Cricket

Punjab Kings' Harshal Patel has etched his name in the franchise's history books by equaling Andrew Tye's record for the most wickets in a single Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Patel achieved this milestone in the team's final league stage match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday.In the game, Patel took 2/49 in four overs, dismissing Rahul Tripathi and Nitish Kumar Reddy. With this performance, he has now taken 24 wickets in the ongoing season, surpassing his previous best of 21 wickets in 2021. Patel's impressive bowling has been a key factor in Punjab's improved performance this season, as they finished with five wins and nine losses.Patel's achievement is even more remarkable considering that he has bowled with an economy rate of just 9.73, the lowest among all bowlers with 20 or more wickets this season. His best bowling figures of 3/15 came against Chennai Super Kings in Match 13.Patel's success has not gone unnoticed, as he is currently the leading wicket-taker in the IPL 2023 season. However, he will not have the opportunity to add to his tally as Punjab failed to qualify for the playoffs.Andrew Tye (24 wickets in 2018), Kagiso Rabada (23 wickets in 2022), and Mohammed Shami (20 wickets in 2020) are the other bowlers who have taken the most wickets in a single IPL season for Punjab.In the match against SRH, Punjab Kings won the toss and elected to bat first. A blistering half-century from Prabhsimran Singh (71 off 45 balls) and contributions from Rilee Rossouw (49 off 24 balls) and Atharva Taide (46 off 27 balls) propelled them to a formidable total of 214/5.In response, SRH chased down the target with five balls to spare, thanks to a quickfire fifty from Abhishek Sharma (66 off 28 balls) and valuable contributions from Nitish Kumar Reddy (37 off 25 balls) and Heinrich Klaasen (42 off 26 balls).Abhishek Sharma was adjudged the Player of the Match for his match-winning knock. SRH finished the league stage in second place with eight wins and five losses, while Punjab Kings finished ninth with five wins and nine losses.

The Australian cricket landscape is undergoing a significant shift as several prominent players have been left off state contract lists, opting for freelance opportunities in global franchise leagues. Among them are Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Behrendorff, and Andrew Tye, who have all been omitted from Western Australia's (WA) contract list for 2024-25.Agar's absence is particularly notable as the 30-year-old all-rounder has elected to pursue freelance opportunities globally, driven by limited playing time in WA's Sheffield Shield team last season. He has made this decision in consultation with WA's high-performance staff and Australia's selectors.By not taking a contract, Agar frees himself up to play in franchise leagues such as the SA20, ILT20, BPL, and PSL during Australia's domestic season. Tye, who signed a one-year deal with WA last season, has also opted to go freelance again, while Behrendorff will do so for the first time in his career.Despite not being contracted, Agar, Behrendorff, and Tye will remain involved in WA's program when not playing overseas. They will be selected for Marsh Cup games when available, and Agar remains keen to play Shield cricket if an opportunity arises.Stoinis, 34, is in a slightly different situation. He has not played for WA since March 2020 and is exploring the possibility of signing a year-round deal with his IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants. He has already played for the franchise's teams in the SA20 and IPL this year.Meanwhile, WA has added former New South Wales wicketkeeper Baxter Holt and Victoria quick Brody Couch to their squad. Holt is expected to get opportunities in Shield cricket, while Couch is looking for a fresh start after limited playing time in Victoria.