All posts by h716a5.icu

Who are the big stars in action, what do the teams look like, and everything else you need to know about SA20 2025

Deivarayan Muthu08-Jan-2025Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the defending champions, right?Indeed. Having won the tournament in 2023 and 2024, Sunrisers, under captain Markram and coach Adrian Birrell, will gun for a three-peat. If they manage to do so, they will emulate Jaffna Kings, who had recently won three titles in a row at the Lanka Premier League.Related

South African cricket and SA20 learn to co-exist

Leagues like ILT20 'not good for the game' – Graeme Smith

Hopkinson replaces Pamment as Mumbai Indians' fielding coach

Penney replaces Bond as Paarl Royals head coach

SA20 2025 auction: Hendricks fetches highest bid

Sunrisers have a particularly strong local core – Markram, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs and Ottneil Baartman – with some talented overseas players complementing them. They have lost Dan Worrall, who was their powerplay specialist last season, to Gulf Giants in the ILT20, but have filled that void by bringing in Craig Overton, who can also swing the new ball from his tall frame, and added Richard Gleeson, who can clock 140kph, to their roster. They have strengthened their batting by snapping up David Bedingham, who is set for his SA20 bow.Markram had a wretched 2024 with the bat in T20Is, but you just can’t look past him and his team in the SA20.Who will challenge Sunrisers for the title?MI had finished rock bottom in 2023 and 2024, but if they perform to potential this season, they could challenge the might of Sunrisers. Before combining with Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, Trent Boult will work with Kagiso Rabada in a partnership that promises to be just as mouth-watering.Reeza Hendricks, for whom MI forked out Rand 4.3 million will reunite with his Lions team-mates Rassie van der Dussen at MI in the SA20. This is a chance for allrounder Corbin Bosch, MI’s wildcard signing, to enhance his reputation after having enjoyed a memorable Test debut for South Africa in the Boxing Day fixture.Rashid Khan will lead a side that also has Colin Ingram, George Linde and Nuwan Thushara in its ranks. In a significant blow, however, Ben Stokes is set to miss the SA20 with a recurrence of a hamstring tear, for which he has had surgery.South Africa’s best players can play the SA20 this time without worrying about ignoring international cricket•AFP/Getty ImagesDoes the league clash with SA’s international commitments again?No. Not this time.The SA20’s clash with SA’s Test series in New Zealand caused a stir last year, with the CSA prioritising its league over Test cricket at the time. Any South African player with an SA20 deal was informed of their contractual obligations to play in the tournament ahead of the Tests, which resulted in a squad with seven uncapped players, including the stand-in captain Neil Brand, being selected for the New Zealand tour.The SA20, however, overlaps with other T20 tournaments – Australia’s Big Bash League, UAE’s ILT20, New Zealand’s Super Smash and the Bangladesh Premier League.What’s the format of the league like?The top-four teams in the six-team league will qualify for the knockouts, which will have IPL-style qualifiers and an eliminator. To summarise, the teams placed first and second after the league phase will play in the first qualifier, with the winner going straight to the final. The teams placed third and fourth will play an eliminator with the loser out of contention. Then, the loser of the first qualifier will play the winner of the eliminator to determine the second finalist.Gqeberha is set to host the first qualifier while Centurion will stage the eliminator and second qualifier. The final will be held in Johannesburg on February 8.Tell me about the big overseas names who will be in actionDespite the clashes, the SA20 has some big drawcards, including Rashid, Boult, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana and Dinesh Karthik.Boult will complete the MI set, having already played for their teams in the IPL (Mumbai Indians), MLC (MI New York) and ILT20 (MI Emirates). For Williamson and Conway, this will be their first stints at the SA20. Williamson will play for Durban’s Super Giants while Conway will reunite with Stephen Fleming at Joburg Super Kings, having already won the IPL title under him at CSK.Having “sold everything” and left South Africa, the Johannesburg-born Conway will have a special homecoming at this SA20. Back in the day, Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi used to be house-mates in South Africa but then their paths diverged. Years later, at the SA20, their paths will converge again.Also, watch out for Pathirana vs Thushara in the battle of the Lasith Malinga clones.Dinesh Karthik will become the first Indian to take part in the SA20•Abu Dhabi T10Did you mention Dinesh Karthik?Yes, the former India international will rock up for Paarl Royals this season. He’s set to become the first Indian to feature in the SA20 and will also serve as the tournament’s brand ambassador. Since retiring from Indian and international cricket in June 2024, Karthik has been part of the Legends League and the Abu Dhabi T10 league.Family affairsHaving been hit by injuries, JSK have called up allrounder Hardus Viljoen, who will play under his brother-in-law Faf du Plessis, who had led St Lucia Kings to the CPL title in 2024.JP King, who was invited for JSK’s training sessions last season, will join them as a rookie player for this season while his brother CJ King will be part of the Super Giants side.The Bosch brothers – Corbin and Eathan – were on the same side (Pretoria Capitals) in SA20 2024, but Corbin has now moved to MI, which could add some spice to the MI-Capitals clash.Is Imran Tahir still an active T20 player?Indeed. Imran Tahir, who will turn 46 in March, is still going strong in T20 cricket. He will link up with Shamsi and Maheesh Theekshana at JSK. Tahir is currently the fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, with 526 strikes in 420 games.What about the Impact Player rule?The SA20 doesn’t have the Impact Player rule in place like the IPL, but teams can name their final XIs after the toss. Captains can take two team sheets to the toss – one with their bat-first XI and the other with their bowl-first XI – and offer up the final list once the toss has been completed.

The New York Yankees have acquired Chicago White Sox outfielder Austin Slater in exchange for right handed pitcher Gage Ziehl. Ken Rosenthal of was first on the trade, and 's Bob Nightengale was first on the return.

Slater was one of several outfield names that the Yankees were considering ahead of the trade deadline amid the elbow injury to star slugger Aaron Judge. The Yankees were considering a reunion with former outfielder Harrison Bader, but Slater proved most palatable for New York.

Slater has hit .236 this season with five home runs and 11 RBI.

Starting in 2027, Major League Soccer will transition from its current calendar-year schedule to a summer-to-spring format, aligning with top international leagues. The move has caused much discussion, but United States national team boss Mauricio Pochettino has thrown his full support behind the move, saying it's a great step forward for the game in America.

MLS making switch to align with Europe

The new 2027-28 regular season will kick off in mid-to-late July 2027 and conclude with the MLS Cup in late May 2028, with a lengthy mid-winter break from mid-December until early February. Before the full switch, a transitional mini-season will run from February to May 2027, featuring 14 games to determine qualification for other tournaments, including the US Open Cup and Leagues Cup. This historic shift aims to improve global competitiveness, enhance transfer market opportunities, and ensure the MLS Cup Playoffs do not compete with the NFL and college football seasons. The decision was approved by the league's Board of Governors. While owners and fans anticipate the benefits, the league is also addressing potential challenges, such as winter weather, for northern teams. 

AdvertisementAFPPochettino expresses support

Pochettino said: "For sure this is a great step forward for MLS to be on par with the top leagues in the world. Having managed club teams and now the US National Team, the ability to align with the international calendar will have a huge positive impact for the players, coaches and clubs. This also extends beyond the senior national teams; it will allow us to have access to the youth national team players during critical periods of international competition, further advancing their development."

The former Spurs and Chelsea boss added: "My reaction is: well done. Congratulations, fantastic, I think great decision. What we can do from my personal view and the (US soccer) federation is to show our support. It’s a great decision. I think it’s going to be good for MLS, good for soccer in the US and I agree with the decision. I’m happy because, with me here or not, I think it’s a good decision for soccer. The feeling is going to be like were competing here in the U.S. like we are in Europe, that is always the reference. We are in a process to evolve and develop. The best way to grow in the sport is to see the principal leagues [in the world], how they act and how they are doing things."

MLS chief explains switch

MLS Commissioner Don Garber hailed it as a landmark moment for MLS, saying: "The calendar shift is one of the most important decisions in our history. Aligning our schedule with the world’s top leagues will strengthen our clubs’ global competitiveness, create better opportunities in the transfer market, and ensure our Audi MLS Cup Playoffs take centre stage without interruption. It marks the start of a new era for our league and for soccer in North America."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportPotential pitfalls of switching calendar

Switching to a summer-to-spring calendar creates significant problems for MLS, primarily in dealing with frigid weather and managing player relationships. Teams in northern markets will face lower attendance and tougher conditions for games and training during the winter months, despite the planned break. This move also risks disputes with the MLS Players Association over the length of the off-season and changes to existing player contracts. While the switch aligns with the global transfer market, it presents logistical challenges for a league covering a vast and climatically diverse area.

Power in the batting and versatility in the bowling has been the cornerstone for Hurricanes’ impressive run to the decider

Tristan Lavalette26-Jan-2025The picturesque Bellerive Oval, renamed Ninja Stadium these days and nestled on the eastern shore of the Derwent River, has probably never experienced this type of bedlam before.After more than 13,000 fans were whipped into a frenzy by ferocious 150kph bowling from speedster Riley Meredith, Hobart Hurricanes staved off a fightback from competition power Sydney Sixers in the qualifying final to lift into a first BBL home grand final.Giddy fans in the terraces, many of whom were garbed in purple, were hysterical in rare scenes for a mostly downtrodden franchise. Hurricanes have never won a BBL title with Melbourne Stars the only other team with that dubious distinction.Related

How Mitch Owen became Hobart Hurricanes' century-making opener

ESPNcricinfo's BBL team of the season: Warner's return, breakout star, Maxwell's surge

Powerful Hurricanes stand between Thunder's Warner and perfect captaincy comeback

Before the Sixers victory, Hurricanes had won just two finals matches in their history and none at home. Fans had also dropped off the ‘Cane train’ in recent years with crowds sparse in an oddity compared to the other one-team cities that enjoy massive support.It was a far cry from the days when Hurricanes regularly attracted crowds of 16-18,000 during the BBL’s peak in the middle of last decade. But Tasmanians are warming to this power-laden Hurricanes side that will start favourites against Sydney Thunder in Monday’s decider.Eager fans reportedly lined up outside Bellerive Oval for tickets at 5am, five hours before booths opened, on Saturday amid temperatures of only around 12 degrees Celsius.”To play in front of a full Ninja Stadium the other day was pretty amazing,” Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis told ESPNcricinfo. “To be able to have a final in front of a home crowd, I feel really privileged to be a part of it. This year was a point of pride for us, in trying to make a point of difference and get people to come down here.”Riley Meredith’s pace has provided a cutting edge•Getty ImagesBeing in this position seemed unlikely for Hurricanes after they were routed for 74 by Melbourne Renegades on a tacky Geelong surface in an eventual six-wicket season-opening defeat.It was a gut punch for Hurricanes, long derided as underachievers having missed finals two seasons in a row. Moments after the loss, Ellis got the team together for an on-field rallying cry.”Boys, it’s the first game of a tournament. The conditions probably didn’t suit us tonight. Let’s leave this here,” Ellis told his team-mates.It was only the second game of the season, but an under-pressure Hurricanes needed a confidence building victory at home against BBL powerhouse Perth Scorchers.After Ellis elected to bowl, Meredith set the tone and shook up Scorchers’ top-order before Mitchell Owen – relatively unknown to the wider public – lit a fuse under Hurricanes’ season with an unbeaten 101 from 64 balls, including five monstrous sixes, to mow down the target of 156.

We’ve got some pretty imposing figures, but the biggest thing is the fact that Mitch [Owen] doesn’t go out feeling like we’re relying on him for runs. Tim David doesn’t go out feeling like we’re relying on him for runsNathan Ellis

A strapping seam bowling allrounder, Owen had shown flashes of his big-hitting capabilities well down the order across formats. But Hurricanes’ hierarchy in the off-season devised plans to utilise him in the powerplay although Owen was only backed in as an opener days before the Renegades match.It wasn’t envisioned as some type of ingenious idea, but Owen’s spectacular success – where he became the competition’s most formidable batter in the powerplay – has unlocked a previously inconsistent batting order.As the season wore on, Hurricanes have been able to strategise and bat around Owen’s muscular hitting in the powerplay and Tim David’s similar fireworks in the power surge and death overs.With a staggering strike-rate this season of 191.11, Owen has continually given Hurricanes’ fliers while David has dominated the backend with a strike-rate of 177.62.It has created more defined roles for the other batters instead of the mishmash that existed in previous seasons. Opener Caleb Jewell has complemented Owen at the top of the order, performing the role as an anchor underlined by a strike-rate of 116.15.Ben McDermott, who once clubbed consecutive BBL tons, has somewhat reined in his belligerent batting, while Matthew Wade has been adaptable and shifted between the top-order and the finishing role.

"It's a brilliant sight!"@HurricanesBBL Chris Jordan full of praise for Riley Meredith bowling 150km+ in the Big Bash.#AroundTheWicket @ESPNAusNZ @ESPNcricinfo
WATCH: https://t.co/nJQev547U5 pic.twitter.com/aMctMQMBM8

— Neroli Meadows (@Neroli_Meadows) January 22, 2025

Among all of that, Indian batter Nikhil Chaudhary established himself as an important link between the destructive bookends of Owen and David. Chaudhary burst into BBL prominence last season with his flamboyant, 360-degree style of batting, but this season he’s adjusted his game.He’s been able to absorb pressure in the middle overs and help build a platform for David to capitalise on. His statistics are modest, but Chaudhary has made seven scores this season between 20 and 42.”We’ve got some pretty imposing figures, but the biggest thing is the fact that Mitch [Owen] doesn’t go out feeling like we’re relying on him for runs. Tim David doesn’t go out feeling like we’re relying on him for runs,” Ellis said. “I think we’ve got a group that has such good experiences, such good players to adapt to situations. Guys like Caleb, Nikhil, they sort of go unnoticed but have been brilliant.”While overshadowed by the batting order, Hurricanes’ attack has worked as a unit. Meredith’s rockets gets them going with the new ball and, though naturally expensive at times, he has been more consistent this season.Ellis’ canny changes of pace and deadly yorkers – characteristics that puts him right on the fringe of Australia’s white-ball teams – sees him often bowling the tough overs of the power surge and at the death. Chris Jordan also musters his wealth of experience to be a reliable option in the backend.Tim David remains an x-factor in the batting order•Getty ImagesSpinners Chaudhary and Peter Hatzoglou have bowled tidily, conceding less than eight runs an over, to further reinforce a team where almost every player is contributing with their specific role.”It’s probably changed a little bit now, but throughout the tournament, you never saw Hurricanes players leading the wickets or leading the runs, but you saw us at the top of the ladder,” Ellis said. “That was something that I was really proud of, something I was really staunch on. The fact that every win we had, it felt like 11 blokes had their thumbprint on it.”Much like the long-time formula for Scorchers and Sixers, Hurricanes have benefited from continuity with a core group of players who have been together for a while now.They’ve gone through some tough times, but this playing group is on the cusp of creating history for Hurricanes as they reel in their long-suffering supporters.”We’ve got a fair few guys who have played together a lot,” Ellis said. “We enjoy each other’s company and I think you can see that on the field. I think it’s a really healthy environment. I know how big this game is for Tasmanian cricket. Hopefully we can be the first ones to bring home the silverware.”

Bangladesh made three other changes to the side that played Sri Lanka while India went in unchanged

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2025Toss Jaker Ali, Bangladesh’s 12th T20I captain, won his first toss and chose to bowl in the Asia Cup Super Fours match against India in Dubai. Jaker stepped into the role – and also took over the wicketkeeping gloves – with Litton Das ruled out with a side strain.With Litton out, Parvez Hossain Emon came back into the side and is expected to open alongside Tanzid Hasan, with Saif Hasan moving down to No. 3. Bangladesh made three other changes from the XI that beat Sri Lanka on Saturday, all to their bowling attack. Out went the offspinner Mahedi Hasan and seamers Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam, and in came legspinner Rishad Hossain, fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and the seam-bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin, who plays his first match of the tournament.India were unchanged as expected.India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahBangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Saif Hasan, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali (capt & wk), 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mohammad Saifuddin, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Tanzim Hasan Sakib