Graeme Cremer, the ex-Zimbabwe captain and leggie, is back in the domestic cricket circuit in his country and is also available for international selection, seven years after his last game for Zimbabwe. The 38-year-old who captained Zimbabwe between 2016 and 2018 is now up for consideration for a place at the T20 World Cup Africa Regional Qualifier at home in September.

Cremer last represented Zimbabwe in March 2018, prior to leaving the sport to pursue golf and the conducive lifestyle of the UAE, after relocating there with his family, where his wife Merna works as a pilot. Despite his time away from Zimbabwe, Cremer remained close to cricket via coaching, including a stint at the Rajasthan Royals Academy in Dubai.

Back with a Bang in Domestic Cricket

The former international cricketer's return to the game has been nothing short of remarkable. Bacon currently plays for defending champions Takashinga Patriots 1 in the 45-over National Premier League in Zimbabwe, and after just two matches, he has risen to the top of the wicket-takers' leader board. Cremer's return started on August 3 against Queens Sports Club in Kwekwe, in familiar territory. He took 4 for 43 as Takashinga defended 263 for 6 to win comfortably by 134 runs.

“It’s amazing being back,” Cremer told 3-mob.com after the match. “Kwekwe was my home ground for many years, so it was great walking out and being part of Takashinga, which is such a prestigious club. They welcomed me into the team, and it was an amazing team environment.”

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Reuniting with Brendan Taylor

That match also saw Cremer reunited with close friend and former teammate Brendan Taylor, who scored 61 as he fine-tuned his own comeback after serving a three-and-a-half-year ban for breaching the ICC’s anti-corruption code.

“We are close friends, myself and Brendan, so it was an amazing feeling being on the field with him again,” Cremer said. “Just how we communicate because we have played so much cricket together, it really helps.”

Zimbabwe’s Eyes on Major Tournaments

Zimbabwe Cricket’s announcement of the return of two of their most experienced players comes with serious ambition. The Africa Regional Qualifier will take place from September 26 to October 4, with the participation of eight teams, with the top two teams qualifying for the T20 World Cup. 

Beyond that, Zimbabwe wants to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup, as well as the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Namibia. The team missed out on the previous global matches, including the most recent T20 World Cup, after a poor loss against Uganda, and have not appeared in a 50-over World Cup since 2015. 

With 23 Test matches and 69 limited-overs internationals under his belt, Cremer's experience and wicket-taking ability could inspire the rest of the side and push Zimbabwe into the major competitions again.

Bangladesh has named a revamped 16-man squad for their upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, with five changes from their previous campaign and one major headline: Najmul Hossain Shanto has been dropped.

Shanto, who captained the side as recently as January, has endured a torrid 2024 with the bat, managing just one fifty in 21 T20Is and averaging a modest 18.84. Having lost the captaincy earlier this year, the 25-year-old now finds himself completely out of the squad a clear sign of Bangladesh’s intent to reset ahead of future T20I commitments.

The series will be played across three venues:

• July 10 in Pallekele
• July 13 in Dambulla
• July 16 in Colombo

Bangladesh Bring Back In-Form Stars Ahead of Sri Lanka Series

Replacing Shanto at the top will be Mohammad Naim, whose domestic form made him impossible to ignore. Naim was the top run-scorer in both the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and National Cricket League (NCL) T20s, scoring 827 runs at a strike rate of 140.40, including a century and six half-centuries. His return gives Bangladesh a fresh left-handed option in the top order.

Bangladesh has also received a boost in the bowling department, with the fit-again duo Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman returning to the T20I setup. Both pacers played the first ODI of the ongoing series against Sri Lanka and are now set to lead the attack in the shorter format.

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All-rounder Mohammad Saifuddin has also been recalled after over a year out. He had stepped away from international cricket after his exclusion from the T20 World Cup 2024 squad, but stormed back with 37 wickets across the BPL and Dhaka Premier League. The final change sees Nasum Ahmed replacing Tanvir Islam as the frontline left-arm spinner, as selectors continue to experiment in the spin department.

Bangladesh T20I Squad vs Sri Lanka

Litton Das (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Mohammad Saifuddin

With a blend of experience and in-form domestic performers, Bangladesh will hope this shake-up sparks a turnaround in their T20I fortunes against a confident Sri Lankan side.

KL Rahul is set for a comeback into India's T20 International team for the Bangladesh tour in August 2025. His phenomenal comeback during the IPL 2025 campaign has impressed the selectors, making him very much in the running to get picked in the T20I and ODI teams for the series consisting of three matches each in the two formats. This will be India's and Bangladesh's first-ever bilateral T20I series played on Bangladeshi soil.

Rahul, who has played 72 T20Is for India and registered more than 2,200 runs, last turned up in the shortest format in the T20 World Cup semifinal against England in November 2022. Following a break from the T20 setup, his current form in the IPL has revived hopes of a comeback.

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Rahul’s IPL Heroics Fuel Hopes for Bangladesh Tour Comeback

In a standout IPL 2025 innings against Gujarat Titans, Rahul smashed an unbeaten 112 off just 65 balls, including 14 fours and 4 sixes. This inning also gave him the tag of the fastest Indian to score 8,000 T20 runs, completing the feat in only 224 innings, eclipsing the earlier record by Virat Kohli. In 11 matches till now in this IPL, Rahul has hit 493 runs with a strike rate of 148.04, including three half-centuries and a hundred. He has also adapted to opening from the middle-order successfully, which indicates how versatile he is.

Selectors are eager to name Rahul in the team, not only for the tour of Bangladesh but also keeping in mind the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup that will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. His steady performances make him a top bet for the national team in the future. The last team for the Bangladesh tour is likely to be announced very soon, and if Rahul continues his form, then his selection looks imminent. With senior batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opting out of international cricket, Rahul's experience and leadership will play a pivotal role as India tries to shore up its batting order in T20Is.

Pakistan will tour New Zealand for a T20I series, and the selection committee is likely to bring some new faces along with seasoned players. The team has a combination of all-rounders, pace bowlers, and hard-hitting batters.
The team has players such as Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, and Sufiyan Muqeem, along with new faces like Irfan Khan and Jahandad Khan. Following is the likely squad:

Likely Squad

🚨Pakistan's likely T20I squad for New Zealand tour.

- Shadab, Haris, Sufiyan, Arafat, Irfan Khan, Zaman Khan, Wasim Jr, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Agha Salman, Abrar, Omair Bin Yousuf, Khushdil, Hassan Nawaz, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad, Akif Javed and Khawaja Nafay. pic.twitter.com/gKNp0Uci1s

— Salman 🇵🇰 (@SalmanAsif2007) March 2, 2025

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This team represents Pakistan's plan to strike a balance between inexperience and experience. Having youth players included means that the management has the strategy of developing future stars well before big events.
Pakistan will be looking for a good outing against New Zealand, and people cannot wait to witness how this team fares

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to include new-found talents in the March-April T20I series against New Zealand. This is being done after Pakistan's humiliating Champions Trophy exit when they became the first team to be knocked out despite being the host country. Based on reports, emerging talents from national cricket have been summoned to Lahore to attend a meeting with board officials during the selection process. The effort goes with Pakistan's vision for the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

🚨Mohammad Rizwan has been removed from T20I captaincy after today's meeting with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. [Ejaz Wasim Bukhari]

- Shadab Khan is likely to lead the Pakistan T20I squad for New Zealand tour. pic.twitter.com/yKrZsTU7y5

— Salman 🇵🇰 (@SalmanAsif2007) March 1, 2025

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Meanwhile, ex-wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif came up with a list of youth players to be considered for the next series. His suggestions are Hassan Nawaz, Ali Raza, Abdul Samad, Akif Javed, and Muhammad Nafay. Besides, he thinks all-rounder Shadab Khan is the best choice to be the captain of the T20I team.
The wicketkeeper batter further shared some more names for the likely squad which are Muhammad Haris, Sufyan Muqeem, Arafat Minhas, Irfan Khan Niazi, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Agha Salman, Abrar Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf and Khushdil Shah.
The Pakistani team will leave for New Zealand on March 12, and the five-match T20I series will start on March 16. Besides the T20Is, Pakistan will also feature in three ODIs, and the tour will last until April 5. Meanwhile, there are reports that some of the senior players are considering a break from international cricket after their dismal performances in the Champions Trophy.
Major players like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Babar Azam are said to be in the discussion in the selection meetings with some thinking of pulling out from the tour to prevent themselves from being dropped.

In a cricketing encounter marked by a stark mismatch, Mongolia experienced a crushing defeat against Japan in a T20 International match held on May 8, 2024, at the Sano International Cricket Ground. The match witnessed Mongolia recording the second-lowest score in T20I history, managing a mere 12 runs in their innings.

Match Details

The T20 International clash between Mongolia and Japan unfolded at the Sano International Cricket Ground, highlighting the growing presence of cricket beyond traditional cricket-playing nations. Despite Mongolia’s earnest efforts, the match turned into a one-sided affair as Japan asserted their dominance on the field.

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Japan, batting first, posted a daunting total of 218 runs, buoyed by a stellar innings from Sabaorish Ravichandran, who contributed 69 runs to the team’s tally. In response, Mongolia faltered against Japan’s formidable bowling lineup, succumbing to the pressure and managing only 12 runs in their innings.

Mongolia’s Struggles

Mongolia’s batting lineup struggled to contend with Japan’s disciplined bowling attack, with the team failing to build partnerships or muster significant resistance. The young left-arm seamer, 17-year-old Kazuma Kato-Stafford, emerged as the chief tormentor for Mongolia, claiming an impressive 5-wicket haul for just 7 runs. His stellar performance epitomized Japan’s dominance throughout the match.

Despite efforts from individual players like Tur Sumaya, who top-scored with a modest 4 runs, Mongolia’s batting order collapsed under the relentless pressure of Japan’s bowlers. Namsrai Bat-yalalt, facing the most deliveries, was unable to anchor the innings, reflecting the collective struggle faced by the Mongolian team.

Lowest Totals in Men’s T20Is

Emerging Cricket in Mongolia

The harsh defeat against Japan underscores the challenges faced by Mongolia in its nascent journey in international cricket. Introduced to the sport only seven months prior, Mongolia has encountered formidable opposition and steep learning curves, exemplified by its struggles in various competitions, including the Asian Games.

This was the second T20I of a seven-match series, while the third one, slated later in the day, did not yield any result.

In the first T20I, Mongolia were bowled out for 33 in reply to Japan’s 199 for 5, enduring a 166-run defeat.

This was Mongolia’s fifth T20I appearance, having made international debut at the Hangzhou showpiece where they made a group stage exit after losing both their matches.

Nepal had amassed 314/3 against Mongolia on their international debut, a match they had lost by 273 runs after getting out for 41.