Mitchell Marsh will captain Australia at next month's T20 World Cup, but Steve Smith and Jake Fraser-McGurk have been left out of the 15-man squad.

Marsh, who has shared the duties on an interim basis since Aaron Finch's retirement, was named the Baggy Greens' permanent T20 skipper on Wednesday.

Test captain Pat Cummins, fast bowler Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell have also been named in the squad, which features 11 of the players that were part of the team that won this tournament in 2021.

However, there is no place for former skipper Smith following a difficult spell of form, while Fraser-McGurk is also absent despite his impressive form in the Indian Premier League.

"This is an experienced squad with extensive World Cup experience that offers a variety of structures and covers the scenarios the panel believes will factor in the West Indies with the unique nature of the venues and our opponents," selection chief George Bailey said.

"Steve Smith, Matt Short, Jason Behrendorff, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett were all part of long conversations, along with several others, including Jake Fraser-McGurk who is yet to play T20 International cricket but continues to impress and is developing rapidly.

"Being constrained to a squad of 15 for World Cups is always a challenge given the different scenarios and options we’d like to cover.  

"Ultimately, the balance of the final 15 needs to provide the best chance of being successful in this campaign."

"It's been an immense privilege to play for my country and now an even greater honour to lead the squad to a World Cup," Marsh added.

"We have had some strong success in recent times, and I am hopeful that will continue in what looks like a wide-open tournament."

Australia will begin their tournament against Oman on June 5, while they will also play England, Scotland and Namibia in Group B.

Australia's provisional squad:

Mitchell Marsh (captain), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

 In a dazzling display of power hitting, Johnson Charles led the charge for West Indies A with a spectacular unbeaten 119 from just 61 balls, guiding his team to a commanding 76-run victory over Nepal and taking a 2-1 lead in the T20 series in Kirtipur.

Charles's explosive innings included 13 fours and seven sixes as he anchored the West Indies A innings, propelling them to a formidable total of 227-3 against the hosts. His half-century came in a blistering 24 balls, setting the stage for a dominant performance. Charles formed a crucial second-wicket partnership of 145 runs with Andre Fletcher (53), after Alick Athanaze was run out for 17.

Fletcher's innings featured four fours and three sixes before he departed in the 16th over. Contributions from Fabian Allen (19 from nine balls) and Keemo Paul (13 from seven) further bolstered the West Indies A total, which marked the highest score by the tourists in the series so far.

In response, Nepal faced an uphill battle chasing more than 11 runs per over for victory and struggled under scoreboard pressure, losing wickets at regular intervals. Opener Lokesh Bam and Karan both managed 28 runs, while Kushal Malla contributed 20. However, Nepal ultimately collapsed to 151 all out in 19.2 overs.

Hayden Walsh Jr led the bowling attack for West Indies A with impressive figures of 3-28, while Gudakesh Motie provided valuable support with 2-28. Fabian Allen, Matthew Forde, and Obed McCoy also chipped in with a wicket each as the West Indies comfortably secured a pivotal series lead.

Johnson Charles' heroic innings and the collective effort from the West Indies A bowlers have positioned the team favorably as they head towards the remaining matches of the series, aiming to clinch the series victory against Nepal.

Togetherness was the main reason for the Guyana Harpy Eagles successful defence of their West Indies Championship title according to skipper Tevin Imlach.

The Harpy Eagles recovered from a draw and a loss in their first two games to win their final five games on their way to winning their second straight title.

“We had different players stand up at different times which is very important,” Imlach said in an appearance on the Mason & Guest radio show on Tuesday.

“You never want to rely on one or two players. We have a lot of depth in our batting and we have three very good spinners that would’ve played for the West Indies already in Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul and Kevin Sinclair,” Imlach added.

Sinclair and Imlach finished third and sixth on the top run scorers list with 508 and 485 runs, respectively.

Sinclair made one hundred and two fifties and finished with an average of 63.50 in his seven games while Imlach, who missed the first two rounds of the tournament while on West Indies duty, made two hundreds and three fifties in his five games and finished with an average of 53.88.

The Harpy Eagles also had two more batsmen cross the 300-run mark in Kevlon Anderson (332) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (323). Kemol Savory narrowly missed out on joining this club after finishing with 289. Chanderpaul and Savory also both scored a century, each, this season.

It was also a collective effort with the ball for the champions. Permaul led the way with 29 wickets in seven games followed by pacer Nial Smith who finished with 20 wickets from four matches.

Motie and Isai Thorne followed with 19 wickets from five and six matches, respectively, while Kevin Sinclair took 13 wickets in seven games and Ronaldo Alimohamed took 12 wickets in six outings.

This season was also Imlach’s first captaining the Harpy Eagles in the four-day format after taking over from the retired Leon Johnson who led Guyana to six regional four-day titles.

“It was challenging,” Imlach said about filling Johnson’s shoes.

“Big shoes to fill obviously with Leon Johnson retiring but it was good. It is much different when you play with these guys and when you’re in a leadership position because you have to be the one making the calls that they may not necessarily always like. These players want the ball in their hands at all times and want to make a difference so sometimes it is difficult. It’s a good learning experience. I’m learning about them and they’re learning about me as well,” he added.

Imlach was also a member of the West Indies Test squad to Australia in December last year. He said that despite not getting a game, he took some things from his net sessions down under into this first-class season.

“It was very good. It was different to what we are accustomed to in the Caribbean. The pitches are a lot bouncier and the ball tends to seam around a bit more. I didn’t manage to play in the games but I spent some time in the nets and it was good. It was fruitful. I learned a lot that I took into this season,” he said.

Imlach's next assignment could be as part of the regional side to take on England in three Tests from July 10-30.

Anrich Nortje earned a recall to South Africa's fold as he was included in the Proteas' 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup.

Nortje has been in action in the Indian Premier League, but has not played for South Africa, who will be captained by Aiden Markram, in nine months.

While he has taken seven wickets in six matches for the Delhi Capitals, Nortje has gone at 13.36 runs per over, but has been given the nod due to his pace.

"Anrich has got another month before the World Cup starts so I have no doubt he'll hit his straps," South Africa coach Rob Walter said.

"It's good to see that his speed is up. The one thing Anrich has that separates him from others is raw pace. There's not many guys who can bowl 150kph and he can. Pace is an X-factor."

Lungi Ngidi has missed out, though he is a travelling reserve. 

Quinton de Kock has not not been in good form, but has made the cut due to historical performances. He is no longer under contract at Cricket South Africa (CSA) and retired from ODIs last year.

"Quinny, we've seen him do it time and time again for us," Walter said.

"Reeza [Hendricks] has been a star performer for us in T20 cricket, was a standout in this domestic CSA T20 challenge again, and Ryan Rickelton has had two outstanding competitions really where he's played the brand of cricket that we're looking to play.

"And then we're going to have Markram and that'll be the top order. It's mostly a performance-based decision and from Quinton's point of view is just a real knowledge of what he's capable of."

Rickelton and Ottniel Baartman have been standout performers in the SA20 this year, and could earn their maiden T20I caps.

South Africa did not make it out of the Super 12 stage at the last World Cup in 2022. 

Three big players, Temba Bavuma, Rilee Rossouw and Wayne Parnell, have missed out compared to the squad for that tournament.

The Proteas start their World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka on June 3, after playing a warm-up series against West Indies.

South Africa squad:

Aiden Markram (capt), Ottniel Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.

Marcus Stoinis starred for Lucknow Super Giants as they edged to a four-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians to move into third in the Indian Premier League.

Mumbai's chances of another high-scoring innings were dented early on as Ishan Kishan's low lob was taken by Mayank Yadav before Suryakumar Yadav was caught behind and walked after a successful Lucknow review inside the first three overs.

The Indians struggled to get going, and even Nehal Wadhera's 46 from 41 balls and Tim David's unbeaten 35 off 18 were not enough to drag Mumbai over the 150 mark as they finished their 20 overs on 144-7.

Having been left out of India's T20 World Cup squad, Lucknow captain KL Rahul managed 28 before he was dismissed in the fourth over.

But thanks to Stoinis' heavy lifting, as he plundered 62, including seven fours and two sixes, LSG looked set to cruise to victory.

The momentum stalled, though, when Stoinis was caught out by Tilak Varma, but Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya eventually saw them over the line with just four balls left to play with.

Data Debrief: Another happy away day for Stoinis 

This is the third game in which Stoinis has passed 50, and he has enjoyed another high score away from home after reaching 124 in LSG's trip to Chennai Super Kings. 

Despite making an early exit, Rahul (406), is now up to fourth in the race for this season's orange cap, although Virat Kohli continues to set the pace with 500 runs.

Hayley Matthews starred once again to lead the West Indies Women to a tense two-run win over Pakistan Women in the third T20I at the Karachi National Stadium on Tuesday.

The tourists first posted 132-5 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat.

Matthews led the way with a 49-ball 68 including 10 fours while Shemaine Campbelle provided good support with 31 against 2-22 from Fatima Sana.

Pakistan were then restricted to 130-8 from their 20 overs in reply.

Sidra Ameen led the way with 63 off 58 balls including seven fours.

Afy Fletcher took 2-20 from her four overs while Matthews completed a fine al-round performance with 2-22 from her four overs.

Pakistan at one point were cruising at 119-3 in the 18^th over before a pair of Matthews wickets led to a collapse saw the hosts losing their next five wickets for just six runs.

In the end, Shamilia Connell successfully defended 12 runs in the final over.

The West Indies now hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series with the final two games set for Thursday and Friday.

Full Scores: West Indies Women 132-5 (Hayley Matthews 68, Shemaine Campbelle 31, Fatima Sana 2-22)

Pakistan Women 130-8 (Sidra Ameen 63, Afy Fletcher 2-20, Hayley Matthews 2-22)

Rishabh Pant will hope to lead India to T20 World Cup glory after being selected in their squad, just over a year after undergoing surgery following a concerning car crash.

Wicketkeeper-batter Pant was involved in a near-fatal car collision in northern India in December 2022 but comes back into the international fold just 16 months after the incident.

The 26-year-old's performances in this season's Indian Premier League have secured his place in the 15-man squad, having scored 398 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 158.6 for the Delhi Capitals.

Pant is one of two wicketkeepers named in the squad for the tournament starting on June 1 in the United States and West Indies, alongside Sanju Samson.

Despite not previously featuring in a World Cup squad, Samson has impressed in the IPL after accumulating 385 runs in nine innings, striking at a rate of 161.1 for the league-leading Rajasthan Royals.

India captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Hardik Pandya will lead the side in the United States and West Indies, though Pant and Samson's inclusion leaves no place for KL Rahul or Jitesh Sharma.

Yuzvendra Chahal did not feature in either T20I squad in the recent series against South Africa and Afghanistan but was another India star included based on their IPL showings this year.

Leg-spinner Chahal, who will be joined by Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel in the spin-bowling department, has 13 wickets at an average of 23.5 for the Royals this term.

Jasprit Bumrah heads the pace-bowling lineup with Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, while Hardik and Shivam Dube present all-rounder options with the ball.

Dube offers a decisive alternative with the bat, too, having top-scored with 124 runs across three innings in the home series against Afghanistan in January.

At the top of the order, Yashasvi Jaiswal will likely open alongside captain Rohit, with Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav providing some high-class backup lower down.

India face Ireland in New York on June 5 to start their World Cup campaign before meeting rivals Pakistan, USA and Canada.

India's provisional squad:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

West Indies batsman Kirk McKenzie was the catalyst as Kingston Cricket Club won their first Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) Senior Cup title since 2001 at Sabina Park over the weekend.

Kingston took first strike after opponents, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), won the toss and elected to field first on day one on Saturday.

McKenzie led the way with a 127-ball 83 including 10 fours and five sixes as Kingston were bowled out for 251 in their first innings.

He was well supported by Jamaica Scorpions players Brad Barnes and Romaine Morris who made 57 and 44, respectively.

Tevin Gilzene, who represented the Jamaica Scorpions in the 2023 West Indies Championship, led the way for the soldiers with 5-60 from 18.5 overs while Andrae Dennis, who made his first-class debut in the final round of the recently concluded West Indies Championship, took 3-33 off nine overs in support.

Pacers Andre Bailey and Odean Smith then combined for six wickets to help reduce JDF to 185 all out in their first innings.

Bailey took 3-41from 11 overs while Smith took 3-43 from 12.

Andre Fowler led the way for JDF with a patient 108-ball 43 at the top of the order.

Kingston were 219-8 in their second innings on day two when play was called to an end.

McKenzie followed up his first innings exploits with 84 off 114 balls including 10 fours and four sixes while Smith made 45 off 27 balls including seven fours and two sixes.

Scorpions pacer Gordon Bryan took 5-28 for JDF in the second innings.

With the win, Kingston CC took home a prize of $750,00 while JDF pocketed $500,000. Patrick Harty Jr was named tournament MVP and was also the leading wicket-taker while Melbourne Cricket Club’s Javelle Glenn was the tournament’s top run scorer.

Full scores: Kingston CC 251 (Kirk McKenzie 83, Brad Barnes 57, Romaine Morris 44, Tevin Gilzene 5-60, Andrae Dennis 3-33) & 219-8 (Kirk McKenzie 84, Odean Smith 45, Gordon Bryan 5-28)

JDF 185 (Andre Fowler 43, Andre Bailey 3-41, Odean Smith 3-43)

With the ICC Men’s Twenty 20 World Cup now just about a month away, Darren Sammy and his West Indies team will up the tempo on preparations, before testing their readiness for the June 1-29 global showpiece, with a final warm-up match against Australia in Trinidad and Tobago.

Sammy’s final squad, which is expected to be named sometime this week, will be one of nine teams to travel to the Trinidad and Tobago in May for eight warm-up matches, four of which will take place at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, while the other four is scheduled for the historic Queen’s Park Oval. The teams will arrive in twin island republic on May 21.

The revelation came from Cricket West Indies’s (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave during the recently-concluded CARICOM conference on West Indies cricket themed ‘Reinvigorating West Indies Cricket’, in Port of Spain.

Grave explained that the final West Indies squad will not convene in full until they travel to Jamaica at the end of May to engage South Africa in three warm-up contests. However, he pointed out that there will be a camp in Antigua prior, which will involve members of the final squad, who are not plying their trade in the Indian Premier League.

From Jamaica, the Rovman Powell-captained squad will then travel to Trinidad and Tobago for the clash against 50-over World Cup winners Australia, ahead of the tournament to be hosted in the Caribbean and United States.

West Indies, the 2012 and 2016 champions, are hunting a third T20 World Cup title.

 “We’re going to have a week-long preparation camp in Antigua from May 12, before heading to Jamaica. We’re then going to leave Jamaica and come here to Trinidad and Tobago for a week’s preparation, including playing at the historic Queen’s Park Oval on May 30, in an evening fixture against one of the tournament favourites Australia,” Grave shared.

“That will probably be one of the only games in the warm-up schedule that will be ticketed, and we certainly hope that the fans here in Trinidad, and particularly those in Port of Spain, will come out and rally behind the West Indies in that warm-up match, which is the final game we’ll play before we head to Guyana for the opening game on June 2,” he added.

West Indies, who are drawn in Group C alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda and Papua New Guinea, will open against the latter at the Guyana National Stadium on June 2.

Grave urged fans to come out and rally behind the West Indies outfit in their push to start the tournament on a high.

“Making sure we have a huge party in Georgetown, and we get off to a winning start (will be crucial). We all know in these global tournaments, confidence and momentum are important and we can think of nothing better than starting with a victory in Guyana and ending it in Barbados on June 29 with a similar victory,” Grave said.

Jofra Archer has been recalled to England’s provisional squad for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States this June.

The 29-year-old, who has not played competitive cricket since May due to a long-term elbow injury, could make his first appearance for the international team since a tour of Bangladesh in March 2023.

Archer has been limited to just 15 T20Is since his England debut in 2019 and missed their 2022 World Cup success in Australia due to the same injury.

There is a recall for fellow fast-bowler Chris Jordan, who last played for England against New Zealand in September 2023, at the expense of Chris Woakes.

Uncapped Lancashire left-arm spinner, Tom Hartley, is also named in Jos Buttler’s 15-man squad, which includes nine players from the 2022 World Cup.

England will play a four-match T20 series against Pakistan at Headingley in May before they begin their T20 World Cup title defence against Scotland in Barbados on 4 June.

England’s provisional squad:

Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, To Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingston, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.

Phil Salt inspired Kolkata Knight Riders to get back to winning ways in the Indian Premier League as they beat Delhi Capitals with an emphatic seven-wicket victory. 

The Capitals had surpassed 220 runs in each of their last two matches, but their chances of doing so again were dented early on, Prithvi Shaw walking for 13 before the in-form Jake Fraser-McGurk followed before the end of the third over, his flat drive being taken by Venkatesh Iyer near the boundary for 12.

Varun Chakaravarthy posted figures of 3-16 as Kolkata prevented their visitors from mounting any kind of response, with only Kuldeep Yadav's unbeaten 35 off 26 balls helping them crawl beyond the 150 mark and finish their innings on 153-9.

Salt started brilliantly for Kolkata, plundering his way to a half-century within the first six overs of the chase. He was bowled by Axar Patel, but only after the openers had raced to 79-0, with Sunil Narine and Rinku Singh dismissed shortly after.

Shreyas and Venkatesh Iyer ticked off the remaining runs with ease, securing the win for Kolkata with 21 balls left.

Data Debrief: A sprinkle of Salt 

England all-rounder Will Jacks smashed an unbeaten century off just 41 balls to propel Royal Challengers Bangalore to victory over Gujarat Titans on Sunday, and his compatriot Salt followed up with a stunning knock this time around.

He reached 52 in just 26 balls, with a further two boundaries taking him to 60 and seeing Kolkata reach 79 by the end of the powerplay. His knock included seven fours and five sixes.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) Vice President and President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Azim Bassarath, has dismissed the legal action taken by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) against CWI as laughable, especially given their organization's recent history with alleged questionable elections at the territorial board level.

On April 20, the GCB announced it was commencing legal proceedings against CWI, continuing its year-long allegation that Bassarath was unlawfully elected vice president.

This move comes despite CWI's statement on October 7, 2023, where they addressed the GCB's concerns and confirmed that the election was conducted in accordance with the organization's Memorandum and Articles of Association.

According to CWI's statement: “The Board of Cricket West Indies has thoroughly examined the matters raised by the Guyana Cricket Board and wishes to assure all stakeholders that the election for the post of Vice President was conducted in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the organization. CWI recognizes the importance of transparency and fairness in all its operations, including elections, and is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity.”

Speaking after last weekend’s conclusion of the two-day CARICOM cricket symposium in Trinidad, Bassarath, in an interview with Sportsmax.tv, responded to the GCB's legal action.

“As long as I’ve been a CWI director, unfortunately, the Guyana Cricket Board has been the one and only shareholder whose elections were accused of being unlawful. Guyana’s board is the only instance where CWI was forced to stop international cricket from being played in a territory due to government intervention, which went against both CWI and ICC positions against government intervention in sport. Therefore, I genuinely find it laughable what Mr. (Bisoondial) Singh is doing, considering the GCB’s history.”

Sportsmax.tv has obtained the original letter sent by the GCB to CWI under then-President Ricky Skerritt ahead of the March 25, 2023 election, which contradicts the assertion in the GCB’s April 20, 2024, letter that one of the reasons for withdrawing its nomination of Bassarath was due to misconduct allegations against the TTCB.

In the letter, the GCB only cited Article 92 of the CWI Articles of Association.

Bassarath also questioned Singh's administration of affairs in Guyana: “Mr. Singh joined CWI in 2021, and I have no clear information as CWI vice president about when local cricket elections are due in Guyana, unlike other territorial boards. This is concerning, considering the history of Mr. Singh’s predecessor at the GCB. Similar to me, he created all sorts of alleged unlawful acts to remove former Guyana director Hilbert Foster, which surprised many on the CWI board. Mr. Foster, from the area of Berbice, as we are seeing around the Caribbean with the young Shamar Joseph, is producing many talented West Indies players.”

Bassarath concluded by urging his Guyanese counterpart to follow the lead of Guyanese head of state Dr. Irfan Ali, who is taking productive actions to benefit Caribbean cricket.

“We saw the eye-catching presentation by Guyana's Head of State Dr. Ali at the symposium, and we already see what he has been doing in recent years with the CPL cricket carnival. So, just like our Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister, the honorable Keith Rowley, who organized this fantastic symposium, Singh should spend more time seeking to create cricket-focused initiatives for the benefit of Guyana and West Indies cricket.”

Fans in the Caribbean will be able to buy ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 tickets directly from box offices from Thursday 2 May and confirm their attendance at the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever.

To celebrate 30 days to go to the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the launch of the official anthem, box offices will open their doors on Thursday until the end of the event across the six host locations in the West Indies.

Box office locations:

• Antigua and Barbuda: Antigua Recreation Ground
• Barbados: Kensington Oval
• Guyana: Guyana Cricket Board Office
• Saint Lucia: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Commercial Centre
• Trinidad and Tobago: Queen’s Park Oval and National Cricket Centre

Opening hours:

Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago: Monday to Friday: 10:30 am - 6:00 pm and Saturdays: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Monday to Friday: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm and Saturdays: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Box offices will be closed on Sundays. Fans across the West Indies will be able to purchase tickets for all Caribbean match fixtures. Fixtures and local start times for matches are available here.

Tickets for 39 of the World Cup’s 55 matches which are to be hosted in the West Indies will be available with prices starting from as low as US$6 for selected matches. Fans can choose from the following ticket categories: Premium, Standard Plus, Standard, Grounds and Mounds, and Party stand.

Fans will be able to pay with cash in their local currency or with their credit card at box offices. Tickets are also available online on the tournament’s official ticketing website; tickets.t20worldcup.com.

Leading up to the opening of the box offices, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Tournament Director Fawwaz Baksh said: “With just over 30 days to the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the opening of the ticket box offices in the West Indies from 2 May will mark a pivotal moment in our journey to delivering an out of this world experience for all fans.

“The opening of box offices also underscores our commitment to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all West Indians, who are passionate followers of the game. Their presence in the stadiums will energise players, entertain fans and viewers, and show the world a cricketing spectacle which can only be experienced in the Caribbean.”

Venue, hospitality, and party stand packages for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup are also available for matches in the West Indies and USA and are available at tickets.t20worldcup.com.

Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.

Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.

Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.

Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.

Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.

Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels

With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).

Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.

In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.

Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.

With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.

Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.

Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.

The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.