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Team India began their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on a winning note on Thursday. Although, Rohit Sharma ticked most boxes on his T20I comeback, the Indian skipper went out for a duck after a misunderstanding with fellow opener Shubman Gill. Apart from that, Australian and South African T20 franchise cricket leagues continued their action-packed games.
Here in this article, we’ll look at all the big news that took place on Thursday, January 11, but before that, let's check the matches scheduled for the day.
Today’s match preview:
SA20 2024: Paarl Royals vs Pretoria Capitals
David Miller-led Paarl Royals and Eathan Bosch's Pretoria Capitals are scheduled to commence their SA20 2024 campaign against each other in the third match of the league. The match will take place at Boland Park in Paarl on Friday at 09:00 pm IST.
BBL 2023-24: Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder
The 34th match of the BBL 2023-24 is scheduled to take place between the Sydney franchises at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday, January 12 at 01:45 p.m. IST. In the BBL 2023-24 standings, Moises Henriques' Sixers are placed third with 10 points in eight matches while Chris Green's Thunder have managed the seventh spot with just one win and a draw in seven games.
Major cricket events that happened on January 11
Shivam Dube shines as India beat Afghanistan by six wickets in 1st T20I
Team India started the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan with a comfortable six-wicket win. Playing in Mohali's IS Bindra Stadium, the Men in Blue won the toss and elected to field first and justified this decision with an incredible start with the new ball. Despite not picking up wickets in the powerplay, Indian bowlers kept things quiet. Shivam Dube's blistering 40-ball 60 with five fours and two sixes carried India to a comfortable six-wicket win while chasing a 159-run target.
ALSO WATCH: Rohit Sharma furiously yells at Shubman Gill after being run out against AFG in 1st T20I
Jake Weatherald's unbeaten knock helps Strikers beat Hurricanes by eight wickets
Matthew Short-led Adelaide Strikers beat Nathan Ellis' Hobart Hurricanes in the 33rd match of the BBL 2023-24 on Thursday by eight wickets with 25 balls remaining. Batting first, the Hurricanes registered 167 runs on the board at a loss of six wickets. However, the target seemed to be too easy for the Strikers as Jake Weatherald smashed 80*-off-32 with nine fours and five sixes to help his side achieve the total in 16 overs.
SA20 2024: Heinrich Klaasen overshadows Ryan Rickelton's knock to ensure DSG's 11-run win
In a high-octane clash on Thursday, Keshav Maharaj's Durban's Super Giants defeated Kieron Pollard's MI Cape Town by 11 runs via the DLS method. Batting first MI smashed 207 runs as Ryan Rickelton (87) smashed six fours and sixes each while Pollard played a 14-ball-31 run cameo. However, Heinrich Klaasen's 35-ball-85 run knock in his first game after red ball retirement ensured an 11-run victory through the DLS method for the Super Giants.
Sri Lanka clinch three-match ODI series with eight-wicket win vs Zimbabwe in 3rd ODI
After taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe in the third and final ODI on Thursday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. While the first game of the three-match ODI series ended without a result, the hosts defeated the Chevrons by two wickets in the second ODI and went on to clinch the series with an eight-wicket win over the visitors. After bowling out Zimbabwe at 96 in a 27-over-a-side match, skipper Kusal Mendis' unbeaten half-century helped Sri Lanka win the game in 16.4 overs.
Sri Lankan Sports Minister requests Jay Shah to host few IPL games: Reports
With the much-anticipated Indian Premier League 2024 season two months away, a shocking report surfaced about the Sri Lankan Sports Minister requesting Jay Shah to host a few IPL games. The development seemed plausible with India's general elections coinciding with the marquee T20 tournament. But a day before this report, ANI shared a BCCI source addressing that there is no possibility of hosting the tournament outside India.
PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf drops major hint on India-Pakistan bilateral series
Pakistan Cricket Board Management Committee chairman, Zaka Ashraf, has dropped a major hint about the restart of the bilateral series between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. Both these teams always draw the biggest crowds whenever they lock horns and in the recent past have only played in multi-nation tournaments like the World Cups, Asia Cups, etc.
