Author: Staff Reporter

Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has voiced his support for young batter Sai Sudharsan, saying the left-hander has great potential but needs to convert his starts into big scores. Speaking to the media ahead of the first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Pujara said: “Yes, it will be an important series for Sai, but he’s a young player who is maturing very quickly. He scored runs in England and also did well against the West Indies, so he has shown he has the potential. It’s now about converting his starts and making sure he doesn’t…

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have appointed former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson as their new assistant coach ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The three-time IPL winners made the announcement on Thursday, November 13. Watson’s inclusion in the coaching set-up is expected to be beneficial in helping the team bounce back stronger in the upcoming season. KKR CEO Venky Mysore welcomed Watson, saying: “We are thrilled to welcome Shane Watson to the KKR family. His experience as a player and coach at the highest level will add immense value to our team culture and preparation. His understanding of…

Young Australian batter Phoebe Litchfield has reacted to former captain Meg Lanning’s recent praise, saying she would be honoured to lead her country one day. Speaking on The ICC Review, Lanning had named Litchfield as her choice to replace Alyssa Healy as Australia’s next captain after Healy steps down. She made the remark after India defeated Australia in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 semi-final. Litchfield, who currently captains Sydney Thunder in theongoing WBBL, admitted that Lanning’s words made her nervous but grateful. “I look at our group, and we’ve got so many natural leaders, I just learn off…

New Zealand defeated West Indies by eight wickets with 26 balls to spare in the final T20I of the five-match series in Dunedin, clinching the series 3-1. After winning the toss, New Zealand opted to field first and their bowlers justified the call immediately. The West Indies innings collapsed early, losing four wickets in the first three overs. They struggled to build momentum and never recovered. Only Roston Chase and Romario Shepherd offered some resistance — Chase scored 38 off 32 balls with three fours and a six, while Shepherd smashed 36 off 22 balls at a strike rate of…

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin might have accidentally revealed a major trade deal ahead of the IPL 2026 season. During one of his YouTube videos, Ashwin said that, “Mumbai Indians have secured Shardul Thakur through a trade from Lucknow Super Giants”. This trade is not official yet. In a now-deleted part of his video on his channel ‘Ash ki Baat’, Ashwin said, “I don’t see any releases happening from Mumbai, they won’t release anyone. Their biggest concern would be finding a replacement for Deepak Chahar, who’s a bit injury prone. They’ve secured Shardul Thakur through a trade from LSG. That has happened, they will probably look…

England captain Ben Stokes has hit back at former players who have criticised the team’s preparation for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia. Speaking ahead of their warm-up match against the England Lions in Perth, Stokes said his side will go “balls to the wall” in the three-day game and they are fully ready for the upcoming match. The first Test starts on November 21 inPerth. Former players like Ian Botham, Michael Vaughan, and Graham Gooch have questioned the limited build-up before the big match. Botham said it ‘borders on arrogance’, Vaughan called it a ‘huge risk’ and Gooch marked…

Young wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel has dismissed any talk of competition with Rishabh Pant. He said that both share the same goal of helping India succeed in Test cricket. Speaking to JioStar, the host broadcaster, Jurel said, “There is no competition between me and Rishabh bhai. Both of us are playing for India, and whoever plays, the motive is the same: to make India win. If he plays, I am happy. If I play, I am happy. If we play together, even better. The only focus is the team.” Jurel has performed well since his Test debut against England in February…

England captain Ben Stokes is delighted to have all his fast bowlers fit and available for the first Test against Australia in Perth on November 21. Stokes is considering playing both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood together in the Ashes opener, giving England a fiery pace combination. England’s pace department looks well-stocked, with Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Archer, and Wood all in good rhythm. Speaking ahead of the warm-up match against England Lions, Stokes said it’s a huge boost to have both Archer and Wood ready again. “It’s great to have the X-factor that Joff and Woody possess…

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player Aaron Finch believes that the franchise should release Venkatesh Iyer to accumulate more funds and buy him back in the auction for a lower price. Speaking on JioHotstar, Finch said that Venkatesh could not justify the price that he got from KKR in the 2025 season. “Paying 23.75 crore is too high for a player like Venkatesh Iyer, who hasn’t been able to back that price tag with consistent performances.” Finch said. “He’s been moved around in the batting order, used out of position, and hasn’t been given clarity on his role. KKR should…

Bengal continued to set the pace in Group C of the Ranji Trophy after crushing Railways by an innings and 120 runs in Surat. They are the only team in the competition to win three games this season (from four rounds). Bengal won the toss and elected to bat first. They had a poor start, losing four wickets for just 61 runs. After that, the old warhorse Anustup Majumdar and all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed stitched together a partnership of 134 runs that not only provided the innings much-needed stability but also laid the foundation for a big score. After Shahbaz…