Franchise Cricket

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Zimbabwe pace bowler Blessing Muzarabani has been signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the final stages of the Indian Premier League.

Muzarabani, 28, will replace South Africa bowler Lungi Ngidi, who will depart the IPL for the Proteas' build-up to the World Test Championship final.

The IPL said the replacement is effective from 26 May - the day before RCB's final match of the league phase against Lucknow Super Giants.

Muzarabani is in the squad for Zimbabwe's four-day Test against England this week, which is scheduled to conclude on 25 May at Trent Bridge.

Muzarabani, a tall fast bowler, has never previously played in the IPL but has been a net bowler at the T20 tournament.

He has played in the Caribbean Premier League and the Pakistan Super League and has 127 wickets in 118 T20s with an economy rate of 7.24.

RCB have already qualified for the IPL play-offs, which begin on 29 May. They have doubts over the fitness of Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood who is nursing a shoulder issue.

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Gujarat Titans sealed their place in the Indian Premier League play-offs as they stormed to a 10-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals.

Openers Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, now the competition's two top run-scorers, were unbeaten as they raced to their target of 200 with an over to spare.

Sudharsan smashed a 61-ball 108 while captain Gill hit 93 from 53 deliveries to chase a record total for a 10-wicket win in the IPL, while sharing 15 fours and 11 sixes between them.

Delhi also had a centurion opener carrying their bat, with KL Rahul striking 112 from 65 balls, with 14 fours and six sixes.

Abishek Porel (30), captain Axar Patel (25) and Tristan Stubbs (21 not out) all contributed as Delhi closed on 199-3, a total they'd have likely considered competitive.

Gujarat move up two places to first, one point clear of previous leaders Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Delhi remain in fifth, one place outside the play-offs, with two games remaining.

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Lahore Qalandars secured a place in the Pakistan Super League play-offs at the expense of opponents Peshawar Zalmi with a 26-run win in Rawalpindi.

Peshawar were the only side that could supplant Lahore in the four-team knockout stage but failed to chase down 150, finishing on 123-8 in a match that was shortened to 13 overs a side because of rain.

Opener Fakhar Zaman anchored the Lahore innings, hitting 60 from 36 balls before he was bowled by Daniel Sams in the penultimate over.

Mohammad Naeem (22), Kusal Perera (17) and Asif Ali (18) all added swift runs as Lahore closed on 149-8.

Peshawar had chosen to chase at the toss, but failed to get going in their reply, with Sams and Mohammad Ali's unbroken ninth-wicket partnership of 32 their highest.

Australian Sams top-scored with 26, but five batters were dismissed for single figures, with left-arm seamer Salman Mirza taking 4-31.

Lahore move up one place to third, while Peshawar finish their season in fifth.

There is one remaining match in the season's league phase, with the already-qualified Karachi Kings and Islamabad United facing each other on Monday.

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Quetta Gladiators secured top spot in the Pakistan Super League with a final-ball victory over Multan Sultans.

Chasing a target of 186, Hasan Nawaz saw his side to victory, striking an unbeaten 67 from 38 balls as Quetta won by two wickets.

Needing 11 from Mohammad Hasnain's final over, Nawaz could only score two from the first three balls, but struck the fourth for a six down the ground.

Abrar Ahmed was then run out looking to complete a second run, but Nawaz remained on strike for the final delivery of the match, and he repeated his clearance of long-off to win the game in style.

Bottom side Multan chose to bat after winning the toss in Rawalpindi, and opener Yasir Khan got them off to a good start, striking 45 from 25 balls.

He was joined by Jahanzaib Sultan (25) for a second-wicket partnership of 52, but both batters fell to spinner Usman Tariq, who took 3-32.

Tariq also accounted for Tayyab Tahir, who hit a 24-ball 36, while Shahid Aziz (29) and Aamer Azmat (21 not out) also chipped in as Multan reached 185-7.

Khawaja Nafay got the reply off to a flier, hitting 51 from 26 balls in an opening partnership of 77 with Saud Shakeel (18).

Having looked comfortable, Quetta slipped from 116-3 to 161-7 in the 18th over, with seamer Shahid Aziz taking 3-29.

Dilshan Madushanka's penultimate over went for just six, but Nawaz would carry the leaders over the line.

Quetta are now guaranteed top spot, and will face the second-placed team in the qualifier match on 1 May.

The winner of that game progresses to the final four days later, while the loser plays the winner of the first eliminator game between third and fourth.

Meanwhile Multan conclude their sorry campaign with just one win from their ten games.

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Punjab Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs to move second in the Indian Premier League.

Chasing 220, Rajasthan needed 22 from the final over, and seamer Marco Jansen ensured they would not reach their target, dismissing Dhruv Jurel (53) and Wanindu Hasaranga with successive deliveries.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi opened the chase with a 76-run partnership, with 14-year-old Suryavanshi smashing 40 from 15 balls and Jaiswal hitting a 25-ball 50.

Both were caught off Harpreet Brar deliveries, who also bowled Riyan Parag on the way to figures of 3-22.

Jurel struck three fours and four sixes in his 31-ball innings, but couldn't take Rajasthan across the finish line in Jaipur.

After Saturday's match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders was abandoned without a ball bowled, the Kings innings got the competition under way after its eight-day break.

The league had been suspended because of tensions between India and Pakistan surrounding the region of Kashmir.

They soon slipped to 34-3 after winning the toss, seeing Mitchell Owen and Prabhsimran Singh dismissed off successive deliveries, but Shreyas Iyer (30 from 25) and Nehal Wadhera (70 from 37) put on a 67-run partnership to steady the ship.

Shashank Singh (59 from 30) and Azmatullah (21 from nine) then put out an unbeaten pairing of 60 as Kings finished their innings on 219-5, a total that proved just too much for Rajasthan.

Kings leapfrog Gujarat Titans to move into second, and are now level on points with leaders Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who have a superior net run-rate.

Rajasthan remain second bottom, having won three of their 13 games.

• Scorecard, IPL fixtures & results, table

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The Indian Premier League has announced further player replacements before the tournament restarts on Saturday.

Sri Lanka batter Kusal Mendis will replace England's Jos Buttler when Buttler returns for international duty on 26 May.

Punjab Kings have signed seamer Kyle Jamieson to replace fellow New Zealand international Lockie Ferguson, who has a hamstring injury.

Will O'Rourke, another New Zealand quick, will join Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement for India bowler Mayank Yadav, who has been ruled out with a back injury.

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The fourth season of International League T20 (ILT20) will be staged one month earlier than previous editions to avoid a clash with the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The franchise T20 tournament, held in the United Arab Emirates, will begin on 2 December, the country's National Day.

It retains its 34-game format, with six teams competing to reach a final on 4 January.

India and Sri Lanka will host the T20 World Cup in February.

The ILT20 has previously clashed with a number of other T20 competitions, including Australia's Big Bash League, South Africa's SA20 and the Bangladesh Premier League.

The SA20 has also moved for the World Cup, beginning on 26 December as opposed to 9 January in its previous season, while the other tournaments are yet to announce their schedules.

Numerous English players competed in the last edition of ILT20, including current internationals Phil Salt, Sam Curran, Tom Banton, Rehan Ahmed and Jordan Cox.