England Cricket Team has registered a record total here in the first ODI match against the Netherlands at the VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen. The three centuries by Salt, Malan, and Buttler and one quickfire fifty by Liam Livingstone helped the visitors to reach the highest ever ODI total of 498. Livingstone has also registered the second-fastest 50 in ODI cricket history.
AB De Villers - The Fastest to smash a fifty in ODI Cricket Image - ICC
Liam Livingstone has recorded the second joint-fastest fifty in ODIs history when he touched the milestone in just 17 deliveries against Nederlands yesterday. He then remained unbeaten on 66 runs off just 22 balls. His innings included 6 fours and 6 sixes.
However, former South African legend AB De Villiers remains at the top of this list as he scored a half-century in ODIs in just 16 balls. Let's take a look at the players with the fastest 50 in ODI history.
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.
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.
AB de Villiers has the record for winning the most P.O.T. awards in IPL history. Among Indians, Rohit Sharma has won the most player of the match awards in the tournament.
While team victories are the ultimate goal in IPL, the 'Player of the Match' (P.O.T.M) award is the direct recognition of a player's game-changing performance.
Winning P.O.T.M a couple of times shows how a player has outshined the rest and truly dominated the game. We will now explore the players with most P.O.T.M awards in IPL.
Keep an eye out, as Rohit Sharma is remarkably close to reaching the top.
1. AB de Villiers (25 P.O.T.M Awards)
AB de Villiers holding his M.O.M for RCB in a match in IPL 2021. Image | Firstpost
The "Mr. 360" of cricket, AB de Villiers, holds the most P.O.T.M awards in IPL history with 25awards throughout his career with DC and primarily Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Whether it was fast paced fifties or scorching hundreds, his impact was undeniable. His IPL career spanned from 2008-2021, and yet no one could match his numbers in terms of Player of the match awards.
Chris Gayle receiving the P.O.T.M award for his spectacular knock of 175 runs off 66 balls in IPL 2013. Image | BBC
Whether it's the list of most sixes in IPL or highest individual scores, this West Indies legend always finds his spot in the top for all of them. Chris Gayle has the second-most P.O.T.M awards in IPL with 22awards in total.
He played for franchises like KKR, PBKS, and RCB, and won multiple awards at his prime years like 2011 (smashed 2 centuries), 2012 (claimed the Orange Cap) and of course, 2013, where he scored the monumental 175* against PWI.
3. Rohit Sharma (21 P.O.T.M Awards)
Rohit Sharma receiving the P.O.T.M award for his performance against GT in Eliminator of IPL 2025. Image | Instagram
Rohit Sharma is the Indian player with most P.O.T.M awards in IPL and the third-highest in this list. He received 21 awards and is just an award away to equal Gayle's number.
Sharma received 2 P.O.T.M awards in IPL 2025; one for his 75* (45 balls) against CSK in league stage, and the other for his 81 runs off 50 balls against GT in IPL Eliminator.
As Mumbai Indians are set to play the Qualifier 2 this season, there's high chances of Rohit bagging another one (or maybe 2).
Virat Kohli receiving Super Striker of the match award along with P.O.T.M award in IPL 2021. Image | Twitter
One of the most consistent run-scorer and match-winner for RCB, Virat Kohli stands fourth with an impressive 19 P.O.T.M awards in IPL. He is like the heart of the team and doesn't need awards to measure his greatness.
Kohli has won a P.O.T.M award in IPL 2025 for his unbeaten 73 runs against Punjab Kings. He has scored 8 half-centuries so far this season and there might be another loading as RCB is set to play the Final.
Kohli received multiple P.O.T.M awards during the 2016 season where he scored the record-breaking 973 runs.
David Warner receiving a P.O.T.M Award in IPL 2022. Image | Instagram
The Australian legend, David Warner, had an incredible journey in IPL. He was the key player of every franchise that he represented, such as Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He won 18 P.O.T.M awards in IPL.
He has also been a three-times orange cap winner (2015, 2017, 2019), which tells a lot about his career peak in IPL and the shower of P.O.T.M awards in those years.
6. MS Dhoni (18 P.O.T.M Awards)
MS Dhoni receiving the P.O.T.M award for his performance against LSG in IPL 2025. Image | NDTV
The five-time IPL winning captain, MS Dhoni, equals the number of P.O.T.M awards as Warner with 18 awards in IPL. His unparallel impact, captaincy, and match finishing abilities has earned him this high count of awards.
In IPL 2025, Dhoni won the P.O.T.M award by delivering a match-winning knock of 26* runs off just 11 balls against LSG, which also made him the oldest player to win a P.O.T.M award in IPL history, at the age of 43 years and 280 days.
The IPL is like a festival of sports for India as we call it. It is also the festival of explosive and jaw-dropping sixes. The list for most sixes hit by any batter in IPL history is led by one and only, Chris Gayle. It is not surprising one bit, is it?
Dive into the list of several batters that are so close to match Gayle's six-hitting numbers, where some names will surely surprise you.
1. Chris Gayle (357 sixes)
Chris Gayle playing for RCB in IPL. Image | ESPNcricinfo
When it comes to hitting sixes in IPL, there is Chris Gayle, and then there's everyone else. This West Indies legend tops the chart for most sixes hit by any batter in IPL history with 357 sixes (in just141 innings)!
Gayle's IPL journey spanned from 2009 to 2021, and he was the first batsman to cross the 300-mark in terms of sixes. He displayed his batting peak with franchises like KKR, PBKS, and especially RCB.
His most memorable six-hitting moment of IPL came in 2013 when he smashed 175* runs off 66 balls against PWI, hitting 17 explosive sixes.
Rohit Sharma playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL. Image | Instagram
Known for his aggressive start and batting, Rohit Sharma, is the only batter who has hit 300+ sixes after Gayle in IPL history. He holds the second place, with 302 sixes (in 265 innings).
The hitman doesn't like to take things slow, and always delivers the ball out of the boundary with his powerful pulls and cover drives. Once he gets in his six-hitting zone, it truly gets difficult to stop him!
Sharma has consistently stood up for the team, and these numbers are about to get high as he will continue to play and dominate in IPL in the future.
3. Virat Kohli (291 sixes)
Virat Kohli playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL. Image | Instagram
When has it occurred that there's a list of excellent batting records where this man doesn't hold a spot?
Virat Kohli, the batting maestro, holds the 3rd position with 291 sixes (in 258 innings). Even though he is widely known for his exquisitecover drives and hitting smooth boundaries, his ability to time the ball perfectly out for a six has been phenomenal throughout his IPL career.
Kohli is just 9 sixes away to cross the 300-mark, that he might cross in IPL 2025 itself!
MS Dhoni playing for CSK in IPL. Image | ESPNcricinfo
MS Dhoni, like the greatest finisher he is, has hit an impressive 264 sixes (in 242 innings) in his IPL career so far. He has been brutal in the death overs and has always made sure his team takes the victory home when he his unbeaten at the crease.
Dhoni's six-hitting skills often changes the momentum of the game and puts the opposition under immense pressure, as he becomes unstoppable!
5. AB de Villiers (251 sixes)
AB de Villiers playing for RCB in IPL. Image | Facebook
The South African legend, AB de Villiers, holds several batting records and had delivered many cherishable moments for RCB throughout his IPL journey (2008-2021), and this is one of them. He is the 5th batter to have 250+ sixes in IPL history.
He hit 251 sixes (in 170 innings) which tells a lot about his phenomenal skills and love for hitting sixes. He had the ability to deliver the ball in every corner of the stadium and was called "Mr. 360" for a reason!
ENG-A vs IND-A: Karun Nair makes solid return to India set up; scores unbeaten 186 on Day 1
Karun Nair headlined the day with a solid, unbeaten 186 with the bat for India A against England Lions, in the first unofficial test match. Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel also scored fifties.
India A started their England tour on a great note with a solid Day 1 display against the England Lions in Canterbury. Karun Nair headlined the day with a solid, unbeaten 186 with the bat for India A.
England Lions captain James Rew won the toss and decided to bowl first on a greenish pitch at the St. Lawrence Ground.
When it looked like that, Rew took the right decision of bowling first, Sarfaraz Khan and Karun Nair put up a 181-run partnership for the third wicket to give India A the advantage after Day 1’s play.
Karun Nair, who last played a test match in 2017, continued his great form and completed his fifty in 85 balls.
Soon, Sarfraz Khan, who was dropped from the test squad, completed his fifty in 84 balls as well. When both batters were looking to get to the hundred mark first, Sarfraz was caught down the leg side on 92 off 119 balls and missed his ton.
Sarfaraz Khan gets dismissed 8 short of a well-deserved hundred.
Sarfaraz was looking good but was eventually caught down the leg side on 92.
Nair, who was dropped on 89 off Ajeet Singh Dale, completed his 24th first-class ton off 155 balls.
Post that, incoming batter Dhruv Jurel and Nair started smashing the bowlers and changed their gears. Nair reached the landmark of 150 in 205 balls while Jurel reached his fifty in just 68 balls.
At the end of Day 1 of the 4-day unofficial test match, Jurel remained unbeaten on 82 off 104 balls while Nair remained unbeaten on 186 from 246 balls, with India A finishing with 409/3.
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