Ajinkya Rahane revealed he sent Yashasvi Jaiswal off the field during the 2022 Duleep Trophy final to prevent the youngster from receiving a four-match ban. The incident occurred when Jaiswal became involved in a heated altercation with South Zone batter Ravi Teja.

Rahane said the match referee had already prepared the suspension letter when he intervened as West Zone captain. The referee tore up the letter after Rahane took responsibility for removing his teammate from the field.

Jaiswal went on to score 265 in the match and made his India debut the following year. Rahane said he sensed the situation was spiralling and acted to protect his teammate's career from potential long-term consequences.

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has been appointed as England Test coach, with Joe Root returning as captain. Fleming led Chennai Super Kings to five Indian Premier League titles during his 17-year tenure but has never previously worked as head coach of a national team.

Root, 35, captained England to a record 27 Test wins in 65 matches between 2017 and 2022. He replaces Ben Stokes, who retired from international cricket in June. Fleming will not be in charge for the Test series against Pakistan beginning August 19, with assistant coach Marcus Trescothick serving as interim head coach.

Fleming said the role is one of the most prestigious coaching positions in world cricket. Root described the appointment as a huge motivator and said Fleming has proved to be an exceptional leader. Fleming will begin preparations for the South Africa Test tour in December after spending time with his family in New Zealand.

Southern Brave's hopes of reaching The Hundred knockout stages ended after a 10-run defeat to Manchester Super Giants at Southampton. Moeen Ali and Tristan Stubbs produced two direct-hit run-outs to restrict the visitors, but the target proved just out of reach.

Super Giants lost eight wickets for 30 runs after reaching 119 for none, finishing on 149 for eight. Stubbs remained unbeaten on 53 in the chase, but Brave could not complete the required runs.

The result leaves four teams level on 16 points fighting for the final two knockout places, with Trent Rockets already assured of a top-three finish.

Sri Lanka have recalled 19-year-old seamer Mithali Ayodhya for the Women's T20 Asia Cup that starts in Dubai on August 29. Ayodhya, known for her low slingy action that earned her the 'Lady Malinga' nickname, returns after missing the recent home T20I series against Pakistan. She took four wickets at the T20 World Cup earlier this year and finished as Sri Lanka's second-highest wicket-taker in that tournament. Ayodhya is one of three changes to the squad that faced Pakistan. Seamer Chethana Vimukthi returns while legspin allrounder Dewmi Vihanga earns her maiden T20I call-up after claiming eight wickets in the Women's National Super League. Captain Chamari Athapaththu leads the side with Harshitha Samarawickrama as deputy. Sri Lanka begin their title defence against the UAE on August 29 in Group B alongside Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Charith Asalanka and Eshan Malinga took six wickets between them as Galle Marvels dismissed Jaffna Kings for 123 to win their maiden Lanka Premier League title. Galle's bowlers kept Jaffna under pressure all the way and struck regularly, never letting the Kings build any momentum. The low total left Jaffna well short in the final.

Jaffna had reached the title match on the back of strong showings earlier in the tournament, but their batsmen couldn't find any rhythm once Galle started to chip away.

Mitchell Santner scored an unbeaten 52 off 23 balls as Trent Rockets beat MI London by six wickets at The Oval. The win moved Rockets to 24 points, eight ahead of the four teams on 16 points.

Rockets chased 148 after MI London posted 147 for seven. Sam Curran top-scored with 72 off 46 balls for the hosts.

Rockets need only to avoid defeat in their final group match against Southern Brave to secure a top-two finish and automatic qualification for the Lord's final.

Devdutt Padikkal scored an unbeaten 142 in India's warm-up match against a Sri Lanka XI in Colombo and has secured the No. 3 position for the two-Test series. The innings settled earlier concerns about middle-order stability ahead of the tour. Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers had flagged Padikkal's scoring areas as a potential edge in that slot on turning tracks.

Rishabh Pant could not get going in the warm-up and remains under pressure for the Tests in Galle and Colombo. Gautam Gambhir has been urged to give Pant freedom to play his natural game. The Sri Lanka series is an early chance to steady the middle order before harder assignments come later in the World Test Championship cycle.

Ravindra Jadeja walked in at number four after India lost their second wicket in the warm-up against Sri Lanka XI. Shubman Gill didn't bat on day two either — his continued absence forcing India to shuffle the order before the Test series even begins.

India reached 357 for eight in 90 overs at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground. Devdutt Padikkal went unbeaten on 142 after retiring on his century, while Jadeja chipped in 63 before retiring out. The match left India trailing by six runs heading into day three.

Gill's no-show in both warm-up innings raises questions about fitness or preparation strategy ahead of the Tests. If No.4 really is his slot in the series proper, he'll need to settle in fast.

Monica Wright, the estranged wife of Australia vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner, demanded that Cricket Australia remove Gardner from the leadership role over an alleged affair with teammate Georgia Voll. Wright said CA's silence implies support for the conduct.

Cricket Australia responded that it considers the matter private and personal, adding that all relationships within its workforce must comply with its Respect at Work policy. Gardner has received support from her WBBL franchise, the Sydney Sixers.

Wright and Gardner married in April 2025 and separated after the relationship deteriorated during the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup. Gardner has since moved out of their Sydney home and begun divorce proceedings.

Irfan Pathan says Pakistan media published a fake story claiming he tried to interview Babar Azam and got turned down. Someone had taken a photo of a young Bangladeshi reporter who'd been refused and stuck Pathan's face on it. The piece picked up more than a million views on social media before the lie surfaced.

He spoke about it on JioHotstar's Cheeky Singles and shrugged it off. These things happen often enough that he doesn't bother answering each one — otherwise he'd never get on with his day.

Pathan played 141 Tests between 2003 and 2012, scoring 2,821 runs at 26.12 with one hundred and eleven fifties. With the ball he took 301 wickets at 29.85, including nine five-wicket hauls. In the IPL he turned out for Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions.

Devdutt Padikkal expressed willingness to bat in any position after being named Player of the Series in India's 1-0 win over Sri Lanka. The left-hander scored 328 runs and registered two centuries during the Test series.

Padikkal said he was happy to score runs regardless of his batting order. Former India batter Ajay Jadeja stated that Padikkal could open or bat at number three for the national side in the future.

India drew the second Test after Sri Lanka reached 429 for nine in their second innings. Padikkal remains in contention for a spot in India's upcoming tour of New Zealand, where his flexibility could prove valuable to the team management.

Pakistan all-rounder Hamza Nazar got a two-year ban from all domestic and international cricket after the PCB ruled he gave incomplete and misleading information on his visa application. The board also slapped him with a PKR 1 million fine. A three-member inquiry committee heard his defence before delivering its findings.

The 27-year-old had played 16 first-class matches, 15 List A games and 10 T20s, scoring 1,005 runs and claiming 47 wickets. Last month the selectors added him to Pakistan's red-ball training camp in Lahore ahead of the two-Test series against West Indies.

Zaheer Khan is now co-owner of the Jaffna Kings with Stockholm-based Anchor Sports AB. The previous owners, Sports Commune, lost their rights after Sri Lanka Cricket terminated the franchise agreement two weeks ago.

Manjot Kalra and Mayank Goel co-owned Sports Commune. Kalra was arrested on July 16 on match-fixing allegations involving Sri Lankan players. Police have recorded phone calls and video evidence, but Kalra denies wrongdoing and no verdict has been reached.

Anchor Sports already runs the Antwerp Anchors in Belgium's European T20 Premier League and teams in Canada's Super60 League. Zaheer said the move matters because he admires Sri Lankan bowling talent. Jaffna have won four titles in the LPL's first five seasons.