Ollie Pope injures thigh muscle, races against time to be fit for India Test series

BCCI, SLC postpone Sri Lanka- India ODI series to July 18

The ODI series between India and Sri Lanka which was scheduled to take off from July 13 will now begin on July 18 in Colombo, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has been quoted as saying by ANI. The second and the third ODI of the series will be played 20 and 23 this month. The postponement of the series came in the backdrop of a number of Covid-19 cases in the Sri Lanka camp after their arrival in the country from England. As per reports from local reporters, Sri Lankan squad members have been shifted out of the Taj hotel, where the Indian team is also staying put, to Cinnamon where they will undergo a second round of Covid-19 testing. As per Rex Clementine, Cricket writer at The Island, if more cases emerge from the hosts camp, Sri Lanka cricket will select players from the pool of 24 players being ready in Dambulla. Covid-19 crisis in Sri Lanka camp began with the batting coach Grant Flower testing positive for the novel coronavirus and it was followed by the video analyst GT Niroshan also contracting the virus. India will remain in Taj where they have been since their arrival in the island nation for a tour comprising three ODIs and three T20Is.

ENGW vs INDW | 1st T20I: England go 1-0 up after rain plays spoilsport

England women’s team went 1-0 in the three-match T20I series against India in Northampton after beating the visitors by 18 runs (DLS method). Chasing 178, India were 54/3 in 8.4 overs when rain played spoilsport and England were eventually declared winners as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side was 18 runs behind. The visiting team had a disappointing start to the chase after they lost Shafali Verma for a two-ball duck but Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol steadied the ship for the team. The two batters put 44 runs on the board before Mandhana departed for 29 off 17. India then lost skipper Kaur after she just managed to score 1 run off two deliveries. Deol remained unbeaten at 17 off 24. Earlier, England rode on an exceptional knock from Sciver after she scored a 27-ball 55 while Jones chipped in with 43 off just 27 balls to take their team to a total of 177/7 in 20 overs. India did show some resistance at the end of the innings after Shikha Pandey scalped three wickets in the penultimate overs, courtesy some fine work in the field from Harmanpreet, Harleen and Rich Ghosh. Pandey eventually returned with figures of 3/22 in 4 overs. India captain Harmanpreet admitted that losing wickets at regular intervals cost them the match but also hailed Shikha Pandey for her efforts. “We were batting according to DLS, unfortunately we kept losing wickets. We knew there'd be rain after 8:30 PM. We couldn't make it due to back-to-back wickets. We fielded really well, there's a lot of improvement in our fielding. Shikha did really well in the bowling department. We need to think of the boundaries we're are giving in between overs. If we can work on that, we can stop any team. Every game is important for us, today was unfortunate because of rain. Still two more games left for us to prove ourselves,” she said. England skipper Heather Knight expressed delight on the win. “We still got a series to win. Really pleased with how things went today. Nat was outstanding in the middle overs and so was Amy Jones. A brilliant partnership and we were clinical with the ball. Very pleasing,” she said. The two teams will now meet each other in the second T20I in Hove.

If MS Dhoni doesn’t play next IPL season, I too won’t play: Suresh Raina

Former India batsman Suresh Raina who has been an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League has said that he would only play in the next year’s edition of the cash-rich league only if captain MS Dhoni continues to play. The left-handed batsman further added that he would try his best to convince Dhoni to play for another if they are able to win the tournament in this season. “I have four-five years left in me. We have the IPL this year, and then two more teams next year. But I think I’ll play only for CSK till I play. I hope we do well this year,” Raina told News 24 Sports. “If Dhoni bhaai doesn’t play next season, I too won’t play. We’ve been playing since 2008 (for CSK)… if we win this year then I’ll convince him to play next year too…“I’ll try my best. If he will not play, then I don’t think I will play for any IPL team.” Dhoni and Raina have been playing for the Chennai franchise right from the beginning of the competition in 2008, barring the two years when the side was suspended (in 2016 and 2017). CSK have lifted the title thrice under Dhoni’s captain and are the second most successful teams in the IPL after Mumbai Indians.

Mahmudullah decides to bid adieu to Test cricket

Bangladesh batsman Mahmudullah has decided to hang his boots from Test cricket after the conclusion of the on-going one-off Test against Zimbabwe. The right-handed batsman’s decision who scored 150 in the first innings against Zimbabwe has come as a “shock” to his teammates and the team management. "Yes, he (Mahmudullah) had informed me that he does not want to prolong his Test career after this game. But he did not inform us anything officially and we have to see whether it's an emotional outburst or not," a top-ranked official of BCB confirmed to Cricbuzz on request of anonymity on Friday. BCB president Nazmul Hasan said that he found this pretty “unusual” especially after Mahmudullah had agreed to play all the formats earlier. "No one officially told me anything. But one called me and informed me that he (Mahmudullah) doesn't want to play Tests after the ongoing Test and he told that to everyone in the dressing room. But I found it very unusual. The game is not over yet," Nazmul was quoted in leading Bangladesh Daily Prothom Alo on Friday. Mahmudullah has played 49 Tests for Bangladesh and has notched up over 2700 runs at an average of 31.8. Bangladesh are presently playing Zimbabwe in the only Test in Harare. Earlier, the visitors rode on some fine piece of batting from Mahmudullah to post 468 on the board in the first innings and then bundled out the home side for 276, courtesy a fifer from Mehidy Hasan and a four-wicket haul from Shakib to take the first innings lead.