Sumith Fernando, a former coach of Kusal Mendis, has died after an altercation with players over drinking water during a match in Colombo.
A 62-year-old coach who once mentored former Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis during his school days has died following an altercation with players during a cricket match in Colombo. Police said on Thursday that a 17-year-old school cricketer was arrested on Monday on suspicion of assaulting Sumith Fernando and was remanded to child probation custody until August 17 after being produced before a Colombo court on Tuesday.
A dispute over drinking water led to the altercation involving two players on August 8, following which Fernando was taken to hospital. He died on Tuesday while receiving treatment. Fernando was a former coach of Prince of Wales College in the Colombo suburb of Moratuwa and later served as the curator of Bloomfield Cricket & Athletic Club.
Brook admitted the captaincy workload left him tired and welcomed a return to domestic cricket without leadership duties.
England white-ball captain Harry Brook said leading the side against India took a heavy toll and that he was glad to return to The Hundred purely as a batter. England won the recent T20I series 4-0 and the ODI series 2-1.
Brook, who also captained England at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, said the responsibility of captaincy drains energy even after successful results. He is playing for Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred Eliminator at Headingley on Friday.
Brook also spoke about his long-standing relationship with Test captain Joe Root, noting they have played together for Yorkshire since he was 14.
Ashwin believes Morgan is the leading candidate to replace Fleming at CSK. He said Dhoni's leadership will be central during the transition period.
Ravichandran Ashwin says Eoin Morgan's name keeps coming up whenever Chennai Super Kings talk about their next head coach. The franchise cut ties with Stephen Fleming after another poor season, and early conversations about a replacement have already started. Ashwin told his YouTube channel the timing is still undecided — Morgan might not take over until after the mega auction next year.
Morgan has never coached a franchise or international side since retiring in 2023. Ashwin thinks MS Dhoni will be the steady hand during whatever transition comes next. He figures Dhoni's presence could keep the dressing room stable while the new setup finds its feet.
India and Pakistan can only meet in the final or bronze-medal play-off at the Nagoya Asian Games.
The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash will not be seen in the early stages of the Nagoya Asian Games, with the two arch-rivals placed in separate quarterfinals. India and Pakistan have been directly seeded into the quarterfinals along with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
India have been placed in Quarterfinal 2, while Pakistan will feature in Quarterfinal 1, with both matches scheduled for September 28. The semifinal draw ensures that the two sides cannot meet in the last four, meaning their only possible meeting would come in the gold-medal match or bronze-medal play-off.
The Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4, while the cricket competition will begin on September 17. The women's matches will be played first, with the final scheduled for September 22, before the men's competition takes centre stage.
Shubman Gill returned to batting action in India's warm-up match against Sri Lanka XI after missing the first two days with a finger injury.
India captain Shubman Gill returned to action on Sunday, walking out to open the innings in India's chase of 207 against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in the final innings of the Colombo warm-up match. Gill had missed the opening two days after suffering a right ring-finger injury during training in Colombo.
His return comes at an important time for India, with the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle scheduled for August 15. The captain was seen batting in the nets at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground earlier on Sunday before taking his place at the top of the order.
Gill's absence was confirmed at the toss on Friday morning after he sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during Thursday's practice session. KL Rahul had led the side in his absence during the first two days of the warm-up.
Afghanistan secured automatic qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup after beating Ireland by 42 runs in the fourth ODI in Belfast. Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran scored centuries while Rashid Khan took six wickets in the second ODI, giving Afghanistan an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
The win confirmed their place among the top eight teams in the ICC ODI Rankings on September 30, 2026, the cut-off for automatic qualification. Afghanistan will join Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh, South Africa and Zimbabwe in the 2027 World Cup.
West Indies, currently ranked 10th, will miss direct qualification despite having two matches in hand against India. The West Indies will enter the World Cup Qualifier that begins in February 2027, marking their third consecutive appearance in the qualifying tournament.
Sharma's unbeaten 28 steered Sunrisers to victory after Issy Wong's late three-wicket burst gave Brave hope.
Deepti Sharma guided Sunrisers Leeds into the women's Hundred final with an unbeaten 28 off 22 balls in a five-wicket win over Southern Brave at The Oval. She also picked up a wicket to take her tournament tally to 13 from nine matches, making her the provisional leading wicket-taker. Sunrisers chased down 115 with 11 balls to spare.
Southern Brave were restricted to 114 for seven, with Lizelle Lee top-scoring on 32 off 25 balls. Annabel Sutherland and Hannah Baker took two wickets each for Sunrisers. Lauren Winfield-Hill made 37 in the chase before being bowled by Issy Wong, who finished with three for 21.
Sharma and Winfield-Hill added 41 runs for the fourth wicket to steady the innings after Sunrisers slipped to 54 for three. They will face Trent Rockets in the final at Lord's on Sunday. Sunrisers are looking to secure back-to-back Hundred titles.
MI London and Welsh Fire both failed to reach the knockout stage of The Hundred after narrow defeats on the final day of the group stage.
MI London were eliminated from The Hundred despite posting a hard-fought two-run victory against Birmingham Phoenix in their final group game at Edgbaston. MI needed to win by 59 or more runs to leapfrog third-placed Sunrisers Leeds on net run-rate and reach the Eliminator. Instead, they finished fourth, level on points with second-placed Manchester Super Giants and Sunrisers, who will face each other in the Eliminator at The Oval on Friday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Welsh Fire were also eliminated as they suffered a six-run defeat by London Spirit in their final group match in Cardiff. The hosts' hopes of progressing were slim even if they had won because of their net run-rate of minus 1.001. Fire ended their campaign in fifth place.
Ellyse Perry hit an unbeaten 62 off 39 balls to guide Birmingham Phoenix to a five-wicket win against MI London.
Birmingham Phoenix prevailed in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon in The Hundred women's competition as Ellyse Perry's composed half-century condemned MI London to a sixth defeat. Both teams had managed a solitary victory heading into this fixture but a fifth-wicket stand of 66 between Perry and Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana ensured Phoenix halted a three-match losing streak.
Set a modest target of 122, the hosts were wobbling at 48-4 after Jemima Spence and Davina Perrin fell in the powerplay. Kirstie Gordon took 2 for 20 with her left-arm spin. Perry found a willing partner in Sana, who eventually fell to Nicola Carey when just seven runs were required, and the Aussie superstar secured the win with six balls to spare.
Perry hit seven fours and two sixes in her unbeaten 62 off 39 balls. The victory ensures Phoenix leapfrog MI London and avoid finishing bottom of the women's table, finishing seventh with MI London in eighth place.
Farveez Maharoof believes Gurnoor Brar could be India's X-factor pacer in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah for the Sri Lanka Test series.
Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof has backed uncapped pacer Gurnoor Brar to provide India with an X-factor in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka. Brar, who was included in India's squad for the Test series, made his international debut against Afghanistan in an ODI earlier this year and has picked up 11 wickets in six innings at an average of 32.81. The 25-year-old also boasts impressive numbers in first-class cricket with 62 wickets in 19 matches at an average of 25.24.
Maharoof said Brar impressed during India's warm-up game against Sri Lanka XI, finishing with three wickets and troubling several batters who have already featured in Test cricket. He acknowledged that Brar's lack of Test experience could make his selection a gamble but believes his ability to generate pace and bounce could make him valuable in short spells.
India's squad for Sri Lanka Tests includes Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi.
Australia have named their strongest pace attack for the first Test against Bangladesh while confirming Litton Das's availability for the tourists.
Australia confirmed their XI for the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin on Thursday. Captain Pat Cummins will lead an experienced pace attack that includes Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. Scott Boland was left out of the side. Cameron Green will bat at number five in the lineup. Bangladesh have confirmed wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das is fit to play after recovering from a calf injury. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the team will wait until match morning to finalise its bowling attack but is leaning toward two spinners and three seamers. This marks Bangladesh's first bilateral Test tour of Australia since 2003.
Mohammad Kaif has backed Sarfaraz Khan for India's playing XI in the Sri Lanka Test series, citing his ability to play spin on turning tracks.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif believes Sarfaraz Khan deserves a place in India's playing XI for the Test series against Sri Lanka, especially with the team set to face spin-friendly conditions. Sarfaraz has been recalled to India's Test squad after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out with a toe injury. Kaif said Sarfaraz's ability to play spin at number five or six would be valuable on turning tracks. The Mumbai batter has scored 371 runs in six Tests at an average of 37.10, including three half-centuries. His inclusion gives India another middle-order option as they prepare for the two-Test series that begins in Galle on August 15.
Root ended the post-Ashes curfew after replacing Stokes as Test captain. The ECB said the move was made to set new team standards ahead of the Pakistan series.
Joe Root took the captaincy from Ben Stokes after the all-rounder's retirement and immediately scrapped England's night curfew on Wednesday. Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, the 35-year-old said players could mark wins with a beer if they stayed sensible. The ECB brought in the curfew after the Ashes when the team got caught binge-drinking and hitting the casinos. Root's first series runs from August 19 against Pakistan, with Marcus Trescothick stepping in as stand-in coach until Stephen Fleming arrives later in the year. The ECB made clear Root and Fleming agreed on lifting the restriction together.
Joe Root has ended England's midnight curfew, giving players freedom to make responsible decisions ahead of the Pakistan Test series.
Joe Root walked into his first series as permanent Test captain and tore up the midnight curfew England introduced after the Ashes. He told Sky Sports the players know what's expected, so the rule no longer makes sense. The ECB said the call came from Root and incoming head coach Stephen Fleming. Marcus Trescothick will lead the side for the three Tests against Pakistan that start at Headingley on August 19. The curfew was brought in last January after complaints about player behaviour on the New Zealand and Australia trips.
Rishabh Pant's 39 in Galle ended in controversy as India suffered a middle-order collapse on day two.
Rishabh Pant scored 39 before his dismissal in India's first innings against Sri Lanka in Galle. The wicketkeeper-batter's aggressive approach drew criticism after he fell attempting an expansive shot on a turning pitch. India lost four wickets for 70 runs in a middle-order collapse on day two.
Former India batter WV Raman said Pant should be allowed to play his natural game rather than being instructed to adopt a defensive approach. Pant averages 43.37 in Test cricket and requires three more sixes to become the first Indian to reach 100 sixes in the format.
Dhruv Jurel steadied the innings with 51 after Pant's dismissal. India closed day two on 460 for nine.
Bumrah’s uncertain return timeline has prompted the BCCI to plan for his long-term absence in Tests.
A BCCI source has said Indian cricket may have to prepare for life without Jasprit Bumrah in the longer formats after next year. Bumrah has been ruled out of the Sri Lanka Test series after failing to recover from a knee injury sustained during the ODI series in England.
The Centre of Excellence has not given any timeline for Bumrah’s return and is taking a cautious approach to his rehabilitation. The source added that the CoE is very careful about Bumrah because it has been a long time since he has bowled in longer formats.
Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi will form India’s pace attack in Sri Lanka. The source said the medical team is wary of pushing injured players into Tests without match practice.
Seifert’s rapid innings moved Manchester Super Giants into pole position for the Eliminator.
Tim Seifert scored 80 runs off 40 balls, including seven sixes, as Manchester Super Giants beat Sunrisers Leeds by 10 wickets at Old Trafford. The innings took 52 minutes and helped Super Giants move above their opponents in the table.
The result leaves Sunrisers Leeds at risk of being knocked out of The Hundred knockout stages. Trent Rockets have already secured a place in the final. Super Giants reached the target with 33 balls to spare after restricting Sunrisers to 127.
Gus Atkinson took 3 for 30 while Sonny Baker struck at crucial moments to remove Zak Crawley and Harry Brook. Seifert and Paul Walter dismantled the Sunrisers attack with explosive hitting, though Crawley dropped a tough chance when Seifert had reached 57.
Pathan said Sangakkara accused Indian players of cheating during the 2005 Delhi Test before they became teammates in the IPL.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed he had an on-field spat with Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara during the second Test in Delhi in 2005. Pathan said Sangakkara was the most vocal after Sri Lanka objected to a change in the box of balls and later sledged him personally after he hit Muttiah Muralitharan for two sixes.
Pathan said Sangakkara accused the Indian players of cheating and went personal, prompting Pathan to answer back. The incident occurred when Pathan opened the batting and scored 93 in the first innings.
In 2008, both players became teammates at Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural IPL season. Pathan said he apologised to Sangakkara after the auction and the two became good friends, acknowledging that emotions run high during matches.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the era of randomly scheduled bilateral ODI series has to end because countries cannot sustain cricket without context and competitiveness. Gupta identified context, culture, competition and competitiveness as the four levers that drive attention and affiliation in the format.
Gupta stated that ODIs remain inextricably linked to the men's and women's World Cups and that the format has a place in cricket's product portfolio. He said greater thought is now needed around how the 50-over game is structured and presented.
The 2027 ODI World Cup will feature 14 teams in a new three-stage format beginning with a Super Series involving the three lowest-ranked teams. The winner will join 11 qualified nations in two groups of six before a Super 7 stage determines the finalists.
Danny Lamb ends his career after neck surgery left him unable to continue playing.
Sussex all-rounder Danny Lamb has retired from cricket at the age of 30 on medical advice. The right-arm medium pacer underwent neck discectomy and fusion surgery last month after sustaining a spinal-cord injury. Lamb played 26 first-class matches for Sussex, taking 59 wickets, and also appeared in 12 List A games and 25 T20s for the county.
His departure leaves Sussex short of seam-bowling all-round options for the remainder of the 2026 season. The county had relied on Lamb's ability to contribute with both bat and ball in the lower order across formats.
