Franchise Cricket

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England's T20 World Cup-winning opener Alex Hales crashed 74 to set up Trinbago Knight Riders' six-wicket win over Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League.

Hales, 36, smashed three fours and seven sixes off 43 balls to help break the back of a chase of 164.

He shared 116 with Colin Munro (52 off 30) for the first wicket, before the New Zealander became the first of three wickets to fall in the 11th over to Imran Tahir.

Nicholas Pooran and Keacy Carty both fell without scoring but Hales put on 20 with Kieron Pollard to settle any nerves.

Hales was dismissed with 27 required but Pollard (12* off 14) and Andre Russell (27* off 14) got Knight Riders over the line with 16 balls to spare.

Hales has now overtaken Pollard to become the second-highest run-scorer in T20 history. Hales has 14,024 runs, with Pollard 12 runs behind in third.

West Indies great Chris Gayle leads the way with 14,562 so Hales is 538 behind. He has a minimum of four CPL games remaining, but Knight Riders are well positioned to reach the play-offs. He is also set to play in the International League T20 in December.

Earlier, Warriors posted 163-9 after being asked to bat first. Shai Hope top-scored with 39 before he was out hit wicket, while Akeal Hosein was the pick of the bowlers with 3-27.

The win sees Knight Riders consolidate top spot, while Warriors are fourth with two wins in four matches.

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Former India batter Rahul Dravid has left his role as Rajasthan Royals head coach after just one season in charge.

Under Dravid, 52, the Royals finished ninth in 2025 with four wins from 14 group-stage matches.

Former India head coach Dravid took on the role after playing for the franchise between 2011 and 2013 - including being captain in 2013 - and being a team mentor between 2013 and 2015.

After a structural review, he was offered a "broader position" but has opted not to take it.

"Rahul has been central to the Royals' journey over many years. His leadership has influenced a generation of players, built strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise," said a statement from the Royals.

During his season as head coach Dravid handed a debut to 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

Dravid is the second coach to leave their IPL franchise during the off-season after Kolkata Knight Riders announced Chandrakant Pandit had left his role in July.

The dates for the 2026 season are yet not published, but the tournament normally starts in late March.

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Trinbago Knight Riders captain Nicholas Pooran smashed an unbeaten 65 to lead his side to a seven-wicket win over Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League.

Pooran came to the crease with Knight Riders stumbling slightly at 65-2 in pursuit of 179, but he shared 93 for the third wicket with Colin Munro (67 off 44).

New Zealander Munro was run out with 30 required but West Indies batter Pooran, who hit one four and six sixes, and Kieron Pollard (19 not out off nine balls) saw Knight Riders over the line with 13 balls to spare.

Earlier, the Royals had posted 178-6 after being asked to bat by the Knight Riders.

Sherfane Rutherford top-scored with 45 off 22, while Andre Russell was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3-37.

The win sees the Knight Riders move top of the table on net run-rate, while the winless Royals sit bottom.

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New Zealand's Tim Seifert crashed 68 at the top of the order to set up Saint Lucia Kings' seven-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League.

Seifert hit six fours and four sixes in his 45-ball knock as Kings chased 178 with 18 balls to spare.

He put on 85 for the first wicket with Johnson Charles (47 off 17) and 60 for the second with Ackeem Auguste (29 off 20).

The right-hander was then bowled by Naseem Shah with 23 required but Roston Chase and Tim David saw Kings over the line with minimum fuss.

Earlier, Patriots posted 177-3 after being asked to bat first. Pakistan's Muhammad Rizwan top-scored with an unbeaten 60 off 41 balls, while Andre Fletcher chipped in with 37.

The win takes Kings to the top of the table, while Patriots are fifth with two wins in seven matches.

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