Maharashtra batter Ruturaj Gaikwad, on November 28, 2022, became the first batter in limited-overs cricket to hit seven sixes in a single over.

In the quarter-final clash against Uttar Pradesh of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022, Ruturaj Gaikwad slammed an unbeaten 220 off 159 balls with the help of 10 fours and 16 maximums.

However, seven of those 16 sixes came in the penultimate over off UP spinner Shiva Singh. After clearing the ropes in each of the first four balls, Gaikwad did not spare the following no ball either, hitting it into the stands for a fifth six on the trot. 

He got to his double century with a six off the sixth ball of that over as the assault continued. He capped off the over with a seventh consecutive maximum, to set the record for most sixes in an over in limited-overs cricket. 

6�?6�?6�?6�?6⃣nb,6�?6�?

Ruturaj Gaikwad smashes 4�?�?runs in one over!

Follow the match ▶️ http://t.co/cIJsS7QVxK�?a href="http://twitter.com/hashtag/MAHvUP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MAHvUP | #VijayHazareTrophy | #QF2 | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/j0CvsWZeES

�?BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 28, 2022

Meanwhile, in international cricket, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard and Jaskaran Malhotra are the only players to hit six sixes in an over.

Chandigarh-born Jaskaran Malhotra is the first American cricketer to hit six sixes in an over in any form of professional cricket. The 31-year-old USA cricket team batsman clobbered six sixes in an over during an ODI against Papua New Guinea to become the fourth cricketer after 

6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣!!

Jaskaran Malhotra has joined an exclusive club of international cricketers to hit 6️⃣ x 6️⃣s in an over with a stunning assault from the final 6 balls of the innings as he becomes the first American to make an ODI with 173 not out!

USA post 271 for 9 v PNG! pic.twitter.com/pCxHDQS8XO

�?USA Cricket (@usacricket) September 9, 2021

Malhotra slammed PNG’s Gaudi Toka for six sixes in the 50th over of their innings as the pacer conceded 66 runs in seven overs without taking any wicket.

The right-handed batsman remained unbeaten on 173 runs off just 124 balls as he became the first USA cricketer to make a hundred since being granted ODI status. 

Interestingly, Malhotra also became just the second cricketer to achieve this incredible feat in ODI cricket after former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs. He is overall the tenth cricketer to smash six sixes in an over in professional cricket.

Players to hit six sixes in an over in a professional game

Sir Garfield Sobers 

Former West Indies all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers became the first player to hit six sixes in an over on 31st April 1968. Playing as a captain for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan, Sobers smashed five huge sixes off Malcolm Nash but was caught on the boundary in his sixth delivery. However, Glamorgan fielder Roger Davis carried the ball over the rope, resulting in the first over to have ever been hit for six sixes.

6️⃣,6️⃣,6️⃣,6️⃣,6️⃣,6️⃣#OnThisDay in 1968, batting for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan, Garfield Sobers became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket.

( : @BBCRNS)pic.twitter.com/FpIQ7eIt3x

�?ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 31, 2020

Ravi Shastri

The current Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri was the second cricketer to achieve the feat in the Ranji Trophy. On January 19, 1985, Shastri while playing for Bombay smashed left-arm spinner Tilak Raj for six sixes in six balls.

On this day 1985: Ravi Shastri Hits Six Sixes In an Over@RaviShastriOfc @BCCIdomestic @BCCI pic.twitter.com/HBkQXzVye9

�?Hareram Tiwari (@Hareram29534083) January 10, 2020

Herschelle Gibbs

It took another 22 years for the feat to be emulated as former South Africa cricketer Herschelle Gibbs smashed six sixes in the 2007 ICC ODI World Cup. Gibbs tore apart Netherland leg spinner Daan van Bunge to become the first player to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket. Interestingly, the former Proteas batsman is still the only man to have achieved the feat in a 50-over World Cup game.

The six sixes in an over club in international cricket:

1. Herschelle Gibbs

( via @ICC) pic.twitter.com/8ZTTbmzoYN

�?ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 4, 2021

Yuvraj Singh

Former swashbuckling Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh slammed England pacer Stuart Broad for six sixes during a World Cup T20 game in South Africa in 2007. Interestingly, Ravi Shastri was the man behind the mic at the time of Yuvraj’s incredible achievement in Durban on that epic night.

#OnThisDay in 2007, Yuvraj Singh did THIS to Stuart Broad

Is the moment that gripped you to T20 cricket? pic.twitter.com/OE4urnbdUY

�?Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) September 19, 2020

Ross Whiteley 

English cricketer Ross Whiteley joined this elite club in a T20 Blast match in July 2017. Playing for Worcestershire Rapids at Headingley, Whitely smashed Yorkshire Vikings spinner Karl Carver for six sixes in six balls.

Ross Whiteley six sixes in an over yesterday!

Watch it here: http://t.co/ul2D1ctfY2 pic.twitter.com/LqdpNh6hBb

�?Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 24, 2017

Haztratullah Zazai

Afghanistan batsman Haztratullah Zazai joined the select club with six successive maximums in 2018. In an Afghanistan Premier League encounter, Zazai clobbered a hapless Abdullah Mazari for six sixes to etch his name in history books.

Hazratullah Zazai's six sixes

Which one of them did you enjoy the most?
(Video courtesy @_cricingif) pic.twitter.com/qgzKAKOZ2V

�?ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 15, 2018

Leo Carter 

New Zealand cricketer Leo Carter bludgeoned his way into the history books as he smashed six sixes in the Super Smash competition in January 2020. Playing for Canterbury Kings, Carter clobbered six sixes off Northern Knights left-arm spinner Anton Devcich to accomplish this incredible milestone. 

Wow!

New Zealand's Leo Carter hit six sixes in a T20 Super Smash game earlier today!pic.twitter.com/iwfSwKMIKR

�?T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) January 5, 2020

Keiron Pollard

West Indies limited-overs captain Kieron Pollard recently joined this elite club as he hit six sixes in an over against Sri Lanka in Antigua in March.

Into the record books! @KieronPollard55 joins Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh as the third batter to hit six straight sixes off one over in international cricket. pic.twitter.com/7YKIfXhBWX

�?ICC (@ICC) March 4, 2021

Pollard smashed Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya for six sixes during the first T20I to become only the second batsman in the history of T20Is to achieve this feat. 

Thisara Perera

All-rounder Thisara Perera became the first Sri Lankan cricketer to hit six sixes in an over in any form of professional cricket. The 31-year-old southpaw achieved the feat while playing for Sri Lanka Army in their Group A match against Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club in the Major Clubs Limited Over List A Tournament at the Army Ground in Panagoda. Perera slammed Dilhan Cooray for six sixes in the 41st over as he reached his half-century in 13 balls, becoming the second-fastest Sri Lankan to score a fifty. 

Vamshhi Krrishna

Andhra opening batter Vamshhi Krrishna became the latest cricketer to join the elite list. Krrishna hammered six sixes against Railways' wrist spinner Damandeep Singh in the Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy at YS Raja Reddy ACP Cricket Stadium in Kadapa. He became the fourth Indian to achieve the incredible feat after Ravi Shastri, Yuvraj Singh and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

!

Vamshhi Krrishna of Andhra hit 6 sixes in an over off Railways spinner Damandeep Singh on his way to a blistering 64-ball 110 in the Col C K Nayudu Trophy in Kadapa.

Relive �?those monstrous hits @IDFCFIRSTBank | #CKNayudu pic.twitter.com/MTlQWqUuKP

�?BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 21, 2024

Dipendra Singh Airee

Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee became the third cricketer to hit six sixes in an over in an international T20 match. During an ACC Men’s T20I Premier Cup 2024 group match at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 1) in Oman, Dipendra Singh Airee slammed Qatar medium-pacer Kamran Khan for six sixes to finish with 64 off just 21 balls.

�?#NEPvQAT #ACCMensPremierCup #ACC pic.twitter.com/72Itd5INE1

�?AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) April 13, 2024

The 24-year-old's blitzkrieg knock was laced with three fours and seven sixes. Airee's knock helped Nepal beat Qatar by 32 runs in the game.

Featured photo: Alamy

The record for the fastest fifty in cricket history is held by Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee, who smashed a nine-ball half-century against Mongolia in the 2023 Asian Games. His knock helped set up a 273-run win for Nepal.

Ashutosh Sharma from Railways hit the second-fastest fifty in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023. Playing against Arunachal Pradesh, Ashutosh achieved the record in 11 balls. 

Meanwhile, the record for the third fastest fifty in cricket history by balls faced is 12 deliveries, and five cricketers have achieved the feat to date.

Among the five, Yuvraj Singh is the only Indian to feature as the quickest half-centurion in cricket history.

Here we take a look at the record batters who have scored the fastest fifty in cricket history.

Fastest fifty in cricket history

Player	Balls faced	Year	Format
Dipendra Singh Airee	9	2023	T20
Ashutosh Sharma	11	2023	T20
Yuvraj Singh	12	2007	T20
Wayne White	12	2012	First-Class
Chris Gayle	12	2016	T20
Hazratullah Zazai	12	2018	T20

Fastest fifty in First-Class cricket

Wayne White is the record holder for the fastest fifty in First-Class cricket, having hit an unbeaten 12-ball 50 against Essex in 2012.

After playing out a knock of 53 runs in 111 deliveries in the first innings of the 2012 County Championship Division 2 match, White raced to his half-century in the second innings in record time.

His knock was infused with four boundaries and four sixes as he helped Leicestershire give Essex a target of 270 runs to chase. The match was eventually drawn.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
Wayne White	Leicestershire	Essex	12	2012
Michael van Vuuren	Eastern Province ‘B�?/span>	Griqualand West	13	1985
Ned Eckersley	Leicestershire	Essex	14	2012
Khalil Mahmood	Gujranwala	Sargodha	15	2000
Bandeep Singh	Jammu and Kashmir	Tripura	15	2015

The same match would see Wayne White’s team-mate Ned Eckersley hit a 14-ball fifty and remain unbeaten with a 19-ball 70 alongside White.

Meanwhile, in India, Bandeep Singh scripted a historic record of his own in 2015. Representing Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy match against Tripura, Bandeep smashed a 15-ball 50 to help his side set a target of 368 to win the match.

Bandeep Singh’s knock still stands as the fastest fifty in Ranji Trophy history. To know about Ranji Trophy records, click here.

Fastest fifty in Test cricket

In the international format, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq holds the record for the fastest fifty in Test cricket.

Misbah took a record 24 minutes to reach his Test half-century in the 2014 Pakistan vs Australia Test in Abu Dhabi and broke the previous record held by Jacques Kallis in 2009 against Zimbabwe.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
Misbah-ul-Haq	Pakistan	Australia	21	2014
David Warner	Australia	Griqualand West	23	2017
Jacques Kallis	South Africa	Essex	24	2005
Shane Shillingford	West Indies	New Zealand	25	2014
Shahid Afridi	Pakistan	India	26	2005

Rishabh Pant holds the record for India with a 28-ball fifty against Sri Lanka in 2022.

Fastest fifty in List A cricket

Kaushalya Weeraratne is credited as the player to score the fastest fifty in List A cricket, with his 12-ball effort coming in a List A game for Ragama Cricket Club against Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club in the 2005 Premier Limited Over Tournament.

The Sri Lankan all-rounder remained unbeaten on 66 runs off 18 balls as his knock, which included two fours and eight sixes, propelled Ragama to 219/5. The match eventually finished without a result.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
Kaushalya Weeraratne	Ragama Cricket Club	Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club	12	2005
Thisara Perera	Sri Lanka Army Sports Club	Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club	13	2021
Rory Kleinveldt	Western Province	KwaZulu-Natal	14	2011
Adam Hollioake	Surrey	Yorkshire	15	1994
Salman Butt	National Bank of Pakistan	Lahore Eagles	15	2005

Baroda’s Atit Sheth hit the fastest fifty in List A cricket during the 2020-21 Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group A match against Chhattisgarh. The then-25-year-old hit seven maximums in his blitzkrieg to drive Baroda to a match-winning score of 332/6.

Fastest fifty in ODIs

AB de Villiers holds the record for the fastest fifty in ODIs. The legendary South African batter took just 16 balls to reach his fifty in a 2015 ODI against West Indies and finished his innings with a 44-ball 149 at a rate of 338.63.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
AB de Villiers	South Africa	West Indies	16	2015
Sanath Jayasuriya	Sri Lanka	Pakistan	17	1996
Kusal Perera	Sri Lanka	Pakistan	17	2015
Martin Guptill	New Zealand	Sri Lanka	17	2015
Liam Livingstone	England	Netherlands	17	2022

Ajit Agarkar hit the fastest fifty in ODIs for the Indian cricket team in 2000. His 21-ball fifty helped India beat Zimbabwe by 39 runs.

Fastest fifty in T20 cricket

As mentioned earlier, the fastest fifty in cricket history record belongs to Nepal's Dipendra Singh Airee after he hit a nine-ball half-century against Mongolia in the 2023 Asian Games to set up a 273-run win for his country.

Meanwhile, amongst the many accolades in his career, Yuvraj Singh is fondly remembered as the player with the third fastest fifty in T20 cricket.

The knock came against England in the 2007 T20 World Cup. Yuvraj smashed three fours and seven sixes in his 16-ball 58, and six of those came off a Stuart Broad over. This made the flamboyant Indian all-rounder the second player in international cricket and the fourth in cricket history to slam six sixes in an over.

Player	Team	Opponent	Balls faced	Year
Dipendra Singh Airee	Nepal	Mongolia	9	2023
Ashutosh Sharma	Railways	Arunachal Pradesh	11	2023
Yuvraj Singh	India	England	12	2007
Chris Gayle	Melbourne Renegades	Adelaide Strikers	12	2016
Hazratullah Zazai	Kabul Zwanan	Balkh Legends	12	2018
Marcus Trescothick	Somerset	Hampshire	13	2010

Yuvraj Singh’s feat, which is a record in the international format, would be matched by Chris Gayle (2016) and Hazratullah Zazai (2018) in 20-over franchise cricket.

While Gayle’s 12-ball fifty came in a Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers match in the 2016 Big Bash League, Zazai achieved the feat in a 2018 Afghanistan Premier League match between Kabul Zwanan and Balkh Legends.

Featured photo: AFP / ALEXANDER JOE

Even though cricket is widely regarded as a gentlemen’s game, tempers can boil over on the field in the heat of the moment as competing teams and players look to seek an advantage over their opponent by any means necessary.

While all players do get involved in on-field banter, spats, and altercations against opponents from time to time, some players are seen in heated exchanges more often than others.

Over the years, cricket has had its fair share of bad boys and its tag of being a gentlemen’s game has diminished as a result over time.

In recent times, one such player who has made a name for himself for his aggressive demeanour and brash behaviour on the field against opponents is Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq.

He made the headlines for all the wrong reasons during Indian T20 League 2023 after being involved in an on-field confrontation with Indian stalwart and the new God of Cricket, Virat Kohli.

However, it wasn’t the first time that Naveen-ul-Haq was involved in on-field confrontations against other players and with that in mind, here’s a look at some of Naveen-ul-Haq’s fights on a cricket field.

Naveen-ul-Haq’s fights on a cricket field

Naveen-ul-Haq vs Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Amir, Lanka Premier League 2020

In the inaugural season of Lanka Premier League (LPL) in 2020, the Afghanistan pacer found himself in the middle of an altercation while representing Kandy Tuskers�?Naveen-ul-Haq was involved in a heated exchange of words against Galle Gladiators�?pacer Mohammad Amir. While it is unclear why the argument began, the two players were seen hurling abuses at each other while other players on the field tried to diffuse the situation. After the match during the post-match handshakes, tempers flared again but this time between Naveen and Shahid Afridi as both players were seen having a go at each other in an animated fashion.

After the match, Afridi took to social media and tweeted, “My advise to the young player was simple, play the game and don’t indulge in abusive talk. I have friends in the Afghanistan team and we have very cordial relations. Respect for teammates and opponents is the basic spirit of the game."

Naveen also responded to Afridi online by tweeting, “Always ready to take advice and give respect, Cricket is a gentleman’s game but if someone says you all are under our feet and will stay their (sic) then he is not only talking about me but also talking abt my ppl.�?/span>

Naveen-ul-Haq vs Thisara Perera, Lanka Premier League 2021

Naveen’s second clash on a cricketing field also came in the Lanka Premier League but this time it was against Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera. The two players clashed because Naveen could be seen coming in the way of Thisara Perera while the Sri Lankan attempted to complete a run. Needless to say, Thisara was not impressed by Naveen’s actions and decided to let his feelings be known to the Afghan bowler, which led to a verbal spat between the two. Eventually, it was the umpires who had to intervene and calm the situation down as neither Naveen nor Thisara were willing to back down.

Naveen-ul-Haq vs D’Arcy Short, Big Bash League 2022-23

Similar to the incident against Thisara Perera, Sydney Sixers�?Naveen-ul-Haq looked like he was trying to block Hobart Hurricanes�?D’Arcy Short in a 2022-23 Big Bash League game. Just as D’Arcy Short looked to complete a quick single, Naveen-ul-Haq seemed to move toward the Australian’s path and was subsequently barged to the ground as the batter looked to complete his run. While the Afghan wasn’t pleased about the incident, things flare up and were handled in a calm manner. 

Naveen-ul-Haq vs Virat Kohli, Indian T20 League 2023

The Afghan pacer’s most recent on-field altercation is arguably his most high-profile one yet as it came against Virat Kohli in Indian T20 League 2023. During the break between the 16th and 17th over of Team Bangalore’s away match against Team Lucknow, Virat Kohli and Naveen were seen exchanging verbal bombs with one another. The argument began escalating quickly, prompting Indian veteran spinner Amit Mishra to intervene and mediate. However, Amit Mishra too lost his cool and ended up arguing with Virat Kohli as the incident continued to simmer.

After the game during the post-match handshakes, Naveen told Virat Kohli a few words during an awkward handshake, which rekindled the fight and tension between the two. Shortly after, Team Lucknow’s mentor Gautam Gambhir also entered the pitch and what followed was yet another heated exchange between the two Indian cricketers who were difficult to separate. 

Photo credit: Alamy

While representing Maharashtra against Uttar Pradesh in a 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy quarter-final in November, batter Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed 7 sixes in an over.

As a result, Ruturaj became the first batter to do so in limited-overs (List-A) cricket. During a quarter-final clash against Uttar Pradesh, Ruturaj produced a sensational knock by scoring an unbeaten 220 off just 159 balls.

His inning saw him hit 10 four and 16 maximums and seven of those sixes came in the penultimate over of the first innings off the bat of Ruturaj.

The bowler on the receiving end of Ruturaj’s belligerent onslaught was Uttar Pradesh’s Shiva Singh. 

After being hit for four consecutive sixes in the 49th over, Shiva Singh bowled a no-ball in the fifth delivery which was also powered over the ropes by Ruturaj Gaikwad. 

The final two legitimate deliveries of the over were also hit for maximums as Ruturaj Gaikwad brought up his double ton and became the first player to hit 7 sixes in an over in limited-overs cricket.

The right-hand batter’s knock helped Maharashtra post 330/5 on the scoreboard before going on to register a comfortable 58-run win.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 7 sixes in an over took him past Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura, who had smashed 39 runs in one over in a 2013 Dhaka Premier Division game.

The total of 43 runs from the over is the joint-most expensive over in List-A cricket history. Northern Districts Brett Hampton and Joe Carter are the joint-record holders for most expensive overs in List-A cricket after the pair smashed Central Districts�?Willem Ludick for 43 in a Ford Trophy fixture in 2018. 

Most sixes in an over

Player	Team	Opposition	Year
Sir Garfield Sobers	Nottinghamshire	Glamorgan	1968
Ravi Shastri	Bombay	Baroda	1985
Herschelle Gibbs	South Africa	Netherlands	2007
Yuvraj Singh	India	England	2007
Ross Whiteley	Worcestershire Rapids	Yorkshire Vikings	2017
Hazratullah Zazai	Kabul Zwanan	Balkh Legends	2018
Leo Carter	Canterbury Knights	Northern Knights	2020
Kieron Pollard	West Indies	Sri Lanka	2021
Thisara Perera	Sri Lanka Army	Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club	2021
Jaskaran Malhotra	USA	Papua New Guinea	2021
Rururaj Gaikwad	Maharashtra	Uttar Pradesh	2022

As far as international cricket is concerned, no player has managed to strike more than six maximums in an over. 

The likes of Herschelle Gibbs, Kieron Pollard, Yuvraj Singh, and Indian-origin American cricketer Jaskaran Malhotra are the only cricketers to have done so in limited-overs cricket.

Meanwhile, players like Ross Whiteley, Hazratullah Zazai, Leo Carter, and Thisara Perera have smashed six maximums in an over in domestic cricket.

Photo credit: Alamy

Abu Dhabi T10 has announced the list of eight global icons who will feature in its 10-day long fourth season, slated to start from January 28, 2021 and run on until February 6, 2021.

Sanctioned by ICC and licensed by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), Abu Dhabi T10 will feature eight teams: Team Abu Dhabi, Maratha Arabians, Bangla Tigers, Deccan Gladiators, Qalandars, Delhi Bulls, Northern Warriors and Pune Devils.

The biggest name amongst the global names is quite understandably Chris Gayle, who will be the global icon for Team Abu Dhabi. With 13,584 runs under his belt in the T20s, the Jamaican all-rounder also boasts of being the first cricketer to hit 1,000 sixes in that format. Gayle had last featured in the 2018 season for Kerala Knights scoring 81 runs in six matches.

Gayle’s fellow countrymen - Andre Russell (Northern Warriors), Sunil Narine (Deccan Gladiators), and Dwayne Bravo (Delhi Bulls) - will also participate in the latest edition of the 10-over competition.

The four other players in the list of global icons are Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi (Qalandars) and Shoaib Malik, and Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera (Pune Devils) and Isuru Udana (Bangla Tigers).

Defending champions Maratha Arabians have taken Shoaib Malik on board as their global icon with the all-rounder’s prior experience in the T10 competition - 191 runs in the 2017 season with Punjabi Legends - expected to play a significant role for Arabians.

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

The Indian T20 League attracts the cream of not just the domestic crop but also international stars, all vying to ply their craft in the world’s most lucrative cricket league and make their names even more renowned.

The eight teams competing in the Indian T20 League are also in it for the best returns, and as such, are constantly on the hunt to maintain the sharpest set of tools in their arsenal by paying huge sums of money to hire the services of the best men on offer.

This has seen a player compete for up to eight different teams during his Indian T20 League career. Here, we look at five players to have played for at least six teams in the Indian T20 League.

Aaron Finch (8 teams)

In 2020, Bangalore became the eighth team Aaron Finch has played for in the Indian T20 League. After debuting in the series with Rajasthan back in 2010 where he only played one match, he competed in the next two seasons for Delhi, following which he played for Pune in 2013.

2014 saw the stocky right-handed batsman shift base to Hyderabad for a year and he played for a brief spell for Mumbai in 2015. After that, he settled down at Gujarat for the following two seasons. Then, it was on to Punjab before taking a break in 2019 to prepare for the World Cup.

Dinesh Karthik (6 teams)

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik was appointed captain of Kolkata since 2018 but before that, he bounced between five teams. Beginning his career with Delhi in the league’s inaugural season, he switched to Punjab in 2011 and then it was on to Mumbai for the next two seasons.

Following a brief return to Delhi for 2014, Karthik signed up with Bangalore for the 2015 season before going over to Gujarat for 2016 and 2017.

Parthiv Patel (6 teams)

Parthiv Patel is yet another wicketkeeper who was part of the inaugural season of the league and whose suitcase logged frequent miles between states, as he played for six different teams.

After making his series debut with Chennai, he stuck with them till the title-winning year of 2010, after which he played for Kerala, Deccan, Hyderabad and Bangalore in each of the four years that followed before settling down at Mumbai for three straight seasons bookended by two titles. Since then, he returned to Bangalore, where he has been at since.

Ishant Sharma (6 teams)

Ishant Sharma made headlines in 2008 when Kolkata forked out a sizable INR 3.8 crore for the lanky pacer. Three unhappy seasons later, however, he went to Deccan for a couple of seasons, followed by two stints at Hyderabad, by the end of which he had made a name for himself in Test cricket and conversely, was losing appeal with the T20 franchises.

Still, Pune picked him up for 2017 but a season later, he was let go and he went to Punjab, where he lay on the bench most of the time before finding solace at his home team of Delhi for 2019.

Thisara Perera (6 teams)

Aside from Finch, Thisara Perera is the only overseas player to have played for at least six Indian T20 League teams. What makes that even more incredible is that the all-rounder only played in a total of 37 matches across those six seasons.

After making his series debut for Chennai, Perera switched teams every year but one, going on to play for Kerala, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Punjab and finally, Pune. Punjab was the only team where he spent two seasons (2014-15).

The Sri Lankan continues to play for his country, last competing in the ODI against West Indies at the start of March this year, before the global virus-induced lockdown.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe

Ten Sri Lankan players, including T20 skipper Lasith Malinga and ODI captain Dimuth Karunaratne, pulled out of an upcoming tour of Pakistan citing security concerns, officials said Monday.

Following a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus during a Test match in Lahore in March 2009, a majority of international teams have refused to tour the South Asian country.

The Sri Lankan cricket board said national players were briefed on security arrangements for the six-match limited over series, and given the freedom to decide if they wanted to travel. 

Following the briefing, 10 players "chose to stay away" from the series of three One-Day Internationals and three T20 games, scheduled to begin on September 27 in Karachi, the governing body said.

The other eight who opted out were Thisara Perera, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal and Dinesh Chandimal.

Official sources said Karunaratne was most likely to be replaced by 30-year-old Lahiru Thirimanne as ODI skipper, while the T20 team is expected to be guided by Dasun Shanaka who celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday.

The tour has been seen as another step towards reviving international cricket in Pakistan after years of isolation.

- Tight security -

Shortly before the announcement, batsman Danushka Gunathilaka told reporters that "about 70 percent of players agree (on touring Pakistan) while 30 percent are not happy".

"But, from what they told us, I think there will be very tight security."

This will be Sri Lanka's second tour of Pakistan since the 2009 attack.

The Sri Lankans returned to Pakistan for a Twenty20 international in Lahore in October 2017 with a squad led by Thisara Perera who has decided to stay out of the tour this time.

Sri Lanka are also to play two Test matches against Pakistan, but the dates and the venue are yet to be announced.

Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Harin Fernando has rejected playing the longer versions of the game in Pakistan and suggested the Tests be played in the United Arab Emirates, where Pakistan have played many of their home series.

Series schedule:

27 Sep �?1st ODI, Karachi 

29 Sep �?2nd ODI, Karachi 

2 Oct �?3rd ODI, Karachi 

5 Oct �?1st T20I, Lahore 

7 Oct �?2nd T20I, Lahore 

9 Oct �?3rd T20I, Lahore

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Geoff Caddick

Sri Lanka Saturday dropped former captain Angelo Mathews and all-rounder Thisara Perera from the team's Twenty20 squad for the three-match series against New Zealand.

Veteran paceman Lasith Malinga has been retained captain in the shortest format with Sri Lanka Cricket naming a 15-man squad for the series starting September 1 in Kandy.

Mathews and Perera, both aged 30, have been left out of the team that has Niroshan Dickwella as vice-captain.

Perera played his last T20 against South Africa in March in Johannesburg. Mathews last featured in a T20 match in Colombo against the visiting Proteas side last year.

Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (captain), Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara and Lahiru Madushanka.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Gianluigi Guercia

Veteran Ross Taylor and rising star Henry Nicholls both smashed centuries as New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 115 runs in the third one-day international in Nelson Tuesday to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.

Taylor top-scored with 137, and Nicholls was unbeaten on 124 off just 80 balls, lifting the hosts to 364 for four after they lost the toss and were sent in to bat.

It was a record ODI score at Nelson's Saxton Oval, where the average is just 275, and Sri Lanka never looked like reaching the mammoth total.

They were all out for 249 in the 42nd over, throwing away their final four wickets without scoring a run as the series ended with a whimper.

Thisara Perera, who scored a blistering 140 in the second ODI, was again the tourists' standout performer, racing to 80 in 63 balls.

With the series already decided, Nicholls and Taylor used the dead rubber to send a message to New Zealand selectors ahead of this year's World Cup. 

It was Nicholls' maiden ODI ton and the 27-year-old will hope his strong Test form is finally transferring to the limited overs format.

Taylor's 20th ODI century tightened the 34-year-old's grip on the New Zealand record he already holds for one-day centuries.

"I'm getting old and hopefully I've got a few more left in me," he said.

Tail-end collapse 

In his last 11 ODI innings Taylor has scored three centuries and six half centuries.

He came to the crease with New Zealand struggling at 31 for two but combined with skipper Kane Williamson for a 116-run partnership to steady the innings.

When Williamson departed on 55, Taylor and Nicholls plundered the Sri Lanka attack with an aggressive 154-run stand.

Sri Lanka captain Lasith Malinga had ousted openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro cheaply but was expensive in the long run, leaking 93 runs from his 10 overs.

Sri Lanka's senior bowlers were all wayward, particularly at the death, as the tourists conceded 57 runs in the final three overs.

Sri Lanka made a bright start to the run chase, scoring freely before Tim Southee trapped Dhananjaya de Silva lbw on 36. 

The run rate then slowed to a crawl when the tourists lost three wickets for 10 runs to slump to 117 for four, with Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis departing within the space of two balls.

Worse was to come after Perera fell to a spectacular one-handed catch from Guptill, triggering a tail-end collapse.

Dushmantha Chameera went with Sri Lanka on 249, only for Danushka Gunathilaka, Malinga and Nuwan Pradeep to all depart without furthering the score.

Sri Lanka, who lost a two-Test series against New Zealand 1-0, wrap up their tour with a one-off Twenty20 match against the Black Caps in Auckland on Friday.

Feature picture courtesy: AFP

A rollicking maiden century by Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera was ultimately in vain as New Zealand wrapped up the one-day series with a 21-run victory in the second ODI at Mount Maunganui.

With Sri Lanka chasing New Zealand's 319 for seven, they were on the ropes at 128 for seven when Perera opened up.

He faced 74 deliveries and cracked 13 sixes and eight fours before he was the last wicket to fall and Sri Lanka were out for 298 with 22 balls remaining.

Sri Lanka reached 112 for two when Ish Sodhi captured the wicket of Kusal Mendis for 20 to trigger a collapse which saw five wickets fall in six overs.

But Perera refused to give up as he bludgeoned the New Zealand attack with brute force.

He made 58 in a 75-run stand with Lasith Malinga for the eighth wicket and scored 45 of the 51 runs for the ninth wicket with Lakshan Sandakan.

But when a seemingly impossible victory seemed on the cards Matt Henry had Perera caught by Trent Boult at long-on.

Opener Danushka Gunathilaka played his part at the top of the order with 71 but elsewhere the Sri Lankan batsmen failed to fire. 

It continued a dismal tour for Sri Lanka who also lost the Test series 1-0 and lost the first ODI by 45 runs. 

When New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat, Sri Lanka had their tails up when they removed first-match centurion Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson cheaply to have New Zealand at 39 for two.

But Ross Taylor (90) and Colin Munro (87) swung momentum New Zealand's way with a 112-run stand for the third wicket, while all-rounder James Neesham lit up the tail with a whirlwind 64.

Lasith Malinga was the pick of Sri Lankan bowlers with two for 45 while bowling for New Zealand Sodhi took three for 55.

The final match in the series is in Nelson next Tuesday and the tour closes with a Twenty 20 match in Auckland on Friday.

 

Feature picture courtesy: AFP