NEW DELHI: Social media has found a fun new way to bring the 1980s back, with AI turning modern-day pictures into vintage portraits. The trend has now reached the Indian cricket team, with several players enjoying a hilarious surprise ahead of their T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi.
Two days before the series, the Indian players gathered at their hotel for a photo session. But before it began, they found a table filled with AI-generated pictures of themselves.

The portraits, featured in a video shared by the BCCI, showed the players in classic 1980s looks, complete with bell-bottom jeans, big sunglasses and retro hairstyles.

India allrounder Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma picked up the portraits and burst out laughing as they showed them to their teammates. Jasprit ****** rah also joined in the fun.

Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube checked out their retro pictures and appeared amused by their new 1980s avatars.
Ishan Kishan, who recently led East Zone to Duleep Trophy glory, fully embraced the retro look. He held up his AI-generated picture, sang and posed for the camera as his teammates enjoyed the moment.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur and Ravi Bishnoi also broke into smiles after seeing their 1980s avatars.
India and Afghanistan will face each other in a three-match T20I series, starting Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

The second and third T20Is will be played on Tuesday and Thursday at the same venue.

#portraits

NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shared a fun moment after East Zone's memorable Duleep Trophy 2026/27 triumph. Kishan, who captained East Zone in the final against South Zone, had a light-hearted exchange with his 15-year-old deputy over who should get the credit for the successful DRS calls during the match.

Kishan had a memorable final, scoring more than 350 runs across the two innings, including a stunning 270 in the first innings, and was named Player of the Match.
Kishan jokingly claimed that Sooryavanshi had taken all the credit for the DRS calls, even though the captain was the one who was initially going to take the reviews.

"Yeh sab review mein credit le hi liya hai har jagah. Bhale main lene waala tha review, but aake mast bol deta tha main aapke paas aa jaata hu. Phir toh internet will be like: Vaibhav! My goodness! Vaibhav is the one! Toh bohot acche se isne woh kaarya nibhaya hai. (I am very happy (He has taken all the credit for the review everywhere. Even though I was about to take the review, he would come and say it so confidently, 'I'll come to you'. Then the internet will be like: Vaibhav!)," Kishan said in a video posted on BCCI's social media handle.

Sooryavanshi was quick with his reply.

"Aur jab field ke bahar jaa rahe the tab kon le raha tha review? Yeh bhi toh bata dijiye! (When we were going off the field, who was taking the reviews then? Tell us that too!)"

Kishan then praised the teenager's leadership qualities and suggested that Sooryavanshi could have a bright future as a captain.

"Haan, that was Vaibhav himself! Yes. Future captain, maybe? Let's see how it goes. But it's very good to have him in the team because more than a very good player, he's a very nice boy who takes care of each and every one in the team, whether it's a junior player or senior."

Kishan then jokingly corrected himself when talking about Sooryavanshi being a junior.

"Achha, junior toh tu hi hua (Oh, you are not a junior anymore now), sorry, sorry. That is one quality which I love about him. Hopefully, he'll be more dangerous than what he is today.

"I think it's not going to be his first or the last. I think he's gonna play many more like this, and he'll keep performing the way he's doing right now," he stated.
Sooryavanshi also spoke about the fun atmosphere in the East Zone camp and praised Kishan for his outstanding batting performance in the final.

"The way we were off the field and the way we were enjoying inside, it was a lot of fun. The way he batted in the final, it was unbelievable. I can't say anything much about it.

"I think the match changed from there and as a captain, a lot of people have been watching and playing under him for a long time. It was a lot of fun to play in his captaincy. We enjoyed a lot."
Kishan ended the exchange by stressing the importance of enjoying the game as a team.

"The most important thing is to enjoy. The result is not in our hands, but to enjoy as a t

Bengaluru: The BCCI's decision to send a full-strength squad to the Asian Games later this month has brought one name into focus - Jasprit ***** rah. The premier India pacer has not played for India since the second ODI against England in Cardiff in July, when he limped off after suffering an impact injury to his left knee. He has since been undergoing rehabilitation and is part of India's squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, although his participation is subject to fitness clearance.

With the Asian Games in ***** an beginning later this month, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes the tournament could provide ***** rah with valuable game time ahead of India's next major ***** ignment, the New Zealand tour.

The Asian Games, then, is the perfect opportunity for ***** rah to ease back into competitive cricket before that series. "There's a fair gap between the Asian Games and the New Zealand series, so playing ***** rah in the Asian Games is actually a good idea because he has to get some bowling under his belt. In Sri Lanka, we heard Mohammad Siraj was not quite in rhythm because he hadn't played enough in competitive matches. The bowlers need to get some overs and ***** rah getting them is very essential," Gavaskar said.

Although Shreyas Iyer has lost six of the seven T20Is he has led India in this year, Sunil Gavaskar backed him. "He's very experienced as a captain, having led Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings. I don't think there should be any pressure on him at the Asian Games. "

'Asian Games ***** le defence won't be easy'

Gavaskar was quick to add that the ***** le defence won't be an easy ride for India. "It's going to be tough because it's a T20 tournament. Bangladesh are in form, Pakistan are always dangerous and Sri Lanka are a terrific team, not to forget Afghanistan, so it's not going to be easy at all," he said. Gavaskar pointed out that the Asian Games will be a huge learning experience for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. "To be able to meet sportspersons from other sports from across Asia can be an absolute treat. For Sooryavanshi, I hope it turns out to be even more inspirational because he will get to rub shoulders with athletes who he's looked up to."

(This interaction was facilitated by Sony Sports Network)

#asian #easy #sunil #zealand

CHENNAI: There are five India 'A' 'Test' matches over the next two months against the Aussies at home and New Zealand away. The Duleep Trophy final here between East and South Zone here starting Sunday is an audition for that and the national selectors, including chairman Ajit Agarkar, will be in Chennai to check the performances of the aspirants.

The BCCI also wanted to add a bit of star quotient to the marquee domestic match with KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj being asked to join the South sq-uad. While Padikkal and Siraj will play the game, Rahul made himself unavailable. Padikkal is coming on the back of a superb series in Sri Lanka and South captain Tilak Varma confirmed on Saturday after a practice session that the left-hander will bat at No. 3.

"Padikkal will strengthen our batting line-up, especially with the kind of form we have seen from him in the last few games. He has done really well, so it will be a big boost for us," Tilak said.

The final carries massive historic weight for East Zone, who reached the ****** le match after a gap of 14 years. Coincidentally, their last final appearance was also in Chennai, a match they won. This fixture also marks red-ball cricket's return to MA Chidambaram Stadium after two years.

"Yes, after 14 years. I was not part of each and every year, but I am part of East Zone this year, and we are in the finals...We played like an unit and cared for each other," East Zone skipper Ishan Kishan said. There's a lot of hype around 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who struck a crucial 92 in the semifinal against Central Zone.

#zone #east #match

NEW DELHI: India and ****** an are set to share a historic cricketing moment when their men's sides meet in a T20 International at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture on September 22, 2026, as part of celebrations leading into the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Suzuki Cup will mark the first senior-level international cricket match between India and ****** an and is being positioned as a significant milestone in the expansion of the sport in ****** an. The fixture will also launch "Sport 75", an initiative aimed at promoting people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between India and ****** an through sport. ****** an and India will formally mark 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.
The initiative stems from an agreement reached during a summit between ****** anese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also takes into account India's ambition to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.

For ****** an, the occasion represents an opportunity to showcase the sport to a wider domestic audience, while India's participation could provide a major boost to cricket's profile in the country and across East Asia.

BCCI honorary secretary Devajit Saikia described the fixture as a "historic occasion" and said the board was delighted to be part of an event that would take Indian cricket into "new territory".

"This is a significant moment for cricket, as it takes the Indian team to new territory and provides an opportunity to introduce the sport to a wider audience in ****** an and East Asia," Saikia said.

He also underlined the broader significance of the partnership, saying, "India and ****** an share a strong and longstanding relationship and friendship, and we are pleased that cricket will be part of the celebrations marking 75 years of bilateral relations between the two countries."

Saikia added that the BCCI recognised its responsibility to help cricket expand beyond its traditional territories.

"The BCCI believes that the growth of cricket must extend beyond its traditional territories, and as the world's largest cricket board, we recognise our responsibility to contribute to that growth," he said.
Japan Cricket ****** ociation CEO Naoki Miyaji said hosting India, the reigning world champions, represented a landmark occasion for the ****** ociation.

"To be able to invite the reigning World Champions to the home of cricket in ****** an is a landmark moment for our ****** ociation," Miyaji said.

He thanked the BCCI for helping make the fixture possible and said the JCA was looking forward to the response from Indian supporters.

"We greatly look forward to welcoming the passion of Indian cricket fans, and we actively encourage any local ****** anese people curious about cricket to come and cheer on our team in what will be a truly memorable occasion," Miyaji said.

The match in Sano is expected to serve not only as

A major age-fraud crackdown has hit Bengal cricket, with the BCCI suspending leg-spinner Rohit Yadav from domestic cricket for two years after discrepancies were found in his age-related documents.

The action comes shortly after Rohit was picked for India's Under-19 ******* ignments against Australia. The youngster had also featured in India's U-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July, where he took six wickets and helped the team secure victory in the final Test.

Rohit, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, had recently been part of India's U-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July. He claimed six wickets on the tour and played a key role in India's victory in the final Test. The spinner was subsequently selected for India's U-19 home ******* ignments against Australia, with multi-day and one-day matches scheduled to be played in Rajkot and Ahmedabad later this month. However, his selection came under scrutiny after inconsistencies were found in his age-related documents during the Sri Lanka tour.

According to the PTI report, Rohit has three birth certificates that list different years of birth - 2007, 2009 and 2010. The discrepancies make him ineligible for age-group cricket and prompted further verification of his records.

The 19-year-old, who has represented Bengal in age-group cricket, was found to have an age discrepancy of 27 months, according to the CAB. The ban is effective immediately, with all BCCI-affiliated state ******* ociations notified of the decision.
Rohit's case is part of a much wider crackdown by the CAB on age and documentation irregularities. The ******* ociation has declared 62 players ineligible for registration or transfer for competitions during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons.

The CAB has also barred 62 other players over similar age discrepancies. Among them is former India Under-19 World Cup-winning pacer Ravi ******* ar, who played a key role in India's ******* le-winning campaign in the 2022 edition in the Caribbean.

Ravi, a left-arm pacer, made his senior debut for Bengal in 2022 but last featured for the state in 2023. His age-group records from his debut through the 2025-26 season will now be considered invalid. His age discrepancy is understood to be more than 40 months.
133763750

#bengal #lanka #discrepancies

Report: Nearly 10-year age fraud uncovered as Bengal cricket bans 65 players including an India U-19 World Cup winner originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cricket ***** ociation of Bengal banned 65 players over age fraud and documentation issues.
2022 U-19 World Cup winner Ravi ***** ar was flagged with a 45-month age discrepancy spanning five domestic seasons.
India U-19 leg-spinner Rohit Yadav received an immediate 2-year BCCI ban following the discovery of a 27-month birth record irregularity.
Indian domestic cricket's chronic struggle with age manipulation has hit a massive administrative wall in Kolkata. According to a report from RevSportz, the Cricket ***** ociation of Bengal (CAB) has unleashed a sweeping crackdown, barring 65 players from registration and transfers across the 2026–27 and 2027–28 domestic seasons due to severe documentation flaws and systemic date-of-birth discrepancies.

#players #India #fraud

New Delhi: As the Indian team awaits Jasprit **** rah's fitness reports ahead of the T20I series against Afghanistan next week and the subsequent Asian Games, the national selectors have identified Prince Yadav as a probable backup.

TOI understands that **** rah, Nitish **** ar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana are due to undergo match simulation tests over the course of this week before the Indian team **** embles in Delhi on Sept 10.

"The BCCI medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) had shared a report with selectors last week, where it was mentioned that these four players were clinically fit but had to be **** sed in practice matches. The CoE has lined up the matches from Sept 4-9. The CoE is confident that the players should be ready for the Afghanistan series," a BCCI source said.

Prince made his international debut in the ODI series against Afghanistan at home in June. He too suffered a hamstring injury in the second T20I in Zimbabwe on July 25.

It is learnt that he has been declared fit by the CoE and is available for selection. Prince has been doing well in T20Is since this year's IPL and the selectors see him as a serious prospect going forward.
The selectors and the team management want **** rah to get some game time in a first-class match before the Test series in New Zealand. **** rah hasn't played a red-ball match since the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati last November. He has only played T20 cricket before injuring his knee after two ODIs in England in July.

"As it is, he has to skip Test matches because of his fitness. One has to be clear that his knee can take the load of a first-class game before he takes the field in a Test in New Zealand. It needs to be seen if he plays a Ranji Trophy game or a first-class game for India 'A' in New Zealand. He is likely to be rested for the T20I series against West Indies at home in October. But the 'A' games in New Zealand overlap with the ODI series there," a source said.
133754397

#series #test #prince #bumrah

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is taking a long-term view of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's astonishing rise, with secretary Devajit Saikia revealing that the board is closely monitoring the 15-year-old and wants to ensure his early success translates into a long and distinguished international career.

Sooryavanshi's rapid emergence was among the matters discussed at Thursday's high-level BCCI review meeting in Mumbai, which was attended by Saikia, India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, head coach Gautam Gambhir, Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman and other senior officials.

The teenager has already gone from being an IPL sensation to becoming India's youngest men's international debutant, and the BCCI is now determined to ensure that his development is handled carefully rather than allowing the weight of expectation to derail his progress.

"We want Vaibhav Sooryavanshi or any player of his stature to continue and serve like Sachin Tendulkar did for the country or other players who in the past became legends," Saikia said.

"So we look at Vaibhav in a very serious manner. He's monitored from every angle and every step he is taking forward in his international career. The BCCI is taking a very close look at his future."
Saikia made it clear that the BCCI's objective is not simply to maximise Sooryavanshi's immediate impact but to build a career that can last for years.

"You see, the BCCI can be proud that we are promoting a player of the age of 15 years who is already making his mark in the international scenario and we are very cautious that every right step he should take forward so that it should not be a one series or one year wonder," he said.

The comparison with Tendulkar was particularly significant. Like Sooryavanshi, Tendulkar was thrust into the international spotlight as a teenager before going on to enjoy one of the longest and most successful careers in the history of the game.

The BCCI secretary stressed that Sooryavanshi's progress would be closely tracked at every stage.

"We want Vaibhav's relevance, or any player of his stature, to continue and serve as Sachin Tendulkar did for the country or other players who in the past became legends," Saikia said.

The teenager's rapid rise has given the board plenty of reason for optimism. He was India's youngest-ever men's international debutant after earning his maiden call-up following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals.

Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties, while his 72 sixes set an IPL record for a single season. He subsequently won several awards, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes honours.

He also made an immediate impact for India against Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs in three matches as India completed a 3-0 sweep and claimed his maiden Player of th

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has drawn up a roadmap to address India's recent overseas setbacks, mounting player injuries and preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, with secretary Devajit Saikia revealing details of Thursday's high-level review meeting in Mumbai.

The meeting, attended by head coach Gautam Gambhir, Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer and Centre of Excellence director VVS Laxman, reviewed India's recent tours of Ireland and England as well as the team's preparations for the next phase of the international calendar.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was absent, but Saikia said there was no controversy behind his non-participation and insisted no discussion took place about his future.
Saikia strongly rejected suggestions of a communication gap between the team management and the Centre of Excellence, particularly after several high-profile injury setbacks.

"Everybody is on the same page. BCCI is working in a very well like a well oiled engine," Saikia told reporters.

"There is proper coordination amongst all the wings of BCCI, whether it is women's teams committees or their technical staff or their coaches, vis-a-vis the COE, vis-a-vis the Indian men's team's coaching staff and the head coach. There is no difficulty in the coordination, everything is moving in the right direction."

However, he admitted that the frequency of injuries remains a major concern and said the board intends to address it through changes to the next Future Tours Programme (FTP).

"The only challenge which we are facing is that there are too many matches in the year and that is why in the next FTP we will do certain things, we will take certain measures."

The proposed changes will particularly affect preparation for tours to SENA countries — South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia.

"We have instructed our FTP persons who will be meeting very soon in various international forums that our FTP should be in such a way it should be scheduled that there is proper rest for the players as well as some kind of acclimatisation or some kind of friendly matches before any major series in SENA countries," Saikia said.

The comments come after India suffered a difficult run in overseas white-ball cricket, losing 0-2 to Ireland in the T20Is before a 1-4 defeat to England in the five-match series. India also lost the ODI series in England 1-2.
Saikia acknowledged India's shortcomings and said the review meeting focused on understanding why the team had struggled.

"We discussed (about) our team performed in England and Ireland and also about what we are going to do about the next one year. The road map has been prepared and we will be doing some exercises so that we have a very good performance in 2027 (ODI) World Cup," he said.

"Yes, we did not do well. We lost matches in Ireland and England, so we wanted to know what the reasons were. We have to do certain soul searching about that

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia on Thursday cleared the air over chief selector Ajit Agarkar's absence from the board's review meeting, while dismissing speculation about changes to the senior men's selection committee.

Agarkar was not present at the meeting, which focused on India's recent performances and the team's preparations for a packed international calendar leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Saikia explained that Agarkar was out of station when the meeting was called at short notice and was unable to join virtually because he was in an area with poor connectivity.

"Today he (Agarkar) was out of station, so he could not be a part of the meeting. Because this meeting was called at very short notice and our head of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, was not in town, he could not join it, and he was in such an area that he could not join online also, despite our best efforts," Saikia told to reporters after the meeting.
Saikia also rejected reports suggesting that Agarkar's tenure could be coming to an end or that the BCCI was considering changes to the senior men's selection committee.

"There was no such discussion on this in today's meeting. I do not comment on new rumours. We did not have any such discussions, nor did we have such intentions," he said.

The BCCI secretary also ruled out any discussion about appointing a director of cricket for the men's team. According to Saikia, the meeting was primarily focused on reviewing India's performances on recent tours and mapping out preparations for the next phase of the international calendar.

"There was no discussion on the selection committee. Our whole focus was on performances in England and Ireland, as well as the recent Test series in Sri Lanka and what we are going to do in the upcoming series before the ODI World Cup, which is our ultimate goal," he said.

The meeting, Saikia clarified, was not about deciding individual player selections or fixing format-wise combinations.

"We have not discussed all these things regarding the team selection, team combination, who will be playing in what format. For that, selectors will take a call. Today, the selectors were not part of the discussion. So when the selectors meet to select the team for the West Indies series, as well as thereafter for the New Zealand series, they will consider whatever parameters are to be considered by them," concluded Saikia.
India face a packed schedule over the next several months, with the team set to play Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series before the Asian Games in ****** an later this month. The West Indies will then tour India for three ODIs and five T20Is, followed by a demanding multi-format tour of New Zealand featuring two Tests, five ODIs and five T20Is.

India will subsequently host Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is before facing Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series in January 2027. The marquee ****** ignment will be the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy again

NEW DELHI: BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has pushed back against growing speculation over Rohit Sharma's ODI future, insisting that the former India captain is continuing to perform at a high level and questioning why his place in the side is being debated.

Speaking after a high-level Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) review meeting in Mumbai on Thursday, Saikia offered a firm defence of the 39-year-old, whose future has again become a major talking point with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching.

"He is playing superbly in all the matches. So, what more do you want? In the last match, he scored 138 runs. So, why there is a speculation? So, I don't want to give fodder to the speculations," Saikia said.

His comments came amid reports that selectors had considered moving on from Rohit in their ODI plans, potentially leaving his participation in the 2027 World Cup in doubt.
The speculation intensified during India's ODI tour of England earlier this year, with reports suggesting the Lord's ODI could be Rohit's final appearance in an India shirt.

Instead, Rohit responded in characteristic fashion — with a match-defining performance.

He smashed 138 at Lord's, becoming the oldest Indian to score an ODI century at the iconic venue, although his effort came in a losing cause. The innings once again demonstrated why questions over his future have been accompanied by equally strong arguments for his retention.

Following the England tour, Rohit made it clear that the constant speculation did not concern him.

"If there's no noise, there's no fun. My job is inside; their job is outside. That's how I look at it," he had said. "The noise since I made my debut was there. And till the time I'm going to stay here, it's always going to be there. It doesn't really matter too much. What matters is what I do on the field. I want to try and contribute to the success of the team. That's all my focus is."
Rohit retired from Test cricket in 2025 and from T20Is in 2024, leaving ODI cricket as his only remaining international format.

The latest comments from Saikia came after a meeting attended by head coach Gautam Gambhir, ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, BCCI president Mithun Manhas and Saikia.

The secretary had already backed Rohit before the Lord's match, saying on July 17: "Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team, and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, the Lord's ODI won't be his last match."

Rohit's age remains an unavoidable part of the discussion. He will turn 40 in 2027, the year of the next ODI World Cup, and India will inevitably have to consider succession planning.

#speculation

Former India batter and Director of Cricket at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, VVS Laxman, is set to travel with the Indian men's team to ******* an and will take charge as head coach in the absence of Gautam Gambhir for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this month.

Gautam Gambhir will remain with the senior side for India's home ODI series against the West Indies. The first ODI is scheduled to be played on September 27.

Laxman will be ******* isted by former India spinner Sunil Joshi, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Subhadeep Ghosh, according to the list of coaches released by the Sports Ministry. The development was earlier reported by TimesofIndia.com in July.

Laxman has previous Asian Games experience, having coached the Indian men's team at the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, China, where India won the gold medal.
The cricket competition at the Asian Games will begin on September 24, with India scheduled to play its opening men's match on September 28. India will defend its men's T20 ******* le under captain Shreyas Iyer, with teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also part of the squad. The men's team will face the second-placed side from Group A, which comprises Afghanistan, ******* an and Nepal.

The Indian women's team will also enter the tournament as defending champions and will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur. The women's side will enter the competition at the quarterfinal stage and face hosts ******* an. Amol Muzumdar will continue as the head coach of the women's team, with bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi and fielding coach Munish Bali completing his support staff.
Indian men's team: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish ******* ar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit ******* rah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Indian women's team: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Gunalan Kamalini, Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Nandani Sharma.

#coach

Mumbai/New Delhi: The future of Rohit Sharma and the shape of India's ODI team for the next World Cup cycle are set to dominate discussions when the BCCI's top brass meets in Mumbai on Thursday for a wide-ranging performance review.

While recent defeats in Ireland, England and Sri Lanka will be ***** sed, board officials are understood to be more concerned about the lack of a clearly defined ODI roadmap at a time when preparations for the 2027 World Cup should be taking shape.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, president Mithun Manhas, head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and Centre of Excellence chief VVS Laxman will attend the meeting, with ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill and T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer also expected to be present.

At the centre of the discussions lies the most sensitive issue facing Indian cricket: Rohit's future. Though there is immense respect for the veteran opener's stature and achievements, selectors and members of the team management are increasingly aware of the need to prepare for a post-Rohit era.

According to sources, one option under consideration is to evaluate Rohit's role on a series-by-series basis rather than committing to a long-term plan through the entire World Cup cycle.

"It's very tough on a young captain like Shubman Gill when there is no clear direction. The dressing-room environment in the ODI team hasn't been the best, especially when it comes to dealing with stalwarts," a BCCI source said.

The uncertainty around Rohit reflects a broader concern. Of India's three national teams, the ODI side is regarded as the least settled. Injuries and workload management have prevented selectors from identifying a stable core, leaving several key positions unresolved.

The fast-bowling allrounder's role remains a particular headache. Hardik Pandya continues on a managed workload programme after recurring fitness issues, while Nitish ***** ar Reddy is yet to receive full clearance following rehabilitation.

"Hardik, at the moment, has been cleared to bowl six overs in a day. Reddy is still to clear his fitness tests. The ODI team doesn't have even half of the core ODI team ready. It has to be a joint effort between the CoE and the team management to zero in on players and formulate a roadmap to get them all on the park as soon as possible," the source said.

The review was initially planned after the Ireland and England tours but was postponed because of the subsequent Sri Lanka ***** ignment. It will now cover India's performances across multiple tours, including Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

India's 2-0 T20I series defeat in Ireland and the 4-0 drubbing in England raised alarm bells, with the 125-run loss at Nottingham viewed internally as one of the team's poorest performances in recent years. Gill's ODI side also lost the England series 2-1.

However, officials insist the exercise will focus on solutions rather than ***** igning blame, with particular emphasis on recurri

IND vs AFG T20I series 2026: Hardik Pandya unlikely to feature as India all-rounder suffers fresh injury originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
India star Hardik Pandya's comeback faces another setback after a fresh niggle emerged during training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
Selectors are set to meet this week, though Pandya's fitness timeline may rule him out of the Afghanistan T20Is.
Pandya hasn't featured for India since the T20 World Cup final on March 8.
Hardik Pandya's road back to the Indian team has reportedly hit yet another speed ****** p, with a fresh leg issue threatening to keep him out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

#India #t20i #series

BENGALURU: In 118 minutes and 81 ******* , Vaibhav Sooryavanshi offered a glimpse of the raw talent that has made him one of Indian cricket's most sought-after prospects. The southpaw backs his big-hitting ability irrespective of the format and his fearless approach was on full display as the East Zone opener smashed 92 (7x4, 7x6) against Central Zone on Day 2 of their Duleep Trophy semifinal at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Monday.

At 15 years and 157 days, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a 50 in the tournament, breaking Central Zone's Laxman Singh's record of 16 years and 23 days, set in January 1969.

The innings was more than just a record. Since his Ranji Trophy debut in 2024, the teenager had managed 215 runs from nine first-class matches. While he has built strong credentials in white-ball cricket, the longer format remains a stern test. Sooryavanshi was in no mood to let a red-ball challenge pass without making a statement.

The first session was all about his attacking display. After getting off the mark with a risky single, the left-hander struck his first boundary with a stylish square drive. That was merely an appetiser, as he repeatedly looked to score in the V against the pacers, including Yash Thakur, whom he deposited over the bowler's head for his first six. His 18 singles were as much a sign of maturity as his seven sixes were of his power.

His domination helped East Zone race to 64 in the first 10 overs. On 40, Sooryavanshi was handed a reprieve when Yash Rathod dropped a straightforward catch off Saransh Jain. The batter made the most of it, bringing up his half-century off 42 ******* with a six over long-on.

What stood out was not just the power, but the range. One particular ******* ault on pacer Aryan Pandey was striking. Charging down the track, Sooryavanshi smashed the ball straight back over the bowler's head for his fourth six.

Such was his command that it seemed to matter little who was bowling. Off-spinner Saransh Jain, who recently made his India Test debut, was dealt with equal confidence, conceding a four and a six as Sooryavanshi raced towards the nervous nineties in the 25th over.

However, he was left distraught when another attempt at a maximum landed in Arshad Khan's hands at deep mid-wicket off Harsh Dubey, leaving him eight runs short of his maiden first-class hundred.

Along with Abhimanyu Easwaran's 69, Sooryavanshi's 92 formed the backbone of a 161-run opening stand that helped East Zone reach 266, exactly matching Central Zone's first-innings total. Central were 45/3 at stumps.
Brief scores: Central Zone 266 & 45/3 in 20 overs (Mukesh ******* ar 2-14) vs East Zone 266 all out in 57 overs (Abhimanyu Easwaran 69, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 92; Aryan Pandey 3-43, Yash Thakur 3-66, Harsh Dubey 4-66).

#central

In the longer format, patience and discipline are traditional routes to building an innings. The beauty lies in embracing that challenge when the situation demands it.

South Zone found themselves in a similar situation on Monday. At 80/5, they were staring at the prospect of conceding first-innings lead to North Zone, who had posted 195 in their Duleep Trophy semifinal at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here.

What followed over the next 271 minutes was an exhibition of restraint and disciplined batsmanship as Tilak Varma (106 batting, 225b, 7x4) and Shreyas Gopal (87, 169b, 11x4) took centre stage with a 175-run sixth-wicket partnership. Their stand eventually turned the tide, helping South secure a first-innings lead. They were 285/9 at stumps, 90 runs ahead on the second day.

South, who resumed on 40/2, were rocked by the brilliance of pacer Gurnoor Brar (4/70), who arrived in the city from the Sri Lanka tour on Friday. Making the most of windy conditions, Brar produced a peach in his fifth delivery of the day to disturb Narayan Jagadeesan's stumps. He struck again soon after, producing a similar delivery to castle R Smaran's off stump before dismissing Kodimela Himateja for a duck.

With their backs against the wall, Tilak and Shreyas joined hands and tested the North bowlers' patience.

The Karnataka all-rounder brought up his first four off the 42nd ball he faced. Tilak did not find the boundary again until his 154th delivery, with that four taking South into the lead. Having curbed his instincts and reached his fifty without a boundary, the Hyderabad batter gradually shifted gears.

Shreyas, meanwhile, completed his fifty in 107 ******* and looked in control as he appeared on course for his seventh first-class hundred. But pacer Arshdeep Singh ended his vigil when he edged one through to stand-in wicketkeeper Abdul Samad.

With South's tail beginning to crumble, Tilak was in danger of missing out on a deserved century. The Hyderabad batter, though, held his nerve, smashing two successive fours off Gurnoor to bring up his eighth first-class hundred in 219 ******* .

Interestingly, all seven of Tilak's fours came after he reached his fifty — a reflection of the restraint that underpinned his innings. With South nine down, he will be eager to carry that momentum into the third day and stretch their lead into three figures and beyond.
Brief scores: North Zone 195 vs South Zone 285/9 in 94 overs (o/n: 40/2) (Narayan Jagadeesan 36, Tilak Varma 106 batting, Shreyas Gopal 87; Arshdeep Singh 2-59, Anshul Kamboj 2-53, Gurnoor Brar 4-70).

#lead

MUMBAI: When the Duleep Trophy semifinals began at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday, 19-time champions West Zone were conspicuous by their absence.

West crashed out after a 52-run defeat to North Zone in a low-scoring quarterfinal, with North posting 251 and 222, while West managed 187 and 234.

Former Mumbai first-class cricketer Amit Dani, who coached West Zone this season, believes the tournament's knockout format needs a rethink.

"I suggested to the BCCI that it should seriously consider not having knockout matches until the final in the Duleep Trophy. It's the first tournament of the season and players are often a bit rusty. Even if North Zone had been knocked out after just one game, it wouldn't have been fair on their players either," Dani told TOI.

Dani argued that the current format limits opportunities for players and selectors alike.

"The selectors wanted to watch Tanush Kotian, but they got to see him in only one match. It was a difficult wicket where the ball was gripping and turning, making batting tough. Players need more games. With the final scheduled only on Sept 6, there is room for one more league match," he said.

Despite the early exit, Dani found plenty of positives in West's campaign. He reserved special praise for Musheer Khan, whose 96 in the fourth innings was the highest score of the match.

"On that wicket, it was a top-quality knock. It wasn't easy to bat there, but Musheer showed superb temperament and skill," Dani said.

He felt Anshul Kamboj's brisk 60 in North's first innings and Ruturaj Gaikwad's run-out while batting on 66 in the chase proved decisive.

"For us, Musheer, Tanush and Tushar Deshpande stood out. Tushar bowled with real fire and intensity. I hope all three are considered for India A or the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup," Dani added.

#west #musheer #first

New Delhi: A controversy is never far from Delhi cricket. As the third edition of the Delhi Premier League T20 comes to a close, Delhi and District Cricket ******* ociation (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley spoke to TOI on the pressing issues...

How has the DPL benefitted Delhi cricket so far?

DPL has been consistently throwing up names who are fetching good prices in the IPL. We expect a few more this year. But it has turned around the women's game altogether. The senior Delhi team won the women's national one-day tournament. The U-23 team has won once and finished runners-up once.

How does it impact the revenue?

All I can say is that the DDCA can now take care of the expenses for all the Delhi state teams across age-groups and genders throughout the year with the profit we make from this league.

There have been doubts cast on quality of players playing, especially with the Dev Chaudhary controversy...

DDCA, by principle, revisits every regulation of the league after each season. I feel for the boy for what he has to go through.

What's the plan with the new stadium?

We have identified two spots in Delhi. One is the landfill in Okhla and the other is near Badarpur. We are in the process of finalising the venue to build a stadium with 70-80k capacity. We are in talks with BCCI to come up with suggestions or a collaboration to create a state-of-the-art facility.

Many players avoid playing Ranji Trophy and just focus on T20 leagues...

That is something we have observed, especially with a few senior fast bowlers. We will keep a close watch on them this season. If they dodge Ranji Trophy, they will not be considered for Delhi in other formats.

#senior

The Indian cricket board's reluctance to seek better price discovery ahead of the upcoming IPL and home bilateral media rights tender is weighing heavily on the industry.

With about six months to go before the final IPL edition of the 2023-27 rights cycle begins, there is growing concern among cricket's biggest stakeholders that the absence of a credible bidder other than JioStar will prevent an accurate ******* sment of the property's value, and, in turn, deny the market the competitive tension that has driven IPL rights upwards for a decade.

That sentiment was echoed by none other than Uday Shankar, the media entrepreneur who serves as vice-chairman of JioStar, at the recent ET World Leaders Forum.

"Ten years ago, you would have multiple and serious media companies (around four) competing for major sports rights. You'd have four or more companies genuinely fighting for properties. Today, increasingly, it feels as if we are the only ones standing. And that's not healthy," Shankar said.

"The fundamental issue is that the cost of the rights has risen dramatically. But the ability to monetise those rights hasn't necessarily risen at the same rate. The value of sports is enormous, but the rights holder, broadcaster and platform all need to participate in a sustainable ecosystem," he added.

The worrying part of this narrative is the absence of a Plan B for Indian cricket. That JioStar will bid healthily for the IPL is a given: its subscription numbers are heavily leveraged against cricket consumption. What is baffling is the BCCI's inability to bring more participants to the table.

Players such as YouTube and Netflix have been engaging aggressively with sport in the West. YouTube's move into rights aggregation and bundling has, in fact, become an industry trend of its own.

YouTube increasingly treats sport not as a series of standalone rights acquisitions but as the anchor of a broader pay-TV and subscription ecosystem. Its seven-year deal for exclusive US distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket — worth a reported $2 billion a season — works both as a value-add for YouTube TV subscribers and as a standalone product sold through YouTube channels.

Average revenue per user in the West bears little resemblance to what the subcontinent generates, which complicates the ******* umption that volume alone wins the argument. Even so, Indian cricket remains the only market in this part of the world worth a player like YouTube testing the waters in.

More recently, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told The Economic Times that the streaming giant was interested in live sport, including cricket, but had no intention of becoming a "conventional full-season sports broadcaster".

If so, a property like the IPL sits squarely in Netflix's territory. The storytelling potential of an India-first sports property speaks to a billion-plus domestic audience, a vast global diaspora, and to markets where cricket remains one of India's most effective export

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi captain watch: How did the 15-year-old fare as East Zone's stand-in skipper in Duleep Trophy semi-final? originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took over as East Zone's stand-in captain on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy semi-final.
The 15-year-old India star replaced Ishan Kishan, who left the field with a thumb injury.
The Central Zone were bowled out for 266 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has spent the past 18 months collecting records **** ody his age had any business holding, and Bengaluru has produced another. The 15-year-old has taken charge of East Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone, his first captaincy role in senior first-class cricket.

#sooryavanshi #zone #semi

New Delhi: India's team management and selectors are working on backups for the middle order ahead of the ODI World Cup next year. TOI has learnt that Tilak Varma's name has come up as a potential backup option for Shreyas Iyer in the top six of the batting lineup.

Tilak, being a left-handed batter, is seen as someone who can break the monotony of right-handers in the batting lineup. Tilak has been asked to work on his bowling since it is believed that his off-breaks have a lot of potential. The team management, in fact, has flagged the dearth of bowling options in the top order, citing it as a reason for extra pressure on the lower order and the bowlers.

The planning for the ODI World Cup will only begin in earnest when India reach New Zealand in October, since most of the first-choice players will not be available for the ODI series against West Indies at home from September 27. A full-strength T20 team is also scheduled to travel to ****** an for the Asian Games at the same time.

"Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill feel there isn't any backup ready for the middle order. With Hardik Pandya and Nitish ****** ar Reddy being ****** e to injuries, they want someone in the top order who can at least chip in with four overs in an ODI," a BCCI source said.

Over the last year, the team management has been compelled to play either Washington Sundar or Axar Patel at No. 5 or No. 6 to balance the playing XI. In the last series in England, Ishan Kishan was sent in ahead of vice-captain Iyer.

"The team has to be prepared for conditions in South Africa in the World Cup. Iyer got injured in Australia and his game against pace and bounce is untested of late. The team already has two ageing players in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They are having niggles as well. KL Rahul too will be over 35 by the time the World Cup comes around. Ravindra Jadeja isn't a certainty either. The fielding of the team has suffered due to fitness issues. The team management feels that they need younger backups ready," the source said.
The selectors, it is learnt, are not comfortable with playing batters out of position. Last year, Ruturaj Gaikwad was played at No. 4 and scored a hundred against South Africa in Raipur. But he has not been picked in the ODI team since.

"Gaikwad was picked as backup opener since Gill was injured. The team management feels Tilak could have been tried in that place. That's why they don't want to rush Devdutt Padikkal in the ODI setup because he found his calling in white-ball cricket while opening the batting," the source said.

The team for the West Indies series, however, will be an anomaly since Iyer, Tilak, Ishan and Axar will not be available. The selectors are more focused on picking another wicketkeeper for the series.
The selection committee is due to meet by September 3 to pick the team for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi from September 13.

Sources said that the selectors are l

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has opened up about his bowling spell in East Zone's opening Duleep Trophy 2026 match, saying he always enjoys bowling and joking that captain Ishan Kishan did not know he was a "wicket-taker."

Sooryavanshi, who was named East Zone vice-captain for the tournament, made an impact with the ball in the second innings against North East Zone. The left-arm spinner took two wickets in a three-over spell as East Zone completed an innings and 210-run win on Tuesday.

Speaking in a video shared by BCCI Domestic, Sooryavanshi said batters enjoy bowling just as much as bowlers enjoy batting.

"If you ask any batter, they always enjoy bowling. A batter always enjoys bowling and a bowler always enjoys batting equally," Sooryavanshi said.

The teenager said Kishan brought him into the attack because East Zone needed a breakthrough, but added that the captain did not know what he was capable of with the ball.

"Opponent team's wickets weren't falling, so I was asked to bowl two or three overs. Ishan bhaiya felt like he was taking a risk, but he didn't knew that I am a wicket-taker," he added.
Sooryavanshi's spell changed the innings quickly.

He first dismissed Kishan Lyngdoh, who was caught at deep covers while trying to play an aerial shot. Three ***** later, he got left-handed batter Imliwati Lemtur to edge behind, with Kishan taking the catch behind the stumps.

The Bihar youngster said he knew he had only three overs to bowl and wanted to make the most of them.

"I had only one thing in my mind: that even if I take five wickets, I'm only going to get to bowl three overs only. So (the plan) was to bowl as well as I can and target one spot only and finish my spell well."

The Rajasthan Royals batter did not have much success with the bat in the match. He scored eight in East Zone's only innings but said contributing with the ball made up for it.

"It was a lot of fun because batting didn't go so well in the match. So, contributing with the ball was great. And of course, when a batter takes a wicket, there's no greater enjoyment than that, so it was a lot of fun!" he concluded.

Sooryavanshi now has four wickets in First-Class cricket.

East Zone have qualified for the Duleep Trophy semi-finals and will face Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru. The match starts at 9:30am on Sunday, while the final begins on September 6.

#only #batter

Bengaluru: While the Indian cricket team made its Asian Games debut in Hangzhou in 2023, its first appearance at a multi-sport event came at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. In Kuala Lumpur, a star-studded side featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Anil ***** ble, VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh bowed out in the league phase. Twenty-five years later, Laxman returned to the multi-sport arena, this time as coach, guiding India to gold in Hangzhou.

Now, as the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian team prepares to defend its ***** le at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture, ***** an beginning with the quarterfinals on Sept 28, Laxman spoke exclusively to TOI of the unique appeal of multi-sport events, India's Asian Games campaign and the experience of being part of the cricket team's journey from its first CWG appearance to maiden Asian Games gold.

"My first experience of a multi-discipline event was at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. The whole experience of being part of the Indian contingent feels really great, and that kind of experience every young cricketer should get. It's great that I've had that opportunity both as a player and coach," said the head of cricket at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.

Recalling the Hangzhou experience, the former batting great said, "Obviously, it's not like your mainstream cricket series or tournaments that we've been part of since we started playing for the country. The Asian Games was a great experience and exposure because not often do we get to visit the Games village, meet a sportsperson from other disciplines, interact with them, see how they train and prepare. A group of us went to support the Indian badminton team, which was fantastic."

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the seeded teams making the quarterfinals directly, with Afghanistan, ***** an, Nepal, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman fighting for the other four knockout berths.

While India will start favourites, they can ill afford to take the other teams lightly, with Nepal giving them a run for their medal in the previous edition before India won by 23 runs to make the semifinals.

India will play a match against ***** an and train in Tokyo for three days before heading to the host city. Laxman pointed to the match against Nepal and said, "One thing which we have learnt playing the game is never underestimate your opponent."

Beyond the game, Laxman believes it is about knowledge sharing.

"Given the experience and the exposure the Indian cricketers have, at the end of the match it's also about sharing that experience with players from other countries. After Nepal ran us close in the previous edition of the Asian Games, their coach invited me to talk to the team, which was an opportunity to share knowledge. It's not just me, but that's the way the entire group of players will approach the experience," Laxman stated.

#experience #nepal #hangzhou

Asian Games 2026: BCCI considers sending India's second-string team to **** an over poor player facilities - report originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
BCCI may send a second-string squad to the Asian Games over unsatisfactory player facilities in Aichi-Nagoya, **** an.
Reports flagged tent-based dressing rooms with washrooms 500 metres away, alongside concerns over small hotel rooms.
India travel as defending men's cricket champions, having won gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Games via superior seeding.
India's cricket squad for the 2026 Asian Games could look very different from what's already been announced, with the BCCI reportedly weighing whether to field a weakened side altogether due to serious concerns over player facilities in **** an.

#games #Cricket #BCCI #second

Anushka Sharma will captain India A in the three-match T20 series against Australia A, while Yastika Bhatia will lead the side in the One-Day and multi-day formats.

The BCCI women's selection committee announced the squads for Australia's upcoming tour of India on Thursday. Sayali Satghare has been named ***** hka's deputy in the T20s, while ***** hka will be Bhatia's vice-captain in the One-Day and multi-day teams.
The tour will begin on September 12 and will feature three T20s, three One-Day matches and a four-day multi-day game.

The T20 series will be played in New Chandigarh, followed by the three One-Day matches at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. The four-day match will be held in Dharamsala.
Match
Date
Venue

#matches

NEW DELHI: When Ishan Kishan walks out to bat, the image that usually comes to mind is that of a left-handed batter hitting big sixes, playing brutal pull shots and putting bowlers under pressure. Kishan is known for his aggressive style in white-ball cricket. But on Tuesday, the 28-year-old made it clear that he also loves the challenge of red-ball cricket.

The East Zone captain led his team to a massive innings and 210-run win over North East Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru.

"I enjoy red-ball [cricket] very much. I think people don't believe me when I say that smiles, but it's, I'm being very honest, I really do enjoy red-ball cricket," Kishan told Cricinfo.

Kishan has played 32 ODIs and 55 T20Is for India, apart from 134 IPL matches. His last of two Test appearances came in July 2023. Despite his limited opportunities in Test cricket, his love for the red-ball format remains strong.

"It's always fun to be part of it because I love that challenge when, you know, yes, it's easier to bat on flat tracks and it's fun as well, but the competition which goes around in Test match[es] is some different-level thing," he said.

The match against North East Zone was Kishan's 65th first-class appearance. His previous first-class game was against Baroda in the Ranji Trophy in November 2025. In the nine months between the two matches, Kishan played 59 games across international and domestic cricket, including the IPL.

As someone who has played plenty of white-ball cricket, he admitted that moving back to the red ball was not easy.

"Situations will get tricky," he said in Bengaluru, where the Duleep Trophy is being held. "It will not be easy for us as players to just move around from white ball to red ball, red ball to white ball; change of format, change of gameplay, but that is the fun part about this game," Kishan said.

He spoke about the pressure and challenges that players deal with away from the field.

"You need to understand, as a sportsman, life can be harsh on us. It just looks very simple, like [a] player just comes here, plays their matches, and they leave. It's not like that. They go around, they keep on thinking, there's so much going on in their head every time."

But Kishan believes players cannot keep making excuses if they want to succeed.

"If you want to make it big," Kishan said, "you want to make it count, you can't have many excuses. But at the same time, I feel you should just think about getting better and not cry about things which you cannot control."
Kishan's innings in the match lasted only four runs. He reached out for a wide ball and tried to guide it behind point before being caught behind.

The wicketkeeper-batter admitted that the shot came naturally and he immediately regretted playing it.

"I was in the middle of the shot, and I was like 'what the heck I was trying to do!' I should know this is [a] Test [first-class] match and I need to leave a few **** . So

'You train them to repeat': Sanjay Manjrekar calls out BCCI & ICC over leniency on Yashasvi Jaiswal & Vaibhav Sooryavanshi despite on-field misbehaviour originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Sanjay Manjrekar criticised the ICC and BCCI for handing lenient punishments to Yashasvi Jaiswal over an on-field clash.
Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando were fined 25 per cent of their match fee and given one demerit point each.
Manjrekar also referenced a similar incident involving young prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was fined 50 per cent of his match fee.
Sanjay Manjrekar has hit out at cricket's governing bodies, BCCI & ICC, over what he sees as a repeated pattern of soft punishment for on-field misconduct, pointing to Yashasvi Jaiswal's recent confrontation with Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando as the latest example.

#manjrekar #BCCI

BENGALURU: Some spinners rely on guile and variety, others on subtle change of pace. Abid Mushtaq prefers a simpler route to success— hit the right areas, make batters play and wait for them to commit mistakes.

The Jammu and Kashmir leftarm spinner was at his methodical best against West Zone on Day Two of the Duleep Trophy at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Monday. On a red-soil pitch he described as his "favourite", Abid claimed a five-wicket haul to bowl West out for 187 in 65.4 overs.

North Zone, who secured a 64-run first-innings lead, were 107/4 at stumps, stretching their advantage to 171 runs.

Abid admitted he got "goosebumps" when he saw the red soil, a surface he has only started training on regularly over the last 3-4 three years in J&K. He made the most of the familiarity, producing a spell built on accuracy rather than elaborate variations.

The 29-year-old, who was also invited to bowl in the Australian team's nets ahead of the 2023 BorderGavaskar Trophy in India, kept attacking the stumps and forcing batters to play.

Three of his five wickets — Shivalik Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Urvil Patel — came via LBWs. Gaikwad and Urvil fell within three ****** of each other, leaving West reeling at 70/5 in the 28th over.

"I bowled at the stumps as there was a lot of help on the wicket. I always try to land in good areas and not give away runs. I also use the crease. When it comes to bowling in red soil, I'm confident," Abid said.

His figures of 11-5-13-3 in the first session summed up his approach. He gave the batters little to work with and had already castled Prithvi Shaw on Sunday evening.

Abid, who has taken 63 wickets in his last three Ranji Trophy seasons, kept varying his angle, bowling from both sides of the wicket without compromising on his discipline.

Musheer Khan (31), who showed considerable patience against him, and Shams Mulani (52) briefly stemmed the collapse with a 63-run sixth-wicket partnership. But Abid returned to dismiss Tushar Deshpande (18), completing his five-for.

Anshul Kamboj (2/38) and Arshdeep Singh (3/53) also contributed with the ball as North Zone tightened their grip on the quarterfinal.
At the adjacent ground, Shahbaz Ahmed produced an allround performance to put East Zone firmly in control against North East Zone.

Resuming on 100, the left-hander went on to make 167 as East amassed 467 in 112.5 overs. His innings built on the foundation laid by Sudip Gharami's 146 on the opening day.

Shahbaz then took 3/20 as North East were bowled out for 111, with Abhijit Sarkar returning 5/20.

Forced to follow on, North East reached 7/0 from the only over possible before stumps.

Brief scores: North Zone 251 & 107/4 in 21 overs (Ayush Badoni 39*, Abdul Samad 30; Shams Mulani 2/34, Tanush Kotian 2/22) vs West Zone 187 in 65.4 overs (Shams Mulani 52, Musheer Khan 31; Abid Mushtaq 5/39, Arshdeep Singh 3/53, Anshul Kamboj 2/38).

East Zone 467 in 112.5 overs (Shahbaz A

After BCCI dissolves national selectors' role in picking zonal teams, sanctity of the tournament comes under scanner

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: A few days before the Duleep Trophy got underway at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on Sunday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced that the final will be shifted to MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The reason given was that there will be fans who will come to watch the match, which doesn't happen in the CoE.

Chennai is a cricket-crazy centre. But when you ask those who 'book' their IPL tickets long before the event, whether they would be interested in attending the Duleep final, the standard query is: "Will Shubman Gill play?"

Gill, in this case, stands for all the stars of Indian cricket. The Duleep final is from Sept 6-10, and it will be interesting to see that those who are not part of the Afghanistan T20 series starting on Sept 12 turn out at MAC.

That said, the primary purpose of the inter-zonal tournament is to check out the best performers in the Ranji Trophy go head-to-head against each other. The relevance of the tournament, especially after the inception of IPL, has diminished drastically. Yet, it remains a stepping stone for a lot of players.

The tournament's sanctity has been up for debate with the selection process. The BCCI, in the last decade, has often tried playing the tournament with national selectors picking the India 'A', 'B' and 'C' teams.

This year, the board has reverted to the inter-zonal format and has kept the national selectors out of the equation. The result? Delhi opener Sanat Sangwan, who scored 828 runs in seven Ranji Trophy matches, was on Sunday, benched by the North Zone management and instead middle-order batter Yash Dhull was played as an opener. The Central Zone team has only one player from semifinalist Uttarakhand while Madhya Pradesh was the only team from the zone to have qualified for the quarterfinals. There have been a few debatable selections in the South Zone team as well.

Former national selector Devang Gandhi believes that a national selector has to be involved in the selection process if the sanctity of the tournament is to be saved. "When we were selectors from 2016-2021, BCCI had given us the responsibility of picking the Duleep Trophy to maintain continuity in a player's development. If the opener with the highest runs in the country doesn't get to play Duleep Trophy, it defeats the purpose of the tournament. The board must at least ensure one selector from each zone is present in planning their respective zonal teams. Otherwise, politics at the state **** ociation level can crop up. There's no accountability if BCCI selectors are not used," Gandhi told TOI.

"Today we are seeing Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain as products of domestic cricket. If that structure is compromised, then it will be difficult to see such journeys," Gandhi added.

TOI understands that the selection committee has been asking for a greater role