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Tag: Kumar Sangakkara

  • CIFDAQ Global becomes platinum sponsor for International Masters League 2025

    CIFDAQ Global becomes platinum sponsor for International Masters League 2025

    MUMBAI : CIFDAQ Global, a cutting-edge blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency exchange, has been announced as the platinum sponsor for the inaugural season of the ‘International Masters League (IML) 2025’ in India. This collaboration marks a strategic move to merge the worlds of sports and blockchain technology, bringing innovation to cricket’s massive fanbase.

    IML 2025 is set to feature six legendary teams, captained by cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Shane Watson, Eoin Morgan, Kumar Sangakkara, and Jacques Kallis. With these superstars returning to the field, the tournament is expected to attract a global audience, reinforcing cricket’s dominance in the sporting world.

    CIFDAQ Global founder & chairman Himanshu Maradiya expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “IML’s debut in India provides the perfect platform for CIFDAQ Global to engage millions of cricket fans. This collaboration allows us to introduce blockchain’s potential and strengthen our global presence.”

    Professional Management Group (PMG) CEO Melroy D’Souza, “We are delighted to have CIFDAQ Global as our platinum sponsor. Their expertise in blockchain and crypto aligns perfectly with IML’s vision of delivering a cutting-edge cricketing experience. This partnership will redefine fan engagement and elevate the league’s impact.”

    With live streaming on JioHotstar, CIFDAQ Global will gain significant exposure, leveraging on-ground branding, in-game activations, content integrations, and strategic partnerships to educate fans on blockchain technology.

  • META11 unveils AI-powered free cricket fantasy gaming platform

    META11 unveils AI-powered free cricket fantasy gaming platform

    Mumbai:  In the heart of the cricket-loving subcontinent, a gaming revolution has begun. Behaviol Pty Ltd is thrilled to announce the successful launch of META11 Fantasy (beta), the world’s first free-to-play, AI-powered, cricket Fantasy game.

    On launch day, an impressive 31,000 users flooded the META11 site to be part of the free-to-play launch tournament. Notably, the lion’s share from India, META11’s target demographic, as well as a significant turnout from Bangladesh and Pakistan as well as other regions around the world.

    An immersive gaming experience never seen before

    This was no ordinary game. META11’s AI athletes, powered by advanced AI models such as reinforcement learning, played live throughout the 24-hour tournament. They weren’t simply following a script, nor was the platform displaying simulations of these athletes but each of the five AI digital cricketers on the day were learning and strategising in real-time. Moreover, the overwhelming popularity of the game saw that the event was extended by a further two hours, allowing users to collect points to work their way up the leaderboard!

    The gaming experience offered a genuine immersive twist. Users entering the Free to Play tournament weren’t passive viewers; they engaged with the live matches by making predictions, testing their cricketing knowledge, and deep diving into the META11 universe with the resident AI quizmaster, QBOT – a part of the rich story world being built by the Behaviol team.

    The tournament crescendoed into an incredible climax. An epic duel between Virat Singh and the tournament champion, Usman Khan, left fans on the edge of their seats. The nail-biting final match saw both players outwit each other in the first draw in the 26-hour tournament (both players out on a duck!) with a game that will be remembered for ages.

    Participants of the tournament were unanimous in their praise. The overarching sentiment? META11 is a trailblazer and represents the vanguard of sports entertainment. The winners’ dedication was evident, with the top three on the leaderboard playing almost every match throughout the tournament. The game’s allure was undeniable; over 14,000 users scored points by making predictions on matches and successfully made it onto the META11 leaderboard during the 24-hour tournament.

    The Bright Future of Sports Entertainment Embracing Emerging Technology.

    The team is already gearing up for the next big event – a face-off between the Super Four, culminating in a Grand Finale. Drawing from an eye-popping $100,000 Prize Pool on the line, the excitement is palpable.

    Behaviol co-founder Kumar Sangakkara shared his vision, stating, “For too long, fans have had to pay to participate in their favourite sports and cricket is no exception. When we founded Behaviol Pty Ltd, our vision was to create an immersive experience where fans are rewarded for the time they spend enjoying the sport.”

    Behaviol’s CEO Krishan Deegalla added, “Through META11 Fantasy and future iterations of the META11 ecosystem, our mission is to redefine online gaming boundaries. We believe in technology’s power to bring people together, ignite creativity, and foster a sense of community.”

    META11 Fantasy isn’t just another game. It offers an immersive experience straddling the real and digital worlds. Free to play and win, it marks the evolution of online fantasy gaming.

  • META11 Fantasy launches world’s first free-to-play fantasy cricket tournament with AI athletes

    META11 Fantasy launches world’s first free-to-play fantasy cricket tournament with AI athletes

    Mumbai: Behaviol Pty Ltd, the visionary gaming company behind META11 Fantasy, proudly introduces the world’s inaugural fantasy cricket tournament featuring AI-powered athletes. This groundbreaking event, scheduled to commence on 26 September at 12 PM for 24 hours only, is set to captivate cricket enthusiasts and fantasy sports devotees. Those wanting to play can register and play for free at www.meta11.com.

    META11 Fantasy represents a pioneering fusion of advanced technology with the beloved sport of cricket, offering a glimpse into the future of sports entertainment. And you can play for free.

    Co-founder and CEO Krishan Deegalla articulated the company’s mission, stating, “For far too long, sports fans have had to pay to be able to participate in and get closer to their favourite sports, including cricket. When we established our campany, our vision was to leverage emerging technologies to create a gaming experience that rewards fans for their passion. With META11 Fantasy, for the first time ever, sports enthusiasts can employ their cricket knowledge to win without any financial commitment.”

    META11 Fantasy is not just another entrant in the fantasy sports arena; it’s a transformative solution to the challenges that have long plagued the industry. Recognising the limitations of traditional fantasy games, META11 has engineered a platform that prioritises player well-being and enjoyment. By adopting a free-to-play model and introducing pioneering immersive A.I athletes that adapt and learn dynamically as they play, META11 bridges the gap between reality and the digital world. It accurately predicts game outcomes and crafts intricate narratives for the characters and their virtual realm.

    Co-founder Kumar Sangakkara emphasised the inclusivity of META11 Fantasy, stating, “Cricket is evolving, and with META11, we’re creating new opportunities for fans to get intimately involved with the sport. We aim to weave untold fan stories into the very fabric of our platform as fans have been central to our vision since day one.”

    On the day of the event, users will be introduced to five AI athletes along with QBOT, the META11 resident quiz master powered by the OmniMind Network. QBOT will actively guide users through the game by posing real-time questions during the matches, delivering an unparalleled live fantasy gaming experience. Players can accumulate points, climb the leaderboard, and stand a chance to win cash prizes from a $100,000 prize pool. Additionally, the points collected on 26 September and beyond will be exchangeable in the future for in-game assets, including your very own AI athlete. META11 is dedicated to ensuring that the free-to-play game is immensely rewarding for all participants.

    Ravi Shastri, a prominent supporter of META11, shared his excitement, affirming, “META11’s vision offers fans the unique opportunity to step into the roles of managers and coaches for their favourite AI players. Imagine the game being played by the critics, who must make all the strategic calls. If they falter, they will truly understand the pressure.”

  • Cricketing legends to speak at Aaj Tak conclave in London

    MUMBAI: India’s No. 1 Hindi news channel- Aaj Tak, is bringing the legends of cricket together on a mega cricket platform– Aaj Tak Salaam Cricket 2017 on 31st May in London to brainstorm and predict the winner of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2017.

    The 08th edition of the bi-annual cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup is scheduled to start on 1 June, 2017 in England. Eleven former Captains, Five Members of Champions Trophy Winning Teams and other superstars of the game will converge at the largest Cricket event being held just before the start of the tournament.

    Prominent names from cricket word would include: Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Shane Warne, Michael Clarke, Nasser Hussain, Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara and Brendon McCullum. Legends Like these are now in London at Salaam Cricket 17’.

    The day will start with the session – Master Stroke by Sunil Gavaskar, Former Captain & Member of the World Cup Winning Indian Team. This will be followed by a session by Australian Cricket Legend Shane Warne- Wow Warne!

    The Champions of Captains session will be attended by former Captains- Michael Clarke, Australia, Kumar Sangakkara, SriLanka, Graeme Smith, South Africa and Mohammad Azharuddin, India while Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne & Michael Clarke will share their views during session Warnie, Pup and Dada Show.

    Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, former England skipper Nasser Hussain, former Pakistan captains Rameez Raja, Amir Sohail and former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar will also speak at the event alongside Ganguly, Warne, Clarke and Azharuddin.

    There will be a big clash between India and Pakistan before the match on June 4th as captains Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, Rameez Raja and Aamir Sohail clash off the field in the session Superhit Muqabla-Indo-Pak Captains .

    The cricket conference will be an all-day affair and it would be a chance for cricket aficionados to listen to some of the most well respected minds in the game.

  • Champions Trophy from 1 June: ICC reveals broadcast plans, supported by Sunset+Vine & NEP

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a stellar line-up of commentators as well as detailed broadcast production plans, which for the first time in cricket, include Player Tracking for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in England and Wales from 1 to 18 June. ICC TV will produce live coverage of all 15 matches, supported by production partner Sunset+Vine and equipment partner NEP Broadcast Solutions.

    Former captains — Ricky Ponting of Australia, Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Graeme Smith of South Africa will be making their ICC TV debut. Other big names who will commentate through the tournament include Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne, Michael Slater, Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Shaun Pollock, Sanjay Manjrekar, Ian Bishop, Ramiz Raja, Simon Doull and Athar Ali Khan.

    Ponting said: “Winning it (the trophy) on two occasions was a big thrill. This year I’m really looking forward to it being staged in England and being a part of the commentary team. “I’m expecting Australia and England to make the final with Pat Cummins and Jason Roy, two guys to stand out across the two weeks. I can’t wait!”

    McCullum said: “At the Champions Trophy, each team will be desperate to do well and put their stamp on the 50-over game. “To now be in the commentary box for such a prestigious tournament is something I am really looking forward to. Working with names like Ponting, Ganguly and Smith is going to be great fun and hopefully we can give the viewers a unique insight on the action unfolding out in the middle.”

    Smith said: “The trophy is a great tournament where every team has a chance to do well. I am sure there will be a few surprises and many memorable performances, so there’s a lot to look forward to!”

    Sangakkara said: “The trophy is a special tournament which I loved playing in and am honoured to have enjoyed success in. Most of the teams have a chance of lifting the trophy so it promises to be a fascinating three weeks of action.”

    The eight-team tournament, which kicks off with host England playing Bangladesh at The Oval on 1 June, will see a state-of-the-art coverage which will include 34 cameras at every game, including eight ultra-motion Hawk-Eye cameras, front and reverse view stump cameras and a Spidercam.

    In what is a first for cricket coverage, six Player Tracking cameras will be used in each match while the final at The Oval on 18 June will have additional pictures provided by a drone camera to supplement the broadcast coverage.

    Among other enhancements for the live coverage will be an Analysis Zone that will add depth to the coverage, bringing out details and nuances for the benefit of the audience. Regular broadcast tools such as the Hawk-Eye will be supplemented by an in-depth cricket data analytics system to be provided by analytics app Cricviz and a player tracking and real-time data visualization system made available by leading graphics company Chyron Hego.

    ICC Head of Media Rights, Broadcast and Digital Aarti Dabas said: “The ICC is committed to providing a world class broadcast that is credible, informative, engaging and attracts a global audience. Our team of 15 champion commentators will help tell the story and build heroes, connecting with the fans using relevant insights and broadcast innovations.”

    Scores and statistics, which are an important element of any cricket coverage, will be provided by sports graphics specialists Alston Elliott in a fresh new style and feel designed by creative design agency DixonBaxi.

    The coverage provided by ICC TV to broadcasters will commence 30 minutes before the start of play of each match and will include the live toss, the pitch report, player profiles and features looking ahead to the game.

    Programming will be produced for the innings break to ensure continuous and engrossing content that will keep the viewers hooked. Reviews of the first half of games and a preview of run chases will be inter-woven with a segment dedicated to the history and stars of the ICC Champions Trophy. Match telecasts will culminate with a crisp post-match show.

    ICC TV has also made arrangements to produce engaging and informative additional content, to be distributed to its broadcast partners and other media rights partners via the ICC TV Content Delivery Service. This content will include daily player profiles, team features, match previews and other behind the scenes content, getting fans up close and personal with all the action around the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

  • CPL ties with Facebook Live for 2016 matches international broadcast

    CPL ties with Facebook Live for 2016 matches international broadcast

    MUMBAI: The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced live broadcast on Facebook of all thirty four CPL 2016 matches around the world, via Facebook’s official live streaming partner Grabyo. CPL will become the first sports league to supplement its existing broadcast deals and use the Facebook Live platform to ensure that 40 countries around the world, including the likes of Pakistan, South Africa and The Philippines can now view the sport live. It will also be the first time ever an international cricket match will be broadcast on Facebook Live.

    A host of international stars will be competing from across the cricketing world at this year’s CPL including the likes of AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Shakib Al Hasan, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Shoaib Malik, Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn, Mike Hussey and Shane Watson.

    In addition, the six CPL sides – Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Zouks and Trinbago Knight Riders will include a number of ICC World T20 champions including the likes of Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell who took the world by storm in India earlier this year.

    Cricket fans from Argentina to Hungary will now be able to watch the T20 stars in action starting with Trinbago Knight Riders clash with St. Lucia Zouks from the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Wednesday, 29 June (9pm Caribbean / 2am GMT / 6.30am India) and running through to the final in St. Kitts & Nevis on 7 August.

    Commenting on using Facebook Live, CPL chief operations officer Pete Russell said: “We are delighted to announce how we’re using Facebook Live, which we believe has the potential to change the face of cricket broadcasting and enhance the CPL’s ever-increasing international audience.”

    “In 2015 the CPL’s global viewership exceeded 93 million and we now have the platform to boost our viewership even further for the forthcoming tournament. Caroline Smith, CPL’s Head of Digital, and her team have done a fantastic job with our social media activity and this deal proves that they have put us ahead of the curve in understanding how best to reach our global fans with live games” added Russel.

    Facebook India Sports Partnerships Asha Thacker said “Facebook Live allows fans to connect to cricket and their favourite stars and we are delighted to be working with the Hero Caribbean Premier League and Grabyo for this cricketing first and to help bring fans around the world closer to the game. As the world’s largest sports stadium, more cricket fans engage with content on Facebook than anywhere else and it is unique experiences such as this that allow fans to engage in a more meaningful way.”

    Grabyo CEO Gareth Capon said, “On the pitch, T20 cricket is helping to globalize and expand the sport of cricket, bringing a new generation of fans into the game. The use of social video, particularly live streaming, presents an opportunity to reach an unparalleled audience far beyond the traditional broadcast ecosystem.

    “Facebook offers an user base of 1.6 billion and to be able to bring live action from the best cricketing talent direct to mobile devices around the world, right as the action happens, is incredibly exciting. We look forward to working with the CPL throughout the tournament and helping them use social video to engage new audiences across the globe.” Added Capon.

    CPL will be live broadcasted in Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, PNG (Papua New Guinea), Romania, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Vanuatu

  • CPL ties with Facebook Live for 2016 matches international broadcast

    CPL ties with Facebook Live for 2016 matches international broadcast

    MUMBAI: The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced live broadcast on Facebook of all thirty four CPL 2016 matches around the world, via Facebook’s official live streaming partner Grabyo. CPL will become the first sports league to supplement its existing broadcast deals and use the Facebook Live platform to ensure that 40 countries around the world, including the likes of Pakistan, South Africa and The Philippines can now view the sport live. It will also be the first time ever an international cricket match will be broadcast on Facebook Live.

    A host of international stars will be competing from across the cricketing world at this year’s CPL including the likes of AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Shakib Al Hasan, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Shoaib Malik, Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn, Mike Hussey and Shane Watson.

    In addition, the six CPL sides – Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Zouks and Trinbago Knight Riders will include a number of ICC World T20 champions including the likes of Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell who took the world by storm in India earlier this year.

    Cricket fans from Argentina to Hungary will now be able to watch the T20 stars in action starting with Trinbago Knight Riders clash with St. Lucia Zouks from the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Wednesday, 29 June (9pm Caribbean / 2am GMT / 6.30am India) and running through to the final in St. Kitts & Nevis on 7 August.

    Commenting on using Facebook Live, CPL chief operations officer Pete Russell said: “We are delighted to announce how we’re using Facebook Live, which we believe has the potential to change the face of cricket broadcasting and enhance the CPL’s ever-increasing international audience.”

    “In 2015 the CPL’s global viewership exceeded 93 million and we now have the platform to boost our viewership even further for the forthcoming tournament. Caroline Smith, CPL’s Head of Digital, and her team have done a fantastic job with our social media activity and this deal proves that they have put us ahead of the curve in understanding how best to reach our global fans with live games” added Russel.

    Facebook India Sports Partnerships Asha Thacker said “Facebook Live allows fans to connect to cricket and their favourite stars and we are delighted to be working with the Hero Caribbean Premier League and Grabyo for this cricketing first and to help bring fans around the world closer to the game. As the world’s largest sports stadium, more cricket fans engage with content on Facebook than anywhere else and it is unique experiences such as this that allow fans to engage in a more meaningful way.”

    Grabyo CEO Gareth Capon said, “On the pitch, T20 cricket is helping to globalize and expand the sport of cricket, bringing a new generation of fans into the game. The use of social video, particularly live streaming, presents an opportunity to reach an unparalleled audience far beyond the traditional broadcast ecosystem.

    “Facebook offers an user base of 1.6 billion and to be able to bring live action from the best cricketing talent direct to mobile devices around the world, right as the action happens, is incredibly exciting. We look forward to working with the CPL throughout the tournament and helping them use social video to engage new audiences across the globe.” Added Capon.

    CPL will be live broadcasted in Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, PNG (Papua New Guinea), Romania, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Vanuatu

  • Sporty Solutionz inks media rights deal with MCL

    Sporty Solutionz inks media rights deal with MCL

    MUMBAI: Media rights business company Sporty Solutionz has acquired the exclusive rights to market the MCL media rights worldwide.

     

    Sporty Solutionz has entered into a multi-year deal with the MCL’s Dubai-based promoters GM Sports. The deal to distribute the MCL media rights in the global market is priced at multi-million dollars.

     

    Master Champions League has a 10-year understanding with the Emirates Cricket Board to stage Masters 20-20 league in the UAE. The first edition of the league, slated between 20 January and 13 February, 2016, will feature global cricket stars like Saurav Ganguly, Brian Lara, Kumar Sangakkara, Virender Sehwag, Brett Lee, Jacques Kallis and Adam Gilchrist. The league features six teams involving 90 cricket stars.

     

    Sporty Solutionz chief executive Ashish Chadha says, “The MCL is going to feature a big number of the all-time cricket greats. The league is not just generating tremendous interest in the native countries of these megastars, but this galaxy of cricket stars to be in action in the MCL is also creating a buzz the world over. The dynamics of cricket bazaar are changing. MCL is adding a new chapter to this. The league is going to be watched in four continents. Sporty Solutionz’s endeavor is to ensure MCL’s reach to every single cricket lover the world over.”

     

    “We have got the global icons of cricket together to create a world class cricket league. Sporty Solutionz has a global reach in the sports media rights market. We are confident our relationship will set new benchmarks for cricket viewership. The league will be beamed across the globe,” says GM Sports chief executive director Sam Khan. 

  • Steven Smith finishes the Ashes as number-one ranked batsman

    Steven Smith finishes the Ashes as number-one ranked batsman

    MUMBAI: Steven Smith has reclaimed the top spot in the latest ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen which were released following the conclusion of The Oval and P.Sara Oval Tests.

    The incoming Australia captain started the Ashes series at the top of the rankings on 913 points, but had lost his place to England’s Joe Root after the Trent Bridge Test. However, after scoring 143 in his side’s an innings and 46 runs victory at the The Oval, the 26-year-old has overtaken second-placed AB de Villiers, as well as Root, who has dropped to third following scores of six and 11. 

    Root had started the series in seventh place on 815 points and has gained 74 points and four places over the course of the series.

    There was further good news for David Warner who has moved up two places to ninth after scoring 85, while Chris Rogers concluded his career in 10th place (after climbing 13 places since the start of the series) as the second-highest left-handed batsmen in the rankings behind another illustrious retiree Kumar Sangakkara, who finished his career in seventh spot. 

    Sangakkara, who scored 32 and 18 in Sri Lanka’s 278 runs defeat at the P.Sara Oval, first reached number-one in the Test batting rankings in December 2007 against England after innings of 92 and 152 in Kandy.

    Sangakkara spent a total of 97 Tests and 812 days as the top-ranked Test batsman in the world and was last number-one in December 2014, before losing the top spot to de Villiers. His highest-ever points tally was 938, achieved on 1 December 2007, and that total is the highest-ever achieved by a Sri Lanka batsman to date and the joint sixth-highest of all-time.

    Meanwhile, Michael Clarke has finished his 115-Test career in 25th spot. Clarke surged to the top of the rankings in August 2009 and did so for the last time in February 2013. During this period, he topped the batting rankings on several occasions (totaling 11 Tests and 70 days).

    Clarke is one of the 30 internationals, including eight Australia batmen, to reach 900 points, which was incidentally his highest points tally that was achieved after the 2012 Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka.

    As an Australia captain, the 34-year-old from Sydney led his team to the top of the ICC Test Team Rankings from May 2011 to July 2014.

    The other big movers in the latest batting rankings are India’s Ajinkya Rahane (up two places to a career-high 20th), Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne (up two to 34th) and England’s Moeen Ali (up two to a career-high 48th), while there were also notable career-high gains for Adam Voges (up 21 to 53rd), and India team-mates Lokesh Rahul (up 30 places to 87th) and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (up 15 places to 100th).

     

    In the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, Australia’s Mitchell Johnson has climbed two places to sixth after recording match figures of four for 86 runs in London, while Ravichandran Ashwin’s match tally of seven for 118 in Colombo has helped the off-spinner overtake Rangana Herath into eighth place on 769 points, one point behind South Africa’s Vernon Philander. 

    Arising from the conclusion of the fifth Ashes Test, there were gains for Peter Siddle (up three places to 14th) and Nathan Lyon (up two to 16th), while the highest England movers again were Moeen (up four places to 30th) and Ben Stokes (up one place to a career-high 41st). Mitchell Marsh has rocketed 36 places to a career-high 71st place.

    Meanwhile, there were career-high gains for Sri Lanka duo of Dhammika Prasad, whose six for 125 runs in Colombo has helped him move up four places to 25th, while his team-mate Tharindu Kaushal has moved up one place to 59th.

    The biggest mover in the bowling rankings, though, was India leg-spinner Amit Mishra whose match haul of seven for 72 has helped him move up 42 places to a career-high 39th. 

    Ashwin has also gained ground on Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan in the ICC Player Rankings for Test All-rounders and has reduced the deficit on the leader to 43 points.

    The deciding third and final Test between Sri Lanka and India starts at Colombo on Friday. If India wins the series 2-1, it will overtake New Zealand and move into fifth place. However, a Sri Lanka series victory would see it progress to 96 points and overtake India into sixth place. In the event of a 1-1 tied series, Virat Kohli’s side would remain in sixth place, four points clear of Mathews’ men.

     

    Click here for ICC Test player rankings

  • BCCI felicitates retiring Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara

    BCCI felicitates retiring Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara

    MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Hon. Secretary Anurag Thakur, today felicitated Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara in Colombo ahead of the second Test between Sri Lanka and India, which marks the farewell of the Sri Lankan legend.

     

    BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, congratulated Sangakkara on a glorious career that spanned over 15 years. “Kumar Sangakkara has not only been a true asset for Sri Lankan cricket but also a great ambassador for the game of cricket. I congratulate him on all his achievements and wish him a happy and successful life post retirement,” said Dalmiya.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Thakur said, “Kumar Sangakkara is a true legend of the game. His conduct both on and off the field has been exemplary. He is one of the most consistent performers of our times and a role model for youngsters around the world. On behalf of the BCCI, I would like to wish him the very best for his future endeavours.”