logo
Top 5 captains of WTC 2023-25 cycle

Top 5 captains of WTC 2023-25 cycle

India Today6 hours ago

Top 5 captains of WTC 2023-25 cycle
June 14, 2025
By Akshay Ramesh
Temba Bavuma led South Africa to the World Test Championship title, ending the nation's 27-year wait for a major trophy
Bavuma, the first Black African captain of the South African men's team, was also their first to win a major ICC trophy
South Africa defeated Australia in the WTC 25 final, ending a thrilling two-year cycle
Here are top five captains from the 2023-25 cycle
The South African captain led in eight Tests, won seven of them and remained unbeaten.
1. Temba Bavuma
The Australian captain finished with 9 wins in 16 matches, which includes a series win over India at home
2. Pat Cummins
The England skipper won nine out of 17 Tests, but lost seven, two morre than Cummins in the 20233-25 cycle.
3. Ben Stokes
Rohit won 8 out of 17 Tests. However, he became the first India captain to fail to qualify for the WTC final.
4. Rohit Sharma
Sri Lanka's skipper won 6 out of 12 matches, losing six in the WTC 2023-25 cycle
5. Dhananjaya de Silva

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'I can give my blood for this team': Kagiso Rabada after historic WTC title win
'I can give my blood for this team': Kagiso Rabada after historic WTC title win

Time of India

time18 minutes ago

  • Time of India

'I can give my blood for this team': Kagiso Rabada after historic WTC title win

Kagiso Rabada (Image credit: ICC) South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada said that winning the World Test Championship (WTC) title was even more memorable given the team's "fairly inexperienced" status, yet they managed to secure a remarkable victory against a star-studded Australian side. Led by skipper Temba Bavuma, the Proteas ended a 27-year-long wait for an ICC trophy by defeating Australia in the WTC final at Lord's, with Rabada playing a crucial role by taking nine wickets in the match. "We are a fairly inexperienced team who got together about a year ago, we have not been with each other for a long time, and we have gone on and produced this. I'll never forget this in my life, none of the boys will forget this," Rabada told the ICC. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Rabada, a key figure in South Africa's pace attack, said the win felt even more special considering the quality of the opposition — players his younger teammates had looked up to growing up. "Australia are a well accustomed team and with all due respect, a bit of an aging team. Some of those guys were playing when we were still in high school. If you put into perspective for the younger players what that's like. It is special, it hasn't sunk in. "This has given us confidence we can do it again," added Rabada, who surpassed Allan Donald to move into fourth place on South Africa's list of all-time Test wicket-takers. Despite his match-winning performance, Rabada said he prefers to view himself as a hard-working team player. "I don't see myself as a star. I see myself as someone willing to work, give my blood for this team and continue working hard and improving. That's me as a cricketer, always wanting to improve and playing for the badge with a lot of pride. That's the way I'd like to see everyone play. "Every game I play, I'm looking to get wickets. I'm not going to go into the game thinking 'I need to get seven wickets for us to win', I look at it as an opportunity to get as many wickets as I can to help the team," he added. Rabada currently holds the best strike rate (38.9) among bowlers with more than 150 Test wickets. Rabada, who picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings and continued to trouble batters in the second, admitted that the latter spells were tougher, but he focused on staying composed. The making of Dhruv Jurel: Kargil war hero's son who chose cricket over the Army "I've been working extremely hard, those second innings spells are the ones that count a lot more -- when you are a bit tired and behind in the game. "It was just about staying calm and looking at what was in front of us. All mayhem broke loose, we got five wickets in I don't know how many overs, it was a crazy game of cricket. "There are normally two voices in your head - one that doubts and one that believes. That is the one we keep feeding, especially in big moments like this, the World Test Championship final. That is why you saw the performances you saw. It is testament to our team this season."

Smriti Mandhana reclaims top spot in ODI batting rankings
Smriti Mandhana reclaims top spot in ODI batting rankings

Hindustan Times

time20 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Smriti Mandhana reclaims top spot in ODI batting rankings

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Tuesday moved up to the top spot in ICC ODI batting rankings for the first time since 2019 after South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt lost 19 rating points in the latest update. Mandhana has a total of 727 rating points followed by England captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt at 719. Wolvaardt is now third with 719 points. The next two Indian batters in the list after Mandhana are Jemimah Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who are placed 14th and 15th respectively. India and England are set to face off in five T20Is and three ODIs later this month. While Mandhana has sat inside the top 10 on the list for ODI batters in recent times, the left-hander hasn't held the premier position since the start of 2019 as a drought of more than six years comes to an end. The India opener has been in excellent touch of late and scored a superb century during the final of India's recent tri-series against Sri Lanka and South Africa in Colombo. Mandhana is also ranked fourth in the list of batters in T20Is. It was Mandhana's 11th ODI century of her career and contributed to the left-hander improving her rating past Wolvaardt, who managed scores of 27 and 28 in South Africa's recent ODI contests against the West Indies.

ECB CEO: 'Series Vs India On Par With Ashes In Terms Of Commercial Importance'
ECB CEO: 'Series Vs India On Par With Ashes In Terms Of Commercial Importance'

News18

time22 minutes ago

  • News18

ECB CEO: 'Series Vs India On Par With Ashes In Terms Of Commercial Importance'

Last Updated: The upcoming India-England Test series is as commercially significant as the Ashes, says ECB chief Richard Gould. The upcoming five-match Test series between India and England holds commercial significance comparable to the Ashes, according to ECB chief executive officer Richard Gould. He is hopeful that the series will reignite the interest of English fans after a lacklustre international summer in 2024. Last year, sports enthusiasts in England were captivated by the Paris Olympics and the Euro, Europe's premier football tournament. The sight of empty seats at Lord's following England's series win over Sri Lanka was disheartening for cricket. However, Gould is optimistic about a successful summer, thanks to the popularity of the Indian team. 'We know how big it is. It is a huge summer," Gould was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 'Last summer, there were all sorts of things happening all over the place, weren't there? 'I think that is one of the great things about a five-Test series: it is a proper long-read; it's something that people can get really into. There will be subplots, and sub-subplots. There will be all sorts of issues over that six-week period," Gould added. Though stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin may have retired from Test cricket recently, India's significant presence in the sport ensures any series involving them rivals the Ashes in commercial importance. 'Certainly, in terms of commercial importance," Gould said. The series also marks the start of a new cycle for both India and England in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC). India has not clinched a Test series win in England since 2007, and their last tour in 2021-22 ended in a 2-2 draw. Gould is also enthusiastic about the resurgence of five-match Test series. 'There's been lots of discussion about short formats, but Test cricket is doing quite a resurgence in its own way," he said. 'Particularly with the five-Test series: we're seeing more of those than we have done for a long time." Regarding future WTC finals, Gould believes England has an edge over other contenders like India since it can attract crowds even for matches involving neutral teams. 'The WTC, for us, is not the be-all and end-all. Because we also enjoy the Ashes and we will enjoy the India series," Gould said, ahead of last week's final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's. The recent WTC final was the third consecutive one held in England, and the ICC is likely to confirm that England will continue to host future finals despite interest from India. 'We don't think that we've got any absolute right to be the continual host of the WTC (final), but there are advantages to having it here. Irrespective of who gets into the final, we will sell it out… We're probably the only member nation within the ICC that could deliver that. 'We recognise that perhaps others would like to take it around the world at some point… But the worry is if you move it, end up with two neutral teams, and don't get a crowd, the whole thing could devalue and deflate pretty quickly." (With inputs from PTI) First Published: June 17, 2025, 20:08 IST

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store