Author: Staff Reporter

All-rounder Hardik Pandya made a strong return to the T20 format in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy after his injury break. Representing Baroda, he scored an unbeaten 77 and also picked a crucial wicket, helping the team secure a seven-wicket win against Punjab. He was named the Player of the Match as Baroda successfully chased down the 223-run target with seven wickets and five balls to spare. Hardik was out of action after suffering a left-quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup 2025. This was his first competitive match since then. His innings included seven boundaries and four sixes at…

South Africa legend Jacques Kallis praised Marco Jansen and called him a ‘premium all-rounder’. Kallis said during an interaction with the Indian media that Jansen was always special with the ball in hand, and now his batting has improved a lot. “He’s always been magnificent with the ball. Perhaps in previous years, he didn’t quite fulfil his talent with the bat. He’s certainly turned that around now. He’s a premium all-rounder now. I think he’s going to play a massive role in the SA20.” Jansen had a key role in South Africa’s clean sweep against India in the recently…

Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan marked a strong return to T20 cricket by smashing his first-ever century in the format during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Assam at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium B in Lucknow. Playing his first T20 game after two years, the 28-year-old reached the three-figure mark in just 47 balls. Before this, he had managed only three half-centuries, with his highest score being 67 in the format. Ahead of the upcoming IPL auction, Sarfaraz has sent a strong message with his timely ton. The right-handed batter will be one of…

India’s young batter Tilak Varma said his growth in international cricket has been shaped by the senior players and the head coach. Tilak spoke about the support and guidance he received from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Gautam Gambhir. In a conversation with JioStar’s ‘Follow The Blues’, Tilak shared, “ODI and Test cricket feel like my game because I enjoy the longer format. I’m really excited to play more ODIs as well.” He credited Rohit and Virat, explaining that their presence has boosted his confidence. Recently, India took a 1-0 lead in the ODI series against South Africa after a…

India’s young batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi has delivered a sensational performance for Bihar in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Kolkata. The 14-year-old left-hander has now become the youngest player to hit a century in this format. In the match against Maharashtra at Eden Gardens, Suryavanshi showcased his batting brilliance. After losing two early wickets — Bipin Saurabh (4) and Piyush Singh (7) — Suryavanshi stayed calm and focused. He stabilised the innings with his calm yet fierce batting and remained unbeaten on 108 runs from 61 balls. His innings included seven fours and seven sixes at a strike rate…

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has criticised India’s team selection in the ongoing three-match ODI series against South Africa. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said: “If we are not able to find a place for Nitish Kumar Reddy in a team that does not have Hardik Pandya, then there is something wrong in the squad selection, seriously.” Hardik Pandya was injured during the Asia Cup 2025 in September, which ruled him out of the Australia tour and the ODI home series against South Africa. In the current South Africa series, Nitish Kumar Reddy has been picked in place of…

India’s star batter Virat Kohli’s majestic century in Ranchi in the first ODI against South Africa once again proved his strength. On a sluggish surface, Kohli smashed 135 runs off 120 balls, which included 11 boundaries and six maximums, at a strike rate of 112.50. In a video posted by the BCCI’s official handle on X (formerly Twitter), Kohli spoke about his game awareness. “For me, the core word is awareness — being aware of situations, being aware of your own feelings and thoughts when you succeed and when you fail, so that you try to be in the most…

Former India coach Ravi Shastri said that the players have to take responsibility for India’s extremely poor performance in the recently concluded two-match home Test series against South Africa. In a podcast teaser released by Prabhat Khabar, Shastri cited the example of the second Test in Guwahati, where India faced a collapse, to justify his point. “You tell me. What happened in Guwahati – from 100/1, you skip to 130/7 – this team is not that bad either. The team is not that bad; they have enough talent. Therefore, this is where the responsibility must also be taken by the…

India’s veteran batter Virat Kohli played a superb knock of 135 against South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. Speaking on Star Sports, South Africa great Dale Steyn explained Kohli’s strong fitness routine, based on a prior discussion he had with the star batter about how he maintains his top physical form. “I actually saw him (Kohli) last night at dinner. I had a chat with him and asked him ‘What do you do, because you play just one format?’, and he said, ‘I live in London now’. He…

England great Sir Geoffrey Boycott believes the current side are capable of beating Australia for the first time since the 2010–11 series. The former opener said the present Australian team are “not unbeatable” and that the visitors are, player for player, more talented than the hosts. While acknowledging England’s impressive talent pool, Boycott called for a more measured approach from Ben Stokes and his team. “England can beat Australia in Brisbane,” Boycott wrote in his column for *The Telegraph*. “Man for man, they are more talented than the Aussies, but it doesn’t help our chances of success if Ben Stokes…