INDW vs ENGW | One-off Test: Sneh Rana dedicates performance to late father

PSL 2021 | QTG vs MS: Shan Masood, Imran Tahir and a frustrated Sarfaraz is all it took to knock Quetta out

Quetta Gladiators journey in this year’s Pakistan Super League ended as they were marauded by 110 runs by Multan Sultans in the 25th match of the PSL. This is by far the biggest defeat for any team (margin of runs) in the PSL history. Needing to win this game to stay alive in the competition, Gladiators started too slow for the liking in their chase of 184. Imran Khan and Imran Tahir were the picks of the bowlers for Sultans. The two Imrans shared five wickets in themselves with Khan picking the first two and Tahir the penultimate three. Shan Masood was the hero with the bat for Sultans. With Usman Khan and Jake Weatherlad trying to find their feet as openers in the Gladiators’ chase, Imran Khan struck twice in the fourth over to send off Weathrald and Cameron Delport. Usman Khan was run out, more by the fault of Gladiators skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed’s wrong calling than his own fault. With the required run rate mounting up, Azam Khan tried to slash one of Blessing Muzrabani’s delivery way too hard, he ended up handling an easy catch to wicketkeeper and Sultans skipper Mohammad Rizwan. In the very next over, trying to up the ante, Srarafaz played a wayward hook shot and was caught at the third man off the bowling of Sohail Tanvir. Post Sarfaraz’s wicket, it was all formalities that were completed by Tahir with his three dismissals. The entire Gladiators team were bundled out for 78, the joint second-lowest total in the competition. Srarafarz, as frustrated as he seemed in the game, was a bit toned during the post-match interview where he said, “We didn't have a lot of our foreign players available due to various reasons and it did upset our playing combination a little bit and unfortunately nothing went to plan today.” Earlier in the evening, it was all Masood with the bat as the tall left-hander demolished the Gladiators bowling, scoring a 42 ball 73, his highest individual score in PSL history. In the process, the ‘Test match specialist’ as he is known, hit four humungous sixes alongside seven glorious fours. The 31-year-old Kuwait born was adjudged Man of the Match for his performance. Johnson Charles, laying his first game for Sultans this season was also right at the money, fetching 47 off 24 balls. And even as Rizwan, Sohaib Maqsood and Rilee Rossouw, the usual power hitters failed, Multan was able to get to a winning total of 183. Reacting to the third win in a row, Rizwan said, “When there are 10 games in such a tournament, you need to catch momentum somewhere and in our team, someone or the other puts the hand up and gives us that much-needed momentum.” While Quetta are now out of the Playoff’s race they can still turn out to be a party pooper for Karachi Kings when they face them on the last day of the group stages on June 19. The Sultans would now try and climb the uphill to make sure they finish in the top two by winning their last two games, the first one of which is against Lahore Qalandars on June 18 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

ENG W vs IND W | One-off Test, Day 1: Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma pull things back after Heather Knight’s 95

Indian Women fought back in the third session with tier usual weapon spin even as England Women raced ahead in the first two sessions. While English skipper Heather Knight was the star of the day with her exquisite 95 runs, agonizingly falling five runs short of what could have been her second Test hundred in her 100th international game as England Women captain. For India, making comeback to international cricket after five long years, Railways’ Sneh Rana was the pick of the bowlers with her three-wicket haul. Deepti Sharma, another off-spinner in the side picked two as well while fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar picked the first English wicket, which remained her only wicket of the day. The most interesting thing about all three bowlers was that they were making their debuts in Test cricket. Along with Knight, Tammy Beaumont and vice-captain Natalie Sciver also made useful contributions, scoring 66 and 42 respectively. However experienced wicketkeeper Amy Jones and spinner Georgia Elwiss failed to convert their starts, even as debutant Sophia Dunkley and all-rounder Katharine Brunt held on to the fort in the dying hours of the day. Mitali Raj’s girls would come back on Day 2 at Bristol to try and get the wickets cheaply as England Women would try to add as much as they can to their overnight score of 269-6.

PSL 2021 | KRQ vs LHQ: With back against the wall, Karachi find itself in do or die situation against Lahore

In the post-match presentation ceremony in the last game, the Karachi Kings skipper said, “If we think we can't make it, there's no point in playing, so we'll give it our best shot.” This was said immediately after their third consecutive loss in the Pakistan Super League 2021, this time at the hands of Peshawar Zalmi. But now is the time that the ‘best shot’ that Imad Wasim was talking about, needs to be delivered. For Karachi to qualify, they can still do with a loss mathematically, but morally, they need this win to tell themselves that we are here to compete and we are here to win and we are indeed the defending champions. However, it is not going to be one bit easy as they would be up against a Lahore Qalandars side who themselves are reeling from two consecutive losses after a great run in the opening two games. Sohail Akhtar’s side has not been able to chase their targets in the last two games and have rather collapsed at the top and in the middle, leaving many a loophole to be exploited by the opposition sides. Karachi need to find its mojo again What Karachi did well in the first leg of the tournament was score big and then bowl well enough to contain the opposition teams. In this leg in the three games that they have played so far, there has been a problem in both the batting and bowling and the two haven’t been able to click together. The likes of Mohammad Amir and Babar Azam, two of the most precious Kings weapons haven’t been able to fire as much as the team would have liked, especially Amir. Babar only failed in the last game but was not able to take his team home against Sultans either, even after scoring more than 80 runs. Lahore batting must fire In the four games that Lahore have played, it has been Tim David, Rashid Khan and Ben Dunk that have been able to score runs for the team, all of them overseas players. Their domestic heroes like Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez and skipper Sohail have not been able to get going and thus when both Dunk and Rashid failed in the last two games, David was not able to get his team past the target even if he wanted to. Thus senior batsmen from Lahore need to get back in the form if they are to make any amends in their fortunes and the points on the table as well. Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars; Match Details Match Number- 27 Date and Time: June 17, 2021, 11: 30 pm IST, 06:00 pm GMT, 10:00 pm Local Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Live Stream and Broadcast: Sony LIV and Sony Ten Pitch Report The pitch used for this game will be the same on which two t20 matches would have been played already. Thus it would naturally have some wear and tear and help the spinners. The ball would grip the surface and change in pace by bowlers could be vital as well. Weather and Toss The weather in Abu Dhabi as usual would be hot and humid as it is in the month of June. With humidity at 58% and dew point at 23, heavy dew can be expected and thus winning the toss would naturally mean bowling first. Team News Karachi Kings Martin Guptill hasn’t been able to fire in all the three games that he has played so far. Thisara Perera really hasn’t got a real chance with all that chopping and changing and hence he deserves a chance instead of Gutill for sure. He would also provide a bowling option, badly required by the Kings. Aamer Yamin can make way for him as Danish Aziz can take up the place of Guptill. Probable XI Babar Azam, Sharjeel Khan, Danish Aziz, Najibullah Zadran, Chadwick Walton (wk), Noor Ahmad, Imad Wasim (c), Thisara Perera, Abbas Afridi, Waqas Maqsood, Mohammad Amir Lahore Qalandars The Qalandars have played Muhammad Zaid Alam and Zeeshan Ashraf and both have failed in the two chances given to them. Now they no one else but Agha Salman the all-rounder to try, who could bat at number seven even as Dunk, Hafeez and David move up in the order. Instead of Ahmed Daniyal, who hasn’t really been able to bring any positive change in the tournament, Dilbar Hussain can be tried as well. Probable XI Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk (wk), Tim David, Agha Salman, Rashid Khan, James Faulkner, Dilbar Hussain, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf Dream XI / Fantasy XI Babar Azam (c), Sharjeel Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Ben Dunk (wk), Tim David, Imad Wasim, Rashid Khan, James Faulkner (vc), Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi

Two Indian teams in two locations a permanent feature in covid ridden world: BCCI Treasurer

The Board of control for Cricket in India is not averse to having two different Indian national teams competing in two different series at different locations at the same time. BCCI Treasurer Arun Kumar Dhumal stressed upon this point saying, "It is a definite possibility that India could play another limited-overs tour with a younger squad while the main team players are playing elsewhere or need a break. The COVID-19 related restrictions also need to be factored in.” Further, the veteran administrator feels that with such a policy the strong Indian bench strength would also get the key exposure instead of warming the bench. Along with that, this move would also help those boards which are facing financial problems due to Covid. "It (two India squads) also shows the solid bench strength of the Indian team and gives us an opportunity to organise more bilateral cricket and help other boards which are facing financial challenges amid the pandemic," Dhumal was quoted as saying to PTI. "It is imperative to come up with new ideas to deal with the loss of bilateral cricket that has happened over the last 18 months," he added. The Indian board will be sending a side led by Shikhar Dhawan to play Sri Lanka in a three-match each ODI and T20I series starting July 13. All the matches would be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. While the second-string Indian side would be in Sri Lanka the main team is already in England and would be playing the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand starting June 18. The Virat Kohli led side would then play a five-match Test series against hosts England as well.