Who won the IPL three years running with three different teams? asked Harish Singh from India
I believe the only man to do this is the legspinning allrounder Karn Sharma. In 2016 he was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad that won the title, playing five matches, although he did not appear in the final victory over Royal Challengers in Bengaluru. The following season he joined Mumbai Indians, and sent down four economical overs in the final as they beat Rising Pune Supergiant by just one run in Hyderabad. Then he moved to Chennai Super Kings for 2018 - and won again, dismissing opposition captain Kane Williamson of Sunrisers in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Yuzvendra Chahal has taken two hat-tricks in the IPL, one of them last year. Has anyone else done this? asked Mahesh Kanwalkar from India
You're right that legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal has pulled off two hat-tricks in the IPL - one for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in 2022, and last season for Punjab Kings against CSK in Chennai. Chahal is the IPL's overall leading wicket-taker, with 221 before this season started - maybe he should have a special purple kit!
One other player has taken two IPL hat-tricks, and it's a rather surprising name: Yuvraj Singh, much better known as a batter, took two in little over a fortnight in 2009, for Kings XI Punjab (as they were then known) against RCB in Durban and in a one-run win over Deccan Chargers in Johannesburg.
But there's someone who leads the way with three IPL hat-tricks, for three different teams: legspinner Amit Mishra achieved the feat for Delhi Daredevils against Deccan Chargers in Delhi in the first season of 2008, for Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab in Dharamsala in 2011, and for Sunrisers against Pune Warriors in Pune in 2013, when he ended the innings with four wickets in five balls.
Who has taken the most Test wickets caught behind? Jimmy Anderson perhaps? asked Craig Anderson (no relation!) from England
You're right that James Anderson has dismissed more batters caught behind than anyone else in Tests - he ended up with a tantalising 199, well clear of Glenn McGrath with 152 and his old sparring partner Stuart Broad on 148. Five other bowlers - Tim Southee 114, Mitchell Starc 112, Courtney Walsh 111, Dale Steyn 109 and Allan Donald 100 - have also completed a century of caught-behind dismissals. Starc still has power to add as he's still playing.
Perhaps a better yardstick would be to look at the percentage of caught-behinds. Among bowlers with 100 or more wickets in all, the West Indian fast bowler Kemar Roach leads the way with 31.97% of his wickets (94 out of 294) having been caught behind. Next is the New Zealander Ewen Chatfield on 31.70% (39/123), ahead of two current Australians, Josh Hazlewood 31.18% (92/295) and Pat Cummins 31.11% (98/315). Dominic Cork is the leading Englishman with 30.53% (40/131). Anderson comes in at 28.26% (199/704).
If we drop the qualification to 50 Test wickets, the new leader is Wahab Riaz of Pakistan at 40.96% (34 of 83 wickets caught behind), just ahead of England's Chris Tremlett at 39.62% (21/53).
The English County Championship starts on Friday, which is April 3. Is this the earliest the competition has ever begun? asked Neil Butcher from England
It turns out that April 3 is indeed the earliest start date for the County Championship season in England. The previous record was set… last year, when it began on April 4. Before that, it had started on April 5 in 2012, 2019 and 2024. When the various university teams had first-class status, the English season occasionally began in March, but the serious business of the Championship has always started later.
Is Alyssa Healy's 158 against India the highest score in a player's final ODI? asked Sunil Peddakotla from the United States
Alyssa Healy's 158 against India in Hobart last month, in what she announced as her final one-day international, is the highest score by a woman in her farewell appearance, beating the 153 not out of South Africa's Johmari Logtenberg, against Netherlands in Deventer in August 2007. They are the only women to score centuries in their last ODI, apart from three current players who will presumably appear again.
A man leads the way overall, however: New Zealand's James Marshall, the identical twin of Hamish, hit 161 in what turned out to be his final ODI, against Ireland in Aberdeen in 2008. For that list, click here (note that it also includes current players who will probably appear again soon).
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