Tim Paine, the former Australia Test skipper, is set to miss the start of the Ashes 2021 after opting for an indefinite leave of absence from all forms of cricket for the foreseeable future. Paine's decision to take a mental health break comes a week after he stepped down as captain of the Test team following a sexting scandal.

Also Read: Ashes 2021-22: Joe Root believes this player can be "massive" for England

Paine was supposed to play for Tasmania in the One-Day Cup match before joining the Test squad in Brisbane. Although, he has withdrew from the match. "Following discussions over the last 24 hours, Tim Paine has advised Cricket Tasmania that he will be taking a leave of absence from all forms of cricket for the foreseeable future. Cricket Tasmania will continue to support Tim and his family both professionally and personally over the summer," Cricket Tasmania said in a statement on Friday (November 26).

Cricket Australia pledged support for Paine. They also mentioned that the selection panel will finalise the squad for the first Ashes Test in the coming days. With Paine taking a break from cricket, one of Alex Carey and Josh Inglis could debut at The Gabba on December 8.

Read Also: Ashes 2021: Pat Cummins becomes the Australian captain, Steve Smith named vice-captain

Ashes 2021 : Cricket Australia's chief executive officer, Nick Hockley said about Paine's decision :

We recognise that this is an incredibly difficult time for Tim and his family and are committed to supporting them. We respect and understand Tim's decision to have a break at this time. He wants to focus on his and his family's well-being," Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer, said, "The National Selection Panel will meet in the coming days to discuss the final squad ahead of the first Ashes Test on December 8."

Meanwhile, Paine's manager James Henderson said he was "extremely concerned" for Paine and his wife Bonnie. "Confirming that (Paine) is stepping away from cricket for an indefinite mental health break. We are extremely concerned for his and Bonnie's well-being. However will be making no further comment at this time," Henderson tweeted.

Also Read: Ashes 2021: Australia announces their squad for home series

Paine has played 35 Tests so far for Australia. Meanwhile, four of those since his comeback after a six year gap when he bounces back in 2017-18. He has lost two Test series at home against India but did retain the Ashes in England during 2019.

Pat Cummins will be leading the Aussies side for the Ashes 2021 series with Steve Smith as vice-captain. Meanwhile, he became the 47th Australian Test captain after Tim Paine to be a permanent Test captain of the side.

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.

Cricket, a sport loved by millions around the world, has witnessed the rise of several legendary players. In the modern era, four exceptional batsmen have stood out with their consistent brilliance, earning them the title of the “Fab Four players.” Their performances are often compared under the widely discussed Fab four Stats.

These iconic cricketers – Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Steve Smith have set new benchmarks for batting excellence across formats. 

Virat Kohli recently announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier today (May 12) with a post on his official Instagram handle. He ended his 14-year illustrious career in the format.

In this article, we will take a closer look at their remarkable careers, comparing their updated statistics and achievements to understand what makes them the finest batsmen of the modern era in Test cricket. 

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

So, let's take a look at the statistics of the Fav Four in Test cricket.

Fav four in Test cricket | Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith

Test cricket, often considered the ultimate test of a player’s skill and temperament, has seen these four players shine brightly. Here’s how they stack up in the longest format.

Virat Kohli's peak in Test cricket arrived well before the likes of Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Steve Smith matched him toe to toe during that period, but the 12-month ban due to the sandpaper gate overshadowed his brilliance in the format. 

However, when we compare the numbers of Fab four in 2025, Kohli has fallen way behind his contemporaries. Root is at the peak of his powers in Test cricket in the last five years while Williamson has never really been out of form in the whites.

Smith has been on and off over the last couple of years, but his form has never been a concern for Australia in Tests. When it comes to runs, averages and centuries, Kohli ranks last among Fab four and a lot of it has to do with his downfall in the format since November 2019.

Also Read: Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Here is a comparison of Fav four in Test cricket.

Fav four in Test cricket | How Kohli finished in Tests compared to Fab four

It is certain that Virat Kohli, who was once untouchable in the debate of Fab Four, will remain at the bottom forever when compared to his contemporaries. Only if his form hadn't dropped after November 2019, the 36-year-old, today, has stepped down from the format with some unreal numbers.

If anyone has followed cricket casually over the last decade, they're likely familiar with four key names: former Indian captain Virat Kohli, batting genius Steve Smith, English great Joe Root, and New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer Kane Williamson.

They together are known as the 'Fab Four' in the modern era of cricket.

Each of them has set new benchmarks for performance, continually pushing one another to enhance their skills. These four batsmen have not only dominated the world of cricket but have also met the expectations of their respective nations.

In this article, we will examine the statistics of the Fab Four across all formats.

Fav Four in cricket: How many runs & centuries have they scored in International Cricket?

Virat Kohli has been the most prolific all-format batter among the fav-four. Kohli, till now in his 550 international games, has scored 27,599 runs with an outstanding average of 52.27. His record of 82 international centuries is only second to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 international centuries.

Read Also | Most ICC Trophies by any men's team

Joe Root comes in second among them with 20,724 runs so far for England across formats. However, undoubtedly, he has been the best test batter of his generation with 12972 test runs, which sets him as the highest test run scorer for England. Root has also scored 53 international hundreds, of which 36 came in tests only.

Read Also | Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments (men's)

Kane Williamson, New Zealand's highest runscorer in international cricket, comes at number three in terms of international runs among the fav four. The former Kiwi leader has scored 19,086 runs so far in his career at an average of 48.56. Kane is now only two short of reaching 50 international hundreds. 

Read Also | Most Test runs in 2024: Root, Jaiswal, Duckett and more

Aussie great Steven Smith comes at four with 17,165 runs at an average of 47.81. A late bloomer with the bat, Smith has been outstanding for Australia in tests and ODIs. Along with Root, Smith has also been one of the greatest test batters of this generation.

Here is a comparison of international stats of the fav four. 

Read Also: Most Wickets in Test Cricket

Fab Four in Cricket: Stats across different formats

Virat Kohli (IND)

Joe Root (ENG)

Kane Williamson (NZ)

Steven Smith (AUS)

Note: The article was initially written by Abishek Goswami and then got updated by Koushik Biswas

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.

Mumbai Indians star batter Suryakumar Yadav broke Robin Uthappa's 11-year-old record and became the first player in history to score 11 consecutive 25+ scores. Quite remarkably, the Indian T20I captain has crossed the 25-run mark in all 11 matches that the five-time champions have played this year. He achieved this feat on Thursday by scoring 48*(23) against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025 match.

Let's take a look at the IPL records of most consecutive 25+ scores in IPL history.

Also Read: Most wins after 76 games as captain in IPL

IPL records | Most consecutive 25+ scores

5. Virat Kohli | 9 Matches

Virat Kohli played in every IPL season, scoring 9 consecutive 25+ scores from IPL 2024-25. The RCB veteran has been in fine form from 2024 season. Overall in T20s, Kohli has 100 half-centuries under his belt. He is also the highest run scorer in IPL history with 8447 runs to his name.

Earlier this season, Virat became the first-ever Indian batter to breach the 13,000-run mark in T20s during the encounter against Mumbai Indians. The former India captain became the fifth player overall to reach the landmark, behind Chris Gayle, Alex Hales, Shoaib Malik and Kieron Pollard.

4. Sai Sudharsan | 9 Matches

Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan played IPL from 2022 till date. He scored 9 consecutive 25+ scores from IPL 2024-25.

Talking about his IPL career, Sudharsan made his debut in the cash-rich league with Gujarat Titans, when the franchise was first introduced in 2022. He just got five matches in that season where amassed 145 runs along with one fifty with a strike rate of 127.19.

However, Sai Sudharsan continued for GT in IPL 2023 where he scored 362 runs in eight matches at an average of 51.71 and a strike rate of 141.41 hitting three fifties. He had his best season in IPL 2024 where he scored 527 runs in 12 matches, at an average of 47.91 and a strike rate of 141.29. He also scored two fifties in that season and went on smash his maiden IPL hundred.

3. Steve Smith | 9 Matches

Steve Smith played IPL from 2012 to 2021. He scored 9 consecutive 25+ scores from IPL 2016-18.

In a career spanning over a decade, Smith has racked up 2,485 runs from 103 IPL matches at an average of 34.51. His strike-rate in the league falls under 130. His tally includes a ton.

Smith has played for five franchises in the cash-rich league. He last played in the tournament in 2021, where he represented Delhi Capitals. Notably, Smith started his IPL journey with the now-defunct Pune Warriors India in 2012. He led the Rising Pune Supergiants to the IPL final in 2017, where they lost to Mumbai Indians.

2. Robin Uthappa | 10 Matches

Robin Uthappa played IPL from 2008 to 2022. He scored 10 consecutive 25+ scores in IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders in their title-winning campaign in 2014. Uthappa was also the highest run-scorer of the season.

He amassed 660 runs in 16 matches at an impressive average of 44.00. Uthappa also notched up five fifties and one century, with a highest score of *83 (not out) in that season. His performances in the IPL always kept him in high demand amongst the different IPL franchises.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Most 400 Plus Runs in an IPL Season

1. Suryakumar Yadav | 11* Matches

Suryakumar Yadav holds the IPL records of scoring most consecutive 25+ scores in IPL history. Surya scored 11 consecutive 25+ scores in IPL 2025 season.

In Match 50 of IPL 2025 against Rajasthan Royals, SKY smashed an unbeaten 48 off 23 balls to keep his purple patch going strong. And in the process, he etched his name at the very top of that list. He has passed 25 in every single game he has played this season. It’s a level of consistency that even legends struggle to maintain in a league this intense.

SKY isn’t just breaking records for fun. He is now also leading the Orange Cap race in IPL 2025 with 467 runs in 11 games at a stunning strike rate of 172.96, including three fifties.