Author: Staff Reporter

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, for his brilliant innings in the first T20I of the five-match series against South Africa that helped India win the match by 101 runs. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said: “India were five down for literally nothing, from there they were able to score freely and get 170 plus. Hardik Pandya played a brilliant knock, it did not seem like he was coming back from an injury. He looked in pristine form, but South Africa did not have enough ammunition in their…

Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta has raised concerns about the current form of India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav. The Men in Blue are in the final phase of preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Even though India began the South Africa series with a dominant 101-run win, Dasgupta feels the team cannot ignore their captain’s struggle for runs. “The win last night showed how good India are, especially when it is not a watch-the-ball, hit-the-ball pitch (Cuttack was a sticky surface). It says a lot about their depth,” Deep told PTI. The forme pointed out that both Suryakumar and…

New Zealand may be without the services of opening batter Finn Allen during the early stages of the T20I series against India due to his Big Bash League (BBL) commitments. The five-match series is scheduled to start in Nagpur on January 21, which clashes with the 2025–26 BBL season. If Allen’s team, the Perth Scorchers, reach the BBL final, he will be available only for the last two matches of the T20I series. If they do not qualify for the final, Allen may be able to play the entire series. The final is slated for January 25, three nights before…

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…