Author: Vaibhav Tripathi

The last time Afghanistan faced Australia, history was made. Glenn Maxwell, hobbling on one leg, pulled off a miraculous run-chase in Mumbai last year in the ODI World Cup. On June 23, Sunday, Maxwell seemed destined for a similar performance. He raised his bat after reaching his fifty. The way he was striking the ball—clean and precise—suggested that Afghan hopes might once again be dashed. Just as it appeared that the game had slipped away from Afghanistan’s grasp, Gulbadin Naib, brought on as the eighth bowler, turned the match around by dismissing Maxwell. From a cricketing perspective, it was an…

The race for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 is intensifying with the Super 8 stage in full swing. With two games remaining in Group 2 of the Super Eight stage, the competition for the semi-final spots is largely a three-way battle. While the USA isn’t completely out of contention, they will need big wins to stay in the hunt. The first of these two crucial matches will feature the defending champions, England, against the co-hosts, USA, at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. England barely made it to the Super 8s, relying on a series of fortunate events. However, in…

Despite holding the top spot in the T20I rankings for a long time now, which is well-deserved, Suryakumar Yadav has often been labelled as a minnow basher on the big stage. Out of his five half-centuries at the T20 World Cup, four have come against lower-ranked teams such as the Netherlands, USA, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan. He appeared to be India’s best batter in the last T20 World Cup in Australia. However, when it came to the big game, the semi-final against England, he managed only 14 runs. Criticism intensified against India’s best T20 batter following a tepid performance in the…

The best possible way for the USA to topple the West Indies was to take early wickets with the ball and chase down the target. That didn’t happen. The USA batters could only post 128 on the board, which was never going to be enough against a strong West Indies’ batting line-up. Early wickets could have turned the tide, but they failed to materialise, allowing the home side to chase down the target in under 11 overs. This victory was largely due to a sensational innings from Shai Hope, securing the West Indies their first win of the Super 8s…

The Super 8s are in full swing, with all eight teams battling for a place in the semi-finals. The co-hosts’ fate hangs in the balance as the West Indies and the USA face off in Barbados in a virtual knockout game. Both teams suffered defeats in their first Super 8 matches, making this a must-win encounter for both. Although the USA have impressed everyone, West Indies are still favoured to come out on top. Having remained unbeaten in the group stage of this World Cup, West Indies received a reality check from the England batters in St Lucia. This loss…

Coming into this game, Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow were under some pressure to perform with the bat. After losing Jos Buttler in the seventh over during the run-chase of 181, Phil Salt took responsibility, played the role of sheet anchor, and, together with Jonny Bairstow, put on a match-winning stand to help England win their first Super Eight game of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, handing West Indies their first loss of the tournament at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia. The co-hosts got off to a strong start with the bat, but…

The 2016 T20 World Cup final between England and the West Indies was a spectacle to behold. Carlos Brathwaite was the hero as he smashed four sixes off Ben Stokes’ bowling to win the game for the Men in Maroon. Fast forward to 2024, and while Brathwaite and Stokes are no longer part of their respective teams, there will be no shortage of excitement as the two long-standing rivals lock horns at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia to write a new chapter in this rivalry. Last year, England and the West Indies squared off in a five-match…

After a low-scoring group stage in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, the final Group C game turned into a run-fest. West Indies set the highest score of the tournament, thanks to a scintillating innings from Nicholas Pooran, against Afghanistan at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, St Lucia, on an excellent batting wicket. To chase down a record total of 219, the onus was on Afghanistan’s openers to do the bulk of the scoring, but unfortunately for the Afghans, they couldn’t do it. They lost by 104 runs. Afghanistan’s troubles began early when Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed for a…

Heading into this game, all eyes were on the Netherlands, with the pressure on Sri Lanka to prevent another major upset in the tournament. The Dutch team came with determination, but when it mattered most, they crumbled under pressure. Their bowlers failed to execute their plans, allowing Sri Lanka to set a massive target, which proved insurmountable against Sri Lanka’s formidable bowling attack. The 2014 champions secured a comprehensive victory, winning by 83 runs in the 38th match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, played at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia in April. Sri…

Scotland were up against a formidable Australian team that had dominated opponents in each of their first three games. Scotland needed a win to advance at England’s expense, and they played excellent cricket for the first 20 overs, but Australia leveraged their experience to turn the game around, winning their final Group B match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by five wickets. This defeat eliminated Scotland from the tournament, while England advanced to the Super 8s. Scotland’s innings got off to a shaky start. Michael Jones was dismissed by Ashton Agar in the first over, and it took…