England all-rounder Ben Stokes announced his retirement from the ODIs on Monday (July 18). He added that he will be playing his last ODI for England on Tuesday against South Africa in Durham. The current England Test captain's ODI career will forever be remembered for his Player-of-the-Match performance in the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's.

Also Read: Lendl Simmons announces his retirement from international cricket

Explaining his decision to retire, Stokes said that playing all three formats of the game is just unsustainable for him right now. It is important to note that Stokes was made the Test captain of England earlier this year.

"Three formats are just unsustainable for me now. Not only do I feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel that I am taking the place of another player who can give Jos and the rest of the team they all. It's time for someone else to progress as a cricketer and make incredible memories as I have over the past 11 years,"

Ben Stokes said in an official statement

"I will give everything I have to Test cricket, and now, with this decision, I feel I can also give my total commitment to the T20 format. I would like to wish Jos Buttler, Matthew Mott, the players, and the support staff every success going forward. We have made great strides in white-ball cricket over the past seven years, and the future looks bright," he added.

After making his ODI debut against Ireland in 2011, Stokes has scored 2919 runs, including three centuries, and taken 74 wickets.

He captained the ODI side during last summer's 3-0 Royal London Series victory against Pakistan. Moreover, he has been an inspirational leader.

"I know this must have been a tough decision": Rob Key on Ben stokes decision

"Ben Stokes has had an incredible international career in ODI cricket, culminating in his match-winning performance at the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final. I know this must have been a tough decision, but I completely understand why he has reached this conclusion."

Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, said

Read Also: Rohit Sharma: I want middle order to prepare for '10 for 3′ situations

"I'm sure that when we look back on Ben's career and see this as one of the reasons, he will play 120-plus Tests and help England in T20 matches and World Cups for many years to come. It is a typically selfless decision that will benefit England long-term," he added.

"Madness For Players": Nasser Hussain on ICC's current cricket schedule

Former England captain Nasser Hussain weighed said that the current cricket schedule is just "madness for players". His statement came after Ben stokes announces his retirement from ODIs.

"It is disappointing news, to say the least, but it is a reflection of where the cricketing schedule is at the moment. It's madness for players. If the ICC just keeps putting on ICC events and individual boards just keep filling the gaps with as much cricket as possible, eventually these cricketers will just say I'm done.

Stokes is done with one format aged 31, which can't be right, really. The schedule needs looking at, it is a bit of a joke at the moment,"

 Hussain told Sky Sports

Also Read: Babar Azam is the fastest Asian and 5th fastest overall to reach 10,000 international runs

"It looks like 50-over cricket is the one everyone is looking at because everyone loves Test match cricket and everyone loves T20 cricket. The IPL is getting a wider window, so that'll go on for even longer and players will pull out. South Africa has also pulled out of a bilateral series coming up in white-ball cricket which could cost them qualification to the World Cup, and that is a big deal," he added.

"It came as a surprise, to be honest. You thought he would be looked after, in terms of being rested from various white-ball tournaments and formats - he'd already announced he was going to miss white-ball series and The Hundred. To completely knock 50-over cricket on the head is a massive surprise."

Talking about Stokes' decision, Hussain said

After two days of exciting show auction in Jeddah, the ten Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises were able to pick their squad for the IPL 2025. Rishabh Pant came out as the most expensive player in IPL auction's history with a humongous INR 27 cr bid from Lucknow Super Giants while Shreyas Iyer was the first player ever to get a 25 cr plus deal in an IPL auction.

Shreyas Iyer, the IPL 2024 winning captain received a 26.75 cr bid from Punjab Kings, who had released most of their players during the retention and wanted a captain in their squad. Along with him, Punjab Kings with the highest money in the purse before the auction, were responsible for three of the top 10 most expensive bids. They first brought back their fast bowler Arshdeep Singh for INR 18 cr and after Shreyas Iyer's bid, they made Yuzvendra Chahal the most expensive spinner in IPL history.

Chahal, who everyone thought could go back to RCB, was eventually bought by Punjab Kings for a whooping INR 18 cr, which was the fourth-highest bid of the auction. Meantime, the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders surprised everyone after buying back Venkatesh Iyer for INR 23 cr. They nearly fought a bidding war with Royal Challengers Bangalore to bring him back to Eden Gardens.

Jos Buttler was another marquee player, who was supposed to be big in the auction and he was Gujarat Titan's highest bid of the season at INR 15.75 cr. KL Rahul, went to Delhi Capitals for INR 14 cr, which everyone thought was another case of RCB not going all-out for a player. 

Trent Boult reunited with Jasprit Bumrah at Mumbai Indians, after the five-time champions decided to spend most of their money on retaining their core group of players. The Kiwi pacer was sold for INR 12.5 cr. Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood also attracted the same amount of money from RCB, who were looking for a good fast bowler, after they let Mohammed Siraj go in the retention and auction as well. 

Top 10 most expensive players in IPL 2025 auction

After the 8 wickets defeat against New Zealand in the first test, India needs to win 5 out of seven tests to qualify for the World Test Championship final.

India is currently playing the second test against New Zealand at the Mumbai Cricket Association, where New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first.

Even after the defeat in the first test, India is enjoying the top position in the World Test Championship points table, with 68.06%.

However, New Zealand has moved up to fourth with 44.44%, creating additional pressure for India to perform well in the remaining fixtures.

India’s Road to Qualification

To ensure a place in the WTC final, the two-time runners-up India needs to win 5 out of 7 test matches. However, four wins will make them depend on the performance of other teams.

The remaining two matches in the 3-match test series against New Zealand are crucial, as they need to win to ease their way to the final, as India will face Australia in the next series.

India will tour Australia for the highly anticipated 5-match Border-Gavaskar-Trophy test series. Australia right now is in the second position with 62.50%.

Australia's performance against strong contenders will heavily impact the final standings.

Competition from Other Contenders

Australia, like India, needs four out of seven tests to qualify for the final. However, India must also keep an eye on South Africa and New Zealand, who are both vying for a top-two finish.

South Africa right now sits in the fourth position with 47.62%, with a chance to reach 69.44%. All they need to do is win at least 4 of their 5 remaining tests. Winning all of them, however, won't put them in the calculator situation.

🚨 WTC Final Alert:

With South Africa's win in Mirpur, 3 wins aren't enough for India now!

The race for the finals just got intense. Every match counts! 🇮🇳🏏#WTC2023 #Cricket #INDvNZ #rohitsharma #PatCummins #WTC #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/w74FOwdfBp

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) October 24, 2024

New Zealand too shares the same situation with the proteas. They will have to win all five of the remaining test series to hope for qualification. A dominant win against India in the first test may boost their confidence, as all the leftover tests are against India (two away remaining and three at home)

England, on the other hand, is in the sixth position with 43.06% and can only finish with a maximum of 60%. That means they will have to depend on the performance of other teams to qualify.

Read Also: ICC confirm venue and dates for World Test Championship 2025 final

Other Teams in the table

Teams like Pakistan, West Indies, and Bangladesh have already been eliminated from contention, as they cannot breach the 50% mark even if they win all their remaining matches.

Latest updated World Test Championship points table

The ICC Women's T20I World Cup was inaugurated in 2009. The top 10 teams participate in the tournament. Initially, eight teams participated, but the team count increased to 10 with days.

So far, 9 editions have been successfully conducted, with Australia winning 6 times in it.

The other three teams who turned out to be the winners are England, West Indies, and New Zealand.

Read Also: India's performance in every Women's T20 World Cup

Here is a summary of the winner since its inaugural version in 2009.

1| Australia

Australia has been the most dominating force in the World Cups, be it any format. A 5-time ICC Women's ODI World Cup Champion, Australia has won the ICC Women's T-20 World Cup six times.

An unprecedented exit from the 2024 Women's World Cup doesn't undermine the capabilities this team holds.

Here are the years Australia won their title.

2010—the maiden title

Led by  Alex Blackwell, Australia won its maiden title in the ICC Women's T20I World Cup, hosted by West Indies.

They remained undefeated throughout the tournament. In the semi-final, they defeated India by seven wickets. 

In a thrilling final, they edged past New Zealand by three runs. Ellyse Perry's 3/18 earned her Player of the Match.

2012—defended the title

Hosted by Sri Lanka, Australia defended their title there in 2012 under Jodie Fields. 

After finishing second in the group, they beat the West Indies women by 28 runs in the semi-final.

They defeated England by four runs in the final, with Julie Hunter taking the most wickets (11) in the tournament.

2014—third consecutive title

In 2014, Bangladesh hosted the tournament. Meg Lanning led Australia to a third consecutive Women’s T20 World Cup title.

Even though they lost their opening match, they bounced back to win five straight. They defeated the West Indies in the semi-final, defeating England in the final.

Lanning topped the run charts with 257 runs.

2018—title reclaimed

West Indies hosted the World Cup for the second time, with Australia winning it again in 2018.

Led by Meg Lanning, Australia won three group games but lost to India. However, they bounced back, defeating the West Indies by 71 runs in the semi-final and England by eight wickets in the final.

Ashleigh Gardner shone with 3/22 and 33 runs in the final.

2020—Win at home

Hosted by Australia itself, the team clinched their fifth title. Even though they suffered a shocking defeat against India, they went on to win the rest of the matches.

This included a narrow 5-run win against South Africa in the semi-final and a massive 85-run win against India at the MCG.

Beth Mooney (259 runs) won Player of the Tournament, with Megan Schutt taking 13 wickets.

2023—sixth title

In 2023, Australia won their sixth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title in South Africa, remaining undefeated.

They defeated India in the semi-final and South Africa by 19 runs in the final.

Beth Mooney’s 74* sealed the victory, and Ashleigh Gardner was Player of the Tournament.

2| England

England hosted the inaugural ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009. The hosts dominated the tournament, defeating New Zealand by six wickets.

Led by Charlotte Edwards, England maintained an unbeaten streak in the group stage and defeated Australia in the semi-final.

Claire Taylor was named Player of the Tournament for her impressive 199 runs in five innings. Captain Edwards also shone, earning two Player of the Match awards.

3| West Indies

In 2016, India hosted the World Cup, seeing West Indies win its maiden title. 

They ended Australia's winning streak by defeating them in the final by 8 wickets.

Led by captain Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies sealed a historic win with the captain leading from the front. Taylor scored 246 runs and took eight wickets, earning the Player of the Tournament award. 

In the final, Hayley Matthews played a crucial role, scoring a match-winning 66 off 45 balls, helping the West Indies chase down Australia’s total. 

4| New Zealand

The 2024 edition of the tournament, which was supposed to be organized in Bangladesh, was shifted to the United Arab Emirates due to the political unrest in the former.

New Zealand won their maiden ICC Women's T20 World Cup Trophy title in 2024, defeating South Africa in the final after defending 158/5.

Amelia Kerr, who took 15 wickets, was named Player of the Tournament. 

The 2024 Abu Dhabi T10 is back with more excitement and star-studded line-ups to entertain the fans. Famous power-hitting stars like Dinesh Karthik, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, and Marcus Stoinis are joining in. Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson are also there to bring the heat in.

Two New Teams Join the Fight

Earlier, the tournament played 8 teams, which got increased to 10 this year. This season sees two new teams: Bolts Ajman and UP Nawabs. More teams mean more action. The tournament is ready for high energy.

Defending Champs and Returning Teams

The defending champion New York Strikers will be back to protect their title. Apart from the Deccan Gladiators, others like the Northern Warriors and Delhi Bulls will be back in full strength. The Bengal Tigers and Team Abu Dhabi are also ready. Morrisville Samp Army will compete as well. The Chennai Brave Jaguars have a new name. They were formerly called The Chennai Braves.

Player Draft to Finalize Squads

Teams are doing their preparations after being done with their retentions and signings. The big Players Draft happens soon. It’s on October 17 at 6 pm UAE time. Over 400 players are up for grabs. Teams will finalize their lineups after this.

Disney Star will cover the event, airing in English and other languages. The tournament will be played from November 21 to December 2. The final will be played on UAE’s 53rd National Day at Zayed Cricket Stadium. The stadium will host until 2028. 

Team Retentions and signings

New York Strikers
New Signings: Matheesha Pathirana, Donovan Ferreira
Retentions: Kieron Pollard, Mohammad Amir, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hossain, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Jawadulla

Deccan Gladiators
New Signings: Jos Buttler, Anrich Nortje, Marcus Stoinis
Retentions: Maheesh Theekshana, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Tom Koher-Cadmore, Zahoor Khan

Delhi Bulls
New Signings: Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Wade
Retentions: Rovman Powell, Muhammad Rohid, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazlahaq Farooqi, James Vince

Team Abu Dhabi
New Signings: Jonny Bairstow, Lockie Ferguson, Shimron Hetmyer, AM Ghazanfar
Retentions: Phil Salt, Noor Ahmad, and Kyle Mayers

Northern Warriors
New Signings: Trent Boult, Finn Allen, Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Saqib Mahmood
Retentions: Colin Munro, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ankur Sangwan

Morrisville Samp Army
New Signings: David Willey, Imad Wasim
Retentions: Faf du Plessis, Qais Ahmad, Andries Gous

Bangla Tigers
New Signings: Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Iftikhar Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik
Retentions: Hazratullah Zazai, Dasun Shanaka, Joshua Little

Chennai Brave Jaguars
New Signings: Chris Lynn, Nuwan Thushara, Thisara Perera, Dan Lawrence, and Rassie van der Dussen
Retentions: Aayan Khan, George Munsey, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

UP Nawabs
New Signings: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, and André Fletcher

Bolts Ajman
New Signings: James Neesham, Mujheeb Ur Rahman, Lungi Ngidi, Gulbadin Naib, Haider Ali

Kamran Ghulam, the replacement of Babar Azam in the team, has scored a steady half-century in 104 balls, raising questions about Azam's future in the test team.

Having replaced former captain Babar Azam after a crushing defeat in the first Test against England, Ghulam walked onto the Multan pitch with immense pressure on his shoulders. When Pakistan looked on the verge of crumbling, he stood calm.

However, his celebratory flying kiss towards the dugout, making Mohammad Rizwan laugh, became the talk of the town. 

Babar Azam's replacement Kamran Ghulam gave flying kiss to Babar Azam after scoring fifty on Test debut 😂 🔔 Rizwan laughing 🤣#PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/CATGrTvysv

— Atmaram Tukaram Bhide (@BakchodBhide) October 15, 2024

Who Is Kamran Ghulam? The Man Behind the Flying Kiss

Kamran Ghulam, born on October 10, hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and made his first-class debut at just 17. His domestic career had enough volumes to give him his deserving seat in the national side. A prolific batter with over 4377 runs in 59 matches, averaging 49.17, however, had to wait patiently for his chance.

He represented Pakistan at the U19 World Cup in 2014 and made his international debut in an ODI against New Zealand last year. However, he did not get his chance to bat or ball in the match.

A Ravindra Jadeja fan, Ghulam stepped calmly in the trembling ship of Pakistan. His century was mostly formulated by targeting the spinners.

Babar Azam’s Exclusion: Sponsors in Search of Big Face

Babar Azam, the former captain, not being selected can look unexpected but not surprising. Let alone his face and brand value, his recent form wasn't doing enough to keep him in the playing 11.

Despite being hailed as Pakistan’s best batter by captain Shan Masood and coach Jason Gillespie, the selection committee, headed by Mohsin Naqvi, recommended Babar’s exclusion following his prolonged form slump.

Babar, since December 2022, has not even scored a single half century in international cricket. Not only that, but the early exit of Pakistan from the 2023 ODI World Cup had brought his captaincy under scrutiny.

Read Also: Babar Azam Resigns as Pakistan's White-Ball Captain for the second time 

No.of Fifties by Babar Azam in last 2 years - 0

No.of Fifties by Kamran Ghulam in just 1 match - 1 pic.twitter.com/7jRuR4o4A8

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) October 15, 2024

Gillespie had stressed the need for consistency in team selection, but Babar probably got the instruction wrong. A consistently inconsistent Babar Azam scored 35 runs across two innings in the first Test against England.

Babar Azam career ends here

Replacement of Babar Azam score half century on used pitch.#PAKvsENG pic.twitter.com/GW6mZ18lhr

— Ctrl C Ctrl Memes (@Ctrlmemes_) October 15, 2024

Kamran Ghulam was brought in, not just as a replacement but as a fresh face to revive Pakistan’s batting fortunes.

But sponsors here will now have problems. Babar Azam, performing or not performing, has been the dead face for endorsements. With Babar Azam sidelined, it is a new tension for them, a new problem for them to solve.