Cricket

KL Rahul's Omission from Lucknow Super Giants Raises QuestionsAhead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have made their player retentions, notably excluding star batter KL Rahul. This decision has sparked discussions and raised questions about the reasons behind Rahul's departure.LSG's retained players include Nicholas Pooran (Rs 21 crore), Ravi Bishnoi (Rs 11 crore), Mayank Yadav (Rs 11 crore), Mohsin Khan (Rs 4 crore), and Ayush Badoni (Rs 4 crore). Owner Sanjiv Goenka explained the team's retention strategy, emphasizing the importance of players who prioritize team success over personal aspirations."We wanted players who have a mindset to win, who put the team before their personal goals and personal aspirations," Goenka said. "Our first retention was an automatic choice, and we have two uncapped retentions in Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni."However, Goenka's comments have been met with criticism on social media, with many questioning the exclusion of Rahul, who has been a key player for LSG in the past. Some have suggested that Rahul's batting style, which has been criticized for its slow strike rate, may have influenced the decision.According to a source quoted by PTI, Rahul's batting style was indeed a factor in his non-retention. "Rahul's SR for three years with LSG is 136.13, 113.23, and 135.38," the source said. "In today's T20, when even the Indian team had to change its philosophy, these numbers weren't acceptable."Rahul's departure from LSG leaves a significant void in the team's batting lineup. He has been a consistent performer for the franchise, scoring 616 runs in 2022 and 520 runs in 2023. His leadership skills have also been praised, as he captained LSG to the playoffs in both seasons.It remains to be seen how LSG will fill the void left by Rahul's absence. The team will have the opportunity to acquire new players through the IPL auction, which is scheduled to take place in December 2024.

Imran Khwaja has been reappointed as the International Cricket Council's (ICC) deputy chair, extending his tenure until December 1, 2024. This reappointment coincides with the commencement of BCCI secretary Jay Shah's term as ICC chair.Khwaja's association with the ICC Board began in 2008, and he has served as deputy chair since 2017. He has also held the position of interim chair, stepping in after Shashank Manohar's term ended in July 2020. In the subsequent leadership election, Khwaja contested against Greg Barclay, who ultimately won after two rounds of voting.At the ICC annual general meeting in Colombo in July 2023, Khwaja was re-elected as one of three Associate member directors to sit on the ICC Board. In August 2023, Shah was appointed chairperson unopposed, replacing Barclay, who had served two of his three terms. At 35, Shah became the youngest and fifth Indian to hold the position of ICC chair.The ICC has also voted on a recommendation that alters the tenure limits for the ICC chair and board directors. Previously, the maximum tenure was three terms of two years each. Under the new regulations, the maximum tenure will be two terms of three years each.Khwaja's reappointment as deputy chair ensures continuity and stability within the ICC leadership. His experience and expertise will be invaluable as the ICC navigates the evolving landscape of international cricket.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 retention window witnessed a flurry of high-value deals, with franchises shelling out record sums to secure the services of their star players. Among the most notable retentions were Virat Kohli and Heinrich Klaasen, who commanded the highest and second-highest retention amounts in IPL history, respectively.Kohli, the talismanic batter for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), was retained for a staggering Rs 21 crore. However, his record was eclipsed by Klaasen, the wicketkeeper-batter from South Africa, who was snapped up by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for a whopping Rs 23 crore. Klaasen's retention fee shattered the previous record held by Kohli, who was retained for Rs 17 crore in the 2023 IPL auction.Other players who commanded high retention amounts included Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants), Pat Cummins (SRH), Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR), Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans), Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings), and Ravindra Jadeja (CSK), all of whom were retained for Rs 18 crore each.Interestingly, Punjab Kings opted for a more conservative approach, retaining only two players: Shashank Singh for Rs 5.5 crore and Prabhsimran Singh for Rs 4 crore. They were the only franchise to pay less than Rs 10 crore for their first-choice retention.Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained six players, including Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, and Rinku Singh, who was surprisingly picked for Rs 13 crore.Each franchise had a combined purse of Rs 120 crore for retention and the mega auction. Teams could make a maximum of six retentions, including the Right To Match (RTM) card option. Alternatively, they could release all their players and enter the mega auction with six RTM cards, allowing them to buy back players at an unrestricted amount.

Sydney Thunder's impressive batting performance, led by Heather Knight and Chamari Athapaththu, and Hannah Darlington's effective bowling helped them avenge their earlier WBBL loss to Hobart Hurricanes.Despite a 31-run defeat in Hobart three days prior, Thunder emerged victorious in a rain-affected match at North Sydney Oval, winning by 33 runs. The match was reduced to 17 overs per side due to a 30-minute delay.Athapaththu (38 off 29) and Knight (48 off 28) played crucial roles in Thunder's total of 146 for 5. Hurricanes made a strong start, scoring 18 runs off the first seven balls, but their momentum was halted as they lost five wickets for just 13 runs in the final overs.Darlington claimed the key wickets of Lizelle Lee and Heather Graham, while Athapaththu contributed with the ball, taking 1 for 11 off three overs and dismissing England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge.Knight, who missed the first encounter between the teams, showcased her class with some elegant shots, particularly during the power surge over bowled by Molly Strano. She struck 14 runs off the last three balls, including a six over long off and two fours.Athapaththu, who had been dismissed for a first-ball duck in the previous match, was dropped at deep midwicket on 5. She went on to hit sixes over deep midwicket and long off before being caught by Strano off her own bowling.In response, Lee started aggressively, hitting boundaries off the first two balls of Hurricanes' chase. However, Thunder's bowlers fought back, with Athapaththu having Wyatt-Hodge caught at backward point. Nicola Carey, who had scored a half-century in the previous game, was dismissed by Shabnim Ismail.Lee was adjudged lbw after the mid-innings break, but replays showed she would have been reprieved if she had used DRS. A 43-run partnership between Graham and Elyse Villani gave Hurricanes hope, but their dismissals in successive overs triggered a collapse.

Bangladesh's Test woes continue as they suffer a humiliating innings-and-273-run defeat against South Africa in Chattogram. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has identified the lack of top-order partnerships as the root cause of their batting struggles.The home side was bowled out twice in a total of 89 overs, with their match aggregate of 302 runs being the lowest by any team at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. South Africa, on the other hand, posted a mammoth 575 for 6 in the first two days.Bangladesh's batting implosion was evident on the third day, as they lost 14 wickets, including Mominul Haque's two dismissals in one session. The lower order has been providing some resistance, but Shanto believes it's not enough to compensate for the top-order failures."We have been batting like this for a long time," Shanto said. "If you don't get top-order partnerships, the rest of the batters will find it difficult in red-ball cricket. This was a good wicket. Even in Mirpur, we shouldn't have got out so quickly."Shanto acknowledged his own lack of runs as a contributing factor to the top-order collapses. He has scored just one fifty in his last 17 Test innings. "I have an important role as a top-order batter. I am supposed to score runs," he said. "It is not happening, and the worst thing is, I am getting out between 20 and 40."Despite the setbacks, Shanto remains optimistic about his captaincy. "I enjoy captaincy on the field," he said. "I never felt that I am the captain when I am batting."However, he admitted that distractions around the team, such as the discussions around his captaincy and the sacking of head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, may have contributed to their poor performance. "Players have to adjust with these things, even though it is difficult," he said. "Still, it shouldn't be this bad."

Sydney Sixers have received a significant boost with the return of Australian captain Alyssa Healy, who has recovered from the injury that forced her to miss the latter stages of the T20 World Cup. Healy, who suffered a ruptured plantar fascia in her right foot during Australia's match against Pakistan, is now available for the WBBL and will make her comeback in Friday's clash against Melbourne Stars at North Sydney Oval.Healy's return is a major boost for the Sixers, who have struggled in her absence. They lost their opening match of the tournament to defending champions Adelaide Strikers and will be looking to bounce back against the Stars. Healy's experience and leadership will be invaluable to the Sixers, who are aiming to win their third WBBL title.Speaking after Australia's semi-final loss to South Africa, Healy admitted that she had wrestled with the decision over whether to try and play in the World Cup. "It was a really hard decision to make last night as to whether or not we're going to give it a punt or not," she said. "I tried to make the 'team decision' and sat myself down, instead of taking the risk."Healy's return to fitness is a timely boost for the Sixers, who are also missing New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr. Kerr is doubtful for the entire competition after picking up an injury in India. However, the Sixers have been impressed by the performances of Scotland's Sarah Bryce, who has been in excellent form with the bat.The Sixers will be hoping that Healy can make a quick return to form and help them challenge for the WBBL title. They have a tough match against the Stars on Friday, but Healy's presence will give them a major boost.

IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Retained Players and Purse DetailsAhead of the upcoming mega auction for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the ten franchises have finalized their retained players. Here's a detailed breakdown of the retained players, purse remaining, and right-to-match (RTM) options for each team:Mumbai Indians* Retained Players: Jasprit Bumrah (INR 18 crore), Suryakumar Yadav (INR 16.35 crore), Hardik Pandya (INR 16.35 crore), Rohit Sharma (INR 16.30 crore), Tilak Varma (INR 8 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 45 crore* RTM Options: 1 (uncapped player)Sunrisers Hyderabad* Retained Players: Heinrich Klaasen (INR 23 crore), Pat Cummins (INR 18 crore), Abhishek Sharma (INR 14 crore), Travis Head (INR 14 crore), Nitish Kumar Reddy (INR 6 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 45 crore* RTM Options: 1 (uncapped player)Chennai Super Kings* Retained Players: Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 18 crore), Matheesha Pathirana (INR 13 crore), Shivam Dube (INR 12 crore), Ravindra Jadeja (INR 18 crore), MS Dhoni (INR 4 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 65 crore* RTM Options: 1 (capped or uncapped player)Royal Challengers Bengaluru* Retained Players: Virat Kohli (INR 21 crore), Rajat Patidar (INR 11 crore), Yash Dayal (INR 5 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 83 crore* RTM Options: 3 (one uncapped and two capped players, or three capped players)Delhi Capitals* Retained Players: Axar Patel (INR 16.50 crore), Kuldeep Yadav (INR 13.25 crore), Tristan Stubbs (INR 10 crore), Abishek Porel (INR 4 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 73 crore* RTM Options: 2 (one uncapped and one capped player, or two capped players)Kolkata Knight Riders* Retained Players: Rinku Singh (INR 13 crore), Varun Chakravarthy (INR 12 crore), Sunil Narine (INR 12 crore), Andre Russell (INR 12 crore), Harshit Rana (INR 4 crore), Ramandeep Singh (INR 4 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 51 crore* RTM Options: NoneLucknow Super Giants* Retained Players: Nicholas Pooran (INR 21 crore), Ravi Bishnoi (INR 11 crore), Mayank Yadav (INR 11 crore), Mohsin Khan (INR 4 crore), Ayush Badoni (INR 4 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 69 crore* RTM Options: 1 (capped player)Punjab Kings* Retained Players: Shashank Singh (INR 5.5 crore), Prabhsimran Singh (INR 4 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 110.5 crore* RTM Options: 4 (capped players)Rajasthan Royals* Retained Players: Sanju Samson (INR 18 crore), Yashasvi Jaiswal (INR 18 crore), Riyan Parag (INR 14 crore), Dhruv Jurel (INR 14 crore), Shimron Hetmyer (INR 11 crore), Sandeep Sharma (INR 4 crore)* Purse Remaining: INR 41 crore* RTM Options: None

The World Test Championship (WTC) has revitalized the five-day format by infusing every match with significance, according to New Zealand captain Tom Latham. Ahead of his team's decisive encounter against India, Latham emphasized the importance of the WTC in driving the Black Caps' performance.New Zealand's 2-0 lead in the ongoing Test series against India has reignited their hopes of reaching the WTC final at Lord's next year. This marks their first-ever Test series victory on Indian soil."From our perspective, there's a significant incentive at the end in the form of the World Test Championship," Latham stated. "As a result, every game is crucial for us."India's dominance at the top of the WTC standings has been challenged by their recent losses, with Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand closing in. India has reached the finals of both previous WTC seasons, falling to New Zealand in the inaugural edition and Australia last year.Latham acknowledged the significance of winning the competition, stating, "It gives you a taste of what that success feels like." He added, "I believe that once you achieve it once, you want to do it again."In the second Test in Pune, New Zealand outplayed India at their own spin game, with Mitchell Santner claiming 13 wickets in the match. However, Latham cautioned against underestimating India, emphasizing that "two losses don't make them a bad team overnight."

Mumbai Indians (MI), the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, are gearing up for the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction by retaining their core group of Indian players. The franchise has decided to retain Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma.With these five capped players retained, MI will have limited options at the auction. They can only use their one right-to-match option on an uncapped player. The individual amounts for each retained player are yet to be disclosed, but MI is expected to lose at least INR 75 crore from their purse of INR 120 crore.MI had a disappointing IPL 2024 season, finishing at the bottom of the league under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. However, Hardik bounced back from poor personal form with significant contributions during India's successful 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. Despite his strong performance, Suryakumar Yadav was preferred as India's T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format.The MI management recently held discussions with their senior players to finalize the retention plan. The deadline for franchises to submit their lists of retained players is October 31. Teams are allowed to retain up to six players ahead of the mega auction, with a maximum of five capped internationals and two uncapped players.The IPL has set minimum deductions from the auction purse for each player retained, but franchises are free to pay more or less than those amounts. MI is expected to pay a significant amount to retain their star players, which will impact their spending at the auction.