WTC final 2025: ICC announces prize money

 The final match of the World Test Championship 2024-25 will be played at Lord's from 11 to 15 June. South Africa will face Australia in the final match. Both the teams have announced their respective teams for the final match. Meanwhile, ICC Chairman Jay Shah has announced the prize money.

The ICC has announced a record-breaking prize money for the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final. The total prize money for the final match will be $5.76 million. This is more than double the prize money of the last two WTC finals (2023 and 2021). The team winning the WTC final will get $3.6 million (about Rs 30 crore).

In 2021 and 2023, the winning team was given a prize money of $1.6 million. The runner-up will get $2.1 million (about Rs 18 crore). The Indian team has finished third. In such a situation, the team will get Rs 12 crore 33 lakh. Pakistan team, which finished 9th, will get Rs 4 crore 11 lakh in its account.

Jai Shah wrote on X, Very happy to announce that the winner of the #WTC25 Final between South Africa and Australia will receive $3.6 million, while the runner-up will get $2.1 million. The increase in prize money reflects our efforts to prioritise Test cricket and maintain the momentum gained from previous WTC cycles.

South Africa booked their place in the WTC Final by winning series against Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to top the WTC 25 standings. They also drew their home series against India. Australia booked their place in the final by beating India 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home and beating Pakistan 3-0 away.

WTC final 2025: ICC announces prize money

Position	Team	Prize Money
Winner	Australia/South Africa	30.82 Crore
Runner Up	Australia/South Africa	18.49 Crore
Third	India	12.33 Crore
Fourth	New Zealand	10.28 crores
Fifth	England	8.22 crores
Sixth	Sri Lanka	7.19 crores
Seventh	Bangladesh	6.17 crores
Eighth	West Indies	5.14 crores
Ninth	Pakistan	4.11 Crore

WTC final 2025 Squad

Australia Squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Sam Constas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster, Josh Hazlewood, Matt Kuhnemann, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

Traveling Reserve: Brendan Doggett

South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Corbin Boss, Tony de Jori, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Peterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreyne.

IPL 2025 Final : The final match will be played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata

 The final match of Indian Premier League season 18 was to be played on 25 May at Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata, before that Qualifier 2 was also to be held here on 23 May. But now BCCI has announced a new schedule, although the venue of any of the playoff matches has not been given in it. There is news that there is a possibility of rain in Kolkata on 3 June, so the final can be shifted to another venue. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is working hard so that the hosting of these two big matches is not taken away from them. Meanwhile, CAB has submitted an important report to BCCI.

On May 7, Indian soldiers damaged 9 terrorist bases of Pakistan in retaliation after the Pahalgam attack. After this, a situation of tension arose between the two countries. On May 7, the KKR vs CSK match was played in Kolkata, which proved to be the last match before the IPL was postponed. After this, the Punjab vs Delhi match had to be stopped midway on May 8, which will now be played once again.

New schedule of IPL Playoffs

BCCI has announced the new schedule, which also includes the dates of the playoff matches. Now the first match of the playoff will be played on May 29. After this, the eliminator match will be played on May 30, the second qualifier match on June 1 and the final on June 3. Although BCCI has selected 6 stadiums for the league stage, it has not yet finalized the venue of the playoff matches.

The board said that the decision on the venue of the playoff matches will be taken later. After which the news came that Eden Gardens could be stripped of the hosting of the final and qualifier 2. The reason behind this was said to be the possibility of rain on June 3 and the days around it. Now CAB has submitted a report to the BCCI and said that it would not be right to predict rain from now on.

What did CAB say in its report

According to the report, the Cricket Association of Bengal has contacted the Meteorological Center Kolkata and sought a report on the weather pattern in the city on June 3. CAB has also submitted its report to BCCI, in which it is clearly stated that it is too early to predict June 3. It can be predicted a week in advance till May 25.

The association believes that it is not right to take IPL matches away from the city on the basis of weather forecast. They hope that BCCI will take the right decision after seeing the report.

The report quoted the source as saying that, we have done a good job in all the matches and we are confident that things will be fine. You cannot predict what the weather will be like so many days in advance, we have also sent the documents related to this in our report.

IPL 2025 Foreign Players : How many players of which team are coming back or not

 Indian Premier League Season 18 was stopped after tension between India and Pakistan. Now the remaining matches are going to start from May 17. Most of the foreign players had left India, now many players are returning to India for the tournament, while many players have refused to do so. Almost every team will have to bear the brunt of this, many of these teams are such that they were at the forefront of the playoff race only on the basis of the excellent performance of their foreign players.

Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans, captained by Shubman Gill, is at the top of the points table, in this the foreign players of the team also contributed significantly. It is difficult for former England captain Jos Buttler and South African fast bowlers Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada to return to India.

The South African Cricket Board has asked its players to return before May 26, although it is possible that players who are not part of the WTC final may get exemption from this. Only those players of England will be able to play who are not part of the ODI series against West Indies. Other foreign players of Gujarat are Rashid Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Karim Janat. They are ready to return to India.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders, captained by Ajinkya Rahane, will play against RCB on May 17. This is a do or die match for KKR, if Kolkata loses this match then it will be out of the playoff race. Most of the KKR players will reach Bengaluru between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

West Indies players Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell and team mentor Dwayne Bravo are in Dubai. Wicketkeeper batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz had returned to his country. South Africa's Anrich Nortje is in Maldives, he will also join KKR in Bengaluru.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunrisers Hyderabad management has made it clear that there is no information about the return of Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis and Wiaan Mulder at the moment. Captain Pat Cummins and Travis Head are part of the WTC final team, although some reports are claiming that they may return to India. However, their team is out of the playoff race, so their return or not will not affect their team.

Punjab Kings

Punjab Kings has the highest number of Australian players. However, Cricket Australia has made it clear that it will support those players who want to return to India for IPL 2025. Under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, Punjab is a strong contender to join the playoff race. Xavier Bartlett, Azmatullah Umarzai and Mitchell Owen are returning to the team.

Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardy can also come to India. Jansen and Inglis are part of the WTC Final team starting on June 11. Head coach Ricky Ponting and assistant coaches Brad Haddin and James Hopes are in India, they even boarded the plane to return but they landed back after the India-Pakistan ceasefire.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has had a great performance so far in IPL 2025, his team is in the top 2 and on the verge of making it to the playoffs. However, Josh Hazlewood's return is difficult, he is not fully fit, although he will play in the World Test Championship final starting on June 11.

Top order batsman Jacob Bethell has also been included in England's ODI squad, which means it is difficult for him to play in the playoffs along with West Indies' Romario Shepherd. Lungi Ngidi is also part of the WTC final and Cricket South Africa has asked its players to assemble by May 26.

Delhi Capitals

The remaining matches of Delhi Capitals are important, they have to win both the matches. Mitchell Starc's lethal bowling has won many close matches for Delhi this season. Starc's return to India is difficult. Opener Jake Fraser-McGurk's return is also doubtful. The rest of the foreign players are expected to join the franchise. Tristan Stubbs, who was part of the Test team, will not be available after the league stage matches.

Mumbai Indians

Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch have been included in the final squad of the World Test Championship, who have been asked by South Africa to join their team by May 26. The team will leave for England on May 30. Will Jacks has international commitments. Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is available for the remaining matches.

Top 5 Best Air Defence Systems In The World

 India's air defence systems played a key role in the success of Operation Sindoor, serving as a vital asset in protecting the nation from aerial threats such as enemy aircraft, drones and missiles. The government has confirmed that Pakistani drones and missiles violated Indian airspace during the intervening night of May 8 and 9.

India activated its air defence network, including the S-400 Triumph system, Barak-8 and Akash missiles and DRDO's anti-drone technologies, to neutralise Pakistan's threats along the western border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

1. S-400 Triumph (Russia)

The S-400 Triumf, developed by Russia, is a highly advanced air defence missile system with a range of up to 400 kilometres and an altitude of between 30 and 56 kilometres. Its interceptors can reach speeds of up to Mach 14, making it possible to react quickly to aerial threats. One of its specialties is that it can simultaneously target multiple targets - up to 36 at a time - including aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. The system is known for its high mobility and integrated radar capabilities, making it a vital component of any country's air defence strategy. It has been deployed by several countries, including Russia, India, China and Turkey.

2. THAAD - Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (USA)

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system developed by the United States is designed to intercept ballistic missiles at high altitudes using hit-to-kill kinetic energy technology. With an estimated range of 200 kilometers and an altitude intercept capability of up to 150 kilometers, THAAD provides robust protection against missile threats during their terminal phase. Its interceptors travel at speeds in excess of Mach 8, allowing incoming targets to be neutralized quickly and accurately. THAAD is optimized for exo-atmospheric interception and is integrated to work seamlessly with other defense systems such as Aegis and Patriot. It has been deployed by the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and South Korea.

3. David Sling (Israel/USA)

David's Sling, also known as the Magic Wand, is a medium-to-long-range missile defense system jointly developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and US-based Raytheon Technologies. In operation since 2017, it serves as a key component of Israel's multi-layered air defense architecture, bridging the gap between the short-range Iron Dome and long-range Arrow systems. The system is designed to intercept a variety of aerial threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and enemy aircraft. Its primary interceptor, the Stunner missile, is a two-stage missile equipped with a multi-pulse solid-fuel propulsion system, enabling it to reach speeds of up to Mach 7.5. The Stunner uses dual electro-optical and radar seekers.

4. Patriot PAC-3 (USA)

The Patriot missile defence system, developed primarily by the United States, has a range of up to 160-170 kilometres and can hit targets located at an altitude of up to 24 kilometres. Its interceptor missiles reach speeds of around Mach 5, allowing swift action against aerial threats. The all-weather, all-altitude system has been battle-tested in several conflicts, including the Iraq War, the Gulf War and the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Capable of neutralising aircraft, cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles, the Patriot system is the cornerstone of modern air defence. It has been widely exported and is currently in use by over 17 countries around the world.

5. S-300VM / Antey-2500 (Russia)

The S-300VM, also known as the Antey-2500, is a Russian long-range air and missile defense system designed to counter a variety of aerial threats. It offers a maximum range of up to 250 kilometers and can intercept targets at altitudes of up to 30 kilometers. Its interceptor missiles travel at speeds in excess of Mach 7, enabling it to respond quickly to high-speed threats. The system is capable of simultaneously tracking and destroying multiple targets, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and particularly short-to-medium-range ballistic missiles. Known for its versatility and power, the S-300VM is deployed by Russia and exported to countries such as Venezuela and Egypt.

Tata IPL 2025 action is set to resume on May 17

The new schedule of IPL 2025 has been released. 6 grounds have been selected for the remaining matches of the tournament. According to the new schedule, 17 matches are still left and the new date of the final match (IPL 2025 Final Date) has also been revealed. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the remaining matches will start from May 17, while the final will be played on June 3.

After consulting the government, security agencies and all stakeholders, the BCCI has decided to resume the tournament from May 17. The new schedule will see two matches played on two days, with Sunday being the chosen day. The first match when the tournament resumes will be played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru. The cities selected for the remaining 17 matches are Jaipur, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

IPL 2025 New schedule

Date	Day	Time	Match	Venue
17-May-2025	Sat	7:30 PM	Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Bengaluru
18-May-2025	Sun	3:30 PM	Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings	Jaipur
18-May-2025	Sun	7:30 PM	Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans	Delhi
19-May-2025	Mon	7:30 PM	Lucknow Super Giants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Lucknow
20-May-2025	Tue	7:30 PM	Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals	Delhi
21-May-2025	Wed	7:30 PM	Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals	Mumbai
22-May-2025	Thu	7:30 PM	Gujarat Titans vs Lucknow Super Giants	Ahmedabad
23-May-2025	Fri	7:30 PM	Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad	Bengaluru
24-May-2025	Sat	7:30 PM	Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals	Jaipur
25-May-2025	Sun	3:30 PM	Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings	Ahmedabad
25-May-2025	Sun	7:30 PM	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders	Delhi
26-May-2025	Mon	7:30 PM	Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians	Jaipur
27-May-2025	Tue	7:30 PM	Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Lucknow

When will the playoff matches start?

According to the original schedule, the playoff stage was to start from May 20. Now according to the new schedule, the playoff stage will start from May 29. The first qualifier will be played on May 29. The eliminator match will be played on May 30, the second qualifier on June 1 and the final match on June 3. The venue of the playoff matches will be announced later.

The last match of the league stage will be played between RCB and Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on May 27. Two matches will be played on Sunday, May 18. Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings in the day and Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings will face each other in the evening match.

IPL 2025 was suspended for a week

The match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was being played in Dharamsala on 8 May, which was canceled due to security reasons. The BCCI revealed shortly after that IPL 2025 is being suspended for a week due to India-Pak tension.

Top 5 Indian batsmen who can replace Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

 Virat Kohli has led India to many great heights and memorable victories in Test cricket. Talking about Rohit, he may have started his Test career in the middle order, but in 2019 he was given the responsibility of opening. Let's know which players can replace these two in Test cricket now

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been the two pillars of Indian batting in Test cricket. Replacing them will not be easy, but there are some young and talented batsmen who can play their role in the future. Below is a list of the top 5 Indian batsmen who have the potential to replace them in Test cricket

1. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill has scored 1893 runs in 32 Test matches at an average of 35. But Gill's record in England is average, which includes 88 runs in three Test matches at an average of 14.66. Now it remains to be seen whether Shubman Gill gets a chance to change his fortunes in England or not. Like Kohli, Gill will also have to bring discipline in his batting and take responsibility.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Jaiswal is certain to open the innings in England. He has done so in West Indies, South Africa, Australia and India, but this task will be difficult on his first tour of England. Jaiswal showed his technique and patience while scoring runs in Australia and West Indies, but in England he will face a tough challenge in late swing

3. Dhruv Jurel

Jurel is a good back-up option behind Rishabh Pant as the second wicketkeeper batsman. He performed impressively in the debut series against England, but he could not make an impact against Australia. Jurel has the courage and skill to play for a long time in Test cricket. He showed his skills by scoring two half-centuries in an unofficial Test against Australia before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year.

4. Sai Sudarshan

Sai Sudarshan is likely to be included in the team going on the England tour and his excellent batting can come in handy in England, as he can be a calm and balanced batsman against the aggressive batting of Jaiswal. Sudarshan likes to play both sides and this is something that is important to succeed in England. He also has experience of playing for Surrey in county cricket.

5. Sarfaraz khan

Sarfaraz Khan made his much-awaited Test debut against England in Rajkot in February 2024. He scored half-centuries in both innings of the Test match. Later in the year, he scored his first century against New Zealand in Bengaluru in the second innings of the Test match. This happened after getting out for a duck in the first innings.

Sarfaraz Khan has been included in the Indian Test team but has got very few opportunities. Sarfaraz was in India's squad for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25.

5 records of Virat Kohli which are difficult to break

 Indian team's star batsman Virat Kohli is among those batsmen of the world, Kohli has a great record of playing big innings in Test cricket. Let us tell you that King Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket today i.e. on 12 May 2025. He shared this information by posting on his Instagram account.

1. Most double centuries as Test captain

Virat Kohli holds the record for scoring the most Test centuries by an Indian batsman. Kohli scored 9230 runs in 210 innings of 123 matches, in which he scored double centuries 7 times. He did not score any double century in the first five years of his Test career, but since 2016, he has scored double centuries 7 times. He is the only Indian Test captain to do so, who has scored double centuries 7 times in Tests.

2. Virat Kohli most matches as captain in Tests

Virat Kohli captained India in Tests and played 68 matches, in which the team won 40 matches, while losing 17 matches. King Kohli has won the most Test matches while captaining India. Behind him is MS Dhoni, who led the team to victory in 27 out of 60 Test matches while captaining India. In such a situation, hardly anyone can break this record of Kohli.

3. Virat Kohli most test as indian captain

Virat Kohli has captained the Indian team in the most number of matches in Test cricket. Kohli captained India in 68 matches, in which the team won 40 matches and lost 17, while 11 matches were drawn. Team India's win percentage under Kohli's captaincy was 58.82%.

4. It is difficult to create a captaincy record like Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli was the only Test captain to win in England, Australia and South Africa. Under Virat's captaincy, India won 24 out of 31 matches and lost 2 matches at home, while under Dhoni's captaincy, India won 30 matches and lost 21 matches. Rohit won 10 out of 16 matches and lost 5 matches as captain.

While captaining India on foreign soil, Virat won 16 out of 36 matches and lost 15 matches. Under Dhoni's captaincy, Team India won only 6 out of 30 matches abroad and lost 15 matches and 9 matches were drawn. Under Rohit's captaincy, India won 2 out of 5 matches and lost 2, while one match was drawn.

5. Most runs in Test matches as Indian captain

Virat Kohli has scored the most runs in Tests as an Indian captain. He has scored 5864 runs, which includes 20 centuries. No other player has scored more runs than him while captaining the Indian team.

Virat Kohli Test Stats

• Total matches played: 123
• Innings: 210
• Runs: 9230 runs
• Highest innings: 254* runs
• Average: 55.57
• Centuries: 30
• Fifties: 31