Here are all the records made by Mohammed Shami in the India vs New Zealand 1st Semi-final of ICC World Cup 2023 in Mumbai.

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The 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual award, is set to take place on Monday, September 22, 2025, at the iconic Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

This celebrated event, presented annually by France Football since 1956, honours the world’s finest football talent for their exceptional performances on the pitch.

Expanded Categories for 2025

In a groundbreaking move, the 2025 Ballon d’Or will introduce three new categories dedicated to celebrating the achievements of female players, marking a significant step toward gender equality in football recognition.

The full list of awards for 2025 includes:

• Men’s Ballon d’Or and Women’s Ballon d’Or: Honouring the best male and female players.
• Men’s Kopa Trophy and Women’s Kopa Trophy: Recognising the best young male and female players.
• Men’s Yashin Trophy and Women’s Yashin Trophy: Awarded to the top male and female goalkeepers.
• Men’s Gerd Müller Trophy and Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy: Celebrating the leading goal scorers in club and national team competitions.
• Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy and Women’s Johan Cruyff Trophy: Honouring the best coaches in club and national team football.
• Men’s Club of the Year and Women’s Club of the Year: Recognising the top-performing clubs.
• Sócrates Award: Presented by L’Équipe and Peace and Sport, this award celebrates a player’s solidarity actions or contributions to societal causes.

The nominees for these prestigious awards will be announced in early August 2025. 

As the IPL 2025 season nears its climax on May 19, 2025, the playoff picture is almost complete. Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Punjab Kings have secured their spots in the top four, leaving one final slot up for grabs.

The race for the fourth position is heating up, with Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) battling it out for that one position.

Read Also | IPL Table toppers: IPL Playoffs teams from 2008 to 2024

Current Standings

• Mumbai Indians: 14 points from 12 games (NRR: 1.156)
• Delhi Capitals: 13 points from 12 games
• Lucknow Super Giants: 10 points from 11 games

Upcoming Fixtures

The outcome of the following matches will determine who claims the final playoff spot:

• MI vs. DC (May 21, 2025)
• MI vs. PBKS
• DC vs. PBKS
• LSG vs. SRH (May 19, 2025), GT, and RCB

Qualification Scenarios

Who Will Make It?

Mumbai Indians are currently favoured to clinch the final playoff spot, thanks to their higher points tally and strong net run rate.

The upcoming MI vs. DC clash on May 21 is being dubbed a virtual knockout, as the winner will gain a significant advantage. However, LSG’s three remaining games give them a slim chance to stage a dramatic comeback, provided they can upset strong teams like GT and RCB.

In a highly competitive tournament like IPL, every match counts. The pressure intensifies during playoffs and Eliminator is one such example of an high-pressure knockout match. 

From close defeats to disappointing ones, want to know which teams could not manage to survive this round the most times?

Here's the teams with most IPL Eliminator defeats.

Introduction of Eliminator in IPL

IPL's playoff format expanded in 2011 with introduction of Eliminator and Qualifier matches. The previous 3 seasons consisted of two semi-finals, involving the top 4 teams.

The introduction of Eliminator added another layer of excitement and intensity to the game ever since.

Read Also: Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

Teams with most IPL Eliminator defeats

Plenty of teams consistently made their ways to Eliminator by ending up in the 3rd or 4th place in league stage, but only few could make it to the next round.

We have 2 franchises with equal number of defeats in here.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (3 defeats)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are yet to have their fairytale ending in IPL. They appeared in Eliminator 5 times and lost thrice out of them, which is most number of defeats by a team in IPL Eliminator.

• IPL 2020: lost to SRH by 6 wickets
• IPL 2021: lost to KKR by 4 wickets
• IPL 2024: lost to RR by 4 wickets 

Sunrisers Hyderabad (3 defeats)

Sunrisers Hyderabad shares the joint position with RCB for having equal number of IPL Eliminator defeats. They also played 5 Eliminator matches, and lost 3 out of them.

• IPL 2013: lost to RR by 4 wickets 
• IPL 2017: lost to KKR by 7 wickets 
• IPL 2019: lost to DC by 2 wickets

Read Also: Highest individual scores by players in IPL playoffs

Other teams with more than one defeat in IPL Eliminator

Abdul Monayem is a name that will go down in the history of Kolkata Club Cricket without any doubt. The former fast bowler joined Bhowanipur Club as a coach in 2009-10, when the team had just been promoted to the first division. Since then, he has helped them win three league titles along with multiple trophies.

Not only that, he helped East Bengal win the P.Sen trophy this season and qualify for the league final after nearly ten years. 

Monayem retires from club coaching 

After spending 20 years in club cricket and emerging as one of the most successful club coaches, Abdul Monayem decided to retire from club coaching. 

But why? 

Monayem answered the reason, along with sharing his future goal, in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point, just one day after the announcement via a Facebook post.

"This is a very personal decision. Just woke up that morning and felt like I was not enjoying it anymore. So, decided to leave club coaching," Monayem answered when Sportz Point asked him about the reason for calling it a day at club level. 

"Even after the last season for Bhowanipur, I was thinking about this. But two seasons back, Nitu (Debabrata) Sarkar invited me to take up the challenge to help the East Bengal cricket team become a winning side. So, I took up the challenge," he added. 

Read Also | Bengal Pro T20 League Exclusive: 9 cricketers teams should go after, who did not play or got picked last time

Abdul Monayem won nearly every possible trophy for the Bhowanipur Cricket club, and when he joined East Bengal, the goal was to make them win trophies.

"When I joined East Bengal two seasons back, the team was already made. This season, I was able to make the team. We won the P.Sen trophy and will play the league final again. Very happy to get them back to winning ways," Monayem shared. 

Will Monayem be there for East Bengal in the league final?

But, with his announcement now, the big question raised is whether he will be able to be there for the East Bengal cricket club during the big league final against Bhowanipur this season? 

Monayem answered, "NO".

Abdul Monayem will travel to France to attend his son's convocation and support him on this important day.

Along with players, coaches, and staff always miss the chance to be there for their families and with their son's one of the biggest days approaching, Monayem does not want to miss the chance to be there for him. 

That is why he had already informed East Bengal that if they reach the final, he will not be there on the sidelines. East Bengal club also respected his decision and accepted the letter from Monayem. 

"I will be visiting France for my son's convocation. My wife and I will both be there. I have missed a lot of things for cricket and coaching. I did not want to miss this."

So, I had sent a letter to East Bengal earlier that if we reach the final, I will not be there for the team. East Bengal also respected my decision and accepted the letter," Monayem shared. 

Read Also | Exclusive: "I would love to see more sixes, more runs," Shreevats Goswami wants bigger scores in Bengal Pro T20 League 2025

Monayem's secret sauce

Throughout his coaching career, Abdul Monayem not only won trophies for his club but also developed players who can contribute to Bengal cricket in the long run. He has helped several accomplished players return to the Bengal team. 

Shib Shankar Paul, Saurasish Lahiri, and Arnab Nandi are just a few of the names who managed to return to the Bengal Ranji team after excelling under Monayem at Bhowanipur Club.

Players like Ravikant Singh, Sumit Mohanta, Sourav Paul, and Agniv Pan made their first-class debuts for Bengal after playing under Monayem.

"Before signing any player, I used to ask them if they only had a dream of playing the Ranji trophy for Bengal, then sign for my club," Monayem answered.

Read Also | Bengal Cricket Exclusive: "If 100 does not work, I will score 150," Sandipan Das doesn't want to leave any stone unturned

"I did not become a coach to earn money"

Monayem, who loves to read and write about cricket and coaching, follows the great P.K. Banerjee's style of coaching, where he tries to develop a one-on-one connection with players more than anything else. 

As per Monayem, knowing the pulse of the players and then instilling faith in them is the main thing of coaching. If any coach can do that, they will win half the battle. 

Since the beginning of Sportz Point, multiple Bengal cricketers have mentioned Abdul Monayem in their interviews, and more than winning any trophies, Monayem feels this is his biggest achievement in his coaching career. 

"I did not become a coach to earn money. I did not do this for money," Abdul Monayem expressed. 

"I became a coach to stay in touch with them. Chitrak Mitra, the former BCCI vice-president, gave me the responsibility at that time and told me that I was good enough to be a coach."

"Since then, my only goal has been to create valuable cricketers and give Bengal a few cricketing stars."

"I have only one regret from club cricket"

Despite all the success, Abdul Monayem has only one regret within himself. He wished to give Bengal cricket an iconic cricketer like Sourav Ganguly, but he feels he failed to do so. 

Monayem, who gave Abishek Porel his first break in the first division cricket and told him that he bats like Brian Lara, believes Porel can be the next big star from Bengal. But, after all of these years, Monayem knows that to find and create the next Sourav Ganguly, he will have to go back to the roots and scout talent from the U-13 level. 

Taking the reference of Mumbai cricket, Monayem said, "You saw how they have stands named after so many players. They keep on creating iconic players season after season. I believe in Bengal we can also do that, given we have the system and infrastructure."

This is why Monayem now wants to scout and find young talents for Bengal, only if the Cricket Association of Bengal finds him worthy enough for that role. 

Read Also | Bengal Cricket: 7 U-19 cricketers from Bengal who can play for India in future

"I want to scout and work with young kids to find and make the next Sourav Ganguly"

At A.S.O.S, Monayem trains 30 kids for free so that Bengal cricket's next generation is in safe hands. Players like Rahul Prasad have emerged from Monayem's A.S.O.S camps. 

Read Also | From delivering online food to getting selected for India U-19 camp, Rahul Prasad's journey is an inspiring one

"If you want to have iconic players like Sourav Ganguly, who inspired multiple generations of Bengal cricketers, you will have to find them young and make them believe they can rule Indian cricket. I want to do that work for Bengal, if C.A.B. feels I am good enough for that job," Monayem stated. 

Emphasising icons like Sourav Ganguly and Jhulan Goswami's roles in Bengal cricket, Monayem added, "Only if we can have global icons like them from Bengal, then only we will be able to secure Bengal cricket's future."

Abdul Monayem's club coaching career

• High Court Club (2004-05 to 2005-06)

  • Marked the start of coaching career after a 20-year playing career.
  • Opportunity provided by Pankaj Mallick and Binay Mishra.
  • Coached under captain Rajiv Dutta (now an NCA Coach).
  • Key players: Sourav Sil, Bunty Gowala.
  • Focused on building a strong team dynamic, laying the foundation for coaching philosophy.

• Mohun Bagan (2006-07 to 2007-08)

  • Joined through Dipankar Hazra and Anjan Mitra.
  • Seasons led by captains Palash Bhowmick, Utpal Chatterjee (2006-07), and Manoj Tiwary (2007-08).
  • Notable players: Chaminda Vass (JC Mukherjee Trophy), Virat Kohli (P Sen Trophy), Wriddhiman Saha, Debabrata Das, Dharmendra Singh, Sabir Ali, Safi Ahmed, Sougata Dutta.
  • Achieved significant success due to team talent and dedication.

• South Eastern Railway Team BNR (2008-09)

  • Coached under captain Soham Ghosh.
  • Brief tenure but enriched with valuable experiences and team spirit.

• Bhawanipore Club (2009-10 to 2022-23)

  • Invited by Chitak Mitra to rebuild a struggling 1st Division team.
  • Coached for 14 seasons, nurturing young Bengali talents and experienced players.
  • Key players included: Shiv Shankar Paul, Sourasish Lahiri, Charanji Singh, Arnab Nandy, Subhajit Banerjee, Aritra Chatterjee, Amit Biswas, Jayojit Basu, Abhishek Das, Writtick Chatterjee, Debopriya Ghosh, Kamal Hassan Mandol, Soumya Pakre, Arunlal Yadav, Dibyendu Chakraborty, Abhishek Choudhury, Partha Sarathi Bhattacharya, Prinann Dutta, Ravikat Singh, Sandipan Das, Agniv Pan, Abhishek Raman, Amir Gani, Kaushik Ghosh, Pradipta Pramanik, Writam Porel, Geet Puri, Prosenjit Das, Sujit Yadav, B. Amit, Nilkantha Das, Ayan Bhattacharya, Alok Pratap Singh, Uddipan Mukherjee, Sryean Chakraborty, Abhishek Porel (2018, now a Bengal and IPL star), Mukesh Kumar (now an Indian pacer).
  • Focused on developing young talent, leading to significant player growth and success.

• East Bengal Club (2023-25)

  • Won the P.Sen Trophy 2024-25 and helped East Bengal reach the league final of 2024-25 season.

The intensity of IPL playoffs brings out extraordinary performances. Several players have set the bar high with their fearless batting skills and bagging those victories for the teams.

With the IPL 2025 playoffs approaching, it is the best time to examine the highest individual scores by players in the IPL playoffs.

Check out the full list of the highest individual scores by players in the IPL playoffs.

1. Shubham Gill (129 runs) | GT

Shubham Gill shattered all the big batting records of IPL playoffs with his unbelievable knock of 129 runs off 60 balls against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 Qualifier 2.

His performance as an opening batsman took Gujarat Titans to a huge total of 233 runs, which they defended comfortably and booked their final berth.

This groundbreaking knock tops the chart for the highest individual scores by players in IPL playoffs.

Read Also: Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

2. Virender Sehwag (122 runs) | PBKS

Virender Sehwag's 122 runs off 58 balls against CSK was the long-standing record of the highest individual score in playoffs for 9 years.

This sensational knock in Qualifier 2 helped Punjab Kings reach the IPL final for the first time.

3. Shane Watson (117* runs) | CSK

The Australian legend, Shane Watson, holds the third position with his 117* runs from 57 balls against SRH in the IPL 2018 Final.

His phenomenal performance led the Chennai Super Kings to their third IPL victory.

Watson smashed 11 fours and 8 sixes, with a strike rate above 200.

Read Also: Safest hands: Most catches in IPL history

4. Wriddhiman Saha (115* runs) | PBKS

An incredible season for the boy of Bengal, Wriddhiman Saha, who dominated till the very end against KKR in the IPL 2014 Final. He scored an unbeaten 115 runs from just 55 balls and helped PBKS reach a defendable total. Saha's ton was the first ton ever scored in an IPL final.

Even though Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off a brilliant victory in that match, Saha's performance won the hearts of the fans!

5. Murali Vijay (113 runs) | CSK

Murali Vijay single-handedly took CSK to a humongous total in the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2012. His remarkable contribution of 113 runs from 58 balls made things easier for their team.

With this victory against Delhi Capitals, CSK headed towards the Final and Murali Vijay was rewarded player of the match.

Read Also: Most Sixes in an innings by an Indian in IPL

6. Rajat Patidar (112*) | RCB

Rajat Patidar has proven to be one of the impactful figures for Royal Challengers Bengaluru ever since his debut in 2021. He left a stellar lasting impression with his knock of 112* runs from 54 balls against LSG in IPL 2022 Eliminator.

His contribution was extremely crucial for the team as their batting line-up collapsed early in the first innings. However, RCB successfully defeated LSG to move ahead in the tournament, with credit to Patidar.