T20 World Cup 2022

Hardik had led Gujarat Titans to winning IPL 2022 in their first season of the tournament. Later on, under Laxman's coaching, he led India to 2-0 series win over Ireland. With his decision making and calmness under pressure as a leader, there's been huge talk within Indian cricketing circuit over appointing him as the captain till the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup.

Fellow Southerners Chennai Super Kings have retained India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja despite an acrimonious relationship with the left-arm spinner over the captaincy issue, along with M.S. Dhoni, and have released West Indies great Dwayne Bravo, the 39-year-old T20 itinerant who now seems struggling towards the end of a chequered career. But the big name to be released is Williamson. Williamson, who captained the Sunrisers in the 2022 edition.

Hales joins compatriot Sam Billings and Australian Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins to miss the next season of IPL. "We respect @patcummins30, @sambillings and @AlexHales1 's decision of skipping next year's IPL due to personal reasons and national team commitments. All the best, guys! #KnightRidersFamily #AmiKKR," KKR said in a tweet. The 29-year-old pace bowler, who had a below-par showing in the ICC T20 World Cup at home with the defending champions not able to progress to the semifinals.

Following New Zealand's loss at the semifinal stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia and their runners-up finish in the previous edition of the tournament in the UAE last year, New Zealand Cricket's (NZC) transition into a new era has commenced with the duo being left out and rising star Finn Allen primed to face Rohit Sharma's side for the first time after being confirmed in both the white-ball squads for the fixture.

The 29-year-old pace bowler, who had a below-par showing in the ICC T20 World Cup at home with the defending champions not able to progress to the semifinals, was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the mega auction earlier this year for Rs 7.25 crore and played five games, taking seven wickets.

Defeats to India in ODI and T20I series, followed by another T20I series defeat to South Africa and squaring the ODI series against the Proteas didn't make for a great look. Moreover, he was a non-playing member in the squad for the seven T20Is tour of Pakistan due to his recovery from a calf injury sustained during The Hundred.

Australia, who were the defending champions, could not make it past the Super 12 stage, with the biggest blow coming from Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand who thrashed them by 89 runs in the opening group game on October 22.

The planned way in which England dismantled Pakistan's potent pace attack on Sunday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the final was reminiscent of a similar type of attitude that Jos Buttler and his victorious team adopted against the star-studded Indian batting line-up in the semifinal clash at the Adelaide Oval on November 10.

Croatia were runners-up in 2018, losing to France 4-2 in Moscow, and Belgium won the third-place playoff -- the best-ever results at a World Cup for both nations.

Four England players -- Alex Hales, skipper Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Mark Wood -- have also made it to the side, though all-rounder and Test skipper Ben Stokes, who played a pivotal role in England's win on Sunday hasn't found a place in the select XI.