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Overshooting its own budget is not the only fallout for the ICC from its recently concluded men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. ESPNcricinfo understands that Disney-Star*, the ICC’s broadcast partners, have raised concerns about the event, asking whether the ICC believes it delivered a product that justified the investment made in the rights, and whether better value overall can be derived from the rights deal.Among the concerns raised was the schedulling of matches, in particular the timing of those games which ended up being broadcast in the early morning hours in the subcontinent, thereby affecting viewership significantly. These include most of West Indies’ games, the co-hosts and two-time champions, as well as the first semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan.It is also believed that the broadcaster had communicated its worries about the drop-in pitches that were ultimately used for the Nassau County stadium for the New York leg of the tournament. The venue saw a succession of bowling-friendly surfaces on which two sides were bowled out for less than 100 and the highest completed score was 137.Related

• T20 World Cup 2024: New York, Tarouba pitches rated 'unsatisfactory'

• ICC Board seeks answers after costs spiral for US leg of T20 World Cup

• No rain, but still no play: Lauderhill washouts prompt questions

The first two surfaces were eventually rated as “unsatisfactory” by the ICC, only one rung above “unfit”. The venue also hosted the marquee India-Pakistan match, for which the pitch was rated “satisfactory” but where Pakistan failed to chase down a target of 120.Later in the tournament, the Trinidad surface for the semi-final between South Africa and Afghanistan, where the latter was routed for 56 on a brutish pitch with excessive seam and uneven bounce, was also rated “unsatisfactory”.Through its various iterations, Disney-Star has held the the rights to every single ICC event since the 2011 men’s ODI World Cup. Last year, Disney-Star acquired the rights to broadcast ICC events in the India market in a four-year deal worth just above USD 3 billion. Dissatisfaction from such a long-term broadcast partner is likely to be taken seriously, given the implications it has for all ICC members, who receive annual revenue derived from the rights deal. Most members, other than India, Australia and England, rely heavily on these revenues.ESPNcricinfo understands that there were discussions within the ICC to swap the USA-West Indies event with either India in 2026 or England in 2028 in order to give the venues more time to get ready, but those discussions did not go far.Apart from New York, Florida came in for criticism as a venue as well, where matches could not be held even though the majority of the rain there fell in the preceding week. The ground’s drainage was not up to date, and it didn’t have enough covers to protect the whole playing area, which led to frustrating scenes where the pitch was ready but there were wet patches on the outfield despite strong sunlight. Three of the four matches in Florida were abandoned, one of them an India game.ESPNcricinfo understands that the disgruntlement is limited to this event, the handling of which is already undergoing an audit after it emerged that the original budget for the US leg ballooned over by up to USD 20 million. The event has prompted one idea to be floated to convert the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy to T20Is. There has not been any development on this since the grievance was first raised a month ago. This issue was not discussed in the ICC meetings this Tuesday.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been selected in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series in Sri Lanka, which is one of their two 50-over assignments scheduled before the 2025 Champions Trophy.Both Rohit and Kohli have spent time abroad with their families after the T20 World Cup felicitation event in Mumbai on July 4. There was speculation they would skip the tour of Sri Lanka and only return for the start of the home season in September, but they are now part of the 15-man squad for the series.Related

• Where does the elevation of Gill and Suryakumar leave Hardik?

• Harshit Rana credits Gautam Gambhir for his success 'above everyone else'

• Suryakumar confirmed as India's T20I captain for Sri Lanka tour

• Rathour on India's transition: 'Needs to be done gradually'

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire tour, while Hardik Pandya – who missed out on the T20I captaincy – will feature in just the T20I-leg.Shreyas Iyer, who lost out on a BCCI central contract earlier this year, has been picked in the ODI squad. KL Rahul also returns after a long injury layoff, one of two frontline wicketkeepers along with Rishabh Pant, who last played an ODI prior to his car accident in December 2022.

Shubman Gill named India’s vice-captain

Shubman Gill has been elevated to vice-captaincy in both white-ball formats, following his captaincy stint with a second-string squad in Zimbabwe, where India won 4-1. Gill’s also been prolific with the bat in ODIs of late – he’s the second-highest run-getter worldwide in the format since the start of 2023.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With Hardik absent from the ODIs, seam-bowling allrounder Shivam Dube, whose only ODI so far was in 2019, earns a recall. Dube’s stocks in T20 cricket have grown considerably since IPL 2023, when he made a name for himself as an enforcer against spin for Chennai Super Kings.The selectors also rewarded Riyan Parag by picking him in both formats. His one-day elevation can be looked at as a reward for his domestic form – he was the leading run-getter in the Deodhar Trophy as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, where he made seven straight half-centuries while leading Assam to their first-ever semi-final.Fast bowler Harshit Rana was also handed a maiden ODI call-up. Rana was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL-winning side of 2024 and finished as his side’s joint second-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps in 13 outings.The pace attack will be spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj, with Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed completing it. Washington Sundar’s Player-of-the-Series performance in Zimbabwe earned him a berth in both squads for Sri Lanka; he’s one of two spin-bowling allrounders alongside Axar Patel.Ravindra Jadeja, who (like Rohit and Kohli) is now retired from T20Is, did not make the ODI squad.

No Kuldeep, Abhishek for T20Is

As many as nine members from the young squad that won 4-1 in Zimbabwe earlier this month have been picked for the Sri Lanka T20Is, led by new captain Suryakumar Yadav.Abhishek Sharma did not make the cut despite his T20I exploits in Harare•Associated Press

Gill, who led in Zimbabwe, is likely to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad.Sanju Samson retained his place (a second option with the gloves alongside Pant), but there was no room for Ruturaj Gaikwad or Abhishek Sharma, who struck a 46-ball hundred in just his second T20I in Zimbabwe. Rinku Singh and Dube are likely to be options as finishers.Kuldeep Yadav will play the ODIs but was not picked for the T20Is, leaving Ravi Bishnoi as the frontline wristspinner. There was no place for Yuzvendra Chahal, who didn’t feature in a single game during India’s World Cup campaign, in either squad.India’s tour of Sri Lanka is the first assignment for new coach Gautam Gambhir, who was appointed after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with the T20 World Cup. The tour begins with three T20Is in Pallekele on July 27, 28 and 30, followed by three ODIs in Colombo on August 2, 4 and 7.

India squad for Sri Lanka ODIs

Rohit Sharma (capt), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.

India squad for Sri Lanka T20Is

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.

Match details

Australia vs England
June 8, Bridgetown, 1pm local, 6pm GMT, 10.30pm IST

Big picture – Defending champions under the pump (again)

The first truly heavyweight clash of this expanded T20 World Cup format comes freighted with both history and subplots. A rematch of the 2010 World T20 final at Kensington Oval, the match pits Jos Buttler’s defending champions – who are aiming to become the first team to retain the trophy – against the Australian winning machine, victors at the 2021 edition and current world title-holders in Test and ODI cricket. And that’s before you throw in the Ashes for afters.Already there is added pressure on England, after the rain in Bridgetown led to a share of the points in their opener against Scotland (and that having conceded 90 runs from 10 overs without taking a wicket in a tepid bowling display). Lose to their oldest rivals and it will leave their Super 8 prospects open to being waylaid by the perils of net run-rate calculations, or worse.The Scotland match was the third abandonment in five suffered by England, after a rain-affected home series against Pakistan, which has clearly hampered their readiness for this campaign after almost six months without playing T20 together. It does not take much for a side to click in this format – and England looked in decent shape when they did get on the field against Pakistan – but Buttler will be anxious for things to go their way on Saturday, if only to avoid further questions referencing the team’s disastrous ODI World Cup defence last year.Australia, under the laidback leadership of Mitchell Marsh, would love nothing more than to add to the English sense of jeopardy – having helped bundle them out of the tournament in India on the way to taking the crown. Their head-to-head record is less impressive in T20, however, with England having won six of the last seven completed encounters, as well as that 2010 final.Jos Buttler has Jofra Archer back to bolster the England bowling attack•Getty Images

Despite a wobble with the bat, Australia avoided mishap against Oman earlier in the week, the experience of David Warner and Marcus Stoinis shining through in difficult batting conditions. Surfaces in the Caribbean – not to mention those for games staged in the USA – have already had teams scratching their heads; rather than the “slug-fest” England had prepared for, following a high-scoring tour of the Caribbean in December, it looks as if boxing smart may be the way to go.Speaking of Warner, this could be the last time he faces up against England in national colours – and another match-winning contribution would likely reduce the chances of them meeting again in the knockouts. On the other side of the card is Jofra Archer, fresh off an emotional maiden outing at Kensington Oval and ready to take on Australia for the first time in any format since 2020. Can Mark Wood fire up England’s campaign, as he did during last summer’s Ashes? Will Pat Cummins be back to harass the old enemy once again? Seconds out, it’s almost time to rumble.

Form guide

Australia WWWWL
England WWLWW

In the spotlight – Glenn Maxwell and Jos Buttler

Since smashing 120 not out from 55 balls against West Indies in February, Glenn Maxwell has been on a truly shocking run. In 14 T20 innings for Australia and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he has scored 115 at an average of 8.21, with five ducks – his last two knocks have each lasted just one ball. His recent T20I record against England is no better, with five single-figure scores in six dating back to 2020. Australia won’t be losing faith yet, though. “We know that Maxi’s going to win us games,” Marsh said in his pre-match press conference. Who would bet against him finding his touch on Saturday?Jos Buttler led England to their second T20 title in his first major assignment after taking the reins from Eoin Morgan in the summer of 2022, but things have not gone quite so smoothly since then. Questions mounted about England’s leadership – for both Buttler as captain and the coach, Matthew Mott – after their early exit at the 50-over World Cup, and Buttler has seemed increasingly tetchy in recent times when asked to address the team’s failures. His batting form has been good, since working with Rajasthan Royals coach Sid Lahiri at the IPL, but England need a win.Travis Head and David Warner are among the most dangerous opening pairs in the world•ICC via Getty Images

Team news – Cummins back, but who sits out?

Cummins is set to return after being rested for the Oman game, which saw Mitchell Starc leave the field with cramp. Starc is understood to be fine and could keep his place – which would likely see Nathan Ellis miss out. Marsh is still not fit to bowl, with Australia likely to continue with the allrounder combination of Stoinis and Maxwell to give them cover.Australia (probable XI): 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Josh Inglis (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Nathan Ellis/Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodThe one change England may consider is Reece Topley coming in for Wood, with the expectation that there will be some rotation among the seamers through the course of the tournament.England (probable XI): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 3 Will Jacks, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece Topley/Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

Four World Cup fixtures at Kensington Oval have produced markedly different results for batting: at one extreme, the tie between Oman and Namibia saw totals of 109 all out and 109 for 6; at the other, Scotland’s charge to 90 for 0 from 10 overs between the showers against England. No team has scored more than Australia’s 164 for 5 against Oman, however. This fixture, a day game, will be played on a new surface, said to be the best one on the square – though a slightly patchy forecast could give the teams another thing to contend with.

Stats and trivia

• England have a slight edge in the overall T20I head-to-head with Australia, winning 11 and losing 10 – a record which includes winning their last two T20 World Cup encounters, in 2010 and 2021.
• There have only ever been two 200-plus scores in 25 completed T20Is at Kensington Oval, both in the same match between England and West Indies in 2022.
• In scoring 56 against Oman, Warner overtook Aaron Finch as Australia’s all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is.

Quotes

“A win is a win, it doesn’t derail us either way. We know we’ve got to win more games than we lose in tournament cricket. A win puts you in a position in the group which is obviously more favourable, but the other two games that we’ve got post this are must-win games anyway.”
“I daresay this will be full and it’ll be mostly English fans, so it’ll be like playing at Headingley all over, or anywhere in England where you get sprayed. But the atmosphere, the vibe of the game, there’s always a lot riding on it. As a team we always want to challenge ourselves against the best. England have been exceptional in this format for a long period of time now, so there’s certainly going to be a lot on the game and we’re pumped.”
Mitchell Marsh is braced for an Ashes-style reception from England’s travelling fans

USA became the first team to be penalised according to the new stop-clock regulations put in place to speed up the pace of play in T20Is.They suffered the penalty – which is imposed if the fielding side fails to start the next over within a minute of the previous one ending thrice in an innings – during a crucial phase of India’s chase in New York.At the start of the 16th over of their T20 World Cup group game, India needed 35 runs and were in a tricky position on a tough batting pitch, but the equation was reduced to 30 off 30 balls after the penalty. India went on to beat USA by seven wickets with ten balls to spare.

The stop clock to help speed up over rates became a permanent feature in men’s ODIs and T20Is from June 1. The relevant regulation says: “The clock will be used to regulate the amount of time taken between overs. If the bowling team is not ready to bowl the next over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed, a five-run penalty will be imposed the third time it happens in an innings.”The trial for this playing condition had encouraging results in terms of over rates. “The results of the stop-clock trial were presented to the Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC), which demonstrated that around 20 minutes per ODI match had been saved in time,” the ICC had said when ratifying the regulation for all international limited-overs cricket played by men. During the trial period, no team was found to have exceeded the one-minute limit between overs three times in an innings, which makes this the first five-run penalty for this offence.The umpires were seen explaining what had happened to Aaron Jones, USA’s stand-in captain in the absence of the injured Monank Patel.Following the defeat, USA were left needing a win or a no-result in their final match against Ireland to qualify for the Super Eight. If they get no points from their last match, their chances of progressing could come down to net run-rate. India have sealed their place in the Super Eight with three wins in three games.Related

• Hardik hits his rhythm to get rid of the blues

• Rohit on Suryakumar: 'He showed he's got a different game'

It’s not like the penalty took USA by surprise.”Yeah, we talk about this,” USA coach Stuart Law said at a press conference after the game. “We had a few warnings in earlier games, and it’s something we do talk about to get through faster between the overs. It’s just one thing that we can improve on. I think that we’re only a fledgling team. There’s plenty to learn.”There’s not just the cricket aspect of the game of cricket, but there’s also the other intricacies that need to be embedded [among the players]. It’s a rule that’s only just come in. A lot of our players wouldn’t have heard about it before we played in the Bangladesh series or the Canada series earlier this year. So, look, it’s something that we need to address, we’ll sit down and talk about, but we can improve it, yeah.”Law said the umpires had said they had warned the USA players twice before imposing the penalty.”Players know the rule, but it’s something that if you haven’t played with it for a long time, it’s very difficult to have it embedded in your brain,” Law said. “So, the information coming from the umpires was, they were given two clear warnings, then it’s up to the players to respond. And we didn’t respond fast enough, we didn’t do it well enough, and that’s something we can address.”One thing for every team to learn from this is that Law didn’t put the defeat down to it despite the critical moment it came at. He said it didn’t even affect the players because eventually it was just five runs in a 40-over game.”I don’t think it affected the outcome of the game,” he said. “Five runs wasn’t going to affect the outcome of the game so I don’t think it rattled [the players]. No, I thought we stuck to our guns, we fought hard, we fought to the death. I thought we showed some fantastic character against one of the best teams in the world.”Law had no issues with the ICC trying to speed up the game. He was asked if such measures might compromise the quality of cricket played, and replied, “I think there needs to be a pace of play. I think if you’re dragging games out that should last three-and-a-half hours, they’re going for four-and-a-half hours, that’s a bit much. The ICC are there to install rules and regulations. We as coaches and teams are there to follow those rules and regulations.”If there’s enough voices saying that it may be detracting from the game, I’m sure the ICC will act to it. I don’t see it as a bad thing, I see it as a good thing. The game continues to move. When momentum is with you, you want to keep that momentum running quicker and put the opposition under pressure that way.”So it’s neither here nor there. It didn’t affect the result of the game as many people will suggest. But to lose five runs was crucial at that time. But, once again, it may have just taken us to the 19th or 20th over, rather than finishing it in the 18th.”

In a late move, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have decided to release Sri Lankan fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana from their squad ahead of IPL 2026. ESPNcricinfo has learned that CSK have been deliberating their future with Pathirana, who they had bought ahead of IPL 2023 and retained before the 2025 mega auction for INR 13 crore.This emerged on Saturday – the IPL retention window closes at 3pm.With his slingy action and ability to find swing consistently at 140-plus clicks, Pathirana announced himself at IPL 2023, when CSK won the title, picking 19 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 8.01. Then captain MS Dhoni, though, had warned that Pathirana would need to be carefully managed by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in order for him to have a long career. Dhoni’s words were not far off the mark – Pathirana has struggled with various injuries over the years.Related

• CSK set to release Conway and Ravindra

• RR trade Samson to CSK for Jadeja and Curran

Pathirana, who last played at the Asia Cup this September, had a curtailed IPL 2024 owing to a hamstring injury and then left for home midway into the SA20, where he playes for Joburg Super Kings. In IPL 2025, he was under par, taking 13 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 10.13.CSK’s head coach Stephen Fleming had said during the season that the franchise was concerned by Pathirana’s drop in impact, which he suspected had to do with the SLC tweaking the bowler’s release point which was causing him troubles.CSK have now decided to release Pathirana with a possibility of buying him back at the auction, which will take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16.CSK had been the only team Pathirana has played for in the IPL, with his overall numbers in the three seasons being 47 wickets in 32 matches at an average of 21.61 and economy of 8.68.CSK are set to be among the few teams to go into the auction with a big purse, having also decided to release a host of players including the New Zealand pair of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. They have also traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals for Sanju Samson.

Taijul Islam equalled Shakib Al Hasan’s record for the most Test wickets for Bangladesh on a day when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake caused severe tremors in parts of Bangladesh. Play was stopped for three minutes as the players gathered around the pitch, seeing their team-mates empty the dressing rooms.When play resumed shortly afterwards, Taijul reached 246 wickets during his four-wicket haul in Ireland’s first innings, in which they were bowled out for 265 runs. The hosts did not enforce the follow-on and reached 156 for 1 at stumps, leading Ireland by a mammoth 367 runs. Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque were unbeaten on 69 and 19, respectively.Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shadman added 119 runs for the opening wicket in Bangladesh’s second innings. This was only the second time that the Bangladesh openers had added two century stands in a Test series, the last coming in England in 2010.Related

• Mushfiqur: 'I want to give back for as long as I'm playing for Bangladesh'

• Earthquake stops Bangladesh vs Ireland Test for three minutes on third morning

Legspinner Gavin Hoey broke the partnership when he trapped Mahmudul lbw for 60. He struck six boundaries in his 91-ball knock, although Mahmudul did survive a couple of chances.When the third day began, Ireland were trying to recover from their overnight precarious position of 98 for 5, with Bangladesh having amassed 476 in the first innings. Lorcan Tucker top-scored for the visitors with an unbeaten 75, as he put on two sizable partnerships – 81 runs for the sixth wicket with debutant Stephen Doheny and 74 for the eighth wicket with Jordan Neill.Both batters looked comfortable in the first hour-and-a-half of the morning session, racking up consistent boundaries. Taijul broke the partnership with a beauty when he removed Doheny for 46 with a classic left-arm spinner’s delivery that beat the right-hander on the front foot. Just one ball later, Taijul cleaned up Andy McBrine with a delivery that spun into the left-hander’s offstump, from over the wicket.Despite the two blows, Tucker and Neill dug in. Neill, playing his second Test, struck nine fours in his 49. He, however, fell trying too many things against Ebadat Hossain, getting caught in the covers. The Irish tail caved quickly when Khaled Ahmed had Hoey caught behind for four, before Taijul had Matthew Humphreys caught at point, trying a reverse sweep.

Big picture – Bumrah returns

While ODI series had relatively little meaning other than both teams taking some early steps on the road to the 2027 World Cup, the five-match T20I series beginning in Canberra on Wednesday night is of far greater significance for the near term.The No. 1 and 2 teams in the world face off in the final throws of their preparations for February’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The conditions will bear no relevance, but the chance for each side to test themselves and their game style against each other so close to a World Cup will be highly beneficial to both teams.India are unequivocally the No.1 team in the world. The reigning World Cup winners stormed to the Asia Cup title without being defeated and they were only run close once by Sri Lanka in the Super Fours and to an extent by Pakistan in the final. They have lost just three matches since winning the World Cup in 2024 and have arguably become an even stronger and more dynamic group with an influx of young IPL talent under Suryakumar Yadav.Related

• Frustrated Short looks to make most of India opportunity

• Shreyas Iyer 'on the road to recovery' after laceration to spleen

Jasprit Bumrah returns after being rested for the ODI series and will likely enjoy the early season conditions in Australia given his exploits with the red and pink balls down under last summer. One challenge facing India will be how to best balance the XI in Australian conditions, something they struggled with in the ODIs, having won the Asia with a spin-heavy team in spin-friendly conditions.Meanwhile, Australia have turned over a new leaf since their disappointing exit from the 2024 World Cup at the hands of India. Back-to-back mediocre showings in the 2022 and 2024 editions force a rethink from Australia’s hierarchy about their approach. The results have been spectacular since going to an all-out power-hitting method of playing under Mitchell Marsh. They have lost just two of their last 20 T20Is on the back of some electric batting led by Marsh, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Tim David, Mitchell Owen and Glenn Maxwell. They are without Green against India as he prepares for the Ashes but Marcus Stoinis and Matt Short fill the breach.”There has been a shift,” coach Andrew McDonald said on Monday in Canberra.”We’re 11 games in now from the initial conversation. When we set out on this journey, we’d failed in a couple of World Cups previously, so we wanted to shift and stretch the boundaries on what we thought we could do.”So yeah, we have been more aggressive, we’ve played people in different positions. Tim David has batted a little bit higher than previously.”Our admission was that we haven’t been successful in a couple of campaigns. We’ve got to change things up. We’ve got to stretch ourselves.”Is it the style that can win a World Cup? We believe so. Will we have to pivot and nuance it slightly, depending on whether we’re in Colombo or Delhi or Kolkata? There’s no doubt about that.”In the short term they get to test their new style against the best team on the planet.”You’re playing against India, so it’s a really good test on whether this style will hold up,” McDonald said. “They’re the number-one ranked team in the world, I think we’re number two. We’re excited to test ourselves against the best.

Form guide

Australia WWWLW
India WWWWWSuryakumar Yadav’s form has been a worry•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Matthew Kuhnemann and Suryakumar Yadav

In any Australian white-ball team, Adam Zampa is the first name written on the team sheet and the rest are selected from there. For the first time since the 2023 tour of India, where Australia picked a second XI post their ODI World Cup triumph, Zampa won’t be in an Australian T20I XI having played every game in the past two years. He will miss the entire series for paternity reasons. It presents a great opportunity for Matthew Kuhnemann, who has played just one of Australia’s last 16 T20Is despite being in every squad. Australia want the option of playing two spinners in the same XI in the World Cup, particularly in Sri Lanka. Kuhnemann can lock himself into the final 15 with a good series against some of the best spin-hitters in the world that will put him under severe pressure.Suryakumar Yadav’s fall from being the No.1 ranked T20I batter in the world in the first half of 2024 to struggling for runs in 2025 has been startling. He has not scored a half-century in his last 14 innings and has averaged 10.50 and struck at just 100.80 in that time. How or why is somewhat of a mystery given he had an outstanding IPL earlier this year as the second leading runscorer across the tournament with five half-centuries at a strike rate of 167.91. It seems incomprehensible that he wouldn’t be a key pillar in India’s top four heading into the World Cup but he would love some runs against Australia to ease any pressure he might be feeling.

Team news: Inglis back, Short out, India to add pace options

Matthew Short’s hopes of bedding down his spot in the T20I side have taken another blow after he had surgery on the cut he sustained on his finger in the second ODI in Adelaide. He will remain with the squad but will be unavailable until the wound heals. Inglis missed the entire T20I tour of New Zealand and the ODI series against India with a calf strain that has taken some time to get right. He has been ramping up the intensity of his running since rejoining the squad in Sydney and looks set to return to the line-up. He will likely return at No.3 where he has had great success. How Australia structure their middle order remains to be seen as Glenn Maxwell does not return until game three. They are thin for options with backup keeper Josh Philippe set to play as a batter in Canberra while Ben McDermott has been called into the squad as extra cover. Australia do not have Ben Dwarshuis for the opening three T20Is due to a calf issue.Australia (possible): 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Tim David, 5 Josh Philippe, 6 Mitch Owen, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Sean Abbott/Xavier Bartlett, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Matt Kuhnemann, 11 Josh HazlewoodIndia had a spin-heavy line-up in their last T20I outing in the Asia Cup final but will likely add some pace to their attack for the five matches in Australia. Arshdeep Singh is almost certain to return alongside Jasprit Bumrah but Harshit Rana may also come into the mix after his career-best ODI performance in Sydney on Saturday. If those two are added, then Shivam Dube could miss out. Nitish Kumar Reddy is fit again after missing the final ODI with a left quad issue and could be an allround seam-bowling option if needed.India (possible): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shivam Dube/Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Varun Chakravarthy, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

It is expected to be cool in Canberra on Wednesday with a medium chance of showers during the day but the evening is expected to be clear and a full game is expected. Manuka Oval has tended to be a lower scoring ground in men’s T20I and BBL cricket with spin playing a role and the boundaries being large.

Stats and trivia

• There have been five men’s T20Is in Canberra, with the most recent in 2022, with the record split 2-2 between defending and chasing teams
• India won their only T20I in Canberra against Australia in 2020, defending 161
• Suryakumar’s streak of 14 T20Is without a half-century is the longest of his career
• Australia have not beaten India in a T20I series in Australia since 2008

Quotes

“The opportunity to play in front of sold out crowds in pretty much all three one-day games, and what’s looking like the next five T20 games, it’s fantastic. I think building into the World Cup, where there’s going to be big crowds and perceived pressure, it can only be beneficial for us.”
“I have had good few sessions back home, good two to three sessions here, so I am in a good space. I think that is really important. Runs… it will come eventually but I think working hard towards the team goal, it’s more important what team wants from you in different situations and I take it one game at a time. If it starts, then I think it will be a good thing.”

Bangladesh seemed to have one foot in the Asia Cup final, for which India have already qualified, after keeping Pakistan to 135 for 8 on a used Dubai surface. Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain shared the spoils for Bangladesh.It was Taskin, who had been rested for Wednesday’s match against India, who had struck in the very first over when he had the in-form Sahibzada Farhan carving a catch to point for a run-a-ball 4. In the next over, Saim Ayub holed out to mid-on off Mahedi Hasan, who was also back in the team, bagging his fourth duck in six innings at the Asia Cup. In all, it was Ayub’s ninth duck in 45 T20I innings; only Umran Akmal has bagged more ducks (10 in 79 innings) for Pakistan in the format.Fakhar Zaman was going nowhere in the powerplay – he managed only 12 off 18 balls during this phase. Then, when he tried to hit his way out of trouble, he sliced Rishad to wide long-off for 13 off 20 balls. In his next over, Rishad removed Hussain Talat with a wrong’un, leaving Pakistan at 33 for 4 in the ninth over.After taking two catches, Rishad had struck twice with the ball, having the Bangladesh fans in the crowd dancing to his tunes. Rishad could’ve also had Afridi, who was dropped twice off him in the 12th over. Rishad gave away just a single boundary, finishing with figures of 4-0-18-2.Afridi hit the first six of the innings in the 13th over and struck one more in the next over before miscuing a knee-high full-toss off Taskin to the keeper. The fast bowler came away with figures of 4-0-28-3 and along the way became only the third Bangladesh player, after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, to 100 T20I wickets.That Pakistan crossed 120 was down to late cameos from Mohammad Haris (31 off 23 balls) and Mohammad Nawaz (25 off 15 balls). Eleven runs off the final over pushed Pakistan past 130, but it was still Advantage Bangladesh at the halfway stage.Regular captain Litton Das, who missed a second game in two days with a side strain, knew it and warmly welcomed back his bowlers.

Australia captain Pat Cummins has admitted he might be “aggressive” to prove his fitness from a back injury for the start of the Ashes.Cummins will miss upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand and India due to lumbar bone stress. Although chair of selectors George Bailey expects Cummins to lead Australia out for the Ashes opener in Perth on November 21, there are no guarantees.Speaking for the first time since the extent of his injury was revealed, Cummins wants to avoid watching the highly anticipated series from the sidelines.Related

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“That would be devastating, so we’ll be doing everything we can to try to be right for that and try to make a few decisions a little bit closer, but confident” Cummins told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday. “Do the rehab right and give it a good crack.”It’s a big Ashes series. It doesn’t get much bigger, so I think you’re willing to take a few risks and be a little bit aggressive to try and play as much Test [cricket] as you can.”Echoing Bailey’s comments from Tuesday, Cummins backed himself to be able to prepare for the first Test without any match practice.”At this stage of my career I feel like I can probably get up to speed a bit quicker than when I was 18 or 19,” he said. “Back then you probably feel like you need to play a few [Sheffield] Shield games or one-dayers.  I’m pretty confident even if I don’t get a chance to play a Shield game, I’ll can get up to speed.”Cummins pulled up sore following Australia’s 3-0 demolition of the West Indies in July, despite only bowling a combined 60 overs across the three Tests.Pat Cummins started to feel some soreness during the West Indies tour•Associated Press

“Gave it kind of another month [after the tour], have had a pretty quiet month to help settle it down and had another scan on Monday which [was] not terrible, but kind of enough to know that there’s a little bit there and kind of got to be careful for the next little bit,” Cummins said.”It doesn’t feel too bad, but I’m obviously not bowling or doing too much at the moment. With bone injuries, you really just want to settle it down.”I’m still doing a bit of gym, but no real running, no bowling.  Get that right and then we’ll build up to the summer. We’ve got loads of time, there’s about 12 weeks until the first Test.  We’ll see how the next little bit pans out.”If Cummins isn’t fit, Australia have captaincy and bowling options to cover him. Scott Boland would almost certainly be called into the pace attack after spectacularly taking a hat-trick in Australia’s previous Test against West Indies in July.”We always talk about we need a lot of depth,” Cummins said. “We’ve been lucky in the last couple of years. We kind of haven’t had to go past the four guys really, but guys like Sean Abbott…Doggy [Brendan Doggett], there’s about four or five guys. Ness [Michael Neser] has obviously been around, Jhye Richardson.”There’s guys who have been in and around the Test team over the last few years and haven’t had too many opportunities, but we know they’re going to be good enough if they’re needed. But hopefully the other three are going to be fighting fit, plus me, and we’ve got plenty of resources.”Former skipper Steven Smith has also covered for Cummins numerous times since he became Test captain in November 2021.