The National Cricket League 2024 will start on October 5 and run till October 15 in Dallas, Texas.

As many as six teams will compete in a total of 19 T10 matches in the National Cricket League 2024.

Atlanta Kings CC, Chicago CC, Dallas Lonestars CC, Los Angeles Waves CC, New York Lions CC and Texas Gladiators CC are the teams that are participating in the T10 cricket tournament.

As per the National Cricket League 2024 schedule, each team will play the other five sides one in a single round-robin format. The top four teams in the standings after all the league matches will qualify for the playoffs.

The top two teams in the standings will clash in the Qualifier 1 for a place in the final. The third and fourth-placed teams will square off in the Eliminator to stay alive in the tournament.

The winner of the Eliminator will then face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 for the other spot in the final.

The National Cricket League 2024 final will take place on October 15.

All matches in the National Cricket League 2024 will be played at the University of Texas in Austin.

Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Sam Billings, Tim David, Chris Lynn, Dawid Malan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Cutting, Colin Munro Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendoff, Tabraiz Shamsi and Dominic Drakes are some of the well known cricketers that are featuring in the T10 tournament.

Where to watch National Cricket League 2024 live in India

Live streaming of the National Cricket League 2024 will be available on the FanCode app and website in India.

There will be no live telecast of the T10 tournament on any TV channel in India.

National Cricket League 2024 schedule and live match start times

All match times are in India Standard Time (IST)

Saturday, October 5

Dallas Lonestars CC vs Texas Gladiators CC - 6:00 AM

New York Lions CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 8:30 PM

Atlanta Kings CC vs Chicago CC - 11:00 PM

Sunday, October 6

Texas Gladiators CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 8:30 PM

New York Lions CC vs Dallas Lonestars CC - 11:00 PM

Tuesday, October 8

Atlanta Kings CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 5:30 AM

Chicago CC vs Texas Gladiators CC - 8:00 AM

Wednesday, October 9

Dallas Lonestars CC vs Chicago CC - 5:30 AM

New York Lions CC vs Atlanta Kings CC - 8:00 AM

Thursday, October 10

Atlanta Kings CC vs Dallas Lonestars CC - 5:30 AM

Friday, October 11

New York Lions CC vs Chicago CC - 5:30 AM

Dallas Lonestars CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 8:00 AM

Saturday, October 12

Atlanta Kings CC vs Texas Gladiators CC - 5:30 AM

Chicago CC vs Los Angeles Waves CC - 8:00 AM

Qualifier 1 - 9:30 PM

Sunday, October 13

Eliminator - 12:00 AM

Qualifier 2 - 11:00 PM

Tuesday, October 15

National Cricket League 2024 final - 5:30 AM

National Cricket League 2024 teams and squads

Atlanta Kings CC: Shivam Sharma, Angelo Matthews, Tom Bruce, Baswant Rao, Danish Aziz, James Neesham, Karthik Gadeela, Sam Billings, Tom Moores, Ansh Patel, Ben Russell, Imran Tahir, Naseer Jamali, Shubham Chopra

Chicago CC: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chris Lynn, Hamid Wafa, Ian Souness, Michael Leask, Ravi Bopara, Simon Harmer, Arjun Mahesh, Leonardo Julien, Robin Uthappa, Kaleem Sana, Karthik Gattepalli, Rehman Qaiser, Sohail Tanvir

Dallas Lonestars CC: Colin Munro, Gourav Bajaj, Sohaib Maqsood, Chris Green, Matt Critchley, Sai Praveen Posani, Saikanth Akunuri, Samit Patel, Dinesh Karthik, Binura Fernando, Chris Wood, Hayden Walsh, Naqash Basharat, Pragyan Ojha

Los Angeles Waves: Joe Burns, Tim David, Majjid Zubair, Pankaj Kampli, Rumman Raees, Shakib Al Hasan, Waqas Saleem, Adam Rossington, George Munsey, Stephen Eskinazi, Jagpreet Singh, Rishi Ramesh, Todd Astle, Tymal Mills

New York Lions CC: Abdullah Syed, Ben Cutting, Saurish Chakraborty, Suresh Raina, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez, Sujit Nayak, Manvinder Bisla, Upul Tharanga, Awais Tariq, Dominic Drakes, Oshane Thomas, Shaurya Gaur, Tabraiz Shamsi

Texas Gladiators CC: Dawid Malan, Jathin Varijakshan, Nick Kelly, Romeel Afzal, James Fuller, Ashton Agar, Keemo Paul, Shahid Afridi, Kennar Lewis, Smit Patel, Jason Behrendoff, Nisarg Patel, Usman Rafiq, Wahab Riaz

Photo credit: Imago

The Zim Afro T10 2024 will start on September 21 and run till September 29 in Harare. 

Organised by Zimbabwe Cricket, the Zim Afro T10 2024 will see as many as six teams compete in a total of 25 matches across nine days. 

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars, Cape Town Samp Army, Durban Wolves, Harare Bolts, Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers and NY Lagos Strikers are the six teams that will participate in the second edition of the Zim Afro T10.

The number of teams has been increased to six from the previous five teams in the inaugural edition with the inclusion of debutant NYS Lagos.

As per the Zim Afro T10 2024 schedule, each team will play seven matches in the league phase. The top four teams in the standings will advance to the Zim Afro T10 2024 playoffs.

The top two teams in the standings will square off in the Qualifier 1 for a place in the Zim Afro T10 2024 final.

The third and fourth-placed teams will clash in the Eliminator for a place in the Qualifier 2. The winner of the Eliminator will face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 for the other spot in the final.

The Zim Afro T10 2024 final is scheduled to take place on September 29.

All matches in the Zim Afro T10 2024 will be played at the Harare Sports Club.

David Warner, Sikandar Raza, Carlos Brathwaite, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Chris Lynn, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Blessing Muzarabani and Thisara Perera are some of the high-profile names that will feature in the upcoming T10 tournament in Harare.

Durban Qalandars won the inaugural edition of the Zim Afro T10 after they defeated Joburg Buffaloes by eight wickets in the 2023 final.

Where to watch Zim Afro T10 2024 live in India 

Live streaming of the Zim Afro T10 2024 will be available on the FanCode app and website.

There will be no live telecast of the upcoming T10 tournament on any TV channel in India.

Zim Afro T10 2024 schedule and live match start times

All timings are in India Standard Time (IST)

Saturday, September 21

Durban Wolves vs JoBurg Bangla Tigers - 6:30 PM

Cape Town Samp Army vs Harare Bolts - 8:45 PM

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars vs NYS Lagos - 11:00 PM

Sunday, September 22

Durban Wolves vs Harare Bolts - 6:30 PM

NYS Lagos vs JoBurg Bangla Tigers - 8:45 PM

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars vs Cape Town Samp Army - 11:00 PM

Monday, September 23

Harare Bolts vs JoBurg Bangla Tigers - 6:30 PM

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars vs Durban Wolves - 8:45 PM

Cape Town Samp Army vs NYS Lagos - 11:00 PM

Tuesday, September 24

NYS Lagos vs Durban Wolves - 6:30 PM

Harare Bolts vs Bulawayo Braves Jaguars - 8:45 PM

JoBurg Bangla Tigers vs Cape Town Samp Army - 11:00 PM

Wednesday, September 25

Harare Bolts vs NYS Lagos - 6:30 PM

Durban Wolves vs Cape Town Samp Army - 8:45 PM

JoBurg Bangla Tigers vs Bulawayo Braves Jaguars - 11:00 PM

Thursday, September 26

Durban Wolves vs Harare Bolts - 6:30 PM

JoBurg Bangla Tigers vs Bulawayo Braves Jaguars - 8:45 PM

Cape Town Samp Army vs NYS Lagos - 11:00 PM

Friday, September 27

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars vs Cape Town Samp Army - 6:30 PM

NYS Lagos vs Durban Wolves - 8:45 PM

Harare Bolts vs JoBurg Bangla Tigers - 11:00 PM

Saturday, September 28

Qualifier 1 - 6:30 PM

Eliminator - 8:45 PM

Qualifier 2 - 11:00 PM

Sunday, September 29

Zim Afro T10 2024 final - 9:00 PM

Zim Afro T10 2024 teams and squads

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars: David Warner, Carlos Brathwaite, Nick Hobson, Kobe Herft, Laurie Evans, Sabir Ali, Akila Dananjaya, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Richard Ngarava, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere, Panashe Taruvinga, Victor Chirwa, Kirk McKenzie, Vishas Thewmika

Cape Town Samp Army: Haider Ali, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmed, Adam Rossington, Shahnawaz Dahani, Rohan Mustafa, Salman Irshad, Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Ben Curran, Michael Frost, Brian Chari, Tawanda Maposa, Leonardo Julien, Sineth Jayawardena 

Durban Wolves: Colin Munro, Mark Chapman, Will Smeed, Sharjeel Khan, Muhammad Irfan, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Rohid Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Regis Chakabava, Gary Balance, Tinotenda Maposa, Donald Tiripano, Innocent Kaia, Emmanuel Bawa, Mbeki Joseph, Raveen De Silva

Harare Bolts: Dasun Shanaka, James Neesham, George Munsey, Rishad Hossain, Shehan Jayasuriya, Kennar Lewis, Richard Gleeson, Junaid Siddique, Lahiru Milantha, Sean Williams, Faraz Akram, Brandon Mavuta, Luke Jongwe, Alex Falao, Arinshto Vezha, Michael Palmer, Janishka Perera

Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers:  Chris Lynn, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Hazratullah Zazai , Adam Milne, Luke Wood, Karim Janat, George Linde, Mohammad Shahzad, Sikandar Raza, Tendai Chatara, Antum Naqvi, Tashinga Musekiwa, Johnathan Campbell, Tinashe Muchawaya, Kimani Melius, Kevin Koththigoda  

NYS Lagos: Blessing Muzarabani, Thisara Perera, Asif Ali, Najibullah Zadran, Binura Fernando, Akhilesh Bogudum, Oshane Thomas, Avishka Fernando, Matiullah Khan, Ryan Burl , Clive Madande, Dion Myers, Romario Roach, Nyasha Mayavo, Newman Nyamhuri, Joshua Bishop, Kaveesh Sathsara

Photo credit: Imago

The Big Bash League (BBL) 2023-24 started on December 7, 2023 and will run till January 24, 2024 in Australia.

As many as eight teams are competing in a total of 44 matches across seven weeks in the 13th edition of the Big Bash League.

Some of the most talented T20 batters including the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Colin Munro, Chris Lynn, Aaron Finch, Moises Henriques, Alex Hales and Aaron Hardie are featuring in the Australian T20 League.

New Zealand batter Colin Munro slammed the first fifty of BBL 2023-24. Representing Brisbane Heat, Munro scored an unbeaten 99 off just 61 balls against Melbourne Stars in the opening match of the ongoing T20 tournament at The Gabba in Brisbane. 

Australian talisman Steve Smith has also started his BBL 2023-24 campaign on a good note. Steve Smith scored a scintillating half-century for Sydney Sixers against Melbourne Renegades at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The likes of Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques, Will Sutherland and Jordan Silk have also produced some brilliant batting performances for their respective franchises in the ongoing BBL.

Australia’s Aaron Hardie finished with the most runs in the Big Bash League last season. Playing for his BBL franchise Perth Scorchers, Aaron Hardie scored 460 runs in 15 matches at an average of 41.81 and a strike rate of 141.10. 

Adelaide Strikers�?Matthew Short was the second-highest run-scorer with 458 runs in 14 matches. 

Meanwhile, Australian swashbuckling batter Chris Lynn holds the record for the most runs in Big Bash League history. Between 2011 and 2023, Lynn has scored 3,421 runs in 113 matches with one century and 27 fifties to his name.

Here’s a look at the players with most runs in BBL 2023-24.

Most runs in BBL 2023-24

Player	Team	Matches	Runs
Colin Munro	Brisbane Heat	2	145
Steve Smith	Sydney Sixers	1	61
Daniel Hughes	Sydney Sixers	1	60
Moises Henriques	Sydney Sixers	2	60
Will Sutherland	Melbourne Renegades	2	51
Jordan Silk	Sydney Sixers	2	49
Jake Fraser-McGurk	Melbourne Renegades	2	48
Josh Philippe	Sydney Sixers	2	45
Caleb Jewell	Hobart Hurricanes	1	42
Sam Billings	Brisbane Heat	2	41

Photo credit: Alamy

The Pakistan Super League has grown into one of the most followed T20 leagues in the world, and isn't behind the Indian T20 League by much today.

The tournament, which began in 2015, has seen some top batting performances and the likes of Chris Gayle and Alex Hales will be eager to reproduce their usual best when the tournament returns this week.

We pick out those players whose innings have stood out as the greatest knocks of all time.

Colin Ingram (2019)

At a time when Karachi Kings were left in troubled waters in their run-chase, Colin Ingram not only anchored his employers to a commanding victory but his efforts helped them rise from the bottom of the table to the fifth spot.

Colin Ingram:
Came in with the score at 4/2 after 1.2 overs
Came in with the required rate at 9.80
Scored 127*
Hit 12 fours
Hit 8 sixes
Strike-rate of 215.25#KKvQG pic.twitter.com/5PUW5ZK0AU

�?Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) February 24, 2019

The South African had scores of 1, 16, 21 and 5 in his previous four outings of the 2018-19 season, and with the odds of victory clearly not in favour of Karachi Kings, Ingram knew something had to be done.

Ingram smashed 12 boundaries and eight sixes in his unbeaten knock of 127 in just 59 balls, and went on to become the highest individual runscorer in the history of the competition.

Chris Lynn (2020)

Chris Lynn is one of the most destructive batsmen ever to play in T20 cricket. Though his inconsistency has often been a hindrance, whenever the Australian gets going he makes it an unforgettable memory.

113* today by Chris Lynn is the highest ever score by a Lahore Qalandars batsman and the 4th highest ever score in PSL history #PSLV pic.twitter.com/4f9Me4fpLb

�?Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) March 15, 2020

Lahore Qalandars, Lynn’s employers, were one step away from sealing a place in the semifinals of the 2019-20 Pakistan Super League, and needed a memorable performance to shut down the effective threat posed by an in-form Multan Sultans.

Chasing 187, the Qalandars began effectively with Lynn and Fakhar Zaman putting a century stand for the first wicket. The loss of Zaman didn’t let the momentum waver as the Australian opener smashed 70 runs off the next 36 deliveries to guide the Lahore team to an emphatic nine-wicket win.

This knock saw Chris Lynn account for the highest ever score by a Lahore Qalandars batsman - 113 runs off 55 balls.

Ben Dunk (2020)

Just days before his Australian counterpart and Lahore Qalandars team-mate Chris Lynn rewrote the record books, Ben Dunk stole the show in the 2019-20 Pakistan Super League against Karachi Kings.

Ben Dunk is turning out to be the pick of the tournament, as he powers Lahore to a scintillating win over Karachi. His unbeaten 99 (40) included 12 gigantic sixes & 3 fours!�?br />⁣⁣#DamaDamMast #MainHoonQalandar #HBLPSL #LQvKK pic.twitter.com/oDAHcyP2Dw

�?Lahore Qalandars (@lahoreqalandars) March 8, 2020

The Qalandars entered the fixture as the hot favorites to win against Karachi, and Dunk - whose 99 off just 40 balls took his tally to 247 runs in four games at an average of 123.50 - helped his team secure an eight-wicket win while his performance overwrote the 93-run stand between Alex Hales and Chadwick Walton for the opponents.

Dunk’s monstrous innings saw the Australian hit a record 12 sixes, and he continues to hold the title of the maximum sixes in an innings.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Asif Hassan

Despite the initial inhibitions with a 10-over cricketing format, the Abu Dhabi T10 League has quickly become one of the most popular franchise cricket competitions that have witnessed some thunderous batting in recent years.

With the fourth edition, beginning from Thursday, January 28, seeing the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, and Andre Fletcher returning to showcase their unparalleled batting prowess at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, we look at three Abu Dhabi T10 League knocks that are revered by one and all.

Chris Lynn - 91* runs off 30 balls

Chris Lynn is often a target of criticism for his unbalanced streak of performances in all cricket formats, but when he does find his groove, the Australian is simply unstoppable. 

In his solitary season for 2019/20 Abu Dhabi T10 League champions Maratha Arabians, Lynn finished as the leading run-getter with 371 runs in eight games.

The 30-year-old, released by the Indian T20 League team Kolkata in 2019, will be remembered for one of his special knocks where the opener had smashed nine fours and seven sixes in his unbeaten knock of 91 against Team Abu Dhabi.

Lynn’s 30-ball blitzkrieg had broken the previous record held by Alex Hales in the 2018/19 season.

Alex Hales - 87* runs off 32 balls

Playing a match-winning knock in the high-octane playoff clash is always a special feat and England’s Alex Hales is fondly remembered by Abu Dhabi T10 League fans for the same. 

Hales had entered the first eliminator of the 2018/19 Abu Dhabi T10 League campaign with 123 runs in six games and was highly pegged to end up as the top run-scorer in the fixture. The Englishman didn’t disappoint either, smashing an unbeaten 87 in 32 balls, laced with six boundaries and eight sixes.

Another year, another record broken by Alex Hales.

His 87* off 32 balls for @MarathaArabians against @BengalTigersUAE today is the highest score in T10 cricket. #T10League pic.twitter.com/odICQ1SXQg

�?Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) December 1, 2018

Maratha Arabians�?run-chase against Bengal Tigers didn’t start quite well, but Hales’s 32-run rampage in a Mohammed Nabi over had placed the Arabians at 138/3 in 10 overs. While he led the Arabians into the third-place playoff, the Nottinghamshire opener failed to produce a similar performance in the second eliminator against Northern Warriors.

Jonny Bairstow - 84* runs off 24 balls

Jonny Bairstow has always been considered to be one of the most entertaining hitters of the ball in the shortest cricket format. And while plying his trade in the Abu Dhabi T10 League in the 2018/19 season, the Englishman took it up a notch to become the highest individual scorer.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, playing for Kerala Knights, had arrived at a stage where his team was languishing at 12/2 in just nine balls into their chase of 124. Bairstow batted with a strike rate of 350.00 and was on course to become the first centurion in the Abu Dhabi T10 League. 

Jonny Bairstow’s knock was eventually bettered by Afghanistan’s Mohammad Shahzad, who registered a 16-ball 74* against Sindhis.

It took until the very last day of the Big Bash League 2020-21 season leagues stages to decide the five teams who will be playing in the playoffs, starting from Friday, January 28.

While Hobart Hurricanes missed out on the playoffs following a shocking 11-run defeat against Melbourne Renegades. Brisbane Heat found their way into the top half with a six-run win over Perth Scorchers, who had already qualified for the play-offs.

With Sydney Sixers finishing at the top of the BBL points table, the stage is set for another exciting round, and I’m pretty sure the upcoming matches will live upto the hype. 

That said, here are my picks from the first two playoffs games:

Chris Lynn - Brisbane Heat

Credit where it’s due, Chris Lynn has performed exceptionally well, especially after failing to get a game in the Indian T20 League 2020. In just 10 games this season, the hard-hitter has accumulated 420 runs at an average of 42 and a strike rate of 157.30. The 30-year-old has scored four half-centuries in his last six BBL games and I expect more of the same from the explosive opener as his team squares off against Adelaide Strikers; a team against whom Lynn scored his lowest score (17) in the ongoing season. He certainly has some point to prove.

It's one of those days where Chris Lynn is clearing the fence without even finding the middle #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/igmiEhhEPo

�?KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 26, 2021

Wes Agar - Adelaide Strikers

The fourth highest wicket-taker of BBL 2020-21, 23-year-old Wes Agar has been a revelation this season. Though he has been expensive as well as wicketless in his last two BBL outings, Agar knows a thing or two about bothering Brisbane Heat - against whom he delivered his best spell of 4/27. Agar had scorched past Heat’s batting order by getting the better of Marnus Labuschagne, Lynn, Joe Denly and Max Bryant, as Strikers had limited their opponent to just 115. It was arguably one of the best bowling performances I’ve seen in the current edition, and Agar will be raring to have a go once again.

Josh Philippe - Sydney Sixers

Sydney Sixers�?opener Josh Philippe has been amongst runs this season, although inconsistency has been an issue for the player. The 23-year-old, once set, has shown the capabilities of wreaking havoc, but tends to lose his wicket quite early more often than not. Following his match-winning 64 against Sydney Thunder and 84 against Perth Scorchers, Philippe has failed to cross the 20-run mark in all of his last three outings. It’s a good thing that he has a prior history against Scorchers, and I think they will be on the receiving end of another explosive approach.

Jhye Richardson - Perth Scorchers

Jhye Richardson has been a phenomenal presence for Perth Scorchers, and one of the reasons why they finished second in the points table. In 14 games so far this season, the 24-year-old has picked 27 wickets - five wickets clear of his closest opponent - and that at an economy of just 7.08. Richardson has picked four wickets in two matches against Sixers and has conceded just 46 runs this season, meaning that he concedes less than six runs per over against them. A game as important as this requires a lustrous performance, and I firmly believe Richardson will do well once again.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @HeatBBL

Abu Dhabi T10 has announced the eight teams that will participate in its 10-day long fourth season, which is scheduled to begin from January 28 and go on until February 6, 2021.

Sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and licensed by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), Abu Dhabi T10 is the world’s only ten-over international cricket event.

The eight teams that featured in the 2019 edition will return in full strength for the new season with the exception of Karnataka Tuskers, who have now rebranded themselves into Pune Devils.

The Abu Dhabi T10 was initially scheduled to begin from November 19 but was postponed due to the global pandemic. The league will have all its matches played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi for the second consecutive season.

The eight teams fighting it out for the Abu Dhabi T10 2020-21 season are - Abu Dhabi, Maratha Arabians, Bangla Tigers, Deccan Gladiators, Qalandars, Delhi Bulls, Northern Warriors and Pune Devils.

Last season saw Dwayne Bravo’s Maratha Arabians register an emphatic eight-wicket win against Deccan Gladiators in the final to lift the title. 

Whole Qalanders' George Garton finished as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 12 wickets last season, Chris Lynn’s tally of 371 runs helped Arabians secure the title.

The schedule for the latest Abu Dhabi T10 edition is yet to be released.

Australia’s biggest T20 competition, the Big Bash League (BBL) is all set to get underway on Thursday, December 10, as defending champions Sydney Sixers take on Hobart Hurricanes at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart.

Though BBL was marred by the global pandemic, which saw several international stars pulling out of this edition, the tournament still has some of the best T20 names ready to play some swashbuckling cricket for the next two months. The league’s introduction of three new rules - the Power Surge, X-Factor and Bash Boost -  will further ensure uncertainty to make the shortest format even more exciting.

With the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in a few months�?time BBL will also be a great opportunity for players to impress their selectors, with numerous T20 squads still incomplete and spots up for grabs.

Here are my top five players to watch out for during BBL 2020-21:

Glenn Maxwell - Melbourne Stars

After a sensational white-ball series against India, Melbourne Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell has once again shown why every T20 franchise wants him in their playing XI. ‘The Big Show�?exhibited his T20 acumen yet again, proving himself to be a match-winner against any opposition on his day. Maxwell is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in BBL and the fortune of Melbourne Stars will largely depend on his form. Maxwell has amassed 1826 runs in 69 BBL innings at a strike rate of 150.28 so far, along with an average of 32.60. Interestingly, the 32-year-old has averaged between 33 and 39 in the last five seasons with a strike rate of 142 since the inaugural edition of the league. Maxwell can also chip in some overs with the ball and has a knack of getting crucial breakthroughs.

• Big Bash League 2020-21: Five players who need to make this season count

Dawid Malan - Hobart Hurricanes

World's top-ranked T20 international batsman Dawid Malan has joined Hobart Hurricanes for the tenth edition of BBL this season. The 33-year-old Englishman has the ability to score hundreds in the shortest format of the game. In the 19 T20Is that Malan has played so far, he has a staggering average of 53.43, accumulating 855 runs with nine fifties and one hundred to his name. The southpaw recently created history by attaining the highest-ever rating points for batsmen in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. I expect him to flourish in BBL this season and maybe become one of the highest run-getters in the league as well.

Joshua Phillipe - Sydney Sixers

Sydney Sixers wicket-keeper batsman Joshua Phillipe is one of the most exciting upcoming talents in world cricket at the moment. Phillipe, who had made his Indian T20 League debut this year playing for Bangalore, will look to use that experience in the Big Bash as well. The 23-year-old helped the Sydney Sixers secure the BBL 2019-20 title last season, amassing 487 runs. Barring that, Phillipe had also claimed seven catches and four stumpings from behind the stumps. Since leaving Perth Scorchers in 2018, Philippe has amassed 791 runs at a strike rate of just under 140, and I feel the youngster will be at his best this season as well.

Rashid Khan - Adelaide Strikers

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has been one of the Most Valuable Players (MVP) in BBL. In the last three seasons, the 22-year-old has picked up 56 wickets in just 40 matches at an average of 17.66 while playing for the Strikers. His economy rate of  6.36 is the best in the league. The leg-spinner has also claimed 89 wickets in 48 T20I at an average of 14.81 and in my opinion, Rashid Khan is the best T20 spinner in the world right now and his great demand in the English T20 Blast, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as well as the Indian T20 League hints at the enormous talent he is.  

• Fantasy Focus: Top picks for BBL 2020-21 opening week

Chris Lynn - Brisbane Heat

Brisbane Heat’s swashbuckling batsman Chris Lynn is the highest run-getter in the Big Bash League (BBL), accumulating 2332 runs in 75 matches at a strike rate of 150.35 and has an average of 37.61. The 30-year-old, who has been part of several T20 franchises across the globe, will need a productive BBL season this time if he plans to make the national squad ahead of the T20 World Cup. Lynn can certainly expect strong competition from his compatriots D’Arcy Short and Joshua Phillipe, who will also look to stay in contention for the Australia T20 openers slots for the upcoming T20 series and the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. While Lynn had a quiet Indian T20 League campaign, his enormous experience in the shortest format makes him a lethal batsman in any tournament.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @BBL

Big Bash League 2020-21 season promises to be another big affair. Set to begin on Thursday, December 10, the tenth edition of the competition has undergone several changes which includes bonus points, free-hit for wides and even substitutions. 

The alterations have received its fair share of criticism, but it will rather be interesting to see how the teams would utilize them. Furthermore, in what comes as a major boost, all eight teams will play BBL 10 in front of their home fans this season, subject to the pandemic situation in the country.

Big Bash League 2020 will have several players under the scanner, and here are five names who will need to up their ante during the course:

Alex Hales - Sydney Thunders

England batsman Alex Hales scored 272 runs in nine Pakistan Super League (PSL) games this season at an average of 45.33 and a strike rate of 148.63. Now, the figures are truly impressive on paper for T20 cricket, but note that a majority of his PSL runs came before the lockdown was imposed in Pakistan. In his last two outings of the competition, the 31-year-old has accumulated a mere 33 runs. In fact, since September this year, the England batsman has scored just 176 runs in 10 games, which translates to just above 17 runs per innings.

Hales has an above-average T20I record, but finding a place in the first team has been hard to come by. He played his last T20I against West Indies in March 2019, and a good BBL might uplift his stature as we near the T20 World Cup 2020.

Alex Carey - Adelaide Strikers

Matthew Wade’s surge in form means Alex Carey’s place in the Australian T20I setup is now in jeopardy. The 29-year-old wicket-keeper batsman has registered scores of 4, 14, 14*, 2 in his last T20 outings (first three in the Indian T20 League for team Delhi) and the Big Bash League 2020 gives him a perfect chance to resurrect his career in the shortest format. With the T20I World Cup looming, the Australia cricket team as well as the player would want to assert a claim in the upcoming T20 extravaganza as his figures in T20I (average of 12.57) certainly doesn’t help either party.

Chris Lynn - Brisbane Heat

Hard-hitting batsman Chris Lynn didn’t bat for the entirety of the Indian T20 League 2020, but went on to smash 154 runs off 55 balls in a Queensland Premier Cricket T20 match last week. Playing for Toombul, the 30-year-old scored 140 of his 154 runs in boundaries, hitting 20 sixes and five boundaries to help his team post 266/6. It may well and truly be a booster, one cannot overlook how sub-par he was in the 2020 edition of the Caribbean Premier League. Scoring a mere 138 runs in nine games at an average of 17.25, Lynn failed to score even a single half-century, with his best being 34.

Lynn has always found it difficult to get into the Australian T20I team, and BBL 2020 could well and truly be his last hurray. 

James Vince - Sydney Sixers

A month after testing positive for the global virus, England batsman James Vince will return to action, playing for Sydney Sixers. Vince’s average of 28.33 in T20I may look decent but his recent performances paint an entirely different picture altogether. His last cricketing action came in September 2020 in the Vitality Blast, and he failed to get past the 10-run run mark in four of his last six outings. With the competition within the team itself looking strong, Vince will have to put in an assertive performance in the tournament.

Colin Munro - Perth Scorchers

Colin Munro missed out on a New Zealand central contract for 2020-21 and that has deterred his performances in one way or the other. The 33-year-old has as many as six single-digit scores in his last seven outings. Coming fresh at the back of a 207-run tally in eight innings with an average and strike rate of 34.50 and 133.54 respectively, and a mere 11 runs in the Ford Trophy, Munro will have to be at his very best to regain the lost touch.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @OptaJim

This is the tenth in a series of features where we will be taking a detailed dive into the various factors that stood out during the course of the Indian T20 League 2020 season.

The 2020 edition of the Indian T20 League saw teams adapt to new surfaces in UAE and find personnel suiting their change requirements. A part of the challenge was also in identifying this core group that would take them forward and in doing so, quite a few glaring omissions stood out. At the end of one of the most exhilarating Indian T20 League seasons, we look at a few players who deserved more chances.

“I don't envy the captain and team management who have to decide who plays and who doesn't in any given match," said Lee.

"However, I must say that there were a few players who I feel were perhaps not used as well as they could've been. Like Imran Tahir, the highest wicket-taker last season, yet Chennai barely used him this time, especially during the latter stages of the season when the pitches slowed down.

"Then there's Chris Lynn, who Mumbai could not think of playing because of the strong showing of their batsmen right through the tournament. Bangalore though could have used Moeen Ali more, both with the ball on slower decks and also to pad the middle-order to pinch-hit before or after AB de Villiers,�?he added.

Chris Lynn

The title winners acquired Chris Lynn from Kolkata with the clear aim of having him for the Wankhede wicket. However, with venues moved and his weakness against spin, Lynn never even received a single game. Mumbai played just 15 players through the season, and Lynn was someone who could’ve got a few chances at the top to see how he goes. Lynn has an average of 33.68 in the powerplay and a strike-rate of 140.65, but his recent form in the Caribbean Premier League must have gone against him. That said, being a game-changer, Lynn could’ve been given a few games at least.

Moeen Ali

Bangalore took a long time to figure out their best XI and it played a part in their eventual ouster in the eliminator. Moeen Ali, who was among the quickest run-scorers in the middle overs last two seasons, remained on the bench even as Bangalore struggled with their scoring rate in the middle. Add in his worthy bowling and Moeen could have been used to take down leg-spinners who turn into him and also help free up AB de Villiers more.  His bowling was an added bonus, but somehow Bangalore took quite a while to figure this out.

Imran Tahir

One of the most talked-about on the bench, Imran Tahir was controversially benched by Chennai for all but three matches. Following a stunning CPL, Tahir was expected to be a lock for one of Chennai’s overseas slots, but they chose to go with local spinners to try and strengthen the fast bowling core and top-order batting. While this was needed, they sorely lacked the impact Tahir could have made in the middle overs by using Dwayne Bravo who appeared well past his prime. Tahir is a T20 legend and his numbers prove the same. In 58 Indian T20 League games, Tahir has 80 wickets at an average of 21.08.

David Miller

Purchased by Rajasthan, David Miller was benched for the most part of the season and was especially deemed surplus to requirements after Ben Stokes arrived. Miller played just one game and scored 0 in it, but never got another chance. While he has had some ordinary returns in T20s of late, Miller catered to one specific area Rajasthan had to plug �?late-order hitting and finishing. Jos Buttler, at his own insistence, later moved down the order, but could Rajasthan have tried handing over the captaincy to Buttler and benching Smith to play Miller who could have plugged a hole? Guess we will never know.