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Courtney Walsh has been named Bangladesh’s interim head coach for the Nidahas Trophy as the BCB is yet to narrow in on a replacement for Chandika Hathurusingha.Walsh joined the Bangladesh coaching group in September 2016 as a bowling coach on a three-year deal. He is currently the senior-most coach in the group and was an obvious candidate.Meanwhile, Khaled Mahmud will no longer be a part of the support staff. Formerly the technical director, he is now expected to return as team manager. The former Bangladesh captain made public his displeasure at the function of the team earlier this month, calling the environment “dirty.””Since I will be going to Sri Lanka, a lot of the directors also will come with me. I personally feel that [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon should go as team manager,” said BCB president Nazmul Hassan. “We still haven’t talked to him about it. We have finalized on the other roles like we have also decided to give the batting duties to someone which we will announce on Tuesday.”Hassan is also likely to have a more hands-on involvement in the team’s affair. “I didn’t bother about playing XI selection in the last series. I left it to everyone else, including players and management,” he said. “This time we have made a squad after considering who will play in the playing XI. So since there is a final decision being taken, there is obviously a direct involvement.”

Australia’s emerging Twenty20 talent D’Arcy Short has declared he wants to keep the opening spot alongside David Warner, and the recent middle-order IPL record of the vastly more experienced Aaron Finch suggests he may well be able to do so.Short has shown plenty of promise in all three of his appearances so far, following on from an explosive Big Bash League for Hobart Hurricanes – where he set a new record for the most runs ever scored in a single edition of the tournament – that vaulted him into the team in the first place. To a degree his role has been affected by the sheer effectiveness of Australia’s bowling attack in restricting England and New Zealand to low totals, but after Saturday’s innings, Short was singled out for praise by the assistant coach Ricky Ponting for his composure – the moment captured by television cameras.”He knows so much about the game, the ins and outs of it, and he was just going through saying it was a good knock and a composed knock, especially at the start where I probably could have tried to blast my way out of it,” Short said of Ponting. “I worked through it and he was just congratulating me on that one.”Definitely [want to open], I think I’m suited there and that’s where I like to bat, and hopefully I can stay there. I didn’t know what to expect until a couple of days ago, just chatting to other guys. I think they wanted to keep me opening because I’d done so well in the Big Bash and throwing me down the order might change it a little bit. Definitely a little bit surprised considering how well he [Finch] has done at the top.””I didn’t feel like I could hit a ball, especially at the start. But I knew that if we didn’t lose wickets and I stayed in with whoever was in and scoring runs then we’d get the total easily. I had to work hard in terms of trying to get my runs early, they bowled well at the start and I had to work a little bit harder. I just tried to keep at a run a ball basically and then go from there.”Before the triangular series, the stand-in leader Warner had spoken about how the preponderance of openers in the Australian squad – Short, Finch, Chris Lynn and Alex Carey have all typically opened for their teams in addition to the captain – needed to be addressed with a measure of flexibility. The combination of Finch’s injury making room for Short and his decent record as a middle-order batsman in the IPL seems to have made up Warner’s mind.Finch has played 36 of his 208 T20 matches as a middle-order batsman, most recently doing the job for Gujarat Lions in the IPL in 17 matches over the past two editions of the tournament. During that time he has made 448 runs at 32 with a strike rate of 150.33, as against career figures of 34.26 and 139.02, and on Saturday night put an explanation mark on Australia’s victory with a pair of mighty sixes after coming in at the fall of the third wicket.At the same time, the team hierarchy will also have reasoned that Short is better off starting against speed than spin, given a wide disparity in his strike rates when given pace on the ball to work with. While agreeing it was something he needed to work on, Short said he was tired of hearing about it – a pair of clean hits worth four and six from Liam Dawson’s second over during the MCG chase were a move in the right direction at any rate.”I went at [Liam] Dawson because I had a look at his first over and felt like I could take him down in the second over and it worked in my favour in the end,” Short said. “I go at a run a ball against spin, I don’t see what the problem is there. I’ll obviously keep trying to work on it and to get my strike rate up against them a bit more would be good, but I’m happy with where it’s at at the moment. A little bit [sick of it] but I can’t do anything about it, that’s people’s opinion.”I think it’s just about keeping your game plan simple and knowing how you’re going to go about the game. Working on things you need to work on and different areas you want to hit the ball, but I think if you’ve got your game plan set and if you go out with your mindset to do that, then I think you should be right. They’re always going to try different things and you’ve got to negate that, work around it and try to work through it.”The innings was all the more noteworthy for the fact that the 27-year-old Short admitted to plenty of nerves about playing an international match at the MCG for the first time, reflecting how quickly he has risen through the ranks after taking some time to mature as a player. He has been aided by an Australian T20 collective functioning impressively under the stand-in leadership of Warner. “A year to two years ago if you asked me was I going to be here I probably would’ve said no,” Short said, “but just being consistent and working hard has got me to where I am now.”I was a bit more nervous than the first two games, just because its a big stadium at the MCG, but I tried not to think about it too much. All the players playing at the moment are playing with freedom, and I think it shows in our batting, bowling and fielding as well. You’re here to go out and do what you love and show off a little bit and see how you go – play with confidence and go from there.”One major factor in the composition of this T20 side has been the looming Test tour of South Africa, for which the likes of Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have been saved. Short expressed hope that the current group could be kept together for future assignments, but also acknowledged the scheduling issues facing the selectors.”If we win this tri-series and go through, if we can try and keep it together, that’d be good,” Short said. “I suppose you always put your best team out, and whether we all fit in the best team, that’s up to the selectors. I think it definitely gives you the opportunity to showcase your skills in front of other people on the international stage and you always try to take it with both hands.”

Brett D’Oliveira batted Worcestershire into a strong position•Getty Images

A dusty, used surface awaits R Ashwin when he finally gets to bowl at New Road on his Worcestershire debut, but on the opening day he had to satisfy himself with a useful supporting role for Brett D’Oliveira, who celebrated a new county contract with a top-score of 93 on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship clash with Gloucestershire.Ashwin has started a four-game spell at New Road as Worcestershire strive to reinforce their promotion credentials, with Sussex, Kent and Northants all vying to join runaway leaders Nottinghamshire in the top two, and he looked full of class in making 36 in the middle order on a sun-soaked day.But the main innings of the day came from D’Oliveira who, along with Ed Barnard, has committed his long term future to the County with new deals.The 25-year-old fell just short of his third Championship hundred of the campaign but his efforts were a key component in Worcestershire totalling 338 for 7 from 98 overs on a used pitch.There were useful contributions all down the batting order and now Worcestershire will be hoping Ashwin can work the kind of magic with the ball which has brought him 292 Test wickets.Gloucestershire opted for a toss but lost out as home skipper Joe Leach decided to bat first on a pitch used for the England Under-19 v India Under-19 four-day ‘Test’ and a NatWest T20 Blast fixture.Paceman Liam Norwell struck an early blow as Daryl Mitchell went for a drive and Cameron Bancroft held onto a low chance at first slip. But he then dislocated the little finger on his bowling hand fielding a return shot from new batsman Tom Fell and went for a hospital x-ray and did not return to the attack until after tea when the second new ball was taken.Spin was introduced as early as the 13th over via Tom Smith.Fell has experienced a poor summer with the bat but he looked in good form during a stand of 72 in 26 overs with D’Oliveira. He went past his previous highest Championship score of 35 in 2017 but added only three more before he was lbw to Smith.D’Oliveira was not afraid to use his feet and lofted Jack Taylor for a straight six and repeated the stroke against Smith. Joe Clarke reeled off a series of exquisite drives in making 32 but would have been disappointed with the way a casual flick off his legs from Kieran Noema-Barnett ended up in the hands of short midwicket.Smith enjoyed a second success as George Rhodes played back and nicked to George Hankins at first slip. D’Oliveira continued to score freely but on 93 he played forward to Smith and Hankins completed the catch after Will Tavare had initially got a hand to the ball at second slip. His 188 ball knock contained two sixes and 10 fours.Ashwin was warmly applauded on his way to the wicket in what is arguably Worcestershire’s most high profile overseas player since Glenn McGrath in 2000. He looked full of composure and class and it soon became evident why he often bats in India’s top six.He made 36 off 50 balls with a six and four fours before being undone by a ball of extra bounce with the second new ball from Norwell which was edged to Chris Dent at second slip.But keeper Ben Cox (56 not out) and Barnard ensured Worcestershire remained on top during a partnership of 86 in 15 overs before the former on 46 from 49 balls was run-out after a mix-up.

Chris Lynn looks set to be ruled out of the Pakistan Super League, and will return to Brisbane for further assessment, after suffering a dislocated right shoulder while diving in the field during Australia’s T20 Tri-Series final victory over New Zealand.It was another cruel stroke of injury misfortune for Lynn, who left the field midway through the ninth over of New Zealand’s innings after attempting to intercept a clip through midwicket from Ross Taylor. Sprinting to his left, he reached for the ball with his right arm, in an apparent attempt to protect his troublesome left shoulder, on which he has undergone three bouts of surgery in recent seasons.However, he appeared to jar his right arm on the turf, and it was later confirmed that he had popped the shoulder out of its socket. Although the team medical staff were able to put the joint back into place, he took no further part in the match after being sent for a scan.”Chris dislocated his right shoulder after landing awkwardly on it when fielding the ball,” said Australia’s physio, Alex Kountouris. “His shoulder was able to be put back into place at the ground and he was consequently sent for X-Rays which revealed no major bone injury.”At this stage Chris will not travel to the Pakistan Super League in Dubai. He will return to Brisbane to undergo further scans and assessment and from there we will have a better understanding of the ongoing management, along with the return-to-play timeframes.”Lynn had previously said he would avoid diving in the field in a bid to prevent any further shoulder problems.”It’s something that’s played on my mind for about four years,” he said. “Let’s go one step at a time – I want to dive, there’s no doubt about that, I want to do well and contribute. But at the moment, I don’t want to have another setback because I feel like I’m making good ground.”Lynn had been due to travel to Dubai imminently to take part in Lahore Qalandars’ first match of the Pakistan Super League, on Friday, against Multan Sultans. The Qalandars will be hoping Lynn’s injury is not serious, considering the explosive Australian was their first pick at the PSL draft.Another franchise that will be anxiously hoping for a swift recovery for Lynn is Kolkata Knight Riders. Lynn was the Knight Riders’ most expensive buy at the IPL auction last month, fetching $1.5m. The team is yet to announce its captain and Lynn was one of the names on the shortlist.

Joe Root feared the worst when he spilled Chris Gayle at slip in the opening over of the first ODI at Old Trafford, so was grateful for the chance to redeem himself in spectacular style to prevent the West Indies opener from doing too much damage.In the end, England won the opening match of the series at a canter but the early exchanges went West Indies’ way with Gayle launching three sixes after his early let-off, which Root admitted left him with a sinking feeling and determined not to let the second opportunity evade him when Gayle skied Chris Woakes over cover.”I saw it the whole way, thought it was a pretty straightforward catch – maybe it got a bit big on me,” he said of the slip catch. “I thought it could be quite costly, and when the second one went up I thought ‘I have to get there’. There was a huge amount relief when I managed to cling on to it.”England’s indifferent slip catching was a feature of the Test series against West Indies and led to coach Trevor Bayliss calling it “terrible”, warning it could cost them the Ashes. Root is usually a very safe catcher in the cordon and said that when one goes down it can be difficult not to watch the reprieved player’s score notch up.”You almost feel guilty with each run they score,” he said. “It’s just nice to be the one who made amends for it. I think he banged a six shortly after that, so that hurt a lot but it’s part of the game. You have to try and stay composed, not let it affect anyone else, make sure your body language is good.”It has been a demanding season for Root, his first as Test captain in which both series went to deciding Tests, and the Ashes series is drawing ever nearer with all its associated pressures. But he insists there is no fatigue and has his sights set on finishing England’s longest summer in the remainder of the ODIs, the last of which is on September 29, with the team due to depart for Australia a month later.While Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, two other all-format players, were rested from the T20I against West Indies, Root took his place in the line-up then began the one-day series with 54 off 53 balls in England’s serene chase. The only internationals he has missed this season were in the T20 series against South Africa after the Champions Trophy, but he featured in the pink-ball round of County Championship matches during the time away from England duty.”We had a chat before the series and said do I feel I like I can play,” Root said. “Every time I feel fit and that I can deliver at my best I’ll go out and play for England. I love the opportunity we get every time we put on the shirt, it’s such a proud feeling and I’ve never lost that from the start. I’m desperate to take every opportunity to play for England. If I’m not able to give my absolute best I’m probably doing the team a disservice, but at the moment I’m fit and ready go.”If England are able to close out the one-day series with matches to spare – and there was a significant gulf between the teams at Old Trafford once West Indies’ opening stand was broken – it could create the opportunity to withdraw a few players early. Not being captain in this format means those decisions around other players do not involve Root, but he believes each knows what is best for them.”In terms of this series those are individual conversations. As players, you know yourself better than anyone else and in the best interests of this and the Test team you need to be really honest,” he said. “Only you really know if you are struggling or tired. Everyone wants to play as much as they can. You are only around for so long, at the peak of your game and fitness, and you want to take every opportunity. Those guys have got a lot of cricket ahead of them this winter, but we have a period off before we go to recuperate and relax.”

Former Test batsman Thilan Samaraweera will be Sri Lanka’s batting coach leading up to the 2019 World Cup, SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala has confirmed.The move is expected to be rubber-stamped on Monday, when Samaraweera arrives on the island from Melbourne, where he lives. The following day he will travel with the team to India, where they are set to play three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. Samaraweera will have his work cut out on the tour, in shoring up a batting unit low on confidence.While the role of batting coach is officially a first for the 41-year-old former middle-order batsman, he has previously had stints as a batting consultant with other national outfits – with Bangladesh since September last year, and a brief stint with Australia prior to that. He replaces Hashan Tillakaratne, who had taken up the role on a temporary basis in July ahead of India’s visit to Sri Lanka. Tillakaratne will now go back to his role as batting coach of Sri Lanka’s developmental squads.A veteran of 81 Tests, in which he scored 5462 runs at 48.76, Samaraweera retired from international cricket in 2013.

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The spin combination of Hayley Matthews, Afy Fletcher and Stafanie Taylor worked through Sri Lanka’s batting order to set up a six-wicket victory for West Indies in the first match between the two – which counts for points in the ICC Women’s Championship – in Tarouba. Sri Lanka’s batting floundered against the three, who picked three apiece, as they collapsed from 63 for 1 to 136 all out.Sri Lanka lost their first wicket in the 12th over after opener Nipuni Hansika was struck on the pads by legspinner Fletcher. Yasoda Mendis and Chamari Atapattu set up a 41-run second-wicket partnership, with the latter becoming the first Sri Lanka batswoman to score 2000 runs in ODI. Matthews’ charge, however, removed both the batsmen before they could build on their starts. She also dismissed the No. 5 Prasadani Weerakkody for 8.Taylor and Fletcher scythed through the rest of the order as Sri Lanka fell away quickly.West Indies were off to a shaky start as they lost Kycia Knight and Taylor inside the first five overs. With 49 for 2 on the scoreboard, Matthews retired hurt on 22 and had to be stretchered off after the third ball of the 20th over. Having pulled the ball to short square leg, she dropped on her knees, clutching her right thigh. Earlier, following the third ball of the 14th over, she had received medical assistance for what seemed to be slight unease with her left hamstring. However, later she confirmed to ESPNcricinfo: “It was just bad cramp, but I’m all good”.After Matthews departed, Chedean Nation and Deandra Dottin kept the chase ticking along before slow left-armer Inoka Ranaweera removed both of them and reached the 50th-wicket milestone in ODIs. However, Merissa Aguilleira (32 of 48 balls) and Kyshona Knight (21 off 36 balls) finished the job over the next ten overs.Matthews was named the Player of the Match for her spell of 10-2-18-3.

Australia’s captain Steven Smith has never felt better at the crease than during the early part of his Perth Ashes epic, before he re-adjusted to grind down England and absorbed a considerable physical toll to do so.By reaching 239 before his dismissal, Smith raised his career average to 62.32 after 108 innings in 59 matches, ranking him the second best batsman to Sir Donald Bradman in terms of average – now ahead of his former team-mate Adam Voges. The innings pushed Australia into a strong position to regain the urn with victory in the final Ashes Test at the WACA Ground, and Smith said it was not achieved without considerable exhaustion – support staff ran out a chair for him to sit on during drinks in the final session.”I was actually really tired at tea yesterday, and was struggling a little bit then, and went in and had to have some sugar and a banana and something to eat,” Smith told ABC Radio. “I don’t like to eat too much when I bat.”The strength and conditioning coach Kelly [Aaron Kellett] basically forced it down my throat and said ‘You need something to eat.’ It was good in the end, because it switched me back on and I actually felt pretty good in the last session. I was a little bit tired last night, but a good tired after batting for so long.””I really enjoyed it, particularly out there with Mitch [Marsh] who was playing so well and scoring so freely, it just enabled me to just keep batting and keep batting, and hopefully a few more this morning.”Smith’s innings was played in two distinct phases, as he motored to 92 on the second evening with scarcely believable levels of ease, before digging in on the third day to press into the lead, largely in the company of the recalled Mitchell Marsh. “I think that first night I was on, as you say,” Smith said. “I was in the zone, and everything hit the middle of the bat. I felt incredibly good. Probably didn’t feel quite as good yesterday, but still came off well and got the runs that we needed. That first night was probably as good as I’ve felt.Steven Smith walks off after making 239•Getty Images

“I guess it’s just getting across into that position I’ve been getting into for a while, with my back foot on off stump or thereabouts, and watching the ball. If it’s at my stumps and it’s a good length, defending it, and if it’s too full, hitting it. Just defending good balls and putting away bad balls, really.”I just [try] not to think too much. Keep batting and keep enjoying it. I’d prefer to be out there. I don’t like watching cricket that much, to be honest. So I’d prefer to be out there making runs than up there watching someone else do it. That just motivates me to try and score as many runs as I can. I just sit on my bat at the other end if I’m off strike, and try and relax as much as possible. But nothing too different I don’t think.”As for Marsh, who in making 181 stamped himself as a long-term Australian Test player, Smith said the allrounder had made significant technical improvements. “I think his defence, he’s softened his hands a little bit,” Smith said.”He actually nicked one yesterday and it went down and didn’t carry here at Perth on a wicket that’s been pretty quick, to be fair, so I think that’s something he’s improved a lot. He was just defending the good balls, and anything that’s loose he was putting it away. We spoke about it out there: I said ‘That’s just batting. That’s how you do it.’ He was really confident and played exceptionally well.”

Bowlers Kristen Beams and Lauren Cheatle have lost their contracts as Australia focus their efforts on the Women’s World T20 in November. Another contributing factor was recent performances, which helped Sophie Molineux, Delissa Kimmince and Nicola Carey have make their way into the 14-player list for the first time. All three players were part of Australia’s tour of India where they beat the hosts 3-0 in the ODIs and beat England in the final of the T20I tri-series that followed.

CA Women’s contract list 2018-19

Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jessica Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Meg Lanning, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

“The National Selection Panel had a firm focus on the World T20 in the West Indies later this year when selecting the contract list, with players rewarded for world-class performances,” national selector Shawn Flegler said.”The elevation of Nicola Carey, Delissa Kimmince and Sophie Molineux is an indication of how they are viewed by the NSP, having all impressed during Australia’s recent tour of India and domestically across the summer.”Allrounders Molineux and Carey earned their caps during the recent India tour, while 28-year old Kimmince made her international debut in 2008 against New Zealand.”Sophie is a Victorian product of the female pathway and the NSP believes she is a long-term player for Australia and provides another spin bowling option with the ability to bat in several positions.””Delissa and Nicola have similar all-round roles within the team and have both performed well when given the opportunity. They have both been on the cusp of selection for a while and it is good to see them rewarded with a contract.Flegler insisted that it wasn’t the end of the road for the out-of-contract players. “Several players, including Kristen Beams and Lauren Cheatle from last year’s contract list have missed out but they will still be considered to play for Australia with strong performances.”Lauren has had to overcome various injuries over the last couple of years, which has hampered her ability to perform at her best,” Flegler said. “She has been selected in the women’s NPS alongside a number of exciting young fast bowlers and there’s no doubt her best is yet to come.”CA has also named a 13-player National Performance Squad, which includes a number of youngsters, who will be training under High Performance coach Leah Poulton at the Bupa National Cricket Centre.Women’s National Performance Squad 2018: Lauren Cheatle, Piepa Cleary, Josephine Dooley, Erin Fazackerley, Heather Graham, Saskia Horley, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia McGrath, Maitlan Brown, Annabel Sutherland*, Rachel Trenaman*.

Form guide (most recent match first)

Kolkata Knight Riders: beat Royal Challenegers Bangalore by six wickets, lost to Delhi Daredevils by 55 runs, lost to Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets, beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets
Chennai Super Kings: beat Delhi Daredevils by 13 runs, lost to Mumbai Indians by eight wickets, beat Royal Challengers by five wickets, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by four runs

Big Picture

The previous match these two played became the one of most talked about games this season, after Vinay Kumar faltered in the execution of a yorker that became a full toss that Dwayne Bravo blasted it into the stands to win it.That match itself was high-scoring and some of the questions it prompted have remained the same. How these sides address them will likely determine the winner on Thursday evening.Halfway into the tournament the Super Kings have proved to be the best batting unit – in terms of run rate across the three phases of innings. They are third in the Powerplay (8.92), but have the best scoring rate in the middle overs (8.54) and at the death (12.64) where MS Dhoni has regained his golden touch as a finisher. However that advantage is virtually erased by the sloppiness of their bowling, which has been inconsistent throughout innings. The absence of a good new-ball bowler is evident in the Powerplay phase, where the Super Kings are fourth most expensive with an economy rate of 8.63. It gets worse as the innings goes on: in the middle overs, they are third-worst, conceding at 8.40; at the death, where Super Kings have leaked runs at 11.42 an over, they are second-worst in the tournament.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Luckily it would seem for Super Kings, Knight Riders have failed to sustain the early momentum gained by their top order comprising Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and Robin Uthappa. At the death, Knight Riders lose a wicket every 10.5 balls and score a boundary every five deliveries. Their run rate of 9.91 in this phase is decent, but nothing that truly hurts the opposition.Clearly then this could be a battle that is won or lost at the death.

In the news

Nitish Rana has back spasms and will undergo a fitness assessment on the morning of the game. In case he is unfit, Knight Riders could choose between Ishank Jaggi and Rinku Singh.

Previous meeting

It is the match that will be remembered as the one that pushed fans to troll India seamer Vinay Kumar, following the penultimate-ball six by Dwayne Bravo that helped Super Kings chase down a target of 203. That game also happened to be the last match played in Chennai, after which Super Kings’ home base was switched to Pune.

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Dinesh Karthik (capt & wk), 5 Nitesh Rana/Ishank Jaggi, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Shubman Gill, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Shivam Mavi, 11 Tom Curran/Mitchell JohnsonChennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Karn Sharma, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Lungi NgidiESPNcricinfo Ltd

Strategy punt

Best chance for Sunil Narine to regain his impact with the ball. Narine picked up seven wickets in the first four matches, but then could manage just the one wicket in the next four games during which he conceded at a rate of 10.3 with an average of 144. However his numbers against the specialist batsmen in Super Kings are healthy and home conditions are likely to favour Narine.

Stats that matter

• Andre Russell can overpower all kinds of bowling. Of particular note in that list is Russell’s Caribbean team-mate Dwayne Bravo. Russell has 216 runs off 102 balls he has faced from Bravo, a strike rate of 211.8 in 17 innings
• Sunil Narine has had the better of Shane Watson, Super Kings’ gun batsman. In 13 T20 innings he has bowled against the Australian, Narine has got Watson six times
• Robin Uthappa needs 23 runs to register 4000 runs in the IPL. Uthappa also needs nine runs to register 1000 runs at Eden Gardens in the IPL
• Piyush Chawla needs two wickets to register 50 wickets for KKR in the IPL. He will become the first player in IPL history to pick up 50-plus wickets for multiple teams. Chawla previously took 84 wickets for Kings XI Punjab
• This IPL, Chris Lynn has been defensive against left-arm spinners: in four innings so far, out of 27 deliveries he has faced against them, he has got 25 runs at a strike rate of 92.6 with a dot ball percentage of 44.4, and has been out twice

Fantasy pick

The Eden Gardens pitch has helped quick bowlers more than spinners, which gives Andre Russell two bites at the cherry; he can be great value if he gets to bat too, not least because he has big numbers against Super Kings at the death.