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For the second time in a must-win game during West Indies’ tour of India, the home batsmen stood up to post a well-above-par total. Often, during the last four-five years, the batsmen could have been accused of conservative batting, leaving the bowlers seemingly impressive but ultimately subpar totals to defend. Not in Mumbai in the T20I decider, not in Visakhapatnam when asked to bat to keep the ODI series alive.What they got was a glimpse of what their outrageously talented batting unit can achieve when they go all out to give their under-pressure bowling a total to defend in the dew. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul scored hundreds in a 37-over partnership, and Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer followed up by unleashing mayhem in the last 10 overs.In the end, India had a total of 387 at a ground where West Indies tied a chase of 321 last year. The way Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope went after the middle overs, India would have been thankful for those extra 60 runs.Rohit fell for 159 in the 44th over, his eighth score of 150 or more, which was an improvement on the record he already holds, but the headline at that moment was that he had fallen short of a fourth double, which would have been an improvement on another record he already holds. By the end of it, West Indies would have hoped Rohit had got his double because his replacement Pant took the carnage to another level. Pant’s 19-ball 36 forced West Indies to go for the offspin of Roston Chase; a reputed power hitter against spin, Iyer cashed in with a 31-run over to finish on 53 off 32. The two added 73 in four overs.A chart-topper from the Rohit Sharma pull playlist•BCCI

A pleasing sign for the team management will be that it wasn’t just the youngsters batting to their murderous potential. Rahul and Rohit began the attempts to increase the scoring rate from the 21st over onwards. The start had been good in flat conditions with Rahul not letting India feel the pinch of a slightly but typically slow Rohit start. India were 98 in 20 overs, an old recipe for a seemingly effortless score of 320-330 for India. Soon they showed they were not going to be happy with that.In the next five overs, India took 47 runs, with Rohit helping himself to five fours and Rahul to four. West Indies were desperate for a quiet spell of play for which they needed a wicket in order to tie the new man in. That opportunity came when Rohit threw his bat at Chase in the 28th over, but Shimron Hetmyer dropped the catch running in from long-off. Soon Rohit hit another gear while Rahul could cruise towards his hundred at a run a ball.There was all kinds of incredible hitting happening now: straight hits, hits over cover, using the pace to dunk balls over short fine leg. It was in the 37th over that Alzarri Joseph managed to get rid of Rahul. Kieron Pollard managed to follow it up with a golden duck for Virat Kohli. And yet it failed to produce that slow spell.Rohit went on hitting at will while Iyer scored at a run a ball. The first signs of fatigue showed in the 43rd over. Rohit had scored 55 off 29 after reaching his hundred. Against the left-arm spin of Khary Pierre, though, he swung and missed a bit, and that brought about his dismissal in the next over.West Indies were hoping for a slowdown to carry some momentum into the chase, but they also had two of India’s strongest power hitters to contend with. Pant played havoc with West Indies’ bowler of the tour, Sheldon Cottrell. His two sixes over the off side – his less-favoured flank – off Joseph made Cottrell go straight but with similar results. A 24-run over from Cottrell brought Chase on, whom Iyer hit for four sixes and a four. At 217, this was the third-highest toll India had taken of the last 20 overs in an ODI innings.Kuldeep Yadav completes his action•BCCI

West Indies would have hoped to enter those last 20 overs with the game still alive. India would have known they couldn’t afford to sit back and just defend especially because the pitch quickens under lights, and the dew makes the outfield quicker. The move to bring in Shardul Thakur, a specialist bowler, for the allrounder Shivam Dube paid dividends when he got Evin lewis with a bouncer in the 11th over. Soon, Iyer’s sensational fielding, and the rare turning delivery from Ravindra Jadeja made it 86 for 3 after 16 overs.West Indies’ response was to counterattack. Pooran and Hope went after most of the bowling. Catches began to go down. Quick hits began to slip out of hands. Jadeja was hit out. Deepak Chahar didn’t have much impact. Somehow, they managed to get the better of Kuldeep Yadav too. Mohammed Shami’s first ball back was flicked disdainfully for a six. In 29 overs, West Indies had 192 for 3. They still had a long way to go, but it appeared they wouldn’t be out of it going into the last 20 overs.That’s when Shami happened. In his second over back, he bowled the perfect bouncer to Pooran, wide enough for him to have to drag his pull. That the top edge still nearly carried for a six showed the importance of the line. Kuldeep didn’t drop it this time. A full ball first ball made Pollard the second captain to register a golden duck on the day.West Indies now began to swing their bats, and Kuldeep was clever enough to register his second ODI hat-trick to kill the game off.

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has withdrawn its ongoing court case against CSA, which related to a proposed restructure of the domestic game. The parties have agreed to a joint consultation and review process, to be completed by the end of June 2020, following the Members’ Council decision to rescind the plan to eliminate the six franchises that formed the premier tier of domestic cricket and revert to a 12-team provincial set-up, as was the case pre-2004-05.As reported by ESPNcricinfo last month, the Members’ Council, a body made up of 14 provincial presidents who form CSA’s affiliates, backtracked on their plan, which SACA claimed would cause up to 70 cricketers to lose their jobs. The Members’ Council initially proposed a more streamlined set-up as a way to cut costs, with CSA projecting substantial losses – their own estimates were R654 million (US$43.3m) but SACA put the amount closer to R1 billion (US$66.2m) – in the next four-year cycle.Currently, CSA financially props up a two-tier domestic system, which includes six franchises playing four-day first-class cricket and 14 semi-professional teams, who play three-day first-class cricket. All 20 teams receive CSA grants. The Members’ Council believed that culling the franchises would save CSA money. However, SACA argued it would lead to job losses and a decrease in the quality of domestic cricket.The players’ body also claimed it was not consulted about the plan to alter the domestic landscape and, in May last year, launched a case in the Johannesburg High Court asking CSA to show-cause for the restructure. CSA only filed answering papers seven months later, in November. In between, the relationship between the two organisations hit an all-time low, as CSA delayed payments of commercial rights fees and excluded SACA officials from high-level meetings.In December 2019, CSA underwent a major overhaul, which included the suspension of CEO Thabang Moroe. Jacques Faul was appointed acting CEO and one of his most pressing tasks was to repair the relationship with SACA, which hinged significantly on the domestic restructure. Weeks of meetings resulted in CSA and SACA agreeing to work together and the bodies released a joint statement on Friday afternoon confirming their new-found consensus.SACA’s president, Omphile Ramela, called it a “good day for cricket in South Africa”, while Faul said he hoped it would stop the talent drain. “This confirms that we have got our partnership relationship with SACA back on track and it will give everybody, especially our players, certainty and security on the road ahead,” Faul said. “It is an important part of the process to encourage them [the players] to stay in our system rather than seek opportunities abroad.”Exactly what this means for the 2020-21 season is yet to be revealed. With player contracts due to expire in April it will need swift work if a change in the structure is to succeed. ESPNcricinfo understands that one of the options being considered is an eight-team franchise structure, with provincial teams returning to amateur status.The future of the Mzansi Super League (MSL) will also be a key consideration with CSA running the tournament at a loss of more than R100 million (US$6.6m) in each of its two editions so far, following a failure to sell television rights. CSA has been holding talks with pay-television producers SuperSport in recent weeks, and although their broadcast deal will only be renegotiated next year, the MSL is understood to be an important point of discussion between the parties.

The Sydney Thunder would not have qualified for any Big Bash League finals series before this one. Having benefited from the addition of a fifth team, they are now a game from playing off for the trophy against the Sydney Sixers after edging past the Adelaide Strikers in a nervy-wracked affair at Adelaide Oval.All three BBL finals so far have been won by the team batting first, and once again the pressure of the situation got to the Strikers just as they appeared set to run down the Thunder’s 7 for 151. From 3 for 115 needing 37 from 31 balls, the Strikers lost 6 for 24 to ultimately fall nine runs short of winning through to face the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Thursday night.Chris Morris celebrates the wicket of Matt Short•Getty Images

The tale of the game was ultimately told in how the Thunder captain Callum Ferguson was able to rely upon three outstanding spells from Jono Cook, Daniel Sams and Chris Morris, whereas the Strikers’ otherwise excellent bowling display had been let down by Billy Stanlake and Wes Agar leaking 75 off seven overs between them.Hales feasts on short stuffHeavy rain in Adelaide had provoked doubt over whether the match would begin on time or even be completed at all, but the skies cleared and the ground drained with more than enough time to spare. The weather left in its wake a fresher pitch than usual for an Adelaide Oval T20 match, convincing the Strikers captain Travis Head to send the Thunder in, having batted fist whenever possible in earlier home matches.The strategy for the Strikers, then, would have appeared obvious, in terms of bowling a little fuller than usual to seek movement and outside edges. However, Stanlake and Agar appeared not to have got the memo, dropping down obligingly short for Usman Khawaja briefly and then Alex Hales at length to use their power off the back foot. Siddle and Michael Neser were far more intelligent in their approaches, often beating the bat whenever they bowled a driveable length, meaning the Thunder scorecard soon developed a lopsided appearance.Strikers keep Thunder middle order quietSo while Hales scored freely, others struggled, though Ferguson was very unfortunate to be fired out lbw to Siddle by the umpire Paul Wilson – the ball looked to be comfortably clearing the stumps as the batsman tried to pull it. Hales’ innings was ended when he misread a Rashid Khan leg break as a wrong’un and edged it tamely to point, and the sight of Arjun Nair walking out to bat at No. 5 did not say much for the Thunder’s batting depth.Consequently, the innings gradually decelerated, as 2 for 89 after 11 overs deteriorated to 7 for 151 after 20. While Stanlake and Agar went for 75 between them from seven overs the e other Strikers bowlers cost just 76 from the remaining 13, and only Morris could pass 20 from among the Thunder’s middle-order players.Hosts’ chase begins uncertainlyThere was some excellent bowling upfront by the Thunder to give themselves a chance of defending their mediocre tally. Sams flummoxed Phil Salt with a slower ball to draw a catch to mid-on, Jake Weatherald was hurried out by an excellent bouncer from Chris Tremain, and Head, after looking composed and proactive, contrived to drag Cook’s wrist spin onto the stumps to have the Strikers uncertainly placed at 3 for 65 in the 10th over.But the depth of the Strikers’ batting line-up was underlined by the fact they had Jon Wells – the leading middle-order batsman in the tournament – coming in at No. 5 whereas the Thunder had needed to send in Nair. What followed was a 50-run stand in 35 balls between Wells and Alex Carey, as the target was quickly whittled down through deft placement and strategically timed boundaries. It was a surprise, in fact, when Carey was run out by a direct hit from Ferguson, leaving Wells with the primary responsibility.Thunder squeak home at the lastHe could only watch at the non-striker’s end as Rashid slogged Cook into the outfield to leave him with another fine set of figures, and Matt Short was then pinned lbw by a Morris delivery that was swift and straight. Wells and Neser then allowed the equation to drift out to 34 required from the final three overs, before they sized up Tremain. Neser’s obvious intention to walk towards the off side had Tremain bowling wide, and four times in the 18th over he pitched on our outside the tram lines to hand the Strikers a run.Two more boundaries meant the over cost 16 all up, and though Neser and Siddle departed in the penultimate over, Wells was left on strike needing 13 from the 20th. Given his tournament, Wells could reasonably have been expected to do the trick, but he edged an eminently cuttable Morris delivery first ball to depart, and more or less decide the game. The Thunder had, remarkably, required the bottom Melbourne Renegades to beat the Brisbane Heat to reach the finals at all, and now they are a game from a competition decider against their crosstown rivals.

As may happen with many leagues and tournaments around the world, the Sheffield Shield was decided in the boardroom rather than on the pitch as coronavirus brought the Australian summer to an early and abrupt finish, but few could argue that New South Wales were not deserving of the title even if it will always be linked to extraordinary circumstances.As Kevin Roberts, the Cricket Australia chief executive, admitted six wins in nine matches and being more than 12 points clear when the final round of matches was abandoned made the decision somewhat easier to come to even if, unlike some first-class competitions around the world, the Sheffield Shield has a final to determine the winner.ALSO READ: ESPNcricinfo Sheffield Shield team of the season We’ll never know if those jostling for second spot – Victoria, the defending champions, had it in their control but Queensland were pushing hard – could have turned over New South Wales in Wollongong, but from the regular season matches played, the Blues were well ahead of the pack.”Obviously pretty strange circumstances but very proud of how the team played and the efforts of the whole squad,” captain Peter Nevill told ESPNcricinfo. “The strength of our squad has been a real positive for us, guys who have been dominating grade cricket and 2nd XI cricket have been unable to get opportunities. We built an environment that’s enabled us to breed a bit of success and it’s very satisfying after falling short last year to win this year.”New South Wales had all-but secured a home final before Christmas after winning five of their six matches ahead of the Big Bash break. They were less consistent when the season resumed, losing to Victoria at the SCG and Tasmania in Hobart, but an impressive victory against South Australia rubber-stamped top spot and that win was one that stood out for Nevill.”We had some very good wins throughout the season. I think probably one that does stand out is beating South Australia at Bankstown on a very docile wicket,” he said. “We changed tactic and just focused on using the short ball, going round the wicket, I think if we’d just stayed over the wicket and bowled at the stumps all the time with straight fields we wouldn’t have got the result.”Before Christmas, Australia’s schedule and selections meant New South Wales were able to see a decent amount of their international players. The bowling attack for the match against Western Australia at the SCG in December featured Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood. Overall they got three appearances from Starc and Steven Smith, along with two from David Warner and Hazlewood, plus six from Nathan Lyon who was not needed for Australia’s limited-overs teams.Trent Copeland celebrates another scalp•Getty Images

However, it was the performances of other names that highlighted New South Wales’ depth. Harry Conway took 25 wickets at 21.32 and Trent Copeland 25 wickets at 31.88. With the bat, Daniel Hughes was their leading run-scorer with 665 at 44.33, while Moises Henriques made 512 at 51.20 and Daniel Solway, who scored a hundred on his debut against South Australia, finished with 498 at 55.33.”Harry Conway had an outstanding season, sometimes you have the Australian bowling attack available for us so it’s a tough call for some people to miss out but he had an excellent summer,” Nevill said. “Guys like Dan Solway and Liam Hatcher, they got their opportunities because they absolutely banged the door down. You know they are going to come out and do a good job for you because they’ve performed so well to get their opportunity.”Copeland, meanwhile, played eight of the nine matches and bowled comfortably the most overs as he sent down 304. “I’m very lucky, spoilt to have him,” Nevill said. “He’s been such a consistent performer, he leads our bowling attack and does it exceptionally well. He’s great at bringing younger fast bowlers through as well, shares his knowledge freely and as a captain it’s very difficult to get the ball out of his hand. He’ll bowl all day for you. He’s a metronome, he just keeps going.”Australia’s next assignment is due to be a two-Test tour to Bangladesh in June although that must now be in severe doubt given the level and scope of travel restrictions around the world. However, if the situation does improve, Nevill believes Henriques has made his case for an international recall.”His performances have been outstanding for a number of years, he has a great cricket brain, a lot of experience, especially with the next assignment being Bangladesh he is a guy that has all the attributes to be successful in subcontinent conditions. His playing of spin, especially, is exceptional and he’s got a happy knack of whenever he does get the ball he always picks up wickets. I think he’s someone who has put his name forward and I hope for his sake that he gets on that tour if it does go ahead.”

Nottinghamshire have cancelled Mohammad Abbas’ contract with the club, but held out hope that he would be able to represent them at some point in the future.Abbas had been contracted to play nine County Championship fixtures before the season was pushed back because of the Covid-19 pandemic. County chief executives are hoping that some form of regionalised red-ball cricket competition would be possible starting in August, when Abbas would be playing in Pakistan’s Test series in England.”We hope that circumstances will allow Mohammad to play some Test cricket in England this summer for Pakistan, and will certainly be watching with interest,” Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, said. “His ability, nous and experience have made him a threatening proposition in English conditions, and whilst it’s impossible for him to link up with us this year, we’re certainly not closing the door on welcoming him to Trent Bridge in the future.”The reported that the club remained hopeful that Dan Christian would be available to play in the T20 Blast if it is possible to stage the tournament, and that they had planned to bring back Imad Wasim after his successful spell with them in last season’s edition. Imad is part of Pakistan’s 29-man touring party, and could be available if the Blast gets underway in September.

Playing late. Kraigg Brathwaite pithily explained it is the best way to succeed in England as a batsman. Brathwaite’s 65 was his first half-century in 21 innings. On the previous tour of England in 2017, along with Shai Hope, Brathwaite was West Indies’ best batsman. But no one remembers what Brathwaite did in the three years since then. Technical errors piled up as the runs turned into drip feed.On Friday, Brathwaite showed West Indies the way. He set the template of how to bat in England. Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase followed Brathwaite’s counsel to put West Indies in a position of control if not complete command of this first Test.The challenge for West Indies was whether their batsmen could bat out the entire day to gain a significant lead. West Indies had done that twice against England in 2019, in two of the three Tests, but that was at home. Overseas, only once since 2017 have West Indies managed to bat out a day (minimum 80 overs) without losing 10 wickets away from home – against India in Hyderabad three years ago.Luckily for the visitors the weather forecast for the last three days of this Test was sunny – the best time to make runs. Brathwaite and Hope ticked the first requirement – see off the first hour. They played out 15 overs, denying James Anderson, Jofra Archer Mark Wood and England captain Ben Stokes the luxury of taking the upper hand they are normally accustomed to.Kraigg Brathwaite bats•Getty Images

It was Brathwaite who looked at ease more than Hope. Brathwaite played the ball as late as possible, in his own words, under his eye line. And as Brian Lara had advised, Brathwaite protected his wicket. Watchful he was, but he was also keeping the scoreboard ticking. Talking with the host broadcaster Sky Sports, Brathwaite said he had made a few technical changes including opening up his stance to counter mainly the incoming delivery, which is prevalent in English conditions.At the other end Hope was stacking up the dots: he had as many as 25 dot balls in his first 30. As he scratched for runs, Archer tested Hope’s patience. In his fourth over Archer attacked Hope on the off stump. Hope had picked a four off his fellow Barbadian, but that was a leading edge which he had attempted originally to respond to by closing the face of the bat.Hope tried that again, attempting to push towards the leg side, to a delivery Archer pitched slightly fuller on the length, just outside off stump. He got rapped on the pads and it looked plumb. Hope asked for the review after brief discussion with Brathwaite. Luckikly for him Archer had bowled a no ball.The relief, if any, was short-lived. In the next over, Hope played with hard hands at a ball that was drifting away from Dom Bess and Stokes picked up an easy catch at slip.ALSO READ: Brathwaite, Dowrich steer WI into commanding positionHis replacement, Shamarh Brooks, did everything that Hope failed to: he played with an assurance and freedom of mind. It transferred the pressure on to the bowler. It also allowed Brathwaite to relax as he picked two fours off Stokes before he was unlucky with the umpire’s call in the same over.If Brooks went on the front foot before lunch, after the break he was pushed to play on the back foot as Anderson pushed the length slightly back and found a hint of movement. Brooks became circumspect and was soon caught behind.Jermaine Blackwood left the Caribbean saying he would “bat as long as possible” in England to erase that fraught assessment pundits had formed of him: as a “ball beater”. Off his third ball, he attempted to loft Anderson over his head, but had to check his drive at the last minute. Anderson would soon deliver him a maiden over. Blackwood was restless. A short time later, when Bess came on, Blackwood indulged in over-confidence: he charged the offspinner to hole out straight to Anderson at wide mid-off. Bess, Stokes and England let out a guffaw as a disgruntled Blackwood rapped his pads.ALSO READ: Blackwood ‘more determined, more focused after being dropped’The visitors were once again learning one of Test cricket’s key lessons: an advantage can slip from the hand like a fistful of sand.Luckily for them, Chase was guarding one end sensibly in the afternoon. For company he had an able hand in Dowrich. Like Brathwaite, Chase played time initially. He was happy to defend or leave out as many deliveries as possible. But it was part of the plan. To blunt the bowler’s plans, to be watchful before scoring freely. In his 142-ball innings, Chase defended nearly half the deliveries (68). He barely scored 20 runs in the second session without once looking impatient.England took the second new ball in the first over after tea. First ball, from Anderson, Chase punched a firm cover drive, a four, his best stroke of the day. When Archer pitched a hit-me ball on his legs, Chase obliged with a flicked four. The new cherry was losing its shine quickly as West Indies bulilt the lead.Chase was comfortable now dealing the testing lines of Anderson – in the channel – and the rib-ticklers form Archer. That is what happens when batsmen talk about the importance of playing time – they get settled in their mind, the impulsive strokes recede, their eyes zoom in on the bowler’s wrist and shine, their feet move according to the delivery. Everything goes like clockwork.Shane Dowrich drives the ball•Getty Images

Dowrich, too, assumed the go-steady template after picking two fours in his first three deliveries against Bess, both played on the front foot, both punched with conviction – one a straight drive and the next through covers. Some might have got the early feeling that Dowrich wanted to take Bess out of the attack. Numbers negate that perception: according to ESPNcricinfo’s bbb data, of the 115 deliveries he played today, Dowrich showed aggressive intent only on eight occasions.Similarly, Chase showed aggressive intent only seven times during his 194-minute vigil, same as Brathwaite, who lasted 125 balls. Dowrich, Chase and Brathwaite were the only three batsmen who played out more than 100 deliveries in West Indies’ innings. The bbb data also shows those were the only three batsmen with high in-control numbers: Chase (82), Brathwaite (80) and Dowrich (71).Brathwaite, Dowrich and Chase were the only three batsmen who showed the discipline that West Indies had talked about in the lead up to the series. They failed to convert their starts into big scores, but they showed the likes of Hope, Brook and Blackwood the importance of patience.

The ICC is looking for a biosecurity manager for the women’s 50-over World Cup, as planning continues for an event around which there remains a fair amount of uncertainty. The World Cup is scheduled to take place in New Zealand in February and March 2021, but the ICC is yet to officially take a call on its status, although the Board will meet on Friday to discuss this and other ICC events.It is not necessary that a decision on the tournament has to be taken then, especially as there is still some distance to be covered between now and the tournament. But plenty remains to be done, not least a place to host the qualifiers – postponed indefinitely from July 2020 in Sri Lanka because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As of now, only England, Australia, South Africa, India and hosts New Zealand are confirmed participants; three more spots are to be filled via the qualifiers. The UAE has come up in discussions as a venue, though the IPL window, which runs until November 10, squeezes that option a little.Biosecurity protocols have already been drawn up by the World Cup’s organising committee, in consultation with the ICC, New Zealand Cricket, and the New Zealand government. It’s understood that the role of the biosecurity manager would be to implement those. One part of that plan would involve teams arriving two weeks earlier than planned. Quarantine regulations in New Zealand currently require a two-week isolation period after entering the country. Teams were originally expected to arrive in New Zealand towards the end of January, but an earlier arrival would impact cost considerations for the tournament.For the moment, planning for the tournament involves fans at the ground. New Zealand has been one of the countries least affected worldwide by the pandemic, and following a strict lockdown that began in March, is now all but virus-free (New Zealand’s ministry of health website recorded figures for August 5 as 24 active cases, with two changes in the count in the previous 24 hours). Spectators have been present at rugby games in the country, without limitation, since mid-June and there are few restrictions once visitors have completed their two-week quarantine.Tickets are not yet on sale for the tournament and, unless late developments change things, they are likely to go on sale sometime in September or October.

Rajasthan Royals fielding coach, and former Rajasthan wicketkeeper, Dishant Yagnik has tested positive for Covid-19, the franchise confirmed in a statement on Wednesday. He is currently in his hometown of Udaipur and has been advised to get admitted to a hospital for a 14-day quarantine.The Covid-19 tests for the Royals players and support staff were conducted before they were to assemble in Mumbai next week before flying to the UAE for IPL 2020. After his 14-day quarantine, Yagnik will undergo two more tests as per the BCCI’s protocols. If he tests negative in both, he can leave for the UAE where he will have to self-isolate for six days before undergoing three more tests. Only after clearing those, he would be allowed to join the team.”The franchise implemented an extra test for all players, support staff and management travelling to the UAE in addition to the two tests recommended by BCCI, to ensure as robust a process as possible,” the Royals statement said. “We request everyone who has been in close proximity to Dishant in the past 10 days to self isolate and get tested for COVID-19.”We can confirm that no Rajasthan Royals or other IPL players have been in close proximity to Dishant in the past 10 days. We wish Dishant a speedy recovery and look forward to him joining the Royals camp soon in the UAE.” Yagnik had played for the Royals in the IPL from 2011 to 2014 and in the Champions League T20 in 2013, for a total of 27 matches. He has also represented Rajasthan across formats in the Indian domestic circuit, from 2002-03 to 2017. Recently, he had been roped in as Puducherry’s fielding coach for the 2020-21 domestic season.

An expertly paced 132 not out of 69 balls from KL Rahul – the highest score by an Indian in the IPL and fourth highest overall – formed the centerpiece of the Kings XI Punjab’s 206 for 3, as they flattened the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai.After raising his first fifty off 36 balls, Rahul zipped away to his second off a mere 26 balls. Along the way, he was reprieved twice in the outfield by Virat Kohli in the 17th and 18th overs. After that second drop, Rahul tore into Dale Steyn and Shivam Dube at the death, cracking 42 off nine balls.

Kohli fined INR 12 lakh for slow over-rate

Virat Kohli became the first captain in IPL 2020 to be fined for slow over-rate. He was fined INR 12 lakh as it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s code of conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences.

Facing a steep target, the Royal Challengers rejigged their batting line-up by bumping rookie Josh Phillipe to No. 3, but they crashed to 4 for 3 and then 57 for 5. After left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell bounced out Devdutt Padikkal and Kohli for 1 each, Kings XI’s twin legspinners Ravi Bishnoi and M Ashwin exploited a right-hander heavy Royal Challengers line-up to skittle them for 109 in 17 overs.Profligate RCB, prolific Kings XI
On a fresh, true pitch, Umesh Yadav allowed Rahul and Mayank Agarwal to ease themselves in by bowling looseners down the leg side. At the other end, Steyn pushed the ball wide of off and gave up back-to-back to fours to Rahul in the second over of the match. Then, when first-change Navdeep Saini offered a wide full-toss, Agarwal creamed it through extra-cover as the Kings XI surged to 50 for 0 in six overs.Enter Yuzvendra Chahal. Exit Agarwal. The spinner unleashed a quicker wrong ‘un and stormed through the defences of Agarwal to trigger a brief slowdown along with offspinner Washington Sundar. After managing just 11 off 13 balls against the spinners, Nicholas Pooran attempted to line up seam-bowling allrounder Dube, but instead he holed out for 17 off 18 balls.The return of Yadav and Saini, however, loosened the spinners’ grip. Another freebie on the pads, another overpitched delivery outside off meant Rahul could pick up the pace.Rahul hits top gear
After a productive powerplay, ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster reckoned that the Kings XI would finish with 180. Such a tall total seemed unlikely when Dube also tricked Glenn Maxwell with an offcutter, but Rahul, aided by the two drops, ensured his side breached 200.ALSO SEE: Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore live score 24th September 2020 He went 6,4,6,6,4 against Steyn and 4,6,6 against Dube to cap the innings for Kings XI and snatch the orange cap – reserved for the tournament’s leading run-scorer – for himself. All up, Kings XI pillaged 74 off their last four overs. Dube had plucked out an injured Mitchell Marsh at the death in the Royal Challengers’ opening win, but, perhaps, it wasn’t a wise option to use him again during this phase, especially against a rampaging Rahul. Saini, who can bowl yorkers at speeds upwards of 140kph and also cut his pace down, ultimately bowled just one over at the death while Sundar sent down only two overs overall for 13 runs.(Leg)spin to win
If the Royal Challengers were to have a proper crack at 207, they needed a strong start from their top order. However, it was not to be, with Cottrell striking twice in his first two overs. The promoted Phillipe shuffled across and missed a straight one from Mohammed Shami before Aaron Finch and AB de Villiers threatened a comeback. Finch kept jumping outside leg to throw Bishnoi off his lines and lengths, but the 20-year-old held his own and knocked him over with a slider. Rahul then matched up Ashwin with de Villiers and had him carving a catch to sweeper cover for 28 off 18 balls. Finch and de Villiers aside, Sundar (30) was the only other Royal Challengers batsman to pass 15 as their middle and lower order came into sharp focus once again. Ashwin and Bishnoi came away with three wickets each, applying the finishing touches.

Big picture

Four days can be a long time in franchise cricket. The Delhi Capitals came away with a convincing 46-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals on October 9, which was then the fourth successive defeat for Steven Smith’s men in the league.The road has been a little uphill for the Capitals since. They lost Rishabh Pant to a hamstring injury, and swapping Alex Carey for him as wicketkeeper meant they had to rest Shimron Hetmyer just as he was hitting his straps in the middle order. Following an insipid performance against fellow pace-setters Mumbai Indians on Sunday, the experienced Ishant Sharma has also been ruled out of the tournament with an abdominal muscle tear. Form and team balance are both delicate matters in a fast-paced league where teams have very little time to recalibrate their plans, and the Capitals know that despite having bagged five wins in their first seven games, the margin of error is very small with many teams behind them on the points table beginning to look a lot more settled in recent times.ALSO READ: DC vs RR Fantasy Pick – Choose more Delhi Capitals playersThe same day that the Capitals slipped up against the Mumbai Indians, the Royals were hauled back from the brink against the Sunrisers Hyderabad by Riyan Parag and, again, Rahul Tewatia. Their five-wicket win was entertaining, and perhaps didn’t warrant as much drama as it did, because their bowlers had put in a disciplined performance to restrict the Sunrisers to 158. If their batting fires as a unit, the Royals could still emerge as one of the dark horses at the back end of the league stages.

In the news

• Marcus Stoinis has emerged as a key player for the Capitals, and Pant’s absence probably adds greater value to his wicket in the middle order. In terms of numbers, Stoinis has had more prolific IPL seasons than the current one, but his 175 runs have come at an excellent strike rate of 175 this time, together with an average of 35, and that makes his ability to pick up the pace in the middle and late overs vital for the Capitals. His six wickets with the ball have just been a bonus.
• Tewatia is now doing enough on a regular basis to be considered a key player in the Royals set up. He has contributed with both bat and ball to all of the wins that the Royals have had – 3 for 33 against the Chennai Super Kings, 53 off 31 against the Kings XI Punjab, and 45* off 28 against the Sunrisers. With the pitches beginning to show signs of wear, his bowling can become more central to Smith’s plans, with the clever variations of pace and line making him a difficult bowler to take on for rival batsmen.

When they last met

Some disciplined lines by the Royals bowlers, and an electric bit of fielding by Yashasvi Jaiswal left the Capitals at a precarious 50 for 3 after the powerplay. The middle overs were powered by Stoinis (39) and Hetmyer (45), before Harshal Patel and Axar Patel took Delhi to 184 for 8. In reply, the Royals never really took off once Jos Buttler fell early, and Jaiswal’s inability to force the pace saw him finish with 34 off 36. All six bowlers used by Shreyas Iyer chipped in with wickets, with Kagiso Rabada (3 for 35) and R Ashwin (2 for 22) the standout performers.Rahul Tewatia has been at the centre of some remarkable Rajasthan Royals turnarounds•BCCI

Likely XIs

Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Harshal Patel, 8 Axar Patel, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Kagiso Rabada 11 Anrich Nortje
Rajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler (wk), 2 Ben Stokes, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Sanju Samson, 5 Robin Uthappa/Yashasvi Jaiswal, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Shreyas Gopal, 10 Kartik Tyagi, 11 Jaydev Unadkat

Strategy punts

• With spin beginning to play a bigger role in the tournament, and the Royals’ top three likely to be made up of three overseas players, the Capitals management might be tempted to bring in wristspinner Sandeep Lamichhane. While this would help add heft to the spin department, with both Patel and R Ashwin in good form, it could also mean having to drop one of Stoinis or Anrich Nortje, who have both been vital to the team’s performance in the first seven games. With no clear replacement for Carey and Rabada as the other foreign players, that would be a big call to take.
• Shreyas Gopal has an outstanding record against most of the batsmen in the Capitals’ top order. He has dismissed Prithvi Shaw both the times they have faced off, with Shaw scoring at just 7 against him. Iyer averages 8.5, with two dismissals in four innings, and the legspinner has also picked up the wickets of Dhawan, Rahane and Stoinis in past encounters. Expect Smith to attack the Capitals with spin early, possibly even in the first over.

Stats that matter

• In 21 matches between these teams, the Royals hold a narrow 11-10 lead in terms of wins, but haven’t beaten the Capitals since a 10 run-win (DLS method) in Jaipur on April 11, 2018.
• At the halfway stage, these two teams represent the best and worst bowling units of the eight teams in terms of wickets taken, average and economy. The Capitals have 51 wickets at an average of 21.6 and an economy of 7.9, while the corresponding numbers for the Royals are 32, 40.3 and 9.3.
• The Royals average just 13.42 for the first wicket this IPL, with the top partnership in the first seven matches being a meagre 27. Buttler could hold the key to them reversing this trend against a team that he likes facing – his fastest T20 fifty came against them off 18 balls in 2018.
• Dhawan needs five runs to bring up 7500 runs in T20 cricket.
• Rabada needs two wickets to bring up 50 wickets in the IPL.
• Smith, who would be playing his 200th T20 match, needs 79 runs to reach 1000 IPL runs for the Royals.