Former Australian captain Aaron Finch wants the ODIs should be reduced to 40 overs per side since the speed of 50-over is too slow and does not draw attention of the crowds. Despite the success of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, there has been a lot of debate around the future of ODIs. With ICC T20 World Cup coming this year, a lot of bilateral series worldwide, even involving big teams, are failing to draw attention of the fans all around the globe.
Finch said, "I think it goes to 40 overs, I would love to see that. In England, they used to have the pro-40 and that was a huge competition. I think the game has gone too long, in my opinion. The speed that the teams bowl their 50 overs is so slow, it's down around 11 or 12 overs/hour and that is not acceptable. People will argue that maybe it is a glorified T20 game but it is about the crowds," in a video by ESPNCricinfo.
But, Finch does not want this idea to be used during the matches of big teams. The former Aussie skipper thinks that this idea can help the likes of struggling West Indies side, who did not even qualify for the Cricket World Cup last year.
"I am not quite sold on that for every series. I think when you have got the big dogs all playing against each other, I still think the 50-over game's electric, and the ebbs and flows are wonderful but when they are so one-sided, when you have got the West Indies... who are trying to fight their way back into the World Cup, they are so off the track, I think 40 overs might suit that type of series, it might bring them closer together," he concluded.
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell announced his retirement from ODI cricket on Monday, ending his 13-year-long ODI career. However, he will continue to play T20I cricket. Maxwell has taken this decision to prioritise the T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka in 2026, the Big Bash League and his other global cricket.
Let's take a look at all the records of Glenn Maxwell in ODI cricket.
Maxwell's ODI career
Glenn Maxwell scored 3,990 runs in his ODI career at an average of 33.81, with his highest score being 201 not out. He scored four centuries and 23 half-centuries. In bowling, he took 77 wickets at an average of 47.32, with his best performance being 4/40. Maxwell played 149 ODIs for Australia.
In the 2023 World Cup, Maxwell made the record for scoring the fastest century in World Cup history by scoring a century in just 40 balls against the Netherlands. Apart from this, he also created a stir in the cricket world by playing an innings of 201 runs against Afghanistan.
All the records of Glenn Maxwell in ODI cricket
Highest Individual score in an ODI run-chase: Glenn Maxwell scored an unbeaten 201 in the 292-run chase against Afghanistan during the World Cup 2023. This is the highest individual score by any batter in a run chase in ODIs. He also became the first ever Australian player to score a double-century in the format.
Fastest ODI century for Australia: Glenn Maxwell smashed a century off just 40 balls against the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi during the World Cup in 2023. This is the fastest century for Australia in their ODI cricket history.
Highest career strike-rate: Glenn Maxwell retires from ODIs with a career strike-rate of 126.70, the highest for any player in the world who has played 100 or more ODIs. Among all players, Maxwell finishes with the second highest strike rate with Andre Russell on top, who strikes at 130.22 in 56 ODIs.
Most centuries in the World Cup while batting at no.5 or below: Glenn Maxwell scored three centuries in the World Cup during his illustrious ODI career. These are the most for any batter in World Cup history while batting at no.5 or below.
Second fastest double century in ODIs: Glenn Maxwell smashed the second-fastest double century in ODIs. He reached the 200-run mark against Afghanistan in World Cup off just 128 balls with the fastest being from 126 balls by Ishan Kishan against Bangladesh in 2022.
Third most sixes in World Cup history: Glenn Maxwell finished his career with 43 sixes in the World Cup, the third most behind Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle. During the World Cup in 2023, he went past David Warner to become the leading six-hitter for Australia in the format.
Second most sixes for Australia in ODIs: Glenn Maxwell finished with 155 sixes in ODIs, second most maximums for Australia in the format, only behind Ricky Ponting who smacked 159 sixes.
If anyone has followed cricket casually over the last decade, they're likely familiar with four key names: former Indian captain Virat Kohli, batting genius Steve Smith, English great Joe Root, and New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer Kane Williamson.
They together are known as the 'Fab Four' in the modern era of cricket.
Each of them has set new benchmarks for performance, continually pushing one another to enhance their skills. These four batsmen have not only dominated the world of cricket but have also met the expectations of their respective nations.
In this article, we will examine the statistics of the Fab Four across all formats.
Fav Four in cricket: How many runs & centuries have they scored in International Cricket?
Virat Kohli has been the most prolific all-format batter among the fav-four. Kohli, till now in his 550 international games, has scored 27,599 runs with an outstanding average of 52.27. His record of 82 international centuries is only second to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 international centuries.
Joe Root comes in second among them with 20,724 runs so far for England across formats. However, undoubtedly, he has been the best test batter of his generation with 12972 test runs, which sets him as the highest test run scorer for England. Root has also scored 53 international hundreds, of which 36 came in tests only.
Kane Williamson, New Zealand's highest runscorer in international cricket, comes at number three in terms of international runs among the fav four. The former Kiwi leader has scored 19,086 runs so far in his career at an average of 48.56. Kane is now only two short of reaching 50 international hundreds.
Aussie great Steven Smith comes at four with 17,165 runs at an average of 47.81. A late bloomer with the bat, Smith has been outstanding for Australia in tests and ODIs. Along with Root, Smith has also been one of the greatest test batters of this generation.
Here is a comparison of international stats of the fav four.
Tri-Nation Series 2025: India vs South Africa Women's ODI Match Report | India storms into final with a phenomenal victory
India secured a spectacular victory against South Africa by 23 runs in the fifth match of Women's ODI Tri-series 2025 at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. This made India reach 6 points to end at the top of points table and guarantee their place in the final.
India won by 23 runs in their second encounter with South Africa in Tri-Nation ODI Series 2025. With a spectacular century from Jemimah Rodrigues and two half centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma, India posted a huge total of 337 runs, batting first.
They comfortably defended their total in the second innings, restricting South Africa to only 314 runs with a fall of 7 wickets. Amanjot Kaur played a key role in India's bowling attack by taking crucial wickets that helped in collapsing South Africa’s top-order.
India's batting supremacy in the first innings
Jemimah Rodrigues celebrates her second ODI century in the Tri-series match against SA-W. Image | ESPNcricinfo
India lost the toss and were put to bat first, which did not seem to bother them, as the batters completely owned the first inning. Their batting line-up dominated the entire inning till the very last ball. Even though Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol did not have any luck with the bat today, Smriti Mandhana, on the other hand, gave a steady start to the team.
The queen of consistency, Smriti, scored a much-needed 51 off 63 balls, accompanied by a stunning cameo from Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored 28 runs from 20 balls. The real game changer was Jemimah Rodrigues and her spectacular knock of 123 from 101 balls which led the foundation for India towards a defendable total.
Then came another sensational knock from Deepti Sharma, who scored a classy 93 runs (from 84 balls) and played beautifully till the last over.
A series of powerful batting performances, with blazing boundaries and a solid start led India to this commendable total of 337 runs, which nearly seemed impossible after the fall of early wickets.
Deepti Sharma celebrating the dismissal of Chloe Tryon in the 49th over. Image | ESPNcricinfo
India made two changes ahead of the game, by handing debut to the left arm spinner, Shuchi Upadhyay, and bringing back Amanjot Kaur in the playing XI. The changes were in the favour of India, especially with Amanjot Kaur’s three-wicket haul.
Kaur picked up three crucial wickets by dismissing the opening pair with an economy less than 7. The early breakthrough was important as Lara Goodall and Tazmin Brits are the key batters and their partnership build-up could have been a trouble for India in the later stage. She also took the game-changer wicket of Annerie Dercksen in the 46th over, who was explosively taking the asking rate down with her batting.
Other players like Deepti Sharma picked 2 major wickets by bowling a tight line and length, and restricting the run-flow. Sree Charani and Pratika Rawal also took a wicket each.
South Africa’s chase in a must-win scenario
Annerie Dercksen during her knock of 81 runs from 80 balls. Image | Instagram
South Africa’s captain, Laura Wolvaardt, did not play in today's match, and as a result, Chloe Tryon was handed the captaincy. SA failed to hold momentum in the game, despite great efforts from Annerie Dercksen, who scored 81 runs off 80 balls.
Even though they managed to take up 9 wickets in the first innings, the bowling unit was overall expensive today. Having a target of 338 runs on board required a good start in the second innings which completely fell short. The fall of early wickets led to top-order collapse, causing difficulties in building long-term partnerships.
The 72-runs partnership between Dercksen and Chloe Tryon, and the 67 runs (from 43 balls) knock from the skipper kept them alive in the game, but Indian bowlers sealed the victory towards the end.
India seals final spot after today's victory, South Africa’s journey ends
India secured their place in the Tri-Nation ODI series final with 3 wins out of 4 matches (6 points total). They will face Sri Lanka in the finals on 11th May, 2025, at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.
As for South Africa, another loss today led them to zero points after 3 matches. They will face Sri Lanka in their last match of this series, and winning that will get them to a maximum of 2 points. Therefore, today's match result confirmed South Africa’s Tri-series exit.
Score Summary
IND-W: 337/9 (50) | Jemimah Rodrigues 123; N. de Klerk 9-54-2
Tri-Nation Series 2025: India vs Sri Lanka Women's ODI Match Report | Dominant India registers easy victory on Sri Lankan soil
India defeated Sri Lanka by 9 wickets in the rain-affected opening match of the Tri-Nation ODI series with stellar bowling and batting performances, including a half-century from Pratika Rawal and valuable knocks from Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol.
India started the Tri-Nation Women's ODI series with a winning note as they defeated the host Sri Lanka by 9 wickets. India chased down Sri Lanka's 148-run target with 56 balls remaining in the match after Indian spinners dominated the Sri Lankan batters in the first innings.
The match was initially interrupted by rain which resulted in the loss of overs, reducing to 39 overs a side. Indian announced their arrival with an impressively controlled victory at the R. Premadasa Stadium stadium, Colombo.
Indian spinners dominated the game from the start
The Sri Lankan team, batting first, struggled to build partnership and were bowled out for 147 in 38.1 overs. Indian bowlers dominated the entire first inning with Arundhati Reddy dismissing the Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu and getting an early wicket for the team. It followed by an exceptional bowling performance leading to a constant flow of wickets, which completely shattered Sri Lanka’s batting line-up.
Sneh Rana during her 3-wicket haul in the first match of Tri-Nation ODI Series IND-W vs SL-W. Image | Instagram
Sneh Rana was a star performer, who took 3 crucial wickets for India, with Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani taking 2 wickets each. Additionally, the on-field efforts of the Indian team was commendable in today's match.
During the second inning, India started off comfortably with the bat, without trying to rush things out. The opening pair, Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, formed a partnership of 54 runs for the first wicket. Smriti Mandhana missed out on her 31st ODI half-century and was dismissed at 43 (off 46 balls).
Harleen Deol came to bat next and played composed cricket, scoring 48 runs from 71 balls. Sri Lanka failed to take more wickets, and Harleen Deol sealed the win for India with her exceptional half-century from 62 balls.
Both teams fielded 2 debutants
Sree Charani and Kashvee Gautam before their debut for India in the ODI Tri-series against Sri Lanka. Image | Instagram
Kashvee Gautam (22-year-old), who impressed the fans with her bowling for Gujarat Giants in the WPL 2025, along with the star of Delhi Capitals, Sree Charani (20-year-old), made their Internationaldebut for India in this match. Charani picked up 2 wickets with an economy of 3.25 in today's match.
Sri Lanka also handed debuts to Malki Madara and Piumi Badalge.
India's shield-like batting power
Pratika Rawal and Harleen Kaur during their partnership of 87 runs from 119 balls against Sri Lanka. Image | Instagram
The Indian batters showcased an amazing quality of batting in this format. Smriti Mandhana, along with Pratika Rawal, provided a good start in the initial overs. They kept the flow of runs going with their bat. Smriti departed at 43 (from 46 balls) while trying to loft the ball over the bowler (Inoka Ranaweera), and wasn't lucky enough to make it through.
Harleen Deol stepped in after the wicket and made no mistakes, adding 48 runs off 71 balls from her bat. Pratika Rawal scored 50 off 62 balls, putting the winning runs on the board for India.
It felt like Indian batters were quite difficult to get out and stood up like solid walls, without losing their wickets.
Steady headstart for India
India's win has lift up the team's spirit and confidence to another level. This was also a glimpse of the solid form and composure that the players hold in this Tri-series squad.
In today's match, each bowler had an economy below 5, and the batters were incredible in chasing down the total, without losing many wickets.
The challenge ahead for Sri Lanka
This defeat against India serves as a reminder for Sri Lanka to assess and improve their shortcomings. They failed to build partnership throughout the game, which led to a low total on the board. Hasini Perera's 30 from 46 balls was the highest score by a Sri Lankan batter in this match.
Immediate Reflections and Long-term Goals
This being the ODI World Cup year, the immediate reflections for both the teams would be to shape their strategies, set grounds and make effective adjustments with the stage of the Tri-Nation ODI series among India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.
Ranji Trophy was founded as the 'Cricket Championship of India' at a meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in July 1934. The first Ranji Trophy fixtures took place in the 1934-35 season.
Mumbai are the most successful state in Ranji's history, winning 42 titles, including 15 consecutive trophies between 1958 and 1973. Here is the Ranji Trophy winners list since the inaugural season.
Mumbai - The most successful team in the Ranji Trophy
Mumbai with the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy. Image | PTI
Mumbai are the most successful first-class team in Indian domestic cricket across different competitions. They have won the Ranji Trophy title a total of 42 times and also won the inaugural season of this prestigious tournament.
Mumbai won seven out of the first 20 seasons and then between the 1950s and 1970s, they won 20 out of 22 titles in the Ranji Trophy. Mumbai's latest title came in the 2023-24 season.
Karanataka players after winning their second consecutive Ranji Trophy title in 2014-15 season. Image | PTI
After Mumbai, Karnataka have won the most Ranji Trophies (8) followed by Delhi (7), Baroda (5), and Madhya Pradesh (5). Karnataka have been part of the tournament since the inaugural season. They had to wait until the 1973-74 edition to lift their maiden title. Their latest win came in the 2014-15 edition.
Delhi won their maiden Ranji title in 1978-79 and their most recent win came in the 2007-08 edition while Baroda made their first-class debut in 1937 and won their maiden title in 1942-43.
Madhya Pradesh have also won five titles after their debut in the 1941 season. They won their first Ranji title in 1945-46, defeating Baroda in the finals.
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