Author: Staff Reporter

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has opened up about Virat Kohli’s intensity during his captaincy days. Shastri described him as a leader who demands great fitness and commitment from his teammates. Kohli, who has retired from both Tests and T20Is, will play in the upcoming ODI series versus Australia, starting on October 19. Speaking on the LiSTNR Sport podcast, Shastri said, “If you’re running between the wickets, and if you’re a lazy bugger, you will soon find out. If you are looking for a second run and if you’re panting, and if he’s looking for a third and you’re…

Pakistan captain Shan Masood is satisfied with Babar Azam’s performance in the Multan Test, in the ongoing series against South Africa, who in turn recently won the ICC Test Championship earlier this year. Speaking after the match, Masood said that Babar’s performance should be judged keeping the difficult conditions in mind. “We have to keep our expectations lower in these conditions,” he said. “Babar looked very assured in both innings. He got set and got out, but those were difficult conditions. Even South Africa’s batters found it tough to convert starts.” Babar was not selected in the Asia Cup 2025…

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has revealed that Virat Kohli is keen to play in the 2027 World Cup. In a video shared on his Instagram handle, Karthik said that Kohli knows how to handle pressure situations. “He is keen to play the World Cup,” he said. “That is number one. In London, he was training during this big layoff he’s had – the first in a long time in his life. I also know he was practising cricket easily two to three sessions a week. Now that tells you the man is serious about wanting to play this…

Nepal and Oman have confirmed their qualification for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after strong performances in the Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Oman. Both teams secured their spots on Wednesday by guaranteeing a top-three finish in the Super Six stage. The 2026 tournament will be held in India and Sri Lanka. Both teams have remained unbeaten so far in the qualifiers. They currently occupy the top two positions on the points table, separated only by net run rate. Nepal sit in first place with a net run rate of 0.745, while Oman have a net run rate of…

Kuldeep Yadav finished as the highest wicket-taker of the recently concluded series between India and the West Indies, taking 12 wickets. As a result, he has earned his career-best position in the ICC Rankings for Test bowlers. The left-arm wrist-spinner has jumped seven places and is currently in 14th spot with 689 rating points. Mohammed Siraj, who was the second-highest wicket-taker of the series with 10 wickets, is in 12th place with 726 rating points. Jasprit Bumrah leads the bowlers’ chart in Test matches with 882 rating points. South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada is in second place with 851 points. New…

India pacer Mohammed Siraj said that the pitch in New Delhi for the second Test of the recently concluded series against the West Indies was more challenging for fast bowlers than the pitch in Ahmedabad. Having played in both Tests, Siraj assessed the pitches used in the series, which India won 2–0, saying: “To be honest, this series went very well. When we played in Ahmedabad, there was some help for the fast bowlers. In New Delhi, we had to bowl a lot of overs. Every wicket I took felt like five. I feel very proud as a person after…

South African cricket star AB de Villiers has reacted to Mohammed Shami being left out of the Indian team. He feels the selectors might be moving on from the senior pacer. Shami, who last played for India in the Champions Trophy in March, had ankle and knee injuries which required surgery after the 2023 World Cup. Despite a strong performance in the Champions Trophy, he was not picked for India’s white-ball tour to Australia starting October 19. Speaking on his YouTube channel, De Villierssaid, “It is a big call from Team India. It feels like, in a certain way, they’ve…

Afghanistan’s star spinner Rashid Khan has been rested for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed that the decision was taken to keep the player in good shape. The ACB said in a statement that resting Rashid was a “precautionary measure to prioritise his well-being and sustained performance for upcoming international events.” He will return as the captain in thethree-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. Since Rashid will miss the Test, Afghanistan’s selectors have picked a squad that has a blend of experienced and new players. Hashmatullah Shahidi will be the captain. The batting will rely on Rahmanullah…

Australia captain Pat Cummins has hinted that India’s upcoming ODI series could possibly be the last time Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play international cricket in Australia. The Indian duo will return to international cricket after eight months, having been named in the squad for the three-match series, which starts on October in Perth. Speaking to JioHotstar, Cummins said that the Australian crowd might be witnessing the final appearance of the star duo on home soil. “Virat and Rohit have been part of almost every Indian side for the last 15 years, so this might be the last chance for…

Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin believes that the BCCI should establish ‘standard Test centres’ for hosting Test matches in India. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin cited examples to show that other Test-playing nations have fixed venues in order to maximise the advantage of home conditions. “India needs to have standard Test centres,” he said. “When we tour South Africa, when was the last time they scheduled a Test in Port Elizabeth? That’s because the ball spins there, and South Africa don’t want India to have any kind of advantage. Apart from Centurion and the Wanderers, India rarely get to…