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The young Royal Challengers Bangalore opener on what he learnt from Kohli, de Villiers and Finch, and his India goals

Interview by Vishal Dikshit13-Nov-2020Devdutt Padikkal, the 20-year-old Royal Challengers Bangalore opener, made his IPL debut this season and, with his elegant strokeplay, he even outscored Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, taking home the Emerging Player Award for his 473 runs, which included five half-centuries, from 15 innings. After returning to India, he talked to us about his unforgettable season, the things he picked up from Kohli and de Villiers, and the bowler he found the most challenging to face.Opening the batting for Royal Challengers, you had a crucial role in the powerplay. How did you plan your innings?
I was just looking to stick to my strengths and do what I do best. In T20 cricket, it’s important how the powerplay goes. We had our roles clearly defined, so it was important to get that opening partnership away at a decent rate. And, to an extent, we were able to do that.How and when did you come to know you’d be opening for RCB?
Simon Katich [RCB’s head coach] came up to me the day before the [first] game in the team room and he was like, “You’re going to be making your debut tomorrow”. It was a huge moment for me and I was really happy about it.You spent a lot of time in the middle with Kohli. You scored 345 runs together this season with four half-century stands. What did you learn from batting with him?
He makes your game easier and helps you build an innings. He knows exactly what to do in every situation because he is such an experienced player, he’s played so much good quality cricket, and he’s won so many things. Every time I batted with him, I could learn something new. It was a really great experience for me. I was just trying to take in as much as I can. I really enjoyed it.ALSO READ: IPL stats review: Uncapped Indians shine, overseas fast bowlers trump IndiansDo you remember any particular conversations with him out in the middle?
Yeah, during the Rajasthan [Royals] game, we were batting together and I got a fifty. We knew that for the next batsman coming into the chase it’s not always easy. It was important that I carried on. I was tiring a little bit and he kept pushing me to get those extra runs – whatever I could. He said it was important that I wouldn’t throw my wicket away at that point. That’s something he helped me out with in that innings.

Passion. Purpose. Progress. #Grateful pic.twitter.com/M7bUTRceND

— Devdutt Padikkal (@devdpd07) October 3, 2020

You also tweeted two pictures with Kohli – one from a while ago in which you’re receiving a medal from him and the other is a recent one in Royal Challengers colours. Can you tell us about the journey between those two photographs?
[The first one] was from a promotional event around five years ago. He [Kohli] had come to our academy [Karnataka Institute of Cricket]. A few boys from the academy were asked to go and play a match and he was there. Even Unmukt Chand [the former India Under-19 captain] was there. They were captains of two teams and I was part of Chand’s team. After that, everyone was given a medal and Kohli gave my medal to me.You didn’t bat with de Villiers as much as you did with Kohli, but you must have picked his brain during the tournament?
Yeah. He’s a special player. Just watching him bat is a treat for your eyes. Throughout the season, he kept telling me to stay in the zone and continue to do what I was doing. I remember when we were travelling back from the Mumbai [Indians] game in which I got the 70 [74], he sent me a text message saying, “Continue to do that and you’re playing really well, just stay in the zone and enjoy yourself”. That was really special because, coming from him, it was a great honour. I really enjoyed batting with him whenever I could because he makes your job so easy. He just takes on the bowlers from ball one and I enjoyed watching him.”I knew that when I came into the IPL, there will be big players around and I knew I’d want to be the one to take the responsibility”•BCCIIn a lot of the videos that the Royal Challengers posted on social media, it seemed like you had a good rapport with Aaron Finch, whom you also opened with quite a few times. What kind of a relationship did you build with him as the season went on?
He’s a really great person and I enjoyed spending time with him off the field as well. Like I said, all these experienced batsmen make your job easier. At the beginning of the tournament, we had this goal to have one of the highest opening partnerships of the season. I think we were third on the list after KL Rahul-Mayank Agarwal and Jonny Bairstow and David Warner, or second, I’m not sure [Padikkal and Finch were second with 444 runs behind Rahul and Agarwal, who made 671 runs together]. That’s something we were looking to do and we were able to do that, to an extent.You’ve scored a lot of runs in the last domestic season, but in the IPL, you were facing bowlers like Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins. Did you have to take your batting one level up to face these fast bowlers?
Yeah, it’s a different challenge compared to domestic cricket. But I knew I was prepared enough and we had put in three weeks of intense practice before starting the IPL.Which bowlers made you think, “I’ve never faced this kind of pace before”?
Pace, not really, because there are quite a few bowlers who are pretty quick in the domestic circuit as well. Probably the one bowler I felt was challenging was [legspinner] Rashid Khan, because he has really good pace and turns the ball at the same time. He’s not easy to pick. I think while facing him I felt like, “Okay, this is something I’m not used to.”ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra: Things that surprised me this IPLWhat kind of preparation did you put in with the Royal Challengers over the last two years? Mike Hesson, the RCB director of cricket operations, said in November last year that when you were with the team in 2019, you showed a lot of willingness to learn from the seniors around you.
It was more [about] the mental side of the game, because after a certain point the physical aspect is in a set place. Then it’s more about how you handle the pressure and the situation. So that’s what I was working on and whenever I got a chance, even in domestic tournaments, I wanted to make sure that I took responsibility and tried to take the team home even though there were some international cricketers in our Karnataka side. That’s something I really wanted to work on because I knew that when I came into the IPL, there will be big players around and I knew I’d want to be the one to take the responsibility.Which senior batsman or coach in the Royal Challengers set-up did you approach the most when you had questions or doubts?
To an extent, it was Simon Katich, because he was really approachable. Whenever I felt like there was something I needed to work on and if I had any doubts, I would go to him.You impressed everyone a lot with your strokeplay and flair, but statistics show that your strike rate dips after the powerplay. Did that bother you at any point? Did you feel it was something you needed to work on?
Definitely, sometimes you may not get the shots off the middle of your bat. That’s part of the learning and hopefully I can continue to work on that and keep improving. It didn’t really affect me too much because I knew that as I improve and learn, I can get better at that as well.You have got plenty of runs in domestic cricket for Karnataka and an Emerging Player Award in the IPL. What’s your next target?
Now the next step would be to play for the country. It’s something everyone dreams of as a cricketer, so I’m looking forward to doing that soon. I’ll continue to work on my game, continue to improve and, whenever I get the opportunity, I’ll take it with both hands.

Birmingham get back to winning ways after visiting Vikings lose last nine wickets for 68

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2024Birmingham 151 for 6 (Hain 53*, Thompson 4-31) beat Yorkshire 145 (Root 39, Lintott 3-15, Briggs 3-26) by four wicketsBirmingham Bears returned to winning ways after successive Vitality Blast defeats with a comfortable four-wicket victory over Yorkshire Vikings at Edgbaston.Vikings, who had won three of their first four games, were undone by spin, bowled out for 145 in 19.5 overs as Bears’ three twirlers harvested a combined 10-0-61-7. Joe Root, with 39 off 27, and Dawid Malan (38 off 27) lifted their side to a promising 77 for 1 but the rest folded against an attack led by Jake Lintott and Danny Briggs.Bears then reached 151 for ‘6 with 11 balls to spare thanks to violent contributions from Mousley (41 off 29) and Jake Bethell (32 off 15) and a wise one from Sam Hain who passed 4000 career T20 runs on his way to an unbeaten 53 from 40.Put in, Vikings soon lost Adam Lyth, who played on to Richard Gleeson, but Malan and Root supplied a vibrant start with a stand of 62 in 46 balls. Chris Woakes, on his first Bears appearance of the year, was roughly treated, not least by longtime England pal Root who lifted him for successive sixes into the Hollies Stand.The charge was emphatically stopped by the spin attack. Root sliced a slog at Briggs and sent a simple catch to short third, after which wickets fell regularly. Shan Masood reverse-swept Lintott’s first ball to point and Donovan Ferreira shovelled Mousley to mid-on. When Briggs returned to lure two more batters to their doom – Malan caught at extra cover and Jordan Thompson at long-off – five wickets had fallen in 35 balls.Guilty of some reckless shots, Vikings responded by playing some more. Lintott took advantage to bowl Matthew Revis through an ill-judged sweep and have Jafer Chohan stumped off a fey swipe. Dom Bess chipped Hasan Ali to cover and Conor McKer slashed Gleeson to third to leave the last nine wickets having fallen for 68.Unsurprisingly, Vikings started with spin and Dan Moriarty’s fifth ball drew a fatal top edge from Alex Davies before Bess’ seventh beat a Rob Yates slog and bowled him.Hain settled calmly though while Mousley was belligerent from ball one. He kept Bears ahead of the clock before perishing in pursuit of his third six of the evening, and 29th of his T20 career, when he heaved Thompson to deep square leg.While Hain quietly delivered the sort of intelligent, match-shaping innings of which he has played so many, Bethell got off the mark by pulling a Root long hop into the Hollies Stand. Bethell’s blistering cameo left Bears needing just 30 from 39 balls. He and Chris Benjamin fell to successive balls from Thompson, who added the scalp of Woakes to end end with 4 for 31, but Bears eased home to their fifth win in their last six Blast tussles with Vikings.

Bayern Munich are looking to pounce on the opportunity to lure Nico Williams to Bundesliga, amid lack of registration guarantees from Barcelona.

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• Bayern back in race for Nico Williams
• Plan to submit increased offer for Bilbao star
• Want to capitalise amid Barca's financial troubles

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to of Germany, Bayern Munich are intensifying their pursuit of Nico Williams, aiming to capitalise on the winger’s hesitation over a move to Barcelona. The Bavarians are on the lookout to bolster their attack, specifically the left wing, and are seemingly not giving up on the Athletic Club star just yet.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Bundesliga giants have reportedly increased their offer to €12 million net per season in a second bid to lure the Spanish international. While Barca and Williams have agreed on a six-year contract and are prepared to activate his release clause in the coming days, the deal remains stalled due to demands from the player's agent. With both Barca and Bilbao returning to training on July 13, a final decision is expected soon.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In their quest to sign a new winger, Bayern have been linked with numerous names over the past few weeks. They remain linked with Luis Diaz, another player on Barca's radar, while they also expressed interest in signing the Chelsea-bound Jamie Gittens. AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Dutch star Cody Gakpo are said to be in the frame, too. Meanwhile, speculation has been rife with Bayern's determination to get a deal over the line for Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade, although he is being looked at as a Harry Kane backup rather than an out-and-out winger.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  La Liga president Javier Tebas insisted on Tuesday that Barcelona are not in any sort of position to successfully register Williams, reiterating that the Catalans must return to the 1:1 financial rule before they can dream of new arrivals. Bayern, having lost Leroy Sane and with Thomas Muller set to depart, too, are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements. The situation will become clearer in the coming days, and it's anyone's guess as to where Williams ends up playing next season, despite his preference to play for the league champions.

The pair shared an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 76 off 46 balls to successfully chase down 138

Firdose Moonda30-Mar-2024Eighteen-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne scored her first T20I half-century as Sri Lanka levelled the three-match series against South Africa with a seven-wicket win in Potchefstroom. Gunaratne and Kavisha Dilhari shared an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 76 off 46 balls to successfully chase 138 after South Africa opted to bat first under stand-in captain Nadine de Klerk. This was Sri Lanka’s fourth-highest successful chase.Laura Wolvaardt, the regular skipper and match-winning centurion from the first match, was ruled out through illness but Anneke Bosch proved to be a handy replacement. She scored 50 off 32 balls and had support from Marizanne Kapp, with whom she put on 58 for the second wicket. South Africa were 84 for 1 in the tenth over when Bosch was dismissed, sparking a collapse. They lost their next seven wickets for 47 runs.The squeeze was started by Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu, who finished with 1 for 18 and an economy of 4.50, and the advantage was pressed home by seamer Achini Kulasuriya, who took 2 for 26. South Africa will be concerned with the three run-outs in their innings and that no one outside the top three, other than de Klerk, reached double figures. Debutant Karabo Meso, who is 16 years old and was part of the Africa Games squad that won the silver medal in Accra earlier this month, was dismissed for a second-ball duck by Athapaththu, who did more of a job with the ball than bat.Athapaththu was caught behind by Meso off Tumi Sekhukhune for 6 to leave Sri Lanka in early trouble on 25 for 1 after five overs. South Africa kept the pressure on through Chloe Tryon, who conceded just 4.66 runs per over, and bowled Harshita Samarawickrama at the halfway stage, with Sri Lanka still 82 runs away from victory.Gunaratne also saw experienced No. 4 Hasini Perera dismissed for 1 but held her own and struck eight fours on her way to 50 off 52 balls to put Sri Lanka within touching distance of the win. She went on to add another four and the only six of the Sri Lankan innings off what turned out to be the penultimate ball of the match. Sri Lanka reached the target inside 19 overs to leave the series balanced at 1-1 ahead of the decider in East London on Wednesday.

Rashid reiterated they’re happy to play the team, but have no direct control of things that happen beyond cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-20242:53

Rashid Khan: ‘Cricket is the only source of happiness back home’

Rashid Khan wishes “we could do something and wish there was a solution for it” but can’t do much about “some things which is not under the control of anyone in cricket.” The Afghanistan T20I captain was responding to whether beating Australia at the T20 World Cup on Saturday night in St Vincent gave them extra satisfaction.The backdrop to the question was in relation to Cricket Australia’s decision to not play Afghanistan bilaterally due to “a marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls” in the country. Earlier this year, Cricket Australia postponed a scheduled three-match T20I series with Afghanistan. CA have also postponed the hosting of a one-off Test for the same reason.”Well, we are sportsmen, and we love sports,” Rashid said at the post-match press conference. “People back home love sports. And I mentioned earlier, cricket is the only source of happiness back home. That’s the only source left in Afghanistan where people could celebrate. And if we keep that source away from us, I don’t know where Afghanistan will remain.Related

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• Khawaja: Australia 'should be playing Afghanistan'

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• Rashid after Afghanistan's win: One of our greatest T20 performances

“We sportsmen only think about the cricket. Everyone is saying sports bring the nation together and bring everyone together. So, for me, we’re always happy to play against any side, and that’s the only way where our cricket can improve day by day. Some things which are not under the control of anyone in cricket, and that’s something we can’t do anything about it. Wish we could do something, and wish that was a kind of solution for it, we would have been happy, but I don’t know what’s the solution for that.”Rashid had threatened to withdraw from the Big Bash League in 2023 after CA decided to postpone their ODI series. Rashid’s public stance joined a chorus of protests from Afghanistan’s male cricketers soon after ACB had termed CA’s statement over refusing to play Afghanistan due to the human rights crisis as “pathetic”.Rashid Khan reiterated Afghanistan are happy to play Australia•ICC/Getty Images

Rashid eventually softened his stance and put his name up in the drafts but was forced to miss the tournament through injury. On Sunday, Rashid reiterated they’re happy to play the team, but have no direct control of things that happen beyond cricket.”We’re happy to play any side, but as I mentioned earlier, some things, government, and political things, I don’t know much about these things, and I don’t like it as well. So, I have no answer for this, but my only thing always in mind is I love to play against the big teams. I love to travel all around the world to play and I have received so much so much love from everyone.”Whenever I go to Australia for Big Bash, I think I have got so much love and support from the fans there. They have given me so much love. In 2022 T20 World Cup, when we were playing in Adelaide against Australia, I got more support than them. And that was so satisfying.”Rashid reminisced the love and support he received in the aftermath of his father’s passing during the BBL in 2019, and termed fans in Adelaide [he plays for Adelaide Strikers] as “family”, while maintaining “cricket isn’t the solution for politics.””Playing in Australia, I’ve got massive support in every city. The hospitality I got in Australia, especially during the tough days in 2019 when my dad passed away, that was the hardest time for me when I was in Australia. And the amount of love and support I got from everyone in the team, and also the fans [was immense], I think I call them a family.”But as I said, I love to play all around the world. And those things which are not under the control, and cricket is not the solution, I don’t think we can bring sports into that. If there is another solution, you can take that. But don’t think cricket is the solution of politics and things like that.”So, yeah, if we play in the World Cup, why don’t we play in bilateral series? I think we’re happy to play against the best side. We learn from them. We get better day by day. But that’s the only thing I can say.”

Leeds United have issued an unreserved apology to fans after being told by German authorities that supporters will not be permitted to attend their pre-season friendlies in the country. Despite months of planning and written assurances from organisers, local police denied permits, leaving fans and the club frustrated just weeks before the Premier League restart.

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Leeds fans banned from attending Germany pre-season friendliesClub apologises after late U-turn by local German authoritiesSupporters can attend Stockholm, Dublin and Elland Road friendliesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Leeds arranged an eight-day pre-season camp in Germany ahead of their return to the Premier League. The club believed fans could attend and received written assurances from the German FA and tour partners. However, just a week before the tour, local authorities denied permits for public attendance, live updates, or streams, citing logistical issues post-Euro 2024. Leeds have now released an apology to their fans and told them not to travel to Germany.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT LEEDS' STATEMENT READ

On Friday morning, Leeds released a statement, which read: "Leeds United will travel to Germany in pre-season as part of preparations for the upcoming 2025/26 Premier League season, after the technical success of the camp last year helped us win the Sky Bet Championship title.

"Opponents and venues for fixtures were arranged earlier this year, and written assurances secured from both the German FA and our tour operator as well, given last summer we were asked at short notice by the police and local authorities not to bring supporters due to a resource strain following UEFA Euro 2024.

"Frustratingly, despite having matches agreed for a number of months, we have in the last week been informed that the police and local authorities will once again not grant a permit for us to play matches in front of spectators, will prohibit us from providing live updates and video streams, and have requested we discourage supporter travel.

"This comes despite multiple attempts to find a solution including offering various assurances, pursuing alternative scenarios that would allow for fan attendance, and even evaluating moving camp to a different location on short notice. Unfortunately, those efforts were fruitless due to the last second nature of our change in circumstances.

"This result is deeply frustrating to all of us, just as it is sure to frustrate and anger you, our loyal supporters, to whom we apologise unreservedly for this outcome.

"We remain excited about our summer friendlies against Manchester United, Villarreal CF, and AC Milan, with tickets available for all three matches, and the opportunity for supporters to travel with the team to Sweden and Ireland.

"Ticket information for our friendly against Villarreal will be released in due course."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This marks a second straight summer in which Leeds fans have been shut out of pre-season fixtures in Germany. Leeds attempted to explore alternatives, including relocating the camp, but were unable to secure a solution in time. The Leeds United Supporters Trust criticised the decision per the BBC, and is seeking formal clarification from the German authorities.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LEEDS?

The fans of the Premier League side can still attend three other friendlies: against Manchester United in Stockholm, AC Milan in Dublin, and Villarreal at Elland Road on August 2. Leeds will look to make the most of the closed training camp and focus on preparations before they kick off the 2025/26 Premier League season at home to Everton on August 18.

Well, that probably wasn’t the return from the international break that Tottenham Hotspur fans had been hoping for.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travelled to West London to try and get one over Chelsea in the Premier League last night, but instead of coming out swinging as they have so often, and sometimes to their own detriment, this season, they were utterly dismal.

Granted, it looked like Pape Matar Sarr had equalised in the second half, but he fouled Moises Caicedo in the buildup, and it was chalked off, much to the chagrin of the increasingly under-pressure Australian, who made his feelings clear after the game.

There were incredibly disappointing performances across the pitch for the visitors, but there was one player who might as well have stayed in the dressing room and, as such, has to be dropped ahead of the weekend’s game against Southampton.

Spurs' poor performers

Before getting to the player in question, it’s only fair we go over some of the other starters who let the fans down last night, as, unfortunately, there were quite a few, including Cristian Romero.

The fiery World Cup winner can sometimes be exactly the sort of player you want in an intense derby, but instead of marshalling the backline and making life difficult for the Blues’ attack, he seemed off the pace, overly emotional, and was running back towards goal more often than he should have been and picked up a 5/10 match rating from journalist Alasdair Gold.

However, there is an argument that the Argentine’s defensive partner, Micky van de Ven, had an even worse game at Stamford Bridge.

The former Wolfsburg gem was ironically starting his first league game since the reverse fixture against the Pensioners in December, and whether it was rustiness or something else, he looked even more lost than Romero.

For example, it was his clearance that came off Jackson early in the first half and almost opened the scoring, and then in the second half he was pulled out of position by the striker for Enzo Fernández’s goal and was fully deserving of the 5/10 rating he received from Gold.

At the other end of the pitch, it was another night to forget for the club’s record signing, Dominic Solanke.

The former Bournemouth star did make the right runs at times but simply wasn’t a factor for the vast majority of the game, and while he has to rely on the service of his teammates to an extent, the best strikers in the world will often make their own chances.

However, while the Basingstoke-born poacher was certainly ineffective, another starter was even worse and must be dropped.

The Spurs star who has to be dropped

In reality, you could make a serious argument about any of the aforementioned players being dropped for the weekend, but when it comes down to it, James Maddison put in the most frustratingly dismal display for Spurs last night.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The former Leicester City star, who is a part of the club’s leadership group, started in a midfield three with 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur, so while they can certainly help out with attacks, the onus to get the midfield ticking was on him.

Unfortunately, he did not achieve this in the slightest, and instead of pulling the strings and taking advantage of a Chelsea side who had won just four of their ten league games since the turn of the year, he practically disappeared from the encounter.

It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by Gold, who also awarded the Englishman a 5/10 on the night, writing that even when he did try to make something happen, ‘nothing came off for him.’

Unsurprisingly, his lacklustre showing is reflected in his statistics.

Minutes

81′

Expected Goals

0.05

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.06

Assists

0

Touches

41

Key Passes

1

Crosses (Accurate)

2 (0)

Shots on Target

0

Duels (Won)

5 (0)

Dribbles

0

Lost Possession

4

Offsides

2

In 81 minutes of inaction, the 28-year-old amassed a paltry combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.11, failed to score or assist a goal, took 41 touches but played just a single key pass, failed in 100% of his crosses, failed to take a shot on target, didn’t attempt a single dribble, lost the ball four times, lost 100% of his duels and was offside twice.

Ultimately, it was a dreadful performance from the entire Spurs team, but Maddison was particularly disappointing and, therefore, must be dropped from the starting lineup.

Walker repeat: Spurs in real danger of losing incredible £67m "monster"

The brilliant defender would be a massive loss for Spurs.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 2, 2025

As John Hastings is forced to retire at 33, we look at the several Australia fast bowlers who have debuted before the age of 25 and struggled with injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2017Bruce Reid played his last Test at just 29•Getty ImagesBruce Reid
Debuted at 22 years
Last international at 29 years
Games: 27 Tests, 61 ODIsIt was after left-arm quick Bruce Reid’s career ended prematurely that Australia began trying to protect young fast bowlers. Reid, who was 6.6-foot tall, became Australia’s spearhead in the mid 1980s and had an impressive average of 24.63. But his slight frame was put under too much stress by the rigours of fast bowling, and after repeated injuries, he played his last Test at just 29.Jo Angel
Debuted at 24 years
Last international at 26 years
Games: 4 Tests, 3 ODIsAnother 6.6-foot quick, Angel looked a dangerous proposition in his early career, particularly on wickets that offered extra bounce, such as the WACA, his home pitch. While it was below-par performances that saw him dropped from the team initially, it was a succession of injuries that prevented him from making a comeback. He lost some of his pace, though he was still able to have a successful first-class career.Damien Fleming picked up some strange injuries, such as a strained patella•PA PhotosDamien Fleming
Debuted at 24 years
Last international at 31 years
Games: 20 Tests, 88 ODIsDamien Fleming won a World Cup and had some memorable performances in ODIs, but in Tests, his career never took off the way some expected when he announced himself with a hat-trick on debut. Injuries were a major reason for that. When he retired, Christian Ryan wrote of Fleming, “Fleming injured body parts that sounded more like pasta dishes. A strained patella here, a swollen rotator cuff there. Then maybe a stiff neck for variety, or a broken finger, or a bout of knee tendinitis. Fleming had ’em all.”Nathan Bracken
Debuted at 24 years
Last international at 32
Played 5 Tests, 118 ODIsNathan Bracken was injured before he could even make his Test debut. He was in Australia’s touring squad for the 2001 Ashes, but had to go home midway due to a shoulder injury. He became a regular in the one-day squad, but then had to undergo knee surgery. His knee was in such bad shape, the doctor said that during the surgery the cartilage came off like “old paint peeling off a wall”. Despite that, Bracken managed a comeback in limited-overs cricket and even became the No.1-ranked ODI bowler in the world. He had to reduce his pace significantly and bowled with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps, relying on cutters and slower balls to restrict the batsmen and take wickets. A recurrence of his knee problems forced him to retire early.Shaun Tait’s shoulder-heavy action took its toll on his body•Getty ImagesShaun Tait
Debuted at 22 years
Last international at 32 years
Games: 3 Tests, 35 ODIs, 21 T20IsShaun Tait is one of the quickest bowlers to have played the game and bowled the second fastest recorded ball ever when he sent one down at 161.1kph in a 2010 ODI against England. But the quest for speed and a slingy, shoulder-heavy action took its toll on Tait’s body. Having played just three Tests, he quit the longer format when he was just 25. After further injuries, he retired from ODIs at 28 and focused just on Twenty20 cricket for the rest of his career.Mitchell Starc
Debuted at 20 years
Still active
Games: 36 Test, 68 ODIs, 22 T20IsAt just 27, Mitchell Starc is already being wrapped in cotton wool by Cricket Australia, rested from even series as high profile as one in India so that he can be fit for the Ashes. A list of his injuries provides explanation for the board’s caution. In his short career, Starc has injured almost every part of his right leg, his left knee and shin and sustained a stress fracture in his back. He’s been out for extended spells, the longest one being six months in 2015-16, when he underwent a second surgery on his right ankle.James Pattinson
Debuted at 20 years
Still active
Games: 17 Tests, 15 ODIs, 4 T20IsIn 2011, Australia fans had reason to feel optimistic, with Pat Cummins and James Pattinson both debuting and looking like they would form a dangerous pace attack in the ears to come. But Pattinson picked up serious injuries at an early age. In his short career, he has already spent 38 months out with injuries. A recurrence of chronic back problems ruled him out of the 2017-18 Ashes, and he only returned to playing first-class cricket this November.John Hastings suffered several injuries before a lung condition ended his career•Getty ImagesPat Cummins
Debuted at 18 years
Still active
Games: 5 Tests, 36 ODIs, 18 T20IsAnyone who watched Pat Cummins’ Test debut, against South Africa in 2011, would never have expected that seven years later, he would have played just 14 Tests. Cummins had pace and the ability to get seam movement at a young age, but injuries to his foot and back kept him out for long spells, and he did not play a second Test till 2017, when he made what he called his “second debut”. Australia were, understandably, cautious in ushering Cummins back to international cricket after his early injuries, only considering him for limited-overs games until the India tour in 2017. Since that tour, Cummins has had another back injury, which kept him out of a Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018.John Hastings
Debuted at 24 years
Retired from Tests and ODIs, active on the T20 circuit
Games: 1 Test, 29 ODIs, 9 T20IsJohn Wayne “Duke” Hastings started off on the Australian domestic circuit as a 24-year-old, burly fast bowler with an ability to contribute with handy lower-order runs. Hastings was not an express quick like a number of others on this list, but suffered a spate of injuries as his career progressed. Debuts for Australia in both ODIs and T20Is were followed by a serious shoulder injury that ruled him out of the entire 2011-12 season, after which he took to the county circuit, representing Durham and Worcestershire. His purple patch at the international level came in 2016, when his 29 wickets from 15 ODIs made him the top wicket-taker among pace bowlers for the year. A back injury in early 2017 led to his decision to retire from both first-class and List A cricket, and he joined a growing band of cricketers who ply their trade as T20 professionals in franchise competitions around the world. In 2018, a mystery lung condition led to his retirement from all forms of cricket.

Bangladesh started promisingly but then subsided as the hosts overcame a significant injury scare while Ben Stokes nears a return for England

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-20231:43

Pujara: Jadeja is more accurate than a bowling machine

–Fixtures | Squads | Points table | Tournament IndexTop Story: Jadeja, Kohli lead India to fourth win in a rowThe sameness to a Virat Kohli innings in a middling chase is no criticism of his batting. The beauty of it lies in the repetitive nature of it, a mark of his hunger to make every start count. On Thursday, it helped deliver ODI century No. 48, which takes him that much closer to the man who he hoisted on his shoulders on that famous April night in 2011, before delivering an epic line that made a country of more than a billion shed happy tears.Kohli’s knock, which turned into a race between his hundred and a victory towards the end, was preceded by a run-torrent from Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. The pair’s 88-run opening stand in a chase of 257, which seemed well short of a par score, was an exhibition of batting aesthetics dreams are made of. Rohit, with his lazy elegance, ferocious cuts and monstrous pulls did the early running, and Gill took over the mantle to slowly get into top gear.Click here for the full reportMatch analysis: Jadeja, the gladiator who goes to bankRavindra Jadeja again showed his value to India•Getty ImagesThe skills of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav are irreplaceable, but Hardik Pandya performs a role for India nobody else can do: a seam-bowling allrounder good enough to hold down his place for batting alone in many other sides. Pandya was down and getting treatment.Pandya tried to run in to bowl again, but eventually went off the field and off for scans, the results of which the whole nation will await. The anxiety around the injury is understandable. There are back-ups for the best of the batters, there are bowling back-ups, and the other allrounder has a like-for-like replacement. However, does anyone have the body of work the other allrounder has?There might be others answering to the job description of Ravindra Jadeja, but there aren’t many that are doing the job as well as him. Looking at his flamboyance, Jadeja will be the last person you’d think of as a banker, but that is what he is for India.Read the full piece from Sidharth MongaMust Watch: Kohli’s manufactured hundred2:13

Did Kohli chase his milestone? Pujara okay if it doesn’t hurt the team

News headlines India were given a significant injury scare against Bangladesh when Hardik Pandya left the field with an ankle problem, but Rohit Sharma was hopeful it wasn’t serious.
Ben Stokes feared his World Cup was over after picking up a hip injury shortly before the tournament began, but is now ready to return just as England need his inspiration to keep their campaign alive.
Allrounder Angelo Mathews and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera will join Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad as travelling reserves.