Cricket Australia (CA) has appointed former Test all-rounder Andrew McDonald as head coach of the Australian men's team on a four-year contract.

McDonald has been interim head coach since February and joined Australia's coaching team in 2019. Meanwhile, he led Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades to all three domestic competition titles during the 2018-19 season.

Also Read: Latest Cricket News: 'I have stopped trying to make sense of it': James Anderson after his omission from the Caribbean tour

On Wednesday, Cricket Australia made the official announcement and said

"McDonald brings a wealth of coaching experience to the position having also held head coaching roles in the Indian Premier League and in English county cricket".

Cricket Australia said on Wednesday

The 40-year-old has also previously held the role of senior assistant coach alongside former head coach Justin Langer.

McDonald's appointment as the new head coach comes after last week's historic tour of Pakistan. He coached the Test side to a series victory, lost the one-day series 2-1, and won the only T20 International.

"The journey so far has been particularly pleasing, and I am honored to be given this incredible opportunity for what is an exciting period ahead,"

Andrew McDonald said

"The success of the World Cup, the Ashes Series, and now Pakistan has been a testament to the hard work and leadership of Justin, Pat, and Aaron along with the players and the support staff."

"My plan is to build on the growth, depth, and experience of the squad while working collectively with the group and across the game. There are many challenges in the short term which I know excites the leadership group, the players, and the staff. I'd also like to thank my family for their support." said McDonald.

"We are proud of the way the team played": Nick Hockley on the Pakistan tour

"We interviewed several excellent candidates for this role, which is one of the most important in Australian sport."

CA chief executive Nick Hockley said

"Andrew has already shown he is an outstanding head coach. The vision he outlined for the role during the appointment process was both impressive and exciting, making him our clear choice."

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"We are proud of the way the team played. Respect is shown throughout the tour of Pakistan under the leadership of Andrew, Pat, and Aaron. I'm really pleased as Andrew is taking on the role permanently."

Executive general manager Ben Oliver said: "Andrew has done an outstanding job as interim head coach and has had a positive impact on the squad."

"I am looking forward to supporting Andrew and the team as we plan for an exciting period. It includes tours to Sri Lanka and India and a T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, also the home summer before an away Ashes series."

Also Read: IPL 2022 News: 5 most impressive youngsters in this season till now

"Andrew has been appointed as head coach in all formats. Although, some white ball series may be led by an assistant given the significant workload ahead. The opportunity to continue to develop our coaches and players," Ben Olliver expressed.

As the ICC World Test Championship 2023-2025 is getting closer to the grand final, it is now time to look back at the bowlers with standout performances. They have constantly troubled batsmen which led to their team's success.

Who do you think are the ones with most wickets? Take a look at the highest wicket-takers in WTC 2023-25.

Jasprit Bumrah | India

Jasprit Bumrah had a remarkable campaign in WTC 2023-25 cycle and has taken the most number of wickets. He took 77 wickets in 15 matches, with an average of 15.09. 

Bumrah recorded five 5-wicket hauls in the cycle and also had his best bowling figure of 6/45 in an innings against England.

Read Also: Jasprit Bumrah becomes first-ever player to pick 200 Test wickets with an average below 20

Jasprit Bumrah stats in WTC 2023-2025

Pat Cummins | Australia 

The Australian skipper, Pat Cummins, has done wonders with the ball, by taking 73 wickets in 17 matches. He is the leading wicket taker for Australia and can also be on top by showcasing his wicket-taking skills in the WTC final against South Africa. 

His best bowling performance in the tournament was a 6-wicket haul for 91 runs.

Pat Cummins stats in WTC 2023-2025

Read Also: WTC Final: Australia and South Africa announce their squads

Mitchell Starc | Australia 

Yet another Australian legend to feature in this list, who is just behind Cummins by one wicket. This fiery left-arm pacer have always been a key bowling of their team. He took 72 wickets in 18 matches total.

Mitchell Starc's best bowling figure in WTC 2023-25 includes a 6-wicket haul for 48 runs.

Mitchell Starc stats in WTC 2023-2025

Other players with 60+ wickets in WTC 2023-25

Seems like the Aussies and Indians have purely dominated the bowling sides and got most wickets up their sleeves.

Read Also: Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

Here are the other players who crossed the 60 wickets mark and deserves a shoutout in the list of highest wicket-takers in WTC 2023-25.

In a dramatic turn of events, overseas players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) faced harrowing experiences due to escalating military tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to the indefinite postponement of the tournament.

The crisis, sparked by India’s strategic response to a terror attack in Palalgam on May 7, 2025, which claimed 26 civilian lives, left players like New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell vowing never to return to Pakistan and England’s Tom Curran in tears after a close call at the airport.

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PSL Halted Amid Regional Tensions

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially planned to relocate the remaining PSL matches to the UAE after tensions escalated. However, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) rejected the proposal, leaving the PCB with no choice but to cancel the tournament.

The announcement came shortly after the BCCI postponed the IPL for a week due to the same geopolitical concerns.

Overseas players were swiftly evacuated to Dubai via charter flights, from where they caught connecting flights to their home countries. Bangladesh leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, part of the Lahore Qalandars squad, recounted the terrifying ordeal, revealing that the airport they departed from was struck by a missile just 20 minutes after their plane took off.

“After landing in Dubai, we heard that a missile struck the airport 20 minutes after we left. The news was scary and sorrowful, but we felt relieved to be safe in Dubai,” Rishad told Cricbuzz.

Read Also | Foreign players asked to return to their country as IPL 2025 postponed for a week due to India-Pakistan tension

Daryl Mitchell’s Vow and Tom Curran’s Distress

Rishad shared the palpable fear among foreign players, including Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell, Kushal Perera, David Wiese, and Tom Curran.

“Landing in Dubai, Mitchell told me he would never go to Pakistan again, especially in this kind of scenario. They were all horrified,” Rishad said.

Recounting Tom Curran’s emotional breakdown, Rishad added, “Tom went to the airport, but heard it was closed. He started crying like a little child, and it took two or three people to console him.”

Read Also | India-Pakistan War: How Indian athletes reacted to it

Family Worries and Player Anxieties

Rishad also spoke about the anxiety his family felt during the crisis. “Whenever I play, my family worries about the situation. When they heard about the bomb blasts and missile strikes in Pakistan, they were naturally tense. I tried to console them and assure them I was safe,” he said.

PCB’s Failed Attempt to Salvage the Tournament

According to Rishad, the PCB chairman attempted to convince players to continue the tournament in Karachi, downplaying the severity of the situation.

“The chairman tried to hide that there were two drone attacks the day before, which we later learned about. Almost all foreign players agreed that Dubai was the only safe option,” Rishad revealed.

The PCB eventually facilitated the players’ safe evacuation to Dubai, a move Rishad credited to the board’s efforts. “Thanks to the PCB chairman and the Pakistan Cricket Board, we reached Dubai safely by the grace of Almighty Allah,” he said.

Some IPL innings leave you speechless. The talented players in this tournament have taken the stage to another level with their explosive batting over the years.

Check out the entire article to know some names that will definitely shock you.

10. Suresh Raina (2014) | 16 balls

Suresh Raina is one of the players to score the fastest half-century in the early seasons of IPL. He took only 16 balls to reach his fifty, making it look super easy for the fans.

Raina was the opening batter for CSK and scored this in a match against PBKS in IPL 2024. The endless boundaries that came off his bat in this inning is hard to forget!

Other players who scored a century from 16 balls:

• Ishan Kishan (MI) - 2021
• Abhishek Sharma (SRH) - 2024
• Travis Head (SRH)- 2024

9 & 8. Jake Fraser-McGurk (2024) | 15 balls

Jake Fraser-McGurk, who played for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, stunned the spectators with his back-to-back fastest fifties in 2 matches. He scored both the fifties off 15 balls which is quite astonishing as it was his debut season.

McGurk’s consecutive fifties secured both the 9th and 8th position in top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history.

He proved to be highly impactful for DC and these half centuries against MI and SRH made him more impressive. Moreover, he smashed 330 runs in 9 matches with a strike rate above 200.

Read Also: Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

7. Nicholas Pooran (2023) | 15 balls

The West Indies power-hitter, Nicholas Pooran, put up a shower of boundaries during his fastest fifty of IPL career from just 15 balls. He scored 62 runs (off 19 balls) in his knock, hitting 7 sixes and 4 fours.

Pooran had a strike rate of 326.32 which says a lot about the kind of mindset and form he was in during the match of LSG vs RCB. 

6. Sunil Narine (2017) | 15 balls

This superstar from the West Indies has never failed to amaze us, be it with the ball or bat. Sunil Narine showcased his exceptional batting skills with this 15-ball half century in IPL 2017.

Narine has played several crucial knocks for KKR in the history of IPL, but with this one, he proved how he is equally capable with the bat and can do wonders.

5. Yusuf Pathan (2014) | 15 balls

Yusuf Pathan scored a sensational fifty against SRH off 15 balls in IPL 2014. He single-handedly took the game home for KKR with his 72 runs off just 22 balls in this inning, with a strike rate above 300.

It shows that KKR indeed had some fearless power-hitters in their team throughout IPL history. 

Read Also: IPL Facts: Fastest Century in IPL History

4. Romario Shepherd (2025) | 14 balls

Romario Shepherd became the only batter in IPL 2025 to score a fifty so fast that could make its way to the top 10 fastest fifties in IPL. He helped RCB reach a 200+ total during the first inning against CSK, which was enough to be a defendable total.

Shepherd hit 6 sixes and 4 fours to score 53* off 14 balls. He was also given player of the match award for his spectacular knock.

3. Pat Cummins (2022) | 14 balls

Here comes a surprising half-century from the Australian all-rounder, Pat Cummins, who scored 50 off 14 balls for KKR in IPL 2022. He helped to seal the victory for his team against MI by 5 wickets (24 balls left). 

Cummins unveiled his boundary-hitting capabilities with 4 fours and 6 sixes, leaving the fans shocked. It is considered to be one of the finest knocks in IPL where he truly showcased his batting skills when needed.

2. KL Rahul (2018) | 14 balls

KL Rahul, who is now known for his calm and composed batting style, holds the second position in the list of top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history. Quite shocking, isn't it?

This was back in IPL 2018 when Rahul showed no mercy to the bowlers of Delhi Capitals with his magnificent fifty off just 14 balls.

He was the opening batter of PBKS, who kept the fans on the edge of their seats from the beginning of the inning.

Read Also: IPL Records: Youngest Half-centurions in IPL History

Yashasvi Jaiswal (2023) | 13 balls

An all-time shocker of an innings from Yashasvi Jaiswal, which remains unmatched till date! He scored fifty off 13 balls, making it the fastest half-century in IPL history.

Jaiswal scored a total of 98 runs (from 47 balls) in this match against KKR and led Rajasthan Royals to victory. He hit the ball out of the boundary line in every direction possible, and was barely seen running between the wickets.

This performance goes down the history of unbelievable knocks in IPL.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, despite having a strong team with skilled players, are losing their spark in IPL 2025. They lack team effort and collective performance, failing to build momentum in the tournament.

Let's check out the reasons behind SRH’s poor performance and playoff hopes in IPL 2024.

How the IPL 2025 season began for SRH

Sunrisers Hyderabad started the tournament with a banger against Rajasthan Royals, winning by 44 runs. They put up a total of 286 runs on board, which is so far the highest total scored by a team in IPL 2025, and the second highest in IPL history.

Ishan Kishan was phenomenal in that game, scoring 106* off 47 balls, with a strike rate above 200. Travis Head showed his fearless batting and scored 67 runs from 31 balls while opening for the team.

The middle order batters like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klassen also contributed significantly to that huge target they set in the inning.

SRH bowlers successfully defended the total with their fine bowling line up. Harshal Patel and Simarjeet Singh took 2 wickets each.

Read Also: Top 5 game-changing factors that could send MI to IPL 2025 Playoffs

Navigating the losing streak and poor performance

Despite having a marvellous start, SRH failed to hold onto their winning momentum. They lost 4 matches in a row, which placed them at the bottom of the points table, along with CSK.

• Lost to LSG by 5 wickets 

In this match, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan didn't have any luck with the bat. Ishan got out for a duck, leaving the fans surprised after his aggressive batting in the previous match.

Pat Cummins was the only bowler to have an economy below 10, who also picked up 2 wickets. SRH bowlers collectively failed to defend 191 runs, which led to their first defeat in IPL 2025. 

• Lost to DC by 7 wickets 

Delhi Capitals secured a comfortable win by 7 wickets with 24 balls remaining. The top batting order of SRH crumbled within the powerplay and were all-out by 18.3 overs.

Aniket Verma’s knock of 74 runs from 41 balls, led them to a defendable total of 163 runs, which eventually fell short in the second innings. SRH bowlers were unsuccessful in taking wickets, with only Zeeshan Ansari having 3 wickets under his name. 

• Lost to KKR by 80 runs

SRH faced a humiliating defeat against KKR in their fourth match of the season. Batting first, Knight Riders put up a target of 201 runs, and restricted SRH to 120 (all out) in 16.4 overs.

This defeat raised discussions about SRH’s poor performance and playoff hopes in IPL 2025. 

• Lost to GT by 7 wickets

Yet another low scoring totals for the Sunrisers, where they somehow managed to set a target of 153 for the Gujarat Titans. They also failed to take early wickets which was crucial to defend a total like that and gave away their victory. 

Losing 4 consecutive matches was highly a matter of concern that slowly started fading their playoff hopes in IPL 2025.

A drought-breaking victory

SRH finally ended their losing streak with a victory against Punjab Kings in their match number 6. This was another high scoring match where they had to chase down 246 runs. Abhishek Sharma played a key role in this game by scoring 141 runs off 55 balls.

Notable names like Travis Head and Heinrich Klassen also contributed to this run-chase. This match felt like the only time where the top batting order of SRH didn't collapse easily, giving them a breakthrough.

Read Also: IPL facts: Players to play 100 IPL matches for each team

MI downs them twice in a row

SRH lost to Mumbai Indians in 2 back-to-back matches by 4 and 7 wickets, respectively. These defeats almost shattered the hopes of fans. Their low spirit clearly reflected on their performance. They found themselves in the 9th position of the points table, with a very low net run rate.

Much-needed victory against CSK

SRH successfully managed to win against CSK in a do-or-die match for both the ends. They won by 5 wickets with 8 balls remaining. Players like Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan, Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins, and Nitish Kumar Reddy stood out for the team. 

SRH got the crucial 2 points to keep their playoff hopes in IPL 2025 alive.

Read Also: India's performance in every ICC tournament

Can SRH qualify for the playoffs?

SRH stands in the 8th position in IPL 2025 points table with 6 points and a below par net run rate. They can secure a maximum of 10 more points in their 5 matches remaining, which will add up to 16 points in total.

Therefore, they will need to win all their remaining matches in order to make it smoothly to the top 4.

• If they win 4 out of 5 matches:

This will narrow their chances with a total of 14 points to end the league stage. SRH will need to win those matches with big margins to keep their NRR high.

They might also need to depend on other factors like the performance of teams ending with similar points and their NRR.

• If they win 3 or lesser matches:

The chances of getting into the top 4 will be completely gone if they win 3 or lesser matches out of the 5 remaining. It will be too late for them to bounce back in IPL 2025.

MI skipper Hardik Pandya went on to script history as he became the first-ever skipper in Indian Premier League history to take a five-wicket haul. Hardik’s spell of 5 for 36 is also his best-ever bowling figures in T20 cricket.

Hardik’s fifth wicket was also his 30th IPL wicket as a skipper, which takes him level with Anil Kumble’s tally of 30 wickets as the second-most wickets in IPL as a captain.. Former Aussie great and Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne is the only bowler ahead of him with 57 wickets.

Also Read: Most wins in IPL as captain

So, let's take a look at the players with most wickets in IPL as a captain.

10. Shane Watson | 13 Wickets

Shane Watson is placed at no. 10 with 13 wickets to his name. Watson led the Rajasthan Royals in the 2014 and 2015 ipl seasons. Under his captaincy in 2015 Rajasthan also qualifies for the playoffs. He also led Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2017 for some matches as interim captain.

A notable all-rounder, Watson also mustered 2372 runs with the bat for RR at 36.49. He smashed two tons and 14 fifties. Overall, the Aussie hammered 3874 runs (100s: 4, 50s: 21). He hit 190 sixes.

9. Sam Curran | 13 Wickets

English all rounder Sam Curran comes in with 13 wickets. Sam Curran led Punjab Kings in 11 matches of the IPL 2024 as Shikhar Dhawan was injured. That year, Sam Curran showed his brilliant all round game by clinching 16 wickets and scoring 270 runs in 13 matches ,but punjab couldn’t do well finishing at 9th position just above Mumbai Indians.

8. Daniel Vettori | 17 Wickets

Former New Zealand allrounder Daniel Vettori comes at 8th position in this list. He led Royal Challengers Banglore in 2011 and 2012 IPL.

As a captain Vettori has taken 17 wickets for RCB. Under his captaincy, Rcb also reached the final of 2011 IPL season but lost to csk.

7. Yuvraj Singh | 18 Wickets

Yuvraj Singh has taken 18 wickets as a captain in IPL and placed at no. 6 in this list. He captained Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in the 2008-2009 season and Pune Warriors in 2011. 

Yuvi also has two hat-tricks to his name in IPL, which he took against RCB and Deccan Charges in the 2009 season. He is only the second bowler in IPL history to take multi hat-tricks in IPL, after Amit Mishra, who has taken 3 hat-tricks in IPL.

Also Read: IPL records: 5 youngest centurion in IPL

6. Zaheer Khan | 20 Wickets

Indian pace legend Zaheer Khan has captained Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2016 and 2017. He is placed fifth in the list of highest wicket taking captains in ipl with 20 wickets. 

In 2017, Zaheer Khan was overall 10th or 9th Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in the IPL. After 2017, Zaheer Khan took retirement from all formats of cricket.

5. Pat Cummins | 21 Wickets

Australia’s captain and SRH skipper Pat Cummins has taken 21 wickets as a captain in IPL. Cummins comes at fourth position in this list. 

Cummins is also the second highest wicket-taker as a captain in a single season, taking 18 wickets, just behind Shane Warne, who took 19 wickets in the 2008 season. With the help of this brilliant performance by Cummins, SRH also reached the 2024 IPL final.

4. Ravichandran Ashwin | 25 Wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin led Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for two seasons in 2018 and 2019. 

As a captain he has taken 25 wickets and grabs the third position in the list of most wickets in IPL as captain. In 2019 R Ashwin took 15 wickets for Punjab Kings with an economy rate of 7.27.

2. Hardik Pandya | 30 Wickets

Next we have, Hardik Pandya who joins Anil Kumble in this list. Pandya ranks second in the elite list of captains with the most wickets in IPL. 

Till now, as a captain Hardik has taken 30 wickets in IPL. Pandya has led Gujrat Titans in 2022- 2023 season and out of that in 2022, under Hardik’s captaincy, Gujarat won the trophy in its first season and was runner up in 2023. Since 2024, Hardik has been captaining Mumbai Indians.

In 2025 season, Hardik became the first-ever captain in IPL history to claim a five-wicket haul during the match against Lucknow Super Giants in Ekana Cricket Stadium. Pandya's fiery spell of 5 for 36 was also his personal best in T20 cricket.

2. Anil Kumble | 30 Wickets

Former Indian spinner Anil Kumble is the second highest wicket taker in IPL as captain with 30 wickets. He led Royal Challengers Banglore in 2009- 2010. 

As a player, Kumble had a good run, ending the 2009 season as highest wicket taker for Rcb and overall second highest wicket taker with 21 wickets at an economy rate of 5.86 . He also took his team to the finals in 2009.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Who was hit the most sixes in IPL History? Top 10 list

1. Shane Warne | 57 Wickets

The late Shane Warne is the record holder for the most wickets in IPL as captain. Leg-spinner Warne represented the Royals across four IPL seasons, claiming 57 scalps from 55 matches at 25.38. He took one four-wicket haul.

Warne also captained Rajasthan Royals to win the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008. The 2008 campaign saw the multiple World Cup-winning ace pick up 19 wickets from 15 games at 21.26. He was the side’s second-highest wicket-taker after Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir (22 wickets). Notably, Tanvir won the Purple Cap that season. 

Warne took 14 wickets in 2009, 11 wickets in 2010 and 13 wickets in 2011 to highlight his consistency.