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He arrived in the IPL with a ₹7.2 crore price tag but a more compelling all format story is unfolding away from the spotlight.

England opening batter Zak Crawley has signed a one-year contract extension with Kent, returning to the county as his primary employer after six years on the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) central contract list. A product of the Kent Cricket Academy, Crawley has made more than 180 appearances for his home county since making his first-team debut in 2017, scoring over 7,400 runs across formats. He has registered 10 centuries for Kent and is one of only seven players in the club's history to score a hundred or more across all formats. Crawley, who received Kent Men's Cap number 219 in 2019, was part of the county's T20 Blast-winning team in 2021. He has also featured in both of Kent's County Championship promotion campaigns, in 2018 and 2026, with the club set to return to Division One next season."I'm delighted to sign on for a further year at my boyhood county. It's an exciting time as we head back into Division One of the County Championship and I'm looking forward to the challenge of competing for Kent this coming Summer. It's great to see so many young players coming through the system here, similar to my journey into first-team cricket, and I'm excited to help them settle into the first-team and further their development for the long-term," Crawley said in a club statement. The 28-year-old lost his England central contract for the 2026-27 cycle after being dropped from the Test side at the start of the home summer, following an extended run at the top of the order. Crawley was one of only two players, alongside Lancashire's Luke Wood, to lose their deals on performance grounds when the ECB announced its list of 30 centrally contracted players this week. Kent Director of Cricket Simon Cook welcomed the extension, highlighting Crawley's experience and his role in supporting the county's younger players. "We're extremely pleased that Zak has extended his contract with the Club for what will be his 11th season in our first team. He is an extremely talented batter and is a huge presence in our dressing room."His experience of playing around the world not only benefits us on the field, but he is always willing to pass on his knowledge to our younger batters, something that will benefit us in the long term. His multi-format ability means that he is an integral part of our squad going into 2027," he said. The new deal will see Crawley enter his 11th season in Kent's first team, with the club preparing for its return to the County Championship's top division in 2027.--IANSvi/bsk/

The SA team have lost only two of their last 16 Test matches.

Indian women’s cricket star Smriti Mandhana is in focus over a statement attributed to her after being given the responsibility of captaincy.

The pioneering boss who was pals with cricket icon Ian Botham has died at the age of 88

Laycock finished with career-best figures of 6/26, including a record of four wickets in four consecutive deliveries in South African T20 cricket.

India will begin their T20 series against Zimbabwe under the leadership of Smriti Mandhana on Friday. The series marks the first bilateral encounter between the two teams in history. India is looking to improve their performance in T20s after recent World Cup exits. Zimbabwe enters the series on a high after their recent ODI victory over West Indies. Both teams will follow the T20 matches with three ODIs in Vadodara.

Andhra secured a 3-point first-innings lead against Karnataka in their Ranji Trophy opener at Mulapadu despite a resilient 155* by Karun Nair.

Chinese Wok, India’s largest home-grown Desi Chinese QSR chain, is adding extra flavour to the cricket season with Wok Mania, a high-energy eight-day campaign running alongside the India vs South Africa T20 series from December 12 to 19.

According to a report by HVS Anarock, the hotel industry in India experienced a strong month in Jun'23, with the Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) 27% above Jun'19 (pre-Covid) levels and 13% above Jun'22 levels. For the overall Q1FY24 (Apr-Jun'23), the industry RevPAR increased by 14% YoY, with Average Room Rates (ARRs) up by 17% YoY, but occupancies were slightly lower by 200 basis points YoY.

Is the mini-exodus of the football department at the Newcastle Knights set to continue?

A brilliant century from Shai Hope (102*) and a five-wicket haul from Keemo Paul (5/41) led West Indies to a 24-run win over India in the 4th T20I, levelling the series 2-2 despite a quickfire fifty from Sanju Samson.