Ajinkya Rahane will make his Test commentary debut on Sony Sports Network during India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting August 15. The 38-year-old retired from all forms of cricket on July 30 after scoring 5,077 runs in 85 Tests at an average of 38.46, including 12 centuries. Rahane's most memorable leadership achievement came during India's 2020-21 tour of Australia when he captained the side to a 2-1 series victory.
Retirement will not mean a complete break from the game. Rahane has signed for Amsterdam Flames as their marquee player for the inaugural European T20 Premier League, which begins on August 26. He will bring more than a decade of international experience to his new role in the commentary box.
Tendulkar expected Rahane to play longer, but the batter chose to retire without regrets.
Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket on July 30. Sachin Tendulkar was the first person to call. He told Rahane he'd expected him to keep playing, but the 38-year-old said he didn't want to stretch his career any further.
Rahane also heard from Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. Across 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is he scored more than 8,000 runs. His last innings came against West Indies in Port of Spain in 2023. Three years earlier he'd led India to a 2-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in Australia when the senior players were out injured.
He cried after filming his retirement video. He'll play for Steve Waugh's Amsterdam Flames in the first season of The Hundred.
Kuldeep Yadav was rested after bowling nearly 20 overs in the warm-up. India are monitoring his fitness ahead of the Galle Test.
India rested Kuldeep Yadav in the second innings of the Colombo warm-up after he'd already bowled close to 20 overs — 18 during the three-day match plus a couple more before play started. Team management wanted to assess his condition rather than pile on the workload.
Spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule confirmed it was precautionary. Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain got extended bowling time instead, giving the selectors more data on who partners Kuldeep at Galle. With his Test career a stop-start affair, keeping him fresh matters. The next few days will show how his body's holding up before the actual Test begins.
Kenyon returns to his home county after a brief spell at Nottinghamshire.
Lancashire named Richard Kenyon as their new chief executive after he resigned from the same role at Nottinghamshire. He will replace Daniel Gidney, who retires at the end of the year after 14 years at Emirates Old Trafford. Kenyon spent less than a year at Trent Bridge before deciding to move closer to his family home in Southport.
Kenyon previously worked for a decade at Everton FC, holding commercial and community roles during the club's relocation from Goodison Park. He said the opportunity to lead Lancashire Cricket was a privilege given the club's history and ambition. Lancashire chair Dame Sarah Storey described him as the standout candidate from a strong field.
Nottinghamshire's commercial director Michael Temple will serve as interim chief executive at Trent Bridge. The county currently sits near the bottom of Division Two of the County Championship but holds third place in their One-Day Cup group ahead of Tuesday's final fixture against Somerset.
Jemimah Rodrigues has expressed excitement about the first ICC Women's Champions Trophy, scheduled for February 2027 in Sri Lanka. Rodrigues, whose stint in The Hundred was cut short by a hamstring injury, said the tournament will be special as it is the first of its kind in women's cricket. She also highlighted India's upcoming multi-format series against South Africa in December as a key preparation event. Rodrigues said the mindset within the team remains focused on winning matches regardless of the competition.
Afghanistan secured their spot at the 2027 ODI World Cup with a three-wicket win over Ireland in the third ODI at Bready on Wednesday. Rashid Khan took 3 for 44 and stayed not out on 37 as they chased down the target. The result gives them direct entry among the ten teams already confirmed for the twelve-team tournament across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The final two places go through a ten-team qualifier and a three-team Super Series.
Laxman said personal reasons prevented him from taking the India head coach job in 2023.
VVS Laxman has disclosed he was offered the India head coach position in 2023 but declined due to personal reasons. Speaking at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday, Laxman said he informed then BCCI secretary Jay Shah of his decision and chose to remain at the CoE. He has since extended his contract by two years to establish the facility's structure and protocols. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met Laxman on Sunday to review the rehabilitation and injury management programme at the 40-acre facility, which replaced the old National Cricket Academy at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Ganguly reported death threats to police, who have begun investigating letters sent over six months.
Sourav Ganguly filed a complaint with Kolkata police after he and his wife, Dona, started getting death threats six months ago. The two most recent letters, both delivered to his CAB office on Monday, made it explicit: they wanted him and Dona dead. He went to Thakurpukur police station and lodged the complaint. Police are now tracing the courier records and a mobile number they think belongs to someone in Belgharia.
Afghanistan secured their spot at the 2027 ODI World Cup with a three-wicket win over Ireland in the third ODI at Bready on Wednesday. Rashid Khan took 3 for 44 and stayed not out on 37 as they chased down the target. The result gives them direct entry among the ten teams already confirmed for the twelve-team tournament across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The final two places go through a ten-team qualifier and a three-team Super Series.
Adrian Birrell has been appointed head coach of Sharjah Warriorz, bringing his experience of leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape to three SA20 titles.
Adrian Birrell has been appointed head coach of Sharjah Warriorz ahead of the upcoming ILT20 season. The 65-year-old led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to three SA20 titles during his tenure with the franchise. Birrell replaces the previous coaching staff at Sharjah Warriorz.
Birrell has extensive experience in T20 franchise cricket across multiple leagues. He guided Sunrisers Eastern Cape to consecutive SA20 titles in the competition's first three seasons. The South African coach has worked with several international players during his time in the SA20.
The ILT20 season is scheduled to begin in January 2027. Sharjah Warriorz finished in the middle of the table in the previous edition of the tournament.
India captain Shubman Gill is available for the first Test against Sri Lanka after missing the opening two days of the warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI as a precaution. Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during practice on Thursday. India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule confirmed that Gill has been absolutely fine and is very much ready for the Test match.
Gill returned to batting on the final day of the warm-up and scored 44 runs while opening the innings. He had a lengthy practice session in the nets before batting in India's chase of 207. Bahutule said Gill takes his preparation very seriously and understands the demands of the particular series.
The warm-up match was trimmed to three days at the last minute. India defeated Sri Lanka Cricket XI by six wickets after Mohammed Siraj smashed three consecutive sixes in the final over to seal the chase. Devdutt Padikkal scored an unbeaten 142 in India's first innings.
Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of The Hundred with a hamstring injury, putting her participation in the Women's T20 Asia Cup in doubt.
India batter Jemimah Rodrigues has been ruled out of the ongoing Hundred after suffering a hamstring injury while playing for Southern Brave. The injury puts her participation in the upcoming Women's T20 Asia Cup in doubt. Southern Brave confirmed on Saturday that Rodrigues has been replaced by Australian all-rounder Charlie Knott for the remainder of the tournament.
The 25-year-old has scored 143 runs with a highest of 42 not out in six innings for the Brave at an average of 35.75 and a strike rate of 131.19. The Women's T20 Asia Cup begins on August 28, with India starting their campaign against Thailand on August 30.
Rodrigues has just under three weeks to recover from the injury to be fit for the continental tournament.
Sandeep Lamichhane has been appointed Nepal's new ODI captain ahead of the ACC Men's Premier Cup. The 26-year-old leg-spinner replaces Rohit Paudel, who took over the role in 2022 after Lamichhane's previous stint as captain in 14 ODIs.
Lamichhane holds 154 ODI wickets from 77 matches and became the fastest Nepalese player to reach 150 ODI wickets. He is also the first Nepal player to claim 100 T20I wickets. Paudel led Nepal to 11 wins in 12 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 matches, securing qualification for the 2023 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
The appointment comes as Nepal prepares for the ACC Men's Premier Cup, with Lamichhane expected to lead the side in the tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board hasn't decided whether to publicly announce the list of players receiving central contracts under its new format-based system.
The Pakistan Cricket Board still hasn't settled whether it'll announce the list of players getting central contracts under its new payment and categorisation system. Usually the board releases the names by the first week of August, with contracts covering June to July each fiscal year.
A source told PTI the board sees no need to make the names public, calling it an internal matter. Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi said he hadn't heard about the decision when asked in Multan on Monday.
The PCB confirmed earlier that format-based contracts would begin for 2026-27. Male players will qualify if they've played at least four Tests, six ODIs, or six T20Is in the previous 12 months. The uncertainty arrives while the board faces separate questions over its financial disclosures.
Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association criticised the ICC for making significant structural changes to the 2027 ODI World Cup qualification pathway less than 18 months before the tournament.
Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association have criticised the International Cricket Council's recent changes to the qualification pathway and format for the Men's 50-over World Cup. The two European Associate Member boards said they were disappointed that the ICC had made significant structural changes less than 18 months before the tournament begins.
The ICC announced the changes in June as part of a revamp of structures for its two men's World Cup tournaments. The tournament will still have 14 teams, but the three lowest-ranked teams will now first play in a Super Series round, with only the top team advancing to the main 12-team group stage.
The boards said changing qualification rules during a cycle creates uncertainty for players and teams. Members invest years preparing for World Cups, and confidence in those pathways depends on them not changing part-way through a qualification cycle without consultation. They also highlighted that the opportunity to compete at a World Cup provides Associate Members with a unique competitive opportunity to drive investment and inspire players.
Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association criticised the ICC's decision to reduce direct qualification spots for the 2027 ODI World Cup from 14 to 11 teams.
Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association have criticised the ICC's decision to cut direct qualification spots for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Only 11 of the 14 teams that qualify will now enter the group stage straight, while three others must fight through a Super Series with just one survivor. The ICC announced the shift in July, barely 18 months before the tournament.
The two Associate boards called it a setback for Associate cricket and said it risks undoing recent progress. They argued that decisions of this scale should follow proper consultation and leave enough time for affected members to adjust. Both boards met the ICC twice asking for written confirmation and clearer process details.
They also asked for an invitation to bilateral planning meetings with Full Members and positive steps to improve future decision-making. Changing qualification rules mid-cycle leaves players and teams who have spent years preparing for the event in the dark, they said.
Chahal's 3 for 35 helped Northants bowl out Somerset before they chased the target with seven wickets in hand.
Yuzvendra Chahal claimed three for 35 as Northamptonshire bowled out Somerset for 185 in the One-Day Cup. Chahal dismissed Archie Vaughan and two tailenders to finish with 15 wickets in six matches.
Northamptonshire reached the target in 30 overs for a seven-wicket victory. Luke Procter scored 85 and shared a 136-run stand with Nathan McSweeney.
Chahal now sits fourth in the list of highest wicket-takers in the tournament.
Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for 32 after a bizarre mix-up with KL Rahul left both batters at the same end during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for 32 after a run-out mix-up with KL Rahul on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Rahul drove a flighted delivery from Keshara Nuwantha towards mid-on and called for a single. Jaiswal started but collided with the bowler, fell to the ground, then changed direction twice before both batters ended up at the same end. Rahul made his ground first, leaving Jaiswal short of the crease. Niroshan Dickwella removed the bails after consulting captain Dhananjaya de Silva. Jaiswal had struck five fours before the unusual dismissal. India won the toss and elected to bat first in their 600th Test match.
Saikia said the board is open to moving the Duleep Trophy final to a stadium because crowds are barred at the CoE.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board will look at shifting the Duleep Trophy final out of the Centre of Excellence and into a proper stadium. The 2026-27 domestic season begins with the Duleep Trophy from August 23 to September 10 at the CoE, but government rules keep spectators out.
Saikia told reporters that only people connected to the teams can enter, while general crowds stay locked out. The board has already increased the number of live-televised matches this season so fans still get some access.
Suggestions for a stadium venue are being invited, and a call can still be made before the final.
Kotak values the match simulation over extended net sessions ahead of the Galle Test.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said the three-day warm-up match in Colombo was more productive than additional net sessions would have been. All available players batted and bowlers delivered between 18 and 20 overs each during the fixture, which India won by six wickets. Mohammed Siraj hit a hat-trick of sixes to seal the result.
Kotak noted that the match gave bowlers the intensity required and allowed everyone to face match situations. India had previously favoured high-intensity training camps over warm-up matches on several overseas tours. The current schedule allowed four days between arrival on August 3 and the first Test on August 15.
The team arrived in Sri Lanka with extra time compared to recent tours. Kotak said the match provided better preparation than four additional days of net practice alone.
