand in the second Test against Sri Lanka

Namooh Shah08-Feb-202536 Test hundreds by Steven Smith. He joins the top five list of players with most Test hundreds, equaling the record of Rahul Dravid and Joe Root.17 Test hundreds as captain by Smith, only behind Graeme Smith (25), Virat Kohli (20) and Ricky Ponting (19).7 Test hundreds by Smith in Asia. He now has the most Test hundreds for an Australia batter in the sub-continent. It is also his fourth hundred in Sri Lanka, and he now has second most Test hundreds in Sri Lanka by a visiting batter just behind Sachin Tendulkar who has five hundreds.2 – Smith took 206 innings to score thirty-six Test hundreds, becoming the second fastest player to do so, only behind Ponting, who achieved the feat in 200 innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1994 Test runs by Smith in Asia. He became the Australian with most Test runs in Asia, going past Ponting’s tally of 1889 runs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd11 – Smith has shared 200 runs partnership with a total of eleven players, the most by any batter, going past Ponting (10).156 – Alex Carey’s score of 156 is the highest score by an Australian wicketkeeper in the subcontinent, bettering the record of Adam Gilchrist’s knocks of 144 vs Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Kandy 2004 and Fatullah 2006 respectively.ESPNcricinfo Ltd259 Partnership runs between Smith and Carey is the highest fourth wicket partnership by a visiting pair in Sri Lanka, going past the 258 partnership by Michael Hussey and Shaun Marsh in Pallekele in 2011.4 – Carey became the fourth Australian wicketkeeper to score 150 runs in a Test innings, the others in the list being Ian Healy, Adam Gilchrist and Brad Haddin.

Last season’s losing finalists have brought in the likes of Kishan and Shami to strengthen an already imposing squad

Ekanth16-Mar-20253:38

Chopra sees Kamindu Mendis getting a go at SRH

Where they finished last yearIn 2024, SRH made their first final in six years. They started with a bang, with five wins in their first seven games. Eventually, three more wins and an abandoned match left them tied on 17 points with Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the end of the group stage, but a superior net run rate meant SRH finished second. They then lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Qualifier 1, but beat RR in Qualifier 2 to make the final, where they lost to KKR again.What’s new in 2025?SRH took the IPL by storm last season with their ultra-aggressive batting approach, going past 250 three times and setting a new record for the highest total in IPL history, 287 for 3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). With Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy still in the line-up, and with Ishan Kishan added during the auction, SRH are unlikely to change their template.While they have that stellar top five, SRH are short on depth among local batters. Aniket Verma is in his debut season, Abhinav Manohar played just two games in 2024, and Sachin Baby last featured in the IPL in 2021. Hence, with captain Pat Cummins, Head and Klaasen as overseas lock-ins, SRH might look to include Kamindu Mendis to shore up their line-up.Although SRH retained Cummins and signed back Jaydev Unadkat after initially releasing him, they will have an otherwise new-look bowling attack in 2025. Cummins and Unadkat now have the company of Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel and Rahul Chahar. Shami is likely to take the new ball, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, their mainstay since 2014, no longer with SRH. Among overseas bowlers, SRH can choose from Adam Zampa and allrounder Wiaan Mulder, while Reddy, Abhishek, Head and Kamindu could chip in with a few overs too.Related

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Likely best XII1 Travis Head*, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen*, 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Abhinav Manohar, 8 Pat Cummins* (capt), 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Rahul Chahar, 11 Mohammed Shami, 12 Adam Zampa*
Full SRH squadBig questionWatch out forAbhishek and Head blew oppositions away last season and took the idea of maximising the powerplay to dizzying heights. But the duo couldn’t carry their sizzling form into their last four games, across which they added just 15 runs. However, if SRH get lift-off from their openers even in half their games this season, opposition attacks could have nowhere to hide.Mohammed Shami took 28 wickets in the powerplay at an average of 21.25 and an economy of 7.08 across the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons. But an ankle injury, which required surgery, kept him out of cricket for over a year. Since his return, he has bowled in the powerplay in four T20s and picked up two wickets. He then proved his fitness and form by taking nine wickets in 41 overs during the Champions Trophy. If he stays fit and can strike with the new ball regularly, SRH won’t feel Bhuvneshwar’s absence as much.Since his return following ankle surgery, Mohammed Shami has taken 14 wickets in 11 T20s•BCCIKey stats Since his return following ankle surgery, Shami has taken 14 wickets across 11 T20s for Bengal and India. He has averaged 23.50, and had an economy rate of 8.02. Abhishek Sharma has a strike rate of 200.86 in the 28 games he has played since the end of IPL 2024. He has scored three hundreds during that period, two of which have come in his last six games.Who’s out or in doubt?Cummins missed the Champions Trophy with an ankle injury, but has started bowling again. He did not require surgery, and recovered through rehab. Last year’s MLC final, which took place in July, was Cummins’ last T20 appearance. With the WTC final and a Test tour to the West Indies coming up after the IPL, Australia will hope Cummins remains injury-free through the IPL.Brydon Carse injured his left toe during England’s tour of India prior to the Champions Trophy, which led to SRH bringing in Mulder as his replacement.

Sam Curran recall on the cards as lack of fourth seamer leaves spinning options exposed in ODIs

Matt Roller05-Sep-2025From the moment that Matthew Breetzke shimmied outside leg and launched Jacob Bethell over extra cover for six, it was clear that England had a major problem at Lord’s. They have persisted with an unbalanced side throughout Harry Brook’s short tenure as ODI captain and this was the day that it truly came back to bite them.England got away with picking only four frontline bowlers in Brook’s first series as captain, but that was against a poor West Indies side who failed to qualify for the last World Cup. South Africa were cold and clinical at Lord’s: Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis seized their chance to take Bethell and Will Jacks down, knowing that Brook was running out of resources.In fact, South Africa might have done England a favour: in taking 112 runs from the 10 overs split by Bethell and Jacks, they proved that their selections were fundamentally flawed. It is not a slight on either individual player to say that they are being asked to do a job they are not cut out for: Jacks’ economy rate across five ODIs this year is 8.80, and Bethell’s is 9.06.”With our batting line-up, this is what we set up for: we want to try and chase them big scores,” Brook told the BBC. “That’s why we set the team up as it is: to get within one blow of that score today was a very good effort.” His logic was circular, ignoring the fact that Bethell and Jacks had conceded so many runs that their combined contribution of 97 off 73 still wasn’t enough.Related

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England clearly like the buffer of a frontline batter at No. 7: “Imagine having us five-down and Will Jacks comes out to bat?” Brook said earlier this summer, and he saw Jacks’ 49 – in a 143-run partnership with Joe Root – in a tight win over West Indies in Cardiff as vindication. The trouble is that the runs he has scored have been outweighed by those he has conceded.It was a calculated takedown from South Africa at Lord’s, recognising that they could afford to play out Adil Rashid (2 for 33) and cash in elsewhere. “He was bowling really well and the conditions suited him,” Breetzke said. “We just had to sort of suck it up and see what we could get from him – and then, from the other guys, look to score a little bit more freely.”Balance has been an issue that has stalked England’s ODI team ever since they lifted the World Cup six years ago. In the 2015-19 cycle, Ben Stokes played in 71 of their 99 ODIs and bowled an average of 5.1 overs per match; in the 2019-23 cycle, he played in 19 out of 51 and bowled 1.4 overs per match. His international white-ball career now appears to be over.With Moeen Ali retired, England’s lack of a genuine allrounder has been costly. At the Champions Trophy, they used a combination of Liam Livingstone and Root as their ‘fifth’ bowler, with combined returns of 3 for 172 from 26.1 overs; now, they are relying on a pair of spinners who are even more raw in Bethell and Jacks. Curiously, Root remains unused under Brook, even after an India Test summer in which he bowled more overs in a home series (57.1) than ever before.After a miserable run in 50-over cricket since the last World Cup – they have won just seven of their 22 ODIs in that time – England’s focus is on the next one. It is abundantly clear that 10 overs of occasional fingerspin is not going to cut it in many conditions, but especially not on early-season pitches in South Africa in October-November 2027.Sam Curran was a central figure in Oval Invincibles’ Hundred title last month•Getty ImagesIf there is a solution – and the nature of international sport is that there may simply not be a satisfactory one – then it must involve a seam-bowling allrounder who can bat in the top seven. England have attempted to mould Jamie Overton into that player this year, but it is obvious that Sam Curran is the best option that they have available to them.Curran’s ongoing absence from England’s teams is not a complete mystery: after his starring role at the 2022 T20 World Cup, he had two quiet years in international cricket in which he struggled to make an impact with the ball. But he has thrived at franchise level this year, particularly with the bat, and deserves another England opportunity in New Zealand next month.The suspicion remains that Brendon McCullum simply does not rate him. Curran has not been selected by England in any format with McCullum as coach, and sought assurances from him earlier this year amid concerns that he does not “fit the mould” of what England are looking for. He was told that his route back in is simple: “It’s just performing, with bat and ball,” Curran said.Balance is not the only reason that England find themselves 2-0 down in this series, leaving them with eight defeats in 11 ODIs this year. Their core of multi-format players look burned out after a gruelling summer – not least Ben Duckett, whose 14 from 33 balls at Lord’s continued a desperate downturn since his stand-out performances in the India Tests. Their highest individual score is 61, and their bowlers have not taken a wicket in the first 10 overs.But it is emblematic of a wider issue, as was Brook’s response, after England’s thrashing at Headingley on Tuesday, that boiled his desired style of play down to: “Go out there and bang it.” England are attempting to replicate the style of Eoin Morgan’s ODI team, but without any substance to back it up.

The Afghanistan spinner is only 20, a match-winner in his own right, and travelling around the world playing in various T20 leagues with aplomb

Shashank Kishore08-Sep-202515:43

Can Afghanistan make the final of the Asia Cup?

Noor Ahmad lives life on the fast lane. Of late, it’s been a blur of flights, visas, new teams and cricket grounds and hotels. Cricket has kept him so busy that his parents shifted from their hometown, Khost, to Kabul to be able to adjust to their superstar son’s fly-in-fly-out life.”A few years ago, who could have thought I would be here? With talent, hard work and family support, I’m here today,” Noor tells ESPNcricinfo. And “here” for him is everywhere. From Chennai (IPL) to Dallas (MLC) to Manchester (Hundred) to Gqeberha (SA20), Noor has been living out of a suitcase.Noor says he can count the days he has actually not spent on the field – either playing or at training – in the last six months. “CSK, MLC, Shpageeza, back to India for the UK visa, the Hundred,” he ticks off the assignments.Related

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And from the Hundred, he landed in Dubai to link up with the Afghanistan squad for a short preparatory camp. On Sunday night, he finished the tri-series with Pakistan and UAE in Sharjah, and after less than 48 hours, he will line up to play Hong Kong in the Asia Cup opener in Abu Dhabi.Isn’t he tired?”I’m still young, the body can take it, no problems for me,” he says with a smile. “Cricket is what I love. I can’t stay without playing cricket. Yes, travel-wise, it’s been a tough few months. I haven’t got enough rest, but I’m still enjoying it. The body is feeling good.”Noor suddenly remembers he has missed something from the schedule he just went through. He clicks his fingers and adds with a laugh, “Actually, one week off after the IPL at home, no nets, no cricket. After the IPL, I got that time at home. But you see, I can’t stay without cricket for more than one week. I started bowling again.”When he was younger – he is still only 20 – Noor says opportunities were hard-earned. “When my brother first took me to an academy, when I was 12, I remember standing in long lines, getting to bowl just one ball every ten minutes. Because there were so many bowlers. Most of them spinners.””Playing alongside MS Dhoni was the real highlight” – Noor Ahmad on his stint with Chennai Super Kings•AFP/Getty ImagesThen came the moment that made him believe he might be special. Afghanistan batter Noor Ali Zadran happened to face him in one of these sessions and told him, “You are very good, keep going.””That was the indicator for me, maybe I have something,” Noor says. Slowly, more and more national players came to the camp, and Noor bowled to them all. “Some I even got them out,” he says. “Then they all told me, ‘Don’t leave cricket, you have a bright future’. That motivated me so much.”The only problem was that Noor was also a bright student. “First in my class till I was there,” he says. “Then I started to go to the academy, thanks to my brother who also loved cricket but couldn’t take it up professionally.”When I missed class for a few days, the teachers and the principal came to my dad and asked what had happened. They told him I had started playing cricket and should come back to the school as I had a good future. My dad agreed with them. It was hard for my brother to convince my father but he asked him for some time.”Today, Noor’s father watches all his matches without fail. “They even installed a Dish TV connection so that they can watch all matches.”Barely a year into his cricket, Noor was captivated by Rashid Khan, himself a teenage sensation when he broke through. Noor first met him during an Under-16 camp in Kabul, introduced by coach and former captain Raees Ahmadzai.

“I had an arm injury in 2021. I struggled for a year. I could bowl but would always be in pain. That affected my legbreak, my control. It took me a year to recover”

“Rashid came to watch me bowl, and I think he was impressed,” Noor says. These days, Rashid is a mentor, a sounding board. Schedules don’t allow the two to catch up often, but there’s an admiration the younger star has for the 26-year-old veteran.”Whenever I have questions, or want to chat, or need to share with someone, Rashid is the first person for me to go to,” Noor says. “I try not to think too much about bowling, but whenever I have something that I must share, I share with him.”Noor’s eyes twinkle when asked about his maiden IPL season with Chennai Super Kings. “Getting Man of the Match in my first game was special,” he says, “but playing alongside MS Dhoni was the real highlight.”Could he elaborate?”Of course. He keeps things very simple for everyone. You don’t have to think too much. He just says, ‘Assess the situation, do what is needed’. He had complete trust in what I wanted to do. No pressure. We just had to stick to our strengths.”Noor finished IPL 2025 as the second-highest wicket-taker; his 24 wickets in 14 games were only fewer than Prasidh Krishna’s tally of 25 wickets in 15 games. The change in teams – he had earlier played for Gujarat Titans (GT) – worked wonders.ESPNcricinfo LtdAt GT, Noor bowled in tandem with Rashid. But, over the past two seasons, Noor has consistently outshone his celebrated compatriot, a sign of how quickly he has grown from Rashid’s understudy to a match-winner in his own right. At CSK, he had the opportunity to be the main spinner, with R Ashwin in and out of the XII.Noor’s journey hasn’t been without its fair share of setbacks. In 2021, an arm injury left him bowling through pain for nearly a year. His control wavered, he didn’t feel confident bowling the wrong’un, and was often left frustrated.”The fizz I get on the ball is natural,” he explains. “When I was at my initial stages, I used to bowl a lot of googlies and ended up bowling less of the legspin. Then I had an arm injury in 2021. I struggled for a year. I could bowl but would always be in pain.”That affected my legbreak, my control. It took me a year to recover. Again, I had to work on my legbreak because of the injury. But it’s fine now. I think I have strengthened my arm so much now. Earlier, I used to save myself to be able to bowl with little pain. I was tired of being injured, I was like, why am I not getting better?”

“He [Dhoni] keeps things very simple for everyone… He just says, ‘Assess the situation, do what is needed.’ He had complete trust in what I wanted to do. No pressure”

It took him a year to fully recover. And since then, there’s been no stopping him.Afghanistan’s rise as a cricket force has made him hungrier. “We were in the T20 World Cup semi-final last year. This year we should be in the Asia Cup final. That’s the mindset,” he says. But his ultimate dream is still ahead of him: “Winning a trophy for the country – World Cup, Champions Trophy, any world tournament. It’s something that I’ll remember.”Away from the game – which is rare – Noor enjoys watching Real Madrid and Manchester City play. He loves exploring the best Afghan restaurants in whichever city he is at. At the IPL, off days or travel-day nights were spent playing FIFA with Dewald Brewis and Matheesha Pathirana. As hectic as it may be, there’s a rhythm to his life and he enjoys it.But there is one thing he is waiting to tick off. He hasn’t been back to his hometown in three years, but friends send him videos of crowded academies, which lifts him. “Academies are busier than before, many are coming up. I think they’ll have a better chance to play,” he says with hope. “I can’t wait to go back. Hopefully soon.”For now, there’s another tournament. Another trophy to chase. And Afghanistan’s globe-trotting superstar is as ready as ever to take flight.

Sophie Devine took her time to get going, and then took time off to play hockey, but built up a remarkable body of work in ODI cricket before calling it a day

Shubh Agarwal26-Oct-2025Built to lastIt’s been almost two decades since Devine made her international debut as a 17-year-old in 2006. She finishes with the second-longest ODI career for a New Zealand cricketer, male or female. Only Suzie Bates, Devine’s long-time team-mate, has had a longer career, having made her debut seven months before Devine.In between, Devine had paused her cricket career for two years (2011-2012), when she featured for the New Zealand women’s hockey team.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe fixture against England is Devine’s 159th ODI, the second-most for a New Zealand woman, only behind Bates’ tally of 178. Remarkably, she also stands as the only New Zealand cricketer – and just the third women overall – to achieve the rare double of 4000 runs (4256 before her final ODI) and 100 wickets (110) in the format.ESPNcricinfo LtdDevine has the third-highest runs for New Zealand in women’s ODIs and is one among only three bowlers to pick up over 100 wickets.The emergence of the batterDevine actually did not bat much at the start of her career. She batted at No. 8 on her T20I debut and was run out without facing a ball. Four days later, she batted at No. 11 on her ODI debut, making an unbeaten 6 off 29 deliveries.However, things changed after 2013. It was the first time she averaged over 30 with the bat in a calendar year and she didn’t look back after that. It was also the time when she started batting in the top five consistently.But, at the same time, her bowling workload took a backseat.Since then, Devine has not only been among New Zealand’s most consistent run aggregators but also has the best strike rate among those who have at least 1000 runs in this period, also playing 40 of her 108 innings in this period at the tricky No. 4 spot.The batting numbers have spiked since then.In 2015, she was promoted to open the innings, which she has done 34 times in her career. In fact, she is one among only five players to have batted at all 11 batting positions in women ODIs.ESPNcricinfo LtdDevine shone in the opener’s role too. She scored five hundreds as an opener, the second-most for New Zealand with only Bates ahead with 12 centuries.Overall, her total of nine ODI hundreds, four of them as captain and six away from home are all second only to Bates’ numbers.Her 2470 runs away from home are also the second- most for a New Zealand woman cricketer.In the 2017 World Cup clash against Pakistan, Devine smashed nine sixes – a women’s ODI record later matched only by Chamari Athapaththu in 2023. Devine’s 93 off 41 balls came at a strike rate of 226.82, the highest for a 50-plus score in New Zealand’s ODI history.Before her final ODI, Devine had 75 sixes – the second-highest in women’s ODIs, behind only Deandra Dottin’s 91.Defiance in defeatWhile New Zealand’s campaign at this World Cup has been marred by poor weather and some mediocre cricket at times, Devine has stood tall as their highest run-scorer: she has amassed 289 runs at an average of 57.8.In New Zealand’s first fixture, she scored a valiant 112 walking out at 0 for 2 while chasing 327 against Australia. It was her third World Cup century, the second-highest for New Zealand. She followed it up with scores of 85 and 63 with wickets falling around her.Yet, she couldn’t save New Zealand from an early exit in this World Cup, a familiar script for a batter who has the second-highest runs in defeats in ODI history.

USMNT star Christian Pulisic made his return for AC Milan, coming off the bench after an hour following three weeks out with a lower leg injury. The 27-year-old wasn’t fit enough to start under manager Max Allegri but contributed valuable minutes in the second half as Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Parma after giving up a two-goal lead.

AFPWorking his way into the team

Pulisic had missed the last three weeks after being forced off with a lower leg injury in the USMNT’s friendly win over Australia. He was on the wrong end of a heavy tackle from behind and picked up a hamstring issue that ruled him out of action. He returned to Milan training this week, and Allegri confirmed Friday that he’d be available for limited minutes.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA mixed cameo

Pulisic's impact was mixed. He entered the game with the score level and Milan hoping to regain the advantage after ceding a 2-0 lead to struggling Parma. He was presented with a glorious opportunity to score soon after when Rafa Leao sent him through on goal, but put his shot a yard wide. Still, he plugged away – and really should've had an assist. A quick pivot and timely pass gave Alexis Saelemaekers space and just the keeper to beat. However, the Belgian got his finish all wrong, and fired over after failing to round the goalie.

(C)Getty ImagesMissing November action

His appearance comes shortly after U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino announced his squad for a duo of friendlies – which Pulisic was not named in. There was scattered talk that he might be able to recover in time to represent his country against Paraguay and Uruguay, yet Milan were eager to ease his recovery. 

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Recovery time

Pulisic will now have ample time to recover. The international break has put club soccer on hold, and leaves Milan without a game until Nov. 23. That will be a big one, though, when they will face city rivals Inter in an important Serie A clash. Milan are currently top of Serie A.

Vote for the best individual Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance by an Indian in Australia since 2000

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2024Update: This poll has ended. Rishabh Pant’s performance goes into the semi-finals. Check the other polls here.ESPNcricinfo LtdVVS Laxman’s maiden Test ton was the first of many special innings against Australia•AFP via Getty ImagesVVS Laxman – 167 in Sydney, 2000Australia won by an innings and 141 runs, and won the series 3-0After heavy defeats in Adelaide and Melbourne, India were running on fumes by the time the final Test began at the SCG. VVS Laxman wasn’t meant to open in Australia but the lack of viable options meant he had to perform a role he didn’t particularly enjoy.Up until Sydney, Sachin Tendulkar was the only Indian batter to have shown fight on the tour, but after India capitulated once again in the first innings, Laxman let rip. A blow to the helmet from Glenn McGrath was the trigger that made him play like he had nothing to lose.A maiden Test hundred off just 114 balls, full of gloriously languid drives and flicks that rivalled the watching Mark Waugh’s repertoire, grew into an innings of 167 with 27 boundaries. As he walked off the field to applause from the Australians on the field and in the stands, it was just the start of Laxman’s very, very special love affair with Australia.By Shashank KishoreWatch the highlights of these performances on the Star Sports network at 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm IST, from November 2 onwards.Rishabh Pant helped India achieve the unimaginable at the Gabba•Patrick Hamilton/AFP/Getty ImagesRishabh Pant – 89* in Brisbane, 2021India won by three wickets, and the series 2-1All the things that didn’t make sense on this tour – India all out for 36, their three jillion injuries, the hassle of cricket in quarantine – found meaning when Rishabh Pant began to play the innings of a lifetime. He was 23 and he helped obliterate a record that had stood for way longer than he’d been alive. Australia’s undefeated streak in Brisbane was 32 years old when it was finally laid to rest. “This is one of the biggest things in my life right now,” Pant said after a performance that proved just how dangerous a batter he could be when he adopts even the smallest bit of restraint.Chasing 328 at the Gabba – 324 on the final day – India still needed 161 runs with about 43 overs to go when Pant walked in at No. 5. He got going, and kept going, even as wickets fell and the overs ticked by. Eventually, with only minutes left on the clock, he lashed Josh Hazlewood down the ground to accomplish one of the greatest series wins in Test history.By Alagappan Muthu

Danni Wyatt-Hodge fifty sets hosts up for success

ECB Media10-Aug-2025Southern Brave made it two from two in this year’s competition, as Sophie Devine starred in a 15-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix in front of a record crowd at Utilita Bowl.A crowd of 11,167 turned out in the Hampshire sunshine to see the home side prevail in a game which see-sawed throughout but was ultimately decided by the regular wickets Brave took throughout the Phoenix run chase.Both teams came into today’s game off the back of strong opening wins, with Phoenix winning the toss and opting to field. Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s 59 from 39 balls was the foundation for the Brave’s total of 139, ably supported by Laura Wolvaardt (28) and Devine (27).After a good start from Brave, Phoenix came back into the first innings, restraining the home side in the last 25 balls. At one stage, a big score was on the cards but, led by Megan Schutt (2 for 23 from 20 balls) and then Em Arlott (2 for 19 from 20 balls) at the death, Brave faltered to 139 with only 19 coming from the last 15 balls.Southern Brave took the early wickers of Emma Lamb and Georgia Voll, both of whom had done well in the Phoenix’s first game. Ellyse Perry and Amy Jones then steadied the ship and looked comfortable in their efforts to knock off the total.When Jones was out for 20, Sterre Kalis took over the charge to the finish, with Phoenix needing 45 from the final 30 balls. However, when Perry was caught well in the deep by Mady Villiers for 26 from 21 balls, Kalis accelerated but ultimately ran out of support, and Phoenix were bowled out with two balls to spare, 15 short.The Brave bowling performance was headlined by Lauren Bell taking 3 for 17 from 19 balls, with Devine’s 2 for 28 and Tilly Corteen-Coleman’s 2 for 16 also doing damage.With her 27 runs, two wickets and a run out, Devine, the Meerkat Match Hero said: “I’m really pleased about the result. Danni (Wyatt-Hodge) was outstanding. The way she set up the game, it was trickier than she made it look. It was a great game for us and nice to do it in front of the home crowd.”It is always nice to perform against teams you have previously played for. Every game is on the line and you have to be good. We have to keep sharp and keep learning. I have not played a lot of cricket over the last few months and was probably swinging like a rusty gate. I’ve played enough cricket to know that it will come. When you have someone like her (Wyatt-Hodge), it makes easier. If I can contribute in any way, that is what I am here for.”