Holder of best bowling figures for India in ODIs, Stuart Binny bids adieu to cricket as a player

The Karnataka all-rounder Stuart Binny who represented India in 6 Tests, 14 ODIs and 3 T20Is from 2014 to 2016 has bid adieu to his professional playing career at the age of 37. The right-handed batter and a prolific swing bowler, Binny holds the record for best bowling figures by an Indian bowler in ODI cricket. The bowler has a spell of 6-4 to his name which he registered against Bangladesh in 2014 in Dhaka.

He played last of his 23 games for India in August 2016, a T20I against West Indies in Lauderhill, Florida.

"It has given me tremendous joy and pride to have represented my country at the highest international level," Binny wrote in a letter announcing his retirement. The all-rounder went on to thanks his coaches, friends and family for supporting him throughout his cricketing journey.

"I'm grateful to the coaches who encouraged me, to the selectors who put their faith in me. To the friends who shared my cricketing journey with overwhelming pride, to the colleagues who put their hearts out on the battlefield with me. To my captains who entrusted me. None of this would have been possible had it not been for my family, I stepped out on the field every day thinking about them,” said Binny.

He might have got limited opportunity in international cricket, but in domestic cricket, he is no less than a Karnataka legend, being part of a golden period of Karnataka cricket in recent history where they went on to win the Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy for two continuous seasons in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

In total, Binny played 95 first-class matches, scoring 4796 runs at an average of 34.25, apart from picking 148 wickets. In List A and T20 cricket, the Bangalore born, son of World Cup winner Roger Binny, Stuart played 100 and 150 matches respectively. Out of the 150 T20 games, 95 came in IPL for various franchises including Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians.

The man with more than 3400 runs and 172 wickets in limited-overs cricket also thanked his IPL franchises and state team for their support. "My cricketing journey would not even have started had it not been for Karnataka and their support. It has been an honour to captain and win trophies with my state. I would also like to thank the IPL teams who have enriched my career,” Binny said.

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IPL 2021 | RCB's Washington Sunder ruled out, Bengal’s Akash Deep named replacement for UAE leg

Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered a big blow ahead of the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League 2021 after their premier all-rounder Washington Syndar was ruled out of the competition due to a fractured shoulder. Bengal fast bowling all-rounder Akash Deep has been named as his replacement. "Royal Challengers Bangalore's all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL 2021 due to a finger injury. Akash Deep, a state cricketer from Bengal and net bowler with the franchise has been named as a replacement," a press release by the RCB said. Sundar, who was with the Indian Test team in England during the World Test championship, as well as for the England tour, got injured while playing for Select County XI in a warm-up game against the Indian team at the Emirates Riverside in Durham in July. He underwent scans at that time which confirmed that the Tamil Nady born would be ruled out for a long time. Along with him, Avesh Khan, Delhi Capitals pacer had also got injured. Akash Deep, who has been named as a replacement for Sundar, has so far played 15 T20s and taken 21 wickets in them having made his debut for Bengal in the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The 24-year-old was also one of the main reasons for Bengal’s Ranji Trophy campaign in the 2019-20 season which saw the state reach the Final, albeit losing to Saurashtra on first-innings lead.

CPL 2021 | Tim Seifert’s last-minute heroics not enough as St Lucia defeat Trinbago for the first time since 2016

Tim Seifert had almost won it for Trinabgo Knight Riders with his 16 ball 40, but for the brilliant last over by Wahab Riaz who made sure that St Lucia Kings register their first-ever win since 2016 against the team from Trinidad and Tobago. When Seifert walked in, the chances of a Trinbago victory were hanging by the thread as their captain and most charismatic batter in Kieron Pollard had been caught out and still, 56 more runs were needed from 21 balls for a win. However, on the very first ball that he faced, the Kiwi hit a four and in the next over hit 14 off Alzarri Joseph. Though in the end, he might regret the three dot balls that he ate up in that over. He more than made up for it in the nineteenth over, hitting 20 off Keemo Paul’s five deliveries to bring the target down to 14 off the last over. But the drama got to another level in the last over. After hitting a four on the first ball and taking a single on the next to bring Seifert back on strike, Colin Munro wouldn’t have thought that he would have to run a bye on the fifth ball because Seifert could only score only a single on the two balls that he faced and with seven needed from the last two balls when Munro wasn’t able to get bat on ball, he had to run a bye and nearly got run out as Spiceman Andre Fletcher hit the stumps from behind the wicket. But even with two batters almost at the same end, no one got run out as Munro, who was on strike hadn’t left the crease before the ball hit the stumps, and although Seifert was still to get into the crease at the batting end, ideally he would have had to be run out at the non-striker’s end. Thus after all the confusion, the run was given and it all came down to a six from the last ball. Riaz bowled a bouncer which hit Seifert on the chest and he could get only a single. Thus a hard-earned victory was Kings’ to enjoy after a devastating defeat in their first clash against the Jamaica Tallawahs. Earlier in the morning, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, the Kings got a brilliant start as their openers took the score past 50 in only five overs. However, with Ravi Rampaul striking thrice, the Kings were shortly 69-4 with two new batters in Roston Chase and Tim David at the crease. David, in his style of attack from the word go, managed to keep the scoreboard rolling at a nice pace even as Chase took time settling down. The two added 68 runs for the fifth wicket and with Keemo Paul’s lusty blows, in the end, the Kings managed to get to 157 from their 20 overs. The two teams would now go head to head in another round of battle at the same venue of Warner Park, Basseterre after one day's rest. The two will now collide on August 31 at 07:30 pm IST.

England call upon Chris Woakes, Sam Billings as Jos Buttler and Saqib Mahmood are released

The England coach Chris Silverwood announced the Men’s squad for the fourth England-India Test at Oval starting Thursday, 02nd September. Chris Woakes, who had been out of the squad after the New Zealand series in early June and bowled well in the T20 Blast for his side Birmingham Bears makes a return to the side. “It is very pleasing that we have Chris Woakes returning to the Test squad. He has bowled well over the past week with Warwickshire without any real concerns with his heel injury. He is an asset we have been missing both with the ball and his ability to score runs in the middle order,” Silverwood said in a press release of England and Wales Cricket Board. Along with Woakes, Kent star Sam Billings has also been called upon as reserved wicketkeeper. “He understands how we want to approach our cricket and is a popular member of the group. He will fit in well with the rest of the group,” Silverwood said about Billings’ arrival in the squad. Saqib Mahmood, who was called in after Stuart Broad was injured has been released from the squad to join his side Lanachsire in their quest for a County championship title as they start their Division 1 journey from August 30. wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has also been released to be with his family during his wife’s impending delivery for their second child in September. In Buttler’s absence, Bairstow will take the gloves while Billings would remain the reserve wicketkeeper. “We would like to wish Jos (Buttler) and his family all the very best for the impending birth of their second child. Unfortunately, he will miss this Test. Jonny Bairstow will take over wicketkeeping duties,” the England coach said. Earlier in the day, Silverwood had already announced that Mark Wood, who got injured during the second Test at Lord’s was available for selection. With the series level at 1-1 and Oval being a spin-friendly condition, the Indian team wouldn’t be an easy pass for England whatsoever. But with bowling stocks intact, they would look to make the most of it. England Men’s Fourth Test Squad Joe Root (Capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Sam Billings, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

IRE vs ZIM | Long overdue innings from Kevis O’Brien see Ireland draw level

Kevin O’Brien repaid captain Andrew Balbirnie’s and Irish team management’s faith in him as he struck a 41 ball 60 to guide his team to a seven-wicket win against Zimbabwe in the second T20I at Castle Avenue, Clontarf. With this win, the Irish team levelled the five-match series 1-1 having lost the match by three runs in a closely fought low scoring contest. Chasing a competitive total of 153, Ireland got off to a fantastic start, crossing the fifty run mark in the powerplay without losing any wicket. Paul Stirling played as he does, getting to 37 off just 29 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes before being caught by Regis Chakabva behind the wickets off Ryan Burl’s leg-spin. Balbairnie followed suit. O’Brien who was waiting in the wings at the time of the Stirling show slowly started picking pace and in no time he Ireland were looking at victory as the 39-year-old reached his fourth fifty playing his 101st T20I. By the time he got out on 60, the Irish scorecard read 129-3 with only 24 runs required off 26 balls. George Dockrell was up to the task and finished the game by hitting three fours on the first three balls of the 19th over bowled by last match hero Richard Ngarava. Earlier in the day, thanks to the highest sixth-wicket t20I partnership for Zimbabwe by Milton Shumba and Ryan Burl, the Chevrons reached a competitive total of 152, even as they were 64-5 in the first 10 overs. O’Brien was adjudged Man of the Match for his brilliant innings. With the series level at 1-1, the two teams now move to Bready in Northern Ireland where they would play the remaining three matches of the five-match series with the third one taking place on Wednesday, September 01.