It is said that the game is never dependent on the age of the player. James Anderson is an example of this in cricket. If age was the yardstick to measure the stature of a player, then the high command of cricket would not have been saluting him. James Anderson of England would not have been on the number one position again. The ICC has released the latest ICC Test rankings and has placed Anderson on top of the list of bowlers. He got the first position with 866 rating points.
At an age when other players are contemplating retirement, legendary England fast bowler James Anderson is creating history. In the latest ICC Test rankings, Anderson has jumped to number one. He has got the benefit of an amazing performance in the Day-Night Test against New Zealand. At the same time, Ravichandran Ashwin has also reached the second number by climbing up 2 places. He has got the reward of an excellent performance in the Test series against Australia. However, amidst this advantage to Anderson and Ashwin, Pat Cummins has suffered. He has now slipped from the first to the third position in the ICC Test rankings.
Anderson took seven wickets against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui last week as England won the match by 267 runs. On the basis of this performance, Anderson has once again topped the ICC Test rankings at the age of 40.
This is the sixth time that Anderson, who made his debut in 2003, has topped the ICC Test rankings. He reached the number-one spot in the ICC Test rankings for the first time in May 2016. After this, in 2018, he was the top Test bowler for five months. After this Kagiso Rabada removed him. Now Anderson has made a strong comeback again. He is behind only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne in terms of taking the most wickets in Tests. Anderson has 682 Test wickets, Shane Warne has 708 and Muttiah Muralitharan has taken 800 Test wickets.
Meanwhile, Ollie Robinson, the fourth-ranked bowler, saw a jump in his rating points. He has 820 points, while Team India's injured fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is the fifth-best bowler with 795 points.
Bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, and more, have dominated the WTC 2023-25 cycle. Discover the highest wicket-takers in WTC 2023-25 and get their stats and best bowling figures.
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 in the World Test Championship 2023-2025. Image | Instagram
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.
Pat Cummins in the World Test Championship 2023-2025. Image | BBC
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.
Mitchell Starc in the World Test Championship 2023-2025. Image | Instagram
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
Span
Matches
Innings
Balls
Overs
Maidens
Runs
Wickets
BBI
Avg
Economy
SR
2023-2025
18
35
3062
510.2
77
1964
72
6/48
27.27
3.84
42.52
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.
After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.
Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.
The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.
India will play New Zealand twice
India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.
It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.
India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026
In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.
The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's breathtaking 13-ball half century stands strong at the top of the table. Get ready to be thrilled as we dive into the top 10 fastest fifties in IPL history.
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 during his half-century knock off 16 balls against Punjab. Image | ESPNcricinfo
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!
Jake Fraser-McGurk celebrating his 15-balls half century against SRH in IPL 2024. Image | NDTV
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.
Nicholas Pooran's iconic celebration after his fastest half century against RCB in IPL 2023. Image | BBC
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
Sunil Narine celebrates his fastest fifty against RCB in IPL 2017. Image | Hindustan Times
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 after his fastest fifty off 15 balls against SRH. Image | Ani News
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.
Romario Shepherd hitting the ball hard for a six during the match of RCB vs CSK in IPL 2025. Image | OneCricket
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
Pat Cummins celebrating his fastest 50 off 14 balls for KKR in IPL 2022. Image | Pinterest
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 celebrates his heroic fifty in just 14 balls against DC. Image | Instagram
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.
Yashasvi Jaiswal during his record-breaking fastest fifty in the history of IPL. Image | Pinterest
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.
ICC Anounces Venue and Key Dates for The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 England
ICC has confirmed seven venues that will host the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in England next year, with the Lord's Cricket Ground set as the venue for the Final.
The ICChas officially announced that the Final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on 5th July. The news was shared during a special launch event at Lord’s on 1st May.
Alongside this major reveal, it was confirmed that the matches will also be played at other popular venues across England, including Edgbaston, the Hampshire Bowl, Headingley, Old Trafford, The Oval, and the Bristol County Ground.
The tournament is set to kick off on 12th June and will run for 24 days, featuring a total of 33 matches leading up to the highly anticipated final at Lord’s. The complete match schedule is expected to be released soon.
All the confirmed venues for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. Image | ICC
Featuring a record 12 teams, the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history. With two more teams than the previous edition, fans can expect fierce competition as the world’s top sides battle it out for the title.
Qualified Teams for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026
England (Host)
Australia
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Four additional teams will join them through the Qualifier scheduled next year.
The 12 teams will be split into two groups of six for the group stage, followed by the knockout rounds and finals.
Official Statement
ICC Chairman Jay Shah opened up about the tournament, saying, "The confirmation of venues represents a defining moment as we build towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026"
"The sell-out Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 remains a landmark in the rise of the women’s game, and I cannot think of a more fitting stage for the final."
"As we turn our focus to preparing for the tournament, we are excited by the promise of thrilling T20 action that will not only captivate fans here but also serve as a showcase for cricket’s return on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles 2028."
Legacy
New Zealand Women's Cricket Team celebrating their 1st title defeating South Africa in the final. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Moving on from the most recent edition, hosted by Bangladesh in the UAE in 2024, saw New Zealandclaim their first-ever title, defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the final.
The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup will mark the milestone 10th edition of the tournament, which began in 2009.
SRH's poor performance and playoff hopes in IPL 2025: Can they rise?
Sunrisers Hyderabad are having a disappointing season with just 3 wins in 9 games. Check out the detailed analysis of SRH’s poor performance and playoff hopes in IPL 2025.
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
Ishan Kishan celebrating his phenomenal century in their first match of IPL 2025 against RR. Image | Instagram
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.
Pat Cummins after his dismissal in the 5-wicket loss against LSG. Image | News18
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
Abhishek Sharma pulling off his unique "note" celebration after scoring a century against PBKS in IPL 2025. Image | Mid-day
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.
Post-match scene after SRH lost to Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. Image | Aaj Tak
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
Nitish K. Reddy and Kamindu Mendis hugs to celebrate after securing the crucial 2 points by defeating CSK in Chepauk. Image | Instagram
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.
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.