After missing the last season for fitness concerns, Jofra Archer is set to make a comeback in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The England pacer has an impressive IPL record and his potential return has sparked interest from Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, both of whom are looking to rebuild their squads. With his wicket-taking ability and explosive batting skills, Archer will be a top target in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.
According to Lalit Modi, architect of the Indian Premier League, the England and Wales Cricket Board's projections on the profitability of The Hundred are not realistic. He argued that the tournament will not be able to attract international viewership like the IPL and doubts the ECB's plans to attract Indian investors. Modi's tweets and charted numbers show that The Hundred franchises are not worth the amounts projected by the ECB.
With Royal Challengers Bangalore yet again failing to win the IPL title, former England captain Kevin Pietersen has suggested that star batsman Virat Kohli should consider joining the Delhi Capitals. Pietersen believes that Kohli deserves a trophy and suggests that the move to Delhi could also allow the Indian skipper to spend more time with his family. Delhi Capitals, who have never won the IPL, have a strong and talented squad and could prove to be the perfect team for Kohli to end his title drought.
The English and Pakistani teams will compete in a four-match T20I series in Leeds, England as part of their final preparations for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. The English team will see the return of star pacers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, while the majority of the players in both teams are coming off impressive performances in the Indian Premier League. The series promises to be a thrilling clash between two top teams, with England having the upper hand with a dominant win in the 2022 World Cup final.
Despite his success in the IPL, England Captain Jos Buttler believes there should never be any international cricket games scheduled during the same time as the IPL. He was quick to turn the focus on the ongoing T20I series against Pakistan, stressing the importance of preparing for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Buttler's concerns were further highlighted as the first T20I match against Pakistan was called off due to rain, but he remains optimistic about the remaining matches in the series. Additionally, fans can keep up with the latest updates on IPL 2024 and other cricket news.
The IPL 2024 edition is set to be held entirely in India, starting on March 22. Despite the coinciding general elections in April and May, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has confirmed that the tournament will go ahead in the country. The schedule for the first 15 days will be released first, with the rest to be decided after the general election dates are announced. This confirmation comes after the 2014 and 2019 editions were partially and entirely held in other countries respectively due to election clashes.
Sourav Ganguly, a lifelong supporter of pace bowling and sporting tracks, expressed his views in favor of preparing pitches that allow bowlers of all genres to thrive rather than just spinners. Ganguly, who had previously shared a similar opinion during India's home series against Australia, believes that the overall batting quality has suffered in the past years due to pitches with quick results in mind. He is confident that India will still be able to win matches even on good batting tracks.
Ravindra Jadeja's impressive unbeaten 110 and a solid partnership with captain Rohit Sharma helped India reach 326/5 at stumps on Day 1 of the third Test against England in Rajkot. Jadeja was also accompanied by nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav, who remained unbeaten at 1. Earlier, Mark Wood and Tom Hartley took early wickets, but Jadeja and Sharma's partnership brought India back in the game.
MI Emirates, one of the top teams in the International League T20, has made a surprising addition to their roster for the playoffs - English pacer Reece Topley. This comes after Topley withdrew from the upcoming PSL due to a precautionary measure by the ECB. Fans are speculating that the injury reports were a cover-up for Topley's participation in the ILT20 playoffs.