Eoin Morgan-led England defeated South Africa by 104 runs in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-match-1-england-vs-south-africa-222728">inaugural match of the Cricket World Cup 2019</a> on Thursday at the Oval stadium.&nbsp;

Chasing 312 runs to win, South Africa were all out for 207 in 39.5 overs.&nbsp;

South Africa's top batting order collapsed despite opener Quinton de Kock, who scored 68 runs before losing his wicket to Liam Plunkett.&nbsp;

Rassie van der Dussen also played a decent knock but could not inspire the team towards victory.&nbsp;

South Africa also suffered a huge scare as Hasim Amla retired hurt after being hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer but later came to bat again and eventually lost his wicket to Plunkett after scoring 13 runs.&nbsp;

Earlier, Ben Stokes top-scored with 89 as England posted a solid but not commanding total of 311 for eight.&nbsp;

Jason Roy, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan also passed fifty in favourable batting conditions, but England were never able to break free from the shackles imposed by a disciplined South African attack.

After being put in to bat, the tournament favourites lost Jonny Bairstow to the second ball of the innings, caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock off spinner Imran Tahir, but Roy and Root shared a 106-run partnership to steady the hosts.

Roy never threatened to dismantle the bowling as he has done regularly in recent matches, accumulating 54 runs before he skied Andile Phehlukwayo to Faf du Plessis at mid-off.

Three balls later Root departed for 51, playing a loose drive at Kagiso Rabada to give JP Duminy a simple catch at backward point and leave England on 111 for three.

South Africa continued to bowl tightly as Morgan and Stokes set about rebuilding the innings.

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England are off to a winning start! 
 
Archer takes three wickets, while Plunkett and Stokes get two each as the hosts beat South Africa by 104 runs! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvSA</a> SCORECARD ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/nH52002J64">https://t.co/nH52002J64</a> <a href="https://t.co/dT8xVHtmOs">pic.twitter.com/dT8xVHtmOs</a>
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Morgan struck the first six in the 26th over and the captain cleared the ropes twice more in a fourth-wicket partnership of 106.

Morgan, on 57, was brilliantly caught off Tahir by Aiden Markram at long-on, the fielder diving forward to catch the ball inches from the turf, and England failed to cut free.

Jos Buttler made a scratchy 18, Moeen Ali three before he too fell to a superb catch on the boundary by Du Plessis and Chris Woakes 13 as the last 10 overs produced 76 runs to leave the match finely poised at the half-way stage.

Eoin Morgan-led England defeated South Africa by 104 runs in the inaugural match of the Cricket World Cup 2019 on Thursday at the Oval stadium. Chasing 312 runs to win, South Africa were all out for 207 in 39.

Eoin Morgan-led England defeated South Africa by 104 runs in the inaugural match of the Cricket World Cup 2019 on Thursday at the Oval stadium. Chasing 312 runs to win, South Africa were all out for 207 in 39.5 overs. South Africa's top batting order collapsed despite opener Quinton de Kock, who scored 68 runs before losing his wicket to Liam Plunkett. Rassie van der Dussen also played a decent knock but could not inspire the team towards victory. South Africa also suffered a huge scare as Hasim Amla retired hurt after being hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer but later came to bat again and eventually lost his wicket to Plunkett after scoring 13 runs. Earlier, Ben Stokes top-scored with 89 as England posted a solid but not commanding total of 311 for eight. Jason Roy, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan also passed fifty in favourable batting conditions, but England were never able to break free from the shackles imposed by a disciplined South African attack. After being put in to bat, the tournament favourites lost Jonny Bairstow to the second ball of the innings, caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock off spinner Imran Tahir, but Roy and Root shared a 106-run partnership to steady the hosts. Roy never threatened to dismantle the bowling as he has done regularly in recent matches, accumulating 54 runs before he skied Andile Phehlukwayo to Faf du Plessis at mid-off. Three balls later Root departed for 51, playing a loose drive at Kagiso Rabada to give JP Duminy a simple catch at backward point and leave England on 111 for three. South Africa continued to bowl tightly as Morgan and Stokes set about rebuilding the innings. England are off to a winning start! Archer takes three wickets, while Plunkett and Stokes get two each as the hosts beat South Africa by 104 runs! #ENGvSA SCORECARD ⬇️ https://t.co/nH52002J64 pic.twitter.com/dT8xVHtmOs — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) May 30, 2019 × Morgan struck the first six in the 26th over and the captain cleared the ropes twice more in a fourth-wicket partnership of 106. Morgan, on 57, was brilliantly caught off Tahir by Aiden Markram at long-on, the fielder diving forward to catch the ball inches from the turf, and England failed to cut free. Jos Buttler made a scratchy 18, Moeen Ali three before he too fell to a superb catch on the boundary by Du Plessis and Chris Woakes 13 as the last 10 overs produced 76 runs to leave the match finely poised at the half-way stage.

England beat South Africa by 104 runs in Cricket World Cup opener

Jason Roy and Ben Stokes helped <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistans-world-cup-jinx-against-india-england-south-africas-horror-history-219426">England defeat Pakistan</a> by three wickets in the fourth ODI of the five-match series on Friday&nbsp;at Trent Bridge.

With this win, England has now taken a 3-0 unassailable lead in the series.

Chasing a score of 341, Roy and Stokes registered the scores of 114 and 71 respectively.

In pursuit of the target, England got off to a good start as both openers Roy and James Vince provided a solid foundation to the team as they stitched together a partnership of 94 runs.

Their stand was broken in the 14th over as Mohammad Hasnain dismissed Vince (57).

Joe Root came out to bat next and he along with Roy put up a 107-run stand.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-bowlers-not-up-to-the-mark-says-leg-spinner-shadab-khan-ahead-of-world-cup-219106">Pakistan</a> came back in the match as they dismissed both Roy (114), Root (36), Jos Buttler (0), and Moeen Ali (0) in quick succession reducing England to 216 runs for five wickets in the 31st over.

Joe Denly and Tom Curran played useful knocks of 17 and 31 respectively to ease the pressure on Stokes at the other.

In the end, Stokes took England over the line by three wickets and with three balls to spare.

Earlier, Babar Azam's knock of 115 runs helped Pakistan put 340 runs on the board in the allotted fifty overs.

Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam put up a 107-run stand to allow Pakistan to have a solid base at the top.

Zaman (57) was dismissed in the 20th over by Tom Curran.

Mohammad Hafeez came out to bat next, and he along with Zaman stitched together a 104-run stand, allowing Pakistan to be in a comfortable position at the 30-over mark.

Hafeez was dismissed for 59.

Pakistan kept on losing wickets at regular intervals as Tom Curran starred for England, taking key wickets at crucial junctures.

In the end, Shoaib Malik (41) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (21) played useful cameos to allow Pakistan to score 340 runs in the allotted 50 overs.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-captain-eoin-morgan-suspended-for-slow-over-rate-jonny-bairstow-reprimanded-219097">England </a>next takes on Pakistan in the final match of the five-match ODI series on Sunday, May 19.

Brief Scores:

England 341/7 (JJ Roy 114, BA Stokes 71*, Imad Wasim 2-62) defeat Pakistan 340/7 (Babar Azam 115, Mohammad Hafeez 59, TK Curran 4-75) by three wickets.&nbsp;

Jason Roy and Ben Stokes helped England defeat Pakistan by three wickets in the fourth ODI of the five-match series on Friday at Trent Bridge. With this win, England has now taken a 3-0 unassailable lead in the series.

Jason Roy and Ben Stokes helped England defeat Pakistan by three wickets in the fourth ODI of the five-match series on Friday at Trent Bridge. With this win, England has now taken a 3-0 unassailable lead in the series. Chasing a score of 341, Roy and Stokes registered the scores of 114 and 71 respectively. In pursuit of the target, England got off to a good start as both openers Roy and James Vince provided a solid foundation to the team as they stitched together a partnership of 94 runs. Their stand was broken in the 14th over as Mohammad Hasnain dismissed Vince (57). Joe Root came out to bat next and he along with Roy put up a 107-run stand. Pakistan came back in the match as they dismissed both Roy (114), Root (36), Jos Buttler (0), and Moeen Ali (0) in quick succession reducing England to 216 runs for five wickets in the 31st over. Joe Denly and Tom Curran played useful knocks of 17 and 31 respectively to ease the pressure on Stokes at the other. In the end, Stokes took England over the line by three wickets and with three balls to spare. Earlier, Babar Azam's knock of 115 runs helped Pakistan put 340 runs on the board in the allotted fifty overs. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam put up a 107-run stand to allow Pakistan to have a solid base at the top. Zaman (57) was dismissed in the 20th over by Tom Curran. Mohammad Hafeez came out to bat next, and he along with Zaman stitched together a 104-run stand, allowing Pakistan to be in a comfortable position at the 30-over mark. Hafeez was dismissed for 59. Pakistan kept on losing wickets at regular intervals as Tom Curran starred for England, taking key wickets at crucial junctures. In the end, Shoaib Malik (41) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (21) played useful cameos to allow Pakistan to score 340 runs in the allotted 50 overs. England next takes on Pakistan in the final match of the five-match ODI series on Sunday, May 19. Brief Scores: England 341/7 (JJ Roy 114, BA Stokes 71*, Imad Wasim 2-62) defeat Pakistan 340/7 (Babar Azam 115, Mohammad Hafeez 59, TK Curran 4-75) by three wickets.

Jason Roy, Ben Stokes help England defeat Pakistan in fourth ODI

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/transformed-england-favourites-to-win-world-cup-says-sunil-gavaskar-216311&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi8ssTAlYniAhUPT48KHS3-CJoQFjAGegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0m9VQhMS3aY8HSShqev-aB">England</a> Test-captain Joe Root on Tuesday said it was nice to get off to a winning start against Pakistan in the one-off T20I and was delighted seeing the crux of the team together.

"It`s exciting to see the crux of the squad together and to start the journey of the summer. And for us to find a way of winning two games, I know this is a different format, but the majority of the squad will be around for the 50-over stuff," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Root as saying.

"It was a great chance for us to start going in the right direction, to get some momentum going into the one-day series. It`s really pleasing to be two from two and, hopefully, now carry that forward throughout those five games," he added.

England registered a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in a one-off T20I on Sunday and the pleasing fact for the team was that the win was achieved in the absence of key players like Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, and Ben Stokes.

Jofra Archer, the latest addition to the limited-overs team of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-overcome-batting-collapse-to-beat-ireland-by-four-wickets-in-the-one-off-odi-leading-to-the-world-cup-215823&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjmx5r2lYniAhVWnY8KHcpYC4gQFjAGegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0tWe15yngmIOy77uQJxcWb">England</a>, made a good impression in the T20I scalping two wickets and Root was seen addressing the value addition Archer brings to the team.

"You could see the value of what he could bring to a side, that extra bit of zip. He is someone that wants to get into the game and make things happen, which is a brilliant quality to have," Archer said.

"What this game did is provide a huge opportunity for guys who haven`t played a huge amount for England, either before or in recent times. It was really important that those guys got something out of it. It`s about them trying to take that opportunity and us finding a way of winning without a normal-looking T20 side, and I thought it was a fantastic effort from the group to win in the manner that we did," Root&nbsp;added.

England next takes on Pakistan in the five-match ODI series beginning on May 8 at the Oval in London.&nbsp;

England Test-captain Joe Root on Tuesday said it was nice to get off to a winning start against Pakistan in the one-off T20I and was delighted seeing the crux of the team together.

England Test-captain Joe Root on Tuesday said it was nice to get off to a winning start against Pakistan in the one-off T20I and was delighted seeing the crux of the team together. "It`s exciting to see the crux of the squad together and to start the journey of the summer. And for us to find a way of winning two games, I know this is a different format, but the majority of the squad will be around for the 50-over stuff," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Root as saying. "It was a great chance for us to start going in the right direction, to get some momentum going into the one-day series. It`s really pleasing to be two from two and, hopefully, now carry that forward throughout those five games," he added. England registered a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in a one-off T20I on Sunday and the pleasing fact for the team was that the win was achieved in the absence of key players like Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, and Ben Stokes. Jofra Archer, the latest addition to the limited-overs team of England, made a good impression in the T20I scalping two wickets and Root was seen addressing the value addition Archer brings to the team. "You could see the value of what he could bring to a side, that extra bit of zip. He is someone that wants to get into the game and make things happen, which is a brilliant quality to have," Archer said. "What this game did is provide a huge opportunity for guys who haven`t played a huge amount for England, either before or in recent times. It was really important that those guys got something out of it. It`s about them trying to take that opportunity and us finding a way of winning without a normal-looking T20 side, and I thought it was a fantastic effort from the group to win in the manner that we did," Root added. England next takes on Pakistan in the five-match ODI series beginning on May 8 at the Oval in London.

Exciting to see 'crux of squad' together, says Joe Root after England's T20I win against Pakistan

Dwayne Bravo and Ben Stokes are enjoying the cricket carnival of India in a little unusual way as besides cricket, both of them are trying their hands on hair cutting.&nbsp;

Chennai's star player Bravo became a barber for Monu Singh in a viral video shared by the official Twitter handle of Chennai franchise.&nbsp;

Apart from him, Rajasthan's cricketer Ben Stokes was seen giving a haircut to Ish Sodhi ahead of the crucial tie against Chennai.&nbsp;

Watch the videos:&nbsp;

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The television thing to do on a match day! Catch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheSuperKingsShow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheSuperKingsShow</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StarSportsIndia</a> from 11 AM today! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvCSK</a> 🦁💛 <a href="https://t.co/mSUJdCg5JA">pic.twitter.com/mSUJdCg5JA</a>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1116212445695987712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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A special haircut courtesy <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benstokes38</a>! 😂😜 
 
What do you think did <a href="https://twitter.com/ish_sodhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ish_sodhi</a> do to let Stokesy give him a haircut? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HallaBol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HallaBol</a> <a href="https://t.co/far2v2f89C">pic.twitter.com/far2v2f89C</a>
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/1116302497877037056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The twelfth edition of Indian Premier League is in its full swing and the second-leg fixture of the league has started.&nbsp;

Dwayne Bravo and Ben Stokes are enjoying the cricket carnival of India in a little unusual way as besides cricket, both of them are trying their hands on hair cutting.

Dwayne Bravo and Ben Stokes are enjoying the cricket carnival of India in a little unusual way as besides cricket, both of them are trying their hands on hair cutting. Chennai's star player Bravo became a barber for Monu Singh in a viral video shared by the official Twitter handle of Chennai franchise. Apart from him, Rajasthan's cricketer Ben Stokes was seen giving a haircut to Ish Sodhi ahead of the crucial tie against Chennai. Watch the videos: The television thing to do on a match day! Catch #TheSuperKingsShow on @StarSportsIndia from 11 AM today! #WhistlePodu #Yellove #RRvCSK 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/mSUJdCg5JA — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 11, 2019 × A special haircut courtesy @benstokes38! 😂😜 What do you think did @ish_sodhi do to let Stokesy give him a haircut? #HallaBol pic.twitter.com/far2v2f89C — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 11, 2019 × The twelfth edition of Indian Premier League is in its full swing and the second-leg fixture of the league has started.

Watch: Dwayne Bravo, Ben Stokes trying their hands on barbering

England's star all-rounder Ben Stokes says the Bristol bar brawl and the ensuing chain of events, which dogged his career for 15 months, maybe the "best thing that could have happened" to him.

The ugly episode brought about a change in his lifestyle.

Following the incident in September 2017, Stokes was acquitted of affray at Bristol Crown Court in August last year, before the England and Wales Cricket Board's Discipline Commission concluded his 15-month exile after a hearing in December last year.&nbsp;

"It sounds silly but, could Bristol have been the best thing that could have happened to me? Who knows. But maybe in terms of my way of thinking," Stokes said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stokes, who is playing for Rajasthan&nbsp;in this year's IPL, said he was determined to win the upcoming World Cup at home.

"I don't want to be remembered as the guy who had a fight in the street. I want to do things on the field to be remembered for. If we win the World Cup, that becomes the first paragraph... Doesn't it?"

"I was that close to my career ending and being thrown away just like that. Maybe that is it," the New Zealand-born cricketer added.

He missed the 2017-18 Ashes series against Australia after being suspended by the ECB pending the police investigation.

"No matter what happens in life with me now, the Bristol thing will always be there.

"It's something I'll always carry with me. It'll always be there. Always."

He said that his off-field activities had changed since his arrest outside a Bristol nightclub, in the wake of England's victory over West Indies in an ODI.

"I don't go out anymore. I mean, I might go out for dinner, but I don't go out-out (for long night and drinks) anymore in England," he said.

"I used to love going out and celebrating with the lads. But we can do that in the hotel and I don't miss it. I don't feel that urge any more. Once you make the transition to not doing it then you don't miss it," Stokes said.&nbsp;

England's star all-rounder Ben Stokes says the Bristol bar brawl and the ensuing chain of events, which dogged his career for 15 months, maybe the "best thing that could have happened" to him.

England's star all-rounder Ben Stokes says the Bristol bar brawl and the ensuing chain of events, which dogged his career for 15 months, maybe the "best thing that could have happened" to him. The ugly episode brought about a change in his lifestyle. Following the incident in September 2017, Stokes was acquitted of affray at Bristol Crown Court in August last year, before the England and Wales Cricket Board's Discipline Commission concluded his 15-month exile after a hearing in December last year. "It sounds silly but, could Bristol have been the best thing that could have happened to me? Who knows. But maybe in terms of my way of thinking," Stokes said. Stokes, who is playing for Rajasthan in this year's IPL, said he was determined to win the upcoming World Cup at home. "I don't want to be remembered as the guy who had a fight in the street. I want to do things on the field to be remembered for. If we win the World Cup, that becomes the first paragraph... Doesn't it?" "I was that close to my career ending and being thrown away just like that. Maybe that is it," the New Zealand-born cricketer added. He missed the 2017-18 Ashes series against Australia after being suspended by the ECB pending the police investigation. "No matter what happens in life with me now, the Bristol thing will always be there. "It's something I'll always carry with me. It'll always be there. Always." He said that his off-field activities had changed since his arrest outside a Bristol nightclub, in the wake of England's victory over West Indies in an ODI. "I don't go out anymore. I mean, I might go out for dinner, but I don't go out-out (for long night and drinks) anymore in England," he said. "I used to love going out and celebrating with the lads. But we can do that in the hotel and I don't miss it. I don't feel that urge any more. Once you make the transition to not doing it then you don't miss it," Stokes said.

Bristol bar brawl may be the 'best thing' that could have happened to me, says Ben Stokes

The 2008 champions of Indian Premier League is expected to raise their game in the upcoming edition of India's annual cricket carnival which will kick off from March 23.

Rajasthan Royals have made very smart choices when they purchased players like Jaydev Unadkat, Oshane Thomas, Varun Aaron etc.

They already had a well-balanced squad, when they retained Ajinkya Rahane, Krishnappa Gowtham, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ish Sodhi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mahipal Lomror and few more.

RR made a return in IPL 2018 after completing a two-year ban but suffered a huge set back when their star player and skipper Steve Smith was banned from participating in IPL because of his involvement in a ball-tampering scandal that rocked the cricketing world.

In the absence of Smith, Ajinkya Rahane stepped up and lead the team but as a player, he failed to deliver with his bat.

Same goes with Ben Stokes, who was last season's most expensive buy, ended up as an unprofitable asset.

Also, Sanju Samson who failed last year despite starting the season as one of the orange cap contenders but keeping his performances in previous seasons in mind, it is very evident that Samson has potential.

But Jos Buttler, who made crucial contributions to the team and stepped up at various instances in last season, is expected to do it again.

Buttler has been consistent with his performance for the England cricket team.

Batting department this time is strengthened with the presence of Steve Smith as he is expected to raise his game for Royals.

Playing for Rajasthan Royals will be a huge thing for Smith as this is the only cricket he will be playing before World Cup, where he will make an international comeback.

Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Steve Smith are key players in the batting unit.

Followed by Ben Stokes, Aston Turner in the mid, however, players like Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Aaron need to deliver to cut pressure off main batsmen as and when required.

However, Australia's&nbsp;rising sensation Ashton Turner is unavailable for first three games for Royals due to international commitment against Pakistan.

In the bowling unit, Royals have two good spinners which are Shreyas Gopal and K Gowtham and their combination might prove lethal.

Jofra Archer, who is doing well in England's domestic set up, will lead the pace attack along with the new buy Oshane Thomas.

But the lack of backup bowling options is a major threat for the team.

Players like Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Ashton Turner will look to deliver their level best considering the World Cup looming in.

Royals finished fourth last season and have the potential to make a come back and emerge as an unlikely hero.

Here is the squad list:

Retained: Ajinkya Rahane, Krishnappa Gowtham, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Gopal, Aryaman Birla, S Midhun, Prashant Chopra, Stuart Binny, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ish Sodhi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mahipal Lomror

Purchased: Jaydev Unadkat (Rs 8.4 crore), Varun Aaron (Rs 2.4 crore), Oshane Thomas (Rs 1.1 crore), Shashank Singh (Rs 30 lakh), Liam Livingstone (Rs 50 lakh), Shubham Rajane (Rs 20 lakh), Manan Vohra (Rs 20 lakh), Ashton Turner (Rs 50 lakh), Riyan Parag (Rs 20 lakh).

The 2008 champions of Indian Premier League is expected to raise their game in the upcoming edition of India's annual cricket carnival which will kick off from March 23.

The 2008 champions of Indian Premier League is expected to raise their game in the upcoming edition of India's annual cricket carnival which will kick off from March 23. Rajasthan Royals have made very smart choices when they purchased players like Jaydev Unadkat, Oshane Thomas, Varun Aaron etc. They already had a well-balanced squad, when they retained Ajinkya Rahane, Krishnappa Gowtham, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ish Sodhi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mahipal Lomror and few more. RR made a return in IPL 2018 after completing a two-year ban but suffered a huge set back when their star player and skipper Steve Smith was banned from participating in IPL because of his involvement in a ball-tampering scandal that rocked the cricketing world. In the absence of Smith, Ajinkya Rahane stepped up and lead the team but as a player, he failed to deliver with his bat. Same goes with Ben Stokes, who was last season's most expensive buy, ended up as an unprofitable asset. Also, Sanju Samson who failed last year despite starting the season as one of the orange cap contenders but keeping his performances in previous seasons in mind, it is very evident that Samson has potential. But Jos Buttler, who made crucial contributions to the team and stepped up at various instances in last season, is expected to do it again. Buttler has been consistent with his performance for the England cricket team. Batting department this time is strengthened with the presence of Steve Smith as he is expected to raise his game for Royals. Playing for Rajasthan Royals will be a huge thing for Smith as this is the only cricket he will be playing before World Cup, where he will make an international comeback. Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Steve Smith are key players in the batting unit. Followed by Ben Stokes, Aston Turner in the mid, however, players like Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Aaron need to deliver to cut pressure off main batsmen as and when required. However, Australia's rising sensation Ashton Turner is unavailable for first three games for Royals due to international commitment against Pakistan. In the bowling unit, Royals have two good spinners which are Shreyas Gopal and K Gowtham and their combination might prove lethal. Jofra Archer, who is doing well in England's domestic set up, will lead the pace attack along with the new buy Oshane Thomas. But the lack of backup bowling options is a major threat for the team. Players like Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Ashton Turner will look to deliver their level best considering the World Cup looming in. Royals finished fourth last season and have the potential to make a come back and emerge as an unlikely hero. Here is the squad list: Retained: Ajinkya Rahane, Krishnappa Gowtham, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Gopal, Aryaman Birla, S Midhun, Prashant Chopra, Stuart Binny, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ish Sodhi, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mahipal Lomror Purchased: Jaydev Unadkat (Rs 8.4 crore), Varun Aaron (Rs 2.4 crore), Oshane Thomas (Rs 1.1 crore), Shashank Singh (Rs 30 lakh), Liam Livingstone (Rs 50 lakh), Shubham Rajane (Rs 20 lakh), Manan Vohra (Rs 20 lakh), Ashton Turner (Rs 50 lakh), Riyan Parag (Rs 20 lakh).

IPL 2019: Squad analysis of Rajasthan

Cricketers Ben Stokes and Alex Hales were fined on Friday for their involvement in a nightclub altercation but were cleared to play for England after match bans were either suspended or declared served.

All-rounder Stokes and batsman Hales had appeared before a two-day disciplinary hearing after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) charged the pair with bringing the game into disrepute following the September 2017 incident in Bristol.

Stokes was handed an eight-match ban by the disciplinary panel, which accepted that he had already missed that number of games and therefore remained eligible for immediate selection.

The player, who was cleared of affray at Bristol crown court last August, was also fined a total of 30,000 pounds ($38,193.00) with half to be paid to charity.

Hales, who faced no criminal charges, was given a six-match ban from England white ball (one day) matches, of which two had been missed already and the rest were suspended for 12 months -- leaving him also available for selection.

He was fined a total of 17,500 pounds, with 10,000 of that sum also suspended.

The pair, who have both resumed their international careers, had risked anything from a warning to the termination of contract.

Each was charged with two counts of breaching an ECB directive concerning acts "which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute."

England take on West Indies in three tests, five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals from January to March.

Stokes had been accused of knocking out Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale in a brawl in Bristol, southwest England, just hours after he had played in a one-day international against the West Indies in September last year.

His lawyer had said in a statement after he was cleared of affray that the case had cost the player the England vice-captaincy as well as his place on an Ashes tour to Australia and other England matches.

"Cricket and family are my life," the 27-year-old Stokes said in a statement on the ECB's website on Friday.

"This incident has been a huge burden for the last 15 months. I am relieved to get back to playing the game that I love without this hanging over me.

"Although the disciplinary process is now over, I have learned lessons that will stay with me for much longer."

Cricketers Ben Stokes and Alex Hales were fined on Friday for their involvement in a nightclub altercation but were cleared to play for England after match bans were either suspended or declared served.

Cricketers Ben Stokes and Alex Hales were fined on Friday for their involvement in a nightclub altercation but were cleared to play for England after match bans were either suspended or declared served. All-rounder Stokes and batsman Hales had appeared before a two-day disciplinary hearing after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) charged the pair with bringing the game into disrepute following the September 2017 incident in Bristol. Stokes was handed an eight-match ban by the disciplinary panel, which accepted that he had already missed that number of games and therefore remained eligible for immediate selection. The player, who was cleared of affray at Bristol crown court last August, was also fined a total of 30,000 pounds ($38,193.00) with half to be paid to charity. Hales, who faced no criminal charges, was given a six-match ban from England white ball (one day) matches, of which two had been missed already and the rest were suspended for 12 months -- leaving him also available for selection. He was fined a total of 17,500 pounds, with 10,000 of that sum also suspended. The pair, who have both resumed their international careers, had risked anything from a warning to the termination of contract. Each was charged with two counts of breaching an ECB directive concerning acts "which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute." England take on West Indies in three tests, five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals from January to March. Stokes had been accused of knocking out Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale in a brawl in Bristol, southwest England, just hours after he had played in a one-day international against the West Indies in September last year. His lawyer had said in a statement after he was cleared of affray that the case had cost the player the England vice-captaincy as well as his place on an Ashes tour to Australia and other England matches. "Cricket and family are my life," the 27-year-old Stokes said in a statement on the ECB's website on Friday. "This incident has been a huge burden for the last 15 months. I am relieved to get back to playing the game that I love without this hanging over me. "Although the disciplinary process is now over, I have learned lessons that will stay with me for much longer."

Ben Stokes and Alex Hales fined but free to play for England

England beat Sri Lanka by 42 runs in the third and final Test in Colombo on Monday to complete a 3-0 series sweep.

Chasing an improbable 327 to gain a consolation victory, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 284 at the start of the final session of the fourth day at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Kusal Mendis (86) and Roshen Silva (65) scored a bulk of the runs for the hosts, who had conceded a 96-run first innings lead and resumed the day on 53-4.

Spin duo of Moeen Ali (4-92) and Jack Leach (4-72) shared eight wickets between them to ensure England became just the third team to win a Test series 3-0 in Sri Lanka.

England beat Sri Lanka by 42 runs in the third and final Test in Colombo on Monday to complete a 3-0 series sweep. Chasing an improbable 327 to gain a consolation victory, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 284 at the start of the final session of the fourth day at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

England beat Sri Lanka by 42 runs in the third and final Test in Colombo on Monday to complete a 3-0 series sweep. Chasing an improbable 327 to gain a consolation victory, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 284 at the start of the final session of the fourth day at the Sinhalese Sports Club. Kusal Mendis (86) and Roshen Silva (65) scored a bulk of the runs for the hosts, who had conceded a 96-run first innings lead and resumed the day on 53-4. Spin duo of Moeen Ali (4-92) and Jack Leach (4-72) shared eight wickets between them to ensure England became just the third team to win a Test series 3-0 in Sri Lanka.

ENG vs SL, 3rd Test: England beat Sri Lanka by 42 runs, win series

Opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne struck an unbeaten half-century to lead Sri Lanka's recovery after three early wickets from England left-arm spinner Jack Leach had left the hosts rattled on the fourth day of the second test on Saturday.

Chasing 301 for a series-levelling win on a turning Pallekele track, Sri Lanka reached 93 for three at lunch after being reduced to 26-3 by Leach's brilliant spell of spin bowling with the new ball.

Karunaratne was 54 not out with experienced former captain Angelo Mathews unbeaten on 28 at the break, the duo having added 67 for their unbroken fourth wicket stand.

England, however, wasted chances to dismiss both batsmen with all-rounder Ben Stokes the guilty fielder and off-spinner Moeen Ali the unfortunate bowler on both occasions.

Karunaratne, who made 63 in the first innings, was on 21 when his edge off Moeen flew past Stokes at slip and the batsman also survived a leg before decision in the final over before the lunch interval.

He was given out lbw off leg-spinner Adil Rashid but overturned the decision on review with replays confirming the ball was missing leg stump.

Stokes dropped a relatively easier chance when he dropped Mathews at slip with the batsman on seven.

Leach had given England the ideal start in their quest for a series-clinching win when he lured Kaushal Silva out of his crease with a flighted delivery to be stumped for four.

Dhananjaya de Silva was out to a smart catch by Keaton Jennings at short leg for one off Leach while Kusal Mendis was also trapped lbw for the same score, with England overturning the umpire's not out decision on review.

England batted for about 20 minutes in the morning before they were all out for 346 in their second innings for a lead of 300.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes followed up his debut century during the win in Galle with an unbeaten 65 to boost the touring side's lead after captain Joe Root hit 124 and opener Rory Burns made 59 on Friday.

James Anderson was the final wicket to fall when he was bowled out for 12, becoming off-spinner Dilruwan Perera's third wicket in the innings.

Akila Dananjaya, who was reported for a suspect bowling action after the Galle test but is free to play, notched up career-best figures of 6-115 for the hosts.

Opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne struck an unbeaten half-century to lead Sri Lanka's recovery after three early wickets from England left-arm spinner Jack Leach had left the hosts rattled on the fourth day of the second test on Saturday.

Opening batsman Dimuth Karunaratne struck an unbeaten half-century to lead Sri Lanka's recovery after three early wickets from England left-arm spinner Jack Leach had left the hosts rattled on the fourth day of the second test on Saturday. Chasing 301 for a series-levelling win on a turning Pallekele track, Sri Lanka reached 93 for three at lunch after being reduced to 26-3 by Leach's brilliant spell of spin bowling with the new ball. Karunaratne was 54 not out with experienced former captain Angelo Mathews unbeaten on 28 at the break, the duo having added 67 for their unbroken fourth wicket stand. England, however, wasted chances to dismiss both batsmen with all-rounder Ben Stokes the guilty fielder and off-spinner Moeen Ali the unfortunate bowler on both occasions. Karunaratne, who made 63 in the first innings, was on 21 when his edge off Moeen flew past Stokes at slip and the batsman also survived a leg before decision in the final over before the lunch interval. He was given out lbw off leg-spinner Adil Rashid but overturned the decision on review with replays confirming the ball was missing leg stump. Stokes dropped a relatively easier chance when he dropped Mathews at slip with the batsman on seven. Leach had given England the ideal start in their quest for a series-clinching win when he lured Kaushal Silva out of his crease with a flighted delivery to be stumped for four. Dhananjaya de Silva was out to a smart catch by Keaton Jennings at short leg for one off Leach while Kusal Mendis was also trapped lbw for the same score, with England overturning the umpire's not out decision on review. England batted for about 20 minutes in the morning before they were all out for 346 in their second innings for a lead of 300. Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes followed up his debut century during the win in Galle with an unbeaten 65 to boost the touring side's lead after captain Joe Root hit 124 and opener Rory Burns made 59 on Friday. James Anderson was the final wicket to fall when he was bowled out for 12, becoming off-spinner Dilruwan Perera's third wicket in the innings. Akila Dananjaya, who was reported for a suspect bowling action after the Galle test but is free to play, notched up career-best figures of 6-115 for the hosts.

Karunaratne leads Sri Lanka recovery after Leach triple-strike

All-rounder Ben Stokes stole the show with two brilliant efforts in the field to help England breakthrough Sri Lanka`s resilience with a brace of wickets shortly before lunch on the second day of the second test on Thursday.

Replying to England's first innings total of 285, the hosts reached 139 for four at the break, still trailing by 146 runs, with Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 57 and former captain Angelo Mathews not out on two.

Sri Lanka, trailing 1-0 in the three-test series after last week`s loss in Galle, resumed on 26-1 but lost nightwatchman Malinda Pushpakumara in the third over to a poor shot.

That dismissal brought opener Dimuth Karunaratne and de Silva together, and the duo built a stand of 96 through some smart batting with England`s bowlers looking bereft of ideas as the partnership grew.&nbsp;

Stokes then appeared from nowhere to raise England`s hopes, sprinting from gully when de Silva prodded to the off side, picking the ball up with one hand and completing a run out with one stump to aim at to dismiss Karunaratne for 63.

Stokes was soon in the thick of things once more when he took a sharp one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Kusal Mendis for one off left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who has taken 2-33.

All-rounder Ben Stokes stole the show with two brilliant efforts in the field to help England breakthrough Sri Lanka`s resilience with a brace of wickets shortly before lunch on the second day of the second test on Thursday.

All-rounder Ben Stokes stole the show with two brilliant efforts in the field to help England breakthrough Sri Lanka`s resilience with a brace of wickets shortly before lunch on the second day of the second test on Thursday. Replying to England's first innings total of 285, the hosts reached 139 for four at the break, still trailing by 146 runs, with Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 57 and former captain Angelo Mathews not out on two. Sri Lanka, trailing 1-0 in the three-test series after last week`s loss in Galle, resumed on 26-1 but lost nightwatchman Malinda Pushpakumara in the third over to a poor shot. That dismissal brought opener Dimuth Karunaratne and de Silva together, and the duo built a stand of 96 through some smart batting with England`s bowlers looking bereft of ideas as the partnership grew. Stokes then appeared from nowhere to raise England`s hopes, sprinting from gully when de Silva prodded to the off side, picking the ball up with one hand and completing a run out with one stump to aim at to dismiss Karunaratne for 63. Stokes was soon in the thick of things once more when he took a sharp one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Kusal Mendis for one off left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who has taken 2-33.

Stokes brilliance helps England peg back Sri Lanka

England won the toss and chose to bat on Wednesday in the second Test against Sri Lanka on what looked to be a good spinners' wicket in Kandy.

All eyes were on Ben Stokes, elevated to number three, in an unchanged team from the first Test thrashing of the hosts in Galle last week.

The in-form Ben Foakes kept his place, despite regular wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow having made a full recovery from an ankle injury.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka, have had to make two changes, bringing in left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara in place of Rangana Herath, who retired following the last Test, while batsman Roshen Silva plays in place of the injured captain Dinesh Chandimal.&nbsp;

Pushpakumara, who is a prolific wicket-taker at the domestic level, plays in a four-man attack that features acting captain and fast bowler Suranga Lakmal, as well as off-spinners Dilruwan Perera and Akila Dananjaya.

England moved Stokes up the order following Moeen Ali's twin failures at number three in Galle.&nbsp;

The visitors are 1-0 up and have the opportunity to wrap up a first series in Sri Lanka since 2001. The third and final Test begins in Colombo on November 23.

Squad

England: Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, &nbsp;Ben Stokes, Joe Root (captain), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran,&nbsp;Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, James Anderson

Sri Lanka: Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Roshen Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal(captain), Akila Dananjaya, Malinda Pushpakumara

England won the toss and chose to bat on Wednesday in the second Test against Sri Lanka on what looked to be a good spinners' wicket in Kandy. All eyes were on Ben Stokes, elevated to number three, in an unchanged team from the first Test thrashing of the hosts in Galle last week.

England won the toss and chose to bat on Wednesday in the second Test against Sri Lanka on what looked to be a good spinners' wicket in Kandy. All eyes were on Ben Stokes, elevated to number three, in an unchanged team from the first Test thrashing of the hosts in Galle last week. The in-form Ben Foakes kept his place, despite regular wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow having made a full recovery from an ankle injury. Sri Lanka, have had to make two changes, bringing in left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara in place of Rangana Herath, who retired following the last Test, while batsman Roshen Silva plays in place of the injured captain Dinesh Chandimal. Pushpakumara, who is a prolific wicket-taker at the domestic level, plays in a four-man attack that features acting captain and fast bowler Suranga Lakmal, as well as off-spinners Dilruwan Perera and Akila Dananjaya. England moved Stokes up the order following Moeen Ali's twin failures at number three in Galle. The visitors are 1-0 up and have the opportunity to wrap up a first series in Sri Lanka since 2001. The third and final Test begins in Colombo on November 23. Squad England: Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, Ben Stokes, Joe Root (captain), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, James Anderson Sri Lanka: Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Roshen Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal(captain), Akila Dananjaya, Malinda Pushpakumara

England win toss, bat in Sri Lanka second Test

Opener Keaton Jennings ended his two-year wait for a second Test century with a career-best 146 not out as England inched towards a comprehensive victory in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Having taken a handy 139-run first-innings lead, England declared their second innings on 322 for six to set Sri Lanka an improbable 462-run victory target.

The hosts ended day three on 15 for no loss, 447 behind and staring at a crushing defeat inside four days in spinner Rangana Herath's farewell Test.

Openers Dimuth Karunaratne (seven) and Kaushal Silva (eight) survived seven overs but Sri Lanka will need a near miracle to save the Test.

Earlier, the tourists resumed on 38-0 and their openers consolidated their position until they suffered a mini-collapse.

Debutant Rory Burns's (23) foolhardy pursuit of a non-existent single culminated in his run-out and Moeen Ali could not justify his promotion to number three for the second time in the match, following up his first-innings golden duck with three.

England captain Joe Root (three) also had a deja vu moment when Herath dismissed him for the second time in the match.

Jennings, however, looked confident against the spinners, often playing the sweep shot -- both traditional and reverse -- to negate them.

Ben Stokes, Jennings' partner in their 107-run fourth-wicket partnership, shrugged off his early tentativeness to clobber three sixes in his 62 before Dilruwan Perara spun one past his bat to hit the top of the off-stump with a beautiful delivery.

Jennings, who hit a hundred in his debut Test against India in 2016, took a single off Dhananjaya de Silva to end his century drought.

The 26-year-old pumped air while running before taking his helmet off and raising his bat in celebration.

The left-hander's patient 280-ball knock included nine fours as he demonstrated to his team mates how to play spin in the sub-continent.

Jos Buttler made 35 and England's first-innings hero Ben Foakes contributed 37 before Root decided to give his bowler a go at the Sri Lankan openers in fading light.

Herath claimed three wickets in his 93rd and final Test at the same venue where the 40-year-old left-arm spinner made his debut against Australia in 1999.

Opener Keaton Jennings ended his two-year wait for a second Test century with a career-best 146 not out as England inched towards a comprehensive victory in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Opener Keaton Jennings ended his two-year wait for a second Test century with a career-best 146 not out as England inched towards a comprehensive victory in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday. Having taken a handy 139-run first-innings lead, England declared their second innings on 322 for six to set Sri Lanka an improbable 462-run victory target. The hosts ended day three on 15 for no loss, 447 behind and staring at a crushing defeat inside four days in spinner Rangana Herath's farewell Test. Openers Dimuth Karunaratne (seven) and Kaushal Silva (eight) survived seven overs but Sri Lanka will need a near miracle to save the Test. Earlier, the tourists resumed on 38-0 and their openers consolidated their position until they suffered a mini-collapse. Debutant Rory Burns's (23) foolhardy pursuit of a non-existent single culminated in his run-out and Moeen Ali could not justify his promotion to number three for the second time in the match, following up his first-innings golden duck with three. England captain Joe Root (three) also had a deja vu moment when Herath dismissed him for the second time in the match. Jennings, however, looked confident against the spinners, often playing the sweep shot -- both traditional and reverse -- to negate them. Ben Stokes, Jennings' partner in their 107-run fourth-wicket partnership, shrugged off his early tentativeness to clobber three sixes in his 62 before Dilruwan Perara spun one past his bat to hit the top of the off-stump with a beautiful delivery. Jennings, who hit a hundred in his debut Test against India in 2016, took a single off Dhananjaya de Silva to end his century drought. The 26-year-old pumped air while running before taking his helmet off and raising his bat in celebration. The left-hander's patient 280-ball knock included nine fours as he demonstrated to his team mates how to play spin in the sub-continent. Jos Buttler made 35 and England's first-innings hero Ben Foakes contributed 37 before Root decided to give his bowler a go at the Sri Lankan openers in fading light. Herath claimed three wickets in his 93rd and final Test at the same venue where the 40-year-old left-arm spinner made his debut against Australia in 1999.

ENG vs SL, 1st Test, Day 3: England scent victory after Jennings century

The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is halfway through and three franchises' Bangalore, Chennai and Rajasthan faced a huge blow on Monday.&nbsp

Before the tournament commenced, the teams had to bid adieu to a few remarkable players due to injury and now four more players will take an early exit due to their international commitments.

According to media reports, English cricketers Moeen Ali (Bangalore), Chris Woakes (Bangalore), Mark Wood (Chennai) and Ben Stokes (Rajasthan) have to return home.

&nbspThe players are part of the English Test squad which is scheduled to play Pakistan in a two-match Test series starting May 24.

Considering that ECB will recall its players at least a week before the start of international fixtures, these four might leave the tournament by May 17.

While Stokes, Woakes and Wood are confirmed selection in England Test squad, Moeen Ali might be dropped. But the chances are quite less.&nbsp

Talking about their IPL performance, Woakes failed to impress and got dropped from the playing XI.&nbsp

Wood has played just one game and was dropped after he leaked 49 runs with no success.&nbsp

Moeen Ali is yet to make his IPL debut and has warmed bench till now.&nbsp

Meanwhile, Stokes, the costliest buy in IPL 2018 auction, has been a regular part of playing XI but has failed to impress.&nbsp

He is yet to come up with a match-winning performance for his side.&nbsp

Before the tournament commenced, the teams had to bid adieu to a few remarkable players due to injury

The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is halfway through and three franchises' Bangalore, Chennai and Rajasthan faced a huge blow on Monday. Before the tournament commenced, the teams had to bid adieu to a few remarkable players due to injury and now four more players will take an early exit due to their international commitments. According to media reports, English cricketers Moeen Ali (Bangalore), Chris Woakes (Bangalore), Mark Wood (Chennai) and Ben Stokes (Rajasthan) have to return home. &nbspThe players are part of the English Test squad which is scheduled to play Pakistan in a two-match Test series starting May 24. Considering that ECB will recall its players at least a week before the start of international fixtures, these four might leave the tournament by May 17. While Stokes, Woakes and Wood are confirmed selection in England Test squad, Moeen Ali might be dropped. But the chances are quite less. Talking about their IPL performance, Woakes failed to impress and got dropped from the playing XI. Wood has played just one game and was dropped after he leaked 49 runs with no success. Moeen Ali is yet to make his IPL debut and has warmed bench till now. Meanwhile, Stokes, the costliest buy in IPL 2018 auction, has been a regular part of playing XI but has failed to impress. He is yet to come up with a match-winning performance for his side.

Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes to leave IPL 2018 midway

South African batsman AB de Villiers is one batsman who is impossible to stop from scoring when in form. There is no bowling attack which cannot be hampered when he is on strike.

However, there is one player who knows how to stop De Villiers from hitting big sixes. And that player is none other than Ben Stokes.

Stokes got really impressed by De Villiers yesterday's innings when he enthralled the crowd with an unbeaten 39-ball 90 to guide Virat-Kohli-led team Bangalore to a convincing six-wicket win over Delhi in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday.&nbsp

The England all-rounder Took to his Twitter handle to reveal how a bowler can stop de Villiers from making a high score.

"How to stop @ABdeVilliers17," Stokes' tweet read.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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How to stop <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABdeVilliers17</a> <a href="https://t.co/DivGdgh36Q">pic.twitter.com/DivGdgh36Q</a>
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/987749945171107840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Rajasthan all-rounder recalled one of the most infamous moments in cricket history, where Australia's Trevor Chappell bowled an under-arm delivery to New Zealand's Brian McKechnie.&nbsp

New Zealand needed six runs off just one ball to win the match and Chappell bowled an under-arm delivery to stop the Australian from hitting a six.

Meanwhile, His innings in yesterday's match against Delhi rained fours and sixes as he singled-handedly chased down the 175-run target with two overs to spare to bring Bangalore's campaign back on track.&nbsp

He smashed 10 fours and five sixes in his unbeaten innings.&nbsp

De Villiers is currently fifth in the most runs chart with 212 runs under his belt in the tournament so far.

Stokes revealed the idea on his Twitter handle

South African batsman AB de Villiers is one batsman who is impossible to stop from scoring when in form. There is no bowling attack which cannot be hampered when he is on strike. However, there is one player who knows how to stop De Villiers from hitting big sixes. And that player is none other than Ben Stokes. Stokes got really impressed by De Villiers yesterday's innings when he enthralled the crowd with an unbeaten 39-ball 90 to guide Virat-Kohli-led team Bangalore to a convincing six-wicket win over Delhi in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday. The England all-rounder Took to his Twitter handle to reveal how a bowler can stop de Villiers from making a high score. "How to stop @ABdeVilliers17," Stokes' tweet read. How to stop @ABdeVilliers17 pic.twitter.com/DivGdgh36Q — Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) April 21, 2018 × The Rajasthan all-rounder recalled one of the most infamous moments in cricket history, where Australia's Trevor Chappell bowled an under-arm delivery to New Zealand's Brian McKechnie. New Zealand needed six runs off just one ball to win the match and Chappell bowled an under-arm delivery to stop the Australian from hitting a six. Meanwhile, His innings in yesterday's match against Delhi rained fours and sixes as he singled-handedly chased down the 175-run target with two overs to spare to bring Bangalore's campaign back on track. He smashed 10 fours and five sixes in his unbeaten innings. De Villiers is currently fifth in the most runs chart with 212 runs under his belt in the tournament so far.

IPL 2018: How to stop AB De Villiers from scoring, reveals Ben Stokes

Rajasthan <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-hyderabad-beat-rajasthan-by-9-wickets--129462">marked a return to the IPL after </a>serving a two-year ban but failed to light up the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League as they lost the opening&nbsp;match against Hyderabad.

In an eagerly awaited encounter, team Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bowl first.&nbsp;The Hyderabad bowlers ran through the Rajasthan batting line-up as the&nbsp;batters failed miserably. They failed as a bowling unit too.

All eyes were on England's all-rounder Ben Stokes who was at the&nbsp;centre&nbsp;of IPL auctions for&nbsp;Rajasthan. The team which won the inaugural&nbsp;IPL in&nbsp;2008 had&nbsp;purchased 'Big Ben' for a whopping $12.5 crore&nbsp;during the auctions, making him the "most expensive player"&nbsp;of the ongoing tournament.

Ben's Rs 12.5 crore fee&nbsp;for the tournament means he earns approximately Rs. 8,928,571.42 lakhs per match as every team will play a minimum of fourteen matches. Hence, Ben Stokes' knock cost Rajasthan a sum of Rs. 1,785,714.28 lakhs per ball as he scored just five runs off eight deliveries against Hyderabad.

Strokes'&nbsp;run-per-rupee for Rajasthan is around Rs. 17.5 lakhs per ball, a rather expensive deal for Rajasthan.

Before entering the auctions, Rajasthan had retained Steve Smith for an amount of Rs 12.5 crore but due to his involvement in the recent ball-tampering scandal the ex-Australian captain&nbsp;was ruled out from IPL 2018.

Rajasthan will play against Delhi in its next clash which is on Wednesday, the spotlight will be on Ben Stokes again as team Rajasthan will look for a better Return On Investment(ROI) on every rupee spent on the England&nbsp;all-rounder.

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All eyes were on England's all-rounder Ben Stokes who was at the centre of IPL auctions for Rajasthan.

Rajasthan marked a return to the IPL after serving a two-year ban but failed to light up the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League as they lost the opening match against Hyderabad. In an eagerly awaited encounter, team Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Hyderabad bowlers ran through the Rajasthan batting line-up as the batters failed miserably. They failed as a bowling unit too. All eyes were on England's all-rounder Ben Stokes who was at the centre of IPL auctions for Rajasthan. The team which won the inaugural IPL in 2008 had purchased 'Big Ben' for a whopping $12.5 crore during the auctions, making him the "most expensive player" of the ongoing tournament. Ben's Rs 12.5 crore fee for the tournament means he earns approximately Rs. 8,928,571.42 lakhs per match as every team will play a minimum of fourteen matches. Hence, Ben Stokes' knock cost Rajasthan a sum of Rs. 1,785,714.28 lakhs per ball as he scored just five runs off eight deliveries against Hyderabad. Strokes' run-per-rupee for Rajasthan is around Rs. 17.5 lakhs per ball, a rather expensive deal for Rajasthan. Before entering the auctions, Rajasthan had retained Steve Smith for an amount of Rs 12.5 crore but due to his involvement in the recent ball-tampering scandal the ex-Australian captain was ruled out from IPL 2018. Rajasthan will play against Delhi in its next clash which is on Wednesday, the spotlight will be on Ben Stokes again as team Rajasthan will look for a better Return On Investment(ROI) on every rupee spent on the England all-rounder.

IPL: Rajasthan's ROI on Ben Stokes against Hyderabad was Rs 1,785,714 per ball

Ahead of the two-match test series in New Zealand, return of all-rounder Ben Stokes will be a welcome boost to the England squad as he provides much-needed balance and lifts morale, said Moeen Ali&nbsp;

Stokes returned for the one-day internationals against New Zealand last month after a lengthy absence due to an affray charge relating to an incident in September, helping England win the series 3-2.

The 26-year-old faces a late fitness test after sitting out the warm-up game against New Zealand XI due to a back injury.&nbsp;

Stokes also missed the Ashes series in Australia which England lost 4-0.

&quot;He`s always great for the team,&quot; Moeen said.&nbsp;

&quot;The balance of the team is pretty much sorted when he`s in the team. It&#39;s just having him in the side, knowing we&#39;ve got a much stronger side when he`s playing. It gives everyone else a good lift, and obviously him being at slip for me, he`s very good in that position,&quot; he added.

&quot;He`s ready to go and ready to perform and give back to the team, which I`m sure he wants to do for what happened earlier.&quot;

New Zealand put up a fight in the ODI series, taking a 2-1 lead before England won the last two games and Moeen is expecting another tough challenge from the hosts.

Stokes returned for the one-day internationals against New Zealand last month

Ahead of the two-match test series in New Zealand, return of all-rounder Ben Stokes will be a welcome boost to the England squad as he provides much-needed balance and lifts morale, said Moeen Ali Stokes returned for the one-day internationals against New Zealand last month after a lengthy absence due to an affray charge relating to an incident in September, helping England win the series 3-2. The 26-year-old faces a late fitness test after sitting out the warm-up game against New Zealand XI due to a back injury. Stokes also missed the Ashes series in Australia which England lost 4-0. "He`s always great for the team," Moeen said. "The balance of the team is pretty much sorted when he`s in the team. It's just having him in the side, knowing we've got a much stronger side when he`s playing. It gives everyone else a good lift, and obviously him being at slip for me, he`s very good in that position," he added. "He`s ready to go and ready to perform and give back to the team, which I`m sure he wants to do for what happened earlier." New Zealand put up a fight in the ODI series, taking a 2-1 lead before England won the last two games and Moeen is expecting another tough challenge from the hosts.

Ben Stokes return will lift England, says Moeen

New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl at Westpac Stadium, Wellington in the 3rd one-day international against England on Saturday.

Playing first, England set a modest total of 234 runs.&nbsp;For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill.

At number two Joe Root came in but lost his wicket after scoring 20 odd runs for the team. A lot was expected from Ben Stokes but even he failed to perform and got outbowled by Ish Sodhi after scoring 39 runs.

Eoin Morgan tried to salvage England and pushed the run rate but returned to the pavilion in the 36th over after scoring 48 runs. Rest of the team got thrashed by New Zealand pacers as they took wickets on a regular interval to build a pressure on England and restrict them at a low total.

Fall of wickets:

25-1 (Jason Roy, 7.6), 53-2 (Joe Root, 13.5), 68-3 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4), 139-4 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6), 168-5 (Ben Stokes, 40.3), 184-6 (Jos Buttler, 42.5), 215-7 (Chris Woakes, 47.1), 222-8 (Moeen Ali, 48.4), 231-9 (Adil Rashid, 49.2), 234-10 (Mark Wood, 50).

New Zealand won the first match of&nbsp;the five-match ODI series and England took the second match by 6 wickets. England has never won at&nbsp;Westpac Stadium.

Before the match, the wicket has been described as &quot;ugly&quot; by both sides and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said he wanted first use of it.

&quot;It looks like an interesting surface but hard to read,&quot; added Williamson.

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New Zealand win the toss and ask England to bat. There&#39;s an injury-enforced change for New Zealand, but their captain is back! Can he take them to a 2-1 lead against England?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvENG</a> LIVE ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY">https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY</a> <a href="https://t.co/zjLmIk4hMx">pic.twitter.com/zjLmIk4hMx</a>
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The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor with a quad strain.

England, meanwhile, has gone for added pace with Mark Wood into the side for David Willey.

Playing XI:

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.

England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.

&nbsp;

The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor

New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl at Westpac Stadium, Wellington in the 3rd one-day international against England on Saturday. Playing first, England set a modest total of 234 runs. For England, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow opened the innings. Roy lost his wicket by edging the ball into the safe hands of Martin Guptill. At number two Joe Root came in but lost his wicket after scoring 20 odd runs for the team. A lot was expected from Ben Stokes but even he failed to perform and got outbowled by Ish Sodhi after scoring 39 runs. Eoin Morgan tried to salvage England and pushed the run rate but returned to the pavilion in the 36th over after scoring 48 runs. Rest of the team got thrashed by New Zealand pacers as they took wickets on a regular interval to build a pressure on England and restrict them at a low total. Fall of wickets: 25-1 (Jason Roy, 7.6), 53-2 (Joe Root, 13.5), 68-3 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4), 139-4 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6), 168-5 (Ben Stokes, 40.3), 184-6 (Jos Buttler, 42.5), 215-7 (Chris Woakes, 47.1), 222-8 (Moeen Ali, 48.4), 231-9 (Adil Rashid, 49.2), 234-10 (Mark Wood, 50). New Zealand won the first match of the five-match ODI series and England took the second match by 6 wickets. England has never won at Westpac Stadium. Before the match, the wicket has been described as "ugly" by both sides and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said he wanted first use of it. "It looks like an interesting surface but hard to read," added Williamson. New Zealand win the toss and ask England to bat. There's an injury-enforced change for New Zealand, but their captain is back! Can he take them to a 2-1 lead against England?#NZvENG LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/LEUgWJThpY pic.twitter.com/zjLmIk4hMx — ICC (@ICC) March 3, 2018 × The good news for New Zealand is the return of a fit-again Williamson but they have lost senior batsman Ross Taylor with a quad strain. England, meanwhile, has gone for added pace with Mark Wood into the side for David Willey. Playing XI: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult. England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.

NZ vs ENG 3rd ODI: New Zealand bowlers shine as England 234 all-out

The much-hyped return to international cricket for England all-rounder Ben Stokes was a short-lived affair with the bat in the first one-day international against New Zealand on Sunday.

The 26-year-old, who has been sidelined by England since a nightclub incident five months ago, lasted only 22 balls and made 12 runs before he was dismissed.

He was undone by a flighted delivery from spinner Mitch Santner which the left-hander attempted to slog-sweep but instead top-edged it to Ross Taylor.

Stokes&#39;s dismissal left England at 139 for four in the 29th over with Joe Root, not out 61.

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl in the first game of a five-match series.

&nbsp;

Stokes's dismissal left England at 139 for four in the 29th over with Joe Root, not out 61

The much-hyped return to international cricket for England all-rounder Ben Stokes was a short-lived affair with the bat in the first one-day international against New Zealand on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who has been sidelined by England since a nightclub incident five months ago, lasted only 22 balls and made 12 runs before he was dismissed. He was undone by a flighted delivery from spinner Mitch Santner which the left-hander attempted to slog-sweep but instead top-edged it to Ross Taylor. Stokes's dismissal left England at 139 for four in the 29th over with Joe Root, not out 61. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl in the first game of a five-match series.

Stokes suffers short-lived return for England

Joe Root today pulled out of England&#39;s Twenty20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand, as Ben Stokes confirmed his return to international cricket would be delayed by a court appearance.

Test captain Root, who has played in all five Ashes matches and the first three ODIs against Australia this month, will return to England before playing in the one-day international series against New Zealand in late February.

Root said he did not like missing games but made a decision to &quot;have a little break&quot;. His replacement has not yet been named.

&quot;I came into this tour wanting to play everything. I love playing for England and I don&#39;t like missing games of cricket,&quot; the 27-year-old Yorkshire batsman said in a statement.

&quot;I had a long chat with (coach) Trevor Bayliss about things and there&#39;s obviously a big summer ahead and a lot of cricket still to be played.

&quot;It&#39;s going to be really important to make sure that I&#39;m available for all of that.&quot;

Stokes is due in court to face charges of affray on February 13, the same day England play New Zealand in the T20 series.

The 26-year-old missed England&#39;s Ashes series defeat in Australia after he was suspended from international duty by the England and Wales Cricket Board following his involvement in an incident outside a nightclub in September.

He was last week included in the squad to play the triangular T20 tournament.

&quot;As has been confirmed in the media a first hearing date at court has been set for 13th February,&quot; Stokes tweeted Tuesday.

&quot;In the circumstances, I have decided that it would not be right to join my teammates until after attending court on the 13th.&quot;

The news came ahead of this year&#39;s Indian Premier League auction set for January 27-28 in Bangalore, with both Root and Stokes lining up as among the top-ranking players the eight teams can bid for.

Australian captain Steve Smith has been rested for the T20 games ahead of the crucial Test tour to South Africa, with David Warner stepping up to lead the team.

The T20 tri-series takes place in Australia and New Zealand from February 3-21.

England&#39;s five-match ODI series against New Zealand runs from February 25 to March 10.&nbsp;

Root's replacement has not yet been named

Joe Root today pulled out of England's Twenty20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand, as Ben Stokes confirmed his return to international cricket would be delayed by a court appearance. Test captain Root, who has played in all five Ashes matches and the first three ODIs against Australia this month, will return to England before playing in the one-day international series against New Zealand in late February. Root said he did not like missing games but made a decision to "have a little break". His replacement has not yet been named. "I came into this tour wanting to play everything. I love playing for England and I don't like missing games of cricket," the 27-year-old Yorkshire batsman said in a statement. "I had a long chat with (coach) Trevor Bayliss about things and there's obviously a big summer ahead and a lot of cricket still to be played. "It's going to be really important to make sure that I'm available for all of that." Stokes is due in court to face charges of affray on February 13, the same day England play New Zealand in the T20 series. The 26-year-old missed England's Ashes series defeat in Australia after he was suspended from international duty by the England and Wales Cricket Board following his involvement in an incident outside a nightclub in September. He was last week included in the squad to play the triangular T20 tournament. "As has been confirmed in the media a first hearing date at court has been set for 13th February," Stokes tweeted Tuesday. "In the circumstances, I have decided that it would not be right to join my teammates until after attending court on the 13th." The news came ahead of this year's Indian Premier League auction set for January 27-28 in Bangalore, with both Root and Stokes lining up as among the top-ranking players the eight teams can bid for. Australian captain Steve Smith has been rested for the T20 games ahead of the crucial Test tour to South Africa, with David Warner stepping up to lead the team. The T20 tri-series takes place in Australia and New Zealand from February 3-21. England's five-match ODI series against New Zealand runs from February 25 to March 10.

Ahead of IPL XI auction, Joe Root pulls out of England's T20 tri-series

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named in the 15-member squad for the five-match one-day international (ODI) series against New Zealand, starting later this month.

Stokes&#39; involvement is subject to any court obligations in connection with a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub September last year, for which he has been charged with affray, reports the Guardian.

The former England vice-captain has to appear before Bristol Magistrates` Court on February 13 to answer a charge of affray.Stokes, has not played for the country since the Bristol incident.

He had to earlier miss the Ashes series against Australia after being suspended indefinitely by the ECB, as the outcome of the police investigation into the incident was pending.But with Stokes named in the squad against New Zealand, Dawid Malan, who had played the Ashes series, has been dropped.

Test skipper Joe Root will also return for the series, after being rested for the Twenty20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand.The England ODI series against New Zealand will start from February 25.&nbsp;

He was named in the 15-member squad for the five-match ODI series

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been named in the 15-member squad for the five-match one-day international (ODI) series against New Zealand, starting later this month. Stokes' involvement is subject to any court obligations in connection with a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub September last year, for which he has been charged with affray, reports the Guardian. The former England vice-captain has to appear before Bristol Magistrates` Court on February 13 to answer a charge of affray.Stokes, has not played for the country since the Bristol incident. He had to earlier miss the Ashes series against Australia after being suspended indefinitely by the ECB, as the outcome of the police investigation into the incident was pending.But with Stokes named in the squad against New Zealand, Dawid Malan, who had played the Ashes series, has been dropped. Test skipper Joe Root will also return for the series, after being rested for the Twenty20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand.The England ODI series against New Zealand will start from February 25.

England names Ben Stokes in ODI squad for New Zealand

All-rounder Ben Stokes was included in England&#39;s 16-man cricket squad for their Test tour of New Zealand Thursday, while Lancashire batsman Liam Livingstone got his first call up.

Seamer Mark Wood returns after struggling with injury, and Ashes underperformers Mooen Ali, James Vince and Mark Stoneman were all retained.

But Gary Ballance, Jake Ball and Tom Curran, who were all part of the Australia Test squad, miss out.

England play two Tests in New Zealand starting in Auckland on March 22 after being thrashed 4-0 by Australia in the Ashes series that ended in Sydney this week.

In the chastening campaign, Australia record four comprehensive wins - including two innings victories and a 10-wicket triumph.

Stokes missed the entire series in Australia after being banned from international duties while police investigate his alleged role in a fight outside a nightclub in Bristol three months ago.

He kept his hand in by playing for Canterbury, his New Zealand birth province, for a month, but has since returned home to be with his wife and young family.

England selectors said he was in the frame &quot;though his involvement remains subject to any relevant legal or disciplinary developments in relation to the incident in Bristol in September&quot;.

&quot;Should the ECB Board receive formal confirmation that Stokes has either been charged or that he will face no charges, they would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability for the team at that stage,&quot; they said.

Livingstone was rewarded for his form with Lancashire, with National Selector James Whitaker saying they had been watching him for some time.

&quot;Liam has been a player that we have been impressed with for quite some time, having performed well in the county system with Lancashire and over the past couple of years with the England Lions,&quot; he said.

&quot;He is a very talented and tough cricketer who has the ideal qualities and character to be successful in the Test arena.&quot;

Selectors also recalled Durham seamer Wood, who is back in the Test squad for the first time since last year.

&quot;After a frustrating period with injuries, Mark is now back to full fitness and is looking forward to being part of our Test plans,&quot; said Whitaker.

&quot;He will play a significant part in our forthcoming ODI tour of Australia and we will be paying close attention to his efforts over the next few weeks.&quot;

England play five one-dayers against Australia, starting in Melbourne on Sunday.

From the Ashes Test squad, Yorkshire batsman Ballance, Nottinghamshire seamer Ball and Surrey all-rounder Curran all miss out and will return to county cricket.

&quot;They are talented players and I am sure their time will come again,&quot; said Whitaker.

England - Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Alaister Cook, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

England play two Tests in New Zealand starting in Auckland on March 22 after being thrashed 4-0 by Australia in the Ashes series that ended in Sydney this week.

All-rounder Ben Stokes was included in England's 16-man cricket squad for their Test tour of New Zealand Thursday, while Lancashire batsman Liam Livingstone got his first call up. Seamer Mark Wood returns after struggling with injury, and Ashes underperformers Mooen Ali, James Vince and Mark Stoneman were all retained. But Gary Ballance, Jake Ball and Tom Curran, who were all part of the Australia Test squad, miss out. England play two Tests in New Zealand starting in Auckland on March 22 after being thrashed 4-0 by Australia in the Ashes series that ended in Sydney this week. In the chastening campaign, Australia record four comprehensive wins - including two innings victories and a 10-wicket triumph. Stokes missed the entire series in Australia after being banned from international duties while police investigate his alleged role in a fight outside a nightclub in Bristol three months ago. He kept his hand in by playing for Canterbury, his New Zealand birth province, for a month, but has since returned home to be with his wife and young family. England selectors said he was in the frame "though his involvement remains subject to any relevant legal or disciplinary developments in relation to the incident in Bristol in September". "Should the ECB Board receive formal confirmation that Stokes has either been charged or that he will face no charges, they would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability for the team at that stage," they said. Livingstone was rewarded for his form with Lancashire, with National Selector James Whitaker saying they had been watching him for some time. "Liam has been a player that we have been impressed with for quite some time, having performed well in the county system with Lancashire and over the past couple of years with the England Lions," he said. "He is a very talented and tough cricketer who has the ideal qualities and character to be successful in the Test arena." Selectors also recalled Durham seamer Wood, who is back in the Test squad for the first time since last year. "After a frustrating period with injuries, Mark is now back to full fitness and is looking forward to being part of our Test plans," said Whitaker. "He will play a significant part in our forthcoming ODI tour of Australia and we will be paying close attention to his efforts over the next few weeks." England play five one-dayers against Australia, starting in Melbourne on Sunday. From the Ashes Test squad, Yorkshire batsman Ballance, Nottinghamshire seamer Ball and Surrey all-rounder Curran all miss out and will return to county cricket. "They are talented players and I am sure their time will come again," said Whitaker. England - Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Alaister Cook, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Stokes, Livingstone in England cricket squad for New Zealand Tests

Batsman Dawid Malan will replace Ben Stokes in England&#39;s One-Day International squad for the upcoming five-match series in Australia.&nbsp;

The replacement comes as Stokes is unavailable following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

According to reports, the ECB has decided that the case against him is unlikely to be resolved before the ODI series, starting on January 14.

Stokes was arrested in Bristol in September and the 26-year-old spent the night in prison but was later released without any charge.&nbsp;

His case was handed over to the Criminal Prosecution Service by Avon and Somerset police in late November.

Meanwhile, Malan has had a good tour of Australia so far.&nbsp;

He made an impressive international debut in T20Is against &nbsp;South Africa scoring an aggressive 44-ball 78 runs.

He was awarded with a Test cap during the four-Tests against Proteas.&nbsp;

After the fifth and final Ashes Test, England will gear up for five ODIs and a T20I tri-series against Australia and New Zealand.

The replacement comes as Stokes is unavailable following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September

Batsman Dawid Malan will replace Ben Stokes in England's One-Day International squad for the upcoming five-match series in Australia. The replacement comes as Stokes is unavailable following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September. According to reports, the ECB has decided that the case against him is unlikely to be resolved before the ODI series, starting on January 14. Stokes was arrested in Bristol in September and the 26-year-old spent the night in prison but was later released without any charge. His case was handed over to the Criminal Prosecution Service by Avon and Somerset police in late November. Meanwhile, Malan has had a good tour of Australia so far. He made an impressive international debut in T20Is against South Africa scoring an aggressive 44-ball 78 runs. He was awarded with a Test cap during the four-Tests against Proteas. After the fifth and final Ashes Test, England will gear up for five ODIs and a T20I tri-series against Australia and New Zealand.

Dawid Malan to replace Ben Stokes in England's ODI squad

Batsman Ben Duckett has been left out of the England Lions squad to tour the West Indies after pouring a drink over James Anderson in a Perth bar.

Batsman Duckett, 23, had already been fined and suspended from Lions&#39; matches on the Australia tour after the late-night incident ahead of the third Test which infuriated the team&#39;s management. 
&quot;Ben Duckett has not been selected as a result of the off-field incident which led to his suspension and fine in Australia,&quot; said an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman.

The Northamptonshire batsman, who has played four Test and three one-day internationals for England, has already received a reported $2,000&nbsp;fine and final written warning over his conduct.

The incident, the latest in a string of alcohol-related antics to generate headlines during England&#39;s Ashes tour, took place as players from the senior and development squads socialised together in Avenue bar in Perth on December 7.

It followed Ben Stokes&#39; arrest and omission from the Ashes squad after a fight outside a Bristol bar in September, and Jonny Bairstow&#39;s &quot;headbutt&quot; greeting to Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft in the same Perth bar on the first night of the tour.

The spotlight on the off-field antics of the England team, who trail 3-0 in the five-match Ashes series, led to them being labelled &quot;tourists masquerading as cricketers&quot; by the Australian press.

England coach Trevor Bayliss described Duckett&#39;s incident as &quot;trivial&quot; but &quot;not acceptable&quot;.

The Lions development side will play three four-day matches and three one-day games against West Indies A in Jamaica and Antigua in February and March.

The batsman poured a drink over James Anderson at a bar in Perth

Batsman Ben Duckett has been left out of the England Lions squad to tour the West Indies after pouring a drink over James Anderson in a Perth bar. Batsman Duckett, 23, had already been fined and suspended from Lions' matches on the Australia tour after the late-night incident ahead of the third Test which infuriated the team's management. "Ben Duckett has not been selected as a result of the off-field incident which led to his suspension and fine in Australia," said an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman. The Northamptonshire batsman, who has played four Test and three one-day internationals for England, has already received a reported $2,000 fine and final written warning over his conduct. The incident, the latest in a string of alcohol-related antics to generate headlines during England's Ashes tour, took place as players from the senior and development squads socialised together in Avenue bar in Perth on December 7. It followed Ben Stokes' arrest and omission from the Ashes squad after a fight outside a Bristol bar in September, and Jonny Bairstow's "headbutt" greeting to Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft in the same Perth bar on the first night of the tour. The spotlight on the off-field antics of the England team, who trail 3-0 in the five-match Ashes series, led to them being labelled "tourists masquerading as cricketers" by the Australian press. England coach Trevor Bayliss described Duckett's incident as "trivial" but "not acceptable". The Lions development side will play three four-day matches and three one-day games against West Indies A in Jamaica and Antigua in February and March.

Ben Duckett to miss England Lions tour after Perth bar incident

Suspended all-rounder Ben Stokes and right-handed opening batsman Alex Hales have been included in England&#39;s squad for their upcoming one-day series against Australia, following the Ashes. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Both the players are currently banned from playing international cricket for their alleged involvement in a late-night brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in September this year. The British authorities are probing the matter as their involvement in the infamous altercation still remains doubtful.&nbsp;

As per reports, the selectors were advised to name their strongest squad for the series and it was only after this that both these players were named in the 16-men squad.&nbsp;

However, only after there is any relevant legal or disciplinary development in relation to the incident&nbsp;it can&nbsp;be confirmed whether both these players will be allowed to play or not.&nbsp;

The five-game series is scheduled to start next year on January 14 in Melbourne. &nbsp;

Both players were barred from international cricket after their alleged involvement in a late-night brawl outside a nightclub

Suspended all-rounder Ben Stokes and right-handed opening batsman Alex Hales have been included in England's squad for their upcoming one-day series against Australia, following the Ashes. Both the players are currently banned from playing international cricket for their alleged involvement in a late-night brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in September this year. The British authorities are probing the matter as their involvement in the infamous altercation still remains doubtful. As per reports, the selectors were advised to name their strongest squad for the series and it was only after this that both these players were named in the 16-men squad. However, only after there is any relevant legal or disciplinary development in relation to the incident it can be confirmed whether both these players will be allowed to play or not. The five-game series is scheduled to start next year on January 14 in Melbourne.

'Suspended' players Ben Stokes, Alex Hales included in England's one-day series against Australia

Benjamin Andrew &quot;Ben&quot; Stokes, a British international cricketer who is also the current vice captain of the English Test team has been caught on camera brawling outside a Manchester bar.

News reports said Stokes threw &quot;15 punches in a minute&quot;.&nbsp;

Watch the brawl below:&nbsp;

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Ben Stokes street fight he was arrested for. Can&#39;t get away with that nowadays lad ! 
 
<a href="https://t.co/hsSgMcKhwm">pic.twitter.com/hsSgMcKhwm</a>
&mdash; eaststandred (@eaststandtyke) <a href="https://twitter.com/eaststandtyke/status/913249200216952833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Sun tabloid reported that Stokes spent the night in jail.

He was quizzed about causing actual bodily harm, but was later released on bail.

According to the BBC, the&nbsp;England and Wales Cricket Board have -- after reviewing the said footage -- launched disciplinary procedures against Stokes.&nbsp;

News reports said the Board was under massive pressure to drop Stokes from the upcoming Ashes series to be played in Australia.&nbsp;

A police investigation is currently underway.

The Cricket Board is waiting&nbsp;for their report before deciding on action against Stokes.

Ben plays as a bowler/bastman in the England middle-order and holds the record for&nbsp;England&#39;s fastest-ever Test double-century.

In 2017, he&nbsp;became the highest-paid overseas player in the history of the Indian Premier League, fetching a record contract of ?145 million.

Stokes plays for the Rising Pune Supergiants in the IPL.&nbsp;

News reports said Stokes threw '15 punches in a minute'

Benjamin Andrew "Ben" Stokes, a British international cricketer who is also the current vice captain of the English Test team has been caught on camera brawling outside a Manchester bar. News reports said Stokes threw "15 punches in a minute". Watch the brawl below: Ben Stokes street fight he was arrested for. Can't get away with that nowadays lad ! pic.twitter.com/hsSgMcKhwm — eaststandred (@eaststandtyke) September 28, 2017 × The Sun tabloid reported that Stokes spent the night in jail. He was quizzed about causing actual bodily harm, but was later released on bail. According to the BBC, the England and Wales Cricket Board have -- after reviewing the said footage -- launched disciplinary procedures against Stokes. News reports said the Board was under massive pressure to drop Stokes from the upcoming Ashes series to be played in Australia. A police investigation is currently underway. The Cricket Board is waiting for their report before deciding on action against Stokes. Ben plays as a bowler/bastman in the England middle-order and holds the record for England's fastest-ever Test double-century. In 2017, he became the highest-paid overseas player in the history of the Indian Premier League, fetching a record contract of ?145 million. Stokes plays for the Rising Pune Supergiants in the IPL.

WATCH: England Test vice captain Ben Stokes caught in brawl outside Manchester bar

Ben Stokes fetched a staggering $2.17 million in the Indian Premier League&#39;s (IPL) player auction on Monday, with the Rising Pune Supergiants splashing the cash in a frenzied bidding war to land the explosive English all-rounder.

The Pune franchise fought off the attentions of Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad to get the 25-year-old, paying 145 million Indian rupees despite his limited availability for the Twenty20 competition.

With England hosting South Africa in a one-day series in May, Stokes is set to miss the final phase of the April 5 to May 21 tournament, yet the bidding surged from his base price of 20 million rupees.

Pune owner Sanjiv Goenka told reporters Stokes would bring something new to the team for the 10th edition of the tournament.

&quot;He&#39;s a complete player and he completes our squad. We&#39;ve been lacking this one genre of player,&quot; he said.

&quot;We knew he was going to be there for the first 14 games ... We pretty much knew we were not going to get him for below this price.&quot;

Stokes&#39; England Twenty20 team mate, Tymal Mills, was also in demand and was snapped up for 120 million rupees by Royal Challengers Bangalore, who will look to benefit from the left-arm pacer&#39;s ability to combine speed with economy.

Other big-earners included New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult and South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada, who both went for 50 million rupees to Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils respectively.

England&#39;s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan went to Kings XI Punjab for a relatively modest 20 million rupees.

Delhi Daredevils bought Australian paceman Pat Cummins for 45 million rupees, while compatriot Mitchell Johnson, who quit international cricket in 2015, returned to his former team Mumbai Indians for 20 million rupees.

Owners mostly gave the cold shoulder to slow bowlers, with South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who tops both the one-day and Twenty20 bowling rankings, unsold in the early round.

Mohammad Nabi became the first Afghanistan player to be bought in the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad offering a three million rupee bid for the all-rounder.

(Reuters)

The English all-rounder became the tournament's most expensive foreign player ever

Ben Stokes fetched a staggering $2.17 million in the Indian Premier League's (IPL) player auction on Monday, with the Rising Pune Supergiants splashing the cash in a frenzied bidding war to land the explosive English all-rounder. The Pune franchise fought off the attentions of Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad to get the 25-year-old, paying 145 million Indian rupees despite his limited availability for the Twenty20 competition. With England hosting South Africa in a one-day series in May, Stokes is set to miss the final phase of the April 5 to May 21 tournament, yet the bidding surged from his base price of 20 million rupees. Pune owner Sanjiv Goenka told reporters Stokes would bring something new to the team for the 10th edition of the tournament. "He's a complete player and he completes our squad. We've been lacking this one genre of player," he said. "We knew he was going to be there for the first 14 games ... We pretty much knew we were not going to get him for below this price." Stokes' England Twenty20 team mate, Tymal Mills, was also in demand and was snapped up for 120 million rupees by Royal Challengers Bangalore, who will look to benefit from the left-arm pacer's ability to combine speed with economy. Other big-earners included New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult and South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada, who both went for 50 million rupees to Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils respectively. England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan went to Kings XI Punjab for a relatively modest 20 million rupees. Delhi Daredevils bought Australian paceman Pat Cummins for 45 million rupees, while compatriot Mitchell Johnson, who quit international cricket in 2015, returned to his former team Mumbai Indians for 20 million rupees. Owners mostly gave the cold shoulder to slow bowlers, with South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who tops both the one-day and Twenty20 bowling rankings, unsold in the early round. Mohammad Nabi became the first Afghanistan player to be bought in the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad offering a three million rupee bid for the all-rounder. (Reuters)

IPL auction: Ben Stokes sold for $2.16 million

Jonny Bairstow said England had a &quot;scrappy&quot; opening day after his half-century remained the only bright spot for the visitors who faltered against a persistent Indian bowling attack in Mohali on Saturday.

Bairstow hit a gritty 89 to salvage some pride for England&#39;s batting after they were reduced to 87 for four in the morning session following their decision to bat first.

Indian bowlers put up a combined effort as Umesh Yadav, Jayant Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja claimed two wickets each.

The visitors, who trail the five-match series 1-0, were 268 for eight at stumps with Adil Rashid (4) and Gareth Batty (0) battling on. &quot;It&#39;s been a scrappy day but we&#39;ve dealt with worse in the past and we will carry on to work hard within the game,&quot; Bairstow told reporters.

&quot;After winning the toss, it was disappointing to lose wickets, at the same time it could have been a disastrous day as well. &quot;We&#39;ve also got to take positives from that.&quot;

Bairstow, who recorded his 13th Test fifty, built crucial 50-plus partnerships with Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler (43) to thwart the opposition&#39;s bowling.

Bairstow remained calm during his 177-ball stay at the crease before being trapped lbw off Jayant Yadav in the last half hour of play.

The batsman, who survived a seemingly close umpire review on an lbw shout off Jadeja on 72, could not overturn his own referral as the on-field umpires call was upheld. Jadeja halted England&#39;s revival twice in the innings only to see Bairstow steady the ship with his composed batting.

Jadeja got Ben Stokes stumped for 29 in the afternoon session and then denied Buttler, who batted with positive intent during his 80-ball stay, his fifty. While trudging back to the pavilion Stokes had an angry exchange of words with India skipper Virat Kohli, with the on-field umpire jumping in to pacify the two players.

&quot;I don&#39;t know what was said, I don&#39;t get involved with all that stuff,&quot; said Bairstow. &quot;You got to respect the fact that you have got guys out there who are very passionate, representing the country in the heat of the battle and at some point there are going to be words.&quot;

Bairstow and Buttler put on 69 runs for the sixth wicket to give England a shot of getting past the 300-run mark, a total which might prove fighting on a pitch that is expected to turn from day two. Chris Woakes&#39; resilience ended in the penultimate over of the day as Umesh Yadav bowled him on 25.

Morning blitz&nbsp;

Earlier the Indian bowlers rattled England&#39;s top order by claiming four wickets in the morning session including that of skipper Alastair Cook. The Indian quicks bowled at a lively pace after the visitors elected to bat as Umesh Yadav struck first to get teenage opener Haseeb Hameed out for nine.

Cook failed to capitalise on two dropped chances on three and 23 to eventually fall to Ravichandran Ashwin, who had dropped him the second time, for 27. &quot;In cricket, it happens. Teammates will take brilliant catches and drop some easy ones. It&#39;s part and parcel of the game,&quot; said Umesh Yadav.

Ali and Bairstow put on 36 runs for the fourth wicket but Shami struck just before lunch to help India dominate the first session of play. Shami, who was at the receiving end of Cook&#39;s two spilt catches, got Ali to mistime a hook as the batsman was caught at fine leg for 16.

(AFP)

England, who trail the five-match series 1-0, were 268 for eight at stumps

Jonny Bairstow said England had a "scrappy" opening day after his half-century remained the only bright spot for the visitors who faltered against a persistent Indian bowling attack in Mohali on Saturday. Bairstow hit a gritty 89 to salvage some pride for England's batting after they were reduced to 87 for four in the morning session following their decision to bat first. Indian bowlers put up a combined effort as Umesh Yadav, Jayant Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja claimed two wickets each. The visitors, who trail the five-match series 1-0, were 268 for eight at stumps with Adil Rashid (4) and Gareth Batty (0) battling on. "It's been a scrappy day but we've dealt with worse in the past and we will carry on to work hard within the game," Bairstow told reporters. "After winning the toss, it was disappointing to lose wickets, at the same time it could have been a disastrous day as well. "We've also got to take positives from that." Bairstow, who recorded his 13th Test fifty, built crucial 50-plus partnerships with Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler (43) to thwart the opposition's bowling. Bairstow remained calm during his 177-ball stay at the crease before being trapped lbw off Jayant Yadav in the last half hour of play. The batsman, who survived a seemingly close umpire review on an lbw shout off Jadeja on 72, could not overturn his own referral as the on-field umpires call was upheld. Jadeja halted England's revival twice in the innings only to see Bairstow steady the ship with his composed batting. Jadeja got Ben Stokes stumped for 29 in the afternoon session and then denied Buttler, who batted with positive intent during his 80-ball stay, his fifty. While trudging back to the pavilion Stokes had an angry exchange of words with India skipper Virat Kohli, with the on-field umpire jumping in to pacify the two players. "I don't know what was said, I don't get involved with all that stuff," said Bairstow. "You got to respect the fact that you have got guys out there who are very passionate, representing the country in the heat of the battle and at some point there are going to be words." Bairstow and Buttler put on 69 runs for the sixth wicket to give England a shot of getting past the 300-run mark, a total which might prove fighting on a pitch that is expected to turn from day two. Chris Woakes' resilience ended in the penultimate over of the day as Umesh Yadav bowled him on 25. Morning blitz Earlier the Indian bowlers rattled England's top order by claiming four wickets in the morning session including that of skipper Alastair Cook. The Indian quicks bowled at a lively pace after the visitors elected to bat as Umesh Yadav struck first to get teenage opener Haseeb Hameed out for nine. Cook failed to capitalise on two dropped chances on three and 23 to eventually fall to Ravichandran Ashwin, who had dropped him the second time, for 27. "In cricket, it happens. Teammates will take brilliant catches and drop some easy ones. It's part and parcel of the game," said Umesh Yadav. Ali and Bairstow put on 36 runs for the fourth wicket but Shami struck just before lunch to help India dominate the first session of play. Shami, who was at the receiving end of Cook's two spilt catches, got Ali to mistime a hook as the batsman was caught at fine leg for 16. (AFP)

Cricket: Bairstow hits 89 but England falter in 2nd Test vs India

&nbsp;All-rounder Chris Woakes is confident that England selectors will be able to squeeze both Ben Stokes and himself into the starting lineup for the four-match test series against Pakistan starting next month. 
 
Woakes was called up to the side last month after fellow all-rounder Stokes injured his knee during the first test victory over Sri Lanka in Leeds. 
 
The 27-year-old went on to score 105 runs in three innings and picked up eight wickets as England romped to a 2-0 series victory over the Sri Lankans following a comfortable win in Durham and a rain-affected draw at Lord&#39;s. 
 
&quot;I&#39;d be stupid to think that, if Ben (Stokes) is fit, I&#39;m going to play (over him), but I might have given them (the selectors) a headache. I might be able to fit into the team even if he is involved again,&quot; Woakes told British media. 
 
Meanwhile, test team mate Stuart Broad has set his sights on representing England at the 2019 50-overs World Cup after the seamer was omitted from the squad for the Sri Lanka one-day series announced earlier this week. 
 
&quot;A big aim of mine is to be in that World Cup squad in 2019. The two major tournaments coming up are that and the Champions Trophy and I&#39;ve got to plot a way back in really,&quot; said Broad, who is England&#39;s third-highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m still only 29... A lot of people have played at World Cups at 32 and that&#39;s certainly not an old age for a cricketer, so I&#39;ve got huge goals to be a part of that and have to pick some stuff to get involved in.&quot; 
 
The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales. 
(Reuters)

He was called up after his fellow all-rounder hurt his knee

All-rounder Chris Woakes is confident that England selectors will be able to squeeze both Ben Stokes and himself into the starting lineup for the four-match test series against Pakistan starting next month. Woakes was called up to the side last month after fellow all-rounder Stokes injured his knee during the first test victory over Sri Lanka in Leeds. The 27-year-old went on to score 105 runs in three innings and picked up eight wickets as England romped to a 2-0 series victory over the Sri Lankans following a comfortable win in Durham and a rain-affected draw at Lord's. "I'd be stupid to think that, if Ben (Stokes) is fit, I'm going to play (over him), but I might have given them (the selectors) a headache. I might be able to fit into the team even if he is involved again," Woakes told British media. Meanwhile, test team mate Stuart Broad has set his sights on representing England at the 2019 50-overs World Cup after the seamer was omitted from the squad for the Sri Lanka one-day series announced earlier this week. "A big aim of mine is to be in that World Cup squad in 2019. The two major tournaments coming up are that and the Champions Trophy and I've got to plot a way back in really," said Broad, who is England's third-highest wicket-taker in one-day cricket. "I'm still only 29... A lot of people have played at World Cups at 32 and that's certainly not an old age for a cricketer, so I've got huge goals to be a part of that and have to pick some stuff to get involved in." The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales. (Reuters)

Woakes thinks there'll be room for him, and Stokes on the England team

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