Cricket

West Indies' Stafanie Taylor and Afy Fletcher played pivotal roles in securing a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second T20I in Hambantota, leveling the three-match series 1-1.Chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 99 in 15 overs, Taylor's unbeaten 28 off 26 balls and Fletcher's four-wicket haul proved decisive. Taylor and captain Hayley Matthews provided a solid start with a 44-run partnership, keeping West Indies ahead of the DLS-par score.After Matthews' dismissal, Taylor anchored the chase, partnering with Shemaine Campbelle for 24 runs. Despite losing Campbelle, Qiana Joseph, and Chedean Nation, West Indies maintained a comfortable run rate. Aaliyah Alleyne sealed the victory with three boundaries in the penultimate over.Sri Lanka's innings was characterized by a slow start, with Vishmi Gunaratne and Chamari Athapaththu scoring 44 runs in 6.5 overs. Fletcher's spin proved effective, dismissing Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama. Gunaratne's 24 off 35 was ended by a Fletcher googly.Dilhari's late cameo of 14 not out off six balls hinted at a potential counterattack, but rain intervened, ending the innings after 15.2 overs.West Indies' victory marks their first of the tour and sets up an intriguing decider in the final T20I.

Virat Kohli's early dismissal left India reeling at 6 for 1 in the second over of their T20I clash against Australia. However, Rohit Sharma stepped up to the plate and unleashed a brutal assault on Mitchell Starc, turning the tide in India's favor.Starc's first delivery to Sharma was a full toss outside off stump, which the Indian opener dispatched over cover for a six. The next ball was another full delivery, this time wider, and Sharma again sent it soaring over the boundary at cover point.Sharma's onslaught continued with a powerful drive down the ground for four off the third ball. Starc's fourth delivery was a 144kph full toss outside off stump, and Sharma seized the opportunity to launch it into the crowd at deep midwicket for another six.Starc attempted to stem the flow of runs with a wide blockhole, but Sharma was unable to connect. The Australian pacer then overstepped, resulting in a wide.Undeterred, Starc persisted with the wide yorker, but this time it sailed outside the tramlines. Sharma capitalized on the full toss that followed, top-edging it over deep third for another six.Starc's expensive over ended with Sharma on 26 runs from just five deliveries. The Indian opener's blistering start gave India the momentum they needed to post a competitive total of 161 for 7.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is preparing to send a young Indian team to Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series in July, while the senior players rest ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.Shubman Gill is expected to lead the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav. The squad will likely include promising IPL stars like Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tushar Deshpande, and Harshit Rana.Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rinku Singh, who are currently with the Indian team in the USA and West Indies for the T20 World Cup, will also join the Zimbabwe-bound squad.With Gautam Gambhir's appointment as India's new head coach still pending, National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman is likely to accompany the team to Zimbabwe along with other coaches. Gambhir is expected to take over for the subsequent tour of Sri Lanka in late July.

England's T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand has been announced, with Sophia Dunkley making a swift return after being recalled to the ODI squad last week. The 16-strong squad remains largely unchanged from the one that defeated Pakistan 3-0 last month, with Freya Kemp set to feature as an allrounder as she continues her recovery from a back injury.Dunkley's recall is a testament to her impressive form at regional level, where she is the leading run-scorer in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. She has also performed well in the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition, scoring two half-centuries.Kemp, who made her international debut in 2022, has been gradually returning to action after suffering a back stress fracture during England's tour of the Caribbean. She has played as a batter only in recent months, but England head coach Jon Lewis hopes to see her bowl during the New Zealand series.The absence of Mahika Gaur from the squad is due to a side strain. Gaur, who made her ODI debut for England last year, will have finished her A-Levels by the time the T20Is start, but Lewis has indicated that she will be involved in squad activities as she continues her development.Lewis emphasized the importance of the New Zealand series as preparation for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year. He said, "This five-match series against a strong New Zealand side is really important for us and also vital preparation as we build towards the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh."

Marcus Stoinis Ascends to Top of ICC T20I All-Rounder RankingsMarcus Stoinis of Australia has emerged as the world's leading all-rounder in the latest ICC T20I rankings, dethroning Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi. Stoinis's exceptional performances in the ongoing T20 World Cup, where he has claimed six wickets and made significant contributions with the bat, have propelled him to the summit of the standings.Nabi, the former top-ranked all-rounder, has slipped three places to fourth position, behind Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, who have ascended to second and third positions, respectively.The rankings also reflect the impressive displays of West Indies' bowlers in the tournament. Akeal Hosein has soared six positions to become the second-ranked bowler, trailing only England's Adil Rashid. Alzarri Joseph has climbed six spots to 11th place, while Gudakesh Motie has surged 16 places to 13th.West Indies' wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran has also made significant strides, jumping eight places to 11th. Additionally, Sherfane Rutherford has climbed 43 places to 42nd.India's Suryakumar Yadav remains unchallenged as the top-ranked batter in the T20 format. Phil Salt, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan maintain their positions as the second, third, and fourth-ranked batters, respectively.

Kane Williamson, the skipper of New Zealand's cricket team, has expressed uncertainty about his future in the T20I format after the team's disappointing exit from the T20 World Cup. Williamson, who will turn 34 in August, has been a cornerstone of New Zealand's successful white-ball team for over a decade, leading them to at least the semi-finals in seven of the ten consecutive World Cups he has played in across both 20- and 50-over formats since 2011.During this period, New Zealand has reached three finals, with Williamson's notable contributions including a Player-of-the-Tournament performance in England in 2019 and an impressive 85 runs off 48 balls in the defeat to Australia in Dubai in 2021. However, with his long-time teammate Trent Boult having already announced that this tournament would be his last T20 World Cup, Williamson acknowledges that a transition may be on the horizon.When asked if he would still be involved in New Zealand's T20I setup in 2026, Williamson responded, "Oh, I don't know. There's a bit of time between now and then, so it's about regrouping as a side. We've got red-ball cricket over the next year basically, so it's back into some other international formats, and we'll see where things land."New Zealand's most significant victory in recent years came in the Test format in 2021, when Williamson led the team to victory over India in the World Test Championship final in Southampton. The two teams are set to face off again in a Test rematch in India later this year, with New Zealand also scheduled for a three-match home series against England in December and a four-match tour of Australia in 2026-27.These upcoming fixtures could take precedence for Williamson, who played his 100th Test earlier this year alongside another long-standing teammate, Tim Southee. Williamson is on the cusp of becoming the first New Zealand batter to reach 10,000 Test runs, currently sitting at 8743 runs.Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes that Williamson will be given the time he needs to determine his next move, but his priorities may have shifted as he enters the twilight of his illustrious career. "It hasn't really been questioned over here, due to his genius with the bat, but he has to make a decision now after a disappointing World Cup," Fleming said. "What does his future hold? Is it all three formats, is it franchise cricket, is it family time? He will be getting to that point where he starts making decisions that have other influences, whereas before it was cricket and cricket only."Regarding the recent T20 World Cup campaign, Williamson admitted that New Zealand had been slow to adapt to the challenges they faced in the Caribbean, where Afghanistan and the West Indies proved to be formidable opponents in a competitive Group C. "It took a long time to start and then, in a matter of days, we were not in contention, which was frustrating," Williamson said. "We played against a couple of very strong sides who are very well equipped in these conditions and unfortunately that was the difference in our first two games."Despite the disappointment, Williamson believes there are valuable lessons to be learned for the players who will return to the Caribbean in the future. "All in all it's frustrating, but there'll be learnings for the players that come back to this part of the world. These conditions have been somewhat challenging, so they are some good experiences to have going forward."

Lockie Ferguson's Record-Breaking Spell Powers New Zealand to VictoryIn a remarkable display of bowling prowess, New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson etched his name into the history books with an unprecedented spell in a T20 International against Papua New Guinea. The right-arm pacer produced the most economical 4-over spell in T20I history, conceding a mere 4 runs while claiming 3 wickets.Ferguson's spell was a masterclass in accuracy and control. He bowled an astonishing 24 dot balls, denying the PNG batsmen any scoring opportunities. His victims included Lega Siaka, Charles Amini, and Damien Ravu, who were all dismissed for single-digit scores.Ferguson's performance surpassed the previous record held by Canada's Saad Bin Zafar, who had figures of 4-4-0-2 against Panama in 2021. It also became the best-ever spell (in terms of economy) at the T20 World Cup, eclipsing the previous mark set by Tim Southee (3/4) against Uganda in the same tournament.Ferguson's heroics helped New Zealand bowl out Papua New Guinea for a paltry 78 runs in 19.4 overs. The PNG batsmen struggled to cope with Ferguson's pace and accuracy, and they were unable to build any meaningful partnerships.Charles Amini was the only PNG batsman to reach double figures, scoring 17 runs. Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Ish Sodhi also chipped in with two wickets each for New Zealand.With the victory, New Zealand finished their T20 World Cup campaign on a high note. Ferguson's record-breaking spell will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most dominant performances in the history of the format.

Sahil Chauhan, the Estonian batter, has shattered two T20I records in a single match against Cyprus, setting new benchmarks for the fastest century and most sixes in a men's innings.Chauhan's blistering century came off just 27 balls, eclipsing Jan-Nicol Loftie Eaton's previous record of 33 balls. The 32-year-old opener also smashed 18 sixes, surpassing the previous record of 16 held by Chris Gayle.Estonia's victory in the second match of the bilateral series was a tale of two halves. After being dismissed for a first-ball duck in the first game, Chauhan exploded in the second, hitting 6, 4, and 6 off the first three deliveries he faced.Despite losing his opening partners early, Chauhan continued to dominate the Cyprus bowlers. He reached his 14-ball fifty with four sixes and a four in the sixth over, and then hit four more sixes in the eighth over.Chauhan's onslaught continued in the ninth over, as he smashed three more sixes to reach his century off just 27 balls. The Estonian opener finished the chase with a four off the last ball of the 13th over, scoring his runs at an astonishing strike rate of 351.21.Chauhan's record-breaking performance is a testament to his exceptional power-hitting ability. His 18 sixes are the most ever hit in a men's T20I innings, and his century is the fastest in the format's history.The Estonian batter's achievement is also a significant milestone for his country. Estonia is a relatively new entrant to international cricket, but Chauhan's heroics have put them on the map.

Nepalese cricket sensation Sandeep Lamichhane has etched his name in the annals of T20I history by becoming the second-fastest bowler to reach the milestone of 100 wickets. During Nepal's T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh in St. Vincent, Lamichhane's two-wicket spell propelled him to this remarkable achievement.Prior to this match, Lamichhane had amassed 98 wickets in 53 T20I appearances, boasting an impressive average of 12.58 and an economical rate of 6.29. His latest feat places him just behind Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, who achieved the 100-wicket mark in one game fewer.Lamicchane's return to international cricket has been a triumphant one. After facing an eight-year prison sentence for a rape conviction, he was cleared and made his comeback in the match against South Africa last week. Despite not playing a competitive match since late last year, Lamichhane's rigorous training at Kathmandu's TU Ground has paid dividends.His arrival in the USA was initially delayed due to visa issues, but the ICC granted him a late addition to Nepal's World Cup squad. "We had tried hard to secure a US visa for Lamichhane, but it didn't work out," said CAN president Chatur Bahadur Chand. "We requested the ICC to allow him to be added to the World Cup squad as a late entry, and they have now approved his inclusion for the last two group stage matches."Lamicchane expressed his gratitude for the support he received in securing his visa and joining the squad. "I would like to thank the Government of Nepal, Foreign Ministry, Sports Ministry, National Sports Council, and Cricket Association of Nepal for their support," he said. "I am now joining the National team for the last two matches in the West Indies and look forward to fulfilling my dreams and the dream of all cricket lovers."In the match against Bangladesh, Nepal fell short by 21 runs, but Lamichhane's historic achievement overshadowed the result. His remarkable journey from facing adversity to reaching the pinnacle of T20I bowling is a testament to his resilience and determination.