New Zealand sour Shaheen Afridi's captaincy debut in Auckland
Shaheen Afridi's debut as Pakistan's T20 captain ended in a 46-run defeat against New Zealand in the series opener in Auckland on Friday.
Devon Conway Sport News
NZ's Mitchell Santner To Miss First T20I Against Pakistan, Tests Positive For Covid-19
New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner will not be featuring in the first T20I of the five-match series against Pakistan on Friday after being tested positive for COVID-19. The first T20I of the five-match series between New Zealand and Pakistan will take place today at Auckland's Eden Park. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the news of the all-rounder's infection. "Mitch Santner won't travel to Eden Park this evening for the opening KFC T20I against Pakistan after testing positive for COVID earlier today. He will continue to be monitored over the coming days and will travel solo home to Hamilton. #NZvPAK," tweeted NZC.
New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st T20I Live Score: Shaheen Wins Toss, Opts To Bowl
New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st T20I Live Score And Updates:Shaheen Afridi takes charge as Pakistan's full-time skipper, taking over the reins from Babar Azam, as the sub-continent giants look to put the Australia heartbreak behind them in the T20I series against another team from Down Under, New Zealand. Shaheen's elevation as the team's captain isn't the only change that Pakistan have brought in, with some fresh faces also expected to be seen, while new combinations at the top of the batting-order are also likely to be deployed. The Kiwis, on the other hand, will miss Mitchell Santner for the match as he has been tested positive for Covid-19. Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi won the toss and opted to field first. (LIVE Scorecard)
Watch: CSK Captain MS Dhoni Back On The Cricket Field Ahead of IPL 2024. Training Video Is Viral
Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni has begun his training session ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Dhoni, who remains an active cricketer only in the T20 league, had some fitness concerns towards the end of the last season but has worked hard to regain full fitness and best prepare himself for the new campaign with the Super Kings. Dhoni has been creating a buzz on social media, having attended a few social gatherings since the start of the new year. But, it was the first time this year that he was seen training.
IPL Auction Draws Increase Of 57 Per Cent In Viewers As Compared To 2022 Edition
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Wednesday said that the recently-held Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction recorded an increase of 57 per cent from the previous auction's viewers. Shah took to X (Formerly Twitter) to announce that the IPL auction drew a total of 22.8 million viewers, higher than those for auctions held in the 2022 auction. The IPL auction 2024 was held in Dubai on December 19.
Watch: Rachin Ravindra's Heartwarming 'Autograph' Gesture For CSK Fan Goes Viral
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra had an impressive run in the Cricket World Cup 2023 and his form played a major role in Chennai Super Kings acquiring his services in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction. Since the auction, the CSK fanbase has embraced the cricketer as their own and he recently had a heartwarming moment with an ardent fan. In a video going viral on social media, a CSK fan approached him with a placard that had pictures of major cricketers who have played for the franchise. Ravindra quickly stepped out of the car and signed the placard for the fan.
IPL 2024 Auction: From RCB, CSK To MI, Full List Of All 10 Updated Squads
In a history-making move, Australia pacer Mitchell Starc was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping Rs 24.75 crores just hours after his skipper Pat Cummins had breached the Rs 20 crore mark after being brought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), to become the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the auction in Dubai on Tuesday. Sam Curran, an all-around player for England, was previously the most expensive player in the Indian Premier League (IPL), having cost Punjab Kings (PBKS) INR 18.50 crore for him at the previous year's auction, as per Olympics.com.
IPL 2024 Auction: Complete Squads Of All 10 Franchises In The Tournament
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction saw 72 players joining the ten franchises and a whopping Rs. 230.45 crore being spent. The Australian pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins emerged as the costliest picks as both of them sparked massive bidding wars. While Pat Cummins was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.5 crore, Starc broke all records by attracting a bid of Rs 24.75 crore from Kolkata Knight Riders. Harshal Patel was the costliest player among the Indians as the all-rounder joined Punjab Kings for a massive amount of Rs 11.75 crore.