Author: Mishaal Mubarak

Peshawar Zalmi (PZ) and Quetta Gladiators (QG) brewed rivalry before rivalries were all the rage. They do not have provincial politics igniting the rivalry. There is no Karachi vs Lahore noise filling the background either. Just two sides who kept nurturing the competition between them that was so very characteristic of both franchises in the days of yore. Now, though, one of them seems to have lost the plot. Since their win in the 2019 season, Quetta failed to make it past the group stages for four consecutive seasons. This jinx was only broken in the last season, when they…

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) turns ten this season, and what better way to mark this milestone than with a face-off between two sides that encapsulate its contrasting journey? On one end, there is Islamabad United, who have been the league’s most consistent franchise since the beginning. On the other hand, Lahore Qalandars, who took their time settling in, but once they did, became a force to be reckoned with. Islamabad enter this season with a trophy to defend, but no amount of silverware will be able to cover their shaky record against Lahore Qalandars lately. They have only played…

The Proteas’ skipper, Temba Bavuma, has sustained an elbow injury just eight weeks out from the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s in June. Bavuma, who had travelled to Cape Town after the last league game of the Lions in CSA Division 1 first-class competition was washed out, was due to link up with the team for the final against the Titans on Thursday. However, the Lions were informed of Bavuma’s withdrawal on Wednesday night, as reports about a niggle in his elbow surfaced. As per the reports, the injury has impacted the same elbow, his left one, the…

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) started the IPL season on a spree to take down the past champions of the league, one by one. They defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the title-winners of the IPL 2024, in their opening game. Following that, they went after Chennai Super Kings, who won the IPL 2023. Although Gujarat Titans (GT) disrupted their mission by outclassing them at their own home, it did not deter them from their path of hunting down the big guns. Now, they are after the unbeaten Delhi Capitals, who were dethroned from the top spot just a few hours ago.…

Gujarat Titans (GT) started their season with a defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS); since then, they’ve been unstoppable. That’s largely due to how their batters, especially the top order, have fared. Jos Buttler is one of the protagonists behind their destructive batting form. It’s the same Buttler who, until last season, was fulfilling the same role for the team he’ll face in the 23rd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL): Rajasthan Royals. It could make for a compelling revenge story, given that RR suffer from the very issues Buttler is now solving for GT. But Buttler and RR have…

Cricket isn’t a one-man sport. It’s foolish to expect one player to do all the work. But if that player is as brilliant as Jasprit Bumrah, you could get away with doing that sometimes. Mumbai Indians (MI), at least, would hope that Bumrah’s charm works quite that way for them on his return to the side. They do not have much to boast about this season so far. The only thing they can find relief in is the fact that they defeated the defending champions. But in all fairness, those defending champions were not entirely themselves when Mumbai beat them.…

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) scored a blistering 286 runs in their opening game, lighting up the season and cranking the 300-plus target talks to the maximum. Since then, they have done little to live up to the destructive label they carried so triumphantly through the last season. Their performances as well as the results in the subsequent three games have exposed the chink within their armor so mercilessly. They find themselves anchored to the bottom of the table, and they do not have much time left to delay the repair work. Their sudden slump prompts a few uncomfortable yet crucial questions,…

Punjab Kings (PBKS) let go of their entire team, barring two players, ahead of the mega-auction last year. For a team that has rarely seen any success in the league in the last ten years, this punt was, if anything, very much expected. What was not expected was how this gamble would shape up for them. There were what-ifs, of course. What would happen if the newly roped-in players failed to storm amidst the big guys in a similar fashion? But so far, such worries have not found their way to PBKS’ camp, as the team very worry-freely stands at…

A high-octane style of cricket offers it all. It fuels adrenaline, it’s much-touted in cricket circles, and it delivers pure entertainment. But it’s also another thing: a fickle friend. Three games into the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) know this all too well. The same aggression that helped them storm into the final last year has thrown the side to the bottom places. It started incredibly well for them. A 286-run total in their opening game gave more traction to the 300-plus target talks. But it has been an uphill battle since. However, they might find solace in knowing that their…

Rob Walter has called time on his coaching stint with South Africa’s white-ball teams, which brings a premature end to his four-year contract. After being signed in February 2023 under a contract extending until the conclusion of the 2027 ODI World Cup, Walter resigned just two years into the coaching role. Cricket South Africa (CSA) cited personal reasons behind his departure from the role, which are understood to be the stress of constant travel between his home country, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as the mounting criticism over his underwhelming white-ball record. During his tenure, Walter saw the…