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

Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand (NZ) and Australia (AUS) will lock horns in a mouth-watering T20 World Cup 2021 final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, November 14.

Both New Zealand and Australia qualified for the T20 World Cup 2021 semi-finals as the second-placed team in their respective groups before they knocked out their much-fancied opponents in England and Pakistan respectively to book their place in the final. The marquee ICC tournament will have a first-time winner as Australia and New Zealand are yet to lay their hands on the T20 World Cup trophy.

NZ vs AUS Dream11 prediction

Australia have a superior head-to-head record against New Zealand in T20Is, winning nine of the 14 matches that they have played so far. However, the Blackcaps secured an eight-run win over the Aussies in their only meeting in the T20 World Cup in Dharamsala in 2016. 

Australia had earlier beaten New Zealand in their last World Cup final meeting in the 50-over format in 2015 and will have a slight edge against the Kiwis due to their head-to-head records in ICC tournaments.

NZ vs AUS Dream11 team tips for ICC T20 World Cup 2021

Top tip: Best batter

Australia opening batter David Warner has been in great form in the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup. The 35-year-old has amassed 236 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 148.42 while also maintaining an average of 47.20. Warner needs another 68 runs to leapfrog Pakistan captain Babar Azam as the leading run-scorer in T20 World Cup 2021 and he will look to play another match-winning innings for Australia to help them claim their maiden T20 World Cup title.

Top Tip: Best bowler

In the bowling department, Australia’s Adam Zampa has been one of the standout bowlers in the tournament. The leg-spinner has picked 12 wickets in six matches at an economy of 5.69. Given the nature of the pitch at Dubai International Stadium, Zampa is likely to play an important role for Australia in the T20 World Cup final.

Top Tip: Best all-rounder and wicket-keeper

As far as all-rounders are concerned, one must pick in-form James Neesham in your fantasy cricket team. The New Zealand all-rounder scored a blitzkrieg 11-ball 27 to help the Blackcaps beat favourites England in the semi-final. Neesham has also chipped in with crucial wickets for New Zealand throughout the tournament and will hold the key once again in the summit clash. 

For the wicket-keeper spot, Matthew Wade of Australia will be the overwhelming choice over New Zealand’s Tim Seifert. The southpaw scored an unbeaten 41 off 17 balls against Pakistan to take Australia to the T20 World Cup final. At 8.5 credits, Matthew Wade will be a handy budget pick. 

NZ vs AUS probable playing XI

NZ playing XI (probable): Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (captain), Tim Seifert (wicket-keeper), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

AUS playing XI (probable): David Warner, Aaron Finch (captain), Mitchell March, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wicket-keeper), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

SportsAdda will bring you New Zealand vs Australia live scores.

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Featured photo: ICC

Mumbai went on top of the Indian T20 League standings on net run rate after a 48-run win against Punjab (their biggest win over Punjab by runs) at Abu Dhabi on Thursday. The four-time champions�?skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front with 70 from 45 balls and was well supported by Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya, who strung together a 67-run partnership �?the highest in the match �?off 23 balls to propel Mumbai to a match-winning total.

Here’s a quick glance at some of the talking points that emerged from the contest.

Another bad day at the office for de Kock

Quinton de Kock’s poor run with the bat in the Indian T20 League continued after the Mumbai wicket-keeper was dismissed for a duck against Punjab. A major reason behind why Mumbai haven’t managed to enjoy solid starts with a good foundation at the top has been de Kock’s failure to launch in any of the defending champions�?games so far.

• A look at some interesting stats from Mumbai's 48-run victory over Punjab

His scores of 33, 1, 14 and 0 tell a sad tale and if things don’t change soon, then once just cannot blame Mumbai if they begin to consider alternatives at the top. With 48 runs from his first four innings in this year’s tournament, de Kock is averaging 12 and is yet to hit a six this season, which interestingly happens to be one of his strengths. Unless there is an upturn in his fortunes in the next few games, Mumbai could look at replacing him as an opener or even drop him from the team.

Mumbai Indians' next game is at Sharjah, so they should definitely try Chris Lynn there ahead of Quinton De Kock. He's vast experience playing the T20 league, plus the Sharjah pitch will suit him. Ishan Kishan can handle the wicketkeeping job.

�?Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 1, 2020

Neesham’s nightmare in the 2020 Indian T20 League continues

James Neesham has had a forgettable 2020 Indian T20 League so far and that will soon need to change if he wants to keep his place in the Punjab team. The New Zealand all-rounder was smashed for 40 for 1 in Punjab’s last match against Rajasthan and went for 52 from his four overs against Mumbai �?the most runs he’s ever conceded in an inning in an Indian T20 League innings.

If Jimmy Neesham is your fifth bowler you’re struggling big time #DoddaMathu #IPL2020 #MIvsKXIP

�?ದೊಡ್�?ಗಣೇಶ�?| Dodda Ganesh (@doddaganesha) October 1, 2020

He didn’t deliver with the bat either and was dismissed after making seven from just as many deliveries. That said, he isn’t alone in underperforming for Punjab when it comes to their batting, in particular, as far as their foreign players are concerned. Even though Nicholas Pooran managed 44 against Mumbai, he, Glenn Maxwell and Neesham haven’t covered themselves in glory in the 2020 Indian T20 League thus far.  

Pollard powers Mumbai in death overs again

After uncharacteristically quiet outings in Mumbai’s first two games, Kieron Pollard has well and truly come into his own in their last two matches. The hard-hitting all-rounder from Trinidad powered Mumbai to 191 with some help from Hardik Pandya. Pollard scored a 20-ball 47 and Hardik remained unbeaten on 30 from 11 deliveries as the duo helped Mumbai make 89 in the last five overs.

Pollard's Last 5 innings vs KXIP

50* (24)
50 (23)
7 (9)
83 (31)
47* (20)

#KXIPvsMI

�? (@Shebas_10dulkar) October 1, 2020

Pollard’s unbeaten 47 comes after he scored 60 from 24 balls at a strike rate of 250 to help Mumbai to a Super Over win against Bangalore along with Ishan Kishan. The powerful all-rounder’s innings against Bangalore may have gone in vain, but his knock against Punjab proved to be crucial and set up a win for the reigning champions.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter

A Pollard-Pandya show in the closing stage of Mumbai's innings brought the defending champions back to the winning ways, as they defeated Punjab by 48 runs - their biggest victory margin over Punjab (by runs) - to return to the top of the Indian T20 League standings, temporarily enough.

Mumbai, who were coming on the back of a defeat, put on a dominant display both with the bat and the ball. They did have a slow start after having put into bat by Punjab captain KL Rahul, but a sturdy partnership between Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya brought them right into the game as the team posted 191/4 on board. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar and James Pattinson carried the momentum with the ball to restrict Punjab to 143/8 in 20 overs.

Having said that, let's have a look at some of the key stats from the game.

Record-breaking innings for Sharma and Mumbai:

The Mumbai captain, Rohit Sharma, scored his second half-century of Indian T20 League 2020 on Thursday, this time notching 70 off just 45 deliveries, which included eight fours and three sixes, once again proving why he is one of the best players in the shortest format of the game. In the process, the 33-year-old became only the third batsman to score 5000 IPL runs �?behind Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina. Furthermore, this quick-fire knock was his third-best return against Punjab in the league.

Matches	Runs
Match 41, Mumbai vs. Punjab, 29 Apr 2013	79
Match 19, Deccan vs. Punjab, 01 May 2008	76
Match 13, Punjab vs. Mumbai, 01 Oct 2020	70

There were further milestones as well. This was Sharma’s 38^th half-century in the league, which is now the joint second-most in the league alongside Suresh Raina, with only David Warner head of the duo with 44 half-centuries. A whopping 71.43% of Sharma’s 70 runs came through boundaries, with the opener hitting most of his runs (26) on covers and mid-wicket (16).

Player	Mat	Inns	50s
David Warner	129	129	44
Suresh Raina	193	189	38
Rohit Sharma	192*	187	38
Shikhar Dhawan	162	161	37
Virat Kohli	180	172	36
Gautam Gambhir	154	152	36

Sharma's departure left Mumbai in tantrums, and for all right reason. The team, after the end of 14th over, had posted just 87/3. The team then went on to score a whopping 89 runs in the last five overs, with the likes of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya combining for 67 runs to take Mumbai all the way to 191/4, which is now their highest total while batting first against Punjab.

Score	Overs	Ground	Match Date
191/4	20	Abu Dhabi	01-Oct-20
189/6	20	Mohali	25-Apr-16
186/8	20	Mumbai	16-May-18

Table: Highest team total posted by Mumbai against Punjab while batting first. 

Punjab pacers on two different end of spectrum

Sheldon Cottrell gave Punjab a glaring start by dismissing Quinton de Kock in the very first over, which was, in fact, a wicket-maiden. He did concede 10 and seven in his second and third over respectively, but the West Indies pacer made a brilliant comeback in his fourth and final over, giving away just three runs. The 31-year-old Jamaican ended with a figure of 20/1, which is now his most economical spell of the ongoing edition.

Opponent	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Delhi	4	24	2	6
Bangalore	3	17	2	5.67
Rajasthan	3	52	1	17.33
Mumbai	4	20	1	5

Table: Most economical spells by Sheldon Cottrell in Indian T20 League 2020.

While Cottrell kept Mumbai in check, a certain Jimmy Neesham was hit all around the park. Bought into attack in the seventh over, the New Zealand all-rounder did great initially, conceding just 12 in his first two overs before being hit for 22 runs by Rohit Sharma in the third. In his final over, the Kiwi gave away 18 and ended his night with an unwanted figure of 52/0, his worst ever spell in the competition.

Opponent	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Season
Mumbai	4	52	0	2020
Rajasthan	4	40	1	2020
Chennai	4	29	1	2014

Table: Most runs conceded by Jimmy Neesham in an innings in Indian T20 League.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndianT20League

Punjab have a glaring conundrum in their hands after four completed matches where they have won just one and lost three. How many players do they leave unused in the line-up?

In the competition so far, the Punjab openers, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal have batted out 164 and 155 balls respectively. Nobody else has batted more than 60 balls. Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan and James Neesham have faced 14, 20 and 7 balls respectively.

The make-up of the Punjab line-up is very similar to that of the typical T20 team - top-heavy and light in the middle. But when the openers have been this good without taking risks and the middle-order has had so fewer opportunities, why would Punjab try and fit in too many batsmen?

James Neesham's selection

The selection of James Neesham is perhaps the most bizarre of all. The Kiwi all-rounder has bowled 10 overs in three innings and conceded runs at a rate of 10.50. His batting is underutilized given his batting position. When a proper bowler in Chris Jordan or Mujeeb-ur-Rahman can be brought in, Neesham is surplus to their requirements.

Balancing the lower middle-order with no Neesham will be a challenge if Glenn Maxwell continues to be out of touch. If Mujeeb comes in for Neesham, it will help Punjab add a different dimension to their attack early on with Sheldon Cottrell and Mohammed Shami having some company in the powerplay overs.

The Sarfaraz Khan and Karun Nair cases

Sarfaraz Khan has been misused too at Punjab. More of a cheeky middle-overs batsman, Sarfaraz has often batted in the death with diminishing returns. His scoops, laps and nudges are better suited in the middle overs and when Punjab have a passenger in Karun Nair and Nicholas Pooran and Glenn Maxwell in the middle, No. 3 is the right position for Sarfaraz.

Karun Nair is a position wasted, particularly since he has no gears. Playing Mandeep Singh, known to finish off games ahead of him at No. 6 could help Punjab add flair and some lower-order stability without compromising too much on striking capacity.

Cottrell or Jordan

Sheldon Cottrell has leaked runs aplenty in the latter half of the innings. While his economy until the last four overs is quite impressive, not having that bowler in the death means Punjab need to add specialists to avert damage like the one that unfolded against Mumbai.

Cottrell and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman can be played alternatively with Chris Jordan in the setup too. It can help them space out their bowling strengths rather than rely too much on wickets upfront that's definitely not working.

Chris Gayle?

Chris Gayle, for now, should continue to be on the sidelines. The effect of partners from the same state batting together at the top is underestimated and Punjab have two players who were friends from teenage days in their opening slots in KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. While the Universe Boss can be handy against some attacks, splitting this opening pair could only harm, more than do good.

With Gayle out of the picture, Nicholas Pooran is the first choice overseas player with Sheldon Cottrell or Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Chris Jordan and Glenn Maxwell (at least for now), holding onto places. If Maxwell continues to be a no-show, Mujeeb, Cottrell and Jordan could play in tandem to strengthen the bowling.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Punjab

The prelude to the Indian T20 League 2020 saw teams in a bidding war for their favourite players within their restricted budgets. With squads almost set for all the teams, the aim during the auction was to plug their weaknesses and find solutions. Here we look at some excellent purchases from the auction table in December.

Chris Lynn - Mumbai

T20s - 184, Runs - 5096, Avg - 32.66, SR - 144.15

The ferocious Australian top-order batsman was released by Kolkata during the build-up of the season. Kolkata had purchased him for a whopping fee of Rs 9.60 crores and letting him go was disturbing their core team. So, when he went back to the pool, it was assumed they would try and buy him back for a lower cost. However, at Rs 2 crore, Mumbai got him at base price. Being the first player to be sold, teams seemed hesitant to go after him and the defending champions had a fairly easy buy. 

Read | Who has the most sixes in the Indian T20 League?

Chris Morris - Bangalore

T20s - 208, Runs - 1730, SR - 150.82, Wickets - 259, Eco - 7.81

The South African all-rounder is a much-sought-after commodity in T20 franchise leagues and when he went back to the auction pool, a big bidding war was expected for him. Teams bid vehemently for him at the auction table and Bangalore secured him for a whopping fee of Rs 10 crore. While the price is high, Morris adds death bowling value as well as an ability to win matches with the bat. For Bangalore at least, Morris is an excellent buy considering their lack of good death bowling options. 

Tom Banton - Kolkata

T20s - 34, Runs - 944, Avg - 30.45, SR - 157.33

A highly-rated youngster from England, Somerset's Tom Banton was expected to create a big ripple in the auction after his exploits for Somerset and Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League. However, at a base price of Rs 1 crore, Kolkata were the only team to bid for Banton. The youngster was seen as a replacement for the Lynnsanity and will now play in violet and gold this season. That Banton's name came in the second half of the auction worked for Kolkata as most teams had exhausted their budget for top-order batters by then.  

Read | Biggest hitters in the history of Indian T20 League

James Neesham - Punjab

T20s - 120, Runs - 1754, SR - 137.89, Wickets - 113, Catches - 40

James Neesham's stocks have risen in recent times for his ability to deliver under pressure. The New Zealand all-rounder has found his mojo in limited-overs cricket and is a pretty good ball-striker and a decent partnership breaker. Neesham has never had much of an impact in the tournament but has become a better all-rounder these days and as such, a single bid of Rs 50 lakh to secure his services was a bit of a surprise. Neesham will add to Punjab's firepower and will be a key replacement for someone like David Miller with his ability to turn games.

Dale Steyn - Bangalore

T20s - 220, Wickets - 256, Avg - 21.48, Eco - 6.75

Dale Steyn went unsold in the first round of the auctions and it worked in the favour of Bangalore, who bought him for his base price of Rs 2 crore in the final round. The South African pacer has had injury concerns of late, but having given up Test cricket, Steyn is focused on T20s and is shining in the format across T20 leagues. 

Bangalore had also bought him in 2019 as a substitute, but he left after two matches. But this time around, Steyn returns leaner and fitter. He is in a good form of late, picking up 15 wickets from eight games for Cape Town Blitz in the Mzansi Super League, the third-best in the season. 

Read | Most threatening wicket-takers in Indian T20 League history

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar

The Indian T20 League auction presents a stiff challenge for franchises this time with a limited budget and too many holes to plug. As such, a few underrated, like James Neesham, and value-for-money buys, like Kusal Perera could be in the offing.

Here we look at five such players who could be on the radar of franchises:

James Neesham

T20s - 112, Runs - 1531, SR - 137.8, Wickets - 106

James Neesham has turned a new leaf in 2019 and is one of the most underrated lower-order finishers in limited-overs cricket. A stupendous World Cup saw him score a gritty 97* against Pakistan followed by an enthralling show in the finals where he picked three wickets and hit 13 in 5 balls, including a six off Jofra Archer in the Super Over. Given his utility with the ball too, Neesham could be a good pick for a number of franchises.

Rassie van der Dussen

T20s - 108, Runs - 3283, Avg - 37.3, SR - 130.58, 100s - 3

The find of the year for South Africa, 30-year old Rassie van der Dussen is a dependable batsman who can switch between attack and defense in the blink of an eye. The middle-order batsman had a stupendous season with the Jozi Stars in the inaugural Mzansi Super League in South Africa and then went on to record some impressive performances with South Africa in the World Cup. He could be an ideal pick this season given his form.

Read | Unadkat, Finch the quintessential journeymen

Kusal Perera

T20s - 96, Runs - 2127, Avg - 23.89, SR - 131.94, 50s - 18

A blockbuster hitter at the top of the order, Kusal Perera packs a punch in the powerplay overs and has often flown under the radar. 2019 saw him make a terrific Test ton in a run chase in Durban in South Africa and he has also shown that his natural game can disturb a lot of teams. Franchises might well be eyeing his belligerence at the top of the order.

Andile Phehlukwayo

T20s - 83, Wickets - 71, Eco - 8.3, Bat SR - 116.47

A good death overs bowler with a bag of tricks, Andile Phehlukwayo can bowl cutters, slower variations and yorkers and is an asset for any side. Phehlukwayo is also a handy lower-order batsman and has often rescued South Africa from tricky positions with his temperament down the order. He hasn't garnered much interest before in the league but could be in for a gig this time.

Mitchell Marsh

T20s - 74, Wickets - 43, Runs - 1487, Bat SR - 120.6

There is a distinct shortage of pace bowling all-rounders in the league this season with Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Morris, Colin de Grandhomme etc. losing contracts. Mitchell Marsh isn't new to the Indian T20 League and with his recent injury history, might seem an overrated player. That said, he has a pretty good record in the format and in franchise cricket and could be in for a surprise deal given what teams are eyeing this season.

Read | Rajasthan, Bangalore should look to sneak in match-winners

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis

Thank god the weekend is here! And while the fourth Ashes Test didn’t really disappoint in that context, there’s this sure shot certainty that you might have missed several other instances that occurred during the tenure.

But well, we are here to compensate. So, let’s have a look at them:

Steve Smith is officially a G.O.A.T

We know�?we know that’s actually an understatement to make at this point of time. But ICC’s Instagram handle has left no stones unturned in letting the world know about the fact. Confused? Have a look:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ICC (@icc) on Sep 12, 2019 at 2:07am PDT

Jimmy Neesham has a new grandpa

Already known for his witty and hilarious social media posts, Neesham was at it once again when a fan suggested Chris Hemsworth could portray the all-rounder if ever a movie is made on New Zealand’s 2019 Cricket World Cup journey. While Neesham had no issues in that, former Kiwi international, Brendon McCullum decided to enter the conversation. The hard-hitting batsman stated that Neesham’s resemblance to an alpaca was more accurate.

@JimmyNeesh found someone who could play your role in Black Caps CWC 2019 based movie pic.twitter.com/nN5ltT6DnV

�?radioactive (@melville843nz) September 9, 2019

Prefer this personally ‍♂�?http://t.co/o5QeEHfjPh pic.twitter.com/tFkxwItthp

�?Brendon McCullum (@Bazmccullum) September 10, 2019

And Neesham, at his very best, said:

Good to see grandpa finally figured out how to upload a photo http://t.co/Sxmb4WO3dA pic.twitter.com/xJOhWaAoOK

�?Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) September 10, 2019

Faf du Plessis�?Greek journey:

After being left out of South Africa’s T20I squad for the tour of India, ODI captain Faf du Plessis has decided to explore the landscapes of Greece. Visiting Oia, a coastal town on the northwestern tip of Santorini, a Greek Aegean island, du Plessis has kept his fans rightly updated through his Instagram posts.

View this post on Instagram

Ok how sick is this sunset view ? What a spot @sophiacollectionsantorini #imerovigli #sophialuxurysuites #sophiacollectionsantorini

A post shared by Faf du plessis (@fafdup) on Sep 11, 2019 at 11:09am PDT

View this post on Instagram

⚪️ #oiasantorini

A post shared by Faf du plessis (@fafdup) on Sep 10, 2019 at 1:00pm PDT

A chocolate passport for Aakash Chopra:

Iceland Cricket’s Twitter handle never disappoints. This time, they’re ‘applauding�?Aakash Chopra’s kind gesture by offering him a passport MADE OF CHOCOLATE. It all started when the handle filed a complaint against Cricket Direct for an unfinished business. Chopra, with all his heart, asked the latter to sort this out as soon as they can.

Not nice, Cricket Direct. You don’t want to get a bad name....sort this out please.

�?Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 10, 2019

Reacting to the overwhelming gesture, Iceland Cricket asked Chopra if he’s available to play for them in Malta next month. And well, there was this undercurrent in the statement. Look for yourself:

Okay wait no. Our most popular follower is Aakash Chopra. 10 tests, 10,000 first class runs. Have you thought about extending your playing career? Would you like to play for us in Malta next month? We can give you a passport. Not a real one mind you, it’s made of chocolate. http://t.co/WouU7HC9qW

�?Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) September 10, 2019

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Adrian Dennis

It looks like New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and former Black Caps captain, Brendon McCullum are having a fun time taking a light dig at each other on social media. It all started when a fan posted a tweet on Twitter sharing how Neesham looks similar to Hollywood superstar, Chris Hemsworth.

@JimmyNeesh found someone who could play your role in Black Caps CWC 2019 based movie pic.twitter.com/nN5ltT6DnV

�?radioactive (@melville843nz) September 9, 2019

The fan further went on to say that if ever a movie is made on New Zealand’s 2019 Cricket World Cup journey, the Avenger star can easily play the 28-year-old’s character. The Kiwis missed out on their maiden World Cup win to Englandon the basis of boundaries hit, as the final scores after the main innings and Super Over was at par.

Neesham, who is also known for his witty and hilarious social media posts, retweeted the above, adding his own thoughts to it.

Yep, hell of a way to put someone in a good mood http://t.co/aCpEm7dm4T

�?Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) September 9, 2019

McCullum seemed to have taken notice of this and didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to pull Neesham’s legs. He replied to the above tweet by stating that his resemblance to an alpaca was more accurate.

Prefer this personally ‍♂�?http://t.co/o5QeEHfjPh pic.twitter.com/tFkxwItthp

�?Brendon McCullum (@Bazmccullum) September 10, 2019

Fans did have a laugh at this conjecture, but Neesham is not one to hold back. And as expected, he didn’t disappoint with his reply. He tweeted a picture of the cricketer-turned-coach, where he can be seen using his phone and added an amusing caption to it.

Good to see grandpa finally figured out how to upload a photo http://t.co/Sxmb4WO3dA pic.twitter.com/xJOhWaAoOK

�?Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) September 10, 2019

McCullum surely had a laugh reading that, and so did we!

Feature Image Courtesy: AFP/ Michael Bradley

Jimmy Neesham’s high school teacher and coach, David James Gordon took his last breath after the New Zealand all-rounder hit Jofra Archer for a six in the Super Over of the World Cup Final at Lord’s on Sunday.

Gordon, who taught at the Auckland Grammar School for over 25 years, had a heart failure five weeks back and both of his daughters raced to be with their father knowing that he had very little time. Speaking about the moment, one of his daughters, Leonie Gordon, said;

"One of the nurses came in for the final over, the Super Over, and she said his breathing is changing," Leonie was quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz.

"You know, I think Jimmy Neesham had just hit that six and he took his last breath.�?/p>

Read | James Neesham: A road to redemption

Neesham, on his part, paid his tribute through Twitter and said, "Dave Gordon, my High School teacher, coach and friend. Your love of this game was infectious, especially for those of us lucky enough to play under you. How appropriate you held on until just after such a match. Hope you were proud. Thanks for everything. RIP."

Dave Gordon, my High School teacher, coach and friend. Your love of this game was infectious, especially for those of us lucky enough to play under you. How appropriate you held on until just after such a match. Hope you were proud. Thanks for everything. RIP

�?Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) July 17, 2019

Leonie was left overwhelmed by the cricketer’s tribute. "It was lovely, you know, he's kept in touch with Jimmy and he is friends with Jimmy's father. He always had a soft spot for Jimmy Neesham, he was very proud of him.

Thanks Jimmy, my sister and I were with Dad at the end, cheering for you and the team. He was so proud of you!

�?Leonie Gordon (@Leonie_Gordon) July 17, 2019

"He would definitely be following his career."

During his time at Auckland Grammar, Gordon coached several young prodigies, including one of the finds of the tournament, Lockie Ferguson.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis