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India aim to get back to winning ways, Scotland look to notch up their first T20 World Cup win in just their second outing

Sruthi Ravindranath05-Oct-20241:25

Are India in danger of a group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup?

India vs Pakistan

Dubai, 2pm local timeIndia squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, S SajanaPakistan squad: Fatima Sana (capt), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba HassanTournament form guide: On the back of a stunning bowling effort, Pakistan opened the tournament with a 31-run win against Sri Lanka in Sharjah. India, meanwhile, suffered a 58-run loss to New Zealand amid high drama in Dubai.Related

• Harmanpreet & Co left fuming after Amelia Kerr run-out-that-wasn't drama

• Injuries to Zaida James and Stafanie Taylor make bad day worse for West Indies

• Rodrigues challenges India to bounce back from shock New Zealand loss

News brief: In the match against Sri Lanka, medium pacer Diana Baig only bowled one ball before she pulled up with what looked like a calf injury. It is understood that Baig did not train on the eve of the match and that she would be assessed on Sunday ahead of the game. India-Pakistan contests have rather been one-sided in favour of India. India have won five out of the seven matches they’ve played against Pakistan in T20 World Cups, with Pakistan last winning in the 2016 tournament. India have also dominated against them in T20s overall, having won 12 out of 15 games. Regardless, the encounter is expected to draw huge crowds, with over 10,000 tickets reportedly being sold for the game on Sunday.Players to watch: Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal is having her best year in T20Is. Among all players at the T20 World Cup, she has taken the most wickets in 2024, with 24 wickets in 15 games. She was impressive in the opener against Sri Lanka as well, taking three middle-order wickets, including that of the top-scorer Nilakshika Silva. She finished with figures of 3 for 17.West Indies will look to bounce back after the big loss to South Africa•ICC/Getty Images

Scotland vs West Indies

Dubai, 6pm local timeScotland squad: Kathryn Bryce (capt), Chloe Abel, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Olivia Bell, Sarah Bryce (wk), Darcey Carter, Priyanaz Chatterji, Katherine Fraser, Saskia Horley, Lorna Jack, Ailsa Lister, Abtaha Maqsood, Megan McColl, Hannah Rainey, Rachel SlaterWest Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt, wk), Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa CraftonTournament guide: In their maiden World Cup appearance, Scotland lost to Bangladesh by 16 runs. West Indies, too, are coming into the match on the back of a big loss, having gone down to South Africa by 10 wickets in Dubai.News brief: West Indies are waiting on injury updates for a couple of key players. Bowler Zaida James suffered a blow to the jaw while fielding off her own bowling, but captain Hayley Matthews said after the game that “she hopefully will be able to be back up for the next match”. Senior allrounder Stafanie Taylor also looked in some discomfort during her knock of 44 not out. It was revealed that she had been troubled by soreness in her knee and that she would undergo an assessment before training on Saturday.Player to watch: Scotland will surely want to use the offspin of Saskia Horley more. Bowling two overs in the match against Bangladesh, she picked up three wickets for just 13 runs having only been brought into the attack in the 18th over. She had quite an impressive run with the bat in the Netherlands ODI tri-series in August and in the match against PNG, she took 4 for 24, bowling her full quota.

A round-up of the first day’s play of the second-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Plate League 2009-10

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2009The first day’s play of three games – between Goa and Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, and Jharkhand and Vidarbha – was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Group A

Scorecard

A Wilkin Mota-inspired Tripura gained the upper hand against Rajasthan in Agartala. Mota grabbed a career-best 6 for 22 to help Tripura skittle out the opposition for 102; only three Rajasthan batsmen reached double-digits. Mota again stood out in the reply, making an unbeaten 38 to steer his team to 73 for 3 at stumps.

Group B

Scorecard
Only 30 overs were possible on the opening day of the fixture between Madhya Pradesh and Kerala in Indore. MP scored at a brisk pace, with Naman Ojha and Hrishikesh Kanitkar scoring half-centuries. Both were unbeaten after adding 120 for the second wicket, as MP finished the rain-affected day on 134 for 1.

A collective effort by their bowlers limited Lyca Kovai Kings, in their third straight final, to 129 for 7

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2024A 46-ball 52 from R Ashwin at No. 3 following a collective bowling effort helped Dindigul Dragons to their maiden Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) title. It was Ashwin’s third successive fifty in TNPL 2024.Lyca Kovai Kings, in their third straight final, were restricted to 129 for 7 – thanks to two-wicket hauls from Sandeep Warrier, Varun Chakravarthy and P Vignesh each – with Dragons overhauling it with six wickets and ten balls to spare at Chepauk. Ashwin also contributed with four stingy overs for just 13 runs.After being inserted, Kings raced away to 48 for 1 in five overs. But Varun struck twice in two balls in the final over of the powerplay to get rid of S Sujay (22 off 12) and U Mukilesh. B Sai Sudharsan, who scored an unbeaten 123 in the Qualifier 1, soon cut a short and wide one straight to backward point to leave Kings in tatters at 51 for 4.R Ashwin struck his third successive half-century in the TNPL•TNPL

Atheeq Ur Rahman and Ram Arvindh then stitched a 36-run stand in 28 balls. But once that partnership was broken by Suboth Bhati, Kings run-rate took a hit. M Shahrukh Khan, Kings’ captain, also had an off day and that culminated in an abject finish to the innings.The start to Dragons’ 130-run chase was a bit frantic, with both the openers being dismissed in 15 balls. But Ashwin and B Indrajith (32 off 35) brought a sense of calmness. Ashwin hit one four and three sixes in his stay. They added a run-a-ball 65 for the third wicket to all but seal the chase. One that was completed swiftly in the end, thanks to Sarath Kumar’s 15-ball 27 with two fours and as many sixes.While Ashwin was named Player of the Match for his innings, Shahrukh took the series honours for his all-round efforts: 225 runs at a strike rate of 182.92 – easily the best among the top run-scorers in TNPL 2024 – and 13 wickets, second to only M Poiyamozhi’s 16.

Capsey hit seven boundaries in her 48-ball knock

ECB Media28-Jul-2024England star Alice Capsey followed up her opening-day 51 with a well-made 59 as Oval Invincibles defeated Welsh Fire by six wickets at Cardiff.Capsey hit seven boundaries in her 48-ball knock before she was brilliantly caught at long-on by Hayley Matthews off Freya Davies with 27 runs still required.All-rounders Marizanne Kapp (26*) and Mady Villiers (11*) then took the reins to extinguish any Welsh Fire hopes, guiding Invincibles home with 12 balls to spare.The Invincibles’ chase got off to a far from ideal start as they lost Lauren Winfield-Hill on the second ball of the innings, caught at cover by Tammy Beaumont off Shabnim Ismail for a duck.Paige Schofield (11) and Capsey didn’t let this early loss faze them, playing fluently to move the score along to 37 for 1 after 20 balls, the latter crucially being dropped at long-on by Ismail off Jess Jonassen two runs later.Capsey overturned an lbw decision on 43 off the bowling of Jonassen and went on to bring up her fifty from 42 balls.Welsh Fire won the toss and elected to bat, losing Beaumont for four to the eighth ball of the innings, an outswinger from Kapp which drew an edge behind to Winfield-Hill.After 25 balls, Welsh Fire had laboured to 17 for 1 and they soon found themselves 20 for 2 when Amanda-Jade Wellington struck first ball to remove the dangerous Matthews for just 6, caught brilliantly by Kapp running in from the cover boundary.Sophia Dunkley made 35 from 26 balls before skying Wellington to Ryana MacDonald-Gay at long-on and Jonassen, who took over Dunkley’s role as aggressor, played enterprisingly for 32 not out from 22 balls as Welsh Fire closed their innings on a below-par 116 for 5.Meerkat Match Hero Capsey, said: “Pace on was really nice, so capitalising on that up the top in the powerplay. When it got a bit harder, they were bowling really well with change-ups and bowling a bit slower, me and Kappy built a partnership and knew the longer it went on, the easier it would get for the others coming in at the back end.”I’ve been feeling in really good nick but I think the most pleasing thing for me is my calmness. I think last year I was a bit frantic. So, it’s nice to be back in this space where I can contribute to team wins.”

Chamindu Wickramasinghe has retained his place in both ODI and T20I squads

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Nov-2024Kusal Perera has been included in Sri Lanka ODI squad to play New Zealand, as has seamer Mohamed Shiraz.Kusal Perera has not played an ODI in almost a year, but has made this squad on the strength of his 55 not out in a T20I against West Indies. Shiraz, 29, has been an excellent domestic performer, taking 84 wickets at 18.75 in List A cricket, but has so far bowled only four overs in internationals.On the T20I front, Sri Lanka have retained the exact squad they had had for the series against West Indies, which they won 2-1. Newcomer Chamindu Wickramasinghe – an allrounder – has kept his place in both squads.Dinesh Chandimal has also retained his place in the T20I squad. He hasn’t played any international white-ball cricket since 2022, but has been impressive in domestic competitions since.The core of Sri Lanka’s batting group remains unchanged, the likes of Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, and Asalanka himself likely to be part of the top five. In T20Is, Sri Lanka have a middle-order hitter in Bhanuka Rajapaksa. In ODIs, they have more of an accumulating batter in Janith Liyanage, who can also contribute with his seam bowling.The spin contingent also consist of the regulars, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, with Jeffrey Vandersay and Dunith Wellalage also making both squads.There are differences on the seam-bowling front, however. Slingers Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara are only in the T20I squad, as is Binura Fernando. Left-armer Dilshan Madushanka and Shiraz are ODI bowlers who don’t make the T20 outfit. Asitha Fernando is in both.Four of the matches – three T20Is and one ODI – will be played in Dambulla. The other two ODIs will be in Pallekele. The series begins on November 9.T20I squad: Charith Asalanka (capt.), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Binura Fernando, Asitha FernandoODI squad: Charith Asalanka (capt.), Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Nishan Madushka, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Mohamed Shiraz

“Rizwan, Haris, Irfan and Azam are part of the squad because we hope they will be fit for the Ireland series,” Wahab Riaz says

Danyal Rasool02-May-2024Usama Mir and Zaman Khan have missed out on selection for Pakistan’s upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, while Hasan Ali, who had last played a T20I in 2022, has been called up to the squad. Haris Rauf, who was injured during the PSL, has also been included, even as Agha Salman also returns.The squad, which was announced in a press conference conducted by three members of the selection panel, also sees the return of Mohammad Rizwan, Azam Khan and Irfan Khan, who were ruled out of last month’s series against New Zealand with injuries. However, there is no guarantee yet that the trio – or even Rauf – has yet made a full recovery, with selector Wahab Riaz expressing cautious optimism over their involvement.”Rizwan, Haris, Irfan and Azam are being assessed,” he said. “There is a significant improvement in their fitness. They’re part of the squad because we hope they will be fit for the Ireland series.”Related

• Babar: 'Haris Rauf is positive about his involvement in 2024 T20 World Cup'

• Are Pakistan stuck in a T20 time warp?

• Gillespie is Pak men's Test coach; Kirsten named white-ball coach

Pakistan’s squad largely consolidates the group named for the home T20Is against New Zealand, with Usman Khan, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim keeping their places. Despite late speculation around the potential return of Aamer Jamal, the allrounder does not make the cut, while the freezing out of hard-hitting top-order batter Mohammad Haris also continues.Hasan, who like Jamal is currently playing county cricket for Warwickshire, had his selection attributed by the PCB more to his experience and ICC tournament pedigree rather than current form. Hasan did enjoy a stellar PSL this year with Karachi Kings, for whom he took 14 wickets at an economy of 8.26, but was still not selected for the New Zealand series.His selection appears to be based around belief in his ability beyond just hard numbers, and an opportunity to assess him in Ireland and England before this 18-man squad is whittled down to 15 for the T20 World Cup.Pakistan play three T20Is against Ireland starting May 10, before playing four games against England. The deadline to announce the squad for the T20 World Cup (May 25) is after they play the first T20I against England (May 22).

Pakistan squad for Ireland and England T20Is

Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan

Managing director Gough says he would “play a big part in everything we are looking to achieve”

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2023Yorkshire have signed Dan Moriarty, the South African-born left-arm spinner, on a three-year contract from Surrey, making his loan move permanent.Moriarty broke into Surrey’s first team in 2020 and was part of their side that reached the T20 Blast final that season. But he gradually found opportunities harder to come by, and played a solitary game in their County Championship win last year.He played four games on loan at Yorkshire earlier this year, but will spend the rest of the season with Surrey.”I’m incredibly honoured and extremely excited to begin this new chapter with Yorkshire Cricket,” Moriarty said. “Headingley is a special place to play, and I’ve really enjoyed my time with the club so far and I’m looking forward to continue creating special memories and improve my game at such a prestigious club.He added in a Surrey media release: “I am extremely grateful for the opportunities and experiences this club have given me over the past three years. A massive thank you to all players, staff and members for everything. I will look back at my time at Surrey fondly.”Darren Gough, Yorkshire’s managing director, said Moriarty would “play a big part in everything we are looking to achieve” moving forward. Gough said: “I’m pleased to have secured Dan on a three-year deal. He is a brilliant addition to the team – offering up another bow to our bowling attack – and has impressed at Yorkshire.”We are so pleased that Dan is staying at Headingley. He is the kind of player and person who will continue to add so much to our dressing room, and we look forward to him enjoying a long and successful career with the club.”Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said: “It’s always disappointing when a player chooses to leave Surrey to go to another county but after numerous conversations with Mozza I fully understand and respect the tough decision he has taken.”He feels he will get more opportunities at Yorkshire to further his own career ambitions and I wish him well and thank him for the contributions he has given to Surrey since joining us.”

Afghanistan will be particularly concerned by the form of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who endured a rough week in the recently-concluded tri-series

Danyal Rasool08-Sep-20254:10

What was the biggest turning point in Rashid Khan’s career?

Big picture: First of three big tasks for Hong Kong

Measured by eyeballs, this is the largest non-ICC international tournament cricket has to offer, even if an opener between Afghanistan and Hong Kong doesn’t help make the case for that argument. But in a tight format, there is little bloat, and Hong Kong have the misfortune of being grouped with three legitimate contenders for the trophy.They have played 16 T20Is this year, but nothing that comes close to the sharp uptick in quality they will need to reckon with in a group that also includes Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They got to the UAE almost three weeks in advance, and booked themselves four warm-up games to get into tune ahead of the tournament: a pair against Oman, as well as two against local club sides. That they split the fixtures with each opposition is perhaps suggestive of their level, as well as the task that lies ahead of them against last year’s T20 World Cup semi-finalists.Related

• Back-to-back games plus travel 'not ideal' – Asalanka, Rashid on gruelling schedules

• Kaushal Silva on coaching Hong Kong: 'No one is going to hand us anything'

• 'Maybe I have something…' – the phenomenal rise of Noor Ahmad

• Stats – Nawaz sets new benchmarks as Afghanistan sink to record low

• Asia Cup 2025: Politics, passion and a stage for new rivalries

However, there may not be a better time for Hong Kong to play Rashid Khan’s men. The fixture comes just two days after Afghanistan suffered a bruising defeat in the tri-series final against Pakistan, their batters looking totally ill-equipped against Pakistan’s spinners on a turning track in Sharjah. The emotional toll of that defeat, as well as the quick turnaround, offers Hong Kong a potential opportunity to catch Afghanistan out in Abu Dhabi.Realistically, though, that possibility is remote. Afghanistan are among the best sides in these conditions, and have a win over Pakistan as well as two against UAE from the tri-series under their belt. They boast a well-rounded bowling attack, as well as a batting lineup that combines destructiveness with a more classical poise. They demonstrated their strength in depth by rotating half the side against UAE in a dead rubber before the tri-series final, and still ended up winning. The shorter format and the timing may give Hong Kong the feeling they have a chance, but victory would still make this the greatest upset in Asia Cup history.

Form guide

Afghanistan: LWWWL
Hong Kong: LWWLW15:43

Can Afghanistan make the final of the Asia Cup?

In the spotlight: Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hong Kong’s openers

Afghanistan’s highest profile players are invariably the bowlers, but Rahmanullah Gurbaz bucks that trend. However, Afghanistan’s biggest batting superstar endured a rough week in the recent tri-series, scoring just 98 runs at under 110, 40 of which came in a dead rubber against UAE. The impact of his early dismissals has been somewhat mitigated by the remarkable consistency of Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal, but none have the explosiveness Gurbaz does when in full flow. Simply put, Afghanistan won’t make a deep run without his impact, and a game against Hong Kong represents an ideal opportunity to blast his way back to form.If Afghanistan’s opener has hit a dry patch, that certainly can’t be said for his Hong Kong counterparts Zeeshan Ali and Anshuman Rath. Far and away Hong Kong’s two leading run-scorers, they have demonstrated themselves to be consistent as well as dynamic, with strike rates hovering in the mid 140s. Both boast T20I hundreds this year, while Rath’s consistency, in particular, has made Hong Kong especially dependent on his runs. He has scored a further five half-centuries, and averages just under 50 for the year, the standout innings an unbeaten 59-ball 100 in a mauling of Singapore. Hong Kong need a fast start, and in that department at least, their openers have a track record of taking care of business.

Team news

Since reintroducing Noor Ahmad into their side, Afghanistan have favoured the extra spinner. Expect a similar team to the one that played Pakistan in the final.Afghanistan (possible): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Darwish Rasooli, 5 Karim Janat, 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Rashid Khan (capt), 8 Mohammad Nabi, 9 AM Ghazanfar, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Fazalhaq FarooqiHong Kong (possible): 1 Anshuman Rath, 2 Zeeshan Ali (wk), 3 Babar Hayat, 4 Nizakat Khan, 5 Matthew Coetzee, 6 Yasim Murtaza (capt), 7 Ehsan Khan, 8 Aizaz Khan, 9 Ateeq Iqbal, 10 Nasrulla Rana, 11 Ayush ShuklaNoor Ahmad and Afghanistan will be expected to be a formidable force in familiar Abu Dhabi conditions•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

Abu Dhabi is considered slightly less conducive to spin than Dubai, which may dull Afghanistan’s edge marginally. It is expected to be warm and humid in the evening, as is routine in the UAE this time of year.

Stats and trivia

• In 21 years of their presence in the Asia Cup, Hong Kong have lost all 11 matches they have played.
• Afghanistan have a better T20I record in Abu Dhabi – the venue of the match – than at any other ground in the UAE, winning 11 and losing 5. However, they lost their only match against Hong Kong at this venue, in 2015.

The tourists are keen to play a specialist spinner in the New Year Test against Australia, with Sajid and Nawaz the other options

Danyal Rasool01-Jan-2024There is cautious hope in the Pakistan camp that legspinner Abrar Ahmed may be fit in time for the third Test in Sydney. Abrar, who was ruled out of the first two Test matches with a right leg injury, bowled for a significant period in the nets during Pakistan’s training session on Monday without obvious discomfort.While that represents reason for optimism, the nature of Abrar’s injury means it does not guarantee his participation in the third Test. While he was initially ruled out after complaining of “discomfort in his right leg” during Pakistan’s tour game against Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, Abrar’s history of injury issues makes any degree of certainty elusive.ESPNcricinfo understands part of the issue afflicting Abrar involves a pinched nerve in his right leg and a weakness in his muscles, and he was given injections as part of his treatment. But Pakistan will wait to see how he pulls up overnight after today’s training session, and if significant pain or discomfort arises over the next 12 hours or so, it will determine his ability to start in the final Test.Related

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• Sajid Khan replaces Abrar Ahmed for Pakistan's first Test against Australia

Since he was initially ruled out of the first Test, the PCB only issued a vague update about his fitness status when ruling him out of the second. They declared that his “symptoms have significantly improved” but that he was not “100% asymptomatic”. There are also understood to be concerns about his ability to manage the workload required of a leading spinner in a Test match, and Pakistan understand the risk of selecting him, given the potential any injury flareup effectively reduces them down to ten players.Pakistan are also aware of the risk of any injury to Abrar in a T20 World Cup year. He is part of Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, and the PCB views him as a valuable white-ball asset in addition to a key Test spinner.Abrar, 25, has played only six Tests since making his debut against England last December. But 11 wickets in his first Test, and 38 so far, clubbed with the paucity of Pakistan’s spin-bowling stocks have made him an important player. While much of his early cricketing days were blighted by lengthy, persistent injuries, there were signs he was putting that behind him, though his current injury scare could set back some of the gains he has made.Pakistan have also called up Sajid Khan and Mohammad Nawaz as cover, though neither have played a Test match this series so far. Both also bowled during Pakistan’s training session on Monday.Pakistan are understood to be keen to play a specialist spinner in the third Test, having gone with an all-seam attack in each of the previous two. Agha Salman was used as the spinner in those games, and while his discipline and economy rate have impressed Pakistan, the absence of a wicket-taking spinner has been felt. Nathan Lyon has nine wickets in the first two Tests, while Salman has managed one.The third Test starts on January 3, with Pakistan looking to avoid what would be a sixth successive clean sweep in Australia.

India batter to play the remainder of the County Championship and also the Royal London One-Day Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-2023India batter Prithvi Shaw has secured a deal with Northamptonshire to play the remainder of the County Cricket season in England and also be a part of the Royal London One-Day Cup which starts in August. The 23-year-old is expected to join them at the end of the Duleep Trophy.Shaw is part of a strong West Zone side which is tipped to make it all the way to the final of the Duleep Trophy scheduled between July 12 and 16. He may have fallen down the pecking order for India but remains a prolific run-scorer for his state side, Mumbai, in all formats of the game. Shaw hasn’t played any first-class cricket for six months but he did make a career-best 379 off just 383 balls in a Ranji Trophy game against Assam in January 2023.The ability to score runs quickly is a big reason for Shaw’s rise through the ranks since winning the Under-19 World Cup for India in 2018. He had a stunning introduction to Test cricket, scoring a century on debut, but has since then struggled to deal with the quality of bowling on offer in international red-ball cricket. He played his last game as a first-choice pick for India in 2020 and only managed to get back when they had to send a second-string side to Sri Lanka in 2021.Most recently, Shaw was part of the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023. He went through a six-game stretch where he was unable to score more than 15 runs which led to his being dropped there as well. He did return later in the tournament and immediately struck a half-century.Northamptonshire play in Division One of the English County Championship. They have won just one out of seven games so far and have seven more until the end of the season.This will be Shaw’s first time playing domestic cricket in the UK. He will become the fifth Indian to be part of the 2022-23 season following Cheteshwar Pujara (Sussex), Ajinkya Rahane (Leicestershire), Arshdeep Singh (Kent) and Navdeep Saini (Worcestershire).Shaw is a very attractive package in white-ball cricket, where hitting through the line of the ball is much easier. He is approaching 3000 List A runs at an average of 52.54 and a strike-rate of 123.27 with eight centuries, one of which is a double. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir, in 2022, had even tipped him to lead the country at some point in the future.