Maharashtra Tycoons are set to clash with Delhi Warriors in Match 8 of the World Legends Pro T20 League 2026 on January 29 at the 1919 Sportz Cricket Stadium in Goa. Currently placed third on the points table, the Tycoons are coming off a setback against Gurugram Thunders in their previous outing. With valuable points at stake, they will be eager to regroup quickly, address their shortcomings, and produce a stronger all-round performance to get their campaign back on track.

On the other hand, Harbhajan Singh led Delhi Warriors have enjoyed a perfect start to the tournament and are perched comfortably at the top of the standings with two wins from two matches. Brimming with confidence, they will look to extend their winning streak and further solidify their position at the summit. A disciplined display with both bat and ball will be key as they aim to maintain momentum heading into the business end of the competition.

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WLP T20 League 2026, Match 8, MT vs DW: Live Streaming Details

WLP T20 League 2026, Match 8, MT vs DW: Probable Playing XI

Maharashtra Tycoons:

Chris Gayle, Sir Alastair Cook, Shaun Marsh, Asghar Afghan (c), Praveen Gupta, Stuart Binny, Pratik Athavale (wk), Sarul Kanwar, Carlos Brathwaite, Ayaan Khan, Pawan Suyal

Delhi Warriors:

Chadwick Walton, Shreevats Goswami (wk), Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sheldon Jackson, Saurabh Tiwary, Seekkuge Prasanna, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh (c), Shahbaz Nadeem, Suboth Bhati, Isuru Udana

The former England captain, Alastair Cook, has brutally assessed the Indian side as ‘not great’ despite the latter’s 2-2 series result in the United Kingdom this English summer. He suggested that England should have won the series against the Shubman Gill-led side, who went on to lose the home series by a 0-2 margin against South Africa.

Cook made the point after another struggling day with the bat for England on the back of the opening day of the fourth Boxing Day Ashes 2025/26 Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where 20 wickets fell on the very first day. It wasn’t a great batting from the visitors, who had already lost the series and the urn by a margin of 0-3 in the first three clashes.

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“I like Rob Key, I like McCullum. I like how they think, but I do think they have taken their eye off the ball for the biggest series. They’ve taken their eye off the ball for the biggest series. We talk about India, they lost. They drew India, and India got thumped by South Africa, so that the Indian side wasn’t great either. Reality has hit this Test team.” Cook expressed on TNT cricket.

Alastair Cook brutally criticizes India’s Test side

England had a lead of 2-1 in the five-match series against India before the fourth Test in Manchester, which ended in a draw, and the same result was forwarded to the fifth clash at the Kennington Oval. Even with an upper hand of 373, they collapsed to 367 from being 301/3 in the chase of 375 runs.

“There is a massive disconnect at this minute from this England side to county cricket. I do think that needs to be addressed. Because if you are banging out runs in county cricket or wickets in county cricket, there must be a path into the Test team. I think at the minute they risen, so I think that needs to be looked at. They have done a good job.” Cook claimed.

Eventually, England went on to win their first Ashes Test in Australia to end their 18-match winless streak as the two veterans, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, tasted their first victory of the red-ball game down under.

The 2025/26 edition of the Ashes begins on November 21 at the Optus Stadium in Perth, as the stadium, making its debut in 2018, will host its first-ever Ashes Test, having missed out on the chance in the last edition. There is an enticing excitement around the series, especially due to the project of Bazball, designed for the trip among the visitors, led by captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

Ahead of another chapter in the history book of the two teams, let’s take a look at the best batting performances in Ashes history, which is consisted of Don Bradman, Steve Smith, and others. It might not be the highest individual score of the rivalry, but it has been one of the best knocks regarding the situation and atmosphere of the game. 

Batting has never been an easy job in any of these two countries. In England, it's always a challenge in swinging conditions. Even if the batters get set, when the clouds roll over, the temparture goes down to live up the grass and create pressure on the batters. Meanwhile, in Australia, it's about the batters getting getting ready to the pace and bounce of the quick surfaces while the spinners come into play late on the fourth and fifth day. 

Let’s take a look at the top five batting performances in history of Ashes-

1. Don Bradman (Australia)

The former Australia captain, Don Bradman, was the most successful batter of the Ashes rivalry as the right-handed batter collected 5028 runs in 63 innings at an average of nearly 90 and a strike rate of 58.07 with the help of 19 centuries and 12 half-centuries at the best score of 334.

His highest score of 334 is the second-best individual score in Ashes history. That knock came in 1930 at Leeds in Headingley. The tourists batted first to post 566 runs in the first innings as Bill Woodfull’s 50 was the second-best knock of the scorecard after Bradman’s 334.

England were bundled out for 391 in the second innings and were forced to follow on, to which they gathered 95/3 as the game ended in a draw.

2. Steve Smith (Australia)

Smith sits as the third leading run-getter in the history of the Ashes with 3417 runs in 66 innings at an average of 56, scoring 12 centuries and 13 fifties at the best score of 239. He is just around 200 runs away from overtaking Jack Hobbs to claim the second spot on the list.

The Australian captain marked his return to the game after a one-year suspension in 2019 at Edgbaston. In the first innings, the visitors were cruising at 122/8 with Smith playing the lone hand. But he smashed a fine knock of 144 runs with 16 fours and two sixes before repeating the heroics in the second innings with 142, thanks to 14 boundaries.

3. Alastair Cook (England) 

Alastair Cook has a decent record in the history of the Ashes. The former England opening batter and the captain of the side, smashed 2493 runs in the red-ball format against Australia at an average of over 40 with the help of five centuries and 11 half-centuries at the best score of 244.

See Also: Ashes 2025-26 Update: If Pat Cummins Misses Out, These 3 Speedsters Could Step In (Including Michael Neser)

His best knock of 244 came during England’s trip down under in 2017. At the iconic MCG, the southpaw carried his bat for the hostile 409-ball innings, which was decorated with 27 boundaries as he spent over 144 overs in the middle. Time was not enough for the result as England completed a draw.

4. Ben Stokes (England)

2019 was a golden period for the England side as they won the ODI World Cup for the very first time. A couple of weeks later, the focus shifted to the Ashes at home. They lost the opening clash at Edgbaston and drew the second one at Lord’s as the eyes turned to the third game at Leeds in Headingley.

Following the target of 359, the hosts were nine down for 286 runs as the defeat looked inevitable for England. Stokes, who was on 61, refused to give up and charged against the Australian bowlers right, left, and center. Thanks to several big shots against a clinical opponent bowling line-up, he remained unbeaten on 135 and leveled the series at 1-1.

5. Adam Gilchirst (Australia) 

During the second Test of the Ashes 2006/07, England were struggling against the hosts after the first two games. The third fixture was a do-or-die encounter for the visitors. Taking a lead of around 29 runs in the completion of the respective first innings of both sides, Australia came heavily against the poms.

The wicket-keeper batter, Adam Gilchrist, nailed a fiery unbeaten century of 57 deliveries, which is still the fastest ton in the history of the Ashes. His unbeaten 102-run knock was hard to breach as the England side lost the clash by a huge margin of 206 runs.

Yashasvi Jaiswal bounced back strongly after a poor start in the first Test of the two-match series against the West Indies. He scored a brilliant hundred, his seventh in Test cricket, to put India in a strong position in the second Test in Delhi on Friday, October 10.

This was Jaiswal’s second Test hundred against the West Indies. It may have looked easy as the West Indies bowlers failed to trouble him much, but the left-hander had to stay patient early in the morning session. After settling in, he played freely after lunch to bring up his eighth international century.

Jaiswal is now third on the list of Indian batters with the most international centuries before turning 23, behind only Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. He has gone past players like Ravi Shastri and Shubman Gill, who both had seven centuries at the same age.

In Test cricket, Jaiswal now has seven centuries at the age of 23, placing him joint-fourth on the all-time list alongside legends like Alastair Cook, Javed Miandad, and Kane Williamson.

Also Read -[WATCH] Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates 7th Test century during IND vs WI Delhi Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal Joins Elite List with 7th Test Century

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored his seventh Test century during the second Test against the West Indies in Delhi. With this, he entered the elite list of players with the most Test centuries before turning 24. He also matched legends like Alastair Cook, Javed Miandad, Graeme Smith, and Kane Williamson, each of whom had seven centuries by the age of 23.

Jaiswal is now third on the list of Indian players with the most international centuries before 23, behind only Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.

Most Test Centuries by the Age of 23

• 12 – Donald Bradman (Australia), in 26 innings

• 11 – Sachin Tendulkar (India), in 80 innings

• 9 – Gary Sobers (West Indies), in 54 innings

• 7 – Yashasvi Jaiswal (India), Alastair Cook (England), Javed Miandad (Pakistan), Graeme Smith (South Africa), Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

- 3* Hundred in India.
- 2 Hundred in England.
- 1 Hundred in England.
- 1 Hundred in West Indies.

7 TEST HUNDRED FOR YASHASVI JAISWAL IN JUST 26 TEST MATCHES 🥶 pic.twitter.com/veTGAG8hpi

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) October 10, 2025

Most Centuries for India in International Cricket by the Age of 23

• 22 – Sachin Tendulkar (220 innings)

• 15 – Virat Kohli (119 innings)

• 8 – Yashasvi Jaiswal (71 innings)*

• 7 – Ravi Shastri (110 innings)

• 7 – Shubman Gill (73 innings)

Jaiswal Equals Smith’s Record

Jaiswal also equalled Graeme Smith’s record for the most Test centuries by an opener before the age of 23. He achieved it two innings faster than Smith. With his seventh ton, Jaiswal moved up in the World Test Championship (WTC) charts — the second-highest for an opener, only behind Rohit Sharma, who has nine. He went past Dimuth Karunaratne and Usman Khawaja on the list.

Dominant Show in Delhi

After a rusty first Test in Ahmedabad, Jaiswal found his rhythm in Delhi. He played carefully in the morning session and later attacked after lunch, showing fine timing and control. Alongside Sudharsan, he built a 162-run stand for the second wicket by tea, putting India in a strong position.

Jaiswal became the ninth Indian opener to score a Test hundred at Arun Jaitley Stadium. Gavaskar scored three centuries here, while Gautam Gambhir remains the only Indian opener with a double century at this venue.

Indian Openers to Score Test Centuries at Arun Jaitley Stadium

Historic Feat for Jaiswal

Jaiswal is now the second Indian opener after Sunil Gavaskar to score a Test century against the West Indies in Delhi. Gavaskar made two such centuries at the same venue — 120 runs in 1979 and 121 runs in 1983.

The Delhi hundred marked Jaiswal’s seventh in Test cricket since his debut against the West Indies in July 2023. According to Cricbuzz, only three players — Don Bradman (12), Sachin Tendulkar (11), and Gary Sobers (9) — have scored more Test centuries before turning 24.

It was during the commentary stint for the BBC of the recent clash of The Hundred 2025 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham between the Trent Rockets and the Manchester Originals. The two former England players, captain Sir Alastair Cook and fast bowler Steven Finn, were working together.

Shoaib Bashir, the off-spinner of the Three Lions, was also present in the commentary box. He is currently recovering from the finger injury that he picked up during the third Test at Lord’s of the England-India series and was ruled out of the last two clashes in Manchester and Oval. That was when Cook and Finn got involved in a hilarious sledging incident.

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“If only we could teach you to move the ball when you bowled, you would have been a far better bowler, Steven,” said Cook, to which Finn replied, ‘Well, if only I had a captain that empowered me like Ben Stokes empowers Shoaib Bashir. I had a dour captain, sat on the negative side of life, but it’s good to see you again, Cooky.”  

Watch: Alastair Cook involved in hilarious sledging interaction during The Hundred 2025

Cook, the former captain and the left-handed opening batter of the England side, ended as the sixth leading run-getter in the longest format. He smashed 12472 runs in 291 innings at an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 46 with the help of 33 centuries and 57 half-centuries at the best score of 294 runs against India.

 

 

 

 

 

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Steve Finn also earned decent success for England in international cricket. The right-arm pacer picked up 254 wickets in 154 innings at an average of just under 30 and a strike rate of 41 and an economy rate of 4.23, with 10 four-wicket and seven five-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 6/79 in an inning.

Trent Rockets won the contest against Manchester quite comfortably. They lost a couple of wickets early in the chase before Rehan Ahmed smashed a fine, unbeaten knock to shoulder them over the line, while Tom Moores also contributed immensely in the second innings.

Rishabh Pant, the left-handed Indian wicket-keeper batter, is crazy about everything he does on the field. Some of the box-office shots are exceptional that only he could play them in the middle. Pant plays a paddle sweep, which surprises all the former players. He played the shot against James Anderson during a Test match in Ahmedabad four years ago.

During the recent The Hundred 2025 clash, the former England captain, Sir Alastair Cook, shared a light-hearted moment discussing the trademark shots of the southpaw, who has become famous for his hallmark powerful shots. Cook teased the former Australian batter, David Warner, on whether he would be able to do so, admitting that he can’t because of his age.

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“Well, you get the elevation doing it. Rishabh Pant’s been tweeting us, saying about elevation. But I think he’s doing it for style tricks. What he was playing was the paddle sweep. But he wanted to get more pace on the ball to get really in line. So as he went down, he’d use the pace and then yes on TV, I will roll over and make it a little glamorous and hope it goes for four.” Cook has addressed on the BBC.

Watch: Alastair Cook copies Rishabh Pant’s iconic paddle sweep shot

The left-handed Indian batter had an incredible time in England during the five-match Test series. Pant finished the series with 479 runs in four games, including a fine knock of 134 runs at Leeds in the opening fixture. His aggressive approach and wish to keep improving throughout the series have been notable.

COOK IMITATING THE ICONIC SHOT OF RISHABH PANT 🔥

- The biggest talking point based on shot, Pant is Superstar...!!! pic.twitter.com/BDy7qO2eBb

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 10, 2025

But amidst that, he went through several injuries in the seven weeks. At Lord’s, he injured his thumb and couldn’t keep wickets for four days as Dhurv Jurel replaced him in the wicket-keeping work. Later, he broke his feet during the fourth Manchester Test before Jurel came to the rescue. That injury ruled him out of the fifth and final Test of the summer at Kennington Oval.

It’s a severe injury and is expected to get better in two months, which could see the veteran miss the upcoming away white-ball series in Australia and the Asia Cup 2025.  

A recently resurfaced video from the 2016–17 Rajkot Test between India and England has sparked a fresh debate, showcasing then-India captain Virat Kohli accepting England’s offer for a draw. This footage has gone viral, especially after India’s bold stance in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in July 2025, where Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar turned down a similar offer from Ben Stokes. The stark contrast between these two moments has ignited conversations about sportsmanship, intentions, and priorities during the nail-biting final moments of hard-fought Test matches.

During the 2016 Rajkot Test, England set India a challenging target of 310 runs in 49 overs on the last day. As wickets fell, Kohli, alongside Ashwin and Jadeja, steadied the innings, bringing India to 172/6. Although Kohli was just one run shy of his half-century, he chose to accept Alastair Cook’s offer to draw the match, putting team strategy and the match situation ahead of personal achievements. This decision was praised at the time for its practicality and the mutual respect shown between the teams.

See Also: Gill rates Manchester ton as his best, credits KL Rahul for sparking belief

Fast forward to July 2025 at Old Trafford, India faced a daunting 311-run deficit after England posted 669 in the first innings. Despite early setbacks, Indian batters mounted a stellar comeback, with Gill (103), Rahul (90), Jadeja (107*), and Sundar (101*) leading the charge. As India reached 386/4 late on Day 5, Stokes offered a handshake to draw the match. However, the Indian batters declined, choosing to continue and complete their centuries, sparking conversation about changing attitudes in high-stakes cricket.

My man was never obessed to personal milestones. He never looked for personal milestones ahead of the team. pic.twitter.com/ya7dAT1WSe

— Abhay (@abhiiiisays) July 28, 2025

 I wasn't going to be risking any of my frontline bowlers: Ben Stokes

Unlike in 2016, Jadeja and Sundar chose not to accept the draw offer. Both batters were in their 90s and were determined to reach personal milestones while also sealing India’s remarkable comeback in style. Their decision left the English camp visibly frustrated. In response, Ben Stokes handed the ball to part-timer Harry Brook. Jadeja reached his century with a towering six, and Sundar soon followed with his maiden Test hundred. Although initially disappointed, Stokes later commended the Indian duo, explaining that his offer stemmed from a packed schedule and concern for his frontline bowlers.

It was in the evening session of the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford in Manchester when Rishabh Pant went for a premeditated sweep and got hit on the bridge of his foot. He looked in serious pain and left the field on a golf cart, as questions remain if he could bat in the remainder of the clash.

Now, the former England captain, Michael Vaughan, has sparked a new debate on the issue, arguing that teams should be allowed to make substitutions in cases of these injuries. He reckoned that this would keep the balance and excitement in a game.

See Also: [WATCH] Rishabh Pant leaves field with injury during ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

‘I don’t like the fact now that we have got four days’ of action left in the game, where we have an incredible series and have ten versus eleven. I prefer that you have a sub. Once they brought out the concussion sub, I was crying out that let’s have substitutions in the first innings of the game, and that would be my stepping point, that if it goes into the second innings of the game.’ Vaughan expressed during a recent interaction on Test Match Special.  

Watch: Former England captains debate on substitution after Rishabh Pant’s injury in ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester   

‘I feel teams might break the rules or engage in skullduggery. When someone breaks a hand or breaks a foot or ruptures a calf, it’s obvious that they can’t carry on. It's very clear to me that you should be allowed for a sub.’ He added.

Should Test cricket introduce substitutions?

Rishabh Pant's injury has prompted some fierce debate on the TMS podcast 🗣 🤔#BBCCricket #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/1jfAbpRs6y

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 23, 2025

Another former leader of the side, Sir Alastair Cook, was unsure about accepting the idea, given that he raised a different part of the story and questioned the discrepancy between a broken foot and a bruise.

‘Just say, we have seen Pant walk off there and look all kinds of pain. And it’s not broken. So, there is nothing on the X-ray. It’s just a bruise. Then he has to play on. But he says I can’t walk. If he has broken his foot, then it’s different. But in case you get hit in the arm, I can’t move. Then you get replaced because it’s uncomfortable, but you can’t hold a bat as you would have liked, but you only have a bruise.’ Cook shed light.

The Indian team maintained a fiery presence on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord’s, continuing their aggressive tactics against the England batters. Following a tense final over on Day 3, which saw several verbal exchanges with England’s openers, India didn’t hold back and kept the pressure on with a charged-up attitude.

Mohammed Siraj, known for his passionate on-field attitude, was at the center of the action. The pace bowler added intensity to the game by constantly challenging the England batters and making life uncomfortable at the crease. His energy peaked when he dismissed Ben Duckett and delivered a fiery send-off, which drew plenty of attention.

The incident sparked criticism from former England captain Alastair Cook, who took issue with Siraj’s over-the-top reaction. Cook expressed concern over the level of aggression, particularly from a bowler of Siraj’s stature, questioning whether such celebrations were in the spirit of the game during an already heated contest.

See Also: Star India pacer fined for Code of Conduct Breach after Day 4 Lord's Test incident

Alastair Cook Criticises Siraj’s Celebration Action:

Veteran England captain Alastair Cook felt Mohammed Siraj’s celebration went overboard. He believed there was no reason for the Indian pacer to shout directly at Ben Duckett after dismissing him. He further stated that such behavior was unnecessary and suggested that Siraj should face consequences for his on-field conduct during Day 4 of the Lord’s Test.

On BBC Test Match Special, Cook said, “ That’s unacceptable, but who is to blame now? Whether Duckett walked right into him and knew exactly what he was doing. Then again, you shouldn’t shout in someone’s face like that. I wholeheartedly say that was wrong. There should be no physical contact. Yes, celebrate a wicket like you mean it. But you’ve got him out; you don’t need to look him in the eye from three inches and shout in his face. So I expect there to be repercussions, and there should be repercussions. That is my opinion. I thought that crossed the line.”

Siraj Faces Consequences for His Action:

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has been fined 15% of his match fee after a tense exchange with England opener Ben Duckett during the third Test at Lord’s. The incident took place on Sunday, July 13, during a fiery spell from the pacer.

Siraj was found guilty of committing a Level 1 offence under the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. The fine was imposed due to his on-field behavior, which was deemed to breach the code of conduct set by the ICC. This penalty reflects the seriousness with which the ICC views player discipline and conduct.

Cricketing icons including Eoin Morgan, Sir Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, and Ian Bell will headline the England Champions squad in the second edition of the sanctioned World Championship of Legends (WCL), running from July 18 to August 2 across the UK. This powerhouse lineup revives a golden era of English cricket, bolstered by the return of versatile all-rounders Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, and Dimitri Mascarenhas, as well as a formidable pace attack led by Liam Plunkett, Chris Tremlett, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, and Stuart Meaker, complemented by wicket-keepers Phil Mustard and Tim Ambrose

“Leading England to World Cup glory was a defining moment,” said Eoin Morgan. “Playing WCL with legends I’ve shared the field with is a different kind of pride.” His words reflect the blend of nostalgia and national pride that defines this event.

With Edgbaston hosting several marquee matches, CEO Stuart Cain described WCL as “a celebration of greatness and a homecoming for our heroes.” WCL founder Harshit Tomar added, “This is where stories are retold and legends relive their prime.” Team owner Praveen Sharma echoed the competitive spirit, stating, “We’re here to win and inspire a new generation.”

See Also: WCL 2025: Australia Champions announced their squad for upcoming season

England Champions Squad – WCL 2025

The England Champions 2025 WCL team consists of: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Sir Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Liam Plunkett, Chris Tremlett, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Meaker, Phil Mustard, Usman Afzaal, and Tim Ambrose