England's Jamie Smith returns for their Champions Trophy opener against Australia in Lahore. Absent from the previous ODI series against India, Smith will bat at No. 3 and keep wickets. England has included Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Mark Wood in their pace attack.
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England's recent decline in white-ball cricket becomes evident as they prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy. Struggling under Jos Buttler's leadership, England face challenges from strong opponents and must adapt their strategies to progress in the competition.
Josh Inglis scored 102 off 94 balls on his Test debut against Sri Lanka, achieving the second-fastest century on debut in cricket history. Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith also reached milestones with scores of 232 and 141, respectively. Inglis continued a Western Australian trend of debut centuries in Test cricket, following Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, and Marcus North.
India won their third Champions Trophy title by defeating New Zealand by four wickets, thanks to a strong spin bowling performance and Rohit Sharma's 76 runs. KL Rahul's unbeaten 34 helped seal the victory with six balls remaining. The Indian team received a grand welcome at their Dubai hotel following their win, remaining undefeated throughout the competition.
Spinner Siddharth Desai achieved a historic milestone by recording the best bowling figures in an innings by a Gujarat cricketer in first-class cricket with his 9/36 against Uttarakhand in the Ranji Trophy. Despite missing out on a 10-wicket haul, Siddharth credited his teammates' support and remained focused on his father's dream of representing India in Tests.
Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues secured her first international century, propelling her to 19th in the ICC Women's ODI rankings. Her 102 runs helped India achieve their highest total of 370 in the second ODI against Ireland, leading to a series win. Smriti Mandhana maintained her third place ranking, with Alyssa Healy advancing to fifth.
SA20 2023 inaugurated a thrilling T20 cricket league in South Africa, featuring six franchises. Sunrisers Eastern Cape triumphed over Pretoria Capitals in the final. Top performer Jos Buttler led the run charts, while Roelof van der Merwe excelled in bowling. The tournament showcased South Africa's potential to host high-quality cricket competitions, highlighting emerging talents.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has retained national selector Aaqib Javed as interim head coach for the New Zealand white-ball tour, with the process of appointing a permanent head coach underway. Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the new T20I captain, and Mohammad Rizwan continues to lead the ODI team.
Despite a narrow defeat against Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants' assistant coach Lance Klusener lauded Rishabh Pant, Aiden Markram, Ravi Bishnoi, and Avesh Khan for their performances. Mentor Zaheer Khan delivered an inspiring speech, emphasising the team's resilience and ability to compete in any situation.
Harbhajan Singh shared how his feud with Andrew Symonds transformed into a deep friendship after the infamous "Monkeygate" scandal. Symonds' visit to Harbhajan's home with a bottle of rum initiated their reconciliation. They later won the IPL championship together. Harbhajan expressed grief over Symonds' untimely death, highlighting their strong bond.
Former Australian cricketer Stuart Clark believes Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas will laugh off their shoulder-barging incident after the Boxing Day Test. While Konstas's debut inning seemed uncharacteristic, Clark is eager to see his approach in the second innings. Clark also defends Rishabh Pant's shot selection and expresses confidence in India's ability to save the Melbourne Test.