Shafali Verma regains top spot in T20I rankings

NZ vs BAN: Kiwis announce 13 man T20I squad, Ferguson, Milne return as Young and Allen get maiden call-ups

Tim Southee will lead the New Zealand T20I squad against Bangladesh in the absence of regular skipper Kane Williamson, who along with other Indian Premier League (IPL) bound players have been rested for the three-match series. Along with Williamson, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Seifert will not be part of this series as they might be leaving for IPL soon. It is therefore they have been given some time to spend with their family before they get into the bio-bubble. The few exceptions for IPL player getting in the squad are of young opening batsman Finn Allen, Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson. Allen has been signed as a replacement for Joshua Phillippe. Alongside Allen, middle-order batsman Will Young have received their maiden call up for the Blackcaps. Allen was part of the T20I series against Australia too, but only as a stand-by to Martin Guptill and didn’t make it to the main squad. Speaking on the selection of Super Smash star Allen, selector Gavin Larsen said, "It's especially an exciting time for Finn, who will be getting his first taste of the BlackCaps environment. His Super Smash campaign with the Firebirds was nothing short of outstanding and we believe he has the skills to succeed at the next level." Two quicks in Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne would also be making their comeback in the New Zealand squad after a long time. While Milne would be getting into a blackcaps side for the first time since 2018, Ferguson is back after four months, having gotten injured last December in the first T20I against West Indies. New Zealand T20I Squad: Tim Southee (c), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Will Young.

Prasidh Krishna, Krunal Pandya make ODI debuts for India

Among the three new entrants in the Indian side for the ODI series against England, Prasidh Krishna, the lanky fast bowler from Karanataka and Baroda skipper Krunal Pandya will make their ODI debuts today. Speaking at the Toss, India skipper Virat Kohli confirmed that the two will be making their debuts when he narrated the entire squad saying, “KL will bat at 5 and keep. The top four are Rohit, Shikhar, myself and Shreyas. Hardik bats at 6, Krunal at 7. Shardul 8, Bhuvi at 9, Prasidh and Kuldeep complete the squad.” Prasidh, 25, has first made a huge impression with his sheer pace in the 2019 IPL. But it is the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy that made his case stronger for the debut. The bursting seamer took 14 wickets in seven games and was a crucial part of Karnataka's journey to the semifinals where they were defeated by eventual winners Mumbai. Krunal on the other hand has been in great shape as well. The left-handed all-rounder took five wickets and scored two centuries and a half-century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in just five games. Krunal has so far played 18 T20Is for India scoring 121 runs and picking 14 wickets in them. It is the first game of the three-match ODI series being played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje, Pune.

Eoin Morgan looks at 50 over cricket as building block to consecutive T20 World Cups

England cricket captain Eoin Morgan has said that the team is looking at the upcoming three-match ODI series and any further 50 over engagement as a pathway to test their strengths and team combinations for the consecutive T20 World Cups in two years. Talking to the media on the eve of the first ODI between India and England, Morgan said, "We see the 50-over format between the two T20 World Cups as a building block for our squad.” He further made it clear that while doing so, there would be no compromise with the performances of the payers. “We feel we have an extremely strong squad outside of our final eleven regardless of format, so it will present opportunities for guys like that," added the 34-year-old. The English team also plans to test their bench strength, trying to envisage where their plans with the 2023 World Cup is going, considering that it is just three years away. “In conditions that are a little bit alien to us, like in India, it's nice to get out of your comfort zone and learn more about your team and your players, to make mistakes and learn from them,” said Morgan who has so far played 241 ODI games for the Poms. Ireland born also stressed the fact that anybody, especially players, who could not get a place in the full-strength team, have got opportunity to prove their worth just ahead of the all-important T20 World Cup in India. "Given a World Cup is around the corner, playing any cricket is a huge opportunity for guys who have been here on the fringes and not made the selection so far. When you score runs or take wickets away from home there is always a huge incentive to try and push your case forward," he said. India would engage with England in the three-match ODI series at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Ground in Pune with the first match beginning on March 23.

Shadman Islam of Bangladesh tests positive for Covid-19

Bangladesh’s young opener Shadman Islam has tested positive for Covid-19 and is consequentially missing the first round of the National Cricket League, the premium First-Class tournament of Bangladesh. ''I am in isolation at the moment in the hotel and waiting for my third corona report to arrive and if that is negative I will be able to play,'' Shadman was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. For all the players in the national teams’ scheme of things, competing in the NCL was made mandatory by the BCB. It was done to prepare them for the two-match series against Sri Lanka, scheduled from April 21. Bangladesh Test captain Mominul Haque also faced the Covid-19 scare after he tested positive in the initial test, but the subsequent test gave a negative report of him, clearing him to take part in the NCL. This Test series, a part of the World Test Championship was originally slated for July 2020 but was postponed to October 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Once again in October, it was rescheduled as the 14-day quarantine rule of the Sri Lankan government couldn’t be accepted by the BCB. Both the matches of this series will be played at the Pallekele International Stadium.