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Often seen as a stylist, the Sri Lanka batter produced an innings of rare substance in Galle

Danyal Rasool27-Jul-2022It was a damp December week in Rawalpindi in 2019, one of myriad rain delays in Pakistan’s first home Test match in a decade. It was the fourth day, with the first innings of the Test still only halfway through. That particular morning had seen no play at all, and none was expected for the foreseeable future, so there wasn’t much to do, and plenty of time to do it in.”Who’s the most elegant batter from either side,” we wondered idly. Before long, the poll was up on ESPNcricinfo, with followers from both countries weighing in animatedly. To avoid ending up with one of the more obvious results, Babar Azam was excluded from the poll altogether.It was Dhananjaya de Silva who topped that poll for Sri Lanka, no doubt having won over a fair few Pakistanis across the previous three days. He’d come in with his team struggling on day one, and immediately set out imbuing the innings with the sort of delicate grace that almost felt indecently out of place in any attritional innings.Related

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There was, of course, a buoyant Pakistani pace bowling attack on the prowl, but he didn’t so much tame them as draw them into an orchestra only he seemed to be conducting. Their quality, their menace, was simply the backdrop against which he was doing his best work, with a liquid ease that didn’t make it feel like work at all. Even with the frequent rain and bad light interruptions which made the accrual of any rhythm impossible.Praising a cricketer for being elegant can often sound like a backhanded compliment, as if there’s a concomitant lack of substance that must necessarily accompany the style. (To further drive that point home, it was Asad Shafiq who won the poll from the Pakistan side that day). Such players, it is easy to think, exist to decorate rather than influence games, to adorn instead of win them. They are thought to lack the grit to get down and dirty and the heart to claw out results.When de Silva walked out to bat on Tuesday in Galle, he had just watched half his side fall for 117, the lead still a precarious 264. In the last six weeks, five totals in excess of that have been comfortably chased down in Test cricket. Just last week alone, at this very venue, Pakistan stunned Sri Lanka by gunning down 342 in the fourth innings, and looked very much on track to repeat the feat with a Test that was shaping up similarly here. This was time for a craftsman, and here Sri Lanka were, sending out an artist.Dhananjaya de Silva brought up his ninth Test century•AFP/Getty ImagesNaseem Shah was steaming in, the only fast bowler who has threatened with both old ball and new. In front of him was a batter who, in 13 innings this year, was averaging just over 26, managing only one half-century. De Silva wasn’t favourite to win this battle, especially when he was in the middle of his most significant drop in performance levels since 2018. Plus, in all three prior innings this series, his method of dismissal has been bowled, with Naseem the man to uproot his middle stump with the ball of the series on the first day.Against Australia the previous game, he fell cheaply to first Mitchell Swepson and then Travis Head. They might be tricky enough bowlers on their day, but self-respecting South Asian batters don’t want to give wickets away to middle-of-the-road spin bowlers. The Test before that, he had Covid-19, and missed entirely. It has not been an easy time for a man to whom everything tends to come so easily.De Silva was in a scrap. He saw off that early threat, but as in Rawalpindi three years ago, there were stops and starts. Poor light ended the third day off early, and back he came the next morning to begin all over again. He worked Hasan Ali away off the first ball for a single, and then didn’t score a run for the next 8.4 overs. A dab off Yasir Shah to third man was his next productive shot more than half an hour later. All the swishes and flicks put away, the wizardry set to one side as de Silva went into hand-to-hand combat for his side.The lead inched past 300, and then 350. Dimuth Karunaratne, with a significantly loftier reputation for attrition, departed before lunch, but de Silva plugged away, leading his side out of Pakistan’s reach. The bowlers that had prowled under the gloom the previous evening, and schemed their way through the fresh optimism of a crisp Galle morning, were beginning to recede into the backdrop. De Silva pranced down the ground, whipping Mohammad Nawaz through midwicket with the footwork of a dancer and the jab of a flyweight boxer. He got down on one knee to sweep Agha Salman for four, before beating point for yet another to bring up his ninth Test hundred.It was his orchestra once more, and he had Pakistan playing to his tunes. By the time he raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd, he looked once more like a maestro soaking in an enchanted audience’s applause. There was no mud on his shirt, no sweat on his brow. At that moment, it was so easy to forget that Dhananjaya de Silva had gone into battle, and controlled a game all the while looking as if he were merely embellishing it. You don’t just get there by playing pretty cover drives and winning ESPNcricinfo polls.

Bangladesh have a different captain for each format and only one of them had a successful tour of the West Indies

Mohammad Isam17-Jul-2022For a Bangladesh captain, being compared to Mashrafe Mortaza is high praise indeed, and with a fifth consecutive ODI series win at the helm, Tamim Iqbal is entering Mashrafe territory. Mashrafe was the last captain to lead Bangladesh through such a streak, winning six series in a row between 2014 and 2016. The two are close friends but extremely different individuals. While Mashrafe is a cult hero who gave expression to his passion to inspire his players, Tamim is a quiet tactician who seizes even the smallest advantage.Under Tamim’s leadership, Bangladesh were able to turn around a disappointing tour of the Caribbean. They did not win a game during the Test and T20I series – making mistakes in every discipline – but bounced back to sweep the ODIs 3-0. The victory also ended a winless run from March to June, after they had done so well on preceding tours to New Zealand and South Africa.Tamim’s performance as ODI captain is noteworthy considering Bangladesh’s uncertainty under different leaders in the other two formats. Shakib Al Hasan took over the Test captaincy shortly before this tour of West Indies following Mominul Haque’s resignation after the series defeat to Sri Lanka. Shakib, however, has been a reluctant Test cricketer, having played only seven of 15 Tests since his return from suspension in January 2021. While the BCB had the right idea when making Shakib the Test captain, the board knows he will want to skip tours every now and then.Related

• Tamim becomes first Bangladesh batter to reach 8000 ODI runs

• West Indies ODI win was in spinning conditions, 'should not go to our heads', says Tamim

• Comfort of ODIs brings Bangladesh much-needed respite

• Bangladesh, West Indies and their contrasting progress in ODIs

• Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from T20Is

The T20I problem is more severe. Under Mahmudullah’s leadership, Bangladesh have won just one of their previous 13 matches, and there is little optimism around their prospects in the shortest format.So here’s a deeper look at Bangladesh’s recent performance under their different leaders in each format.The perfect ODI handover
The BCB appointed Tamim the ODI captain ahead of a couple of other contenders in March 2020, but it was only in January 2021 that he led the team for the first time in his latest stint at the helm.Tamim’s pedigree as a batter was excellent: he had been the rock at the top for more than a decade and had become the first Bangladesh batter to score 7000 ODI runs. He was one of Mashrafe’s closest deputies and had also benefitted from Mashrafe’s leadership during a difficult period in 2015.Tamim also plays an important role off the field, particularly on overseas tours, where he takes younger team-mates under his wing. It was not uncommon to see them spend time with him when they were in unfamiliar cities. Tamim has enjoyed this role for a while now, even more so after he lost the vice-captaincy in 2011 and was overlooked for the captaincy in 2014.So when his tenure as ODI captain began in January 2021, Tamim had plenty of experience to draw from as Bangladesh began their Super League campaign. He began with a 3-0 win against West Indies at home, but lost his second series 3-0 in New Zealand.Ahead of Bangladesh’s next series against Sri Lanka, Tamim backed Mushfiqur Rahim despite the veteran wicketkeeper having dropped straightforward chances at crucial moments in New Zealand. With the support of his captain, Mushfiqur has had a good run behind the stumps since then, with 16 dismissals and only one dropped catch in his next nine games.Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in that home series, and then won 3-0 in Zimbabwe. Tamim played that series with an injury, to ensure that Bangladesh bagged crucial Super League points that would aid their direct qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup.The crowning moment of Tamim’s captaincy came when Bangladesh won an ODI series 2-1 in South Africa this March. He was the top-scorer in their maiden triumph in that country.While the win in South Africa was a milestone result, the ODI series win in West Indies will be remembered for Tamim’s man-management skills and conviction as a leader. He attacked with all his bowlers, with a slip in place almost all the time even when West Indies tried to go on the charge.Mahmudullah has had a tough time as T20I captain in recent months•AFP/Getty ImagesMahmudullah’s false dawn
While Bangladesh’s 50-overs fortunes improved under Tamim, their T20I prospects also brightened under Mahmudullah, with series wins against Australia and New Zealand in August-September 2021. But those wins were in spin-friendly home conditions, and after that Bangladesh suffered a winless campaign in the Super 12 round of the 2021 T20 World Cup. Since then they have won just one of their next eight games against Pakistan, Afghanistan and West Indies.Mahmudullah’s own form during this period has been poor: he’s scored 103 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 102.Bangladesh have lacked the power-hitters other teams possess, and they have also suffered from instability at the top. They have had 10 different opening combinations in 29 T20Is since July 2021, leading to confusion and a lack of confidence among the team’s key batters. The rigidity of using only left-arm spinners against right-hand batters and offspinners against left-hand batters, often with poor results, is fast becoming a Mahmudullah trademark too.What can Shakib do with the Test side?
It’s early days yet in Shakib’s latest stint as Bangladesh’s Test captain, and his tenure began with the 2-0 defeat in the West Indies. Shakib, like Tamim, wants to take wickets as a fielding captain and he tried to be positive in the Caribbean. He also batted aggressively when the Bangladesh line-up collapsed on his first day back at the helm.The bigger question is the road ahead for Shakib the Test captain. It was a surprise when he was appointed last month, because while the BCB might have been keen to make Shakib captain, the allrounder has been reluctant to play all of Bangladesh’s Test series in the recent past. The question is whether his new responsibility will result in Shakib prioritising red-ball cricket over the white-ball formats.

The opener hasn’t played a single T20I this year but knows the next two weeks are crucial with the T20 World Cup looming

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-20224:16

KL Rahul: ‘Playing Shaheen Shah Afridi could have helped challenge ourselves ahead of the T20 World Cup’

KL Rahul is yet to feature in a T20I this year because of injuries, and in the time he has been away, India have shifted towards a new approach to the format from a batting perspective. He may not have been an active part of this process, but he’s aware of it, and happy to buy into it as India look to fine-tune preparations leading into the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.On Thursday, Rahul had his first hit with the T20I squad after arriving from Zimbabwe, where he led India to a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series. With scores of 1 and 30 in the two innings he played in Harare, his own batting form was patchy, and Rahul’s focus in the nets was simply on enjoying an extended session.Even as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav brought out their artistry, Rahul seemed intent on bringing back his fluency. VVS Laxman even jokingly stopped him from coming out of the nets twice. Rahul enjoyed three stints in all, over a three-hour session.Related

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He was edgy against pace initially, and was beaten on length on at least three occasions by Arshdeep Singh’s angle away from him. Rahul held his own against Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s swing, though, getting right behind the line and moving swiftly into position to drive and play straight. His sessions were closely monitored by two cameras – one behind the stumps and another in front of cover, just outside the net.After his first 30-minute session, Rahul cooled off for a bit and went back in for round two against spin. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin challenged him by pushing him back with a series of quicker ones and sliders. Rahul focused on his back-foot play, and the big shots that weren’t seen in his first session slowly surfaced late into his second as he tonked a straight hit over the sightscreen.In the third session, Rahul was simply focused on meeting the ball with giant forward strides, especially against Arshdeep, who bounded in tirelessly. The left-arm seamer was tossed a new ball that he swung back in from different lines, ranging from fourth stump to middle, just to get Rahul playing straight and ensuring he wasn’t bringing his front pad in the way. For someone who has all the shots in the book, this session was all about the basics.Then, as the last round was called, Rahul had fun, paddling and ramping deliveries before ending with a flat-batted slap to walk off tired and happy. The punch on the bat as he walked off resonated with satisfaction at grinding his way in.KL Rahul last played a T20I in November 2021•BCCIOn Friday, Rahul spoke of India’s new approach and of enjoying the challenge of bringing it to life. At IPL 2022, his most-recent competitive T20 outing, Rahul’s powerplay strike rates barely crossed 100, drawing plenty of chatter from pundits and former players. In the death overs, though, which he seemed intent on building towards, he struck at 198.36. Overall, Rahul ended the season with the second-most runs – 635 in 14 innings at a strike rate of 135.38 – behind Jos Buttler.”This new approach, we’d spoken about it much before when I was part of the team early on in the year as well and just after the [2021 T20] World Cup,” Rahul said. “Last season we had spoken about what we need to improve individually and how as a team we try to be more aggressive, put the bowlers under pressure by going out there and play with a lot of authority, freedom and aggression.”So I was there when that happened. Unfortunately, I have not been able to play too many T20Is since then, but we have played the IPL, and I played with the same approach, tried to see how with that same approach I can be consistent and still contribute to the team. I haven’t played since the last two-three months, and that is a challenge for me, one I am looking forward to.”It’s done really well for us, the new approach. What the team wanted and what the captain needed has been embraced by everybody, every player in the team, which is great to see and that is the biggest step. That big step has already been taken and embraced by the players, so from now on it’s only about building on it and getting stronger and by the time the World Cup comes, everyone knows exactly what to do.”The next two weeks could be another test of Rahul’s work towards returning to being the white-ball destroyer he can be. He isn’t the captain, and he has a middle order that can take apart the best of attacks. From a team point of view, it’s all systems go. Rahul couldn’t ask for a more ideal scenario than this.

Records tumble as Siraj makes merry in Colombo, in the third-shortest completed match in men’s ODIs

Sampath Bandarupalli17-Sep-202350 – Sri Lanka’s total in Colombo is the lowest by any team against India in men’s ODIs. The previous lowest was Bangladesh’s 58 all out in 2014 in Mirpur.1 – Number of totals by Sri Lanka lower than 50 in men’s ODI. Their lowest is 43 all out against South Africa in the 2012 Paarl ODI. It is also the second lowest total in men’s ODIs in Sri Lanka, behind Zimbabwe’s 38 all out in 2001.Lowest totals for Sri Lanka in ODIs•ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – Sri Lanka’s 50 all out is also the lowest score by any team in a men’s ODI final. The previous lowest was India’s 54 against Sri Lanka in the 2000 Champions Trophy final.6 for 21 – Siraj’s bowling figures against Sri Lanka are now the second-best for any bowler in the men’s ODI Asia Cup. Ajantha Mendis’ 6 for 16 against India during the 2008 final remain the best figures.3 – Number of bowlers with better figures in a men’s ODI final than Siraj. Only Aaqib Javed – 7 for 37 against India in 1991 – has managed to take more than six wickets in a men’s ODI final. Siraj’s 6 for 21 are also the fourth-best figures by an Indian bowler in men’s ODIs.16 – Number of balls needed for Siraj to complete his five-wicket haul, the joint-fastest in men’s ODIs where ball-by-ball data is available. Chaminda Vaas took 16 balls for his first five wickets in a 2003 World Cup game against Bangladesh, while USA’s Ali Khan also took a five-for in 16 balls against Jersey earlier this year.Quickest five-wicket hauls in men’s ODIs•ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 – Number of wickets for Siraj in the third over of Sri Lanka’s innings. He is now the first Indian bowler to take four wickets in an over in men’s internationals (where ball-by-ball data is available). Only three other bowlers have picked up four wickets in an over in men’s ODIs since 2002 – Vaas against Bangladesh in 2003, Mohammad Sami against New Zealand in 2003 and Adil Rashid against West Indies in 2019.15.2 – Number of overs batted by Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final. This is the second-shortest all-out innings for a Full Member nation in men’s ODIs. The shortest is by Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for 54 in 13.5 overs against Afghanistan in 2017. Overall, this ranks fifth in the shortest innings ever in men’s ODIs.12 – Sri Lanka’s score at the fall of the sixth wicket. Only once has a team lost their sixth wicket at a lower score in men’s ODIs – 10 by Canada against Netherlands in 2013. Canada also lost their sixth wicket at the score of 12 against Sri Lanka in 2003.129 – Total number of balls the Asia Cup final lasted – the third-shortest completed match in men’s ODIs. The 2020 Kirtipur ODI between Nepal and USA lasted only 104 balls, while the ODI between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in 2001 in Colombo lasted 120 balls.263 – Number of balls remaining when India reached the 51-run target, making it their biggest win in men’s ODI in terms of balls to spare and the biggest win by any team against Sri Lanka. It is also the sixth-biggest win for any team in terms of balls to spare in men’s ODIs.

And has anyone made a higher percentage of a team’s score in a T20I than Romania’s Rebecca Blake?

Steven Lynch15-Aug-2023What records did Prithvi Shaw set during his double-century for Northamptonshire the other day? asked Mumtaz Hussein from India

Prithvi Shaw smashed 244 from 153 balls against Somerset in the Royal London Cup 50-over match against Somerset in Northampton last week. It was the highest score in List A cricket for Northamptonshire, beating Wayne Larkins’ unbeaten 172 against Warwickshire in a 40-over Sunday League game in Luton in 1983, and the second-highest in the English domestic competition, behind Alistair Brown’s 268 in a 50-over match for Surrey vs Glamorgan at The Oval in 2002.Including Brown’s innings, there have been only five higher individual scores in List A matches, three of them by Indian batters: 277 by Narayan Jagadeesan (Tamil Nadu vs Arunachal Pradesh in Bengaluru in 2022-23), the ODI-record 264 by Rohit Sharma (India vs Sri Lanka in Kolkata in 2014-15), and 248 by Shikhar Dhawan (India A vs South Africa A in Pretoria in 2013). The other one was D’Arcy Short’s 257 for Western Australia against Queensland at the Hurstville Oval in Sydney in 2018-19.Shaw reached 200 in 129 balls, the seventh-fastest on record, and the second-quickest in England behind Ben Duckett’s 123 balls for England Lions against Sri Lanka A in Canterbury in 2016. The only three List A double-centuries faster than Duckett’s were Jagadeesan’s (see above), which came up in 114 balls, and two by Travis Head for South Australia: from 114 deliveries against Queensland at the Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide in 2021-22, and 117 against Western Australia in Sydney (Hurstville Oval) in 2015-16.Shaw’s 244 was his second double-century in List A matches, following an undefeated 227 for Mumbai against Puducherry in Jaipur in 2020-21, when he reached 200 from 142 balls. He’s the fourth man to score more than one List A double, after Rohit (three), Brown and Head, but the first to make them in different countries.Roy Swetman, who died recently, was capped by three different first-class counties. Was he the first to achieve this? asked James Farrell from England

Wicketkeeper Roy Swetman, who died last month aged 89, was capped by Surrey in 1958, Nottinghamshire in 1966, and Gloucestershire in 1972. Neat and unflashy behind the stumps, Swetman played 11 Tests for England, the first after being selected for the 1958-59 Ashes tour even though he wasn’t Surrey’s regular keeper at the time. He should perhaps have played more often but, as his Surrey team-mate Micky Stewart recalled, “He enjoyed his time off the field too much. He’d start off the season in good nick, but after a few weeks back he wouldn’t be so sharp. He didn’t have the strength and stamina to maintain that lifestyle. It was sad, really.”Swetman was actually the second player to be capped by three counties, back in the days when movement between them was much less frequent than now. The first was the slow left-armer Bob Berry, by Lancashire in 1950, Worcestershire in 1957, and Derbyshire in 1961. Like Swetman, Berry also played for England, in two Tests against West Indies in 1950.In case anyone is unfamiliar with the term, county caps are usually awarded to someone who has become a regular player. It used to be an important stage in a player’s career – for a start it meant he would be paid more. Some counties, however, have discontinued this long-established tradition, and award caps (or sometimes “colours”) to anyone who appears for their first team.Mohammad Rizwan made a catch as a substitute in a recent Test, then joined the match as a concussion replacement and made another dismissal. Has anyone ever done this before in a Test? asked Hafeez Ahmed from Pakistan

Mohammad Rizwan pulled off this unusual double during Pakistan’s recent Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. In Sri Lanka’s first innings, Rizwan took a catch at point to dismiss Kusal Mendis while on as a substitute fielder. Later he replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was suffering from concussion; in the second innings Rizwan – by now a fully fledged member of the team – stumped Ramesh Mendis as Pakistan approached victory.It was indeed the first time a player had made dismissals for the same side as a substitute in a match he was playing in, which has only been possible since concussion replacements have been allowed. But in the early days of Test cricket, when teams often did not have spare players handy, there were three instances of a man taking a catch as a substitute against his own side. The first to do it was Australia’s captain Billy Murdoch, who caught his team-mate “Tup” Scott against England at Lord’s in 1884. He was fielding in place of WG Grace, who had injured a finger. This was actually the first substitute catch in any Test; Scott had top-scored for Australia with 75.Murdoch was followed by two more Australians in Ashes Tests. Affie Jarvis caught his team-mate Fred Spofforth in Melbourne in 1884-85. He’d only just been dismissed himself, six overs earlier, but England were short as Billy Barnes was injured. A few seasons later, in 1886-87, Charles “The Terror” Turner caught Reginald Allen in Sydney. He’d just sent down 64.1 (four-ball) overs, after 53 in the first innings, so must have been delighted to be asked to field for the opposition! He was needed as England’s Billy Gunn had been pressed into service as an umpire on the final morning, in the absence of one of those appointed. None of this trio of Aussies took a catch for their own side in the same match (even though Jarvis kept wicket in his game), so Rizwan is unique in that regard.Rizwan dismissed Kusal Mendis as a substitute fielder and stumped Ramesh Mendis later in the Test when he replaced the concussed Sarfaraz Ahmed•AFP/Getty ImagesRebecca Blake made around 70% of Romania’s runs in a recent T20I – was this a record? asked Geoffrey Harrison from England

Romania’s Bucharest-born captain Rebecca Blake scored 135 not out in her team’s 20-over total of 197 for 4 against Malta in Ilfov County last week. That’s 68.52% of the total – which, as this table shows, currently comes in third place for a women’s T20I (counting only all-out innings, or those where the full quota of overs was used).Top of the list is Sindhu Sriharsha, who made an unbeaten 74 out of 103 for 3 – 71.84% – for United States against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi in September 2022. Next comes Deandra Dottin, with 112 out of 159 for 6 – 70.44% – for West Indies vs Sri Lanka in Coolidge (Antigua) in October 2017.The men’s T20I record is 75.10% – 172 in a total of 229 for 2 – by Aaron Finch for Australia against Zimbabwe in Harare in July 2018.Which player’s life story is told in the book The Globe-Trotting Cricketer? asked Keith McKenzie from Australia

This is the much-travelled Australian-born cricketer Bert Kortlang, who played first-class matches for Victoria in Australia before the First World War, and for Wellington in New Zealand afterwards. But that wasn’t the end of it: he travelled far and wide, and played minor cricket in many far-flung places, including Argentina, Canada and the United States. Back in Australia, he became a journalist and a friend of Don Bradman, who was the godfather to one of Kortlang’s children. Pelham Warner, the former England captain who was later closely involved with cricket as a journalist and administrator, compared him to the Scarlet Pimpernel: “We hear of him here; we hear of him there; the beggar pops up everywhere.”Kortlang died in 1961, aged 80, but his life story was reassembled by the New Zealand writer Rob Franks, in a book for the Cricket Publishing Company that came out in 2022. Not many were printed, so it’s rather hard to find, but it is beautifully produced and a very good read.And there’s an addition to last week’s question about the players who made their international debuts in all three formats in the shortest time frame, from Mike Halliwell from Australia, among others

“There’s a name to add to the list: the Australian legspinner Alana King completed her set in 14 days, the same as Mukesh Kumar, during the 2021-22 women’s Ashes series. King made her T20I debut in Adelaide on January 20, won her first Test cap in Canberra on January 27, and played her first ODI in Adelaide on February 3.”Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

With the mega auction in 2025, when squads will be revamped, franchises might look to release some big names this year to make room for a larger purse

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Nov-2023IPL franchises have till November 26 to announce their final list of retentions ahead of the 2024 player auction, which will be held in Dubai on December 19. Two key factors that franchises will consider before finalising the list of retained and released players are: the new names available for bidding, and the mega auction ahead of the 2025 season, where squads will be revamped.Franchises are keen to bid both for successful young talents at the recent World Cup – such as Rachin Ravindra, Gerald Coetzee, Travis Head and Azmatullah Omarzai – as well as experienced hands like Mitchell Starc, Chris Woakes and Pat Cummins. Some of these names are bound to attract massive bids, a common theme at mini auctions. However, the franchises will need a strong purse at the auction, which they can bolster only by releasing players who were bought at big prices in the last two years.With the mega auction scheduled ahead of IPL 2025, franchises wouldn’t mind releasing some big names with the option to buy back cheap either this time itself or a year later when a stronger purse will be available to them.Related

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• Stokes opts out of IPL 2024 to 'manage workload and fitness'

Here, we look at some significant names that the franchises will deliberate on in the lead up to retention day.

Punjab Kings – Sam Curran

At the last auction, Kings outbid five rivals to sign Curran for INR 18.5 crore (US$ 2.256 million approx.), thus making the England allrounder the most expensive player in the IPL. Curran, who was named the Player of the Tournament in England’s victorious 2022 T20 World Cup campaign, was sought after for a number of reasons – his age (25), his ability to bat anywhere, his power-hitting against spin, his leadership skills, and, of course, his left-arm pace.However, his returns in IPL 2023 were weak, as he managed just ten wickets in 14 matches at an average of nearly 49, and an economy of over ten. With the bat, Curran scored 276 runs at a strike rate of 136, and an average of over 27.Along with the fresh purse of INR 5 crore, Kings will have more than INR 21 crore in case they release Curran. Also, they can release him keeping the option of buying him back before 2025 in mind.

Royal Challengers Bangalore – Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga

Harshal Patel and Wanindu Hasaranga were both bought for a handsome INR 10.75 crore in the 2022 and the 2023 auctions, respectively. Both were playing at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royal Challengers’ home base, for the first time. But both struggled at the ground with small boundaries.Hasaranga, who missed the ODI World Cup to deal with a hamstring injury, played in just eight of the 14 matches last season, picking nine wickets at an economy of nearly nine. In the home matches, Hasaranga had just four wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 8.76.Harshal, who was a part of the 2022 T20 World Cup squad but did not feature in a single game, just missed one match last season. He picked up 14 wickets at an economy of 9.65. While Harshal had succeeded with his variations at the death in his first two seasons – played in the UAE and in Mumbai – he became predictable in Bengaluru. He played all the seven home matches, but managed just nine wickets at 9.65.As a result, Andy Flower, Royal Challengers’ newly-appointed coach, might consider releasing both players and buying them back at lower prices.

Mumbai Indians – Jofra Archer

The stress fracture in the elbow, which has kept Archer out for the majority of the past two years, resurfaced midway into the ODI World Cup, where he was travelling as a reserve for England. Archer was sent back home, ruled out of the white-ball series in December in the West Indies, and there is no definitive timeline on his return.Mumbai surprised everybody at the 2022 mega auction by picking Archer, who was not ready to bowl. After being entirely absent in the first season, Archer played just four matches in 2023 season before heading home after a recurrence of the elbow injury. Do Mumbai continue to show patience, and hope Archer turns up during the 2024 IPL, or do they find a replacement and retain him ahead of the 2025 mega auction?

Delhi Capitals – Anrich Nortje

Another player who has been hindered by injuries for a significant period of time is Nortje, who was retained by Capitals in 2022 for INR 6.5 crore. Able to bowl an entire over at 150kph, Nortje had recovered from a groin injury earlier in the year to play ten matches for Capitals in the 2023 season before heading home for personal reasons.While he played the inaugural season of Major League Cricket in the USA, he aborted the ODI series at home against Australia in September following suspected stress fracture in the back, and was eventually also ruled out of the ODI World Cup. While ESPNcricinfo has learned that Nortje is doubtful for the SA20 (starting January 10), there is no update yet from CSA on when the fast bowler will be back.

Chennai Super Kings – Ben Stokes

By deciding to opt out of the 2024 season, Stokes has presented Super Kings with a simple decision to make. They bought Stokes in the 2023 auction for INR 16.25 crore, making him their most expensive auction buy ever. The risk of not releasing Stokes in an attempt to retain him ahead of the 2025 mega auction is huge. If they do not release Stokes, Super Kings will have a lighter purse at the upcoming auction.

Kolkata Knight Riders – Lockie Ferguson

Ferguson returned to Knight Riders last season after they traded him in from Gujarat Titans. Knight Riders paid INR 10.75 crore to Titans, who had shelled out a similar amount to get Ferguson in the 2022 auction. However, Ferguson, who can spear 150-plus deliveries at ease in all three phases of an innings, could only play three matches last season, where he was hampered by a hamstring injury. Recently, Ferguson bravely played the ODI World Cup while dealing with Achilles’ injury throughout, which will also keep him out of the Plunket Shield.Knight Riders could fancy releasing Ferguson to strengthen their purse, which would allow them to look at other options in 2024.

Firdose Moonda and Valkerie Baynes chat to Nigar Sultana Joty to mark International Women’s Day

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2024In the second episode of ESPNcricinfo Powerplay, Firdose Moonda and Valkerie Baynes speak with Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana about the hurdles she and her countrywomen have overcome to play the sport they love.