Author: Staff Reporter

Ajinkya Rahane has backed wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson despite his back-to-back failures in the three T20Is so far in the ongoing five-match series. Speaking to Cricbuzz, Rahane labelled Sanju as a match winner. “What I saw about him in the T20 format in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well, he liked to play his game. My only thing is that the communication from the management is really important at this moment because Ishan Kishan is batting well. The team generally looks at the guy who’s doing well and performing well, who’s in that rhythm. So Sanju Samson is all about…

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that it will be difficult for the Indian team management to ignore Ishan Kishan when selecting the playing XI for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “But the way Ishan Kishan is batting, how will you ignore him? Of course, it is about keeping things stable, but how can you ignore him? Whatever happened, Shubman is a precedent for this. Why was Shubman in that spot? Because after seeing the partnership between Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, that partnership looked threatening. But the way Ishan Kishan…

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka has responded to England skipper Harry Brook’s “worst pitch” comment by saying the surface at the R. Premadasa Stadium was not that bad, especially when both teams together scored 440 runs in the second ODI in Colombo on January 24. His remarks came after Brook described it as the “worst pitch” he had ever played on, despite England comfortably chasing down 220 to level the series 1-1. Ahead of the third ODI, Asalanka shared his opinion on the pitch and said, “That was his opinion – mine might be a bit different. If he says…

India’s star T20I batter Abhishek Sharma lit up Guwahati with a stunning knock against New Zealand on January 25. After his explosive innings, his mentor and former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh shared a cheeky comment on social media, reminding everyone about his long-standing T20I record. Abhishek smashed 68 runs off 28 balls, which included a half-century in just 14 balls. Yuvraj reminded everyone that his 12-ball fifty record is still safe. Reacting to Abhishek’s knock, Yuvraj wrote on social media, “Still can’t get a 50 off 12 balls, can you? Well played – keep going strong!” Yuvraj holds the record…

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar praised Jasprit Bumrah for his match-defining performance against New Zealand in the third T20I of the five-match series in Guwahati, calling the right-arm pacer ‘the best’. Speaking on the Star Sports Network as quoted by NDTV Sports, Gavaskar said that Bumrah’s four overs are extremely difficult to tackle for the opposition. “Jasprit Bumrah, I mean, like earlier in the show Simon Doull referred to the fact that when Bumrah is in the team, it becomes a 16-overs game for a batting side. And that is exactly how it was, three wickets for just 17 runs.…

Team India’s cricketing icons, Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, will be awarded the country’s prestigious civilian honour, the Padma Shri Award, for their distinguished service in sports. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the Padma Awardees on January 25, 2026, ahead of the Republic Day celebrations. The awards are approved by the President of India and are usually presented at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi around March or April. Rohit will be recognised for his illustrious career built on consistency and leadership. As captain, he led India to two historic titles — the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the…

India captain Suryakumar Yadav was pleased with the execution of the brand of cricket his team wanted to play in the first three T20Is of the five-match series. His remarks came after the Men in Blue registered an eight-wicket win over New Zealand in the third T20I in Guwahati. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Suryakumar said: “I think we’ve spoken about this. This is the brand of cricket we want to play, irrespective of whether we are batting first or chasing. Of course, for example, if we are 20 for 3 or 40 for 4 tomorrow, we know how…

Team India pacer, Jasprit Bumrah said that he wants to be flexible and bowl wherever the team needs him, be it with the new ball or at the death. Bumrah was adjudged the Player of the Match for his three-wicket spell for 17 runs at an economy rate of 4.25 against New Zealand in the third T20I of the five-match series in Guwahati. At the post-match presentation ceremony, Bumrah said: “Yeah, I was keeping an eye when Harshit and Hardik bowled, what is the best option over here. Obviously when I came, the ball had become a little scuffed up.…

England batter Joe Root has backed head coach Brendon McCullum, praising his impact on the team and calling him one of the best coaches he has worked with. He also highlighted the positive influence McCullum has had on his own game. England suffered a 4-1 defeat in the Ashes 2025–26, following which critics raised questions over McCullum’s future. Speaking after England’s second ODI win against Sri Lanka in Colombo as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, Root said, “I think Baz is one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with.” Root acknowledged the disappointment of recent results but added, “Obviously we’re disappointed…

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder, Nadine de Klerk is positive and confident that her team can bounce back after their first defeat of the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026. RCB lost by seven wickets against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Vadodara on January 24. In a media release, de Klerk reflected on the game and said, “It was a pretty disappointing day out, but we know we are much better than that. You are going to have a bad day or two, rather take it now than in the knockout games. We know we are a much better side, and…