IPL 2024 witnessed quite a few big names falling by the wayside as they struggled to live up to their top billing.
Russell had opted out of the three-match T20I series against India due to an injury, but he turned up for Vancouver Knights to play in the T20 tournament in Canada.
Rediff.com takes a look at how the owners fared this time.
Their confidence boosted by a dominating win in the lung-opener, Delhi Daredevils face a tough test when they take on last year's runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore in their second IPL match in Bangalore on Saturday.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Vettori heaped praise on pace bowlers Trent Boult and Matt Henry after they dismissed India's top three of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli for one run each.
The former West Indies captain said he was left with little choice after being ignored by the national selectors for the series against Pakistan.
The trouble-prone Pakistan cricket team dressing room was once again witness to some drama and it took PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan's intervention to diffuse the controversy generated by Misbah-ul-Haq's decision to rest from the third ODI against Australia.
Pacer Tim Southee led a disciplined New Zealand bowling show as New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by ten wickets in their World Cup Group A match at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.
New Zealand beat Bangladesh by an innings and 101 runs early on the fourth day of the second Test to wrap up a 2-0 series victory.
Gautam Gambhir leads one of the star-studded line-ups in the Champions League Twenty20. The Delhi Daredevils' line-up boasts of the two most dangerous batsmen in world cricket -- Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag.
New Zealand have shortened next year's home Test series against Australia to two matches to help alleviate scheduling conflicts with the lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 season.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) should impose life ban on the Pakistani players if they are found guilty of spot-fixing, Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan said in Centurion, on Wednesday.
Chennai Super Kings retained the Indian Premier League title after crushing Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs in a thoroughly one-sided final in Chennai on Saturday.
Riding high on their opening match triumph, Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to continue in their winning streak when they take on a struggling Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday.
Images from the World Twenty20 match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe played at Providence, Guyana on Tuesday.
Statistical highlights of the first match in the T20 World Cup, between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, in Guyana on Friday.
With as many as three of his past key players turning out for the opposition camp in New Delhi on Tuesday, Delhi Daredevils coach Greg Shipperd has termed his side's crucial IPL match against Royal Challengers Bangalore as a battle between 'Old Delhi and New Delhi'.
South Africa grabbed the second Test against New Zealand by the scruff of the neck on Friday, reducing the hosts to 65 for four at the close of the second day's play at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
The fourth edition of the Indian Premier League witnessed its first washout on Tuesday with the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals being called off without a ball being bowled because of incessant rains.
New Zealand's captain Ross Taylor's 111 not out has put the hosts in a commanding position against Zimbabwe. New Zealand are five for 331 on the first day of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Napier on Thursday.
In a bid to secure the services of West Indies bowler Kemar Roach for next season's KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, Queensland have held secret talks with the player. Having announced Daniel Vettori as their guest player for this year's campaign, the Bulls are now targeting Roach to spearhead their assault on the multi-million dollar Twenty20 Champions League for the 2010-2011 season.
Pakistan wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal took five catches as New Zealand's top order failed to capitalise on sound starts and battled to 246 for six at the close of play on the first day of the second Test at a windswept Basin Reserve on Saturday.
Already burdened by back injuries to captain Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum, New Zealand on Tuesday suffered yet another setback when fast bowler Daryl Tuffey was ruled out of the ongoing five-match One-Day International series against India due to a bicep strain.
New Zealand's stand-in skipper Ross Taylor was disappointed after the Black Caps crashed to their seventh consecutive One-day International defeats in Guwahati, but hoped to get their act together before the forthcoming World Cup in February.
Brendon McCullum's recurring back problem has rendered him a doubtful starter for the first ODI to be played at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.
Struggling with three pull-outs within one week, Delhi Daredevils would seek to capitalise on the experience of legendary Australian paceman Glenn McGrath when they take on Victoria in their opening Champions League Twenty20 match in New Delhi on Friday.
New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum believes that the injury curse, which fell upon the Black Caps during the Champions Trophy, has given way to some fresh talent.
New Zealand snatched a dramatic three-run win over Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 international on Wednesday.
Reader Aravinda Ram sent us this photograph from Johannesburg.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has succeeded in signing its six Indian Premier League-contracted players, avoiding a possible rift caused by a scheduling clash with Australia's tour of the country next March.
Veteran fast bowler Chris Martin is among the 20 players, who have been handed New Zealand Cricket contracts for another year.
Daniel Vettoti has called it a day from Twenty20 cricket after New Zealand's ouster from the semi-finals of the ongoing World Cup but said he is yet to make up his mind on his ODI future.
Statistical highlights of the opening day's play in the first Test between India and New Zealand at Hamilton on Wednesday.
They have jumped to the second spot in the points table with sixth consecutive win but the Royal Challengers Bangalore's stand-in skipper Virat Kohli is not ready to take their place in the IPL play-offs for granted.
World champions India will worry more about the fickle Kiwi weather than the composition and strength of Daniel Vettori's team when they meet New Zealand in the first Twenty20 cricket international at the AMI Park in Christchurch on Wednesday.
South African captain Graeme Smith and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori are among those who have agreed to join the Indian Premier League.
Virat Kohli scored a breezy half century to help Royal Challengers Bangalore eke out a narrow three-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils in an Indian Premier League match at Ferozshah Kotla on Tuesday.
New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat in the Twenty20 World Cup first semi-final in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday.
New Zealand will head into the final day of their one-off Test against Bangladesh in Hamilton firmly in the driving seat, as the visitors suffered multiple setbacks after being set a target of 404.
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