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India coach Gautam Gambhir said he was pleased with the rise in younger players ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Sunday. India hold a 1-0 lead in the two-match series and a victory in Colombo will help keep hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final alive. Young batsman Devdutt Padikkal, playing his third Test, was one of the stars of India's comprehensive 165-run win in Galle, scoring 167 and 44. Spinner Manav Suthar, in his second appearance for India, claimed a match hau

The Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo is more than a venue for cricket matches; it is part of Sri Lankas cricketing identity. Known simply as SSC and often described as the Lords of Sri Lanka, this elegant venue in the heart of Colombo has been at the centre of Sri Lankan cricket for decades. It is the headquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the home of the countrys most prestigious cricket club and the stage for some extraordinary performances. Now, SSC is entering a new era. Floodlights were

Sanjay Manjrekar: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels the team management's decision to potentially replace left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav with an off-spinner for the second Test against Sri Lanka, starting at the SSC Ground on Sunday, would be an understandable move, given the hosts' heavy reliance on left-handed batters. Analysis of Sri Lanka's scoring in the first Test at Galle, where they lost to India by 165 runs, shows their four main left-handers made 300 of the 465 runs s

Mark Butcher: Former English cricketer Mark Butcher has warned against breaking the fast-bowling quartet to fill in all-rounder Sam Curran. Since the retirement of Test captain and iconic all-rounder Ben Stokes, England face a major challenge of roping in the personnel who can fill in his all-round role, even to some extent without distracting the combination. Curran, who was recently ruled out of the rest of the English summer, was mooted as an ideal replacement for the retired Stokes. However,

UP T20 League Governing Council: Pacer Vasu Vats and spinner Vishal Nishad took clinical four-wicket hauls each as Gaur Gorakhpur Lions secured an eight-wicket victory over defending champions Kashi Rudras in the UP T20 League here on Saturday. Chasing a modest target of 139, the Gorakhpur Lions made short work of the pursuit by cruising home in just 14.4 overs at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Opting to bat first, the Rudras were put under early pressure by Vats, who removed opener Abhishek Goswami

Sri Lanka Cricket: Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva has called on his fast bowlers to raise their game and bolster the sides confidence as the hosts aim to replicate India's template from Galle to square the series when the second game begins at the SSC Ground on Sunday. Sri Lanka suffered a 165-run loss in Galle and are eyeing a turnaround to get crucial 12 World Test Championship (WTC) points. Its about putting runs on the board. Thats what India did (at Galle). For the first two days the

North Delhi Strikers Women: North Delhi Strikers Women produced a disciplined bowling and fielding performance to defend their total of 141/4 and defeat South Delhi Superstarz Women by 10 runs in the Delhi Premier League, making it two wins from two matches and taking them to the top of the points table. Chasing 142, South Delhi Superstarz finished on 131/5 in 20 overs, falling short despite a fighting effort from their middle order. After a difficult start, with wicketkeeper-batter Nishika Sing

Great Barrier Reef Arena: Scrutiny over Australia's top-order batting grew more on Saturday when it failed to inspire another strong start during the ongoing second Test match against Bangladesh at Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay. On a day which was highlighted by epic fast bowling spells from Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam, the Aussie top-order batters once again came in the firing line despite the hosts taking a 101-run lead and still having two wickets in hand after bowling the Tigers out

Former New Zealand: Interim head coach Marcus Trescothick has praised Joe Roots calming influence following his winning return as England Test captain, adding that it has brought a pragmatic shift in tactical approach after a tumultuous phase for the national side. Roots second stint as Englands Test skipper got off to a commanding start with a victory over Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley. The result comes at a time when England are recovering from a heavy Ashes defeat in Austr

The Daily Star: Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam believes his team are still firmly in the second Test despite a difficult opening day against Australia, insisting that their chance to turn the contest around will come when they bowl again. Shoriful was the standout performer for Bangladesh on Saturday, claiming 6-35 as Australia reached 165/8 at stumps on Day 1 after bowling the visitors out for just 64 earlier in the day. The message in the dressing room was that the game is far from over and o

Punjab T20 League: The excitement is building up as the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League 2026 is all set to begin on August 30 at the I.S. Bindra Stadium in Chandigarh. Six teams will battle it out for the coveted title, with some of Punjabs finest cricketing talent set to take centre stage. Among the teams in the competition are the Ludhiana Lions, who have made a major statement by picking Indias left-arm pace sensation Arshdeep Singh as their marquee player. The fast bowler is delighted to be part of

Gautam Gambhir: India head coach Gautam Gambhir said his conversations with left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav have been focused on executing solid bowling spells rather than hunting desperately for wickets, as they aim to finalise their combination for the second Test against Sri Lanka starting on Sunday. Kuldeep managed to pick just one wicket in Galle as India sealed a 165run win in the series opener and his position in the team has been subject to immense chatter for the second Test. India

SL vs IND 2nd Test, Cricket Tips: Team India recorded a thumping win over Sri Lanka in the Galle test by 165 runs. That helped them to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The second test will be held at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, starting at 10 AM IST on August 23 (Sunday). After Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal also got injured and will miss the second test. Sri Lanka have been vulnerable with the bat, and they need a strong performance. For India, it is about maintaining th

World Test Championship: India head coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed concerns over team rankings and heightened media scrutiny, adding that his sole priority is winning trophies rather than acing the popularity contest as his side prepare for the second Test against Sri Lanka, starting at the SSC Ground on Sunday. My job is to win trophies, not views and likes. That's all I believe in and that is the difference between me and everyone, Gambhir told reporters in a pre-match press conference. He als

The Indian Board: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to find the title sponsor of the Indian cricket team for home matches, as not much interest has been shown in acquiring the rights due to the steep pricing. The Indian Board either did not receive bidders for the rights, or they were not up to expectations, despite the deadline for bid submission being kept to August 13. The BCCI had released the invitation on July 20, with the last date for ITT document purchase on August

Wales Cricket Board: Former England captain Ben Stokes has described the decision to exclude Headingley from the 2027 men's Ashes schedule as shambolic, as he joined the growing criticism from players and commentators over the absence of a northern venue for the high-profile series. Stokes expressed his frustration on Instagram stories in response to a post discussing the schedule. Shame is an understatement. Shambolic would be more appropriate. Great win though, wrote Stokes, as he commented in

Indian Premier League: Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians on Saturday have appointed former first-class cricketer Zubin Bharucha as their Director of Performance across the franchise's global ecosystem. Prior to his new role with the Mumbai franchise, Bharucha served as the Director of High Performance at Rajasthan Royals, a position he held from November 2022 until his departure after IPL 2025. ubin Bharucha joins Mumbai Indians as Director of Performance and will w

India U19s: India's teenage prodigy will be passing through the lens of several cricket fans over the next fortnight as he gears up for a red-ball and leadership challenge. The now 15-year-old was made the vice-captain of the Ishan Kishan-led East Zone side for the upcoming Duleep Trophy as the tournament kicks off India's domestic season. Sooryavanshi's appointment in the squad, which had the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, opened a new door of discussion. The prod

Captain Simarjeet Singh: Captain Simarjeet Singh opened up about the team's refreshed mindset and lethal bowling partnership with Mayank Yadav after East Delhi Riders delivered a disciplined all-round performance to secure a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Outer Delhi Warriors in their Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 clash on Friday. We just tried to give our best as players and return with a strong mentality. Rather than treating every game with extreme pressure or worrying about whether

European T20 Premier League: Former India captain Rahul Dravid believes the game needs players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to develop into all-format cricketers, while stressing the importance of giving the 15-year-old enough time and exposure to red-ball cricket. Sooryavanshi, who has already made an impact in white-ball cricket, is set to feature for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy as he looks to gain more experience in the longer format. Dravid, who coached Sooryavanshi at Rajasthan Royals in IP

World Test Championship: India returned to winning ways in the World Test Championship with their victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test match at the Galle International Stadium on Wednesday. Just four days after their 165-run win, they will hit the ground running in Colombo for the second and final Test of their trip to the island nation, which begins on Sunday as focus remains on one of India's star bowlers, Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm wrist spinner didn't had a great time in the first Test

Assam Cricket Association Stadium: The stage is set for a fitting finale to the inaugural Assam Premier League (APL), with the top two teams from the league stage, Guwahati Royals and Barpeta Braves, set to battle for the title at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium on Sunday. The two sides finished level on 14 points after the league stage, with Guwahati Royals taking top spot on the strength of a superior net run rate of 0.920, ahead of Barpeta Braves at 0.614. The final brings together two

World Test Championship: Mitchell Starc etched his name in the history books as the Australia pacer became the leading wicket-taker in World Test Championship (WTC) history, producing a sensational spell against Bangladesh in the second Test in Mackay on Saturday. Starc tore through Bangladeshs batting line-up and finished with great figures of 6-12 as Australia bowled the visitors out for just 64 after winning the toss and opting to field first. The veteran pacer's stunning spell saw him overta

Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari: After unleashing the 149 kph toe-crushing yorker, breaking the middle stump during the UPT20 League, Kartik Tyagi attributed his tactical evolution to conversations with former South African international Dale Steyn. The sound of wood splintering at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium was both violent and poetic. Charging in during the second over against the Noida Kings, Tyagi unleashed a searing, toe-crushing yorker clocked at 149 kph

Punjab T20 League: Amritsar Soormas captain Abhishek Sharma reflected on leading the side in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League and stated that the biggest reward would be seeing his young teammates use the platform to earn state and IPL opportunities. Leading his hometown team will make the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League a particularly special assignment for Abhishek, who is relishing the opportunity to captain Amritsar Soormas and help shape the next generation of Punjab cricketers. Lifting the trophy wou

Australia lost three quick wickets as Bangladesh fought back on day one of the second Test with the hosts 50-3 at tea after a Mitchell Starc masterclass skittled the visitors for just 64. Skipper Pat Cummins won the toss in Mackay and his bowlers feasted on a fine day, determined to bounce back from a shock nine-wicket loss in the first Test at Darwin. An irrepressible Starc was the destroyer in an incredible spell of swing and seam, taking five wickets in 22 balls during the morning session. Ba

England began Joe Root's second spell as full-time Test captain with a totally dominant innings and 103-run win over Pakistan at his Yorkshire home ground of Headingley on Friday. Three talking points that emerged from what was just England's third win in their last 11 Tests. Cox looks the part Any assessment of England's form at Headingley has to take account of arguably one of the weakest Pakistan teams in decades. But the manner in which Jordan Cox made a maiden Test fifty while batting in wh

A rampant Australia tore through the Bangladesh batting Saturday to dismiss them for just 64 on day one of the second Test with Mitchell Starc taking 6-12 after a bowling masterclass. Skipper Pat Cummins won the toss in Mackay and his bowlers feasted on a fine day, determined to bounce back from a shock nine-wicket loss in the first Test at Darwin. An irrepressible Starc was the destroyer in an incredible spell of swing and seam, taking five wickets in just 22 balls during the morning session to

East Delhi Riders: An all-round performance helped East Delhi Riders register a comfortable seven-wicket win over Outer Delhi Warriors in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 fixture. East Delhi Riders produced an impressive bowling effort to bowl out Outer Delhi Warriors for 134 in 19.1 overs. Mayank Yadav, Simarjeet Singh and Ashish Meena led the attack and kept the Warriors under pressure throughout the innings. Outer Delhi Warriors struggled from the beginning and kept losing wickets at regul

AUS vs BAN 2nd Test, Cricket Tips: Bangladesh stunned Australia in the first test in Darwin and recorded a historic win by nine wickets to take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series. Nahid Rana and Tanzid Hasan played crucial roles in the win. Bangladesh will aim at the ultimate glory. They have a chance to become only the second Asian side in this century to beat Australia in Australia. The second test is scheduled to kick off at 5:30 AM IST on Saturday (August 22) at Great Barrier Reef Arena,

ICC World Test Championship: Pakistan's batting woes deepened as they were bowled out for just 135 in their second innings to suffer an innings and 103 runs defeat against England in the opening Test of the series, with the hosts wrapping up a comprehensive victory inside three days. Pakistan, having scored only 171 in their first innings, could not resist another fierce session from England's pace attack, and Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson between them took nine wickets as England

Dubai International Stadium: Experienced all-rounder Esha Oza will captain a 15-member UAE squad in the eight-team Womens Asia Cup 2026, scheduled to begin at the Dubai International Stadium on August 28. The hosts have been placed in Group B alongside previous winners Bangladesh, Indonesia, and defending champions Sri Lanka. UAE will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on August 29, followed by clashes against Indonesia on September 4 and Bangladesh on September 8. All matches in the tourname

Spinners Zeeshan Ansari: Fast bowler Kartik Tyagi bowled a blistering spell of express pace to help Meerut Mavericks defend a low total and secure a 23-run victory via the DLS method over Noida Kings in a rain-truncated UPT20 League match here on Friday. After being bundled out for a modest 116 in 19.3 overs, Meerut reduced Noida Kings to 51/6 in 10.2 overs before persistent rain halted play. With the DLS par score being 74, Noida fell short by 23 runs when the match was eventually called off. O

Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichands coach Sumeeth Reddy said the Indian pairs historic entry into the BWF World Championships semifinals was the result of months of careful preparation, patience and resilience, insisting that the assured medal was not the end of their journey. Treesa and Gayatri pulled off a dramatic comeback against the fourth-seeded pair Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian, overcoming a game deficit to win the match 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 in the quarterfin

Wales Cricket Board: Former England batter Mark Butcher has labelled the decision to leave iconic grounds Headingley and Old Trafford, based in the northern part of the country, off the schedule for the 2027 men's Ashes series as extraordinary and bizarre. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has assigned the five-match high-profile Test series against Australia to Trent Bridge, Lord's, Edgbaston, the Kia Oval, and Southampton's Utilita Bowl, which will host its maiden men's Ashes Test. The

Assam Premier League: Saurav Mousum Dihingia carried his bat with a composed, unbeaten half-century as Barpeta Braves edged Dibrugarh Warriors by five wickets in a tense semi-final to book their place in the final of the 2026 Assam Premier League (APL) at the ACA Stadium here on Friday. Chasing a target of 135 runs for victory, Barpeta overcame early hiccups to wrap up the proceedings in 19.1 overs, thanks to opener Saurav's 63 not out off 53 balls, which included six boundaries and a six. He wa

Joe Root: England cricketer Joe Root took back the record of completing most catches in Test cricket during the first Test against Pakistan on Friday. While he held the record after going past the previous holder Rahul Dravid, Australia star Steve Smith had briefly levelled him to jointly own the illustrious milestone. Root took back the throne in the second innings of the first Test in Leeds. Root, who has been reinstated as England Test captain, did not take a catch in the first innings, but h

Lancashire Chair Dame Sarah Storey: Veteran England fast bowler Kate Cross has announced that she will retire from all professional cricket at the end of the 2026 season, and bring the curtains down on an illustrious career spanning over two decades. Kate, 34, who made her international debut in 2013 and earned 102 caps for England across all three formats while taking 140 wickets. This summer is going to be my last playing professional cricket. Its incredibly hard to imagine ever saying goodbye

The Afghanistan Cricket Board: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is in discussions with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to potentially alter the dates of the upcoming three-match T20I series between the two nations. As per the original schedule, the three T20Is are to be played on September 13, 15 and 17 respectively at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. But the ACB is seeking to move the games to September 11, 13 and 14 respectively. The move comes with an eye on potentia

North Delhi Strikers: North Delhi Strikers made a winning start to their Womens Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026 campaign, defeating East Delhi Riders by nine wickets with more than five overs to spare here on Friday. Put into bat, East Delhi Riders struggled to score freely against a disciplined North Delhi bowling attack and were restricted to 101/8 in their allotted 20 overs. The Riders were in early trouble after losing two wickets for just 17 runs. Vanshika Lila and Sonakshi attempted to ste

Former South Africa: Former South Africa cricketer Daryll Cullinan has warned that modern Test cricket is being forced to act as a finishing school for players ill-equipped to face the moving red ball and pointed to the decay of traditional first-class apprenticeship and the misplaced copying of Australia batter Steve Smith's unconventional style. The old apprenticeship offered a safeguard we have not properly replaced. Theory never got the final vote there; the game did. A batter could arrive w

National High Performance Center: Former Sri Lanka captain and 1996 Mens ODI World Cup winner Hashan Tillakaratne has been appointed as the batting coach of the senior men's national program, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Friday. The 59-year-old left-handed batter, who scored 8, 334 international runs across 83 Tests and 200 ODIs from 1989 to 2004, officially assumed his new role on August 20. His contract runs till December 31, 2027. Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment o

Big Bash League: Having experienced the feeling of being in international cricket during Australia's white-ball tour of Bangladesh earlier this year, rising all-rounder Liam Scott said he believes he is good enough to play for the national team across all three formats in future and is eager to get into the set-up again. Scott made his ODI debut in Dhaka, where he picked two wickets, after having a stellar 2025/26 domestic season, where he was named the Sheffield Shield player of the year with 4

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto: Bangladesh are awaiting fitness clearance for opening batter Tanzid Hasan Tamim and veteran wicketkeeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim ahead of the second Test match against Australia in Mackay. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto is hopeful that the duo will get the nod from the medical team, but will have to wait before making a final call on Tanzid. The Southpaw Tanzid hit a masterful century in the first Test in Darwin, but missed the batting session in Mackay on Thursday d

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was transferred back to jail on Friday, authorities said, hours after the popular politician was taken to hospital for court-ordered medical checks. The Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Khan, 73, be taken to the private Shifa International Hospital in the capital Islamabad for treatment, after his lawyers filed a petition over health concerns. The ex-cricket captain and his wife Bushra Bibi, who is also his spiritual guide, were both sentenced late

Chennai Super Kings: Former Australia batter Michael Hussey said is considering an offer to become England's Test batting coach after receiving an informal approach from newly appointed head-coach Stephen Fleming. Hussey spent nearly 15 years alongside Fleming at five-time IPL-winning franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as both a player and later as batting coach. We (Fleming and I) obviously get on really well and work a lot together. So, it was just a bit of a passing comment, really saying, '

Sri Lanka Cricket: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Friday announced their squad for the second and final Test match against India. All-rounder Sahan Arachchige and batter Kamil Mishara have been drafted into the 14-member squad that will face the Shubman Gill-led side in the second Test in Colombo from August 23 onwards. Dinesh Chandimal, who suffered an injury during the opener in Galle, is out, as is his replacement Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who was out for a golden duck in the only innings he batted

Great Barrier Reef Arena: History books will look to add another chapter of glory when Bangladesh take on Australia in the second Test of the series on Saturday as the Asian team can complete their first Test series win Down Under. However, amid talk of creating history, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is focusing only on playing good Test cricket and not on the result. Bangladesh need only a draw at the Great Barrier Reef Arena to secure their first-ever Test series victory against Aus

Punjab T20 League: As the stage is set for the upcoming edition of the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League, scheduled to begin on August 30 at the I.S. Bindra Stadium in Chandigarh, Jalandhar Warriors captain Prabhsimran Singh is excited about the tournament and believes his team has prepared well for the challenge. Six franchises will lock horns with each other for the ultimate glory, with some of the best emerging and established cricketing talent from Punjab set to take the field. Speaking about the pre

Sri Lanka Santosh Jha: Indias High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha has hosted the Indian team here at India House ahead of the second Test of the ongoing two-match series against Sri Lanka. Jha hosted both the Indian and Sri Lankan teams on Thursday night, with the two sides preparing for the second Test, scheduled to begin in Colombo on August 23. The BCCI shared a post from the event on X, describing the gathering as a 'memorable evening.' A memorable evening in Colombo! H.E. Mr. Santosh