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Digital Desk | Indore, Oct 11 (IANS) Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 69 off 30 balls before India's bowlers defended 223 on a dew-free night to beat West Indies by 14 runs in the T20I at the Holkar Stadium here on Sunday, and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Arshdeep Singh returned with figures of 3-44, while Naman Dhir took two scalps. Arshdeep, who took out in-form Shai Hope, along with others ensured that the West Indies big-hitters couldnt ace a second chase on the trot. Shamar Spri

Digital Desk | Durban, Oct 11 (IANS) Australia's fabled fast-bowling quartet of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon etched their names into the history books during the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead here. The fabled bowling unit breached a special 600-wicket milestone with their scalps in the first innings against the Proteas. The four have become the first-ever quartet to complete 600 wickets in Test cricket while playing Test matches together. Coming into

Digital Desk | Puducherry, Oct 11 (IANS) A clinical effort from the bowling attack, led by Gurjapneet Singhs three-for and two scalps each taken by Yash Thakur and Nishant Sindhu, helped India A avoid a 3-0 series sweep with a convincing 49-run victory over Australia A in the third and final 50-over game here at the CAP Siechem Ground on Sunday. In a successful defence of 275, India A bundled out Australia A for 226 in 46.2 overs. The visitors suffered a sensational collapse as they lost seven w

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) Arunachal Pradeshs domestic cricket campaign has suffered another setback, with the state forfeiting its Ranji Trophy Plate Group opener against Nagaland amid an administrative deadlock that has left its cricket association without a functioning authority to manage team selection and other operations. The match was scheduled to begin on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, coinciding with the start of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season. The forfe

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) UNICEF India on Sunday announced Indian women's cricket captain Smriti Mandhana as their celebrity advocate on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl, which highlights girls rights, safety, potential, and leadership, alongside the barriers that continue to limit their choices. In this new role, Mandhana will build upon her previous work advocating for equal rights and opportunities for children and young people and will advocate for equal opport

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah extended his wishes to devotees ahead of Shardiya Navratri, which begins on Sunday, urging people to draw inspiration from Goddess Durga as the nine-day festival gets underway across India with prayers, rituals and religious observances. On this auspicious occasion, may the blessings of Maa Durga inspire us to embrace every challenge with courage and every opportunity with hope, Jay Shah wrote on X. His

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Litton Das returned to the Bangladesh ODI side as captain as the Bangladesh Cricket Board on Saturday named the squad for the UAE tri-series, which also features Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, with mystery spinner Aliss Al Islam earning a maiden call-up too. Aliss has played one T20I in the Asian Games and has been impressive in the domestic circuit, where he has 35 wickets in 19 List A games and 60 in 59 T20Is. Right-arm fast bowler Hasan Mahmud is also back i

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Former India cricketer and IPL captain Ajinkya Rahane hit out at the contentious impact player rule in the Indian Premier League, advocating for the rule to be taken out. Rahane joined the chorus of several cricketers criticising the rule for reducing the growth of all-rounders in Indian cricket, calling it of no use. I think it should be taken out, Rahane, who has led Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals in the league, told Cricbuzz. I remember last

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje said he was delighted to return to Test cricket after three years, describing the longest format as the best in the game after making an immediate impact against Australia in the opening Test at Kingsmead. Nortje, who last played red-ball cricket for South Africa against the West Indies in Centurion in 2023, claimed two wickets on the opening day of the first Test, helping the hosts restrict Australia to 187/6 before

Digital Desk | Ranchi, Oct 9 (IANS) West Indies captain Shai Hope said building partnerships and Sherfane Rutherford's explosive batting were key to his team's six-wicket victory over India in the second T20I, as the visitors chased down a daunting target of 250 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex here on Friday. Hope smashed a blistering 45-ball century, while Rutherford hammered 84 off 37 deliveries to help the West Indies complete the second-highest successful run chase in men's T20I cr

Digital Desk | London, Oct 9 (IANS) English county club Essex on Friday confirmed the release of batter Robin Das after he appeared in court charged with raping a woman twice. Das appeared in the dock at the Inner London Crown Court on Friday and was granted conditional bail ahead of a five-day trial scheduled for January 2028. The cricketer was charged with two counts of rape in July. According to the Metropolitan Police, Das was arrested in August 2025 following reports of a woman being raped

Digital Desk | Dublin, Oct 9 (IANS) The Ireland mens cricket team will play five ODIs against Namibia in Windhoek from October 22 to November 1, said Cricket Ireland while announcing its extensive winter schedule on Friday. Following the senior team's assignment in Namibia, the Ireland 'A' side, called as Ireland Wolves, will head to Zimbabwe for a tour featuring two four-day matches and five one-day fixtures against Zimbabwe A from November 6 to 28. Paul Stirling will lead a 16-member ODI squad

Digital Desk | Durban, Oct 9 (IANS) A fast bowling attack minus spearhead Kagiso Rabada helped South Africa restrict Australia to 187/6 before bad light and rain brought an early end to the first day of the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday. Despite missing Rabada, the likes of Anrich Nortje, Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen utilised early movement and bounce effectively after Australia elected to bat on a pitch carrying a tinge of grass. Mulder drew first blood by removing Travis Head (9

Digital Desk | Melbourne, Oct 9 (IANS) Italy all-rounder Ben Manenti has landed a two-year contract with Melbourne Renegades for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season. Manenti, who previously had brief BBL spells with Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers, inked the deal on the back of a breakout year across international and domestic cricket. The 29-year-old off-spinner and hard-hitting batter was Italys star performer during their maiden Mens T20 World Cup appearance in February by finishing

Digital Desk | Durban, Oct 9 (IANS) Nic Maddinson's return to Test cricket did not pan out the way he would have wanted to, as the opener was dismissed for a 33-ball duck in the first innings of the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead here on Friday. Maddinson made a return to Test cricket after almost 10 years since last featuring in December 2016 against Pakistan and defeated testicular cancer on a fairytale comeback into the international fold. However, the Southpaw was dismissed for

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Bevon Jacobs would be missing his commitments with Auckland as he gears up to feature in the Big Bash League for a short stint with Brisbane Heat. Jacobs will join his compatriot Tim Robinson in the Heat squad for the BBL season after he was named as a short-term replacement for England's Tom Curran, who will not start due to family commitments. He will be available for the Heat's opener against Sydney Sixers on December 15, while he will also be available

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Former India captain Anjum Chopra believes Smriti Mandhana does not have to measure herself in stepping up to succeed Harmanpreet Kaur as the sides new captain and should instead carve out her own leadership path after being handed the charge across formats. Smriti was named as India's all-format captain on the same day Harmanpreet stepped down after nearly a decade at the helm. Her first full-time assignment as Indias captain is the home series against Zim

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 8 (IANS) Newly appointed Mumbai Indians head coach Luke Williams expressed his delight at getting an opportunity to be a part of the Womens Premier League (WPL) franchise, adding that he was excited to work with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, after having admired her from afar. Obviously, Ive had the pleasure of coaching against Harman in several leagues all over the world and have seen her fabulous talent and brilliant captaincy and leadership qualities and have been able

Digital Desk | Ranchi, Oct 8 (IANS) Highlighting that one can't beat experience in international cricket, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumars sustained form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and rich experience of playing in overseas conditions were potentially behind his being given a call-up for the upcoming T20I series in New Zealand. Bhuvneshwar earned his India T20I recall on the back of a sensational IPL 2026 campaign, where he spearheaded Royal Challe

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) Former Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami paid tribute to Harmanpreet Kaur after she stepped down as India womens captain across formats, lauding her courage and conviction while urging her to continue enjoying the game. Harmanpreet, who led India to their maiden senior womens ODI World Cup title, announced her decision to relinquish captaincy earlier this week. Smriti Mandhana has since been appointed as Indias new captain, while Harmanpreet remains part of t

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) With SA20 set to enter its fifth season, league commissioner Graeme Smith said his vision for the next five years of the tournament is centred on continuous improvement year after year, while the aim is for strengthening its standing in a busy global franchise T20 world. In a fast-paced mini-auction held on Wednesday, the six SA20 franchises fine-tuned their set-ups, with the highlight being the acquisition of ex-South Africa U19 players Jason Rowles by Job

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) Television sports presenter Shefali Bagga, who was under investigation for her alleged role in the Mahadev betting app case, issued a clarification on her involvement in the hight-profile case and said she unknowingly promoted the betting app and has co-operated in the investigation with the authorities. As per the latest Enforcement Directorate (ED) chargesheet, Shefali surrendered Rs 1.20 crore, the balance sum she is accused of receiving to promote betti

Digital Desk | Ranchi, Oct 8 (IANS) India will look to turn their early advantage into a 2-0 lead when they face West Indies in the second T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex on Friday, but the focus before the five-match series moves to a couple of selection calls that could test an otherwise settled side. The hosts made a commanding start in Lucknow, chasing down West Indies 171 in just 14.4 overs after Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls. The result leaves India with

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) In a major setback for grassroots cricket in the Northeast, young men cricketers from Arunachal Pradesh will miss out on the ongoing Vinoo Mankad Trophy, as the state association has failed to field a team due to an ongoing legal battle bringing cricket in the state to a complete standstill. Arunachal Pradesh was scheduled to open its campaign against Sikkim in the Plate Group of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy at the KIIT Cricket Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) India cricketer and lifelong Manchester United supporter Yuzvendra Chahal has backed the English giants to mount a strong challenge for a better position in the Premier League after the international break, drawing confidence from the teams fighting spirit and unpredictability following his recent experience of watching the Manchester Derby live at Old Trafford. Chahal, who travelled to the iconic stadium to watch Manchester United take on neighbours Manche

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has made it clear that stepping down from the leadership role has not diminished her ambitions as a cricketer, saying she remains determined to contribute to the national team and add more trophies to her collection. Harmanpreet, who handed over the captaincy after Indias Asian Games campaign, said the next phase of her career will be about greater clarity, enjoyment and continuing to contribute wherever the team needs

Digital Desk | Lucknow, Oct 7 (IANS) West Indies skipper Shai Hope admitted his sides failure to execute in the middle overs and a cluster of wickets allowed India to wrest control of the first T20I as Shreyas Iyers unbeaten 102 powered the hosts to an eight-wicket win here at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. West Indies were well placed at 82/3 after 10 overs, with Hope and Sherfane Rutherford having put together a 38-run stand after the visitors lost three wick

Digital Desk | Lucknow, Oct 7 (IANS) After years of being on the fringes of Uttar Pradesh cricket, Zeeshan Ansari is set to make his return to the Ranji Trophy squad after a gap of six years, marking another significant chapter in the leg-spinners remarkable resurgence. The 26-year-old, who last played a Ranji Trophy match for Uttar Pradesh in 2020, has been named in the state squad for the upcoming season after forcing his way back into the reckoning with a standout domestic campaign. IANS has

Digital Desk | Lucknow, Oct 6 (IANS) Captain Shreyas Iyer complimented his team for brilliant overall performance in a comprehensive win over the West Indies in the first T20I of the series against the West Indies and said scoring his maiden hundred in the format was a dream come true for him. Iyer produced a historic unbeaten 102 off 43 balls, and Naman Dhir made an impressive impact on debut as India thrashed West Indies by eight wickets at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday. Exu

Digital Desk | Puducherry, Oct 6 (IANS) Nathan McSweeney hit a century and medium pacer Mahli Beardman ripped open India As top order with a 4-23 haul as Australia A won by 125 runs in the first of the three-match 'One-day' series at the Siechem Stadium in Puducherry on Tuesday. McSweeney struck 123 off 135 balls, studded with 13 boundaries, recording his second List A hundred. He put on 141 for the sixth wicket in 23.2 overs with skipper Will Sutherland (77, 68b, 2x4, 4x6) to lift the visitors

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited applications for one position on its Mens Selection Committee, with the successful candidate set to be responsible for selecting the Senior National Mens Team across Tests, ODIs, T20Is and other formats. The one position is reportedly likely to be aimed at finding a replacement for chief selector Ajit Agarkar from the West Zone, although the BCCI has not officially specified which vacancy the appo

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 6 (IANS) Former cricketer Virender Sehwag, who hosts the streaming reality show Rise & Fall, has credited the former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly for instilling fearlessness in the Indian cricket team. Virender Sehwag spoke with IANS during the promotions of the show at a 5-star property in the city, and shared that Sourav Gangulys line of thought was simple, play the game the opponent plays, nothing more, nothing less. He shared that dada told the team to reflect the

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) BCCI president Mithun Manhas and secretary Devajit Saikia have lauded Harmanpreet Kaurs contribution to Indian womens cricket after she stepped down as captain across formats, bringing an end to a leadership tenure that culminated in Indias historic Womens Cricket World Cup triumph in 2025. The BCCI confirmed that Harmanpreet will continue to represent India as a player, with the 36-year-old deciding to hand over the captaincy after more than a decade of in

Digital Desk | Lucknow, Oct 5 (IANS) India won the toss and elected to bowl against the West Indies in the first T20I of the five-match series at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday. After making his ODI debut on September 27, Naman Dhir is set to make his T20I debut in the series opener. He received his maiden T20I cap from Arshdeep Singh. It will also be a special game for Akeal Hosein, who will play his 100th T20I for the West Indies. India c

Digital Desk | Bengaluru, Oct 6 (IANS) The Karnataka government has substantially increased the cash rewards for eight sportspersons from the state who won medals at the Asian Games 2026, raising the prize money to Rs 1 crore for gold, Rs 75 lakh for silver and Rs 50 lakh for bronze medals. According to an official statement from Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's office on Tuesday, the cash reward for a gold medal has been increased from Rs 35 lakh to Rs 1 crore, while the reward for a silver med

Digital Desk | Dubai, Oct 6 (IANS) Indias Shafali Verma and Sree Charani, along with Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, have been nominated for the ICC Womens Player of the Month award for September 2026 following a month of standout performances across the Womens Asia Cup and Asian Games. The three players played key roles for their respective teams during a packed month of T20I cricket, with India winning both the Asia Cup and the Asian Games gold medal, while Sri Lanka reached the finals

Digital Desk | Johannesburg, Oct 5 (IANS) The SA20 League celebrated five years of its journey on Sunday as the South African franchise competition looked ahead to its fifth season, with League Commissioner Graeme Smith describing the milestone as a moment of pride while promising further growth and innovation ahead of the 2027 edition. Since the tournaments inaugural ball was bowled before a sold-out crowd at Newlands on January 10, 2023, SA20 has established itself as a prominent fixture on th

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) Abhishek Sharma has credited the freedom provided by his teammates and coaches for allowing him to embrace an aggressive, impact-driven approach, saying his ambition has never been centred on personal milestones but on helping India and his teams win trophies. The 26-year-old, who was part of Indias ICC Mens T20 World Cup-winning side, discussed his playing philosophy ahead of the new home season against the West Indies. Abhishek traced the development of h

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) Fresh from being part of Indias Asian Games gold-medal-winning campaign, Abhishek Sharma is looking beyond the celebrations, saying the challenge for the young Indian side is to turn its recent success into a sustained winning habit as they begin the new home season against the West Indies. The opener said repeating success requires the team to preserve the same processes and collective hunger that helped it win the World Cup. I feel, in cricket especially,

Digital Desk | Nagoya, Oct 5 (IANS) After the Indian mens hockey team successfully defended their Asian Games crown for the very first time in the sport's history, head coach Craig Fulton said that LA 2028 is not far away and that once the Hockey India League (HIL) gets over, he will have to build a new team afresh. This will include infusing more young faces in the team in order to strike a fine balance between youth and experience. LA 2028 is within two years. It seems a long way off, but it o

Digital Desk | Vancouver, Oct 4 (IANS) The Canada Super 60 Season 2 semi-final line-up is set, with unbeaten Mississauga Masters taking on Toronto Sixers in the first knockout and Vancouver Anchors facing Brampton Blitz in the second. The women's competition, meanwhile, ended with Toronto Sixers Women successfully defending their title, beating Vancouver Warriors Women by six wickets in the final. Warriors posted 84/9 in their 10 overs, with Sophie Reid making 35 off 28 and Marizanne Kapp adding

Digital Desk | Puducherry, Oct 4 (IANS) Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Anukul Roy has been drafted into the India A squad for the upcoming three-match one-day series against Australia A as a replacement for Naman Dhir, who was called up to the senior mens T20I team for the five-game series against the West Indies. Dhir was included in India's T20I squad for the matches against the West Indies as a replacement for off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar, who was released to play Ranji T

Digital Desk | Srinagar, Oct 4 (IANS) Rest of India captain Rishabh Pant revealed that a conscious decision to adjust their bowling lengths and hit a fuller line in the second innings paid off as the side thrashed Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs to win the Irani Cup here on Sunday. After conceding a 41-run first-innings lead to Jammu and Kashmir, the Ranji Trophy champions, Rest of India produced a devastating post-lunch performance on day four, led by pacer Mukesh Kumar's 6-33, to bundle them out

Digital Desk | Srinagar, Oct 4 (IANS) Player of the Match Ravichandran Smaran attributed his match-winning composure to hit a match-winning 135 in the Irani Cup clash against Jammu & Kashmir to his extensive experience of playing age-group domestic cricket, adding that treating every game equally helped him deliver under pressure. With his parents and childhood coach Syed Zabiulla in attendance at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, left-handed batter Smaran was the standout performer for Rest of India,

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer has made it clear that he does not want to be tied down by a predetermined batting template, saying his approach will be dictated by the match situation as the team begins its preparations for the next ICC Mens T20 World Cup. Speaking ahead of Indias five-match T20I series against the West Indies, Iyer said he wants to use his natural attacking instincts while also ensuring that his innings gives the middle and lower order a

Digital Desk | New Chandigarh, Oct 3 (IANS) India skipper Shubman Gill expressed overall satisfaction with his team's 2-1 series-winning performance against the West Indies despite the five-wicket loss in the third and final ODI on Saturday, but admitted that fielding and death-overs bowling remain key areas that need immediate fine-tuning. Opting to bat, India piled up 351 for seven, thanks to a dominant second-wicket partnership of 137 runs between Rohit Sharma (92) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (57), f

Digital Desk | Srinagar, Oct 3 (IANS) Left-handed batter Ravichandran Smaran struck an unbeaten 126 to orchestrate a stunning recovery for the Rest of India as they went from a precarious 197/8 to 306/8 at stumps on day three of the Irani Cup match against Jammu & Kashmir here at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium on Saturday. Partnering tailender Mukesh Choudhary in an unbroken 109-run ninth-wicket partnership, Smarans aggressive century helped Rest of India erase a 41-run first-innings deficit and pus

Digital Desk | New Chandigarh, Oct 3 (IANS) KL Rahul's career-best score of 129 not out off 87 balls, along with fifties from ex-captain Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad, powered India to 351/7 in the third and final ODI against the West Indies at the new PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh on Saturday. It was a strong recovery for India after Jayden Seales had reduced the hosts to 4/2 inside three overs. From there, Rohit took time before bringing out belligerent shots to hit 92 off 85 balls, laced w

Digital Desk | Nisshin, Oct 3 (IANS) India head coach VVS Laxman described the teams successful Asian Games title defence as a special achievement after the mens cricket team beat Pakistan by 19 runs to win the gold medal in Nisshin, Japan on Saturday. Its definitely special, you know, to defend the gold medal. Two years back, we won in China, and again now. I feel really happy for the players, because its definitely an honour, something different for our players. A lot of them have won the Worl

Digital Desk | Dhaka, Oct 2 (IANS) The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday said it has appointed South Africas Malibongwe Maketa as the assistant coach of the national senior mens team on a two-year contract running from October 2026 to November 2028. Maketa, 46, replaces Mohammad Salahuddin, who was recently reassigned to head the BCBs High Performance Unit and is currently with the Bangladesh team, which will take on Sri Lanka in the Asian Games mens T20 bronze medal game at the Korogi Sp