The BCCI has started clearing the long-standing dues of the domestic cricketers who suffered financially after the 2020-21 season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Indian cricketers struggled financially after the Ranji Trophy has canceled last year for the first time in its history. The women's T20 games were also curtailed due to the pandemic.

In September last, the BCCI had said that the cricketers who participated in the 2019-20 season will be getting 50 percent match fees as compensation for the 2020-21 season.

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"BCCI has started clearing the compensation amount due for not having the red ball tournament last season."

A senior BCCI official told PTI

"A lot of players have started receiving money. Meanwhile, there are still a lot of players who would be getting the payments. The process is expected to be completed in the next few weeks."

"The process is for state units to raise the invoice. The invoice is based on all those who had played in the season prior to COVID-19. The state units that raised invoices to BCCI have already had its players receiving money in their accounts"

The BCCI official said

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BCCI clears pending match fees of 2020-21 COVID-affected domestic season ahead of Ranji Trophy

The new Ranji Trophy season is set to be played from January 13 to March 17. The Ranji will be played across seven venues. However, a change in schedule cannot be ruled out given the surge of COVID-19 cases in the country.

The BCCI had earlier decided to increase the match fee of the players during its Apex Council meeting in September. Meanwhile, it follows the recommendations made by the working committee comprising former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin, Yudhvir Singh, Santosh Menon, Jaydev Shah, Avishek Dalmiya, Rohan Jaitley, and Devajit Saikia.

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According to the new pay slabs, the senior men will earn between Rs 40,000 to 60,000 per day of cricket. However, the senior women are set to receive up to Rs 20,000 per day.

India created history in the first Test of the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy by achieving their largest-ever win in Australia. At Perth's Optus Stadium, a venue where the Australian team had never lost before, India registered a stunning victory. Led by Jasprit Bumrah’s Player of the Match (POTM) worthy 8/72 across the two innings, India defeated Australia by 295 runs, their biggest every victory by runs in the country (if innings wins not considered). 

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After achieving the POTM Award in Perth, Jasprit Bumrah became the fifth Indian captain who won POTM awards in Australia in Tests. Here's the other captain who achieved this feat on Australian soil.

1. Kapil Dev | Adelaide, 1985

The Haryana Hurricane Kapil Dev earned the POTM award following his spell of 8 for 106 in the first innings of the 1985 Adelaide Test, which set the stage for India to secure a draw against the home team. He was the first Indian captain who won POTM awards in Australia in Tests.

2. Sachin Tendulkar | Melbourne, 1999

In Melbourne in December 1999, when the weather was damp and batting a struggle, Australia rallied to 405 and India crumbled around Tendulkar. He scored his third ton on Australian soil since his twin shows in the 1991-92 series. His 116 off 191 balls (nine fours, one six) saw a follow-on-saving 43-run partnership with Anil Kumble (28 not out) and India ended on 238. The 167-run lead proved to be decisive as India lost the game by 180 runs, with Tendulkar’s POTM award coming as the visiting side’s consolation.

3. Sourav Ganguly | Brisbane, 2003

At the Gabba, India slipped from 61 for 0 to 62 for 3, in response to Australia's 323. In conditions that offered the pace and bounce that are the hallmark of Australian venues, Ganguly displayed remarkable judgement in his handling of the short delivery, and scored his first Test hundred in Australia.

Ganguly's 146-run stand with VVS Laxman (75) for the 5th wicket was notched up in 206 balls and his 144-run knock was studded with 18 hits to the fence. Such was the class of Ganguly's knock that it drew applause even from some of the Aussie players. This was India's first drawn series in Australia since 1981.

4. Ajinkya Rahane | Melbourne, 2021

After India were hammered in the first match in Adelaide Test series in 2021, skipper Kohli returned home for personal reasons and the responsibility fell on Rahane. Under Rahane's captaincy, India won the game by eight wickets and level the series 1-1. During this Rahane slammed his 12th Test hundred (112 off 223 balls). Rahane later led India to win the fourth and final Test in Brisbane to give his side a 2-1 series victory.

Also Read: Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Jasprit Bumrah breaks record with five-wicket haul in first test

5. Jasprit Bumrah | Perth, 2024

India played superb cricket over the span of the three and a half days in Perth, and defeated Australia by 295 runs, their biggest every victory by runs in the country (if innings wins not considered). 

Led by Jasprit Bumrah’s Player of the Match worthy 8/72 across the two innings at the Optus Stadium in Perth, India were rampant in the Test match right after their disappointing first innings on Day 1 when they folded for 150. They blew away Australia for just 104 in their first innings, and took a 46 runs lead. India scored 487/6d in the second innings and gave Australia a target of 534. The Australian top order collapsed once again in the second innings and the hosts could have repeated the first innings performance.

Tilak Varma has etched himself in history to become the first Indian batter to hit 150 runs in T20 cricket. The 22-year-old youngster has smashed a staggering 151 off just 67 balls for his domestic side Hyderabad against Meghalaya on Saturday in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. 

The left-handed batter has surpassed Shreyas Iyer's record of scoring 147 which was by far the highest individual score by any Indian batsman in T20 cricket. Shreyas scored his 147 off just 55 balls for Mumbai against Sikkim in the same tournament in 2019. 

Tilak Varma has now clinched the top spot and also becomes only the 12th batter to record a 150+ score in T20s. 

The 22-year-old is the captain of his domestic side Hyderabad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and he came out to bat in no. 3. Tilak's half-century came off 28 balls, and he went on to complete his ton off just 51 balls. Tilak built his scorching innings with 14 fours and 10 sixes and maintained a strike rate of 225.37. 

Another record 

However, Tilak Varma has made an international T20 record as well, as he becomes the first-ever batter in the world to score three consecutive tons. The left-handed youngster was named as the Player of The Series in India's recent T20 series victory against South Africa. Tilak scored back-to-back hundreds against South Africa and now in 10 days, he has scored three tons and stormed into the history books.

🚨 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙩 🚨

Tilak Varma 🤝 Record-breaking Feat! 🔝 🙌

Congratulations! 👏 👏#TeamIndia | #SMAT pic.twitter.com/4BnLFZzRRf

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 23, 2024

Highest individual score by Indian batters in T20s

• Tilak Varma (Hyderabad) – 151 (67) vs Meghalaya, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024
• Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai) – 147 (55) vs Sikkim, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019 
• Punit Bisht (Meghalaya) – 146* (51) vs Mizroam, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021
• Mohammed Azharuddeen (Kerala) – 137* (54) vs Mumbai, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 
• Prithvi Shaw (Mumbai) – 134 (61) vs Assam, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 

A stand at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata will soon be named after India's legendary fast bowler Jhulan Goswami. 

According to ICC, the Block B Gallery of Eden Gardens will be renamed in her honor. This stand will be inaugurated during the Indian women's team's first T20I match against England on January 22 next year.

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Stands have also been built at Eden Gardens in the names of former Indian captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, former Indian cricketer Pankaj Roy, and former BCCI presidents Jagmohan Dalmiya and Biswanath Dutt.

Highest wicket-taker in women's ODI

Jhulan Goswami retired two years ago after an illustrious 20-year career with the Indian women's team. She was considered one of the best fast bowlers in women's cricket. Her career is still reflected in the impressive record that she maintains even after her retirement. Goswami holds the record for taking the highest number of wickets (255) in women's ODI.

Jhulan Goswami ended her career after appearing in 12 Tests, 204 ODIs and 68 T20Is and taking 355 wickets across all formats. In the women's Test format, Goswami has taken 44 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.36 and an economy of 2.02.

Goswami has 56 wickets to her name in the women's T20I format, with an average of 21.94 and an economy of 5.45. In the ODI format, she has taken 255 wickets in 204 matches at an average of 22.04.

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Working as bowling coach of MI

The 41-year-old Goswami is currently working as the bowling coach and mentor of the Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League (WPL), which won the inaugural season of the league. Earlier this year, Goswami was the team mentor at the Women's Caribbean Premier League franchise Trinbago Knight Riders. 

After retirement, Goswami has worked as a mentor for the senior Bengal women's team and has also been involved in the Women's Premier League.

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has been named in the Bengal squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. Shami, who played his first match in 360 days in the Ranji Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh, will boost Bengal's chances in the tournament.

Sudip Kumar Gharami, who was Bengal's captain in the white-ball format last season, has been named as the captain of the squad for this season as well. 

In the 20-men squad, Bengal has named three wicket-keepers for the tournament. Abishek Porel, who recently toured Australia for the India-A team, will continue as the main man behind the stumps. Meantime, Shakir Habib Gandhi and Agniv Pan will be the other keeper-batters of the team. Interestingly, all three wicket-keepers of the squad are left-handed batters, giving coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla a few options to play with in the batting order.

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Sudip Chatterjee, who came back from Tripura to rejoin his home state, will continue as one of the top-order batters for Bengal. The left-handed batter has done well in the Ranji Trophy this season and will be a key player for Bengal in the white-ball format as well. Ranjot Singh Khaira and Sudip Gharami will be the top-order batters for them this time.

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Ritwick Roy Chowdhury, one of the best white-ball finishers for Bengal, along with all-rounders Shahbaz Ahmed, Karan Lal, Writtick Chatterjee and Saksham Chaudhary will be key clog for Laxmi Ratan Shukla and team management. Ritwick and Shaksham will be the pace bowling all-rounders of the team, while Karan, Writtick and Shahbaz will be the spinner all-rounders.

In the absence of Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep, Ishan Porel, Mohammed Kaif, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Sayan Ghosh and Kanishk Seth will share the load of bowling those crucial overs along with new names like Soummyadip Mandal. The inclusion of U-23 captain Prayas Ray Barman means there will be enough variations while defending totals as well.

Bengal is placed in Group A alongside Punjab, Hyderabad, Mizoram, MP, Meghalaya, Bihar, and Rajasthan. 

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Bengal squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024

Sudip Kr Gharami (captain), Mohammad Shami, Abishek Porel (WK), Sudip Chatterjee, Shahbaz Ahmed, Karan Lal, Writtick Chatterjee, Ritwick Roy Chowdhury, Shakir Habib Gandhi (WK), Ranjot Singh Khaira, Prayas Ray Barman, Agniv Pan (WK), Pradipta Pramanik, Saksham Chaudhary, Ishan Porel, Md Kaif, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Sayan Ghosh, Kanishk Seth, Soummyadip Mandal.

Bengal's schedule in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024

• 23 November' 24 - Bengal vs Punjab - Rajkot - 4.30 pm
• 25 November 2024 - Bengal vs Hyderabad - Rajkot - 4.30 pm
• 27 November 2024 - Bengal vs Mizoram - Saurashtra - 9 am  
• 29 November 2024 - Bengal vs Madhya Pradesh - Saurashtra - 1.30 pm
• 1 December 2024 - Bengal vs Meghalaya - Rajkot - 11 am
• 3 December 2024 - Bengal vs Bihar - Saurashtra - 9 am 
• 5 December 2024 - Bengal vs Rajasthan - Rajkot - 11 am

The upcoming edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to commence on November 22. The familiar foes India and Australia will lock horns for a five-match Test series. Throughout the years, the clashes between India and Australia have generated some unforgettable memories. The iconic duels, amazing displays with both bat and ball have enthralled the spectators across the globe. 

So before the start of the game, let's take a look at the players who have played the most games in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

1. Sachin Tendulkar | 34 Matches

Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the greatest ever cricketer in the world, has had his say as well during his playing days. Tendulkar had some outstanding periods against Australia both at home and away Test matches. He played 34 matches against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and piled up 3262 runs. In the year 1996, he played the first match of this trophy. He was last seen playing in 2013.

2. Rahul Dravid | 32 Matches

The Wall and India’s savior was a peril to the opposition. His resilience earned him the fabled nickname where he helped out his team in multiple tricky situations. Rahul Dravid has played 32 matches against Australia where he managed to score 2143 runs with 2 memorable tons to his name. He played his first match of this trophy in 1996. He was last seen playing in 2012.

3. VVS Laxman | 29 Matches

Among India’s highly dependable batsmen was VVS Laxman. The middle-order batsman showcased his gritty attitude against formidable foes when he noticed up 2434 runs from just 29 matches. He played his first match of this trophy in 1998. He was last seen playing in 2012. An unforgettable 281 knock against the Aussies remains the highlight as he displayed a healthy average, just shy of 50 with 6 tons to his name.

4. Ricky Ponting | 29 Matches

The former Australia Cricket Team captain, Ricky Ponting was the boogeyman for India. His aggressive style of batting and shrewd captaincy made him one of the greats of the game. Ponting played 29 matches against India where he raked up 2555 runs with a good average of 54.36 and notching up 8 tons to his name. He played his first match of this trophy in 1996. He was last seen playing in 2012.

5. Nathan Lyon | 26 Matches

The Australian off-spinner, Nathan Lyon tops the charts in scalping the most wickets in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. With 116 wickets from 26 matches, he is a class apart. Be it on slow-turning tracks in India or tricky bouncy pitches in Australia, Nathan Lyon has always been a dependable bowling asset for the Aussies.

6. Ishant Sharma | 25 Matches

Ishant Sharma is one of the best pacers for India in overseas Test matches. He has also got a great record against Australia in the BGT series. Ishant Sharma, who played 25 matches from the Indian side, is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in the Border Gavaskar Trophy with 59 scalps with the best figures 4/41. He played his first match of this trophy in 2008. He was last seen playing in 2018.

7. Sourav Ganguly | 24 Matches

Sourav Ganguly is often credited with changing the face of Indian cricket, instilling a sense of aggression and confidence in the team. He played 24 matches against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and piled up 1403 runs. In the year 1996, he played the first match of this trophy. He was last seen playing in 2008.

8. Virat Kohli | 24 matches

Virat Kohli remains a key player to watch as he heads into the 2024 Australia tour. Over his 24 matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli has scored 1,979 runs across 42 innings with a solid average of 48.26. His record includes eight centuries and five half-centuries.