All-rounder Hardik Pandya is likely to be back in the finisher's role for India despite having a lot of success at No. 3 and 4 for Gujarat Titans at IPL 2022. Hardik was the leading scorer for the Titans with 487 runs at an average of 44.27 and a strike rate of 131.26. However, according to India's head coach Rahul Dravid, it's not necessary that he will bat in the position for the national team.
"Hardik is a fantastic cricketer with both bat and ball - we have seen that for India in the past obviously. He has been very successful in white-ball cricket and has shown some really good form in this IPL as well. So it's very pleasing to have someone of that quality that we can choose from."
Head coach Rahul Dravid said
"Without giving too much away - I'm not going to be telling the batting order before the game starts - but in general, sometimes the role that you play for your franchise matches with the role that you play for India, but sometimes you have to play slightly different roles for different teams.
"And it's not only about Hardik. For all the players, some of the roles they played for their IPL franchises might be slightly different to the roles that we are expecting here based on our team combination." Dravid added.
With little captaincy experience under his belt, Hardik led the Titans to the titlein their maiden IPL season. From his teammates to the coaching staff at the franchise, everyone praised his leadership style, especially the freedom he gave his players to express themselves on the field.
"I just met him a couple of hours ago," he laughed, "as we had given the guys who played in the IPL final an extra day off at home. So I'm not sure what I can tell you. I just said hello to the guy."
Rahul Dravid said when asked about Hardik
But will he be part of India's leadership group going forward? Dravid isn't concerned about that. He is more pleased that Hardik is bowling again. Hardik picked up eight wickets in the IPL 2022. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, he bowled for about 20 minutes on the center wicket under the supervision of bowling coach Paras Mhambrey.
"Obviously his leadership was very impressive right through the IPL," Dravid said, "but you don't have to be designated as a leader to be part of any leadership group. At this point in time, it's a good thing from our perspective that he has started bowling again. We know what that does for us, what kind of depth that brings to the side. So really, for us, it's about ensuring that we can get the best out of him as a cricketer in terms of his bowling, his batting, and in terms of his overall contribution."
In Hardik, India will have a familiar face in the finisher's role, but the top order will bear a new look with both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rested for the series. Against South Africa, either Ishan Kishan or Ruturaj Gaikwad will open the innings along with KL Rahul. The 5-match T20I series between India and South Africa is scheduled to start on June 9.
Indian men's cricket team with seven ICC trophies are the second most successful team in men's cricket history. Australia with ten trophies lead the list of teams with the most ICC trophies.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) conducts different cricket events and tournaments throughout the year. ICC tournaments are the biggest platforms in the game of cricket, where the top teams contest against each other for championship podiums.
Contributing to the team on a big stage like this will always be remembered for a long time. The ODI World Cup is conducted once every four years, whereas the Men's T20 World Cup is played every two years. The ICC Champions Trophy is where only the top 8 teams compete in each finals tournament.
Last but not least, the World Test Championship is played over two years. This article thoroughly talks about the men's cricketing teams that have won ICC trophies at some point in time. Let's take a look at the teams with the most ICC Trophies.
Australia's sheer dominance over other cricketing teams is nothing new. For decades, Australia has been executing out-of-ordinary performances and winning trophies for the country. Out of all the cricketing countries, Australia has the most ICC trophies.
Till now the Aussies won 10 ICC trophies. Australia is the only team to win 6 ICC World Cups. The most successful team in the Cricket World Cup clinched the trophy in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023. Interestingly Australia made a record of being the only team to win the trophy in all the countries that hosted the World Cup.
Australia won the ICC Champions Trophy twice in 2006 and 2009 against West Indies and New Zealand respectively. Lastly, Australia lifted their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup trophy after defeating New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup. They claimed the ICC World Test Championship after defeating India at the Oval by a huge margin of 209 runs.
India sits in the second position on this prestigious list of most ICC Trophies by any team. India won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Later again 28 years, the men in blue won the World Cup for the second time under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011.
The Indian men's cricket team also reached the semifinals four times in 1987, 1996, 2015, and 2019. Meantime, they lost in two finals in 2003 and 2023.
The men in blue won the Champions Trophy thrice. First, in 2002, both the finalists India and Sri Lanka were declared the co-champions of the 2002 Champions Trophy. In the 2013 edition, India defeated England by 5 runs and won the Champions Trophy for the second time in Birmingham. Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final.
Lastly, India won the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 after defeating Pakistan in Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India defeated South Africa by 7 runs to lift the trophy for the second time.
Next on this list is West Indies with a total of 5 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC World Cup final was won by West Indies in 1975. West Indies once again continued their reign in the next edition of the World Cup as well, in 1979. The Caribbean team also won the Champions Trophy in 2004. Lastly, West Indies became the winner of the ICC T20 World Cup twice; once against Sri Lanka in 2012 and the other time against England in 2016.
England | 3
England team after winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022. Image- ICC
Till 2010, the England team has not had any ICC Tournament. But, it was in 2010, when they won their first ICC T20 World Cup against arch-rival Australia. Craig Kieswetter guided them home in the final for their first-ever ICC Trophy. Post that, they have been a phenomenal white-ball team and won two ICC World Cups since then.
In 2019, they won their first ICC Men's ODI World Cup as Ben Stokes made all the difference in the final against England in a match where boundary count helped England to win the World Cup.
England's latest ICC Trophy triumph came under Jos Buttler as they became the first-ever team in Cricket history to hold the ODI and T20 World Cup at the same time. Jos Buttler and company won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 as Sam Curran won the player of the tournament after taking 13 wickets with the ball. Curran also was the player of the match in the final as well.
Pakistan | 3
Pakistan sits in the fourth position on the list of most ICC Trophy wins by any team with 3 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC trophy won by Pakistan was during the 1992 cricket World Cup. Pakistan defeated England in the final and won by 22 runs.
The next ICC trophy won by Pakistan was in the 2009 T20 World Cup where they beat Sri Lanka in the final and won the title by 8 wickets. The most recent and last ICC win of Pakistan is the 2017 Champions Trophy where they defeated India by 180 runs.
With 3 ICC trophies, Sri Lanka sits in 5th position on this list. Sri Lanka won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1996 where they played against Australia in the final hosted in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. They went ahead to win their next ICC trophy in the 2002 Champions Trophy. The winner of the tournament is actually both India and Sri Lanka as both the finalist teams were declared as co-champions.
The last time Sri Lanka won an ICC Trophy was when they defeated India in the 2014 T20 World Cup hosted in Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Dhaka.
The New Zealand cricket team has won a total of 2 ICC trophies since they started competing in tournaments conducted by ICC. The Kiwis won their first-ever ICC Trophy in the 2000 Champions Trophy. Nairobi hosted the final of New Zealand vs India where New Zealand won the match by 4 wickets.
The next ICC Trophy won by the Kiwis was the ICC World Test Championship. Once again, New Zealand played against India in the final of an ICC event and clinched the trophy in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship final.
South Africa have broken the jinx and finally won an ICC trophy after 27 years, only their second ICC title after beating Australia by five wickets at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground to become World Test champions. Chasing 282 runs to win, Aiden Markram registered his eighth Test century and played one of the most important knocks of his career with 136 runs to guide the Proteas to a historic win.
Meanwhile, in the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy hosted in Bangladesh, South Africa beat West Indies in the final to win their first ICC title. Jacques Kallis was exceptional and contributed the most to the team reaching and winning the final and was awarded the player of the tournament. He hit a century and picked up a five-wicket haul as well.
Note: The stats include shared trophies. The article was first written by Shreya Ghosh and then got edited by Abishek Goswami.
Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has suddenly returned to India, citing a family emergency as the reason. A BCCI source has given this information to news agency PTI.
The source said that Gambhir had to return to take care of his mother, who has been admitted to a hospital in New Delhi due to health complications. The Shubman Gill-led Indian Test team is in England to play a five-match IND vs ENG series, starting June 20 in Leeds.
In Gambhir's absence, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate will oversee the team during the four-day intra-squad match between India and India A starting from Friday. He will be assisted by other coaching staff like bowling coach Morne Morkel and batting coach Shitanshu Kotak. If all goes well at home, Gambhir is expected to return to England within a week.
Indian team would like to test its preparations
The Indian team will play intra-squad matches to finalise its preparations ahead of the IND vs ENG five-match Test series. India A played two unofficial Test matches against England Lions and the batsmen showed their prowess in them. Such matches are important for the preparation of the team before any series. India has opted to play this match in an empty stadium so that the opposing team does not get a clue of their strategy.
All eyes will be on Kuldeep-Jadeja
In this match, the performance of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja will be watched and an interesting competition is expected between these two to make a place in the final eleven of the Indian Test team.
India's bowling coach Morne Morkel had said on Wednesday that the match is crucial for India's preparation as it is difficult to develop the ability to bowl and field 90 overs in a day through normal practice sessions. This match will give the Indian team management a good opportunity to assess its players, especially the bowlers, in match situations.
This will help ensure that the bowlers, be it spinners or pacers, are in the required rhythm in the actual match. Gambhir will have to do some brainstorming to pick the only specialist spinner for Headingley.
Jadeja has a good batting record abroad but if India has to take 20 wickets then Kuldeep's role will become important. Kuldeep can prove to be a good partner of fast bowler Jaspreet Bumrah in the conditions here. Jadeja vs Kuldeep is the biggest puzzle for the playing XI that the team management will have to solve.
Eyes will be on fast bowlers as well
Similarly, this match will give the team management and captain Shubman Gill a chance to see which ball works better in these conditions - Akash Deep's full length or Prasidh Krishna's back of the length. Bumrah, who will be playing a red ball match after six months, will get a chance to bowl multiple spells and test his fitness. He has played only IPL since returning from a lower back injury.
Till now, 11 Indian cricketers have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. Former Indian captain and legend MS Dhoni became the latest Indian to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame list.
Along with MS Dhoni, Aussie great Matthew Hayden, South African legend Hashim Amla, former South African captain Graeme Smith, former Kiwi leader Daniel Vettori, and former Pakistan captain Sana Mir and English legend Sarah Taylor were also inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame 2025.
ENG vs IND: England announce squad for the first Test against India
England have named a 14-member squad for the first Test of ENG vs IND starting 20 June at Headingley, Leeds, with experienced pacer Chris Woakes making a return to red-ball cricket.
The England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday announced a 14-member squad for the first Test of the five-match series against India. The ENG vs IND five-match Test series is starting from June 20. The first match will be played at Headingley on June 20, 2025.
Fast bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton has returned. He has been included in the team in place of injured Gus Atkinson. Jamie has returned after the match against New Zealand in June 2022.
Atkinson was unavailable for selection due to a right hamstring injury suffered during the Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
Carse, Woakes included in the squad
Fast bowlers Brydon Carse, Jacob Bethell and Chris Woakes have also been named in the squad, who last played during the New Zealand Test tour in December. The India A side are already in the United Kingdom, playing warm-up games against England Lions.
Woakes, known for his effectiveness in home conditions, especially at Lord’s, last featured prominently in 2018 against India, where he claimed four wickets and smashed an unbeaten 137.
Young spinner Shoaib Bashir, who starred with nine wickets against Zimbabwe, retains his spot as the lone specialist spinner. IPL winner Jacob Bethell and seamer Sam Cook, both of whom impressed recently, have also earned call-ups.
Ben Stokes to lead the team
England will field a significantly altered team compared to the last time they faced India in early 2024. James Anderson has since retired, while Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson are the other notable absentees from the squad.
Ben Stokes, who returned from a hamstring injury in that Zimbabwe Test, will lead England against India in a five-match series that marks the start of both teams’ campaigns in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.
23-27 July 2025 - Fourth Test, Emirates Old Trafford
31 July-4 August 2025 - Fifth Test, Kia Oval
ENG vs IND | England full squad
Ben Stokes (c), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
IPL 2025 concluded with a highly competitive final and gave us a new champion franchise. RCB lifted the trophy after waiting for 18-long years and finally etched their name in the prestigious IPL history. This win is expected to further enhance their brand value significantly.
When IPL started back in 2008 the combined cost of eight frachises was rupees 3000 crore. It marks a huge difference as compared to the recent years, as IPL is the second-richest sports league in the world by per-match value.
The value of the IPL franchises is different from team to team. And this is a detailed list of the value of the IPL Franchises from 2008 to the present.
Chennai Super Kings | ₹1012.6 crore
CSK in IPL 2025. Image | NDTV
Consistently at the top, Chennai Super Kings maintains its position as the most valuable IPL franchise, with a value ₹1012.6 crore (USD: $122M.
Apart from being the five-time IPL champions, their value is heavily influenced by performances, loyalty, huge fan base, and one of the pivotal members behind their success, none other than MS Dhoni.
Mumbai Indians | ₹987.7 crore
MI in IPL 2025. Image | NDTV
It seems like Mumbai Indians have a knack for being at the top of everything. The five-time IPL champions have not only won IPL the most number of times but also have the second-highest brand value among all the teams, which is ₹987.7 crore (USD: $119M).
Backed by a strong corporate ownership of Mukesh Ambani, MI remain one of the most recognised and valuable brands, along with a massive fan following.
RCB celebrates their maiden IPL win in 2025. Image | Instagram
Since the beginning of IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore always had a star-studded lineup. With a brand value of ₹971.1 crore (USD: $117M), RCB has the third-highest team value in IPL.
Despite a history of not winning the IPL trophy until 2025, RCB has been one of the most popular teams due to its association with global icons like Virat Kohli, and its passionate fanbase.
Their recent IPL victory is expected to further solidify and exceed the 1000-cr mark in their already impressive brand value.
Kolkata Knight Riders | ₹904.7 crore
KKR celebrating their 3rd IPL win in 2024. Image | The Indian Express
The franchise with the fourth-highest brand value is the 3-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders. Owned by bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, KKR is a brand with glamour and strategic play.
Their value is approximately ₹904.7 crore (USD: $109M), and the 2024 victory has further strengthened their strong market position and fan engagement.
Sunrisers Hyderabad | ₹705.5 crore
SRH in IPL 2025. Image | NDTV
Sunrisers Hyderabad has shown impressive growth in brand value over the years, strongly because of their splendid performances and consistent playoffs presence. They have a value of ₹705.5 crore (USD: $81M).
SRH has also earned the love and support of their dedicated 'Orange Army' fanbase in their region that contribute to their valuation.
The inaugural IPL champions, Rajasthan Royals, started their IPL journey with a bang but slowly things turned around and they lacked consistent good performance.
At the moment, their brand value amounts to ₹672.3 crore (USD: $81M), boosted by their strong digital presence, innovative team building and other strategies.
Delhi Capitals | ₹664 crore
DC in IPL 2025. Image | Facebook
Despite never having an IPL title to their name, Delhi Capitals have a steady brand value of ₹644 crore (USD: $80M).
They put up a good fight in the 2025 season and narrowly left behind a playoffs berth, which creates a space for a hopeful comeback next year and rise in value.
Gujarat Titans | ₹572.7 crore
GT in IPL 2025. Image | Instagram
A new addition in IPL 2022, Gujarat Titans, is owned by CVC Capital (a private equity fund), and has made an immediate impact as a relatively new team.
They emerged as the IPL champions in their first season (IPL 2022), which plays a major role in their value of ₹572.7 crore (USD: $69M) at the moment.
Punjab Kings is one of the original IPL franchises, with a value of ₹564.4 crore (USD: $68M). They had an incredible season in IPL 2025 under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. They fell short of 6 runs to secure their maiden IPL title this season, and ended up at the runners-up side.
PBKS were also the table toppers in IPL 2025, and their performance helped gain a lot of new fan following, which will reflect in the coming years and value.
Lucknow Super Giants | ₹498 crore
LSG in IPL 2024. Image | Facebook
Another new franchise formed in 2022, Lucknow Super Giants quickly established itself by making it to the playoffs twice in a row.
Backed by the Sanjiv Goenka-led RPSG group, LSG's brand value is currently ₹498 crore (USD: $60M) and is steadily increasing.
Value of defunct IPL franchises
Some now-defunct teams like Deccan Chargers and Pune Warriors India had a memorable IPL journey. Here we bring you their values:
Deccan Chargers | ₹428 crore
Deccan Chargers celebrating their IPL 2009 victory. Image | TOI
Deccan Chargers, based in the city of Hyderabad, is one of the 8 teams from the inaugural edition. They lifted their maiden IPL trophy in IPL 2009.
Unfortunately, the team washed out of existence in 2012. The brand value of the team was ₹428 crore.
With a brand value of ₹1533 crore, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, started its journey of IPL in 2011. It was one of the 2 teams that joined IPL in 2011, and they just lasted a year in the tournament.
The second franchise to join the Indian Premier League in 2011 is Pune Warriors India. The team was acquired by Sahada Adventure Sports Ltd for ₹17.02 billion. They withdrew from participating the next year due to future uncertainties.
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