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“It’s just trying to find a window as to when you actually play that,” says Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins

ESPNcricinfo staff and PTI02-Apr-2024Ten years after its previous edition, “active conversations” are on between the cricket boards of Australia, England and India to revive the Champions League T20 (CLT20) tournament. This comes from Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins, who also said the biggest challenge would be to find a window in the jampacked cricket calendar for the tournament.”I think the Champions League was ahead of its time. The T20 landscape wasn’t mature enough at that point. I think it is now,” Cummins said on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai on Tuesday. “I know that there’s active conversations between Cricket Australia, the ECB, and the BCCI about the Champions League.”It’s just trying to find a window as to when you actually play that, because you’ve also got all the ICC tournaments as well. It may be that the first iteration of the Champions League will be of the women… [it may involve cricketers playing in] the WPL, the Hundred and the WBBL.”Related

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The last edition of the CLT20 was held in India in 2014, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) winning the title after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final in Bengaluru. That edition of the tournament, then in its sixth year, involved three teams from India, two each from Australia and South Africa, and one each from Pakistan, the West Indies and New Zealand.The tournament was played annually from 2009 to 2014, four times in India and twice in South Africa. The tournament was won twice each by CSK and Mumbai Indians (MI), and once each by New South Wales and Sydney Sixers.Cummins said he had been in talks with Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley for the revival of the CLT20, and that BCCI secretary Jay Shah might be in a position to shed more light on the topic.”I’m constantly talking to Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia CEO, for a Champions League, because I think it’s pretty important to bring that back,” Cummins said. “There are talks about it. It’s probably a question to ask Jay Shah. But certainly, from an Australia cricket perspective, we are very open to the idea of the Champions League. It’s just about finding a window in the FTP, but I think that’s the next step in the evolution of cricket.”Cummins drew comparisons with the club-based Champions League in football, saying that cricket needed to find a similar balance between international- and club-based competitions.”We still haven’t made out which league is the best. IPL, PSL or the Big Bash? The only way we can show that is by having Melbourne Stars play Karachi Kings or Mumbai Indians,” Cummins said. “Champions League is well overdue. Look at what Champions League does for football, the World Cup is fantastic and the Champions League is there [too] every time.”The idea of Mumbai Indians playing Melbourne Stars at the MCG would be just as exciting as India playing Australia at the MCG.”Football had a really big club vs country tension in the 90s. And they found a way for international football to exist side by side with leagues. Cricket is going through it at the moment. Every country has the right to have a T20 league, whether it is Nepal or Ireland. We shouldn’t place controls on how members want to play cricket.”The reality is there is no T20 competition in the world which has the best players in the world playing in it. Champions League would actually provide that. No other competition has Indian players. The IPL doesn’t have Pakistan players. So there is no competition in the world with the best players. The Champions League would be a way for the best to be playing against each other.”

Called in to replace the injured Sophie Molineux, Bekker dismissed Meg Lanning and gave away just nine runs in her four overs

AAP09-Nov-2024Local replacement player Charis Bekker went from the pub to centre stage as Melbourne Renegades posted a 15-run WBBL win over arch-rivals Melbourne Stars.Bekker was playing just her second WBBL game after being called into the squad to replace injured spinner Sophie Molineux (knee). The 20-year-old didn’t let the big stage of a Melbourne derby faze her, returning the miserly figures of 1 for 9 from her four overs to be named player of the match.”It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” Bekker said. “I was at the pub a couple of days ago with my mates, and then got the call [to join the squad]. I played against the Scorchers which was really cool. And then hopped on a flight. It’s been really rushed.”Bekker’s maiden WBBL wicket was none other than superstar batter Meg Lanning.”Everyone was cheering me on, I was just trying to bowl my best ball, and it happened to be Meg Lanning, which was kind of awesome,” Bekker said.Deepti Sharma top-scored for Stars with 23. Georgia Wareham claimed the key wicket of captain Annabel Sutherland for 16. The result improved Renegades’ record to 3-3, while the Stars are now 2-3.Earlier, Renegades were struggling at 87 for 5 before Naomi Stalenberg (26 not out off 17 balls) and Nicole Faltum (29 off 23) added some handy runs to lift the total to 146 for 6.The Renegades were 54 for 2 after 10 overs when they took the power surge. Although Deandra Dottin fell for 7 shortly after, Renegades cracked 29 runs off the two overs. Alice Capsey and Wareham fell in quick succession before Stalenberg and Faltum steadied the ship with a 55-run stand.Stars’ run chase started slowly with the scoreboard reading 16 for 1 after five overs. Bhatia was lucky to still be there after being dropped by wicketkeeper Faltum in the first over when she was yet to score. The opener scored 22 off 26 balls, but the rest of her team-mates struggled for fluency as the required run rate ballooned out.Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored for Brisbane Heat•Getty Images

India starJemimah Rodrigues posted an impressive half-century as Brisbane Heat piled more misery on defending champions Adelaide Strikers in an eight-run win at the Gabba.Rodrigues anchored the Heat’s innings with 61 from 40 balls, belting seven fours and a six in her player-of-the-match performance. Opener Grace Harris (33 from 22) and captain Jess Jonassen (32 from 21) also provided handy knocks.In reply, Strikers were reduced to 16 for 3 in the fourth over before Bridget Patterson and Madeline Penna threatened to pull off a remarkable fightback. The unbeaten pair put on a 113-run stand for the fifth wicket – from just 62 balls – but weren’t quite able to drag their side over the line. It was the second-highest fifth-wicket stand in WBBL history.Strikers remain last on the table with a 1-4 record, while Heat (3-3) are right in the finals mix.

Mohammed Siraj has lost his place to Arshdeep Singh in India’s 15-man squad

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-20256:08

Rohit: We have all bases covered in the spin attack

Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav have been named in India’s provisional 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19. The same squad will take on England in three ODIs in early February, with Harshit Rana coming into the set-up as back-up for Bumrah, who may not be ready for the first two matches of the bilateral series.There were injury concerns over both Bumrah and Kuldeep ahead of the selection on Saturday, with Kuldeep not having played any competitive cricket since his hernia surgery in November, while Bumrah had suffered a stress-related injury during the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kuldeep has been building up his bowling load at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and is understood to be bowling 10-12 overs at a go.The 15-man squad will be led by Rohit Sharma, with Shubman Gill as his vice-captain, and also includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was picked for the first time in ODIs. He is likely to be the reserve opener for the Champions Trophy.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With Virat Kohli the No. 3, the middle order has the same look as the squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup with Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul retaining their spots, along with allrounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. Apart from Rahul, Rishabh Pant is the other wicketkeeper in the 15, preferred ahead of Sanju Samson who did not take part in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy. Washington Sundar is the fourth allrounder in the squad, which includes only four specialist bowlers.Mohammed Shami, who was recently named in the T20I squad for the upcoming home series against England following a long injury layoff, was also named in the Champions Trophy squad. He last played international cricket at the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 24 wickets.Related

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Mohammed Siraj did not find a place in the 15, with the left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh earning a spot after finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and impressive performances in international cricket – he was the top wicket-taker in India’s ODI series in South Africa in 2023.The final squad for the Champions Trophy must be submitted to the ICC by February 11.India play three bilateral ODIs against England on February 6, 9 and 12 – their first 50-over games since the tour of Sri Lanka in August last year – before the Champions Trophy. India are in Group A in the Champions Trophy and begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20, after which they play Pakistan on February 23, and New Zealand on March 2. India play all their matches in Dubai because their government refused to let the team travel to Pakistan.

India squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja

Kohli likely to be in action for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Chinnaswamy, with the venue also “on track” for IPL 2026

Shashank Kishore13-Dec-2025The decks have been cleared for the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to be back on the BCCI’s radar after newly-elected KSCA chief Venkatesh Prasad has received a go-ahead from the Karnataka government to host matches, a week after being elected. The BCCI is believed to have been apprised of the recent developments too.The immediate implications are that Virat Kohli could be back playing at the Chinnaswamy, with the KSCA set to move Vijay Hazare Trophy matches involving Delhi from Alur owing to security and logistical challenges. As things stand, Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been named in a jumbo Delhi squad and both could be available for the first three matches.Prasad and vice-president Sujith Somasunder held meetings with chief minister Siddharamaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and other government officials in Belagavi earlier this week on the sidelines of the state’s assembly session and the conversations are understood to have been fruitful.ESPNcricinfo understands the KSCA is also making provisions to be able to accommodate 2000-3000 fans by throwing open certain stands to the public, considering the high-profile nature of matches involving two Indian superstars.At the meeting with the government officials, the Prasad-led KSCA committee reiterated their commitment to implementing as many changes as feasible from the Justice John D’Cunha report on the Chinnaswamy Stadium.While hosting matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy is seen as a starting point, Prasad and KSCA are keen on ensuring Bengaluru doesn’t lose out on hosting IPL matches.”We’re on track for the IPL to be back,” an office-bearer privy to the developments told ESPNcricinfo. The KSCA is expected to begin work on the D’Cunha recommendations in a phased manner.”To avoid any future incidents, we have put in place precautionary measures. We have granted permission accordingly,” deputy chief minister Shivakumar said after the state’s cabinet meeting on Friday. “The Home Minister will hold discussions with the KSCA president and police officials.”The venue hasn’t hosted any top-flight cricket since the June 4 stampede that marred Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebration, leading to 11 deaths and several injuries. KSCA’s Maharaja Trophy was shifted to Mysore in August, while the venue also lost out on hosting five Women’s World Cup matches, including the final, due to the ongoing impasse.”We have no intention of stopping cricket matches. But crowd-management measures need to be examined,” Shivakumar said. “We also intend to implement the recommendations of the Justice Michael D’Cunha Committee in a phased manner. Venkatesh Prasad too has agreed to this.”

The six teams each in men’s and women’s categories are set to be decided based on the top-ranked team from each continent

Nagraj Gollapudi31-Jul-2025The ICC is set to approve a continental qualification system to decide the six participating teams in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. That means that Full Members such as Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka among others, could miss out on cricket’s much-anticipated return to the Olympics after over a century.ESPNcricinfo understands that the board discussed a proposal at the recent AGM which allows for one team from each continent. Though some details still need to be finalised, in essence, the majority approval for a regional qualification system is in place, with a minority of members expressing dissent.Six teams each in the men’s and women’s categories will contest for Olympic medals between July 14 and 29 in 2028 after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed cricket to be added to the roster for the first time since the Paris 1900 Olympics. While the ICC’s initial thinking was that it would shortlist the top six-ranked teams at a pre-determined cut-off date, several Full Member countries believed such an approach wouldn’t allow for a wider representation of countries from across the globe.Related

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That has now changed to a one-country-per-continent qualification system, which is thought to be more in line with the Olympic participation ethos.Which countries are shortlisted will be based on the rankings on a set date. But if the ICC plan goes through, it could mean the Olympics may not have one of the most widely watched contests in global sport: India vs Pakistan. Based on the current ICC T20 rankings, in both men’s and women’s competitions, India will qualify from Asia, Australia from Oceania, England from Europe, with one between USA or one of the islands from the Caribbean from the Americas, while South Africa qualify from Africa. ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC is still discussing the participation of USA, who potentially get direct entry as hosts.But questions remain around the make-up of the USA men’s team, the majority of whom are US residents but not naturalised US citizens. The ICC is also concerned that the USA women’s team are not in the top 20-ranked teams at the moment. A final decision is likely to be taken at the ICC’s next quarterly meeting in October.The ECB, along with Cricket Scotland and Cricket Ireland, have formed Great Britain Cricket as an entity, which will help facilitate players from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to represent Great Britain at the Games.An artist impression of Brisbane Stadium in Victoria Park for Brisbane 2032 Olympics•Queensland Government

As for West Indies, CWI wrote to ICC in May, pitching two ideas that could allow one of the regional countries to represent the Caribbean in the Olympics. One suggestion was an internal qualifying tournament conducted among the Caribbean countries with the winner heading to the Olympics. The other involved conducting a global qualifying pathway that would pit countries in the five ICC development regions alongside regions in the West Indies.For the sixth team, the ICC is considering the option of a global qualifier, the structure for which is still being fine-tuned.Speaking on Thursday to BBC’s , ECB chairman Richard Thompson said that the IOC was keen on having a team from each continent which satisfies the Olympics charter. “The preference from the IOC is to work to the ‘five ring’ principle, which is teams from each of the continents represent their continent,” Thompson said.The ICC is also optimistic about increasing the number of participating teams in the next two Olympics – in 2032 in Brisbane and in 2036, the venue for which is yet to be finalised by IOC. Thompson said that with India expected to bid hard to host the 2036 Summer Games, cricket could receive a massive boost.”The hope is, when we get to Brisbane, we might be up to eight or ten teams, and in 2036, there’s a three-way shoot-out between Qatar, Saudi and India, and clearly the real hope is that India get in it 2036, in which case, cricket will be front and centre. Who knows? It could be ten or 12 teams by that stage.”At this stage, we are there by the invitation of the IOC and on that basis, you abide by their rules, and that is to play the geography of your game as opposed to necessarily the top six playing nations.”

Guidelines to be established in 15 days following board’s apex council meeting on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2025The BCCI has appointed a committee to establish guidelines to prevent incidents like the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where 11 fans died during celebrations the day after Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their maiden IPL title.The committee comprises three top BCCI officials – secretary Devajit Saikia, vice-president Rajiv Shukla and treasurer Prabhtej Singh Bhatia – and they will formulate the guidelines within 15 days.The BCCI had not yet made an official statement on the tragedy that occurred in Bengaluru on the afternoon of June 4, as a multitude of fans gathered to celebrate and catch a glimpse of the RCB team with the IPL trophy during a victory parade and inside the Chinnaswamy Stadium.Related

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Following the stampede, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah instructed Bengaluru police to arrest officials of RCB and DNA Entertainment and ordered a probe into the events that caused the stampede. On June 6, police arrested Nikhil Sosale, RCB’s head of marketing and revenue, in Bengaluru along with two officials from DNA. They were all granted bail on June 13.Two senior officials of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), secretary A Shankar and treasurer ES Jairam, had resigned from their positions citing “moral responsibility” for the stampede.

The ICC is yet to release a statement about whether his addition to the Nepal squad has been approved

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2024Not long after he was denied a US visa, Sandeep Lamichhane has landed in the West Indies to play Nepal’s last two league games in Kingstown, St Vincent. Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) told ESPNcricinfo on Monday that the board had requested the ICC to allow Lamichhane as a late addition to their World Cup squad, which the governing body has approved, and he does not require a visa for St Vincent.Lamichhane was not part of the original 15-man squad, which was also listed on the ICC website, announced last month and couldn’t fly with the contingent to the USA because he couldn’t get a US visa for that leg.All boards were allowed to make changes to their T20 World Cup 2024 squads by May 25, but when Lamichhane didn’t get a US visa even on second attempt, and Nepal were to play their first two games in the USA, CAN had said on May 30 that Lamichhane was going to miss the tournament. But CAN president Chatur Bahadur Chand told ESPNcricinfo on Monday that the board had originally submitted 14 names on May 24 to the ICC to allow for Lamichhane’s late addition. An ICC spokesperson also confirmed the allowance was given to Nepal since they had originally submitted only 14 names.Lamichhane, however, landed in the West Indies on June 9, local time, and tweeted that he was going to join the Nepal national team “for the last two matches,” which they are to play against South Africa on June 14 and Bangladesh on June 16.