The Australian all-rounder was snapped up by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.2 crore (about A$4.2 million) after a spirited bidding contest with Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings.
Mitchell Starc’s world-record wicket tally may headline the Ashes, but the story behind the story begins years earlier in a suburban schoolyard, where a teenage keeper met the Indian heritage coach Neil D'Costa who changed his life.
Cricket Wellington confirmed it was investigating the incident which involved players from both sides allegedly striking each other with what appear to be cricket bats and stumps as chaos unfolded on the boundary.
Thunder stars Chamari Athapaththu, Phoebe Litchfield and Hasrat Gill headlined the highly anticipated Sydney Smash, facing off against Sydney Sixers icons Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy in the second match of the evening.
The extraordinary feat places him alongside legendary figures Garry Sobers and Ravi Shastri, the only other players to hit six sixes in an over in first-class cricket.
The triumph marked a defining moment for Indian cricket, as the team lifted the coveted trophy for the first time after finishing runners-up in 2005 and 2017.
Teenager Ben Austin’s death, described by the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club as “absolutely devastating,” marks the third fatal cricket training accident in 30 years, highlighting deep sorrow within the local sporting community and renewed concern over player safety.
The crash killed 42-year-old mother Nancy Lefrançois and her 11-year-old son Loïc Chevalier, who were travelling in a passenger vehicle struck in the collision.