12th edition of the Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by England and Wales. Detailed time table of ICC World Cup 2019. Super Fast Score Update
Crash Course in Cricket: Understanding the Game and ScoringCricket, often called India's unofficial religion, can be confusing for newcomers. But worry not! This guide will break down the basics of the game and scoring, making you ready to join cricket conversations in no time.The Game: Teams, Equipment, and FieldTwo Teams: Cricket is a battle between two teams of 11 players each. Batsmen score runs, bowlers try to get them out, and the wicket-keeper catches and gathers throws behind the wickets.Essential Kit: The game revolves around the ball, the bat, and the wickets (three stumps with bails on top).The Field: Matches are played on a large oval field. The center has a rectangular pitch with a 22-yard length. At each end, there's a set of wickets.The Match: Innings, Overs, and DurationInnings Breakdown: A match is divided into innings, where each team bats for a set time or number of overs (balls bowled). One-day internationals have 50 overs per innings, Twenty20 has 20, while test matches last for days with a set number of overs bowled each day.Action on the Pitch: During an inning, two batsmen from the batting team are on the pitch, facing the bowler from the opposing team (bowling team). The rest of the bowling team fields around the pitch.Basic Rules and RegulationsFair Play in the Field: Fielding positions are restricted to ensure fairness. Only two fielders can be placed close to the batsmen in a specific area during the first 10 overs. This rule changes as the game progresses, allowing more fielders closer to the batsmen later on.Penalty Balls: There are three types of penalty balls that award runs to the batting team:No Ball: Occurs when the bowler bowls illegally, giving the batsman a free hit (cannot be dismissed except by run-out or stumping).Wide Ball: Awarded when the ball is too far outside the batsman's reach to be played comfortably.Dead Ball: Happens when the ball bounces twice or more before reaching the batsman. No runs are scored, but the bowler bowls again.Bye and Leg Bye Runs:Bye: Scored when the ball avoids the batsman's bat and body, but the batsmen still run.Leg Bye: Scored when the ball hits the batsman's body (while trying to play the ball) and the batsmen run.Scoring Runs and Winning the GameRuns: Batsmen score runs by hitting the ball and running between the wickets, or by hitting the ball to the boundary.Running: One run is scored for each complete run between the wickets.Boundaries: Four runs are awarded if the ball touches the ground before going over the boundary, and six runs for a ball going over the boundary without bouncing inside the field.Getting Batsmen Out (Wickets): The bowling team aims to dismiss batsmen (lose their wicket) to stop them from scoring. Common ways to get a batsman out include:Catch: A fielder catches the ball hit by the batsman within the boundary.Bowled: The ball bowled by the bowler hits the wicket.Leg Before Wicket (LBW): The ball hits the batsman's leg or body in line with the stumps.Stumped: The wicket-keeper removes the bails with the ball before the batsman gets his bat or body grounded behind the crease.Run Out: A batsman is caught out of his crease when the ball hits the wicket.Winning: The team with the most runs at the end wins the match.Now you have the basics! With this knowledge, you can confidently follow cricket matches and participate in conversations with your cricket-loving friends and colleagues. Remember, there are more intricacies to the game, but this guide equips you with the fundamentals to get started.Also Read: Best Example Of Nepotism Pakistan Star Azam Khan
Pakistan cricket team wicket-keeper batter Azam Khan was brutally roasted by fans after his disappointing show against England in the fourth T20I encounter.Pakistan cricket team wicket-keeper batter Azam Khan was brutally roasted by fans after his disappointing show against England in the fourth T20I encounter on Thursday. The 25-year-old was dismissed for a duck after facing just 5 deliveries and he even dropped couple of easy chances while fielding. Azam has been struggling to perform well in the past few matches and his poor run ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 has resulted in a lot of outrage from the fans. Azam is the son of former Pakistan captain Moin Khan and his selection for the World Cup was also heavily discussed by the supporters.Reigning champions England produced a fine all-round display as they beat Pakistan by seven wickets at The Oval on Thursday in their last competitive match before they begin the defence of their Twenty20 World Cup title.England restricted Pakistan to a modest 157 after winning the toss, with leg-spinner Adil Rashid, the player-of-the-match taking 2-27 from his maximum four overs.They then made a rapid start to their chase as Phil Salt (45) and skipper Jos Buttler (39) shared a blistering opening stand of 82 inside seven overs.Harry Brook ended the game with a six off paceman Haris Rauf, the pick of the Pakistan attack with 3-38, as England finished on 158-6 to win with more than three overs to spare.Victory gave England a 2-0 triumph in a four-match T20 series where games at Headingley and Cardiff were both washed out without a ball bowled."We have worked hard in training and there is a good feeling around the squad," Buttler told Sky Sports.Also Read: Everything you need to know about the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024
The ninth edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the USA and West Indies, with all key details being highlighted.Format:The ninth edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup will feature a record-breaking 20 teams. The tournament will be co-hosted by the USA and West Indies from June 1 to 29.In the first stage, the 20 teams are divided into four groups of five, with each team playing a minimum of four matches against their group members.The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super 8s stage, while the bottom three teams from each group will be eliminated.The eight advancing teams will then be split into two groups for the Super 8s phase. Each team will play three matches against their new group rivals to determine the semi-finalists.The semi-finals will feature the top two teams from each Super 8s group, and the winners will move on to the final in Barbados on June 29.Venues:Three venues in the USA and six in the Caribbean will host the tournament, including 16 contests in Lauderhill, Dallas, and New York, as well as the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match in the new Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island on 9 June.41 games are scheduled to take place in the Caribbean, spanning six islands, featuring semi-finals in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, and concluding with the title match in Barbados on June 29th.Groups:Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Ireland, CanadaGroup B: England, Australia, Namibia, Scotland, OmanGroup C: West Indies, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New GuineaGroup D: South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Squads:Most teams have announced initial squads for the T20 World Cup, with the option to modify their 15-player squads as much as they wish until 25 May.Approval from the ICC's Event Technical Committee will be needed for any changes made after that date.Fixtures:Sat, 1 June 2024 - USA v CANADA, Dallas, 07:30 PM LOCALSun, 2 June 2024 - WEST INDIES v PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Guyana, 10:30 AM LOCALSun, 2 June 2024 - NAMIBIA v OMAN, Barbados, 08:30 PM LOCALMon, 3 June 2024 - SL v SOUTH AFRICA, New York, 09:30 AM LOCALMon, 3 June 2024 - AFGHANISTAN v UGANDA, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCALTue, 4 June 2024 - ENGLAND v SCOTLAND, Barbados, 10:30 AM LOCALTue, 4 June 2024 - NETHERLANDS v NEPAL, Dallas, 10:30 AM LOCALWed, 5 June 2024 - INDIA v IRELAND, New York, 09:30 AM LOCALWed, 5 June 2024 - PAPUA NEW GUINEA v UGANDA, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCALWed, 5 June 2024 - AUSTRALIA v OMAN, Barbados, 08:30 PM LOCALThur, 6 June 2024 - USA v PAKISTAN, Dallas, 10:30 AM LOCALThur, 6 June 2024 - NAMIBIA v SCOTLAND, Barbados, 03:00 PM LOCALFri, 7 June 2024 - CANADA v IRELAND, New York, 09:30 AM LOCALFri, 7 June 2024 - NEW ZEALAND v AFGHANISTAN, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCALFri, 7 June 2024 - SRI LANKA v BANGLADESH, Dallas, 07:30 PM LOCALSat, 8 June 2024 - NETHERLANDS v SOUTH AFRICA, New York, 09:30 AM LOCALSat, 8 June 2024 - AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Barbados, 01:00 PM LOCALSat, 8 June 2024 - WEST INDIES v UGANDA, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCALSun, 9 June 2024 - INDIA v PAKISTAN, New York, 09:30 AM LOCALSun, 9 June 2024 - OMAN v SCOTLAND, Antigua, 01:00 PM LOCALMon, 10 June 2024 - SOUTH AFRICA v BANGLADESH, New York, 09:30 AM LOCALTue, 11 June 2024 - PAKISTAN v CANADA, New York, 09:30 AM LOCALTue, 11 June 2024 - SRI LANKA v NEPAL, Florida, 07:30 PM LOCALTue, 11 June 2024 - AUSTRALIA v NAMIBIA, Antigua, 08:30 PM LOCALWed, 12 June 2024 - USA v INDIA, New York, 09:30 AM LOCALWed, 12 June 2024 - WEST INDIES v NEW ZEALAND, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCALThur, 13 June 2024 - ENGLAND v OMAN, Antigua, 03:00 PM LOCALThur, 13 June 2024 - BANGLADESH v NETHERLANDS, St. Vincent, 10:30 AM LOCALThur, 13 June 2024 - AFGHANISTAN v PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCALFri, 14 June 2024 - USA v IRELAND, Florida, 10:30 AM LOCALFri, 14 June 2024 - SOUTH AFRICA v NEPAL, St. Vincent, 07:30 PM LOCALFri, 14 June 2024 - NEW ZEALAND v UGANDA, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCALSat, 15 June 2024 - INDIA v CANADA, Florida, 10:30 AM LOCALSat, 15 June 2024 - NAMIBIA v ENGLAND, Antigua, 01:00 PM LOCALSat, 15 June 2024 - AUSTRALIA v SCOTLAND, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCALSun, 16 June 2024 - PAKISTAN v IRELAND, Florida, 10:30 AM LOCALSun, 16 June 2024 - BANGLADESH v NEPAL, St. Vincent, 07:30 PM LOCALSun, 16 June 2024 - SRI LANKA v NETHERLANDS, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCALMon, 17 June 2024 - NEW ZEALAND v PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Trinidad, 10:30 AM LOCALMon, 17 June 2024 - WEST INDIES v AFGHANISTAN, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCALWed, 19 June 2024 - A2 v D1, Antigua, 10:30 AM LOCALWed, 19 June 2024 - B1 v C2, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCALThur, 20 June 2024 - C1 v A1, Barbados, 10:30 AM LOCALThur, 20 June 2024 - B2 v D2, Antigua, 08:30 PM LOCALFri, 21 June 2024 - B1 v D1, St. Lucia, 10:30 AM LOCALFri, 21 June 2024 - A2 v C2, Barbados, 08:30 PM LOCALSat, 22 June 2024 - A1 v D2, Antigua, 10:30 AM LOCALSat, 22 June 2024 - C1 v B2, St. Vincent, 08:30 PM LOCALSun, 23 June 2024 - A2 v B1, Barbados, 10:30 AM LOCALSun, 23 June 2024 - C2 v D1, Antigua, 08:30 PM LOCALMon, 24 June 2024 - B2 v A1, St. Lucia, 10:30 AM LOCALMon, 24 June 2024 - C1 v D2, St. Vincent, 08:30 PM LOCALWed, 26 June 2024 - Semi 1, Trinidad and Tobago (reserve day 27 June), 10:30 AM LOCALThur, 27 June 2024 - Semi 2, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCALSat, 29 June 2024 - Final, Barbados, 10:00 AM LOCALSpecific conditions for T20 World CupIf a game ends in a draw, a Super Over will be held, and if the Super Over also ends in a draw, additional Super Overs will be played until a winner is determined.Extra time is also provided to guarantee that all knockout matches are finished during the semi-final and final rounds of the competition.A combined total of 250 minutes of extra time is allocated for the two semi-finals, with the first semi-final set to have 60 minutes at the end of play on June 26 and an additional 190 minutes on June 27.On June 27, the second semi-final has an extra 250 minutes allocated for the scheduled day, and the final on June 29 has a backup day scheduled for June 30.Prizemoney:The prizemoney for the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup is still yet to be finalised.Warm-up fixtures:A total of 17 teams will participate in warm-up fixtures between May 27 and June 1, with South Africa scheduled to play an intra-club match between their own squad in Florida on May 29.These warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not have T20I status, allowing teams to field all members of their 15-player squad.Monday 27 MayCanada v Nepal, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30Oman v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00Namibia v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00Tuesday 28 MaySri Lanka v Netherlands, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30Bangladesh v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30Australia v Namibia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00Wednesday 29 MaySouth Africa intra-squad, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30Afghanistan v Oman, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 13h00Thursday 30 MayNepal v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30Scotland v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30Netherlands v Canada, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 15h00Namibia v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00West Indies v Australia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00Friday 31 MayIreland v Sri Lanka, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30Scotland v Afghanistan, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30Saturday 1 JuneBangladesh v India, Venue TBC USAAlso Read: Warm-up fixtures announced for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match fixtures have been announced, scheduled from Monday, 27 May to Saturday, 1 June across the USA and Trinidad and Tobago.The venues hosting the 16 warm-up matches ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 include Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Texas, Broward County Stadium in Florida, Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.A total of 17 teams play the warm-up games, including South Africa, who are playing an intra-squad on the 29th in Florida.These warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not have international T20 status, allowing teams to field all members of their 15-player squad.In a departure from the previous cycle, teams can now choose to play up to two warm-up matches, depending on their arrival time at the event.The match between the West Indies and Australia at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday, May 30 will be open to fans. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.t20worldcup.com or at box offices located at the National Cricket Centre and Queen’s Park Oval from May 16 onwards.ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 Warm-up FixturesMonday 27 MayCanada v Nepal, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30Oman v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00Namibia v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00Tuesday 28 MaySri Lanka v Netherlands, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30Bangladesh v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30Australia v Namibia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00Wednesday 29 MaySouth Africa intra-squad, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30Afghanistan v Oman, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 13h00Thursday 30 MayNepal v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30Scotland v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30Netherlands v Canada, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 15h00Namibia v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00West Indies v Australia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00Friday 31 MayIreland v Sri Lanka, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30Scotland v Afghanistan, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30Saturday 1 JuneBangladesh v India, Venue TBC USAAlso Read: T20 World Cup Broadcasters Announce Special Feed For Hearing And Visually Impaired Fans
Hearing and visually-impaired cricket fans can look forward to an Indian Sign Language (ISL) and audio descriptive feed during next month's T20 World Cup in the Americas with official broadcasters Disney Hotstar and Star Sports Network announcing special telecast arrangements. This will be applicable for 10 matches including all the India games, semi-finals and finals. The broadcaster said that this is the first time that the T20 World Cup will be telecast with sign language and descriptive commentary making "cricket more immersive for its deaf, hard-of-hearing and visually-impaired users."Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur, welcomed the move."The Government of India is committed to creating an inclusive society and I strongly believe that this initiative will enhance the viewing experience for millions of differently-abled sports enthusiasts," he said in a press release.With this, Disney Hotstar also becomes the first OTT platform to make ISL available for live cricket.Sajith Sivanandan, Head, Disney Hotstar India, said, "This underscores our commitment to promote inclusivity and serve all users. With these enhancements, we aim to ensure that the excitement of cricket knows no bounds." Sanjog Gupta, Head of Disney Star (Sports), said the innovation has got good response in the ongoing IPL."Our mission of serving sports fans is powered by such pioneering initiatives which seek to remove barriers of access and engagement for fans from all walks of life. The initiative also serves to present a more inclusive picture of India's favourite sport and is of immense pride for the sporting fraternity," he said.The ISL feed will provide a ball-by-ball update through the presence of a translator on the live stream. The audio descriptive feed will be complemented by voice-over technology for specific pages, which can render text and images into a speech output.Alok Kejriwal, Founder and CEO, India Signing Hands, a non-profit organisation that advocates for equal opportunities for the deaf, described it as an excellent move."I am confident that it will open doors to the exciting world of cricket to many more people from the Deaf and Visually Impaired communities," he said.According to the World Health Organization, there is an estimated 6.3 crore community of deaf and four crore visually impaired individuals in India.Also Read: BCCI sounds out CSK head coach Stephen Fleming to succeed Rahul Dravid
Suryakumar Yadav will be leading the Indian cricket team in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.Suryakumar Yadav will be leading the Indian cricket team in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa with Rohit Sharma opting out and Hardik Pandya missing from action due to injury. Suryakumar was also the captain of the side that won the recently-concluded T20I series against Australia. As a result, there have been discussions regarding the explosive batter being one of the captaincy options for India for the T20 World Cup 2024. However, former India opener Aakash Chopra did not agree with the conversation and said that he believes that Suryakumar does not feature in the list of possible captains."I am just looking ahead. Suryakumar Yadav is currently the Indian team's captain in T20Is, but is he in your list of captains? He is probably the third captaincy choice even for the Mumbai Indians currently. Things have changed. He was the second choice until last year," he said on Jio Cinema.Chopra further pointed out that with the arrival of Hardik at Mumbai Indians, Suryakumar is now the third-choice for captaincy behind the all-rounder and Rohit."He might have become the third choice of his franchise. He will be the Indian captain in South Africa for sure, will captain whenever Rohit doesn't play and might be the captain against Afghanistan, but World Cup 2024, I don't see Surya as a captain," he added.The ex-India cricketer did praise Suryakumar for his captaincy in the series against Australia and specifically mentioned the way that he managed his bowlers in the absence of a genuine sixth bowling option.The ex-India cricketer did praise Suryakumar for his captaincy in the series against Australia and specifically mentioned the way that he managed his bowlers in the absence of a genuine sixth bowling option. Also Read: From the Pitch to the Stratosphere: Top 10 Longest Cricket Sixes
World Cup 2023: India have not beaten New Zealand in a knockout game in any ICC event. Rohit Sharma's men face a stiff test against the BlackCaps when the two sides meet in the first semi-finals on Wednesday in Mumbai.In ShortIndia have lost 9 matches out of 14 games to New Zealand in ICC white-ball eventsIndia have not beaten New Zealand in an ICC knockout match so farIndia will head into the semi-finals of the World Cup as firm favouritesIndia appears unbeatable in the home World Cup. Despite facing criticism leading up to the marquee event, the team has responded like champions, securing victories in all nine matches during the league stage. There's a strong possibility that India could emulate Australia's success in 2003 and 2007 by finishing the World Cup campaign undefeated.Everything seems to be clicking at the right time for India. Rohit Sharma has led from the front in a sensational campaign as captain, and more importantly, as a ruthless opening batter. Virat Kohli has piled up the runs, scoring 594 in 9 matches. The middle-order, unlike 2019, is looking strong with Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul among the runs. The absence of Hardik Pandya has not induced panic; instead, it has brought more clarity to the team regarding player roles. They have opted for a strategy of playing with five frontline bowlers, incorporating all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. India's bowling unit has performed exceptionally well, with Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj causing havoc for the opposition teams. The spin duo of Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav has further showcased their mastery in the art of spin bowling.However, India have to start afresh on Wednesday when they face New Zealand in the semi-finals at the Wankhede Stadium. Yes, Rohit Sharma's men have the advantage of playing in front of a packed crowd, but history doesn't favor the Men In Blue.India and New Zealand have played each other 13 times in ICC events in white-ball cricket, but they have managed just 4 victories. Yes, India defeated New Zealand in Dharamsala a couple of weeks ago but it was the BlackCaps that gave India their toughest test in their dominant run in the league stage.Not many would have forgotten the 2019 World Cup semi-finals. India headed into the semi-finals in Manchester after having topped the league stage. And New Zealand, much like 2023, sneaked through to the semi-finals at the 4th spot. However, Kane Williamson and his men battled past a Virat Kohli-led side into the final.New Zealand did not do anything extraordinary. Like always, they did the basics right. Reading the pitch wonderfully well, New Zealand posted 239 on the board after winning the toss and opted to bat. Despite the game slipping into the Reserve Day due to rain, New Zealand kept their nerves under check and perfectly executed their bowling plans against India.India's top-order was blown away as Matt Henry and Trent Boult ran riot in overcast conditions. India slipped to 5 for 3 after losing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul for 1 each. Ravindra Jadeja battled hard with 77 and MS Dhoni nearly pulled it off with a 50 but the former captain's heartbreaking run-out sealed the deal - an 18-run win for New Zealand.In the other knockout match that India and New Zealand have played in an ICC tournament (white-ball), New Zealand successfully chased 265 against a Sourav Ganguly-led side in Nairobi.New Zealand, led by Stephen Fleming, won the toss and opted to field. India rode on a 117 from Sourav Ganguly and 69 from sachin Tendulkar to post 264. The total could have been much more but India collapsed from 202 for 1, losing their last 5 wickets for just 62 runs.India's bowling attack, led by Venkatesh Prasad, got the early wickets but a sensational 102 not out from all-rounder Chris Cairns helped New Zealand win the ICC Knockout trophy.IND vs NZ in ICC WHITE-BALL TOURNAMENTS1975 World Cup: India lost by 4 wickets in Manchester1979 World Cup: India lost by 8 wickets in Leeds1987 World Cup: India won by 16 runs in Bengaluru1987 World Cup: India won by 9 wickets in Nagpur1992 World Cup: India lost by 4 wickets in Dunedin1999 World Cup: India lost by 5 wickets in Nottingham2000 Champions Trophy: India lost by 4 wickets in Nairobi (Final)2003 World Cup: India won by 7 wickets in Centurion2007 T20 World Cup: India lost by 10 runs n Johannesburg2016 T20 World Cup: India lost by 47 runs in Nagpur2019 World Cup: No result2019 World Cup: Lost by 18 runs in Manchester (semi-final)2021 T20 World Cup: Lost by 8 wickets in Dubai2023 World Cup: Won by 4 wickets in DharamsalaIndia will certainly head into the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup as favourites but count New Zealand out at your own peril. The BlackCaps have not had a dominant run in the World Cup as they lost 4 matches on the trot before beating Sri Lanka in a must-win game to qualify for the semi-finals. However, they will be prepared to hand India another tough challenge. Also Read: Top 10 longest crickter six
Brendon McCullum, Adam Gilchrist and Ben Stokes are the only three batters to smash 100 or more sixes in Test cricket.England all-rounder and Test captain Ben Stokes has hit the most sixes in Tests. He recently overtook Brendon McCullum to take top spot for most sixes in Tests.Stokes, who is captaining England in Tests, is likely to extend his lead for sixes in Test cricket with a lot of red-ball cricket ahead of him.Stokes, in fact, went past McCullum's record with the New Zealander as the coach of the English Test team. England's aggressive style of Test cricket means that Stoke is likely to finish his career with a sizeable lead as far as sixes in Tests go.Meanwhile, after making his Test debut against South Africa in 2004, Brendon McCullum smashed 107 sixes in the 101 Tests that he played. Considered to be one of the most destructive batters in modern cricket history, the former New Zealand captain amassed 6,453 runs in 101 matches at an average of 38.64. His strike rate in Tests was a healthy 64.6.Interestingly, McCullum holds the record for the fastest Test century, having reached the milestone off just 54 balls against arch-rivals Australia in Christchurch in 2016. He was eventually dismissed for 145 off just 79 balls, which included 21 fours and six sixes. McCullum features fourth on the list of most sixes in international cricket, having smashed 398 sixes in 474 matches. Only West Indies’ Chris Gayle (553), Shahid Afridi of Pakistan (476) and India’s Rohit Sharma (464) have hit more sixes in international cricket.Former Australian wicket-keeper batter Adam Gilchrist has also hit 100 sixes in Tests. While Gilchrist clobbered 100 sixes in 96 Tests, Stokes has smashed the same number of sixes in just 82 Tests.Chris Gayle and former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis complete the top five list of most sixes in Tests. Gayle hit 98 sixes in the 103 Test matches that he played while Kallis smashed 97 sixes in 166 Tests.Virender Sehwag has hit the most sixes in Test match cricket for an Indian. The former opening batter hit 91 sixes in 104 Tests and features sixth on the list of most sixes in Tests. Sehwag managed 243 sixes in 374 matches in international cricket.Meanwhile, MS Dhoni features second on the list of most sixes by Indians in Tests. The former India captain smashed 78 sixes in the 90 Tests that he played between 2005 and 2014.Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is third on the list of most sixes by Indians in Tests. Having made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1989, Tendulkar hit 69 sixes in 200 Tests. The India cricket legend ended his illustrious career with 264 sixes in 664 matches.Rohit Sharma and Kapil Dev complete the top five list of most sixes by Indians in Tests. While Rohit has smashed 66 sixes in just 46 Test matches, Kapil Dev hit 61 sixes in 131 Tests. Most sixes in TestsPlayerMatchesRunsAverage SR6sBen Stokes (ENG)92571235.9258.83109Brendon McCullum (NZ)101645338.6464.60107Adam Gilchrist (AUS)96557047.6081.95100Chris Gayle (WI)103721442.1860.2698Jacques Kallis (SA)1661328955.3745.9797Virender Sehwag (IND)104858649.3482.2391Most sixes by Indians in TestsPlayerMatchesRunsAverage SR6sVirender Sehwag 104858649.3482.2391MS Dhoni90487638.0959.1178Sachin Tendulkar2001592153.7854.0469Rohit Sharma47332046.7656.0268Kapil Dev131524831.0579.3361Also Read: Rohit Sharma can be relieved as captain from T20s
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