RCB to play Giants in WPL 2025 openerpublished at 15:45 GMT 16 January
15:45 GMT 16 January
Image source, BCCI/WPL
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Gujarat Giants in the opening game of the 2025 Women's Premier League.
The tournament will begin on 14 February and is scheduled to run until 15 March.
The group stage will run until 11 March, before the Eliminator - between the teams that finish second and third - on 13 March.
The winner of that game will play the team who topped the group stage in the final on 15 March.
Four venues will be used in the tournament: The new BCA Stadium in Vadodara (six games between 14-19 Feb), M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru (eight games between 21 Feb-1 March), EKA Arena in Lucknow (four games between 3-8 March) and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai (four games between 10-15 March).
All 22 matches are scheduled to start at 14:00 GMT (19:30 Indian Standard Time).
Hurricanes seal top-two spot in Big Bashpublished at 12:47 GMT 16 January
12:47 GMT 16 January
Image source, Getty Images
Matthew Wade hit the final ball for six to give Hobart Hurricanes a five-wicket win over Brisbane Heat and secure a top-two place in the Big Bash League.
Chasing 202 Hurricanes, who already secured a knockout spot, needed 11 from the final over.
Jake Doran hit the third ball for four and Hurricanes needed one from the final ball but Wade swept over square leg for six to secure a seventh straight win.
Caleb Jewell made 76 off 49 balls and Mitch Owen 44 off 20 at the top of the order.
Defending champions Heat had posted 201-6 with Marnus Labuschagne, playing for the first time this season, making 77.
Heat spinner Matthew Kuhnemann suffered a right thumb injury in the chase, which will concern Australia going into their two-Test tour of Sri Lanka later in January.
Finishing in the top two ensures that Hurricanes, who have never won the competition, will get two chances to reach the final on 27 January.
Heat need to win their final game and hope that Melbourne Stars lose.
Dean replaces injured Molineux at RCB in WPLpublished at 09:49 GMT 16 January
09:49 GMT 16 January
Image source, Getty Images
England spinner Charlie Dean has signed for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women's Premier League as an injury replacement for Australia all-rounder Sophie Molineux.
Dean, 24, has not played in the first two seasons of the Indian competition, but has taken 46 wickets in 36 T20s for England, at an average of 18.19.
Molineux, 26, is ruled out with a knee injury, which has also seen her miss the Women's Ashes this month.
Dean will join England pair Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Kate Cross at defending champions RCB.
Other England players involved in the competition include Alice Capsey (Delhi Capitals), Dani Gibson (Gujarat Giants), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians) and Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz).
The dates for the 2025 tournament are yet to be announced.
Root's Royals cruise past MI Cape Town in SA20published at 19:06 GMT 15 January
19:06 GMT 15 January
Image source, Sportzpics
Joe Root's Paarl Royals cruised to a six-wicket win over MI Cape Town on the back of teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius' superb 83 from 52 balls in the SA20.
Having been set 159 to win, Root scored a run-a-ball 15 for the Royals as he played second fiddle to Pretorius in a 50-run opening stand.
While the former England skipper, who also took 1-24 with the ball, was dismissed by Trent Boult in the last over of the powerplay, 18-year-old Pretorius powered on and hit eight fours and three sixes.
The left-hander was eventually run out with the Royals 25 short of their target but captain David Miller's 24 not out got them over the line with an over to spare.
South Africa international Rassie van der Dussen had earlier batted through the innings for MI Cape Town, finishing unbeaten on 91 from 64 balls with five fours and five sixes.
However, support was limited and while the away side kept wickets in hand, spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-27) was the pick of a Royal bowling attack that ensured Cape Town never got away from them.
A total of 158-4 proved to be insufficient thanks to Pretorius' second blistering half-century of the tournament.
MI Cape Town remain top of the table despite a second loss in four games, a point clear of the Royals, who have won two of their first three.
Holder stars as Knight Riders thrash Warriorz in ILT20published at 18:26 GMT 15 January
18:26 GMT 15 January
Image source, Getty Images
Jason Holder took 4-23 as Abu Dhabi Knight Riders claimed a comfortable 30-run win over Sharjah Warriorz in the International League T20.
Former England bowler David Willey also played a key role for the Knight Riders as he claimed 3-19, including the wicket of Jason Roy for six.
Englishmen Laurie Evans (39* from 31 balls) and Joe Clarke (32 from 27) top-scored for the Knight Riders and Andre Russell's unbeaten 24 from 12 balls took the home side up to 159-5.
England leg-spinner Adil Rashid was the pick of the Warriorz bowlers with figures of 2-14 from his four overs.
Warriorz were in trouble early in the chase as Willey removed Tom Kohler-Cadmore second ball and then dismissed Roy in his next over.
Holder went on to remove his fellow West Indian Johnson Charles as the Warriorz slumped to 45-4 and then 83-7.
It was only some late hitting from Tim Southee (24 from 11) that gave the score a slightly more respectable look for the visitors, who were bowled out for 129 with three ball of the innings remaining.
Both sides have now won one and lost one of their opening two matches.
Pope and Overton efforts in vain as Sixers beat Strikerspublished at 12:01 GMT 15 January
12:01 GMT 15 January
Image source, Getty Images
Adelaide Strikers hopes of making the Big Bash League knockout stages suffered a blow as they fell to a three-wicket loss to Sydney Sixers despite the best efforts of Ollie Pope and Jamie Overton.
England Test vice-captain Pope top-scored with 57 from 39 balls, adding 97 for the fourth wicket with Alex Ross (48 from 37), before Overton added an unbeaten 32 from 14 late in the innings as the Strikers posted 182-5.
However, Steve Smith's half-century got the Sixers chase off to the ideal start before he was dismissed by Overton having made 52 from 31 balls.
Overton, who ended with figures of 2-35, trapped Jordan Silk lbw in the same over and when Moises Henriques fell to wrist-spinner Lloyd Pope at the start of the next, the Sixers were 92-5.
But Lachlan Shaw and Ben Dwarshuis' 55-run stand got them back in contention and Hayden Kerr's cameo of 18 from nine balls got the away side over the line with a ball to spare.
While the Sixers return to the top of the table, the Strikers stay sixth and progressing to the knockout phase is no longer in their own hands.
Chasing 120, Curran came to the crease at 7-2 but shared 49 with Alex Hales (20), 10 with Azam Khan and then an unbroken 55 with Sherfane Rutherford (40* off 18).
Curran's 42 came off 43 balls with four fours and one six.
Giants had posted 119-9 with James Vince making an unbeaten 76 off 62 balls. Aayan Khan was the only other Giants batter to make double figures.
Vipers are top of the table with two wins from two, while Giants are fifth after two defeats.
Jacks & Livingstone inflict third defeat on Eastern Cape in SA20published at 19:23 GMT 14 January
19:23 GMT 14 January
Image source, SA20
Pretoria Capitals recovered from 61-4 to inflict a third straight defeat on defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.
Chasing 114 to win, Will Jacks made 27 at the top of the order before being dismissed by Richard Gleeson (2-31).
But Liam Livingstone (14* off 14) and Marques Ackerman (39* off 30) shared 54 for the fifth wicket to see Pretoria to a six-wicket win with 24 balls to spare.
Eastern Cape had recovered from 26-5 to be bowled out for 113 in 19.4 overs.
All-rounder Marco Jansen hit 51 off 35 balls and Daryn Dupavillon claimed 3-32.
Bethell stars but Renegades out of Big Bash knockout contentionpublished at 11:55 GMT 14 January
11:55 GMT 14 January
Image source, Getty Images
England's Jacob Bethell produced a brilliant all-round display but could not prevant Melbourne Renegades suffering a four-wicket defeat by Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.
Renegades were 23-3 but Bethell, 21, smashed 87 off 50 balls before being run out in the final over as they posted 154-7.
The left-hander hit eight fours and four sixes in his first half-century of the tournament.
He then opened the bowling and dismissed Charlie Wakim in his second over as Hurricanes, who had already qualified for the knockouts, slipped to 50-3.
Small partnerships saw them require 24 from 24 balls but Bethell removed Matthew Wade to turn the game again.
Renegades squeezed to leave Hurricanes needing eight from the final over but Tim David (24* off 15) hit the third ball for six before taking a single to seal the win.
Hurricanes go top of the table and a win in their final game would see them secure top spot and two chances to reach the final.
Renegades are no longer able to qualify for the knockouts.
Root out tamely as Paarl lose to Cape Town in SA20published at 19:20 GMT 13 January
19:20 GMT 13 January
Image source, SA20
MI Cape Town comfortably beat Joe Root's Paarl Royals by 33 runs in the SA20, but were denied a bonus-point win by some resilient lower-order batting.
Cape Town posted 172-7 with Reeza Hendricks (59 off 37 balls) and Rassie van der Dussen (43 off 33) sharing 79 for the second wicket.
They were pegged back to 127-5 but Delano Potgieter gave the innings some late impetus with a spritely 29 off 18.
In reply, Root, who made a match-winning 62 on his debut, was dismissed tamely, flicking Kagiso Rabada to short fine leg for 26 off 14 balls.
Paarl were 81-8 but Afghanistan's Mujeeb ur Rahman (34) and Kwena Maphaka (22 not out) saw them to 139-9 - two runs above the total Cape Town needed to restrict them to for the bonus point.
Spinner George Linde took 3-15 while Rabada claimed 2-22 and Rashid Khan 2-28.
Tuesday is a double-header with Pretoria Capitals playing Sunrisers Eastern Cape (11:00 GMT) and Durban's Super Giants facing Joburg Super Kings.
Warner & Williamson earn PSL deals but Roy & Mills miss outpublished at 15:26 GMT 13 January
15:26 GMT 13 January
Image source, Getty Images
David Warner and Kane Williamson will both play in the Pakistan Super League in 2025 after being drafted on Monday.
Former Australia opener Warner, 38, was signed by Karachi Kings and will be joined by New Zealand's Williamson, 34, who initially went undrafted before being selected in the supplementary round.
English trio Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Peshawar Zalmi), Tom Curran and Sam Billings (both supplementary - Lahore Qalandars) were also signed, but Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills and Alex Hales were among the players not selected.
Ireland's Josh Little will play for Multan Sultans, while New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell (Lahore Qalandars), West Indies' Jason Holder and South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen (both Islamabad United) also got picked up.
Australia's Usman Khawaja, South Africa's Tabraiz Shamsi and Afghanistan's Mujeeb ur Rahman failed to earn deals.
England's James Vince (Karachi Kings), Chris Jordan and David Willey (both Multan Sultans) had already been retained by their sides alongside Pakistan stars like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Muhammad Rizwan.
The 10th edition is set to take place between 8 April and 19 May and is expected to clash in part with the Indian Premier League.
Players signed in PSL draft
Islamabad United: Matthew Short, Jason Holder, Ben Dwarshuis, Salman Irshad, Mohammad Nawaz, Andries Goes, Saad Masood, Hunain Shah. Supplementary: Riley Meredith, Rassie van der Dussen
Karachi Kings: David Warner, Adam Milne, Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Aamir Jamal, Mir Hamza, Litton Das, Riazullah, Fawad Ali. Supplementary: Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi, Omair Bin Yousuf
Lahore Qalandars: Daryl Mitchell, Kusal Perera, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mohammad Akhlaq, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Azab. Supplementary: Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Salman Ali Mirza
Multan Sultans: Michael Bracewell, Mohammad Hasnain, Kamran Ghulam, Akif Javed, Tayyab Tahir, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little, Shahid Aziz, Ubaid Shah. Supplementary: Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Yasir Khan
Peshawar Zalmi: Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Corbin Bosch, Mohammad Ali, Abdul Samad, Nahid Rana, Hussain Talat, Max Bryant, Najibullah Zadran, Maaz Sadaqat. Supplementary: Alzarri Joseph, Ahmed Daniyal
Quetta Gladiators: Mark Chapman, Faheem Ashraf, Finn Allen, Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan, Kyle Jamieson, Hassan Nawaz, Mohammad Zeeshan. Supplementary: Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott, Shoaib Malik
Warner & Williamson among stars in PSL draft on Mondaypublished at 21:18 GMT 12 January
21:18 GMT 12 January
Image source, Getty Images
Australia opener David Warner and New Zealand batter Kane Williamson will be among the star names available in the Pakistan Super League draft on Monday.
There are 24 English-qualified players looking to secure deals in the auction, including World Cup winners Jason Roy and Dawid Malan.
Players are split across four different brackets and overseas batters in the top platinum bracket include Australia's Usman Khawaja, New Zealand's Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell and South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen.
Bowlers include Afghanistan's Mujeeb ur Rahman, Australia's Sean Abbott, South Africa's Tabraiz Shamsi and West Indies' Alzarri Joseph.
Australia duo Cooper Connolly and Daniel Sams are among the all-rounders available.
Islamabad United are the defending champions.
England players in Pakistan Super League draft
Platinum: Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Joe Clarke, Laurie Evans, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tymal Mills.
Diamond: David Payne, Dawid Malan, Luke Wood, Richard Gleeson.
Gold: Benny Howell, Chris Wood, George Garton, Nathan Sowter, Ross Whiteley, Tom Moores, Will Smeed.
Silver: Feroze Khushi, George Scrimshaw, Harrison Ward, Jack Taylor, Jake Lintott.
Stars were 75-7 but Maxwell shared 81 with Usama Mir for the eighth wicket. Remarkably Maxwell scored 79 of those runs, with the other two being extras.
He hit four fours and 10 sixes before being bowled in the final over as Stars were all out for 165.
Renegades lost regular wickets throughout their chase and were reduced to 44-4 and 80-7 before being bowled out for 123 in the final over.
England's Jacob Bethell made one from eight balls. The left-hander has scored 108 runs in seven innings, at an average of 15.42, in the tournament.
Stars have won their past four games, having lost their opening five, and climb to fourth in the table.
They likely need to win their final game and have other results go their way to reach the knockouts.
Renegades are bottom and likely need to both of their remaining games to stand any chance.
Root guides Paarl to win over Eastern Cape on SA20 debutpublished at 14:09 GMT 11 January
14:09 GMT 11 January
Image source, SA20
England's Joe Root made an unbeaten 62 on his SA20 debut to guide Paarl Royals to a nine-wicket win over Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Root, who last played a T20 for England in 2019, hit four fours and one six as Paarl chased 176 with eight balls to spare.
He was happy to play a supporting role to fellow opener and 18-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who smashed a brilliant 97 off 51 balls on his debut.
The left-hander hit all round the wicket and smacked 10 fours and six sixes as Eastern Cape's bowlers strayed.
"Batting with Rooty just calmed me down, gave me some clarity and it was amazing. I'm lost for words," Pretorius told Sky Sports.
"A lot of credit has to go to Rooty for only conceding four dot balls. He allowed me to get into a rhythm. He helped me a lot and I'm grateful for that."
Defending champions Eastern Cape, who have now lost their opening two games, posted 175-5 with captain Aiden Markram making 82 off 49 balls.
Root will play in the majority of the tournament, but will leave for England's 50-over series in India from 6 February.
Image source, International League T20
