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Mitchell Starc bowled most bizarre wide ball during 3rd T20I against Sri Lanka

During the third T20I between Australia and Sri Lanka, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc
bowled one of the weirdest no-balls that has ever been seen in the history of the game. He
bowled the most bizarre wide deliveries in the third T20I of the five-match series against Sri Lanka.

Mitchell Starc had a forgetful day in the third match of the T20I series between Sri Lanka and hosts Australia on Tuesday. The left-arm pacer, who missed the 2nd T20 match against Sri Lanka , delivered probably the worst ball of his career. The incident happened in the 18th over of the innings when Starc was bowling the last over of his spell.

Dasun Shanaka was the batter on strike, who was looking to churn out some quick runs. Starc steamed in to deliver the fifth ball of the over and tried to roll his fingers over the ball. However, his attempt to bowl an off-cutter went horribly wrong as the ball slipped out of Starc’s hands even Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was unable to stop the wide full toss from going to the boundary. While, the on-field umpire called it a no-ball as it was 3 metres high when it left Mitchell Starc’s hand.

Speaking on commentary, former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee compared the delivery to the infamous wide Steve Harmison  bowled with the first ball of the 2006-7 Ashes series. “No ball, free hit, four. It must have slipped out of the hands,” said the commentator on air. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ball go that wide! Probably was the off cutter,” another commentary remarked. Talking about the match, Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. They have now taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. 

In KL Rahul’s absence, Rishabh Pant named India’s vice-captain for T20I series

After newly appointed Indian white-ball vice-captain KL Rahul was injured after the second one-day international of the three-game series against West Indies at Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera.  Rahul did not take the field for the ODI series finale which India won and completed a 3-0 sweep.

KL Rahul will not be part of the T20i series due to a hamstring injury. While in Rahul’s absence, BCCI have named a new vice-captain for the T20I series. Rishabh Pant has been promoted as Rohit’s deputy for the T20I series. This is the first time that Rishabh Pant has been named as Team India’s vice-captain for a series as the left-hander continues to grow in stature. 

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in its latest announcement on February 14, 2022, revealed that Rishabh Pant has been made the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team for the three T20Is against West Indies, which will be played on February 16, 18 and 20 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Notably, Rishabh Pant has been earmarked as one of the future leaders of the team. While the Delhi wicketkeeper hasn’t been part of the leadership group so far, Rishabh Pant has proved his mettle as captain, leading the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League 2021 season. Pant was retained by Delhi Capitals as the former finalists built a squad around the aggressive wicketkeeper in the mega auction.

India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain) (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav.

India vs West Indies : Washington Sundar ruled out of T20I series

Team India registered a comprehensive whitewash in the three matches ODI series against West Indies. However ahead of the T20I series against West Indies, Team India have suffered a setback as all-rounder Washington Sundar has been reportedly ruled out of the T20 series due to a hamstring injury.

On the evening of Monday 14 February, there were reports of Sundar getting injured and out of the series, after which the BCCI confirmed it late in the night. A statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said, “All-rounder Washington Sundar suffered a left hamstring muscle strain during fielding in the third ODI against the West Indies played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.”

According to a report by Cricbuzz, Sundar has suffered a Grade 1 hamstring injury. A Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) official told Cricbuzz that Sundar will report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Tuesday. He is expected to spend three weeks at NCA which could mean he missed the upcoming series against Sri Lanka too. 

Kuldeep Yadav has been named as Washington’s replacement. All three matches of the series would be played in Kolkata, on February 16, 18 and 20. Kuldeep last played T20Is for India during a 3-match series against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka last year in August. Kuldeep was also part of the ODI squad and the left-arm wrist-spinner returned to the ODI set-up for the first time in nearly a year when he played the final ODI on Friday. Kuldeep picked up 2 wickets in India’s victory in the series finale.

India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain) (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav.

History created by Rohit Sharma: First time India clean sweeps West Indies in a bilateral ODI series.

India beat West Indies by 96 runs in third ODI to complete a 3-0 series whitewash on Friday.  This is also India’s 11th successive ODI series win over the Windies.

Earlier, the hosts had a top-order collapse but a dominating partnership by Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant turned the game’s tide. Iyer smacked 80 runs off 111 bals and Pant hammered 56 runs off 54 deliveries. However, Chahar and Washington Sundar played their parts to perfection and forged 53 runs for the seventh wicket. Initially, India were bowled out for 265 runs in 50 overs.

Chasing the target of 266 runs, West Indies team lost three wickets within the first over. Mohammed Siraj provided India with the early breakthrough, dismissing Shai Hope (5). Deepak Chahar picked two wickets in his second over, removing Brandon King (14) and Shamarh Brooks (0). Mohammad Siraj & Prasidh Krishna took 3 wickets each while Kuldeep Yadav picked 2 wickets.

Now, both teams will now travel to Kolkata for a three-match T20I series that begins on February 16. However India vice-captain KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel were ruled out of the three-match T20I series . Rahul has suffered a hamstring injury while fielding in the second ODI and Axar has not fully recovered from his injury. While, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda replacing them in the squad.

India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda.

4 Bowlers, who have taken double hat-trick in T20 Cricket

Taking four wickets in four balls it is the dream of every bowler. While, very few have been able to fulfill that dream. Some even went one step further and completed a double hat-trick by dismissing four batters in four balls.

Meanwhile recently, during the fifth T20 match between England vs West Indies,  Jason Holder picked up a double hat-trick in the final T20I against England to help his team win the match by 17 runs and seal the series 3-2. He became the first West Indies bowler to pick a hat-trick in T20Is. Holder joined Rashid Khan, Curtis Campher, and Lasith Malinga as the only men’s cricketers to achieve the feat of four-in-four in T20Is. 

Here is the list of others three bowlers who have taken four wickets in four balls in T20 international cricket history.

Curtis Campher : South Africa-born Irish all-rounder Curtis Campher became only the second bowler after Brett Lee to complete a hat-trick in an ICC T20 World Cup match. The next ball after the hat-trick resulted in Roelof van der Merwe’s wicket as Campher became the first bowler to take four wickets in four balls in T20 World Cup history.

Rashid Khan : Rashid Khan became the first cricketer to take four wickets in four balls in T20I matches during a game against Ireland in 2019. 

Lasith Malinga : Former Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga was the first fast bowler to take four wickets in four balls in T20I cricket history. The right-arm pacer took four wickets in four balls while playing for Sri Lanka in a home T20I against New Zealand two years ago.

India vs West Indies: Predicted playing XI for the 1st T20 match

After returning back, the Men in Blue are scheduled to play three ODIs followed by three T-20s with the West Indies team. Rohit Sharma, who missed India’s tour of South Africa due to a hamstring injury, returns to lead the ODI squad and the T20I squad. 

Ravi Bishnoi, has earned his maiden India call-up for the T-20 and ODI series against West Indies. The team management have seen wrist-spin as a wicket-taking option in the middle-overs, an area that needed serious shoring up after the failed T20 World Cup campaign. Meanwhile Washington Sundar, who missed the South Africa ODIs after contracting Covid-19, is part of both the squads for the home series.

While Bumrah and Shami are rested, young pacers Prasidh Krishna and Avesh Khan are part of both the squads along with Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel returns to the T20I squad after missing the South Africa tour due to an injury.

Captain Rohit Sharma will be open with vice captain KL Rahul. Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be play at number 3.The wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh pant is in good batting and will continue with the same form at number 4. On the other hand Surya Kumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer will be a good player in the middle order so they will be play at number 5 and 6.

Axar Patel will be a good choice of an alrounder. He might be picked in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja. On the other hnad India will be missed their senior pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami. However Deepak Chahar will be picked as a pacer im the team. And Shardul Thakur will be another pacer that India team might be pick for the T20. While, fast bowler Harshal Patel might also get a chance to playing XI. And Yuzvendra Chahal is expected to be the part in the playing XI.

India vs West Indies: India’s squad For the T20I and ODI series

BCCI has announced India’s ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming series against the West Indies. Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday picked an 18-member squad. Rohit Sharma is back as skipper for the ODI and T20 series against the West Indies.

However, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have been rested from the series along with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who will be nursing his injury. Ravindra Jadeja will also not be available for the ODIs and T20Is beacause he undergoing his final stage of recovery post his knee injury.  KL Rahul will be available from 2nd ODI onwards. 

February 6 onwards at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad. Three ODIs
set to play at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad from 6th February followed by the T20I series at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata from 16th February.

ODI squad:Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan.

T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel.

IND vs WI Series: Rohit Sharma to lead, rest for Jasprit Bumrah

India will host West Indies for a three match ODI and three match T20 series from February 06-February 20 after returning from South Africa. The IND vs WI ODI series will be played from 6 February in Ahmedabad.

According to report, Rohit Sharma Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja are set to return to India’s squad for the limited-overs series against  West Indies. The national selection panel, headed by former India pacer Chetan Sharma, is set to pick the squad this week for three ODIs and three T20Is. However, the team selection meeting, which is set to happen this week, will be an interesting one as some senior players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin, after their indifferent performance against South Africa in their 0-3 ODI series defeat, will come under the scanner.

Meanwhile, having recovered from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss India’s tour to South Africa, Rohit will formally take charge of India’s ODI squad in the series opener. “Rohit is fit and available for the series against the West Indies,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. By the time, the West Indies series starts, it will be more than seven and half weeks of rehabilitation and recuperation for Rohit. He is already training in Mumbai and is expected to be in Bangalore for the fitness test and get a formal okay from the National Cricket Academy,” the BCCI source informed.
Notably Jasprit Bumrah played every game on the SA tour and is likely to be rested. Mohammed Shami, who was rested for SA ODIs, is expected to be back for the series.

‘Send him back, he doesn’t have that level of maturity yet’ – Gautam Gambhir on Venkatesh Iyer’

India lost all three matches of the ODI series against South Africa a few days back . The KL Rahul-led side lost the opening ODI by 31 runs. In the 2nd ODI, SA chased down 288 while India lost the 3rd tie by 4 runs.

Following the series defeat against SA, former India opener Gautam Gambhir had made a bold claim about Venkatesh Iyer’s future in the ODI team. Venkatesh made his ODI debut against South Africa in the recently concluded series. However, the Kolkata Knight Riders player failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Iyer scored 2 off 7 in the opening ODI while he didn’t get a chance to bowl. In the 2nd ODI, he scored 22 off 33 and went for 28 runs in 5 overs. He was surprisingly kept out of the playing XI for the 3rd ODI.

Gambhir feels that Iyer doesn’t have the maturity level to play in ODIs yet and should only be considered for selection in T20Is. Speaking on Star Sports after the series, Gambhir said: “I feel he should only be considered for T20 cricket. Because he doesn’t have that level of maturity yet. He has been given an opportunity to play international level after watching him in only 7-8 IPL matches. If you are going by IPL performances, then play him in T20 cricket. ODI is a completely different ball game and a completely different beast “

Highest T20 Score : List of highest innings totals in T20s

Melbourne Stars power-hitter Glen Maxwell has broken the record for the most runs in an individual Big Bash inning after an extraordinary performance against the Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG on Wednesday night.

Maxwell hit 22 boundaries during his innings which is the best by any batter in T20. Thanks to this biggie, his side Melbourne Stars posted a massive 273/2 in their 20 overs. A number of records tumbled at the MCG as Melbourne registered the highest ever score registered in BBL with this being the third highest in T20 matches in any tournament.

List of T20 Highest Score Batsman


Player’s name
RunsTeamOppositionVenueMatch Date
CH Gayle175*RCBv WarriorsBengaluru23 Apr 2013
AJ Finch172Australiav ZimbabweHarare3 Jul 2018
H Masakadza162*Mountaineersv EaglesBulawayo11 Feb 2016
Hazratullah Zazai162*Afghanistanv IrelandDehradun23 Feb 2019
A Lyth161Yorkshirev NorthantsLeeds17 Aug 2017
BB McCullum158*KKRv RCBBengaluru18 Apr 2008
BB McCullum158*Warwickshirev DerbyshireBirmingham3 Jul 2015
AJ Finch156Australiav EnglandSouthampton29 Aug 2013
GJ Maxwell154*Starsv HurricanesMelbourne19 Jan 2022