Browsing: T20

Brook was keen to stress before this series there would be no talk about next month’s Ashes series within his white-ball group, insisting his focus is on preparing for the T20 World Cup in February.

Whether that is true or not is irrelevant, any Brook runs are of benefit to both outfits.

Brook’s T20 international record is modest for a man of his talents – an average of 29 and five fifties in 50 innings – but this was one of his best knocks in either white-ball format as captain.

All his sixes were clean strikes over mid-wicket – three off the spin of Mitchell Santner and one each off seamers Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson – on the same surface his side struggled in the washed out first T20 on Saturday, but which had flattened out.

Salt’s knock follows scores of 89 against Ireland and 141 not out against South Africa in his six T20 innings since the start of September. He hit one six but 11 fours, targeting the covers and behind square on the leg side.

Salt and Brook both holed out in the 18th over after which Tom Banton’s cameo saw him finish unbeaten on 29 from 12 balls as England romped past the ground’s previous high score of 208-5.

Although Jos Buttler hit to mid-off for four and Jacob Bethell found mid-on having stuck four boundaries in a 12-ball 24, England’s T20 batting line-up is starting to take shape.

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Most eyes are, understandably, on the Ashes rather than this series.

It should not be forgotten, however, that this was the first of only six T20s England have before the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka begins in February.

While Bethell, who flickered in striking a fine straight six before falling to a top edge for 15, can press their case to play against Australia, Curran is one of those with the most to gain before the World Cup.

The 27-year-old was picked for the first time in any format under coach Brendon McCullum last month and offers a second seam-bowling option in the batting-heavy side Brook’s England favour. He was told by the England hierarchy earning a place as an all-rounder who could bat in the top six was his route back into the side, rather than as a bowler.

Having seen Bethell, Buttler, who made 29, Jordan Cox and Tom Banton tamely chip catches into the air on a surface that nipped for the quick bowlers and held for the spinners, Curran was fortunate to be dropped on 14 by bowler Jacob Duffy and at deep extra cover by Tim Robinson when he had 26. Both were straightforward chances.

While at no point did he find his best batting rhythm, Curran remained calm to power the impressive left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner for one six over long-off and flicked a full toss over square leg in a final over from which he took seamer Duffy for 19.

This match will not last long in the memory, but Curran at least took advantage of what limited opportunity he was given.

“Baz [McCullum] gave him a very honest reason for why he wasn’t selected in the first place,” Brook said.

“He went back, practised hard and he’s put out those performances and done really well in the last year and a half.

“Everybody in world cricket knows he’s done it pretty much everywhere. He’s a very valuable player to have in the middle order, a left-hander as well. He’s going to be around for a while, I think. It’s good to have him back.”

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United Arab Emirates denied Japan and took the final place at next year’s men’s T20 World Cup with an eight-wicket victory in the qualifier in Oman.

Japan could have reached their first major tournament with a victory but UAE held them to 116-9 and then chased their target in 12.1 overs.

It means UAE join Oman and Nepal in progressing from the Asia and East Asia-Pacific qualifier to the World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka in February and March next year.

In addition to the two hosts getting automatic spots, England, Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, United States and West Indies qualified courtesy of reaching the Super 8 stage of the 2024 edition held in the United States and West Indies.

Ireland, Pakistan and New Zealand qualified via the rankings while Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Namibia and Zimbabwe came through their regional qualifying tournaments.

The tournament schedule is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Japan beat Kuwait and Samoa earlier in their qualifying tournament which meant they would have progressed had they beaten UAE and overturned a net run-rate deficit.

They slumped to 58-8, however, with spinner Haider Ali taking 3-20, and only limped to their total thanks to 45 not out from Wataru Miyauchi.

Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem put on 70 for the first wicket of the chase and, despite the pair falling for 46 and 42 respectively, UAE, who played at the 2014 and 2022 T20 World Cups, eased to victory.

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Namibia and Zimbabwe have booked their places at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup after reaching the final of the African qualifying tournament in Harare.

Namibia beat Tanzania by 63 runs in their semi-final to reach a fourth successive edition of the finals.

Hosts Zimbabwe then cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Kenya to qualify for the first time since 2022.

Kenya won the toss and elected to bat first, and ended on 122-6 thanks largely to Rakep Patel’s innings of 65 from 47 balls.

Brian Bennett top scored with 51 off 25 as the Chevrons chased down their target with five overs to spare.

Namibia and Zimbabwe will meet in the tournament final on Saturday, with both sides knowing they will travel to India and Sri Lanka next year.

In the opening match earlier on Thursday, Namibia had slipped to 41-4 against Tanzania but a partnership of 88 runs between captain Gerhard Erasmus (55 off 41) and JJ Smit (61 not out off 43) helped the Eagles post 174-6.

All-rounder Smit then took 3-16 and Ben Shikongo recorded figures of 3-21 to help restrict the East Africans to 111-8 in reply.

Namibia beat the Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland on their T20 World Cup debut in the UAE and Oman in 2021 before exiting in the Super 12s.

The side, however, failed to get past the initial group stage at the 2022 and 2024 editions of the tournament.

Twenty nations will contest next year’s World Cup which will be held from 7 February to 8 March.

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Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been injured in a nets training mishap, adding to his list of unfortunate accidents.

Maxwell was bowling in the nets when batsman Mitchell Owen “smoked” a shot back at him and left him with a fractured arm.

The 36-year-old previously fractured a leg when a friend fell on it at a 50th birthday party in 2022.

He was also left concussed when he fell off a golf cart at the 2023 World Cup.

His latest injury has ruled him out of this week’s three-match T20 series in New Zealand.

Australian all-rounder Matthew Short was batting in an adjoining net in Mount Maunganui and said he saw the incident “out of the corner of my eye”.

Speaking to cricket.com.au, he added: “I saw [Owen] smoked it and then the aftermath. It hit Maxi on the wrist. It didn’t sound good.

“[Owen] is not the guy you want to be bowling to in T20 training, that’s for sure.”

Maxwell, who has been replaced by wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe for the series, could now be a doubt for a home five-match one-day international series against India in October.

“Maxi’s been there and gone through [serious injuries] a couple of times now,” said Short.

“He was a bit disappointed but it’s just like any other injury. I’m sure he’ll get through it.”

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West Indies suffered a new low as they were bowled out for just 83 to lose their T20 series with minnows Nepal in the United Arab Emirates.

Nepal, who are ranked 18th in the world, had never played a T20 series against a full member nation before this week but have won the three-match series with a game to spare.

Windies’ total of 83 is the lowest a full member nation has scored against an associate and the 90-run winning margin is also the biggest for an associate against a full member.

It comes after West Indies’ Test team suffered a crushing defeat by Australia in July, being bowled out for just 27 – the second-lowest score in Test history, and the worst since 1955.

After losing that series 3-0, Cricket West Indies president Dr Kishore Shallow called for an emergency meeting to review the series and enlisted the help of legendary former players Sir Viv Richards, Sir Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara.

They also failed to qualify for the 50-over World Cup in 2023 and they are currently outside the qualifying places for 2027 edition.

Nepal posted a decent score of 173-6 in their 20 overs thanks to a 100-run fourth-wicket partnership between Aasif Sheikh and Sundeep Jora, with Jora hitting five sixes in Sharjah.

West Indies, who are sixth in the T20 rankings, never got going in the chase, with only three batters reaching double figures.

They were 63-4 in the 12th over before collapsing to just 83 all out.

Nepal, who are coached by Australian Stuart Law, take part in qualifiers for the 2026 T20 World Cup next month – they played at the 2024 and 2014 tournaments.

The series concludes with the third T20 on Tuesday (15:30 BST).

West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, meanwhile, has been ruled out of next month’s two-Test series against India due to the recurrence of a back injury.

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The T20 Asia Cup was played for the first time in 2016, right ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup. With the T20 World Cup becoming a regular event – generally happening every two years – and perhaps more with the desire to contrive India vs Pakistan matches since bilateral cricket is suspended between the two nations, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) began conducting the Asia Cup in the T20I format as well since 2016.

India won the inaugural T20 Asia Cup in 2016, while Sri Lanka won the 2022 edition. The third T20 Asia Cup edition was held in 2025, just months ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Three batsmen have so far hit a hundred each in the T20 Asia Cup. Let us check them.

List Of Batsmen Who Hit Century In T20 Asia Cup Ft. Virat Kohli

122 – Babar Hayat (Hong Kong) vs Oman, Fatullah, 2016

Hong Kongâ€s middle-order batsman Babar Hayat became the first batsman to hit a century in the T20 Asia Cup with his knock of 122 against Oman during the 2016 Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

Chasing a target of 181 in Fatullah, Hayat whacked 122 runs off 60 balls, with the help of nine fours and seven sixes. Despite Babar Hayatâ€s terrific ton, Hong Kong lost by a small margin of five runs.

122* – Virat Kohli (India) vs Afghanistan, Dubai, 2022

Virat Kohli is the only Indian so far to have hit a century in the T20 version of the Asia Cup. He attained it against Afghanistan in Dubai in 2022.

While opening the batting, with Rohit Sharma rested, Kohli hammered 122 unbeaten runs off 61 balls, walloping 12 fours and six maximums. Kohliâ€s thumping knock propelled India to a huge total of 212 runs. In the chase, Afghanistan were blown away by Bhuvneshwar Kumarâ€s unbelievable spell of 4-1-4-5.

This was Virat Kohliâ€s maiden century in T20Is, and it also ended his wait of three years for his 71st international century.

107 – Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) vs India, Dubai, 2025

Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka creamed one of the best T20I centuries during the 2025 edition of the T20 Asia Cup, as he dazzled with a knock of 107 runs against India in Dubai in the pursuit of the target of 203 runs.

Nissanka exhilarated with plenty of delectable shots, comprising seven fours and six sixes. He had a tall stand of 127 (70) with Kusal Perera, putting Sri Lanka in a strong position.

However, India fought back with the ball and managed to tie the game. In the Super Over, the Lankans could muster only two runs against Arshdeep Singh, and the minnows once again lost to the powerhouse Indian side, with Nissankaâ€s outstanding ton going in vain.

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Before Salt quickly eradicated any doubt over Wednesday’s result, Ireland would have felt their 196 in the series opener represented a competitive total.

However, after England’s stand-in skipper Jacob Bethell again won the toss and put the hosts into bat, Sunday’s innings was a much more laboured affair.

With the heavy rain overnight ensuring a slower wicket, conditions were always going to make things more challenging with the bat.

But the variation and discipline of England’s bowling played its part too, with their spinners taking six of the eight wickets.

While opener Ross Adair produced 33 from 23 deliveries, before falling to the bowling of Rehan Ahmad in the first over after the powerplay, Ireland’s top order struggled to score at a rate of better than a run per ball.

It took an 123-run partnership from Loran Tucker and Harry Tector to settle things on Wednesday but Ireland were never able to find their rhythm in this series finale.

Only against Baker, whose first two overs brought 24 runs, could they accelerate their run-rate.

It took the arrival of Gareth Delany, who led the way with an unbeaten 48 off 29 deliveries from number, to improve matters – but even on the slower pitch, 155 never felt a total likely to be defended.

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The second T20 between Ireland and England was abandoned in Dublin without a ball being bowled because of rain.After Phil…

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