by Rex Clementine
End of the road for Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians’ disappointing run in the 2026 IPL came to an end on Sunday following their defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore in a last-ball thriller. The five-time champions have three games left in the season and there is still a possibility of them finishing at the bottom of the table.
For one of the most organized franchises in the league with deep pockets, Mumbai had assembled a formidable squad for the season, but they never quite got their act together despite beginning the campaign with a high-scoring win over Kolkata Knight Riders.
Missing key players certainly hurt Mumbai’s campaign. Rohit Sharma missed six games due to a hamstring injury while Hardik Pandya’s back problem upset the team balance. Mitchell Santner’s shoulder injury did not help their cause either. Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form proved another major setback as India’s World Cup-winning captain managed just 146 runs in 11 innings.
Between 2015 and 2020, Mumbai Indians won four titles in six seasons, but since then it has been a slippery slope for the glamour franchise.
An Aussie as England selector
England are set to appoint an Australian as one of their national selectors with former batter Marcus North expected to replace Luke Wright. North is currently Durham’s Director of Cricket and is expected to step down from that role shortly.
North’s extensive experience in county cricket is believed to have worked heavily in his favour. Apart from representing Durham, he was a popular figure on the county circuit having also played for Hampshire, Glamorgan, Lancashire and Gloucestershire.
It is not the first time England have turned to their Ashes rivals for help in selection matters. In 2003, after a successful stint with England Academy overseeing emerging players, former Australian wicketkeeper Rod Marsh also served as an England selector.
End of the road for Glenn Maxwell?
One of the most destructive white-ball players the game has ever seen, Glenn Maxwell, may have played his last game for Australia after being overlooked for next month’s T-20 series in Bangladesh.
Australia endured a miserable T-20 World Cup campaign earlier this year, losing to Zimbabwe and crashing out in the first round. Maxwell’s form has been patchy, with the batter managing just one half-century in his last 20 innings.
The decision is a clear indication that Australia are looking ahead. Maxwell is currently 37 and will be 40 by the time Australia host the next T-20 World Cup in 2028.
Steve Smith and Marcus Stoinis, both members of Australia’s 2021 T-20 World Cup-winning side in Dubai, have also been overlooked. Australia appear to have one eye firmly on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, although selectors may not share Smith’s enthusiasm about featuring there.
Pakistan and Bangladesh return to Test cricket
The cricketing world is currently in the grip of T-20 fever and very little attention is being paid to Test cricket. Pakistan returned to the longer format after seven months while Bangladesh, who are hosting them, are playing a Test match after six months.
While the World Test Championship has added context and relevance to Test cricket, it has also reduced opportunities for smaller nations. Sri Lanka, for example, will play a Test match this June having last played one in June last year. A 12-month period without a single Test makes little sense for a Full Member nation.
Mendis tipped to skipper Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket
Kusal Mendis has been tipped to take over as Sri Lanka’s new white-ball captain during next month’s tour of the Caribbean. Mendis is expected to replace Dasun Shanaka as T-20 captain and Charith Asalanka as ODI skipper.
Selectors are pushing strongly for Mendis following his prolific run in the recently concluded PSL. Peshawar Zalmi dominated the tournament, finishing the league phase with eight wins and one defeat before cruising to the title. Mendis played a starring role for the champions, scoring 550 runs at an average of 55 and a strike rate of 168.
In Sri Lankan colours too, he has been one of the more consistent performers in white-ball cricket, something that has been lacking from both Shanaka and Asalanka in recent times.
The concern, however, is whether Sri Lanka are asking too much from their premier batter. Mendis already keeps wickets and opens the batting and the additional burden of captaincy could be too much on the 31-year-old’s plate.
Patel equals fastest half-century in IPL
Chennai was in celebratory mood on Sunday with the state’s new Chief Minister being sworn in and fireworks lighting up Tamil Nadu. Chepauk joined the party too, although the fireworks there came from the bat of Urvil Patel.
Patel smashed a half-century in just 13 balls against Lucknow Super Giants to equal the IPL record. Chasing 204 for victory, Patel walked in with CSK on 45 for one in the fourth over and proceeded to launch seven sixes and a four in a breathtaking cameo that sealed the chase.
Playing only his seventh IPL game after arriving as an injury replacement, Patel has added considerable value to a CSK side that has spent most of the season marooned in mid-table.
Women’s T-20 World Cup gathers momentum
Interest in the Women’s T-20 World Cup is beginning to gather pace with teams expected to arrive in the UK later this month. Twelve teams have been divided into two groups with seven venues across the country hosting matches.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals. The Oval will host both semi-finals while the final will be played at Lord’s.
The ICC has announced record prize money of more than USD 8.7 million, with the winners set to pocket USD 2.3 million. There is also guaranteed prize money of USD 247,000 for each of the 12 participating teams.
New Zealand are the defending champions while Australia remain the most successful side in the competition with six titles to their name.
