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Cricket Ireland has officially confirmed a first men’s tour of Pakistan in August and September next year. The series, which will see Ireland and Pakistan play three T20Is and three ODIs, was a part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP), scheduled for September 2025.The release makes no detailed mention of dates and venues, or any other specifics concerning the schedule of the tour. It follows in the wake of Ireland Women touring Pakistan, who also played three ODIs and three T20Is, in November 2022.The decision was finalised after PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Cricket Ireland chair Brain MacNeice. The PCB initially put out a statement appearing to confirm Ireland would also play a Test series in Pakistan, one that was not part of the FTP.”Chairman Cricket Ireland said that the Irish team would visit Pakistan next year in August-September for a Test series and would also review the possibility of a women’s team tour to Pakistan soon,” the PCB statement said.When ESPNcricinfo contacted the PCB for further details, the PCB denied that any such Test series had officially been in agreement, despite the board’s own statement ostensibly confirming it. A Cricket Ireland spokesperson said that details of the tour’s fixture list would be discussed by the two boards in future.Hours after the PCB release, Cricket Ireland put out an official statement on their own website relating to Naqvi’s meeting with MacNeice. In “wide ranging discussions”, it merely confirmed that the two boards “were able to agree a men’s tour next year – this will be yet another historic first, coming after the tour to Pakistan by our senior women in 2022.”The Pakistan men’s side is currently in Ireland taking part in a three-match T20I series. The sides split the first two games 1-1, with the series decider on Tuesday.

A duck for R Ashwin at No.3? He was just keeping his promise of being unpredictable this IPL

Srinath Sripath08-May-2018Ashwin keeps his promise

You’ll not be able to predict my next move. All players you think are going to open will play in the middle order and all the middle-order batsmen will open.

Ahead of this season, R Ashwin promised to be a funky captain, and while many of his moves this IPL have already been out-of-the-box, his decision to promote himself to No. 3 in the batting order outdid them all. Chris Gayle’s second single-digit score of the season and Mayank Agarwal’s exclusion from the starting XI would ideally have meant a promotion for Karun Nair or the incoming Akshdeep Nath. However, it was Ashwin who walked in at one drop to face K Gowtham.Ashwin has opened the batting in the IPL once before and come in to bat as high as No. 4, both times in low-scoring, successful chases. This time, a two-ball duck was all he could manage, done in by a conventional offbreak from Gowtham. Ashwin’s Powerplay batting in the IPL does not make for good reading: 12 runs off 26 balls, 20 of them dots. Two of these three times, he has been dismissed within the first over without doing much. Ashwin’s move came after Rajasthan Royals had also done the same, by promoting Gowtham to No. 3, where he only managed 8 off 6 balls.ESPNcricinfo LtdHow slow was Jos Buttler after the Powerplay?

Jos Buttler innings:

first 43 runs: 20 balls
next 39 runs: 38 ballshttps://t.co/hp2ffwIShf #RRvKXIP #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/Nd1UJRkE2o

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 8, 2018

Why Royals took so long to ask Jos Buttler to open is anyone’s guess, but his innings against Kings XI was another example of how his rollicking starts in the first six overs have given way to sedate middle-overs phases. Buttler has scored nearly 65% of all his IPL runs in boundaries, and once the fielding restrictions are over, his strike rate drops from 164.9 to 116.7. ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, our new metrics for T20 cricket, indicate he consistently scores slower than the batsman at the other end, and much lesser than the overall innings run rate in the middle overs.ESPNcricinfo LtdAgainst Kings XI, Buttler’s slowdown wasn’t compensated for by any acceleration from the other end, with no fours or sixes coming from his partners for 42 balls between overs 7 and 13. His dismissal in the 17th over didn’t help matters either, and with Gowtham already out, Royals managed only 26 runs for four wickets off the last 22 balls.How much more can KL Rahul do?
No side has been dependent on a single batsman this IPL as much as Kings XI have been on KL Rahul. After ten innings, he is the top scorer in IPL 2018 with 471 runs, having scored 29% of his team’s total runs so far, at a staggering average of 58.87. After ten games, Kings XI’s middle-order batsmen (Nos. 3-6), however, average an abysmal 19.43 runs per dismissal, the lowest among all teams, with only one fifty from a cumulative 36 innings.Against the same bowling attack on Sunday, Rahul had chased down a similar total, waiting till the end overs to accelerate after a sluggish start. In Jaipur, on a bigger ground, Kings XI batsmen only managed eight fours and one six till the end of the 18th over, with a number of them getting out trying to play release shots. On Tuesday, Rahul managed to hit a surfeit of boundaries towards the end, but by then it was way too late to catch up.ESPNcricinfo LtdDoes Jofra Archer have the most effective yorker in the business?
Archer’s yorkers have been far more productive than any other bowler this season so far, snaffling four wickets from 16 balls, at an economy rate of 3.75. No other bowler in the competition has managed more than one wicket, and his accuracy was on view at the death, again, on Tuesday, even while up against Rahul. His 17th over, which went for just four runs, swung the game decisively in favour of the Royals.While measuring accuracy of yorkers, one trend that often goes unnoticed is how frequently bowlers miss yorker lengths and go for runs off full-tosses and half-volleys. A closer look at Archer’s record shows that he lands over 63% of his intended yorkers on target, which is a higher rate than even Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In his short career so far, he has picked up eight wickets off 47 successful yorkers at an economy rate of 2.94 – numbers superior to more accomplished T20 stars. A side strain might have initially kept him out of the tournament this season, meaning he’d debut only in Royals’ seventh game, but if they make it to the playoffs somehow, they will have his bowling to thank.

Chris Gayle surpassed AB de Villiers to become the leading six-hitter in World Cup history

Bharath Seervi31-May-20191:09

A tale of Pakistan’s (low) World Cup totals

218- Margin of defeat for Pakistan in terms of balls remaining in their Word Cup opener against West Indies. This is their biggest defeat in World Cup history. In fact, in ODI cricket, they have suffered only one bigger defeat, which also came against West Indies, in Cape Town in 1993.ESPNcricinfo LtdWatch on Hotstar (India only): Oshane Thomas’ red-hot spell105- Pakistan’s total, which is their second lowest in World Cups. Their lowest was 74 against England in 1992 World Cup. However, Pakistan shook that off and went on to lift the trophy in 1992, despite getting bowled out for 74 once and losing by 10 wickets in their first match against West Indies.ALSO READ: Thomas and Russell make short work of Pakistan1996- The last time, before Friday, West Indies had bowled out an opposition among the first eight full-member teams for a score of 105 or fewer. They had bundled out Sri Lanka for 102 in Brisbane in the Benson & Hedges World Series in 1996.ESPNcricinfo Ltd7- Wickets lost by Pakistan batsmen to short or short-of-a-good length deliveries. They scored 55 off 68 such balls. Of the 130 balls bowled by the West Indies bowlers, 68 were short or short-of-a-good length, which is 52% of the total balls delivered. Jason Holder (3 wickets), Andre Russell (2), Sheldon Cottrell (1) and Oshane Thomas (1) picked up the seven wickets with such deliveries. Thomas picked three more wickets by hitting other lengths.11- Number of consecutive defeats for Pakistan in completed ODIs. They lost four ODIs to England, five to Australia and one to South Africa before heading into the World Cup. This is their longest losing streak in ODIs. The previous worst was 10 losses in a row between October 1987 and March 1988.40- Sixes for Chris Gayle in the World Cup – the most among all batsmen. He was tied with AB de Villiers on 37 sixes at the start of this game. Gayle had hit 26 sixes in the 2015 World Cup.ESPNcricinfo Ltd6- Number of consecutive fifty-plus scores for Gayle in ODIs with his 50 in this match. It is the joint second-longest streak in the history of ODIs. Only Javed Miandad’s nine 50-plus scores in a row in 1987 is longer. In his last six innings, Gayle has scored 547 runs and has hit 47 sixes.

MatériaMais Notícias

da apostaganha： O Botafogo decidiu se movimentar neste fim de janela e demonstrou interesse na contratação deMatías Rojas, meia-atacante do Racing.O jogador pode não ser muito conhecido pelos torcedores brasileiros, mas tem ganhado cada vez mais fama no futebol argentino.

O atleta vem sendo um dos protagonistas do Racing nas últimas temporadas e possui credenciais para ser titular do Glorioso. O paraguaio tem 27 anos e construiu boa parte da carreira na Argentina.

+São Paulo reencontra Tigre; Botafogo enfrentará altitude: veja os grupos da Copa Sul-Americana

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da bet7k： +Luís Castro reconhece irregularidade do Botafogo: ‘Não é normal’

HISTÓRICO DA CARREIRA

Matías Rojas começou nas categorias de base doCerro Porteño. Após ganhar espaço e se destacar no profissional, foi emprestado ao Lanús, mas não conseguiu obter uma sequência positiva de jogos e retornou para equipe paraguaia.

A volta do meia-atacante ao Cerro não durou muito tempo. Depois de algumas semanas no Paraguai, ele foi emprestado aoDefensa y Justicia. O jogador marcou um gol na estreia e atraiu olhares dos dirigentes do Racing, que decidiram comprá-lo em definitivo.

O atleta chegou ao clube em maio de 2019 e se transformou rapidamente em um dos protagonistas da equipe argentina. As boas atuações fizeram com que ele fosse convocado para disputar jogos pela Seleção Paraguaia nos últimos anos.

CARACTERÍSTICAS DO JOGADOR

Matías Rojas é canhoto, participa da construção das jogadas e também gosta de chegar na frente para finalizar. Uma de suas principais características é aparecer pelo lado direito, driblar para dentro e chutar de fora da área. A bola parada também é uma arma forte do jogador.

O paraguaio pode atuar como meia armador, aberto pela ponta direita ou até mesmo como um segundo atacante. O atleta gosta de realizar dribles curtos, possui qualidade no passe e tem muita potência no chute.

+Torcedores do Botafogo protestam contra John Textor e Luís Castro na semifinal da Taça Rio

BOTAFOGO NA BRIGA

Os dirigentes alvinegros formalizaram uma proposta de pré-contrato e querem adquiri-lo sem custos de transferência, mas não descartam investir na contratação do jogador.Matías Rojas tem vínculo no Racing até junho deste ano e não descarta uma vinda ao futebol brasileiro.

Multan Sultans believed to be considering Olly Stone as replacement

Danyal Rasool12-Feb-2024

Multan Sultans have been dealt a dual blow, with injuries to fast bowlers Reece Topley and Ihsanullah ruling them out of the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League. While Ihsanullah has a long-standing elbow injury and his unavailability was expected, Topley’s absence was announced on Sunday by Sultans owner Ali Tareen.”[Topley] hasn’t received his NOC [no-objection certificate from England] and is out of the PSL,” Tareen tweeted.Topley hasn’t played in the PSL before, but had a full T20 workload through the winter, playing 12 games in the SA20 with Durban Super Giants, finishing ninth on the tournament wickets chart. He is also scheduled to play the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore.ESPNcricinfo understands his injury is not serious enough to imperil his participation in the IPL, and pulling him out of the PSL was a decision taken out of an abundance of caution with a T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean in June.It is understood Sultans wanted to replace Topley with South African quick Nandre Burger – who also had a stellar season in the SA20 – but was told by Cricket South Africa he wouldn’t be granted an NOC. They are believed to be considering Olly Stone, who played in the SA20 and the ILT20 recently, as well as Sri Lankan seamer Dushmantha Chameera. Chameera, however, injured his left quadriceps on Sunday and will be missing the rest of the white-ball series against Afghanistan. The extent of his injury is currently unknown.The PSL starts on Sunday, February 17. The Sultans have reached the final in each of the last two seasons, falling short at the hands of Lahore Qalandars each time.

Strikers will travel to the Gold Coast and face Brisbane Heat in the Challenger on Monday

Tristan Lavalette20-Jan-2024Legspinners Lloyd Pope and Cameron Boyce starred on the traditional pace-friendly Optus Stadium surface as Adelaide Strikers ended Perth Scorchers’ historic bid for a hat-trick of BBL titles with an upset victory in the knockout final.Strikers will travel to the Gold Coast and face Brisbane Heat in the Challenger on Monday, with the winner to meet Sydney Sixers in the final at the SCG.It was a remarkable turnaround for Strikers, who were in big trouble at 48 for 4 before a hard-hitting 56 off 32 balls from Jake Weatherald ignited a comeback.Strikers then superbly defended 155 for 7 with Boyce and Pope combining for seven wickets, including stars Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis, to stun Scorchers.It was a shock exit for Scorchers, who had a late-season fadeout after losing to Sixers in a last-ball defeat that cost them second spot and the double chance.Scorchers and Western Australia had swept all six domestic titles over the last two seasons. But they could not stop red-hot Strikers, who defied the absences of ILT20-bound Chris Lynn, Adam Hose and allrounder Jamie Overton.After being sent in, Strikers’ hopes of setting a big target rested with skipper Matthew Short who was coming off scoring the most-ever runs in a 10-game regular season. He had also blasted Scorchers for a pair of 70s during the season. But it was his namesake D’Arcy Short who came out blazing before falling to a brilliant return catch from left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff.Matthew Short looked in ominous form when he whacked a short delivery from speedster Lance Morris to the boundary. Something special was needed to dismiss Short cheaply and veteran seamer Andrew Tye stepped up with a gem of an inswinging yorker that rattled the stumps.Strikers were seemingly shaken by the dismissal with Thomas Kelly struggling to score in the overs before drinks. In an inspired move, Hardie reverted to left-arm spinning allrounder Cooper Connolly who hadn’t bowled in Scorchers’ last three matches.Connolly justified the faith by dismissing Kelly before Hardie brilliantly ran out Harry Nielsen with a direct throw from mid-on to leave Strikers in ruins at 48 for 4.Jake Weatherald counter-attacked with a quick fifty•Getty Images

Veteran Weatherald has grabbed his opportunities since being a late-season inclusion and dominated after drinks. He used his feet superbly against left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, whose home struggles continued in contrast to his miserly bowling on slower surfaces on the east coast.Weatherald raced to his half-century in 30 balls, but fell shortly after when he failed to execute a reverse scoop against Hardie, who then dismissed James Bazley to put Scorchers well on top.But their death bowling woes against Sixers reared with Strikers smashing 45 runs off the last five overs. Ben Manenti, who in recent seasons has been a thorn to Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield, and Henry Thornton effectively threw the bat as Strikers finished with a competitive total.Strikers’ strong attack sensed an opportunity against a revamped Scorchers opening partnership of Sam Fanning and Marcus Harris, who were both late-season signings.Debutant Fanning started with a fearless approach to continually bludgeon through the offside. Fanning, 23, made a duck against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield in his only innings in domestic cricket this season. But he had entered with a century in local grade cricket and carried over that form with an assault on the new-ball, where he cracked two sixes off left-arm seamer David Payne in the fourth over.Fanning overshadowed Harris, who played sedately in his first innings since being overlooked for Australia’s Test team. It appeared like a fairytale was unfolding until Fanning holed out in the fifth over after scoring 31 of Scorchers’ first 38 runs.But it triggered a collapse of 4 for 10 capped by Hardie being clean bowled by Pope, who bowled well in tandem with Boyce in the middle overs.The pressure fell on Inglis, who plays aggressively against spin but he succumbed to a rampant Boyce as Scorchers crashed to 70 for 5 in the 12th over.Boyce was pumped up and Strikers were further buoyed when skipper Short took a spectacular diving return catch to dismiss Nick Hobson. Strikers were on fire as Bazley took a tough juggling catch on the boundary to snare Connolly to leave Scorchers’ faithful stunned and quickly heading for the exit.

Bayern Munich have taken their interest in Rafael Leao up a notch, holding direct talks with the AC Milan star’s entourage.

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Bayern hold direct talks with Leao’s agentsAC Milan demand massive transfer feeGerman champions won't rush negotiationFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Bayern held talks with Leao’s camp as they seek a new left-sided winger. The Portuguese forward is open to the move but Milan's valuation, reportedly above €100 million (£84m/$114m), could make this deal a complex one.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After parting ways with club legend Thomas Muller and facing uncertainty over Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane, Bayern are prioritising wide reinforcements. According to , a face-to-face meeting between Bayern and Leao’s representatives recently took place in Munich. While the 25-year-old Portugal international is reportedly open to the idea of joining the Bundesliga champions, Milan are reluctant to sell.

DID YOU KNOW?

Leao had 12 goals and nine assists in the 2024-25 campaign and reportedly has a €175m (£148m/ $199m) release clause at Milan, one of the highest for any Serie A player.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

With the Club World Cup approaching, Vincent Kompany's side are not expected to rush negotiations. They are unlikely to meet that figure and may explore alternative targets such as Cody Gakpo, Kaoru Mitoma or Eberechi Eze. Nevertheless, Leao remains high on their wishlist, offering the kind of explosiveness, creativity and physical presence that Die Roten want on the left flank to complement Michael Olise on the right.

Enzo Maresca claimed he is not to be blamed for Cole Palmer's dip in form as the Chelsea boss admitted that the Blues talisman is "worried".

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• Palmer has drawn a blank in the last 16 games
• Maresca thinks the problem is "mental"
• English star desperate to end goal drought vs Everton

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Palmer has had a sensational debut season with Chelsea, but is now going through a rough patch. He has drawn a blank in his last 16 appearances for the Blues, and the pressure is mounting on the forward to deliver the goods. Things are even more complicated since he has not faced such an extended dip in form at West London since his £40 million ($53.2m) transfer from Manchester City.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, Maresca was quick to dismiss suggestions that Chelsea’s tactical setup was to blame for Palmer’s struggles. Speaking ahead of their clash with Everton, the Italian manager stressed that the issues were more psychological than tactics or quality.

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  Before facing Everton, Maresca told reporters: “For sure, it’s mental. I don’t think it’s tactical, I don’t think it’s technical, because Cole is still the same player who scored this season with us. The style of football we play is the same one. The manager is the same one. The club is the same one. So nothing changes around Cole and Cole doesn’t change. It’s just mentally at this moment. For sure, you can see that he is a little worried because he wants to help the team.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?

  While it was almost inevitable that Palmer would find it hard to maintain the extraordinary levels he displayed during his first 18 months in top-flight football with Chelsea, the extent of the drop-off has still become a major talking point. Despite the challenges, Palmer will have a golden opportunity to rediscover his scoring touch this Saturday against Everton – the very same side he famously scored four goals against in a 6-0 rout a year ago.

Alick Athanaze dropped in only change to squad that lost 2-1 in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2024Shimron Hetmyer has been handed a recall to West Indies’ ODI squad for the three-match series against England, which starts in Antigua on Thursday. Hetmyer replaces Alick Athanaze in the squad as the only change from the touring group that has just returned from Sri Lanka.Hetmyer last played ODIs in December 2023, when he was part of the team that beat England 2-1. He missed the Sri Lanka tour for personal reasons, having recently finished fifth on the run-scorers’ list at the CPL.Athanaze had been one of the incumbent openers, but lost his spot to Evin Lewis for the third ODI against Sri Lanka, in Pallekele. Lewis, making his first ODI appearance in more than three years, made an unbeaten 102 from 61 balls as West Indies finished the series with a consolation win on DLS.Shai Hope will captain the group, which also includes 17-year-old batting prodigy Jewel Andrew, who made his debut at the end of the Sri Lanka series.ESPNcricinfo LtdEngland have already arrived in the Caribbean for their third limited-overs tour since 2022. They will be led during the ODI leg by Liam Livingstone, with Jos Buttler continuing his rehab following a calf injury that has kept him out since July.”Playing against England always provides a new challenge and reignites a rivalry that the players and the people of the Caribbean are eager for,” Daren Sammy, West Indies head coach, said. “Somehow, we West Indies always find a way to raise our game when we face England.”This rivalry goes back for decades, and after defeating them last year at home for the first time in a long time in an ODI series, we’re ready to face the challenge of a strong England squad again. It’s always special to play at home, where the local support brings energy and passion to every match. With our sights set on qualifying for the ICC Men’s World Cup in 2027, we’ve selected a balanced squad that will no doubt push and compete with one of the best teams in the world.”Antigua’s Sir Vivian Richards Stadium will host the first two ODIs, before the series moves on to Barbados. It will be followed by five T20Is, played at the Kensington Oval and the Daren Sammy National Stadium in St Lucia.West Indies ODI squad: Shai Hope (capt), Jewel Andrew, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr

Rishabh Pant’s accident is a cause for concern, as is the lack of a credible back-up for Hardik Pandya

Sidharth Monga09-Jan-2023The top order – has Dhawan dropped out of contention?It is a little too late to drop someone you have invested in for the last three years, even making him the captain in the absence of the regular captain, but Shikhar Dhawan has made himself droppable. In the last couple of years, his returns have dipped, and it’s not like his replacement is going to debut at the World Cup: Shubman Gill has played 15 ODIs, Ishan Kishan ten.It will take extraordinary circumstances for Dhawan to return so close to the World Cup, but he remains an outside shot given his experience should both Gill and Kishan hit wretched form. At the moment, though, they have only strengthened their case with runs in New Zealand and Bangladesh. Kishan has even scored a double-century.ESPNcricinfo LtdOther top-order batters since the last ODI World Cup
Rohit Sharma
Innings: 18, Runs 745, Average 44, Strike Rate 96Made a comeback after injury during the ODI series in Bangladesh. It is important he gets a string of matches and some rhythm under his belt in the lead-up to the World Cup. Time for resting might be over.Ishan Kishan
Innings 6, Runs 401, Average 67, Strike Rate 127Brings the dynamism and left-handedness needed at the top of the order to capitalise on the powerplay. Was only an outside contender two series ago, but the injury to Rohit left a gap in the door for him, which he has burst open with the double-century.Shubman Gill
Innings 13, Runs 671, Average 67, Strike Rate 102Wasn’t a part of the squad in Bangladesh, but scored a 50 and 45 not out in New Zealand. Will definitely be part of the plans.Virat Kohli
Innings 27, Runs 1169, Average 45, Strike Rate 93Master of the format, scored a century in the shadow of Kishan’s double-century. ODIs also happen to be his best format.Middle order – the Pant situation is a worryRishabh Pant’s road accident means he may or may not be able to present a case for the World Cup in time. On the other hand, it will be heartening that Hardik Pandya is back.ESPNcricinfo LtdMiddle-order batters since the last ODI World Cup
KL Rahul
Innings 14, Runs 698, Average 58, Strike Rate 106Back to the middle order, where he has scored runs, after having been tried in other positions. Might also keep wicket if Kishan doesn’t play in the series against Sri Lanka.Shreyas Iyer
Innings 24, Runs 955, Average 45, Strike Rate 97Keeps going from strength to strength in the middle order in both ODIs and Tests. Important spin hitter in the middle overs.Hardik Pandya
Innings 10, Runs 429, Average 48, Strike Rate 116Time to take this vital cog out of cotton wool. The only doubt over his place in the XI can be fitness-based, if it prevents him from bowling.Suryakumar Yadav
Innings 14, Runs 350, Average 29, Strike Rate 98Hasn’t yet had a proper run in ODIs, but there are those who believe he can challenge Rahul in the middle order based on his exploits in T20s.Rishabh Pant
Innings 17, Runs 638, Average 40, Strike Rate 111A definite force in the middle order, or even the top order, if he is fit and ready in time.It might be time to move on from other outside contenders except maybe Deepak Hooda, that too because he bowls.Allrounders – still no back-ups for HardikThere is no seam-bowling allrounder to be back-up for Hardik should he get injured again. All the other allrounders are spinners. India will still play at least one of them or possibly two depending on the pitches.ESPNcricinfo LtdRavindra Jadeja
Matches 18, Runs 335, Strike Rate 95, Wickets 13, Economy Rate 5.4On the weight of his improved batting, the first choice, but his injury layoff mysteriously keeps getting longer. Might he have to prioritise formats when he is back?Axar Patel
Matches 8, Runs 168, Strike Rate 120, Wickets 10, Economy Rate 4.39A better bowler than Jadeja in limited-overs formats, and his batting has only been improving, as seen in his crucial innings when promoted in a tense chase in the Mirpur Test, followed by a blinder of a T20I half-century against Sri Lanka in a chase that India lost.Washington Sundar
Matches 11, Runs 212, Strike Rate 87, Wickets 13, Economy Rate 4.4Providing variety as opposed to the two left-arm spinners is his biggest draw. Has been injury-prone himself.Spinners – will Chahal or Kuldeep pip a fingerspinner?If pitches assist spin, India might not play either of them in the XI because then they can bank on their fingerspinners. However, on flatter pitches, a wristspinner is extremely valuable.ESPNcricinfo LtdYuzvendra Chahal
Matches 21, Wickets 34, Strike Rate 30, Economy Rate 5.7India’s second-highest wicket-taker since the 2019 World Cup, taking one every 30 balls. Unlucky not to have played a single game in the last two T20 World Cups.Kuldeep Yadav
Matches 22, Wickets 26, Strike Rate 46, Economy Rate 5.76Not being fielded in ODIs, but slowly being rehabilitated into international cricket after massive drop in confidence. Left-arm wristspin could be a point of difference.Fast bowlers – Shami and Malik in the frameThere has been no clear direction here either, which is only getting compounded by the extended injury layoff for Prasidh Krishna. They need to get a middle-overs enforcer back-up. It just brings Mohammed Shami and Umran Malik into the picture.ESPNcricinfo LtdJasprit Bumrah
Matches 14, Wickets 18, Strike Rate 38, Economy Rate 5.16Coming back from a stress reaction of the back, which kept him out of the T20 World Cup. His performance on return will be followed with bated breath.Prasidh Krishna
Matches 14, Wickets 25, Strike Rate 27, Economy Rate 5.32Has an excellent strike rate of 27 balls per wicket, but needs to get back on the park soon.Mohammed Siraj
Matches 15, Wickets 24, Strike Rate 31, Economy Rate 4.62Continued bowling well in Bangladesh. Can bowl with the new ball and also bang it in in the middle overs. Minus the height of Krishna.Arshdeep Singh
Only just coming back from an illness. Left-arm angle, swing each way, experience of bowling death overs in T20s could go in his favour, but needs some more ODIs under his belt.Mohammed Shami
Matches 15, Wickets 25, Strike Rate 30, Economy Rate 6.16Has kind of become the man India go to for all World Cups even if he plays little cricket in that format in the intervening years. Great seam position, lot of experience, bustling pace.Umran Malik
Matches 5, Wickets 7, Strike Rate 28, Economy Rate 6Raw pace, but is showing signs of higher accuracy having stayed in the India bubble. Is an outside chance especially if Krishna’s fitness remains under a cloud. His selection for the Sri Lanka ODIs says as much.Deepak Chahar
Matches 12, Wickets 15, Strike Rate 32, Economy Rate 5.58Again, fitness dodgy, but when available, he is a genuine swing bowler with decent batting ability in the lower order.Shardul Thakur
Matches 26, Wickets 38, Strike Rate 32, Economy Rate 6.23If batting down the order is something India hold dearly, Thakur is that man. Takes wickets quickly but concedes runs just as quickly. Not part of the current squad.