SA20 2025: Can Anyone Prevent a Sunrisers Eastern Cape Hat-Trick?

The third edition of the SA20, South Africa's premier T20 cricket league, is set to begin on January 9, 2025, featuring a total of 34 matches until February 8, 2025.

^{Opening Fixture}

^{The first match will see defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape face off against MI Cape Town at St George's Park in Gqeberha.}

^{Match Schedule}

• ^{Date: January 9, 2025}

• ^{Time: 5:30 PM SAST / 3:30 PM GMT / 9:00 PM IST}

• ^{Venue: St George's Park, Gqeberha}

^{Broadcast and Streaming}

^{In India, matches will be broadcast live on Star Sports 2 and Sports18 2 channels, with live streaming available on Disney+ Hotstar.}

International games

No International games today.

Australia Names Squad for Sri Lanka Tests; Cummins' Champions Trophy Participation in Doubt

Australia has announced a 16-player squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to commence on January 29 in Galle. In the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins, who is on paternity leave and managing an ankle injury, Steve Smith has been appointed as the stand-in captain.

The squad features a mixture of experience and fresh talent, with notable inclusions being uncapped all-rounder Cooper Connolly and the recall of batter Nathan McSweeney. Selectors have also included spin options such as Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann, anticipating spin-friendly conditions in Sri Lanka.

Notably absent from the squad are players Glenn Maxwell who said earlier he still like to give test cricket another go and Mitchell Marsh. Maxwell's exclusion may signal the end of his aspirations to revive his Test career, while Marsh's recent form has been under scrutiny.

Pat Cummins' ankle issue, which he managed during the recent Test series against India, has cast doubt over his availability for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy. He is scheduled to undergo scans to assess the severity of the injury. Chairman of selectors George Bailey has refrained from confirming Cummins' participation in the highly anticipated event, stating, "We'll know more once the scans are completed."

The Australian squad for the Sri Lanka series is as follows:

• Steve Smith (captain)

• Sean Abbott

• Scott Boland

• Alex Carey

• Cooper Connolly

• Travis Head

• Josh Inglis

• Usman Khawaja

• Matthew Kuhnemann

• Nathan Lyon

• Nathan McSweeney

• Todd Murphy

• Lance Morris

• Mitchell Starc

• Beau Webster

• David Warner

The series serves as a preparatory platform for Australia ahead of the World Test Championship final against South Africa, slated for June. 

Domestic cricket + T20 leagues

• VIJAY HAZARE TROPHY 2024-2025

Another close encounter, Rajasthan emerged victorious with 19 runs. Courtesy of a Century by Abhijeet Tomar and a half century by Captain Mahipal Lomror. Tamil Nadu fought back but fell short by 19 runs despite crucial efforts by N Jagadesan and Vijay Shankar.

Haryana set up a total of 298 in their 50 overs with runs coming from their middle order, Parth vats and Nishant Sindhu were the top scorers with 62 and 64 runs respectively. Bengal were unable to chase the total down despite a 3 wicket haul from Mohammad Shami.

• BANGLADESH PREMIER LEAGUE 2024-25

  

Fortune Barishal set a good total of 197 in 20 overs with both the openers Tamim and Shanto setting up the temp for the team. The game went down the wire as it was a last ball finish,All credit to the last over heroics of Nurul Hasan who scored 30 runs in the last over to seal the match for his team.

• BIG BASH LEAGUE

The Stars, needing a win, posted 156 with Maxwell's 58 off 32 leading the charge. Despite Vince’s fifty, the Stars' bowlers executed their plans superbly, with Mir stifling runs and Stoinis striking in the power surge. Overcoming dropped catches, the Stars secured their third consecutive win, climbing the points table and building crucial momentum.

Michael Clarke Advocates for Virat Kohli's Continued Role in Indian Test Cricket

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has expressed strong support for Virat Kohli, emphasizing the Indian batsman's enduring value to the national Test team despite recent performance challenges.

In a recent episode of the Beyond23 Cricket podcast, Clarke addressed discussions surrounding Kohli's form during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where Kohli accumulated 190 runs over five matches, including a century in Perth. Clarke acknowledged that while Kohli may not have met personal expectations, his exceptional talent remains indisputable.

"It's Virat Kohli! This guy can make a double hundred tomorrow. He's that good a player," Clarke remarked. He further asserted that any decision for Kohli to retire from Test cricket at this juncture would be detrimental primarily to the Indian team, stating, "If he retires from Test cricket right now, there's only one team losing out, it's India."

Clarke also addressed comparisons between Kohli and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, particularly regarding their approaches to handling off-stump deliveries. He emphasised that while Tendulkar's strategy of abstaining from cover drives during a double century at the Sydney Cricket Ground was effective for him, Kohli's aggressive playing style is different and should be handled differently. "Sachin was a different player... Kohli’s biggest strength is bat on ball. He has a different playing style," Clarke noted.

Highlighting Kohli's potential for impactful performances, Clarke urged team management to continue backing the seasoned batsman. He stated, "If I was captain of any team that Virat Kohli was in... I'm fighting for him to stay in my team."

For a more in-depth discussion, you can watch Michael Clarke's interview below:EXCLUSIVE:"I believe Virat still has a lot of cricket and plenty of runs left in him"–Michael Clarke

On this day

The perils of captaincy

The first player to captain a Test team to seven consecutive defeats

1968

A top batter turned unsuccessful captain was born. Jimmy Adams' Test career started with a century against England, two in India, and an unbeaten double-ton against New Zealand. But you can chart West Indies' decline by following his batting average: 81.07 after 12 Tests and 41.26 after 54. Given the captaincy when Brian Lara resigned it, Adams led West Indies to two rather streaky series wins but then captained them to their first series defeat against England since 1969, and went on to lead the Test team to losses in seven consecutive Tests, culminating in the 0-5 whitewash down under that cost him his job (as a batter too). Adams coached Kent in the 2010s and later served for six years as director of cricket at Cricket West Indies..

Coming tomorrow

What else is happening

• Pakistan stadiums are incomplete, and preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025 are in jeopardy; PCB dismisses concerns.

• Mohammed Shami showcases fitness ahead of Champions Trophy squad announcement with Vijay Hazare Trophy masterclass, finishing as the highest wicket taker for bengal.

• Steve Smith to lead Australia in Sri Lanka.

Question for you

Who do you think should be picked as the wicket-keeper for Champions trophy, Rahul or Pant or someone else?

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