T20 World Cup | PAK vs AFG: Asif Ali smacks four sixes in an over to anchor Pakistan to another win

T20 World Cup | AFG vs PAK: Rashid Khan becomes fastest bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets

Leg spinner Rashid Khan became the fastest man to reach the 100 wickets landmark in T20 internationals in the Super 12 game against Pakistan in Dubai. He dismissed Mohammed Hafeez to reach the landmark in his 53 bowling innings. There are only two bowlers with more wickets than him in international T20s and both Shakib Al Hasan and Lasith Malinga have played a lot of games more than him. Shakib has picked 117 wickets in 93 innings while Malinga picked 107 wickets from 83 innings. Rashid has taken all these wickets at an astounding average of 12.20 and an economy rate of 6.17 runs per over and has been the go-to man for Afghanistan in all forms, especially the shortest format of the game. Meanwhile, Afghanistan were on the verge of being blown by Pakistan bowling attack before their skipper Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Nabi stitched an unbeaten 71-run partnership to take them near the 150-run mark. In defence of 148 runs, Afghanistan were quick to take the first wicket in the form of an in-form Mohammad Rizwan, but their skipper Babar Azam hit another fifty to keep Pakistan in the game. Pakistan have been unbeaten so far in the tournament having defeated India and New Zealand while Afghanistan have come on the back of a one-sided win over Scotland.

Sri Lanka to host West Indies for two Tests

Sri Lanka will host West Indies for a two-match Test series in November-December this year. The fixtures will be a part of the second cycle of the World Test Championship. “Sri Lanka Cricket will host the West Indies National Team for a two-match test series during the months of November – December 2021,” a statement from Sri Lanka cricket said. The Caribbean team is expected to land in Sri Lanka on November 10 while they will play a warm-up match from November 14 to 17 in Colombo. The Test series that will be played in Galle will commence on November 21. “The West Indies National Team will arrive in Sri Lanka on the 10th of November 2021. The test series will be held at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, under a Bio-Bubble Environment. The series will mark the commencement of Sri Lanka’s and the West Indies Journey in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Cycle,” the statement further added. The second match will be played between November 29 to December 3. The Lankan lions had finished seventh while West Indies were ranked eight in the table during the last WTC. New Zealand were crowned the champions after they defeated India in the final.

T20 world Cup | ENG vs AUS: In battle of bowlers, old rivals seek to continue momentum

One of the most prominent rivalries will be back on the cricket ground when England will lock horns with Australia in Dubai on Saturday. The two teams are in some good form and have clinched victories in the last encounters that they have featured in. England are presently top-ranked in the group with a better NRR but both the Eoin Morgan-led side and the Aussie team have won two matches each. The England bowlers have been on a roll so far in the competition as they have created some problems for the opposition. While they bundled out West Indies for 55, the English bowling unit restricted Bangladesh for 124/9 in 20 overs. It was some economical bowling from Chris Woakes, Livingstone, Moeen Ali and Tymal Mills that kept the Bangladesh batting’s scoring rate check. On the other side, the Australian team management would be delighted after David Warner was back among runs as he struck a fifty against Sri Lanka while chasing 155 in 20 overs. The Australian side had a few hiccups during the clash against the Proteas after the match ended in the last over but grabbed a convincing win against the Lankan lions. Both the sides will now look to keep the momentum and continue the winning streak. Match Details Match: ENG vs AUS, 26th Match, Super 12 Group 1, ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2021 Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021 Time: 7:30 PM Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium , Dubai Telecast: Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hoststar Pitch Report The tracks and conditions in Dubai have certainly favoured the teams batting second and with a convincing margin too. But the bowlers might get something on offer in the initial phase of the game. Moreover, dew can play a vital role in deciding the result. So, if you win the toss, elect to field. David Warner’s form Well, David Warner has been facing a lot as far as his professional front is concerned. After getting sacked from SRH captaincy, the left-hander didn’t find a place for himself in the XI in the majority part of the second leg in the IPL. Cut to the T20 World Cup, and here we are, Warner already has a half-century to his name in just two matches in the competition. The pundits and experts would still find some faults in his batting as Warner did get some chances during the course of his 42-ball 65 but nevertheless, he is back among runs. More than that, the left-handed opener played a crucial role in anchoring the innings to a steady position. It’s bowlers vs bowlers Both England and Australian bowlers have been pretty impressive so far in the tournament. While they have picked up wickets at crucial junctions, they haven’t really let the opponents dominate with the bat. So, it would be a test for both bowling units as both the teams have some brutal striker of the ball in their line up and whosoever succeeds in dominating the other will have the upper hand. Probable XI Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills CE Fantasy XI Jos Buttler, Matthew Wade, Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, Jason Roy, Glenn Maxwell (VC), Moden Ali (C), Adam Zampa, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid

T20 World Cup | SA vs SL: Fuelled by de Kock’s re-entry, Proteas look to outclass Lankan lions

After being in the limelight for reasons other than cricket, even after a quality win against defending champions, South Africa would now look to put the matter past them and go for yet another win to keep their hopes of making it to the semi-finals alive. On the other hand, Sri Lanka, who were looking really good with their spin options in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, realised that it ain’t easy as it seems after coming to Dubai. The Australians showed that Maheesh Theekshana could very well be tacked and so could be Wanindu Hasaranaga and the pace pairing of Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera. The batting of Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and now even Kusal Perera is something to be proud of for Sri Lanka, but as a unit, their batting hasn’t been able to get going which might cause problems against a strong bowling unit of the Proteas. Sharjah: A big factor The fact that the game is in Sharjah, where Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh and Netherlands in their last two games, make it a bit favourable for the Lankan Lions. On the other hand, South Africa haven’t had any experience whatsoever of the sluggish wicket of Sharjah and hence it will be interesting to see how the South African batters, who like the ball coming on to the bat fair against Sri Lankan bowlers. Markram, de Kock key for South Africa Whether they are batting first or batting second, the fact that Aiden Markram has been in great form would mean that he would be key to South Africa’s batting in the game against Sri Lanka, especially facing the spin of Hasaranga and Theekshana. Quinton de Kock, who would be making it to the XI as it seems after having apologised and conveyed to the fans and the team that he is all for taking a knee against racism, would be key to South Africa’s entire campaign now. Being a top-order batter with skipper Temba Bavuma not firing as much as is expected, the responsibility lies on talented de Kock to give his team a start that could keep the others like Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller at the back free to attack in the death overs. Sri Lanka need to stick together It was a tough game no doubt against Australia. But who made it tough? Kusal Perera dropping catches behind the stumps, misfields on the boundary, hitting wrong lengths at the start of the game by the SL pacers. These were the things that built pressure and these are the things that can be corrected. They are not skills that won’t come overnight, these are basics that can be and should be corrected. As far as skills are concerned, Dhananajaya de Silva needs to be given a chance in place of Avishka Fernando to bat at number four. Along with that, skipper Dasun Shanaka needs to take his batting seriously and also need to bowl in the middle which he is supposed to do to make the variety of the bowling great. Sharjah is small in size and his big hits could now come in handy. These are the things that Sri Lanka could correct and the biggest thing among them is they need to stick together as a team and put in their heart and soul into the efforts so that even a loss doesn’t feel devastating. South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Match Details Match Number - 25 Date and Time: October 29, 2021, 03:30 pm IST, 02:00 pm Local, 10:00 am GMT Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Broadcast and Livestream: Star Sports and Hotstar Pitch Report The pitch at Sharjah has once again come back to its usual best and chasing anything above 150 is getting difficult as was seen in the last game where Bangladesh failed to chase 143. The pitch would be slow and sluggish and the shine on the wicket wouldn’t mean that it would be a bouncing wicket. It’s just a facade to varnish the wear and tear within. Weather Forecast The temperature at the stadium will fall from 35-degree Celsius at 02:00 pm to 31-degree Celsius by 06:00 pm and similarly, the humidity will increase from 29% to 45% meaning that the wicket would be dry and help spinners. Team News South Africa The South African side would be bringing back de Kock and hence Reeza Hendricks would have to go out. Apart from that, there would be no more change in the playing XI. Probable XI Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi Sri Lanka As far as Sri Lanka are concerned, Dhananjaya de Silva might be playing his first game because Fernando has now failed in five matches straight and hence the guy that should be getting the chance instead of him is de Silva, who over the years has shown that he is capable of playing at number four and would also give crucial 1-2 overs in the middle with his more than useful off-spin. Probable XI Kusal Perera (wk), Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka (c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara CE XI Fantasy team Wicketkeepers Kusal Perera, Quinton de Kock Batters Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram All-rounders Wanindu Hasaranga, Dwaine Pretorius Bowlers Maheesh Theekshana, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi Vice-Captain Charith Asalanka Captain Aiden Markram