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David Warner has been named Sydney Thunder captain for this season’s BBL after his leadership ban was overturned last month.Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct Commission ruled that Warner’s ban, which was handed down after the Newlands ball-tampering scandal in 2018 and prevented him holding any leadership position in Australian cricket, should no longer be in place. It opened up the route for Warner to captain Thunder with him available for the entire season.Related

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“Quite clearly that was the last piece of that puzzle for me, and now it’s about coming out and sharing my knowledge of the game,” Warner said on being able to move on from the leadership ban. “Forever, that was probably going to be on my CV as well. You don’t want to look back when you go for a job interview and have ‘banned for life from a leadership perspective’ on your CV. That’s something that I’ll be able to now share with my girls moving forward that I’m able to actually be a leader.”After a failed attempt to overturn the ban in 2022, amid calls for the hearing to be public, Warner admitted he thought his chance had gone”I think two years ago that was probably me done,” he said. “I thought I probably wouldn’t revisit that. I didn’t even know if I was going to come back and play Big Bash”I was at that stage I was playing a Test match series [in 2022]..it could have easily been done prior to the series started but that’s why I withdrew it and I wanted to revisit that now,” he said. “It’s all done and dusted. I’m not playing for the Australian cricket team anymore and we don’t have to put the team in the spotlight.”Trent Copeland, the Thunder general manager who had been heavily involved in the appeal process, said it would help Warner cement a legacy at the club.”This is a huge moment for David and for our club,” he said. “It’s not only about his career; it’s about the legacy he’s creating, especially for his family and the next generation of players.”For the fans in Western Sydney who’ve long recognised David as a Thunder legend, it’s a special moment to now see him as their captain. This captaincy is about more than cricket; it’s about community, legacy, and helping our younger players gain the skills they need to succeed.”Warner has previously led Thunder once back in 2011 when he made an unbeaten 102 against Melbourne Stars. He has been appointed ahead of Chris Green who was captain last season when the team finished bottom.”I want to compliment the way Greeny led from the front,” Warner said. “He’s an exceptional talent with fantastic leadership qualities. Jason Sangha, too, before his injury. I gained great insight from both, and I know they’re guys I can lean on this season.”Speaking when the ban was lifted, Copeland said it was about more than Warner being able to lead a cricket team again.”This is far bigger than a cricket captaincy role. It’s leadership in a lifelong context,” he said. “This was about him, his daughters in particular, the legacy he wants to leave for his family. This is about Davey, his family and ultimately in our belief what is right at this point in time.”If that’s a lifelong ban, it’s still over him when he’s 50, 60. It just would never go away. It [what happened in 2018] may not ever go away, but I think at least this gives it a shot.”In their judgement, the review panel noted “the respectful and contrite tone of his [Warner’s] responses, as well as the content impressed the Review Panel and led it to the unanimous view that he was sincere and genuine in acknowledging responsibility for the conduct and in his statement that he had extreme remorse for his conduct.”Since his CA ban, Warner has captained teams in the BPL, IPL, and ILT20. The last time he led an Australian team was when he captained the T20I side against New Zealand in 2018.Thunder begin their BBL campaign against Adelaide Strikers in Canberra on December 17 before facing Sydney Sixers in the first derby clash at the Showground on December 21.

On the eve of the first Test, as he went about various media duties, Australia captain Pat Cummins appeared extremely relaxed and seemingly sported a permanent smile.He seems to have good reason to feel at ease. While much of the focus ahead of the series has been on the uncertainty over India’s line-up, Australia’s XI has been settled ever since uncapped Nathan McSweeney won the race to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.It’s an experienced group of players and they are relatively refreshed with a lot of forward planning having been made in a bid to get them through a gruelling five-match series played within seven weeks.Related

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But if there has been a cause for concern, it’s the fitness of allrounder Mitchell Marsh who has only bowled four overs since tearing his hamstring during the IPL.All of those overs were in the fourth ODI against England at Lord’s in September. He then pulled up sore and missed the subsequent match before playing as a specialist batter for Western Australia in two Sheffield Shield matches in October.Marsh had publicly declared ahead of the second Shield match, against Tasmania, that he would return to bowling but his body was not quite ready. His role with the ball has grown in significance for Australia with Cameron Green missing the entire series due to a stress fracture of his back.Having become a father a day earlier, his wife Greta giving birth to their first child, Marsh on Monday pushed through weariness and built up his bowling loads in a lengthy centre wicket session as Australia started their first Test preparations. There were no signs of discomfort as Marsh powered through the crease and he also impressed during Australia’s training session on Wednesday.”He will definitely bowl this Test. He is an allrounder and with the way us four bowlers set out, we never really budget around an allrounder bowling heaps,” Cummins said.Marsh, however, is unlikely to be able to cover Green’s workload. He was used sparingly during the seven Tests last summer where he never bowled more than nine overs in an innings.Marsh, 33, is set to be utilised across a couple of short spells, possibly relatively early in the innings given his ability to produce outswing and also around the 60-70 over mark with the old ball.”We never put an upper limit [on overs] on anyone,” Cummins said. “But he’s ready to go and happy to bowl as much as we need. I would imagine a few spells each innings. He’s been bowling great this week, his body is the best it has been for a while.”Mitchell Marsh has barely bowled since an injury in the IPL earlier this year•Getty Images

Along with Marsh and Travis Head’s handy offspin, Cummins might also revert to Marnus Labuschagne, who has emerged as an unlikely seam bowling option after lengthy stints in the Shield caught many observers by surprise. He has almost exclusively bowled seam rather than legspin, which has yielded him some success previously at Test level.Having taken the captaincy reins of Queensland, Labuschagne has utilised himself with the ball and took 2 for 5 from 6.2 overs in the season opener against Western Australia at the WACA. He then bowled 27 overs across the match against South Australia at Allan Border Field.His bowling has been marked by short-ball aggression, which he has also unfurled during Australia’s training sessions ahead of the first Test, providing a potential tactic for Cummins to utilise.”He’s always trying to impress the ball, which is great,” Cummins said. “He loves bowling. He’s one of those guys, as we know, who always wants to be involved. He’s bowled some handy overs for Queensland. Obviously, he’s got legspin, a bit of offspin in the past and then this year, it’s been on to pace bowling.”I’m sure he’ll get the ball at some stage and bowl quite a few bouncers as well. So that’s maybe something we’ll turn to at some point as well.”While there is intrigue over Australia’s back-up bowlers, a refreshed Cummins and his frontline attack are hoping to mostly shoulder the workload. He will enter the series having not played red-ball cricket since March in New Zealand.Cummins was earmarked to play a Shield match for New South Wales, but has instead played one domestic 50-over game and two ODIs against Pakistan.”I feel great. Couldn’t have asked for a better lead in, so hopefully it translates into a good summer,” he said. “I’ve been really lucky to have four or five months off to build up, get strong. I feel as strong and as fresh and as fit as I have for a long time.”

It’s been a bittersweet few days for Sean Abbott: included in the Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, with a baggy green perhaps closer than ever, but omitted from the group heading to the Champions Trophy.Given the Test cap is one of the missing pieces from a fine career, perhaps it’s not the worst way it could have played out. Abbott was also realistic in assessing his absence from the Champions Trophy, having been part of the victorious ODI World Cup squad in 2023, after struggling to make an impact in his last two series.Related

• Cummins 'heavily unlikely' for Champions Trophy, Smith or Head to lead Australia

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• Cummins, Hazlewood included for Champions Trophy

Against England and Pakistan he took one wicket in five outings at an economy rate 7.36. He will be in the selectors’ thoughts should replacements be needed (captain Pat Cummins’ status is still uncertain) but Nathan Ellis has taken the spot as the fourth quick behind the big three.”I didn’t really take selection out of the selectors’ hands,” Abbott said ahead of Sydney Sixers’ trip to Adelaide for their next BBL clash. “I didn’t perform and bowl as well as I would have liked in my last five games for Australia over in the UK and back home here against Pakistan.”My goal at all times when I play is to obviously contribute and do what I need to do for the team, but on top of that, it’s [to] take the decision to drop you out of the selectors’ hands, and I haven’t done that. So that’s fair. The guys who have been picked are in form and I think we’ve got a great squad to go over and compete for the Champions Trophy.”1:52

Smith: Konstas can bat conventionally too, he’s got ‘all the tools’

However, as one of just three specialist quicks heading to Sri Lanka for the two Tests – alongside Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland – it is possible to see an elusive debut. Abbott was officially part of the squad for the final two matches against India but Starc, Cummins and Boland were able to get through the Melbourne and Sydney games.There remains a chance Australia go with just one frontline quick in Galle and use Beau Webster’s medium pace to supplement it, but Abbott believes he has a skillset which could be valuable. George Bailey noted Abbott’s “durability” when the squad was named while he is also a good exponent of reverse swing.”It would have been nice to debut out here the other day [against India] on what was a bowler-friendly wicket,” he said with a smile. “Sri Lanka typically is more spin-friendly than anything, but I feel like conditions might suit me perhaps more than others. But, again, we’ve got such depth with our bowling at the moment.”It gets mentioned a lot, but every time Scotty comes in and bowls, no matter the conditions, he does well. And then Starcy is obviously bowling high 140s, and then reverse swing will play a role, or being able to tie up an end so the spinners can attack, whatever that looks like. Being one of only three quicks going over, I suppose I feel a little bit closer. But I certainly feel like conditions might suit the way I go about my bowling.”Sean Abbott still has a huge part to play in how Sydney Sixers’ season plays out•Getty Images

The trade-off from heading to Sri Lanka is that Abbott – alongside Steven Smith and Todd Murphy – will miss the BBL finals, where Sixers are assured of a spot. But there are still positions to play for with hosting rights for the Qualifier – which provides a direct path to the final – a major incentive, although it is out of Sixers’ hands with Hobart Hurricanes having a game in hand.”It’s definitely a huge advantage if you can finish in the top two and get home game advantage for sure,” Abbott said.All Sixers can do is win their remaining matches against Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder. They will have Smith available for both those outings following his spectacular 121 not out from 64 balls against Perth Scorchers. Abbott, the leading wicket-taking in BBL history, also played a key role in that victory with 4 for 43 but was critical with himself for a final over that went for 20 and gave Ashton Turner an outside chance of heist.”I had six more balls there at the end to bowl and didn’t really bowl anywhere near as good as I should have,” he said. “Pretty disappointing with the way that over went and how close it ended up getting. So I’ll give myself a little bit of a rap on the knuckles for that one.”

Western Australia quick Lance Morris is set to be unleashed against New South Wales amid a complicated balancing act with his bowling load management as WA push to try and qualify for a fourth straight Sheffield Shield final.Meanwhile, Test offspinner Nathan Lyon will not play again this season for NSW as he continues to rest and rehab a hip complaint he managed through the tour of Sri Lanka. Lyon’s spin partner in Sri Lanka, Matthew Kuhnemann will return for Tasmania after being cleared of throwing following ICC testing while Usman Khawaja has also been named for Queensland.Related

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Morris has been named in WA’s 14-man squad alongside Cameron Bancroft who will return from the broken shoulder he suffered in the BBL to play his 100th Shield match against NSW at the WACA ground.Morris’ inclusion is the most noteworthy given he is contracted to Cricket Australia and they have been managing his playing schedule this summer. Morris, who turns 27 later this month, has played just three Shield matches this season, including WA’s most recent win against Queensland in Brisbane, but has been playing with a maximum overs restriction of 25 per game coming off a stress fracture last winter as well as a quad strain late in the pre-season.It is understood he was initially set to be rested from the match against NSW with a view to being made available for WA’s final home and away game against Victoria next week at the WACA ground. Such a schedule could have left him unavailable for the final as CA’s medical team are understandably very cautious about Morris playing back-to-back Shield games at the moment due to his extensive injury history, given he is a developing international prospect as one of the few bowlers in Australia capable of clocking speeds in excess of 150kph consistently.Morris is understood to be frustrated at being held back despite being in good shape having bowled well in the second innings at the Gabba after some rust in the first innings. Morris articulated his frustration earlier in the summer in an interview with ESPNCricinfo explaining that scans have shown a stress issue that is not causing him pain. WA have also had difficulty trying to manage his overs restrictions in games while trying to qualify for the Shield final. Morris has not bowled more than 25 overs in a match since November 2023 and has not played four Shield games in succession since late 2022.Morris’ case is a prime example of why CA has appointed Adam Griffith as the new national pace bowling coach to unify the approach to management of fast bowlers across national, state and franchise cricket. CA have also appointed current travelling Australia men’s team physio Nick Jones to a permanent Australia-based case manager role to coordinate and oversee the rehabilitation of injured players while a new team physio will be appointed to travel full-time with the team.Cameron Green is another player who will be managed by Jones as he continues his recovery from back surgery, but he is unlikely to play a Shield game before a County Championship stint with Gloucestershire.Daniel Sams and Cameron Bancroft collided when going for the same catch•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Bancroft is set to become the 13th WA player to play 100 Shield matches. He will return at the top of the order and will be fine to field in the slips but will be slow to return to throwing after breaking his right shoulder in a sickening collision with Sydney Thunder teammate Daniel Sams during the BBL.Australia’s semi-final exit from the Champions Trophy on Tuesday also opens the door for Cooper Connolly to potentially be available for WA’s next Shield clash with Victoria but it appears unlikely they will get Josh Inglis or Aaron Hardie back for either the last round of the season or a potential final given both have IPL contracts, with the IPL starting on March 21 just three days after the last Shield round of the season and five days before the Shield final.Elsewhere, Khawaja will return for Queensland to face Tasmania at Bellerive Oval in Hobart after resting from the loss to WA following his successful tour of Sri Lanka. Jack Clayton also returns to further bolster Queensland’s batting after missing the WA clash with a hamstring injury. Kuhnemann has been included in Tasmania’s squad as has left-hander Caleb Jewell who has not played Shield cricket since he was omitted from Tasmania’s first-choice side in November.Victoria have named exciting 18-year-old left-hander Oliver Peake in their 13-man squad to face Shield leaders South Australia at the Junction Oval in Melbourne. Peake is in-line to make his first-class debut having been a development tourist with Australia’s Test squad in Sri Lanka last month. Peake made 99 in Victoria’s most recent second XI match against WA and has been included alongside former NSW batter Blake Macdonald who made twin centuries in the same game. Peter Handscomb will captain Victoria as Will Sutherland has been rested.The Shield’s leading wicket-taker Nathan McAndrew has been withdrawn on match eve to manage his workload with Henry Thornton called in fresh off starring in South Australia’s Dean Jones Trophy win last weekend.South Australia can lock up a home Shield final with a win over Victoria with Adelaide Oval still an outside chance to host the game in between Australia Football League fixtures if the drop-in pitches can be transplanted back into the venue without too much disruption after being removed for the start of the football season following the One-Day final.Sheffield Shield squadsWestern Australia: Sam Whiteman (c), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Joel Curtis, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie Stobo, Ashton TurnerNew South Wales: Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards (c), Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Hanno Jacobs, Sam Konstas, Nic Maddinson, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Lachlan ShawVictoria: Peter Handscomb (c), Scott Boland, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Mitch PerrySouth Australia: Jordan Buckingham, Brendan Doggett, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Connor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney (c), Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry ThorntonTasmania: Jordan Silk (c), Gabe Bell, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Aidan O’Connor, Mitch Owen, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau WebsterQueensland: Mitchell Swepson (c), Xavier Bartlett, Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Pierson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Callum Vidler, Jack Wildermuth

First three overs: 53 runs, Last two overs: 36 runs, 15 overs in between: 74 runs.In what was a bizarre innings, Delhi Capitals (DC) restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to 163 for 7 in their second away match in IPL 2025. But, for a while, it seemed the narrative would be a lot different.Sent into bat, Phil Salt had just one agenda on mind: to send every ball he faced out of the stadium. He wreaked havoc in the first three overs smashing four fours and three sixes as he finished with 37 off just 17 balls.The highlight of his knock was laying into Mitchell Starc. Salt smoked him for three fours and two sixes in the third over of the innings, which went for 30 in all as RCB crossed the 50 mark in three overs. This was RCB’s second-quickest team fifty of all time.But then it all went downhill.Salt flat-batted Axar Patel to extra cover and set off. Virat Kohli also took a few steps down before backtracking and Salt, who slipped mid pitch, was run out. RCB, who had scored 53 runs in the first three overs, added just 11 in the next three with Mukesh Kumar also slipping in a wicket-maiden.Vipraj Nigam was smashed for six over long-on by Kohli, but the legspinner came back in style. He kept tossing the ball up and Kohli’s attempted inside-out shot ended up in the hands of Starc who took a good catch running to his left from long-off.The middle overs belonged to DC through and through. Kuldeep Yadav was relentless with his lengths and also got the wickets of Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar as he finished with 2 for 17 off his four overs. Nigam was also frugal as he picked 2 for 18 in his four overs.That RCB reached 163 was down to Tim David’s late bash where he smashed four sixes and two fours in the last two overs to finish unbeaten on 37 of 20 balls.

South Africa’s Test captain Temba Bavuma has suffered an elbow injury again and will miss the domestic first-class final which starts in Johannesburg today. Bavuma was due to join up with the Lions team on Tuesday from Cape Town, but did not arrive in Johannesburg.The Lions found out late on Wednesday that Bavuma would not play the match because of the niggle, which has taken place just over two months before the World Test Championship final in June.ESPNcricinfo has ascertained Bavuma’s injury is on the left elbow – the same one he has injured before. The Lions are unaware at this stage how serious the injury is and were caught off guard by Bavuma’s late withdrawal. On Wednesday morning, Lions captain Dominic Hendricks told the media he was looking forward to playing with Bavuma in the marquee game.Bavuma fractured his left elbow in 2022, which forced him out of South Africa’s tour to England that year and sidelined him for three months. He then reinjured the same elbow when he fell awkwardly while completing a single against Ireland in an ODI in Abu Dhabi last year and missed South Africa’s Tests against Bangladesh. He had no red-ball match practice before the home summer and spoke openly about battling mental demons after a wretched run with his fitness, which also included injuries to both hamstrings. Despite that, Bavuma made a stirring comeback with two centuries in four Tests and a run of four fifty-plus scores against Sri Lanka. He also captained South Africa to the Champions Trophy semi-final but has batted with heavy strapping on his elbow throughout the season.Since the Champions Trophy, Bavuma has played no competitive cricket but was present with the Lions for their final first-class league match in Bloemfontein last week, which was completely rained out. He then traveled to Cape Town and was due to rejoin the team ahead of the final against the Titans but news of his injury has since emerged.South Africa have just over eight weeks before the WTC final against Australia which starts on June 11. They are planning practice matches from mid-May, including a game against an international opposition in England, ahead of the final. They will not play any cricket before then with several players involved at the IPL 2025 and others on the county circuit. Bavuma does not have any overseas engagements and the final was due to be his last match of the season, but the latest niggle has scuppered those plans. He was named on CSA’s central contract list this week.

It was the first ball of the second over in Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) chase against Gujarat Titans (GT). Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to pull Ishant Sharma, top-edged it, and sent it swirling towards point. There was a fielder closer to the ball, but Jos Buttler called for it, ran after it, and spilled it.”We could have and we should have taken that catch, that would have made a big difference,” B Sai Sudharsan said after the game, while adding that it was early on in the game, and “we can’t be so harsh”. As it turned out, Jaiswal made 31 in 16 balls in the powerplay and his 14-year-old opening partner Vaibhav Suryavanshi 52 in 20. RR got to 87 after six overs. The two ended up adding 166 in 11.5 overs, Suryavanshi breaking records on his way to a 38-ball 101 and Jaiswal, very much the support act, finishing unbeaten on 70 from 40 balls. The win came with 25 balls in hand despite the target being 210.”When we finished [batting], we felt it was par or ten runs over par, is what our feeling was. But the way they started and batted showed us that we were wrong,” Sai Sudharsan, who scored 39 in 30 balls to take the Orange Cap back from Virat Kohli, said.Related

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But it was not just about the batting. Sai Sudharsan felt the bowlers could have done better.”No credit taken [away] from Vaibhav, the way he batted was tremendous and fantastic to watch, [even though we were] fielding,” he said. “But at the same time, we could have reacted well. The way they started the powerplay was brilliant, but we could have reacted well and had better plans.”Maybe the lengths, and we could have been aware of the wicket, how it reacted to the ball, which they bowled in the first innings. Maybe we could have taken cues from that and executed that. Maybe we could have gone wider, we could have not bowled into his arc, maybe we could have done that and things would have been different.”

Why are GT hiding Sai Kishore away?

Not for the first time, R Sai Kishore was given just one over in the game since the opposition had left-hand batters in the middle for the longest time. Sai Kishore remains their second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 12 wickets, but, like against Delhi Capitals (DC) not long ago, he bowled just one over since left-hand batters were in front of him.5:32

Aaron: Sai Sudharsan ‘definitely’ in if there’s vacancy in India’s T20I side

“Sai Kishore came on very late,” Varun Aaron said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. Sai Kishore’s only over was the 15th of the chase, after Suryavanshi and Nitish Rana had been dismissed. “Yeah, there were two lefties batting, but Sai Kishore can bowl really well to lefties as well. And anyway the guys were going for 25-30 runs [per over]. Somebody who has been performing well, who has the confidence… and Sai Kishore is somebody who likes the challenge.”Ian Bishop was in agreement. “They have been doing this to Sai Kishore the last three or four games,” he said. “That’s what worries me. Are you saying to Sai Kishore that he can only bowl when right-handers are batting?”GT have, however, done most things right this IPL 2025 season and, despite the defeat, are at No. 3 with 12 points from nine games and well-placed to make the playoffs. Their next game is on Friday, at home against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

The big picture: RCB hope to get some cricket

On May 7, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) rolled into Lucknow brimming with the confidence of a rare double over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and hungry to strengthen their chances of a top-two finish. But just hours prior to their scheduled fixture against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), they were informed that IPL 2025 was being temporarily suspended.It has been more than two weeks since then and RCB are still searching for a game of cricket. The in-between period had seen players head home only to quickly dash back (except for Josh Hazlewood who is nursing a shoulder niggle but is expected to return soon), even as Bengaluru has seen relentless rain.Their home fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) that should have restarted the season last Saturday was abandoned without a ball bowled. And for three full days after that, RCB were left wondering if the Friday fixture would suffer a similar fate.Related

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Just as all that bottled-up intensity began to find refuge at pickleball and badminton, RCB were informed of another late move: head to Lucknow, again. First for a “home” fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) before rounding off their league phase with an “away” fixture at the same venue. RCB shouldn’t mind that, really – they have a flawless away record this season.The only difference from when RCB last came to Lucknow is that they have one more point in the kitty that has guaranteed a playoffs spot – their fifth in the last six seasons. But they are trying to scale peaks they haven’t since 2016 – a top-two spot. For that, it could yet be possible that RCB will need to win both of their remaining games and hope for other results to go their way. They will have the advantage of knowing what they should do. Ironically, even this season, the calculators continue to torment them.SRH haven’t had a lot of cricket themselves. They utilised the break, thanks to the scheduling prior to the tournament’s suspension, to dash off to the Maldives for rejuvenation. They had barely regrouped when asked to disband. Upon resumption, they put together a complete game to see off LSG three nights ago.While SRH are already eliminated from the playoffs race, they have two more games to aim for a mid-table finish and try the combinations that could lay the foundation for 2026.2:25

Moody: Too long a break for RCB

Form guide

Royal Challengers Bengaluru WWWWL
Sunrisers Hyderabad WLWLL

In the spotlight: Rajat Patidar and Travis Head

Rajat Patidar’s form had dipped significantly before the IPL took a pause, as he averaged just 10.6 in his last five innings, compared to 37.2 in his first five games. Heading to Lucknow, Patidar can take solace in the fact that his away form has been far more promising than his form in Bengaluru, where he has averaged just 14.4 at a strike rate of 101. Both his half-centuries have come on the road, where his strike rate is 169. While a hand injury had only added to his growing concerns, the extended break has allowed him time to recover.It’s been a frustrating season for Travis Head, whose average has dropped from 40.5 in 2024 to 28.1 this year. The once-feared opening pair of Head and Abhishek Sharma, dubbed Travishek, hasn’t had the same impact, with their average falling from 49.4 to 36.5. Apart from a 171-run stand in a chase against Punjab Kings (PBKS), they have struggled to make a mark. Now fully recovered from Covid, can Head rejoin Abhishek to deliver a parting gift for SRH fans in the remaining games?4:12

What went wrong for Ishan Kishan at SRH?

Team news and probable XII

Hazlewood is yet to return, but all other squad members are available. RCB will have a decision to make on their No. 3 in the wake of Devdutt Padikkal’s injury. Indications are it will be the experienced Mayank Agarwal.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Lungi Ngidi, 12 Suyash SharmaHead has been declared fit and is likely to slot back into the XII. Jaydev Unadkat, who missed the previous game, has also rejoined the squad.Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable): 1 Travis Head, 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Nitish Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Aniket Verma, 7 Abhinav Manohar, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Harsh Dubey, 11 Eshan Malinga, 12 Jaydev Unadkat

The big question

Pitch and conditions

The LSG-SRH game three nights ago was played on a black-soil deck. Friday’s fixture will be played on a red-soil pitch at RCB’s preference, as they are the home team. That means more bounce and carry, and a possibility of sharp turn. RCB also have the advantage of significant intel on the venue, with Andy Flower having coached LSG for two seasons, and Krunal Pandya having played under him there.

Stats and trivia

• Virat Kohli is one away from surpassing David Warner (62) for the most half-centuries in IPL history. Kohli comes in on the back of four consecutive 50-plus scores.
• RCB’s economy of 10.2 is the second-best among all teams in the death overs.
• Since starting the season with a century, Ishan Kishan has averaged just 13.9 and crossed 30 only twice in ten games.
• SRH have taken the least wickets by a spin unit (ten) while also having the highest economy (10) for this variety of bowling.
• Tim David’s 11 sixes are the most by a batter between overs 17-20 this season. It mirrors RCB’s death-overs scoring, which is the highest (12.4) for any team.

Quotes

“We’ve got a good record away, we’ve been able to flex for the away conditions really well and I am backing our players to do that again tomorrow. So we’re okay playing here at this point.”

Mushfiqur Rahim, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das scored 401 runs among them, but the complexion of the game changed after a two-hour rain interruption as Sri Lanka came roaring back late in the day, to leave Bangladesh on 484 for 9 at stumps of day two in Galle.It meant the 20.4 overs bowled in the final session saw five wickets fall for 61 runs, and resulted in a dramatic Bangladesh collapse following two mammoth back-to-back stands – 264 and 149 – between Shanto and Mushfiqur, and then Mushfiqur and Litton.Milan Rathnayake, who had toiled with little reward, was the chief beneficiary of the rain break. His 22.4 overs went for just 38 runs, but once some moisture had returned to the surface, he became instrumental, running through the lower order and tail.Jaker Ali was his first victim, when an 123kph inswinger snuck through his defences. He then got one to seam away from Nayeem Hasan, who edged behind, before angling one into Taijul Islam and castling him.Asitha Fernando, meanwhile, was responsible for breaking both monster partnerships. Shanto had chipped a drive to mid-off in the morning session, and then late in the day Asitha angled one back into Mushfiqur to trap him leg before – a decision that was held up upon referral on umpire’s call.Debutant Tharindu Rathnayake, meanwhile, frustrated Litton Das with defensive leg-stump lines, which eventually resulted in an ill-judged reverse sweep that popped up for Kusal Mendis to come around and grab.In terms of a mood-shifting session, Sri Lanka couldn’t have asked for more, particularly as for most of the day it looked like Bangladesh would continue to pile on the runs in the aim of batting just once this Test.Up until the rain break – and a little after that – rather than Bangladesh getting bowled out, the more immediate prospect seemed to be of them reaching 550, or possibly 600.Sri Lanka had had their chances, but none truly clear cut. Either side of the morning drinks break there were run-out opportunities that went begging. The first a result of the throw being sent to the wrong end, the second a missed direct hit.The very next over, Mushfiqur took on Prabath Jayasuriya, and laced one inches over his head. By the time Prabath put his hands up, the ball had already passed – a half-chance at best. Then at the start of the next over, Litton shanked one low and hard to midwicket, where Pathum Nissanka couldn’t hold on.Milan, who had exited the field earlier in the day with a seeming muscle strain, was back in action after lunch and his persistence seemed to have paid off when he eventually drew a false stroke from Mushfiqur, jagging one back from a good length between bat and pad. The ball struck the back pad in front of middle stump and Milan set off on a celebrappeal. Except the umpire was unmoved.Rain halted Bangladesh’s march in Galle•AFP/Getty Images

The instant review from Sri Lanka showed that the ball had deviated just enough to be hitting the wickets, but not enough to overturn the umpire’s call. The look of frustration, disbelief and defeat on the Sri Lankan faces told a story.The rain came shortly after, and Sri Lanka were forced to sit with that feeling. It was particularly galling in that, at the start of the day, Asitha had similarly trapped Shanto, and that time the finger had gone up only for the DRS to reveal there was some bat involved.But with a change in weather, so did Sri Lanka’s fortunes shift. Litton took it up himself to up the tempo, targeting Prabath in particular – the highlight a pair of delectable late cuts. Mushfiqur however was being kept quiet at the other end, and that allied with some tiredness was probably what led to his dismissal.Perhaps, in hindsight, Bangladesh may also wonder if they should have pressed the scoring rate a little higher when so little was on offer for the bowlers for most of the day. But as it was, Sri Lanka stuck to steady lines and lengths and Bangladesh were happy to proceed at a scoring rate of around three an over. To put it into context, Australia had earlier this year romped at roughly four an over in Galle to really put the pressure on the bowlers.There were periods to be fair when Bangladesh would seek to up the scoring, with Litton in particular happy to take on the bowling – the last ten overs prior to lunch for example went at five an over – but such periods were few and far between and it meant the scoreboard ticked along steadily, but not at a rate Sri Lanka would have been unduly concerned by.In the end it meant the batting line-up apart from Litton, Mushfiqur and Shanto has been limited to 68 runs.

Bangladesh selectors have dropped Najmul Hossain Shanto in one of the five changes to T20I squad for three-match series against Sri Lanka later this month. Shanto was part of the squad for their previous T20I series against UAE and Pakistan in May, but featured in only one of the six matches.Shanto had an underwhelming 2024, where he averaged 18.84 in 21 T20Is, with just a single half-century. In contrast, he fared better in 2023, scoring 218 runs in ten innings at 31.14 average, and a higher strike rate of 119.78. Having stepped down from the T20I captaincy in January this year, he now finds himself out of the squad entirely.Left-handed opener Mohammad Naim has been recalled in Shanto’s place, among four other changes in the bowling unit. Naim, who has played 35 T20Is, has returned back to form during the 2024-25 domestic season. He was the highest run-getter in both the BPL and NCL T20s, finishing on 827 runs at an average of 37.59 average and a strike rate of 140.40, including a century and six fifties.Pace duo Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman have also returned to the squad, having recovered from injury and featured in the first ODI against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Mohammad Saifuddin has earned a recall as well, marking his return after more than a year.The 28-year-old fast bowler was overlooked for last year’s T20 World Cup after a disappointing performance in the T20I series against Zimbabwe in May. He subsequently took a two-month break from cricket in August. Since returning, Saifuddin has picked up 37 wickets across the BPL and DPL– Bangladesh’s premier white-ball competitions.Shoriful Islam, who suffered a groin niggle during the second T20I against Pakistan in May, has been retained in the squad. In the spin department, there’s another shuffle, with Nasum Ahmed replacing Tanvir Islam. The ongoing switch between left-arm spinners suggests the selectors are still undecided on their preferred option for the white-ball formats.Bangladesh will play the three T20Is on July 10 in Pallekele, July 13 in Dambulla and July 16 in Colombo.Bangladesh squad: Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin.In: Mohammad Naim, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad SaifuddinOut: Khaled Ahmed, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto