Explosive West Indies batsman Johnson Charles has been called up by Kolkata Knight Riders for the remaining matches of the 2023 IPL season.
In what will be his first stint in the IPL, the 34-year-old Charles joins KKR as a replacement for Litton Das, who departs to represent Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series against Ireland from May 9-14. He was contracted by KKR at a cost of USD$60,000.
Charles returned to the West Indies set up in October 2022 after a six-year absence from the team. In March 2023, he exploded scoring a 39-ball ton against South Africa and is expected to provide some stability to the KKR line-up that has struggled this season. KKR with only three wins from their nine matches so far this season are currently eighth in the 10-team league.
He will team up with former West Indies players Andre Russell and Sunil Narine in the KKR line-up
Rovman Powell has been traded to the Barbados Royals ahead of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in a move that sees Hayden Walsh moving the other way to join the Jamaica Tallawahs.
Powell, the West Indies T20 captain, led the Tallawahs to their third CPL title in 2023 and has scored 1337 runs for the franchise since first joining them in 2016.
“It is with a heavy heart that my time with the Tallawahs has come to an end,” Powell said in a post in Instagram Wednesday morning.
‘I have made lifelong friends and memories I will never forget; not least winning two CPL titles for my home franchise, one of those as captain, which I will always cherish.
“I am looking forward to joining the Royals and beginning a new chapter in my CPL career.”
Powell expressed his gratitude to his now former teammates and coaches on three-time CPL champions.
“I would like to thank all the players and coaches who have been part of my Tallawahs journey these past few years,” he said.
“Most of all, I want to thank the Jamaican fans for your support. Always remember, we likkle but we Tallawah!”
Walsh leaves the Royals having played for the franchise since 2019, claiming the Player of the Tournament title in his first year with the Barbados team. As an experienced leg spin bowler with international pedigree he will be a valuable addition to the Tallawahs squad.
The Republic Bank CPL draft show will be broadcast in late June 2023 with the tournament set to get underway on 16 August 2023.
Andre Russell has thrown Cricket West Indies under the buss in a recent interview claiming his Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders treats him better.
The 35-year-old all-rounder has played for KKR since 2014, when he helped them win the IPL title.
Since that time, Russell, who last played for the West Indies during the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021, has declined several opportunities to represent the regional team often citing health issues relating to long-term knee injuries.
During a recent interview on Star Sports in India, Russell said KKR makes him feel special for everything that Kolkata-based franchise did for him to get treatment done on his knees.
"Where I was, a few years ago, KKR actually make things happen for me where they send me to get proper treatments on my knees,” Russell said.
“That's something special to me to be honest. No other franchise or even my country never really invest that much on me."
Russell added that he feels at home at KKR.
"I'm happy here. I don't see any other franchise I would love to be a part of in this tournament because I've been here for about nine years now. Been here for so many years, I meet these guys, get closer to them every year," he said.
Gujarat Titans claimed an emphatic win over Mumbai Indians to move into second place in the Indian Premier League.
Inspired by Shubman Gill's third half-century of the season, the Titans swatted aside Mumbai by 55 runs on Tuesday.
Gill scored 56 from 34 deliveries before he was dismissed by Kumar Kartikeya in the 12th over, with the Titans on 91-3.
David Miller (46 from 22) and Abhinav Manohar (42 from 21) picked up the slack, driving Gujarat to 207-6 from their 20 overs.
Mumbai's chase started badly – captain Rohit Sharma caught and bowled by Hardik Pandya (1-10) in the second over, with Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma succumbing to Rashid Khan (2-27) in the eighth.
Cameron Green plundered 33 but his stand came to an end three overs later, with Noor Ahmad picking up the first of his three wickets.
Nehal Wadhera's 40, which included six boundaries, offered Mumbai some slim hope, but his dismissal in the 18th over all but ended their chances, with the Indians limited to just 152-9.
Gill keeps up sparkling form
No IPL player has scored more half-centuries than Gill this season, while his knock on Tuesday came at a strike rate of 164.7 – the second-highest of his campaign.
Slow starts stalling Mumbai's progress
The Indians managed just 29 runs during the powerplay, the second time they have scored such a measly total in the powerplay this season.
Rajasthan Royals are the only team to score fewer runs in a powerplay in 2023. That low score of 26 also came against the Titans.
The venues and fixtures for the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have been confirmed with the tournament taking place from 16 August to 24 September in Saint Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.
The tournament gets underway in Saint Lucia with six matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket ground between 16 August and 20 August with home side the Saint Lucia Kings appearing in four of those fixtures.
From there the tournament moves on the St Kitts & Nevis with six matches at Warner Park between 23 August and 27 August with four games for the home team, the Patriots.
The next leg of the tournament will take place in Barbados with the CPL returning to the country for the first time since 2019. With six matches scheduled for the iconic Kensington Oval, and four home games for the Barbados Royals, there will be lots of excitement about the tournament’s return. The matches will take place in Barbados from 30 August to 3 September.
From 5 September to 10 September the tournament will be in Trinidad & Tobago. There will be four home games for the Trinbago Knight Riders and six matches in total.
The final leg of the tournament will take place in Guyana with the matches running from 13 September to 24 September. The knockout stages will be in Guyana again in 2023, with excitement already building after the successful running of the final last season.
“We are very pleased that the tournament will be staged in five countries in 2023,” said Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO. “As ever, the CPL is a chance for fans across the region and around the world to enjoy world class cricket. And for the players from the Caribbean it is an opportunity to showcase their skills and further their careers.”
Men’s Caribbean Premier League 2023 Fixtures
Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium, St Lucia
Weds 16 August, 7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Thurs 17 August, 7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Barbados Royals
Sat 19 August, 10am -Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sun 20 August, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Barbados Royals
7:00pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Warner Park, St Kitts and Nevis
Wed 23 August, 7pm - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Thurs 24 August, 7pm- St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sat 26 August, 10am - Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders
7pm -St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Barbados Royals
Sun 27 August, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
7pm - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Kensington Oval, Barbados
Wed 30 August, 7pm - Barbados Royals vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Thurs 31 August, 7pm -Barbados Royals vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Sat 2 September, 10am - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs
8pm - Barbados Royals vs Saint Lucia Kings
Sun 3 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Trinbago Knight Riders
8pm - Barbados Royals vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Trinidad and Tobago – Venues to be decided
Tues 5 September, 7pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals
Wed 6 September, 7pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sat 9 September, 10am - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Saint Lucia Kings
8pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Sun 10 September, 10am - Barbados Royals vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
8pm- Trinbago Knight Riders vs Saint Lucia Kings
Guyana National Stadium, Providence
Wed 13 September, 7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Thurs 14 September, 7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Saint Lucia Kings
Sat 16 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Sun 17 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Saint Lucia Kings
7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Barbados Royals
Tues 19 September, 7pm - Eliminator – 3rd place vs 4th place
Wed 19 September, 7pm - Qualifier 1 – 1st place vs 2nd place
Fri 22 September, 7pm - Qualifier 2 – Winner of Eliminator vs Loser Qualifier 1
Sun 24 September, 7pm - Final – Winner Qualifier 1 vs Winner Qualifier 2
Hayley Matthews scored an magnificent hundred in an all-round performance to lead Warriors Women to victory and the title over Falcons Women in the Fairbreak Invitational Tournament in Kowloon on Sunday.
The West Indies Women’s captain was adjudged Player of the Match for her 123 and 2-14 that spurred her team to a 94-run win. Batting first, Warriors Women scored 230-4 from their 20 overs. In reply, Falcons Women could only muster 137-8.
Matthews, who was last out, smashed 11 fours and nine sixes during her knock that lasted 52 balls.
After Matthews’ dismissal in the 15th over, Kathryn Bryce then lashed an unbeaten 52 and Captain Sindhu Sriharsha 25 in an unbroken stand of 75 that took Warriors Women to their imposing total. Price’s runs came from just 20 balls and included eight fours and two sixes.
Anju Gurung was the best of the Falcons Women bowlers taking 2-43 from her four overs.
Faced with a daunting task of scoring more than 11 runs an over, Falcons Women were steady in the chase but were always behind the required rate.
Chamari Athapaththu (29), Danni Hyatt (20), Captain Suzie Bates (25) and Theertha Satish (29), all got starts but were unable to carry on. No other batter got into double figures as Matthews and Bryce (3-16) did the damage to keep their side ahead of the game and eventually to a comprehensive victory.
Warriors Women lost only once during the tournament.
Ravichandran Ashwin has aired his irritation with umpire calls in the Indian Premier League after Rajasthan Royals' three-run win over Chennai Super Kings.
Jos Buttler's unbeaten half-century in the first innings was enough to help the Royals hold off a dramatic late CSK rally led by MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja.
But the decision was made by umpires Virender Sharma and Vinod Seshan to change the ball in the 12th over of the hosts' losing chase.
Though the officials are within the laws of the game to do so, Ashwin acknowledged he was frustrated by the move after the Royals did not ask for it to be swapped.
"I'm quite surprised the umpires changed the ball for dew on their own," he said. "It's never happened before and I'm quite surprised.
"Some of the decisions in this year's IPL on the field have left me a little flummoxed, to be honest. It left me flummoxed in a good or bad way because what you need is a little bit of balance.
"We're going as a bowling team and we're not asking for the ball to be changed. But the ball was changed on the umpire's accord. I did ask the umpire, but he said we can change it.
"So I hope every time there's dew they can change it every single time going forward in this IPL. You can do whatever you want, but you need to be standard."
Ashwin is not the first player to criticise the decision-making process by umpires, with Punjab Kings' Sam Curran voicing his displeasure over ball changes.
The Royals are currently top of the IPL standings, having picked up three wins from their first four games this season.
A third Jos Buttler half-century of the Indian Premier League season saw Rajasthan Royals edge a dramatic three-run victory over Chennai Super Kings.
The England white-ball skipper rattled off another superb knock of 52 to continue his rich vein of form during Wednesday's clash at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
But his side's tally of 175-8 was almost knocked off by a pyrotechnic finale from MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, who crashed 36 runs off the final two overs.
Despite the early loss of fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), it was Buttler's sturdy second-wicket partnership with Devdutt Padikkal (38) that kept Rajasthan ticking over.
Even when their 77-run stand came to an end, subsequent turns from Ravichandran Ashwin (30) and Shimron Hetmyer (30 not out) continued to punish a loose bowling attack.
Jadeja's tidy 2-21 off four overs came too late to restrict the damage, and CSK were forced straight onto the offensive themselves when they came to the crease in pursuit.
For a while, it looked like they would prove handily successful in their chase, before the loss of Devon Conway (50) and Ajinkya Rahane (31) saw them tumble to 113-6.
But then, with their side in need, the veteran duo of Dhoni (32 not out) and Jadeja (25 not out) almost dragged them over the line, finishing just shy with 172-6 after Sandeep Sharma held his nerve in the final over.
Buttler continues IPL brilliance
Having led England to T20 World Cup glory last year, there was little doubt the wicketkeeper-batter's form would again be a big-time player for the Royals, and so it has been proven.
After 54 against the Sunrisers and 79 against the Capitals, he has once again shown himself invaluable to the Royals and their hopes of success this season.
Dhoni rolls back the years
Having needed 40 runs off the final dozen balls, it appeared a stretch too far even for the 41-year-old and his superb skills.
But he hasn't hung up his pads yet for a reason, and his devastating knock, with three maximums and an additional four, helped set up the grandstand finish.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has sought to calm speculation over Babar Azam's future as captain without assuring the batter of his place.
Babar currently captains Pakistan in red-and-white-ball formats, and led the side that reached last year's T20 World Cup final against England.
But a disappointing home season, combined with a stand-off over the PCB's appointment of Shan Masood as his ODI vice-captain, has cast doubt over his position.
Taking to Twitter on Monday, Sethi acknowledged discussions have taken place about Babar's captaincy, but says he remains secure for the moment.
"For months, media and cricketing circles have been discussing [the] pros and cons of retaining Babar Azam as captain in all formats of the game," he wrote.
"Since this decision is ultimately [the] chairman's, I have sought views of selection committees headed by Shahid Afridi, and now Haroon Rashid.
"Both committees thought [the] matter merited discussion, but both later came to the conclusion that the status quo should be retained.
"I have subsequently publicly stated this position. In the final analysis, my decision will be subject to the success or failure of [the] status quo.
"I will also be guided by what the selectors and director [of] cricket [operations] and head coach have to say going forward.
"I expect they will be in the best position to advise me. Therefore, we should support Babar and not make [the] matter controversial in [the] interests of [the] national team."
Sai Sudharsan's unbeaten 62 helped Gujarat Titans continue their winning start in the IPL with a six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals.
Chasing 163, defending champions Gujarat lost three wickets before the end of the powerplay, including that of captain Hardik Pandya for just five.
But Sudharsan's half-century, aided by a big-hitting cameo from David Miller (31 off 16), set up an ultimately straightforward win.
The 21-year-old survived an eighth-over review for caught behind and put on 53 for the fourth wicket with Vijay Shankar (29).
Miller then joined Sudharsan in the middle and ensured the Titans raced to their target with 11 balls to spare – the Capitals' 162-8 never having really looked like being enough.
David Warner had opened with 37 but required 32 balls, with that plodding run rate keeping the Titans firmly in the match.
Nortje enjoys opener rewards
In a brief spell in which the Capitals looked capable of causing their opponents some problems, Anrich Nortje dismissed openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill.
Since the start of the 2022 tournament, Nortje has taken the wicket of six openers, the second-most among Capitals bowlers.
Miller turns on the style
The Titans have an impressive record chasing targets of 150 or more, doing so a leading seven times in the past two years.
They were able to do so this time in large part due to Miller's contribution, which saw two fours and two sixes in a 28-minute dash to the finish.
Republic Bank Limited, the largest indigenous bank in the English-speaking Caribbean, has been announced as the new title sponsor and official bank of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The announcement was made by CPL Chief Executive Officer, Pete Russell, in a press conference held Wednesday in Port of Spain to launch the 2023 season of the T20 cricket tournament.
Having previously sponsored the CPL as the official banking partner since 2015, the bank will now assume the league’s highest sponsorship profile for the next three (3) years.
Republic Bank has also been confirmed as a partner for the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) which will return in 2023 for its second edition. The WCPL sees the best female cricketers from across the region and around the world showcase their skills in front of a huge global audience.
“Republic Bank are the perfect partner for the CPL and WCPL, a company that shares our passion for cricket and Caribbean culture,” said Pete Russell, CEO of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.
“The CPL is a driver of economic growth and the creation of jobs, so having a financial group like Republic Bank as the title sponsor makes perfect sense. In addition, Republic Bank has a great track record of spreading the love of cricket across the region, something that is important to all of us at the CPL.”
Nigel Baptiste, Group President and Chief Executive Officer for the Republic Group, said: “We are excited to be the Title Sponsor and Official Bank of the Caribbean Premier League. Cricket is hugely important to Caribbean heritage, culture, community and youth development and as the Caribbean’s largest sporting event and one of its most significant sport entertainment exports, the CPL demonstrates to the world the Caribbean’s capability and prowess, illustrates our talent and future potential, and showcases our joyous and incomparable spirit.”
New skipper Rovman Powell powered West Indies to a stunning three-wicket win against South Africa in a rain-reduced T20I clash on Saturday.
The start in Centurion was pushed back because of wet conditions and the contest was reduced to an 11-overs-a-side thrash, with South Africa totting up 131-8, helping by David Miller crunching 48 from 22 balls.
Miller struck three sixes as the home side recovered well from losing opener Quinton de Kock to the first ball of their innings at SuperSport Park.
West Indies made a flying start to their reply as Brandon King and Kyle Mayers took 17 runs from the first four deliveries. King's 23, and 28 from Johnson Charles, helped to put the tourists in a strong position, but it was Powell who played the crucial innings.
The 29-year-old Jamaican hit five sixes in an explosive 43no from 18 balls, holding his nerve after West Indies lost two wickets to Sisanda Magala (3-21) in the 10th over.
Powell's maximum from the second delivery of the 11th over brought the teams level, and he tucked away a single into the leg side from the next ball to seal the win, taking West Indies to 132-7.
Powell starts as he means to go on
The chance to lead arose for Powell when Nicholas Pooran resigned as West Indies' white-ball captain after last year's T20 World Cup.
Powell has taken on the T20I job, with Shai Hope leading the ODI team, and this was a whirlwind beginning for the incoming captain, firstly with the match being reduced to a quickfire slog, and then with the pressure falling on his shoulders with the bat.
He came in at 66-3 in the fifth over, after the breakneck start, and saw the job through, posting his joint-sixth highest T20I score in what was his 47th innings at this level.
Trend to continue?
The last three T20I series between these teams have been won by the touring side, and with two games remaining in this series we might be on for a repeat.
South Africa are experiencing a dire run of series results in T20Is at home, having lost their last four such series, last getting a home success against Sri Lanka in March 2019.
Over the longer course of a full 20 overs it might prove a different story between these teams, with the win for West Indies on this occasion being just the second in their last 16 T20Is away from home. They and South Africa go again on Sunday, also in Centurion.
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch and ex-South Africa skipper Quinton de Kock are among the first overseas names for Major League Cricket's inaugural season.
The pair were among six non-domestic players assigned during Sunday's draft at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Australia duo Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh, along with South Africa's Anrich Nortje and Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga were also included as overseas participants.
Major League Cricket – the first professional T20 league in the United States – will consist of six franchises in its debut year, as cricket looks to build a foothold in the country.
The ICC are hopeful the sport will be included in the 2028 Olympic Games, to be held in Los Angeles, where one of the half-dozen teams will be based.
Finch, who retired from T20Is in February, will captain San Francisco Unicorns, where he will be joined by compatriot Stoinis and England's Liam Plunkett, who qualifies as a domestic player through his American wife.
The pace bowler, who was a member of the successful England team from the 2019 Cricket World Cup, previously played in Minor League Cricket, the developmental league for MLC.
De Kock is set to play for Seattle Orcas alongside Marsh, while Nortje and Hasaranga will turn out for Washington Freedom.
The three remaining sides – Texas Super Kings, Los Angeles Knight Riders and MI New York – are yet to add an overseas player, though each drafted nine US-based players on Sunday.
The tournament will take place over three weeks at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas between July 13 and 30.
David Warner will captain Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League this season in the absence of injured regular skipper Rishabh Pant.
The Capitals confirmed on Thursday that Warner had been selected to stand in for Pant, who is recovering from a serious car accident.
Pant's car caught fire in December causing multiple injuries that required surgery earlier this year. He has been ruled out of cricket for 2023.
Head coach Ricky Ponting was among the figures to make the decision to name Warner as captain, meaning Axar Patel will again serve as vice-captain as he did in the 2022 campaign.
"Rishabh has been a terrific leader for Delhi Capitals, and we're all going to miss having him around," Warner said in a team statement.
"I would like to thank the management for the faith and trust they've always shown in me.
"This franchise has always been home for me, and I couldn't be more excited to lead such a supremely talented bunch of players."
Warner was an IPL winner with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 and returned to Delhi last season, having previously played for the franchise when they were known as the Daredevils.
The batter is set to play in a three-match ODI series for Australia against India ahead of the IPL, which starts on March 31.
He will be spending much of the year in India, with those two commitments helping his preparation for the Cricket World Cup, which is being held in the country from October.
Warner, 36, was the leading run-scorer for the Capitals in last year's IPL, tallying five fifties and a total of 432 runs at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 151.
However, Delhi narrowly missed making the play-offs, the first time in four seasons they had failed to qualify. Gujarat Titans took the title in their first season.
Player of the Match Kieron Pollard and Sheldon Cottrell combined to lead Multan Sultans to a commanding 84-run win over the Lahore Qalanders and book a place in the finals of the Pakistan Super League for the third year running.
Pollard’s 57 from 34 balls during a 65-run partnership with Tim David after Multan Sultans lost Usman Khan for 29, Mohammad Rizwan for 33 and Rilee Rossouw for 13 to be 90-3 in the 13th over. The powerfully built Trinidadian smashed one four and six sixes, three of them coming off the bowling of Shaheen Afridi in the 19th over that yielded 20 runs.
He was eventually bowled by Haris Rauf in the final over in which Multan Sultans also lost the wicket of Khushdil the very next ball.
David remained unbeaten on 22 watched from the other end as Rauf finished with figures of 3-34 when the innings closed at 160-5.
Needing eight runs an over for victory, Lahore Qalanders found the going tough at 15-2 as Cottrell dismissed Mirza Baig for eight and Abdullah Shafique for a duck in the third over. Anwar Ali bowled Fakhar Azam for six and Lahore were quickly in deep trouble on 19-3.
Cottrell picked up his third wicket when he dismissed Afridi for a duck in the fifth over to make it 28-4. Pollard got rid of Sikandar Raza for one as Lahore crumbled towards defeat.
Sam Billings scored 19 and Rauf 15 but wickets continued to regularly as Lahore folded for 76 in 14.3 overs.
Cottrell finished with 3-20 while Pollard took 1-3 from the only over he bowled.
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