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The season will start with three Tests against England which had been confirmed earlier in the year

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2024Tours by Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia have been confirmed for New Zealand’s 2024-25 home season alongside the previously announced three-Test series against England with the latter stages of the men’s schedule featuring Pakistan likely to overlap with the IPL.In total, the men’s side will play six ODIs and eight T20Is during the season while the women will feature in six ODIs and six T20Is. The Tests against England are the only ones in New Zealand’s summer and will bring to an end a run of nine between September and December with away fixtures against Afghanistan (one), Sri Lanka (two) and India (three). In the 2025-26 season New Zealand are only scheduled to play two home Tests against West Indies.Following the England series, New Zealand’s men will face Sri Lanka in T20Is and ODIs from late December to mid-January before heading to Pakistan for an ODI tri-series that acts as a warm-up to the Champions Trophy which is slated to begin on February 19.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

After that tournament they will host Pakistan for five T20Is and three ODIs during the latter stages of the season in late March and early April, matches which will likely overlap with the IPL.New Zealand’s women will host Australia for three ODIs, all to be played at the Basin Reserve, shortly before Christmas with their Trans-Tasman neighbours returning for three T20Is in late March. Sri Lanka’s women will follow the men in visiting for a six-match tour during March.Five of the women’s T20Is (the last two against Sri Lanka and the three against Australia) will be played as double-headers with the men’s T20I series against Pakistan.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

New Zealand’s 2024-25 home season fixtures

England MenNovember 28-December 2: 1st Test, Christchurch
December 6-December 10: 2nd Test, Wellington
December 14-December 18: 3rd Test, HamiltonAustralia WomenDecember 19: 1st ODI, Wellington (Basin Reserve)
December 21: 2nd ODI, Wellington (Basin Reserve)
December 23: 3rd ODI, Wellington (Basin Reserve)
March 21: 1st T20I, Auckland
March 23: 2nd T20I, Tauranga
March 26: 3rd T20I, Wellington (Sky Stadium)Sri Lanka MenDecember 28: 1st T20I, Tauranga
December 30: 2nd T20I, Tauranga
January 2: 3rd T20I, Nelson
January 5: 1st ODI, Wellington (Basin Reserve)
January 8: 2nd ODI, Hamilton
January 11: 3rd ODI, AucklandSri Lanka WomenMarch 4: 1st ODI, Napier
March 7: 2nd ODI, Nelson
March 9: 3rd ODI, Nelson
March 14: 1st T20I, Christchurch
March 16: 2nd T20I, Christchurch
March 18: 3rd T20I, DunedinPakistan MenMarch 16: 1st T20I, Christchurch
March 18: 2nd T20I, Dunedin
March 21: 3rd T20I, Auckland
March 23: 4th T20I, Tauranga
March 26: 5th T20I, Wellington (Sky Stadium)
March 29: 1st ODI, Napier
April 2: 2nd ODI, Hamilton
April 5: 3rd ODI, Tauranga

Both teams have scored the fewest runs so far, and are rooted at the bottom of the table, separated only by NRR

Abhimanyu Bose28-Apr-20235:11

Tait: Ishant still has something to prove in the IPL

Big Picture

Delhi Capitals will host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, five days after their scrappy encounter in Hyderabad. There is a lot in common between the two teams. Both are struggling at the wrong end of the table at the start of the second half of the league stage, separated only by net run rate. These are two teams that are trying desperately to breathe some life into their misfiring batting lineups.Capitals and Sunrisers have scored the least runs in the league stage this year, and that has been at the heart of their problems.In their last meeting, Capitals scrambled to 144 after Washington Sundar ran through them with a three-wicket over. But despite Mayank Agarwal laying down a solid platform, Sunrisers were suffocated by Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav and their ploy to take the chase deep did not play out.Related

• Harry Brook's struggle to prove he belongs in the IPL

• Hamstring injury rules Washington Sundar out of IPL 2023

Capitals, after losing their first five games, have won their last two and will be buoyed by Mitchell Marsh finding some rhythm at the top, with an aggressive 15-ball 25 in the last match. But they still need to find a fix for the second opening spot.After a string of low scores, Prithvi Shaw was dropped against Sunrisers, but Phil Salt, his replacement at the top of the order, edged behind off the first ball he faced. But opening is a more natural role for Salt, who was tried in the middle order against Kolkata Knight Riders, and Capitals will hope that given a string of games, he fires at the top.Sunrisers have struggled to find an opening combination as well. They started the season with Mayank and Abhishek Sharma at the top, before sending Harry Brook up to open after he struggled to find his groove in the middle order. Apart from his century against Knight Riders, Brook has failed to fire. And to accommodate Brook at the top, Sunrisers have juggled Mayank and Abhishek up and down the order, and are yet to settle into a solution.

Recent results

Delhi Capitals: WWLLL (Last five matches, most recent first)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: LLLWW

Team news – SRH lose Washington Sundar for the season

Allrounder Washington, who put on his best performance of the season against Capitals, has since been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.

Toss and impact player strategy

Mukesh Kumar bowled an excellent final over to help Delhi Capitals win their last game•Associated Press

Delhi CapitalsDelhi Capitals are likely to stick to the same team that won against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last game, with Sarfaraz Khan starting if they bat first and being replaced by Mukesh Yadav and vice versa if they bowl first. If they bowl first, Ishant Sharma could also be the player going off for Sarfaraz.Probable XII: David Warner (capt), Phil Salt (wk), Mitchell Marsh, , Manish Pandey, Aman Khan, Axar Patel, Ripal Patel, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Sunrisers HyderabadWith Washington out injured, Sunrisers may replace him with an out-an-out batter in Abdul Samad or untested allrounder Vivrant Sharma. If they bat first, T Natarajan could be the player to make way for Rahul Tripathi, as he did in the last game.Probable XII: Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, , Aiden Markram (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad/Vivrant Sharma, Marco Jansen, Mayank Markande, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik,

Stats that matter

• Capitals have won their last four matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but in Delhi, Sunrisers have won four of the last five games between the two teams
• Capitals (17) and Sunrisers (29) are at the bottom of the list of sixes hit in IPL 2023
• David Warner’s strike rate of 71 against Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the lowest among all bowlers he has faced at least 40 deliveries against in T20s

The big question

Melbourne Renegades crash out of the race, must now win their final match to stand a chance of avoiding the wooden spoon

Tristan Lavalette18-Jan-2022Smart bowling from Hobart Hurricanes helped them clinch the final BBL playoff spot after a thrilling six-run victory over Melbourne Renegades. The result knocked Stars from the playoff race ahead of their clash with Sydney Thunder on Wednesday.Hurricanes had looked in grave danger of failing to defend their 182 at Marvel Stadium with an Aaron Finch-led Renegades cruising at 2 for 161 in the 18th over. But Hurricanes found inspiration with seamer Tom Rogers claiming two wickets in the penultimate over, including Finch for 75, as they hung on to secure victory.The bottom-placed Renegades now need to win their last match, against Thunder, to stand a chance of avoiding a third straight wooden-spoon finish.Hurricanes find a way at the death
Hurricanes looked lifeless against Finch and Shaun Marsh, who combined for a second-wicket century partnership. A vintage Finch appeared to be leading Renegades to victory until Hurricanes clawed back into the contest with their season in the balance.Sandeep Lamichhane, who had earlier taken the wicket of Marsh, was superb in the 18th over with a game-turning dismissal of debutant Unmukt Chand, who had become the first Indian cricketer to play in the BBL.Then Rogers claimed the big wicket of Finch to decisively turn the game the Hurricanes’ way. That eased the pressure on them ahead of their final league-stage game against Melbourne Stars, even though their playoff position is still undecided.In further good news for Hurricanes, they are set to welcome back Ashes cult hero Scott Boland, whose sole BBL game this season was against Perth Scorchers on December 14.Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh put up a 101-run stand•Getty Images

Finch stands tall but Renegades collapse
Renegades could well be wondering how their season might have gone with a fit and firing Finch and Marsh, who both missed large chunks of the tournament with injuries.Marsh turned the clock back with a 38-ball 51 complete with gorgeous strokes around the wicket, but it was Finch who looked best-placed to get Renegades over the line until his dismissal triggered a collapse.Finch appeared to have timed his run to perfection, but Renegades lost 4 for 15 at the end to suffocate under the pressure in a disappointing performance that encapsulated another poor season for them.Hurricanes’ batting packs a punch
After an erratic season, Hurricanes have settled on their batting order and No. 3 Matthew Wade has taken to his new role after a sluggish run mid-season in a major boost for their title hopes. The Hurricanes captain helped his side overcome the early loss of Ben McDermott and showed his intent by smashing a six off spinner Cameron Boyce’s first delivery in the eighth over.Wade fell just short of his second straight half-century – having made just eight runs in four prior innings – but Hurricanes received a late flurry from D’Arcy Short and Tim David with the pair pummelling 51 off just 22 balls.In another welcome boost for Hurricanes, an aggressive Short showed great form with 37 off 22 in his most fluent knock of a difficult season, where he had been demoted from opener to No. 4 and entered the match with a low strike rate of 103.But even he was overshadowed by the big-hitting David, who smashed 46 from 20 balls with four sixes. Hurricanes have had a dilemma all season whether to utilise their designated finisher up the order, and David showed his prowess with his highest score of the season.Matthew Wade fell just short of his second straight half-century but made a great contribution•Getty Images

Evans pulls off a stunner
Without spearhead Kane Richardson, who has had an excellent season, Renegades’ weakened attack needed someone to step up, and youngster Zak Evans did exactly that in his third BBL match of the season.First, he took one of the best catches of the tournament to dismiss McDermott – a one-handed blinder after he ran back 30 metres from the edge of the ring and dived backward.Then the 21-year-old was entrusted to bowl in the power surge and his plan to pitch up worked when he claimed the key wicket of Wade. He couldn’t quite finish the job against a red-hot Short at the death, but it was an encouraging performance from him overall.It was needed for Renegades with frontline spinner Zahir Khan, who started the season superbly, once again wicketless, having taken just five wickets in his last ten matches.

Apart from 37 cricketers, men and women, coaches, physios, security personnel and others were tested by CAB

Press Trust of India30-Sep-2020Bengal fast bowler Mukesh Kumar and left-arm spinner Shreyan Chakraborty have tested positive for Covid-19, it emerged on Wednesday, after the state association conducted RT-PCR tests on 63 people, including 37 cricketers – male and female.”The Cricket Association of Bengal [CAB] today held a Covid-19 Test Camp where 63 persons, including 21 senior Bengal cricketers and 16 women cricketers, were tested maintaining strict Covid protocols,” a statement from the association said. “Incidentally Shreyan Chakraborty and Mukesh Kumar tested positive during the drive.”After obtaining no-objection certificates from all relevant departments of the government, the CAB on Wednesday conducted the camp following the approved SOPs, with CAB president Avishek Dalmiya explaining that the tests were done for people “who will be directly and indirectly involved as the association gets ready to begin its staggered gym sessions at the indoor facility within the Eden Gardens premises”.The process was conducted under the supervision of Naresh OJha, the CAB vice-president who has also been made chairperson of the Covid Task Force at the association. Ojha confirmed that those tested included, apart from the cricketers, “the coaching team, physios, housekeeping boys, security staff and Dr Ujjal Banerjee, who is also a grade one umpire, he has been appointed as a doctor for the camp”.

They’ve already met in eight ODIs this year, and Australia’s captain says coming back from 2-0 down to win a series in India ‘was really important for the confidence of the side’

Osman Samiuddin at The Oval08-Jun-2019It’s not quite the new India-Sri Lanka, but if auditions were being held for India’s new go-to opponent, it’s fair to say Australia would be a shoo-in. All that’s needed is for India to postpone a series, or pull out of one and rope Australia in as a last-minute banker. It will happen soon enough.The two sides have already played eight ODIs across both countries this year alone, and without looking it up, if you can remember how the two series panned out, you’re welcome to take over Statsguru.A lot has been made of the ICC’s desire to ensure India and Pakistan play at every one of their events. But the two teams that have actually played against each other most often at ICC events? India and Australia. And the punchline to this is that New Zealand and Sri Lanka are the two other teams who have played each other most often at ICC events (both rivalries, 20 games young now).But it’s not just those eight ODIs – and Tests and T20Is. It’s also about how the IPL is a virtual home for Australians, opponents to and team-mates of the players they take on at The Oval on Sunday. For the degree of familiarity, if the two teams combined to put out one team at an ICC event, nobody would bat an eyelid.Yet the overkill has served a purpose for Australia at least. It was the ODI series in India earlier this year where they turned around their ODI form, form which now is accompanied by all those murmurs that this (like five others) is Australia’s World Cup.Now it’s not as if they are genetically wired to win cricket tournaments, but you can see why people are thinking it. They’re winning games – and the win over West Indies was exactly the kind of win that’s not going to dial this talk down.Steven Smith and David Warner are back, with runs. It’s Australia. They’ve a way to win an early tough game. Their captain believed, even without Warner and Smith, and back when they couldn’t win a backyard game, that he had the side to win this World Cup. Watch out. This is a trope that endures as much as the one around Pakistan at these tournaments.But that familiarity with India will help them on Sunday in, for example, knowing what to expect when Kuldeep Yadav or Yuzvendra Chahal come on. On that last tour, Australia picked up quick on how to play each and controlling Kuldeep was instrumental in turning a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 win.”Yeah, I think winning them last three games is really important for us in India, to one, get some self-belief that we can beat this Indian side in their home conditions,” Aaron Finch said. “For that, I think when you look back, it comes down to taking them key moments in games and making sure that no matter what the situation of the game or the series or the tournament, whenever you’re playing India, you have to believe that you can beat them because they’re a world-class side.”So to be able to beat them in their home conditions three times in a row was really important for the confidence of the side, especially going into a game like this.”The problem with this India attack – and side – is that it isn’t just the one or two. There’s difficulties everywhere. Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to see off, there’s Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to see the backs of. There’s Hardik Pandya to account for. Even late-career MS Dhoni, nowadays modelling the Misbah-ul-Haq approach with the bat.And as much as Australia have the confidence of beating them recently, and playing with and against them a lot, one-off tournament games are unforgiving. Before you know it they’re over and if you learnt something in the way you were dismissed, or how one batsman played you, there’s no immediate point: this isn’t a bilateral series.”We saw in the latest series we played against them that regardless of what the scoreline might be, whoever turns up and produces their best on the day will win,” Finch said. “It’s about everyone chipping in and contributing as best they can to help Australia win tomorrow.”

This season’s eliminator and second qualifier will be played at the MCA Stadium in Pune on May 23 and 25

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2018The IPL governing council has decided to allot two of this season’s playoff matches – the Eliminator and second Qualifier – to the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in Pune. The games will be played at the MCA stadium in Gahunje on May 23 and 25.”For the play-off, there was a suggestion that since Rising Pune Supergiant (now defunct) were the runners-up last time, we should give first priority to Pune,” IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said after a governing council meeting on Friday. “If the stadium and the wicket is ready, the first priority would be given to Pune, if not, then we will consider Kolkata for the playoffs.”The eliminator and the second qualifier are usually held at the home venue of the previous-season’s runners-up, and by this logic Pune would have got the two games anyway. However, Rising Pune Supergiant, who lost last season’s final to Mumbai Indians, are no longer part of the tournament. Other state associations, including those of Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, had been pushing to host the games, and in a move to eliminate rival states from staking claim, MCA president Abhay Apte had sent an email to Shukla, stressing the “unwritten rule” that the previous year’s runners-up host the playoff games.

Hales, who missed out on selection for the original squad after sustaining a broken bone in his right hand during the ODI series in India, is due to have a scan on the hand on February 27

George Dobell in Basseterre23-Feb-2017Alex Hales is set to join England’s ODI tour of the Caribbean.Hales, who missed out on selection for the original squad after sustaining a broken bone in his right hand during the ODI series in India, is due to have a scan on the hand on February 27. If that scan shows nothing untoward – as is expected – he will fly out to join the squad in Antigua next week.Even if the scan suggests he is not quite ready for a return to action, it is likely that Hales will continue his rehab with the squad in Antigua and Barbados.Hales scored three ODI centuries in 2016, including an England-record 171 against Pakistan at his home ground of Trent Bridge.His place in India was taken by Sam Billings, who is also expected to open in the tour’s two warm-up matches in St Kitts. That could leave the tour management with a tricky decision over whether to recall Hales, who will not have played since January 19, for the ODIs or allow Billings the opportunity to stake his claim on the position. The first ODI takes place on March 3.The management are certainly keen to find a way into the side for Billings. But with Hales having formed a strong opening partnership with Jason Roy, it may well be that Billings requires an especially persuasive performance in the warm-ups to win a longer stay in the side.They have a similarly tough decision to make about Jonny Bairstow. He was called into the side in place of the rested Joe Root for the final ODI in India and responded with a half-century. But, with Root back and England’s middle-order of Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes looking relatively settled (though each of them will float up and down the order as the situation demands), Bairstow finds himself battling for selection once more.He has, at least, excellent memories of the St Kitts ground where England begin this tour. It was here, almost two years ago, that he unveiled his new stance and back-lift for the first time. Drafted into a weak-looking St Kitts Invitational XI to provide tougher opposition for England, he responded with 98 against an attack that included James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes. He has subsequently averaged 63.36 in first-class cricket with 25 scores of 50 or more in 55 completed innings.”Yes, it all started here,” Bairstow said as he looked out across the ground on Thursday. “Well, here and in the indoor nets at Headingley.”But match-wise this was the first place I took the leap and tried something different and I’ve stuck with it. It was the first time with my new technique and I scored 95 [actually 98]. I ended up playing against the lads and things kicked on from there. So I’ve good memories of coming back here.”Such competition for places bodes well for an England team with realistic hopes of winning their first global ODI title when the Champions Trophy takes place later this year.”We know if we put the performances together like we’ve been doing 80-90 percent of the time, there’s no reason why we can’t go and win the Champions Trophy and a World Cup,” Bairstow said. “I firmly believe we’re a special squad.”I don’t know how I nail a place in the team. I’ve said as long as I can get into that XI, I don’t care where I bat. I’d like to think the form I’ve been in over the last 18 months is strong enough to push my case.”Meanwhile, Paul Collingwood is with the squad in the role of fielding coach. The Durham captain, still playing at 40 years of age, was captain of the only England men’s team to have so far won a global limited-overs tournament (the World T20 in 2010), and joins up with Graham Thorpe (batting coach) and Paul Farbrace, who assumes the role of head coach from the rested Trevor Bayliss.Jonny Bairstow was speaking on behalf of Waitrose, official team sponsor of the England cricket teams.George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. He will be covering England’s tour of the Caribbean in association with Smile Group Travel