LA Knight Riders beat Texas Super Kings (Photo Credits: Sportzpix)
Los Angeles Knight Riders entered the Major League Cricket 2026 Qualifier with a stunning six-wicket win over Texas Super Kings in the final league match of the season, securing second place on the points table with their third consecutive win.led by a restrained pursuit Colin Munro And Matthew Tromp helped LAKR chase down the target of 172 with five balls to spare, setting up a blockbuster qualifier against table-topping San Francisco Unicorns on July 15. Washington Freedom and MI New York will meet in the eliminator on the same day.After floundering in the middle of the campaign, the Knight Riders have found form at the right time and have emerged as genuine title contenders with three consecutive wins.Texas, meanwhile, suffered a disappointing end to its campaign, suffering its fifth consecutive loss, finishing the season at the bottom of the standings.
Monroe, Trump anchor clinical chase
Chasing 172, LAKR made a positive start despite Andre Fletcher struggling for flow. While Fletcher managed to score 26 runs in 30 balls, Munro dominated the opening partnership with a quickfire 62 runs in 36 balls and the duo added 87 runs to set the right platform.Texas briefly clawed its way back with three quick wickets, including that of Monroe, which provided a glimmer of hope.However, Matthew Tromp once again demonstrated his growing maturity with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 58 off just 28 balls. Sherfane Powell provided valuable support to end the chase peacefully without any further drama before Jason Holder joined Tromp.Tromp, who was named the Most Valuable Player, credited the confidence instilled by coaches Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo.“I went out there to play my natural game and it’s paying off,” Trump said. “We still have a long way to go. We’ve got two big playoff games. Hopefully, we can win the first one, then win the final and lift the trophy.”
Ranjane’s half-century is not enough for Super Kings
Earlier, after Jason Holder decided to bowl first, Shubham Ranjane put up a lone fight by scoring an unbeaten 51 off 34 balls.Although Faf du PlessisRiley Rossouw and Dianne Forrester all got off to fast starts, with no one converting it into a big score as Texas repeatedly lost wickets at crucial moments. Holder restricted Super Kings to 171 runs by taking 3 wickets for 33 runs.Reflecting on the defeat, Du Plessis admitted that his team fell well short of a competitive score.“On this wicket, you needed to score more than 180 to really feel ahead in the game. I thought we probably fell 20-30 runs short,” the captain said.Du Plessis also pointed to missed opportunities on the field and the team’s inability to capitalize on key moments throughout the tournament.“There was a lot of consistency in the way we played, but we kept missing those key moments at key moments. There were three or four occasions when we absolutely tied the game, and unfortunately, it went the other way,” he said.With the momentum firmly in their favor and the key batsmen peaking at the right time, the Knight Riders now enter the playoffs full of confidence as they chase their maiden MLC title against the high-flying Unicorns.
Two months after India won their third T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav was sacked as T20I captain. In came prolific run-scorer Shreyas Iyer, who had dominated the Indian Premier League in the last two seasons.
This was a strange statement from a player who has not played a single T20 match since December 2023. But then again, this is Shreyas, right? A player with tremendous confidence. His numbers in domestic cricket and the IPL justified another shot in India’s T20I setup, while his tactical acumen had long earned praise from teammates and coaches alike. There was little debate over whether he deserved a return. However, making him captain was a much bigger decision.
Shreyas was handed the captaincy of a world champion team and the dressing room was full of proven match winners. After seven matches, that confidence faced a brutal reality check.
Things have gone horribly wrong and naturally, the catastrophic consequences fall most heavily on the Captain. Shreyas Iyer became First Indian captain not to win in his first seven T20IsWhile the defeat in England is India’s worst bilateral performance in this format. After seven defeats, he has become the only Indian captain along with Shikhar Dhawan to have more defeats than wins in his account.
This is a major decline for a team that had not lost a single series between the 2024 and 2026 World Cups, despite winning the tournament on both sides. In fact, ever since losing in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, the Indian T20I team has been on a meteoric rise and has never seen such days before.
How the mighty have fallen
Shreyas Iyer remained without a win in seven matches on the UK tour (Reuters Photo)
But this is not actually the story of Shreyas Iyer. Captains show better results than any other team, but India’s collapse in Ireland and England speaks volumes about the people who have built this team as well as the man leading it. Gambhir and the selection committee decided to re-establish the T20 team that had recently won the World Cup. After seven matches, it’s fair to ask whether that reset has created more problems than it solved.
Now, before we get into all that, let me preface this by saying that it should not be forgotten that Gautam Gambhir’s methods in white-ball cricket have helped India win both the ICC white-ball tournaments during his tenure. What happened in Ireland and England happened in two bilateral series, and it won’t matter if India wins another ICC title next year.
Perhaps what is really worrying is that, for the first time, India have looked like headless chickens in two consecutive T20I series.
To see how bad things are at the moment, you have to take your memory back to Rahul Dravid’s India. great former cricketer Had decided on his players 18 months before the ODI World CupWhich was reflected in the team’s sensational unbeaten innings till the final. After a heart-breaking defeat in 2023, Rahul Dravid guided the Indian team to the T20 World Cup win in 2024, his only ICC trophy as the head coach of the Indian team. An incredible amount of data went behind that win. Dravid also sought data about wind speed in stadiums, said Himanish Ganju, a data analyst who worked with the team during that period.
It was perhaps a huge drop from the standards when the India captain had said earlier last week that he was unable to figure out the field placement in Ireland because the ground in Belfast was not a circle and had areas that we don’t usually see in cricket grounds. In England, India once again fell behind in preparation and failed to adapt to the conditions in all their T20Is.
This was almost a reflection of Shreyas Iyer, who perhaps did not get enough time to prepare and study after being announced as India captain. The announcement may not have come as a shock to him, but he certainly hasn’t changed, or underestimated, the demands of T20I cricket, a format he hasn’t played in for some years.
This tactical immaturity at the top has spilled over directly into the playing XI, creating a domino effect of bizarre selection dilemmas.
Patidar and chaos in batting order
Rajat Patidar ignored by the selection committee (PTI photo)
An unprepared captain is bad enough. Add to this a finicky team management, and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Take, for example, the problem of Tilak Verma. Everyone knows that India’s biggest strength, their ultra-aggressive batting unit, is also their biggest weakness. There are days when runs flow, and there are days when runs dry up just as quickly.
The main source of inconsistency of the batting unit is the top order, which often loses wickets while trying to provide aggressive starts. In 2024, India played Tilak Verma at No. 3, a direct antidote to this issue. If someone at the top of the order failed, Tilak had the ability to rebuild the innings before handing over to the finishers. Tilak Verma was fixed as India’s No. 3 in the T20 World Cup, but due to a miscalculation of India’s batting line-up, he was eventually shifted to No. 5. This may not have been his permanent position, as Tilak’s best innings in T20Is have come at No. 3, where he has two centuries and three fifties at a strike rate of 152.
Yet, for some unknown reason, the batsman finds himself at No. 6, often facing spinners at the start of his innings, which is considered to be his weak aspect of the game. The fight against spin is not Tilak Verma alone. India’s left-arm heavy batting unit was exposed by right-arm off-spin in the T20 World Cup 2026. One has to wonder whether the team management would have found a solution by now. Unfortunately for India, their biggest discovery in the T20 format turned out to be left-handed batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Well, they couldn’t control that.
However, this is where we encounter the elephant in the room: Selection committee ignored two-time IPL winning captain Rajat Patidar For the No. 3 or 4 spot, despite his proven spin-hitting ability. Ideally, Rajat could compete with Shreyas and Tilak for the middle-order spot, and depending on form, India could pick two of the three.
Instead, what did India do? He made Tilak Verma the vice-captain and Shreyas Iyer the captain, ensuring two places in the batting order. The selection committee did not consider the fact that Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan were at No. 1 and 3, and Sanju or Vaibhav were at No. 2. And there was no way they could have Shreyas bat lower than No. 4, which meant that despite being promoted to vice-captaincy, Tilak was always going to be set up for failure.
A simple solution to this entire problem could have been for a settled top-order batsman (like Ishan or Abhishek) to take over the captaincy of the Indian team on a temporary basis. After this, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Verma and Rajat Patidar can be given a chance in the middle order, and the rest of the line-up is as follows.
The confusion was not limited to the batting order. India repeatedly cut and changed their bowling combinations, searching for an all-round balance that was never accomplished. Roles shifted from one sport to another, specialists were asked to do jobs they were not chosen for, and teams were becoming unsure of their own identity.
Did Gambhir break the T20 team?
The result of all this is that India have failed to win a single match in two different T20I series. Viewed in isolation, it is completely meaningless; After all it is a bilateral series. But a deeper look reveals that the team management has not stuck to its process even once. After each game, they cut and changed, looking exactly like a panicked unit who didn’t have a Plan B or C if Plan A failed.
An orderly, coherent playing eleven is formed only when there is complete clarity at the top. This requires a leadership group that relies on stable, objective cricketing logic rather than chasing headlines or pursuing personal agendas. Unfortunately, Shreyas Iyer has stepped straight into a chaotic environment, where he is in dire need of solid, unbiased guidance, not a new experiment in every game.
Perhaps seven matches are not enough to assess a captain’s ability. They probably aren’t even good enough to evaluate a coach. But they are sufficient to evaluate a process. Right now, India’s process looks much less certain than it did two months ago.
One has to wonder, in their attempt to reset the Indian team for the next cycle, has the Indian selection committee and team management broken up an Indian team that didn’t really need fixing?
Rohit Sharma during a training session at Shivaji Park in Dadar in Mumbai. (file photo)
times of India. com in birmingham: Before she was spiced withMumbai Cha RajaSlogans of former Indian captain outside Edgbaston Cricket Ground Rohit Sharma Had to stay in the sun for a long time on Sunday. As seven members of the ODI squad trained for the second day ahead of the start of the series on July 14, it was the 39-year-old’s nearly hour-long batting session that stood out.Rohit started the two-hour session with fielding practice before heading to the nets for batting activity. With the assistance of fielding coach T Dilip, Rohit spent a lot of time preparing himself for the long stay in the sun.as ODI captain Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli And as KL Rahul continued his long batting in the nets, Rohit went to the sidelines and chatted with the rest of the Indian contingent, which included -Kuldeep YadavWho was waiting for his turn to bat.
Rohit Sharma trains in Birmingham. (Photo Courtesy: Tanuj Lakhina)
When the trio of batsmen moved away, Rohit proceeded to take possession of the net next to Gurnoor Brar. After looking uncomfortable on the first ball, the former Indian captain decided to change ends.Rohit, who was looking in good form after this move, asked the support staff for another change. With spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule joining in on the practice session, the Indian throwdown specialists – Nuwan Senaviratne, Dayanand Garani and Raghavendra alias Raghu – worked closely with the Edgbaston ground crew to untangle the net webbing.Rohit then spent the next half an hour playing in the open-net match simulation format. Keeping the fielders to his right on the off side, Rohit breached the gap on several occasions and even sent the security team to fetch a ball that had snuck down the outside fence.Rohit, looking quite satisfied with his performance as things progressed, ended his batting session at quarter to four, three hours after the team’s arrival at Edgbaston.Kohli in rhythmEarlier, 37-year-old Virat Kohli faced some fast, stinging balls Jasprit BumrahBrar and a young seamer from a local club in Birmingham.
Virat Kohli trained before the first ODI. (Photo Courtesy: Tanuj Lakhina)
After devoting most of his opening batting session on Saturday to dealing with spin, Kohli began Sunday’s session taking on the seam bowlers as KL Rahul and Gill shared the responsibilities alongside him.In a high-intensity batting session, Kohli looked nervous against the seamers, before getting on with the spinners and finding his composed temperament.For the second consecutive day, after the practice session ended, Kohli stood on the sidelines and shared his learnings. If it was Shubman Gill on Saturday, it was Brar’s turn on Sunday. The 26-year-old seamer asked for suggestions and ‘King’ was ready to impart wisdom.The team, which also includes members of the T20I squad who were in Southampton for the fifth T20I, will undergo their final practice session on Monday (July 13) before the series begins the next day. This will be followed by a three-match series in Cardiff (July 16) and London (July 19).
Yastika Bhatia became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s as India tightened their grip on a historic one-off women’s Test against England on the third day, before Kranti Goud led the charge with a devastating new-ball spell that sent the hosts to defeat.
Thanks to Bhatia’s brilliant inning of 113 runs in 158 balls, India declared the innings at 341 runs for seven wickets in its second innings, giving England a challenging target of 457 runs. At stumps, the home team was 130 for six, still needing 327 runs with only four wickets remaining.
The left-handed batsman started the day on 39 runs and produced one of the best innings of her career by playing brilliant strokes with patience. She reached her half-century with a trademark straight drive and continued to use her legs confidently against the spinners before scoring a historic century, etched her name in Lord’s history.
Richa Ghosh then carried the innings forward with an unbeaten 50 off just 52 balls, forcing India to declare the innings just before tea.
Needing to chase the record, England’s hopes suffered an immediate blow when Goud hit a four off the very first ball of the innings. Tammy Beaumont’s farewell international innings ended on a disappointing note as the fast bowler bowled a ball that turned sharply back and disturbed her stumps.
Goud continued to take advantage of the favorable conditions and struck again when Heather Knight’s final international Test innings ended on 13, caught by Richa Ghosh at short leg.
Sayali Satghare matched Goud’s intensity at the other end, trapping Maya Boucher LBW on a dramatic return ball. England found themselves in trouble at 34 for four as India’s fast bowlers picked up the pace during the evening session.
Amy Jones offered resistance with an unbeaten 52, while Maddy Villiers made 26 during a struggling 67-run partnership for the sixth wicket that delayed India’s march to victory.
The partnership was eventually broken by another sharp moment in the field when Richa Ghosh completed an excellent catch at silly point to dismiss Villiers.
India in command
Earlier in the day, India lost the wickets of Smriti Mandhana (70), Jemimah Rodrigues (3) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (16), but Bhatia ensured the visitors never lost control.
After repeatedly questioning the Indian middle-order, England spinner Sophie Ecclestone took five wickets, while Lauren Bell impressed with disciplined seam bowling.
However, this day firmly belonged to India. Bhatia’s history-making century set the stage before Goud and Satghare dismantled England’s top order, making the visitors favorites to pull off a famous victory on the final day in the first women’s Test at Lord’s.
India batsman Yastika Bhatia (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Yastika Bhatia’s record-breaking maiden century took India Women to the brink of a historic first Test win at Lord’s after a dominant third day, but the bowlers restricted England to 130/6 in pursuit of an impossible target of 457.Just four wickets away from creating history at the Home of Cricket, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side ended the day firmly in control despite spirited resistance from the lower order of Amy Jones and Mady Villiers.
Yastika created history in the house of cricket
Starting the third day with a good first innings lead, India continued to pile on the runs despite England enjoying a better opening session with the ball. Lauren Bell dismissed Smriti Mandhana (70) early before also dismissing Jemimah Rodrigues. After this, Sophie Ecclestone trapped Harmanpreet Kaur LBW, due to which England made a brief comeback in the match.However, Yastika Bhatia remained unfazed. Displaying remarkable composure and brilliant strokeplay, the left-handed batsman scored her maiden Test century and became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s. Her memorable innings of 113 runs off 158 balls also became the highest score by an Indian woman in the third or fourth innings of a Test match.England spinner Sophie Ecclestone fought tirelessly to complete her fourth five-wicket haul in the women’s Test, but India remained dominant due to a lack of support at the other end.
Richa Ghosh provides late night fireworks
After Bhatia’s departure, wicketkeeper-batsman Richa Ghosh brought new momentum to the innings by attacking the England bowlers with a quickfire 50 not out from 52 balls. With India’s lead exceeding 450, captain Harmanpreet Kaur declared the innings at 341/7, giving England a mammoth target of 457 runs to survive or chase.
Indian fast bowlers destroyed England’s top order
India’s bowlers wasted little time in consolidating their hold on the contest.Debutants Kranti Gaur and Sayali Satghare produced another brilliant spell with the new ball and dismissed openers Tammy Beaumont and Maia Boucher within the first four overs. Beaumont’s dismissal also marked the end of her international career, while former captain Heather Knight, who was playing her final Test before retirement, was later dismissed by Kranti Goud and received a guard of honor from the Indian team as she walked out.England’s problems worsened when Sneh Rana beautifully bowled Nat Sciver-Brunt before Sayali breached Ellis Capsey’s defence, reducing the hosts to 59/5.
Jones, Villiers delay the inevitable
When India looked set to seal the match on the third evening, Amy Jones and Mady Villiers displayed a determined performance. The two made a strong partnership of 67 runs, which frustrated the Indian attack and kept England’s hopes alive for some time.The stand was eventually broken in spectacular fashion as Richa Ghosh took a brilliant close-in catch at silly point off the bowling of Sneh Rana to dismiss Villiers. Jones continued his resistance, scoring a serious half-century, but England still ended the day in deep trouble at 130/6, needing 327 runs with only four wickets remaining.
Former India head coach Rahul Dravid has emerged as one of the contenders to replace Brendon McCullum as England’s Test coach after the New Zealander was relieved of his duties following the team’s poor performance in the longest format.
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, Dravid is among the shortlist of candidates that also includes former England coach Andy Flower and former England spinner Richard Dawson.
McCullum’s four-year tenure as England’s Test coach ended after the team’s 2–1 home series defeat to New Zealand. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it believes the time is right to make a change ahead of next year’s Ashes, although McCullum will remain as head coach of England’s ODI and T20I teams.
Dravid in the mix
The report describes Dravid as an attractive candidate due to his astute coaching style and extensive experience across all formats.
The 53-year-old inspected one of the India’s most successful recent stagesGuiding the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and the 2023 World Test Championship final. His work with the India senior team and age-group teams has earned him widespread praise for player development and long-term planning.
However, reports state that Dravid is not keen to return to a full-time coaching role.
Rahul Dravid may only be tempted to become the coach of the Test team. (Image: Reuters)
The Daily Telegraph reported, “Dravid has no desire to take up coaching full-time, but the England Test job would give him the chance to stay at home longer and help keep his favorite format of the game alive. At the very least, England should assess his interest.”
other candidates
former zimbabwe captain andy flowers It is understood that he is one of the strong contenders for this role. Flower remains England’s most successful coach in the modern era, leading the team to three Ashes series wins and the No. 1 Test ranking.
Richard Dawson, currently the head coach of Glamorgan, remains controversial in county cricket despite earning a reputation as a tactically astute coach.
The names of Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara, England Lions coach Andrew Flintoff, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson and former Australia coach Justin Langer are also being considered as England begin the search for a new Test coach ahead of the crucial Ashes cycle, the report said.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam during a practice session before the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (PTI photo)
Pakistan fielding coach Shane McDermott has resigned ahead of the team’s upcoming tours of West Indies and England, ending his tenure in the post for almost a year.News agency PTI quoted sources as saying that McDermott will not travel with the team for any tour.It is expected that PCB may appoint Mansoor Amjad in his place. Amjad has worked as a fielding coach with Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19 team.“Mansoor Amjad, who has been the fielding coach of Pakistan Shaheens and Under-19, is likely to replace McDermott,” PTI quoted a source as saying.Pakistan are scheduled to leave for the West Indies on Monday for a two-Test series before traveling to England for a three-Test series.PCB has not given any reason for McDermott’s resignation. His exit is the latest in a series of foreign coaching staff leaving Pakistan cricket without any official explanation.In recent years, trainer and physiotherapist Cliff Deacon left his role, while former head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie also resigned.McDermott joined Pakistan in 2025 after replacing Mohammad Masroor as the national team’s fielding coach. His first assignment was Pakistan’s three-match T20I series in Bangladesh in July 2025.Before joining Pakistan, McDermott worked as an assistant fielding coach with Bangladesh for three years and spent three years in a similar role with Sri Lanka.In the last few years, many foreign coaches, trainers and physiotherapists have been coming and going in Pakistan cricket. One of the most notable exits came in 2019, when Steve Rixon resigned after differences with the board.The Pakistan men’s team has also changed several fielding coaches since Mickey Arthur’s first tenure as head coach, when improving fitness and fielding became a major part of the team’s approach.
India’s white-ball plans have suffered a significant blow after a double blow to their bowling department during the closing stages of the Twenty20 International series against England at Trent Bridge. With fast bowler Harshit Rana and spinner Varun Chakravarthy both ruled out with hamstring injuries, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Prince Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi as immediate replacements for the upcoming assignments in England and Zimbabwe.
The injuries occurred during a grueling third T20 match in Nottingham. Rana reported sudden onset of restlessness In his right hamstring. Subsequent diagnostic scans revealed a Grade 1 hamstring injury, automatically ruling him out of the upcoming three-match One Day International series against England. Rana will return to India to report directly to the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) for structured rehabilitation and assessment.
In a stroke of bad luck, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy also suffered a similar trouble during the same match, experiencing sudden discomfort in his left hamstring. His MRI scan presented a more serious diagnosis, confirming a grade 2 hamstring injury. Following advice from medical experts, Chakraborty has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I tour of Zimbabwe. Like Rana, he will go straight to the CoE to begin his recovery process.
The selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar has moved quickly to fill the vacancies. Prince Yadav has been given a big chance, he has been included in place of Rana in the ODI team against England. The Delhi fast bowler has been in strong recent form, catching the selectors’ attention with a 16-wicket campaign for Lucknow Supergiants in the IPL before playing in the recent home ODI against Afghanistan and T20I in England.
Meanwhile, veteran leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi has replaced Chakravarthy for the T20Is in Harare. Bishnoi has been recalled to the squad just days after being dropped from the playing XI for the third T20 match, which was a direct result of a poor performance at Old Trafford, where he conceded 60 runs in four boundary overs.
The squad amendments come at a crucial juncture. The England ODI team, captained by Shubman Gill and featuring experienced Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will try to regain its rhythm before the first match at Edgbaston. Shreyas Iyer will serve as Gill’s vice-captain for the 50-over phase, before taking over the full captaincy reins for the T20 side that travels to Zimbabwe later this month.
India would like to end its losing streak on the UK tour. On Saturday, England secured a 4-0 series win over India, ousting them from the top of the T20I rankings.
India’s updated squad for England ODI: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav.
San Francisco Unicorns topped the Major League Cricket standings and booked their place in the semi-finals in a thrilling chase of 191 against Seattle Orcas thanks to a sensational late strike from Hasan Khan.With 47 runs needed from the last four overs, the contest was still tied before Hasan decisively turned it in the Unicorns’ favour. The left-handed batsman made an unbeaten cameo and hit consecutive sixes on Tanveer Sangha before getting out. marcus stoinis The chase was completed in style with a sequence of six, four, four and six in the next over.The win not only clinched San Francisco’s spot in the semi-finals but also ended Seattle’s hopes of reaching the playoffs.Earlier, while chasing the target, Unicorns were playing comfortably at 99 runs for 1 wicket after 10 overs. finn allen Set the tone with another aggressive innings, racing towards a half-century with his trademark leg-side hitting, while Matt Short provided solid support.However, the momentum changed after Allen’s dismissal. Jasdeep Sangha adjusted his line after two wides and unleashed an aggressive stroke to short, with Stoinis taking a sharp catch at cover to remove the opener. It was an eventful evening in the field for the Australian, who first took a brilliant overhead catch at mid-on to dismiss Luan-Dre Pretorius.Despite having the wicket in hand, San Francisco slowed down considerably during the middle overs and managed only 32 runs between the end of the 11th and 16th overs. Short, who rose from 27 off 20 balls to 35 off 31 balls during that period, struggled to maintain the scoring rate before chasing down the target with back-to-back boundaries. His dismissal briefly tilted the tie in Seattle’s favor before Hasen mounted a decisive counterattack.Seattle’s bowlers were also felt by the absence of the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Otniel Bartman, who left the competition due to other commitments. Dasun Shanaka was another notable absentee.Earlier, Seattle bounced back nicely after slipping to 34 for 3. Matthew Britzke Shimron Hetmyer led the fight with a brilliant innings adding 65 runs in just 32 balls. Bretzke hit four sixes and three fours, with an inside-out six off Aaron Hardy being the highlight of his innings.Hetmyer’s tenure ended when Xavier Bartlett completed an excellent catch at long-on, hitting a powerful shot out of the air. Both Bartlett and Hetmyer looked stunned after seeing the catch, with the batsman leaning on the pitch in disbelief.
Do you believe Otniel Bartman’s absence affected Seattle’s ability to secure a win?
After this Bretzke made another important partnership with Stoinis. The South African brought up his half-century off just 24 balls, but Stoinis took time to get going and scored just 11 runs from his first 13 balls. Peter Siddle finally broke the situation by dismissing Britzke, while Ali Shaikh was run out on the very next ball.Stoinis scored 49 off 35 balls with the help of Cameron Gannon, who hit consecutive sixes off Hardy, helping Seattle score 190.Nevertheless, Britzke later admitted that his team had weakened.At the half stage, he believed Seattle were “30 runs short”, a prediction which ultimately proved accurate as the Unicorns met the target to top the table.San Francisco will now join the Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York and Washington Freedom in the playoffs.
Alexander Zverev finally buried his Grand Slam demons at Roland Garros last month, but an even tougher test awaits him at Wimbledon. Standing between the German and a second consecutive major title are world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, who have turned their rivalry into one of the most one-sided contests on the ATP Tour.
Zverev reaches Center Court chasing another piece of history Becomes the first German since Boris Becker to win a Grand Slam titleDefeated Flavio Cobolli in a thrilling five-set French Open final. After carrying the tag of the best player for years without ever winning a major, the 29-year-old now has a chance to become the first man in the Open era to win another major the very next year after his first Slam win.
Yet, unlike Paris, where she faced a Grand Slam finalist for the first time, Sunday’s challenge promises to be far more difficult. Over the past two seasons Sinner has not only emerged as the dominant force in men’s tennis, but he has also enjoyed almost complete control of his rivalry with Zverev.
The Italians have beaten the Germans in each of their last nine meetings, which has turned what was once a close battle into a tough mental hurdle. More notably, Sinner has not dropped a set in any of their last six meetings, winning 14 consecutive sets against Zverev in the Wimbledon finals.
Sinner in another Wimbledon final
Can Jannik Sinner win back-to-back titles at Wimbledon? (Reuters photo)
If there were any doubts over Sinner’s form following the heart-breaking defeat in Paris, the defending champions have answered them with a bang at the All England Club.
The 24-year-old gave arguably his most complete performance of the fortnight in Friday’s semi-final, Beating seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Sinner served 16 aces, hit 40 winners and, surprisingly, faced only one break point in the entire match.
The straight sets victory was even more impressive considering Djokovic’s run to a record 15th Wimbledon semi-final. The Serb survived a marathon quarterfinal of five hours and 15 minutes against Felix Auger-Aliassime, the longest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history, but found himself overwhelmed by Sinner’s relentless baseline game and clinical serving.
Sinner’s reach to his second consecutive Wimbledon final has underlined why he remains the man to beat on grass. With each passing round, the defending champion is looking sharper, calmer and more comfortable on the surface that brought him glory a year ago.
For Zverev, the numbers read grim. It’s hard enough to recover from nine consecutive losses; The fact that Sinner has not won a single set during that run increases the scale of the challenge awaiting the German.
Can Zverev snap the streak?
Zverev’s journey to his first Wimbledon final has been impressive. The third-seeded German produced his best tennis performance on grass and booked his place in Sunday’s title clash with a straight-sets victory over British wildcard Arthur Ferry in the semi-finals. Her fast serve and aggressive groundstrokes proved too much for the home favourite.
The timing could hardly have been better. Freed of the burden of chasing that elusive first Slam, Zverev appears to be playing with a new confidence and clarity. His powerful serve and willingness to attack make him a natural fit on grass when everything clicks.
But Wimbledon presents a challenge similar to the one he faced in Paris. Roland Garros pitted him against an inexperienced Koboli in his first major final; The Central Court will not provide any such facility. Beyond the net stands the reigning champion and world No. 1, who has repeatedly found answers to Zverev’s questions.
Papi’s dominance extended beyond the scoreline. Their recent meetings have highlighted the Italian’s ability to absorb Zverev’s power and redirect it with gusto, particularly through his backhand. Time and again, whenever the pair have shared the court, the top seed has looked physically fresh and tactically a step ahead.
For Zverev, Sunday’s final is about more than adding another trophy to his cabinet. It’s a chance to prove that his success at Roland Garros was not a one-off and that he belongs with Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the pinnacle of men’s tennis.
However, ending a nine-match losing streak against the world’s best player could prove to be the toughest challenge of his career.
