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Cricket in India is not just a game, it is a national pastime that brings people together, transcending barriers of language, state and generation, binding millions of people together in millions of ways. Each game is marked by anticipation, excitement, and the joy of a well-played scenario coming to a satisfying conclusion.

Cricket fans are, therefore, among the most astute competitors in the world. The advent of digital league platforms has provided a venue for that edge and Winmatch has become the action center for gamers who want to get their game on. There are 5 reasons for that.

First, find out insights that actually inform your picks.First, look for insights that tell you something about your picks.

Most platforms provide a list of fixtures and it's up to you to complete the rest. Winmatch offers a detailed analysis of the match, giving you the information you need before making your final selections. All of the venue history and player form across all formats is surfaced, along with recent scoring trends, to help make your decisions faster and sharper.

Ten minutes of Winmatch's match insights prior to every game will help you make better picks than most people who do not use them.

A Contest Guide That Removes All Guesswork

Many new players in the contests struggle with understanding how their score and gain are determined. Winmatch does just that: a detailed contest guide that offers explanation of the scoring rules in each type of contest, digital leagues, interactive contests and card games, all in very simple terms.

New entrants can look at the contest guide before entering their first contest and leave with a clear understanding of what to aim for and why.

Several types of contests for all types of participants

Not all cricket fans are active. Others enjoy the challenge of a head to head, interactive game. Others prefer to develop their standings throughout a complete digital league season. Winmatch provides both as well as card games, table games and online picks formats so that every participant can find his or her best match.

This can also help to make sure there is always a live contest on the platform between big cricket matches.

Progressive Reward System which increases as you go.

One of the most player friendly reward systems in the market is the reward system of Winmatch. New users get a welcome bonus on signing up. Participation rises, unlocking prime rewards and max rewards tiers, benefiting those with regular participation with greater rewards and bonuses.

The structure will encourage preparation and intelligent decision making in the longer term rather than on a single high score action.

A Secure, Transparent, and Verified Platform

When it comes to a contest site, trust is paramount. Winmatch is fully verified and scored and processed rewards promptly, with complete transparency about scoring and prize structures. All the rules of the contest are published on this platform and are applied to all participants.

This kind of transparency cannot be compromised, especially for those who value contest leagues above all else, and Winmatch provides it in spades.

Prepare to be a part of India's No.1 growing Contest Community?

If you're like these 5 and feel motivated by these reasons, then it's easy to know what to do next. Check out Winmatch's extensive variety of contest leagues and determine what type you will participate in. There is no need to wait for the contest guide as it will be there on registration, the welcome bonus will be in effect when you register and the match insights will be available before each match.

Ben Stokes is not dancing round the truth. He tells the truth, does what he tells, and leaves the cricket to speak for him. When he came out of Trent Bridge in his final innings as England's Test captain - a defeat to New Zealand fresh in his memory, four stellar years in the rear-view mirror - no one was taken aback that he had an answer to the question of who should occupy his seat.

The End of an Era

Stokes's retirement from international cricket has been huge news for England. He admitted "burnt out" after four years at the helm, in a dramatic way during the fourth afternoon of the third Test against New Zealand. He got burned out, and was still playing to win a game — he started the game in the chase of 373, after all!

England fell short. New Zealand were defeated by 160 runs to win the series 2-1. It was not the goodbye that was written. But Stokes hasn't taken an interest in scripts, and that's just what they were.

His legacy is revolutionary. He helped to change the England side at the helm, under his leadership and Brendon McCullum, it became fearless, positive and always attacking at the Test level. They used to call it "Bazball", the media went for it and the cricket world was left with its ears up to the ground.Explore the latest sports updates with Spin24star blog.

Why Brook Makes Sense

Harry Brook is currently vice-captain of England's white-ball teams and captain of their Test team and has been given this position by McCullum since April 2025. He is 27 years old, with an over 53 batting average in 38 Tests and is considered one of the most naturally gifted batsmen England has produced in years.

Stokes's reasoning is straightforward; you don't appoint someone as vice-captain unless you think they can lead. He referenced his own career as the example; having been Joe Root's No 2 for several years before finally wearing the armband.

Stokes said, "There's a reason that he was selected to be vice-captain of this team. “Well, at one time I was in charge of the team until Joe came back, and then it was natural for me to be the vice-captain. You don't want somebody to come in as vice-captain if you don't think they can captain the team.”

The Nightclub Shadow

Today, nothing is quite black and white in English cricket and the captaincy situation isn't without a bit of baggage.

It was obvious who would have been the next man in line to replace Stokes in the second Test match against New Zealand after a nightclub row, but that role went to the wrong man. However, Brook had been caught up in another separate late-night confrontation with a bouncer in Wellington last November — which led to a curfew being put on the team. It put the ECB in an awkward position and they opted to go back to the former captain Joe Root to lead at The Oval.

Stokes admitted that the controversy was there, but he was made aware of his lack of involvement with those decisions. There were decisions made, I know, I saw the controversy of the past couple of weeks, but there were decisions that were made that I wasn't a part of.

The implication is evident, Stokes is not happy with the way it was done. Despite the ruckus, Brook is his man. Spin24star  follows for more kinds of similar sports articles.

McCullum Stays Measured

Head coach Brendon McCullum has been more measured in his comments, but has not ruled out Brook. He admitted there would have to be discussions about the captaincy before England's next Test series, which starts on August 19 against Pakistan at home.

McCullum said it would be a couple of weeks before the next Test series. There's time to sit down and plan what that would look like, but there are leaders on the side and there are options to use, they weren't going to be Ben Stokes, who was definitely his type of leader and we all loved.He's correct that there is no one who will be Ben Stokes. Well, that's not the focus. The one thing that remains to be seen is who will carry this team forward in the same spirit of positivity, bravery and fearlessness.

McCullum chose himself to name Brook as white-ball captain. So it would be bizarre to then ignore him for the Test jersey.

Joe Root's question

Of course there is the elephant in the room (or more accurately the man from Yorkshire who's been in the room before).

Joe Root has led England in 64 Tests from 2017 to 2022. He is still one of the finest batsmen in the world. When asked to do so at The Oval this month he stepped in and did the job. Others, such as former England captain Michael Atherton, have been lukewarm on Brook's prospects, with the former commenting that he was "not the Test captain in waiting.

However, the counter argument is strong. Root had his era. Brook is young and explosive and already in the leadership structure, and that is the future. Returning to Root is like taking a step sideways at best.

What do you think Brook would bring?

The great thing about that prospect of Brook as captain at test level is that he's a Test cricketer in the vein of Stokes's England. With freedom. With aggression. Without fear of the failure.

A Brook-led England, coupled with McCullum, would be about as likely to do anything different — go on the attack, entertain, sometimes irritate, but never bore. The outfit looks good on the man. The man is the right man for the time.

And perhaps that's just what the argument is missing.

The Bigger Picture

English cricket will be in a better place than it was before Ben Stokes walked away. This is no easy feat. It's not if England can manage without him, they can, it's if England can find someone that can carry the same spirit forward.

Stokes believes the answer to that question lies with Brook. He stated this without an equivocation, it was a plain and simple statement.