June 2025 - News Digest

June 19

ILT20 signs pact with Kuwait board

International League T20 (ILT20) and the Kuwait Cricket Board have entered into a partnership for the growth of the sport in Kuwait. The pact, announced on Thursday, will enable ILT20 to organise cricket matches in Kuwait. The pact was formally signed at the Dubai International Stadium recently.

As per the agreement, a domestic event like the DP World ILT20 UAE Development Tournament, will be conducted annually in Kuwait to provide the players from Kuwait an opportunity to get selected by ILT20 franchises for the main DP World ILT20 event. In the coming years, the league will also aim to host ILT20 matches in Kuwait.

"We are very proud to announce our collaboration. And we look forward to many more such collaborations. Kuwait is very important to us; Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf countries are all one, the [cricket playing] communities are residing throughout the region and our aim with ILT20 is to grow and develop the game in the entire region," ILT20 chairman and vice-chairman Emirates Cricket Board Khalid Al Zarooni said.

President Kuwait Cricket Haider Farman added, "I am honoured to formalise this agreement between Kuwait Cricket and the Emirates Cricket Board - not only in our two nations but across the entire region. This partnership is a key pillar of the league's broader vision for the growth and globalisation of cricket. nWith the Asian Games scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2030 and Saudi Arabia in 2034, the timing couldn't be better."

The Season 4 of the ILT20 will begin on December 2. The six-team, 34-match tournament will conclude with the final on Sunday, January 6, 2026.

June 18

Ball-tampering complaint against Dindigul Dragons withdrawn

Siechem Madurai Panthers have officially withdrawn the ball-tampering complaint against R Ashwin-led dindigul Dragons, the TNPL said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Following due consideration, the management and coaching staff of SMP have decided to withdraw the complaint in the larger interest of the sport and the smooth conduct of the tournament. They have further clarified that the intention behind the complaint was not to bring disrepute to R Ashwin, captain of the Dindigul Dragons, the Dindigul Dragons team, the match officials, the TNPL, or the TNCA," the statement read.

The Madurai-based team had been granted time until Tuesday to submit a request for an independent enquiry into the matter with the required evidence following the TNCA's report that cleared Dragons of any misconduct.

With this withdrawal now, the matter stands closed and "no further action shall be pursued," the statement issued by TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan read.

June 17

Bumrah settles the captaincy debate

India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has cleared the air on India Test captaincy debate, stating that while he was on the BCCI radar for the leadership role, he had to turn them down. In an exclusive chat with Sky Sports in the UK, ahead of the five-Test series opener in Leeds, Bumrah said while he did have leadership ambitions, but after the recent back injury, he had to prioritise career over captaincy.

"There's no fancy stories to it. There is no controversy, or there's no headlining statements that I was sacked, or I was not looked after," Bumrah said in a chat with former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. "Before Rohit and Virat retired, during the IPL, I had spoken to BCCI. I discussed about my workloads going forward in the five-Test series. I've spoken to the people who have managed my bank. I've spoken to the surgeon as well who has always spoken to me about how smart I have to be about the workloads. So I did speak to him, and then we came to a conclusion that I have to be a little more smart. Then I called the BCCI that I won't be able to give all five Test matches.

"Yes, the BCCI was looking at me for leadership, but then I had to say no. That's not fair for the team as well, that, you know, in five Test matches, [for] three matches somebody else leading, remaining two someone else is leading. It's not fair on the team. And I always wanted to put the team first. So yes, even me being there as a player offers a lot more, just not as a captain.

"The captaincy is a post, but you always have leaders in the team. And I wanted to do that. And obviously, if I'm not careful... I don't want to be in a situation where, abruptly, I have to go away from this format. And, it's only fair on the team that they look at long-term [captaincy candidate], and I could help in whatever way I can.

"Yeah, captaincy meant a lot. I had worked very hard for it, but unfortunately, sometimes you have to look after the bigger picture. I love cricket more than captaincy, so I want to contribute more as a cricketer and to the Indian team as a player. Obviously, ambitions are there, but that's how it is. That's when I called the BCCI and said that I don't want to be looked at for a leadership role," he added.

Mandhana reclaims the throne

For the first time since November 2019, Smriti Mandhana has returned to the No.1 spot in the Women's ODI player rankings, the ICC confirmed. Mandhana, who was No.2 previously, rose up to the top after Laura Wolvaardt slipped to joint-second alongside Nat Sciver-Brunt following her scores of 27 and 28 in the two ODIs against West Indies. Since she has made only 55 runs in the two ODIs so far, Wolvaardt was displaced from the top after more than six months.

June 16

Suryansh Shedge to lead Mumbai U-23

Suryansh Shedge will lead a Mumbai Under-23 side to the UK. The 17-member squad, which also includes Musheer Khan and Angkrish Raghuvanshi, will play five red ball two-day games and four white ball one-day games. The near month-long tour will start on June 28. The team will return on July 23. Kiran Powar, a former Mumbai spinner, will accompany the side as head coach.

Squad: Suryansh Shedge (captain), Mohan Murkar (vice-captain), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sachin Vartak, Aayush Zimare, Himanshu Singh, Rakesh Bhatt, Musheer Khan, Angad Giri, Durgest Kanpillewar, Ravishankar Yadav, Santosh Devkar, Devang Badiani, Nafeel Patankar, Bhushan Gore, Ramnath Aghav and Vindo Jadhav

June 13

Sixers sign Babar Azam for upcoming season of BBL

Sydney Sixers have signed Pakistani batter Babar Azam as one of the overseas players for the upcoming season of the Big Bash League. Speaking on the signing, Sixers General Manager, Rachael Haynes, said, "We are absolutely delighted to welcome Babar to the Sixers this summer. Babar's resume speaks for itself. The skill, professionalism, and experience that he brings is of enormous value to our playing group and the news is obviously incredibly exciting for our fans.

"He is a world-class player and a proven leader. He's not only a huge addition to our club, but to the league as a whole. The Sixers strive to be a destination club on the global stage - from playing at the iconic SCG to delivering world-class match day experiences and signing the top talent from around the world - and securing a player of Babar's calibre only further strengthens that vision.

Babar added, "I'm very proud to be joining the Sydney Sixers for the upcoming season. It's an exciting opportunity to play in one of the world's best T20 leagues and to be a part of such a successful and respected franchise. I'm looking forward to contributing to the team's success, building a strong connection with the fans, and sharing this experience with my friends, family and supporters at home in Pakistan."

June 12

India rope in Radha Yadav as replacement for England tour

Radha Yadav, the left-arm spinner, has been roped in as a replacement for Shuchi Upadhyay in India's T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming England tour, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced on Thursday.

Shuchi was ruled out of the tour after sustaining a left shin injury, which was diagnosed during the pre-tour camp at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Radha has featured in 7 ODIs and 84 T20Is for India, and last played for the national team in December 2024. The England tour, which includes 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs, is set to begin on June 28.

India's updated T20I Squad:Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Radha Yadav

India's updated ODI Squad:Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Radha Yadav

June 10

Hazlewood picked, Labuschagne set to open in WTC Final

Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed his playing XI for the WTC Final against South Africa at Lord's with experienced seamer and reently crowned IPL champion Josh Hazlewood getting the nod over Scott Boland for the third frontline seamer's spot.

Australia's XI sees the return of Cameron Green after nearly six month out after needing surgery to fix a back issue. He will not, however, be fit to bowl in the game and that means the impressive Beau Webster will keep his place as the all-rounder. This shake up means Marnus Labuschagne will move up to open the batting with Usman Khawaja

Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

South Africa pick Ngidi over Dane Paterson

South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verrynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

Like his Australian counterpart, Temba Bavuma too disclosed the composition of his side on the eve of the fixture. South Africa have opted to persist with Wiaan Mulder at No.3 despite lukewarm returns in his last two Tests, against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He did, however, get a hundred and a fifty in the two innings he played against Bangladesh just before that.

The South African captain also had a call to make with the selection of his third seamer, terming the decision to leave out Dane Paterson "one of the tougher decisions" that he's made. Instead, South Africa have picked Lungi Ngidi.

"But it was more from a tactical point of view. Probably a little bit more pace from Lungi, guess he's a bit taller as well," Ngidi said.

Curran, Hales, Rodrigues in Big Bash drafts

England's Sam Curran, Alex Hales and Heather Knight are among the headline acts in the first round of nominations for the upcoming BBL and WBBL Overseas Player Drafts, scheduled for June 19. Also in the mix are New Zealand quicks Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, West Indies' rising star Shamar Joseph and India's Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey.

Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi, one of the most anticipated names in the men's draft, is joined by Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan. On the women's side, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana features and could be drafted for the first time.

Clubs will build their squads through draft picks and retention options, with the Brisbane Heat holding the top men's draft pick. Over 600 overseas players have put their names forward for the men's and women's leagues.

BBL Draft first nominations:

WBBL Draft first nominations:

June 9

DDCA to organise Women's T20 league

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) will organise it's first ever Women's T20 league which commences on June 9, 2025. As many as 41 clubs have been divided into five groups for the tournament.

The tournament is set to provide a platform for the women's cricketers to enhance their chances in the Delhi Premier League auction and domestic selection trials. The tournament will be played across three venues.

DDCA President Rohan Jaitley believed that the tournament would help these cricketers carve out paths towards professional sport.

"This platform offers a chance to showcase their talent, gain recognition, and take meaningful steps toward professional cricket. This club-level tournament will serve as the new foundation for women's cricket in Delhi, nurturing the next generation of stars and strengthening the city's presence in the national cricketing landscape...it symbolizes opportunity, progress, and the rising spirit of women's sports."

June 5

Salt to miss WI T20I series

Phil Salt will miss the three-match T20I series against West Indies starting on June 6, as he has withdrawn from the squad due to paternity leave, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced in a press release on Thursday (June 5).

During the recently concluded IPL too, Salt had flown back to England in between Qualifier 1 and the Final, and landed in Ahmedabad at 3 AM on the day of the match.

Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith has been named his replacement.

June 3

HC questions legality of Faruque's removal as BCB president

The Bangladesh High Court on Tuesday (June 3) issued a rule questioning the legality of the National Sports Council's (NSC) decisions to remove Faruque Ahmed from the post of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president and appointing Aminul Islam Bulbul as his successor. However, the HC issued an order of status quo on the functioning of BCB.

In the rule, the court asked the authorities concerned of the government and NSC to explain why the NSC's decisions should not be declared illegal. Meanwhile, as per the HC order, Aminul will continue running functions of the board as its president.

The HC bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Shathika Hossain issued the order and rule following a writ petition filed by former BCB president Faruque challenging the NSC's decisions to remove him from the post of BCB president and appoint Aminul as his successor.

Earlier, another HC bench refused to pass any order on the same writ petition on June 2 and dropped the petition from its cause list after hearing arguments from the parties concerned.

June 1

'Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah want to be international coaches'

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam said on Sunday that former skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah are eyeing a coaching career in international cricket following their illustrious playing careers. Mahmudullah retired from international cricket earlier but continues to play domestic cricket. Mushfiqur meanwhile is yet to retire from Test cricket.

"I'm not sure whether I should say this here (or not) but before I even joined BCB, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah had already contacted me. They both expressed their desire to become international-level coaches," Aminul said.

James Anderson plays his first T20 game since August 2014

The England veteran is in the playing XI for Lancashire against Durham in the T20 Blast, playing his first game in the format in 3935 days!