Australia pacer Mithell Starc is expected to be fit for Boxing Day despite suffering a twinge in his ribs while batting in the second Ashes Test in Adelaide. However, Josh Hazlewood's fitness is unknown as he is due to arrive in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon.

Starc was in obvious discomfort while batting in the second innings of the second Ashes Test. He was attempted to slog-sweep that caused a sharp jab of pain in his ribs. But he bowled without issue or complaint in the fourth innings. Starc bowled 27 overs and took the key wickets of Joe Root and Ollie Pope to help Australia claim victory.

Read Also: The Ashes: Two Media Persons Covering Ashes Test Positive For COVID-19

Hazlewood missed the second Ashes Test due to a side strain he suffered during the first Test in Brisbane. He flew home to Sydney for a week but is rejoining the squad in Melbourne after they had three days off post the win in Adelaide. Pat Cummins is a lock to return after missing the Adelaide Test due to being a close contact of a Covid case. Meanwhile, Victoria fast bowler Scott Boland has been formally added to Australia's squad. He has been added to the squad as a cover in Adelaide.

Australia coach Justin Langer was confident Starc would be fine for Boxing Day but was unsure about Hazelwood's prospects

"There's been a lot of talk about Mitch Starc for the last few years but he just keeps turning up. He's an unbelievable athlete. He's incredibly fit."

Australia coach Justin Langer said

"It's just rib actually," Langer said. "A lot of the bowlers talk about when they come back to Test cricket, bowl more overs, they jam down on that rib area so he should be fine. He's tough. "If he's not right, then we'll look at it. But at this stage, there's no indication suggesting he won't be playing the next Test," Justin Langer added.

Also Read: ICC WTC Table after second Ashes test

"We will wait and see how Josh Hazlewood pulls up, he arrives this afternoon."Langer was delighted with Starc's performance in Adelaide as the leader of Australia's attack in the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood echoing the thoughts of Australia's stand-in captain Steven Smith.

"I honestly thought Mitch Starc was almost the man of the match last game," Langer said. "There's been a lot of talk about Mitch Starc for the last few years but he just keeps turning up. He's an unbelievable athlete. He's incredibly fit.

"His resilience to just keep coming up over and over and over again is remarkable really, and his consistency of length and the way he controlled the tempo of the game last game was a great credit to him, particularly with Patty and Josh Hazlewood not playing.

If Hazlewood doesn't play and Starc is fit then Australia will be forced to leave one of Jhye Richardson or Michael Neser out

Hazlewood and Starc both bowled well and took important wickets in both innings. Meanwhile, Richardson claimed his maiden Test five-wicket haul on day 5 of the second Ashes test.

"Undecided at this stage," Langer said. "Both Michael and Jhye did a great job in the last Test match. We'll just wait and see how they pull up.

Read Also: ICC Test Rankings: December 21st

"It's a tough series. We all know that. Five Test matches pretty much in a row. So we'll just manage our bowlers as best we can and we'll put our fittest and most ready to perform out in the park in Melbourne."

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.

In IPL 2025, we have seen some great performances from the Indian stars, along with a few overseas players as well. Players like Josh Hazlewood, Nicholas Pooran and Jos Buttler have shown why they are considered one of the best in the world in T20 cricket. 

In this article, we all talk about a few of those impactful overseas players in IPL 2025 who have helped their teams win in the tournament so far. Read the full article to know about a few new names as well.

Nicholas Pooran (West Indies) | LSG

The West Indies power-hitter, Nicholas Pooran, is having an incredible season with the bat this year. He has consistently proved himself and played some match-winning knocks for LSG in IPL 2025.

Pooran is also among the top 5 contenders in the race for orange cap. He has scored 377 runs in 9 matches with a strike rate above 200. 

Pooran's stats in IPL 2025 so far

Josh Hazlewood (Australia) | RCB

The Australian pacer, Josh Hazlewood, is a key bowler for RCB in IPL 2025. His wicket-taking abilities in the death overs has turned out to be game changing for the team. His experience brings a strong balance in the bowling unit of RCB.

Hazlewood’s strong impact is highly crucial for RCB's progress in the tournament. 

Hazlewood's stats in IPL 2025 so far

Jos Buttler (England) | GT

Jos Buttler is having yet another magnificent IPL season this year. He consistently stood up for the Gujarat Titans, keeping them ahead in the points table. He scored three half-centuries this season, with 97* from 54 balls being his highest so far.

Just like previous years, Buttler has once again proved to be one of the most impactful overseas players in IPL 2025.

Buttler's stats in IPL 2025 so far

Read Also: Top 10 overseas players with most runs in IPL

Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan) | CSK

Noor Ahmad, the young spinner from Afghanistan, has been impressive this season. He picked up crucial wickets for CSK and proved to be one of the impactful overseas players in IPL 2025.

Noor will definitely have a fair shot at being the purple cap holder if CSK qualifies for the playoffs. He also has a decent bowling average and economy.

Noor's stats in IPL 2025 so far

Ryan Rickelton (South Africa) | MI

Ryan Rickelton is a South African wicket-keeper batsman who made his debut in IPL 2025 for the Mumbai Indians. He is also the highest scorer among the overseas batters in the team. He contributes impressively, not only with the bat, but also with gloves behind the wickets.

Rickelton's stats in IPL 2025 so far

Read Also: IPL facts: Every player to make IPL debut before turning 18

Mitchell Starc (Australia) | DC

The Australian legend, who was a part of the winning team in IPL 2024, is one of the leading wicket-takers for Delhi Capitals this season. Mitchell Starc is the only bowler to take five wickets in a match, having the best bowling figures in IPL 2025 so far. 

Starc undoubtedly falls in the category of impactful overseas players in IPL 2025 for the gem of a player he is.

Starc's stats in IPL 2025 so far

Mitchell Marsh (Australia) | LSG

Another international star from Australia to make a spot in this list for his impactful batting performance in IPL 2025. Mitchell Marsh opens with the bat for LSG and gives a head start with his steady batting.

Marsh has scored 4 half-centuries in IPL 2025, with 81 off 48 balls being his highest score so far in the tournament.

Marsh's stats in IPL 2025 so far

Jofra Archer (England) | RR

The right-arm fast bowler from England is the key bowler for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025. Jofra Archer has been one of the impactful overseas players to have bowled the most dot balls this season. His pace with the new ball has given a tough time to the batters facing him.

Archer's stats so far in IPL 2025

Read Also: IPL Facts: Best Economy in IPL Since 2024

Other impactful overseas players to watch out for in IPL 2025

Apart from the well-crafted list above, there are some other international names that hold to potential to be as impactful. Here are such players, based on their ongoing performance in IPL 2025:

1. Aiden Markram (South Africa) | LSG

Aiden Markram has been contributing as a compact all-rounder for the Lucknow Super Giants.

2. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) | RR

Hasaranga adds a pillar of strength with his wicket-taking spells for Rajasthan.

3. Trent Boult (New Zealand) | MI

Despite having a mediocre start to the tournament, Trent Boult is picking up the pace with each passing match.

4. Phil Salt (England) | RCB

Phil Salt has showed a glimpse of his batting storm this season and is yet to score more by staying at the crease for longer.

5. Marco Jansen (South Africa) | PBKS

Marco Jansen has strengthened the bowling unit of PBKS, contributing to their close-finish victories.

6. Moeen Ali (South Africa) | KKR

Having played only 4 matches so far, Moeen Ali proved to have the best bowling economy in IPL 2025 so far.

Read Also: IPL 2025: Where's what each team need to do to qualify for the playoffs

In the Indian Premier League, there is not only a rain of runs but also a flurry of wickets. In the world's most popular league, while the batsmen have scored mountains of runs, the bowlers have also taken heaps of wickets. 

In Match 42 of IPL 2025, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru claimed their first home win, defeating the Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs. Josh Hazlewood starred with 4/33 in four overs. With this, he also reached 50 IPL wickets in just 36 matches, the joint-fourth 50 IPL wickets among pacers.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Most Fifty Plus Scores in T20s

In this article, we will be discussing about the fastest 50 IPL wickets among pacers.

Fastest 50 IPL Wickets Among Pacers

5. Mitchell McClenaghan | 36

Mitchell McClenaghan, the former Kiwi bowler is the joint-fourth fastest pacer to 50 IPL wickets, having taken just 36 matches. He achieved the feat during the 2016 season while playing for MI against the Delhi Capitals, returning with figures of 2/37.

Overall, he claimed 71 wickets in 56 matches at an average of 25.39, including a four-wicket haul with best figures of 4/21.

4. Josh Hazlewood | 36*

As mentioned, the RCB pacer is now the joint-fourth fastest to 50 IPL wickets, reaching the mark in just 36 matches. His milestone wicket came against RR, when he dismissed Shimron Hetmyer for 11, his third wicket of the match.

With this performance, Hazlewood now has 16 wickets in nine matches this season and 51 wickets overall in his 36-match IPL career.

3. Khaleel Ahmed | 35

Khaleel Ahmed ranks third on this list, reaching 50 IPL wickets in 35 matches. He achieved the milestone in 2023, dismissing Nicholas Pooran while playing for Dehli Capitals against Lucknow Super Giants.

Notably, he is the fastest Indian bowler to do so, having broken Amit Mishra's 37-match record. Playing for CSK this season, Ahmed has raced to 85 wickets in 65 matches.

2. Lasith Malinga | 33

Former Sri Lankan veteran bowler Lasith Malinga is in third place in terms of taking fastest 50 IPL Wickets among pacers, having bagged 50 IPL wickets in 33 matches. Malinga achieved the feat with a stunning 5/13 against Delhi Capitals in the fourth match of IPL 2011.

A one-franchise man, Malinga played his entire IPL career with Mumbai Indians, finishing with 170 wickets in 122 matches at an average of 19.79, including six four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.

Also Read: Most Dot Balls Bowled in IPL History: No one is catching Bhuvi

1. Kagiso Rabada | 27

Kagiso Rabada is the fastest pacer to reach 50 IPL wickets, doing so in just 27 matches, surpassing Lasith Malinga's longstanding record of 33 matches. He achieved this milestone in 2019 against Chennai Super Kings, dismissing Faf du Plessis in the 15th over while playing for Delhi Capitals.

Debuting in 2017, Rabada now owns 119 wickets in 82 IPL matches, including six four-wicket hauls.

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.

Hello and welcome to another LIVE coverage of IPL 2025. Tonight we have the replay of last season's final as Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to host Sunrisers Hyderabad for match no. 15 of IPL 2025. 

This is Koushik Biswas, who will bring you all the LIVE updates of the KKR vs SRH IPL 2025 match from the web desk. 

KKR have struggled to get going in their first three games as they lost two of them. But, as they return to their home turn after two away games, they will be confident to make a mark at their own den. 

In the meantime, SRH, after winning the first game of the season, failed to win their next two games. Hence, Pat Cummins and company would definitely love to get back to winning ways. 

So, sit back and relax as we bring you all the LIVE updates of the match.

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