Sports
Ten ways T20 has changed since the last World Cup
The rise of specialists, super specialists, right-left pairs, six-hitting, wristspin, and more
How long has it been since we last played a T20 World Cup? Long enough for R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to go from being persona non grata in the format to taking the place of the two wristspinners who replaced them. Long enough for the knuckleball to go from hip to raging fad to shunned to just another delivery. Here is how much the format has changed in the intervening years.
Different players for different formats
When the T20 World Cup was played last, it had been established that T20s were not an extension of ODIs. The last five years have reinforced even more strongly that this is a completely different format. And with a completely different format come specialists. It shows in how few players taking part in this World Cup also play Tests, and more starkly, ODIs.
Over 43% of players in the 2016 World Cup had played in at least half of their teams’ ODIs over the previous three years. That number has come down to one in three. One in three had played at least half their teams’ Tests and ODIs; now it is only one in four. In a three-year period before the 2016 World Cup, half the participants had played 40.6% or more of their teams’ ODIs; the corresponding number is down to 28.5% for this World Cup.
Girish TS / © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Wristspin is in
India were the only top side in the 2016 World Cup without a wristspinner. Since then they have played 69 T20Is with a result, and have used wristspin in 65. Unpredictability and variations trump accuracy on true pitches in such a short format, which makes wristspin key.
Only three wristspinners bowled 30 or more overs in the 2016 edition of the IPL. Six did in 2017, seven in 2018, nine in 2019, and eight in 2020.
In no IPL till 2017 had wristspinners bowled 2000 balls; the four IPLs between 2017 and 2020 featured 2325, 2571, 2927 and 2723 balls of wristspin. These four remain the only editions when more than 100 wickets fell to wristspin. The role of fingerspinners accordingly fell.
Still, while a wristspinner remains a must in a squad, the really good fingerspinners have begun to fight their way back, especially if they can bat or if the pitches are likely to help them or there is a strong match-up on offer. And thus India have gone from using Ashwin and Jadeja in the 2016 World Cup to neither to both again.
Girish TS / © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
All change, all the time
For decades, cricket relied on repetitions and mastery of a stock skill, but in T20, especially if you are a bowler, you need to constantly upgrade. You are a mystery bowler one year, but by the next, batters find a way to pick your variations. You have to either add subtleties to your variations or find better deception. The same goes for slower balls. One year it is the back-of-the-hand legcutter, the next, the knuckleball. This is exactly what longer formats and early T20 cricket used to look down upon. Ashwin, for example, is no longer put down for trying too many things: offbreak, carrom ball, legbreak, wrong’un, various seam positions and releases. Sunil Narine is a bowler unrecognisable from the one who started out, and though he is not in the West Indies World Cup squad, he has remained among the best because he has kept evolving and bringing in new forms of deceit.
Don’t take your foot off the pedal
This is something bowlers feel: batting sides keep going hard even if they lose wickets. Shiva Jayaraman has tried to come up with a metric here. In the first innings (chasing innings are excluded, because there the target dictates your approach) of IPL games, look at teams’ strike rates in the 18 balls after a loss of a wicket. (Leave balls in the last three overs out, because you have to keep going in that phase regardless.) There is a sharp jump in strike rates in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Girish TS / © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Right + left = right
There was a series of Indian cricket adverts in the 1990s where the man on the street would spout cricket wisdom. One such: “It’s simple, rightie gaya rightie bhej; leftie gaya, leftie bhej.” If a right-hand batter gets out, send a right-hand batter in; if a left-hand batter gets out, send a left-hand batter in. T20 is now going out of its way to maintain right-left combinations. The biggest reason is not to upset the bowlers’ rhythm, but rather to deny bowlers, spinners especially, a match-up against one style of batter.
The percentage of left-right partnerships for the top five wickets* in the IPL shot up from 41.6% in 2015 to 50.7% in 2016. Since then the numbers have been 49.2, 54.3, 52.8 and 55.9.
Has it worked? Comparing just strike rates might not be the best way to judge effectiveness, but in 2019 and 2020, left-right combinations for the top five wickets scored at a quicker rate that right-right; in 2020 left-left outpaced right-left, but left-left pairs are rare, making up around 5% of top-five partnerships.
Girish TS / © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
*Note that figures in the graphic are for all wickets, not just the top five
The rise of the super specialist
Traditionally, consistency in selection has been seen as a good thing in cricket. Not anymore in T20s. In the 2020 IPL, Mumbai Indians offspinner Jayant Yadav played only two matches, one of them the final and the other against the same opponent in the league phase. There was no injury or fitness concern that brought this about. Yadav was a superspecialist. He was brought in to counter a specific side, Delhi Capitals, that was bent on utilising right-left combinations with three right-hand and three left-hand batters in its top six. The increasing use of right-left batting combinations has brought about a return of offspinners, since there aren’t many left-arm wristspinners to take the ball away from left-hand batters.
A typical ODI World Cup squad is the 1st XI plus four players who can cover as much ground as possible as replacements should there be an injury or loss of form. T20 World Cup squads are more about picking extra players who might be used in only one or two situations. Roston Chase, batting strike rate under 130, is not a typical West Indies player on flat pitches; he plays only in low-scoring matches or against a side with a few left-hand batters.
Want to win? Find the fence
It is a fact that teams that score more in boundaries win four of five T20 matches. In the second half of the last decade, the onus on hitting boundaries has increased, but more so in the middle overs, and especially six-hitting. We can see this in the IPL. Mumbai Indians were playing less-than-modern T20 when they were not winning; then they became the leaders in the middle overs.
Girish TS / © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Sixes speak louder than the rest
ODI cricket relied a lot on avoiding dot balls, but T20s are so short that the humble, hard-working single doesn’t have enough time to make an impact on the game. Fours are okay, but sixes are where it is at. In 2016, T20 champions West Indies struck sixes every 16.3 balls against the top seven teams, compared to once every 22.5 balls by other sides in the top eight in games against each other. In the last four completed IPLs, balls-per-six have stayed under 20, possibly never to cross that mark again.
Girish TS / © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Bowlers need to bat too
Mumbai Indians once won an IPL with Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Johnson, Lasith Malinga and Pragyan Ojha and one other bowler in their bottom five. The year was 2013 and the logic was that 20 overs were not long enough to need allrounders: you could do with six batters, including a keeper and a part-time bowler, and select five specialist bowlers to take wickets.
You will not find similar team formations today. Teams want depth to allow their main batters to go all out. There is batting till No. 7 at least, followed by at least two more bowlers capable of hitting sixes. Batters who don’t hit sixes have to be as good as Jasprit Bumrah or Yuzvendra Chahal as pure bowlers to survive.
Girish TS / © ESPNcricinfo Ltd
There’s still room for anchors
You would like to believe the era of two anchors getting together for a second-wicket partnership of 66 in 8.1 overs in a match that goes at near ten an over – as happened with India in the second semi-final of the last T20 World Cup – is over. To an extent it is: England, for example, will struggle to put together such partnerships because they will not play more than one anchor batter.
However, look at teams overall and there is no statistical indicator that the role of anchor batters, or even of anchor partnerships, has receded. The role of anchors in innings so short has been part of heated debates among followers, but as of now it appears teams don’t believe pure hitting ability has evolved to the point they can do away with the notion of one batter who tries to hold the innings together. This is good news for viewers: the longer teams retain this fear of losing too many wickets, the better it is for the format as a contest between bat and ball.
Courtesy : Espn/CM
Opinion
The Texans Defense Just Put the AFC on Notice—With or Without Stroud
Josh Allen didn’t just lose a football game on Thursday night; he survived a mugging.
If you watched the Texans vs Bills highlights, you didn’t see a shootout. You saw a statement. You saw a Houston defensive front that smelled blood in the water and a secondary that refused to break. By the time the clock hit zero at NRG Stadium, with the scoreboard reading Texans 23, Bills 19, one thing became violently clear: The Houston Texans are no longer just “C.J. Stroud’s team.”
They are a defensive juggernaut capable of wrecking the AFC playoff picture, regardless of who is under center.
Table of Contents
The “Bullock Breakout” and the Pass Rush Party
Let’s start with the metric that matters most: 8 sacks.
That is not a typo. The Texans’ defensive front, led by the relentless Will Anderson Jr. (who tallied 2.5 sacks and seemingly lived in the Bills’ backfield), turned one of the league’s best quarterbacks into a frantic escape artist. Anderson has now recorded a sack in six straight games, tying a franchise record held by Mario Williams. He isn’t just rushing the passer; he is wrecking game plans.
But the true story of Thursday night was rookie safety Calen Bullock.
- 3 Total Turnovers Forced: Two interceptions and a forced fumble.
- The “Closer”: His interception with 24 seconds left didn’t just pad the stats; it iced the game.
In a league obsessed with offense, DeMeco Ryans has built a unit that wins ugly. When the Bills threatened late, it wasn’t the offense that responded—it was the defense forcing a 4th-and-27 disaster for Buffalo. This is the brand of football that travels well in January.
Davis Mills Did “Just Enough” (And That’s the Point)
Let’s address the elephant in the room: C.J. Stroud was out.
When your franchise quarterback is sidelined with a concussion, the playbook usually shrinks to the size of a napkin. Enter Davis Mills. The backup signal-caller didn’t light up the box score (153 yards, 2 TDs), but he did something far more important: he didn’t lose the game.
- Zero Turnovers: Mills protected the football.
- Red Zone Efficiency: Two first-half touchdown passes gave the defense a lead they could defend.
The “Mills Narrative” isn’t about him being a saviour. It’s about the Texans proving they have the infrastructure to survive adversity. Good teams panic when their star goes down. Great teams lean on their other units. Thursday night proved that Houston is becoming the latter.
The AFC South & Playoff Picture
So, where does this leave the Texans?
At 6-5, they are back above .500 and have firmly re-inserted themselves into the NFL playoff picture AFC. This wasn’t just a win; it was a tiebreaker goldmine against a fellow AFC contender.
With the Jaguars and Colts also fighting for the AFC South crown, this win stabilises the ship. If Stroud returns healthy for the stretch run—paired with this version of the defence—Houston is a dark horse to make a deep run. They just proved they can beat a 7-win Bills team without their best player. Imagine what they can do when he returns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When will C.J. Stroud return?
C.J. Stroud is currently in the NFL concussion protocol. While there is no official timeline, most players typically miss one week. If he clears protocol, he could return for the Week 13 matchup against the Jaguars.
Are the Texans playoff contenders?
Absolutely. At 6-5 with a tiebreaker win over Buffalo, the Texans are firmly in the Wild Card hunt and still competing for the AFC South title. Their defence (ranking top-5 in sacks) makes them a dangerous matchup for any team.
Who is Calen Bullock?
Calen Bullock is the Texans’ rookie safety out of USC. He was a third-round draft pick in 2024 and has quickly become a playmaker, recording multiple interceptions in his debut season, including the game-sealer against the Bills.
Cricket
🎯 Babar Azam Century Drought ENDS: Maestro Equals Saeed Anwar’s Pakistan ODI Record
The roar of the crowd in Rawalpindi was less a cheer for a victory and more a collective, heaving sigh of relief for a nation. When Babar Azam punched that ball through the covers to bring up his landmark century in the 2nd ODI Rawalpindi against Sri Lanka, it felt like the end of the most excruciating period of his already brilliant career. For months, the phrase Babar Azam Century Drought had haunted every analysis, every post-match show, and every fan’s worried conversation.
But this innings wasn’t just a number—it was a definitive roar from the Babar Azam Maestro, silencing the ridiculous whispers of doubt and catapulting him straight into the history books by tying the legendary Babar Azam Saeed Anwar Record. This hundred, achieved with that classic Babar grace under the most intense Pressure imaginable, wasn’t just a blip on the scorecard; it was the powerful re-affirmation that the world’s premier White-ball cricket batsman still has the unique heart and talent required to single-handedly win a match. The drought, often dramatically and unfairly labelled the 83 Innings Failure, now stands merely as a necessary struggle preceding a monumental historical achievement: matching Saeed Anwar’s formidable tally of Pakistan ODI Centuries.
Table of Contents
🤯 The Weight of 83: Anatomy of the Longest Babar Azam Century Drought
If you want to know the true measure of a champion, don’t look at their peaks—look at how they survive the absolute pits. For a player who literally sets global benchmarks for consistency, an 83-innings stretch across all formats without a triple-digit score felt like an eternity. Honestly, the narrative began to get ugly: was the Maestro losing his signature touch? Was the unforgiving burden of expectation and captaincy simply too much?
The psychological impact of a run like that is impossible for us to truly comprehend. Every time he got out in the 70s or 80s, the public debate reached a fever pitch. Unlike a younger or lower-ranked player, the expectation on Babar is not just to score runs, it’s to score match-winning hundreds. This entire period of the 83 Innings Failure was a severe, public test of his incredible mental Resilience. It’s the kind of pressure few players in the modern game have had to live through. Babar carried the emotional weight of a cricket-mad country on his shoulders, and the longer the Babar Azam Century Drought persisted, the heavier that collective weight became. The century in the 2nd ODI Rawalpindi was thus more than a score; it was a deeply personal, cathartic, and collective release of tension.
🖼️ The Rawalpindi Masterpiece: Why This Century Was Different
The innings itself was exactly what we’ve come to expect from Babar Azam: authoritative, beautiful, risk-averse, yet relentlessly punishing against anything loose. It wasn’t some ugly, desperate slog for the line; it was a measured work of art built on an absolutely flawless technique.
On a surface at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium that demanded respect and concentration, Babar showed the world why he is considered an artist with the bat. His timing was crisp, and the sight of his majestic cover drive was truly Poetry in Motion. He expertly picked up singles and doubles, never allowing the Sri Lankan bowlers to settle, before finally shifting gears and accelerating seamlessly in the late overs. The key factor here is that he did this under pressure, helping the team set a truly challenging total that ultimately proved decisive. This was the performance of a genuine Match-winner, demonstrating both the incredible patience to absorb pressure early on and the explosive power to dominate when it mattered most.
👑 The Historical Context: Tying the Pakistan ODI Centuries Record
This is the part that will be engraved in stone. By scoring his 20th ODI century, Babar Azam drew level with the legendary Saeed Anwar for the most Pakistan ODI Centuries.
| Player | ODI Centuries | Innings Taken |
| Saeed Anwar | 20 | 244 |
| Babar Azam | 20 | $\approx 118$ |
The comparative speed is simply astonishing. Saeed Anwar will always be one of the most iconic stroke-makers Pakistan has ever produced, but Babar has reached the very same summit in almost half the innings. This statistic isn’t just trivia; it powerfully highlights the generational shift and Babar’s sheer, unparalleled efficiency in White-ball cricket. The Babar Azam Saeed Anwar Record is more than a simple numerical tie; it perfectly symbolizes Babar’s arrival as the modern, high-volume standard-bearer for Pakistan ODI Centuries, brilliantly continuing the legacy of attacking, world-class batting established by players like Anwar decades ago.
🔢 From ‘Failure’ to ‘Fastest’: The Statistical Rebuttal of the Maestro
The media noise and public fixation on the Babar Azam Century Drought—the so-called 83 Innings Failure—conveniently ignored his underlying, world-class excellence. Even during that drought, Babar was consistently churning out vital half-centuries, maintaining a truly elite batting average well above 50. The fact remains: Babar Azam is historically among the fastest players in the game’s history to reach numerous career milestones (2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 ODI runs). This century acts as the perfect, powerful statistical rebuttal to all the negativity. It fully reaffirms his remarkable conversion rate compared to his peers and puts him firmly back where he belongs—among the global ODI elite, where his average and consistency are genuinely rivalled by only a handful of players in history.
🚀 Conclusion: What’s Next for the Maestro?
The century in the 2nd ODI Rawalpindi wasn’t just a personal win; it was a desperately needed, huge injection of confidence for the entire Pakistani team. The breaking of the Babar Azam Century Drought clears the mental slate for the captain and star batsman, allowing him to focus solely on the team’s massive goals ahead. With the Babar Azam Saeed Anwar Record now tied, the obvious next step—and the next guaranteed headline—will be breaking it. The Babar Azam Maestro has just proven that his mental resilience is every bit as potent and reliable as his signature cover drive. This historic, drought-ending innings serves as a loud reminder that true champions don’t stop scoring runs; they merely take a powerful, visible breath before their next statement of dominance. For Babar Azam, the agonising wait is finally over. The real, defining legacy, however, is just getting started.
Sports
Jayden Daniels Arm Injury: What Happened, Commanders’ Future, and Recovery Timeline
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a devastating arm injury against the Seahawks on SNF. Here’s the latest injury update, stats, and what it means for the Commanders’ season.
The Washington Commanders’ season took a dramatic turn on Sunday Night Football when quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a gruesome arm injury late in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The jayden daniels injury video quickly went viral, showing the young QB’s left elbow bending awkwardly as he tried to brace his fall. Fans immediately asked: what happened to Jayden Daniels, and what does this mean for the Commanders’ season?
This article breaks down the jayden daniels arm injury, provides the latest jayden daniels injury update, analyses his stats, and explores how the Washington Commanders will move forward.
Table of Contents
What Happened to Jayden Daniels?
During the Commanders vs Seahawks game, Daniels pulled the ball on a read-option play and was tackled by Seattle linebacker Drake Thomas. As he went down, his left elbow bent in the wrong direction. Trainers rushed onto the field, immobilized his arm, and escorted him to the locker room.
The jayden daniels arm injury video circulated across social media, drawing comparisons to past QB injuries, including the infamous RG3 injury that derailed Washington’s hopes a decade ago.
Dan Quinn and Commanders’ Official Update
Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed postgame that Daniels suffered a left elbow injury. Critics immediately questioned why Daniels was still in the game with the Commanders trailing by 31 points. Quinn admitted in hindsight that the decision was questionable, but emphasized that Daniels is the “franchise quarterback” and was trying to finish strong.
Jayden Daniels Stats Before the Injury
Before the setback, jayden daniels stats showed promise despite a rocky sophomore season:
- 2025 Season (6 games): 1,184 passing yards, 8 TDs, 2 INTs, 62.5% completion rate
- Career Totals: 4,752 yards, 33 TDs, 11 INTs
Daniels’ dual-threat ability, highlighted by his rushing yards and mobility, made him the centerpiece of the Washington Commanders offense.
Impact on Commanders Depth Chart
With Daniels sidelined, the Commanders depth chart shifts dramatically:
- Starter: Marcus Mariota
- Backup: Josh Johnson
Mariota has already started three games this season, going 1–2. While experienced, he lacks Daniels’ explosiveness. This raises serious concerns about the Commanders QB injury situation and their playoff hopes.
Comparisons to RG3 and Washington’s QB History
The injury immediately sparked comparisons to RG3’s career-altering knee injury. Both Daniels and Griffin were electrifying young quarterbacks expected to carry the franchise. Fans fear history may be repeating itself, with Washington once again losing a star QB to injury.
Fan Reactions and Social Media Buzz
On social media, fans expressed frustration at Quinn’s decision to keep Daniels in the game. Many referenced the redskins era and past quarterback mismanagement. Others rallied behind Daniels, calling him the future of the Washington Commanders quarterback position.
Recovery Timeline: Dislocated Elbow in NFL
Medical experts suggest Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow, a common but serious injury. Recovery can range from 6–12 weeks, depending on ligament damage. Some cases require surgery, which could end his season. The dislocated elbow recovery time NFL varies, but optimism remains that Daniels could return late in the year.
Conclusion: What’s Next for Washington?
The jayden daniels injury status leaves the Washington Commanders in a precarious position. With a 3–6 record and a struggling offense, losing their star QB could derail the season. The commanders news cycle will now focus on whether Mariota can keep the team afloat until Daniels returns.
For fans, the hope is that this isn’t another RG3 nightmare, but rather a temporary setback for a quarterback who has already shown flashes of brilliance. The Commanders’ playoff hopes may be fading, but the long-term future still rests on the recovery of Jayden Daniels’ arm injury.
FAQs
Did Jayden Daniels break his arm?
No official confirmation of a break, but reports indicate a dislocated elbow rather than a full fracture.
What arm does Jayden Daniels throw with?
Daniels is right-handed, meaning the injury affects his non-throwing arm.
Is Jayden Daniels right or left handed?
He throws with his right hand.
Will Jayden Daniels play today?
No. Daniels is out indefinitely, and the Commanders backup QB Marcus Mariota will start.
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