Namibia vs Sri Lanka: The opening match of the World T20 2022 saw Namibia register a thumping win over Sri Lanka by 55 runs. The Gerhard Erasmus-led side won the match, banking on some high-class batting performances followed by a strong display with the ball. With this convincing victory, Namibia has taken a strong step ahead, thereby strengthening their chances of finishing within the top 2 positions of their group.?



Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be concerned after succumbing to a shocking defeat in the opening match and will have to turn things around with quality performances in the remaining games so as to qualify for the Super 12s.



The Sri Lankan skipper, Dasun Shanaka, won the toss and opted to field first. The Sri Lankan bowlers didn't prove their captain's decision wrong as they removed both the openers inside the first three overs. A dangerous looking Loftie-Eaton was also dismissed inside the powerplay for 20 with Nambia struggling at 35/3. Stephen Baard thereon combined with skipper, Gerrard Erasmus, for a run a ball, 41-run partnership.?



Just when the duo looked to change their gears, Wanindu Hasaranga dismissed Erasmus for 20. The Board too was sent back to the pavilion by Pramod Madushan a couple of overs later, with Namibia having half their side back into the hut for 91.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://admin.icccricketschedule.com/uploads/2022/10/Namibia-vs-Sri-Lanka_11zon-1.jpg" alt="Namibia vs Sri Lanka" class="wp-image-95668" width="1041" height="653"/><figcaption>Namibia players celebrating - A glimpse from the match</figcaption></figure>



Namibia were 6 down for 93 at the end of 15 overs. It was at this moment when the batting pair of JJ Smit and Jan Frylink took matters into their own hands. The duo displayed some extraordinary big hitting to shift the momentum towards Namibia. Thanks to some unthinkable finishing touches from these batters, Namibia managed to score 68 runs in the last 5 overs and reached a total of 163/6 at the end of 20 overs.



Sri Lanka didn't have a convincing start to their run chase since they lost early wickets to everyone's surprise. In the form of an opening duo, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis were sent back early. Danushkha Gunathilaka's being dismissed for a golden duck put Sri Lanka under serious pressure since they were three down inside the powerplay. Things got worse for Sri Lanka as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhananjaya_de_Silva">Dhananjay De Silva</a> was sent back for 12 with the team's total having just reached 40.?



Bhanuka Rajapaksha tried to rebuild the innings with skipper Dasun Shanaka as they both added 34 runs for the 5th wicket. Once this partnership was broken at the score of 74, things only worsened for Sri Lanka as they kept on losing wickets, thereby losing their grip over the game. The other lower order batsman could not display any sort of resistance as the entire Sri Lankan innings was bundled out for 108.?



Namibia now has the first points in this T20 World Cup and, thus, a healthy win by 55 runs means that they have a positive net run rate. Jan Frylink was awarded the man of the match for his 44-run innings with the bat, besides bowling a fine spell of 2/26 in 4 overs.



Also Read:- <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/t20-world-cup-2022-sri-lanka-vs-namibia-weather-report-match-prediction-who-will-win-todays-t20-wc-match/">T20 World Cup 2022: Sri Lanka vs Namibia Weather Report, Match prediction ? Who will win today?s T20 WC match?</a>

T20 World Cup 2022 - Namibia vs Sri Lanka, Match report - Namibia shock the world with a sensational win over the Asia Cup winners

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Highlights: The fifth match of the World Cup 2022 was played today at Simonds Stadium, Geelong, Australia, between Namibia and the Netherlands. Let's have a quick review of the full match.



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<h2>TEAMS</h2>



Namibia Playing 11 - Michael van Lingen, Divan la Cock, Stephan Baard, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Jan Frylinck, David Wiese, JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo



Netherlands Playing 11 - Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Tom Cooper, Scott Edwards (c &amp; wk), Roelof van der Merwe, Tim Pringle, Timm van der Gugten, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren



<h2>HIGHLIGHTS</h2>



After winning the toss, Namibian Captain Gerhard Erasmus decided to bat first. But his decision was not as right as he might have expected from his team. Namibia scored only 121 runs in 20 overs. Even though Jan Frylinck scored the highest run for his team, he played a slow inning. According to the condition of the team, there were good innings. He scored 43 in 48 halls, including 1 of 4s.



Chasing a small total of 122, the Netherlands openers started the inning very well. Openers Vikramjit Singh and Max ODowd gave a good start and made a partnership of 59 runs for the first wicket. Vikramjit Singh scored 39 in 31 balls while Max ODowd made 35 in 35 balls. After them, Bas de Leede played a 30-run innings in 30 balls, helping the Netherlands to win the match by 5 wickets. The Netherlands chased the score in 19.4 overs. 



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Player of the Match: Bas de Leede



Bas de Leede(After Match)-"I believe I may benefit from the experience from the previous two days. We had to deal with losing wickets toward the end. We suffered costly wicket losses. We can all learn from that as a team because we cannot afford to do that. Confidence has always been present, and winning two close games is satisfying. The boys may have a little bit more freedom now."



Gerhard Erasmus(Namibia Captain after the match, said: "It's never pleasant to lose when the outcome is so close. We performed admirably on the field. Both teams appeared to be having difficulty with the bat, but they ran faster than we did. There were enough times throughout the game when we failed to move the ball better and make adequate contact with the bat."



In the words of Scott Edwards(Netherlands Captain after the match): "We have a reputation for playing aggressively up to the final few balls. In terms of front-loading the runs, we did okay. In these circumstances, we were aware that Namibia has some strong death bowlers. Although it came a little bit closer than we preferred, it's still nice. It's about winning the third cricket match right now."

ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022 5th Match: Namibia vs Netherlands HIGHLIGHTS.

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In the IPL 2023 championship game, Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings squared off. The winning ball in this thrilling game went in favor of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's CSK over Hardik Pandya's GT. The Namibian squad revealed its 15 players as soon as the game was over.



The 14-man team that will represent Namibia at the Under-19 Men's Regional World Cup qualifiers in July has been announced by Cricket Namibia. The Namibian team will fight against Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, and the host nation Tanzania, according to a Xinhua report. Cricket Namibia claims that the team was only chosen after the selectors carefully observed and followed the training.



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The Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup will feature sixteen nations and take place in Sri Lanka in 2024. The 11 Full Member teams have already qualified for the event, leaving the six teams competing in the Africa Regional Qualifier to vie for a spot in the World Cup. The qualifying matches are scheduled to take place in Tanzania from July 21 to July 31.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Namibian squad for qualifiers</h2>



Hansie de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Alexander Wolschein (c), Gerhard Janse van Rensburg (vc), Adrian Lowe, Franco Berg, Henrio Badenhorst, Jacques Brassel, Junior Karita, JW Wissagi, Peter Daniel Blignot, Ryan Moffett, Watty Niehaus , Joachio Janssen van Vuuren.



READ -<a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/will-ms-dhoni-retire-for-csk-after-winning-ipl-2023/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/will-ms-dhoni-retire-for-csk-after-winning-ipl-2023/"> Will MS Dhoni retire for CSK after winning IPL 2023?</a>

World Cup: The World Cup team was announced after IPL 2023, these players got a chance

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The 2025 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup begins January 18 in Malaysia, featuring 16 teams in four groups competing for the coveted title. India aims to defend their championship.

A thrilling U19 Women’s T20 World Cup kicks off in Malaysia, with 16 teams battling for glory in four groups.

ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2025 Schedule, Full Fixture, Teams, Venues and All You Need to Know!

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The 5th &amp; Final Test-Match in Sydney between Fierce-Rivals Australia and India ended today and the home team secured an easy six-wicket win and this win allowed them to secure the series by 3-1.This win of the Aussies has also made some significant changes in the overall standings of the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. 
Talking about the contest, the Jasprit Bumrah-led team were at 124-4 in their 2nd inning and they were looking set to set a big target for the Pat Cummins-led team. However, the Australian bowlers were in deadly mood as their perfect bowling display led to Team India suffering a batting collapse and they lost wickets in quick succession and eventually got bundled out for a mere score of 157 runs. 
Wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant fought the lone warrior's battle as he played an impressive inning of 61 runs in just 33 deliveries but he didn't get any kind of support from his fellow batters at the other end and the Kangaroos took full advantage of this and eventually the game turned in the favour of the Defending Champions. 
For the Australian team, Scott Boland took 6 wickets while giving away 45 runs while skipper Pat Cummins also played a good hand with figures of 3-44 next to his name. 
The Aussies were given a target of 162 runs to win the Sydney Test-Match but they lost wickets unnecessarily as Sam Konstas (22 runs in 17 deliveries), Marnus Labuschagne (6 runs in 20 deliveries), and Steve Smith (4 runs in 9 balls) went back to the pavilion cheaply, leaving the Australian team suddenly in a dire position of 58/3.
Next, opening batter Usman Khawaja played a good knock of 41 runs in 45 deliveries which allowed his team to initiate a comeback in the contest. If Bumrah wouldn't have got injured, then Khawaja wouldn't even get the chance to go past the 10 runs mark. 
Without the availability of Bumrah, the Aussie batters started to play their shots freely and theu began creating a lot of pressure on the Indian bowling unit. While Prasidh Krishna did his best to help his team stay alive in the contest, he began to falter and this worked in the favour of the Australians. 
As a result, the duo of Beau Webster &amp; Travis Head got involved in a strong partnership for thethe fifth wicket and added 58 runs in just 53 balls and this turned out to be winning factor. They helped their team reach a score of 162-4 and the Kangaroos won the encounter by a margin of six wickets.
<h2>WTC Final Chance:</h2>
Pat Cummins-led Aussies have successfully qualified for the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) Final after securing the BGT series 3-1. Temba Bavuma-led South Africa have already secured their tickets for the Final after defeating Pakistan in the first Test-Match. 
Keeping the statistics in mind, Team India have failed to qualify for the WTC Final for the first time since 2021. They are ranked third in the overall Standings with a PCT of 50. South Africa are the table toppers with a PCT of 66.67 while the Kangaroos are ranked 2nd with 63.73 PCT next to their name. They are followed by the likes of New Zealand (48.21) and Sri Lanka (45.45) respectively.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/india-vs-pakistan-will-the-two-rivals-play-a-test-match-versus-each-other-this-english-legend-wants-them-to-play-in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India vs Pakistan: Will the two rivals play a test match versus each other? This English legend wants them to play in</a>

Indian Captain Rohit Sharma couldn't really have a say in the way things panned out in the Sydney Test-Match| Image: Getty Images

Can Team India still qualify for the WTC Final after suffering an embarrassing defeat in the Sydney Test-Match Or have they been eliminated completely?

Team India lost the Sydney Test Match, do they have any chances of qualifying for the WTC Final? Explained!

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Day 3 of the fifth and final test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground ended India's one-and-a-half-month-long tour of Australia. With that, Australia also ended their long wait to clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and won it with a margin of 3-1.
Apart from the first test, Australia dominated India throughout the series, including the third day at SCG. As a result, the Australian crowd was also animated and tried to put pressure on Team India. But Virat Kohli, who is known for his passionate persona, came up with his own way to answer.
<h2>IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli mocks Australian crowd with "Sandpapar" gesture on Day 3</h2>
The Australian crowd has a history of involvement with visiting teams time and time again, and this BGT 2024-25 was not new. There were many instances during the series when they targeted Indian players. Especially when it comes to Virat Kohli, the Australian crowd often welcomes him or reacts to his actions with boos. But Virat has always been the approach of giving it back.
Something similar happened on Sunday as well. Notably, Virat was the stand-in captain in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. Responding to Australian crowds, Virat gestures with his "empty pocket." This incident happened just when Steve Smith got out on Day 3. Smith was part of the infamous "Sandpapergate" incident during a Cape Town test against South Africa in 2018.
Australia used sandpaper in order to tamper with the cricket ball to get more reverse swing from the ball. Unfortunately for them, it was caught on camera, and players involved in it, Smith, along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, faced bans. As a result, Virat was seen doing the "sandpapar" gesture after Smith's wickets to provoke the Australian fans.
As soon as it happened, the video of the incident went viral, and everyone was talking about it on social media. Speaking of the game, India started Day 3 at 142/6 and were bowled out for 157 runs, setting a target of 161 to win. Australia reached the target with six wickets in hand and registered the 3-1 series win. It was their first BGT win since 2014-15. With this, they also qualified for the final of the World Test Championship 2023-25.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/3-big-positives-for-team-india-from-the-embarrassing-bgt-series-loss-against-australia/">3 Big Positives for Team India from the Embarrassing BGT Series Loss against Australia</a>

Virat Kohli was the Stand-in captain for Team India in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.

Watch: Virat Kohli teases the over-aggressive Australian crowd with "Sandpapar" gesture on Day 3

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The Australian Cricket Team, under the leadership of Pat Cummins successfully defeated Team India in the Sydney Test-Match by a margin of six wickets and this wicket helped them to seal the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series by 3-1.
While the Aussie players are going to be really happy with this series win, the Indians on the other hand, are facing a lot of criticism following the series defeat especially the Indian batters. Senior players like Virat Kohli are the main targets of the critics. 
In the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Kohli got dismissed on the outside off-stump line eight times and versus the Aussie bowlers, the former Indian skipper looked helpless &amp; cluseless versus the them. Now, AB De Villiers, the South African legend has made a huge revelation regarding how the former Indian and RCB skipper can tackle the outside off-stump deliveries.
<h2>'Every Batsman in the world struggles with some weakness'</h2>
AB De Villiers said, "He (Virat) can definitely find a solution to the the outside off-stump deliveries. Every batsman out there has a weakness and if I talk about myself, then the deliveries which used to come towards the pads in a straight line used to trouble me a lot. But I learnt from it and scored a lot of runs in the remainder of my career. 
I still remember the Test-Series versus England (ENG). The series kicked off on a positive note and I scored good amount of runs in the Durban Test-Match and everything was going smoothly. But, then the duo of Stuart Broad and James Anderson started dismissing me on a successive note and especially, with the new ball, I got out constantly".
<h2>What's the solution to the problem of Virat Kohli? </h2>
AB de Villiers believes that old balls keep running in the mind of the 36-year-old, which automatically affects the next forthcoming delivery. What happened before on the previous ball doesn't matter... He (Virat) should play every ball like a new and fresh one, he should just forget thinking about the previous deliveries. If finds success in doing this properly, then he can play the outside off-stump deliveries in a much better way.
Do Read: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/3-big-positives-for-team-india-from-the-embarrassing-bgt-series-loss-against-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3 Big Positives for Team India from the Embarrassing BGT Series Loss against Australia</a>

Scott Boland got the better of Virat Kohli for the fourth time in the BGT 2024-25 series | Image: Getty Images

Virat Kohli has struggled a lot with the outside off-stump deliveries in the ongoing BGT Series

Will Virat Kohli stop getting dismissed on the outside off stump line now? AB De Villiers gives a solution

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India batter Virat Kohli has been at the receiving end of heavy criticism after his failures in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The batter looked torrid with the bat in the majority of the series and there have been calls related to his retirement as well. 
Virat Kohli, who hit a century in the first Test, looked absolutely torrid with the bat in the rest of the games of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The premier batter was troubled by the balls outside off stump as it brought his downfall in almost every match of the five-match Test series. 
When Virat Kohli hit a century in Perth, it was expected that he would have a breakthrough series and would be setting the stage on fire. But that wasn't the case, as, after the ton in the opening match, he failed in the entire series and ended up getting just around 90 runs in the rest of the games. 
Since 2020, Virat Kohli has looked extremely torrid with the bat and has been averaging just in the 20s. This has seen him getting a lot of criticism for his poor outings. Many fans and experts have lashed out at him for his poor performances and hence they want him to make way for youngster. 
One of the heavy criticism came from Irfan Pathan, who pointed out the batter's poor average, saying that Virat Kohli averaged just 15 in the first innings of the Test. He said that the players with these low averages don't deserve a place in the Indian Team. 
<h2>He has made a lot of runs, but in 2024, batting in the first innings where you set up the match, Kohli averages just 15 - Irfan Pathan</h2>
Irfan Pathan added that it's time for Virat Kohli to make way for youngsters and that even young players will maintain a batting average of 25-30. Speaking to Star Sports, he explained: 
"He has made a lot of runs, but in 2024, batting in the first innings where you set up the match, Kohli averages just 15. If we take out his stats for the last five years, he barely averages 30. Does the Indian team deserve that from its senior player? It's better to give a youngster a long run, tell him to get ready; even that guy will maintain a batting average of 25-30." 
India's next Test series will be against England. It remains to be seen if he will be part of the series or not.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.icccricketschedule.com/shocking-jasprit-bumrah-accused-of-using-sandpaper-video-goes-viral/">Shocking! Jasprit Bumrah accused of using sandpaper, video goes viral</a>

India batter Virat Kohli has been at the receiving end of heavy criticism after his failures in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.