A shortened game will be like a sprint where the risk element will be high. Who will win when emotion meets execution remains to be seen. K R Nayar reports from Colombo.
Pathum Nissanka's 52-ball hundred was the first century of this year's T20 World Cup and it could not have come at a better time for Sri Lanka.
England's Jos Buttler expresses frustration with his T20 World Cup form but remains committed to aggressive batting. Despite achieving milestones, he seeks to convert starts into significant contributions.
T20 World Cups have seen some explosive batting, with a few players etching their names in history by scoring centuries. Here's a look at T20 World Cup centurions over the years.
Six different teams have lifted the trophy over the years, with the West Indies, England and reigning champions India the only nations to have won it twice.
Virat Kohli once again etched his name deeper into cricketing history, becoming the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday.
Reacting to the signing, Jayawardene admitted that Mumbai Indians (MI) benefitted from a bit of fortune on the day.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene praised the veteran opener for his approach.
'It's better to have it in our control than anyone else's and watch that situation, so we've played good cricket to deserve to be in that situation, and we'll go out and try and play our best game of cricket tomorrow.'
While big buys grabbed attention, several franchises quietly walked away with proven performers at throwaway prices -- the kind of signings that often make the difference between mid-table finishes and title runs.
Bumrah will miss a few initial games of the tournament as he is currently recuperating from a back injury at the BCCI Centre of Excellence at Bengaluru.
Sri Lankan players currently touring Pakistan for a three-match ODI series want to return home due to security concerns following a deadly suicide attack in Islamabad but PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi claimed that the rubber will continue, albeit with a rejigged schedule.
The winning culture that Mumbai Indians have built over the years with their core group of players does help them perform in high-pressure situations, said head coach Mahela Jayawardene.
Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians have roped in former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene as their head coach as part of a major overhaul ahead of mega auction.
The duo is followed by a former Sri Lanka icon, Mahela Jayawardene, with 205 outfield catches in 149 appearances.
With nine Test centuries against India at home, Joe Root set a new record for the most by any batter against a single opponent in home Tests.
With six titles -- four more than Pakistan -- and unmatched consistency, Sri Lanka has quietly been the tournament's second-most dominant force.
He successfully took a stunner to dismiss Karun Nair to complete his 211th catch, surpassing Dravid's tally of 210. Former Sri Lanka star Mahela Jayawardene slipped to the third spot with 205 catches.
Former skipper Mahela Jayawardene has stepped down from his position as consultant coach of Sri Lanka with immediate effect, the country's cricket board (SLC) said on Wednesday.
The former Sri Lankan skipper said playing two of their last three matches at home will help Mumbai Indians as they push for a final-four finish, but refused to see Tuesday's game as a prelude to a knockout clash.
With two days still to play, England are firm favourites to secure the win in Manchester, one that would seal victory in the five-match series with one test still to come.
Jayawardene said showing situational awareness is imperative and Rohit was able to execute his plans well against CSK.
Jasprit Bumrah is in 'good nick' following a three-month-long injury lay-off and Mumbai Indians want to ease him into competition mode in IPL 2025, said head coach Mahela Jayawardene.
Mumbai Indians announced the development on social media on Sunday saying, "Once a cub now a lion, the lion is back to be the king of the jungle again."
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene said left-arm wrist spinner was delighted with Vignesh Puthur needs to keep his feet on the ground and "start from ball one again" in their next IPL match against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
There is no clarity when Jasprit Bumrah, who is still recuperating from a back injury, will return to action during IPL 2025.
Mumbai Indians need to win both their remaining matches to qualify for the IPL play-offs.
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has expressed his faith in the senior players despite the team's poor performance in the IPL. Despite losing four out of their five matches, Jayawardene has ruled out making major changes to the playing eleven, citing the experience and skill of the players. He believes that the team is playing good cricket and needs to be more ruthless, particularly in the powerplay. Jayawardene also defended Rohit Sharma's struggles against left-arm pace, highlighting his experience and the need to credit the bowlers. He acknowledged that MI is not playing its best cricket and emphasized the need for consistency. Jayawardene also expressed satisfaction with Tilak Varma's performance, highlighting his ability and potential.
'These are areas that we're trying to tidy up and try and be much more consistent all around.'
The five-time champions finished last in IPL 2024 with everything going wrong for them. This time, MI is focused on ensuring that everything goes right, and that their journey towards a sixth title is back on track from the beginning.
Jayawardene said it was unfair to judge anyone in every two innings, backing the former MI captain who has had scores of 0, 8 and 13 so far in this season.
Among the active batters, Joe Root, 34, looks the only one who could go past Sachin Tendulkar's Test record tally of 15921 runs.
Kohli's Test retirement makes Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries 'safe'
He is yet to bowl at full intensity in the nets at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Since making debut in 2009, Angelo Mathews has turned up in 118 Tests, scoring 8167 runs -- the third-highest tally for Sri Lanka.
Tilak Verma, who has two T20I hundreds for India and is one of the pillars of the core MI set-up, had scored just 25 off 23 balls, inclusive of two boundaries, when Mitchell Santner, with a career IPL strike-rate of 106, was sent in.
A rampant Mumbai Indians will present a stern test of character for the rattled Punjab Kings in a virtual semi-final when the two teams face-off in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Virat Kohli etched his name in history once again during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 clash against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.
Suryakumar Yadav will captain Mumbai Indians in their opening IPL match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday
While MI's win will assure them of a place in the play-offs, Delhi Capitals need to win both their remaining games to advance.
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