Star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for December 2024. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday, recognizing Bumrah's outstanding performances during India's tour of Australia. Bumrah took an impressive 22 wickets in three Test matches, playing a crucial role in keeping India competitive.

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International games

Warm-up u/19 Match

• Cape Town (England Under-19s tour of South Africa)

• Western Province Under-19s (WP19): 243/6 in 50 overs

• England Under-19s (ENG19): No result

England Lions Tour of Australia

• England Lions (LIONS): 223 all out

• CA XI: 176/9 in 32 overs(CA XI trails by 47 runs)

Women's Ashes (2nd ODI)

• Australia Women (AUS-W): 180 all out in 50 overs

• England Women (ENG-W): 159 all out in 48.1 overs (Target: 181)

• Result: Australia Women won by 21 runs

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Squad update

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to commence on February 19, featuring eight top cricketing nations competing in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Here's an overview of the participating teams and their announced squads:

Group A:

1. India:

   • Squad Status: Yet to be announced.

2. Bangladesh:

   • Captain: Najmul Hossain Shanto

   • Key Players: Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

   • Notable Inclusion: Mahmudullah returns to bolster the middle order.

3. New Zealand:

   • Squad Status: Yet to be announced.

4. Pakistan:

   • Captain: Mohammad Rizwan

   • Key Players: Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq

   • Notable Inclusion: Youngster Sufyan Muqeem earns a spot after impressive domestic performances.

Group B:

1. Australia:

   • Captain: Pat Cummins (pending fitness)

   • Key Players: Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Marsh

   • Notable Changes: Jake Fraser-McGurk omitted due to form; Matt Short included as a potential opener.

2. England:

   • Squad Status: Yet to be announced.

3. South Africa:

   • Captain: Temba Bavuma

   • Key Players: Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen

   • Notable Return: Anrich Nortje back after recovering from a left toe injury.

4. Afghanistan:

   • Captain: To be confirmed

   • Key Players: Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran

   • Notable Addition: Ibrahim Zadran returns post ankle surgery; Mujeeb Ur Rehman misses out due to a hand injury.

Domestic cricket + T20 leagues

SA20

7th Match, Centurion

• Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC): 113 all out in 20 overs

• Pretoria Capitals (PC): 115/4 in 16 overs (Target: 114)

• Result: Capitals won by 6 wickets (with 24 balls remaining)

Big Bash League (BBL)

34th Match (N), Hobart

• Melbourne Renegades (MR): 154/7 in 20 overs

• Hobart Hurricanes (HH): 155/6 in 19.4 overs (Target: 155)

• Result: Hurricanes won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

Super Smash

14th Match (D/N), Wellington

• Otago: 164/7 in 20 overs

• Wellington: 149 all out in 18.4 overs (Target: 165)

• Result: Otago won by 15 runs

Yashasvi Jaiswal to turn out for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against J&K.

 Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, one of the few bright spots of India's recent tour of Australia, will play for Mumbai on January 23 in the first match of the second leg of the Ranji Trophy against Jammu & Kashmir.

"He has been asked to report for Mumbai practice from tomorrow. He is available for the match on January 23, and he will be picked for that game," a source in the Mumbai Cricket Association told TOI. Jaiswal scored 391 runs in five Tests at an average of 43.44 in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with one century and two half-centuries.

According to sources within the BCCI, Jaiswal has been "rested" from India's five-match T20 home series against England, which starts on January 22 in Kolkata. This decision ensures he remains fit and fresh for the upcoming ODI series against England and the subsequent Champions Trophy. The question still remains: Will he find a spot in the ODI starting XI?  

On This Day

2022

An extraordinary hundred by Rishabh Pant couldn't prevent a South Africa win in the deciding Test, in Cape Town. Eight batters in India's second innings made single-figure scores, but thanks to their wicketkeeper, who added discretion to his hit-out-or-get-out template, and a monastic 29 off 143 balls from the captain, Virat Kohli, they got to 198. The target of 212 didn't faze South Africa as much as some thought it might, given the unpredictable pitch: led by a superb 82 from Keegan Petersen, who also top-scored in the first innings with 72, they got there with room to spare. Kohli called an end to his Test captaincy after the 2-1 series defeat.

Coming tomorrow

SA 20,2025

• Paarl Royals vs MI Cape Town

BIG BASH LEAGUE

• Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers

SUPER SMASH 2024-25

• Auckland vs Central Districts

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE T20, 2025

• Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriorz

What else is happening

• Jemimah Rodrigues attains career-high ODI ranking, Smriti Mandhana holds on to the third spot: India's Jemimah Rodrigues entered the top 20 of the ICC ODI rankings for the first time in her career as he attained a career-high 19th spot in the women's 50-overs rankings for batters.

• Shafali focuses on 'playing the long innings' as she eyes an India comeback: Shafali Verma has been consistently scoring runs in domestic cricket as she aims to make a comeback to the national team after being dropped from India's white-ball squads last November. With a home ODI World Cup scheduled for later this year, Shafali mentioned that she has been focusing on developing her ability to play longer innings.

• Nortje, Ngidi return to South Africa's ODI squad for the Champions Trophy: Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi have been selected in South Africa's ODI squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy after missing the entire home international season with injuries.

Question for you

Who will face off in the finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25?

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