After the India series, West Indies will host New Zealand for three T20Is and three ODIs. The brief tour starts on August 10 and it comes to a close on the 21st of that month. The tour kicks off with the T20I series, with the first T20I scheduled to be played on August 10.

Also Read: WI vs IND: Most ODI Runs by Indians against West Indies in West Indies

Meanwhile, the second and third T20I will kick off on August 12 and 14 respectively. All games of the T20I series will be played at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica.

On the other hand, the first, second and third ODI will kick off on August 17, 19, and 21 respectively. All three games of the ODI series will be played at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, and Barbados.

Notably, this is New Zealand's first ever tour to West Indies in eight years. Kane Williamson is back to lead the team. The last time the Black Caps toured the Caribbean islands was back in 2014.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced the ODI and T20I squad for the West Indies tour. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson will lead the 15-member squad which comprises experienced players.

The likes of Martin Guptill, Trent Boult, and Tim Southee have been added to the squad. Moreover, new players including Finn Allen and Michael Bracewell have also been included in the lineup.

T20I and ODI squad of New Zealand

Kane Williamson (C)
Finn Allen
Trent Boult
Michael Bracewell
Devon Conway
Lockie Ferguson
Martin Guptill
Matt Henry
Tom Latham
Daryl Mitchell
Jimmy Neesham
Glenn Phillips
Mitchell Santner
Ish Sodhi
Tim Southee

Read Also: Highest score in first-class cricket by any player

However, West Indies are currently a bit busy playing the white-ball series against the Men in Blue at home. India's tour of the West Indies comprises three ODIs and five T20Is. The tour kick-started on July 22 with the ODI series and comes to a close on August 7.

The 2025 IPL season has delivered a brutal reality check for Rishabh Pant. After being picked up by LSG for 27 crore, he turned out to be the most expensive flop of this season.

Can a player sustain an international career after such disappointing performance? Is Rishabh Pant's T20I career nearly over after a horrific IPL 2025?

Let's dive into the cold facts.

The disappointing IPL 2025 numbers 

Rishabh Pant was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants as the most expensive player in IPL history for ₹27 crore, which proved to be totally not worth it. He only managed to score 151 runs in 13 matches with an average of 13.73 and a strike rate barely crossing 107.

He is the lowest scorer among all the LSG batters in IPL 2025. Apart from batting performance, he also failed as a captain. The team only won 6 matches out of 13 and lost their playoffs berth under Pant's captaincy.

Pant's questionable descision-making, poor shot selections, and a complete lack of form did not justify the big price tag ahead in the auction.

Read Also: Expensive flops? Rishabh Pant and Venkatesh Iyer's IPL 2025 disappointments

Rishabh Pant stats in IPL 2025

• vs DC: 0 runs (6 balls)
• vs SRH: 15 runs (15 balls)
• vs PBKS: 2 runs (5 balls)
• vs MI: 2 runs (6 balls)
• vs KKR: 0 runs (0 balls)
• vs GT: 21 runs (18 balls)
• vs CSK: 63 runs (49 balls)
• vs RR: 3 runs (9 balls)
• vs DC: 0 runs (0 balls)
• vs MI: 4 runs (2 balls)
• vs PBKS: 18 runs (17 balls)
• vs SRH: 7 runs (6 balls)
• vs GT: 16* runs (6 balls)

The T20I context: India's current pool and future outlook

Rishabh Pant's position is now critically questionable as India's T20 squad selection prioritizes consistency in batting, high strike rates, and adaptable wicket-keeping.

The current pool of contenders are highly competitive and has the potential to outperform Pant.

Read Also: BCCI Central Contract 2025: Talking points from BCCI's contract announcement

The wicket-keeper batsman contenders

• KL Rahul: His current form in IPL 2025 is magnificent and he has consistently performed well for the team. Rahul's ability to anchor and accelerate has again brought him into T20I contention.
• Sanju Samson: Yet another prime contender with high experience and quality performance. He also holds the ability to blend well into the format.
• Dhruv Jurel: A promising young talent who also has the ability to make impactful finish for the team.
• Ishan Kishan: The pocket dynamo who started his IPL 2025 season with a phenomenal century, and gained his spot in BCCI's central contract (2025), is another strong contender.

Where Rishabh Pant fits (or doesn't fit):

Following the poor performance of Rishabh Pant, several known names have speculated about his mental state and his inability to deal pressure. The former Indian cricketer, Kris Srikkanth, also suggested that Pant should consider taking a break from his format.

Read Also: Most Player of the Match awards in T20I cricket history

The modern T20 format demands a lot of things that Pant is completely missing:

• Insufficient strike rate 
• Lack of clarity in shot-making
• Inability to convert build innings 
• Diminished reliability as wicketkeeper-batter
• No longer an unique left-handed power option 
• Difficulty handling run-rate pressure 

Pant is missing the "X-factor" that he once possessed. Therefore, unless his form significantly improves soon and makes a comeback, his T20 career is effectively over.

Scoring a century in any form of cricket is a moment of glory, but in the fast-paced format of T20s, it gets more exciting to watch. Numerous cricketers have consistently proved themselves in this format by delivering spectacular tons.

The list goes deep as we have such power-hitters from around the globe!

Join us as we explore the list of players with most centuries in WT20Is and celebrate their glorious innings.

1. Esha Oza (4 centuries) | UAE

The current captain of UAE, Esha Oza, holds the record for most centuries in WT20Is with 4 centuries in her T20 career so far. This Indian-born cricketer made her debut in T20Is in 2018 and reached this milestone extremely fast.

She is also the fastest player from UAE to reach 1000 runs in T20Is. Her fourth century in T20Is came against Qatar in the Asia Cup qualifier, where she led her team to a brilliant victory.

Read Also: Top 10 fastest centuries in Women's T20Is

Esha Oza stats in WT20Is

2. Chamari Athapaththu (3 centuries) | Sri Lanka

Chamari Athapaththu, the current captain of Sri Lanka national team, holds the 2nd position in this list with her 3 centuries in WT20Is. She is one of the finest cricketers from Sri Lanka and led them to win the 2024 Asia Cup.

Chamari scored her first hundred in T20Is in 2019 against Australia. She scored the other following centuries in 2024 against Scotland and Malaysia.

Read Also: England or Australia? Which team has won more Women's Ashes?

Chamari Athapaththu stats in WT20Is

3. Fatuma Kibasu (3 centuries) | Tanzania 

The former captain of Tanzania, Fatuma Kibasu, holds the 3rd position with her 3 centuries in WT20Is. She is the only Tanzanian woman to score a century at international level so far, and holds the highest individual score for her country in WT20Is.

Fatuma made her T20 debut in 2019 and played magnificently ever since!

Fatuma Kibasu stats in WT20Is

Read Also: Most WT20I runs in a calendar year

Other players with 2 centuries in WT20Is 

Here's a list of players who scored 2 centuries in WT20Is and comes in the list following the TOP 3.

Cricket has always been a bridge across cultures, a phenomenon that connects players with fans from all around the world. Situations often force people to migrate from one country to the other. There have been instances when cricketers were born in different nations but ultimately played for a different country.

Let's take a look at the cricket facts of cricketers who didn't play for their country.

Also Read: "Wear whites for Virat": RCB fans in Bengaluru to wear white for Virat Kohli Test tribute

Cricket Facts | Cricketers who didn't play for their country

5. Glenn Phillips (South Africa-born)

New Zealand cricket all-rounder Glenn Philips moved from East London, South Africa to New Zealand at the age of five. He pursued his education in New Zealand, where he began his cricket journey. Having made his domestic debut with Auckland, he signed with Otago to play alongside his brother, Dale Phillips, in 2022. Interestingly, he made his international debut against South Africa, the country where he was born.

4. Ish Sodhi (India-born)

Inderbir Singh 'Ish' Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, India, on October 31, 1992, and spent his early years in New Zealand. He made his New Zealand debut as a leg-spinner in 2013, and since then, he has been a reliable performer in limited-overs forms, contributing significantly to the country's T20 World Cup campaigns.

3. Devon Conway (South Africa-born)

After playing for Gauteng and the Highveld Lions, Devon Conway moved to New Zealand in 2017 and made an immediate impact. He was the leading run-scorer in both the 2018-19 Plunket Shield (659) and 2018-19 Super Smash (363). Conway became eligible to play for New Zealand in August 2020 and has since become a key player for them across all formats. He averages 36.72 after 27 Tests and has also made 36 ODI and 50 T20I appearances.

2. Marnus Labuschagne (South Africa-born)

Marnus Labuschagne was born in Klerksdorp, in South Africa. His family moved to Australia when he was 10. Labuschagne made his Australia debut in Tests in 2018, after Steve Smith suffered an injury during the Ashes tour. Since then the prolific batter has emulated the batting prowess of his best friend and has not looked back. 

Speaking of his impressive international cricket career for Australia, Marnus Labuschagne has played 57 Tests, scoring 4396 runs with 11 centuries, and played 63 ODIs, scoring 1869 runs with two centuries. He has also played one T20I match.

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

1. Ben Stokes (New Zealand-born)

Ben Stokes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in June 1991. His family moved to Cumbria when Stokes was 12 years old after his father was appointed head coach at Workington Town Rugby League Club.

Stokes has played for England in all three formats. Stokes is regarded as one of England's greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues around the world. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.

As IPL 2025 faced disruptions and was suspended on 9th May, 2025, most of the overseas players returned back to their respective home countries.

The tournament is set to resume from 17th May, 2025, and it raises a crucial question about how many overseas players can rejoin their franchises.

Given their international commitments and other issues, check out the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament in IPL 2025 for each team.

IPL 2025 Points Table

Firstly, see where each team stands before the tournament resumes.

Read Also: Top 5 underrated players in IPL 2025

Overseas players return status for the remainder of IPL 2025

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.