Author: Staff Reporter

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has defended the Indian team management after Ravichandran Ashwin hinted that a lack of clarity pushed senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to retire from Test cricket. On his YouTube channel, Ashwin shared that he, Kohli and Rohit felt uncertain about their future, which led them towards their Test retirements. “There must be a certain pathway for transition,” he said. “When there is no clarity, it becomes an individualistic decision. Virat could have groomed players. Rohit could have done that. I could have done that. I have always spoken about the importance of…

Australian captain Alyssa Healy went unsold at the Women’s Premier League 2026 mega-auction, held in New Delhi on Thursday, November 27. Healy entered the auction as one of the most prominent names, but not a single franchise showed interest in her. The wicketkeeper-batter was the first player presented in the marquee set. Usually, the first set is dominated by heavy bidding, but, surprisingly, no franchise raised the paddle when her name was announced. Healy is currently playing in the Women’s Big Bash League for the Sydney Sixers. Her current form is not particularly strong, as she has scored only 65…

Madhya Pradesh captain Rajat Patidar has recovered from a left-knee injury and is now set to rejoin his team for the 2025–26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). The BCCI’s Centre of Excellence has given him the green light to play, and he will join his team in Kolkata on Friday. He will feature in the third round of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which begins on Sunday, November 30. Patidar’s knee problem first arose during Madhya Pradesh’s Ranji Trophy match against Punjab on October 15. The right-handed batter also missed some matches for India A against South Africa A on…

South Africa defeated India comprehensively by 408 runs in the second Test of the two-match series in Guwahati, whitewashing India 2-0. Rishabh Pant, who captained the second match in Shubman Gill’s absence due to injury, apologised to fans for the team’s disappointing performance. In a social media post, Pant wrote: “There is no shying away from the fact that we did not play good enough cricket over the last two weeks. As a team and as individuals, we always want to perform at the highest level and bring smiles to millions of Indians. Sorry we could not live up to…

Ace India all-rounder Deepti Sharma became the joint second-most expensive player in WPL history at the mega auction held in Delhi on Thursday, November 27. UP Warriorz (UPW), for whom she played previously, exercised their right-to-match (RTM) option to retain her services for INR 3.2 crore. In 2023, Ashleigh Gardner and Nat Sciver-Brunt were bought for INR 3.2 crore by Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians, respectively. Smriti Mandhana remains the most expensive player ever sold at a WPL auction, having been bought by RCB for INR 3.4 crore in 2023. To everyone’s surprise, Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy went unsold in…

The fourth season of the Women’s Premier League will start on January 9 and will run until February 5, 2026. Next year, the tournament will be played in two cities: Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. The announcement was made by league chairman Jayesh George during the start of the mega auction in Delhi on November 27. The opening match of the season will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the same ground where India recently lifted their first Women’s ODI World Cup trophy. The Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara will host the final, which will be held on…

India’s star batter Jemimah Rodrigues will not be returning for the Brisbane Heat for the remainder of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season 11. The right-handed batter has decided to stay in India to be with her close friend and teammate Smriti Mandhana. This means the Brisbane Heat will continue the season without one of their key overseas players. Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson confirmed that Rodrigues would be staying in India and expressed support for her decision. “It has obviously been a challenging time for Jemi, so while it is unfortunate that she will take no further part…

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that, after the home Test series loss against England in 2012, he made a promise to himself that he would retire if India lost one more time at home. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said: “I made myself a promise after the series loss against England in 2012 that if we ever lost another home series, I’d retire. The New Zealand series loss is ultimately the reason why I am sitting at home today — it broke me.” India suffered a 3–0 whitewash against New Zealand at home in 2024, and Ashwin decided…

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar believes that it is unfair to blame head coach Gautam Gambhir for the home series losses against South Africa and New Zealand. And the coach did not get the amount of credit that he deserved when India won limited overs tournaments. Speaking to India Today, Gavaskar added that it is the responsibility of the players to perform and the coach can only guide. “He’s a coach. The coach can prepare a team. But it’s out there in the middle that the players have to deliver. Now, to those who are asking, you know, for…

South Africa defeated India by a huge margin of 408 runs in the final Test of the two-match series in Guwahati, completing a 2–0 sweep. After the defeat, India’s captain Shubman Gill, who could not play in the second match due to a neck injury, reacted to the series loss. “Calm seas don’t teach you how to steer; it’s the storm that forges steady hands. We’ll continue to believe in each other, fight for each other, and move forward — rising stronger,” Gill wrote on X (formerly Twitter). India lost the first Test by 30 runs after failing to chase…