Brandon King and Evin Lewis starred at the top of the order to help the West Indies to a five-wicket victory in the first match of their T20I series with Sri Lanka. 

Despite strong showings from Kamindu Mendis (51) and Charith Asalanka (59), the West Indies' opening duo did the damage as King's 63 and Lewis' half-century paved the way for victory with five balls to spare.

Sri Lanka started poorly with the bat, losing Pathum Nissanka (11), Kusal Perera (six) and Kusal Mendis (19) inside the first eight overs of the encounter. 

Mendis and Asalanka helped steady the ship, with their knocks helping the hosts to 179-7 from their 20 overs, aided by the brisk cameo from Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who struck 17 runs from 11 deliveries. 

The tourists wasted no time in chasing their target, with King and Lewis doing the early damage with their incredible 107-run partnership before the duo fell to Mendis (1-14) and Matheesha Pathirana (2-27).

Despite losing three wickets in quick succession, the pressure never mounted on the Windies, with handy contributions from Rovman Powell (13) and Roston Chase (19) helping them on their way ahead of the second match on Tuesday. 

Data Debrief: Lewis makes special return

After a 723-day hiatus from the West Indies side, Lewis made his much-anticipated return to international cricket with a sensational half-century. 

His knock included five fours and four sixes, ending the contest with a strike rate of 176.8, a total only bettered by his partner, King (190.9).

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. 

Sanju Samson's stunning maiden century set India on their way to a 133-run victory over Bangladesh on Saturday.

Bangladesh had no answers in the chase and fell short as India secured a clean sweep in their three-match T20I series with a comfortable win.

India could not have got off to a better start despite Abhishek Sharma's dismissal for four, as Samson stormed to his century, plundering 111 from just 47 balls.

Suryakumar Yadav (75), Riyan Parag (34) and Hardik Pandya (47) pushed them further towards their total, even as Tanzim Hasan Sakib (3-66) tried to slow them down.

The hosts finished on 297-6, and Bangladesh's hopes of a quick start in their own innings were cut short as Parvez Hossain Emon was caught on the first ball.

Ravi Bishnoi (3-30) and Mayank Yadav (2-32) impressed in the field for India, stunting Bangladesh from building any momentum even as Towhid Hridoy kept them ticking forward with his unbeaten 63.

However, Liton Das (42) was the only other player to score higher than 15 and the tourists slumped over the finish line knowing they would get nowhere near India's total.

Data Debrief: Quick off the mark

With his maiden century in men's T20Is, Samson became the seventh India batter to score a ton as an opener. In fact, his strike rate of 236.2 is second only to Rohit Sharma (274.4 v Sri Lanka) among India batters when scoring a ton in the format.

Samson brought up his century in just 40 deliveries, making him the fourth fastest to do so in men's T20Is among batters from full-member sides and the second fastest among India's batters after Rohit (35 balls v Sri Lanka in December 2017).

He hit 11 fours and eight sixes in his knock, leaving Bangladesh with a mountain to climb from the very beginning. 

Rinku Singh's explosive half-century and Nitish Kumar Reddy's maiden 50 helped India to an 83-run victory in their second match of their T20I series against Bangladesh. 

Singh reached 50 runs in just 26 deliveries before being bowled out by Taskin Ahmed, with India making light of the tourists' batting order to claim an unassailable advantage. 

India started poorly during the Powerplay, losing Sanju Samson (10), Abhishek Sharma (15) and Suryakumar Yadav (eight) inside the opening six overs. 

However, a 108-run stand from Reddy (74) and Singh (53) steadied the ship, before the former was bowled out by Mustafizur Rahman (2-36). 

Hardik Pandya's 32 runs helped India battle through the closing stages as they ended their innings 221-9, handing the tourists an uphill task to seal an unlikely victory. 

And Bangladesh replicated the hosts' poor start with the bat, with their run chase seeing Parvez Hossain Emon (16), Najmul Hossain Shanto (11) and Litton Das (14) fall early. 

Mahmudullah's knock of 41 proved in vain as the wickets continued to tumble around him, with Bangladesh ending 135-9 and hoping to avoid a series whitewash in the final match on Saturday. 

Data Debrief: Reddy takes centre stage

At the age of 21 years and 136 days, Reddy is the fourth-youngest player to hit a maiden T20I half-century for India.

Current Indian skipper for Tests and ODIs, Rohit Sharma, was the youngest to hit a maiden T20I 50 for India at the age of 20 years and 143 days against South Africa in 2007. 

In only his second T20I, Reddy scored a brilliant 74 in just 34 balls, with four boundaries and seven sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 217.65.

Arshdeep Singh's fine performance with the ball paved the way for India's convincing seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Sunday.

Fast bowler Arshdeep recorded eye-catching figures of 3-14 in Gwalior before India made light work of chasing their 127-run target in the three-match T20I series opener.

Both Bangladesh openers fell to Arshdeep without reaching double figures as Parvez Hossain Emon was removed for eight and Litton Das on four to leave the hosts struggling at 14-2.

Last batter Mustafizur Rahman proved to be Arshdeep's last victim to wrap up the underwhelming Bangladesh innings, while spinner Varun Chakravarthy also impressed with 3-31 from his four-over allocation.

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav all got starts before falling in India's response, though Nitish Kumar Reddy and Hardik Pandya had little trouble in lifting their side from 80-3 to victory.

Hardik did most of the damage in that game-clinching partnership, blasting an impressive 16-ball 39 that included five fours and two sixes to see India over the line with 49 deliveries to spare.

Data Debrief: Arshdeep leads the way

Arshdeep continues to set the tone for India against batters at the top order, with numerous batters struggling to cope with his dominant left-arm action.

Sunday marked the 11th time he has taken three or more wickets in this format, the most by any India bowler in T20I history.

Ireland captain Paul Stirling is "over the moon" after securing their first-ever T20I victory over South Africa, beating them by 10 runs.

Brilliant performances from brothers Ross and Mark Adair set them on course to the win, as they drew the two-match series 1-1.

Ross Adair scored his maiden international century, combining with Stirling for a superb opening partnership of 137, leading the team to 195-6, their highest T20I score against South Africa.

Mark Adair then followed up that performance with an impressive stand in the field, finishing with 4-31, before Graham Hume's 3-25 rounded off the triumph.

And Stirling was thrilled with how Ireland performed on both sides, particularly in the field.

"At halfway, we wanted an extra 15-20 runs," he said.

"They squeezed us, and we felt under-par. There was less dew [on Sunday] and we managed to get over the line.

"You need time at the crease to get the pace of the wicket. That is what won us the game.

"With new batters coming in, you always have a chance. We are absolutely delighted [with the win]. It could have gone either way. Over the moon [with the result] and hopefully we can bring it into the ODIs."

South Africa started brightly, with both Reeze Hendricks and Matthew Breetzke getting 51 after Ryan Rickelton's opening 36.

However, they soon collapsed after that, with none of the other eight batters able to reach double figures as they finished on 185-9.

Captain Aiden Markram admitted that fine margins cost them on Sunday, but he still found positives to take from the series.

"We thought it was chaseable for sure," he said. "Small moments in the game.

"It comes down to execution and if you can win those moments. When you lose wickets regularly…you want a 20-30-run partnership. They made it tough for us.

"Each guy will have a certain area to improve. We never really stop learning. Ultimately, making better decisions and winning games for South Africa."

The two sides now turn their attention to the three-match ODI series, which starts on Wednesday at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

South Africa eased to an eight-wicket triumph over Ireland in the first match of their T20I series, with Patrick Kruger and Ryan Rickelton starring for the Proteas. 

Kruger's four-wicket haul saw Ireland manage 171 from their overs, with Rickleton's knock of 76 from 48 deliveries giving his side a solid foundation to build on. 

The Proteas started strongly as Ross Adair (18), Paul Stirling (two) and Harry Tector (16) fell inside the first six overs through deliveries from Ottniel Baartman (1-36), Wiaan Mulder (1-15) and Bjorn Fortuin (1-28). 

Curtis Campher's 49 attempted to steady the ship for Ireland, only for Kruger (4-27) to rip through their middle order, giving his side a manageable target to reach. 

South Africa's opening partnership of Reeza Hendricks (51) and Rickelton set the early tone, with the Proteas going 136 runs without loss until Hendricks was dismissed by Craig Young (1-25). 

Rickelton's time at the crease came to an end in the following over, but Matthew Breetzke (19) and Aiden Markram (17) were able to guide South Africa home to take a 1-0 series lead ahead of the second T20I on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Rickelton rises to the occasion

Rickelton's knock of 76 was his maiden half-century for the Proteas in T20I's, notching nine boundaries (six sixes and three fours) during his 70-minute stint. 

The 28-year-old saw his time at the crease ended by Adair, but left the field at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium with an impressive strike rate of 158.33. 

Liam Livingstone plundered an impressive 87 from 47 balls to propel England to a three-wicket victory and level their three-match T20I series against Australia.

Australia had put themselves in a strong position to take the series in their 200th men's T20I, but had no answer for Livingstone during England's chase.

Travis Head and Matt Short opened with a 52-run partnership, but Adil Rashid bowled the former before catching out the latter to end their stand.

Jake Fraser-McGurk (50) and Josh Inglis (42) pushed the tourists forward, but Livingstone (2-16) and Brydon Carse (2-26), in for the rested Jofra Archer, soon stalled their progress.

Aaron Hardie's late burst of 20 gave Australia a strong tally of 193-6, and they started strongly with the ball, too.

Short (5-22) ended Phil Salt's stand at 39 before Will Jacks (12) and Jordan Cox (0) were both dismissed by Sean Abbott in a single over.

But Livingstone would prove a thorn in Australia's side once again as he hit his half-century off 27 balls before carrying England closer to their total.

There was a slightly nervy ending, as England, needing just one run off nine balls, lost Livingstone and Carse in two balls before Adil Rashid got them over the line.

Data Debrief: Livingstone hits landmark

England have taken it to the final T20I thanks to Livingstone's heroics, with the series all to play for at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Livingstone's 87 is the highest score for England in a successful chase when batting four or lower, and he did so on his fifth T20I appearance for England.

England's stand-in captain Phil Salt took plenty of positives from Wednesday's defeat to Australia, claiming "everything was good bar the result".

Travis Head's superb knock of 59 from just 23 balls, which included plundering 30 from a single over, set Australia on their way.

England fought back with the ball, though, and were ultimately set a target of 180.

But big hitters Salt (20), Sam Curran (18) and Liam Livingstone (37) all went in quick succession as England failed to get going and lost by 28 runs.

"Everything was good apart from the result," said Salt, who was standing in for the absent Jos Buttler.

"They played well. Heady came out swinging in the powerplay and gave them a head start.

"We were a couple of wickets too far down. Heady's done that for a couple of years, it's about how do we shut that down?

"[But] good signs. They played well, we dragged it back, we should have chased it realistically. At times we could have taken partnerships deeper. But we've had a good look at them now."

Australia have won back-to-back T20Is against England for the first time since February 2018, as the hosts failed to win a third straight T20I at The Rose Bowl.

"It was a nice start. Nice to get under way," said Head.

"To set a platform like that with the hitters we had behind us, it was nice to do the job."

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh added: "We certainly looked on course for 200 but did our best to stuff it up, so it's nice to start the series with a win."

Travis Head led the way for Australia, setting them on their way to a comfortable 28-run victory over England in their first of three T20Is on Wednesday.

England had salvaged some pride during Australia's late collapse, only to fumble their chance with the bat as they failed to reach their target of 180.

Australia got off to a flying start, with Head hitting 59 off 23 balls, including 30 off Sam Curran in a single over with three fours and three sixes.

Liam Livingstone helped to slow the tide with 3-22, including taking opener Matt Short (41), before the tourists collapsed, losing their last five wickets for 14 runs, with Jofra Archer taking two in two (2-31), to finish 179 all out.

The hosts just could not get going though, as Phil Salt was caught for 20 before Curran (18) and Livingstone (37) both departed in the space of four deliveries to stunt any England progress.

Jordan Cox (17), one of three debutants, had already been dismissed, thanks to Tim David's stunning catch at full stretch, before the lower order slumped to 151 in the final over. 

The second T20I takes place on Friday in Cardiff, where England will attempt to force a decider for the final contest on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Unhappy homecoming

Australia have won back-to-back T20Is against England for the first time since February 2018, but the hosts would have expected much better when they saw the target set for them.

Instead, they failed to win a third consecutive T20 match at The Rose Bowl, their longest outright losing streak at the venue in the history of the format.

England captain Jos Buttler will miss the three-match T20 series against Australia due to a calf problem.

Buttler has not played since the T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India on June 27, sustaining the injury in training for The Hundred, forcing him to sit out of the entire competition.

He was due to be back for England's T20I series but has suffered a setback, which also makes him a doubt for the five one-day internationals that follow.

Phil Salt will lead the side for the first time in Buttler's absence, with Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton called up to the squad as his replacement.

Should Buttler also miss the ODIs, which start on September 19, Harry Brook will be the stand-in captain, with Essex batter Jordan Cox added to the group as cover.

The T20I series is England's first white-ball assignment since the World Cup, with head coach Matthew Mott since leaving his role.

Marcus Trescothick will take charge of his first game on Wednesday as interim head coach, with Test coach Brendon McCullum set to take charge of the limited-overs sides in a combined role which will begin in January.

Scotland all-rounder Michael Leask is confident they can claim a historic series win over Australia in their three T20Is in Edinburgh.

Scotland have never beaten Australia in any format, though they came close to a stunning upset in the group stage of the T20 World Cup in June, eventually losing out by five wickets.

The Scots also looked set to upset at-the-time reigning champions England in the tournament, only to be denied the chance by torrential rain as the match was abandoned.

Given a rare opportunity to face one of cricket's powerhouses outside global events, Leask is keen to prove that Scotland have what it takes to go up against the big teams.

"It's lovely to have Australia on our home patch, especially for three games," Leask told BBC Scotland.

"It's an exciting opportunity for our guys, given what happened at the World Cup and how close we came.

"We've got a very exciting squad that’s ready for the challenge - it is going to be a challenge - they are some of the best in the world for a reason, but they are on our home patch.

"We're targeting a series win and that would be the icing on the cake of what has been a very good summer."

Meanwhile, despite being firm favourites to win the series, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh is not going to take anything for granted against Scotland.

Marsh is leading a new-look Australia side, with Matthew Wade and the now-retired David Warner unable to be called on.

Despite their strong record against Scotland, he believes they will be in for a tough test at The Grange.

"Scotland were well drilled [at the World Cup], certainly up for the challenge, and it was a great game of cricket," Marsh said. "I'm sure there will be more of that over the next few days.

"It's spoken about it a lot, but Scotland are a good cricket team, and they have improved a lot.

"The more cricket that teams like Scotland can play against the bigger nations, the better it is for the world game.

"It's our responsibility as players to keep growing the game, so I certainly hope they get more opportunities over the next period of time."

The first of the three T20Is will take place on Wednesday.

Jonny Bairstow must recapture his pre-injury form if he is to regain his place in the England white-ball set-up.

That is according to England's chief selector, Luke Wright, following the decision to leave Bairstow out of the squad to face Australia in a limited-overs series next month.

Bairstow has missed out on England's first white-ball series since the T20 World Cup, with fellow veteran campaigners Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali also left out.

But Wright says the door remains open for Bairstow, if the 34-year-old can play his way back into the form he showed before sustaining a broken leg while golfing in 2022.

"One of Jonny's great strengths is how much he wants to play," said Wright. "He's hugely disappointed.

"We just want him back to being one of the best players in the world. He had that horrific injury, and that’s been the message. Can we get you back to where you were pre-injury?

"He understands that. He doesn’t like it. One thing Jonny will do is fight back, and I hope he does and gets himself back in the team."

Wright is hoping the refreshing of England's squad in the wake of their T20 World Cup disappointment helps spur Jos Buttler's team on, with coach Matthew Mott having also left after that tournament.

"The one thing we don't lack in England is the amount of talent that's around," Wright said.

"More than anything, the character these young players show in taking the game on.

"What a great time to be in English cricket."

England's Test team, meanwhile, have made one alteration to the team that featured in the first match against Sri Lanka, ahead of the second contest of the series, with Olly Stone replacing the injured Mark Wood.

Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali have both been left out of England's white-ball series squad, with five uncapped players named.

As Jos Buttler looks to the future, Warwickshire batting all-rounders, Jacob Bethell and Dan Mousley, have been given their first international call-ups for the three-match T20 series against Australia next month.

Essex batter Jordan Cox, Hampshire seamer John Turner and Leicestershire left-arm bowler Josh Hull, who was named as Mark Wood's replacement in the Test squad to play Sri Lanka, have also been picked.

The latter three will also be involved for the five one-day internationals that follow.

World Cup winners Bairstow and Moeen, who have been regular fixtures in England's white-ball squad for over a decade, could have made their final international appearances after being left out of the squad, with Chris Jordan also being overlooked.

Brydon Carse, however, has been recalled for both squads after serving a betting ban, while Saqib Mahmood returns for the T20 series after recovering from injury. Buttler will also be fit to feature after overcoming a calf injury.

Marcus Trescothick will lead England for the first time against Australia after being named Matthew Mott's interim replacement.

Mott left in July following England's semi-final exit to eventual champions India in the T20 World Cup, having also failed to help England defend their 50-over world title in 2023. 

The first match of the T20 series will take place on September 11 at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton. 

England T20 squad to play Australia:

Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Mousley, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, John Turner.

England ODI squad: Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Reece Topley, John Turner.

Rovman Powell insists West Indies must not get too far ahead of themselves after what he saw as an "unacceptable" level of rustiness against South Africa.

The Windies won by seven wickets in Friday's T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

They have now won five of their last six T20Is against the Proteas, having bounced back from a three-wicket defeat at the T20 World Cup in June.

However, Powell was far from happy with what he saw, with South Africa posting a competitive 174-7 - Tristan Stubbs top-scoring with 76 and Patrick Kruger adding 44.

Powell said: "I think it's always good to go 1-0 up. We bowled well in the powerplay and though we let them off a bit, we were good with the bat.

"The guys look a bit rusty, which is unacceptable at this level.

"To be honest, a lot of talk is around the next T20 World Cup but we have to play one game at a time and see different players. We have to stay in the moment and the 2026 T20 World Cup is too far for us."

Shai Hope's 51 and Alick Athanaze's 40 got the Windies' chase off to a strong start, paving the way for Nicholas Pooran to take centre stage with an unbeaten 65, which included reeling off four straight sixes in one over.

"I just felt like Shai and Alick put South Africa under pressure in the powerplay," said Pooran, who was named Player of the Match.

"At the ten-over mark, we knew it was a better wicket and my job was simple and I just had to take on my match-ups.

"With rain around, the first ten overs were tricky when South Africa batted. Stubbs and Kruger played well, but we knew the wicket would get better."

Along with Stubbs' performance with the bat, one other bright spark for South Africa in their defeat was teenager Kwena Maphaka, who claimed his maiden international wicket.

"Maphaka has a lot of X-factor and is really young," said Proteas captain Aiden Markram. "He has hunger when you speak to him off the field and he wants to win games for South Africa."