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.
Farveez Maharoof believes Manav Suthar could make his Test debut ahead of Saransh Jain for the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof believes India could opt for three spinners in the opening Test against Sri Lanka, with young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar potentially getting the nod ahead of uncapped off-spinner Saransh Jain. India will be without the retired Ravichandran Ashwin and injured Washington Sundar for the first Test, leaving Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as the likely first-choice spinners.
Maharoof said Suthar's ability to extract bounce from the surface could outweigh the benefit of having an off-spinner for variation. Suthar claimed seven wickets on his debut against Afghanistan, while Jain picked up seven wickets during India A's tour of Sri Lanka. Maharoof expects India to go into the Test with a balanced attack comprising three spinners and two seamers.
Maharoof also warned that Rishabh Pant remains a major threat for Sri Lanka despite modest returns in the warm-up match. He said Pant can transform a game within half an hour and will be difficult to contain with his unorthodox approach against spin.
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.
Deep Dasgupta has called on Gautam Gambhir to give Rishabh Pant the freedom to play his natural attacking game in the Sri Lanka Test series.
Former India batter Deep Dasgupta has urged the team management to give Rishabh Pant the freedom to attack in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Pant struggled in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI, scoring 2 in the first innings and 28 in the second. Dasgupta said Pant should bat exactly the way he usually does and that the word responsibility is complicated when it comes to attacking batters. Pant has never played a Test on Sri Lankan soil, and the Galle match would be his first Test in the country. The first Test of the two-match series will begin on Saturday, August 15.
Joburg Super Kings have released Faf du Plessis, the biggest surprise among SA20 retention decisions ahead of the new season.
Joburg Super Kings released former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis ahead of the new SA20 season. The call caught most by surprise among the franchise's retention moves. Chris Morris said it makes sense now the side is rebuilding under Albie Morkel. Du Plessis had been the on-field leader for JSK. Mitchell Marsh will make his SA20 debut for Sunrisers Eastern Cape after joining the three-time champions, while Sam Curran has switched from MI Cape Town to Durban's Super Giants to link up with Jos Buttler.
Sameer Rizvi remains the central figure for Kanpur Superstars as the fourth edition of the Uttar Pradesh T20 League begins in Lucknow. The 22-year-old has delivered consistent firepower across the first three seasons.
Rizvi scored 455 runs in the inaugural season and 365 runs in the second, including a match-winning 57 in the final. Last season he produced several explosive knocks despite the team's early exit.
Team mentor Gyanendra Pandey said the franchise has a balanced squad and expects Rizvi and pacer Mohsin Khan to play key roles in the title push.
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.
Padikkal’s century removed any doubt over India’s number three selection for Galle.
Devdutt Padikkal secured his place at number three for India’s first Test against Sri Lanka after scoring an unbeaten 142 in the warm-up match. The left-hander showed strong footwork against both pace and spin on a surface that offered turn. Padikkal used his height to smother spin and played with attacking intent throughout his innings.
Shubman Gill returned to the middle after missing the first two days with a finger injury and scored 44 while opening the second innings. Mohammed Siraj hit three consecutive sixes in the final over to complete a six-wicket victory. Rishabh Pant gave his wicket away in both innings by charging down the pitch.
The first Test begins in Galle on August 15. India are fifth in the World Test Championship table and need to win seven of their remaining nine Tests to reach the final. Padikkal’s selection ends three years of middle-order experimentation that began after Cheteshwar Pujara’s retirement.
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.
Former India spinner Murali Kartik wants Dhruv Jurel to keep his spot for the opening Test against Sri Lanka. Jurel has been in the setup longer, Kartik said, and dropping him after one poor warm-up would signal that selection is shaky.
Sarfaraz Khan came into the 15-man squad only because Sai Sudharsan got injured. His last Test was November 2024, and he hasn't been picked since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss.
Kartik argued that Jurel's work with bat and gloves gives him the edge, and that India needs to show patience if they want players to feel secure in the side.
Dilip highlighted Kohli's consistent intensity and its effect on teammates' standards.
Former India fielding coach T Dilip said Virat Kohli maintains the same intensity on the field even at this stage of his career. He noted that Kohli's approach remains consistent whether in practice sessions or matches.
Dilip said what impressed him most was Kohli's work when the ball was not coming to him. He cited Kohli running toward the non-striker to collect throws and returning the ball to the wicketkeeper as examples of sustained effort.
Dilip added that Kohli's intensity is contagious and pushes other fielders to stretch their limits. He said Kohli continues to field at long-on in the closing overs and is among the first to run out, setting an example for the team.
Sarfaraz Khan's India recall continues Chennai Super Kings' record of reviving international careers.
Sarfaraz Khan's selection for India's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka adds another name to Chennai Super Kings' list of players who revived their international careers after playing for the franchise. He replaces Sai Sudharsan, who was ruled out with a toe injury, for the first Test in Galle beginning August 15.
Sarfaraz scored 161 runs in 10 innings for CSK in IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 169.47. His opportunities were limited, but the manner of his scoring, including a 25-ball fifty against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, impressed selectors. He had not played for India since the Mumbai Test against New Zealand in November 2024.
Previous CSK players who returned to the India side after strong IPL seasons include Suresh Raina in 2008, Ashish Nehra in 2015 and Ambati Rayudu in 2018. The pattern shows the franchise has repeatedly provided a platform for players seeking second chances.
Gujarat Titans rejected the trade once Hardik insisted on being reinstated as captain.
Hardik Pandya's attempt to return to Gujarat Titans for the 2027 IPL season collapsed after he made captaincy a condition of the trade. Gujarat Titans were open to the move and had discussed the prospect with current captain Shubman Gill, who agreed to the return.
The captaincy demand proved the sticking point. A source told The Indian Express that once the condition was put forward, everyone involved rejected the proposal. Hardik's spokesperson clarified that he had no direct conversations with any franchise and that all communication went through Mumbai Indians.
Hardik joined Gujarat Titans ahead of their inaugural 2022 season and led them to the title in their debut campaign. He returned to Mumbai Indians in December 2023 and was appointed captain, replacing Rohit Sharma.
