Players.bio is a large online platform sharing the best live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, Golf, Rugby, Cricket, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA, plus the latest sports news, transfers & scores. Exclusive interviews, fresh photos and videos, breaking news. Stay tuned to know everything you wish about your favorite stars 24/7. Check our daily updates and make sure you don't miss anything about celebrities' lives.
Prolific opener Mohammad Rizwan hit a fighting half-century before debutant all-rounder Aamer Jamal starred with the ball as Pakistan beat England by six runs in another last-over finish in the fifth T20 international in Lahore on Wednesday.
The world of cricket has changed dramatically since the first T20 World Cup in 2007. Back then, it was called the World T20 and the Indian Premier League was not a thing yet.
After being on the sidelines for more than two months due to a knee injury, India pacer Jasprit Bumrah made his return to action during the three-match T20I series against Australia. While Bumrah returned figures one for 23 in the second T20I, he conceded 50 runs in the third match and also failed to pick a wicket. Speaking ahead of India's three-match series against South Africa, former India selector Saba Karim spoke about Bumrah's form after injury, saying that the star pacer might take some time to get back to his absolute best.
India on Wednesday had to tackle difficult conditions to chase down 107 to win the first T20I against South Africa, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. On a tricky pitch in Thiruvananthapuram that saw plenty of assistance for the seamers, especially with the new ball swinging dangerously, Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar led India's charge as South Africa were restricted to 106/8. KL Rahul then laid down anchor as India chased down the target to register an 8-wicket win.
As the T20 format has grown into prominence, the evolution of cricket has been rather rapid, especially when it comes to batters improvising to develop new shots as they look to open up more scoring areas. From switch-hits to reverse-scoops and lap shots, several shots that would be considered unorthodox - and maybe even shocking - not too long ago, are now considered completely normal. On Wednesday, Australian batter Jake Lehmann took the improvisation up a notch as he hit a boundary with a scoop using the back of his bat.
It was a night of many positives for Team India against South Africa in the first T20I on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram. First, Arshdeep Singh (3/32) and Deepak Chahar (2/24) rattled the opposition to reduce them to 9/5 in 2.3 overs. South Africa, however, recovered to post 106/8. India lost skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck and star batter Virat Kohli for 3 before the hosts achieved their target with 20 balls to spare and take a 1-0 lead.
And two young Indian pacers weren't complaining. Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar, coming into the playing XI in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, proved they can be just as good, if not better than their senior pros with a brilliant exhibition of swing bowling to set up India's eight-wicket win over the Proteas on Wednesday night. SCORECARD | AS IT HAPPENEDThe 'English-like' conditions saw South Africa losing half the side even before the team total had reached double figures. The visitors couldn't recover from that abysmal start and ended up with 106 for eight in 20 overs. The Indian batsmen didn't have it easy in their chase either as long as Kagiso Rabada was in operation. He dismissed skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck as he troubled the batters with his pace and movement. When Anrich Nortje accounted for Virat Kohli, some jitters were felt. However, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav took their time to wear out the South African bowlers and chipped away at the paltry target with an unbroken partnership of 93 to take India home.
The first T20I between India and South Africa was a low-scoring thriller with the hosts prevailing by eight wickets in the end. Pace Arshdeep Singh (3/32) and Deepak Chahar (2/24) made the white ball talk with some incisive swing bowling that restricted South Africa to 106/8. However, the chase was not a cakewalk but Kl Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav scored half-centuries to take India over the line in 16.4 overs.