Jasprit Bumrah Injury, Rickelton Record And Maxwell Blitz – January 4 Cricket Highlights

Jasprit Bumrah and Ryan Rickelton [Source: @ICC, @ProteasMenCSA/x]

Fresh trouble possibly awaits Team India as interim captain and in-form fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will likely not bowl in the decisive innings of the SCG Test. In South Africa, lanky opener Ryan Rickelton scaled a huge batting milestone with his record knock against Pakistan, while Proteas speedster Marco Jansen landed himself in huge trouble with cricket’s online fraternity for bowling an over-sized no-ball.

Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Saturday, January 4.

Jasprit Bumrah To Not Bowl On Day 3 Of SCG Test?

India’s stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah walked off the field during the concluding stages of Australia’s innings at the SCG. The legendary fast bowler, visibly distressed, was accompanied by physios and visited a nearby hospital for scans before making his return to the stadium at the time of India’s batting.

As per reports, Bumrah will likely not be available to bowl in the decisive innings of the match on Day 3. The Indian cricket team, fighting for a spot in the WTC 2025 finals and to level the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, extended its lead to 145 runs with the loss of six wickets by stumps on the second day.

Ryan Rickelton Joins Gallery Of South African Greats With Record Knock

South African opener Ryan Rickelton punched out 259 runs off 343 balls to list his career-best first-class score. After wearing down Pakistan bowlers on Day 1 of the Cape Town Test, the cricketer completed his double century within the opening hour of the second morning, and went on to scale over 250 runs to become only the eighth South African cricketer in history to breach the landmark figure. Rickelton’s marathon knock also marks the joint eighth-highest individual score recorded by any South African batter in Tests, equalling Graeme Smith’s 259* from 2003.

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His innings, coupled with centuries from Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne extended South Africa’s total to 615 before pacers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen picked up three Pakistani wickets by the time of stumps on Day 2.

Marco Jansen Sends Down A Huge No-Ball

Marco Jansen sent down a huge no-ball to start off his new ball spell against Pakistan on Day 2 of the Cape Town Test. Jansen, who scored a cracking 54-ball 62 with the bat to contribute to South Africa’s 615-run total, delivered the no-ball while bowling to Pakistan’s experimental opener Babar Azam.

Planting his front foot miles outside the popping crease, Jansen’s no-ball nearly mirrored Mohammad Amir’s controversial delivery from the spot-fixing marred 2010 Lord’s Test between Pakistan and hosts England.

Saim Ayub Out For 6 Weeks Before Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan’s rising star Saim Ayub has been ruled out of cricketing action for six weeks after he injured his right ankle on the opening day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa. Saim twisted his ankle while chasing the ball earlier on Day 1, and was subsequently stretchered off the field.

With the 2025 Champions Trophy on the horizon, the prodigious batting talent might attain full recovery by the time of Pakistan’s opening match of the tournament against New Zealand on February 19.

Maxwell’s Blinder Wins It For Stars After Duckett’s Masterclass

Melbourne Stars upstaged cross-city rivals Melbourne Renegades in a thrilling final-over finish in match number 23 of the BBL 2024-25 season. Chasing 169 to win and crashing to 41-3 early in the innings, Ben Duckett punched out an attacking 49-ball 67 during his 83-run partnership with captain Marcus Stoinis (48 off 35).

Glenn Maxwell, batting at number six, smeared two sixes in his 10-ball knock of 20* to help Stars overcome Renegades with five wickets and two balls to spare.

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