The Economic Times

Defending champions Central Zone face East Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-finals. South Zone, last year's runners-up, will compete against North Zone. East Zone enters the match after a dominant quarterfinal victory. North Zone advanced by narrowly defeating West Zone in their knockout match. Both semi-finals promise intriguing contests between experienced and momentum-driven teams.

Trans-athlete Anaya Bangar opens up on cricket comeback and WBBL dream

Sanjay Manjrekar criticized the ICC and BCCI for their handling of player misconduct. He believes leniency trains young players to repeat such behavior. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi faced disciplinary issues recently. Jaiswal was fined for an on-field altercation during a Test match. Sooryavanshi also had a heated exchange after a one-day tri-series match.

Veteran Indian leg-spinner Karn Sharma announced his retirement from all cricket formats. His final professional game will be on Tuesday, August 25, concluding a long career. Sharma expressed gratitude to institutions and people who supported his cricketing journey. He achieved significant success, winning four IPL titles with different franchises. Sharma will now be available for coaching opportunities after his playing days.

England fast bowler Kate Cross has announced her retirement from professional cricket, saying the ongoing English summer will be her final season. Cross, who debuted for England in 2013, made 102 international appearances across formats and took 140 wickets. Her career included a six-wicket ODI haul and a memorable Ashes Test debut.

Jemimah Rodrigues is out of the Asia Cup and Asian Games with a hamstring injury. She sustained the injury on August 3rd while playing in England's The Hundred tournament. Medical assessments confirmed a high-grade tear, ruling her out of upcoming events. Pratika Rawal will replace Rodrigues in the Asia Cup squad. The Asian Games are scheduled to take place in Japan later this year.

India will pursue preferential trade agreements with developing economies like South Africa. This approach opens select product categories instead of deep market access. India is also negotiating preferential trade agreements with Mercosur and exploring options with Mexico. The government emphasizes inclusive stakeholder consultations for all trade pacts. This consultative style contrasts with previous trade negotiation practices.

Afghanistan has secured automatic qualification for the 2027 Cricket World Cup. This victory means the West Indies must now enter the qualifying tournament. They are ranked tenth and cannot improve their position before the deadline. The 2027 event will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

Kuldeep Yadav rested during the warm-up game after a heavy workload, which was precautionary. Other spinners like Manav Suthar and Ravindra Jadeja received extended bowling sessions. The team focused on adapting to local conditions and assessing player fitness for the upcoming series. Shubman Gill recovered well after a hand injury and prepared diligently for the spinners.

Cricket South Africa has added a T20I series to India Women's tour. The revised itinerary now includes all three international cricket formats. This expansion provides valuable match practice for upcoming tournaments. The tour will conclude with T20 matches played during the festive period. Both teams will compete across formats before the Champions Trophy.