India’s flamboyant opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal is currently leading the most runs in 2024 all format list. 

During the second T20I of India’s tour of Sri Lanka 2024 in Pallekele, Yashasvi Jaiswal became the first player to complete 1,000 runs in international cricket in 2024 across all formats.

The swashbuckling southpaw has amassed 1,023 runs in 13 matches at an average of 63.93.

Sri Lanka’s star wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis features second on the most runs in 2024 all format list. Kusal Mendis has accumulated 888 runs in 26 matches at an average of 32.88.

The likes of Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran (844), India’s Rohit Sharma (833) and Pathum Nissanka (791) of Sri Lanka complete the top five list. Get most runs in 2024 all format list.

Most runs in 2024 all format: Know the players on the list 

Player	Matches	Innings	Runs	Average	100	50
Yashasvi Jaiswal (IND)	13	18	1023	63.93	2	5
Kusal Mendis (SL)	26	28	888	32.88	-	6
Ibrahim Zadran (AFG)	25	27	844	33.76	1	8
Rohit Sharma (IND)	17	22	833	43.84	3	4
Pathum Nissanka (SL)	17	17	791	56.50	3	2
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (AFG)	24	25	773	30.92	1	6
Shubman Gill (IND)	13	18	725	45.31	2	4
Babar Azam  (PAK)	20	20	709	37.31	-	6
George Munsey (SCOT)	15	15	632	45.14	-	4
Mohammad Rizwan (PAK)	18	18	632	48.61	-	5

Yashasvi Jaiswal | 1,023 runs in 13 matches

Young Indian batter Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in scintillating form in 2024 across all formats. The 22-year-old left-handed batter has scored the most runs in 2024 in Test cricket. Jaiswal has scored 740 runs in six Tests at an impressive average of 74, including two centuries and three fifties to his name. In the T20 international format, Jaiswal has scored 283 runs in seven games at an average of 47.16 and a strike rate of 175.77. Meanwhile, he is yet to feature in an ODI for India in 2024.

Kusal Mendis | 888 runs in 26 matches

Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis is currently second on the most runs in 2024 all format list. The talented wicketkeeper-batter has scored 888 runs in 28 innings, including registering six half-centuries. The 29-year-old has amassed 414 runs in 14 T20 internationals at a strike rate of 138. In the 50-over format, Kusal Mendis has scored 350 runs in nine games at an average of 43.75, including three fifties in 2024 in ODIs. Meanwhile, the right-handed batter has also scored 124 runs in three Tests in 2024.

Ibrahim Zadran | 844 runs in 25 matches

Afghanistan’s stylish batter Ibrahim Zadran features third on the most runs in 2024 all format list. The 22-year-old opening batter has scored 844 runs in 25 matches at an average of 33.76 and a strike rate of 80.76. Ibrahim Zadran has accumulated 512 runs in 18 T20Is at an average of 32 with five fifties to his name. He has also scored 179 runs in two Tests at an average of 44.75, including one century and one fifty in 2024. In ODI cricket, Zadran has scored 153 runs in five games at an average of 30.60 with two fifties to his name.

Photo credit: Imago

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 started on July 1 and will conclude on July 21 in Sri Lanka.

As many as five teams will compete in a total of 24 matches across three weeks in the fifth edition of the Lanka Premier League.

Some of the world's top T20 batters including the likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rilee Rossouw, Glenn Phillips, Kusal Mendis, Tim Seifert, Ibrahim Zadran, Pathum Nissanka and Towhid Hridoy are featuring in the Sri Lankan T20 League.

New Zealand’s experienced T20 batter Mark Chapman smashed the first fifty of LPL 2024. Representing Dambulla Sixers, Mark Chapman slammed an unbeaten 91 off 61 balls against defending champions Kandy Falcons in the opening match of the ongoing T20 tournament. 

Chapman’s scintillating fifty along with Chamindu Wickramasinghe’s 62 not out off 42 balls propelled Dambulla Sixers to 179/4 in their 20 overs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele.

In reply, Dinesh Chandimal (65), Dasun Shanaka (46 not out) and Angelo Mathews (37 not out) helped Kandy Falcons chase down the target in 17.2 overs to register a comprehensive six-wicket win.

Kandy Falcons (earlier B-Love Kandy) captain Wanindu Hasaranga finished with the most runs in the Lanka Premier League last season. The Sri Lanka T20 cricket team skipper scored 279 runs in 10 matches at an average of 34.87 and a strike rate of 189.79. 

Colombo Strikers�?former batter Babar Azam was the second-highest run-scorer in LPL 2023 with 261 runs in eight matches. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s talented batter Avishka Fernando holds the record for the most runs in Lanka Premier League history. 

Having represented the likes of Dambulla Aura (now Dambulla Sixers) and Jaffna Kings, Avishka Fernando has accumulated 1,170 runs in 40 games at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 133.71.

With that being said, let’s have a look at the players with the most runs in Lanka Premier League 2024.  

Most runs in Lanka Premier League 2024

Pos	Player	Team	Matches	Runs
1	Avishka Fernando	Jaffna Kings	4	210
2	Pathum Nissanka	Jaffna Kings	4	178
3	Mark Chapman	Dambulla Sixers	3	154
4	Tim Seifert	Galle Marvels	3	126
5	Kusal Perera	Dambulla Sixers	3	118
6	Dinesh Chandimal	Kandy Falcons	3	115
7	Charith Asalanka	Jaffna Kings	4	110
8	Niroshan Dickwella	Galle Marvels	3	109
9	Alex Hales	Galle Marvels	3	102
10	Glenn Phillips	Colombo Strikers	3	96

Photo credit: Alamy

The SA20 auction will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa on September 19.

Coined by Cricket South Africa (CSA), the SA20 is a new franchise-based T20 League featuring a total of six teams which are owned by Indian T20 League owners. The inaugural edition, SA20 2023, is scheduled to be played in January-February next year in South Africa.

MI Cape Town (owned by Mumbai franchise), Chennai-owned Joburg Super Kings, Durban’s Super Giants (acquired by Lucknow franchise), Delhi franchise-owned Pretoria Capitals, Sunrisers Eastern Cape (owned by Hyderabad franchise) and Paarl Royals (acquired by Rajasthan franchise) are the six teams participating in SA20 2023.

More than 300 cricketers from 14 countries have registered for the player auction of SA20 2023 scheduled to be held on September 19.

eXXcitement & anticipation for the inaugural #SA20 Auction is heating up as South African and international players look ahead to the historical event.

3️⃣1️⃣6️⃣ Players
1️⃣4️⃣ Countries

All going under the hammer on Monday.#SA20 #SA20Auction pic.twitter.com/tsbgeGAymo

�?SA20_League (@SA20_League) September 17, 2022

As per SA20 auction rules, each franchise has an overall purse of US$2 million and can sign seven overseas players and 10 local South African cricketers. During the match, every team can include four foreigners and seven local players in the playing XI.

England’s 2019 World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan, former New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, ex-Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal, West Indies batter Lendl Simmons, New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and Sri Lankan duo of Kusal Mendis and Kusal Perera are some of the big names in the SA20 auction.

Players from South Africa, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have registered their names for the auction.

Cricketers from Associate nations like the Netherlands, Namibia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, USA, Oman, Sweden and Bermuda have also made themselves available for the inaugural SA20 auction.

Pakistan cricketers haven’t registered for the SA20 auction as Pakistan Cricket Board hasn’t given them consent.

The SA20 2023 schedule will clash with next year’s Australia's Big Bash League, UAE's International League T20 and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Meanwhile, the six franchises have also signed more than 30 marquee international players ahead of the player auction. This is in addition to all contracted Proteas and domestic players who have committed to the CSA T20 league.

Former Indian T20 League auctioneer Richard Madley has been roped in to conduct the SA20 auction. 

SA20 2023 teams and squads

MI Cape Town: Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, Rashid Khan, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone

Joburg Super Kings: Faf du Plessis (Captain), Moeen Ali, Maheesh Theekshana, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee

Durban’s Super Giants: Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Reece Topley, Prenelan Subrayen

Pretoria Capitals: Anrich Nortje, Migael Pretorius

Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Aiden Markram , Ottniel Baartman

Paarl Royals: Jos Buttler, David Miller, Obed McCoy, Corbin Bosch

Where to watch the SA20 auction live in India?

Live streaming of the SA20 auction will be available on SA20’s YouTube channel in India. 

There will be no live telecast of SA20 auction on any TV channel in India. 

Interested in cricket betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites

Featured photo: Aamir QURESHI / AFP

The Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) board have suspended Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella from international and domestic cricket for breaching the team’s bio-bubble in Durham last month.

The incident took place on June 27, ahead of Sri Lanka’s first ODI against England on June 29. Mendis and Dickwella were filmed and photographed by fans past the team’s curfew time of 10.30 PM.

This alerted the team’s medical staff that three players left the team hotel without any notice. The cricketers, as punishment, were sent back from the tour and went into quarantine upon arrival.

The cricket bans - one year from international cricket and six months from domestic cricket - are reportedly lesser than the bans proposed by a five-member independent committee to the Sri Lankan board.

The committee recommended two-year suspensions for Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis, who have previously been offenders of the code of conduct. On the other hand, an 18-month suspension was proposed for Dickwella, who had no prior disciplinary breaches.

Danushka Gunathilaka has served suspensions previously for misconduct and alleged involvement in a sexual assault case. Mendis, meanwhile, was banned last year for a hit-and-run case that caused the death of a pedestrian.

The Sri Lankan board, however, opted to hand the trio the same sentence of a one year ban from all forms of international cricket. In addition, the Sri Lankan cricketers were fined 10 million rupees each and will be under probation for a further two years.

The bans are unlikely to spell the end of the trio's cricketing careers. Danushka Gunathilaka is expected to be 31 by the time he is allowed to return to the national set-up, while Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella will be 27 and 29 years of age, respectively.

Featured photo: AFP / Munir Uz Zaman

Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Mendis was arrested on Sunday after being allegedly involved in a fatal crash with a cyclist, who died instantly, just outside the country's capital Colombo, police said.

The 25-year-old batsman was driving an SUV at Panadura before dawn when the incident happened, police said. They also confirmed that the accident had occurred in Panadura, just south of Colombo, where the victim suffered serious injuries before dying while being admitted to hospital.

Furthermore, there no mention of whether Mendis or the victim were under the influence of alcohol.

Mendis has been named in the 16-player squad for a two-match home Test series against England in March, but the tour was cancelled because of the global pandemic.

More than 3,000 people are killed annually in traffic accidents in Sri Lanka.

A former spin bowler, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, was given a four-year suspended jail sentence for crashing into a woman pedestrian and killing her in 2003.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Lakruwan Wanniarachchi

Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel became the first New Zealander to claim a five-wicket haul in Galle as the tourists restricted Sri Lanka to 227 for seven at stumps on day two of the first Test on Thursday.

In reply to New Zealand's first innings total of 249 all out, Sri Lanka were on 143 for two as Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis laid the foundation for a big total.

However a lapse of concentration saw Mendis throw away his wicket in the penultimate ball before tea and they collapsed, losing five wickets for the addition of 18 runs.

From 143 for two, Sri Lanka slumped to 161 for seven before an unfinished 66-run stand for the eighth wicket between Niroshan Dickwella and Suranga Lakmal stopped the rot. Sri Lanka trail New Zealand by 22 runs.

It was the second five-wicket haul in Test cricket for Bombay-born Patel, who was tidy with his length on a track that offered a lot of assistance for spinners.

Patel was not afraid to flight the ball even after Mendis completed his 10th Test half-century with a boundary off him.

For the next delivery, the penultimate ball before tea, Mendis attempted to play an expansive drive without much footwork and was caught at first slip by Ross Taylor.

The slide continued after tea with Kusal Perera (1) and Dhananjaya de Silva (5) adding to the misery.

Mathews was dismissed soon after completing his half-century, becoming Patel's fifth victim.

Then off-spinner William Somerville dismissed Akila Dananjaya for a sixth ball duck.

Lakmal, who had claimed four wickets earlier in the day, then gave solid support to Dickwella as Sri Lanka fought back. Lakmal was given out caught at slip when he was on nine but he successfully reviewed the decision.

There were some cheeky shots played by Dickwella, who is under pressure to save his place having been overlooked for the World Cup.

Lakmal's contributions were welcomed as well as Sri Lanka know that chasing anything above 150 on this track is dicey.

Resuming from the overnight score of 203 for five, New Zealand were knocked out for 249 losing their last five wickets for 46 runs.

Lakmal claimed the four wickets to fall on day two while Tim Southee was run out.

Akila Dananjaya finished with five wickets, with all his wickets coming on day one.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ishara S. Kodikara

With the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup finally reaching its penultimate round, the semi-finals, fans have been at the receiving end of some extravagant moments over the month. Right from Mitchell Starc’s artistry with the ball to Rohit Sharma treating the spectators to mere perfection, this tournament has well and truly delivered what was promised.

In the midst, however, several disappointments have overshadowed the positives of the tournament. For the starters, the chagrin West Indies suffered after beating Pakistan in their opening fixture certainly wasn’t what the fans had hoped. Unvaryingly, many veterans have fallen flat as well. That being said, here is Stumped’s Worst XI from the league phase:

Note: At least one player has been picked from each country.

Openers: Chris Gayle (West Indies), Martin Guptill (New Zealand)

Arriving on the back of total domination of England bowlers during the latter’s tour of West Indies earlier this year, a lot was expected of the self-proclaimed ‘Universal Boss.�?A career spanning 20 long years, however, ended in a total catastrophe. 242 runs in nine games (eight innings) at 30.25, which included just two half-centuries, summed the all-rounder’s final World Cup of his career. The southpaw was majorly inclined towards getting a loud cheer from the audience rather than actually speaking when it mattered the most.

Martin Guptill, on the other hand, was a mere disappointment as well. Apart from his unbeaten 73 off 51 deliveries in New Zealand’s tournament opener against Sri Lanka, the 32-year-old did nothing to give his side a worthy start ever since. A figure of 166 runs in eight innings sums up how his tournament became nothing but a damp squib.

Number 3: Hashim Amla (South Africa)

AFP / Oli Scarff

Even though he has wished to continue, there is absolutely no denying the fact that this was Hashim Amla’s final World Cup appearance. Thus, not just South Africa, but even the neutrals had hoped for a better tenure. As it turned out though, he returned with a figure of 203 runs in seven innings, registering just 16 fours in the midst, as South Africa once again failed to assert their authority in an ICC tournament.

Number 4: Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka)

Arriving on the back of a decent blend of youth to that of experienced campaigners, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis was expected to his lead his batting contingent, which was struggling for grip in the middle. Following a decent start �?37 against South Africa and 24 against Australia �?the 24-year-old failed to provide anything worthy. In seven innings he has played in the tournament, Mendis has scored mere 143 at a lowly 20.42. His 68-ball 46 is his only positive highlight of the tournament.

Number 5: MS Dhoni (India)

Former captain, MS Dhoni has been a subject of massive backlash from the fans, especially after his substandard performance at the World Cup. Sure he has been India’s only glaring light in their shaky middle order, but the 38-year-old hasn’t really lived up to the expectations, and the fact that he has scored mere 223 runs in seven innings, which includes a solidary half-century, is a perfect testament of it. And not to forget the countless dot balls. It has been said before, but maybe the time has come for him to hand the battalion to someone else.

Numbers 6: Glenn Maxwell (Australia)

Coming on the back of dismantling the Pakistan bowling attack just before the World Cup, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was supposed to back his team in case of top-order collapse. And although the Aussies hardly came at the receiving end of such misfortune, he failed bitterly whenever given the stage. After nine innings, the 30-year-old has scored just 155 runs at 22.14. Even with the ball, he has failed to scalp even a single wicket.

Number 7: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Afghanistan’s very own, Rashid Khan has done little justice to live up the hype which surrounded him ahead of the World Cup. Following a decent return in the Indian T20 League, the 20-year-old was expected to set the tournament ablaze. He rather delivered a subpar performance with both bat and surprisingly with the ball. His only highlight, however unfortunate it is, remains conceding 110 in nine overs against England. He has travelled back home with just six wickets in eight innings, with a personal best tally of 2/17. Furthermore, his bowling average of 69.33 is worst amongst the bowlers who have picked at least five wickets in the tournament.

Number 8: Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh)

While he was expected to lead a rejuvenated Bangladesh unit right from the front, captain Mashrafe Mortaza fell flat in his attempts to an extent that solidary wicket against England where he conceded 68 runs, in Cardiff, on June 8 remains his only high of the tournament.

Number 9: Adil Rashid (England)

Having entered the tournament as England’s front-line spinner with a hope of bamboozling his opponent, 31-year-old Adil Rashid has rather failed to deliver what was promised. A return of just eight wickets in nine games, and a bowling average of 54.12 particularly remains a below-par repay for a bowler of his standard.

Number 10: Hasan Ali (Pakistan)

Hasan Ali was decoded by England during the Pakistan series just before the World Cup. Yet playing him at such grand tournament was arguably the biggest risk the Men in Green took. And it took them four matches to figure out Ali wasn’t performing the way he was expected to. An average, economy and strike rate of 128.00, 7.75 and 99.0 respectively was registered by the bowler after scalping just two wickets in his kitty.

Number 11: Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)

Having picked 25 wickets in 12 Indian T20 League games just ahead of the World Cup, Rabada was expected to dazzle even the best batsmen in England. A truly disappointing tenure for South Africa, however, saw the 24-year-old falling from the grace to an extent that he only managed 11 wickets in eight innings, recording a personal best of 3/56 at an average and strike rate of 36.09 and 42.5 respectively.