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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spinners take their side to first win of the season

Umar Farooq09-Nov-2020Northern register second consecutive win
Captain Nauman Ali’s match haul of ten wickets helped Northern beat Sindh by 128 runs at UBL complex in Karachi. Northern had the upper hand throughout the match. They had a 111-run lead in the first innings and then set a target of 423, making 311 for 6 declared, thanks to centuries from Sarmad Bhatti (108) and Hammad Azam (100*).Sindh made a sloppy start to their chase of the big target, losing four of their batsmen for 77. Saud Shakeel was the bright spot for Sindh as he gave them hope with an innings of 174, but his contribution went in vain as Nauman ran through the rest of the line-up, bundling them out for 294.This was Northern’s second successive win and they are currently second on the table with 52 points, with Southern Punjab leading with 55 points.The contest was marred by unsavoury incidents, though, with Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed being fined 35% of his match fee for using inappropriate language against an umpiring decision, and senior batsman Asad Shafiq fined 20% of his match fee for showing dissent towards an umpire’s decision.Spinners give Khyber Pakhtunkhwa first win of the season
Southern Punjab were undone by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spinners Khalid Usman and Sajid Khan, who combined to take 15 wickets to lead their side to a 75-run win at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex in Karachi.When Southern Punjab were set 263 to win in the fourth innings, Usman and Sajid didn’t let them settle down on what was a spin-friendly track, and skittled them for 187. It was KP’s first win of the season, after a loss to Balochistan and a draw against Sindh.It was a game of fine margins until the endgame. Mohammad Abbas took his 11th ten-wicket haul as KP went on to take a slender lead of 16 runs in the first innings, and when the contest entered the final day, Southern Punjab required another 250 runs with all ten wickets at their disposal. They were dealt an early blow, though, with captain Hussain Talat, who scored 131 in the first innings, dismissed by Sajid cheaply, and Umar Siddiq’s 56 was the only half-century in the innings. In the absence of a partnership, the two spinners continued to make inroads and intensify the pressure, ultimately condemning Southern Punjab to a defeat.Azhar Ali hits 95* as Central Punjab draw against BalochistanWith 55 required to win in the last hour at the National Stadium in Karachi, and with Azhar Ali at the crease and three wickets remaining, Central Punjab ended up pulling off a draw against Balochistan. The captain spent over 250 minutes in the middle and missed a century to cap what could have lifted his side, who are sitting at bottom of the table with two defeats.Earlier in the game, Amad Butt’s 6 for 57 helped Balochistan to a 55-run lead in the first innings after Central posted 306. Central bowlers had a better outing in the second innings, bowling Balochistan out for 213 with left-arm spinner Ahmed Safi Abdullah picking 4 for 31. Central Punjab had nearly three sessions to chase down a target of 269. Azhar being around would have given them some hope, but as three wickets quickly fell in the final session, the captain batted cautiously with the tail and finished with an unbeaten 95.

This week the Indian selectors will pick the squads for the Australia tour. Here is a list of questions they’re likely to be facing

Nagraj Gollapudi25-Oct-2020This week the Indian selectors will pick the squads for the Australian tour. The meeting will be the debut for two selectors on the panel including its chairman Sunil Joshi, the former India left-arm spinner, who joined the panel along with former India fast bowler Harvinder Singh in March.The Australian series is the first bilateral engagement for Virat Kohli’s side since March when the home ODI series against South Africa had to be abruptly halted as tremors of the Covid-19 pandemic shook the world.The tour will stretch into 2021 and is scheduled to start in Sydney on November 27 with three ODIs, followed by three T20Is in early December and the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting with a day-night Test in Adelaide from December 17. The tour will end on January 19 with final Test in Brisbane.Keeping in mind the travel guidelines and restrictions owing to the pandemic, it is understood the selection panel will pick a larger contingent in the range of minimum 30 players. This will also include some players who will feature among the reserves to help with the training in the absence of local net bowlers.Following are the big questions that Joshi’s panel are likely to deliberate on at the meeting which would also be attended by Kohli virtually.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Tests

Shaw, Gill, Rahul – who should be the third opener?In New Zealand Rohit Sharma was absent from the Test leg, forced to return home due a calf injury. In Australia Sharma will reunite with Mayank Agarwal, who made his debut in the Boxing Day Test in 2018-19 tour. Both Sharma and Agarwal opened for India during the home season last year spanning five Tests.Agarwal played in the Australia series two years back only because Prithvi Shaw picked up a freak injury in the field in a warm-up match. Agarwal’s opening partners in the Melbourne and Sydney Tests were Hanuma Vihari, who had never done the job before, and KL Rahul respectively.India would want a third specialist opener especially in the absence of any first-class cricket for eight months. Shaw has been the team management’s preferred choice ever since he made a century on Test debut in 2018. He made a half century in second Test in New Zealand, but his indifferent IPL form including his technique against pure fast bowling has once again opened the room for debate.As for Rahul, he remains the preferred man to take over from MS Dhoni in limited-overs cricket, which will be further enhanced after his spectacular form this IPL with Kings XI Punjab. But Rahul has struggled in red-ball cricket for a while before he was dropped from the Test team after the 2019 series in West Indies where he managed 101 runs in four innings with a highest of 44. Not only did Rahul lose his position to Sharma, but also was not included in the India A squad for the Test series against New Zealand A earlier this year.ESPNcricinfo LtdShubman Gill, who has struggled to up the ante opening for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, has been the best batsman for India A in the last two years. Since 2018 Gill has made 970 runs in eight unofficial Tests, including two double centuries. Some might argue all those runs came in the middle order, but Gill opened in the last first-class match he played, against New Zealand A this February, scoring 136. Gill’s talent and run-scoring was not lost upon the selectors who picked him as a back-up batsman for the home season in 2019-20 spanning five Tests.So it is likely to be a toss-up between Shaw and Gill unless both are included with one among the reserves.If Pandya doesn’t bowl, does he merit a place?Hardik Pandya’s last Test match was at The Oval in 2018. The last time Pandya bowled was in December 2018 in a Ranji Trophy match for Baroda. Last October after recurring back problems Pandya underwent a surgery. He has not bowled since.Former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, the team director at Mumbai Indians, the team Pandya plays for, said the allrounder was “very keen and wanting” to bowl, but it was important to “listen to his body” and not rush him back.Pandya was the first successful allrounder to emerge and play for India in all formats since Irfan Pathan. Kohli has acknowledged he favours Pandya to play because he provides balance while allowing to tinker the XI based on the conditions. However, will the selectors risk including Pandya as an allrounder in the Test team with the T20 World Cup next October?ESPNcricinfo Ltd

White-ball cricket

Can Pandya play as a specialist batsman?Barely anyone in India can match Pandya in power hitting in the lower order. He also remains a superb fielder in the deep. But if Pandya is unable to bowl, can he play just as a specialist lower-order batsman in the T20Is and ODIs? Incidentally, Pandya was part of the squad in March for the home ODI series against South Africa which was postponed due to the pandemic after the first match which itself was washed out.Keeping in mind the long tour as well as injuries and workloads, the selectors could possibly thinking of resting some key players in the white-ball segment. It is likely then Rohit may not feature in the T20Is, while the strike bowling pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami could be rested for the white-ball leg altogether.Can Patel’s IPL form get him a spot?Axar Patel has played a key role in Delhi Capitals being among the top two teams this IPL. Along with his fellow Capitals team-mate R Ashwin, Patel has been among the best finger-spinners in the tournament with 8 wickets at a miserly economy of 5.78. Patel last played for India in a T20I in South Africa in 2018, and his last ODI came a year before that, in the home series against New Zealand.However with Ravindra Jadeja showing poor form in IPL this time, will the selectors think of playing Patel as a bowling allrounder along with Washington Sundar?What about Suryakumar Yadav?One of the most consistent T20 batsmen in the last two IPL editions, Yadav missed out on the being part of the New Zealand T20I series earlier this year. However with Sharma picking up a sore hamstring this week, would the selectors be bold enough to pick a new opening batsman in Yadav for the T20I leg? Yadav is by no means a left-field choice: he has vast experience having batted in middle order at Knight Riders before being played in the top order at Mumbai. His other strength is he is an athletic fielder. This story was updated at 0700GMT to reflect Rohit potentially being rested for the T20Is

India can’t get a word in as tourists’ attack answers legitimate pre-series questions

Matt Roller12-Mar-2021A good team can adapt if things don’t go to plan. For a dominant team, things invariably do. It was a measure of England’s control of the first of five T20Is in Ahmedabad that their bowlers could stick to the blueprint that had been set throughout their 20 overs.Coming into this series, there were legitimate questions about England’s bowlers. Despite the side’s winning streak, they have leaked runs with the new ball and at the death across the past three years, while the absence of a third spinner in their squad seemed to demonstrate an obvious lack of depth in that area.In that light, restricting India to 124 for 7 provided an emphatic answer. Three wickets inside the first five overs through legspin and high pace set the tone, while hard lengths through the middle and more of the same at the death ensured India’s was slow and painful.Jofra Archer led the way with three wickets•Getty Images”The wicket was a bit slow so it was going to be hard to hit the length balls, but obviously if you bowl a bit fuller, then it becomes a bit easier,” Jofra Archer explained. “So the plan to everyone was just try to bowl length as long as possible and luckily for us we didn’t really have to change that – we just stuck to it.”In particular, it was the ‘hard’ length – balls pitching around eight or nine metres from the stumps, reaching the batsman just above waist-height – which proved particularly difficult to get away. England’s seamers bowled 46 balls that pitched in that back-of-a-length region, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, conceding only 38 runs from them and taking two wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdFurther proof of its effectiveness came through India’s boundary count in front of square against the seamers: one four through mid-on, another off the pads, and a single six over long-off. “Even some of the boundaries that they did get, there were a few through third man,” Archer said. “As a bowler, you’re happy to go for runs there as long as you don’t get hit where you don’t want to get hit. We’re at peace getting hit behind the wicket – that’s fine.”For Eoin Morgan, it was a night where everything he tried seemed to work as captain. He had offered enough of a smirk in his pre-series press conference to hint that he had something up his sleeve in a bid to address England’s impotence in the powerplay – they had taken 18 powerplay wickets at 48.05 in the last 18 months before this series – but few had predicted the first part of his plan.Like a poker player going all-in on the first hand dealt, Morgan threw the brand new ball to Adil Rashid, who had bowled a single powerplay over in his T20I career and hadn’t bowled the first over of a match since the 2011 Champions League. Rashid’s method was uncomplicated, and similar to his usual T20 plan: he used his googly and his slider to the left-handed Shikhar Dhawan, cramping him for room from a good length, and conceded only two runs from the first over.Morgan opted for aggression, combining legspin with high pace in a revamped new-ball partnership by throwing the ball to Archer. He struck early: KL Rahul, who has had the better of his head-to-head with Archer in the IPL, inside-edged a wide one onto his stumps, and England had the breakthrough that had eluded them so often.Sensing an opportunity, Morgan stuck with Rashid. As Virat Kohli backed away to the leg side, Rashid tried to cramp him from a length and push him even further towards square leg; Kohli’s bat turned in his hands as he looked to force one through the ring, and he could only pick out mid-off.Related

• India seek rapid response after England show how it's done

• Eoin Morgan hails bowling effort as England take 1-0 lead

• Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Jordan hit straps as England canter to victory

• Kohli: We weren't aware of what we had to do on that pitch

Rishabh Pant briefly threatened to throw England off, reverse-scooping Archer for six and whipping him off the pads for four more, but Archer’s nonchalant shrug in response added to the impression of calm. Morgan’s first change was seamless: Mark Wood, recalled to the side after spending the series in South Africa before Christmas on the bench, bowled every ball in his first over at above 90mph/145kph, and his sixth brought the wicket of Dhawan, clean bowled attempting to heave to leg. India were 20 for 3 after five overs, and the game was already England’s.Morgan shuffled his deck through the middle overs, with Rashid bowling a solitary over outside the powerplay, but again the plans were clear. Wood was introduced as a ‘shock’ bowler, hitting the splice and the gloves in his final two overs, and while Shreyas Iyer coped well enough by giving himself room, Hardik Pandya’s scoring was choked by England bowling into his midriff: his only two boundaries, off Ben Stokes, were off the shortest and fullest balls he faced. Wood did not bowl a single slower ball in his four overs, while Jordan and Archer bowled one and two respectively.

England nailed their plan to Hardik – only two balls in his half all night (pitchmap from BCCI) pic.twitter.com/v8gLS3gSi1

— Matt Roller (@mroller98) March 12, 2021

And in the process, he may have taken a step towards solving India’s long-term issue of white-ball batting depth

Saurabh Somani21-Jul-20213:42

Chopra: Chahar’s story is all about belief

“Only one thing was going in my mind: this is the kind of innings you dream of, when you start playing cricket and start batting. One day I’ll bat for India – bat at 7,8 maybe 9 – and finish the match. No better way to win the match for the country.”This was Deepak Chahar after the second ODI against Sri Lanka. Batting at No.8, he had made his highest-ever score in senior cricket, and finished the match.The most remarkable thing about Chahar’s innings was not the quantum of his score. It was not that he went from 2 off 18, to 23 off 45, to his eventual score of 69* off 82. It was not even that he willed a batting dream into reality. It was how he dealt with the 48th over of the chase, when Wanindu Hasaranga was brought back. Chahar faced the last four balls of the over, with 15 required from 16 balls, and didn’t try to score off any of them. With the match in its final stages, the kind of batter who can play out a threatening bowler when practically a run a ball is needed is not often found at No.8. Those kinds of batters usually sit in the top half, secure in their skill and their belief that they can pull off victory against other bowlers, even with a steeper equation.”His presence of mind, his calculation… even the last four overs they knew they don’t want to go against the legspinner,” captain Shikhar Dhawan would say after the match, admiringly.Chahar came in at 160 for 6 and saw it become 193 for 7, but his composure was that of a top-order batter. When in partnership with Krunal Pandya, he played himself in. He let the more pedigreed batter do more of the scoring. In his match-winning stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Chahar seamlessly switched to being the senior partner. At the start, he continued to knock the ball around. The scorching pace set by India’s top order meant that Chahar had enough time, without needing to worry about big hits. By the time boundaries became necessary, he was as “in” as he was going to be. With 56 needed in eight overs, he took calculated risks, starting by thumping Lakshan Sandakan over long-off.”When it (the target) came under 50, I thought we could win,” Chahar said of his approach. “I took a risk in between, got two-three boundaries. After the six, I thought I’m batting well.”The only comparable innings Chahar has played on a similar stage was his 20-ball 39 for the Chennai Super Kings against Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2018, when MS Dhoni promoted him to No.6.Deepak Chahar made his highest score in all professional cricket•ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty ImagesFor most people, that IPL innings was the first glimmer of Chahar’s batting ability. Not for the former India batter Hrishikesh Kanitkar. who tweeted this:

Deepak Chahar is not a slogger like most think. He is a talented batsman capable of surprising he best of the bowlers in the #ipl18 @ChennaiIPL @CskIPLTeam https://t.co/52ZrHApQkr

— HRISHIKESH KANITKAR (@hrishikanitkar) May 20, 2018

Kanitkar had observed Chahar more closely than most. It was under Kanitkar’s captaincy that Chahar made his first-class debut for Rajasthan. It began with a record haul of 8 for 10, but while the results waned after that, Kanitkar’s belief and backing didn’t.”I don’t have any political background or powerful backer, so maybe that’s where they thought I could be pushed around,” Chahar told ESPNcricinfo in 2019, when recalling his early years in senior cricket. “Generally people have backers. One person who backed me always was Hrishikesh Kantikar. He had come from outside (as a professional) so he was only concerned with your performances as players. It didn’t matter to him who has come from where. Till he was captain, he backed me fully. Now also he’s always supportive. Even when I had a bad phase in the middle, he was one person who believed I could play for India.”What Kanitkar knew then was in evidence on Tuesday. Chahar didn’t just clinch a series-winning lead for India in the ODIs, he made a massive push for a spot in India’s regular starting XI. The India team playing Sri Lanka is not at full strength, but even when it is, it could do handily with a No.8 who can reel off an under-pressure half-century to turn a seemingly lost cause into victory. Players who can get into the side on their seam bowling and contribute runs are among the few areas India don’t have a whole lot of options to choose from.Chahar’s primary skill remains his bowling, and he didn’t do too badly at that either. There was some amount of waywardness but there was also some bad luck in the form of a dropped catch, and a sixer that could have been a catch had Bhuvneshwar been standing at the rope at fine leg instead of ten yards inside the boundary. There was also precious little for a bowler like Chahar to work with: no swing or seam on offer, and sapping heat that made fast bowling more onerous. And still, there were two skilful knuckle balls that delivered wickets at important moments for his team.”He has good capability, like he showed today. If he continues that, of course, India will have another allrounder,” Bhuvneshwar said at the press conference after the game. “It’s too early to say, but the ability he has… and the way he practices too. He keeps different situations in his mind when practicing, and thinks what he can do, what should be done.”In his brief international career and a longer stint in the IPL, Chahar has grown from a powerplay specialist to a versatile bowler who can operate in every phase. Until now, he was one of several fast bowlers jostling for a place in India’s full-strength attack. His bowling had kept him in contention. Now, with his batting, he has shoulder-barged his way closer to the front of the queue. If he can stay there, India could finally have a solution to their vexing issue of white-ball batting depth.

Here’s the real truth about every team’s chances of winning

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Oct-2021So you’ve probably read or watched a few men’s T20 World Cup previews. Many will have been sober and informative summaries of where the teams stand. Others will have highlighted key players and tournament history. Yet more will have revealed strengths and weaknesses through elaborate data analysis.Sadly, you’ve wasted your time. They are all trash compared to this preview.

West Indies

Motto: Eyeing title No. 3.Sample dressing-room pep-talk: “Men, everyone knows what we are. We’re T20 superstars who go off and have our own epic adventures before coming together in World Cup years. Yes, we have untold batting firepower, and bowling smarts, but maybe we’re missing something. Some X-factor. When we won in 2012, it was the ‘Gangnam Style dance. In 2016, it was Dwayne Bravo’s ‘Champion’. Who’s got a single coming out this year? No one? Okay, it’s panic stations. Everyone make a call to your choreographer.” How far they will go: Probably win it.

Pakistan

Motto: We live by grievanceSample dressing-room pep talk: “Brothers, we know what’s happened. We played a tour in New Zealand, and were made fun of around the world for opening our doors for biryani without our masks on, which, they say, broke their precious quarantine rules. How did they repay us? They ran from Pakistan without even giving a reason. And we went to England when their country was basically a petri dish of disease? How did they respond? Cancelled their tour. This time, these other teams can’t run away from us. We know we have to win this tournament. We can show the world the spirit and unity of Pakistan cricket. It will be glorious. But first, obviously, play like trash for a few games. I don’t want to see any of you jokers hold a catch, and if you can fight publicly among yourselves, that would also help.” How far they will go: Predict how Pakistan will do? Yeah, I’m not falling for this again.”Everyone take this time to work on your Ashes banter. Remember, if it doesn’t prick your conscience, it’s not good enough”•Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

Australia

Motto: Can you believe we have to play this s**t?Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Oi. Mayte. What are we even doing here? Who bloody plays cricket in the UAE? Apart from the IPL, I mean (the highest form of the game, just to be clear). And what is this utter crap about us potentially having to play a match against Bangladesh, or West Indies, or maybe even bloody Scotland? Three weeks and there’s only one match against England scheduled. And not a single scheduled game against India (the highest form of cricket team/human beings, not that it needed to be said)? Who organised this trash heap of a tour? Absolute shambles.” How far they will go: They’ll hold it together until late in the group stage, but will eventually be overcome by their disgust at having to step on to a field with a team that should not be breathing the same air.

South Africa

Motto: This is our ti… wait, why are you laughing?Sample dressing-room pep-talk: “People can say what they like, but only we know how hard we’ve worked for this. We’ve won seven matches in a row. Who’s coming in with a better lead-up than that? We’ve got one of the best quicks in the world in KP… I mean KG. And not to mention the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world in… what’s your name, brother? Shamsi – that’s the one. We even have AB. Wait, no, we don’t, do we? You know what? It’s not easy giving these pep talks fellas, everyone’s attention is on me all of a sudden. Can someone get me a glass of water? God, is it me, or is it really stuffy in here?” How far they will go: They’ll be in line for a semi-final spot. Keep the popcorn handy.”Gently guys, we don’t want to startle the batter with a loud clap, do we?”•Gareth Copley/ICC/Getty Images

New Zealand

Motto: Are you ready for a cuddle? Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Hi everyone. I’m Kane Williamson. I know I’ve been the captain of the team for five years, but I didn’t want any of you to feel as if you should automatically know who I am. I’m not that entitled. I want to thank you for pushing pause on each of your charity causes to join us here in the UAE for this tournament. Let’s just go out there, enjoy ourselves, compete hard, but when it comes to the post-match fist bumps, let’s really put the effort in to make all our opponents and their support staff feel truly seen for who they are as people.”How far they’ll get: You wouldn’t bet against them to get to the semis. You shouldn’t bet against them anyway, you monster.

Bangladesh

Motto: We’ve been trying to tell you we’re serious.Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Come on everyone. I thought we were past this. We’re big boys now. We’ve got one of the greatest short-format allrounders. We have an incredible left-arm seamer, another bowler who regularly clocks speeds of over 140kph, plus experienced batters through the middle. We should be looking down our noses at the lesser teams. We can’t be embarrassing ourselves in front of the Associates again. Big boys.” How far they will go: A group-stage exit followed by a board-ordered inquiry at home.”Virat is stepping down from captaincy to mourn my departure, that sweet boy”•Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images

India

Motto: Shastri + Kohli: Don’t cry because it’s ending. Smile because it happened.Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Boys! We’ve come to our last campaign with me in charge. It’s been quite the journey. Kohli hit his first hundred in England under my watch. It was with me at the helm that he became the fastest batter to 12,000 ODI runs. These are all things we’ve achieved together. Of course there are jealous people out there who have constantly tried to run me down as a coach, accusing me of things like being Kohli’s yes man. Don’t these idiots realise that right from the start, Virat told me I could say no to him if I wanted? But he doesn’t have an ICC trophy as captain. Let’s go out and win this for him. That’s what you want, right, skipper?” How far they will go: Losing finalists.

Sri Lanka

Motto: Would you believe it if we said we won this seven years ago?Sample dressing-room pep-talk: “Hello. Answer, will you? HELLO! This bloody phone. Always on mute. Ah, you can hear? Look, us administrators have given you players everything you could possibly need. We’ve barely badmouthed you in the press this year. We were kind enough to let you have some contracts. We even organised a domestic T20 tournament that lasted a whole two weeks. If you fellows can’t even bring back a World Cup after that kind of backing from your cricket board, you shouldn’t be calling yourselves cricketers. We’ve already booked our hotel rooms to come there for the knockouts, so don’t screw it up, ah? Goodbye! …. Oof, that call really worked up an appetite. Where’s that cake? What? Is this call still going? Useless phone never does what I want…” How far they will go: Not very.”We’ll be flying high in this World Cup, chaps. High in the sky on our way home”•Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press

England

Motto: We probably won’t quit this tour. No promises, though.Sample dressing-room pep-talk: “How’s everyone feeling? No, really, did anyone see any red flags on the way here? Geez, baggage claim at the airport was a nightmare, wasn’t it? Unacceptable. We’re doing the ICC a favour by staying on, really. And from the team bus I saw a guy in the distance just sneezing away. That’s not sanitary in this day and age. We left South Africa for less, almost. Oh dear, what was that racket? Did a bat just fall to the floor? That’s it. I’ve seen enough. Pack up, everyone. We’re out of here.”How far they will go: Depends on how real karma is.

Afghanistan

Motto: Deep existential dread Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Look, it’s time to focus on the cricket. Yes, it’s been an atrocious few months for our country. Yes, our barely functional women’s team has probably been banned from playing. Our cricket board has had its chairman replaced by the Taliban. Australia refused to play a Test against us and our series against Pakistan was postponed. And although we may be cricket’s biggest success story in the 21st century, who knows how long we’ll be allowed to continue in international cricket, and there were questions even over our involvement in this tournament, and argh, oh wow, this is a lot.” How far they will go: With any luck, upsets will be sprung.”Let’s give the big boys a fright now”•Francois Nel/ICC/Getty Images

Scotland

Motto: Eat the richSample dressing room pep talk: “Right. You all know what’s waiting for us out there. Ten Full-Member fat-cat nations, gorging themselves on their plump ICC cheques, becoming snobbier and snobbier every year. Lads, let’s get out there and show them what playing for Scotland is all about. We may not have their resources, but the fight in us is bigger… wait, hold that thought, I have to take this call. () Oh, hello there. So listen, I’m really sorry but I’m going to need another two weeks off….”How far they will go: They might juuust have one more upset in them.

Namibia

Motto: Zimbabwe who?Sample dressing room pep talk: “Who would have thought we’d make it to the Super 12? No one. But we’re here, boys. We’ve shown the world what we can do, and now it’s time to seize this moment. We’ve got a shot that we barely dared to dream about. A golden opportunity to advance Namibian cricket by light years. By which I mean the chance to get as close as possible to the South Africa players, so we can lure a bunch of them over to play for Namibia in World Cups down the line.”How far they will go: You’d hate to think they’ve won their last game.

They have the option to play Nathan Coulter-Nile instead of James Neesham, but that would weaken their batting

Sruthi Ravindranath22-Mar-2022

Where they finished in 2021

They failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season, finishing seventh with five wins in 14 matches.

Potential first XI

1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 James Neesham/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Prasidh KrishnaRelated

• Can RCB shed tag of top-heavy underperformers?

• Depth, variety give Lucknow Super Giants formidable first XI

• Middle order a worry but Rashid leads potent Titans attack

• Malinga named Royals' fast-bowling coach for IPL 2022

Batting

Royals are likely to go with a mix of youth and experience at the top of the order and opt for the left-right combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler – both of whom were retained ahead of the mega auction. This would mean Devdutt Padikkal, one of the new entrants who is coming off two superb seasons with Royal Challengers Bangalore, is likely to bat at No. 3 instead of his usual opening position. With two big hitters in captain Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer to come in next, their top order looks power-packed. And they have Riyan Parag and James Neesham to further bolster their line-up.Royals have been marred by inconsistency with the bat, and have resorted to constant chopping and changing, which has been one of their biggest issues in the last few seasons. They’ve had several individual performers but haven’t always been able to click as a unit. So this time, they will be keen to pin down batting positions. The team will be one to watch out for if the top five play true to their ability.There is also a bit of pressure on Parag – whom they bought back in the auction despite his lukewarm performances in the last two seasons – to step up in the role of finisher.If required, they also have the option of slotting in Rassie van der Dussen, who has been in sublime form across white-ball formats for South Africa in the last year.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bowling

One of the biggest pluses for Royals at the auction was their putting together of a strong Indian core, with the additions of R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the bowling department being key to this. Given their experience, the two will be expected to keep the opposition in check in the middle overs.They also have a potent new-ball duo in Prasidh Krishna – their most expensive buy (INR 10 crore) at the auction – and New Zealand’s Trent Boult to handle the powerplay.One point of worry could be their death bowling. They have the option of playing Nathan Coulter-Nile instead of Neesham at No. 7 to bring some control at the death. But that would weaken their batting. They’ll want to take some notes from Lasith Malinga, their newly appointed fast-bowling coach, and one of the best death bowlers in T20 history, to prevent those issues.Can Yashasvi Jaiswal repay the management’s faith?•BCCI/IPL

Young player to watch out for

That Yashasvi Jaiswal was one of three players to be retained by the franchise should say a lot about his calibre. The top-order batter who rose to prominence with his U-19 performances was snapped up by the franchise in 2020. He was given a chance to open that season, and while he impressed with his cameos in the second half of IPL 2021, a return of 289 runs at 22.23 over two seasons, with a strike rate of 136.32, suggests he hasn’t found consistency yet. If he can add that ingredient this season, he will have repaid the management’s faith in his ability.

Coaching staff

Kumar Sangakkara (head coach and director of cricket), Lasith Malinga (fast-bowling coach), Steffan Jones (high-performance fast-bowling coach), Paddy Upton (team catalyst), Trevor Penney (assistant coach), Zubin Bharucha (strategy, development and performance director), Dishant Yagnik (fielding coach)

Poll

In an interview to ESPNcricinfo, the 37-year-old wicketkeeper describes the communication and reasons given for dropping him from the India Test side

Sidharth Monga20-Feb-2022You seem angry, going by your recent public comments.
I never get angry. Nor am I now. I was told about this selection decision in South Africa, but I didn’t tell anyone that till now. Now that the team is out, I have only answered questions that people have asked me.How was this communicated to you?
After the South Africa series, Rahul [Dravid, the head coach] called me to the room and said, “Wriddhi, I don’t know how to say this, but for some time now the selectors and the team management have been wanting to look at a new face (as wicketkeeper). Because you are not our first-choice wicketkeeper, because you haven’t been playing for a while, we want to use this time to groom a younger wicketkeeper.” I said “okay, no issues”.Related

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And he said, “Don’t be shocked if you are not selected for the Sri Lanka Tests. In the meantime, if you want to take some other decision, you can do that.” So I told him I was not thinking about retirement; not even close to doing so. I told him, “I started playing cricket because I liked playing it, and will continue till I like doing so. If you are not looking at me for the Indian team, that is your decision.”And the selectors?
Ten-twelve days later, I got a call from Chetan Sharma [chairman of selectors]. He asked me if I was playing Ranji Trophy. I said I hadn’t decided yet. Then he went on to tell me what Rahul had said. So I asked him if this decision was for just this series or for the upcoming series against Australia and England too. Then he paused for a couple of seconds and said, “From now on, you will not be considered.”Then I asked him why, is it because of my performance and fitness or is it because of my age? He said fitness and performance were not an issue. “We want to look at new faces and if we bring in a new face, we can’t drop him without playing him.” That’s why he said “from now on”.I said, “Okay, this is your decision.”And he said, “You can play Ranji Trophy if you want to. It’s your call.”

“If they were going to consider me after this series, then why would Rahul say, you can take ‘some other’ decision if you want?”Wriddhiman Saha

You haven’t been playing the Ranji Trophy.
It has got nothing to do with the selection. Some time ago my wife fell sick with dengue, and she hasn’t recovered fully. We have two young kids too. So I have to give my family some time too. I told the Cricket Association of Bengal clearly that I was not playing for personal reasons.Do you feel you are being nudged to retire?
When the selectors and the coach say they have been thinking about this for a while, it is not an isolated call. It means other officials – president, vice-president, etc – are in the loop too.The biggest shock was that when I scored 61 against New Zealand in Kanpur despite being injured, Dadi [Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president] texted to congratulate me and said I didn’t need to worry about anything till he is there. Naturally, I was shocked at what I was told immediately one series after.But the board president doesn’t get involved in selections.
I don’t know all that. I don’t complain about selection. If I am selected, I try to deliver. If I am dropped, I don’t say why I have not been picked. If I am not picked now, the team must not be needing me, which is why they have decided. I am not going to say anything against it.Are you satisfied by the reasons and communication?
They said performance or fitness is not an issue. “We just want to look at a new face. You are with the squad, not getting to play, so we will not consider you ‘from now on’.” So if I play Ranji or not, if I score double-centuries or triple-centuries, “from now on” means out. That means we will not consider you from now on.If you score a thousand runs in a Ranji season, your fitness will be obvious, then how can they not consider you?
If they are saying fitness and performance are not an issue, what is the issue? Age.One person indirectly asked me to consider retirement. One said, “From now on you won’t be considered.” It is clear they won’t take me whatever I do. I have been told that Chetan Sharma yesterday said you are not being considered only for these two Tests. That version is different. I have been told “from now on”. If they were going to consider me after this series, then why would Rahul say, “You can take some other decision if you want”?Have you spoken to Ganguly after that?
No. Not after that text.