The Sunrisers Eastern Cape: Proteas legend AB de Villiers is excited ahead of their opening match of the SA20 Season 3 between double champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape and MI Cape Town at St Georges Park in Gqeberha on January 9. With only 50 days to go until the first ball is bowled, de Villiers, the brand ambassador of SA20, on Wednesday analysed the chances of the teams. The opening match will return to St Georges for a second year running, and De Villiers, who has fond memories of the oldest

Lucknow Super Giants: Former India batter Robin Uthappa has claimed that bids for wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will earn a paycheck of anywhere between 25-28 crore in the upcoming IPL 2025 Mega Auction. Pant is amongst the high-profile Indian players in the auction, to be held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after not being retained by Delhi Capitals. With him in the auction, teams like Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are

T20I All: India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC Men's T20I All-Rounder Rankings. Meanwhile, rising star Tilak Varma has made a meteoric rise into the top 10 batters as the ICC released the latest rankings updates on Wednesday. Pandyas consistent performances during Indias 3-1 series win in South Africa have earned him accolades. His unbeaten 39 in the second T20I stabilised Indias innings, while his economical spell of 1/8 in three overs during the decisive fourth

Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy: India bowling coach Morne Morkel said the call on injured Shubman Gills participation in the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test will be taken on morning of the match starting on November 22 at the Perth Stadium. Gill suffered a fracture to his left thumb while taking a catch in the slip cordon during India's match simulation practice at the WACA in Perth on November 16. India have also got in left-handed top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal as a back-up option. Shubman i

Indian Premier League: Australia fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood said he was very happy over the absence of top-order batter Cheteshwar Pujara from the Indian squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, starting on November 22 in Perth. Pujara was always the rock at number three which Australian bowlers found it hard to dislodge, as he amassed 993 runs in 11 games at an average of 47.28 in Test matches down under. Apart from scoring five fifties and three hundreds in Australia, Pujara was n

T20 Blind Cricket World Cup: After India's withdrawal from the 4th T20 Blind Cricket World Cup due to government clearance issues, which is scheduled to take place in Pakistan from November 22 to December 3, 2024, captain Durga Rao Tompaki expressed the team's spirit, emphasising their passion, pride, and commitment to future opportunities. This decision, which came a week after the BCCI informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that India will not not travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Cham

ICC Review Show: Former skipper Ricky Ponting compared the rivalry between Australia and India to that of the Ashes, stating that these two series are the battles in world cricket that everyone looks forward to seeing. The Ashes has been around for 142 years, with 345 Tests played under it. Australia have won 142 matches as compared to England's 110. On the other hand, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was constituted in 1996/97, with India winning 24 matches and Australia emerging victorious on 20 occ

Gavaskar Trophy Test: All-rounder Mitchell Marsh has credited working on his mental side of the game and preparation routine for matches as key factors behind his Test career coming back on track. The first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at Perth, starting on November 22, will be Marshs first Test series against India since 2018. Ive worked really hard on the mental side of my game, to be able to walk out there and get straight into my pre-ball routines, no matter how nervous I am. For me, its all

Gavaskar Trophy: Ahead of Australias first game of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India, former captain Allan Border praised Mitchell Marshs growth in Tests, adding that the all-rounder has learnt about how to become a player more suited to playing the longer format. Hes matured more and more as a red-ball cricketer. There was a lot of white-ball cricket in his Test match play in the past, but I think hes learned to become a bit more of a Test match cricketer. He can let th

Gavaskar Trophy Test: Ahead of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test, Ricky Ponting hailed the talismanic Virat Kohli, calling him an absolute superstar of the game who is deeply passionate about the way he plays, which in turn has earned him lots of respect in Australia. Kohli is a star. He's a superstar, has been a superstar of the game for so long. He's passionate about the way that he plays. Hes passionate about his team. He wants to win and he plays with his heart on his sleeve. That's what

Seamer Mohamed Shiraz: Persistent rain in Pallekele brought to an untimely end the final One-day International between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, with the match officially abandoned after just 21 overs. Despite a promising start, the weather meant the game would not proceed further, and Sri Lanka, who had already secured victories in the first two matches, claimed the series 2-0. This marks Sri Lanka's fifth ODI series win of the year, adding another impressive achievement to their 2024 campaign

Cricket Australia XI: Former India cricketer Surinder Khanna is hopeful about Indias prospects in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite their recent setbacks, urging the team to draw strength from past comebacks against Australia. Reflecting on Indias resilience in the 2020-21 series after their historic collapse, Khanna believes the squads class will shine through in the upcoming series, but stressed that match practice could have better prepared them for the Australian challenge. The tea

Gavaskar Trophy Down Under: Rohit Sharmas participation in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under remains uncertain, even after the birth of his second child, a baby boy. While the Indian skipper's presence would be vital for the series opener in Australia, former cricketer Surinder Khanna conveyed heartfelt wishes to Rohit but also emphasised the importance of joining the squad for the high-stakes encounter. Rohit had earlier communicated to the BCCI, regarding his unavailabili

Marnus Labuschagne: Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne is hoping to frustrate Indian bowlers in the middle by spending long hours in the middle to drain out the energy from them in the gruelling five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting on Friday. Labuschagne admitted that Australia is best at playing the 'long game' and emphasised the importance of spending more hours in the middle to empty the visiting pacers' juice by keeping them under pressure for long spells. The Australian batter is tryi

Willow Talk Cricket Podcast: Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson has expressed confidence in Steve Smith's abilities to bring the best version of him in the upcoming five-Test series against India starting on Friday in Perth. Smith, who struggled as an opener, will return to his usual No. 4 spot in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after Nathan McSweeney was finalised as Usman Khawaja's opening partner for the red-ball format. After David Warner's retirement, Smith was elevated to the opening role

India Tour of Australia 2024-25: Australian cricket great Ian Healy wants pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to capitalise on Virat Kohli's lean patch of form and should look to target the right-hander with 'body bash' in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, starting from November 22 at Perth. Kohli has dominated previously in red-ball cricket in Australia, averaging 54.08 and scoring six centuries from 13 Tests. However, he averages just 22.72 in his s

India Tour of Australia 2024-25 : Uttar Pradesh fast bowler Yash Dayal has been included in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad as a backup player, pacer's father Chanderpal Dayal told IANS on Tuesday. Chanderpal, while revealing that Yash got a call to join the squad when he was in South Africa for the T20I series last week and joined the team on December 17, said he is hoping for his son to make his debut in the much anticipated series. Yash got a call -- when he was in South Africa with the

Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Championship: After his outstanding return to competitive cricket during the last round of Ranji Trophy matches, star India pacer Mohammed Shami will now spearhead Bengals bowling attack in the forthcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. Young batter Sudip Kr Gharami has been named Bengal's captain for the tournament, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) announced on Monday. This means, there are very few chances of Shami dashing off to Australia to be part Indian squad at l

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Omkar Salvi, the newly-appointed bowling coach of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has said that his immediate task will be refining the skills of the bowlers so that they can deliver match-winning performances in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and beyond. RCB on Monday announced Salvi's appointment as their new bowling coach, just six days before the mega auction for IPL 2025. In his first reaction to being appointed as the new bowling coach of RCB, S

The Pakistan Cricket Board: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said they are still waiting for a response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) to the questions regarding India's unwillingness to travel to Pakistan for next year's Champions Trophy. The PCB wrote to the ICC, seeking clarification and details regarding the BCCI's decision, which had been communicated to the governing body. The PCB has requested a written response from the BCCI, along with the date it off

World Test Championship: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that after suffering a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home, the first two Tests against Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will become 'extremely crucial' for the visitors. With the World Test Championship (WTC) final berth on the line, India will need to win four of their five matches in Australia to ensure a place in next year's summit clash at the Lord's. India will be smarting from defeat in that s

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Just six days before the mega auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 in Jeddah, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday announced the appointment of Omkar Salvi as their new bowling coach. Salvi currently coaches Mumbai in domestic cricket and was previously with Kolkata Knight Riders set up as an assistant bowling coach during their IPL 2024 triumph. He is the second Indian coach RCB have brought into their backroom staff this year after Dinesh Kar

T20 World Cup: Zimbabwe have named three uncapped players - Trevor Gwandu, Tashinga Musekiwa and Tinotenda Maposa - for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan. Craig Ervine will captain the ODI squad, bolstered by experienced campaigners Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams, as well as key pace bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava. The white-ball series will kick off with three ODIs on November 24, 26 and 28, followed by as many T20Is scheduled for December 1, 3 and 5. David

ICC Champions Trophy: With fewer than 100 days left until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be hosted in Pakistan, the tournament's dates and fixtures remain unannounced, adding to the mounting uncertainty surrounding the event. However, sources close to the development have revealed to IANS that the ICC is likely to finalize and announce the schedule by the end of this week, following ongoing discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to address India's concerns. India, one of

The Sydney Morning Herald: Nathan McSweeney, who is set to make his Australia debut against India in the first Test on Friday, is unaffected by the criticism after being named as Usman Khawaja's opening partner for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The 25-year-old is confident of his abilities to perform against the challenging bowling lineup headed by premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna. For McSweeney, the opening role will be a tough spot after battin

Alex Carey: Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey has revealed about a minor technical adjustment which hes brought to his batting and could give him big returns ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India. Carey comes into the all-important five-match Test series against India after making 452 runs for South Australia in the Sheffield Sheild at an astonishing average of 90.40. When you play and play and play, you don't really get a chance to work on too many things. I w

Travis Head: Australia batter Travis Head has extended his support to Rohit Sharmas decision to skip the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be with his wife following the birth of their second child. With Rohit unavailable, pace spearhead and vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will captain the side. Head backed Rohit's priorities and said he would have done the same if he had been in the same situation. Hundred per cent, I support Rohit's decision. I would have done the same in the same situ

England Women T20I: All-rounder Alice Capsey has been called up to the England womens T20I squad for the upcoming tour in South Africa. England will play three T20s and as many ODIs before playing a four-day Test match on the tour happening from November 24 to December 18. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Alice, 20, will now link up with the T20I team due to a couple of minor injury concerns within the squad. It added that Alice, who has been playing for Melbourne Renegades in the

World Test Championship Final: Though Australia hasnt tasted success in a home Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India for nearly ten years, veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon is optimistic about their chances this time, citing their triumph over the visitors in the 2023 World Test Championship Final. Australia defeated India by 209 runs to win the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship at The Oval in June 2023, making it their maiden win of the two-year championship cycle. Indias go

Salman Ali Agha: Pakistan made two notable changes to their playing eleven for the final T20I of their three-match series against Australia at the Bellerive Oval on Monday as regular captain Mohammad Rizwan has been rested with Salman Ali Agha shouldering the captain's responsibility. With the series already lost 0-2, besdies Rizwan, the team management decided to rest pace spearhead Naseem Shah while 21-year-old left-arm pacer Jahandad Khan was handed his international debut. While Pakistan did

Nathan Lyon: Australias veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon praised his Indian counterpart Ravichandran Ashwin, calling him an intelligent bowler with a knack for learning and adapting quickly. The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy will see the resumption of the battle of off-spinners between Ashwin and Lyon. The duo made their Test debuts in the same year and have comfortably gone past 500-wicket mark in the longer format. Ash is an incredible bowler. Ive gone head-to-head with him for basically my w

New Delhi: Former England captain Michael Vaughan has questioned over Indias decision to forgo a traditional warm-up match ahead of the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Indias approach marks a departure from their previous two tours Down Under, where they played competitive warm-up matches against local teams to acclimatise to Australian conditions. In both the 2018/19 and 2020/21 tours, India utilised these games to prepare for the series, ultimately achieving historic Test victories on

Gavaskar Trophy Test: Ahead of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test starting on November 22, India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said the team got everything they wanted out of the three-day centre-wicket match stimulation at the WACA Ground. India begins its five-match Test series against Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth, followed by matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. India have won last two Test trips to Australia by identical 2-1 margins. Just before we came to Australi

Syed Mushtaq Ali T20: Devdutt Padikkal will stay back in Australia and is not part of the India A squad which is set to return home on Monday. The development comes after captain Rohit Sharma and opener Shubman Gill are most likely ruled out of the Test series opener in Perth, starting on Friday. As per the Cricbuzz report, the Indian team management, in consultation with the national selectors, has decided to retain the Karnataka batter as a backup for the senior team. Padikkal, who recently re

The West Australian: Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting in Perth on November 22, former Australian cricketer and head coach Justin Langer cautioned against underestimating the Indian team, saying one should never write off champions. India has won its previous two Test tours of Australia by identical 2-1 margins, but heads into the upcoming marquee series on the back of a 3-0 home series defeat at the hands of New Zealand earlier this month. One thing you never do is write off champion

Gavaskar Trophy Test: : In what comes as welcome news for India in their build-up to the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test starting on November 22, KL Rahul returned to batting during the team's training session at the WACA Stadium on Sunday. During Indias intra-squad match simulation on Friday, Rahul retired hurt on 29 after taking a blow to his right elbow by a climbing delivery from tall pacer Prasidh Krishna, and was forced to go off the field with the physio. As he left grimacing in pain, R

The West Australian: Former Australia fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson said he wonders if the current situation would give Virat Kohli all the determination he needs to make big runs for India in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting in Perth on November 22. The talismanic Kohli averages just 22.72 in his six Test matches this year, way short than his average of 54.08 in Tests in Australia and his overall Test career average of 47.83. Kohli comes into his fifth Australia tour after making ju

The Sydney Morning Herald: Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India starting in Perth on November 22, premier Australia batter Steve Smith admitted batting in Tests at home has become a lot more challenging now, citing changing nature of pitches and Kookaburra becoming harder. After India beat Australia 2-1 in the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in 2020/21, the batting average in Tests has gone down from 37.0 to 28.8. Moreover, average balls per wicket in Australia till

With Shubman Gill: Legendary Australia fast-bowler Glenn McGrath has urged the Pat Cummins-led side to put pressure on an emotional Virat Kohli during the upcoming five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, starting in Perth from November 22. The talismanic Kohli averages just 22.72 in his six Test matches this year, way short than his average of 54.08 in Tests in Australia. Kohli comes into the Australia tour after making just 91 runs in Indias unprecedented 3-0 series defeat at home to New Zeal