Franchise Cricket

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Experienced former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has been named Kolkata Knight Riders captain for this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).

Rahane, 36, is back for a second stint with KKR after he was taken for his base price of £135k at the auction following two years with Chennai Super Kings.

He replaces Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to their third IPL title in 2024 but was not retained by the franchise and has since joined Punjab Kings.

All-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who Kolkata re-signed for £2.15m at the auction, has been named vice-captain.

"We are delighted to have someone like Ajinkya Rahane, who brings his experience and maturity as a leader," said KKR chief executive Venky Mysore.

"Also, Venkatesh Iyer has been a franchise player for KKR and brings a lot of leadership qualities. We are confident that they will combine well as we start the defence of our title."

Kolkata will play Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL season opener at Eden Gardens on 22 March.

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The Women's Premier League takes a break on Sunday as the five teams travel from Bengaluru to Lucknow for the next phase of group matches.

The opening six games were in Vadodara, followed by eight in Bengaluru before matches in Lucknow and Mumbai to conclude the 20-match group stage.

Delhi Capitals are the only team to have qualified for the play-offs as things stand.

Here's who has starred with bat and ball so far...

Top run-scorers in WPL 2025

1. Ellyse Perry (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) - 295 runs

2. Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians) - 272

3. Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals) - 260

4. Ash Gardner (Gujarat Giants) - 202

5. Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals) - 171

Top wicket-takers in WPL 2025

1. Renuka Singh Thakur (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) - 10

=2. Jess Jonassen (Delhi Capitals), Shikha Pandey (Delhi Capitals) & Georgia Wareham (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) - 9

5. Annabel Sutherland (Delhi Capitals) - 8

Image source, BCCI/WPL

Delhi Capitals beat defending Women's Premier League champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru by nine wickets to book their place in the play-offs.

Australia's Jess Jonassen and India's Shafali Verma added an unbroken stand of 146 for the second wicket as Delhi reached their target of 148 inside 15.3 overs.

Verma finished with 80 from 43 balls and Jonassen made 61 from 38, as former Australia skipper Meg Lanning was the only batter to depart for five.

All-rounder Ellyse Perry's 60 not out from 47 balls - her fourth half-century of the tournament so far - was in vain for RCB as she struggled for support from the rest of the line-up.

Delhi reached the final in the previous two editions of the competition, but lost both.

Whoever finishes top of the table by the end of the group stage will progress straight into the final on 15 March while second and third place will play in the Eliminator two days before.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Meg Lanning's unbeaten half-century led Delhi Capitals to a convincing nine-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League.

Former Australia captain Lanning finished unbeaten on 60 from 49 balls as Delhi cruised to their target of 124 in 14.3 overs.

She had added 85 for the first wicket with India's Shafali Verma, who was the only wicket to fall for 43 from 28 balls, to set up the victory which takes Delhi to the top of the WPL table with four wins from six matches.

Mumbai remain in second place with three wins from five.

There was a rare failure for England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who fell for 18 as Mumbai stuttered to 123-9 from 20 overs.

Spinners Jess Jonassen and Minnu Mani starred with the ball for Delhi, taking three wickets each.

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Defending champions Islamabad United will face two-time winners Lahore Qalandars in the opening game of the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The 10th edition of the T20 tournament will run between 11 April and 18 May - meaning it will overlap with the Indian Premier League which runs from 22 March to 25 May.

The PSL has moved to a later time slot this year because of the Champions Trophy taking place in Pakistan.

The group stage, which includes three double-headers, will run until 10 May before four knockout matches.

Lahore will host 13 matches, including the final, with venues in Rawalpindi, Karachi and Multan also being used.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Australia's David Warner are set to play for Karachi Kings, while James Vince, Chris Jordan and David Willey are among the England player set to feature.

The 2025 tournament is the final PSL featuring six teams, with two more set to be added from 2026.

• Full Pakistan Super League schedule, external

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Ash Gardner's blistering half-century helped Gujarat Giants to a comfortable six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women's Premier League.

The match had been well poised with the Giants 66-3 in the 10th over in pursuit of RCB's total of 125-7.

However, Giants skipper Gardner seized the initiative alongside Australia team-mate Phoebe Litchfield to help her side chase down the total with 21 balls to spare.

All-rounder Gardner whacked 58 off 31 balls in an innings which featured six fours and three sixes before she was caught and bowled by compatriot Georgia Wareham.

Litchfield saw the Giants home with an unbeaten 30 off 21 ball despite the best effort of Wareham (2-26) and Renuka Singh (2-24) with the ball.

Earlier, RCB's top-order had failed to fire after Smriti Mandhana, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Ellyse Perry - dismissed by Gardner - all departed cheaply.

Kanika Ahuja top scored for RCB with 33 off 28 balls while Wareham finished unbeaten on 20 as Tanuja Kanwar finished the pick of the Giants' bowlers with 2-16.

The Giants now have four points - the same number as RCB - but remain bottom of the table after five matches on net run rate.

Mumbai Indians top the standings with six points having played a game fewer.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith will play for London Spirit in the 2025 edition of The Hundred after a mini draft for the last two centrally contracted England men's places.

Smith, who played two seasons in the tournament for Birmingham Phoenix, will be captained at Spirit by New Zealander Kane Williamson who was directly signed by the Lord's-based franchise earlier this month.

The 24-year-old Surrey player made his Test debut last summer and has since appeared in both one-day internationals and T20s for England.

Meanwhile, experienced England and Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes has moved to Welsh Fire.

Woakes, 35, missed last year's edition of The Hundred after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) opted to manage his workload.

He played three matches for Phoenix in the 2023 edition of the tournament.

The remaining players with ECB red-ball and white-ball central contract points, and not retained by their franchises, are now eligible to move into The Hundred draft.

England's Test players are expected to be available for the majority of The Hundred following the conclusion of their series against India.

• Full Hundred 2025 squads

Esha Nayar
BBC Sport

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When is a cricketer too young to compete against adults in franchise competitions?

The rise of teenage stars in leagues around the world continued this month with Mumbai Indians' G Kamalini making her debut in this year's Women's Premier League aged just 16.

The teenager has batted twice in three games - remaining not out on both occasions and steering her side to victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore.

It has restarted the debate around young players in professional sport and Western Region Junior Cricket Association vice president Vanessa Pereira featured on this week's Stumped Podcast to discuss the pressure young cricketers are starting to face as more opportunities spring up.

"It's a dilemma for us," she said. "These immature young people are now in an adult world with a variety of issues going on around them, some of which they understand, a lot of which they don't."

The conversation follows 15-year-old Caoimhe Bray's WBBL debut with the Sydney Sixers in October, making her the youngest player in the league's history.

"If these young players have proper support and management, they should be ok, but the fear is that they could get chewed up and spat out," added Pereira.

"Their parents are pushing as well and they don't want to disappoint their mum and dad, so it's a lot for the children to deal with. It's an ongoing challenge."

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Former England international Kevin Pietersen has joined Delhi Capitals as team mentor for the 2025 IPL.

Pietersen played for the Capitals, then known as Delhi Daredevils, from 2012 to 2014, scoring 599 runs in 19 appearances.

Posting on X, Delhi Capitals said "the Dilli x KP love story continues".

Pietersen added: "I'm so excited to come home to Delhi! I have the fondest memories of my time with Delhi.

"I love the city, I love the fans and I'll do everything I can to support the franchise in our quest for the title in 2025!"

Delhi Capitals, who are yet to get their hands on the IPL trophy, finished sixth in 2024.

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Australia international Georgia Voll will replace Chamari Athapaththu at UP Warriorz for the remainder of the WPL.

Athapaththu is linking up with the Sri Lanka national team ahead of their white-ball series against New Zealand.

Voll, 21, has earned seven caps for Australia since making her debut in December 2024, including playing in the Women's Ashes, but is yet to feature in the WPL.

UP Warriorz sit fourth in the WPL, with two wins from their five matches. Voll could make her debut against Gujarat Giants on 3 March.

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Nat Sciver-Brunt struck an unbeaten 75 from just 44 balls as Mumbai Indians comfortably beat UP Warriorz by eight wickets in the Women's Premier League.

The England all-rounder added 133 for the second wicket with West Indies' Hayley Matthews, who made 59, as Mumbai reached their target of 143 in 17 overs.

Sciver-Brunt also took 3-18 in the Warriorz innings as they managed 142-9 from their 20 overs, having been 81-1.

Australia's Grace Harris made 45 from 26 balls at the top of the order, but Mumbai's bowling attack dominated the middle and death overs with Shabnim Ismail and Sanskriti Gupta also taking two wickets each.

Sciver-Brunt is the leading run-scorer in this year's tournament with 254 and she has a joint-high seven wickets.

Mumbai are top of the table after three successive wins, while the Warriorz are fourth with two wins from five matches.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Former England head coach Matthew Mott has been named as assistant head coach at Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League.

Mott, 51, was England men's white-ball coach between May 2022 and July 2024.

He guided them to the T20 World Cup in 2022 but disappointing 50-over and 20-over title defences in 2023 and 2024 respectively saw Mott lose his job.

He had previously been in charge of Australia's all-conquering women's team.

Since leaving the England role he has also become an assistant coach at Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.

Mott will assist head coach Hemang Badani and will be reunited with England batter Harry Brook.

The IPL begins on 22 March with the Capitals' first game against Lucknow Super Giants two days later.

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Australia's Jess Jonassen made an unbeaten 61 off 32 balls to guide Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League.

The left-hander hit nine fours and two sixes in as Capitals chased 128 with 29 balls to spare in Bengaluru.

She was supported by India opener Shafali Verma, who made 44 off 25 balls at the top of the order.

Giants were restricted to 127-9 with Bharti Fulmali making 40 and Deandra Dottin 26.

There was more disappointment for Beth Mooney (10) and Phoebe Litchfield (0).

Capitals top the five-team table with three wins from five games, while Giants are bottom with three defeats in four matches.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Sophie Ecclestone starred with bat and ball as UP Warriorz beat Royal Challengers Bangalore from the first super over in the Women's Premier League.

Ecclestone successfully defended just nine from her deciding over, having previously hit 33 from 19 balls to tie the match initially.

Warriorz were struggling in pursuit of 181 for victory, but with needed 18 from the final over with just one wicket remaining, Ecclestone hit Renuka Singh Thakur for two sixes and a four before she was run out from the final ball to force the super over.

Australia's Kim Garth conceded 8-1 from RCB's sole over but was eclipsed by Ecclestone, who only went for four.

In RCB's 180-6, Ellyse Perry continued her fine form with an unbeaten 90 from 56 balls to take her tournament tally to 235 runs from just four innings.

The Australian all-rounder hit nine fours and three sixes in her knock and added 94 for the second wicket with England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who made a 41-ball 57.

Defending champions RCB remain top of the table while UP Warriorz climb to third with back-to-back wins.

Image source, BCCI/WPL

Grace Harris took a final over hat-trick to help UP Warriorz beat Delhi Capitals by 33 runs for their first WPL win of the season.

Australia all-rounder Harris took the final three wickets to end with figures of 4-15 as Delhi Capitals were skittled out for 144.

Seamer Kranti Goud also impressed taking 4-25, including the key wickets of Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning and Jemimah Rodrigues at the top of the Capitals' order.

Chinelle Henry earlier top-scored with 62, including eight sixes and two fours, as UP Warriorz, managed by England Women coach Jon Lewis, posted 177-9.

The West Indies batter reached her half-century off just 18 balls, the joint-fastest in WPL history.

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Nat Sciver-Brunt's Mumbai Indians claimed a thrilling four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru to end the defending champions' perfect start to the WPL.

The England all-rounder made a superb 42 from 21 balls as Mumbai chased down RCB's 167-7 with a ball to spare.

Ellyse Perry had led the way for RCB with a brilliant 81 from 43 balls, while Amanjot Kaur was the pick of the Mumbai bowlers with 3-22.

Despite Sciver-Brunt's quickfire knock, Mumbai found themselves in trouble at 82-4 in the chase before a 60-run partnership between Amanjot and captain Harmanpreet Kaur swung the game back in their favour.

Harmanpreet made it to her half-century but just when Mumbai appeared to have the game won, Australia leg-spinner Georgia Wareham dismissed the India star and then had Sajeevan Sajana lbw next ball to put it back in the balance.

However, with Mumbai needing 22 from the last two overs, Amanjot smashed two sixes in the 19th to take it down to six from six balls.

It went to the fifth ball of the final over but 16-year-old G Kamalini found the boundary to secure Mumbai a win that moves them level on points with leaders RCB after three games.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Australia batter Steve Smith has confirmed he is in talks to join Welsh Fire for The Hundred this summer.

This would be the 35-year-old's first time playing in The Hundred, although he was due to captain Fire in 2020 before the tournament was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Smith is better known for his exploits in Test and 50-over cricket but does have four T20 centuries to his name, averaging 32.43 with a strike-rate of 129.97 in the format across his career.

"I'm in discussions at the moment so we'll wait and see," he told BBC Sport.

"From what I've heard, it's a wonderful tournament to be involved in so we'll keep those conversations going and we'll see how we go over the next couple of days."

Smith has a close relationship with Washington Freedom owner Sanjay Govil, who agreed to buy a 50% stake in Welsh Fire last month.

Freedom won the second season of Major League Cricket with Smith as skipper and Ricky Ponting as coach.

Smith is currently in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, where he will captain Australia in Pat Cummins' absence.

Image source, BCCI/WPL

The Women's Premier League takes a break on Thursday as the five teams travel from Vadodara to Bengaluru for the next phase of group matches.

The opening six games were in Vadodara and there will be eight in Bengaluru before matches in Lucknow and Mumbai to conclude the 20-match group stage.

Here's who has starred with bat and ball so far...

Top run-scorers in WPL 2025

1. Ash Gardner (Gujarat Giants) - 141 runs

2. Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians) - 137

3. Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals) - 101

4. Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) - 90

=5. Richa Ghosh (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) & Harleen Doel (Gujarat Giants) - 75

Top wicket-takers in WPL 2025

=1. Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians), Renuka Singh Thakur (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Annabel Sutherland (Delhi Capitals) & Priya Mishra (Gujarat Giants) - 5

=5. Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians), Ash Gardner (Gujarat Giants) & Georgia Wareham (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) - 4

Image source, BCCI/WPL

Captain Meg Lanning hit 69 as Delhi Capitals beat UP Warriorz by seven wickets in the Women's Premier League.

Chasing 167, the Australian put on 65 for the first wicket with Shafali Verma (26) before the Indian opener was caught by Chinelle Henry off the bowling of Deepti Sharma.

Sophie Ecclestone had Jemimah Rodrigues caught for a second-ball duck before Annabel Sutherland arrived at the crease, putting on 49 with her former Australia team-mate.

Lanning was bowled by compatriot Grace Harris in the 15th over, but Sutherland pushed on alongside Marizanne Kapp (29 not out), finishing unbeaten on 41 as Capitals chased down their target with one ball to spare.

For Warriorz, Kiran Navgire hit 51 off 26 from the top of the order before she was caught by Verma off Sutherland's bowling, but the rest of the top-order failed to fire.

Shweta Sehrawat (37 off 33) and Henry (33 from 15) helped set a decent total, but not one that their side could ultimate defend.

Capitals sit second in the table with two wins and a defeat from their first three games, while Warriorz, who are led by England head coach Jon Lewis, are bottom after two losses.

• WPL fixtures & table

Image source, BCCI/WPL

Nat Sciver-Brunt starred with bat and ball as Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Giants by five wickets in the Women's Premier League.

The England all-rounder took 2-26 before hitting 57 off 39 balls to anchor Mumbai's chase of 121.

She was dismissed with seven required but Sajeevan Sajana and 16-year-old WPL debutant G Kamalini saw Mumbai home with 23 balls to spare.

Sciver-Brunt was supported by Hayley Matthews (17 off 19) and Melie Kerr (19 off 20).

The Giants were bowled out for 120 from the final ball of their 20 overs.

Harleen Deol top-scored with 32 but there were more failures for Beth Mooney (one) and Laura Wolvaardt (four).

Matthews was the pick of the Mumbai bowlers with 3-16 with her off-spin, while leg-spinner Kerr claimed 2-22.

The win is Mumbai's first after a defeat in their opening game, while the Giants have now lost two of their three matches.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Australia captain Pat Cummins has decided to skip the 2025 season of Major League Cricket in the United States.

Cummins, 31, signed a four-year contract to play for San Francisco Unicorns in the American franchise tournament until 2027 in June last year.

He played six MLC matches for the Unicorns in the 2024 season and took four wickets at an average of 52.75.

Cummins is currently recovering from an ankle injury and has already been ruled out of Australia's squad for the Champions Trophy.

"Pat Cummins is unavailable to re-sign for the Unicorns in 2025 due to international commitments and workload management," said a statement from the Unicorns.

"The fast bowler has expressed his excitement to play in future Major League Cricket seasons, as his international schedule permits."

Australia's next assignment after the tournament in Pakistan is the World Test Championship final at Lord's which starts on 11 June.

They will then travel to the Caribbean to play three Tests and five T20 internationals against West Indies in June and July which is likely to clash with the third edition of MLC.

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Smriti Mandhana hit a masterful 83 as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in the Women's Premier League.

The India opener hit 10 fours and three sixes in her 47-ball knock as RCB chased 142 with 22 balls to spare in a repeat of last year's final.

Mandhana, who hit her fastest WPL half-century off 27 balls, was dismissed with eight runs required but Ellyse Perry (seven not out) and Richa Ghosh (11 not out) saw RCB home.

England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge made 42 off 33 balls in an opening-wicket stand of 107 with Mandhana.

The Capitals, who have been beaten finalists in the first two editions, were bowled out for 141 in 19.3 overs.

India opener Shafali Verma was out for a first-ball duck and Australia legend Meg Lanning made a 19-ball 17.

Jemimah Rodrigues (34) shared 60 with Lanning but the Capitals, who left out England's Alice Capsey, lost regular wickets and struggled against the leg-spin of Australia's Georgia Wareham, who claimed 3-25.

RCB are top of the table with two wins from two matches, while the Capitals are third with one win and one defeat.

• WPL fixtures & table