Author: Staff Reporter

India’s veteran batter Virat Kohli has climbed up to No. 2 in the latest ICC ODI batting rankings after a brilliant three-match ODI home series against South Africa. Virat has 773 rating points and stands just behind his teammate and former captain Rohit Sharma. Virat was declared the Player of the Series after his outstanding performance, where he smashed back-to-back centuries followed by an unbeaten fifty, helping him score 302 runs in three matches. His runs helped India seal the series 2-1. Rohit remained at the top of the ODI rankings after a solid series where he scored 146 runs…

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has been appointed as the mentor and batting coach for the men’s team of London Spirit in The Hundred. This will be his first coaching role outside the IPL. Spirit’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, expressed his excitement about welcoming Karthik, saying: “He is a truly original thinker in our game, and his vast experience in short-format and franchise cricket will be invaluable to us. He’s also great fun to work with and brings an infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything he does.” Bobat, who has worked with Karthik at RCB, also highlighted the importance…

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has suggested that the Indian ODI team should be built around Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said that the two veteran batters must play. “Are there bigger and better players than Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? So you shouldn’t sideline them, but instead think about how to build the team around them. If you lose experience in the pursuit of youth, then it can be a problem from time to time in big matches. So they must play, and this will…

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah added another special record to his career by becoming the first Indian fast bowler to take 100 wickets in all three international formats. He reached the record during the T20I series opener against South Africa in Cuttack on December 9. Bumrah’s achievement came when he picked up his 100th T20I wicket, completing a big milestone. Other than him, only four bowlers in world cricket have managed to reach this record. Tim Southee, Lasith Malinga, Shakib Al Hasan and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only players with 100 wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He dismissed Dewald…

India crushed South Africa by 101 runs in the first game of the five-match T20I series at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack to take a 1-0 lead in the series. After the match, India captain Suryakumar Yadav credited the batters for taking the team to a decent score after losing three early wickets. In the post-match presentation, Surya said: “I told at the toss that we were 50-50, but very happy to bat first. I mean, absolutely. At 48 for 3, and then from there getting to 175… the way Hardik batted, Axar batted, Tilak batted, and in the end…

Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya played a blistering unbeaten innings of 59 and took one wicket in his comeback match to guide India to a 101-run victory over South Africa in the first T20I of the five-match series at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. In the post-match presentation, Pandya said: “I had to back my shots. At the same time, I realised that the wicket had a bit of spice. You had to be a little gutsy, and it was more about timing the ball, not trying to break it. I was very satisfied with the way I was batting.” Pandya was…

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for women has announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Harmanpreet Kaur will continue to lead the squad, and Smriti Mandhana will be her deputy. This series will also mark India’s return to international cricket after their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup win in Navi Mumbai on November 2. The team consists of regular performers like Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shafali Verma, along with all-rounders Amanjot Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, and Sneh Rana. N. Sree Charani along with Kranti Gaud, and Renuka Singh…

Former India cricketer Saba Karim has termed the decision to release Venkatesh Iyer by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a trademark move of KKR’s new coach Abhishek Nayar. Karim, the JioStar expert, said on the TATA IPL Retention Show that the big decision was taken so that more purse is available to KKR in the auction for the IPL 2026. “There is a strong possibility that KKR may buy him back. He was released at 23 crores which freed up a huge amount in their purse and chances are high that he may not go for that much money now…

All-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to be back in action for Team India as the Men in Blue begin their preparation for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with a five-match home T20I series against South Africa. The series opener is scheduled to be played in Cuttack on December 9. Speaking about the highly anticipated return of the star India all-rounder on Follow the Blues, JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar highlighted just how special Hardik is as a cricketer. He stated, “Look at all the all-rounders in world cricket now. Does England have a back-up for Ben Stokes?…

Pat Cummins will be back in charge for Australia in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide next week. The regular captain has now recovered from the back injury that kept him out of the first two Tests. Australia also suffered a setback as they have to move on without Josh Hazlewood. He suffered a hamstring and later Achilles issues for which he has been ruled out of the entire series. Head coach Andrew McDonald told reporters, “Really flat for him.” He added that the pacer suffered “a couple of setbacks that we didn’t see coming. We thought he’d play a…