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Big Bash League: Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja has re-signed with Brisbane Heat for Big Bash League (BBL 16), marking his fifth season with the club. The 39-year-old retired from international cricket following the Sydney Ashes Test in January, before he confirmed his first-class career was over when Queensland's Sheffield Shield campaign ended in March. However, the left-hander has agreed to another season in the BBL where he will be available for all games. But whether he'll remain cap

Arun Jaitley Stadium: With the series already in the bag and the Asian Games in Japan around the corner, India will look to hand opportunities to their fringe players when they take on Afghanistan in the third and final T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Thursday. The narrative in both games won by India has striking similarities - Shreyas Iyer's side have registered clinical seven-wicket wins, which in turn has extended their winning streak in the shortest format to five games. If Sunday

Arun Jaitley Stadium: Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus admitted his sides batting failure proved costly in their seven-wicket defeat to India in the second T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, conceding that 159 was well short of what was required on a surface where the par score was around 200. Par on that wicket would be about 200. That would have given us something realistic to bowl at. I thought we actually bowled beautifully. I thought Nabi bowled really well for the first coupl

Amsterdam Flames produced their highest-scoring performance of the ETPL, posting a record 214 for five before defeating Dublin Guardians by 59 runs at Malahide. The Guardians won the toss and elected to bowl, the Flames immediately set the tone with an aggressive approach that kept Dublin's bowlers under pressure throughout the innings. Amsterdam's total of 214 for five is now the highest team score recorded in the ETPL. Curtis Campher was at the centre of the performance, producing a superb 66

Arun Jaitley Stadium: Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran admitted his side failed to address the batting issues that hurt them in the opening T20I against India, with another Power-play collapse leaving the visitors unable to set a challenging target in the second game of the series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. Afghanistan again struggled to establish momentum at the top of the innings, allowing Indias bowlers to dictate terms during the first six overs. Zadran said the team had discu

New Delhi: India captain Shreyas Iyer has indicated that the team could make changes for the third T20I against Afghanistan and hand opportunities to players who have been waiting on the sidelines, after India wrapped up the three-match series with a seven-wicket victory in New Delhi on Tuesday. With the series already secured, Iyer said the final game could be used to give the wider squad valuable exposure to the conditions while also allowing the team management to experiment with its combinat

Indian players have been rewarded with significant gains in the ICC Womens T20I Player Rankings following their teams record eighth Womens Asia Cup title, with Shree Charani strengthening her position at the top of the bowling rankings and Shafali Verma returning to the top six among the batters. Charanis outstanding four for 20 in the final against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Stadium has lifted the left-arm spinner above the 800-point mark for the first time, to a career-best 804 ratin

ICC T20I: Sree Charani has accomplished a significant achievement as she became the first Indian bowler to cross the 800-rating mark in the ICC T20I rankings following the latest update on Tuesday. This follows a stellar performance for the left-arm spinner in the Asia Cup 2026 final, where she scalped 4-20 in the title decider against Sri Lanka to cap off a strong tournament as she ended with 12 wickets. Charani's performances have made her breach the 800-mark rating in the T20I bowlers' rankin

Pakistan Cricket Board: Pakistan's rising pacer Razaullah has revealed on his meeting with England icon and captain Joe Root following his heroics in Pakistan's eight-wicket loss at Edgbaston. Razaullah put on a show with both bat and ball on his Test debut after being sent an SOS call with six other players as the Pakistan Cricket Board released seven players and coaches, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, ahead of the third and final Test of the series. The four-wicket outing and a blistering 81 wit

Big Bash League: Former Australian cricketer Ed Cowan has stated the Big Bash League does not need to rush privatisation, warning that such a move can spiral out of control. Cricket Australia recently opened the door for private investment in the BBL, but kept it as a self-determination model for the states, who will have the final say to decide when and whether to sell the stakes. (In previous seasons) they've been able to reshape scheduling, to reshape international stars and the salary cap ar

Dubai International Cricket Stadium: India women's head coach Amol Mazumdar said strong teams never forget their previous setbacks as he praised his side for learning from their 2024 final defeat to Sri Lanka and responding with a dominant 72-run victory in the Asia Cup 2026 final. India lifted the continental title for a record-extending eighth time after posting 183/5 and bowling Sri Lanka out for 111 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Speaking to the players in the dressing

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif: Seven former Australian captains have reached out to the foreign minister Penny Wong in a humanitarian appeal for former Pakistan captain and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan over his imprisonment. The letter, signed by Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh, mentioned that the former skippers are writing this ot as diplomats or political figures, but as former captains who felt compelled to speak up.

New Delhi: Australia Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins feels that Australia might have to face a little bit of hostility when the Aussies head to South Africa for their first Test tour since the infamous Sandpaper gate incident in 2018. The Aussies will now be touring South Africa for three ODIs and as many Tests. While they have previously played white-ball cricket in South Africa, this is their first red-ball series since that 2018 incident. While Australia are currently in Zimbabwe for three O

Gas Development Company Limited: Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam is set to return to the domestic red-ball circuit for the first time in seven years in a bid to regain his form. Babar's last domestic first-class appearance came when he led Central Punjab to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title in December 2019. He will play for Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in the ongoing President's Trophy Grade 1 first-class tournament after the department signed him as a guest player. Babar joined a

Trinbago Knight Riders: India wicketkeeper-batter Sushma Verma has joined Trinbago Knight Riders as a replacement for Yastika Bhatia ahead of the Women's Caribbean Premier League 2026 knockouts. The development comes as Yastika leaves the 2022 champions ahead of the 2026 final as she prepares to lead India A in a three-match one-day series against Australia A at home. The series will begin on Sunday in Mohali. Sushma has been out of the reckoning from the Indian side for quite some time now. Her

The accommodation arrangements for Indias cricket teams at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya created an unusual controversy, largely because crickets stars are accustomed to luxury five-star hotels on international tours. The Indian Olympic Association, however, made it clear that the cricketers would not receive special accommodation simply because they belonged to cricket. The message was straightforward: if the BCCI wanted to house its players outside the official Games accommodation, it c

President Rajeev Shukla: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President Rajeev Shukla said the decision not to accept the Womens Asia Cup from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi following their tournament victory in Dubai was something they decided after thorough discussion. At the Dubai International Stadium, India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs on Sunday to secure their record eighth Womens Asia Cup title. But Harmanpreet Kaur's squad declined to collect the tro

Duleep Trophy Final: Nottinghamshire have signed India fast bowler Mukesh Kumar for the final two matches of the 2026 County Championship season, the English county club announced on Monday. IANS had previously reported on August 30 that there was a possibility of Mukesh and senior India pacer Mohammed Shami turning out in the later stages of the County Championship. This news agency also understands that Shami too might sign a deal to play in fag end of the County Championship. Mukesh, 32, has

County Championship Player: Indias left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has promised to return to the County Championship after picking a career-best 10-wicket match haul to spin Yorkshire to an innings-and-106-run victory over Essex at Headingley. Kuldeep took 4-70 in the first innings before returning figures of 6-50 in the second innings and grabbed his first ten-wicket performance in first-class cricket, which in turn secured Yorkshires Division One status inside three days. Kuldeep, who joi

European T20 Premier League: Senior Australia batter Steve Smith has raised doubts over his participation in next year's Ashes tour of England, revealing he is managing his Test career on a series-by-series basis while targeting to play in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Smith, 37, is currently featuring for the Amsterdam Flames in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL). The right-handed batter has played 125 Tests and scored 37 centuries and is currently the second-ranked mens Test batter behind

The International Cricket Council: India fast bowler Kranti Gaud has been fined 10 per cent of her match fee for a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during her sides Womens Asia Cup final victory over Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday evening. The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Monday that Kranti violated Article 2.5 of the player code of conduct, which covers the use of language, actions, or gestures that disparage or could provoke an aggressive re

Arun Jaitley Stadium: India will look to seal the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan when they meet in the second game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, with the visitors needing a much-improved performance to keep the contest alive India have a 1-0 lead after a dominant seven-wicket win in the opener. Afghanistan were reduced to 43/5 inside the Power-play before Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi revived the innings with an 83-run partnership. Omarzais unbeaten 64 off 44 balls

Bangladesh Cricket Board: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has withdrawn fast bowler Hasan Mahmud from Kent duty during their ongoing Division Two campaign, as Kent's promotion hopes have been dealt a blow. With a busy international schedule approaching, the BCB has opted to withdraw one of their premier speedsters, who was a vital cog in Bangladesh's historic win over Australia in Darwin last month. He has also been in stellar form for Kent, with seven-wicket match hauls in the past two games, an

ENG vs SL 1st T20I, Cricket Tips: After a dominating test series win over Pakistan, England are scheduled to take on Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs. The action begins with the first T20I on Tuesday. This contest will kick off at 11 PM IST at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Harry Brook will lead the hosts, and they have an explosive batting lineup. Phil Salt is unavailable as he is injured, but Jordan Cox has been brilliant in the recent series. England beat India 4-0, and they will look

AFG vs IND 2nd T20I, Cricket Tips: India have recorded an easy win in the first T20I against Afghanistan to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Abhishek Sharma produced another blistering innings with a 22-ball fifty and ended up scoring 82 off 32 balls with seven sixes and seven fours. Ishan Kishan also did well, and Indian bowling was pretty impressive. Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai did key jobs for Afghanistan, and all other players were poor on the field. The second T20I will k

Ask Shikha Pandey: Ask Shikha Pandey how she is still running in and bowling fast at this stage of her career, and she does not talk about desire, or hunger, or any of the usual words. Instead, Shikha, 37, talks about recovery protocols and carrying her own tools wherever she gets to play in leagues worldwide, including in the ongoing Womens Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) and before she starts, she issues a warning. Okay. I'll be a science geek now! I have my own compression boots that I travel

ZIM vs AUS 1st ODI, Cricket Tips: Zimbabwe and Australia are all set to collide in a three-match ODI series in the next coming days. The first ODI is scheduled to commence at 1 PM IST at Harare Sports Club on September 15. Sikandar Raza will lead Zimbabwe in the absence of captain Richard Ngarava. Greame Cremer is back for the hosts and will play his first ODI since March 2018. Mitchell Marsh will be leading Australia in the absence of Pat Cummins. Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from ODIs.

When Mixed Martial Arts: When Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) makes its Asian Games debut at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Indias Varun Sanyal will enter the competition carrying both an established record and a personal journey shaped by wrestling, WWE and a love for the Rocky Balboa story. A two-time national champion and bronze medallist at the Asian AMMA Championships in China in January 2026, Varun will compete in the mens traditional 77kg division as MMA makes its first appearance as a medal sport at the As

Joe Root says England are back on track after descending into chaos in recent months as he celebrated a 3-0 series whitewash over Pakistan on Saturday. Root, who previously served as skipper for five years before standing down in 2022, returned to the role following the dramatic international retirement of Ben Stokes in June. Stokes announced his shock departure during the Trent Bridge decider against New Zealand, having been stood down from the previous match following a disciplinary probe into

Babar Azam: Pakistan captain Babar Azam said the team needs to sit down, assess their mistakes and decide on their best playing XI after England completed a 3-0 Test series sweep with an eight-wicket victory at Edgbaston on Saturday. Babar admitted Pakistan need to make key decisions about their personnel and approach if they are to make their Test cricket competitive again after a difficult series in England. I think we need to sit down and reflect on our mistakes, decide what type of playing e

Arun Jaitley Stadium: Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran said his team has devised specific tactical plans to counter returning fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and hopes to handle him effectively in Sunday's opening T20I game, to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Bumrah is set to return to international action following a layoff due to a left knee injury sustained while fielding in the second ODI against England in Cardiff in July. His return adds the much-needed cutting edge to the Indian bowli

Arun Jaitley Stadium: India captain Shreyas Iyer faces a tight selection decision in the make-up of the top order ahead of Sunday's first T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, adding that the depth of talent is more of a luxury for him rather than a headache. India face a tight selection call for their top-order options between teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. After Samson had low scores in Ireland and Engl

Pakistan finally found some spark in the third Test against England at Edgbaston but it was too little, too late to avoid a 3-0 whitewash. Captain Joe Root led from the front on Saturday as England shrugged off the loss of two early wickets to win by eight wickets, following decisive victories at Headingley and Lord's. AFP Sport looks at three talking points after the end of a one-sided series. New Root era English cricket was at a low ebb just two months ago following a series loss to New Zeala

Joe Root: England captain Joe Root credited former coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes for laying the foundation for the teams success after England completed a 3-0 Test series sweep against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday. Root, who returned to the captaincy for the series, said Englands dominant run was a continuation of the work done by McCullum and Stokes, who transformed the teams approach during their tenure. I dont think we would have been able to play in the manner that we ha

Punjab T20 League: Amritsar Soormas marched into the final of the inaugural Sher-E-Punjab T20 League after registering a commanding seven-wicket win over Mohali Kings at the I.S. Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Saturday. The Soormas produced a strong all-round performance, with their bowlers restricting Mohali Kings to 169/7 before Naman Dhir took charge with the bat. His aggressive knock helped Amritsar chase down the target comfortably and book their place in the title clash. Batting first, Mohali

World Test Championship: England moved further away from Sri Lanka, and a little closer to India in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table after beating Pakistan in the third Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, which saw them sweep Pakistan at home. Joe Root and Jordan Cox led the way with half centuries as the Three Lions chased down 130 to win by eight wickets and register their first home whitewash of Pakistan as they won the three-match series 3-0. Even though they are unlikely to play th

Arun Jaitley Stadium: India captain Shreyas Iyer said he hopes his strong working relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir will drive clear communication and an aggressive approach in the shortest format in the coming times, starting with Sunday's T20I match against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Having previously won an Indian Premier League (IPL) title together as captain-mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2024, Iyer highlighted the head coach's aggressive

Arun Jaitley Stadium: India skipper Shreyas Iyer said returning fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah's focus is entirely on match readiness and winning championships as he prepares to return to international action in Sunday's T20I opener against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Bumrahs return after missing England's third ODI and the Sri Lanka Test series delivers a crucial boost for India, whose T20I form has faltered since June via defeats to Ireland and England, before winning the series in Z

Joe Root: England overpowered the only fight from Pakistan's batters in the series after beating them in the third and final Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, to seal their first-ever whitewash of Pakistan at home. Joe Root (62) and Jordan (59) scored half centuries as England chased down the 130-run target after Mohammad Abbas' early strikes put the hosts under pressure. But the unscathed 128-run partnership from the No.3 and No.4 sealed the deal for the Three Lions for an eight-wicket win, which

A young Razaullah arrived in the northern Pakistani city of Mardan with his two elder brothers, dreaming to make it big in cricket with his thunderbolt deliveries and powerful hitting. His brother Samiullah did not want his sibling to be a truck loader like him, and instead made sure the tall and strapping fast bowler went to the town's cricket academy on his way to play for his country. Razaullah dismissed one of the world's best batters Joe Root with his fourth ball on his Test debut before sm

England overcame a major wobble to beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the third Test at Edgbaston on Saturday, sealing a 3-0 series sweep. The home team, chasing just 130 to win, were in deep trouble when openers Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay were dismissed in the first over, bowled by Mohammad Abbas. Joe Root, England's record runscorer, edged his first ball, bowled by Razaullah, through the slips for four in a nervy start but settled and scored quickly to take the sting out of the situation. The s

T20 World Cup: Afghanistan could deploy veteran off-spin bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nabi with the new ball in Sunday's opening T20I game to target India's heavy left-handed top order, warned former off-spinner and national selector Sarandeep Singh. A significant part of the build-up to the three-game series has been how the Indian batting line-up could counter the threat posed by Nabi, ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, especially in the power play and middle overs. Bowl

Dubai International Stadium: Former India mens cricketer Vivek Razdan said that vice-captain Smriti Mandhana must anchor the innings and play to her natural strengths rather than trying to emulate the high-risk aggression of her partner Shafali Verma in the upcoming Women's Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka. Seven-time champions India enter Sunday's final to be played at the Dubai International Stadium as favourites to win the title, though they did lose to Sri Lanka in the 2024 edition final in

T20 World Cup: Returning to international cricket via the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan offers ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah a nice path to rebuilding his match fitness after recovering from left knee injury, believes former India pacer Vivek Razdan. Bumrah has picked 121 scalps in 95 T20Is and won the T20 World Cup twice, including being Player of the Tournament in the 2024 triumph and winning the Player of the Match award in the final against New Zealand earlier this year. Bumrah's

AFG vs IND 1st T20I,Approaching Milestones and Records :The much-awaited T20I series between Afghanistan and India is all set to kick off on Sunday, September 13, in Delhi. The Indian Cricket Team led by Shreyas Iyer will square off with the Afghanistan Cricket Team under Ibrahim Zadran. This match will be played at Arun Jaitley Stadium, starting at 7 PM IST. Shreyas has a chance to add a home series win under his belt as he is coming off a series win in Zimbabwe, after two poor outings in Irela

Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra: Ludhiana Lions' medium pacer Krish Bhagat paid an emotional tribute to his grandfather, Bhagat Chunni Lal, after powering his team into the semifinals of the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League. Bhagat picked two wickets as the Lions defeated Amritsar Soormas by five wickets in a crucial clash at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. He later dedicated his wickets to his late grandfather Chunni Lal, who was also a former Punjab minister. Dadu passed

T20 Asia Cup: Indias bid for an eighth Womens T20 Asia Cup title will face a stern examination from Sri Lanka when the two unbeaten sides meet in Sundays final at the Dubai International Stadium. India's standout performers throughout the tournament have been Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma. Shafali has scored 168 runs and tops the rankings, with two fifties demonstrating her consistent performance at the top of the order. Her resilience in difficult batting conditions has been especially import

Blind Cricket Asia Cup: The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) on Saturday named India's probable squad of 24 players for the 2026 Asia Cup in Dhaka as the defending champions look to bag a second title. The Men's Asia Cup 2026 for the Blind is the second edition of the tournament and returns after a decade-long gap due to logistical constraints. India's probable team of 24 will be reduced to a final 17-member squad after a national coaching and selection camp, which will include

New Delhi: India's veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami reflected on his recent accomplishment of competing in 100 first-class matches during the Duleep Trophy 2026 final for East Zone. Shami, who has been out of the Indian team for quite some time now, called playing 100 matches always special and highlighted that his hunger remains the same as before. 100th match is always special, whether you score a hundred and raise your bat for the first time or you play in 100 matches, it is a very long jou

IND-W vs SL-W Final, Cricket Tips: For the seventh time in ten editions, India Women and Sri Lanka Women will be facing each other in the final of the Women's Asia Cup. India women won the first five finals between the two sides, but Sri Lanka won the last final in 2024 under Chamari Athapaththu. Can Sri Lanka repeat that glory and stop the Indian juggernaut? The final of the ongoing edition will kick off at 8 PM IST on Sunday at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. Both teams have been undefea