Incredible Russell-Moores partnership starts off Deccan Gladiators campaign with a victory

After Hanuma Vihari, India-A add 2 more players for South Africa tour

Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar have been added to India A squad which is set to play its first game on November 23. The two players, who are currently travelling with the Indian team for the T20I series against New Zealand will leave for South Africa on 24 November and will be available to play the last two red ball games for the A squad. The addition of Kishan and Chahar take the squad strength up to 17 members since the announcement of the original 14-member touring party announced by the selection committee. Cricbuzz has reported that it is possible that Shardul Thakur might be added to this team as well.

Perth Scorchers top WBBL league table; set up final match at Optus Stadium

Perth Scorchers won their final match of the group stage to top the league table of the Women’s Big Bash League this season. The victory ensured that Scorchers qualified directly to the final of the tournament and would now get the home advantage in their final game of the edition, set to be played on November 27. This is the first time that the WBBL final would be hosted in a stadium of 60,000 capacity. Ahead of their final at the Optus, Scorchers will get a week’s rest as the other finalist gets decided with the playoffs and will figure out their strategy going into the final game. Scorchers defeated Ellyse Perry-led Sydney Sixers in their final league game handing the latter the wooden spoon for this edition. Sixers lost their ninth game of the season and finished the table with 9 points from 14 matches.

SL vs WI | Jeremy Solozano rushed to hospital after suffering blow to the head

West Indies debutant in the first Test match against Sri Lanka, Jeremy Solozano had to be stretched off the field after copping a blow on the head. Solozano was fielding at the short leg position in the 23rd over when opener Dimuth Karunaratne viciously pulled a short delivery from off spinner Roston Chase. The ball hit the 26-year-old debutant on the grill of his helmet and it looked like he lost his bearings. Solozano was stretched off the field with a towel on his face by the medical staff as his coach Phil Simmons and teammates looked grim. West Indies Cricket later informed via Twitter that the Trinidadian had been taken to the hospital for scans but did not provide any updates on his condition.

Preview | Perfect excuse for India to test bench strength as New Zealand try to find motivation

India and New Zealand head into a dead rubber at the iconic Eden Gardens for the third T20I game on Sunday, 21 November. Having won the series with two consecutive victories India have every possible avenue to test their bench strength in the final encounter. New Zealand, on the other hand, would be looking for one final push at the end of their hectic white ball season that has made them travel across the world. India’s options going into the game Eden has historically been a pitch that has offered good help for the seam bowlers. India would certainly be tempted to test their pace bowling reserves by introducing Avesh Khan in the game. Under the new administration of Rahul Dravid, India has seen two debuts in two games, so who knows if they will be completing the trinity with this one. If that happens, India would like to rest their most experienced white ball pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and let the old legs heal as India go into a busy set of fixtures in the coming months. Ruturaj Gaikwad, considering the form that he is in, surely deserves a shot. Eden could play well into his repertoire of shots, considering it has a lightning-fast outfield to aid his deft touches. Apart from that, this would be a good game to play Ishan Kishan, who has not had a game in this series so far. New Zealand and the Eden pitch There are only two possible ways that Eden can turn out. A flat batting track with pace bowlers getting good carry. Or a pitch with a little bit of grass left on it that will aid the pace bowlers. In the recently held Bengal T20 Challenge, Eden did produce pitches that bounced quite a bit and it had very little grip for the spin bowlers. In that case, New Zealand would find this pitch the most familiar to their own natural conditions back at home. That should even out the challenge a little bit for the visitors. Match Details India vs New Zealand Match Number - 3 Date & Time - 21 November, 7 PM IST Venue - Eden Gardens Kolkata Pitch Report As mentioned above, the pitch could be the one that offers help to the faster bowlers. Considering the amount of dew falling at Kolkata right now, it would be a no brainer to opt to bowl in case the captain wins the toss. Team News India There were no injuries in the last game, but this could be a good time to test out the bench strength. With the captain unlikely to sit himself out, Ishan Kishan could come in place of Rishabh Pant, but might have to float between 3-5, something that has not been his strength playing for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. KL Rahul might make his way for IPL sensation Ruturaj Gaikwad as well. Probable XI Rohit Sharma (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Avesh Khan New Zealand The visitors are unlikely to change their team and would likely be fielding their strongest available XI. Porbable XI Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert (wk), Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (c), Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi CE Fantasy XI Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, Martin Guptill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Southee, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan Captain - Rohit Sharma Vice Captain - Avesh Khan