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Pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman is set to miss the start of the BPL – which begins on November 4 – as he recovers from the ankle injury he picked up before the first ODI against South Africa. BCB’s chief physician Dr Debashish Chowdhury said that the Grade 2 sprain has to be carefully treated to avoid a relapse. Given the severity of the injury, Mustafizur is likely to miss at least the first two weeks of the tournament.After being treated in South Africa for a week, Mustafizur returned to Dhaka on October 23. He began physiotherapy, a major part of the rehabilitation process, on Wednesday.”This is the 13th day of Mustafizur’s lateral ankle injury,” Chowdhury said. “We started physiotherapy yesterday, and he has improved quite a bit after the first day. The swelling has reduced. But despite clinical improvement, we will be careful about him since the scan report has shown that the injury is a Grade 2 sprain or moderate type of ankle strain. We will review him after two weeks, after which we will set the next course of management plan.”We have to keep in mind that lateral ankle strain is a bad injury. If he returns to playing with proper rehabilitation, then the injury may return in the future. So we want him to recover fully, even if it means he has to miss a few BPL matches.”Mustafizur had played only in the 2015 BPL – he had skipped the competition last year due to a shoulder injury. During this year’s draft, Rajshahi Kings picked him with the first overall pick, with hopes of strengthening their bowling attack.Chowdhury said Mustafizur is expected to miss bowling training for at least a couple of weeks more. “It has been two weeks since he got injured. If he rests for another two weeks, it will be a month, which is a useful time for recovery.”He has to give some time to get back to bowling training, which will depend on him. In total he will need 2-3 weeks, before which we won’t get a completely fit Mustafizur.”

Australia fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile feared that he would not return to international cricket after being ruled out of the last home summer due to a back injury. Coulter-Nile has struggled with injuries over the past two years. In September 2015, a recurring hamstring injury forced him out of the ODI series in England. He was later in the frame to make a Test debut in the home series against West Indies in the same year but dislocated his shoulder while playing for the Perth Scorchers during the Big Bash League. A lower back issue then forced him out of the Sri Lanka tour in 2016 and put him on a lengthy rehabilitation period.Coulter-Nile returned to action in the IPL earlier this year and claimed 15 wickets in eight matches for Kolkata Knight Riders but his international future remained uncertain after he was cut from the national contracts list. Injuries to Mitchell Starc and then Josh Hazlewood meant Coulter-Nile was back in Australia’s limited-overs side for the India tour. He took the new ball in the first ODI in Chennai and claimed three wickets in an incisive opening burst.”There were definitely periods where I wondered if I was ever going to play for Australia again,” Coulter-Nile told after taking 3 for 44 in the series opener. “I was always confident I could play for WA (Western Australia) and get through a domestic season. That’s a lot easier than the rigours and travel of playing for Australia. But it’s yet to be seen if I can get through an Aussie tour yet.”I thought long and hard about [giving up first-class cricket] and I ended up trying to give it another crack. After talking to JL (Justin Langer) and a few blokes, I think it’d just be mad to give up the dream at 29.”Coulter-Nile, who was playing his first ODI since the tri-series final in the Caribbean in June 2016, hit hard lengths with the new ball and pushed India’s top-order batsmen back. He then made the incisions with full balls outside off.Coulter-Nile had contemplated giving up the longest format and turning into a T20 gun for hire last month, but he now says that playing for Australia is still the “dream”.”I think it’s the dream of every kid playing in Australia,” he said. “It’s not about earning money in the IPL, it’s about playing Test cricket and representing your country on the big stage.”Coulter-Nile is into his fifth year in international cricket, having played 17 ODIs and as many T20Is, but is yet to make his Test debut. He was in line for a Boxing Day debut in 2015, but a dislocated shoulder – sustained during the BBL – sidelined him.With Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson being the first-choice quicks, where does Coulter-Nile see himself in the pecking order?”I’m up near with them, but I’m not up with them,” he said. “But it’s the nature of cricket that those blokes aren’t fit all the time … which is why I’ve got the chance here. I’ve just got to be fit at the right time to get a break, I guess. My goals this year are to purely play well for WA. I’m confident I can get through for WA and just get my body into some sort of shape to play for Australia consistently.”

South Africa batsman Mignon du Preez has replaced Dane van Niekerk in the Southern Vipers squad for the upcoming Kia Super League. Van Niekerk had earlier pulled out of the tournament with an injury after the conclusion of the Women’s World Cup. India’s Harmanpreet Kaur, who pulled out of the tournament because of a shoulder injury, will be replaced by South Africa opener Lizelle Lee for Surrey Stars.Du Preez finished the World Cup as South Africa’s third-highest run-scorer with 229 runs in seven games at an average of 57.25, including an unbeaten 76 in the semi-final against England.”I consider ourselves fortunate in that we have found such a talented and experienced player to replace Dane van Niekerk,” Bob Parks, Southern Vipers general manager, said. “She will certainly add value to our batting unit and comes with a high reputation as an excellent fielder.”The Vipers, though, will miss the all-round services of van Niekerk, who finished the Women’s World Cup as the leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets at an average of 10. She also contributed with 99 runs in seven games.The Southern Vipers open the tournament against Western Storm on August 10.

KL Rahul has been ruled out* of the Galle Test on July 26 with viral fever. He had missed the training on Monday, staying back in Colombo for observation even as the rest of the squad travelled south on Sunday. The BCCI’s medical team has advised the India opener further rest “as a precautionary measure”.Rahul was coming out of an injury lay-off after he hurt his shoulder during the Test series against Australia in February-March this year. He played through pain to end as third-highest run-getter in the series but missed the IPL, the Champions Trophy and the West Indies tour to recover from the injury. On his comeback he scored a quick fifty in the two-day warm-up match in Moratuwa, but he said he was nervous making his comeback after such a long lay-off.”You know that you are physically fit and you have done everything that you can, worked really hard, you are feeling stronger, you are feeling fitter,” Rahul told . “But the mind always tells you what if it happens again, what if you have to go through the same grind for three months, what if your shoulder is not ready, what if you [have] come back early?”India’s openers have been struggling with injury and illness for a long time now with the slots becoming a revolving door. M Vijay is already out as he has not fully recovered after the surgery on the wrist that he hurt during the Australia series. The two other openers in the squad are Abhinav Mukund and Shikhar Dhawan.* GMT 0915 The story was updated with the BCCI’s confirmation of Rahul’s unavailability

Match Facts

July 14-18, 2017
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)

Big Picture

As far as Test captaincy debuts go, it’s fair to say Joe Root got off to a flyer. An important toss won, a statement innings provided (with a little luck along the way), and an emphatic victory secured. Things may never seem this easy again.South Africa will certainly looking to make the challenge a little tougher, now that they have their permanent captain back at the helm. Faf du Plessis is the sort of player who sprinkles hard knocks over his cereals in the morning and will be out to inspire a reaction from his wounded side; South Africa have not lost a Test series in England in almost 20 years and the battle to preserve that record will now intensify.The wounds are mostly figurative, although Kagiso Rabada has absented himself from the second Test after a salty outburst at Lord’s led to him accumulating a fourth demerit point. South Africa’s problems in defeat were largely of the batting (and catching) variety, however, which has led to JP Duminy being dropped for what may be the final time.England, meanwhile, have only good options to mull over. Moeen Ali claimed his first Test ten-wicket haul but will happily play the second spinner’s fiddle, while Root will look for more from Mark Wood and Ben Stokes on a ground where both played a key role with the ball when England regained the Ashes in 2015.Wood knows England have the likes of Chris Woakes and Jake Ball returning to fitness, which will put his place under pressure later in the series. But for now, England have settled quickly under their new captain and it is South Africa who need to summon a response.Joe Root enjoyed a dream start in his first Test as captain•Getty Images

Form guide

England WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LDWDW

In the spotlight

Gary Ballance received words of praise from captain and coach for stubborn innings of 20 and 34 on his latest comeback. The latter was particularly valuable in retrospect, as he and Alastair Cook pushed England into a much stronger position than was immediately apparent on the third evening, before the clatter of wickets the following day. But it will only be hundreds and (to an extent) fifties that determine how long Ballance remains in the team. The fact Morne Morkel dismissed him twice bowling round the wicket at Lord’s ensures he will be tested there again.He is only one match into his Test career but already Heino Kuhn will be acquainted with the gauntlet of life in South Africa’s top order. Kuhn faced 42 balls for two single-figure scores at Lord’s, undone by a perfect Stuart Broad delivery in the first innings and perhaps a little unlucky to edge James Anderson down the leg side second time out. He came into this series in good form, having made two centuries (including 200 not out) on the South Africa A tour of England, but will want to spend longer in the middle in Nottingham to start feeling comfortable about life as a Test opener.

Team news

Having stuck with the same 12-man squad, England named an unchanged team – meaning Toby Roland-Jones continues to wait for a Test debut. With Moeen Ali now considered a “batsman who bowls a bit” and Liam Dawson in the side as the main spinner, they appear a balanced side.England 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonThe suspension of Rabada and dropping of Duminy, as well as du Plessis’ return, means South Africa have some rejigging to do. Duanne Olivier has been confirmed as Rabada’s replacement but they still have a decision to make over whether to stick with Theunis de Bruyn or bring in Chris Morris to further strengthen the bowling.South Africa (probable) 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Heino Kuhn, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Chris Morris, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Duanne Olivier, 11 Morne Morkel

Pitch and conditions

The pitch being used is the same as that for the 2015 Ashes. Yes, Broad’s 8 for 15 and all that. Trent Bridge usually aids swings and seam, which might actually be to South Africa’s liking after a surprise trial by spin at Lord’s. The forecast is generally clear throughout the Test, although temperatures may be on the cooler side.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa last played a Test at Trent Bridge in 2003, when they lost to a James Kirtley-inspired England.
• The 1998 match on the ground is best remembered for Allan Donald’s duel with Mike Atherton as England levelled the series.
• Alastair Cook is 45 runs behind Allan Border, who lies ninth on the Test run-scorer list.
• Hashim Amla needs just eight more runs to become the third South African to 8000 in Tests.

Quotes

“I’m still desperate to make an impact with runs and get another win out of the lads. They performed brilliantly last week and it’s important we keep that hunger and really drive forward as a team and keep improving as a side.”
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Match facts

Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore
Dehi, May 14, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Head to head

Overall: Royal Challengers have an emphatic 12-6 record over Daredevils.This season: One of Royal Challengers’ two wins this season was against Daredevils at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Kedar Jadhav’s sublime 69 helped the hosts post 157, which, despite Rishabh Pant’s 36-ball 57, was 15 runs too much for Daredevils.

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils (sixth): defeated Rising Pune Supergiant by seven runs, defeated Gujarat Lions by two wickets, lost to Mumbai Indians by 146 runs
Royal Challengers Bangalore (eighth): lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets, lost to Kings XI Punjab by 19 runs, lost to Mumbai Indians by five wickets

In the news

AB de Villiers left for national duty after Royal Challengers’ match against Knight Riders last Sunday, and it remains to be seen if Shane Watson, who confessed this season was his poorest at the IPL ever, returns to the XI.Daredevils included only three overseas players in the side that beat Rising Pune Supergiant, with Shahbaz Nadeem replacing Carlos Brathwaite. Considering Nadeem’s tight bowling against them – he took 1 for 21 – at Feroz Shah Kotla on Friday, chances of an unchanged XI for Daredevils are high. Australian fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus is yet to play a game this season.

The likely XIs

Delhi Daredevils: 1 Sanju Samson, 2 Karun Nair, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Pat Cummins, 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Zaheer Khan (capt), 10 Shahbaz Nadeem, 11 Mohammed ShamiRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Mandeep Singh, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Shane Watson, 5 Travis Head, 6 Kedar Jadhav (wk), 7 Pawan Negi, 8 S Aravind, 9 Samuel Badree, 10 Aniket Choudhary, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Stats that matter

• Royal Challengers are the only team this season to score at a run rate of less than 8.00. Their average partnership of 18.50 runs per wicket is also the poorest among all teams. The second-worst batting average, 23.77, belongs to Daredevils.
• Royal Challengers and Daredevils have been the two least successful teams in the Powerplay this season, having scored at a run rate of 6.90 and 8.23 respectively at the expense of 25 and 24 wickets in that phase. Royal Challengers have also been the slowest in the slog overs – they have scored at a run rate of 8.44 and lost 33 wickets, the joint-most by any team.
• Daredevils’ inconsistency this season reflects in their being the only team to score more than 195 runs three times while being bowled out under 70 on two occasions.
• Daredevils have been particularly poor – with both bat and ball – between overs six and 15. They have lost 37 wickets, the second-most by any team, and have played out the most number of dot balls – 268 out of 694 deliveries – in the middle overs. During that period, their bowlers have taken only 24 wickets – only one more than bottom-placed Gujarat Lions.
• Only seven half-centuries have been scored by the top four batsmen in either side, at an average of less than 25 – the lowest among all teams. No other team’s top four averages less than 29.
• Royal Challengers’ batsmen have been dismissed 53 times for single-digit scores – 15 more than Daredevils. In comparison, Sunrisers Hyderabad have had the least number of such dismissals: only 19 single-digit scores this season.

Match facts

Mumbai Indians v Rising Pune Supergiant
Monday, April 24, 2017
Start time 2000 IST (1430 GMT)3:38

Agarkar: Will pick Malinga ahead of Johnson

Form guide

This season: Steven Smith and Imran Tahir played leading roles in securing Rising Pune’s seven-wicket win against Mumbai in their season opener.Overall: Rising Pune have a 2-1 win record against Mumbai including their match this season.

Form guide

• Mumbai Indians: (first) beat Delhi Daredevils by 14 runs; beat Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets; beat Gujarat Lions by six wickets

• Rising Pune Supergiant: (fifth) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets; beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 27 runs; lost to Lions by seven wickets

In the news

An unwell Lasith Malinga missed the match against Delhi Daredevils. His replacement Mitchell Johnson stepped up well for Mumbai in his first appearance this season, bowling tightly to complement Mitchell McClenaghan’s onslaught in the Powerplay. Malinga trained with the team on the eve of the match and is likely to be available for selection. Johnson’s slot may hence be the only one open to change in an otherwise settled Mumbai line-up. The pitch looked dry on Sunday could assist the fast bowlers again on Monday. It is understood Mumbai were bothered by the pace in the track against Daredevils and spoke to the groundsman about it on Sunday.For Rising Pune, Faf du Plessis batted extensively in the nets a day before the match but it’s hard to find an overseas player he could replace easily.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rohit Sharma (capt), 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell Johnson/Lasith Malinga, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Jasprit BumrahRising Pune Supergiant: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 MS Dhoni (wk), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Dan Christian, 8 Washington Sundar/Rahul Chahar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Jaydev Unadkat/Ankit Sharma, 11 Imran Tahir

Strategy punt

How should Pune keep Mumbai’s most prolific batsman this season quiet? By bowling length deliveries to Nitish Rana outside off. So far in the tournament, he has scored 102 runs off 96 such deliveries. He has shown deftness at handling the short ball, however: smashing six sixes in a tally of 50 runs from 17 deliveries.

Stats

• The second-most successful opening pair in this IPL, Jos Buttler and Parthiv Patel, has added 263 runs at an average of 37.57 and has opened in all the side’s games so far. The continuity is in stark contrast to the previous season when Mumbai used five opening pairs that tallied 225 runs. In the current season, Mumbai and Sunrisers Hyderabad are the only two franchises to have used the same opening combination in all games so far.
• Pune would look to bring in spin early to counter Mumbai’s openers. Buttler, for instance, has a scoring rate of 10 per over against pace in the Powerplay (165 runs off 107 balls) but has faced only eight deliveries from spinners in that phase in the IPL. Parthiv has a scoring rate of 9.47 (110 runs off 76 balls) against the quicks, which drops to 6 per over against spinners (15 off 18 balls) in the Powerplay. In their opening match, Parthiv, Buttler and Rohit fell to Imran Tahir for a total of 60 runs.
• Rohit Sharma’s overall record against legspin in the IPL: 449 runs off 404 balls with 17 dismissals. That accounts for over 15% of his dismissals overall in the IPL. In terms of batsmen dismissed most number of times by legspinners, only Suresh Raina ranks ahead of Rohit with 18 dismissals.
• Steven Smith’s favoured opposition in the IPL has been Mumbai. Overall, in seven matches against them from 2012 to 2017, he has scored 272 runs at an average of 68 and a strike rate of 144.68. Of the current Mumbai attack, he has lost his wicket only to McClenaghan and Jasprit Bumrah – once each.
• Mumbai are on the verge of their best winning streak in the IPL, having currently won six consecutive games. The last time they won six straight games was in the inaugural edition in 2008.

Grant Elliott, the New Zealand allrounder who played a starring role in his country’s run to the World Cup final in 2015, is to announce his retirement from international cricket.Elliott will sign for Birmingham Bears as a Kolpak registration, joining fellow New Zealanders Jeetan Patel and Colin de Grandhomme at Edgbaston, but will play in the NatWest Blast only.While Warwickshire’s director of sport, Ashley Giles, stated that Kolpak registrations were “not a favoured option for me” when he rejoined the club, he did also say “never say never”.Giles said: “Grant has proven himself as a match-winner on the biggest stage. He top scored in the final and semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and he has a wealth of T20 experience, having played in several of the world’s leading competitions.”Securing Grant, and the earlier addition of Colin de Grandhomme, gives us the additional batting firepower that we wanted to complement a strong top order. He also gives us even more options with the ball and has good experience of English conditions.”As a teammate of Jeetan, we know that Grant has great character and he will play an important role in developing the younger members of the squad. He will be a proud Bear and we look forward to welcoming him to Edgbaston in July.”At the age of 38, Elliott’s decision is understandable. He has already retired from ODIs and has not played for New Zealand since their defeat by England in the World T20 semi-final exactly one year ago, but remains a sought-after T20 specialist.Most recently, he was playing for Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League, where his final-ball six against Islamabad United, and subsequent bat-drop, attracted global headlines.Born in Johannesburg, Elliott emigrated to New Zealand in search of new challenges in 2001, and played the first of his five Tests against England at Napier seven years later. He also featured in 16 T20Is, but it was in the 50-over format that he forged his international reputation.In all, he played 83 ODIs, starting with a central role in New Zealand’s 3-1 victory in England in 2008, but reaching its zenith on an unforgettable night at Auckland in the 2015 World Cup, when he struck the final-over six off Dale Steyn that propelled New Zealand into their first World Cup final.Though they finished the tournament as runners-up, beaten by Australia in the final at Melbourne, Elliott top-scored for his team with 83 from 82 balls, to cement his cult-hero status among New Zealand’s supporters.The boss: Grant Elliott smashed a six to win the 2015 World Cup semi-final against South Africa•Getty Images

Afghanistan’s Dawlat Zadran and Mohammad Nabi have been warned by the ICC for breaching the Code of Conduct in two separate incidents during the side’s inning and 172-run win over Ireland at the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Greater Noida last week.Dawlat fired a throw that hit Peter Chase, Ireland’s No. 11, on his leg in the first innings. The action was deemed offensive as Chase, firmly inside the crease, wasn’t trying to attempt a run. In addition to the reprimand, Dawlat also had three demerit points against his name.Nabi, meanwhile, was found guilty of breaching a code that deals with “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.” The incident occurred early in Ireland’s first innings when he appealed and celebrated a catch that popped off Andy Balbirne’s bat even though he had clearly grassed the opportunity.No formal hearing was needed since both players accepted the sanctions proposed by Graeme La Brooy, the match referee. Nabi was given one demerit point for the offence.Four or more demerit points within a 24-month period will be converted into suspension points. Players with two suspension points against their name stand to earn a ban from either an ICC Intercontinental Cup match, two ODIs or two T20Is, depending on whichever comes first.

Max Holden and George Bartlett earned a select place in the history of England Under-19s cricket as they extended their marathon partnership on the second day of the first four-day match against India in Nagpur.They were finally separated after a stand of 321 in 82 overs, a new record for any wicket for England which has only been beaten once in all international Under-19 cricket, in 2001 by an Indian opening pair including Gautam Gambhir who put on 391 against an England attack including Monty Panesar and Chris Tremlett, and captained by Ian Bell.Bartlett was the first to go, stumped for 179 off 249 balls including 25 fours and three sixes. That became the highest score by an England Under-19s batsman overseas, beating 170 by Nasser Hussain against Sri Lanka in Kandy in 1986-87.There are still 10 batsmen ahead of Bartlett in the all-time England list, but all of them made their runs on home soil – including his Somerset seniors Marcus Trescothick with 206 against India at Edgbaston in 1994, and James Hildreth against Bangladesh in Taunton a decade later.After Bartlett’s dismissal, Holden batted on, for almost 20 more overs and into a fifth session, until after eight hours and 47 minutes at the crease the opener was finally dismissed for 170 – leaving him joint second with Hussain on England’s overseas list.Still the agony wasn’t over for India as Delray Rawlins, the Sussex allrounder who had been England’s batting star of the one-day series ended unbeaten on 70 from 94 balls before Holden declared on 501 for 5 – England’s second highest total against India in Under-19 cricket, and the third highest by anyone in India.