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IPL (Indian Premiere League) returns to India as previous edition of 2020 was entirely played in UAE. IPL is one of the biggest Carnivals in the World Cricket as it’s often called as the stepping stone towards the T20 World Cup.

This time though the situation is tricky as India is reporting more than 1 Lakh cases daily as it is getting gloomier and darker. As of now 4 players tested positive for Covid 19 in which Devdutt Paddikal of RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) reported 2 negative tests and joined the squad; Daniel Sams of RCB, Axar Patel of DC (Delhi Capitals) and Kiran More of MI (Mumbai Indians) who is a Scout and Spin Bowling Consultant. Recently 10 members of Ground Staff reported positive at the Wankhede Stadium. There is a lot of uncertainty especially at the matches of Mumbai as Mumbai is the hotspot of Covid 19. Maharashtra Government has assured IPL Commission for matches but if cases keep on rising it would be like playing with fire. BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has kept contingency plans in place in the form of Hyderabad but shifting the matches would be a tricky.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has assured that IPL Matches will take place and said that don’t panic. BCCI has taken a great step by playing matches all behind the doors so there won’t be any chances of transmission of Covid 19. PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) made that mistake by allowing 10 % and then 50% spectators which hindered their PSL (Pakistan Super League) and the tournament was postponed in the middle stage. PSL is lucky as their remaining matches are tentatively scheduled to be held in the early June but if IPL gets abruptly postponed then they don’t have the window as the International Cricket Resumes from June. There are bio bubbles at every venue as BCCI is quite strict regarding as BCCI should take a leaf out of the entire England Summer and CPL (Caribbean Premiere League) too.

The State Governments have given green signal to IPL as there would be testing of all the players and staff at every venue. If a player reports positive test, he would be isolated for 10 days as currently Axar Patel is in isolation and would need to give two negative tests to join the squad. The major concern for IPL would be if the boards of Australia or England take a U-turn then BCCI would be in tatters. Players have that freedom to opt out of IPL as their Franchises haven’t paid them because all the payments are processed only after the tournament. After all players safety and security cannot be compromised. Currently India is the 3^rd Country badly hit with Covid 19 after USA and Brazil.

There is no home advantage for this year’s IPL. 6 venues are too much for the matches as 3-4 venues would have been ideal. The fate of the 14^th Edition of IPL lies in the hands of players as breaches of bio-bubbles would hurt a lot.  This year’s IPL could be the last one of the Legendary MS Dhoni and after the IPL there is T20 World Cup scheduled at India in October-November 2021. This IPL would give every nation idea of their squad.

India outplayed England and won the ODI Series by 2-1. England are facing gloomy times as this is the second consecutive time that England has failed to win a single Series in India; as earlier in 2016-17 they were blatantly dominated by India.

#India

India’s bowling unit was relatively inexperienced as they rested Bumrah & Shami as these two are the core of the bowling line up. India handed debuts to the all-rounder Krunal Pandya and the fast-bowling sensation Prasidh Krishna. Krunal Pandya was absolutely dangerous in the death overs while batting as he scored 95 runs which included one half century that too a fastest by a debutant.  Krunal is not quite a great turner of the ball as he was easily taken to cleaners by Bairstow and Stokes in the 2^nd ODI and at the same time he didn’t pick wickets which a Captain expects. Prasidh had a dream debut come true as he took 6 wickets and looked quite in control with his line & length. He is definitely an option for India as a back- up Seamer.

 It looks like that KL Rahul has accommodated himself as a middle order batsman. He was the top run scorer for India with 177 runs which included one century and one century. India should not tweak Rahul’s position anymore even if Shikhar Dhawan’s form is topsy-turvy as India needs a stabilizer in the middle order and a finisher too. Dhawan too had a decent series with 169 runs which included 2 half centuries with one score of 98. Dhawan should make sure that his fitness is right up to the mark as he is currently 35 years of age and if he wants to play the next 3 World Cups (2 of T20I and one 50 over World Cup) then he needs to pull up his socks as he is quite a lot injury prone. India needs to think of a back up opener may be in the form of Mayank Agrawal, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan or Prithvi Shaw. Rishabh Pant is proving his worth as he is smashing the bowlers all around the park. He scored 155 runs in 2 matches which included 2 half centuries. Pant’s fearless approach is finally giving rewards to him and team but he needs to be consistent enough as previously he was dropped from the Australian tour for the ODI Series. Virat Kohli the skipper is getting the starts and scoring fifties but not centuries as it has been almost 2 years since he has scored a century.

Surprisingly Shardul Thakur was the leading wicket taker in this ODI Series with 7 wickets which included one 4 wicket haul. Bhuvneshwar Kumar once again was at his best with his swing bowling which rewarded him 6 scalps. Kuldeep Yadav took a lot of hammering as it looks like his variations are no longer threatening. T Natarajan was picked for the 3^rd ODI who was quite impressive at the death overs and was the unsung hero in the decider. India always required a left hander seamer who can be used as a secret weapon in crunch matches. India’s bowling line up has got depth but at the same time the management should be cautious while managing the workload.

#England

The World Cup Champions had everything to succeed in India this time but they came failed once again. Bairstow was the top run scorer of the ODI Series with 219 runs which included one century and one-half century. Bairstow showed a lot of aggressive approach which he is renowned for but at the same time he should also play sensibly. Ben Stokes & Jason Roy both the batsmen scored 100 odd runs. This time as the ECB (England Cricket Board) decided to rest their key batsman Joe Root then the management made Stokes as their no.3 batsman. Stokes did a good job as he had no experience in that position but he showed signs of a destructive batsman which the management can use as a danger man who can take the game away in a span of 3-4 wickets. Eoin Morgan was injured in the first match of the ODI Series as a result there was a huge void in their batting line up because Sam Billings was also sidelined with an injury. Liam Livingstone was handed the cap who played fearlessly but couldn’t bat for longer periods which was badly needed. Sam Curran almost won the match and series for England as he played a knock of 95 runs in just 83 balls and throughout his innings there were shades of the Legendary MS Dhoni as he was targeting the bowlers smartly but unfortunately England lost that match by a whisker margin of only mere 7 runs. There were huge expectations from Jos Buttler the skipper for the 2^nd & 3^rd ODI matches but he failed without troubling the scorers so did Moeen Ali.  England would be delighted as they have found a gem in Sam Curran in ODI format as he proved that he is not only a TEST Campaigner but a white ball player too.

Mark Wood was the leading wicket taker for England with 5 scalps. Stokes took 4 wickets and was providing the major breakthrough for the team. Reece Topley and Adil Rashid both the bowlers took 3 wickets each. Recce’s angle was troubling India’s batsmen a lot as he was using his variations cunningly. The Curran brothers Sam & Tom took a lot of hammering and astonishingly Tom was beaten up badly who is a quite a specialist in the ODI Series. Jofra Archer missed this ODI Series due to elbow injury but England should manage his workload carefully because if they want him to play the red ball cricket then he must be given ample rest. England are making a mistake by not picking David Willey the fast-swing bowler who not only is a wicket-taker but is a handy all rounder too. He was unfortunate to miss from the World Cup squad too which Eoin Morgan admitted too as he was the leader of the bowling attack who created holes in opponent’s batting line up. England need to reassess their performance in India as not winning a single series since last two tours is a wakeup call.

Australia Vanquished India in each and every department as India won the Series by 2-1 and Retained the Prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. India showed immense grit and determination as Virat Kohli the skipper was not available who was on a paternity leave and winning the Series in his absence showed the hallmark of Team India. As the Series progressed India had a lot of injured players as: “Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, K L Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah “all were sidelined due to injuries. India had to play all the novice players whereas some had come in to team as net bowler like Washington Sundar and T Natarajan. India showed a never to say die attitude as defeating a full power packed Australian Team is nothing but a helluva. This is the second consecutive time that India has Won a Test Series as earlier in 2018-19 India had won the TEST Series by 2-1.

#Australia

Australia failed to win the crunch situations of the TEST Series. This time they had the services of Steven Smith and David Warner but their performance was not according to their reputation. Marnus Labuschagne was the leading run scorer of the TEST Series with 426 runs with one century and two half centuries. Marnus tried his best but he didn’t get ample support from the other end. Steven Smith scored 313 runs which included one century and two half centuries. Steven Smith had an awful first 2 TEST Matches which just shifted the momentum towards India and this Smith was playing under a lot of pressure unlike THE Smith who made the Indians dance. In the 2^nd TEST Match Australia dropped 6 catches which was the Boxing Day TEST Match. Dropping 6 TEST Matches that too by Australia is a nothing less than a crime as Catches win Matches in TEST Cricket. Cameron Green made his TEST Debut as he played as Batting All Rounder at No.6 position. He scored 236 runs which included one half century. His contribution in the Boxing Day Test Match was phenomenal as he was smashing the bowlers all around the park. Tim Paine the Skipper of Australian Cricket Team scored 204 runs which included two half centuries. He was seen doing a lot of sledging which affected as he was dropping catches and missing stumpings which costed Australian Team the Series. He has a tendency of doing a little banter but when you are the skipper Winning should be the ultimate goal. Matthew Wade played as an opener in the first two TEST Matches as David Warner had groin injury. He couldn’t convert a single start into a big score as he scored only 173 runs.

Australia need to think about their middle order batsmen as every-time Marnus is not going to save the team from collapses; maybe they should bring back Peter Handscomb in the TEST frame or Alex Carey who gives a glimpse of Mr. Cricket (Mike Hussey). If Australia wants to win the ICC World Test Championship and for that they need to defeat the Proteas in their own backyard where earlier in 2018 there was an infamous ball tampering scandal then they need to bring players who can spend some time in the crease and make huge runs while batting.

Patrick Cummins the spearheaded fast bowler was the leading wicket taker of the TEST Series with 21 Wickets. Whenever he was given the ball, he took wickets and was bowling quite similar to the Fast-Bowling Legend Brett Lee. Josh Hazlewood the accurate Pace fast bowler took 17 Wickets. Josh Hazlewood and Patrick Cummins demolished India’s Batting in the 1^st TEST Match where they bowled them out for 36 runs only and that spell from both reminded of the Legendary Pair of Fast Bowling: Glenn McGrath & Brett Lee. Mitchell Starc took 11 wickets and he was seen off color throughout the TEST Series as he was not only picking wickets but was conceding runs with an economy of 3.5 and sometimes 4 too. Due to Starc’s inability of picking up wickets there was a lot of pressure & burden on Hazlewood and Cummins. Australia need to use Starc as a Secret Weapon as they did in Ashes 2019 as Starc is not getting the swing which is needed to irk the batsmen. Australia need to bring back James Pattinson in the future as Pattinson has the pace to dismantle any Team.

#India

Surprisingly Rishabh Pant was the leading Run Scorer for India in this TEST Series with 274 runs which included two half centuries. Rishabh Pant was playing like the Legendary Adam Gilchrist as he was not only bashing the bowlers but also played the waiting game. He needs to work on his Wicket Keeping Skills as he was also dropping Catches similar to Tim Paine. It seems that Rishabh Pant has cemented his place in the Team for a long time now as Scoring against Australia is not an easy job. Cheteshwar Pujara the Wall of Team India scored 271 runs which included three half centuries. This time Pujara didn’t score a single ton but he consumed a lot of balls and frustrated Australia’s bowling attack. Ajinkya Rahane the stand in skipper of Team India scored 268 runs which included a glorious century at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) on the occasion of Boxing Day TEST Match. Ajinkya batted with a lot of responsibility which showed his character. Shubhman Gill made his debut in this TEST Series and scored 259 runs which included two half centuries. Gill played freely which is required at International Level and played every ball on its merit. Rohit Sharma came to Australia to play the last two 2 TEST Matches as he earlier was out of the Team due to hamstring injury. Rohit scored 129 runs which consisted of one-half century. Rohit once again throwed away his starts but was good with the new ball. Hanuma Vihari played a Stellar knock in 3^rd TEST Match by facing 128 balls as India were looking for surviving that TEST Match. India has got a great back up of Batsmen as Winning TEST Series without Skipper Virat, Hanuma Vihari, Ashwin is great attainment.

Mohammed Siraj the Debutant took 13 wickers which included one maiden five wicket haul. Siraj was absolutely at his best in the last 2 TEST Matches. Ravichandran Ashwin took 12 scalps. He foxed Steven Smith in the first 2 TEST Matches. He was giving the vital break through in the middle overs which proved to be the difference in the end. Jadeja took 7 wickets. He was acrobatic in the field with his fielding skills as he was a complete package of a Cricketer. India’s playing 11 of 4^th TEST Match was full of juvenile players as if it was a second string or may be a third string team but they showed immense character as defeating a Full-fledged Strong Australian Team doesn’t happen in a night not even in a fortnight. India’s now TEST assignment is against England where they will play 4 TEST Matches but England shouldn’t be taken lightly as this is new England under the Leadership of Joe Root.

India outplayed Australia as India won the T20I Series by a margin of 2-1. India made a record of winning 10 consecutive T20I Matches. India took away Australia’s No.1 Tag and now England is the No.1 Ranked T20I Team.

#Australia

Matthew Wade was the Leading Run Scorer of the T20I Series with 145 runs which included 2 half centuries Steven Smith had a mediocre series according to his standards as he scored 82 runs as he didn’t convert the starts into something big. Australia’s batsmen had got the potential and delivered also but they somewhat failed to deliver in the death overs.

Mitchell Swepson took 5 wickets and was quite good at his variations. The bowling attack of Australia and its performance was topsy-turvy. Moises Henriques & Adam Zampa both the bowlers took 3 wickets each. The bowling department of Australia didn’t play all their star bowlers in all the 3 matches which proved to be the difference in the end.

#India

Virat Kohli scored 134 runs which included 1 half century. Shikhar Dhawan & KL Rahul both were outstanding with the bat as they scored 81 runs each where each one scored 1 half century. Hardik Pandya proved to be the difference in the batting as he scored 78 runs and played match winning cameos & knocks. Hardik Pandya was named the Man of the Series for his eclectic performances.

T Natarajan was the leading wicket-taker with 6 wickets which was his maiden T20I Series. Yuzvendra Chahal took 4 wickets and he also came into the action as a Concussion Substitute for Ravindra Jadeja in the 1^st T20I and he surprised everyone as he took 3 wickets in that match. India won this T20I Series because India played like a Champion Team

Australia trounced India and won the ODI Series by 2-1. Australia were just dominating the ODI Series like a Champion Team where team India was clueless against Australis’s cunning tactics. Australia won 20 points in the ICC World Cup League and India opened their account with 10 points.

#Australia

Steven Smith was named as the Man of the Series where he amassed 216 runs where he scored 2 back to back ODI Centuries. Aaron Finch was the leading run-scorer with 249 runs. Glenn Maxwell proved his worth where he scored 167 runs and now it looks like Maxwell has cemented his place in the team permanently. David Warner scored 152 runs where he was injured for the 3^rd ODI.  Australia’s batting department was absolutely dangerous as they were continuously and consistently racking up totals in excess of 350 runs. Australia showcased their batting depth and also showed their batting class which was the difference in the end

Adam Zampa was the leading wicket-taker of the ODI Series with 7 wickets. Josh Hazlewood took 6 wickets where he took the Huge wicket of Virat Kohli all the 3 times. The bowling unit of Australia showed team-work as their bowling department also faced tough times.

#India

Hardik Pandya was the leading run-scorer of Team India with 210 runs with his personal highest score of 92 runs.  Virat Kohli scored 173 runs but he wasn’t able to convert his starts into a big century. Shikhar Dhawan & Ravindra Jadeja both the batsmen scored 100 odd runs. None of India’s batsmen scored a Century which was a barrier between India & Australia.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami were the joint-leading wicket taker of India with 4 wickets. Shardul Thakur who came into the 3^rd ODI took 3 wickets while T Natarajan took 2 wickets in the 3^rd ODI. India’s bowling line up lacked fire-power and they were not picking wickets at regular intervals which hurt them a lot.

Australia asserted their Ascendancy over India by winning the 1^st ODI by 66 runs. Australia also took 10 invaluable points in ICC Cricket World Cup Super League; where now the Qualification Scenario for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 lies only in the Bilateral ODI Series.

Australia won the Toss and elected to Bat first where they posted a Humongous Total of 374 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Aaron Finch scored 114 runs in 124 balls and he also reached the Landmark of 5000 ODI Runs. Steven Smith scored a quick-fire century of 105 runs in just 66 balls. Later in the innings Glenn Maxwell scored a cameo of 45 runs in just 19 balls. Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers for India where he took 3 wickets and gave away 59 runs; while the rest of the bowling line up was taken to the cleaners by the entire batting unit of Australia.

In response to a mammoth target of 375 runs India lost 3 wickets in the first 10 overs. Shikhar Dhawan tried to put the run-chase back on target as he played a knock of 74 runs in 86 balls; but as the required run-rate was heading up to 8 runs per over Shikhar lost his wicket. Hardik Pandya was playing aggressively as he got his highest ODI Score of 90 runs. Adam Zampa once again proved his skill as he took 4 wickets. Josh Hazelwood took 3 scalps as he was the wrecker in chief in the power-play overs. Australia will look to continue their dominance whereas India have got plenty to attain as beating Australia in Australia is not going to be easy

Babar Azam of Karachi Kings once again proved to be too hot as he smashed a knock of 63 runs in just 49 balls while chasing a moderate target of 135 runs. Karachi Kings won their first ever PSL (Pakistan Super League) as they defeated Lahore Qalandars and won the final by 5 wickets.

Lahore Qalandars had won the Toss and elected to Bat. While batting first Lahore Qalandars had a decent power-play in which they scored 37 runs for the loss of no wickets and the opening partnership of Lahore Qalandars was of 68 runs; but after the opening stand Qalandars lost wickets in quick succession as a result they managed to score only 134 runs in which Tamim Iqbal was the top run-scorer with 35 runs.

In the bowling department of Karachi Kings Waqas Maqsood, Arshad Iqbal & Umaid Asif all these 3 fast bowlers took 2 wickets each. There was rhythm in Karachi Kings’s bowling line up which reflected throughout the Final Match of PSL.

In response to 135 runs Karachi Kings lost 1 wicket in the Power-play overs where they managed to score 43 runs. Karachi Kings were also losing wickets in quick succession but Babar Azam was steading the ship from one side.  He played a match-winning & Championship Winning knock of 63 runs while the Winning runs were scored by the Skipper Imad Wasim which powered Karachi Kings for their Maiden PSL Triumph.

Babar Azam was the Man of the Match as well as the Man of the Tournament where he amassed 473 runs which included 5 half centuries where he was absolutely thrashing & dismantling the Opponent team’s bowlers.

ICC (International Cricket Council) started ICC ODI World Cup in 1975 at the Mecca of Cricket i.e. England (London) and until now 12 World Cups have been played at different locations.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 1975

The inaugural World Cup was played entirely in England with 60 overs per side. This World Cup was played in white color uniform. A total of 8 teams played. England and West Indies were playing neck to neck as there was cut-throat competition between these two teams. New Zealand proved to be the dark horse of this World Cup but they failed to win the Cup. India, Pakistan, East Africa (now South Africa) & Sri Lanka were slowly getting into the game of Cricket but lacked consistency & skill to make it to the final four. West Indies was just dominating each and every opposition as a result they were Crowned the World Champions of Cricket. The 1975 Cricket World Cup gave a hint of something huge and spectacular in the Cricketing World.

Glenn Turner of New Zealand amassed 333 runs and was the leading run scorer of the tournament. Dennis Amiss of England scored 243 runs. Majid Khan of Pakistan scored 209 runs whereas Keith Fletcher of England made vital contribution of 207 runs. Gary Gilmour of Australia took 11 Wickets and was the leading wicket taker of the tournament. Bernard Julien and Keith Boyce of West Indies both the bowlers took 10 wickets each while Andy Roberts of West Indies took 8 wickets. The entire batting and bowling unit of West Indies showed immense grit and displayed team work while clinching the first ever World Cup for West Indies.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 1979

The 2^nd ICC Cricket World Cup too was played in England with same rules as of 1^st World Cup. In this World Cup Pakistan came in as a Surprise package who made it to the knock-out stage where everyone was amazed and shocked. At the same time West Indies continued their dominance as they were Crowned World Champions for a consecutive second time.

Gordon Greenidge of West Indies was the leading run scorer of the tournament with 253 runs; and he was well accompanied by Sir Viv Richards who scored 217 runs.  Graham Gooch of England scored 210 runs while Glenn Turner who was the leading run scorer in 1975 World Cup had a lean patch as he scored a mere 176 runs. Mike Hendrick of England was the leading wicket-taker with 10 Wickets. Chris Old of England, Brian McKechnie of New Zealand & Asif Iqbal all these three bowlers took 9 wickets each. The second victory for West Indies just gave an indication that the era of West Indies dominance started.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 1983

The 3^rd ICC Cricket World Cup was also played in England. In this World Cup India astonished everyone by making it to the play-offs. India outplayed Zimbabwe in Group Stages. Australia was the consistent team but this time failed to make it to the knock-out stage as India and West Indies didn’t gave them an inch in this World Cup. It looked like once again that West Indies will clinch the Cup and make a hattrick of winning World Cups but the belligerent India diminished & thrashed West Indies and won the World Cup for the very first time. The main architect of India proved to be the fighting spirit and a never to say die attitude amongst the entire Squad as India came in to the World Cup as an underdog.

David Gower of England was the leading run scorer of the tournament with 384 runs. Sir Viv Richards of West Indies scored 367 runs while Graeme Fowler of England scored 360 runs. Zaheer Abbas of Pakistan scored 313 runs. Roger Binny of India was the leading wicket-taker of India with 18 wickets while Madan Lal of India took 17 wickets. Ashantha de Mel of Sri Lanka took 17 wickets and Richard Hadlee of New Zealand took 14 scalps.

The victory of 1983 Cricket World Cup proved to be pivotal for India as the citizens of India got to know the game of Cricket more deeply.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 1987

The 4^th edition of ICC Cricket World Cup was played in India with 50 overs per side instead of 60 overs. This time Australia was playing more aggressively as compared to the first 3 editions of World Cup. For the first time West Indies failed to make it to the knock-out stages as they failed to adjust to the fluctuating conditions of India. In this World Cup Australia displayed more passion for the game as the matches in this World Cup were more competitive as earlier tournaments. India & Pakistan were favorites to win the World Cup but Australia won the small, defining & key moments as a result Australia defeated England in the Final of World Cup by only 7 runs. Australia made a statement that how to win the World Cup and most importantly they showed the power of team work and self-belief

Graham Gooch of England was the leading run scorer of the tournament with 471 runs. David Boon of Australia scored 447 runs and he was well accompanied by Geoff Marsh with 428 runs. Sir Viv Richards scored 391 runs. Craig McDermott of Australia took 18 wickets. Imran Khan of Pakistan took 17 wickets. Maninder Singh of India & Patrick Patterson of West Indies both the bowlers took 14 wickets each. The 1987 victory of Australia proved to be life changing for Australian Cricket as they got the technique of winning a World Cup.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 1992

The 5^th edition of the World Cup observed round-robin format where each team will play with everyone in the group stage itself and it was held in Australia & New Zealand. This World Cup also observed color jersey for every team (nation). Pakistan from nowhere made it to the knock-out stage due to the format which gave every team a chance. India had the team to make it to the knock-out stage but failed to deliver it in the crunch situations of the game. England had the best chance of winning the World Cup this time but they lost it and Pakistan were crowned the World Champions where they stunned everyone through their unpredictable performances. The triumph of Pakistan is a story of an underdog as no one expected them to Win the World Cup but that’s the nature & style of Pakistan Cricket Team. The downfall of West Indies Cricket Team was seen as they weren’t putting a fighting performance on the match day.

Martin Crowe of New Zealand was the leading run scorer of the tournament with 456 runs. Javed Miandad of Pakistan scored 437 runs while Peter Kirsten of South Africa scored 410 runs. David Boon of Australia scored 368 runs. Wasim Akram of Pakistan took 18 wickets while Sir Ian Botham of England took 16 wickets.  Mushtaq Ahmed of Pakistan and Chris Harris of New Zealand both the bowlers took 16 Wickets each. The story of 1992 World Cup was so enthralling that from out of the box the Cricketing World saw a new Roaring Champion in the form of Pakistan.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 1996

The 6^th edition of the World Cup was held in India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka. This time West Indies made it to the Knock-out stages of the World Cup. Sri Lanka this time proved to be red hot favorites. Sri Lanka demolished India’s hopes of A World Cup triumph by winning the Semi Final by a default manner where the Stadium was furious. Australia once again proved that there is no substitute for Hard Work as they were winning matches convincingly but they failed at the last hurdle against Sri Lanka in the final. Sri Lanka astounded everyone as every four years a new Champion was Born and made.

Sachin Tendulkar of India who is known to be as the GOD of Cricket was the leading run scorer in the tournament with 523 runs. Mark Waugh of Australia scored 484 runs. Arvinda de Silva of Sri Lanka scored 448 runs while Gary Kirsten scored 391 runs. Anil Kumble of India was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 15 wickets. Waqar Younis of Pakistan took 13 wickets. Roger Harper & Shane Warne both the bowlers took 12 wickets each.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 1999

The 7^th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup was held at the Mecca of Cricket i.e. England. This World Cup was the start of an Era of Dominance for Australia. In the Semi Final Match of the World Cup South Africa vs Australia both the teams scored same runs but Aussies advanced to the Finals as they finished top in the group table. There was a lot of chaos in that match. India once again failed to live up to their expectations. Australia won the World Cup in grand style and that too in a convincing manner against the unpredictable Pakistan Team.

Rahul Dravid of India was the top run scorer in the tournament with 461 runs. Steve Waugh of Australia scored 398 runs and he was well accompanied by his brother Mark Waugh who scored 375 runs. Sourav Ganguly of India scored 379 runs. Australia started to become one of the tough teams to beat in World Cup from 1999.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 2003

The 8^th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup was held in South Africa & Zimbabwe.  This World Cup was filled with huge runs scored by batsmen and the same was with bowlers who were immaculate with their line and lengths. South Africa had got the team to win a Title but they couldn’t make it to the knock-out stages. This time it looked India would definitely win World Cup but they were foxed & tricked by Australia in Finals as Australia won the World Cup. Australia won the World Cup because Australia’s each and every player scored a match winning knock when the team was in serious trouble which separated their team from everyone. Australia became the second team to win back to back ODI (One Day International) World Cups as earlier in 1975 & 1979 West Indies had won the World Cup.

Sachin Tendulkar of India was the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 673 runs. Sourav Ganguly of India scored 465 runs. Ricky Ponting of Australia scored 415 runs while he was well accompanied by Adam Gilchrist who scored 408 runs. Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 23 wickets. Brett Lee of Australia and Glenn McGrath of Australia both the bowlers were bang on target as Lee took 22 wickets whereas McGrath took 21 wickets. Zaheer Khan of India took 18 wickets. Australia started to look very dangerous from the starting of the World Cup as they left no stone untouched.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 2007

The 9^th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup was held in West Indies. This World Cup saw two Champion Teams India & Pakistan eliminated in the first round itself as Bangladesh defeated India & Ireland defeated Pakistan. In the Super Eight Stage Australia was just literally bashing the opponent like a Champion Team. There were a lot of expectations from West Indies as they were playing in their own backyard but they couldn’t deliver performances of a Champion Team. Sri Lanka showed some fight and character but at the final junction Australia outplayed Sri Lanka. Australia won the World Cup and made a hattrick of winning World Cups which is a rare and unbelievable attainment.

Matthew Hayden of Australia was the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 659 runs. Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka scored 548 runs. Ricky Ponting of Australia scored 539 runs whereas Scott Styris of New Zealand scored 499 runs. Glenn McGrath of Australia was the leading wicket taker with 26 wickets. Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and Shaun Tait of Australia both the bowlers took 23 wickets each. Brad Hogg of Australia took 21 wickets. Ricky Ponting the skipper of Australian Cricket Team became the only Cricketer to be a part of 3 World Cup Winning Squads. Australia’s Squad and playing 11 was one of the Best which made them Champions of the Cricket.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

The 10^th Edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup was held in India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka. This World Cup was blatantly dominated by India as India was not giving an inch to the opponent team. Australia’s team was under a lot of pressure through-out the tournament as their team was in a reconstruction phase as some of their Senior players were retired. Australia failed to win the World Cup for a consecutive 4^th time as their journey was ended by Team India in Quarter-Finals. India also had to face tough times in the Tournament as there was cut-throat competition but India won the World Cup in a grand fashion and brought huge smiles on the faces of people as India won the World Cup after a drought span of 28 years.

Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka was the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 500 runs. Sachin Tendulkar of India scored 482 runs. Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka scored 465 runs. Jonathan Trott of England scored 422 runs. Shahid Afridi of Pakistan & Zaheer Khan of India both the bowlers took 21 wickets each. Tim Southee of New Zealand took 18 wickets whereas Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka took 15 wickets. India won the World Cup as it was seen that India developed a fighting spirit and most importantly India’s players played like a Team.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

The 11^th Edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup was held in Australia & New Zealand. In this World Cup the teams were most competitive as there was nothing separating the teams from each other. Australia were back with all their players who were juvenile and somewhat experienced too. West Indies made it to the knock-out stages but once again failed to make the World Cup special for them. Team India was in red hot form but they lost their plot in the Semi Final against Australia where Australia thrashed them. Australia had a one sided Final against the Mighty New Zealand Team where they not only ruined New Zealand but they made a statement that the Champions of the Cricket are Back. South Africa had a Heart- Breaking moment as all the team members were in tears after losing Semi Finals against New Zealand.

Martin Guptill of New Zealand was the leading run scorer of the tournament with 547 runs. Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka scored 541 runs. AB de Villiers of South Africa scored 482 runs. Brendan Taylor of Zimbabwe scored 433 runs. Mitchell Starc & Trent Boult both the bowlers took 22 Wickets each. Umesh Yadav of India took 18 wickets. Mohammed Shami of India, Morne Morkel of South Africa & Jerome Taylor of West Indies all these 3 bowlers took 17 wickets each. Australia was considered a Dark horse for this Tournament but they showed their class and won the World Cup for a Record 5^th Time.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

The 12^th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup was held in England. This World Cup was a round-robin one in which one team will play with all the other teams similar to 1992 World Cup. This World Cup was marred with the rain as many matches were called off due to intermittent rain. Pakistan had only one bad game that too against West Indies with respect to net run rate but that game kept them out of the knock-out stages. Pakistan had the caliber of being a Champion Team but they didn’t play like a Team. India and Australia were dominating the league stages but England’s attacking instincts and aggression proved to be the difference in the last. New Zealand and England played the finale of the World Cup were both teams deserved to be the Champions but England outclassed New Zealand on the boundary count as the Super Over was also Tied.

Rohit Sharma of India was the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 648 runs. David Warner of Australia scored 647 runs. Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh scored 606 runs. Kane Williamson of New Zealand scored 578 runs. Mitchell Starc of Australia was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 27 wickets whereas Lockie Ferguson of New Zealand took 21 scalps. Jofra Archer of England & Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh both the bowlers took 20 wickets each. England won the World Cup as they played intrepid Cricket as a result they were Crowned the World Champions for the first Time.

Pakistan white-wash Zimbabwe and take the Series by 3-0. This T20I Series was also played behind the doors due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It looks like now that Cricket is Coming back to Pakistan.

#Pakistan

Babar Azam was the Top Run Scorer of this T20I Series where he amassed 133 runs which included 2 matches winning half centuries. Babar Azam now looks completely set for the Captaincy in the White Ball format. The burden of Captaincy has made Babar Azam more complete Batsman which is a good indication for PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). Haider Ali scored 100 runs which included one knock of 66 runs in the 2^nd T20I. Khushdil Shah the middle order batsman scored 52 runs as he had a good outing where he played a quick-fire cameo of 36 runs. The batting department of Pakistan didn’t face tough times as a result Pakistan’s dominance was seen in all the 3 T20I Matches.

Usman Qadir made his T20I Debut for Pakistan. He took 8 wickets which included one 4 wicket haul in the 3^rd T20I Match. Haris Rauf the fast bowler took 6 wickets. He was proving to be expensive but was picking wickets at regular intervals. The other bowlers had a decent outing as the majority of the damage was done by the Fast Bowlers. Pakistan has a good bench-strength in terms of Fast bowlers & Spinners as the next T20 World Cup is just around the Corner.

#Zimbabwe

Wesley Madhevere the middle order batsman scored 103 runs which included one knock of 70 runs in the 1^st T20I. Chamu Chibhabha the skipper of Zimbabwe failed to make an Impact with the Bat as he scored only 46 runs throughout the T20I Series. There were high expectations from the likes of Brendan Taylor and Sean Williams but both failed to live up to their reputations.

Blessing Muzurabani the fast bowler took 4 scalps. He was the only bowler who showed rhythm throughout the T20I Series from Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe need to strengthen their bowling department as bowlers too have the caliber to change the nature of the match & game.  

Pakistan won the ODI Series by a Margin of 2-1. Zimbabwe Salvaged some sort of Pride by winning a Thrilling 3^rd ODI Match. The 3rd match was first Tied and then went into the Super Over where Zimbabwe thrashed Pakistan. Pakistan had a New Skipper in the form of a Consistent and Dangerous Babar Azam. As now all the ODI Series and Matches are part of World Cup Super League in which every match has got points. Pakistan now have 20 Points whereas Zimbabwe have 10 Points. Zimbabwe would be extremely delighted to have some sort of points on board.

The ODI Series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe was played in Rawalpindi under Covid-19 Protocols set by ICC (International Cricket Council). All the ODI’s were played behind the doors. International Cricket once again got Started in the form of this spectacular ODI Series.

#Pakistan

Pakistan would be Happy as now it looks like Babar Azam is set for Leadership in white ball cricket. He amassed 221 runs which comprised of 1 Century of 125 Runs and one knock of 77 runs. Imam-ul-Haq the Opening Batsman was in a Decent form as he scored 111 Runs which involved 1 half century. Pakistan have made it clear and have moved on from their former wicket-keeper and skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed. They named a new wicket-keeper in his place in the form of Mohammed Rizwan who is still juvenile to International Cricket. Haris Sohail played 1 match but he played a match winning knock of 71 runs. It looks like now that Haris Sohail is a vital cog for Pakistan in white ball Cricket, The batting department of Pakistan has got what it takes to be successful at International Level but their batting collapses are once again hurting them very much.

Shaheen Afridi took 5 Wickets in this ODI Series which included one 5 wicket haul. Shaheen is raw but is doing his Best with the New Ball. Wahab Riaz took 5 Wickets which proved to be lethal as he produced sheer pace, Mohammed Musa the tyro fast bowler took one 5 wicket haul. He is proving to be a valuable asset for Pakistan as he has got the pace & accuracy to succeed at this Level. As Mohammed Aamir was dropped from this ODI Series on the basis of Performance it doesn’t look like that his absence was missed as Pakistan has got now the depth in bowling.

#Zimbabwe

Finally, the Hard-Work of Zimbabwe got paid as they got extremely important 10 points in ICC World Cup Super League. The experienced campaigner Brendan Taylor scored 204 runs which included 1 century as he played a knock of 112 runs and scored one half century. Brendan Taylor played the role of a Senior Batsman perfectly as he steadied Zimbabwe’s ship and also made sure that he can be a catalyst for Zimbabwe at the back end of the Innings. Sean Williams scored 197 runs which included a 1 century of 118 runs and one-half century. Sean Williams is paying the role of middle order almost perfectly as his experience is paying now for Zimbabwe. The batting department rests on the shoulders of Sean Williams & Brendan Taylor as both these players have invaluable experience where Brendan Taylor has batted at all positions since his debut for Zimbabwe.

Blessing Muzarabani the fast bowler took 7 scalps and all 7 wickets were taken in the 3^rd ODI itself. Tendai Chisoro the spin bowling all-rounder took 4 wickets as he proved his worth of an all-rounder. The bowling department of Zimbabwe is low on experience but they have got the skill and talent to give the opponent team a tough time. It won’t be wrong to say that this Zimbabwe team has given the glimpse of their previous teams in 1980s, 1990s & 2000