In the upcoming season of the IPL, Mustafizur Rahman will play for the Kolkata Knight Riders as the only Bangladeshi cricketer in the tournament. Bought for ₹9.2 crore, Mustafizur’s inclusion has sparked threats from religious leaders in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, who have warned of vandalism at the ground if he is fielded.

They claim this stance is due to recent violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Calls to boycott the Kolkata team have also been made on social media.

Mahabir Nath, the chief priest of the Rinmukteshwar Mahadev Temple in Ujjain, said, “If a Bangladeshi player is brought onto the field, Kolkata will face serious trouble. Ascetic warriors will not allow the match to take place and will enter the ground to carry out vandalism.”

Meanwhile, uncertainty remains over the duration of Mustafizur’s participation in the IPL. BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul stated that the Cricket Operations Department will decide based on the needs of Bangladesh’s international series.

BCB Cricket Operations Committee Chairman Nazmul Abedin Fahim said that since Bangladesh has a limited-overs series against New Zealand in April, Mustafizur will be able to join the IPL only after completing that series.

A rare embarrassing record for Australia at home in the Ashes: all out for 152 runs. In the first innings of the Melbourne Test, Australia was bowled out in just 45.2 overs. In the history of Ashes series at home, Australia has been dismissed in so few overs only twice—both times in Melbourne: once in 1902 and again in 2010.

Led by Steve Smith, Australia managed to score just 152 runs in the first innings. While the total isn’t very high, England’s batsmen still face a challenging test on the grass-covered pitch at the MCG against Australia’s bowlers.

The main architect of Australia’s batting collapse was England pacer Josh Tong. He took five crucial wickets for just 45 runs. His victims included Jack Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Michael Neser, and Scott Boland.

Tong’s dominance, especially over Steve Smith, was remarkable. Bowling against Smith in five innings so far, this English pacer has managed to dismiss him every single time.

Shakib Al Hasan has joined the elite group of players with the most Player of the Match awards in T20 cricket. He once again showed his familiar all-round brilliance in the ILT20, delivering a standout performance for MI Emirates against the Desert Vipers at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

With the ball, Shakib was highly effective, conceding just 14 runs in his four overs while picking up two crucial wickets. He also contributed with the bat when the team needed him most, scoring an unbeaten 17 off 25 balls with a calm and responsible approach at the end of the innings. His all-round effort earned him the Player of the Match award.

Batting first, the Desert Vipers managed 124 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Chasing a relatively modest target, MI Emirates secured victory with six wickets down and 15 balls to spare.

In terms of Player of the Match awards in T20 cricket, Shakib Al Hasan has now earned a place among the format’s all-time greats. Having played 465 T20 matches so far, he has won the award 45 times, placing him joint third on the list of players with the most Player of the Match honors in T20s.

He shares this position with Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and England’s Alex Hales. Rashid has achieved the milestone in 504 matches, while Hales reached the same number after playing 524 games.

Just ahead of Shakib on the list are two power-hitting all-rounders, Glenn Maxwell and Kieron Pollard, who are jointly second with 48 Player of the Match awards each. The record for the most Player of the Match awards in T20 cricket is held outright by West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who won the honor 60 times during his career.

Due to the upcoming T20 World Cup, the tournament is being held slightly later than its originally scheduled time. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the final schedule for the 11th edition of the PSL. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the league will start on March 26 next year and conclude on May 3.

While speaking at a PSL roadshow event held in New York, the PCB chief announced the new dates of the tournament. He expressed optimism that the PSL and the PCB are working together for the overall development of cricket in Pakistan. Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram was also present with him at the event.

Naqvi said that the PCB and PSL organizers are jointly working to take cricket forward. He believes that properly rewarding players boosts their morale. He also added that Pakistan has an abundance of cricketing talent and that the PSL is proving to be economically profitable for investors.

Former pacer Wasim Akram described the success of the PSL as “the result of a collective effort.” He said, “While this league entertains cricket fans, it also provides local talents with a big stage to showcase their skills.”

Besides Mohsin Naqvi and Wasim Akram, the roadshow was attended by former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja, PSL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Salman Naseer, and six national team cricketers—Salman Ali Agha, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, and Saud Shakeel.

It is worth noting that the PSL began in 2016 with five teams. In 2018, the number of teams increased to six. From the upcoming 11th edition next year, two more new teams will be added. The organizers believe that with the increase in teams, the tournament will become even more competitive.