India's pace attack secured a 1-0 Test series win against Sri Lanka without Jasprit Bumrah. The bowlers maintained consistent pressure across both matches as India claimed the series. Bumrah's absence gave other pacers opportunities to prove their capabilities at Test level. The series performance demonstrated depth in India's fast bowling resources ahead of upcoming assignments. R Ashwin picked Bumrah over Virat Kohli in an all-time India bracket before selecting Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest Indian cricketer overall.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
