The Indian Premier League clash between Delhi and Punjab Kings was cleared to go ahead as scheduled on Wednesday despite a sixth coronavirus case in the Capitals camp.

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert became the latest Capitals player to return a positive test on the day of the match at Brabourne – CC.

Delhi had on Monday revealed that Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh had contracted COVID-19.

Tournament organisers gave the green light for the game against the Kings to be staged after the second round of tests all came back as negative.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also announced that the Capitals' showdown with Rajasthan Royals on Friday has been moved from MCA Stadium in Pune to Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

That decision was made as a precautionary measure following Seifert's positive test.

Kane Williamson's steady 57 helped Sunrisers Hyderabad claim their second Indian Premier League win in succession as they overcame Gujarat Titans by eight wickets.

The New Zealand captain anchored Hyderabad's chase brilliantly until he finally fell at the start of the 17th over to Hardik Pandya, yet the damage had already been done.

Hyderabad, chasing 163, were 129 by the time they lost their captain, though they did take their time in getting across the line – Nicholas Pooran (34 not out) and Aiden Markram (8 not out) sealing victory with five balls to spare.

Titans skipper Pandya scored an unbeaten half-century, yet Abhinav Manohar (35) was the only one of his team-mates to get above 20.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-37) and Thangarasu Natarajan (2-34) were the pick of Hyderabad's bowlers as the Titans were restricted to 162-7 from their 20 overs.

Unlike Pandya, Williamson was ably supported by Abhishek Sharma, whose 42 included six boundaries before he fell to Rashid Khan (1-28).

Rahul Tripathi (17) retired hurt, but Pooran's knock came from 18 balls as the wicketkeeper ensured his captain's work would not be fruitless.

Williamson delivers first blow to the Titans

Williamson's composure was crucial to the Sunrisers getting a second straight eight-wicket win, with his haul including six boundaries, four of which cleared the rope. Indeed, he brought up his half-century with a scoop from compatriot Lockie Ferguson.

The Titans had enjoyed a winning start to their inaugural IPL season, the only team to have managed three consecutive victories, but that run was ended in comprehensive fashion.

Khan just short of IPL milestone

With his dismissal of Sharma, Khan is now on 99 wickets in the IPL. While his landmark did not come on Monday, he will surely reach triple figures soon enough.

Rovman Powell is to assume a more involved role as captain for the Jamaica Tallawahs once the 2022 Hero CPL season gets underway in August.

Powell was appointed captain last season when the two-time CPL champions struggled to find consistency and missed the playoffs after only winning four of their 10 matches.

However, come next season, Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller expects Powell to work more closely with the new coaching staff headed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

“I think that Chanderpaul along with the assistant coaches has expressed that to Rovman," Miller revealed in a recent interview with Sportsmax.TV.

"We have been having some great meetings and I think this year we will see that all-inclusive where the player, as the captain, is involved in all aspects of team management, selection, etcetera,” Miller told Sportsmax.TV.

“I think we will see a different side of him (Rovman) this year.”

Turning his attention to Brandon King, who has been brought in to open the batting, Miller said the former Amazon Warrior will be given the opportunity to express himself in the coming season.

“Brandon is another dynamic player and we believe that having Brandon at the top of the order with Kennar (Lewis) will produce some exciting games, and Brandon also wanted to come home and we gave him that opportunity to play for the Tallawahs and express himself and we know how Brandon can express himself,” Miller said.

The CEO also hinted that the international players who have been signed will be very suited for the potentially spin-friendly pitches in Guyana that will host several matches including the CPL finals for the next three years. 

"When you see our international players then you will see why we selected those players because they will make a difference in Guyana," said Miller, who also expressed confidence that the Tallawahs will give a good account of themselves in the 2022 season.

"I am confident about the team. Look, we have a dream team support staff - Chanderpaul, Sir Curtly Ambrose, we have Andre Coley. We have an announcement to make in the coming days pertaining to our manager and that will really cement our support staff."

Aaron Finch's half-century and Ben McDermott's composure proved to be decisive as Australia defeated Pakistan by three wickets in Tuesday's thrilling one-off T20I.

Pakistan won the ODI series thanks in large part to the brilliance of captain Babar Azam and his superb 66 propelled the hosts to a competitive 162-8 in Lahore.

Babar's composure at the crease was much-needed for Pakistan, who lost Mohammad Rizwan (23) and Fakhar Zaman (0) in successive balls to T20I debutant Cameron Green (2-16).

Adam Zampa finally drew a stray shot out of Pakistan's skipper, who picked out Nathan Ellis to leave his side on 118-4.

Having already dismissed Iftikhar Ahmed, Ellis – the pick of Australia's bowlers with 4-28 – then did the damage through Pakistan's middle order, getting rid of the dangerous Khushdil Shah (24), Asif Ali (3) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (0), though Usman Qadir's flurry of 18 not out boosted the hosts.

Travis Head quickly set about getting the tourists' chase on its way, scoring a rapid 26 that included four boundaries before he was sent packing by Haris Rauf.

Josh Inglis (24) kept up the pace until Qadir struck, but Australia seemed well set before Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis and Green were dismissed in the space of 20 balls.

Yet captain Finch anchored the chase as he returned to form following back-to-back ducks in the ODI series, with his steady innings steering Australia into needing 15 runs from three overs.

A costly start to the 18th over from Haris saw McDermott plunder successive boundaries, though the pressure was back on Australia when Finch found Asif in the deep.

Afridi (2-21) rounded off an excellent spell by bowling Sean Abbott for a duck, yet another poor Haris ball handed McDermott the chance to clip away the winning boundary.

Captains come up big

Babar gave yet another exhibition of how he has risen to the top of the batting rankings in another sensational knock - his 66 coming at a strike rate of 143.47.

Yet it was World Cup winner Finch who took the trophy, as he showed plenty of patience to stay at the crease for 18 overs, showing why interim head coach Andrew McDonald backed him to stay on as skipper.

Historic tour comes to a close

It has been a brilliant match-up between Pakistan and Australia over the last month or so and the tourists will finally return home.

Australia have now won each of their past four T20Is against Pakistan, the first time they have gone on such a run, though this was the first meeting in the format between the teams in Pakistan.

Four-time Caribbean Premier League Champions Trinbago Knight Riders have signed Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell and middle-order batsman Nicholas Pooran for the 2022 season.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals will be hosted by Guyana for the next three years, starting in 2022. This is the first time the Hero CPL final will be held in Guyana and this long-term staging agreement will see the culmination of the tournament also taking place in Guyana in 2023 and 2024.

This season, Guyana will host seven group games, three knockout matches and the Hero CPL final which will take place on Friday, September 30 at The Guyana National Stadium in Providence.

The Hero CPL final will be the climax of festivities surrounding these games taking place in Guyana. The Government of Guyana in collaboration with the local private sector will also stage two weeks of events which will form a Cricket Carnival. This Carnival will celebrate the best that Guyana was to offer, showcasing the music, food and culture of this vibrant and fascinating country. 

 Over the previous nine seasons of Hero CPL there has been massive support for the tournament from Guyanese fans and the tournament is expecting significant excitement at the prospect of these hugely important matches taking place in the country.

Guyana’s economy is growing rapidly, and the country has a fantastic reputation as a destination for tourists looking for unspoiled nature. The Hero CPL finals will further showcase this wonderful country to a massive global audience – the total viewership for Hero CPL passed 500million in both 2020 and 2021.

“We are blessed with amazing fans across the Caribbean, and this is very clear whenever we visit Guyana where the atmosphere at Providence is electric. The idea of having the Hero CPL final in front of this wonderful crowd of passionate and knowledgeable cricket fans is a mouthwatering prospect,” said Pete Russell, Hero CPL CEO.

“We are very grateful to have such a positive relationship with the government and cricket authorities in Guyana and we thank them for helping us come to this hugely exciting agreement.”

His Excellency Dr Mohammad Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, said the citizens of Guyana are passionate about cricket.

 “Cricket is much more than a game for us in Guyana, it is a passion, part of our culture and a unifying force. As we celebrate “One Guyana” the hosting of the CPL final will be an energizing force,” he said.

“We are building a product that will be spectator focused, integrated with our regional partners for a global market. Cricket carnival is a fusion of entertainment and celebration that will be mind-blowing and unbelievably different from any other global cricketing event. We welcome all to the greatest celebration of music, pageantry, Caribbean vibes with a South American touch and of course, cricket played loudest.”

Kolkata Knight Riders eased to a six-wicket win in Saturday's 2022 IPL opener, with MS Dhoni unable to rescue a result for defending champions Chennai Super Kings in his first match since stepping aside as captain.

Dhoni skippered CSK to their fourth title in 2021, beating KKR in the tournament decider, before his shock decision to allow Ravindra Jadeja to lead the side this year – one of two notable changes that left the Super Kings looking a little short.

CSK first missed the steadying presence of the departed Faf du Plessis – Player of the Match in last year's final – at the top of the order and were in need of a lift from Jadeja when he arrived in the middle in the eighth over.

Instead, he had Ambati Rayudu run out and almost consigned Shivam Dube to the same fate before finally settling alongside Dhoni.

The 40-year-old still did much of the heavy lifting in their 70-run, 56-ball partnership, scoring 35 off his final 13 deliveries to reach an unbeaten 50 and allow Jadeja's (26 not out) innings-ending six to take the Super Kings to what they hoped would prove a competitive 131-5.

Ultimately, that was not enough, as 44 from KKR opener Ajinkya Rahane ensured the chase was always ahead of the game.

Three Dwayne Bravo wickets saw him draw level with Lasith Malinga's IPL record of 170, but Shreyas Iyer, KKR's own new captain, finished the job with his unbeaten 20.
 

Teething problems for first-time skipper

There were no safer pair of hands in the IPL last year than Jadeja's, as he made 13 catches – the most of any player excluding wicket-keepers. But this was a nervy bow as captain in his 201st IPL match, only looking remotely comfortable with the bat once Dhoni – walking in to huge applause – took control.

Similarly, Jadeja appeared far happier playing his natural game than making big calls in the second innings, taking a simple catch from Rahane but soon blowing a review on an lbw appeal that saw Sam Billings clearly glove the ball.

KKR's long wait for Wankhede win ended

KKR ultimately fell just short in the final, but they were happy to see the 2021 tournament shifted to the United Arab Emirates due to coronavirus. The Knight Riders had won only one of their previous six IPL matches in India.

They may well have feared this match at Wankhede Stadium then, a venue at which they had suffered eight successive defeats. However, a first KKR win here since May 2012 was secured with relative ease.

Dwayne Bravo has signed for Worcestershire Rapids for the 2022 Vitality Blast season in a bid to win another T20 league title.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have confirmed that this year’s CPL event will feature a women’s tournament with three franchise teams competing for the first Women’s CPL (WCPL) title. The three teams will showcase the best women’s cricketers from across the Caribbean with overseas stars rounding out the teams.

The three teams who will compete in the inaugural WCPL will be Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders.

The women’s tournament will take place during the men’s event inside the Hero CPL tournament window which this year will run from 30 August and 30 September.

The 2022 tournament will be celebrating 10 years of the Biggest Party in Sport and enters its 10th season off the back of a highly successful 2021, with over half a billion viewers tuning in for the second successive year.

“Increasing the opportunities for West Indian women and girls to get involved in cricket is one of CWI’s strategic priorities, and we are delighted that we have been able to partner with CPL to further the expansion plans that we had first unveiled in 2019 prior to the arrival of the COVID Pandemic. We are confident that all CPL women’s games will be highly competitive and will add quality entertainment to our fans in the region and around the world,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.

Hero CPL will be played across more countries this year, with three Caribbean countries being selected for the group stages and fourth venue being chosen for the finals. CPL anticipates that this four-venue structure could become the norm for future seasons.

“The addition of a women’s event to the CPL is something that has been an ambition for a long time and we are very pleased that it has become a reality. We would like to thank CWI for working with us to make this happen. The Women’s T10 Challenge which took place during the 2019 CPL was a huge success and we are looking forward to the next step forward,” said Hero CPL CEO Pete Russell.

“We are very pleased to confirm the dates for the 2022 tournament and with travel around the world and region becoming easier CPL will be able to visit more than one country this year, so fans can enjoy CPL in person once again,” he added.

CWI has confirmed that a window has been created in an otherwise very busy international schedule so that all selected West Indies players will be available for this year’s Men’s and Women’s CPL tournaments.

Rohit Sharma surpassed Virat Kohli and Martin Guptill to become the all-time leading run-scorer in the T20I format, as India hammered a poor Sri Lanka side by 62 runs.

The world's top-ranked T20I side recorded a 10th consecutive victory in Lucknow, as they continue to build towards the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Ishan Kishan scored a majestic 89 off 56 in a superb display from India's top order saw in which the hosts reached 199-2 in their 20 overs, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a star turn with the ball to help wrap up a comprehensive win.

India were sent out to bat after visiting skipper Dasun Shanaka won the toss and racked up 50 runs in just over five overs.

Captain Rohit's (44 off 32) landmark moment arrived when he smashed Jeffrey Vandersay's delivery for six in the eighth over, as he and fellow opener Kishan toyed with the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Star man Ishan reached his half-century off just 30 balls, as the hosts passed the hundred mark before suffering their first loss of the contest, Rohit being beaten by Lahiru Kumara's delivery.

Ishan was finally caught by Janith Liyanage, with the visitors unable to claim any further wickets before the 20 overs were through. 

India were equally dominant with the ball. Bhuvneshwar Kumara struck with the first delivery to wipe out Pathum Nissanka and followed up by dismissing Kamil Mishara (13 off 12) inside three overs.

Venkatesh Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja joined the party shortly afterwards, while Yuzvendra Chahal removed Shanaka (3) for the fifth, becoming India's leading T20I wicket taker with his 67th dismissal in the format.

Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka hit 53 off 47 balls, but it was not enough to avoid a comprehensive beating for the visitors, who fell to a 1-0 series deficit.

India skipper enters the record books

Rohit Sharma took the title of all-time leading run-scorer in T20I cricket, surpassing New Zealand's Guptill and fellow India star Kohli with his haul of 44 from 32 balls.

That return takes him to a total of 3,307 runs in the T20I format, a tally he will doubt add to in the remainder of the series.

Home bowlers target records of their own

Chahal's dismissal of Sri Lanka skipper Shanaka, meanwhile, made him India' most prolific bowler in the T20I format, with 67 wickets in his 53 matches.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, meanwhile, is fourth on that list after wreaking havoc upon the Sri Lankan bowling order, claiming 57 T20I wickets since his 2012 debut.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League has delivered outstanding exposure and generated a significant economic impact to the 2021 host countries, St Kitts & Nevis. The tournament took place in the Federation of St Kitts between 26 August and 15 September with all 33 matches being held at Warner Park, Basseterre.

The total value delivered to St Kitts & Nevis from the 2021 Hero CPL was US$88,698,200.

This figure comes from organizer spend, visitor spend and sponsorship value. The report detailing all the deliverables was compiled by an independent and world-leading research company, YouGov Sport.

The total economic impact value for St Kitts & Nevis was US$8,990,210, with the direct spend being US$3,329,707. This figure takes into account the total spent by Hero CPL to put on the 2021 event as well as the money spent with local business by those who travelled into St Kitts & Nevis for the tournament, either independently or as part of CPL’s franchise teams.

The total spent to organize the Hero CPL in St Kitts & Nevis during the tournament was US$2,250,725 with local suppliers and businesses being the beneficiaries. In addition to the organizer spend, St Kitts & Nevis also benefitted from franchise owners and fans from across the region and the world coming to watch the games – an extra USD$1,078,982 of direct spend being attributed to this group.

St Kitts and Nevis also enjoyed huge exposure from the global broadcast of the tournament, a sponsorship value of US$79,707,790 being generated – the most any host country has ever received. A combination of innovative and engaging advertising throughout the Hero CPL broadcast, including branding and tourism vignettes, ensured St Kitts & Nevis was given the opportunity to promote itself to a vast global audience.

The total viewership figure for Hero CPL 2021 was 517.4million, with the tournament passing half a billion viewers for the second successive year. This massive TV and digital viewership helping to drive the fantastic sponsorship valuation.

“We are hugely grateful to everyone in St Kitts & Nevis who made the 2021 tournament possible, especially the Government who backed CPL to deliver another World Class event,” said Pete Russell, CPL Hero CEO.

“Special thanks to the Minister for Education, Youth Empowerment, Culture and Sport, the Hon. Jonel Powell and his team who left no stone unturned in ensuring we had a safe and successful tournament. We are delighted that St Kitts & Nevis were rewarded with these fantastic numbers and of course a winner’s trophy.”

The minister, meanwhile, was delighted at the news.

“I am very pleased with the data, in particular, the direct spend into our economy and the local employment at what has been a very difficult time financially. The exposure that our Federation has received to over 500 million viewers is of tremendous value, it is our hope that the world now knows St. Kitts and Nevis as not just a fantastic destination for R and R but also a great destination for sports tourism. We truly value our partnership with the CPL and look forward to developing new opportunities that we can share together,” he said.

Rohit Sharma praised India for a "phenomenal finish" as they halted the West Indies' chase on Friday to clinch the Twenty20 series and reach 100 wins in the format.

India won for an eighth consecutive T20I match, a new record for the nation, as they defeated the tourists by seven runs in Kolkata.

After Rohit and Ishan Kishan managed just 21 runs between them, Virat Kohli and player of the match Rishabh Pant settled any anxiety at the crease by scoring 52 each, with eight boundaries apiece.

Pant's half-century came off just 28 deliveries, while Kohli's score took him to within just three runs of equalling Martin Guptill's T20I record of 3,299 runs.

The West Indies mounted a strong chase, with Nicholas Pooran hitting 62 before being caught off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's delivery – a crucial wicket with just 15 balls remaining.

Rovman Powell's 68 dragged them close to a win, but Harshal Patel and Bhuvneshwar's expert final overs saw India over the line.

"You are always a bit scared when you are playing against these guys. In the end, it was a phenomenal finish," said Rohit.

"Right from the start, we knew it wouldn't be easy. But I am proud we executed our plans under pressure."

Brilliant Bhuvi

The experience of Bhuvneshwar proved key as the West Indies cranked up the pressure. The 32-year-old finished on 1-29 from four overs, giving up just two boundaries and signing off with just four singles and the wicket of Pooran from his final over.

"It was very critical at that point when Bhuvneshwar bowled," said Rohit. "That's where experience comes into play. Bhuvi has been doing it for many years and we believe in him a lot."

No century celebrations for Pollard

Kieron Pollard became the first West Indies player to reach 100 T20I appearances and the ninth overall in international cricket, although he could not mark the occasion by hitting the single six needed to reach a century in the format.

Pollard, who gave up 14 runs in his solitary over and scored three off the bat from as many deliveries, said of the finish: "We cannot call the batters out. We can look at it in different ways how we could have got those eight runs. We are a work in progress."

India have taken a 1-0 T20I series lead over the West Indies after a six-wicket victory in Wednesday's first test in Kolkata.

It was not always plain sailing for India, but in the end they closed out a comfortable victory that owed much to captain Rohit Sharma, debutant Ravi Bishnoi and Suryakumar Yadav.

West Indies had earlier reached 157-7 over their 20 overs, an innings that began poorly as Brandon King fell for just four to Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1-31) in the first over – though Kyle Mayers (31) and Nicholas Pooran (61) soon found the tourists some momentum.

After their respective wickets, West Indies really struggled to build up a head of steam again. Bishnoi (2-17) claimed the scalps of Roston Chase (four) and Rovman Powell (two) as the 21-year-old enjoyed a miserly outing on his debut.

Kieron Pollard (24 not out) at least restored a little dignity, but he had little help around him, thus setting India a reachable target.

Rohit's 40 off 19 gave India the start they needed, and Ishan Kishan (35 off 42) proved a solid – if pragmatic – partner until both were undone by Chase's (2-14) bowling.

Fabian Allen (1-23) and Sheldon Cottrell (1-35) then saw to Virat Kohli (17) and Rishabh Pant (eight), respectively, with both batsmen feeling somewhat aggrieved by the decisions.

But any suggestion of West Indies still having a chance were emphatically washed away by Suryakumar (34 not out) and Venkatesh Iyer (24 not out), who eased the hosts over the line at 162-4 with seven balls to spare.

Bishnoi makes his mark

Bishnoi initially looked nervous, throwing three wides in his first over. But he quickly adjusted his focus, posting impressive numbers as he dismissed Chase and Powell.

Speaking afterwards, he said: "The nerves are settled now. I was feeling very good, it's everyone's dream to play for India and I was feeling good. West Indies is one of the best T20 teams and I got the chance to play against them. I'll try to cut down on the wides in the next match!"

Pooran's efforts in vain

Were it not for Pooran's efforts, this would have been an even worse start to the three-match series for the Windies. His 61 with the bat was undoubtedly the highlight of their innings, with Pollard very aware that his side were otherwise disappointing.

Pollard said: "Getting down to the 19th over was good on the part of the bowlers. If I'm being honest, between overs six to 15 we scored too few runs. We were 15-20 runs short."

Man of the Match Sunil Narine scored the fastest 50 in BPL history on Wednesday to propel Comilla Victorians to a seven-wicket victory over Chattogram Challengers and a place in the finals of the tournament where they will face Fortune Barishal.

Cricket West Indies (CWI)has offered congratulations to the West Indies players chosen in the auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which was conducted in Bengaluru on Saturday and Sunday.