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The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the defending champions, have kept the majority of its championship core in an effort to duplicate their performance in the 2025 Indian Premier League. After probably the most successful season in IPL history in 2024, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are the defending champions going into the 2025 season. The majority of KKR's championship-winning core has survived the challenge of their big auction. But there have also been certain major changes. Instead of sporting purple, Gautam Gambhir now dons blue. The team's Indian core was fostered in large part by Abhishek Nayar. Most significantly, even if the position of captain has been given to competent individuals, it is not someone who fits the KKR mold. Strengths: Varun Chakravarthy's amazing purple patch is much of KKR's greatest strength. Every time he takes up the ball, the mystery spinner appears to have a hint of gold and is in the best form of his life. Despite his age of 33 and Sunil Narine's age of 36, together they constitute the team with the strongest pedigree in terms of spin attack. What is KKR's other strong suit? Ramandeep Singh, Andre Russell, and Rinku Singh are the three Rs. There are already two of these in place. KKR may have the greatest lower-middle order in the tournament, though, especially when you include the rapidly improving Ramandeep. Kolkata Knight Riders Weakness: Although the Knight Riders have been able to retain the majority of its core, there are still significant gaps left by the departing members. Despite having terrible roles in their championship victory, Phil Salt, Shreyas Iyer, and Mitchell Starc are no longer present. Shreyas remained unblemished in every run chase in 2024, Salt made sure that KKR had a dependable opener at last, and Starc performed excellently when it counted most. Although Spencer Johnson, Ajinkya Rahane, and Quinton de Kock are not slouches. Their T20I pedigree and form appear to have slightly declined. Particularly

LSG vs GT Match Prediction: LSG vs GT: The Gujarat Titans will host the Lucknow Super Giants in the 26th IPL 2025 match. Both teams are playing well. Both teams' batting lineups employ opposing methods, which makes this game potentially explosive. Currently leading the points table, GT has won four of their last five games and entered a four-game winning streak. With three wins in five games and two straight victories, LSG is not far behind either. In order to strengthen their batting in this match, LSG would hope that captain Rishabh Pant would find his form. Match Date and Time: Date: April 12, Saturday Venue: Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Time: 3:30 PM IST / 10:00 AM GMT / 03:30 PM LOCAL LSG vs GT head-to-head: Total Matches Played: 5 GT Won: 4 LSG Won: 1 Lucknow Super Giants predicted XII: Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), David Miller, Abdul Samad, Akash Deep, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, and Ravi Bishnoi Gujarat Titans predicted XII: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Sherfane Rutherford, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, and Prasidh Krishna LSG vs GT pitch report: Lucknow has been known for having a dry, spin-friendly surface. But thus far this season, it has resulted in two high-scoring games. This is a lunchtime game, so expect turn and grip for spinners, but expect another good pitch.

Test vice-captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz is expected to be available for selection in the second match of the current two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in Colombo. So Bangladesh can exhale with relief. Mehidy was rested for the premiere of the series after missing the two-day training session. Before the first Test in Galle because of an illness. There were some questions about his availability for the second Test as he had been absent from the ground for the first two days of the Galle Test. Mehidy, however, removed every doubt on Thursday, June 19, by attending the training. The all-rounder is reportedly making a full recovery from the fever and will probably be eligible for selection. A top-order batter Haque Anamul In the first Test. Bijoy took Mehidy's place but was ineffective, scoring a duck in the first innings. Mehidy surely will improve the team as one of Bangladesh's leading run scorers in Test cricket, particularly as the Colombo pitch is predicted to help spinners. June 25 is when the second Test is expected to start. Mushtaq Ahmed, a spin bowling consultant, left Galle on June 17 in advance of the current Test match, according to a BCB official. He is anticipated to return during the ODI series. Which starts in early July. In preparation for the Test series, Mushtaq had trained intensively with the spinners in Galle and Dhaka. "The contract between BCB and Mushtaq is based on the quantity of working days. He arrived during the preparatory stage and departed once his given duties were finished. On July 6, he will be back," Nafees continued.

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

South African spinner Keshav Maharaj has stormed back to the top of the ICC Men's ODI Bowling Rankings. After a scintillating five-wicket haul against Australia, reaffirming his status as one of the most lethal spinners in world cricket. In the opening ODI of the three-match series held at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns on August 19. Keshav Maharaj delivered a masterclass in spin bowling, claiming 5 wickets for just 33 runs in his 10-over spell. His performance dismantled Australia's middle order, turning what looked like a promising chase into a dramatic collapse. From 60/0, the hosts crumbled to 89/6 within nine overs, thanks largely to Maharaj's relentless accuracy and guile. The 35-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner removed key batters including Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, and Aaron Hardie. His spell not only earned him the Player of the Match award. But also propelled South Africa to a commanding 98-run victory, setting the tone for the series. This performance catapulted Maharaj to the №1 spot in the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings, overtaking Sri Lanka's Maheesh Theekshana and India's Kuldeep Yadav. Maharaj now holds 687 rating points, reclaiming a position he briefly held in late 2023. Ranking Shake-Up The latest rankings reflect a significant reshuffle. Kuldeep Yadav. Who had been holding the top spot, slipped to third due to India's lack of ODI fixtures since the Champions Trophy. Theekshana now sits second with 671 points. Other notable movers include West Indies' Jayden Seales. Who surged 17 places after a six-wicket haul against Pakistan, and Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed, who climbed 18 spots to joint-43rd. Interestingly, despite not playing ODIs recently, Indian pacers Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj have all gained a spot each, now ranked 13th, 14th, and 15th respectively. Ravindra Jadeja remains India's highest-ranked spinner at ninth with 616 points. Keshav Maharaj's Rise: A Testament to Consistency Maharaj's

In a significant development for Indian women's cricket, left-arm spinner Gouher Sultana has officially announced her retirement from all forms of the game. The Hyderabad-born cricketer, known for her accurate spin bowling and consistent performances, leaves behind a career that inspired many young girls to take up the sport. A Notable Career in Blue Gouher Sultana made her international debut for India in 2008 and quickly established herself as a reliable slow left-arm orthodox bowler. Across her career, she represented India in both ODIs and T20Is, playing against some of the toughest opposition sides in world cricket. Her ability to extract turn and maintain a tight line and length made her a dependable option in the middle overs. Sultana's spell of accuracy often broke partnerships and kept batters under pressure. She was also one of the few Indian women cricketers from the South Zone to gain prominence during the late 2000s, representing Hyderabad on the domestic circuit with distinction. Career Highlights One Day Internationals (ODIs): Gouher played 50 ODIs for India, claiming crucial wickets at an impressive economy rate. T20 Internationals (T20Is): She featured in 37 T20Is, contributing to India's rise in women's cricket during the format's early years. She was part of India's squads in multiple ICC tournaments, including the Women's Cricket World Cup and the T20 World Cup, where her experience proved valuable. One of her standout moments came against Sri Lanka Women in 2010, where she delivered a match-winning spell that showcased her control and temperament under pressure. Domestic Stalwart At the domestic level, Sultana was a mainstay for Hyderabad, guiding her side with both performances and mentorship. Her consistency in the Women's Senior One-Day and T20 tournaments often made her a top wicket-taker for her state. She also represented the India Red and India Blue teams in Challenger Trophy tournaments, further underlining her stature as one of the