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• Powell fancies Windies chances against Sri Lanka amid unpredictable conditions

  West Indies captain Rovman Powell is embracing the challenge to come as he leads his team into the first encounter of a highly anticipated three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

  Having touched down in the Subcontinent to less-than-ideal weather conditions, Powell declared his squad's readiness to battle not only their opposition but also the elements.

  First ball is 9:30am Eastern Caribbean time and 8:30am in Jamaica. 

  "It's always challenging for a West Indies team to tour Sri Lanka. Fortunately for us, we have guys that have toured Sri Lanka before and it's also an opportunity for guys to get their feet wet in conditions that will play the next T20 World cup," Powell said in a pre-game interview. 

  "A lot of rain has been around as well since we've been here on Thursday. It's typical Sri Lankan conditions because the ball will spin and grip, and they tend to make those type of wickets for their advantage. But this is a West Indies team that has quality spinners also, so we're definitely looking for the challenge," he added.

  Adaptation is something Powell has grown used to throughout his career and, as such, knows the importance of experience. 

  Alongside senior players like Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, and others, Powell aims to set the tone early for the team, especially for rising talents such as Terrence Hinds, Shamar Springer, and others, as he emphasized the value of leadership, not just through words but by example.

  "Yeah, I think it's exciting times for new talents to come through in the T20 setup. You know, it's also important for me as a leader to lead from the front. You know, once I lead from the front, the young guys will naturally follow. Myself and a few other experienced guys are here, so hopefully we can lead from the front so that young Terrence Hinds and Shamar springer, those guys would follow," Powell stated.

  The Sri Lankan team, known for its craftiness in home conditions, will be no easy task. But Powell's confidence in his squad remains steady.

  "Yeah, a Sri Lankan team at home is always challenging; you know, world cricket need a good Sri Lanka team just as much as they need a good West Indies team. It goes well to see both teams playing good cricket at the moment, so it should be a fascinating series and I think our guys are upbeat about our chances of playing Sri Lanka and beating Sri Lanka at home," the Jamaican noted.

  With his eyes set on victory, Powell is hoping his team can continue to command the support of Caribbean fans with another series of quality performances.

  "I think for the last 12 months or so, the Caribbean have been rallying around us. When we play our home games, they have supported us in their numbers in the stadium. Now provides a different challenge where they have to wake up early in the morning and tune in, whether it be via radio or via TV, but hopefully we can put on a good show for them and I'm sure once we are playing good cricket, they will look forward to watching us," he ended.

• Samson proved no one bigger than the team, says India captain Yadav 

  India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised a 'selfless' Sanju Samson after his maiden T20I century helped the hosts defeat Bangladesh by 133 runs and win the series 3-0 on Saturday.

  Samson's 111-run knock, which came off just 47 balls, helped India storm to 297-6 after batting first, before they restricted the tourists to 164-7 in the third match of the series in Hyderabad. 

  The 29-year-old reached his century in just 40 balls to become the second fastest among India's batters to bring up a T20I ton after Rohit Sharma's 35-ball century against Sri Lanka in 2017.

  "I think we've achieved a lot as a team. I had said we wanted to have selfless cricketers and want to be a selfless team and enjoy each other's performances. That camaraderie is coming off," Yadav said after the game. 
   
  "Gautam Gambhir said the same thing before the series that no one is bigger than the team, no matter if you are on 49 or 99, you have to hit the ball out of the field. That's what Sanju [Samson] did today."

  Samson, who hit 11 fours and eight sixes, also became the seventh India opener to score a ton and his strike rate of 236.2 was second only to Sharma among Indians when scoring a T20I ton.

  He was ably supported by Yadav, who reached 75 from 35 balls before Ravi Bishnoi picked up three wickets and Mayank Yadav took two to keep Bangladesh at bay. 

  A memorable evening
  
  Sanju Samson smashed the second fastest T20I century for #TeamIndia , off just 40 deliveries
  
  Live - https://t.co/ldfcwtHGSC #INDvBAN | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/UC7Iy1j6yY

  — BCCI (@BCCI) October 12, 2024  
  "We have to be flexible when it comes to batting and bowling. Bowlers have to chip in. Batters have to be flexible, and their performances were commendable," the captain added.
   
  India also posted commanding wins against their opponents in the first two matches on their way to winning their 16th consecutive T20I series at home, where they are unbeaten since 2019. 

  As for Bangladesh, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto indicated it will be a case of going back to the drawing board. 

  "We didn't play our best cricket. We didn't execute our plans as a batting unit. For a couple of overs, we bowled well in some matches, but today we didn't bowl well," Shanto said. 
   
  "We need to believe in ourselves that we can compete against any team. We need to change our home wickets and players need to take responsibility.
   
  "The way [Towhid] Hridoy batted today was impressive. I liked that the seamers were trying to execute their plans. Our top order needs to improve though."

  India will next be in action against New Zealand as the sides play the first of three Tests in Bengaluru from Wednesday. 

• Charles returns home to welcome party after CPL triumph with St. Lucia Kings
  St Lucia's batting star Johnson Charles returned home to a hero's welcome party on Saturday, as the island celebrates the milestone accomplishment of its franchise St Lucia Kings in copping a maiden Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title.

   

  Charles was met by Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and other government and cricket officials at the George FL Charles Airport, but a previously planned motorcade will be held at another time.

   

  As for the rest of the celebratory plans, Sports Minister Kenson Casimir explained that a Welcome Committee will be organizing the celebrations.

   

  “There's been a lot of discussion and we did have a flyer circulated in terms of celebration for Johnson Charles but we really felt that we needed to ensure that we do this properly, that we have proper sit-down with stakeholders and a proper date scheduled because we definitely don't want to cheapen who Johnson Charles is to St Lucia,” Casimir shared.

   

  The original plan involved a concert at the Derek Walcott Square at 2:30 pm, similar to the concert held for Julien Alfred on September 27th.

   

  However, Casimir revealed that this event and other activities will be pushed back to coincide with the arrival of English cricketers to the island.

   

  “We've decided that we are going to schedule the celebration concert and some of the other activities for Johnson Charles to be in tandem with the tour of England to the West Indies. We are aware that England will be touring the West Indies in November and so the organising committee will sit and opine and ensure that we have the proper setup,” he explained. 

   

  Casimir says the Ministry of Sports owes a debt of gratitude to Charles, who currently holds the highest run rate in CPL history.

   

  “His performance he is currently the CPL’s leading run scorer which means he is St Lucia's best ever cricketer at the Caribbean Premier League and we want to have something that you know shows our appreciation to him," the Minister ended.