England and West Indies, both former champions, prepare for a critical Group C match in the T20 World Cup after contrasting performances in their opening games. England seeks a more convincing win after a narrow escape against Nepal, while the West Indies aim to continue their strong start.
England faces Nepal in their T20 World Cup opener, hoping to shift focus from off-field issues surrounding captain Harry Brook. Nepal aims to make an impact after a strong showing in the previous edition.
Sam Curran claimed a hat-trick as England beat Sri Lanka by 11 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method in their rain-marred opening Twenty20 International in Pallekele on Friday.
Form and familiarity favour India in T20 World Cup
One marvelled at the freedom with which the Nepal batters played. They trusted their strokes, ran hard between the wickets, and refused to be overawed.
Sri Lanka overcame Jamie Overton's late assault to beat England by 19 runs in the opening one-day international in Colombo on Thursday.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
Batters Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox have been axed while seamer Saqib Mahmood could not retain his place either.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
Washington Sundar's bold prediction that the visitors would seal the win 'probably in the first session' turned into a haunting soundbite, as England staged a spirited comeback to snatch a 22-run victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.
'Some bonds don't change with the franchise, they last a lifetime'.
Buttler admitted that the new environment around him feels different, but he is "excited" to take up something "fresh and interesting".
As GT prepares for the playoffs, the team will be hoping that players like Rutherford can continue their form and help fill the void left by Buttler's departure.
The joy of watching Buttler is in him using his batting acumen to the fullest. He's got the big shots but he knows when to pull them out, his presence of mind and craftiness in pacing his innings is another of his plus points.
GT not worried about Buttler's absence in playoffs, confident others will make big impact: Wade
British media reports said all 10 English players involved with the IPL will hold a meeting with the Professional Cricketers' Association over security arrangements for a potential return to India.
West Indies finished on 167-9, with Romario Shepherd caught on the final ball of the match.
'And obviously two losses and being out of the tournament and a bit of hangover of the few tournaments before I think it probably reached the end of the road foe me and my captaincy, is a shame, I'm sad about that.'
Jos Buttler top-scored again as England chased down an imposing target and beat West Indies by four wickets in the second T20 International on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead.
Gujarat Titans senior batter Jos Buttler admitted he was "embarrassed" after dropping Royal Challengers Bengaluru opener Phil Salt during their IPL match. However, Buttler made amends by smashing 73 not out off 39 balls, leading his team to an eight-wicket victory. Buttler's knock was marked by creativity and aggression as GT chased down the target of 170 in 17.5 overs.
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson says he is still not over Jos Buttler leaving the team and wishes the IPL would change its rule of releasing players every three years.
Chasing 326 for victory, England were bundled out for 317 with Afghanistan batter Ibrahim Zadran smashing a superb 177 and pacer Azmatullah Omarzai grabbing a five-wicket haul.
Jos Buttler is relishing the experience of batting with freedom, the Gujarat Titans player said after his match-winning knock against Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 55.
Despite a spirited effort, England fell short by 15 runs, losing the match and with it, the T20I series.
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
Jos Buttler, relieved after stepping down as England captain, is thriving in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Gujarat Titans.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad on Saturday
Four-Test-old all-rounder Jacob Bethell was awarded his maiden central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which offered two-year deals to 14 multi-format cricketers, including Test captain Ben Stokes and injury-plagued pacer Jofra Archer.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
Gujarat Titans produced an excellent all-round show to beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by eight wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday.
'There's now a huge opportunity for everyone in the dressing room and those outside to put their hand up and say they want to be part of these white-ball teams.'
Pakistan's veteran batter Babar Azam surpassed Rohit Sharma's world record for the most runs by a batter in T20 Internationals.
Play was called off following a long delay after England's innings, in which the tourists scored 153-6 in 20 overs on a difficult wicket, with Sam Curran (49 not out) finishing well after Jos Buttler (29) failed to build on a good start.
Traditionally carved from top-quality willow, famous bat-makers, source the bulk of their willow wood from Kashmir.
England's performances have dipped since 2022, however, with the side failing to defend their T20 and 50-overs World Cup titles.
Jos Buttler joins greats Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara as players who failed to translate their many individual triumphs into success as captains.
England captain Jos Buttler expressed disappointment after his team's four-wicket loss to India in the opening ODI in Nagpur on Thursday.
Jos Buttler doesn't have a problem whether he is opening or batting at No 3, Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill said.
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