Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gurnoor Brar gave India positives in the Colombo warm-up. Devdutt Padikkal scored a century to press his Test claims.
Shubman Gill looked sharp during India's final warm-up against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo, moving freely and signalling he's ready for the Galle Test. Yashasvi Jaiswal opened with fluent batting while Gurnoor Brar made an impression with the ball.
Devdutt Padikkal scored a stylish century on day two, staking a real claim for selection. India used the fixture to work through their spin depth — Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar both got extended time to press their cases. One surprise: Gary Kirsten, Sri Lanka's head coach, dropped by the Indian camp during the match.
Gill's full recovery from the blow to his right hand earlier in the tour removes the main selection headache. That lets India focus on which spinners to back rather than scrambling to find batting cover.
Maharoof backs Brar to provide the edge India lack without Bumrah's reverse swing.
Former Sri Lanka pacer Farveez Maharoof recommended Gurnoor Brar for India's first Test against Sri Lanka after the young paceman's warm-up performance. Maharoof said Brar brings bounce, pace and a fighting spirit that could unsettle batters on Galle's surface. Brar took a 10-wicket haul during India A's tour of Sri Lanka last month.
India are expected to play two pacers in Galle with Mohammed Siraj certain to feature. Brar is competing with Prasidh Krishna for the second spot after outperforming him with the short ball in the warm-up match. Shubman Gill underwent a specialised throw-down session to prepare for possible reverse swing on a Day 4-style surface.
The first Test begins in Galle on August 15. India are fifth in the World Test Championship table and need strong results to stay in contention for the final.
Devine shifts focus to the WBBL after a calf injury ended her Hundred stint early.
Welsh Fire captain Sophie Devine will miss the remainder of The Hundred after suffering a calf muscle tear. The New Zealand all-rounder had her campaign cut short and will now focus on rehabilitation ahead of the Women's Big Bash League season. She has not set a return date but said recovery is progressing well.
Devine has been a consistent performer across franchise leagues and remains a central figure in New Zealand's white-ball setup. The injury comes at a time when several leading players are managing workloads between international and domestic commitments. Welsh Fire are expected to name a replacement for the remainder of the group stage.
The WBBL is scheduled to begin in October, giving Devine a potential window to regain full fitness before the Australian domestic season starts.
South Africa named Duan Jansen in their 15-member white-ball squad for the upcoming tour of Namibia. The Titans all-rounder earned his first senior international call-up after being named Division 1 One Day Cup Player of the Year.
Jansen helped Titans win the title with an unbeaten 61 in the final. Bjorn Fortuin leads the squad that will play a T20I tri-series against Namibia and Zimbabwe from August 28 to September 6.
Coach Shukri Conrad said the tour provides valuable exposure for uncapped players. South Africa depart Johannesburg for Windhoek on August 25.
Joseph Eckland’s unbeaten 68 guided Gloucestershire to victory over Northamptonshire in the One-Day Cup.
Joseph Eckland stayed unbeaten on 68 and got Gloucestershire home against Northamptonshire in the One-Day Cup. Nathan McSweeney and George Bartlett had earlier made fifties as the Steelbacks posted 308. Gloucestershire reached the target with wickets to spare.
Eckland walked in after early wickets had left the chase shaky. He steadied things through the middle overs and kept the required rate in check until the finish line was in sight.
The win lifts Gloucestershire in the group with one round left.
Bjorn Fortuin will captain South Africa on their upcoming tour of Namibia. The all-rounder leads the side in a T20I tri-series against Namibia and Zimbabwe beginning August 28, followed by a three-match ODI series.
Duan Jansen earned his maiden national call-up after impressing in domestic white-ball competitions. Eathan Bosch is the other uncapped T20I player in the squad. Connor Esterhuizen, Jordan Hermann and Nqobani Mokoena received their first ODI call-ups.
South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad said the tour provides opportunities for players to build international caps. Fortuin has previously captained the Lions in domestic cricket. The T20I tri-series runs from August 28 to September 6, with the ODI series scheduled for September 9 to 13.
BCCI named Sarfaraz Khan as replacement for injured Sai Sudharsan in India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting August 15. Sarfaraz joined the squad in Colombo after a two-year absence from the Test team. Dhruv Jurel was left out of the squad. Mohammad Kaif included Sarfaraz in his XI for the Galle Test while omitting Jurel. Sarfaraz Khan's father issued an emotional message that circulated widely after the recall. Sudharsan is recovering from a right toe stress reaction at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Sarfaraz Khan's return may hinge on conditions in Galle where India seek a specialist answer to spin bowling.
Henriques takes charge of Portugal's campaign to reach the T20 World Cup for the first time.
Portugal named former Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques as their T20 captain for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier C. Born in Madeira, Henriques played 24 T20Is, 16 ODIs and four Tests for Australia before serving the three-year cool-off and switching allegiance. He'll lead a squad that includes Craig Cachopa and Siraj Ullah Khadem, both with First-Class experience elsewhere. The ten-team qualifier runs across two venues in Finland, with the winner moving on to the Europe Regional Qualifier. Henriques hasn't played for Australia since August 2021 against Bangladesh.
Middlesex has secured a top-three spot in Group B and will contest the quarter-finals after a 50-over win over Durham.
Middlesex has secured a top-three finish in Group B after losing only one of seven matches. The county will play in the quarter-finals scheduled for Friday or Sunday. Their 50-over victory over Durham at Chester-le-Street stood out for the depth shown across the batting order after the home side posted 303 for seven. Toby Roland-Jones and Henry Brookes completed the chase with three sixes between them when Zafar Gohar fell with 30 runs still required.
Yorkshire moved above Durham into second place after beating Derbyshire by 12 runs at Scarborough. Jafer Chohan took two wickets in an over on his List A debut, but Sam Whiteman’s 94 anchored a Yorkshire recovery that delivered the points. Worcestershire lost by four wickets to Glamorgan and now need results elsewhere to remain in contention for a knockout berth.
The final round of fixtures ends on Tuesday. Only one county has already confirmed its place in the quarter-finals.
Former India batter says the vacant sports science role is affecting team performance amid rising injuries.
Mohammad Kaif has criticised the BCCI for leaving the Sports Science and Medicine Head position empty at the Centre of Excellence. The post has sat vacant since Nitin Patel quit. Kaif says several candidates pulled out at the last minute after they had already agreed to take it.
He pointed to Jasprit Bumrah's absence from the third ODI against England as proof the issue is hurting the side. India gave up 387 runs that day. Kaif says the board needs to admit that the growing injury toll is dragging on performance. VVS Laxman confirmed Andrew Leipus had accepted the job before he withdrew for family reasons.
Laxman says the board spoke to five candidates. An Australian was chosen but then declined to move to Bengaluru. Kaif says the BCCI has the money to bring in the best medical staff yet keeps coming up short.
Travis Head called on Australia to stay grounded ahead of their World Test Championship series against Bangladesh despite being clear favourites.
Travis Head urged Australia to temper expectations ahead of their two-Test series against Bangladesh beginning August 13 in Darwin. The opening batter said the team faces scrutiny despite being favourites in their World Test Championship campaign.
Australia sit atop the WTC standings with a point percentage of 87.5. Head warned that expecting runs against Bangladesh can be harder than facing stronger opposition because the game remains unpredictable.
Jake Weatherald will make his home Test debut in Darwin. The left-hander scored 483 runs at an average of 60.37 in six County Championship matches for Leicestershire this season.
Abishek Porel was arrested on Tuesday after a medical student filed a rape case at Mogra Police Station. The Calcutta High Court had ordered police to act on the complaint.
Abishek Porel was arrested by Bengal Police on Tuesday in connection with a rape case filed at Mogra Police Station in Hooghly. The 23-year-old Delhi Capitals wicketkeeper-batter was taken into custody after the Calcutta High Court directed police to act on the complaint lodged by a medical student.
The woman alleged that Porel established a physical relationship with her on the promise of marriage over three years and later subjected her to assault and criminal intimidation. She claimed the cricketer threatened to make private photographs public after the relationship broke down.
Porel was produced before the Chinsurah Court following his medical examination. A case has been registered against him under multiple sections of the BNS and IT Act. The allegations remain under investigation and have not been established in court.
Jaffer said India must return to the strict fitness regime of the Kohli-Shastri period to reduce injuries.
Former India batter Wasim Jaffer wants the team to bring back the strict fitness regime that defined the Kohli-Shastri years. Back then, players who failed the tests were simply left out.
Five frontline options are already ruled out for the Sri Lanka Tests. Jasprit Bumrah is managing knee swelling, Sai Sudharsan, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are all unavailable, while Akash Deep has been out longest with a lower-back stress fracture. The white-ball squad is short too—Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy and Prince Yadav are at the Centre of Excellence.
Jaffer insists the facility itself isn’t the problem. Contracted players still sit regular fitness tests, and injured players stay on for rehab. Selection decisions, he points out, rest with the captain, coach and selectors—not the physios.
VVS Laxman has identified the Indian women's team's 2025 ODI World Cup victory as the high point of his time as head of cricket at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Laxman said the transition from the old facility at the Chinnaswamy Stadium to the new 40-acre complex was another major achievement. He also highlighted the development of young players and his increased involvement with women's cricket during his tenure. Laxman has been in the role since December 2021.
Shubman Gill will lead India in Galle after scans ruled out any fracture from two blows to his right hand.
Shubman Gill has been cleared to lead India in Galle. Scans showed no fracture in his right hand after he took two blows on the eve of the warm-up match in Colombo. One came while he was batting against Gurnoor Brar, the other during slip-catching drills. Spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said the decision to rest Gill for the first two days of the warm-up was purely precautionary.
BCCI named Sarfaraz Khan as replacement for injured Sai Sudharsan in India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting August 15.
The BCCI named Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan as replacement for injured Sai Sudharsan in India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka. The series starts on August 15. Sudharsan is recovering from a right toe stress reaction at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Sarfaraz joined the India squad in Colombo and celebrated his recall with family members present. He last played for India in 2024 and returns after a two-year absence from the Test side. The selection followed his consistent domestic performances.
India will assess the batting order options ahead of the opening Test. Sarfaraz provides middle-order depth for the conditions in Sri Lanka.
Cricket Australia will test a hybrid ownership model that could open the door to league expansion.
Cricket Australia will look at expanding the Big Bash to 10 teams if the board signs off on selling stakes in the current franchises on Wednesday. The shift to a hybrid model came after the states turned down full privatisation in April. Raine Group, the US bank, is running the sale and has already spoken to owners from the IPL and the Hundred.
A CoE source said IPL financial pressures push players to play through injuries before they reach the board's facility.
A source at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru has claimed that players arrive at the facility after playing through injuries during the IPL due to franchise and financial pressures. The source told ANI that the sudden workload spike makes rehabilitation more complicated and creates uncertainty around return-to-play timelines. Board secretary Devajit Saikia visited the CoE over the weekend to review the rehabilitation programme.
Ashutosh Sharma won't face Derbyshire on Tuesday. He picked up an injury during Sunday's match, and Hampshire named pace bowler Harry Petrie as his replacement when they released the squad.
Sharma has played seven matches for the county so far. The bat hasn't clicked — 56 runs, best of 16 — but the ball has. Fourteen wickets at 15.92.
Hampshire sit fourth in the group with four wins from seven. They need a strong finish to reach the knockouts.
Rahmat Shah scored an unbeaten 143 to guide Afghanistan to a six-wicket victory in the fifth ODI against Ireland in Belfast. The Afghanistan captain added 201 runs for the third wicket with Sediqullah Atal after the tourists had slipped to 22 for two.
Afghanistan had lost both openers inside the first six overs to Liam McCarthy. The 4-0 series win extends Afghanistan's record of consecutive ODI victories over Ireland to seven matches.
The result completes a dominant tour for Afghanistan ahead of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
