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Top 10 Batsmen with Most Runs in the Ashes Series

April 29, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Batsmen with Most Runs in the Ashes Series

Cricket, the gentleman’s sport, was created by the English. But over the years, the one country that has come to be the face of the sport is Australia. Every four years, the two countries lock horns in a Test tournament to regain the mythical ashes, which were the result of a satirical obituary by a British newspaper, after England was defeated by Australia in their first tour in England. The winning country is going to keep the urn, filled with the ashes, until the next tournament. The national cricket teams of the two countries thus give the best performances to defend their honor. Test matches give the opportunity to score big. Let us have a look at the Top 10 Batsmen with Most Runs in the Ashes Series.

Top 10 Batsmen with Most Runs in the Ashes Series

10. Geoff Boycott

Former English cricketer Geoffrey Boycott established himself as one of England’s most successful opening batsmen. Geoff Boycott scored a total of 2579 runs in 63 innings out of 34 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1964 and 1981 as a squad member of the English national cricket team. He played 7 not-out innings for his team and was dismissed just 2 times in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Boycott scored his tournament’s best score of 191 and has also achieved a batting average of 46.05 in the Ashes while playing for the English team, and is inducted in the tenth place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of Geoff Boycott is decorated with 6 centuries and 12 half centuries.

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9. John Edrich

SD-JohnEdrich-1 — Ashes Series – Cricket Players with Most Runs

Former English cricketer John Hugh Edrich is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of his generation. John Edrich scored a total of 2644 runs in 57 innings out of 32 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1964 and 1975 as a squad member of the English national cricket team. He played 3 not-out innings for his team and was never dismissed in the Ashes without scoring any runs. John Edrich scored his tournament’s best score of 175 and has also achieved a batting average of 48.96 in the Ashes while playing for the English team, and is inducted in the ninth place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of John Edrich is decorated with 7 centuries and 13 half centuries.

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8. Clem Hill

SD-ClemHill-1 — Cricketers with Most Runs in Ashes Series History

Former Australian cricketer Clement “Clem” Hill captained the Australian team in ten Tests during his active cricketing career. Clem Hill scored a total of 2660 runs in 76 innings out of 41 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1896 and 1912 as a squad member of the Australian national cricket team. He played a not-out innings for his team and was dismissed 8 times in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Clem Hill scored his tournament’s best score of 188 and has also achieved a batting average of 35.46 in the Ashes while playing for the Australian team, and is inducted in the eighth place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of Clem Hill is decorated with 4 centuries and 16 half centuries.

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7. Herbert Sutcliffe

SD-HerbertSutcliffe-1 — Cricket Players with Most Runs – Ashes Series Records

English professional cricketer Herbert Sutcliffe achieved his career batting average of 60.73 which is the highest by any English batsman. Herbert Sutcliffe scored a total of 2741 runs in 46 innings out of 27 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1924 and 1934 as a squad member of the English national cricket team. He played 5 not-out innings for his team and was dismissed just once in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Sutcliffe scored his tournament’s best score of 194 and has also achieved a batting average of 66.85 in the Ashes while playing for the English team, and is inducted in the seventh place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of Herbert Sutcliffe is decorated with 8 centuries and 16 half centuries.

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6. Wally Hammond

SD-WallyHammond-1 — Top 10 Cricket Players with Most Runs in Ashes Series

Former English Test cricketer Walter Reginald “Wally” Hammond was considered to be the best English batsman of the 1930s by several commentators. Wally Hammond scored a total of 2852 runs in 58 innings out of 33 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1928 and 1947 as a squad member of the English national cricket team. He played 3 not-out innings for his team and was dismissed just 2 times in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Hammond scored his tournament’s best score of 251 and has also achieved a batting average of 51.85 in the Ashes while playing for the English team, and is inducted in the sixth place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of Wally Hammond is decorated with 9 centuries and 7 half centuries.

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5. David Gower

SD-DavidGower-1 — Ashes Series Cricketers with Most Runs

Former English cricketer David Ivon Gower became the captain of the England cricket team during the 1980s, and is widely regarded as one of the most stylish left-handed batsmen of the his era. David Gower scored a total of 3037 runs in 69 innings out of 38 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1978 and 1991 as a squad member of the English national cricket team. He played 3 not-out innings for his team and was dismissed just 2 times in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Gower scored his tournament’s best score of 215 and has also achieved a batting average of 46.01 in the Ashes while playing for the English team, and is inducted in the fifth place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of David Gower is decorated with 9 centuries and 11 half centuries.

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4. Steve Waugh

SD-SteveWaugh-1 — Top 10 Players with Most Runs in Ashes Series

Retired Australian cricketer and twin brother of cricketer Mark Waugh, Stephen Rodger Waugh, captained the Australian Test cricket team from 1999 to 2004. Steve Waugh scored a total of 3173 runs in 72 innings out of 45 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1986 and 2003 as a squad member of the Australian national cricket team. He played 18 not-out innings for his team and was dismissed just 6 times in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Steve Waugh scored his tournament’s best score of 177* and has also achieved a batting average of 58.75 in the Ashes while playing for the Australian team, and is inducted in the fifth place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of Steve Waugh is decorated with 10 centuries and 14 half centuries.

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3. Allan Border

SD-AllanBorder-1 — Cricketers with Most Runs in the Ashes Series

Australian former cricketer Allan Robert Border was the captain of the Australian team for many years and is widely regarded as one of the most prolific run-maker of the Australian cricket history. Allan Border scored a total of 3222 runs in 73 innings out of 42 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1978 and 1993 as a squad member of the Australian national cricket team. He played 15 not-out innings for his team and was dismissed just 3 times in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Border scored his tournament’s best score of 200* and has also achieved a batting average of 55.55 in the Ashes while playing for the Australian team, and is inducted in the third place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of Allan Border is decorated with 7 centuries and 19 half centuries.

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2. Sir Jack Hobbs

SD-SirJackHobbs-1 — Ashes Series – Players with Most Runs

Former English legendary cricketer Sir John Berry “Jack” Hobbs is the leading run-scorer and century-maker in first-class cricket. Sir Jack Hobbs scored a total of 3636 runs in 71 innings out of 41 matches of the Ashes Series that he ever played in his cricketing career between 1908 and 1930 as a squad member of the English national cricket team. He played 4 not-out innings for his team and was dismissed just 3 times in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Hobbs struck his tournament’s best score of 187 and has also achieved a batting average of 54.26 in the Ashes while playing for the English team, and is inducted in the second place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of Sir Jack Hobbs is decorated with 12 centuries and 15 half centuries.

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1. Sir Don Bradman

SD-SirDonBradman-1 — Ashes Series – Cricket Players with Most Runs

Legendary former Australian cricketer Sir Donald George Bradman, often referred to as “The Don”, is still widely acknowledged as the greatest Test batsman of all time. Sir Don Bradman scored a total of 5028 runs in 63 innings out of 37 matches of the Ashes Series which he ever played in his cricketing career between 1928 and 1948 as a squad member of the Australian national cricket team. He played 7 not-out innings for his team and was dismissed just 6 times in the Ashes without scoring any runs. Bradman scored his tournament’s best score of 334 and has also achieved a batting average of 89.78 in the Ashes while playing for the Australian team, and is inducted in the first place in our list of top 10 batsmen with most runs in the Ashes Series. The Ashes series-career of Sir Don Bradman is decorated with 19 centuries and 12 half centuries.

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The Australian and English batsmen try to give their best performances, and the ones holding the bat among them make all efforts to turn the scoreboards, so that the runs are difficult for the opponent teams to reach. The Ashes Series has been witness to some of the best batting performances in cricket.

10 Greatest Trades in NBA History

April 21, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Greatest Trades in NBA History

The National Basketball Association, or NBA as we normally know it, it is one of the most viewed sport leagues in the world and the main event of professional basketball worldwide. The NBA seasons spans from October to June, in the meantime, 30 teams play each other to be crowned as the Champions. Competitive teams are made through drafts and trades. A good trade can become the key of a champion team or a dynasty. Here it is our list of the 10 greatest trades in NBA history.

10 Greatest Trades in NBA History

10. Dallas Mavericks gets Dirk Nowitzki

Arguably the best foreign player in NBA history, German power forward Nowitzki has played his entire 17-season career with the Dallas Mavericks. As a member of the Mavs, he has played 13 All Star Games; he won the MVP award in 2007 and the NBA Finals MVP award in 2011. To this point, he has scored 28,119 points with 3,282 assists and 10,051 rebounds and he is undoubtedly the franchise player of his team. That is why we rank him 10th in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA History. Nowitzki was selected by the Bucks in the 1998 NBA Draft (9th pick overall). The Mavericks acquired Nowitzki and Pat Garrity (19th pick) in exchange for Robert Taylor (6th pick), and later traded Garrity to the Suns for Steve Nash. In the meantime, Taylor’s NBA career lasted only 6 years. We know the rest.

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9. Boston Celtics gets Kevin Garnett

SD-KevinGarnett-1 — NBA – All Time Top Trades

After 12 years of being the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett was sent to the Boston Celtics on July 31, 2007 in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash and two draft picks. The deal constitutes the largest number of players traded for a single player in the NBA history. He made the 9th spot in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA History for what it achieved later with one of the league’s most iconic franchises. Gernett played with Boston from 2007 to 2013. With them, he played 5 All Star Games, he won the 2008 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and he scored 6,233 points with 1,078 assists and 3,301 rebounds and most importantly, he was a main piece in the team that won the NBA pennant in 2008, alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, the “Big Three”. After a brief stint with New Jersey, since this season he’s back in Minnesota.

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8. Miami Heat gets Shaquille O’Neal

SD-ShaquilleO’Neal-1 — Top Trades in NBA of All Time

Shaq is undoubtedly, one of the best centers in basketball history. After being part of the dynasty of Lakers in the early 2000’s, he was traded to the Miami Heat on July 14, 2004 in exchange for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and one draft pick. At his arrive at Miami, Shaq promised he would bring a championship to the team. His promise came true in 2006 when the Miami Heat won their first championship trophy, although Shaq was not the best player (Dwyane Wade was). O’Neil played with Miami until 2008 and he scored 4,010 points with 437 assists and 1,856 rebounds and played three All Star Games. At the moment of his trade to Miami, he had won three NBA Finals MVP awards in a row and was the main piece of the Lakers that dominated the league in the previous years, and later he won one more championship with his new team, ranking 8th in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA history.

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7. Miami Heat gets LeBron James

SD-LeBronJames-1 — 10 Greatest Trades in the History of NBA

He’s back to Cleveland, so we think the city has forgiven him since the decision. What most people think (or think to remember) is that James arrived to Miami as a free agency sign but it was actually a sign-and-trade deal between the Cavs and the Heat in exchange for future picks. After failing to win a Championship with the Cavaliers, James helped the Heat to win two NBA Championship as part of one the greatest trios in NBA history, composed of James, Chris Bosch and Dwayne Wade and that is why we picked it as 7th in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA history. With Miami, James won also two NBA Finals MVP awards, played in three All Star Games and led the league in field goals with 758 in 2010-2011 and 765 in 2012-13 season, in two-pointers with 567 in 2011-12 and 662 in 2012-13. In four years with Miami he scored 7919 points with 1,980 assists and 2,225 rebounds.

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6. Los Angeles Lakers gets Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is probably the best player of his generation; he is undoubtedly one of the most popular and admired players of recent years and a winner: 5 NBA Championships. He has played 19 seasons in NBA, all of them with Los Angeles Lakers. In that span he has played 17 All Star Games, one MVP award, two NBA Finals MVP awards, led the league in games played three times, in field goals three times, in two-pointers three times, two times in free throws and four times in points. He has scored 32,482 points (3rd all-time), 8,146 free throws (3rd all time) and 11,321 field goals (7th all-time). An icon of the sport. What most people do not know is that Kobe arrived to Los Angeles through a trade. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 draft as a 13th overall pick and later was traded to the Lakers, as agreed before the draft took place. Los Angeles didn’t tell the Hornets whom to select until 5 minutes before the draft. For what it represented later for the Lakers, he ranks 6th in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA history.

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5. Chicago Bulls gets Scottie Pip-pen

SD-ScottiePippen-1 — Best Trades of NBA History

The Bulls of the 90’s is, without any doubt, the most remembered team in the NBA history for their success, and much of this is due to Michael Jordan, but he did not win those Championships alone, he had a team and that team began with Scottie Pippen. In the 1987 NBA Draft, Pippen was selected by the Seattle Supersonics as the 5th overall pick and was sent later to the Bulls for Olden Polynice. Pippen later became one of the best defensive players of the league (8 times in a row selected for the NBA Defensive Team and the 1995 led in steals) and also a versatile scorer. He won six NBA Championships with the Bulls and played in 7 All Star Games. He ranks 5th in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA history since he seemed to be the missing piece in a Championships winner machine led by Michael Jordan. In twelve seasons with the Bulls he scored 15,123 points with 4,494 assists, 1,792 steals and 2,401 turnovers.

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4. Los Angeles Lakers gets Wilt Chamberlain

SD-WiltChamberlain-1 — Top Trades in NBA

If statistics were the only indicator to choose the basketball best player of all-time, Chamberlain would probably win that recognition. Holder of numerous records and achievements, Chamberlain is an iconic figure in NBA history. It was not different back at the end of the 67-68 season when he won his fourth MVP award with the Philadelphia 76ers and he was traded to los Angeles Lakers in exchange of Darral Imhoff, Jerry Chambers and Archie Clark, marking the first time a MVP winner would be traded the following season. The trade remains as one of the most lopsided in the history of the league and ranks 4th in our list of the 10 greatest trades in NBA History. With the Lakers, he won the 1972 Championship, the NBA Finals MVP award that year and played four All Star Games, two times selected for the NBA Defensive Team and led the league in rebounds three times. He scored 5,985 points during his tenure with Los Angeles plus 1,461 assists and 6,524 rebounds.

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3. Boston Celtics gets Robert Parish and Kevin McHale

SD-RobertParishandKevinMcHale-1 — Best Trades in the History of NBA

In 1980 the Golden State Warriors made a deal with the Boston Celtics: they sent Robert Parish (their 1st round pick in the 1976 draft) and their 3rd pick of the 1980 NBA draft in exchange for Boston’s 1st and 13th picks of the same draft. With their 1st pick, Golden State took Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown with their 13th, meanwhile Boston took Kevin McHale as the 3rd overall selection. The trade ended up forming one of the NBA greatest dynasties as Parish and McHale, alongside Larry Bird, led the Celtics to three championships: 1981, 1984 and 1986. Parish played 14 seasons with Boston with whom he earned stardom, became one of the greatest centers of all time and played 9 All Star Games. During his tenure at Boston, he accumulated 18,245 points with 1,679 assists and 11,051 rebounds. Kevin McHale, for the other hand, came out of the bench at the beginning of his career, winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award twice; McHale played thirteen seasons in his career –all with Boston- and totalized 17,335 points, 1,670 assists and 7,122 rebounds. The trade that formed the NBA Greatest frontline in history ranks third in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA history.

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2. Los Angeles Lakers get Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

SD-KareemAbdulJabbar-1 — Top Trades of All Time – NBA

Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., better known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He’s the all-time top scorer in the league with 38,387 points; his 17,440 rebounds rank third as well as his 3,189 blocks. He was Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan came to scene as he won 6 NBA Championships and the same number of MVP awards. Due to the historical impact of his, the trade that sent him to the Lakers from the Bucks in 1975 ranks second in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA History. Jabbar arrived to the Lakers with Walt Wesley in exchange of Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman. In his first year with the Lakers he set the all-time record for most defensive rebounds with 1,111 and he became the last player to have 4,000 PRA (Points + Rebounds + Assists) in a year and won his 4th MVP award. Overall with the Lakers he won 5 NBA Championships, 3 MVP Awards, played 13 All Star Games, led the league in blocks two times, one time in rebounds and his uniform number 33 was retired. With the Lakers he scored 24,176 points (63% out of his total), 3,652 assists (64%), 10,279 rebounds (59%) and 2,694 blocks (84%).

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1. Boston Celtics gets Bill Russell

SD-BillRussell-1 — Amazing Trades in NBA History

Bill Russell is an icon in basketball and one of the earliest. He made himself a legend with the Boston Celtics, a team with whom he played his entire 13 season career, winning 11 NBA Championships, 5 MVP Awards and 12 selections for the All Star Game. He was the first player to average more than 20 rebounds per game, he feat he accomplished 10 times. He’s second all-time in rebounds with 21,620 and led that department four times. He was definitely a better defensive player than offensive, as in his career he averaged only 15.1 points per game, had a .440 career field goal percentage and a 3.3 free throws per game and a success rate of .561, but he averaged 22.5 rebounds per game (second behind Chamberlain). The Boston Celtics acquired Russell through a trade and for his historical significance and sporting impact; it ranks first in our list of the 10 Greatest Trades in NBA History. Russell was originally picked up by the Saint Louis Hawks in the 1956 NBA Draft, but they could not afford his contract and traded him to Boston (that were already interested in Russell) in exchange for Ed Macauley, Boston’s star at the time and who was willing to be sent to Saint Louis. Boston also sent Cliff Hagan and everybody happy.

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There are more trades that could have made the cut, we did not go for the most lopsided or shocking but for those that had the greater impact in the history of basketball best league in the world.

10 Bowlers with Most wickets in a Single IPL Season

April 15, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Bowlers with Most wickets in a Single IPL Season

The Indian Premier League, or IPL, is one of the most popular cricket tournaments of recent times. It is an annual tournament featuring Twenty20 format of cricket, and was founded in the year 2008 by the BCCI. It currently has 8 clubs participating in it, each named after Indian cities. Held between April and June, the IPL has players from India and all over the world participating in it, and showing great cricket, with people flocking to see the fast pace of this style of cricket, as players hit boundaries and sixers right into the galleries, while the bowlers try their best to send them back to the pavilion fast. Every drop of wicket receives as much cheer as a good hit. Let’s take a look at 10 Bowlers with Most wickets in a Single IPL Season.

10 Bowlers with Most wickets in a Single IPL Season

10. Vinay Kumar

Indian cricket player Ranganath Vinay Kumar plays domestic cricket for Karnataka and also for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, and captained Karnataka to win two consecutive Ranji Trophy titles. Vinay Kumar delivered a total of 60.1 overs while giving just 493 runs in 2013 and achieved his best bowling performance of 3/18 while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 23 wickets in 16 T20 matches of 2013 IPL season and is inducted in the tenth place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Vinay Kumar achieved 21.43 bowling average and 8.19 bowling economy rate in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 15.6 in 2013 season of Indian Premier League.

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9. Mohit Sharma

SD-MohitSharma-1 — IPL – Players with Most Number of wickets in a Single Season

Indian right-arm medium-fast bowler Mohit Mahipal Sharma took 37 wickets from 7 matches at an average of 23 in the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy. Mohit Sharma delivered a total of 53.5 overs while giving just 452 runs in 2014 and achieved his best bowling performance of 4/14 while playing for the Chennai Super Kings in 2014 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 23 wickets in 16 T20 matches of 2014 IPL season and is inducted in the ninth place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Mohit Sharma achieved 19.65 bowling average and 8.39 bowling economy rate in 2014 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 14.0 in 2014 season and has also achieved four wicket haul once on that same season.

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8. Rudra Pratap Singh

SD-RudraPratapSingh-1 — Highest Wicket takers in a Single IPL Season

Indian left arm fast-medium bowler Rudra Pratap Singh was bought for $400,000 in the players’ auction 2013 by Royal Challengers Bangalore. Rudra Pratap Singh delivered a total of 59.4 overs, out of which 1 over was maiden, while giving just 417 runs in 2009 and achieved his best bowling performance of 4/22 while playing for the Deccan Chargers in 2009 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 23 wickets in 16 T20 matches of 2009 IPL season and is inducted in the eighth place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Rudra Pratap Singh achieved 18.13 bowling average and 6.98 bowling economy rate in 2009 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 15.5 in 2009 season and has also achieved four wicket haul once on that same season.

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7. Mitchell Johnson

SD-MitchellJohnson-1 — Most Wickets by Bowlers in a Single IPL Season

Australian cricketer Mitchell Guy Johnson was named “Cricketer of the Year” and awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy by the International Cricket Council in 2009. Mitchell Johnson delivered a total of 64.0 overs while giving just 459 runs in 2013 and achieved his best bowling performance of 3/27 while playing for the Mumbai Indians in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 24 wickets in 17 T20 matches of 2013 IPL season and is inducted in the seventh place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Mitchell Johnson achieved 19.12 bowling average and 7.17 bowling economy rate in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 16.0 in 2013 season of Indian Premier League.

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6. Harbhajan Singh

SD-HarbhajanSingh-1 — Players with Most Number of wickets in a Single Season – IPL List

Indian right arm off-break bowler Harbhajan Singh Plaha has the second most Test wickets by an off spinner, only behind Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan. Harbhajan Singh delivered a total of 70.0 overs while giving just 456 runs in 2013 and achieved his best bowling performance of 3/14 while playing for the Mumbai Indians in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 24 wickets in 19 T20 matches of 2013 IPL season and is inducted in the sixth place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Harbhajan Singh achieved 19.00 bowling average and 6.51 bowling economy rate in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 17.5 in 2013 season of Indian Premier League.

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5. Sunil Narine

SD-SunilNarine-1 — 10 Players with Most Number of wickets in a Single IPL Season

West Indian cricketer Sunil Philip Narine became the first bowler in IPL to take a hat-trick against Kings XI Punjab on 16 April 2013, playing for Kolkata Knight Riders. Sunil Narine delivered a total of 59.1 overs, out of which 1 over was maiden, while giving just 324 runs in 2012 and achieved his best bowling performance of 5/19 while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 24 wickets in 15 T20 matches of 2012 IPL season and is inducted in the fifth place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Sunil Narine achieved 13.50 bowling average and 5.47 bowling economy rate in 2012 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 14.7 in 2012 season, and has also achieved four wicket haul once and five wicket haul once on that same season.

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4. Morne Morkel

SD-MorneMorkel-1 — IPL – Players with Most wickets in a Single Season

South African cricketer Morne Morkel is a right-arm fast bowler with “genuine pace” according to the legendary former South African fast bowler Allan Donald. Morne Morkel delivered a total of 63.0 overs, out of which 1 over was maiden, while giving just 453 runs in 2012 and achieved his best bowling performance of 4/20 while playing for the Delhi Daredevils in 2012 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 25 wickets in 16 T20 matches of 2012 IPL season and is inducted in the fourth place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Morne Morkel achieved 18.12 bowling average and 7.19 bowling economy rate in 2012 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 15.1 in 2012 season and has also achieved four wicket haul once on that same season.

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3. James Faulkner

SD-JamesFaulkner-1 — Players with Most Number of wickets in a Single Season of IPL

Australian all-rounder James Peter Faulkner earned the nickname “The Finisher” for his ability to shut out the innings to set a big total or to achieve victories as a batsman. James Faulkner delivered a total of 63.1 overs, out of which 2 overs were maidens, while giving just 427 runs in 2013 and achieved his best bowling performance of 5/16 while playing for the Rajasthan Royals in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 28 wickets in 16 T20 matches of 2013 IPL season and is inducted in the third place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. James Faulkner achieved 15.25 bowling average and 6.75 bowling economy rate in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 13.5 in 2013 season and has also achieved five wicket haul twice on that same season.

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2. Lasith Malinga

SD-LasithMalinga-1 — Players with Most wickets in a Single Season of IPL

Sri Lankan cricketer Separamadu Lasith Malinga is widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers of modern times with a unique round-arm action. Lasith Malinga delivered a total of 63.0 overs, out of which 2 overs were maidens, while giving just 375 runs in 2011 and achieved his best bowling performance of 5/13 while playing for the Mumbai Indians in 2011 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 28 wickets in 16 T20 matches of 2011 IPL season and is inducted in the second place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Lasith Malinga achieved 13.39 bowling average and 5.95 bowling economy rate in 2011 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 13.5 in 2011 season and has also achieved five wicket haul once on that same season.

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1. Dwayne Bravo

SD-DwayneBravo-1 — IPL – Bowlers with Most wickets in a Single Season

West Indian all-rounder Dwayne James John Bravo is known for his aggressive middle order batting besides his death bowling skills. He started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians and later signed by the Chennai Super Kings. Dwayne Bravo delivered a total of 62.3 overs while giving just 497 runs in 2013 and achieved his best bowling performance of 4/42 while playing for the Chennai Super Kings in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He took a total of 32 wickets in 18 T20 matches of 2013 IPL season and is inducted in the top place in our list of 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single IPL season. Dwayne Bravo achieved 15.53 bowling average and 7.95 bowling economy rate in 2013 season of Indian Premier League. He had a bowling strike rate of 11.7 in 2013 season and has also achieved four wicket haul once on that same season.

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The tournament of Indian Premier League might be rather new, but it has already caught the fancy of people who did not care much for cricket before. The players take the league very seriously, too, as the young players often get selected for the national team based on their performance, while the senior players get to prove that they are good enough to keep up with the new ones.

10 Unknown Facts about Richie Benaud

April 11, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Unknown Facts about Richie Benaud

The national cricket team of Australia has earned huge respect in the field of cricket. It has won the ICC World Cup a record five times, the latest one being in the 2015 tournament. Some of the top cricket players in the world are from Australia. Among the most noted cricket personalities in the world from Australia, a name that is written in gold is that of Richie Benaud, a stunning cricketer and a highly regarded commentator. Here is a list of 10 Unknown Facts about Richie Benaud. Take a look, and see how many of these facts you didn’t know about him.

10 Unknown Facts about Richie Benaud

10. Birth and family

Richard was born on 6 October, 1930 in Penrith, New South Wales in Australia. His father, Louis Benaud, was a third generation Australian with a French Huguenot Descent. He was born into a cricket family, with his father being a leg spinner playing in Sydney Grade Cricket for Penrith, and gaining attention for acquiring 20 wickets for just 65 runs in a match against St. Marys. Later, Lou also moved to the region of Parramatta in the western part of Sydney, and played for Cumberland.

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9. Childhood and early cricket years

SD-RichieBenaud-2 — Unknown Richie Benaud

With his father moving to Parramatta and representing Cumberland, Richie grew up in this locality, and learned how to bowl leg breaks, googlies and topspinners under the watch of his father. He studied in Parramatta High School, and at the age of 16, he made his first grade debut for Cumberland, mainly as a batsman. At 18, he was chosen for the state youth team of New South Wales Colts. He was a batting all-rounder in his early years, and was noted for his looping backlift.

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8. Professional cricket

SD-RichieBenaud-3 — Unknown Sides of Legendary Commentator Richie Benaud

Richie was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm leg spinner, and had his domestic cricket career extending from 1948-64 and his international test career extended from 1952 to 1964. During his career, he played 63 test matches and 259 first-class cricket matches. He scored 2201 test runs and 11719 runs in first class cricket, with an average of 24.45 and 36.50 respectively, and the top scores of 122 and 187 respectively. He also delivered 19108 balls in test and 60481 balls in first class cricket.

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7. His contribution to Australian cricket

SD-RichieBenaud-4 — Unknown Sides of Richie Benaud

Richie’s contribution to Australian cricket during the late 1950s and early 60s is remarkable. He helped restore the country to its position at the top of international cricket, after Australia’s slump in the early 1950s. He led the country’s test team as a captain from 1958 till his retirement in 1964. He was the first player to have reached 200 wickets and 2000 runs in test cricket. He reached this remarkable milestone in the year 1963, just a year before his retirement from professional cricket. He never lost a single test series as the captain of the national cricket team of Australia.

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6. His recognition from experts

SD-RichieBenaud-5 — Richie Benaud – Unknown Facts

Richie Benaud’s skills and contribution made a remarkable difference to his team, and he was hugely regarded for that. He received the respect from the other cricket players from around the world. Even the greatest of sports experts, critics or writers have had the best compliments to give him. English-born Australian journalist Gideon Haigh described him as “perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War.” Sri Lankan cricket writer Harold de Andrado wrote, “Richie Benaud possibly next to Sir Don Bradman has been one of the greatest cricketing personalities as player, researcher, writer, critic, author, organiser, adviser and student of the game.”

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5. How he protected his spinning fingers

SD-RichieBenaud-6 — Richie Benaud – Unknown Facts List

In 1956, when he was in India, he contracted dengue fever. Two months later, he was in New Zealand, where his team was to play three friendly tests. Benaud had not earned his fame yet, went to a local chemist and asked a gentleman named Ivan James for sulphanilamide to prevent passing out. James, noticing some bloody lacerations on fingers, came to know from the then young Benaud that the cuts were about to ruin his career as a spin bowler, and prescribed him Oily Calamine lotion. Benaud used this diligently, and healed and protected his fingers. If he hadn’t, the world would perhaps have been deprived of this great talent.

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4. Benaud’s commencement as a media personality

SD-RichieBenaud-9 — 10 Unknown Facts of Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud was on an England tour in the year 1956. Once the tour came to an end, Benaud took the decision to stay back in London, England, so that he could take up a training course as a presenter for British Broadcast Radio. He then kick-started his career in the media, assuming the position of a journalist with the News of the World, as he began as a police roundsman, before he finally became a sports columnist. In the year 1960, he did his first radio commentary gig in the UK at BBC. He then moved to television.

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3. Commentator and journalist

SD-RichieBenaud-10 — 10 Unknown Facts – Richie Benaud

Though his career in the media had begun while he was still a player, it was after his retirement from playing in 1964 that Benaud took up cricket journalism and commentary as a full-time career. He divided his time between Britain, working for the BBC before joining Channel 4, and Australia where he worked for Nine Network. He made it his trademark to weak a cream jacket during live commentary. This style, suggested by Channel 9 owner Kerry Packer, made his stand out among other commentators.

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2. Desktop Richie

SD-RichieBenaud-8 — 10 Unknown Facts about Legendary Commentator Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud helped design a computer-based parody of himself, called Desktop Richie, which could give commentary and weather report in Benaud’s real voice samples like “Got ‘im!” and “That’s stumps… and time for a glass of something chilled.” It was developed by the software company Turtlez Ltd. and was available for download off the website of Channel 4. Benaud often made sarcastic comments about the advertisement of Desktop Richie, during his live commentary.

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1. Writer Benaud

SD-RichieBenaud-7 — Richie Benaud – The Commentary Genius

Richie Benaud was also a writer. He authored a number of books, all on cricket. His first book, The Way of Cricket, was released in 1961, followed by two more books in 1962 and 1963. He continued writing several other books till 2010. Of these, in 1998, he also wrote his autobiography named Anything But, which received positive reviews from Harold de Andrado, the Sri Lankan cricket writer, and complimented his skill and talent as a cricketer, as well as his deep understanding and passion.

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The cricket legend has received several accolades, including being named the Officer of the Order of the British Empire, being inducted the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, being awarded the Logie Award for the Most Outstanding Sports Broadcaster, etc. At the age of 84, Benaud was diagnosed with skin cancer. On 10 April, 2015, Richie Benaud died in his sleep, and left the entire world of cricket mourning the loss of a cricket institution.

10 Most Expensive Football Boot Sponsors in the World

April 5, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Most Expensive Football Boot Sponsors in the World

Soccer being one of the most popular sports in the world, people adore and celebrate the players like they are no less than the Hollywood stars. In fact, there is plenty of reason for the footballers to receive such glamour and attention. It is not that the people in front of the televisions sets, or those in the gallery wearing their fan wigs and jerseys, are the only ones who celebrate them. The major sports brands and other companies also keep an eye out for them, and bestow them with huge pay-cheques, if they can rope in the players for an a handsome endorsement deal. Some sports companies even sponsor the boots that the players wear on the ground, and this is one of the best ways to get the players to endorse their products. Let us take a look at 10 Most Expensive Football Boot Sponsors in the World.

10 Most Expensive Football Boot Sponsors in the World

10. Neymar – Nike

Brazilian youngster Neymar established himself as one of the most talented players in the soccer world. He was constantly tracked by reputed clubs all over the world when he showed his talent playing for Santos and Brazilian team. He eventually moved to Spanish club Barcelona for a record amount which is also rumored as a counter by Barcelona to the Real Madrid’s record transfer of Gareth Bale. Neymar currently has endorsements from several reputed brands such as Castrol, Red Bull, Volkswagen and Panasonic, besides his long association with Nike. His recent 11-year deal with Nike will reportedly pay him nearly $1 million per year according to the recent news by Forbes. The football world is still waiting for the exact amount of the shoe contract of Nike with Neymar. Neymar is currently wearing Hypervenom Phantom boots by Nike and occupies the tenth spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors.

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9. Wayne Rooney – Nike

SD-WayneRooneyNike-1 — 10 Super Expensive Football Boot Sponsors in the World

Wayne Rooney established himself as one of the best prospects of England while playing for the English club Manchester United. With his recent contract with the Red Devils, he is now reportedly earning around $26 million per season. He has sponsorship contracts from Coca-Cola and EA Sports in his portfolio besides his long term association with Nike. The recent contract with American sportswear giant Nike earns him nearly $1.67 million per year. Wayne Rooney is currently wearing Hypervenom Phantom boots by Nike and occupies the ninth spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors. Besides him, several superstars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar and Danny Welbeck also wear the same shoe by Nike on the field.

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8. Sergio Agüero – Puma

SD-SergioAgüeroPuma-1 — 10 Expensive Football Boot Sponsors of All Time

Sergio Agüero started to climb the staircase of success while playing for Argentine club Independiente. He later established himself as a world-class player after his transfer to Atletico Madrid in 2006 and later to the Manchester City in 2011. Agüero is known for his hardcore skills and his presence in front of the crossbar at the right time, besides being known as the former son-in-law of Diego Maradona. The boot contract with German manufacturer Puma reportedly earns him nearly $2 million per season. Sergio Agüero is currently wearing the evoSpeed 1.2 boots by Puma and occupies the eighth spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors. Besides him, several amazing footballers such as Radamel Falcao and Ibrahim Afellay also wear the same shoe by Puma on the field.

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7. Lionel Messi – Adidas

SD-LionelMessiAdidas-1 — Most Expensive Football Boots of All Time

Lionel Messi is widely known as the magician of football and currently plays for the Spanish club Barcelona. He is noted for being technically and skillfully gifted and also known as the worst nightmare for the defenders of the opponent team. Lionel Messi started his club career with Nike beside him, but Adidas later scooped his contract by paying nearly $3.34 million per year for wearing their boots. Adidas recently launched a F50 version of their boots called the F50 Messi SG which is the second only shoe beside Beckham’s to be named in honor of a player. Lionel Messi is currently wearing the F50 adiZerobots by Adidas and occupies the seventh spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors.

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6. Mesut Özil – Adidas

SD-MesutÖzilAdidas-1 — 10 Amazingly Expensive Football Boot Sponsors

Mesut Özil dictated his prominence in the modern football while playing for Bundesliga side Werder Bremen besides his marvelous career with the German national team. He then transferred to the Spanish club Real Madrid in 2010. He witnessed legal battles with his then boot supplier Nike during his career with Madrid. The legal issue gave him so much trouble that he wore boots both by Nike and Adidas side by side in a season. Özil eventually overcame the legal issues and moved to English side Arsenal with a record German transfer fee of £42.5 million. The recent boot contract with Adidas reportedly earns him nearly $4.9 million per season. Mesut Özil is currently wearing the Predator LZ II boots by Adidas and occupies the sixth spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors.

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5. Cesc Fabregas – Puma

SD-CescFabregasPuma-1 — Super Expensive Sponsors of Football Boot

Cesc Fabregas is noted as an ingenious production by the Barcelona’s “La Masia” academy, and also for his creativity and amazing assists. Fabregas first showcased his talent on the club level while playing for the English club Arsenal between 2003 and 2011. He made his comeback in his previous club Barcelona in 2011 and also became an integral part of the Spanish team that won two Euro Cups and a FIFA World Cup. The recent boot contract with Puma reportedly earns him nearly $5.34 million per season. Cesc Fabregas is currently wearing the PowerCat 1boots by Puma and occupies the fifth spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors. Besides his own boot association with Puma, he also played a key role during the launch ceremonies for new evoPOWER 1 boots by Puma.

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4. Gareth Bale – Adidas

SD-GarethBaleAdidas-1 — Top 10 Expensive Football Boots of All Time

When you talk about Welsh footballers, you talk about Gareth Bale. He first showed his prominence in the football world while playing for the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur from 2007 to 2013. He started his career as a defender but later used as an offensive winger due to his skills, field presence and powerful shot near the crossbar. Gareth Bale moved to Real Madrid in a record transfer fee of $142.8 million in 2013. Adidas recently signed a six-year contract extension with the Welsh genius which will reportedly pay him nearly $5.5 million per season. Gareth Bale is currently wearing the F50 adiZero boots by Adidas and occupies the fourth spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors. Besides him, Karim Benzema also wears the same line of boots on the ground.

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3. Mario Balotelli – Puma

SD-MarioBalotelliPuma-1 — Most Expensive Football Boots in the World

Mario Balotelli showed his own prominence in the international club football while moving from Inter Milan to Manchester City to AC Milan. He is noted as the most notorious footballer of recent times with his unexplained movements off the ground. He is famous for almost everything, starting from his presence on the ground till the moment he appeared on television in an AC Milan jersey while playing for Inter Milan, even for lighting his house on fire. Puma recently signed a contract with the Italian genius which will reportedly pay him nearly $6.9 million per season. Mario Balotelli is currently wearing the evoPOWER 1boots by Puma and occupies the third spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors.

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2. Cristiano Ronaldo – Nike

SD-CristianoRonaldoNike-1 — Expensive Football Boots – All Time List

When any reader starts to read our articles regarding any “most-expensive” he knows he’ll find Cristiano Ronaldo somewhere in the list. Cristiano Ronaldo started developing his talent since a very early age under the watchful eye of Sir Alex Ferguson. He finally ended his association with Manchester in 2009 and moved to Spanish side Real Madrid for a record transfer fee. Ronaldo is currently sponsored by several market-giants such as Castrol, Fly Emirates, Coca-Cola and KFC. The old contract of Ronaldo with Nike reportedly earns him nearly $8.35 million per season and it is also rumored that Nike will offer nearly $13.4 million to CR7 during the extension of their sponsorship contract. Cristiano Ronaldo is currently wearing the Mercurial Vapor IX boots by Nike besides having his own custom line of CR7 Superfly series and occupies the second best spot in our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors.

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1. David Beckham – Adidas

SD-DavidBeckhamAdidas-1 — Top 10 Expensive Football Boots in the World

When anyone thinks about fashion with football ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, there is just one man ahead of him still now, and it’s the David Beckham. The ingenious creation of English team, Beckham, witnessed stardom in almost everything he ever tried, starting from his marvelous presence on the ground till he started modeling and his Spice Girl wife Victoria. Even after his retirement from the professional sports he still remains a major attraction for reputed brand for a single reason: the world knows who David Beckham is. Even after the massive stardom and recent contract of Ronaldo, Beckham still earns nearly $11.7 million per year from Adidas. David Beckham is wore the Predator LZ boots by Adidas till his career with Paris St. Germain and occupies the top spot on our list of 10 most expensive football boot sponsors.

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As the very name suggests, the feet of the footballers are what create all the magic, the biggest moments for the fans and the sport itself. It is necessary for the players to have something great on their feet when they create such historic moments. Sportswear companies are happy to enjoy their share in the history by sponsoring such boots.