Franchise Cricket

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New Zealand great Kane Williamson will captain London Spirit in this summer's Hundred competition after becoming one of the competition's first ever direct signings.

Williamson, 34, will also play county cricket for Middlesex outside of The Hundred window as he spends the English summer based at Lord's.

"Our international schedule has allowed for a bit of break, and I was looking to come to the UK with my family, so when this opportunity arose it was a really exciting prospect," said Williamson.

"The Home of Cricket is one of my favourite grounds in the world for so many different reasons. I've had so many incredible moments there.

"Every player in the world holds Lord's in the highest regard. They have been able to maintain the tradition around playing there, and that's what makes it unique to any other place in the world."

Williamson had previously been signed by Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred but failed to play a game due to a back injury.

Williamson is widely regarded as one of the best batters of his generation, scoring more than 9,000 Test runs at an average of 54.88.

He has extensive T20 experience too, and has scored almost 10,000 runs for his country and in domestic cricket.

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Australia batter Steve Smith and South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen are among the overseas stars to be retained for the 2025 Major League Cricket tournament.

The pair have been retained by champions Washington Freedom and Seattle Ocras respectively.

Australia's Glenn Maxwell, South Africa's Marco Jansen and New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra will also stay at Freedom while Los Angeles Knight Riders have kept West Indies duo Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.

MI Cape Town kept Afghanistan's Rashid Khan and West Indies' Nicholas Pooran, while San Francisco Unicorns have kept Finn Allen but Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has opted against playing in the tournament.

Number one-ranked T20 batter Travis Head (Freedom), Jason Roy, David Miller, Josh Little (all Knight Riders), Quinton de Kock (Ocras), Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje (MI New York), Markram and Mitchell Santner (both Super Kings) are among the players to be released.

Overseas players retained for Major League Cricket 2025

Los Angeles Knight Riders: Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Spencer Johnson

MI New York: Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard, Rashid Khan and Trent Boult.

San Francisco Unicorns: Haris Rauf, Finn Allen, Matthew Short, and Jake Fraser-McGurk

Seattle Ocras: Heinrich Klaasen and Ryan Rickelton

Texas Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Noor Ahmad, Devon Conway and Marcus Stoinis

Washington Freedom: Steve Smith, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen, Rachin Ravindra and Jack Edwards

Image source, BCCI/WPL

Ash Gardner and Deandra Dottin played pivotal roles as Gujarat Giants picked up their first win of the 2025 WPL with a six-wicket victory over UP Warriorz.

Australia's Gardner hit her second successive half-century as she made 52 off 32 balls in the Giants' chase of 144.

The Giants captain was dismissed with 58 required but West Indies all-rounder Dottin smashed 33 not out off 18 balls and India's Harleen Doel an unbeaten 34 as the Giants won with 12 balls to spare.

Dottin also took 2-34 and Gardner 2-39 as the Giants restricted the Warriorz to 143-9.

They were 22-2 in the third over before Deepti Sharma (39 off 27) shared 51 with Uma Chetry (24 off 27).

However Chetry's wicket was soon followed by the dismissals of Australia duo Tahlia McGrath (0) and Grace Harris (2) and the Warriorz were forced to scramble to a total.

Harris removed compatriot Beth Mooney for a first-ball duck in the Giants' chase and England's Sophie Ecclestone claimed 2-16, including South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt, but the Warriorz's total was under-par.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening match of the 2025 Indian Premier League.

The group stage starts on 22 March and the final will take place at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 25 May.

It will be the third time Eden Gardens has hosted the final but the first since 2015.

The 70-match group stage will run until 18 May with matches every day, including 12 double headers.

Qualifier 1 between the first and second-placed teams is in Hyderabad on 20 May before the eliminator between third and fourth the following day.

Qualifier 2, which decides who joins the winner of qualifier 1 in the final, is also at Eden Gardens on 23 May.

England's one-off Test against Zimbabwe is due to start on 22 May so the likes of Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell and Brydon Carse may be unavailable for the play-offs.

Teams have again been split into two pools of five. They play every side in their group twice, one side from the other pool twice and the other four teams once.

That means the IPL's two must successful side - Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians - will face each other twice in the group stage.

All results form one group table with the top four progressing to the play-offs.

Group 1: Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings.

Group 2: Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants.

Teams face the side in the corresponding position twice in group stage - i.e KKR and SRH and RCB and DC.

• Full IPL 2025 schedule (external link), external

• IPL 2025 squads

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Afghanistan Mujeeb Ur Rahman will replace injured compatriot Allah Ghazanfar at Mumbai Indians for the 2025 Indian Premier League.

Off-spinner Ghazanfar, 18, was set to play in the IPL for the first time but has been ruled out by a back injury that has also seen him replaced in Afghanistan's Champions Trophy squad.

Mujeeb, 23, has taken 19 wickets in 19 IPL matches but last played in the tournament in 2021.

The dates for the 2025 tournament are yet to be announced but reports, external say it is due to start on 22 March.

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Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians in a final-ball thriller in the Women's Premier League despite England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt making an unbeaten 80.

Sciver-Brunt, who made 80 off 59 balls with 13 fours, shared 73 with India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (42 off 22) for the third wicket but 2023 winners Mumbai collapsed from 105-2 to be bowled out for 164 in 19.2 overs.

Delhi got off to a rapid start in reply with Shafali Verma crashing 43 off 18 balls and Meg Lanning making 15.

However both fell in the space of three balls and were soon followed by Jemimah Rodrigues and Annabel Sutherland as the two-time finalists fell to 76-4.

England's Alice Capsey added 16 in a stand of 33 with India's Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Niki Prasad (35 off 33) and Scotland's Sarah Bryce crashed 21 off 10 balls.

Delhi needed 10 from the final over and Prasad hit a boundary from the first ball but was dismissed with two needed from two balls.

However Delhi scrambled the two needed from the final ball with the third umpire deciding Arundhati Reddy made her ground to secure a two-wicket win.

Replays suggested it was extremely tight and was the third run-out decision in the Delhi chase that raised question marks.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Defending champions RCB broke the record for the highest successful run chase in the Women's Premier League as they chased down 202 to beat Gujarat Giants by six wickets in Vadodara.

Richa Ghosh top-scored with an unbeaten 64 from just 27 deliveries to help RCB win with nine balls to spare in the opening match of the third edition of the tournament.

Kanika Ahuja added 30 off 13 in an unbroken 93-run stand with Ghosh, who was dropped first ball by Simran Shaikh.

Australia's Ellyse Perry earlier led a recovery, hitting 57 from 34 balls, after captain Smriti Mandhana and England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge fell cheaply to leave RCB wobbling on 14-2.

Perry's international team-mate Ash Gardner starred with bat and ball in a losing cause for the Giants.

The all-rounder hit an unbeaten 79 from 34 balls to help Gujarat post 201-5, the joint fourth-highest score in WPL history.

Gardner then took the early wickets of Mandhana and Wyatt-Hodge, ending with figures of 2-33.

• WPL fixtures & table

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Former India bowler Jhulan Goswami says working with Charlotte Edwards as Mumbai Indians' bowling coach and team mentor has been "a pleasure" and the pair have "loved getting to know each other away from the cricket field".

When Goswami and Edwards began playing against each other internationally in 2002, it sparked the beginning of a cricketing rivalry that lasted 14 years.

Right-arm seamer Goswami dismissed Edwards 13 times in one-day internationals but the pair are working closely together under Edwards' leadership at Mumbai Indians.

After retiring from cricket in 2017, the former England opener took on the role as head coach of the Mumbai-based WPL side ahead of the inaugural season in 2023.

Goswami, who was the highest wicket-taker in women's ODIs when she retired in 2022, was immediately made bowling coach and mentor and the two led the side to the title in the first WPL.

Speaking on BBC World Service's Stumped podcast Edwards said: "As soon as I got this role, I knew that Jhulan was going to be the mentor and bowling coach. I was just so happy that I was finally getting to work with this wonderful person. We've had some wonderful memories over the last couple of years and we've really got to know each other.

"She [Goswami] comes across as this big fierce fast bowler, but she's a big softy. She's wonderful with the young players, she knows everyone and that's why we're so lucky to have her scouting across the country. It's no kind of coincidence that we've managed to pick up some of this wonderful Indian talent."

On working under Edwards, Goswami said: "It has always been a pleasure working under Lottie's leadership. Her leadership quality and ability to bring everyone together is something she has really bonded with. I think this journey together with Mumbai Indians has been unparalleled. Every day I'm learning something new and it has been fantastic.

"It was an exciting moment for both of us and we've got to know each other away from the cricket field. We hardly spent any time together because, as opposition, we were always in opposite dressing rooms. But getting to know each other is fantastic and what a lovely person she is."

Listen to the full interview with Mumbai Indians head coach Charlotte Edwards and bowling coach and team mentor Jhulan Goswami on the Stumped podcast on BBC Sounds.

Image source, BCCI/WPL

Former England captain Charlotte Edwards says her time coaching Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League has been "so rewarding" but has brought "pressure at times".

The WPL, which was launched in 2023 and is the equivalent of the men's IPL, is the most lucrative franchise competition in women's cricket with the five teams spending almost £1.2m on salaries each year.

Mumbai Indians, who have been led by Edwards since the inception, won the inaugural edition and finished third in last year's tournament.

Edwards, who made 309 appearances for England and led them to two Ashes victories, began her coaching career in 2020 and has led Southern Vipers and Southern Brave in England and Sydney Sixers in Australia before taking on the Mumbai role.

Speaking on BBC World Service's Stumped podcast she said: "It's been a wonderful experience. I've grown so much in the past two years, working with different cultures. It's been so rewarding, changing players lives as well out here.

"It's quite a pressure at times but it's been so great to be able to have the opportunity to work in India. I obviously got to play here, but to work here with one of the greats of the game [in Jhulan Goswami] has been truly special."

Listen to the full interview with Charlotte Edwards and Mumbai Indians bowling coach and team mentor Jhulan Goswami on the Stumped podcast on BBC Sounds.

Batter Rajat Patidar has been named captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the 2025 Indian Premier League.

South Africa batter Faf du Plessis has been RCB captain for the past two seasons but was not retained at last year's mega auction.

Virat Kohli, RCB skipper from 2013 to 2021, was considered to retake the role but the team's management announced Patidar’s appointment on Thursday.

"I know that the fans would have probably leant towards Virat in the first instance," said team director Mo Bobat.

"My point on Virat would be that Virat doesn't need a captaincy title to lead. I think leadership, as we've all seen, is one of his strongest instincts. I think it just comes naturally to him. He leads regardless.

"For us, even last year with Faf as captain, we saw every bit of that."

Patidar, 31, has played for RCB for three seasons. He has played three Tests and one one-day international for India.

He also captains his state Madhya Pradesh in white-ball cricket but has not previously taken charge in the IPL.

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The India-based Women's Premier League (WPL) returns on Friday, 14 February for its third edition.

The tournament is the women's equivalent of the men's Indian Premier League (IPL) and attracts the world's biggest names.

The five teams are: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, UP Warriorz, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Three - Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru - are associated with teams from the IPL.

They form one table and each side plays the other four twice.

The opening match sees defending champions RCB face Gujarat Giants. All matches start at 14:00 GMT.

The group stage runs until 11 March - there are some days with no fixtures - before the eliminator (second and third in the group stage) on 13 March.

The winners of the eliminator play the side 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).

• WPL fixtures

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Six England players are set to play in the third edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) in India.

All-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt will return to Mumbai Indians for the third successive season, while left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who is the number one-ranked T20 bowler in the world, will be back at UP Warriorz.

Alice Capsey returns to Delhi Capitals are impressing in their run to back-to-back finals.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge has joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from UP Warriorz, where she failed to play a game last season.

She's joined by off-spinner Charlie Dean, who will play in the tournament for the first time as an injury replacement for Australia's Sophie Molineux.

Seam-bowling all-rounder Dani Gibson is also involved for the first time after being signed by Gujarat Giants.

Seamer Kate Cross has pulled out of her contract at RCB as she recovers from a back injury, while captain Heather Knight was among the players not picked up at the auction.

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A host of the world's best players are set to feature in the third edition of the Women's Premier League - the Indian T20 franchise tournament.

Australia players have again been popular with their five-time T20 World Cup-winning captain Meg Lanning retained by Delhi Capitals.

She's joined by all-rounder Annabel Sutherland and Big Bash player of the tournament Jess Jonassen.

All-rounder Ash Gardner will captain Gujarat Giants and is joined by batters Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield.

Ellyse Perry, Kim Garth, Georgia Wareham and Heather Graham are all at defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), while Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris play for UP Warriorz.

New Zealand all-rounder Melie Kerr, who was named player of the tournament in October's T20 World Cup, is back at Mumbai Indians alongside West Indies star Hayley Matthews and former South Africa quick Shabnim Ismail.

South Africa's Marizanne Kapp is also back at Delhi, while West Indies' Deandra Dottin has joined Gujarat.

The tournament has all of India's best players featuring with captain Harmanpreet Kaur at Mumbai, Smriti Mandhana at RCB and Shafali Verma at Delhi.

Image source, International League T20

England all-rounder Sam Curran has been named as the most valuable player at the International League T20.

Curran's Desert Vipers side topped the group table but were beaten in the final by Dubai Capitals.

He was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 387 runs at an average of 55.28 and strike-rate of 134.37.

The left-armer struggled a little with the ball but claimed seven wickets at an average of 54.28. His economy rate was 8.44.

He also took six catches throughout the tournament.

Fellow England bowler Chris Jordan won the award in the inaugural season before Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza won it last year.

Image source, International League T20

The 2025 International League T20 is over with Dubai Capitals winning the tournament for the first time.

The final saw David Warner's side chase down 190 in the final over to beat table-toppers Desert Vipers.

Here is who starred with bat and ball in the third edition of the United Arab Emirates T20 tournament.

Top run-scorers in ILT20 2025

1. Shai Hope (Dubai Capitals) - 527 runs

2. Tom Banton (MI Emirates) - 493

3. Alex Hales (Desert Vipers) - 405

4. Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Sharjah Warriorz) - 388

5. Sam Curran (Desert Vipers) - 387

Top wicket-takers in ILT20 2025

1. Fazalhaq Farooqi (MI Emirates) - 21 wickets

2. Jason Holder (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) - 17

=3. Blessing Muzarabani (Gulf Giants) & Alzarri Joseph (MI Emirates) - 16

=5. Mohammad Amir (Desert Vipers) & Adam Milne (Gulf Giants) - 14

David Payne was the most successful English bowler with 10 wickets for Desert Vipers.

Image source, International League T20

Dubai Capitals beat table-topping Desert Vipers by four wickets to win the final of the 2025 International League T20.

Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza blazed 34 from 12 balls, including a six and four to finish the match, as the Capitals took their maiden title.

Having been set 190 to win, Capitals lost three of their top-order for single figures, including veteran David Warner, bowled by England seamer David Payne for four, and captain Sam Billings for six.

Shai Hope hit 43 from the top of the order before he was caught by Dan Lawrence off the bowling of Sam Curran, then West Indies team-mate Rovman Powell took over, blasting 63 from 38.

Powell was the last Capitals wicket to fall, hitting Nathan Sowter's delivery to Payne at the end of the 18th over, but Raza finished the match in style.

Vipers were put into bat by their opponents and lost big-hitting openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Alex Hales for five runs apiece, while Lawrence was dismissed for 10 to leave his side 75-3 in the 10th over.

Middlesex batter Max Holden struck 76 from 51, adding 47 with Sam Curran, their partnership ending when Holden was caught by Scott Kuggeleijn off Raza's delivery.

Curran pushed on, hitting an unbeaten 62 off 33 as he and Azam Khan made a stand of 67, but his efforts proved not to be enough.

Vipers have now lost two of the tournament's three finals, while Capitals take the trophy after losing last year's final to MI Emirates.

Meanwhile Warner and Billings take winners medals having been defeated in the final of the Big Bash with Sydney Thunder two weeks ago.

Image source, SA20

South Africa all-rounder Marco Jansen was named player of the tournament in the third edition of the SA20.

Jansen, 24, was part of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape side that was beaten by MI Cape Town in the final as they looked to win a third successive title.

The left-armer was also named the tournament's best bowler after finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 19 at an average of 18.42. His economy rate was only 7.14 too.

He scored 204 runs in the middle order and often dug Sunrisers out of trouble.

Paarl Royals opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius was named the tournament's best batter after finishing as the top run-scorer with 397 runs at an average of 33.08 and an impressive strike-rate of 166.81.

The 18-year-old was playing in the tournament for the first time and was part of a formidable opening partnership alongside Joe Root, before he left for England's tour of India.

MI Cape Town batter Dewald Brevis was named rising star of the season after scoring 291 runs at an average of 48.5 and strike-rate of 184.18.

Jansen's South Africa team-mates Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klassen are the two previous winners of the player of the tournament award.

Image source, SA20

The 2025 SA20 is over with MI Cape Town winning the tournament for the first time.

The final saw Kagiso Rabada take 4-25 as Sunrisers Eastern Cape were unable to win a third successive title.

Here is who starred with bat and ball in the third edition of the South Africa T20 tournament.

Top run-scorers in SA20 2025

1. Lhuan-dre Pretorius (Paarl Royals) - 397 runs

2. Rassie van der Dussen (MI Cape Town) - 393

3. Aiden Markram (Sunrisers Eastern Cape) - 340

4. Ryan Rickelton (MI Cape Town) - 336

5. Rubin Hermann (Paarl Royals) - 333

Joe Root was the highest English run-scorer, making 279 runs at an average of 55.8 in eight group-stage games for Paarl Royals.

Top wicket-takers in SA20 2025

1. Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Eastern Cape) - 19 wickets

=2. Hardus Viljoen (Joburg Super Kings), Liam Dawson & Richard Gleeson (both Sunrisers Eastern Cape) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Paarl Royals) - 14