England’s international summer officially kicks off on Sunday, May 10, when the Women’s side takes on New Zealand in the first One Day International (ODI) at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street. 

England have not played an international game since their 2025 World Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of South Africa towards the end of October 2025. The series will also see them with a new captain in Charlie Dean, with Nat Sciver-Brunt unavailable for selection after sustaining a calf injury.

New Zealand, on the other hand, come into this series after beating South Africa 2-1 on home soil. Their last ODI was back in April when they defeated the visitors by 66 runs in Wellington.

ENG W vs NZ W: Match Details

Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street: Pitch Report

The Riverside Ground, like any other ground in England, does offer assistance to the fast bowlers early in the innings, thanks to the weather conditions. The side winning the toss, however, should decide to bat first and make the most of the fresh wicket. In men’s ODI, the average first innings score at the venue is 242.

ENG W vs NZ W: Head-to-Head ODI Record

ENG W vs NZ W: Predicted Playing XIs

England Women:

Amy Jones (WK), Kira Chathli, Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, Emma Lamb, Charlie Dean (C), Danielle Gibson, Issy Wong, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

New Zealand Women:

Melie Kerr (C), Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Isabella Gaze (WK), Izzy Sharp, Jess Kerr, Nensi Patel, Rosemary Mair, Molly Penfold

ENG W vs NZ W: Probable Best Performer of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Melie Kerr

New Zealand captain Melie Kerr has been in sensational form with the bat ever since he took over the captaincy earlier this year. During the second ODI against South Africa, the right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 179 to help her side chase down 347, the highest in the women’s game. 

Probable Best Bowler: Lauren Bell

Following a successful stint in the Women’s Premier League, Lauren Bell went on to represent Hampshire in two Metro Bank One Day Cup matches. She had an excellent start to her summer, taking a career-best 5 for 22 against Durham in Southampton. The 25-year-old will once again be tasked to lead England’s seam-bowling attack. 

For yet another enthralling encounter in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, it will be Rajasthan Royals (RR) hosting Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, for Match No. 52 of the tournament on Saturday, May 09.

Rajasthan Royals started off their IPL campaign on a winning note but lost the plot thereafter. In their last five matches, the Royals have lost three games. They arrive at the clash on the back of a seven-wicket loss against Delhi Capitals. With the race for the playoffs getting tricky, the Riyan Parag-led side will be hoping to tick all the boxes and make a top-four entry.

Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, have been enjoying a decent run of late despite a sedated start. After seven matches, GT had won only three but had made a terrific comeback in the next three encounters with a hat-trick of wins. The Shubman Gill-led team will look to build their winning momentum further and solidify their position for the playoffs.

RR vs GT: Match Details

Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur: Pitch Report

The record of the 2026 season shows that chasing teams have been victorious. The pitch is considered to be of a flat nature, with no target looking like an above-par one. Targets in excess of 220 have been chased on both occasions at the venue here, and it becomes a no-brainer choice to be batting second for the upcoming clash.

RR vs GT: Head-to-Head record

RR vs GT: Predicted Playing XIs

Rajasthan Royals

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Shubham Dubey, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma, Nandre Burger

Impact Player: Tushar Deshpande

Gujarat Titans 

Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Manav Suthar

Impact Player: Mohammed Siraj

RR vs GT: Probable Best Performers of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Shubman Gill

GT skipper Shubman Gill has looked in good form with the bat but is yet to bat at his full potential. He has often got dismissed after good starts, but this time round, the Fazilka-born will look to capitalise on them and build a big innings. With 378 runs in the tournament already, it will be mouthwatering to see runs flow of Gill’s blade on Saturday.

Probable Best Bowler: Jofra Archer

While no bowler enjoys his time bowling in Jaipur, the skills that Jofra Archer offers with his raw pace and aggression make him the player to watch out for in the upcoming contest. Archer has looked like the best pacer for RR by a distance and has picked wickets for fun. He has picked 15 wickets in IPL 2026, the most for RR this season, and has contained the flow of runs in the league, which has been a high-scoring affair.

Today’s Match Prediction: Chasing team to win the match

Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Punjab Kings in a reverse fixture on May 6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in the Indian Premier League 2026.

SRH currently sit third on the points table with six wins from 10 matches. Having lost the earlier encounter against PBKS, they will be eager to bounce back and settle the score. However, a recent defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders means they need a quick turnaround to regain momentum.

On the other hand, PBKS are at the top of the table with six wins in nine matches. Despite their strong position, back-to-back losses against Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans have slightly dented their rhythm. They will be keen to return to winning ways and register their seventh victory of the season.

SRH vs PBKS: Match Details

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad: Pitch Report

The surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is generally known to favor batters, with the ball coming nicely onto the bat, allowing for free-flowing stroke play and high scores. However, bowlers can still find success if they maintain disciplined lines and lengths. The previous match being a day game saw slightly different behavior from the pitch. In a night fixture, conditions are likely to change, dew could play a role, making batting easier in the second innings.

SRH vs PBKS: Head-to-Head T20 record

SRH vs PBKS: Predicted Playing XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH):

Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins (C), Shivang Kumar, Harshal Patel, Sakib Husain

Impact Player: Eshan Malinga

Punjab Kings (PBKS):

Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (C), Marcus Stoinis, Suryansh Shedge, Nehal Wadhera, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Impact Player: Vijaykumar Vyshak

SRH vs PBKS: Probable Best Performers of the Match

Probable Best Batter: Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma could be the key batter in this clash. He has been in outstanding form, scoring 440 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 48.89. Given the batting-friendly conditions at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, his aggressive approach at the top can set the tone for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Probable Best Bowler: Eshan Malinga

Eshan Malinga could prove to be the key bowler in this clash. With 15 wickets in 10 matches, he has been a consistent performer and a genuine wicket-taking option. On a batting-friendly surface like the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, his ability to strike at crucial moments can shift momentum. If he delivers a tight and impactful spell, he could play a decisive role in guiding his team toward victory.

Today’s Match Prediction: Chasing team to win the match