Who’s playing Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 15, 2024 What to expect: Two powerful line-ups Is it 2023 again? Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC), two consistently good teams with all-star line-ups, meet again in the WPL final. While DC have breezed into the final this season, MI are coming … Read more
Big picture: Australia have denied India before “[T]here’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent.” Pat Cummins won’t be in Dubai on Tuesday, but the words he spoke on November 18, 2023, will be. The players may not themselves be thinking about them, but viewers around the world quite likely will – … Read more
Big picture: Kohli joins 300 club Scroll down to the form guide section. Actually, no need, because, spoiler warning, both teams have WWWWW next to them going into this match. These are two exceptional ODI outfits in potentially title-winning form, deep and balanced thanks to the allrounders they possess. They’re particularly well-suited to conditions at … Read more
Big picture: Pakistan’s fight for survival If ever Pakistan needed a miracle, it is now. Not for the cricketers’ fault, they find themselves isolated in international cricket to the extent that this is the first ICC event they are hosting in 29 years. And barely three days into the Champions Trophy, following a thrashing against … Read more
Big picture: Those boring middle overs It can feel like the middle phase of an ODI don’t matter all that much. Mahela Jayawardene came in to bat at exactly this point in the final of an ODI World Cup and made a hundred. But that is not that match, or even he, is remembered for. … Read more
Big picture: Variety the spice of both life and ODI bowling attacks Jos Buttler, all though this ODI series, has been conscious of doing well for longer but also of playing watchable cricket. He picked up Rohit Sharma’s 72-ball hundred as an example of how that is a virtue worth striving for; that being “dynamic” … Read more
Big picture: An air of vulnerability There are two Indias. There’s also, at the same time, another India, an India of an assuredly post-Rohit, post-Kohli era, an India that has flown to dizzying heights over recent months. There are two Indias, but there are three formats. So where exactly do they stand, as the awkward … Read more
Big picture: Homecoming for SKY A new captain, and a homecoming at the Wankhede, was the theme in the build-up to IPL 2024. It is once again a talking point as the India-England T20I series heads for a finale in Mumbai. Hardik Pandya had a long wait to win the crowd over last year in … Read more
Big Picture: Unbeaten sides, solid bowling units Two unbeaten sides. Two stories of significant progress over two years will culminate with the final of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. It might only be edition number two, but India have asserted themselves as the team to beat in this competition. … Read more
Big picture: Series alive, using contrasting methods The five-match series between India and England was expected to be a high-scoring one. A battle of sixes if you will. But three games in, this hasn’t been the case, but the series has by no means been devoid of thrills. It’s 2-1 going into Friday night in … Read more