All posts by csb10.top

Hardik Pandya and his team-mates (first XI plus the impact sub Karn Sharma) have all been hit with fines for Mumbai Indians’ (MI) slow over-rate in their loss against Gujarat Titans (GT) at home on Tuesday night. For the winners, head coach Ashish Nehra has been penalised for “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”.In the stop-start second half of the IPL 2025 game between MI and GT, when rain took the players off and brought them back in a few times, MI had to bring an additional fielder into the 30-yard circle for the final over – the 19th – of the chase as is the in-game penalty norm in the IPL. GT needed 15 runs to get off that Deepak Chahar over and got over the line off the last ball.Hardik was fined INR 24 lakh, since this was the second time MI had committed the offence under his captaincy this season. His team-mates were each fined either INR 6 lakh or 25% of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.Nehra, meanwhile, was at his animated best in the dying minutes of the game, when it looked like he wanted the umpires to restart the game after the latest rain interruption. He was fined 25% of his match fee and also handed one demerit point for breaching Article 2.20 of the IPL code of conduct, though the IPL didn’t state what exactly his offence was.This is the second time a coach has been penalised with a demerit point for a breach of the IPL’s code. Munaf Patel, the Delhi Capitals (DC) bowling coach, was similarly penalised after their Super Over win against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Delhi on April 16.Hardik has a lot of compatriots for company: Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, Rajat Patidar and Riyan Parag.

The 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

• Karnataka government holds RCB accountable for Bengaluru stampede

• Bengaluru stampede: Tribunal observes RCB 'created nuisance' without prior permission

• Duleep Trophy returns to zonal format for 2025-26 domestic season

• RCB senior official Nikhil Sosale granted interim bail by Karnataka High Court

• Chinnaswamy stampede: KSCA secretary, treasurer resign citing 'moral responsibility'

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.

With confirmation that Jasprit Bumrah will play the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, India’s team combination following their injury crisis after the Lord’s fixture is falling into place.”So far, we only know that Jassi [Bumrah] will play,” Mohammed Siraj said in Manchester on Monday when asked about India’s pace attack, which looked likely to be disrupted with injuries to Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh.Apart from Bumrah’s availability, the other good news for India two days before the Test was that Rishabh Pant, who had suffered a finger injury at Lord’s, came through a training session that lasted over two hours. India are still sweating on Akash Deep’s groin niggle and will give him time to recover.Related

• High intensity, low reward, big impact – the Mohammed Siraj spellbook

• The magician's wrist: how Bumrah does what he does

• Is worrying about over rates… overrated?

• Knee injury rules Nitish Reddy out of England tour

With allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who played the second and third Tests and impressed at Lord’s as the fourth seamer, now ruled out of the series with injury, specialist batter Sai Sudharsan is likely to return to the XI. Sudharsan had played the first Test at Headingley and made scores of 0 and 30 but was left out for offspinning allrounder Washington Sundar at Edgbaston and Lord’s. If Sudharsan returns, India could replace Washington with Shardul Thakur if the conditions warrant a fourth seamer instead of a second spinner.Akash Deep’s fitness remains the big question. He bowled at the training session on Monday, but only into bowling coach Morne Morkel’s mitt. The medical staff and decision-makers will monitor him over the next two days to decide if he is fit and can last the duration of a Test match. There could be temptation to rest him if Bumrah plays at Old Trafford but misses the fifth Test at The Oval, which starts three days after the fourth Test ends.While this will be the third of the three Tests that Bumrah planned to play in this five-match series due to workload management, there is a chance the Manchester weather might reduce the strain on him. As things stand, the forecast is for light showers on the first two days and the fifth day at Old Trafford. If the series is alive at The Oval, don’t rule out Bumrah playing a fourth Test.If Akash isn’t fit to play at Old Trafford, the third fast bowler will be one of Prasidh Krishna, who played the first two Tests, or the uncapped Anshul Kamboj, who was brought in as cover. Prasidh’s average of 55.16 and economy of 5.33 in the series might suggest a lack of control, but in the first two Tests he was asked by the team to bowl spells of sustained short-pitched bowling, which brought him two wickets at Headingley but went for runs at Edgbaston.If Kamboj, 24, gets his Test cap, it won’t be as desperate a selection as it sounds. He has been on the selectors’ radar and is known to extract more seam movement than most, which could make him a like-for-like replacement for Akash Deep. Kamboj has 79 first-class wickets at an average of 22.88 since 2022. He comes with the approval of Chennai Super Kings’ MS Dhoni, who complimented his seam movement during this year’s IPL.While the identity of India’s third seamer remains uncertain, there was more certainty around Pant, who copped a blow on his left index finger while wicketkeeping during the first innings at Lord’s. He didn’t keep for the rest of the Test but batted in both innings. India were confident there was no fracture, but they didn’t want to risk making it worse.On Monday, Pant went through wicket-keeping drills and batted comfortably in the nets. The only doubt around Pant was that, unlike at Lord’s, he will not be able to get a substitute wicketkeeper at Old Trafford if he aggravates the same injury in-game. For a while, Dhruv Jurel was in contention to keep in the fourth Test, with Pant likely to play as a specialist batter, but his performance at the nets on Monday should settle those doubts.India are trailing 2-1 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, after losing the first Test at Headingley and the third at Lord’s.

India squad for fourth Test

Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.

Northern Superchargers 96 for 2 (Sutherland 30*, Davidson-Richards 30) beat Manchester Originals 94 (Monaghan 26, Sutherland 3-15) by eight wicketsIn the battle to reach The Hundred Eliminator this Saturday – with Southern Brave having already secured their spot in The Hundred Final – it was the Northern Superchargers who came out on top at Headingley as Manchester Originals, targeting the huge score that would have significantly bumped up their run rate, ended up being bowled out for just 94, a score that the Superchargers knocked off with ease to win by eight wickets and ensure second place.With the runners-up in the table going through to the final in the event of an Eliminator wash-out, the Superchargers will be pleased with their afternoon’s work, their win guaranteeing them that second spot and ensuring London Spirit would join them in the Eliminator.Electing to field first, Hollie Armitage’s side saw Beth Mooney get off to a flyer but once she had gone for 20 off 13, the rest of the innings was something of a procession.Kate Cross put the disappointment of her non-selection for England’s World Cup squad behind her, showcasing the enduring qualities of line and length in conceding just six runs from her 15 deliveries.Annabel Sutherland also starred with 3 for 15, while Nicola Carey took 2 for 13, both off their full allocation. Only Alice Monaghan sparkled, her 26 in 17 balls containing the innings’ only two sixes.Faced with the nigh-on impossible task of restricting the Superchargers to 38 in order to finish in third place or 35 to claim second, the Originals tried hard but the task was simply too great.Those two targets came and went as Alice Davidson-Richards went on the charge, hitting 30 off 18 with six boundaries, before she hit the competition’s quickest bowler Lauren Filer to Deandra Dottin on the edge.Sutherland (30* off 17) carried on attacking, hitting Dottin down the ground exquisitely for four then six, Phoebe Litchfield (26* off 20) at the other end working the gaps and unfurling the occasional well-timed sweep and pull shot.The result was beyond doubt well before the end as the Australian pair eased to victory by eight wickets with 35 balls to spare.The Meerkat Match Hero Annabel Sutherland said: “It feels great. Hopefully we can carry that momentum into the next two games. We love it at Headingley and I guess it shows in the results we’ve got here.”Everyone’s really keen for Saturday, and hopefully we will put our best foot forward. We honestly just have a blast out there. We really enjoy each other’s company. It’s a great tournament, lots of fun.”

Dean Elgar, batting for more than five-and-a-half hours for a well-paced first century of the season, and Matt Critchley, smashing the ball to all corners of Chelmsford, took Essex within touching distance of a first-innings lead against fellow relegation candidates Durham with an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 154.The left-handed opener Elgar had not strapped on batting pads for five weeks, having spent August back in his native South Africa, but after a scratchy start that echoed his season’s form, he quickly rediscovered the fluency of old with 140 not out from 264 balls. Critchley, meanwhile, has been in decent nick for most of the summer and finished on 97 not out with Essex 312 for 3 at the close, a deficit of just 21.Under heavy cloud cover, the rate of Essex’s steady acceleration through the gears was illustrated by Elgar’s partnerships for the second wicket with Tom Westley (76 in 24 overs), with Charlie Allison for the third (75 in 17) and for the fourth with the freewheeling Critchley.Durham had been dismissed at the start of the day for 333 with Jamie Porter extending his season’s wickets tally to 39 with figures of 4 for 77. A punchy ninth-wicket stand of 41 between Graham Clark and Sam Conners took the visitors past 300 and what might prove a valuable second batting point in their fight to avoid dropping into Division Two of the Rothesay County Championship.When Essex batted, their determination to grind it out initially and establish a stable platform, trundling along at little more than two an over, highlighted by Elgar and Westley taking 17 overs to post their fifty partnership, it looked like becoming a battle of attrition and willpower.Indeed, the start was so cautious that Essex had just seven on the board by the seventh over when Paul Walter was the first to depart, hanging his bat out against Ben Raine and being snaffled by first slip falling backwards.Things perked up significantly straight after lunch with a flurry of boundaries to take the run-rate above two-and-a-half. But the pair were parted when Callum Parkinson found some hitherto unsuspected turn and rapped Westley on his back pad to win an lbw decision.Elgar reached only his third half-century of the season from 107 balls with a single off his legs and then drove Parkinson through the covers for his ninth four. Allison was even more aggressive against the spinner, taking 14 off one over, including a six over the bowler’s head.Elgar slowly but surely found his rhythm and lofted Parkinson over long leg for six as the third-wicket pair passed fifty inside 10 overs. By that point the run-rate had risen above three an over.The introduction of Colin Ackermann broke the blossoming partnership, though. The part-time off-spinner pushed one through lower and faster and bowled Allison for 33 from 51 balls. Matt Critchley dented the South African’s figures a couple of overs later with a lofted four and a straight six.Three balls before tea, Elgar drove Parkinson to the far reaches of extra cover for the three runs that took him to his 53rd first-class century from 169 balls. Compared to the earlier obduracy, Critchley raced to fifty from just 56 balls with his eighth four, driven straight past Raine, and had scored 65 when the stand passed one hundred in just 25 overs. It continued in much the same vein to stumps.Doug Bracewell and Porter both added a wicket each to their respective overnight hauls in the 19 minutes it took Essex to wrap up Durham’s first innings in the morning. Conners got a leading edge to give Bracewell a return catch and figures of 3 for 70 before Porter sent Parkinson’s off-stump cartwheeling out of the ground for a fourth wicket.

Big picture: A battle of two spin attacks

Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). Another chapter will be added to the CPL’s fiercest rivalry when the two teams face each other at Providence in Sunday’s final.Former Amazon Warrior Nicholas Pooran is in his first season as TKR captain, leading their push for the title, with 425 runs in 12 innings. He has been peaking at the crunch, with scores of 90* and 50 in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, respectively.Amazon Warriors and TKR have met in two finals previously. In 2018, in Tarouba, under Dwayne Bravo’s captaincy, TKR had outplayed Amazon Warriors, with Bravo later coming out and suggesting a video of Guyanese fans trampling on a Trinidad & Tobago flag was extra motivation for TKR to beat Amazon Warriors.Five years later, Amazon Warriors demolished TKR at Providence under Imran Tahir to win their maiden title. Bravo is no longer an active player; he has taken over as TKR’s head coach, while Tahir, 46, continues to light up the CPL with his variations and celebrations. Tahir has formed a potent spin combination with Moeen Ali and Gudakesh Motie, the supremely talented left-arm fingerspinner who can also bowl left-arm wristspin to left-hand batters. Having also won the Global Super League (GSL) earlier this year, Amazon Warriors will be hungry to add another title to their cabinet this year.TKR also have a deadly spin attack, with Pakistani mystery spinner Usman Tariq providing a point of difference to their bowling. Sunil Narine and his protege Akeal Hosein need no introduction to the region. The battle between the two spin attacks could have a big influence on the result.While TKR face a quick turnaround on Sunday, having just played Qualifier 2 on Friday, Amazon Warriors head into the final on the back of a three-day break.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Form guide

Guyana Amazon Warriors: WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Trinbago Knight Riders: WWLLL

In the spotlight: Shai Hope and Usman Tariq

Once regarded as a Test and an ODI batter, Shai Hope has reinvented his T20 batting, earning gigs in T20 leagues around the world – including the IPL and the BBL. While the top order has been hit-or-miss for Amazon Warriors, Hope has been a stable presence at No. 3, topping the run charts this season with 479 runs in 11 innings at an average of over 50 and strike rate of over 130. While his immediate challenge will be to counter TKR’s spin trio, his form also bodes well for West Indies in the long term as they tune up for next year’s T20 World Cup.It’s not often that a spinner outshines Narine, but Usman Tariq managed to do that in both the Eliminator, against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, and Qualifier 2 against St Lucia Kings. Tariq, who is predominantly an offspinner, comes to a near-complete halt as he approaches his delivery stride, which has made it particularly difficult for batters to pick him. With a few variations in his repertoire, he has also fronted up to bowl at the death for TKR in what is his first T20 stint outside of the PSL.

Team news: Amir, Shamar Joseph injured

There is no reason for Amazon Warriors to tweak their XI, unless Shamar Joseph is fit and ready. If that’s the case, he might replace Hassan Khan. Dwaine Pretorius is also nursing a niggle, but Amazon Warriors head coach Lance Klusener expects him to be “fine” for the final.Guyana Amazon Warriors (probable): 1 Ben McDermott, 2 Quentin Sampson, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shamarh Brooks, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Hassan Khan/Shamar Joseph 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Imran Tahir (capt)Usman Tariq has been terrific with the ball in his maiden CPL season•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Ahead of the playoffs, Pooran suggested that Mohammad Amir is still injured and is facing a race against time to regain fitness for the knockouts. The Pakistani left-arm quick has not played since September 1, so if he remains unavailable, expect USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar to get another game as Amir’s like-for-like replacement.Trinbago Knight Riders (probable): 1 Alex Hales, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 4 Keacy Carty, 5 Darren Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Saurabh Netravalkar, 11 Usman Tariq

Pitch and conditions

Spin to win has been the theme at Providence, and it could well continue on Sunday. Some showers have been forecast for Sunday morning, but the weather is likely to be fine for the evening at Providence.

Stats and trivia: TKR eye fifth title

• Amazon Warriors have faced the Trinidad franchise 14 times at Providence, winning ten, including a one-over eliminator in 2014, and losing four.
• The highlight of that Super Over was a maiden bowled by Narine, who was playing for Amazon Warriors at the time, to Ross Taylor and a young Pooran, who was playing for Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel then.
• Earlier this week, Narine (133) surpassed Bravo (129) to become the top wicket-taker in CPL history.
• Tahir is one strike away from 150 wickets for Amazon Warriors in all T20s. Twenty of those have come in this CPL at an average of 15.60 and economy rate of 7.09.
• The T&T franchise is the winningest CPL team, with four titles in their kitty so far. They last won a title in 2020, when they enjoyed an unbeaten run.
  

  Quotes

  “Look, it’s a great feeling to be in the final in front of our home crowd. Playing in Guyana is something very special. We have been up and down this season, but always a good feeling, and to be a champion, we need to be very hungry.”
  “It’s really important to come together in a tournament like this, especially with the type of players we have in our team. The last couple of years has been challenging for us, and especially here in Guyana, it hasn’t been on our side. But this group has been really amazing.

Shafali Verma, originally not part of India’s Women’s World Cup squad – either the main 15 or the reserves – has received a late call-up as a replacement for Pratika Rawal, who has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Shafali, 21, is available for India’s semi-final against Australia on October 30.The selectors picked her over Tejal Hasabnis, who was the only batter among India’s reserves for the World Cup.When the World Cup squad was announced in August, Shafali was left out – and Rawal was preferred as Smriti Mandhana’s opening partner – because the selectors prioritised consistency over X-factor. Shafali hasn’t played ODIs for India since October 2024 but has been involved with India A in the 50-overs format. She scored 52 against Australia A in Brisbane in August and 70 against New Zealand A in Bengaluru in September.Related

• Shafali tunes up for Australia, a day after destiny's call

• Mithali Raj on India vs Australia: 'One thing you don't want is to get overwhelmed with the occasion'

In December 2024, Shafali also scored 527 runs at an average of 75.28 and a strike rate of 152.31 in the domestic one-dayers for Haryana, including a top-score of 197 off 115 balls against Bengal. She followed that up with a sensational WPL 2025 season for Delhi Capitals, becoming the fourth-highest run-getter in the season and the most prolific Indian batter, with 304 runs at a strike rate of 152.76.As Rawal’s replacement, Shafali could come into the playing XI for the semi-final against Australia right away. The opening partnership between Mandhana and Rawal had been critical to India’s progress into the semi-finals. They have featured in two of the tournament’s top five batting partnerships so far – 212 against New Zealand and 155 against Australia. Rawal averaged 51.33 in six innings, with scores of 75 against Australia and a match-winning 122 in India’s crucial game against New Zealand.Pratika Rawal walks off the field after twisting her ankle•Getty Images

Rawal, the tournament’s second-highest run-getter, injured herself while fielding during India’s last league game against Bangladesh. In the 21st over of Bangladesh’s innings, Rawal twisted her ankle as her foot got stuck in the turf while she attempted to stop a boundary. She did not bat later, with Amanjot Kaur opening instead. The match was eventually washed out without a result. Only Mandhana has scored more runs than Rawal in this World Cup.If Shafali does not make the XI right away, India could open with Harleen Deol or Amanjot against Australia. Uma Chetry – who opened in the warm-up game against New Zealand, and played the match against Bangladesh with regular wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh out with a niggle – is another option, as is Jemimah Rodrigues, who has opened 18 times in ODI cricket previously.An ICC release stated that Shafali’s inclusion was approved by the Event Technical Committee on Monday evening. The committee includes Wasim Khan (Chair, ICC General Manager – Cricket), Gaurav Saxena (ICC General Manager – Events & Corporate Communications), Abey Kuruvilla (BCCI Tournament Director) and Mel Jones (Independent nominee).

Former England batter Dawid Malan says he is looking for a “fresh challenge” after being released by Yorkshire following six seasons with the club.Malan, 38, came through at Middlesex before joining Yorkshire in 2020. He captained the club in the Blast last season, but despite leading the way with 365 runs at a strike rate of 156.65, could not prevent them from finishing second-bottom in the North Group.During his time at Headingley, Malan was Yorkshire’s second-leading run-scorer in T20, with 1642. He also scored 2014 runs at 54.43 in first-class cricket.”I have enjoyed six happy and successful seasons with Yorkshire, but feel now is the right time for the club to make a fresh start,” Malan said. “I am grateful to the general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton and head coach Anthony McGrath for allowing me to seek a new challenge elsewhere.”Malan, who last played for England at the 2023 ODI World Cup, has extensive experience of the global T20 circuit, featuring in the PSL, BPL, SA20 and, most recently, the Nepal Premier League.He has also started to explore a media career, commentating on BBC radio during the summer.Hamilton said: “Dawid has been a consistent run-scorer across all formats, and will always be welcome at Headingley. We thank him for his very significant contribution in recent seasons, and we wish him well for the future.”

Big picture: A battle of two spin attacks

Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). Another chapter will be added to the CPL’s fiercest rivalry when the two teams face each other at Providence in Sunday’s final.Former Amazon Warrior Nicholas Pooran is in his first season as TKR captain, leading their push for the title, with 425 runs in 12 innings. He has been peaking at the crunch, with scores of 90* and 50 in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, respectively.Amazon Warriors and TKR have met in two finals previously. In 2018, in Tarouba, under Dwayne Bravo’s captaincy, TKR had outplayed Amazon Warriors, with Bravo later coming out and suggesting a video of Guyanese fans trampling on a Trinidad & Tobago flag was extra motivation for TKR to beat Amazon Warriors.Five years later, Amazon Warriors demolished TKR at Providence under Imran Tahir to win their maiden title. Bravo is no longer an active player; he has taken over as TKR’s head coach, while Tahir, 46, continues to light up the CPL with his variations and celebrations. Tahir has formed a potent spin combination with Moeen Ali and Gudakesh Motie, the supremely talented left-arm fingerspinner who can also bowl left-arm wristspin to left-hand batters. Having also won the Global Super League (GSL) earlier this year, Amazon Warriors will be hungry to add another title to their cabinet this year.TKR also have a deadly spin attack, with Pakistani mystery spinner Usman Tariq providing a point of difference to their bowling. Sunil Narine and his protege Akeal Hosein need no introduction to the region. The battle between the two spin attacks could have a big influence on the result.While TKR face a quick turnaround on Sunday, having just played Qualifier 2 on Friday, Amazon Warriors head into the final on the back of a three-day break.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Form guide

Guyana Amazon Warriors: WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Trinbago Knight Riders: WWLLL

In the spotlight: Shai Hope and Usman Tariq

Once regarded as a Test and an ODI batter, Shai Hope has reinvented his T20 batting, earning gigs in T20 leagues around the world – including the IPL and the BBL. While the top order has been hit-or-miss for Amazon Warriors, Hope has been a stable presence at No. 3, topping the run charts this season with 479 runs in 11 innings at an average of over 50 and strike rate of over 130. While his immediate challenge will be to counter TKR’s spin trio, his form also bodes well for West Indies in the long term as they tune up for next year’s T20 World Cup.It’s not often that a spinner outshines Narine, but Usman Tariq managed to do that in both the Eliminator, against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, and Qualifier 2 against St Lucia Kings. Tariq, who is predominantly an offspinner, comes to a near-complete halt as he approaches his delivery stride, which has made it particularly difficult for batters to pick him. With a few variations in his repertoire, he has also fronted up to bowl at the death for TKR in what is his first T20 stint outside of the PSL.

Team news: Amir, Shamar Joseph injured

There is no reason for Amazon Warriors to tweak their XI, unless Shamar Joseph is fit and ready. If that’s the case, he might replace Hassan Khan. Dwaine Pretorius is also nursing a niggle, but Amazon Warriors head coach Lance Klusener expects him to be “fine” for the final.Guyana Amazon Warriors (probable): 1 Ben McDermott, 2 Quentin Sampson, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shamarh Brooks, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Hassan Khan/Shamar Joseph 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Imran Tahir (capt)Usman Tariq has been terrific with the ball in his maiden CPL season•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Ahead of the playoffs, Pooran suggested that Mohammad Amir is still injured and is facing a race against time to regain fitness for the knockouts. The Pakistani left-arm quick has not played since September 1, so if he remains unavailable, expect USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar to get another game as Amir’s like-for-like replacement.Trinbago Knight Riders (probable): 1 Alex Hales, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 4 Keacy Carty, 5 Darren Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Saurabh Netravalkar, 11 Usman Tariq

Pitch and conditions

Spin to win has been the theme at Providence, and it could well continue on Sunday. Some showers have been forecast for Sunday morning, but the weather is likely to be fine for the evening at Providence.

Stats and trivia: TKR eye fifth title

• Amazon Warriors have faced the Trinidad franchise 14 times at Providence, winning ten, including a one-over eliminator in 2014, and losing four.
• The highlight of that Super Over was a maiden bowled by Narine, who was playing for Amazon Warriors at the time, to Ross Taylor and a young Pooran, who was playing for Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel then.
• Earlier this week, Narine (133) surpassed Bravo (129) to become the top wicket-taker in CPL history.
• Tahir is one strike away from 150 wickets for Amazon Warriors in all T20s. Twenty of those have come in this CPL at an average of 15.60 and economy rate of 7.09.
• The T&T franchise is the winningest CPL team, with four titles in their kitty so far. They last won a title in 2020, when they enjoyed an unbeaten run.
  

  Quotes

  “Look, it’s a great feeling to be in the final in front of our home crowd. Playing in Guyana is something very special. We have been up and down this season, but always a good feeling, and to be a champion, we need to be very hungry.”
  “It’s really important to come together in a tournament like this, especially with the type of players we have in our team. The last couple of years has been challenging for us, and especially here in Guyana, it hasn’t been on our side. But this group has been really amazing.

Pakistan have made their dissatisfaction over Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal against India in the sides’ Super Four game in the Asia Cup known to the match officials. Following the game, in the captain’s customary report to match referee Andy Pycroft and the Umpires and Referees manager, Pakistan shone a spotlight on the TV umpire’s decision to declare Fakhar caught by the wicketkeeper off a slower delivery from Hardik Pandya. Sanju Samson dived forward to complete a catch, one that was only confirmed after the on-field umpires sent the decision to the TV umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge.In the post match press conference, on Sunday night Pakistan captain Salman Agha also took slight issue with Fakhar’s dismissal, saying it “did look like it bounced ahead of the keeper”. Fakhar, promoted up the order to open the batting, got Pakistan off to a brisk start, scoring three boundaries in his first eight balls and speeding to 15.Hardik had rolled his fingers over the ninth delivery, and the deviation drew an outside edge from Fakhar. But with little pace on the ball, Sanju Samson had to reach forward to get his gloves underneath the ball. Feeling satisfied he had done so, India went up in appeal. The TV umpire had a couple of looks at the replay before deciding the catch was cleanly taken, and that the ball had bounced in the gloves rather than just in front.Related

• Things Pakistan say, things Pakistan do, and the gap between them

• Stats – India go 8-0 in T20I chases versus Pakistan

• Abhishek: Didn't like Pakistan 'coming at us without any reason'

• Suryakumar: India vs Pakistan isn't a rivalry anymore

• Abhishek and Gill's 'fire and ice' combination leaves Pakistan clueless

Post-match, Agha guardedly disagreed. “Umpires can make mistakes,” he said. “But it did look like it bounced ahead of the keeper to me. I might be wrong. The way [Fakhar] was batting, if he had batted through the powerplay, we would probably have scored 190. But those are calls for umpires to make. To me, it looked like it bounced before the keeper. I might be mistaken, but so might be the umpire.”At the time, the dismissal did little to halt Pakistan’s momentum. While Saim Ayub couldn’t score at the same rate, Sahibzada Farhan at the other end sped along to a 34-ball half-century as Pakistan darted to 55 in the powerplay and 91 in the first ten, both Pakistani records against India.”The batting was a lot better today, and that’s a positive,” Agha said. “The way our start was, we could have scored 15 more. But when the ball goes soft after ten overs, it’s not as easy to bat. But we didn’t bowl as well in the powerplay and got punished. But our start should have ensured we scored 180.”Ultimately, Pakistan finished with 171 after India’s bowlers came back strongly following the drinks break. The subsequent seven overs produced just one boundary and 38 runs, the lowest for any side in that phase all tournament. India made short work in pursuit, reaching 100 without loss in the ninth over, and ultimately coasting to a six-wicket win. During that time, Mohammad Nawaz put down a sharp chance Shubman Gill provided, while Farhan palmed one off Abishek over the rope for six.”Bowling or batting, we look to play the perfect game,” Agha said. “To win, you have to excel in all three facets of the game. We didn’t field well or start well with the ball. We have to forget this game because we have one the day after tomorrow. We’re looking forward to delivering a better performance there.”