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

England cricket team batter Dawid Malan holds the record for the fastest to 1000 runs in T20I cricket. The swashbuckling left-hander took just 24 T20 internationals to reach 1000 runs in T20Is and he did so against India in Ahmedabad in March 2021.

Malan reached the 1000-run mark in T20Is in three years and 268 days after his debut for England in the 20-over format.

After beginning his T20I career with England in June 2016 with successive fifties, Malan never quite looked back. 

A picture of consistency in arguably a format where consistency is a rare thing, Malan managed 10 fifties and one century in his first 24 matches to score 1000 runs for the Three Lions in T20s.

Malan’s consistency in his first 24 T20 games was further accentuated by his numbers at the time which read 1003 runs in 24 innings at an average of 50.15 and a strike rate of 144.32 for the Englishman.

Malan is followed by another left-hander in the list for fastest to 1000 runs T20I runs. Czech Republic’s Sabawoon Davizi is second on this list having reached the 1000-run mark in T20Is in 24 matches - the same as Malan.

However, the duration taken in terms of time from Davizi’s debut to 1000 T20I runs is less for the Czech player than it is for Malan. Davizi got to 1000 T20I runs in two years and 279 days, which is significantly lesser than Malan, who took more than three years.

Coming in third on this list is Pakistan superstar Babar Azam, who reach 1000 T20I runs in 26 matches. The right-hand batter took just two years and 58 days to reach 1000 T20I runs after making his debut for Pakistan in the format in September 2016.

Babar got to his first 1000 runs in T20Is at an average of 54.26 and a strike rate of 124.37, smashing eight fifties along the way.

Next on this list is New Zealand Devon Conway, who scored 1000 T20I runs in 26 innings just like Babar. However, Conway stands out as the fastest to this landmark in the top five in terms of duration from his debut having achieved the feat one year and 329 days after his T20I bow.

Making up the top five in this list is none other than India’s Virat Kohli, who reached 1000 T20I runs in 27 innings. Kohli brought up his 1000th T20I run against South Africa in October 2015. Other Indians who feature among this top 10 list include KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav.

Fastest to 1000 runs in T20Is

Player	Team	Match Date	Matches	Innings
Dawid Malan	England	March 20, 2021	24	24
Sabawoon Davizi	Czech Republic	July 24, 2022	24	24
Babar Azam	Pakistan	November 4, 2018	26	26
Devon Conway	New Zealand	October 22, 2022	29	26
Virat Kohli	India	October 2, 2015	29	27
Aaron Finch	Australia	February 17, 2017	29	29
KL Rahul	India	December 6, 2019	32	29
Mohammad Rizwan	Pakistan	July 20, 2021	39	31
Suryakumar Yadav	India	October 2, 2022	33	31
Kevin Pietersen	England	August 31, 2011	32	32

Photo Credit: Alamy

If Team Delhi’s journey to the final of the Indian T20 League last season was of great satisfaction, then the downfall of Team Punjab, despite putting up some massive performances, was surely a huge upset.

Despite having an opening batsman like KL Rahul, who won the orange cap last season, and a pacer like Mohammed Shami, who was the joint sixth-highest wicket-taker last season, Team Punjab could only finish sixth in the points table.

The Punjab management has never had a reputation of being a retainer. Hence, it wasn’t surprising to see the 2014 finalists approaching the Indian T20 League 2021 auction with a huge purse of Rs 53.2 crore after releasing as many as seven players from the previous season.

Team Punjab squad 2021

As was expected, Team Punjab went in full throttle during the auction purchasing the likes of Jhye Richardson for Rs 14 crores, Riley Meredith for Rs 8 crores, Dawid Malan for Rs 1.5 crores and even shelling out as much as Rs 5.25 crores for the uncapped Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan.

Full Squad: KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, Chris Gayle, Darshan Nalkande, Harpreet Brar, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammed Shami, M Ashwin, Nicholas Pooran, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Chris Jordan, Prabhsimran Singh, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Dawid Malan, Jalaj Saxena, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar, Utkarsh Singh

Strengths & Weaknesses

Team Punjab’s strength will undoubtedly be their batting. With the addition of Dawid Malan to their squad, Punjab now have the world no. 1 and world no. 6 (KL Rahul) ranked ICC T20I batsmen in their line-up, apart from the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran and Chris Gayle. The import of the eccentric Shahrukh Khan adds further excitement to an already strong line-up that can destroy any bowling line-up in the tournament. And it goes without saying that Punjab will be relying more on their batting to get the job done.

However, there is a reason why Punjab have never won the Indian T20 League title and could reach the playoffs just twice in the 13-year history. The team could never achieve the balance required to win the coveted trophy and that weakness remains.

After losing out on a playoff spot for losing some close matches, Punjab decided to get rid of Australian power-hitter Glenn Maxwell and not replace him with anyone prominent. Not only that, but Punjab’s bowling still contains a gaping hole. Apart from Mohammad Shami, the team lacks a bowler with a sting. While Riley Meredith has turned heads with his wicket-taking ability in first-class cricket and domestic T20s but his inexperience in Indian conditions make him a liability in this ruthless T20 tournament. While Chris Jordan is yet to find his footing in the Indian T20 League, young Ravi Bishnoi suffers from inexperience as well.

Who can be the highest run-scorer for Team Punjab

While Dawid Malan might have gained some credibility during England's tour of India that concluded recently, Punjab's best bet to score runs will always be KL Rahul. The Bangalore-lad garnered a whopping 670 runs last season with an average of 55.83 and he further approaches the tournament on the back of a good tally of 177 runs in three ODIs against England.

Who can be the highest wicket-taker for Team Punjab

Unfortunately, Punjab have only one candidate who is likely to be the contender for the purple cap in the upcoming season - Mohammad Shami. While the pacer might not be India's first-choice in T20Is, but he has been in some form in the shortest form of late. Shami finished with 20 wickets in 14 matches last season and is expected to be the wrecker-in-chief for Punjab this season as well.

Where will Team Punjab finish in Indian T20 League 2021

If looked purely through numbers, Punjab missed an opportunity to qualify for the 2020 playoffs as they squandered it mid-season. Despite coming to the tournament with one of the strongest batting orders, Punjab still lacks an adaptive captain in KL Rahul and economic bowlers. While Maxwell couldn’t do the job for Punjab last season, the failure to replace him has also left a huge void in the squad. We expect Team Punjab to finish outside the top four.

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Noah Saleem 

With the Indian T20 League teams releasing a host of big names in order to load up the purse, the upcoming auction for the 2021 season, scheduled on February 18 in Chennai, makes up for an interesting watch.

As many as 1097 players have registered for the Indian T20 League 2021 auction, and the recently concluded Big Bash League now presents the franchises with a glorious opportunity to fill up the much-needed loopholes.

With that being said, today we take a look at three players who can land in lucrative deals for the upcoming edition of the Indian T20 League after wreaking much havoc in BBL this year.

Alex Hales

Sydney Thunders may have bowed out in the playoffs, but a certain Alex Hales once again showed how vicious he can be in the shortest format of the game. In 15 BBL matches this season, the England international accumulated 543 runs, scoring at an average of 38.78. Hitting at a strike rate of 161.60, which was the best amongst the batsmen with a minimum of 300 runs in the competition, Hales scored the highest individual score of this year’s edition (110 off just 56 balls) to further up his credentials in the T20 format.

With many teams releasing their top-order batsmen, including the likes of Bangalore and Rajasthan, Hales will certainly be a good option to consider.

Jhye Richardson

Registered in the auction at a base price of INR 1.5 crore, one can rightly expect a potential bidding war for Australia’s Jhye Richardson, who is coming at the back of a scorching Big Bash League season, having topped the wicket-taking chart with 29 wickets, which includes as many as two four-wicket hauls. Judging by the form, the 24-year-old is enjoying of late, he could well and truly turn out to be a handy option for the teams especially in the powerplay overs; something that he has already showcased in the BBL, having bowled at an average and economy of 16.31 and 7.69 respectively.

Dawid Malan

Like Richardson, batsman Dawid Malan has entered the auction at a base price of INR 1.5 crore. The world's top-ranked T20I batsman, who is yet to feature in the Indian T20 League, can be a serious contender for the teams who are looking to fill up their number 3 position, meaning that the likes of team Punjab, Chennai, Kolkata and maybe Mumbai per se, can splurge big for the Englishman during the auction. Judging by his standards, Malan had a substandard return during the BBL season, accumulating 265 runs in 10 matches at an average of 26.50, but he indeed gave a few glimpses of his sheer brilliance, including a knock of 75 off 56 deliveries against Melbourne Stars.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @BBL

Dawid Malan is the No. 1 ranked T20I batsman in the world. He isn't the most fancied T20 cricketer on the planet. He isn't the most sought-after player in franchise cricket. He is unlikely to make a T20I dream XI among current cricketers. In fact, he is a doubtful selection in the England team itself. There are actually critics questioning his place in the England T20 setup.

But Malan is the No. 1 ranked batsman in the format in international cricket. No, there's no nepotism angle. The ranking system may not be the most perfect, but to reach No. 1, a batsman has still got to score runs, and that's what Malan has done.

In his 16-match T20I career, Malan has scored below 10 just once. He has crossed double digits 93.75 percent of the time. He averages 48.71 in the format. But then, average counts to nothing in this format. So, chuck that. He has a hundred. He has seven fifties. He strikes at a rate of 146.66.

England deem him good enough to keep their Test captain and ODI beast Joe Root out of their T20I XI. Malan has his critics, sure. They point to his slow starts and the English setup as two polar opposites. They aren't wrong, but should every player in a batting line-up be big hitters in this format?

There's statistical evidence to suggest that hitting boundaries frequently even by consuming a lot of dots in between is more effective than following an ODI approach in T20Is. All of that is fair enough on paper. But on the field, when the team is staring down the barrel at 20/3 in six overs, you likely do not want a big hitter walking in trying to slog.

You don't need a batsman who drops anchor and scores a 40-ball 25. But if the anchor is capable of a conversion rate as good as Malan, you cannot complain. Yes, Malan starts slow. But so far, there's little evidence to suggest that he wouldn't kick on from his starts more often than not. On the contrary, evidence points to him converting his slow start to something substantial a lot more often.

England's T20 line-up is scary, much like their ODI setup. They have a long line of big hitters capable of swinging for the fences and scoring at a frenetic pace. Their whole limited-overs transformation is based on batting deep and scoring as much as possible.

Consistent acceleration is a concept foreign to most T20 sides. It is the future of T20 cricket and England have embraced it in earnest. It is likely to win you more games than you will lose. Ideally, the England side does not need an anchor.

Malan is not any bland T20 anchor. His strike-rate, ability to accelerate and switch gears is evidence that he is a dynamic player capable of playing to team demands. He has a specific role in the England T20 setup, one that Joe Root, one of the busiest ODI batsmen in terms of running between the wickets, hasn't quite perfected.

Modern-day T20 anchors choose the right moment to attack, and contrary to the concept that their slow starts put pressure on their mates, it empowers them to attack at every opportunity, as one end is safe yet flexible enough to cash in on loose balls.  

Take the example of Kane Williamson in the Hyderabad setup. Or that of Suryakumar Yadav in the Mumbai setup. Neither are big hitters. Both maintain good tempo and showcase impeccable range. Malan has no evident weakness except that he takes time to settle in. But a strike-rate of 146.6 and a streak of double-digit scores show he can afford a slightly less dynamic start. And, he is just 16 T20Is into his career. England have a gem that needs to be preserved and highlighted. Malan's time, like the new age T20 anchors, will come, if it hasn't already.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dan Mullan

Babar Azam's reign atop the ICC rankings for T20I batsmen is over as England's Dawid Malan, coming off a 129-run haul in the three-match T20I series against Australia, took over the No. 1 spot.

Malan was one of the star performers of the recently-concluded series, setting the standards in the very first match itself, where he nabbed the Player of the Match award with a 43-ball 66 and assured England of a two-run victory as the men from Down Under faltered toward the end of their innings.

Malan's T20I record features some flattering numbers, with 682 runs bagged from 16 matches, with an average of 48.71 and strike rate of 146.66, along with a century and seven 50s.

Among England batsmen, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler also managed to move up the rankings. Bairstow climbed three positions to slot in at No. 19 while Buttler, who scored 121 runs in the two matches that he participated - an effort that earned him the Player of the Series award - leapt up 12 rungs to No. 28.

Among England's bowlers, Adil Rashid, who bagged six scalps in the series, moved up two spots to slot in at No. 7.

There was less shuffling of the order amid Australia's players, however, with only pacer Kane Richardson, who nabbed three wickets in the series, cracking the top 10 for the first time in his career.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Marty Melville

A Jos Buttler masterclass with the bat drove England to victory in the second T20I by seven wickets and the hosts will now look to complete a 3-0 drubbing of rivals Australia in the final T20I of the series on Tuesday, September 8.

With Buttler ruled out and both teams likely to make some changes to their side, we take a look at two players from each team that can make a difference in the final T20I of the series.

Dawid Malan

The 33-year-old batsman continued his stellar form in T20Is for England, playing a measured innings of 42 off 32 balls and guiding the hosts to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series against Australia. Since the return of cricket, Malan has scored 192 in five T20Is at a healthy average of 38.4. Malan has been the perfect replacement for Joe Root in the line-up and will be hoping to finish the series on a high note in the third T20I.

Marcus Stoinis

All-rounder Marcus Stoinis battled valiantly in the first T20I amidst a collapse from Australia while chasing 162 and he came just a hit shy of guiding them to victory but failed to do so. Stoinis finished with 23 runs off 18 balls as England emerged victorious by a narrow margin of just two runs. In the second match, Stoinis walked in to bat at the end of the fifth over with his side in trouble at 30-3 and conjured a gritty knock, scoring 35 off 26 balls, helping his side put up a respectable total of 157 on the scoreboard.

Stoinis has been the best batsman in the struggling Australian middle order and the team will be hoping that he can carry his form in the third T20I and help the visitors avoid a whitewash.

Adil Rashid

Spinner Adil Rashid has been the pick of the bowlers for England since the resumption of white-ball cricket in August.

Bar his one poor outing against Pakistan in the third T20I of their three-match series where he finished with figures of 0-40 in three overs, Rashid has been terrific with the ball and has picked at least a wicket in the remaining three matches.

In those matches, Rashid has picked up five wickets at a tremendous economy rate of 7.16. In the second T20I against Australia, the 32-year-old gave away just 25 runs in his quota of four overs while picking up the prized wicket of Marcus Stoinis.

Ashton Agar

While Rashid has been England’s talisman with the ball, Ashton Agar has been that for the Aussies.

The 26-year-old has picked four wickets in the first two matches in this series at a tremendous economy rate of 7.37. Agar can contribute with the bat as well, like he showed in the second T20I, scoring 23 off 20.

Australia have had a miserable time so far in England but Agar is definitely enjoying a good run of form.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Mullan

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SportsAdda.

After England’s historic chase in the second T20I, the hosts will look to win the series with another victory in the third and final T20I against Pakistan at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester.

Pakistan, who face a must-win situation, will likely be without pacer Mohammad Amir, who suffered a hamstring injury in the second T20I. Who can step up in his absence and who can England rely on to guide them to another series win? We take a look at the players to watch out for in the third T20I.

Dawid Malan

The 32-year-old Yorkshire batsman has finally found his footing in international cricket after years of piling runs aplenty in domestic cricket.

Batting at No. 3 in the absence of Joe Root, Malan, playing the anchor role for the hosts, has been good in each of his two outings in the series.

While the English batting line-up, with the exception of Tom Banton, crumbled in the first T20I, Malan played a gritty knock of 23 off 23 balls to help England put a respectable total on the scoreboard before rain interrupted proceedings and the match was called off.

In the second T20I, Malan was at his brilliant best, smashing 54 off 36 balls to help England chase down 194, the second-highest successful chase in the country. The 32-year-old has been in great touch in this series and England will be hopeful that the experienced southpaw will deliver in the third T20I as well.

Fakhar Zaman

It’s been over two years and 13 innings since Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman scored a half-century in T20Is for his nation.

After his brilliant 91 off 46 against Australia, Zaman failed to cross 25 in each of his next 12 outings for Pakistan. However, that changed in the second T20, as the opener struck a flashy 36 off 22 before being dismissed by Adil Rashid.

Zaman struck five boundaries and a six in his knock of 36 and looked confident out in the centre against the English attack. This could be the springboard that the 30-year-old needed to end his slump and Pakistan could really do with a big score from their experienced opener in the final match of the series.

Tom Curran

Despite playing twenty T20Is for his country, all-rounder Tom Curran is yet to have a meaningful impact on the international stage.

The 25-year-old has picked up 22 wickets in his 20 appearances, however, his economy rate of 9.25 makes him one of the most expensive bowlers operating at the international level. His fairly decent strike rate of 17.2 doesn’t quite make up for his inability to curb the runs.

With the bat, he’s managed just 38 runs in eight outings, but that could be attributed to the depth of the England batting line-up and the lack of chances that Curran has gotten at the international stage.

But, the point remains that he needs to perform well to keep his place in the playing XI and the third T20I against Pakistan could be one of the final opportunities he gets to showcase that he belongs on the international stage.

Shadab Khan

The 21-year-old all-rounder has performed quite well in the ongoing T20I series against England.

Shadab has picked up five wickets in two matches at a decent economy rate of 8.37. He was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers in the second T20I, finishing with figures of 3-34. Not only did he just pick wickets, but he also scalped two important ones, dismissing both English openers who were in stellar touch in the powerplay overs. 

Pakistan will be hopeful that Shadab can continue his good form in the final T20I.

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Mike Hewitt

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A whirlwind century by Dawid Malan in a record-breaking stand with Eoin Morgan saw England crush New Zealand in the fourth Twenty20 by 76 runs in Napier on Friday to level the series with one game remaining.

Malan was unbeaten on 103 at the close of the England innings with Morgan out in the final over for 91 as England posted an imposing 241 for three and then rolled New Zealand for 165 with 19 balls remaining.

The overwhelming victory set up a winner-takes-all finale in the fifth and final game in Auckland on Sunday.

Malan's 48-ball century was the fastest T20 hundred by an Englishman, his 182-run stand with Morgan is the highest by an England pair and the 241 total is an England record.

Morgan's 21-ball 50 is also an England record.

"The message is always the same, play aggressively and back yourself," Malan said. "It's not very often you have days like that when every time you have a hack at one it lands safe or goes for six. It's as good as it gets."

Between them, the two left-handers hit 13 sixes and 16 fours with Mitchell Santner and Trent Boult the only New Zealand bowlers to escape with a run rate below 10 an over.

New Zealand started their run chase at a fast clip reaching 54 in the fifth over when Martin Guptill was dismissed for 27 and wickets fell regularly after that.

Only Tim Southee (39) and Colin Munro (30) offered any further resistance while Matt Parkinson took four for 47 for England and Chris Jordan finished with two for 24.

Malan is only the second England player to score a T20 century after Alex Hales, who needed 60 balls to reach his hundred.

He advanced from 61 to 89 in a brutal attack in an Ish Sodhi over when he belted three sixes, two fours and a two, and reached his maiden century pulling Boult over the square-leg boundary for another six.

It was a much-need confidence booster for England who won the first match in the series and were then well outplayed in the next two.

After losing the toss, England then lost early wickets with Santner removing Jonny Bairstow for eight and Tom Banton for 31 to have the impressive figures of two for five from his first two overs.

But that changed dramatically as Morgan and Malan took charge and blasted 20 off Santner's next over.

Of the New Zealand bowlers, Blair Tickner finished with none for 50 off his four overs, while Sodhi had none for 49 off three overs and Southee bowled his full complement to finish with one for 47.

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Marty Melville