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Ben Stokes, the captain of England and their best all-round player, will not play in the final Test match against India due to a shoulder injury. In the third and fourth Test matches of this series, the in-form player's all-around performance earned him Player of the Match. Ollie Pope will captain the team in place of him when they play India at The Oval in London on Thursday, July 31. The pacers Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and spinner Liam Dawson were also left off of the eleven that drew with India in Manchester. In addition to Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton, and Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell has been added to the team and is slated to start at number six. England's XI: Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope ©, Zak Crawley, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue When India batted for 143 overs over five sessions in the final innings to draw the Test, Ben Stokes had a lengthy bowling stint. During the session, Stokes was clearly gripping his right shoulder and had bowled 35 overs in both innings. The depth of Stokes' injuries and the challenging decision-making process were disclosed. During the news conference held on the eve of the fifth Test. "I don't know how to phrase it; therefore, I can't state that I have a good rip in one of my muscles. We took as much time as possible to decide on that. When you discover what you've done, there is undoubtedly some emotion involved. To give myself every chance, I came down here this morning. As soon as we received the scan findings. Bowling was obviously ruled out for the sake of playing as a hitter. Ben Stokes However, I believe that in order to really understand the decision we made. You need to spend that time talking with the medical staff and Baz [Brendon McCullum]. Before spending nearly twenty minutes alone outside in the middle of the morning. Yes, it's one of those situations where you have to balance the risks and rewards. The risk was simply too great to

RCB vs GT: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) square off in Match 14 of the season at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, April 2, as the IPL 2025 action heats up. In front of their fervent home audience, RCB will be excited to ride the wave of excitement in their first home game of the season. RCB vs GT IPL 2025 Schedule Date: Wednesday, April 2 Time: 7:30 pm IST Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru RCB enters this match having won successive games. They defeated the Chennai Super Kings by a commanding 50 runs after chasing down 175 against the Kolkata Knight Riders in just 16.2 overs. Their supremacy in both categories is reflected in their net run rate, which puts them atop the points table. Conversely, GT has had a mixed start. A decisive 36-run victory over the Mumbai Indians followed a close loss to Punjab Kings in a 243-run chase. Their bowling team appeared to be clicking in their most recent game, and their hitting has been excellent. RCB vs GT Head-to-Head Record RCB and GT have played each other five times in their short history, with RCB having a slim advantage with three victories to GT's two. This match adds a new chapter to their growing rivalry, as both teams will have updated cores in 2025. RCB vs GT Pitch and Conditions The Chinnaswamy Stadium is a batter's dream because of its small boundaries, fast outfield, and generally level surface. Although they might still find some purchase, bowlers who can change up their pace or hit the deck hard should anticipate another high-scoring match. Teams have historically liked chasing here, particularly in the dark. RCB vs GT Prediction: Who will Win? RCB will begin as slight favorites because of their recent success and the excitement surrounding their homecoming. Their bowling attack is performing well, and their top order is stable. Nevertheless, if Rashid Khan works his magic with the ball and their power hitters click, GT has the means to pull off an upset. Both RC

Match Overview: LSG vs MI: Currently in sixth place in the standings, the Lucknow Super Giants will play the formidable Mumbai Indians on Friday, April 4, at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The Super Giants will enter the match having lost their last meeting. Punjab Kings defeated the Rishabh Pant-led team at home in a lackluster match, giving them their second victory of the year. LSG will try to record their second victory of the season when they play the Mumbai team, the five-time winners. In contrast, the Mumbai Indians started the season with consecutive defeats, but they turned things around with a decisive victory over the reigning champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders. The team captained by Hardik Pandya is presently in fifth place in the standings and will be looking to continue their winning ways. LSG vs MI Match Details: Match: Match 16, IPL 2025, Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians Venue: Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Date & Time: Friday, April 4, 2025, 7:30 PM (IST) Live Streaming Details: JioHotstar Ekana Cricket Stadium Pitch Report: The full red soil surface of the Ekana Stadium pitch is renowned for its bounce and speed. Its long boundaries provide the bowlers some reprieve even though it's a high-scoring venue. The grass covering the pitch is uniform, which guarantees little movement of the seams while giving the spinners enough bounce and turn. The surface has historically been sluggish, which makes it difficult for batters because the ball is difficult to get onto the bat. Here, spinners flourish, making use of the turn and grip, while pacers with different styles might be useful. Dew won't likely be a big part of it. In order to limit the opposition to a low score, the team that wins the toss will try to bowl first. Head to Head: Match Played: 6 LSG Won: 5 MI Won: 1 LSG vs MI Predicted Playing 11: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Rishabh Pant(w/c), Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Ab

The Texas Super Kings easily defeated the Washington Freedom in a rain-shortened five-overs-a-side match on Wednesday night in Lauderhill, adding another get to the competition for the top two positions in MLC 2025. TSK moved up to №2 on the points standings with the 43-run victory, while Freedom fell to third place after eight games each. Together, they have 12 points, however the San Francisco Unicorns lead due to their superior net run-rate. Freedom won the toss and chose to field, and it looked to be the perfect decision when Daryl Mitchell (6) retired out and Marcus Stoinis (2) fell cheaply. However, TSK reached 87 in five overs thanks to an unbroken third-wicket stand in which №3 Shubham Ranjane and №4 Donovan Ferreira hammered 53 runs in only 12 balls. Ferreira stroked a nine-ball 37 and Ranjane top-scored with 39 in 14 balls. Nandre Burger destroyed the Freedom top order, which was full of powerful internationals, early on by bowling Glenn Maxwell (0) and Rachin Ravindra (10) off the final two balls of the first over. Then, in the second over, Mitchell Owen was removed by Akeal Hosein. Despite Glenn Phillips' contribution of 18 runs in 11 balls and his final perfect status, Freedom failed to locate enough boundaries to turn the chase into a battle. Texas Super Kings hit four fours and eight sixes overall, while Freedom struck three fours and three sixes. The boundaries of TSK were all drawn by Ferreira and Ranjane.

India easily defeated England by six wickets at Old Trafford on Wednesday, securing a decisive 3-1 lead in the five-match series under the leadership of an all-around performance. India overtook the score with three overs remaining, chasing 127 for victory. England chose to bat, and their innings got off to a poor start. Sophia Dunkley was at her best against Shree Charani in the third over. She hit the first ball beyond cover point for a boundary. Then worked a flighted delivery over cover for a six. Despite being costly in the opening two overs, Charani eventually got rid of Danni Wyatt-Hodge. Even though England continued to score goals, particularly when Tammy Beumont replaced Sneh Rana, the striking rotation was insufficient to keep the scoring rate under check. Radha Yadav's superb fielding in the second half limited the scoring rate, therefore the early inability to apply any pressure backfired. India England's attempts to hurry up were successful. By the 19th over, England had fallen to 110 for 7, as wickets continued to fall at a rapid pace. Sophie Ecclestone and Izzy Wong's sixes in the last over helped England cross the run-a-ball threshold, but the total wasn't competitive enough. In the powerplay, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma blasted from both ends. Destroying any chance England had of making the pursuit difficult for India. In just the first four overs, India reached 45/0. The third half-century opening partnership of the series had set the stage for a resounding victory, but England did manage the scoring pace for a few overs after that, even getting Shafali caught at backward square leg. Mandhana eventually retired as well, giving the short third fielder an advantage, but India held firm. Experienced professionals Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues ensured. There was no fear as they effortlessly rotated the strike on their way to their 42-run partnership for the third wicket. 4. The hosts were not too comforted by England's quick dism

England have made just one change to their squad for the decisive fifth Test of the 2025 series against India. All‑rounder Jamie Overton has been brought back into the 15‑member side for the match starting July 31 at The Oval. This is Overton's first involvement in Test cricket since June 2022. When he played his only Test for England at Headingley scoring a magnificent 97 and taking two wickets during that lone appearance. Standing at 6′5″, the Surrey paceman provides both batting depth and seam‑bowling options, making him an ideal candidate to help balance the injury‑stretched England seam attack. Skipper Ben Stokes had flagged the urgent need for fresh legs after the front‑line bowlers grinded through a gruelling 257 overs in the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford. Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and returning pace spearhead Jofra Archer have carried a heavy workload through the series to date. Woakes alone has bowled 167 overs, while Archer just returning from a four‑year break has compiled his heaviest outing ever at Old Trafford with 49.1 overs. Stokes acknowledged that after their exertions, rotation or reinforcement may be essential ahead of the turnaround to Oval. Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue already in the squad but unused at Old Trafford are the likely competition for places. Atkinson recently returned from hamstring injury with a strong outing in Surrey's Second XI. While Tongue has taken 11 wickets in the series so far but has struggled with consistency. The Oval Test Overton's inclusion is not only about workload management. As a local Surrey player, he brings familiarity with the conditions at The Oval. He rejoined Surrey permanently in 2021. After a loan spell, and has seen strong county form throughout the current season - and even featured for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025. Selectors have retained all 14 members from the squad that fielded at Old Trafford, with Overton being the single addition to the group. This inclusion r

The England U19s had a thrilling seven-wicket victory at Visit Worcestershire New Road to round off their Youth ODI series against India. The tourists won the series 3-2, but England earned the victory in the last match. After a superb bowling performance held India's strong batting lineup to 210 for nine. All six bowlers took wickets thanks to a great team effort, although Ralphie Albert (two for 24) and Alex French (two for 37) stood out. The only player to surpass 40 was RS Ambrish (66 not out from 81 balls). After that, England easily reached 211 for three with 113 balls remaining. Following Ben Dawkins's (66, 53) third consecutive sixty score, Ben Mayes (82 not out, 76 balls) and Thomas Rew (49 not out, 37) saw their team home at a canter. Following India's decision to bat, French and Matt Firbank each scored in their opening over as England's redesigned seam attack got off to a fantastic start. Before French took the crucial wicket of Vihaan Malhotra, Ayush Mhatre's fruitless series came to an end with a reckless flick to mid-on off Firbank. Malhotra. Who scored a brilliant century in the previous match, nicked a fantastic delivery to wicketkeeper Rew. This time, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, who scored 322 runs off 162 balls in the series' opening four games, lacked fluency. Prior to slicing Sebastian Morgan to deep third on 33 from 42. He was well-contained despite hitting Firbank for consecutive sixes. Alex Green, a seamer for Leicestershire, kept up the pressure and was rewarded. When Dawkins caught Rahul Kumar well on the long-leg rope. Albert quickly defeated the dangerous Harvansh Pangalia (24, 37) lbw, sweeping, as England started to spin. England U19s Ambrish was left to make sure the innings filled its 50 overs. After Albert added the wicket of Kanishk Chouhan, who was deftly stumped by Rew after being coaxed down the wicket. He achieved this by skillfully shepherding the tail for a half-century. Joe Moores' bottom-edged pluck at Deepesh Davendra

The visitors built a huge first innings total, largely due to a century from Pavan Rathnayake, and Australia A's hitters faced a searching test to salvage their two-game series against Sri Lanka A in Darwin. Sri Lanka A totally retaliated against rival captain Jason Sangha's decision to put them in by advancing to declare 486 for 6 on day two of the second four-day match, having started at 263 for 4. At the Marrara Cricket Ground on Monday, the hosts were 76 for 1 at stumps, with Jake Weatherald at 45 and Kurtis Patterson at 19. The first game was tied, leaving them with a mountain to climb to win the series. Nathan McSweeney, the former Test opener for Australia A, was bowled between bat and pad by offspinner Nishan Peiris for 12, failing to duplicate his excellent 94 from the first game. When Rathnayake returned at 43, he took full advantage of a perfect batting strip to reach 122 off 223 balls, his team's second century after Nuwanidu Fernando's 102 on the first day. Sonal Dinusha, who returned on five, joined the run-fest by reaching 88 off 191 deliveries. In 53 overs, he and Rathnayake contributed 170 for the fifth wicket. Rathnayake was tempted into a reckless clip to short midwicket by left-arm spinner Zanden Jeh, who was superbly caught low down by Oliver Peake, ending their stand. Dinusha and Sohan de Livera kept punishing the bowlers, scoring 40 runs in 14 overs when Patterson caught Dinusha at mid-on after he mishit a lofted pull. Zeh, a 22-year-old unknown who was the best of the eight bowlers deployed despite never having played state cricket at the highest level, took a third wicket as a result. As Australian officials continue to look for good left-arm spinners, the Queenslander was selected from the left-field for the opening match. De Livera finished 50 not out at the time of the declaration, being the fifth batter to reach a half-century or more. McSweeney was bowled between bat and pad after hitting two fours in his 20 balls. The home te

In a new step for developing leadership. Experienced fast bowler Shardul Thakur has been named captain of the West Zone team for the 2025 Duleep Trophy, Which starts on August 28. This decision was made by the zonal selectors on Thursday. It sets the stage for a tough and exciting tournament that kicks off the 2025-26 domestic season in India. Fans often call Thakur "Lord Shardul" because he performs well in tough situations. He has played in all formats for India and his leadership will bring a mix of calm and energy to the West Zone squad. West Zone has a mix of young talent and experienced players. Some key names in the squad are: Yashasvi Jaiswal - The left-handed batter is known for his exciting style and is making a name for himself. Shreyas Iyer - He's back after an injury and wants to prove himself for a place in the national team. Sarfaraz Khan - A top run-scorer in domestic cricket, he adds strength in the middle order. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shams Mulani, and Tushar Deshpande also make up a solid group. Notably, older players like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were left out. This might be a sign that the team is focusing more on younger players. As both have had trouble staying in the national setup. Shardul Thakur's captaincy is real and meaningful. He is known for his hard work and fight on the field. His strong performances in Tests. Especially in Australia and England, have made him a trusted player. In domestic cricket, his bold approach and smart thinking have worked well. His leadership will help players like Ashwin Kotian, Dharmendra Jadeja, and Shaunak Nagwaswala as they try to move up in the ranks. The Duleep Trophy is now more than just a local competition. It's a key event for players aiming to play red-ball cricket for India. Strong showings here often lead to selection in India A or even the senior team. The zonal format, which returned last season. Gives players a chance to play high-level cricket and represent

In a remarkable show of skill, consistency, and leadership, Shubman Gill has etched his name into Indian cricket history by scoring 754 runs in a single Test series - surpassing the long-standing record of 732 runs set by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. This achievement not only highlights Gill's prowess with the bat but also marks a significant milestone as he now holds the record for the most runs by an Indian in a Test series as captain. Gill, who was appointed as captain for the series following a phase of transition in Indian cricket, embraced the responsibility with remarkable maturity. His elegant strokeplay, tactical acumen, and relentless hunger for runs were on display throughout the series. From gritty knocks on difficult pitches to fluent centuries in pressure situations, Gill's batting performance was a masterclass in adapting to conditions and taking on the opposition. The record-breaking feat came during India's recent Test series, which saw them face a formidable opponent in a tightly contested battle. Gill opened the innings in each match and demonstrated his trademark composure and aggression. His standout innings included a scintillating double century in the second Test and back-to-back centuries in the fourth and fifth Tests - performances that were pivotal in turning the tide of the series in India's favor. What makes this achievement even more special is the company Gill now shares in the record books. Sunil Gavaskar's record of 732 runs in the 1971 series against the West Indies had stood tall for over five decades. Gavaskar's dominance during that era laid the foundation for Indian batting legacy, and now, Gill has carried that baton forward in the modern era. Cricket experts and fans alike have lauded Gill's incredible feat. Former cricketers praised his technical finesse, temperament, and ability to lead from the front. His calm demeanor under pressure and ability to rotate strike while accelerating when needed were the hallmarks of